My favorite place to read

Article posted September 10, 2010 at 09:36 PM GMT0 • Reads 71

If you like to read, and like being outside, then I have the perfect place for you!

Some of my favorite places to read are in my room, and outside in my backyard. In my backyard, I have created an ideal place for me to read. Under our giant ash tree, secluded in the shade, we have a freshly painted white deck. It is closed in on one side by a shed, and the other by a wall. On our deck we have two brown wicker chairs and a brown wrought-iron table with a large vinca vine on it. The chairs are so comfortable, I absolutely love to sit and read in them.

If you ever came to my house, I would have to show you our brown chairs because, quite frankly, they are the best place to sit and read.

The Loneliest Book in the World

Article posted October 5, 2010 at 09:44 PM GMT0 • Reads 91

Exciting, mysterious and full of adventure. Those are a few words that describe my favorite book. If I could only read one book over and over again it would have to be Anthony Horowitz’s Raven’s Gate. Raven’s Gate is a wonderful book full of action. The main character is Matthew Freeman, a fourteen year old boy who is sent on an amazing journey. It starts when he robs a CD warehouse and ends up getting caught and arrested. The police decide to send him to the town of Lesser Malling as part of their new fangled LEAF project. LEAF stands for Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering. He is forced to live with the evil Mrs. Deverill and work on her farm with her assistant Noah. Many strange things happen in Lesser Malling that lead Matt to believe that something is seriously wrong. Matt hears many different people mention Raven’s Gate so he decides to find out what it is. He goes to the local newspaper where he meets up with a journalist named Richard Cole. Matt and Richard travel all over England to find out about Raven’s Gate. They eventually meet up with the members of the Nexus, a secret group made up of influential people from around the world. The Nexus informs them that Matt is “One of the five,” a group of four boys and one girl that we defeat the evil spirits residing in the underworld that can only come back through Raven’s Gate. In the end, and after many nearly impossible feats, Matt and Richard defeat the citizens of Lesser Malling and close Raven’s Gate.

Raven’s Gate is my favorite book because of many reasons. First of all it is action packed without one dull moment in the whole entire book. Second, it is only sort of long so it doesn’t take forever to read like some books do. Third, it is exactly the kind of book I like, a cross between a mystery, a sci-fi, and an action book. Lastly, it is a real page turner. The minute I started it, it was a non-stop read until the end. I would definitely recommend Raven’s Gate to anyone who wants an action packed and fun read.

An Out Of This World Vacation

Article posted November 18, 2010 at 12:48 AM GMT0 • Reads 38

If I could take a vacation into a novel, I would go to York, England from Raven’s Gate, Winter Haven, Maine from Shadows on the Sea, or Peru from Evil Star.

Raven’s Gate is an action filled book from cover to cover. The protagonist, Matt, gets sent to a small town a few miles from York, England by the government. While in the town Matt hears about a gate to the underworld called Raven’s Gate. He decides to find out more about it. That sends him on a journey like no other. He finds out that the gate is located on the outskirts of the town he is staying in. With the help of the Nexus, a top secret organization, Matt defeats the gods of the underworld and closes Raven’s Gate.

I would like to go to York because I have always wanted to go to England. It would be fun to see some small rural towns and to be away from the stress of life in the U.S. I also have some family that lives in England and it would be fun to meet them. My Grandmother came from England during World War II and if I did go to England she would love to go with me.

Shadows on the Sea is about a girl named Jill. She goes to Maine to visit her Nana while her mother travels to Newfoundland. The story takes place during World War II and it is very dangerous traveling for Jill’s mom. While in Winter Haven, Jill has some adventures of her own. Some suspicious things are happening around town and Jill vows to stop them. She comes across a pigeon carrying a German message and, after decoding the message, finds out that a German submarine is going to be coming to town. She follows a trail into the woods and comes across the secret rendezvous. She runs back home and brings the Navy and the Sheriff to the scene but the submarine gets away. In the end, Jill’s’ mom gets back from her journey unhurt and her and Jill await the arrival of Jill’s dad in Winter Haven.

