I have so far read 3 out of 6 OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books) list. This is one I was looking forward to reading: Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson.
In 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford Theater. This caused the greatest calamity that the U.S. had seen since the Revolutionary War. There were crowds in the streets and man hunters in the wilderness, hunting for the man who caused it: actor John Wilkes Booth. Running from Washington, D.C. all the way through Maryland and into Virginia, Booth attempts to escape his hunters on a 12-day run to safety. Facts are gleaned beyond what the casual reader may have known and an entirely new experience for those who have delved deep into the assasination of our 15th president.
A beautifully written historical book, fit for everyone aged 10 and up. I was never very fond of non-fiction books, but this book was a blast! In fact, it could easily be turned into a riveting historical fiction. Is this 4-star book not enough for you? Then read Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, a more adult-oriented version of the book (also by James Swanson).
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Turkeys and a New Review
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Thanksgiving was busy. The day of the year when I eat the most. Anyway, this weekend scouting for food is finishing up. So I'll do that. Also, I have joined our school Oregon Battle of the Books team and I am reading 8 books i never knew existed beforehand. Here is the review for one of them: Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Perry:
In present-day rural Oregon, 11-year-old Ignatius “Brother” Alderman is forced to face the world when his divorced father is deployed to Iraq. Alone with only his grandparents and a hired hand, Brother must take charge of the ranch, keeping the promise he made to his father: the ranch will be the same way he left it when he returns. But as the months go on, Brother learns that he was not meant to be a rancher, and he wonders if his father will ever come home. With threats and disappointment surrounding him, Brother must step up and learn to be a man.
In all reality, when I first saw this book it didn’t appeal to me very much, with the title seemingly uninteresting and the cover just a snapshot of the main character. But, as soon as I picked up this book I could not put it down. This story is full of twists, turns, and may, in every aspect, be a true story. In her first novel, Rosanne Parry truly gave it her all. This heartwarming story gives us life lessons and is meant for everyone, whether they love to read or not.
In present-day rural Oregon, 11-year-old Ignatius “Brother” Alderman is forced to face the world when his divorced father is deployed to Iraq. Alone with only his grandparents and a hired hand, Brother must take charge of the ranch, keeping the promise he made to his father: the ranch will be the same way he left it when he returns. But as the months go on, Brother learns that he was not meant to be a rancher, and he wonders if his father will ever come home. With threats and disappointment surrounding him, Brother must step up and learn to be a man.
In all reality, when I first saw this book it didn’t appeal to me very much, with the title seemingly uninteresting and the cover just a snapshot of the main character. But, as soon as I picked up this book I could not put it down. This story is full of twists, turns, and may, in every aspect, be a true story. In her first novel, Rosanne Parry truly gave it her all. This heartwarming story gives us life lessons and is meant for everyone, whether they love to read or not.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Today is Halloween 2010! Halloween stands for different things depending on who you are. Kids: Annual Day of Walking Around in Coustumes, Staying Out Late, and Eating Candy. Most teenagers: Annual Day of Scaring People. Most adults: Annual Day of Wasting Money on Candy to Give to Strangers and The Eve of the Day where Most Kids go to the Dentist. I love Halloween.
This year no one knows what I am. I keep changing my costume. From Mummy to Igor (Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant) to Viking to Cow to Zookeeper to Safari Guide. What am I tonight? I have no idea yet. this is my first year not trick-or-treating (probabaly). Happy Halloween, everyone!
This year no one knows what I am. I keep changing my costume. From Mummy to Igor (Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant) to Viking to Cow to Zookeeper to Safari Guide. What am I tonight? I have no idea yet. this is my first year not trick-or-treating (probabaly). Happy Halloween, everyone!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
We've Been Booed!
Today we got our start in this year's "Booed" celebration! This is a neighborhood tradition: if you are "booed" by someone else you must first tape the invite to your door (so no one else will boo you), and then go to www.beenbooed.com and print out 2 cards. Leave them on your neighbor's doorsteps. Knock and run away so no one will see you! Never tell anyone who you booed. It's a secret. Be sure to leave treats with your cards! Get a start in your neighborhood. Go to the "Booed" website. Help put Oregon in first place for "Boos"! First place? California with 6,709 this month! Get started and be sure to "Boo" others by Halloween.
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Bird Has Landed
Today I was told to look at the mail and was surprised to see that there was an envelope adressed to me. It was labeled Chase Pixley: Eagle Scout. That's right, I hurtled the tallest hoop in boy scouts and became an official Eagle Scout! The envelope held my certific ate, my Eagle Scout identification card, and numerous papers concerning my enterance to the National Eagle Scout Association. My card was daated 11 days before my 14th birthday, so I reached my goal of becoming a 13-year-old Eagle!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Disney- The Happiest Place on Earth?
This time I have reviewed one of my all-time favorite books- Disney After Dark. ere are very few words that can describe this book.
Florida native Finn Whitman has the job of a lifetime: he is one of 5 DHIs, or Disney Host Interactive, for the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World! Every day his hologram walks through the Magic Kingdom, giving guests tours of the magnificent park. In return he was paid handsomely and given a gold pass for him and his family to get into Disneyworld free for a lifetime!
Not long after the hologram was created, though, he began to have odd visions about exploring Disneyworld at night. He dismissed it as just a dream until one night he meets an old Imagineer who tells him that all Disney characters are real and come alive when the gates are closed. The DHIs were created to protect the parks from these evil characters. What is the goal of these “Overtakers”? Enter the real world and take it over!
