fantasy

Book Review: The Dark is Rising

Posted by

0

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

The Dark Is Rising (The Dark is Rising, #2)
by Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Will Stanton is the seventh son of a seventh son. On his 11th birthday, he discovers that he is an Old One, a special race of people who are endowed with magical abilities so that they can protect humanity from the Dark. Will is trained in his new abilities by Merriman Lyon (the modern Merlin). Will is sent on a quest through time to retrieve the Signs, which will help the Light to keep back the Dark Rider.

Continue reading →

Book Review: World’s Worst Time Machine

Posted by

0

World's Worst Time Machine by Dustin Brady

World’s Worst Time Machine (Volume 1)
by Dustin Brady, Dave Bardin (Illustrator)

4 of 5 stars

At the garage sale of a famous scientist, Liam finds a box labeled, “World’s Worst Time Machine”, and decides to try it out. He slaps together a few wires, sticks an old-fashioned telephone onto it, hooks up half an ink-jet printer, fastens it all together with duct tape, and plugs it in. His friend Elsa warns him not to mess with time travel, but Liam is too excited to listen. And of course, disaster strikes! He gets mixed up with the wrong Thomas Edison, a dastardly gang of gangsters, and a mysteriously dangerous bronze dog statue. But through all his adventures with time, it becomes apparent that Elsa is hiding some secret knowledge of her own.

Continue reading →

Book Review: Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask

Posted by

0

Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask by Shiko Nguru

Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask (The Intasimi Warriors Book 1)
by Shiko Nguru

3.5 out of 5 stars
On her first day at a new school, Mwikali discovers that she is descended from a long line of Kenyans with mystical powers. She and her friends must find and destroy the dreaded Forbidden Mask before the powers of darkness can gather and unleash its evil power.

Continue reading →

Book Review: Finding Fairies

Posted by

0

Finding Fairies by Michelle Roehm McCann

Finding Fairies: Secrets for Attracting Magickal Folk
by Michelle Roehm McCann, Marianne Monson (Goodreads Author),David Hohn (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This book gives folk stories about fairies from all over the world. In each chapter we also get a recipe or craft we can make to hopefully entice the fairies to visit us. We can make a Japanese fan, a flower crown, or Chinese Cherry Dumplings. There also little gnomes and other creatures who live alongside the fairies. There are even games and music to play that come from all around the globe. You can go on a Djinn treasure hunt, make a leaf basket, or eat some Pixie Porridge.

Continue reading →

Book Review: Wildlord

Posted by

0

Wildlord by Philip Womack

Wildlord
by Philip Womack

3 out of 5 stars

Tom is an orphan who must stay at boarding school during the boring summer months. When his uncle Jack invites him to stay the summer in the country, Tom jumps at the chance. However, it soon becomes apparent that Tom’s uncle is hiding a devastating secret. Jack is using magic for unimaginable ends, and he expects Tom to be his heir and take over the magical responsibilities of their ancient family. But Tom worries that Jack is not telling the whole truth about the magic. Could there be evil at the root of it?

Continue reading →

Book Review: Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues

Posted by

0

Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues by Mark Eddy Smith

Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues : Exploring the Spiritual Themes of the Lord of the Rings
by Mark Eddy Smith (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Why is it that The Lord of the Rings continues to inspire and fascinate generations of readers? I think it is because it mirrors elements of a much larger story- the spiritual story of God and his Creation. In this book, we explore different themes found in LotR and see how the virtues of the characters originate (as do all good things) in the virtues of God.

Continue reading →

Book Review: A Spoonful of Time

Posted by

0

A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn

A Spoonful of Time
by Flora Ahn (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Maya’s grandmother moves in, and the two begin cooking their favorite Korean recipes together. Maya discovers that her grandmother has the ability to revisit moments of her past, using food as the memory trigger to time travel. They can’t change the past, but can only watch themselves reliving those same moments, frozen in time. Maya has many questions about her Korean family, her father’s death, and why her mother is so sad and distant. She hopes that these visits to the past will provide answers, but the more Maya finds out about her family, the more questions she has.

Continue reading →

Book Review: Over Sea, Under Stone

Posted by

0

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)
by Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

The Drew children are on holiday in Cornwall, renting the old Captain’s house while he is away. They explore through the dusty attics of the house and discover what appears to be an ancient map with the name Arturus Rex. They embark on an adventure to recover a lost treasure that tells the true story of King Arthur. But there are others who also search for the treasure for their own nefarious purposes. The children’s Great-Uncle Merry warns them of the constant battle between good and evil, and tries to protect them as they search for the treasure.

Continue reading →

Book Review: Nordic Animal Tales

Posted by

0

An Illustrated Collection of Nordic Animal Tales by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin

An Illustrated Collection of Nordic Animal Tales
by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin, Jill Timbers (Translator)

4 out of 5 stars

This collection of folk tales follows Bear, Fox, and Wolf as they attempt to sow a field of wheat by clearing a space in the forest. Fox is always trying to get out of doing his share of the work, and he tricks his friends and neighbors. The Rooster at the nearby farm has a terrible premonition that the end of the world is coming, and he spreads a panic among the animals. The Hare is terrified at some strange monster creature in the woods, but no animal is brave enough to get close enough to find out what kind of creature it is. In each tale, Fox is a prominent character, always sly and clever.

Continue reading →

Book Review: The Sable Quean

Posted by

0

The Sable Quean by Brian Jacques

The Sable Quean (Redwall, #21)
by Brian Jacques, Sean Rubin (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Two warrior hares of Salamandastron set out on a journey to Redwall looking for adventure. When they find out that little animal babes and toddlers are being kidnapped from all around Redwall, they vow to help the Redwall creatures to find their missing children. The evil ‘Quean’ is hatching a horrible plot against all the good animals at Redwall, and her vermin army is closing in.

Continue reading →