Mixed
Media
February 2002
Welcome to this site
In this issue:
Book Reviews, Music and Poetry
Feature
ArticleIt's finally February, and everything seems to be going in my favor. Valentine's Day is coming up, along with the anticipated Winter Break. Sports are reappearing, and the MEAPs are past, which of course means no more agonizing over practice runs and procedures. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this month is the fact that I am now well into the third quarter of school, leaving only a little over three months until the long-awaited Summer Vacation. What with the rest period in the middle and the many activities to be enjoyed, February is shaping up to be a great month already.
By: Kelsi Lindblad
This is a futuristic adult novel about our world when everything in censored and Big Brother is watching you. Nearly all of our freedoms are restricted including thinking. I think this books was good but not for anyone under 14.
Reviewed by Joel Knight
The Absolutely
True Story of My Visit to Yellowstone Park With the Terrible Rupes
By: Willo Davis Roberts
This books is about a boy named Lewis, and his sister Alison. These two kids
had bed times, ate healthy meals, and hardly ever dessert, but they were only
this way because that's the way their parents brought them up. Then they had
new neighbors move in right next door. The neighbors were the Rupes. They had
three kids, one named Harry (Lewis's age), and two toddlers named Billy and
Ariadne. Lewis's sister Alison loved to baby-sit them. One day the Rupes invited
Lewis and Alison to go to Yellowstone Park with them. When Lewis and Alison's
parents say "Yes!" they cannot wait to go, but when they do get going
they wish they had never gone because Mr. Rupe is a terrible driver and the
twins are horrible kids, and to top it all off they think someone is following
them. By the time they find out they are being followed, it's too late. All
the kids including Lewis and Alison are kidnapped by two horrible men while
Mr. and Mrs. Rupe are having dinner with their camping neighbors. They had left
the kids behind to eat whatever they wanted to eat. Will the kids get away?
Well, read the book to find out.
I thought it was a good book, it wasn't boring, sort of interesting. The scary
part (that I always look forward to) didn't last very long, but truthfully it
was a good book. 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Danielle Barajas
Chuck Farris
and the Tower of Darkness
By: Lois and Danny Gresh
This book is an action story about Playstation 2 (PS2), starring Chuck Farris, a 13-year-old video game hotshot. After a fight with a bully, he is stuck at home with a PS2. Later, he realizes that after he beats the game, he becomes a superhero from that game! It's fun at first, completing quests, collecting stuff, and running around in a freaky alternate dimension, but soon he realizes he's not alone, and he is in big trouble! As you read the book, you will find real game tips and-if you read carefully-a real Spanish lesson! I highly recommend this to any PS2 fan or anybody who loves adventure! "It's hard to tame a superhero. When you've got the power, you wanna use it"
Reviewed by: Nick Hanson
Harry Potter
and the Sorceror's Stone
By: J.K. Rowling
This is the story of Harry Potter, a wizard-in-training and his school of witchcraft and wizardry. It was not very good. I gave it 2 and ½ stars. My favorite character was Professor McGonagall. You don't have to read this book.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
The House With
a Clock In Its Walls
By: John Bellairs
When Lewis's parents die in an accident he is sent to live with his uncle
in the town of New Zebedee. Although at first he is nervous, Lewis is soon enjoying
his stay with uncle Jonathan, who turns out to be a magician, and his friend
Mrs. Zimmerman. The house, however, was formerly owned by a dark magician named
Isaac Izard, who has planted a magical clock in its walls, ticking away the
minutes until doomsday. When Lewis, who has never been very athletic, make friends
with Tarby, the most popular boy in town, he really wants to impress him. On
Halloween, the two sneak out to raise one of the dead. Unfortunately, he happens
to bring back Isaac's wife, an even more powerful dark wizard, to wind the clock
and bring the world to an end.
This book was a wonderful mixture of horror and humor. The suspense may keep
you riveted and the ending will surprise almost any reader. The plot is unpredictable.
From the sinister Mrs. Izard to the playful uncle Jonathan, the characters are
as realistic as they can be, considering that they undergo some interesting
ordeals. This book is great for any comedy, fantasy, mystery, or horror fan.
A well deserved 4.5 stars.
Reviewed by: Kelsi Lindblad
Just Ella
By: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Cinderella. A perfect fairy tale. But now does she really want to marry the prince? No. This is another one of those twisted fairy tales. I mean in what fairy tale do you know of that the prince looks the princess up? Although this is twisted, it is good. I give it 3 ½ stars out of 5.
