Mia's Book Room: 2011

Tuesday 29 November 2011

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

When the entire city of Stonetown strangely blacks out, all four members of the Society are lead into a trap, set up by Mr. Curtain. Captured by the Ten Men, the children are kept prisoners in an unknown destination with no hope of escape. How will they be able to contact Mr. Benedict about his brother's new plan?

As the third and final novel in the series, The Prisoner's Dilemma was a great finale. I highly recommend this series to readers aged 8-12 that love puzzles.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

In the second book of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, the older children of the Society gather at Kate's farm, where together they plan to drive to Stonetown, where they will meet with Constance and Mr. Benedict, who has planned an adventure for the Society to celebrate their defeating of Mr. Curtain. But when the children arrive, Mr. Benedict is gone. Desperate to get him back, the children embark on a journey following the clues that Benedict left for them. But how will four children all by themselves manage to reach Mr. Benedict with Ten Men and other dangers following them everywhere they go?

Though the second book was a great read, like many series', I found that I much preferred the first book. However, The Perilous Journey was still a great book and the author did a great job of continuing the story without repeating himself.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

When a mysterious advertisement appears in the newspaper, dozens of children take part in a mind-bending test to see what "special opportunities" await them if they pass. Among the children, Reynard Muldoon completes the first test and moves on to the next stages, where he meets Sticky, Kate and Constance. The children are instructed to take part in a secret mission at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (LIVE). The children soon discover that LIVE holds many dangers, and it's their job to see who's behind it all...

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart was a great book. The author creates marvellous characters and keeps the story going with all sorts of twists and turns that never fail to surprise me. Recommended for anyone who likes mysteries, puzzles and riddles.

Thursday 27 October 2011

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane is a toy rabbit made out of china. His owner, Abilene who went overseas with Edward and gets lost. After that Edward meets a fisherman and a lot more people but can he go back and find Abilene?

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Tuesday 25 October 2011

Wonderstruck

Author: Brian Selznick

One story is told in pictures and the other is told in writing. It is set in Gunflint Lake, Minessota and New York City.

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Monday 24 October 2011

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Author: Brian Selznick

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Hugo - movie trailer

Fog Mound series (3 books)

Author: Susan Schade

Travels of Thelonious, Book 1: This book is half comic half novel. Thelonious the talking chipmunk gets swept away by a river. He gets washed to the city of ruins where he meets a talking porcupine named Fitzgerald and a talking bear named Olive. Olive makes flying machines and she says she'll take Thelonious to his home on the way to the Fog Mound. After one night at his home, Thelonious decides to go to the Fog mound with Olive and Fitz. While in the flying machine Thelonious meets Brown lizard. Inside the Fog mound they find the last living human on earth named Bill.

Faradawn, Book 2: On the roof Bill says his first word 'Faradawn.' Then Bill disappears. So Brown and Thelonious follow Bill into his lab. Inside, Bill shows them a boat he made, "for Thelonious" he said. He got Olive to make a big version so they can go to Faradawn. At Faradawn island Olive helps the birds get free from the mountain which had a rock on top. Thelonious, Brown, Fitz and Morrie, there new crow friend help the birds get rid of the mutant crabs. The birds were so happy they held a wingfest. During the wingfest a whopper comes out of the water and attacks the birds. Some crocodiles come and kill the whopper and lead Olive to Ruby, her lost sister.

Simon's Dream, Book3: With Bill directing them, the group gets led to a house. Bill runs away to a time machine and goes in with Brown, Cluid (a chipmunk from the Fog mound who came with them) and Thelonious following him. They end up speaking reptile and getting captured by Upsilon, the wolf man. He tells them that they haven't gone back in time. When his friends come a rat led them back to the boat were a note was stuck to a stick. They read the note and Bill falls into the water. Once he was out Bill talked fine. They went to the mess hall, which is what the note said to do. They see Upsilon who takes them on a flying sofa to the city of ruins, which is where the note said the bears were. At the city the bears and other animals VS the evil ratminks. During the war, the evil dragon lady sneeks away. Thelonious and Cluid follow and end up having to show the way to the Fog mound. But Thelonious freezes the dragon lady and Cluid escapes.

