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

     I was delighted to meet Adam Gidwitz when he came to Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia.  I have emailed him a few times but never met him face to face.  

     I had a wonderful time hanging out with my favorite author.  We talked about our favorite books and we laughed about Adam Rex's Frankenstein Takes the Cake. We discussed the Harry Potter Series and even talked about comic books!  Mr. Adam told me about his acting experience.  He was hilarious.  His talk at Little Shop of Stories was totally extreme.  I was very proud of him--a ton of people showed up.  

     I am really looking forward to his next book.

     --Emiline

Look! It's Adam Gidwitz at Little Shop of Stories!

 Here we are pretending to be totally normal,

but we're not.

My Review of In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

            Adam Gidwitz has done it again!  Did you know that Jack and Jill are royalty, too?  Well, of course they’re not brother and sister, but they are cousins who go on a marvelous adventure.  Wait, am I forgetting something?  Oh yes, I will tell you about that in the summary.

            Summary:  Do you ever think you have the best mother?  Because Jill really did.  Not only was she great, she was queen of märchen and she was beautiful.  Jack is an imaginative young boy who has a father who wants one thing for Jack: he wants him to be a man and to break his imaginative side.  But Jack’s dreams wander farther. 

            Jack and Jill’s paths cross and they come upon an old woman who says she can grant their wishes—if they can find the seeing glass.  (Jill’s wish is to be beautiful, Jack’s to be admired by the boys.)  So they set out on a quest with their three legged frog friend.  You can learn more about him when you read A Glass Grimmly.

            I love this book.  I love Adam Gidwitz’s writing because of his grim details and his hilarious narrating skills.  You can be in the worst of moods and his books will make you happier—at least that’s how it works for me.  I also like the way reading his books makes you feel like you’ve visited another country.  You really get the chance to explore.  And if you ever go to that country you’ll know something about it!

            To find out more about Adam Gidwitz and his wonderful GRIMM tales visit:

http://www.adamgidwitz.com/
Also, A Tale Dark and Grimm is Al Roker's Book Club pick for October! I'm so excited that more people will find out about this great author.

This is the book trailer for In a Glass Grimmly-

 And, in case you missed A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz you can check out my review here:

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/10/emiline-reviews-tale-dark-and-grimm-by.html

Monsters at the Decatur Book Festival!

Author Reception at Little Shop of Stories

     I was so eager to get to the author reception at Little Shop of Stories that my heart was pounding in my chest.  I was wondering who I would see when we arrived.  My legs started to tingle.  I opened the door and I saw authors galore!  At this point I probably looked like a geek, because I was jumping up and down and smiling wildly.
     I calmed down and then my friend introduced me to the photo booth where we dressed like hams and posed for the camera.  We thought the camera might run out of batteries so we let other people have a turn.
     My mother called me over to where she was standing.  There was Joan Holub!  I immediately started jumping again.  I was about to fan-girl it.  I love her Goddess Girl books and have read all of them.  Once I calmed down, we chatted like the Goddess girls at MOA Academy.  Joan Holub was very kind and I really enjoyed meeting her.
     After I said and did all the things I possibly could with Ms Holub, I went upstairs to play with my friends, Jenny and Phoebe. Soon, my brother, Marsh, came to get me so I could meet some more authors.
     My mom wanted me to meet the author of Beautiful Creatures, Margaret Stohl.  I loved her variety of glasses--she had, like, six pairs in her purse.  Lucky duck!  She introduced me to her friend named Meg.  I had no idea it was Meg Cabot, author of the Allie Finkle books.  I was thrilled to meet her!
      After meeting Ms Cabot, I stayed downstairs for a while and had a funny conversation with Shannon Hale, Author of The Princess Academy series, about our favorite green people.  That was another highlight of the night.
     When I went to say goodbye to Joan Holub, I met the author Kenneth Oppel--he wrote a super-scary book called This Dark Endeavor.  He signed my copy of the book!
     I had so much fun that night.  Thank you Little Shop of Stories!

Emiline

This is me and Meg Cabot! (Thanks, Margaret Stohl)

Decatur Book Festival

    This year was the 7th annual Decatur Book Festival.   I think this festival is a great place for everyone to interact and get to know what her favorite authors are like.  I got to meet Heather Brewer, Joan Holub and got the best author signature ever from Shannon Hale!  I loved seeing Tom Angleburger, Rania Telgemeier, Nick Breul, and Peter Brown.  They were all at the children's stage. (This things they said was serious comedy gold.) 

