The Gatehouse Mystery (book review)

The Gatehouse Mystery, by Julie Campbell, is the third in the Trixie Belden series. In this book, Trixie and her rich friend Honey explore a gatehouse on the edge of the woods. They expect to find nothing more than a few bugs, so imagine their surprise when they find a diamond! Should Trixie and Honey keep the diamond a secret and solve the mystery, or should they turn it over to the police? And how did the diamond get there to start with?

This was the least interesting of the Trixie Belden books I've read so far, partly because I figured out the mystery early in the story. The plot was uninteresting and it wasn't full of twists and turns like #1 and #2.

I give this book 6 out of 10 stars.


The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 29 books down, 1 to go!

Tai Shan of the Dead (book review)

Tai Shan of the Dead was an action-packed story by Jean Lightner Norum. She is my dad's cousin and she wrote this book for the National Novel Writing Month. She really should get it published! It was a great story!

The 4 beginning chapters focused on the different people involved--the teachers, the students, the Chinese, and the terrorists. And the story unfolds from there. The terrorists are planning on attacking the giant panda habitats in zoos across the country. This is disastrous not only because of the deaths of the pandas, but also because the Chinese have a secret: they have stored dormant copies of the virus that has the potential to turn people into zombies. When the pandas' bodies are blown up, people close to them are exposed to the virus, and this has devastating results on the country!

I give this book 9 out of 10 stars!

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 28 books down, 2 to go.

Winter of Red Snow (book review)

Winter of Red Snow is a historical novel by Kristiana Gregory. The book is written like a diary. It's fictional, of course, but it does give you a lot of information. The girl who "wrote" this diary, Abigail Stewart, lives in colonial Valley Forge. She meets the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington, and she sees first hand the strife of the Continental soldiers. Abigail wants to help, but with the approaching winter, a new baby, and a disappearance in town, is there enough time?

This story was OK, but not one of the better Dear America books I've read. The characters were a mix of real people and fictional characters, which made it rather interesting.

I give this book 6 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 27 books down, 3 to go.

Drowned Wednesday (book review)

Drowned Wednesday, by Garth Nix, was a fantasy story, the third in its series. In this novel, Arthur Penhaligon and his pal Leaf get swept away from the hospital to a strange world called the House. The House is not new to Arthur--he has defeated two of the treacherous Morrow Days here during the past two days (House time is different than ours). Now on the third day, he must face drowned Wednesday. When Leaf gets swept away on the Border Sea and onto the ship of the pirate Feverfew, Arthur and his friend from the House, Suzy Blue, have to rescue her. Luckily, the Will is in the same place as Feverfew's hideout. Little do Arthur and Suzy know that their destination is inside Drowned Wednesday herself!

This book was the least interesting of the series so far. However, it ended in a cliffhanger, making me want to buy the next one! The characters were well developed and interesting, but there were so many that it was hard to remember who was who sometimes!

I give this book 7 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 26 books down, 4 to go.

Dragon: Hound of Honor (book review)

Dragon: Hound of Honor, is a historical mystery by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton. The book is set in medieval France, where an inexplicable murder has just occurred. The valiant knight Aubrey de Montdidier, found in the woods near the castle, has been stabbed to death. Together with Aubrey's friend, Sier de NarSac, and a glorious white wolfhound called Dragon, the young page Thierry is determined to solve the crime. But it will be Dragon who, bit by bit, pieces the clues together to solve this shocking mystery.

The story was modeled after the legend of the Dog of Montargis. It was well written and suspenseful. The characters were interesting and well-developed and a few were simply put in the story to serve as red herrings! Dragon was a fast read, but it was a great story.

I give this book 9 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 25 books down, 5 to go.

Diary of a Young Girl (book review)

Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, is her actual diary and the events it holds are real. Anne wrote the diary during the time of World War II. Her family was in hiding from the Nazis. Along with her family in hiding were some neighbors and a dentist, and there was a lot of conflict between everyone. Ann lived an extremely hard life.

