Books for August

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney

Review

In this funny book which reads like an illustrated diary, a boy named Greg bumbles through life, messing up nearly everything and generating a lot of laughs (I think Charlie Brown worked on the same principal). In this book, which has adventure, action, romance and... soap carving?, Greg tries to learn to dance, works out a way to get even with his classmates on valentines day, and buries a time capsule. His life is a lot of fun, but when his dad meets a former juvenile delinquent who is now a perfect gentleman, thanks to military school, he tells Greg he is going to send him to Spag Union, which will make a man out of him. Trying to find a way to get out of this horrible fate, Greg joins the boy scouts and tries to convince his dad that he is already manly enough. Will it work?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling

Review

In the fifth book of the Harry Potter series, all is not well at Hogwarts. A power-hungry, paranoid minister of magic has placed Delores Umbridge in the school to be a spy for him. Harry is ridiculed in the newspapers as an attention seeking liar. All of this is happening because the wizard government refuses to believe that Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard ever known, has returned from the dead. And that's just what Voldemort wants. While he sows discord and the ministry refuses to believe he has returned, he is searching for a weapon, something that he didn't have last time, that will allow him to return to full power. Meanwhile, things go from bad to worse at the school, as the minister gives Umbridge more and more power, which you can bet she abuses. Teachers are fired, Hagrid is attacked, Dumbledore is on the run and Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, is in the clutches of Lord Voldemort. Harry, unsure about what to do but worried for his godfather, decides to travel to the ministry of magic and save him. But is that what Voldemort wanted him to do all along?

The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson

Review

In the fourth book of the 39 clues series, Amy and Dan have been betrayed by their uncle once again, and all of their relatives seem intent on putting them out of the race to find the 39 clues, permanently. After a close call with a rather insane Russian spy, they manage to escape but have no idea where to go next. Using their uncle's card, they book a place at his hotel, and end up being captured by his uncle, the infamous Bae Oh, who wants to know where his nephew is. Also, they discover several nasty things about their family while they are there. When they escape, they follow a lead that their grandmother planted before she died, and begin to figure out where the next clue is. But can they trust anyone, even their grandmother?

The Sands of the Mars by Arthur C Clarke

Review

In this book, which is my favorite Arthur C Clarke book so far (I read 2001: A Space Odyssey before), a rather pompous and spoiled author travels to Mars to find out about things that, in the past, he could only write about. When he gets there, however, he is amazed by the rough frontier of Mars and the settlers who have created a landscape where they can live, mainly using biospheres. But something is slightly wrong on Mars, and the settlers seem suspiciously cagey. When he stumbles upon a strange research station in the middle of the Martian wilderness, he knows something is going on. Determined to find out what, he puts all his skills to the test, but as he lives and works with the people of the settlement, he comes to admire their ingenuity, hard work and resourcefulness. He finds himself coming out of his bitter, lazy shell and starting to become a real member of the community. Will he return to earth after all?

Romania by Terri Willis

Review

In this non-fiction guide to the basic political, military and economic history of Romania, you will get an idea about how hard it has been for the citizens of Romania throughout the centuries. First, they had to deal with the Ottoman Turks, who sought to conquer their country and make Islam the national religion. During World War 2, Nazis and fascists rounded up Jews and other minorities and shipped them to Romanian concentration camps. After World War 2, it became a communist satellite, and a military dictator named Nicolae Ceausescu took control. Finally, now that he has been overthrown, peace and stability are beginning to return to Romania, although it is still poor and behind on science because of Ceausescu. This book is definitely worth reading if you want to learn about Romania.

Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark

Review

In this story of the modern-day Andes, a young boy under the care of an old man, Chuto, learns about his history and the lives of his ancestors. He herds llamas by day, and sleeps under the stars by night. But he feels something is missing, and wishes he had a family to belong to, because while Chuto cares for him as well as he can, he is not his father. So he embarks on a journey to try and find his mother and father. When he finds them, things don't quite turn out the way he wanted and he is sent on his way. Trying to find a family he can belong to, he finds a Spanish couple with dozens of children and stays with them for a while, but while they are nice, they aren't the people he feels he needs. Finally, wandering the city, he comes to a conclusion. The end is touching, and the boy is a strong character.

