The Book Thief

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books
Year of Publication: 2006 (first published 2005)
Reader's Rating: 4.9

The Book Thief is a historical fiction, set in Nazi Germany during World War II, and is narrated by Death.

Excerpt: "I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant." 

"It's just a small story really, about, among other things:
* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery" 

In a Nutshell: Liesel Meminger was only nine years old when her brother died and her mother left her in the care of foster parents, a silver-eyed father and a swearing but loving mother, and disappeared. On that day, a book was left lying in the snow, with Liesel picking it up. The Grave Digger's Handbook. Not an interesting choice, but it started and kindled her love for books. Liesel soon learns to read, with the help of her foster father, and since then, has loved books and words, stealing them and taking them in from anywhere, whether from the Nazi book-burnings or from the rich mayor's library, anywhere. But her life is changed when her foster parents decide to hide a Jew in their basement. She then realizes how powerful words are and how powerfully they can destroy.

The Good Stuff: Have you ever heard of Owl City, the singer of Fireflies? Have you listened to many of his songs? Did you notice how crafted and poetic they sounded? The Book Thief is written exactly like that. The scenes and the events are so richly described, and so poetically. So that's definitely a good thing for me. Also, the story. It was so wonderfully written and it was so touching and kind of horrifying in a way. It not only told of the adventures of someone living during the Holocaust; it was deep. It was a very good read.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: The constant swearing! Like I said in my previous review, WWII books usually contain a lot of swearing, but this book had the most. I winced every time I read those darn swear words (even though most of them were in a different language). It was a big turn-off, but, really, it was their (the Germans') culture to swear a lot and usually, they're meant to be friendly, like Liesel calling her best friend Saukerl (I think that's sort of a male pig of some kind). But still, I'd have given this book a 5 if it wasn't for the swear words. :( It also has kissing, but only once. :(

Reader's Say: I loved this book. I absolutely loved it (it's just those stupid swear words and the kissing). I do have to say something about it, and it's this: if you like happy endings, if you like sugar-coated stories, if you don't want to know about what the Germans did before, then do not read this book. I have to say that it was so sad. I almost cried! I felt heartbroken when *he/she/they* died (don't worry, I won't be saying who). I also got kind of annoyed at the author because he put who died in the middle of the book! Haha! But other than that, I absolutely loved it so much. It was heartwarming and touching and everything else rolled into one. With what I said about the swearing, you probably won't want to read it but please do. It's a very nice story.

Run, Boy, Run

Title: Run, Boy, Run
Author: Uri Orlev
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
Year of Publication: 2003
Reader's Rating: 3.5

In a Nutshell: Srulik Frydman is a young Jewish boy living in the streets of Poland, in the Warsaw ghetto, to be exact. His father was nowhere to be seen, along with his brothers and sisters. On a plan to escape the ghetto, his mother suddenly disappears, leaving him alone in the world to care for himself. He sets off and, miraculously and accidentally, runs into his father.

Excerpt: "Srulik, there's no time. I want you to remember what I'm going to tell you. You have to stay alive. You have to! Get someone to teach you how to act like a Christian, how to cross yourself and pray... The most important thing, Srulik," he said, talking fast, "is to forget your name. Wipe it from your memory... But even if you forget everything---even if you forget me and Mama---never forget that you're a Jew."

And so Srulik Frydman becomes Jurek Staniak, a blond Gentile Pole. Remembering his father's words, he soon finds himself joining a gang, living in the forest, and even working from farm to farm, posing as a Gentile---anything to stay alive. Follow Srulik on his journeys and adventures as he keeps one step ahead of the Nazis, trying to survive.

The Good Stuff: It was an absorbing read. I couldn't put the book down. This book is full of suspense and action.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: Run, Boy, Run was filed in the Young Adult section, and for a good reason. This isn't one of those books you could read to ten-year-old's. A lot of scenes are described violently, and because only Jews were circumcised at that time, there are some mentions about male anatomy and stuff that isn't for young children. A lot of WWII books also usually contain swear words and this was one of those books. :((

Reader's Say: I liked this book (only the not-so-good stuff were really a turn-off). It was kind of a horrifyingly awesome story and, as you know, I love World War II books, so it was really nice. It went third in my favorite WWII books, with Behind the Secret Window as second and Number the Stars as first. All in all, it was a good read (it's just really those not-so-good stuff that bother me!)

