Scary or Not? (Weak on criticism and most all else)

By Pam G.  This book holds ten short horror stories. Most of them more comedic then scary.  Murder and mayhem abound in this sweeping panorama of dreadful doings. When TV personality Marcus Fantail orders a ghost for his retirement home, he gets more than he bargained for. The ghost in Miss Sibley's old mill may be small, but its power has lasted for centuries. Marjorie detests her new stepfather and finds a horrifying way of showing it--not that she's dead! With zest and humor, Joan Aiken conjures up ten spooky tales that create a ghastly collection sure to chill and delight readers well into the night. ----- This past weekend I did read the first three stories until quite late in the night...and I suppose I'm not easily scared. That's not to say they aren't fantastic stories, similar to Poe in theme and mood and scare-factor, but definitely 20th century. Two of the three I read have perplexing endings I had to spend time puzzling over. I think that's what I enjoyed most about them.

War Brothers or Dead Brothers? (This is not really a critical essay. Nice, title, though.)

By Ashley J

War Brothers, by Sharon E. McKay, was a novel about a boy named Jacob who was taken by the LRA, the Lord's Resistance Army which is run by a man named Joseph Kony. Jacob describes what it was like to be captured by them, and how they managed to escape. Jacob also gives brief insight into what their life was like after they, Jacob and his friends, escaped and returned to society.

Croak was DEAD boring (This is not really a critical essay)

This should have had a clever title

By Nicolas K.

For this book review I read The Martian by Andrew Weir. This book was freaking amazing. Andrew Weir has a unique log style of writing mixed by traditional narrative that gives great insight on the thoughts and feelings of Mark Watney as he is stranded on Mars.

Writing for Dummies

 By Jack R.

     

For my final book report of the semester I chose the book Writing a Novel and Getting Published for Dummies to read. The author of this book is George Green. This book on how to write and get published talks about many different aspects of careers and writing.

This book review should have had a clever title

By Jack. R.

     The novel Hemlock Grove written by Allen McGreevy is a true tale of darkness.

This book review is missing its critical assessment

By Amber D.

          When Nate discovers his mother is not moving home and his father cancels their summer sailing plans, Nate is sad.He decides to solo the Canadian wilderness in his kayak. Half drowned after risking his life in a wild storm to avoid getting caught, Nate reaches an uncivilized island. His peacefulness is shattered by the arrival of a girl named Kat, but she has something Nate needs, an ample supply of fresh water. As romance happens, another threat drifts in: a drug smuggler with a sailboat full of marijuana. Soon Kat and Nate find themselves fighting for their lives.

This review is missing the critical assessment

By Amber D. 

The Diary of Anne Frank is about a girl and her family in the time of the holocaust trying to avoid the nazis. In 1942, with nazis overpowering Holland, A 13 year old girl and her family fled to Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next couple of years before their where abouts got uncovered by the Gestapo (secret police), them and the Van Pels that was living in the same Attic were clustered together to try and survive. Separated from the outside world they faced hunger, boredom and the hard times of living in such close quarters.

This review should have had a clever title

By Amber D.

The book starts off with Matthew, the main character, saying that he's going to write a letter in order to tell his younger sister Emmy about everything that has happened in their family. The letter begins with the first moment that Matthew saw Murdoch, a man at the grocery store who stood up for a kid who was being abused by his father.

The Movie Was Better (This is not a critical essay)

By Zack T

Left Behind is a book written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The book takes the Christian idea of the "rapture" and turns it into a thrilling story. The main character in the book, Smith, has a family of 3 after his son passed away. The story starts off with him away from his family since he's a pilot when people all around the world disappear off the face of the Earth in an instant. It takes everyone only hours to conclude that it's happening everywhere, not just where they happen to be at that time. The remainder of the story is Smith and some other characters meeting and trying to make sense of everything that's happened and predict what will happen next.

Psychological Pacifist

By Dylan G.

