book blog

Book Review: The Wizard’s Dilemma

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The Wizard's Dilemma
The Wizard’s Dilemma by Diane Duane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yet another book in this series that broke my heart! Such beautiful writing!

Nita gets the terrible news that her mother is dying of cancer. In between hospital visits, Nita searches for a dangerous and elusive wizardry that will cure her mother, but the price may be more than she can pay. She and her wizarding work partner, Kit, have suffered a misunderstanding that keeps them apart. Determined to find a cure on her own, Nita falls prey to the evil Lone One, not realizing that Kit might have stumbled on the answer to all their problems, if only they can reconcile in time!

As in all the other books, I adore the camaraderie and complete trust between Kit and Nita. Their friendship is so special, and seeing it fall apart in this book was heartbreaking. But even through their argument, I loved seeing these characters grow and change, and their friendship ultimately grows and changes along with them. All friendships have some rocky spots, a few bumps in the road, and I was so happy to see how both these characters overcome the obstacles in their way, and it makes them better people, and makes their friendship stronger! Continue reading →

Manga Review: Magic Knight Rayearth I, Vol.1-3

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Magic Knight Rayearth I, Vol. 1Magic Knight Rayearth I, Vol. 3Magic Knight Rayearth I, Vol. 2
Magic Knight Rayearth I, Vol. 1 by CLAMP

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Three ordinary schoolgirls are magically whisked away from their class fieldtrip to the troubled land of Cephiro, where they acquire elemental powers. The benevolent ruler of Cephiro has been kidnapped by the evil Zagato, and the girls must brave many trials in order to become the legendary Magic Knights and save the land. With the help of a mysterious guru sent to guide them, they battle monsters, discover their powers, and meet friends and enemies along the way. But through it all, their kindness, loyalty, and courage supports them, and they learn to believe in themselves and each other.

This story is fairly predictable and commonplace – magic powers, legendary destiny, the ancient mage guide, ordinary people learning to battle monsters, etc… Yeah yeah, heard it all before.
But the girls are so CUTE!!! They’re really lovely and adorable, and I liked their hilarious dialogue. They are not complex characters, and I wish they had a little more depth to them, but they are definitely sweet! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth

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The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There are several reasons why I did not like this adaptation of Macbeth.

1. It’s supposed to be rewritten for children, but the vocabulary is NOT age-appropriate . Even if a preteen was reading it, there are too many big words that a child would not know . If you were reading this to a child, you would have to stop after every sentence and explain half the words! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Pirates in the Library

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Pirates in the Library
Pirates in the Library by Nadia Ali

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a librarian makes a treasure map to help people find books in the library, a pirate crew thinks they will find real treasure, gold and diamonds, and they storm into the library! The pirate crew soon finds better treasure in the books they read and enjoy, but the pirate Captain is harder to convince. It’s up to the courageous librarian to show the Captain just how precious books can be.

This cute little story is full of fun and laughter, and I like the way that the crew all pick very different books on many subjects, and all their choices are detailed both in the text and in the illustrations. The cook finds a recipe book, the first mate reads a book about mutiny, and even the parrot finds a book about birds! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Rapunzel

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Rapunzel
Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, my goodness! This is wonderful!!! There is Rapunzel, stuck in the tower, with that evil witch visiting her every day. But does Rapunzel need a Prince to save her?? NO! Rapunzel figures out a way to defeat the witch and free herself from the tower, all on her own.

Rapunzel is resourceful and brave! She’s really quite ingenious, and (dare I say it?) full of spunk.
She makes friends with some forest animals, and with their help, she becomes a scourge to witches everywhere. I just love seeing a story where the princess takes action and saves herself! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Argyle Fox

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Argyle Fox
Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much adorableness!!!!! I want to read it again and again, and I’m 35 years old. I don’t care! So cute!
Little Argyle wants to play outside, but the strong wind keeps messing up his games, knocking down his fort, and blowing away his hat. He decides that he hates playing in the wind, and sulks indoors until his mother tells him to think carefully of something that would be good to play in the wind. Argyle thinks carefully and creatively to come up with the perfect solution!

Cute little Argyle!! So sweet!! He’s full of imagination and really pours himself into his games. Reminds me of me when I was little; I was a very imaginative child who played lots of elaborate games of “pretend” with my siblings. Argyle plays pirates, dresses up like a spider, builds a castle fort, becomes a famous soccer star, and fights a dragon! I love this kid! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: You Can’t Win Them All, Rainbow Fish

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You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish
You Can’t Win Them All, Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rainbow Fish is confident in his abilities to win every game of Hide-and-Seek, but when he loses to a fish younger than himself, Rainbow Fish is upset and storms away, refusing to play with his friends anymore. It takes the gentle wisdom of Red Fish to convince Rainbow Fish to apologize for his poor sportsmanship and resume playing the game.

I loved the colorful illustrations, and the sparkly images of an underwater game of Hide-and-Seek! Rainbow Fish is a sweet character and all his little fishy friends are adorable. This book strongly reminded me of the simple excitement of a childhood game, and I could see my whole childhood wrapped up in this little story. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Milo and Georgie

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Milo and Georgie
Milo and Georgie by Bree Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Milo and Georgie have to move to a new town, and Milo is so upset that he won’t go outside to explore their new neighborhood. But Georgie loves their new house, and wants to explore. Milo ties a string of yarn around her and lets her loose on the neighborhood, but when he tugs on the yarn twice, Georgie is supposed to come home. One day, Milo tugs on the yarn, but Georgie doesn’t respond! Milo has to go looking for his sister, and discovers a whole neighborhood full of new friends! Continue reading →