Sir Rowan and The Camerian Conquest

Author:  Chuck Black

My recommended age: 11+

Their recommended age: NA

Publisher:  Multnomah publishing group

Number of pages: 192

Publisher’s description:

A knight left for dead. A country on the verge of ruin. And an evil lord rising to conquer.

Sir Rowan is the most decorated tournament knight in Cameria, but when he is attacked and left for dead, his world collapses. Betrayed and lingering at death’s door, only a bizarre vision of his Prince and the help of a woman dedicated to the King keeps him alive. As Rowan heals, he finds new purpose in life through service to his King.

But his beloved land of Cameria has fallen victim to the tyranny of the Dark Knight.

Rowan’s countrymen need his help taking their cities back from the enemy, but all is not as it appears. The mysterious Sir Lijah insists Rowan’s purpose lies elsewhere—far away from Cameria, in an ancient city and for an ancient cause.

Rowan’s destiny is greater than he ever imagined. The final battle with the Dark Knight approaches, and he must choose where he will fight. Will he discover his true identity and purpose as a Knight of the Prince, or will the Dark Knight claim victory for eternity?

My thoughts:

 This book has changed my life.  I'm honest.  When I picked this book to review, I had some big doubts, I mean, look at the cover!  But as I flipped through, becoming apart of Rowan's world and life, I found myself sucked in.  More then just an allegory, this book is a mover!  

Before picking this up, I had been afraid of what it meant to be a christain, afraid of the end times, afraid of persecution and trouble.  I was a christian mainly because I didn't want to end up in hell.  Wrong motives, I know, but I'm being dead honest with you right now.

As I kept reading though, I felt a fire spring up.  I wanted (and still do!) to be apart of the group that Christ calls His "Good and Faithful servants".  I didn't want to be a goat in Sheep's clothing.  I wanted to be it all.  I want to pick up a sowrd, and fight against Satan's dark ones, even if it meant death.

I was also frightened by death, especially if it was death by torture.  But as I read this book, I grew to understand, Death isn't the last ending.  There can be something wonderful, beyond our wildest knowledge past it!  And what is persecution?  It is but a slight blinking of an eye that we have to endure compared to a eternity of life!! 

Now, when we had our devotion time, I was excited! I sucked it all in tonight.  I need to be fit in order to fight for MY prince!!

Cons:

There is some killing and death, but it isn't gory.

Pros:

Everything.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Rowan marries a girl who is also for the prince.  They their courtship pure, and wholesome though, something I have not seen in other youth books that tout being a 'christian' novel.

Violence:

See above remark about killing and death.

Drugs and drink:

 None.

Ratings:

There is no doubt in my mind.  If I could give this book a 100, I would.  But I must stick in the 5 point zone.  So Mr. Black's wonderful book gets a:

*DISCLAIMER* I recieved this book for free to review from Waterbrook Multnolmah Books. All opinions are my own. 

:-)

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Trapped

Author:  Micheal Northrop

My recommended age: 13+

Their recommended age: 12+

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Number of pages: 240

Publisher’s description:

"The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive?
Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision..."

My thoughts:

 {Note to self: Read ALL of publisher's description BEFORE getting book}.  There.  I didn't see the reference to Kristia and Julia when first reading about it, and I thought, "Wow! This sounds pretty clean".  Coming from that point of mind, I was slightly upset.  My fault though.   Why do all Teen novels HAVE to have that sort of junk in'em?  Can't even ONE SINGLE STINKING novel NOT have teen romance? UGH!!  {Another note to self: Since I am a writer, I will NOT write c**p like that}.  Outside of the annoying romance in there, which, I'll admit, WAS mild, it was an cool (Get it? Cool? get it?...Oh, never mind..) read.  I just wish the TR wasn't in there.

Cons:

 Teen romance.

Pros:

I felt like I was THERE with Scotty the whole time. I actually felt like I was in danger of freezing to death, and we had a shortage of food.  Mr. Northrop is a astounding story teller.

Language:

Some.  That is lame, but I can't remember what the words were, I just remember that there was some. I don't like storing cuss words in my head, KWIM?

Romance and sexual content:

:-/  I think I've expounded on this enough.

Violence:

 A fight breaks out between 2 of the boys.  Both live.

Drugs and drink: 

None to my memory.

