Book Review: Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

Genre: Children's Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: February 2012
Publisher: Knopf
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 316 pgs/8 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

My Rating:

 ★★★★★

.....For being a sweet, wonderful story

Book Review: The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy
Date Published: September 21 1937 (2002 this edition)
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin (Houghton Mifflin this edition)
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 366 pgs/ 11 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: (J.R.R. Tolkien’s own description for the original edition) “If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did)—if you do not already know all about these things—much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period.

“For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.”

My Rating:

 ★★★★★

.....For continuing to be such a wonderful classic!

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (The Illustrated Edition), by J.K. Rowling with illustrations by Jim Kay

Genre: Children's Fantasy
Number of Pages: 246 pages

Goodreads | Leafmarks

Synopsis: The beloved first book of the Harry Potter series, now fully illustrated by award-winning artist Jim Kay.

For the first time, J. K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Rowling herself selected artist Jim Kay, whose over one hundred illustrations make this deluxe format as perfect a gift for the child being introduced to the series as for the dedicated fan.

My Rating:

★★★★★

....for always being a wonderful story, now with awesome illustrations!

Book Review: Palace Of Stone (Princess Academy #2), by Shannon Hale

Genre: children's/YA fantasy
Length: 323 pages, or 7 hours and 53 minutes on audiobook

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place.
Picking up where "Princess Academy" left off, and celebrating the joys of friendship, romance and the fate of fairy tale kingdoms, this new book delivers the completely delightful new story that fans have been waiting for.

My Rating:

★★★★

...for being a much better story than it's predecessor.

Book Review: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1), by Shannon Hale

Genre: Children's fantasy
Date Published: January 1st, 2005
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Length: 250 pages, or 7 hours and 24 minutes on audiobook
Source: Audible

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.

My Rating:

★★★

....for being creative and interesting, but not as amazing as The Goose Girl.

Book Review: A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L'Engle (Time Quintet #1)

Genre: Children's science fantasy
Date Published: 1962
Publisher: Farrer, Straus & Giroux
Length: 233 pages, or 6 hours and 4 minutes on audiobook
Source: Audible

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and their mother had come down to the kitchen for a  midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.
"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them.  "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course.  Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way.  Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."
A tesseract (in case you don't know) is a wrinkle in time.  To tell more would spoil your enjoyment of Madeleine L'Engle's unusual book.

My Rating:

★★★

.....for being a pleasant, if somewhat unusual, read

Book Review: Wonder, by R.J. Palacio (2nd Time Around)

Genre: Children's fiction
Date Published: February 2012
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Length: 313 pages or 8 hours and 6 minutes on audiobook
Source: Audible

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now.  He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be.  The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face.  But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

My Rating

★★★★★ and a ♥!

...because it made me laugh, cry, and want to hug Auggie Pullman (even though he's completely fictional).

Book Review: The Tales Of Beedle The Bard (A Wizarding Classic From The World Of Harry Potter), by J.K. Rowling

Title: The Tales Of Beedle The Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Date Published: December 4th, 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Length: 109 pages
Genre: Children's Fantasy
My Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: The Tales Of Beedle The Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J.K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbity Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

My Review In A Sentence: 

A fun continuation in the Harry Potter world

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter Year 7), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter Year 7), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: (From the book flap of the U.S. 1st edition) We now the seventh and final installment in the epic tale of Harry Potter (I found this sooo aggravating when I first read this!)
In A Sentence: Officially my favorite of the entire series

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and ♥

Synopsis: The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.
And yet…
As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate—and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.
So it’s the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort—and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.
In A Sentence: My least favorite of the Harry Potter books, but still amazing

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (Harry Potter #5), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (Harry Potter #5), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and ♥

Synopsis: There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Potter’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?
Here are just a few things on Harry’s mind:
• A Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey
• A venomous, disgruntled house-elf
• Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team
• The looming terror of the end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams
…and of course, the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In the richest installment yet of J.K. Rowling’s seven-part story, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the very government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts.
Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew; boundless loyalty; and unbearable sacrifice.
Though think runs the plot (as well as the spine), readers will race through these pages and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back
In A Sentence: Hello, my name is Lisa and I’m a Potterholic….

Book Review: The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1), by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1), by Philip Pullman
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle
In A Sentence: A excellent read that impresses me every time.

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Harry Potter #4), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Harry Potter #4), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: You have in your hands the pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter’s training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that’s supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn’t happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he’s not normal—even by wizarding standards.
And in his case, different can be deadly.
In A Sentence: A reread that still pulls at my heartstrings.

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #3)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and ♥

Synopsis: For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter’s defeat of You-Know-Who was Black’s downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, “He’s at Hogwarts…he’s at Hogwarts.”
Harry Potter isn’t safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.
In Sentence: How could anyone not love this book?!

Book Review: Holes, by Louis Sachar

Holes by Louis Sachar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holes, by Louis Sachar
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-goo-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day, digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
In A Sentence: One of my favorite tales that I never get tired of.

Book Review: The Witches, by Roald Dahl

The Witches by Roald Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Witches, by Roald Dahl
★★★★

Synopsis: This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches.
Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There’s nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grand mamma’s stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face to face with The Grand High Witch herself!
In A Sentence: a refreshing and rather sweet read

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (Harry Potter #2), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (Harry Potter Book #2), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls’ bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley’s younger sister, Ginny.
But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone—or something—starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects…Harry Potter himself?
In A Sentence: A book I’ve been reading since I was 12, and I never get tired of it!

Book Review: Talking To Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #4), by Patricia C. Wrede

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Talking To Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede
★★★ ½

Synopsis: Daystar has never seen his mother, Cimorene, actually perform magic. Nor has he ever known her to enter the Enchanted Forest in all the years they have lived on its edge. That is not until a wizard shows up at their cottage shortly after Daystar's sixteenth birthday. Much to Daystar's surprise, Cimorene melts the unsavory fellow. And the following day, she comes out of the Enchanted Forest carrying a sword. With that and little else, she sends him off into adventure. Daystar doesn't know what he is supposed to do with the magic sword, but knowing Cimorene, he's sure it must involve a dragon or two!
In A Sentence: A decent conclusion to a fun series, but the previous books were better.

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1), by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter #1), by J.K. Rowling
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He’s never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter.
In A Sentence: A huge favorite of mine!

Book Review: Calling On Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3), by Patricia C. Wrede

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calling On Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3), by Patricia C. Wrede
★★★★

Synopsis: Those wicked wizards are back--and they've become very smart. (Sort of.) They intend to take over the Enchanted Forest once and for all . . . unless Cimorene finds a way to stop them. And some people think being queen is easy.
In A Sentence: A pleasant, humorous third installment in a fun children’s series.