Legend
The Scorpio Races by Meg Steifvater
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Apr.22, 2012, under Adventure, Animal, Legend, Romance, Sam's Reviews, Thriller
Who would like this book? Readers, 7th grade and up, looking for an amazing story combining action/adventure with Celtic myth, strong characters, and a thrilling plot.
Why? On Thisby, a windswept island somewhere close to Britain, modern life seems far away. The hardy residents have endured for centuries the “capaill uisce,” ferocious flesh-eating water horses which arise out of the sea every autumn. Each November, Thisby becomes a destination for adventure-seeking tourists by hosting “The Scorpio Races,” in which men ride these horses in a life-threatening race down the beach. As the story opens, Kate “Puck” Connolly has decided to race. She and her two brothers have been orphaned by the horses and, as one of the narrators of the story, she shows the wild beauty of Thisby and the courage needed to survive there. Her decision to race on her beloved Dove, not a water horse, draws much anger toward her. It also draws the attention of the other narrator of the story, Sean Kendrick, a stable boy who has a special connection to the water horses and has won the race four years in a row. This book starts out as a page-turner and never lets up. Some of the descriptions are bloody, but the unsettling events are crucial to the story. Anyone who likes thrilling suspense and vividly strong characters, don’t miss this book!
The details: 409 pp. 2011 Review by Samrarian
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.28, 2011, under Fantasy, Legend, Real life, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who love history, fantasy, and people who are interested in stuff like teen pregnancies.
Why? Lucy Scarburough’s mother is insane, so she lives with her adopted parents who were her mother’s friends. Lucy discovers a family curse, a curse in which each Scarburough girl is impregnated as soon as she turns sixteen. After they give birth, they go mentally insane for the rest of their lives. Lucy is determined to break the curse before she gives birth, for her baby’s sake and her own. She is given three impossible tasks to perform in order to break the curse. Can she do it in time?
The details: 376 pp. 2008 Review by Mary Martha
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.27, 2011, under Legend, Real life, Student Reviews, Supernatural
Who would like this book? Anyone who enjoys a book with a spell binding twist and story. People who like a mystery, pick this book up!
Why? Lucy is a young girl with an insane mother and a curse on her name. All the women in her family have became pregnant at 18 and went insane after birthing their child. Lucy is on a race against time and an Elfin Knight. She must complete 3 impossible tasks hidden in an old song. Will she complete the tasks and escape certain insanity, or will she become doomed in her own head? Are you going to Scarborough fair?
The details: 376 p. 2008 Review by Abigail
Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow by James Rollins
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.04, 2011, under Adventure, Fantasy, Legend, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Fans of Indiana Jones-type action-adventure, both guys and girls, would like this book. Grades five and up.
Why? Jake, a studious 8th grader, and his popular older sister Kady, have been missing their parents for three years. Their parents, archaeologists studying ancient Maya civilization, disappeared without a trace, but left Jake and Kady with two halves of an ancient Mayan gold coin. When Jake and Kady are invited to a special exhibit at the British Museum, Jake finds a hole in the side of a solid gold pyramid. His urge to uncover clues about his parents motivates him to place the coin into the hole which causes an explosion that transports Jake and Kady into another world. They find themselves in a mythical land called Calypsos that is inhabited by dinosaurs and people from a variety of ancient civilizations. It doesn’t take long for the two to become embroiled in the plight of the people against an evil alchemist called the Skull King. The plot drags when they first get to Calypsos and the mystery of their parents is never resolved, but Jake’s ingenuity and his friendships with his new friends Pindor and Marika move the events along and make the book worthwhile. There’s plenty of riveting action and also insight into ancient Mayan culture.
397 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
A 2012 YRCA nominee
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.17, 2011, under Adventure, Grief, Legend, Real life, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Mature readers, grades 8 through adult, interested in a challenging family saga set in the Florida Everglades.
