The Midnight Diary of Zoya Blume

Zoya Blume is in a difficult phase of her life. That much I can understand. Yet the book plasters me with questions that I cannot seem to understand, questions about the past of Zoya's life and her secrets, her fears, her beliefs, and her strong relationship to her mother. When Zoya has to let go of her safety and get out of her comfort zones, I wonder, why? Why does she let go. As curiosity makes me edge my way towards reading more and more of the book, I slowly begin to understand, much like a sun letting go a few rays of sunshine until it heats up the sky with a brilliancy that cannot be seen directly by human eyes. When her mother must leave, with the promise to come back in seven days, the little girl that we begin to know begins a midnight diary to keep track of the week that just seems like forever. With Leon, her mother's magical friend, Flynn, her Gypsy neighbor, and Stone Girl, the beautiful stone statue that guards the house are all friends that help her get by. Through each struggle to defeat the Buka, the monster that comes out to haunt Zoya while she is in the darkness of the night, Zoya gets more determined to get to the day when her mom promised to come back: May 30th. Her birthday. As each morning signals another day for Zoya, another night of victory over the Buka, another day behind, one step closer to the returning of her mom, Zoya discovers things she never thought of before about herself, Leon, and Flynn. Is it possible that she might actually enjoy their company?
As Zoya loses herself in the magic of the days alone, it makes the reader think about what she goes through and how you would manage. This amazing book really teaches you about how sometimes, even the strangers of strangers can really care for your sanity and well-being. Like Leon, for one.

***I give this book a 9.65 out of 10***

The Coming of the Dragon: The Darkest Age Begins

The darkest age all begins when Elspeth and Edmund, the ship captain's daughter and the King's son, set off in a boat and meet. Then, a storm that just about seems to come about from no where hits Elspeth's ship, made by a raging dragon with a hint of malice, killing all hands but Elspeth, Edmund, and a old-looking, battered chest, keeper of secrets as the story of their powers and others unravel. Edmund can look in other people's eyes (he is a Ripente) and Elspeth, who the sword that held all the answers to the breaking or keeping of evil, has powers she has never even imagined before. As a story that has been going on for generations unravels between their eyes, they can't help but be amazed and confused at the same time. Read this book as a mystery leading to the depth of another leads you on. You can't put this book down until you finish, leaving you hungry for more and more, kind of like Elspeth's sword permanently embedded in her hand. In this story, Edmund and Elspeth, before at an edgy state finds the best of best friends and loyalty and truth in each other. As they cover and help each other, they find that there are a lot of more things that link them together as friends other than the forbidding Prophecy. Can they make it out alive?
A.J. Lake weaves a story about loss, love, hope, betrayal, and crushing fate that tell the breath-catching story of Edmund of Sussex, son of King of Sussex, and Elspeth, the brave girl that withstood everything and let everything go. They make a team full of bravo and vicious faith. However, skillful in life is the question, and lucky, sometimes, as well. Will they come out with their lives?

***I rate this book a 9.78 out of 10. Really a work of art!***

Kaspar Prince of Cats

It is just another ordinary day for Johnny Trott as bell boy at the hotel when he runs into Countess Kandinsky and the cat, Kaspar, Prince of Cats. From then on, his life changes drastically. From being the poor orphan and turning into one of Lizziebeth's family. This story shows how just and ordinary boy like Johnny can be the best friend that you can have and sometimes, being kind is the best you can do.
Johnny and his story of Kaspar, Prince of Cats shows just how much friendship means, even if it is just a cat, true friends will always stay with you and never lose hope. Even when they feel as if their hopes are being dashed to the bottom of the ocean, much like the Titanic. Even when the Countess and later, Kaspar cease from existence, they are always there in Lizziebeth and little Johnny Trotts' hearts. Every one of his friends that were aboard the Titanic have a place in there as well. Even Little Michie, little as he is.

Kaspar, Prince of Cats is a wonderful, heartfelt story about Johnny Trott's life at the hotel. Perhaps it can truly turn out to be a happy ending, even when he is an orphan with only a bunch of fantasies to give him hope at the beginning!

***I give this book a 9.8 out of 10!***

On My Honor

This Newberry Honor story is about Joel, and his best friend, Tony, going for a swim in the dangerous River Vermillion. On My Honor is a short story on a tragic event that changes Joel's life forever.

On this day, Joel and his best friend, Tony decide to scale the haphazardly sharp and tall river bluffs at the park. However, when they get sidetracked and decide to swim in the Vermillion River instead, it turns to be a even worse idea than to climb the river bluffs. Sometimes, daring things like that cost a lot more than a few wounds!

