Tear Soup

I decided to start in on picture books.  This is one of my all-time favorites.  It's the story of an "old and somewhat wise woman whom everyone called Grandy" and how she mourns the loss of a grandchild.  It's insightful and non-threatening as it probes the grieving process and all involved, with emphasis on the fact that everyone grieves differently.

Audience

Anyone, child or adult, who has grieved, is grieving, or knows someone who is grieving

What I Love About This Book
The illustrations are beautiful.  They also contain added insight if examined closely.  The dog is adorable and fun.  I just feel this is a very child safe and simple way to understand the complexities of grief.  Each page talks about being okay with feeling whatever you are feeling.  I like that it shows grief as having an end, of sorts.  Anyone who's experienced it will know that those feelings of loss will flare up every now and then, but it is a triumphant day when you no longer need your grief and can let it go for the most part.  There's even several pages of appendix talking about different kinds of loss and how women/men/children will experience loss differently and how others can help them.

Caution
While it is applicable to all grief and loss, it is slanted toward bereavement

Sarah, Plain and Tall

This is the story of a mail-order-bride who comes from Maine and her beloved ocean to the Midwest prairies of Kansas to meet a farmer and his two young children.  She finds the love Jacob has for his deceased wife is still strong, and he finds that Sarah will never stand for being merely a replacement.  The couple grow in love for each other, as well as for the children and the beautiful, if unforgiving farmland they live on.

Audience

3-5th grade.  This series is very simple, lacking some of the character exploration and ambiguity of young adult fiction.  They are short and sweet.

What I Love About These Books
For some reason this love story speaks to me.  I love heroines like Sarah that don't wait for life to happen to them.  Sarah knows she needs a change and makes it happen.  I love that Jacob is strong and intelligent enough to let her be herself.  Some people find the simplicity of the story boring.  I find it comforting.  It seems to me that a child could comprehend the story, but as an adult reader I understand so much more than I did before and relate on a whole new level

Caution
1) This book is not action packed.  Many children nowadays would find it slow.

Series
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Skylark
Caleb's Story
More Perfect Than the Moon

Inkspell and Inkdeath

Yes, I'm reviewing each title in the series separately.  These are the two sequels to Inkheart, but they have a different feeling for me.  Inkheart is about storybook characters coming into our world, this book is about the Inkheart characters going into the Inkworld.  Dustfinger got all he ever wanted, to go back.  But ten years in the other world changed him, and he finds that leaving everyone behind is not as liberating as he thought.  In the meantime Farid solicits Meggie's help to get to Dustfinger.  Meggie sees this as her ultimate dream come true and tries not to think about how her father will react when he sees that Meggie has left him for the world that stole his wife for ten years.  Mo and Theresa find a way into the Inkworld hoping beyond hope their family will be together again. 

Audience
This is to middle grade readers (6-8) and the content is inappropriate below that.  The suffering of many of the characters, including poverty and prejudice, is described in detail, and some of the decisions are morally questionable.  It makes for a rich story but also makes it less child-friendly.

What I Love About These Books

1) I always love Dustfinger for his contradictions.  If you've read the first book you know that he really is the coward he describes himself to be...except when he isn't. 

2) The emotional lines were an intense read.  Some rang true, others felt melodramatic, but I enjoyed all of them.  I felt just about every character was improved upon. 

3) If you are going to like this book, you have to fall in love with the Inkworld and it's people, because this is their story. 

4) Having read the romance plot through to the end, I must say it rang true to me.  I want my kids, especially my girls, to understand the conclusions Meggie draws at the end of the series.

Cautions
1) These books are dark.  My experience is that we bring what darkness we have into any book, but some invite more than others.  The Inkworld has some truly evil characters and they are explored
2) There is profanity.  I didn't feel it was excessive, but depending on the child, you may want to hold off.  Farid calls some characters an SOB, so it's not exactly mild.
3) The book is about 640 pages long with a lot of description.  The descriptions are beautiful, but I skimmed some of them.
4) Inkspell leaves on a killer cliffhanger, so have Inkdeath ready.

