The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

An interesting story about a castle that has suffered for the sins of the occupants.

Recommended age: 12 – 14; 14 – 16

Sand wakes up in a Castle that is surrounded by an impenetrable thorny hedge.  He had already been told that the castle had been abandoned due to an earthquake — but as he walks around it, he discovers that the truth is much more complicated.   Then he finds a girl in the castle, and her story is even more unusual.  Together, they work to bring healing to themselves, the castle, and, perhaps, the land.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

The Doom Machine

by Mark Teague

A humorous story about aliens.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14; 14 – 16;

When Isadora Shumway and her mother arrive in the small town of Vern Hollow, they are surprised to find it almost completely deserted. They don’t have long to ponder the situation, however, as their car suddenly breaks down. They manage to get it to a repair shop, which is staffed by a teenage boy. His name is Jack Creedle, and as the Shumways talk to him they find out what happened to the rest of the town’s population. Apparently, the previous night Vern Hollow had been invaded by aliens. They’re led by the villainous Captain Xaafuun, who has been ordered to bring back a certain item to her home planet. The only problem is, she has no idea what the item is. As the aliens proceed to ransack the town, Jack and Isadora may be the only ones who can stop them.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

“Greetings from Somewhere” series by Harper Paris

Easy Chapter Book (for 8 – 10 year olds).

• The Mystery of the Gold Coin
• The Mystery of the Mosaic
• The Mystery of the Stolen Painting
• The Mystery in the Forbidden City

Short, easy-to-read, interesting detective stories for young children.

Recommended age: 8 – 10

In Mystery of the Mosaic, Twins Ella and Ethan Briar are in Venice where they solve a mystery involving a stolen gondola.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

“The Land of Elyon” series

by Patrick Carman

1. The Dark Hills Divide
2. Beyond the Valley of Thorns
3. The Tenth City
4. Stargazer

Fun, easy to read fantasy/mystery stories.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14.

Fearing monsters in the land, Warvold built walls around and between the  four cities of the land of Elyon.   But, doing this caused hardship to the animals of the land, and there were dangers he did not anticipate.   In the first book, Alexa, who has always wanted to know what existed outside the walls, ventures out when the opportunity presents itself one day.   There she learns of a great danger to the people of the land of Elyon.  In the second book, Alexa is summoned by a letter from Warvold, written before he died, calling her to come and defeat a new threat — giant ogres oppressing a far-away town.   The third book carries on where the second leaves off.   The fourth book follows Alexa on a new adventure as she helps to rescue the people of the five pillars from an evil waiting for them in the Lonely Sea.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

“Shadow Children” series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

1. Among the Hidden
2. Among the Imposters
3. Among the Betrayed
4. Among the Barons
5. Among the Brave
6. Among the Enemy
7. Among the Free

Stories about children and adults courageously fighting against oppression.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14; 14 – 16.

A totalitarian government only allows people to have two children.   Luke is a hidden child — a third child who must live inside all the time and hide from everyone else.  One day, he sees a girl in the window of a neighboring house and realizes that she must be a third child too.  Through her, he learns of other third children and joins in the struggle against the government and the evil Population Police.  The stories chronicle the struggles of Luke and other hidden children as they seek to bring freedom to their world.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

“The Riot Brothers” series by Mary Amato

1. Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life; The Riot Brothers Tell All
2. Drooling and Dangerous: The Riot Brothers Return!
3. Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop
4. Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll

Very funny adventures of two elementary-aged boys.

Recommended age: 8 – 10; 10 – 12

In Snarf Attack, we are introduced to Orville and Wilbur Riot — two boys with too much energy but a lot of ideas.   They lead us through a series of escapades, teaching us how to amuse ourselves at the table, how to be annoying, how to play games when you are bored, how to catch crooks and dethrone a king.   In the second book, they throw plastic bugs at each other and do everything in reverse.  In the third book, the Riot Brothers continue their plan of a new mission every day — rescuing a damsel in distress, being mad scientists, and pulling an April Fool’s joke on their mother.   In the fourth book, they look for a lost mummy.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.

“Monster” series by Lewis Trondheim

Graphic Novel

1. Monster Christmas
2. Monster Mess
3. Monster Dinosaur
4. Monster Turkey

Whimsical children’s graphic novels about a not-very-scary monster.

Recommended age: 6 – 8; 8 – 10; 10 – 12

Petey and Jean draw a monster who comes to life.   Petey and Jean have several adventures with their monster Kriss.   In Monster Christmas¸ the family and their monster go on a vacation at Christmas time and save Santa Claus. In Monster Mess¸ we read how Kriss was created.  In Monster Dinosaur¸ a dinosaur from a drawing comes to life and is destroying the city.

TO SEE THE FULL REVIEW: 

• If you are reading this in your e-mail, please be sure to click on the link at the top of the page to go to the Reading With Wisdom website.
• If you are reading this on the Reading With Wisdom website, Click on the link underneath READ ALL REVIEWS on the right-hand side of this page.