Summer Reads: Scorpions

A book so well done you'll forget you're reading!

Scorpions

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Publisher/Date: Harper and Row, 1988/Amistad, 1990

Number of Pages: 216

Recommended age of readers: 12 and up

It's not a classic—yet—but Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers sure reads like one. The book has already been named a Newbery Honor Award book and author Myers has received the Coretta Scott King Award five times. He has also won the Margaret A. Edwards Book Award. After reading the book this summer, I can see why. I got so lost in the story, I would forget I was reading.

The setting is the urban jungle of Harlem, New York. Jamal is a normal 12-year-old boy, whose brother Randy is in jail for armed robbery and murder. Randy needs $2,000 for his court appeal, but Mama just doesn't have the money.

The only way to get the money is for Jamal to become the leader of Randy's gang, The Scorpions. Randy's friend Mack gives Jamal a pistol and tells him to think about it. Jamal is confused and under even mor pressure because another boy is bulling him at school. Jamal's best friend Tito adds to the stress when he tells Jamal he isn't too sure about the whole Scorpions thing.

The way Myers puts his words together makes me feel like I'm in the story, and it's a great feeling. As you follow the story, you go through a variety of feelings—from happy, to sad, to confused, to excited. I even felt some of these feelings at the same time as I was reading Scorpions.

Scorpions is a great book and I highly recommend it.

—Andre Baker-Harris

PHOTO: Book Cover Courtesy Harper Collins/Amistad

NOTE: What books have you read this summer? Use the blue comment link below to make your own book recommendations or add your thoughts about Scorpions.

All the Lovely Bad Ones

To all the little children: This is one scary book!

All The Lovely Bad Ones

Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Publisher/Release Date: Sandpiper/Reprint edition August 17, 2009

No. of pages: 192

Reading level: 9-12 years

When I was scanning the shelves at my school’s spring book fair, I saw the name, All The Lovely Bad Ones. I wondered what it could possibly be about, so I read the information on the back.

It sounded creepy, and as soon as I saw the words "ghost story," I knew I just had to read it! Nothing interests me more than a good book about mysteries and ghosts, and this book was no disappointment in that category.

I really enjoyed this book because introduces you to the characters so well that it makes you feel as though you know them. The suspense also builds and builds, keeping you turning the pages.

The main characters are Travis, 12, and his younger sister, Corey. The are spending the summer at their grandmother’s farm in Vermont, which is reportedly haunted. When they decided to pull some pranks, they unintentionally stir up the real ghosts of young children who were killed on the farm by the evil Ms. Ada. Now Travis and Corey have to find a way to release the children's tortured spirits.

Author Mary Downing Hahn provides just enough detail—yet leaves just enough out—for your imagination to go wild filling in the blanks. From learning about the ghastly “lovely bad ones” to almost feeling evil Ms. Ada grab you with her stone cold bone hands, the story provides entertainment and an educational experience.

It’s a good ghost story and an opportunity to learn about poor houses in the 1800s. You also learn about poet James Whitcomb Riley, whose inscription to his famous “Little Orphant Annie” poem is the basis for the book’s title and the inspiration for the story:

To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones; The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones; The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

—Kiera Fobb

PHOTO: Book Cover Courtesy Sandpiper

Fever Crumb: Dessert for Your Brain

Fever Crumb

Author: Philip Reeve

Publisher/Release Date: Scholastic Press/April 1, 2010

No. of Pages: 336

Reading Level: Grades 5-7

Reading the book Fever Crumb is like opening presents at a birthday party: there is one surprise to look forward to after another.

In the book by Philip Reeve, Fever is a 14-year-old girl who is told that she is an orphan and has been adopted by a man known as Dr. Crumb.

The story takes place in the future in London at a time when cities are mobile and able to move into different territories. Archaeologists dig to discover ancient technology, because they live in a low tech, post-apocalyptic world.

Fever is the only female member of the Order of Engineers and is very mature for her age. She is extremely intelligent and tries to avoid all things that serve no practical function. For example, she shaves her head every other day because she believes that growing hair is “irrational. ” Hair attracts lice, fleas, and other parasites, she says!

Despite her peculiar behavior, Fever seems like she really has her act together. She never really shows much emotion and strives to be a strong person.

However, Fever’s life is about to change. She is sent to assist Kit Solent, another member of the order, when strange things begin to happen. For some reason, people are out to get her and she doesn’t know why. And she keeps having memories of events that never occurred during her lifetime.

