Reviews (19)

War Games
Another exciting installment in this series from the outrageously creative and slightly warped mind of Garth Nix, where Lord Arthur, Rightful Heir of the Architect etc. etc. finds himself drafted into the Glorious Army of the Architect under the command of the highly strung Sir Thursday.Starting at the bottom, Arthur changes his name to Ray, and undergoes basic training in weaponry and warfare before being led off to battle.
wonderful
I love his books (sabriel...) i've read all his books so far they are wonderful. LOVE IT!

A truly life changing experience
Sir Thursday is a great adventure book.It has many battles with Nithlings a type of creature made of "nothing". A type of liquidy material that can be enriched into almost anything you want it to and is hazardous to the touch. Arthur Penhaligon was a normal boy until about noon on Monday when he found the key to the lower reaches then was cast into the house a secondary realm. The will (an item that is very wise and was made by the architect) has chosen Arthur to be the rightful heir to the throne. TheArchitect is the God of the house and made everything. She had two sons Superior Sundayand the Piper.Sunday betrayed Piper with his minion Saturday when they threw him into nothing. He should have died but he didn't and no one knows why. But if you like action books with great plots you should buy this book because it has both.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Magic    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Soldiers    10. Space and time    11. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

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Reviews (7)

Still my favorite series.
My first thought after I finished this series was "why did I wait so long before getting my hands on these books?"
True Fantasy!!
How can one describe these books?? They are some of the greatest fantasy I have ever seen (and I read a lot!).The scenes of Death...in the Old Kingdom...especially the characters of Mogget and the Disreputable Dog in _Lirael_ and _Abhorsen_ are all fantastic and imaginative.Words cannot describe it.
Lovely and strong
This trilogy is satisfying and surprising in the strength of its female characters while never losing sight of a good story.Fantasy at its finest...you get parallel worlds, magic, mundanity, and misunderstanding, but not to comic effect, rather to catastrophic endings.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    4. Fantasy    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (32)

Drowned Wednesday is WONDERFUL!!!!
Drowned Wednesday, the 3rd book in The Keys to the Kingdom series, by Garth Nix, is a fantastically original read. (It is the 3rd book in the series, so you do have to start with the first book in the series, Mister Monday.) The characters are very well developed, and it is just as exciting as the previous books in the series. This book is a great blend of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Adventure that you will not forget! I can't wait to get my hands on the 4rth one in the series!
a great bedtime adventure
I have read each of the Keys to the Kingdom books to my [...] every night before bed. We just finished Wens. and are looking forward to starting Thurs. I think the books are a great read even for younger kids who enjoy adventure books, if the parents are willing to help out the reader with the tougher words. I would strongly reccomend these books to children of any age, but also caution that some situation might be a little too scary if your child isn't used to "older" books. We read the Harry Potter series first and it is no scarier then that series.

The Tale of the Whale
Wednesday being the third day of the week (if you don't start at Sunday of course), there are no prizes for guessing that this is book three of The Keys to the Kingdom series.If you haven't read Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday, please look no further - without the two preceding books you'll be up a creek without a paddle if you try this one on its own.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Fantasy    6. Fantasy fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (37)

