Oregon Battle Of Books (OBOB)

For the next few days, I will post the covers and summaries for the new OBOB 2013-2014 books. I will be posting the 6-8th grade books, all 16 books! Here is a list of them:

• Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder, 2011.

• Magyk by Angie Sage, 2005.

• Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, 2011. 2014 ORCA

• Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica, 2009.

• Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg, 2011.

• The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Regan Barnhill, 2011. 2014 ORCA

• Night of the Howling Dogs      by Graham Salisbury, 2007.

• The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin, 2010.

• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, 2011. 2014 ORCA

• Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French, 2009.

• Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry, 2011.

• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, 2000.

• TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow, 2010.

• The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi, 1990.

• Uglies  by Scott Westerfeld, 2005

• Wildwood by Colin Meloy, 2011. 2014 ORCA

Princess Sisters by Stacy Lynn Carroll

The only thing she has to lose are her shoes.

Cinderella is a regular girl, with a crazy name. Yet at the same time it fits. Being as her cousins are Belle, Aurora, Areal, and Snow White. They all suffer much teasing and bullying from their peers. At high school, many new things arise, including one very important decision. After all these years is it finally time to stop fighting the fairy tale connections that hurt them so much? If the girls were to stop fighting their names, and rather embraced them to find inner strength. Maybe, just maybe, by putting everything they have on the line, they may experience a "happy ever after" after all. 

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulson

       

                                        

     I was twelve years old and broke, Grandma gave me Grandpa's old lawn mower, So I started to mow lawns. More and more people were asking to have their lawns moved. One client of Arnold's was a stock broker. He offered to teach me a little about supply and demand. And the money, was just amazing. 

     If Arnold would've known all the business he had coming his way, he might've just ran and hid. But since the business was growing so was the money. Arnold invested his profits in things like Joey. And Joey is how Arnold's summer got interesting...

Standford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee

                                      

     "We interrupt your lives to announce Standford Wong has flunked sixth grade."

      -Lisa Yee

     Maybe that wasn't announced on the over head, but that's what Standford feels like. He's the hero on the basketball court, I mean he is the  first sixth grader to make it on the A-team. Although his grades arn't doing to same. When he flunks English, that's the last straw. Now instead of basketball camp, Standford must go to summer school. Standford is freaking out. This is not what he wanted this summer. Everything is falling apart for him, including the beautiful Emily Ebers, his friends, and now he has a tutor! Can Standford Wong tip urn things around?

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Chaldenko

                                          

     Moose Flanagn is twelve years old, He just moved to San Fransico Bay. The part of called Alcatraz, where your neighbors are murders, mob bosses, and convicts. This infamous island is home to men including the escapee Roy Gardner, and machine Gun Kelly. The Warner's daughter Piper Williams, has come up many scams, that she soon be know as one of the crooks on the island! All moose wants is to stay far away from trouble, but living on Alcatraz may be a problem.

Dear Know It All: Read All Bout It by Rachel Wise

                                             

      Samantha is a middle school reporter with all the news on the newest scoops. She will someday travel the world as a journalist, but until then she is siked to be the newspaper advisor. Mr.Trigg choose Sam for a very special job. She is the new writer for the anonymous advise colum. This is a large secret to keep, being the author of all the great advice offered in the ask know it all colum. Sam is crushed when she finds out that her best friend likes Sam's co-worker, (and pitcher for the baseball team) Michael, whom Sam also likes. Can Sam offer advice when her own crush is in the line?

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

     Dogs can often be more best friend like then dog like. This is one of those times. She is like a friendly shadow that does not want to leave us. When you have a shadow like this, you must always hold on to it.

Swept Up by the Sea by Tracy & Laura Hickman

     Percival Taylor has set his mind to reach his fortune. And he is going to get it. With the dreams of becoming a famous pirate, he leaves his not-so-famous town for sea. There is one problem:no one at his port will let him anywhere near a ship! Taylor wants to win the heart of Margathia Paddlock. She would love to swoon into his arms, as long as she can accomplish this one task. Percival must prove his buccaneer soul to her. She is willing to arrange her own kidnapping to do so! Can Percival Taylor accomplish this one simple task? Or will he lose the love of his life forever in the process?