Finn must lead his newfound team into battle. Can he stop his fellow Kingdom Keepers from fighting? Can he defeat the evil Overtakers? Can he stand the stress and secrets of being a Keeper? And most importantly, can he solve a riddle left behind by Walt Disney himself?
One of my all-time favorite books, Disney after Dark is a teenage thriller with mystery, mayhem, and classic teenage troubles (with a touch of Disney Magic of course). Even if you are slightly a nut for Disney, you will love this book. Author Ridley Pearson, co-author of the Peter and the Starcatchers series, makes yet another 5-star debut. After reading this book, look for its sequel, Disney at Dawn.
Florida native Finn Whitman has the job of a lifetime: he is one of 5 DHIs, or Disney Host Interactive, for the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World! Every day his hologram walks through the Magic Kingdom, giving guests tours of the magnificent park. In return he was paid handsomely and given a gold pass for him and his family to get into Disneyworld free for a lifetime!
Not long after the hologram was created, though, he began to have odd visions about exploring Disneyworld at night. He dismissed it as just a dream until one night he meets an old Imagineer who tells him that all Disney characters are real and come alive when the gates are closed. The DHIs were created to protect the parks from these evil characters. What is the goal of these “Overtakers”? Enter the real world and take it over!
Finn must lead his newfound team into battle. Can he stop his fellow Kingdom Keepers from fighting? Can he defeat the evil Overtakers? Can he stand the stress and secrets of being a Keeper? And most importantly, can he solve a riddle left behind by Walt Disney himself?
One of my all-time favorite books, Disney after Dark is a teenage thriller with mystery, mayhem, and classic teenage troubles (with a touch of Disney Magic of course). Even if you are slightly a nut for Disney, you will love this book. Author Ridley Pearson, co-author of the Peter and the Starcatchers series, makes yet another 5-star debut. After reading this book, look for its sequel, Disney at Dawn.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Welcome to Eelong
Welcome to Eelong, the 5th terrotory of Halla! Here you find tall rainforests, tree-cities, and intelligent cats. Serving as the setting of the book Black Water by DJ MacHale, you can follow Bobby Pendragon everywhere on this great territiry on his quest. Here is a review of the book:
When Bobby Pendragon gets a message from his fellow traveler Gunny, he blasts through time and space to Eelong, a jungle territory that is ruled by giant cats called “klees”. When the food stores begin to run low and disease spreads through the crops Bobby must fins a way to stop the repealing of edict 23: the law that prohibits eating people.
Meanwhile, on 2nd Earth, Bobby’s friends Mark and Courtney find a contaminated klee at the entrance to the flume. Sampling the poison, they take it to the territory of Cloral. There Mark and Courtney learn that it is the same plague as the one that swept Cloral in book 2 (The Lost City of Farr). Should the two mix territories by bringing the antidote to Eelong, breaking the rule of mixing territories? Or should they leave it alone and give St. Dane a second victory?
With 5 stars, the 5th book in the Pendragon series begins with a shock, follows with page-turning thrills and ends with a bang. More impossible to put don than its predecessors, Black Water is a good book for everyone to read. Have a great time reading this book!
When Bobby Pendragon gets a message from his fellow traveler Gunny, he blasts through time and space to Eelong, a jungle territory that is ruled by giant cats called “klees”. When the food stores begin to run low and disease spreads through the crops Bobby must fins a way to stop the repealing of edict 23: the law that prohibits eating people.
Meanwhile, on 2nd Earth, Bobby’s friends Mark and Courtney find a contaminated klee at the entrance to the flume. Sampling the poison, they take it to the territory of Cloral. There Mark and Courtney learn that it is the same plague as the one that swept Cloral in book 2 (The Lost City of Farr). Should the two mix territories by bringing the antidote to Eelong, breaking the rule of mixing territories? Or should they leave it alone and give St. Dane a second victory?
With 5 stars, the 5th book in the Pendragon series begins with a shock, follows with page-turning thrills and ends with a bang. More impossible to put don than its predecessors, Black Water is a good book for everyone to read. Have a great time reading this book!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Look, Up In The Sky!
Most superhero books are from the hero's perspective. They tell about how evil the villain is and how the great hero stopped it. This book is different. It gives a book from the villain's perspective. Here is the review.
Before “the stars fell” in the city of Bouring, Kyle Camden was the most popular kid in school. He pranked everyone in every way imaginable. Then in came “Mighty Mike”, an alien superhero who took his place.
When Kyle is bathed in the same plasmas as Mike was created by, he decides to get rid of the annoying superhero. Using a bunch of home-made gadgets, will Kyle be able to show the world what Mike really is?
Coming out in October 2010, this book gives the story from the villain’s point of view. He is just a normal kid trying to get even, not some evil maniac who wants to destroy the town. Have a blast reading this book!
Before “the stars fell” in the city of Bouring, Kyle Camden was the most popular kid in school. He pranked everyone in every way imaginable. Then in came “Mighty Mike”, an alien superhero who took his place.
When Kyle is bathed in the same plasmas as Mike was created by, he decides to get rid of the annoying superhero. Using a bunch of home-made gadgets, will Kyle be able to show the world what Mike really is?
Coming out in October 2010, this book gives the story from the villain’s point of view. He is just a normal kid trying to get even, not some evil maniac who wants to destroy the town. Have a blast reading this book!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
BOO!
Are there unexplained noises in your house? Have treasures gone missing? Are ghosts haunting you? If you answered yes to any of these you should e-mail Allanah Malarra, ghost hunter extrordinare! She is the heroine of the new fantasy/sci-fi book "Ghoul Strike" by Andrew Newbound.
