The Witches is a classic Roald Dahl novel with an over the top plot that will probably make most parents cringe. It felt at first like a story that the grandma was telling that just got out of control—except it all turns out to be true! Witches are out to kill or otherwise get rid […]
Dinocalypse Now
April 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
Dinocalypse Now isn’t written specifically for younger readers, but with dinosaur attacks, talking apes, Neanderthals, dirigibles, and jet packs, a lot of kids will find it intriguing. It’s set in the world of Spirit of the Century—if you’re not familiar, it’s a bit like the world of Indiana Jones and The Mummy but with even […]
The Fire Within
April 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Fire Within is a story of squirrels and dragons. David, a college student, rents a room in the house of Liz Pennykettle and her 11 year old daughter Lucy. Although he enjoys living there, he begins to notice that things are “weird.” Liz sculpts clay dragons that seem to have a life of their […]
Best Friend Thief
April 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Best Friend Thief opens with Nathalie and her best friend Reagan making plans for the beginning of 5th grade. They have great plans for the International Costume Contest that the school holds every year—a plan that is sure to win! But when school starts, Blair Bennett, one of the popular girls, latches on to Reagan. […]
Warriors: Into the Wild
April 5, 2012 by 4 Comments
Warriors: Into the Wild is the first in Erin Hunter’s extensive and expanding series. My nine year old son loves these books about clans of feral cats—he read the first six in quick succession, although he got bogged down in the super edition, Firestar’s Quest. Many of his friends have read and loved these books, […]
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
April 4, 2012 by 1 Comment
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is about a girl named September who is unhappy with the way things are going in her life. Her father is off fighting in the war and her mother spends too much time working at the factory. She […]
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
April 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Overall, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos was fine. It has a spunky, super smart, and mystically aware 11 year old heroine and the vocabulary isn’t dumbed down, which is something I always appreciate. Theodosia lives in Edwardian London and spends much of her time in the museum her parents run. She has a younger […]
Fever 1793
April 2, 2012 by 3 Comments
Fever 1793 opens with 14 year old Mattie waking up, wanting desperately to roll back over and go to sleep instead of getting up to help in the coffee shop her mother owns. It’s easy for a modern reader to identify with her. She has a crush on a boy her mother doesn’t quite approve […]
Catching Fire
March 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games. It continues pretty much where the last book left off, and having survived the Hunger Games hasn’t actually solved any of Katniss’ problems. She needs to set off on the victory tour—the publicity stunt the government uses to keep the Hunger Games fresh in everyone’s mind. […]
Aurelia
March 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Aurelia feels like a logical stepping stone between the princess stories of Gail Carson Levine and adult novels of romance and intrigue. In many ways, Aurelia is a typical princess from stories like this—she chafes against authority, she thinks she’s less beautiful than her golden younger sister, the common people love her, and she’s smarter […]