Ratings:

Ok, if it wasn't for the Teen romance, I would give this a 5 star. But there was quite a bit in there.  So, sadly, I must knock it down to a:

Where you can buy it at:

I'm going to stop doing this price thing-y. 

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*

Standing in the light

Author:  Mary Pope Osborne

My recommended age: 10+

Their recommended age:  8+

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Number of pages: 186

Publisher’s description:

"Caty Logan has always lived a quiet life with her Quaker family. But one day Caty's world is changed forever. The Lenape Indians, who have been viciously attacked by white settlers, retaliate by kidnapping Caty and her brother. Terrified and angry Caty rejects the Lenape family that tries to raise her as their own. A handsome warrior named Snow Hunter teachers Caty to respect Lenape traditions... and captures her heart. Now caught between two worlds, Caty wonders if she will ever be able to return to her old life."

My thoughts:

 I love Indian captive diaries ever since reading the book Alone yet not Alone.  I really lied this one as well.  I could feel the anger and worry Caty had against them, yet could also sympathize with the Lenapes that took her in as their own.  Ms. Osborne did really well in making you feel both sides feelings while only showing Caty's in depth.   If I had the choice to change something, I really don't think I'd change a thing.  It was clean, easy to read, and very interesting.

Cons:

None.

Pros:

Everything.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Caty does kinda fall in love with a brave, but something happens and it turns to nothing.  If anything, it makes Caty more sympathetic with the Indians.

Violence:

 Caty and her brother pass a settlement where there are charred bodies on the river's edge.

It is talked about how some Indians scalped a family.

Drugs and drink:

 None.

Ratings:

I REALLY liked this book.  It was a bit below my age level of reading, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it.  (For a matter of fact, some of my favorite books are Dr. Seuss'!).  I give this book a:

Where you can buy it at:

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*

When Sparrows fall.

Author:  Meg Moseley

My recommended age: 12+

Their recommended age:  NA

Publisher:  Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group

Number of pages:  352

Publisher’s description:

"A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling method of ruling his flock. But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets from her past, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children.

College professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.

As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason’s pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?"

My thoughts:

 I'm not uasally a romance reader.  I just don't like it.  I despise Amish Romance with a horror, and most others I shun.  I had hoped this one wouldn't be too mushy, since I liked that Miranda home schooled her children and it was based it the south.  I wasn't all the was disappointed, but it didn't fully meet with my hopes either.  Miranda and Jack kiss before being married, and THAT is the big deal for me.  I really don't like that.   Everything else, I liked it. But if there just wasn't those kissing moments, I'd been happy.

Cons:

 Jack and Miranda kiss before marriage.

Jack is divorced and falls in love with Miranda.

Pros:

 It looks positively at homeschooling.

All the characters are well formed.

The descriptions aren't overbearing, but you still just know how it all looks.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Miranda and Jack fall in love and kiss quite a few times.

Violence:

 None.

Drugs and drink:

Jack drinks Glenlivet.

Jack's mom died of Pill overdose.

Jack drugs Miranda's food with pain pills when she is hurting, and doesn't tell her.  He later apologizes.

Random Snippet:

"There were no sounds but the soft splashing of water on rocks and a few birds singing. Far from the commotion of her household, she could almost believe that God would speak to her, but either He wasn’t answering or He’d struck her heart deaf to punish her sins.

Mason heard God though, or claimed to. If he heard correctly, heaven had asked a hard thing of her. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Miranda removed the lens cap from her camera. The fog was lifting. If she worked fast, she could capture the mountains veiled with fog but kissed by the sunrise.

There it was. The perfect moment. She tripped the shutter.

A new wave of dizziness blindsided her. She hung her head to send blood to it, the camera still held to her face, and smiled at the silliness of staying in picture-taking mode when she had only a clump of dry weeds in the viewfinder.

She fought to step away from the cliff’s edge, but her feet melted beneath her. Someone dropped a curtain from the sky, shutting out the light."

Ratings:

You can see what the problems I had with it.  The romance was the only thing that stopped me from giving it a 5 star, regretfully.  If Ms.  Moseley could have done it without all the kissing, I'd be a happy reader.  But she didn't, so , I have to give it a:

Where you can buy it at:

You can buy it from Amazon for $9.99 or Multnomah's site for the same price.

