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Space Case. Stuart Gibbs. 2014. Simon & Schuster. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Dashiell Gibson lives on the moon with his family. The community on the moon is small--super small. And there are only a handful of kids in the community (Moon Base Alpha). That being just one of a hundred reasons why Dash absolutely hates his life. By the end of the book, readers could list dozens of reasons. The top two would probably be the HORRIBLE food and the HORRIBLE bathroom facilities. Going to the bathroom in space--on the moon--is a nightmare. And eating horrible tasting food that makes you have to go urgently is the WORST. Dash finds himself in a situation in the first chapter putting him in just the right place to overhear something he had no business hearing. Dr. Holtz was also in the bathroom in the wee morning hours. He was talking to someone about a life-changing DRAMATIC revelation. Our hero doesn't hear the details of Holtz's discovery, just the fact that this HUGE announcement will be made at breakfast. But hours before breakfast, Holtz has an accident. Or "accident" as the case may be. Dashiell believes that Dr. Holtz was murdered...but it won't be easy to convince the adults to investigate. Can Dash and his new friend help solve the case?!

Space Case is a middle grade mystery that I definitely enjoyed. I'm not sure I loved it exactly. But I love the idea of loving it. It's one of those potentially satisfying mysteries for younger readers. There are plenty of suspects and plenty of clues. For better or worse, the plot was a bit more developed than the characters. Plenty happens in this one. And it's a very quick read. But the characterization is light, in my opinion.

Space Case is the kind of book I enjoy reading once, but, maybe not one I see myself rereading again and again.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Giver. Lois Lowry. 1993. Houghton Mifflin. 180 pages. [Source: Library]

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane.

My fifth "review" of Lois Lowry's The Giver. What more could I say that I haven't already said several times before? Feel free to read my reviews from 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2014.

Why did I reread The Giver this year? For two reasons. One. I watched the movie adaptation of The Giver. I watched the movie first, and, then started the book soon after. How do the two compare? What did I think of the movie? Well. The two certainly have a few differences. Jonas is much younger and even more innocent in the novel. But there was something about the movie that just worked really well. So I definitely didn't hate it! And I may have even loved it. I would never say I liked it "better" than the book. But on its own, it's a great movie. I loved many things about it. I loved how it was able to perfectly capture a few scenes from the book including the one where Jonas asks his parents if they love him. I also loved Jeff Bridges as The Giver! I love how both the book and the movie are thought-provoking.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Do you like the book or movie better? Is it ever fair to compare books and movies?

The second reason I reread The Giver is because I'm participating in the Birthday Month Reading Challenge. Lois Lowry's birthday is in March, so, it seemed a good fit for me! 

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Rescue on the Oregon Trail. (Ranger in Time #1) Kate Messner. 2015. Scholastic. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Sam Abbott lugged another sack of bacon to the wagon and sat down to wipe his forehead.

Premise/plot: Ranger is a golden retriever who has been trained as a search and rescue dog. But he failed to graduate his training. Ranger wanted to let the humans know that in a real situation, he'd not be distracted by squirrels. But, of course, he couldn't make them get that. Thus he failed, despite his good intentions. But he's given a second chance, of sorts, when he digs up an old first-aid kit. This kit magically transports him BACK in time. Ranger suddenly finds himself in 1850 in Independence, Missouri. He finds a missing girl, Sam Abbott's sister, Amelia, and joins the Abbott family and the wagon train heading west to Oregon. On the way, Ranger will have PLENTY of opportunities to alert Sam and his family--really, the whole wagon train--of dangers on the trail. He proves himself trustworthy when it counts.

My thoughts: It's the first in a new series. I liked this one. I did. You do have to suspend your disbelief a bit, I admit. But once you do, it's just FUN. Time travel can be great fun after all. Readers learn facts about the Oregon trail AND meet a lovable dog. And since this is the first book in the series. Readers shouldn't worry about this dog-on-the-cover book. The book realistically portrays the dangers of trail life, but, not at the expense of the star of the book: Ranger.

Rescue on the Oregon Trail releases this month. And the second in the series, Danger in Ancient Rome, will release this summer.


© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Forbidden Flats (Sky Jumpers #2) Peggy Eddleman. 2014. Random House. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

In the first book, Sky Jumpers, readers are introduced to Hope, Aaren, and Brock. Three kids who risked their lives to save their community of White Rock. Bandits had come, threatened everyone, threatened to steal the drugs that keep them safe from a deadly plague. Against all odds, these three manage it all. They take risks. They take chances. They face the elements. They cling to hope. They think of the people they love whom they are trying to save. It's an intriguing, dramatic read.

In the second, Hope, Brock, and Aaren will have to do it all over again. The world-saving. Not from bandits, mind you. An earthquake has occurred. This quake changes their community. It opens up a crevice, I believe, that releases gases into the air which interact with the Bomb's Breath. Life as they knew it is over. The Bomb's Breath is dropping lower and lower and lower day by day. Within a month, their community will lose its healthy pocket of air. But there is a tiny bit of hope. One of the adults knows of a mineral (or metal?) that can counteract and reverse everything. Their town can be saved if a) they send a team to a far-away community in the Rocky mountains b) if the team is able to travel to the town and back within the time period c) if the trade goes well in the first place. They send adults. They send kids. It's a good thing they send kids. Their guide is Luke. And for better or worse, Luke seems to dominate most of this book. Luke and Hope. The book is their journey to and from. Will they be able to save White Rock?

Did I love The Forbbiden Flats as much as I loved the first novel in the series? No. Not really. I wanted to. I did. But I was a bit disappointed in the sequel.

As the title suggests, this one takes place almost exclusively out of the community of White Rock. As this group travels together new communities and settings are introduced. We get a glimpse here. We get a glimpse there. Nothing deep or substantive. Mainly what the book is about is Hope's newfound interest in rocks. Do you enjoy reading about a person who becomes passionately interested in rocks? I wasn't. The main relationship focus of this book is between Hope, the heroine, and Luke, the guide they hire. Hope's relationships with Brock and Aaren are less important, I'd say. Hope has struggled with belonging in her own community, and, I suppose this book is suggesting that maybe Hope will one day choose differently, that she may find where she belongs someplace out there.

So I said I was disappointed. That doesn't mean I hated it. That doesn't mean I disliked it. It means I didn't love, love, love it the same way as the first book.
© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Sky Jumpers. Peggy Eddleman. 2013. Random House. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I loved, loved, loved Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman. I didn't expect to love it that much. I certainly wanted to enjoy it, to love it even. I always want to like what I read. I was swept away by Sky Jumpers. I found it impossible to put down! I thought the world-building was fantastic. I thought the characterization was so well done. And the plotting too. Really, I have no complaints actually! Everything just works so very well in this one. It is intense and dramatic when it needs to be, and full of heart when it needs to be. It balances action with emotion.

Hope Toriella is the heroine of Sky Jumpers. I loved Hope. I did. Hope is different from the others in the community of White Rock. It seems EVERYONE in the community is good--if not great--at inventing. And since everyone over the age of four is encouraged--strongly encouraged--to invent things throughout the year, to be good at it means that you belong, that you fit. Why are inventions so central to the community? Well, the world has been devastated by World War III. And surviving communities are trying to rebuild and survive. Anything that can make surviving easier, anything that enhances life in the community is a very, very good thing. Hope has strengths. She does. But they aren't useful-to-the-community strengths. She is clever--quick thinking. When she gets in a predicament, she can usually think her way out of it. She is athletic too. And above all else, Hope is a brave, risk-taker. Hope seems certain that the community doesn't need her, that instead of contributing to the community, she's just a burden--another mouth to feed, another body to clothe and shelter. But is that really true? Could Hope's unique gifts be just what the community needs to survive another winter?

Along with Hope, readers get to know Brock, Aaren, and Brenna. To name just a few. I really thought the whole community was developed well, brought to life. The world Eddleman created seems so real, so possible. 

