Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody

This book is good. There were quite a few words in this book I didn't understand but I worked my way around them. Also you have to be a pretty mature reader to read this book. By that I mean you have to be able to withstand atleast a little bit of profanity and keep in mind this book is written for people 3 years older than a 6th grader. Although this is a great book to read it's a little unclear. To understand this you have to completely forget that this is a parody of another book. Then when you read this all will seem normal but towards the end it turns out everything you've read was actually a movie. If you don't understand what I mean thats Ok it's not very easy to understand until you actually read it.

In this book Barry, Lon and Ermine are trying to stop the Barry Trotter movie soon to be released by Wagner Brothers. They have to stop the movie because otherwise people will stop reading the books and Barry will end up like his friend Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, broke.

This book is good but like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I think I would understand it more if I was a little older. So I rate this book 4 stars.

Motor Accidents

I didn't sign up to blog my break but I thought maybe today was something people would want to hear about. My family is spending the break in Cambodia and Bangkok, right now we're in Siem Reap, Cambodia with my grandparents who are spending the entire break with us. So this morning my parents left the hotel at 7am and told us until about 1pm. Until then my sister and I had the day with our grandparents.
Last night we had tried what was called a Dr.Fish Massage. This wasn't really a massage but it was done by fish. You stuck your feet in a pool filled with little fish and the fish ate the dead skin to make room for your new skin, if enough dead skin was removed your feet would feel as soft as cushions. Anyway today we thought we'd let our grandparents try, all the fish swam to my grandpa so no one else had very much dead skin removed. At the beginning my grandpa was laughing like crazy, because a school of fish eating your feet tickles, and you couldn't see his feet. After the Dr.Fish Massages my grandpa's feet were SOFTER than cushions.
Fish biting your feet was nice but an ice cream tower and a local stuntman in front of you was way better. The stuntman was even doing flips through a hoop, but any old hoop would be boring. This hoop had razor sharp knives that glinted in the sunlight facing inwards. It was really scary and he wasn't even professional. This guy had just been practicing for a while and was trying to earn some money!
This was all great but this is where the day turned down. Me, my sister and my grandparents were riding home in a sort of more advanced rickshaw. Instead of a bike or person pulling this rickshaw it was a driver on a motorbike. This wasn't something new because they're all over the place and they've been around for a while. So no one was expecting anything when we crashed head on into a motorbike. Surprisingly I'm the only one who was injured, everyone else was only shocked while I received a bang on the upper part of my jaw and a bruise around the minor gash on my arm that was numb for a few hours after. We were all kinda traumatized though since the cart wasn't on it's side, thought it was just barely, we decided to just hop out and walk away. We looked back at the small wreckage about 15 seconds later and it already had a police officer with a can of white spray paint tracing the outline of the vehicles.
When we went out later to lunch with the entire family, my parents had returned, I realized that there was at least 2 police officers on every street. So I thought these accidents must happen often. So why doesn't anybody do something about it? Whoever is in charge sent the police officers to the streets so they can make sure every one's OK, why doesn't this person try and find a way so that the police officers don't have to be there? Many things can be done to prevent this from happening again. Lower the speed limit, add more speed bumps, have the leader of this place make a PSA about this and add more complexity to the drivers license test. Heck, I bet half of the guys driving the rickshaws don't even have drivers licences.
This day certainly didn't turn out the way I expected it to be and my arm still hurts even as I'm typing this. Someone should do something about this, just not me. I''m driving to
Phnom Penh tomorrow... Definitely not in a rickshaw.

10 Word Definitions Represented by Pictures: Vocab 5

Muttered

Mimicking

Incredulous

Fettered

Swoon

Abruptly

Methodically

Prophet

Inflammatory

Exhaustion

5 Word Definitions Represented by Pictures Vocab:4

Subtle (Ninja)

Ambivalent (Business Man Shrug)

Placid (Pebble)

Wrath (Angry Face)

Immaculately ( Super Organized Room)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

This book was ok I guess, No wait actually I think it's terrible. This book is really easy and it's supposed to be funny. I've really forgotten why me and other kids read this. On the picture on the right it shows the the author and the book. This book isn't even about a problem or anything, it's just a kid who blabbers about how he hates his life and how his summer sucks.

