Student Voices – Page 14 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Antagonists from Christian, 8th grade

July 22, 2018August 22, 2017 by Kellee

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Antagonists

from Christian U., 7th grade (now 8th grade!!)

1. Queen Wasp from The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

Queen Wasp attempts to convince Steven to kill his own baby for a new one from a series of dreams. Strategic, Queen Wasp really deserves a spot on the list of the best antagonists.

2. Luke from The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Luke was strategic, acting as the hero the whole book but was really the villain. With Luke being able to trick Percy into doing his dirty work, he is one of the most hated antagonists.

3. The Warden from Holes by Louis Sachar

The Warden tricks a group of kids to dig holes just for her to try and find a buried suitcase of money. Sneaky, the Warden is one of my top 10 antagonists.

4. Coastal Guard from The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

The Coastal Guard tries to fight off the experiments who try to make it to an area with others of their kind. Fearless, the Coastal Guards are actually the enemy.

5. The Animals from Frenzy by Robert Lettrick

The animals of the forest are infected and start to pick off the humans. One by one. Unstoppable, the animals kick everyone out of their way.

6. The Witches from Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin

The witches disguise themselves as school teachers just to eat their students. Strategic (and kinda gross!), the witches are surely evil antagonists.

7. Giant Cyclops from The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Giant Cyclops captures Grover and threatens to eat him up. The Giant Cyclops is fearless and will take down anyone in his path.

8. The Government in Bot Wars by J.V. Kade

The U.D. Government tries to take away Trout’s dad because he supports bots (who didn’t do anything wrong). The U.D. Government bombs bot territory and is bad to the good bots.

9. Hitler and the Nazi Party from Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Hitler affected Fredrich’s future in music and sent his dad to prison for him not following the Nazi Party. Hitler is pure evil.

10. The Poacher from Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

The poacher killed Sukari’s mother which was the reason why Sukari went to Charlie. The poacher caused many of the problems and is a dangerous antagonist.

Thank you, Christian!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Unbelievable Moments in Books [Spoilers!] from Courtney and Yasmine, 8th grade

July 22, 2018August 8, 2017 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Ten Unbelievable Moments in Books

from Courtney B. and Yasmine P., 8th grade

10. Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

When Meg betrays Apollo. Throughout the book, Meg is the sarcastic and feisty sidekick to Apollo, but at the climax of the story, she betrays him.

9. My Life with Liars by Caela Carter

At the end when all of reality is brought to Zylnn, and it really makes the reader rethink reality and humanity.

8. How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

When Nori is realsed back into the wild. Nori had cancer and was miraculously released.

7. Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato

The most unexpected character is also a pervert and is a double spy for the Illuminati. He also kidnaps his friend.

6. Into White by Randi Pink

When Toya turns Caucasian. It was very unexpected as this is something that can’t happen in real life, and the book seems realistic fiction.

5. Black Butler by Yana Toboso

The backstory of the main character is that he murdered his family and other people, and he has a demon serving him as a butler.

4. Warrior by Erin Hunter

When the unexpectedly dies making Fireheart leader (though she dies later, too!).

3. Haikyuu by Haruichi Furudate

In a match between two high school teams, Karasuno against Nekoma and the tension while reading was unbelievable.

2. The Neptune Project by Polly Holkyoke

When Nere’s mom is shot! Through the frantics of the scene, Nere’s mom is shot and is most likely dead.

1. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

At the end of Naruto when there is a literal battle to the death and even though they are all beaten up and their arms are cut off, making a sort of heart shape with blood, they still become best friends again.

Thank you, Courtney and Yasmine!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Want to Reread from Danny J., 6th grade

July 22, 2018July 25, 2017 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Ten Books I Want to Reread

From Danny J., 6th Grade

1. Legend by Marie Lu

One of my favorite books because it was suspenseful to see if Day would be able to get out. Also, because it was exciting to figure out who killed her family and what secrets the government was hiding.

