Europe Books

The 39 Clues (The Maze of Bones, Book 1)

Rick Riordan

Amazon Price: $7.79 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $6.18

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

The 39 Clues is Scholastic's groundbreaking new series, spanning10 adrenaline-charged books, 350 trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes.

The 39 Clues books set the story, and the cards, website and game allow kids to participate in it. Kids visit the website - the39clues.com - and discover they are lost members of the Cahill family. They set up online accounts where they can compete against other kids and against Cahill characters to find all 39 clues. Through the website, kids can track their points and clues, manage their card collections, dig through the Cahill archives for secrets, and "travel" the world to collect Cahill artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down clues. Collecting cards helps: Each card is a piece of evidence containing information on a Cahill, a clue, or a family secret.

Every kid is a winner - we'll give away prizes through the books, the website and the cards, including a grand prize of $10,000!

39 Clues: One False Note

Gordon Korman

Amazon Price: $7.79 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $7.79

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe

Editorial Review:

THIS JUST IN! Amy and Dan Cahill were spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of 39 Clues hidden around the world. BUT WAIT! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects ALSO sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. UPDATE! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car . . . no, in a speedboat chase . . . and HOLD EVERYTHING! They're being chased by an angry mob?!?

When there's a Clue on the line, anything can happen.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Brian Selznick

Amazon Price: $15.63 List Price: $22.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 91 new & used starting at $12.72

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 203 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Experience, Not "Just" a Book; BRILLIANT! **Great for Reluctant Readers** 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is nothing less than brilliant.

To read this book is an EXPERIENCE that goes above and beyond what previously I considered reading to be. This is not your typical book. The reader experiences this book; they do not just read this book in the usual manner.

This is not a traditional children's book filled with words. This is not a purely graphic novel told comic book style with bubbles of dialogue, nor is it a graphic book filled only with wordless images. The author plays with the storytelling medium, using a combination of pages filled with only illustration alternating with pages of text. The illustrations don't compliment the text as is typical with most children's books; instead the illustrations actually take the place of the text and tell the story. You can't ignore the illustrations as you can with some other books as you'd miss some of the story, the reader has to rely on the illustration to tell that portion of the story. You won't want to rush through or ignore the illustrations, because the pencil drawings are very well done and the tones set the mood and even convey action (which surprised me as most of my reading has been with text-only books). I was repeatedly surprised when the page was turned and an illustration was there informing me of the action, instead of words. Additionally, the timing of the page turning and the spacing of the text on the page create a tension and add to the suspense and action. While my eyes wanted to rush ahead to read the next words, I had to wait and turn the page to reveal what would happen next.

This book is something superior and fantastic that the term "juvenile fiction book" just does not describe adequately. I don't think the book publishing industry has a word for a book like this yet. To my knowledge there is no other book quite like this on published for children (and adults like me who enjoy reading children's books). I can only hope that more well-written books will be published like this and then the book publishing industry will have to invent a new name for what this is!

This is definitely a book that anyone (young or old) can easily step into and escape into the story. It hooks you in, and the fast pace and steady action creates a roller coaster ride that makes the reader not want to put the book down until it is finished.

For those reasons this is a perfect book for reluctant readers, especially boys. If this story can't pull a reader in then I don't know one that will.

Some notes about the book's layout are worth noting as some customers will find these worthy reasons to consider buying this book. There is a good amount of white space on many pages and the pages have a black border. Although most people may not care about either of those things, they are relevant as it is said that particular layout helps children with a visual processing learning disorder, those with an eye tracking problem. It also is said to help dyslexic children, who can for some reason, read words on a page when there is a border around the edge of the page. The book is thick and imposing to young readers, yet the story can be read quickly and this may help some children who have a fear of reading a book that is thick or who may think they are incapable of reading a heavy hard cover book.

As to what kind of kids may like this book, the subject of an invention and a robotic man told in a suspenseful way is appealing to many young boys who don't often find those subjects (robots, inventions) in fiction books, but of course, kids who like robots and inventors would be drawn to the book. Since a girl is the secondary character, girls may like this book also. Actually this is the type of book that readers will enjoy even if they usually don't have a personal interest in that topic, similar, for example, to those of us who may enjoy a movie drama set in a sports team when we are not passionate about that sport. That is because a good story touches our heart and reels us in. (I would not be surprised if someone wants to make a movie adaptation of this story.)

