Wonderful writing! I love it! I bless the day that I bought it at a used library book sale.

Great plot, interesting characters, and a certain relish for words that brings it all to life. A similar plot to the "Charlotte Doyle" story by Avi, but it's a great book with it's own voice.

I love the writing style! It's fresh and real, and the occasional subtle use of alliteration is genius.
One phrase particularly stayed in my mind, "Something that had clenched tight inside me unfurled at his words like a sail in a fresh breeze." An excellent simile with vivid words!

I only made it to page 9 and DNF'd it. Sometimes I like this author's work, but his writing tends to be ambiguous and incomprehensible. He doesn't explain where the characters are or what they are doing. The reader is just thrown into the middle of a scene with random dialogue that makes no sense and no explanation about anything. It makes me frustrated, because his writing is very powerful... if only it made sense.

I also read other reviews that say there are trigger warnings for rape, gang violence, disfigurement, and sexual slavery. Not for me.

Prince Edoran races across the countryside to save his friend Weasel, who has been kidnapped by traitors to the crown. Joined by the fiery Arisa, Edoran faces cruel bandits, pirates, and mysterious priests, as they search for any trace of their friend Weasel. As he comes to terms with his own inadequacies, Edoran finds that the life of the common people, working for a daily meal, and living in a community all speak to his heart in a new way. In the midst of the political struggle for the magical Sword and Shield, Edoran and his friends discover the true nature of the magic bequeathed with those royal symbols.

I LOVE this ending!!! Such a good ending to the trilogy, and all those loose ends came together wonderfully. The big reveal is the true meaning of the Sword and Shield, and how they work together with the Crown. I was so surprised and happy and delighted with that plot twist!

I adored reading from Edoran's point of view. He is so obtuse about some things, but I loved seeing him grow and change and become a better person. He has an excellent character arc through all the books, but being able to get really deep into his character in this book was wonderful!

The world-building is so rich and complex, and the plot keeps things moving with lots of action and mystery. I absolutely love the magic system with the Arcanara cards and fortune-telling! It adds such a funny and mysterious aspect to the plot.

Once again, the friendship between Weasel, Arisa, and Edoran is the star of the show! I loved seeing those three bonding and working together, and fighting and getting annoyed with each other, and crying on each other's shoulders and sacrificing for one another. There is some deep true friendship going on in here! Their relationships felt so real and honest, and I devoured every chapter. Not a particle of romance in sight, and I loved it.

Now I want to pick up more books by this author!

Mabel is done with high school and ready to teach her first year of school at a little country one-room schoolhouse. Her boyfriend, Russ, is pressuring her to make plans for their future wedding, but Mabel isn't ready to commit to a formal engagement. Meanwhile, Mabel has trouble with her country students when there is a scarlet fever scare, a break-in at the schoolhouse, and a blizzard runs through the area. Another young man seems to have feelings for Mabel and she has to decide between a new love or the steady old relationship with Russ.

I just love how spunky and energetic Mabel is! She is always getting into the most ridiculous situations with her best friend, Sarah Jane. Just because she is grown-up now, doesn't mean she isn't still mischievous and playful, but her problems are bigger and require a deep solution now that she can't rely on her parents and teachers to bail her out of scrapes.

I did NOT like how Mabel kept her problems to herself instead of telling her friends or alerting the authorities. At one point, she worries that a student is being abused at home, but decides to try to handle it herself instead of alerting the school board and asking for help. The results are disastrous for both the student and for Mabel, and I was so angry with her for being so foolish!

I was also disappointed in the love story. Mabel barely has one conversation with her new love interest, and suddenly he's proposing out of nowhere. I needed more interaction between those two to believe that they could really have feelings for each other. The love story was "told", instead of "shown" so it fell flat.

But for the most part, I enjoyed this book and the tales of the country school house. I love the old-fashioned innocence of the book and the charming writing style.

Kit is full of mischief and unruly vandalism, until his misconduct results in his best friend, Prince Henry being bitten by a werewolf. As Kit works to save Henry from the werewolf's poison, he uncovers a deadly plot to cripple all of England while children are used as slaves to work in underground mines. To save his friends, Kit must learn to use his magical abilities for good, instead of for foolish pranks.

Full of steampunk magic and mythical creatures, this book creates a world where magic is at war with new scientific discoveries like the electric light and telegraph. Kit's father, a prominent wizard-adviser to Queen Victoria, worries that magic is becoming obsolete in the face of new scientific inventions, and Kit is determined to prove that magic is just as relevant and necessary as it ever was.

I didn't quite like Kit and his friends at first, because of their foolishness and vandalism, but they began to grow and learn, and their good hearts and generous spirits began to show through, so in the end, I liked them all and was cheering for them through their adventures.

I wish that there had been some explanation for why Kit and Henry, two boys from wealthy and influential families, were hanging out with ragamuffins from poor families on the London streets. I would have loved a backstory about how that gang became friends, but the reader is plopped down in the middle of the story with no explanation for these unlikely friendships.

