The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

This was a fun read with some very important messages. While this is a children's chapter book I really enjoyed reading it. It is a book I would like all my children to read as the message about who you can trust was very good. Also, the children in the book were able to correct their mistakes. The cover of this book was an added bonus - it sparkles!!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

What if there were a place where you could get magical candy? Moon rocks that made you feel weightless. Jawbreakers that made you unbreakable. Or candy that gave animals temporary human intelligence and communication skills. (Imagine what your pet would say!) Four young friends, Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon, are befriended by Belinda White, the owner of a new candy shop on Main Street. However, the gray-haired, grandmotherly Mrs. White is not an ordinary candy maker. Her confections have magical side effects. Purposefully, she invites the kids on a special mission to retrieve a hidden talisman under Mt. Diablo Elementary School. However, Mrs. White is not the only magician in town in search of the ancient artifact rumored to be a fountain of youth. She is aware that Mr. Stott, the not-so-ordinary ice cream truck driver, has a few tricks of his own.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter has been out for a week now so it's time to see how fast everybody read it and how they felt about it.

I finished it about 10:30 pm on Sunday evening and I loved the book. I loved how it ended (though sad that this is the last book). It is amazing how J.K. Rowlings is able to twist and turn the plot and keep you absolutly engrossed in the book.

DESCRIPTION:

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull

This is the second book in the Fablehaven series and it is even better than the first. This is a children's novel that adults will also enjoy as I couldn't put it down. Volume three is due out in 2008 and I will be in line to get it.



DESCRIPTION:

A New York Times Bestseller!

At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother, Seth, find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three specialists- a potion master, a magical relics collector, and a mystical creature trapper- to help protect the property from the Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. The Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world. Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble? Can they overcome paralyzing fear? Find out in book 2 of this bestselling series.

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

I found this great deal (brand new for $2.99) in the Salt Lake City Barnes & Noble the other week, so am guessing it might be a summer reading special in all their stores. Perfect for stocking up on good youth books--if they are avid readers.

The display in Salt Lake carried several similar books--all award winning in previous years. A String in the Harp, by Nancy Bond, won a Newbery Honor, and several other awards in its time. It was first published in 1976. This latest edition was published by Aladdin Paperbacks in May 2007. It was written for ages 9 - 13.

I suggest the need for avid readers because the book tends to be a little long winded in places when compared with today's material. Having said that, I have to admit I’m engrossed. Mind you, it is set in Wales, UK--a hop and a skip up the road from Caernarvon, the town where I was born, so I guess I am a little biased.

When I was young, my family often traveled the long coastal road from Aberystwyth alongside Cardigan Bay on our way to a Welsh holiday destination. I can see in vivid detail every description Nancy writes.

The story tells what happens to three American children, unwillingly transplanted to Wales for one year, when one of them finds an ancient harp-tuning key that takes him back to the time of the great sixth-century bard, Taliesin.

To quote from the book blurb, “When fifteen-year-old Jen Morgan flies to Wales to spend Christmas with her family, she’s not expecting much from the holiday. A year after her mother’s sudden death, her father is preoccupied by the teaching job that has brought him and Jen’s younger siblings to Wales for the year. Her brother, Peter, is alternately hostile and sullen, and her sister Becky, misses Jen terribly.

"Then Peter tells Jan he’s found a strange artifact, a harp key that shows him pictures from the life of Taliesin, the great bard whose life in six century Wales has been immortalized in legend. At first Jen doesn’t believe him, but when the keys existence – and it strange properties – become known to the wider world, the Morgans must act together against a threat to the key and to their family."

I recommend this book because it not only transports the reader to another country and brings the place to life, but it also dives back in time and turns an adventure into a fascinating history lesson in disguise. And it's clean, to boot.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Scrolling through the Children's Literature section, I saw several other Peter Pan stories. I haven't read those, but I enjoyed reading Peter and the Starcatchers this past weekend.

It's by two authors, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I haven't read anything by Pearson, but I've enjoyed Barry's humor columns over the years. At the beginning of the book, Pearson thanks his daughter who asked the question: How did Peter Pan meet Captain Hook?

And of course everyone's question: How did Captain Hook lose his hand? You'll have to wait until the end of the book to find out, but in the meantime Peter and the Starcatchers is a fun adventure. It opens with an orphan boy names Peter, who is sent away from England on a ship. He meets a girl, Molly, and they become friends. But Peter soon learns that Molly is no ordinary girl and she holds a fantastic secret. And it all has to do with a mysterious trunk that was loaded onto the same ship.

Unbeknownst to Peter, some pirates have learned about the treasure inside the mysterious trunk, and the chase begins.

If you or your children enjoy pirate adventures, this is a great summer book. It's a fun read and as I read it, I thought it would be a great book to read aloud to my children. The descriptions and setting is vivid--definite material for a movie.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

This is a children's novel that many adults will enjoy. It was enchanting and sometimes scary. Great for teaching children that there are consequences to their actions. I will probably end up paying full price for book two since it was just released May 1st (and made the NYTBSL at #8 for children's novels).

I read about Fablehaven on the Six LDS Writers and a Frog website (you will neet to scroll down to May 15th) and wanted to read it. I ordered it and when the book arrived David asked what it was and I told him it was a youth novel I planned to read and that he and I could read together. He took it and was looking at it when I suggested he read the back. He did so without a problem. I then asked him if he wanted to try and read it by himself letting him know that most 7 year olds would not be able to read it. He took the book and is now on chapter seven and seems to be really enjoying it. I was only able to read a few pages now and then when he sets it down or forgets to take it to school.

Description:
For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite...

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

Peter Pan in Scarlet

This sequel to Peter Pan, by contest winner Geraldine McCaughrean, was a joy to read. It drew me into the story from the very beginning. It starts off years later when all of the Lost Boys are grown with children of their own. They are starting to have dreams of Neverland. And, so the adventure begins.

Because the plot of the original Peter Pan is so well known, I was focused on the language and writing style of the book. Peter Pan in Scarlet is also written in a fantastic way but I was much more caught up in the plot of the book. It was hard for me to figure out what was going to happen next and that kept me turning page after page until there was nothing left but my hope that it doesn't take another hundred years for the next book. I'm sure it won't be long before someone makes this into a movie.

Peter Pan

I know the plot. I've seen almost all of the movies made about the book. Until last week, I had yet to read the actual book by J.M. Barrie. I was motivated to read the original once I checked out the sequel from the library. I felt a little like a cheat starting that book if I hadn't really read the first one. I was surprised to find out that between all of the Peter Pan movies out there (Disney's--which was released this week on DVD, Hook, Peter Pan, and even Finding Neverland) I had an excellent grasp of everything that was in the book. However, I was pleasantly surprised to fall in love with the language of the book. This may have something to do with the fact that I imagine Johnny Depp writing this book and not the actual Sir Barrie. But I digress...the writing is superb and I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much had I read it as a child or teen.

I'm now looking forward to reading the authorized sequel. Review to come soon!