Number the Stars

Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf
Year of Publication: 1998 (first published 1989)
Reader's Rating: 5
Excerpts: “Annemarie looked up, panting, just as she reached the corner. Her laughter stopped. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. ‘Halte!’ the soldier ordered in a stern voice.”

"Ellen had said that her mother was afraid of the ocean, that it was too cold and too big. The sky was, too, thought Annemarie. The whole world was: too cold, too big. And too cruel. "

In a Nutshell: Annemarie Johansen is a ten-year-old girl living in the quiet streets of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943. She, along with her best friend Ellen Rosen, often thought of life before the war, when food wasn't rationed, when soldiers weren't around every corner, and when people were free to do whatever they wanted. But now life is harder than it was, especially when a neighbor disappears and Ellen's family is forced into hiding because they are Jewish. It is during this time that Annemarie realizes that the "cold and cruel" world needed change, and to do that, people like her must learn how to be braver and more courageous.

The Good Stuff: Even though the book is quite thin, it held a lot of suspense and action. I recommend this to everyone, no matter how old or how young, because a lesson of friendship and bravery is shown. It was really touching.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: There weren't any at all!

Reader's Say: Number the Stars is my favorite World War II book of all time. I finished it in about thirty minutes or an hour. I couldn't put it down! It's fiction, but it's based on historical events that happened in real life. There were so many moments that I thought the suspense would kill me. It was pure awesome. 

Flipped

Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin van Draanen
Publisher: Random House
Year of Publication: 2001
Reader's Rating: 2.5 [Please see my post on ratings because a 2.5 for me doesn't mean that I don't like it! :)]

In a Nutshell: Juli Baker has always thought of Bryce and his brilliant blue eyes as dazzling and dreamy, ever since the second grade, in fact. Meanwhile, Bryce Loski has always thought of Juli as weird and annoying, ever since the second grade. The story jumps back and forth between Juli and Bryce and tells things about their families, school, and each other from their point of view. Things get a little more complicated and change when Juli and Bryce reach their teen years. Bryce suddenly starts seeing Juli in a different light and finds that he's flipped for her once crazy, now cool ways. Juli, on the other hand, sees past Bryce's "brilliant blue eyes" and wonders if he's really as dreamy as she thought. What will happen to Bryce? What will happen to Juli? Will it work out in the end?

The Good Stuff: The story was okay. No kissing, but...(see below)..

The Not-So-Good-Stuff: Someone did try to kiss someone. :( I also don't like the way Bryce's sister acts. The story, like I said, was okay but I felt like it ended abruptly, and needed something more. I think there's a sequel but I'm still not so sure.

Reader's Say: I love how the title fits perfectly with the story. Juli feels one thing about Bryce, and he feels another about her. Towards the end, they flip and feel the opposite of what they first felt.The story isn't very deep, but it was okay (my mom loved it, though, and I have no idea why).

Fairest

Title: Fairest
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year of Publication: 2006
Reader's Rating: 3.5 [Please see my post on ratings. :)]


Excerpt: I was born singing. Most babies cry. I sang an aria.
Or so I believe. I have no one to tell me the truth of it. I was abandoned when I was a month old, left at the Featherbed Inn in the Ayorthaian village of Amonta. It was January 12th of the year of Thunder Songs.

Fairest is set in the world of Ella Enchanted (another of Levine's books), in the land of Ayortha, where Ella's friend Areida (from Ella Enchanted) was born. Aza, the main character, is even the step-sister of Areida.

In a Nutshell: The innkeeper's daughter, Aza,  is slightly different from her fellow Ayorthaians. She definitely isn't the fairest of them all. Some even say she was an ogre's cousin. But her looks she compensates with her voice. Ayortha is a land of singers, but no one can compare with Aza's singing. She develops a talent she calls illusing, which only she can do. What started out as a hobby for fun, the new foreign Queen Ivi discovers it and uses Aza secretly for her own selfish purposes. Aza is made a lady-in-waiting and is made to live at the castle, and even meets Prince Ijori, but things start turning for the worst. Ayortha's loving king fell sick and may be dying, and the people are suffering under Queen Ivi. What will happen to the kingdom of Ayortha? Will the people discover Queen Ivi's secrets? What will Prince Ijori think of Aza when he finds out her secret as well?

