Read Arizona

This is a collection of bizarre and dangerous short stories.  A few stories that I read were:   A Thief in the Rocks, Denation Creek, and The Dam.  I really did not like these stories.  A Thief in the Rocks was not okay because the girl ended up going to the darkness.  Denation Creek was not okay because the kids had no idea about the power of fear.  The Dam was not okay because a boy went to the dam with his mother, but his mom was planning to kill him.  I also read two stories about survival and safety.  These were:  The Greenhouse and At the Old Roxy.  The Greenhouse story was okay because it was interesting.  It was about a boy and his big sister.  One day they were playing inside the greenhouse where the tomatoes were.  He hadn’t gathered all the tomatoes that day, so in the morning after his big sister went out to play golf, the boy went back into the greenhouse to collect the rest of the tomatoes.  While he was there he began to hear strange noises.  The boy got scared and promised not to bother the tomatoes in the greenhouse again.  The boy’s Uncle Jim opened the door to the greenhouse and saw some strange stuff.  He was concerned that all the tomatoes were gone.  Uncle Jim decided to tell everyone not to go into the greenhouse.  The other story was At the Old Roxy.  This story was okay because two kids saw a Roxy.

Reviewed by:  Matthew F. @ Catalina H. S.

Edited by:  kb

Photo credit:  Google Images

In the book, The Girl with the Baby, the main characters are Jane and Dawna.  Jane is a fourteen-year-old girl trying to raise a baby on her own without her baby’s father.  While trying to raise the baby, she runs into a lot of difficulties.  Her reputation is questioned, she anguishes over that fact that she just wants to do “teenage things,” and she really wants to be a good mom.  That’s when her best friend, Dawna comes to help her take care of the baby.  Dawna will come and help out sometimes after school, on the weekend, or when Jane needs a break.

My view from the book is that raising a baby at fourteen isn’t easy because you have school to attend and being a mom and a teenager at the same time is hard.  Girls at that age aren’t ready physically, mentally, or emotionally to have a baby.  Being a teenager is hard enough — and being a teenager is not about raising a baby.  Teenage years are supposed to be about having fun.

This book made me feel sorry for the girl because she had a lot to look forward to in life, but it is hard to accomplish those goals with a baby.  This book made me think about reality and all the girls out there who are in the same boat as Jane.  My opinion didn’t change about her situation or her struggle because she was doing the best she could given the circumstances.  I think students will have mixed reactions to the story.  Some will hold opinions similar to mine, others will say that “it was her own fault,” and still others will understand her difficulties because either they themselves are going through a similar situation or have friends or a family member going through these tough times.

I would recommend this book for middle and high school students, and for both boys and girls.  This story, while fiction shows how hard it is to raise a baby when you’re a young teenager — especially when the baby’s father bails, and the mother’s parents are out of the picture.  This book is a book that will have the reader thinking twice about having sex.

Genre:  Realistic fiction                                   Rating:  4-Cactus points

Reviewed by:  Bianca @ Sahuaro High School                                Edited by:  kb

Photo credit:  Google Images

  John and Philippa are twelve-year-old twins, seemingly ordinary people.  But soon strange events start to occur.  First, they need their wisdom teeth removed (simultaneously), virtually unheard of at twelve.  Then they both have the same dream, in which their uncle, Nimrod, tells them to come to London.  It is here that the adventure starts.  Nimrod tells the twins that they are Djinn (genie, but Djinn hate using that word), and he teaches them to use their powers. Soon they are battling the evil tribes of Djinn in an effort to maintain the balance of good luck and bad luck in the world.

      This book is a wonderful start to the series, especially if you like fast-paced adventures.  Like the Harry Potter books, the Children of the Lamp series is about kids living in an ordinary world who discover they have extraordinary powers.  Set in all parts of the globe from Cairo to London, and with all manner of symbolism from pink Ferraris to camels, this book takes you on a wild ride.  If you like this book, I would highly recommend reading the rest of the series:  Blue Djinn of Babylon, Cobra King Of Kathmandu, and Day Of The Djinn Warriors.