Why is she having these memories? And why do people think she belongs to an alternative species of humans known as the Scriven? Is she a human or does she actually belong to the mutated Scriven? Is her life nothing but a lie?

You will have to read the book to find out what happens. I would recommend Fever Crumb to kids who enjoy a good mystery and/or science fiction/action/adventure novels. Read this and you’ll experience many shocking surprises and unexpected twists that will keep you turning the pages for more. This interesting novel is dessert for your brain.

—Mariam El Hasan

PHOTO: (TOP) Cover Courtesy Scholastic Press (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan takes her summer reading on a boat trip. Ahhhh, Summer! (Photo Courtesy Mariam El Hasan)

NOTE: What did you read this summer? Use the blue comment link below to send in your recommendations!

Find Finkle for a Fun Read

 Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher/Release Date: Scholastic Press; 1 edition/March 16, 2010

Number of Pages: 240

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out by Meg Cabot is a fun and enjoyable book that all girls can relate to. This book is filled with drama on every page—you won’t want to stop reading it.

Allie and her friends are back in the fifth book in the series on a new adventure that takes Allie on a journey to find who her true friends are.

Allie’s mom is the movie reviewer on a local news show called Good News! The mother of Allie’s ex-friend Brittney calls her mom to talk about the show. She also invites Allie to Brittney’s birthday and Allie wants to go. The problem is, her friend Erica’s sister is in a baton twirling competition on the same day at the same time and it is important for her to be there.

Allie has a big decision to make: she could either tell Brittney she can't make it or come up with a big lie to tell her friends about why she couldn’t come to the baton twirling competition.

I really enjoyed this part because it made me think about what I would do if I were in Allie’s situation. Her mom told her a little about what the party was going to be like—they were going to ride in a limo! Allie didn’t want to miss out on the fun, but she didn’t want to lie to her friends either.

I really enjoyed all of the different personalities in this book. Along with Allie (who tries to stick to her book of rules), you’ll meet her friend, Erica (who is always trying to look at the positive side of things), and Brittney (who is always bossy), and many more!

I wanted to read this book because I’ve read the other books in series and really enjoyed them. I can always relate to Allie and her situations. When I read any book in the series, I feel like I’m Allie’s best friend. I can relate her relationships with her friends to my relationships with my friends.

As I came closer to the end of the book, I wished I hadn’t been reading so fast. I would recommend Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out as a great book for anyone who loves a fun book and a relatable story.

—By Alexis Wiseman

PHOTOS: (TOP) Cover Courtesy Scholastic (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Alexis Wiseman in her favorite reading chair. (Photo Courtesy Alexis Wiseman)

"Rules" Rules as a Rad Read

Rules

Author: Cynthia Lord

Publisher/Date: Scholastic Paperbacks/Reprint edition, September 1, 2008

No. of Pages: 224

Reading level: Ages 9-12

The book I am reading this summer is Rules by Cynthia Lord. The book is about a 12-year-old girl named Catherine and her 8-year-old brother David, who has autism.

David likes to go to the video store, walk down the rows, and read the back of the movie cases. He then shouts out the movies’ ratings really loud.

“RATED PG-13!” he’ll yell.

He is given specific rules he has to follow. One of them is about cellar doors. When a cellar door is open, he is supposed to shut it. When David goes to the home of one of Catherine’s friends, he runs all over the place looking for a cellar door. However, the friend’s house is a mobile home, so there is no cellar door.

Catherine feels humiliated having him around when she goes places. But she likes to make rules and David loves to follow them, so she tries to come up with rules for David to follow so she does not get embarrassed.

Kristi, who is also 12, moves next door to Catherine and David. When the siblings are on the porch waiting for their dad, David starts crying because their father is late. Kristi comes over to ask Catherine if her brother is OK.

Catherine is mad at David for embarrassing her in front of someone she was trying to impress and gain as a friend. But David doesn’t realize what Catherine is feeling.

One day on the way to occupational therapy for David, Catherine meets a kid named Jason who can’t walk or talk. The only way he can communicate is through a special book of words. After two weeks of going to OT with David, Catherine becomes friends with Jason and makes him new words to use for his book.

Through this experience, Catherine learns that David can’t help being different and that David’s problem is nothing compared to Jason’s. By the end of the book, you can see Catherine’s feelings for David change from embarrassed to understanding.

