Wondering About Wonder?- Wonder written by: R.J. Palacio

Are you wondering about Wonder? Well have no fear (kinda hard not to), August is here!

August (Auggie) Pullman thinks he's just a typical 10 year old kid with... a facial deformity that he was born with. When August was little he use to wear a space helmet around to help. But when August heads off to start fifth grade at Breecher Prep he knows he is going to be picked on. August was home schooled so he never experienced a school before. All the kids make fun of him, but he is use to it. August gets surprised when a girl decides to be friends with him, no one ever wanted to before. In the end after all the ups and downs; including his dog Daisy dying, getting hearing aids, and a massive fight, things start getting a lot better and August finds his true self. Join Auggie as he finds who is true friends are, including himself. This story is very heart breaking but ends with a happy ending. It's an emotional read, that you will find yourself enjoying.

What I liked about this book:
This book was so emotional and realistic. I loved the detail and the emotions. I would recommend this book for younger audiences and people that love sad, happy, emotional, and realistic stories.

What I didn't like about the book:
This book for me was a too easy read. I would of loved something more complex. Therefore I recommend this book for kids ages 10-12. I also didn't like "Justin's" part of the book, it really threw me off. I wold of also liked a longer story, something more. This book was overall good and sweet.

By: Tally <3 :)

The maze runner by: Jaque Lae :)

Thomas wakes up in an elevator and can only remember his name. He can't remember anything else-where he came from or who his parents were or what happened before he woke up. When he gets out of the elevator he finds himself in the glade. The other gladers are like Thomas-they have no memory of their life before entering the glade.  There is a maze that surrounds the glade, and each day the gladers try to solve the mystery of the maze to see if there is a way out of the glade. After Thomas arrives, the first girl appears the day after and before collapsing says: "everything will change." The next day Thomas works with the other gladers to solve the mystery of the maze and hopefully find there way out!
What I thought about this book: This was an amazing read, by far my most favourite too! The ending left me wanting more & I can't wait to read the next two books in the series when they come out. The action was non-stop and I loved how the reader didn't find out before Thomas what had happened to him in the past. recommended for ages 10 and above
Why I think this book should move on: If you love fast paced action, thrilling adventures and a mystery to find out at the end of the book then you'll for sure love this book! It describes the image so well that you literally feel like your right beside Thomas in the glade/maze. 

It's The Final Smackdown! ♪♫

(Doo-da-loo-doo, doo-da-loo-doo-doo)

It's down to the final two books! Which book will have all the glory and which will lose it all?

The Maze Runner ★★★★☆

“Tonight, they’d make their stand, once and for all...”   - James Dashner 

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers-boys whose memories are also gone. They call themselves the Gladers, and just like Thomas, they don't know why or how they got to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out-and no one's ever made it through alive. 

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the Maze Runner is a thrilling book filled to the brim with heroic action and wild moments! This book is fast paced and heart-pounding until the very last words!

Wonder ★★★☆☆

"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind..."  - R.J. Palacio

August Pullman is an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face.

When August begins at middle school, he is nervous. Not only is he nervous for the same reasons as every other kid in his new class but because August cannot walk down the hall without being the subject of stares and cruelty. Auggie has a facial deformity that makes him appear different from everyone else. But is he really that different? Can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R.J. Palacio has written a feel-good, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. 

Hmmmm...Who to pick? Who to pick? Such a tough decision arises when both books are outstanding in their own right. I found that both books contained some life lessons in them, and good ones at that! 

Wonder: Our own words and actions are capable of building up or breaking down the human spirit.

The Maze Runner: If you never act, you'll never know for sure.

Now I must ask myself which book I enjoyed more and would like to see win. 

The Maze Runner of course! Good for Wonder for making it this far!

By: Kiah Vail
 7H2

And there were mazes vs The maze none

 Maze runner VS And then were none, although Maze runner has action and adventure, it also is very descriptive on most parts of the book and has bits of mind blowing awesomeness.And with And then there were none describes how every murder took place and where, it also leaves you confused about the killer.Both of these books are great but I choose And then there were none(gasp).  

And then there were none VS Maze Runner

 

In this smack down I have read both And Then There Were None and Maze Runner, and they were both good reads. But in the end there can only be one, and I believe the winner between the two should be Maze Runner. Maze Runner is by far better than And Then There Were None, it was so intense and more interesting. As much as I love And Then There Were None, half of the book was very dry and uninteresting, unlike Maze Runner. Maze Runner is one of my favourite books and I believe it has what it takes to win this smack down. 

The Maze Runner ~Aaliyah Jomha

The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

Summary by Aaliyah Jomha.

For the third round of the smack down I was assigned the book; The Maze Runner.  At first I will be honest, I was not excited to read this novel, but was pleasantly surprised at how intrigued I became.

