Annotated book list review - 2000 - 2009
2000 - Annotated Book review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dogs Don't Tell Jokes | Louis Sachar | fantasy fiction | Three Stars | ||
Henny Penny retold | Jane Wattenberg | picture book | The sky is falling, concept book, rhyming, alliteratio,n figurative language | Three Stars | |
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi | Cindy Neuschwander | picture book | Math, adventure, mathematics, geometry, Pi, circumference | Four Stars | |
The Incredible Awesome Box | Joanne Rocklin | fiction realistic | 3 dimensional shapes, geometry, mathematics, concept book, sphere, pyramid, cylinder, rectangular prism, three dimensions | ||
Bug Faces | Murawski, Darlene A. | nonfiction | bugs, insects, science | ||
How Do Bats See In The Dark? | Melvin and Gilda Berger | nonfiction | Night creatures, science | ||
Benjamin Franklin | Peter and Connie Roop | nonfiction | |||
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | J. K. Rowling | fantasy fiction | Fantasy, witches, magic, school | Four Stars | |
Mapping Penny s World | Loreen Leedy | picture book | mapping, scale, relative position, how to book | Four Stars | |
Egyptian Mummies | Henrietta McCall | nonfiction | Ancient Egypt, mummies, tombs | ||
Michelangelo | Diane Stanley | nonfiction or historical fiction | art, artist, Michelangelo, sculpture, design | Great story about Michelangelo. Enough detail to bring him to life and respect him as an artist and person. |
Five Stars |
Six Hogs on a Scooter | Eileen Spinelli | fantasy fiction | number value, value of six, mathematics | Three Stars | |
Who s Got Spots | Linda W. Aber | picture book | mathematics, organizing data, chicken pox, school, play time, charts, problem solving | Not yet | |
Where s That Bone | Lucille Recht Penner | picture book | mathematics, problem solving, map, maps mapping relative position reference words over under on right left outside inside between behind | Not yet | |
The Wanderer | Sharon Creech | fantasy fiction | adventure Atlantic Ocean family girl | Four Stars | |
Powerpuff Professor | Amy Keating Rogers | fantasy fiction | The Powerpuff girls series | Not yet | |
Stargirl | Jerry Spinelli | realistic fiction | unusual girl accepting different friendship popularity being popular being yourself home school | I liked the feeling the moonlight gave me, as if it wasn't the opposite of day, but its underside, its private side, when the fabulous purred on my snow-white sheet like some dark cat come in from the desert. It was during one of these night moon times that it came to me that Hillari Kimble was wrong. Stargirl was real. - Creative, giving - Stargirl is accepted and rejected and loved by Leo who can t deal with rejection. The adolescent struggle with friendship, love, acceptance and all the pressures they bring. A story that every adult can relate to and every adolescent needs to know. | Five Stars |
The Brand New Kid | Katie Couric | picture book | relationships first day of school new student | Not yet | |
All Chalked Up | Keating Rogers, Amy | fantasy fiction | The Powerpuff girls series | Not yet | |
The Sun Is My Favorite Star | Frank Asch | picture book | science sun star astronomy | Not yet | |
The Way I Feel | Janan Cain | picture book | Feelings classroom management behavior emotions caring | Not yet | |
The Thief Lord | Cornelia Funke | fantasy fiction | Venice mystery detective adventure international | Two brothers orphaned go underground in order to avoid being seperated. They are taken in by a gang living in an abandoned movie theater that is lead by the Lord Theif. A story set in present day Venice, Italy of adolescents struggle for survival and where one s loyalties lie and how strong they should be for: family, gang members, friends, society, others? | Four Stars |
The Little Giant Book of Math Puzzles | Derrick Niederman | puzzle and riddle book | Math puzzles Hints Answers | Three Stars | |
Follow the Polar Bear | Sonia W. Black | picture book | Polar Bears, Geography | Not yet | |
Who Are You Calling a Wooly Mammoth | Elizabeth Levy | nonfiction | Mammoth prehistoric America | Not yet | |
Math Rashes and Other Classroom Tales | Douglas Evans | anthology | Fiction tales of school math humor | ||
Building Big | Macaulay, David | nonfiction | building big buildings architecture bridges tunnels skyscrapers structures dams design | Three Stars | |
Gathering Blue | Lois Lowry | science fiction | Good and evil creativity kindness caring art artists friendship | Four Stars | |
The Amber Spyglass | Philip Pullman | science fiction fantasy | good vs. evil fantasy adventure parent child relationships | Four Stars | |
Among the Hidden | Margaret Peterson Haddix | science fiction | 12 year old Luke is a third child (shadow child) where the population police enforce the ban of only two chldren a couple. Luke forced to stay indoors finds other shadow children, Jen next door and others on the internet as a fast paced plot about their fight for their existence. Young readers rate this futuristic book (Orwellian in nature) very high. |
Four Stars | |
Petey | Ben Mikaelson | nonfiction | cerebral palsy | Not yet | |
The Fungus that Ate My School | Arthur Dorros | fiction | science science fair fungus school | Four Stars |
2001 - Annotated Book Review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | COmment | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Grapes of Math | Greg Tang | picture book | mathematics number value patterns problem solving | Three Stars | |
All New Calculator Math Tricks | Hirschmann, Kris | nonfiction | mathematics calculator | Two Stars | |
School s In | Collection | anthology | collection of short stories first day school | Three Stars | |
Everything You Need to Know The Answer Book for School Survival | nonfiction | Not yet | |||
Are We There Yet? | Levy, Elizabeth | nonfiction | European discoveries in America history exploration diversity humor | Humerous - Great stories - A must read | Four Stars |
Thomas Edison | George Sullivan | biography | Edison invention electric engineers | Three Stars | |
A Pair of Wings | Singer, Marilyn | picture book | Science animals life science form and function | Three Stars | |
Betsy Ross | Peter and Connie Roop | Historical fiction | history Betsy Ross revolutionary war reference biographical | Three Stars | |
The Angel Factory | Terence Blacker | fantasy fiction | Adoption family life London angels extraterrestrial beings good and evil | Set in London, England Who has the right to be human? What is human. Adventure of alien intrigue and survival War of the Worlds without the explosions and Earth ripping actions. |
Four Stars |
Spinning through Space: Comets and Astroids | Eva Hans | picture book | Space Astroids Comets astronomy comets | ||
Isaac Newton | Paul Mason | biography | Scientists | Not yet | |
Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: my book of inventions | Simon Spotlight / Nickelodeon | fantasy fiction | inventions science Jimmy Neutron Nickelodeon | Three Stars | |
Shrek the Novel | Ellen Weiss | fairy tale | Ogre fairy tale fantasy book based on movie | Four Stars | |
Wooly Mammoth: Life, Death, and Rediscovery | Windsor Chorlton | nonfiction | Mammoth archeology, reference | Great story and reference about a wooly mammoth found frozen in Siberia... | Five Stars |
Artemis Fowl | Colfer, Eoin | fantasy fiction | child prodigy adventure | Four Stars | |
The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours | Jane Goodall | nonfiction | Chimpanzees environmental concerns endangered species arthropologist life science | Jane Goodall - introduces the reader to the chimpanzees she documented and see how she uses ethnographic scientific inquiry method to teach the world about chimpanzees. Big word, but basically means she had the curiosity and desire to wake up early one morning, sneak out of the house and into the chicken coop to sit patiently and discover where eggs came from. | Five Stars |
The Spider Weaver - A Legend of Kente Cloth | Margaret Musgrove | No Rating | |||
The Three Pigs | David Wiesner | picture book fantasy | three pigs | David s story starts as the usual Three Little Pigs story, but a fortunate huff and puff blows the first little pig out of the story book. The story book says ... and ate the pig up. However, the first pig has found a life outside the pages of the book and coaxes the second little pig into this world. So it is on to the next little pig and further exploits beyond the pages. A chance meeting with the Cat and the Fiddle and a Dragon soon to be slayed how our three snout faced friends choose to arrange the rest of their story? Super creative exploration of the possibilities when the figurative and literal interpretations are intertwined. | Five Stars |
Jake Drake - Bully Buster | Andrew Clements | series ready - for - chapters | bully classroom management self help skills | A creative story of Jake (fourth grade) who has made it his life ambition to study the bully and the bully bait to help both to learn how to coexist. Well it isn t quite that simple. It takes a little under a hundred pages for him to discover it. Language, character development, and plot is strong enough to keep readers reading to the end. | Five Stars |
The Hickory Chair | Lisa Rowe Fraustino | fiction | blind sight Aunt Candy-May | Four Stars |
2002 - Annotated Book Review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
How Do Frogs Swallow with Their Eyes? | Melvin & Gilda Berger | nonfiction | amphibians frogs science animals reference | Not yet | |
Pick Me an Apple: From Seed to Tree | Shelly Rotner | nonfiction | Apples life cycle living fruit seeds buds tree seasons year | Great picture book. Very accurate Year in the life of an apple tree. | Four Stars |
Stars of the Sea | Allan Fowler | nonfiction | Picture book stars sand dollars sea stars ocean life | Three Stars | |
Space Busters Space Mysteries | Steve Parker | nonfiction | Space Stars Black Holes Pulsars science reference mystery | Three Stars | |
Kangaroos | Patricia Miller-Schroeder | nonfiction | Kangaroos Animal Life | ||
Why Do People Harm Animals? | Chris Mason | Animal Life Animal/Human Interaction Animal Habitats life science concept book | |||
Myths of Oceania | Anita Dalal | anthology | Oceania oceans Myths reference | ||
Weird Wildlife Seas Creatures | Clare Oliver | nonfiction | Sea creatures ocean animals sea life | ||
Coraline | Gaiman, Neil | fantasy fiction | supernatural adventure excitement | Coraline finds a door with a brick wall or door way into a parallel disturbing world of people with black button eyes. Let the games begin. Scarry movies, supernatural adventure, witch craft, romps through a dungeon, missing parents, mystery and suspense; masterfully written this story will enthrall all readers. | Five Stars |
City of the Beasts | Allende, Isabella | fantasy fiction | Beast supernatural Amazon river ancient wonders fountain of youth Eldorado fantasy | Four Stars | |
Double Fudge | Judy Blume | fantasy fiction | family conflict anger management first person | Three Stars | |
The House of the Scorpion | Nancy Farmer | science fiction fantasy | cloning Mexico drug companies adventure | Action adventure, drug king El Patron and Matt a young adolescent has known as long as he can remember that he has a mysterious relationship to El Patron. Sometimes it is great and others it is worse than being an animal on the ranch. When Matt finally discovers El Patron s true intentions he acts to thwart his plans. However, circumstances put Matt s life in danger and he has no choice but to run. Where does one run and hide from a drug lord? Is it possible that Matt can escape with his life? And if he does how long can he live before be is discovered and returned to El Patron? | Five Stars |
Crispin: The Cross of Lead | Avi | historical fiction | Middle Ages Great Britain Edward III orphan theft murder fourteenth-century England | Three Stars | |
What Happened to Lani Garver | Carol Plum- Ucci | fiction realistic | Emotional problems cancer prejudice alcoholism homosexuality adventure mystery | Claire unable to face her fears about a recurrence of her leukemia, her eating disorder, her need to hang with the crowd on Hackett Island, and her mother s alcoholism is helped by Lani Garver who risks his life to save her. | Five Stars |
Zathura | Chris Van Allsburg | fantasy fiction picture book | mystery gameboard space adventure | Three Stars | |
Bronx Masquerade | Grimes, Nikki | fiction poetry | Black Americans identity high schoolsx | Four Stars | |
Stoner and Spaz | Ron Koertge | realistic fiction | Cerebal palsy physical handicapped drug abuse self-acceptance school video film making | A compelling story about Benjamin, a troubled youth with CP, who struggles toward self-acceptance with the help of a drug-addicted young women. This story has everything that reality TV on MTV and VH1 has, and maybe more detail. |
Five Stars |
How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found | Sara Nickerson | Fiction | Family life pacific northwest Cartoons comics recluses libraries mystery detective stories | With a swimming medal, key to a mansion, and a comic book about a half-man/half rat as her only clues, a 12 year old girl seeks the true story of her father s mysterious death four years earlier near an island in the Pacific Northwest. | Four Stars |
Once Upon a Marigold | Jean Ferris | fiction fantasy fairy tale | fairy tale Princess Kings Queens family trolls humor | A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll that raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father. | Not yet |
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident | Colfer, Eoin | fantasy fiction | child prodigy adventure | Four Stars | |
Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said the Sloth | Eric Carle | fiction | jungle animals sloth art slow peaceful | Picture book where Eric Carle celebrates the slowness and peacefulnees. | Five Stars |
2003 - Annotated Book Review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | J. K. Rowling | It s Harry... However, the writing continues to get better with each book. How does she keep everything straight? |
Four Stars | ||
Green Angel | Alice Hoffman | Green loses her family at fifteen and retreats into her ruined garden. she struggles to survive emotionally and physically. Imagery from 9-11 or the journey through adolescence and the struggle to finding yourself as an adult. Creative, thought provoking, and incredibly profound vivid and emotional imagery. | Five Stars | ||
Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur | Jane Yolen | Jane Yolen writes this story using fantasy and selections from different historical interpretations of Arthur, the various members of his court, and his adversaries. It relates well to English literature, history, and the political scenes for a variety of different types of government. Particularly the interesting interplay between perception and reality and how different entities of the government can try to manipulate them to achieve their goals. | Four Stars | ||
The Wee Free Men: A STory of Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Three Stars | |||
The Tale of Despereaux | Katie Di Camillo | Well written very engaging fantasy adventure to read aloud in primary grades. The author plays with the reader by using the word reader . Makes comments about the meaning of some word (perfidy). And uses a generally delightful tone - With a rope made of mice whiskers, He went up to see the light and ended in the Queen s soup... As he was running away he looked back and saw... the Princess s look that broke his heart... | Five Stars | ||
Catie and Josephine | Fuqua, Jonathon Scott | No Rating | |||
The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday | Garth nix | Being in the wrong place at the wrong time makes Arthur Penhaligon, a self-conscience 12 year old asthmatic boy that wants nothing more than to be a normal 12 year old boy, heir to Architect of the Universe. Unable to walk away without the universe as we know it being destroyed Arthur begins to collect and assemble the will. Not to mention survive and conquer the most unusual days worth of adversaries. The title suggests a weeks worth of book adventures ahead. | Four Stars | ||
The Dream Bearer | Walter Dean Myers | A story about a family that centers on a father son relationship and finding ones place in the world that balances family and cultural histories with the realities that a young adolescent faces in his present world to create his own life. Intriguing three stories within the story told the dream bearer and how they relate to David s life and suggest directions he might choose. Includes great imagery... It was as if sadness had just come in and was living with our family. (36) and ... When I dream of him sometimes I think I see him peering through his darkness looking for something he ain t never seen. And it makes me laugh, and sometimes I think I see it and it fills my cup with tears. |
Five Stars | ||
Acceleration | Graham McNamee | In addition to the usual struggles of a young adolescent Jacob is plunged into a deeper struggle with his inner fears and uncertainties after not being able to rescue a drowning girl. Exiled to the concrete underworld of Toronto s Transit system where he has plenty of time to drown in his self pity he thinks he finds clues of a mass murderer. Will he be able to save his life in time to stop more death? Compelling action packed thriller that builds suspense and endangerment of life as well as any movie thriller. The story also has some masterful uses of language to realistically set the story and plot for the reader. ...goes to school because she loves learning, not on fast track to Oxford, just to learn, stretch brain... Not me... I have had last decade with my brain being stretched against my will... | Four Stars | ||
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers | Mordicai Gerstein | Picture book with wonderful illustrations about the story of Philippe Peiit and his 1974 tightrope walk from atop one World Trade Center to the other World Trade Center. Excellent perspective. Gives you the feeling that you are actually on top of the World Trade Centers with him. |
Five Stars | ||
The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen | Hans Christian Andersen translated by Dianna Crone Frank and Jeffrey Frank | Classic literature needs to be read to all children as it was written by the author. This translation captures the richness of language and imagery of Andersen. One delighful example is Andersen s story of The Little Mermaid totally different than the Disney version or A Fish Called Wanda with Tom Hanks ... and probably all the others you ve ever read, unless of course you ve read Andersen or have had him read to you. | Five Stars | ||
Olivia Kidney | Ellen Potter | Twelve year old Olivia explores her new apartment building and finds a psychic, talking lizards, a shrunken ex-pirate, and exiled princess, ghosts, and other unusual characters. Did I say creative? | Four Stars | ||
The Bartimaeus Trilogy book 1 The Amulet of Samarkand | Jonathan Stroud | Nathaniel is apprenticed to learn magic and encounters Simon Lovelace who humiliates Nathan in public. Nathan determined to learn more spells and magic on his own summons a djinni Bartimaeus. Let the trilogy begin. Adventure, excitement, suspense, magic, spells, power, and of course good versus evil. | Four Stars | ||
Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot | Patricia C. Wreede & Caroline Stevermer | Interesting style written as letters between two cousins Cecelia and Kate in the style of 1817 English country life and London society. The exploits of these girls involves witch craft and wizardry that adds even more twists and turns to the plot. Interestingly, the story began from a letter game created and played by the authors . Soon after the game/ letter writing began the creative genius and playful nature of the authors lead to fantasy and the authorship of this book. Delightful! | Four Stars | ||