3 years ago Alannah Malarra’s parents disappeared on a business trip. No one has seen them since then. But they weren’t on a normal business trip. They were psychic ghost hunters.
Today Alannah is hunting ghosts by night and taking their treasure to fund the search for her parents. Along with her cat burglar friend Wortley Flint, she has banished many a ghost in Britain.
Flhi Swift was never a favorite on the ANGEL (Attack ready Network of Global Evanescent Law-enforcers) police squadron. But when she is nearly fired she is given one last chance: check on an emergency alarm in Britain, home of the locked Door of Souls, prison of ghouls, gargoyles, and the most powerful fugitive known to ANGEL.
When the duo of Alannah and Wortly go to a call at the sight of the door they meet Flhi, who, along with Alannah, is almost killed by the fugitive. Human and ANGEL must work together to save both their dimensions from this cosmic threat.
This work of art is given 4 out of 5 stars. Once you pick up the book it’s almost impossible to put it down. The book is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy with a twist of mystery. Explore the 3 dimensions with the unlikely heroes when this book comes out in October 2010!
3 years ago Alannah Malarra’s parents disappeared on a business trip. No one has seen them since then. But they weren’t on a normal business trip. They were psychic ghost hunters.
Today Alannah is hunting ghosts by night and taking their treasure to fund the search for her parents. Along with her cat burglar friend Wortley Flint, she has banished many a ghost in Britain.
Flhi Swift was never a favorite on the ANGEL (Attack ready Network of Global Evanescent Law-enforcers) police squadron. But when she is nearly fired she is given one last chance: check on an emergency alarm in Britain, home of the locked Door of Souls, prison of ghouls, gargoyles, and the most powerful fugitive known to ANGEL.
When the duo of Alannah and Wortly go to a call at the sight of the door they meet Flhi, who, along with Alannah, is almost killed by the fugitive. Human and ANGEL must work together to save both their dimensions from this cosmic threat.
This work of art is given 4 out of 5 stars. Once you pick up the book it’s almost impossible to put it down. The book is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy with a twist of mystery. Explore the 3 dimensions with the unlikely heroes when this book comes out in October 2010!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Virtual Reallity
This time around the review is none other than Pendragon 4: The Reality Bug. Read this book and enter into a virtual world with the bounds of only your imagination.
Bobby Pendragon still dreams of his normal life in Stony Brook, Connecticut. He was once the most popular boy in the school. He was a star jock with a girlfriend, a dog, and better friends than anyone can ask for.
And now it’s all gone.
Bobby has spent the last year traveling through space and time to protect the world. He has lost and gained friends and enemies. He is seeing the truth about the universe.
This time Bobby is saving the territory of Veelox. Once there he learns that the town is being abandoned for a virtual reality called “Lifelight”. Here all your dreams are put into a fantasy world that you control. To save Veelox, Bobby must go into Lifelight’s virtual reality and shut it down. Can Bobby save Veelox? Or will the chance to return to his family prove too much for him?
Book 4 in the Pendragon series, Bobby travels to believable and yet unbelievable realms in the imagination. Holding 5 stars, The Reality Bug is a book for anyone ages 10-16. Read on.
Bobby Pendragon still dreams of his normal life in Stony Brook, Connecticut. He was once the most popular boy in the school. He was a star jock with a girlfriend, a dog, and better friends than anyone can ask for.
And now it’s all gone.
Bobby has spent the last year traveling through space and time to protect the world. He has lost and gained friends and enemies. He is seeing the truth about the universe.
This time Bobby is saving the territory of Veelox. Once there he learns that the town is being abandoned for a virtual reality called “Lifelight”. Here all your dreams are put into a fantasy world that you control. To save Veelox, Bobby must go into Lifelight’s virtual reality and shut it down. Can Bobby save Veelox? Or will the chance to return to his family prove too much for him?
Book 4 in the Pendragon series, Bobby travels to believable and yet unbelievable realms in the imagination. Holding 5 stars, The Reality Bug is a book for anyone ages 10-16. Read on.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Who Are You?
"Who are you when you're alone? When When no one is watching? What's left then?" That is a question Katy, aka "Kid" must answer in her futuristic high school.
Unidentified
By: Rae Mariz
In the future the government will lose all funding for education. Schools will be forced to turn to corporations for funding. Technology will begin to replace teachers.
At least, that is history to Kid. She is a normal student in the Game: a mall-turned-school with invention beyond your very belief. Her school has it all: an amusement park, a studio, a movie theater (where they play only documentaries), an arcade, a mechanics shop, and a Sweat Shop. The most talented are chosen to promote products. School is normal.
That is, until a dummy falls into the center of the Game with a note saying “UNIDENTIFIED, CHOOSE YOUR SUICIDE”. When most people shrugs it off as a bad advertisement, Kid researches more and finds out that the Unidentified is a group of people against the corporate sponsors and the Game itself. When Kid learns that the Unidentified are sending out a computer virus into the Game she tries to prevent it. But the question is “How?”
Coming out in October, this book gives a taste of high school drama as well as everything students wish school was. With 5-stars, this book is for teens everywhere.
Unidentified
By: Rae Mariz
In the future the government will lose all funding for education. Schools will be forced to turn to corporations for funding. Technology will begin to replace teachers.
