DogEared Book Blog - National Geographic Kids

August starts on Sunday, and you know what the beginning of August means---time to start a new book!

Our next book club pick is The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. We'll be reading the first five chapters for Wednesday's meeting. We can't wait to get started!
 
-DogEared

BOOK NAME: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
AUTHOR: J.K. Rowling


For all of Harry's life he has been treated unfairly by his aunt, uncle and cousin. They put him in a cupboard to sleep in for the past eleven years he has lived there. One day Harry gets a suspicious letter that reveals a secret that has been kept from him. Harry is a wizard.

He goes to a wizarding school, Hogwarts, where he learns all kinds of magic and learns about his past too. Harry and his two best friends Ron and Hermione end up dealing with Centaurs, plants that kill, and teachers with two heads! Can Harry survive his first year with out getting eaten by trolls?

This is one of my favorite books EVER!! J.K. Rowling is and amazing writer because she always keeps you into the book. There are seven books in the Harry Potter series and six movies have been made. The seventh movies comes out late fall and part two comes out mid winter! I know I'll be there opening night. The genre of the series is fantasy because of all the mythical and made up creatures that are invented in it. Make sure when you are reading this that you don't skip around pages because crucial information that will come up in later books are found in this one. There are a lot of loose ends at the end of the book meaning you will have LOTS of questions but just keep reading and you will find out more, meet new people, and continue on this great magical adventure!

If you like the Harry Potter series, you should check out The Tales of Beedle the Bard, also by J.K. Rowling and it takes place in the world of Harry Potter.

BOOK NAME: Turtle in Paradise
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Holm

During today's meeting, we'll wrap up our pick for July, Jennifer L. Holm's historical fiction Turtle in Paradise. (Holm is also the author of the Babymouse book series.) Turtle faces her biggest adventures yet in the last chapters of this book!

Are there any books that you can't want to read that you would like to see us talk during August? Leave a comment with your suggestion. We'll announce the next pick on Friday. Who knows--your pick might be DogEared's August book!


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Stop here if you haven't finished the book yet!

BOOK NAME: Gregor the Overlander: Book One in the Underland Chronicles
AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins

Hey guys, it's me again! I'm going to tell you about one of the coolest books ever--Gregor the Overlander.

Gregor's father had disappeared a few years ago and he never showed up again. Gregor lives with his Mom, his grandma who calls him "Simon" (she's nuts!), and his two sisters, Boots and Lizzy.

The story started when Gregor had to babysit is baby sister, Boots. He went to go do the laundry like his Mom told him. But all of a sudden, he couldn't find Boots. He looked through a pile of laundry and he found this hole. He fell into it and found Boots at the bottom.

They found themselves stuck under the city of New York. Giant cockroaches found them and took them to main city of the Underland. One of the city's rulers named Vikus tells Gregor that his father once fell down into Underland. So Gregor now has to find his father and convince the Underlanders to help him find a way out.

The journey that has so many twists and turns that you just can't put the book down. There are 311 pages and I read the whole book in less than a week.

BOOK NAME: The Magician's Nephew
AUTHOR: C.S. Lewis

Just mentioning Narnia sends me into a wonderland full of adventure and magic. This book is the first in The Chronicles of Narnia series and proves to be an engrossing beginning. There is some confusion about this book because most people may think that The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first book, but actually this book is the first. Because it is written by an English author, you'll find that they spell "Hello" like "Hullo" and other spellings that seem odd to us. This book is absolutely beautiful in every aspect. I don't always envision the illustrations the same as the artist (done by Pauline Baynes), but overall she still captures the scenes very well. I think it may have been hard to illustrate this book because honestly, Narnia is different for everyone.

The main character, Digory, is a boy who lives in London with his very strange uncle, a frail mother, maids, and an absent father (he's away in India). So, really he can wander where he pleases. Very soon he meets a girl named Polly Plummer who lives next door to him. Since Polly and Digory's houses are connected, they venture to the attic that connects the houses and find a door. Behind this door just happens to be Digory's strange uncle. His uncle is making magical rings that will eventually lead them to Narnia where they bring an evil force that will haunt Narnia for hundreds of years. I can promise that Narnia will enchant you for years to come. It is a trip for your imagination and will inspire you. Whenever I have a bad day I just pick up one of these books and escape to Narnia. You should pay a visit too!

(NOTE: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first Narnia book published, but The Magician's Nephew is the first book if you are reading in chronological order. -DogEared)