Zachary's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 17 May 2018 12:28:17 -0700 60 Zachary's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Stranded (Stranded, #1) 15812770 A family vacation becomes
A Test of Survival!

It was supposed to be a vacation - and a chance to get to know each other better. But when a massive storm sets in without warning, four kids are shipwrecked alone on a rocky jungle island in the middle of the South Pacific. No adults. No instructions. Nobody to rely on but themselves. Can they make it home alive?

A week ago, the biggest challenge Vanessa, Buzz, Carter, and Jane had was learning to live as a new blended family. Now the four siblings must find a way to work together if they're going to make it off the island. But first they've got to learn to survive one another.

]]> 176 Jeff Probst 0142424242 Zachary 2
Plot- This was about four kids that went on a seven day boat trip. But they end up in a storm. The older two adults got on life rafts, but the four kids stayed on the boat. The boat ended up on an island and the four kids had to learn to survive together. They had little to no food, a tank full of water, but the tank had a hole in it. They hit the tank with an axe and watched all the water drain out. They then had to all go look for water, but had no luck. One of them who was named Vanessa tried to fix a SAT phone, but only got a two minute phone call out of it. The two minutes was not long enough for the Coast Guard to trace them.

Characteristics- In Stranded there are six characters that have a role in the book. The book started out with all six of the characters on a boat set out on a vacation. What they did not know was there was a storm moving in. Joe and Dexter were the captains of the Lucky Star. The Lucky Star is their boat. Jane and Buzz are brother and sister. Vanessa and Carter are also brother and sister. The vacation they were on is to bond the four siblings together, but what they did not know was there lives were about to change forever.

Theme- I chose Fear of Failure as my theme,because if one of the four kids happened to fail at anything they're doing it can cost him/her there life. All four kids say in the book at one point if they don't do this they will die. If any of them were to fail at getting food they would all starve. If they cannot find any fresh water they will all die, unless they know how to get water from digging a hole of a tree. The two captains Joe and Dexter failed at staying on their boat and they paid with their lives.

Setting- This book took place on an island in the middle of the South Pacific. The environment depends on what mother nature wants. Towards the end of the book the water levels started to rise, due to a storm coming in. There boat the Lucky Star got swept away into deeper waters and they lost a lot of necessities. The conditions there are like Wisconsin, cold one day and 75 and sunny the next. Along with vicious storms one day, to a blizzard the next. The kids called the island Know where Island because it is not located on any map.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to middle school kids, both girls/boys who like adventurous books. This book would be great for their age group because it's easy to read and the book is pretty short.]]> 3.81 2013 Stranded (Stranded, #1)
author: Jeff Probst
name: Zachary
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2018/04/16
date added: 2018/05/17
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- I liked this book because it was about adventure. Their was a lot of nerve racking scenes where I was cringing a lot. I got really scared for one of them at one point in the book. I called Jeff Probst and made sure this wasn't a true story.

Plot- This was about four kids that went on a seven day boat trip. But they end up in a storm. The older two adults got on life rafts, but the four kids stayed on the boat. The boat ended up on an island and the four kids had to learn to survive together. They had little to no food, a tank full of water, but the tank had a hole in it. They hit the tank with an axe and watched all the water drain out. They then had to all go look for water, but had no luck. One of them who was named Vanessa tried to fix a SAT phone, but only got a two minute phone call out of it. The two minutes was not long enough for the Coast Guard to trace them.

Characteristics- In Stranded there are six characters that have a role in the book. The book started out with all six of the characters on a boat set out on a vacation. What they did not know was there was a storm moving in. Joe and Dexter were the captains of the Lucky Star. The Lucky Star is their boat. Jane and Buzz are brother and sister. Vanessa and Carter are also brother and sister. The vacation they were on is to bond the four siblings together, but what they did not know was there lives were about to change forever.

Theme- I chose Fear of Failure as my theme,because if one of the four kids happened to fail at anything they're doing it can cost him/her there life. All four kids say in the book at one point if they don't do this they will die. If any of them were to fail at getting food they would all starve. If they cannot find any fresh water they will all die, unless they know how to get water from digging a hole of a tree. The two captains Joe and Dexter failed at staying on their boat and they paid with their lives.

Setting- This book took place on an island in the middle of the South Pacific. The environment depends on what mother nature wants. Towards the end of the book the water levels started to rise, due to a storm coming in. There boat the Lucky Star got swept away into deeper waters and they lost a lot of necessities. The conditions there are like Wisconsin, cold one day and 75 and sunny the next. Along with vicious storms one day, to a blizzard the next. The kids called the island Know where Island because it is not located on any map.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to middle school kids, both girls/boys who like adventurous books. This book would be great for their age group because it's easy to read and the book is pretty short.
]]> <![CDATA[Brian's Winter (Brian's Saga, #3)]]> 141372
He bundled in his bag that night, the end of the two weeks of warm weather. He kept putting wood on the fire, half afraid the bear would come back. All the while he tried to think of a solution.

But in reality, the bear was not his primary adversary. Nor was the wolf, nor any animal. Brian had become his own worst enemy because in all the business of hunting, fishing and surviving he had forgotten the primary rule: Always, always pay attention to what was happening. Everything in nature means something and he had missed the warnings that summer was ending, had in many ways already ended, and what was coming would be the most dangerous thing he had faced since the plane crashed.]]> 144 Gary Paulsen 0440227194 Zachary 5 Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen because it is about surviving in the outdoors, which is something I would like to do. It teaches a lot about survival.

Characterization- Brian Robeson and a small Native American family living in the bush are the only characters in the book. Brian is a thirteen year old boy who gets in a plane crash and is the only survivor. He is alone out in the wilderness of Canada. He is brave and ingenious. The small Native American family are characters he meets at the end of the book, which help him to get rescued. David Smallhorn is the name of the father of the family.

