Ages 9-12 Books - Page 3

Inheritance 3-Book Hardcover Boxed Set (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr)

Christopher Paolini

Amazon Price: $42.49 List Price: $67.45 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Knopf Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $40.97

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Series -> Fantasy & Adventure -> Inheritance
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( P ) -> Paolini, Christopher

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Unwanted Inheritance 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 23 people found this review helpful.

Mix together equal parts "Star Wars" and J.R.R. Tolkien, then add a generous helping of Anne McCaffrey's dragon-riders and a few random shreds of Garth Nix.

Obviously originality is not Christopher Paolini's strong suit. But that's only one of the problems with "Eragon," "Eldest" and "Brisingr," the first three books of Paolini's Inheritance series -- while there's some promise in Paolini's first book, the second and third are lifeless slogs of painfully pompous plotlessness that occasionally rev up into a battle.

The titular character is lucky enough to stumble across a strange blue stone while hunting. After failing to sell it, Eragon finds that it's actually a dragon egg, and the baby blue dragon inside selects him -- yes, him -- to hatch for and remain with forever. All the Dragon Riders were killed off by Evil King Galbatorix long ago, but for the weird old recluse Brom, who becomes Eragon's mentor. And Luke, I am your father... wait, wrong story.

When Galbatorix's men destroy Eragon's home and family, Brom and Eragon flee to find the mysterious rebels known as the Varden, and rescue the beautiful elf Arya who is haunting Eragon's dreams. But while Eragon and his dragon Saphira learn many things -- and make new allies -- the journey to the Varden brings them a terrible (and totally predictable) loss, and leads them to Eragon's first battle.

"Eldest" picks up immediately afterwards, with Eragon badly wounded and the leader of the Varden murdered. But despite the rebels' turmoil, Eragon is told that he has to accompany Arya back to her home city of the elves, to be taught by a crippled elf named Oromis. Unbeknownst to Eragon, his hometown of Carvahall is being ruined by a band of Galbatorix's soldiers, and his newly-engaged cousin Roran may be their only hope. And our hero's truncated training leads to strange new changes in his body and mind, as he prepares for a devastating new battle against Galbatorix -- and a horrifying new discovery. Yes, you can probably see it coming.

And "Brisingr" picks up right after that, with Roran and Eragon going on a mission to rescue Roran's fiancee from the Ra'zac, while Nasuada is forced to undergo a bloody challenge to retain leadership of the Varden. And even after another fight with Murtagh, Eragon has to deal with a forthcoming wedding, Roran's assignments on dangerous missions, and the upcoming nomination of a new dwarf king. And when Eragon finally returns to Ellesmera, he learns new facts about his own past, and is given a possible key to his future...

Lofty elves, kings-in-waiting, humble farm boys who become revered leaders for no particular reason, nasty goblinesque creatures, cryptic mystical women, special swords, evil tyrants who are evil because they just are, wise mentors, and telepathic dragons in a variety of colors. Christopher Paolini never met a fantasy cliche that he didn't like -- and the "Inheritance" trilogy simply oozes with them.

At first, Paolini paints these typical sword-and-sorcery stories with rather stilted but promising prose -- "Eragon" has some raw potential, and you can detect Paolini's enthusiasm as he explores his invented fantasy land. Unfortunately with "Eldest" -- Paolini's prose becomes bloated, sluggish and painfully smug, with dialogue that becomes more painfully wretched with each chapter ("I walk between the candle and the dark").

It also signals the end of a fast-moving plot -- for two books straight, Paolini treads water in a sea of lace-making, anti-religious preaching, engagement woes, sword woes, and political woes. He whips up a battle every now and then -- either at the book's end or when things get too dull, and spends most of the rest of the time pondering on whether it's okay to kill people. The nadir of all this is Eragon's training, the bulk of which consists of doing yoga and watching ants -- even the hilariously homoerotic moments with Oromis and Roran can't make all this entertaining.

But the biggest problem is Eragon himself -- despite being portrayed as a noble, brave, compassionate soul with a brilliant destiny, he's none of that. He's given a little belated angst over killing people (though this doesn't stop him from coldly killing a young soldier begging for his life), when he isn't being uniformly worshiped by the Varden, Elves, Dwarves and villagers.

