Pirate's Treasure

written by Carol Moore

Illustrated by Aura Moser

Children's Storybooks Online, 2004

Genre: Children's fiction picture book; adventure

Reading Level: Ages 4-6

6 pages

One night Jimmy has a dream that a pirate tells him treasure is buried in his backyard. The next day he digs a lot but all he finds is a bone that belongs to his dog, he gets very upset until his mother gives him $5.oo because she's always wanted to dig a hole to put a plant in.

I would recommend this to any young child learning to read.

I can think of no controversy that would come from this book.

I really like this website, it gives opportunities for authors and illustrators to collaborate on projects for children online. This book was simple, but creative and the pictures were very attractive. Children like being on the computer, they like learning to read. It's a great combination.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Ancient Medicine

From Sorcery to Surgery

written by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods

Runestone Press, 2000

Genre: Children's nonfiction

Reading Level: Ages 12+

96 pages

This interesting book goes through the different medical practices of the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. I don't want to explain every topic, but I'll give a few of my favorites. One of the medical procedures from the Stone Age was called trepanation. This is when physicians would drill holes in people's skulls to reduce pressure or stop internal bleeding, while this could lead to infection and eventually death, based on some skulls from that time is is obvious that some people survived and actually starting healing. Something that I found interesting about the Ancient Egyptians was that they only performed minor surgeries because they believed that when a person died, for them to get into the afterlife their body had to be fully intact. In Ancient India when a physician operated on someone's intestines after war, or being gored by an animal, they would get weaver ants and hold ants along the incisions to clamp down and then cut off their bodies, these supplied stitches that didn't let any bacteria out. The Last thing i found really interesting was that in Ancient Rome a physician named Galen developed the test of taking the patient's pulse.

I would recommend this to any child interested in history or medicine

I think that some parents would be a little wary of their children reading this because some of it seems a bit graphic.

I thought this book was well put together but somewhat boring. I found the facts interesting but had too much information about it that I didn't really care about.

My rating 2 out of 5

Tangerine

written by Edward Bloor

Harcourt Inc., 2005

Genre: Children's contemporary fiction

Reading Level: Ages 10 and up

309 pages

Tangerine starts out with Paul Fisher and his family moving to Tangerine Florida because of his father's new job. Erik quickly learns that this area of the Florida has muck fires that are constantly burning because of the reoccurring lightening in the everyday storms hitting it after him and his mom think their house is on fire. The reader quickly learns that Paul's parents, mostly his father, are obsessed with paul's brother, Erik's football dream. The book introduces Antoine Thomas, Erik's new best friend, and Mike Costello, another player on Erik's team. Paul and his mother head to the middle school to enroll Paul and he is quickly frustrated with his mom for telling the principal that he is legally blind. Paul doesn't feel blind, at least with his glasses. He doesn't remember the incident but his parents tell him that he stared into an eclipse too long and ruined his eyes. On his first day of school, he makes a friend, Joey Costello, Mike's little brother and Paul's fellow soccer player as planned. The reader soon recognizes Paul's mother a little over obsessive about the state of the neighborhood and does everything she can to "improve" situations including requesting that the lightening rods on top of one house that has been struck multiple times be removed because they were unattractive. Paul attends soccer tryouts and is sure that he will be made goalie, his regular position. He goes home to find that Mike Costello is dead, struck by lightening during football practice. Paul is disgusted at Erik and his friends as they laugh at the situation. Pauls mother starts fighting for football practice to be moved to a different time of day that isn't bound to rain everyday. Paul is even more disappointed the next day at school as he is informed that he cannot play soccer because of his disability. He is furious with his mom, but there is nothing to be done. After the weekend and after constant rain as Paul is in class in one of the school outdoor trailers a sinkhole starts to collapse under the trailers, Paul and Joey get out and start helping out other children. After a meeting at the school it is decided that half the students will do a half day and the other students will go to Tangerine middle, the other middle school. The heavens open for Paul as he realizes that if he goes to the other middle school he has a chance of playing goalie. Paul goes to his new school, really excited, he learns that there are girls on this team too, and after some showing off he is added as an extra goalie. Paul plays his first soccer game as a Tangerine Middle war eagle, and as one of the head players, Victor, gets in a fight Paul goes in and helps the team win. Joey transfers to Tangerine, but doesn't get an in with the soccer players. The next soccer game comes and Paul gets put in again, he shoots a goal, and wins the game, he is now officially accepted. Joey however turns out to be a horrible player. In his science class Paul is assigned a project and decides to hook up with the fellow soccer players and Theresea and Tino say that their brother invented a new kind of fruit and they can help him out and study how he did it as the project. Joey however joined a different group, clearly feeling alienated. Paul and his friends go to Tino's house and meet his older brother Luis and are introduced to the new fruit and the grove that Luis works hard to keep alive. Paul really likes it at Luis' home and family. Paul and his team keep winning his soccer games and Paul goes back to help Luis with the grove. At their last game against paul's old school they win be a sliver, but Paul finally feels part of the group and is completely enjoying his friends and the victory of being one of the best in the state. The science group comes over to Pauls house to work on the presentation and Tino gets in a fight with Erik, Erik wins. Luis, standing up for his younger brother confronts Erik, and ends up getting hit in the head with a blackjack, Paul sees it all but keeps his mouth shut. The first frost hits and many of the soccer players are missing because they are helping Luis protect the fruit groves. Paul decides to help out and gets really sick, but the group becomes closer. Paul comes to school a couple days later to hear that Luis is dead, because of a brain hemorrhage, Paul knows it is Eriks fault but says nothing. Paul after several flashbacks realizes that his eyes are bad because Erik sprayed paint in his eyes, he confronts his parents and they break down. paul now officially hates his brother. By the end of the book Erik and his friends are arrested for murder, and several robberies around town. Paul is relieved that his parents finally see how messed up Erik is. Paul is ready for the next soccer season and even the new school year.

