The Holes at Camp Green Lake

Hi everybody!

Do you ever feel like you're under a curse and nothing goes right? Well, Stanley Yelnats feels like that everyday. And it all started with his great-great-grandfather! Why? Ever since his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather insulted a gypsie, almost nothing has ever gone right for the Yelnats. 

So, of course, when Stanley gets arrested from stealing shoes from his sports hero even though he is innocent, he blames his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather. But nobody believes he's innocent, so he gets sent to Camp Green Lake, where there's no lake. There was a long time ago but it soon dried up.

The rule a Camp Green Lake is to dig a hole exactly five feet wide and deep. The shovel is your measure. But soon it's evident that the Warden at Camp Green Lake is not just making bad boys good...she's looking for something. But what could it be?

I really enjoyed the book. The author, Louis Sachar, writes about the past alongside the present, so the reader doesn't read everything from Stanley's point of view. The book has some pretty good jokes and overall I find the book amazing!

Other books that Louis Sachar has written are Wayside School, Wayside School is Falling Down, the Marvin Redpost books, etc.

I really enjoyed Holes and it is a very entertaining, interesting book. I recommend it to ages 9 and above and can't wait to read more Louis Sachar books!

Agatha Christie: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hello readers,
Today I'll be reviewing The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. It is considered one of Christie's classics.
In the village of King's Abbot, news spreads quickly about the death of Mrs. Ferrars, who was a widow rumored to have murdered her husband. Mr. Roger Ackroyd, who was to marry Mrs. Ferrars is depressed and wants to find out why exactly she died, and invites Dr. Sheppard, his close friend to dinner...
However, that very evening, Roger Ackroyd is found dead in his study with a knife in his neck! Luckily, Hercule Poirot, the renowned detective is here to find out who the murderer is... But who could it be?
Could it be Ralph, Ackroyd's stepson, whom all the evidence points to? Could it be Flora Ackroyd, who was last to hear from Ackroyd?
Everybody seems like a suspect here, and everyone seems to have an alibi, too... So who could it be?
I read the book and it was impossible for me to figure out who the murderer was! This was truly an Agatha Christie whodunnit!
Agatha Christie is a famous British crime author. Some of her books are By the Pricking of My Thumbs, And Then There Were None, N or M?, A Murder is Announced, 3.50 From Paddington, etc.
Some other Hercule Poirot books are The ABC Murders, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Murder on the Orient Express.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to ages 12 and above because it does have a slightly complex storyline which younger readers may not be able to follow.

Alex Rider, the Teenage Spy

Hey everyone!
Today I'll be writing about the Alex Rider series, written by Anthony Horowitz.
Alex is a fourteen-year-old who lives with his uncle, Ian Rider, who is extremely mysterious. But when his uncle is killed, Alex finds out that he was a spy- and now Alex is one too!
Alex is sent as an undercover spy to investigate Herod Sayle, a billionaire who is planning to distribute exclusive Stormbreaker computers to secondary schools around the country. At first, everything seems to be going all right. Alex finds clues left behind by his uncle. He's even allowed to use the first Stormbreakers.
But soon Herod Sayle figures out something's wrong when he finds Alex in a forbidden area of the building.
Suddenly, Alex realizes that he might not get out of this alive.
Will Alex make it out of the situation? And what is so strange about the Stormbreakers that seem perfectly fine?
 The books in the Alex Rider series are Stormbreaker, Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, Ark Angel, Snakehead, Crocodile Tears, Scorpia Rising and Russian Roulette.
The books are very interesting and if you love action and adventure, you'll definitely love the Alex Rider series.
 The books are written by Anthony Horowitz, a novelist and screenwriter. Anthony Horowitz has also written The Power of Five series, The Diamond Brothers, Groosham Grange series, etc.
I recommend this series for ages 11 and above.

When Pigs Fly...I Mean, Rule the Farm!