the drive behind the story too similar to Mister Monday
After _Mister Monday_, I was hoping the author would take _Grim Tuesday_ a step further and really draw the readers into the story.I wanted to know more about the House and the Will, and see Arthur and Suzy really grow as characters.Unfortunately, none of those things happened.Arthur and Suzy seem exactly the same as before, the drive behind the story is exactly the same (Arthur needs to get the Keys in order to save his family), and that made the story very predictable and boring.Disappointing.
And you thought Mondays were bad
If you're going to read this book, I strongly recommend that you make sure that you've read "Mister Monday" first.That way you see, I don't have to explain all about the Architect and the Will, and the seven hidden fragments and the treacherous trustees and all that.Just call me lazy if you like.
another fun read by an author with great imagination (4.5 stars)
Rating System:
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Asthma    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Fiction    6. Greed    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Juvenile Science Fiction / Fantasy    9. Magic    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Space and time    12. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Despite her natural talent for singing, 6-year-old Janie knows deep inher heart that if you really want to sing and feel the blues, you gotta beblack. Aren't the tapes of the "ladies"--Aretha, Etta, and Billie--that shelistens to every night in the stinking basement of her first foster home proofenough of that? So the scrawny, blond-haired, blue-eyed child of a heroin addictchanges her name to Leshaya, decides that her unknown father was AfricanAmerican, and shuts down all feeling; only allowing the sorrow of her hard lifeto escape when she opens her mouth to sing. Raised by addicts and drug dealers,Leshaya trusts no one and loves nothing except her music: "Didn't need nobodyelse. I could make love to my own self with that sound ridin' the beat."Finally, after surviving several foster homes, a harrowing heroin withdrawal,and an unwanted pregnancy, 16-year-old Leshaya finds a band and ends up with asingle on the radio. But can even that be enough for a girl so hungry for lovethat she looks everywhere for it except the one place she's sure to findit--within herself? Read more

Reviews (45)

THE BEST BOOK IN MY ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book almost made me cry because janie is a great person but some of the things she does doesnt make any sense she has a baby, she gives baby away but she still loves the baby. But she did what she thought was right in her heart. When she wanted to sing she thoight about the people she was leaving behind. Even though she was very young she was determined to sing with Arethra Franklin. Just thinking about this book makes me feel like everyone makes a promise to themselves but they forget them.perserverence is the key in this book.

Worst Book Ever
I honestly thought that Han Nolan could have done better. I mean yes, there was a moral to it, but it wasn't that great. I read it and did a oral book report. The book has too much going on. First she's with her mom, then her mom gives her away, then she leaves?

Born Blue
This book starts out with a girl who lives in a foster home. Patsy and Pete are the people who run the house.Her and one of her friends love music. Janie loves The Ladies she and her friend Harmon could listen to them for hours. But her mom comes back into her life and Janie starts to see her again. Janie goers jthrough a lot good and bad. Drugs, singing, her mom, guys, wondering her her father is. Janie trys to do the right things but its hard for her, because she wants to have fun. Janie dosnt litsten so people get mad at her a lot. Janie has many people that try to help her but they all fail. Will Janie ever become a famous singer or will she fail? Will she regreat all the dicisions she has mad or will she be happy with them? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abandoned children    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    4. Fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Mothers and daughters    7. Singers    8. Social Issues - Drugs, Alcohol, & Substance Abuse    9. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    10. Social Issues - Physical & Emotional Abuse    11. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance    12. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (94)

Adventurous Fantasy Chock Full of Fun Clockwork Imagery
I'll admit it...the cover is what first drew me to this book. I liked the glowing clock hands and the fog with the creepy things standing in it. Then I flipped it over and read that the main character, Arthur Penhaligon, was supposed to die, yet he didn't. Instantly, I was intrigued.
Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday
Mister Monday is the first book of The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix. Mister Monday is from the genre fantasy. Book 1 is about a twelve year old boy named Arthur Penhaligon who has asthma. He comes to own a small key that’s shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Strange things start to happen after he gets the key. Weird dog faced creatures from the Secondary Realms called Fetchers who were sent to retrieve the key by Mister Monday. When an unusual plague starts in his world, Arthur knows he’s the only one that can get the cure from the house that he can only see. This story is a very fascinating and you never want to put the book down. Garth Nix makes every chapter eventful and ends the chapter so that you want to keep reading what happens next. I really enjoyed this book because I it was adventurous and everything could turn out either way so you didn’t know how the book ends.Mister Mondayis a great book and I would highly recommend it.

