Second Hand Saturday! A Book-A-Week Giveaway 9!

Welcome to Second Hand Saturday a once a week giveaway started by Reading Teen. In an attempt to clear our bookshelves, and pass on great used books to our stalkers followers, WE =  Austin, Andrew, Faith, Reagan, Anna, Bransen and Adrien have decided to hold weekly giveaways of some of the books on our bookshelves! Every Saturday, we will post the books available, and the following Saturday, we will announce the winner and our next challenge. The winner will get to choose a book from the list and we will ship it to that lucky person! Each week we will have a different challenge to complete (see below). YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER TO ENTER!  Open Internationally.  Ends at 10:00 pm EST the following Friday!

Middle Grade

-  Middle School Confidential Books 1-3 by Annie Fox (PBR) 

-  Eragon (hardback) by Christopher Paolini (PBR)

-  Eldest (hardback) by Christopher Paolini (PBR)

-  Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (PBR)

-  Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

-  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (PBR) (RT)

-  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (hardback no jacket) (PBR) (RT)

-  Mattimeo (library copy) by Brian Jacques

-  A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

-  Summer Ball by Mike Lupica

-  Half Moon Investigations (library copy) by Eoin Colfer

-  Island Girl (library copy) by Sandra Byrd

-  Hoot (paperback) by Carl Hiaasen

-  Tuck Everlasting (hardback) by Natalie Babbitt

-  Nothing But The Truth: A Documentary Novel (paperback) By AVI

-  Triss (Redwall, Book 15) (paperback) by Brian Jacques

-  Clovermead by David Randall

-  The O'Reilly Factor For Kids by Bill O'Reilly
-  Portal by Imogen Rose
-  Trackers by Patrick Carman
-  Nerds by Michael Buckley
-  Zan Gah by Allan Richard Shickman
-  The Carnival of Lost Souls by Laura Quimby
-  Star Power book 1 Supernova  by Catherine Hapka
-  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
-  High School Musical: The Junior Novel Disney
-  High School Musical: Stories from East High #6 Disney
-  Animal Ark Pets books #12 - #16
-  25 (very small thin) books from The Babysitters Club (you pay media shipping)
-  Madison Finn #1 Only the Lonely Boy, #2 Boy, OH Boy! #3 Play it Again ( whole set)

To enter this week's giveaway, you must be a follower of this blog, and...

 Answer me this...


During this Thanksgiving season, what book are you most thankful for?

I know for Reading Tween, if J.K. Rowling didn't get the brilliant idea to write the Harry Potter series, our lives would be completely different somehow. 

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday from Reading Tween! If you live outside of USA, have a wonderful holiday season whenever it is! :O)

For extra entries this week:  Fill out  this form

Thank You so much for following. We could not would not do this without our followers. Come back next Saturday to see the winner and enter in for another book giveaway!

This week's winner is:

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

No, I won't be watching the midnight showing, because I'm impossibly square like that. =( But I hope to read the book very soon (It's a great source of shame to me that I haven't read it yet!) and to watch the movie before Christmas!

Email us at ReadingTween(at)ReadingTeen.net with your address and book choice!  You have a week to respond!

If you're a blogger and are hosting your own Second Hand Saturday, Link up!  Please only add your link if you have a Second Hand Saturday giveaway of your own!

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



               Entering #12 Grimmauld Place

The Reading Teen team has been anxiously awaiting for opening night, for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was so excited my heart was pounding. Now, I know what your saying... "this thirty-six year old mother of five is way too dramatic about Harry Potter!" Well, yes I am! I have been listening to the audiobooks in my car for a solid year now. So, I have the HP bug bad.

receiving Dumbledore's last will and testament

The lights go down... I'm whispering to Andye, that my heart is pounding. She smiles.
The first scene is Minister Rufus Scrimgeour giving a speech to the Ministry of Magic and The Daily Prophet. Hearing Hedwig's Theme by John Williams is where I get excited, since I hum the tune all the time.
Deathly Hallows begins with a bang! I was on the edge of my seat for a solid forty-five minutes, in tears and laughing in the first ten minutes. The scene where the Order had to move Harry from Little Whinging to the Burrow was so funny, intense, and sad. One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie, so well done, it's crazy.

Headed to The Burrow

This movie is definitely the darkest of them all. I would have to say that it also portrayed the book pretty well. Of course, the acting among the cast just gets better with time and age. I really enjoyed the chemistry among them in this particular movie. They just nailed every emotion and watching them scream, cry, and laugh at each other in different scenes was heartwarming. Also, Ron falling even more in love with Hermione and seeing all three of their friendship's grow even stronger, was emotional, to say the least. (I feel like an emotional head case)
The only negative thing I would have to say about the movie is, I needed more time with all the other characters. Madeye Moody, Snape, Dobby, Hagrid, Ginny, and even the wretched, horrible, Professor Umbridge.  I felt like their time on the screen was so very brief. I know if I had it my way, Deathly Hallows 1 would be eight hours long.