Plot- Brian's Winter is about a thirteen year old boy named Brian Robeson who is desperately trying to survive. Brian survives a plane crash and is trapped alone in the Canadian wilderness. Winter comes and Brian is not prepared at all. He learns survival techniques in order to survive the deadly winter. His hatchet is his most valuable survival tool. Some of the survival techniques he learns is to make leather clothing, make a bow and arrow, and to start fires with his hatchet. The first problem Brian faces is a bear attack. The bear knocks down his shelter and steals his fish. Brian kills a deer, but it attracts other animals to his camp. Brian makes friends with a skunk. The bear returns and the skunk sprays the bear and saves Brian. Brian also kills a moose. Brian hears a gun shot and goes looking for who shot the gun. He meets a Native American man. The Native American is David Smallhorn and his family who are trappers. The family saves Brian.

Setting- This book takes place in the harsh Canadian wilderness where the winters are below zero.
The setting is important to the plot because Brian has to survive the weather and many different predators like bears, wolves, and coyotes.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to males or females age 12 and up who have an interest in surviving in the wild or who wants to learn survival techniques. I give this book a five star rating because it has a lot of suspense which makes it very interesting.]]> 4.03 1996 Brian's Winter (Brian's Saga, #3)
author: Gary Paulsen
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2017/05/13
date added: 2018/03/28
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- I like the book Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen because it is about surviving in the outdoors, which is something I would like to do. It teaches a lot about survival.

Characterization- Brian Robeson and a small Native American family living in the bush are the only characters in the book. Brian is a thirteen year old boy who gets in a plane crash and is the only survivor. He is alone out in the wilderness of Canada. He is brave and ingenious. The small Native American family are characters he meets at the end of the book, which help him to get rescued. David Smallhorn is the name of the father of the family.

Plot- Brian's Winter is about a thirteen year old boy named Brian Robeson who is desperately trying to survive. Brian survives a plane crash and is trapped alone in the Canadian wilderness. Winter comes and Brian is not prepared at all. He learns survival techniques in order to survive the deadly winter. His hatchet is his most valuable survival tool. Some of the survival techniques he learns is to make leather clothing, make a bow and arrow, and to start fires with his hatchet. The first problem Brian faces is a bear attack. The bear knocks down his shelter and steals his fish. Brian kills a deer, but it attracts other animals to his camp. Brian makes friends with a skunk. The bear returns and the skunk sprays the bear and saves Brian. Brian also kills a moose. Brian hears a gun shot and goes looking for who shot the gun. He meets a Native American man. The Native American is David Smallhorn and his family who are trappers. The family saves Brian.

Setting- This book takes place in the harsh Canadian wilderness where the winters are below zero.
The setting is important to the plot because Brian has to survive the weather and many different predators like bears, wolves, and coyotes.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to males or females age 12 and up who have an interest in surviving in the wild or who wants to learn survival techniques. I give this book a five star rating because it has a lot of suspense which makes it very interesting.
]]> Lost on a Mountain in Maine 1100375 128 Donn Fendler 068811573X Zachary 4 Lost on a Mountain in Maine, was very good. Donn Fendler, the author, did a great job on the details in this book. It showed how hard his adventure was and how tough it had been. It taught me that I need to be prepared to survive in the wild. I love the outdoors and this book had details about survival in the outdoors. The author survived in the wilderness at the age of 12 years old with nothing to eat or drink for nine days.

Plot- Donn was a 12 year old boy who was lost in the wilderness for nine days without any supplies. Donn was sick of waiting for his family on a hiking trip. He decided to find his own way back to the camp, but he ran into dense fog. This made him go off the trail and fall down a large slope cutting and scraping his body. He knew no one could hear or see him. Donn was very close to dying many times. He lost his pants and jacket when he saw a bear and fell into a creek. Donn was walking around in his underwear for eight out of the nine days he was lost. Luckily, for him he found a blanket in a old abandon cabin. However, he did not have enough energy to even carry the blanket that he found. He later saw a sack hanging from a tree and used that as a blanket. Donn found a cabin that was occupied by a man. The man brought him inside until his family was contacted.

Characterization-The main character in the book was Donn. Donn was a real person who actually went through this event, fighting for his life in the Mountains in Maine. He was a kid who never gave up even when times were almost unbearable. He was a fighting young boy who prayed to be saved everyday for hours.

Setting- This book took place in Maine on Mount Katahdin in 1939. When this story took place there was no technology like is available today, so when Donn got lost he had no way to call for help. The weather was rough with snow storms and freezing temperatures. Donn experienced some of the worst weather that a person could live through. Donn's way of describing events was well detailed. Donn talked about the dangers of the terrain and dangerous mountains. He survived and wrote this interesting book.

Theme- Never losing hope is a theme in this book. Donn described how he prayed for hours a day to be rescued. Prayer helped him to never gave up hope until he was saved.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to males over the age of 10. Boys might like it more because it talked about woods and survival. Also, the main character was a boy so males might relate to him better. It was a true story that made me stop and think that this could really happen. Anyone younger than 10 would not understand the survival techniques the author described. I gave this book a five out of five rating.]]> 3.90 Lost on a Mountain in Maine
author: Donn Fendler
name: Zachary
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/10/10
date added: 2018/03/28
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- I thought the biography, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, was very good. Donn Fendler, the author, did a great job on the details in this book. It showed how hard his adventure was and how tough it had been. It taught me that I need to be prepared to survive in the wild. I love the outdoors and this book had details about survival in the outdoors. The author survived in the wilderness at the age of 12 years old with nothing to eat or drink for nine days.

Plot- Donn was a 12 year old boy who was lost in the wilderness for nine days without any supplies. Donn was sick of waiting for his family on a hiking trip. He decided to find his own way back to the camp, but he ran into dense fog. This made him go off the trail and fall down a large slope cutting and scraping his body. He knew no one could hear or see him. Donn was very close to dying many times. He lost his pants and jacket when he saw a bear and fell into a creek. Donn was walking around in his underwear for eight out of the nine days he was lost. Luckily, for him he found a blanket in a old abandon cabin. However, he did not have enough energy to even carry the blanket that he found. He later saw a sack hanging from a tree and used that as a blanket. Donn found a cabin that was occupied by a man. The man brought him inside until his family was contacted.