The Pack | elisa carbone | Wolves, growing up with wolves, bullying, violence, school violence, friendship, guns, bombs, invisible students, belonging, and not belonging. The author created a powerful story about relevant for today s middle school students and above. It has to be read to see how such a compact book could be authored that brings together these ideas in a compelling powerfully important story for these times. Here is a sample from the beginning. WHEN AKHIL VYAS showed up at school in early October, I thought he was, without a doubt, the weirdest person on earth. But on that cold December day, by the time the last police car left and the last ambulance pulled out of the school parking lot with tires screeching and siren wailing, I had begun to believe that he was the first truly sane person I d ever know. |
Five Stars |
2004- Annotated Book review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Keys to the Kingdom: Grim Tuesday | Garth Nix | Science fiction fantasy | Adventure growing up | It s the second day of the week and the second book in The Keys to the Kingdom. Will continues in his quest for a return to normalicy in his world and with his family, although normalicy with his family is not a typical normal. However, the main action for this adventure is not on Earth and his family is unaware of his recent acceptance of this responsibility. Nix has created not one world, but seven connected to each other and life on Earth. Mere happenstance saved Will s life, but involved him in the creation of what will be the future of the entire universe . Keys is the adventure of that quest to attain and distribute the keys in amanner that saves the universe from evil exploitation. | Four Stars |
Kingdom of the Golden Dragon | Isabel Allende | Fantasy | The second book in a trilogy. The first being City of the Beasts. Adventure continues on a different continent with the same characters of good. An adventure of a struggle for preservation of ancient way against people that would exploit them for personal gain. The intrigue is still here, but a small step below City of the Beasts. | Three Stars | |
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place | E. L. Konigsburg | Realistic fiction | Coming of age emotional social learning (ESL) | Margaret Rose Kane is sent to summer Camp Talequa by her parents as they head off to Peru. Margret would rather have stayed with her Uncles Alex and Morris Rose. Unknow to her there reason to seemingly reject her was their concern for her as they didn t want her present as their towers were being demolished. Great story of family, free will, persistence in maintaining ones values, creative expression, use of words, particularly clever play on words, and social activism. Other people s response from this book agree it s - fantastic Konigsburg know how to write a story. | Five Stars |
Chasing Vermeer | Balliett, Blue | Realistic fiction | Coming of age emotional social learning (ESL) | Fantastic story of intrigue, art theft, and problem solving to recover a master piece. Calder, sixth grade girl mysteriously finds a book. Suddenly this book seems to be getting more involved in her life than any ordinary lost item should. Class assignments, people she meets, and other happenings seem to be related somehow to this book. Trying to understand unusual people, hidden messages in pictures with frogs and codes to decipher messages, and solve the mystery becomes her obsession. WIthin the story the reader is introduced to pentominoes, different views of art, and the University of Chicago as the setting. Great mystery and use of problem solving. Other people that I have talked to that have read this book agree. | Five Stars |
Among the Brave | Peterson Haddix, Margaret | Science fiction Modern fantasy | Men in grey coats, people being killed, people being led off in handcuffs, secret rooms, riots, population police, and being a third child is some of what Luke has to deal with at the beginning of this story. Will he survive? If so, how and will there ever be a time when the population police are not in control and people will be free to make personal decision? | Four Stars | |
Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War | Barker, Clive | Fantasy | Candy Quackenbush quest in Abarat continues as she makes a startling realization as to who she is, and the forces of night plan for war. Imagination, characters, plot, setting, story, writing, use of art... Everything in this book is creative. After reading the first I thought it was a bit off the wall. Reading the second puts it on the wall and everywhere else. I can t wait to see and read the third and discover the latest in Candy s quest. Small edited sample: Otto Houlihan (Criss-Cross Man), Lazaru, Baby Pink-Eye (reptilian claws and demented infant face) playing Knock the Devil Down, the Lord of Midnight (Christopher Carrion) talks to Toda about the slow progress of his army of stichlings (sewn together by Carrion s mother). Carrion (has a high transparent collar around his head with nightmares swimming hungrily within wanting a meal of fear). To do unsuccessfully pleads for mercy as Carrion turns to Houlihan who reports that Candy and Malingo (a geshrat) escaped him in Ninnyhammer and again at Soma Plume. You must apprehend her, I want to understand her, capture her and bring her to me alive. As the nightmares feed on Todo s fears in the background. Okay, I did select probably the most graphic, but what s a quest without danger? Trust me it all comes together in a great story. I think the use of art in the book may make these pieces a landmark in the history of children s literature. | Four Stars | |
Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World | Katherine Hannigan | Realistic fiction | Change emotional social learning (ESL) | It was one of those days that start right and just keep heading toward perfect until you go to sleep. My insides started itching and my feet started hopin, one then the other, because they were ten minutes past ready to go. So I decided to speed things up a bit. These are quotes from Ida B. The book is filled with interesting descriptive language as well as a great story about Ida B and her struggle to accept change and how people that believe in children can make a difference by believing in goodness will prevail. Also very supportive of reading and writing. Great story particularly for teachers. |
Five Stars |
Gifts | Ursula K. Le Guin | Modern fantasy | Coming of age dystopian | Ursula K. Le Guin tells a tale of contrasts between worlds and people. Set in a fantasy world where families compete to create unions for security to pass their gifts through generations. By telling tales within tales she helps the reader understand how the characters are caught in their feudal history and the lineage of the parents. The story of Orrec, the main character, is of a boy coming of age and his struggle to find his place within his family and his responsibilities. Only Le Guin could create such an intricate thought provoking tale set in fantasy with themes recognized through all time and all worlds within 274 pages, powerful. | Four Stars |
Fish | L. S. Matthews | Realistic fiction | Civil War survival Africa | Powerful story of a family that seeks to escape from a civil war in Africa. The author delves into human nature and the struggle of survival under a cloud of mistrust and fear of persecution and death. Is survival possible without trusting someone? If not, how do we decide who and when to trust someone not only with our life, but the life of our family members? | Four Stars |
Sahara Special | Esme Raji Codell | Realistic fiction | Loss grief | Another nonstop read by Esme. Every page is more compelling than the one before. no question you will turn these pages to the end. A must read for teachers. Particularly in grade 4-6. Sahara a fifth grade girl struggles with the loss of her father while maturing emotionally and intellctually in a Chicago neighborhood. language use is incredible. I felt like I was floating on the ceiling, like smoke from something burning. It s like they re walking on ice, and the ice is made of other people s opinions. The only reason a girl your age should wear makeup is if she s a rock star or a hooker, and the minute you start showing promise in either of those areas we ll hop on down to Target and stock you up with everything you need, she promised. Don t tell auntie I said that, now. Loving children is what teachers do for extra credit. It s not the main assignment. |
Five Stars |
The Sea of Trolls | Nancy Farmer | Fantasy | Vikings Norse | Very good story involving magic, legends, Vikings, trolls, dragons, bards, adventure, quest, duty to family.. Themes of life and death, being able to choose your destiny or having it decided, what is a life for? Very good adventure story with some great language and timeless questions of existence. Ties in to myths and legends particular Norse and English. | Four Stars |
Hank Zipzer: The World s Greatest Underachiever Holy Enchilada | Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver | Realistic fiction | multicultural family | Humerous and interesting story line and use of language. Story of Hank Zipper centered around family, friends, and multicultural day at school. Sitcom in paper back, lite reading to inspire... | Three Stars |
Kitten s First Full Moon | Kevin Henkes | Picture book | No Rating | ||
Kira-Kira | Cynthia Kadohata | Historical fictioin | lymphoma | Japanese American sisters move from Iowa to rural Georgia during 1950-1960. Katie tells the story in first person and sister Lyn has lymphoma. Glittering beautiful desire for family to own their home, sky blue. Accelerated Reader puts at 4.5, but the themes are more for 11 or 12 year olds. |
No Rating |
The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights | Russell Freedman | Non fiction | Equal rights | Aren't all Russell Freedman books top notch? | No Rating |
The Red Book | Barbara Lehman | Modern fantasy | On the way to school a child finds a red book. Takes it to school and sees that there is a map inside. On the map is an island with a small dot that becomes another child that finds a red book in the sand. The children are suprised to see each other in each other s book. The girl in the city uses balloons to float away, drop her red book, and floats into the other red book and meets the other child. A third child on a bike finds the lost red book, picks it up, and bikes away. Maybe.. My interpretation since there are no words you may have a different one. |
Five Stars | |
Lizzie Bright and The Buckminster Boy | Gary D. Schmidt | Historical fiction | Story about race relations and injustice resulting from prejudice in a 20th century small Maine town. The main character struggles to deal with several conflicts beyond the obvious prejudical ones as he grows to manhood. Black and white relations, minister s son and trying to fit into an adolescent culture, male and female, family responsibilites and personsl desires, good and bad.. The author s use of language makes a powerful story even more powerful with numerous insightful descriptions: ...seemed about as surprised at each other as new hope drying a last tear. Books can be fire. Books can ignite fires in your mind, because they carry ideas for kindling, and art for matches.. Should a minister s son be reading this? Who better. ... everything in the world rejoices in the touch, and everything in the world laments in the losing. And with his hand still on the whale he.. |
Five Stars | |
How I Live Now | Meg Rosoff | Realistic fiction | adolescent ESL | Daisy (15) tells the story of how she is sent to England by her father and pregnant step mother. While in England a war breaks out while her Aunt is away on business forcing her and her cousins to fend for themselves. Embedded within this survival story are stories about adolescent trying to find themselves while growing up. Recognition of an eating disorder, and adolescent sex - emotional description not physical being two. Many opportunities for powerful discussions on adolescent issues. Includes an Epilogue six years later. | Four Stars |
The Supernaturalist | Eoin Colfer | No Rating | |||
The Bartimaeus Trilogy book 2 The Golem s Eye | Jonathan Stroud | Modern fantasy | Book 2. Adventure of 14 year old Nathaniel. He hasn t the time he needs to grow into his magical abilities and powers as he continues to discover plots against him and others that are working against the powers of evil. Will he be able to discover himself and sort out the good from bad before it s too late. Bartimaeus is a powerful ally, but how committed can a djinni be when it knows you have the capacity for total control? | Four Stars | |
Children of the Lamp book one The Akhenaten Adventure | P. B. Kerr | modern fantasy | 12 year old twins Philippa and John discover they are descendants from a long line of djinn. Their mother sends them to Uncle Nimrod who takes them to Egypt to begin their education about their extraordinary powers. The training is interrupted with the necessity of dealing with the ongoing struggle between good and evil djinn and the potential change in the balance of power. Good adventure story with themes for strong family ties. | Four Stars |
2005 - Annotated Book review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The New World Order | Ben Jeapes | Instead of the European invasion of the Americas in the sixteenth century how about an alien invasion of England. What a turn around when a superior civilization comes through a gate with a modern invasion force. Oliver Cromwell and the King Charles of England must deal with this invasion in this turn about adventure. Within the story Dhon Do s son, Daniel, comes of age within the story of political intrigue. I don t know what sixteenth century politics was like, but the story line includes interesting possibilities that suggest how behind the scenes negotiations, deal making, and dastardly deeds might have changed history. Great story. There is some discussion of different kinds of sex acts as cultural descriptions to set a tone of reality not gratuitous in nature. | Three Stars | ||
Red Ridin in the Hood: and Other Cuentos | Patricia Santos Marcantonio | Creative modern fairy tales told from a Hispanic perspective. Fantastic read aloud or read alone for that matter. | Five Stars | ||
The Color of Fire | Ann Rinaldi | Fast paced action laden Phoebe s best friend is charged with setting fire to buildings and starting an uprising. Threatened to be burnt at the stake unless he identifies the leader, Phoebe is plunged into this outcry of fear and mob brutality desiring a scapegoat needing to decide to do what is right or seek her own freedom. | No Rating | ||
Book One Spy Goddess: Live and Let Shop | Michael P. Spradlin | Beverly Hills teenager Rachel Buchanan gets in trouble with the law and ends up in the mysterious Blackthron Academy in PA, where she uncovers secrets about the school and becomes entangled in a case of international espionage. | No Rating | ||
Gooney Bird and the Room Mother | Lois Lowery | Gooney Bird Green likes to be in the middle of it all. Thanksgiving Pageant lead and room mother provider with her absolutely true stories and vocabulary development. | No Rating | ||
Septimus Heap Book One Magyk | Angie Sage | After learning that Jenna is the princess, she is whisked away from her home and carried to safety by the Extraordinary Wizard. Leaving those who she had always thought were her family she is pursued by the same characters that killed her mother ten years earlier. Action packed adventure of good versus evil. First children s book to include a CD? | Four Stars | ||
Bone: Out from Boneville | Jeff Smith | Cartoon that may be too advanced for me. I don t know why, but I did read it from beginning to end and would like to know WHAT? | Two Stars | ||
The Keys to the Kingdom: Drowned Wednesday | Garth Nix | The third installment, of the saga of Arthur Penhaligon. How could any 12 year old survive a week of this... Wait it has only been three days. Start with Mister Monday, then Grim Tuesday for a wild adventure. How long? Seven days? or in real time how long till Garth Nix turns out the rest of the story? | Four Stars | ||
Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls mystery | Peter Abrahams | Ingrid, an eighth student, is challenged from a variety of directions. Her algebra teacher, soccer coaches, brother, parents, friends, desire to be an actress, are making life more complicated everyday. How can she deal with all of them when an even greater concern is what the sheriff might know about her and her shoes being at a murder scene. Will she be able to save herself with the use of her intellect, as her idol Sherlock Holmes did? This is the best children s murder mystery I ve ever read. If you like adventure movies like the Goonies, Ferris Bueller s Day Off, and Home Alone (without the slapstick) you ll find this story compelling. |
Five Stars | ||
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment | James Patterson | Mutant Erasers abduct the youngest members of their group. In pursuit of their abductors they find themselves struggling to find out their own origins and purpose. The book starts with a warning and again in the first paragraph: Yes, you, standing there leafing through these pages. Do not put this book down. I m dead serious - your life could depend on it. Genetic mutants? Author of adult murder mysteries Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. |
Four Stars | ||
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two | Joseph Bruchac | A story told in American Indian oral narrative style about Ned Begay and a group of Navajo men that were taught in a boarding school and were then recruited by the Marines to become code talkers in World War II. Great story and very good read if the didactic preachy tone is overlooked. | Four Stars | ||
The Last Universe | William Sleator | Fourteen year old Susan s brother insists to be taken into the mysterious backyard garden that was designed by their quantum physicist great uncle. Each twist and turn of the garden maze creates unpredictable results of fortune and misfortune. What is the key? Is there one or are they doomed to the same fate as their strange uncle. | No Rating | ||
The Game of Silence | Louise Erdrich | Continuing story of Omakays, Little Frog, an Ojibwa from the first book in the series: The Birch Bark House (1999). The series follows an Ojibwa family on an island in Lake Superior beginning in the summer of 1847. First book Grandmother s Pigeon, takes you through a year with all the seasons. Omakays is 8 winters old. Very good cultural and historical view. |
No Rating | ||
The Last Codfish | J. D. McNeill | 15 year old Tut lives with his father and hasn t talked since his mother died. He is befriended by Alex, talkative, outgoing, in your face type. Compelling story of loss and survival, with one of a kind characters. | No Rating | ||
On a Summer Day | Lois Lenski | Classic 1953 picture book is back with bright colors. Summer means the outdoors to kids. |
No Rating | ||
Red Bird | Astrid Lindgren and Patricia Crampton translator | Marit Tarrnqvist reimagines Lindgren s wistful tale of two children (author of Pippi Longstocking) alone in the world that watch and follow a red bird. Notice the change in color as the children move from their colorless world of poverty to the meadow... to ... Translated from Swedish by Patricia Cramption. |
No Rating | ||
Burning City | Ariel Dorfman and Joaquin Dorfman | Simmering summer of 2001 in New York City. Heller is the youngest employee of a messenger delivery service that delivers bad news orally. He is the best deliverer of bad news and is allowed to deliver by bike instead of roller blades. He is drawn into a wildly diverse cast of characters and learns to relate to people in a whole new way. | No Rating | ||
Giant Surprise | Hiawyn Oram | Picture book with rich fanciful color pictures of the main characters (Puddleglum the Marsh wiggle and his niece Lally) are on an adventure to save their mice friends from the marauding and frolicking giants in the land of Narnia. The setting of Shribble Gorge, The Giants castle, and Lally s Rocks is colored with rich earth tones and supports this tale of rescue well. The illustrator s personification of background objects assists the fanciful tone of the story with objects such as rocks and clouds personifying characters in the story. The story is markedted as a new Narnia adventure based on characters in C. S. Lewis The Silver Chair. |
