Book Review: The Ever Breath by Julianna Baggott

The Ever Breath
by Julianna Baggott
Ever Breath Series

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73761-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73761-6
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $16.99

Review: Funny, adventurous, and magical, these are all words that describe Julianna Baggott’s book- The Ever Breath. This is the first in the series the adventures of Camille and Truman, and it shows lots of promise.

We all live in the Fixed World, or the “normal” world (as we think of it). The Breath World is where creatures of our imagination live. This is because millions of years ago something split our worlds apart. Camille and her brother Truman are about to find out what holds our two worlds together, and what happens if they come apart. Keep in mind that Truman is allergic to everything in the fixed world, and Camille isn’t. That all changes in the Breath World though- it is the exact opposite. The Ever Breath is a stone that holds the two worlds together. If it is removed from its rightful spot both worlds will die. The Ever Breath is a stone with breath imbedded in it. No one knows the creator, but people call him a Being That Which Nothing Greater Can Be Conceived. Our world will die, because there will be no imagination, which means no dreams and no magical thinking. When the Ever Breath is stolen, Truman and Camille will have to find their father The King Of Jarkmen (who mysteriously disappeared), true Jarkmen (followers of Camille and Truman’s father the true king), and not to mention The Ever Breath itself.

I found The Ever Breath to be a good book. It is funny, and it keeps you wanting to read the next page. It kind of reminds me of The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter combined. I also love how vivid the descriptions are. For example, “He emptied tea cup after tea cup- orangey bitters, strong berry flavors, various mint mixes- and Camille did too.” Baggott portrays the Breath World as a world that formed our entire imagination. She is very consistent, and she wrote a complicated plot. Fortunately the plot isn’t too hard to follow. It has just the right amount of creativity and complication to make it extremely interesting, and exciting. While I love the book and the fantasy of the book, I don’t really like the ending. It was a cliffhanger that said, “Find out what happens next in The Ever Cure coming in fall 2010.” While it leaves you waiting for the next book to come out, it also isn’t very impressive. The whole book was leading to a climax that only partially happened. I think that this book is meant for 4th graders and up. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Review written by Kayley (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Ever Breath for this review.

Have you read The Ever Breath? How would you rate it?

Book Review: January Joker by Ron Roy

January Joker
by Ron Roy
Calendar Mysteries

Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-85661-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85661-7
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $4.99

Review: The first mystery series of the younger siblings from the A to Z Mysteries kids has just begun! In this book there are four kids, Bradley, Brian, Nate, and Lucy. All these kids have been friends for a long time, and coincidentally so have all their older siblings. All of them are about the same age, but the author didn’t find it necessary to add the exact ages. January Joker is clearly meant for younger kids.

January Joker is about the four younger siblings of the A to Z Mystery kids, and they have gotten their first detective case. What all starts as a harmless sleepover at Bradley and Brian’s house ends up to be a clue-packed book that is quite easy to follow. This is great for the younger sleuth readers! The kids will encounter everything from glowing lights in the distance, to “aliens” in the attic. But did the kids actually see what they said they saw, or is it just a prank that someone has pulled on them? Were the kids telling the truth? You can find all this out in January Joker.

I kind of liked this book, but clearly it is intended for younger children. This is the first book in the Calendar Mysteries series and certainly not the last. Unfortunately this book fell short in a few areas. First, it didn’t have any sensory details, and lacked depth in the descriptions. Plus, the book was unrealistic, because if the kids thought they saw aliens wouldn’t they just call for their parents, not the police? I know that I wouldn’t go straight into calling the police that’s for sure. On the other hand, this book has chapters but shorter chapters which is great for the child that is just starting to tackle chapter books. So overall I believe that this would suit a younger child just fine. The best audience for January Joker is for chapter book readers under the age of 8.

Review written by Gabrielle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of January Joker for this review.

Have you read January Joker? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Conspiracy 365: January by Gabrielle Lord

Conspiracy 365: January
by Gabrielle Lord
Conspiracy 365

Kane Miller
ISBN-10: 1-935279-49-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-935279-49-5
Publication Date: January, 2010
List Price: $10.00

Review: It’s New Year’s Eve. 15 year-old Callum Ordman is a boy living in Australia. His dad went to Ireland for a business meeting, but he came back jumbled up. He couldn’t talk and could only draw what he wanted. He died. Doctors think he died of a disease. January is only the beginning of the Conspiracy 365 series by Gabrielle Lord. Cal doesn’t realize it but, gangs will be after him to figure out things about the Ordman Riddle and they will kill.