I would recommend this book to any child; especially sport players.

I think that some parents would be concerned with the actions of Erik Fisher and how it would effect their children to read about them.

I've loved this book since i was probably ten years old. i don't know what it is about it; I love the writing, the descriptions, the plot that is so unique or that it seems so real. It is definitely one of my favorite books of all time.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Japan

A Kaleidoscope Kids Book

written by Debbi Michiko Florence

illustrated by James Caputo

Ideals Publications, 2009

Genre: Children's nonfiction; activity book

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up

96 pages

This book about Japan is a really cool book, but a little hard to explain. On each page there is a little information about Japan and then a really cool activity to go along with it, but so I don't have to take up all of this blog with an explanation of each of these pages, I'll just list out a few of my favorites. On one of the pages is some information about Mount Fuji that is located a little over 60 miles SW of Tokyo, and is 12,385 feet. On the next section of the page it shows kids how to make their own volcano, and then how to make it erupt! Now what kid wouldn't love that? On another page, entitled "Castles of Wood" it talks about all the Japanese castles that have been built during times of peace and what they symbolize and on the next section of the page it talks about how to design your own fortress. Probably my last favorite one was the page on the art of paper folding, or origami which is the art of folding papers into shapes. Then obviously the next part of the page teaches how to make a paper goldfish. It's so cool.

I would recommend this to any child who likes mixing learning and activities.

I can think of no controversy that would come from this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Reading about Japan and even trying out some of the activities, I learned things I had never learned and was extremely entertained. I can just imagine a young kid having a lot of fun and learning a lot.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Mary McLeod Bethune: Educator

Black Americans of Achievement

written by Malu Halasa

Chelsea House Publications, 1993

Genre: Children's nonfiction

Reading Level: ages 9-12

111 pages

This biography of the incredible Mary McLeod Bethune tells of her courageous life. She was born in South Caroline on July 10. She attended a Presbyterian Mission school in her early years and moved on into a Seminary in North Carolina. She becomes a teacher after finishing school, and starts the fight for Negro girls. She founds the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in Daytona Beach, FL. She becomes president of the Florida Federation of Colored women and founds several other federations. All the while fighting for the black woman's right to fight and schooling. She even worked for Presidents Hoover, and Truman. And eventually became the vice president of the NAACP. She fought her entire life for more rights. She inspired thousands and gave rights to even more. This book accurately and thoroughly describes her life up until her death in 1955.

I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys history.

I think that some parents might not want their children to read this book because they want to keep their kids from knowing the hardships of life.

I really liked this book. It was interesting and full of tons of information, I didn't even know how to summarize it all without rewriting the book. It really portrays Mary Bethune as a leader of her people and an inspiration to everyone who knows her story.