2. The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

It was really suspenseful to see who would become the false prince and who would die.

3. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

It was exciting how everyone use their own power and what their plan was and if they would be able to take over.

4. The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki

It was scary how the author slowly brought out the truth of all the hospital’s events.

5. I, Q by Roland Smith

The action of them working with the government never stopped because there was always a problem to stop.

6. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The fact that she was graced with fighting/survival was cool because she could survive and fight in most situations.

7. Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

It was exciting to see what would happen to Sukari after Charlie passed away and Joey’s mom wasn’t fond of Sukari.

8. Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielsen

It was exciting to see what would happen to Nic now that so many people are after him because he has the bulla.

9. Variant by Robison Wells

It is very suspenseful to see if Ben and the other kids would make it out of the “school.”

10. Everlost by Neal Shusterman

I liked the story of him finding a way out of Everlost and all the challenges he has to face, like the Mcgill, to get out.

Thank you, Danny!

Top Ten Tuesday: Twenty Characters We Would Be Friends With from Varun & Yassine, 6th Grade, and Tyler & Pedro, 8th Grade

July 22, 2018July 18, 2017 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Ten Characters We Would Be Friends With

From Varun J. and Yassine M., 6th Grade

Varun

1. Eli from Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Because both of us are computer nerds

2. Dog Man from Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Because I love dogs.

3. Captain Underpants from Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

He would give me many laughs.

4. Alex Rider from Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

I would be interested in his work and volunteer for MI6 but not in the dangerous missions.

5. Cat in the Hat from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

We would have a good time in his flying machine and playing a lot of jokes.

Yassine

1. Greg from Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Because he is funny.

2. Oliver from Poptropica by

Because he’s adventurous.

3. Freak from Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Because he’s smart.

4. Dog Man from Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Because he’s a hero.

5. HiLo from HiLo by Judd Winick

Because he has superpowers.

Today’s Topic: Ten Characters We Would Be Friends With

From Tyler S. and Pedro G., 8th Grade

Pedro

1. HiLo from Hilo by Judd Winick

HiLo seems like a cool friend, and I like going on adventures, and HiLo goes to random places a lot.

2. Teenboat from Teenboat by Dave Roman

I would like to be Teenboat’s friend because we could go anywhere we wanted to over sea and lust chill. He seems like a cool person.

3. Bird from Bird and Squirrel by James Burks

Bird is very funny and interesting, so I would love to be his friend. He also is adventurous yet cautious.

4. Nate from Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

Nate does a lot of cool stuff, and it must be fun and interesting to be his friend.

5. Gator from Gabby and Gator by James Burks

Gator seems chill, and I love how he protects Gabby from bullies. He could help our school (or any school) with bullying.

Tyler

1. Captain Underpants from Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Because he has superpowers and could fly me around town.

2. Mal from Mal & Chad by

Mal could invent cool things for me and do my homework. (And I could play fetch with Chad.)

3. Dog Man from Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man could protect me and play with me, and we could fight crime together.

4. Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Greg and I could play video games together, and we could go to school and beat the bullies.

5. Sukari from Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

Sukari and I could climb trees together and do everything together and have fun.

Thank you, Yassine, Varun, Tyler, and Pedro!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Authors from Diego, 6th grade

July 22, 2018July 11, 2017 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Favorite Authors

From Diego P., 6th grade

1. Rick Riordan

Because of the Percy Jackson series

2. James Dashner

Because of The Maze Runner, a very good book

3. Lincoln Peirce

Because of the Big Nate series, my favorite books in elementary school

4. Lisa Bullard

Because of Turn Left at the Cow, one of my favorite books

5. Jeff Kinney

Because of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, my 2nd favorite series

6. Dav Pilkey

Because of Captain Underpants, my 3rd favorite series

7. J.K. Rowling

Because of the Harry Potter series, my favorite series

8. Len Vlahos

Because of Life in a Fishbowl which is very good

9. Jonathan Auxier

Because of Peter Nimble, one of the best books

10. Kazu Kibuishi

Because of the Amulet series, my go-to graphic novels

Thank you, Diego!