This is an action packed novel about a boy named Thomas. He woke up one day inside a dark box, not knowing where he is and who he was. The only thing he could remember was his name. Thomas heard noises from outside the box, and shortly after the box opened. A large group of boys and young men, ranging from all ages, stood around the box staring, then acting to pull him up onto leveled ground. He was in “The Glade” trapped in a different world having no clue what was happening.

The Glade was a maze that someone each month was sent to. The maze is filled with creatures called “Grievers”, and if you were ever to face one, your death is almost surely concluded. The main point is to figure out a way out of the maze, which was the runners jobs. They had to go and explore the maze, and be back before the maze doors closed for the night. Thomas disparity wanted to become a runner as soon as he heard of the job. This story goes through his struggles, and the conflicting events he faced in becoming a runner. Thomas experiences many dreadful action packed adventures that were really intriguing, and full of suspense. “Is the maze solved?”, “Do they survive?”, “How were they trapped in there anyways?”, this book has the answers.

 

What I liked about the book was how it kept me wanting to read more. I’m not usually fond of books like this, but the events that happened even though they weren’t real, they almost seemed possible.  It keeps you thinking, and makes you wonder what you would do. I recommend this book to all teenagers no matter what genre they prefer.

Even though it was a good book, I really dislike the ending. It had too much stuff happening it almost was annoying, and frustrating. I would’ve made it simpler and cut out a lot of the events that occurred. It also was also really saddening how they killed my favourite character.  I wish the author had chosen someone else instead of him.

Overall it was a great book, and I’m not surprised that it won.

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie - Owen 7H1

          Ten strangers are invited to Indian Island by a mysterious and absent host, U. N. Owen.  Everyone on the island has something to hide.  Shortly after their arrival it is revealed that each guest has caused the death of another person or persons in their past.  Each person wasn't punished for their crime.  One by one, the ten guests are killed.  The murders follow the pattern of a nursery rhyme that is hung on the walls of the rooms in the house on Indian Island.  After each death, a china Indian figurine is removed from a collection that originally was made up of ten.  Unable to leave the island or determine who the murderer is, the guests live in fear until none remain.


          I liked this book because it was suspenseful.  I never knew who was going to die next and I couldn't figure out who the murderer was. I also found the characters interesting.  The narrative was in omniscient so that you got to know what each character was thinking.  I liked how the murderer was revealed through a written confession at the end of the book.


          I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery.

READ THIS BOOK TO FIND OUT WHO DID IT AND HOW THEY DID IT!

I would go go through the maze for this book - Claire M.

His name is Thomas. He's in a box, His memories are gone, but his brain still functions. That's it. That's all he knows. All he remembers.

He is not alone.

As the box doors open, and light finally finds Thomas in the shadow of darkness, above him he sees a mosaic of the faces belonging to the other boys delivered to the glade. It turns out none of them have their memories either.

This "glade" as the boys call it is an expanse of land with only the essentials. A farm, a kitchen, some shelter, just enough to help the gladers along. Surrounding the glade are 4 stone walls of crumbling aged stone laced with a thick layer of over grown ivy. For as long as anyone knows, everyday -at the same time- the doors in the wall open Revealing an ever changing maze. Which just so happens to be their only way out. It's solve it or your here forever. Although Thomas needs to settle in and figure out his new so called "home", he knows one thing for sure. Never get stuck out in the maze at night, cause, well, lets just say, you wont get the luxury of walking back through the doors to the glade again.

Now Thomas's arrival was expected. he is just the monthly newbie. But when the next day a girl arrives and delivers a message sure to haunt them, Will the order be restored? or are the gladers destined for something else. After all, Thomas feels like something is special about him and the girl, He feels like things are about to change...


Wow. just wow. Maze Runner, this thrilling adventure of a novel lead me through its pages as if it were happening to me. You only ever know as much as Thomas does so every surprise, thrill, and shock, leaves you wondering if it really happened. I feel as if I have endured the new life of Thomas through this book. It's a great for all those kids who don't mind being lured into the maze of this book and not being able to find the exit to your life again until your done reading, every. Single. Word. At some point you just have to concede that there really is only one word to describe this novel (no matter how cheesy). Just one word. Wow.

What I would change- Although this novel is perfect in almost every sense, I would add elements that broaden the horizon of the age group. You have a short window of time to really get the full enjoyment of his book
What I loved- I absolutely fell head over heals for the idea that you only know as much as Thomas. It kept you searching for answers within the story just as you would if you were really Thomas.(I personally had a little bit of an obsession with this book just trying to figure it all out)

Maze Runner or And Then There Were None! -Nate

The Junior Smackdown Final for 7H1!  The battle between 2 great books, both good in their own ways.