Cal is heading home when he runs into a madman. The man says ‘They got your father. They are coming for you. You must survive the next year, or they will…’ then he is carried off by an ambulance. Cal then goes to the beach with his mom, uncle, & his sister Gabbi. He and his uncle are on a boat. The tanks that keep it afloat fail & they are pulled into the ocean. Cal climbs up to see sharks. He is rescued by a helicopter after long hours at sea. He goes home and a couple days later finds out that all the money in his family’s bank account is gone. Cal is kidnapped and questioned about the Ordman Riddle and the Ordman Angel. He said no. They asked him if he had any drawings from his dad. He said no again and they locked him up. He escaped. Later the Ordman’s are robbed and the only thing missing is the contents of a box Cal’s mom got from his dad. When Cal comes home another day he finds his uncle lying on the kitchen floor bleeding and his sister Gabbi upstairs not breathing. The authorities arrive and see Cal. They think he did the crimes. So he flees and hides in a home for awhile. He studies the drawings his dad sent him while his friend Boges brings him clothes, food, and keeps Cal updates on events. Later he hangs around a bar and it bursts into a flame then he is pulled into a car. The people interrogate him about the Ordman Riddle. He asks if they are with the other gang. They are surprised and ask Cal again about the riddle. When Cal says he knows nothing again they think he lied and throw him in a tank and fill it with oil.

Overall this is a 5 star book. The page numbers are written backwards so it says how many pages are left. The chapters are days and they are broken up into time periods like 12:37am, 8:23pm, January 2, ect. The Australian setting is a nice switch from other settings. This book has a mystery that will keep you reading until the last page. I think the rest of the series will be just as thrilling and mysterious, but go a little deeper into the whole riddle. I would recommend this book to fans of thrilling, mystery filled novels.

Review written by Zach (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Kane Miller for providing a copy of Conspiracy 365: January for this review.

Have you read Conspiracy 365: January? How would you rate it?

Book Review: BABYMOUSE #12: Burns Rubber by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

BABYMOUSE #12: Burns Rubber
by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
BABYMOUSE

Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-85713-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85713-3
Publication Date: January, 2010
List Price: $5.99

Review: Babymouse Burns Rubber is a classic tale of how a little fiction animal follows her dreams. Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm did a fantastic job with this book. This book simply has everything. It starts with a dream and then Babymouse nearly reaches her dream of driving in the Downhill derby. The book also includes the always important good deed. Babymouse Burns Rubber is the tenth book in the series.

The book begins with Babymouse riding her bike to school. However she looses focus and thinks she is in a race car and of course she crashes. After school she goes to her best friend Wilson’s house so he can fix her bike. Meanwhile she spots Wilson’s race car. It is at that very moment that Babymouse learns about the Downhill Derby. She knows that that is her time to shine. She wants to win extremely badly. In order to enter, she has to make her own vehicle. She dreams about the perfect ride and goes home and starts making a car of random junk. It doesn’t work out that well. Through a series of mishaps, Babymouse finds she eventually ready to fulfill her greatest dream, but her conscience stands in her way. What will she do?

This book is filled with passion, adventure, and humor, all the ingredients to a great book. I personally thought this was an amazing book. I had a few laughs every once and a while. And, it ends with a wonderful message for all children. Certainly,-children as young as 7 could read this book because the vocabulary was not very big. Plus it is a high-interest book-especially for early readers. Babymouse Burns Rubber is an inspiring book. I look forward to the eleventh book!

Review written by Sara (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of BABYMOUSE #12: Burns Rubber for this review.

Have you read BABYMOUSE #12: Burns Rubber? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower

The Ectoplasmic Man
by Daniel Stashower
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Titan Books
ISBN-10: 1-848-56492-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-848-56492-3
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $9.95

Review: Have you read a good mystery recently? I have! The book, The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower comes from The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series. This book takes place in the late 1800’s in London, England. Harry Houdini is performing in London, and while there, he becomes a suspect in a recent theft of important letters concerning the Prince of Wales and another woman. These letters concern the private life of the future King of England. Bess Houdini visits 221 B. Baker Street because she fears someone from Houdini’s past means him harm.

Although Sherlock Holmes declines to aide in Houdini’s protection, Watson attends Houdini’s performance that night, on the behalf of Bess Houdini. Dr. Watson accidentally rescues Houdini from his water trap trick only to have Inspector Lastrade arrest Houdini. Just then, Sherlock Holmes reveals himself from the crowd, and promises then and there to prove Houdini’s innocence. He asks Houdini one favor - Do not escape from Scotland Yard until asked to, and Houdini gives his word he will wait.

