Radiance
Alyson Noel
pg. 56

My favorite character in this book so far is Riley Bloom. Riley is a 12 year old girl, who died from a car accident who now lives in Here (which is an the afterlife). She is the only main character introduced so far; all of the other characters are minor characters. I like how Riley speaks her mind when she has opinions. She also is a very determined person who likes to back up whatever she has done or said. Her mind is working constantly trying to figure things out. I had to pick a trait to have like her it would be her determination. She is a very determined girl and its her determination that got her where she is now in the book. However, I don't like her 'annoying little sister' trait. She is more similar to my youngest sister in that way. Riley likes to bug her sister just as much as my sister likes to bug me. But in both cases Ever and I put up with it. In the end, Riley is a good person with determination and devotion to her 'place' in the book so far.

Falling Under Gwen Hayes p.19 My favorite character so far would be Theia Alderson. Since she is the only character introduced so far, I really have no choice but to pick her. The book starts off with her having these weird dreams, always endling with a man falling from the sky, on fire. She goes out to help him but he is laying there dying, saying that it was worht the fall. Theia has normal friends that are obsessed with guys at school, but she reallly doesn't pay much attention. She lives a pretty sheltered life. I like that she doesn't care/isn't obsessed with things like that. I don't wish I was her though, because I don;t think I could handle my dad protecting me from everything I do like hers does. He won't let her date or even hang out with any guy friends, he surrounds her with music; always making her practice her violin. I like how she is her own person though, and tell what she wants and that she will stand up to his rules eventualy. She wants to get out from under him. I know some people like this, a few go to school here. I also know a few people like her friends, who aree always talking about guys.

Quarter 4, Blog 2

Harvest

Tess Gerritsen

p. 155

My favorite character is Abby DiMatteo. She is a driven, caring, and determined doctor that focuses all her energy into her work. At points I'm glad that I am not her because she missed out on so much in her life by studying constantly and always working towards a higher position as a doctor. However, I wish that I had that complete determination that she has. She gets offered a position to be a surgeon resident, and even though she is more than qualified to be a regular doctor with a steady job, she decides to take on the challenge. She has been training and studying and training some more for so many years now, and she still has the determination to be something more. I also wish that I could be as calm as her with the problems she faces. Currently she is getting charged with many lawsuits for things that her entire team did so they are not solely her fault, but she still keeps working and stays calm.

Breaking Dawn Pg.1-264

My favorite Character is Edward because he is able to read peoples mind and he is a very protective person and is very strong . And he can be very negative to some people and he always has a snide comment. Yes I wish I could have some of his qualities like to be able to read peoples minds and be able to really protect the ones I love. And we are kind of like because sometimes I can make a very snide comment especially when I get mad or I am in a very bad mood.

Breathing Underwater Alex Flinn Pg. 60 So far the only character I really know about is Nick Andreas. I like him because we have shared a trait in our life together, but at the same time it is not a good trait to have. We both have a violent side of us that get us in trouble, so it is nice to read about how another kid shares that life. His violence has gotten the law involved, to where my story did not. He would not be my favorite character if there were others. I do like the trait on how he has responded to what the court had asked, he is a boy so yes he complained, but he knows he has to do it so Nick does. He has not tried to talk to the person he violated which will get him along ways and help out a ton.

Worth

By A. LaFaye

p.23

My favorite charcter so far is Nathan. I like because he listens to his parents and doesn't talk back to them or anything like that. I also like him because he is always wanting to help his father out on the farm instead of going to school and being bored and getting nothing done. He is a hard worker, who is strong mentally and physically.

Chad!

Safe At Home Mike Lupica p.60 My favorite character probably would have to be the main character Nick. He is pretty much the only one that Lupica goes into detail about so far. I like how determined and motivated this kid is to play baseball. It is all he ever does and his world revolves around it, which I can relate to. He may not be the most athletic kid but he outworks the more athletic kids. He gets a starting varsity spot as a seventh grader, which is impressive. He does whatever it takes to improve his game and benfit the team so they will be better. He is always finding ways to impress the coach. He is always at the field working on his throwdowns since he is a catcher.

Alyssa's Blog

The Curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Mark Haddon Page 33 So far I have only been introduced to 3 characters. The main character, Christopher John Francis Boone, Christophers dad Ed, and Mrs. Shears. I dont know that much about Mrs. Shears, and Ed hasnt been brought up in the story that much. So I would say my favorite character would be Christopher. I like how Christopher thinks. He is always thinking very logical. More in depth with things, that people wouldnt normally go in depth with. He is very unique and I like that about him. Some of Christophers qualities consist of his inability to understand a persons thoughts, or feelings. I would not like to have this characteristic. I enjoy knowing a person more by their facial expressions and I enjoy knowing what they mean by those expressions. Also, he has this computer like ability with numbers. I would like to have his ability with numbers. Mabye I would do better in my Algebra class. Christopher can do anything with numbers. He wants to become an Astronaut. I would definately enjoy having the want to become one. All in all, I would say Christopher is the best character in the whole story so far, and I think it will only become better.

House Rules Jodi Picoult Pg. 254 My favorite character in the book would probably be Jacob's mom. I like this character because she will do anything for her sons. She is a strong women because her husband left her and now she has to take care of both of her sons. Even though Jacob has done some wrong things in the past, she still sticks up for him no matter what the situation may be. She will do anything to protect her sons and provide for them the best she can. Jacob went to jail and she still sticks up for him. I hope when I become a mom I would have the same qualities as her. She loves her sons and would do anything for them and I believe that is the defintion of a mom and I hope to be like her someday when I become a Mom. When Jacob was in jail, she still thought he was innocent because she knew her son would never murder somebody. Also, when Jacob starts to get into a bad temper she tends to deal with it the best she can and I think that is a good quality to have as well. These are all qualities I wish to have in the future. My mom has these qualities too. She loves me, my brother, and sister and would do anything for us. She is always there for us and we know we can talk to her about anything.

