I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time, and this summer, I have finally achieved my goal!
Mr. Popper is a daydreamer. Even as he paints houses (his job), he is only able to think about Antarctica. The white snow tundra and the cold, windy climate captivate him, but the one thing that he would kill to see are penguins. He is struck by their beauty, gracefulness and even more, their complexion. So, it seems a huge miracle when his letter to his hero, Admiral Drake (an explorer currently in Antarctica) gets answered by him on radio, and Drake promises a suprise for Mr. Popper soon. Certainly Mr. Popper was not expecting a penguin of all things! But a penguin it was, and a smart one at that. He named him Captain Cook, and Cook was soon taught many tricks. After sometime though, Cook's health was failing. Mr. Popper wrote to an aquarium for help, and they suspected that the penguin was only lonely. That is how Greta came to live with the Poppers as well. Soon there were ten baby penguins strutting around the house. Unsure of what to do with so many penguins, the Poppers began training them to perform on stage. Everything goes on fine, until one day, Mr. Popper shows up at the wrong theater and is arrested. Luckily, Admiral Drake himself comes and bails Mr. Popper out. They decide that the penguins would be better off in their own habitat, and Drake, along with Mr. Popper, head off to the South Pole to release the penguins to the place they should have been all along. This short chapter book is funny and cute (for an old-timer) and there should be one copy on the bookshelf of every household!
Now that all the hype about wizards and vampires have come to a close, Ally Carter opens a new world to us readers.
In Heist Society, she creates a enthralling story
that will definitely rake in many readers.
This story is about a teenage girl named Katarina Bishop, obviously the protagonist. All she wants is a normal life, unlike her family's, which is stealing. Suddenly, she finds herself in the midst of all the hullabaloo when her father is accused of thieving from an extremely powerful character, Arturo Taccone. Gathering a band of friends, she fights to steal Taccone's stolen paintings back! How's that for a read?
You would think that the thief is the character to be killed, but instead, she makes us feel nothing but goodwill towards Katarina. I would give this book an 8.99999...out of 10, and say that it would be a must read for children above 10 years old.
Some of you might remember my very first post last summer, i.e., The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Well, all I can say is Mitch Albom has done it again!
This book is one of a kind; it is strong and powerful, and at the same time, emotional.
This is the story of a middle aged man who lives away from his wife and daughter (family issues). One day, he recieves some photos in the mail. The photos of his daughter's wedding, where he was not invited. Apparently, his wife and daughter thought he was "unstable". Heartbroken, he decided to end his life. As he drives his car off a overpass, he suddenly finds himself in the town where he grew up. He runs to his old house, where he unexpectedly finds his dead mother alive and well. He relives a day with her, as she gives him advice about his life. After spending a full day with her, he regains consciousness in a police officer's arms. This book leads you to draw your own conclusions about what you think REALLY happened. this philosophical book is suitable for all ages, but I think only 12+ may actually appreciate it as more that just a book.
The Girl Mechanic of Wanzhou is a realistic fiction novel written by Marjorie Sayer takes place in the ancient Chinese city of Wanzhou in 1912. The main character is Zun, a twelve year old girl whose father is a mechanic. Her father was onto a revolutionary breakthrough on the way bicycles were built. Suddenly, her life turns upside down when her father is seriously injured by the Magistrate's men. He is taken away to the unknown and Zun believes him to be dead. Furthermore, her mother is captured and imprisoned. Desperate to save her, Zun goes on an impossible mission with the help of some old family friends whom she had no clue existed. When I read this book, I truly felt as though I was in ancient China, seeing and smelling what Zun saw and smelled. I especially loved the vivid picture that Ms. Sayer created for us. Action-packed and thrilling, I'd recommend it for readers aged 10+.
"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not
give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he
cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the
animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum
that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself. "
My father told me that movies that won't leave your head for a while after seeing them; movies that make you think; movies that change your perspective on things, are called "heavy movies". In this case, you can say that this book by George Orwell, is a "heavy book". The story takes place in a farm, Manor Farm, to be exact, where the farmer doesn't give much attention to the welfare of the animals on his farm. This sparks outrage among the animals after sometime, leading to a movement called the Rebellion. After planning for some time, the animals revolted against the farmer and drove him out of his farm. Needless to say, the animals managed the farm quite well. There were few rules and most of them cooperated well. But the farmer was not to give up. He soon returned with more people, but the farm dwellers fought them off with valiance and zeal. After this, there were many problem and hurdles that the animals had to overcome, but they pushed through them with courage and bravery. This book changes your perspective on animals completely. I would say that it is for kids 10+ because there are quite a few violent and gruesome scenes described to perfection. If you do know any animal abusers out there, first contact the police, then give them a copy of Animal Farm!