Hello guys,
There are so many farms that have animals working on them. But have you ever thought of a farm that has animals working... and ruling the farm?
Today I'll be writing about Animal Farm by George Orwell. The books talks about Manor Farm, an English farm owned by Mr. Jones. The animals are regularly abused by Mr. Jones, but after a meeting in the barn, the animals decide they've had enough and want the farm for themselves. Kicking Mr. Jones out of Manor Farm and renaming the place Animal Farm, the new leaders are now the pigs.
At first, things go smoothly and the animals have never been happier.
That's until one of the leaders are accused of treason and is chased out of the farm. Everything goes topsy-turvy after that! The pigs start walking on two legs, the windmill that is being built has collapsed twice and Animal Farm is under attack from the surrounding farms.
What is going to happen to Animal Farm now?
The book is a little over 100 pages but it depicts real-life issues and is a satyr of governance. It is based on the Russian Revolution.
George Orwell is the pen-name of Eric Arthur Blair, an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. He has also written 1984, Burmese Days, Homage to California, Coming Up For Air and many essays as well.
I recommend this dark, and sometimes humourous book for ages 9 and above.

Book of Ghosts...

Dear readers,
Are you afraid ghosts? Or do you live by horror flicks and novels? Today I will be reviewing Ruskin Bond's Favourite Ghost Stories from Around the World which is written by Ruskin Bond.
If you've read my previous horror book reviews such as '13: The Unlucky Number' which reviews the book Room 13 and 'The Other World...' which reviews the novel Coraline, you might have figured out that I prefer horror stories which don't keep you awake all night. And this exactly what this book is. It contains a number of interesting ghost stories but without frightening you to death.
This book contains a number of short stories from around the world and from other books. There are stories from Haiti, such as 'Toussel's Pale Bride,' 'When Glister Walked,' from Borneo, 'My Brother's Ghost Story' from Switzerland, 'The Undertaker' from Russia, 'Lalla Radha and the Churel' from India, 'The Boy Who Drew Cats' from Japan and so many more stories.
I really think these stories are entertaining and gripping, although you may need to use a dictionary for a few because some use older vocabulary that you may not know. The style of writing varies from the country and the author, but still the book has a great flow. Some authors in this book are Jerome K. Jerome, Amelia B. Edwards, Oscar Cook, Ruskin Bond himself and numerous other writers.
I recommend this book to ages 9 and above.
Ruskin Bond has written many other books such as The Blue Umbrella, Mr. Oliver's Diary, Crazy Times With Uncle Ken, Rusty Runs Away, Rusty: The Boy From the Hills and many more books. and short stories.

Falling Beneath Fairyland...

Hello guys!
Today I'm reviewing Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, the second book from the Fairyland series. Although there are characters and references to the first book, people, including myself, can enjoy it without reading the first book.
The book takes place about a year after the events of the first book.
With her father at war, September only has Sundays and a visit to Fairyland to look forward to. That's when she sees a strange rowboat...and suddenly, before she knows it, she's in Fairyland. But things are not jolly and sunny as they're supposed to be.
Shadows are being sucked into from Fairyland to Fairyland Below. September must find out why and stop it from happening... but that'll be difficult when the cause of it all is Halloween, the queen of Fairyland Below, and her own shadow.
Join September on a rollicking adventure with fairies, shadows, dragons and even a Minotaur!
This book is very enjoyable, and like I said before, you don't need to read the previous book, although you might want to.
The story-line is amazing and it really inspires you.
Catherynne M. Valente is an American author and poet. She has written over twenty books including The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, The Girl Who Raced to Fairyland All the Way Home, The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland- For a Little While, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, Six-Gun Snow White, The Labyrinth, The Folded World, Smoky and the Feast of Mabon, and many more.

The Adventures of Pinky and Rex

Hi!
Today I'm going to review the Pinky and Rex series by James Howe, with delightful illustrations by Melissa Sweet.
Pinky is a boy and Rex is a girl, but they are still the best of best friends. This series follows them and their other friends through hilarious misadventures.
See Pinky and Rex fight off a bully, Pinky getting a cat he does not want, Rex getting jealous of Pinky's cousin Abby at a pumpkin patch, Rex getting a new addition to her family, and so, so many more!
These books are small and have big font, divided into chapters, making it ideal for a child starting chapter books. These books are also good to read to a preschooler because they use simple language.
It's easy to understand the characters' feelings.
Even if you are out of picture books, these books are still a short, delightful read.