            Regeneration by Pat Barker is a classic story set in a time recently post First World War, in England. Barker goes into very deep detail about patients and doctors; inspired by her own grandfathers personal account of the war.

This book review should have had a clever title

By Leidy T.

            This a book that has to do in the 1990s. Othello is a black man that is from Venice.  Othello is a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary for the state. Othello one day was working but riding a horse. That day this young girl name Desdemona was looking out the window and she saw Othello. Desdemona felt so attractive to him that she would like her to ride on his horse.

My Writing Is Poop. Now I Know How To Not Make It Poop.

By Cady Q.

Just Write: Here's How was a very informational read, despite being short. Walter Dean Myers dispenses his writing advice in a very frank fashion which I found to be very appealing. I also think the tone and style of Myer's writing – which is pretty much to the point – meets teens on their level without being condescending.

Far From Sour Grapes

By No Byline No Credit

Steven Goldman's Two Parties, One Tux, And a Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath is a story about a teenage boy named Mitchell in high school who is struggling to fit in. He has one friend, David, and to make things more out of the norm for Mitchell, David recently came out to him as gay. Out of nowhere the most popular girl in school wants Mitchell to be her prom date. The story details the hilariously awkward experiences Mitchell faces highlighting the night of prom.

This should have had a clever title

By Rachel M.

Part 1: summary of content:

The book that i have read is called If i stay : by Gayle Forman  (who has written other novels including but not limited to: where she went , just one day , i was here , just one year etc.) . the genre of the book is young adult fiction. And the book includes characters that go bye the names Mia , Adam, Teddy etc. i am very judgemental about a lot of books and i only have really enjoyed a handful of authors but in my opinion i absolutely loved this book. It made me feel emotions that i've never felt before reading a book. The plot line was a bit too quick (i had to go back and read some thing over) but all together the book was amazing

Nobody Likes The Clintons

By Cady Qiu

The Residence focused mainly on the people who make the White House work. The Residence covered presidencies from Eisenhower to Obama. No juicy gossip that we didn't already know – much is made about the discretion of the White House staffers – but old stories from different viewpoints: Jackie Kennedy arriving back at the White House in her blood-stained pink suit, panic and confusion during 9-11, the children and their mischief, etc.

The writer did not include a clever title

By Cady Q.

I go through Dystopian themed books within days, but I always end up hating them. They’re like drugs; you know it’s bad for you, but you still keep going. Basically, all dystopian books are addicting piles of ox-sh*t. The Maze Runner was not an exception. Within the first chapter we are introduced to sh*t shuck face Thomas. Instantly the book swerves towards the popular, “Where the hell am I. Damn it, I lost all my memories.” sci-fi plot device.

You Snooze You Lose

By Devika T.

The Silent Alarm is young adult novel by Jennifer Banash that showcases the perspective of a school shooter's sister. Alys's younger brother Luke enters a crowded library with a gun that no one is aware of. Upon his entrance, he tactically kills fifteen people before pointing the gun Alys. His last word was "Hey" which is what he said to Alys before taking his own life. Of the fifteen people that were killed, many were close to Alys and her family. Because of this, her family suffers with the trauma of losing their son and the distress from other households. What's even more nerve wracking is that they don't know they reason as to why he killed those people or why he had spared Alys. The book unfolds as a story of how they came to a consensus in their life after this situation and how they coped with the negativity, shame, and indirect guilt.

how to read

There is nothing here to grade.

The Great Catcher

by Someone Who Borrowed Liberally from SparkNotes

Summary:

The Catcher in the Rye is a story set in 1950s narrated by a boy name Holden Caulfield. Holden Caulfield story begins on the Saturday following the end of classes at the Pencey prep school in Pennsylvania. Holden was expelled from previous schools and was doing terrible at Pencey prep, they informed him that he was being expelled. He decides to leave after a few issues that happened to him at the school. He went to Manhattan, New York three days early from the arrival day that his parents were expecting.