The book "And Then There Were None," by Agatha Christie, was a murder mystery. I didn't like it as much as "Maze Runner," by James Dashner ,mainly because I don't like murder mysteries as much as a captivating and intriguing post-apocalyptic book. The first 50 or so pages were quite dry, whereas the first 50 pages of Maze runner had you reading all night. The characters in both books were really relatable. You could pick a favourite character within 20 pages.

The book "Maze Runner"was so good just because it was so suspenseful. At the beginning of the book Thomas (the main character) wakes up in a massive maze with no memory but his name. As a reader you only know as much as Thomas does which is certainly not much.

"And Then Were None" is about ten people who are all strangers to one another and who are all going to an island for different reasons. Deaths occur one by one following a nursery rhyme. Another downfall to this book is the language the author used. Some of it was very hard to understand.

So my choice for the winner of the round is Maze Runner.

Who's the winner?

Maze Runner- This book was a well written adventure book. It was packed with curiosity, action, and fear. The author would capture your attention and throw twists at you to keep you reading. I also think that we all enjoyed this book a little bit more because we could see ourselves in Thomas's shoes. As "teenagers" we have tough times but we all have to figure it out and solve the unsolvable. The author connected with us as people and it made the story even more captivating. Through the challenges, struggles, fear Thomas goes through and he never gives up on himself. Maze Runner is an awesome book that I would recommend to any teenager.

Wonder- This book was an interesting read. It goes through the life and struggles encountered by many people in the situation of a 10 year old boy with a facial deformity. This book was based on a true story and will stay true at that. This author took a simple mishap and turned it into a wonderful story. The story of August Pullman is told by his family and friends and although most were hesitant at first they became what every person should have and cherish, a loving family. R.J Palacio took something from nothing, she made a statement that even though people have mishaps or deformities it doesn't mean they aren't people. Although it was an easy read I would still recommend this book but to people at a younger age. 

Overall both books were well written. The reason I chose this book is because there wasn't a moment when the author couldn't capture your attention; your imagination gone wild like a kid in a fantasy world. This book was both intriguing and adventurous taking you to a whole different world filled with curiosity. That is the reason I chose Maze Runner as the book to win the smackdown.

It's Down To Two -Selena S

      Wonder and Maze Runner, heart warming and adventurous. These last two books in our smack down are very different but have a couple of things in common. One thing in common is that these novels are both page turners. It's quite hard to put them down. Another thing in common is that they both contain a male main character trying to find out who they really are. August, in Wonder, first interacts with other kids his age and spends time in a school environment. He finds out who he really is in the real world. In Maze Runner, Thomas doesn't know anything about himself (except his name) and tries to find out exactly who he is. The differences of the novels vary. One (Maze Runner) is suspenseful, frightful, and unpredictable. The other (Wonder) is joyful, sorrowful, and jubilant.
       I feel like I am leaning more towards Maze Runner for my preferred the winner of the smack down. The Maze Runner kept me on the edge of my chair and interested me more. I could read it for longer periods of time without wanting to do something else. Don't get me wrong, Wonder is an amazing book but Maze Runner is the better book for myself.

Why The Maze Runner Will Win - Jackson Vinci

“Will they survive?”  Is what you will be asking yourself as you read the Maze Runner, my choice to win the Smackdown.  The Maze Runner is an adventure-mystery novel that will keep you hanging on the edge of your seat until the very end. Why?  This book has everything that anyone would want who likes suspenseful action filled novels.  For example, being stuck in an unsolvable maze overnight with mechanical slug like creatures that will attempt to kill you on sight! Or trying to survive in a giant square area (the Glade), with a bunch of other teenagers when the sun disappears and your supplies stop coming.  The Maze Runner in my opinion is a guaranteed win since its opponent “And Then There Were None” is nowhere near as good from front cover to back.

Killing, And Then There Were None - Jackson Vinci

The classic novel And Then There Were None is based on the morbid children's nursery rhyme Ten Little Soldier Boys (also known by other non politically correct names) and makes it reality. In Agatha Christie's version ten murderers get lured to a isolated island thinking they are going to a special party. Instead one by one a terrible fate is brought upon them. From the very beginning everything is suspicious. First there host doesn't show up, then someone dies..... 

My favourite part: My favorite Part of this novel is The intricate and complex story line. I think Agatha Christie did an excellent job thinking of it. 

One thing I would change: Although the story line was intricate and complex the writing was not very interesting.  I found her writing style dull, boring and lacking suspense.

A wonderful tale called wonder ~ Kennedy

       August Pullman is no ordinary kid. Sure he does ordinary things, he eats ice cream, he plays basketball and he rides his bike. I'm sure ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds or stare at them wherever they go. Auggie sees himself as ordinary, but just because he has a facial deformity, others don't. 