Brandon's Post

John Feinstein Cover-Up 150-210 Steve Thomas is my favorite character, because he kinda has that attitude or mind set that he doesn't care about anyone/anything or what they feel is right or wrong. So I like that about him because that pretty much means he's confident. Not cocky, confident. He knows what to do and when to do it. Sometimes I wish I couldn't care what people felt like or wish I didn't care if I hurt them or not, but I'm not that kind of a person, so no I don't wish I had some of his qualities. One person who I know of that is like this would be... Dustin Bonjour, and the reason I think he is like that is because he has grown up with everything and he knows what he has and how its better then what everyone else has, that doesn't make him a bad person or anything it just kinda gets annoying after a while because its in his head that he knows he has everything he wants. He doesn't necessarily brag about what he has but its just that he has it and knows it.

Nothing to Lose

Alex Flinn

pg. 135

My favorite character in this book is Kirstie. She is a girl that worked with the carnival Michael is with now. She was the one who gave Michael the idea of running away and traveling with the carnival. Michael went there with his friend one night and met Kirstie. She was running a whack-a-mole game and he won. They spent the rest of the night together just talking and he decided he would come back the next night. Michael starts to fall for Kirstie and how independent she is. They go to a party a week and a half after they meet and a guy tries to get Kirstie to dance with him. She doesn't want to, but he's set on being a total jerk. So when he grabs for her, she flips him over and threatens him. I wish I could be that assertive. She knows how to take care of herself, since she's been on her own for a few years. I also wish I could be more independent. But then Kirstie ends up leaving the carnival when Michael joins. For what reason, I don't know. I hope it explains it in the book later.

A Quiet Belief In Angels

R.J. Ellory

The author caught my attention by starting the book off with a murder. The back of the book was also really interesting and made me really excited to find out the ending. The author keeps my attention by randomly bringing up another murder right as the book starts to get repetitive. The writing style of the book also keeps me interested cause it makes you have to reread passages so you can grab every detail. I hope that they get mroe into who the killer is though.

3/25/11 Tyler Allison Blog

This book started out talking about a Mercedes and that caught my attention. I continued to talk about california and more. I think i am keeping this book because i relate to it right now. Also when i chose this book the cover of the book caught my attention. It was colorful and had barbwire so i think it will be fun to read. Overall i am just getting into the book and i dont know how good it is.

-Tyler

Unbroken
By Laura Hillenbrand
Pg. 338

This book started out with a scene when Louie and Phil were on the raft surrounded by sharks draw the attention. It set the stage for what was to come in the rest of the book. After that it moved on to Louie's childhood and about when he got into track and field. That drew my attention because I am in track and it interests me. Then the author moved into parts about when Louie went into the military and it talked about when he was captured and held in Japanese prison camps. It used vivid details of the antagonists and about how Louie was beaten by the guards. It used violence as a main way of keeping interest. I liked to hear about all of the things Louie went through and his bad experiences. I hope to hear more about Louie's life after the war and if he gets back into track and field. I also want to know more about when Louie gets old. That would be interesting because I know the main character a lot. I want to see what happens with the rest of his life and how being a POW affects the rest of his life.

The Gaurdian. By Nicholas Sparks. Created by Nellie Wilson. Mrs. Sheffield. Period 7. English3.

Right as I started my book the main character Julie's husband dies of a brain tumor and Julie has to survivie life without him. Throughout the book Julie has two men in her life, Richard and Mike. Mike is the good guy and Rich is the bad one, which I know is up to trouble.I hope she stays with Mike. And away from Rich.

Quarter 4, Blog Number 1

Drive
Larry Bird
Pages 1 - 25

The author, a very famous basketball player, captured my interests at the beginning of the book by telling about his personal life. I expect the book to be mainly about basketball, so it was nice to read about his personal life and see how that affected his life. He told about how he started playing basketball, and why he strated playing. He told about his high school years and what he went through to become a great player. I could relate with that, because he was the same age as me. I expect to hear more about basketball. I hope to read about his life in college at Indiana Stae University, and eventually read about his life in the NBA, with the Boston Celtics.

The rescue By nickalos sparks
PG> 325
in the begining of the book there was ahuge storm, and Denise was driving and got in a crash. At the point i was interested i wanted to know what was going to happen to them. Then it went futher as her son, kyle, got lost and they couldn't find him. I wanted to know what happen to kyle. Was he alive? was he dead? Where was the story going to go from there? Then later on Denise meant Tayler. They grew in relationship, and i wanted to know what was going to happen to them and what was the secret that taylor was hiding from everyone. I hope at the end of the book I find out what the secret was that taylor was hifing, and why he was hiding it. I want to know if Taylor sticks around with Denise or does he leave her like he has left every other girl in the past. I want to know what happens to kyle. Does his speach get better?

Mable Riley
Marthe Jocelyn
p. 74

The main character of this book, Mable, has a very strange personality, especially since this book is set in 1901. This is what caught my attention. The book is written like a journal, wich is what kept my attention, because I like books that are written like a journal. I think this story will continue to get more interesting. I hope that we will learn more about Mrs. Rattle, a widowed suffragist who everyone despises.

Ironman

Denton Hopkins

Every book I read has to catch my eye in at least one of two ways. The first way is cover art. I know people say don't judge a book by it's cover ,but if your not willing to spend time making your cover appealing why should I spend time figuring out what your book is about. The second way is either the summary on the back or a reading of the first page( if no summary). If the author uses great detail, I can picture the setting in my mind ,and the topic interests me; I'll usually hold on to that book. The cover of my book is somewhat inviting. It has a lot of colors ,and a detailed picture. The topic does intrigue me though, tri-athalons host the worlds most fit and in-shape athletes. I'm an athlete, so I am very interested.

Dakota dream
JAmes Bennet
pg.5-10
ian Hopkins

well in the beginig of the book Donny left home for the weekend to go camping all by him self. Witch thi9s got my attention because i like being alone. when i think of camping i think of camping in the woods where it is nice an d quite. When donny was the he snuk on the camp site so he wouldnt have a fee cause is just a young boy campin on his own with hardly any money. Money was the last thing on his mind. Witch all of this caught my attention because i would like to take a trip out and go camping all by my self. With this i can sit down and think and see how it feel to live by my self. There are some reasons why i like the book so far.

