Action & Adventure Books

Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3)

Christopher Paolini

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 414 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

One step forward, two steps back. 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Paolini is overrated. So grossly overrated. Yes, the guy is incredibly young and wrote a very good story at an age when your chiefest concern should be which zit to pop first. He should have stopped there. If anything, his skills have deteriorated throughout this series to a point where the effort to turn each page in this book feels like I'm lifting a station wagon.
I won't go on and on as it is apparent that this book has turned enough people against St. Christopher of Paolini, but I just want to get something off of my chest:
I hope Saphira dies.
Every time that dragon opens her mouth I just want to set the book on fire. Why Paolini made the choice to create this awesome character and then fill her craw with the most cliche, unoriginal dialogue is beyond my reasoning. She speaks like a romance novel.
Alright that's it. Don't buy this book.

Editorial Review:

OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.

Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.

First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.

Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?

Inkdeath (Inkheart)

Cornelia Funke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Amazing Series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I read this whole series very quickly. The story is imaginative and the reader can't wait to find out what happens next.

A powerful statement of the power of reading, writing and storytelling to literally change the world 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's been five years since German author Cornelia Funke's novel INKHEART was first published in English. Since then, the absorbing fantasy, which focuses on characters who can travel in and out of worlds simply by reading books aloud, has captivated millions of fans and will even be made into a feature film in 2009. Now, the story that began with INKHEART and continued in INKSPELL comes full circle with INKDEATH.

The central character of the first two books was Meggie, a girl whose father, the bookbinder Mo, has the wonderful and dangerous ability to bring fictional characters to life when he reads aloud. Since the beginning of the series, Meggie and Mo have spent most of their time trying to get characters from the Inkworld back where they belong, while rescuing people from their world --- including Meggie's mother, Resa --- who have been drawn into the fictional one. Over the course of two rich, adventurous novels, Meggie and Mo have become intimately involved with the lives of dozens of others --- from their world and the Inkworld --- and have been drawn, sometimes against their will, into the increasingly ugly political machinations of the unstable Inkworld.

At the opening of INKDEATH, the evil Adderhead has taken control of the great city of Ombra and --- thanks to Mo's unwilling involvement --- has received the gift of eternal life. Mo, who has now gained notoriety as the robber Bluejay, is involved in nightly campaigns to protect Inkworld villagers from the Adderhead's terrorist marauders who roam the countryside. Meanwhile, Meggie pines for her friend (and possibly more) Farid, who has become a de facto slave to the criminal Orpheus, who uses his own ability to bring words to life to create (and then have Farid dig up) buried treasure all over the Inkworld. As for Farid, he lives in the ever-dwindling hope that Orpheus will somehow be able to bring Dustfinger (who sacrificed his own life to revive Farid's) back to life.

As one might be able to guess from the book's title, all does not end well for all the characters readers have come to care about during the series, and its themes are far more complex and mature than its predecessors. Not all is entirely bleak, however --- plenty of twists and turns, not to mention some compelling new characters, will keep audiences on the edge of their seats even as Funke gives them new thematic material to consider.

Funke herself comes to INKDEATH with a new and sober perspective. As she writes in a moving author's note, her husband of 26 years passed away shortly before the novel's 2007 publication in Germany. In the end, though, the Inkheart trilogy is not only an emotionally absorbing, thematically rich fantasy series. It's also a powerful statement of the power of reading, writing and storytelling to literally change the world.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Editorial Review:

The Adderhead--his immortality bound in a book by Meggie's father, Mo--has ordered his henchmen to plunder the villages. The peasants' only defense is a band of outlaws led by the Bluejay--Mo's fictitious double, whose identity he has reluctantly adopted. But the Book of Immortality is unraveling, and the Adderhead again fears the White Women of Death. To bring the renegade Bluejay back to repair the book, the Adderhead kidnaps all the children in the kingdom, dooming them to slavery in his silver mines unless Mo surrends. First Dustfinger, now Mo: Can anyone save this cursed story?

