Mixed
Media
January 2002
Welcome to this site
In this issue:
Book Reviews, Music and Poetry
Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn This book occurs after the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Thinking that his father,
Pop, is dead, Huck goes to live with the widow Douglas. One night, Pop shows
up unexpectedly and takes Huck to live with him. Since Pop is alcoholic and
beats Huck a lot, Huck escapes by faking his own death. He runs away and meets
up with Jim, a runaway slave. Together they take a raft north on the Mississippi
River so that Jim can be free. They meet many obstacles along the way, including
robbers, men looking for runaway slaves, and a duke and a king, who actually
con men. Their biggest challenge is when the duke sells Jim to a family, who
happen to be Tom Sawyer's aunt and uncle. When Tom comes for a visit, he and
Huck hatch an elaborate plan (that is more trouble than it is worth) to free
Jim.
This book is sometimes hard to read, due to the southern dialects Twain uses,
especially for Jim. However, there are some very funny parts that make it go
a lot faster.
Reviewed by: Kathryn Schalek
Alanna: The
First Adventure
By: Tamora Pierce
This book is the first in the Lioness Quarter. It is about a willful young
girl named Alanna who is determined to be the first lady knight in ages. To
do this without anyone's knowledge, Alanna disguises herself as Alan and starts
her training at the royal palace. This is only the beginning of her adventures.
She becomes friends with Prince Jonathan, the King of Thieves, and many others.
But some of the guys don't want to see her knighted and will try anything to
stop her. This book shows that you can do anything you wan, and Alanna wants
to be a knight.
This is one of my favorite books because it proves if you have a will you can
find a way. It is really enjoyable seeing how Alanna is going to make her dream
come true. You won't want to put it down.
Reviewed by: Benji
Amusing
Ourselves to Death
By: Neil Postman
This book was totally down talking TV and technology as we know it. It states
how the human race is becoming increasingly like the race outlined in Brave
New World by Aldous Huxley. Though I agree with some of Postman's points; I
disagree with the fact that TV is corrupting us and is in no way beneficial
to society.
Postman goes further in saying that people are no longer efficiently taught
through schools, but that it would be more beneficial to society if we were
taught by means of sleep conditioning. He also claims that religion is just
based on material objects and has no spiritual value whatsoever.
I do not recommend this book, unless you are interested in reading biased materials.
If you are going to read this book, I recommend that you read Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell first.
Reviewed by: Zelle Nelson
Baby-Sitting
is a Dangerous Job
By: Willo Davis Roberts
It's about a girl named Darcy. Darcy baby sat three rich spoiled children. Jeremy was the oldest, Melissa was the middle child, and Shana was the youngest. On the first day of babysitting a strange man dressed up as a gas company worker demanded to come in because there was a gas leak in the neighborhood and he had to check all the houses. But something kept Darcy from opening the door. And when Darcy asked for I.D. he left. She decided not to tell anyone about the man though later she wished she had. Because the very next day when she baby sat then again some one had tried to break in through the garage door but the alarm went off and scared them away. But they came back, and this time they got in and got what they came for. Which was them. If you want to know what happens read this book to find out. I thought it was really good. It was scary, but not as scary as some books. Because it is not every day some one breaks in your house and takes your kids! I mean come on! Wake up and smell the coffee.
Reviewed by: Amanda Barajas
blink-182,
Tales From Beneath Your Mom
By: Anne Hoppus
What do you get when you introduce an eye-liner wearing guy who occasionally acts like he has turrets with a prankcall mastermind who got kicked out of high scool for going to a basketball game drunk, and then add a Metallica loving, long haired, 14 year old? That's right, blink-182. The eyeliner guy was Mark Hoppus, the drunk guy was Tom Delonge, and the 14 year old Scott Rayner. The book, blink-182, Tales From Beneath Your Mom was written by Mark Hoppus' little sister Anne, and is a biography of the band. It tells you lots of cool stuff, most of it funny, that you never would have known unless you lived in the San Diego area in the early '90s. There are also lots of facts that only people who are VERY obsessed with blink-182 (like me) would know. Like why they tried real hard to change their name, and that the first time Mark met Tom he climbed a light post and fell down and had to use crutches for a few weeks. Lots more little things like that. So, if you want to read about "Ugly, disgusting, fat, tattooed freaks"(Marks opinion) that were part of a band called Big Oily Men, of all things, and the Aquabats, then you should read this. "Take care of your colons and your colons will take care of you."-blink-182.
P.S. Everybody send Tom a present. His 26th birthday was December 13th.
Reviewed by: Alison Mroz
The Catcher
in the Rye
By: J.D. Salinger
The narrator of this book is Holden Caulfield, who is telling the story from
a mental hospital. He is looking back at a time when he as 16, just before Christmas.