     They also introduced the book for this year's ON The Same Page on the children's stage.  I can't wait to read it.  (P.S., it's Holes by Louis Sachar.)

This makes me laugh.

I'm holding the newest in The Goddess Girls Series!!

I love Joan Holub! You should read her series The Goddess Girls.

We are On the Same Page and reading Holes!

Monsters at Decatur Book Festival!

     

     The 7th annual Decatur Book Festival just ended and I think they had the best selection of authors ever!  We went to a super fun author reception at the Little Shop of Stories to kick off the book festival. It was a really great opportunity to meet authors and illustrators and have fun.  There was even a photo booth with silly props, so we got take lots of funny pictures with the authors.  Peter Brown, author and illustrator, was probably the best model there. 

     I also got to talk to Dave Pilkey, the author of the Captain Underpants; he stayed for 3 hours signing books! What a great person.  I saw Tom Angleberger, who also likes to be called Larry, just don't call him Tom AngleBOOGER.  He was great with the crowd.  And I saw Heather Brewer, author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, The Slayer Chronicles, and her newest book, Soulbound.  She is my favorite author!  I didn't get to see everyone there, but I still had a great time.

     We also revealed the On The Same Page book selection for 2012, Louis Sachar's Holes, by dancing with shovels to a song from the movie!  Make sure you get On The Same Page with us.

     This year we had a great festival and I am looking forward to next year.  Thank you to AJC, Little Shop of Stories, and the City of Decatur.

Marsh

I'm On the Same Page! After you read Holes you sign the poster.

This is me with Auntie Heather. I was so nervous.

To find out more about the Decatur Book Festival click here:

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2012/index.php

To get On the Same Page with us click here for information:

http://weareonthesamepage.org/

It's Almost Here!

The countdown has started for the announcement of this year's On The Same Page!

Last year we participated in a community wide reading program, On The Same Page.  We have been not so patiently waiting for the announcement of this year's book selection.  Everyone can be a part of the fun, even if you don't live in our area.  If you do, make sure you head to the Decatur Book Festival.  Here's the info you need http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2012/schedule/event-details.php?id=144

We love this program (read below to find out why).  Make sure you check out 

On The Same Page.

       

          I thought that On the Same Page was a great opportunity for everyone to read.  Lots of kids in Decatur read Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth in the classroom and many people who may not normally read, read this also and found that they liked reading.

            I thought it was a smart idea to build up suspense by not showing the book until the last moment.  I also thought it was funny to think that almost everyone in town was reading the same book.  They brought in the author after everyone read the book and everyone enjoyed hearing his talk and asking him questions.  It was a great experience and I am looking forward to doing it again this summer.

           

            Marsh, 11

            I enjoyed On the Same Page because of the marvelous book they picked.  Norton Juster’s  The Phantom Tollbooth is a classic and I liked all of the characters—lots.  I especially liked Tock, because I like to tell time, and because I love dogs.

            On the Same Page is a great idea because it encourages people to read more and it helps knit families together.  I liked that everyone reads the same book, then everyone gets to talk about the same book and then everyone gets to meet the author.  I loved that I got to meet the author and learn about his view of the book.

            It’s amazing how one independent bookstore started this marvelous program.  That shows kids that they can do anything!

            Emiline, 8

Please visit Little Shop of Stories website for details on this wonderful program:

http://littleshopofstories.com/same-page.php

And make sure you check out the Decatur Book Festival:

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2012/index.php

Emiline's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

     It's Monday, and that means it's time for us to tell you all about another wonderful Middle-Grade Book.  This meme was started by Ms. Shannon and she's gotten a lot of other bloggers to join in.  This is a great meme for discovering new books that are just for Middle-Graders.  Make sure you visit Ms. Shannon's blog for the list of all the bloggers. http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

           Marsh & Emiline

     Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams's Artemis the Loyal is a great book! You can actually learn some things about great mythology and I love the illustrations. Once you start reading this book, you can't stop. If you have kids that don't like reading, you can give them this and they will love it. It's not a serious book at all. It's just fun. I'd read this if you are a fan of Percy Jackson or Allie Finkle.

 Emiline

Visit Joan Holub's site here: http://www.joanholub.com/index.html

Visit Suzanne Williams's site here: http://www.suzanne-williams.com/books.html

Marvelous Middle- Grade Monday

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!  This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon at http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/, so you should visit her and see the list of all the other blogs that are talking about books that are great for Middle- Graders.  All the cool bloggers are doing it!

This week our pick for MMGM is The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math by Sean Connolly.