Eighty More Favorite Books From Ten of Kellee’s 2016-17 Middle School Students

July 22, 2018June 28, 2017 by Kellee

Eighty More Favorite Books From Ten More of Kellee’s 2016-17 Middle School Students

(Don’t forget to check out the Seventy Favorite Books I shared last week!)

Favorite Sci Fi and Fantasy Books from Ariana M., 6th Grade

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

This is by far my favorite fantasy book series of all time!

2. Young Elites series by Marie Lu

This is a great book. It is interesting that the main character is not necessarily good.

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This is the most sci-fi book I’ve read. It is a twisted fairy tale.

4. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Her grace is killing–what an adventure!

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

In a world where love is a disease… You can see why I love this book!

6. Black Mage series by Racheal E. Carter

My second favorite fantasy series of all time.

7. Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Best independent woman ever!

8. Slave, Warrior, Queen by Morgan Rice

A roman style fantasy where a slave becomes a hero.

9. Gone series by Michael Grant

Intense! There’s no other word to describe it except amazing.

10. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Had me crying from page 1, but it was really good.

Favorite Sci Fi and Fantasy Books from Samuel B. (1-5) & Sevian M. (6-10), 7th Grade

1. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

This book is my favorite graphic novel because of all the craziness!

2. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

This book is amazing with the action and story. This is my favorite book.

3. The Cleopatra in Space series by Mike Maihack

My second favorite series because of the plot and cool action.

4. The Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi

This series was one that’s just great to read because it just sucks you into it and you cannot stop reading them all.

5. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

This series is one of my top five because I read it over and over. I like it for the Greek mythology.

6. Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

I like it because IT IS STAR WARS!

7. Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland

This is my favorite book series! My favorite book is Escaping Peril.

8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It is an interesting story and has lots of adventure.

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth

It is so mysterious and suspenseful.

10. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

This book has a lot of action and suspense, and it is one of my favorite books to read.

Favorite Dystopian Books from Emily P., 7th Grade

1. Bot Wars by J.V. Kade

This book is so amazing and interesting! Some sappy parts made me keep reading for hours on end!

2. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

This book is so hilarious, and if you love sci-fi, you will love this book.

3. Maze Runner by James Dashner

Maze Runner is so amazing. It is written very detailed, and you’ll want to read the whole series to learn about the characters and setting.

4. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

I cannot stress this enough: This book is so addicting! This book is one of the best dystopian books out there.

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

This thrilling book is so fast paced and great! This book is so amazing!

6. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

This book puts a new perspective on testing anxiety, and it is very action-packed.

7. The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

This aquatic adventure book is so interesting and caught my attention immediately.

8. The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

This book is so good! The setting and something unique makes this book impossible to put down.

9. Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner

Eye of the Storm is an action book with huge tornadoes ripping through a city. And there is a secret!

10. Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Bees with a lethal virus are ravaging through the world. This book is placed in a ruined setting, making this book amazing!

Favorite Fiction-Action Books from Lucas D. & Aiden S., 7th Grade

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I recommend this book because of the plot. I like it because you think you know what is going to happen but then you get surprised.

2. Nightmare Escape (Dream Jumper #1) by Greg Grunberg

I like how this book takes place in someone’s dream, but what happens in the dream is more realistic than a normal dream. I highly recommend this book.

3. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

This book has so much action because of the killing and rivalry throughout the story.

4. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Insignia is a story about a boy who plays video games for money. I recommend it because the whole story is about a war that takes place in outer space, and the boy who plays for money is drafted into the military.

5. Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre

This book was very adventurous, and the main character has the drive to KILL! (Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun!)

6. Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Firefight is a book about people who gained amazing powers, and a random star showed up in the sky. There is a group called the Reckonners who try to eliminate different superhumans. This is why I recommend this book.

