Deltora Quest #1--- Series of the Month

Deltora Quest
~Series of 8~

Written by Emily Rodda

Published by Scholastic Inc.

For more info, click here

Blogger's Note

Yay! So I have finally posted the first ever series edition book review!!! I'm sooo proud (wow, she's a total egomaniac). This is a great series suitable for kids starting from age 8+ and above. It's typical, but in a nice way. Though it's predictable, it's the perfect choice if you have nothing to read. Personally, I love the seventh book: The Valley of the Lost. At my school lobrary, there is book 3, 4, 7, 8 (if I'm not mistaken). A 4/5 for this. It rocks! (wow, she's soo childish).

Synopsis

The books are centered around the magical land of Deltora, particularly the major cities: Del, Raladin, Hira, Rithmere, Dread Mountain (in fact not a city but a mountain), Tora, and Jaliad. Lief, who has set out to complete his father's quest to save Deltora. Joining Lief is an ex-palace guard Barda. Along the way they meet with Jasmine: a wild child of the Forests of Silence, who has black hair and green eyes. She can speak to trees and has two pets: a blackbird named Kree and a small, gray, furry creature called Filli. Their quest is to find the seven gems of the fabled Belt of Deltora: topaz, ruby, opal, lapis lazuli, emerald, amethyst, and diamond. Each gem is hidden in a dangerous location around Deltora and the three friends must face all sorts of perils to reach them. Once the Belt is complete the evil tyranny of the Shadow Lord will end and Deltora's one sole heir will take his/her rightful place on the throne.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltora_Quest_(series)

#1 Forests of Silence

#5 Dread Mountain

#2 Lake of tears

#6 Maze of the Beast

#7 Valley of the Lost

#3 The City of Rats

#4 the Shifting Sands

#8 Return to Del

The Adventure Doesn't Stop there! Also Available:

Deltora Quest 2

Deltora Quest 3

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Written by Avi (Edward Irving Wortis)
Published by Paw Prints/ Scholastic Inc./ Hyperion Books
262 pages
Winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal

Blogger's Note
This is an alarmingly satisfying story. Even though the lack of humour and extreme action as such, it is still quite... wholesome. After I closed the book (yeah, I was reading it sitting on the floor in a fabric shop while hiding from my brother and trying to cool myself down) I sighed, satisfied. It gave my spirit a raise-up instantly. And a sentence in the last page gave me a handful of ideas and thoughts to chew on. "People say out of life there is death. But for us, out of death, there is also life."~as said by Bear. Ok, fine, so I don't exactly remember the exact words but there it is. So, a well earned 4.5/5. (Yeah, minus 0.5 marks for the total lack of humour. I like funny books)

Synopsis
This story took place during late 137- something (late 14th century). Asta and her son lived in poverty. His father a mystery to him from birth, Asta's Son didn't know who to turn to after the death of his mother as the villages all tend to ignore him safe the local Priest. Asta's Son (no sweat, that's what he's called) accidentally overheard a conversation between the head of the village and a stranger. The Chief found out that they had been overheard and attempted to kill Asta's Son. He flees into the forest. Later, he learned that he was proclaimed a Wolf Head, which gives anybody the right to kill him like a beast, for a crime that he did not commit. Soon, Asta's Son fled from the village with only the cross from his mother and his newly found name- Crispin. As he continued his journeys, he bumps into a fellow traveller/ juggler whom was only known as Bear. Soon, they found out that an army of soldiers are on pursuit with the orders: Kill Asta's Son. Why did they want him dead so badly when he was a mere villager of no status and wealth... or was he not?

Jade Green: A Ghost Story

You know, I'm sorry I haven't been posting any books reviews lately. To make up for it, I'm trying to post as many as possible. Shanks :)



Jade Green: A Ghost Story

Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Published by Paw Prints/ Scholastic Inc.
169 pages
(AND YES THE COVER IS NATURALLY BLUR!!! IT'S A SPECIAL EFFECT OK?!)