Cats Cradle

It started talking about the A-bomb and that caught my eye at first. The narrator is interveiwing people about what they thought about the A-bomb. Then the author introduces you to the man that created the a-bomb, and you find out his personal life. Hopefully the book stays as interesting as it is and doesnt end up being a waste of time.

Fear No Evil
Robin Caroll
p. 25

The prologue at the beginning of the book really captured my attention because Caroll describes a fast pace scene of an abusive father and a shooting. This climatic prologue grabbed my attention right away and made me want to read more to find out what happens to the family and how they overcome the tragedy. Then, Caroll continued to keep me entertained by beginning the book describing a conflict of a mother and daughter who's father beats them. It did not jump right in like the prologue, but it keeps me reading. I hope that in the rest of the book the prologue comes full circle back into the plot of the book because it brought a lot of emotions to my attention, and Caroll made me feel as if they were my own family. I felt sorry for them.

Amy

Night Shadow
By Nora Roberts
pg. 247-267

This bookis a sequel to the previous book I just read. I a, interested in seeing if they find the man who keeps threatening her. This guy has already made one mistake and I was hoping to see if he makes another stupid mistake. The author didn't give a lot of information about the man so that kept my interest. I was also intrigued by the threats because they keep getting worse. My hopes are that they catch the man.

Chad!

Safe at Home
Mike Lupica
p30

So far he has done a great job at describing the teams practice. It does not take too much to gain my attention when it is a baseball book, I love baseball so not much has to be done. They have talked about the skills that a few of the kids have which is intriguing. So far he continues to talk about the game and what he expects from the players this year. Lupica also uses great descriptions. It is easy for me to paint a picture of what is going on from what he writes. It is very fun to read. I expect it to get better as I continue to read and grab my attention even more. I want him to describe the pitching staff more as well.

Quarter 4

The Mentor Leader

P.1-40

The author started off with an experience he had of winning the Superbowl and went into vivid wording of how his team won and how excited he was after it. The topic of the book is more interesting to me than what the author is doing to help me gain interest. The book is about leadership, and how the author had to become a better leader in order to lead his team through to the superbowl and a victory. He provides lots of information and helpful tips on how to become not just a better leader, but also a mentor leader. I hope the rest of the book stays interesting and easy to read. So far it has been good, but it is a little bit dry and i think it might be because i am just getting into the bok.

Judgement in death
JD Robb
pg 26

This book is really boring and bland it just gives details and doesn't get to the story. I cant tell who the main character is because i just get lost in all of the detail. I would rather watch grass grow than read this book. I will probably find a new book for next week.

Stand tall

pg 30
the author capture my interest by having a student being bullied and just taking. it really has not kept my interest it is acually getting quite boring so i am going to get a differant book for next week.

The Psycho

What kept my interest was the weird swamp that is mysterious and has lots of legends about it. It kept my interest when strange things started happening in the swamp and someone saw a guy carring what looked like a body in to the swamp.

aloysius

Ranger's Apprentice
by john Flannagan
pg 1-36

My book first interested me with its prologue. It gave a view of the evil character in the book hiding in the mountains. It talked about why he was mad at the world and you didnt have to guess on anything. This is very helpful when reading because the book lets you in on all the secrets. Also after the prologue the first chapter introduces you to a young man named Will. It talks about his life and how his parents were never around and then died. This is all very helpful when reading.

The Vampire diaries PG.1-50

It captured my interest because i had read the first book of the vampire diaries. Because it the book ended and then i wanted to keep reading the book. And the first one was really good. I think my hope for the book is that it will keep me reading and not bore me to death. And it wont take me forever to get through the book because i have read the Twilight books and the Second one was really hard for me to get through and Vampire Diaries Is kind of like the Twilight Saga. I cant wait though.

The Supernaturalist

Paige Boston
The Supernaturalist
by Eoin Colfer
pg 61

The author captures my interest in the header before the first chapter starts, with a line establishing the setting that says "Satellite City, Northern Hemisphere. Soon." From there, the book goes on to explain the the events take place sometime after the third millennium, in a strange metropolis controlled by a giant satellite owned by a futuristic corporation. The book then introduces the main character, Cosmo Hill, and describes the torture he has endured in his years as an orphan. He manages to escape from the orphanage and almost dies, and is rescued by a group of teenagers who hunt supernatural beings called Parasites that only they can see. In the authors perception of the future, much has changed, and I would like to see more conflicts introduced other than Cosmo learning how to be a Supernaturalist.

Beautiful Creatures
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
pg.461
The main way the authors caught my attention was in how they described the setting. They made it sound like any other town so you knew something strange was going to happen. As the story went on Lena was introduced and you knew there was something odd about her. The authors slowly uncovered her secret. I am excited for the secret to fully uncover and for us to understand everything about her world and how Ethan is involved in it!

Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen
pg. 65
The author first started with a prologue of a scene that will happen at some point in the book. The reader knows something climatic is going to happen, so wants to read on. The author kept my attention because of the prologue. It's like you know the main part of an important scene but you don't know how the characters got there. As I am introduced to new characters, some of the names are familiar from the prologue so I want to learn more. I really have no idea how this book is going to turn out, but I just hope the main character finds happiness in his life. His entire life and what he has worked for is gone so he has to start over, and I just want him to be happy. He didn't deserve wat happened to him and i believe everyone needs happiness in their life.

Fallan Stark
Runaway
Wendelin Van
pg. 147

How did the author capture your interest as you began the book? What did the author do to keep your interest as you read further? What are your hopes for the rest of the book? Explain.

At the beginning of the book, I was interested because she talks about how she is locked up in the laundry room and it is really detailed about her relationship with her terrible foster parents. Just the way the book is well-written and makes me want to keep reading. I wanted to know why she was locked up and how she got there. The thing that I was wondering and kept on reading was because I wanted to know what happened to her mother and who Eddie was. Why did Eddie ruin her and her mother's life? How come she doesn't live with her mother? What was her background? Because it is written as a journal entries, she only explains only a little bit at a time so it was a while til I could find out the answers to the questions. So far in the book Holly runs away because she doesn't like her foster home so she is homeless, but she prefers to call herself a gypsy. Specifically a sea gypsy, so another thing that I was wondering was if she was really going to find the ocean and swim with the dolphins? I hope at the end of this book that she will find somewhere safe to live or hopefully with other family members. She is only 13 and is supposed to start her junior high year, but instead she is roaming around, stealing stuff to survive. I hope that it has a happy ending.

