Gross Lunches and Homework: Yeah School's Back (Groan...)

For some of us, school's right around the corner. I kind of realized this at the end of the week, so I was desperate to come up with some brilliant idea I could either a), rant about, or b) fangirl about. (OK guys, I think at least one of us has totally FREAKED OUT about a book.) And so on Sunday, The Swing of Things Series was created. The Swing of Things Series features a few books to get you "back in the swing of things" for school. I don't want this post to be super long, so I'll have a summary from Goodreads and then my review. Alright, let's get reading!
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Sixth Grade: Glommers, Norks, and Me By Lisa Papademetriou

Allie Kimball is excited to be starting sixth grade. Her best friend is going to be in the same school and she is going to try out for the soccer team. But she soon learns that middle school is a very different world, full of strange new beasts, like glommers--girls who never go anywhere alone--and norks-a combination of a nerd and a dork. Allie realizes it's time to define herself before she gets lost in the sixth-grade jungle. Sixth Grade: Glommers, Norks and Me is a funny and poignant look at sixth-grade friendships, crushes, and trying to define yourself.

What I Thought:
**** Four Stars- Sixth Grade is one of those books that you walk away from feeling you learned something. In short, this book is a bit like one of Aesop's Fables(except for all of the characters being animals). Allie finds herself drifting away from her best friend, Tam, throughout the year, and sees that the new Tam is a very different Tam. Allie makes new friends that Tam has a problem with, so Allie has to deal with that, and all the other lies Tam is telling. After reading it, I realized that it's OK to make new friends and let go of some of your old friends, because people change. As much as I liked this book, it ended way too quickly. On the last page, I thought excitedly, Alright, another chapter! *tuning page* Wait...that was the last page...sad face. And so, the downgrade was necessary.
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Because of Mr.Terupt By Bob Buyea

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

What I Thought:
***** Five Stars- The characters may be going into fifth grade, but the experience with the students doesn't change. This book will make you laugh, cry, and scream at the book and chuck it at the wall. (Yes, I know, pretty extreme) You look through the student's eyes, and also as Sharanya put it, "It felt (perhaps unsurprisingly) like I was actually seeing things through the teacher's eyes..."
Because of Mr.Terupt takes you on a roller coaster of the kid's emotions and inside life, from Alexia's experience practically being in the movie "Mean Girls", to Luke's obsession with dollar words. You go inside the children's heads and find out about them. For some people the book may sound lame at first, but I assure you this book is way far away from lame. I cannot say how much I LOVED this book enough. And this is when I go fangirl on you guys.
: )
See you next week!

This is...WEIRD

Is anyone else feeling like they're super busy this month? Yeah I feel your pain. I had no idea what book to do this week. So I pulled out all the books on my bookshelf I haven't read yet and picked a random book from the stack. That book turned out to be Gordan Norman's The Hypnotists.

Jax is weird. And not just normal weird, but weird weird. Whenever people look into his eyes for a period of time they do whatever he says. Weird, I know. A letter from Dr.Elias Mako is sent to Jax to go to the The Sentia Institute apparently for a ' New Horizon' program. He accepts the offer, and starts to attend the school. He is greeted by Kira, who shows him around and claims that "Dr.Elias Mako has devoted his life to New York City education and is an inspiration to every single one of us". Jax is forced to do multiple standerized tests, and only then does he find out what is wrong with him. Jax Opus can hypnotize people.

I originally found out about this book watching a trailer for it. I was like, "That sounds cool...let's buy it!" (Anybody else realized I'm a sucker for fictional adventure books?) That was a pretty good idea, since The Hypnotists made it at… *** Three Stars. Now, if you remember, that was the same score Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (got, so three stars isn't that bad of a score. Getting three stars is like getting a C in class. There wasn't really any big problems that I had about this book, it was minor problems that annoyed me later. Some of the side characters were not fully developed. Kira and Tommy for example. Kira's jealous of Jax, but that all we know about her. Tommy 's is Jax's best friend, but what else? We don't know. The real action doesn't happen until the last few chapters, and we only have a few moments of action before that. Otherwise, Mr.Korman keeps those pages turning, and get a reaction from readers with his word choice on multiple occasions.

: ) See you next week!