The diary was certainly sad. She fought with the others a lot in hiding and the diary sometimes held unpleasant thoughts about them. It must have been an extremely difficult way to live. If what you wish is to know more about World War II and get the inside story on witnesses' lives, the diary is a must-read.

I give this book 9.5 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 24 books down, 6 to go.

Girl in Blue (book review)

Girl in Blue is a historical novel by Ann Rinaldi. In this story, 16-year-old Sarah Louisa works hard on her family's farm. She is skilled in shooting, swimming, and riding horses. When Sarah learns that she is going to be married off to her dirty and unkind neighbor, she runs away to join the army, pretending to be a boy. But once her secret is discovered, there is nowhere Sarah can run...that is, until her commander finds her a job as a detective. Soon, Sarah finds herself drawn into a web of romance, suspicion, and treachery.

This was one of Ann Rinaldi's best books. You get to know most of the characters very well, but just when you think you know all their secrets, they change...sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The plot was interesting and suspenseful and never leaves you feeling bored!

I give this book 8 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 23 books down, 7 to go.

The Call of the Wild (book review)

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, is a sad story of survival. Buck is a happy shepard-St. Bernard mix who lives in Santa Clara, California, with a kind owner by the name of Judge Miller. But then, he is kidnapped by the gardener's assistant and sent to be a sled dog in the North during the Klondike gold rush. He meets many dogs who are more unfortunate than he, but he also faces many hardships himself. A man in a red sweater beats him cruelly and makes him realize that not all people are like Judge Miller. Buck meets many people with many different personalities, but it is ultimately their brutality that makes him choose the destiny he does... Buck is heading into the wild.

This was a very well written story, and a very sad one too. Someone died in almost every chapter, and nearly all of them were dogs. The character of Buck was very well-developed, but the other characters passed out of his life very quickly. The book was a great one and it made me thankful that I wasn't a dog living during that time.

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 stars.

The Lord of the Rings Part Three: The Return of the King (book review)

The Return of the King, by JRR Tolkien, is the final book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In this book, the hobbits Frodo and Sam, take the final step to destroy the treacherous Ring of Power. But it has been a hard journey littered by perils, and Frodo has begun to despair. Can Sam keep their hopes up long enough to complete their journey?

Far away, their hobbit friends Merry and Pippin are fighting a battle of their own. They fight to destroy the power of the evil wizard Saruman. But there is danger at every turn! Will Merry and Pippin live to see the day when Frodo and Sam return?

This book was my least favorite of the series, but it was still a great book! I'm sad to be finishing the series, but I can always read them again. The characters were all very well developed, but there were so many that I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of them!

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 stars!


The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 15 books down, 0 to go! I finished!

My list:
1. The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (library book)
2. The Lord of the Rings-Part Two-The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Lord of the Rings-Part Three-The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Septimus Heap-Book One-Magyk by Angie Sage
5. Children of the Lamp by P.B. Kerr
6. The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
7. The Book without Words by Avi
8. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
9. Ragweed by Avi
10. Poppy by Avi
11. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins
12. Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep by Liz Kessler
13. Chronicles of Ancient Darkness: Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver
14. The Chronicles of Prydain: The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
15. His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure (book review)

The Akhenaten Adventure, by PB Kerr, is the story of twelve-year-old twins John and Phillipa Gaunt, who one day discover that they are djinn, and have the power to grant wishes, turn into animals, and other amazing things. Luckily for them, they are introduced to Nimrod, their strange djinn-uncle. He helps them harness their powers and is soon leading them on an adventure through Egypt to discover the tomb of the long lost pharoah Akhenaten. The twins will face cobras, scorpions, possessed humans, and also the most evil djinn in the universe, Iblis. Will they live to see another adventure?

This was a great story. It went along at a fast pace, and there were surprises everywhere! The characters weren't as well developed as they could have been though, but that was the only bad thing about this book!

I give this book 8 out of 10 stars.

The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 14 books down, 1 to go!

