The Shadow Door by Bannister

The Shadow Door is book one of a series of graphic Novels called The Elsewhere Chronicles. It follows the exploits if four kids who find a portal to another world full of danger.

This graphic novel ventures into some pretty well trod territory, but the story is still interesting and engaging. The artwork is done in full color on glossy pages. At it's best it is stunning, but at times it's hard to tell what's going on as the artist loves using lots of dark colors and depicting shadowy sequences without the benefit of speech bubbles or narration. Overall good, but not overwhelming. Recommend this one to adventure fans grades 4 to 7.

Cameron and his Dinosaurs by Scott Sawa

Mad scientist Professor Pointdexter P Poppycock has created four hyper intelligent dinosaurs to do his evil bidding. Unfortunately, because of their superior intellects they tell Professor Poppycock they are unwilling to hurt people and as result they must part ways. The dinosaurs meet a young boy named Cameron with whom they become fast friends. Soon Professor Poppycock is at it again, but this time with robotic dinosaurs programmed to follow his every command. Of course, Cameron and his dinosaurs are the only ones capable of standing in his way.

This was actually a surprisingly enjoyable graphic novel. The humor is slapstick and clearly designed for younger readers, but I still caught myself chuckling for time to time. The story was well-paced and although it was predicable still pulled me in. The artwork was enjoyable, lots of pastels and soft colors, and with distinct memorable characters. And the story had dinosaurs, how awesome is that? Recommend this one to fans of dinosaurs, robots and comic hijinx grades 3 to 6.

Discordia by Dena K. Salmon

Lance spends all day playing Discordia a hot new MMORPG (fancy acronym for online computer game). He has a level 18 zombie sorcerer and he's finally starting to make some good progress in the game now that TheGreatOne has invited him to join his guild. So when a snow day is declared Lance plans on spending some quality time with Discordia. However, he ends up getting more sucked into the game then he ever expected when he finds in himself actually in Discordia.

This book had a good premise and writing that was genuinely exciting and humorous. However, this book also has glaring plot holes that left me questioning what exactly was going on. Several times I turned back a page to see if I had accidentally skipped one, but alas it was the author that skipped a page not me. The ending had similar problems, in some reviews I saw it called a cliffhanger. I would would simply call it incomplete or perhaps unsatisfying. This book had a lot of potential and with a few rewrites may have achieved it, but as is this book fails to satisfy.

Recommend this to children who love video games or glaring plot holes grades 5th thru 9th.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian wraps up the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series with same fast-paced action Riordan has delivered time and time again. In this, the final book in the series, Percy Jackson's 16th birthday and the prophecy tied to it is just a week away, Kronos and his army of titans and monsters are planning an attack on Olympus and the entire fate of Western civilization hangs in the balance. No big deal right?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Olympian. I have a hard time picking out a favorite book in this series, because they are all so consistently great. This book is no exception. The pacing is intense, the plot is packed w/ action, but tempered an interesting story and a healthy dose of Greek Mythology. My one complaint was after the central conflict in the plot was resolved, the book dragged on for awhile trying to tie up loose ends, including a sequence regarding the fate of Percy's girlfriend Rachel that despite a half hearted attempt at being surprising ends so predictably it's almost painful. Overall a great book, though, recommend this one to fans of action, adventure and Greek mythology grades 4 to 10.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Feed is cautionary tale about the excesses of consumerism. It is set in a world where Americans live in idle luxury, w/ their every want easily satisfied by their "feed," an internet connection in their head that suggests to them what they want before they even know it themselves. As a result of American's lavish lifestyles the world, particularly the environment, suffers.

Feed's protagonist is Titus, an American teenager who, while on a trip to go partying on the moon, meets a girl name Violet, who helps him change the way he thinks about his world.

I really liked this book. The message was great, the story well told and the character's were realistic. Titus, Violet, their friends, they are all wonderfully flawed characters. Each one has his or her own short comings, which makes them so real, so easy to relate too. I was always pulling for Titus to make the right choices, but he's limited by his world-view, his upbringing, the culture he was raised in and his decisions through out the book reflect that. You can't expect a person to change over night and you can't expect a society change over night either. Overall an excellent book. Give this one to fans of dystopian science fiction at its finest.

Lay Ups and Long Shots

Lay Ups and Long Shots is a collection of eight sports short stories by a variety of children's and young adult authors. The stories are generally enjoyable and usually funny.

My one gripe with this book was that it seemed like these sports stories were written for people who don't necessarily like sports. This probably isn't the best bet for the star athlete reluctant reader, but it would be great for an avid reader who loves humorous realistic fiction grades 4 to 7.

Tim, Defender of the Earth by Sam Enthoven

The concept behind this book is freaking rad! A gigantic genetically engineered dinosaur battles an army of nanobots on the streets of London! Awesome right? Unfortunately not. While I understand that a certain willful suspension of disbelief is necessary for a book of this nature, this book is just ridiculous. A scientist in a secret government funded laboratory deep below the streets of London raises a genetically engineered hundred foot tall dinosaur named T.I.M.. When the new Prime Minister finds out about Tim he orders the project shut down and Tim exterminated. Of course, TIM escapes. causes havoc on the streets of London and then swims out to sea.