Learning that Crap Sells

By Ashley N

After reading the graphic novel, Kevin Keller, Welcome to Riverdale, by Dan Parent, I learned that crap sells. There was nothing special about it to me. It was like reading a children's book based on high school events. The only thing different for this time period is that the main character, Kevin, is a homosexual. Which then again isn't really that special.

This title was less than stellar

By Vishik B.

Overall Andy Weir's The Martian was a good book. The plot, and thrill was very good. Mark Watney was a great character, though a little cliche. There was a lot of science in this book, and since I find science interesting, at times, I really liked this book.

A book that will waste your time

By Ashley N.

I had the pleasure and displeasure of reading the book Looking for Alaska by John Green. I'm not all that free for reading but I put it the effort to read this book which was questionable. In the beginning of the book I related to Pudge not liking the school and wanting to leave looking for the "Great Perhaps" because I too romanticize the idea of leaving somewhere, starting anew, in search for something great to happen. However like every generic teen tragedy book there was a curve where Alaska got drunk with Pudge and the Colonel and decided to drive "for some reason" and died in the crash when Pudge gave her the keys.

Super Nihilistic

By Patrick M.

            Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, takes place in an alternate 20^th century reality in which costumed heroes emerge and dramatically impact America. To tell the story, chapters of nine-panel grid layout are juxtaposed with excerpts from one hero's autobiography. The graphic novel portion contains the main plot, while the excerpts of the autobiography tell much of the backstory of how these heroes came to be. Throughout the story we see how the coming of these heroes has affected events in the 20^th century, and how such a role affects these characters. Only one of these several heroes has real superhuman abilities, Dr. Manhattan, making the story feel mostly grounded. When one of these heroes, the Comedian, is murdered a chain of events is set off forcing this group of mostly retired heroes to cross paths and reconsider their roles in the world.

The writer forgot to include a title

By Preetika K.

In, "I am Malala"  by Malala Yousafzi and Christina Lamb, Malala tells her story of survival and bravery. She stands up against those who would taking away her education, and  describes her recovery from being shot in the head. Malala tells the fascinating story of her journey from her early childhood years to the time she recovers from the attack in a hospital. 

Thou Shalt Read and Review

By Anthony M.

     Steven Franks's The Pen Commandments is a lighthearted, humorous writing guide that introduces beginner writers to ten easy-to-follow steps for improving their craft. From "Thou Shalt Honor Thy Reader" to "Thou Shalt Take Pleasure in Thy Pen" to "Thou Shalt Not Waste Words," this book features some simple rules almost any writer can utilize. These rules are drawn from Frank's own classroom, where he spent many years teaching in both middle and high school. The author's ultimate aim is to provide direction and purpose for aspiring writers who are wandering the world looking for a way to channel their inner thoughts and passions.

A Million Little Lies

By Devika T.

A Million Little Pieces is a memoir of addiction and recovery, written by James Frey, who records the time he spends in a Minnesota Rehabilitation Clinic at age twenty-three. At the beginning of the book, Frey checks into the Clinic with an intense addiction to alcohol and crack and soon after begins suffering symptoms, including hallucinations and nausea. In the Clinic a series of eventful events occur such as him getting in a fight with another patient or him getting a couple root canals with no anesthesia. He also makes a couple friends who are just as messed up as him and they help him through the process. He refuses to consider himself a victim and the story continues on to tell the story of his recovery.

Dr. Dre

By Haleigh A.

The book Dr. Dre is by Ronin RO.  The biography has the real story about the break up between NWA,  the family dynamics that shaped him and his music and the relationship between Dre and his one-time nemesis, Ice Cube. How Aftermath Records lost Eve, How Dre worked with the legendary Rakim. The truth about why Dre left Death Row, The deep and longstanding personal friendship between Dre and Snoop.

The Burn Book(or journal)

By Corita C.

The Burn Journals is an autobiography by Brent Runyon. Brent Runyon is often a contributor to public radio programs. Runyon writes an enticing novel about the part of his life that was affected by a suicide attempt. In February of 1991 Brent Runyon set himself on fire. This autobiography records the events leading up to this incident, and the struggle of his recovery.