"Here's what I think: the only reason that I'm not ordinary is because nobody else sees me that way".

       Auggie has never been able to go to a standard school, until now. He is just about to start fifth grade at Beecher Prep. Auggie is just like everybody else despite appearances. Although Auggie takes on challenges along his journey to self respect, he's not alone! He ends up making some pretty great friends! 

Throughout this book, the characters teach you to just be yourself and to accept people for who they really are. As I always say "Don't judge a book by it's cover". This book addresses the points of view on August's life by himself, his sister, his classmates, etc. I loved how the writer shared the story through many points of view. I thought that this book was very heart-felt and was just a pleasure to read! This was an amazing book, but I would have changed the words to be more complex. Other than that I thought this book was "wonderful".

The Maze Runner by Jacob Sisson

       Thomas wakes up in a lift surrounded by hundreds of boys, he remembers nothing except his name. He is frightened and doesn't know what to do. He begins to learn from various boys that this place is called "the glade". The glade is an exact square encased by one hundred feet high walls. Four new passages open up each day and close at night. There are runners who run through the maze and try to map out the maze, but they have to get back before the doors close because at night the grievers come out. No one has ever survived a night in the maze. 

      The day after Thomas gets there, another person arrives from the lift, but it is a girl named Teresa. Everyone was freaking out because a girl has not come from the lift in two years and now two people have arrived in the same month.  This also has not happened in two years. Things became even worse though because Teresa said that everything is going to change and then falls into a coma. Another thing that is frightening is Teresa and Thomas believe they know each other.

       Thomas feels like there are secrets locked away in his mind. If only he could access them he could be very important. Will Thomas solve the maze? Will he access his memories? Read the book and you will know!

        My favorite part is when Thomas first arrives and doesn't remember anything and feels frightened and confused.

         I believe that the author rushed the ending and didn't put the time and effort into it like he did with the rest of the book.

                                                                                                                                               Jacob Sisson

Maze Runner ~Emma

   Maze Runner begins when a teenage boy named Thomas wakes up in a peculiar elevator with a blank memory. He is rescued from the dark elevator when 100 other teenage boys, known as the Gladers, welcome him to his new home, or worst nightmare, the Glade. Thomas struggles to remember his past and settle into his new home, but all hope of a regular life in the Glade is lost when the first girl to ever enter their prison arrives the very next day with a haunting message. Poor Thomas feels a strange connection to the girl and to the Maze that traps the Gladers, but one choice is all it takes to turn your already messed up life up-side-down.
   I loved Maze Runner! Every sentence was captivating, and I could not put the book down! The action was so perfectly constructed that I could feel the characters' anticipation! This book is suited best for ages 10-14 because I believe the book was so much better when you found ways to connect to it, and I don't think that anyone under 10 could relate to Thomas' issues.
   When I first stared reading Maze Runner I was very disappointed, because I had heard such fantastic reviews but I, myself, could not get into it. The beginning is hard to push past but you will not regret continuing to read this book.

And then there were none.... By: Taylor

    And then there were none is the great murder-mystery based on the old nursery rhyme: 10 little soldiers.

    Ten people, all strangers to each other, are invited to Indian island. One by one each die according to the nursery rhyme. A confession in a bottle solves how nobody remains alive.

    I loved this book!! I really enjoyed how the author took a simple nursery rhyme and turned it into a whole book. 

    I liked a lot about this book but there was a couple things that I would change about it. The book has a very wide vocabulary and it could get annoying at some points because it gets hard to follow along. I also would have made the book more interesting at the beginning.

Maze runner

By, Josh Harder

Thomas wakes up in an elevator with no memory of his past, The only thing he can remember is that his name is Thomas. When the elevator doors open, he is pulled into a huge place (The Glade) by a bunch of teenage boys who also have no memories besides what their names are be called. They all share a strange vocabulary, a fondness for capitalizing words to make them special, and the same mysterious fate.

    Some things that i liked about this book is that it was not extremely long and it was also very hard to put down because of how much action and adventure take place in this thrilling book.

    Something i would change in this book is that i would make it have a little bit more detail because it did leave me confused at times when it came to the author explaining some details.

Maze Runner By; Joshua Pascasio

For this round of the smack down I was lucky enough to get my hands on the book "Maze Runner".

