Foiled

Yolen, J. (2010). Foiled. New York, NY: First Second.

Plot Summary:
Aliera Carstairs is a very talented fencer; it is her life. She practices everyday after school and on the weekends. She has no friends at school, preferring to be by herself and not really interested in befriending anyone. She plays role playing games every Saturday with her younger cousin who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Aliera is shocked when she is all of the sudden interested in the new boy in 10th grade, Avery Castle. He is gorgeous and popular and also her science partner. As he flirts with Aliera, she gets awkward and uncomfortable with his attention. As they spend a few weeks together working on the dissection of a frog, they begin to get comfortable with one another, and Avery asks Aliera on a date. As Aliera waits at Grand Central station at their determined waiting time she begins to see odd things and a bird begins attacking her hair. She puts on her fencing mask to protect herself and all of the sudden she is aware of fantastical colorful creatures all around the station. A beautiful woman urges her to use her secondhand practice weapon, with a ruby on it's hilt. It is here that Aliera discovers Avery is not who he claims to be, and there is a whole lot more to Aliera and her family than she could ever imagine.

Review:
I really wanted to like this graphic novel, and I definitely did in a lot of parts, but there was just way too fast of a transition between Aliera being a normal girl and all of a sudden the world's defender. Most of the action happens within the last few pages of the book. I still don't fully understand all that happened in the end. I loved Aliera's character. She was a kick-butt girl, with incredible fencing abilities. She also loved to play role playing games. I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if the whole switch to fantasy was explained better and more time was spent developing it. Odd things were definitely alluded to throughout the book, but the actual transition was rather quick. The illustrations were great. Aliera was colorblind, so the gray scale graphics made total sense. The dialog tripped me up a few times. I didn't always understand what was meant in certain thoughts or conversations.

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 10 - 15

Subjects/Themes:
fencing, rheumatoid arthritis, self-identity

Series Information:
book one of a series to come

Character Names/Descriptions:
Aliera Carstairs (Xenda of Xenon): 11 year old girl; 10th grader, lives in New York City; is a fencer; plays role playing games with her cousin, Caroline; has a crush on Avery; enters into a fantasy world; uses a practice weapon with a ruby on it her mom got secondhand
Avery Castle: cute new boy in the 10th grade; Aliera's science partner; asks her out on a date; turns into a troll
Caroline (Queen Furby): Aliera's younger cousin; has rheumatoid arthritis

Annotation:
Aliera lives for fencing and not much else. She prefers to be left alone, until she meets a new cute student at school who ends up being part of a fantasy world.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1, The Field Guide

DiTerlizzi, T. & Black, H. The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1, The Field Guide. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Plot Summary:
After their parent's recent divorce the Grace children, Mallory, Jared, and Simon, all move with their mom from their apartment in New York to a decrepit Victorian house belonging to their great-aunt, Lucinda. The Grace children immediately sense that there is more to this house than they can see. The scratching noise in the walls prompt them to break open part of the wall where they find an interesting little nest full of newspaper clippings and cockroaches strung up on a string. Mallory destroys the nest, thinking whatever it was that was making it will have to leave. But, destroying its home only makes this little creature angry and strikes vengeance on the Grace children. A note Jared finds in a secret room in the house leads him to discover Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and the children learn that there is a lot more to this house and their world than they had ever realized.

Review:
This is a wonderfully imaginative book. It is rather short and a quick read, good for younger tweens. Plus, it's a series that leaves the reader with a great hook at the end of the first book, which will inspire young readers to pick up the next book in the series. The illustrations are awesome and add a lot to the book. The Grace children each have their own unique interests, and bond together in their quest to discover what is scurrying around in their house. The authors show the struggle of kids from a recently divorced family, as they are forced to leave the comfort of their home and make major changes in their lives. I look forward to reading more of the Grace children's adventures.

