Awards

Cookiesaurus Rex comes out of the oven with a huge attitude! He starts out happy with his green frosting until he realizes that other cookies are getting sprinkles and more. Is he happy with his new look? See the different ways he’s decorated and find out what happens to him in the end. This is a fun book with colorful illustrations that help tell the story.

This book was a really good start to the Harry Potter series. I had been recommended to it a few times before reading it, and it was totally worth it. This book starts the series comprising of Harry Potter's adventures at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. I liked how this book never really let me down with many exciting elements and details leading up to a huge climax. Although, it did seem to drag at the beginning. I didn't really like that, but once you get past Harry's life with his aunt and uncle, you will not be disappointed. This is a book to read if you are into fantasy, and action.

This book was a really good start to the Harry Potter series. I had been recommended to it a few times before reading it, and it was totally worth it. This book starts the series comprising of Harry Potter's adventures at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. I liked how this book never really let me down with many exciting elements and details leading up to a huge climax. Although, it did seem to drag at the beginning. I didn't really like that, but once you get past Harry's life with his aunt and uncle, you will not be disappointed. This is a book to read if you are into fantasy, and action.

This book was a really good start to the Harry Potter series. I had been recommended to it a few times before reading it, and it was totally worth it. This book starts the series comprising of Harry Potter's adventures at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. I liked how this book never really let me down with many exciting elements and details leading up to a huge climax. Although, it did seem to drag at the beginning. I didn't really like that, but once you get past Harry's life with his aunt and uncle, you will not be disappointed. This is a book to read if you are into fantasy, and action.

This book was a really good start to the Harry Potter series. I had been recommended to it a few times before reading it, and it was totally worth it. This book starts the series comprising of Harry Potter's adventures at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. I liked how this book never really let me down with many exciting elements and details leading up to a huge climax. Although, it did seem to drag at the beginning. I didn't really like that, but once you get past Harry's life with his aunt and uncle, you will not be disappointed. This is a book to read if you are into fantasy, and action.

As I’ve been reading through the Tales of Alvin Maker series, I have found it interesting to see what big societal issues have been covered so far. While Seventh Son tackled religion and Red Prophet delved into politics and war, Prentice Alvin bit off a big chunk of racism and tried to address it in a way that’s half fantasy and half historical fiction. Sure, there’s still some semblance of the religion content present in this book that informs the racism dialogue. Still, these large issues end up taking a back seat to the more fascinating aspects of the titular character learning how to control his incredible powers.

In fact, this might be my favorite book of the series so far. It’s always more entertaining to watch a character come into the depth of their abilities, and Prentice Alvin has this in spades (both metaphorically and literally). While there weren’t many instances of Alvin directly being affected by a conflict that would require him to grow as a character, there were enough inevitable plot points that made me wonder how he would handle the situation. These twists helped to enforce the world-building that Orson Scott Card has excelled at for some time.

Perhaps the reason why I like this book as compared to its two predecessors comes down to how it focused more on the “magic” of this alternate history and less on the similarities to the American historical context. I’ve never been much of a fan of historical fiction, but I do appreciate explaining the events of the past through the lens of magical realism or fantasy. It’s likely why I’ll keep reading this series for the time being. At the very least, I’m curious how Alvin will grow from here, as he’s developed into a strong character who can basically do anything he wants.

A magical take on addressing the racism of America’s past, I give Prentice Alvin 4.5 stars out of 5.

As I’ve been reading through the Tales of Alvin Maker series, I have found it interesting to see what big societal issues have been covered so far. While Seventh Son tackled religion and Red Prophet delved into politics and war, Prentice Alvin bit off a big chunk of racism and tried to address it in a way that’s half fantasy and half historical fiction. Sure, there’s still some semblance of the religion content present in this book that informs the racism dialogue. Still, these large issues end up taking a back seat to the more fascinating aspects of the titular character learning how to control his incredible powers.

In fact, this might be my favorite book of the series so far. It’s always more entertaining to watch a character come into the depth of their abilities, and Prentice Alvin has this in spades (both metaphorically and literally). While there weren’t many instances of Alvin directly being affected by a conflict that would require him to grow as a character, there were enough inevitable plot points that made me wonder how he would handle the situation. These twists helped to enforce the world-building that Orson Scott Card has excelled at for some time.

Perhaps the reason why I like this book as compared to its two predecessors comes down to how it focused more on the “magic” of this alternate history and less on the similarities to the American historical context. I’ve never been much of a fan of historical fiction, but I do appreciate explaining the events of the past through the lens of magical realism or fantasy. It’s likely why I’ll keep reading this series for the time being. At the very least, I’m curious how Alvin will grow from here, as he’s developed into a strong character who can basically do anything he wants.