Characterization-The main character in the book was Donn. Donn was a real person who actually went through this event, fighting for his life in the Mountains in Maine. He was a kid who never gave up even when times were almost unbearable. He was a fighting young boy who prayed to be saved everyday for hours.

Setting- This book took place in Maine on Mount Katahdin in 1939. When this story took place there was no technology like is available today, so when Donn got lost he had no way to call for help. The weather was rough with snow storms and freezing temperatures. Donn experienced some of the worst weather that a person could live through. Donn's way of describing events was well detailed. Donn talked about the dangers of the terrain and dangerous mountains. He survived and wrote this interesting book.

Theme- Never losing hope is a theme in this book. Donn described how he prayed for hours a day to be rescued. Prayer helped him to never gave up hope until he was saved.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to males over the age of 10. Boys might like it more because it talked about woods and survival. Also, the main character was a boy so males might relate to him better. It was a true story that made me stop and think that this could really happen. Anyone younger than 10 would not understand the survival techniques the author described. I gave this book a five out of five rating.
]]> Survivors (Stranded, #3) 17624006 Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Stranded and Trial by Fire!

As seen on The Today Show, Rachael Ray, and Kelly and Michael.

From the Emmy-Award winning host of Survivor, Jeff Probst with Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life co-author Chris Tebbetts comes a brand new family adventure series!

Eleven days down, and no end in sight. How long could YOU survive?

It’s been days since Buzz, Vanessa, Carter and Jane were stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the South Pacific. Four kids left to fend for themselves. No adults. No supplies. They’ve managed to make fire and they’ve even found food. But they’ve just lost their only shelter, and quite possibly their one chance at being rescued. Now they’ll have to venture even deeper into the jungles of Nowhere Island just to stay alive. But the island holds secrets of a dark past. With danger lurking at every turn, they must rely on each other like never before it they are going to survive.

]]> 192 Jeff Probst 0142424269 Zachary 4
Plot- Four young kids got stranded on an island in the middle of the South Pacific after their plane crashed. They realized they were on an island no one knew about, so they used all their knowledge they had to figure out what to do next to survive. Buzz reacted quickly by going to find water and food. He found coconuts and a couple things lost from the plane that they could have used as shelter. After a few days of being stranded on this random island, the four kids started fighting about who should be the leader.


Characterization- The four characters in this book were all under the age of twelve. They were also all brothers and sisters. Vanessa was the oldest one, so she felt as if she had to keep everyone else alive. Carter was the second oldest. He felt as if he should be the leader because he was the strongest among the four of them. Buzz was a video gaming nerd who knew the most about survival because of all those games. Jane was the youngest. She didn't know anything about survival. Carter and Vanessa are brother and sister, and Jane and Buzz are brother and sister.


Setting- This book took place on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where four kids must survive by themselves. The island consisted of horrible rain storms, dramatic temperature changes, and fierce wind that could knock trees over. This island was also home to a large cave with hundreds of wild boars living in it.


Theme- The main theme was man vs nature. The theme fits this book because four kids were going against nature to survive. The way those four kids put their heads together and were able to live longer than a few days was amazing to me. It's amazing what humans can do when death can come at any second. They all hated each other at times, but in order for survival they would have to get along.


Recommendation- I recommend this book to younger kids who are interested in adventures or the outdoors. I give it three out of five stars, because the book was kind of cheesy. When one of the kids cut their hand and got a bad infection he would have died instead, he built a fire and found coconuts at the top of a tree. The ending came quickly but over all was still a good book.
]]> 4.15 2013 Survivors (Stranded, #3)
author: Jeff Probst
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2017/12/01
date added: 2018/03/28
shelves:
review:
Personal Response-I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed the moral of the story. Jeff Probst did a good job writing this book. I like the struggle he made the four kids go through. I would have made the ending a little slower it seemed like the last few pages went by very quickly.

Plot- Four young kids got stranded on an island in the middle of the South Pacific after their plane crashed. They realized they were on an island no one knew about, so they used all their knowledge they had to figure out what to do next to survive. Buzz reacted quickly by going to find water and food. He found coconuts and a couple things lost from the plane that they could have used as shelter. After a few days of being stranded on this random island, the four kids started fighting about who should be the leader.


Characterization- The four characters in this book were all under the age of twelve. They were also all brothers and sisters. Vanessa was the oldest one, so she felt as if she had to keep everyone else alive. Carter was the second oldest. He felt as if he should be the leader because he was the strongest among the four of them. Buzz was a video gaming nerd who knew the most about survival because of all those games. Jane was the youngest. She didn't know anything about survival. Carter and Vanessa are brother and sister, and Jane and Buzz are brother and sister.


Setting- This book took place on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where four kids must survive by themselves. The island consisted of horrible rain storms, dramatic temperature changes, and fierce wind that could knock trees over. This island was also home to a large cave with hundreds of wild boars living in it.


Theme- The main theme was man vs nature. The theme fits this book because four kids were going against nature to survive. The way those four kids put their heads together and were able to live longer than a few days was amazing to me. It's amazing what humans can do when death can come at any second. They all hated each other at times, but in order for survival they would have to get along.


Recommendation- I recommend this book to younger kids who are interested in adventures or the outdoors. I give it three out of five stars, because the book was kind of cheesy. When one of the kids cut their hand and got a bad infection he would have died instead, he built a fire and found coconuts at the top of a tree. The ending came quickly but over all was still a good book.

]]> Trial by Fire (Stranded, #2) 16101173 They thought it couldn't get any worse.
They Were Wrong.

Being shipwrecked on a jungle island in the middle of the South Pacific was bad enough. But now that Carter, Vanessa, Buzz and Jane have lost their boat - and almost everything on board - to another violent storm, it's like starting over. That means finding food and shelter, making fire for the first time, dealing with the wild boars that roam the island - and of course, figuring out how to get along (and not kill each other in the process). Survival is no individual sport in a place like this, but there's only one way to learn that. The hard way.

