Eleven year old Rinko lives in California with two brothers, Cal (short for California) and Joji. One day when Rinko gets home she finds a letter from her Aunt Waka in Japan. She brings the letter to her Papa and tells her that Aunt Waka is coming to California. Rinko thinks that having her Aunt Waka come will be horrible because she will have to share a room with her brother Joji and she is afraid her Aunt Waka will embarase her.

I think this was a great book. I think that both boys and girls would like this book. This book takes place in the Great Depression.

Blogged by,
Maranda W.

This book is about a samurai boy named Seikei who is trying to find out why the geishas of Japan are being killed one by one. His father, Judge Ooka, travels with him to Yoshiwara to find out. Seikei works as an attendant in a teahouse to find clues about this mystery. During a party in the teahouse, a bearded samurai named Fukushu gives a geisha a silk kimono that Seikei had heard of before. Seikei had a bad feeling about Fukushu. Will Seikei find the murderer? Is Fukushu the murderer? Read this good book to find out. The Demon in the Teahouse is recommended to those who like mystery stories.

blogged by:
Enoch T.

Kazunomiya; Prisoner of Heaven, is about princess Kazunomiya, the half-sister to Japan’s 1858 Emperor. In this confusing book, Kazunomiya tells about royal life in Japan. I kind of think that title “Prisoner of Heaven” does not match. I think people who like history would like this book.

Blogged by: Anna Marie N. 

If you like action and adventure this is your type of book. When a demon possessed bear comes into life only Torak can defeat it. Torak teams up with a wolf and goes through all these crazy adventures trying to find the Mountain of the World Spirit and find the Nanuak to defeat the bear that killed his father. Along the way he meets Reen and finds out a secret in his family. This is a great book for boys and girls of any grade. It also teaches you a little of what Native Americans worshiped and made weapons out of. It is a 293 page book and is easy to read. Some parts in this story may make you a little grossed out. I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read and has a great passion for the outdoors. If you like this book read the next three in the chronicles of ancient darkness. Visit her website at www.chronaclesofancientdarkness.com

blogged by
Ravi M.

This is a story about a 14 year old boy that has studied the way of the samurai, and he would like nothing more than to be one. But, unfortunately a samurai is born, not made, and he was the son of a tea merchant so, he must become a tea merchant. Then, when a priceless ruby intended for the shogun- the military governor of Japan- is stolen by a ghost, he finds himself displaying the courage of a samurai. He is the only person to see the thief, and the famous samurai, Judge Ooka, needs the boy’s help to solve the mystery. I think this is a wonderful book because, it teaches you about the time period and the way of life. The characters are memorable, and in some parts, it was a bit scary. I think this book would appeal to boys and girls and I would recommend it. But, in my rating, I would give it 4 stars.

Blogged by Cynthia P.

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This is a story about a 19 year old boy who is a fighter pilot in World War II. He is helped to safety by members of the French Resistance who are risking everything in their secret fight against Hitler and Germany. This is a fantastic book because it moves quickly and also teaches you about this time period. It is not overly descriptive and is a quick read as well. The characters are memorable and it is touching in some parts. I think this book will appeal to both boys and girls equally and I really recommend it. Here is a link to the author’s website. http://www.lmelliott.com/