A magical take on addressing the racism of America’s past, I give Prentice Alvin 4.5 stars out of 5.

As I’ve been reading through the Tales of Alvin Maker series, I have found it interesting to see what big societal issues have been covered so far. While Seventh Son tackled religion and Red Prophet delved into politics and war, Prentice Alvin bit off a big chunk of racism and tried to address it in a way that’s half fantasy and half historical fiction. Sure, there’s still some semblance of the religion content present in this book that informs the racism dialogue. Still, these large issues end up taking a back seat to the more fascinating aspects of the titular character learning how to control his incredible powers.

In fact, this might be my favorite book of the series so far. It’s always more entertaining to watch a character come into the depth of their abilities, and Prentice Alvin has this in spades (both metaphorically and literally). While there weren’t many instances of Alvin directly being affected by a conflict that would require him to grow as a character, there were enough inevitable plot points that made me wonder how he would handle the situation. These twists helped to enforce the world-building that Orson Scott Card has excelled at for some time.

Perhaps the reason why I like this book as compared to its two predecessors comes down to how it focused more on the “magic” of this alternate history and less on the similarities to the American historical context. I’ve never been much of a fan of historical fiction, but I do appreciate explaining the events of the past through the lens of magical realism or fantasy. It’s likely why I’ll keep reading this series for the time being. At the very least, I’m curious how Alvin will grow from here, as he’s developed into a strong character who can basically do anything he wants.

A magical take on addressing the racism of America’s past, I give Prentice Alvin 4.5 stars out of 5.

Max Brooks is an agent of the United Nations, tasked with collecting the stories of those who lived through the Zombie War. Having broken out when a young Chinese boy was bitten while swimming, it spread through illegal organ and human trafficking, hidden by governments, until a massive outbreak occurs in South Africa, shining a light in a plague that would bring humanity to the brink of extinction. Max Brooks’ World War Z chronicles the stories of people from all walks of life, from military scientists, to blind old Japanese men, to astronauts aboard the ISS, and their stories of how they survived the terrors of the assault of the living dead.

Fahrenheit 451 is a classic book that most people have heard the title of. With a similar style to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, Fahrenheit 451 takes the reader into a future where books are outlawed and the people of this alternate future are basically mindless robots. The people of this future have an intake of mindless media that even surpasses that of us currently. The main character is a firefighter but different from what we are used to. These firefighters fight with fire, burning houses and books if they are found since they are against the law. But soon after meeting a girl who does not conform to this society’s media consumption, the main character begins to rebel and go against the norm. Fahrenheit 451 is a spooky prediction of what the future will hold and after reading it, I can already see us as a society heading on this path. A truly incredible read, Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that cannot be missed.

Fahrenheit 451 is a classic book that most people have heard the title of. With a similar style to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, Fahrenheit 451 takes the reader into a future where books are outlawed and the people of this alternate future are basically mindless robots. The people of this future have an intake of mindless media that even surpasses that of us currently. The main character is a firefighter but different from what we are used to. These firefighters fight with fire, burning houses and books if they are found since they are against the law. But soon after meeting a girl who does not conform to this society’s media consumption, the main character begins to rebel and go against the norm. Fahrenheit 451 is a spooky prediction of what the future will hold and after reading it, I can already see us as a society heading on this path. A truly incredible read, Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that cannot be missed.

The first installment of Ranger's Apprentice, the Ruins of Gorlan, is a fantasy-based book telling the story of a young orphaned boy, Will. Living in the Kingdom of Araluen, Will grows up in the time of a coming war. His journey starts once he is assigned to his job in the Kingdom, to which he will later become one of the most renowned and powerful characters.

As a start to a large series, the Ruins of Gorlan is a perfect set-up to the characters and plot. It introduces characters in a unique standpoint, without rushing to develop each character in the start. Will is a relatable protagonist to the audience, where he is equally balanced in regards to strengths and weaknesses. One aspect that is most enjoyable is the successful combination with fantasy into medieval times.

Reviewer Grade: 10

The first installment of Ranger's Apprentice, the Ruins of Gorlan, is a fantasy-based book telling the story of a young orphaned boy, Will. Living in the Kingdom of Araluen, Will grows up in the time of a coming war. His journey starts once he is assigned to his job in the Kingdom, to which he will later become one of the most renowned and powerful characters.

As a start to a large series, the Ruins of Gorlan is a perfect set-up to the characters and plot. It introduces characters in a unique standpoint, without rushing to develop each character in the start. Will is a relatable protagonist to the audience, where he is equally balanced in regards to strengths and weaknesses. One aspect that is most enjoyable is the successful combination with fantasy into medieval times.

