"Eye of the Oracle"

"Eye of the Oracle" by Bryan Davis is the first story in the book series, Oracles of Fire.

This book covers the life of dragons, from the time of Noah's Ark, all the way down to the 21st century.
It's a great read for anyone who loves fantasy.  The best part? It's all about God, and glory is given to him throughout the book. But it's not a cheesy religious book.

Bryan Davis crafted sentences so intriguing, that at times, I had to read it over and over, not wanting to move on to the next sentence, because the words seemed so carefully chosen, so delicate and so powerful.

All the characters felt real, and I felt like I could relate to many of them. Now, I'm going to give my personal rating.



Overall Rating - 5. The book itself was great. I'm usually not one to love fantasy, but this book stood out to me, and kept me turning the pages.

How Well the Book was Written - 4. The book was very well written for the most part (as I mentioned before), but unfortunately, it seemed like certain sentences lost their magic, and snapped me out of the world I had found inside that book. They just seemed... well, plain? I suppose that after reading the first few chapters, I began to expect a lot from the author, Bryan Davis. So, at times, a chapter would leave me disappointed.

Appropriateness for all Ages - 4. The reason I gave it a four in this area, is because there was so much good in this book, that there had to be some bad. Therefore, some chapters in the beginning could turn young readers in the wrong direction, as Morgan is a very evil character. Also, there were some battle scenes, and quite a few injuries.

Other Things (Or, Negatives and Positives) - 3
This book is 609 pages.
Some characters seemed to just disappear from the book all together, which I thought was strange.
It took a little while to get through the book. I didn't really get into it until the tenth chapter.

Okay, now I'm going to add up my ratings, to create the average score for this book!

4 Stars!!!

~Natalia

A Couple Thoughts.

Hi!

If I actually have anyone reading this, I just wanted to let you know that while I haven't been reviewing many books, I have been reading frequently, and therefore, I'm behind.

Really behind.

So, please just hang in there, as I do my best to write my book reviews. The next couple may be shorter, with a short synopsis, and my opinion.

Also, I'm creating a new way of giving "stars" to the books.
Usually, I just thought, "Oh, this was a good book, but not my favorite, so maybe I'll give it 4 stars."
But now, I'm going to get the root of what I liked, and didn't like, and rank the book based on the following:

Overall Story - (plot, characters, setting, writing techniques, et cetera.) I will rank it on a scale from 1-5, with 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best. This used to be all I would use to rank my books.

How Well the Book is Written - (I will see if the book was awkward in it's usage of similes, or if it worked well, and I will also take note of the narrator, the adjectives, verbs and nouns used.) I will rank it on a scale from 1-5, with, once again, 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best.

Appropriate for all ages - (I want all the books I review to be good in every aspect possible. However, some of the books I've come across lately have had some language or thematic elements, and so I thought that I should take those into account for the ideal children's book).
I will rank it on a scale from 1-5.
5= G rating
4= PG rating
3= In between PG and PG-13 rating
2= PG-13 rating
1= R rating (Hoping to never have to give a book a 1 in this area!)

Negatives and Positives - Okay, so this can go along with the appropriate for all ages, but sometimes, a book just isn't that - good. I'm not sure if you really know what I mean, and if not, that's fine. But sometimes, a book is just weird. It might not work for me. So, I'm going to weigh the things I liked and didn't like, and take those into account. Once again, it will be ranked on a scale from 1-5, with 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best.

One more thought (promise.)

I've been thinking of making a little link-up party, for bloggers out there looking for book recommendations. Basically, you would post a book review with one of your favorite books, and other people would get a chance to look at it. I might do it monthly, but first I would need some people to give me an idea of whether they would do it or not. Let me know what you think!

That's all for now. Stay tuned for book reviews!


~Natalia

"The Great Wheel"

"The Great Wheel" by Robert Lawson is a book about Conn Kilroy, the Irish teenager with an interesting fortune. 

When Conn was twelve years old, Aunt Honora read his fortune from the tea leaves in his cup. She told him, "mind well what I'm telling you now. Your fortune lies to the west. Keep your face to the sunset and follow the evening star, and one day you'll ride the greatest wheel in all the world."

