Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Reading Level 5.2

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Pages: 344

This book was recommended and loaned to my by my 10 year old niece. It took me a while to finally begin reading it, but once I did, I was sucked into it. I barely cleaned or cooked for my family today. I read it in two days but could have done it in one if I didn't have other responsibilities.

This book is about a young girl who's parents run a museum so she is around ancient artifacts all the time. However, there is one very odd thing about her -- she can see curses. Being around a lot of ancient Egyptian artifacts means she runs across a lot of cursed items. This strange ability that allows her to sense evil and good in items throws her into an adventure she wasn't searching for of secret societies -- one searching for good and the other creating chaos. Both want her and her special gifts. What will she do? What does she decide?

This was a FANTASTIC book. As I said, once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. There were 2-3 minor curse words in it, though. Beyond that, it was a very clean book.

I rate it with 5 stars!!! *****

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Winnie's Reviews: Adventures in Raceland by AJ Loft

Summary: Vroom Vroom! Kyle and Keegan McKay love to race. But sadly they were too young to actually RACE. This all changes when they discover the door of Raceland!

Opinion: This book was sometimes hard for me to understand. Also, in some parts of the book it was boring. I like this book because it’s so funny. An example is when the group had just discovered Raceland and they were in the chill chamber. While Bobby was in, he thought he was going to end up in the middle of track 12 naked! Poor Bobby! 

I rate this book 4 stars.

To order or discover new things go to: http://www.rodkingz.com/

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Kids' Korner: Suddenly Supernatural Books 1 & 2

Published February 10th 2009

Genre: Children's Chapter book, Fiction, Paranormal

Synopsis: School Spirit - Kat's mother is a medium and talks to spirits. Kat has never wanted to invite friends over because, undoubtedly, something weird would happen at her home. She finally finds a friend, Jac, who doesn't seem to mind. Unfortunately, Kat notices she is seeing spirits as well; specifically, she is seeing one in her school that she and Jac must help cross over.
Scaredy Kat - Kat realizes that when lots of spirits begin seeking her out for help, it can be pretty scary. She has to learn how to control her power despite and angry spirit living in the abandoned house next door. To make things worse, there is a spirit like none she had ever seen in the second floor of the abandoned house that she must figure out how to help without the angry spirit harming her or Jac. Somehow, the story of a missing boy is connected as well so Kat and Jac must figure out how to solve this mystery and save the boy.

These were both very cute stories. My 5 and 7 year old absolutely loved them! They love haunted, spooky stories so the ghosts in this one added an extra level for them and they LOVED it! :)

Author: To learn more about Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, visit her website here http://www.codykimmel.com/

Rating: **** Four Stars

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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Genre: Children's Chapter Books, fiction, Fantasy, Juvenile

Synopsis: Minli, a young girl of Fruitless Mountain, dreams of a better life. Her father's stories fill her mind and she decides she must go in search of the Man in the Moon to ask him how to change her family's fortune. It's a quest that leads to many friends and magical beings but also to self discovery and heroic acts and Minli finds out a way to find the fortune she seeks.

My family loved this story. It was fun and each day we read it there was a new story. It was filled with many legends told within the main story line which was great fun for the kids and my husband but I found it confusing. haha! I give it THREE Stars! *** It was fun and I liked it but all the stories within the story were too confusing for me.



Author: To learn more about Grace Lin then visit her blog here http://www.gracelinblog.com/.

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The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis: This is a trilogy consisting of three book, Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess. A young woman, Tessa, crosses the ocean from America to find her brother, Nate, living in Victorian England. When she arrives she is quickly snatched up by the Dark Sisters who know of a power Tessa has but is completely ignorant of. They work for one who also wants to claim the power as their own, or as belonging to his wife. Tessa finds herself in a world she never knew existed. She also finds herself pulled between two young men whom she never would have met if she hadn't learned about this power. Meanwhile, dark forces are created an indestructible army that only her new found power can defeat. She must learn to control it before the entire world is destroyed and the love of her life disappears forever.

