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Dreamwalkers Part One By D.M. Andrews

1 May

dreamwalkerDreamwalkers Part One

By D.M. Andrews

41 Pages  – Ages 12+

Published in 2013 by D.M. Andrews (ebook)

Cal (age 17) liked to dream because it took him away from this world into a world where he wasn’t bullied. Cal didn’t know what to do when he learned that a girl from his dreams, Ash, is real! He hadn’t seen Ash in real-life before the day she joined his school (and sat next to him in English Literature class). Later he realized that they could “meet” in their dreams (and that if they get hurt in their sleep, they wake with a pain in our world). Cal and Ash together learn that they aren’t in control of “their” dream, and they want to find out who dreamed this place up. The problem is, the people who ARE in control (or under the control of the Guy In Control) are out to stop them!

This was a great YA novella (also good for middle graders)! I like the idea of the “Dreamframe” (as Cal calls it). It is a cool (and a bit scary) idea. It was a great first book in the series and I am anxious to read the next. There is no foul language or over-the-top violence, though Cal is bullied. I like Ash. She was a nice character. I also like Cal. He sounds a lot like me. He prefers books to almost anything else. ;) Mr. Andrews’ writing style is great. I like how the plots in his books are interesting and exciting. His descriptions of the worlds he creates for his characters really let you see what they are seeing. I think kids 12+ would like this novella.

I give “Dreamwalkers” 5 out of 5 bookworms.fivebooks

To learn more about Mr. Andrews, please visit his website by clicking HERE. Visit his facebook page HERE.

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The Circle of Tivedon By Ryan Shorten

12 Mar

circleoftivedon

The Circle of Tivedon

By Ryan Shorten

254 pages – ages 13+

Published by CreateSpace on October 3, 2012

Jayl and his sister Myah can’t wait to go to school in Tivedon! The school is taught by the elders of Tivedon, known as “The Circle of Tivedon.” When they get there they both love the school and quickly make friends with some classmates. The teachers at the school were nice and the classes were fun. Everything seemed to be going great! But everything changes when an ancient evil rises again (Lord Rimyaroth). An evil that will start a war. Two people at Tivedon are murdered, including an elder.  Soon Jayl does not know who to trust and the whole world is thrown into chaos as he is wrongly accused of the crimes. Myah, a royal daughter and a teacher go off to try to stop the war. Jayl finds out there is a magical talisman that can help stop the ancient evil, but he has to find it with the “help” of two really mean kids from school.  Another group tries to find allies to help battle Lord Rimyaroth. Will things ever be peaceful again?

I want to say first off, I really enjoyed this story and would be happy to read the next book in the series. This is a kind of funny (meaning odd – not ha ha) review because, this book started slow for me and at times I found myself putting the book down, but also wanting to continue the story. There is a lot going on in the plot (I even had trouble writing a summary of the story). I think because of the killing (not graphic, but still murders) and the complicated plot (reading level), I would recommend the book to kids 13+. The world created by Mr. Shorten (Tiertyn) was great. He described it very well and I could imagine myself there. The action and adventure in the book was described well and was exciting. The characters were good, but there’s not one that really stuck out for me, but they are all very likeable. The story is a fantasy story, and I think kids who like that genre will enjoy this book, but it definitely isn’t for a reluctant reader or a reader who can’t stick with a story.

Four out of five for this good book with a complicated plot! fourbooks

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The Templeton Twins Have an Idea: Book One by Ellis Weiner

6 Mar

templetonThe Templeton Twins Have an Idea: Book One

By Ellis Weiner

Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

232 pages – ages 8-13

Published by Chronicle Books on August 15, 2012

The Templeton house is a sad place. The Templeton twins, John and Abigail are dealing with the death of their mother. Their father, Professor Elton Templeton was depressed and didn’t want to work on his inventions anymore. Things got a little brighter when the twins convinced their dad to get a “ridiculous” dog named Cassie. One day, Professor Templeton goes to work and when he comes home, he announces that they are moving to Tick-Tock Tech so he can work and invent there. The one problem is that a former “F” student of the professor is out for revenge and hatches a plot to kidnap the twins and the dog. It’s a good thing the twins are as smart as their dad!

Fist off, I loved the narrator of the book. He is sarcastic and funny (he really dislikes Cassie too, that’s why she’s a “ridiculous dog”). The book is narrated kind of like Lemony Snicket, but I think it is also different enough. I like how the narrator kind of quizzes you at the end of each chapter. The twins have good personalities and are likeable. I really like the illustration style in the book. I thought it was very unique.

templeton3The chapters are short and with all the illustrations, I think it would be a good read for younger kids or reluctant readers. There is enough action, mystery and humor to keep me turning the pages. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Five out of five bookworms for The Templeton Twins Have an Idea. fivebooks

To learn more about The Templeton Twins, please visit the official website by clicking HERE.

