Kidzworld's Official Blog

This week I had a couple of quick and exciting reads. Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Lost Tales of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky is a fantastic companion book to the popular owl series. It describes the lives of six guardians before they came to the great Ga’Hoole tree. In a sense, it is a short story collection, but the book comes together nicely with Otulissa, the tree’s historian, providing commentary at the beginning of each piece. Even if you didn’t read the series, you’ll enjoy this book.

The second book, Gecko & Sticky: Sinister Substitute, is fast-paced and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The villainous Damien Black has disguised himself as Dave’s substitute in order to find out who Dave, a.k.a the Gecko, is and to retrieve his powerband. But where is Dave’s real teacher, the scarastic and hated Mrs. Krockle? Is she really sick? Or has Damien Black kidnapped her? It’s up to Dave to find out.

I’d recommend both books, but for different audiences. If you’re the type of kid who likes a classicly-written story or a tale with animal characters, then The Lost Tales of Ga’Hoole is your cup of tea. If you’re more into the modern, fast-paced stories with quirky characters and funny illustrations, then Gecko & Sticky is right up your alley.

This week had a nice mix of young adult magic and real teenage life. The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson were both exciting for different reasons.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms is a magical adventure for kids ages 8-12. The story follows best friends Ruthie and Jack as they discover the magic of the Thorne Rooms located in the Chicago Art Institute. The Thorne Rooms are small replicas of historical rooms built in the 1930′s. But when Ruthie and Jack find a magical key, they learn that there’s more to the Thorne Rooms than meets the eye.

Scarlett Fever is the sequel to Suite Scarlett. This story for teens follows 15 year old Scarlett as she lives her crazy life in Manhattan. She works for a demanding theatrical agent, her brother–an actor–gets his big break, she’s working with a new client whose brother is an utter pain in the behind, and she can’t seem to get over her sort-of-ex-boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention she lives in a hotel!

This week definitely had a more sci-fi feel. Both books were teen science fiction at its very best. The so-good-you-can’t-put-them-down combined with the so-short-you-can-read-them-in-no-time.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward follows Jem, a troubled teenager with a curse — when she looks into people’s eyes she can see the date they will die. When her mother died of an overdose she realized what these numbers meant. And now she finds it difficult to let anyone in. Then she meets Spider. His days are numbered, she can see it in his eyes. But there’s something about him, a connection she can’t deny. Is she setting herself up for another heartbreak, or can she use her knowledge to cheat death?

The Clone Codes by the McKissacks is a real page turner. It’s extremely short — only around 160 pages — but its jam-packed with a deep and thought-provoking plot, and an exciting adventure. The story is set in year 2170, a time when clones live amongst us. But they’re not treated like normal human beings. More like slaves. This concept revisits the 1800′s when black people were considered only three fifths human. Like the black slaves, these clones aren’t believed to be capable of human emotion. But there is an organization called the Liberty Bell Movement who is fighting against this unjust belief. Our main character, Leanna, is at the heart of this movement. Her mother is arrested for her involvement in the slave rights movement, and Leanna is on the run. She must prove to the government that clones do have human emotions and should be given the same respect and rights as everyone else. But its a challenging task for a 13 year old.

Books can really affect your mood.  And this week my mood was fantastic! Both The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima and Possessed by Kate Cann were absolutely addicting.

The Demon King is set back in an unstated time–my guess is about 1000 years ago. The story follows two characters: Han, a retired thief and gang leader with a heart of gold; and Raisa, a princess who finds no luxury in the spoils of royalty and instead uses her wealth to help the less fortunate. The characters come from two completely opposite worlds: rich and poor, healthy and hungry. But their lives intertwine in a way that will change both of them forever. You’ll be hardpressed to find a historical fantasy-fiction novel for young adults that is more action-packed and easy to follow than The Demon King. I highly recommend it.

Possessed conforms to today’s trend of paranormal teen fiction. But this book gives readers more than just the typical “i-see-dead-people” plotline. Rayne is struggling with her home life and needs to get away. She finds the perfect opportunity to escape when she lands a job as a live-in waitress at an ancient estate called Morton’s Keep. But rumors about the estate’s horrific and bloody past makes Rayne question her safety, especially not that the past is resurfacing. Possessed will definitely keep you on your toes. It’s exciting, and most importantly it’s unique. Definitely worth a read.

This week I visited two of the most imaginative worlds in young adult fiction–Luster and Middlemost! First I traveled through Luster, the land of unicorns, found inside Bruce Coville’s The Unicorn Chronicles. In book #1, Into the Land of Unicorns, Cara discovers the stunning and magical land for the very first time. But she’s on a mission. Her grandmother has sent her to seek the Queen of Unicorns and relay a message: The wanderer is weary. Cara has no time to ponder the strange message. A man is after her. Somehow she and her new mystical friends must find the Queen before her pursuer tracks her down.