Genre:
fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 7 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
divorce, siblings, faeries
Series Information:
Book 1 of The Spiderwick Chronicles

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jared Grace: 9 years-old; twins with Simon; brother to Mallory; parents recently divorce; he is having some trouble with his parent's divorce; he finds the Field Guide
Simon Grace: 9 years-old; twins with Jared; brother to Mallory; obsessed with animals; has creatures in jars all over the room he shares with Jared
Mallory Grace: 13 years-old; sister to Simon and Jared; loves fencing; destroys the nest in the wall; has her hair tied to her bed while she sleeps
Arthur Spiderwick: the father to Lucinda, the Grace children's great-aunt; made the Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You Jared finds
Lucinda Spiderwick: the Grace children's great-aunt; is in a home after going crazy talking about faeries; the Grace children go to live in her old Victorian home

Annotation:
After moving to a old Victorian home, the Grace children begin to feel that they are not alone in their new home. The discovery of a peculiar nest in the wall and an interesting book open their eyes to things beyond their imagination.

The Lightning Thief

Riordan, R. (2005). The Lightning Thief. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

Plot Summary:
Percy has spent most of his twelve years bouncing around from school to school struggling with his ADHD and dyslexia. It is at his final school that Percy is attacked by one teacher Ms. Dodds and aided by another teacher, Mr. Brunner. Ms. Dodds disappears and is mysteriously forgotten and not mentioned. After the school year Percy returns to his mom's apartment with her awful husband Smelly Gabe. He and his mom set off on a trip to the seashore, but their visit is cut short with the appearance of Percy's schoolmate, Grover, who alerts them that they are in danger and beckons them to leave with him. As they head towards safety, the three are pursued by a Minotaur who kills Percy's mother and injures he and Grover. Percy awakens at Camp Half-Blood where he learns that he is a demi-god and his teacher Mr. Brunner is really Chiron and his friend Grover is a satyr. At the camp Percy meets other demi-gods, is informed of the existence of Zeus and other gods and goddesses, he trains for battle, and is claimed by Poseidon as his son. Percy soon learns that there is great unrest among the gods as Zeus' master bolt has been stolen and blames Percy, son of Poseidon, but Chiron believes it was Hades who stole the bolt. Therefore Percy is sent on a quest to retrieve the master bolt before the summer solstice and prevent a battle between the gods. Percy sets out on his quest with the help of Grover and fellow demi-god, Annabeth, daughter of Athena. On their quest to the underworld the group encounters and outwits Medusa, the Furies, and Ares before locating the master bolt and discovering the unexpected culprit and learning that his mother might not have been killed after all.

Review:
I could see myself getting easily hooked on this series. I love mythology and loved reading the descriptions of the modern day appearances of the gods and monsters. Rick Riordan includes a lot of humor in the book through his depiction of the gods, such as Medusa owning "Auntie Em's Garden Gnome Emporium" or Ares and Aphrodite rendezvousing on an abandoned Tunnel of Love amusement park ride. The plot of the book is similar to the Harry Potter and Earthsea series, where a boy finds out he is not normal, receives some schooling on the matter, and then sets off to right what has been wronged. But, although this plot has been written many times, the characters are different and the quest is new and exciting to follow.

Genre:
fantasy, adventure, mystery

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
mythology, good versus evil, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia, self-identity

Series Information:
This is the first book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Character Names/Descriptions:
Perseus Jackson (Percy): 12 year-old boy; discovers he is the son of Poseidon; has ADHD and dyslexia - common attributes of demi-gods; must go on a quest to find the master bolt and return it to Zeus
Sally Jackson: Percy's mom; appears to have been killed, but turns out was not
Chiron, Mr. Brunner: Percy's teacher in a motorized scooter at his last school; Chiron, the centaur in his actual appearance; helps run Camp Half-Blood; guides Percy on his quest
Grover Underwood: a satyr who was disguised as a schoolmate to protect Percy; goes with Percy on his quest
Annabeth Chase: demi-god daughter of Athena; assists Percy on his quest
Luke: demi-god son of Hermes; counselor at Camp Half-Blood; chooses to serve Kronos and turn his back on his father
Gabe Ugliano (Smelly Gabe): Percy's stepfather; is mean to Percy and his mother; he smells really bad
Ares: god of war; turns out to be serving Kronos
Poseidon: father of Percy; accused by Zeus to have stolen his master bolt
Zeus: had his master bolt stolen; accuses Percy to have stolen it for Poseidon
Hades: is thought to have stolen the master bolt from Zeus; captured Sally Jackson
Kronos: father of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades; got Luke to steal the master bolt

Annotation:
After discovering he is the son of Poseidon, Percy goes on a quest to retrieve Zeus' stolen master bolt from Hades to prevent a battle among the gods.

