The Penderwicks are a family who have recently rented a place to live in. The girls learn of two kids who live there, Cagney and Jefferey. They help each other and form a new friendship. This was a cool book, but not one I enjoyed a lot. It is a great story for grades 5 and up.

I really liked this book because it introduced me to a lot of geology that my dad has never talked to me about, even though he is a geologist. The book is packed with interesting geological facts and very colorful photographs about everything to do with geology. The pictures of gems and unusual rock formations are particularly fascinating. It makes me want to do some rock hunting.

Ever wanted to travel around the world? Travel with Samantha and Nipper for a journey across the globe. One day their grandfather mysteriously disappears. Her sister gets a check for $2,400,000,000, her brother gets to own the New York Yankees, and she just gets and umbrella that has a tag on it and says " Watch out for the RAIN!" She thinks that this was just unfair. Later her brother discovers some weird shapes on the umbrella. Samantha figures out that it is a map for secret underground passageways. She thinks that this would be the only way to find her uncle. Both of them travel around the world to places such as Paris and Egypt. The RAIN is actually a secret group of ninjas. The secret train they travel on is called the Magtrain. I really liked this book. It was one of my favorites. The end was like a cliffhanger that forces you to read the next book. This was one of my most favorite books!

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Ever heard of Rumpelstiltskin? You know the guy who could turn straw into gold. Well, as the story goes, there was miller who was poor, and in order to make himself seem superior, he said that he had a beautiful daughter who he claimed can spin straw into gold. The king said to bring her tomorrow. If she cannot spin straw into gold, she would die. The next day came, and the daughter was locked in a dungeon to spin the straw. She could not do this, and knew it was impossible. However, the door opened, and said that he could do this if she wold give him something in return. She gives him a gold necklace. The man succeeds, but the daughter is asked to repeat this task again the next day. This time, she gives the man her ring in exchange for his service. The king is pleased, and once more asks for the task to be repeated. This time though, she has nothing to give. She promises the man her first born child. The miller's daughter is chosen to marry the king. Later, she has a child with the king. The man comes to take the child, but the new queen refuses. The man decides that if she can guess his name in 3 days, the child will be hard. She could not get it right, till on the 3rd day a messenger tells her that deep in the forest, he heard a man singing a song, in which he reveals his name to be Rumpelstiltskin. This indeed is his name, and the queen gets her child back. In the tale, you may think that Rumpelstiltskin is the villain. But Liesl Shurtliff convinces you that you have not heard the full story. In her adaptation, the main character's name is Rump. His mother died giving birth ti him, and he never found out his full name. Ever since then, he has only had his grandma. The other villagers tease him because of his name. A cow's rear end is a rump. It is believed that your name is your destiny. The closest he has had to a friend is a girl named Red. He mines in The Mountain everyday in search for gold. He never finds any though. The annoying pixies always bother him, because pixies love gold. One day his grandmother is about to throw out his mother's old spinning wheel, but Rump says that it is the only remnant of his mother. He eventually finds out that he can spin straw into gold, just like his mother. Others tell him that it will only cause trouble, and it does. He gets into trouble with the greedy miller and his unfair bargains. He finds out that his mother is from Yonder. He ventures into the forest to find Yonder, and any remaining relatives. Rump meets trolls on his adventures, too. Through his adventures, he learns that maybe your name doesn't determine your destiny. He also becomes braver, and gains the support of some other people too. This was an interesting take on this tale. It was very interesting. However, it was sometimes a little too slow. I like how the author still kept me glued to the book. It is a good read for grades 4-5 and up!

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