Poppy (book review)

Poppy is the second book in the Poppy series by Avi. In this story, a young deer mouse named Poppy meets the headstrong traveler Ragweed, who has just arrived in Dimwood forest from the city. Ragweed and Poppy immediately fall in love, and Ragweed asks Poppy out to a dance on Bannock Hill. But the evil ruler of Dimwood, a horned owl named Mr. Ocax, doesn't give them permission to go out on the hill. To get revenge, he kills Ragweed and nearly kills Poppy. After this encounter, something stirs within Poppy. The mice of Dimwood forest have lived under Ocax's evil rule for too long! It's time to do something. To show she cares, Poppy teams up with a very unlikely companion and heads out to do what's right.

This story was suspenseful and interesting. You always had to know what was going to happen next! It was also funny. Poppy is a well developed character, as are the others in the story. They all vary greatly. The plot was interesting and unpredictable.

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 stars.

The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 13 books down, 2 to books to go.

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (book review)

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, by Suzanne Collins, is the story of 11-year-old Gregor and his 2-year-old sister Boots. Gregor has stumbled on a land below the surface of the Earth, where humans live together with giant rats, mice, bats, spiders, cockroaches, ants and lizards. It is Gregor's third journey to this world called the Underland. He is the chosen one, the warrior, who has saved the Underland twice before because of a prophecy. Now, he is back, with his sister Boots, the Overland princess, to stop a mysterious plague from spreading throughout the Underland. He must face enemies, monsters, and the shocking truth of the plague so that he can save the Underland... as well as his closest friends.

This is one of my favorite series! And I cannot wait to read the fourth book!

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 stars.

The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 12 books down, 3 to go!

Emily Windsnap & the Monster from the Deep (book review)

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep is a fantasy story by Liz Kessler. Emily Windsnap has always felt alone in the world; she is half mermaid and half human. When on land, she's human, in the water, she's a mermaid. During her old life on the pier, she felt lonely living with humans. Now, on the magical Allpoints Island, a safe haven for mermaids, she feels like an outcast. All she wants is to show her mermaid friends that she is just as good as they are. Instead, she wakes up the bloodthirsty kraken, an octopus-like monster who is only supposed to be woken every hundred years. Now, eight years before the next scheduled awakening, the kraken is angry for revenge. The only way the mermaids can bring peace is to give the kraken the person who woke it up. Can Emily find a way to fix this mess?

This was a super fast read...I read it in one sitting. The characters were interesting and very different from one another. I think it would be fun to meet most of them--if they were real, of course! It was a fun read, as was the first in the series, and I'm definitely going to get the rest!

I give this book 8 out of 10 stars.


The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 11 books down, 4 to go.

The Book of Three : Book One of the Chronicles of Prydain(book review)

The Book of Three is a fantasy story by Lloyd Alexander. In the village of Caer Dallben, Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran dreams of doing something heroic. Instead he looks after a pig, though his charge is Hen Wen, Prydain's one and only oracular pig. When Hen Wen runs away, Taran gets his chance to be a hero. But he finds himself lost in the dark woods. And with the dreaded Horned King on the loose and the lord of Annuvin, land of the dead, gathering evil forces, Taran finds that it isn't easy to be a hero.


I didn't really like this book. Although it contained interesting characters, the book overall lacked a lot of action and failed to pull me in. I don't think I'll read the next books in the series.

I give this book 5 out of 10 stars.


The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 10 books down, 5 to go.

Twinkling Fire

by Annie (age 10)

Twinkling fire in my eye
Twinkling fire in the sky

Twinkling fire, a mischievous glint
Twinkling fire, a sun distant

Twinkling fire, what do you ask?
Twinkling fire, what is your task?

Twinkling fire of death and despair?
Or twinkling fire of joy to be shared?

A Wind in the Door (book review)

A Wind in the Door, by Madeleine L'Engle, is the sequel to A Wrinkle in Time. In this story, Meg Murry is afraid for her brother Charles Wallace. He is being bullied by the other first-graders at his school, and he has also fallen prey to a strange disease called mitochondritis. To save him, Meg and her friend Calvin O'Keefe must go inside one of Charles Wallace's mitochondria to stop an evil entity called Echthroi from destroying Charles Wallace...as well as the world. But they are not alone on their quest- accompanying them are the cherubim Proginoskes, a tall, dark man named Blajeny, a mysterious snake named Louise the Larger, Meg and Calvin's former teacher Mr. Jenkins, and one of Charles Wallace's very own farandolae, Sporos. Can they all save Charles together?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was definitely as wonderful as Wrinkle in Time, and I can't wait to read the next one, A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Thanks Jean!