He was expelled from school, but doesn't want to tell his parents. He has many
experiences in the city while waiting for the Christmas Holidays to begin so
he can go home without
SPOILER!!!ENDING GIVEN AWAY!!!
having to tell his parents anything Soon he decided he doesn't want to go home;
instead, he'll hitchhike out west,. He meets his sister Phoebe to say goodbye,
and almost seems sad to go. Instead of running away, he is put in a mental hospital.
Reviewed by: Katheryn Schalek
Caught!
By: Willo Davis Roberts
It's about a girl named Vicki, and her little sister Joanie. Vicki's parents
split up and she and Joanie had to live with their mom and then their Grandma
moved in. And their Grandma was in pain, she bossed them around all the time,
and yelled at them and she even was allowed to ground them! Vicki's mom seemed
not to notice anything wrong there. And then Vicki's mom had to go on a business
trip, and left Vicki and Joanie under their Grandma's care. Vicki was not happy
at all. One day when Vicki came home from school she was grounded because her
room was a mess! Vicki didn't think it was fair, and she was so upset she decided
to run away until her mom came home. But where? She would go to her dad's house
and she would use her money her Grandpa gave her for good grades. But then her
sister wanted to come too, and if Vicki didn't let her come she said she would
tell, so she had to let her come. Well, they took a bus to their dad's house
and found out he wasn't there but the nice owner said he'd let them in. So they
unpacked into the guestroom and waited for him to come home. But he didn't,
and he didn't come the next night or the next. Vicki started to get worried.
They were running out of food and they found blood stains on the ground in the
living room. What happened here? Who is the strange man that Vicki thinks she
saw one night? And where is their dad?
Well, if you want to find out read this book.I thought it was a great book.
It was very scary, I didn't want to put the book down, most of the book I read
are boring in the beginning and get good near the end but this one was good
all of the way through. 5 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Danielle Barajas
Dragon's
Plunder
By: Brad Strickland
A boy who can whistle up wind. A dead captain. A ship named the Bouncy Betty
Bowers. A curse. A dragon Horde. What do they all add up to? A jolly adventure
on the high seas…sort of. Captain Deadmon died several years ago, but before
he did he made an oath: to take the greatest treasure of all, a dragon horde.
Unfortunately, he was not able to fulfill this oath before he died. Now, as
the reanimated (think zombie) captain of the ship Bouncy Betty Bowers he must
find a dragon's horde to receive the ultimate reward: death. There is apparently
only one dragon left in the world, on an island where all of the winds of the
world rest, making approach impossible. Can one boy with the power to whistle
up winds send the captain safely to the island.
I didn't really find this book very well written. It had plenty of weird quirks,
to be sure, but most of the characters run along the lines of classic high seas
novels, although some do have interesting talents. There really wasn't much
of an exciting plot and the end is very predictable. Overall, I would only recommend
it to hard-core buccaneers looking for something just a little out of the ordinary,
or total dragon fanatics like me. An average adventure on the high seas. Three
out of five stars.
Reviewed by: Kelsi Lindblad
The Eye of the
World
By: Robert Jordan
This is the first book, in the Wheel of Time series, out of nine. Rand, Nat,
and Perrin are simple farm boys who live in a quiet village named Two Rivers.
Any stranger who arrives is big news, and when two arrive everyone is talking,.
But, soon after the mysterious strangers arrive the village is attacked by part
of the Dark One's army. The strangers tell Rand, Mat, and Perrin that the attack
was aimed at them. Why? They set off on a perilous journey for answers with
the Strangers as their guides. Along the way their party grows, and they learn
that one of them may be the Dragon Reborn, who will save the world from the
growing threat of the Dark One.
I loved this book! It was very exciting and had so many twists and surprises
that it always left me guessing It is a long book but definitely worth the time.
I recommend it to anyone especially if you love Fantasy.
Reviewed by: Benji
In the Forest
of the Night
By: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
My book review is about a book called "In the Forests of the Night."
It's a dark, kind of sad but interesting book. It is about a girl named Rachel
(Vampire name Risika.) Sje is against her will changed into a vampire by the
same two vampires who seconds before killed her brother, Alexander whom she
loved very much. One of these vampires doesn't bother her. The other does. He
hits on her where it hurts by saying mean things to Risika. Most of the book
is a battle between Risika and him When the book starts it is a moderns times
but Risika is immortal so she is 300 some years old, boring in the 1700's.
Her vampire traits are interesting. Her reflection is not completely nonexistent
but faint. She dislikes garlic but as she says in the book, "You would
too if you sense of smell was ten times stronger than a blood hound's."
She can teleport to any place instantly, and she can change into anything. By
the way, her only friend left in the world is a tiger. It is the only thing
she still loves in the world, she says.
