Dinosaurs Before Dark, by Mary Osborne is about two kids named Jack and Annie. One day ,after school, Jack and his sister Annie wondered into the woods, were they find a tree house. The tree house magically traveled to the past to the time of the dinosaurs. Now they have to go to present time before they become a dinosaur's dinner.

I enjoyed reading this book. I wounder how they traveled to the past? I think it was the book that they found that brought them their.

The author of this book is Mary Osborne. She wrote all the Magic Tree House books.

Maniac Magee, by J. Spinelli, is a book about a boy named Magee. His parents died in the famous P and W trolley accident. With no parents, Magee has to live with his aunt and uncle.

Magee did not like to live with his aunt and uncle. they would always fight. So one day, Magee ran away.

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the plot. All Magee wonted was for someone to call him his son.

The author of this book is Jerry Spinelli. Other books by him include:

• Who Put That Hair In My Toothbrush


• Space Station

The Adventures of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey is a fiction book about two boys named George and Harold. George and Harold love to pull pranks. But when a prank goes to far, the principal threatens to tell everyone that they did it if George and Harold does not do everything he wants them to do. To get the tape back, George and Harold buy a hipno ring and hypnotise the principal into giving them the tap back and tell him that he is Captain Underpants, their made up superhero.

George and Harold are best friends. They have a lot in common. They live next to each other, and they are both in the some class. They also love to play pranks.

I did not really like this book, but if you like silly fun, then you should read this book.

The author of this book is Dav Pilkey. He wrote the entire Captain Underpants series. I think he made George and Harold based upon how he acted in school because he was a prankster himself.

Chocolate Fever, by Robert Smith, is about a boy named Henry Green who loves chocolate. Henry probably loves chocolate more than any other boy in the world. One day, he finds that strange things are happening. For example, he makes medical school history with the only case of chocolate fever.

Henry is the main character of this book. He loves chocolate. He loves to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for a snack.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was making mental pictures. I could imagine the brown dots all over his skin and the wild chase to get him back to the hospital.

I enjoyed reading this book. I thought this book was hilarious. My favorite part of this book is the chase.

The author of this book is Robert Smith. Other books by him include: War With Grandpa, Jelly Belly, and Bobby Baseball. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Millions, by Frank Boyce, is a realistic fiction book about a boy named Damian and his brother Anthony. A bag filled with cash came tumbling out of the air and landed right at Damian's feet. Suddenly the brothers are rich!

The main character of this book is Damian. Since their mother died, Damian is trying to be like a "saint." He is honest, prays a lot, and performs good deeds. When the money fell from the sky he thought it was a gift from God.

The reading strategies I used when reading this book were making mental images and making connections. I wondered how I would react if I find millions of dollars.

I enjoyed reading this book. I like the way the author uses dialogue to describe the scenes. The author is a film director, and is comfortable with the use of dialogue in this book.

The author of this book is Frank Boyce. He also wrote Cosmic and Framed. Millions is a Kirkus Review editors' Publishers Weekly Best Book and a winner of the Carnegie Medal.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, is a fantasy book about a girl named Meggie and her father Mo. One cruel night, Mo reads aloud from Inkheart, and a evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of the book, landing in their living room.

Capricorn is the evil villain in this book. He is very greedy. He steals and kills just for gold.
The reading strategy I used when reading this book was "summerizing." This strategy allowed me to better understand the book since, by reviewing, I was able to pick-up on important information.

I enjoyed reading Inkheart. I think the plot of the book is amazing. I also enjoyed the ending because it had a happy ending since Meggie was reunited with her mother. Capricorn held Meggie's mother hostage, who was ultimately freed by Meggie and Mo. This book is very well-written and very discriptive.

The author of this book is Cornelia Funke. Other books by her include Inkspell, Inkdeath, Dragon Rider, and many more. Inkheart was on the New York Times Best Seller list, and it was a U.S.A Today Bestseller. I also read the Dragon Rider by this author, which I thoroughtly enjoyed.

The book The Titans Curse, by Rick Riordan, is the third book to the Percy Jackson series. When Percy receives a distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. Percy and his two allies, Annabeth and Thalia, rush to his aid with a ride from Percy's mom.

The protagonist of this story is Percy Jackson. In this book Percy faces great challenges. For example, when Annabeth gets kidnapped by Dr. Thorn, a manticare, Percy and his friend must get her back.

I enjoyed reading The Titans Curse. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with the most dangerous challenges.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was reading between the lines. I read between the lines so I could predict what will happen next.