I give this book 10 out of 10 stars.

The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 9 books down, 6 to go.

Charlie Bone-first 3 books in series (book review)

Midnight for Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo is the story of a boy who discovers that he has magical powers--he can hear people talking in photographs and he can also go inside the photographs. Charlie is dismayed and wishes more than anything that he had no powers, but his evil Yewbeam aunts are delighted. They send him to Bloor's Academy for Gifted Children, where he discovers that some of his classmates' powers are equally mysterious. Soon Charlie is involved in uncovering the past of one of these classmates, the mysterious Emilia Moon.

In Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, Charlie and his friends discover a boy who has traveled through time from the icy winter of 1916. His name is Henry Yewbeam, and he needs the help of Charlie and his friends to return home. But things are not what they seem. Not only is something is haunting the tower of Bloor's where they have hid Henry, but there are also people after him. One of Charlie's own friends turns out to be a spy, so who can he trust?

In Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy, Charlie and his friend Emma Tolly discover an invisible boy in the attic of Bloor's. His name is Ollie Sparks, and he needs help to find his long-lost brother, who is also hiding. A mysterious new student has arrived at Bloor's, and strange things seem to be going on to the people she hangs out with. Can she have something to do with Ollie? Can she help him? Will she?

I loved reading these books and I can't wait for the next ones! They're fast readers, but great ones! Like many of my Spring Reading Thing books, they also could have gone on my Once Upon a Time Challenge list.

I give all of these books 8.5 out of 10 stars.

The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 22 books down, 8 to go.

Magyk (book review)

Magyk is a suspenseful fantasy story by Angie Sage. In this story, Silas and Sarah Heap are celebrating the arrival of their seventh son, Septimus Heap. Septimus is special and Magykal, as he is the seventh son of the seventh son. When Septimus is taken from them by the Matron Midwife, a servant of the dark and powerful wizard, DomDaniel, the Necromancer, Silas and Sarah lament. But then a baby girl is found in the woods. The Heaps take her in and name her Jenna. But this girl holds a dark secret...a secret that, ten years later, will send Silas to a place he never imagined he would ever have to go, with people he never thought he'd meet, on a mission he never thought he would embark on. Is Jenna the key to finding Septimus and restoring peace?

It took me five days to read this book, but I enjoyed every minute of it! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I give this book 10 out of 10 stars.

The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 8 books down, 7 to go.

Ragweed (book review)

Ragweed is a fantasy story by Avi, the first in the Poppy series. Ragweed is a young mouse who leaves his home early to explore the world. He heads to the big city, where he meets a bunch of city mice--Clutch the guitar playing, skateboarding mouse and her band, Lugnut and Dipstick, as well as the mysterious albino Blinker. Blinker's previous life still haunts him. He was formerly kept in a cage in a human home. The human wasn't so bad, but this home was also inhabited by the evil feline Silversides. Now Silversides and her pal Graybar are back, and determined to destroy the mouse population. Can Ragweed, Clutch, Dipstick, Lugnut,and Blinker save the day?

I really enjoyed this story. It was a fast read, but Ragweed was action-packed and suspenseful!

I give this book 10 out of 10 stars.


The Once Upon a Time Challenge: 7 books down, 8 to go.

The Little People: Stories of Fairies, Pixies, and Other Small Folk (book review)

Little People is a collection of fairy stories translated by Neil Philips. (He also wrote short descriptions and explanations about the stories throughout the book.) Each of the six chapters contains a collection of stories from around Europe. There are stories from France, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Holland, and many other places. It was very interesting to see how the stories and fairies differ in each country.

This book was very interesting. The author talks about each story in a descriptive voice and he translates the stories in a way that is easy to understand.

I give this book 9 out of 10.


The Spring Reading Thing reading challenge: 18 books down, 12 to go.