Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - Hatchet

Hatchet

by Gary Paulsen
(1987 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Montae W.
This book is about a boy named Brian. He is going to see his father in California. While he was on a plane, a tornado happened and the plane crashed. Everybody died, but Brian was still alive. He was lost in the middle of the forest alone. He had to try and stay alive with his own shelter and he had to get his own food without dying. I liked this book because it teaches kids just because something happens it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. You have to not give up and fight for survival. Also, it teaches you life skills. You should always think positive and how to be mature, not cry, but to keep your head up because you never know what the outcome could be.

I would recommend this book to:  All readers!

I rate this book:

RMS Hot Read for November 21, 2014

RMS Hot Reads for November, 14, 2014

Books by Blei: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

by J.K. Rowling

Recommended by: Ethan M.
This book has many stories: "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"; "The Fountain of Fair Fortune"; "The Warlock's Hairy Heart"; Babbitty Rabbity and her Cackling Stump; and "The Tale of the Three Brothers". In "Babbitty Rabbitty", a king wanted to be the most powerful wizard there was. He asked Babbitty Rabbitty, who was disguised as a human and now was the sorcerer for the king. He didn't even know that much magic and the king wanted the people of the kingdom to see his magic. Babbitty Rabbitty was going to trick him into failing to do the spells.

This book was: Interesting!

I would recommend this book to: People who have read the Harry Potter books.

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Medal" - Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee

by Jerry Spinelli
(1991 Newbery Medal)

Recommended by: Tracy N.
Maniac Magee is a story about Jeffrey Lionel Magee, a runaway boy. He wasn't always a runaway; one day his mom and dad left him with a babysitter. They were on board a trolley when it crashed leaving him alone at the age of three. Jeffrey was then shipped off to his Aunt Dot and Uncle Don who happened to not get along at all. Now Jeffrey is all alone trying to find himself a new home. 

This book was: Amazing!

I would recommend this book to: People who love adventures.

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: Animal Farm

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

Recommended by: Kallum B.
So would you like to be abused by your farmer? That is what these animals feel. They feel abused, treated badly and treated like slaves. They form a rebellion against the farmer and his men and fight back., but they have a conflict between themselves and that causes innocent animals to die. This is a good book. It is a fantasy-animal story. It can be descriptive at times. It talks about war with themselves and farmers so it includes some blood. 
George Orwell made the book about the Russian Revolution in 1917 told with animals.

This book was: An okay book.

I would recommend this book to:  Anyone who wants to read it.

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Medal" - The Twenty-One Balloons

The Twenty-One Balloons

by William Pene du Bois
(1948 Newbery Medal)

Recommended by: Chelsea E.
This is the story about a professor at a school in San Francisco, who decides to spend on year alone...in a balloon. Everyone, once in a while, needs to be alone. Some go their bedrooms, a "special" place, etc., but not Professor William Waterman Sherman. He goes up in the air with a hot air balloon. Professor Sherman is a character who is really smart, so as you read this book you're going to visualize some pretty cool things. Which is exactly why I loved about this book. One more thing in this book is when Professor Sherman lands in the Atlantic Ocean with 21 balloons! Remember he only started with one balloon. So you may be wondering how in the world did he land with 21 balloons?! Guess you'll have to find out yourself. Besides the cool visuals about this book, I also liked the story of his journey.

This book was: Action-filled and exciting!

I would recommend this book to:  Anyone who enjoys action books!

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Award" - Onion John

Onion John

by Joseph Krumgold
(1960 Newbery Medal)

Recommended by: John B.
I would recommend this book to another person because it is a shocking, heartfelt book about a boy named, Andy, who is a baseball player. His dad and he own a hardware store. The other main character is a Onion John, a guy who nowadays would be called a hobo. Andy and he are good friends. Onion John and Andy meet at his baseball game, and they try to make it rain because their town never rains. At the Halloween party, they do weird things with a cauldron. Andy and his dad make him a new home and give him a new name; his name is now Mr. Claubin. Onion John cries at the ceremony for his new house. A house fire then happens. Onion John ends up in the hospital from the fire. Andy and his father want to make Onion John a new house. Onion John runs away from the hospital. Andy finds Onion John, but something is wrong. At the end, Andrew J. Rusch, Jr., and his father spot a rising smoke by Kardle's cave.

This book was: Very Interesting and Funny!

I would recommend this book to:  Anyone who likes shocking, heartfelt books.

I rate this book:

RMS Hot Reads for November 7, 2014

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - My Side of the Mountain

My Side of the Mountain

by Jean Craighead George
(1967 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: James P.

