www.briarcliffmanorlibrary.org Vol. 10, Issue 2 March 2014
The Critics: In This Issue: 360 Humans of New York · The Magician’s Nephew · Vsauce · Thor: The Dark World · Elephantsandpeanuts Trouble · The Usual Gang of Idiots · Rocko’s Modern Life · The Dunwich Horror · Yoshi Trouble (again) · Call of Cthulhu · Breaking Stalin’s Nose · The Perks of Being a Wall- Totally Not Erica flower · Last Olympian · Trash Can Days · Nocturnal Academy · Frozen · Lego Star 42MO Wars: The Complete Saga · Flowers for Algernon · Poems by Maya Angelou · Thor: Professor Mysterious The Dark World (again) · Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone · Mockingjay · The City of Ember · Diary of a Wimpy Kid · Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared · A Tale of Two The Many Faces of Space Cities · Borderlands 2 · Matt and Kim · Soon Hee Newbold · Everflame · Divergent No series · House of Hades · The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family · Thoth Oz: The Great and Powerful · Rugrats · Critics Club · Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared A Price (again) · Papers Please · Divergent (again) · The Count of Monte Cristo · Mark of I am Zim Athena · Team Fortress 2 · Pokemon X and Y · Speak Meet the Critics Electrical Wizard The Rating System on page 12 Cooper (I can walk) : Feminist Lily Evans Mathstargirl (awful) (bad) (ok) (good) (excellent)
The opinions expressed in the reviews are not necessarily the opinion of the Library. The appropriateness of the materials reviewed is not for the Public Library to determine and the students are encouraged to review whatever they’d like— therefore, we encourage parents to be involved in and be aware of their children’s book, movie, television, gaming, internet and music choices. All non-original images are property of their various copyright owners. Critics 2
interest …with a nitrogen turbo engine souped up with steroids. Humans of New York Blog Vsauce YouTube channel
Critic: Elephantsandpeanuts Critic: 360 Rating: Rating:
“Humans of New York” is one of my favorite blogs. It’s run by a man named This channel analyzes the science of Brandon, who goes into NYC with a random things such as how people camera, and interviews and takes pictures “disappear”, cruel bombs, what color is a (with permission) of people walking down spherical mirror, and is the 5 second rule the street. It’s incredibly fascinating- the true? The videos keep you interested for first time that I saw it, I scrolled through long for the videos are on average 10 it for something like two hours. You’ll minutes long and new ones are posted learn about people’s happy and sad and weekly. Just in case something in the both lives, their goals and dreams in life, video interests you further, Vsauce leaves and their unique fashion styles and a link for every reference he uses in the personalities. You’ll meet aspiring video description. And remember, even if ballerinas, people whose lives have been food touches a contaminated surface for wrecked by Hurricane Sandy, and tourists less than one femptosecond, it still from other countries. http:// touched it, so maybe you shouldn’t eat www.humansofnewyork.com/ it…
The Magician’s Trouble By Gary Schmidt Nephew By C.S. Lewis Critic: Yoshi Rating: Critic: Electric Wizard Rating: This book is good. Although it is sort of In just one word, mysterious, there’s no wow. This novel of action. Henry spends action, adventure and the entire book the test of a boy’s thinking about his “feelings” and his maturity with nothing attitude towards Chay, the person who more than a chair. If you enjoy any of puts Henry’s older brother into the the above, read this book without any hospital. There’s really not much regret. Contrary to popular belief, this is happening. He finds a dog, rows a boat, the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia, makes an omelet, climbs a mountain. rather than The Lion, the Witch and the Nothin’ much, other than the mystery. I Wardrobe. If you’ve already read The would read this book to pass the time, Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, read not for fun. This is also a really, really this to solve many mysteries. If you sad book, but gets brighter as it goes on haven’t, read this to kick start your (but not more entertaining). Critics 3
Totally MAD Trouble by The Usual Gang of By Gary Schmidt Idiots Critic: Thoth Rating: Critic: Cooper (I Can Walk) So the 8th grade has Rating: to read this book. It
Totally Epic Mad is a is about a guy whose magazine/book that has brother gets hit by a many different comic car. The first guy strips and articles, and climbs a mountain is one of the funniest books around. If you while the second buy is in the hospital read it you definitely laughed, and unless with “indeterminate brain you hate laughing, you should read it. Also, activity” (whatever that means). This if you like this book subscribe to Mad and would be a good book, but we [the 8th laugh! graders] are required to squeeze EVERY LAST TIDBIT of detail from this book, which kind of lowers my rating. Remem- Thor: The Dark ber, this would be a “good” if not for the World myriad of questions with text detail. Movied Rated PG-13 Peace out.
