The Secret of Platform 13

When I first saw this book on the library shelf, I though "What a cheap rip-off of Harry Potter!" referring, of course, to the famous platform 9 and 3/4. Not only that, but the story is about a prince who is stolen away from the mythical wizarding world to live obliviously in the real world, where he is kept as a slave in the basement by a horrid family who dotes on their fat, spoiled son. Believing the fat, spoiled son to be the stolen prince, a group must try to convince the wrong child to come through the magical platform 13 that connects to the magical world where his parents wait desperately for his return. But then I read the publishing date. This book was written years before Harry Potter first graced our shelves. J.K. Rowling wasn't even on the spectrum yet! So no one can really blame Eva Ibbotson of plagiarism of any kind, can they? Once I discovered that, I was able to enjoy the book much more, so now you can know that too in case the idea of copy-catting would otherwise turn you off to this wonderful read. Please check out this quick and fun read!

Author: Eva Ibbotson

Pendragon: the Merchant of Death

This book was recommended to me by a high school English teacher friend; he said that it was really popular with his students. I finally found the first book in the series (is it really so hard to put numbers on the spine? Really?). It's very teenager in tone, since it's primarily written as a diary. It doesn't go too overboard, but sometimes it's annoying. Other than that, it's a story about a teenage boy who finds out he's a Traveler meant to save the fate of a distant world. Gotta love those unknown hero plots. I think they are worth a shot; it was a good, quick read. It won't be the top sequel on my list, but it's definitely on my cue for upcoming reads.

Author: DJ MacHale

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

The concluding book of this very fun trilogy had me a tad disappointed, but over-all I had a wonderful time reading the Peter Pan books. They are creative and fresh, the writing is great, and the innovations on the classic tale feel very exciting. The whole time I felt like I was reading the "truth" behind the made-up story of Peter Pan, or a prequel to what what would eventually become a classic tale. As with the first two, they are excellent read-out-loud books and are infused with Dave Berry's humour throughout. No going wrong with these books, even though the last one felt a little slow and disjointed to me.

Authors: Dave Berry and Riley Pearson

Flora Segunda

There is a lot of honesty in this book, although it is sometimes covered up by too much effort to create a parallel world. Once you get past the jargon and the altered realities, you meet a girl who is different enough to be compelling. There are nice touches that made this book stand out for me: her mother is a hard-core military hero (which is different); her father is an alcoholic nutjob who lives in the attic; and the house comes with its very own immaterial servant who ends up nearly stealing our heroine's life force. It could almost be a metaphor of not giving ones self away to easily to please others, but I think I was reading too much in to it. Fun, strange...that about sums it up.

Author: Ysabeau S. Wilce

Inkheart

They're going to make a movie of this, aren't they. Sigh. Oh well. Read the book anyway. It's good. Book characters come to life, heroine must stop them, evil is evil, good is good; all in all a fun read that takes you across a well-drawn European landscape (ah, Italy especially) and kept me engaged throughout.

Author: Cornelia Funke

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

As sequels go, I found this to be a strong and entertaining follow-up on the very popular Fablehaven. Seth and Kendra must go back to Fablehaven (for their own protection, of course) and get into the usual this-could-be-the-end-of-Fablehaven disasters. While Seth didn't annoy me as much this time, he still is his usual out-of-control self, and Kendra is once again the reluctant hero, although this time she posesses fairy powers. The trouble I had is that she hardly ever USES her amazing fairy-ness, so I'm hoping her magic powers will blossom in the third book, due out in 2008. Entertaining, a little convoluted in some places, and overall a very enjoyable book.

Septimus Heap: Magyk

Engaging, but repetitive. If you've just finished
Harry Potter, DON'T read this, because the similarities will annoy you.
It's actually a decent book, just not that original. Seventh son of a
seventh son plot (there must be something truly magical about that,
because I see that theme a lot), unknown hero, witches,boggarts, evil things. Fun, but you've read it before. If, however, it's that kind of thing you've read before but can't get enough of,definitely check this book out! It's followed by Flyte and Physik.