Inkheart

Have you ever had the experience where you're reading something, and all of the sudden the story jumps off the page and comes to life?  Meggie's father Mo is a book binder, or as Meggie calls him "the book doctor."  One day a man named Dustfinger shows up on their doorstep Mo convinces Meggie it's time to leave.  Somehow he seems bound to this Dustfinger person and Meggie is scared.  Dustfinger is likable, but something is shifty about him.  As the adventure unfolds Meggie finds her family is more connected to books than she knew.  She meets the book that stole away her mother, and finds the book that brought all her loved ones together again.

Audience

Book lovers welcome.  Reading level is about 5th grade.  My 3rd graders who enjoy reading could comprehend it well enough, but it is a bit long for their attention spans.  This does not strike me as a gender specific book with all the action in it.

What I Love About This Book

This is the only book I've met that explores what it's like to be a reader.  I quote this book to my students sometimes and they think I'm that wise.  I enjoy the characters.  All of them are archetypal, but I didn't feel any of the main ones were flat.  Even Basta has some sympathy from me, though perhaps not Capricorn.  I also liked having a quote at the beginning of each chapter.  Today I explained to a student that if you read a book often enough it becomes a friend.  Well not only is this book a friend, but it's all about people who found their best friends on the printed page.

Cautions

1) All the books in this series are very descriptive.  Most of the pages are telling you what things look like.  They are wonderful, but if that's not your thing, get out

2) This is one of those books where a mystery is hinted at on page one and not revealed until near the end, with only hints here and there.

3) Again, the characters are archetypal, which means they will remind you of other characters you know.  You can say it's less original, but I think it's done on purpose.  Either way, you will recognize a lot of characters from other books.

The Secret Garden

I am remiss in not reviewing The Secret Garden until now.  This book centers around ten year old Mary Lenox and the day she finds her parents have died of Cholera.  She is taken to her uncle Archibald Craven in England on the moors of Yorkshire.  She goes from having everything she could want (outside of human contact) to a world alien to everything she ever knew.  The people around her now don't put up with her whining and temper tantrums, but they genuinely care about her, and she comes to enjoy them.  Eventually she meets Colin Craven, who has lived as sheltered and spoiled a life as herself.  Together they find the "secret garden" that Colins' mother had loved and together breathe life and love into it.  As they work to make the garden live again, they find their hearts filled with all the love and hope they ever wanted and more.

Audience

I think an eight year old would be safe with the content.  The language is a little old, so probably fifth grade reading level.  The book was written for girls, but all the boys I know have loved it just as much.  I loved it the first time I read it, and still find new things to ponder on each rereading.

What I Love About This Book

Where do I even start?  I always donate this book to battered women's and children's shelters.  The message is taking one of taking your life into your own hands, and filling it with beauty.  I love watching Mary emerge from her shell.  I love the whole message that when you give love, you find yourself filled with love.  The theme statement of the whole book is: Where you tend a rose, a thistle cannot grow.  Every time we add something positive to our lives, or simply maintain the good, that is a space where evil, negativity, and darkness will never find root.

Cautions

1) In talking to others, it seems they did not fall in love with this book unless they knew it as a child.  I can't imagine a world where I didn't know "The Secret Garden."

2) There is some talk of the supernatural.  It is never defined as being God or Indian magic, but both are hinted at.

3) It could be argued this book is slow.  Mary and Colin finding life is the story, there is no surprising little plot twist.

Frindle

In the interest of wasting time, Nicolas Allen asked Miss Granger a question about her almighty dictionary.  She tells him to go find out, and when he does, he becomes curious about how words are made.  Miss Granger tells him he decides what things are called.  When everyone accepts a word, it becomes a real word.  He decides that a ballpoint pen shall henceforth be called a "frindle."  As per his plan, the word catches like wildfire.  Miss Granger makes her displeasure publicly known, but even she can't stop the English Language

Audience

I doubt this book would appeal below 4th grade.  The main protaginist is a 5th grade boy.  Frindle is realistic childrens fiction for elementary and middle school students

What I Love About This Book

I love watching Nicholas realize the power of a single idea.  The characters are so funny and they remind me of my students all the time.  This is just a charming book.  I love as his perception of adults begins to change.  This is just a charming book that I think kids and adults alike can't help but love.

