Tag Archives: adventure

Book Review: Her Majesty’s Wizard, by Christopher Stasheff

Posted on by
Reply
her_majestys_wizard_coverEveryone knows the qualities of a fantasy story: a hero, a dragon, a damsel in distress, an evil wizard, and people who can choose to be helpful or harmful to the hero. However, what happens when the hero is a couple of smidgens higher than useless in a world that he doesn’t know much about?
All that-and more-happens when Matthew Mantrell recites poetry that’s written an old piece of paper in a language that doesn’t exist. And so Matthew gets pulled into a world where reciting poetry performs magic. Since he has also promised Princess Alisande to help win back her kingdom from an evil sorcerer, he has to travel through an unknown land where evil clearly rules.
Her Majesty’s Wizard can be inappropriate for some audiences, especially for kids under 13, because there are some scenes of violence and women that try to take off their clothes. Also, this book goes into depth about the Catholic religion and emphasizes the fact that God exists. On the other hand, no one says any bad words because just saying “Damn” would bring an angel’s wrath upon you.

However, fans of famous historical events, such as the  Crusades, might love how Stasheff rewrites history, such as saying that Remus won instead of Romulus. Since there are also magic and dragons, fans of Eragon would like this book, too.

Besides historical references and having relations to other books, Her Majesty’s Wizard is written with:
  • Comedy, especially when Matt says something about his world that no one else knows,
  • Famous songs and poems, such as Greensleeves,
  • And some real life advice about love.
Finally, as an example for love advice, Stasheff writes when Matt meets a girl who doesn’t, “Matt felt his chest puffing out a bit; this was the first time in his life he’d really had a chance to impress a girl! Then he remembered what pride goeth before,” (Stasheff 49).
Whether you’re a history geek or devoted to religion, Her Majesty’s Wizard will capture your heart and always remind of its remarkable characters.
-Megan V., 8th grade

Series Introduction: Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull

Posted on by
1

fablehaven_coverIn a wonder of a series, Brandon Mull wrote a 5 book masterpiece called Fablehaven. The books are in the same league as Percy Jackson or The Emerald Atlas. With funny, personable characters, this book will appeal to both girls and boys.

Book #1: Fablehaven

Kendra and Seth go relunctantly to their grandpa’s estate in New England while their parents go on a cruise. Although they originally find it boring, Kendra soon discovers a curious journal titled, “Journal of Secrets.” In the journal is one cryptic line: Drink the Milk. Once they find out what this means, their eyes are opened to the world of Fablehaven- a world of creatures from all branches of mythology and Brandon Mull’s imagination combined. Seth, ever the troublemaker gets into some trouble with a witch and some fairies. He also is the reason for his grandpa’s abduction. I won’t say anything about the rest of the book except this: it is amazing!

Book #2: Rise of the Evening Star

Kendra and Seth are back at Fablehaven for the summer and have three new teachers due to the fact that the society of the evening star is rising. The society is trying to open Zzyzx, the demon prison. Kendra also has some cool new powers, which she finds out after a meeting with the Sphynx. Along with all the tutoring they are getting from Tanu the potions master, Vanessa the animal guru, and Coulter, the relics collecter, there is a spy at Fablehaven. But will they be able to fing out who it is before the society gets Fablehaven’s artifact? Read the second book to find out

Book #3: Grip of the Shadow Plague

in the third book, Kendra and Seth are having trouble convincing their parents to let them stay at fablehaven. School is about to start and they have been gone all summer. But something terrible is going on. A shadow plague is beguiling the creatures of Fablehaven, but Seth may be the person to help stop it. Meanwhile, Kendra is traveling to the Painted Mesa reserve in Arizona to try to retrieve another artifact, only to find out they have sacrificed a mission in vain. The ending of this book is too wonderful to spoil.

Book #4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

In the beginning of this book, Kendra is kidnapped by the society. Later, Kendra and stowaway Seth go to the dragon sanctuary to retrieve another artifact. To retrieve it they must also “borrow” the first horn of a unicorn. Their many adventures in the dragon sanctuary culminate in a great victory and a great betrayal- much worse than book 2. The cliffhanger ending on this one is also killer.