The author of The Titans Curse is Rick Riordan. The books that he wrote include:

• The Lighting Thief


• The Sea of Monsters

All these books are funny and action-packed.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules, by Jeff Kinney is a comedy book about a boy named Greg. As Greg enters the new school year, he is eager to put the past three months behind him, and one event in particular.
Greg is the main character of this story. His brother is the funniest of all of Greg's family members. His Brother, Rodrick, is funny because he is not very bright.

I enjoyed reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules, by Jeff Kinney. This book is written in the form of Greg's diary. That makes it more comical. I think Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a delightful cartoon filled novel.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was making connections. I connected Greg's life with mine. There are not many similarities. As an example, my brothers, sister and I get along whereas Greg and Rodrick do not.

The author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules is Jeff Kinney. He also wrote Diary of a Wimpy kid. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules was New York Times best seller.

Percy Jackson's seventh-grade has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his new prep-school campus. But it did not last long because of a game of dodge ball that turned into a death match against giants.

Percy is the protagonist of The Sea of Monsters, an adventure by Rick Riordan. He is not very bright but he does have tremendous courage. Percy makes a friend in this book that is not human but a Cyclops.

I enjoyed reading The Sea of Monster. I like the surprises the author puts in this book, especially the big surprise in the end.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was making mental images. The book was more entertaining when I did that. It was as though I was watching an adventure film in my head.

The author of The Sea of Monsters is Rick Riordon. Other books by this author include:

• The Lightning Thief



• The Titan's Curse



• The Battle of the Labyrinth

These books are all part of the Percy Jackson's adbentures series.

The Curse of the Gloamglozer, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, is a fantasy book that takes place in Sanctaphrax, a large floating city in the Edge. Quint, son of a sky pirate and new apprentice to Linius Pallitax, the most high academe, has been given some very important tasks.

Maris is the most high academe's daughter. She gets jealous of Quint because Linius has been seeing Quint more than he sees her.

I enjoyed reading The Curse of the Gloamglozer. It is one of my most favorite fantasy books that I read. I like the way the author keeps the reader guessing on what monster he has created. The narrative will cast a spell over readers from the beginning with its off-kilter sense of logic and vocabulary.

The reading strategies I used when reading this book were making mental images and reading between the lines. By reading between the lines, I was able to predict what the monster was.

The authors of the book The Curse of the Gloamglozer are Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. They wrote the Edge Chronicles. The Edge Chronicles are a series of books about the odd life of citizens of the Edge.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordon, is a Greek myth come to life. Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that is the least of his troubles! Lately, mythological monsters and gods seem to be walking out of his Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Percy Jackson is the protagonist of this story. He is dyslectic. He got kicked out of every boarding school he has been to.

I enjoyed reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief by Rick Roirdon. The Lightning Thief is a tale of heroism. Packed with humorous allusions to Greek Mythology, along with action sequences, it will grab your interest.

The reading strategy I mainly used when reading this book was making connections. I connected this book with other Greek myths.

The author of The Lightning Thief is Rick Riordon. He is the author of the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This book is a New York Times Notable Book of 2005 and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year 2005.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Wrath of Mulgarath, by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black, is the last book of the Spiderwick Chronicles. This book shows Mulgarath's plan unfold to get Authur Spiderwick's field guide and to take over the world.

Mulgarath is the villain of this book. He is an oger and like most ogers he is a master shape-shifter and is vain and prone to bragging. Jared is the main charecter of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Jared uses that information to defeat Mulgarath.

I enjoyed reading The spiderwick Chronicles, The Wrath of Mulgarath, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. I liked the part when Lucinda's curse was lifted and she got to see her father again.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was making mental pictures. Making mental pictures makes books more interesting. It is like a movie in your head.

The authors of The Wrath of Mulgarath are Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They wrote the entire Spiderwick Chronicles. They got the idea to make the series because of a letter that the Grace children wrote to them.

Crash

The book Crash, by Jerry Spinelli is about Crash Coogan, a seventh- grade football player. Crash and his best friend, Mike, can't think of anything more hilarious then making Webb's ( his dweeb, vegetable- eating) life miserable. But Crash starts to realize that Webb has something he may never gain, and when Mike takes a prank to far, maybe even Crash has to choose which side he is on.

Crash Coogan is the main character of this book. He has been mowing down everything in his way ever since he could walk, and Penn Webb is his favorite target. Penn Webb is also in seventh grade but he is not a football player, he is a cheerleader.

I enjoyed reading Crash. I like the way the author put, in the beginning of the book, the first time he meet Webb and Mike.

The reading strategies I used when reading this book is making mental pictures and making connections. I connected this book with another book, The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. the main characters both faced characteristic changes throughout the book. For example, they both were mean and bullies in the beginning of the book and at the end of the book they were both nice.

