Say Merry Christmas with a Library Card!

There is work to be done....

Libraries....

...and a woman's!  Grow your library a little every year! 

Think of something to buy on Amazon.  If everyone buys one item, we will raise a lot of money to help grow our new Waccamaw library for the students and people of Georgetown County!  

Some ideas of things you can buy on Amazon:  gift cards, ipads, ipods, laptops, shoes, clothes, jewelry, cat scratches, toys, CDs, DVDs, calculators for students, printers, printer ink, paper, running shoes, sporting gear, golf balls, basketballs, hard-to-find anything, nintendo games, Xbox games, cameras, Kindles, Thanksgiving stuff, food processors, other kitchen stuff, nail polish, yoga pants, beach stuff, flip flops, Christmas presents, end of year teacher gift cards, groceries even! 

Is there anything you CAN'T buy from Amazon?  The new library will be gifted 6% of your total!  Be sure to click on our ads first.  Our ads really add up on our blog with a mission!  

--Top

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Hoot, by Carl Hiassen, is about a boy, Roy Eberhardt, who moves to Florida.  When he was being bullied on the bus, he sees a boy running away from the bus with no shoes, no books or no book bag.  He was very curious.  After 3 days of looking for the no shoed boy, he finally sees the boy running past the bus, so he runs and chases after the boy.  He chased the boy to a campsite where he sees a bag.  It looks like it is full of tan ropes, but when he pours the bag out it was full of cottonmouths with sparking tails.  They call the boy, Mullet Finger, because he can catch a mullet fish in his hands.  Mullet Finger and Roy get into a lot trouble through out the book.

Then a man named Officer Delino enters the story  He meets a bald man named Curly.  Curly is the site manager for Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House.   Curly reports a vandalism on his construction site.  Someone has moved the property line stakes.  This caused construction to be stooped.   Office Delino learns there are burrowing owls living in the construction site.  

What do all these things have in common?  I suggest you read this awesome book and find out.

by Jordan Bristow

6th grader at Chapin Middle School,  Chapin, South Carolina 

Good job, Jordan.  This made me feel like I really should read this book to see what it's all about!  --Top 

Buy Hoot here and help build our new library! 

READING gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are.  Keep reading!

100 Best Children's Chapter Books of All Time

Really great website! Shows jacket cover and a little paragraph describing each book.  Super list if you're out of ideas on what to read!  100 Best Children's Chapter Books of All Time

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

Have you ever read an awesome book that seems like the story should never end?  Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer, is one of those.  Eoin is the author of many books and series, but his most famous is the Artemis Fowl series, now containing 8 books.  The Last Guardian, his latest novel, fits my definition of a book that should never end for many reasons; however, three really tand out. 

First, The Last Guardian has amazing characters, good and bad, that all contribute to the plot.  Artemis, Butler, and Holly are the main characters and they are all the kind of characters that a reader can become attached to.  Artemis is a rich, teen-genius who discovered a subterranean fairy species that use magic and have been hiding from humans ever since the fairy-human wars that drove them underground.  Butler, Artemis’s personal bodyguard and closest friend is another amazing person with all of his military know-how and weaponry skill.  Holly, the first fairy that Artemis captured, is now Artemis’s close friend and will follow him, and Butler, through time and space.  All of these characters, and many more other splendid people, make this novel one of the best I have ever read. 

The huge amount of ingenuity from the author is another reason that this plot is breathtaking. Every time you think that the good guys are going to win, another twist is added, making you on the edge of your seat not knowing what will happen next.  My favorite example is when Opal Koboi, the “supervillian” in the story, puts her own past self in danger so that she can become more powerful.  She does this by tricking Artemis with his own smartness.  He thinks that putting her in a natural nuclear reactor will keep her from blowing everything up, which is what happens when your past self gets destroyed, but really it turned her into the most powerful being on the planet.  What a twist!

