Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 7 hours and 51 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harper Audio
Audible.com Release Date: September 27, 2011
Ready by:  Kirby Heyborne
Buy the book:  Audible | Hardcover
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving


We are very thankful for all of our followers. We love you. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

The Reading Tween Crew

Friday, November 18, 2011

Return To Exile by E.J Patten

  • Hardcover: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (September 6, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • Buy The Book: Amazon

  ONE BOY. UNTOLD ENEMIES. A WHOLE WORLD TO SAVE.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOOONG THREE DAYS.

Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient monster hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them.

For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day.

But on the eve of Sky's twelfth birthday and his family's long-awaited return to the town of Exile, everything changes. Phineas has disappeared, and Sky finds himself forced to confront the mysterious secrets he's denied for so long: why did his family leave Exile on that day so long ago? What, exactly, has Phineas been preparing him for? And, the biggest mystery of all, who is Sky really and why does everyone want to kill him?!

Featuring an action-packed plot that covers the gamut of every monster you've never heard of (not to mention weird powers and weapons made out of garbage), Return to Exile is brimming with boy and girl appeal and is a gem for reluctant young readers. And, with a diverse assortment of well-aged monster hunters in the cast, this series will be a hit with adults young and old as well. Recommended for ages 9+.


My Thoughts~

      This. Book. Is. Epic. I know, for me, every book is, that's just the way I am. But seriously, this book is amazing. I haven't read that fast in ages. It took me about from the start of this week to yesterday afternoon, which is actually quite normal for me, but with school and homework and stuff I haven't read that fast since two years ago in sixth grade during class (Note: don't read during class). Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to talk about me, I'm trying to emphasize the amazingness of the book. I got completely sucked into this book, and I couldn't put it down for long. It has monsters and action and weapons, the works of an awesome adventure/action book. You definitely need to read this, after all the other ones I told you to read :P.

Fave Characters~

     Sky Weathers: good at puzzles, has a person in the back of his mind, doesn't make friends easily. My kinda guy. He is my favorite character other than Hands, one of his friends that doesn't completely trust him until the very end, and Errand, the person I mentioned in the back of Sky's mind.

     Hands: likes his privacy, dramatizing everything, and teen vampire romance novels. Love the guy. He is something else, and definitely one of the best characters in the whole book.

     Errand: likes helping Sky with fights at school, takes Sky edgewalking, has been trapped and frozen in a prison for eleven years. He looks exactly like Sky, even has the same marks on his hand. Two white crescent moons in his palm that connect at the tips, surrounded by a black mark that looks like a wound that won't heal, it is also two crescent moons connected at the tips (The Hunter's Mark (white) and the cicatrix, or trix (black)).
 
The best monsters in this story are:

     Echo: treelike, with big black wings like leather. Its branches can be like tentacles, or like branches, or like a shield around it. It does not have eyes, because the great monster hunter, Solomon Rose, gouged them out one by one.To survive a fight/encounter with one, attack the branches.


     Shadow Warg: basically shadow wolf, since warg means wolf, and is pronounced with a v not a w. Weird huh? Anyway, they are the size of a Clydesdale, and made of shadow and darkness. They can move from shadow to shadow without being seen, like in the Percy Jackson books when Nico shadow travels. They are controlled by a Wargarou, the pack leader pretty much. These creatures, even the Wargarou, can appear human when they want to. To survive a fight/encounter with one, use silver, fire, or wolfsbane.


I couldn't not put the pics up, they are so awesome, even more than I imagined.


Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

  • Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 21, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • Buy The Book: Amazon

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief.  But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems.  First, the gem is owned by the most secure auction house in the world.  Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself.  But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her intrepid crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the world, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.



     Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals are now the king and queen of my favorite list. The characters are so likeable, and they all have a sense of humor to just add a perfect touch to the books. This book was completely captivating and amazing! At first, though, the Bagshaws weren't there so it wasn't completely perfect, but it was close enough. I especially liked how there was a little more of a spark between Hale and Kat, and Gabrielle was trying to talk to Kat about Hale and how good they would be together. This time Kat has a little bit of a rebellious attitude. She goes against her uncle's word and heads off with Simon, Hale and Gabrielle to steal the Cleopatra Emerald, which is cursed, while the rest of their family is in Uruguay... or Paraguay, they confused me with their fighting about which one is which. Anyway, it was also fun to see the adversary as someone else, who is even harder to beat than Taccone was. Like in a game when you level up and get harder enemies.

