Escape From Slavery

"The true story of my ten years in captivity- and my journey to freedom in America."

-Francis Bok

Written by: Francis Bok with Edward Tivnan

Pages: 278

My Rating 1-5 Stars:

4 stars

non-fiction

This is a book full of struggles, slavery, genocide, faith, hope, and many more

things in Francis Bok's escape to slavery. It was a normal day in 1986,

Francis was told by his mother to go to the market to sell eggs and peanuts.

What he didn't know was that day would also be the day he became a slave. This book is a captivating

story about how he became a free man. Today, Francis lives in Boston and has made many speeches

in American for the American Anti-Slavery Group.

I had to read this book for a summer assignment for my Civics class and I am very gratefull to my

teacher who assigned it. It has got me to participate in the student S.T.A.N.D organization. It has

also got me to go on freerice.com, which is a vocabulary learning website that donates rice to Sudan.

The book is a great read for every young adult out there. They need to know what is happening in Sudan

and they need to know more about genocide.

The Book Thief

Written by: Markus Zusak

My Ratting 1-5 stars:

4.75 stars

fiction

Leisel is an orphan living with her foster parents, the Hubermann in the time of the Holocaust. Her younger brother was supposed to be with her but he sadly died on the train traveling to the Hubermann's home. While living with the Hubermanns she becomes friends with many people including a boy who loves Jesse Jackson and would die to get a kiss from Leisel. She starts up a habit of stealing... books! She steals the first book from her brothers burial ceremony, even though she can't read. As the war goes on Death is becoming over worked and the Hubermanns take in another foster child ( I guess you could call him that), the only problem is that he has to hide in the basement because he's Jewish. This story is full of love, friendship, tears, and laughs.

This book was definitely a different type of book. It's written in a unordinary way that challenges your mind to see the world and humans in Death's view point. It was a little confusing in the beginning but it became less confusing as you read.

I read this book during a 12 hour trip and I couldn't direct my attention from the book to the portable DVD player in the car. It is a great book that gives you a great outlook on the Holocaust and the people that hid Jews to keep the Nazis from taking them to Auschwitz.

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (The Movie)

Staring: Ewan McGregor, Alex Pettyfer, Alicia Silverstone, and Mickey Rouke

Alex Rider is not your average fourteen year old. After his uncle dies he becomes a MI6 Special Operations Agent. After going through intense training he is immediatelyassigned to go undercover. He is to finish the work of another agent that was killed by the infamous contract-killer Yassen Gregorovich. While staying at Sayle Enterprises in Cornwall, England he discovers that the generous donation of thousands of the newest hi-tech computers to schools all through out England might be a disguise for something far more horrific. Can Alex stop this from happening or will he arrive a second too late??

I'm more into writing reviews for books than movies. But since I have seen this movie and I thought that you will enjoy watching it as much as you did reading the book, I thought to tell you about it. The movie is not as good as the book, naturally. However, it is very good and is probably one of my favorites. The movie has changed the story a little but it didn't change it so much that the story was ruined. It does keep your attention and it has a lot of action including some suspense. I loved the movie and I definitely recommend this movie to everyone that is an Alex Rider fan.

Stormbreaker (The novel)

Written by: Anthony Horowitz

Pages:192

My Rating 1-5 Stars:

5 Stars

fiction

Alex Rider is not your average fourteen year old. After his uncle dies he becomes a MI6 Special Operations Agent. After going through intense training he is immediately assigned to go undercover. He is to finish the work of another agent that was killed by the infamous contract-killer Yassen Gregorovich. While staying at Sayle Enterprises in Cornwall, England he discovers that the generous donation of thousands of the newest hi-tech computers to schools all through out England might be a disguise for something far more horrific. Can Alex stop this from happening or will he arrive a second too late??

I could read this book forever. It is such a great book that you will never want the story to end. (But you don't have to worry the story continues in the sequel Point Blanc). All I have got to stay about this book is that James Bond better watch out because Alex Rider is the new double'0 seven.

If I said any more I would have to give away too much of the story. But if you read it and would like to discuss it with me please email me at bookreviewmaniac@gmail.com.

Ana's Story

Written by Jenna Bush

Photos by Mia Baxter

Pages: 243

My rating 1-5 Stars:

4 stars

non-fiction

This book is about a seventeen year old girl, Ana. Ana has had a rough life she been abused, her mother died so long ago that Ana could only remember her mother's face by looking at an old photo. Did I mention that she is HIV positive? That is one of a few secrets that she doesn't tell her friends, because she is afraid that they will not want to be friends. Later on in her life she meets a boy, Berto. He is one of the few that Ana told her secrets to. Telling Berto her secrets was a step toward a new beginning and a new life.

"This book is based on the story of Ana's childhood and adolescence as she told it to me. It is a mosaic of her life, using words instead of broken tile to create an image of her past and a framework for her future."

- Jenna Bush

I thought this was an amazing book about hope. It really gave me another perspective on HIV/AIDS. It was a very short great read. I read it in under an hour. I am really glad that I chose this book for my world novel english assignment.

One thing that did upset me is that when I told my teacher that I was going to read this book, so many people were like isn't Jenna Bush, the Presidents daughter. Then I heard them say that the book would be the worst in the world. I was appalled that they decided in their head that just because they didn't like President Bush that Jenna Bush is just as bad. Well I give President Bush a lot of credit for running the country. Just like I give Jenna a lot of credit for writing this wonderful book about love, pursuit of happiness and courage. I recommend this book to everyone, who wants to see the world through the eyes of a HIV positive seventeen year old girl and learn more about the work of UNICEF.

I Am The Messenger

Written by: Markus Zusak

Pages: 357

My Rating 1-5 stars:

4.5 stars

fiction

Ed Kennedy is not the type of guy that you would notice right away in a crowd. Ed's living a normal life, he's in love with a girl that thinks of him as just a good friend, and he works as an underage cabdriver. His life is full of routine and is very ordinary, untill he stops a bank robbery.

Everyone who reads the newspaper now knows him as Ed Kennedy, the guy who stopped the bank robbery. Thats when he gets the first ace in his mail box. On the ace there are three addresses and times.

This is when Ed starts thinking of himself as the messenger. He carries "messages" to people that need his help. As he is delivering these "messages" he can't help but wonder who is the person that orders him to give these "messages" to people in need.

I couldn't put this book down. It is full of adventure, love and parts where you can't help to laugh out loud. I rated this book a 4.5 because of how Markus Zusak grabed my attention at the very first sentence. The reason I didn't rate it a 5 was because in my opinion a 5 is a book that you could read over and over again without getting bored of the book. I would recremend this book to anyone who loves an easy read that covers all sorts of genres like adventure, mystery, comedy and even romance.

A warning to any one who is going to read the book:

Make sure you have the time to finish it when you start because at the first sentence you will be fully immersed in the life of Ed Kennedy.