The Secret Life of Prince Charming

by Deb Caletti

Student Book Review submitted by Maddie:

The Secret Life of Prince Charming is about a girl, Quinn, whose parents got divorced and she has just gotten to see her father regularly again. After his longtime girlfriend leaves him, Quinn discovers that her Dad has a disturbing secret. She decides to go on a "karmic quest" with her half sister that she hardly knew existed and her younger sister to find the truth of her Dad's past.

I loved this book because it had a lot of personal thoughts that kids, especially ones whose parents have gotten divorced, can really relate to. Deb Caletti did a good job of mixing a good story with fun-to-read girl drama. This book is not too hard to read, and definitely good for anyone who likes girl-empowering books.

Out of My Mind

by Sharon Draper

Student Book Review submitted by Chloe:

This book is about a girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy. Because of her disease, she can't talk or move. It's as if she is paralyzed, but her brain isn't paralyzed.  In fact, she's one of the smartest kids in her class, but no one knows that because she can't talk. How would you feel if all of your thoughts just built up in your mind and you couldn't communicate them or even use sign language?  The exciting parts in the book are when she gets bullied by other students, but overcomes her problems. One example is when she gets this super high tech computer that helps her communicate her thoughts. It can find a phrase easily and it is designed to help her problem.

I loved this book because it totally helped me see a different perspective.  I usually only see people with a disability like that on the outside, but I have never really thought deeply on what is going on inside of them. I would recommend this book because it totally makes you think of people with a disability like that in a new way and it made me happy to think that there are ways to communicate with them.

A Long Walk To Water

by Linda Sue Park

Student Book Review submitted by Liam:

This is a great book. It is about a civil war in Sudan. This book is mainly about a boy named Salva and his struggles while growing into a man after his family's village is attacked and he's forced to flee. There is another storyline going on at the same time about a girl having to walk the whole day, every day, just to get enough water for her family to live. I especially think this book is amazing because I love reading about wars.

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Student Book Review submitted by Lucy:

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch is telling the story of her white father, Atticus Finch, defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This book is set during the time in our history when slavery has ended but there is still a lot of racism around. In this story, many people who heard about the case said right away, "The black man did it. It has to be!" They wouldn't think twice about considering that the white girl might be lying and that the black man could be innocent. There was a lot of racism in the South back then and many people were totally unfair.  I find this book sad and...

The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues Series #1)

by Rick Riordan

Student Book Review submitted by Lucy:

Amy and Dan's grandmother just died leaving behind a will. In the will, they can either take $1 million or the first clue out of 39 that will lead them on a race. Amy and Dan choose to accept the clue, but it leads them on dangerous routes and they come close to death! They almost get poisoned and almost get lost in a maze full of human bones. But despite all of that, they also find what they are as Cahills. Amy and Dan have begun a dangerous race, but only one will finish...

War Dances

by Sherman Alexie

Student Book Review submitted by Emma:

This is a collection of short stories all written around the same theme--Humans aren't perfect, but we can make it through our mistakes. It is full of poems and short stories that will make you laugh and cry.  I loved this book so much! Sherman Alexie writes really sweet poems, and the stories all have a really deep and thoughtful meaning to them. It is a great book--short, but full of fascinating stories and poetry. My personal favorite is a poem about couples on airplanes who always ask people to switch seats with them so that they can sit next to their spouses.

The Million Dollar Strike

by Dan Gutman

Student Book Review submitted by Allison:

This book is about these two boys who love bowling. Their favorite bowling alley is getting shut down.The owner of this bowling alley has more than a million dollars and sets up a million dollar strike contest to bring more customers in. Do they get picked? Do they roll a strike? Find out in The Million Dollar Strike.

I loved this book because it wasn't real but it could happen in real life. I thought that maybe this could happen to me.What if it did? How would my life change? This book left me thinking about what their lives were like after the book ended. How did their lives change?  From this book, I also learned that anything can happen, good or bad, to make your life better or worse.