In the meantime the government decides to start funding another scientist, Professor Mallahide, who is working on nanotechnology. Apparently all he needed was for the government to say they were willing to fund him, because that night he turns himself into a nanobot swarm.

But wait, there is yet another plotline to follow. Chris, a middle school student from London, goes on a field trip with his class and while searching for a place to avoid doing any school work, finds himself in an unused corner of the musuem. While there, he is discovered by a security guard who forces an ancient bracelet on him from the museum's collection. Chris discovers that the bracelet cannot be removed. Later in the book Chris discovers that the bracelet also allows him to talk to Tim. Finally as a lucky coincidence Chris's classmate Anna is professor Mallahide's daughter.

Anyway long story short, Professor Mallahide turns out to be a bit crazy and starts turning everyone into nanobots. So Tim the giant T-Rex comes back to fight him, but to do that he needs Chris to use his bracelet to focus the willpower of humanity into strength for Tim. In response the Nanobots form into a gigantic cockroach / centaur creature and fight Tim.

I don't know what happens after that, because I stopped reading. Honestly the only reason I made it that far was because I was on an exercise bike and dedicated to riding it for two hours. I was a captive audience.

I have to admit this book did have some really rad parts, especially when Tim and the cockroach / centaur / nanobots were battling. But the nanobots, as they were portrayed, were really overpowered and have no excuse for not rapidly assimilating the whole world and everything on it into the nanobot swarm. A+ for the idea, D+ for the implementation.

Give this book to children whose concepts of reality and reasonability have been completely destroyed by hours and hours of video game play, grades 5 to 8.

The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill

This is a book nostalgic for a time gone by, written in time that's since gone by. It's the story of Tom, the Hotel Cat, who works at the once regal, but now old Royal Hotel as a mouser. Tom spends his nights walking the upper floors and making new friends. The story culminates with all the cats staying at the hotel throwing a stardust ball in the hotel's grand ballroom.

The story is simple and uncomplicated and that's what makes it so charming. The characters, both the felines and the humans, are sweet and lovable. The story is perfect for a young child. There is nothing even remotely frightening or even mean-spirited in these books. Overall a good read.

Recommend this one as a bedtime story for a sweet little preschooler or kindergartener or as a beginning reader for a child in lower elementary.

Dear Dracula by Joshua Williamson

This Graphic Novel is so funny! It is the story of Sam who writes a letter to Dracula asking him for what he most wants in the world, because Christmas is too far away. Much to Sam's surprise Dracula shows up on Halloween for a night of fun and trick or treating.

I really enjoyed the artwork as well, glossy full color drawings that are super funny too.

Give this one to reluctant readers and kids who like to laugh grades 3 thru 6.

Kingdom of Twilight by Tui Sutherland

Kingdom Twilight is the final installment in the Avatars trilogy and honestly it was a bit of a disappointment. The first book, So This Is How It Ends, immediately pulled me into the fantastic world it created kept me guessing what would happen until the very end. In the subsequent books, both the plot and the world seem to stagnate. More and more of the same is piled and on and the once exciting world Sutherland created begins to feel more and more two dimensional. The story often gets bogged down in pointless banter and one liners exchanged by the main characters and the story seems to drag on twice as long as necessary.

On the positive side this book explores the mythologies of cultures readers are likely to unfamiliar with, for example Sumeria, China, and various African and Polynesian cultures as well. The book also provided resolution and had a surprising twist at the end.

All in all Kingdom of Twilight was an okay book, but it really doesn't pass the first book test for me. And honestly, I recommend reading So This Is How It Ends, skipping the second book altogether and reading only bits and pieces of this book. Feel free to skim over the boring parts.
Recommend this book to children who have read the other two books in the Avatars series grades 5 to 8.

Something Wickedly Weird by Chris Mould

It was this book's great cover illustration that first caught my eye and begged me to page through it. Inside I was greeted by more pen and ink drawings all just as grim and sepulchral, but drawn with a hint of irony, which make the drawings simultaneously ghastly and endearing in an altogether delightful way. The story is, as one would guess from the drawings, wonderfully macabre and when at it's best reminded me of The Graveyard Book; unfortunately, the book was not always at its best and frequently felt formulaic and predictable. It is the story of Stanley, a young boy who inherits a manor on a small island off the coast of England from a long lost great uncle. Upon arriving things are clearly amiss. Over the course of the story Stanley encounters werewolves, pirates and even a talking fish. The story is in fact "wickedly weird," and overall enjoyable. Don't expect this one to win the Newbery Award, but do expect it to delight children between the ages of 7 and 11 who have a taste for adventure and the bizarre.

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

Heartbeat is the type of book I would have never picked up on my own. I only ended up "reading" it because my mom needed help adding it to her mp3 player, so I decided to add it to mine as well.
Heartbeat is the story of a girl who loves to run barefoot and draw. The book chronicles her life as well as her relationship with her best friend (he runs to win), her grampa (he has Alzheimer's) and her mother (she's having a baby). I enjoyed this book without loving it. It reminded me a bit of Way Down Deep by Ruth White, (it has that same kind of sweetness and whimsy to it), but not really of the same caliber.

Give this book to girls who loves spending the summer outdoors in the sun. For grades 4-7.