]]> 208 Jeff Probst 0142424250 Zachary 3
Plot- This book is about four new step siblings that survived a boat crash and found themselves deserted on an island in the middle of the South Pacific. This book seemed very unrealistic. The boat that sank in the Pacific Ocean somehow washed to shore at the same island all the kids were on. After seeing the boat washed up on shore, they went to investigate. They walked up on the deck and saw that everything that was there is now gone or destroyed. They went up to the main part of the ship and found an old radio. The radio was soaked with water and did not have power. Then Jane saw something familiar, it's the SAT phone that is on every ship for emergencies. She grabbed the phone and saw it had a little life left on the battery.

Characterization- There are four main characters in this book. Two of them were brother and sister and the other two were step brother sister. They are on vacation, sailing the sea, when a huge storm comes and wrecked the boat. Carter, Vanessa, Jane, and Buzz were their names. Carter and Vanessa are brother and sister. Jane and Buzz are also brother and sister. Together they all make a good team. Carter is 13 and the oldest out of the four. Buzz plays video games and knows a little about survival. Jane and Vanessa no nothing about survival. They are normal 10 and 11 year old girls who spend time doing their makeup and texting.

Theme-The main theme was man vs nature. The theme fits this book because four kids were going against nature to survive. The way those four kids put their heads together and were able to live longer than a few days was amazing to me. It's amazing what humans can do when death can come at any second. They all hated each other at times, but in order for survival they would have to get along.

Setting- Stranded Trail by Fire took place on an undiscovered island in the South Pacific. The island had thrown many surprises at them. Wild boars coming in stampedes chasing them and venomous animals. They describe the weather as hot during the day and 50 degrees at night. They had bad storms that were knocking over trees and creating mudslides. The book takes place during present day.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to any middle school that like the outdoors. I do not recommend this book to anyone older than 14 because it is written for small kids, yet the book is the size of an average high school level book. I would suggest this book to boys. Because boys tend to like the outdoors more than girls. I gave this book a three out of five stars.


]]> 4.04 2013 Trial by Fire (Stranded, #2)
author: Jeff Probst
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2018/01/26
date added: 2018/03/14
shelves:
review:
Personal Response-I thought this book was alright. The book made every little thing that happens drag on. I enjoy reading stories about survival. This book has a lot of that in it. The story was also action packed.

Plot- This book is about four new step siblings that survived a boat crash and found themselves deserted on an island in the middle of the South Pacific. This book seemed very unrealistic. The boat that sank in the Pacific Ocean somehow washed to shore at the same island all the kids were on. After seeing the boat washed up on shore, they went to investigate. They walked up on the deck and saw that everything that was there is now gone or destroyed. They went up to the main part of the ship and found an old radio. The radio was soaked with water and did not have power. Then Jane saw something familiar, it's the SAT phone that is on every ship for emergencies. She grabbed the phone and saw it had a little life left on the battery.

Characterization- There are four main characters in this book. Two of them were brother and sister and the other two were step brother sister. They are on vacation, sailing the sea, when a huge storm comes and wrecked the boat. Carter, Vanessa, Jane, and Buzz were their names. Carter and Vanessa are brother and sister. Jane and Buzz are also brother and sister. Together they all make a good team. Carter is 13 and the oldest out of the four. Buzz plays video games and knows a little about survival. Jane and Vanessa no nothing about survival. They are normal 10 and 11 year old girls who spend time doing their makeup and texting.

Theme-The main theme was man vs nature. The theme fits this book because four kids were going against nature to survive. The way those four kids put their heads together and were able to live longer than a few days was amazing to me. It's amazing what humans can do when death can come at any second. They all hated each other at times, but in order for survival they would have to get along.

Setting- Stranded Trail by Fire took place on an undiscovered island in the South Pacific. The island had thrown many surprises at them. Wild boars coming in stampedes chasing them and venomous animals. They describe the weather as hot during the day and 50 degrees at night. They had bad storms that were knocking over trees and creating mudslides. The book takes place during present day.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to any middle school that like the outdoors. I do not recommend this book to anyone older than 14 because it is written for small kids, yet the book is the size of an average high school level book. I would suggest this book to boys. Because boys tend to like the outdoors more than girls. I gave this book a three out of five stars.



]]> <![CDATA[I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 (I Survived, #6)]]> 13228500
The only thing Lucas loves more than football is his Uncle Benny, his dad's best friend at the fire department where they both work. Benny taught Lucas everything about football. So when Lucas's parents decide the sport is too dangerous and he needs to quit, Lucas has to talk to his biggest fan.So the next morning, Lucas takes the train to the city instead of the bus to school. It's a bright, beautiful day in New York. But just as Lucas arrives at his uncle's firehouse, everything changes -- and nothing will ever be the same again.]]> 112 Lauren Tarshis 0545207002 Zachary 4
Plot- The main character Lucas loves to play football. Uncle Ben and Lucas went for a walk one day in downtown New York, when all of a sudden the first plane hit the tower. Then as they ran away another plane hits the other tower. There were a lot of injury's and deaths due to the plane hitting the towers.

Characterization-Lucas is the main character that loved to play football, but loved his Uncle Benny even more. When Lucas and Uncle Benny are walking through downtown New York they hear a loud jet engine roaring through the blue sky. They look up to see a giant jet hit one of the twin towers. Lucas's uncle and dad are firefighters so they both have to run to their station and get to the towers.


Recommendation-I recommend this book to all middle schoolers, both girls and boys. It is a very easy to read book and to understand some of the history behind the towers falling. I give this a four out of five stars.
]]> 4.24 2012 I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 (I Survived, #6)
author: Lauren Tarshis
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/09
date added: 2017/09/08
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- This was a very good book. It changes subject a lot in random places, but other than that it is a great true story.