The supporting characters are not much better -- Brom and Oromis are intriguing but deeply underdeveloped as characters. And while Eragon spends three books drooling after the elf Arya, she's a snotty ice princess whose looks are all she's got. Everyone else is either a 2-D bad guy who hates Eragon, or a 2-D good guy who just loves him.

Christopher Paolini's not-terribly original fantasy series starts off with the flawed but readable "Eragon," before sliding downhill into the painful "Eldest" and the tediously plotless "Brisingr."

Editorial Review:

WITH THE HIGHLY anticipated publication of Book Three in the Inheritance cycle, the hardcover editions of all three books will be available in a handsome boxed set!

Charlie Bone And The Shadow (Charlie Bone)

Jenny Nimmo

Amazon Price: $10.18 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Orchard Books Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $8.35

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Action & Adventure
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The enchanter Count Harken is back to take his revenge on the Red King's heirs, starting with Charlie Bone's family! Charlie's ancestor has been kidnapped and imprisoned in the dark, forbidding land of Badlock, and it's up to Charlie to save him. Traveling through a painting to the terrifying countryside, Charlie and his best friend's dog, Runner Bean, take up the quest. But when Runner Bean gets trapped, Charlie needs the help of his friends. Can they get past an army of trolls, rescue Runner Bean and Charlie's ancestor, and get out before it's too late?

Can Charlie outwit Court Harken and his sinister troops, or will the prisoners be doomed to being held captive in Badlock forever?

Jenny Nimmo is an award-winning author who lives with her painter husband in a converted mill in Wales. Her books include THE SNOW SPIDER, winner of the Smarties Prize, EMYLN'S MOON, THE CHESTNUT SOLDIER, and GRIFFIN'S CASTLE, which was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Award, and the W.H. Smith's Mind Boggling Award. THE OWL TREE won the Smarties Gold Prize Award for six- to eight-year-olds, and THE CHARLIE BONE books have repeatedly found their way on to bestseller lists.

Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail

Danica McKellar

Amazon Price: $10.20 List Price: $15.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Plume Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $7.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> Math -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> High School

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 99 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Math Doesn't Suck 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book. This makes math seem much less intimidating to students AND their teachers.
I bought it to show to my grad students who are going to be teachers. One bought her own copy after borrowing my copy and another student promptly borrowed the returned book.

Great reference--serious home work help 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book when my daughter faced some serious lags in starting the school year--3 days into a new school and 6th grade, and she was out from an appendectomy. I knew we'd have to do some serious instruction at home to keep her up to speed. Because our math text book is so unfriendly, the teacher recommended another reference, but this popped up on the Amazon suggestions. The positive reviews grabbed my interest, and when the book came I found that I actually wanted to read it! It has come in very handy during teary episodes of "I don't know how to do this"--it covers all those topics we once learned, but forgot, and makes it very fast and easy to re-learn (for parents) and learn (for kids). It's fun, engaging, and very helpful. Thanks, Danika!

Editorial Review:

The runaway national bestseller, now in paperback

Chosen (House of Night, Book 3)

PC Cast, Kristin Cast

Amazon Price: $8.95 List Price: $8.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Griffin Amazon Marketplace: 60 new & used starting at $4.83

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

APA: The Easy Way!

Peggy M. Houghton, Timothy J. Houghton

Amazon Price: $10.95 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Baker College Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $10.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Writing -> Academic & Commercial
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 95 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

APA Best purchase 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This by far is the best book available to help students understand APA format it is in CLEAR ENGLISH with examples (thank you). Although the other APA manual is very detailed, APA the Easy Way cuts right to the point. I use many different sources for references and this book answers the how to cite this or that questions quickly.

I showed my professor this book and she was so impressed she said she was going to have to buy this book herself. A few of my class mates bought the other book and are so lost they don't know how to make heads or tails of the manual. This book is the best choice for the price and has easily understandable content.

