The Picture Of Dorian Gray

By Oscar Wilde
Copyright 1968
Rating: Excellent
Number of Pages: 224

In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, written in 1968, Dorian Gray, a middle-aged, extremely handsome man, regretted that he would grow old some day. So in front of a portrait done of Dorian Gray painted by Basil Hallward, Dorian wished that he would never grow old but the portrait would grow old.

Dorian Gray’s wish came true and he never grew old. Throughout this process, Dorian Gray became a very nasty person. For example, out of the blue Dorian killed Basil Hallward. After a while Dorian Gray put away his portrait because he hated to so the portrait grow old. Awhile after he put the portrait away, he went back and looked at it. He noticed that there was blood on the hands of the man in the portrait. He knew that this was the only evidence that could send him to jail for murdering Basil Hallward.

Read this book to find out what happens to Dorian Gray.

The Outsiders

Author: S. E. Hinton
©1967
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Number of Pages: 264
Rating: 8/10

Reviewer: Megabob

The Outsiders is a classic about a 14-year-old gang member named Ponyboy Curtis. The gang he's in is called the Greasers and they are rivals with the Socs (another gang). The Greasers are on the poorer side and the Socs are on the complete opposite one. The story really starts getting going when two girls are met at a movie theater by Ponyboy and some of his friends. They see that the girls are all alone and decide to walk them home. That's when the trouble begins. On the way home, the girl's boyfriends (who are Socs) happen to pass by. Without much of a choice, the girls are returned. A few nights later, the boyfriends come for revenge and things go a little too far. Ponyboy and his friend, Johnny, are forced to flee their home in fear of being arrested by the police. Later on, though, they finally figure out that they can't possibly live their entire life on the run so they return and turn themselves in. The rest is up to you to find out by simply reading The Outsiders.

I think that The Outsiders was a very good book. One reason is the plot. It is an exciting, fast-paced, nail-biting adventure that you can't stop once you're going. Another is that everyone, in their own way, will be able to find some way this story relates to their life. Anyone who enjoys realistic fiction or any avid reader who is looking for a fast-paced adventure story that they want to relate to is obligated to read this classic.

Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 1987
Pages: 195
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 5/10
Blogger: Cookie Monster

Brian is 13 years old and he flies from the Hamptons in New York to somewhere in Canada to visit his father. While he is in the plane the captain has a heart attack. The plane crashes into a lake in Canada and Brian forces his way out. He is hurt, but nothing is broken. While he is trying to recover he falls asleep and has flashbacks of his mother and the secret of his parent’s divorce.

Brian has many adventures on his L shaped island. He stayed there for 54 days. During this time, he taught himself how to make a fire, how to catch fish, how to kill birds, how to protect himself, and how to cook on a fire. He does everything with his hatchet, which was a present from his motherTowards the end of his stay on the island, there is a tornado. Everything was destroyed, but the plane in the lake becomes visible. He spends days getting into the plane and getting to a survival bag. He again uses his hatchet. He pulls out the survival bag and finds dried food, soap, a rifle, and an emergency transmitter. He turns it on and off and then leaves it on and walks away.

Even though I didn't really like this book, I kept on reading just to find out what would happen next. The ending was weird and disappointing. The whole book was a bit disappointing. This is a good book for readers who like a living adventure.

The Higher Power of Lucky

Author: Susan Patron
Copyright: 2006
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 9 to 11
Reviewer: Az Scorpio

Lucky, a 10 year old girl, can't wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has. It's all Brigitte's fault -- for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! However Lucky is sure that she'll be cast away to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won't be allowed. Then she'll have to lose her friends Miles, a boy, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, her classmate, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers.

This story shows the growth of a young girl. Throughout the book Lucky tries to find herself by finding her “higher power”. At the end she does, by becoming more mature. I can see why this book has won a Newberry Award. Lucky is a character that anyone can relate to. She has just begun to understand the world around her, and has started her journey into teenager-hood by struggling and fighting with her low self-esteem.

