Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fiction, Mysteries, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:Jules Verne, Long Read
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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.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Adventure, Mysteries, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:Animals, Jules Verne, Long Read
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One of the biggest rivers in the South America: the mighty Orinoco. Or is it? MM. Miguel, Filipe, and Varinas can’t agree. Which river really is the Orinoco? After much debating, they decide the only way to find out is to take a trip and see for themselves. On the way, they meet Sergeant Martial, a retired military man, and his nephew, Jean de Kermor, who is searching for his long-lost father and has reason to believe that he’s somewhere down the Orinoco. Soon, their party is joined by an explorer and a botanist, Jacques Helloch and Germain Paterne, who have been assigned to an expedition of the Orinoco and its surrounding towns. Together they travel, encountering giant herds of turtles, electric eels, and an escaped convict.
When I first saw this book, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as some of Jules Verne’s other books, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a little slow in the middle, but it picks up again in time for a nice finish. The characters are well developed and the storyline is very interesting.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fiction, Mysteries, Review
Tags:Long Read, Seafaring, Stephen R. Lawhead
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Aidan is a monk in Ireland during the last years of Ancient Rome. Chosen to go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Byzantium, Aidan is overjoyed to be chosen, until a dream foretells his death in the city. Captured on the way by Sea Wolves, Aidan becomes the slave of Gunnar. The Sea Wolves set off, taking Aidan with them, to a rich city of gold, where even the slaves lounge about in idleness. The city turns out to be Byzantium, and there Aidan decides that God has forsaken him, because he does not die. Through a series of evil events surrounding a plot of extent that no one imagines, Aidan is led deeper into the belief that he has been abandoned by God. Convinced that he must shape his own future, Aidan sets out to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
I thoroughly enjoyed Byzantium, but must say that it is not to be read by the faint of heart. There are some very depressing portions, and evil is displayed as evil and acts very…well…evil. (Did you expect any different?) Certain battles are a bit graphic at points, but very well described. The evildoers use some language, and there are some references to worldly pleasures. That being said, I would highly recommend Byzantium to anybody who could handle it. Lawhead writes in a way that you will feel that you are actually following Aidan on his journey. 870 very rewarding pages of mystery, excitement, daring deeds, evil plots and a story about finding true peace.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Adventure, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:Dogs, Jules Verne, Long Read
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The adventures of five men who escape from Richmond in a balloon during the war of the Secession. Northern Captain Cyrus Harding, an engineer, Gideon Spilett, a reporter, Neb, the freed slave of Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, a sailor, and a young man named Herbert. After traveling through a hurricane, they are stranded on an island with only two watches and a notebook between them. No matter the difficulty, they find some way to succeed, even to the point of making nitro-glycerin and a telegraph system for the island! But a mystery seems to follow them, as strange and unexplained help comes to them when they’re in any dire need. Anything from attacks by pirates to an insane castaway, this book is worth reading.
This is a really neat book with a very dramatic ending. Well, almost ending. (They explain what happened afterward) I recommend reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first, for several reasons, one of which being it helps warm you up for the long scientific processes that are explained. I have to admit, I did a lot of quick skimming through the scientific parts. It’s hard to enjoy it if you don’t understand it. A quick reminder: Several of the facts and ideas in Jules Verne’s book are slightly outdated and replaced, but this is a fun book. Please read it, even for the sake of impressing yourself, because it’s 768 pages of adventure, science and Jules Verne.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Funny, Good Read Aloud, Howard Pyle, Long Read
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Robin Hood is an outlaw for shooting the king’s deer and killing one of the king’s men. This is the story of his life as an outlaw with his merry men. They all live in Sherwood Forest and try to correct the evils done by the Sheriff of Nottingham and the greedy clergy. There’s Little John, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley, Friar Tuck and Allan a Dale, stout yeomen all. An enjoyable story of daring deeds and true friendship.
I really enjoyed The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. A clever story with wonderful humor and valorous characters (except the bad ones; they’re bad all through). The old English is hard to understand at first, but, as thou gettest deeper into the story, ye find thyself speaking it quite merrily. (See?) This book is a lot better if you hear it on audiobook, so I will include a link to it. Buy The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, read by David Case from Amazon.
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