Second a ventured to the planet known as Middlemost, located in the center of the constellation Orion’s Belt. Middlemost is where imaginary friends, a.k.a abstract companions, are born. They’re designed using kids’ ideas that have floated up from Earth. In Scurvy Goonda by Chris McCoy, we follow 14 year old Ted Merritt, who still has an imaginary friend. His pirate pal, Scurvy, hasn’t left his side for 7 years. And Scurvy is starting to cause problems in his social life. Talking to imaginary friends isn’t so cute at 14. All the kids at school think Ted is insane. When Ted uses drastic measures to get rid of Scurvy once and for all, he learns that his actions have caused the entire population of imaginary friends to disappear!

Both books offer an interesting plot, but only Scurvy Goonda will appeal to both boys and girls. The cover of Scurvy Goonda looks so ridiculous that chances are you’d see it on the shelf, laugh and walk right past. But believe me…pick it up! This book is so well written. The whole “imaginary friend” concept does not make this book for little kids. It’ll appeal to young adults and teens!

Into the Land of Unicorns is great for young adult girls. It’s a short book, and gives you a little taste of what’s to come in the much longer sequels.

This week I read four books: Alcatraz versus the Scrivener’s Bone (book 2) and Alcatraz versus the Knights of Crystallia (book 3) by Brandon Sanderson, as well as Cyberia (book 1) and Cyberia: Monkey See, Monkey Don’t by Chris Lynch. What can I say? Both authors are amazing.

The Cyberia series follows Zane, a boy who lives in a world of techonology, high-tech computers and talking animals. But you see, Zane is the only one who can hear the animals, courtesy of his trusty ear-noodle. He discovers that the evil Vetrinarian, Dr. Gristle, is developing chips that, when inserted into animals, allow him to control them. Zane can hear the animals’ pleads for help. But how can a boy match up against a powerful, influential pet doctor?

Alcatraz took my breath away. The cover wasn’t appealing, and I naturally judge books based on that. But once again, I was wrong. Alcatraz Smedry is a 13-year-old boy who has recently discovered that the world we call home is actually run by evil Librarians. He’s part of a famous family, whose home is located in a place called Nalhalla. The story claims to be a memoir of Alcratraz’s real life experinces. He begins almost every chapter with funny, random topics that have absolutely nothing to do with the story. They let you see how quirky and hilarious Alcatraz really is. And he’ll have you laughing your pants off.

The thing that makes both these series’ so special is that they’re hilarious. The narrators are quirky and clever, and they actually make you laugh out loud. They both look and sound a little sci-fi-ish, but don’t worry. The characters are completely normal, except that they have a better sense of humor than just about anyone you’ve ever met. Please give these books a read, especially Alcatraz.

This week I read Ranger’s Apprentice #6: The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan and Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars #3: In Search of Watson by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin. Both books are very engaging and will leave you craving the other books in the series.

Having never read the first five books in the series, Ranger’s Apprentice #6: The Siege of Macindaw was a little bit hard to follow at first. But the characters soon showed their quirky personalities, and the story took shape. It’s hilarious and action-packed–the perfect combination.

Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars #3: In Search of Watson is an excellent mystery. It follows a team of kid detectives who aid Sherlock Holmes in his investigations. What’s great about this series is that the books are short, to the point and really easy to follow. They’re great fpr kids aged 9 to 12 who love a good mystery/adventure.

There’s nothing better than a good series. And this week I reviewed installments in two different wonderful series’: The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda and Catching Fire (book two of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins.

The Key to Rondo has that perfect blend of magic and reality. It was exciting and fast-paced with a wide variety of magical and relatable characters. The story follows Leo Langlander and his impulsive cousin Mimi as they discover the secret about a family heirloom–a music box depicting magic land. They soon discover that there’s a whole lot more to the music box than just nice paintings and a pretty tune. It’s actually a gateway into the world of Rondo. After an evil blue queen steals Mimi’s dog, Leo and Mimi follow her into the music box and discover the life and strife inside of Rondo.

What can I say about Catching Fire? Amazing. Intense. Gripping. I didn’t think Suzanne Collins could outdo her first novel, The Hunger Games, but she certainly did. After surviving the Hunger Games–a brutal televised fight-to-the-death–Katniss is just trying to live a normal life. But the stunt she pulled in the arena that kept both her and her District 12 partner Peeta alive is coming back to haunt her. Her survival instinct may have unintentionally sparked a rebellion against the Capital, and President Snow is furious. He’ll do anything to prove that he is in control, even if it means threatening the lives of Katniss and all her family and friends.

Both of these books are fantastic reads. The Key to Rondo appeals to a younger audience (9-12 year olds) and Catching Fire will suit a teenage audience. Happy reading!