November 5th 2009
Review by Michael
Who would like this book?
Why? The Graveyard Book is about a boy whose family is killed by a man named Jack. The baby got away because he crawled out of his crib and out the front door. The baby (unkown name) crawls to a graveyard and is taken in by the ghosts. The ghosts name the boy Nobody Owens, Bod for short, and he is given freedom of the graveyard. A man named Silas is appointed to be his guardian. Silas is very mysterious and he is not dead and not alive. Bod’s biggest problem is Jack, but for a long time while he is growing up Bod does not even know he has an enemy. Bod enjoys growing up in the graveyard and being able to walk through walls, fade, and dreamwalk. Read this book and you will be amazed at how good it is.
The details: 301 p. 2008 Submitted by Michael
October 15th 2009
Review by Dylan C.
Who would like this book? Anyone who likes adventure and suspense.
Why? I think people who like adventure should read this book because it has a ton of adventure. When Liz is in Elsewhere, she is always doing crazy and strange things. This book is exciting and only sometimes predictable. This book is funny, sad, and exciting!
The details: 272 p. 2005 Submitted by Dylan C.
October 15th 2009
Review by Michael F.
Who would like this book? People who like books with fast paced battle scenes, mythology, and great detail will love The Sea of Monsters.
Why? The Sea of Monsters ( a sequel to The Lighting Thief) is another fast paced adventure where Percy Jackson goes to the Sea of Monsters (Bermuda Triangle) to get the golden fleece to save Thalia’s tree and save Grover from a cyclops who thinks Grover is a female cyclops.
The details: 279 p. 2006 Submitted by Michael F.
October 13th 2009
Review by Mr. Cantwell
Summary: When Blue Baker’s father dies, the school counselor tries to help by having Blue write down his feelings and emotions. It doesn’t work. Instead, Blue starts writing a story about a wild boy living in the woods. When the boy who’s been bullying Blue ends up in the story, things get ugly. The savage seems to be coming to life, and Blue starts to wonder where he ends and the savage begins.
Opinion: At only 80 pages, and with a lot of those pages filled with cool illustrations, this book is a fast read. While the story about Blue is pretty good, it’s the story Blue is writing that really gets your attention. These are the pages that are illustrated, and they read like a graphic novel. The savage is quite savage, so some of the content might be a little too intense for some young readers. Perhaps the best part of the book (besides the cool illustrations) is watching how these two completely opposite characters – Blue and the savage – each come to realize that they have more in common with the other than either would have imagined. It makes you wonder if such opposites don’t exist within all of us.
The details: 79 p. 2008 Submitted by Mr. Cantwell
October 5th 2009
Submitted by Michael R.
Who would like this book? People of all ages would like this book because it is very sad but also happy at times.
Why? Lucien, a boy with cancer, figures out that he can go to a different world by going to sleep with the book that his dad gave him as a gift. The people in the other world call what he does Stravagating. In the other world he meets Arianna, a girl born on Bollona who is on Belleza the day after the Marriage with the Sea even though only citizens of Bellezza can be in the city that day. Arianna becomes his friend, and after Lucien becomes an apprentice of the senator they have afternoons together to explore Bellezza. It’s a great book and very surprising and eventful.
The details: 344 p. 2002 Submitted by Michael R.
September 27th 2009
Review by Chris
Who would like this book? This book is another of the notorious Harry Potter books. So, I recomend this book to all the Harry Potter fans out there,both boys and girls.
Why? Well, this book isn’t exactly the same “Hogwarts is in trouble and Harry saves the day.” No, this book is the classic wizarding world bedtime stories, all in one, with a review by Albus Dumbledore. Some of the stories include greedy warlocks, a quest that ends up not being needed, three brothers, and a clever witch. These stories show you life lessons as well! So I suggest you read this amazing book by the genius author J.K. Rowling.
The details: 111 p. 2008 Submitted by Chris C.
August 13th 2009
Who would like this book? Anyone ages 12 and up who like romance, fantasy, and magic. If you like other books by Shannon Hale (Princess Academy, The Goose Girl) or the books of Gail Carson Levine, definitely read this book.