The Good Stuff: This book was very interesting, as I love fantasy novels and, especially, Gail Carson Levine (the author). Fairest has action, comedy, and romance all in one.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: Kissing, another problem with today's books and movies. I can't tell who would be kissing who (because that would be a spoiler!), and I know it sounds "romantic", but I do not like it when people (who aren't married or something) kiss. :(

Reader's Say: It was alright. Those who have read (or watched) Ella Enchanted will definitely love Fairest. It's a pretty thick book and there are lots of things that happen to Aza, making it a good read. :)

Behind the Secret Window

Title: Behind the Secret Window
Author: Nelly S. Toll
Publisher: Dial
Year of Publication: 1993
Reader's Rating: 4

In a Nutshell: This book is about the experiences of a young girl during World War II (I quite like WWII books) as she and her mother hide from the Nazis in a Gentile couple's home, in a secret compartment near their window; hence, the name "Behind the Secret Window." It is sort of like an autobiography, nonfiction, of course.

Reader's Say: This book was one of the best World War II books I've read. I thought it was thrilling and sad. It was written well. Thumbs up to Nelly Toll. :)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher: Puffin
Year of Publication: 2005 (first published 1964)
Reader's Rating: 4.5 [Please see my post on ratings. :)]

In a Nutshell: Little Charlie Bucket has always loved chocolate. He passes by Willie Wonka's chocolate factory, the biggest in the world, on the way home from school every day, sniffing at the delicious aroma. But he only gets to taste chocolate once a year, on his birthday, because his family is very, very poor and every day their meals would always have to be cabbage soup. One day, Mr. Wonka randomly inserts five golden tickets in his chocolate bars, inviting the owner of the chocolate to his ginormous factory, with a free lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie, as with the rest of the world, goes crazy with excitement, but his hopes soon fall as he remembers that he only gets one bar a year. Will he get a golden ticket? What surprises await him?

The Good Stuff: Charlie Bucket is a great character and so is his family. They are very poor, but they always share what they have (and a bit more) with each other. Though they wish they could have a better home and better meals, they are content and happy with what they have.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: There are other characters in the story that aren't so great (in fact, they're amazingly horrible), but don't worry. The author discourages them and contrasts them with Charlie and Mr. Wonka.

Reader's Say: Roald Dahl is an awesome author and this book is, by far, the best he's written. I loved reading the book so much. Willie Wonka made me laugh. He's awesome.

The Lost Hero

Title: The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Year of Publication: 2010

Reader’s Rating: 5

The Lost Hero is the first book in Rick Riordan’s second series about Greek mythology, Heroes of Olympus. The Lost Hero takes off about five or so years after the last book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Riordan’s first series). It takes place during modern times; even the Greek gods are a bit more modern. Please take note, this review is almost exactly like my review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

In a Nutshell: The Lost Hero tells of the adventures of Jason, Leo, and Piper—three newly found demigods—as they take on a quest to save Hera, the wife of Zeus, who was kidnapped. They journey all over the continent, seeking information about the kidnapper and his or her whereabouts. The story ends when Hera is freed and the young demigods find out about an enemy even more powerful than the gods—and even the Titans—themselves.

(I make the story sound so plain! It’s really more complicated than that.)

The Good Stuff: The book is really nice, especially if you’re a fan of Greek mythology and/or the Percy Jackson books. Plus, the characters are hilarious. Funny books written for kids by people over the age of thirty are rare, so if you’re looking for laughter this is a good book to read.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: This book does not say anything about God. In fact, the book is about gods (boo, it makes me feel guilty!). The author also has a worldly view, not very Christian-like. The book is pure awesome for non-Christians, but for Christians…hmm, think about it first. For those of you who are Christians, I read the book and enjoyed it but I always remember that Jesus is the true God, and there is no one else. I also have to be careful not to let the book (or Greek mythology as a whole) take over my thinking.