This novel by Emma Donoghue, depicts the life of an ordinary mother and child. The mother, who had been kidnapped when she was in her college years, was imprisoned in a small shed in the backyard of her captor. There, after a few years, she gave birth to a small boy. As he had grown in the small 11x11 room, he believed it to be the world, literally! Jack (the boy) thought that if he opened the door, he would be floating in outer space. He had a TV and saw pictures of other people, but believed them to be imaginary. In this Room, Jack studies, plays, eats and sleeps. He loves Room to death, but only his mother knows the pain of being stuck there for eight years. Finally, on his fifth birthday, his mother tells him the truth about the outside world. He doesn't believe her at all and starts to crib. But when they try to make an escape plan to get out of there, he turns serious. The first plan fails, but then when they try again, the Great Escape works miraculously, and he is out in the world. It is a beautiful story, nothing like the others I have ever read. I thought that the idea and setting was just creative and innovating. It is suitable for kids and adults of all ages, classified in Realistic Fiction (by me).
Are you the type of person who would just love to join a violent gang? Probably not. Now, suppose that gang was your only family. Wouldn't you stick to that gang even if your life depended on it? You might say no, but imagine your family in the place of that gang. Come to think about it, you probably would. This book, the Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton (she's a girl, even though it looks like a boy's name) depicts the life and adventures of Ponyboy, a boy whose only family is the gang he grew up with, as his parents died earlier in a tragic car accident.
They are called the Greasers. They are tuff (means tough in olden-day slang). They consist of seven members, Ponyboy, his brothers Sodapop and Darry, Dally Winston, the toughest in their gang, Two-bit, a boy who cracks jokes all the time, Steve, Sodapop's friend and Johnny, who has a mother and father who are highly abusive towards him. Together, the Greasers make one tight family.
One night, after Ponyboy gets slapped by Darry, he runs away to a park with Johnny and gets jumped (attacked) by their rival gang, the Socs (pronounced Sho-SHus). Johnny had been terribly attacked once, and after that dreadful incident, he always carried a knife with him. When he saw a boy dunking and drowning Ponyboy, he immediately started attacking that boy, and by accident, killed him. Since Ponyboy was with him, he knew that Ponyboy would be accused too. So both of them escaped from town (with help from Dally). The story is mainly how they survive in an old church and return home as heroes. There are some untimely deaths and tragedies, but after some time, life resumes itself and everyone (both gangs) discovers that they are not so different from each other. It is really a sweet story that unfolds itself from S.E. Hinton's past experiences. A must-read for people of all ages!
I'd say that this book is an odd one by Sara Shepard. It is the type of book for girls who love a mystery, and at the same time, it is a slightly inappropriate book.
The story is about four girls who are really close-knit. What they share now is a mystery in their past:
One night, during the summer before eighth grade, their leader,
Allison, disappeared without a trace. They've drifted apart but come
back together when they start receiving strange messages from someone
named "A" who seems to know all their secrets, past and present.They get a little creeped out, but hang on. Later, the police uncover Alison's body found under a concrete slab. The entire series drags out until they find out who "A" is and put a stop to these horrid messages. This book has plenty of mature content, but there is a strong message to those who read it. Bottom line is, it would most probably be suitable for children above 13!
Maybe you like books which are creepy, but cool at the same time? Well, here's one for you: Wake. I first read about it in the newspaper, when my mom and I were browsing for books. It's storyline struck me as innovative and new, so I took the first chance to download it on my Kindle. I'll make sure to you that I didn't regret it!
This story, which is written by Amanda Hocking, is mainly about a teenage girl, Gemma, who loves to experience late night swims in a secluded bay. She goes on swimming every night, until her swims are disrupted by the arrival of three fearless and drop-dead gorgeous girls. There is something sinister about them, and Gemma knows it. For some reason, they hook onto her and one day, Gemma finds herself partying with them in a cave located in the ocean. They give her some drink, and with a mysterious persuasion, they lure her into drinking it. After, she finds herself having awkward habits. The chlorinated swimming pool she loved to swim in, suddenly makes her itch and irritates her skin. The three girls whom she was repulsed by, suddenly draws her towards them. She knows that she has a secret, but what it is is the question. After a serious confrontation, the secret is out, and the battle for regaining her true self is on. Read this book, and I promise that it will have you hanging onto every word!