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does). Ruth White. 2011/2012. Random House. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy]

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) makes a great, quick, entertaining read. If you enjoy classic twilight zone episodes, you'll likely enjoy this middle grade science fiction novel. Meggie Blue, and her brother, David, narrate this one. Though readers spend time with the characters before the move to FASHION CITY, most of this one takes place in Fashion City. (To be clear from the start, Fashion City is located in an alternate/parallel universe.) I think the details surrounding Fashion City and the Fathers is best left to the reader to discover. Some of the details about WHO is living in this parallel world is intriguing. For example, Elvis is contemporary with L. Frank Baum who is contemporary with Abraham Lincoln who is contemporary with Grandma Moses who is contemporary with Martin Luther King Jr. I imagine it was very fun for the author to fit these people into her alternate universe and play around with the facts of history. (In this parallel world, Walt Disney was killed as a teenager in war, as was Laura Ingalls.) The character of Gramps is very, very fun! The book is odd and quirky. But. I found it entertaining.

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Gathering Blue. Lois Lowry. 2000/2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 215 pages.

In anticipation of reading Son, I decided to reread the Giver trilogy by Lois Lowry. Gathering Blue is the second book, it is a companion to The Giver. Readers are introduced to a crippled heroine named Kira whose life is in danger because of her mother's recent death. The village in which she lives has a small tolerance level, I suppose you'd say, for those they deem worthless or less-than. Because of her so-called disability, there are those that food should not be wasted on her, for what good could she ever be to the community. Soon after the novel begins, Kira finds herself on trial. If the court decides in her favor, she'll continue to live in the village, if not, she'll be forced out. Kira lucks out, and she is "rescued" by one of the council. But her life will never be the same, she'll have an honored role in her village, in a way, doing a special job, something that only she can do, but along with the privilege she'll learn some secrets that will perhaps haunt her...

Readers also meet Kira's friend Matt.

I definitely liked this one. I think this is only the second or perhaps third time I've ever read it--I've read The Giver probably six or seven times. I think I appreciated it more this time around.  

Read Gathering Blue

• If you're a fan of The Giver and want to read on in the series
• If you're a fan of Lois Lowry
• If you enjoy middle grade dystopias 

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Raider's Ransom. Emily Diamand. 2009. Scholastic. 368 pages.

Cat puts up his nose to sniff the breath of wind barely filling the sail, and opens his small pink mouth to speak.

Knowing that I could never quite do justice to Raider's Ransom in my review, let me encourage you to just pick up this one and give it a try. I can't promise that you'll love it. But. You just may. It's that kind of book. The kind that actually delivers what it promises.
If you like action/adventure quests, I think you'll really, really appreciate Raider's Ransom. I think you'll enjoy the world Diamand created in the novel. I think there will be scenes that stay with you. I think you'll enjoy not only her world-building but her characterization and storytelling too.

The heroine of Raider's Ransom is a young girl, Lilly. She may be young, but she's a fisherman with a small (very small) boat of her own. And to the dismay of some, she's the owner of a cat, a sea cat. Not something to be taken lightly in her community of survivors. When she's at home, on land, she stays with her grandmother. But. Readers don't get a chance to see a more relaxed Lilly. For the novel opens with Lilly discovering the tragic truth: when she was out sailing her vessel, out fishing, the raiders (or should that be Raiders?) attacked her village. They were looking for something specific, the attack wasn't just random. I don't know if that makes things better or worse for Lilly since one of the things they were looking for was her cat. The Raiders kill Lilly's grandmother, and kidnap the Prime Minister's daughter. One might think that they kidnapped her for a nice ransom, but, they had something even more in mind. They return without their sought-after object, a particular jewel. And that's only the beginning. The problem? Well, I can't talk about this one without revealing too much. I think this is one of those that is best discovered all on your own. Trust me.

So. I won't go into details. But I will say we get another narrator. And that proves most interesting indeed! For I certainly wasn't expecting it at all.

This one went above and beyond all my expectations. It really did. It surprised me in a good way.

Read Raider's Ransom

• If you like survival stories or starting over stories; 
• If you like action/adventure stories with a quest, a journey, a mission
• If you like action stories with battles and close escapes
• If you like dystopias, novels set in the future with a society quite unlike our own
• If you like good storytelling

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Year Without Autumn. Liz Kessler. 2011. (October 11, 2011). Candlewick Press. 304 pages.