Book #5: Keys to the Demon Prison

With the opening of Zzyzx imminent, all of them end up in the dungeon of the secret fifth preserve which is where the last artifact and their greatest enemy lies. The artifacts are all collected and there is just one obstacle to the opening of Zzyzx- the eternals. 5 immortal humans who must be destroyed and Kendra and Bracken (a super awesome unicorn… Yes, UNICORN) are determined to defend them. Eventually they end up on the island of Zzyzx and… You’ll have to read them to find out!

-Becka O., 9th grade

Manga Review: Naruto Introduction Arc, by Masashi Kishimoto

Posted on by
1

naruto2This is the next part of my review about Naruto. (See my previous one here.)

The manga series, Naruto, is a huge story that has many smaller story arc that tell a part of the who story. Introduction Arc is the first story arc of the series. This arc covers the first eight chapters of the manga. The first tankobon volume of the series contains the first seven chapters and the eighth chapter is in the second volume.

As the title suggests, it introduces the main characters in the series as well as some of the supporting characters. The main character which the story revolves around is Naruto Uzumaki and his life which starts in the Ninja Leaf Village or Konohagakure.

Naruto is a 12-year-old, blonde-head boy who is full of energy and mischief and is at the bottom of his class. Then there is Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Both of them are the same age as Naruto but Sakura is a pink-hair girl, that hates Naruto and is crazy about Sasuke. Sasuke, on the other hand, is child genius that is the last of his family and has a goal to gain revenge against a mysterious person. Sasuke has no other goal or ambition beyond that. Kakashi Hatake is the person that becomes the sensei of the three after they graduate from the Ninja Academy. With silver hair, sleepy looking eyes and a habit of being late Kakashi might not seem much but he has plenty of secrets. Then there is Iruka Umino.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are put through a graduation test, by Kakashi, to see if they are worthy of becoming ninjas and his students. They are presented with the task of trying to retrieve two bells from Kakashi’s belt. This is no easy task since Kakashi is one of the most powerful ninja in the Leaf Village. On top of that only the two students who successfully retrieve the bell will graduate but there is a hidden motive beyond what they were told. Will they ever find out?

This personally was and remains one of my favorite arcs because this is the first time the I ever met the characters. I look back after reading the later chapter and realize how much they have grown. This arc has a lot of comedic parts that made me laugh and enough serious parts to balance them out. The art is simple and well-drawn.

This is a great read for anyone who likes adventure and manga. There are some fighting scenes but I would still recommend this to anyone over the age of 8. The only way to learn more about it is to read it! So read it and find out!

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Baston & Christopher Hopper

Posted on by
Reply

curse_of_the_spider_kingSeven kids who live in six places different places in our world. They are all separate but they are linked by their history and race.

Curse of the Spider King is the story is about seven kids who are all thirteen and are living on this earth:  Tommy Bowman, Autumn Briarman, Johnny Briarman, Jett Green, James “Jimmy” Gresham, Kat Simonson, and Kiri Lee Yuen. In this book, they learn about the truth of their birth in another world called Allyra. The learn about the fact that they are elves of royal birth. The seven learn about the one that cause them to be taken from their home to earth and is now their enemy, The Spider King.

Curse of the Spider King  is the first of The Berinfell Prophecies trilogy. 

Curse of the Spider King has an amazing cast of well-formed characters as well as plenty of unique and cool places. This book is a great read for anyone who like adventure and fantasy. Just a warning, first time readers might find this book slightly hard to understand at first since for this particular book it tends to jump around to different places each chapter. It should be easier once you understand some of the jumps. This happened to me when I first read Curse of the Spider King. I had read books from both of the author before I read this. I know that both of them are excellent writers in their own way. This book, I found more interesting and slightly confusing due to that. There is fighting in this book as well as in the rest of the series for those who are watching out for that kind of stuff. Even so, I would recommend it to anyone. Of course, this is only what I think. Read it and decide.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Sorcerer of the North, by John Flanagan

Posted on by
Reply

sorcerer_north_coverDark and cloaked, a lone figure lurks through the trees. A bow in his hands and a quiver on his back, he trudged through the marsh. A hunting eagle swoops down onto him, but the cloaked man ducks, pulls out his duel knives and fights off the bird. Then he drops his knives and pulls an arrow from his quiver. He draws his bow and fires his arrow. The bird falls from the sky and sinks into the mud before the man. This man is a Ranger.