Cautions

1) The parents are kind of clueless about the actions of the children

2) Nick's mishevious actions are winked at.  That usually bothers me, but as a teacher when my students get into mishief that will force them to learn what I'm teaching, I let them get away with it too.

The Outsiders

I read this book in 8th grade and didn't really like it.  I read it again in high school (don't bother to ask why) and LOVED it.  I think I just was not ready for the more teenage themes at 14.  This book follows Ponyboy Curtis and his friend Johnny as they start making grown up decisions.  They are "Greasers" in a world run by "Soc's."  Mostly they just live their lives with only minor skirmishes here and there.  Then one night things go horribly wrong and Johnny kills a Soc in defence of Pony.  Now they have to decide who they are and where they stand.  Amidst tragedy and heartache Ponyboy finds the power to make his own destiny, no matter what others have done.

Audience

S.E. Hinton said she wrote this book to have high school fiction that was not all about prom.  This is a book for teenagers  about facing fear and identity on the wrong side of the track.  I could have read it in 6th grade, but it had no meaning for me until I started worrying about some of the same things.

What I Love About This Book

I can relate to every character in here.  The point of the author is to show that life is hard on both sides of the tracks.  One of Pony's epiphanies is that the rich kids need the same love and security he himself is craving.  I also love the family theme.  Families sacrifice for each other and reach out to each other, even when they frequently do not get along.  Pony comes to see the value in having  that kind of family.

Cautions

1) There is profanity in this book.  More than a little.

2) This is a tear-jerker for me.  Every single time I read it I bawl my eyes out.

3) Drinking and sex are talked about as being part of life

4) As part of the premise there is plenty of violence.

Enna Burning

Technically this is part of the same series as Goose Girl, but it's so different I didn't want to review them together,  After Isi becomes queen her friendship with Enna stays strong.  Enna is happy for her, but can't help being a little jealous of Isi's ability to speak to the wind-until she learns the language of fire.  She thinks it will be like Isi with the wind, but it's not.  Fire needs to burn.  Now that she has fire inside her, she needs to let it out.  Fortunately the kingdom is going to war and her gift is useful.  She has it under control.  No matter how much it hurts, she will stay in control...but how?

AudienceNo way I'd go below 16 on this one, it just deals with too many dark issues.  It is a beautiful story of friendship and love, but there are some topics that I just don't feel fit into children's literature.  This is Young Adult at it's finest.  Girls book for sure.

What I Love About This Book

1) The war stories struck a chord with me.  There are motivations for all the characters, and you can see how the danger brings out the best in some and the worst in others

2) Ani and Gerrick are so cute together.  I love it when a couple gets together and then they live happily ever after

3) I like the darker tone.  Enna deals with some pretty heavy stuff and the book faces it honestly.  Her abilities with fire read like an addiction to me

Caution

1) This book deals with Stockholm Syndrome and other psychological issues

2) The choices Enna makes are often consistent with an addict-only fair since she is one.

Goose Girl

Some have the gift of people speaking, they can make anyone believe them.  Some have the gift of animal speaking and can understand the sparrows, the horses, and the language of all creatures.  Once, long ago, there is a legend that some had the gift of nature speaking-to understand the fire, or the wind, or even the water.  Princess Anidori Kaladra Taliana Isili does not have the gift of people speaking.  She always says the wrong thing at the wrong time.  She is only at home with the animals she loves, she can understand them.  In spite of this she is the crown princess, until tragedy strikes and she learns her mother has made a marriage alliance to send her off to a distant country to marry an unknown prince.  On the way to her groom, Ani's maid usurps her power and her name.  Ani enters a new country alone and as a starving peasant.  She does not have the gift of people speaking, can she possibly reclaim her name and title from someone so beautiful and convincing?  Ani finds her powers of language are more than she thought.  She also finds true friendship does not depend on convincing someone of your worth, it depends on opening up and allowing others to see you.

Audience

I would not go below 12 or 13 on this one.  The language is simple, but it is based on a Grimm Fairytale.  This is decidedly geared toward girls

What I Love About This Book

1) I love that this is a fairy tale with a fun romance plot, but it is not a guy-saves-girl book, nor is it a girl-saves-guy book.  The two of them work together and arrive at the truth and the needed proof.