Jack and Jill

At the begining of the book it is flashing back and forth between two murders that are happing. The first person murdered is a rich politition at a rich hotel, and the murderers are Jack and Jill. And the second person murdered is a young back girl in the projects, this murderer is unknown. After that it goes to the next day when the body of the little girl is found and Alex Cross and Sampson are working the case. The next major thing that happens is it goes to Jack and Jill playing a game to try and pick the next person they will murder. This kept my attention because I wanted to know who was playing the game Jack and Jill and why they were trying to kill all of these famous people. I hope Alex finds the person that killed the little girl so he can focus his full attention on the big murder spree that Jack and Jill are creating, because I think Jack and Jill are the most dynamic characters in the book so far.

The Girls
Lori Lansens
pg.7
The author got my interest in the beginning by telling me the "the girls" were diagnosed with. The two girls, Rose and Ruby, have been conjoined at the head for 29 years now. They are identical twins, but have very dominant differences. Rose's right eye sags down towards her ear, her jaw shifts to the left, one nostrol is bigger than the other and her right leg is 3 inches shorter than her left. Rose has been telling the story form her side, and every chapter will switch from sister to sister. She just talks about how they have struggled with it and how hard it is for her to be stuck to her sister all the time. They are 29 years old, the longest living conjoined twins. I hope the author gets into detail about how their life is and what they go though. I don't know if I'll keep reading this though, I'm not sure if it's my type of book that I want to read. I might read it on my own time though.

The Hot Spot
pg.10
Murray Leinster
This book is horrible. It has a really bad start, it doesn't make you want to read further because these first 10 pages don't make sense at all. If i had hopes for this book i would hope that it would have a better plot, make more sense when it trys to explain things and have a better setting description. I don't like this book at all, and i want to find a different one.

Breathing Underwater

Alex Flinn

Pg. 35

My mom actually picked this book for me because the way my life was going, went similar to that of the book (except for the court part). She tried to get me to read it over the summer, but I decided to wait for a quarter project. Flinn uses a lot of action, hate, and drama to keep my attention at the beginning of the book, and throughout it so far. I do enjoy it, I hope Flinn does not just suddenly make the book boring, otherwise I wont like to read it.

Radiance
Alyson Noel
pg.1-32

This book has gotten off to a pretty slow start. This book is about Riley Bloom, Ever's sister, who died in a car accident and this book is about her life after she died and moved to Here. It is like another short book to the immortals series. The author started off by saying: Most people think that death is the end. The end of life-of good times-the end of, well, pretty much everything. But those people are wrong. Dead wrong. And I should know. I died almost a year ago. The author did a good job of an attention getter because this hooks you from the beginning, but is not doing a very good job of developing the book. Since the book is in 1st person, it is talking about the character's life. So far, all they have informed us is that it was Riley's first day of school and she was confused because she had no idea where to go, or what to do. So far, the author is having a hard time keeping my interest. I hope that the author will end up making this book more interesting as I read on further. I hope that she will be able to get my interest back.

Brandon's Post

John Feinstein

Cover-Up

50-120

The author of this book caught my attention by first of all talking about football and of all the games the Superbowl! The most watched game of the whole football season the Superbowl is the supposed to be the greatest game ever played by two teams. The author kept my intrest in the book by talking about football and its actually football from our time period its not football from like the back when football got invented or back when they had to use leather helmets I hope the rest of the book talkes about the Superbowl, and how it became the greatest game known to man, and also how many people watch it every year both on television and that are actually there

Worth

By A. LaFaye

pg. 10



The book started out with a thunderstorm that was coming toward John Worth's farm. John got his wife and son out into the hay field to pick up the hay before it was lost because of the rain that was coming; so they were going as fast as they could to get the hay in. While in the barn, the horses got jumpy because of the lightning and thunder and it knocked Nathan off of the wagon. Then the horses sped off and took the wagon right over Nathan's leg, shattering it. I think that book will be very good. I think that the father will be very hard on the boy and will teach him the ways of farming.

Nineteen Minutes
Jodie Picoult
pg. 10

At the begining, the author starts out with a paragraph that really grabs my attention. She tells about several things you can do in nineteen minutes such as mow the lawn, watch a sitcom or part of a hockey game, or perhaps get revenge. This caught my attention because I know something in the book is going to take nineteen minutes to complete, and I think that is getting revenge. I am not far along in this book, but it has defiantly kept my attention so far. Jodie Picoult talks about a mother, Alex, who is a judge, and the relationship between her and her daughter. They seem like an ordinary family so far, so I am curious to see what happens next. I am hoping the rest of the book is very intriguing. I want it to be very interesting so I don't want to put it down. I also hope it explains everything very well and it's not confusing and I'm curious to know what else happens in nineteen minutes.

Alyssa's Blog

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.
Mark Haddon
Page 5

Well, as I started to read the book the first thing it was talking about, was how a boy named Christopher John Francis Boone was wondering around and discovered a dog that was laying at an akward angle, because it had a garden fork some how pinning it to the ground. So that really interested me because I wanted to know why it was like that. As I read further Christopher had found out the dog was his neighbors. The neighbor walked out of the house and started yelling at him. Christopher didnt like the yelling, so he let go of the dog, backed away, and covered his ears and put his head on the ground. He claimed the grass was cool and it felt good. Christopher had wanted to write a book. Not a biblical book or anything like that, but a mystery book. I hope to find out that the dog being found like that was in his story, and its an important piece to it. Not that he had really found a dog that way. Something like that could do some damage to a person. I know I wouldnt like it all that much.