My rating 4 out of 5

Alice: The Agony of Alice

written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Simon Schuster Children's Publishing, 2007

Genre: Children's contemporary fiction

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

144 pages

The Agony of Alice is the story of a motherless girl who just moved to a new town and is getting ready to start the sixth grade. The book starts with an explanation of Alice and how she is scared of growing backwards and realizing that she is immature when she is older. She is easily embarrassed and desperately wants a mother, and decides that she will adopt one. Another important character in the book is a card with the Saint Agnes on it who Alice looks to when she needs help or reassurance she is kind of Alice's good luck charm. Alice lives with her father and older brother, Lester. Lester and her don't get along. The first day of school, Alice shows up as they're sorting out the classes, she really wants to be with Miss Cole, who she decides is perfect for her adoptive mother. However, she ends up in "homely" Mrs. Plotkins' class. On the first day Alice is very rude to Mrs. Plotkin but soon regrets it, and tells herself she needs to be nice to her but still look for ways to get into Miss Cole's class. Luckily the safety squad is run by Miss Cole and Mrs. Plotkin asks Alice if she wants to be a substitute, Alice says yes and eats lunch in Miss Cole's classroom every Wednesday. Alice has several unfortunate events at school, from hearing her friends talk about how great Miss Cole, to wearing too much perfume and everyone making fun of her, and several other embarrassing moments. Mrs. Plotkin starts having her students keep journals and Alice really runs with the idea. Halloween soon comes and she agrees to dress up like a horse with one of her friends, and during the parade, accidentally kicks Miss Cole, she is of course mortified and runs home and hides out in her room. Mrs. Plotkin and Alice become closer as she helps her after class, participates in her play, and cries to her about how life is unfair. Over Valentine's day Alice gets a valentine that says i like you and she soon discovers that it's from a boy in her class, named Patrick. After they've "gone steady" for awhile Alice feels inadequate because Patrick speaks two languages and has done lots of travelling. Alice's kind of father sends her on her first train ride to Chicago to spend some time with her Aunt Sally and family. She starts her period on her trip and really feels loved by Aunt Sally and her daughter Carol. She returns with tons of stories to tell Patrick. Near the end of the school year as the safety squad throws Miss Cole and Alice a birthday party, Alice finally gets a hug from Miss Cole and it's not what she expected. She realizes she's grown closer to Mrs. Plotkin than she would have thought and gives her a piece of cake. As she says goodbye to Mrs. Plotkin at the end of they year, Mrs. Plotkin gives her a special ring, and Alice has never been happier; until of course she gets her first kiss from Patrick.

I would recommend this book to a young girl about to be a teenager.

As far as controversy coming from this book I think that parents might think some of the material would make their children take on some of the habits of Alice.

I really enjoyed this book, even as a 20 year old. I know that if i had read it when i was 11 or 12 i would have absolutely loved it and all the other Alice books. THey are ones that young girls can really relate to, and find entertaining.

