Kids Books - Science Fiction

I'm continuing to really enjoy this arc of the series! I really loved seeing the poison jungle and all the carnivorous plants that want to eat everything and everyone. Bumblebee is the cutest. I really liked the differences between the LeafWing groups as well. The differences in the different cultures of the dragons on this continent are so varied and interesting. However, I think this might be my least favorite of this arc so far. While the previous books focus on working together to overcome adversity, this one drops that somewhat. The group takes a backseat to Sundew's relationship with Willow, and I agree with some of the criticisms on that front. Sundew's characterization changes rapidly once Willow is brought into the picture. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that act completely different when with their partners versus when they're with others. But Sundew's whole personality seems to shift and was different than the previous books. I can see the arguments on both sides. Sundew was away from home and maybe didn't have Willow at the forefront of her mind while trying to dodge crazy HiveWings, but she really is sooo different once Willow is around. Also, I think Tsunami seemed a bit off in this book. She doesn't seem very much like the Tsunami that I knew in the previous books, so I hope some of her old self is brought back in the next book. I did enjoy this one, and I hope Sundew recovers some more of her acerbic dialogue back in the future books because I find it hilarious!

This book is a must-read for animal lovers....filled with plenty of thrill and a heart-pounding adventure. Lucky is still troubled. His pack’s worst enemy lurks nearby...harboring a traitor who changed things forever. His former leader has joined the opponent, tricking and manipulating every dog into believing him. And giving their enemies information...information that threatens the safety of each pack member. As wars are waged and dogs injured, Lucky knows he has to do something. They soon make a plan, with unexpected friends helping...members of their old pack. But the past still haunts one dog...and dangerous secrets come alive, with more consequences than anyone could have anticipated. A heart-stopping chase, awesomely written and greatly fascinating! See what happens; read the book to find out!

So it turns out that there was a letter, and there was a king. Three feudal kingdoms, complete with knights and all that: EVIELLAN, DAGONAUT, and UNAUWEN. They are the kingdoms in the book, and Eviellan, as you can see from the spelling, is evil. Or at least, it is ruled by evil humans. Tiuri, a native of The Kingdom of Dagonaut, named after the ruler, King Dagonaut, is going to be a knight. Wow. Knights have cool armor, don't they. But first, he must reflect upon the duties of a knight, but his concentration is broken by a mysterious person banging on the door and asking to be let in. The human is a squire, and he tells Tiuri to deliver a strange and scary letter to a knight, one with a white shield and black armor. The knight then tasks Tiuri with an arduous task, to deliver a letter all the way to Unauwen, before dying a horrible death because some Red Riders, horsemen from Eviellan wearing red armor have mortally wounded him. "My feet are going to be tired." Tiuri thinks, and then he takes the man's black horse, which he gifted to him, and rides on. A quest has begun, it seems. So, I shall now rate this book. Laura Watkinson did a great job translating the book. (It was originally in Dutch.) The book has an old-fashioned style, so some readers may not want to read it maybe. The descriptions are nice, and it is filled with action in most parts. However, the book was not very deep; there was character development, but they could have more character. Overall, people who wish to read classics and/or fantasy will like this book

This book is as bright and beautiful as the stars in the night sky! The Sun is Also a Star is narrated by Daniel and Natasha, two characters with very different personalities. While Daniel is poetic and believes in the power of dreams and love, Natasha thinks scientific facts and a reliable, structured life are enough. But when they meet one fateful day in New York City, their lives are changed forever by each other. The author, Nicola Yoon, has always been great with representation in her books, and this novel doesn't disappoint: The Sun is Also a Star is racially diverse and explores unique life situations, such as Natasha being an illegal immigrant living in the United States. The main thing I disliked about the book was that, even though there were 300+ pages, the story is just one day of Daniel and Natasha's lives. And in just those 24 hours, Daniel and Natasha somehow fell in love and knew they were meant to be. The point of the book was to justify "love at first sight," but it just wasn't understandable to me and often seemed cheesy. Luckily, Yoon is a skilled enough writer for the story to not be excruciatingly slow. I was still able to enjoy the story. This is definitely a very real story about how nothing is ever predictable. I would recommend it to teen readers looking for romance and rumination!

When Mo's mother and grandma buy an old abandoned inn legally containing a ghost, Mo and Dale are determined to find it. A new boy named Harm Crenshaw arrives in Tupelo, and moonshiner Red Baker has been seen in Tupelo more frequently.

This book is SO AMAZING! The plot pulled me in to this fast-paced adventure! Reynie Muldoon, an orphan, sees an ad in a newspaper that says, "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Reynie passes 3 important tests that qualifies him for a special opportunity as described to him. But who would have thought that this "special opportunity" would be a incredibly important spy mission? Reynie and the other 3 kids who passed the tests, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire, are instructed by Mr. Benedict to go to the LIVE Institute run by the evil mastermind Ledroptha Curtain. Mr. Curtain has this institution to use the children attending in his plan. He wants to rule the world, as most villains you know do, but the way he wants to do it is by controlling people with the telepathy. He takes the students in his school to whisper messages that broadcast into other people's minds. He is working towards the Improvement, as he calls it, which will erase people's memories! I know, right? Who would have thought? It's up to the Mysterious Benedict Society to foil Mr. Curtain's plan. Can they do it? I really loved this book, 5/5 stars! I encourage adventure-loving people to read this book!

Matthias starts out as an adorable pup of a mouse and ends up a good and formidable young adult mouse. He is the protagonist and you can't help but adore him, together with Constance the Badger and the old Methuselah mouse... The second favorite of mine, Silent Sam, is plain cute, and the Sparrow and Rabbit are great supporting characters! But the star of the show is definitely the writing style and the enchanted atmosphere of this world. The descriptions are brisk but just enough to give you a feel of the forest and its inhabitants, while the banter is plentiful and lively. The whole book reads very smoothly and there is no chance of you getting lost along the way. I loved all the different characters, and really enjoyed the old-school valiant hero and terrible villain. I also liked that the author didn't shy away from death and pain. Actions have consequences and kids, who often believe themselves invulnerable, eventually have to deal with the changes that come from the passing of someone, and that life changes, but keeps on going... 5/5 star :)

An incredible book which gives insight into the events of the Lord of the Rings. Very dense, but you won't regret reading it. I recommend reading it twice to get a better grasp of things.

The Grim Grotto is about the Baudelaire orphans, who find themselves in a little submarine, which has Captain Widdershins, the captain, Fiona, a kid who is also a mycologist, and Phil, whom the Baudelaires met at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. The Baudelaires soon find themselves actually kind of happy, and when Captain Widdershins tell them they are trying to find the sugar bowl before Count Olaf does and try to make it to the last safe place of V.F.D. But when they start searching, they find themselves soon in Count Olaf's hands again. But the Baudelaires know they can defeat him, but with the uncovering of a man,a betrayal of a friend, and Carmelita Spats, the Baudelaire orphans need all their strength for this!

I won this book in a giveaway, and it was superb! It picks up about ten years where McMann's last series ended. Twin girls Fifer and Thisbe have extremely powerful magic, but there brother Alex (leader of Artime) won't let them learn how to use it until they learn how to control it. You see their magic has a reputation for being destructive and causing problems. They don't do it on purpose of course, it just slips out accidentally. When one of the dragons (Hux) Alex had made wings for in the previous series comes to Artime seeking help, the twins think this is the perfect opportunity to show Alex just how well they can use their magic for good. Fifer and Thisbe leave the island to help Hux and his siblings, but are met with some unexpected troubles upon arrival. I highly recommend reading this book. A great read for fans of the original Unwanteds series which I would recommend reading before reading this book.