MMGM and The Secret of the Fortune Wookie

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

     http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

This is one of those weeks where brothers and sisters can agree on something, or as my mom says, "The End of Days".

We both love the Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger and to celebrate this RARE occassion we are also having a Giveaway!  We have one hardcover copy of The Secret of the Fortune Wookie that is AUTOGRAPHED by Tom Angleberger. This is a great series for EVERYONE.  All you have to do is leave a comment and make sure you include your email address.

Marsh's Response to The Secret of the Fortune Wookie:

     After Dwight leaves McQuarrie Middle to go to Tippet Academy, Tommy has to create another case file without him . . . How will that work?!!? Then Tommy's half-girlfriend, Sara, brings in a piece of origami that Dwight threw out of his window.  One by one, it starts to solve everyone's problems.  But Harvey, once again, thinks this is all a big hoax.

     This was a great third book in the Origami Yoda series.  I especially liked it because my two favorite characters from the Star Wars saga were introduced: Han Solo and Chewbacca.  Like the other books, it has a ton of humor.  I give this one FIVE MONSTERS.

Emiline's Response to The Secret of the Fortune Wookie:

     Tragedy has struck Tommy's middle school . . .  Dwight is at a new school and Origami Yoda  went with him.  Luckily, a Fortune Wookiee has come to help.  But is The Force within him?

     My favorite character in this book was Han Foldo.  He said things that Han Solo would say.  Tom Angleberger really knows his Star Wars characters, plus his last name is really fun to say.  I give this one FIVE MONSTERS.

This is Tom Angleberger's site where you can find out all about him (he's really the best!) and his books:

http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

     http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

Emiline's Marvelous-Middle Grade Book Pick is

The Fairytale Detectives: Sisters Grimm #1

by Michael Buckley

     Sabrina and Daphne's lives are everything BUT normal. Ever since their thought-to-be-dead grandmother picked them up from the orphanage and taught them about their ancestors--the Brothers Grimm--things have been a little strange.  It turns out that all the fairy tales are real!  But the fairy tale characters (the Everafters) are trapped in Ferryport Landing due to the Human/Everafter war.  They are stuck there until the last Grimm dies.  The girls' ancestors have carried on the family business--serving as fairy tale detectives--and now it is their turn.

     These books are epic.  They changed my idea of fairy tales forever.  But now I'm so sleep deprived from staying up all night reading them that I'm having a hard time putting my love for them into words. But I can say that I am in Love with this series.  It's absolutely brilliant.

     I give it FIVE MONSTERS.

Visit tbis site for more information about The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley:

http://sistersgrimm.com

YouTube Trailer for Sisters Grimm:

Emiline's Review of Drama

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Review by Emiline

            Callie is a high schooler with a lot of “drama” in her life.  First, she kisses a total jerk and then he totally avoids her!  Next, a production of Moon Over Mississippi grasps the school’s interest and Callie is part of the stage crew. 

But that’s not the only thing that has her interest . . . There is also the matter of twin boys, one of whom she has a crush on.  Callie and the boys often hang out together and do things for the play.  Justin has a part in the play and Jesse joins Callie in the stage crew.  When the twin she likes asks her to the school formal it lights up her world, but she is only to find a twist to her date.

I love Raina Telgemeier’s Drama.  I like how the title really describes what you are about to see on the first page.  I love how in Drama the author creates a character and then writes from some of her personal experience. (She told so when I met her at the Decatur Book Festival.)

I really love Callie’s style I feel like Rania Telgemeier wanted to show off who Callie is by her style.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

                                             http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

My Review of Pandora the Curious: Goddess Girls #9

by Suzanne Williams and Joan Holub:

          Pandora is a mortal who lets her curiosity overcome her.  When Titans come to MOA, they bring something that is very dangerous--a box of trouble.  What lies inside of it is personality changing bubbles, and Pandora opens it.  What will happen next!!??

           It amazes me how I sometimes grow out of things, but I've been reading these books since I was 7 and I'm still reading them.  I don't know exactly what it is about these books but they are just wonderful!  Okay, maybe I do know:  Their school is awesome. The characters are wonderful.  And the illustrations are amazing.  The authors must have some great bond because they work really well together and make beautiful books.  I give Pandora the Curious 5 monsters.

Visit the Suzanne Williams' site:

http://www.suzanne-williams.com/index.html

Visit Joan Holub's site:

http://www.joanholub.com

AND the Goddess Girls are on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goddess-Girls/143855319008219

Make sure you like them, pretty please.