Why? Ava Bigtree, 12, learned to wrestle alligators from her larger-than-life mother, the star of their family’s tourist attraction on one of the Ten Thousand Islands in the Everglades. When her mother dies from cancer, the family cannot function and Swamplandia! begins to go under. Ava’s father, Chief Bigtree, leaves for “fundraising” on the mainland. Her older brother Kiwi, frustrated by his father’s failure, also leaves, taking a job at the World of Darkness, Swamplandia!’s competition on the mainland. Left with her older sister Osceola on their island, Ava tries to come to grips with the Bigtree family’s new reality. Her main problem, though, is Osceola’s infatuation with a ghost. The mystic merges with reality for Osceola, and when she elopes into the swamp with her ghost lover, Ava feels compelled to rescue her. The mission is a descent into the Underworld with her “guide” (or devil?) Bird Man. The book follows the stories of each of the characters, but the main focus is Ava’s horrific journey in the swamp. Layered with significance and brilliant in its prose, this book is for the reader who seeks to be a writer. Written for adults (one minor character uses profanity regularly), Swamplandia! is a coming-of-age story that offers a full meal to mature middle school readers: exquisite setting, complex plot, vivid characterization, and luscious style.
The details: 315 p. 2011 Review by Samrarian
The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.12, 2011, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2010-2011, Fantasy, Grief, Legend, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Readers, grades 5 – 8, who love African animals and books that merge fantasy and reality.
Why? Martine Allen is living happily with her parents in England until the night of her eleventh birthday, when a fire tragically kills her parents. Her only relative is one she has never met – her aloof, cold grandmother, Gwyn Thomas, who runs a wildlife preserve in Africa. Gwyn holds all sorts of family secrets but refuses to explain anything to Martine. Frustrated, Martine looks for answers – and friendship – in unusual places. Stories about a legendary white giraffe captivate her, and after she believes that she saw the giraffe while looking out her window, she feels drawn to venture into the preserve at night against Gwyn’s strict orders. Magic merges with reality as Martine meets and bonds with the beautiful white giraffe whom she names Jemmy. Her mystical friendship with Jemmy pits her against the political world of poachers and allows her to discover great gifts within herself. Martine’s journey forces Gwyn to confront truths that she has feared for a long time, bringing the story to a rich and surprising climax. Though the combination of reality and fantasy is not seamless, it works well enough to make Martine an appealing and empathetic character.
This book is a 2011-2012 Battle of the books selection.
The details: 208 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Dec.29, 2010, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2010-2011, Legend, Real life, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who like to read adventurous books filled with lots of excitement.
Why? I really liked this book, and thought it had a great storyline. I especially liked how Benard Samson and Alfred ended up connecting at some point in the story. This book is about a young boy named Alfred who has been set to save an ancient sword that is being protected by Monks. After his uncle gets him into a wrong situation, Alfred takes on a journey with a monk name Benacio. Read to find out if Alfred will suceed in his adventurous journey!
The details 339 p. 2005 : Review by Madisyn
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.28, 2010, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2010-2011, Legend, Real life, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone that likes daring, adventure books.
Why? The “dumb” teenager Alfred Kropp lives with his Uncle Farrell when they are given a chance to get 1 million dollars to retrieve something that has been “stolen.” Alfred thinks that this offer is fishy and doesn’t want to do it, but his uncle threatens to send him to a foster home if he doesn’t agree. They soon find out that the person that is “giving” them the money in exchange for the “stolen” sword is a fake. The uncle meets a tragic end, and the teenage boy is left alone on a journey to retrieve the sword and save the world.
The details: 339 p. 2005 Review by Sydney R.
Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull by Rick Yancey
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.15, 2010, under Adventure, Legend, Student Reviews
Who would lie this book? Anyone who likes action/adventure books.
Why? Alfred Kropp just wants a normal life, but that’s a little hard to do when you’re being chased by two groups of people and your ancester was part of King Arthur’s table and the sword Excaliber is real. Alfred’s nemesis Jourdain Garmot is after the 13th skull and when united with 12 other skulls will destroy the world. Will Alfred save the world or will Alfred die trying?
The details: 297 p. 2008 Review by Alex B.
The Seven Songs of Merlin by T. A. Barron
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.03, 2010, under Fantasy, Legend, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? Anybody who is in for reading about humility and what we do to rectify something we caused. And meeting lost siblings. And also about loss, and trying to get back what we lost. Anybody who likes these things will like this book, because this book is all about a boy’s journey to fix something he did wrong, and the lessons he learns along the way.
Why? Merlin has brought his mother to Fincayra (which you aren’t supposed to do) and she is cursed with death. Merlin goes on a journey to save her, and correct his mistake. He meets some interesting people along the way like Bumbelwy, learns some lessons, and ultimately becomes a better person. You will have to read the book to find out more.
The details: 306 p. 1997 Review by Amanda M.