Critic: No Rating: Rocko’s Modern Life Thor: The Dark World TV Show
is the sequel to Thor, Critic: I am Zim but you really don’t Rating have to watch the first movie to understand this movie. Basically, if The show is about a wallaby named you haven’t watched the first movie, the Rocko who moved to O-town from plot is just Thor coming back to Earth and Australia. He often gets into all of the worlds colliding, causing weird misadventures with his dog Spunky, his gravitational pulls and more sciency stuff. friends Heffer (a cow) and Filbert (a On top of that, Loki is trying to become king turtle) and his neighbors (The bigheads – of Asgard, but Thor needs his help to save frogs). The show is definitely one of the worlds. Like all Marvel movies, the Nickelodeon’s classics. It’s a shame they Tesseract is involved in the movie (It’s a cancelled it after 4 seasons. It does have blue glowing cube), and the movie is set to a lot of adult jokes, but you’ll love it. be right after the events in The Avengers. Before you watch this movie, you should know who Thor is, know who Loki is, and like Marvel. Critics 4
The Dunwich Horror The Perks of Being a By H.P. Lovecraft Wallflower
Critic: The Many Faces of By Stephen Chbosky
Space Critic: Feminist Lily Evans Rating: Rating:
Follow a simple man on Awkward, adorable and a quest to find the evil relatable with a new NECRONOMICON. The perspective. Charlie, necronomicon is an evil the cutest most naïve boy ever, is book of dark magic. If you love long introduced into the depths and horrors, this is for you. complications of High School. Experience life with CHARLIE! Or a baby squirrel will The Call of Cthulhu cry :( . By H.P. Lovecraft
Critic: The Many Faces Last Olympian of Space By Rick Riordan Rating: Critic: 42 Mo Rating: God of chaos,
Destroyer of worlds, A half-blood of the Idol of the Cthulhu cult eldest gods shall – he is a god to reach sixteen against beware. If you love Victorian styled the odds and see the horrors this for you. world in endless sleep. The hero’s soul, coursed blade, shall reap. A single choice Breaking Stalin’s ends his days. To see, to preserve or Nose raze. By Eugene Yechin
Critic: Professor Don’t Hug Me I’m Mysterious Scared Rating: video
Critic: A Price! This book is about a Rating: little boy growing up in Soviet Russia. He worships Stalin. He Watch it. It’s awesome, and the fandom even wrote a letter to him. Coming up he is really nice and amazing. Plus, it’s will receive a red sash which will make him wonderfully creepy with just enough of a Pioneer. He has been looking forward to deep thought and symbolism. Also, the this all his life until the worst thing traumatic part only occurs in the middle happens. Find out what happens and the for around 30-45 seconds. There’s also a hardships he witnesses. This book is great second one! Watch it, and decide for if you love historical fiction. Check it out yourself if you like it or not. Oh and yes. from the school [or public] library today! Just yes. Critics 5
Trash Can Days By Teddy Steinkellner
Critic: Totally Not Erica Rating:
Wait, excellent is the best I can give this? Nocturnal Something is wrong with Academy this system…. Trash Can By Ethan Somerville Days is most certainly the best book I have read in a Critic: A. Price Rating: looooooooong time. Four narrators: Jake, Hollywood producer’s son; Danny, Jake’s Nocturnal Academy is the first book in a best friend (whose parents also happen to series. Do not judge them by their be Jake’s maid and cook; Jake’s sister covers. Seriously, the covers are Hannah and Dorothy “D.” Wu, obsessed horrible. This is a little known series with mangas and fantasy. Four kids about about vampires and werewolves. But to embark on the journey of a lifetime… not Twilight ones. The ones from the Middle School. But seriously, you will laugh Good Old Days. It follows Alice, a bullied and cry while reading this, cuz then Danny girl with normal parents but discovers an get involved with a gang….(That was a abnormal secret when she is enrolled in spoiler back there.) And this review is the secretive Nocturnal Academy. What suddenly getting too long. Totally Not Erica is her secret? Well, read the book and out. find out! Also, this is more of a 6th grade book but the plot is AMAZING! A Tale of Two Cities P.S. If you have a Kindle, the first book By Charles Dickens is free (at least to the Kindle Touch and probably Kindle Fire). You will not find it Critic: No in our local library. So read this book. It Rating: is awesome and great and wonderful. #Reading, #Plot twist, #Nocturnal If you are not in high Academy, #Epic Book. school, and you want to read this; well kudos to you. A Tale of Two Cit- Matt and Kim ies is a complicated book music for advanced readers and is not about two Critic: Feminist Lily Evans cities. Yeah…the name is a lie. A Tale of Rating:
Two Cities is also a classic book, so in other words, it’s old. And since it’s old, it’s hard Indie pop to a next level, Matt and Kim to read for people in this generation. If you possess the power to captivate listeners do get to understand the book, you will like without clear words, talky-screamy-singy it a lot and know that it is really about Eng- music and totally awesome drumming. land and France. YOU MUST LISTEN TO EXPERIENCE THE EARTH SHATTERING – MIND BOGGLING – UNICORN BIRTHING – MIRACLE! Critics 6
Borderlands 2 Oz: The Great Video game and Powerful movie Critic: The Many Faces of Space Critic: mathstargirl Rating: Rating:
This game is a sequel to the original game This movie was about Borderlands. In this game you are a vault a magical land. It hunter, a person who hunts for vaults full of has everything: alien technology, on the planet Pandora, fighting, romance, who almost gets killed by the president of comedy and science. This is not a miss, Pandora Handsome Jack. Now it’s up to you will love it. It starts out a bit slow you to stop Jack from opening the vault. but gets so much better. It is not a With tons of DL (downloadable content) this typical fairy tale. It is a brand new story. game is never a bore. I would watch this movie.
Divergent series By Veronica Roth
Critic: 360 Rating:
Throw whatever you’re reading right now in the trash and pick this up. Similar in some ways to The Hunger Games, in a dystopian future of
Chicago, at age 16, all teens must make a Critic: 42MO decision that decides their friends, job, Rating: lifestyle, beliefs, and overall future. They must decide between five completely The House of Hades by Rick Riordan: different factions. Expect twist after twist, This is Rick Riordan’s darkest book yet. gore, death, action, suspense, and Seeing Tarturas and who can take romance. Read this amazing book and be charge of the quest. This book leaves captivated. you wanting to read more.
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan: video In this great new book we meet up with our favorite heroes. The Greeks and Critic: Feminist Lily Evans Rating: Romans meet up and nothing good comes from that. Just no. Critics 7
Everflame Papers Please Dylan Peters Video game
Critic: A Price! Rating: Critic: The Many Faces of Space Rating: Everflame starts out with two bears fish- In Papers Please, you have been picked ing and talking. for the October labor lottery in your Yes. It’s a fantasy home country, Arstoska. You have been book. But a dang assigned to a checkpoint in the outside good fantasy book of Arstoska. Now, you must find faults at that. The bears hear a child crying and in passports and other documents. Glory investigate. Fast forward several years and to Arstoska. the child is the son of the bear king. But there is a problem. The Great Tyrant has Divergent returned. It is the human “Holy”. As you By Veronica Roth can tell, the Bear Kingdom isn’t too crazy Critic: Feminist Lily about him. Therefore, he must be Evans destroyed! So, then the child goes on a Rating: quest to destroy him. Just read the book, it’s awesome epic-ness. Beatrice, a strong jawed girl faces the Soon Hee Newbold choosing ceremony at Music composer age 16, confronted with the choice of choosing a faction : Family or New Critic: Totally Not Erica World, Restriction of Blood or Freedom. Rating: All up to one decision. But what happens when something goes astray… Yep, I am that much of a music geek (see: I’m not Erica. Or am I?) reviewing a Divergent… composer and all that. Anyway, Newbold composes for orchestras and I have played The Simpsons: A her pieces in concert several times. Complete Guide to Unfortunately, I’ve become addicted to our Favorite Family listening to her full works and playing By Matt Groening Minecraft. That’s how awesome this music is. I Critic: Cooper (I Can MUTED MINECRAFT Walk)
FOR IT! Listen to it. Rating: Listen to it or else I’ll….Well, just This book has summary, pictures, lines, listen to it. Now! character information, stuff you may have missed and much more about every Critics 8