If you were alive 40 years ago, then maybe you've heard of P.G. Wodehouse. He's written a huge number of short and funny novels exceeding your usual expectations. When my father told me about him and his collection of books, I was uncertain, because he was an "old" writer. But I decided to get that book (it came as a HUGE collection), and tried out the first one (The Clicking of Cuthbert). Heck, I was crying from laughter by the time I finished! It is a novel that contains ten stories about golf actually. Being a person who doesn't know anything about golf, I was still able to understand. It mainly circles around a man who seems to be quite old. He is referred to as 'The Oldest Member' or 'The Sage'. Whenever a dejected golf player wants to give up golf for his own reasons, The Oldest Member narrates a story about a person or persons who had gone through their own problem which is similar to the dejected player's. He tells how they solved their problems and persuades the player in such a way that he will never even think about giving up golf again. Of all the stories, I truly liked the first one best, as it was the funniest (according to me, of course). Even though Wodehouse's books may be considered ancient (he wrote this in 1922), he has put all his words in simple English, so people of all ages can read his books with ease. Most of his stories end with a weird (in a good way) twist... something like O. Henry. In summary, I liked this book because of the creative way the author depicts the story. I hate to take anymore of your precious time, so go find that book!
Bud, Not Buddy is a wonderful short novel written by Christopher Paul Curtis. I recently read it when I was just browsing through some classics. It is a sweet story about an orphan named Buddy who runs away from his current foster home that houses a mother who only took him in 'cause she was being paid for it. When her son stuffs a Ticonderoga (western brand) pencil up his nose, he decides that it is the last straw. He starts going north, towards the city where his father supposedly still lives. He flicks through so many adventures and surprises while drawing a smile from your face. It's a wonderful novel, but only is you understand the South-Western accent! Set during the Great Depression, Buddy struggles through the tension and persecution of others because he is a Negro. Curtis delineates the story in such simple, but descriptive words. No wonder it earned a Newbery medal!
Have
you ever imagined what the world would be like if all the adults
suddenly disappeared off the face of the Earth? If that were the case,
then the only inhabitants would be children, teens and elders. This is
the image which Lissa Price has so vividly portrayed in her recent
best-seller, Starters.
Callie
Woodland, who is just the average teenager, lost her parents during the
spore-war, which killed off all the parents and adults. Ever since,
Callie has been struggling to support herself and her severely asthmatic
brother. Callie endures all the hassle getting a single meal with only
one thought in her mind: her brother, when an amazing opportunity
presents itself to her. She learns that she can switch her brains with
an elder so that the elder gets to be a teen for a month, while she can
peacefully sleep until the month is over. Plus, she will get paid an
unbelievable amount. Callie accepts the invite after a little hesitation. But things go wrong almost immediately. The transition malfunctions, and Callie soon figures out that at times, she can regain control of her body. And when she does, she is shocked by what she sees, because her renter is planning to do way more than just party, maybe even attempt a murder. Callie realizes fast that she is going to have to make the best of the moments in which she has control. In this fight between the young and the old, Lissa Price makes her first debut, proving her worth.
This book has wonderful harmony between the characters, and engulfs you into its captivating story. As the Los Angeles Times said: "The only thing better that a terrific concept is one as well executed as Starters. Readers who have been waiting for a worthy successor to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games will find it here. Dystopian sci-fi at its best, Starters is a terrific kickoff with a didn't-see-that-coming conclusion that will leave readers at the edge of their seats!"
Let me get one thing straight. This is not your average short stories book. These are hilarious short stories with absolutely no point.That's why, I think, its popular (as a classic).
Ok, I admit, I didn't really understand head or tail of the book until I got through seven or eight stories. This book doesn't really have a summary, but I can tell you about one of my favorites.
It's called Transients In Arcadia. It takes place in a hotel near Broadway in New York City. This hotel is the only one left that hasn't been ravaged by tourists. It's star visitor is one named Madame Beaumont. She stays only for a week, and meanwhile wearing the most splendid dresses during the day.
During her visit once, she meets a proper gentleman with whom she becomes good friends. Finally, on the day that she is to leave, she tells him her full story. She is actually an ordinary working girl named Mamie Siviter, but once in a year she treats herself to this hotel where she pretends to be the lady she is not. She says that she only wants a vacation for one week.
