Christina Daley’s second book in her Seranfyll series is well worth reading. I think I liked book one just a touch better, with its unexpected magic and the delightfully eccentric character of Domrey (read my review of Seranfyll), but this is a solid second installment. Domrey and his adoptive sisters and brother, Rain, Snow and […]
The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley, 1941, Book Review
I relived some of the best moments from my childhood over the last two weeks as I shared the all-time greatest book ever with my boys. As a young girl, I spent a good deal of time dreaming of horses. And much of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of Mr. […]
Torn (The Missing, Book 4), by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2011, Book Review
Ms. Haddix has created another intriguing, vastly imaginative and clean adventure for middle readers. Jonah and Katherine have been sent to 1611 to fix the Ripple released by Second, a maverick time traveler from the future, in 1605. Their journey lands them on the deck of the Discovery, captained by Henry Hudson the great (or […]
The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles, book one), by Rick Riordan, 2010, Book Review
Rick Riordan is a master of modern tween story-telling. He keeps the action fast-pitch, his characters feel distinct and real, and he writes kid-funny. No wonder his name is repeatedly at the top of the best-sellers list. The Red Pyramid is a 516 page battle of good vs. evil. Sadie and Carter are two siblings that […]
The Celery Stalks at Midnight, by James Howe, 1983, Book Review
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of artichokes? This title and catch phrase just cracked me up. This is the third in the Bunnicula series. It took only four days to read aloud, and my boys enjoyed it, but it isn’t quite the caliber of Howliday Inn, which isn’t quite the caliber of […]
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall, 2004, Book Review
The Penderwick family is one of those families you want to be a part of. Twelve-year-old Rosalind, with her common sense and maturity, has done a fine job mothering her sisters since their mother’s death. Sky, one year younger, athletic, tomboyish and hot-tempered, keeps things stirred up. Jane, age 10, has enough imagination for the […]
My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George, 1959, Book Review
“I left New York in May. I had a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, and $40, which I had saved from selling magazine subscriptions. I also had some flint and steel which I had bought at a Chinese store in the city.” And with that, Sam Gribley left his city apartment filled with […]
The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, book one), by Rick Riordan, 2008, Book Review
I enjoyed this story. I can’t say I loved it, and part of that reason may be because I listened to it on CD with my boys over a two-week period instead of reading it alone in a couple of days. But it also left me feeling a little gypped. Titles from today’s commercial fiction […]
Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble, by D. Robert Pease, 2011, Book Review
One thousand plus years into the future of our solar system, Earth has been destroyed. People now live on Mars and Venus, fly around in the coolest space ships, and utilize amazing technology (like holopads, personal flying thermsuits, chef-bots that speak with French accents, and neuro implants). They’ve even perfected time travel. But, unfortunately, all […]
The Black Cauldron (Chronicles of Prydain, 2) by Lloyd Alexander, 1965
The wonderful group of companions that overcame danger and evil in book one of the Chronicles of Prydain return for a second bold adventure in The Black Cauldron. This time, Taran is called away by Prince Gwydion on a quest to seize the cauldron that belongs to the evil Lord Arawn. Within this vessel the […]