Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, written by Jeff Kinney, is a realistic fiction about a kid who is going through middle school. I chose to read this book because a friend told me about it. It was a very strange but very good book. In the story Greg gets bullied a lot. I have had a similar experience.
Yes, it is true that there is conflict, and there is a lot of conflict, I.e. Greg VS. Rowley, Greg VS. Rodrick, Rodrick VS. his mom, etc. Some of the conflict is related to friendship. This story is crazy, realistic, and very humorous. Sometimes it is serious too. I have read other books similar to this. For example; the other three books in this series. Beginning on November 26, 2010, a fifth book will come out.
The book was written like a diary. It has dates and pictures throughout. I didn’t mind the way it was written. I like how the title of the book is put into perspective. When they called it “Diary” of a Wimpy kid they really made it into a diary published on notebook paper.

The alchemyst

​The Alchemyst, written by Michael Scott, is a fictional story about a normal twin brother and sister who work at a book store and a coffee shop. John Dee, the main antagonist, is a magician who tries to steal a book called The Codex that will make him  the most powerful magician in the universe.

​In the story there are many things that could happen in real life. Sophie is an agoraphobic; a person who has an irrational fear of open spaces. In fact, there are about 3.2 million (3,200,000) adults (ages 18-54 years) who suffer from agoraphobia, including Woody Allen, and Howard Hughes. There are also many fictional aspects of the story. For example, it is virtually impossible to do necromancy (the practice of attempting to revive someone) , as John Dee does.

​John Dee creates Golems in the book. Golems are men made out mud. In the book John Dee uses them to hurt Nicholas Flamel and the twins. The author puts this in a way that makes you think they are real. They seem real because they actual follow commands and they actually hurt people.

​The best thing about the book is the characters. Each character has a different personality. For example, Josh , one of the twins, is a claustrophobic. Also, it is interesting when the bookstore he works in becomes the battlefield for Nicholas Flamel and John Dee and his Golem Army of Doom.

​The main characters, the twins, are antagonized by John Dee and the Dark Elders of Doom. This is a challenge and the ending is not resolved in this book, however, I think that Sophie will save the day that is how most  of book like these books usually end.  When Sophie is powerful enough, lucky enough, and brave enough (none of which she is now) she, and her twin, Scathach, and Nicholas will beat Dr. Dee and save Perenelle Flamel.

​There are not illustrations in the book, however, it is very easy to follow because I am able read at an advanced level and go back and forth between one place and another. The author describes the events very well.

​I prefer reading fiction and non-fiction but nothing in-between. It just doesn't interest me. Realistic fiction is not interesting for me because I have to read it so often at school. I would rather learn about the past from a history book. That makes more sense to me. I like reading history that is in its original form, instead of mixing it up with fictional parts. I do not think that all fantasy books are alike because that is just like saying that jello and pudding are alike. That's like saying this book and Twilight are alike. In this book one of the characters is a vampire but they don't live on blood. In twilight the characters do live on blood.  Twilight books add romance to horror while The Alchemyst does not.

​Fantasies are just as serious as other types of books. For example, Harry Potter is about wizards fighting other wizards and people do things that real life people do. It is not silly. It is very serious. In the story I read there were very violent things that happened like in the real world. Two of the characters destroyed Hekate's territory and killed her. This happens in the end and also in real life.

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The Last Olympian

​The Last Olympian, written by Rick Riordan, is a fantasy-adventure story. The battle between the Titan Army and the Olympians is full of action. This final battle will determine who has control over Olympus and the human world. The plot of the book revolves around the great prophecy which then determines what will happen at the end of the series. The action in the story is both physical and emotional. During the physical battle we learn that Percy will risk his life to save a place where people do not like him at all. This reveals that he is a brave, sacrificial, person. Even though these people hate him, he would rather live in a world where some of the Gods like him instead of living with his enemies, the Titans.
​The action in the story is not realistic. It could not happen in real life because there are not Greek Gods and Titans on Earth. It wasn't extremely believable to me but at times it somewhat seemed believable. For example, the parts of the story which were not about battles could have been real.
​Rick Riordan adds dramatic scenes, such as the fourth battle. There is a lot of tension because at times it seems that the Protagonist can not win. It doesn't bother me but it makes me want to read on.
​I can imagine myself as Percy Jackson a bit. He goes on adventures and I like to read about adventures. I would have acted differently than Percy in the novel. I might have hung out in a safer place and let the half-bloods take care of their own problems.
​The story happens in New York, NY. The book does not have a specific time. It is more of a 21st century book. The action could take place virtually anywhere else with some changes.
​I learned that it was a satisfying book but I didn't really learn anything new about myself or the world because it is full of fantasy.
​An action/adventure book could be written differently than other books. For example, Twilight uses romantic words, characters, and plots. The Last Olympian uses more action words and excitement. In chapter 6, page 105, it says, "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM which… meant a SWAT team was breaking down the door…

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