The Roar by Emma Clayton

Review

The Roar is a post-apocalyptic story of secrets, lies and sinister plots. In it, all the people of Europe have been rounded up into London because of a plague of rabid animals years ago forced the government to torch the earth until everything was dead. Mika, a boy who lives behind the wall, refuses to believe his sister is dead. Because of this, he is angry and paranoid, and is sent to a counselor by his parents. Instead of telling him that the danger is all in his head, the counselor gives him a dire warning: something is going to happen at the schools. When a new fitness regime is brought to the school, he is terrified and refuses to cooperate, until he is warned by his counselor that his family will die if he doesn't, and that if he cooperates, he might find a way of getting his sister back. When a new contest is offered at the virtual arcades, where he will play his favorite game, Pod-Fighter, for massive prizes, he and his co-pilot, Audrey, who is an excellent gunner, take the plunge. He realizes that this is his chance to find his sister. But as people are eliminated, the contest slowly gets more sinister, and the competition gets fiercer. Can Mika and Audrey survive until the end of the contest to find out what really lies beyond the wall?

Cultures of the World: Poland

Review

In Cultures of the World: Poland, you will learn all about the history, economy and the spirit of Poland. Poland was first formed in the middle ages, and quickly became a reasonably powerful nation, fending off Germans, Russians and Turks. But in WWII, Poland became the site of a horrible tragedy, as Hitler's death camps murdered countless Polish citizens and burned their bodies to make sure no one knew what they were doing. After WWII, Russia took over Poland and communism became the norm. But even through all this, the Polish people fought against their Nazi and Soviet oppressors, and finally won and became a free, albeit struggling, nation. Now Poland is finally free, and is beginning to recover. Also in this book, you will find details of the customs, religion, food, and dress of the Polish. An excellent read!

Poland: Enchantment of the World by Martin Hintz

Review

In Poland: Enchantment of the World, you will learn, in a little more detail than the Cultures of the World, the history and culture of Poland. It starts out with a brief look at Poland's history, and then goes a little deeper into the founding of Poland, where it explains Poland's history from the myths about its founding to the escape from the shackles of communism. Poland really did lose a lot in World War II, and none of the Allies stepped up to liberate it, as they promised they would. Next, it talks about the religiousness of Poland and how it helped its people through the Nazi invasion and the Soviet stranglehold. Lastly, we learn a bit more about the lives of regular Polish citizens today.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Review

In this fast and exciting fantasy novel by Brandon Mull, things are getting desperate for siblings Kendra and Seth, two of the defenders of Fablehaven, a sanctuary of magical creatures. The Sphinx, the dangerous, ancient leader of the Order of the Evening Star, has recovered almost all of the keys to a magical prison, one that contains a realm of demons. Though he believes he can control them, the truth is that if he opens the gate, the entire universe is doomed. In order to stop him from gaining one of the last keys, a party is assembled to travel to the Dragon Sanctuary, one of the most dangerous sanctuaries, where even the caretaker cannot leave his magically protected house, for fear of being torn apart. Can they venture into the dragon temple to find the key and stop the Sphinx from getting it, or will they perish in the attempt?

Water Buffalo Days by Huyng Nhuong

Review

This is a wonderful book about a young boy growing up in South Vietnam, blissfully unaware of the threat posed by communist North Vietnam, who meets a wonderful friend in a buffalo. When his father's old buffalo dies, he goes to buy a new one. While his son worries that the new buffalo will be angry and dangerous, like the current leader of the herd, his worries come to nought and the young buffalo is just the friend that he wanted. But with earthquakes, tigers and the war between North and South Vietnam, will the friends find themselves caught in the middle?

Our Living Earth by Isabelle Delannoy

Review

In this thought provoking book on the environment and how we are treating it, you will learn about the importance of water, biodiversity, oceans, food and much more. It starts with a a section on water, where you will learn about dams and how they impact the environment, "dead zones", where nothing in the water can live. Also discussed is the amount of water people in different countries use per day (the United States fails miserably on this one, I'm afraid), and the effects of polluted water on us and animals. After that, the book moves on to biodiversity, and how we must preserve our native flora and fauna. The ocean and how we are destroying it is also discussed, along with the effects of people, cities and animals on the environment. An excellent read for anyone who wants to know more about our world and the peril it is in.

-- JackW - 02 Aug 2009