Like a Willow Tree

Author: Lois Lowry

My recommended age: 9+

Their recommended age: 8+

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Number of pages:  224

Publisher’s description:

"Two-time Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry brings a brand-new, beautiful diary to the Dear America series!Suddenly orphaned by the Spanish flu epidemic in the fall of 1918, eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce and her fourteen-year-old brother, Daniel, of Portland, Maine, are taken by their uncle to be raised in the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake. Thrust into the Shakers' unfamiliar way of life, Lydia must grapple with a new world that is nothing like the one she used to know.
Now separated from her beloved brother, for men and women do not mix in this community, Lydia must adjust to many changes. But in time, and with her courageous spirit, she learns to find the joy in life again.
Since she is separated from her beloved brother - for males and females do not live together in this communal village - Lydia is forced to adjust to the restrictions placed upon her once carefree, creative spirit all on her own."

My thoughts:

Again, I just love Dear Americas.  I had heard of the Shakers before, but it was in a history book, and was like 2 sentences long.  I knew they didn't marry, and the only way they repopulated was by newcomers.  But this book helped me see into their life ever so much better.  I now know so much more.  I also had never heard of the Spanish influenza.  And have been telling my family all sorts of odd facts about it, Thanks to this book.  

There were a few times I thought Lydia wasn't acting real.  She seemed at times not to really care what happened to her missing brother at all, I mean, if MY brother was missing, I would be out passing flyers and hunting him down.  Not waiting for another middle person to do so.  But she was pretty real in other ways.

Cons:

Somewhat unrealistic main Character.

Pros:

Tons of information packed in without knowing it.

Fun read.

Easy read.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

None.

Violence:

None.

Drugs and drink:

None.

 Ratings:

It was a so-so read. I liked the info, I liked the new story setting, and I liked the characters.  But some weren't great.  Some characters weren't all to realistic to me.  But, otherwise, I liked it, SO!  I am giving it a:

 

Where you can buy it at:

 Amazon has it for 9.09 and Scholastic for the same price.  Prices do not include shipping.

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*

The Fences Between Us

Author:  Kirby Larson

My recommended age: 11+

Their recommended age: 8-14

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Number of pages: 320

Publisher’s description:

"With this sweeping tale of life on the World War II home front, Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson brings her incredible talent to the Dear America series. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, America is finally unable to ignore the wars raging in Europe and Asia any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, where her brother, a navy sailor, is stationed, Piper Davis begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras.
Piper's father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Idaho, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family from Seattle to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister, who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her brother, who survived the Pearl Harbor strike, is stationed in the Pacific, while her brother-in-law is shipped off to Europe to fight. Piper, meanwhile, hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl who is interned in the camp, Piper learns how it important it is to bear witness to the events that were bound to change America."

My thoughts:

 I've always liked the dear America series.  Yeah..I'm 15, and they are for 14-....but that doesn't mean anything to me.  I like the diary form, and how you're in the MC's thoughts. I think Ms. Larson did really well in construction a real-to-life diary.  I've read some where there is non stop action, the 'writer' can remember EVERY SINGLE detail from past conversations 2 days old.  I can't help but find that rather unrealistic.  But Piper has those dull days we all have.  Days all she raves about is this-and-that, days where she just rambles, and some where she fumes.  Like us all.  It isn't all fun and fire.  This is one of my most favorite Dear Americas for that very reason.

Cons:

 Piper has a crush on a certain boy character, but later on in the story, she sees how futile crushes are, and the heartbreak they create, and stops.

Pros:

 Realistic diary format.

Much Character development.

You can't help but love Piper.

Overall clean.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Piper has a crush for the first 2/3 of the book.

Violence:

 Some Japanese get mobbed, and it is during war time.

Drugs and drink:

 None.

Ratings:

I really loved this book. Piper was easy to relate to, it was easy to read, and fun.  

Where you can buy it at:

Amazon has it for 9.09 and Scholastic for 12.99

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*

A Reluctant Queen

I'm not able to do a full review for this book.  I give my apology. There was way to much sexual interaction, that it made ME feel gross.  This is all I can do.  Maybe this book was meant for an older crowd, or more disgusting crowd, then me.  I didn't get even 1/3 of the way through the book when I snapped it shut, and decided not to go further.  It gets no stars.

 It might be a very wonderful book for married couples...but not for me.  Or anyone unmarried, for that matter.