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Judging the Book
Hi 2nd Quarter Book Club People!
Today, you’re going to check out a selection of notable book covers! Allegedly, these are the 50 Most Captivating of All Time. Click on the link to get to the site describing the covers. Use the site links to actually SEE the covers!
Then, leave a comment below with TWO pieces of information:
1. Which book cover, out of the ones from the site, was most captivating to you and why? You don’t need to have read the book to answer this question, by the way. We’re going for pure cover appeal here.
2. Describe something that a book cover could include (or that you remember from a specific cover of something you remember reading) to attract your attention. Explain why that something would make you want to pick up the book!
Looking for something to read? Obey us.
Goldenview Book Club readers are known for their extreme expertise in recommending books to others. Below are their latest and greatest book recommendations! You can trust the Goldenview Book Club. They have excellent taste in books!
Cheyenne recommends:
Maximum Ride by: James Patterson
This book is about six kids that are angels and have no homes, no families, and are running for their lives. These kids don’t know where they are from and they don’t know who is chasing them. Max and her friends are trying to find out who they are and where they’re from but trouble comes along, what will happen to Max and her friends?
I liked this book because it was exciting, and you never knew what would happen next. This book seems very realistic even though there are angels, and this book is descriptive and very clear. This book is one of the best books I have ever read.
Stephanie recommends:
Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah
This book is about a young teenage girl trying to keep to different worlds apart, at home she’s Jamilah, or Jamie , She’s confused and she’s been hiding her two different lives from 7 th grade to 10 th grade . Not even her own family knows, but it’s getting difficult year by year. She wants to fit in, and she doesn’t want racial jokes about her being Muslim, so she hides her identity. Her friends start to wonder about her more and more every day.
I like this book because it’s funny but it’s also suspenseful at the same time, because of all the lies she says, you don’t know what she’s going to come up with next.
Desiree recommends:
Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
It’s about an ordinary boy named Darren Shan. He had a perfect life, soccer, friends, and family.
His friend, Steven found a Cirque Du Freak Flyer in his brother’s dirty pants pocket.
He and his friends fight over who gets to go to the Freak Show, and because Steven found out about it he gets to go. It turns out Darren wins. They sneak out to the freak show, and love it!
Steven and Darren stay after the show because Steven is going to try and black mail Mr. Crepsly, so he could turn him into a vampire. But it doesn’t work.
…..Later on, Darren goes back and steals Madame Octa.
Keyana recommends:
Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
The book I recommend is Cirque Du Freak book one by, Darren Shan. This book is about a boy who him and his friend goes to a freak show and he steals a very poisonous spider and then the spider bites his best and so the man who owns the spider him and his friend thinks he is a vampire so the boy has to become an assistance for the vampire to save his friend.
Jadeja recommends:
Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham
This book is about a girl named Carley Finnegan who just broke up with her boyfriend and is now stalking his new girlfriend Taylor Dean trying to figure out what Taylor has that she doesn’t. I suggested this book because I think it’s very funny and I think a lot people might really enjoy it.
Matt recommends:
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The book that I recommend is Peter and the Starcatchers. This book is an interesting twist on the classic story of Peter Pan. Peter is an orphan who is being shipped off with a few other boys on a ship named “Neverland.” They are being shipped to slavery in the court of a king who likes to cut off people’s three middle fingers and feed them to his snake. This book is full of constant adventure and is very entertaining, so I like it a lot.
Conor recommends:
The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by P.J Haarsma
The book I would recommend is The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by P.J Haarsma. This book is about a human kid called Johnny Turnball who arrives at Orbis, large 4 rings that circle around a wormhole and home to aliens from around the universe. Johnny turns out to have the ability to access computers with his mind. Due to a contract signed by his parents (who died on the trip), he must work for four years as basically slaves on Orbits before becoming a Citizen. His uncommon ability, that seems to only happen to other aliens, gets him lots of unwanted attention. I liked this book because it has lots of interesting ideas and plenty of adventure.