Thanks Decatur Book Festival! I got to meet Joan Holub and get my book signed.  Meeting her was a great experience.  (I'm dressed up like Amy Pond from Doctor Who-- I went to the DragonCon Parade)

Emiline's Review of The Apothecary

My Report on The Apothecary by Maile Meloy:

This is the video trailer for the book:

         It's 1952 and Janie must leave her life behind and go to London where she attends St Bedens School. At that school, a boy by the name of Benjamin Burrows stands up during a bomb drill and refuses to go under the tables.  This intrigues Janie and she follows him to his father's shop.  His father is an apothecary--but not exactly a normal apothecary.  These three people will go on a BIG adventure.

My Response to The Apothecary:

     This is most likely a middle grade book.  It has about 2 notches out of 5 for intensity because of the war scenes.  They are very easy to visualize.  The writing is also very emotional.  Because of this, I would say the age range is 10 and up.

     I give this book 5 monsters.  It was sad but the writing deserves the full rating.  It was wonderfully described.

Check this site out to explore the world of The Apothecary

http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/youngreaders/minisites/apothecary/index.html

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

                                             http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

Emiline's MMGM Pick for this week is WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick

   

     I chose Wonderstruck as my MMGM, because it is by the same author as The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  Wonderstruck is not at all related to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but it is a novel in pictures and words like Hugo.

     Ben is a ten-year-old who has no parents.  His mother died in a car crash and he never knew his father.  One night Ben went into his mother's old room and found a bookmark that may lead him to his father.  Ben was born with one sea ear, and when he calls the number on the bookmark lightning strikes and leaves Ben completely deaf.

     There is another story in the book, but it is completely in pictures.  This story is about a young girl named Rose, who turns out to be Ben's grandmother.That may sound crazy, but the words and pictures are in different time periods.  Ben's story is set in 1977 and Rose's story is set in 1927.  That is one of my favorite things about this book.  I really enjoyed how it turned out that Rose was Ben's grandmother.  I thought Wonderstruck was great and also tragic.

To find out more visit the Wonderstruck website. There is information about the author and illustrator, pictures from the book, and even a cool video.

http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com

Scholastic also has a page for Wonderstruck!

http://www.scholastic.com/wonderstruck/

Emiline's Frankenstein Book Report

Emiline's Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

     Victor Frankenstein is a young medical student who wishes for one thing--to unlock the secret of life.  When he tries to create a living creature out of dead parts, disaster strikes!  The fiend he has created lashes out on his friends and family.  But why is the monster doing this?
     I loved all the sorrow and tragic events in this book.  I thought that it was really sad that the monster killed Victor's bride on his wedding day.  But even though the monster did this, he wasn't all bad, everyone was just really mean to him. I think Marry Shelley did a great job, I give Frankenstein 5 Monsters.  I recommend this book to all readers who love a thrill.

If you aren't quite ready for Frankenstein, then you should read This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel.  Its the first book in the series, The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein.

You can check out my review here:
http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2012/09/emilines-review-of-this-dark-endeavor.html

I made this trailer with iMovie!

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at 

A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

The Man Who Was Poe

by Avi

     Edmund and Sis's aunty promised to only be out for a couple of minutes; but, instead, she stayed gone for days.  The children began to starve.  Sis's stomach gets so empty that Edmund steps out to get something for them to eat.  When he gets back, Sis is gone.  A fine man by the name of Auguste Dupin agrees to help him find his sister.  Will they find her?  Read The Man Who Was Poe, coming July 2013.

     I thought everything in this book was wonderful.  Every part intrigued me.  The Poe connections were great.  I loved how Avi presented Edgar's character--brilliant.

To find out more about AVI and his books, please visit:

http://www.avi-writer.com/

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!

This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

     In The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, there is a boy named hugo whose father died in a fire in a museum.  In the ruins sat an automaton.  Hugo believes it might save his life if he can fix it.  He things that it is a machine that can draw or write. Eventually, Hugo succeeds at fixing it and makes a new friend, too.

     The automaton drew a picture that had his new friend's godfather's signature at the bottom , so Hugo and his friend, Isabelle, try to figure out why it is there.  Will they succeed in their quest?  Find out in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

     Selznick tells this story with beautiful pictures and words.  They pictures are kind of like a flipbook. They use motion to show what's going on in the story.  The words are also a big part of the story.  They show the dialogue and give great descriptions.

     I liked Hugo's natural talent with tinkering and I liked seeing him do it in the pictures.  I think you should read Hugo if you have a big imagination or think you would make a good engineer.  

