Book Review: Life as we Knew It By Susan Beth Pfeffer

There are many science fiction books that include the same theme as this one. The differences aren't hard to see though. This book is from the point of view of young Miranda. The only obstacles she had to face were homework and fighting with her mom. There comes some news that a meteor will hit the moon. She doesn't think much. I wouldn't either. Sometimes the world seems so cozy you feel like nothing will try and take the warmth away. That's not how the world works of course and soon she finds herself facing problems and seeing things that she would never have thought about before. When Miranda feels things could not get worse they do. When she thinks they can never get better, a ray of hope bubbles up inside her. She feels her life will never be the same again, but she starts to notice things. The way she shows her mom she loves her and that ordinary life seems so far away. You can't go from ordinary life to survival mode without giving some things up. Miranda also gains things. She understands life and death better and tries to deal with what life has given her.

The name gives away almost all of the theme. Miranda writes in her diary (the diary is the book) about life before and after. Though changes are being made, I don't think Miranda is really serious about the whole "moon disaster" until half way through the book. She writes in such a calm way. I almost feel like it's happening for real...until I get up and see the real moon exactly where it should be. I considered a few aspects of the book and I think that the real story lies not with all these disaster but with Miranda's family and friends. She gives up a few and gains some. All around her she sees the world the way she wants to, but in the end she's thankful for what she got.

Book Review: Diary of Anne Frank

Anne Frank's diary has been a classic ever since it was published. It is a well known story created not for publishing, but for holding the cherished feelings of a young girl. It's a full account of her time living in hiding while World War II goes on. Though she only lived a few years in the secret annexe( the place she and another family) hid her heart is poured into this book. No feeling is left untouched. In her and in the reader. She goes through a period of depression where everyone is wrong and she feels the world does not care. Sometimes she needed a place to write down her thoughts privately and when she did she wrote it down with everything she could think of.

There are two reasons why this book means something to me. The first is that throughout Anne's diary you can really see that she is growing up and maturing. She starts to understand other peoples' feeling and starts growing tired of their cramped life. Her thoughts turn to a variety of subjects from their choked life in the secret annexe to the weather. You see her grow out of things and trying to understand her own individual self. The second thing is that after all that something tragic happens. All her hopes and dreams are swept aside as if they were never there. After the war, her father finds her diary and is eventually gets it published. It soon becomes a best seller because all young readers can feel empathy for what she went through and how she coped.

Book Review: Enchantress from the Stars By Sylvia Louise Engdahl

The idea of a civilization or planet more advanced than we are is a common theme in books. The way you write it is the key to its perfection. 3 character’s viewpoint, all from different worlds is enclosed in this novel. The author jumps over the hurtle of different worlds and gives her descriptions perfectly. She writes it three ways: a fairy tale from Georyn, science fiction from Jarel, and Elana’s naïve view. All are were born on different planets but they all find themselves on this on tiny planet, in one far off solar system we have not heard of. Elana and Elana’s father are trying to teach Georyn and his brother a way to defeat the mighty dragon. Jarel comes from a world that is colonizing on other planets. The Dragon that Georyn sees is just a piece of machinery to Jarel. When Georyn and Elana get to know each other they realize they are more than friends. Jarel only knows about Elana and Georyn toward the end of the book.

The book’s faith in magic and dragons keeps up perfectly with it’s ability to surprise and surpass expectations. But the real story is between Georyn and the stars. When Georyn is shown a little smidge of what it’s like to have wisdom the door is closed on him forever. This is heartbreaking. To know that if only he had been born somewhere else it would not have been this way makes me feel melancholy all over. But the rest of the story is when Elana realizes that she…loves Georyn and also realizes she can not have him. Again the sadness is horrible. But I think sometimes we all fell this way. When we too are shown a piece of the world we’ll never see. We get just enough of a glimpse to tantalize our wants and grip onto our need. Our need to see it again or this world we see every will never seem like enough. And who can fathom how deeply that will change Georyn, let alone if it happened to us. if this books sounds the least amount of interesting to you please read it. If you're anything like me than it will go straight to your heart with all it's beauty.

