Review Time Thursday

On Thursdays I'll review a book or movie that I liked (and maybe even warn you about a few I didn't like). Since it's summertime and the kids are home wanting stuff to do I thought I'd dedicate today to kids' books. As you know Lexie is 6 1/2 (actually it's more like 6 3/4). She LOVES to read and began reading on her own when she was 4. She's read so many differnt kinds of books over the years but this year she's really gotten into chapter books and series. She likes the same ones most little girls her age are into like American Girls, Rainbow Fairies, Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, and Hannah Montana. However, she has a few other favorites that you might not have heard of.

Araminta Spookie Books by Angie Sage
There are 5 books in total and they are suggested for children grades 2-4. The School Library Journal published this review: "Araminta Spookie lives in a sprawling haunted house. She spends her days hunting for ghosts, avoiding her cranky Aunt Tabby, and helping her nocturnal Uncle Drac. In the first book, her aunt wants to sell the house and the little girl does all she can to scare away potential buyers. Things turn out better than expected when the ghost-loving Wizzard family shows interest but decides instead to move in with the Spookies. In the second book, Araminta and the Wizzards' daughter find themselves in danger when they try to retrieve a sword from a cave for the house ghost's 500th birthday... Kids who use "weird" as a compliment will delight in the charming details of Araminta's life. Trapdoors and secret passageways get her into forbidden places. Frogs, bats, and ghosts are part of the family..." Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK (Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Frog Princess books by E.D. Baker


There are six books in the series and they're suggested for children grades 4-6. Here's a review by the School Library Journal: "In E.D. Baker's twist on the classic fairy tale (Bloomsbury, 2002), Princess Emeralda has quite an adventure when she kisses a prince-turned-frog and everything goes terribly awry. The book follows her exciting quest, along with the frog prince Eadric, to transform themselves back into their human selves. The text itself is weak, with poor story logic, many fruitless tangents, and excessive detail. However, the dialogue between the perky princess, her valiant but foolish prince, and some of the other odd characters they encounter is often genuinely funny...This romantic comedy and non-violent adventure would appeal to youngsters fond of twisted fairy tales, but some of the jokes and sophisticated vocabulary will be beyond the intended audience." by Jenna Innes, Edmonton Public Library, Alberta, Canada (Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.)

The Sisters Grimm books by Michael Buckley


There are 7 books in the series which is suggested from readers Grade 4 to 6. Here's the review from Booklist: "After their parents disappear, sisters Daphne and Sabrina Grimm are placed with a grandmother they have never heard about. Sabrina, the eldest, is highly suspicious; why didn't their parents mention Granny Relda? She grows more concerned once they arrive at Relda's home in the New England town of Ferryport Landing, where Relda serves emerald-green meatballs in rooms lined with books about magic. Then Relda reveals the truth: the Grimms are descended from the famous storytelling brothers, and Ferryport Landing is a magical town, populated with "Everafters," characters straight from fairy tales. After Relda goes missing, it's up to the girls, and their new magical friends, to rescue her and stop a corrupt politician--a well-cast Prince Charming. Buckley's debut novel gets bogged down in labored world building and sometimes stilted prose, but the wild parade of magical folk in the gleefully fractured fairy tales (Snow White teaches school; the Three Little Pigs are policemen) may draw some fans." by Gillian Engberg (Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.)

Some of the reviews weren't that glowing, however, I can tell you that Lexie absolutely LOVES all three of these series. Since she's a kid, and I assume the reviewers aren't, I'd encourage you to try these books out. I hope the kids in your life enjoy them as much as Lexie does!