The final reason that I wanted this book to go on forever is the fact that so many different characters with all of their different situations are described.  Artemis has his own feelings and plans in most parts, and the reader gets a look into the future through those.  Then in the next chapter, another character's mind is peered into, revealing his or her suspicions and ideas about what is going on, sometimes completely ignorant of another person’s thoughts!  Another thing that happened often is that another person’s situation, an entirely different one, is explained in his or her mind.  In this way the reader can use many different parts of the world to put together the whole plot.

Clearly, reading a novel such as The Last Guardian with great characters, ingenuity, and many different situations makes a plot that you'll never want to end.  I definitely, without a doubt, recommend the Artemis Fowl Series.  You will really enjoy the characters and will ask for more!

--Top Lee, 8th grade, Pawleys Island

Buy this awesome book now from Amazon and help build our NEW LIBRARY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I.Q. Books 1 & 2

I.Q. book one and two are awesome novels by Roland Smith.  These books are for adventurous readers and kids who love reading about the secret service and other mysteries!  I.Q. books are also good for school reports and projects.  I don't know about other Roland Smith books but I bet they are good also, because of the great experience I had with the I.Q. books.  So if you are bored of reading the same old mystery books then consider reading I.Q. books one and two!



Rucheer Dave
Duke T.I.P. 4-6
Antioch Elementary
Charlotte, North Carolina


Another great submission!  I think things are really starting to pick up now that school is on the horizon!
p.s.  A teacher wrote this comment about the I.Q. books - I have ten copies of I,Q One and I,Q Two in my classroom. Once school starts I never see them again until the final week of school (when I collect the books). Students love the suspense and the clever characterization. I love all the literary elements that make this a perfect read for 10-15 year olds!! We are all highly anticipating the Kitty Hawk addition. Please, please, hurry!!!

67 Books to Read Before You're 10

Thought everyone would like this article from Wired:
67 Books to Read to Your Kids Before They are 10

Please share this website with your friends and family.

Help build our new library!!!

12-year-old buys B-17 flight with 1,392 Eggs!

 I know this isn't a book review, but my friend Seth up in NC just did the coolest thing by selling 116 dozen eggs from his very own chicken farm!  Click the play button above to watch his 2-minute video.  Awesome, Seth!!

Evergreen

                          It all started one Tuesday morning in April...

            

                I woke up to find my mom and dad sitting on my bed

                talking in hushed voices.  They saw I had woken up and my

                mom said, "Good morning sweetie!  I'm afraid you won't be

                going to school today."  "Why?" I asked. "Because," my dad said

                "you have a very high fever." That's when I noticed the lilies.

                My favorite lilies had wilted and the leaves were falling off.  I

                gasped and started to cry.  "What's wrong?" My dad asked.

                "Look." I sobbed and pointed to the lilies. "Oh..." he said. "I

                guess you forgot to water them."No!" I cried.  I did it last night!"

                          Later when I was feeling better and the fever was

                 gone,  I went up to my room and saw that the lilies were all

                 better and the petals were white and the leaves were a

                 beautiful green.  Weird,I thought...

                                    "Mom!" I called.She came up the stairs and I showed her 

                           the flowers.  "What happened?" I asked."Maybe your father got 

                           you new ones" she said. "Maybe,"  I said, but that's not what I thought...

                            

                                                        Violet Robertson
                                                            6th Grade
                                                   Kimberton Waldorf School
                                                           Pennsylvania

                                                       Great short, short story, Violet!  Keep up the cool mystery writing!

There is no enjoyment like READING!

Where I am From

Where I Am From

I am from pecan trees
and many dogs.
From big blue bedrooms
and video games.
I am from many friends
spending the night and
staying up late.
From fresh picked apples
and giant steaks.
I am from the big
white house with all
the trees.
From riding 4-wheelers in
the mud.
From my grandpa taking
me to the park every weekend.
I am from Monopoly and
race cars.
From smoothies and riding
bikes with friends.
I am from my new born sister.
Her tender skin and soft eyes.
From basketball and baseball
games.
I am from the world
all around me.
From running head on
into whatever's next.