Plot- The main character Lucas loves to play football. Uncle Ben and Lucas went for a walk one day in downtown New York, when all of a sudden the first plane hit the tower. Then as they ran away another plane hits the other tower. There were a lot of injury's and deaths due to the plane hitting the towers.

Characterization-Lucas is the main character that loved to play football, but loved his Uncle Benny even more. When Lucas and Uncle Benny are walking through downtown New York they hear a loud jet engine roaring through the blue sky. They look up to see a giant jet hit one of the twin towers. Lucas's uncle and dad are firefighters so they both have to run to their station and get to the towers.


Recommendation-I recommend this book to all middle schoolers, both girls and boys. It is a very easy to read book and to understand some of the history behind the towers falling. I give this a four out of five stars.

]]> <![CDATA[I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 (I Survived, #2)]]> 8500194
Chet Roscow is finally feeling at home in Elm Hills, New Jersey. He has a job with his uncle Jerry at the local diner, three great friends, and the perfect summertime destination: cool, refreshing Matawan Creek.But Chet's summer is interrupted by shocking news. A great white shark has been attacking swimmers along the Jersey shore, not far from Elm Hills. Everyone in town is talking about it. So when Chet sees something in the creek, he's sure it's his imagination. . . until he comes face-to-face with a bloodthirsty shark!]]> 112 Lauren Tarshis 0545206952 Zachary 5
Plot: In 1916, three kids were swimming in a creek and one kid was on shore. When someone said there's a shark in the water. They did not believe it or him. They have been known to play pranks on each other. Chet's parents moved around a lot, so it was hard for Chet to make friends. His uncle said he could come and live with him. This is when the pranks started. They did not believe him when he said there's a shark in the water. The local paper, even had an article about shark attacks, but they still didn't believe Chet. Chet had to jump into the water and save his friend. When he was helping his friend out he got bit by the shark. He went to the hospital and got stitches. The captain ends up shooting the shark.

Characterization-Chet Roscrow is a 10 year old boy who is interested in the local news that says people are being attacked off the coast of the Atlantic. The area is from where Chet lives. Chet's friends, Monty, Sid, Kenny and Dewey are all in a creek one day swimming. They were playing a trick on each other. The only thing was when the shark came, they thought that was a joke too.

Recommend-I would recommend this if you want a fast book or short on time, but want to read something. It was a fast reader and a good book. I think either girls or boys would like it from middle school and up. I gave it a two out of five stars.

]]> 4.13 2010 I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 (I Survived, #2)
author: Lauren Tarshis
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/05
date added: 2017/09/08
shelves:
review:
Personal Response-This book is a true story. This is based off of an attack off Jersey shore in 1916.It is a short story, but has details in it, about facts about sharks and how they attack people. I liked the book, but it was short.

Plot: In 1916, three kids were swimming in a creek and one kid was on shore. When someone said there's a shark in the water. They did not believe it or him. They have been known to play pranks on each other. Chet's parents moved around a lot, so it was hard for Chet to make friends. His uncle said he could come and live with him. This is when the pranks started. They did not believe him when he said there's a shark in the water. The local paper, even had an article about shark attacks, but they still didn't believe Chet. Chet had to jump into the water and save his friend. When he was helping his friend out he got bit by the shark. He went to the hospital and got stitches. The captain ends up shooting the shark.

Characterization-Chet Roscrow is a 10 year old boy who is interested in the local news that says people are being attacked off the coast of the Atlantic. The area is from where Chet lives. Chet's friends, Monty, Sid, Kenny and Dewey are all in a creek one day swimming. They were playing a trick on each other. The only thing was when the shark came, they thought that was a joke too.

Recommend-I would recommend this if you want a fast book or short on time, but want to read something. It was a fast reader and a good book. I think either girls or boys would like it from middle school and up. I gave it a two out of five stars.


]]> Guinness World Records 2015 24794133 ]]> 0 Guinness World Records Zachary 5
Plot- There is no real plot to this book besides the main point which is to show people records. There are hundreds of awesome, amazing, and cool new records compared to last year.

Characterization- There are no main characters in this book although those records are awesome.]]> 4.29 2014 Guinness World Records 2015
author: Guinness World Records
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2016/10/11
date added: 2017/09/08
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- The new 2015 records are astonishing and I cant figure out why people would do half of them because its common sense that you could die. Some where amazing but others were gross and just odd.

Plot- There is no real plot to this book besides the main point which is to show people records. There are hundreds of awesome, amazing, and cool new records compared to last year.

Characterization- There are no main characters in this book although those records are awesome.
]]> <![CDATA[I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (I Survived, #11)]]> 22749534
Oscar Starling never wanted to come to Chicago. But then Oscar finds himself not just in the heart of the big city, but in the middle of a terrible fire! No one knows exactly how it began, but one thing is clear: Chicago is like a giant powder keg about to explode.An army of firemen is trying to help, but this fire is a ferocious beast that wants to devour everything in its path, including Oscar! Will Oscar survive one of the most famous and devastating fires in history? Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this New York Times-bestselling series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!]]> 112 Lauren Tarshis 0545658462 Zachary 4 4.17 2015 I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (I Survived, #11)
author: Lauren Tarshis
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2017/09/06
date added: 2017/09/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (I Survived, #8)]]> 17265269
Visiting his dad's hometown in Japan four months after his father's death would be hard enough for Ben. But one morning the pain turns to fear: first, a massive earthquake rocks the quiet coastal village, nearly toppling his uncle's house. Then the ocean waters rise and Ben and his family are swept away-and pulled apart-by a terrible tsunami.

Now Ben is alone, stranded in a strange country a million miles from home. Can he fight hard enough to survive one of the most epic disasters of all time?
]]> 112 Lauren Tarshis 0545459370 Zachary 5 I Survived The Japanese Tsunami, 2011 was an interesting book to read. It gave the reader ideas into what an actual tsunami would be like. I feel going through something like this would change a person forever.