I don't really have a favorite part of the book seeing that I now despise the whole thing. This book just seemed like a good way to kill a few hours of a plane ride. I was wrong seeing that I finished the 217 page book in 45 minutes. This preposterous lump of paper and scribbles that doesn't deserve to call itself a book receives 1.5 stars from me.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

The sequel to the amazing book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, was spectacular!!(Notice: 2 exclamation marks) This book takes 1.5 years after The Mysterious Benedict Societies first mission.

The children were supposed to go on an adventure lead by clues set all over the world by

Mr. Benedict, Until Mr. Benedict was captured by Mr. Curtain while setting the clues. The children sneak out and follow the clues that Mr. Benedict was able to set and improvise when the clues come to an end.

My favorite part of the book was when the children were in a hotel because the clues lead them there. It was really suspenseful because a Ten Man showed up at the door. Ten Men work for Mr. Curtain and they're called Ten Men because they have 10 ways of hurting you that wouldn't suspect that are weapons. Ten Men are supposed to blend in with other people. They all dress like business men and carry briefcases.

Here are the weapons Ten Men carry:

1. Shock Watches (When the time changer is plugged into you, you receive a violent shock)
2. Neck Ties (Used as a whip)
3. Pocket Handkerchiefs (Soaked in Chloroform)
4. Pencils (Razor sharp)
5. Chewing Gum (Poisonous)
6. Laser Pointer (Real Laser)

And so on...

The point is these people are not good. This book was just awesome, even better than awesome! 5 stars, 34 stars if possible!

5 water questions pg.229

1. List the main reasons for water scarcity. Much of the water is lost by run-off and floods.

2.What is a drought?What type of hardships do you think that a drought could cause if you were living in a village in a poor country such as Ethiopia? A drought is a period of time when it doesn't rain and much life can die. In Ethiopia people can die of thirst, also probably people's animals would die because they need a lot of water.

3.How does land degradation affect the supply of fresh water? When land degradation happens it decreases the ability for the land to store water. When land degradation happens people can not take water from the ground anymore making droughts an even worse time!

4.

(a) What is El Nino? El Nino is when the temperature rises the temperature decreases the chance or rain, starting major droughts.

(b) Why does El Nino often cause drought in Australia? Australia is on the equator so it's really hot. When El Nino occurs the temperature can become unbearable.

5.Observe the map showing the global affects of El Nino in 1982-83.

(a) What effects does El Nino have on the availability of fresh water? El Nino causes serious drought because the temperature is so hot.

(b) Name the countries and describe the problems that arose from decreased rainfall caused by El Nino. Countries that were affected by El Nino are Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Colombia, USA, China, Africa and the Philippines. Problems that arose from El Nino in these places include Famine, Serious air pollution, Droughts and Rainfall above normal levels.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Like the last review this is a little late. The Mysterious Benedict Society is about 4 remarkably gifted children, something that brings them together is the fact they each have no family. Sticky ran away from home under enormous amounts of pressure. Reynie is an orphan. Kate’s mother died and her father disappeared when she was 2. None of the 3 knew what was wrong with Constance but something told them she never knew a family either. The 4 children meet by taking a test that was advertised in the newspaper. They all pass the test hidden within the test and meet Mr. Benedict and name themselves the Mysterious benedict Society.

My favorite part of the book is when the Mysterious Benedict Society is sent to the Institute and they thought Mr. Benedict was the evil headmaster, Mr. Curtain. It turns out that Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain were twin brothers separated at birth because like the children Mr. Benedict did not have a family.

I didn’t think this book would be very good. Something just told me it would be boring and you had to have known a lot to understand it or something. I only read it because I can’t stand to see unread books on the shelf but when I started reading I went WOW!! I thought to myself, “Now I’m certain you can’t judge a book by its cover.” You can already tell I loved this book but just for the record, this book rates 5 stars with me.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

This book review is a little late. The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy starts with Arthur Dent having an argument with the demolishers. He is arguing about why they have to demolish his humble home. What he didn't know was that 20 minutes later whether he won the argument or not his entire planet would be demolished. Arthur narrowly escapes thanks to his best friend, Ford Prefect, who secretly hitches a ride with the aliens that are destroying earth.

My favorite segments of the book was when Ford's copy of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was explaining the 3 worst pieces of poetry in the universe and the argument between god and man about the babble fish. Both of these parts were hilarious. Especially the 3 worst poems in the universe. This is a very challenging book and when I tried to look up some of the words in the dictionary I couldn't find it! I rate this book 3.75 stars cause even though it's a great book, I don't think I understood it enough to enjoy it.

AETRA Water Treatment Plant

Last Thursday Q-2 homeroom visited the AETRA water treatment plant. There we saw the 5 different steps the water went through to become potable and 2 other stations. They even showed us an animation at the end about water treatment. After the animation they asked 2 people quiz questions and I was lucky enough to get picked. My prize was an AETRA made raindrop plush toy. For a random reason Amalia and Saige named it Muffin Cheeks. The photo is of Muffin Cheeks. It was amazing the way they took fetid water from the local river and resurrected it.

First AETRA would run the river water through a series of what looked like large metal grates. The point of this was so large enough pieces of garbage would be trapped and not able to go through. To cleanse the grates of the trash every few minutes a gargantuan metal claw would lower down into the water. Then the claw would drag itself up against the grate taking any trash with it.

At the second station AETRA added alum a chemical that makes dirt particles stick together. When all the dirt coagulated it created foam called floc. The thing I thought that was cool about the first 2 steps was that there was no need to go scouring for trash or leaves. They just ran the water through grates and added alum.

The third station, I think was pretty boring. They just waited for the floc to the bottom of the water. But what they did with the floc was pretty cool. All the floc was recycled and turned into other objects such as tiles and bricks.

At the fourth station the water was ran through 1 meter of sand. It was like a giant sand filter, like the one in Bintato Lama. The sand they used though was not regular sand though. AETRA used a custom made sand that I believe to was made out of floc. What I couldn’t believe was that all the grains of sand were the same size and shape. They had to be! If the sand was just like regular sand you find on a beach the water would not be able to filter properly.

Then to finally make the water potable, and especially after sand filtering, chemicals were added. What I don’t get is why did they run the water through the sand? Why didn’t AETRA just add the chemicals? And 1 of the chemicals added to make the water potable is chlorine. Isn’t it bad for humans to drink chlorine?

The last stage that wasn’t really a stage was testing. Testing had to be done to make sure all the other steps had gone fine and the water was potable. When we entered the lab where testing was done the lab struck me as weird. It was full of test tubes and beakers filled with strange colored goop. It was like one of those old mad scientist labs on TV. Except it wasn’t place in a dungeon.

6 water questions pg.227

1. What percentage of the world's supply of water is fresh water? Answer: Only 2.5 percent of the worlds water is fresh water.
2. Where is the world's supply of fresh water found? Answer: The worlds fresh water comes from lakes, rivers, the atmosphere, the ground and some water is frozen.
3. Even though the world's supply of fresh water is abundant it is still a problem. Why? Answer: Water availability is a problem because many places have more water than other places. For example Greenland has a large water availability per person because there is probably a lot of frozen water there.
4. Observe the map of world average annual precipitation (Opposite).

(a) Describe the changes in rainfall that occur as you move from the southern to the northern tip of Africa. Answer: When you begin there is a large assortment of rainfall amounts. As you start to move north all of the dryer ratings start to disappear but as you keep moving up ward there is steep plunge and Africa doesn't seem so lush anymore.
(b) Describe the changes in rainfall that occur as you move from the western eastern tip of Australia along the Tropic of Capricorn. Answer: At the western tip it's pretty dry. As you start to move eastern it's still pretty dry but after a while it gradually starts to rain more. Until when your at the end where it rains day and night.

5. Observe the map above of water availability per person.

(a) Which parts of the world appear to have a large amount of water available per person? Answer: The places on earth which receive quite a bit of rain are Brazil, Indonesia, Southern China and a small part of Africa.
(b) Which parts of the world appear to have a small amount of water available per person? Answer: The places on earth that don't receive much rain are Greenland, Northern Africa and an area of Russia.

6. Observe the diagram of water use.

(a) What are the main uses of water? Answer: During the 20th century the main use of water was for Agricultural needs.
(b) Which uses have increased the most over the last century? Answer: There was a steep ascend in the 20th century for Reservoir losses from evaporation and seepage.

Bintaro Lama Video

For once on a video I did not use my beloved iMovie HD. Instead this video was edited by the not-as-great-as-iMovie HD, Pinnacle 12. iMovie HD was not used due to technical difficulties.

(I plan to smash the laptop with a sledgehammer)

Bintaro Lama Field Trip

On Thursday Q2 and Q4 homerooms went to Bintaro Lama. Bintaro Lama is a small kampung being aided in water needs by Watsan. In Bintaro Lama each group visited 3 stations.
At my first station a Watsan member showed us how they found out if the water was clean. They especially reminded us even though the water was clean it did not mean it was drinkable. Water like this was used for washing clothes and such. The way we found out if it was clean or not is they would poor water into a tube and we would look inside through the top. If we could see the little X at the bottom it was clean.
At the second station they taught us how they cleaned the water. The water was ran through several layers consisting of gravel and sand, removing all of the BIG bacteria. The process is ran several times over and over again and then bacteria remover is added to make the water potable.
My final station was probably the most important. This was for people who didn't have bacteria remover. First you fill a container with CLEAN water. After the you put the container on the roof so it can boil for a few hours. During the boiling all the bacteria and germs in the water are killed and the water becomes potable.
We weren't gone from the school for long on the trip. But I bet that even if we were only there a few minutes we'd still see the circumstances some people have to live through. It just goes to prove that everyone who can go to school, have 3 square meals a day and have fresh water at any time should be very thankful.

Library Rules

This movie was done by me saying one line in a different place every time. The place gradually getting closer to the library every time. Then I got rid of all extra time possible because the poem is meant to be quickly. The camera filming was done by Nicolas. Once again this video was edited on the amazing iMovie HD!
The following is entitled to Mr.Hughes:
Dear Mr. Hughes,
This video format is still QuickTime but in the lowest format. I believe there is a higher format possible but still meets your needs. If you want me to try the next highest format, please tell me.

Condensation, Evaporation, Precipitation and Infiltration

The image on the right represents precipitation. In my opinion it is good because it's simple but clearly shows where precipitation comes from and ends. After its done it shows a little infiltration.

The below diagram shows infiltration. It shows how the water, after precipitation seeps into the soil until it reaches the saturated zone. I think this diagram is providing a little unnecessary info.







The picture below shows condensation. This photo is cut out from a bigger and much more complicated diagram. This photo shows after the sun is done evaporating water it forms clouds. When the cloud has enough water vapor in it, it will precipitate.







The diagram on the right represents evaporation. It shows the sun's rays evaporating the ocean transforming it into clouds. This diagram has just the right amount of info. It is also quite simple.

Gakyi the Invincible Dog

Have you ever been REALLY bored? I have. My mom was watching the news, my dad was on the computer and today I still don’t know what my sister was doing. Me? I was lying on the couch with the dog barking outside. Finally I was fed up and decided to go play with her gnawed tennis ball. I still remember how it was missing patches of fuzz everywhere. I threw it onto the lawn as hard as I could and followed it.
Wagging her tail she dropped the slime bomb at my feet. Cautiously I picked it up and gladly threw it towards the storage house. She darted at what I considered to be the speed of a race car back then. BUT she went right past the ball to climb the spiral staircase that led to the top of the storage house. Gakyi made the climb of the spiral look easy and after a tiring climb for a 6 year old I found Gakyi still at the speed of a race car chasing her tail. Suddenly using the speed from her last turn she speeded for the edge of the roof and launched over our house’s gate.
At that very moment I did two things. Inside my body, actions and words were running around trying to get through the maze to my mouth. None of them actually made it out of the maze so I just stayed still. Then I realized. My dog had just jumped off a roof! Gakyi had probably broken three of her legs!

In panic I ran back down the spiral staircase and ran in to the house slamming the door as hard as I could to get attention. My mom who was nearby came out asking what I thought I was doing. It took a lot of convincing but she signaled the rest of the family. Like an angry mob we rushed to the street to find an unharmed Gakyi sitting right there waiting. Her stare asked “Hi! What are you looking at?” Then with just some staring as a command she trotted back into the house and continued to bark. Gakyi was one of a kind.

Interview with Skulduggery Pleasant

10 New Word Definitions

1. Rowdies-Behavior less than well, out of control
   
2. Resurrected-Brought back to life, back in use
   
3. Pledge-Vow, unbreakable promise, to pledge something means you can't back out
   
4. Brazier-Fireplace, grill, you fill with coal
   
5. Putrefy-Something rotten with a fetid odor
   
6. Spontaneous-To act without thought or plan
   
7. Discreetly-Something done discreetly is something done without much attention drawn
   
8. Martyred-Give up your life in something, devote your life to something
   
9. Preposterous-Something totally out there, out of normal zone
   
10. Scouring-To search intently, associated with the action of the action of the eye
    

The Faceless Ones

I read the first 2 books in this series before entering 6th grade so they will not be on my blog. In this book it starts with murder and it always does in these books. There have been murders and all of the victims have 1 thing in common, they are all teleporters. After Skulduggery Pleasant and his associate, Valkyrie Cain, do some research, they discover one teleporter is left. The teleporter is 17 and is forced to open the gate for the faceless ones to return.

My favorite part of this awesome book was at the end because it ended with a bang. The bang is accidentally Skulduggery gets sucked into the dimension of the faceless ones. It gave a hint for the next book where Valkyrie needs to find the true head of Skulduggery because it help can open the gate for Skulduggery to return. This book would rate more than 5 stars if I could because not for one moment in the entire book is it not interesting.

Queste

In the fourth book of the Septimus Heap series,
Merrin Meredith tries to get revenge on Septimus. Merrin spent the first 10 years known as Septimus to DomDaniel. Merrin believes Septimus stole his name. Because of this he makes a contract with the ghost of Tertius Fume. Fume calls a questing and Septimus is sent away on the Queste that no apprentice has ever returned from.

This book rates 5 out of 5 stars for me. My favorite part of this, the latest book of the series, was when Beetle and Jenna met Ephaniah Grebe in the basement of the manuscriptorium. The chapter was really engaging as it was one of the only parts of the book where I didn't know if something good or bad was happening. Because they couldn't find Ephaniah at first I thought maybe something was going to happen like Simon jumping out of nowhere and killing them both. Ironically I think the story would have been better if that happened because it would have added an unexpected twist.

10 Sentences Using New Words

1. The odor at the barn was so fetid; that must be why the farmer sold the barn.
   
2. The farmer was gagging me with my own shirt.
3. The police told me the farmer was a nefarious master criminal.
4. I was feeling very conceited after catching the farmer.
5. The farmer escaped from prison by walking the corrugated roof into the streets.
   
6. The farmer was in the desolate science lab in the desert.
7. Using some vials, the farmer made a poison.
8. The poison was frothing out of the farmer's control.
9. The farmer attempted to use the poison by hiding it in a frivolous couch at a yard sale.
10. The farmer and his intolerable behavior were never caught.
    

6 Sentences with Me and I used Correctly

1. Daniel and I like to play basketball.
2. My family and I went to the pet store to buy a cat.
   
3. The cat my family chose likes me and my friends.
   
4. My friends like coming to Stinson Beach with me, I like going with them.
   
5. Harmen and I will teach today.
6. The music I listen to is good.
   

Physik

In the third book of the "Septimus Heap" books, Septimus's father Silas accidentally releases the ghost of Queen Etheldredda. Queen Etheldredda was an evil ruler of the castle about 500 years earlier from Septimus's time.

My favorite part of the book was when Septimus and Jenna were in the wardrobe in the Queen's Room. When Jenna told Septimus into the glass I knew something major in the story was going to happen. I also knew it would have to involve Septimus, but I didn't want to believe it and when Septimus pulled into the glass it was a shock. At first I wanted to hope it was one of the characters having a nightmare but I somehow knew this was real. Septimus was pulled back into the time where Queen Etheldredda ruled the castle.

This book just barely makes it into the 5 star ratings for me. I know Angie Sage can do better.

Characterization of Septimus Heap

In the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage the main protagonist is Septimus Heap, apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary wizard.

On page 270 Septimus believes he is finally back in his own time and races to the top of the wizard tower because he is eager to see Marcia. This shows that Marcia is an important person in Septimus's life and he cares about her.

On page 67 it shows that Septimus is very brave, curious and does not think things through completely all the time. Because even though he was told numerous times that he was to go straight back to the wizard tower and go to bed... He decided he'd try and meet Marcellus Pye at snake slipway even though Angie Sage wrote it incredibly clearly that it was a bad idea.

On page 275 it shows Septimus cares about Jenna, Alther and everybody back in his own time so much that he would lie to the last alchemist just to have time to try out a plan that has very little chance of actually helping him.

Overall Septimus Heap is a curious, caring and boy with a talent for magyk.

Hoot

Hoot is about a boy named Roy who one day (while he was having his face squished against the window of the bus) saw a boy running as fast as he could down the street. From that moment on Roy couldn't stop thinking about the boy. Something about the boy's expression was mysterious and determined.

My favorite part of the book was when Roy let the running boy use his name and personal information to receive care from the hospital.

I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to other people.

Angie Sage

Angie Sage was born in 1952 and is the author of the Septimus Heap series.(Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste and The Magykal Papers)Soon the 5th and 6th book will be released. (Syren and Darke) Angie is also the illustrator and/or the writer for many children's books.

Angie Sage was raised in Thames Valley, London. Her father,Kent Sage was a publisher and often brought blank books home for her to color in. At first Angie studied medicine but changed her mind and went to an Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She started illustrating books after college. After that she progressed to writing childrens stories. Angie's first novel was Magyk.

Flyte

Flyte is the second book of the Septimus Heap series. In this book Septimus's oldest brother Simon kidnaps his sister the queen after crossing over to the Darke side of Magyk. Simon is also trying to bring his new master, the feared DomDaniel back to life.

My favorite part of the book was when the battle up in the wizard tower, it was very suspenseful and uneasy. I give this book 5 stars so if the next 2 books are as good as this one you know the series is great. I definitely recommend this book everyone.

Magyk

Magyk is a the first book in the Septimus Heap series. Septimus Heap is a boy who spent the first 10 years of his life as Boy 412 in the young army. He was kidnapped the day he was born and was assumed to be dead. He was replaced by a mysterious baby girl found in the snow named Jenna.

My favorite part of the book was the battle on Dom Daniels ship. Its filled with action and risks.
I give this book 5 stars and would definitely recommend it to readers who like to love to get lost in there imaginations.

Typhoon Morokat

Typhoon Morokat is the deadliest typhoon the planet earth has seen in 50 years. Over 600 people are dead due to the wrathful storm. Search parties are being sent out to find survivors struggling in the 3 meters of murky rain. Humans are also to blame in this not so natural, natural disaster. Humans have caused global warming and melted glaicers and icebergs , humans have also built buildings washed away in the floods which have knocked over bridges causing hundreds of people to drown.