Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth happens when Pip and Tim’s family move into a historical house. They meet a strange boy named Sebastian inside the walls of the new house! He claims that he is the son of an ancient alchemist that died six hundred years ago! He says that he is alive that long because his father created a potion that hibernates you for many years. That means that Sebastian has been asleep inside the walls of the house for over six hundred years. But, while Pip and Tim try to understand everything, Sebastian says that his father’s enemy, de Loudeac, has also awakened from the same potion. de Loudeac wants to create homunculus, or manmade human. He plans to make it to end the world with Sebastian’s father’s alchemist skills. But, will Pip, Tim, and Sebastian be prepared to save the world from this grave danger?

Blogged by:
Heather C.

The Diamond in the Window, by Jane Langton, is about a brother and a sister who live in the strangest house in their neighborhood. Their parents have died, so they are living with their aunt and uncle. One day, while they are exploring their house, they find two mysterious beds, all made up, in the attic. They seem to be just the right size for two little children just like them…….

When the children ask their aunt what the beds are there for, she tells them the tragic story of their other aunt and uncle, a disappearance, and the love between a man and a woman. That is when the children decide that they want to sleep in the room in the attic. When they are about to go to bed, they discover a strange poem on the window. They then embark on the most exciting and dangerous adventure of their lives to find their missing aunt and uncle, and to bring back the lover of their aunt Lily.

I think girls would like this book more than boys because it has a lot of romance in it, but boys would enjoy all the action in it.

Blogged by,
Carina D.

The book Magic by the Lake, by Edward Eager, is about four children named Martha, Mark, Jane, and Katherine living by a lake during summer break. In the beginning of the book the 4 children, mother, and uncle arrive at the lake and get settled in. After they got settled in the cabin that they were staying at during summer break, they were very EXCITED about how they were going to spend their time at the lake.  When they first went swimming they saw a turtle who told them the lake was MAGIC, which I thought was very cool! The thing is that they had to have some part of their body touching the water to have the magic work for them.  So that meant that the kids got to make wishes by the lake everyday. That’s what happened in the beginning of the book. In the middle of the book they were wishing for cool things. An example of one wish that two of the girls made was that they could become teenagers so that they could dance with these two boys. I thought that was pretty cool that they got to make wishes everyday no matter what. At the end of the book they wished that they could find a treasure on an island to help their uncle who was running the book store for the summer. The kids tried to get a treasure so their uncle could keep the business running. To find out if the kids find the treasure read the book Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager. I would rate this book an 8 out of 10 because of all the adventures that the kids’ wishes gave them. I hope that you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Claire P.

This book is the 4th book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series, so don’t read this book unless you read the other three. Anyways, everything is going well in the mountains with Evelyn and Will until Evelyn gets captured. Will tries to get her back but in the process, meets his teacher Halt and his best friend Horace. After saving Evelyn and a tearful reunion with his mentor, they are suddenly surrounded by Skandian Warriors. Will quickly recognized the commander, Erak, since he helped Will and Evelyn escape from the last book. When Erak learns that the Temujai army is coming to attack his country he goes to warn his king. Halt, who has experience fighting the Temujai, said that they don’t stand a chance without archers. But Skandians aren’t archers, they’re axemen! How will the Skandians win against the Temujai? Will they get archers? Find out by reading this great book, The Battle for Skandia.

Blogged by Garrett T.

This book is about a young girl named Creel. Creel’s Aunt surrendered her to a dragon thinking that a fearsome knight will come save her and marry her. But Creel has other plans, she persuades the dragon into letting her go with a pair of slippers if she calls off the knight who might kill the dragon.  She takes these beautiful light blue slippers which are amazingly comfortable, and sets off to the King’s Seat (the capital) to find some work doing embroidery. But on the way she runs into bandits and is saved by a dragon named Shardas. Shardas lets her live in his cave for a month, but then she insists that she has to go to the capital. When in the capital she befriends a prince named Luka. Luka helps Creel get a job at Derda’s Dressmaking. But when a foreign princess asks for Creels shoes, Derda makes one of Creel’s coworkers put them on. But when Creel comes back to get her shoes from Larkin, her coworker, fainted because of the shoes! Creel goes to sleep thinking it was a coincidence, but wakes up to find the shoes gone!!! Who or what took Creel’s shoes??? and what’s wrong with them? You have to read this book to find out.

Blogged By Garrett T.

This is the second book in Julia Golding’s eco-adventure. So don’t read this book until you read the 1 book. As we follow Connie Lionheart, she is taken away from the Society and trapped in her crazy great-aunt’s house. As she tries to get out, the Society is trying to figure out a way to protect her from Kullervo, the sworn enemy of the Society. For if Kullervo gets his hands on Connie, he will destroy the earth as we know it. Connie makes plans to escape and see her best friend, Col. But when Col doesn’t show up so Connie assumes he’s been captured. Will Connie rescue Col? And will Kullervo ever get his hands on Connie? Read The Gorgon’s Gaze by Julia Golding to find out!

Blogged By Garrett T.

Hey guys! I just started this great series called the companion quartet. The Secret of the Sirens is the first book in the series. This book is about Connie Lionheart who goes to live with her aunt. Connie always has liked animals and has a special connection with them, she can talk to them! When she learns that her aunt is part of a group called the Society, she wants to learn more but no one is telling her anything! Then one day she is called upon by the Society an learns about how she is a universal, a person who can talk to any kind of animal, even though most can only talk to one of the four races, Reptile, 2 or 4 leggers, Elementals, or Flying Creatures. As she begins her training she is attacked by Kullervo, the sworn enemy of the Society. Will she survive the attack? And who is this Kullervo? Well to find out you’ll have to read this great book, The Secret of the Sirens.

Blogged by Garrett T.

This book tells the story of Thumbelina with exerts from Thumbelina’s diary. At the end there is continued version of the story.

A lonely woman goes to see a witch and asks her for a child. The witch gives her a seed. She tells her to plant the seed and she will get a child in 4 days. She does and gets a lovely child who she calls Thumbelina. Thumbelina’s mom is very protective of Thumbelina and won’t let her outside. One day Thumbelina’s mom lets her sleep outside. When she does, she gets stolen by a frog. The frog wants Thumbelina to marry him. They put Thumbelina on a lily pad where she can wait until the wedding perorations are done. While sitting on the lily pad a fish starts to nibble on the lily pad. Thumbelina floats down the river. At the end of the river a mouse picks up Thumbelina and lets her sleep in her house, if she does all the chores. Then the mole wants Thumbelina to marry him. Thumbelina helps a wounded bird fly. The bird helps Thumbelina get free. Once outside, Thumbelina meets a prince who then offers to marry Thumbelina.

Does Thumbelina say yes?

Find out by readin Thumbelina – tiny runaway bride.

-Maranda W.