Entries Categorized as 'Fiction'

Five Children and It

Our rating: ***½

Cyril, Anthea, Jane, and Robert are all looking forward to vacationing in the country with their family, but no sooner do they arrive but they find a sand fairy, or Psammead, as he calls himself, who consents to give them a wish every day. Adventures follow, of course, and the children begin to discover that not all their wishes are what they anticipated.

Told in the usual, British, E. Nesbit style, I pull this book out now and then to enjoy. Most of the chapters cover a new wish every day, so there is a lot of variety, even if there isn’t really a driving, overall story.

You can also buy Five Children and It from Amazon in the United Kingdom and Canada.

The Muffin Fiend

Our rating: ***

A dastardly crime has happened in Vienna! Somebody has stolen all the muffins. Inspector Charles LeChat enlists the help of Mozart, who likes nothing better than to solve mysteries and compose music. A great story with crazy off the wall elements of an extraterrestrial, the odd peasant, and Gorganzola muffins!

I love Daniel Pinkwater’s books. All his books are very funny, with very weird (but easily followed) plots that always end in some goofy fashion. Unfortunately, The Muffin Fiend is out of print, so you have to buy it used. See our Book Tips page for pointers on how to find out of print books.

The Illyrian Adventure

Our rating: ***½

Vesper Holly is a rather precocious orphan from Philadelphia, and her guardians, Brinne and Aunt Mary, are swept into a whirlwind of adventure when Vesper finds the traces of an unfinished and, so far, unproved theory her late father had about a national legend in the small country of Illyria. Vesper is determined to investigate and, with Brinnie, heads for Illyria and becomes involved in far more than a mysterious legend. With an unwilling king, a rebel leader, and the great need for peace before a war breaks out, Vesper has her hands full…

Being the first of the Vesper Holly series, I think it’s one of the best. It has well developed characters and plot, and Brinnie’s witty writing style contains enough humor to keep you laughing. I enjoyed this book very much.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Our rating: ****

Harry’s uncle, Professor Von Hardwigg, discovers an ancient parchment, written in runic. On translating the note, they discover that the message from Arne Saknussemm, a famous geologist, says that the earth is hollow and if you descend into Mount Sneffells, an extinct volcano in Iceland, you will be able to travel to the center of the earth! The professor and Harry set off immediately and hire a guide named Hans. The three descend into the crater of Sneffells and into the center of the earth.

Jules Verne wrote a lot of great science fiction novels, and although his scientific facts are a bit off in this one, it is still worth reading. The beginning is a little slow, but once you get past it, there’s plenty of excitement and mystery. All science fiction fans should read Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

Our rating: ***

This is a book containing some of J.R.R. Tolkien’s poetry, 16 poems to be specific. It has several that I hadn’t read before, and some old friends, including Oliphaunt, and Frodo’s The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A great collection. Please keep in mind that this in not a complete collection of Tolkien’s poems. I enjoy poetry, and this book was neat to read.