2)The themes of what makes a family and a mother are explored.  Ani learns that a mother is not a soft place to fall, a mother is the one that will give her own blood in the service of her children
3) I love the friendships and relationships Ani develops, learning how all people are different, but have the same need for acceptance
4) I am a firm believer in the power of words and the need for story, so the ideas of language in this book ring true to me.  Ani is a story teller, and this book talks about why we need stories-and it echos my feelings on the matter

Cautions
1) This book is graphic.  It talks about heads being chopped off, and other violent themes.  Again, this is within the limits of a Grimm fairytale.
2) One female character does use her attractiveness to manipulate the men around her, and the two of them being sexually active is hinted at.  I think that would go over a lot of heads, but adults will catch it.

A Tale of Two Castles

by Gail Carson Levine
Elodie (said like Melody but without the M) is moving across the sea to begin her apprenticeship.  She has no money so the plan is to apprentice for 10 years in the city of Two Castles.  It's kinda strange as a capitol city.  One castle belongs to the king, the other to an ogre. Every wise person tells her to avoid the ogre at all costs, but these situations seem to find her.  Two Castles also has it's very own dragon.  Dragons are also to be avoided because they are hot tempered and moody.  But when the dragon is the only one offering her the help she so desperately needs?  Is it possible that "everybody" can be wrong about something so important?

Audience

The story is just as simple as Ella Enchanted, so I'd say it's safe for any second grader up to real chapter books.  This is very much girl oriented with a medieval fairy tale setting.

What I Love About This Book
1)At first I was trying to figure out if each character was the "good guy" or the "bad guy."  This is a mystery and it does have an antagonist, but each and every character has good qualities and bad.  Who can you trust?  Decide for yourself, because all the characters are pursuing their own ends.

2) I spent a lot of time trying to find the romance plot, but there is none.  I love this because I think there needs to be more books on friendship-we all need it and that is a relationship with just as much value in our lives as romance.

3) One of the themes in this book is changing your dreams.  What if you get what you want, and find you don't like it?  What if you get what you don't want and find that you love it?  I think young people need to hear that it's okay not to have all your own answers.

Cautions
1) There is no romance plot.  I though this was Beauty and the Beast retold, but it's not
2) The idea of gender is explored a little-and what behaviors are indicative of what gender

The Unicorn Chronicles

I started this series in elementary school, but it was not finished until earlier this year.  When orphaned Cara and her grandmother are chased into a church by an assailant Cara almost recognizes, her grandmother tells her to jump off the steeple on the stroke of twelve and shout "Luster bring me home."  Once in Luster, Cara is supposed to tell the queen "The Wanderer is Weary."  The magical world of Luster is indeed the land of the unicorns, full of friends and adventures.  Cara finds that this place is part of her own heart and swears to protect it against the Unicorn Hunters, or "Hunters."  As she explores her ties to this magical place it becomes clear that her destiny has been tied to Luster all along, but all is not as it seems.

What I Love About These Books

I can't help it, Lightfoot will always be the ultimate unicorn to me.  I genuinely like all the characters and was invested in Cara's struggles to define herself in the conflict.  Bruce Coville's wisdom shines through in the voices of a couple of characters.  One of my favorite quotes of all time comes out of this series. Watching young characters Luster has a piece of my heart and I was on the edge of my seat to make sure all my favorite characters lived happily ever after.  Warning: Not all of them did.

Cautions
1) These books start out for kids, but the latter two are longer, more complex and much darker
2) The first two books deal with finding home and family, as well as defining one's self.  Books 3 and 4 delve into the nature of evil and of a relationship with an imperfect creator

Series
Into the Land of the Unicorns
Song of the Wanderer
Dark Whispers
The Last Hunt

Charlie Bone

Yes, it's another book about magic children.  There are similarities to Harry Potter, but this series stays simple and child safe to the end.  Charlie finds out that he has magic abilities at age 10.  He is one of the decedents of the Red King.  The Red King was the last great wizard.  He had 10 children, 5 of which were good, and 5 evil.  The evil side won and good disbursed.  Now all the children seem to be gathering at the evil Bloors Academy and the final showdown is fast approaching.  All that's left is for everyone to choose their side, but the good children have more allies than they know.