Zach McKinley
8th grade
Lowcountry Prep School
Pawleys Island SC

Zach, awesome poem!  TL

Google Search Tips

Search Tips 

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Announcing this year's recipient!

Little Squirrel Book Review is proud to announce that this year's recipient of our ad commissions will be the Friends of the Waccamaw Library for our new library!  

Please click on our Amazon ads and then shop for everything you need on Amazon.  The new Waccamaw Library will get 100% of our ad commissions - which average about 6% of everyone's total.  Our ads add up on our blog with a mission!!!!  Last year we gave almost $600 to the Mitney Project in Georgetown.  Let's see how much we can raise this year for our library!!! 

HELP BUILD OUR NEW LIBRARY!!!  

TEACHERS and STUDENTS:  send us your writing!  See your name in lights!  

THE MITNEY PROJECT

Our final total for The Mitney Project is $547.51!!!  The Little Squirrel Book Review blog will be donating this total to the Lowcountry Preparatory School's Student Council who will be presenting the gift to The Mitney Project!  THANK YOU for your clicks!!!!  Keep sending us your writing over the summer!
Top Lee '17, editor

Our Service Project Raised $547.51!!!

Thank you to all of our parents and friends who clicked through our blog and helped us raise $547.51 for this year's service project recipient, The Mitney Project in Georgetown, South Carolina!

Keep clicking through to Amazon!!!  Any advertising commissions raised over the summer will be applied to the 2012-13 school year's service project!!!!

THANK YOU and please send in your student writing for us to publish.

Sullie Saves the Seas

Happy Earth Day, everybody!  This Friday, the author of Sullie Saves the Seas is speaking to our school!  We're so excited to meet Mrs. McLaren!  I read Sullie Saves the Seas, and I think you'll really like it, too.  In each chapter, Sullie and his friends return all the garbage left on the beach to the rude people who left it there.  It's really funny, but I learned a lot about the trash that hurts our ocean and all the animals.  You can buy it here from Amazon.  I think it would make a great summer book for most kids.  My mom liked it, too.   --Top

The Adventures of a Minecraftian

Today I am posting a story that I am in the process of writing.  If you guys have any book reviews, stories, or anything that you have written, send it in!!
Top Lee, Editor
p.s  Check out this awesome boxed set for The Hunger Games!!!

The Adventures of a Minecraftian

     I am the first inhabitant of this world. I am stuck inside this blocky world, and the only thing I live for is to vanquish the evil that inhabits this world. This may never happen, or it might happen when I am long dead and gone. If it is the case, and you find this journal, please follow my trail so I may finally have a brother/sister, or that you can find the rest of my my legacy by my eternal resting place. This is the start of my legacy, one that I will finish before I finally go into the void.

     I woke up one morning, dreading the thought of going to my school like I do every day of my repetitive life. I thought I heard a noise near me, so I turned over and pretended to be sleeping. Suddenly, I felt a breeze on my face.

    “Mom, please shut the window” I grumbled drowsily. No response. I said it again this time cracking my eyelids just a bit. I suddenly noticed bright sunlight in my face and warmth all over me. I opened my eyes wide, and when I noticed I was not in my bed, I sat up really fast. Not a good idea because there was a large rock overhang right above me. 

      “Owwww” I shouted into the air. Then I thought, When has there ever been rock in my bedroom? I stood up, slowly this time, and started blinking in the bright sunlight of early morning. Where am I? I whispered to myself. All around me there was beautiful water, large overgrown trees, and a few random animals, like pigs, cows, and even some sheep. The weirdest thing of all was that every single, beautiful thing in this world was a block! 

