Review: Ark Angel

Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



My kids and I have enjoyed all of the Alex Rider books so far but this one simply didn't hold our interest. Perhaps it's because we switched from audio to book format for this one but it just wasn't the same. Or perhaps it was too much of the same story? Regardless, I simply couldn't make myself finish it.



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Review: Museum of Thieves

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I can't believe I liked a tween book this much, but I did. The city and the guardians aren't they main story - it's more about this wild museum and it's belongings. I enjoyed the story and the rooms. It had the sense of Hogwarts in that it shifted and changed where you were going but it was nothing like Hogwarts in it's inhabitants and belongings. Imagine a building that stores everything that mankind has eradicated for it's dangerous-ness. And then imagine if all of those dangerous things tried to escape. It was a great read and one I'll encourage my kids to read in a year or two.



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Review: The Bungalow Mystery

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Another classic detective story that my daughter and I read together. We both keep wondering when Bess and George are going to show up!

This book has more drama and excitement than the previous two and I wondered how my daughter would feel about. She loved it and now wants to be a detective!



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Review: The Hidden Staircase

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



My 7-year old daughter and I have been listening to Nancy Drew books for a few months - Clue Crew, Notebooks, etc. We're now working through the originals and I love sharing them with her. The innocence of the stories is a nice change and it gives us a mystery she can enjoy. She loves racing Nancy to the answer. We are starting to wonder when Helen leaves and Bess and George show up, though!



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Review: The Westing Game

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book is from 1978 but I had not heard of it. In fact, I only picked this up because it was a featured book at the local library! When I logged that I was reading it and saw the high review count and the 4 star average, I was surprised.

Bottom line - it was a good book even though it is almost as old as me! It was a quick read with an interesting collection of people. And, as is important to me, I did not predict the ending.



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Review: The Sand Castle Mystery

The Sand Castle Mystery by Carolyn Keene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Fun, quick read and well-appreciated by my kids who like to hear something more light-hearted in the car on occasion. My daughter is 7 and likes Nancy Drew, particularly the version found in the Clue Crew books but the Notebooks interest her as well, probably because of the age similarity. The narrator does an excellent job portraying the younger children and the culprit was a surprise to us all.



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Review: The Secret of the Old Clock

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



My daughter and I have read the Clue Crew books and a few of the notebooks and we're finally starting on the original Nancy Drew! I love sharing this character with my daughter, making her the third generation Nancy Drew fan in our family!

Life is so different - sweater suits for casual wear, no cell phones for emergencies, robbers that are easily caught and quickly confess, dirt roads, etc. Wonderful reminders of days gone by.



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Review: Space Case

Space Case by Carolyn Keene

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was a Nancy Drew fan as a child and I love being able to introduce a more modern version to my daughter. We listen to these together and she really enjoys them (Clue Crew books are her favorites) and I just remind myself that the intended audience is children 5-8 years old. The solutions are predictable but my children are always shocked ;-) The narrator does a great job.



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Review: Magic Trixie, Vol. 1

Magic Trixie, Vol. 1 by Jill Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Excellent story to share with my 7 year old daughter! The story was cute, the artwork was fantastic and they combined to make me a new fan. We'll definitely check out the rest of the series!



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