Nothing to Lose
Alex Flinn
pg. 64
The book started with the main character, Michael, talking about what his life is like as a carnie. He left home a year before because of problems at home, but the carnival he's with has now come back to Miami, the town where he lived. The book kept my attention by the way he tells his story. He's a very pessimistic person, because of the things he's been through. He and his mom lived alone, living from paycheck to paycheck, until she met Walker. Walker was a rich lawyer and she married him to give her son a better life. Turns out, walker is very, very abusive. Michael switches back and forth between telling about his life in the present and his life a year ago, before he left. The stories he tells about Walker and how he realizes that he himself is slowly changing into a more violent person are very interesting. And in the present he has found out that his mother killed Walker a few months before he came to Miami. He goes to a lawyer to see what he can do to help her. It's sad how he doesn't trust anyone and has to think about it for a few days before he decides that he should tell someone about what happened to him and his mother. I hope that Michael will be able to overcome his fear of trusting people and will be able to help his mother in her trial.

House Rules
Jodi Picoult
Pg. 220

As I began the book, my author got my attention while reading it because she told about Jacob and everything he has gone through as a child while having his syndrome. Some of the stories that she described were unbelieveable so right when she started telling about his life experiences as a child I immediately got hooked to the book. As I kept reading the book, the author kept my interest by adding conflicts amongst many of the characters. Jacob gets into a lot of those conflicts and I get interested to see what he does because if he gets put into a situation where he is not comfortable in or is not use to he begins to freak out. There is also suspense that the author put in because Jacob just recently got put into jail and no one knows how long he will have to be in there and if he really murdered Jess. My hopes for the rest of this book is that the suspense will continue and that Jacob will be innocent hopefully because I could not see him as the one who killed Jess. I think the author will do a good job of hiding the answer of who really got killed to the very end so it will keep me hooked on the book even more.

Scorpia

Anthony Horowitz

pg 179-191

Anthony Horowitz is a master in grabbing you attention as you begin reading a book of his creation. He always starts with a seemingly unrelated bit that relates later to the plot. It's always an action sequence that sometimes includes characters that you haven't yet been introduced to but are later. The beginning of this book starts in Venice with the terrorist organization SCORPIA planning their next heist, called invisible sword, also the title of the first chapter. One of the members, a man named Max Grendell, has decided to retire from the organization, but there is no retiring from terrorism. Another of the members, the head of Invisible Sword, gives him a gift as he is leaving the meeting. He sits with the briefcase in his lap as the gondola floated into the Grand Canal. Quite suitingly, the briefcase was filled with live scorpions, who made short work of the old man to say the least. After this scene it jumps to the main story revolving around Alex. The descriptions and events keep you guessing all the time, but I've read the books preceding this one so it's starting to get a bit predictable. I'm thinking meeting Julia Rothman was the biggest twist so far, but I'm hoping for another one towards the end of the book to make me want to read the next one.

Quarter 4 Blog 1

Harvest

Tess Gerritsen

Page 86

This book starts out in Russia with a pimp selling his four young boys to a couple from the United States who supposedly want to adopt them. Then as the author starts to explain what is really going on, the story changes to Boston where a girl named Abby is working in a hospital in hopes of becoming a surgeon. The sudden change in plot interested me because automatically I wanted to find out more about the couple. As the story went on there was huge chaos involving two patients who needed the same heart from a crash victim. The heart went to the 17 year old, but only after Abby stole the heart and took it to a different hospital for the transplant. She did not get fired, but she is starting to find out that there is more going on in the transplant unit than the other doctors know. This whole conspiracy kept my interest because it was so fast paced. I hope that the book will go deeper into the transplant units' secrets and also go back to the the couple and tie it back to the current plot.

Thinking In Pictures By Temple Grandin

Having Asperger Syndrome doesn't stop yourself from achieving great things in life.
Having the courage to stand up for yourself gives you determination and later makes you more confidence. Also having Asperger Syndrome doesn't have to be a drag, it is actually a lot of fun.  If you have a group of friends that have your back, then you can always have a second opinion at things rather than second guessing.  Having Asperger Syndrome makes a person unique compared to who they are.  Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself if some one's bullying you or making rude remarks because of your disability.

Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin and I are both very similar to one another.  We both have Asperger Syndrome and are unable to drive. I on the other hand, still attend high school and don't have a diploma. Temple, however has a degree in animal science from the University of Illinois.   Some times after a long day, my mind can't seem to relax and so what ends up happening is, I have videos replay inside my head over and over again.  Temple, uses pictures in order to reach solutions to problems. There are many pros and cons about having Asperger Syndrome. Some of the pros are that you get a lot of help in school. But some of the cons are that you can't operate a motorize vehicle because of the lack of the reaction capabilities.  I'm not saying that there aren't people with Asperger Syndrome who drive, but what I am saying is that it's a risk that I don't feel comfortable taking especially at this stage in my life.

Thinking In Pictures By Temple Grandin

If I could ask Temple three questions, they would include  the following:
1. Do you live on a farm, now that you have a phd in animal science?
2. Have you ever spoken in public schools as a guest speaker?
3. What was your most memorable childhood moment?

Thinking In Pictures By Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin had a rough life not only because she has Asperger Sydrome, but because she fought hard to make it so that others are able to see her point of view.  During her childhood years growing up, many students often made fun of her because of the way she interpreted the learning in the classroom.  She didn't like it when people gave her hugs because it affected her personal space. To relieve her stress, she would lock herself in a cattle shoot and then when the sides pressed inward on her, she would feel immediate relief.  Later on in her life, Temple went off to college at the University of Illinois and earned her PHD in animal science.

Ash

Paige Boston
Ash
by Malinda Lo
pg 204

I believe that this book's title fits it well for many reasons. Not only is it the main character's name, but since the book has several dark and magically themes, the title works well to subtly convey these messages. The title also correctly suggests something to do with fire; since Ash is a servant (in times before electricity was invented) she often starts to puts out fires to warm her family's home, frequently sleeping in front of them.

Were I to re-title this book, I would call it either Torn or The Wood. I chose the first title because the main character is constantly torn between fairy tales and reality throughout her life, and is starting to feel as though she must choose between the two people she loves; Sidhean, a fairy who was cursed to love her, or Kaisa, the King's Huntress who loves her despite their different social classes. The second title is appropriate because it is where much of the book is set, and is where she met both Kaisa and Sidhean.

Ironman

pg. 119

Chris Crutcher

I believe the title is a great fit for the book. Most americans aren't into triathlons ,but one triathlon airs on NBC every year, Ironman. Ironman is the end all be all of triathlons hosted in Hawaii. Since my book is about triathlons of course it's perfect. If I had to pick alternate titles it would be "three legs" or "endure". Triathlons are three legs long and take endurance.