"Stop the car!"
"What?" Dad swivels around in his seat. The car swerves.
"Good grief, Tom!" Mom squeals, gripping her armrest as she pulls a wad of tissues out of her purse.
"Stop the car!" I repeat. It's going to be too late in a minute. I grab the tissues and shove them over Craig's mouth.

Time travel. Need I really say more?! For me, that was enough--more than enough--to seek out this one! Jenni is best friends with Autumn. These two friends are quite different from one another, but they have a few things in common. They both have little brothers. Jenni is big sister to Craig and Autumn is big sister to Mikey. Though the two don't attend the same school anymore, they've sworn to be best friends forever. And they mean it. Of course they mean it! What could ever come between them?! It does help that the two see each other every year the last week of August. The families vacation together at the same place, each has a time-share condo. The vacation is just getting started when IT happens...
Jenni impatiently decides to take the old elevator up to visit her best friend. She saw the owner fixing the old elevator, so she's relatively sure it's working again. But the truth is this old elevator has been out of order for many decades and it isn't really for guests' use. It takes Jenni a few hours to realize the truth of the matter...she learns it when she arrives back at her place and everyone--including herself--is a year older. Where did the year go?!

A Year Without Autumn is dramatic, very dramatic. For SOMETHING happens in that 'missing' year that changes everything. Jenni will have to put the pieces together herself--for the most part--because asking questions may not be an option. The more she tries to explain about what happened, the crazier she sounds. Can Jenni find the answers to her questions? Can she find a way to go back in time? Can she get her life back?

As I said, A Year Without Autumn is dramatic. It's a very compelling read. I think Jenni is a LOT braver than I would be in that elevator. Especially once she learns the truth of it--what it does. But she's determined and loyal and I can't help liking her for that.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 477 pages. 

Eva Nine was dying. The tiny scarlet dots on her hand mirrored the glowering eyes of the snake that had just bitten her.

I didn't love The Search for Wondla. I'm not even sure I liked it. One of the reasons it didn't quite work for me was that the ending left me unsatisfied. I wanted to shout at the book, "That's not an ending!" Then again, maybe it's not fair to judge a first book in a series by the ending.

Eva Nine, our heroine, may just be the last human on the planet. She has spent her whole life underground in Sanctuary. She was raised by a robot--albeit a robot with a mothering program built right in. (Muthr is always, always nagging Eva Nine to do this or that. Little things like picking up her room, etc.) When the novel opens, Eva Nine is in the middle of a test to determine if she's ready to live Sanctuary and venture into the real world above ground. Her muthr isn't convinced that she is ready. But she's going to give her one more chance, if Eva Nine doesn't improve, well, they may just have to go back to the basics.

Six Basic Survival Skills for Humans
1. Trust technology
2. Signal others
3. Find shelter
4. Create fire
5. Procure food and water
6. Know first aid

But ready or not, Eva Nine may be forced into the cruel, ugly world of unknowns. When someone breaks into sanctuary--destroying it in the process--Eva Nine is forced to flee the only home she's ever known. She is taking a few technological items with her, like her Omnipod, but what she soon discovers is that NO technology can protect her now, keep her safe, or guide her. The whole world--the whole planet--is unknown.

But Eva Nine won't be on her own for long, though her companions are not human--not even close.

The Search for Wondla is a blending of so many genres and subgenres. It's both science fiction and fantasy, in my opinion. It's an adventure story--a survival story. And of course it's one big mystery. Where is Eva Nine? What planet is she on? How did she get there? Is she really, truly the last human? Where did all these species come from?

The world Tony DiTerlizzi created is interesting. At times I found it confusing, I had to keep telling myself to keep reading and that it would start making sense eventually if I just read long enough. And that worked, for the most part. It helped when I decided the confusion might just be intentional. Eva Nine, our heroine, is thrust into a world that is completely foreign to her. She doesn't recognize any of the trees or plants. She doesn't recognize any of the life forms. These creatures--animals--speak in their own languages. She doesn't know what's dangerous and what's safe. She's completely out of her element.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Boy at the End of the World. Greg van Eekhout. 2011. Bloomsbury. 224 pages.