Looking For Alaska

Author: John Green
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 160
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reviewer: California Roll

In Looking for Alaska by John Green, winner of the Printz Award and written in 2005, Miles Halter, an awkward 16-year-old boy, gets sucked into an unforgettable journey that begins after he transfers to Culver Creek Boarding School. Miles is obsessed with knowing peoples’ last words. He fixates on memorizing them and is constantly searching for new ones. One, in particular, that jumps out at Miles is, “I go to seek my great perhaps.” At the start of the book, Miles decides that he is going to move to Culver Creek in hopes of starting over and finding his own “Great perhaps.” Little does he know he is about to embark on the most memorable and intense adventure of his life, and he is taking the reader along for the ride. It all starts when Miles is introduced to the Colonel, his roommate whose real name is Chip, and Alaska, who give him the nickname Pudge. Ultimately, they teach him how to get by, avoid trouble, smoke, drink, and have fun while attending Culver Creek. After a wild game of truth or dare involving lots of drinking, an incident occurs that becomes the point that the book revolves around. The book, which is being told in the first person by Miles, is broken into two sections composed of the events leading up to the incident and the events that follow the incident. As the reader progresses through the book, the plot escalates to the point where they are begging for more.

While reading Looking for Alaska, I found myself becoming part of the plot and being engulfed in its story. This book is easily one of the greatest books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who enjoy intense, exciting, and funny books. This book is a must-read that will leave the reader knowing exactly why this book deserved to win the Printz Award.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Author: Robert C. O'Brien
copyright: 1971
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Fantasy
Number of pages: 268
Reviewed by: Missy

In Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, we follow a widowed mouse named Mrs. Frisby and her attemps to move her home and family safely to a new summer home. What makes moving her family important is that the farmer is getting ready to do spring plowing and this will destroy her home and her family if not moved in time. Mrs. Frisby has four children and the youngest ones name is Timothy. Timothy was bitten by a spider when he was very young. Ever since that time he would catch any illness going around. Two weeks before they are to move Timothy comes down with pneumonia and cannot be moved.

In the story, Mrs. Frisby meets many new friends and some enemies. She is helped by the Rats of Nimh. These rats are part of a secret group of rats that escaped a place called Nimh. Nimh was where humans would do experiments on animals. These rats are incredibly intelligent and capable of many things.

The Outsiders

Author: S.E. Hinton
Copyright: 1967
Genre: Realistic fiction
# of pages: 264
Rating: 9/10
Reviewer: Cassie
SPOILER ALERT

The Outsiders was about Ponyboy, a 14-year- old gang member who runs away from home with his fellow gang member, Johnny, after a warring gang takes things too far one night. Their panicked trip takes them to an abandoned church where they stay for a while. After a few weeks, another gang member named Dally shows up to check on them, and after some discussion, Ponyboy and Johnny decide to turn themselves in as runaways. On their way back home, they see that the church has caught on fire and that there are children inside. Johnny, Dally, and Ponyboy go in and save all the kids, but a falling beam hits Johnny on the way out. He is injured and goes to the hospital, where policemen tell them that because they saved the children, they are free of all charges. Unfortunately, their happiness for their amnesty is short lived, but you're going to have to read the book to find out why.

A Wrinkle In Time

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Copyright: 1962
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 7/10
# Pages: 211
Reviewer: Blogging Buddha

A Wrinkle in Time is the story of Meg Murry, a high-school-aged girl who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and her best friend Calvin O'Keefe to rescue her father, a scientist, from the evil forces that have captured him on another planet. At the beginning of the book, Meg is an insecure girl and her concern for her father, who has been missing for over a year, did not make Meg’s adolescent life any better. The real story begins with the arrival of Mrs. Whatsit at the Murry house on a dark and stormy evening. Mrs. Whatsit is actually a celestial creature with the ability to read Meg's thoughts, though she looks like an average human being. She startles Meg's mother by reassuring her of the existence of a tesseract, a sort of "wrinkle" in space and time. Through this wrinkle Meg and her companions set off to find her father. After encountering multiple odd creatures and puzzles, Meg is reunited with her father.

I really enjoyed this classic book! At first, the storyline was a little too scattered and random for me but I kept reading further and further and realized that that style of writing coordinated with the way the protagonist felt throughout the story. Overall, A Wrinkle in Time was highly entertaining and a creative story

The Outsiders

Author: S.E Hinton
Copyright: 1967
Genre: realistic Fiction
Rating: 10/10
Pages: 264
Reviewer: Hobo Jenkins

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is an amazing book written in 1967. It is about a 14 year old greaser named Ponyboy. He lives with two older brothers, Sodapop and Darry. The Greasers and the Socs have a strong hatred towards each other. The Greasers are poor and the Socs are rich. They fight all the time, but one day they take it too far. Johnny (a greaser) and Ponyboy are put in a difficult and scary situation with no easy way out.

