The Doom Machine

The Doom Machine

A Novel by Mark Teague

Reviewed by Logan A. W.

          The Doom Machine is a very good book, with a lot of effort put in by the author Mark Teague. It definitely has the things that every Sci-Fi--fantasy book needs: a fast plot and a good story line.  The book does have a lot of characters, making it hard to follow along, and it also switches from character to character without telling who the new character is.

          When young scientist Isadora Shumway comes to Vern Hollow after her mother’s car breaks down, she stays with Jack Creedle and his mother.  But when aliens arrive at Vern Hollow, Jack’s uncle, Bud, has a plan to get out of town before the aliens get them. On the way Bud sneaks in his secret invention, a fridge, The Doom Machine, that unlocks the power space-time. These spidery aliens capture the “ooman bings” king to try to figure out how the machine works. But while they are focussing on the machine Jack and Isadora sneak of and take on a journey of their own.

          The Doom Machine is truly amazing, and does show its colors. The book is good for scifi-fantasy lovers. This book is rated for grades 3/4-7/8. The Doom Machine is at the King County Library, Tacoma Library and Amazon.

The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy 

The Third book in the The Chronicles of Narnia series

Reviewed by: Sawyer H.

The story begins with a fisherman named Arsheesh and a boy that called him Father, Shasta was the boy’s name. The boy wasn’t really the fisherman’s son because the boy had fair white skin. The fisherman however had cinnamon skin. One day a man on a fine war horse came up to their small Shack of a house. He had a deep red dyed beard and looked like a prince. The person on the horse demanded hospitality. Arsheesh gave the stranger dinner (which the stranger didn’t care for).

 Shasta was sent outside with a hunk of bread like on most occasions when someone visited. When he was outside he couldn’t help but overhearing the stranger and the fisherman talking. Then the fisherman told the stranger how he got his son. “One night I heard a cry when I was sleeping I went outside and saw a rowboat drifting towards me and saw a dead man and a baby the man had just died (because he was still warm) But the baby was alive. Doubtlessly escaped from a ship wreck,” the stranger said.

“That boy will make a great slave” said the stranger. “How much will he cost” the stranger said. “I’ll give you fifteen Crescents” said the stranger. “Fifteen!! My price is seventy” said the fisherman. At this point Shasta got up and tiptoed away. Shasta now felt like you would if your parents were talking about how much to sell you for a slave to a stranger.

Shasta thought the life he had was much better than a slave’s. For all he knew the stranger on the horse might treat him better than he was treated now. Now learning how he got to have been in this country where there were no people that he knew of that had fair white skin. He could be any one he could be the son of a Taarkan himself or the son of the Tirsoc (May he live forever). Now he knew that he had no relation to Arsheesh and that took a great weight off his shoulders.

He walked over to the stranger’s horse and patted it on the neck. He wondered what the stranger would be like. Would he feed me nice meals or would he be forced to work in the field in chains. Would he give him nice clothes or would he have to wear rags. Shasta lifted the horses head and stroked its soft nose and said, “I wish you could talk.” Then the horse said, “Oh but I can.”

This book would be a great one for adventurous Fiction lovers in fourth grade to college. I loved this book it always keeps you on edge and is happy throughout the story. If you’ve read any of the following you’ll love this book: Harry Potter, The Tale of Despereaux, Beast Quest and Where the Wild Things Are.

Mort

Mort

A book review by Dan S,

            Mort is another book from the Discworld series of which there is many, and is also a very good book. If you want a good stopping point, too bad, because there isn’t one! It’s one of those books that you just can’t put down. If I had to give it a rating, I’d give it five stars. No books other than this series can capture the hilarity of a world, like no other. FLAT. The Discworld series is an amazing series, so though this is only one of the books, it still is a great demonstration of great book writing.

            Mort is a young boy of about sixteen that really thinks about the things at hand from all angles, and then thrice more. And yet he isn’t serious about anything, nothing at all. So his father goes off with him and to the hiring fair, and at the last ‘second’, is hired by Death. Somehow his first job goes wrong, but some other stuff happens, moving the plot along. I won’t reveal any more, though.

So all in all, Mort is an amazing book of the Discworld series, written by Terry Pratchett. If you like more adult themed books, you’ll probably like this book. Just make sure you have plenty of time to read the book, because you might not be able to put it down. A five out of five star rating for the book, as is the other book, Rincewind the Wizzard. I would recommend holding off to read this until you have read Rincewind the Wizzard, the prequel to this book.

Wings of Fire

Wings of Fire

Book 1: The Dragonet Prophecy

By: Tui T Sutherland

Reviewed by: Madeline S.

The book Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy is by author Tui T. Sutherland. I think that Sutherlands’ style brings you close to the story because she tells it through an omniscient narrator that can see into the main character’s thoughts. I personally think that this book is for anybody ages 9+ who likes excitement, fantasy, and especially dragons.