I really did enjoy these books. They weren't a fictional masterpiece or anything but the story was fun. I enjoyed this series more than the City of Bones series which is based in the same world but at a different time. It was fun reading about the ancestors of some of the characters also in the City of Bones books. This was a very fun read that I will give FOUR STARS **** to. :)

Author: To learn more about the author, check out her site here http://www.cassandraclare.com/

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Kidz Corner: Holes by Louis Sachar

Paperback, 233 pages

Published September 2nd 2000 by Scholastic (first published August 20th 1998)

ISBN

0439244196 (ISBN13: 9780439244190)

edition language

English

original title

Holes

Genre: Children's chapter book, fiction, mystery

Synopsis: My children loved this story, especially my 7 year old. Of course, when we were finished, we had to watch the movie. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the movie followed he book. It's about a young man whose name is Stanley Yelnats. It's a family name so the first name is the last name spelled backwards. Stanley's family was, unfortunately, cursed by a pig farmer hundreds of years ago. Stanley endures a series of unfortunate events that lead him to a juvenile delinquent facility. There is something more going on than just to rehabilitate troubled teens. There is a secret. Enjoy reading as Stanley accidentally uncovers the secret, revealing information about his past as well.

My kids loved loved loved this book and the movie!! Such a fun read and adventure for children. I recommend this book for anyone... young or old. My kids give it FIVE STARS *****

Author: To learn more about Louis Sachar, visit his website at http://www.louissachar.com/.

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Kids Korner: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Horror

Synopsis: A very smart college student named, Victor Frankenstein, has this amazing idea to create life. So, by attaching body parts from the dead that he scavenged from graveyards he creates a.... monster? Well, that's what everyone thinks. He's hideous and the immediate reaction from everyone is fear and hatred. The creature only wants to feel loved. The hate he receives in return for his kind actions is enough to turn anyone in to a murderous monster.

Our Thoughts: Surprisingly, my children really liked this story. Often my four year old was the one who wanted me to keep reading. We'd read four or more chapters a night because of her. ;) There is murder in the story so you'll have to decide for yourself if you want your child reading that. It gave us lots of opportunities to discuss judgment and how important it is to get to know someone before we decide if we're going to be friends with them or not. This story really has a great message of a man who just wants to be a friend and feel love but because people don't like his looks he can't have that love and acceptance that he is in search for. My kids did not like the ending or several parts throughout. By the end of the book my six year old son was SO angry at the monster and at Frankenstein. I kept having to remind him that it is fictional. haha! So, there are intense emotions in this book so take that into account when you decide if this would be an appropriate book for your child to read.

Author: (info from Google)

Mary Shelley was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Wikipedia

Born: August 30, 1797, London

Died: February 1, 1851, Bournemouth

Spouse: Percy Bysshe Shelley

Children: Percy Florence Shelley

Parents: William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft

Rating: My kids had a hard time with rating it. They said it was a really good book and they want to give it 5 stars but because of all the sad parts in it they didn't like it as much so it should get 4 stars. But then, my son said, "No, it was still really good with the sad parts. Give if 5." LOL! So.... We'll go with 4.5 Stars!! :) hehe!

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Kids Korner: A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439717000
• ISBN-13: 978-0439717007

Genre: Children, Realistic Fiction

Synopsis: This story is written from the view point of the dog, years later looking back on her life. The reader starts following her as a puppy and it's all given from the view point of the dog and she loses family members, tackles starvation, packs of vicious dogs, cars, and the ultimate enemy --- human beings.

Our thoughts: My children decided this was a riveting journey as they followed the life of this poor dog. Parts of it made the kids very sad and other parts made them to be very happy. They loved this book and moaned any time we had to stop and do other things in our life. Her name changes several times throughout her life depending on who she lives with. She started off as Squirrel though. It's the name her mother gave her. It is an emotional journey for children though... be warned.

Author:  (info from Goodreads) Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children. 