Bone: Rose

Smith, J. (2009). Bone: Rose. New York, NY: Graphix.

Plot Summary:
The story begins with sisters Rose and Briar hearing the tale of the first dragon, a queen named Mim. Mim maintained balance of the world until the Lord of the Locusts entered her mind and made her crazy. She fought against the other dragons until they trapped her underground with the Lord of the Locusts still inside her. Briar and Rose are princesses and will someday be called to rule the land, they must develop their dreaming eye in anticipation of that day. They are taken to Old Man's Cave to finish the last of their training and prepare for their final test. Rose's dreaming eye is more developed than her older sister's and she is able to communicate with her dogs; Briar is secretly jealous of Rose. Once at the Old Man's Cave news comes that the dragon has been released from the mountain and the Lord of the Locusts along with it. Worrying that she released the dragon through her dreams, Rose tries to kill the dragon before it destroys the world. Rose soon realizes that it was Briar, through her jealousy and greed, who freed the dragon. Rose eventually is able to defeat the dragon, but must follow the wise words of the Great Red Dragon and kill the first living creature she sees after completing this task. Next to her is her betraying sister and her beloved dog, Rose must make the choice of whom to kill.

Review:
I didn't know that this was the prequel to the Bone series when I checked it out. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had already read some of the Bone books because I would have had more insight into the story. That aside, it's a great story of jealousy, betrayal, and love between siblings. Rose is a heroic young girl, gifted in the talents that will one day make her a great queen, and full of love for her sister and all other living beings. The illustrations are great, they are done in a more comic book style than most of the graphic novels I've been reading lately. The images of the river dragon are especially beautiful. I look forward to now reading the Bone series and finding what comes of Rose. It was also awesome to find out that Jeff Smith used inspiration from the caves in Hocking County where my family is from in Ohio; in this book are "Old Man's Cave" and "Conkles Hollow."

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 -12

Subjects/Themes:
siblings, good versus evil

Series Information:
This is the prequel to the Bone graphic novel series.

Character Names/Descriptions:
Rose Harvestar: princess; younger sister to Briar; has a good dreaming eye; can talk to dogs
Briar Harvestar: princess; older sister to Rose; is not as gifted as Rose; is jealous of her sister; frees the Lord of the Locusts
The Great Red Dragon: advises Rose on what she must do; good dragon
Mim: first dragon; queen; is driven mad by being possessed by the Lord of the Locusts
The Lord of the Locusts: evil force that possesses Mim and forces her to disrupt the balance of the world

Annotation:
The forces of evil have been unleashed on the land, in her effort to defeat this evil force Rose discovers that those closest to her are not who they seem.

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N. (2008). The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Plot Summary:
During the tragic demise of his parents and sister at the hands of a knife-wielding man, a toddler wanders out of his home while the whole ordeal is taking place and up the street to the nearby graveyard. This is very unfortunate for the murderer , whose order was to kill the entire family. The murderer follows the scent of the boy to the graveyard where the baby's mother's spirit appeals to a ghost woman and begs her to take care of her son. The ghosts in the graveyard protect the baby from the murderer and vow to raise him as their own, giving him the Freedom of the Graveyard. The Owens, the ghosts who act as his parents, name the boy Nobody Owens, calling him Bod for short. Bod is raised by ghosts in the graveyard, learning the tricks of the ghosts, and rarely leaving to walk among the living. He learns how to read and write from ghosts who were teachers when they were alive, learns the ways of the dead from a werewolf, and about the fickleness of girls from a witch. Unfortunately, the secret society who ordered Bod's family murdered has not forgotten about the boy and returns to finish the job. It is up to Bod all he has learned to protect himself from these evil men.

