Book Reviews by Kids - September 2006

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Mara is a rebellious Egyptian slave girl who dreams of becoming a grand lady and having everything she desires. When a mysterious stranger purchases her and sets her up to spy on the young king, it seems as if all her dreams of riches will come true. En route to the capital, Mara meets Sheftu, a young lord who also forces her to be a spy, for the opposite side of the court power struggle. At first, Mara finds it easy to play both sides, but as time goes on, she discovers her feelings for Sheftu are steadily growing, as is her sympathy for his cause. Her peril as a double agent is becoming evident, and soon the fate of all Egypt will lay in her hands.

I couldn't stop reading this book. The characters, from spunky Mara to the shy Syrian princess Inanni, were all extremely well developed and 3-dimensional and they all seemed like real people. It was descriptive enough that I could really see everything in my mind; however, there was plenty of action that kept the story from dragging. Overall, it was an amazing piece of literature.  

Reviewed by Pirate Princess - age 16

Spellfall

by Katherine Roberts

Natalie was a normal girl. At least, that’s what she thought. But after finding a glowing piece of paper in the parking lot of a supermarket, she begins to think otherwise. An old man known as Hawk confronts her about the paper. He tells her she is special and soon after kidnaps her for reasons known only to him and his associates. However, she escapes. Now she must find out who she really is, and along with friends, both old and new, she must find a way to defeat the evil Hawk, and save the world. This thrilling fantasy shows you that there really is no limit to what you can do if you believe. It force you to think outside the box to try and figure out how things are going to turn out. I would recommend this book to people of all ages, both adults and children alike. Spellfall is an amazing book by an amazing author. 

Reviewed by Dude Man - Age 14

Why there aren't many Witches and Other Tales

by V.P. Fieg

Have you ever wondered why there aren't many witches or if somebody besides Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk ever came upon a man with "magic" beans. In WHY THERE AREN'T MANY WITCHES AND OTHER TALES it answers these questions and many more you may have. What if your son never took a bath and stunk up your whole house? How would you deal with him? You could always tell him that he couldn't go out of the house until he took a bath, but then if he never took a bath even after you told him that, then your house would turn into a pigsty and all kinds of icky animals would come and live in your house. Find out what the parents of this little boy do in WHY THERE AREN'T MANY WITCHES AND OTHER TALES.

Reviewed by Peach - Age 11

Ramona the Pest

by Beverly Cleary

There is this one girl who's always been waiting to go to kindergarten. One day it finally happens. She wants to be the the teacher's favorite student so she never did anything bad. But there was this girl who sat in front of her who always did her hair in pigtails. The girl wanted to pull the pigtails and hear them go boing boing. You should read this book it is really funny.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 9