Wonderful Books for the Imagination

Can you See the Magic by Chris Stead  Artwork by Els Dirickx
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

In my opinion, children's books should not just tell a great story, but they should spark the imagination. This is by far my favorite children's book of the new year. I have shared it with several teachers and students at school. It was great fun watching them look around the room and see the owl in the wood grain on my door or the dragon that is on theirs. This book  is great for ALL ages.  I teach middle school and my students loved it. Chris Stead has taken the artwork created by Els Dirickx, and created a story where you must use your imagination to see the magic around you. In this story two young children convince their father to walk around the farm with them to see the magic. The father, like most adults tells them there is no such thing as magic. The children assure him there is. They look at rusty old cars, and burnt pieces of wood.  This has reignited my already big imagination. I have always seen the magic in things. I used to drive my mother crazy with statements like, “Look at the face in the tile mom, it’s an old man with a droopy hat.” Our imagination served us well when we were growing up on our farm. We spent hours looking at the clouds and other items for the magic in them. I am already a fan of Chris Stead’s books. He worked his own magic when he paired up with this artist who creates something she calls Arikai Reverse art. The word Arikai is made from the names of two of her grandchildren Ari and Kai.

To find out more about Chris' books go to: http://oldmatemedia.com/

To find out more about Els Dirickx's artwork go to: http://www.arikaireverseart.com.au/

Morty's Travels by Anderson Atlas
Genre: Children, Science Fiction, Adventure
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a strange and fun adventure story. Morty likes to play pranks on his dad. One morning he goes outside to find a slug to put in his dad's shoe. Instead, he finds a strange flower. The pollen from it causes him to sneeze and he is transported to another planet. He meets some friendly adventures and even finds a pet. This would make a great bed-time story. The pictures are wonderful.
Find out more about Anderson's work at: http://andersonatlas.com/

Youngtimer: Adventures In Time by Glynnis Rogero

Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Carly is this super smart, nerdy girl who has been recommended to skip two grades.  She decides to do everything in her power to get lower grades so that she can stay at that school with her best friends Patti.  This is just one of the adventures Carly creates in this book.

When Carly's grandfather passes away he leaves her a mysterious letter and wooden box.  The instructions tell her not to open the box until she reads the letter.  She has always been her grandfather's favorite.  She even had a secret knock that allowed her, and her alone,  into his garage/workshop.  She places the box under her bed where it stays until her best friend Patti finds it and pulls it out. She has been asked by her grandfather to wait until she is eighteen to open it.  But, as Patti points out that is six years away. What her grandfather has left her is tucked away in a corner of his workshop. Carly can hardly believe he has left her a time machine.  Carly tries it out while her friend is there in case something goes wrong.  Then she talks her friend into going on a trip.  But, what happens when Carly uses the machine to try to fix a family problem and changes things?  The tension was taut enough I kept thinking, don't do that....what happens if...

Parts of this story reminded me of the movie "Back to the Future" where Marty has to be careful how he changes things because it could have dire consequences.  This is Carly's situation.  Will she make the problem she has at home better or worse?  This is a must read book.  It is full of humor and situations that my middle school students would definitely be able to identify.  I will definitely recommend this book to them.

Night Buddies Go Sky High by Sands Heatherington

Genre: Children, Adventure, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Crosley the bright red crocodile, who is afraid of water is on another adventure with his best buddy John Degraffenreidt.  Crosley lives under John’s bed and absolutely loves pineapple cheesecakes.  However we learn that the iguana from the last book is actually repelled by the pineapple cheesecake.  This is good as we learn at the beginning of the book that John is about to be turned green by the Iguana. It is Crosley and his pineapple cheesecake to the rescue.
Crosley needs to replenish his supply cheesecakes and so they visit Big Mae and her cheesecake factory.  They find her lying on the floor studying a dot on her ceiling that is slowly moving.  Crosley’s brother, Crenwrinkle has also spotted this suspicious dot in the night sky.  So Crosley and John are off on another program (another way of saying adventure) to determine if this tiny moving speck is a threat or not.