Four Stars | ||
The Whispering Road | Livi Michael | Joe and Annie escape the abusive farmer they work for and head for Manchester in Victorian England. It is an adventure with helpful strangers and swindlers that would even sell them. No matter how he tries Joe and Annie get separated, Joe joins a gang, and it is questionable if they will ever find what happened to their mother. Epic novel that will grip the reader from the first page. Winner of four English awards for novels for adults. |
No Rating | ||
Summer School: What Genius Thought that up? | Henry Winkler | humorous story... What else would it be? | No Rating | ||
Arizona Kid | Ron Koertge | 16 year old Billy, from MO, spends summer with his cool gay uncle Wes in Tucson and works at a race track; where he meets an outspoken horse exerciser Cara Mae. Billy discovers that gaining stature and manhood come from places you least expect. Wes is a strong character and positive role model. |
Four Stars | ||
The Whole Green World | Tony Johnston | Young girl with her shaggy dog plant seeds, care for them, and then enjoy the flowers and trees that make the whole round world. Each verse matches actions in the book with a repetitive verse. Folk art paintings with detailed actions of nature. Art is paint and paper. Search of detail will find many wonders. Use to increase students respect for the Earth. | No Rating | ||
Seen Art? | Jon Scieszka | Museum of Modern Art in N.Y. City is the setting for this work on art appreciation and first person narrative that becomes tiresome by the end of the book. Why did Scieszka believe lame humor would add to the quality of his book? Forget the rule of three, even Letterman wouldn t repeat the same gag over twenty times. Jon Sciezka, on the other hand, in one way or another repeats the title of the book as a pun twenty or more times. However, the shape of the book and display of art is worthy a view; especially before a trip to a gallery or an online art study. The gag line, I am looking for Art, have you seen him? MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). |
Four Stars | ||
47 | Walter Mosley | Story of a slave, 47, who endures harsh treatment, meets Big John, hopes to escape... | No Rating | ||
Age of Science and Revolutions 1600-1800 | Toby E. Huff | No Rating | |||
Project Mulberry | Girl and friend explore their roots and difficulties of unforeseen events as they work together on a school project. | No Rating | |||
SilverTin | Charlie Higson | James Bond in print for the younger set. | No Rating | ||
Where I Want to Be | Adele Griffin | Two teen sisters Jane and Lily drift apart, but death brings them together. This powerful story of Jane, with mental illness, and its grip on her family is told in alternating voices from two very different sisters who try to bring light to each other. The mixing of voices blurs the line between imagination and reality, life and death, grief and guilt, hanging on and letting go. | No Rating | ||
Nasty Book | Narry Yourgrau | 43 humorous short stories. Internet witches, Panda marauders... | No Rating | ||
Night Wall | Duncan Weller | Julie and her sister Sarah are on vacation and desire to build a wall to keep out the wild things (Maurice Sendak revisited?). Rich detailed forest scenes... Sarah helps her sister find the monsters. |
No Rating | ||
The Book without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic | Avi | This book isn t the book without words. It has 200 pages of them. The story is set in 1046 England. Master Thorston dies and dies some more toward the climax of his lifelong quest to discover the meaning of a book without words so that he might create gold and eternal life. Sybil, his servant, with the aid of Oto a talking Raven, must continue the master s work to rediscover the use of magic to find the secret of the Book without Words and the truth to this fable. | Four Stars | ||
Story Time | Edward Bloor | After getting in trouble and being sent to a new school the main character discovers that the school has gone mad with desire to have all students do well on achievement tests. A madcap adventure lampooning the standards testing movement in schools in the style of the best madcap satyr movie comedies. Maybe more interesting for teachers than students. | No Rating | ||
Forest of the Pygmies | Isabel Allende | Third book in Isabel s trilogy (City of Beasts, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon). Alexander (18), Nadia, and Grandma Kate are off on a new International Geographic expedition too Africa. Jaguar and Eagle totemic animal spirits help return leadership to its rightful hands and a transformation of an extraordinary friendship. | No Rating | ||
Harrry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | J, K. Rowling | If you have read previous J. K. Rowling Potter books, then you will know most of this book. How do you write a sequel and not include pages of information to remind the reader of the intricate relationships of the characters and the characters ancestors while at the same time keep the story moving ahead at earlier paces? Probably not a problem for the average reader, but for the avid Harry Potter reader and movie viewer the reminders overshadow the continuing plot. However, what avid Harry fan isn t going to read and enjoy Harry reruns? | Four Stars | ||
Ranger s Apprentice Book one: The Ruins of Gorlan | John Flanagan | Excellent high fantasy tale set in the background of the story of the main character, Will, coming of age, being selected apprentice for the mysterious and feared Ranger Corp against his desire for apprenticeship as a knight. The story describes Will s struggles as his boyhood friendships develop to life long friendships. As he discovers who he is. As he accepts his abilities and desires for what he would become rather than what he believes others would want him to be. And how he discovers the uses of force for good and evil as well as the limits of force when people use it to control or attempt to control other people. | Four Stars | ||
The Riddles of Epsilon | Christine Morton-Shaw | A fourteen year old girl, Jess, must solve a series of riddles to save more than just her Mom. The author twists and turns this story creating riddles with secret artifacts, strange markings, letters, notes, diary entries, sketches, and character behaviors that make it difficult to know if a character is allied with good or evil or what might be the right thing to do. On top of all these puzzles is the mystery of how a person living around a hundred years earlier seems to know Jess and what she has done before she herself does. | Four Stars | ||
Warped Passages Unraveling the mysteries of the universe s hidden dimensions | Lisa Randall | Four Stars | |||
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch | Joseph Delaney | Joseph Delaney brings the thrill and scary spiritual world to the adolescent reader. This is the first children s book that could realistically raise a few hairs on the back of the neck of the typical adolescent reader. The story is set in what could be England or New England in the 1700 s or early 1800 s before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, and other nasties that people of that era are known to have imagined and some they might not have been capable of imagining. Thomas Ward, as an apprentice, must learn what all the different spiritual entities are, their strengths, weakness, and how to control them if he is to protect the country. How far can he stretch his beliefs and still be true to what his father taught him and he wants to believe. However, in this book the fears aren t imagined they really do exist and result in real consequences. One chilling chapter after another. | Four Stars | ||
Inkspell | Cornelia Funke | Four Stars | |||
The Ratbridge Chronicles Volume 1 Here Be Monsters | Alan Snow | One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four stars |
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Barkbelly | Cat Weatherill | One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four stars |
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The Dark Hills Divide The Land of Elyon Book I | Patrick Carman | One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four stars |
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Dark Reflections Book one The Water Mirror | Kai Meyer | One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four stars |
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The Land of Elyon Book 2 Beyond the Valley of Thorns | Patrick Carman | One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four stars |
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Ranger s Apprentice Book Two: The burning bridge | John Flanagan | Four Stars | |||
Minerva Clark gets a clue | Karen Karbo | Four Stars | |||
The Sisters Grimm book two The Usual Suspects | Michael Buckley | No Rating | |||
The Sisters Grimm book One The Fairy Tale Detectives | Michael Buckley | No Rating | |||
The Secret Under My Skin | Janet Elizabeth Mc Naughton | The Secret Under My Skin is a futuristic story that takes place as the earth is recovering from a global ecological disaster. The main character, a teenager, orphaned at age six as a result of a power struggle for government control. As she grows her curiosity and love of reading open doors of opportunities. However, she is concerned and confused by her perceived obligations to others and her obligation to herself. The author sets her struggle against the struggle of another major character. The contrast of the way these two girls work differently ignoring each sometimes and working together makes an interesting story of intellectual and emotional development about adolescent girls. | Five Stars |
2006 - Annotated Book review list
bookTitle | author | genre | themes | WebComments | myRating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Children of the Lamp book two The Blue Djinn of Babylon | P. B. Kerr | Fantasy | genies djinn Cairo magical power adventure brother sister Egypt twins uncle family | The story continues ... 12 year old twins Philippa and John Gaunt live at number 7 East 77th street in New York continue to learn what it means to be djinn and not human. They learn there are different tribes, wicked such as Ghul, Shaitan, and Ifrit who enjoy tricking people and other nasty things. They find they are of the tribe Marid, a good tribe and must continue the struggle against Akhenaten s ghost and Iblis the leader of the Ifrit. Fast moving exciting adventure. |
Four Stars |
The Keys to the Kingdom: Sir Thursday | Garth Nix | Fantasy | adventure good and evil | The fourth installment, of the saga of Arthur Penhaligon. How could any 12 year old survive a week of this... Wait it has only been four days. If you have read the first three, then you are hooked and this is a must read. | Three Stars |
The Book of story beginnings | Kristen Kladstrup | Fantasy | authorship storytelling magic Iowa space time | Oscar found an old book The Book of Story Beginnings locked in his mother's old trunk. He took it, because he liked to write, and wrote a story about a boy who imagined his house was surrounded by a sea and who would sail forth on that sea to adventure. ZAP BAMM BING... many years later. Lucy Martin, her father who was recently not granted tenure as a chemist, and her mother who edits science books and magazines works at home in the apartment where they live. Aunt Lavonne died and gave them her home in Onawa, Iowa. Where mom wants to move becasue it is cheaper and father can work at a local junior college. Lucy has heard about Oscar s diappearance and how no one believed Aunt Lavonne s explanation of Oscar rowing into the sea. Determined to solve the mystery Lucy uncovers clues here and there until she is able to understand the magic to begin her own adventure to discover the mystery that surrounds Oscar. |
Four Stars |
Summer of Discovery | Melody Herr | Historical fiction | archaeology Indians of North America great plains dust bowl | Very interesting story set in Bridgeport NE during the summer of 1939. Ben and Dave are intrigued with the discovery of an arrowhead and manage to tag along with Mr. Daley and archaeologist from Lincoln, NE museum of history. The adventure to discover the story behind the giant arrowhead reveals much about the history and geography of Nebraska and neighboring states. From dust, to tornado, to wild fires, ash hollow cave, ice age hunters, first people, cowboys, first horse, Fort Robinson, and much more. An interesting story that could spark readers to search for what is true and what might have been created by the author for a better story. | Four Stars |
Anahita s Woven Riddle | Meghan Nuttall Sayers | Fiction realistic historical | Iran nomads family marriage eternal love | Set in Northern Iran in the 1880 s Anahita is informed that at this time next year she will be old enough to wed. She wants doesn t want to be married to someone that doesn t match what she is. From her love of riddles she decides that it must be someone the enjoys riddles and if they do, then they would be able to solve the riddle that she would weave into her rug. However, not everyone thinks her idea is a very good one. The story is a year of controversy between her family, tribe members, and even herself as she struggles with her decision set in the 1880 s of Northern Iran. Suggestion while reading - As the characters are introduced in the book take notes on what what the character traits are for each character - what they value, and what they believe. Use the notes about the character to predict what their interpretation of the riddle might be. How do your ideas compare with the answer to the riddle that each gives in the book? How does each character s personality match their interpretation of the riddle? | Five Stars |
Archer s Quest | Linda Sue Park | Fiction |
legend Korea history math Tongmyong Wang king time travel magic Korean Americans | Action adventure of Kevin Kim who is befriended by Chu-mong, a legendary King of Korea, who is transported to present day New England. A sense of urgency is discovered as the magic needed for Chu-mong to return might only be available for the current year, which ends tomorrow. Mystery, problem solving, play with words and phraseology make this an interesting and delightful read. Major objection I have for the book is the narrow and inaccurate description of mathematics from a mathematician or mathematical perspective. See discussion in math ... | Four Stars |
The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane | Joseph Delaney | Fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | Joseph Delaney continues with his second book that takes off where the first ended. More thrills and scares from the spiritual world for the adolescent reader. It will raise more hairs on the back of the necks of adolescent readers. Again set in English or New England community of the 1700 s or early 1800 s before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, and other nasties that people of that era are known to have imagined and some they might not have been capable of imagining. Thomas Ward, as an apprentice, continues to learn, but now with is master weakened he is thrown into life and death situations not only for him, but the people he has vowed to protect. This second book has stepped up the action, suspense, and mystery to the next level. One chilling chapter after another. | Four Stars |
Voices | Le Guin, Ursula K. | Fantasy |
Not yet | ||
Half Moon: Investigations | Erin Colfer | Realistic fiction | mystery seventh grade friendship peers boy girl relations | Not Artemis Fowl, but Fletcher Moon realistic junior detective set in | Four Stars |
Desert Crossing | Elise Broach | Realistic fiction | mystery love peer relationship responsibility accidents identity intimacy | Four Stars | |
London Calling | Edward Bloor | No Rating | |||
Horns & Wrinkles | Joseph Helgerson | Not yet | |||
Fablehaven | Brandon Mull | Fantasy | grandparents magic brothers and sisters | Kendra, thirteen, and Seth, eleven, were unexpectedly told by their parents that they were left with no option but to have them stay with their mysterious grandparents at their country estate. Wondering why they seldom see their grandparents and not their grandmother for ages they arrive at the estate so their parents can go on a required other half of the family cruise. Seth, who has way more curiosity than would be needed to kill the proverbial cat, and Kendra arrive at the estate where it doesn t take long to sense that there is enough danger available that a curious child probably would not survive. As the children explore, Kendra much more reluctantly than her brother, hangs back but soon is drawn into a battle of survival that endangers not only her brother but her grandparents and possibly herself as they discover the estate is one of many secret sanctuaries for magical creatures that are maneuvering for an epic battle between good and evil. | Four Stars |
Tanglewreck | Jeanette Winterson | Not yet | |||
The Green Sea | Ellen Klages | Historical fiction | audio book available world war 2 | Its 1943 and Dewey is on a train in New Mexico to live with her father. The destination is the secret town, Los Alamos. Her father works developing the Gadget - first atomic bomb. Dewey, a girl who likes science and mechanical things experiences struggles relating to children her age, 11. However, she is at home in a world of mathematicians and scientists that are interested in her thoughts and ideas and willing to support her thinking and helping with her creations. She befriends a young budding artist, Suze and together they help each other through the ensuing years. A very interesting story about struggles of being different as well as a realistic and well documented view of life and the culture of 1943 . Including a low key look, comparatively speaking, at the development of the weapon that changed the world. | Four Stars |
The Road to Paris | Nikki Grimes | Realistic fiction | biracial broken home runaway mother growing up accepting self concept | The struggles of a biracial girl in a predominantly white town. Her mother has left her often enough that she and her brother are part of the system. Changing from home to foster care back and forth, but at least she has always had her brother, David, However, this time was going to be different. The system was separating them. A story told with the intensity and feelings that is becoming associated with the writing of Nikki Grimes. 153 page story about the struggle, growth, and empowerment that Paris attains when conditions finally provide her the support necessary for her to be able to take risks and seek positive change. | Five Stars |
11 000 Year Lost | Peni R. Griffin | Fiction about a girl who wonders back in time and can t return. she is accepted into a family that survives by hunting mammoth. A year long adventure where she struggles with responsibility and survival. An interesting view into what life might have been like for nomadic hunters in early North America and how archeologists might construct their understanding of earlier people and animals from small amounts of evidence and a lot of creativity and logical thinking. | Four Stars | ||
Among the Free | Margaret Peterson | Last in the series of the Shadow Children Books. | Four Stars | ||
Firegirl | Tony Abbott | Fiction | Coming of age, burns and scalds, disfigured persons | A middle school boy's life is changed when a new girl Jessica, a girl disfigured by burns, starts attending his Catholic school while receiving treatment at a local hospital. This is a powerful book about friendship and personal relationships easily among Ida B, Bridge to Terrabithia, | Five Stars |
Flyte Septimus Heap Book two | Angie Sage | with CD see notes for one and three... |
Four Stars | ||
The Wright 3 | Blue Balliett | Realistic fiction | mystery detective | The adventures of three friends continue in Hyde Park Chicago as they struggle to save the Robie House, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Their struggle turns up buried treasure, ghosts, hidden treasure, and a coded message left by Frank Lloyd Wright that might be understood with the Pentominoes. Mysteries to solve in life and death situations to restore justice, but will they survive? | Four Stars |