This is what he knew:
His name was Fisher.
The world was dangerous.
He was alone.
And that was all.

I definitely enjoyed Greg van Eekhout's The Boy At The End of the World. If you like survival stories or action-adventure stories or post-apocalyptic stories, then this one may be for you. Fisher, our hero, is truly the boy at the end of the world. There's a good possibility that he's the only human left on earth. At least the only human awakened from his pod. And if the other arks on earth look like Fisher's, well, the world could be in trouble.

But he's not completely alone in the world. He's guided by a robot, Click, and together they set out on a journey. To find other arks--other survivors, perhaps, and to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the bad guys--the evil robots that have destroyed Fisher's ark. (Not that it was *his* ark. But the ark that housed his pod.)

The Boy at the End of the World is imaginative. The author has created quite a world--an unfriendly world--for our hero to try to navigate. Some of the creatures that have evolved or survived-long-enough-in-the-world-to-evolve are quite interesting. (Though they take some getting used to perhaps.) I did enjoy this one. It was a quick read with plenty of action and suspense.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Giver. Lois Lowry. 1993. Houghton Mifflin. 180 pages.

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane.

The Giver is one of my FAVORITE books, and one of my favorite books to reread. I love spending time with Jonas. I love reading about his world, his family. I love the strangeness of it. How this community has made an idol of sameness and sought to control just about everything. The community chooses not only your life's profession, but your spouse and children too. (If you're lucky enough to be granted either. Not everyone is. Some are common laborers, after all.)  But I don't want to say too much. Because I do think this makes for a better read if you don't know too much ahead of time. 

When the novel opens, Jonas, is preparing for The Ceremony of Twelve. He's apprehensive, yet curious. What occupation will he be assigned? Will he like his training and enjoy his new responsibilities? Will it really take him away from his closest friends? His parents warn him that it will, that this really is the start of his new life, his adulthood. Jonas's assignment is life-changing--no doubt about it! It's also quite unique. It has been several generations since a new Receiver has been announced....

But just what is it he'll be receiving? Can he handle the stress and anguish? Can he handle the truth it will bring to light?!

"We don't dare to let people make choices of their own."
"Not safe?" The Giver suggested.
"Definitely not safe," Jonas said with certainty. "What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And chose wrong? Or what if," he went on, almost laughing at the absurdity, "they chose their own jobs?'
"Frightening, isn't it? The Giver said.
Jonas chuckled. "Very frightening. I can't even imagine it. We really have to protect people from wrong choices."
"It's safer."
"Yes," Jonas agreed. "Much safer." (98-9)

"Do you love me?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas, You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"
"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.
"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully.
Jonas stared at them. Meaningless? He had never before felt anything as meaningful as the memory.
"And of course our community can't function smoothly if people don't use precise language. You could ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' The answer is 'Yes,'" his mother said. "Or," his father suggested, "Do you take pride in my accomplishments?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes.'"
"Do you understand why it's inappropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.
Jonas nodded. "Yes, thank you, I do," he replied slowly.
It was his first lie to his parents. (127)

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Captured (Prometheus Project #2) Douglas Richards. Paragon Science Fiction. 256 pages.

Ryan and Regan Resnick were sure their lives had been ruined forever.

Yesterday I reviewed Trapped, the first in the Prometheus Project series by Douglas Richards. Captured begins six months after the close of Trapped. And it follows the adventures of this brother-sister team as they continue to explore an underground alien city. (Their parents--both brilliant scientists--are part of this secret project too.)

One night Ryan and Regan decide to have a sleepover in their parents' lab. (They want to skip the boring-to-them dinner party their parents are hosting.) When they awake, they learn that everyone on the project--well, everyone in the secret-city--has been captured. The alien leader--an escapee from prison--is unaware that there are two children on the loose. Can these two children save the adult members of the team? Can these two children defeat the alien threat?

I enjoyed this one. It may not be the most sophisticated book ever written. But it sure is entertaining. And is it really any more unbelievable than the series books I was reading as a kid? Not really. I think both books would be a good introduction to the science fiction genre for the younger crowd.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Trapped (The Prometheus Project #1) by Douglas E. Richards. 2010. (May 2010). Paragon Science Fiction. 192 pages.

