Little Red Reads

Middle Grade Book Review- Leven Thumps

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Front CoverLeven Thumps
by Obert Skye
Paperback, 368 pages
Publishsed, 2005
by Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN-13:978-1-4169-2806-5
ISBN-10:1-41692806-5
Book Source: bought
4 Stars
Summary from Amazon: Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. “Lev”) lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds — the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.
Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?

Jodi’s Review: This book was different than anything I have ever read.  The story and characters were very original.  There where times when I did find the book moving a bit slow, but the exciting parts more then made up for those slow parts.  I think that many middle age readers will be able to feel sympathetic to the lives Lev and Winter lead before they begin their adventure together and will find themselves rooting for them to find success with their journey right away. This book really made me think about how important hopes and dreams are to mankind and what would happen without them.
About the author: Obert Skye read his first book at age two. He wrote his first story at age four. And he was nearly trampled by a herd of water buffalo at age six. For a short time, he lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where he spent time as a candy-taster. Several years ago, Obert Skye says, he discovered the existence of Foo. Publishing his story as a fictional series was not Obert’s first choice. Nevertheless he is content that the “history” is being told.

Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.

Find out more about author Obert Skye at http://www.abituneven.com/



Beyonders: Seeds Of Rebellion Book Birthday Review

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Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion
by Brandon Mull
Hardcover, 528 pages
Expected Publication Date: March 13, 2012
by Aladdin
ISBN 1416997946
Book Source: Publisher
5 Stars


Book Summary: The second epic installment of Brandon Mull’s #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy series! After the cliffhanger ending of A World Without Heroes, Jason is back in the world he’s always known—yet for all his efforts to get home, he finds himself itching to return to Lyrian. Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor is precious information that all of his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, need if they have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor.
Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies—as well as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. And as soon as Jason succeeds in crossing over to Lyrian, he’s in more danger than ever. Once the group reunites, they strive to convince their most-needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to triumph over Maldor. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel realize what roles they’re meant to play—and the answers are as surprising as they are gripping. 
Cathy’s Review: Jason’s home, but it’s getting pretty boring being home, and he can’t forget about Rachel, mostly because her parents are doing such a great job keeping her disappearance in the media. He feels bad that he can’t share with them that she’s okay. Jason keeps going back to the zoo and visiting the hippo in the hopes that the same gateway to Lyrian will open for him again, but he hasn’t had any luck. Until one day, he’s staring at the hippo when the little boy next to him remarks about the music that he’s hearing. Jason hadn’t even noticed the music to this point, but as soon as the little boy talked about it, he knew exactly who was playing the music, Tark. He jumps into the water and…nothing. The hippo doesn’t seemed inclined to open his mouth, even with Jason beating it. Jason swims to the top of the water, where all the spectators tell him that he’s crazy to be in the water with the hippo, and all of a sudden the hippo opens his mouth and swallows him, again. Thus begins Jason’s second journey to Lyrian. It will of course be fraught with all kinds of danger, from spies, and lurkers to zombies and of course, Maldor. This was an amazing book! I love the worlds and all the crazy characters that Brandon Mull has  imagined. I thought that this book was better than the first of this series. I enjoyed all the action and the suspense. I enjoyed the way the book ended and the way that the ending seems as though good will always conquer evil. 
Content:  Clean

About the author:  Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War.”
Find out more about author Brandon Mull on Goodreads/ Website/ facebook