     The stuff I didn't like... probably that it was annoying to me how the bad guy was so smug about everything, especially when Kat's crew's plan didn't work. I can't think of anything else that was really bad or anything. I can never find bad stuff, it's like Andye is a mind reader, picking the books that I love and asking me to review them. :P

     Okay so not much has changed since the last book in the category of fave characters. I still love the Bagshaws the best, and Kat. She is so awesome, how can anyone not like her? I have to say I like everyone, but those are just the absolute best.

     My least favorites were Maggie, the bad character, she was breaking like, a million thief rules, just so she could be rich. I just didn't like her, I'm not sure why other than the reason listed before.


     Overall, the book was awesome, it was real people, no magic, but it was from the thief's point of view. If you haven't read these books, you are missing out BIG TIME. You have to read them, like, right now.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Book Review: The Weaver by Kai Strand

Hardcover: 94 pages
Publisher:
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (December 10, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616331216
ISBN-13: 978-1616331214
Buy the book:
Amazon
Visit the site: kaistrand.com
In a town of word weavers, Mary suffers through her third year of Novice Word Weaving. Mary thinks her troubles are over when she meets a gnome-elf who grants her a wish. But instead of weaving a better story, she's weaving strange yarn charms to accompany her still pathetic tales. Suggested age for readers: 9-12

This book was a really good book, I liked the way Kai wrote it. It was really cool how she made little story's throughout the book! I like the storyline, it is a short novel, but I thought it was really interesting! The Weaver is a really cute, fun book, I think that it is a boy/girl novel and the age for the book is 9-12. I liked it and I would read it again. I mean, I think you would like it, if you liked elves and magical creatures! The book was very well written and enjoyable. READ IT.



Happy Reading! =)

Anna Banana

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Vlog Review: Seekers by Erin Hunter

Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (February 10, 2009)
Buy the book:  Amazon

Three bears . . . one destiny
From the author of the nationally bestselling Warriors books comes a brand-new animal fantasy series. Three young bears from different species—black, polar, and grizzly—are separated from their families when they are just young cubs. They find themselves brought together on a perilous journey. Fate is about to change all these bears lives forever, setting their paws on a path toward a future they cannot yet imagine . . .

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 8 hours and 18 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harper Audio
Audible.com Release Date: July 8, 2008
Buy the audioAudible


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Book Review: Gladius and the Bartlett Trial by J.A.Paul


Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 14, 2011)
anguage: English
Buy the book:
Amazon
Visit J.A. Paul's
website!
When fifteen year-old Gladius Oldmont is thrust from his peaceful home into the dangerous Longwood Forest he finds himself pitted against a tyrant who has been terrorizing the lands in search of answers to an ancient secret that could unlock absolute power. From the shadows of Longwood Forest to the Hills of the Moon, Gladius must survive encounters with a near extinct scimitar cat, an ornery dragon, a horde of death bats and a tumultuous underground river which leads to a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels. Along the way, he makes new acquaintances and discovers the true meaning of friendship, including Elle – a girl who captivates his heart. Can Gladius and friends solve the riddle of the ancient secret before the evil Mulhurt does? If they can, will they be able to do anything about it?

My Review

Gladius and the Bartlett Trial is a great fantasy book. With so many imaginative and creative elements to it, it made for a very entertaining read. Although the genre is a bit of what I associate with "generic fantasy" - something that started with Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia and was carried on by many authors - it still held a uniqueness that I really enjoyed.

This book was greatly written, with wording that never left me bored. I really wanted to know this book. It was a great story that I loved!
Something I love about fantasy books: Dragons. I love it when an author includes a dragon or dragons in any story. And there was a scene including a dragon in Gladius that I loved. Very well written and timed.

All-in-all, this is a story about growing up. And it's a great book for any middle-grade readers who like the idea of sort of medieval fantasy. This is a good one that will keep you reading till the end! Excellent job Mr. Paul!