Plot- It started off by telling about Ben's dad who died in a F-16 fighter jet when he was in the war. Ben and his family were going to visit Japan. They were going there to visit the place his dad was born and raised until the age of 10. They were there a week and a huge earthquake hit. After the earthquake hit, they saw a big tsunami coming right for them. After they saw the humongous wave, they jumped in the car. They did not beat the wave, but outlived the tsunami.

Characters- The main characters were: Ben, Nya, Mom, Harry, and Ojisan. Ben was who the story revolved around. Harry was Ben's brother, Nya was his sister and Ojisan was his uncle.

Setting- This story started out in Shogahama, Japan. It was a flashback to what happened that day. Then it switched to the real action of the tsunami. On March 11, 2011, a tsunami hit Japan with a huge wave off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. In the middle of the tsunami, the family was split up. They went through a lot to find each other, so they can return to California. California was where they were living before going to Japan.

Recommendation. I would recommend this book to anyone in ninth grade and above. It was an interesting book, and I just wanted to keep reading it. It gave an insight to what one would actually be like. I say both girls and boys would enjoy it. I gave it a five out of five stars.
]]> 4.16 2013 I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (I Survived, #8)
author: Lauren Tarshis
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2017/03/22
date added: 2017/03/23
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- I Survived The Japanese Tsunami, 2011 was an interesting book to read. It gave the reader ideas into what an actual tsunami would be like. I feel going through something like this would change a person forever.

Plot- It started off by telling about Ben's dad who died in a F-16 fighter jet when he was in the war. Ben and his family were going to visit Japan. They were going there to visit the place his dad was born and raised until the age of 10. They were there a week and a huge earthquake hit. After the earthquake hit, they saw a big tsunami coming right for them. After they saw the humongous wave, they jumped in the car. They did not beat the wave, but outlived the tsunami.

Characters- The main characters were: Ben, Nya, Mom, Harry, and Ojisan. Ben was who the story revolved around. Harry was Ben's brother, Nya was his sister and Ojisan was his uncle.

Setting- This story started out in Shogahama, Japan. It was a flashback to what happened that day. Then it switched to the real action of the tsunami. On March 11, 2011, a tsunami hit Japan with a huge wave off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. In the middle of the tsunami, the family was split up. They went through a lot to find each other, so they can return to California. California was where they were living before going to Japan.

Recommendation. I would recommend this book to anyone in ninth grade and above. It was an interesting book, and I just wanted to keep reading it. It gave an insight to what one would actually be like. I say both girls and boys would enjoy it. I gave it a five out of five stars.

]]> <![CDATA[I am a S.E.A.L. Team Six Warrior]]> 13126254 208 Howard E. Wasdin 1250016436 Zachary 5 I am a Seal Team Six Warrior by Howard Wasdin was very good and intense. The book was about a Seal Team Six Warrior named Howard Wasdin. It told how courageous Howard Wasdin had to be to survive being a Navy Seal.
Plot- The story was about Howard when he was in the Navy Seal Team Six. He was in a secret unit made up of the best soldiers. Howard was in U.S. Navy Seals as Special Forces snipers and Medic. His training started with underwater rescue, which was the hardest part. The first place he went was Operation Desert Storm as a member of Seal Team Two. Howard reached his goal and became one of the best snipers on the planet. He also was in The Battle of Mogadishu. He told about the abuse he endured and how he beat the odds to become an elite American warrior.
Characterization-Howard Wasdin was the main character in this book. He had a bad childhood, but he proved to himself he could do it. He was someone to look up too. Casanova went through
Navy Seal training with Howard Wasdin and they later served in the same unit. Casanova was a very brave soldier who Howard could count on to have his back. They were closer than brothers.
Setting-The book took place in many locations. It began in Georgia were Howard Wasdin started his underwater training. He went into battle in Afghanistan during Operation Dessert Storm. He was later in Mogadishu in battle. He was taken to Germany after he was shot. After serving his country he became a Chiropractor and lived in Georgia.
Recommendation-I recommended this to both males and females who like to read about war. This book should be read by males and females over the age of 14, due to the graphic battle scenes and language. I give this book a five out of five stars.]]> 4.23 2012 I am a S.E.A.L. Team Six Warrior
author: Howard E. Wasdin
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/06
date added: 2017/03/02
shelves:
review:
Personal Response-I thought the book I am a Seal Team Six Warrior by Howard Wasdin was very good and intense. The book was about a Seal Team Six Warrior named Howard Wasdin. It told how courageous Howard Wasdin had to be to survive being a Navy Seal.
Plot- The story was about Howard when he was in the Navy Seal Team Six. He was in a secret unit made up of the best soldiers. Howard was in U.S. Navy Seals as Special Forces snipers and Medic. His training started with underwater rescue, which was the hardest part. The first place he went was Operation Desert Storm as a member of Seal Team Two. Howard reached his goal and became one of the best snipers on the planet. He also was in The Battle of Mogadishu. He told about the abuse he endured and how he beat the odds to become an elite American warrior.
Characterization-Howard Wasdin was the main character in this book. He had a bad childhood, but he proved to himself he could do it. He was someone to look up too. Casanova went through
Navy Seal training with Howard Wasdin and they later served in the same unit. Casanova was a very brave soldier who Howard could count on to have his back. They were closer than brothers.
Setting-The book took place in many locations. It began in Georgia were Howard Wasdin started his underwater training. He went into battle in Afghanistan during Operation Dessert Storm. He was later in Mogadishu in battle. He was taken to Germany after he was shot. After serving his country he became a Chiropractor and lived in Georgia.
Recommendation-I recommended this to both males and females who like to read about war. This book should be read by males and females over the age of 14, due to the graphic battle scenes and language. I give this book a five out of five stars.
]]> Storms of the Future 14490445 68 Paul Stein 1435836227 Zachary 1 Plot summary: 5-7 sent.
Characterization: 3-5
Recommendation: 3-5]]> 1.00 2001 Storms of the Future
author: Paul Stein
name: Zachary
average rating: 1.00
book published: 2001
rating: 1
read at: 2015/12/17
date added: 2016/11/17
shelves:
review:
Personal Response: 3-5 sent.
Plot summary: 5-7 sent.
Characterization: 3-5
Recommendation: 3-5
]]> <![CDATA[Battle Heroes: Voices from Afghanistan]]> 9416453 159 Allan Zullo 0545206421 Zachary 5

Personal Response- I thought this book was a great book. All of the stories were very detailed and showed how hard it was to be in Afghanistan at that time. Some of the soldiers in this book lost a lot to protect the United States.


