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Category: Ages 9-12

Review: Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson

[ 0 ] February 4, 2012
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Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

I asked my soon-to-be-nine-year-old daughter what she wanted for her birthday: “I want a book to read about horses!” And here it is: Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson.

This is not just your standard book about horses in general and how to take care of them. Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies gives a history of many (43 to be exact) different breeds of horses, how and why they were bred with the different characteristic they have, and the important part they play in human history. The illustrations are beautifully done (no photographs here, but great artistry that places the horses in historical settings), which makes it a fun book for young and old, boys and girls alike (I know my son will be stealing this one to check out the scenes of horses in battle).

Showing the horses in historical settings stirs up historical interests without overwhelming the reader with information. We are given a snip-it on each breed, which whets the appetite for looking further elsewhere (a mark of a great book for kids – encouraging further exploration!). As an added bonus, the reverse of the cover doubles as a great poster to hang up and remind young ones of what they learned, which is great for keeping their excitement alive. It would also make a great visual aid if your child had to do a presentation.

Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies is a great book for horse lovers of any age! I highly recommend it!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tundra Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Blade of Shattered Hope by James Dashner

[ 5 ] January 21, 2012
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Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

The Blade of Shattered Hope is the third book in James Dashner’s 13th Reality series. This series is meant for young adults and is similar in many ways to Harry Potter, although Dashner likes to disagree and point out the differences. The series follows a teenage boy invited into a a secret world that few others know about with technology that has almost magical properties. Like all secret societies they have an agenda and enemies with ulterior designs.

Atticus ‘Tick’ Higginbottom has been selected to join the secret society of the Realitants who try to protect the 13 realities. The Realitants started as a group of physicists interested in exploring and mapping the realities but eventually found themselves fighting to protect reality from those with more dangerous motives. Tick was selected along with two other kids, Sofia and Paul, and the three became fast friends. They have been on many adventures together and have faced death more than once, which has only strengthened their friendship.

In my opinion James Dashner tells a great tale, starting with the The Journal of Curious Letters and continuing through the The Blade of Shattered Hope. Like the Harry Potter books, the story being told grows up with Tick as he grows older in successive books. I keep comparing these to Harry Potter not because I think it’s a copy but because I think that those who enjoyed Harry will really enjoy Tick as well, and Dashner does have his own unique tale to tell. I think the 13th Reality series fits well into the YA group of Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and Alcatraz Smedry. It’s fun, funny and thought provoking. All in all a great read.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Shadow Mountain. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Laddertop, Volume 1 by Orson Scott Card & Emily Janice Card

[ 2 ] December 4, 2011
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Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

Laddertop, Volume 1 is, as the title suggests, the first book in the Laddertop series and I certainly hope not the last. This is a young adult graphic novel. I was a little leery at first partly because I was afraid the graphics would be focused on young girls. After all, the main characters are, in fact, young girls. I’m happy to say that while Laddertop is about these kids, it’s not a just a story about being a young girl.

While reading Laddertop, I felt echoes of Ender’s Game; there was the brush with a mostly unknown extra-terrestial culture; military personnel training children for a job; most people unaware of what is really going on. There was also the feel of Gunnerkrigg Court, another graphic novel about a girl going away to school where mysteries abound.

Twenty five years ago, the ‘givers’ came and shared their technology, including instructions for towers or elevators that extend 36,000 miles into space. These towers provide power to Earth, make it easier to put things into orbit and bring materials back from asteroids. The ladders were designed in such a way that using children for the repair work was found to be most efficient. Therefore, children have grown up competing to be chosen for the job.

Laddertop, Volume 1 is primarily about Robbi and her trials on her way to Laddertop; it stops shortly after. This book is really just to prime the pump, if you will. It is all setup and much explaining is left for future volumes.

I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and look forward to the next installment. I need a couple more books before I can tell if the series are going to be great, but it certainly shows promise.

