Spelling Troubles by Frank Cammuso

Spelling Troubles by Frank Cammuso
Series: The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, #1
Source: Publisher for Review
Publisher: Abrams
Publication Date: October 1, 2012

Salem Hyde just isn’t like other kids. For one thing, she’s stubborn, independent, and impulsive. For another, she’s a witch. Salem acts first and thinks later—which means most of her thinking involves coming up with excuses!

Good thing she’s been assigned an animal companion, Lord Percival J. Whamsford III. This over-anxious cat doesn’t like Salem calling him "Whammy,” and Salem doesn’t like listening to his long-winded explanations as to why she shouldn’t do something . . . like enter the class spelling bee.

Salem knows she can beat all her classmates at spells, no problem. Too late, she realizes the competition is about spelling words, not magic. And there’s nothing like a misspelled spell to cause all kinds of havoc!

All of my thoughts on Spelling Trouble are really short, but I think that's okay, because it's really short. So anyway, let's get started.

To tell you the truth, I didn't really like Spelling Trouble. It was cute, yes. But...it didn't have anything else going for it, and on top of that I'm way too old for it anyway-- but I believe that a good book (no matter what age group it's for) is a good book. So. I read it. And it disappointed me immensely. I felt like it was too convoluted-- it was very hard for me to focus on it and follow the story.

It was also way too short, and the comics left a little to be desired. But on the plus side, I've heard that the final version will be printed in colored ink! All in all, Spelling Trouble was very sweet, but it just didn't click with me as a good children's book. I encourage you to give it a shot, though!

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Doll Bones by Holly Black
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

Doll Bones was something I just picked up. I had no prior interest in it, and honestly, I don't particularly have any interest in it now. My only real interest in it was the scare factor. How scary could a MG book be? But then I started it. And realized, that, well, yes, as expected, it wasn't that scary. But first, let's get this out of the way-- I am deathly afraid of some of those porcelain dolls. They just freak me out, and that being said, well, this one didn't. Ouch, that's pretty sad.

The doll's story was actually fairly mediocre. That may have just been because I was expecting to have the wits scared out of me, but I can't discount the fact that it just wasn't scary. But I need to move on.

I don't very often read books with male narrators, so Doll Bones was unique in that way. Zach was kind of a funny kid, but the more I read from his point of view, the more I realized...he's like twelve. Maybe 13, and they're playing with "dolls"? That was a slight character flaw in itself. I mean, I realize that some people are more mature than others, but does a twelve year old boy really play with dolls? Not in this day and age. You'd be lucky to find a twelve year old that hasn't already had a girlfriend.

But aside from that, I did enjoy Zach and his friends, Alice and Poppy. Their adventure was awesome, and I liked the way that they were around each other. They were just simply friends.

All in all, Doll Bones was neither creepy enough, mature enough or interesting enough to have me hooked, but it was an okay read.

Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr

Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr
Series: The Blackwell Pages, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: May

"The runes have spoken. We have our champion...Matthew Thorsen."

Matt hears the words, but he can't believe them. He's Thor's representative? Destined to fight trolls, monstrous wolves and giant serpents...or the world ends? He's only thirteen.

While Matt knew he was a modern-day descendant of Thor, he's always lived a normal kid's life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.

But now Ragnarok is coming, and it's up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor's hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.

In their middle grade debut, K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr begin the epic Blackwell Pages series with this action-packed adventure, filled with larger-than-life legends, gripping battles, and an engaging cast of characters who bring the myths to life.

Loki's Wolves was just one of those books that I picked up because it was a middle grade. It looked interesting enough, and it was really just a place filler. I hadn't heard anything special about it, so I didn't know what to expect when coming into it. Turns out that was alright, though, because I really enjoyed it.

The Norse god's element was a fun break from the norm, and as a huge fan of Thor and Loki, it was a big hit for me. It was very interesting, but as I read it, well, it can also be a tad confusing. Keeping up with all of the happenings and different kinds of creatures was just hard. Not that it was interesting, but you know, maybe a little less information would have been nice. But then I probably would've complained about that too. ;)

Alternating points of view can be such a hit or miss for me-- I'm happy to report that this one was a hit. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities, and it was obvious whenever points of view changed. I feel like Laurie should have been my favorite character (because she's a girl), but Matt was actually my favorite. I don't know why I liked the golden boy so much, but it might just be that I'm supposed to. He is, after all, the hero, Thor's replacement, right? Maybe that's why. But I also really enjoyed the characters of Fen and Laurie...but I am so upset about Baldwin. Who knows what's going to happen there, though, so fingers crossed!

