Books Review 12
Title: Pissarro
Author: Mike Venezia
Publisher: SCHOLASTIC
Level: 2

Summary:
Camille Pissarro was born in 1830 on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. When he grew up, he moved to Paris, France. There he became an important member of the Impressionists. He was very kind and generous. So, he more experienced than the other Impressionist artists.
Many of Pissarro’s most famous works are pictures of the countryside around Paris. He loved nature more than anything.
Pissarro had always been interested in drawing and art. When he was twenty-two years old, he went to the South America to perfect his drawing skills. Two years later he went to Paris. He studied art any countries and perfected his skills.
Pissarro died in 1903 at the age of seventy-three. He spent most of his life creating wonderful drawings, prints, and paintings of simple, everyday scenes. He inspired many great artists of his time.

Evaluation: 4 stars
I saw his picture. His picture is used a lot of colors and drawn softly. I didn’t know his pictures but, I was impressed to see his picture. My favorite picture that was written by Pissarro is “Chemin de halage”. This picture is calm. So I see this picture and am healed. He was very kind and generous, so I think that he was loved by a lot of people.

Books Review 11
Title: Starman
Author: Phillip Burrows
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Bill is hot and tired. He is driving along a long, long road in the centre of Australia. He wants to go home.
Suddenly Bill sees something. It is a man. The man does not move or speak. Bill cannot leave him here-there is nothing for hundreds of kilometers around-no water or food. Bill helps the man and he gets into the car. The car drives fast on the long, straight road. The man is sleep. Bill listens to the news on the radio. A very white light is in the sky near Wolalonga.
They drive for an hour before they get to Bill’s house. Bill and his wife Emily find a wallet in the man’s pocket. There is a name-John Phillips-and a telephone number. There is also some money that is twenty years old.
They call the doctor. And they call the number and talk Phillips’ wife. They find that Phillips has been missing for thirty years and his wife has a new husband.
The doctor takes Phillips to hospital. They put John in the plane next to the doctor. Suddenly stands up in the plane and jumps. John is twenty meters above the trees, but he is not falling any more. A beam of light stops him and takes him away. Up, up, up.
The doctor closes his eyes. The light is very, very white. When he opens his eyes the light is not there. Then he is in the future.

Evaluation: 4 stars
When I read this story, I felt mysterious. I think that John is the man that lives thirty years ago. He is a Starman. I think he has a power. So, the doctor was taken in the future by the Starman. I always see the sky. There are a lot of stars. When I see the shooting star, I will think about Starman.

Books Review 10
Title: Red Rose
Author: Christine Lindop
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Anna plays the guitar and lives in Grandview Apartment. Will has bunch of roses and visits his grandmother living in the apartment. Anna is waiting her friend outside the building. Will sees a young woman, Anna. He thinks “She is nice!” and he smiles at her. Anna also thinks he is nice.
Anna cannot forget Will, and Will cannot forget Anna. Anna looks for Will, but she does not see him. Will also does not see Anna.
On Thursday, Will goes to the shop and gets some things for his grandmother. He meets his friend Tom. Suddenly it begins rain. Tom asks Will to take his friend Anna to Grandview Apartment. They arrives Grandview Apartment. They get out of the car, and they begin to talk at the same time. “Oh! It’s you!” Anna lives in his grandmother’s upstairs.
On Friday Will goes to the apartment to see his grandmother. He is carrying a bunch of red roses. Red roses-they say “Red roses for love.” Ten minutes later, Will comes out of his grandmother’s apartment and goes upstairs. He is carrying a bunch of red roses.

Evaluation: 5 stars
I was interested. I felt anxiety because they didn’t meet for a long time. But I’m happy because they met. Anna plays guitar so Will hears guitar. Will has bunch of roses so Anna smells roses. But they didn’t where they are. It was exciting for me. This is love story that gets warm mind.

Books Review 6
Title: Sally’s Phone
Author: Christine Lindop
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Sally has a phone and a busy life. She gets many phone calls mostly from her boy friend, Andrew. Sally and Andrew are going to a party tonight. Andrew says, “Wear your blue skirt.” But she thinks that she can’t wear the blue skirt because it is dirty.
Her friend suggests that they go out at lunchtime and find new skirt. Sally and her friend are looking at skirts. Sally buys a red skirt.
After that, she goes to café. Next to Sally, Paul is finishing his coffee. He stands up. Paul picks up his phone. Sally picks up her phone and goes back to work. But they pick up wrong phones. Sally has Paul’s phone and Paul has Sally’s phone.
Paul is in his office. His phone is ringing. He answers the phone. It is Andrew. Sally is at work. Her phone is ringing. It is Paul’s sister and she asked Sally to give a message to Paul. Sally is in trouble. Paul is in trouble too.
Paul phones Sally. They make a promise that they meet in Queen’s Square at a quarter to six.
It is half past five. Sally puts on her new skirt. They meet at Queen’s Square and change phones. They go to the café. She tells him message from his sister. And Paul says, “Let’s go to the party with me.” Sally turns her phone off and she goes with him. Andrew phones Sally. Sally does not answer.

Evaluation: 5 stars
Andrew tells Sally what to do and what to wear. He decides her action without complying Sally’s opinion. I think Sally have gone with Paul because she doesn’t like Andrew. I want to be a gentleman. I have a phone. I think I cannot live without phone. Phones are very useful. But, we should make much of talking directly. It is important to watching a face-eye, a mouth and an expression..