Oh if you open the view (look inside this book) on Amazon for APA the Easy Way you get the actual setup for Microsoft Word prior to 2003 for all sides of the paper. This really helped me when I could not afford the book, at first.

Don't forget you can get all information on format and citations on the internet for free if you search, I know I did. I have this book and my internet notes from goggling the order of pages.( you will see APA Style Essentials.) Happy writing!!!!

Editorial Review:

This handbook is a quick and simplified guide to the APA writing style. It was developed as a condensed version of the official APA Publication Manual and designed to be utilized as a supplement to the actual guide.

The handbook is divided into three parts. Part one focuses on the mechanics of APA format as well as internal text citations; part two emphasizes the actual reference page entries; and part three provides a sample paper.

A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles)

Holly Black

Amazon Price: $8.61 List Price: $10.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $5.59

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Action & Adventure
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths -> Stories

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The giants are revolting (yes, they certainly are) 3 out of 5 stars.
13 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Down in the Florida swamps lies a giant problem. No, make that several giant problems. The fire-breathing giants are beginning to wake up, and only people with "the sight" can see them.

When the giants lay waste to an entire housing development project, it's high time for the giant slaying team to do something about it.

Unfortunately, the giant slaying team is made up of an old blind man, a chubby youth named Nick, his stepsister Laurie, his older brother Jules, and Jules' girlfriend Cindy.

Continuing the adventure from book one, The Nixie's Song, this episode pushes the envelope trying to cram too many things into one little book. You also get the impression that the author was in a bit of a hurry, as there are loose ends, continuity problems and far too many coincidences.

A quick read, and as usual, beautifully illustrated, but certainly not in the league of the original Spiderwick Chronicles. On the bright side, the ending of the book indicates that there's lots of excitement to come. Get this if you've already read The Nixie's Song, and hope that the next one will be better.


Amanda Richards, October 4, 2008

Editorial Review:

Talk about out of the frying pan, into the fire! I was pretty sure that my freaky stepsister and that freaky field guide of hers would ruin my life. But now it looks like they're going to ruin all of Florida, too! Okay, maybe that's not fair. Maybe all these stupid giants would be waking up anyway, but if it wasn't for her and that book, I'd be home playing video games and this would be someone else's giant problem!

The Diamond of Darkhold: The Fourth Book of Ember (Books of Ember)

Jeanne Duprau

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $9.57

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Action & Adventure
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Well worth the wait!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

We read all three of the previous "Ember" novels and enjoyed them all. Waiting for this one was hard, but it was well worth it! We were afraid that the story would resolve with this novel, but it appears there is opportunity for future segments of the story. The author writes so well that it is a pleasurable read in addition to an enjoyable storyline. We hope the first movie does it justice!!

Editorial Review:

It’s been several months since Lina and Doon escaped the dying city of Ember and, along with the rest of their people, joined the town of Sparks. Now, struggling through the harsh winter aboveground, they find an unusual book. Torn up and missing most of its pages, it alludes to a mysterious device from before the Disaster, which they believe is still in Ember. Together, Lina and Doon must go back underground to retrieve what was lost and bring light to a dark world.

In the fourth Book of Ember, bestselling author Jeanne DuPrau juxtaposes yet another action-packed adventure with powerful themes about hope, learning, and the search for truth.

The New Way Things Work

David Macaulay

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books Amazon Marketplace: 73 new & used starting at $14.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Reference & Nonfiction -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> How Things Work

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Is it a fact--or have I dreamt it--that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?" If you, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, are kept up at night wondering about how things work--from electricity to can openers--then you and your favorite kids shouldn't be a moment longer without David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work. The award-winning author-illustrator--a former architect and junior high school teacher--is perfectly poised to be the Great Explainer of the whirrings and whizzings of the world of machines, a talent that landed the 1988 version of The Way Things Work on the New York Times bestsellers list for 50 weeks. Grouping machines together by the principles that govern their actions rather than by their uses, Macaulay helps us understand in a heavily visual, humorous, unerringly precise way what gadgets such as a toilet, a carburetor, and a fire extinguisher have in common.