Review:
This is such a well crafted story, so rich with imagination. Using the graveyard as an unlikely setting of a boy's upbringing is unique and pleasantly spooky. It is a wonderfully bizarre and unusual coming of age story, not unlike the author's inspiration, The Jungle Book. Gaiman develops his characters well, and provides lovely descriptions of the graveyard. There are many little details that add to the fun of this book, such as the inscriptions of each tombstone being provided after the introduction of each new ghost into the story. I thought that was a very clever touch. I was much more interested in Bod's life in the graveyard and learning about each of the ghosts and what they did in life and what they taught Bod, rather than the plot itself. The plot was great, but I was content with reading all of the little vignettes about Bod's time in the graveyard. The dark and misty quality of the illustrations add to the spookiness of the story.

Genre:
fantasy, horror

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Awards:
2009 Newbery Medal Award
2009 Hugo Award
2010 Carnegie Medal
Locus Award

Subjects/Themes:
family, friends, loss, death, self-identity

Character Names/Descriptions:
Nobody Owens (Bod): family is killed when he is a baby; raised by the ghosts in the graveyard and given the Freedom of the Graveyard; lives in the graveyard until he is fifteen years-old; a secret society is trying to murder him
Silas: Bod's guardian; he is able to walk among the dead and the living so he can bring food and things from outside the graveyard to Bod; member of the Honour Guard
The Owens: ghost husband and wife who adopt Bod and raise him as their son
Scarlett: young living girl who plays with Bod in the cemetery when she was young and then makes his acquaintance again when they are older; befriends Mr. Frost; introduces Bod to Mr. Frost
Liza Hempstock: witch living in the graveyard; helps Bod with his fading; can leave the graveyard because she is buried just outside of it in unconsecrated ground
Nick Farthing and Maureen Quilling (Mo): living kids in Bod's town; bullies at the school Bod briefly attends; Bod haunts them
Jack Frost: murdered Bod's family; disguises himself as a historian; part of the secret society, the brotherhood of the Jacks of All Trades

Annotation:
A boy is raised by a graveyard after his family is murdered. The graveyard comes together to protect the boy from the evil that is still after him.

Breathe: A Ghost Story

McNish, C. (2006). Breathe: A Ghost Story. London, England: Orion Publishing Group Ltd.

Plot Summary:
Jack and his mom moved into an old house after the recent loss of his dad. This house was supposed to be a happy change, one that would breathe new life into their little family. What his mom didn't know was that the house was already occupied by five ghosts, one woman and four children. Jack had always been able to sense strange things, but after his father's death, he seemed to have a connection to people who had died. He was immediately aware of ghosts in the house, eventually being able to see them. He meets the ghost mother, a woman whose own daughter died in the house and has been longing to be a mother again. But, when Jack refuses to treat her as a mother, she forces him to by possessing his own mother. This feat isn't easy and the ghost mother must feed off of the souls of the ghost children in the house to do so. This is too much for Jack and his frequent asthma attacks to bear, will he be her next victim?

Review:
This was a haunting story. The spookiness of it would definitely appeal to young people. I ripped through it eager to discover what would come of Jack and his mother. The story was imaginative, the author providing interesting descriptions of "the other side" and "the Nightmare Passage." The author also weaves in the history of the ghost mother and her life with her daughter in the 19th century, who suffered from Scarlatina.

Genre:
Horror, Fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
single-parent, loss, death, asthma, ghosts

Awards:
Rhode Island Teen Book Award

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jack: recently lost his dad, moved with his mom to old farmhouse, asthmatic, can see and speak to ghosts
Sarah: Jack's mom, recently widowed, becomes possessed by the Ghost Mother
Ghost Mother: died in the house in the 19th century, mother to Isabella who died of Scarlatina, possesses Sarah, wants to be mother to Jack, feeds off of the souls of the ghost children who live in the house

Annotation:
Jack has a special gift of being able to sense the dead, but this gift becomes a nightmare as he and his mother move into an old farmhouse along with five ghosts. Jack and his mother must fight to escape the evil Ghost Mother who is desperate to be a mother once again.