Read the book to find out if Catherine becomes friends with Kristi and if her friendship with Jason will last. I really like this book and highly recommend it for a great read.

—Liam Childers

PHOTO: Book Cover Courtesy Scholastic Paperbacks

NOTE: What did you read that you loved this summer? Use the blue comment link below to let us know!

Loving The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord

Author: Cornelia Funke

Publisher/Date: Scholastic/ 2001

Length: 345 pages

Recommended reading age: 7-11

In Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord, the author introduces readers to the spectacular city of Venice, Italy, where magical things happen before your very eyes. This is where two young runaway brothers, Prosper and Bo, embark on an adventure they—and you—will never forget.

The two young orphans run away to Venice when their heinous aunt and uncle limit their freedom to about the size of a dust particle. There, they join a group of other orphaned street kids: Riccio, Mosca, and Hornet.

The street children are led by a mysterious and cunning boy, Scipio, who names himself “The Thief Lord.” However, Scipio hides a shocking truth from his friends, which leds Prosper and Bo through a series of twists and turns, changing their lives forever.

This story is more than an exciting plot. It includes a message hidden between the lines.

Funke focuses on family. Scipio, or the Thief Lord, resembles a father figure in most of this story. He manages to find a home for all his friends and he makes enough money for them to live comfortably.

Additionally, the five other street kids act like siblings to one another. This family love between all six of them makes their bond much stronger.

You’ll also meet other characters that strengthen this bond as well as characters who will try to loosen it. Funke’s message to her readers is that friends and family will always be there for you, no matter how far away they may seem.

The Thief Lord is definitely a novel worth reading and I promise you that you will never regret picking it up.

—Gopa Praturi

PHOTO:

NOTE: What are you reading this summer? Use the blue comment link below to let us know!

The Mystery of the Silver Statue

My dad, an author and teacher, publishes his first book!

The Mystery of the Silver Statue

Author: Raymond C. Perkins Jr.

Publisher/Date: Radiant Hen Publishing/2010

Number of Pages: 96

My dad, Raymond C. Perkins Jr, recently finished writing his first book, The Mystery of the Silver Statue, which was published by Radiant Hen Publishing  in Coventry, Vermont. I’m a former Scholastic Kid Reporter, covering the 2005-2006 publishing year, and wanted to tell everyone about my dad's new book!

The story is set in modern times, but steeped in history. It is about two boys, B.T. Stevens and Jimmy Martin, who try to solve a real-life mystery surrounding Rogers' Rangers, a group of American soldiers who fought for the British during the French and Indian War.

In the fall of 1759, Robert Rogers and his men were ordered to attack and destroy the Native American village of Odanak in Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the attack was to stop Indian raids on English settlements along the Connecticut River.

History has it that during the attack, one of Rogers' men stole a silver statue of the Madonna that was given to the natives by their French allies. To this day, the statue has not been found.

My dad decided to write about Rogers' Rangers because he learned that Rogers' and his men had traveled through Northern New England after the attack on Odanak. He thought writing about local history would make a captivating story. Seeing that he's a middle school social studies teacher, I think that makes sense.

Not only is this book based on a true historical event, but the main characters are based on my two older brothers. B.T., the main character, struggles to overcome a serious disability with the help of his family and his best friend Jimmy. My dad says the story provides a valuable life lesson about battling adversity and believing in yourself—lessons valuable for kids of all ages.

It took my dad several years to write The Mystery of the Silver Statue, but I think it was worth the wait because this book is a good read.

He is currently working on a sequel to this book tentatively entitled Treasure. I think you’ll like his book, which is also available as an e-book through amazon.com.

—Kendra Perkins

PHOTO: Book cover Courtesy Radiant Hen Publishing

The Perfect Summer Romance

The Summer I Turned Pretty is a pretty good summer read

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon and Shuster, 2009

No. Of Pages: 276

Reader Age: 12+

A house on the beach, lifelong friends, and a second mom (but cooler)—could life get any better for 15-year-old Belly? Yes!

In The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Belly replaces her glasses with contacts and finally gets noticed! In Cousins Beach for the summer with her mother, Laurel, her mother’s best friend, Susannah, and Susannah’s two sons, 18-year-old Conrad, and 16-year-old Jeremiah, she becomes more than Steven’s little sister. Belly becomes a pretty girl.

