Friday, March 31, 2017

Slayers Review



Slayers Review
Title: Slayers
Author: C.J. Hill
Genre: Fiction, fantasy
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5
Image result for slayers book


Slayers is a fictional novel, set in a time when dragons are real and waiting to come back to the 201st century. In the our the main character, Tori has been afraid of dragons sense she was a little girl. It doesn't matter how much she tells herself they’re there, they are not real, the fear of dragons is always looming over her. It had all only been a silly fear, that is until Tori decides to attend a certain dragon themed camp. Soon She starts to worry that fears are becoming reality. Strange things keep happening to her. For one Tori was put in a special “ advanced are of the camp that was far away from the rest of the camp. It doesn't take her long to notice that the camper who are there are strange too. They are crazy athletic and can do things like hit the target with an arrow from 80 ft away, and shooting with their eyes closed. But while Tori is at the camp she makes new friends like Dirk and Jessie, two boys she met when she first got there that just so happened to be in the advanced camp with her. Unfortunately she also makes enemies while she's there one is a girl named Lilly who started hating her on sight. But Tori will face more relationship dilemmas when she has to figure out how she feels for Jesse and Dirk. Tori doesn't get time to sort out her feelings out before her world gets turned around. Finally, Tori finds out why her and the other campers are in the “advanced camp”. She and the other campers are slayer slayer are people who fight her biggest fear dragons. By now Tori's life has taken a total 360, with training to use her new found slayer skills and struggling to sort out her new found feeling for Dirk and Jesse you would think life would just give her a break. but instead of getting to relax things turn for the worst when a real dragon appears in their home town of Washington D.C. Unprepared and with little training,Tori has to join the fight against it. Will they defeat the dragons? Is there a trader among them? Who is this Ryker guy we keep hearing about? I would suggest this book to you if you enjoy comedy, adventure, and a little romance. I would also suggest that if you read this book read the prologue; its very important and will help you understand the book.

Contributed by: Olivia Rhodes

Friday, March 24, 2017

Peak Book Review


Image result for peak by roland smith

Title: Peak
Author: Roland Smith
Pages: 246
Genre: Realistic fiction, Action
Rating: 4/5 stars


Peak deals with a lot of suspenseful moments and actual facts. Peak isn't based on a true story. This book mainly takes place on the border of Nepal and Tibet where Mount Everest is located. The protagonist of the story is Peak Marcello a 14 year old boy that lives in New York with his mom and his stepfather. Peak gets into legal trouble and has to go live with his biological father for a while. When he gets to his father, he gets surprised by the fact that they’re gonna climb Mount Everest that’s where his main conflict comes into play he gets the opportunity to be the youngest person to climb the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Another important character is Peak’s biological dad, Josh. They really get to bond and learn about one and another with the expedition. The main theme in the book is persistency. Peak show persistency all throughout the book from beginning to the end of the book he understands that you have to set goals and try your hardest to accomplish those goals. I really enjoyed this book and would probably put it near the top of my list. I like how the book flowed and everything tied in together. I also liked all the detail Roland put into the book he clearly gave you a picture of what was going on. What I disliked was how peak and his dad really didn't do much together. He was a big part of the book but I feel like he could be incorporated more. People that would like this book are people who like action or adventure based books from a first person point of view. Peak is suitable for both genders. I would give this book a 4 out 5 stars I really enjoyed the story from beginning to the end packed with action and some suspense scattered all over.

Contributed by: Jose Renteral-Pluma

Friday, March 17, 2017

Heat Book Review

Title: Heat
Author: Mike Lupica
Genre: Action, Realistic Fiction
Pages: 220
Rating: 5/5 stars
Image result for heat by mike lupica
“Heat is a modern day, sporty, action-packed, adventurous fiction that is filled with the suspense of a talented tween fighting  to become a star against all odds. Most of the book takes place in The Bronx, New York during the early 2000’s. Throughout the book, the main character, Michael Arroyo, is teased because of his race and his homeland. Michael is a 12-year-old-boy, born and raised in Cuba for the first seven years of his life, but who now lives in New York. He is a baseball phenom and is known throughout The Bronx as the kid with the dream of making it to the Little League World Series. Michael is confronted with numerous challenges, including abandonment, death, and opposition, that try to get in the way of his dream becoming a reality. Throughout the story, Michael develops a strong relationship with a girl named Ellie, who he is later surprised to learn has a close connection to the sport he loves the most.
Just months after Michael moves to New York, his father, Papi, dies of a sudden heart attack. Michael is left to be cared for by his 17 year-old brother Carlos, who is not yet old enough to officially serve as his legal guardian. Papi’s death has a major impact on Michael and his future in baseball.  Michael and Carlos must fend for themselves and keep the death of their father a secret, in order to avoid being sent to foster care or back to Cuba.  Michael’s pitching is outstanding and teams begin to question his age, assuming that is the only explanation for his exceptional baseball skills.  With no parents to vouch for him and unable to produce a birth certificate, Michael’s hopes of playing in the Little League World Series become grim.  He is faced with the threat of being removed from the league.  The climax of the book is when Ellie’s father is revealed and Michael learns that her father holds the key to his baseball future.  This discovery is a turning point in the story.  Soon after, Michael finds himself facing his biggest test yet, in an epic showdown against his team’s rival, the Giants, which comes down to the last pitch in a playoff game. The theme of the book “Heat” is to never give up, even when times are rough and the challenges seem overwhelming. Michael has to overcome the adversity of losing both a mother and a father. Just when he thinks things can’t get worse, Michael’s age is challenged and he is not able to do the one thing that he loves the most, play baseball. However, he never stops believing in his dream.
I like how the author told the story of a boy who made something out of nothing. Michael is one of the strongest and most courageous characters that I’ve ever met. This book taught me to never give up and that anything is possible when you work hard and dream big.  Additionally, I could relate to Michael on many levels. Both he and I had dreams of going to the Little League World Series, and we were both scouted by many teams. I think any middle schooler between the ages of eleven and fourteen would be able to relate to and enjoy this book.  I also think that adults can learn a lot from Michael about overcoming challenges and persevering.  This book teaches a great life lesson, and therefore, would be a great choice for anyone that has or will face a major obstacle in their life. I would give this book a 5 star review because I was able to relate so much with Michael and I enjoy reading about sports.
By: Mason Player