I don’t know about you, but our household has been glued to the set with all of the 2012 Summer Olympic coverage. It is inspiring to watch athletes doing their best at the sport they love. I thought it would be fun to feature some books on the Olympics for children.
Archives for July 2012
Brand New Book Trailer for Palace of Stone
Author Shannon Hale and Bloomsbury book just released the trailer for Palace of Stone, the sequel to Princess Academy coming Agust 21, 2012. We are so excited!
Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting . . . until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she should help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends’ ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city. Picking up where Princess Academy left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.
Middle Grade Book Review- Crater Lake
Crater Lake: The Battle for Wizard Island
by Steve Westover
Ebook, 256 pages
Published March 13th, 2012
by Cedar Fort, Inc.
ASIN: B007TXWSEW
Book Source: Author
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Summary From Amazon.com: While visiting his crazy Uncle Bart at Crater Lake National Park, thirteen-year-old Ethan’s world collapses when all the adults at Crater Lake disappear, including his parents. Now Ethan must rally his new friends and decipher the legends of Crater Lake to find the key to rescuing his parents from their earthen prison before he’s captured, too, and their captivity becomes permanent.
Danielle Thorne’s Review: Ethan isn’t excited to be visiting his crazy uncle who works out at Crater Lake, but his sister and other kids in the area seem to think it’s swell, until all of the adults in the area are swallowed up by the earth.
This is an enjoyable read that both middle grade and YA readers can safely enjoy. It’s imaginative with great suspense as the remaining young tourists learn to work together to rescue their parents. Their courage and adventure are exciting and admirable. The story is fast and focused.
Crater Lake comes across the pages in pristine detail as Ethan discovers living history dwelling below the park where legend has come to life. The tension between the characters as they develop team building skills is a great lesson, and the beat-the-clock action kept me reading straight through to the expected happy ending. I enjoyed reading this exciting fantasy, and kids will, too. Mr. Westover brings great action adventure to readers of all ages — without resorting to titillating material or silliness. He has not forgotten the workings of a young boy’s overactive, persnickety mind, and he subtly impresses upon the reader’s heart the true importance of family love and devotion.
This book is also available in print.
Author Bio: My first novel, DEFENSIVE TACTICS was published by Cedar Fort in August of 2010. This FBI thriller is light and fun, but will also raises meaningful questions for the reader to consider. My second novel, CRATER LAKE: BATTLE FOR WIZARD ISLAND will be released in March 2012. Crater Lake is mid-grade fantasy set at the pristine Crater Lake in Oregon. Though it is written for a younger audience, readers of all ages will enjoy it.
Read more by following my blog at http://westoversleftovers.blogspot.com/