Posts Tagged ‘Series’

An interesting beginning to a series of fantasy books, The Dark Hills Divide left me wishing it has been written for an older audience. The book follows young Alexa, daughter of the mayor, as she investigates her city and the walls around it. She discovers what lives outside the walls, and brings the truth to her people.

Watch Out For: The book begins with the sudden death of a character, and Alexa has to come to terms with being alone with the man when he died. Alexa is a very independent 12 year old, exploring by herself for days at a time. She learns a lot about judging other people as she learns to trust a foe and is betrayed by a friend.

The popular Magic Tree House series begins with protagonists Jack and Annie find a tree house in the woods that allows them to travel through time. Their first visit is to the age of the dinosaurs, where they meet mommy anatosauruses, run from a tyrannosaurus rex and ride on a pteranodon.

Watch Out For: Big brother Jack is careful and cautious while little sister Annie is more adventurous. Jack gradually realizes that without his sister, he never would have gone into the treehouse. Annie just begins to learn to be careful and listen to her brother.

Don’t call these wild cats feral – they’re loyal to their clans and bound by the ‘warrior code’. A house cat leaves the comfort of the ‘kittypet’ life to join the warriors in the forest and helps restore peace among the clans.

Watch Out For: These cats may talk, but they are just like other cats in every way. They fight savagely, hunt for mice and rabbits, and get fleas. The fights and hunts are described graphically and several cats are killed through the course of the book. The clan wars involve several mature themes, including patricide and betrayal. The cats have a spirituality based on the ‘Star Clan’ where all cats go after they die.

A intriguing start to a fantasy series, 100 Cupboards tells the bizarre story of Henry York’s discoveries in his Uncle’s home. A wall of cupboards opens worlds of magic and reveals hidden family history. Children who enjoy the Narnia books or Harry Potter will probably enjoy this series.

Watch Out For: Henry is sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle because his mother and father are kidnapped in South America. This hardly bothers Henry, because he enjoys the new freedoms that come with his new family, although he struggles with guilt for this. Henry is introspective and notes at the end of the book that he has been blamed for a series of events entirely beyond his control.

This hilarious take on the classic ‘Dickensian’ childhood tragedy will introduce your child to many literary tropes and stereotypes. Our protagonist, Eddie Dickens, suffers ailing parents, crazy relatives, a traveling theater, and a brief stint in an orphanage. But the stuffed stoat, giant cow and silly conversational writing make this a very entertaining read.

Watch Out For: There is a good amount of misfortune in this book, although it all works out in the end. The danger and tragedy is never taken seriously, but the sick parents and abusive orphanage may bother some children. Some minor violence befalls the orphanage owners.

From the popular “How Do Dinosaurs…” series, a bedtime book for your little dino. With large, beautiful drawings and simple rhymes, this books will amuse all little kids. Each page features a different dinosaur and older children can have fun trying to find (and pronounce) the name of each.

Watch Out For: Like all books in the series, the bulk of this book is dinosaurs behaving badly. The book ends with a “big hug, and then one kiss more”, but you may not want to give your little one the idea to “up and demand a piggy back ride.”

This recent hardback collection of eight Curious George stories take George on a train, to the city, camping and more. A wide selection of stories will make this a popular book for kids and parents.

Watch Out For: As always, George gets into a good deal of trouble including emptying a dump truck and acting like a ghost. But everything always works out in the end, and children might learn a lesson in trying to fix their mistakes.

The first in a series comprising over 26 books.