Karina recommends:
As Easy as Falling off the face of Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
This book is about a boy named Ry. Ry is on a train going to camp. Until he forgets to read a “Special” letter that is in his backpack. He reads the letter; it tells him that the camp has closed. Now he is going to his grandpa’s house, but no signal in the train. Since the train has broken down, he decides that there might be a signal outside. He goes outside and still no signal. He sees a nearby hill so, he decides to climb it. Still no signal. Then he realizes t hat the train has left. Where will he go?
I liked this book because it’s because it’s very detailed and adventurous.
Jack recommends:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
- Because it’s an awesome and fun bestseller!!!
- It’s crazy and magical story that you will never forget
- It’s a fascinating fantasy filled world
What it’s about:
Harry Potter and his parents are attacked by an evil wizard
by the name of Voldemort. Unfortunately, Harry’s parents
do not survive the attack. Harry discovers he is also a
Wizard and must survive school and Voldemort.
Location, Location, Location!
Book Club members share a little piece of their worlds as they show you their best place to read! Scroll down to see each one!
Anne's Big Sand Beach!
Koral's Tropical Beach!
Julia's Room
Taylor's Seascape!
Stephanie's Fountain
Samantha's Blue Afternoon Outside!
Logan's Hammock!
Megan's Sunny Afternoon Outside!
Mayra's Room!
Lily's Sunlit Hillside!
Lily's Hollywood Hills!
Kenny's Forest in the Rain Under an Umbrella!
Kari's Porch Swing!
Justin's Living Room!
Jacob's Hammock!
Hilary's Fountain!
Hannah's Awesome Chair!
Ethan's Room!
Clair's Room!
Brigit's Room!
You won’t have to kiss our feet or anything, but YOU WILL READ!
The Book Club has taken over the literary world! Here are their responses to these questions: Obviously, people should have choice in what they read. However, imagine that you have been declared Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it. As Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, what is the ONE SINGLE BOOK that you plan to make every middle school student read? Why should every middle school student read the ONE SINGLE BOOK you are thinking of?
Samantha says: The book that I would make all middle schoolers read is La Vita es Bella, an Italian book.
Its is about a a Jewish Italian who has a romance with a beautiful Italian lady named Dora. But the romance is soon interrupted when Guido must relocate his son so he won’t be shipped to a Nazi concentration camp. Then, he goes on a quest to try and save his son before he is taken by the Nazis. He will go through rain, snow, pain, racing in a train and maybe the love of his life Dora to save his son, Giosue. This book shows how the love for someone is stronger than anything in the world. And how love is our weapon to find where we belong in this universe.
Stephanie says: The one book I want every middle school student to read is called Freak The Mighty because it relates to guys and girls in real life. It’s a really sad story, but it shows that if you have a friend, that friend gives you strength. It also shows you compassion. It’s a very compelling story about real friendship and reaching achievements that you never could have accomplished in your whole life.
Kenny says: Hello! I am (currently) the (fictitious) Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, but you can just call me Kenny. You are correct about how people should read what ever they want. I do think, though, that more people should read The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In my opinion, it is an entertaining book that includes a large amount of vocabulary. It also has a great storyline and even though it is EXTREMELY fictitious (Would you expect the ruler of the universe to have 3 heads?) it’s enough to keep you entertained for a while. I don’t know what people would think of it , but I guess that people could write a book review about it.
Kari says: If I were Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in It, I would make sure every middle school student read the book Peter and the Starcatchers because it takes a commonly known story and embellishes it in a way that just makes you go “Oh, that makes sense!” It is based on the story of Peter Pan, but is a much more in depth and probably is easier for anyone to understand than the original. It may seem a bit long at first, but once you get into it, it becomes a fast and exciting roller coaster of a book. I also think we should have a bit of a humorous book as required reading for every middle school student, because if you enjoy what you are reading it would most definitely make the assignments and projects teachers assign to the book less daunting and boring, but more of a miniature adventure and deeper probing of the book. I think that overall, for entertaining qualities and the ounce of classic literature you are exposed to in the book, I think that all in all, as Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, Peter and the Starcatchers is an excellent choice for the required reading of every middle school student.
Brigit says: One book that I believe every middle school student should read is Little Women. It is a classic story that has been loved by young adults for over a century. It’s sad, but it does seem to teach a person about family and love and staying togther through thick and thin.