~Emiline

Visit this website to find out more about this amazing book:

http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

Emiline's Review of Eighth Grade Bites

Eighth Grade Bites (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1)

by Heather Brewer

Review by Emiline

Vlad isn’t a normal boy; he’s a vampire.  His parents are dead.  He lives in a small town where people are being abducted mysteriously.  Vlad’s teacher is missing and his substitute is very intriguing.  Vlad stays cautious when he’s around the sub, Mr. Otis, because he is bound to discover his secret. 

One day, Vlad finds a letter from his father that could answer the questions about his parent’s deaths.  To find out what happens next, read Heather Brewer’s Eighth Grade Bites.

I liked that Vlad wasn’t a super popular kid and that he faces challenges that real kids face.  I also liked that Brewer seems to pour all of her emotion into the book.  I also really liked that even though Vlad is a vampire, he is not vicious or cruel.

I read every chance I get!  This is a picture of me reading in the carpool line.

Emiline's Review of This Dark Endeavor

Emiline's Review of This Dark Endeavor

(The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #1)

By Kenneth Oppel

     This is a modern prequel to the gothic classic Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein’s brother is very ill and not a single doctor knows a cure.  To make matters worse, they do not even know the illness!  So Victor and his sister, Elizabeth, secretly set out to find the legendary alchemist.  He is known for his advanced healing skills, but he was prosecuted for creating the elixir of life which sometimes you do not live through.  This is the story of how Victor Frankenstein started to figure out the secrets of life and death.

           These are the things I loved when I read this book:

I loved the way the author, Kenneth Oppel, described the potions in the alchemist’s laboratory.  I also thought the passion that Victor had for Elizabeth was wonderful.  Oppel really did well creating the emotion between the characters.  I also enjoyed the brotherhood between Konrad and Victor.  Victor stood by his brother’s side even during his illness.  Finally, I loved the last words in this book.  They really were emotional and sent chills up my spine.

My friends at Little Shop of Stories recommended this book for me. Thanks!  I would also like to thank Mr. Oppel for taking his time to sign my book and talk to me at the Little Shop of Stories Author Reception.  That was very nice.

If you would like to read This Dark Endeavor, you can find it at your school or local library or your favorite Indie Bookstore.

To find out more about this book and the author, Kenneth Oppel please visit this website:

http://www.kennethoppel.ca/

This is the Book Trailer for This Dark Endeavor:

Emiline's Book Report on SMILE!

     Smile is a middle-grade graphic novel based on dental drama and girl drama from the 90s.  The main character, Rania, is going through very tough times and doesn't know who her real friends are.  As she goes to high school, she parts from her one true friend.  Then, all the stuck-up snobby girls (her un-real friends) practically humiliate her on the first day.  Will she ever find real friends?  Find out in Raina Telgemeier's Smile.  

     I liked Smile because of the 90's personality.  I also liked the real girl drama the kids suffer through. The book has a ton of humor an it's a great summer read.  If you are looking for a great short read for summer vacation, read Smile.

To find out more about the author AND illustrator, Raina Telgemeier visit her site:

http://goraina.com/

I was pretty excited to see that she also illustrates comics! We LOVE comics!

Here is my smile before I got braces.

Here is my Smile after I got braces.

Here's Marsh getting his braces.

Emiline's Review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 Book by: J.K. Rowling

Report by: Emiline

     Many people have been inspired by J.K. Rowling’s books because of one series--Harry Potter.  Here’s my report on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

     Back to another amazing year at Hogwarts, but something else lies before Harry and the other students, the legendary Triwizard Tournament.  Hogwarts is competing against two other wizard schools and there can only be one champion from each school.   The champions put their name in the goblet and the goblet decides the champion. Somebody mysteriously puts Harry’s name in the goblet and he becomes the 2nd Hogwarts champion! Harry, along with his other friends Ron and Hermione, tries to solve the case.  

     But the Triwizard tournament is not all that happens.  Hermione starts to make a club for people who think it’s wrong to own house elves, also  known as S.P.E.W.  Harry prepares for his tasks and Rita Skeeter, The Daily Prophet newspaper writer  reports bad things about him .

     Will Harry and his friends succeed?   Find out in the fantastical book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

REVIEWERS RESPONSE:

Harry Potter’s adventures always have me hanging at the edge of my seat but this one has to be my favorite! She writes as if she were right  there as if she were the character. She inspires me to write more because of the way she writes.