Seven Sorerers by Caro King

Seven Sorcerers by Caro King

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Nin normally hates Wednesdays, but the Wednesday her little brother disappears—along with all of his things—is the worst Wednesday by far.  When Nin realizes that their mother doesn’t remember that Toby ever existed, she knows something is very wrong. 



Nin soon learns that her brother didn’t just disappear; he was kidnapped by a Boogeyman and taken to The Drift, an alternate world where magic and strange creatures exist…along with Mr. Strood, the immortal man behind all of the kidnapping cases like Toby’s.  Determined to get Toby back (along with her mother’s memories of him), Nin sets off through The Drift with the help of Jonas, a boy who has been living in both the Drift and the regular world ever since he escaped from one on Mr. Strood’s Boogeymen.



This is an action-packed story filled with fantasy and adventure that both girls and boys will surely enjoy.  One of my favorite characters was Jik, a mudman Nin created—who can only say nonsense words rhyming with his own name.  Watch for a planned sequel to this book!





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The Naming by Alison Croggon

The Gift by Alison Croggon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Maerad has lived a lonely life of slavery ever since her family was killed.  This changes when a man quite literally appears out of nowhere in the barn she’s working in and offers to help her escape.  Unsure of who this mysterious man is, but unwilling to let the chance at freedom pass her by, she agrees to sneak off with him.



Maerad learns that Cadvan is the man’s name, and that he is a Bard—he has magical abilities.  Using his abilities, he sees that Maerad has some powers of her own; in fact, he soon believes that she is actually The One from prophesies who is meant to fight the Nameless (a dark power opposed to the Bards and the overall balance of the world).  Together, they head off across the land towards the special schools that teach those like them how to harness their power for the good of the world.



This was an enjoyable story, and readers will be sure to become attached to Maerad, who is very much a normal girl with totally unexpected powers.  This is the first book of the Pellinor series, which continues with The Riddle, The Crow, and The Singing.



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Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


11-year-old Polly lives on an unusual rhubarb farm where it rains every Monday at 1:00pm. Because Polly doesn’t have any friends (other kids think that she’s weird), her best friend is a chocolate rhubarb plant named Harry who communicates with her by moving its leaves.



The weekly rain is important to the farm because they live in a part of the country that is normally very dry. When the rain suddenly stops coming, everything begins to dry up and die. Polly’s aunt Edith isn’t upset by this because she wants to sell the farm and move away to a big city, but the rest of the family is devastated. Aunt Edith gives her a book of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance and encourages her to think about leaving the farm when she gets older, but how can she—especially after she learns about some of the family secrets hidden in the old tower of their house?



This is an imaginative story that readers will be sure to enjoy. Polly is a likable character who only wants to do what’s best for her beloved family and farm. Those who enjoyed this book might also enjoy Savvy and Scumble, both by Ingrid Law.





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Middleworld by Jon Voelkel

Middleworld by Pamela Voelkel

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Fourteen-year-old Max likes tv, video games, and playing the drums, so he can’t understand how his parents can care so much about Mayan history that they often leave him home with the housekeeper to travel all over the world doing archeological digs. Their newest dig is in Central America, in the [fictional] country of San Xavier.



A few days after they leave for the dig, the housekeeper tells him that he has an electronic plane ticket waiting for him that will take him to meet up with his parents, and that his uncle (who lives in San Xavier) will pick him up. A little confused with the circumstances, Max obligingly travels to San Xavier…but when he gets there, he finds that his parents have mysteriously disappeared. Not sure if his uncle is trustworthy, Max takes to the jungle where he meets a girl named Lola, a native Mayan girl who knows how to survive in the rough conditions. Together they try to solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance by making contact with the Ancient Maya.



This is book 1 of The Jaguar Stones Trilogy. The story is full of action, suspense, and Mayan gods and goddesses. Those who enjoyed this book might also enjoy Discordia: the Eleventh Dimension (Salmon) or the Peter and the Starcatcher series (Barry).





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Dragon Games by P.W. Catanese

Dragon Games by P.W. Catanese

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Hap’s mentor Umber loves taking him along on adventure after adventure with his crew to learn about the extraordinary and dangerous creatures that live in Kurahaven, Sarnica, and beyond, even though Hap pretty much dreads it all.