Coraline

Gaiman, N. (Adapted & Illustrated by Russell, P.C.) (2008). Coraline. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Plot Summary:
Coraline and her family move into an old house that is divided up into four flats. Miss Spink and Miss Forcible live below her with their little dogs; they were both once actresses. Mr. Bobo and his mouse circus live above Caroline's family. The apartment next to hers is empty. While exploring on a rainy day, Caroline discovers a door in her family room that has been blocked by bricks. One day, she tries the door again to find that the bricks are gone. Coraline enters into the doorway and travels down a hall that leads her back into the room from which she came, except it's not quite the same. Two people similar in appearance to her mom and dad are there, but their eyes have been replaced by buttons. She finds out from the woman that she is her "other mother." In addition, there is an other Miss Spink, Miss Forcible, and Mr. Bobo. Her other mother wants Coraline to stay with them rather than go back to her own life, but she decides to leave. Back in her own home Coraline discovers that her parents are missing. She realizes that she must go back into this other world to find them. Once there she understands that is not all that she must find and getting back to her own world will be harder than she thought.

Review:
This is an excellent graphic novel. The story itself is very bizarre and spooky and lends itself well to being made into a graphic novel. Coraline is an interesting little girl, clever, courageous and curious and scared and needing her parents all at the same time. The story was incredibly imaginative. The illustrations are wonderful. Russell captured the spookiness of the "other" characters and their button eyes, while also making Coraline and her real world very comfortable and average looking.

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy, horror

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
family, courage

Awards:
ALA Booklist Editors' Choice
School Library Journal Best Book
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice


Character Names/Descriptions:
Coraline: Young girl, only child, just moved into a new house, clever, curious, courageous, finds her "other mother" while exploring

Miss Spark and Miss Forcible: old women living below Coraline's family, former actresses, give Coraline the stone that helps her defeat the other mother

Other Mother: the spooky woman who creates the other world and tries to keep Coraline in this world

Annotation:
While exploring, Coraline happens upon a door that leads to another world, an "other" world. Initially she finds the warmth and comfort of home in this other world, but soon realizes that she must leave, which will be no easy task.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Deutsch, B. (2010). Hereville: How Mirka got her sword. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Plot Summary:
Mirka is an eleven year old girl living in Hereville, an Orthodox Jewish community. Mirka has less interest in knitting and the responsibilities of a girl her age and more interest in fighting dragons. While on her way to school one day Mirka discovers a house she had never seen before, at the house is a floating woman (a witch) and a pig (pigs are strictly forbidden in Hereville). Mirka is chased down by the pig for stealing a grape from the house, but then saves the pig from bullies in her neighborhood. For this, the witch gives Mirka an award, a sword for battling dragons. Mirka must battle a troll in order to win her reward. With the wisdom of her stepmother and the guidance of her deceased mother, Mirka seeks out the troll.

Review:
Mirka is a wonderful female role model. She is witty, intelligent, and strong. Like many girls her age, she constantly has the internal battle of doing what she wants and what her family expects her to do. This book integrates Orthodox Jewish traditions and Yiddish words, providing meanings and an explanation for each. It is wonderfully educational and entertaining at the same time. The illustrations are great, especially the way in which many are oriented on the page. I have never read or seen anything like this graphic novel. I loved it.

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Jewish, family, loss, bullies

Character Names/Descriptions:
Mirka Hirschberg: eleven year old girl, dreams about slaying dragons, likes to argue with her stepmother, strong willed, and intelligent

Fruma: Mirka's stepmother, smart woman, likes to outwit her children

Zindel: Mirka's younger brother, tries to keep Mirka in line

Annotation:
The strong willed Mirka struggles between living out her fantasies of battling dragons and trolls and living up to her role within her Orthodox Jewish community.

American Born Chinese

Yang, G.L. (2006). American Born Chinese. First Second Books.

Plot Summary:
This graphic novel contains three stories which ultimately diverge into one. The stories are of the Monkey King, who is trying to be recognized by heaven, Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee, and Jin Wang, a Chinese American elementary school student. The Monkey King attempts to do everything possible to be recognized by heaven, including being able to transform himself into different forms. Danny is a white high school student who is embarrassed by his cousin Chin-kee who visits him from China every year. Jin Wang is a Chinese American elementary student who struggles to fit in with his predominately white classmates.

