Sprouting Wings

A little while ago I read the book "Wings" by Aprilynne Pike. Now although this involves faeries it isn't your typical fairytale. It adds several twists in the plot and is a really exciting book.

Laurel has been home schooled her entire life, but after her and her adopted parents move she finds herself in public school for her sophomore year. But Laurel is different than other kids in a couple ways that lead up to her having a baseball sized bump on her back from which sprouts a long wing-shaped flower petal kind of thing. With help from her friend David, who loves science, she figures out she's a plant, or more specifically a faerie.

As she goes back to her old house, which is in the woods, she meets Tamani, a boy faerie. She soon gets dragged into an ancient battle between faeries and trolls, and everything ends up depending on her.

I really liked this book. It starts out a little slow but once you get into it, it really draws you in. I thought that the story line was good and that the book overall was very well-written. After this book there is also a second book in the series called Spells, which also  is very good.

The Good, the Bad, and the Uglies...

Well actually it was all good...

Imagine a world where everybody is actually divided into groups: those who are ugly, those who are pretty, and those who are special. The uglies spend their days dreaming about their sixteenth birthday and staring at Pretty Town. The pretties are who everybody wants to be, and the specials are only called in on special circumstances. No, I'm not talking about high school; it's a book called Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Tally Youngblood is only a couple months away from turning sixteen, and she can't wait. On the day of her birthday she'll get an operation that turns her into a pretty. Then she'll be swept off to Pretty Town where nothing matters but what she's going to wear to the next party.

But in the months before her birthday she becomes friends with Shay, an ugly who, unlike others, does not want to become pretty. Right before her birthday Shay runs away, and Tally has a choice: betray her friend or stay ugly for the rest of her life.

I loved this book! Although the setting was in the future it was easy to understand and keep up with. The book was very well written and it draws you in after the first couple chapters. There are 3 others books in the series that I would also recommend: Pretties, Specials, and Extras.

Talent Show

My school had a talent show last week and usually I would play the piano but this year I sang "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift with a couple of friends. If any of you have ever seen the music video you know that there is a dorky girl and a cooler girl. Well in this case we had two dorky girls and one cooler girl. I was one of the dorky girls along with my friend, Kianna, and Valaree was the cooler girl. Out of 27 the acts we were last but we did good. It was really fun and we all had a good time performing.

Bran Hambric and Maximum Ride

I've been reading so much lately that I'm a little behind in posting. First of all a new one by a new author, Bran Hambric and the Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation. He's a new member in my ward and I really liked his book.

Bran Hambric was found in a bank vault as a six year old. He lives with the Wilomases in Dunce, where magic is forbidden. At a festival though he discovers he's a mage. With the help of a secret society he finds out more about his past. But people are waiting till the moments right to use Bran.

Another very good series I read were the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. These books are quick reads but very good.


This series is about 7 kids constantly running for their lives. They were born with wings in a scientist lab called the School. They have escaped but now erasers, half Wolf and half human that are used as guards', are after them. They must run for their lives and along the way they develop new powers, meet accomplices, and learn more about what they are meant to do.



There are are six books that I know of out right now and I love these books. I read most of them in about one day each. They are full of suspense,adventure, and action. I am sure any reader will fall in love with these books.

My dad recommended that I read The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill because it was a book he read as a kid. I didn't expect it to be that good but I read it and I actually liked it.

In New York City the pushcarts are always in the way of the trucks. The trucks are in the way of everyone and they are getting too big for everyone else. So when one of the trucks intentionally runs over Frank the Flower's cart the pushcart's decide to fight back...with pea pins. (A pea with a pin stuck through it)

This book was really good. This book is so well written that I thought it was real, in fact I had to ask my dad if it was. It also was funny. This book is kind of short but I think adults might like it too even though it is more of a kids book.

The Lightning Thief Steals my Heart...

Percy Jackson and the Olympians has stole my heart. This new series by Rick Riordan has 5 books out so far. This is one of the only series that even comes close to Harry Potter.

Percy Jackson has never been completely normal but when one of his teachers turns into a monster his mom takes him to a camp where his dad wanted him to go. It's a camp for half bloods, half Olympian and half human but there things get worse. It's supposed to make him safe but when he gets there he fights a minotaur with his bare hands. How could things get worse? They do.

I would recommend these books for any one who loves adventure books. Not only are they well written and exciting but they are also funny. These series will captivate any reader, children or adults.


.

Happy Happy Birthday Katie Dear!

Well, I hope that you don't mind, Kate...but Mom has hijacked your blog to wish you a Happy Birthday! I cannot believe that 11 years has flown by so quickly... but here you are...on your way to becoming a "tiny" teenager.

This February 24th started out, like every birthday morning, with the traditional Grasteit song "Today is Katie's birthday, wake her up, wake her up!" Repeated over and over again. I know we should come up with some better lyrics, but I think the kids might be disappointed if we did. They so look forward to it. Then, Taylor made banana pancakes for breakfast and we were off to school, with cupcakes in hand. Tonight Kate has ordered pasta with shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms, for dinner, and crepes with strawberries and cream for dessert. (Not a traditional birthday cake...but better, maybe.) The rest of us will have chocolate drizzled over them as well, but Kate doesn't like chocolate. (She doesn't know what she is missing.) And we will have presents, too, of course. I will be off to finish shopping, as soon as this is done.

Although I am not a blogger, I have seen enough cute blogs to make an attempt at a little birthday tribute. So here we go...

K is for Kind. I don't think I have ever seen her be unkind to anyone...except maybe her siblings, occasionally, but that doesn't count!
A is for Avid Reader. Kate is always reading....early in the morning...late at night...in the car. We cannot get her to stop!
T is for Talk, Talk, Talk...another thing we can't get her to stop doing!
E is for Example, which she is to everyone around her, especially her family.

Kate, I think I got the best present of all, on your birthday...YOU! I am so lucky to get to be your mother. I love you and hope you have a wonderful day!