books.

Book Review: The Time Garden

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The Time Garden
The Time Garden by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another brilliant book in this series! This time Roger and Ann, and their cousins, are packed off to the seaside for the summer, and discover a garden of thyme where a froggy Natterjack uses the magic of thyme to send them back in time on various adventures.

I love how random and funny the magical adventures are, and how the cousins all have different reactions to the time-traveling situations they get into. Eliza is always jumping in and taking action without thinking it through first. Roger is sensible and worried about keeping everyone safe and doing the right thing. Ann is compassionate and sweet and takes the time to notice other people and their needs. Then there’s Jack, who is growing up into teenhood, has little interest in magic, and starts noticing girls.

There is something so wholesome and delightful about each of these books that keeps me reading and coming back again and again!

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Book Review: Eating with the King

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Eating with the King
Eating with the King by Terri Rockwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so impressed with this little book, especially because every page quotes Scripture! There are so many positive messages of encouragement in this book. Instead of making people feel guilty about their cravings, and their eating habits, or how their body looks, this book offers healing, positive attitudes, triumphant freedom, and constantly points the reader to Christ.

I think this book could apply to any craving or addiction, not just eating food. The messages in this book would help with anything that draws us away from God, forms a bad habit, or entices us to harm our health in some way. Continue reading →

Book Review: No Passengers Beyond This Point

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No Passengers Beyond This Point
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When three siblings get on a plane to go live with their Uncle Red, they are whisked away to a mysterious land of Falling Bird, where they must choose to become citizens, or remain passengers and try to return home. The temptations are many, and the siblings have to deal with their grief over leaving their old home, and decide if they truly are willing to step into a new adventure with their Uncle Red. Each of the children deals with their turmoil in a different way, and they make emotional choices in the face of danger.

The plot is all over the place, and there are a lot of things that are left unexplained. Continue reading →

Book Review: Magic by the Lake

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Magic by the Lake
Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jane, Mark, Katherine, and Martha are back in another magical adventure, this time on vacation by the lake. A talking turtle guides them through the difficulties of wishing with “wet magic” from the lake, and they encounter mermaids, pirates, buried treasure, and a trek to the South Pole.
But their selfish wishes get them into trouble, and it’s only when they learn to use their wishes for the good of others that the magic truly begins. Continue reading →

Book Review: Knight’s Castle

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Knight's Castle
Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roger and Ann’s father is ill, and Roger wishes on an ancient lead soldier toy for his father to be healed. But the magical lead soldier tells Roger that wishes must be earned, and Roger, his sister, and their cousins are swept into an adventure of derring-do in the Merry England of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, and King Richard the Lionheart.

The moment Roger arrives in this magical land, everything seems to go wrong despite his good intentions! Roger begins to doubt that he can ever do enough good deeds to earn a wish for his father, and it’s only when he relies on his sister and cousins that the adventure truly begins to come together with surprising results for everyone. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Soldiers of Halla

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The Soldiers of Halla
The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m so happy with this last book in the series. There were a lot of questions answered and mysteries solved, and somehow it all finally made sense. I loved seeing all the story threads from previous books coming together, and all the settings being revisited.

There was a big information dump near the beginning that got a little tedious, but at least all that stuff was explained finally. But other than that, the writing is (as always) funny, serious, well-paced, compelling, heart-wrenching, with a sense of urgency that keeps you reading.

I was completely riveted with the plot, the action, and the characters! I cried a few times, and I was laughing at other times. I was utterly invested in the story.

After sticking with these characters through 10 books, it was so rewarding to see them growing into these amazing people, coming into their own, and I was cheering them on, fighting their battles alongside them. They are like real people to me now. Continue reading →

Book Review: Half Magic

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Half Magic
Half Magic by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When four siblings find a talisman that grants wishes, they discover it will only give you half of what you wish for. This troublesome magic takes some getting used to, and the children make mistaken wishes with hilarious results! But is the talisman purposefully creating trouble, or is it pushing them towards a happier destiny?
A rollicking magical adventure through time and space and the children’s own backyard!

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