The Readers and Writers Paradise

The real scoop on middle grade books.

Daniel Johnston

The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo Review

by Leave a Comment

Another one of those books kids just eat up, The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferrailo is a hilarious and exciting middle school tale.

I first decided to read it when I saw Gordon Korman’s praising words on the back cover. You can’t go wrong when the G-Man’s involved, can you?

Summary

The book is narrated in the first person by a kid named Matt. Matt is the private detective of Franklin Middle School, working through the night to crack cases and let people vent to him.

From the very beginning of the book we learn that “The Frank” is not a normal middle school. In fact, it is more like the mafia than junior high.

Matt gives us the scoop of the history of the school. In the past, there was a lot of “black market” crime going on. People getting shaken up, black market tests, “black market” copies of tests, and stuff like that. And then came Vinnie.

Vinnie used to be just a little guy in the works of Franklin Middle School, a target of bullies. Vinnie was smart, though, and he had a plan. He decided to start organizing all the illegal operations going on and start profiting from them himself.

It was a long road, but Vinnie did it. This included putting his former bully on “the outs” (shooting them with a squirt gun in the pants to create a rather unfortunate connotation, and dressing up Joey (“The Hyena”) in a diaper. When Vinny and his posse walked away from the scene, everyone knew it was now his school.

We start off with Nikki “Fingers,” the most feared girl in the school, getting put in the outs. Nikki used to be the top water gun squirter for Vinnie’s operation. Getting put on the outs basically means your life is over in middle school. Many people have to move out of town because no one even talks to you anymore.

Nikki decides to retire from Vinnie, however, and instead becomes a normal girl. Until one day, when she gets hit. The question is…who did it? The person darted out of there fast enough that nobody saw it.

That’s where Matt comes in. He was on the scene of the crime, doing a favor for Vinnie by returning a pendant to Nikki. As a detective, it’s his job to find out who soaked Nikki…and why. Will he find the crook in time? Or will he fail, and also be cast into the outs?

Review

This book is a ton of fun! A world where the kids run the school and there is a secret mafia is just awesome. I really enjoyed reading about it.

The characters are great, too. Vinnie is a former victim turned into king of the school who deals not only in ruthlessness but also in respect. Matt was offered by Vinnie to be his right-hand man and run the operation with him, but declined. He has always prided himself on not working for Vinnie.

And the truth about who really got Nikki truly is a story to behold. There are so many plot twists and changes that I can remember a couple of the decoys, but not the real gunner. Oh, and it’s funny too. This is a book any fun-loving middle school (or elementary school, for that matter) kid will enjoy.

Thank you for reading this review and if you’d like to purchase the book you can do so through this link. You can also like my Facebook Page or enter your email below to get more book reviews.

Enter your email address:

From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Review

by Leave a Comment

Oh yes, From The Mixged Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler. I must have read this classic book by E.L. Konigsburg at least fifty times, maybe more. There are a lot of books that I’ve read multiple times, but I don’t think any of them matches this one.

Even though it was written back in the 1960s, it still resonates with kids today. At least it resonated with me 🙂 Normally I advise people to never buy books that win awards such as the Newbery Medal, but this book is the exception.

Summary

The book is taken, as the title suggests, from the journals of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a woman who recorded the adventures of two kids, Claudia and Jamie, as they ran away from home and camped out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even though it is ostensibly written in the first person, the vast majority of the book reads as third person, mostly focused on Claudia.

Twelve year-old Claudia first comes up with the idea to run away after she becomes tired by being ignored by her family. She doesn’t feel they are giving her the respect that she deserves, and comes to believe that running away will break her out of her ordinary world and send her family a message that they had better appreciate her.

Claudia decides to enlist her brother, nine year-old Jamie, as partner in her escape because he has a lot of money. “Twenty-four dollars and forty-three cents,” to be exact. In the 1960s, that’s practically enough money to retire.

So they go to the Met and settle into life there. Frankweiler was wise to stage the story there, because we learn a lot about the art and structure of the museum. Jamie and Claudia learn how to hide and mix in with the school groups, and they settle into a nice and peaceful life.

They have a bunch of cool adventures at the museum, including finding a pool filled with coins that allow them to continuously replenish their stash of money.

Eventually, the two become intrigued by a statue of an angel rumored to be done by Michelangelo. Claudia feels ready to return home if she can find the truth of the statue.

That’s where Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler comes in. She sold the piece to the museum, and they spend the rest of their money to travel to her house. There they ask her about the origin of the statue, and she says she’ll tell them if they can find the file on it in her mixed up office, and if they’ll tell her their story. The telling her the story part isn’t their favorite, but they agree.

Was the statue really done by Michelangelo, or is that just a wishful rumor? Will Claudia and Jamie return home different people? Most importantly, will they be more appreciated by their family, or will their plan backfire?

