Ayan's Book Review
People of the Sun

-by Ben Gartner

People of the Sun is the third book in the Eye of Ra series, and it's the best yet.

In People of the Sun, John and Sarah are confronted by an earthquake. During the earthquake, two mysterious figures whisked them away through time. 

With the knowledge of the origins of the Ra device comes responsibility—their hardest mission yet: stopping Toci, who is making changes to the Aztec civilization. But, what makes this mission next to impossible is the fact that time is more elusive than it seems.

The themes in this book include perseverance and courage. (You should see John’s courage as he conducts the prison escape. It was pretty cool.)

Once again, Ben Gartner makes the beginning of this book kick off with a plot twist. I find that this is the thing to kick off another exhilarating time-travel adventure.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 8+ and as a reader for 9+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s sure to whisk you away.

    

Ayan's Book Review
Kingdom of Secrets

-by Christyne Morrell

Oren seems to be a normal kingdom. Built on a valley, it had a large wall around it, like a city wall. But on the inside, it had more secrets than you could imagine.

Prismena Reece, the balloonist’s daughter, is tinkering with some odds and ends when Abigail Smeade steals her mother’s scarf. The scarf is the only remnant of Prismena’s mother that she has, so she strikes a deal with Abigail: in return for the scarf, she would send a box to Tulera (another kingdom). Sounds simple, but this trade would not leave them unchanged.

The themes in this book include friendship, trust, and family relations. This book uses these themes to amplify the pacing of the story.

The pacing in this book develops quickly from the inciting incident right in the first chapter all the way to the climax and even in the resolution.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 8+ and as a reader for 10+.

I give this book 4.8/5 stars as the end had a few unexplained questions. Well, that didn't stop me from enjoying this book, and I really hope there will be a sequel. I absolutely love it and would love to read more books by the author.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

      

Amy's Book Review: 

Under Pressure with a Squash

-by Laurel Decher

Under Pressure with a Squash is the third book I've read in A Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale. This book is as interesting as Book 1 and 2 in this series.

Magellan and Saffy are prince and princess of the Saffron Kingdom.

Saffy’s fairy godmother’s gift is straight-shooting, so she can shoot the target of an archery contest in one hit! Magellan’s talent is drawing maps, but his fairy godfather’s gift is tunnel vision, which means that he can see inside any tunnel.

When Magellan runs from a multiplication test, his mother confiscates his notebook in which he makes maps. A map notebook that he needs the most. Who wants to do multiplication when they have to worry about a dragon? 😊 A Saffron dragon, that is. Magellan and Saffy are both worrying about their ailing Saffron dragon.

Magellan and Saffy have to work together and perform the perfect moves to keep their dragon safe. Can they save the dragon? Read this fantastic book to find out!

My favorite character in Under Pressure with a Squash is Saffy, whose straight-shooting is incredible. Magellan is terrific, too. I love the way he draws maps.

I recommend this book for children 9+ because the fast-moving plot might be hard to follow for younger readers.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it is a great read.

-Amy

P.S. I would love to read more by Laurel Decher.

 

 

 

Ayan's Book Review
Puzzle Island

-by Richard James Edwards

Puzzle Island is the sequel to 'Puzzle Train.' And I'm glad to say that the second book is as good as the first if not better.

When Tom barely survives a helicopter crash on the transfer from the Puzzle Train to Puzzle Island, the pilot reports it as a failure of computer systems. But as Tom and his team from the Puzzle Train take on the new Puzzle Island, there seems to be a mysterious man trying to thwart their quest. 

Can Tom, Isabelle, Harvey, Darren, and Holly take on the mysterious Puzzle Island in time with the ultimate challenge of defeating an intruder set upon ruining Puzzle Island? Read this book to find out!

I loved the puzzles in this book; they were so interesting that I always wanted to solve them before Tom did. And Tom is a brilliant kid!

Actually, all the characters in this book have unique personalities that make this book even more interesting.

I recommend this book to ages 8+ as, even though it’s a middle-grade book, I think it’ll be easy for young readers to understand and appreciate.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a fascinating middle-grade read.

-Ayan

P.S. I would love to read the third book in the series. 

    

Ayan's Book Review
Axel Rhodes and the Golden Scarab

-by S.W. Lothian

Axel Rhodes and the Golden Scarab is an edge-of-your-seat thriller in which Axel is exploring the Egyptian exhibit when a statue of Horus comes to life! 

Horus tells Axel that Axel is to go to ancient Egypt to retrieve the golden Scarab, which holds the powers of the evil god Seth, and put it in a safer place where Seth can’t steal it. Axel takes the quest, bringing along only his best friend Linc. Horus sends in a girl named Rani to accompany them on this quest. 

Can they survive the challenges they face, find the Golden Scarab, and restore it to its final resting place…all before they are captured by Seth? Read this gripping adventure to find out!

The pacing in this book is impressive. And in the battles and chase scenes, I wouldn’t put it down for anything in the world.

My favorite part was when they entered the Temple of Bast. It had lots of traps and puzzles that affected their mission.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 6+ and as a reader for 8+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s the best thriller I’ve ever read.

   

Ayan's Book Review
Sol Invictus

-by Ben Gartner

When I first read 'The Eye of Ra,' I thought this story of Sarah and John couldn’t get any better, but with 'Sol Invictus,' the author, Ben Gartner has outdone himself. The plot is really intriguing and is sure to capture any reader in minutes.

In 'Sol Invictus,' Sarah and John are exploring a history museum when a notorious criminal from ancient Egypt confronts them with the fact that they have to go to ancient Rome to unite two warring kings. They don’t believe him but are forced to take on the mission. Can they survive the dangers they face, complete the assignment, and find the portal back home—all before it’s too late? Read this exciting adventure to find out!