Audience
Both genders would like this book equally.  It's written at about a 5th grade vocab level and 4th grade reading level.

What I Love About These Books
There are a lot of laughs in this book.  The scrapes the children get in are as humorous as they are dramatic.  The kids are lovable and loyal overall.  The cats always make me happy, and I'm not a cat person.  A lot of the plot is scattered, but it is amazing to see threads of story from previous books picked up and resolved later.  These are light, fun reads.

Cautions
1) All the children have an individual talent related to their ancestor.  These are hard to keep track of, and I constantly flip to the chart in the front
2) The Bloors are very creepy.  Nothing inappropriate, but definitely scary.
3) As an adult, I solved the great mystery of the series by page 25.  Every plot line is predictable, but watching the characters develop is the fun part

Series
Midnight for Charlie Bone
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
Charlie Bone and the Beast
Charlie Bone and the Shadow
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight

The Wanderer

Sophie sets out on a sea voyage from New England to England with her 3 uncles and 2 cousins.  At the beginning they are a loosely connected group of people going somewhere together.  They become a family as they share the tragedy and triumphs of each individual person.  In the end, they all recieve the gift of being loved for who they really are, weakness, strength, and all.

Audience

Early 4th grade could understand the words of this book.  I think most of the content is geared toward 6th and up, but it wouldn't be bad for younger kids to read and understand it.  It's a human interest story, so I don't think it's gender based at all.  There is discussion of Sophie's role as the only girl on board, but I like the way it was handled and the ultimate delegation of roles.

What I Love In This Book

This is an interwoven story.  It's told through both Sophie and Cody's eyes in the form of jornal entries.  We also gain perspective on the other cousin and on each of the uncles.  This is a story of a bunch of related people starting out on a journey and learning each other's hearts on the way accross the sea.  The hopes, dreams, and fears of each person are shown in some touching and poingant ways.  My favorite thing is the love they have for each other at the end.  We all want people to love us for who we really are, and each person aboard the Wanderer ultimately recieves that gift.

Cautions
1) This book requires patience.  Sophie has a story that is hinted at, but not told until very near the end
2) The family here starts out as disfuntional family and the interactions are painful at first.
3) Sophie is an unreliable narrator and a large part of the story is deciding the fact and fiction in what she writes.

The Circle of Magic

Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar are on their last chance.  The have all lost their families and their homes.  Niklaren Goldeye brought them together in Winding Circle Temple of Magic.  All the children feel strange about that as none of them can do what "real mages" do.  Sandry can only do wierd things with thread, and Briar has an affinity with plants, but it's not like they can levatate.  They are the most unlikely set anyone can imagine.  No way are they ever going to get along-until they need each other.  Under the gentle guidance of individual teachers they are knit together in friendship and family-the only two things that may be able to save the kingdom from ruin.

Audience
My 3rd graders could comprehend the content without difficulty.  The reading level is mid-third grade.  The dynamic is 3 girls and 1 boy, so for that reason I don't think boys are drawn to it, but nor do I think they will run if they see it.

Why I Love This Book
1) Possibly my biggest "hot button" is to have diverse characters working together.  In this book, all 4 of the main characters come from completely different backgrounds.  Sandry is a noble (when she wants to be), Tris is a Merchant (upper working class), Daja is a trader (similar to a gypsy) and Briar a street rat.  For them to see through each others eyes is quite a feat. 
2) I also love that the adults are intellingent.  Students come to harm though disobedience, and I like it when childrens stories support following wise adults.  The principle dynamics are brother/sister and teacher/student, so of course I love it. 
3) The differences of the characters keep them relatable.  I relate best to Sandry by far, but always find myself rooting for Tris.  That's why her picture is on this blog.  I think every person will have the characters speak to them in different ways.

Cautions
1) This is a book where the main characters are abnormally gifted.  If that bugs you look elsewhere for your next book
2) This author writes lots of books.  NOTHING else this author writes is appropriate for preadolecents.
3) There is a squel series to this called The Circle Opens.  It deals with the psycological componants of murder from several perspectives, and deals with characters becoming sexually active.  The series in progress (The Circle Reforged) deals with further evil people and with a main character's homosexuality.