Looking at James and Lily Potter's grave in Godric's Hallow

The cinematography of the movie is amazing, everything was so pleasing to the eye. It definitely had it's creepy moments, like when Hermione and Harry decide to go to Godric's Hallow. That scene was intense.

 So, in the end, the movie had a great  perfect mix of everything... Laughing, excitement, action, humor, crying, intense, sad, anger, regret, love, betrayal, I could go on and on... Let me just say, you will not be disappointed!


Get your tickets and GO see The Deathly Hallows today. I know I will go a couple more times.

* The pg-13 rating is well deserved for this one. Some mild language, many very intense/scary/nightmarish scenes, and a very unnecessary moment where Harry and Hermione kissing while noticeably nude. (no detail, but you can see their silhouettes)

DON'T FORGET ABOUT MY HP POSTCARD GIVEAWAY!!! CLICK!

It's Time! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1!!! Are you going?

It's finally time... 

to get dressed up in all of our Harry Potter and Hogwarts clothes. This is a holiday for Reading Tween. My kids are not going to school today and we will watch all the six movies back to back before we get in line tonight! We also have a Harry Potter party at our local library tonight, where we will watch The Half-Blood Prince. We will eat rock cakes and drink pumpkin juice.We will get in line for the midnight showing about three hours too early tonight! Yes, we are excited for this event! Andye and I have not stopped gushing about this night, since the premier of The Half-Blood Prince.

Are you going?

*GO TO READING TEEN for our special Harry Potter giveaway!!! CLICK HERE!!!!





Review: Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316014443
• ISBN-13: 978-0316014441
• Vampirates Website 

Twins, Connor and Grace, never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirate shanty their father sang to them before he died, but that was before the two were shipwrecked and separated from each other. For Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, there's the chance to learn to swordfight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampire pirates, the danger is great. What will it take for them to find each other?

We listened to this book on Audio CD in the car together.  The reader was really good!  He had a British accent and used different voices for the characters.  Even his girl voices were good.  I was actually kind of surprised, as a mom, by how much I enjoyed this book.  It did have some battle scenes, and the vampirates do drink blood from "donors" on the ship.  There are a couple of deaths, but nothing very detailed.  Overall it was a very original idea and a fun read for the kids!  But, who cares about what I thought, here's what the kids have to say....

Reagan:

If you like pirates and vampires, you're in!  There were so many things that I liked about this book.  I love books about pirates, and my friend recommended this book to me, and I'm so glad I read it.  My favorite character was either Grace or the Vampirate Captain.  Grace was so demanding, she was so curious and would risk her own neck to find out the secrets of the Vampirate ship.  I liked the Captain because he was AWESOME!  He was so calm at frightening times, but could still command his crew.  I can't wait to read the next book!

Bransen:

This was one of my favorites!  It is my third favorite book.  I really liked how there were Vampirates in it because I've never heard of Vampirates before.  I thought that it was cool that Connor wouldn't give up believing that his sister was alive, even after no one else believed him.  My favorite character was either Lorkin or the Vampirate Captain.  Lorkin wanted to protect Grace from the evil vampire, and he did whatever he could to save her.  I liked the Captain because even though he was a vampire, he seemed nice.  I would recommend this book to boys and girls!  If you like battles, vampires, or pirates you'll love it!

Which Witch? By: Eva Ibbotson

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 249 pages
Publisher: Puffin, Penguin Books (July 3, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0141304278
ISBN-13: 978-0141304274

Arriman the Awful, Loather of Light and Wizard of the North, needs a wife. How else can he have a wizard baby to carry on the family tradition of blighting and smiting, blasting and wuthering? The problem is, wizards can only marry one kind of person--a witch. Arriman dreads the thought. "A great black crone with warts and blisters in unmentionable places from crashing about on her broom! You want me to sit opposite one of those every morning eating my cornflakes?" But a witch it must be, so Arriman holds a contest to decide which witch. The local witches are all atwitter over what spell they'll perform for the contest--all except Belladonna, who is, to her great shame, a white witch. She looks rather like the girl on the Clairol Herbal Essence bottle, with a sweet face and flowing blonde hair. "There was usually something in Belladonna's hair: A fledgling blackbird parked there by its mother while she went to hunt for worms, a baby squirrel wanting somewhere safe to eat its hazel nuts, or a butterfly who thought she was a lily or a rose."

What I think.......

Which Witch was very very good, there was a lot of mystery, witches and wizards.  I love that there are wizards because I love Harry potter and on the front of the book it said  " Perfect for fans of Harry Potter" I LOVE HARRY POTTER!  I think that if you like Harry Potter you NEED to read this book. If you haven't read neither...You should READ both!

 This is a really, really, good book. The author did a great job telling the story.  I love the characters, the way Eva Ibbotson wrote the characters, and my favorite character is:   Arriman belladonna.

"I will not tell you anything about the end!" and do not skip through it! I'm telling you, if you do I will track you down and kill you by hitting you with a book I don't care for!!! So please read it and love it!! 