Blogger's Note
So, honestly speaking, THIS IS CALLED A GHOST STORY!? OMG!!!! Then Ben Ten can be nominated for The Most Handsome Superhero in Human History! So... you get the point... THIS IS SO NOT A GHOST STORY... MORE LIKE ROMANCE SERIOUSLY! Ok, so there are a few scary points and suspense... but wait till you read my friend Kiara Arcana's stories... then that makes this book look like a five-year-old Winnie the Pooh Disney Edition Book. And the writing style is pretty classic (not seriously classic or not I would have barely pass sentence one). So, overall it is still not bad. Hmm... a max 4/5 for this one.

Synopsis
Orphaned at the age of 15, Judith Sparrow was taken in by her only remaining relative, her elderly Uncle Geoffrey in South Carolina. However, her uncle had one special rule: anything green is not allowed. Judith who was glad that her uncle had agreed to take her in was all ready to abide his request save that she could not bear to part with a picture of her mother in a green silk frame. By bringing this little seemingly harmless thing to her uncle's house, Judith unconsciously unlocked an old secret of this house. And as the days pass, ghostly images of a girl named Jade Green who was believed to have committed suicide in that very house a few years ago appeared before her very eyes. Shivering with horror, Judith started to doubt her own sanity, was she following her mother down the path of madness or was that simply the truth?

The House of the Scorpion

The House of the Scorpion

Written by Nancy Farmer
Published by Atheneum Books (originally) / Scholastic Inc.
400 pages

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
1) A Newbery Honour, 20032) National Book Award, 20023) Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, 2003
4) Sequoyah Book Award, 2004-05
5) Volunteer State Award, 2006
6) Arizona Young Readers Teen Award, 2005
7) South Carolina Junior Readers Award, 2005-2006
8) Rhode Island Teen Book Award Winner, 2005
9) Young Hoosier Book Award Middle Grades, 2006
10) Nevada Young Reader's Award in the Young Adult category, 2005
11) Senior Young Readers Choice Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association, 2004-0512) Buxtehude Bulle Germany, 2003





Blogger's Note
WOW! That's a lot of awards *Jaws hanging open MOM: WHAT ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE A CHIPMUNK WITH A HEART ATTACK?! ME: TOUCHWOOD!!!!*! I first saw this book at my school display section and grabbed it straight away when it was available at my library. Man! This is an inspiring book. The views and the insight is spectacular. I must congratulate Nancy Farmer for her bravery in writing this book. Her ideas and freshness of plot proves that she is one who writes a story to tell what she wants to not write to tell what other people wants to hear and that takes courage and determination. However, personally speaking, I did not enjoy this story. Maybe it was the lack of humour. Or maybe I'm too head high in the clouds with unicorn (Not that I like them) or super powers but I felt a certain lack of connection when I read the book. You know, the special bond? But it's still a great book. For Sci-Fi fans, this is a book that you cannot miss! So... a definate 4/5.
Synopsis
The story takes place around a hundred years from now at a strip of land between USA and Mexico(called Atzlan). It was a Oopium empire, existing because of the unquench greed of the people. Matt is a clone of the El Patron (Matteo Alacran). He was so called "borrowed" to a cook in the mansion, Celia during his childhood, kept a secret in a small hut. Later, he was then discovered by a group of kids and in attempt to join them he broke a window and landed on shards of glass. Bleeding, the kids brought him to the mansion in which he was treated. But then , after discovering he was a clone, the whole body of the mansion treated him with hatred and despite, like a creature lower than a beast. He was then tortured. As Matt grew, he begin to discover more things about this Empire of Opium and how much he didn't know about the world outside as he seeked the answer on why does he exists.
About Sequel
Nancy Farmer states in her blog on her website that the book will have a sequel. She and her husband are moving to the oasis mentioned in the book for further research. Very few things have been leaked about the sequel due to Farmer's recent eye surgery. The original working title was “God's Ash Tray”. However Farmer has recently stated, “I probably won’t call it God’s Ash Tray now because it won’t take place in the Nevada desert known as God’s Ash Tray”, on her blog. (As written at wikipedia)
For more information click on the link below if you don't mind spoilers ;)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_the_Scorpion)

