Hello all! I have two things to discuss today.
I recently finished John Grisham's first attempt at a young adult novel: Theodore Boome: Kid Lawyer. I found it a refreshing change of pace from Nancy Drew. In fact, this book is sort of a Hardy Boys twist on Nancy Drew. I am probably confusing you, so allow me to elaborate:
This book, as the title implies, is about a kid lawyer. Now, Theo doesn't have a liscense or anything, but both his parents are lawyers and he dreams of being a trial lawyer or judge someday. Theo lives with his parents in a small town called Strattenbourg. It's very small, so you can imagine there aren't alot of exciting cases. But, when a murder trial comes along, Theo is super excited.
Every chance he gets he watches in the courtroom. He believes the defendent is guilty, but the defense lawyer is making a good case. Before Theo realises it, he finds himself in the middle of it. He discovers that a friend of his is the cousin of a witness that nobody knows about. And his testimony will prove to turn around the outcome of the trial. But.the witness is unwiling to testify, due to the fact he is an illegal immigrant.
The clock is ticking, and Theo doesn't know what to do. This is defnately not something that a thirteen year-old should have to deal with.
I found this book very captivating. It starts out a little slow, but not too slow. I find that the climax is a little TOO close to the end, though. I highly recommend it, and hope to soon pick up the sequel: Theodore Boone: The Abduction.
Now for our second topic: Out of Sight, Out of Time. This is the fifth installment in Ally Carter's hit series, the Gallagher Girls Series. It, unfortunately, doesn't come out until March 2012. It is very looked forward to, because it sounds like the most exciting of the series. You can read the full description here. A countdown widget is to the right of the page.
Until next time!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Kingdom Keepers Series and New Apps
Hey, everybody! Sorry for the delay, but school keeps you busy! In this post, I will make my first ever summary of an entire SERIES! Also, I will make an update on the new apps on the page.
The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is about five kids who were recruited by Disney to participate in their new "Disney Hosts Interactive" program, or DHI, for short. DHI can also stand for "Daylight Hologram Imaging". These kids were made into holograms that would walk around and give tours of Disney's Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld, Florida. Only, at night, when the kids go to sleep, they find themselves inside the park as their holograms. This is caused by the work of a retired Imagineer who needs their help in defeating a group of Disney Villans called "Overtakers"
That is the basic summary of the series arc. There are three book in the series so far, and the fourth will come out tomorrow.
Book One: Disney After Dark is centered around the story called "The Stonecutter's Quill" It leads the kids to finding Walt Disney's first Ink Pen, which has the power to weaken the Overtakers' leader, Maleficent. It also brings some old plans of Walt's, which were never used, to life.
The characters for the entire series are as follows:
Finn Whitman- He is the main character, as the books mostly center around his life. He is the chosen leader of the DHI's, though he is reluctant to accept the title. He is able to fully cross over into his DHI-self, even when he is awake and out in public
Terry Maybeck- Over-confident one of the group. He does have talent, and can cross over, but not as purely as Finn- none can.
Charlene aka Charlie- Jock of the group. She occasionally lacks self-confidence, but is very useful where athletics are concerned.
Willa- Smart, and clever. She is very talented when she is brave enough.
Philby- Computer-geek. He researches any information relevant to what his friends are doing, and then some. He rarely lacks knowledge of any subject
Amanda Lockhart- Mysterious girl who shows interest in Finn, as he does for her, though neither owns up to it. It is revealed later in the series that she is a Fairlie- being "fairly human". She is half human, half fairy and has the ability to levitate herself, and other objects.
Jezebel "Jez" Lockhart, aka Jess Lockhart- Sister of Amanda. She used to be under the spell of Maleficent and was her loyal servant, until Finn released her from the spell. She is also a Fairlie, and has dreams that always come true in the future. She, and her sister, are eventually made into DHI's as well.
Book Two: Disney at Dawn is set in the Animal Kingdom. Disney is expanding the DHI's to the other parks, and the cruise ships. They added a patch to the program that would prevent the kids' crossing over into the Disney parks at night. Only, Maleficent has escaped and got hold of the program, before it was patched. Now, she has the ability to control the DHI halves of the kids, and the new DHI's of animals.So, if the kids were to fall asleep, Overtakers could trap them and they would be caught in sleep forever. To worsen matters, Jess disappears. It is up to the kids to destroy the rouge program, find Jess, and stay awake in the progress.
