Books – Page 27 – Leah E. Good

August 17, 2012

Book Review: Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione

Haunted by a painful past, Sir Kendrick is a dedicated and serious knight. When he is told that the youthful and enthusiastic Sir Duncan is to accompany him on a mission, Kendrick is slightly irritated. Such small frustrations soon fade. A new and dangerous sect of knights is rising. Can Kendrick and Duncan figure out what is happening in Bel Lione? Will the mission cost them their lives?

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is the first book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. I highly recommend this book, and the rest of Chuck Black’s books. They are fun to read, meaningful, and fast paced.

Stay tuned for more reviews on The Knights of Arrethtrae and Kingdom series, as well as for a giveaway of Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court in November.

Author: Chuck Black
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Christian Allegory
Pages: 208
Publisher: Multnomah Books

August 10, 2012

Book Review: The Door Within

“What can I do?” Aidan pleaded. “I can’t fight. I even had a middle schooler beat me up once.”

Aidan is upset about his family moves. Lonely and restless, he ventures into his Grandfather’s basement in search of adventure. He doesn’t expect scrolls to magically appear, but they do. When Aidan chooses to believe what the scrolls say, he becomes part of an adventure bigger than he ever imagined. He enters the land of Alleble, and joins the Glimpses of the realm in a fight against the evil Lord Paragor. Can a teenager from the Mirror Realm save many from death?

Great book! I highly recommend The Door Within and the other two books in the trilogy. I read all three of them in a week! The Door Within gets off to a little bit of a slow start, but stick with it. It gains momentum through the whole book (you won’t be able to put it down), and the beginning is important in the grand scheme of things. Allegorical components add rather than distract from the story, and there’s no magic to worry about.

Author: Wayne Thomas Batson
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Pages: 311
Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Book Review: Moonshiner’s Son

Tom stood looking after them, wondering what would happen if Amy’s folks found out what she was up to when she went out riding.

Tom lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his quick-tempered father. Moonshining is their way of life. That way of life starts to turn upside-down when a new preacher comes to town, bringing with him a hate of moonshining and a pretty but fiery daughter. Will they change the way Tom sees his life?

Don’t let the title of this book turned you off. My parents gave it to me for Christmas several years ago and I enjoyed it. It is a clean and unique story.

Author: Carolyn Reeder
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 208
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks

Book Review: Runaway (Starlight Animal Rescue)

Wherever we’re going, I won’t be staying. That much I can promise.

Dakota doesn’t have any intention of loving or staying with her new foster family. She has runaway from all her previous foster homes and this one shouldn’t be any different. Then she meets Blackfire. Can the Coolidge family and the animals they rescue win Dakota’s heart?

I first read this book several years ago and loved it right away. My heart went out to Dakota. You can’t help but root for her. Definitely recommend this book. Good, wholesome (and fun!) reading.

Author: Dandi Daley Mackall
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Pages: 224
Publisher: Tyndale

Come back on Wednesday for an interview with author Dandi Daley Mackall.

Book Review: Finest Kind

“We have to believe it’ll be all right, Jake,” said Mother, reaching out to touch his hand. “Cousin Ben has found us a place to live, and Father has a job. It will be different from Boston, but we’ll be fine.”

After his father looses his job, Jake and his family head north to Wiscasset, Maine. Their new life is hard. Mother is afraid their new neighbors will find out about Jake’s brother, Frankie. Father is rarely home. Their new house is small and dark. Jake has difficulty making friends. Worse of all, he feels responsible for the family and he knows they don’t have enough food for the coming winter. Will Wiscasset ever feel like home? Will Jake’s family ever be together again?

I picked this book a few weeks ago. I intended to read one chapter before going to sleep, but several hours later (at midnight) I finished the last page. Finest Kind brings history to life.

Author: Lea Wait
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 246
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Join me on Wednesday for an interview with author Lea Wait.

Book Review: A Dog’s Way Home

“Tam!” I said, cutting her off. Panic turned my insides to ice. “Where’s Tam?”

Abbie and her Shetland Sheepdog, Tam, are best friends. They are on their way home from an agility event when Tam is thrown from the back of their truck. By the time Abby returns to look for him, Tam is gone. As months go by, Abby’s family moves and Tam continues his search for “his girl”. Will they every be reunited?

This is a wonderful story told in the tradition of Lassie, Come Home. A librarian friend of mine saved it for me, thinking I might enjoy it. She was right! If you like dogs this book is definitely for you.

Author: Bobbie Pyron
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Contemporary Animal Fiction
Pages: 321
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Join me on Wednesday for an interview with author Bobbie Pyron.

Book Review: Spy!

The young man looked down from the cart at the people in front of him. Jonah felt his teacher’s eyes meet his own, and for a fraction of a second a smile played on the prisoner’s lips. Then he glanced toward heaven and spoke. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Twelve year old Jonah has an obligation to remain loyal to the King of England, but it’s hard to be a loyalist in 1774. The fact that his beloved school teacher is leaning toward the rebels doesn’t make matters easier for Jonah. For a time he determines to remain neutral, but eventually he will have to make up his mind. What impact will his decision make?

I highly recommend this book. I was crying my eyes out by page six and read the book as much with my heart as my eyes. If you read Spy!, you’ll finish it feeling like you were personally acquainted with Nathan Hale. As John Adams once said,

Posterity! you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.

Author: Anna Myers
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 211
Publisher: Walker Publishing Company

Join me on Wednesday for an interview with author Anna Myers.

Book Review: Breaker Boys

More laughter. No surprise. Among all the boys, Nate didn’t have a single friend.

Expelled from school, Nate Tanner has no friends to leave behind and doesn’t expect to find any friends when he arrives home in disgrace. Even his father seems to be against him. Then Nate meets Johnny. Johnny and his family work in the coal mine Nate’s family owns. An unlikely friendship springs up between the two boys, but Nate doesn’t dare reveal his true identity. When Johnny finally finds out, Nate fears their friendship is over for good. Can he do anything to make things right?

I read this book quite a while ago. It caught my imagination and still hasn’t let go. Reading Breaker Boys will introduce you to the fascinating but heart-rending world of coal mining 1890s. A lot of facts and historical events are mixed into this gripping story. The one downside is Nate’s penchant for lying, but he learns the consequences of his actions and owns up by the end of the book. definitely recommend Breaker Boys.

Author: Pat Hughes
Audience: 10 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 256
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Join me Wednesday for an interview with Pat Hughes!