I’m Not Afraid by Lee Ann Mancini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of Susie the shark and her friend Rachel, who go to the amusement park, but Susie is too scared to go on the roller coasters. Susie learns that you don’t have to be afraid because courage comes from God! As part of the Adventures of the Sea Kids series, each book of the series has a definite Christian message. Continue reading
Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another hilarious retelling of Greek myths from Rick Riordan! I can’t get over how irreverent and silly these stories are with Percy narrating them. I was laughing through every page!
I especially loved all of Percy’s little aside comments to the reader. So funny!
I also thought that the myths were really well organized, one myth story flowing into the next in each chapter. Greek mythology is one big mess of conflicting stories with no real timeline to follow, so being able to make some kind of sense out of that nonsense… simply brilliant job!
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gah! The Ending! What?!? My brain can’t stand it, and my heart is limping along all hurt and crushed and stuff. Dis book!
Okay, let me start from the top. This is the story of a dystopian future world where most people can only see one color or some not any color at all. The Greys are looked down on and oppressed by the Colorgentsia, and everyone’s place in society is determined by the percentage of color they can see.
There’s definitely a “1984-Big-Brother” vibe going on with the government controlling every aspect of the citizen’s lives.
In the middle of it all is Eddie, a high-color Red with a bright future, until he meets and instantly falls in love with a Grey named Jane. Jane is involved with some very deep revolutionary stuff, and Eddie gets dragged into it all, somewhat against his will, but mostly because he’s too good-hearted, kind, and morally upright to cheat and play the system like everyone else does. Continue reading
Messenger by Lois Lowry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am completely in love with the entire Giver quartet so far, and this third book is no exception!
This book follows Matty, whom we met in Gathering Blue, and his journey of self-discovery as he finds a power/gift within himself that he never had before.
As in the other books, we are introduced to a community where everything seems peaceful and content, but there is a dark secret in this seemingly happy society and there is a mystery for Matty to solve. It’s never what I think it’s going to be! I’m always surprised at the mystery, and so impressed with the deep social themes that are addressed. Continue reading
Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this in-depth analysis of the Harry Potter books, specifically tying together classic Christian themes and symbols. The author has become an expert on Harry Potter and gives lectures at B&N University. He also has a degree in Classical Languages and Literature, so you know he really knows what he’s talking about!
At the time this was written, only the first 5 HP books had been published, so the author also speculates, sometimes with funny results, about what he thought might happen in the final two books. I wish that there were a newer edition of this with thoughts on the final books.
The book begins with a personal story about the author reading HP to his children, and tells how many people in Christian communities have bad-mouthed the books in the past. He addresses concerns some Christians might have about HP enticing children into actual witchcraft, and very thoroughly disproves that notion! He uses Scripture, classic story-telling tools, and quotes from HP to show how the HP books actually give a very clear picture of a Christian world, a loving God, and the everyman’s search for purity through Christ. Continue reading
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