Juv Fic Books I've Been Reading for Spring Break #bookaday

Spellbound by Jacqueline West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever so much fun. And slightly spooky! Can't wait for #3.







Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx by James Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Couldn't put it down. Lots of adventure and bits of history thrown into this "river of time."
It does recap a few things from book one Jake Ransom And The Skull King's Shadow at the beginning ... but I'd still recommend reading that one, first. There's a lot to keep track of so this is for advanced fourth grade readers or later.

Can't wait for book three. When's it coming out again?


The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well hmmm. LOVED Belly Up . Love the story of the Three Musketeers (and, I'll be honest, the Chris Donnelly, Keifer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen (EEEK! I DID JUST SAY THAT!), and Oliver Platt movie version ... haven't seen the newer one yet).

Love time travel stories.

Didn't love this one and I'm not really even sure why. I guess ... a kid would need at least some background knowledge in the musketeers, wouldn't he/she? I mean, this one does explain some history. And there are some good action scenes in it.

But I couldn't help but get a little annoyed by Greg. I can't prove why so this review is not much help. Just ... didn't like him so much.

And her name was not Milady. That was her title!

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can think of several students who would enjoy this one.
A bit of the gothic. A bit of fantasy. A bit of adventure.
I do wish that some of the letters contained in the story had been printed in a different script. The cursive made them hard to read ... and I'm an adult! STill. All in all that's only what, about 10 pages total?



The End of the World Club by Jon Voelkel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well. Pretty much feel the same way about this one as the last.
Lots of fun adventure and funny lines. Way cool.
Lots of totally ridiculous past the point of even slightly believable in a book parts. Way uncool.
So ... the two averaged together come out as a low to mid three stars. I will keep reading. I'll just curse myself a little bit every time.

Don't have a copy of this in our library collection. Send the kids to Jake Ransom And The Skull King's Shadow. But our public library has these. And if I found a student that was interested in the Maya I'd suggest this series as a second fiction read.

Still remember seeing who I guess now was the author dressed up in the most ridiculous sort of Mayan costume at ALA a couple years ago.

pg 98
"She cupped her hands around her mouth to make the sound of a howler monkey, the loudest animal on the planet. And if Santino Garcia was surprised to hear the girl of his dreams roaring like an angry dinosaur, he was too polite to mention it."

(a very very SMALL spoiler)

pg 333
"We're becalmed in the Sea of the Dead, off the Coast of Death. That can't be good."

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