Take Me There

by Carolee Dean

Student Book Review submitted by Raegan:

Dylan is a 17-year-old boy with a bad reputation including being to juvie, associating with a gang, and involvement with drugs and alcohol. He and his friend Wade are trying to come clean, but a huge mistake and a nearby execution forces them to leave for Texas. This is really hard on Dylan, because it means leaving behind the love of his life, Jess, a rich pretty girl with an incredible voice. But she's better off without him... or so he thinks.

I literally stayed up for two hours to read the end of this book. It's so exciting! Once you start, the pages...

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

Student Book Review submitted by Amy:

Katsa is a Graceling, a teenage girl with superhuman powers. She can kill with the slightest touch, and is a play thing of her uncle, the King. Until one day, she refuses to do his bidding. Now she is on the run with her uncle's guards hot on her trails, and aided by her friend Price Po, she gradually realizes that her Grace may not be killing after all...

I loved it because it is very action-packed. Apart from one inappropriate part, the story is a suspenseful, wonderful mess of tangled thoughts, realizations, true identities, and heroism. I would (and did) give 5 stars for this book!

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

by Darren Shan

Student Book Review submitted by Neve:

This is a series of 12 books about a boy named Darren and his best friend Steve. When they secretly go to a freak show during the night, Steve recognizes one of the performers who is a vampire. Something unbelievable happens there that night that leads to Darren making the decision of his life. Find out the rest of the incredible story in the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan.

I personally LOVE these books and will probably rate them a 10. They have a lot of suspense and I definitely recommend these books to people that like scary mystery/adventure books. You won't be able to put the book down. I know for sure you'll love these books.

The Dead-Tossed Waves

by Carrie Ryan

Student Book Review submitted by Kaya:

Did you love The Forest Of Hands and Teeth? Well this may be one of the only sequels to a book I loved that's even better! Gabry is living a quiet life by the sea with her mother, Mary. Yet, despite the fences, after the return, NO ONE is safe. After one reckless act of rebellion, half of Gabry's generation is dead and the other half is being sent off to fight an endless battle. And the one boy she's ever loved is stuck between life and death.

I'm not usually a fan of zombie books, however, not only is this book entertaining, but it's masterfully written. Carrie Ryan has a way of...

Blessing's Bead

by Debby Dahl Edwardson

Student Book Review submitted by Kaya:

Two different girls, two different times, two different stories, and only three things connect them: blood, loss and a beautiful blue bead.
Nutaaq's sister marries a handsome Siberian man and gives her sister two blue beads... one for each of them, a promise to return.  But death rips Nutaaq's world into shreds and she's forced to flee the only world she's ever known.
Blessing's family has been torn apart and she is forced to return to the world of her great-grandmother and live with Nutaaq's daughter--the grandmother she's never known.
Can Nutaaq's bead- Blessing's bead -save her from wasting away in this new world? Will Nutaaq's sister keep her promise? Find out in Blessing's Bead.

This is a Bulldogs Read book- and it's a good one! A great story about growing up and finding yourself. An awesome book full of heart. I loved it SO MUCH! Every girl should take time to read it--there are so many lessons this story has to offer.

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner

Student Book Review submitted by Megan:

This is book is about a young boy name Thomas. He wakes up one day and he is like in a box. As soon as he gets on top he is pulled by a group of boys. He doesn't know anything--not his name, age, where he came from and most importantly how he got there! He soon learns that he is in a place called Glade.  He also learns there is a maze outside.  Each day runners go out and try to find a way to come out.  They try to come back before the doors closes because, once they close, they are stuck inside the maze with the Grievers. Then many more things happen...very weird things!  Hint: A girl comes a day after Thomas arrives and it's very weird because they've never had a girl beforehand. The girl also brings in some bad news...

