Book Reviews by Kids - September 2008

The Sum of All Men (The Runelords)

by David Farland

Gaborn val Orden, the prince of Mystarria, is traveling to the nearby kingdom of Heredon to court the princess Iome when the Wolf Lord Raj Ahten attacks Herdedon. Having taken “endowments” from thousands of people giving him increased strength, stamina, sight, hearing, or other physical attributes, along with his enormous armies, Raj Ahten seems to be unstoppable. Gaborn however, discovers that he has been chosen by the Earth to lead against Raj Ahten. With his own few endowments and his new powers as Earth Protector he must lead the armies of the remaining few kingdoms against the Wolf Lord. 

Right from the first chapter, this book is fun and exciting to read and keeps the reader entertained throughout. With its exciting and original plot as well as creative, fun characters, this book will entertain a reader for hours on end.

Reviewed by Dude Man - age 16

Spinners

by Donna Jo Napoli and Richard Tchen

Once long ago there lived 2 spinners as different as black and white. One was a beautiful young girl who spun because she loved to and it provided money for her and her father to live on. The second was a rumpled, old man who also spun to provide money for him to live on. But this man also held a secret, the secret to spin straw into gold. But unfortunately this secret cost him everything he loved. Now outcast and unloved he kept this talent of his locked up deep in his bitter heart, a heart that used to love compassionately. Through certain circumstances, these two completely different people find each other-in a castle dungeon filled with straw and certain doom. Can this man’s talent save the girl? Will she finally know the truth about her past? 

“Spinners” is a very intense book. It has many unexpected twists and turns. My favorite thing about this book is how the authors were able to take a very known fairy tale and change it in a way to make it so different that one would never know what was going to happen next.  

Reviewed by Peach - Age 13

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by J.K. Rowling 

The school for witches and wizards are going to host a tournament with two other schools that hasn't happened in over a hundred years. The tournament is called the tri-wizard tournament. This tournament is very dangerous so you had to be older than seventeen to compete. Harry's name got drawn out of the goblet. 

I liked this book because it was really intense. Some parts of the book are really sad though. You will like this book.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 11

Baby Honu's Incredible Journey

by Tammy Yee

It’s about a baby turtle named Baby Honu. He gets caught by a bird and then the bird drops him back into the ocean. He finds lots of new things and at the end he finds his brothers and sisters again. 

One reason I really liked it is because it has turtles and I really like turtles. At the end it tells you how to say some words in Hawaiian. It’s a really good book. You should read it and it’s about a turtle.

Reviewed by Dancing Flower - Age 6