Really enjoyed this gentle magical secret service tale with a side of chocolate. Certain overtones of Ruth Chew in there. I especially liked the resolReally enjoyed this gentle magical secret service tale with a side of chocolate. Certain overtones of Ruth Chew in there. I especially liked the resolution of the villain situation....more
Fun, combining magical creatures and the impulse to veterinary care that many kids have. Pip is a good kid; the magical creatures are new and creativeFun, combining magical creatures and the impulse to veterinary care that many kids have. Pip is a good kid; the magical creatures are new and creative. One of the books my 10 year old reads over and over again....more
This was a good sequel to the original book, but lacked the heartwarming touch.... adding an attacking magic from a desert kingdom seemed rather hacknThis was a good sequel to the original book, but lacked the heartwarming touch.... adding an attacking magic from a desert kingdom seemed rather hackneyed, and there wasn't as much character development as in the first book-- characters clearly had motivations but the treatment was shallow. Still, I enjoyed reading more about the magic system in this world. Warning: ending is a bit of a cliffhanger- get your hands on Found before starting this one!...more
A fictionalized wombat's-eye view of a wombat rescue operation, with lots of accurate details and some adorable photos. A bit cutesy, like many first-A fictionalized wombat's-eye view of a wombat rescue operation, with lots of accurate details and some adorable photos. A bit cutesy, like many first-person animal fictionalizations, but should play well with elementary school veterinary fans. Compare to/pair with How to Scratch a Wombat: Where to Find It . . . What to Feed It . . . Why It Sleeps All Day....more
Ten year old Rachel is the youngest of three sisters on her family's farm in the midwest in the 1950s. Like her sisters, she is expected to keep up wiTen year old Rachel is the youngest of three sisters on her family's farm in the midwest in the 1950s. Like her sisters, she is expected to keep up with chores, drive tractors, help herd recalcitrant cattle. But she often is afraid of the cattle or can't keep up. This really, really, bugs her dad, who comes down hard on her for her failings. But when push comes to shove, can Rachel come through in a family crisis, and if she does, will her dad notice?
First of all, this is historically solid (I was doing most of the same things at 10 on a farm in NY state in the 1970s), and the work and the struggles to do the work well Rachel experiences are well-portrayed. However, the whole thing with her dad really bugs me, especially since there's no explanation of why he behaves this way (view spoiler)[and when he admits she did a big thing and he's proud of her, it's only behind her back (hide spoiler)]. So, yeah, zero points for that. But a good depiction of how girl kids before the liberation era still helped on their families' mid 20th century farms, so points for that.
It gave me nostalgia of the bittersweet kind. I'd give it to my mom to read but then she'd get all apologetic about what we were expected to do on the farm when I was a kid....more
In this retelling, Red Riding Hood is a young witch who is afraid of her own magic, because she's been accident-prone with it in the past. But when shIn this retelling, Red Riding Hood is a young witch who is afraid of her own magic, because she's been accident-prone with it in the past. But when she is staying with her grandmother and the older witch becomes ill-- and her usual cure has been used up-- Red sets out to gather materials for a cure, and gets sidetracked into a bigger project. Themes include the fear of death, the nature of friendship, and how hard it is to really tell who is the hero and who the villain in a story....more
In the previous book, Rosa and her friend Jasper, as well as her mother, librarian/ghost appeasement specialist, were involved with the return of ghosIn the previous book, Rosa and her friend Jasper, as well as her mother, librarian/ghost appeasement specialist, were involved with the return of ghosts to Ingott, making it just as haunted as any other town in this world. But because the town was ghostless for 100 years, the town, and the school, and the schoolkids, are struggling with their new environment, and some of them are blaming Rosa for the change. When ghosts appear to start taking action en masse (stealing kids' voices), what will Elsa do to survive? Will Jasper's parents' famous RenFair survive, now that traces of the original miners and traces of the fair are fighting it out on the property?
I love Rosa & her mom. I love her friend Jasper, and his parents. I really enjoy the worldbuilding in this series, and the atmosphere. Mostly, I really enjoyed this volume too, though the plot twist (view spoiler)[ with Rosa's father (hide spoiler)] bugged me. Even the struggles of the townsfolk of Ingott to come to terms with their now-haunted town didn't bug me as much (though I loved Rosa as a volunteer ghost appeaser!).
There is something of a moral in this series, and I am somewhat torn about it: that sorrow and grief can't be kept out buried or 'banished', that secrets will out, though they can sometimes be appeased and/or limited. It's a good subtext, but it's pretty obvious, and obvious subtexts are sometimes annoying....more
This is the best of the series; Conn and his master and his master's man-of-all-work are excellent characters, and the plot rises above the usual magiThis is the best of the series; Conn and his master and his master's man-of-all-work are excellent characters, and the plot rises above the usual magic school story....more
If all the Rick Riordan Presents imprints are as good as this one, it's an amazing project.
Chokshi definitely captures what middle-grade Rick Riordan If all the Rick Riordan Presents imprints are as good as this one, it's an amazing project.
Chokshi definitely captures what middle-grade Rick Riordan fans love, though I can see from the reviews that some devout Hindus are... not happy... with her depictions of the Hindu pantheon, specifically because it is being treated as mythology-- though there is also a long tradition of . Aru Shah does, yes, have a lying problem (let us remember that Percy Jackson and Harry Potter were not blameless either), and she is definitely at the struggling part of being 12. But both Aru and her companions are fun to read about, the storyline was engaging, and this is definitely a series to watch....more
Excellent book. A serious puzzle novel similar to The Westing Game, but with a serious twist about the history of African-American communities and whaExcellent book. A serious puzzle novel similar to The Westing Game, but with a serious twist about the history of African-American communities and what is remembered and what is forgotten. It might be a little confusing for some middle grade readers because the perspective switches from Candice in the present day back to memories from other people in the past-- but at least in the hardback version, the name of the person whose perspective is being given is at the beginning of the chapter head, AND those chapters are on grayer paper-- a nice touch. The characterization is complex and the topics of the history handled seriously and sensitively (though not sensitively enough for those who would prefer the civil rights era and other topics not be covered, I don't think.) The puzzle is a good meaty one and I think anyone who enjoyed the Westing Game will love this too....more
Interesting, and probably quite true to the period, but somewhat eerily evocative of Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill Roman stories. Still a good enough Interesting, and probably quite true to the period, but somewhat eerily evocative of Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill Roman stories. Still a good enough yarn....more
This was a bit stodgier than Greenglass House #1 but I liked it anyway. Any story with mummers and ghosts is ok by me. We meet new and intriguing charThis was a bit stodgier than Greenglass House #1 but I liked it anyway. Any story with mummers and ghosts is ok by me. We meet new and intriguing characters and catch up with old ones. Remember: things aren't always as they seem....more
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