Cinderella Cleaners: Change of Dress by Maya Gold

     Diana works at Cinderella Cleaners. On the floor, she will happily fulfill all your dry cleaning needs. Behind the counter, is another story. As She watches all the different clothes that come and go from the store, she imagines the exciting events the people wearing them may be going to. One day while cleaning, Diana finds an invite to the Glittering Gala in New York City. Knowing that the Owner of the coat is out of town, Diana puts together a beautiful dress. With some improvising, Diana attempts to be someone she's not, and attend the party! Will she be unmasked? Or can her fun stay a secret?

One False Note by Gordon Korman

                                              

     The notorious Cahills are still on the great search for the 39 Clues. They will stop at nothing until they get the prize. Although no one knows what the prize is, everyone wants to win it. This book takes all the Cahills on a trip to Australia. Follow the Cahills in the second book in the series.

The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman

     Meet the "D" squad. Made up of Judy,Kelsey,Breton,and Sam. They are the "D" squad, not because they are friends, but because of their last names. They all have a last name that ends in an "D". Now these four kids would normally never mix. They are all from different backgrounds, and friend circles. What brings them together, is Brenton's homework machine. It can supposedly scan in your homework and complete it in your handwriting. After seeing this in action, all the other "D" squad members start using this marvelous device. Their little scheme works just fine until their caught. Read about their interrogation in the first of two books, in Dan Gutman's The Homework Machine.    

Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy

     All the evils of the world were in this box. Pandora shook it. It really didn't look all that terrifying. And then, the idea flew into her head. What if she took the box to school for the big project? Of course, she wouldn't open it. Duh. She looked at the box again. It was a neato example of the gods' enduring presence and nobody-nobody-would have anything else like it.   

Chrissa by Mary Casanova

     Chissa has just moved into her grandmother's home. Like it is for any new student, Chrissa

has troubles fitting in. She finds herself the target of the three meanest girls in school. After a major incident accusers, Chrissa finally turns to an adult for help. She learns the hard way, that bulling is a tpoic that should be brought up to an adult immediately.

The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

     Avery's heart has just been crushed by her long time best friend. She decides to take on the problem the simplest way, (in her idea,) scientifically. For the upcoming State Science Fair, Avery decides to use her broken heart as her topic. She is going to find a way to cure her broken heart, by putting herself through the seven stages of grief. Avery can't do this alone, she needs the help of Aiden Kennedy, her ex-partner. Avery decides to ask for help from Aiden's older brother, who is in a sad state, and desperately needs extra credit. Grayson is recruited to help as an observer, and is sure to fulfill his duties as he always lives life to the fullest. 

Finding June by Shannen Crane Camp

     Keeping to your standards is hard for any teen in the world of high school. With June Laurie's head full of Hollywood dreams, she is not surviving high school very well. June is sure that with the help from her agent, (Grandma) and moral support, (Joseph-her best friend) she can make it. But, is a teen Mormon girl really ever ready to cast as the love interest of big-name Lukas Leighton? June finds herself unprepared (when shooting a popular mystery) for paparazzi and swept off her feet by the co-star. June must stick to her standards and live through this Hollywood hardship. Is this to much? 

Of Wind and Winter by Danyelle Leafty

                                                 

     Aneira wakes to the fact that she has been spirited away by Baba Yaga, a dreadful Witch. She must choose to either help Baba Yaga find her sisters magical skins and then she can go home to her family, or refuse to help and lose her mother and sisters forever. All Aneira must do is steal the Lord of Winter's heart by serenading him to sleep with the Harp of Seven Winds. Once she has it she must lock it in a jar given to her from  Baba Yaga. After all these trails, come more. Read about in Of Wind and Winter.

Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp

Reagan West has life good. She is at the top of high school as co-captain of the cheer leading squad. She's even the best friend of the meanest girl in school, which means she will never get attacked by her. The only problem to Reagan's perfect life is that if her dirty little secret gets out her social life will be shot. 

 What is this secret? Reagan is a closet gamer, and hates her spot on the cheer leading team. She makes it through school by keeping her true interests kept secret. That works just fine until a boy from her guild moves to her school and is instantly targeted by Twany Perez. The boy said that he will expose all of Reagan's little secrets if she does not come to terms with the rest of the geeks. Will she keep her popular status? 

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Foreter

                                          

     

     Piper is different. She is special, because she has a power that no one else does. Or at least she thinks. Piper McCloud can fly! She lives in a small country town, where different is bad. 

     One day a helicopter comes for Piper. She is told that this place can help her. That this facility can help her channel her inner flying powers. While Piper stays here, she is surprised that she hasn't ha one class on flying at all! Is this really what she wanted?

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading

     Charlie is sure to connect with any non-reader, even many readers will love this book. Charlie has never read a book in his life, for that he is proud. The whole school knows his dedication to not reading. How does he pull it? 

     Charlie's best friend, Timmy, has always had a deal together. At lunch Charlie would buy Timmy an ice cream sandwich. Then Timmy would tell Charlie all about the assigned book in class. What will happen when Timmy stops his part if the deal, and what will Charlie do for his position paper? He must read six books and write a paper about them. Will Charlie pick up a book? Of corse not, find out what Charlie does to get out of this one in Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading.

Lair of the Serpent by T. Lynn Adams

     This is another book by an LDS author! I'm blogging this and other books written by LDS authors for the Summer Book Trek. 

     A trip to Cambodia is ruined when a young volunteer is kidnapped. A friend of her's, Johnathon, arrives to find his friend missing. He asks locals to help him find her. When all clues point one way, Johnathon's group must find a legendary stone. This stone belongs to the followers of the Naga Mani. This stone only works with a sacrifice, a human. Time is running out, but Johnathon is set on finding Deliah, and he just might. 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

     Caymen Meyers is a seventeen year old girl, who studies the rich. Her mother runs a shop with useless nick-knacks like porcelain dolls. Xander Spence is a rich boy who comes into Caymen's mom's shop one day. Caymen is sure he will go lose interest and go away soon. She thinks that all rich people have the attention span of a gnat. But Xander doesn't go away with lost interest, and to Caymen's dismay she is starting to enjoy his presence. Knowing her mom will disapprove, Caymen also finds out that Xander is not the only thing sh should've been worrying about.  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

"Tick, Tock"

-Catching Fire

     Katniss and Peeta are thrown back into the Hunger Games for the 75th annual competition. Under some certain rule, two past victors must both go back and fight, so twice as many people are in the games this year. Before entering the arena, Katniss is shown a watch. This watch is not an ordinary watch. It does certain things at different hours. 

     While in the arena, Katniss finally puts two and two together that the watch is related to the Games this year. She is heart broken that some of her favorite victors are dead. She thinks that they would eventually all die, right? Find out in Catching Fire. 

LDS Summer Book Trek

     Today I'm going to share with you one of the many summer reading challenges I participate in. This one is called the Summer Book Trek Reading Challenge! It is put on by the New LDS Fiction blog. Check it out here
                                                      

     Part of the challenge is blogging your list of LDS fiction. This is mine:

• The Shape Shifter's Secret by Heather Ostler (I must admit I blogged about this book before i finished it.)
• The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
• Unbelievable by Sherry Gammon

I hope you consider joining in! It is a ton of fun, and did I mention there's prizes too? 

A Tale Dark and Grim by Adam Gidwitz

“You see, Hansel and Gretel don’t just show up at the end of this story. They show up. And then they get their heads cut off. Just thought you’d like to know.” 