Besides the enjoyment of the story, beyond the excitement and the pleasure of reading it, there are worthwhile themes in the book. Finding one's purpose in life and doing work that one loves instead of work to pay the bills is one of them. A good work ethic is promoted (early stealing receives negative consequences and is not glorified). The negativity that can come when one stifle's one's creativity, how art made by one person can influence and inspire others in their own creative path and can segue into their life's work is in the book. Valuing a child who is mechanically inclined and good with his hands is seldom a trait in children's literature, but it is in this story. The value of reading books in one's spare time for pleasure, inspiration, and for learning information is demonstrated throughout. (The drawings of the overloaded stacks in the used book shop will be enjoyed by book lovers.) The fact that self-directed learning outside of school can and does take place with children is an important element in the book. The book also has obvious themes of trust, generosity, friendship and unconditional love. The value of a formal education as well as learning outside of school and following one's passion in life is underscored.

The book is based on some real facts but the characters and the information about the creator of the automaton are purely fictional, as is explained in the end notes. There is a link in the end note to view videos on the Internet of the original automaton which was built in the year 1810! The book also touches on filmmaking and the early days of filmmaking. Children with an interest in those subjects may especially enjoy this story as well. Real facts about the history of filmmaking are in the book.

Some who appreciate my book reviews like to hear of content that may be troublesome to their children, especially sensitive children. I understand that no exciting story can exist without some kind of problem; this one has a few that might upset some readers. Amazon prohibits spoilers in customer reviews, so I'll share general information. This book has two orphaned children, death by fire, and death by drowning, alcoholism, and stealing including forcing the main character to steal. With all that said I need to clarify that much of that is `back story' that is briefly mentioned in the book or the action in the story is so intense that we gloss over new bits of negative information, as they are not delved into deeply enough to elicit a strong reaction of upsetting children (unless the child is very sensitive to those issues). If you worry about this for your child, I would urge you to read the book first, as it is such a great book. Then you can be the judge if the book is appropriate for your child at their present age.

The last thing I'll share is the book was so loved by my eleven year old son that he fell asleep reading it in bed at night, and finished it in the morning before he got out of bed, so it was finished within a 24 hour window of time. I read the book in about two hours and loved it.

Editorial Review:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

The 39 Clues: Card Pack

Scholastic

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $2.48

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

website does not work 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Don't bother buying the clue cards for this series, at this point anyway. My son tried creating an account with his cards the first day the book came out. The website is supposed to send you an email with a link to activate your account. We never received this email. We tried a second time to create an account the next day.... still no email. I sent them an email informing them of the problem.... still no email. I like the concept of the whole thing; however, they haven't been able to pull off the website game aspect of it. Hopefully, they'll get it to work soon. Is anyone else having this problem?

Editorial Review:

Harry Houdini. A poison injector ring. Alcatraz. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. What can they possibly have in common? Amy and Dan don't know, but fans of the 39 Clues series will soon find out.

The first Cahill card series features 56 thoroughly intriguing evidence cards that kids need to hunt down the 39 Clues. The oversize cards (3.25 x 5) are loaded with top-secret Cahill information and intriguing puzzles that unlock the family's secrets. Each pack contains 16 randomly assorted cards, with at least one rare or ultra-rare card per pack.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy)

Libba Bray

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 137 new & used starting at $2.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 308 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a great read. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

i really really liked this book.

the premise isn't something i would normally read, but i'm glad i did. the main character, gemma doyle, is really awesome. she is witty, and strong, but she also has tremendous flaws.

kartik. i love him, he's so mysterious. he is isn't in the majority of the scenes, and when he is, they are very short, but i really can't wait to see what happens with him and his relationship with gemma in the next book of the trilogy.

i felt like i could never really trust felicity at all while reading this book and i don't know if i really liked the friendship between gemma and the other three main characters. it seemed as if they only liked her because of her magical abilities. because the minute she told them she wouldn't bring them into the realms they turned on her. i suppose i'll have to see how their friendship plays out in the next book!

Editorial Review:

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?


From the Hardcover edition.

Rebel Angels

Libba Bray

Amazon Price: $35.00 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Listening Library (Audio) Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $23.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . .
The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.
But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.


From the Hardcover edition.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

Laura Amy Schlitz

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: CANDLEWICK PRESS - Model: ISBN9780763615789 Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $10.11

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• CHILDRENS BOOKS & MUSIC
• Childrens Books
• Language Arts

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Step back to an English village in 1255, where life plays out in dramatic vignettes illuminating twenty-two unforgettable characters.

Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. There’s Hugo, the lord’s nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant’s daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There’s also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd — inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany — this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England.

My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War (Bloody Jack Adventures)

Louis A. Meyer

Amazon Price: $10.93 List Price: $17.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harcourt Children's Books Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $10.38

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Action & Adventure
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Vive L'Empereur! Non. Vive Jacky Faber! Mais oui. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I finished reading MY BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN, the sixth book in the "Bloody Jack" series, a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to commenting on it. The other reviewers here have basically written about the plot and characters, so I won't repeat what has already been said.

In this tale of the further adventures and misadventures of our dear Miss Jacky, she finds herself again at the mercy of the Royal Navy's Intelligence Department. She is to be sent to spy on the Grand Army of Napoleon in France. Posing as Mademoiselle Jacqueline Ophelia Bouvier (Jacqui O.? H'mmm That sounds familiar for some reason.) a dancer/seductress/spy with Madame Pelletier's troupe "Les Petites Gamines" in Paris, and then as a Cadet courier with Napoleon's Grand Army in France and Germany, charged with training a squad of raw enlistees knicknamed "The Clodhoppers," since they are all clumsy farmboys. She again involves herself in many dangers and narrow escapes...all exciting and great fun. Jacqui/Jacky still dreams about her true love Jaimy Fletcher back in London, but is also interested in a handsome young French officer named Jean-Paul de Valdon. One reviewer here was disappointed that Jacky was being unfaithful to Jaimy. Au contraire...Jacky was just being herself, a young lady who happens to like the company of handsome young men who are attracted to her. She was and always will be a fun-loving flirt. But, as always, she retains her virtue and deep love for Jaimy.

I've already given away some of the story and will leave it up to the reader of this excellent novel to enjoy the whole book for himself. This is a wonderful novel in a marvelous series and I recommend it highly. Vive Jacky! Vive L. A. Meyer!

Editorial Review:

The infamous pirate, riverboat seductress, master of disguise, and street-urchin-turned-sailor Jacky Faber has been captured by the French and beheaded in full view of her friends and crew.

Inconceivable? Yes! The truth is she’s secretly forced to pose as an American dancer behind enemy lines in Paris, where she entices a French general into revealing military secrets—all to save her dear friends. Then, in intrepid Jacky Faber style, she dons male clothing and worms her way into a post as galloper with the French army, ultimately leading a team of men to fight alongside the great Napoleon.

In this sixth installment of the Bloody Jack Adventures series, love and war collide as the irrepressible Jacky Faber sets off on a daring adventure she vowed she’d never take.

Nick of Time

Ted Bell

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Griffin Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $10.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Nick of Time is the first young reader's book written by bestselling author Ted Bell.

In the grand tradition of epic novels like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island comes a wondrous tale of time travel, adventure, and riches, in which twelve-year-old Nick McIver sets out to become “the hero of his own life.”

The setting is England, 1939, on the eve of war. Nick and his younger sister, Kate, live in a lighthouse on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick and Kate come to the aid of their father who is engaged in a desperate war of espionage with German U-boat wolf packs that are circling the islands. The information they provide to Winston Churchill is vital as he tries to warn England of the imminent Nazi invasion.

One day Nick discovers an old sea chest, left for him by his ancestor, Captain Nicholas McIver of the Royal Navy. Inside, he finds a time machine and a desperate plea for help from the captain. He uses the machine to return to the year 1805. Captain McIver and, indeed, Admiral Nelson’s entire fleet are threatened by the treachery of the French and the mutinous Captain Billy Blood. Nick must reach deep inside, using his wits, courage, and daring to rescue the imperiled British sailors.

His sister, Kate, meanwhile, has enlisted the aid of two of England’s most brilliant “scientific detectives,” Lord Hawke and Commander Hobbes, to thwart the invading Nazis. She and Nick must face England’s underwater enemies, a challenge made all the more difficult when they discover the existence of Germany’s supersecret submarine.

In this striking adventure for readers of all ages, Nick must fight ruthless enemies across two different centuries, on land and sea, to help defeat those determined to destroy his home and his family.  

Airman

Eoin Colfer

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Book CH Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $4.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( C ) -> Colfer, Eoin
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> Europe
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Conor Broekhart was born to fly.  In fact, legend has it that he was born flying in a hot air balloon at the world's fair.   

In the 1890's Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king's daughter, Princess Isabella. 

            But the boy's idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king. When Conor tries to expose the plot, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions. 

            There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So he passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines into the prison walls. The months turn into years, but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the skies.