Reviewed by:  James @ Sabino High School

Edited by:  kb

Photo credit:  Google Images

  Molly Moon is an orphan living in Hardwick House (an orphanage in England) who lives a “plain and ordinary life” with her best friend Rocky Scarlet (also an orphan).  She is harassed by Mrs. Adderstone, the woman in charge of the orphanage, and Hazel, the orphanage bully.  But Molly’s life is turned upside down when she discovers a hypnotism “how-to” book in the library.  Soon she is hypnotizing Mrs. Adderstone’s dog, and then Mrs. Adderstone!  Molly even uses hypnotism to win a talent competition. Then she decides to fly to New York to find her friend Rocky, who was adopted by a couple living in New York.  With her hypnotism skills, Molly lives the good life — but she is soon in big trouble.  Molly figures if her hypnotism skills got her into trouble, maybe they can get her out.

This is good adventure story similar to the Harry Potter series.  There is also a strong theme of friendship, and throughout the book, the realization that even though Molly has everything she wants, without having the love and friendship of those she cares about, her skills don’t mean anything. If you find you enjoy the debut of Molly Moon … there are at least three more in the series.

Reviewed by:  James @ Sabino High School

Edited by:  kb

Photo credit:  Google Images

Picture credit:  Google Images

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind.  He is planning to do something no human has ever done:  kidnap a fairy to hold for ransom.  It well known that fairies actually exist.  They live deep underground.  They are far more technologically advanced than we are, and this is partly why we haven’t discovered them.  Fairies have magic, but their magic eventually fades.  To restore their magical powers, fairies must perform the Ritual…but this involves traveling to the surface.  Holly Short is an elf working for the LEP (Lower Elements Police) in the Recon Division.  It is her job to track down renegade fairies that have gone to the surface and pinpoint their location so they can be brought back underground.  Her job is demanding and she soon finds herself in need of the Ritual.  But when she ascends to the surface, Artemis fowl and his bodyguard Butler are waiting for her!  This book is very unusual in that the main villain is the main character.  Artemis Fowl presents a completely believable world where fairies actually exist, without our knowledge, and with surprises at every twist and turn, this is the start to a great fantasy adventure!

Also recommended: 

Picture credit:  Google Images

Artemis Fowl: The Artic incident by Eoin Colfer

In this sequel to Artemis Fowl, Artemis and the fairies have their own struggles and they both need each other’s help.  The fairies are in the middle of the B’wa Kell (a goblin gang) rebellion and they need help.  Artemis is in the middle of his own personal struggle; his father has been missing and was presumed dead for years, but Artemis receives a ransom message from the Mafia.  Artemis agrees to help the fairies find their culprits in return for their help rescuing his father. This book explores Artemis’ personality and shows that he may have a soft side as he takes one step from bad to good.  The fairy conflict is more exciting than it was in the first book.  With weapons and advanced tactics, the Mafia, and a fairy turned traitor, this makes for an exciting read!

Picture credit:  Google Images

Artemis Fowl: The eternity code by Eoin Colfer

The adventures of Artemis Fowl continue.  Artemis’father has been rescued from the Mafia and Artemis has promised to become honest, but he has one last adventure planned.  Artemis Fowl has stolen fairy technology and created a portable supercomputer.  As he tries to make a deal with a major business owner, his plan backfires and Artemis is nearly killed, and his friend Butler is fatally wounded.  Artemis must desperately come up with a plan to save his friend.  To compound matters, the computer is accidentally picked up fairy sensors on orbiting satellites, and the detection sends the fairy world into a panic!  When they find out that it was Artemis, and that the computer is in someone else’s hands, the fairies must rely on Artemis to come up with a plan to recover the computer.  They must also decide what to do about Artemis because he has become a liability to the fairies.  Fast-paced reading with surprises and many mysteries that you don’t find the answers to until the end of the book, Artemis Fowl: The eternity code is highly recommended.

James E. @ Sabino High School              Edited by:  kb