I loved the world-building and the wonderful magic. I loved the strained relationships between Kit and his father and aunt, and how they patch things up later on. I loved the character development that Kit goes through. I enjoyed the plot and the little details of the story that gave it a special something.

Arisa, Weasel, and Prince Edoran are searching for the missing fabled sword of King Regalis, and they uncover a secret plot involving a kidnapper, a silent assassin, and a fiery tavern keeper. Unable to trust anyone in the palace, the three friends unravel the mystery of the sword while keeping one step ahead of the traitors in their midst.

I am falling more and more in love with this series! The awkward and adorable friendship between Arisa, Weasel, and Prince Edoran makes me smile in every chapter! I especially like that they don't always get along. They have misunderstandings, they call each other names, and they get angry at times, but the thing that binds them together is that they can be real and honest and true with each other, instead of having to pretend and perform and be on their best behavior like they do with the rest of the world. I just adore everything about these characters!

The plot kept me guessing on every page, and I loved all the wild plot twists. The characters are so endearing and approachable. I love the depth and background of each character, and how their personalities develop through the story. The circumstances of the plot and the complexity of the connections between people, their political alliances, and their family past, really serves to bring forward the emotional relationships and the consequences of every turn of the plot. It's all so beautifully woven together!

The writing is excellent, and really draws you into the story, until you forget that you are reading!

In 1695, the Eddystone Reef off the coast of Cornwall is called the "Widow Maker" with more than 50 ships wrecking on the rocks each year. When Digory's father is presumed lost at sea, Digory travels to Plymouth to inquire about any possible survivors from his ship, hoping to find his father alive. He becomes an apprentice to an eccentric inventor named Henry Winstanley, who is the architect of the new Eddystone Lighthouse.

I didn't even realize that this is historical fiction until the end, when I read the blurb about history at the end of the book. I was pleasantly surprised and it gave the story so much more depth and meaning. Henry Winstanley really did design and build the first offshore lighthouse on Eddystone Reef, saving thousands of sailors' lives each year.

I loved the writing style, the plot, the characters, and the wonderful themes of courage and family. The writing really draws the reader into this historic time and makes the setting feel immediate and real. The characters are colorful and interesting, and I really enjoyed the smart dialogue.

Digory is an excellent main character, filled with fear and anxiety at the beginning. Through the story, he ponders the meaning of courage, and wonders which is better- recklessness or caution, fear or bravery? I was so impressed with his character development, and his strong emotions that propel the story forward.

The only thing that bothered me were a few small references to other characters' point of view. The all-knowing narrator tells us the story from Digory's point of view, but there are a handful of comments about the internal feelings or thoughts of other characters. It's slightly annoying because it is inconsistent with the rest of the book, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book.

The plot moves quickly and with a forcefulness that kept me in suspense. I especially loved the sense of wonderment throughout the book as Digory gazes in awe at beauty or destruction or whimsy around him. His reactions to the new world he discovers outside his little fishing village are what create a dynamic and energetic story.

Juniper Berry is the daughter of famous movie stars. As their fame grows, they become more and more distant from their daughter until she begins to suspect that something else is going on. Juniper befriends a scrawny neighbor boy whose parents are also acting strange. They follow their parents deep into the woods where they meet with a mystic creature who promises to make dreams a reality.

I loved this book! The plot is creepy without being too scary for me. I didn't have nightmares after reading it, but I was deliciously chilled and freaked out while reading it. It has just the right amount of scary as Juniper uncovers the dark secret of her parents' success. I especially enjoyed the mystic magic that the villain uses and the imaginative world-building.

I also loved how deep the writing is, delving into themes like family relationships, personal identity, ambition, and what makes living worthwhile. It's all beautifully woven into the story as the characters struggle through their inner battles. I was interested to see many subtle contrasts and imagery in the writing that highlight the themes even more.

I really enjoyed the friendship between Juniper and the neighbor boy, Giles. They are both such misfits and I loved their weird dynamic! I adore stories about underdogs and people who don't fit in, because we all feel that way at times. Both Juniper and Giles have fantastic character development, and their internal journey really fuels the plot. Both their outward actions and inward thoughts are linked in a way that pushes the story forward.

The illustrations are delightfully quirky and perfectly capture the characters and mood of the story. It added a whole extra level to the story to see the characters come to life in the artwork.

Can't wait to read more from this author!

On his many voyages, Doctor Dolittle stops by an African kingdom to help them establish their post office, and has the idea to start a post office for the animals as well. The birds have their own way of writing, which the Doctor helps them refine so they can write letters to each other. He is inundated with letters from animals all over the world asking for advice.

I enjoyed this funny story and all the hilarious antics of the animals! The characters are all so different and memorable, and the ridiculous situations the Doctor finds himself in always lead to some new discovery. The plot is interesting and kept my attention through the many different episodes. I really enjoyed the simple, old-fashioned writing style, and the compassion the Doctor extends to anyone in need.

This is such a fun story! and the writing style is quite unique, and very well suited to the story line and characters.