Series-published under 2 titles
Sandry's Book (The Magic in the Weaving)
Tris's Book (The Power in the Storm)
Daja's Book (The Fire in the Forging)
Briar's Book (The Healing Vine)

The Kane Chronicles

This series is by the same author as Percy Jackson, only it's about Egyptian gods and goddesses.  Sadie and Carter have been raised seperately since the death of their mother when Sadie was a small child.  When they are together on Christmas Eve the dad takes his children to the British museum promising to make everything right again.  When things go awry with the evil god Set dragging their father to the world of the dead, Sadie and Carter must work with each other and some unexpected allies to save the world, and hopefully their father as well.

Audience

I felt the writing was more sophisticated in this series than the others, with a higher vocabulary and syntax level.  I would only give this to a  child at 5th grade reading level.  Content wise it's on par with Percy Jackson.  I think it appeals to boys and girls equally because it shifts from Carter's first person perspective to Sadie's.

Why I Love These Books

I love the modern tie ins and these are well researched.  The characters start out being intriguing.  I loved the coming of age componants and the understanding these siblings gain of each other and of themselves.  There is a lot of accurate information about ancient Egypt, there are lovable characters that grow into themselves, fights with mythical monsters and gods right and left, and there's lots and lots of humor.  What's not to love?

Cautions
1) The tone is similar to Percy Jackson but the style is a lot more complex.  If you are giving it to a child, be aware it is harder to read.

2) It is an unfinished series.  If you read and love the first two books you have to wait in agony for the next one to be released over the summer, just like the rest of us.

3) The series deals with death in a perspective most Americans will find alien.  The choices of some characters need to be viewed through the lens of their own culture.
4) I found the end of the romance plot a little strange.  Happy, but strange.

Series

The Red Pyramid

Throne of Fire
The Serpent's Shadow

Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd

This book was powerful to me when I was in 5th grade.  It saddens me that it is so difficult to find now.  It's about Hannah and her "fiance" Malcolm.  Their parents are best friends and have been since college.  They have been planning for Hannah and Malcolm to get married ever since the two were born.  As if that weren't bad enough, Malcolm has to be  the biggest geek in the history of the world.  Hannah tries to look out for him on the condition that no one ever know that they know each other outside of school.  Malcolm graciously complies with this request, but when they are assigned to write autobiographies and include pictures Hannah knows he will not be able to complete the task without family pictures of the two of them.  The emotional strain of the double life would be more than enough for a twelve year old girl to cope with, but she has so much more to deal with.  Her younger brother Ian has Muscular Dystrophy and has taken a turn for the worse.  No one really knows how long he will last.  The only person that can reach Ian is Malcolm, and the only person that can give Malcolm the support he needs is Hannah.

Audience
I don't think I'd go below 4th grade on this one because of the vocabulary.  If you are still in touch with your frightened inner teenager, this is a wonderful book for you.

Why I Love This Book
I remember my teenage insecurities perhaps too well.  Hannah's struggle to fit in and be accepted is very real to me, as is her terror of rejection.  I also have a younger brother I want very much to protect, though he is not fighting a fatal disease.  I liked the tight family structure and the fact that the parents were wise to the antics and needs of their children.  The whole journey rang true to me

Cautions
1) Hannah is an almost teenager.  As such she makes some bratty choices in her learning process.
2) The descriptions of Muscular Dystrophy can be a problem if that is a trigger-y issue for you
3) Deals a lot with in groups and cliques

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

This series has received wide popularity.  I got in to it because I noticed that every last one of my 4th grade students was hooked on it.  I soon followed suit.  It is told through the eyes of the title character as he discovers he is a demigod son of Poseidon and learns to navigate a modern world filled with monsters and mayhem.  His trusty friends (and equally trusty enemies) are always at his side as he learns that there are worse things than a world influenced by tempermental gods

Audience

Boys slightly more, but girls like it too.  The dynamic is similar to Harry Potter.  The romance plot is secondary to the friendship of the characters, but it is well handled.  The series is best suited to middle schoolers because of the sarcastic tone, but I'm reading it aloud to a 3rd grade class and they LOVE it.