Book Three: Disney in Shadow takes place in Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Wayne, the Kingdom Keepers' friend and mentor, disappeared at the end of the previous book. They are determined to find him, and are led by Jess's visions to Epcot. One night, when they are searching, they drop the remote that returns them to their homes, and it gets locked in a lost and found locker in Magic Kingdom. They are trapped in the park until it opens and they can get the remote. We meet Wayne's daughter, Wanda!
This entire series is AMAZING and I can't wait until the next book arrives in stores. I like book three the best, because it has ALOT of suspense. Wanda didn't play much of a role in my opinion.
Now for the new apps:
The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is about five kids who were recruited by Disney to participate in their new "Disney Hosts Interactive" program, or DHI, for short. DHI can also stand for "Daylight Hologram Imaging". These kids were made into holograms that would walk around and give tours of Disney's Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld, Florida. Only, at night, when the kids go to sleep, they find themselves inside the park as their holograms. This is caused by the work of a retired Imagineer who needs their help in defeating a group of Disney Villans called "Overtakers"
That is the basic summary of the series arc. There are three book in the series so far, and the fourth will come out tomorrow.
Book One: Disney After Dark is centered around the story called "The Stonecutter's Quill" It leads the kids to finding Walt Disney's first Ink Pen, which has the power to weaken the Overtakers' leader, Maleficent. It also brings some old plans of Walt's, which were never used, to life.
The characters for the entire series are as follows:
Finn Whitman- He is the main character, as the books mostly center around his life. He is the chosen leader of the DHI's, though he is reluctant to accept the title. He is able to fully cross over into his DHI-self, even when he is awake and out in public
Terry Maybeck- Over-confident one of the group. He does have talent, and can cross over, but not as purely as Finn- none can.
Charlene aka Charlie- Jock of the group. She occasionally lacks self-confidence, but is very useful where athletics are concerned.
Willa- Smart, and clever. She is very talented when she is brave enough.
Philby- Computer-geek. He researches any information relevant to what his friends are doing, and then some. He rarely lacks knowledge of any subject
Amanda Lockhart- Mysterious girl who shows interest in Finn, as he does for her, though neither owns up to it. It is revealed later in the series that she is a Fairlie- being "fairly human". She is half human, half fairy and has the ability to levitate herself, and other objects.
Jezebel "Jez" Lockhart, aka Jess Lockhart- Sister of Amanda. She used to be under the spell of Maleficent and was her loyal servant, until Finn released her from the spell. She is also a Fairlie, and has dreams that always come true in the future. She, and her sister, are eventually made into DHI's as well.
Book Two: Disney at Dawn is set in the Animal Kingdom. Disney is expanding the DHI's to the other parks, and the cruise ships. They added a patch to the program that would prevent the kids' crossing over into the Disney parks at night. Only, Maleficent has escaped and got hold of the program, before it was patched. Now, she has the ability to control the DHI halves of the kids, and the new DHI's of animals.So, if the kids were to fall asleep, Overtakers could trap them and they would be caught in sleep forever. To worsen matters, Jess disappears. It is up to the kids to destroy the rouge program, find Jess, and stay awake in the progress.
Book Three: Disney in Shadow takes place in Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Wayne, the Kingdom Keepers' friend and mentor, disappeared at the end of the previous book. They are determined to find him, and are led by Jess's visions to Epcot. One night, when they are searching, they drop the remote that returns them to their homes, and it gets locked in a lost and found locker in Magic Kingdom. They are trapped in the park until it opens and they can get the remote. We meet Wayne's daughter, Wanda!
This entire series is AMAZING and I can't wait until the next book arrives in stores. I like book three the best, because it has ALOT of suspense. Wanda didn't play much of a role in my opinion.
Now for the new apps:
- There is a new countdown widget for Ally Carter's new book, Uncommon Criminals. I am not thrilled by the plot, and will borrow it from my local library before spending money on a copy of it.
- Facebook "Like" Button: I will add this to all of my blogs, and this button will let you like the page I made for my blogs. On this page, I will update you on new posts, and I will put up polls for which books to talk about on here. Ha! as if anyone actually reads this... Does anybody read this? Hello?
