Posts Tagged ‘youth fiction’

This is one brilliant work of youth fiction for young girls!

I love, love LOVED it!  I’d let my daughters read it in a heart beat.  It was sweet, fun and contained a good dose of godly advice.  Savvy moves to London from America.. so okay, who didn’t wish they could go some place where they had cool accents?  She doesn’t fit in, and than learns lessons as she goes? I think it contains something we can all learn about friendship and faith no matter what age we’re at and Sandra shows it nicely in Asking for Trouble through Savvy and her mom.  She also goes through first impressions and how sometimes they aren’t always what they seem.  All together a fabulous girly girl book that was a treat to read!

Well done!

This is the first in the London Confidential Series and I can’t wait to read the next!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Asking for Trouble (London Confidential)

Tyndale House Publishers (March 4, 2010)

***Special thanks to Christy Wong of Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

Best-selling author Sandra Byrd has published nearly three dozen books in the Christian market, including her latest series, French Twist, which includes the Christy Award finalist Let Them Eat Cake (WaterBrook Press, 2007) and its sequel, Bon Appétit (WaterBrook Press, 2008). Many of her acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books target the tween and young adult markets. She has also published a book for new moms entitled Heartbeats. Several of Sandra’s shorter works have appeared in periodicals such as Relevant, Clubhouse, Pockets, Decision, and Guideposts. For the past seven years, she has shared her secrets with the many students she mentors through the Christian Writers Guild. Before turning to full-time writing, Sandra was an acquisitions editor in the ABA market. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $6.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (March 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414325975
ISBN-13: 978-1414325972

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Scratch scratch scratch… scratching the surface; that’s what this book feels like.  Batson and Hopper lay a fantastic foundation for your series and I can’t even begin to tell you how fun and interesting this book was.

I think this would be a perfect  Christmas gift for your kids this year.  I LOVED this book! It was soooo easy to get into and I was engrossed in a matter of minutes with it.  It sort of reminds me of “The Never-Ending Story” meets “Lord of The Rings”

So what’s it about?

The Seven succeeding Elven Lords of Allyra were dead, lost in the Siege of Berinfell as babes.  At least that’s what everyone thought until tremors from a distant world known as Earth, revealed strange signs that Elven blood lived among its peoples. With a glimmer of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true. But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the Seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago.

Now 13-year-olds on the brink of the Age of Reckoning when their Elven gifts will be manifest, discover the unthinkable truth that their adoptive families are not their only kin. With mysterious Sentinels revealing breathtaking secrets of the past, and dark strangers haunting their every move, will the young Elf Lords find the way back to the home of their birth? Worlds and races collide as the forces of good and evil battle.  Will anyone escape the Curse of the Spider King?

Curse of the Spider King by Wayne Thomas Batson and  Christopher Hopper is excellent!  And I know it’s ment of kids aged 9-12, but I loved it and think it is a interesting series to read at any age.  I was actually surprised at how much I liked it.  It was an easy read, but had depth.   The story takes two folds in it; one is in the book (as telling the history of the Elven Lords) and one is present day.  My favorite part was the present day part of the story.   I enjoyed the introduction to each character and that it all moves the story forward.   I love that you can relate to the Elvens in the real world; sort of a Harry Potterish story of  misfits not knowing why their life is the way it is until it unfolds before their eyes.  I can just see kids delving into this and oooing and ahhhing the way I felt about it!  It really makes your imagination work and the adventure is as though it could happen to any one of us.

The part I didn’t like… SPIDERS … ick!  need I say more???  lol seriously.  I hate those things.  Okay seriously, the worst part is that I have to wait for the  next part to come out!  I want to read it now!!!!!

check out what othes have to say who are participating in the blog tour:
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
Cara Powers
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

** This book was provided for my honest opinion from the CSFF blog tour.

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen

So, what did I think of this book?

I’m sure some might enjoy this, I hard a hard time getting past the first two chapters.. or three… or four… over two weeks I’ve put this book down over and over again.  It didn’t capture me or keep me interested.

As Mr. C says, “A slow start, but a happy ending — sets you up for the next book.”

I don’t like writing bad reviews, but I do need to honest, and honestly I just couldn’t get into this one.  Perhaps a book others will enjoy, but it won’t be on my top list for sequels to find.

That being said, I do like the storyline, and the characters.   Princess Meg and Calen, the mage’s apprentice was quite cool.  I liked the drive the princess had, and they seemed to balance each other out; where one was weak the other was strong, but not too mushy or anything.