The Outsiders was a fantastic classic. I couldn’t take my head out of this book. It is an excellent story that everyone can relate to in some way. It had action, drama, humor, and even some romance. It is enjoyable for everyone. When I first heard of this book I thought it would be a book more for boys, but I absolutely loved it and I’m a girl. The writing draws you in and the plot is amazing. I think that people will continue to read this classic for an extremely long time. In conclusion The Outsiders was an excellent book that everyone should read at one point in their life.

A Wrinkle In Time

Author: Madeline L'Engle
Copyright: 1962
Genre: fantasy
Rating: 6/10
Pages: 198
Reviewed by: Elmo

In A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle, Meg Murry, a confused high school girl, gets involved in a journey through space to help find her missing dad. Her journey began when she was introduced to her strange new neighbors Mrs.Whatsit, Mrs.Which, and Mrs.Who by her little brother Charles Wallace. On the way back home from meeting them, Charles Wallace and Meg ran into a boy named Calvin who became fast friends with them. After they finished dinner Meg and he went outside. The next thing they knew they were in a totally different place and Charles Wallace and Meg’s new neighbors were there too. The Mrs.W’s explained to them that they were magical witches and they were there to help save their missing dad. This was officially when their journey began. Throughout the book Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace go through space by themselves searching for and trying to help their missing dad. They end up at a place called Camazotz where everything is controlled by IT. On this planet they find their dad. They go through many obstacles and problems, but finally end up safe at their house again, this time with their dad. All together, A Wrinkle In Time is a book about a tremendous journey that you will never forget.

In my opinion, A Wrinkle in Time was an interesting book that will continue to be a tremendous classic and read by ongoing children. At times the book was a bit confusing because there was a lot of detail, but at the end everything comes into place. I wouldn’t necessarily read it again right now, but maybe when I get older. It really wasn’t the most enjoyable book I've read, but still it was worth reading.

Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 160
Rating: 10 out of 5 stars!
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Reviewer: Hey There Delilah
CONTENT WARNING: Some content in the book may be inappropriate for younger readers

You probably don't know Millard Filmore's last words. Miles does. In fact, memorizing last words is not only a hobby for him, but a way of life. (In case you're wondering about those last words they were: "the nourishment is palatable".) Miles is pretty much invisible at his public high school. He lives a boring, friendless life and decides to follow his father's footsteps and go to Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama. Miles claims that the reason for this is that he goes "to seek a Great Perhaps", which were another set of last words, not surprisingly. There, he meets his roommate Chip, better known as the Colonel. The Colonel immediately accepts Miles into his social circle and introduces him to Takumi. Together, the three share a hatred for the rich kids and and Miles even gets a knew nickname, Pudge (for irony). The Colonel and Takumi happened to be friends with Alaska. Drop-dead-gorgeous, smart, sassy, independent, fascinating, reckless, spontaneous Alaska. It didn't matter that she was everything Pudge wasn't, because he had completely fallen head-over-heels for her. Blindly, Alaska makes it her mission to get Pudge a girlfriend. He ends up finding a girlfriend, but he isn't over Alaska. Nevertheless, the five of them have great times together smoking, drinking and most importantly, pranking. But what happens when Alaska's drive to get out of the labyrinth goes too far and ruins everything?

I have tried writing this paragraph many times. But every single time I try to think of words worthy enough to describe how amazing I thought this book was, my mind goes blank. Mere words can't describe the tangled mix of stirred feelings inside of me when I was forced to finish the book. Other reviewers (who have found the perfect words) have called Looking for Alaska "a masterpiece, powerful, brilliant and unforgettable." And I have to say, I won't ever forget this book. Looking for Alaska was unlike any book I have read, and it stands apart from many other books in the YA Fiction category. Looking for Alaska deserved The Printz Award one hundred percent and is a book that every single young adult should read. So, I am not just recommending that you read Looking for Alaska (if you haven't already), I am urging you to stop whatever you are doing this second and go read this book right now! Yes, it is that good!