Avalon high | Meg Cabot | Realistic fiction | king arthur | Ellie, daughter of college professors that are medievalists moves to a new school where she gets a chance to start over... Well according to her best friend Nancy. Cabot weaves together modern day characters and their popularity struggles in high school with medieval England and the story of King Arthur. Romance, action, mystery, and fantasy. Interesting very interesting story. |
Four Stars |
Small Steps | Louis Sachar | Not yet | |||
Changeling | Delia Sherman | Fantasy | New York fairies demons mermaids folk lore | Four Stars | |
Fairest | Gail Carson Levine | Fantasy | fairy tales beauty personal singing songs self-acceptance identity | A creative fairy tale that combines song and story. Listening to this book presents it in a unique interesting way. Story of a plain commoner and her struggle in life until happenstance and her unique gift lead to a fairly tale ending. Great story for middle grades and above. | Four Stars |
The Higher Power of Lucky | susan patron | Realistic fiction | abandoned children interpersonal relations runaway | Lucky (10) lives with her mother until she is electrocuted by a power line downed in a storm. Her father, who doesn t want to care for her, arranges for - Brigitte, his ex-wife, to leave France and take residence in Hard Pan California to care for the child. Hard Pan (pop. 42) is in the middle of the California desert. Lucky's choice of activities and friends is very limited to say the least. She likes to listen to addicts tell their stories of addiction, has an unusual friend who is a genius for tying intricate knots, and often looks after an attention starved little boy. She is worried that Brigitte will up and leave, but has been able to keep her fears in check with the creation of a survival kit backpack and searching for her Higher Power. The colorful characters, language, and impending plot move the reader forward with a desire to understand Lucky and know how various conflicts in her life will be resolved. | Five Stars |
An Abundance of Katherines | John Green | Realistic fiction | interpersonal relations self perception graphic methods | Colin Singleton is not your ordinary high school prodigy and he is not going to become one or even become ordinary anytime soon. Far from it. He and his high school friend, Hassan, embark on a road trip that becomes one soul searching and eye popping adventure. The reader discovers how 19 different Katherines have edged Colin to obsess about having a Kathrine in his life. However, that doesn t mean there isn t action in this story. Plenty of action from wild boar attacks, to alcohol, tobacco, characters frolicking in the woods naked, mysteries about who is buried where, and what is grandma up to anyway? This is probably not a book to read aloud in school and it might even have trouble making some reading lists, but for those that like adventure, sex, and hoping for the days that the nerds dominate, this is a read for you. I really want to know what others think about it. Anyone read it, let me know | Five Stars |
Copper Sun | Sharon Draper | Historical fiction | indentured slavery south Carolina colonial America Florida Africa Americans | Stolen from her village, sold to the highest bidder, fifteen-year old Amari has only one thing left of her own - hope. Two 15 year old girls one a slave and the other an indentured servant escape their Carolina plantation and try to make Fort Mose Florida sanctuary. Coretta Scott King Award | Not yet |
Rules | Cynthia Lord | Realistic fiction | autism paraplegic brothers sisters disabilities | Catherine and her autistic brother David have a Frog and Toad relationship. Any brother would be proud to have a sister as insightful as Catherine. She sees the depth in most situations, which isn t always helpful in making decisions. I m torn between all losing choices. David will scream if I make him go inside now. Mom ll think I m selfish if I beg her to take him with her. Then there is Ryan. I cross my arms and pick the one maybe choice. Maybe Ryan doesn t want to look bad in front of Kristi any more than I do. Lord tells a story that not only captures the special bonds between brother and sister and how Catherine has learned to cope with his special problems, but additionally Lord opens new doors for Catherine with the introduction of adolescence and coping with peer pressures as she becomes entwined in Jason s life. Jason is about 14-15, wheelchair bound, and communicates with a speech book. Catherine uses her experiences, her insight, and her creativity to cope with her adolescent peers and create winning situations. A compelling story about a really remarkable girl as well as giving a genuine glimpse into special populations and their families. | Five Stars |
Letters to a young mathematician | Ian Stweart | Nonfiction | mathematics | Very good letters. However, they might get repetitive or too much of a good thing for some readers. One or two a year read orally would be a good diet for all middle school students. Be selective. | Four Stars |
The Secret Country The Eidolon Chronicles | Jane Johnson | Fantasy | cats animals myths space time England | Not yet | |
The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil | Wiley Miller | Picture book Fantasy | This is really creative, interesting, adventure, for primary students that like good guys versus bad guy stories. In addition to the marvelous pictures on every page. | Five Stars | |
Lucy Rose Busy Like You Can t Believe | Katy Kelly | Fiction | multiplication | Not yet | |
Victory | Susan Cooper | Historical fiction | navy Great Britain sea stories HMS Victory Admiral Horatio Nelson | A picture of Lord Nelson, an excerpt from Shakespeare s Tempest, a flashback to Lord Nelson s funeral, and the giving of a piece of flag to Samuel Robbins all happens before the main character, Molly, 11, is introduced. In the first chapter she is rescued from drowning, we learn of her sideways moments (seizers), her complicated family situation, recent birth of a brother, her stepfather s relocation from America to England, and her mother s and new family s desire for her to develop a love of sailing. Things get more complicated when she is drawn to the book - Life of Nelson. Flashback to Sam Robbins, 11 and his farming family in Kent, England in 1803 where Sam and his Uncle are pressed into service for His Majesties Service on the Victory . The story of Molly and Sam are intertwined even though their lives are separated by more than 200 years. Within this story is a sub story about Admiral Nelson, the Victory, and the battle at Trafalger that changed the course of history. This story is compelling enough to stand on its own while the story of Molly while interesting Cooper didn t sell the connection of the past to the present. Time travel, over active imagination brought on by seizures, or some other mysterious connection that wasn t explained, but left the reader wondering. | Four Stars |
Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening 01 | Michael Carroll | Science fiction | super heroes villains peer pressure society trust human nature reasoning | Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans, both heroes and villans, thirteenyear old Danny and Colin begin to develop their super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention. A sci-fi adventure that raises interesting ideas with respect to science, super heroes, friends, and trust. | Four Stars |
Vive La Paris | Esme Rai Codell | Realistic fiction | bullies holocaust brothers and sisters family African American Jewish | Esme Tai Codell is a master of the story. She has done it again. A story about a young girl Paris, whose father is a drummer, and wants all of his children to be able to play an instrument, sends her off to piano lessons with one of her brothers. While Paris s relationship with her piano teacher is central to the story so too is her family with five brothers and a few classmates of hers and her brothers. These characters are intertwined in a powerful story about abuse, bullying, dreams, being Jewish in World War II and concentration camps. Out of which comes an inheritance accompanied by a deeper understanding of human nature that enables Paris to make decisions that all people make to help one another. Powerful use of language to create a beautiful story. | Five Stars |
How to Get Suspended and Influence People | Adam Selzer | Realistic fiction | realistic fiction adolescent sex masturbation middle school production movie video gifted motion pictures | Gifted eighth grader, Leon Harris, becomes an overnight phenomena when his class project is declared too risqué and censored by the school power brokers. The dialogue and conversation of the characters is humorous and right on with feelings that 13 year olds can experience in junior high or middle school. Selzer has written a very creative and imaginative novel. | Five Stars |
Maximum Ride: School s Out - Forever | James Patterson | Science fiction | genetic engineering adventure school | Second in the Maximum Ride series - After the wild adventures in The Angel Experiment the six meet up with Ann Walker FBI and begin a normal life as far as even attending school. While the question of their origin and purpose of their being has not been answered Max s desire to understand grows until she has to take flight and seek answers. The answers will not come easy and it is one intense thrill after another as they seek answers to the mystery and remain alive. | Four Stars |
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | Katie Di Camillo | Four stars | |||
Flotsam | David Wiesner | Picture book Fantasy | recursive picture in a picture | A boy s visit to the beach has an underwater camera wash to shore at his feet. The fantasy of the camera s voyage is photographically depicted in the film contained in the camera. Of course it is the duty of any curious young child to explore and discover the camera s purpose so that he can send it on its way to the next waiting young girl. | Four Stars |
Marvel 1602 | Neil Gaiman | Graphic novel | fiction comic | Between a graphic novel and comic book. Historical birth of super heroes on Earth. | Four Stars |
Ranger s Apprentice Book Three: The Icebound Land | John Flanagan | High fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes | Four Stars | |
The Pull of the Ocean | Jean-Claude Mourlevat | Loosely based on Charles. Perrault's "Tom Thumb; seven brothers in modern day France flee their poor parents farm, led by the youngest who, although mute and exceptionally small, is exceptionally wise. | Jean-Claude Mourlevat brings Charles Perrault s character Tom Thumb and seven brothers into modern day France. Tom, the youngest, convinces his brothers to flea their parents and head for the Ocean. The story is told by the accounts of the different characters as they experienced the boys. A very creative story for children who enjoy self-reliant and industrious characters in an adventure. | Five Stars | |
Sold | Patricia Mc Cormick | Historical fiction | Travel to India and Nepal where she interviewed women of Calcutta s red-light district and girls rescued from the sex trade. | ||
Confessions from the Principal s Chair | Anna Myers | Fiction | Bullying school friendship mothers daughters Oklahoma classroom management | After Bird ( 14 year old Robin) participates in a cruel prank, her mother moves them to Oklahoma, where fourteen-year-old Robin wants to each her mother a lesson which leads to helping the middle school students as a result of her being mistaken for the substitute principal. While it is realistic fiction their are parts that require a bit of readership willingness to go along with the story. If they are, they will get to see a new perspective on bullying, | Five Stars |
The Tourmaline | Paul Park | Fantasy | High school or upper upper middle school | Not yet | |
The Cat On the Mat Is Flat | Andy Griffiths | Picture book fantasy | poems humor | Collection of stories for beginning readers. Illustrated with pencil sketches. Outragous read! Simple pencil drawings to inspire young artists! | Five Stars |
Fancy Nancy | Jane O Connor | Picture book fantasy | costume dress manners customs family life | Let s be fancy for a day... | Four Stars |
Arrival | Shaun Tan | Picture book Historical fiction | immigration wordless books cartoons | A picture book or a graphic novel that includes images so the viewer feels both an apprehensiveness and strangeness as well as a sense of adventure and wonder that flip-flops through the viewers mind as scenes of family, family goodbyes, standing alone, reflecting, longing, waiting, anticipating, among crowds of immigrants as they travel, arrive, and begin a new life in an unfamiliar, strange, and hopeful place. Tan s pictures both urge the viewer on and ask them to linger and interpret the story in this wordless book. | Five Stars |
Everything that Creeps | Picture book | surreal art | Not yet | ||
The Story of Salt | Mark Kurlansky | Picture book non fiction | salt | If you don t know about the importance of salt now and historically, there is information in this book that you might want to know about. I is filled with information about salt that can be found to be fascinating. However, it requires a person with the disposition of wanting to know about salt to be a good read. It does lack a style and plot that pulls the reader into reading and encourages him or her to read and turn the pages. | Four Stars |
Marco Polo | Freedman | Nonfiction | history China travel spices trade | Want a nonfiction story about Marco Polo, then this has the information you desire. It is a good read for those motivated to know about Marco or early exploration. However, it doesn t have that punch to draw non motivated readers into the story. | Three Stars |
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony | Colfer, Eoin | Fantasy | child prodigy adventure | Four Stars | |
The Mailbox | Audrey Shafer | Realistic fiction | foster care home Vietnam veterans | Twelve year old Gabe is down on his luck. Can t be any one more down. His mother and father are gone and he is living with his Uncle who is in the process of changing his life because of Gabe. One day when Gabe comes home he finds his uncle dead. Aftraid he will be sent away he hides his uncle s death from the local authorities, he is not prepared for what happens when this secret is discovered. An excellent story about how a friend of his Uncles a Vietnam veteran and other characters work together to try to do what s best for Gabe. A scared young boy who needs to find himself and how others that help each him end up helping themselves in return. A frustrating, but real story that gets below the surface of the different troubles the more significant characters in the book have and how more people work to help them, instead of so many being jerks as is usually portrayed in many television programs. | Five Stars |
Endymion Spring | Matthew Skelton | fiction | Johann Gutenberg apprentices magic Oxford England mystery detective story family problems Bodleian Library quest | Not yet | |
Amelia Rules Super Heroes | Jimmy Gownley | Graphic novel | Four Stars | ||
Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm | Rob Kidd | Fantasy |
Have a reader that wants more of the Pirates of the Caribbean and would enjoy a much younger, but still egotistical Jack Sparrow with plenty of sarcasm? Then this is the book for you. | Four Stars | |
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind | Judy Finchler & Kevin O Malley | Realistic fiction | school teaching federal mandates Everybody reads in America program | Four Stars | |
Quantum Prophecy: The Gathering 2 | Michael Carroll | Science fiction | super heroes villains peer pressure society trust human nature reasoning | Ten years after the supposed disappearance of the world s superhumans these new heroes begin to develop their powers and before they can fully realize their potentials, their secret identities of the three newly endowed super heroes are mysteriously leaked to the press. The teenagers must take refuge at a hidden military installation that houses and trains other new super heroes. A sci-fi adventure that raises interesting ideas with respect to science, super heroes, friends, and trust. | Four Stars |
The Prophet of Yonwood the third book of Ember | Jeanne DuPrau | Science fiction | future city | Four Stars | |
Ranger s Apprentice Book Four: he Battle for Skandia | John Flanagan | High fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes war | After Ranger s Apprentice Will frees Evanlyn Will s kingdom of Araluen join forces with rival Kingdom Skandia to defeat a common enem. | Four Stars |
2007 - Book Review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Keys to the Kingdom: Lady Friday | Garth Nix | fantasy fiction | adventure good and evil | The fifth installment, of the saga of Arthur Penhaligon. It is beginning to look as if this 12 year old will survive the week, but the Piper, not a Day person, seems to be ... If you are not hooked on these, you probably don t do fantasy. A modern day fantasy adventure that is action, action, and more action. Each time I am eager to read the next one and had to wait. If you haven t read them, You have great books and counting waiting for you. | Four Stars |
The Invention of Hugo Cabret | Brian Selznick | realistic historical fiction picture book? | robots orphan automatons Paris France railroad stations history | Brian Selznick created a novel that reads as if you are experiencing it from a front row seat of an early Parisian movie theater. Words and pictures combine to create a unique experience for the viewer/reader that tell the story of two orphans, The story is one of survival and discovery for Hugo and other characters in the book. Action packed mystery and story of Hugo s survival and desire to understand his life and have some control on his future. As he seeks answers to this he discovers that his past is entangled with Isabelle and Papa Georges. A great story about fictional characters while simultaneously providing a historical view of Paris and the birth of motion pictures. | Five Stars |
The White Tyger | Paul Park | third of trilogy started to read, but decided to read the first two books. I selected it because critics and other authors have reviewed it and compare it to Philip Pullman s novels, Ursula Le Guin s works and other clasic and contemporary fairy tales and fantasy. It is a dark drama about a Roumanian Princess. Adolescent level | Not yet | ||
The Mysterious Benedict Society | Trenton Lee Stewart | science fiction fantasy | puzzles riddles problem solving mystery future mind control adventure school | Imagine being gifted, creative, and an orphan with no one to relate to. Then one day an invitation to enter a contest arrives. Riddles and puzzles await many, but only four survive and become the Mysterious Benedict Society. How ever intriguing, interesting, and exciting the contest was these four soon discover that they have been selected to save the world s population from being brought under the control of one ambitious person. Soon there are more puzzles and mind games that need to be solved for higher stakes than winning a contest. A scheme is about to be initiated with a new stronger formula and a more powerful secret device that will make it impossible for anyone to resist. Making it too late to save the world from this evil fate. The puzzles and problems are interesting and Stewart make them more interesting by having multiple creative solutions. Very mysterious futuristic reading. |
Five Stars |
Dragons Keep | Janet Lee Carey | fiction fantasy fairy tale | differences family being different fantasy getting along friendship | No one must know her terrible secret. Her mother, the queen has forced her to wear gloves to hide her shame until a cure can be found. Rosalind, a princess who is destined to become queen and fulfill Merlin s six hundred year old prophecy that will restore the royal family to its rightful throne. So what does this have to do with dragons? Rosalind s curse is entwined with the fate of the bloodthirsty dragons that have been the bane of the kingdom for years. Rosalind discovers the bond between her and the dragons and through her actions discovers how her terrible secret has bound her to the dragons. How she discovers herself and is able to change her point of view for her kingdoms advantage is an outstanding fantasy adventure and story of compassion and change. The story presents opportunities to reflect on differences and how people choose to accept or not accept them and how those decisions can affect their lives. |