The Water Seeker

by Kimberly Willis Holt

Student Book Review submitted by Daniel:

This is an early 1800's realistic fiction book but a little bit of a fantasy twist as well--a sixth sense.  The story starts out with a man, Jake, who digs wells for a living. He then digs a well for a farmer who did not have any money, so instead he got land to settle down in. A while later he gets married to a woman named Delilah.  Jake and Delilah then live a normal routine where Jake goes west to work and Delilah stays home. But one year Delilah becomes . By the end of May, Delilah is at her mother's house and having the baby. By the time the baby comes out, Delilah is dead!

Well, in the beginning I thought...

Virals

by Kathy Reichs

Student Book Review submitted by Abby:

What if all your senses were heightened? Your ears would be able to hear anything from miles away. In this action-packed adventure by Kathy Reichs (the TV show BONES was based on her character for adults), four kids, Tory, Shelton, Hi, and Ben, think that something fishy is going on at Loggerhead Research Institute. When they arrive they end up catching a stray wolf-pup...and a virus; a virus that will change them forever, giving them wolflike powers. Using their senses, they will have to solve a cold-case murder. Now they are more than just friends, they are what we call VIRALS.

I recommend this book because...

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

by Carrie Ryan

Student Book Review submitted by Emma:

This book is about a girl named Mary who lives in what the "Sisterhood" tells them is the only village left after the "Return." Mary has to figure out what to do when tragedy strikes and a stranger comes in from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Is there life beyond the fences and the Forest, full of Unconsecreted? Mary must band together wih friends after destruction falls on her village and go out into the unknown world. What will they find and what secrets will they uncover? Find out in The Forest Of Hands And Teeth!

I personally LOVED this book because of the way it was written and the way the author portrayed each character. It is a thrilling story that will make you long for more and keep flipping the pages. There is a very fine line between creepy and beautiful and Carrie Ryan has captured a perfect midway. This truly is a great read!

Nightmares and Dreamscapes

by Stephen King

Student Book Review submitted by Emma:

This is a collection of some of horror author Stephen King's short stories. Some are scary stories, some are mysteries, and some are just strange.  I love this book because all of the stories in it are so great. My favorite is "The End of the Whole Mess." There are such a variety, though, that are fun to read for almost anybody. The one thing they all share in common is that they are all easy to connect to. You find yourself empathizing with the characters in the book.

Book News: 10th Pretty Little Liars coming soon!

Book News submitted by Bria:

Like Pretty Little Liars?  Have you read all of the books and really want to know what happens next?  Well, the 9th book, Twisted, came out early this past summer.  The 10th book, Ruthless, is coming out in mid-December.  I'm excited!  Are you?

Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Diary

by Carolyn Keene

Student Book Review submitted by Sasha:

This mystery is about a guy who is on trial for setting a fire that killed someone. The main character, Nancy Drew, has a father who is a lawyer in River Heights. She also has two best friends, Bess (a girlie girl) and George (a tom boy). Together they must help to prove this guy's innocence and solve the mystery.

This book is my favorite because when Nancy first starts this mystery she meets this guy that she thinks is part of the mystery. But, later, he gives her clues that help her solve the case and he becomes a new main character in the Nancy Drew series and Nancy's boyfriend. This part is so interesting to me because I never knew there was a start to Nancy knowing Ned Nickerson. You will love this Nancy Drew book!

Fablehaven

by Brandon Mull

Student Book Review submitted by Brynn:

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that when they go to their grandfather's house there will be a magical realm awaiting them. As they explore the powerful woods surrounding them, they find fairies, witches, imps, and many more unimagineable magical creatures. All of the creatures are tamed by very ancient laws. But when one of the rules is broken, all evil becomes unleashed. Kendra and Seth must trust each other and some of the magical creatures to overcome a giant challenge and save their family as well as Fablehaven.

I loved this book because it took me on an adventure of excitement and...