Plot- The main point in this book is to show how difficult times were for these soldiers who fought for our freedom. There are ten stories in this book that show a lot. All these stories are true, from the voices of real soldiers telling their stories of when they were on their mission. Staff sergeant Jason “Jake� Kimberling and his comrades are fighting the battle of Ebrahimkhel in Afghanistan. The story takes place in a small town with Taliban soldiers that are trying to capture citizens and make them slaves. Jake set up his men all around the town and slowly but surely killed all the Taliban soldiers and saved the people of the town.


Characterization- There are ten main characters in this book. My three favorite ones were Captain Jason Amerine, Lieutenant Stephen Boada, and Master Sergeant Sarun Sar. These three men fought very hard and lost many friends and what they call family.


Setting- All stories in this book take place in Afghanistan at different times with different people. Many stories can take place in a cave, abandon house, or in the air. Most of the stories in this book take place during the day so the men can see what they're doing, but some take place at night for sneaking in on enemy lands to not be seen.


Recommendation- I recommend this book to boys and girls in seventh grade and up. Both genders may like the topic of the book, and after reading it they would like to join the service and defend our country. It can show them that it is very hard to be a soldier and takes a lot of bravery.





]]> 4.27 2010 Battle Heroes: Voices from Afghanistan
author: Allan Zullo
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2016/11/17
date added: 2016/11/17
shelves:
review:



Personal Response- I thought this book was a great book. All of the stories were very detailed and showed how hard it was to be in Afghanistan at that time. Some of the soldiers in this book lost a lot to protect the United States.


Plot- The main point in this book is to show how difficult times were for these soldiers who fought for our freedom. There are ten stories in this book that show a lot. All these stories are true, from the voices of real soldiers telling their stories of when they were on their mission. Staff sergeant Jason “Jake� Kimberling and his comrades are fighting the battle of Ebrahimkhel in Afghanistan. The story takes place in a small town with Taliban soldiers that are trying to capture citizens and make them slaves. Jake set up his men all around the town and slowly but surely killed all the Taliban soldiers and saved the people of the town.


Characterization- There are ten main characters in this book. My three favorite ones were Captain Jason Amerine, Lieutenant Stephen Boada, and Master Sergeant Sarun Sar. These three men fought very hard and lost many friends and what they call family.


Setting- All stories in this book take place in Afghanistan at different times with different people. Many stories can take place in a cave, abandon house, or in the air. Most of the stories in this book take place during the day so the men can see what they're doing, but some take place at night for sneaking in on enemy lands to not be seen.


Recommendation- I recommend this book to boys and girls in seventh grade and up. Both genders may like the topic of the book, and after reading it they would like to join the service and defend our country. It can show them that it is very hard to be a soldier and takes a lot of bravery.






]]> <![CDATA[World War I Heroes (Ten True Tales)]]> 23550191
Plucked off his sinking ship by a U-boat, Navy lieutenant Edouard Izak is sent to a POW camp deep in German territory. Can he engineer a daring escape?

The soldiers of the all-African American Eighth Illinois face bitter racism and segregation. Can they overcome bigotry to fight with valor and distinction?

These and other brave heroes risked their lives serving their country in World War I. You will never forget their courageous true stories.

The Great War --
The Tennessee crack shot: Army Corporal Alvin York --
The flying fox: Royal Flying Corps Major William " Billy" Bishop --
The "suicide club" hero: Army Private John "Jack" Barkley --
The POW escapee: Navy Lieutenant Edouard Izac --
The battlefield savior: Ambulance driver James "Jim" McConnell --
The killer marksman: Army Lieutenant Samuel Woodfill --
The ace of aces: United States Air Service Captain Eddie Rickenbacker --
The immigrant doughboy: Army Private Abraham Krotoshinsky --
The Fighting Eighth: The 8th Illinois National Guard/370th U.S. Army Infantry --
The devil dog: Marine Gunner William Nice --
WWW I glossary.]]> 162 Allan Zullo 0545675332 Zachary 5
Plot- This book is about ten war heroes that tell their story. It includes stories from army, navy, and naval air force. It explains what they all went through to protect their country. Two of the ten stories in this book were about two men that were in the Air Force. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was a pilot in thew 94th Aero squadron, that shot down 26 enemy planes, he was in 134 air battles. Eddie died in 1973 at the age of 83. The second war hero was major William "Billy" Bishop that fought in dogfights till the day he died. He had the third most victory's in all of WWI with a record of 72 wins. He later died in a low fight as he got shot in the heart and crashed, he was 62 when he died. He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Characterization- The heroes in this book were, Alvin York, William Bishop, John Barkley, Edouard Izac, James McConnell, Samuel Woodfill, Eddie Rickenbacker, Abraham Krotoshinsky. The fighting 8th infantry, William Nice were all the ones that had there stories told.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to everybody who is interested in history. I think both girls and boys from middle school up would enjoy it. It does have some graphic details, but that is expected in war stories. I give it a 5 out of 5.]]> 4.02 2014 World War I Heroes (Ten True Tales)
author: Allan Zullo
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2016/10/11
date added: 2016/10/11
shelves:
review:
Personal Response-I really enjoyed this book a lot. I can honestly say this is the best book I've ever read. This book contains stories from different guys that actually were in WWI. They all told there own story of what happens when they were in the war. Each one of these brave heroes received the medal of honor.

