The Bully Book

Hey guys! You’ve probably noticed, but I’ve sorta been slacking on this blog. Sorry! (Blame the summer heat)

On the bright side, I’ve read about 10 different books over that course of time and I had plenty to choose from to blog about. So I choose The Bully Book, which had a plot I had never seen before.

The main character is Eric Haskins. He’s just your average 6th grader. Not too smart, not too stupid, not overwhelmingly good at sports, not the worst athlete, not the best writer, not the most horrible writer, not the kid who gets in trouble, not the goody goody, not the liar, not the most truthful.

So, why is he the bullies’ target? Eric is pretty sure there’s nothing special about him.

At first, Jason, Adrian, and Donovan are the main bullies. But surprisingly, the whole class joins in, except Melody, Eric’s friend and crush. And then Melody gets mad at Eric because he made a relationship status request for her on Facebook.

So Eric’s all alone. He’s hopeless.

Until he realizes there’s a much bigger conspiracy going on. One that features a person called the grunt. The targeted kid. And it’s in every grade on up, too.

Eric knows that he HAS to get help from other grunts. Or else he’s dead meat until college.

After searching, he finds out there’s a manual called The Book.

Eric desperately wants it.

Why?

The Book has instructions on how to pick the grunt. And maybe, just maybe, Eric can use those instructions to change himself so he won’t fit the position of the grunt anymore.

Eric doesn’t expect finding The Book to be simple. What he doesn’t realize, is that the formula is even more simple than hunting for it.

The Bully Book is a thrilling mystery that I would definitely read again. And the best part is that the pages of Eric’s journal are mixed into pages of The Book, so it’s like you want to scream at Eric “No!!!!!!! Don’t do that!!!!!!!!!!!!” ’cause The Book is revealing info on the grunt to YOU, not Eric.

I would give The Bully Book 5 stars and recommend it to 6th to 8th graders.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

It’s 1899. Calpurnia Tate (Callie Vee) is sort of bored and really hot. After all, it  is Texas. It’s SUPPOSED to be hot!

Her mother makes her knit , play piano, cook, sew.. lady lessons that Callie HATES. She would much rather go to a university or be the telephone operator.

So, yeah. Summer isn’t exactly going very well… until her grandfather gives her a science book that no one else will give her because it’s on evolution. Then their scientist to scientist relationship begins.

Callie learns so many new facts and how to be a real scientist. She even discovers a new species of plants!

But sometimes it’s hard to enjoy life with your family in your way… which is exactly what is happening to Callie. Almost all of her 6 brothers have a crush on her best friend, Lula. And one of them is a bully and the other is overly attached to the thanksgiving turkey and another likes a snobby woman! Her mother disapproves of the time spent with Callie’s grandfather. Callie’s father… well, is a neutral. But still!

Callie is what you would call “ahead of her time” and in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, you get to read of how she struggles to stay that way and prove that girls can be scientists, too.

I thought it was interesting to see how the “places” of women were so different back then. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate deserves 5 stars for that! Probably 6th to 8th graders would enjoy this. Or maybe even 5th!