Five Stars |
Children of the Lamp The Cobra King of Kathmandu book 3 | P. B. Kerr | fantasy fiction | brother sister | The Children of the Lamp action adventure series continues as the the tribes with the forces of good battle wits and djinn power with the tribes of the forces of evil. Mystery abounds as the twins, Philippa and John Gaunt, travel form New York to London to Napal on a whirlwind adventure to help their friend Dybbuk. How does a talisman and The Cult of the Nine Cobras figure into Dybbuk s friends murder? Does the absence of Uncle Nimrod and Mr. Rakshasas from their home figure in this mystery? Are Phillippa and John the real target of the Nine Cobra Cult? | Four Stars |
Jack Plank Tells Tales | Natalie Babbitt | fiction | pirates storytelling boarding house friends imagination trolls crocodile octopus | Jack Plank was a pirate after the voyages of Columbus when the Spanish were busy stealing gold from the natives in the Caribbean. Jack didn t much like plundering and about the only thing he seemed to be able to do was to visit with people and make soup. Which was all right since all the Pirates on the Avarice (extreme greed for wealth or materials) enjoyed his company. As the years passed and it became harder to find gold to ship to Spain the Pirate business waned as the plundering came upon hard times. With only enough food to feed the plunderers Jack was asked to leave, which he did. He was put ashore at Saltwash with some gold so he would be able to find a place to stay until he found work. Mrs. Delfresno agreed to take him in on a trial basis until he found work when it could become permanent. The author uses clever stories and catchy wording to weave a pirate s tale into each day s adventurous search for a job. After a week of Miss. Nina s help and a host of suggestions from many characters Jack s talents are recognized and he finds a place among the landlubbers. Great for a storytelling theme. | Four Stars |
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree | Lauren Tarshins | fiction | interpersonal relations problem solving middle school family peers | A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl, Emma-Jean Lazarus, gets involved with the messy everyday problems of her peers. Great story with interesting possibilities for discussion. May seem a bit too logical, however that is typical of early adolescent thinking so it would be interesting to see what adolescents think about it. | Four Stars |
Shanghaied to the Moon | Michael J. Daley | space flight adventure |
Dad didn t have to go on the emergency job to the moon. A thousand other computer network specialists could ve handled the job. Nope, Dad went to get away from me. Makes me shiver. It s 2165 and Stewart for the last seven years has been dealing with the death of his mother, the second greatest space pilot of all time. But, on his 13 birthday he learns from his counselor of the conspiracy to keep him from remembering his past. Why would they want to do that? What is so bad or important for him not to know? Who would benefit from him not knowing something? When the opportunity presents a chance to flee, he struggles with his counselor and runs to the oldspacer who offered him passage to the moon. The passage doesn t turn out exactly the way he envisioned, but it does present him with what he has search for unsuccessfully the last seven years. Great adventure story that moves along at a nice pace and keeps the reader intrigued and guessing to the end. |
Four Stars | |
Un Lun Dun | China Mieville | fiction | Not yet | ||
Physik Septimus Heap Book Three | Angie Sage | fiction fantasy | audio book available | The saga continues from Magyk to Flyte and now Physik. This story introduces Snorri Snorrelssen, daughter of Olaf, a northern trader, from Magyk. She is an integral part of this story, but it is mostly Septimus this time as he faces the most daunting challenge of all. Included at various times are the rest of the family and characters in the earlier books. Except the evil this time comes in the form of Queen Etheldredda the Awful a many times great grandmother of Jenna s that was killed 500 years ago. Dragons, ghosts, spirits, adventure, mystery, spells, time travel, magic mirrors, and all the good fantasy stuff make for another good story. | Four Stars |
Productive Learning: Science, Art, and Einstein s Relativity in Educational Reform | stanistaw D. Gtazek & Seymour B. Sarason | science art education pedagogy | This book was written for educators, reformers, and others who are deeply interested in creating opportunities for productive learning for generations to come. The idea of productive learning is demonstrated with the use of Einstein's work to convince the reader that it is possible to achieve beyond a superficial grasp of his accomplishments as an example to suggest this kind of reform is possible. While the main intent of the book is productive learning and pedagogical change; the discussion related to Einstein's ideas will be found beneficial to students and teachers in science courses in middle school and beyond as well as those with a college education who are convinced they want nothing to do with mathematics, sciences, and especially physics. |
Five Stars | |
Owen and Mzee The Language of Friendship | Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu |
nonfiction | tortoise friendship | A true story about a hippo misplaced by a tsunamia being befriended by a 135 year old tortoise. | Four Stars |
Mr. Peabody's Apples | Madonna & Loren Long | Madonna | Madonna's second children's books is better than the first (The English Roses). The story has a strong message and interesting story that is an old tale from a Hassidic master. Wonderful art richly colored and exaggerated by Loren Long. So what did Madonna do? | Four Stars | |
One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales | Garth Nix | fiction | neverworld fantasy rats video pirates | Four short stories. The first is a creative and interesting fantasies about Video Pirates in the form of rats who steal Peter s Dvds and escape to Neverland. Making it mandatory for a boy named Peter to pursue them. After all those late fees are a killer. | Four Stars |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | J. K. Rowling | fantasy fiction | good vs evil | It s Harry... However, the writing continues to get better with each book. How does she keep everything straight? |
Four Stars |
Interworld | Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves | fantasy science fiction | good versus evil multi-dimensions space time travel | 15 year old Joey Harker learns he is a walker - able to walk between dimensions. Soon he must decide if he will get involved with saving the world and join a team of different versions of himself from other dimensions to fight evil forces striving to conquer all the worlds. Suspense, adventure, along with life threatening situations not only for the characters, but all of humanity. Action like adventures reminiscent of the Matrix, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. | Four Stars |
Lemonade Mouth | MARK PETER HUGHES | fiction | high school interpersonal relations musicians | A disparate group of high school students thrown together in detention form a band to play at a school talent show and end up competing with a wildly popular local rock band... | Not yet |
The Wednesday Wars | Gary D. Schmidt | fiction | Coming of age William Shakespeare 1564-1616, Plays Long Island New York Junior high family | Gary D. Schmidt has written a novel that is at turns comic and compelling, down-to-earth and over-the-top. In The Wednesday Wars, he offers an unforgettable antihero in Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grade kid from the suburbs in 1967 who embraces his destiny in spite of himself. Holling s father believes the Hoodhoods need to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when there are rats, cream puffs, Shakespeare, and Ariel s tights to contend with over the course of the school year. | Not yet |
Demonkeeper | Royce Buckingham | fiction | Demonology supernatural | The beast moved to the feeding chute. With a new Keeper there might be an opportunity to get out into Seattle and the world of humans. Where there would be plenty of lost children to eat. Nat and his minions who just recently acquired sole care for a house full of strange entities the demon being the worst of the lot. Seeking information from an ancient book he travels to the library and meets Sandy who turn out to be more help than he can imagine at the time. Mean while two street teens, and the Thin Man converge on his home with foul intentions of their own. However, the beast itself has intentions of its own and plans on not letting anyone else get in his way. Unless they are taste young children. Will things ever be the same for Nat? Will the beast escape its chamber and have a tasty meal? Once it escapes will it ever be returned to the basement ? And what is the deal about this Thin Man? Slapstick humor, fast action high spirited romp of an unlikely hero in true misadventure -fast paced action worthy of any teen movie. | Five Stars |
The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff: I You Wish | Jason Lethcoe | Fiction | Ffction orphans wishes magic | When a miserable orphan unknowingly disrupts the balance of power between the magical realms of wishes and curses, he must join forces with the Wishworks Factory to reclaim his errant wish and set things right again. Will this take off as a series??? |
Not yet |
Agnes Parker... Kathleen O'Dell. Keeping Cool in Middle School | Kathleen O'Dell | fiction | middle schools self-confidence Interpersonal relations | Agnes Parker tries to maintain her old persona and keep a low profile in middle school (sixth grade), but her best friend Prejean's problems, persistent harrassment from the eghth-grade boys, and a friendship with an interesting boy in her art class make it difficult. | Four Stars |
Dragonsdale | Salamanda Drake | fiction | audio book available | Where dragons and dreams take flight. | Not yet |
The Neddiad | Daniel Pinkwater | fiction | turtles Los Angles History 20th century humorous stories audio book available | Young shoelace heir Neddie Wentworthstein and his family take a train from Chicago to Los Angeles In the 1940s. When he winds up In possession of a valuable Indian turtle artifact whose owner is supposed to be able to prevent the impending destruction of the world, a stranger adventure begins. Distracted by not knowing how he could possibly save the world he finds he is accidentally left behind by his family at one of the train stops in the Wild West. Let the adventure begin. | Four Stars |
The Alchemyst: The secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel | Michael Scott | fantasy fiction | Nicolas Flamel John Dee alchemist magic supernatural brothers sisters twins San Francisco Calif | Truth: Nicholas Flame was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. He is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day, it is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty. The legend: Flamel lives because he has been making the elixir of life. Within the Book of Abraham the Mage is the most powerful secret capable of destroying the world. That is what Dr. John Dee plans after stealing it. Humankind won t know what is happening until it is too late. The prophecy says that Sophie and Josh are the only ones that have the power to save the world. |
Four Stars |
Atherton: The House of Power | Patrick Carman | science fiction | Creative tale of a small planet with three tiers that are in the process of collapsing into one. What happens when people from each tier are united when they have grown to fear one another based on their lore, legends, and past. For the people of Aduana Dos see http://www.athertonseries.com/ |
Four Stars | |
What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy | Gregory Maguire | fiction fantasy myth | Amidst a terrifying storm, Dinah's parents go missing. While anxious Dinah and her brother and sister worry and huddle for warmth, their cousin Gage tells them an unlikely story-about tooth fairies, known as skibbereen, who are living in warring colonies right in the neighborhood. According to Gage, the skibbereen put those teeth to good use. And Gage has met them. Dinah is skeptical, but as the story unfolds and the storm rages on, she begins to believe. | Four Stars | |
The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio | by the Estate of Lloyd Alexander | fiction fantasy | Naive and bumbling Carlo, his shady camel-puller Baksheesh. and Shira, a girl determined to return home, follow a treasure map through the deserts and cities of the infamous Golden Road, as mysterious strangers try in vain to point them toward real treasures. | Not yet | |
The Jewel Box Ballerinas | Monique De varennes & Ana Juan | fiction fantasy | magic friendship music box | Picture book - A rich woman purchases a magic jewel box and sets out to make the two tiny ballerinas within it smile again. | Three Stars |
The Garden of Eve | K. L. Ging | fiction | seeds magic orchards death grief family life New York state - audio book available | Eve gave up her belief in stories and magic after her mother's death, but a mysterious seed given her as an eleventh-birthday gift by someone she has never met takes her and a boy who claims to be a ghost on a strange journey, to where their supposedly cursed town of Beaumont, New York, flourishes. | Four Stars |
The Land of The Silver Apples | Nancy Farmer | fantasy fiction | mythology druids bards goblins elves Saxon - available audio | Sequel to The Sea of Trolls Includes bibliographical references in appendix |
Four Stars |
Letters from Rapunzel | Sara Lewis Holmes | realistic fiction | parents depression school gifted fairy tales | Thirteen year old Cadence Rae Brogan (Rapunzel) is trapped in her own tower as her father s world turns black, her mother s world becomes overwhelmed, and Cadence s world is collapsing at a most difficult time of of life - Junior High! Sara Holmes has created a character that you can t help wanting to know what and when things are going to Additionally Holmes use of fairy tales and fairly tale characters is delightfully creative. Of course any adolescent tale must include strong references to school; Homes story does not exclude that rule. Share what you think about this book. What is most compelling for you? How did you relate to Rapunzel? How do you believe middle school students would respond to this story? Winner of the Ursula Nordstrom First Fiction Contest |
Five Stars |
Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy | Jane O Connor | fiction picture book | Papillon dogs individuality family | Fancy Nancy is out to convince her family that the dog they need ought to be fancy. | Three Stars |
Mr. George Baker | picture book realistic fiction | reading multicultural | Watercolor illustrations depict one-hundred year old Mr. George Baker, African-American, and young Harry, Caucasian boy, develop a warm relationship as they share their struggle of learning a new skill. Good use of illustrations and language to develop the characters, mood, and style of the story. | Three Stars | |
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1 | Rick Riordan | mythology fiction modern fantasy | mythology | Modern fantasy book is a series of five. Being made into a movie by 20th Century Fox. Meet twelve year old Perseus Jackson at a school for troubled youth, the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman, whom dies soon after this discovery putting him in mortal danger. Percy along with sidekicks of Grover, (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) take on quest after quest resulting in many close calls, monster melees, trips across Earth and into Hades. Mythological quests meet today s street kids. |
Four Stars |
The Scarlet Stockings Spy Edition 1. (Tales of Young Americans) | Trinka Hakes Noble | historical fiction | American revolution Philadelphia | Maddy Rose is a plucky young girl of a widow whose earnings come from spinning flax. Maddy, spends her days sewing and running errands for her mother. Maddy and her brother have created a code, but will it outwit the British? | Four Stars |
Melting Stones | Tamora Pierce | fiction fantasy to do - audio | Not yet | ||
George s Secret Key to the Universe | Lucy and Stephen Hawking | science fiction fantasy | space universe solar system black holes | Great adventure story about Annie and George who meet, fine they have a mutual love of science, and adventure through the solar system with the assistance of a super-computer. Their educational adventures soon take a turn to life and death situations for their father as an old rival - Dr. Reeper takes control. Will George and Annie be able to save her father? Will George win the science contest? Will George every have his computer? The story coauthored by Stephen Hawking, some claim to be the best physicist since Einstein, incorporates accurate information within the story for readers to learn about planets, the solar system, time, the universe, and other astronomical mysteries. A great read or read aloud to motivate science discussion in middle school and a pretty darn good adventure story at that. | Five Stars |
Who Was First? | Russell Freedman | to do - audio | Russell Freedman... Tell me what you think | Not yet | |
Wild Girls | Pat Murphy | fiction | to do - audio | Twelve-year-old Joan is sure that she is going to be miserable when her family moves from Connecticut to California. Then she meets a most unusual girl.... | Not yet |
Love | Jerry Spinelli | realistic fiction | Characterization, characterization, characterization. Spinelli knows how to create and align characters within a story to create high and low tides of emotional attachments. Attaching Stargirl to Leo, Dootsie, Alvina, Betty Lou, Charlie, Arnold, Perry, the Honeybees, and ... While at the same time attaching all of them to one another through themselves and Stargirl and most importantly through the reader s heart. Where is Stargirl now? Still in Pennsylvania? Is she back in Arizona? Is she moving toward Leo? Does she... How dare anyone question her existence? This story goes beyond realistic fiction. Stargirl exists in the reader s heart, soul, and mind. How could she not? When she has stirred so much love into my life. | Four Stars | |
Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel | Colfer, Eoin and Andrew Donkin | fantasy fiction | child prodigy adventure graphic novel | This creatively designed graphic novel tells the complete first story of Artemis Fowl in a way that was not possible in the mere novel. The authors, Colfer and Donkin, collaborated with the illustrators, Rigano and Lamanna to combine text and illustrations in a format that includes detailed character information in illustrations, text, and in character files physically embedded in the graphic novel. The combination of these three elements create a style and tone for the story that may provide more detail and a richer experience than the original novel. | Five Stars |
First Snow in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy | Carl R. Sams | picture book photo book realistic fiction nonfiction | Delightful visual display. Photos blended into page with text overlaid. Many images across both pages. Some images may have been clipped from other photos and joined into others to create a multimedia display. | Four Stars | |