      I walked around for a little while, just taking in my surroundings, before I realized it was getting dark...fast. I went over to a tree and thought to myself, I need to make a shelter before nightfall. After looking at the tree for a while, I got mad at it and punched it! Suddenly, it made a popping sound and a miniature version of the tree block popped into the sack that suddenly appeared on my back! I looked in my new sack, and I saw the little tree block. I took it out and tried my new punching power on this little tree, and it popped into four little wooden “plank” blocks. I tried hitting them again, but nothing happened. I tried a little pattern and two of them turned into four sticks! I called this my crafting power. 

Continued on the "longer stories" tab.....click here..... 

The Taiga Biome

The Taiga Biome

Jake Hoffman

7th grade, Waccamaw Middle School 

        A biome is a large, distinctive complex of plant communities created and maintained by climate. There are 8 biomes across the continent, but more than 150 different “eco-regions”. The Taiga is the largest biome and the second coldest biome in the world covering 11% of the earth’s surface.  It goes across a broad area of North America, Europe and Asia to the southern border of the arctic tundra.  The Taiga is also known as the coniferous or boreal forest. The latitude and longitude of Taiga is 50 degrees north latitude to the Arctic Circle (approximately 50 degrees to 60 degrees north latitude).  It is defined by its northern and southern borders only, so longitude is not used to define its location. Much of the Taiga was once covered with glaciers, but as the glaciers disappeared lakes and streams began to form in the cuts and depressions left in the landscape.  

The Taiga has interesting weather.  Long, cold winters and short, wet summers are typical of the region.  In the winter, the Taiga is covered in a blanket of snow with lakes and streams frozen because of sub-zero temperatures for 6 – 7 months.  Temperatures can drop below -76 degrees F in the winter and in the summer reach 180 degrees F.  This type of harsh climate results in few people and animals being able to survive in the Taiga.

The Taiga doesn’t have as many animal and plant species as tropical forest biomes.  It has millions of insects in the summer and birds migrate there to feed and nest. Most of the animals that live in the Taiga are predators and carnivores, like the lynx, wolf, moose, fox, etc. Not many plants can survive there either. The orchid is one and the most common trees are conifers or cone bearing trees one of which is the Balsam Fir. 

There are a few large cities in the southern parts of the Taiga, such as Moscow and Toronto, but most of the Taiga is unpopulated with humans.  There are only a few native people who still live in the Taiga.  The major industries include logging and mining; however, this also results in soil depletion.

            The environment of the Taiga is destroyed little by little every day by both nature and humans.  Forest fires caused by lightning, parasites causing disease to the trees and logging are just a few.  The Taiga is damaged every day by things that affect many of the world’s biomes, like acid rain caused by pollution.  Animals of the Taiga are being hunted and trapped for fur and many fish have mercury poisoning.

 Soil depletion happens when crops and trees are removed from the soil, and then the soil gets washed away.  This takes about five years to naturally fix.  The trees and crops that are removed usually affect the wildlife that lives in the Taiga.

Animals of the Taiga are mostly predators like the Lynx, Bobcat, Mink, Ermine and Wolverines.  Wolverines are members of the weasel family and are very territorial and they are known as gluttons eating just what they need and they burying it only to come back later to eat it.  Although, the wolverine may look like a weasel or a small bear, it is actually not much larger than a Cocker Spaniel or Beagle dog.  Wolverines weigh about 30-40 pounds and 3 to 4 feet long and brown in color with two pale stripes down its back.  But, the wolverine is deceptive. They are one of the strongest animals relative to their size.   The wolverine originates from Canada, but has moved throughout the world after breeding. 

 The wolverine is a nocturnal animal and is known for its large feet which are equipped with pads and sharp claws that can dig into the heavy snow and ice to propel them across the frozen ground, as well as their piranha-like teeth.  They seek caribou herds during migration and feed off the carcasses that bears and wolves leave behind using their strong jaws to crush the bones.  Wolverines can be found not only in Taiga, but in the Tundra and boreal forests in the northern parts of North American, Asia and Europe.  They prefer to be where there are no humans.