The Neverending Story

by Michel Ende

Student Book Review submitted by Amy:

What if anything you wished for would come true? That's what happened to pudgy Bastian Blalathazar Buxe in The Neverending Story. When Bastian got sucked into the Neverending Story, he got more and more entwined into its wonder until the line between real and unreal started to blur. Will he be able to get back to the real world before he forgets who he is? This story is a roller coaster ride of humor, heartbreak, and suspense. A book you will want to read again and again!

I learned from this book to be careful what you wish for...

Milkweed

by Jerry Spinelli

Student Book Review submitted by Lucy:


He is called Jew. He is called Stopthief. He is called Misha. He lives all by himself, on the streets. Until one day--someone, Uri, took him in. Misha, at first, wanted to be a Nazi because of their shiny boots but he quickly learns that it might not be a good thing to be a Nazi if you're a Jew. Horrible things happen to him just because he's a Jew. And this brings back the horrible story of the Holocaust. 

I really did love this book. It was sad and very heart-stopping. I just couldn't believe he...

Author talks on October 13th

This October, five powerhouse female authors from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group will set out on a 6 city U.S. tour to promote their latest titles, with one of those cities being Seattle. On October 13th, these five authors will be visiting Madison Middle School to give author talks in the morning. Students will be attending author talks by grade level (8th grade--1st period, 7th grade--2nd period, 6th grade--3rd period) and parents are welcome to join us at any of the grade level author talks. There will also be a book seller on site so that students can purchase and take home books that day. See below for the list of authors and their featured books. Hope you can join us!

1. Alexandra Adornetto, the 19 year old New York Times bestselling author of Halo(Fall 2010) is back with HADES (Feiwel & Friends, September 2011), Book II in the Halo Trilogy. With plans to attend Ole Miss this fall, Ally is excited to meet even more of her peers and fans there and on the road.

2. Alyson Noël, the bestselling author of the Immortals and the Riley Bloom series, is continuing her middle-grade series with DREAMLAND (Square Fish, September 2011). Alyson requires little introduction and is beloved by many.

3. Gabrielle Zevin's readers will be happy to hear that she's publishing her first series! After many great reviews for Elsewhere, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and her two adult novels, her fan base is surely anticipating ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE (FSG BYR, September 2011).

4. Jessica Brody joins this fabulous line-up as excitement builds for her new teen site, mylifeundecided.com, based on her most recent book, MY LIFE UNDECIDED (FSG BYR, May 2011). Jessica is also the author of The Karma Club, and has developed great online relationships with hundreds of followers.

5. Last but not least, we are thrilled to release the sequel to The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. THE FOX INHERITANCE (Henry Holt BYR, September 2011) has generated lots of buzz as eager readers anticipate the continuation of Jenna's story.

Book News: Third "Kane Chronicles" book coming soon

Book News submitted by Jackson:

Did you guys know that the third book in the Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan is coming in May 2012? The first two books are Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire. Rick Riordan hasn't released the title of his third book yet. Any predictions?

Whisper

by Phoebe Kitanidis

Student Book Review submitted by Cady:

What if you could hear everyone's deepest, darkest wishes? Joy, a fifteen year-old girl who can "Hear", can do just that. She can't push it away. She has no control. But will a warning from her older sister that she's going "Whisper-deaf" and a chance meeting with the brother of her crush (who may have a similar power) change her, or will she push it all away and retreat?

I love this book. I absolutely love it. The edge of your seat plot and amazing characters--I love it as a whole. The only thing I didn't like was that there's no sequel. Just a book about what happened next. I've read it about 30 times, and I'm planning on going further than that. What made this book so interesting was that I know the author personally and, every time I'd stop reading or take a pause, it left me wondering what went through her head as she wrote Whisper. I loved visualizing the characters--Icka and Aunt J in particular. The details she gives you leaves you with...