Kids will really love the made up and non-formal language in this book. It makes it more interesting and fun to read.  This is the third book in the series and I have really enjoyed them all.  I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Button Hill by Michael Bradford

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Dekker and his little sister Riley have temporarily moved to Button Hill while their mom is taking college classes at night.  They assume they are going to be bored out of their minds living with their Aunt Primrose.  She is  old, smelly and weird.  But, things take a drastic turn when Dekker finds an old clock made out of bones, with a skull for a face in his aunt’s basement.  His first mistake was moving the skull face.  His aunt has told him not to touch it.  When he locks his sister in the basement while playing a game, thing go from bad to worse.  When she doesn’t respond to him he goes into the basement and finds the old well is now open and his sister is gone.  He goes down the well only to find his sister, his neighbor Harper who he kind of likes, and someone who wants to replace him in his world named Cobb.  Dekker and Riley have traveled from Dayside to Nightside.  Dayside is where the living are, and nightside is where the dead are.  Harper has lived in both places.  In Nightside, making a bargain can have severe consequences as Dekker and his sister both find out.  Will they be able to escape Nightside?  Will their Aunt Primrose be able to help? This was a wonderful book.  It was fun to read and creepy at the same time. This is a story of friendship, family, love and sacrifice.  It is the type of book I know my students will love.

About the Author

(Goodreads author picture)

Michael Bradford was born in 1975, in St. Albert, Alberta. He has worked as a grass cutter, waiter, pizza delivery boy, literacy teacher, elementary school vice-principal and published poet. “Button Hill is his first novel. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his wife and two children.

Run Holly Run by Walter Rouzer

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Take one haunted mansion that sits on the Mississippi River, people in the town acting strangely, burned crop circles and top it off with aliens and you have just filled the reading wish list of most middle school kids.

Holly Atwood and her parents have just moved into a mansion. While out walking Holly sees two girls in the attic window of the mansion.  When she returns she sees those same faces in a portrait hanging above the fireplace.  She doesn't understand.  The portrait is over one hundred years old so there is no way she could have seen those faces for real.  There are other strange things happening around town and she feels she needs to get to the bottom of it.  The good thing is her friend Charlie, from college, lives in this same town. He will gladly help her solve this mystery.  I loved the quirkiness and most of all the mystery to this book.  The only thing that saddens me is that it is in ebook format.  This is one of those books I would definitely purchase for my classroom shelves.  I know my students would love it.  All I can do is recommend it to the few who have ereaders.  However, I do whole heartedly recommend it.

Lug: Dawn of the Ice Age by David Zeltser

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads
A hilarious middle-grade novel about a misunderstood caveboy perfect for fans of Ice Age, Happy Feet, The Time Warp Trio, and Platypus Police Squad. 

Lug is a caveboy who would rather paint than club other caveboys. The clan even mocks him, calling him "Little Slug." Like all the other caveboys, Lug must enter the contest to become the clan's next Big Man and attempt to catch the Biggest Beast--even though he would much rather spend his days painting in his secret art cave. When Lug is banished for failing to catch a jungle llama, he thinks he is alone in the world but finds others who believe in him: his clanmate Stony and a new friend, Echo, a girl from a rival clan who can talk to animals and just may be prehistory's first vegetarian/animal rights activist. Together they face even bigger challenges--Lug discovers the Ice Age is coming and he has to bring the warring clans together to save them not only from the freeze but also from a particularly unpleasant migrating pride of saber-toothed tigers. It's no help that the elders are cavemen who can't seem to get the concept of climate change through their thick skulls. With both funny, anachronistic humor, charming characters, and strong themes, Lug, Dawn of the Ice Ageis sure to be a hit with many readers.

My Thoughts:
I knew from the minute I began reading this book that I was gong to love it.  The book starts out like this: "If you are looking at my cave paintings, I have succeeded. If not, we humans are probably extinct. You see, the world began to get colder-- much colder And my clan initially reacted by doing this:



That's right, a whole lot of NOTHING."  The middle of that first page is literally blank.  I kept giggling over it.  The story is about a boy who is not like many of the others in his clan. He is a dreamer, he is artistic and he dares to challenge their belief system. When he is vanished along with another boy, he sees it as somewhat of an advantage. He learns a lot about himself and about true courage. The story, set in stone age time is still very appropriate to kids of today. Themes and issues of friendship,  bullies, fitting in with your peers and your own family are things every kid today can relate to.  I can't wait to put this on my shelf.  I also can't wait for the second book in the series to come out next year.  It is such a quick and easy read.  It is so fun that kids won't realize there are lessons to learn within the pages.  I don't think there are enough stars to give this one, but it definitely goes to the top of my middle grade favorites of the year.

