Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Young Prince Rashko is frustrated with his family - no one does any thinking but him! The kingdom and castle seem to be in the hands of fools. So when Rashko's parents mysteriously disappear and the evil Baron Temny parks his army outside the castle walls, it is up to the young prince to save the day. But there is more to this castle and its history than meets the eye, and Rashko will have to embrace his ancestry, harness a dragon, and use his sword-fighting skills to stop the baron and save the kingdom. Along the way, he realizes that his family is not quite as stupid as he always thought.



I liked this one. I usually like swords, castles, dragons and such. It was an entertaining fantasy. Alternating stories told in alternating chapters bothers me a lot. The flow of the story is interrupted for me. I feel like just when I am getting into it, the book changes to the other storyline, but this one flowed a lot better because the two stories were so intertwined. The ending was wrapped up to quickly, but overall this was a good read.


New Puzzle Books

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin.
Winston Breen says “the only thing better than discovering a puzzle is stumping someone else with it.” But when his sister uncovers mysterious strips of wood with words and letters on them, even Winston himself is stumped. Soon the whole family—and some friends—are caught up in the mystery and off on a scavenger hunt that just may lead to a ring worth thousands of dollars! Chock-full of puzzles to solve—some tied to the mystery and some not—this treasure hunt will keep readers’ brains teased right up to the exciting ending!

There are puzzles throughout the book and you can connect online and print out all the puzzles to work through on your own!

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.

As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.

Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.

This novel was inspired by The Secret Garden. I have never read The Secret Garden and I don't know if that would have changed my mind about this book. I really like the character of Roo. She's had a hard life, but is not broken. She is strong and independent, but still capable of feeling compassion and friendship. I liked her a lot. I liked the mystery of the sanitarium that was building up and that suspense and slightly spooky mystery seemed to be going somewhere and then completely fizzled out. 

There story could have been longer. The story didn't have enough depth. Things needed to be fleshed out more and some questions answered. Who is Jack really? Everything ended so abruptly and so neatly that it was very disappointing. Furthermore, although the reading level is 3rd grade and up, the story has a lot of heavy concepts- murder, drug dealing, sanitariums, depression, etc. The cover art and the slightness of the book are a little deceiving in that way. I don't think this would be my first choice in suggesting a new book to a child.


The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

This first book in a planned trilogy is action-oriented fantasy, but don’t expect magical creatures. Instead, it revolves around political intrigue. Sage is a street-savvy orphan, and along with two other boys he is recruited by Conner, a nobleman who wants to remake them in the image of their country’s lost prince, a victim of pirates and presumed dead. The task is urgent, as the rest of the royal family has been murdered and civil war seems imminent. As the boys, chosen for their passing resemblance to Prince Jaron, compete to assume a new identity and the throne, Sage discovers some unpleasant truths about their host, beyond his treasonous plans to pass one of them off as royalty. Sage is a likable hero full of smart-alecky snarkiness.

Well, it was the smart-alecky snarkiness that was beginning to bother me because it was relentless. But, then there was a big twist and turn and the story got really interesting for me! I then  raced through the last quarter of the book. It definitely was a surprise to me and ended well.

I liked the story. I like stories set in the times of 'kingdoms' with swords and duty and honor, etc. I have enjoyed similar stories like Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead, John Flanagan's The Ranger's Apprentice, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Mistwood by Leah Cypress, etc. So, when I started reading this I began to like it, but Sage's constant snarkiness began to take its toll. It seemed to be over-the-top, but then there was a surprise and it all made more sense.

This is the first book in the trilogy and I do believe I will take the time to see what happens next!

The Good, The Bad and the Read It Again

When I chose the name of this blog, my intention was to suggest books that children 1st-8th grade might like, books to simply avoid or books that are so good that they need to be revisited! But I never categorized them that way! I never gave them 3 out of 4 stars for example. When I was thinking about rating them to make it a better resource for visitors, I thought about the name of the blog!

So, I am going back to each title and adding them to a list- The Good, The Bad or The Read It Again. Hopefully, this will help visitors choose what books to read.

As I began to do this, I noticed very quickly that I have few books in The Bad list. The reason is that I generally read books that I have read good reviews about or are on lists of books that there is a buzz about that might be potential award winners. So, if I add a book to the The Bad list, I must not have liked it at all!

Of course, it goes without saying, that blogs are totally the blogger's opinion- the book might be perfect for someone else! But, if you see a pattern, that the books I enjoy, you seem to enjoy, it might help you choose the next book to read!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- YA

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Well, I read this after Wonder and Crow and now I am completely drained and can't cry anymore. I need to read a fantasy adventure next, for sure! This was an awesome book. I think it definitely is Printz-worthy. I loved the honesty and strength of the two main characters- Hazel and Gus. I loved their crazy, witty banter. For sure it is depressing. If you have anyone in your life that has cancer, I'm not sure if this is the book for you. Although it is absolutely impossible to understand what these kids and families go through, this book allows you to reflect on it. As humans, we complain a lot. We take a lot for granted. We often see what we don't have instead of appreciating what we do have. We all know this. It is our human nature. But, it is good to stop for a moment to reflect on this- that there are so many people out there in the world with far greater problems and struggles than the problems we face each day. It is a very humbling moment when we do take the time to reflect and this book definitely makes you do that.

Crow by Barbara Wright

The summer of 1898 is filled with ups and downs for 11-year-old Moses. He's growing apart from his best friend, his superstitious Boo-Nanny butts heads constantly with his pragmatic, educated father, and his mother is reeling from the discovery of a family secret. Yet there are good times, too. He's teaching his grandmother how to read. For the first time she's sharing stories about her life as a slave. And his father and his friends are finally getting the respect and positions of power they've earned in the Wilmington, North Carolina, community. But not everyone is happy with the political changes at play and some will do anything, including a violent plot against the government, to maintain the status quo.

This is great historical fiction book filled with wonderful characters as it sheds light on a little known piece of our country's history. I loved Boo Nanny and would have loved to have known her in real life. Strong, simple people who have weathered the trials and tribulations of this world, yet retain their humanity and their hearts, are always very compelling to me. Moses couldn't have had a better grandma. I loved Moses and his momma and dad. Decent, hard-working people who taught their son to do the right thing always, even in the face of danger. My only disappointment was the ending. I don't believe the dad would have made that choice- his family was more important. And the very end was a little cliched. I understand the need for the hope of the future when in the midst of unfathomable evil, but sometimes it only is what it is.