We interviewed Mr. Connolly at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia.  You should watch this.

     Did you ever think math was dull and boring?  Well, Sean Connolly changed that.  He made math fun in his book, Perfectly Perilous Math.  In this book he explains problems and makes them very engaging.  He even writes scenarios to describe why you are doing the problem--like escaping vampires or destroying asteroids.

     Connolly even wrote some Totally Irresponsible Science Experiments that are fun for everyone, and they use everyday things.  My personal favorite is the Mentos and cola experiment.

Marsh and Emiline

 Here we are with Ms. Krista, the manager at our FAVORITE bookstore, Little Shop of Stories.  She's the best.  She always has great recommendations for books we need to read.

That's us and Mr. Connolly at Little Shop of Stories.  If you see that he is coming to a bookstore near you then you should go, because he is really fun and does some great experiments.

Marsh's Book Report on Spy School

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Book Review by Marsh

The CIA has just assigned me to a super secret mission: to give you this book report on Spy School by Stuart Gibbs. I could go on for hours about how great this book is but I have to get back to spy school before I miss my curfew.

Ben Ripley always dreamed of being a spy.  He is always acting out James Bond movies on the playground.  Ben’s dream has come true; he is going to the CIA’s top secret Academy of Espionage, or Spy School.  On his first night there, an assassin tries to kill him.  The next day Ben finds out he is part of a plot to lure in the CIA’s enemies, because Ben isn’t qualified to be in the school.  He is just there because his math skills, on paper, make him look like he is a crypto-genius.  This operation is also known as a “mole hunt”.  Erica, a sixteen-year-old student at spy school and Ben’s friend is trying to help Ben find the mole.  Can they find the mole?

         I’m very angry the this book was an advanced reader copy, because that means I have to wait even longer to find out what happens to Ben.  This was a great book.  I love a good spy book, and this one was packed with action and adventure just like a good spy book should be. 

 I give Spy School by Stuart Gibbs 5 MONSTERS!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Spy School from my favorite bookstore, Little Shop of Stories.  You can find this book at your favorite Indie Bookstore, or your school or local library.

You can find out more about this book at the author's site:

http://stuartgibbs.com/

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Marsh's Book Report on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

     Greg and Rowley are hanging posters for the Winter Holiday Bizarre, and it starts to rain.  The ink from the poster bleeds all over the school walls.  A police man walks around the corner and he thinks that Greg and Rowley are vandalizing the school.  Luckily, the police man does not get a good look at them, and he does not notice who they are.  Greg and Rowley are in huge trouble!  The principal is calling people into his office asking kids if the did it.  Fortunately, the principal does not get to Greg and Rowley before the school day is over.  The next day everyone is snowed in after there was a huge blizzard.

     Will the police and the principal catch Greg and Rowley?  Can they explain what really happened?

     Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever was a great book.  Like all of Jeff Kinney's books, this one was hilarious.  My favorite character is Greg.  He is so lazy and careless.  My favorite part was when Greg tried to get rid of the snow with a lawn mower!  It was so funny.

I give Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

5 MONSTERS!

Emiline's Report on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

     Have you ever gotten in trouble?  Well, if you haven't then you are nothing like Greg.  Greg is a trouble maker, and in Cabin Fever he gets in his biggest trouble ever.  Greg wants to make money by selling newspapers, but nobody will buy them.  So, Greg decides he'll put up flabbergasting posters on the back of the school with his best friend, Rowley.  It rained that night and the ink from the poster made a big green splash that looked like paint.  The principal saw the ooze and he called all the trouble makers, but not Greg!  Greg thinks he will get caught, but then he got snowed in and all the power was out in the town.  Will somebody eventually find out it was Greg?  Find out in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney.

     I thought is was hilarious that Greg's wishes came true.  He didn't want anybody to know what happened so it snowed.  Jeff Kinney's world of Dairy of a Wimpy Kid is full of exquisite things, and surprisingly it's realistic fiction! 

I give Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

4 Monsters.

We would like to say thanks to Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia for having the best signing EVER!  Would would also like to thank Jeff Kinney for letting us have a snow day.  We loved feeling the cold snow against our mittens, and it was so much fun having snowball fights.

Marsh & Emiline

Marsh in On the Same Page with The Phantom Tollbooth

http://littleshopofstories.com/same-page.php

I'm On the Same Page and I'm ready to tell you all about The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  To find out how YOU can get On the Same Page with me and Emiline, please visit our friends at Little Shop of Stories by clicking the link above.