All the characters are very well developed. Crocus is an avid warrior, John is a witty boy, Sarah is an instinctive girl, Constantius is a kind emperor—the relationships between these characters create a lifelike experience.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 6+ and a reader for 9+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s definitely a must-read.

Happy reading!

- Ayan

P.S. Even though this can be read as a stand-alone, I highly suggest reading the first book in this series, 'The Eye of Ra,' before this one, to fully appreciate the story.

 

Ayan's Book Review
The Search for the Stone of Excalibur

-by Fiona Ingram

‘The Search for the Stone of Excalibur’ is the thrilling sequel to ‘The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.’ In this book, we again have Adam and Justin, and we join them in their search for the second stone of power.

The two boys had barely returned from their adventurous visit to Egypt when Adam received an urgent letter from his archeologist friend, James, who revealed that the second stone of power had been discovered. The stone was supposedly embedded in the legendary sword of King Arthur. James had also included the air tickets to Scotland. Whether ready for another adventure or not, the two cousins had to travel to Scotland in search of the second stone of power. To make matters worse, their nemesis, Dr. Khalid, also followed them to Scotland in pursuit of the same stone. I loved that we have a girl, Kim Maleka, join them in this quest, and she turned out to be very helpful.

Do Adam and Justin find the stone before it falls into the wrong hands? Read this second installment of this adventure series.

I loved the parts of the book where Adam gets dreams. Especially the one with King Arthur in it. The descriptions of the dreams are very intriguing and suspenseful. I love the use of sensory details that make the entire book even more thrilling and gripping. 

In this book, children will learn a lot about the legendary King Arthur and mythology in a fun and engaging way. 

I recommend this book for children 11 years and older, and I’m sure even adults will enjoy this book.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a sure page-turner, and the mystery will keep readers hooked until the last page. I can’t wait to read the third book in this series.

Happy reading!

-Ayan 😊

P.S. I highly recommend reading this series in order to enjoy this book better.

 

Ayan's Book Review
Tales of a Sixth-Grade Werecat

-by A.M. Deese

'Tales of a Sixth-Grade Werecat' is the story of Felix and his battle against his archenemy Ethan. When Ethan dares Felix to enter the house of the town witch, Felix takes the dare, hoping to defeat Ethan once and for all. But an unexpected move from Ethan tosses Felix into a series of challenging escapades. But will he be able to take them all? Join Felix as he finds his talisman, gains control of his powers, and takes his last chance to take down Ethan.

The themes in this book are friendship, perseverance, and sympathy.

The illustrations in this book are pretty detailed—great for younger readers to understand the context.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 4+ and as a reader for 5+.
I give this book 4.7/5 stars as there is some name-calling. (Even though I don’t like name-calling, it’s needed in the story.) I enjoyed reading this book and would love to read more by the author, A. M. Deese.

Keep reading!!

-Ayan 

Ayan's Book Review
Super Problems

-by Jason R. Lady

Have you ever imagined what would happen if you got a magic pen? A pen with which if you drew something, it would become real?

Super Problems is a highly engaging superhero book.

Scott, Barry, Joel, and Prudence very unprecedently turn from four very typical sixth-graders into four very normal superheroes complete with unique superpowers…all because Scott had drawn them as comic book superheroes, not knowing that he was using a magic pen. But it turns out that a super-villain also comes real as Scott had drawn the Stinky Sock as well!

Join Zapster, Hi-Tech, Snack-Man, and Blue Hood as they defend their demanding but magical alpaca Bruce and crusade against the Stinky Sock.

This book’s themes are friendship and never giving up. These are, coincidentally, my favorite themes in any book.

There aren’t any illustrations in this book. Pretty cool; the narrator of the story herself likes writing stories without drawings!

I haven't read many superhero books, so I can't compare this to any other books. 

I recommend this as a read-aloud or personal reader to superhero-loving kids aged 7+ as the plot might be a little complex for younger children.

I give this book 4.7/5 stars, and I would love to read more by the author, Jason R. Lady. 😊

Ayan's Book Review: 

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab 

-by Fiona Ingram

Hi, 

Do you like ancient Egyptian history? I most certainly do. Do you like adventure books? I adore them, too. As much as I love learning about ancient Egypt, I enjoy reading mystery and adventure books.

‘The Secret of the Sacred Scarab’ is a mix of both and much more; it also has mythology, history, legends, and hieroglyphs clues (my favorite).

This book is a story of two cousins, Adam and Justin, and their trip to Egypt, where they go on an educational trip with their journalist aunt. Aunt Isabel had invited them to stay with her and Gran for a week. They were supposed to take notes of their learning and share them with their classmates. But Adam wanted to have an adventure on their trip. And they most certainly did. Right from their first day in Egypt, they experienced strange things that led the two into mystery and peril.

The main characters felt very real to me. I could immediately connect with Adam and Justin. Adam’s fear of traveling by airplane for the first time made him very relatable. I enjoyed the adventure along with Adam and Justin: walking in the market, sweltering heat of Egypt, crowded streets, bus rides, visiting Sphinx and the pyramids; everything felt real and full of life.

I loved that the story was fast and engaging right from the very beginning. I learned a lot more about Egyptian mythology and history than I had expected from a fiction book.

None of the book’s parts were confusing. I also liked the end of the book glossary, which contains more information on the Egyptian terminologies used in this book.

I recommend this book for children eight years and older as there is not much violence in the book but more suspense, adventure, and mystery that will keep the readers hooked until the last page.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it qualifies for a fun read. I can’t wait to read Book 2 in The Chronicles of the Stone series.