Review

This is an awesome book. There aren’t really many books that match it. Running away from home to give your parents a message is something I’m sure every kid has dreamed of (I sure have). This book captures that fantasy in a great way.

Aside from that, the characters of Claudia and Jamie are very identifiable. These are not characters created by some woman wanting to sell books or get good praise from reviewers. She really understands kids, and it shows.

The reader is quickly driven through the book with a desire to know what will happen to the two siblings, what will happen with their family, what escapades they will get into at the museum. This is a timeless classic, a book pretty much any kid will love. They may not read it scores of times like me, but they will definitely enjoy whatever time they do spend reading it.

Click here to buy the book

Thank you for reading this review and if you’d like to keep updated with what books to get your kids just enter your email below.

Enter your email address:

The Readers and Writers Paradise Podcast 005-Improve Your Writing with NaNoWriMo

by Leave a Comment

Hi everyone, thanks so much for checking out my podcast. I’ll have a new one every Wednesday, so make sure to stay tuned.

Today I’m talking about my experience with NaNoWriMo, a program which most of you have probably heard of that allows you to write an entire novel in just one month.

For years I was struggling to write a novel…and then I did NaNoWriMo. It not only gave me more confidence in my writing but also improved my writing skills greatly.

Please let me know what you think of the podcast in the comments below. Also, if you’d like to be on the show, just let me know and I’ll try to get you on 🙂

Click here to download.

The 39 Clues Book 10: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix Review

by Leave a Comment

The last book of the clue hunt, Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix, was perhaps the most exciting. By this point we had already been through nine action-packed books, and this was the last one! Here all our doubts would be answered, here the hunt for the 39 clues (which had been going on for nearly years) would be over.

For those of you who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a multi-author series in which Amy (14) and Dan (11) Cahill learn that they are members of the most powerful family in human history. The source of their families power is hidden throughout the world in the form of 39 special clues.

Unfortunately, Amy and Dan aren’t the only ones who want the prize. Their ruthless relatives are willing to do anything to be the first to find all 39.

Click here to read more about The 39 Clues.

If you don’t know much about The 39 Clues, then click the link above. If you’re already a veteran clue hunter, then keep reading!

Summary

At the end of the ninth book Amy and Dan learn the truth about their Madrigal identity, and agree to keep going in the clue hunt in order to unite the rest of the family. We are told the final battle will take place in England, and that is where the action continues.

At the start of the book, however, Amy and Dan are not very motivated. They receive a message from the Madrigal leaders, but are so exhausted they don’t want to read what it says. Before they have a chance to do anything, however, Isabel Kabra’s monkey comes into their hotel room and snatches it!

Luckily, Dan has a photographic memory and is able to remember the message, which tells us that the next clue is about William Shakespeare. The whole book focuses a lot on him and you really learn a lot.

Unfortunately, all the other families are also in England and hot on Shakespeare’s case. Even the Starling triplets (who got knocked out in book 1) are back. Ted and Ned are in bad health, and Sinead wants to use the serum to make them well again.

We also see a lot more of Jonah in this book. Although he attempts to pay off a woman to lie about a crime he committed, she is an old English teacher and refuses. In the end, however, she turns out to be a big fan of his and covers for him.

Amy and Dan hide out in Stratford-upon-Avon, but everyone else is following them and they aren’t able to do anything. They pretend to leave and so does everyone else, but they secretly come back to dig up Shakespeare’s grave. Unfortunately, it’s not so secret. There is secret writing on the tombstone, and everyone knows it.

The writing leads them to the Cahill Ancestral Home, a mansion in Ireland. There is the gauntlet; the ultimate Madrigal plan to force the family together. Amy and Dan are forced to admit to everyone else their Madrigal identity, but there is no time to think about it.

In the Gauntlet the Cahill’s are forced to answer questions in order to move forward, and no one can get too far ahead because a member of each branch has to touch locked doors in order to get through. Ian and Natalie are worried, because they know something nobody else does. Could their evil mother be about to join them?

This is the ultimate battle, a showdown between Amy, Dan, and the rest of the Cahill family, against the ultimate evil; Isabel Kabra. Will Amy and Dan fail? Who will get the serum? Will Isabel take over the world?

Review

This is an awesome book, perhaps the best in the entire series. At 327 pages, it is by far the longest, but that’s because it’s action-packed with a lot of stuff.

There is great character development all around in this book, and we get to see the real side of everyone; especially Amy and Dan. The action could not be any better, the action in the gauntlet keeping you on your toes.

It’s sad that with this book the series is over. The 39 Clues was a big part of my childhood, and the second and third arcs just aren’t the same as this one.

Good job getting to this point! This book is the reward for sticking through it with the previous nine books. Enjoy it!