At least, that is history to Kid. She is a normal student in the Game: a mall-turned-school with invention beyond your very belief. Her school has it all: an amusement park, a studio, a movie theater (where they play only documentaries), an arcade, a mechanics shop, and a Sweat Shop. The most talented are chosen to promote products. School is normal.
That is, until a dummy falls into the center of the Game with a note saying “UNIDENTIFIED, CHOOSE YOUR SUICIDE”. When most people shrugs it off as a bad advertisement, Kid researches more and finds out that the Unidentified is a group of people against the corporate sponsors and the Game itself. When Kid learns that the Unidentified are sending out a computer virus into the Game she tries to prevent it. But the question is “How?”
Coming out in October, this book gives a taste of high school drama as well as everything students wish school was. With 5-stars, this book is for teens everywhere.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A Voyage Fit for a King
Almost everyone loves the Narnia series. It has become increasingly popular since the movie "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" came out in 2005. Now, this December, a movie of this very book is coming out. Read it before the movie comes out.
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
By: C.S. Lewis
A Review by: Chase Pixley
Narnia: a land of talking animals, magic spells, and an enchanting atmosphere almost everywhere.
It had been a long time since any of the four Pevensie children had set foot in Narnia. On their last visit they helped Prince Caspian gain the land’s throne. After that grand adventure the two elder children learned that they will never again enter this magical realm.
Now the younger two, along with their snobby cousin Eustace, will have to save this magical land once more. Stepping through a magic picture frame onto Caspian’s ship, the Dawn Treader, the three must help the boy king find the 7 lords exiled by his evil Uncle Miraz. Sailing east they battle magical curses, dishonest legislators, and deception. Can they get Eustace to believe in Narnia? Can they reach Aslan’s country at the end of the world? And how will the three ever get home?
The 5th book in a classic series, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is fun for everyone who reads it. This Tolkien-like story is full of action, adventure, and mystery. This is another 5-star book. Watch for the movie in December!
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
By: C.S. Lewis
A Review by: Chase Pixley
Narnia: a land of talking animals, magic spells, and an enchanting atmosphere almost everywhere.
It had been a long time since any of the four Pevensie children had set foot in Narnia. On their last visit they helped Prince Caspian gain the land’s throne. After that grand adventure the two elder children learned that they will never again enter this magical realm.
Now the younger two, along with their snobby cousin Eustace, will have to save this magical land once more. Stepping through a magic picture frame onto Caspian’s ship, the Dawn Treader, the three must help the boy king find the 7 lords exiled by his evil Uncle Miraz. Sailing east they battle magical curses, dishonest legislators, and deception. Can they get Eustace to believe in Narnia? Can they reach Aslan’s country at the end of the world? And how will the three ever get home?
The 5th book in a classic series, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is fun for everyone who reads it. This Tolkien-like story is full of action, adventure, and mystery. This is another 5-star book. Watch for the movie in December!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
This Book Bites
My newest book reviewis here! This one is about a vampirific boy who has to stand the challenges of being a vampire and life as being a middle schooler.
The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd:
Eighth Grade Bites
By: Heather Brewer
A Review By: Chase Pixley
Vladimir Todd was never like other kids. He has always been sickeningly pale, his parents died in a mysterious fire that only affected their room, he can’t stand sunlight... and he has an incredible lust for blood. Vlad is a vampire.
During his 8th grade year Vlad’s favorite teacher disappears without a trace. The substitute, Mr. Otis Otis, seems different... too much for Vlad’s taste. When Mr. Otis learns Vlad’s secret, the bloodsucker is plunged into a world of confusion, deception, betrayal, treachery, and danger. While defending himself and those close to him from a vampire society known as Elysia, Vlad must use his abilities and two books from his father to stop them and find out the truth about vampires.
This book was great. I have never read a vampire novel like this before. Even though Vlad is not normal he mostly lives the life of one. He has friends, enemies, and crushes that make Middle School confusing. Everyone who I’ve asked about this book who has read it agreed that it’s awesome. Anyone would love this 5-star book. Take the next step and sink your teeth into it.
The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd:
Eighth Grade Bites
By: Heather Brewer
A Review By: Chase Pixley
Vladimir Todd was never like other kids. He has always been sickeningly pale, his parents died in a mysterious fire that only affected their room, he can’t stand sunlight... and he has an incredible lust for blood. Vlad is a vampire.
During his 8th grade year Vlad’s favorite teacher disappears without a trace. The substitute, Mr. Otis Otis, seems different... too much for Vlad’s taste. When Mr. Otis learns Vlad’s secret, the bloodsucker is plunged into a world of confusion, deception, betrayal, treachery, and danger. While defending himself and those close to him from a vampire society known as Elysia, Vlad must use his abilities and two books from his father to stop them and find out the truth about vampires.
This book was great. I have never read a vampire novel like this before. Even though Vlad is not normal he mostly lives the life of one. He has friends, enemies, and crushes that make Middle School confusing. Everyone who I’ve asked about this book who has read it agreed that it’s awesome. Anyone would love this 5-star book. Take the next step and sink your teeth into it.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Poetic License
Not only do I like to write book reviews, but I also LOVE to write poems. Most of mine have a message: be yourself. Here is one of my first and best.
Me As A Tree. Likewise, A Tree as Me.
By: Chase Pixley
Some days I look at a tree
And think "What if it were me?"
It would not know what to do,
Nor how to talk, walk, or chew.
It would surely die you see,
For a tree could not be me.
Likewise, if I were a tree,
It would be an odd life for me.
I would photosynthesize,
And serve as a home to that who flies.