The Kiss that Missed | David Melling | picture book fantasy | kiss family bedtime stories dragons knights | A busy king hurriedly blows his son a goodnight kiss from the hallway, but it misses its target. Being a royal smooch with enchanting powers, it flies off on an adventure through a dark forest full of wild animals and is hotly pursued by a not-so-gallant young knight, who eventually finds himself face to face with an enormous dragon. However, the magical quality of the kiss tames even the wildest of creatures and when the shivering boy fears his demise, he is kissed rather than fried to a crisp. The knight catches the kiss and brings it safely home. Amusing, playful, colorful, cartoon like illustrations with great caricature expressions like the bewildered prince, the terrified knight and horse, and the gleeful royal family when the kiss is returned. Refreshingly original and relevant, showing a busy family full of love. B. Astengo | Four Stars |
Little Red Riding Hood | Jerry Pinkney | picture book fantasy | In this delightful, old-fashioned version of a familiar tale, Little Red Riding Hood is a "sweet little girl" whose mother stitches her a lovely hood, which the child cherishes and all the village people affectionately recognize. Against a snowy, wooded background, the child sets out in her red cloak to bring Mother's chicken soup and raisin muffins to ailing Grandmother. The story proceeds in the expected way. The woodcutter kills the wolf "with one stroke of his ax" and cuts open the beast's stomach, releasing "the kindly old woman." With lively detail (but no blood and guts) and lots of pattern and colors, Pinkney's watercolors show the predator in nightcap and glasses under Grandmother's patchwork quilt and then, in a double-page spread, the menace as it appears to the girl: "Oh Grandmother, what great teeth you have!" The pictures reflect the danger and the coziness, and they are just right for their preschool audience. Hazel Rochman | Four Stars | |
The Castle Corona | Sharon Creech | fiction fantasy | Not yet | ||
The Lighthouse War: The Lighthouse Trilogy Book II | Adrian Mc Kinty | fantasy science fiction | lighthouse trilogy space travel war Ireland | Okay, I knew it was a trilogy and I picked up book II. Hey, I ve read dozens of multi book episodes. The authors include bread crumbs to jog memories or inform first time readers of situations past, so I plunged in hoping the book jacket was accurate with claims of action to keep the pages turning and a story few readers will be able to resist. The first sixteen pages introduced the Witch Queen - Twenty-seventh Queen of Balanmanek, Gag Macak - the glacier, The Lord Protector, Master Sarpa of the Science Guild, the dying planet - Altair, and the machine - soon to send a message to the Ui Neill world. Not that this information isn t important for the story, but it was a bit tedious until page seventeen where Jamie, Brian, and Ramsey, of the Ayatollahs of Funk, were deep in performance on Royal Avenue in Belfast. The song lyrics would have been humorous, had I read book one, instead of just bizarre. Enough of not reading book one. The adventure, for me did begin shortly after the main characters entered the story. It is an adventure where two teenage friends travel to Altair where the Lord Protector and Queen are diabolical and ruthless in the best of fantasy style. However, the story is more than the usual high fantasy. Mc Kinty brings together old world, today, and science fiction of future worlds in the style of a fantasy game, like Expedition to Barrier Peaks, which was referenced in the story. I found the timing of my selection of this book to read strange as Gary Gygax, creater of Dungeons and Dragons, died while I was reading it. Fitting tribute. The dialogue includes references to present day music, celebrates, events, Warcraft, Dungeon & Dragons, and even political references are inserted throughout the narrative. The typical character conversation between Jamie and Ramsey is typical creative adolescent banter. As the party grows Jamie s mother - Anna and Ramsey s thirty year old brother - Brian are drawn into the adventure and provide additional creative opportunities for dialogue. These four and two aliens - Wishaway and Lorca make up the adventure party. The antagonists include typical fantasy adventure types: Witch Queen, Lord Protectorate, King, Princess, Guildsman, and the typical support casts of evil and not so evil characters. However, the depth of evil is questionable as the plot for control of the Salmon has a life and death connection for all. No question ,the claim of being a page turner on the cover is accurate. If you find love triangles, fantasy adventures, advanced alien technology, space travel between two worlds - Earth and Altair, or have ever pondered the philosophical question of our exist and mortality... interesting. And who doesn t? You should enjoy this book. |
Four Stars |
Twelve | Lauren Myracle | fiction | birthdays twelve | Not yet | |
The Higher Institute of Villainous Education | Mark Walden | science fiction | schools genius good and evil artificial intelligence science | Intense, action packed, violent, wild, life threatening James Bond style adventure to save the world from evil forces. Only these heroes are teenage special ... Well for now let s just say special. | Four Stars |
The Book of Time | Guillaume Prevost translated by William Rodarmor | science fiction | time travel missing persons | Sam Faulknwe travels back in time to medieval Ireland, ancient Egypt, and Renaissance Bruges in search of his missing father. | Four Stars |
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf | Jennifer L. Holm | graphic novel picture book journal | a year life journal middle school family single parent graphic novel | Is this a book, graphic novel, picture book, or a new genre? It takes the form of a scrapbook or photo journal of Ginny Davis in middle school. A very creative way to present a story of Ginny during a time that is troubling for her and her single mother. | Four Stars |
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman |
Adrienne Kress | fantasy fiction | Alex lives with her uncle in an apartment above his doorknob shop. That alone should suggest the story is whimsical, clever, and creative. Which by the way describes Alex who is dreading sixth grade. However, things break her way when Mr. Underwood arrives and is assigned to teach sixth grade. Just when things appear to be getting manageable at school the adventure really begins in chapter four. Thugs show up looking for the descendant of the dreaded pirate Captain Steele and a treasure map. A fire and the lose of her Uncle and the kidnapping of Mr. Underwood Alex finds herself pitted against these thugs, an evil vicious group of old ladies known as the Daughters of the Founding Fathers' Preservation Society, and various obstacles in her quest to find the treasure map and Mr. Underwood. | Four Stars | |
The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer | Joseph Delaney | Fiction fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | Joseph Delaney continues with his third book that takes off where the first ended. More thrills and scares from the spiritual world for the adolescent reader. It will raise more hairs on the back of the necks of adolescent readers. Again set in English or New England community of the 1700 s or early 1800 s before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, and other nasties that people of that era are known to have imagined and some they might not have been capable of imagining. Thomas Ward, as an apprentice, continues to learn, but now | Four Stars |
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and other Extreme Sports | James Patterson | science fiction | genetic engineering adventure Antarctica | Third in the Maximum Ride series - The time has come for Max, Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel to face their ultimate enemy and despite many obstacles try to save the world from a sinister plan to reengineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race. | Three Stars |
Elijah of Buxton | Christopher Paul Curtis | historical fiction | race African American slave | Elijah of Buxton is the first freeborn child of Buxton a settlement on Lake Erie in Canada created by escaped slaves in the mid 1800 s. Elijah tells the story of his ordinary life who his momma is continually telling him that he is too frag - ile. However, as we travel with him as he does his chores, does odd jobs in the settlement, interacts with the characters that have become central in his life, and of course going to school we find that Elijah is not an ordinary boy at all. He has a gift of story telling and creative exaggeration with explanations that achieve and surpass the best metaphors and similes penned by even the classic tall tale authors of all times. While the literary style and tone is expertly done with subtle events and happenings being wove together for a powerful climax the plot is agonizingly slow moving. The first chapters are more like short stories tied together with the passing of time and Elijah s struggle for recognition as an adult as his values and character is discovered by the reader. It might be a good read aloud, but I wonder how many young readers will maintain enough interest to read through most of the book. It isn t until the reader is closing in on the end that the plot finally unfolds a multi chapter event with enough excitement to propel the reader to a compelling ending. An ending that can only be achieved by a character who has gained enough insight into the complicated decisions of an adult world and a reader that has gained insight into the complications of slavery in the United States in the 1860 s. | Five Stars |
2008 - Book Review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bird Lake Moon | Kevin Henkes | fiction realistic | divorce friends family death grief Wisconsin | This is two compelling stories with plots intersecting when Mitch Sinclair (12) and Spencer Stone (10) meet. Mitch is suffering from the recent announcement of his parent s divorce. Afraid of the unknown it causes him to act out in ways he never would have. Spencer along with Lolly, his younger sister, and both of their parents are attempting to recover from the lose of Matty who drowned in Bird Lake. Suspense, characterization, and altering point of view by chapter from Mitch s perspective to Spencer s perspective makes this an outstanding novel. Lolly creative antics of talking in different dialects and deciding to give each voice a name. Language such as - yesterday you were soaked in sunshine . Today - rain. - His mind was an aquarium , and his thoughts were darting around, this way and that, like little fish. - ... all its lines, angles, and corners were softened like the edges on a well-used bar of soap. |
Five Stars |
The Missing: Book 1 Found | Margaret Peterson Haddix | science fiction | time travel mystery adoption | When thirteen year old friends Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted find out that they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies, with no adults on board, the realized that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two philosophically opposed groups, each trying to capture them for two different purposes. What should they do? Or do they have any choice in the matter as people who appear and disappear at will might be able to take matters into their own hands. Compelling plot with suspenseful situations that are challenging enough to keep turning the pages. As with the time travel Haddix does a good job keeping things plausible. | Five Stars |
White Sands, Red Menace | Ellen Klages | historical fiction | atomic bombs radiation slave labor world war 2 cold war rocket ships space vehicles adoption teen pregnancy unwanted pregnancy mathematics mechanical art | It s 1946 and the author picks up shortly after where she left Dewey and Suze in her first award winning book - The Green Sea. The story continues in the same accurate historical style that depicts the countries cultural and political climate of the day. Set in the southwest state of New Mexico Suze s father has been offered his opportunity of a life time to work on the development of unmanned rocket ships. The story of this unconventional family begins in May of 1946 as they arrive in White Sands. The story unfolds throughout the next year ending in May of 1947. Dewey s and Suze s relationship as unofficial sisters strains during the year but never breaks as it blossom s into a brother relationship with a creation of a mechanical and artistic wonder labeled in their words as the Wall . The author historically recreates the plausible lives of these two adolescent eighth grade girls. An interesting story and slice of life of the times. Masterfully touching on intercultural, racial, gender, and political themes of the time as well as the characters love of art, things mechanical, a mother that is not happy being stuck away from her career all intertwined within relationships that grow toward a climax with the return of Dewey s birth mom. | Five Stars |
Sunrise over Fallujah | Walter Dean Myers | historical fiction | Irag war 2003 African Americans human cost of war | Robin Perry who felt compelled to enlist as a result of his experiences of 9-11 joins the service and is sent from Harlem to Iraq in 2003 as a member of the Civil Affairs Battalion. Robin nicknamed Birdy by his comrades - Marla: a tough talking wisecracking blonde gunner and Jonesy, a guitar-player who just wants to open a blues club become comrades in arms. This trio struggles to find meaning in their service to secure, stabilize and win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Robin s time there profoundly changes him as his innocence and intentions of good will are overcome by a need to survive and question why he is there. An important book that offers insight to the intense relationships and profound implications that result during a war and more specific for today s youth - Iraq. | Five Stars |
The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen | James Lincoln Collier | supernatural fiction | horror story depressions | When Eugene starts to hear voices inside his head telling him to do awful things, it leads him to look into his small town s past during the early 1900 s. He and Sonny discover long-hidden secrets about his neighbors and his town. | Five Stars |
13: A Novel | Jason Robert Brown & Dan Elish | realistic fiction | interpersonal relations peer pressure Bar Mitzcvah Indiana divorce school 13 moving, popularity friendship fitting in growing up family | Evan Goldman, almost thirteen, learns what it means to be a man when his parents separate and he and his mother move from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, right before his bar mitzvah. Knowing no one he mysteriously is befriended by two people: Patrice and Bret. Bret the superstar of the school and Patrice not part of of the cool crowd. I am sure you are beginning to connect a pretty transparent plot where the main character is conflicted by his desires to have a big in crowd at his party and also not wanting to be part of a crowd that ostracize, Patrice, someone whom you care about. Normally a plot this transparent might cause me to rate such a story much lower. However, the dialogue the author has Evan use is creative, humorous, and entrances you to keep reading to see in what interesting manner Evan is going to tell his story. A very good read for students in middle school interested in peer relations. Isn t that about all of them? | Five Stars |
11 Birthdays | Wendy Mass | fiction fantasy | birthday time friendship interpersonal relationships | Amanda and Leo, unbeknownst to them, have been linked at birth by an ancient spell that has been around unsuspectingly for years. An unknown protector has arranged for them to spend their birthday s together since birth to protect them from being enchanted by the spell. Unaware of the dangers that could be fall them if they don t celebrate together they independently celebrate apart. Entranced or bewitched Amanda continues to wake up to a Sponge Bob balloon and has to relive her present and worst ever birthday - her eleventh birthday. A ... Really clever way to see the consequences of ones actions and how one s actions sometimes work the way we expect and other times don t. Groundhogs Day for young readers. | Five Stars |
Zorgamazoo | Robert Paul Weston | verse fiction fantasy | 281 pages In rhymed verse with a sing song rhythm. Creative use of fonts and lettering size and orientation throughout as well as a smattering of ink drawings of the zany characters. It is an engagingly enchanting story of Katrina Katrell and her zany romp with Mortimer Yorgle a zorgle and their zany and suspense filled adventure. | Five Stars | |
The Graveyard Book | Gaiman, Neil | fantasy fiction | supernatural adventure excitement dead cemeteries | Expect strange when the author is Neil Gaiman and this book doesn t let you down. Nobody Owens - Bod parents are killed when Bod is born and he is raised by a couple in the graveyard. Yes they have been dead for several years. The spirits of the graveyard take care of him and provide for his education. Eventually he desires for more than what can be provide by the graveyard and is sent to school. having been warned not to draw attention to himself he can t but do so when he feels a need to act against injustice. His forays beyond his protected boundaries result in the forces of dark being able to detect his presence and act to destroy him. He is reunited with a girl of his childhood and together they attempt to resolve the situation once and for all. A thrilling action filled novel. | Five Stars |
Jack and the Box | Art Spiegelman | picture book fiction graphic comic | jack in the box dark humor surprise as style element | Jack get a new toy a - Zack in the Box. The humor is a little advanced for real young children. As the first time Zach comes out of the box Jack ends up in his mother s arms. Through the book Jack is frightened, frustrated, mad, bewildered, and amused. The genre is a cross between a comic book and picture book. It is creative and as zany as the cat in the hat. A simple way to explore how to include surprise as a style element. | Five Stars |
Highway Robbery | Kate Thompson | fiction historical | robbery adventure horses Richard Turpin Great Britain eighteenth century | In England in the 1700 s there was Dick Turpin. Who was a house-breaker, torturer, murderer, horse-stealer and all-round real nasty piece of work who was fictionalize as Dick Turpin, Highwayman and Knight of the Road. However this story isn t about the character of Dick, but of the unidentified main character who tells the story in first person whose character was asked,by Dick Turpin, to hold Black Bess until he returned. This main character is undeniably ethical as we discover in the story that begins with the following dialogue: The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse's head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them into my hand. ... Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I'll give you a golden guinea." The style of this chapter book includes pen-and-ink drawings by Duddle and Dress, large font and line spacing for easy reading, fast-paced action, dry humor and an ending that begs to be talked about. In fact it would be a great read aloud with its flamboyant narrative and those detailed comical illustrations to accompany it. The plot is suspenseful, precise and with twist to make it richer. |
Five Stars |
Children of the Lamp The Day of the Djinn Warriors book 4 | P. B. Kerr | fantasy fiction | brother sister genies magic twins museums | The Children of the Lamp action adventure series continues as the the tribes with the forces of good battle wits and djinn power with the tribes of the forces of evil. Mystery abounds as the twins, Philippa and John Gaunt, travel form New York to London to Napal on a whirlwind adventure to help their friend Dybbuk. How does a talisman and The Cult of the Nine Cobras figure into Dybbuk s friends murder? Does the absence of Uncle Nimrod and Mr. Rakshasas from their home figure in this mystery? Are Phillippa and John the real target of the Nine Cobra Cult? | Four Stars |
The Willoughbys | Lois Lowry | realistic fiction | brothers & sisters family orphans humorous | Four Stars | |
Tunnels | Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams | fiction | archeology adventure England London Brian James Williams underground | Book one - Will Burrows and his friend Chester embark on a quest to find Will s archaeologist father, who has inexplicably disappeared, they are led to a labyrinthine world underneath London, Full of sinister inhabitants with evil intentions toward Topsoilers like Will and his father. | Four Stars |