For more info on Ann Martin visit her websites http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmmartin and http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/


Rating: According to my 6 and 4 year old -- ***** Five Stars

To purchase book click here (hover for details):


 A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

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Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Story Plant, The (January 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1611880327
• ISBN-13: 978-1611880328

 Genre: Suspense/Historical Fiction

Synopsis: The year is 1971. The place is Detroit. Harry Levin, a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident. Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk. This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges – he has already been released and granted immunity. Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter’s killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down. What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans will explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.

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Flashback Friday: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Genre: Fiction/Classic/Adventure

Review: Let me start by sharing that when I am asked "What is your favorite book?" This book is always my answer. I have read this one over and over and over again. I had watched the BBC Robin Hood Television show and wanted to learn more about what really happened. So, I found this book at the library and fell in love with Howard Pyle's novel. If you go into this book expecting the Hollywood stories, well, you'll be a bit surprised. I won't say disappointed because I LOVED it! It is just extremely different. It's a bunch of short stories of Robin's and his men's adventures. There isn't a single plot that flows through the whole story but many.
I loved Robin's personality in this. He's so carefree and laughs all the time. Only a few of the Hollywood Robins came close to portraying his fun-loving personality correctly. This is an awesome book and I recommend it to everyone. :)

Author:He was born on March 05, 1853 in Wilmington, Delaware and died on November 09, 1911. For more information click here.

Rating: ***** FIVE stars

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Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Genre: Juvenile, Fiction

Review: Mo Wren has lived her whole life on Fox Street but things have changed. Her mother died and her father is left raising Mo and her sister, Dottie, all on his own. He decides to follow his dream and start his own restaurant in the city... away from Fox Street. Mo must learn to adjust to the new lifestyle as her father learns to trust the young woman she is becoming in this heartfelt coming of age story.

I, instantly, fell in love with the characters in this story. Mo tries to be mature while dealing with middle school life. Dottie is quirky and just a fun kid who, in her own way, deals with these situations by caring for old bottles or newts. Mr. Wren, who struggles with the balancing act of business owner and dad. Shawn and Carmella who welcome the Wren family with open arms but both have their own skeletons they must deal with. There is such a great collection of characters in this book that the reader just can't help but to love. This is the stand alone sequel to What Happened on Fox Street and I think that I am going to have to go out and buy that book now b/c this one was so great! I loved it!

Author: Springstubb was born in New York City on September 15, 1950. She currently lives in Ohio with her husband and two cats. She is also a mom to three adult daughters. When she's not writing she enjoys gardening, swimming and biking. To learn more about Tricia Springstubb click here.

Rating: **** FOUR Stars

If you would like to purchase your own copy of this book then click on the link below (hover for details). Mo Wren, Lost and Found




This was a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Everblossom by Larissa Hinton

Genre: Fiction/poetry/short story

Review: This is a collection of poetry and short stories. I was super excited to read it because I loved the picture of the flower on the front and I just had high hopes from that. As I read the poetry, I loved it. The poetry made sense and was deep. Some of the poems were deep and some were a little shallow but they were all fun. Then there were the short stories. I really wasn't a big fan of them. I felt they were poorly written and could have been so much better. They had plenty of potential and covered some pretty intense topics.
One of the stories was "Born Without a Heart" and I could totally relate to it... at least the beginning. I thought it would be something sweet and sad but then it turned into boyfriend girlfriend drama... again. These stories were just not able to hold my attention but I'm sure they're great for other people. :)

Author: Larissa Hinton was born in 1989 so she's 22 years old. She is from Virginia and is a grad student working towards becoming an english teacher. She is a writer, teacher and bookaholic and keeps a blog about books. :) To read more about Larissa Hinton go check out her blog here.

Rating: ** Two Stars

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8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf by Michael Mullin

Genre: Fantasy/Short Story/Fiction

Review: We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but very few people know about the eighth dwarf the other seven locked in the basement. Few people know of the important part he played in the story of Snow White and her happily ever after. Things could have ended very differently if it wasn't for this Dwarf.