I would flaunt my branches through the air,
As my leaves russle like hair,
No, I would not like to be a tree.
And a tree, I see, would not like to be me.
Me As A Tree. Likewise, A Tree as Me.
By: Chase Pixley
Some days I look at a tree
And think "What if it were me?"
It would not know what to do,
Nor how to talk, walk, or chew.
It would surely die you see,
For a tree could not be me.
Likewise, if I were a tree,
It would be an odd life for me.
I would photosynthesize,
And serve as a home to that who flies.
I would flaunt my branches through the air,
As my leaves russle like hair,
No, I would not like to be a tree.
And a tree, I see, would not like to be me.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Return To Halla
That's right, another Pendragon Review! I'll keep the reviews of my personal #1 series coming! There's something different about this book, though. Here's a clue: check your history books!
Pendragon: The Never War
By: DJ MacHale
Review By: Chase Pixley
Cloral was a sad win for Bobby Pendragon. After saving Cloral his uncle Press died from bullets coming through the flume. After his funeral Bobby and Traveler from Cloral Vo Spader follow Saint Dane to Veelox, where local Traveler Aja Killian tells them that Saint Dane is on First Earth.
Jumping into the flume they appear in... a familiar subway tunnel. Welcome to First Earth, A.K.A 1937. There they meet Vincent “Gunny” Van Dike, called so because he couldn’t bring himself to fire a gun during his time in World War I. He is also the Traveler from First Earth. New York City in 1937 was an exciting place, full of toothpaste powder, The Great depression, post World War II... and the doomed Hindenburg zeppelin.
Bobby and friends quickly find that the Hindenburg’s crash is First Earth’s turning point. Dodging gangsters, rivalries and Saint Dane himself, they try to stop the famous crash. Bobby has stopped wars and decimated plagues, so how hard could stopping a simple zeppelin crash shouldn’t be too hard... should it?
Being book 3 in this unmatched series is a true honor, as is getting to read it. This is not the NYC you now. This story is full of mysteries in a familiar setting with yet more confusion than the first two books. With a gripping yet semi-historic storyline, this book almost turns the pages by itself. With 6 stars this book says "Read on"!
Pendragon: The Never War
By: DJ MacHale
Review By: Chase Pixley
Cloral was a sad win for Bobby Pendragon. After saving Cloral his uncle Press died from bullets coming through the flume. After his funeral Bobby and Traveler from Cloral Vo Spader follow Saint Dane to Veelox, where local Traveler Aja Killian tells them that Saint Dane is on First Earth.
Jumping into the flume they appear in... a familiar subway tunnel. Welcome to First Earth, A.K.A 1937. There they meet Vincent “Gunny” Van Dike, called so because he couldn’t bring himself to fire a gun during his time in World War I. He is also the Traveler from First Earth. New York City in 1937 was an exciting place, full of toothpaste powder, The Great depression, post World War II... and the doomed Hindenburg zeppelin.
Bobby and friends quickly find that the Hindenburg’s crash is First Earth’s turning point. Dodging gangsters, rivalries and Saint Dane himself, they try to stop the famous crash. Bobby has stopped wars and decimated plagues, so how hard could stopping a simple zeppelin crash shouldn’t be too hard... should it?
Being book 3 in this unmatched series is a true honor, as is getting to read it. This is not the NYC you now. This story is full of mysteries in a familiar setting with yet more confusion than the first two books. With a gripping yet semi-historic storyline, this book almost turns the pages by itself. With 6 stars this book says "Read on"!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A Bitter Enemy
I read this book for two reasons: because I loved the rest of the series and I am doing a school report on it. Arch Enemy is a great book, as is my review...
Arch Enemy
By: Frank Beddor
A Review by: Chase Pixley
All imagination is gone from Wonderland thanks to King Arch of Borderland’s Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation, or WILMA. Queen Alyss Heart is barely holding on to the throne of Wonderland while one of Wonderland’s four founding families, the Clubs, are believed to be responsible for the disappearance of imaginationists throughout the kingdom.
Milliners Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly, on top of Talon Point grieving for the loss of Weaver, Hatter’s wife and Molly’s mother. As father and daughter returned to civilization the blue caterpillar oracle gave a prophecy to Molly: you. At the same time, while spying on an anti-imagination meeting she and guardsman Dodge Anders are captured and trapped in “limbo coops”, or tiny holding pens for imaginationists. Meanwhile, Redd Heart and her top mercenaries were turned on by Arch and became fugitives from Borderland’s king.
Can these groups put aside their former hate and work together to reclaim Wonderland? How does Alyss truly feel about Dodge? And, most importantly, who is the fabled “Everqueen”?
The final book in the trilogy, it deserves a place on the shelf of Classics right there next to the original “Alice in Wonderland”. There is never a stop in the twisting mysteries, the stunning betrayals, or the breakneck pace. This is the perfect ending to the trilogy. Though this story is great, you may want to begin with the heart-stopping book “The Looking Glass Wars” also by Frank Beddor.
Arch Enemy
By: Frank Beddor
A Review by: Chase Pixley
All imagination is gone from Wonderland thanks to King Arch of Borderland’s Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation, or WILMA. Queen Alyss Heart is barely holding on to the throne of Wonderland while one of Wonderland’s four founding families, the Clubs, are believed to be responsible for the disappearance of imaginationists throughout the kingdom.