Smiles to Go | Jerry Spinelli | fiction realistic | friendship brothers sisters self actualization family life high schools protons | Four Stars | |
The Calder Game | Blue Balliett | fiction realistic | mystery detective England sculpture art | Four Stars | |
The Ice Cream Con | Jimmy Docherty | fiction realistic | Scotland mugging criminals bullies robbers outlaws friendship Glasgow England | Four Stars | |
Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) | Alison Mc Ghee | fiction realistic | fear Saint Bernard dogs family life Minnesota Minneapolis neighborhood | Four Stars | |
Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express | Megan Mc Donald | fiction realistic | guinea pigs animal rescue automobile travel Virginia humorous | Four Stars | |
The 13th Reality: Book 1 The Journal of Curious Letters | James Dashner | fiction | Twelve clues to solve the riddle or puzzle... | Four Stars | |
Attack of the Growling Eyeballs | Lin Oliver | realistic fiction | family life sisters brothers humorous size | Adventures of Daniel (10) when he finds he is able to shrink in size and not only that, but he has a twin brother that is as small as his fourth toe. Not only that, but his gGandma Lola has know it since his birth and kept it a secret. Wild and zany fun filled adventure. | Four Stars |
Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head | Nancy Viau | realistic fiction | sisters temper problem solving goals family life behavior Grand Canyon | Great story of a girl that loves rocks and how she deals with being teased and her mother being a single parent. | Four Stars |
Nurk the Strange, Surprising Adventure of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew | Ursula Vernon | animal fiction | adventure dragonflies shrews diaries courage letters | Nurk a sort-of brave shrew, packs up a few pairs of clean socks and sails off on an accidental adventure, guided by wisdom found in the journal of his famously brave and fierce grandmother, Lady Surka the warrior shrew. | Four Stars |
Boots and Pieces | Emily Ecton | science fiction | prom genetics evolution mutants mystery | Arlie can t understand why the Sheriff wants to keep the disappearance of Stacyi Sizemore so hush hush. Easy reading, fast paced, funny, and difficult to put down. A story about gummy bear mutations with a growing appetite that is covered up by the town sheriff that is more worried about the turmoil that would be caused if prom is called off, than if he admits a few teenagers were murdered by a mutant monster. Can you solve the mystery before Arlie and Ty? | Four Stars |
The Magician: The secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel book 2 | Michael Scott | fantasy fiction | Nicolas Flamel John Dee alchemist magic supernatural brothers sisters twins San Francisco Calif | The story continues with the struggle between Nicholas Flame and Dr. John Dee to save or over throw humankind, which won t know what is happening until it is too late. The prophecy says that Sophie and Josh are the only ones that have the power to save the world, but can they figure out who is the good side before it is too late? A third in the works - The Sorceress... |
Four Stars |
The Diamond of Darkhold the fourth book of Ember | Jeanne DuPrau | science fiction | future city | If you have read the first three books of ember this is the fourth. While it answers questions that were raised in the earlier books there always seems to be ways of adding sequels. | Four Stars |
The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye - 5 | Joseph Delaney | fiction fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | Joseph Delaney continues with his fifth book that takes off where the fourth ended. More thrills and scares from the spiritual world for the adolescent reader. It will raise more hairs on the back of the necks of adolescent readers. Again set in England before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, fiends, and other nasties. Thomas Ward, as an apprentice, continues to learn, but now he deals with Bloodeye. If you like this genre or want scary, this is a FIVE. |
Four Stars |
Ranger s Apprentice Book Five: Sorcerer of the North | John Flanagan | fiction high fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes male Australia | Sequel to - Ranger s Apprentice Book one: The Ruins of Gorlan and Book two The Burning Bridge; Book three The Icebound Land ; Book four The Battle for Skandia Will is a full fledged Ranger now and is asked to go disguised as a jongleur and travel north to investigate strange happenings. Alyss is sent as a confidant to assist in assessing the situation. As they are just beginning to discover the strange happenings and struggle for control of power their cover is blown and Will must make a critical decision so save the mission or Alyss. |
Four Stars |
Maximum Ride: The Final Warning | James Patterson | science fiction | genetic engineering adventure Antarctica female survival | Fourth in the Maximum Ride series - On a mission to save the world from global warming, 14 year old Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock are pursued by their creator, the Uber Director, who wants to auction them off to the highest bidder. | Four Stars |
The Keys to the Kingdom: Superior Saturday | Garth Nix | fantasy fiction | adventure good and evil male | The sixth installment, of the saga of Arthur Penhaligon. It is beginning to look as if this 12 year old will survive the week, but it is hard to know since the book doesn t bring day six to a resolution. It turns midnight, but the reader is left hanging... A modern day fantasy adventure that is action, action, and more action. Each time I am eager to read the next one and had to wait. If you haven t read them, there are six good books and one to come waiting for you. | Four Stars |
What s Up Duck: A Book of Opposites | tad Hills | picture book | opposites up down | Four Stars | |
Queste Septimus Heap Book Four | Angie Sage | fiction fantasy | audio book available | Septimus, Jenna, and Beetle hope to rescue Snorri and Nicko trapped in the past. They are unaware that Merrin has used summons and aided the ghost of the first Chief Hemetic Scribe to send Septimus on a wizzard s Queste. All wizzards chosen for this Queste have never survived it. The story is a well paced adventure with a twisting plot, passionate spirited characters, and told with the authors humorous tone. | Four Stars |
Ladybug Girl | Jacky Davis | picture book fiction | imagination ladybug brother sister | Lulu dresses as Ladybug Girl and finds that her parents are busy and she will have to figure out her own fun time. She tries her brother and he tells her she is too little to play baseball and bugs don t play baseball. She goes exploring with the dog Bingo: inside finding L s, measuring a plant, outside to explore finding ants, puddles, fort, wall, rocks, wind, tree, her brothers game, blue jays, and home. | Four Stars |
The Last Apprentice: Attack of the Fiend - 4 | Joseph Delaney | fiction fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | Joseph Delaney continues with his fourth book that takes off where the third ended. More thrills and scares from the spiritual world for the adolescent reader. It will raise more hairs on the back of the necks of adolescent readers. Again set in England before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of fiends to the collection of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, and other nasties that people of that era are known to have imagined and some they might not have been capable of imagining. | Four Stars |
If You re Reading This It s Too Late | Pseudonymous Bosch | fiction fantasy mystery | mystery | Second in the Secret Book series: The book begins with a Binding Contract outlining the reader s responsibilities, followed by a prologue that warns about mysterious things and a monster 400-500 years old - impossible to make more impossible to kill. A few more pages of ... then In enormous letter: "IF YOU RE READING THIS, IT S TOO LATE." The story eventually starts with chapter 33 and runs backwards... like a count down to a rocket launch or a bomb so I won t have to finish it. BUT finish it he did. Another saga about the kids who discover a mysterious society desiring immortality, which gets them into all kinds of troublesome situations. Sarcasm, playfulness of the author, and suspense moves the reader through mysteries and adventure as the characters search for the mysterious sound prism, discovering Cabbage Face, and a humunculus and trying to figure out how they all come together. |
Four Stars |
Amelia Rules - When the Past Is a Present | Jimmy Gownley | graphic novel comic book picture book | friends family super heroes growing up | Amelia (fourth grade) is an only child who lives with her recently divorced mother. She has one melodramatic adventure after another. Each packed with freewheeling energetic antics. Her good and bad traits are illustrated in full colored graphic art. Jealousy, meanness, sadness, confusion, generosity, and love splatter the pages. Five stories included in this book are: Funny Story - mom s date The Runaways - divorce, talk with Tanner Let s hear it for Joan - date?, cross town boy, how long is a year - father in army... When the past is a present - old photo album to see Amelia s roots Hangin out - |
Four Stars |
The 39 Clues Book one The Maze of Bones | Rick Riordan | fiction science fantasy | games family adventure mystery | The book introduces us to Amy Cahill (14) and her brother Dan Cahill (11) and their ecentric grandmother Grace. We soon discover she as created a world wide game of find and seek with a cash prize of a million dollars and a formula for world power during the reading of her will. Almost before the lawyer is done reading the will different family branches are off to uncover the clues and to thwart other family members. With Saladin in tow, a Persian cat fond of red snapper, and Nellie Gomez their au pair they set out find the first clue. First of ten books along with sets of cards in each book, additional cards available for purchase, and a companion web site that offers prizes. | Four Stars |
The 39 Clues Book two One False Note | Gordon Korman | fiction science fantasy | games family adventure mystery | Amy, Dan, Nellie, and Saladin are off to Austria and Italy in search of another clue. Run ins with the Holt family of five, Irina Spasky, their Russian cousin with ex-KGB ties, and Ian as they attempt to decipher how Mozart, Ben Franklin, and Mozart s sister can provide information to decode clue number two. As they travel from Paris to Salzberg and on to Italy there seems to be a cousin around every corner trying to thwart their success. From visits to museums, art galleries, the catacombs where Mozart and his sisters remains are located, and a family stronghold action and adventure moves the reader through this book adventure of mystery and adventure. | Four Stars |
The 39 Clues Book four Beyond the Grave | Jude Watson | fiction science fantasy | games family adventure mystery | Four Stars | |
Ranger s Apprentice Book Six: The Siege of Macindaw | John Flanagan | fiction high fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes male Australia | Sequel to - Ranger s Apprentice Book one: The Ruins of Gorlan and Book two The Burning Bridge; Book three The Icebound Land ; Book four The Battle for Skandia; Book five Sorcerer of the North The books continues where book five left off after Will makes a critical decision to save the mission, Alyss is left prisoner in Macindaw Castle. See first book in 2005 |
Four Stars |
Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One | Judy Blume | fiction realistic | brother sisters schools family life | Not yet | |
Allie Finkle s Rules for Girls Moving Day 1 | Meg Cabot | fiction realistic | moving household rules best friends schools behavior family life | Not yet |
2009 - Book review list
Book Title | Author | Genre | Themes | Comments | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amelia Rules - The Whole World s Crazy | Jimmy Gownley | graphic novel comic book picture book | growing up friends divorce | Amelia (fourth grade) is an only child who lives with her recently divorced mother. She has one melodramatic adventure after another. Each packed with freewheeling energetic antics. Her good and bad traits are illustrated in full colored graphic art. Jealousy, meanness, sadness, confusion, generosity, and love splatter the pages. Five stories included in this book are: The Whole world is crazy - The Gym Class System - Loosely in Disguise, and Frightened - Amelia McBride and the Other Side of Yuletide - Speak Softee to Me - |
Five Stars |
When You Reach Me | Rebecca Stead | fiction science or realistic? | friends Wrinkle in Time time travel | Losing your friend since birth, being a latchkey kid, why does the man on the corner sleep with his head under the mailbox and yell at the sky? Why does mom need a boy friend? Why would someone punch someone for no reason at all? Why wold I talk to a person that punched Sal? Why do people do what they do? How can a person know what is going to happen? Why is A Wrinkle in Time her favorite book? This is growing up story. Miranda (12) struggles to gain the confidence in understanding herself and others so she can safely be what she believes she should be. The author uses a subtle style of writing with a steady stream of emotionally connected ideas, phrases, and words in the narrative to create a very powerful experience for the reader. | Five Stars |
The Islands of the Blessed | Nancy Farmer | fiction fantasy | mythology druids bards goblins elves Saxon - available audio | Sequel to The Sea of Trolls and The Land of Silver Apples |
Five Stars |
Emmaline and the Bunny | Katherine Hannigan | fiction fantasy picture book | bunny clean neat and tidy | While the book is a picture book about bunnies and Emmaline. It isn t your usual young children s picture book about bunnies. Emmaline is a very special young girl who wants a bunny very much. The story is told in verse with rhymes, alliteration, invented words, figurative language, and abstractions - If I went to away. Emmaline isn t neat and likes to romp out side. Which is prohibited in Neatasapin by Mayor Orson Oliphant. Emmaline hears of a place which is very untidy and goes to visit a bunny and the Old One who tells her she must invite a bunny if she wants one to live with her. She returns home where she convinces her parents to stand up to Mayor Orson Oliphant and they create an invitation yard. | Five Stars |
Little Mouse Gets Ready | Jeff Smith | fiction fantasy picture book | mice mouse little getting dressed humor | Great book well illustrated and story tells the procedure of getting dressed with great detail and accuracy my Little Mouse as Mamma and other family members patiently wait for him to finish. What mice don t wear clothes. | Five Stars |
George s Cosmic Treasure Hunt | Lucy and Stephen Hawking | fiction science fantasy | space universe solar system black holes | George and Annie have been grounded since the last adventure when Cosmos exploded from the sheer effort of mounting their rescue. They have been involved in more Earthly pursuits such as going to their father s come as your favorite space object party. Where guests come as dark matter, black holes, red shift, exploding star, and microwaves. However, the party ends on a downer when George discovers that his best friend and her father will be packing up and moving to the Global Space Agency in the United States. Grandma comes through and agrees to go with Cosmos so he can join forces with Annie and help to solve the problem with the errant Mars Rover. Of course the adventures Annie and George take aren t that simple so before long they are on a Cosmic Treasure Hunt. Action packed suspense to move the reader along and of course plenty of accurate space information to boot. | Five Stars |
Ghost in the Machine Ryan s Journal Book Two | Patrick Carman | fiction web casts mystery | multimedia web casts mystery detective best friends parents ghosts supernatural | Skeleton Creek, Ryan (15/16) and Sarah (16) are still forbidden to contact one another. However, with time running out and urged on by additional information the two continue to conspire to solve the mystery of the ghost and the Skeleton Creek Dredge. Again this is a multimedia event with Ryan s record of events in his journal, this book, and Sarah s collection of video evidence, viewed online at her web site, sarahfincher.com and accessed with passwords in Ryan s journal combine to tell this story. Where as the first journal was a bit clunky that may be excused as it is the means to the second journal. The author does a very good job of bringing together an intricate twisting plot with surprises that involve multiple characters with differing and essential purposes for the story that drags the reader to an unexpected and enthralling climax. The video is essential for the climax and not just a nice accompaniment making a very good wedding of the two medias. Well Done. | Five Stars |
Odd and the Frost Giant | Neil Gaiman | fiction fantasy | heroes loki Norse deity Thor Odin Giants mythology | Odd, 12 year old Norwegian lad, has been very unlucky the last few years. Losing his father, handicapped from a tree falling on and crushing his leg, and his new stepfather, Fat Elfred, miss treats him. Escaping into the woods he is about to go on an adventure that will change his life and save the city of the gods - Asgard. This book is small, but it is no light weight. Gaiman brings Odd into a tale with and for the gods - Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freya. As Odd wanders through the woods he befriends a Bear, Eagle, and Fox. They join forces to rescue Asgard from the Frost Giants, return it to the gods themselves, and bring spring to the Earth. The style is a true Norse epic with Thor s hammer, Mirim s well, and other intrigue between and among gods, frost giants, and humans. However, the ending isn t of typical Norse mythology ending with a swing of Thor s hammer or a battle like the ride of the valkyrja. Instead Odd uses insight and intelligence to recognize the traits of the different gods and frost giants to initiate a peaceful solution that is a win win for all. | Five Stars |
Wishworks Inc. | Stephanie S. Tolan | fiction | imagination dogs friendship bully divorce wishes miving | Max is a dreamer and proud of it. He looks forward to a quiet place where he can fantasize about life with a big red dog, King, that he wishes he could have in real life. He lives with his mom and younger sister being relocated in a new town after his mom s divorce. He feels pressure from his dad as phrases like Only losers and wimps give in to bullies and their henchmen echo in his head while three third grade classmates steal his lunch. During Adventureland, Max finds Wishworks, Inc. where his wishes are guaranteed. The only problem as the proprietor warns Max is - you need to be very careful about a wish. As you imagine Max wishes for a dog and ends up with Ratty. Not exactly the dog of his dreams. He wishes for a dog like King, but as you can imagine it isn t that easy. As with most children s stories Max will discover much about himself, his family, friends, caring for dogs and life in general. Great read for third grade and above. | Five Stars |
Kate DiCamillo | The Magician s Elephant | fiction fantasy | orphans missing parents elephants brothers and sisters | Sends Peter to market to buy fish and bread. Spends money to have his fortune told. Who tells him his sister lives and to find her he must follow the elephant. Meanwhile a magician who intended to conjure a bouquet of lilies instead conjured an elephant that fell on Madam Betine LaVaughn who was to receive the bouquet and crippled her. The author, intertwines the lives of Peter, his guardian, a local policeman, the magician, Madam Betine, a beggar, his dog, a sculpture, a nun, and Peter s sister to tell an imaginary timeless tale about the deeper needs of all these people and how they are intertwined. How positive empowering actions can change situations for the better if we are to reach out and believe. The illustrations match the rhythmic imagery narrative and the stories tone of a hazy mysterious timeless era where the compassion of the human spirit pulls people together to care for one another. |