Before Umber took Hap in, Hap had mysteriously been transformed into a Meddler (a being that has special powers such as having visions, being able to see in the dark, and not needing to sleep), although he has no memory of this. Because he hasn’t yet learned how to harness his powers, the fact that he is a Meddler is of no help to the crew as they encounter not only jealous princes and kings, but also bidmis (small, gnome-like creatures), crabs that trap lost souls, and baby dragons. This is one adventure that none of them will ever forget!

Dragon Games is book two of the Books of Umber series. Readers don’t need to be familiar with the first book, titled Happenstance Found, to enjoy this one. The first book deals mostly with Hap’s life before he became a Meddler and his life immediately following Umber’s rescue of him. The series continues with End of Time.



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Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley

Invisible Order, Book One, The: Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley




12-year-old Emily has had to take care of her little brother Will ever since their parents mysteriously disappeared. Living in Victorian London, she’s able to earn a little money by selling watercress. This is what she is doing when she suddenly finds herself in a battle between two groups of faeries—up until then, Emily doesn’t even know that she has the Sight. She ends up rescuing a small piskie named Corrigan after the battle…but by doing this, she is drawn further into the faerie world.



Emily soon learns that the faerie world has been planning to take over the human world and is determined to stop them with the help of Will and her friend Jack.



I enjoyed this book, as it has a bit of everything: history, fantasy, adventure, and suspense. The Rise of the Darklings is the first book in the planned trilogy of The Invisible Order. Those who enjoyed this story might also enjoy The Faerie Wars Chronicles (Brennen).



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Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I thought that I should read this book, seeing as it's on the 2010 Rebecca Caudill list and students really seem to like it AND the sequel (_Scumble_) came out not that long ago...so I finally got around to it. And I was disappointed!



The writing (in my opinion) just isn't that good. For example (I listened to this story, so maybe I noticed this more because of hearing it) the author uses more similes and metaphors in the first few pages of the book than one should have in the entire book. I swore to myself that if I heard one more 'something something WAS LIKE something something', the cd was coming out of the player and I would be done with it. Luckily I suppose, the similes and metaphors became more spaced out so I was able to deal with them as they came.



I also found the story to be inconsistent. I often found myself wondering, 'well, if this is like this, then why did this happen then? Wouldn't this happen instead?'



Finally, I just didn't find the characters all that likable. They're fine, but I didn't really get attached to any of them. And, just to be petty, I hated the fact that all the kids in the family are named something weird: the main character is Mibbs, and her brothers are Fish, Rocket, and [something I forget] and her sister is Gypsy. Even the other kids in the story are named Bobby (a girl) and Will Jr. Ugh! All of this just made me dislike the book more.



I'm glad I know more about what the book is about now, but I will not be reading anything else by this author.



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The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Bartimaeus is a djinni—one of the most powerful spirits that exist. His home is The Other Place, but, being a spirit, he is able to be summoned by any magician and made to be his/her slave until he is dismissed and freed.



Bartimaeus suddenly finds himself summoned to 950 B.C.E. by a cruel man who commands him to complete tasks that are WAY below his intelligence (such as chasing off bandits outside Jerusalem) until he his freed…only to be immediately summoned by a young girl named Asmira. She commands him to attack King Solomon and steal his magical ring, as this ring will protect Asmira’s queen and homeland. Although this task is better than chasing bandits, Bartimaeus still doesn’t like it because it will surely end with the death of them both!



This book is a prequel to The Bartimaeus Trilogy. Readers don’t need to be familiar with the trilogy to enjoy the story, as it stands firmly on its own. Bartimaeus is a hilarious, cheeky character that is sure to bring smirks to readers’ faces. Those who enjoy this book (and series) might also enjoy Stroud’s other book Heroes of the Valley (2009).





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Enchanted Glass by Diane Wynn Jones

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


When Andrew’s grandfather passes away, Andrew receives his large, magical estate in the will. He decides to leave his university job to care for it full-time; he realizes that there are magical things he has forgotten over time and wants to properly care for the property with all its magical beasties.