All her dresses are actually from a cheap store called O'Dowd & Levinsky. She has put up her dresses on an installment plan and she is to pay $1 a week until it is paid for. She trusts the $1 to him and is about to leave when he quickly does some writing and gives a slip of paper to her. He confesses that he has now been the collector for O'Dowd & Levinsky for three years. He, like her, just plans a vacation for a week each year. She is surprised, but goes along with it and they continue to be friends.
These short stories are only one or two pages long, and I enjoyed them to the maximum. They make you laugh and anxiously wait for the next one once you've got the hang of it. Find the nearest bookstore closest to you......Fast!!!!
Ok, lets review our options. If a bad kid dies, you would think that they have two options: above, or below. How about.... Heck? That might not even sound like a real place, but in this book, it is. Let me brief it for you: Marlo, is....well, a lot of things. She's a teenage, goth, kleptomaniac girl, who tries to get attention, mostly in the wrong ways. And sometimes, petty shoplifting can turn into full blown mayhem. I forgot, she also has a sensible, bookworm brother, called Milton, who tries to stay out of trouble. But as the younger one, guess who has to obey the orders???Written from Milton's point of view, Dale E. Basye makes you yearn for more as the siblings die in a marshmallow bear explosion. But that, is just the beginning. Once they get to the huge gates of Heck, they are met by a monster, literally. Life here is painful (yes, they can feel pain), as they try in vain to make their escapes. They encounter child-harassing bogeymen, and teachers that have students perform an autopsy on them. I liked this book because, just like The Five People You Meet in Heaven, it gave a different perspective on afterlife. I won't rob you of the ending, but I can say that it has a very interesting twist that leaves you dumbstruck. I was so shocked that I didn't even realize that the book had ended. Really! This book is perfect for children above ten maybe, because the concept might be a little difficult to grasp (the situation keeps changing). But overall, it really is a wonderful book!
How would you like to be transported into the world of kings, queens, and magical items? This book (The Magic Drum...), lets you do all that and more. Ever since she was a child, Sudha Murty loved hearing stories from around the world. Now, she has put all of her childhood favorites into this book that pulls you into the worlds of princes, paupers, and greedy kings. The Magic Drum and Other Favorite Stories is a collection of well-worded folktales. I really enjoyed her style of writing in simple but descriptive English. They (the stories) are short but really entertaining! She re-writes the tales, most of which are from Indian folklore. My favorite story was about a father who had a son that was mean and arrogant. The father's wife had died, so he remarried a kind-hearted woman who loved both the father and son dearly. Soon, the father passed, leaving a will that planned to teach the arrogant son a lesson. The will stated that the son would get all the money, plus the house, while the wife would only get a small cottage, with an outhouse. She would also be left a painting of the husband, who had told her previously to give the painting to the chief minister when the son turned 18 years old. She did so, and the minister found a letter from the husband, which was addressed to him within the painting. The letter said that ten of the bricks used to build the cottage were of pure gold. So the minister made the cruel son agree that not one part of the step-mother's property was his, and thus demolished the small cottage; emerging with ten golden bricks. He taught the son a lesson, and made the step-mother richer than the son ever was. So many stories, just like this one are found in this book. As per me, I'd say that this book is compulsory for everyone!
Alchemy is a word which makes you thinking about maybe Sir Issac Newton or maybe even Harry Potter (because of the Sorcerer's Stone). But anyways, something to do with a mad scientist trying to turn things into gold. Well, you're absolutely correct! Alchemy is exactly about those things! Ok, lets change the subject for a few seconds. In this book, a simple shepard travels around Andalusia shearing sheep and caring for his own. He meets a merchant's daughter, and instantly falls in love with her. It's been a year, and now he's getting ready to meet her and shear her father's sheep. But on his way, he meets a fortune teller, who tells him to go and find treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. He doesn't pay any heed to her words, but when a king tells him the same, he decides that its high time to start saving. He sells his sheep and buys a fare to Africa, where he is robbed of his whole fortune. He then spends a year finding and collecting money. When he finds a caravan of camels heading to Egypt, he believes that luck is on his side. Now, coming back to alchemy. It is on this caravan ride, where he meets the Alchemist. Remember that in the beginning, I said that you were correct about what alchemy was? Well, you were, its just that there is more to it. The Alchemist teaches the boy to listen to his heart, and to nature, like the sand and the wind; even to heaven! But most importantly he learned many values though his humbleness and different hardships. Paulo Coelho has really done it this time! This book is one of the most popular international best sellers!
I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time, and this summer, I have finally achieved my goal!
