Skink -- No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Reviewed by Gillen M.
Grade 7

“She was supposed to meet me here…” These are the words spoken by Richard Sloan to a crazy old man who erupts from the sand while he is walking on the beach. The man says his name is Clinton Tyree, although he hasn’t answered to it in years. He is trying to catch a turtle egg thief by sleeping in fake turtle nests. Richard is speaking of his cousin Mally. She says she was grounded, but she always sneaks out. Richard knows something is up. The next morning, Mally’s friend Beth says that she is gone and won’t say where. Her parents think she left for “early orientation” at the Twig Academy, but Richard figures out that she has run off with Talbo Chock, an older dude she met online. After alerting her parents, Richard runs into the old man on the beach. Skink, as her prefers to be called has just beat the heck out of a turtle egg thief. He tells Richard that his next project is to find his cousin, would he like to come?

With that Richard sets out with Skink on a crazy quest to find Mally and her “boyfriend”. Mally soon alerts him that she wants to leave but that Talbo Chock won’t let her go. After receiving several hints to her location, Skink and Richard find mally but have to face down a crazed kidnapper, a giant alligator, and a monster storm, all while eating roadkill stew.

Skink No Surrender is a fantastic book filled with witty humor, great characters, and a monster gator. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Carl Hiaasen. The reason behind this is the witty humor present in almost all of Carl Hiaasen’s books. From Richard's stepfather's “intellectual limitations” to the all-around air of sarcasm and amusement, Skink No Surrender has quite a few moments of humor. The characters are just as crazy, from level-headed Richard Sloan to adventures and crazy Mally Spence. However, the crazy ex-governor with a shady past and a crazy beard is the character who really sets this book off.

Spoiler Alert Mini Review: The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet

Murdstone Trilogy
Coming September 2015

Synopsis:

Award-winning author Philip Murdstone is in trouble. His star has waned. The world is leaving him behind. His agent, the beautiful and ruthless Minerva Cinch, convinces him that his only hope is to write a sword-and-sorcery blockbuster. Unfortunately, Philip - allergic to the faintest trace of Tolkien - is utterly unsuited to the task. In a dark hour, a dwarfish stranger comes to his rescue. But the deal he makes with Pocket Wellfair turns out to have Faustian consequences. The Murdstone Trilogy is a richly black comedy from an author described by one American critic as 'the best writer you've probably never heard of'.

Spoiler Alert reviewer: Victoria

1=No. Just, no. 2=It's OK. 3=I liked it. 4=I really liked it. 5=It was EPIC!

The Book Itself
How well designed was the plot? 1
How vivid was the setting? 5
How believable were the characters and the dialog? 2
How well did the book hold your interest? 2
How well did the author's language add to the book? 5
How well did the writing match the books intended audience? 3

Worldwide
Rank this book's mass appeal. 3
How readable was this book? 1
How pleasurable will reading this book be to most teens? 1

Personal
How highly would you recommend this book? 1
How likely are you to read something else by this author? 1
How memorable was this book? 1
How did you feel about the ending? 1
How creative was this book? 1

Marketing
Rank the jacket blurb. 1
Rank the title. 5
How well does the title match the story? 5
Stopping point in the book? Finished

Tell us what you thought of the book overall:

In one word: Melodramatic

Tell us what you really did not like about this book: Style of writing

Pick 5 words to describe this book: Lost opportunity; droning; rambling; dull

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

Reviewed by Jake L.
Grade 8

Wahoo and his father Mickey are animal wranglers who have a hard enough time keeping each other from getting hurt and putting foot on the table. When a job opportunity with a reality TV show goes South, they have to fight to get out of the Everglades alive.

Wahoo and his father accept an offer to work on a reality TV adventure show, but it is not what they expected. The TV star Derek is a complete fake. When an angry father going after his daughter gets involved, the job Wahoo, Mickey, and Tuna (Wahoo's friend) accepted for some easy money turns into a life or death situation.

Carl' Hiaasen's plot in Chomp is absolutely gripping. The reader never can guess what's going to happen next. The setting is also great.

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially someone who lives in Florida. The author's style is flawless. Every word is carefully chosen and every sentence perfectly executed. Another great one by Carl Hiaasen.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Reviewed by Gillan M
Grade 6

"Rewrite!" When school football star Wallace Wallace is drafted from football to the school drama clubs's production of "Old Shep, My Pal," due to a rather negative review of the book, nothing goes as planned. Mr. Fogelman intends to convince Wallace that "Old Shep, My Pal" is one of the best books ever written, but instead of rewriting his review, Wallace ends up rewriting most of the play into a modernistic version of the "timeless classic." In attempting to change Wallace's view of the book, Mr. Fogleman ends up mixing up Wallace's whole year. From mopeds to RC cars this will be a play the school won't soon forget!


This book is great because of many things: its amusing plot twists, its interesting characters, and its surprise ending. One thing is for sure, you will be hooked by page two. The plot twists and turns in surprising ways by showing the evolution of the play through the eyes of half of a dozen different people.


I recommend this book to lovers of realistic fiction, humor, and wacky middle school adventures. Further reason to recommend this book lies in the amusing style of the author. He throws in plot twists and unexpected surprises every other chapter. The characters change throughout the story, in some ways evolving with the play as well as the story. NO MORE DEAD DOGS!!!

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Reviewed by Zoey H.
Grade 9

Ever had a summer goal? Maybe it was to find your summer fling or read the whole Harry Potter series. Well for Matt, Sean and Cooper their annual goal is to see a real, live naked girl in person. Not an easy task for guys who have never asked a girl out and are the laughing stock of the Rockwell swim team.

It’s the beginning of the summer, and three best friends Matt, Sean and Cooper are deciding on their annual summer goal. This year’s goal is to see a real live naked girl in person. Matt, Sean and Cooper head off to swim practice and meet the newest member of the team, Kelly West. She quickly leaves a lasting impression on Matt. To get her to notice him, Matt decides to volunteer to swim the 100-yard butterfly stroke--the hardest stroke known to man. After disastrous attempts to see a naked girl involving laxatives, makeup and non-alcoholic beer, things aren’t looking so bright for the guys. Will this be the first year the boys don’t accomplish their summer goal?

The characters in Swim the Fly are hilarious and easy to relate to. The character I found the most interesting was Cooper. He’s the type of person that won’t stop at anything to get something done and always has a plan. Cooper is clever when it comes to getting around rules. This quality came into light when he faked throwing up in the pool to get Matt out of the swim meet.

Swim the Fly is a great read for summer! I would recommend it for anyone who wants an easy read and a good laugh. Under all the laughs and joking there is a good message in this book. With a little determination and will power you can accomplish anything.