Jessica Baker
Rise of the Guardians
by:Jessica Baker
Rise of the Guardians is a DreamWorks animated film that let’s children revel in the legends that they have been told all their life. It follows Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), a relatively new spirit that is trying to figure out who he is and what his center is. He joins the Guardians; a group made up of Santa Clause (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman. The guardians’ jobs is to protect all of the children that believe in them and to keep the magic of their craft alive. However, Pitch Black (Jude Law) comes into the mix; his goal: to rid children of their hope and belief in the Guardians and spread nightmares to all.
All those put off by the fact that this movie is considered a children’s movie, are missing out. This movie is humorous and combines the familiar childhood stories with a modern plot. I would recommend this movie to lovers of Frozen and other DreamWorks or Disney animated films.
Pawn
By: Jessica Baker
Pawn, by Aimée Carter takes place in a warped version of the United States in the year 2200. In this society, at the age of sixteen, you take the test. Depending on how well you do on it, you are placed in groups numbered one through seven, allowing you to ‘contribute to society to the best of your ability’ with specified jobs, incomes, and lifespans. The lives of Ones, Twos, and Threes are poverty stricken and the people never live long. Kitty Doe is marked a Three and she knows that the only direction her life is going, is down. But, when a Seven (the minister’s daughter) is killed, she is offered the chance to become the dead girl, and take her seven. Kitty accepts and is instantly immersed in a political lifestyle and is forced to work against the revolution that, days ago, she was supporting. The family she joins has carefully thought out plans and a tendency for backstabbing, pulling Kitty in many different directions. She has to figure, out on her own, how far she’ll go to keep her Seven and whose pawn she will be.I found this novel to be average. The initial idea is a common one, seen in most teen fiction, but one written so nicely is pleasant to read. The plot twists can be seen miles away but the characters are likeable and dislikable (as some are meant to be). This novel would be a good read for fans of the Divergent trilogy and dystopian genre.
Students Saving Cash
When back to school shopping starts, everyone immediately goes for the deals on tax-free weekend. And when school starts, everyone immediately cringes at their school picture on their ID and throws it in the bottom of their bag, never to be seen again. But what most students don’t know is that you can save money all year ’round for being a student if you present a valid high school ID.
The savings aren’t just during the rush for new clothes and supplies (though that’s when the deals are the best); it’s all year. Most places that offer discounts don’t advertise it, so it’s not well known. You can save on clothes, technology, entertainment, and food. It’s great for saving up for college or just saving up to treat yourself.
The discounts will continue for all your back to school needs, of course the obvious savings being in tech. For a few more weeks, you can get extra programs on your new computer or tablet for free if you buy from Microsoft (no need to be a college student). Not to mention Apple, whose student discounts apply to high schoolers. Clothing stores also discount for a valid ID. You can get up to 15% off your total purchase just from the flash of a school issued ID card. Some fast food chains also participate, offering a discount on breakfasts to help students get a jump start on their day. Even movie theatres will offer deals for students. The AMC Theatre in Orange Park offers a discount on Thursdays for what they call ‘Student Day’.
Tons of businesses, both local and online, will offer discounts, wanting to support the kids that make up the next generation. Some places you may have shopped at every trip to the mall might have a discount; asking at checkout is a great way to find out. No need to be embarrassed about asking if it helps you get a few dollars closer to tickets to see your favorite band (Fall Out Boy- here I come!).
SYLO
‘SYLO’ by D.J. MacHale is the newest teen sci-fi on the shelves. The novel starts at Pemberwick Island’s best football game of the season… and last game for a few months as their star running back drops dead. An alarming number of people follow. Told from the point of view of Tucker Pierce, the reader is a part of the action as the island is suddenly put under quarantine as the Center of Disease Control and SYLO, a government-run agency, rush in (a connection to the deaths, perhaps?). Unrest begins to take hold as the islanders are cut off from the outside world with no one to keep them company but the men with guns. The plot thickens when Tucker and his friend see what looks like a UFO get blown up at midnight and discover that everyone who had died of the ‘disease’ had been taking it’s cargo, ‘Ruby’, a sports enhancement drug. Now the inhabitants want out, but SYLO will do anything to keep them in.
The beginning of this book seemed bleak because: A. the beginning was slow and B. Footfall’s not my thing. However, after about sixty pages, the plot had really picked up. Tucker is easy to relate to and it was exciting to see when the pieces would all come together. This book would be great for fans of the Pendragon series as well as fans of dystopian and civil unrest novels. Buying it hardback is definitely worth it.