This book is about a 16 year old named Thomas who was put into a intense maze! In this book Thomas doesn't know anything about himself only his name. In the book Thomas wakes up in a lift, waking up in fear there was  around 100 boys of various ages looking at him climb the mysterious "elevator". Once Thomas was sent to the maze everything started to change.After Thomas's arrival more and more people would arrive too. A girl arrived  that was a Glader a Glader is someone who lives in the Glade. The Glade is where everyone lives. The female Gladder's name was Theresa! For some reason Thomas would feel this strange feeling when he would see this lovely lady. When Theresa arrived everything changed in the maze again. Once Thomas and Theresa started to talk Thomas felt this strange bond he didn't treat the others like he treated Theresa. The maze is a horrible place to live in there are strange creatures that will give you pain! Thomas go through lots of strange stuff and adventures. Trying their hardest to escape this horrible maze! I would suggest this book to people who like thrillers or actions & adventure. Find out if you like this book.

This book is a great book and I wouldn't change anything about it! I love the suspense it gives you it gets so intense you don't want to stop reading! Kids over 10 would enjoy this awesome thrilling book!

What Book Do I Think Should Win The Round?????

          Maze runner and Wonder are both amazing books, but I enjoyed the Maze runner a lot more. One of the reasons why I liked the Maze runner was because the wording in the book was very intriguing and the characters were also easy to relate to. The reason the characters were easy to relate to was because Thomas [a teenager] was stuck in a situation [the maze] and he didn't know how to get out of it. Thomas tried to understand this strange maze and it was hard but eventually he figured it out through trial and error. To me this was an example of real life as a teenager because there are so many challenges and you yourself must make wise decisions. Many times you'll mess up and try again just like trying to find your way out of the maze, so I really enjoyed the journeys of Thomas' struggles in this novel. However, if I could change one thing from the book it would be the beginning because the characters say some words that aren't english like shank. So I wish the author would have explained a little more about what their slang words meant . Besides that the Maze runner is the only book I have read so far that was so difficult to put down. I would truly recommend this book to all my friends and many other teenagers.


"life is a maze that does come to an end through hardships of trail and error"

By: Jessica Stiegelmar

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1....NONE!

              And then there were None is a murder mystery novel. One of Agatha Christie's most popular books!

               It starts when ten people go to a hidden island all for different reasons. When they arrive, there are ten little clay soldier boys in placed on the main table. After the only being there for a short while, one man chokes on his Whiskey and dies. They all go to bed feeling unsafe and scared. But In the morning the find the cook dead in her sleep. One by one people start dying and the ten soldier boys go from 10-0. One out of the ten people is the killer, but this killer doesn't like to hold hostages, leaving everyone in fear for their life. Will the killer be reveled, or will the death of nine people forever be a secret?

          One thing i really didn't like about this book is how slow it is in the beginning. But as people starting dying the book got more interesting. Also sometimes the words or descriptions could be difficult to understand. 

              This book wasn't my favorite book, but it wasn't the worst book I have ever read. It definitely is a great murder mystery book. I also liked this book because it was creative and very well planned. Plus the ending was jaw dropping! :)

No one made such a fuss over over things nowadays! And Then There Were None ~Maya

      And Then There Were None is a exciting murder mystery that keeps you reading! It's about 8 guests who think they're are visiting friends or are thinking they were employed on an island just off the coast of England. They have dinner, but are soon shock to find Mr.Marston die of poisoning. They are soon to realize that it follows an old nursery rhyme: The 10 little soldiers. In the story their is a different death for each soldier until none are left. Slowly by slowly they all start dying till there is one left. Will he go die too or stay alive? Who is planing these murders? Where is the host? If you're dying to know these questions read the book! It one of the best murder mysteries I have ever read!

      One thing i disliked was the first 50 or so pages. To me they were very boring and didn't get too excited to read this book. But as I read on It got way better and caught me offgaurd!

      I had a lot to like about this book, especially the the surprise to each murder or the little details like how they found the bottle explaining the murders or when they lock up all their weapons and still find people getting murdered. This book concludes of great detail and a wide vocabulary like evasive, laconic, or inert.

“You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!”- maze runner by: Sydney slubik

When Thomas wakes up in the gloomy lift, the only thing he can recall is his first name. His memory is lifeless. When the lift doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by teenage boys who greet him to the Glade.  The Glade is a large, enclosed area surrounded by large stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Glader's do not know why or how they got to the Glade. For two years, runners have been searching the maze every day, awaiting to find a solution before nightfall.  The reason for this is that at night the stone walls close so that the rest of the glade is concealed, protecting the boys from deathly creatures called Grievers. All they understand is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surround them open, every night they've close tight, And every 30 days a new boy will be delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up.  This is the first girl to ever enter the Glade. Its up to Thomas to quickly learn the rules and solve the maze before time runs out for all of them!

There were very few things I would have changed about this thrilling book. One aspect of this book I would have altered is the type of language the author uses, some of the words can be a bit confusing a times.

The one factor that kept me reading for hours on end was that the author makes the characters come alive the moment they're introduced. The author does this so wonderfully that you feel the characters pain of wanting to escape the maze! I Loved this book!