Book News: Sequel to "Matched" coming soon

Book News submitted by Ally:

Ever heard of Matched by Ally Condie? Well, you may or may not know that her sequel is named Crossed, where it somewhat picks up where it left off at the end of Matched. Crossed will be hitting bookstores November 1st, 2011!

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Student Book Review submitted by Lucy:

This is a really gory book. But then it's really mind-catching. There's like a game called the Hunger games. The point is to kill your opponents until you're the last one standing. It is awesome though. Someone gets choosen, Prim, and her sister, Katniss, takes her spot. I really love this book. It was very sad but it's a real page turner.

Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians

by Brandon Sanderson

Student Book Review submitted by Sonya:

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is great because it's really funny (also the sequel is). The main character is Alcatraz Smedry. If you are born a Smedry, you get a talent and his is breaking things. Other talents include tripping, being late, and losing things. One other thing that makes this book good is that most of the characters in the book are named after prisons. Alcatraz is a foster kid and the longest he's stayed at one house was 8 months. The reason for this is that he breaks almost everthing: door handles, tables, washing machines, and chickens. Then one day a "crazy" man comes to his house and says that he's his grandpa. The only thing I don't like about about Alcatraz Versus the Evil Libarians is that at the end of EVERY CHAPTER he leaves you on a cliff hanger.

Looking for Alaska




by John Green

 

 Student Book Review submitted by Ally:

Looking for Alaska is about Miles Halter, a.k.a "Pudge", who starts to attend Culver Creek Boarding School. Pudge has a little special quirk. He remembers famous lasts words. (ex. "JFK." Alaska said. "Someone said, 'Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you,' and then he said, 'That's obvious,' and then he got shot." Pudge answered.) There he meets a few interesting people: Takumi; Chip, better known as "The Colonel"; and the beautiful and troubled Alaska Young. These three are the great pranksters of Culver Creek. There, they battle out with the Weekday Warriors, The Eagle with his "Look of Doom", his Swan spawned from Satan, and anything else that is thrown at them. In the book it slowly counts down to the big accident. After, nothing will ever be the same.

I loved this book. For one, I have a big craving to...

Book News: Great Book Trailer for Yummy by G. Neri

Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty from Greg Neri on Vimeo.

Rot & Ruin

by Jonathan Maberry

Who would have ever thought that you could cry over a zombie novel? Well that is exactly what happened to me as I read Rot & Ruin, the first book in a post-apocalyptic zombie novel series. This story is set 14 years after a plague has hit the earth and caused the dead to rise and humanity to fall. Benny Imura is one of the lucky ones that survived the fall and is now living with his brother and others in a town called Mountainside, right on the border of the zombie-infested Rot and Ruin. His brother, Tom, has a job as a zombie killer, but as far as Benny knows, he's the weakest and most cowardly of them all. But when Benny reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with his "boring" big brother, Tom, his whole view of zombies and...

Join the Bulldogs Read competition for 2011-2012

Check out our new Bulldogs Read book program for 2011-2012. There are 50 new book titles to choose from that were published in 2010 and every student at Madison is encouraged to read at least one Bulldogs Read book during the school year. There will be weekly prize drawings for any student that reads a Bulldogs Read book. There will also be a monthly competition between grade levels and between boys and girls. The grand prize winner each month will be chosen from the grade level that reads the most Bulldogs Read books that month and the gender that reads the most.  Check out the Bulldogs Read book list on this blog and get started reading!

Book News: Inheritance coming soon!

Inheritance, the fourth book in Christopher Paolini's Eragon series, is coming soon. It will be available in stores on November 8th and will, of course, be on our library shelves that morning. Be the first to get it!!  Watch the book trailer now.

Hatin' on Necromancer

by Lish McBride

I don't know about you, but I'm a big scaredy cat when it comes to books and movies. That's probably why I didn't love Lish McBride's book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Now you're probably wondering why I still included it as a Bulldogs Read book for this year...Well, first off, Mr. Owens could not stop raving about it last year and said that boys will absolutely love it. Secondly, it is set in Seattle with a skateboard riding, burger flipping hero, which is pretty cool. And finally...