7. Rutabaga by Eric Colossal

Rutabaga is really funny but also includes many adventures. His pot is his best friend, and the pot helps Rutabaga. As he travels around the land, he finds challenges like giants spiders and a mother dragon.

8. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I recommend the Harry Potter series because it is full of mystery and also lots of fights. Harry potter is trying to take down the most evil wizard of all time, so there is no limit to the action.

9. Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack buys beans from a mysterious vendor, but what he doesn’t know is that the plants are killing machines! As he wanders through his garden, he discovers a growing darkness.

10. Nnewts by Doug TenNapel

As a child who could not walk yet, Herk was defenseless against his intruders because his dad was away. This begins the action.

Favorite Mystery Books from Nicholas F., 7th Grade

1. Masterminds by Gordon Korman

I picked this book because I like how kids find out something and keep going until they solve all of it.

2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I picked this book because I like how peopel are stuck in a maze and trying to get out, and no one knows why they are there.

3. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I picked this book because I like how Harry Potter is finding out more and more as the books go.

4. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

I picked this book because I like how normal people find out they have something special about them after years of not knowing.

5. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

I picked this book because I like when people are saved but still decide to fight their enemy.

6. Frenzy by Robert Lettrick

I picked this book because I like how kids just go into a forest and find out that every animals is crazy and eating humans.

7. Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry

I picked this book because I like when kids find something and know it is dangerous but want to keep going to find everything out.

8. Crossover by Kwame Alexander

I picked this book because I like basketball and how the characters find out things about his parents that he never knew.

9. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

I picked this book because I like how you don’t know what is going to happen to Ivan, but it is a happy ending.

10. Holes by Louis Sachar

I picked this book because I like how even though the character was forced into a camp with no water, he keeps trying to escape.

Favorite Books Series from Edwin C., 6th Grade

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

I loved these books because of its humor and how I could relate to it.

2. Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton

I loved this series as a kid because of all the adventure and comedy.

3. Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

I loved this series because of all the drama that happens in the books.

4. Magic Tree House by Mary Pop Osborne

May people, including me, love this series because of the history.

5. Dr. Seuss books

How can you not love Dr. Seuss books!

6. Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

I loved this series because of the mystery.

7. Bone by Jeff Smith

I loved this series because of the action.

8. Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson

I loved this series because of the inclusion of Disney and the mystery and action.

9. Smile and Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

I loved these books because of their comedy.

10. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

I loved this book because it was sad and touching.

Favorite Book Series from Brad D. (1-5) & Chris G. (6-10), 8th Grade

1. The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

This is an awesome series. Riordan gets the reader’s attention and the books stay climactic throughout which makes the series interesting, and it keeps you reading it nonstop.

2. Loot series by Jude Watson

This series by Watson is really great, and I recommend it to everyone. It has many ups and down moments, and it keeps getting better and better.

3. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Rowling created a magnificent series with Harry Potter. She build this series by adding crazy and fantastic ideas that made the series be well-loved!

4. Unwind series by Neal Shusterman

This series has had a lot of success, and it is breathtaking! It is about a dystopian world that has many massive problems that cause a huge wave.

5. Dark Life series by Kat Falls

This series is fantastic! It has a lot of adventure and deep water moments. The best thing is you cannot predict what is going to happen.

6. Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This is an amazing series–one of the best I’ve ever read. Join Nick on his adventure to keep himself from becoming something very deadly.

7. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner

This series is great! It has a couple of good movies, too, but we all know that the books are always better. See if you can escape the maze…

8. The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan

Flanagan made this magnificent series. I like this book because it is very different from most books I have read because it takes place sometime before the dark ages.

9. Magisterium series by Holly Black

This is an interesting series I read about a boy named Callum who has been told his whole life, by his father, that magic is evil. He wasn’t wrong.

10. Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

This is a book about a boy genius who discoveres things that could change the world because he made a very dangerous deal that could destroy everything he loved.

Thank you Ariana, Sevian, Samuel, Emily, Aiden, Lucas, Nicholas, Edwin, Brad, and Chris!