Anyway, I'll talk to you later. Ciao!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Gimme a Call
Hello one and all to All About Books. I know it's been pretty quiet on here, but surely if you read this you must know that I recently started school again so these blogs won't be quite as active as they would be in the summer.
Today, I'll be talking about one of the best books of 2010, Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski.
It starts out where Devi is sitting on the water fountain in the mall on her Senior Skip Day, moping about her recent break-up and contemplating returning the watch she bought for her now ex-boyfriend.
Devorah "Devi" Banks is a typical american girl. She has had a less than great High School experience.She spent all her time with her now ex-boyfriend, Bryan, and neglected her friends and her studies. Now, they've broken up and Devi has nobody to hang out with at the mall during her Senior Skip Day.
She is thinking about what she would tell her younger self if she could go back in time. While she's thinking, she accidently drops her cell phone INTO the water fountain. Great. As if her day could POSSIBLY get any worse.
When she tests all the buttons to see if the chlorine destroyed it or not, she hits the Send button, and it starts ringing.
Back, three years prior to this, fourteen-year-old Devi picks up her phone when it rings and she sees the name "Banks" on the caller ID. Each of the Devis thinks the other is crazy, and Freshman Devi doesn't believe the girl on the other side of the line is really Senior Devi until later.
Devi realizes she has been given an amazing gift. She can go back in time and change her life for the better, starting with never going out with Bryan in the first place. She can start all over!
Only, she doesn't realize how fast the changes apply to her. One moment, all of her picture frames are filled with pictures of her and Bryan, the next, of her and her friends. Sometimes, Freshman Devi makes a change so drastic, it hits Senior Devi like a bomb.
How does this wild story end? Does Devi get into UCLA and completely forget about Bryan? Or, will Freshman Devi decide to go ahead and date him, despite the heart-breaking results? Find out it Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski.
Today, I'll be talking about one of the best books of 2010, Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski.
It starts out where Devi is sitting on the water fountain in the mall on her Senior Skip Day, moping about her recent break-up and contemplating returning the watch she bought for her now ex-boyfriend.
Devorah "Devi" Banks is a typical american girl. She has had a less than great High School experience.She spent all her time with her now ex-boyfriend, Bryan, and neglected her friends and her studies. Now, they've broken up and Devi has nobody to hang out with at the mall during her Senior Skip Day.
She is thinking about what she would tell her younger self if she could go back in time. While she's thinking, she accidently drops her cell phone INTO the water fountain. Great. As if her day could POSSIBLY get any worse.
When she tests all the buttons to see if the chlorine destroyed it or not, she hits the Send button, and it starts ringing.
Back, three years prior to this, fourteen-year-old Devi picks up her phone when it rings and she sees the name "Banks" on the caller ID. Each of the Devis thinks the other is crazy, and Freshman Devi doesn't believe the girl on the other side of the line is really Senior Devi until later.
Devi realizes she has been given an amazing gift. She can go back in time and change her life for the better, starting with never going out with Bryan in the first place. She can start all over!
Only, she doesn't realize how fast the changes apply to her. One moment, all of her picture frames are filled with pictures of her and Bryan, the next, of her and her friends. Sometimes, Freshman Devi makes a change so drastic, it hits Senior Devi like a bomb.
How does this wild story end? Does Devi get into UCLA and completely forget about Bryan? Or, will Freshman Devi decide to go ahead and date him, despite the heart-breaking results? Find out it Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Walk Two Moons
Welcome back to All About Books, the third most popular blog on the web! Okay, I'm kidding about the popularity thing. BUT, if we work hard enough, we can make that happen someday!
Anyway, today I will be reviewing Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons. It's about a girl named Salamanca Tree Hiddle (but everyone calls her Sal) She is the narrator of this story. She is on a trip from Eucilid, Ohio to Lewiston, Idaho with her grandparents. Along the way, she tells the story of her friend, Phoebe. The story of mysterious messages, a potential lunatic, and her mother's disappearance.
Inside Phoebe's story, Sal finds her own. Her mother left, promising to be back by when the tulips bloomed. Only, she isn't back. Sal wants to find her and bring her back home by her birthday, even though it seems impossible.