My rating: 4 out of 5

A Year Down Yonder

written by Richard Peck

Penguin Group, 2002

Genre: Children's contemporary fiction

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

144 pages

A Year Down Yonder is the story of Mary Alice a young girl from Chicago sent to stay with her quirky grandmother because of the recession of 1937. Mary Alice shows up at the train station with her radio and her cat greeted by her grandmother who proceeds to take her to school, which turns out to be very small and all the grades are somewhat mixed together. Mary Alice soon makes an enemy in Mildred Burdock who tells her that she owe's her a dollar mostly because she is "a rich Chicago girl". Mildred follows Mary Alice home on her horse and up to the porch where she tells her grandmother that Mildred says she owes her a dollar. Grandmother invites her in for some buttermilk after making Mildred take off her boots. As Mildred is eating Grandmother ties Mildred's boots to her horse and sends it running. Mildred realizing what happened runs after it. Grandmother explains that Mildred's family is known for stealing horses. Halloween quickly rolls around and to prevent the neighborhood boys from knocking over her privy grandmother sets a trap and ends up breaking one of the boy's noses and covering his head in her homemade glue. She also goes around stealing what she needs for pies and makes pies for the Halloween party to the embarrassment of Mary Alice. Then comes Armistice day and the turkey shoot at the Abernathy's. Though it is cold Mary Alice and grandmother head over to the excitement where Alice observes and grandmother volunteers to serve the burgoo raising money to help Mrs. Abernathy and her injured son to make it through the year, making more money by cheating some of the richer folk out of the originally charged dime for the soup. Then during Christmastime Mary Alice sees grandma show her true colors; she buys her a new pair of shoes, makes her a pretty headpiece and shows up for the pageant. She also pays for Mary Alice's brother to come visit. The comes Valentines day time and the time for the DAR party which is to be held at grandmother's house where she says is the only place where she'll make the tarts for the DAR party. We are also introduced to Mary Alice as a writer, and she is very witty. At school on Valentines day Mary Alice helps her only somewhat friend, Ina-rae fake the fact that she got valentines from several boys in school, including the new student, Royce making Colleen very jealous. And not surprisingly the DAR meeting is ruined. In the next part of the book Grandmother takes on a new resident, Arnold Green who agrees to pay rent to stay in her extra bedroom. He's a painter and causes quite a stir on the same day that Royce comes over to do homework with Mary ALice and a very naked Maxine with a big snake, and only a big snake covering her, runs down the stairs and out the door. Needless to say Grandmother cautions Arnold that he is no longer to paint naked pictures in her house. Arnold soon forgets Maxine however as Grandmother introduces him to Mary Alice's teacher and they are soon engaged. A tornado hits the small hick town while Mary Alice is at school and she runs home to check on grandma. The end of the school year comes and there is a big party where Mary Alice and Royce come together as a little more than friends. Mary Alice tells her grandmother she doesn't want to go back to Chicago but Grandmother insists that she goes home but they can stay in touch. The book ends several years later with Mary Alice marrying Royce in her grandmother's house.

I would recommend this book to any child.

The controversy i see coming from this book is that parents might worry their kids will start acting like Mary Alice's grandmother.

I really liked this book. It was well written and fast paced, and extremely entertaining and funny. The grandmother's character is right down hilarious and what any kid would want for a grandmother. This is a great book for parents and children alike.

My rating 5 out of 5

Loser

Written by Jerry Spinelli

Scholastic, 2002

Genre: Children's contemporary fiction

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

224 pages

Loser is the story of a rambunctious young boy and his love of school. The book starts out with Donald Zinkoff's first day of school. He is so excited he runs there all by himself in his giraffe hat. He really likes his teacher, and he really likes the kids at school, even the ones that are mean to him. Though he is hyper and has horrible penmanship his teacher seems to like him too. The book introduces Zinkoff's family, his loving mother, and father who likes used cars because they are cheap. His father is a mailman and Zinkoff wants to be one too. One day at school Zinkoff's teacher makes up a word and Zinkoff cannot stop laughing he gets in trouble, but he is still happy, optimistic, and giggly. By the end of chapter seven Zinkoff has finished first grade.In the next section of his book it talks about Zinkoff's time in the summer before his second grade year. He gets a new baby sister, and a new friend, Andrew. Who doesn't say much and is upset he had to move to this new home, but Zinkhoff does what he can to be nice to Andrew. The author also tells about Zinkoff's soccer games and how he doesn't know how to react when they lose and is disliked by his teammates until he accidentally scores the winning goal. Zinkoff's second grade teacher doesn't like him very much because of his horrible penmanship, rowdiness, and his constant throwing up. In the next section of the book it is take you child to work day but since Zinkoff's father is a mailman he's not allowed to take passengers. So he helps Zinkoff write 100 letters and they pretend to be mailmen and deliver them all around the neighborhood. He meets a nice old lady, and his dad tells him about the "waiting man" who stands in his window and stares out of it all day waiting for his brother to come back from the war after he has been declared MIA. Soon after Zinkoff has surgery to fix his throwing up and is stuck home from school. He decides to give himself a test and not be scared of the cellar. He goes a little farther down into it each day darker and darker until he can stay for x amount of minutes, he gets scared and can't stay very long and believes he has failed, but at least he wasn't as bored. In the fourth grade Zinkoff is "discovered" at school. His teacher likes him but the students start to notice all his faults and decide that he is weird. It all goes down hill at field day where there is a bunch of competitive games and Zinkoff keeps his team from winning, he is now known to his classmates to be a loser, and it hurts his feelings. Then it jumps to fifth grade, Zinkoff doesn't believe in a lot of childish things, such as Santa Claus, he can basically ride his bike where he pleases and he meets new friends in doing so. And one day during a test he decides that a boy in his class is his best friend, and does everything he can to be his best friend. But the other kid isn't very willing and they soon grow apart. Then all too soon field day comes again and Zinkoff is despised by his classmates, he is so upset he skips that day of school and spends it with his old lady friend. Then the author jumps forward to Zinkoff's graduation day. He graduates from fifth grade and starts sixth grade in a new school, no one recognizes his existence and he is never picked to play basketball with the other boys. One day when it was snowing a lot Zinkoff hears that his friend, a little girl down the street is missing, he goes out to help look and ends up being lost and found again by a snow plow man at 1 in the morning. His parents were very worried and tell him that the girl was found soon after she went missing. Zinkoff is grounded but the next day at school some new boys learn his name and seeing that he is a boy that won't give up tells him to play basketball with them, seeing no other option.