Heart-breakingly Glad

By Jasmine S.

Paul Austin, an ER doctor, opens the minds of the readers with his sad, jaw-dropping stories about his time in the ER. Throughout his book Something For The Pain, Austin describes his incidents in the chaotic hospital with patients both personally and professionally, proudly and in sorrow.

The writer forgot to add an interesting title

By Jissela O.

" The Beautiful Days Of My Youth" by Ana Novac is a story that makes you realize how truly lucky you are and to not take things for granted. It shows you how tough life was for others back then. It also  shows you what other people have  lived through.

Marilyn Monroe Book Review

By Celina M

I read a non-fictional book about Marilyn Monroe, it was written by Yona Zeldis McDonough. Yona wrote this biography as a regular book instead of having different topics and all the facts under it. She did a really good job in my opinion including what Marilyn had accomplished in her life. She also includes a chronology that has all the important dates of her life at the end of the book. Also she put some of the movies rolls she had done and described it in great detail so you're able to imagine what is happening in her most famous scenes.

This Book is the Bomb!

By: Ashley M.

Janice Erlbaum ran away from home at age fifteen. She lived in New York with her mom, Barb, and her abusive husband. She has written two memoirs about her teenage years including Girlbomb. The book starts out with Janice explaining how shitty her life was living with her step father, Dave. He would get so angry he would go on a rampage throwing things in the living room even threatening to kidnap Janice's baby step brother. Barb had a routine of saying they were done, breaking it off, and then two weeks later, Dave would be back. Janice had enough of it.

This book review is missing a clever title and a paragraph

By Amber D.

The Diary of Anne Frank is about a girl and her family in the time of the holocaust trying to avoid the nazis. In 1942, with nazis overpowering Holland, A 13 year old girl and her family fled to Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next couple of years before their where abouts got uncovered by the Gestapo (secret police), them and the other family that was living in the same Attic were clustered together to try and survive. Separated from the outside world they faced hunger, boredom and the hard times of living in such close quarters.

This essay was missing a clever title and barely scratches the surface of requirements

By Brett R.

                The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing provides readers and potential authors of this genre with a handful of skills and knowledge that are needed to write the favorite and entertaining genre. Rosemary Herbert's does it in a way that is easy for the readers to understand but yet intellectual with the way she explains the information.

How to become a better writer

By Manny R.

This book is actually very interesting and helpful, most likely not just to me but to everyone who dips into this book. I liked that she gave creative examples from her own works and other authors work.

How to Write

By Leidy A.

Writing is something important your life. Writing also has to do with reading. It can do good things for you if you want to be a writer in your feature. Reading and writing can work out for others things not just being a writer.

Non-climatic apocalyptic story

By Delaney C.

When you are recommended a book you expect the greatest out of it. Everything you heard about it was everything you wanted in a book. Thrill, excitement and suspense. I was recommended "Life As We Knew It" by a friend. When I first started reading it, everything my recommender told me about was.. Not there. The book  provided those thrilling, excitement and suspenseful characteristics poorly. This dystopian / "end of the world" book was far too unrealistic and not very scientific. Dystopian and apocalyptic books are meant to make you actually feel like this could happen. The issue with this book was that it was very unrealistic and that everything was in the characters favor.

Rekindling Old Flames: A Look into Modernising Old Superheroes in Shadow Man

By Someone Who Did Not Include a Byline

A popular trend in American media is to simply to take the characters and story from outdated books, TV shows, ect. and reimagine it for the modern world. This has been done countless times in movies, books, and TV shows with results ranging from anything as good as Marvel's The Guardians Of The Galaxy's to atrocities such as ABC's Once Upon A Time. Back in the dark age of comic books, Shadowman was one of Valiant comic's most successful comic books. Will it's remake comic from 2012 be able to live up to it's legacy or will it fall flat?

