The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Reviewed by Lalee I.
Grade 7

Have you ever dreamed about mischief? Well, for Tom that topic was always on his mind. Have you ever dreamed about running away or faking your death to see if your family loved you or not? Tom Sawyer didn’t just dream about these things; he did them.

Tom Sawyer is not your average kid; he is the kid that will do whatever he wants whenever he wants. From getting engaged, getting trapped in a cave and trying to catch a murderer, Tom does this in a comical, bad boy way that won’t make you want to put this book down. Tom does have a little help though. His allies Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper lead him through a path of calmness and teach him how to be a good boy. NOT! If anything they lead him through a path of pranks and make a bad boy into a worse boy. If you would like to know more about this fun-filled, action packed book then stop at your local library and check The Adventures of Tom Sawyer out.

I find the author’s style a bit confusing at some points, for this book was written in 1876. This book has Old English, so make sure you have a dictionary next to you. One example of Old English in the story is when Aunt Polly (Tom’s guardian) is talking to herself, “Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says. I’m a-laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He’s full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! He’s my own dead sister’s boy, poor thing, and I ain’t got the heart to lash him, somehow.” I feel Mark Twain did an excellent job with the characters, especially Tom. I love how Tom has this lazy lifestyle that you just fall in love with, or his comical behavior. One example of this comical behavior is when Aunt Polly is making Tom paint the fence, and Tom finds a way to get boys passing by to do it for him while he just relaxes and sleeps.

I would recommend this book to people who like reading and like challenging books. The author’s style can be a bit challenging. This book would be for you if you like the bad boys that are always getting in trouble and into situations that hurt more than themselves. I know you will enjoy this book as much as I do.

Also available in CD audio book and eBook formats!

Maximum Ride: the Final Warning by James Patterson

Reviewed by Alexander G.
Grade 7

Have you ever dreamed of flying? For some of us it is just a fantasy, but for Max and her friends it's a unique reality that comes at a grim cost. Years ago, a group of scientists started experimenting with genetic hybrids. One group of creations were avian-human hybrids, or half-human, half-bird. These test subjects were Max and her "flock." Ever since escaping from their horrible incarceration, the flock has been chased by the elites of the hybrid creations.

In The Final Warning, the flock mourns the loss of their dead new ally, Ari, who had been an Eraser (half-human, half-wolf) bent on their capture and distruction. Once Ari realized he was lied to and doomed, he joined the flock. After the funeral, Dr. Martinez and Jeb take the flock to Washington DC, to negotiate with the government on the building of a school for them. However, Max, distrusting the officials, declined. Instead, Dr. Martinez told them about a research group heading to Antarctica. They take up the offer and go with the team. Weeks later, the flock is captured by a horrible creation of Itex, Gozen. They are taken to a building in Miami, where they meet the Uber-Director of Itex.

Compared to the previous books, this part of the series is relatively short. Also, there is a lot less action/fighting and more relationships, internal conflict, and a highly stressed moral that polluting is bad.

I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy books about the environment, like Flush by Carl Hiaasen. However, I would not recommend this book to people who want an extremly exciting and action-packed plot, unless you are an avid reader of the Maximum Ride series.

Also available in CD audio book format!