“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 Medusa Plot (The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, book one), by Gordon Korman, 2011, Book Review
Frankly, I was pretty disappointed in this book; however, I have not read the original 39 Clues series (I’ve since read the first). I thought this was it, but after a few pages it became obvious I had missed something. There were lots of references to prior adventures and a search for the ingredients of […]
Socks, by Beverly Cleary, 1973, Book Review
Socks is written in true Beverly Cleary style. The cat for whom the book is named was the Bricker’s only pet, pampered, loved and a little spoiled. But his mistress’ comfortable lap began to shrink, and then one day Mr. and Mrs. Bricker brought home a new pet. One that wailed and smelled funny and stole […]
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 […]
Howliday Inn, by James Howe, 1982, Book Review
This week I figured I’d build on last Monday’s post about Bunnicula and review Howliday Inn, the next book in James Howe’s hilarious series. Unfortunately, his wife Deborah did not live to co-author this one. But the book maintains Bunnicula’s quirky style. I actually received this book in fourth grade as a new release, and […]
Bunnicula, by Deborah and James Howe, 1979, Book Review
I first met Chester and Harold as a kid and fell in love with them. If you haven’t encountered these two yet, let me introduce you. Chester is a highly educated cat with a vivid imagination. One of his delights is to listen to his owner, a college English professor, practice class lectures. He’s widely […]
Keeper of the Grail (The Youngest Templar series), by Michael P. Spradlin, 2008, Book Review
In Keeper of the Grail, Michigan native (yay!) Michael P. Spradlin offers the first installment of what promises to be a fabulous trilogy. I love epic stories, and the Middle Ages is one of my favorite periods of history. Throw in a little mystery, a hint of Robin Hood, a knight and a Crusade and […]
Sabotaged (The Missing, book 3), by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2010
Engaging, suspenseful, and squeaky, Ms. Haddix has done it again in her third installment of her Missing series. In Sabotaged, Jonah and Kathryn are sent back to the lost colony of Roanoke with, you guessed it, Virginia Dare. Only this time things don’t go according to JB’s plans. The veteran time traveler sends them […]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by JK Rowling, 2003, Book Review
At 870 pages, this is a very long book. It takes a dedicated child reader to finish, but Rowling seems to draw those in abundance. Needless to say, the book covers a lot of ground. Within, the home of Sirius Black has become headquarters for those who believe Voldemort is back and are working to […]
The Book of Three (Chronicles of Prydain, 1) by Lloyd Alexander, 1964
Though I have heard of the Chronicles of Prydain, and over the years have even gleaned some knowledge of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and Hen Wen, his oracular sow, I’ve never had occasion to delve into the series until this winter. I was hugely impressed. The prose is gorgeous, the characters unique and well-developed and the […]