The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry
Copyright: 1993
Rating: Incredible
Pages: 180
Reviewed by: Twinkie

What if everything was the same, day after day? No colors or variety, the same. The Giver, written by Lois Laury, copyright 1995, describes the struggles of a sane person living in an insane world. Jonas is a young twelve year old boy who is the protagonist in the story. In his society emotions are frowned upon and people loose the ability to be unique. At the ceremony of the twelves Jonas is assigned a job unlike any other and from that day on his life will never be the same.

Before I read The Giver I never really thought about a society of sameness . I would think of the differences and the problems that they cause, but I now know that without variation we loose our ability to be people. This is a short book that becomes glued to your hands! It was impossible to stop reading. This is unlike any other book ever written and I highly recommend it.

Where The Red Fern Grows

Author: Wilson Rawls
Copyright: 1961
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure
Rating: Very Good
Number of Pages: 249
Reviewed By:Smackers
SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT

Billy, a ten-year-old boy who lives in Ozark Mountains on Cherokee Land in northeastern Oklahoma during the Great depression, dreams of having two coon- hounds. He saves his own money to buy them and trains them to be two of the best raccoon hunters in the country. The dogs – old Dan and little Ann - become champions of a national coon-hunting tournament. While doing so they also end up finding Billy’s grandfather injured and lost in the snow. One night while hunting raccoons near their home, the two dogs end up treeing a mountain lion. Old Dan bravely fights the mountain lion to save Billy, but sadly ends up dying from his wounds the next day. Little Anne becomes too depressed to live without Old Dan, and dies soon after. Before moving to town, Billy notices a large Red Fern growing on top of the dog’s graves, which according to Indian Legend means an angel has been there.

The Invisible Man (Unabridged)

By: H. G. Wells
Copyright: 1897
Pages: 192 Pgs.
My Rating: 2 out of 5
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewer: Spanky McFinnegan
SPOILER ALERT

The book The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells, begins in a small town called Iping. A completely covered stranger arrives at the local inn, his face bandaged. As soon as he is settled in he starts to conduct strange experiments in his room. After being watched for many days, Griffin (the invisible man's real name) reveals his identity and flees the town. He then meets a man named Thomas Marvel. Thomas reluctantly agrees to help Griffin. Seeing that Griffin is a madman, he tries to give him “the slip”. The invisible man chases Thomas and is wounded by a policeman that Thomas has run to. Griffin retreats to his college friend, Dr. Kemp's, house. Kemp hears his story and also thinks he’s insane. Griffin is fed up and threatens to kill Dr. Kemp. Kemp runs to hide in the village, and is obviously followed by Griffin. At the village, however, a mob jumps Griffin and kills him.

Overall, this book was pretty bad. Despite the enticing title and cover, it had a very boring plot and only a tiny bit of short-lived action. There are about 170 pgs in this book but they are only get unexciting, wasted pages. Innocent trees have been cut down to give the readers of this book dissatisfaction. Most of the book is mindless talk. Two good responses to this book are “yawn” and “who cares?” I have not read any other of H. G. Wells books but if they are like this one, than I know one thing, reading his books are probably a waste of my time.

The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry
Copyright: 1993
Rating: Amazing
Number of Pages: 180
Reviewer: The Chosen One

The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, is a story about a young boy named Jonas who lives in a community where everything is in order The children are classified by their age, and when they reach the age of 12, a special ceremony is performed and they receive a job that they will do for the rest of their lives - until they are too old and put into the house of the Old. Jonas, who will be a 12 in December, is anxiously waiting to see what's waiting for him in the future. December arrives and he is ready to receive he special career. When the community director presents all the twelves with their jobs they go by who was born first. Jonas was born 19th. In his group there are twenty kids who will become twelves. Once the Director reaches his number, she skips him and goes on to the last person. Everyone in the crowd is shocked. After the director finishes , she the audience that Jonas has received a special job that no one has received in about sixteen years. The job is…

The Giver is an amazing story, once you get into the good parts you can’t put it down until you finish it. If you enjoy this book there are two other books that continue the story. The first is Gathering Blue and the second is The Messenger.

Call It Courage

By Armstrong Sperry
Copyright: 1940
Pages: 92
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reviewer: Lyra

I chose this book because it looked exciting and full of adventure. Also, the description on the back defiinitely made me want to read it. Short but descriptive, this book can quench a readers thirst for a great tale of excitement.

