Summary: An amazing story from chapter 1 to the end, with surprises along the way.

I just finished Ender's Game, and it was one of my favorite books as soon as I read the first chapter. The story involves a six year old boy, Ender, who is being prepared to save the human race through leadership, cunning, and out-thinking a fearsome alien race. Most of the story takes place in Battle School, where Ender must learn to fight better than any human ever has, even when all the odds continue to be stacked against him. Card combined battle smarts, psychology, and an unforgettable hero to create a completely original novel.

Card's characters were incredibly believable. He combined situations of real people, a world war, and manipulative teachers, while making it extremely interesting. The details of battle school were excellent. The words he uses to describe things makes you think this place really exists, or this situation really occurred. Ender’s Game is a wondrous tale of willpower, knowledge, mercy, wrath, deceit and much more. It is a must read.

Author Orson Scott Card completely astonished me with this book. It has opened me up to reading more of his books, and reading in general. It showed me that when you pick up a book, you never really know what you’re in for. Ender's Game was the winner of both the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards for the best science fiction novel of its time.


Recommend for: 11 - 18 years old.

Summary: Great fun with a touch of weird.


What I liked: Whales on Stilts is a very creative story. Three kids from familiar detective books are the stars: Jasper Dash - the Boy Technonaut, Katie Mulligan of the Horror Hollows series, and Lily Gefilte. Together they help each other to stop a plot by the boss of Lily’s dad, who is a whale-human hybrid. He is secretly plotting to take over the world with an army of giant whales on stilts (with heat-vision!). The book is an easy read, with lots of humor. If you liked Lemony Snicket’s books, you might like Whales on Stilts.

Didn't like: This book might be trying a little too hard to be funny, but in places I thought it was hilarious.

Recommend for: 5 – 11 years old.

Summary: Great story writing and dark, mysterious fun.


What I liked: This book is about a girl named, yes, May Bird. She falls into a lake, which is actually a portal to another realm. A realm with ghosts, ghouls, and demons. Overrun by an evil spirit, the Ever After is slowly falling into danger. Read this intruiging story, and the many adventures of Ether to find the Book of the Dead, which holds the future to the universe and her way back home.

May Bird and the Ever After is also filled with a lot of lovable and despicable characters, but rememberable all the same. Such as Pumpkin, Alister, and of course, Somber Kitty. A uniquely fun story that you won’t find every day; it compells you to turn every page. A time passer that will make you want to pass the time with.


Didn't like: In some parts you start to think its getting to dark and gloomy, but then something shocking happens. Every chapter! There’s nothing really bad about this book in my opinion.

Additional: Great descriptive writing that is easy to read at the same time.


Recommend for: All ages, mostly young teens.

My dad told me about some critics that are complaining about the Pizza Hut Book It program. He asked my opinion, my immediate answer:
They are Big Dummies!

Susan Linn, their leader, said it "undermines parents", "promotes junk food", and said it "epitomizes everything that's wrong..." HEY SUSAN, you may be a Harvard doc, but when it comes to kids and reading, you're a Big Dummy, and you can Book that.

Some of my favorite times has been when my mom takes me to the Pizza Hut to cash in on the Book It program. It doesn't happen every day, and it's great quality time with my mom. "Undermine parents"? Just the opposite, it brought us closer, and I appreciated her taking the time to take me by there. Also, I felt a little proud to cash in for my mom to see!

And I like the pizza, what's so wrong about that? "Junk food"? I'm lean and athletic, and have a ripped stomach you will probably never have. (photo coming soon) Obesity? You don't get obese from visiting a Pizza Hut a few times a year, even a month. That's ridiculous. Since when did having some bread, tomato paste, and cheese become junk? Civilizations have eaten basic foods like that for centuries; I learned that in 5th grade history, what's your excuse?

Oh, and the "epitomizes," blah, blah, blah. Big words from a little person. And that's coming from a 12 year old. A 12 year old that loves to read, and has built on that reading to write as well. That reading helped give me the vocabulary to win the county speech contest as a nine year old, and has taken me to countless imaginary worlds. I salute Pizza Hut for a great job encouraging kids to read, and hope people see that Susan Linn makes no sense. No donuts for you or your Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Additional:
>>Dad sez: “Nick has read piles of books for the sheer joy of it, AND loves the Book It program. This lady is full of herself, and harmful to kids."

Recommend articles: Here are some blogs and articles that get it right. Five donuts for each of them!

Any program that promotes childhood literacy is positive
- Melissa Whalen

Pizza Hut is not the problem
- Eric Strand

Parents, kids don't need Harvard expert's battle against 'Book It' pizzas
- The Morning Journal

Get Your Kids Hooked on Reading with Book It
- Alicia Bodine

Summary:
One of the best how to draw books ever.

What I liked: This book really shows you how to draw comics the Marvel way. It shows you how to draw with solid

shadows, blended shadows, defined muscles, you name it, and you can draw it. I guarantee when you're done with this book, your comic

skills will be increased ten-fold.

Didn't like: I didn’t find anything wrong with this book. All pros’s for the pros. :)

Additional: My dad also has used this book and agrees with me completely that this is an outstanding book. Below are some pages from the book, and a drawing of mine after reading it. Click on a photo for a larger image.

	Plenty of pages showing how to start from lines and geometric shapes, and working towards a shaped and active character.
	From the chapter on foreshortening, to give perspective to your active characters.
	Stan shows you how to draw heads from every possible angle.
	This is one of the drawings I made after reading the book. It is not traced!

Recommend for: All ages interested in drawing comics, or just drawing.

Summary:
Bridge to Terabithia wasn’t what I expected at all, it was a good movie but had too much drama, not enough action.

What I liked: It was a good movie and story, good acting. I think moms will like the story more than anyone.

Didn't like: In the movie trailers and commercials there was action, action, action. In the actual movie it was drama, drama, drama. The film was meant to be uplifting and happy but it can be very sad and slightly even disturbing.:)

Additional: I would have enjoyed it more if the advertising had explained it better.
>>Mom says, “There were a few of us crying in the theater.”
>>Dad: “A Bridge to Terabithia is a really good movie about friendships, and cherishing our unique talents, but it was not so much about magic and fantasy kingdoms like Narnia was.”
>>Brother (17 yrs): “I’d recommend for some of my friends, not all. It was a good drama.”

Other opinions at:
Man Bytes Dog

KidsPickFlicks

Recommend for: Adults, and some teens. Younger kids may enjoy the few thrilling parts this film has to offer, but the emotional impact it gave me will cause me to think twice before buying my next ticket.