I originally thought this would be fun for the kids but it is not a children's book but an adult short story. It is clean but it is still for adults. The ending of the story was very funny and I absolutely recommend it. :)

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The Word Gang by Mark McKenna

Genre: Young Adult/Fiction

Review: Kalisha's parents were just divorced and she cut class the entire school year as she dealt with the home issues. Her parents didn't know. Now it's a new year and she has recommitted to school. On her first day she is distracted by an old man, Mr. Spinoza, in her apartment building and decides to help him get the groceries into his apartment causing her to miss her bus. She's late for school and learns she has been placed in a program called "Project Restart" run by Mr. Ralston. Unfortunately for the students in Project Restart, Mr. Ralston cares more about the program than the kids in the program and makes school miserable for the students.

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Closet by Eric John Swanson

Genre: Christian Fiction/Suspense

Review: John picked up an ordinary book while out with his wife, hoping that it would give him some of the answers he searched for. He was jobless and had no income to support his wife and infant son, Derek. It seemed like an innocent book until John was reading it in the privacy of his closet and hands came from the wall and choked him.

Twenty years later, Derek (John's son) has graduated from seminary and in search of a job. He feels discouraged and turns to the occult out of desperation. A portal opens and a witch uses it to kidnap Derek's son and wife. Derek must go through the portal to a demonic dimension and save the ones he loves before they are destroyed.

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The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest by A. Demethius Jackson

Genre: Fiction/Poetry/Fantasy

Review: The Realm possesses magic and therefore must protect itself from others wanting to possess it as well. The Realm has never known peace. Warlord Damian tries to take over and King Maebus the Grand Wizard Kelm think it may happen until they discover an ancient legend that talks of a hero who will save them, Leoden.

The Realm finds itself in trouble again and King Maebus is wounded. The magic of the realm begins crumbling as Kelm and Leoden work to save the realm again and must locate the Candle of Crest before all is lost and the Realm is destroyed.

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The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

Genre: Amish Fiction/Romance

Review: Mattie's childhood sweetheart, Gideon, broke off their engagement suddenly. Now, Mattie has started a new life for herself with a new boyfriend, Sol, and her own cake making business. Then, one day, the life she knows is destroyed and she must start over again at her home town. She must face Gideon and learn the secrets of what really happened the night they broke up.
Gideon is still in love with Mattie and when she returns he fights even harder to keep his secrets secret and distancing himself from others. Will the truth come out and will Mattie choose to go back to Gideon or remain with Sol?

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India Was One by An Indian

Genre: Fiction

Review: Jai and Kaahi meet in college, fall in love, marry and move to the US. India separates into North and South India due to government tension and Jai and Kaahi must check on their families but one is sent to the North and the other is sent to the South. Will India be whole again? Will they all learn to live with one another if they are on different sides of the divide?

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The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate

Genre: Fiction - Drama

Review: Stevie Burke had the summer everyone dreams of; at least, it started off that way and then everything changed. An adult now, she runs away from her husband to a hotel room where she tries to piece together her past and remembers the first boy she loved, sister she felt she disappointed and family she watched crumble all by the end of that "perfect" summer. Now, grown and married she must figure out how to overcome the past and look to the future before it destroys her present.

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The Soul Reader by Gerard D. Webster

Genre: Fiction/Thriller/Christian

Review: It's been a year since the murder of Ward's dad and Ward's accident. He had been framed for manslaughter by the same group of people who had murdered his dad. His relationship with the woman he loved, Carrie Hope, had broken but one day she shows up wanting to write a book on the North Beach Project which was exactly what Ward and his father had gotten into before they were both either killed or scared away from it. However, Carrie had no fears of the situation and decided to go on with the book and investigation without him. Ward decided that he would need to use his "gift" to help protect her from the horrible people involved in this who will surely be after her when she starts digging into the situation again. Soon, they find themselves on a world wide adventure as they become the target of the most dangerous assassin in the western hemisphere -- Culebre.

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