Read-a-thon Post 13

Time: 25 minutes
Pages: 1,123
Reading: Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson

Read-a-thon Post 12

Time: 40 minutes
Pages: 1,119
Reading: Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson

The Good Dog (book review)

The Good Dog, by Avi, is the story of a handsome malamute named McKinley. The leader of a pack of local dogs, McKinley has always taken his life for granted--protect the humans, protect the pack. Until a mysterious she-wolf named Lupin shows up, promising freedom to any dogs who wish to join her suffering wolf pack. At first, McKinley feels threatened by Lupin--who does she think she is, anyway? But eventually he realizes that the humans are even more upset by the wolf's appearance than he is. In fact, they are planning to track her down and shoot her. Soon, McKinley and his friends become caught up in a wild race to save one of the last wolves in Steamboat Springs.

This was a very good story. There was plenty of action, and it was a very quick read. It wasn't hard to understand at all. The characters, although inhuman, were easy to relate to, and one establishes a bond with them throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the author's novels, and also to animal lovers.

Read-a-thon Post 11

Time: 43 minutes
Pages: 927
Reading: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi

Read-a-thon Post 10

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 830
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Read-a-thon Post 9

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pages: 797
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Love, Stargirl (book review)

Love, Stargirl is the sequel to Jerry Spinelli's beloved novel Stargirl. In this book, which is written from Stargirl's point of view, Stargirl has moved away from Arizona, the enchanting desert, and her ex-boyfriend Leo. Her new life, taking place in a small town in Pennsylvania, at first appears boring. But as Stargirl makes friends with her quirky neighbors and starts celebrating life itself, she discovers that one can find joy in even the smallest of things.

This was a great sequel! It was even better than the first book, in my opinion! Hearing from Stargirl's POV was very interesting, and this was an incredibly moving book. If you have not read Stargirl or its sequel, you should definitely go out and get this book!

Read-a-thon Post 8

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Pages: 691
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Read-a-thon Post 7

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Pages: 552
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Read-a-thon Post 6

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 474
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites (book review)

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer, is the first book in the Vladimir Tod series. The protagonist, Vladimir Tod, is an orphaned teenage vampire. Living with his mother's old friend Nelly, a human, he is forced to hide his identity from the rest of the world, putting on dollops of sunblock before even stepping outside and disguising the blood he drinks inside of ordinary foods. Vlad's life is about as "ordinary" as a vampire's could be...until he discovers that he is being stalked by a crazy vampire who thirsts for his blood...

This was a wonderful book! It was different from many other vampire books written for teens at this time; despite a little crush Vlad has on his classmate, there is no dark romance, just plenty of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to get the next one! I can't wait to read it!

This book is for the RIP IV Challenge!

Read-a-thon Post 5

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 417
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Read-a-thon Post 4

Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Pages: 330
Reading: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles (book review)

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, by Kathryn Lasky, is the fascinating story of this young monarch before she became the Queen of France. Lasky tells her story in a diary format, which is very interesting and helps to connect the reader to the main character. We  get an inside scoop on this princess's sheltered life and watch as she makes decisions that will eventually lead to her gruesome death as the Queen. The series this book is part of, Royal Diaries, is an offshoot of Dear America, so readers who enjoy these kinds of books will love this one. I'd also recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, because it was a great book, informative yet very entertaining.

Read-a-thon Post 3

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 235 altogether
Reading: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky

Read-a-thon Post 2

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Pages: 173 altogether
Reading: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky
Read: None

Read-a-thon Post 1

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pages: 73
Reading: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky
Read: none

An African Tale (book review)

An African Tale, by Enna Neru, is a mystical folktale-type story taking place in Africa. It tells of Ledimo, a young man who has discovered a mystical stone which gives him the power to control the weather. He becomes a powerful and awe-inspiring semi-god, until people stop believing in him and his powers fade, leaving him mortal. The power of the stone slowly fades from human memory...until Ledimo's two great-grandchildren are born, one in a poor village with no formal schooling and the other in the posh capital city. Their world is going into a drought, and only they can harness the power of the stone and bring water back to the land. The catch? They have to work together.

This was a very enjoyable book. It was short and went very quickly, and at some spots I didn't want to put it down! It was very much like a folktale, filled with fantastical talking animals and wise forest men. The ending suggested a sequel. I'm not sure if there will be one or not, but I certainly hope so!

Read-a-thon Pile

Ok, here is my final pile for the read-a-thon (again, thank you so much everyone for the votes!):

Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky

The Good Ghouls' Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen


The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

Hunted by N.M. Browne


Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by Wendelin Van Draanen

Vulpes the Red Fox  by Jean Craighead George

The Good Dog by Avi


The Siren Song by Anne Ursu


The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock

Wolf Trails by Nik Sawe

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

Invisible I by Stella Lennon

Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin


Time of the Witches by Anna Myers


Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

Secrets of the Clans by Erin Hunter

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne


The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

Read-a-thon voting closed

Hi everybody! Just wanted to announce that read-a-thon voting's closed! Thanks to everyone who voted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try to post my final pile later today.