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Mediocre at best 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I read this in one sitting last night. If you are age 12 or below you will love this book. If you are over 12 and have rated it 4 stars or better here, can I suggest that you are in desperate need of recalibration?

The shortcomings of this project have already been outlined by the TWO [out of 45] reviewers who have awarded it fewer than 4 stars. This "novel' reads like a short story that has been padded to achieve the heft required for full price sale. It certainly has its charming moments, but in general the characters are generic and one-dimensional. The story starts out well, but completely fizzles by the end, and the dramatic finale will have even a 12 year old shaking his head in disappointment.

Not worth your time; not worth your money...I want those 3 hours back Neil Gaiman!

Editorial Review:

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

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

Rick Riordan

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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!

Harry Potter Schoolbooks Box Set: From the Library of Hogwarts: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Quidditch Through The Ages

J.K. Rowling

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 460 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A special peek into the world of Harry Potter. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

These books are a unique gift from the ever creative mind of J. K. Rowling. For the avid Harry Potter enthusiast, these book give you a new perspective on the Harry Potter world. For the Harry Potter fan, the books are well written and fun to read. In addition, I loved the hand written notes from Harry and Ron. Very funny and lots of fun.

Editorial Review:

Now, the classic books from the library of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry--Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages--are available in hardcover in a sturdy boxed gift set. (These books are written by J.K. Rowling herself under the pseudonyms Newt Scamander and Kennilworthy Whisp.) Finally, Muggles will have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl. The Quidditch textbook explains where the Golden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, and why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their clothes. Both books, designed to look like Harry Potter's actual, used Hogwarts textbooks, feature silly scribblings from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Proceeds from the sale of this gift set will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world. Harry Potter fans, rejoice! (All ages)

Warriors: Power of Three #5: Long Shadows (Warriors: Power of Three)

Erin Hunter

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

One word: Wow. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

...And now for some more words:

Though it seems that there are mixed feelings concerning this latest installment in the Warriors: The Power of Three series, I found Long Shadows to be THE BEST thus far. Much of the controversy seems to be over the great deal of time devoted to the past (remember the ancient cats?), rather than the present. But personally, I found this to be incredibly intriguing. The four-or-so chapters literally spent in the past serve to answer some questions while simultaneously posing so very many more, and you're left wondering about the true meaning and origin of not only the prophecy, but the Three themselves.

...And as for the Three...

Jaypaw's character continues to develop, as does his power, and the portion of the book spent from his point of view was, in my opinion, the most interesting. He also receives his full name at long last. Lionblaze, meanwhile, is haunted by visions of killing Heatherpaw- visions that interfere with him carrying through with a task that could mean the life or death of his Clanmates. Hollyleaf, as in Eclipse, continues on with her constant fretting over the Warrior Code, but you also begin to see a new, darker side to her- a power-hungry side so intent on holding up the Warrior Code that it could spell trouble...

Like the Three, the prophecy also deepens, and you see them use their power in different ways- as in, to aid StarClan in solving the problem with Sol. ...But later, when a dark secret is drawn out into the open, the very meaning of the prophecy- and the identity of its subjects- is questioned...

One thing about this book that was a bit... I wouldn't call it a 'problem', but it was, well, odd... was the constant trouble that seemed to plague ThunderClan. The whole book, it seemed as though there was one major problem after the next- issues with ShadowClan, then sickness, then forest fires, and then a secret that could turn that Clan up-side-down- serving to make this a very "busy" book. But it was still really good.

So, anyway, I do recommend that any Warriors fan read Long Shadows- it certainly leaves you desperate for the next book- and the answers to all of the thousands of questions!

Editorial Review:

The Clans are in turmoil. ShadowClan has turned its back on StarClan and pledged to follow the dark predictions of Sol, the strange cat who foretold the solar eclipse. But not all the cats have lost faith in their warrior ancestors. . . .