Author Contact:

https://twitter.com/davidzeltser

https://www.facebook.com/davidzeltser

www.davidzeltser.com 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure
Source: I received a copy form the author in exchange for my honest review.

 

Book Blurb
Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

My Thoughts:

I love a book that mixes adventure, mystery and historical facts throughout. Kitty is in Alaska observing humpback whales. She does this from her plane that she pilots. In case you are concerned because you’ve never been to Alaska and think you might not be able to visualize Kitty’s travels, the author has included a map. It is very helpful. Like so many real people Kitty gets caught up in local gold rush stories.

Kitty is a well rounded character. She does carry on a lot of internal dialogue. But, this is a lot like my students.  I hear them talking to themselves as they talk through situations.  It can be annoying at times but it is also spot on.  There is a lot of information throughout this book.  For many people this may be something they don’t like.  As an educator I love books like this.  I just happen to have several quirky students like me that I know will love this book for that reason. Just because I love a book doesn’t mean my students will.  When the author threw in a robbery and a kidnapping I knew that this was a book for my shelves.  There are several other books in this series.  See the links below to learn more about them.

 Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold: http://www.amazon.com/Kitty-Flying-Detective-Agency-Series-ebook/dp/B00AGY6WWK/

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost: http://www.amazon.com/Hemingways-Flying-Detective-Agency-Series-ebook/dp/B00F4A6WXA/

Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue: http://www.amazon.com/Icelandic-Intrigue-Flying-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B00CGS8862/

Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic: http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Titanic-Flying-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B00IIY8V1U

 

About Iain Reading
Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations. He has published 4 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series.

For more information, go to http://www.kittyhawkworld.com/

You can also find him on:

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kittyhawkworld

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276101.Iain_Reading

Release Day Book Blitz

DEAD GIRL WALKING by Ruth Silver

a Young Adult Paranormal Adventure

published by Patchwork Press

http://royalreaper.com

Forget everything you know about grim reapers.

Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.

Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

Amazon - Borrow Dead Girl Walking for FREE with Amazon Prime

Signed Copy

Goodreads

Excerpt

“Forget everything you know about grim reapers, Ophelia. Humans have it wrong. It’s easier to believe in angels and demons, than to see what’s right in front of you. Who wants to believe the undead walk among us with beating hearts? It would frighten humans. It would probably send many to their graves faster,” Edon said.

About the Author: Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing. Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian, paranormal, and fantasy young adult stories. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

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The Last Buffalo by Ed Kienzle

Pages:  214

Genre: Middle Grade Adventure

Source: Received a copy from the author

From Goodreads:

The Last Buffalo Little Kettle watches, heartbroken, as the last buffalo falls lifeless to the ground in what he has come to call The Winter of the Red Snow. Little Kettle has been waging a personal battle to stop the killing as the animals leave Yellowstone seeking winter forage. When his nephew Wyman is born, Little Kettle passes the mantle of protecting the buffalo to him, proclaiming the boy the Keeper of the Buffalo. Though he instills in Wyman a deep love for the animal that once ruled the Western Plains, the youngster struggles under the weight of the this great responsibility he's been asked to bear. He yearns for a more normal life. Wyman gives up the task for a short time but then the dreams come. Or are they visions? Join Wyman and his newfound friends Alex and Jacob as they share a great adventure in and around Yellowstone. A bear, a peace-pipe, an Indian maiden, a mysterious shape shifter, and a touch of mysticism teaches the trio about their and the buffaloes past. Love trust and persistence lead them to discover the secrets of their dreams and fulfill the role of Keeper of the Buffalo. The Last Buffalo is geared toward young readers who enjoy the outdoors, or children in whom parents wish to instill a sense of respect, a spirit of compromise and an appreciation for nature.

My Thoughts

As I read this book I began to think about a movie I saw in the late 1970's called The White Buffalo. It was about Wild Bill Hickok and Crazy Horse chasing after a white buffalo.  This white buffalo haunts their visions or dreams.  That was the part that reminded me of this book.  The three children in the book all have the same dream or vision of a white buffalo.  The major difference between the movie and the book was in the movie they were trying to kill the buffalo.  In the book the idea was to save this rare buffalo.   I found the environmental message to be just as important today as it would have been years ago.  Don't know what the message is I'm talking about?  Read the book.  I am looking forward to putting this book on my shelves at school. It is a book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

Student Saturday: Golden Buddha - Clive Cussler

Student Reviewer: Nicolas B.

