Shark Wars by E.J. Altbacker

Shark Wars by E. J. Altbacker

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


In ancient times, Gray is a young shark who is part of Coral Shiver (a clan).  Because Gray is such a huge shark for his age, he often sneaks off to find more food when he's not supposed to, putting his shiver in danger--and this eventually leads him to be exiled.  Luckily, his best friend Barkley (who's a dogfish) sticks with him, and together they try to find a new shiver to join.



The two of them soon find a small group of sharks and they decide to form their own new shiver--calling themselves Rogue Shiver.  Later, they inadvertently get involved in a conflict between two other evil shivers...and the Rogue Shiver get confused, not knowing who they can really trust anymore.



This story has a lot of action, which readers will be sure to enjoy.  A lot of issues weren't tied up at the end, but it's the first book in a series.  Readers who enjoyed this animal book might also enjoy Ragtag by Karl Wolf-Morgenländer.



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Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Fredle lives between the walls of the Davis’ kitchen until he is cast out and left to fend for himself. Luckily, when Mister and Missus find him on the kitchen floor, she places him outdoors rather than using a mousetrap. Never having been outside the house in his life, Fredle is both terrified and fascinated.



Fredle has never seen such things as the sky, dirt, or other types of animals (besides cats and dogs). In fact, he has never even heard many of these words until a mischievous field mouse teaches him. Fredle builds a nest under the porch, near where Missus set him down. He learns about the compost pile (he gets delicious food from there!), he meets raccoons (who, luckily, don’t eat him), and much more! When he finally returns home after traveling through the cellar—and meeting the cellar mice—he’s quite a changed mouse, and he can’t wait to tell everyone about his adventures in the place they call “outside.”



The companion book to Angus and Sadie (Voigt), this is a good book full of adventure. Readers will enjoy trying to figure out what Fredle sees for the first time using his descriptions (of a peppermint patty, flowers, grass, etc.). Those who enjoyed this book might also enjoy The Tale of Despereaux (DiCamillo) and The Borrowers books (Norton).





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My (not-so-successful) 48-hour Reading Challenge Results

I tried to do as much reading and listening to books as possible for the challenge, but I didn't measure up very well next to others competing in this challenge. I broke down my reading time into what I read and when, but it's not very impressive. I suppose that it's okay for someone who had places to be for many of the 48 hours!

--Friday morning: 7:30-8:30--Read the [adult] book _House Rules_ by Jodi Picoult
--Friday morning during errands: 9:30-10:00--continued listening to _The Giant-Slayer_ by Iain Lawrence
--Friday afternoon during errands: 10:30-11:00; 12:00-1:00--continued listening to _The Giant-Slayer_ by Iain Lawrence
--1:15-3:15--continued listening to _The Giant-Slayer_ by Iain Lawrence
--Then, after all of my errands, I was cranky and didn't feel like doing anything but taking a nap! That's not very good for reading...so I lost a lot of time that way. After I woke up, I only read for another hour or so: 6:00-7:00--continued reading _House Rules_ by Jodi Picoult


Friday's total=6 hours


--Then, on Saturday, I had to work all day! On my long commute to work: 8:00-9:00--I finally finished _The Giant-Slayer_ by Iain Lawrence and then started right in on _Falling In_ by Frances O'Roark Dowell. (If I was already listening to an audio book and then I started another one, does that bypass the rule that I can only listen to one? I hope it does.)
--I tried to read while on the service desk, but that is much easier said than done; I kept getting interrupted or distracted by things going on in the department. I began _Redwall_ by Brian Jacques around 10:30 and only managed to read the first 10 chapters by 4:30. When I add all of the starting and stopping that took place throughout the day, I'd say that I only read maybe an hour and a half, total. Reading FAILURE!
--Breaktime at work: 12:15-1:00--I read a WWE magazine.
--On an errand and then to my parents' house: 5:15-6:30--I continued listening to _Falling In_ by Frances O'Roark Dowell.
--On the way home from my parents' house: 12:30-1:15--I continued listening to _Falling In_ by Frances O'Roark Dowell.

Saturday's total=5.25 hours

48-hour reading challenge total= 11.25 hours

Well...it's something to beat next year! Maybe I won't have errands for most of the day one day and have to work most of the day for the second day. Sigh.

Ragtag by Karl Wolf-Morgenlander

Ragtag by Karl Wolf-Morgenländer


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Ragtag is a young swallow who belongs to the Feathered Alliance, a group of various birds dedicated to living in peace in the city of Boston.  When a large group of strong, evil birds—members of the Talon Empire—are forced to leave their homes due to human destruction of their land, they decide to take over Boston.  If the Feathered Alliance does not surrender to the Talon Empire, they are told, they will be killed…but surrender is not an option for the Feathered Alliance!  They bravely decide to face the Talon Empire to fight for their freedom.

Because the Feathered Alliance is made up of swallows, pigeons, mockingbirds, and other small birds, they know that it’s not going to be easy to defeat the Talon Empire, which is made up of hawks, falcons, ospreys, and more.  When the Feathered Alliance’s leader is killed, Ragtag can hardly believe that other members look to him to take over—especially when he was once viewed as an outcast.  Will he be able to lead the alliance to victory?

This is a story full of suspense that is told entirely from Ragtag’s perspective.  Readers are right along with him as he flies through the air (and through the Boston Public Library) and fights other birds.  Suggest this book to anyone who enjoys animals and a good battle.

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Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle

Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Shredder, a grizzled old cat, discovers three abandoned kittens on the highway he lives near.  Miraculously, the kittens survive crossing the busy lanes.  At first, Shredder and the other feral cats don’t much care for these seemingly helpless kittens, but they soon warm to their innocence in the face of life in the wild.

Meanwhile, the mayor of the town has plans to build ramps leading to and from the highway—ramps that would run right through the woods in which the cats live.  Because the arrival of the kittens has changed the attitudes of so many of the previously cold-hearted cats, they band together to frighten the workers who would destroy their home.

This is a good story with drawings at the beginning of each chapter.  It was interesting to read about how all of the cats’ different personalities work together to care for the kittens and to save their homes from being destroyed.  Recommend this to readers who enjoyed The Incredible Journey or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

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