Rangers are the most mysterious and independent people of all the land. They have the best shot with a bow and arrow, great speed, camouflage, and can block a sword blow with two small knives. These Rangers protect each kingdom from the invading Skandians and Temujai. In this book, the fifth volume in the Ranger’s Apprentice series, Will, an apprentice Ranger, goes on a quest to save a kingdom when their leader is struck with a mysterious illness.

Will goes undercover as a jongleur, who plays music at a local tavern, to find out what happened to the leader and who is behind it. Is it sorcery or could it be one of Will’s own Ranger friends?

Post a comment about what you think will happen! I really like this book so far, so I think you should read it if you are into books with a mix of medieval times, and fictional story lines and characters!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book Review: Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Posted on by
1

battle_magicA fully qualified mage that is sixteen-years-old. His student who is twelve but has enough power to match up to many older mages. The mage mentor who is also a powerful mage. These three are an interesting pair as they travel to the fictional country of Yanjing.

Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce was not a book I just picked up from the library. This is actually a book read because Mrs. Tran, who is the manager of the site, sent out a email asking kids to review some advance copies of books she had received from the publishers. I offered to review this book and so because of this I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book.

The story is about sixteen-year-old Briar, his twelve-year-old student Evvy, and Briar mentor, Rosethorn. These three are visiting a mountain kingdom called Gyongxe when they are invited by the Emperor of the kingdom of Yanjing to see his gardens. During their time at the Emperor gardens, they realize the true nature of the emperor and a plot to invade Gyongxe.

When I read this book, I honestly had no clue what it was about. I have read book by this author before, such as the Protector of the Small series (see my review of the first book). This book is actually the middle of of a series as well. I was greatly surprise to find out that this book is easy enough to understand even without reading the previous books.  I loved all of the character and the story drew me in quickly.

One of my favorite parts was the characters. This was because even though most of these characters were powerful but they still have the troubles like normal person. Each character was well created and seemed to be real. Another part of the story that i like was the incorporation of Asian culture. Tamora Pierce has been one of the few authors of non-Asian descent that has parts of the Asian cultures in her story.

I don’t know if you would like it but I certainly did. Read it for yourself and find out.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: The Raft, by S.A. Bodeen

Posted on by
1

raft_coverSixteen-year-old Robie just wants to grow up. When she finds out she could stay with her Aunt Jillian, AJ, for a few weeks, she is so excited. AJ lets Robie do anything, so there areno rules. But when her aunt has to leave in the middle of her stay, Robie is all alone. She thinks she is mature enough and responsible enough to take care of herself. The day after her aunt leaves, Robie starts to question her ability to handle difficult situations when bad things start to happen. She knows she isn’t ready, so she decides to go home the next day.

She boards a cargo plane, with a family-friend as the pilot, Larry. She knows him and trusts him, so even though she is the only passenger, she isn’t worried. There is also a new co-pilot, Max. She thinks this is just another ordinary flight, but it’s not. When they are flying, there is a storm ahead. They try going straight through it, but ­­the engine fails. Next thing they know, they are falling to the sea below.

When Robie comes to, she finds herself in the middle of the ocean, in a raft, with Max. They have no food, no water, and no help. She starts to think about everyone she will never see again – her family, her friends. She knows they are doomed.

Will they make it? There is only one way to find out.

This story is fantastic! I couldn’t put it down. This is a real page-turner. It has so many twists and unexpected events. It’s a thriller, so I would recommend this book for people who love suspense. There are some intense scenes, but not too scary. I think there should be a movie, so people can really see how the action brings the story to life. This book is definitely in my top ten favorites.