Ryan Resnick sat on the floor of the attic and examined the contents of yet another cardboard storage box in the dim attic light--a magnifying glass, a pair of high-powered binoculars, an old phone and various picnic supplies. He shook his head and frowned.

Ryan and his sister, Regan, are two bright children, for the most part. After overhearing their parents talk about their secretive jobs--a conversation that oh so conveniently mentions passwords for the security system--curiosity gets the best of them, and these two decide to sneak into their parents' workplace to find out the truth. At first they are just looking for the real reason why the family had to move across country on such short notice--just six weeks. Especially since their parents have always refused other job opportunities saying that they were happy to stay put. But the truth is bigger than Ryan and Regan can imagine.

What is the Prometheus Project? Well, you'll have to read and see for yourself...

I liked this one. It was a quick read--a fun read. If I'd read this one as a kid, I'm sure I would have become a science fiction fan at a much younger age!



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Timekeeper's Moon by Joni Sensel. 2010 (March 2010). Bloomsbury USA. 352 pages.

The moon refused to hush or come down, so Ariel Farwalker was forced to climb up.

The Timekeeper's Moon is sequel to Farwalker's Quest, a book I just loved last year. Ariel and her friends have found the Vault and answered a few of the questions, but the adventure, the quest, is far from over! More adventures await this Farwalker. What kind of dangerous adventure will her feet lead her on this time around?

Ariel is a Farwalker. That's her "calling" if you will. Her gift, her power, (everyone has one) is to follow where her feet lead her. Lately, Ariel has been haunted by the moon, she hears it calling for her, taunting her, daring her almost. Her dreams have been upsetting as well. She feels this urgency to go, and quickly. But this time Zeke won't be along on the journey. She'll be meeting new people along the way: an older-but-not-particularly wiser, girl, Sienna, and a mute-but-oh-so-cute young boy, Nace. (And Scarl, of course, will be by her side to protect and encourage her as well.)

I'm not quite sure how to classify The Timekeeper's Moon. It's a mostly technological-free future-world that Sensel has created. But it is the future. There are glimpses of a world-gone-wrong, a world-gone-mad, traces of what led to the downfall of society. The people we meet, the villages we encounter, are proof that life continues, that you can emerge from the darkest 'dark ages' if you will. So that speaks of science fiction, in a way. Future worlds. The building and rebuilding of societies. As far as the 'gifts' people have, well, that's a bit of fantasy, very light fantasy though. No matter what category (and why does it have to be in a category to begin with?) you put this one in, it is good and satisfying just like the first. Joni Sensel knows how to tell a good story.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2009. Sent (The Missing, Book 2). Simon & Schuster. 313 pages.

Jonah was falling, tumbling over and over, down and down, through nothingness and absence and void.

Jonah and his sister, Katherine--being true friends--couldn't let Chip go alone. True, they didn't know where he was going exactly, though they had a handle on why, but whatever hardships come their way, they'll face together. Jonah and Chip are both adopted. But their mothers, their birth mothers, didn't come from the twenty-first century or even the twentieth. No, Jonah, Chip, and others like them--like Alex--are children "rescued" by future time travelers. You can read all about this mystery in the first novel in the series...Found.

Who is Chip? Who is Alex? I mean who are they really? These two kids are royalty. Chip being Edward V, and Alex, his younger brother, being Richard, the Duke of York. And now all four children are being sent back in time--by one faction of the future time travelers--to the fourteenth century. Chip and Alex were sent back in time to restore the past to what it should have been, to try to prevent damages to the timeline. But now that Katherine and Chip are part of it, plans have shifted a bit.

How well do you know your history? What do you know about the fourteenth century? If you're like Chip, Alex, Katherine, and Jonah, the answer is not much. What they do know--what soon becomes obvious--is that Chip/Edward and Alex/Richard are in danger. Richard of Gloucester is making a power play for the throne. And if history is destined to repeat itself, then these two may not be long for this world.