The Last Song. By NIcholas Sparks. Nellie Wilson. Mrs. Sheffield. Period 7. English 3

In my book I do believe the title fits the book well. Ronnie, the main character, a rebellious teenager is very talented at the piano, except she stopped playing because her father walked out on them. Ronnie finds out that her dad has cancer and will die soon. He probably won't make it to the end of summer. Ronnie finds a unfinished song that was started. Her dad dies with her playing the finished last song.
Two other titles may be, No tomorrow, because when her father was on his death bed, Ronnie had no idea when he pass. The other one would be, The Unexpected, with this book there is so many ups and downs, for instance Ronnie changing when she was at her dad's house, and when Ronnie finds out about her dad's cancer and that everyday is a blessing.

Beautiful Creatures
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
pg. 258
The title Beautiful Creatures fits this book very well because it has a lot of different elements. Lena who is a Caster is hated by most of the school because she's not like them, she's different. While most of the school steers clear of her, Ethan finds her very interesting. He even finds her beautiful. As they find out more of both of their families past and how their small town of Gatlin isn't what they thought they grow closer. The closer Lena and Ethan get the more they realize how alike and how different they are. So the Beautiful Creatures title works because Casters are people but they are also creatures and Lena just happens to be a beautiful one to Ethan. Another title I think would work for the book is Light and Dark. Once Lena turns sixteen she will find out if she is a light or dark side Caster. This will change her whole world once this event takes place. One other title could be Secrets of Time. In the story Ethan and Lena are looking for the secret of a locket that found that is related to both of their families past. No one will tell them much but as they find out more they realize that Gatlin has a lot more secrets than they thought.

Fallan Stark

Runaway

Wendelin Van Draanen

pg. 18

Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not? What would two alternate titles be? Explain.

I haven't gotten far enough in the book to tell if the title is appropriate, but the back of the book seems like it would be. The back explains that it she has ran away before and now she runs away again and is finally on her own. So far that has happened is that her mother died 2 years ago and she doesn't have a father, so she is with this couple and they lock her up in the laundry room and don't let her do anything. Two alternative titles could be Agony Day by Day, because her life is terrible, or because instead of chapters this book is in journal entries, so a title could be My Miserable Life.

Elizabeth

The rescue
By nichalos sparks
Pg. 257-289
The title to my book is the Rescue. i feel that this is a good title for my book. Within the very begining of the book Kyle the little boy gets lost and taylor rescues him. Also Taylor is fighting his own struggles from the past that he cant over come. Demise, his girl friend is trying to help him fight those battles, but he pushes her away, but in the end she he over comes it, and she helps rescue him. Taylor is also a firefighter so in the book he rescues, many different people, which is just another reason why the title fits the book well. But if i could rename the title i would have the title be lost within myself. Because of taylor and him fighting his battle within himself, and how kyle got lost. Another title that i think would be great would be in a world thats not perfect. I would have that be the title because so many things in their lifes went wrong. not seemed to go right for either one of then so that would be my best pick for the title.

Walking up a rainbow
Theodore Taylor
end

I think the title works because she goes from rock bottom when she loses her family and finds the good in the world. If i had to give it another title it would be "From the Darkness" or "Keep Moving" because she finds the light at the end of the tunnel. This book is all about making the best of what you have.

CHAD

Knights of The Hill Country

Tim Tharp

Done

The title makes some sense but doesn't really tie in to the theme or anything besides the name of the team, which is Knights, and they refer to the setting as the Hill country, but it doesn't tie into the characters or any of the plot or anything like that. It doesn't tell you anything about the theme or any of the conflicts that will occur. The first title I would do would be, "The Love of the Game", because he plays this game because it is one thing in his life he is certain about. Football is his life. The other title that I would change it to would be, "Playing Through It", because he has so much going on, and when he steps on the field nothing else matters to him. It feels like home to him, because it is the only true home he has.

The Properties of Water

Hannah McKinnon

End of book

I'm not sure what I think about the title. I found out what had happened to Marni. Her and some of her friends we swimming at the lake and jumping into the water from ledges, and Marni wanted Lace to go and jump with her but Lace didn't want to. Lace left and was walking down the road and saw ambulances drive by and cop cars. She rushed back and her sister had been hurt. She hit her head really hard which impaired the left side of her body and was in a coma for 12 hours. They don't know if she"ll ever walk again. If I could pick a couple new titles they would be, The Last Jump, because of when Marni jumped it would be the last time she"d ever jump in a very long time. She has to have therapy everyday and slowly work her way back into the water. Another would be, Water Runs Through Our Veins, because Hannah talks about how both girls love to swim and they are very talented swimmers. After Marni's accident she still has that fire to get back out there and swim and be apart of the swim team again. She's the same girl, she just won't ever be able to really use her legs to swim again. The water will always be in her though.

AMY

Night Tales: Night Shift

By Nora Roberts

pg. 152-end of book

Night Shift fits the book perfectly. It is the perfect title because the book is about Cilla who works the night shift when she gets threatened. She receives multiple threats, on each night, while she is working the night shift. Two alternate titles would be: Dark Shadow or Undercover Night Worker. I chose those two titles because I tried to think of something that would relate to the events happening at night and during her night shift for KHIP radio.

Charlie St. Cloud page 241

I believe that the title does fit the book well. Because it talks about his life and what had happend to him and how losing Sam changed his life. If there could be two alternate titles they would be The Lost Brother and The Boy Who Could See His Brother. Because it talks about how his brother died and Charlie can see his brother and play catch with him everyday in the woods. And how charlie can see any dead person. He is lost in his life because of Sam he made a promise to him that he would play catch everyday at sunset and he can never move on with his life with out letting Sam go. Because he started to date this girl and Charlie forgot about Sam and disappearing from his life because of his relationship. Those would be my titles.

