Red Stick One by Kenneth Kirkeby

Genre:  Adult, Suspense

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

This is one of those stories that you can’t put down.  We have the main character Virgil who sets out to find the person who murdered Tom Jay Harding.  The story starts in Florida.  When Virgil kills a deer out of season, he finds himself doing community service to pay off the fine.  His mentor is Tom Harding. Tom becomes the father he never had.  He grows up and joins the marines and fights in Vietnam.  When he returns he becomes a warden like Tom.  When Tom is killed by a poacher then Virgil will go to all ends of the earth to catch his killer and bring him to justice. 

The author did a wonderful job with description of the places across the country.  I live in Florida and can tell you that he was definitely spot on with his descriptions. You travelled along with Virgil and felt just like you were there.  One thing I liked was there was a small romance.  I don’t like reading major romances I a book, never have.  This author is a master of painting scenes with his words.  I am glad I was asked to review this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Benjamin Buckingham and the Nightmare's Nightmare by Gregory Gershwin

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

From the minute I opened this book I was hooked.  Benjamin Buckingham dreams each night that he is a hero in his dreams. He travels with a group of dinosaurs from his favorite show.  He helps save the world from a villain and he is the leader of the good guys. It is ironic that his teacher has given them dream journals to keep for a week.  When they share them out in class he realizes that his dreams are nothing like his classmates dreams.  When he reads his the class bully makes fun of him and the entire class laughs at him.  He goes home very disappointed.  That night he begins his dream again, only something is different.  He is being chased by a monster.  One of the dinosaurs from his dream saves him.  He wakes up to find the dinosaur in his room.  When the dinosaur  disappears through a hole in his floor, under his bed, he follows. He finds himself in the land where dreams are made.  Since he misses the portal to get back to his world, he is stuck there for a month.  He learns that the dream machine is broken. Things keep getting worse and when the King disappears and Benjamin is blamed.  Benjamin must save this world if he is to save the dreams in his own world.

The great thing about this book is that there are lessons tucked in throughout the book.  Benjamin learns to make friends, and learns to value himself.  He learns that only he can make himself feel different. The idea of how dreams are created in something like a movie theater, is just so creative.  I would have loved to have been in that world with Benjamin.  If you want to find out if he's successful then you really must read this book.  It is one of the best fantasies I've read this year. Since I read  an electronic version of this book I can only hope that the author creates a print book that I can add to my school shelves.

Student Saturday: The Green Dagger by Kelly Hess

Student Reviewer: Alexia
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade

I would give Kelly Hess's books five stars because they are really good. The Green Dagger is about Beynn and Fritz, they are continuing the story on how Fritz has the Green Dagger and Beynn practicing being a Sorak. Well Fritz became addicted to the green dagger and evil, so the Queen Sorak wants the Green Dagger. Beynn is on a quest to get the green dagger back but then other colonies want the green dagger because they know the power. Humans just want to turn in the dagger to get money. While they are getting the dagger someone found the secret on how to control the green dagger. Is it over?