Why I Love These Books

I love all the modern tie-ins with mythology.  Some are silly, such as chain stores growing like weeds.  Some are serious as architecture and thought patterns are explored.  This book is pretty child safe, in spite of being about Greek mythology.  The characters are lovable and I easily became invested in their adventures.  There is a good balance of action, humor, and character exploration.  I thought the tone was spot on for a boy of Percy's age.

Cautions

1) In the interest of being child safe I've heard many say the books are oversimplified.  The gods are ultimately relateable, so the myths were toned down in some places.
2) Even being child safe, the kids are demigods, and the fact that their parents are not married is addressed.
3) There is a lot of "praying to" and "swearing by" the gods in this book, who are actual characters themselves

4) At the beginning the characters are somewhat flat.  They grow and change through the series.

5) Some parts are overly descriptive for my 3rd graders
6) In some ways it is very similar to Harry Potter, but I think the similarities fade as the series progresses

Series
The Lightning Thief
Sea of Monsters
Titans Curse
Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian

Fairest

This is by the same author as Ella Enchanted and written in the same world.  It even has cameos from some of the characters introduced in the first visit to Ayortha and Frell.  This is an adaptation of Snow White.  This time the queen is not a step-mother but a mistress and the kind of friend we all probably remember from middle school-so insecure they only ever tore others down.  Aza, the main character has grown up knowing she is ugly, despite her family's protestations to the contrary.  When she gets work at the royal palace her insecurities constantly get in her way as she struggles to remain unnoticed and yet speak for what is right when the queen seems determined to destroy the values she holds dear.  Her one strength is that she has a beautiful singing voice in a culture that values song above almost all else.  Then one day she looks into the queen's mirror and sees what she hopes might be and has to decide what she is willing to sacrifice to get it.

Audience

I'd go a little older with this one than Ella Enchanted, as it is darker.  Depending on the child, and what they can bring to the story I'd say about 3rd grade, though I would not have been ready for it before 4th.  This is very much a girls book.  I think teens will find more power in it, as it's all about overcoming one's own insecurities. 

Why I Love This Book

There is a political side to this that goes hand in hand with standing up for what you believe in, and I feel it is a good addition to the fairy tale.  The love story is cute and is about finding the person who is perfect for you. The setting is captivating and the characters all face moral dilemmas and find their own boundaries.  My favorite thing about this book (SPOILER ALERT!!!!) is that in the end, Aza realizes she teaches those around her to view her as ugly by her carriage, and by her attitude when she talks about herself.  The "dwarves" in this book are actually gnomes, and one in particular is a major character.  I like reading about the gnomes and about the perspective they give to Aza.

Cautions

1) The villain in this story is truly evil, not just selfish.  He's also a spider which is more than enough to creep me out

2) This is told by a very unreliable narrator who focuses most of her attention on her body image.

3) Much of the text is lyrics to songs.  When I read it I skipped over many of the songs.  When I listened to it, they were somewhat easier to get through, but I did not like how often the same melodies were repeated.

Ella Enchanted

I first read this book in 2d grade.  I still stay awake trying to make sure it ends happily.  Yes, you read correctly, a children's book still holds me on the edge of my seat.  For those of you who have seen the movie, know that I was very disappointed in it.  The uncle, the snake, and many other characters of the movie do not exist in the book, and the ones that are there bear no reseblance to their counterparts

Audience

Girls definitely.  Anyone who appreciates Cinderella and can handle a chapter book should love this.  It is in medieval times with mythical creatures right and left, as well as a premise of magic.  I first comprehended and enjoyed it when I was 8 years old.

Why I Love This Book

I love every single character in it.  Even the bad guys are fun to read about.  Ella is spunky and strong.  She possesses her own talents and interests.  Basically, she is a young woman, not a flighty little girl.  I still want to be like her.  She is relatable and is surrounded by other wonderful and wise (and some not so wise) characters.  Another thing I LOVE is Prince Char.  I could (and frequently do) fall in love with this romantic hero.  He is believeable and his faults are explored in humorous and touching ways.  I love most of all that at the end of the day, this book is not about Ella getting her prince, it is about her learning that even if she can't always choose her actions, she ALWAYS has the power to decide who she will be and finding the strength to take her life and her agency from outside forces to think for herself.