Part 3 of the Heroes and Villains Blogging Chronicles: Glittery Swords, Evil Butterflies, and a Pretty Pretty Prince

So you're probably wondering what bizarre book I have brought to you today. I mean, swords can be glittery, and I have met some pretty evil butterflies (one tried to lick me :0), but why would an old time Prince trying to get a date to a ball want to be a guy's version of a Pretty Pretty Princess? (And yes, I am referring to the old board game that no one plays anymore.) Well the answer to your question: The School For Good and Evil is back! If you missed Sophie and Agatha on their first escapade, then you can check them out at Part 1 and part 2 of The Heroes and Villains Blogging Chronicles.

After returning to Gavaldon, Sophie has a big story to tell. But her version of the story is NOT what happened. She's a heroine to the whole town. In the midst of all her fame, Sophie makes a wish. Which was the worst thing she could have chosen to do. Thousands of arrows come soaring down from the woods, destroying everything. One of the arrows brings a message: BRING US SOPHIE. Sophie and Agatha have to move to the church, the only safe haven in town. But when the town has had enough of the assault, they force Sophie into the forest, giving her to the attackers. And Agatha goes after her.

All Agatha wants is to go home with Sophie. Then again, she really doesn't. She wished for Tedros, not Sophie, and in her heart she knows that. Then why is she at the School For Girl and Tedros' whereabouts are unknown? Agatha has to stop The School For Girl and the School For Boy from engaging in war (which the new Dean seems oblivious to), and find out where her loyalties lie, Sophie or Tedros?

After book 1, I really HAD to read this book. The day after I finished THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, I already had A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES on my bookshelf, fresh from Barnes and Noble. And two days later I closed the book officially (sad face...it's going to take a while for book 3 to come out). And now I have come to you with a review.
**** (Four Stars) So why was the second book down graded? This book is almost as great as the last. I still love Agatha, but now she's in love big time, not making her the hilarious and boyfriendless (and she wasn't looking for a guy) girl we knew her as. It took a lot longer to get the action up and running than in Book 1, and I definitely had a problem with that. Soman Chainani had a couple of mysteries that were figured out at the end of the book, and I figured them out WAY before they were revealed. (I'm talking about very beginning of the book) The rest of the book was extremely boss, and I have no problems with that. I can't wait for book 3, and the SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL movie.

In case you missed it, Shannon Messenger is selling Exile EBooks for only 1.99! That's incredibly insane! And the audio book is only 3.99! Also Crazy! I say you get them before the offer is over, on the 31st!

The Name Of This Post is Secret

Some of the really good books are made just as a little something for someone instead of beginning as a published book. One of these books is The Name of This Book is Secret.

It originally started as just a story to a kid at an elementary school, W.P. May. The school had organized a Writing Partner program, where adults and children in fourth or fifth grade exchange letters or stories, etc. May had wrote plenty of things to Pseudonymous Bosch, the author of the Name of This Book is Secret, including a comic strip about chocolate for P.B. And Mr.Bosch had nothing to write for her. So, he came up with The Name of This Book is Secret.

Cass and Max Ernest have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. (Wait--was I not supposed to mention their names?) When a box filled with a dead musician's belongings comes into Cass' grandparents', Larry and Wane, store, a danger from two mysterious people dawns upon the world. This object is only the beginning of evil forces, and only survivalist Cass and Magician/Comedian in training Max Ernest can stop them. But do are you brave enough to open this book and read it? I'm warning you--The Name of This Book is Secret.

(Cue the evil laugh)

Okay. This Book by Mr.Bosch is simply brilliant. There probably is no other word to describe it. (Besides AWESOMESAUCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) So anyway, Pseudonymous made it at **** (Four Stars). The book is great and hilarious, no doubt about that. If you haven't read this book, I say you should add it to your TBR (To Be Read) list. It's fun for adults and kids, as young as third grade. Why this book didn't make five stars--the ending was awful in my perspective. I usually hate endings, but this one just wasn't good. Thank you, you just gave the permission form for my mommy to sign so I can go on another life-threatening adventure! Yay! For a period of time, I said that I wasn't going to read the next book. But if you're going to read the first book, I say you read the next. If you can get past the bad ending and pick up the next book, please do. So if Mr.Bosch had fixed up the ending, then the book would have made the highest rating.