Travel of Thelonious (Book 1)

Faradawn (Book 2)

Simon's Dream (Book 3)

Sylvie and the Songman

Author: Tim Binding

When Sylvie's dog, Mr. Jackson loses his bark and all the birds stop singing Sylvie realises what is happening. She and George travel on a boat with the songman, trying to get Sylvies father back. But the songman can still get more songs from animals.

The Tiger Rising

Author: Kate DiCamillo

When Rob Horton finds theres a tiger in Sherly woods he tells Sistine
Bailey. He finds out the tiger is Beauchamps. Rob got the job of feeding the tiger and Willie May tells him about her bird and how she let it go and it died. Rob decides to let the tiger go.

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When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Miranda and Sal are best friends, until one day, Sal gets punched. After that, Sal shuts Miranda out of his life. Then Miranda meets the kid who punched Sal, who turns out to be an extremely intelligent boy. Along with that, Miranda is receiving mysterious letters from a mysterious person. And how did the laughing man go so crazy, and why does he sleep under the mailbox? Where could all this be leading up to?

I really love the way the author mentions a mysterious 'you' throughout the book. Only at the end does the author write who the mysterious 'you' actually is, and when I found out who it was, I was surprised. Some parts in this book are very confusing, particularly the parts about landing in a cabbage patch from 'A Wrinkle In Time'.

SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
Don't read on if you haven't finished this book.

I love how it isn't at all clear that the laughing man is actually Marcus, the kid who punched Sal, and that 'you' is the laughing man too. I liked the end the most, where the laughing man saves Sal and everything is immediately clear. I really loved this book.

The Apothecary

Author: Maile Meloy

The Strictest School in the World: Being the Tale of a Clever Girl, a Rubber Boy and a Collection of Flying Machines, Mostly Broken (The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones)

Author: Howard Whitehouse

When Emmaline gets stuck in the strictest school Robert Burns and Aunt Lucy try getting her out with flying machines. Emmaline meets Hannah and a strong girl named Josie.

The Legend of Little Fur (4 books)

Author: Isobelle Carmody

Book 1: Little Fur
Little Fur lives in the wilderness as a healer. When she finds out about the tree burners she travels to the Sett owl to find a way to stop them.

Book 2: A fox called Sorrow
Little Fur meets a fox called Sorrow who wants to die. He asks the Sett owl how and she says to travel to Underth and figure out the troll kings plans. Little Fur volunteers to be one of the ones to go with Sorrow.

Book 3: Mystery of Wolves
Little Fur goes in search of her friend, Ginger the cat. The Sett owl says to uncover the mystery of wolves. To find a wolf, she goes to the zoo. She frees the wolf and travels to find Ginger.

Book 4: A Riddle of Green
Little Fur looses touch with the earth magic she travels with the lemur from the zoo, a group of lemmings and Danger, a panther, to the flow of earth magic. The easiest way to get there is by sea. Following the dreams of the lemur, they travel on a fallen tree to find the earth spirit.

Little Fur (Book 1)

A Fox Called Sorrow (Book 2)

Mystery of Wolves (Book 3)

A Riddle of Green (Book 4)

The Red Wind - Kingdom of the Lost (Book 1)

Author: Isobelle Carmody

When Zluty travels to the forest a red wind destroys the brothers little cottage. Bily gets trapped and all the time Zluty is in the forest.

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Noah Barleywater Runs Away

Author: John Boyne

One day, Noah Barleywater runs away. He ran away from his problems and troubles. He runs to a town, where he comes to a toyshop with the most extraordinary toys in it. He meets the toymaker that made the toys and the toymaker tells him a story full of adventure.

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