Milliners Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly, on top of Talon Point grieving for the loss of Weaver, Hatter’s wife and Molly’s mother. As father and daughter returned to civilization the blue caterpillar oracle gave a prophecy to Molly: you. At the same time, while spying on an anti-imagination meeting she and guardsman Dodge Anders are captured and trapped in “limbo coops”, or tiny holding pens for imaginationists. Meanwhile, Redd Heart and her top mercenaries were turned on by Arch and became fugitives from Borderland’s king.
Can these groups put aside their former hate and work together to reclaim Wonderland? How does Alyss truly feel about Dodge? And, most importantly, who is the fabled “Everqueen”?
The final book in the trilogy, it deserves a place on the shelf of Classics right there next to the original “Alice in Wonderland”. There is never a stop in the twisting mysteries, the stunning betrayals, or the breakneck pace. This is the perfect ending to the trilogy. Though this story is great, you may want to begin with the heart-stopping book “The Looking Glass Wars” also by Frank Beddor.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Below The Surface
Three things on today's post: first, on Monday, April 19th My Pendragon Review appeared on the bookshop blog! Second: on Monday, May 10th my first ARC review (Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror) will appear on the bookshop blog. Third: one of my newest ARCs, Dark Life by Kat Falls, brought me under the sea! Read for yourself...
Dark Life
By: Kat Falls
A Review By: Chase Pixley
In hundreds of years a semi Armageddon will come when the seas rise and cover most of the land and making entire countries collapse into the ocean. People will be forced to live in one of two places: on cramped stack cities on the little land that has not been flooded... or subsea in Bethnic Territory, a place created by scientists as a solution to the stack cities.
Ty was the first kid born in Bethnic Territory and has spent all his life either in or on the water. One day, while visiting Coldsleep Canyon (an underwater canyon that held most of the US’s eastern coast) he meets Gemma, the younger sister of a prospector who went missing. As Ty tries to teach the “topsider” about life subsea the commonwealth government decides that they had enough with the terrible “Seablight Gang”, a robber gang that attacks government ships. They decide to send Bethnic Territory on the search to flush out the gang. The Commonwealth won’t send any more supplies to the trade station, they are reassigning their only doctor to mainland, and all rising homesteads will be seized. Only after the outlaws are caught will the government “consider the benefits of helping Bethnic Territory flourish. It seems helpless to the Bethnic people to capture the gang and their phantom-like leader Shade, a heavily-muscled albino with no sense of mercy. Can Bethnic Territory be saved?
This is one of many five-star books on my book shelf. It spins a tale of love, danger, and deception. Dark Life has a surprise around every turn, a new danger in every chapter, and enough secrets to blow your mind. This is one story that you truly must not judge by its cover. Recommendations? Kids who are fond of action. Read it in May 2010.
Dark Life
By: Kat Falls
A Review By: Chase Pixley
In hundreds of years a semi Armageddon will come when the seas rise and cover most of the land and making entire countries collapse into the ocean. People will be forced to live in one of two places: on cramped stack cities on the little land that has not been flooded... or subsea in Bethnic Territory, a place created by scientists as a solution to the stack cities.
Ty was the first kid born in Bethnic Territory and has spent all his life either in or on the water. One day, while visiting Coldsleep Canyon (an underwater canyon that held most of the US’s eastern coast) he meets Gemma, the younger sister of a prospector who went missing. As Ty tries to teach the “topsider” about life subsea the commonwealth government decides that they had enough with the terrible “Seablight Gang”, a robber gang that attacks government ships. They decide to send Bethnic Territory on the search to flush out the gang. The Commonwealth won’t send any more supplies to the trade station, they are reassigning their only doctor to mainland, and all rising homesteads will be seized. Only after the outlaws are caught will the government “consider the benefits of helping Bethnic Territory flourish. It seems helpless to the Bethnic people to capture the gang and their phantom-like leader Shade, a heavily-muscled albino with no sense of mercy. Can Bethnic Territory be saved?
This is one of many five-star books on my book shelf. It spins a tale of love, danger, and deception. Dark Life has a surprise around every turn, a new danger in every chapter, and enough secrets to blow your mind. This is one story that you truly must not judge by its cover. Recommendations? Kids who are fond of action. Read it in May 2010.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I'm Lycan This Book!
Yes, I used the right version of the word lycan. My second ARC, called "Wolven" is about a werewolf-like dog! It comes out in June...
Wolven
By: Di Toft
A Review By: Chase Pixley
The minute Nat Carver saw the dog, he knew that Woody was… different than other dogs. For one, the scraggly pooch telepathically shows Nat a picture of Woody drowned, convincing Nat that he had to save the dog. More suspicions are raised when Nat’s family finds the word “Proteus” (a shape-changing Greek god) tattooed on the back of the dog’s neck. Nat is even more surprised when, one night, Woody turns into a human boy! According to Woody, he is not a werewolf, but a “Wolven”, a half-human and half-wolf creature with stunning telepathic capabilities.
When Woody begins to act human while in wolf form he attracts unwanted attention, and soon a government agency is trying to get a hold of Woody to experiment. Can Nat keep his best friend’s powers a secret while keeping him out of trouble?
This four-star story tells of how a normal boy would react to this kind of situation. This is unlike some books when the hero is literally born for the job or given tools, courage, or a first-time explanation to aid them. Nat begins from scratch with almost zero help. Almost anyone can relate to Nat. He hurtles both the challenges set by his curious canine and normal, every day things such as bullies, secrets, and family problems.
This book is perfect for everyone who likes the supernatural, mysterious situations and a good werewolf story. Find it on shelves in June!