The book was somewhat cliche, but overall easy enough to follow.   I did think the idea behind it was appealing- I mean what kid doesn’t like a book that has a a dragon? lol.  BUT I found it to have a lot of dry spells for for me… it picked up and than to slowed down  a lot!(you know, when you begin to selective read in hopes of catching a engaging part… bah).  About midway through the book I finally found it pick up well enough that I could finally get into the book, and actually enjoy it a bit.  SO I have to agree with Mr. C to a Very slow start (moves to slow), but picks up in the end and was okay.

The Dragon of Trelian is aimed at middle school; 9-12 year olds.  It’s mainstream fiction.   And while I enjoy some sci-fi here and there (one of my favorite shows this past year has been ‘the Seeker’, — yes, I am a dork like that!   I’m not really sure what to think about this.. even Mr. C a fantasy reader from his youth didn’t put it on this “good” list…

I will add that I did appreciate that it was clean in language and the bits of magic in there… well.. it’s sci-fi, and imaginative; don’t read into it too deep.  I was okay with that.  I really appreciate it when authors taking the time to really make a book age appropriate!

Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow

If you didn’t see my previous post, you can read it online here for FREE!!! :  http://www.codebearers.com/READTHEBOOKS/SecretOftheShadows/tabid/315/Default.aspx

My first impressions of this book is that it’s a cross between Choose Your Own Adventure type books and The Neverending Story that I read when I was a kid.  Perhaps the movie, The Pagemaster is another example of what I get when I read this book.

Why do I bring up these names?  These children’s tales hold more than just the transportation of adventure, but it makes you feel like it could happen to you today.  I think this type of book is great for encouraging imagination! It mixes a lot of familar stories and it is a great introduction into the science fiction realm. A few of the first scenes in the book bring the warmth and familiarity from these older books to play in my mind.

I will admit that i found this book a bit cliche (for my limited knowlege of sci-fi) – I could pull out a few more similarities to Starwars, and even the current Spiderwick Chronicles.  I almost wonder if they meant to mix all these stories up, or whether they just pulled them out as they were writing together?  I will admit that the Miller Brothers write in a fluent style that children will enjoy and be kept interested in.  I would let my kids read this book, and think the series will probably get better as it goes along.   I found the characters quite delightful and interesting to read about.  Their witty personalities and smooth transitions make it an easy read.

I am looking forward to reading the next one!

Check out:

The Miller Brothers’ Web site - http://www.codebearers.com/
The Miller Brother’s blog – http://themillerbrothers.blogspot.com/

Check out what others have to say about this book:
Brandon Barr Keanan Brand Melissa Carswell Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour Stacey Dale D. G. D. Davidson Shane Deal Jeff Draper April Erwin Karina Fabian Marcus Goodyear Todd Michael Greene Katie Hart Ryan Heart Timothy Hicks Jason Isbell Cris Jesse Jason Joyner Carol Keen Mike Lynch Magma Rebecca LuElla Miller Nissa Wade Ogletree John W. Otte Steve Rice Crista Richey Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Speculative Faith Fred Warren Phyllis Wheeler Jill Williamson

Who can resist free?

So when I saw this book tour on CSFF blog tour for Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow, a young adults Sci-fi, how could I resist?

It’s actually pretty cool.  Master P who is almost 5 was ooooing over the video, and while I think it’s a little too old for him, I am quite certain kids from 9-12 will really enjoy this book!

Here’s the trailer of the book:

(sorry had it embedded, but it kept playing everytime someone came on and there was no auto turn off! lol)

http://blip.tv/play/gYJ2vop4jYIj

And what’s even cooler is that you can read it online here for FREE!!! :  http://www.codebearers.com/READTHEBOOKS/SecretOftheShadows/tabid/315/Default.aspx

What’s the book about?

“Strange visions…hideous monsters…startling revelations…Hunter Brown never expected a summer like this, and it’s only getting started!
After one of his infamous pranks backfires, Hunter unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient book and key. Little does he know the mysterious book is a gateway to Solandria, a supernatural realm held captive by the Shadow.

In Solandria, Hunter joins forces with the Codebearers, a band of highly trained warriors who form the Resistance to the Shadow. But before he can complete his training in the ways of the Code of Life, Hunter is sent on a mission far more dangerous than he ever bargained for. Now with his life in peril and the future of Solandria hanging in the balance, Hunter is headed for a showdown with the Shadow and a battle to save his soul from a fate worse than death!

Is Hunter’s knowledge of the Code deep enough to uncover the secret of the Shadow, or will the truth be more than he can bear?”

Come back tomorrow and see myself and others have to say about the book!