Cat's cradle

I've only read 30 pages but the title fits. A man the narrator is studying use to be able to make cats cradles with string. How the A-bomb was made would be a good title because the narrator is writing about the man man who created the a-bomb and interviews his family. The a-bomb after effects would also be a good title because the narrator interviews people about how they felt after the a-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Finished

I think that the title fits the book, but it is not a good title for the book because It doesn't draw the reader in. The title is very informational for a person who has read any of the previous books, because Angel is a character in the book so you know that something is going to go wrong with her. I would say that the author needed to put more thought into the title, because it looks more like a comic book title than it does a book title. The title should be more mysterious, and propose a question to the reader, or help to draw them in. Another title for this book could be something like The Hunt, because the kids are being chased after and have to get away as fast as they can. One other option could be Learning To FLY, the kids literally had to learn how to fly for extremely long periods at a time. Flying takes a lot of energy out of them, so they had to fight through it even when they were out of juice.

Dewey

Vicki Myron

I think the title fits perfectly for my book. It's named after the man character Dewey. The entire story is focused on him so it fits. I also think the title draws people into the book because Dewey is such an odd name. If I had to pick alternate titles I would choose Dewey Readmore Books, because that's Dewey's full name, and is also an interesting title. I would also choose The Book Return, cause that's where Dewey was found was in the book return.

Watership Down

Richard Adams

End

This title works perfectly because it is the name of the hill where the rabbits live. It's pretty straightforward. I would also like Hazel-Rah, because that's the name of the main rabbit. Rabbits on the Run would also be a good and simple title.

Thinking in pictures

In the context of this autobiography, I am able to make connections based on the experiences Temple Grandin  has had through out her life time.  I am able to put myself in her shoes and seeing what life is like through her shoes. It gives me an aspect of how life can be difficult living with Asperger Syndrome  or any disability.

Miracle on 49th Street
Mike Lupica
pg. 175

The title of my book makes you, think or at least made me think, that some huge obvious miracle was going to happen in my book. This is not the case, at least not so far. I have not finished the book so maybe it doesnt mean anything to me but as of right now the title doesnt make very much sence to me. I have not really read about a miracle yet, or maybe i have and just not put it together yet. So i am not sure if this title fits my book. If i were to change the name now though it would either be "Finding my dad" or "getting my dad" I choose these because Molly is giving a huge effort to make her dad realize that she is actually his daughter. I hope that the title will make more sence to me when i finish the book though, we will see.

To build a Fire

Jack London

Finished

I would say that the title is not very fitting. He builds a fire but why name the book that? He's traveling through the timber to another town. I would say a good title would be A Travel Through Alaska or An Alaskan Excursion. They seem to me to be a lot more fitting then to build a fire.

Brandon's post

Cover-Up

John Feinstein

page 51

The title of my book Cover-Up so far fits the book because its like their talking about he super bowl and you know it but its like they don't want you to know that thats the game they are talking about. Ya know? Im kinda interested in whats to come a little bit because it is kinda keeping me tuned in but I don't know yet we will figure it out when I get a lil bit further into it.

Catching fire

By Suzanne Collins

pgs to the end of the book



i think the title does fit the book because she and her outfits looks like she is on fire so all the other competitors are a little bit frightened of her. Some other title that would be got is back to the areana because she thought that she would never have to go back into the areana and she thought she was safe from danger if having her child go into the areana. Another good title would be the revolt because no matter how much she tries she can't stop all the districts from revolting.

Safe At Home
Mike Lupica
Finished.
I have already bloged about this book after i finished it but since im notto far into my second book, I do not know if the title fits the book. I will just blog about the book I have read. I do not believe the title fits the book very good. I figured by the title, that a big game would come down to a big play at the plate. This was not the case. The pitcher just struck everybody out. It was still a good book, I just think the title could have been changed. Most of Lupica's other titles fit good with the book, but this time it did not.

March 3, 2011

Youth in Revolt
C.D. Payne
page 82

The title of the book, is Youth in Revolt. I think it fits the story, because the main character Nick, is very outgoing. He will say what he wants, and doesnt care about what other people say about him. He is a very aggrivated teenager. He is dealing with family problems, hormones, and the desirable need to be with girls. Youth is rising in revolt more or less. He eventually gets fed up with all the stuff that is going on around him, and he fakes his death to get away from the police for stealing his dads car. He runs away with Sheeni (the girl he is obsessed with) and doesnt let anything stop him or her from getting away. Two alternate titles could be; Youth gone wild, or The crazy Nick Twisp. I think Youth gone wild, because they do go wild. They go on this rampage just to prove a point, the point being kids need to be treated fairly instead of trying to control them. The crazy Nick Twisp, because he is crazy. He thinks he knows everything just because he is very intellectual. Well, thats not the case, he doesnt know the real world very well.

Night Star
Alyson Noel
End of Book

The title of the book Night Star, is appropriate for the book, but I think that the author could have picked a more relevant title. Night star has to do with Ever, wishing upon a star to hope everything will be right again in her life. She wants everything to be right with her and Haven as well as her and Damen...To me this was a small part in the book and shouldn't really be what the title is about. But in all of Alyson Noel's books, she gives the titles to small details in the book, so I guess that is just her style. I guess you could say, the star had more than just the meaning of what was said and maybe you had to read between the lines to understand more what it was about, but it did not seem like that to me at all. I think a more relevant title would be the Struggle because it could mean many different things from this book. It could go along with Ever's struggle to defeat Haven, Ever's struggle with Jude, or Ever's struggle with Damen. This would be a more obvious choice for a title, but I think it would be a better overall title.

No Second Chance

Harlan Coben

end of book

I think the title of this book fits because it emphasizes what the kidnappers say. The title No Second Chance sounds suspenseful without giving anything away. Another title could be "Things are not as they seem" because it seems like a normal kidnapping, but there is a very unexpected twist at the end that proves the kidnapping isn't normal. "A Father's Love" could be another title because the father will do anything to get his daughter back. Once she is gone, his life seems to end and he can't move on. He also says he has a feeling that she is alive and he will know if anything bad happens.

Before I Fall
By: Lauren Oliver
pg.364

I think that this title Before I Fall fits this book very well. This book is about a girl who gets into a car crash on Friday night, but when she wakes up its Friday again and her day starts all over again. This happens every night and the main character Sam doesn't know how to stop it. She starts to figure out that she has to help others before she can get out of this horrible routine. The title fits it well because she has to help many different people before she falls or dies again. A different title I would give this book would be Escape, because Sam is stuck in this never ending cycle and wants to find an escape to get back to her normal life. I also might rename the book Falling, because every night Sam has a dream that she is falling into darkness which has no end.

