fantasy – Page 10 – One Chapter

Far Away by Lisa Graff

4.5 stars Middle School/Children’s chapter

I thought this was a sweet book and as CJ got swept away, I was hoping this girl’s journey wouldn’t end in a disaster.

I enjoyed the idea that CJ (12) and her aunt contacted CJ’s mother’s on CJ’s birthday. As a medium, CJ’s aunt had the ability to connect with her and CJ looked forward to celebrating her birthday with her mother. Unfortunately, the day arrives when her mother informs them that she can no longer visit them.

After traveling on the road with her aunt for years doing shows, her aunt decides that this lifestyle is probably not the ideal situation for CJ either and enrolls her in a boarding school. She feels it’s time that CJ has a stable lifestyle. You can just imagine how CJ felt about her current situation now. Her world had suddenly come crashing down.

CJ saw no reason for all of this. Why a boarding school? CJ had heard about tethers and spirits and she felt that her mother just needed a tether to keep her connected to the human world, but where was her mother’s tether?

Well, jump aboard on CJ’s journey as she takes you on a ride with Jax as the two of them set off to find this tether. As Jax learns to drive, CJ tries to find her mother’s connection to the human world. On this journey, these two learn more about themselves and each other, a revelation they didn’t know they’d find.

I love CJ’s “signs” as everything seems to fall into place yet Jax sees these “coincidences” popping up just when they need them. They are a fun pair, sometimes pushing each other just enough to make the trip fun. I started to get nervous as some of the events were being led with emotions but in the end, things worked out. The ending was perfect for this novel.

A great novel with a mystery element, friendship and family ties and an all-around entertaining read. I think many upper elementary or middle school readers will enjoy this novel and the characters within it.

The Whispers by Greg Howard

5 stars Children/Middle School

I absolutely got swept away in this children’s book and whether it was the Whispers, the hobgoblin, Riley’s “own condition” or the way Riley tried to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s disappearance, I had Riley’s back. Since his mother’s disappearance, Riley’s life has gone off course and he’s the only one who can get it back where it belongs.

They think Riley knows more about the day his mother disappeared and even though he tries to remember, he can’t remember much about that day. One day she was here and the next day, she had vanished. Riley is determined to solve this mystery and he’s determined to call upon the Whispers, to help him.

He’s been told that these fairies, need a tribute so they can do their magic and Riley is more than happy to provide them with one, if they can magically bring back his mother. Riley and his dog, Tucker are quite the pair and when they go out hunting for the Whispers, my heart melted. It was their anticipation as they got ready to embark on this journey, then it was the hope and the journey itself, as the two of them traveled out together, that swept me away.

Riley is wrestling with many issues besides the disappearance of this mother right now. Things are stacking up and the pile is getting bigger: he’s trying to keep his sheets dry at night, his father is becoming more distant from him, Riley is getting tired of being bullied at school because of his “condition,” and now, he’s been told about the hobgoblin, the one who lives in the trees, where the Whispers live. The Whispers, the only help that Riley feels he has and now, they are shadowed by a hobgoblin?

I really enjoyed this novel a great deal. It was a great mystery, fantasy, and adventure book. I thought it emotional read as Riley dealt with his own feelings and the events in his life. This book actually gave me the shivers a few times as some of the events occurring in it, surprised me. I highly recommend it.

Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers

5 stars Children’s

Finn is remembering the time that he spent with his grandfather as he looks out his bedroom window admiring the sea, today would have been grandpa’s 90^th birthday. Finn remembers the sound of Grandpa’s voice as he told him stories of a faraway place where the ocean would meet the sky. Today, Finn decides that he’s going to make a boat. He’s making this boat based on the plans that he used to make with his grandpa, for the journey they would take together.

Little Finn ends up falling asleep while making the boat and he has the most amazing journey. Whisked away on his boat, Finn is immediately met by a large, golden fish. This is truly a magical world, as this gigantic fish offers to show Finn the faraway place his grandfather had talked about, if he would follow him.

As they travel, there are some amazing sights but suddenly, Finn sees something spectacular and he’s sure that he’s found what his grandpa has been talking about. This has to be, where the ocean meets the sky!

This was a terrific book and the illustrations made it feel dreamy. I read it slowly, as to take in all the details of the illustrations, before moving on. I absolutely loved the illustrations, as they added a depth to the story and the sense of adventure. I would have loved to know what grandfather told Finn about this magical world for when I flipped a page of this book, I was met with the lines, “But then Finn’s eyes filled with wonder. Had he finally reached the place of his grandfather’s story?” and these lines were after Finn had already traveled awhile and been treated to some wonderful sights (at least in my mind). So, what exactly did his grandfather tell him about this magical place? How did Finn know that what Finn saw before, was not it?

Finn’s magical journey continues on (not going to spoil it for you) and I feel the illustrations become more impressive. The ending was super sweet too! This is another impressive children’s book from The Fan Brothers.

Enemies (Evil Alien Warlord Cat #2) by Johnny Marciano

5 stars Childrens/Middle School Humor

Oh no! Klawde doesn’t have to worry about overthrowing his enemy on his own planet because guess who is on Earth now? Yes, Ffangg! Earth is not big enough for both of these supreme kitties and so, the move is on for one of them to go. Klawde has been training some Earth kitties for his own army but now Ffangg has caused Klawde to rethink his plans.

I liked that in this book we get more of Raj. Raj has a new student in his classroom at school, it is ….Cam! Oh, no! Raj is afraid that his friends will uncover the truth about him from Cam, his former best friend. With a competition at school, Raj has a lot on his mind.