Reader ‘s Say: Although this book doesn’t say anything about God, it made me realize how awesome He is. The Greek gods can be kidnapped. Who can kidnap God?! The Greek gods don’t know everything. God knows and sees everything; He is omniscient. The Greek gods aren’t the most powerful beings. God is the most powerful Being ever. He wasn’t even created. He was always there. He’s the beginning and the end. There are a lot more things I realized, but they would be too much to put in here. God is truly awesome! :D

Monday With a Mad Genius

Title: Monday With a Mad Genius (Magic Tree House #38)

Author: Mary Pope Osbourne

Publisher: Random House

Year of Publication:

Reader’s Rating: 4

The Magic Tree House series is about two children, Jack and Annie, who found a magical tree house that can take them anywhere they want to. The series is very educational and very helpful. Suggested ages would probably be for 7-11 year olds but I love them and I read them. :) Historical fiction, though.

In a Nutshell: On this book, Jack and Annie are whisked off to Florence, Italy, in the early 1500’s. They spend the whole day with the great artist Leonardo da Vinci and witness many of his great projects and paintings. They were there when he tested his flying machine and when he painted a fiasco. Jack and Annie also learned that Leonardo da Vinci wrote in his notebooks backward. Leonardo was left-handed and said it was easier to write that way. Jack and Annie were also there when he painted Mona Lisa and had even met her in person.

The Good Stuff: Everything in the book is true (except for Jack, Annie, and the magical tree house, of course). That’s what makes it very helpful and educational.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: There isn’t really not-so-good stuff. It’s just that the series is written in a language for 7-11 year olds. It’s very simple, the stories are short, and the books are all really thin.

Reader’s Say: All in all, this book was great. I enjoyed reading it (plus, the drawings are really nice). :)

How to Train Your Dragon

Title: How to Train Your Dragon

Director: Chris Sanders and Dean deBlois

Studio: DreamWorks Animation Studios

Actors: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson

Viewer's Rating: 4

Excerpt: "This is Berk. It snows nine months out of the year, and hails the other three. What little food grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here, even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have ponies, or parrots... we have dragons"

In a Nutshell: Hiccup is a gawky teenager in the world of Vikings. While everyone around him is big and beefy, he’s a talking fishbone. While everyone around him is fighting dragons, he’s given a job at the armory instead. Hiccup wants more than anything to make his dad (who happens to be the chief of the village, by the way) proud. But to do that, he must pass Dragon School and kill a dragon with his bare hands. As he’s thin and weak, he obviously doesn’t stand a chance. Until he meets a Night Fury, a kind of dragon no one’s ever killed—or even seen—before, supposedly the most dangerous dragon. He ends up befriending it and naming it “Toothless.” Hiccup passes Dragon School by using techniques he learned while studying and playing with Toothless. He even finds out a shocking surprise that no one has ever discovered about dragons before.

The Good Stuff: How to Train Your Dragon is a movie you’ll want to watch over and over again! The story is very nice. It’s the kind of movie the whole family will enjoy, not just the kids. It’s kind of heart warming in a way.

The Not-So-Good-Stuff: There’s a kissing scene (gosh, does every movie have to have one?!). Totally inappropriate! I also don’t approve of Hiccup’s dad’s parenting skills. Haha.

Viewer's Say: As I took my seat in the theatre where I first watched the movie, I thought it was going to be just another movie—you know, typical story, typical characters, happy ending, blah blah blah. It may be that How to Train Your Dragon is that kind of story, but I really enjoyed watching it. It turned out to be a bit different from the other stories. It’s action-packed, touching, heart-warming, and very funny! Hiccup is awesome and so are the dragons.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Year of Publication:

Reader’s Rating: 5 [Please see my post on ratings to learn more. :)]

The first book in the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, this book is set in modern times; even the Greek gods are a bit more modern.

In a Nutshell: The story is about twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, a not-so-ordinary kid for two reasons: one, he’s dyslexic and has ADHD; two, he’s a demigod. That means he’s half-mortal, half-god. Lately, monsters and gods, supposedly just myths, seem to be after him. Apparently, Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen and all fingers point to Percy. Now he, along with two friends, must retrieve the bolt and bring it back to Zeus before he declares war. But it isn’t as easy as that. Percy and his friends discover something more powerful than Zeus himself.