Reviewer Grade: 10

With Inheritance being the last of the series, the book brings everything to an end to everything that we've experienced in Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr.
Eragon must do whatever it takes in order to take down Galbatorix, and his friend, Arya, is focused on taking down his greatest enemy, Shruikan. The two, along with Saphira, venture out to fight against their ultimate enemies for the final round in the hopes of gaining peace and stability.

Inheritance was a great book to the end of the series. It was a successful installment in the Eragon series, as it was able to show that everything in the past books was a great importance for the ending of the series as a whole.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Eldest is a direct follow-up from the last book, Eragon. Eldest takes place three days after the final battle in Eragon. There, human resistance fighters alongside the dwarves and a clan called Varden, to which they defeated the swarm of enemies sent by the antagonist, Galbatorix. Gaining help from an elf, Arya, he helps Eragon and the dragon Saphira to defeat a trusted ally of Galbatorix, Durza.

Eldest was able to continue the story of Eragon, and add more components that increases the interest in the reader. For example, it diversifies the lore and universe of Eragon as a whole, leaving us more to read and study of. The character development from Eragon played a substantial role in the behavior of the characters in Eldest, with each of them having a unique personality.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Eldest is a direct follow-up from the last book, Eragon. Eldest takes place three days after the final battle in Eragon. There, human resistance fighters alongside the dwarves and a clan called Varden, to which they defeated the swarm of enemies sent by the antagonist, Galbatorix. Gaining help from an elf, Arya, he helps Eragon and the dragon Saphira to defeat a trusted ally of Galbatorix, Durza.

Eldest was able to continue the story of Eragon, and add more components that increases the interest in the reader. For example, it diversifies the lore and universe of Eragon as a whole, leaving us more to read and study of. The character development from Eragon played a substantial role in the behavior of the characters in Eldest, with each of them having a unique personality.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Finding a blue stone by Princess Arya, the orphaned farm boy Eragon finds out that it is a dragon egg. Once the dragon, Saphira, had been born, Eragon is trained to become a dragon rider by his teacher Brom. His legacy would become a prophecy to free his people from the tyrannical ruler, Galbatorix.

Eragon was a well-written and well-paced book. The character development had a strong foundation, leading to relating with the characters. One of its most unique details in the story is originality and ability to emphasize upon fantasy, yet demonstrate it in a reasonable way. The things I enjoyed most from the book was the setting.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Finding a blue stone by Princess Arya, the orphaned farm boy Eragon finds out that it is a dragon egg. Once the dragon, Saphira, had been born, Eragon is trained to become a dragon rider by his teacher Brom. His legacy would become a prophecy to free his people from the tyrannical ruler, Galbatorix.

Eragon was a well-written and well-paced book. The character development had a strong foundation, leading to relating with the characters. One of its most unique details in the story is originality and ability to emphasize upon fantasy, yet demonstrate it in a reasonable way. The things I enjoyed most from the book was the setting.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Finding a blue stone by Princess Arya, the orphaned farm boy Eragon finds out that it is a dragon egg. Once the dragon, Saphira, had been born, Eragon is trained to become a dragon rider by his teacher Brom. His legacy would become a prophecy to free his people from the tyrannical ruler, Galbatorix.

Eragon was a well-written and well-paced book. The character development had a strong foundation, leading to relating with the characters. One of its most unique details in the story is originality and ability to emphasize upon fantasy, yet demonstrate it in a reasonable way. The things I enjoyed most from the book was the setting.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Wild Bird, by Wendelin Van Draanen, is an amazing, unforgettable book that you won't be able to put down. The theme of Wild Bird is that anyone can transform their lifestyles and become better people. This book's main character is a willful, fourteen year old girl named Wren whose biggest fault is being unable to say no. This has lead her to be involved with the wrong crowd and make very bad decisions, including smoking weed, shoplifting, and even being a drug runner for her "friend" Nico. One day, Wren ends up in the hospital, being both wasted and having drugs in her system. Her parents used to believe she was "sick" but this day in the hospital they realize she's been lying to them. Before she knows it, Wren is sent off to an eight week camp in Utah that supposedly helps change the lives of people her age with similar issues and addictions. Wren is extremely angry at her parents and the doctors and everyone who she thinks may be to blame for sending her here. But there in the desert of Utah, Wren learns to survive and she begins to realize over time that maybe it isn't their fault after all, and that maybe, just maybe, she needs to change her life around. In the desert, Wren has to face her feelings and realizes that there is no escaping her mistakes.

This book is amazing. I love the way the author created the character of Wren. She's willful, which at first was a weakness, but she later uses it as a strength. She's courageous and as the book goes on you just fall in love with her. I recommend this to anyone who may be struggling with an addiction, anyone who knows deep down in their heart that their life needs change, and, of course, to any readers who love books with adventure and drama.

Reviewer Grade: 10