            When the wolverine seeks food, it isn’t always about meat, as it is an omnivore during the summer months and feeds on wild berries and edible roots.  The wolverine isn’t a cold blood killer either; it protects others in need and brings them food at times.  Usually the wolverine doesn’t live in groups, but it can have pups and it feels the need to protect them. This is a strange and interesting animal and it is not a coincidence that it lives in the Taiga.  This biome has what the wolverine needs to survive. The wolverine’s only handicap is that is has poor eyesight.

             Unlike other biomes, the Taiga has less plant life.  The most common trees that can be found are what are called cone-bearing trees, like the Balsam Fir. The Balsam Fir is the third most common tree in the Taiga.  It is also the tallest tree in the Taiga and it can grow 40 to 80 feet high. It looks like one of the trees many of us may use for Christmas, but it has tougher bark.  Its bark is sometimes used to fashion hunting knives for people who hunt in the Taiga. The Balsam Fir is home to a lot of animals too.  Some of the animals that live in it are squirrels, mice, birds, raccoons, and voles. Small plant life like orchids also grows beneath the heavy branches of the tree.

            The Balsam Fir can also be found in practically all other biomes of the world.  The Balsam Fir has dark green needles and no leaves.  The needles have a waxy coating that keeps the trees warm in the winter, letting ice and snow slide off it easily.  The same foliage keeps the tree cool in the summer months by deflecting heat.  The large trees block the treacherous winds, rain and snow providing protection for other small plant and animal life in the Taiga.   One of the dangers of much of the plant life in the Taiga, including the Balsam Fir is fires, insects, and pesticides. 

            The Balsam Fir is a tree that can show its adaptation.  Growing new leaves, or needles, takes a lot of energy and the frozen winter ground doesn’t allow for trees to get enough water.   Those thin, waxy needles limits water loss through transpiration (the passing of water through a plant from the roots through the vascular system to the atmosphere) allowing the Balsam Fir just what it needs to survive.  The trees can also grow taller when the weather is warmer and nutrients from the decay on the forest floor can be soaked up by the trees.  Also those trees that are closer to streams or water grow faster as well.                  

Studying the variety of differences of biomes across the world has been an interesting and exciting process.  Saving the world and all of its ecosystems are of great importance to the future generations of the world.

Jake's diagrams and photos didn't show up on the blog, but we really like your essay!  Great work, dude!   - Top

Read about us in The Navigator!

Great news!  Little Squirrel Book Review is going to be featured in the spring edition of Duke University's Navigator which gets mailed to 60,000 families!  Please "like" us while you're visiting. 


Thank you for continuing to support our service project!!!  Thanks to you clicking through on our ads, we've raised over $500 our service project!!!! 

Choose Joy! We made it to $500!

The 7th and 8th graders left for Disney World today, so I'm filling in for Top to share the great news that we made it to $500 today!  Thank you to all of our shoppers and our student writers!  

The Giver

            The characters in the novel, The Giver by Lois Lowry, have been introduced to a life that contains the most meaningless of feelings and the dullest hues in the color spectrum. They only know of emotions that are inspired by dreams and daily experiences, and they’re traditionally accustomed to sharing these emotions with family and peer groups. Citizens in the community are not aware of the concept of secrecy or introversion. The only people that keep to themselves and have sentiment outside of physical interaction, are the Giver and Jonas. As much as they would like to share the warmth of color, the two cannot, as it is a requirement in their training to never speak over their memory transfers. Within his own friend group, Jonas is almost like a flamingo in a flock of pigeons. He recognizes the importance of color, sound and deep feelings. Others have accepted an existence of blandness and raw emotion.

            The effect that color can have on people is greatly expressed throughout this novel. Jonas is aware that life can be more than just different shades of gray; the Giver tries to give him that sort of life. Red evokes pain and love for Jonas, which greatly confuses him based on how different the two feelings are. Green provides a sense of birth and creativity through its bright shimmer. Blue calms Jonas but also sets him closer to depression. Yellow bathes him in the warmth of curiosity. And the most fascinating color to Jonas is white.