UPDATE!!

The Narrator himself commented on my “About Me” page! I wanted to share it here so everyone will see it!

Dear Erik:

As the narrator of The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, I wish to commend you on your excellent taste in narratives. Of course, you could have praised me more, but I suppose I must learn to live with whatever crumbs of recognition I get from the public. More importantly, I am pleased to see that you did not–as so many lesser critics do–heap praise upon Mr. Ellis Weiner, whom people insist on identifying as the author of the book even though it is obvious that the story is told by me.

Well done, young critic.

I know you will be thrilled to know–just as I am thrilled to know–that the next book in the series, The Templeton Twins Make a Scene, will be published in September or October of this year. I look forward to reading your typically astute and accurate review of that one, too, when the time comes.

Yours truly,
The Narrator

Cool huh?

Here is my reply -

Dear Mr. The Narrator,

Thank you so much for having the sense to post such a meaningful comment. You are obviously a Narrator of great taste! It is an honor to have you on my blog!

Sincerely sincere,
Erik

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Chocrotes and the World Without Question by Steve Berkowitz

11 Feb

badkittyschooldazeWOO HOO! I get a two-hour delay from school this morning! Before I get to today’s review, I have to tell you the winner of the signed copy of “Bad Kitty School Daze.” We put all the names in a hat and Josie picked the winner out.

Congratulations to…

Sue Morris of the awesome blog Kid Lit Reviews!

I will be emailing you to get your mailing address. :D

Now onto today’s review!

chocrotesChocrotes and the World Without Question

By Steve Berkowitz

Edited by Laurie Berkowitz

Illustrated by Bjorn Minde

31 pages – ages 10+

Published by Libboo  on April 18, 2012

Chocrotes is a chicken. He lives in a far away world inhabited by only chickens. In his world questions are illegal, but the problem is Chocrotes likes to ask questions. In fact Chocrotes’ parents named him after a famous chicken philosopher who asked all sorts of questions. Chocrotes parents allow him to ask questions at home, but tell him not to ask questions anywhere else. The evil Rooster king, Doodle Doo, has anyone who asks a question arrested. Chocrotes may be a chicken, but he is no… umm… turkey? He asks a question in school and for it he is banished by King Doodle Doo to another land. After five long years, Chocrotes returns to try to overthrow King Doodle Doo.

I really like the message in this book – asking questions is good for everyone. It also has the message of standing up for yourself when you believe in something. I thought that it being set in a world of chickens was great. I think chickens are funny and I love the idea of a world of chickens. I am not fond of the artwork in the book. Chocrotes is a good main character and he helps to get the message of the book to the reader. I like the play on the name Socrates and the idea of a chicken philosopher. :)   Because the story idea is really good, I was wanting more out of the book. I thought it was to short (only 31 pages) for the ages it is meant for (ages 10-13) and more details could be given. Even though I think the story needs to be added to, I am glad I read it and it is a story that makes me think.

Three out of five bookworms for “Chocrotes and the World Without Question.” threebooks

The ebook can be purchased at Amazon (click HERE) or Barnes and Noble (click HERE).

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Outlaw Heroes by Deanna Lynn Sletten

16 Jan

outlawheroesOutlaw Heroes
By Deanna Lynn Sletten
150 Pages – Ages 12+
Published by CreateSpace on May 17, 2012

12-year-old Will loves the stories about the outlaws of America’s old west. He especially loves the stories about Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and their gang called “The Wild Bunch.” Will loved to watch old western movies with his dad before he died.

When riding on a train with his mom to go to the birthday party of his great-grandmother, Will falls asleep only to wake up in a different time! Will finds himself back in the old west and the train he is on is being robbed by the Wild Bunch! Will decides to tag along with the Wild Bunch (even though the Sundance Kid doesn’t want him to) and he is present at some of the gang’s most notorious crimes! Pretty soon Will discovers that being an outlaw isn’t really that great and there is nothing heroic about it. He just wants to get back home, but how?

I loved the time period of this book (and that it had time-traveling in the story)! I really like old western movies too, so maybe that’s why I thought the story was so exciting. I learned a lot about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in this book which I really liked. I thought Ms. Sletten showed that outlaws weren’t really heroes and that they had a really hard life. Will is an awesome main character. I felt like I really knew him. The action scenes Ms. Sletten described were great and the story kept me reading! There was a little cussing in the book, one or two da** words but nothing more than that. I liked this book so much that when my grandfather asked me yesterday if I read any good books lately, I handed him Outlaw Heroes!

I give this book 5 out of 5 bookworms!fivebooks

To learn more about Ms. Sletten and her books, click HERE.