Conn waits six years, and one day, gets a letter from his uncle living in America, asking him to come and work with him. Conn is soon on his way to America, hoping that his fortune will start to make sense after he goes west. But there are no wheels. However, Conn does find something - or someone, that is. He meets Trudy, a young German girl, headed for Wisconsin.  The day comes when they must depart, and Conn goes to New York to live with his Uncle Michael.  After living there for a while, Uncle Patrick comes to visit.  He soon learns of Conn's fortune, and is amazed. 

He [Uncle Patrick] was about to help construct a giant wheel ride for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and is sure that's the explanation behind Conn's fortune. Thus, Conn goes to Chicago with his Uncle Patrick, to build what is now known as the Ferris Wheel.

This book looked good. It's a Newberry Honor Book, and it was both written and illustrated by Robert Lawson (the same man who illustrated "Mr. Popper's Penguins".) 

I was thinking, "Surely there's not going to be much stuff about the Ferris Wheel. He's going to fall for a girl, and the wheel will just serve as a nice setting." I thought I was right after reading the first couple chapters. But then....

I proved myself wrong. There are a few chapters where it seems as if all you're reading is a manual on how to construct a Ferris wheel. There were a few special moments, but it wasn't my favorite book. And then, at the end, I was grinning from ear to ear as I was reading the last sentence. It just might have had the sweetest, most romantic ending.  Ever. And so, it had a good beginning, an even better ending, and just a teeny bit of a disappointing middle. 

Having said all that, I finished it with a smile on my face, and I will probably read it again. I give it four stars. There's nothing bad in it at all, so it's fine for all ages, but it might not hold the attention of a child under six. It is a chapter book, after all. 16 chapters, to be exact. It has 180 pages, but the font is larger. It was a touching story, one that I'll probably never forget.

"A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning"

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" has got to be one of my favorite series. Does anyone else think that Lemony Snicket is a genius? For those of you who have never read a book by Lemony Snicket, let me give you a warning: These books are mysterious, confusing, fun, and very addictive.

"The Bad Beginning" is the first book of thirteen in the series. We are first introduced to the three Baudelaire children. There is Violet, the eldest. She is fourteen, and loves to invent new things as a hobby. There is Klaus, the middle child. At the age of twelve, he has read many of the books in the Baudelaire's mansion library. And then, there's the youngest, Sunny. She's a baby who, like many other babies, loves to bite. The three receive devastating news one day. There was a fire, burning their mansion.

 Thus, the series of unfortunate events begins. They must go live with a relative, Count Olaf. They ponder the reason they've never met him, but soon assume why. In our story, he's the villain, who tries to steal the Baudelaire fortune from the children. 

This book is fictional, and therefore never gets very deep or sad. In most instances, I find it humorous and exciting. You begin to warm up to the characters, until you feel like you know them. But the characters aren't even my favorite part. What I really, really love is Lemony Snicket's quirky writing.  He seems to read your thoughts at times, which really draws you into the stories. Here are a couple quotes:

"But even given the surroundings, the children had mixed feelings when, over a dull diner of boiled chicken, boiled potatoes and blanched-- the word "blanched" here means "boiled"--string beans, Mr Poe announced that they were to leave his household the next morning"...

"There are many, many types of books in the world, which makes good sense, because there are many, many types of people, and everybody wants to read something different. For instance, people who hate stories in which terrible things happen to small children should put this book down immediately. But one type of book that practically no one likes to read is a book about the law."...

"The car drove farther and farther way, until Justice Strauss was merely a speck in the darkness, and it seemed to the children that they were moving in an aberrant--the word 'aberrant' here means 'very, very wrong, and causing much grief'--direction." 

That last quote is actually the last sentence in the  book, so you can see that the books usually end in a cliff-hanger type way, while still summing it up. Now, before I go into more details, I would like to point out that this series is very peculiar, and so many people were disappointed by the thirteenth book. So, if you get started on the series, don't expect to have all your questions answered by the end. 