Soon after Andrew moves in, 12-year-old Aiden shows up, explaining that his grandmother, before she died, instructed him to come to the estate after her death. Andrew lets him stay, and it’s a good thing he does—Aiden has magical abilities, and he helps Andrew to remember

his own magical past. He also helps Andrew figure out the mystery surrounding the enchanted glass in the back door of the house.



This is a fun story that has both realistic and fantastical elements. Aiden does regular things like clothes shopping—and then uses his magical wallet that always seems to produce the exact amount he needs when he needs it. There are also fun characters like Groil (a giant who eats only vegetables) and Rolph (a were-dog who can turn from boy to dog at will). Readers who enjoyed this book might also like the Erec Rex series (Kingsley).





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Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I picked this book up for a couple of reasons: 1)it's a book about dragons, and 2)I thought it might be good for the 7/8 list. I felt as though it is too old for middle school students--not because of the main story with the dragons, but because of the sub-story with her best friend always talking about sex and how the main character should sleep with her boyfriend.

Kay is a 17-year-old girl living in a world where dragons are a reality. There was a peace pact created many years before separating the dragons and the humans by providing each with their own areas of land that were not to be crossed by the other. This pact has been upheld, more or less, since its creation, until Kay (who lives right by the border) unintentionally crosses the border after she falls into the river after rock climbing.

She probably would have drowned were it not for a dragon later named Artegal; he sees her and rescues her from the fierce river. Although terrified at first, Kay learns that Artegal knows English and is as interested in humans as she is in dragons. They become friends (tentatively, as each of them is breaking the law each time they meet) and figure out from an ancient text that dragons and humans used to be friends hundreds of years ago. Kay wonders if she and Artegal can help let their societies know that it's possible for both sides to be friends.

This book was okay; it was a little slow-going in parts, and the whole 'you must be the last virgin at Silver Ridge High' got to be annoying--although, to be fair, virginity comes into play later. Although it's an okay story, I think it's more suited for older readers.



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Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde

Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book! I've read another book by Velde (_Now You See It..._) and enjoyed that one, so I thought I'd pick this one up when I saw that it was new. I'm glad I did!

Written in short stories, this is a quick read. What Velde does is take the fairytale of _Little Red Riding Hood_ and write it eight different ways. For example, we are told the story from the point of view of the girl, the grandma, and even the cloak itself!

I will definitely recommend this book to others, as it's so funny! The author's note in the beginning is also a must-read.



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The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I did not enjoy this book very much. I felt as though it wasn't very well written, although it's very popular with the kids; in fact, book four, _The Necromancer_, came out recently and kids are asking for it. Because of this, I decided to listen to, at the very least, book one...and now I know that this series isn't for me.

Before I discuss the plot, I also want to mention that my dislike of the book also has to do with the reader on the audio book; I had a huge problem with him. His 'voices' for each character are a bit annoying and his mispronunciation of words is simply unacceptable; "disoriented" is NOT pronounced "dis-or-ee-en-TATE-ted" ; "allied" is NOT pronounced "a-lied"...those were the ones that stuck out to me the most. I mean, come on!

Josh and Sophie are fifteen-year-old twins who get mixed up, completely by accident, with magical beings. It all starts when Josh, who works for a man named Nick Fleming, is in the store when a man comes in and attacks Nick; he forcibly takes a book from him, but Josh manages to save the last few pages. The fight between the men involve things Josh has never seen before--magical things. Josh and Nick are able to safely escape with Sophie (who saw the fight from across the street and joined them).

It turns out that Nick and his wife--who was kidnapped during the fight--are magical beings who are hundreds of years old. The book that the evil man took from Nick (whose real name is Nicholas Flamel) is a codex that is thousands of years old and holds all sorts of magical information. He tells the twins that they are in danger now that the evil man (whose name is Dr. John Dee) knows who they are; and now that he has most of the book, he will allow dark magic to rule the world.

Nicholas and his friend Scathach (who is also hundreds of years old) learn that Josh and Sophie could very well be the twins foretold in a prophecy. They all need to work together to fight the evil Dr. John Dee and his plan for a world controlled by dark magic.