Wolven
By: Di Toft
A Review By: Chase Pixley
The minute Nat Carver saw the dog, he knew that Woody was… different than other dogs. For one, the scraggly pooch telepathically shows Nat a picture of Woody drowned, convincing Nat that he had to save the dog. More suspicions are raised when Nat’s family finds the word “Proteus” (a shape-changing Greek god) tattooed on the back of the dog’s neck. Nat is even more surprised when, one night, Woody turns into a human boy! According to Woody, he is not a werewolf, but a “Wolven”, a half-human and half-wolf creature with stunning telepathic capabilities.
When Woody begins to act human while in wolf form he attracts unwanted attention, and soon a government agency is trying to get a hold of Woody to experiment. Can Nat keep his best friend’s powers a secret while keeping him out of trouble?
This four-star story tells of how a normal boy would react to this kind of situation. This is unlike some books when the hero is literally born for the job or given tools, courage, or a first-time explanation to aid them. Nat begins from scratch with almost zero help. Almost anyone can relate to Nat. He hurtles both the challenges set by his curious canine and normal, every day things such as bullies, secrets, and family problems.
This book is perfect for everyone who likes the supernatural, mysterious situations and a good werewolf story. Find it on shelves in June!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Pendragon 2: The Lost City of Farr
This is the sequel to The Merchant of Death. Check it out!
Pendragon: The Lost City of Farr
By: DJ MacHale
A Book Review By: Chase Pixley
Prepare for another surprising and dramatic journey through Halla with Bobby Pendragon!
The second book in the series tells about what happens after Bobby’s win over Saint Dane on the territory of Denduron. “Malos” (AKA Saint Dane) escaped to a territory called Cloral. This oceanic territory has no land and is the home of Vo Spader, an Aquaneer (think life guard/police officer) and traveler. There is only one problem though: Spader doesn’t know who he really is. A mysterious plague is sickening the territory’s crops and pirate-like raiders keep attacking the floating “habitats” (like a city on a barge). When Bobby and Spader are separated from Press the “Lead Traveler” must teach Spader his destiny and find the mythical island of Farr before it’s too late.
This book 100% deserves 5 out of 5 stars. This tale is truly a piece of work. This page turner has an ominous storyline that makes it impossible to put down. Never underestimate this book’s thrills and chills.
-Chase
Pendragon: The Lost City of Farr
By: DJ MacHale
A Book Review By: Chase Pixley
Prepare for another surprising and dramatic journey through Halla with Bobby Pendragon!
The second book in the series tells about what happens after Bobby’s win over Saint Dane on the territory of Denduron. “Malos” (AKA Saint Dane) escaped to a territory called Cloral. This oceanic territory has no land and is the home of Vo Spader, an Aquaneer (think life guard/police officer) and traveler. There is only one problem though: Spader doesn’t know who he really is. A mysterious plague is sickening the territory’s crops and pirate-like raiders keep attacking the floating “habitats” (like a city on a barge). When Bobby and Spader are separated from Press the “Lead Traveler” must teach Spader his destiny and find the mythical island of Farr before it’s too late.
This book 100% deserves 5 out of 5 stars. This tale is truly a piece of work. This page turner has an ominous storyline that makes it impossible to put down. Never underestimate this book’s thrills and chills.
-Chase
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Book Shop Blog
Hello, friends!
Today I checked the Bookshop Blog for the St. Helens Book Shop and my review of Wendy Mass's Jeremy Fink and the meaning of life is on the front page! Check it out at http://www.sthelensbookshop.com/blog!
-Chase
Today I checked the Bookshop Blog for the St. Helens Book Shop and my review of Wendy Mass's Jeremy Fink and the meaning of life is on the front page! Check it out at http://www.sthelensbookshop.com/blog!
-Chase
Sunday, March 28, 2010
An ARC Report
As part of the St. Helens book shop team I can read (and if I like it, review) books before they come out in stores. This is a report on my first ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror.
Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror
By: Jennifer Finney Boylan
A Book Report By: Chase Pixley
Falcon Quinn always knew that he was different than other kids. Falcon’s father fell through the ice on Carrabec Pond while his mother didn’t want him. He seemed to belong nowhere at his middle school in Cold River, Maine and had two different colored eyes - one blue and one black.
It is the first day of spring during Falcon’s 7th grade year. After a close call on Carrabec Pond his normal morning bus, number 13, misses every stop besides it’s first (Falcon’s house) and brings Falcon and his neighbors Megan Crofton and Max Parsons to a place called Shadow Island. An island in the Bermuda Triangle, Shadow Island houses the Academy for Monsters, a place where young monsters learn to imitate humans. As the other students begin turning into monsters Falcon stays the same. He knows that he is different, but is Falcon Quinn really a monster?
A 5-star book, this story raises a question: is it better to pretend to be someone else to stay alive or accept who you really are, even if you are a literal monster? This heart wrenching story about a seemingly normal boy is truly a work of art. Look for it on book shelves starting May 11, 2010.
Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror
By: Jennifer Finney Boylan
A Book Report By: Chase Pixley
Falcon Quinn always knew that he was different than other kids. Falcon’s father fell through the ice on Carrabec Pond while his mother didn’t want him. He seemed to belong nowhere at his middle school in Cold River, Maine and had two different colored eyes - one blue and one black.
It is the first day of spring during Falcon’s 7th grade year. After a close call on Carrabec Pond his normal morning bus, number 13, misses every stop besides it’s first (Falcon’s house) and brings Falcon and his neighbors Megan Crofton and Max Parsons to a place called Shadow Island. An island in the Bermuda Triangle, Shadow Island houses the Academy for Monsters, a place where young monsters learn to imitate humans. As the other students begin turning into monsters Falcon stays the same. He knows that he is different, but is Falcon Quinn really a monster?