(cont. from page 7) episode of combine to create a wonderful novel. The Simpsons ever. It also has However, there are 700 pages of tiny things like, “signs seen around type in the book. I would be more Springfield”, all the times Homer inclined to recommend this to someone says “D’oh” and many more things that true who reads fast, but it is a great book all Simpsons fans like myself would love. If the same. you like The Simpsons and want to learn more and are already an expert, or have Pokemón X and Y never even heard of the Simpsons, then Video game this is the book for you! As they say, they really are “America’s funniest family!” Critic: Electric Wizard Rating: Frozen Movie rated PG This extension to the popular video game series replaces the Critic: Electric Wizard cheesy overhead graphics with three Rating: dimensional much more realistic graphics. The antagonists are tricky and This fantastic youth’s in your face the whole time without you movie is filled with knowing it. The battles show every adventure, a nice Witch, angle and even though you can possibly a heat-addicted Snow- get lost, it is extremely easy to get back man, and yes, a frozen on track. This nearly flawless pocket forest. In one of the first scenes, you learn adventure is sprinkled with simple how building a snowman with magic can go Français scattered in the dialogue. terribly wrong, and the scene before that contains a cute little boy and his pet baby Flowers for reindeer. There is action exciting enough for the older kids and teens, but it’s still Algernon By Daniel Keyes appropriate for younger kids. Another plus is that there are powerful female Critic: Yoshi characters. Rating: The Count of Monte Cristo I love this book so By Alexander Dumas much. It is about a dumb man who Critic: Totally Not Erica becomes smart Rating: through surgery. He is Charlie Gordon, and Algernon (from the name) is a smart This classic definitely mouse that has had the same surgery as conforms to the classic Charlie. Algernon is cute, white and style. A myriad of fluffy – but anyways the book is about interesting characters, Charlie. Charlie’s awkward and funny to prison breakouts, a hidden treasure, read about, so the book pretty much scandal and the expertise of Dumas Critics 9
(cont. from page 8) reminds you of Forrest Gump. So Read This Book!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone By J.K. Rowling
Critic: mathstargirl Rating:
This book was good but Diary of a Wimpy it was too draggy. It is Kid too long but it had an By Jeff Kinney excellent story. The book is amazing and cre- Critic: I am Zim ative, but too lengthy. Rating:
Mockingjay The book Diary of a By Suzanne Collins Wimpy Kid is the first in a series of 8 books. Critic: 42 MO The series is about a Rating: kid named Greg Heffly who is in middle school. He is trying to survive it there It’s a perfect way to with his best friend Rowley. He also has end problems at home thanks to the rest of the his family, mainly his brother Rodrick. In series the first book of the series, Greg starts with another Katniss middle school (while thinking middle Everdeen surprise. school is a horrible idea). See what happens when he has to perform in a The City of Ember school play of the Wizard of Oz. You’ll By Jeanne DuPrau laugh your heart out when he tries to write a comic for the school newspaper. Critic: The Many Faces of See his holiday trouble, when he is Space chased on Halloween and gets nothing Rat- he wants on Christmas day. Be prepared ing: for when he is a safety patrol office. Basically a lot of funny things happen in Imagine a city this book, there are some serious parts underground. Would but mostly humorous. Should you read you be able to survive? Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Yes. Should you Well people have for spend your money on these books? Yes. years until now…. Should you jump of a cliff with sharp rocks at the bottom? Yes, I mean no.
Critics 10
Speak Rugrats By Laurie Halse TV show Anderson Critic: I am Zim Critic: ElephantsandPeanuts Rating: Rating: If you don’t believe anything I say – stop Melinda did not start high reading. Rugrats is the greatest show in school on a good note. the world. There never was and never Over the summer, she will be a better show. This show is so went to a big party, and awesome I can’t fit it in this review. ended it by calling the cops. Now, she’s an There are a bunch of talking babies. outcast, all of her friends have left her, and This is the best thing Nickelodeon has her grades are dropping. She also barely come up with. (Trust me their new talks anymore. Speak is an amazing, eye shows stink.) Watch Rugrats or forever opening book. I suggest that if you can find be tormented by Angelica, Tommy’s it, you should read it. I listened to it as an bratty cousin. audiobook from the website Audible, and I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely for so-called “mature readers” though.
