Entries Categorized as 'Fiction'
Posted by Becca
Categories: Fiction, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:Animals, Clyde Robert Bulla, Easy Read, Good Read Aloud, Mules, Quick Read
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Our rating: 
Coming home from a neighbor’s house, Don and his sister Jenny see a man beating a mule by the road. Don buys the mule out of pity for three dollars. At home, the mule causes problem after problem. Don’s father wants his son to get rid of the mule any way he can. But Don grows to love the mule and refuses to give him to just anybody.
Three-Dollar Mule is a great book for younger readers. It’s a nice story that is written in a simple manner. I may have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I was in the intended age group, but that’s not to say this story cannot stand the test of time. Three-Dollar Mule remains a good read, best-suited for the younger audience.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Good Read Aloud, Hedgehogs, M. I. McAllister, Mistmantle Chronicles, Moles, Otters, Squirrels
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The animals on Mistmantle Island have always led peaceful lives, but things are thrown into chaos when the young Prince Tumble is found murdered right in a hallway of the royal Tower. As harsher laws are passed and events orchestrate themselves a little too well, it becomes evident that an evil intrigue has formed within the Circle—and will endanger the lives and welfare of many.
Urchin is only a new page and the squirrel who’s never quite fit in, but those few animals who know of his mysterious beginning are sure he’ll have a powerful impact on the destiny of the island.
This is certainly an enjoyable read. The populace of squirrels, hedgehogs, otters, and moles bears a similarity to the Redwall series, but I found the overall feel to be different enough that it doesn’t seem like a case of copycat. This was my second time through Urchin, and although I don’t consider it a must-read, it’s worthwhile if you enjoy this style of fantasy.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Dragons, Holly Black, Spiderwick, Tony DiTerlizzi
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The adventure begins as the Grace family (twins Jared and Simon, Mallory, and their mother) moves into a house that Mrs. Grace’s great-aunt Lucinda has given them. And then strange things begin to happen. The children find a hidden room, full of weird references to faeries. Jared finds a field guide by Arthur Spiderwick telling all about the different kinds of faeries, what they do, where they live, and how to tame them. When they do find faeries, the faeries want them to destroy the book. But Jared insists on keeping it, and so the Grace family is plunged into an adventure they never expected.
Although this is a fun story, there are many things included that make it inappropriate for the intended age group. Jared has problems controlling his temper, and he never overcomes the problem. He also deceives the faeries more than once in order to keep the field guide, but later realizes that he should be truthful. His siblings are a little more well-behaved.
Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the villain character is not revealed until the fourth book in the series. Also, the story seems to be stretched out needlessly to cover a five book serial. Every member of the family is captured by faeries at one time or another, which makes for exciting escapes, but becomes boring reading after the second or third capture. However, a clever story does manage to make Spiderwick worth reading. Even though the series is aimed at a younger audience, I feel that it is really better suited for ages 10 and up, so I went ahead and labeled them for older readers. I’ve linked to the boxed set, as the books really should be read back-to-back.
I actually enjoyed the recent film version of The Spiderwick Chronicles better than the book. A lot of the more inappropriate material was cut. The story was also changed around to make it move along at a more respectable pace, and I thought that the ending of the movie was much more satisfying than the ending of the book. The film also lets you know who the bad guy is early on, which was a big plus for me. So make sure that you see the movie once you’ve finished the books.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Howard Pyle, King Arthur, Long Read, Sad
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The story of how King Arthur drew the sword from the anvil and became king, how he obtained the sword Excalibur and its magical sheath, and how he wore a magical cap of disguise to be near the Lady Guinevere and how they were eventually wed. Also the story of the evil plans of King Arthur’s sister, Queen Morgana le Fay, how Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine were wed to Ladies of the Lake, and how King Arthur defeated the enchanter knight.
A pretty good book. It’s written in Old English and I learned at least one new word. It’s also somewhat sad in some places. I liked the stories with King Arthur best.
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