The Good Stuff: The book is really nice, especially if you’re a fan of Greek mythology. Plus, the characters are hilarious. Funny books written for kids by people over the age of thirty are rare, so if you’re looking for laughter this is a good book to read.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: This book does not say anything about God. In fact, the book is about gods (boo, it makes me feel guilty!). The author also has a worldly view, not very Christian-like. The book is pure awesome for non-Christians, but for Christians…hmm, think about it first. For those of you who are Christians, I read the book and enjoyed it but I always remember that Jesus is the true God, and there is no one else. I also have to be careful not to let the book (or Greek mythology as a whole) take over my thinking.

Reader’s Say: Although this book doesn’t say anything about God, it made me realize how awesome He is. The Greek gods don’t know everything. God knows and sees everything; He is omniscient. The Greek gods aren’t the most powerful beings. God is the most powerful Being ever. He wasn’t even created. He was always there. He’s the beginning and the end. There are a lot more things I realized, but they would be too much to put in here. God is truly awesome! :D

Anne of Green Gables

Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: L. M. Montgomery
Publisher:
Year of Publication:
Reader's Rating: 3.5 [Please see my post on ratings. :)]

In a Nutshell: Anne Shirley is a spirited, young girl with a huge imagination who is accidentally adopted (by a brother and a sister who have no children) and comes to live at Green Gables. Her adventures are nonstop, from dyeing her hair green to getting her best friend drunk (accidentally, of course).

The Good Stuff: Anne is imaginative and smart, just the type of person I want to be. Her adventures may include outrageous things, but she always, always learns from her mistakes and does try to be better. The language in the book is great for all ages (except for really young children, of course, say five or six).

The Not-So-Good Stuff: I don't really think there were any "not-so-good stuff." Sometimes, though, I'd skip a few sentences because they weren't written in modern language and I couldn't understand (but the rest of the book is still very, very understandable).

Reader's Say: I loved it. Anne is so awesome. This book actually contains her first years at Green Gables, when she was eleven or twelve, to the time when she was about sixteen. I was kind of dismayed at that because I wanted to hear more about her growing up years, but it was okay. The story compensated for it.

About My Ratings

Hey, all you bookworms and movie bugs! If you read my book and movie reviews, you'll probably want to know that I base my "Reader's Ratings" on Goodreads (it's an awesome site dedicated to books). This is what it means:

If I put a 1 - I didn't like it.
              2 - It was okay.
              3 - I liked it.
              4 - I loved it (I really liked it).
              5 - It was amazing.

Example: Peter Pan; J.M. Barrie; 4 [that means I loved it]

So there. I posted this just so you would know. :)

The Mother-Daughter Book Club

Title: The Mother-Daughter Book Club
Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year of Publication: 2007
Reader's Rating: 3.5

In a Nutshell: Emma, Jess, Megan, and Cassidy are four very different girls. Emma is a major bookworm, Jess lives on a farm, Megan is the fashion-loving shopaholic, and Cassidy is the tomboyish sports fan. Even though they're not at all alike, they are united by a book club their mothers founded. Middle school soon starts and the four girls find that it's going to be much harder than they thought, but it's well worth it what with the adventures and mishaps of secret crush poems read aloud, a sleigh ride, Cassidy wearing a dress, and the four girls finally getting together to become friends.

The Good Stuff: A lot of modern girl books usually contain language and behavior that isn't very good (shopping all the time, too much text lingo, and siblings fighting a lot) like The Clique (sorry to all Clique fans!), but this book didn't really have that much bad behavior, and that's rare.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: I don't think it really has not-so-good stuff.

Reader's Say: I loved reading this book (plus, the cover is so cute)! I could relate to the characters, especially with Emma's love of books and writing and Megan's artistic style and fashion sketchbook. I would love to read it again and again because I feel like it inspires me somehow (I keep remembering Emma wanting to be a writer and Megan wanting to be an artist). All book-lovers will definitely enjoy reading this book.