During the trip, Sal's grandparents stop at many places that her mother visited. They have all sorts of adventures, including an encounter with a certain water moccasin (you know what a water moccasin is, right? A deadly snake?).
Such an interesting story ends in tragedy for Sal. I can't tell you exactly what happens or I'll spoil the book. Just so you know, this is a really good book, but it isn't one of my favorites.I didn't write much because there isn't much to say. It sort of (to me at least) just lulls and ends in sadness. Someone else might enjoy it, though. I'll see you soon!.
Anyway, today I will be reviewing Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons. It's about a girl named Salamanca Tree Hiddle (but everyone calls her Sal) She is the narrator of this story. She is on a trip from Eucilid, Ohio to Lewiston, Idaho with her grandparents. Along the way, she tells the story of her friend, Phoebe. The story of mysterious messages, a potential lunatic, and her mother's disappearance.
Inside Phoebe's story, Sal finds her own. Her mother left, promising to be back by when the tulips bloomed. Only, she isn't back. Sal wants to find her and bring her back home by her birthday, even though it seems impossible.
During the trip, Sal's grandparents stop at many places that her mother visited. They have all sorts of adventures, including an encounter with a certain water moccasin (you know what a water moccasin is, right? A deadly snake?).
Such an interesting story ends in tragedy for Sal. I can't tell you exactly what happens or I'll spoil the book. Just so you know, this is a really good book, but it isn't one of my favorites.I didn't write much because there isn't much to say. It sort of (to me at least) just lulls and ends in sadness. Someone else might enjoy it, though. I'll see you soon!.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Only the Good Spy Young
Hey everyone! As you may know, I'm back from Branson. Along with me, I brought something special: Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter! It's finally here!
The book starts out as Bex and Cammie are skating on an ice rink in London during their winter break from school. Bex is interested in some boys that are hanging around and checking them out. She looks at them carefully and sees a familiar face.
"Hey, Cam," She says with an evil smirk, "Are you sure you've given up all boys?"
She intentionally falls down on the ice. Seven of the eight boys go to her "rescue". But the one that hangs back, the one who doesn't move, is the most interesting of them all.
Zachary Goode is a sort of friend of the Gallagher Girls. Being a student at the Blackthorne Institute for Boys, he knows their secrets and is good at keeping them. He doesn't even try to hide the fact that he likes Cammie.
Cameron "Cammie" Morgan is a student of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women/ Target of international terrorist group. She narrates this story. Being almost kidnapped twice last semester, she is hiding as best as she can.
Rebecca "Bex" Baxter is a fellow student at the Gallagher Academy. She's one of Cammie's best friends. Her family invited her to join them on their Christmas vacation in England.
Cammie was happy and surprised at the same moment when she saw Zack. Her excitement ends when he tells her Joe Solomon didn't show when he was supposed to meet with Zack. This got her worried. What if something had happened to him? What if the Circle got to him?
Soon, after talking more, Mr. Baxter calls the girls off the ice to get going. When Cammie turns back to say goodbye, Zack was already gone. This is where things go wrong.
Cammie realizes that there is a double agent, a traitor, a member of the Circle whiten the Gallagher walls. That person, desperate, strikes when Cammie was most vulnerable. Now, Cammie is unsure who to trust. Bex and Cammie need the help from old friends if Cammie is to ever come close to being safe. They realize that the key to Cammie's future may lie deep in the past.
It's a great story where the girls must lie, hack, and steal their way to answers. But, near-tragedy overcomes them when they get closer to the truth. If you were to read this, you will be shocked at what Cammie is doing over her summer.
The book starts out as Bex and Cammie are skating on an ice rink in London during their winter break from school. Bex is interested in some boys that are hanging around and checking them out. She looks at them carefully and sees a familiar face.
"Hey, Cam," She says with an evil smirk, "Are you sure you've given up all boys?"
She intentionally falls down on the ice. Seven of the eight boys go to her "rescue". But the one that hangs back, the one who doesn't move, is the most interesting of them all.
Zachary Goode is a sort of friend of the Gallagher Girls. Being a student at the Blackthorne Institute for Boys, he knows their secrets and is good at keeping them. He doesn't even try to hide the fact that he likes Cammie.