Do you like action and suspense? If you do, then the book the Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler is for you. IN the book, the Dalai Lama has been over thrown, by the Chinese invading Tibet. Juan Cabrillo (born in California) and his team must help the Dalai lama by getting the golden Buddha from the thieves who stole it. They tracked the Buddha to a billionaire in China.

I really like this book because I like the genre of the book. The ship Juan and his crew sail on is magnificent, because it's painted like an old rusty cargo ship and it's so much more. this is the first in the series, The Oregon Files. the setting of the book is in modern times because of all the technology that Juan uses. Juan is really cool because he can speak five different languages, can steer a ship, knows how to hack most computers, and he's a crack shot. He is amazing even though he is handicapped.
I would recommend this book to whoever likes spies and traps.

Student Saturday: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin

Today's student reviewer is Anissa

The book I read was Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. The story takes place in a poor village in China. The book is about a little girl named Minli, a VERY courageous girl. Minli believes in many stories that her dad (ba) tells her. So, Minli goes to a place that was in one of her dad's stories and makes a wish. On her journey she makes many friends . I would recommend this to an adventure, fantasy or fairy tale reader. This book reminds me of when I go to my grandma's house (she lives in the country), every day is an adventure. I loved this book because I am an adventure reader and I also just love the author, Grace Lin.

Student Saturday - Salty Dog - Brad Strickland

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written by Brees.

Salty dog by Brad Strickland is a very adventurous book. My favorite part about it ws when Jim Hawkins (a.k.a. – Wishbone) meets Benn Gunn on the island and tries to run away! While at Trumbull barn the barn catches on fire with three kids in it! Brad Strickland did an amazing job connecting his book with another to make Salty Dog. I can’t wait to read another exciting book of his. Brad Strickland made this book very creative, especially by having and ordinary dog become one of the most enjoyable heroes, with human like features. But I got mixed up a lot with all the names and at the end I got it totally mixed up. I had no idea what happened.  All I knew was, treasure……took…..found…..and……pirates.

Day : 1 Found Reviews

Well I did it again.  The end of the school year came and went.  I packed things up and took some things home and left some things I needed at school.  I finally started going through things I had brought home trying to organize it.  What did I find?  A bunch of book reviews I had written with the intention of typing them into my blog, then scheduling them to be published.  Did I do this?  Oh no, I was too busy writing, babysitting and unpacking things that I had left packed until school let out to go through school things.  I was going through and figuring out what I needed to get ready for school which starts in a little over a week for me when I came across a notebook at the bottom of a box. As I flipped through its pages I came upon several book reviews I forgot to type up and post.  It saddens me to think that the last week of school when we did so much reading and relaxing that I read and wrote these reviews then forgot to type them into my blog.  That's what happens when you procrastinate.  I remember writing a list and one of the things it said was type and post review.  How do I remember the list?  It was on the same page with the first  review.  So for the next couple of days I will post the reviews of books I had read at the end of May and first week of June.  The sad thing about forgetting this is that these first two books were two of my favorite reads of the year.

Code of Silence by Tim Shoemaker

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Pages: 348

Genre:  Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure

Source: Received a review copy in exchange for my honest review

Cooper, Hiro and Gordy are best friends who like to spend afternoons after school at their favorite handout Frank-N-Stein’s Restaurant.  One evening they decided to play one more arcade game while their friend, mentor and owner Frank locks up.  What happens next is the beginning of a nightmare.  The three friends are trapped in the restaurant and witness the robbery and beating of Frank.  When one of the robbers pulls and leaves the video that would incriminate them in the robbery, Cooper takes the opportunity to snatch it and escape.  The others get away and Cooper is caught and his house keys taken and he is left with a threat to his family.  He and his friends get away.  They make a pact to keep what they know silent.  They don’t know who they can trust because the robbers were dressed in police uniforms.  Unfortunately Cooper’s backpack left at the scene put the cops and the criminals on his trail.  His lies upon lies begin to catch up with him.  It strains his relationship with his parents, his friends and with his relationship with God.  This was one of those books that once you start you can’t put it down. The messages about doing the right thing, friendship, loyalty, honesty, lies and telling the truth can be found all through the book.  When I give my book talk about this book I’m going to ask my students up front if they believe it is ever okay to tell a lie and ask for examples.  Then I will introduce this book because people need to realize that just because you think it is okay to lie, there are consequences for each lie you tell.  This is a book I definitely recommend to my students and all adults who love to read a good mystery.