Review:
This is an incredible graphic novel. The three stories run along side one another until they merge at the end and you are hit with the reality that they were not all that different from one another. This book tackles racism and identity issues in a very creative way. Jin and the Monkey King are both dealing with issues within their own selves as they have a hard time relating to the world around them. These two characters realize that their identity issues have just as much to do with themselves as the world around them. The storyline of Jin is sadly very realistic and could easily be seen within our schools in America.

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 12 - 14

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
racism, self-identity

Awards:
Michael L. Printz Award
National Book Award Finalist

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jin Wang: Chinese American elementary school student, has issues fitting in to a predominately white school

Wei-Chen Sun: Jin Wang's friend and classmate from Taiwan

Monkey King: King of Flower-Fruit Mountain, born out of a rock, longs to be recognized as a deity, has issues with being a monkey

Danny: white high school student, cousin to Chin-Kee

Chin-Kee: Chinese cousin to Danny, visits every year from China, is every possible negative Chinese stereotype in one character

Annotation:
This graphic novel contains three stories interwoven by each character's self-identity issues exacerbated by the racism they must endure.

The Dark is Rising

Cooper, S. (1973). The Dark is Rising. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElerry Books.

Plot Description:

It is the eve of his eleventh birthday and Will Stanton notices that things around him are a little strange. The animals are acting funny, there was a strange man on the road, and his neighbor gave him an unexpected gift of a bronze circle with a cross in it to wear on his belt. Will wakes up on his birthday to find the outside of his home covered in snow, but the outside has changed, it no longer looks like it typically does, instead his house is on the edge of the woods. Will attempts to wake his siblings, but they keep sleeping. Will leaves his house to check out the snow. On his walk he sees that where his neighbor’s house once was is now a blacksmith shop, and his neighbor is a blacksmith. He is putting shoes on a black horse for a man dressed all in black. The Black Rider scares Will and he feels as if he shouldn’t trust him. The blacksmith advises will to get on a white horse that appears and he is taken by the horse to ornate wood doors. It is here that Will meets Merriman Lyon and the Lady and is told his fate. He is the seventh son of a seventh son and although he is only 11, Will is told that he is the last of the Old Ones, born to conquer the Dark. Will’s duty is the sign seeker and he must find all of the six signs (such as the one given to him from the blacksmith neighbor). As the days progress Will learns more of his fate, his powers, and sees that he can live in between time, moving from one era to another to find the signs. With the help of Merriman and the other Old Ones, Will must find the six signs and battle the Dark.

Review:

I really wanted to get into this book, but just as with the first book in the series, it didn’t completely grab me. I felt that it was a little slow at times and very dark. There was a lot going on and I often found myself confused. Aside from that, it is well written. Susan Cooper uses vocabulary above what one would typically find in a tween novel encouraging tweens to read up. I believe that my issues with the book have less to do with how it was written and more about me and what I look for in a book. I know plenty of people who loved this book as a tween and it is a Newbery Honor book, but I personally didn’t really enjoy it. In books about good versus evil, I prefer there to be more of a balance between the two. I felt that this book was overwhelmingly dark, I would have liked some relief from that as I read.

Genre:

fantasy, mystery

Reading Level:

Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Harry Potter series; Over Sea, Under Stone series

Subjects/Themes:

good versus evil, family, siblings

Awards:

Newbery Honor Book

Character Names/Descriptions:

Will Stanton: Eleven year old boy, he is the seventh son of a seventh son, he is the last born of the Old Ones who are meant to conquer the Dark, he is the sign seeker

Merriman Lyon: Older man, Old One, assists Will on his quest to find the signs

Series Information:

This is the second book in Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series. This series consists of five books, one of which won a Newbery medal and one which received a Newbery honor.

Annotation:

On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that there is more in store for him in his life than he could have dreamed imaginable. His destiny is to be an Old One, the sign seeker, he must work with other Old Ones to defeat the Dark.