Jaypaw is convinced that StarClan still holds an important place in the warrior code, and his search for answers leads him far back into the past, farther back than even StarClan can remember. Lionblaze, tortured by violent dreams and bloody visions, wishes he had never been prophesied to be one of the three but to turn his back on his littermates would be the ultimate betrayal. And Hollyleaf is terrified that once the Clans lose their faith, the warrior code will fall apart. She's willing to fight tooth and nail to preserve it—whatever the cost.

And when murder stalks into the heart of ThunderClan, the cats realize that the darkest shadows don't always lie outside the territory.

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 366 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Forgiveness without remorse 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Briefly, the story revolves around Max, a young boy who behaves naughtily and is sent to bed without supper. In his room, he is transported to another world "where the wild things are" where he is made king of the wild things. After having his fill of leading the wild things, he returns to his room to find his supper left on his dresser.

This story strikes an interesting balance between the real world of Max and his family and Max's dream world "where the wild things are". Whereas in the former world his actions are seen as naughty and are decried, the dream world provides Max not only with the ability to act in the way he wants but also to have those actions sanctioned and praised by those around him.

Beyond that, even, is the amount of control Max can exert in each world. The real world limits him and he is almost totally at the mercy of his parents who send him to his room. In the wild world, even before he becomes king of the wild things, he is able to control the other wild things and his power is unlimited. An interesting question to ask is whether Max would be as naughty as he is if he believed himself to have more power in the real world.

The conclusion of the story seems to come mostly as the author stumbles over himself to wrap up the story. It is unclear why the angry parents would reward Max's behavior or why they would negate the punishment meted out at the beginning of the story. I found the warm supper waiting for Max upon his return from the wild world to be somewhat out of place. I understand, perhaps, that even bad kids are loved and that may be the moral being taught here, but it is strange that Max just receives the food out of the blue with no remorse on his part.

The book is a fun story and holds the attention of my 3 year old. He loves when I improvise the roaring and gnashing. Throwing in a little Troggs "Wild Thing" during the rumpus makes story time a little bit more fun too. I don't think the strange lesson at the end ruins the story, and I'm not sure that the target audience of this book would be able to figure it out in the first place. 4 stars for a fun book that holds kids' attentions.

Editorial Review:

The 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year by Maurice Sendak. Brian O'Doherty of The New York Times said the Mr. Sendak's work "disguised in fantasy, springs from his earliest self, from the vagrant child that lurks in the heart of all of us."

39 Clues: One False Note

Gordon Korman

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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 Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)

Rick Riordan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 88 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Will Blow You Off Your Feet 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is, by far, one of the best books that I've read all year. I've been a fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series ever since I picked up The Lightning Thief a few months ago, and the series hasn't let me down yet. I would even say that this book is the best one in the series so far. It had me constantly flipping pages to see what new and exciting adventures my favorite demigod hero got himself mixed up in.

This time, Riordan builds on the myth of the labyrinth and the minotaur for his story. Hero-in-training Percy must traverse the many perils of the ancient and mysterious labyrinth with his demigod friends and recent mortal friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare to protect Camp Half-Blood. There is absolutely no lack of action in this book. The characters are constantly getting in and out of trouble while plot moves forward and thickens.

This book really made me feel like a kid again. I got so caught up in Percy's adventures that I felt the same excitement that he did as he explored this rich, modern version of Greek mythology. The story would be a little bit difficult to understand if you haven't read the previous books, but it's a treat for those who have. Riordan effortlessly weaves together previous characters andplot lines into something new while throwing in an occasional reminder of how his world works.

I thought Battle was a great novel of adventure and helped me escape from the world for a little. Even if you are older than the series' target audience, it's worth picking up. If not for the action, than for the modern humor that Riordan infuses into something ancient and traditional. Highly recommended!

Editorial Review:

Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse. In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth–a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this latest audiobook promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Trenton Lee Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 107 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

thrilling book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an exciting book. Readers will want to know what will happen to Reynie when he takes the test. Will he pass? A good book for ages 10 to adult.

Editorial Review:

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.