My Review of The Phantom Tollbooth:

     Milo never has anything to do; he's always bored. He has a lot of time on his hands.  One day, a turnpike tollbooth appears in his room and there is a note on it.  It says the rules for using the tollbooth and there is a sign that says to have your destination in your mind.  Milo unfolds the map and chooses a place called Dictionopolis.  
     Milo hops into his electric automobile and heads to Dictionopolis.  He drives through a place called Expectations and then gets stuck in the Doldrums. (The Doldrums is a place where nothing happens or changes.)  He meets a watch dog named Tock that watches over the Doldrums.  Milo asks if  Tock can help him find his way out.  Tock says Milo must know why he got there and Milo says it was because he was not thinking. 

     Tock agrees to help Milo get to Dictionopolis where they take on a quest to return Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason, the peace makers between the kings of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis.  Milo and Tock also meet one of their companions called the Humbug when they arrive in Dictionopolis.  They visit the island of Conclusions (you jump to it) and they also visit Digitopolis were they meet The Math Magician.

     Can Milo and his companions rescue Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason?

     The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster was a fantastic book.  It was very engaging.  I probably would have never picked up this book if it were not for all of my good friends at Little Shop of Stories.  There is a program there called On The Same Page and everyone is reading the same book at the same time.

I give The Phantom Tollbooth 5 monsters.

Marsh and Emiline are On the Same Page

http://www.littleshopofstories.com/same-page.php

     We are so excited to be participating in On the Same Page!

     At the Decatur Book Festival it was announced that The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster would be the selected book for On the Same Page for the city of Decatur.  Both of us are reading the book and so are our parents. To find out more about On the Same Page click on the link above.  On The Same Page is a citywide reading  program.  This is a great idea!!  See if your city has this, if not, read along with us or get your city On the Same Page.

Emiline's Review of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

     First let me say a big Thank You to On the Same Page for introducing me to this wonderful book, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  Let's get to my summary and review!

     One day ten year old Milo was walking home.  When he got there, in his room was a quite large package.  Inside the package was a tollbooth with a note and a map taped to it.  On the map there was a place called Dictionopolis.  It sounded good to Milo, so he set off, ready to go.  He went into the windy weather and got into his little car.  Milo didn't know exactly how to get there, so he held onto the map with one hand and with the other hand he held onto the wheel.  He drove all night and he finally got to Dictionopolis.

     When Milo was wandering around Dictionopolis he ran into a person named Humbug.  Humbug was selling words.  Milo tripped and dumped out all of Humbug's words.  Everyone was upset and then a police man commented on how clumsy Milo was, and because of that Milo went to jail!.  When Milo was let out of jail he had to see the King of Dictionopolis.  When Milo got to the palace the King told Milo to find the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason.  Can Milo find them?  Find out in The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

     I thought that The Phantom Tollbooth was a great book.  Even though it is very old I still loved it. I also really enjoyed the illustrations because they made the book fun.  It is a great book for your family to read together.  So, get On the Same Page and read The Phantom Tollbooth!

Overall I give The Phantom Tollbooth 5 MONSTERS!

Emiline Reports on APHRODITE THE DIVA by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Emiline Reports on Aphrodite the Diva

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams    

 

     Me, well I personally don't get into people's love live's.  But it sounds like somebody should tell Aphrodite that!
     Back at Mount Olympus Academy, Aphrodite got a D for her hero-ology  class because it started the Trojan war. She had a lot of ideas but finally came up with the best idea she could possibly think of.  Since she was the one and only goddess of love, she would start a lonely hearts club for mortals.  But apparently she is not the only goddess of love.  In Egypt, there is another goddess of love--Isis.
     When the two goddesses meet, they have a contest to find out who is the true goddess of love.  Find out who wins in Aphrodite the Diva.
     I like everything about this series of books.  They are full of action, drama and tragedy.  And sometimes, they are so humorous.  I've also learned a lot from reading this series, like: not to be a diva, not to judge people and not to turn people into spiders.  I've also learned a lot about Greek Mythology.
As a matter of fact, I chose this series because my brother was reading Percy Jackson and I wanted to give Greek Mythology a try.  I am so glad I did.
     Aphrodite the Diva has all the action you can get from Divas.  I give it five out of five monsters, plus one bonus monster for the entire Goddess Girls series.You should really read this great, gorgeous series.

To find this book go to your school library or local library, or you can find it at your local Indie Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

Find out more about one of the authors of this series here--  http://joanholub.blogspot.com/
To find out more about this series check this out-- http://series.simonandschuster.com/Goddess-Girls/books