Cautions

Ella is mistreated in a way consistant with the fairy tale.  I find nothing wrong with it, but I may only be reading with my first perspective.

The Dark is Rising

This series was life changing for me. The power and insight of these themes and the special relationship I share with these characters makes these 5 books especially dear to me. Will finds out on his 11th birthday that he is more than a boy, he is an Old One of the light, and more than that, the Sign Seeker.  Through the series he works with other children to find the Things of Power, and like his ancient predecessor, finds eternal friendship with the boy that holds the power of all the light in his hands.

Audience

This series depends more on abstract thought, so I wouldn't go younger than 10. It appeals to boys and girls equally. Plenty of magic, plenty of history. Set in several times across the history of Great Britan-both Wales and Cornwall. Heavy on achetypes, but still with adventure and some humor.

Why I Love These Books

To me, much of this does not feel like fiction. I thought all the family by-play was spot on, especially the relationship of siblings. As the concepts of Light and Dark are explored it is obvious that this was meant as much more than a story, it was meant as an honest look at the forces and nature of good and evil. In it I saw people I felt I knew and people I wanted to become. With these powerful themes and characters I find easy to love these books were destined to make my hall of fame.

Cautions

1) The characters are quite wordy and do not talk at their ages.
2) The tone is somewhat eerie, similar to A Wrinkle in Time

3) The series characterizes the Light as being cold, willing to sacrifice the one to save the many, willing to hurt the one to gain the safety of others. Whether the narrator is reliable is left to the reader's judgement

4) The Grey King and Silver on the Tree both deal with broken homes and their repercussions
5) Silver on the Tree is very unorthodox, taking characters into settings I found alien and hard to relate to. I did not enjoy the book until the second reading. The complexity and multitude of characters and settings prevented me from seeing the thread of the story at first.

6) I disagreed with the artistic decision the author made on the last page of the last book. In my mind the series ends differently, but I won't post spoilers

Series

Over Sea, Under Stone

The Dark is Rising

Greenwitch

The Grey King

Silver on the Tree

The Ranger's Apprentice

I am ADDICTED to this series. It starts out about a young orphan named Will who wants more than anything to be a knight, but is instead apprenticed to Halt, the Ranger. Rangers are trackers, cartographers (map makers), scouts, archers, knife fighters, and sometimes spies and political consultants. It is a struggle to be apprenticed to grim faced Halt, who never seems pleased with anything.  As time passes, Halt and Will finally find a family in each other.  Will grows into his role and into himself. This series also follows his counterpart Horace, who did become an apprentice knight.

Audience

Geared toward boys slightly more than girls. Medieval, not too much fantasy, but a typical fantasy setting. Possible historical interest, if accuracy is not stressed.

Why I love it

This book is often touching and intense as the characters come to know themselves and develop strong relationships with each other. I have literally cried in this series. On the other hand, I have had tears streaming down my face because I was laughing so hard. All the characters are strong and have strong respect for each other. However, each and every character is endearingly flawed and their love for each other can only be rivaled by their frequent annoyance and bantering. I love that these characters bring opposing styles into a cohesive team, and I always want to see them together.

Cautions

1) The portrayals of different nationalities are overgeneralized at best and stereotypical at worst. Many of the books go to international settings, and it tries to portray the intermixing of cultures, but rarely shows anyone who does not fit the stereotype of the culture. This is not usually done in a demeaning way as Will makes friends at every turn, but it is something to be aware of.

2)There are romance plots, but they are frequently an afterthought, only mentioned at the beginning and end of the book.

3) Some of the books end on cliffhangers, specifically Burning Bridge, Icebound Land, Sorcerer of the North, and Kings of Clonmel.

Series

The Ruins of Gorlan

The Burning Bridge
The Icebound Land

The Battle for Skandia (Oakleaf Bearers outside the US)

Erak's Ransom (published 7th but fits here chronologically)
Sorcerer of the North
Siege of Macindaw

Kings of Clonmel
Halt's Peril
Emperor of Nihon-Ja

Side book of short stories: The Lost Stories