This plot sounds pretty interesting, doesn't it? I mean, this is the type of book I reach for when reading children's literature; I enjoy these types of fantastical elements in a book. However, this book is just so poorly written that I couldn't get into it. I felt like it could have been shorter had it been edited some; because the omniscient narrator oscillates between Josh and Sophie depending on whether or not they are together in a particular scene, there is a repeating of facts that weren't even necessarily to understand the plot; for example, they each say a number of times that they have always had to stick together because their parents work a lot and they move a lot. Okay--after hearing one of them say it, let's move on!

Nonetheless, kids seem to like it; maybe the writing gets better in the later books; however, this reader isn't going to find out.



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The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson

The Floods #1 by Colin Thompson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Flood family isn’t what you’d call totally normal—Nerlin and Mordonna, the parents, are a wizard and a witch, respectively; Valla, the oldest of the seven children, works at a blood bank (and brings his work home with him!); Satanella was once a cute little girl, but after a terrible magic accident involving a shrimp and a faulty wand, she turned into small dog; Merlinmary is completely covered in hair, so nobody knows if it’s a boy or a girl; Winchflat is the family genius—except that he looks like he’s already dead; the twins Morbid and Silent only speak to each other telepathically; and Betty, the youngest, is the only “normal-looking” child in the family—but she still possesses magical powers. The Flood family thinks that everything in their lives is perfect—except for their next door neighbors, the Dents.

The Dents are as obnoxious as can be! Their lawn is littered with garbage and old cars, their dog Rambo attacks anyone who comes near the house, the television stays on at full volume all day and night, the family communicates with one another by yelling, and the children are bullies. It comes to a point where the Floods decide that they aren’t going to stand for this anymore and take measures to change the Dent family’s ways.

This story is hilarious! The Flood family brings to mind those in The Addams Family and The Munsters—spooky and weird, but in a funny way. The author’s tone is humorous throughout the entire book, which is sure to make readers snicker. Continue reading about the Flood family in the rest of The Floods series!



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Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Twelve-year-old Darren Shan (that’s not his real name—he had to change it to protect everyone he knows in order to tell his story) and his friends find out that there is a freak show visiting their town, and they really want to go, even though it’s illegal and cruel (according to adults). Darren and his friend Steve decide to go anyway when Steve gets his hands on some tickets.

Darren enjoys the show very much (he was only a little bit scared), but is concerned when Steve tells him to go on home without him; Steve plans on staying and talking to one of the freaks: Larten Crepsley, a creepy man who performs with a huge and dangerous spider. Instead of leaving, Darren hides and watches their exchange and learns that Mr. Crepsley is really a vampire and that Steve wants to join him and become his vampire apprentice; however, Mr. Crepsley denies this request and sends Steve on his way.

Weeks later, Darren is forced to seek out Mr. Crepsley’s help when Steve’s life is in danger. In exchange for his help, Mr. Crepsley wants Darren to be his assistant. What other choice does Darren have but to accept?

This is a story full of action and suspense—with vampires! Although this first book is mostly a set-up for the real vampire lifestyle that Darren will experience in the following books in The Saga of Darren Shan, readers are sure to be glued to the pages.




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Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Isabelle has always felt as though she doesn’t belong; she knows that other kids think that she’s strange. For this reason, she is not too upset when one day she opens a door in the nurse’s office and inexplicably falls into another world.

The world Isabelle falls into appears to have a witch; the children she meets are hiding in the woods to avoid being eaten by her. Isabelle thinks that the witch sounds interesting, so she heads in the opposite direction of the children to find her. On the way, Isabelle meets a girl named Hen who has gotten separated from her siblings. They soon come upon an elderly healer named Grete, who sees that they need help and invites them to stay with her. Isabelle is happy where she is and has no desire to return to her normal life—plus, how would she even get back?

I liked this story; Isabelle is a great narrator and a sympathetic character. I didn’t think she was “strange” or “weird”—rather, I think the other kids at her school were the uninteresting ones! For those who enjoyed this book, recommend Now You See It— (Vande Velde) or The Great Good Thing (Townley), as both of these have regular girls being thrust into new worlds unexpectedly.