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Rebirth by Debbie Brown

7 Jan

rebirthRebirth
By Debbie Brown
181 pages – ages 14+
Published by GMTA Publishing on December 4, 2012

Aleksei didn’t know how it had happened. He didn’t even know WHO did it. Although he suspected it was aliens who were attacking the town. And he was trapped in some rubble from a building. He had lost all hope when two brothers, Mitch and Jamie, found him and dug him out. They hid and were able to steal an abandoned Jeep (all the humans abandoned town). They drove out of the town and picked up more kids they found along the way. The other kids were Krisztina, Ally, and the baby, J.J. The group of kids drove outside town into a park with hot springs and caves. They set up a shelter and lived there. They realize they are alone. They have no parents to help them and aliens all around them.  The kids have to get along, stay hidden in the caves and somehow manage to survive. until they came…

The Boxcar Children is one of my favorite series from when I was littler. I loved to read how the kids worked together. I especially loved the first book where the kids had to survive out in the woods in a boxcar and avoid being captured. I remembered getting very involved in that story. So why am I talking about the Boxcar Children? I felt the same way reading this book! I think it’s kind of a cool dystopian Boxcar Children book… only with aliens! :) The kids live in the woods with no adults… But then the aliens come and… Nah. Not gonna tell. ;) I LOVED this story! Ms. Brown’s writing style had me on the edge of my bean bag chair while I was reading it. The characters were great and they all had different personalities. The only problem I had with the book was the amount of cursing in it. I reviewed another great story Ms. Brown wrote, Amethyst Eyes (see my review HERE), and it didn’t have all the cursing. I think the cursing in this book could have been changed for younger kids to read. :( That was upsetting. The ending of the book was awesome and like Amethyst Eyes, there is a great message in the book about why we should care for our environment. I recommend this book to kids 14+.

I give “Rebirth” 4 out of 5 bookworms.fourbooks

To learn more about Ms. Brown and her books, please visit her website HERE.

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Two Great Graphic Novel Series from Papercutz

10 Dec

Today I am reviewing two comic book/graphic novel series from Papercutz, a great graphic novel publisher. I really like that Papercutz has a huge selection of comics and that they make comics for every age group. Check out all the titles they have at their website by clicking HERE. As you may know, I really like comics and graphic novels and I think they are a great way to get kids into reading.

The first series combines one of my favorite things – LEGOs with another of my favorite things – READING!

ninjagobanner

The Papercutz LEGO Ninjago books are based on Ninjago (LEGO ninja warriors)  toys (and there is a LEGO game called Spinjitsu that you can play). The graphic novel series has 7 volumes so far. The story starts in book 1. Kai (the red ninja)’s sister, Nya, was kidnapped by Lord Garmadon, so Kai joined a team of ninjas led by Sensei Wu: Cole (black ninja), Jay (blue ninja) and Zane (white ninja). Together they gather the four golden weapons of Spinjitsu (their martial art). They get the weapons and go to stop Lord Garmadon… or will they?!?

The adventure continues through the other books. The story plots are connected and they are super fun to read (you don’t have to like LEGOs to love these graphic novels). The art work is really great! Here is an example from the Papercutz website.

Ninjago_Interior_P1.indd

The books are written well for younger kids. There is a lot of excitement, good vs. evil and super ninja action! There is also a lot of humor mixed into the stories. I think that makes it even better.

I think this LEGO based graphic novel series would be a great gift for any kid who loves LEGOs AND it gets them into reading! I’d recommend this series to kids 5+.

I give the Ninjago Comic books 5 out of 5 bookworms! fivebooks

The next series I want to tell you about is called “Dance Class.”

**I know you are saying, “Erik, isn’t this a series for girls?” Answer: Yes it is, but I like the stories anyway. ;)

dance_header

The main idea of the series is the main characters, Julie, Alia, and Lucie, LOVE to dance. They are also friends and go to school together. The girls practice, compete and try to be the best dancer.  This also means that sometimes there is some trouble like when a cute boy is made the lead in Romeo and Juliet and all the girls want to be Juliet! The girls have usual teenage issues that they deal with too (school, parents, boys).

There are four books in the series so far -

danceclassbanner

I think this is a great series. Julie, Alia and Lucie are nice girls that love dance and do it well. I like how they work hard to get what they want. I do like seeing perseverance in characters. Sometimes a character can be a bit mean to another one and there’s some jealousy (like if one girl gets picked for a part that another one wanted), but it adds to the story plot.  There is a ton of humor in the books. The illustrations are great and also add to the humor of the books -

I recommend this series to kids 10+ because it seems to be meant for a little older kid. I think girls (and some boys ;) ) would love these books!