Books Review 5
Title: The Fifteenth Character
Author: Rosemary Border
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Sally Brown works at Happy Hills in her holiday. She is a student and she wants to be a teacher. Every morning Mr. Parry puts a list of jobs for Today in the worker’s canteen. Today Sally arrives at Happy Hills. She looks canteen. The list says “Sally Brown-Cnnie Cat.” Nobody likes wearing the costumes. But at Happy Hills the characters are important.
It is nine o’clock. The doors open. Today a very famous man is coming to Happy Hills, so Mr. Parry is very excited. The man is a singer and his name is Zapp. Sally loves listening to his songs and she has all his CDs. There is a noise in the sky. Everybody looks up. The helicopter comes down and Zapp gets out. He smiles at the visitors. She wants to talk, but Mr. Parry is watching. Zapp brings a CD that is his new song. It is in his pocket.
Zapp is having a wonderful day. The photographers take photos of him with all the characters. Sally meets Zapp too, and she is very excited.
Mr. Parry says “Zapp can’t find his CD!” Zapp is angry. Very soon four police arrive and ask a lot of questions. But they can’t find CD.
Sally looks at Mr. Parry’s Jobs for today list and counts the name. And she says “There are fourteen characters on the list. But there are fifteen characters there.” Charlie Clown isn’t on the list. Charlie Clown is a woman. She has the CD.
It is Saturday night. Sally and William are Zapp’s concert. They have invitation from Zapp.

Evaluation: 4 stars
I was excited when I found Title’s meaning. I understand Sally. I love listening to music and I have favorite singer. Her favorite singer is Zapp. So I think she was very happy when she got invitation from Zapp. She wants to be a teacher. She is clever and comes in contact with a lot of boys and girls. So, I think she can be a teacher. I want to do something for my dream. So, I study heard.

Books Review 4
Title: Girl on a Motorcycle
Author: John Escott
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Kenny was going across America by bus. He stopped sometimes and stayed the night in a motel. One evening he stayed in a motel in a little town in California.
In a street in Los Angeles, somebody was robbing a security guard outside a supermarket. The robber was taken pictures. The robbery had long blond hair and was sitting on a motorcycle.
Kenny was hungry, so he came down to eat. Then he saw a girl arrive on a motorcycle. He thought he knew her face.
Next morning, he watched news about the supermarket robbery. Kenny remembered the girl at the motel desk.
He went breakfast. The girl was eating her breakfast. He walks across the table and talked with her. Her name is Mel. Then she got up and left the room.
A young man was watching Mel. Kenny thought he was thinking she was the girl from the robbery too. Kenny talked him and said “Let’s phone the police.” But, the man, Ned was afraid and “No! Perhaps she is got a gun.”
Kenny thought the money from the robbery was in her room. So, he asked a woman working in the motel to open her room. Kenny searched the room, but he couldn’t find the money. Then she got back. He must have got away. He climbed into next room from the window.
In the room, he found a blond wig and motorcycle coat. There was the money from the robbery. Then Ned came into the room. He was the Los Angeles supermarket robber.
Ned got on his motorcycle and drove off quickly. Mel saw that and got her motorcycle. She stopped in front of Ned. He couldn’t stop and went into river. Soon the police arrived and took Ned away.
After that, Mel said “Do you want to come to San Francisco on my motorcycle.” Kenny said “I’m coming with you!”

Evaluation: 4 stars
I was surprised, because Ned was the robber. I didn’t think so. I have thought Mel was robber because she havs blond hair and motorcycle. We cannot predict the sequel of this story. So, this story is very interesting. I think Kenny is courageous. If I were there I didn’t talk her. I want to be a courageous man. Hokkaido is very big. So, I want to trip sitting on a motorcycle.

Books Review 9
Title: Last Chance
Author: Phillip Burrows
Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Level: 1

Summary:
Mike is a cameraman and works for SFX News. His boss, Mr. Frank, didn’t think Mike was a good cameraman. He said, “Go away and find some news” “This is your last chance”.
In Hawaii, a volcano was erupting. He thought that was a good chance for a good story. He picked up his camera and went to Hawaii.
When he reached Hawaii, a girl leaving there told him that the volcano was very dangerous. But, he thought this was his last chance. So, he began to walk.
Mike was on the volcano. He filmed the smoke, the fire and a big rock. He got very nice films. After that he started to go back to the town. Then he found a young woman. She couldn’t move. He helped her and his ran with her. Because he helped her, he must have put down his camera.
They walked into the town. Mike had no camera and no films. There was a helicopter waiting for them. In the helicopter, Mike said that he needed his camera and went to sleep.
Mike was at office. He didn’t want to see his boss, Mr. Frank. Mr. Frank had Mike’s camera. It was picked up by the people in the helicopter. The camera was broken, but the films were very good. It was very exciting. This film hit Mr. Frank. He said, “We have a new news person.”
The woman he helped, Jenny, came into the room. She smiled at Mike. She hit Mike.

Evaluation: 5 stars
I think Mike is very courageous. It is dangerous to go into a volcano. Big rocks are falling out of the sky. The fire is red and the smoke is black. If I were there, I might run away. Mike helped the woman. This is wonderful because he made a sacrifice of his camera, his old friend. He knows that life is more important than honor. I think Mike is a very good cameraman.