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry is about an adolescent boy named Mafatu who is trying to prove his courage to his tribe. Mafatu lives on the Island of Hikueru with his pet dog and bird. When he was a toddler he was in a tragic accident and from then on was afraid of the sea. However, all the other folk on Hikueru depend on the sea for food and worship it. Since Mafatu is terrified of the water he is an outcast and called a coward. Mafatu decides to take on his fears and prove everyone wrong. Can he truly forget his melancholic past and become the hero he wishes he could be?

American Born Chinese

Author: Gene Luen Yang
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 235
Genre: Grapic Novel
Reviewer: The Dark Knight

Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese is a humorous, fun to read graphic novel about three totally different stories and how they relate. The first is the legendary Chinese tale of the Monkey King. Legend says that the Monkey King was sick of his puny primate form so he decied to be the most powerful monkey on the planet. He did so by mastering The Four Major Disiplines Of Invulnerability; invulnerability to fire, invulnerability to ice, invulnerability to drowning, and invulnerability to wounds. But since he wished to be the best, this was not good enough for him so he mastered The Four Major Discplines Or Bodily Form; giant form, minature form, hair-into-clones, and shapeshift. The second tale in the novel is of Jin Wang, a teenager who has adjusted to life in America and is struggling to get up the courage to ask out Amelia, the girl he is in love with. The third is the story of Danny, an American teen who is visited once a year by his foreign cousin Chin-Kee, who ruins his life. He has switched high schools three times because Chin-Kee has ruined his reputation and made him known not as Danny, but as Chin-Kee's cousin. All three of these enjoyable stories relate in a totally unpredictable way.

Although the end of American Born Chinese was extremely peculiar, all in all I really enjoyed it. I thought that it was a humorous read that included a good, meaningful story. The illustrations were exquisite as well. i thought that Luen Yang's novel was interesting from page one, in fact I read this book in less than an hour. The only flaw was how odd the ending was. It was almost awful, what I consider to be silly. Ok, so I've said enough - but if you are looking to read a short, enjoyable book, then check out Luen Yang's award winning book.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Author: Betty Smith
Copyright: 1943
Rating:excellent
Number of pages:475
Reviewed by: Francine

In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, written in 1943, Francie Nolan, an 11- year- old girl in 1912, lives in a poor family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Francie hasn’t had the easiest life. Her father, Johnny Nolan, is an alcoholic, but he is loving and caring towards her and her brother, Neeley. On a typical Saturday, Neeley and Francie collect junk to trade for extra pennies. Katie Nolan, Francie’s mom, has always loved Neeley more than Francie and has hated herself for it. Although she tries to hide it, both she and Francie know who she loves more. In conclusion, Francie has been living a difficult life in Brooklyn.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was an excellent classic book. It had all the great qualities of a memorable book; it was moving, joyful and interesting. In my opinion, the fictitious story of Francie kept my interest and made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The book included family adventures - some were positive and some were negative. As a result, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is recommended to anyone above the age of 11.

Julie of the Wolves

Author: Jean Craighead George
Copyright: 1972
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Very Good 8/10
# of Pages: 176
Review By: Waimea

In Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, written in 1972, Julie, an Eskimo teenager, decides to leave her family to visit her pen pal in San Francisco - a long way away. Julie escapes her marriage to go visit Amy, her pen pal, and on the way there she lives with a pack of wolves that she calls family. Using her natural Eskimo instincts, taught to her by her father, she struggles to survive in the arctic of Alaska. This riveting story explores the life of Julie and her transformation to a different life.

Overall I think Julie of the Wolves was a great story for kids and teenagers alike. It explores how Julie changes her family life, as well as keeping some of her Eskimo traditions. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good journey of trying to find one's self. Julie transforms herself, but she might not have changed as much as she thought.

Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 273
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie is about Steven Alper, a 13 year old boy, whose life gets turned around when one day he finds out that Jeffery, his younger brother, is diagnosed with a serious illness. Steven lives in Pennsylvania. He is an average boy who goes to middle school and has to deal with his social life, his school life, and most importantly, girls and drumming, his favorite hobby.

In my opinion this book is great and tells the story of an average 13 year old boy in middle school as his life gets turned around by something he wishes never had happened. It’s a book that once you get into it you can’t put down until you have finished.