"so stop reading this review and go buy the book! right now! stop reading... I know your still reading! STOP! GO! thank you."    Happy reading! Which Witch do you think it will be? " I loved it" 



~ Anna Banana

Black spells are cast, enchantments are woven, and even Belladonna manages to do a little damage in this wonderfully clever 1979 book by Eva Ibbotson (of The Secret of Platform 13). Young readers will delight in the way Ibbotson glories in the ghoulish and the gory--and in her engaging characters who are kindly and fiendish all at once. Which Witch (finally reissued in the United States) begs to be read aloud, with before-bed-length chapters and lots of opportunities for funny voices. (Ages 9 and older)

The Kingdom Series review by Austin

This week I read a three parts to this six part series. Each book was only about 150 pages long so, I read them all quickly. And, since I read them all I thought I'd do a review on all three. Here's my review on the Kingdom Series.

Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck Black

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Books (May 1, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590526791

ISBN-13: 978-1590526798

He’s just a young man, but that doesn’t change the truth.

He was chosen…

Sixteen-year-old Leinad thought he was a common farmer’s son, nothing more. He wondered why his father had trained him for years to master the sword—not exactly a tool of the trade for farmers—but one tragic event initiates a world of revelation.

Only then does he begin to understand his calling—a calling no other man in the entire kingdom of Arrethtrae can fulfill—a calling given him by the King himself.

Teamed with a young slave girl, Leinad is thrust into adversity and danger—for the Dark Knight and his vicious Shadow Warriors will stop at nothing to thwart the King’s plan to restore the kingdom. Leinad will need more than a sharp blade and a swift hand to fulfill his mission and survive the evil plots of the King’s sworn enemies!

Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil—and the future of a kingdom lies in the hands of a young man.

My Review

I read this book after it was recommended to me by a friend. I thought it'd just be another short read that I'd forget about quickly. Kingdom's Dawn is pretty much the bible in medieval times. And it's friggen' awesome. Honestly, I expected it to be a little cheesy. But, from start to finish the book is pure action. I was more then a little surprised at how much I liked it and very disappointed that I hadn't thought to get the second one at the library at the same time I got the first one. The main character, Lianad, plays the roles of multiple people in the bible. Abel, Noah, Moses, and many others. Chuck Black does a very good job of converting events in the bible into a more fantasy aspect while not completely taking the story of the bible out of it.

Chuck Black has a great writing style that he puts to great use in this book. The story was great. He did a great job of introducing and maturing (for lack of a better term) characters. For a third-person book he really explained their personalities well. You got to know the characters well even in the shortness of the book.

This is a great first part to the series. An easy read that is very epic. A lot of authors need 500 some-odd pages to achieve this. Not Chuck Black. This was pure awesomeness.

Kingdom's Hope by Chuck Black

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Multnomah (May 1, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590526805

ISBN-13: 978-1590526804

Fierce castle lords hold the kingdom hostage.

But a champion is coming…

Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea ; his resolve is unshakable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos.

Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them…

Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key.

                                                                        My Review

The story starts with Lianad riding towards a battle. A lot of the time when this happens, the book doesn't quite pull it off. This one did. And it did it well. As I said before, the action in this book is great. Mr. Black captures the heat of battle and forms it into words greatly. I've always been a fan of a good sword (or lightsaber) battle. Kingdom's Hope has many of them.

If anything, this book expands the characters of the first book even more. There are new characters that make big impacts on the story. Again, Mr. Black converts people and places from the bible to a great fantasy story.

Kingdom's Edge by Chuck Black

 Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 144 pages

Publisher: Multnomah (May 1, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590526813

ISBN-13: 978-1590526811


He was doomed to a life of hopelessness and despair.

Then the stranger arrived…

For Cedric of Chessington, every day is the same: full of poverty and despair. And he knows that will never change.

Or so he thinks.

Then a stranger comes to the city. Drawn to the man’s mysterious ways, Cedric discovers the stranger’s humility belies great strength and wisdom. That’s when an astounding truth becomes clear—the stranger is a Master of the Sword, and He is there to train Cedric.

Suddenly propelled into a desperate battle against evil, Cedric must rely on the Master’s training if he is going to survive. But the ultimate battle is yet to come, for the Dark Knight is at work, implementing his plan to take over the kingdom. Will Cedric be ready to stand in the face of pure evil?

Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; and where hope and compassion are as powerful weapons as the sword.

My Review

This book is set a few decades after the end of Kingdom's Hope. So, that means all new characters. Which are just as good as the characters from the first two books. They take the roles of people in the bible just as before. And Chuck Black just continues the story of the bible in the fashion. Creating creatures and places to replace the originals. If you are a fantasy lover like me, this is a great book for you.

This is a great series so far. I will definitely be reading the last three books. Mr. Black is truly a great writer who did a great job of making these books... great.

-Austin

Hey to all you people who read for fun. U R COOL.