I liked this book because it is a classic battle of good vs evil. One thing I found interesting about this book was that the author was thirteen when she wrote it. This is a good book for anyone who likes a good kind of dark, sort of spooky fantasy.
Reviewed by: Angie Bice
Hans Brinker
or the Silver Skates
By: Mary Maples Dodge
Hans Brinker is the story of Hans and Gretal Brinker: two poor Dutch children who love to meet their friends: Compassionate Hilda, Kind Peter, Boastful Carl, Snobbish Katerina, Proud Rychie, and Strange Ludwig. It is a wonderful tale of these kids adventures in the Netherlands and the are also many secrets to be found out. You will just have to read this wonderful book.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
The Heavenly
Village
By: Cynthia Rylant
Let's say that a person dies and is headed for heaven. What if they don't really want to go to heaven? Pretend that they're the kind of person who would rather go home and put the cat out than join in a heavenly chorus. This is why heavenly village as created. It's a haven for people who really want a second chance at life on earth. They are the misfits who never really got to experience life as it is meant to be experienced. Here you will find such characters as a dog who rescues those who really don't need to be rescued, a doctor who cants to know his patients (This is strange as no one becomes sick in the heavenly village,) and a woman who is waiting for her cats.
Unlike the other book that I reviewed this moth, I positively loved this book! The characters are modeled after normal types of people, so readers can match an acquaintance with the characters of the story. The description was wonderful and you can formulate a clear picture of what life is like in the Heavenly Village. The stories are riddled with subtle humor that tickles as you read over it. The stories are heartwarming and interesting. There is, however, one drawback to this book: It's too short! I got the end and read it over again! Great for anyone! Five out of five stars!
Reviewed by: Kelsi Lindblad
Me, Me, Me
By: Francine Pascal
Elizabeth Wakefield is tired of always doing things for other people and ignoring herself. Well, that's all about to change. She decides she needs some "me" time to do stuff she wants to do. Her English teacher tells the class about an internship at the scope, a magazine company located in the area. Elizabeth loves writing, and thinks this is a great way to get experience. But she finds out that all they're going to let her do at first is filing and copying. Even so, she takes the job in hopes of getting a real job. She starts neglecting her sister and friends, working overtime instead. When she finally gets a real job to do, her boss steals her work. Is keeping the job really worth losing her sister to slavers?
This book is number 33 in the SVH Senior Year series. I really enjoyed it. I give this book five out of five stars.
Reviewed by: Emily Fisher
The
Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine
By: Diane Stanley
Moving to new school is always hard. Try moving to a new school every year. That's how Franny's family is. Her father has a moving job, so the is rarely in the same state for two years. Her parents like to say "Think of it as a challenge." Little does Franny know of all the challenges she will get mixed up in this year. It all starts with the mysterious jelly worm fad. Who knew jelly worms were so good? After a series of happenings, Franny and her new friend Beamer have a new mystery to solve. Why are kids going home with pounding headaches and the coming back to school three days later? Not only is this happening at Franny's school, it is happening all over the country! Franny and beamer chase it all down to a series of books and discover that oddly enough, they are all written by the puzzling I.M. Fine. This hilarious mystery is right for almost anyone. It will keep you reading to the very end. You will especially like this book if you enjoy reading R.L. Stine series.
Reviewed by: Lauren Heath
Pride and Prejudice
By: Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice is as the title suggests a novel about pride and prejudice.
This novel features the five Bennet sisters (Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine
and Lydia) and their parents and chronicles their social life. Namely with James
Bingley, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and George Wickham.
This book is very good and I recommend to ANYONE. You will enjoy this classic.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
The Princess
Diaries
By: Meg Cabot
What would you do if you were failing algebra, your mother was dating your
algebra teacher, and your father decides to tell you that you are heir to the
throne of Genovia? Well, this is what happened to Mia Thermopolis.
Mia was just an average 15 year old girl who got bad grades, who chose to blend
in instead of stick out with the popular crowd at her school. One morning she
wakes up to see her teacher sitting in his pajamas in her kitchen with her mother;
and her father tells her that due to testicular cancer he can no longer have
children leaving her as his only child. The fact that her father could not have
children did not bug her so much as the fact that he failed to mention in the
past 15 years that he was crown prince of Genovia.
Now Mia's world is turned upside down, she has to attend "princess lessons"
with her grandmother (who has no eyebrows) and gets a new makeover which makes
her best friend Libby angry with her. Libby is starting to get the feeling that
Mia is hiding something from her when they can no longer hang out after school
and Mia starts being accepted by the popular crowd.
Libby's anger only gets worse when the press and media show up at school to
interview Mia about being a princess. She becomes enraged with Mia for hiding
this little piece of information and the fact that monarchies were exactly what
they were supposed to be against.
Only one dilemma remains, will Mia finally accept who she is, and what she is
destined to become?