Mayra says: If I were chosen as Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, I would make every middle school student read Touching Spirit Bear. I picked this book because I just finished reading it and, trust me, you will be so drawn to it. You won’t be able to stop reading, and also you can connect and sometimes relate to the book. This book has a lot of metaphors and significance, but now it’s up to you to find out what they are! So if I was picked as Ultimate Book Ruler, I’d pick Touching Spirit Bear.
Hillary agrees with Mayra! She says: I’m reading Touching Spirit Bear.
Taylor also agrees! She says: If I had to pick one book that all middle school students had to read it, would be Touching Spirit Bear. Eighth grade students are already required to read this book but, I think that all middle school students could benefit from reading this book as well. My reasoning is that when you become a teenager you go through a lot of mood swings, and sometimes you get angry at your parents and siblings because of the changes your body is going through. This is an intriguing story about an extremely angry 15-year-old boy who is banished to an isolated southeast Alaskan island for one year because he beat up a kid. During the time Cole spends on the island he finds himself, his place in the world, and learns to accept his life in order to keep his anger and other feelings in check. I think that adolesence is challenging for everyone in one way or another and Touching Spirit Bear helps you understand yourself and your feelings a little better.
Julia says: I think every middle school student should read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix because it’s filled with intensity, mystery, romance, and so much more. it is definitely a page-turner book! If you’ve read the Harry Potter books, you’ll understand what I mean of how Harry acts differently from in the other books. Ths climax is very interesting along with all the other parts of the book, and once you start reading it’s hard to stop! If you read it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Ethan and Justin agree! They both say: Everybody should read all the Harry Potter series!
Logan says: I would make everyone read The Odyssey. The reason why is because it’s full of action and suspense. In addition, it would teach kids about courage and determination.
Jenna says: I agree that everyone should be able to read what they want. However, if the scenario you just described should occur, I think everyone should read I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You. I think everybody should read this because it is an interesting story and teenage girls can kind of relate to the main character as far as emotions go. Guys might also find the book kind of interesting. This is why I think everyone should have to read I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You.
Clair says: As the Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, a book I would choose to make all of the middle schoolers read would probably be Every Soul A Star, by Wendy Mass, because I think it is a good book about relationships, responsibility, and learning about life. I also think it would be a good book for middle schoolers to read because it is about people around our age, maybe a bit older, and I enjoyed reading it. I think Wendy Mass is a good author.
Koral says: If I were the Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything In It, I would make every middle school student and high school student read City of Bones. It is a little gory and has some bad words, but I had a book like that in fourth grade (all of us read it). It is about Nephilum a.k.a Shadowhunters. They hunt and kill demons to make the world a better place in it’s own dark way. It has a sly humor and is very dark. The author did a great job capturing action and suspence and makes you want to read the whole book in one night even if you hate reading like I did (by the way it is almost 400 pages). I think that this book would be a great learning experiance for those who don’t like to read because it would show you that not all books will bore you to tears.
Anne says: I AM THE ULTIMATE BOOK RULER AND I DECLARE EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOLER SHALL READ THE FIRE ETERNAL! IT IS AN ACTION PACKED, AWESOME BOOK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ!!!!
Hannah says: I’m not quite sure, soooo I will go with The Host by Stephanie Meyer.
Lily says: If I were declared Ultimate Book Ruler of the Universe and Everything in it, I would want everyone to read Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Why I think everyone should read it is right from the beginning it is very suspenseful. You never know what is going to happen next. I read the whole series and I love the series. I think everyone would too. Lots of people who like fiction adventure and suspenseful books should read the series. Lots of my friends have read it and they love it. It was even made into a movie! So it must be good. I really like it and I think everyone would too!
Megan says: I think that everybody should read a book that is called FIRE BRINGER by David Clement-David. Everyone should read it because it is SO good. It is a little sad, but still good. It is about a red deer called Rannoch, and his friends. Rannoch has to go on a journey to escape an evil red deer that wants to kill him. I can’t tell you any more because that would give the book away.
Lindy says: Everyone should read How to be Popular by Meg Cabot. Her book includes a story and a handbook to help you be nice and polite! It’s awesome!