Why? In Book of a Thousand Days, Shannon Hale expands the bare bones of a little-known Grimm’s fairy tale, “Maid Maleen,” into a captivating story that’s impossible to put down. Fifteen-year-old orphan Dashti, a “mucker,” narrates the story in simple, beautiful language. Poor and with no place in the nomadic mucker tribes, Dashti must seek work in the city after her beloved mother dies. Fortunately, her mother has taught her the healing songs and she has the healing touch. This ability opens the way for her to be trained as a lady’s maid in the city of Titor’s Garden, a training that includes learning to read and write. Unfortunately, she is assigned to sixteen-year-old Lady Saren, who has just been sentenced to seven years in a sealed tower for her refusal to wed her father’s choice, the brutal Lord Khaser. Instead, she loves Khan Tegu, ruler of a less powerful land and therefore disdained by her father. Dashti, in unquestioned loyalty to Lady Saren, goes with her to the tower and chronicles their experiences in daily diary entries. Their struggle to live, the romance with Khan Tegu, the threat of Lord Khaser, their escape, and the climactic events at Khan Tegu’s palace weave together into a powerful medieval romance filled with the enchantment and magic of the Asian steppes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though I did think that the change in Lady Saren’s character at the end of the book was not quite believable. Read it and see what you think. It’s a YRCA Nominee for 2010 in the Intermediate Division.
The details: 305 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
July 24th 2009
Who would like this book? Any reader (grade 6 and up) who wants a well-crafted fantasy concerning dragons, an island kingdom, and a princess with a curse and a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin to fulfill.
Why? Princess Rosalind Pendragon comes of age in this stunning story by Janet Carey. In prose that made me stop to read and reread some sentences for their beauty, Carey spins a breathtaking tale that also had me turning pages late into the night. Right away, we find out that Rosalind has a cruel secret shared only by her mother, the Queen: Rosalind’s wedding finger is not a finger at all but a blue-green dragon claw with a sharp, black talon. To hide the talon, both she and her mother wear golden gloves. Multiple questions, all centered on her talon, drive the plot and bring in a cast of characters (including the dragons) that are each full and captivating in their own ways. Carey effectively uses Rosie’s voice to narrate the story and even weaves in a thread in which Rosie writes her story on dragon skin. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons, princesses, or fantasy, and I’m elated that it is a Battle of the Book selection for 2009-2010.
The details: 302 p. 2007 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010
July 15th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers who like fantasy and mythology will not want to miss this series, especially if they like fantasies such as the Percy Jackson and Fablehaven series that combine fantasy settings with the real, contemporary world.
Why? Sophie and Josh Newman, 15-year-old twins, are settling into summer jobs in San Francisco, she at a coffee shop and he at a bookstore across the street. Josh likes his employers, Nick and Perry Fleming, but finds that all is not as normal as it seems when mysterious creatures (Golums, as it turns out) crash into the store to take Perry hostage and steal the ancient Book of Abraham the Mage or the Codex. In the fight, Josh manages to rip out two pages from the Codex. The twins quickly learn that Nick and Perry are actually Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, each over seven hundred years old. Nicholas, the greatest alchemist of his day, learned the secret of turning metal into gold as well as the spell for immortality from this most important of books. The Flamels’ longtime rival, Dr. John Dee, has now caught up with them and will stop at nothing to get the entire book. Dee’s mission drives the plot of The Alchemyst, for he must recover the two missing pages and destroy the twins. Flamel is equally motivated to stop Dee, for if Dee is successful the human race will be destroyed. This plot is not just one more fantasy in a growing list; it is a plot that combines thorough research into world mythology, captivating characters, vivid descriptions, and a style that effectively melds the modern and archaic worlds. Be ready to reach for the next book in the series, The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, because The Alchemyst, ends on a cliffhanger. It is a Young Readers’ Choice Nominee for 2010 as well as a 2009-2010 Battle of the Books selection.
More information is at the website:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/alchemyst/
The details: 375 p. 2007 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection and YRCA 2010 nominee
June 29th 2009
Who would like this book? Anyone (5th grade and up) who wants a riveting fantasy-adventure that brings Tolkien and Arthurian legends to mind.
Why? At fifteen, Will has joined the other wards of Castle Redmont to learn what his vocation in life will be. His dream of going to Battleschool is dashed when the Baron points out that he is too small; Will is devastated about Battleschool but curious about the secret message that the mysterious Ranger hands to the Baron. His determination to find out what the message says determines that he will be the Ranger’s apprentice. In this role, the story takes off as Will attempts to prove himself to the dour, demanding Halt. The details of this process provide a fitting backdrop for the evolving relationship between Will and Halt, the central focus of the story. The minor characters, especially the kinght Sir Rodney and his apprentice Horace, are also satisfying. Though some readers might think that the plot twists at the end strain credibility, I was completely taken by them and happily moved to tears. From the first pages, the story picked me up and carried me away with it, and I was rooting for Will all the way. I’ll be reaching for The Burning Bridge, the second book in the series. (Book 6, The Siege of Macindaw will be released August 4, 2009.) Ruins of Gorlan is a 2009-2010 Battle of the Book selection.
The details: 249 p. 2005 Submitted by Samrarian
Battle of the Books selection for 2010