Reviewed by: Katie Sutherland
No Time to Die
(Dark Secrets Series, Volume 3)
By: Elizabeth Chandler
Jenny's sister died at a theater camp. Now Jenny is going to that very same
camp. She feels that maybe if she goes, she can find the person who murdered
her sister. There are many suspects: Paul, an obsessed admirer of Liza; Walker,
a director who hates their father; and Mike, her sister's boy friend. Once there,
Jenny starts having dreams. They were put in Liza's mind right before Liza was
killed. Can Jenny solve the mystery in time to save herself?
I loved this book. It was great. I give it a five out of five stars.
Reviewed by: Emily Fisher
Redwall is about an abbey (town) of mice. In particular, a young blessed,
clumsy mouse named Matthias. The rat villain Cluny and his group of rats were
going to the Abbey. Matthias must save the entire Abbey by going on a grand
exciting trip. This fast-moving fantasy will sure keep you on the edge of your
seat. If you like Harry Potter, you should read Redwall by Brian Jaques.
This classic book is for all ages, but don't let the size intimidate you since
it's 350 pages long. There are two other books in the Redwall series and I hope
to read them all. I consider this book to be very good, I would recommend it
to others. I hope you like Redwall as much as I did.
Reviewed by: ?
Stormbreaker
By: Anthony Horowitz
Alex Rider thought he was just a normal kid, whose uncle was a bank manager.
But as it turns out, Ian Rider, Alex's uncle, is a spy with MI6.
In this story, Alex receives a couple of gadgets: acidic to metal zit cream,
and a grappling hook yo-yo, and a special Gameboy Color. Alex uses these items
in the story to do some investigating.
Overall this book has an action-packed plot. There is also lots of suspense.
I highly recommend this book to fans of spy movies.
Reviewed by Alex Jones
Summer
of My German Soldier
By Bette Greene
Patty is a young Jewish girl who feels unaccepted by her peers and her parents.
Her parents are constantly picking on her and most of her peers do not even
talk to her. The only person that accepts her for who she is, is the family's
"Nigra," Ruth.
The summer Patty turns twelve, the U.S. government chooses Patty's town of Jenkinsville
as a site for a camp housing German prisoners of war during World War II. The
town barely notices the camp as no one goes by it very often.
One of the prisoners escapes about a month later. Patty recognizes the prisoner
as Anton, the one who, when a group of prisoners came into her father's store
with a camp guard to buy hats, was the only one out of the twelve who could
speak English. Patty shows Anton her secret hiding place above the garage, and
shelters and feeds him for a while. Now Patty has another friend besides Ruth,
and she is content.
Finally it is decided that Anton has to leave or Patty will be caught and ultimately
in trouble. He gives her his most valuable possession, his ring from a prominent
college in Gottingen, Germany. When she goes to her father's store later on
in the year to get the ring to fit on her finger, her father sees it and immediately
calls the town sheriff. This action results in Patty going through many physical
and emotional struggles. In the end, she finds out who she is and who she is
destined to become.
Reviewed by Zelle Nelson
Survival
Forest Fire
By: K. Duey and K.A. Bale
This book is about a boy named Daniel and a girl named Carrie. Now they lived
very differently, Daniel lived poorly with his grandma and Carrie lived with
her rich father in their little town named Hinkley. There were forest fires
all around their little town. Carrie's father was a volunteer firefighter, and
he told Carrie that the forest fires could come to Hinkley, and if they do he
wants her to catch the next train out of town. But Carrie had other ideas, she
wasn't about to leave her beloved horse, Midnight, to die in the fire, so she
planned to stay behind, without her father knowing. But with Daniel, he wants
to get on the train and out of town as fast as he can with his grandma but his
grandma doesn't think the fire will come and says they don't have enough money
for a train ticket anyway, but Daniel gets some money from a friend and talks
his grandma into going, but it is already too late, the fire is there. So Carrie,
Midnight, Daniel, and his grandma all have no idea where to go. Will they survive
this forest fire? Read this book to find out.
I thought it was a pretty good book, but I think other survival books in the
series are better. 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Amanda Barajas
The
Swiss Family Robinson
By: Johann David Wyss
This book follows the adventures of the family Robinson who are shipwrecked
on a deserted island. Read to find out how they survive.