-Sabrina C., 8th grade

Manga Review: Never Give Up vol. 1, by Hiromu Mutou

Posted on by
Reply

never_give_up1Once upon a time, there was a girl named Kiri Minase. She wanted to be the “princess” of a boy named Tohya Enishi. Kiri set her life’s goal at the age of four: to marry Tohya. Years pass, and Kiri still hasn’t given up on her goal. However, there is only one problem, that she looks like a boy! She wants to be as girly and feminine as possible so that she can become the perfect princess for Tohya. However, when her mom hires Tohya in her modeling agency, Kiri decides to follow to protect him and enters the world of modeling as a boy! But then things start getting a little tricky when people start falling in love with Kiri’s male self, and Kiri is kissed by a boy who isn’t Tohya!

This book is a sweet read, and the plotline is superb. It is absolutely hilarious most of the time and will probably make you laugh out loud, or at least laugh inside. Although at times it can get a little confusing, sometimes that added factor is just the thing to make you laugh. I really loved this book. If you ever see it, pick it up and give it a try.

There aren’t any copies in any of the libraries in Orange County, but there is always a chance that you’ll stumble upon it in one of your local bookstores. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give it an 8.5. As I said before, it can get a little confusing sometimes, nevertheless, I would still recommend this book.

-Linna C., 7th grade

Book Review: Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz

Posted on by
1

stormbreakerImagine what it would be like to work for a top-secret spy agency, let alone only being a teenager! This is the life of one unfortunate schoolboy, who is left orphaned at an early age. Written by Anthony Horowitz, Stormbreaker is an action-packed novel filled with adventure. Set in present-day England, a fourteen year old boy named Alex Rider is suddenly thrown into a deadly situation.

When Alex’s uncle mysteriously dies in a car accident, he is forced to take his uncle’s place as a spy in MI6, Britain’s top-secret spy organization. Little does he know that he is being tossed into a dangerous mission to spy on Herod Sayle, the mastermind behind the newest computer, Stormbreaker. Using pure instinct and his intelligence, Alex must fight for his life, as well as save the people of the Britain.

Anthony Horowitz writes Stormbreaker in a very unique way. He builds suspense in every inch of the book, is very descriptive in detail, and is very creative. From Alex being recruited as a spy to dodging bullets, this book makes your heart constantly race with anxiety. I thought Alex is a very brave and likable boy and if he were actually real, I would have liked to have met him. However, I thought Horowitz made this book a little too unrealistic. It is quite impossible for me to imagine Alex being able to escape from circumstances that most fourteen-year-old boys (let alone adults) cannot survive from. For example, how can Alex get caught in a fifteen feet deep and 30 feet long tank with a giant jellyfish and still manage to survive?

I would rate this book nine out of ten because it was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I recommend this book for kids ages ten to sixteen who love action, suspense, and mystery all mixed together in one book. I absolutely enjoyed Stormbreaker and will certainly read the rest of the Alex Rider series!

-Riley W., 6th grade

Book Review: Unbreakable, by Kami Garcia

Posted on by
Reply

Kami Garcia/UnbreakableDo you believe in ghosts? Do they float around your room or take human form? Did you ever think they could hurt you? These are questions Kennedy Waters never thought she would ask herself, but that was before a spirit tried to kill her.

When Kennedy finds her mother dead in their own house, her future reveals itself. When her mother is pronounced dead of a heart attack, she is forced to go to a boarding school. She knows something is wrong. She thinks her mom was murdered, but she can’t prove it. Before she leaves, she wants to stay in her house for one last night. It holds all her memories, precious or not.

She soon finds it was a horrible mistake when identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room to kill an evil spirit sent to kill her. They tell her that her mom was part of an ancient secret society that protects our world from a vengeful demon. They also say the society’s five members were murdered on the same night.

Kennedy has to take her mom’s place in the society and join the Legion, if she wants to uncover the truth and survive. She meets new Legion members, Priest and Alara, on the way. The teens race to find the only weapon that can destroy the demon. With challenges along the way, they can only hope for the best.

Kami Garcia, co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series, has done it again. This book is an amazing thriller! I couldn’t put it down. I truly think it could be the next Hunger Games. It has everything: suspense, romance, and the paranormal! I would definitely want to see the movie. But because of some scary scenes, I would recommend this book for 12 and up. Look for Unbreakable in bookstores everywhere on October 1st.

-Sabrina C., 8th grade

Thank to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an advance readers’ copy of Unbreakable for review.