Middle Grade Archives - Page 7 of 7

The Lost Days by Rob Reger: Book Review

A very dark, very brilliant girl, probably about twelve- or thirteen-years-old, comes to on a park bench one day. She doesn't know who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Being resourceful, she sets out to find the answers to these questions and stumbles onto a huge mystery. Strange isn't the word. It's more like weird. I liked Emily a lot, and I liked all the other characters she met. Talk about an eccentric group of people. But this was just a little...too much. It's so very, completely, utterly random that there was no telling what was going on. This is written in a world that seems to have no rules, so anything went. Stuff just happened out of nowhere, but that was the way it was supposed to work. Emily has no idea what's going on throughout most of the book, and neither do we. I like the idea, I just didn't necessarily like the book all that much. I'll pick up the graphic novel and give it a try, but I don't know if my mind is flexible enough for Emily the Strange. Younger readers might love her and her unpredictability. Read an excerpt. Find Emily the Strange on her website, her blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Buy Emily the Strange: The Lost Days on IndieBound | Book Depository | Better World Books I have an affiliate relationship with IndieBound, Book Depository, and Better World Books and will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris: Book Review

My seven-year-old cousin and fellow lover-of-all-things-fairy, Natalie, convinced me to read this by reciting the cover blurb to me: "Part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink." What fairy tale fan could resist that? Not this one! I loved that the defining characteristics of the characters weren't their beauty or lack thereof. Chris is intelligent, kind, and loyal. He's also an inventor. He's the first in the kingdom to use p-mail (pigeon mail). Princess Marigold is a reader, also intelligent and kind, and very concerned with making sure that she becomes a good strong ruler of her kingdom. She even asks commoners' opinions on the qualities that a good ruler should have! Even the minor characters are generally defined by their personalities, good or bad. Looks really didn't come into play at all. I found that a little refreshing. The story was a little predictable. We first meet Chris when he's a six-year-old runaway living in the woods. As he grows older, he starts to notice Princess Marigold, who he can watch as she reads on her terrace in the castle. He wants to be her friend, and he wants to know why she frequently looks unhappy. You can probably guess the general outline of the story, beginning to end, just from that. But there were still several surprises along the way that kept the story fresh. Ed the troll might have been my favorite character. Oh, I really liked Chris and Marigold, but Ed made me laugh. He loves to use common sayings, but he can never get them right. Here's one: "But now that you have your act on the ball, you can do better...All you have to do is keep your shoulder to the grindstone and your nose to the wheel." Too funny! And he's working hard to…

The Fairy Folk and She by Mary-Anne Grosse Ivie: Book Review

The old woman who lives in a shoe is overwhelmed. Her children are hungry. She decides to pay a visit to Razzlewitch and ask for help. Razzlewitch agrees to help in exchange for the old woman's oldest daughter, Lisa. If Lisa will come cook and clean for Razzlewitch, the other children will be fed and clothed. Lisa agrees but wonders what she's gotten into when she finds herself in a strange new world. This was a lovely little fairy tale. It starts with the old woman who lived in a shoe, but then it becomes its own story. Like all good fairy tale heroines, Lisa grows and comes into her own throughout the book. She has surprising talents that she must learn to use. She must also learn to trust herself. She meets a whole host of magical beings who, for the most part, end up being gentle teachers for her. There's an element of darkness too. Lisa, and her new neighbors, learn that appearances aren't everything. They must work together to overcome the threat of darkness in their fairy tale land. There's a very sweet love story at the heart of the book also. I just loved how this played out. I recommend this for those who are fond of their happily ever afters and who are in search of a gentle, lovely read. Thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: Book Review

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief hits theaters today. I have to admit that I'm pretty excited to see it. I loved the book, the cast is amazing, and the trailer is exciting. I just wish that they had found an actor who is actually Percy's age to play Percy. He's what--12 in the book? Logan Lerman is seventeen. His voice has already broken, for crying out loud! Still, I liked Lerman in 3:10 to Yuma, and I think he'll do a good job with the part. I just don't really see him as Percy at this point. Maybe he'll change my mind. Oh, and that amazing cast makes me nervous too. It seems like a movie with too many famous names just never lives up to expectations. (I'm looking at you, The Royal Tenenbaums, my first vote for Worst Movie Ever) Anyway, without further ado, here is my review of the book. Percy Jackson tries to be good, but circumstances just don't allow it. Trouble always seems to find him. Let's not talk about what happens to his math teacher his sixth grade year.... At the end of sixth grade, Percy and his mom take off for a trip to the beach. Late in the night, it sounds like a hurricane blows up and they're running for their lives. Percy winds up at Half-Blood Hill, a summer camp for the children of...Greek gods? An evil plot is afoot and Percy needs to clear his name and unravel the mystery with the help of his two friends, Annabeth and Grover. I loved this! I've always enjoyed mythology and this was an original take on the old myths for children. But don't think it's only for children--adults will enjoy it too. Percy, Annabeth and Grover are fantastic, smart, fun…

Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Book Review

***SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK, FOUND*** Found ended with Jonah and Katherine latching onto Chip and Alex as the two boys were sent back into their own time period. Sent picks up there. The kids find themselves in fifteenth century England, where Chip and Alex find out that they're royalty. Many plots are afoot and the boys' lives are in danger. Jonah and Katherine, with JB's help, try to keep them safe. Eh. I think Found was so good because I was interested to find out what exactly was going on. Now that I know, the sequel wasn't that great. I saw potential when I found out that the boys were The Princes in the Tower, but really the book just fell a little flat. Jonah was dense and annoying. He would overhear subtle, barbed conversations and then had to get someone else to give him a recap of what had been said in plain English. I know this book is written for the pre-teen crowd, but I think they would have gotten it without the "translation." There are ghostly "tracers" roaming around, showing what was supposed to happen if time hadn't been messed with. I actually followed that pretty well, but then Jonah got confused thinking about it and took me right along with him. Confusion might have been a normal reaction, but it wasn't worth it at the risk of confusing the readers. It might just be me. I'm much older than the target age group. I'll probably read the next one, just to see if this one was the exception rather than the rule in the series. I am left thinking that there were 36 kids on that plane. How many books are there going to be?