Cross-Country Runner by Leon McClinton

I gave this book a rating of five out of five. The main character in Cros-Country Runner is Vern Mansfield, a high school junior. He is the best running back in the state, and is expected to get football scholarships to very prestigious football programs. However, in his senior year, he decides to quit football and join the cross-country team, because long-distance running is his true passion. Vern’s classmates make fun of him for joining the cross country team and are very angry at him for hurting their football team’s success. The most audacious of the taunting students is Ken Speaker. He is the best runner on the cross country team and is a self-serving sycophant. Ken tries to make Vern quit the cross-country team, because he thinks Vern deliberately hurt the football team and wants to do the same to the cross-country team. The only way Vern can earn the respect of the school is to become the best runner on the cross-country team.

I think this book is a very good literature choice because it very clearly demonstrates the way the football team and cross-country team are viewed in American society. I would recommend this book to cross-country runners, or anyone who looks down on them. Readers will know the torturous pain cross-country runners go through without receiving any respect. Also, students who find themselves against all odds may want to read this book to remind them that if they work hard and persevere, anything is possible.

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

I personally gave this book a five out of five, no question. This book is about a boy named Alex Gregory who decides to drink a pint of vodka, steal his mom’s car, and then trash his dad’s house. It turns out that when he did this mischief (or tried to) it only took up ten pages of the book. The rest of the book is about what happens to Alex after he does the incident (or tried to do it, keep that in mind). Alex then finds himself sitting in front of a judge hearing that he had to do 100 hours of human service for an old man named Sol (short for Solomon.) After all the talk died down, Alex had to juggle community service, girls, and…guitars? Come and read this book to learn about Alex’s adventure and what he does with his…situation.

Jordan Sonnenblick is a hilarious author with a very unique personality. I love his characters such as Laurie, Alex’s best friend, and Solomon. I recommend this book to teens, young adults, or anyone else who has a sense of humor. Anyone who reads this book will probably have sympathy, recognition, and laughter, maybe all on the same page.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Dwight is a weirdo who is in the sixth grade. He likes to sit in big holes all day with his nose poking out, and he asks squirrels to save him. Dwight only does one cool thing, which is making origami. One day Dwight comes to school with an Origami Yoda on his finger and speaks to people who are in sticky situations. The Yoda actually works, and people actually line up for a turn. Tommy is finding out if Yoda is actually tapping into the force and how Dwight can be so clueless while Yoda is all-knowing. Tommy really wants to make sure that Yoda is real before he asks the ultimate question.

I would give this book five out of five stars, because it is funny and the pictures add to the affect. I also like how the answers that Yoda gives are actually smart and knowledgeable. This book also includes directions for folding your own Origami Yoda.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

This is the fourth book in the Percy Jackson series. In the beginning, Percy is at his new school's orientation during which he defeats two empousa who attack him. At Camp Half-Blood, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson are chosen to go on a quest in the labyrinth to look for Daedaus, the creator of it. In the labyrinth, they meet the goddess Hera, but she leaves after Annabeth infuriates her. Later, Percy finds himself inside Mt. St Helens at a forge used by Kronos. Inside the volcano, Percy causes an explosion that makes the volcano erupt and awakens the most evil monster, Typhon. Percy is shot out of the volcano and lands on an island and meets Calypso. Percy chooses to leave Calypso to help his friends when Hephaestus comes to get him. After entering the Labyrinth again with the others, he comes across the Triple G ranch where he meets Nico di Angelo. He then battles the owner of the ranch who has three hearts. They travel farther, and they find Daedalus. He meets Rachel, and they get back to camp. When they get back to camp, Rachel becomes the new oracle.

This was one of my favorite books in the series of Percy Jackson. My favorite part was when Percy is at the Triple G ranch and has to clean the flesh-eating horse pen. I would recommend this to people if they have read the other books before this, and they are interested in ancient Greek history and action adventure books. I would rate this a four out of five stars, because sometimes things happen instantly and the end confused me a little bit.

I'd Tell You That I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Can love really conquer all or will lies destroy it all? Cammie, a spy in training, must find out if a secret relationship will work. She must use her training to date a regular guy. She finds a lot of troubles with her spy life and her secret normal life running together. For example, she can't tell her boyfriend where she goes to school, because it's a school for spies. People in town call them the brats and snooty girls. She and her spy friends must find out if they can keep Cammie’s secret, secret.

I'd Tell You That I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is such a good book. This book sounds like it is a stupid romantic book, but it isn’t. It is a great spy series that happens to have some love story in it. It has action, romance, and even deception. This book could interest people who like spy books but like a little love story too.

Along for the ride By: Sarah Dessen

This novel is about a teenage girl’s visit to her dad’s for the summer, along with her new step mother and half baby-sister in Colby before going away to college. Her name is Auden. She never really had a child life, which includes her not knowing how to ride a bike. But when she comes down to Colby, she makes some new friends–she never really had any friends, she wasn't so good with socializing-and falls in love with a boy named Eli who helps her on a “quest”, but only at night.


I think this book is by far the best book I have ever read. I, and the antagonist, Auden, have a lot of similar characteristics, which pulled me into the book more thean I had thought it would. Eli, in the story, gave me some tips about life. When ever you fall and get back up, that means you are improving, even after the 100th fall. If you are the type of person who doesn’t like to perserver then you should read the book. It will teach you how to believe and it will do you well in your life.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

I give this book a 5 out of 5

This book takes place in Germany and England during World War I. Paul Baumer is a soldier for Germany along with four other nineteen year olds he has known his whole life. They have to face up to a mean company commander named Captain Himmelstoss. Paul and his companions also have to live life on the front lines and are shelled constantly. Along with this, they have to cope with death of people all around them.


I give this book a 5 out of 5 because it is thought provoking and is well written. Remarque did a good job in capturing the detail of battle and the feeling of a normal soldier. He also did a good job in capturing their daily life in great detail. This book was fun to read and can easily have a report or project done on it because it is easily quotable. I would recommend this book to anyone.