Back Before Dark – Tim Shoemaker

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery, Adventure

Source: Review Copy in exchange for my honest review

Cooper, Gordy, and Hiro along with Lunk are back for a second adventure in Tim Shoemaker’s second book Back Before Dark. The four teens are on their way home from a shopping trip when they spot a van with a backpack on top.  They promised they would be home before dark.  They weigh their options and decide they have time to play the role of Good Samaritan and still make it home on time.  Gordy takes off ahead of the group.  As he approaches the van the worse thing possible happens.  The side door opens and Gordy is grabbed.  His friends race to catch up.  Cooper gets the license plate number but gets it all mixed up.  Days go by.  Cooper can’t imagine being without his best friend and cousin Gordy.  He goes to school and sees a sign for a memorial to be held for Gordy.  This is really more than Cooper can stand and he decides if the police aren’t going to do anything then he will.  Their new friend Lunk supports Cooper in everything he does putting himself and his friends in danger.  This book is all about friendship and how far we will go for our friends.  There is also an underlying message of turning problems that are too big for you to handle over to God.  Cooper is like so many of us that tries to handle it first and then when all else fails turns it over to God.  Lunk is one of those who doesn’t understand why God would allow this to happen to good people.  Then we have the strong one of the bunch Hiro.  She is the one who constantly prays for her friends and the situations they get into.  She is the voice of reason in the darkness.  I can only home Tim Shoemaker keeps pumping these books out because I will keep putting them on my shelves at school and recommending them to everyone I can.

Student Saturday - No Safety In Numbers - Dayna Lorentz

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written by Meaghan

This book is from the point of view of five teenagers who have (along with many other people) been quarantined in a mall on account that some kid had found a suspicious item in the air ducts of the mall. Some people are trying to keep their own lives from falling apart rather than saving others. Some were forced to be there and would have much rather been at home. Others were just hanging out with friends having a typical day at the mall.

This ‘bomb’ was unfamiliar territory for the local police so the bomb squad and the F.B.I. were all called in, it looked like they were going to be there for a while. At first it was pretty comical being locked in a mall with hundreds of shops and restaurants. After days though it’s no laughing matter. The restaurants have almost completely run out of everything. Enraged rioters have raided stores and shops and everyone is in hysterics. Then the people start getting sick. A hospital has to be set up in an office supply store. Hazmat doctors wheel in two or three patients an hour with al the same symptoms, blue fingers, ears and noses. When the scientists determine what is happening to all these people it is too late. Most of the mall population has been contaminated and even the hazmats can no longer stay to help.

This book is one of my most recommended books.  It has you on a gruesome and twisted roller coaster from the start. I don’t recommend this book to anyone who is squeamish to medical science. No safety in numbers thrust you into a futuristic atmosphere where our government is dealing with different kinds of terrorists, the kind that knows the human race’s weakness, itself.

I recommend not starting this book until close to the end of school because it gets you wrapped up in it and doesn’t give you an ending. The sequel doesn’t come out until July.

The Fallen Pharaoh - S.W. Lothian

Wonderful Middle Grade Book that not only entertains but teaches about Ancient Egypt. 

Wow!  This third book is absolutely awesome.  I read it in under two hours.  JJ, Linc, Rani  join together once again to meet their friend Khafre.  He has both bad and good news to tell them.  His father has died and he is to be the new pharaoh. They are there to visit and have a good time. They are not there to fulfill a quest.  Upon arriving they are told that Khafre's father has died and Khafre is to become the new Pharaoh. They get to watch both the funeral and coronation.  Khafre doesn't really believe his father's death is an accident.  Suddenly he is gone.  The team must come together to find the Ankh of Life before Khafre's brother becomes the new Pharoah.  Without the Ankh of Life there is no protection for the new Pharoah.  It is up to the kids to solve this mystery and find the Ankh.

There were a couple of things that really stood out for me. I loved that they were able to travel to Paris. I love the addition of Mr. M, the mummy they found in Paris.  I am definitely interested in finding out more abut Leesa and why she is following the kids around.  Most importantly I am excited to find out what happens next in the book.  The book is well written and is such an intriguing adventure you can't put it down.  What I really enjoy is learning so much Egyptian information from a fiction book.  This is one I can recommend to my Humanities teacher and will definitely have a place on my shelf.

If you aren't familiar with S.W. Lothian then you need to check him out.

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