I would recommend this book to any kids, especially those who feel like outcasts in their school.

I think that the only controversy that could come from this book would be parents worrying about their children acting like Zinkhoff did.

I liked this book ok, i thought it was well written and entertaining but it went a little slow. Though i'm sure any child could relate to it, and enjoy it a lot from that standpoint.

My rating 3 out of 5

Coraline

written by Neil Gaiman

Illustrations by McKean

Harper Collins, 2002

Genre: Children's fiction; fantasy; horror

Reading Level: ages 9 to 12

192 pages

Coraline is the story of a young girl who is bored with her life and feels ignored by her parents. The book starts out with an introduction to Coraline's family and their new house. It talks about the quirky neighbors; Misses Forcible and Spink, the retired performers, and the old man upstairs that used to work with the circus. Then the reader learns that Coraline is an explorer and on the warm sunny days she would explore outside, but one day it was raining and Coraline decided to explore the house. She found a small door that led to a brick wall. That same night Coraline woke to a scurrying sound that she followed to the little door, but again it was just a wall of brick. The next day Coraline goes to visit the women next door and they read her tea leaves and tell her that she is in danger and give her a small rock with a hole in it and tell her it will protect her. Later that day Coraline's mother leaves for the store and Coraline gets very bored and decides to open the little door, this time however there are no bricks just a small passageway. As Coraline enters the next room she realizes it is her own apartment and she is introduced to her "other" mother and "other father who look similar to her real mother and father except they have black buttons for eyes, so does every other living thing in the new world. Her other life seems perfect, she gets the food she likes and the toy she likes, and gets to explore as much as she wants. She meets a cat, sees a bunch of rats and visits her quirky neighbors in their creepy forms. The other mother and father want her to stay and tell her all that she has to do is stay is trade her eyes for black buttons. Coraline says no and decides to go back to her home. But Coraline's parents never came back and she see's them in a mirror where they say, "help us". So Coraline goes back though the little door and tells the other mother that she wants her parents back. The other mother tries to convince Coraline that they left her on purpose and tells her she's going back to bed. Coraline after talking to the helpful cat decides to challenge the other mother because she likes games. But before Coraline decides how to challenge the other mother she makes her mad and she locks Coraline behind the mirror where Coraline meets the ghosts of three children who say that the other mother took their souls and she will do the same to Coraline. Once Coraline is let out of the mirror, she challenges the other mother telling her that if Coraline can find the three children's souls and her parents than the other mother has to let her go, and if she doesn't she will stay with the other mother forever. The other mother agrees and Coraline begins searching. She finds the first child's soul in her other bedroom by looking through the rock with a whole in it and the soul is a glowing marble. The next one she finds in the Misses Forcible and Spink's theater and has to pry it from their hands. Because the other mother is upset with Coraline for finding two she tricks her into looking into a room that hid the other father, deformed and tortured by the other mother, he tries to attack her but Coraline escapes. She finds the last soul in the old man's apartment who turns out to be made of rats. Coraline notices that this other world is starting to lose form, and shape and seems even more unreal. Coraline knows, because of help from the cat that the other mother won't stick to her word so she takes the cat, finds that her parents are in a snow globe and tricks the other mother into letting her in the little door with her parents in the snow globe and the cat. When she gets on the other side, everything seems normal but in a dream the three children tell her that it's not over. The other mother's hand is in her world and is trying to get the key to the little door so she can get in. Coraline comes up with a plan and the other mother's hand and the key end up in the bottom of a very deep well, which Coraline blocks with big planks. She now goes completely back to normal, happy and ever appreciative of her life.