An excellent post-Potter selection
Garth Nix is usually the first author that I recommend when kids and teens ask me what to read once they've finished all the available Harry Potter books. Nix's prose is by no means a thing of wonder on its own, but his characters, his humor and his whimscal worldbuilding make up for this fact. Highly recommended, especially for the younger set, and any adults who enjoy a little Through The Looking Glass style whimsey. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Juvenile Mysteries    6. Juvenile Science Fiction / Fantasy    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

In the brutal world of Read more

Reviews (158)

Earth to the World!
This is my favorite book of all time. I read the first few chapter and didn't get into it when I was eleven years old, so my mom read it. She loved it, so I gave it another chance. I read it and loved it so much!
Garth Nix's "Shades Children" Review
Garth Nix's Shades children is an amazing story of tragic loss and revenge. It has a wonderfully thought out story line, with interesting characters and enough conflict and problems to keep you reading page after page.
Escape the dorms only to be captured again by only the opposite of what you thought!
Spen the first fifteen years of your life thinking nothing could go wrong. then on you fifteenth birthday, they take you away to what they call the lottery.When really they are only going to chopp you up and part you out to creat these evil creatchers.shade and his children spend there lives trying to change every thing, return the world back to the way it used to be, the way it should be.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Science Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Science fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Tal, a Chosen of the Orange Order, is having the worst luck lately. Justwhen he is getting ready for the Day of Ascension--a day when all the13-year-old Chosen from the Castle of Seven Towers enter the spirit world ofAenir--his father disappears with the family's only primary Sunstone, which Talneeds for the ascension. Without it, he cannot enter Aenir and bind himself to aShadowspirit--a kind of guardian being that serves as a friend and protector tothe person it is bound to. And without a Shadowspirit, Tal will lose both hisChosen status and any hope of finding a cure for his mother's mysterious wastingillness, a cure that can only come from Aenir. Tal tries to beg, borrow, andeven steal a Sunstone. But his attempts fail, and in his final act of thievery,Tal is thrown off the Castle of Seven Towers by a powerful Shadowspirit Keeperand into an adventure beyond his imagining. Read more

Reviews (79)

Tal and Milla
Do you like fantasy books??If you do, then you will love the fall and all the other "seventh tower" books.The fall is a very interesting book because it does not really make that much sense.then is starts to get better because you know what it is. Another winning story by a consistently great writer
Rating System:
The Seventh Tower - The Fall
Tal is a young teenager who livee in the mysterious world of the Seven Towers, a castle of
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fantasy fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful historical fiction/coming of age novel!!
A Summer of Kings is a great book. Part Historical Fiction, part a story about finding out who you are and what your place in the world is. It is very well written, thought provoking, has wonderfully developed characters, humor, and romance.
A Summer of Kings reigns true
The story of Esther Young's summer preceding the famous March on Washington is one not to be missed.It was amazing how Nolan was able to intertwine such an important piece of history with a fictional story of a young girl's road to self-discovery.Whether the fiction or the history encompassed by this story is of interest to any reader, he or she is bound to love the story for all its parts.

Don't miss this book!
The year is 1963. Fourteen-year-old Esther Young is used to being considered the dunce of her family. All she wants is something new, something exciting to come along and give her an opportunity to show her family how special she is. She sees her chance when King-Roy Johnson, a black man accused of killing a white man in Alabama, comes to stay with her family for the summer.
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Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Civil rights movements    5. Girls & Women    6. Historical - United States - 20th Century    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. People & Places - United States - African-American    9. Race relations    10. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    11. Social Issues - Prejudice & Racism    12. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance   

Reviews (3)

Color Me Amazed
This book by the sublime Naomi Shihab Nye is subtitled "Poems for Girls," but I don't think that this charming book should be restricted to one gender. I certainly chuckled, oohed, and aahed a number of times as I read through it. (Still, it WOULD make a great gift for the young girl in your life.)
The Poet in All of Us
Once I read Naomi Shihab Nye's introduction, I felt I was about to turn the pages of something very special.I was right.This unique collection of poems gives the reader a chance to look at familiar life in a new way.Full of nostalgia, intimate and humorous, tender and tearful, this is a book I would love to underline and memorize.I look forward to writing in my own notebook, trying to find the poet in me.