Team Fortress 2 Video game
Critic: The Many Faces of Space Rating:
Team Fortress 2 (or otherwise known as TF2) is a sequel to Team Fortress Classic. In Team Fortress 2, you choose from 9 classes (Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demonman, heavy, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, and Spy) to fight in an endless war for a bunch of gravel. But now, the two brothers who have hired you have been murdered by their twin brother who was separated at birth. Now you have to defend against his robot attacks. With cartoony graphics this game is so funny.
Critics 11 Critics Club BMPL Club that meets at BMS Poems By Maya Angelou Critic: Yoshi Rating: Critic: ElephantsandPeanuts Rating: This club is amazingly excellent. It features about 15 of the world’s greatest If you’re just getting into writers plus some other kids. This club poetry, I’d definitely is also a great experience for kids in the recommend Maya school. It meets the first Thursday of Angelou. Her poetry is every month. But even if you want to never boring. If the only join the club next meeting, you probably poem of hers you’ve read is “Life Doesn’t shouldn’t because you’re probably not in Frighten Me”, then you’re missing out. Try the club for a reason.* Nevertheless, reading “Still I Rise” (my favorite poem), or this club is great because we get free “Sounds Like Pearls”. The poems can be food and have great discussions. The pretty sad, but many of them are very people are nice and so is the club. empowering. Read it! *note by Amy Kaplan: if that reason is Lego Star Wars: you have always meant to join but never The Complete Saga did, it’s never too late to join us! All are Video game welcome!
Critic: No Rating: Thor: The Dark World Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is such Movie rated PG-13 a vast, large game with all six episodes of the Star Wars saga. You can play the story Critic: The Many Faces in story mode, or unlock free play mode as of Space any character. Even your own. You can Rating: also buy things in the Mos Eisley Cantina with coins you collect in the game. Running This movie has its ups low on coins will never be a problem and downs though the end is a huge because there are coins everywhere. In my cliffhanger. It is still a good movie. opinion, I think that Lego Star Wars is the best Lego game because of the vast assortment of character, comedy and fun. Meet the Critics
ELEPHANTSANDPEANUTS 360 I don’t like describing myself, but I am cats, forums, bots, wrecking balls, I’ll just say this: I am an elephant gifs, gaming channels, how tos, immature and a real nut. 9 year old, creepy pasta, cats again, spam, and memes. If you somehow haven’t figured out who I am, I am the God of TOTALLY NOT ERICA the Interwebz. #3604God2K13-14 Or am I? Yoda voice: hmmmm. NO
YOSHI I am in the MATHSTARGIRL 42 MO Critics Club. I don’t read math but I love Percy Jackson I am pretty awe- I read fun books. and The Yankees. The rela- Read them or I Read my review or tive math you. else! A PRICE Have you heard of this thing called money? A price is the THE MANY FACES OF SPACE amount of money something costs. I am priceless I am...A Space, space space I like space space Price. I like cats and books and space want-a go to space want-a go fantasy and scifi and Realistic want-a go space space space fiction and Doctor Who and tardises and Gravity Falls. And DS Games. I hate spoilers. And THOTH spiders. Read my reviews. I like ELECTRIC WIZARD forks. I am not I am Thoth. I electric nor do I have am not the ancient magical powers, but I Egyptian God of Wisdom but like books and have I’m not who you think I am. I I AM ZIM opinions, so I would like like anything pertaining to you to read my reviews. mind games—oh, nevermind. I like older shows on Just read what I review unless Nichelodeon like Rugrats, you want to be force-fed Invader Zim, Hey Arnold PROFESSOR gorganzola. and Rockos Modern Life. MYSTERIOUS Read my reviews or suffer a moosey fate. ? ? ? ? ? FEMINIST LILY EVANS COOPER (I CAN WALK) I look like Lily I like baseball, cross-country, tennis, Evans FROM THE skateboarding (but I’m not that BOOKS and like to good—yet), listening to music (mainly rap), pretend I’m her reading scary stories and sports books and sometimes. Drink tea, eat playing video games. I also once stole the spoons chocolate and read my reviews! from my house. =^_^=