I would recommend this book to children who enjoy scary books and adventures.

I think that this book could be controversial because it is written for younger children but is pretty creepy and has some terrifying moments.

I actually really liked this book, i didn't think i would because of the movie, but i thought the book added a lot to the story. I liked the writing style and the unique and fantastical ideas. I also liked the pictures, though some of them creeped me out.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Lincoln: A Photobiography

by Russell Freedman

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1989

Genre: Children's nonfiction; biography

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

160 pages

This biography about President Lincoln is a really eye opening read about our historical president. The book starts with his childhood in Kentucky with harsh winters, farming, and very little schooling. It talks about how Lincoln was well liked and known to be comical. At the age of 23 he decided to run for Illinois state legislature. His first political run, and he lost. In the next section of the book it talks about Lincoln teaching himself how to practice law and the many other elections he ran for, some he got, most he didn't. It also talks about his marriage to Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. It goes on to talk about his children, all boys who weren't disciplined because is Lincoln's eyes they were perfect. The next section of the book talks about the slavery conflict, North versus South, and Lincoln's stance to not halt it but do what he can to keep it from spreading. Lincoln is elected president and enacts the emancipation proclamation. The next section talks about the Civil War after the South breaks off. It talks about how Lincoln participated and reacted to all the different battles. The book ends with the story about Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865 in the Ford's theater. Then there are a bunch of interesting quotes from Lincoln that really show his character.

I would recommend this book to a child interested in history.

I feel that the only controversy that could come from this book would be parents complaining about the graphic pictures of the war scenes.

I really liked this book, i don't usually like history books, but this one really enticed me. It was really nice to know that Lincoln was human, and definitely didn't succeed at everything he attempted to do.

My rating 4 out of 5

Love That Dog

written by Sharon Creech

Harper Collins, 2003

Genre: Children's fiction; poetry

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

128 pages

Love That Dog is about a young boy named Jack who in his classroom was assigned to write poetry and responses to poems read in class. Jack starts out not liking poetry saying that it's for girls, but after getting inspiration from other poets starts writing poems. Most of the poems he writes about are about his yellow dog named Sky that was killed by a blue car covered in mud. The different pages are Jack's poems, his interactions with his teacher, and also a letter to his favorite poet, Walter Dean Myers, who he writes and asks to come to his class. Myers does come and Jack is overjoyed. The book ends with all the poems that Jack describes that they learned about in class.

I would recommend this book to any child; especially those interested in poetry.

I can think of no controversy that could come from this book.

I really liked this book, it was very unique and entertaining. There are very few books that are about poetry and honestly tell a story. I also really liked that it felt like I really was reading a child's writing.

My rating 4 out of 5

The Greatest War Stories Never Told

100 tales from military history to astonish, bewilder, & stupefy

written by Rick Beyer

Harper Collins, 2005

Genre: Children's/YA nonfiction

Reading Level: ages 12-15

224 pages

The Greatest War Stories Never Told is a very interesting book for all the history buffs out there. It is a collection of war stories that you may or may not have heard of. From the story behind The Star Spangled Banner to secret stories of the Spartans, and many more. My personal favorite was in 1859 when the U.S. and Great Britain were at odds about the San Juan Island Chain and who it belonged to. At one point a man named Lyman Cutlar, and American living on San Juan Island shot a pig that was squatting in his yard. It turned out to be a British pig, oops. The British authorities threatened to arrest Lyman if he didn't pay for the loss. He refused and the Americans on the island requested help from the U.S. army. The governor of British Columbia did his part and sent a warship to the island. Both sides were very upset, and were on the brink of war when finally General Scott, the commander of the US army came and calmed things down bringing an end to a military argument in which there was only 1 casualty, the pig.

I would recommend this book to any older child that enjoys history and especially war stories. I suggest an older age because it is about war though my brother loved it when he was nine.

I'm sure there are several controversies that could come from reading this book. I'm sure some people will question the truth of these stories. However the author wrote that he didn't write any stories down that couldn't be authenticated.

I really liked this book, it was entertaining, interesting, and because of the way it was portrayed, very enticing. I've never really liked history books but this made history, a least the history of wars, fun.

My rating 4 out of 5