The author of Crash is Jerry Spinelli. He also wrote Stargirl. Jerry is a New berry Medalist and is the winner of ten state Children's Choice awards.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Lucinda's Secret, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, is a great fantasy book about fairies. This book informs the reader about the troubles that Jared, Simon and Mallory are experiencing because they have Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World.

One of the Grace twins is named Jared. Jared is clever. For example, he devised a plan and tricked a wood elf into releasing him after he was captured by this elf.

Jared's twin is named Simon. Simon is an animal lover. He keeps a griffin named Byron in the carriage house.

I enjoyed reading The Spiderwick Chronicles, Lucinda's Secret. This book is one of my favorite fantasy books. I like the way the author at the end of this book writes something about the characters in his next book to gain the interest of the reader and entice the reader to read more about these characters in his subsequent book.

The reading strategies I used in reading this book are summarizing and making mental images. Since I didn't read the first book of the series, I summarized after each chapter to understand the series better.

The authors of the book The Spiderwick Chronicles, Lucinda's Secret are Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. These authors wrote the entire Spiderwick series. I especially enjoyed how the authors make the reader curious to read more.

King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed

King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed, by Jeff Limke and Thomas Yeates, is an English legend made into a book. Young Arthur spends his days as a squire - feeding the horses and caring for his big brother's armor. Around him is England left without a king. But all this is going to change in one day, when Arthur pulls a mysterious sword out of the stone. This book is about Arthur's life.

The main character is Arthur. He receives the sword Excalibur and wins loyalty of the knights of the round table.

Arthur's friend is Merlin the magician. He guides Arthur on how to be a good and wise king.

I enjoyed reading King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed. This book is the first English legend I read. When reading this book the one question I had was if the young king could win peace and freedom for England.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was summarizing. Reading strategies, such as connecting and making mental images, are useful when reading a book because they help the reader understand the book better.

The authors of King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed are Jeff Limke and Thomas Yeates. Other books written by these authors include

Hercules, The Twelve Labors

Isis and Osiris, To the Ends of the Earth

Thor and Loki, In the Lands of Giants

The Trojan Horse, The Fall of Troy

These books are also myths or legends of great heroes.

Atlanta, The race Against Destiny

Atalanta,The Race Against Destiny, by Justine and Ron Fontes and Thomas Yates is a Greek myth converted into an action-packed book. One day, Atalanta went to see the oracle because she could not fit in as she was different than all the other girls. The oracle which, according to Greek mythology, predicts the future, said that "if see gets married she would not be herself." Atalanta did get married and in this book, the reader realizes the oracle's prediction as it comes to life.

The main character in this book is Atalanta. She is very athletic. Atalanta was the fastest runner of her time.


Atalanta's husband was Hippomenes. Hippomenes was the great grandson of Poseidon. So he could win the challenge and ultimately wed Atalanta, he asked for Aphrodite's (the goddess of love) help. The challenge imposed by Atalanta was that she will marry any man that won her in a foot race. I enjoyed reading Atalanta, The Race Against Destiny. This myth shows that some myth gods and goddesses were cruel and mean.


The reading strategy I used when reading this book was connecting. I connected this myth with other Greek myths. By connecting, I enjoyed this book better as I understood it better by comparing it to other Greek myths that I have read.


The authors of Atlanta,The Race Against Destiny are Justine and Ron Fontes and Thomas Yates. Other books written by these authors include:





1. Amaterasu, Return of the Sun
2. Atlanta, The Race Against Destiny
3. Hercules, The Twelve Labors
4. Isis and Osiris, To the Ends of the Earth
5. Jason, The Quest for the Golden Fleece
6. King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed
7. Robin Hood, Outlaw of Sherwood Forest
8. Thor and Loki, In the Land of Giants
9. The Trojan Horse,The Fall of Troy
10. Yu the Great, Conquering the Flood



I think all those books are also based on myths.

Demeter and Persephone, Spring Held Hostage

Demeter and Persephone, Spring Held Hostage, by Justine and Ron Fontes and Steve Kurth, is a popular Greek myth that was created to explain why and how the seasons change. This book is about Demeter and her daughter Persephone. When Persephone disappears one day, Demeter searches everywhere. She ultimately discovers that Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld.

Persephone's mother, Demeter, is very stubborn. For example, she refused to grow and cultivate crops until she got her daughter back safely. This stubbornness persisted even though people on Earth were dieing.

Hades is the ruler of the underworld. He was very lonely in his kingdom. This is why he kidnapped Persephone.

I enjoyed reading Demeter and Persephone, Spring Held Hostage. I like the way the authors wrote this myth in comic book form. I think that this comic book form is the best and most effective way to represent the events and adventures in this book.

The strategy that I used when reading this book was connecting. While reading this book, I was able to connect this myth with other Greek myths. As a result, this strategy helped me understand the book better.