Five Stars |
Children of the Lamp book Five The Eye of the Forest | P. B. Kerr | fantasy fiction | brother sister genies magic twins Amazon jungle Inca Peru rain forest | The Children of the Lamp action adventure series continues as the tribes with the forces of good battle wits and djinn power with the tribes of the forces of evil. Mystery abounds as the twins, Philippa and John Gaunt, travel form New York to the Amazon Jungle with Uncle Nimrod to resolve the mystery of missing Incan artifacts. | Four Stars |
Skeleton Creek Ryan s Journal Book One | Patrick Carman | fiction realistic web casts mystery | multimedia web casts mystery detective best friends parents ghosts supernatural | House bound with a broken leg and full cast caused by a falling accident in a dredge on Skeleton Creek, Ryan (15/16) and Sarah (16) have been forbidden to contact one another. Urged on by evidence seen with their own eyes and video recording documentation of that encounter with a phantom the pair are drawn back together with a desire to seek answers to their questions and possibility to solve a mystery. Ryan s record of events in his journal, this book, and Sarah s collection of video evidence, viewed online at her web site, sarahfincher.com and accessed with passwords in Ryan s journal combine these media to tell this story. An interesting read and viewing can be had from this embryonic merging of these two media. Example - in print is the statement by Ryan. If this were a video, not a journal, I d have to stop. I d have to rewind. I d have to play that line again. However, in the beginning there are places where the text is a bit clunky or a bit juvenile for believability of the character s actions and interactions for their intended ages. Even beyond the supernatural expectations. Ryan s over blown reactions to some trivial incidents and Sarah s over acted expressions in early videos seem a bit belabored, but get better with the best video by far being the last one. The biggest pet peeve I have with recent serialized books is the trend of authors to edge closer to a story plot without a resolution. A plot that stops without an ending, without a point in the plot for the reader to exhale, relax, or a bit of a resting place, before the plot takes off again in the next serialized text. In this story the author only takes the reader to the climax. Making it a full fledged cliffhanger. How long will readers have to wait to resolve the Sarah - Ryan dredged dilemma? How long are readers willing to bite their finger nails or dangle with a clenched grip? I suppose I am old fashioned in that I think a text will provide more than a serialized television program. However, this is cutting edge and quality needs to mature. I am willing to invest in future art. Whether it is this series or another, time will tell if books and multimedia can merge artfully. This may not be as good as the next, but it most definitely needs to be enjoyed first. | Four Stars |
Blueberry Girl | Neil Gaiman | picture book verse | children love growing up nontraditional families family parent child relationships | Four Stars | |
The Roar | Emma Clayton | fiction science | war classism siblings twins control society government | Imagine a science fiction story that weaves ideas of - plague, environmental collapse, kidnapping, hostages, prisoners, classes of well to do, abject poverty, overcrowding, government, education, twins, mental telepathy, dream connections, competition, poor, technology, cybernetics, video gaming, the secret, elven, relationships, animals, nature, technology, cyborgs, classism, auras, connections of twins, world conservation, politics, clubs, fear, violence, army, anger, control, healing chambers, imaginary animals, fairy tale, communication, power of money, ethics, power of adolescence, and you get The Roar a story that ROARS from start to finish... Well not exactly finish. The book ends on page 481 with the reader knowing enough about the future world Clayton has created to understand any civilization with extreme differences between classes of people, unequal distribution of wealth and unequal allocation of resources isn t going to solve the problems and create utopia easily. After all it s science fiction not a fairy tale. How many sequels will it take? | Four Stars |
Syren Septimus Heap Book Five | Angie Sage | fiction fantasy | audio book available magic wizards fantasy English author | Wolf boy is sent on an errand by Aunt Zelda, while Septimus and Spit Fyre fly off to bring their friends home, but they land on Syren Island with dangerous inhabitants and dangerous secrets. Aunt Zelda, Nicko, Spit Fyre, HJenna, Beetle, Sorri, Lucy Gringe, Wolf Boy, and a few other new characters unite to stop Tertius Fume to use Jinnie to overtake the castle and gain control of the kingdom. Sage has the magic to continue to bring readers back again and again. |
Four Stars |
Murder at Midnight | Avi | fiction murder mystery | murder poor Italy Pergamontio 1490 mystery | Four Stars | |
The Potato Chip Puzzles | Eric Berlin | realistic fiction puzzle book | puzzles friends school | Five star puzzle book. Winston is called to the principal s office to decipher a coded message. He decodes what he believes is a phone number, calls it, and finds he has just won for his school an invitation to compete in a puzzle contest created by the eccentric Dmitri Simon - president Simon s Snack Foods. Little does he know the contest will become an expedition with teams racing around the city looking for clues to solve six puzzles. With a lot of money being awarded to the winner the prize money provides motivation for someone to attempt all kinds of nasty tactics to insure the money goes to him. The plot is driven forward by the time element of having to be the first to solve the puzzles to win and the need to make up time by being the recipient of the first dirty trick. And later as the plot moves to the climax by recognizing the need to catch the culprit if the contest is to be finished fairly and finally how to decide if there is a winner and how it might be decided fairly. A good mystery story which includes among the six contest puzzles others. The inclusion of which adds an interesting tone and style to the story. In addition to these puzzles there is the social puzzles on how students interactions with each other as well as with their teacher result in shaping each others behaviors. Each learning from each other and about each other with the teacher too learning something important about himself and his teaching methodology. |
Four Stars |
The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow | Tim Kehoe | fiction science | inventions | Four Stars | |
This Book is Not Good for You | Pseudonymous Bosch | fiction fantasy | friends | Third in the Secret Book series: The evil masters of the Midnight Sun continue their evil quest to attain eternal youth - willing to destroy anyone or thing in their way. Cass s mother is kidnapped and used to coerce Max-Ernest, Cass, and Yo-Yoji to procure a magical tuning fork as a condition for mom s release. As usual the three join forces with the Terces Society and all mayhem breaks loose. A madcap adventure Indian Jones style with monkeys, trained bird, in a Rainbow Rain forest. Sarcasm, jocular language, non-linear plot where the book begins with chapter 15 followed by chapter 1 and with enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. However, there is a strong family theme with the connections of the three main characters, granddads - Larry and Wayne, and Cass s adoptive mother - Mel united in love if not by blood. |
Four Stars |
The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons - 6 | Joseph Delaney | fiction fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | With each new book I am amazed at how Joseph Delaney continues to increase the depth of characters, intensity of plot, and supernatural dimensions of his writing style. This sixth book takes off where the fifth ended. The setting begins as previous books, but after gathering an unlikely group of evil and good characters together they are loaded on a ship and set sail for Greece. We finally get to discover more about Mam (Thomas Ward s mother). Her past, present, and future. How Tom has been learning and developing skills and strengths that Mam is counting on in her plan. Is Tom ready for the challenge? Will he be successful in what he unknowingly has been prepared to do. The plot and all the many characters cohesively fit together and tell a story that compels the reader through a dark base evil where not only life is at stake, but the lose of souls forever. | Four Stars |
The Missing: Book 2 Sent | Margaret Peterson Haddix | fiction science | time travel mystery adoption | Jonah and Chip (13) are trying to cope with discovering they are time travelers - children that were kidnapped from their birth time and transported to the future to be adopted. Now they are caught up in between two philosophical opposed groups - time interventionists and time noninterventionists. JB, a noninterventionist, wants to return the children to their birth time. Thus, he zaps Chip and Alex back to that time, fifteenth century England. However, things don t go as planned when Jonah and Katherine grab Chip s arm and are transported with them. Great tale with historical characters - Edward V - King of England, Alex his younger brother - Duke of York, their Uncle - Richard of Gloucester, and their struggle for power climaxing at a battle at Bosworth. This struggle now becomes a subplot in the stories major plot of how the characters might resolve their dilemma of disappearing from the past without changing history. | Four Stars |
Thirteenth Child | Patricia C. Wrede | fiction fantasy | frontier magic school twin brothers sisters | A fantasy based on a large family and an expanding population into a wilderness through a frontier. Major character is Eff who is the 13th child and twin sister of Lan who is a Seventh son of a seventh son. A 13th child is thought to be extremely unlucky and doomed to failure for themselves and others around them and a 7th son of a 7th son is thought to be destined to great things. Eff s parents hope to leave this legacy behind by moving across the continent to the frontier. The main characters are well developed and their growth as they struggle to realize their potential is well written and plausible. However, the strength of other characters and development of cultural background is claimed as weak by some readers. The strength of the characterization of the main characters and fast pace they interact with people and the environment and the problems that arise keep the reader s moving forward. Add magical animals and magical spells to create additional kinds of challenges and opportunities you have an interesting fantasy. | Four Stars |
MAX - A Maximum Ride Novel | James Patterson | fiction science | genetic engineering adventure Antarctica female survival | Fifth in the Maximum Ride series - The bird kids were ill-conceived accidens. He, Devin was truly an evolved human. The CSM Coalition to Stop the Madness organized this whole show to promote their own agenda - saving the world s creatures. Snipers, bombs, talent agents, mom being kidnapped, and the usual desire to exterminate the flock continue. The hunt for mom leads the flock to the Pacific and underwater bases. Action packed thriller with the sarcastic biting comment of Max (first person narrator), 14 year old Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock are pursued by their creator, the Uber Director, who wants to auction them off to the highest bidder. Great read. | Four Stars |
Deeper | Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams | fiction fantasy | archeology adventure England London Brian James Williams underground | Book two - Will Burrows and his friend Chester team up with Cal, the brother Chester didn t know he had. The story of WIlls relationship to his birth mother Sarah unfolds in the beginning of the book as the chapters alternate between topside and underneath as Will continues his quest to find his archaeologist father, who inexplicably disappeared in the labyrinthine world underneath London. The deeper the boys go the more intense the story sinister inhabitants with evil intentions and very willing to use drugs, torture, intense violence, and death to gain control of not only the deep, but desiring to initiate plans to over take the topside by annihilating the humans on the surface. being a major part of the plot. The authors have created not only a world but a unique culture that is interesting. There are times when the plot or certain characteristics seem a bit implausible, but its unique setting, action packed story, plot twists, and tangled relationships between its characters are good enough to keep the reader involved. | Four Stars |
The Yggyssey | Daniel Pinkwater | fiction fantasy | adventure ghosts witches space time hauting hotels motels Hollywood History | In the mid 1950 s in the wacked out Los Angels Hermione Hotel, Yggdrasil Birnbaum and her friends, Seamus and Neddie, follow Chase the rabbit down a rabbit hole to Old New Hackensack, which is in on another plane, to try to learn why ghosts are disappearing from the Birbaum s hotel and other Hollywodd, California, locations. Sequel to the Neddiad. | Four Stars |
Children of the Dawnland | Kathleen O Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear | fiction realistic historical | prehistoric people paleo-indians shamans climate change great lakes region North America | 13 000 years ago in the Great Lakes Region of North America 12 year old Twig, a spirit dreamer, and best friend, Greyhawk, team up with an unpopular shaman, Screech Owl, to warn the villagers of an arrival of a meteor that is going to have cataclysmic affects on the earth and long term devastation on the environment. Evidence does exist to suggest this type of event did indeed happen about this period of time. Based on that assumption the authors describes how such an event might have been foretold and how people cold have coped with the destruction and might have survived. A disaster story that I know of no movie for the same event. | Four Stars |
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident | Eoin Colfer | fiction fantasy | child prodigy adventure graphic novel | This creatively designed graphic novel tells the complete Artemis Fowl story of The Artic Incident in a way that was not possible in the mere novel. The author, Colfer collaborated with the illustrators, Rigano, and the fact file page creator Alexander Garkusha to combine text and illustrations in a format that includes detailed character information in illustrations, text, and in character files physically embedded in the graphic novel. The combination of these three elements create a style and tone for the story that may provide more detail and a richer experience than the original novel. It is a great feat, but not the first as Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel preceded it. Still a great experience. | Four Stars |
The Sorceress: The secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel book 3 | Michael Scott | fiction fantasy | Nicolas Flamel John Dee alchemist magic supernatural brothers sisters twins San Francisco Calif. Niccolo Machiavelli | Book 3 begins where two ended. Sophie, Josh, and Flamel in London and Perenelle at Alcatraz. The Dark Elders feel the end for Nicholas and Perenelle are eminently near and order Dr. John Dee to finish Flamel and bring the twins to him. And Nicolo Machiavelli to finish Perenelle and release the monsters that have been called to Alcatraz. Will it be that easy or are the Dark Elders underestimating the power that Josh, Sophie as well as the Flamels have. Before the end we the twins will meet William Shakespeare, travel to Stonehenge, to access a ley gate to San Francisco. The meet up with the insane Elder Gilgamesh to acquire the knowledge of the elemental power of Water Magic. The chase and escape plots are rather transparent and the inclusion of Billy the Kid is questionable. There are other times when the reader wonders why or what the heck and want the focus to be on the main characters and their plight. Of course if you are a fan of Sophie and Josh it is a must-read, but let s hope the action in the last three fits the needs of the characters and the plot development more closely. The coming books - The Necromancer book 4, The Warlock book 5, and The Enchantress book 6. |
Four Stars |
Tentacles | Roland Smith | fiction | Tentacles, sequel to Cryptid Hunters, is an adventure with plenty of suspense and can be read and enjoyed without reading the previous book. The author includes a list of characters in the beginning of the book which is nice, but not necessary. Typical good guy verses bad guy in the style of MacGyver, Bond, NASA race to be the first to discover, cryptids - animals thought to exist, but no direct evidence of that existence. Plot is a fast paced action thriller. With characters - Dr. Travis Wolfe matched against - evil Noah Blackwood in a race to catch a giant squid in the waters of New Zealand while hatching eggs found in the jungles of the Amazon. Eggs believed to belong to another mysterious cryptid, Mokele-mbembe, While also protecting Grace, main character, from her Noah Blackwood, her grandfather who wants to collect her too. The characters, Marty, Grace, Luther and Wolfe contrast with Noah to bring themes of right and wrong, moral decision making, and love of family into the story. Tentacles appeals to young adolescents and older who may not be avid readers, but are looking for a good adventure novel. | Four Stars | |
Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware - A Pals in Peril Tale | M. T. Anderson | Jasper Dash star of his school s Stare-Eyes Team is pitted against the state of Deleware Champs. Jasper's concentration is interrupted when he receives a telepathic cry for help. Jasper, convinced there is something unnatural about the opposing team. He and his fellow technonaut s, Katie and Lily, follow the Stare-Eyes team into the wilds of Delaware. A dangerous region with impenetrable jungles with lofty mountains jutting out and the occasional exotic city. It seems Delaware is now ruled by a crazed military dictator and the plea for help is coming from a monastery where they are being held hostages. The thugs use the monastery's arcane powers to create an indestructible army. How can our heroes fight with peaceful coexistence to free the monks and bring democracy back to Deleware? The off-the-wall style, with mock-heroic dialogue, breakneck chases, fights, gnat eyelash escapes, and evil villains. parody of sports, gangsters, and travel guides. The author frequently steps out of the plot to comments and make general suggestion for the reader. Beneath all the absurdity is themes of loyalty, violence, peace, and self-acceptance. |
Four Stars | ||
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw | Jeff Kinney | fiction cartoon graphic novel | whimpy tough middle school diaries diary families | Greg Heffley, middle school student and family member living with both his parents, younger sister Manny and older brother Rodrick. He engages his parents in one up man-ship as he writes and illustrates his life with his family and at school in his diary from January to June. Kids love this series of books. This is the fourth in the series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw | Four Stars |
The 39 Clues Book three The Sword Thief | Peter Lerangis | fiction science fantasy | games family adventure mystery | The 39 Clues Book one The Maze of Bones The 39 Clues Book two One False Note The 39 Clues Book three The Sword Thief The 39 Clues Book four Beyond the Grave The 39 Clues Book five The Black Circle |
Four Stars |
The 39 Clues Book five The Black Circle | Patric Carman | fiction science fantasy | games family adventure mystery | The 39 Clues Book one The Maze of Bones The 39 Clues Book two One False Note The 39 Clues Book three The Sword Thief The 39 Clues Book four Beyond the Grave The 39 Clues Book five The Black Circle |
Four Stars |