For whatever reason, I absolutely could not stand Astrid. She put off a bad vibe from the beginning, and I just can't figure out who she's supposed to be! I'm not exactly a huge fan of the twins either. But they were the only characters that I didn't care for, so I'd say we're doing good.

The illustrations were pretty good-- that might be my new addiction in MG-- why don't more YA books have illustrations? They are so much fun! Anyway, I noticed that the illustrations were slightly anime looking-- did anyone else notice that? All in all, Loki's Wolves was a good read, but hopefully the next book comes out soon because we're kind of in an awkward spot ending wise...

Also, happy birthday, Daddy!

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Series: The League of Princes, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was a very fun book. I first picked it up because of the awesome illustrated cover, but after I read the intro there was no putting it down. First off, well, the premise itself was just awesome. I love the idea of it! Anything done with fairytales is A-OK by me, seriously. But anywho, this is one of those books that I kind of feel to old for...it was way fabulous, and I loved it to death, but it was written for kids much younger than me.

But that's not the point. The illustrations were awesome, the story was captivating, and the overall experience was something special. I loved all the princes-- Gustav, Liam, Duncan and Frederic. Weirdly, I think that anti-social Gustav was my favorite, being the youngest of two sets of octuplets (seriously laughter occurred when that was announced). His dorky heroism and complete uncaring nature won me over, y'all.

In spite of that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the other princes, and of course the princesses too! Almost every chapter was in a different point of view, which you'd think would be confusing, but it really wasn't at all. It was fan-freaking-tastic. Each point of view was uniquely fleshed out, and each and every character had their own quirks. It was all very whimsical and imaginative.

All in all, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was a really interesting break from all the bad books I've been reading lately. I really loved it, and I'm hoping to get to the sequel soon!

Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom and the Challenges of Bad Hair by C.C. Payne

Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom and the Challenges of Bad Hair by C.C. Payne
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

While Lula Bell Bonner tries desperately to fit in by not standing out, her wise and irrepressible Grandma Bernice says: Let your light shine! It's Grandma Bernice who provides the joy that balances Lula Bell's difficult school life, but when this balance is upended, when Kali Keele turns up the heat on her cruel teasing, and when the talent show? that she should NEVER have signed up for - is about to happen, how in the world can Lula Bell cope? This funny, heartfelt novel exploring friendship, family, and forgiveness, introduces an unforgettable hero, lost in the wilderness of 5th grade, searching for her own shining light.

Lula Bell was exactly what I expected as a MG contemporary-- a sweet, younger girl who's going through some issues but is soldiering on. Lula Bell was an awesome main character perfectly innocent and nice enough to imagine her well. I think I was a bit like her, honestly. But I didn't have the grandma that she has-- Grandma Bernice was my favorite part. She was so wacky and out there, but she also had some honest and true things to say about people.

Her words of wisdom were definitely worth listening too, and I enjoyed her voice. I missed her too, after she was gone. The way that Lula dealt with her grief was believable too. I think at that young, well, you understand what's happened but the long term effects really don't happen for a long time. Then it all comes crumbling down.

I liked Lula's friend Alan, but it seemed like she really didn't treat him very well, honestly. He was always a friend to her, and always great, but when it suits her she drops him. Every time. But I think that she grew enough through the book that it won't be happening again. Lula Bell is so hard for me to review. Because even though I liked it, nothing really happened inside the book. I mean, stuff happened but it had a very slow and southern honey feel to it...all in all, it was a good story, but I can't say that I'll read it again or that it was something special, you know?

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Series: Keeper of the Lost Cities, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.”
There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Keeper of the Lost Cities was an odd change for me. As you guys know, I'm really more of a contemporary gal, even in MG. But I tried it, because it looked interesting-- admit it, that cover is so adorable. It looks kind of like a mix of City of Ember and I don't know, something else that I can't remember right now.

It was completely different, though. Keeper of the Lost Cities was about the elves, which I thought was a unique idea. I liked the capitalization on all of the powers of the elves and the lost cities, but I felt like there was more potential that wasn't really carried out. Not very much has been done with elves, and the author had the power to really make them her own, but she didn't really. Fortunately though, the plot kept me interested.

It was very slow in the beginning-- the first two-hundred pages were the slowest, because nothing was really happening. I mean, things were happening of course, but it was all happening so slowly that it was hard to pay attention. Fortunately, it picked up around the middle, where it became interesting and fast enough to keep me glued to the pages.

I liked our main character, Sophie. She seemed like a really sweet kid and she was pretty funny, but she wasn't all that remarkable. She could have had more development, but I look forward to reading more about her-- she has some great potential ahead of her. All in all, Keeper of the Lost Cities may not have been all that I had hoped, but that doesn't meant that it was terrible. It sounds like I liked it less than I did.