Book Review: The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm By Nancy Farmer

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. That's the one of the strangest title's I've come across. But it does fit the story perfectly. Otherwise they would have to call it something else. And it probably wouldn't sound as interesting! What I like about this book is that it mixes old African folklore and and a futuristic theme that you see in a lot of Nancy Farmer's books. She does it very well too. This story is about a futuristic Zimbabwe where this General person protect everybody from gangs. He has 3 children he protects a little too well. They don't know how to do anything outside there own home. And they have never seen lots of people, nor seen the wild city streets at there worst. One day they decide to take an adventure. Shielded from the world as they were it's no wonder they ended up kidnapped ans put to work in the plastic mines. They have many escapes in there adventure And it's not an ordinary adventure. There's not a lot of action until the end of the story. Anyway horrified that her 3 darling children are missing there mom hires 3 detectives called the Ear the Eye and the Arm(from the agency called the same name) . They almost get them back...and then again they are just minutes behind...and then again...well you'll just have to wait and see. But these 3 people have special powers. Ear can hear amazingly well. And Eye can see across vast distances. Arm can feel peoples' emotions.

The thing about this book is that no matter what you do or think, it will not happen that way. Some things are easier to predict than others but they will not happen that way. You can go and look up what happens (and I'm not giving you that idea!) but it's better to read so you know what goes on before that and before that. Everything is a chain reaction. Because the children ran away, a million other things unfolded.

Book Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith

It's the life of a single family written diligently until perfection. Nothing happens in it. There is no great cataclysmic event. And yet everything happens. It's the story of Francie Nolan and her poverty stricken family. Born in the slums of Brooklyn, she grows up knowing the hardships and struggles that come when you really have to fight for your life. She learns that life is not fair and will never be perfect. The unfairness of it all caused me to hold back tears. Yet the all the sweetness living inside the book tells a different story. It quietly shoos away the tirade of cruelty so that all you think about is it's pleasant aroma. It never leave out a detail or falters. Even at the most unjust of times. When all seems lost and i just wanted to give up on poor Francie and her family.

Although when you read it it will be much sweeter than I can make it sound. One of the things I can't describe is the growing feeling I get for Francie. Her whole world revolves around poverty. What she faces some of us will never even touch. Yet with all this weighing her down, she has a growing hunger for books and for the world. I can feel some empathy for her on that. I love to read and can never get enough. The tree from the title is a tree that grows around areas with poor families. I think it's fitting for that tree to be in the title. Since this book revolves around poverty with many other ingredients in it.

Book Review: Keturah and Lord Death By Martine Leavitt

From the title I'm sure you can figure out something! Keturah Reeve follows a hart into the forest. There she gets hopelessly lost. Three days later Death comes for her. Keturah expects him to be evil but instead he is a young man with a dark cape. He tells her her time has come and her village will be next when the plague strikes. She pleads with him to let her live and warn the villagers . It's hopeless until she starts telling him a story. A story she refuses to end. She wins one day of life. Death tells her if she can find the true love she hopes for, she can live and he will not take her. But it's harder than she thought. she even goes to a magic woman who gives her a charm to help, but it doesn't work as she expects. Angrily Keturah goes back to her but, she only tells her that she already has true love so the charm will not help much. Throughout the story she meets many unhelpful bachelors but in the end she must face Death.

Here's one book I'll keep in my head. The ending was perfect. I'm sure some of you can guess at what happens. Let me tell you, it doesn't end exactly the way it seems like it will. I couldn't believe the end when I read it. It's so good it was a National Book Award Finalist. It completely lived up to my expectations.I like how she chases a hart into the forest and then finds out she has to find her heart's true love. Of all the creatures the author could have chose, she chose the one that sounds the closest like love. If you read this book be prepared for a completely new sensation of feelings for this one of a kind book.

Book Review: The Dark is Rising By Susan Cooper

When Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son, turns 11 his life becomes beyond human. Turns out he is the last of an ancient race called the Old Ones. Bound by their nature, their only purpose is to battle the Dark and protect the Light. Will's job is to go an a quest to find the 6 Signs of Power so that They can defeat the Dark. He meets Merriman, an Old One like himself, who helps him on his quest. But his quest is hard on Merriman, who faces a betrayal from a close friend to the Dark. Since the Old Ones aren't human, they can go out of time. It's hard to follow the book closely because they'll tell you something and then later change what they just told you.

I like this book. It's completely and totally serious, so be ready to read it two or three times to get the full force of it's pages. I mean it! This book is so confusing. It blends betrayal, power, and evil all into one pot until you don't know which is which! And the amusing things that happen are hidden, so you have to look for them. The plot is thick and on every page something changes (and not always for the better) the Dark tries to destroy Will forever, and then he has them alone. Every single word changes the story and your view of it! it's an awesome read, if you can follow along. By the way, they made a movie out of it. It's called The Seeker, so if you like the book(or just don't want to read it) try the movie.