Thank you for reading this review and if you’d like to purchase the book you can do so through this link. You can also like my Facebook Page or enter your email below to get more book reviews.

Enter your email address:

How I Survived Middle School Book 2: Madame President by Nancy Krulik

by Leave a Comment

What preteen isn’t interested in a book called Middle School Survival? In this great series, Nancy Krulik paints a realistic picture of middle school life. It’s told from the first person, and you can relate to the characters and story very well.

If you haven’t read the series yet, I’d advise checking out the first book, which talks about how Jenny (the main character) gets ditched by her former best friend Addie as she enters middle school and has to find a new friend group.

The second book, Madame President, however, is just as good.

Summary

As the book starts, Jenny is continuing to hang out with her new friend group. As the school year continues, it’s time to sign up for clubs. Jenny’s seventh grade friend Mark knows what’s up, and leaves class early to make sure he gets in the club he wants. Jenny, however, is not so lucky. By the time she gets down there to sign up, all the best clubs are taken!

There are only a few lame clubs left, and one of them is school government. Jenny would never think of running for class President, but the only other person running is Addie. Addie is a “pop” (one of the popular cool kids who make fun of everyone else), and Jenny and her friends most definitely don’t want her to win!

Jenny doesn’t really think she has a chance against someone as popular as Addie, but she decides to give it her best shot. Her friend Chloe (who invited Jenny into the friend group in the first place) becomes Jenny’s campaign manager, and is serious about beating the Pops.

The Pops are also serious, however. They are pulling tricks like lending out their popularity, and giving people cookies. The race becomes extremely close and tensions are running high. People begin to suspect that among Jenny’s friends one of them may be spying for Addie; one Josh, in fact.

Jenny is able to put up a good fight, but will it be good enough? Can an ordinary mortal like her stop the Pops?

Review

This is a great book. Like the previous one, it portrays the middle school life really well and goes further to develop the characters, creating an awesome gang who we get to know better throughout the next several books.

The election is really exciting and you’ll definitely want to know the outcome. The author does a really good job of weaving both action and character development into a normal story about sixth graders. This is a book any middle school girl will want to read.

Thank you for reading this review and if you’d like to purchase the book you can do so through this link. You can also like my Facebook Page or enter your email below to get more book reviews.

Enter your email address:

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Review

by 1 Comment

Who hasn’t heard of Harriet the Spy? Louise Fitzhugh truly created a masterpiece, a timeless classic of children’s fiction whose legacy will live on for years.

Harriet the Spy was one of my favorite books, and the charm and interest of the book remains as a masterful telescope into kid-nature. I think it is a must read for every kid.

Summary

For those of you who don’t know, Harriet is an eleven year-old girl who wants to become a writer and a spy. Combining these together, she goes spying on different people, observing them and writing her observations down in the notebook she eternally carries along with her.

People are also important to her. She hangs out with her friends Sport and Jane, but most important to her is her nanny, Ole Golly.

Life continues and we keep learning more about Harriet until the unthinkable happens: Ole Golly announces that she is leaving! She has always been Harriet’s nanny, and Harriet can’t imagine what life will be like without her.

Unfortunately, things don’t go so well for Harriet on her own. Shortly after Ole Golly leaves, she loses her notebook. Her friends pick it up and start reading it. The notebook is very honest, and now everyone is furious with Harriet. They try to get back at her for all the mean things she wrote in there.

Not surprisingly, this upsets Harriet very much. She just lost her nanny and her friends! Her plans to get back at her former friends start to consume all of her time, and she becomes totally ineffective in school.

Harriet’s parents become very worried about her and prevent her from writing anymore. She goes to see a psychologist, who seems to understand that she’s just going through normal problems.

Eventually, Harriet’s friends get tired of being mad at her and Harriet rejoins the school as the editor of the newspaper.

Review

Harriet the Spy is just a great book. It’s written in a mix between third and first person, so it gives us both a full and personal perspective. The story itself is third person, but includes first person journal entries from Harriet.

Harriet is just a normal girl. She’s smart and ambitious, is neither a misfit nor a popularity queen, and has the same problems everyone else does. To me this book does a very good job of modeling a normal kid. Sure, she has rough times, but it’s not the end of the world; she gets through it all right.

Another thing that Fitzhugh does very well in this book is create a simple, charming world. Not many books for kids written in the 1960’s are still relevant because kids have changed. Harriet the Spy on the other hand, still resonates with kids because it talks about their very nature. It paints the very picture of the simple life we all wish childhood would be.

If you haven’t read it yet, read it. If your kids haven’t read it yet, buy it for them. You’ll remember Harriet for a long time.

Thank you for reading this review and if you’d like to purchase the book you can do so through this link. You can also like my Facebook Page or enter your email below to get more book reviews.

Enter your email address: