Book Reviews by Kids - June 2005

Sabriel

by Garth Nix

Sabriel lives in Ancelstierre, near the border of the Old Kingdom, the land on the other side of the wall where magic is normal, and the Dead do not always stay dead. Sabriel has always known she was unusual. After all, she was the first in her class at magic, and near the top in many other subjects. She also has the ability to go into Death (it's a place, not a state of being), and sometimes bring those who have died back to Life. But she didn't realize how truly different she was, until she received a message from her father, who is trapped in Death. Sabriel, like her father before her, is now the Abhorrsen, charged with making sure that the dead stay dead. And she must now fight the great evil that is threatening not only the Old Kingdom, but her home of Ancelstierre.

This book was one of the best I've read in a long time. It was a fantasy, but it was told in a way that you could understand it and it seemed more like realism than fantasy. It had a great plot, full of suspense and plot twists, that made it impossible to put down. It also had great characters that you could really identify with, like Sabriel, who, though she is very brave and smart, is still just a regular girl who has no clue what is going on. I loved this book and I recommend it to anyone.

Reviewed by Princess Toenails - age 14

So You Want to be a Wizard?

by Diane Duane

So you want to be a wizard? The answer is probably very similar from person to person. “Yeah, that would be cool”, or “Of course!! That would be awesome to have magic.” That’s the kind of answer Nita thought of when she saw the book titled “So you wan to be a wizard?” When she first saw it, she was astonished. Could it be real? But then, as she started reading, it became apparent that in her world, wizardry really exists! Nita soon is sucked into a whirlwind of adventure as she sets out on a quest to save the universe from dying. 

The excitement level in this book is extremely high. One thing I especially liked was how a t first it seems to be completely realistic, but then veers off deep in to impossible fantasy.
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Reviewed by Dude Man - Age 13

The Meanest Doll in the World

by Ann Martin and illustrated by Brian Selznick

Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are two dolls always looking for adventure! They have rescued Annabelle’s Aunt Sarah from the attic and gotten rid of the Captain (the Cat). All of those things were easy compared to what they have to do now. This is how it all started. They went on an exploration with Aunt Sarah to go and find spiders! When they were coming back a human woke up! Tiffany and Annabelle jumped into a backpack to hide. If you think that’s exiting you should read the rest of the book it’s way more exiting!

Reviewed by Peach - Age 10

Arthur and the Goalie Ghost

by Marc Brown

Arthur has lots of friends like Buster, Francine, and Binky that like Arthur wanted to be on a hockey team. At first they weren't very good. Buster's dad was the coach. Buster was the goalie. They lost a lot of their games. Then their last game they win. My favorite part is when they win because I like to win. I also like it because it's about a boy that has lots of friends.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 8