Now, personally, I loved this book, as well as the whole series. When you come down to it, books are mainly for entertainment purposes, and these books kept me entertained for many hours. "The Bad Beginning" is 162 pages, and so it is actually a pretty short story (of course, the series makes one long story), with 13 chapters. I give it 5 stars, and I think that anyone would enjoy it. 

Natalia

"Caddie Woodlawn"

"Caddie Woodlawn" by Carol Ryrie Brink is the Newberry Medal winner about a young girl living in Wisconsin during the Civil War with her large family. Inspired by stories told to her by her grandmother, Carol Ryrie Brink narrates the book beautifully.

Caddie's father has raised her ever since she was born, which results in Caddie being a tomboy, choosing to play with her brothers, rather than her sisters. She has many adventures with them throughout the book, and each fast-paced chapter will keep you entertained.
One thing I love about this book (I've read it twice) is that it can be read anytime, anywhere, and it never gets old. Everyone will love this book, because it is sweet, and appropriate for all ages.
It's a quick read, which is nice if you just need a book to get you through the week.


The 24 chapters are on the shorter side, and it's 275 pages. With the end of each chapter, you're ready for another. I give it 5 stars!


Natalia

"A Christmas Carol"

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is a book.... that I should have reviewed before Christmas. I know, I apologize. I'm still working on the whole "catching up" thing.  I didn't know how long it would take me, though! But you don't want to hear me make lame excuses, do you? No, I better just continue with the review. Take two!

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is the 1843 Christmas classic about Ebenezer Scrooge - a man who could use some Christmas cheer. Mean, rude, and selfish, he needs to learn a lesson. And what better way than to have three ghosts visit him? And that's how it all begins. I loved this book, and can definitely see why it's a classic. One problem I faced, which had nothing to do with the book, was that because of watching a couple movies about it, and knowing the general story, it felt predictable. I knew the general idea of the story, and the outline seemed, well: boring? But I really wanted to read it, despite this fear. And so, I read it. And while I partly knew the story, there were many details not included in the films and short stories. I give this book 4 1/2 stars (I'm really trying to reserve five stars for my absolute favorites), because it is well written, touching, and has a great storyline. Now, I'm sure most of you know the story, but shall we review? Here is a synopsis:

• Scrooge is mean. I think we all know that.
• The ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, visits him on a winter night, warning him that three ghosts will visit him to teach him a lesson.
• The Ghost of Christmas Past comes to visit Scrooge, showing him glimpses of his past.
• The Ghost of Christmas Present comes, showing Scrooge what life his like for his employees. This is when we start to see a change in Scrooge...
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come visits, showing him (obviously) the Christmas to come.

This book is definitely worth reading. I know that I will be returning to it many times. For the youngest readers, I would recommend the Puffin Classics version. In the back, they have "A Dickensian Glossary", as well as an Author File, and characters. It is 125 pages, and has 5 chapters.

"The Great Brain"

Oh, where to start on describing this one-of-a-kind book!? Well, to start off:
"The Great Brain" by John D. Fitzgerald is the story of "The best con man in the Midwest...
And he's only ten years old". Yes, I admit, I stole that from the back cover - but, it is a brilliant way to sum up not only this book, but Tom Fitzgerald as well. "The Great Brain" is the first book in the series about Tom Fitzgerald, a boy living in Adenville, Utah in the.... yep, that's right. 1800s. But don't worry, it's 1890s, none of that Civil War stuff I post about so often. Anyway, the book is narrated by none other than Tom's younger brother, J.D., who tells the true stories about life with "The Great Brain". So, who is The Great Brain?
He's Tom Fitzgerald.
He's a swindler.
He's a money-maker.
He's a cheater.
He's a smarty-pants.
He's a ten year old.

