A Quest Post: The Great Good Thing

The Great Good Thing
By Roderick Townley; Scholastic 2001

Summary: Sylvie had an amazing life, but she didn't get to live it very often.

Sylvie has been a twelve-year-old princess for more than eighty years, ever since the book she lives in was first printed. She's the heroine, and her story is exciting -- but that's the trouble. Her story is always exciting in the same way. Sylvie longs to get away and explore the world outside the confines of her book.

When she breaks the cardinal rule of all storybook characters and looks up at the Reader, Sylvie begins a journey that not even she could have anticipated. And what she accomplishes goes beyond any great good thing she could have imagined...

Things to Watch Out for: Dangerous characters.

Quest Post from Cambria Sees:

I've loved The Great Good Thing since I was in the 2nd grade. The plot line has twists and turns, which always keeps the reader quessing and wondering what will happen next. Sylvie is adventurous, spunky, and willing to go the extra mile to be apart of an adventure and the unknown. This read is fasinating because of how the point of view pulls the reader in and draws the reader into the story. The characters in this book seem to surround the story around the reader. The characters are seperate different beings with great personalites, which make everything work together wonderfully. I've enjoyed this book for years and I plan on enjoying it for many to come. 

Scarlet

Scarlet 
By A.C Gaughen ;Walker Childrens

Summary: Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

My Review: I found this book on ALA Teen's Top Ten Nominee of 2012. I love seeing which books get placed in the top ten and usually try to read a few of them. This one caught my eye especially because it mentioned Will Scarlet, Robin Hood, and Gisbourne. I am a sucker for Robin Hood. Books about Robin Hood, T.V shows, and movies. I've watched and tried to read them all. So of course I downloaded the ebook and started reading right away.  


What I love about this version of the Robin Hood story is that Will Scarlet was actually a girl.  Well Scarlet is a miss-I-can-do-what-I-want type of girl and doesn't let anyone push her around. At first I found her really annoying and wanted to slap her. But as time went on she grew on me because she started opening up and showing her true feelings. Throughout the book you find out who she really is, what happened to her, and why she is the way she is. And of course Robin hood is a babe as always. A do-gooder for sure and I thought he was portrayed very well. The whole gang is there as well all the way down to Friar Tuck. There were alot of mouth dropping moments that really surprised me. There were things I did not expect or couldn't figure out until the end. As soon as it ended I wanted more.


I really hope that the author will write more to this story. Because I would definitely buy all her books.  I found this to be an excellent and quick read. It has everything. Adventure, love,  mystery, and fighting. I recommend it!

Watch Out For: Some language, fighting, death, kissing, and thievery.

The Princess Bride

                                   The Princess Bride

            S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure 

       By William Goldman;Harcourt

Summary: As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdink, and once again rescued by the henchmen and pirate who absconded with her in the first place. 

In this dazzling adventure, she will meet Vizzini- the criminal philosopher who will do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik- the gentle giant; Inigo-the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup's one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate. 

My Review:  The only reason I read this book is because it is one of my favorite movies of all time. Let me just tell you this is so worth reading! William Goldman is hilarious with his commentary throughout the  whole book. It all started with  him as a little boy sick in bed and having his father read to him from Morgenstern's The Princess Bride. Then he went on and wrote the screen play for the movie and eventually wrote the unabridged version of The Princess Bride. He really makes The Princess Bride something worth reading. 

The book is just as brilliant as the movie. I laughed throughout the entire thing. The difference between the movie and the book is that in the book you get a back ground story for all the characters and you become familiar with Prince Humperdink's Zoo of Death. The Zoo of Death is where Humperdink keeps all of these dangerous animals to hunt.  The Background stories really helped me to understand the characters better. My favorite background stories were Inigo and Fezzik's. Inigo's shows how he became a master swordsman after the death of his father. Feezik's shows how he dealt with his "giant self" as a child and how his strengthen became a major part in his life.  I'm going to be totally honest with you. Buttercup is an idiot. Sorry to say it, but it is true. She may seem all brave and strong in the movie, but in the book she comes across as a babbling idiot. I really couldn't stand her and I kept wondering why in the world  did Westley even wanted her. Westley is way to good for her in my opinion. On the other hand Westley is a complete and total genius! His comments and performance as a whole is entertaining both in the movie and the book. He keeps you enthralled throughout the  whole story. 

 I highly highly recommend this book. If you love the movie I can guarantee you will love the book. Its INCONCEIVABLE! 

Things to Watch Out For:  Evil villains, murder, sword fights, poisoning, kidnapping, torture on humans and animals, R.O.U.S, kissing, and drinking.

Video:

The Lightning Thief

 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: 

The Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan; Mirmax Books 2005

Summary: Percy Jackson seems like he is just another troubled 12-year-old diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. He has good intentions, a kind loving mother, a nasty stepfather, and has a long line of schools who have rejected him. Lately, he seems to be attracting mythological monsters everywhere he goes. Soon  Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood where the truth comes out. Percy is half god, half human. But who is his father? And why does Zeus think he stole his master lightning bolt?
 Percy and his friends have till the summer solstice to find the bolt and return it to Mount Olympus. For Percy to succeed his quest he will have to do much more than catch the real thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him: solve the oracle's riddle; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

My Review: This is my third time reading this book and my love for it grows every time. Rick Riordan has such a way with his writing. He keeps you involved in this book and makes it hard to put it down. He's writing made me laugh and that right there has my vote. I love humorous books and  I laughed through out this whole book. I have always loved Greek Mythology and this book is chalk full of it. All this Greek mythology takes place in America which makes it even better to get involved in.  Percy Jackson is my kind of twelve-year-old! He is brave, not afraid to speak his mind, and is loyal to his new friends. He goes from a troubled kid to a kick trash hero. In this series Rick throws these mythological  creatures, heroes, and Greek Gods in a way to make it fun and enjoyable to read. I highly recommend it!

Things to Watch Out For:  Violence, swordplay, monsters, and half-bloods are the results of affairs between Gods and mortals.    

Percy Jackson is now playing in theaters everywhere. I have yet to see it, but I am planning on it. Here is the trailer!