I would like to go to Winter Haven because it sounds like a fun town. In the book, Jill rides her bike around the whole town. I like riding my bike and think it would be fun to be able to ride anywhere I wanted. I also like the smallness of the town. Everyone knows their neighbor and once a year the whole town gets together for a clam bake. I think the clam bake would be a fun event to attend.

Evil Star is about Matt from Raven’s Gate and Pedro, who lives in Peru. Matt is informed by the Nexus that there is a second gate in the middle of the desert. Matt travels to Peru where he is taking by the police and beaten. Pedro shows up with a slingshot and enables Matt to escape the police. Despite the efforts of Pedro and Matt, the gate is opened and the gods of the underworld are released.

I would like to go to Peru because it would be fun to visit a foreign country. I have always wanted to see a desert as well. I know there is a lot of culture in Peru and it would be interesting to learn about Peruvian culture and the ancient civilizations.

The Most Heroic Characters

Article posted January 5, 2011 at 12:04 AM GMT0 • Reads 99

My first hero is Alex Rider. He is a fourteen year old spy who works for the British Secret Service agency called MI6. Alex is from Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider Adventures series. The action packed books in that series are Storm Breaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, Ark Angel, Snakehead, and Crocodile Tears. Of those books, I think Alex is most heroic in Skeleton Key. In Skeleton Key, a crazed mad-man who has lost everything is trying to take over the world with a nuclear bomb and it is up to Alex to stop him. Alex is teamed up with American CIA agents to stop the mad-man. The Americans are killed and Alex is left on his own. Needless to say, Alex wins in the end and the world is saved (once again) by Alex Rider.

One of the main reasons I think Alex is heroic is because he does something I would NEVER do; scuba dive in the ocean. He fearlessly plunges into the water to save his fellow agents only to find out that they have been killed. Then, as he tries to go back to his ship, he has a face to face encounter with a great white shark. He traps the shark and then, when he finally gets back to the ship, the captain has been murdered and the ship taken over. Through all of this, Alex keeps his cool and treats the events like they are everyday occurrences. He must also face a deranged man with a nuclear bomb and many armed guards. The guards could, and will, shoot him at any second if he does anything wrong. He manages to escape the guards and alert MI6 agents about the mad-man’s operations.

My second hero is fourteen year old Jill Winters from Joan Hiatt Harlow’s Shadows on the Sea. Jill’s father is a famous pop musician who isn’t home much. Jill’s mother is a stay-home mom. When Jill’s grandfather becomes gravely ill, her mom must travel in Germany to care for him. This story takes place during WWII traveling to Germany is treacherous. Jill is sent to live with her nana in Winter Haven, Maine, and Jill discovers an injured pigeon in her nana’s house with a secret message strapped to its leg. Jill and her new friend Quarry find out that the message gives vital information about the nearby position of a German U-boat. Jill then goes to the secret meeting, hears everything, and alerts the navy. But not before a German sees her and traps her on the roof of her nana’s home. In the end, the German’s do get away but the navy has information about their locations. Jill’s mother also returns home safely.

One reason Jill is a hero is because she shows fearlessness multiple times in the book. When listening to the Germans’ conversation, she doesn’t get scared in the least. When she is trapped on the roof, she just simply signals her friend with an SOS. Jill shows displays of courage as well. I know if it were me in her situation, I wouldn’t have nearly as much courage. I probably would have let the pigeon go from the start.

My third hero is Nick from Roland Smith’s Elephant Run. Nick lives in England during WWII but, when his family’s apartment is bombed, he goes to Burma to live with his dad. His dad owns a teak plantation where they use elephants for labor. Shortly after arriving, the Japanese invade the plantation taking Nick’s father to an internment camp and making Nick a slave on the plantation. Nick and his new friend Mya journey with an old monk to try and escape the plantation and free Nick’s father. Nick, Mya, and the monk, named Hilltop, journey to Nick’s Father’s internment camp. Nick’s Father fakes his death and runs away with the trio. Then Nick, Mya, and Nick’s dad move to Australia to escape the war.