All I can think of when I'm done reading this book is: Poor J.D.  and S.D. (Sweyn is the oldest of the three brothers, to answer your first question. And they call each other by their initials, to answer your second question.)  Tom comes up with many schemes to make money, but can always prove that he made a fair deal. These books are so funny, and never get old to me. It cracks me up each time I read about their father, the editor and publisher of their local newspaper, ordering every useless invention he can find - including the first water-closet in Adenville. It cracks me up every time Tom explains things to J.D.. It cracks me up every time  Tom makes bets, and charges kids money for things, like taking a look at their new water closet. This book does have one problem, though: it's not the most well written book in the world, and we even found a couple errors in the printing. Besides that, not everything is politically correct, so it's not a book you would read for school or anything. But when you're not in school? Pick up these hilarious books! Trust me, I have not been able to find words for this review - but if you read one of these books, you will not be disappointed. I give this book 4 stars, and say that it's good for all ages! It has 175 pages, and has a few illustrations by the talented Mercer Mayer.

Natalia

"Old Yeller"

"Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson is a book about fourteen year old Travis. Or at least for some people. But the book is really about Old Yeller, a dog named for both his yelps and the color of his fur: a dingy yellow. He stumbles into the lives of Travis and Little Arliss  (Travis' younger brother) in the late 1860s, and doesn't give off the best first impression, stealing their food. But five year old Little Arliss loves him, and wants to keep him. He had never had a dog before, like Travis had Bell- their dog who died from a snake bite the previous summer - and wants him very badly. Travis is the man of the house now that his father has gone off to Kansas, and as the man of the house, he tries to convince his mother that they need to get rid of the ugly dog. But after Old Yeller saves Little Arliss, it seems right to keep him. And that is where the many adventures with Old Yeller begin.

I liked this book. I thought that it taught you a lot about life at that time, and the details make you want to cry at times, as you think of the pain and suffering both Old Yeller and Travis went through. The ending is predictable, and whether it was meant to be that way or not, I don't know for sure. You know from the beginning that something sad is going to happen. I give this 1956 Newberry Honor Book 4 stars. It was good, but simply not my favorite. I would recommend it though, and especially to boys. If you skip over the dark parts, it would be fine for anyone, but because there are many dark and sad parts to the book, you may not want to read it to very young children. And I probably wouldn't read it on my own until I was about eight.

The book is 181 pages (I have the soft cover HarperTrophy one), and has sixteen chapters.

Natalia

Catching Up

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I have five books that I've read since "Heidi", and I will do my best to catch up and review them. But I'm sorry if I can't review all of the books. Please be patient, as it may take me a week or two to get caught up on all of my reviews!

~ Natalia

"Heidi"

"Heidi" by Johanna Spyri is one of my all time favorites. Every time I read it, it's like reading it for the first time again (and I should know... I think this was my fourth, uh, fifth time reading it.). I feel everything that the young girl feels: her compassion, her pain as she leaves home, her joy, her sorrow, and most of all... her love for the Swiss mountains, her grandfather, her goats, and her friends; of which she has many. It is such a fun book to read anytime. But let me proceed to the synopsis:It all begins with a woman named Detie dragging a five year old girl up a mountain to take the child to her grandfather. It seems like an ordinary scene, except for the fact that the young girl - Heidi (as you may have guessed), has never met her grandfather. And there are rumors everywhere that "Uncle Alp", as he is called, is the meanest man alive. But once he meets Heidi, his heart starts to soften, and he grows to love her. Heidi also grows to love him, and her new home.  But one day, years later, Detie returns, wanting to take Heidi with her. She tells Heidi that she is going to live in Frankfurt, with a girl named Clara, who is very sickly, and must be in a wheel-chair. She then promises Heidi that she can come back as soon as she likes. So Heidi is taken away from her home, and her grandfather, and goes to live with the Sesemann household. She meets Clara, and Sebastian, the butler; Miss Rottenmier, the lady in charge; Tinette, the maid; and many others during her stay. Secretly, Heidi longs for her grandfather, and the days in the mountains. She waits for when she can go home, and be free again....

This book, published in 1880, is great. I give it 5 stars, and would recommend it to any age. My copy is 283 pages, but it is more of an easy read. I hope that everyone who reads it enjoys this book as I do.

Natalia