― Adam Gidwitz, A Tale Dark & Grimm

     Everyone knows the story of Hansel and Gretel, but that's just the beginning. After tricking the Witch, These two kids have many more trials. There is even more story before they leave home to the Witch's house, this includes them getting their heads cut off! So if you want to know the whole story behind Hansel and Gretel, check it out here in this book.

Takes of a Forth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

                        

 "I won Dribble at Jimmy Fargo's birthday party. All the other guys go to take home goldfish in little plastic bags..."

-Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing

One of the titles in the "Fudge" series, this book is a funny yet honest tale of sibling rivalry.  Farley Drexel, aka Fudge, is three years old. While Peter Hatcher is in forth grade. This is a recipe for disaster. When Peter wins a new pet turtle named Dribble, the troubles begin.  

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.” 
― Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games 

     Everyone has heard of The Hunger Games. Most people have even seen the movie. Yet do they really know what the book is about? Collins has left very subtle hints through out her books. Some include the use of chariots at the beginning of the games. This links back to our history of using chariots in Greece. I love to read a little deeper into books, and maybe The Hunger Games isn't as outlandish as you'd think it is. 

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

                                        

     Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

     And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside—she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye, and escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know. Because Incarceron is alive.

Take Two by Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy

"Emma took a deep breath and walked out the door. I heard one last thing before she disappeared. Hi-wait, are you Emma or Payton? A girls voice asked. Hi! I'm Payton! Emma squealed, totally over the top. I sat on a cleaning bucket for the second time today.And sighed

-Take Two 

     Emma and Payton are back, and now must make up for their identity swap last year. Can they handle the twin balls of energy, Jason and Mason? As punishment they must watch the boys (who are the councilors sons) or go to detention. Making it through middle school is hard on its own, can Payton and Emma make it through middle school and babysit the terror twins? In this case, maybe regular detention is better... 

Theodore Boone:The Abduction by John Grisham

     Pete Duffy's trial was called a mistrial, but that's not the last of him for Theo. Suddenly Theo's best friend goes missing. The obvious suspect seems to be Duffy, but is it him? After all the abnormal things her parents have been up to lately, could they have something to do with this? 

     When Theo and his parents go to visit April's mom, the police are already there investigating. Then they ask Theo multiple questions to find if April might have just ran away. April's mom glares at Theo as if to tell him to pick and choose his words carefully, as she had not been present in the house with April for the past couple nights. What other secrets are these people holding from each other? Could one bit of information mean life or death for April? 

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

 

“You can't call a ninja lord dweeb.”

― Rick Riordan, The Maze of Bones

 



     Dan and Amy Cahill belong to the most powerful family in the world. The Cahill's are split into four different groups, the Lucians, the Tomas, the Janus, and the Ekaterina. Lucians are the strategic thinkers. As the Ekaterina are scientists. The Janus control all arts, and the Tomas rule at athletics. These mixed potentials create very  interesting family hobbies. When Grace Cahill ( Dan and Amy's Grandmother) dies, a new race begins. A race for the most valuable prize in the world...

Rules by Cynthia Lord

     This is the story of Catherine, a twelve-year-old girl who loves art and longs for a friend.  Catherine is the sister and often-babysitter for her autistic brother, David, and she often has a hard time fitting in with her classmates because of David’s behaviors.  She works hard to help David be more “normal,” specifically by giving him rules to live by that most people take for granted.  Her best friend is away for the summer visiting her father, so Catherine is excited when she learns that the family moving in next door includes a girl her age.  She spends most of her summer days helping her mother with David, visiting the clinic where David receives occupational therapy, and hoping that Christy, her new neighbor, will not be scared off by David’s differences.  At the clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy named Jason who ”talks” through a communication book he keeps with him at all times.  The story somewhat predictably comes to a climax when Catherine must choose whether or not to invite Jason to a community dance when challenged to do so by Christy, who doesn’t know about David’s disability.