Rating: 4/5

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Tor/Seven Seas. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: ZooBorns Cats! by Andrew Bleiman & Chris Eastland

[ 2 ] November 27, 2011
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Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

First off, you have to get ZooBorns Cats! because it is the stinking cutest book ever! I chose it for my soon-to-be nine-year-old daughter – who is the typical kitty and horse loving little girl – because of the adorable pictures that I knew she would love. What I didn’t expect was all of the great information and the variety of wildcat species that Bleiman and Eastland were able to capture.

Many of the cats that Bleiman and Eastland have included are extremely rare and, for some, this is the first time they have had their picture printed. Each species of wildcat pictured includes its common name, native location, and information about its habits and where it falls on the endangered list. My personal favorites are the sand cats of the Arabian Desert. Not only are they gorgeous, but those little kitties eat venomous snakes! I told my husband that I won’t be moving anywhere with snakes like that unless he gets me a sand cat!

With the wonderful photography, an adorable subject matter, and great information that is included in ZooBorns Cats!, there is much to love about this book. One negative aspect for me is that there are very few pictures of the adult cats included and most of the adult cats shown are the lions and tigers that we are familiar with. I understand that the book is concentrated on newborns, but I would love to see how these rare kitties, that I’ve never heard of, look as adults.

My daughter has about four weeks yet before her birthday and I can’t wait to give her this book! In the mean time, I hate to wrap it just yet because that would mean I couldn’t sneak a peak at these cute kitties!

Did I mention that every sale of this book supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund? As if you need another reason to get your own copy… and another as a gift!

Rating: 5/5

Check out our review of the original ZooBorns

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Flyaway by Lucy Christopher

[ 2 ] November 16, 2011
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Reviewed by Garret Rose

Lucy Christopher embellishes in the realm of a spiritual journey in her new book Flyaway. Christopher brings us into the world of Isla, a budding adolescent who goes through a journey of fear, spiritual awakening and retribution. Isla encounters issues such as love, family, and the possibility of losing those who are dear to her. As she deals with these issues, Isla also comes to grip with an ever changing school environment, friends moving away, and the feeling of isolation from her loved ones. She discovers two unlikely friends who become her world away from her worries. This is a novel about the power of love and the power of personal strength.

After Isla’s father collapses, is hospitalized, and fighting for his life, Isla loses herself in her thoughts. With her sick father, a detached grandfather, a worried mother, and an introverted brother, Isla finds solace with a cancer patient named Harry and a lonely swan that can’t fly on her own. Isla’s favorite pastime is bird watching, specifically swans, with her father. After she discovers the lonely swan on the lake next to the hospital where her father is staying, Isla forms an unlikely bond when she notices the swan has a connection with her. Isla escapes from her worries by devising a plan that eventually brings the disconnected grandfather as well as her brother, mother and friend Harry together to help the swan fly away and find its flock.

Written through the first person narrative of Isla, the reader finds themselves locked into her every thought and intimate secret. Flyaway is the perfect novel for a budding reader between the ages of nine and thirteen, but has a message of hope, faith and perseverance that can inspire readers of all ages.

Rating: 4.5/5

Garret loves literature! He is creating the Vernal Journal for his students as well as anyone else that is interested in literature – be it fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, or even miscellaneous! Garret’s goal is to share, review and make connections to the world and each other.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Chicken House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Life of Shouty by NeonSeon

[ 3 ] October 15, 2011
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Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

In Life of Shouty: Good Habits, we see that Shouty is a boy with very bad habits. He doesn’t clean up after himself, he doesn’t care for his teeth, he lays around watching TV and eating junk food, and he always says he’ll “do it tomorrow” when he sees things that need to be done. Shouty has a problem with laziness! He sees the problem, but just doesn’t want to do the things it takes to be better.

He feels overwhelmed and struggles with the temptations to just let things go. Finally, Shouty decided to just take things one step at a time and came up with goals that were easy to reach. He looked at that list of goals each day and figured out that if he worked a little at a time, he could succeed.