With humor and wit, this series continues to entertain me. I can’t get enough of the feisty Klawde and his bold and spirited attitude for he tells it like-it-is and when he is in his cat mode, I swear he acts like my cat, Charlie. I like the laid-back attitude of Raj and with the introduction of Cam, we got to see another side of Raj. This is a fun, entertaining series.

Endling #2 : The First by Katherine Applegate

5 stars Children’s/ Middle School

I have to thank Byx and his friends for the 3 hours of sleep that I got the other night. When I finally shut off the light early in the morning, I couldn’t get Byx and his journey off my mind so I woke up early grabbed my book light and finished it.

I only had to reread a small section of this book as I got confused with all the different character names and the different places but otherwise, I enjoyed it and I really enjoyed the relationships within it. I thought the novel ended with a small cliffhanger, so yes, I am anxiously awaiting until the next book comes out but I can’t find anything telling me when this is going to occur. I just hope I don’t cry when it does.

This book begins exactly where book one left off at, as we have Byx and his friends out on their journey, searching for more dairnes. This book does a great job of setting up the novel, as it reintroduces the characters and the plot from the previous book. I would suggest reading book one as it will provide a more complete background on the story and will help set the tone but you can just read this book on its own and not be lost.

As the group makes their way, they come upon Razorgulls (you have to love all the creative creatures that are in this series). This is just the first set of such creatures that the friends will have to deal with as they search for more of Byx’s kin. Coming upon a village, they realize that it is ran by natites. The travelers had hoped that they could cruise past this village but the natites aren’t letting them leave until they get what they want. Now it’s up to Byx and his friends to do exactly what the natites want so they can continue on.

I enjoyed how each of them pulled for one another, they backed each other up and they wanted each other to succeed. Each of them, gives it their all, in everything that they do and they appreciate each other. They’re like a band of brothers. I am really enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next book.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano

5 stars Children’s/ Middle School

With a flash of light, he was gone, teleported to the horrible, ravaged planet Earth! I had a wonderful, hilarious time reading this children’s book. It wasn’t just my love of cats that made this book entertaining, it was Klawde and his witty descriptions that stole the show. As Klawde described living amongst us carnivorous ogres, he couldn’t believe that Raj didn’t realize Klawde was the greatest feline warlord to walk the universe.

Raj had problems of his own. They had just moved to Oregon and Raj didn’t know a soul. When the wet cat showed up on his doorstep, his parents told Raj that he could keep him, if he went to Nature Camp. Little did Raj know that Klawde was a talking warlord that had big plans which would involve him and that this “Nature Camp” was actually a survival camp.

It was Klawde, the warlord and his supreme view that cracked me up throughout the novel. When gifted with a scratching post, Klawde wondered if it was a sculpture. What was up with the fake, fluffy animals that they tried to get Klawde to attack and kill, was this their idea of military training or just cat toys? What about the human who tried to spear Klawde in the neck? Klawde wants to return home to his planet and seek revenge on those who teleported him to Earth but first, he must find a way to get there.

Raj has always wanted a cat yet I don’t think he was ready for Klawde. Raj becomes part of Klawde’s mission and tries to help him accomplish his task which of course, is funny. He thought he had a cool cat once he learns Klawde can talk but will he talk for anyone else? Raj has some issues at camp and talks to Klawde about them but unfortunately, Klawde behaves like a cat most of the time, when Raj wants any kind of a response.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Klawde’s imagination, his wit, and I liked his determination. I liked the friendship the two of them had. I liked how the author alternated the views from Klawde to Raj, on each chapter, as I believe that it allowed the reader to see both sides of the story and made the book wittier and amusing. I liked this book so much I picked up book 2 from the library last night. It was a fun and entertaining.

Supers by Frederic Maupome

5 stars Middle School/childrens Graphic Novel

Oh, I’m definitely going to stick by this series. I really enjoyed this children’s graphic novel as it had a lot of great feels to it. An explosive beginning, an interesting and intriguing story and a conclusion that makes me want to read more.

This graphic novel begins with, literally a large building on fire. Someone is missing as the building goes up in flames. There are two masked individuals running around inside the building and suddenly, they hear something. Was it the person they were looking for? We don’t know, for the fire explodes and the story flashes back in time.

It’s now four days earlier and we’re introduced to Matt and his two younger siblings. They’ve all just had their first day at their new schools. They seem like typical children yet they’re not human. They’ve come from another planet and they’re trying to fit in. They’ve been abandoned by their parents and unfortunately, Matt is the only one who has memories of the parents.

Matt, Lily, and Benji also have special abilities. They would fit right in with the Super Heroes, if they could. There’s a conflict among the siblings on whether they should use their specials talents or not. What if the humans find out they have special abilities, what would be the complications? Is it worth it?

I found plenty to enjoy about this graphic novel. I thought the issues these siblings had to deal with were real and although the siblings were not human, the issues were ones that anyone could identify with: being new, being picked on, having siblings, having to weigh your options, and emotions. I also liked the ending of the novel; it was a nice cliffhanger. It wasn’t a huge one but one that intrigues me enough to want to pick up book #2. I also liked the sibling’s relationships. It wasn’t perfect. It was filled with tension, arguing, respect, fun and love. It felt real. The illustrations and the flow of the novel was fantastic. The novel had a nice feel to it and it was entertaining. I can’t wait to see what happens to Matt and his siblings in the next book in this series.