I give the Dance Class series 4 out of 5 bookworms. fourbooks

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Zak Corbin: Master of Machines by Tony Russo

3 Dec

zakcorbinZak Corbin: Master of Machines

By Tony Russo

286 pages – ages 12+

Published by CreateSpace on August 23, 2012

Zakary Corbin loved robots, but most teenage boys do. Zak however, is the nephew of the world-famous robot-inventor, Dr. Elias Corbin, who is in jail for a reason his parents won’t tell him. Zak finds out that his uncle was put in jail because he was a traitor and used his robots to destroy a factory. Zak knows that his uncle couldn’t be a traitor and wouldn’t build evil robots and he decides to find out the truth. Zak finds the plans to build one of his uncles robots called a “Guardian.” Zak and his friends decide to build the Guardian and prove that his uncles robots are not evil, but things do not go as planned…

First I have to say – WHAT A COOL COVER! The cover art is awesome. There was a lot good action, excitement and cool robot stuff. Mr. Russo also put in a lot of humor mixed in, which I always like in a story. The story itself was good and fun to read, but it wasn’t as involved as I would have liked. I had a bit of trouble picturing the settings in my head and I wanted a bit more to the plot. The characters of Zak and his friends were good characters that were fun to read about. One thing I didn’t like was that there was cursing throughout the book (by some of the adult characters). The book was written for kids older than me and cursing sometimes adds to a character’s personality. It was more than I like (I don’t want any), but may not be a problem for other kids. I was surprised to find out that the book takes place in the 20th century. It made a cool dystopian setting.

Three out of five bookworms for Zak Corbin: Master of Machines.

threebooks

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The Wizard of Time (Book 1) By G.L. Breedon

24 Aug

The Wizard of Time (Book 1)
By G.L. Breedon
296 Pages – Ages 14+
Published by Kosmosaic Books on July 28, 2011

Thirteen-year old Gabriel Salvador knew if he had a dream where something happened to him, that thing would happen in real life. One night, Gabriel dreamed he was going to drown. He then knew he would die soon. Gabriel wakes up to find himself in a strange room and is told that his family and friends think he is dead because he drowned. He was saved from death by a Time Mage and the Mages made a copy of him to replace him in his other life, so he can’t go back no matter what. Mages are magicians or wizards that can use one of six different magics (fire, wind, heart-tree, time, earth and soul). Gabriel soon finds out he is also a Mage and he can control and travel though time. Gabriel learns that there are “Malignancy Mages” that use their magic for evil and they want to kidnap Gabriel and use his powers. Gabriel eventually learns that he is The Seventh True Mage, a person who can use all six magics. But Gabriel gets captured by an evil Mage and it looks like he can’t escape.

I really liked this story. I thought the Mages were cool and I liked learning about the different Mages. The action and the magic fights in the book were described really well and the time traveling and history (Gabriel traveled to different periods of time) were some of the really great parts of the book. I liked the story, but it isn’t for a kid my age. Although Mr. Breedon wrote the action and battle parts really well, the book didn’t have the humor mixed in to it like a lot of the action/fantasy books I read for kids my age. There was also a bunch of bad language that just didn’t need to be in there. I think the book would be good for older kids and adults who like fantasy and time travel. Gabriel was an awesome main character. He is the kind of kid-hero I do like to read about. I would like to see him in a middle-grade book!

I give “The Wizard of Time” three out of five bookworms.

To learn more about Mr. Breedon and his other books, please visit his website by clicking HERE!

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Chrysalis Chronicles Book 1: The Eyes of the Desert Sand by Edwin Wolfe

16 Jul

Chrysalis Chronicles Book 1: The Eyes of the Desert Sand

By Edwin Wolfe

320 Pages – Ages 12+

Published by Fox Hunt Publishing Group on March 24, 2012

 Ethan Fox lived in the city but really wanted to be somewhere outdoors with big open spaces. His family took a vacation to the beach and Ethan went for a walk where he met a young girl, Haley. Haley had amnesia and couldn’t remember anything. While Ethan was talking to Haley, he saw a blue bunny with yellow polka-dots named Jasper. Ethan followed the bunny and Haley followed Ethan and they found a hidden staircase into the ground. From that moment on, both of their lives get more dangerous and more exciting when they meet the Caretakers and their allies!

I loved this book! The characters in the book were very unique and cool. Some of the creatures were totally new and some were ones you heard of before but were totally different from what you know (did you know that leprechauns are really nasty small people who kill the Grumplings by using a four-leaf clover (a Grumpling’s favorite food) as bait?) I liked really liked the Hydromorphs (creatures that could breath under water and shape-shift). The strange creatures and hidden worlds Mr. Wolfe describes are very interesting and I really got into the story. The reading level was more challenging and that made it more enjoyable for me. I recommend it to kids 12+ and young advanced readers that are 9+.

I give “The Eyes of the Desert Sand” five out of five bookworms!

To learn more about Mr. Wolfe, visit his website, HERE. There are a lot of fun things to see on the website and you can even read a sample chapter of “The Eyes of the Desert Sand.”

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