Dashing through James Dashner’s Maze Runner

Thomas wakes up in the lift, more frightened than ever. He remembers nothing except his name. Close to a hundred boys of various ages watch as Thomas climbs out of the strange “elevator.” He tries to grasp any past memories, but nothing comes to mind. Thomas is confused; but he begins to learn about this strange place called “the glade.” The glade has many different places and meets the boys basic needs, food, water, shelter, and more. Suspiciously, the next day, a girl arrives. Teresa. All hell breaks loose in the glade because for the first time in two years a girl has arrived. Moreover for the first time in two years, two people had come to the glade in one month. Yes, this was abnormal but things became weirder when Teresa delivers a message that everything is going to change. Immediately after, she falls into a coma.

The maze. The gladers only escape and exit. Sounds easy, but every night the walls move and greivers come out with the walls closing behind them. No one has ever survived the maze at night because of these deadly creatures; yet Thomas still wants to be a runner (someone who maps out the maze during the day). Although none of the gladers have any memories, many feel like they know Thomas and think he is trouble. The worst part is Thomas and Teresa believe they know each other too. Thomas could be very important and helpful to the gladers if only he could unlock the secrets buried deep within his mind. Will the gladers escape? Will Thomas get his memories back? Is the outside world aware of what's happening? Can anyone solve the maze? Read the book to find out!

What I liked: I love everything in this book! To be honest I was actually dreading reading The Maze Runner. Once I started I couldn’t put the book down. I am definitely reading the trilogy! The whole concept of the maze runner also fascinates me. Thank you James Dashner for such a thrill ride of a book!

What I didn’t like: To me the ending was very sudden compared to the rest of the book. The ending is still understandable although I wish the author would have kept a steady pace and not have rushed the ending (the best part)!

Please choose Maze Runner as the Smackdown winner!!!

The Runner of the Maze - By Mr. Ethan Brkin

   The Maze Runner is about a boy named Thomas who was put into a maze which is the main character. Thomas is approximately 16 years old. The only thing he knows is his name. His mind was wiped out by the creators in the book which was frustrating for Thomas because he couldn't remember anything. As soon as Thomas was sent to the maze everything started change. Surprisingly,  once Thomas arrived to the maze others started to arrive as well.  It was a girl gladder. A gladder is a person who lives in the glade. The glade is where everyone lives. It is very strange to have a female gladder.   Thomas felt something inside him every time he saw this girl gladder named Theresa.  The day she arrived to the maze she mumbled to everyone "Everything is about to change " she was right, everything did!  Thomas felt a strong bond with Theresa like with no one else in the Glade. The maze was a terrible place to live. There are things called grievers which are huge green pieces of lard with legs and spikes that make you go through the changing. Trust me you did not want to go through the changing it is real painful and it is the opposite of fun! Thomas and his friends go through many adventures to escape the maze. If you have a weak stomach this book is not for you, however, if you like thrilling adventures you won't be able to put this book down! Find out if Thomas and his friends get out of the terrible maze.

       

  This book started off a little slow and took some time to get into the story line. Perhaps, the author of the book could have tried to grab the attention of the reader faster as it took me about the eight chapter to really dive into the book. 

  The Maze Runner written by James Dashner was an overall good book. I really got into the book after chapter 8 due to thrilling action. I had trouble putting this book down when the adventures started. I would definitely recommended this book to readers 12 years old and up. The Maze Runner was another good read!!! 

        

Wonder- Eve

   Wonder is about a boy named August who was born with a facial deformity that has kept him from going to school-until now. August is going into the fifth grade at Beecher Prep, but theres one problem; other people don't see August for what he is on the inside. Inside Augusts just an ordinary kid, and a great friend. Will others come to knowAugust for who he really is? Throughout this book August faces many challenges and learns to accept himself just the way he is.

What I liked: 

I liked that the story was told from multiple points of view.  

What I would change:

I found that most of the the characters in this book where kind of dull, so I would make them have more of a personality.

There and Back Again....

The Hobbit – By J.R.R. Tolkien                                                                    Matthew Poole

The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a happy unadventurous hobbit who lives a quiet, comfortable life until a visit from an old family friend, Gandalf the wizard sends him on the adventure of a lifetime!  Bilbo and 13 dwarves set off to reclaim the dwarfs’ fortune from the evil dragon, Smaug, and Bilbo is chosen to be the burglar to help them on their quest.

After escaping from three hungry trolls with Gandalf’s help, the group finds some very special swords made by elves that will come in handy when they are captured by goblins and held deep underground.  The dwarves fight their way out but poor Bilbo is knocked out and when he comes to, he finds a magical ring that turns the wearer invisible.  He has to trick Gollum, a hissing, whiny underground creature who wants to eat Bilbo, into showing him the way out of the goblin’s underground tunnels by winning a riddle game.

