Saturday, August 29, 2015

Author Visit featuring Eoin Colfer, Jonathon Stroud, and Ridley Pearson

Are you a fan of the Artemis Fowl series? Or the Bartimeous trilogy, or the Disney Lands-The Kingdom Keepers books? Well then this author visit is the right one for you! All of the authors of these books are coming to St. Louis on Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 pm, in the St. Louis County Library auditorium. Mark it on your calendar now!

Rick Riordan Author Visit!!!!!!

Do you love the Rick Riordan Series as much as I do? Do you want the chance to meet him? Well then come on over to the St. Louis County Library on October 13, 7:00 p.m. to whatever time he leaves! Get a pre-signed copy of his newest book, Magnus Chase, The Sword of Summer! Tickets go on sale September 10th, 9:00 a.m. through www.slcl.org or at the Library Headquarters! Make sure you reserve your spot to meet Rick Riordan!!!!

Friday, August 28, 2015

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Image result for the lost hero cover
Lexile: 660
Length: 592 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars



                          Jason wakes up on a bus in the middle of nowhere. He doesn't know where he is, or even who he is. He is holding the hand of a pretty girl, Piper, who tells him that he is her girlfriend. They are on their way to the Grand Canyon, accompanied by Jason's "friend" Leo. Jason doesn't remember him either. After an impossible accident, the three are transported to Camp Half Blood, where they find out that things are not as they should be. Jason, Piper, and Leo embark on a quest to save the gods from a terrible new threat rising from the Earth.
                           I really loved this book a lot. It is sort of a second series after Percy Jackson and the Olympians. So I  would recommend to read that series before you read this one, otherwise, you'll be really confused. Like I was. Except I had to stop halfway through, read the other series, then keep going on this one. There are five books in the series, and trust me, you'll want to read all of them. So when you get this one, get the next one too. You WILL need it. I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up. It is really awesome for most ages! You should really try this book out in your free time!

Friday, August 21, 2015

Magyk (Septimus Heap book 1) by Angie Sage


Magyk

Magyk
Author: Angie Sage
Lexile: 640
Length: 640 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Stars



                          Septimus Heap is the seventh son of his father, who himself is a seventh son. In the magical world, this is a good omen. It means that Septimus will have immense magical powers. Powers that some people may use for evil if they found out. But Septimus goes missing somehow, and he is declared dead by the midwife. The same night, when Silas Heap, Septimus' father is returning home, he finds a baby girl, wrapped in blankets, left out in the snow. He considers it a good omen, after losing Septimus. He takes her home, and they name her Jenna. When Jenna grows up, they still don't know who she is, and where Septimus is, if he had lived. The Heap's are part of an intricate plan for domination, and secrets they never dreamed could be real are uncovered.
                           I loved this book a ton! It was so well made, an exciting! I could have never guessed what happened! I think it deserves a higher lexile that only 640 though. It was so amazing, I couldn't wait to read the next one! The heroic story of Septimus, Jenna, and the rest of the Heaps was sooooo good! I think it was really cool how all the magic words in the book were spelled with a y instead of an i. Like the title. And most of the c's were k's as well. The only reason I gave it 4.8 out of 5 stars though, was because it got really boring in some parts of the book, and I was tempted to skip them, but I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I would've missed a lot of stuff that was important. This book was not inappropriate in the least, it was very appropriate actually. I would recommend it to 5th and up, because some of the stuff it talks about is hard to understand by little kids. You should try this book out in your free time soon!

Friday, August 14, 2015

The Land of Stories, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer


Image result for the land of stories
The Land of Stories; The Wishing Spell
Author: Chris Colfer
Lexile: 720
Length: 464 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars



                         Connor and Alex Bailey are just your regular pair of twins, or so they think. They both go to the same school, and are in some of the same classes. Then one day it all changes. Alex and Connor are magically transported to the fairytale world. Their only hope to get back home is the Wishing Spell. But collecting items from the most famous fairytale characters in the world will prove much, much, much more difficult than either twin could have ever imagined. Will they ever be able to return home to the world they know, or will they live out the rest of their days in the fairy tale world?
                         I did enjoy this book a lot, although it was a little too young for me. However, this did not stop me from reading the second, third, and fourth book in the series, and I am anxiously awaiting the fifth book. I found that it, although exciting, was extremely predictable. I could basically guess what was going to happen at the end, so it wasn't too much of a surprise for me. It was still a good enough book that I really wanted to read the one after it, and the one after that. So that is why I gave it 4.5 stars instead of something lower. I cannot wait for the fifth book to come out, and there may possibly be a sixth coming out soon after that. Chris Colfer is as good an author as he is an actor, and I think he should keep writing new series of books for kids to enjoy. I would say this book is a good read for 4th to 8th grade, but I'm sure a lot of adults and high schoolers would enjoy it as well. You should definitely check this book out from your local library, I'm sure you will enjoy the series as much as I did.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley


Image result for circus mirandus

Circus Mirandus
Author: Cassie Beasley
Lexile: 710
Length: 304 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars



                                 Micah Tuttle is the grandson of Ephraim Tuttle, and the two of them have been living happily together for a long time. Ephraim enjoys telling his grandson magical stories about the amazing Circus Mirandus that he went to when he was a boy. One day, Micah's grandfather becomes terribly ill. So Micah's mean great aunt comes to live with them and take care of his grandfather. Aunt Gertrudis was very cranky, and would never let Micah and his grandfather have alone time. She said those stories about the circus was all hogwash, but Micah soon learns otherwise. Micah's grandfather is very close to dying, but he tells Micah that a man at the circus, the Lightbender, promised him a miracle. With the help of his new friend Jenny, Micah travels to Circus Mirandus to find the Lightbender, and make him give his grandfather a wish. Will the Lightbender help him? Or will he simply pretend he never gave Micah's grandfather a miracle and just let him die?
                                 I enjoyed this book a lot, it was a perfect example of loyalty, friendship, and above all, faith. Micah seemed like such a sweet character, I felt so bad for him when the readers of the book found out about his grandfather being ill, such a kind person didn't deserve that. And his Aunt Gertrudis was terrible, she was really cruel to him. She wouldn't let him EVER see his grandfather, and she even locked him outside the house for something he didn't do. This book was not inappropriate at all, but at the same time, it was pointed toward younger readers. I still did enjoy it, but maybe if it had a little more vocabulary in it, I would have enjoyed it more than I did. That is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to 4th grade and up, because people of all ages can appreciate it, but it won't be a challenging read for older people. You should check this book out from your local library, it's is a great read!