Enders’ Illusion Game

By David B

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card is a book written in 1977. This book has a different kid named Ender Wiggin who is a third. He is a different kid who is a fighter for what is right.

A Day of Existentialism

By Mackenzi V.

    In her fourth novel, Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf explores a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class Englishwoman, as she plans a party for her politician husband. Over the course of this day the reader experiences multiple narrators and perspectives, each character dealing with their own existential crises. The novel, though short, is a thorough character study which just about anyone could find themselves relating to. The writing style packs more depth than could be expected of a novel that clocks in at under 200 pages.

Stay on course with this book

By Lauren R.

Erin Beresini is a motivational writer. Reading her book will make one want to complete a Tough Mudder. She has such a passion for her story and carefully puts it together. "Off Course" is a nonfiction story about a woman's long and tough journey to complete her goal.

Bombs Away (What is the title of this book and where is the third paragraph of this essay?)

By Isaac W

In the late winter of 1938 a chemist in a German laboratory and made the discovery that changed the way of combat and war, when he put radioactive material next to a uranium atom that split in two. That discovery launched a deadly race for the technology to make the perfect bomb. In the midst of a world war, countries that spanned over 3 continents recruited their greatest scientists, spies, military commandos for one prize, dominance over the entire world.

Call me me by my name

By Kevin M.

From former football star and bestselling author John Ed Bradley comes a searing look at love, life, and football in the face of racial adversity.

The USA Not as Great as We Think

By Aiden M.

Farewell to Manzanar is a heartwarming, and wrenching book. It shows how fear can make us segregate people, and treat them horribly. This book will expose what the United States government has tried to have the public forget about.

The writer did not include a clever title

By Adam P.

Published in 1967, S. E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders" is a story about a boy named ponyboy who is in gang in 1967. Ponyboy lives in a house downtown with his brothers Sodapop and Darry. Ponyboy is known as a greaser. A Greaser is mainly someone who is dressed in jean and a leather jacket. In the book greasers attitudes are described as selfish thug like characters. In the beginning of the book something happens to ponyboy there rival gang the Socs, which is one of main key factors in the book. Later on in the book ponyboy and his friend johnny get into trouble with the Socs. This event makes the two boys have to leave the city and hide out in an abandon church where johnny gets hurt and rushed to the hospital.

Finding the Answers

By Ahmil M.

In Robert B. Parker's book "The Boxer and the Spy", the main protagonist, Terry Novak is a learning boxer and he and his friend Abby come across something that gains their interest. Jason Green had died. Jason Green was a teen that lived in the area. The death was blamed on suicide caused by the usage of steroids. Terry doubts that steroids can cause someone to kill themselves. He thinks there was someone involved in his death and he is driven to prove it. Terry starts asking around school about steroids and its side effects even after several threats to stop snooping around.

This writer forgot to include a title

By Jacob B.

Fantasy league by mike lupica is a book about a kid named charlie who is probably one of the biggest sports fans even tho he doesn't really get to play on his football team he knows the game inside and out. He knows everything about almost every professional team. Charlie also played in many fantasy leagues and when one day a radio announcer announces his picks the owner of the L.A. Bulldogs owner and him become good friends. After that he knows he could make a career out of what he does with sports.

This writer did not include a title

Haleigh Ashwell

Mr.Greene

By Haleigh A.

    The novel The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is written by John Boyne. John Boyne is 44 years old he was born April 30,1971. The book was published January 5,2006. This novel  focuses on complex issues of evil and the holocaust. The novel is told by a nine year old boy named Bruno.

Paperweight

by Haleigh A.

    The book Paperweight is by Meg Haston. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, where she writes and works as a counselor in an independent school. Meg Haston wrote the How To rock series, and Paperweight. Paperweight is Meg Haston is her first young adult novel.  Paper weight is focused a girl named Stephanie "Stevie" Deslisle, who's struggling in the wake of her mother leaving the family and her brother dying in a car crash. The story is told by Stephanie "Stevie" .