The Midnight Twins (book review)

The Midnight Twins, by Jacquelyn Mitchard, is the story of two thirteen-year-old twins, Mallory and Meredith, with extraordinary psychic powers. After a disastrous fire leaves them nearly dead, they start having visions. One can see into the future, the other into the past. These newfound powers show them that someone they trusted is doing horrible things--and the future of their small town lies on their shoulders.

This was a very good book. It started out a little boring, but quickly picked up and soon I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed how the book would switch viewpoints from twin to twin at exciting moments so that I could experience all the action firsthand, no matter which twin experienced it. It was a great mystery story with a paranormal twist, and I can't wait for the next book to come out in paperback.

This book is for the RIP Challenge.

Read-a-thon Pile Again

I'm going to do the 24-hour-read-a-thon again, and I have an ENORMOUS pile! Obviously I'm not going to read ALL of these, so I wanted you to help me decide. I will post the first sentence of each book, and you are going to decide which sentences sound most interesting to you and which ones would keep you reading. If you know what book a sentence is from,  don't judge based on the book, judge based on the sentence please!

1. Let me tell ye about the guard.

2. Once, not so long ago, inside an ordinary middle school in an ordinary city in an ordinary state in the middle of an ordinary country, a small readheaded eighth grader was doing something very ordinary indeed.

3. On the day Claire became a member of the Glass House, somebody stole her laundry.

4. Dear Leo, I love beginnings.

5. She ran.

6. I do solemnly promise to write in this diary given to me by my tutor, Abbe de Vermond, if not every day, at least every week, even though writing is not easy for me.

7. He's calling.

8. "Dad!"

9. "Oh, Nicky."

10. "I'm tired of remembering," Hannah said to her mother as she climbed into the car.

11. I, Frankie Landau-Banks, hereby confess that I was the sole mastermind behind the mal-doings of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds.

12. Outside, rain drummed against the window.

13. I want to not ride the bus to school every day, but that would be a waste of a really big want--it'll take care of itself eventually.

14. There.

15. "Eh, Tree-Ear!"

16. A tree branch slapped John Craig across the face, scraping his skin, but he kept on running and ignored the stabbing of pine needles on his bare feet.

17. How many times I have wondered what my fate might have been had I accompanied my parents that rainy spring morning.

18. "You're not going to give me an allowance for two months?!"

19. I wore a green tie-dyed T-shirt and jeans.

20. "Wow!!"

23. There are things in life you can predict, and then there's my mother.

24. People like to say that things come in threes, but the way Martine looked at it, that all depends on when you start counting and when you stop.

25. Vulpes, the Red Fox, was born in a den in Maryland.

26. It's amazing how much dying can do for a girl's popularity.

27. Around the middle of the twenty-first century, when it seemed that a great catastrophe was about to engulf the word, an underground city was built as a last refuge for the human race.

28. Julie picked up a scrap of shoelace.

29. The sunlight, for a brief moment, seemed to flare upon the meadow, casting an orange glow about the pale brown grasses.

30. My sister Cass ran away the morning of my sixteenth birthday.

31. Moonlight washed over us, washed over Lucas and me.

32. The big cat crouched low in the tall grass.

33. When I'm running I can almost feel my dad at my side.

34. He was lost when he came to us, and I fear the silver spoons he stole from us didn't save him when he ran away and went up into the high domains.

35. "They're coming, they're coming!"

36. They're always the same.

37. All I've ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone.

38. If he weren't already dead, I swear I would kill Stephen Wills.

39. Many moons ago, the forest was a wilderness, untamed by territories.

40. Why is it that when you don't want to think about something, you can't stop thinking about it?

41. I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper thin and when magic, old magic, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it.

42. We were born at the exact same time, Gabe and I.

43. "Are you crying?"

44. Aerial shot.

Well, that's it! Have fun!

Uprising (book review)

Uprising, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, is the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York City. The book alternates between the points of view of three girls. Bella is an immigrant who has just arrived in a strange new land. She's relieved when her cousin gets her a job right away at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Yetta is a Russian Triangle worker fighting for union rights. And Jane is a wealthy society girl who's run away from home to escape her oppressive father. When the three girls meet, they form an unbreakable bond, deciding that whatever happens, they will go through it together. And indeed they do. On March 25, 1911, when Bella and Yetta are working and Jane is visiting, a spark ignites a piece of cloth and soon the whole factory is ablaze. All three girls show remarkable courage and bravery, fighting for the lives of the other workers-and meanwhile two of them will lose theirs in the process.

This was really an amazing book. It was historical fiction, but although the three protagonists were fictional many of the events that happened in the book, including, of course, the fire, are real. I could hardly put the story down, it was so good. It may just be the best historical fiction book I have ever read!