Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur BOOK REVIEW

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Book Fair thinking it would be good for my daughter, and of course that means that I need to read it first. I like to know what they are reading so that if they ask me something I can talk with them about it.

This is a coming of age story about a girl, Elsie, who is entering middle school and turning 12, and all the horrors that come with that. My daughter entered the junior high school last year, and this book captures some of that girl drama perfectly, although there is so much more in real life.

It is also about her finding herself, and who she is in a unique way since her parents are not around and she lives with her aunt and uncle. It is a really well written story. I enjoyed it even as an adult. I have passed it on to my daughter and I look forward to discussing it with her. I am hoping that the story will help her to deal with some of the girl drama at school that she has had to deal with this year.

I would recommend it to any girl to read the summer before they move up to the middle school or junior high school. Not to scare them, but to let them know, if this happens, it's ok. This is what you do, not this. I think it is the perfect book to help get parents and girls talking about the troubles and bullying at school and issues of who am I and what is my purpose that this age brings.

Well done!

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The Roar (The Roar #1) by Emma Clayton BOOK REVIEW

The Roar by Emma Clayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Bookfair thinking it would be something my kids would like, and of course that means that I am going to read it before I pass it on to them. I like to know what they are reading and to be able to discuss it with them.

The Roar takes place on Earth in a future time when all the people on Earth live on 1/3rd of the planet behind a huge wall because of something called the Animal Plague. The world is all concrete and buildings and depressing really, and this is just the way it has to be, or so they think.

Ellie, Mika's twin sister disappears one night, and the family is told she died, while being her twin Mika refuses to believe that. We follow Mika as he tries to carry on, and we learn that he is right, Ellie is alive, but life isn't any more fun for her.

It's a young adult, teen book in that the main characters are 12 to 13 year olds. They are dealing with issues of life that are probably older than they should be dealing with, but they have grown up in a strange world. It is well written for that age group, and I definitely think anywhere from the 8 to 15 age range can read this and enjoy it.

As a parent reading it, I was able to understand it, I also was able to remember my childhood and the distrust of adults that lead to some of the issues that we see in the book, but I think everyone has done that at some point in life, and I think it makes the book real and believable. I got the story and understood it.

It has a message beyond the story about life and character and what we do with what we have, morals and values and friendships. And I thought it was kind of a bummer of an ending until I got on to do the review and found there is a second book. I think it is well worth letting your child read.

I have already passed it on to my kids.

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Book 1)

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some days you just have to go back a read a good book again, and that has been me in the last couple of weeks. I watched the Harry Potter movies on tv with the kids, and it just gave me a desire to go back and to read the books, so much is edited from the movies, and I understand that, but that is another reason I love the books so much more that the movies.

Everyone knows that this is the first book in the Harry Potter series, and it begins with some brief information about how Harry came to be living with his Aunt and Uncle, and not so much as to why they hated him so much, but a little. It also starts the story of Harry learning more about his parents and the truth about who he was and what he was, a wizard. I really love the beginning sequence with the Durdsley's trying to prevent and latr run away form the owls that are delivering Harry's school letters. That is one of my favorite parts.

This book also introduces Ron Weasley, his soon to be best friend, and Hermoine Granger to Harry. It builds that bond between the three that will continue to course through all the books, growing and changing and they grown and change. Harry mets the Weasley family quite by accident, and yet it is probably the best family he could have hoped to met. Could imagine how the book might have been different had it been a different family that helped Harry onto the train, say the Malfoy's for example?

Another thing I really like about reading the books, is the backstories, the filling in of facts, what happened before that is in the books, but only skimmed over and revealing the bare minimum in the movies. I love hearing that. In fact, I know the author is done with this series, but I would love to have a book on the whole series from Hadrig's view with his backstory included, and one from Snape, and Dumblevore and even Professor McGongall, and how about Mr and Mrs Weasley, now that would be a story!

This is a great book series for kids and adults alike. If you have a child that doesn't like to read, says books a boring, then sit and read this story with them, even if you are the one doing all the reading, that is what I did with my son, reading it to him a little at a time, and he became so engrossed in the books, that by the time I finished reading them to him, he went back and checked them out of the library and read them to himself! And this was a child that struggled with reading! This book has my full endorsement!

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The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw

The Hunt For The Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at my kids school book fair, because it was on sale, and it sounded interesting.

The reading level is probably that of a middle school aged child, but I still was able to read and enjoy the book.

Jim, his sister Sally, and their Dad move into a large estate where dad is going to be the head gardener, and they will live in the old servant quarters of the estate, the South Turret to be exact. The Master of the estate, whom they call "his nibs" or "nibs" is a very old gentleman in a wheelchair, but he has installed security cameras all over the estate and nearby village to keep tabs on everyone and everything. This job is important to the family as they have just lost their mom and this is a new start for them, so when the Master makes it clear that the children are to be kept under close supervision, they try to behave, for the sake of a new start. The problem is that almost as soon as they move in, strange things start occurring to Jim, he sees and hears things that are not there, in fact he seems to be being lead on a quest, without him ever wanting to be on a quest, even though it is risking his Dad's job, which is not jim's intention in the least. Turns out that Jim is the one that will have to save the Village, no matter what he wants.

I enjoyed the book and found it well-written. The main character definitely puzzles out things with the thinking of a 13 year-old, but i didn't figure out the clues any faster than he did! i think it is an excellent book for the middle age set, or anyone who likes the puzzle-mystery types of stories!

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Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Last fall I picked this book up at the school book fair, at a discounted price, but I thought it sounded interesting. This weekend, I picked the book off the shelf and sat down for a few minutes and read the book. Just a quick read.

I loved the story. I loved how it was based on actual events that really occurred, although the dialogue and story are fiction, the camp out, the earthquake and the original people are all real.  maybe it was the fact that the author was related to one of the original people in the event, but he was able to wind a story around this event, but he was able to build up the story, give us a glimpse into the lives of some boys and the Boy Scout Troop on the Island, some history and beliefs of the original island people, and wind all that around to the event. It was not the center stage moment, it just was something that occurred and changed everything they thought and how they acted, but without the front story you wouldn't get how much it changed the lives of the people involved. It was just a well-told story that made you want to know what happened, made you want to root for the underdog, and to hold your breathe till the end!

I loved the book. I am so glad I picked it up. I originally got it for my son, but I am going to have my daughter's read it also. I think the story is well worth all kids reading and realizing that life is bigger than you or me, and that petty differences have to be put aside sometimes and we have to work together for the good of the team at times.


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Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My daughter picked this book up at the school book fair last year, and I was sitting in the house this past weekend, and I just didn't feel like starting a new book, just wanted something small to read at that moment, and I picked this book up.


It is a collection of old stories to scare you, some are better than others, but then again, some have been around for centuries. What I liked the most was the Notes and Sources sections of the book at the end, that told where the author found these stories and some of the history and variations on them. That was more fun than the stories, then again had I been eight to ten years old again at a sleep-over, I am sure the stories all would have had me screaming with my friends.


It's a great kids book, great stories, and some information. Works on so many levels for me as a parent, it entertains the younger one, gives information for the research minded one, and stories for my son to try to tease his sisters with! As a reader, it works as well. Even as an adult, I still found the book to be enjoyable and fun. It was a quick read for me, and just what I wanted Sunday afternoon.



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