13 Things That Don't Make Sense

13 Things That Don't Make Sense
by Michael Brooks

The book explores all that experts know about science, and the tremendous amount that they still have to discover.

If you are a science geek, this book is for you.  If you are just interested in why things happen, most of the subjects will be interesting.  I actually enjoyed most of this book, but some subjects were out of my league.

The chapters about whether homeopathic medicine works and what The Placebo Effect is got my attention... even the first chapter about dark matter was almost written for "regular minds". Rating *** Stars for non-science types

Dear John

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


Reading Level: 5.5
AR Points: 13


John, an aimless young man, decides to join the Army after high school.  While home on leave, he meets the girl of his dreams -- Savannah, a college student spending the summer building a house for the homeless.  They fall in love, but when John re-enlists after 9-11, Savannah marries someone else. 


Here's a good summer read... You can easily breeze through a Nicholas Sparks book in a day. The cover doesn't fit the book, since Savannah is a brunette, and John has some major tatoos on his arms, so don't watch the movie and expect it to be identical. 


I liked this book.  Sparks' books follow a basic formula -- someone has to die, someone "becomes a better person", someone is always nicer than real life.  This story also throws in autism and Asperger's syndrome. 


I thought Savannah was immature. We all do stupid things, but to marry a guy just because he's there & the love of her life is in the Army is pretty shallow.  Talk about messing with a guy... I can't see how that's a good example of how to be a wonderful person.  However, the fact that I even thought about it means it's an effective story. 
Rating: ***** 5 Stars

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Reading Level: 8th Grade

AR Quiz Points: 12

Originally published in 1876, this book is based on Mark Twain's childhood experiences in Hannibal, Missouri.

I enjoyed this book, even though Tom is a typical boy...he thinks the world revolves around him. Tom spends most of his time and energy trying to get out of work. Not a big deal if you don't mind being illiterate & ignorant, until Tom and his friends witness a murder. Trying to stay out of trouble gets tougher after that...

Rating: * * * * * 5 Stars