Plot- This book is about ten war heroes that tell their story. It includes stories from army, navy, and naval air force. It explains what they all went through to protect their country. Two of the ten stories in this book were about two men that were in the Air Force. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was a pilot in thew 94th Aero squadron, that shot down 26 enemy planes, he was in 134 air battles. Eddie died in 1973 at the age of 83. The second war hero was major William "Billy" Bishop that fought in dogfights till the day he died. He had the third most victory's in all of WWI with a record of 72 wins. He later died in a low fight as he got shot in the heart and crashed, he was 62 when he died. He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Characterization- The heroes in this book were, Alvin York, William Bishop, John Barkley, Edouard Izac, James McConnell, Samuel Woodfill, Eddie Rickenbacker, Abraham Krotoshinsky. The fighting 8th infantry, William Nice were all the ones that had there stories told.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to everybody who is interested in history. I think both girls and boys from middle school up would enjoy it. It does have some graphic details, but that is expected in war stories. I give it a 5 out of 5.
]]> <![CDATA[I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (I Survived, #3)]]> 9439221
Barry's family tries to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina hits their home in New Orleans. But when Barry's little sister gets terribly sick, they're forced to stay home and wait out the storm.At first, Katrina doesn't seem to be as bad as predicted. But overnight the levees break, and Barry's world is literally torn apart. He's swept away by the floodwaters, away from his family. Can he survive the storm of the century -- alone?]]> 112 Lauren Tarshis 0545206960 Zachary 5
Plot-The plot of this book is about a family that survived hurricane Katrina by sitting in their house. But not all sat in that house for long. Barry's family clime to the roof to get away from the flooding and Barry slips and falls into the rushing water and gets swept away till he finds something to climb on, which happens to be his best friend's house that is floating with the flood water.

Characterization-The main character is Barry. Him and his family get caught in traffic as the hurricane is coming so they turn around and stay in their house during the entire hurricane. While everyone else goes to the super dome.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to 8th graders or freshman just because it is a pretty easy book it read and understand but very cool. I also recommend this book to Parker O'Connor because he loves to read a lot.]]> 4.19 2011 I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (I Survived, #3)
author: Lauren Tarshis
name: Zachary
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2016/04/10
date added: 2016/04/25
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- This book was very good and I cannot relate this book to anything because we live in Wisconsin and nothing bad like that ever happens here. The book was very good and very suspenseful, It had me on the edge of burning the book for a while.

Plot-The plot of this book is about a family that survived hurricane Katrina by sitting in their house. But not all sat in that house for long. Barry's family clime to the roof to get away from the flooding and Barry slips and falls into the rushing water and gets swept away till he finds something to climb on, which happens to be his best friend's house that is floating with the flood water.

Characterization-The main character is Barry. Him and his family get caught in traffic as the hurricane is coming so they turn around and stay in their house during the entire hurricane. While everyone else goes to the super dome.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to 8th graders or freshman just because it is a pretty easy book it read and understand but very cool. I also recommend this book to Parker O'Connor because he loves to read a lot.
]]> <![CDATA[San Francisco Earthquake, 1989: Death and Destruction (American Disasters)]]> 879623 48 Victoria Sherrow 0766010600 Zachary 4 San Francisco Earthquake, 1989: by Victoria Sherrow, because it deals with real life earthquakes. The book talks about big and little earthquakes that happen in San Francisco.



Plot- This is about different earth quakes that happened in San Francisco. It told me about the worse earth quake in 1989. There were a lot of people that lost there homes and some that lost there lives.




Recommendation- I recomend to the people who survived the earthquake.]]> 3.70 1998 San Francisco Earthquake, 1989: Death and Destruction (American Disasters)
author: Victoria Sherrow
name: Zachary
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2016/03/22
shelves:
review:
Personal response- I enjoyed reading San Francisco Earthquake, 1989: by Victoria Sherrow, because it deals with real life earthquakes. The book talks about big and little earthquakes that happen in San Francisco.



Plot- This is about different earth quakes that happened in San Francisco. It told me about the worse earth quake in 1989. There were a lot of people that lost there homes and some that lost there lives.




Recommendation- I recomend to the people who survived the earthquake.
]]> <![CDATA[Best Of The World's Worst: World Class Blunders, Screw-Ups, Oddballs, Misfits and Rotten Ideas]]> 3303236 192 Stan Lee 1881649466 Zachary 5 Plot- In this book it talked about the worst of things that happened. For instants I learned about the worst stamp, the worst plane ride, the worst suicide. In the worst suicide the guy stabbed himself in the eye,heart, and neck. The guy lived for another thirty-two years. Another example was the worst phone bill. On Aug 18,1975, a guy received a telephone bill for $4,386,800,000. These are just a couple of stories that are in the book.
Characters- In this book there were no main characters. It just had people in it that had the worst thing happen to them.
Recommend- I would recommend this book to all high school kids. Both girls and boys would enjoy this book if they like humor. I give this a five star rating.]]> 3.60 1979 Best Of The World's Worst: World Class Blunders, Screw-Ups, Oddballs, Misfits and Rotten Ideas
author: Stan Lee
name: Zachary
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1979
rating: 5
read at: 2015/12/08
date added: 2016/01/15
shelves:
review:
Personal Response- I really enjoyed this book because it made me laugh. The book went through the worst of everything. Stan Lee the author of this book talked about blunders, screw- ups, oddballs, misfits and rotten ideas. It was just hilarious.
Plot- In this book it talked about the worst of things that happened. For instants I learned about the worst stamp, the worst plane ride, the worst suicide. In the worst suicide the guy stabbed himself in the eye,heart, and neck. The guy lived for another thirty-two years. Another example was the worst phone bill. On Aug 18,1975, a guy received a telephone bill for $4,386,800,000. These are just a couple of stories that are in the book.
Characters- In this book there were no main characters. It just had people in it that had the worst thing happen to them.
Recommend- I would recommend this book to all high school kids. Both girls and boys would enjoy this book if they like humor. I give this a five star rating.
]]>