Okay, so pretend that the most prissy person in town is picking on you and
your best friend, because you don't have dates for the "Spring Fling Dance"
that night. That is exactly what happened to Marci Kornbalm, and her best friend
Summer Weingarten. Marci gets so irritated that she snaps and tells Jennifer
that they had dates, when they actually did not.
Now the girls go through a series of events that get them into a lot of trouble.
Let us just say that it involved a crazy boss, a ring, and two rats.
This was an extremely good book with a surprise ending that will shock you!
I fully recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor and a liking for
mischief.
Reviewed by: Zelle Nelson
Rebecca
of Sunny Brook Farm
By: Kate Douglas Wiggin
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is the touching story of young Rebecca, sent by
her mother to live with her strict Aunt Miranda and Kind Aunt Jane. She soon
changes everyone in the small town's life.
This story readily deserves four stars and it is quite easy to see how this
book has become classic.
Reviewed by: Joel Knight
Shattered
Mirror
By: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Sarah was a Vida; that is a line of witches. She was transferred to a new
school for fighting. The first two friends she makes are two vampire siblings,
Christopher and Nisa. Sarah's older sister Adianna finds her eating lunch with
them and gives Sarah a warning that if she does not ditch them she will be disowned
and have her powers removed.
Adianna's warning starts a rift in the lives of the three friends. All of this
leads to Sarah finding out Christopher and Nissa's darkest secret and it almost
gets her killed. She finds that although Christopher and Nissa seem to like
her, they would do anything in defense of a sibling even if that means killing
her.
I recommend that you read this book, I found it extremely suspenseful and any
book by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is worth reading.
Reviewed by: Zelle Nelson
Speak
By: Laurie Halse Anderson
This book tells High School exactly as it is. It is about a girl named Melinda who was at a party over the summer before entering High School. She called the police because something happened to her and crashed the party. On the first day of school she had to face a school full of critical students who see only what they want to see. This group of students only saw Melinda as the girl who busted the party. Thus, Melinda is swept into a world of people who do not want to go beyond the obvious, but look at the outside. As the school year goes by, Melinda's grades become increasingly worse, her social status is on a steep decline, and her self-esteem is non-existent. Will she have the guts to speak up and tell everyone what IT was that made her call the police at her first High School party, or will she stay in the closet for the rest of her life.
Reviewed by: Zelle Nelson
Summers at
Castle Auburn
By: Sharon Shinn
Summers at Castle Auburn is living a life in another world. Coriel, or Corie,
is the illegitimate daughter of a highborn lord. Until she was five, she knew
nothing of her parents, growing up with her grandmother as an apprentice in
herblore and witchcraft. Then, one day, when her father's brother came to show
Corie her true birthright, by spending her summers at Castle Auburn, the kingdom's
capital.
Corie is fourteen. Like any other teenager, she is strong in her feelings and
opinions. But as she grows older, her views of her life seem to morph around
her. Are the half-mystical Aliora not only servants, but slaves? Was her life
meant only to satisfy the ambitions of another?
Love is a mysterious element here. The signs of true love are subtle, as while empty adoration appears bold and clear. Court politics use live, or its guise as a tool for marriage alliances. As one of the most difficult aspects of life for a young girl to grasp, the point of view is truly that of a fourteen-year old girl. Her doubts, her fears, and joys become the readers'. The story unfolds itself as it comes before Corie's, along with her perceptions. It seems level minded, yet surreal in its own respect.
Shinn is a master of detail. Descriptive strength colors and fills the characters
and set. But most admiringly, her ability to surprise the reader by changing
insignificant pieces of the plot into the most important and dramatic parts
of the story brings the whole story full circle. No character mentioned "Mysteriously
disappears" or is unresolved by the story's end.
In all, I would say that this book shows a practical side to the "kings,
castles, and princesses" kind of fantasy. While stripping bare the truths
of court life would be daring such a time, the romance and feel that makes a
fantasy is still very strong to the senses. Insightful, to the very last page.
Reviewed by: Jenny Buison
The Westing Game
By: Ellen Raskin
This book was a murder mystery. Sixteen heirs were called to the house of Samuel W. Westing for the reading of his will. They were all given clues and were put into pairs. Soon enough, four bombs go off. As the mysterious game goes on, there are robberies and you learn mysterious facts about the heirs. I think this book was very interesting, but confusing. If you want to read it try to figure it out yourself! I liked this book and you like mysteries with lots of twists and turns, then you should see it too!
Reviewed by: Alyssa Moskala
Okay, I know you al have heard the story of Rapunzel but this is a little different, I mean did you know her mom had special powers? How about that there were 44 brick pieces on the bottom of the tower floor? This but based in Rapunzel but has a lot of different twists. I think many people could enjoy this I give this five stars.
Reviewed by: Katie Sutherland
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