At the beginning of the Receiver’s training white represents the snow that brings him recreational joy. That first wonderful snow ride with the cool air whipping against his face and the bundles of powder being churned up underneath the sled’s runners. The memory of snowfall excites Jonas greatly. Then towards the end of the story his passion for white spirals downward into a negative connotation. White is the final color he sees before he dies with Gabriel wrapped in his arms. The pounding, freezing, buckets of snow coming down on him. He is reminded of the danger that some of the best memories can carry. During his final moments the chilling weather and blaring shards of ice overwhelm him. The bright thoughts of yellow sunshine and orange embers escape him. On the brink of death, our main character learns that color can be just as malevolent as it is magnificent. Elegance cannot fully veil malignity; Atrocity cannot cover benevolence. A pretty face can have an ugly attitude, too.

Sameness protects the citizens of the community from the dangers of color, yet it still shields them from the possibility of long-standing joy. Dreams could actually mean something if people could imagine the retro colors of the galaxy and the earthy hues of our planet. People’s expressions could change with the pigments on their face. Sound could also play a new part in the way they think on a standard basis. Music would feed them with new ideas and strange outlooks on life. The government doesn’t agree with the joys of color and music, though. They believe that it inspires rebellious mindsets and wildly inventive aspiration. Jonas knows in his mind that this is far from being correct. For nobody can change overnight, but he is willing to put forth the knowledge that will give every pigeon the feathers of a flamingo. There is nothing wrong with standing out and showing off unique talent. With a good ear for melody and a distinct eye for natural beauty, the Receiver will straighten a path for the members of the community to lead a better future


by Simon Shore, 8th grade, Lowcountry Prep School

Buy The Giver here and 6% of your total will support our mission!

The Dragon Keepers

The Dragon Keepers Series

If you want to start reading a great series, I suggest reading The Dragon Keepers series by Kate Klimo. I’ve only read the first two, but so far I really like them.

The first book is called The Dragon in the Sock Drawer. In the beginning, Jesse and his cousin Daisy walk through the mountains one day and find a thunder rock. Their uncle who loves rocks know that there are crystals inside, so he tries to break it open, but when that doesn’t work even with his strongest saw, he gives it to Jesse to keep. Then a dragon pops out of the thunder rock! Finally they discover a magical website where a professor teaches them to take care of Emmy their dragon.

Even though the first book was good, the second one was even better! The second book is called The Dragon in the Driveway. First, they find a magic shovel that digs a hole to an abandoned mine. Then they find the children of the earth who need a golden pick ax to free their queen. After they free the queen, their adventures really begin!

You should read this book to find out what happens next. The next book is Dragon in the Library, and I can’t wait until I read it!

by Anna Ross Lee, 3rd grade, Waccamaw Elementary

You can buy the books right here, and 6% of your total will help support The Mitney Project!!!! Cool!!!!!

The Little Prince

This is a book about Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a pilot who crash lands and is stranded in the desert where he comes across a little boy who asks for nothing more than for Antoine to draw him a sheep. Though it seemed like a simple, even silly, request, Antoine obliges, thus creating a friendship between him and the boy called the Little Prince.

The boy tells Antoine of his world and how it is only large enough for him and his vain flower, whom he left to try and discover new friends. The Little Prince travels to hundreds of different worlds and planets, never finding what he wants. Until he came here.

On Earth, he meets many creatures and creates bonds and friendships with each of them. Until he meets Antoine. Antoine listens intently to the boys stories and adventures, and realizes that he needed this relief:  a relief from all the adults who do nothing but work or are depressed. The Little Prince inspires confidence and compassion back into Antoine's heart.

Reading The Little Prince tugs on your heart strings. It is a novel that changes your perspective to that of a young boy with hopes and dreams beyond the moon and stars.

by  Avery McMillen, 8th Grade, Lowcountry Prep School

Buy it now and support our mission!