For One More Day
Mitch Albom
End of book

I think the title of this book does fit. The book is divided up into three different sections: morning, afternoon, and night which makes up a day. For an alternative title, I would choose "The Return" because Charley's mother and father return as ghosts in the story after they died. Charley was really confused and did not understand why they returned, but it is a major event in this book. I would also choose "My Life" because Charley goes through the main events in his life and describes what happens to him and his family. He tells about times when he was younger when his mom and dad were still together and he tells about the times when he is grown up with a wife and daughter. He tells about the good and the bad time he has had and all of the stuggles he has gone through.

House Rules
Jodi Picoult
Pg. 186

I am about half way through my book and so far I do not think the title House Rules fits this book. I mean there are house rules that Jacob has to follow, but I think for a title it should be more about the plot of the book and not just a minor thing in the book. Other alternatives I would pick would be The Autistic Child. I would choose this as a title because this book is all revolved around this boy named Jacob who is autistic. Throughout the book they keep explainging what autistic people do, so that is why I think that title would be a good alternative. Another title I would choose would be A Mystery To Be Solved. I chose this as another option for a title because throughout this book so far they have been trying to figure out who killed Jess. Jess is a girl who helped Jacob with his problems and would help him with situations he would have to face in the future. Jacob loves to be at a crime seen as well, so I thought that would be a good option because it would tie in with Jacob and also the plot of the book as well.

Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand
Pg. 253

The title of this book is very fitting in my views. It sums up Louie's life and how he struggled through every horrible thing that happened to him and he remained "unbroken". Louie was raised in a bad neighborhood and was forced to steal and do immoral things. He was also in the war and captured, where he witnessed, and was a part of some gruesome things. He stayed strong through all of this. Two alternative titles would be A Difficult Journey and A Changed Man (I'm not very original). A Difficult Journey because all of Louie's life was very difficult and nothing came free. This all was his journey to being a better person in the end. A Changed Man because Louie changed so much throughout the book and changed in the end because he had been through so much that it made him a better person.

Fear No Evil

Robin Caroll

p. 25-50

I am not real far into the book, but as of right now the title does not fit extremely. I am assuming that further into the book there will be an explanation as to why it is titled Fear No Evil. There has not been a conflict or incident in the plot to have the characters fear no evil or an event to allow a theme to arise from the plot. Right now, I would give the title of the book either The Storm or Cassidy's Fear. I would title it The Storm because in the very beginning there is a huge storm that is very chaotic and causes a lot of ruckus within the town. Police officers are having to prepare for floods and townsfolk are staying inside and canceling activities. It will potentially cause a huge mess with its after effects. I would name it Cassidy's Fear because Cassidy is a young girl in a family that is slowly falling a part. Her father is abusive, and her mother is filing for divorce. She is young enough that she does not have a full understanding, but she is old enough to know that it hurts. I have a feeling this will be a key point in the book later.

Aloysius

Indiana Jones and the philophers stone

by Max McCoy

pg 56-120

My books title is very un original but it fits the book very well because it is about him finding a rock. The people that came up with the title were very un creative but it works because every one of his books has an unoriginal title. If i could rename the book it would be called Philosophers in Rome becuase of the philosopheres stone and they fly to rome. Another title would be Indiana jones last adventure because he could die at the end of i, that would make it a very interesting story.

Quarter 3, Blog 7

Kyle Weber

The Assist

Neil Swidey

The title definitely fits the book. The assist is a figurative article of speech. The coach assists the players in their journey of life. He helps them along and makes sure they make the right decisions. These decisions will affect their lives in huge ways, so they need to make the right ones. he shuffles them to practices, school, and college visits, all in order to make them better people. Two other titles could be The Ultimate Coach or Mr Motivator. These titles both describe the coach's actions and what he would do. They describe what he wold go through in order to make them better people.

Digital Fortress

dan brown

pg 312-end

The title of my book is Digital Fortress. I would say it is a pretty decent title because it is all about this supposed unbreakable code. I kind of agree that this books title is good but at the end of the book you find out that there really is no unbreakable code... (If you wanted to read this book im sorry i just ruined the ending for you) I would change the title to, The Virus, or Codebreaker.

Scorpia
Anthony Horowitz
pg125

Yes, I think the title fits the book well. This name is also the name of the terrorist organization who's major areas of activity include Sabotage, CORruPtion, Inteligence, and Assasination. Notice that the capoitol letters spell out SCORPIA. That is why they named the orginization this way. Their world success has made them a powerful force that the national inteligence agencies cannot keep up with. The whole focus of the book is this organization because Alex believes it is his destiny to find them, thanks to a message from a dying man who knew his father. Now that he has found SCORPIA, he thinks he will get all the answers he has been searching for his whole life. Alternate titles would not do this book justice. The title Scorpia is dramatic and all encompassing of the main idea of the story. The title could also be "Invisible Sword" because that is the name of the project SCORPIA is working on right now. This title wouldn't be as much about the major plot of Alex finding out who he is, but it might work. Scrippatori would also be an interesting title, grabbing people's attention to read the book because they don't know exactly what it means. The word is actually the name for theives in Italian, explained in the second chapter, but, again, this doesn't pertain to the big picture. Scorpia is the perfect title to describe the whole book.

Cat & Mouse by James Patterson

pg. 429

I think this is a good title for this book because they keep asking who is the cat and who is the mouse in the story. Alex thinks he is the cat in the story because he is chasing the mouse which would be the Thomas Pierce/Mr. Smith. But Thomas Pierce thinks he is the cat and his split personality Mr. Smith would be the mouse. If I would change the title it would be "The Cellar" because that is where most of the beginning of the story takes place. It is where Gary Soneji dies. It is where Gary hides before all of his murders. It is where Gary's stepmother put him when he was bad as a child. It is where Gary's best friend was killed by Mr. Smith. I think Cat & Mouse is a good title but i think The Cellar would be better.