Book Review: Go Big or Go Home

In Go Big or Go home, another book by the author Will Hobbs,We find Brady Steele, a teenage boy living in the Black Hills of South Dakota,with a meteorite crashing through his bedroom roof. He later goes to sleep while holding it only to wake up to find that he has been drooling all over it the day before Brady's cousin, Quinn comes to visit. In the week that follows Brady discovers that he can do strange and amazing feats that shouldn't even be humanely possible. He quickly realizes that he can do this because he was infected by long dormant microbes living on his meteorite that activated when he drooled all over it while sleeping. Unfortunately, Brady's new found skills had a dark side. The microbes started to shut down to protect themselves from Brady's immune system. This meant that as the microbes shut down, so did Brady. Once his body went completely dormant everyone thought he was dead so an  autopsy was to be performed to find out how he "died" when Brady wasn't dead. Fortunately, Quinn, Brady's neighbors the Carvers, and the meteor scientist know this so the come and rescue Brady from the autopsy table. They bring him to a cave that Brady and Quinn found during the week that Quinn visited and hide him there. The scientist then says that vinegar will kill the microbes so he squirts some up Brady's nose and Brady is saved.

I think that the theme of Go Big or Go Home is that not everything is what it seems. I think that because when Brady got the "superpowers" from the meteorite, he thought that it was totally awesome. Then he finds out that it's not so good after all when his body starts shutting down because of that. Also, Brady thought that the Carvers' dog was mean when he stole Brady's meteorite, but later on in the book Brady befriends the dog who eventually saves Brady's life. Those are some reasons why I think that  the theme of Go Big or Go Home is that not everything is what it seems.

I would suggest this book to other 7th grade readers because I thought that it had a good blend of sci-fi and adventure. The reason that I really wanted to read this book was because Brady got the superpowers from the microbes and he was able to do a lot of amazing stuff like vault over the head of a charging buffalo. I also liked it because near the end of the book, when the bad side effects of the microbes start taking place, I couldn't tear myself away from the book. The only bad part of the book, I thought, was that the ending was a little too perfect with Brady's near death disappearing into very convenient happy endings. Aside from the ending, I thought that the book was really good and I think that you will like it too.
 
I got the picture from http://cmjhlibrary.blogspot.com/2010/12/davis-cohens-book-review-of-go-big-or.html

Don't Fire the Cardiovascular System.

Dear Human Body Corporation:

How could you?! I give you all I can, and you're going to fire me? Well, here are three reasons why I think you should reconsider. Reason number one is that without me no oxygen would go to the other cells. Reason number two is that without me, the Respiratory System would be doing all that work for nothing. Reason number three is that waste would build up from all the other cells. Those are the three reasons why you should not fire me.

I will go a little more in depth on my reasons. Reason number one. Like I said there would be no Oxygen going to the other cells. Cells need oxygen to live. So no oxygen to the cells, and all the cells would die. And when all the cells die you would die. I don't think a random disintegration would be very good for your company, don't you?

Anyways on to reason number two. Without me, the Respiratory System would have do all their work for nothing. Without me, the Respiratory System would be spitting all that good nutritious oxygen out of the body with no one using it. And like I said before, no oxygen means the cells die. No cells and you die.

My third reason is that waste would build up from all the other cells. The waste would clog up the working rooms. No one would be able to work in such cramped conditions. Everything in your body would stop working . And, once again, you would die. ( You would die a lot without me.)

And that is why you should not fire me. I am now going to restate my three reasons just so they can get caught in your brain. Reason number one is that no oxygen would get to the other cells without me. Reason number two is that without me the Respiratory System would do all that work for nothing. Finally, reason number three is that waste from all the other cells would build up. So, if you decide to fire me, you have just made the worst decision of your life.

Sincerely,
the Cardiovascular System


 I got the picture from: http://tedheims.com/how-can-proargi9-be-so-miraculous-for-so-many-medical-issues/cardiovascular-system

Book Review: The Golem's Eye

In The Golem's Eye, book two of the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud,we find Nathanial, a high ranked wizard, in yet another adventure (as I said before, this is book two). Mayhem starts when a Golem attacks London. Nathanial and Bartimaus, the djini, must go to Prague to uncover the creator of the power scrolls that animate the Golems. While this is happening, a girl named Kitty, with a group called the Resistance, are planning to raid the tomb of Gladstone, a very powerful magician and the founder of London. While there all of  the members of the Resistance are killed by a crazy afrit entombed in the bones of Gladstone, except Kitty, who escapes with Gladstone's staff. . When Nathanial returns to London, he finds the afrit is going on a rampage around London searching for Kitty. So Nathanial, along with a lot of other magicians, send their demon servants (including Bartimaeus) to kill the afrit. Finally, when the afrit is killed, Nathanial goes to get the staff  back from Kitty only to have the Golem come back and try to kill him. Kitty comes and saves Nathanial by pulling the power scroll out of the Golem's mouth, and when the power scroll is pulled from the Golem's mouth the Golem returns to its master and crumbles to dust, So Nathanial and Bartimaeus decide to follow the Golem. They follow the Golem and discover that it was being used as a power play by Duvall, The Chief of Police. So for the recovery of the staff, and the discovery of the Golem's master, Nathanial is given the rank of Information Minister and Bartimaeus gets to return to the Other Place.

I think that the theme of The Golems Eye is to persevere and don't give up. I think this because Nathanial continued on his journey, even though he was falsely accused for telling London's secrets to foreign magicians. And I also think this because Kitty kept trying to beat the magicians even after everyone else in the Resistance was killed. One more reason that I think this is because Nathanial proved that all the attacks on London were from a Golem, not the Resistance. That is why I think the theme of The Golem's Eye is to persevere and don't give up.

I would suggest this book to other7th grade readers because I liked the characters in the book. Bartimaeus was probably my favorite character. Bartimaeus is a troublesome, enigmatic, and quick-witted djini. Bartimaeus always loves annoying Nathanial, his master. That is the main reason why I like Bartimaeus and I think you would like him too if you read the book.


I got the picture from http://www.killermovies.com/forums/f67/t318549.html