 Before the book begins the reader is introduced to the dragonet prophecy:

When the war lasted twenty years…

The dragonets will come

When the land is soaked in blood and tears…

The dragonets will come

Find the Sea Wing egg of deepest blue.

Wings of night will come to you.

The largest egg in mountain high

Will give you the wings of sky.

For wings of earth, search through the mud

For an egg the color of dragon blood.

And hidden alone from rival queens,

The Sand Wing egg awaits unseen.

Of three queens who blister and blaze and burn

two shall die and one shall learn

if she bows to a fate that is stronger and higher

she’ll have the power of wings of fire.

Five eggs to hatch on the brightest night,

five dragons born to end the fight.

Darkness will rise to bring the light.

The dragonets are coming....

               There are seven different dragon tribes: IceWings, RainWings, MudWings, SkyWings, SandWings, NightWings, and SeaWings. They all are fighting because a scavenger (a human) killed the queen of the SandWings, Queen Oasis. She has three daughters, Blister, Blaze, and Burn, who all want to become queen. So the daughters each find allies and start a war over who will be the next SandWing queen. This book opens with a dragon named Clay. He is one of the dragonets from the prophecy but he doesn’t think he is the right dragon even though his egg was the color of dragon blood. He has lived in a cave with the four other dragonets ever since he was born. Four of the dragonets, including Clay, want to leave the cave and go into the real world. But their guardians won’t let them because they are the dragonets of prophecy and it is not time for them for leave yet. Events turn though when the dragonets get captured and are forced to fight to the death against other captured dragons. Will all the dragonets make it? Where will they go after the fighting is over? How will this turn of events affect the prophecy?

I really enjoyed the suspense that is present throughout the book; it makes it really hard to put down the book. You will want to keep reading the book until you are finished! There are some twists and turns that keep you guessing and Sutherland makes the story believable by using an all knowing narrator. The adventures continue in five other books. I am on the fifth book now and am excited to read the next one. The seventh book is coming out this summer!      

Revolution!

Author: Brendan Powell Smith

Reviewed by Griffin H.

Revolution! is about the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution. This book features pictures depicting the revolutions all built with Lego bricks. A masterfully written book, and very detailed in terms of events. From destruction of British tea to rioting over bread, this book has it all.

Including many characters in history like Thomas Edison, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, King Luis XVI, Paul Revere, and many more. It feels like a history lesson in a book, but more interesting than listening to a person droning on in front of a whiteboard. The book itself is very fast-paced, but did  really focus on getting to know the many, many characters in the book. The pictures that depicted the two wars were surprisingly graphic for examples built of Legos, with creative use of different pieces throughout the sets.

Many events in this book include a lot of violence, such as gore, dismemberment, and decapitation. The French believed at the time that the monarchy was keeping the citizens in poverty to stay in power. This angered the people, who started riots to civil wars to coup d’états to executions of almost the entire congress.

Following many lives of people in the revolutionary war, from George Washington to printers to soldiers to civilian eyewitnesses, he introduces all sorts of perspectives on the revolt.

I recommend this book for 5^th grade and up due to violent themes reoccurring throughout the book, and mild bad language.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Book 1

By: Trenton Lee Stewart

Reviewed by: Madeline S.

The book The Mysterious Benedict Society was written by author Trenton Lee Stuart. I think Stuarts’ style brings you close to the story because he tells it through an omniscient narrator that can see into Reynie’s thoughts. Occasionally the narrator describes the thoughts of the other three supporting characters. I personally think that anybody ages 9+ who likes a book that keeps you on your toes and likes mystery should look forward to reading this book. The plot will keep you guessing and waiting for more.

This book opens with a boy walking to his second test of the day. His name is Reynard Muldoon nicknamed Reynie. He is an orphan and is very bright. He even gets his very own tutor named Miss Perumal. At first Miss Perumal does advanced work with him, but Reynie speeds through it and the tutor starts reading the newspaper with him. One day an ad shows up in the newspaper that reads, “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” Miss Perumal thinks that Reynie should go and try to pass. Reynie says, “ I suppose I might be interested, if you think I would qualify.” So on Saturday he gets driven to the place where he is to take the tests. He takes five tests and passes all of them. In the end he becomes friends with three of the kids who take the tests along side him. They form a group called The Mysterious Benedict Society led by a man called Mr. Benedict. The world is in danger and they will find out why by being Mr. Benedict’s spies. They will have to go to a special school for the ‘Enlightened’ called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Mr. Benedict explains to them a lot about the school and what they are to do, but they must act as new kids. They meet the head of the school and he looks just like Mr. Benedict. Is it Mr. Benedict? Has Mr. Benedict just been tricking them? Will they save they world from disaster?

I really enjoyed the suspense that is present throughout the book. There are some twists and turns in the plot that keep you guessing about what will come next. Stuart makes this story believable by using an all-knowing narrator.  This also allows the reader to see what other characters in the book are thinking and feeling, adding more depth to the story. The adventure continues with two sequels, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society the Prisoner’s Dilemma.