This is a very good book. I highly suggest it for it is not at all very hard.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
Taste of Salt
By: Frances Temple
Taste of Salt is a story of modern Haiti. It takes place around 1991. Djo
is a boy who lives in modern Haiti during a time of political riots. He is injured
in a riot and is put in a hospital. A priest sends a girl, Jeremie, to tape-record
his story. His story is one of sadness, pain, and depression.
I liked this book. It was a little hard to understand at times. I give it 3
out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Emily Fisher
The
Three Musketeers
By: Alexandre Dumas
This is the best book ever written. No, seriously, on a scale of 1 to 10 I'd give it a 15. This is the tale of D'Artagnan, the novice guard who hopes to become a Musketeer of King Louis III. They battle diabolical Cardinal Richelieu and his minions and they engage the murderous vixen Milady De Winter, truly one of the most evil characters in literature. You should definitely read this.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
Twenty Years
After
By: Alexandre Dumas
This is the second book in the Three Musketeers series. While not as good as the first, this one is also quite good. In this one they battle the ambitious Cardinal Mazarin and the son of Milady Morchaurt. All the while a series of revolutions, the Fronde races in France land the English Civil War. Read on to find out more.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
The
View From the Cherry Tree
By: Willo Davis Roberts
This book is about a boy named Rob. There is a cherry tree out in his yard,
which he spends a lot of his time in. The tree is in his yard but some branches
reach over to their neighbor's window, and this neighbor is a pain, she complains
about everything! She complains about Rob, she complains about Rob's cat, Sob,
she just complains about everything! So when Rob is in the cherry tree he spits
cherry pit into her window, but most of them just landed on the sill. But one
early morning, before the sun was up, Rob was in the cherry tree. He got up
so early because everyone in his house was up worrying about his sister's stupid
wedding so he escaped to the cherry tree with his cat, Sob. And while he iss
up there he hears his pain of a neighbor say "I will not." "I
will not" to what? Rob thought. Then he sees her sweeping his cherry pits
off her window sill. She couldn't see Rob because it is still dark out, thank
goodness, but she sees Sob inching his way toward her house so she reaches out
and starts shooing Sob away. Then someone reaches out and pushs her! His neighbor
dies right before his eyes! Rob runs into his house and calls an ambulance,
he tells everyone she didn't just fall (which was what everyone thought had
happened) but that she was pushed out, but with his sister's wedding everyone
is too busy to listen. Later that day three bullets just miss him, a pot almost
falls on his head, and someone tries to poison his food. The murderer knows
Rob knew something and now he is out to shut him up. What will Rob do when he's
face to face with his murderer alone in his dead neighbor's house? Read this
book to find out.
I thought this book was great! It had a lot of scary parts when I had to put
the book down to breathe. If you like scary books read this book. 5 out of 5
stars.
Reviewed by: Danielle Barajas
When
Nobody's Home: Fifteen Babysitting Tales of Terror
By: Judith Gorog
In this book there are fifteen scary stories about babysitting but I can only
tell you about a couple.
One story is called "The Snooping Sitter." It's about a girl named
June. When she babysat, once the kids were asleep, she would explore. She explored
everywhere, in cracks, on desks, in drawers, and in every closet. But in this
house she's babysitting now there is a locked closet. Since the kid were asleep
she picked the lock. When it is opened you won't believe what a deadly surprise
she finds.
Another story is called "Doglicks." It's about a girl named Sasha.
Now she never ever babysat before because she was afraid to be in some other
house but her own. She was afraid of being in other houses when it gets dark.
Her mom begs her to take a weekend job for some seven year old twins and their
big, friendly dog. Sasha loved dogs, what could go wrong with a dog in the house?
So she took the job. And over the weekend some DEADLY scary things happen.
So if you want to know what happens in those stories and the other stories,
read this book to find out, some of the stories are even true.
I thought it was a good book, the two stories above are my favorites. There
were some funny stories but most of them were dumb. But I still hope everyone
reads it for the good stories, and maybe you'll like the other ones, everyone
has different tastes. 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Danielle Barajas
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte
This
is the strange tale of Heathcliff and how he enacts revenge on many people and
ruins his own family and his adopted family, the Earnshaws and the Lintons.
It also tells of his love, or rather passion, for Catherine Earnshaw.
This is a very difficult book and I only recommend it to the most serious readers.
It is a great classic.
Reviewed by Joel Knight
Special Thanks To:
Animated.gif(c)Kitty Roach
A Publication of the Young Adult Advisory
Board at the Farmington Community Libraries
© 2002 Farmington Community Library