Over Sea, Under Stone

Cooper, S. (1965). Over Sea, Under Stone. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Plot Description:
Barney, Simon, and Jane Drew are on vacation with their parents to visit their Great-Uncle Merry in Trewissick, a harbor village in Cornwall, England. In a game of exploration the Drew children uncover what appears to be an ancient map in the house their family is renting. As their rented house is burglarized, apparently in search of a map, it quickly becomes clear to the children that they are not the only ones in Trewissick aware of their discovery. They disclose the finding of the map to their Great-Uncle who lets them in on its history, dating back to King Arthur and dealing with the battle of good versus evil. They also realize that if they are able to decode the map, it will lead them to find the holy grail. Unfortunately, the evil forces within the village realize the children have the map and will stop at nothing to take it from them and find the grail themselves.

Review:
This is a great tale of good versus evil. Although it can be somewhat slow at times, the book can also be quite thrilling in parts. It is exciting to see the Drew children decipher the ancient map and stay one step ahead of the evil villagers after the grail. Susan Cooper uses vocabulary above what might be expected in a tween book, which encourages the reader to contextually determine the definition of these words. The natural curiosity of the Drew children along with the prompting of their Great-Uncle helps to lead the reader along with them on their adventure. The book becomes pretty scary in parts with the evil characters stopping at nothing to intercept the children in the search for the grail.

Genre:
Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Good versus Evil

Awards:

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jane Drew: Jane is the middle Drew child.

Barney Drew: Barney is the youngest Drew child.

Simon Drew: Simon is the oldest Drew child.

Merriman Lyon (Great-Uncle Merry, Gumerry, Professor): Merry is the Great-Uncle of the Drew children, but not by blood, he was a friend of their grandfather. He is a professor. He is an elusive character, always disappearing and no one really knows very much about him.

Series Information:
This is the first book in Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series. This series consists of five books, one of which won a Newbery medal and one which received a Newbery honor.

Annotation:
On vacation to a seaside village in Cornwall, England, Jane, Simon, and Barney Drew discover an ancient map dated to the time of King Arthur, which will lead them to find the holy grail. Along with their Great-Uncle, the children must quickly find the grail before the evil forces of the town beat them to it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Stewart, T.L. (2007). The Mysterious Benedict Society. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.

Plot Description: Through a short series of exams, four gifted children are selected to form a mysterious society run by a man named Mr. Benedict. After a brief introduction and training, the children are informed of what they have been formed to do. These children must go on a secret mission and work together to thwart an evil plan that threatens the world. Each of the children bring their own special talents to their mission and depend on each other and their new found friendships to help them succeed.

Review:
This book is a wonderfully mysterious adventure. I was easily to form an attachment to the four members of the Mysterious Benedict Society, each with their own insecurities and quirky talents. Each child is extremely gifted, but in varied ways, which made it fun to read about their exploits. The book is full of riddles the secret society (and reader) must solve to uncover the evil plan they are meant to destroy. I was entertained the entire way through.

Genre:
Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Friendship, Orphans, Good versus Evil

Awards:

Character Names/Descriptions:
Reynard Muldoon (Reynie): Reynie is an extremely gifted orphan. After answering an ad for gifted children and passing the exams, Reynie meets the other members of the Mysterious Benedict Society and feels for the first time in his life that he has a family. Reynie is especially gifted with deciphering the riddles from Mr. Benedict.

George Washington (Sticky): Sticky, who ran away from home, has the ability to remember anything he sees or hears. He is a very nervous child, constantly fidgeting or polishing his glasses. The duties that he must do as part of the society are more than he can bear at times, but the comfort of feeling as if he is needed is enough for him to continue.

Kate Wetherall: Kate, having been raised by the circus, is extremely talented in getting in or out of any situation. She always has a bucket of handy tools attached to her belt which help her being extremely resourceful in any situation.

Constance Contraire: Constance, also an orphan, is very small and initially thought to be not as gifted as the other members of the society. She is incredibly stubborn and has the habit of complaining about everything.

Annotation:
The young Mysterious Benedict Society members must use each of their gifted, yet quirky, talents to answer riddles, solve puzzles, and uncover the evil workings of a madman.