My last character is a hero because he does many things that could end up getting him, and his friends, killed. First off, he escapes the plantation and hides from hundreds of soldiers searching for him and Mya. Then, when he goes to the internment camp, he is almost spotted. If he would have been captured, the Japanese would have killed him, his father, and Mya. He also has an encounter with an extremely aggressive elephant. The elephant almost kills him but Nick tricks the animal and it runs away, leaving Nick injured and stunned.

These three outstanding characters are my choices for book heroes.

Truly Evil Characters

Article posted January 31, 2011 at 03:07 PM GMT0 • Reads 58

My three evil characters, hands down, would be Noah Blackwood from Cryptid Hunters and Tentacles, Mrs. Deverill from Raven’s Gate, and Nikolai Drevin from Ark Angel.

Cryptid Hunters is an action packed book by Roland Smith. The two protagonists, twin siblings Marty and Grace, are taken to live with and uncle they didn’t even know they had. Their parents, famous journalists, got lost in the Amazon jungle and left Marty and Grace to a mysterious uncle, named Wolfe. Wolfe owns a large computer company and lives on a deserted island called Cryptos. Marty and Grace find out that their uncle is a hunter who searches for cryptids, creatures like the Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster. Wolfe must travel to the Congo, in search of a dinosaur. He is racing Noah Blackwood, an animal activist, to find the dinosaur. Marty and Grace get accidently dropped into the Congo and must survive on their own. While in the Congo, the twins have altercations with Butch McCall, Noah Blackwood’s right-hand man. In the Congo, the twins find out that Noah Blackwood isn’t really an animal activist, but a poacher. They also discover that they aren’t twins and that Grace is really Wolfe’s daughter. Noah, Grace’s grandfather, is determined to get Grace and keep her as his own. Blackwood is a cruel man who is a terrific liar. He puts on a mask as an animal activist and everyone believes him. Without the mask, he I really a cold-hearted man who loves killing animals to keep for his own.

Blackwood is evil because of many reasons. First, he is cruel. He kills many endangered animals just so he can have them stuffed and mounted on his walls. Second, he is liar. He lies to almost everyone he sees, telling them that he is an animal activist when he is completely the opposite. He is also a liar because he lies to Grace. When he kidnapers her, he tells her that Wolfe is a liar and that he really hates her.

My second villain is Mrs. Deverill from Anthony Horowitz’s Raven’s Gate. Raven’s Gate is a suspenseful book that is a very enjoyable read. Matthew Freeman is the protagonist in this story. He commits a crime and gets sent to live with Mrs. Deverill on her farm as a punishment. While on the farm, Matt notices many strange things are occurring. He finds out after extensive research, that the town he is living in is part of a group of witches. The town’s people are trying to open a gate and bring evil rulers into the world. They are going to use Matt as a sacrifice to the demons. Matt eventually outsmarts the people of the community and prevents them from opening the gate. Mrs. Deverill is the malicious woman who owns the farm that Matt is living at. She tortures Matt and makes him work to brink of death.



I believe Mrs. Deverill is evil because of her immense cruelty towards Matt. She does not give him any freedom and if does one thing wrong, she does not let him eat. She is also evil because of her involvement in the witch clan. Not only is she a part of the group, but she is the leader. When Matt’s supervisor comes to check on him, she kills him. When a town citizen warns Matt about the clan, she executes him as well.

Nikolai Drevin is my third evil character choice. He is from Anthony Horowitz’s Ark Angel. Ark Angel is about Alex Rider, a teenage spy, and his battle against Nikolai Drevin. Drevin’s son was in the hospital with Alex when some men came in to kill him. Alex saved his life and Nikolai offered for Alex to come with him to his island as a reward. Alex accepted this offer and went to the island. On the island, he found out that Nikolai was planning to send a hotel in to space and make a fortune. But, an activist group will take any measures necessary to make sure the hotel does NOT go into space, even if it means sending the thing crashing down into Washington D.C. and killing hundreds. Alex decides to stop the madness and not allow the hotel to go into space. Alex ends up going into space and blowing up the satellite. Drevin is an incredibly wealthy man who uses his money as power. He has many dreams of things to create, and uses his money to do it.