A 5-star book, this story raises a question: is it better to pretend to be someone else to stay alive or accept who you really are, even if you are a literal monster? This heart wrenching story about a seemingly normal boy is truly a work of art. Look for it on book shelves starting May 11, 2010.
Job 2
This is my second report about one of my personal favorites. I hope you like it!
Pendragon: The Merchant of Death
By: DJ Machale
A Book Report By: Chase Pixley
Bobby Pendragon has the life that every 14-year-old boy could want. He is the star of his middle school basketball team, has an awesome dog, is the popular guy in school, and he has the world’s coolest uncle! Press is Bobby’s mom’s brother and every once and a while appears out of the blue and does something awesome. Press has taken Bobby snorkeling, skydiving, has turned Bobby’s house into a laser tag maze, and even brought ponies for a mini-rodeo! Press is the most fun-loving guy Bobby has ever met.
On the night of the middle school’s biggest basketball game of the season Press appears out of nowhere and takes Bobby to a place called Denduron, a medieval world of peasants and castles. But the seemingly peaceful world is not all that it seems. Denduron is on the brink of a disastrous revolution. A man named Saint Dane is attacking Denduron from the inside out. When Press is kidnapped by a band of knights Bobby must, with the help of two women named Osa and Loor, try to save Denduron and Press while coping to accept his mysterious destiny.
Meanwhile, on Earth, all traces that the Pendragons ever existed, except for memories, have disappeared. There are no school records, no bills… and their house has disappeared. Bobby’s best friend Mark Dimond and girlfriend Courtney Chewentyde read Bobby’s stories and can only hope their friend is okay. Will Bobby live through this adventure?
This 5 star book has all the aspects of a true adventure stories as well as the sense of a thriller. You could replace Bobby with anyone and they would have similarities, whether you’re popular, a jock, or smart, you’re like Bobby. Do not judge this book by its cover. Read on.
Pendragon: The Merchant of Death
By: DJ Machale
A Book Report By: Chase Pixley
Bobby Pendragon has the life that every 14-year-old boy could want. He is the star of his middle school basketball team, has an awesome dog, is the popular guy in school, and he has the world’s coolest uncle! Press is Bobby’s mom’s brother and every once and a while appears out of the blue and does something awesome. Press has taken Bobby snorkeling, skydiving, has turned Bobby’s house into a laser tag maze, and even brought ponies for a mini-rodeo! Press is the most fun-loving guy Bobby has ever met.
On the night of the middle school’s biggest basketball game of the season Press appears out of nowhere and takes Bobby to a place called Denduron, a medieval world of peasants and castles. But the seemingly peaceful world is not all that it seems. Denduron is on the brink of a disastrous revolution. A man named Saint Dane is attacking Denduron from the inside out. When Press is kidnapped by a band of knights Bobby must, with the help of two women named Osa and Loor, try to save Denduron and Press while coping to accept his mysterious destiny.
Meanwhile, on Earth, all traces that the Pendragons ever existed, except for memories, have disappeared. There are no school records, no bills… and their house has disappeared. Bobby’s best friend Mark Dimond and girlfriend Courtney Chewentyde read Bobby’s stories and can only hope their friend is okay. Will Bobby live through this adventure?
This 5 star book has all the aspects of a true adventure stories as well as the sense of a thriller. You could replace Bobby with anyone and they would have similarities, whether you’re popular, a jock, or smart, you’re like Bobby. Do not judge this book by its cover. Read on.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
My First Review
All right! I got a job writing teen book reviews! I finally finished my first... here goes.
One day in Atlantic City, a fortune teller told Jack Fink that he would die when he turned 40. His son Jeremy barely knew his father when Jack left the world, leaving his 8-year-old son and wife.
Since then Jeremy went on with his life until one month before his thirteenth birthday, when a mysterious wooden box came in the mail. There are four keyholes in the box, yet no keys came with it. Etched into the box it says “THE MEANING OF LIFE: FOR JEREMY FINK TO OPEN ON HIS 13TH BIRTHDAY.” The box was from his father, five years deceased.
This leads Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy on a whirlwind trip around Manhattan to find the four missing keys. As his birthday nears Jeremy begins to wonder if he will ever find the keys and learn the meaning of life.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a beautifully written realistic fiction story about the adventures of two normal teenagers. Just about anyone could relate to Jeremy or Lizzy. This page-turner can barely be put down as you help Jeremy and Lizzy find the meaning of life.
One day in Atlantic City, a fortune teller told Jack Fink that he would die when he turned 40. His son Jeremy barely knew his father when Jack left the world, leaving his 8-year-old son and wife.
Since then Jeremy went on with his life until one month before his thirteenth birthday, when a mysterious wooden box came in the mail. There are four keyholes in the box, yet no keys came with it. Etched into the box it says “THE MEANING OF LIFE: FOR JEREMY FINK TO OPEN ON HIS 13TH BIRTHDAY.” The box was from his father, five years deceased.
This leads Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy on a whirlwind trip around Manhattan to find the four missing keys. As his birthday nears Jeremy begins to wonder if he will ever find the keys and learn the meaning of life.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a beautifully written realistic fiction story about the adventures of two normal teenagers. Just about anyone could relate to Jeremy or Lizzy. This page-turner can barely be put down as you help Jeremy and Lizzy find the meaning of life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)