Author: Angie Sage

The Spiderwick Chronicles

This was one of the funnest books-on-CD that I've ever heard (topped only by the Harry Potter books-on-CD). They are read by the ever-talented Mark Hamill, that hunk of a dreamboat from my childhood who does a formidable job of troll voices (of course, you must keep in mind that he went on to do the voice of the Joker in the Batman cartoons, so he's not without expirience). These were very fun books. Being a sound recording, I apparently missed out on some neat drawings, but I highly recommend these books to anyone.

Author: Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Fun, engaging. Slightly mysterious, well-drawn characters. Slightly disturbing twist at the end, at least from this mom's point of view, although I think it's supposed to be a little creepy. You want to know what it is? SPOILER ALERT!!!!!: one of the main characters is actually a two year old. I find this very bizzare. What is a two year old doing away from her mommy and daddy this whole time? See, that's what you get when you have a mom reviewing children's books.

Author: Trenton Lee Stewert

The Sisters Grimm

Another for the ranks of "children go reluctantly to kooky relative's house only to find themselves immersed in a fantastical world" theme. However, this is a fun read that pits the Grimm sisters against the trapped inhabitants of Ferryport Landing, a town full of Fables. While the characters can be a little cliched, I found this to be an engaging and fun read. There are currently six books in the series, although I haven't yet read the last one. Sorry, I don't think I got the photos of the books in the right order.

Author: Michael Buckley

Artemis Fowl

Anti-hero Irish boy genius discovers world of fairies and how to
exploit them. Love it!!! Kids will love Mulch, who's talent involves
juicy flatulence, but adults will love the riddles thatArtimis Fowl
lays for his fairy foes. He really is a good guy, which becomes more
apparent in the sequels, (of which there are five to date). So that's
redeeming. I love that this book turns apparentarchetypes on their heads, and Eoin Colfer's writing and story craft is a much-welcome break from the usual. These are great as books-on-tape.

Author: Eoin COlfer

Peter and the Starcatchers

Dave Berry and friend re-write Peter Pan. Could life get any better? Carefully crafted, this book answers the question: "how did Peter first meet Captain Hook?" along with many other puzzles (why can Peter fly? Where did Tinkerbell come from?). Readers will enjoy the origins of the Peter Pan characters and the recreations of the events that shaped a childhood classic. It's a fast read that will occupy most of your time and have you reaching for the sequel.

Authors: Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson

Publishing info: Disney Editions (April 25, 2006)

Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Had to borrow the sequel as soon as I finished the first one. Seriously
addictive. Imbued with Dave Berry's humour and Pearson's touch of
mystery, this sequel to Peter and theStarcatchers is every bit as
engaging and original as the first. It's a little darker, namely
because it takes place in a dank and dismal depiction of London, but
also because of a fairly creepy character who is the namesake shadow
thief. Still, I think it's appropriate for all ages and is a fantastic
read-out-loud book. This novel once again rewrites the story of Peter
Pan, this time addressing the strange phenomenon of losing one's
shadow, as Peter did in the opening scene of the Disney movie. By the
way, I've only ever seen the Disney film, and this book still appeals
to me.I'm guessing since Disney had a hand in distributing and publishing, they made sure it would.

Authors: Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson
Publishing info: Disney Editions (July 15, 2006)

Fablehaven

There are a lot of books that have Fablehaven's theme: children go reluctantly to kooky relatives house only to discover themselves in a world of magic and wonder (usually inhabited by magical creatures). However, Fablehaven is a fantastic read that lends a new light to a well-worn idea. This book had me up way past my bedtime wondering what happens next on the namesake fairy and magical creature preserve. There's plenty of humour and suspense, well-drawn characters and interesting twists. I kept wanting to slap Seth, the little brother, who constantly disobeys authority and puts everyone in danger, but I suppose that's part of the tension. You always need a good I-want-to-kick-you-in-the-pants character.

Author: Brandon Mull

Publisher: Aladdin (April 24, 2007)

This book has a sequel! Yay! It's titled Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star.

It's on my booklist, and as soon as I read it I'll post a review!

Faerie Wars

Wow, great book. Two worlds collide as a animal-loving, father-rebelling young man accidentally ends up in this world and is found by a kooky old man and a young boy. Well written, it addresses (although loosely) topics that aren't usually afforded much light in YA fantasy (homosexuality, divorce) while still clinging to the more explored themes of faeries and demons. I'm going to read the sequel, although it's not as high on my list as other sequels to some other books I'm reading.

Author: Herbie Brennon