Drevin is a villain because he is a harsh man who will do anything to make his dreams reality. He attempts to kill Alex multiple times while he is on the island. He even tries to execute him while he is in space. He is also evil because he treats his son very unkindly. He abuses him, beats him up, and even attempts to send him to an orphanage. He also abuses animals. He has a gorilla that he claims will be going into space with the hotel. Instead of sending the animal into space, he kills it to hang on his wall.

It was hard to choose just three evil characters, but these three take the cake. I think that they are truly evil.

Wild and Wonderful Homes

Article posted March 1, 2009 at 07:00 AM GMT0 • Reads 180

If I could move to a far away fictional place, I would have to choose the island of Cryptos, from Roland Smith’s Cryptid Hunters, Winterhaven Maine, from Joan Hiatt Harlow’s Shadows on the Sea, or the island of Skeleton Key, from Anthony Horowitz’s Skeleton Key.

My first ranked place to live is Cryptos. Cryptos is a privately owned island that is full of adventure. The only way to enter the island is through an electrified gate. After passing through the gate, you can have free reign of the island. The house is an old pirate like fort. The house itself is at least a week full of adventure and excitement. There is a two story library jam packed with books, a huge kitchen, a high-tech science lab, and some animal enclosures. Outside the house there is a rainforest full of creatures, lakes for swimming, a dormant volcano for climbing, and cliffs for rappelling. And, last but not least, there are your pets. They include a chimpanzee, three dolphins, a pocket poodle, and a parrot.

I would like to live here because of the never ending excitement. Just taking care of all the pets would entertain me! I also love to go hiking and climbing. Soon after my arrival, I would know every inch of the volcano AND the rain forest. I would also like to live with the characters of the book. Wolfe, the owner of the island, is a very interesting person with a lot of knowledge I would like to acquire. There is a thirteen year boy named Marty who lives on the island as well. It would be so great to have a friend that was my age.

My second place choice on my list of new homes is Winterhaven, Maine. Winterhaven is an old fashioned town. In Winterhaven, everyone knows their neighbor and the whole town has get-togethers. There are many kids in the community as well. Winterhaven is a coastal town with a beautiful view of the ocean. The houses in the town are old Victorian style houses with large balconies all around the house. The town is small so you can ride your bike from one side of town to the other.

I think it would be fun to live in Winterhaven because of many reasons. First of all, I think it would be fun to have the town get-togethers. One of the events is a large clambake. I think a clambake would be very fun as I have never been to anything like that before. I also like the fact that everything is within bike riding distance. I am a huge fan of riding my bike everywhere and I would really enjoy riding in this community. It is also great that there are many kids in the town. The neighborhood I live in now doesn’t really have any kids in it so this would be a great change for me.

Last on my list of places to live is the island of Skeleton Key from the book Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz. Skeleton Key is a tropical island that sounds like it would be full of adventure and danger. One side of the island is a tourist paradise. It is full of world class resorts and hotels. The other half of the island is a jungle with a few houses on the far end of it. The houses near the rainforest are very dangerous. They are under the rule of a crazed madman. The guy is so crazy that he has planted mines in the jungle so no one can get through.

I choose to live here because of the danger factor. I would definitely live on the jungle end of the island because I think all the tourists would start to get to me. Once I made my way to the other end of the island without getting blown up, I would go and explore the coast of the island. Like in my other choices, Skeleton Key also has beautiful oceans. I would really like to live by an ocean. Another reason I would like to live here is because of the tropical atmosphere. When I went to Hawaii, the tropical atmosphere was AWESOME!!! It would be great to live here.

After a lot of consideration, I have chosen these three wonderful places as candidates for my new home. If I had to just pick one, I am truly not sure which one I would choose.