Gordon Korman

{My thoughts} – Cameron Boxer is a rather interesting character. He is a typical middle school boy that enjoys being lost in video games and ignoring the world around him. He is so caught up in his lifestyle as a video gamer that he doesn’t realize all the things that are going on around him. He doesn’t realize how much he is missing out on and how much he could be a help around their small town.

Cameron is home playing video games when his mom tells him that she is going out and he needs to get some food out of the oven in ten minutes. He’d heard part of what she had told him but wasn’t listening. The fire department ends up bursting through their front door when the neighbors call because of massive dark smoke coming out of the windows of the house.

Cameron is so into his game that he doesn’t even realize that the fire department is there. After that incident, his parents end up rather upset with him and tell him he needs to find something else to spend his time doing or he won’t be able to ever play video games again.

Cameron and his friends come up with the idea for the P.A. G. {Positive Action Group} and they put it into play. The object is that he becomes the president of a group of children that do good for the community. His parents fall for his plan hook line and sinker. However, his sister isn’t on board of what he is saying and goes about making things much more difficult for him.

Instead of him being able to sit around and do what he wants like play video games. He and his friends are actually forced into helping the community. Cameron got more then he had bargained for when it came to his sister figuring things out. However, in the end everyone that was involved in the P.A.G. had gotten way more then they bargained for when trying to, and or actually joining the club.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I can imagine it is how a lot of children would like to pass their time. Sitting around playing video games. One of the most unproductive things a child can do. However, the more I read the book the more I got lost in the story. It was really nice to see a child with no ambition sort of come out of their shell. Cameron needed a lot of help and had to be nudged in the right directions, but in the end it turned out that he sort of had the right idea when he’d made the P.A.G. even if it had all been a way to pull a fast one over on his parents.

This is a fun book to read and I am sure that many children to come will enjoy the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series soon.… (more)

{My thoughts} – Donovan Curtis is a bit of an instigator. He and his two best friends like to cause trouble at their middle school. His two friends like to watch him cause trouble and then take off before they can get in trouble with him.

His latest trouble making lands him in deep water with the superintendent of the school district. However, before he can get punished he gets sent home since the superintendent needed to deal with the mass mayhem he caused.

By some miracle Donovan gets transfered to the school for the gifted and uses it to hide from his problems. However, it’s not quite working in his favor since he’s no where’s near as smart as the other kids in the school. He sort of sticks out like a sore thumb.

If you’d like to know what happens with Donovan you’ll need to read the book. I found it to be a rather enjoyable read. I also look forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book for any child as its a fun read that has the potential to teach a couple of life lessons while it’s being read.… (more)

{My thoughts} – There have been many books written about bullying and the effects that it has on those that have been bullied. This book is a bit different. It is about a boy named Chase and his two friends Bear and Aaron and how their actions led to a student being transfered out of their school and sent to a boarding school. However, Chase had a fall over the summer and he doesn’t remember anyone or most things. It caused him to have amnesia and it gave him a second chance to change his ways. A chance to be good and to show that people can change.

I really enjoys this books. It is written through the perspective of most of the main characters and it is very much intriguing. The book pulled me into it’s story after the first chapter. I think that many children and adults alike can benefit from reading a book like this and I highly recommend it for that reason.… (more)

{My Thoughts} – I like that this series is written though different authors. It will definitely help to keep things fresh.

Amy, Dan and their Au Pair, Nellie, head off to Europe in search of more Ben Franklin and Mozart clues. The siblings have an interesting plan in order to obtain all the clues that are needed to solve the ending mystery. They are under the belief that as long as they are with Nellie they will succeed and I can’t say I disagree with them, but I can say they have some rough travels.

Amy and Dan have a few brushes with death in this book as they did in the first. They also have some run-ins with the police, and many of their insane must defeat all and get clues to keep to themselves relatives. They siblings however, prove to be quite resourceful and are capable of keeping up with the rest of their relatives even though they don’t have all the perks of being rich and having everything pretty much handed to them.

I like that they are part of a non-privileged class in a sense and that they are overcoming those that assume to be greater. I kind of makes me think of Harry Potter. Orphaned children, overcoming the odds, defeating those that would otherwise be considered evil. It really is turning out to be a wonderful series to read and I can’t wait to pass it onto my children. This series is kind of making me want to finish reading or re-start the Harry Potter series. I don’t know for sure yet, I do have a load of books to read before that can happen.

I do think that this is a must read book for anyone that enjoyed the National Treasure Movie Series and Harry Potter even Sta Wars quite honestly. They all seem to have a little something of each in common. Main thing being the whole main characters are orphaned. It might be just what you need to read if you want different but similar takes on the stories you have read or heard before.… (more)