But Belly’s desperate attempts to win Conrad’s heart lead her to Cam, a boy she meets at a cook out. He’s cute, single, and intelligent. Perfect! But their summer romance doesn’t last long when Cam sees through Belly and discovers her love for Conrad.

Things get really weird when Susannah reveals some shocking news. Will her news change everything? I'm certainly not giving anything away.

I love novels and when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it because it looked like a great summer romance story. I was right—it swept me away!

I loved this book because I could really relate to Belly’s character, and reading it put me in the world of Cousins Beach, Delaware. I could not put this book down! I know that’s an expression, but it’s true.

Even in all the excitement going on at my summer camp, I sat on my bunk reading. I read every free second I had. My friends got annoyed because every time something interesting happened in the book, I would yell out a comment. By the time I finished, my friends knew every little detail about it because I would tell them everything.

I got really into the book (as you can probably tell). It was very emotional. I laughed and I cried. Those of you looking for a summer romance, this is the way to go! In my opinion, it was perfect!

—Leila Sachner

PHOTOS: (TOP) Book cover courtesy Simon and Shuster. (BOTTOM) At home with her cat, Leila Sachner in her favorite reading spot. (Photo Courtesy Leila Sachner)

The Makings of Maniac Magee

A fun read full of laughs and lessons.

Maniac Magee

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Number of pages: 184

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Age range: 7 years and older

A 1991 Newbery award winner, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is on many schools’ summer reading lists. From my point of view, however, this must-read story is an excellent choice for pleasure reading due to its wonderful humor and valuable life lessons.

The story takes place in Two Mills where a 12-year-old orphan named Jeffery Lionel—also known as a legend in the making—wanders around town doing incredible things.

As he grows more and more popular, people begin talking about the crazy things he does. For example, he hits the world’s first “frogball” and scores 49 touchdowns in one football game. That, in fact, is how he gets the nickname Maniac Magee.

Tensions between the races in town confuse poor Jeffery, but the kindness of his heart and his innocence allow him to break the barrier between the white people from the West End and the black people from the East End. Not only does Maniac Magee become a local hero, along the way he gets a new, loving family, and manages to change the lives of all the new people he meets—not to mention his own as well.

This story is one of my favorites because it is a heart warming tale that makes you laugh and cry, while teaching you that anyone can make a difference, even a raggedy orphan.

“Legends are made, not born,” says the author, and he is so right!

—Maria Ordonez

PHOTO: Book Cover Courtesy Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summer Read: What's in a Title?

The title's long and a bit weird, but the story keeps you reading!

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083

Author: Andrea White

Publisher/Date: Scholastic ©2005

Number of Pages: 318

Recommended Reading Age: Young Adult (Grades 6 to 10)

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083. Doesn’t the title alone make you curious? As soon as I picked up the book, the questions started. Who has to survive Antarctica? What does 2083 mean? What about reality TV? What better way to find out the answers than to read the book?

The story takes place in the year 2083. America has changed a bit since 2010. The government is cruel. If you want to go to high school and college, you have to win a game of chance called “Toss” or pay for your education. Alaska is a nuclear waste dump. Most people eat chips flavored as meals unless they can afford real food. Public school doesn’t exist anymore; kids are now taught through TV programs.

The program that teaches history is a reality TV show called "Historical Survivor." For one month, five 14-year-old kids appear on the show and simulate Robert F. Scott’s fatal journey to the south pole in Antarctica in 1914.

Every contestant gets $10,000 for participating. The kid who viewers vote as The Most Valuable Player wins a total of $100,000. That is, if they survive.

I don’t want to give away too much, so you’ll have to read the book to find out the details of what actually happens.

I can tell you that this book isn’t like any other book you’ll read. Instead of one person telling the story, you see events unfold through each of the six main characters’ points of view. This approach helped me understand the characters better and see the story in a different way.

I connected easily with the book and each of the kids, especially because I’m their age. Also, it has something for everyone! Future, fantasy, animals, action, emotion, history, suspense—it has it all.

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083 is definitely one of my favorite reads. Author Andrea White does an astounding job at keeping you on the edge of your seat. It won’t be long until Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083 has become one of your favorite reads, too!

—Topanga McBride

PHOTO: (TOP) Book Cover Courtesy Scholastic. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Topanga McBride likes to cuddle up in bed with a good book.