Book Reviews by Kids - February 2005

Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot

by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

There have been several peculiar happenings in London and in Rushton. First that odd woman tried to poison Kate with hot chocolate. Cecelia has found a charm bag in Oliver's mattress. That new girl, Dorothea Griscomb, has all the boys wrapped around her finger. Oliver has been turned into a beech tree. And now Kate is engaged to marry that perfectly odious Marquis of Schofield.

This book was a delightful spoof on the novels of Jane Austen, set in a world where magic really does exist! I had so much fun reading it; it made me giggly all over! (Maybe that's just 'cuz I'm a teenage girl!) The spunky cousins, Kate and Cecelia are fun to read about, and the antics and adventures they get into are at the same time intriguing and hilarious. I absolutely adored the ending (No, I will not tell you what happens!). I was so sad when this book was over, because that meant I was done reading it! I would definitely recommend it to any teenage girl, especially those who have read anything by Jane Austen. Guys, you can try it, and you might love it, but I think it's mostly a girl book.

Reviewed by Princess Toenails - age 14

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins was a simple hobbit that just wanted to live a simple life. He loved his nice little hobbit hole at Bag End. But that all changed when one day the wizard Gandalf along with thirteen dwarves came to his house for tea. They had a dinner (in which the dwarves weren’t exactly polite) after which they had a long conversation about the dwarves going a big adventure, in which they would take Bilbo along, where they would kill the dragon Smaug and regain the dwarves’ lost treasure. Bilbo is soon swept away on an adventure that would change his life. He travels side by side with the dwarves through troll caves, evil forests, and a large assortment of other places. 

This book has everything you could look for in a good book. It has adventure, excitement, and even a touch of magic. One especially good thing about this book is the description. The author describes the setting and characters so well that you almost feel like you’re inside the book, living the adventure. This is by far one of the best books in the world.

Reviewed by Dude Man - Age 12

How to Train Your Dragon

by Cressida Cowell

This is a great book to read when you feel like a story that has a Viking boy who used to be horrible at every thing. He was the chief's son so he needed to be good at everything. That was a big problem. But the way he became a good chief was by solving a big problem. There was a humongous sea dragon on the beach right next to their village. Someone had to get the dragon off the beach. If I tell you the ending that would spoil everything. So, you'll have to read this book and you won't be able to put it down. This book would be great to read to kids.

Reviewed by Peach - Age 9

Lucy and the Sea Monster to the Rescue

by Karen Dolby and illustrated by Caroline Church

Once there was this girl who had this cat called Tom. The girl was reading a book about sea monsters and the sea monster came. The girl was scared, but she realized her cat was gone. So the sea monster and girl went to find the cat. My favorite part is when the cat gets lost because it's like playing hide and seek and they get to use a map.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 7