What did I like about this one, I mean, besides the time traveling bits? Well, I liked that Margaret Peterson Haddix uses a great historical mystery to tell her own story. What happened to those two boys has always been a mystery. Was Richard III a murderer? Did he hire someone to kill these two boys? If they did die of unnatural causes, how did they die...and when. Where the two skeletons unearthed centuries later really and truly their remains? Where these two smuggled to safely? Did they live out their lives in hiding? Is Richard III a monster like William Shakespeare portrayed him? Is Richard III evil incarnate? Or has history done him a great injustice?

This one offers a little history and mystery which combined with the more science fiction elements of the story make for a compelling read.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Hoover, PJ. 2009. (October). The Navel of the World. CBay Books. 296 pages.

As soon as the elevator passed by, Benjamin Holt jumped; and then he started falling--straight down the shaft. Sure, he'd planned to levitate himself, but seeing as how he was out of practice, he dropped a good two hundred floors before he finally got the whole levitation thing under control.

The Navel of the World continues the quest first begun in The Emerald Tablet. The problem...I don't know how to discuss this second book without spoiling the first one. So be warned...

In the first book, Benjamin discovered some shocking truths about himself--his past, his family. His parents aren't his biological parents. His biological father is evil. Oh, and he's one of three, a triplet. He needs to find his brothers in order to protect the world and complete his mission...

But finding his brothers may not be so easy. He enlists the help of his friends. He tries to follow the few clues he has, but this quest may send him shuffling back and forth in time.

The book is full of adventure, risk, and danger. It begins when Benjamin and Andy are working at his dad's office in Wondersky City over Spring Break. That's where they receive a new clue. But most of this one takes place over the summer as everyone returns to summer school. It is the second year for Benjamin and his close friends--Andy, Gary, Iva, Heidi, and Jack.

What did I enjoy about this one? I loved the use of mythology. I loved the adventure. I loved the humor. And most of all I loved the time travel.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Prevost, Guillaume. 2007. The Book Of Time. Translated into English by William Rodarmor. Scholastic. 224 pages.

Sam is a young boy who's about to stumble into a great adventure. Curious about his dad's mysterious disappearance, he is snooping around his dad's bookstore--he specializes in antique and rare books--he discovers a secret room. And here the adventure begins, when Sam accidentally finds himself shuffling through time. Each destination he finds himself in turns out to be dangerous. Some locations the danger is immediate and obvious, but at other times, it takes a while for the action to begin. He's not quite sure what he's doing. And he definitely has no clue how to travel where he wants to go. He just knows that this time travel business has something to do with a statue and something to do with round coins with holes in the middle. He also has more than enough clues to guess that his father is a time traveler and that he's somehow been trapped in his travels. Sam takes it upon himself to save his father. To master this time travel thing, find his father, and save them both. Can he do it? What do you think? If you guessed that all that would be impossible in just one book, you'd be right. This is the first in a series. I'm not sure how many books there will be. But I do know there are at least two books.

How do I feel about this one? Well, it's incomplete in some ways.

Semi-

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It's an obvious first-book-to-a-series, we have more setting up than actual action. That's not quite true, we do see some action. We see Sam discovering time travel. We see him shuffled to four different locations not including his two trips back home. We see him discover 'the book of time' and work on solving this riddle with his cousin, Lily. But we don't really reach a true climax of the action. We're still working on the rising action when the book ends. What we have is an interesting premise that hasn't really fully been presented. It's enough to give the reader an idea if they want more though.

The books were originally published in France.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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DuPrau, Jeanne. 2008. The Diamond of Darkhold.

The Diamond of Darkhold is the fourth in the Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau. It begins shortly after the close of the second book in the series, The People of Sparks. The Emberites--now on their way to becoming full citizens of Sparks--are struggling side-by-side with the people of Sparks (their former enemies) to survive the harsh winter months. In the midst of this struggle, a roamer comes to town. Maggs, a woman roamer, a shepherdess, comes to barter, but with food being so precious, she's having a hard time of it. Until Lina and Doon spot something even more precious to them than food. A book. Well, remnants of a book anyway. Just eight pages in length, the book catches their attention because its title reveals that it is for the people of Ember. Further study proves that it this book is an instruction book for the people of Ember. But with just the last eight pages in place, who could ever puzzle out its meaning?