Lockdown

by Walter Dean Myers

Reese has been at Progress juvenile detention center for over two years now, but it seems the only progress that's been happening there is kids moving from juvy jail to real jail. That is Reese's greatest fear, so he is doing his best to make sure he gets out on time, if not early. But it seems there is always something, or someone, trying to pull him back into the system.  When he gets a spot in the work release program working at a senior citizens' home, Reese feels like...

Prime Baby

by Gene Luen Yang

Okay, so the cover makes this graphic novel (New York Times comic strip) look like a book for little kids, but it is hilarious, a little bit sarcastic, and definitely a read that anyone with an annoying younger brother or sister will appreciate (I think I was that annoying younger sister!!). This is the story of Thaddeus, who hates his new little sister, mostly because she is not very smart (she can only say "gah") and she gets all of the attention from his parents. Once he becomes convinced she is an alien, he starts...

A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

by Brenda Woods

If you could get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for anything at all, what would it be? What do you want to be known for? This is the topic behind Ms. Hart's 10th grade creative writing assignment that gets nine teenage students talking and each telling their own story of challenge and hope for the future. From dealing with a possible career ending basketball injury to overcoming...

Bruiser

by Neal Shusterman

Whoa! I did not see that coming. I thought this book was realistic fiction to start, but then the plot took an abrupt turn that left me with my mouth hanging open. Sixteen-year-old twins Tennyson and Bronte aren't the closest of siblings, but Tennyson is concerned when his sister starts dating Brewster "Bruiser" Rawlins, an antisocial delinquent that was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. But as the twins grow closer to Bruiser, they discover his frightening secret that...

Boys Without Names

by Kashmira Sheth

Eleven-year-old Gopal has just moved with his family from his rural village in India to the big city of Mumbai, leaving his friends and beloved countryside behind. With his father missing and his family in need of cash to survive, Gopal makes the unfortunate decision to trust a boy he meets in the city who offers him work at his uncle's "factory." But there is no factory, just a stuffy "sweatshop" where Gopal and five other boys are imprisoned and forced to...

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

by G. Neri

Gang violence, a young boy trying to prove himself and find family and protection, Chicago 1994. This is the true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, who, at the young age of just 11, shot and killed a 14-year-old girl Shavon Dean in his neighborhood.  Yummy was then on the run for three days while there was a massive manhunt for him, or, as the story's narrator calls it, a "boy hunt" because that's what he was. Caught up in an older gang called the Black Disciples, this graphic novel account of this true story makes you question whether Yummy was a cold-blooded killer or just another victim of the gang world's control over...

Ruth and the Green Book

by Calvin Ramsey

Think picture books are just for little kids? Not so with Ruth and the Green Book. This is a great short read about a young African American girl named Ruth, whose family decided to go on a road trip one summer from Chicago to her Grandma's home in Alabama after they purchase their first car. But the South is very different in the 1950s than her hometown of Chicago, as Ruth soon realizes after being turned away from bathrooms, restaurants, and hotels time and time again because they are for "whites only."  Their road trip becomes a whole lot safer, though, when they are given the Green Book, a guidebook that...

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing,Traitor to the Nation: Volume I: The Pox Party

by M.T. Anderson

Set in Boston on the brink of Revolutionary War, this is the story of 16-year-old  Octavian, a young slave who doesn't know he is a slave...yet. That's because, ever since his pregnant mother was stolen from her African village and sold to a rich and quite peculiar philosopher living in Boston, Octavian has been raised with a life of great privilege.  He has had all of the advantages that a son of a wealthy white man in that time period would have--the finest clothing, private tutors, an education in violin, Latin and Greek--exactly the opposite of what you would expect for an African slave living during that time. What Octavian doesn't know, though, is that he is part of an experiment and...