On My Honor is a story about loss and trust, and most importantly, friendship- sometimes, it's good to have something to hold onto, yet on other times, it's better to let go. After all, there are some things that you can't change- things that already happened. You have to live with the decisions that you've made.

Marion Dane Bauer is an amazing author that manages to fit the pulsing beat of a heart and the feel of life into words and into a short story.

***I give this book a 9.5 out of 10.***

Jatta

Jatta is no ordinary princess. She lives in not a fairy tale, but a nightmare for one, and she isn't necessarily all-human. Jatta has one secret. She turns into a werewolf at night. As a little child of three, her mother was taken away from her to the werewolves of Dartith. As Jatta and her wonderful brother, Arthemael, escape from the castle as her father and elder brothers are captured by evil Brackensith- Dartith's King. As Jatta searches around to find the way to stop and finally beat the curse of a werewolf, Riz, Prince of Dartith is hunting for her. This story comes with the hard nights for Jatta and Arthemael, following on the beginnings to Jatta's curse and perhaps, even the end. Even so, it you are to end the curse, you have to know how it all began, right? What is a way you could travel into the past? Jenny Hale weaves a story full of mythical creatures, such as werewolves, the Undead, and others. Jatta is an story full of faith, hate, belief, and trust. Will Jatta be able to end the curse of the werewolf?

***I give this book a 9.65 out of 10!***

Double Fudge

Fudge loves money. These days, he is all about money and even sings about it while he's sleeping. For Halloween, he decides to be a miser. He creates his own money and prepares to buy the whole entire world (well, Toys "R" Us at least).
When Fudge and his brother, Pete, go to Washington, the first place they visit is the place where they make the green stuff (otherwise known as money). Fudge listens very attentively, but interupts the guide, Rosie, a lot of times with questions about it. However, it gets even worse when Fudge goes to the gift shop and he and his big brother, Pete, meet their Cousin Howie and his family. It only gets worse from then on, from their family coming over to sleep at their house and even attending their school! Pete thinks that he could die 0f embarrassment. The arguments of Fudge and Mini-Fudge (who are as annoying as each other) doesn't help, either. As Peter (Pete) meets a whole bunch of problems with the incoming family in their house, he doesn't seem it can get any worse. Well, what do you know? Maybe it can.
Double Fudge is a great book filled with things to laugh at and grimace for. It's interesting how hard you can laugh at a book!

***I give this book a 9.5 out 10***

I listed a few sections from the book that I thought was funny:

p.70

"Well, yes," Rosie said. I suppose some people refer to money as moola or even as dough.
"How about green stuff?" Fudge shouted. "That's what my grandma calls it."
...
Then she lead us through the metal detector. Fudge asked if we were getting on a plane. Rosie explained that we weren't, but because this is a federal building they had to make sure no one was carrying a weapon.
"A weapon?" Fudge said, right before dad set off the alarm. Nobody would have paid any attention except that Fudge shouted, "Dad! Are you carrying a weapon?" That got everyone's attention.
"It's it his belt buckle, Turkey Brain," I said.

p.124

"""""That's the rule," Dad said.
"It's a stupid rule," Fudge said.
"We don't say the stupid word," Dad reminded him.
"Yes we do," Fudge said. "We just don't say it about people. If we want to say it about people, we say Turkey Brain. Ask Pete. He knows."

p.136

The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life cost money.
The stars belong to everyone
They're all so bright and funny.
Money money money
Funny funny funny
Bunny bunny bunny
Honey honey honey...

The Wednesday Wars

Mr. Holling Hoodhood is in for a very long seventh grade.

It starts with the minute he walks into his class (Mrs. Baker's class) and he is the only Presbyterian in sight. It's 1967 and the world has bigger things to worry about than rats falling on people's heads and ceiling tiles falling down. There's Vietnam for one, and there's family business (which is the most important as far as Holling's father is concerned. The Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times as it is essential to the success of Hoodhood and Associates. So when Holling makes friends with a girl from his class and learns that her father is the organizer of Kowalski and Associates, things between Holling and his father go from bad to worse in a day. Yet maybe there is hope as Holling progresses with Mrs. Baker with Shakespeare and his works of literature. As Holling grows to love the books, more the curses at that, he has the grade of a lifetime. Grade seven is a difficult time for Holling- a time for new and old things. What will he try to do next? Read this exciting tale of Holling Hoodhood to find out in how many different ways this seventh grader can get himself in trouble.

This is an amazing book full of things to laugh at and feel sorry for. I really recommend it to all eleven year olds and up!

***I give this book a 9.85 out of 10!