If you've read the first book--and chances are you have else you wouldn't still be reading this review--you know that Lina and Doon have experience in solving difficult and mysterious and seemingly impossible puzzles. Knowing that no adults in Sparks would give their approval to these two kids' crazy plan, Lina and Doon make secret plans to leave Sparks and head off to a place they thought they'd never see again. A place they fear will have long lost sunken into darkness. The city of Ember.

Can these two kids return to Ember and discover just what this book is all about? Can they make sense of this mystery? Can their journey lead to a discovery that could ultimately decide the fate of every man, woman, and child in Sparks? Can they save the day...again?

While The People of Sparks and The Prophet of Yonwood are more about ideas and philosophies, this one is pure action and adventure. More action, less philosophy. Less ambitious themes, more exciting pace. So in a way, perhaps, it is less thought-provoking than its predecessors, but in some ways, I think it is more satisfying for most readers. (Less moralizing going on, for example. Am I the only ones that see these books as being heavy in messages???)

I've seen a review or two of this one already. And I don't remember which one it was that mentioned you didn't need to have read The Prophet of Yonwood to make sense of this one. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that. I think you can enjoy 98% of the novel without having read the other, but there are a few elements especially in the novel's closing that only really make sense if you've read Prophet of Yonwood. The more important question may be is it necessary to have read the other books in the series recently. Confession time, I read The Diamond of Darkhold days within receiving it in the mail. I found it less than satisfying. Especially the last quarter of the book. Especially especially the ending. But I determined that this was probably due to the fact that it had been a while since I'd read the trilogy of books that precedes this one. So I went to my local library and checked out those three books--The City of Ember, The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood. I read them again, all right after one another. And then I picked up The Diamond of Darkhold. This second time it proved to be an entertaining and satisfying read. I needed a reintroduction to make this one really work. That's not to say that every reader would need this immersion process...maybe your memory is better than mine...a lot better than mine. But I'd suggest rereading the other books. It won't be a waste of time because they're all (mostly) enjoyable books.

For more on Jeanne DuPrau and her latest book:

01 Charger, the 160acrewoods, A Childhood of Dreams, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children's Books, And Another Book Read, Becky's Book Reviews, Book Review Maniac, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Buzz, Hyperbole, Looking Glass Reviews, Never Jam Today,Comax Valley Kids

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Simmons, Michael. 2008. Alien Feast.

On the twenty-ninth of September, in the year 2017, William Aitkin's so-called stepparents were eaten by aliens, which he didn't particularly mind, seeing as they had never been very nice to him.

Alien Feast is a fun little adventure novel starring a young boy, William, the girl next door, Sophie, and his uncle, Maynard. They live in the town of Willoughby. As was hinted in the opening sentence, earth has been invaded by aliens. And these aliens are in the habit of eating whomever they want. But there are several things going for the people of earth, the aliens do show signs of laziness. They don't want to work that hard for their meals. But there is something even greater working in the humans favor: the aliens are susceptible--very susceptible--to human diseases. Chicken pox proves to be a mighty weapon against the aliens. However, while many of the aliens are among the dearly departed (or in this case the not-so-dearly departed), there are still aliens that have proved strong enough to survive so far at least. The humans do have one place left that the aliens haven't conquered; unfortunately, Willoughby isn't in it. Willoughby is in alien territory and thus proves the challenge for our heroes and heroine. They're on a rescue mission. First step, save Sophie's parents--both physicians--from the alien prison. They're being held captive until they find a way to cure, to treat aliens. Second step, save the world.

The book is one big adventure. It is funny yet it isn't without its serious overtones. (I certainly wasn't expecting one of the twists in the ending.) Alien Feast isn't quite like any of the books I've read. Books it might compare to in one way or another (although not always for the same age group) are War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The True Meaning of Smek Day by Adam Rex. If you've enjoyed any of those in the past, then Alien Feast might be one to consider for your tbr stack. If you haven't read any of those, but you loved Alien Feast, you might consider reading some of the others as well. They're definitely worth the time.

I did read the ARC. So it's always possible that the first sentence changed. Just so you know.

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