Stormbreak by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz (2000). Stormbreaker. New York: Penguin Group Inc, “speak”

Alex Rider’s life is thrown after his uncle Ian Rider dies in a mysterious “car accident.” When Alex goes to investigate, his life is changed forever.

New York Times #100 Children’s Bestseller

California Young Reader Medal, 2005

Alex Rider is a normal 14-year-old boy living in London with his uncle Ian Rider until his uncle dies in a “car accident” while not wearing his seatbelt. Alex Rider knows his uncle would never travel anywhere without his seatbelt, so he goes to find his uncle’s car to investigate, and gets drawn into working with MI6 on the case that killed his uncle.

This is the first book in a long series about Alex Rider and his adventures with MI6. I am excited to read the rest of this series, as it was well written and engaging. My brothers have long been fans of this series, and we recently found out the first book was made into a movie, so I decided to read it before we watched the movie together, and was happy with the book. It is an easy read, but is a nice entertaining break from school work!

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Cormier, Robert (1974). The Chocolate War. New York: Random House, Inc.

Jerry Renault faces the decision of going along with his “assignment” or defying The Vigils. He asks himself the question posted in his locker: “Do I dare disturb the universe?”

“Do I dare disturb the universe?

Yes, I do, I do. I think.

Jerry suddenly understood the poster-the solitary man on the beach standing upright and alone and unafraid, poised at the moment of making himself heard and known in the world, the universe” (pg. 196).

Jerry Renault is a freshman who just wants to fit in and make the freshman football team. This all changes when he is chosen by The Vigils for an “assignment.” At first he is reluctant and embarrassed by his assignment, then the line from the poster in his locker won’t leave his mind and he wonders what he should do. “Do I dare disturb the universe?”

This was an interesting book about a bunch of young boys who are just trying to fit in at their school, but one boy, Jerry Renault, takes things a bit farther when he defies the boys who “run” the school. It was really interesting to see how far Jerry would go to defy The Vigils. It was a realistic fiction book and it is sad to think that there are some kids who have to endure that ‘torture’ at the hands of their peers. Archie was particularly interesting, because he was the ‘leader’ and almost fell from power but worked his way back on top, and it was kind of shocking what he does and does not learn from his experiences.

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Garden, Nancy (1982). Annie on My Mind. United States: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Liza and Annie have just met, yet they know there is already something special about their relationship.

ALA “Best of the Best Books for Young Adults”

School Library Journal - 100 most influential books of the 20th century

1982 Booklist Reviewer’s Choice

1982 ALA Best Books

Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement

Annie on My Mind. That is what Liza thinks of during her trustees’ hearing, but she is still confused by what she feels. Liza is a normal 17 year old girl living in Brooklyn Heights going to Foster Academy. She is Student Council president and excels in school, always receiving high marks. However, during her Senior year, things start to go downhill. First with a rule violation, then the problem (as seen by Mrs. Poindexter, headmistress) that she has “Annie on My Mind.”