Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Alex is a young boy who was
from the Alps. He found himself picking berries in Westland, the kingdom of
Prince Ruff Rumble. This prince was the son of King and Queen Clover who ruled
Northland. They had two other sons. Prince Dozen ruled Eastland, and their son
Prince Prime ruled Southland. When Alex meets up with Prince Rumble he is taken
to the castle to work in the kitchen. It is here he witnesses the capture of a
very important magician, who has landed in the lake. The Prince locks him away.
His parents soon arrive looking for the magician, who they tell the Prince can
make gold. There is a big problem here. The magician’s magic books are all wet,
the ink is smeared and his memory is going. He tells the Prince to make gold he
needs help from the Downhills. The Prince agrees to send Alex and the kitchen
cat Shabby Tabby Chum to get that help. Alex is shrunk down to the size of the
cat. They find the magic tree that lets them into the Downhills. It is here
their adventure begins as they meet and get help from a Wolpertinger. I really enjoyed the mysterious adventure
this author has written about. I think
young and old alike will enjoy this book.
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Alex’s adventures in the Downhills
are not what he expected. He finally finds a way to help Halo the Magician,
only to discover he can’t help the magician there. He must return to the Prince
and get help from someone else. Like the first book, I enjoyed the land of the
Downhills. I enjoyed all of the characters and the quest. The adventure and the
situations they face because of Prince Ruff’s greed make this a book you just
can’t put down. I really enjoyed it. Eventually I will read the other’s in this
series.
Saladin the Wonder Horse
Genre: Adventure, Middle Grade
This is a wonderful tale from the middle ages.
What happens when the King leaves his brother in charge of the country, while
he joins the Crusades? Trouble is what happens. Prince John is not there for
the people. He is there for himself and all that he can take. When he tries to
take the horses that belong to Lord Baltimore, a young orphaned stable girl
named Annie takes a young colt named Silver and flees. She meets up with Saladin the wonder horse
and his owner. She is trying to find Robin Hood while Prince John is trying to
find her. She is saved multiple times by Silver and Saladin.
One thing that really
impressed me about this author’s writing is his ability to write about
complicated themes in a language children can understand. At the same time he
never dumbs down or insults their intelligence. This for me, as a teacher, is
very important when it comes to suggesting books to my students. This is one I
will definitely recommend.
Genre: Adult, Paranormal
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a different type of
book from the others I have reviewed. In this book we take a look at
spiritualism in Europe in the early 19th century. While some put all paranormal activity under
witchcraft, the main character sets out to prove whether the paranormal can be
debunked or if it is real. Wilhelm Wolf and his mentor Jacob set out to debunk
people who say they can do specific things. They often find wires and other
hidden tricks. However, they are led to Were Keller who claims she is
telekinetic. During their visit Wolf has
an experience he can’t explain. This leads him to search for more answers. The
book is full of suspense, and gives us a look at the beginnings of Spiritualism and how many set
out like Wolf to debunk these people. The book is well written. It is
completely different from the author’s children’s books in style. It will be
unlike any paranormal book you have read. It reads somewhat like a research
journal as we find our main character doing just that, research. This author’s
variety of styles in writing intrigues me and I will read more.
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