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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.

The Giant-Slayer by Iain Lawrence

The Giant-Slayer by Iain Lawrence


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It’s 1955 and everyone fears polio, a horrible disease that affects nerves and can lead to full or partial paralysis; a vaccine against it doesn’t yet exist. Laurie’s close friend and neighbor Dickie is suddenly struck with polio and must be hospitalized because he needs a ventilator (iron lung) to help him breathe. Laurie’s father forbids her to visit him because he’s afraid that she, too, will catch polio, but she visits him anyway. There, she meets another boy named Chip and an older girl named Carolyn, both of whom are also in iron lungs.

To help pass the time for them, she starts telling a story and adds to it each time she visits. Eventually, the three of them begin to see parts of themselves in Laurie’s characters and become very attached to them. Through the story, Laurie provides her ailing friends with a little hope—something they haven’t felt for a long time.

This is a very good book—it is titled The Giant-Slayer because Jimmy, the main character in Laurie’s story, is destined to slay a giant even though he is so small. The chapters alternate between Laurie’s realistic experience and the story she tells to the other kids. Recommend this to those who enjoy a bit of fantasy in a realistic story, much like the book No Castles Here (Bauer).

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The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
When Sol and his younger sister Connie move into a new neighborhood, they soon face a couple of unnerving facts: they have a real-life witch as their neighbor, and their parents are trying to get rid of them (by “donating” them to the witch so she can eat them!).

Sol and Connie have every intension of avoiding the witch, but they are too late realizing that the children’s librarian is her ally!  While Connie waits for Sol to be finished on the computer, the librarian catches Connie so she can give her to the witch!  Sol must put his own fears aside so he can focus on finding and rescuing his sister.

A contemporary spin on the fairytale Hansel and Gretel, this is a very entertaining book! The regular chapters are interspersed with entries from the witch’s journal, so the reader gets a feel for the witch’s point of view.  Readers who enjoyed this book should consider reading Dahl’s The Witches, Buckley’s The Sisters Grimm series, or Mull’s Fablehaven series.

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Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Odd is a boy who lives in an old Viking village quite contentedly until his father passes away and his mother remarries.  After times passes with his mother’s new husband and all of his awful children, Odd decides to leave his village for a hut in the wilderness that used to belong to his father.

While out for a stroll one morning, he first meets a fox outside the door who appears to want to tag along with him.  He next encounters across a bear with its paw stuck in a tree; he helps the bear, and the bear returns the favor by letting Odd ride on his back on the return trip to the hut.  On the way back, Odd sees an eagle following them.  When they all arrive at the hut, Odd invites them in for something to eat, then lets them stay for a rest.  Hours later, Odd wakes to hear the three animals talking to one another.  After much probing, he learns that they aren’t really animals; they are in fact the gods Loki, Thor, and Odin—they were tricked by a Frost Giant and then changed into animals.  Odd is determined to help these strange creatures return to their true forms and to put a stop to the endless winter the world has been suffering at the hands of these Frost Giants.

This is an interesting story full of magic.  Odd is a likable character—he is kind, gentle, and not at all how one would picture a Viking, but these traits are what help him face the evil Frost Giants.  Recommend  this to fans of mythology and fantasy.

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How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Hiccup and his fellow warriors-in-training must capture a sleeping baby dragon as part of the process of becoming true vikings.  After successfully capturing one, the boys have a limited amount of time to train it to obey their commands.  Hiccup does manage to catch a dragon—although he finds that the one he has is the smallest of all the dragons caught!  To make things worse, his dragon is completely toothless!—which leads Hiccup to name him Toothless.

Toothless won’t follow any of the commands Hiccup gives him.  Hiccup even seeks out a book written specifically for dragon training, but the only advice it provides is: “Yell at it.”  When a huge water dragon emerges from the bottom of the sea, Hiccup and the boys must get their dragons to obey them so that they can rid themselves of the huge, evil dragon once and for all.

This is a funny book that boys especially will enjoy; the characters’ and dragons’ funny names will make readers laugh, along with the woefully un-vikinglike Hiccup.  This is the first book in the Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking.

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