He catches up with the dwarves and Gandalf, only to be trapped up trees by evil wolves known as Wargs, but the group is rescued by a flock of great eagles, led by the Eagle King. 

The adventure continues through the dark forest of Mirkwood, where Gandalf disappears, and giant spiders attack but Bilbo saves the day with his sword and the magic ring.  Shortly after escaping, they are again captured by a bunch of wood elves, and again the magic ring allows them to escape. 

They finally arrive at Lonely Mountain, where the sly dragon sleeps on the treasure, but the clever Bilbo finds out the dragon’s weak spot, his scales leave an opening near his heart!  An archer shoots an arrow into the dragon’s heart and kills him but the leader of the dwarfs refuses to share the treasure with the humans and elves who helped them.

Bilbo attempts to bring peace before an army of goblins and Wargs trys to kill them all and by fighting together, the good armies win the battle.

Bilbo returns home, a changed and very adventurous hobbit with a new appreciation of life!

The Hobbit was a great fictional story that I really enjoyed.   The author wrote the book for his children and he sure knew how to tell a tale!  Some of the language was hard to understand but all in all, I would recommend this book. 

Grieving Over Maze Runner

The great Maze Runner by James Dashner.

This book starts with a sixteen year old boy named Thomas, who is in an elevator called the "lift" which feels like a never ending ride. When he reaches the top and the gate opens he is surrouned by fifty or sixty boys (all of different age) staring at him. These boys provied him with food, shelter protection and many other living essentails. But with these things comes rules which Thomas breaks repetadly, making him hard to deal with. Then the day after Thomas's arrival the first girl comes up named Teresa. This causes things to change in there everyday living, forcing them to find a way out. But Thomas knows better, so can they solve the maze or die trying?

If I could change one thing about this book, I would make the language more clear. They say words like "Shank, Shuck and Klunk" which at sometimes can be difficult to understand. Another thing I would change is to make a slower progression to the ending. It seemed a little to fast, but you could still tell what was going on.

This book is by far the BEST book i have ever read in my entire life! I bet a lot of people say that to make their book sound better, but I'm serious this book is AWESOME!!! I beg for people to read it. (no joke I will actually get on my knees). James Dashner's has an amazing mind for coming up with this book, the attention to detail was unreal. You can really get that mental image in your head, about what the book is like.                 
                                                                                                                    


                                                                                               -Tora H

The Unlikely Hero of 13B is about a 15 year old boy with OCD named batman (aka) Adam.  Adams parents are divorce and his mom is a hoarder with letters from a devastating writer. Adam meets a girl Robyn in his OCD support group which he really likes, now Robyn is a 16 year old teenage girl who’s any teen boy Juliet and she has a mess up secret of her own, now will Batman and Robyn get to getter who knows  you will have to read it to find out.  

My favorite part is when Adam goes to his dad’s house and sweetie is so ecstatic to see Adam the reason this is my favorite part because sweetie reminds me of my nephew.

The part I would change is the letter that Adams mom was getting she would find out who it is and the person that was sending them was her I would do this because it would really mess with people minds

My favorite charter is Sweetie he’s my  favorite charter because  he reminds me of my nephew.my nephew  is always so delighted to see me when I come and visit    

The amazing book airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Airborn

Plot summary

15 year old Matt Cruse loved his home away from home aboard the mightiest zeppelin ever to set sail, the Aurora. With it's massive (lighter than air) size, it was prepared for anything, except for when Matt gets a visit from a peculiar girl named Kate de Vries. She tells him of a mysterious island unknown to humanity. Later, the ship gets taken over by a man named Vikram Szprirglas (the stories main villain)and the Aurora ends up crash landing on the island. Now, it's up to Matt Cruse and his love interest Kate to escape the island as well as battle Vikram and his nasty band of pirates. Will they escape or will Vikram send Matt to walk the plank?

Something I liked about the book

One thing that I liked about this book was how it was so interesting and had a ton of detail, especially for such a short book. It also made me, as a reader, feel multiple emotions. I'd laugh when there was a funny part in the book, and I'd cry when it got sad (well not really cry). All of the characters were beautifully illustrated to make it seem as though they were right in front of you, and the author did a great job of keeping you intrigued throughout the book. Though off to a slow start, it quickly caught my attention. This book is something I'd definetly recommend to everyone.

Something I disliked about the book

One thing I disliked about the book was the begining. This is because the author made what could have been a great and action-packed begining into that of what even a kindergartener would have hated. Now that's not to say I don't like the book, I'm just stating that the beginning could have been done way better.

