GGC Book Reviews
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
Recommended for: Sparks, Brownies
, Guides
Conn is a thief who lives in Twilight. One night, he picks the pocket of an old man who turns out to be a wizard. When the “locus magicalicus” stone he stole doesn’t immediately kill him, the wizard takes an interest in Conn and takes him on as an apprentice.
Sarah Prineas has a great voice for youth fantasy. Unlike some children’s fantasy novels, there is no modern slang - her characters speak as if they lived centuries ago. At first, I thought Conn’s narrative voice was too simple and straightforward; it made the book sound like it was aimed at a younger audience. The wizard Nevery’s journal entries give a great contrast, though – he is sharp and insensitive, but a few of his observations made me laugh out loud.
Conn himself doesn’t know his own age and I originally thought he was around ten or so. By the end, he acts much more mature than I would have expected. He knows what he believes in and he does what needs doing, even when no one else believes in him.
The book may be over 400 pages, but the type is fairly large and the pages are smaller than the average youth novel. In fact, there are only about 200 words per page and each chapter begins with an illustration. This would be a great read for Guides (9-11), but older Pathfinders and Rangers (12-17) may find it a bit too easy. This would be a good book for Brownie-aged girls (7-8) who read at an advanced level.
The Legend of the Lost Jewels by Jennifer Lanthier
Recommended for: Brownies, Guide, Pathfinders
The Legend of the Lost Jewels is the newest book in Jennifer Lanthier's Hazel Frump series and the sequel to The Mystery of the Martello Tower. When a storm strands Hazel and her brother Ned at their cousins' castle on Ile du Loup, their relatives set up a treasure hunt to keep them entertained. Soon, the treasure hunt clues begin to take a dangerous turn and Hazel and Ned must uncover the connection between the Legend of the Lost Jewels and their family’s mysterious past.
Hazel is a great role model for any girl. She likes school, loves basketball and is always up for an adventure. However, some of Hazel and Ned’s adventures end up being far more dangerous than they expected. When they were told not to ask for help with the treasure hunt, it was to keep the game fun, not to put them in danger. I expected that someone as smart as Hazel would realize that asking for help is the right thing to do in those situations.
This is a great mystery/adventure book for the Guide/Pathfinder age group (9-14). Advanced readers among the Brownie age group (7-8) might also enjoy trying it themselves and younger readers would definitely love mom or dad reading it out loud to them.
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress
Recommended for: Guide, Pathfinders
When Alex’s sixth-grade teacher Mr. Underwood is kidnapped by pirates, she embarks upon a rescue mission to save his family’s long-lost treasure. To do that, she must find the ship Ironic Gentleman and face down the notorious Pirate Captain Steele the Inevitable.
Most of this book focuses on Alex’s many side adventures - most of which have nothing to do with the main plotline – but they are so cleverly and humorously written I didn’t mind that the book took a more scenic route to get to the end. Personally, my favourite part was the spontaneous musical number performed by Lord Poppinjay and staff of the On The Edge Hotel (including a “Dance Break involving much tap dancing and the occasional lift. And jazz hands.”) Other reviewers have addressed the quirky and whimsical writing style and while it may not be for everyone, I can definitively see the appeal to a young adult/preteen audience.
One word of warning: although the language is tame (“blast” and “heck” being the worst) there is quite a lot of violence and death, including a torture scene. It’s not exceptionally graphic but it does happen on screen. Any parent reading out loud to younger readers will have to do some fast and fancy editing to avoid describing some of the darker scenes.
No matter how bad things seem to get, though, the ending is ultimately a happy one, with a good message about right and wrong. The book takes us through some shady grey areas before arriving at that message, but in the end it’s there. Definitely an entertaining read for Guides (9-11) and even Pathfinder aged girls (12-14). The parents of Brownies (7-8) might want to review the book first before reading it out loud or allowing their daughters to attempt it themselves.
The 39 Clues Series
Book One: The Maze of Bones By Rick Riordan
Recommended for: Brownies, Guide
Dan and Amy Cahill belong to one of the most powerful families in history, but they don’t know it – yet. When their beloved Grandmother dies, they believe she will leave them some sort of inheritance. Instead, she leaves them and their extended family a choice – take $1 million now and walk away, or receive the first of 39 clues that lead to the source of their family’s power.
The Maze of Bones is an exciting start to what looks to be a great interactive adventure series for kids and teens. Many girls will be able to identify with the heroine, Amy – she is a shy bookworm and not prone to taking risks. By the end of the book she has grown as a character and I hope that she will continue to develop into a confident young woman throughout the series.
Most of the family members searching for the clues decide to work with each other. They recognize that families should stick together. Although they have the worst of intentions, especially when it comes to stopping Amy and Dan from figuring out the clues, it is still a nice message.
The Maze of Bones is the first in a ten book series. Each subsequent book will be written by other well known children’s and young adult authors. Readers will be able to collect their own clues through the card game tie-in for a chance to solve the mystery and win prizes from Scholastic through the website www.the39clues.com |
