DogEared Book Blog - National Geographic Kids

BOOK NAME: I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You
AUTHORS: Ally Carter

If you like books with lots of action, adventure, and most of all, girl power, then you will love, I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. This novel rolls spies, romance, and friendship all together to create a story about young women who have some very surprising talents.

15 year old Cammie Morgan is a sophmore at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. From the outside, the school appears to be a just another snooty, private school for rich, stuck up girls, but if you dodge all of the lasers, sneak past the armed guards and don't get caught on any of the 50 security cameras that surround the campus, you will discover that the Gallagher Academy is actually a school for spies. Instead of learning basics about cells and atoms in science class, Cammie and her friends are taught the latest in chemical warfare. Instead of just having to learn one language, they have to be fluent in fourteen, and instead of doing dodge ball or capture the flag in P.E., they learn how to kill a man seven different ways with their bare hands. However, when Cammie meets an ordinary boy who doesn't know she's a spy, she has no idea how to express her true feelings about him without revealing her secret identity. Sure, she may be able to crack CIA codes, take out someone twice her size, and save the world from ruthless dictators, but can she handle a relationship with a normal guy who can never know who she really is?

I loved this book and would definitely recommend giving it a chance. It's a really fun read with lots of suspense and drama but also with humor as well. Although some boys might like it, it's aimed towards a female audience and I think girls will probably enjoy it more. So, if you want a humorous read full of action, romance, and espionage, then I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You is definitely for you.

BOOK NAME: Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion
AUTHORS: Brandon Mull

Jason has been forcefully shoved home, trying to stay in Lyrian to stay with his friends. He manages to steal Ferrin's (his displacer "friend") hand and uses it to get information out of him. He tries to make it back to Lyrian, and eventually succeeds. However, things are much worse than he was lead to believe. Creatures that he didn't even know existed are trying to hunt him down, he cannot locate his friends, and Maldor has started killing the people who hold syllables of the word. His goal is simple; find his friends, escape these mysterious creatures alive, and unite a completely neutral, but powerful, nation against Maldor. No big deal, right?

Surprisingly, I liked this book even more than the first book in the trilogy. I was pleased that it did not end suddenly like the first book. In the first book, I felt that something more should have commenced, but it just ended really abruptly. Second, Brandon Mull didn't use the same creatures in the first book over and over. He created completely new, and even more deadly, creatures. I also really liked how well he developed the Blind King, or Galloran. He was so mysterious in the first book, but his personality really begins to develop. I will admit that I was surprised at how good of a swordsman Galloran was, and even more surprised at why. I feel the most sympathy for Nedwin. He suffered eleven years of torture in Felrook, and that is what left him to feel no pain. I can't even begin to imagine how much pain someone would have to go through to stop feeling it. Overall, I thought that this book was amazing, and recommend it to anyone who even remotely enjoyed the first book.

BOOK NAME: The Meanest Doll in the World
AUTHORS: Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin

Annabelle Doll, Tiffany Funcraft, and the rest of their families are dolls with secret lives. When the Palmer family, the people that own them, are asleep or away, the dolls move around and visit each other's houses.

One day, as Annabelle and Tiffany are on their way back from an exploration in the attic, they suddenly hear the Palmers coming home. Caught on the spot, with no idea what to do next, Tiffany and Annabelle see one of the human's backpacks, and hide in there. They stay there for the night, but in the morning, they find themselves in a place no live doll would ever dare go to: SCHOOL. They realize that they will be stuck there until the Palmer's daughter finishes school. Tiffany decides to tour the building. Although Annabelle is a little hesitant at first, she agrees to tag along.

Oh no! The kids start getting out of class, so Annabelle and Tiffany jump into a backpack that they think is the right one. Very quickly, though, they realize that they are not in the Palmer's house. They learn that in this new home, the dolls are alive as well, and there is one doll, named Mimi, that thinks she rules over all dollkind. When Annabelle and Tiffany are able to decrease Mimi's power, they jump into the backpack they came in, and hope that when they get to school, they will find the right backpack and get back to the Palmer's house. Little do they know that Mimi wants revenge on them, so she follows them all the way home. What will the dolls do about Mimi in their home? How will they catch her? How will they stay safe?

I really loved this book! It provides you with a look on the human world from a different perspective. When I read the book, I felt as though I was a doll with a secret life as well, going on all the adventures. I would recommend this book to anyone ages 9 and up.

Children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak died yesterday. He was the author and illustrator of many books, including Where the Wild Things Are, Chicken Soup with Rice, and In the Night Kitchen.

Have you read any of his books?

Which one is your favorite?

BOOK NAME: The Seer
AUTHOR: David Stahler Jr.

Jacob has just been forced away from all he knows and loves. He used to live in Harmony, one of the colonies on the moon Nova Campi. Harmony's inhabitants are all totally blind, whether from birth or by choice. They live by the code of Truesight, the belief that blindness erases all of the impurities in one's soul. Jacob was evicted because he suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, acquired the ability to see. Such an "abomination" must not exist in Harmony, and Jacob needed to escape or face the wrath of Harmony's High Councilor.

Now Jacob wanders the plains of Nova Campi. Only one thing keeps him from surrendering to the endless sea of grass, from stopping and accepting death alone in the desolate wilderness. It is the hope of finding Delaney, his closest friend, who ran literally "blindly" away from Harmony recently before his escape. If he can find her, then he will have a companion to explore the world of the beyond Harmony.

After trekking for days he meets his first Seer, a man by the name of Xander. At first, Xander does little more than offer Jacob food and water. Xander reappears to save Jacob from a gang of shady individuals, then decides to allow the boy to stay with him. Xander knows of Delaney, as well as where to find her. She is now under the custody a powerful corporation known as Mixel, a corrupt organization that largely funded the colonization of Nova Campi. After the first visit Jacob realizes that Mixel is using Delaney for her singing talents to generate revenue, and a considerable amount at that. They won't give up Delaney, not without a fight...

Will Jacob be able to take Delaney back? Has he found a friend in Xander? Will he ever adapt to the world of the Seers? Most importantly, can he come to grips with his sight, which may be more than just looking with his eyes?

This book is the sequel to the book Truesight which I have read as well. Both are excellently written science-fiction novels, but I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor. This story had more action than Truesight, from man-to-man combat to undercover rescue attempts. I enjoyed reading about Xander, my favorite character in the story. Xander is gruff on the outside, but kind-hearted inside. He is also street-smart, determined, and an exceptional fighter. He assists Jacob significantly throughout the book. A story is often made by its villain, and The Seer is no exception. The Mixel Corporation and its high-class handlers are the embodiment of greedy, back-stabbing, and dangerous. I would recommend that you read Truesight before you read The Seer, which should not be overly difficult because both books are fairly short. All in all, they are a worth-while duo.