This book manages to mix real life people with fictional events and characters. The book brings these two larger-than-life men together in a believable, enjoyable mix of adventure and dialogue. I enjoyed this book because it is an enthralling read that took me from the streets of London to the countryside of England. David Stashower captured the essence of the greatest detective in his book. It felt as if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself wrote this book. Stashower did this by his use of dialogue and the descriptions of Victorian England. It felt as if I was actually there.

Having read The Hound of the Baskervilles, there is a distinct similarity between the writing styles of the two authors. I couldn’t tell The Ectoplasmic Man was written by someone more than 100 years later. There was nothing about this book to dislike whatsoever, in fact, I recommend this book to any reader - Sherlock Holmes fan or otherwise.

This book is part of a new series of Sherlock mysteries written by multiple authors. I look forward to reading the other books in the series - “The game’s afoot!”

Review written by Jonathan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Titan Books for providing a copy of The Ectoplasmic Man for this review.

Have you read The Ectoplasmic Man? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Murder at the Lake by Bren Gaudet

Murder at the Lake
by Bren Gaudet
Amanda Christie

Synergy Books
ISBN-10: 0-9821601-9-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-9821601-9-0
Publication Date: August, 2009
List Price: $13.95

Review: Murder at the Lake is a thrilling mystery. Bren Gaudet did a credible job writing this book. She really made the characters come to life. 17- year old Amanda wanted to figure out who killed her uncle. I love the book so much that I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. This book is the first installment in the Amanda Christie Adventures.

Amanda Christie is visiting her aunt and some other members of the family in Austin, Texas. She is pretty nervous because no one on her uncle-in-law’s side of the family wanted Clyde and Grace to get married. They all think that Amanda’s family tricked uncle Clyde into marriage. Her uncle Clyde was murdered and Amanda‘s goal is to find out who did it. She soon finds that the murderer is not finished. To everyone’s horror, the guests all start to disappear. Amanda loses her cell phone. She has no idea who to trust. Amanda must find out who is killing her Uncle Clyde, before she becomes victim to the murder too!

I personally was very interested in this book. It was a mysterious and suspenseful. My only concern is that the writing was very large. However Bren really gave descriptive detail. For example she said “the humid Texas air blowing off the lake Travis assaulted me.” Amanda showed her determination and courage by really trying to face a murderer. If you are looking for a suspenseful mystery, you have found one.

Review written by Sara (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Phenix & Phenix for providing a copy of Murder at the Lake for this review.

Have you read Murder at the Lake? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Indian Summer by Tracy Richardson

Indian Summer
by Tracy Richardson
Non-series

Luminis Books
ISBN-10: 1-935462-25-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-935462-25-5
Publication Date: January, 2010
List Price: $11.95

Review: When Marcie goes to her grandparent’s house to spend the summer at Lake Pappakeechee, something extraordinary happens. Marcie soon finds out that Mr.Swyndall is going to destroy James Bay! Marcie knows that she has to stop Mr. Swyndall, before most of her greatest childhood memories are lost. Join Marcie in Indian Summer written by Tracy Richardson, an exciting fictional story with history and fun!

Marcie knows it will be a summer that is the same as all of her summer vacations, B-O-R-I-N-G. What she doesn’t know is that Kaitlyn Swyndall and her family are staying in their summer home across the lake from where Marcie is staying. When Marcie soon finds out that Kaitlyn’s dad is going to destroy James Bay, Marcie knows it is up to her. Marcie seeks out help from her friend’s dad, Al, her brother and her family. But when something bad happens to Al, a neighbor, Marcie finds something that will stop Mr. Swyndall from destroying James Bay.

Overall, I think Indian Summer is a fantastic story. The author is very talented person because she has gotten my whole family interested in her book. The book has no bad language or scenes which I thought was good. The author was very descriptive about the scenes in the story. My favorite thing about the book is that she used history about the Adena Indians. I really enjoyed learning history in a fun way. Another thing I really liked is that the book is appropriate for all ages. Indian Summer is one of the best books I have read for a long time. I have read many books but this one is fantastic. If I had to rate this book I would give it 10/10 stars because it was so good. I think everyone should read Indian Summer because it is an extraordinary book.

Review written by Sheila (6th grade student).

We would like to thank MM Book Publicity for providing a copy of Indian Summer for this review.

Have you read Indian Summer? How would you rate it?