In Life of Shouty: Food & Fitness, Shouty has corrected some of his bad habits, but he begins to realize that he has made bad choices with food and has not been physically active. He starts to gain weight and knows that if he would eat healthy and exercise, he would lose the weight. But he just doesn’t want to part with his junk food! He craves the food at weird times of day. It’s just so hard to give up bad habits!

Again, Shouty sees that if he wants to take care of his body he will have to take it one day at a time. He makes goals for each day and decides that for that day, he will do better and make better choices. Before long, Shouty is on his way and is doing better physically.

Both of these books are a great way to show children that we are responsible for our own decisions. And when we see that we’ve made bad decisions, we are responsible for correcting those mistakes and making them right. Shouty also shows us that even when a task seems insurmountable, we can accomplish much if we set small, attainable goals for ourselves.

In a very simplistic way, the author has touched on topics that will help mold our children into better adults, but that will also help many adults to reexamine their own lives and make needed corrections. Shouty books would be very good to have in every classroom, but also in every home where parents and children can read them together.

Rating: 4/5

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!

Review copies were provided free of any obligation by Rixkin. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Hijab Boutique by Michelle Khan

[ 7 ] September 16, 2011
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Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

“Some people feel that it is the duty of foreigners to fit in, or they may even feel a bit threatened by hijab…when people ask questions I use the opportunity to spread the word and message of Islam.”

Farah Khan is an only child who lives with her widowed mother, a hijabi, and attends an all-girls private school with her best friend Ashanti. When her teacher gives a class assignment to bring in something representing the girls’ mothers, Farah panics because her mother isn’t a singer or an actress or a dancer; in fact, the only unique thing she sees about her mother is the scarf she wears around her head.

Michelle Khan’s first children’s book, The Hijab Boutique, is a quick read with a deep and resounding message. In it she explores the origins of hijab as well as what it means for the modern Muslim woman to veil herself; how the veil is portrayed in Western culture; and even the sartorial qualities available to hijabi. What’s more, she shows great empathy for families rebuilding after the loss of a loved one so that children can truly understand the message.

I’m excited to have such a simple yet profound story to share with my nieces, and any other girl who cares to read and learn a meaningful lesson about inner strength, faith, and womanhood through another’s eyes.

Rating: 5/5

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fianc é and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Islamic Foundation. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Tomorrow Girls: Run for Cover by Eva Gray

[ 6 ] September 7, 2011
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Reviewed by Meghan Saldecki

When Louisa, Rosie, Evelyn, and Maddie learn the truth about Country Manor School, Rosie finds herself running once again. This time, though, it’s because CMS has a secret – it belongs to the Alliance, the opposing team to the War raging around them.

Now, self-appointed leader Rosie finds herself not only trying to protect herself, but three other girls as they flee the school. Rosie does perfectly fine surviving on her own, but can she also take care of three other girls? Adding to Rosie’s plate, the four girls run into three boys from the school across the pond who want to go with them. Rosie has secrets – should she risk exposing her secrets in order to save others?

Run For Cover is told in first person perspective, through Rosie’s eyes. I found this a great way to give each girl her own opinion and a great chance to elaborate further on each girls’ personality.

Rosie is definitely the strong, go-getter, independent sort and Eva Gray writes her character amazingly. Gray really shows just how terrified and untrusting Rosie is, despite how rock hard she is on the outside. This is a definite change of pace from Louisa’s optimistic, carefree personality, but a quite welcome one.

The writing is simple, yet effective. However, both Behind the Gates and Run For Cover have a younger feel to it that some YA readers might not enjoy. I didn’t mind it at all and I wouldn’t let the younger feel stop you from reading them both, unless you aren’t open to middle grade fiction or juvenile YA at all.

Overall, if you’re looking for some fast and fun reads, the Tomorrow Girls series are worth a look. I read both Behind the Gates and Run For Cover in a few hours and I will definitely be reading the third in the series, With the Enemy.

Rating: 4/5

Check out Meghan’s review of the first installment in the series, Behind the Gates

Meghan is a 18-year-old book blogger. She likes to read and write in her spare time and would like to become a published author one day. She plans on going to college soon.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Scholastic Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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