The Hobbit...Maya

     The Hobbit is a fictional novel about a Hobbit's adventure to take back their own gold from the Great and Powerful Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is a short Hobbit who has live in his Hobbit hole for most of his life, until one lucky day he is asked by 13 dwarves and a wizard to win back their gold. Bilbo goes through many obstacles in his way. Bilbo also fights off elves and spiders to save his friends. He starts out being a shy hobbit, to becoming a heroic life saver. He creates opportunities to develop character and take on challenges of a life time.

     I didn't like the God of the seagulls part when they were stuck in the trees and the ending was not exactly what I was expecting and not interesting in my eyes.

     This book was awesome. J.R.R. Tolkien included exquisite detail and made me keep interest in the book! The plot line was great along with good figures of speech. Its amazing how much information I have gotten out of this book. The characters were developed perfectly and and the adventure they had took was excitingly written.I really liked the scene with the Elven King. This book has definitely impacted my life and inspired me to not hold back and just carry on with life.
 ~Maya

I'm dying for And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie -Graham

   And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is about 8 people how are strangers to each other, are invited to an island for reasons that are different for all of them. When they arrive they are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, the butler and housekeeper. They tell the guests that their host, U.N Owen, will not arrive until the next day. Later that night the guests are surprised to hear a voice that accuses them all of murder.

   After the commotion settles, one of the guests chokes to death after finishing the last half of his/her drink. Scared out of their minds, the guests race to bed. Soon after, one by one the guests start dying, and after another person dye's, another china figure goes missing. All of the guests have a nursery rhyme in their bedroom that all of the deaths follow:

“Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little soldier boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little soldier boys traveling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little soldier boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little soldier boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little soldier boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were none.” 

   I really liked this book for many reasons, it was suspenseful, intense, very detailed and made me want to keep reading more than any other book I have ever read. Mrs. Dingle once said if a book creeps you out, it's a good thing, and this book  definitely did. It had a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter, end of every page and at the end of every paragraph. And Then Their Were None is incredible to say the least.

   If I were to change something about the book, it would have to be the revolver. I was always confused about the wear a boutse of the gun. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie -Graham

mirG dna kraD elaT A-Liam

         In this different and original book, Hansel and Gretel leave their story and enter eight grim fairy tales. After there parents cut of the children's heads to save the man that helped them fall in love. The kids want to run away to find "better" parents. "In an epic quest for love and not sacrifice."  Hide the kids because this is a gruesome and scary tale of dragons, cannibal old women, out for the taste of plump, juicy children, a tree that talks, and transforms people into beats, and the devil himself. Will they find the love and affection of new parents, probably not. Or will they die trying?

This book is disgusting, in older times, fairy tales were meant as a disciplinary tools for parents to scare there kids into submission. This book is worse, this is two kids life. All the gruesome characters in this story makes me sick, its a simple read, but its more for adults then anything else. The one thing that I like/didn't like was how it took me forever to get how this author was writing. At the start I couldn't stand how he kept putting in his thoughts in and it just wreaked the flow of the book. But, I read some more, and got it. This book was fun to read.

I am Number Four, A Fantastic Book

I Am Number Four- By Alexander Napier

I am Number Four is a fantastic story that has a slow beginning, but trust me, it gets really good in the middle of the story, but enough of how it is slow, let me get on to the blog.

Plot: The main plot of I am Number Four is that John, {the main character of the story} is one of the numbers, and he is four. Throughout the story he gains certain powers, which Henry {John’s guardian} teaches him how to use. After a while, John learns that the powers that he had learned are to be used for the war against the Mogadorians {The main enemy’s in the story, an evil alien race with razor sharp teeth and have learned to blend in with the humans around them}.

Characters: John- The main character, he is a kind and thoughtful person, although, I did feel his character was too, generic, but that is just my opinion.

Sarah- A girl who loves photography, formerly a cheerleader, and now has a massive crush on John, she was a good character for keeping the story on a romantic side.

Henri- Henri was one of my favorite characters, there was just something about him that stood out, it may have been the father like love for John, or the fact that he had a rich back story, either way; he is a very good character.

Sam- Sam is John’s friend, he is a good person for keeping John on track, he is a character that plays a major part in the story, and I feel he could have had much more potential in the story, but he was still good.

BK- BK is the dog that John meets in his story. He is a homeless dog, but has a special ability which you will see.

Rating:

Likes:

·       Some things in I am Number Four that I liked is the rich character development, and the fact that each character had a different feeling that went with them.

·       Something in the story that I did not like is the fact that to me, it felt similar in many places throughout the story, which is not awful, but could have been better

Overall though, I am Number Four is an exceptional book that everyone from the ages of 10-20 should read, it is all-around amazing, now if you don’t mind, I am going to read some more, bye!