My Side of the Mountain tells the story of Sam Gribley, a teenager from New York City, who leaves home and wants to live on his own in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Sam survives in the mountains by making a house out of an oak tree by starting a fire inside of it and hollowing it out. He captures and trains a falcon that he names, Frightful. Sam gets his food by getting roots from the ground, making soups out of turtle shells, and catching trout from the stream. The books resolves by everyone in town being so curious about Sam, everyone starts finding him and his parents start to live with him.

This book was: Cool and adventure!

I would recommend this book to:  People who like to be outside.

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - Getting Near to Baby

Getting Near to Baby

by Audrey Couloumbus
(2000 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Jordana Q.
A 12-year-old girl named, Willa Jo, and her sister named, Little Sister, had to live with their Aunt Patty, because Baby dies. Through out the story, Willa Jo tries to get them home with their mom. When Aunt Patty has Will and Little Sister there, she want them to hang out with kids that are mean and snotty. So she can get to know people, Aunt Patty wants to make a good impression. Do the kids ever leave Aunt Patty?
My favorite part is when Willa Jo and Little Sister stood up to Aunt Patty.

This book was: One that would get to your heart!

I would recommend this book to:  People who like drama!

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - Li Lun, Lad of Courage

Li Lun, Lad of Courage

by Carolyn Treffinger
(1948 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Miles C.
The book, Li Lun, was an adventure book that was about a son that was very afraid of seawater. When the annual father-son fishing trip came, he would not go. His father sent him to mountain Looshan to plant seven grains of rice. My favorite part of the book was when the gulls pecked out five rice plants because one time when I was gardening a rabbit ate all my plants. There were some parts I liked and disliked. The beginning of the book was very hard to get into. The overall book though was AMAZING!
Does Li Lun ever plant the rice plants?

This book was: Boring in the beginning, but gets better!

I would recommend this book to: Anyone who liked adventures!

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins

by Richard and Florence Atwater
(1939 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Maggie K.
This book was an amazing book! It all started when a penguin came to Mr. Popper, but he didn't know what to do with him. Many people thought Mr. Popper was crazy. He put a hole int he fridge so the penguin can go in and out of the fridge. He named his first penguin, Captain Cook. He was lonely so he wouldn't eat. They then got a second penguin, and they were happy. After that, there was another package. It was more penguins for him. So he froze the basement for the penguins to live. Mr. Popper enjoyed the penguins company, and so did his children. How long do you think these penguins can survive in an apartment? What do you think he does with the penguins when he leaves? Well, read this book to find out!

This book was: A really good book!

I would recommend this book to:  Most of my family!

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - The Cricket in Times Square

The Cricket in Times Square

by George Selden
(1961 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Michael A.
This book is a great book to read if bored. The book is about how a cricket named Chester got stuck on a train headed from Connecticut to New York! A boy named, Mario, runs his parents new stand and he heard a noise. He finds Chester! Mario takes care of him and Chester is his new pet (my first pet was a dog named Zac). The stand was not going so well; only like on person would buy newspapers there. Then when Chester is sleeping, he meets a cat and mouse. They are very friendly and welcoming. After they talked and talked, Tucker, the mouse, played some music from the radio. Chester copied the music in the most soothing way. Then attention came to Chester; he was famous. Chester got so much sales for the business, it became popular and then something big happened! I will not tell you, but you should find out!

This book was: Kids' fiction!

I would recommend this book to:  People who love classic books!

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Honor Book" - The Winter Room

The Winter Room

by Gary Paulsen
(1990 Newbery Honor Book)

Recommended by: Nathan M.
This book is about how a family from Minnesota tries to fix their farm from breaking, but when they try fixing the farm they always break it. The seasons also help break the farm, so the family has to try to help the farm from breaking. During the spring, the thing the family hates doing is killing the animals but they have to so that they can get money. At the end of the book something magical happens. The grandpa does something probably no other 80-year-old could do, he...

This book was: Exciting!

I would recommend this book to:  Readers that want to be challenged.

I rate this book:

Books by Blei: "Newbery Medal" - Shadow of a Bull

Shadow of a Bull

by Maia Wojciechowka
(1965 Newbery Medal)

Recommended by: Ethan M.
A young boy named Manolo Olivar lives in Arcangel, a small city in Spain. His father, Juan Olivar, is a famous bullfighter and Manolo is always compared to him. His father died during a bullfight from the bull. Manolo has a lot of pressure to fight his first bull at the age of twelve, when his father fought his first bull. Six men have been preparing Manolo for his day to fight his bull. He is scared to fight after he sees a goring, which is the horns of a bull getting in the limbs of a fighter. Manolo's best friend, Jaime's, brother's dream has always been to fight his very own bull. Manolo invites him to his first fight, but he doesn't know what the count will say. Will Manolo surrender or will he follow his father's footsteps into fame?

This book was: Terrific!

I would recommend this book to:  People who are under a pressure decision.

I rate this book: