Book-o-mmercials!

Do you know which book to give your favorite voracious reader next? During our first week of school, we wrote commercials about our favorite books that we read over the summer. These book-o-mmercials went above and beyond the typical book report by addressing characterization, theme, plot, and how the book could be improved. We also addressed which audience will relate to the book and why.


Middle Grade Readers can make informed decisions after reading Veronica's review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Book-o-mmercial: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Meet Harry Potter, a lonely eleven-year-old boy who lives with his mean aunt, uncle, and spoiled cousin Dudley. He has lived most of his miserable life under the Dursley’s stairs, until a hairy, humongous man walks in their front door and tells Harry he is a famous wizard. Harry believes him because he has noticed that he has been able to do weird things, and he doesn’t care where the man takes him because anywhere is better than the Dursley’s. After a while at Hogwarts (a school for witches and wizards) Harry has to be brave and go on an amazing adventure.

At the beginning of the book, Harry notices weird things happening when he gets angry or scared. When Hagrid, a half-giant walks into the Dursley’s house and tells Harry he’s a wizard Harry immediately believes him. When Harry goes to Hogwarts, he meets two new friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione stumble upon a three- headed dog standing on a trap door, they know something suspicious is happening. On top of that, they notice their Potions teacher, Snape, acting sneaky and assume he’s helping Voldermort to get to the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter has to be clever and use his intelligence to try and beat the best dark wizard in the world, but will an eleven-year-old kid be able to do it?

I think people should read this book because it has a very good plot, which gets you hooked and makes you want to read more. After I read the first book, I grabbed the second book from my room and started reading it right away. The adventure that the three friends go on is so thrilling that you want the book to last forever. It’s very action packed and suspenseful. The author J.K. Rowling tells you all about Harry, Hermione, and Ron so that you feel almost as if you known them your whole life. Rowling really describes how Harry feels every step of the way. Since the book was a fantasy, it was very interesting because you didn’t know what was going to happen next. Also, it gets your imagination going. You get to imagine what Hogwarts looks like and Voldermort. All in all, this was the best book I’ve ever read.

In the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I think every thing was perfect except for one thing. I think that Harry should’ve spent more time at Hogwarts, because the first chapters were a bit boring compared to the rest of the book. He was at the Dursley’s house doing nothing that interesting.

The theme of this book is friendship. The audience of this book  (eight – twelve year olds) can relate to this story because when Ron had to sacrifice himself so that the other two could go fight Voldermort he showed friendship. If your friend lets you do something that she can’t do, she is showing true friendship by not just caring about her/himself.

Next, Jessica will review the dystopian hit for young adults, The Hunger Games. 

BOOK-O-MMERCIAL ON HUNGER GAMES

BY: JESSICA C. GUERINOT

         Have you ever imagined a world where murdering one another was considered a game? Meet Katniss Everdeen, a brave and smart 16-year-old girl who lives in District 12.  Her father, who died in a mining accident five years ago, was a skilled hunter and taught her everything he knew to survive. She is very protective of her family and she will do almost anything to save them, even if it means that she will put herself in grave danger.

         In the suspenseful novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss and her best friend Gale go hunting illegally in the woods to provide for their families, one of the few things they care about in their district. One day every year there is a reaping, where children ages 12-18 meet and have their names drawn to participate in the Hunger Games. Two tributes, a girl and a boy, from each district get picked to participate in the deathly and murderous games. Only one person out of 24 will live and be crowned with life and eternal satisfaction. At the reaping, Prim, Katniss’s sister gets chosen to be a part of the Hunger Games. Katniss steps forward to take her place. The boy from District 12 is Peeta, a shy and good-hearted boy Katniss’s age. Their sponsor, one of the only people who can help them in the arena, is a drunken man who has won the Hunger Games for District 12 before. When all three of them arrive at the Capitol, the richest district in Panem, Katniss hides her excellent archery skills from her opponents, so they do not know what to expect once they are all thrust in to the arena, forced to kill one another to live.

         This is one of the best books I’ve read for numerous reasons. Katniss is dealing with moral discomfort, the fact she has to kill people in order survive. She knows everyone in Panem is always watching her so she has to act like she doesn’t care about anything that means something to her. This book is extremely suspenseful because you never who is out to kill her or who Katniss is going to kill. She is extremely honest with the readers, which makes her character appeal to us, the audience. She is very tough and such a trooper that Katniss makes you want to root for her the entire book. The last reason you should take the time to read this book, is because this is about what our world might turn into in many years to come. It really makes you wonder what will happen a hundred years from now. Know one really knows, but this book creates an example of what could happen if we aren’t careful.

        This book is practically perfect…practically. The one thing I wish is that Peeta, who you grow to love, would be in more scenes. For many chapters in the book you don’t hear anything about him and every time you turn the page, you want to see his name so badly.

         There are many themes in this book, but one of the most important things in this book is trust. Peeta and Katniss literally have to have to trust each other with their lives. This book is so moving and touching I want to cry just thinking about. This book is for people with a strong heart and stomach, it can get very gory and violent. I suggest this book for people ages 12 and up.

In conclusion, if I had to read one book for the rest of my life, this would be the one. There are also 2 more books in the series, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.  Katniss is a role model, a great sister, caretaker and a fighter.  Everybody has a calling in the world, thank you Suzanne Collins for finding yours.