Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key was a very interesting story of a young girl named Ruby who goes through many obstacles in her life. After her drug addict mother leaves her to survive on her own she is taken in by her sister and brother-in-law, who she hasn't seen in years. This heartwarming story tells how little you have to do to change a girl who is going down the wrong path. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys books about how tough life is, and that small changes can make you a better person. I enjoyed this book very much.
~Lyndsey Morgan, 7th Grade, HMS

The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander (Book 1 of the Underland Chronicles)
I read Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Gregor is a fantasy fiction book abou this land that is far under our Earth. This land has giant Spiders, Rats, cockroaches, and bats. Most of the people in the underland have really pale skin; because where they live they have no sun. This book is about Gregor and Boots who land in the underland after falling through an air vent. They go on a Journey to find their dad because he got captured by the rats. There is a prophecy that they have to follow though, and if they don't follow it they might all die. I hope you read this book.
~Chris Simpson, 7th grade, HMS

 Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Book 2 of the Underland Chronicles)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane is a great book by Suzanne Collins. In this book Gregor, Luxa, Boots and a lot of other people go on a quest to kill the bane. Before they find the bane these huge serpents start to attack them and Boots gets lost. Gregor and Ares have to go into the cave and kill the bane. While in the caves a few die so its just Gregor and Ares, they get to a point where they are watching rats kill each other. One of the rats yells "don't kill my baby" right before he dies, but Gregor couldn't tell what she said. So I would tell you the rest but it would ruin it for you. I hope you read this book.
~Chris Simpson, 7th grade, HMS

Gregor and the Code of Claw (Book 5 in the Underland Chronicles)
Gregor and the Code of Claw, by Suzanne Collins, is a great book! If you have read any of the books in the Overlander Series then this book is for you because in my opinion this is the best out of all of them. This book keeps you reading right through it every night. I seriously think this book is the book that I have ever read the fastest in my life. Read this book...
~Tyler Simmons, 7th grade, HMS

Books into Movies (Part 3 of 3)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd


The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is about fourteen-year-old Lily Owens, living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her dad and her black stand-in mother in 1964. When Lily was four-years-old, her mother, Deborah Fontanel Owens, died.

Deborah had come back from a three-month rip to pack her's and Lily's things and leave T. Ray (Lily's dad) to go live with a Fontanel family friend in Tiburon, SC. However, they didn't pack fast enough. T. Ray heard them and didn't want to let go of Deborah. Lily remembered a gun being on the floor, and her parents fighting. When her mother dropped the gun, Lily picked it up, wanting to help. Then there was an explosion, and her mother was dead.

No, Lily must find the mysterious family in Tiburn, SC, who may have known her mother, and learn about the Black Madonna Honey. A book for girls and women of all ages (10 and up), this book will be treasured for decades between moms and daughters!

~Mary Rose Patrick, 7th Grade, HMS

Books into Movies (Part 2 of 3)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Golden Compass is a very interesting, well-written book. It is about a young girl named Lyra. In Lyra's world, everyone has a daemon, which is a part of the person that takes shapes of an animal. Soon, Lyra discovers a group of people called Gobblers, who kidnap children and do an experiment on them, cutting their daemons away. These Gobblers have taken a lot of kids in Lyra's town, including her best friend, Roger. She sets out on a journey to rescue all the kids. This great book shows a young girl with determination and courage that I think will interest anyone who reads it.
~Jenny Frost, 7th Grade, HMS

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is one of the greatest books I have ever read. Lena, Bridget, Carmen and Tibby have been best friends ever since the beginning of their lives. They have spendt every summer together until now. Lena goes and visits her grandparents in Oia, Greece, where she finds a handsome young man named Kostos and falls in love. Bridget goes to a soccer camp in Baja, California, where she falls in love with one of her coaches. Carmen goes to visit her dad in North Carolina, not knowing that her dad is getting married to a family that she absolutely despises. Tibby just stays home and makes "suckumentaries." She  make friends with a girl three years younger than her and finds out that the girl has Leukemia. The four friends share a pair of pants, no matter how far away they are from each other they will always be close together with those pair of magical pants.
~Nikaya Acfalle, 7th Grade, HMS

Books into Movies (Part 1 of 3)

These books are now out in theaters! Check out them out to see if the original story matches what the author wrote - sometimes the book is better!

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
This story is about this girl, Meggie, and her dad who live on a farm and they love to read books. Her dad is a book saver, which means he takes the book covers off and makes them new ones. Then one day in the middle of the night a mysterious man appears at Meggie's house. Later Meggie finds out that it is Dustfringer, an old friend of Meggie's dad. He comes to their house because he needs to talk to Mo, Meggie's dad. Then she finds out that they need to hide a book because Capricorn wants it. So they go see Elinor, who agrees to help them hide the book. Then Capricorn's men try to take the book, but they get the wrong one and also take Mo. Now Elinor and Meggie have to trade the right book for Mo. So you have to read the book to see what happens next. It is a very good book and I think every girl would like it.
~Frida Mendez, 7th Grade, HMS



Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Do you believe that you can go into another dimension? Well you should; let me tell you about this book called Coraline. It's a mind blowing, heart-stopping, nightmares-having book. If you like weird and mysterious kinds of books this is the book for you. Hurry up and check this book out!
~Aaron Sautter, 7th Grade, HMS

The Clique by Lisi Harrison

The Clique, by Lisi Harrison, is a good book for young teenagers that can actually learn about what happens in the real world for girls. It's very funny, that makes you want to die out of your seat laughing. Also, it has some romance between lots of people in this book. Claire, the new girl, who just moved to Westchester, New York, and is now attending Octavian Day School, doesn't know how to fit in with all the other girls there. Massie Block, the queen bee of the shcool, makes Claire have a very hard time at school. Claire tries to go through it anyways, and fit in as much as she can, so she can be the next Massie Block. Or at least try to be as close as that. If she keeps wearing those white Keds and raggedy clothes of hers, she will never fit in, and will always be the outsider. But, sooner or later, Claire finds out how to sabotage Massie and the rest of her crew, and have some new rules for the school. Then she will finally be popular and fit in; the dream she has always wished for.
~Alex Abel, 7th Grade, HMS

Zach's Lie by Roland Smith

Zach's Lie was a very interesting book with a lot of action and suspense. It is great for almost any age in middle school and early high school. Much of it is just action and fighting. The book talks a lot about keeping secrets and family. This book was probably one of the best books I've ever read. It has about 215 pages but I read it in about two days because I just couldn't put it down. I really recommend this book to anyone who likes teen fighting and terrorist warfare. It was a great book and you will not regret reading it.
~Joseph Heeter, 7th Grade, HMS

Ms. Heather's Note: I haven't read this title, but I loved Roland Smith's book Peak!