Reading Now

Just want to keep everyone up to date with what I'm reading now.  I have an amazing English teacher who picks out the best stuff for us.   

Here is the thrilling story of Rikki, a fearless young mongoose who finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle to protect a boy and his parents from Nag and Nagaina, the two enormous cobras who stalk the gardens outside the family's home in India. Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's timeless masterpiece has been lovingly passed from one generation of readers to the next. Triumphantly brought to life in stunning watercolors from Caldecott Honor artist Jerry Pinkney, this is a tale that will win the hearts of young and old alike

It's a book I wouldn't have picked up to read, but I am really enjoying it.  The main character is a mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.   We've just started reading, but I like the story.  

My teacher has some great literature planned for us this year.  I'll keep everyone updated!

Nick and Tesla

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

our thoughts

Fun Fun Fun.  Love Nick and Tesla.  They are 11 year old twins who use science to solve all their problems.  They get into some scraps!  They are sent to live with their eccentric uncle (a retired NASA scientist) while their parents are (supposedly) in Uzbekistan to help with soybean (not sure about that- we think they are on a secret mission for the government).    They link up with a couple of new friends and solve strange crimes.   In this book, a young girl is seen in the window of an old abandoned house,  why is she there?  Is she in trouble?  Who are the two mean guys keeping her locked up in the house?

5 stars for this series.

Ylvis - The Fox [Official music video HD]

received for review courtesy of QUIRK books and Above the Treeline (Eidelweiss egalley)

On Sale Date: February 4, 2014 9781594746499, 1594746494 $12.95 US / $13.95 Can. Hardback Juvenile Fiction / Science & Technology Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

In this second novel of the Nick and Tesla series, the precocious brother-and-sister duo find themselves solving another baffling mystery. As the story opens, their Uncle Newt takes a consulting gig at a cut-rate amusement park, engineering animatronic figures for a cheap Hall of Presidentsknockoff. One perk of the job is that Nick and Tesla have unlimited access to the amusement park all summer long-but the kids quickly discover that one of the park employees has a sinister plan. They'll have to build a few robots of their own to foil him! Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects. Learning about science has never been so dangerous-or so much fun!

It's so much fun reading a book that makes the reader smile. One of the reasons I love reviewing children's and middle graders books so much (especially QUIRK books) is because they make me smile and laugh!

Nick and Tesla are twin 11 year old kids. They are living with their very eccentric uncle Newt. The two kids are surrounded by brilliance, from their uncle to their parents, and it has rubbed off. They are budding genius' themselves. 

This book is just fun to read. Kids will love the science experiments listed and the many robots and other devices in the stories. The heart of the story is an adventure. A mystery. Robberies are happening all over their sleepy town. Nick and Tesla, along with their friends DeMarco and Silas must solve the crimes.

The vocabulary used in the book is challenging but not too difficult for kids. The step by step science experiments are a fantastic plus. My 12 year old wants to do every experiment. The age group targeted is the group usually interested in robotics and science. 

Amazing series your middle grader will love. Both boys and girls are represented with Nick and Tesla. 

"Science Bob" Pflugfelder is an elementary school teacher based in Newton, Massachussetts. He has made many television appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Dr. Oz Show, and other media outlets. These are his first books.

Steve Hockensmith is the author of a New York Times best seller (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls) and an Edgar Award nominee (Holmes on the Range). He lives in Alameda, California.

The Hunger Games

by

Suzanne Collins

This is the book I chose to read for my summer book report.  To begin, I loved the book much more than the movie.

about the book:

Katniss, 16, takes her sister's place in the televised annual Hunger Games, competing against Peeta, the boy who gave them bread to survive after their father died. The cruel Capitol forces each of 12 districts to submit a boy and girl 12-18, to fight to the death. Only one can survive and be rewarded. President Snow manipulates behind the scenes.

Crazy world.  Reminded me of Old Rome when the gladiators went into the ring and the bloodthirsty Romans choses sides.   
Katniss and Peeta are great people.  I think Katniss is a true leader.  Perfect to lead a rebellion against the corrupt government.  A Spartacus for the future.

I think most people have read this book by now, I've also read the second and third books in this series.  I give the book an A+

Spirit Animals Wild Born

#1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Mull launches Scholastic's brand-new multiplatform phenomenon.

Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts - a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children - and the world - have been changed forever.

Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers . . . and on you.

Part engrossing book series, part action role-playing game - discover your spirit animal and join the adventure in Fall 2013.

my thoughts

Another fabulous series started by Brandon Mull.

The characters are spectacular.  I like the way the 'outsiders' were the chosen ones in this series.   

Wonderful writing style.  

Friendship and working together for a goal are common themes in Mull's stories.  This is a multiplatform series, meaning it will be written by several authors.   

The 39 Clues is unstoppable! The bestselling series returns with an adventure spanning four explosive books and a website that places readers right in the action.

Confidential until October 2013!

The Cahill family has a secret. For five hundred years, they have guarded the 39 Clues – thirty-nine ingredients in a serum that transforms whomever takes it into the most powerful person on earth. If the serum got into the wrong hands, the disaster would rock the world. So certain Cahills have always made it their mission to keep the serum safe, buried, locked away. Until now.

 

Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, are the latest guardians of the Clues. They think they’ve done everything right, but a tiny mistake leads to catastrophe. The serum is missing and Dan and Amy have to get it back and stop who stole it . . . before it’s game over. For everyone.

my thoughts

Unstoppable is a continuation of 39 Clues stories.   Someone has created the serum and is using it to take over the world! 

This is a wonderful addition to the series.  Adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill continue.  They are joined by Nellie, Pony, Ian, Jake, Atticus and Jonah.   This is a wild ride of ups and downs.  If you like the series, this will be a welcome addition.

We give this book 5 ice cream cones.