This book has three authors, Justine and Ron Fontes and Steve Kurth. I like the fact that the authors wrote this book in comic book form. This form made the book a lot more enjoyable as it read like a great comic book adventure. Other books written by these authors include:

• Amaterasu, Return of the Sun


• Atlanta, The Race Against Destiny


• Hercules, The Twelve Labors


• Isis and Osiris, To the Ends of the Earth


• Jason, The Quest for the Golden Fleece


• King Arthur, Excalibur Unsheathed


• Robin Hood, Outlaw of Sherwood Forest


• Thor and Loki, In the Land of Giants


• The Trojan Horse,The Fall of Troy


• Yu the Great, Conquering the Flood

I expect that these books above are also written in comic book form.

The Day in the Life of a Pirate

The Day in the Life of a Pirate, by Emma Helbrough, is a wonderful book that takes place during the golden age of pirates. This book is very different from other books that I have read. It is different because it literally puts you in the main character's shoes.

The main character in The Day in the Life of a Pirate is Jack Hovach. Jack Hovach is smart and wise. For example, he used water to shrink the ropes of the prisoners so they would not escape.

The captain of the ship is also very clever and sneaky. For example, he tricked the other ship by pretending that his pirate's ship was a trade ship so his pitrates could get aboard the other ship and steal its booty.

I enjoyed reading The Day in the Life of a Pirate. This was the first book I read that places the reader in the shoes of the main character, Jack Hovach. I like this book because it informs the redaer about pirates, what they do and how they do it. This is a good book if you want to know more about pirates. I found it very educational and extremely entertaining.

The reading strategy I used when reading this book was imagining. By imagining the scene, I could enjoy the book better. For example, I could visualize the battle between the pirates and the sailors. It semed as though I was there. I was transposed in the thick of battle.

The author of A day in the Life of a Pirate is Emma Helbrough. Other books written by Emma Helbrough include The Day in the Life of a Knight and The Day in the Life of an Indian. I especially enjoy how this author transposes the reader to events, occurences, and places in her books. The reader is placed in the main character's shoes. I expect that the other books written by this author do the same thing and place the reader in the main character's shoes.

Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony

Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony, by Eoin Colfer, is about the 8th family of fairies who live in Limbo, an island "out of time" in a different dimension. Something has gone wrong, and the people of Limbo are teleporting to Earth against their wishes. Now Artemis, Holly, Butler, a girl who also knows about the fairy people, and two powerful fairies of the 8th family have to figure out why that is happening and fix it.

One of the two fairies is named No1. No1 is different from the other fairies on Limbo. He is more peaceful and cannot warp like the other fairies.

Abbot is the villain in this book. He is the leader of Limbo because he brainwashed the other fairies to think he is a great hero.

I enjoyed reading Artemis Fowl, The Last Colony. This is my favorite book of the series. Eoin Colfer, the author, constantly surprises the reader more than any of his other books that I've read.

The reading strategies I used in this book were imaging and summarizing. I could imagine Artemis' expression when he was carrying the bomb to the volcano. After every chapter, I summarized what happened. This helped me get a better image of what was occuring in the book.

The author of the Artemis Fowl series is Eoin Colfer. Out of the entire Artemis Fowl series, I think The Lost Colony is his best book. This book is my favorite because it ends with a big surprise! I heartedly encourage you to read this book, if nothing else, to discover this amazing surprise.

Artemis Fowl, Opal Deception

The book that I have just finished reading is Artemis Fowl, The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer. It is about Opal getting revenge on the people that put her in jail. In this book, Artemis Fowl became the victim of amnesia ("mind wipe"). As in other Artemis Fowl adventures, Holly Short helped Artemis to regain his memory in order to defeat Opal.

Opal is a Pixie genius who out-smarted the LEP and broke out of jail. She is taking revenge on those (Artemis Fowl, Butler, Holly Short and the Commander of the LEP) who put her in jail in the first place. At the end, she is apprehended and returns to jail.

Butler is Artemis' bodyguard and a very good one. He had graduated from the best bodyguard school. Butler saved Artemis' life countless times.

I think this book is very well writen. The plot is very clever and the details leading up to the plot are very descriptive. This book grabs your interest and enthusiusm, and doesn't let go until the very end.

The reading strategies that I used when reading this book are making mental images and reading between the lines. Sometimes the author hides information in sentences. If the reader is clever enough and finds this information, he or she will uncover and learn more about the plot in the book.

The author of the Artemis Fowl series is Eoin Colfer. The series includes The Artic Incident, The Eternity Code, etc. The strategies used in all the Artemis Fowl series is that the author keeps the reader guessing until the end.