Cameron "Cammie" Morgan is a student of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women/ Target of international terrorist group. She narrates this story. Being almost kidnapped twice last semester, she is hiding as best as she can.
Rebecca "Bex" Baxter is a fellow student at the Gallagher Academy. She's one of Cammie's best friends. Her family invited her to join them on their Christmas vacation in England.
Cammie was happy and surprised at the same moment when she saw Zack. Her excitement ends when he tells her Joe Solomon didn't show when he was supposed to meet with Zack. This got her worried. What if something had happened to him? What if the Circle got to him?
Soon, after talking more, Mr. Baxter calls the girls off the ice to get going. When Cammie turns back to say goodbye, Zack was already gone. This is where things go wrong.
Cammie realizes that there is a double agent, a traitor, a member of the Circle whiten the Gallagher walls. That person, desperate, strikes when Cammie was most vulnerable. Now, Cammie is unsure who to trust. Bex and Cammie need the help from old friends if Cammie is to ever come close to being safe. They realize that the key to Cammie's future may lie deep in the past.
It's a great story where the girls must lie, hack, and steal their way to answers. But, near-tragedy overcomes them when they get closer to the truth. If you were to read this, you will be shocked at what Cammie is doing over her summer.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Big News, Big News, Big News!
Hey, everybody! I have some BIG and exciting news. Do you remember that countdown widget I have at the top of the screen? Well, you have a chance to wait less long!
Ally Carter has a box of completed copies of OGSY, and she's giving five away. She is holding a contest to see who will win them. The winners will be announced at 7:00 Central time THIS up-coming Sunday.
Visit allycarter.com/blog for official contest details and entry regulations.
Good day, and good luck!
Ally Carter has a box of completed copies of OGSY, and she's giving five away. She is holding a contest to see who will win them. The winners will be announced at 7:00 Central time THIS up-coming Sunday.
Visit allycarter.com/blog for official contest details and entry regulations.
Good day, and good luck!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
When You Reach Me
I just finished this new book I won from school. It's an awesome one called When You Reach Me.
It starts in the future of this story, where Miranda, the narrator of this book, sees that her mom, after three years of trying, is going to be a contestant on $20,000 Pyramid. It was going to be in a certain studio. she refers to someone as "you", when she says "Just like you said."
Miranda Welsh is a pre-teen girl who lives in New York City. She has read this one book about time travel over and over. She knows the safe places to go in town. She also knows who and what to avoid, like the crazy man on the corner.
They spend a few chapters in this future time period, where Miranda is helping her mom prepare for the show. Then, they go back into the past, for the events that led up to this. Miranda's best friend, Sal, gets hurt, and starts ignoring her. Then, the emergency key for their apartment was stolen. Then, the notes start to appear. These notes are from someone who knows too much about Miranda and her life. Even things that haven't happened yet.
This is an interesting story of friendship, trust, and time travel. Where the adventure ends I can't tell you. The real drama is what is between the lines. Figure out the mystery of this story in When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stread. Fun fact: This book won this years Newberry Honor Award.
It starts in the future of this story, where Miranda, the narrator of this book, sees that her mom, after three years of trying, is going to be a contestant on $20,000 Pyramid. It was going to be in a certain studio. she refers to someone as "you", when she says "Just like you said."
Miranda Welsh is a pre-teen girl who lives in New York City. She has read this one book about time travel over and over. She knows the safe places to go in town. She also knows who and what to avoid, like the crazy man on the corner.
They spend a few chapters in this future time period, where Miranda is helping her mom prepare for the show. Then, they go back into the past, for the events that led up to this. Miranda's best friend, Sal, gets hurt, and starts ignoring her. Then, the emergency key for their apartment was stolen. Then, the notes start to appear. These notes are from someone who knows too much about Miranda and her life. Even things that haven't happened yet.
I'm coming to save your friend's life and my own. I ask you two favors. One, write a letter.This person writes. Then, the notes say when and where proof that he knows what will happen will appear. The final proof is the postcard that says Miranda's mom is going to be on $20,000 Pyramid.
This is an interesting story of friendship, trust, and time travel. Where the adventure ends I can't tell you. The real drama is what is between the lines. Figure out the mystery of this story in When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stread. Fun fact: This book won this years Newberry Honor Award.
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