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Punished by David Lubar

2009-09-21 07:04:00.0

Punished by David Lubar

The main character in this book, Logan is a good kid but his troubles begin when he's running and playing tag in the library and goes crashing into some kind of wizard or magician, Professor Wordsworth. The professor blows some sort of magical dust off a book at him and then he becomes, punished. His curse leads him through a strange adventure through literary language. I thought that this book was pretty good. It was a fast read and it is especially fun if you are the type of person who enjoys wordplay.

Logan was playing tag in the reference area of the public library. Do you think think that Logan was rightly punished from his misbehavior in the library? I wonder if Logan was the first one to be punished. Have you ever been punished for something that you didn't feel like you deserved a punishment for?

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

2009-09-21 07:18:00.0

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonnell

This was a really good book. I read it over the summer and definitely enjoyed it. It's starts off with a little girl sitting in her classroom feeling like she's invisible. Are there ever times when you feel like that? I do sometimes. Anyway, her parents have inherited a great sum of money from a distant owner and now instead of their casual days as bookstore owners her parents are constantly traveling around the world leaving her with a wicked and controlling nanny named Miss Barmy. She's the babysitter/nanny like you've surely never had.

Her problems really start when she befriends the other invisible and seemingly unlovable creature in her classroom, the class rat. When the rat bites Emmy she realizes that she can hear what the rat is saying. She ends up finding a friend in Joe, one of her classmates and together they find out what Miss Barmy is really up to and why her parents are leaving her so often with this devious Miss Barmy.

I liked this book because it was full of excitement. I thought the fantasy was fun and that it was a page turner. Emmy is lovable and Miss Barmy is definitely not.

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

2009-09-21 07:29:00.0

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

This was actually the first Sunshine Book that I read this year. It's a story of sibling rivalry at its best! Do you have a brother or sister or two or three that you are at odds with sometimes? What kinds of things do you guys do to "better" or "outdo" them?

Well, this story's conflict begins when Evan's younger sister is moved up a grade and now will be in fourth grade with him. To make matters worse, Evan's sister will even be in the same class as him! Can you imagine if your brother or sister was in your classroom? Would you like that or not?

Evan does not like this because while Evan struggles do well in school, it seems like everything comes so easy to the younger Jessie. Evan really resents her for that and even though he doesn't want to say it, hates that she will be in his class. Why do you think he hates this so much? Do you think it is for another reason?

The actual, "war", a lemonade war to be exact begins at the start of summer. Because he is mad at his sister he tells her she cannot help with his lemonade stand. After this, the war is on to see who can earn the most and the sabotage begins.

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

2009-09-22 06:04:00.0

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

This book was really heartfelt, sad but while at the same time full of hope too. It's the story of a young boy who is fighting cancer. His parents take him to the country cabin to rest and recover but while he is there he finds that there's a lump on his body and knows that the cancer is coming back. This means only one thing to eleven-year-old Toby, more hospitals, more pain to supposedly make him better so he chooses to keep this a secret from his parents. While he is at the summer cabin Toby befriends a broken-down cow named Blossom and an elderly women who is losing her sight named Pearl. They are a mix-matched grouped but together they figure out some very important life lessons.

I can't imagine keeping such a secret but I guess I understand the reasons why Toby didn't want to tell his parents. I'm wondering what you think of Toby's act of "defiance" when he keeps his new lumb a secret?

Pearl claims that the animals on the farm, "tell her things". Toby is not sure that he believes that the animals can talk. What do you think? How do you think Pearl is communicating with the animals?

Ingraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

2009-09-22 06:12:00.0

Ingraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

This fantasy story comes from the same great author that brought you the Inkheart books, The Thieflord, and the Mercy Watson series. The novel is about a young knight in training named Ingraine. She lives with her family of magicials and magical books and creatures but she thinks that being a magician is "boring" and would rather become a famous knight. Her bravery is put to the test when her family's evil nemesis, Osmund comes and wants to take over the control of the family's magical books. The only problem is her family is "under the weather" so to speak because of an accident they caused themselves with their magical powers and so it is up to Ingraine to be brave to save her family and the items that they hold special to them. This book is full of magic, talking cats, friendly giants, and not so friendly enemies. Anyone who enjoys a little magic in their books and an adventure should enjoy this story.

What did you think of the book? Would you be like Ingraine and prefer to train to be a knight or do you think you would rather be a magician?

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

2009-09-29 05:40:00.0

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

You have got to just read the first part of this book and there's no doubt that you will be hooked! The story begins with a mysterious plane landing at an airport and you will never believe who the riders of this plane are. No one can figure out where it came from and then all of the sudden...the plane vanishes into thin air.

This is the first book in a new series by Haddix and I think it's my favorite book yet. I really liked the excitement and mystery of the story and I think that anyone who enjoys adventure and a little bit of fantasy will really like this one. I was so shocked at the end...but I guess I see why it had to end that way.