The New Way Things Work boasts a richly illustrated 80-page section that wrenches us all (including the curious, bumbling wooly mammoth who ambles along with the reader) into the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits, and bytes. Readers can glory in gears in "The Mechanics of Movement," investigate flying in "Harnessing the Elements," demystify the sound of music in "Working with Waves," marvel at magnetism in "Electricity & Automation," and examine e-mail in "The Digital Domain." An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay demystifies them all. (Click to see a sample spread of this book, illustrations and text copyright 1998 David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, published by Houghton Mifflin Co.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson

Eldest (Inheritance)

Christopher Paolini

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurel Leaf Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $4.93

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Series -> Fantasy & Adventure -> Inheritance
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( P ) -> Paolini, Christopher

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1502 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Surpassing its popular prequel Eragon, this second volume in the Inheritance trilogy shows growing maturity and skill on the part of its very young author, who was only seventeen when the first volume was published in 2003. The story is solidly in the tradition (some might say derivative) of the classic heroic quest fantasy, with the predictable cast of dwarves, elves, and dragons--but also including some imaginatively creepy creatures of evil.

The land of Alagaesia is suffering under the Empire of the wicked Galbatorix, and Eragon and his dragon Saphira, last of the Riders, are the only hope. But Eragon is young and has much to learn, and so he is sent off to the elven forest city of Ellesmera, where he and Saphira are tutored in magic, battle skills, and the ancient language by the wise former Rider Oromis and his elderly dragon Glaedr. Meanwhile, back at Carvahall, Eragon's home, his cousin Roran is the target of a siege by the hideous Ra'zac, and he must lead the villagers on a desperate escape over the mountains. The two narratives move toward a massive battle with the forces of Galbatorix, where Eragon learns a shocking secret about his parentage and commits himself to saving his people.

The sheer size of the novel, as well as its many characters, places with difficult names, and its use of imaginary languages make this a challenging read, even for experienced fantasy readers. It is essential to have the plot threads of the first volume well in mind before beginning--the publisher has provided not only a map, but a helpful synopsis of the first book and a much-needed Language Guide. But no obstacles will deter the many fans of Eragon from diving headfirst into this highly-awaited fantasy. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell

---

Meet Author Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel, Eragon, when he graduated from high school at age 15.

"Writing is the heart and soul of my being. It is the means through which I bring my stories to life. There is nothing like putting words on a page and knowing that they will summon certain emotions and reactions from the reader. In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf." --Christopher Paolini

Paolini talks more about the series, and about what inspires him in this video clip.
Watch the video (high bandwith)
Watch the video (low bandwith)

---

The Eragon/Eldest Boxed Set


Want to learn more about the series? Check out our review of Eragon: Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15, and the book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords. Read more

Order your copy of the boxed set today

---

Learn the Lingo
Our quickie pronunciation guide will help you get to know some of the names and places in the Inheritance series.

Ajihad

AH-zhi-hod

The Leader of the Varden

Argetlam	ARE-jet-lahm	Elven word to describe Dragon Riders meaning "silver hand"
Arya	AR-ee-uh	A powerful elf who is both beautiful and a master swordswoman
Eragon	EHR-uh-gahn	A Dragon Rider from Carvahall
Ra-zac	RAA-zack	Evil creatures
Saphira	suh-FEAR-uh	Eragon’s dragon

*Art copyright © 2004 John Jude Palencar

---

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurel Leaf Amazon Marketplace: 77 new & used starting at $1.57

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Holocaust
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Classics by Age -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 707 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Run Away 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Struggling through the ravages of World War II, Annemarie, her family, and her best friend Ellen wait in hiding until the Nazis retreat and let Denmark free once more. This wonderful story "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, is about friendship, tragedy, and, love. It also integrates a lot of useful life lessons, such as: being brave and deciding what to do wisely.
This story really captured my attention because it made me inquire as I read along. It also gave me a perfect image of what Denmark was like during the Nazi invasion.
I recommend this story to children in the fourth grade or higher because it has strong vocabulary words that are worth learning.


By Teddy (soon to be in grade 5)

Editorial Review:

The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.