Everwild

Everwild (Second book of the Skinjacker Trilogy)

Written by Neal Shusterman

Published by Simon and Scutchers / Scholastic Inc

345 pages

Thnx Li Anne! :)

Blogger’s Note

This story is AWESOME!!! It is sooo cool! It’s fantastic, marvelous, thrilling, great, a masterpiece… god I’m being nerdy! It’s one of those books that you can never put down, though I must say that the beginning is rather boring. However, children below 11 are advised not to read it as the ideas and way of view is rather heavy to handle. If you think that you can handle that, well, go ahead. It’s overrated man! 5/5!

Synopsis

With the Skywitch and the Chocolate Ogre on the prowl, can the Afterlights of Everlost ever be safe? All Nick—the Chocolate Ogre—wants is to free the Afterlights to the place that they are destined to go—the light. However, the Mary (Skywitch) has other ideas. She sees the land of Everlost as the place of bliss and trying hard to keep them all in Everlost. Allie the Outcast is travelling in search of her old home, with Mickey, the former McGill, in the tow. Her travels bring her to fellow skinjackers and she soon learned the secret that skinjackers aren’t really dead at all…

Mortal Engines

POST-IT NOTE: FROM TODAY ONWARDS I'M POSTING ONLY ONE BOOK REVIEW PER POST. Hope u dun mind :)

BOOK ONE OF THE HUNGRY CITY CHRONICLES:
#1 MORTAL ENGINES; #2 PREDATOR'S GOLD;
#3 INFERNAL DEVICES; #4 A DARKLING PLAIN







Mortal Engines

Written by Philip Reeve
Published by Scholastic Inc.
293 Pages



Blogger’s note

It’s AWESOME!!! I love it man! It’s just the remedy for Sci-Fi/ Fantasy lovers with a smudge of romance. Although the writing style is not all that wacky, but has another essence of humor of its own. It is a great story. It’s one of those books that can raise your spirits up and a contentment that you can only get after reading or watching a great book or movie. There's a way that you can bond with the characters of a book. I don't really feel that these days but I felt that in this book. A sense of belonging and satisfactory that is so rare these days. And finally, a not all too perfect or beautiful character in this story! I’m been finding vampire stories stack with characters that are all too good to be true and I admit that I’m a little sick of it. No offense intended for Twilight fans. A definite 5/5 for this one. :) []

Synopsis

After the Sixty Minute War, due to geological changes, cities are forced to be motorized. Cities eat towns and towns eat villages and villages eat static settlements..... So, the story is in the far future (duh). Tom is just a second level Historian working in the museum of London. And the chugging of machines and everything just seem so fine to him. It was simply awesome! And there's a catch!! London has caught a catch! It had been so long!! Tom was like CRAZY AND Laughing and Crying; But it comes with a price. He was involved in a fight and skipped his duties and was punished to go to the lowest tier. There he met the local hero that he looked upon -- Mr Valentine. Everything seems too perfect to be true and it was Katherine, Mr Valentine's daughter, she was so beautiful and kind.... Suddenly, a girl with copper brown hair lunged out and attempted to kill Mr Valentine. Tom rushed forward and protected Mr Valentine. However, when the girl revealed her identity, Mr Valentine was positive to make sure the witness does not live to tell it. And so, he pushed Tom down the chute where the girl had jumped a few seconds ago in vain to save herself. Soon, Tom found himself in the wild barrens where there is hardly ANYTHING with the assassin whom was flawed, hurt and scarred, Hester Shaw. Back to London, Miss Katherine Valentine was searching for Tom when her evidence pointed her father in a very different light and she suspected that her father was not the great person she though he was.

A fantastic tale of 4 teens in saving their love ones and making sacrifices to save the world from the Medusa. The secret and ultimate weapon. A destroyer. []