Richie's Picks: A Maze Me
"Ringing
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Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Children's 9-12 - Poetry / Plays    3. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    4. Children's poetry, American    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    6. Girls    7. Girls & Women    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile poetry    10. Maturation (Psychology)    11. Poetry    12. Poetry (Young Adult)    13. Poetry - General    14. Social Issues - Adolescence    15. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / General   

Reviews (3)

RUNAWAY!!
Alvin is oppressed. His mother is EXTERMELY overprotective, in desperation he runs away, he heads north, in the footsteps of his hero `Matthew Henson.` He has a great adventure, makes wonderful friends, gains invaluable knowledge and wisdom. He basically grows up.
A Great Read!
This book is based on a young black teen growing up in an urban town (enough said) with an over protective hard working mom, and elderly grandmother. (dad is deceased)When mom's protection goes over the top, he decides to follow his dream of going north.This book gives a very descriptive view of rural northern life and customs and a touch of early exploration.After touching the hearts of many up-north, his own heart is touched and he comes back home to his mom and grandma with a whole new mature outlook on life.This book is hard to put down after the first few chapters.

A thrilling adventure
Think about how cold it gets in the winter in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. It's so cold there in January that when you walk outside, the liquid in your eyes and nose freezes. Multiply that cold by two or three, add in a few polar bears, and you might start to get an idea of what Alvin is facing as he travels from Washington, D.C. towards Baffin Island in Canada. His goal is to follow the trail of his hero, African-American Arctic explorer Matthew Henson. Alvin doesn't have Henson's knowledge of the dangers of the Arctic, but he does have bravery, brains and a lot of luck.Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Bylot Island (Nunavut)    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Fiction    6. Inuit    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. People & Places - Polar Regions    9. People & Places - United States - African-American    10. Runaways    11. Social Issues - General    12. Voyages and travels    13. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (20)

So Far to Go, So Little Time to Get There
1.Tal is now back in the castle but is greeted by guard and Milla is dragged away to The Hall of Nightmares to be tormented, what is Tal to do his friend is in The Hall of Nightmares, and who knows what is happening to her, and he still need a Primary Sunstone and still needs to get Milla her sunstone.
The Seventh Tower Series'Castle (Book 2)
Tal Graile-Rerem has embarked on his quest to get home and to get many Sunstones for the clan of the Far-Raiders. And they sent help of the worst kind. In a word, Milla. The Icecarl girl hates Tal, so much to the point of wanting to kill him! But she is fiercely loyal to her clan, and she and Tal have a bond between them. When they are going to the Castle through the air pipes which lead to the Underfolk levels, they find a Sunstone on a skeleton. A powerful Sunstone, too. A little way up, though, they encounter bad air. They both black out. What will happen to Tal and Milla? Read thesecond book of this compelling series to find out! Great
This book was perfect, exept for a couple of mistakes, For example, in the first book it said that merwin horns stopped glowing when they were dead, but in this book Milla's merwin horn sword glows. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (16)

Nicholas will do anything to get across the wall
Nicholas will do anything to get across the wall even exploring the source of a strange power that will change his life. Across The Wall features a fine novella and additional short fantasies which take on aspects of the Merlin myth and bring it to the modern world.
Nick's tale and other stories
This is a collection of short stories written by Garth Nix at one time or other in his career, plus a novella continuing the Abhorsen Trilogy from Nick's side of the story.
would like more about abhorsen
disappointed that there was only a short story about abhorsen (better than nothing I quess). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fantasy    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Short Stories    7. Fiction / Fantasy / Short Stories   

Reviews (75)

Anti-Israeli pro-palestinian rhetoric
This book is extremely anti-Israeli and filled with pro-Palestininian rhetoric. Its portrayal of history is either inaccurate or missing. It presents no context for the actions of the Israeli soldiers, just talks about how mean they are.It justifies suicide bombing as the correct response for frustrated people.It gives no explanation as to the reasons for the conflict. It misquotes Golda Meir and provides no explanation for her statement that there was no Palestine, i.e., a country called Palestine before 1948. The story is somewhat interesting, but sorely lacking in context and history.

An amazing book
I absolutely loved this book. Nye's writing is beautiful and what the book addresses is incredibly important. Her characters are believable and very likable. I definitely recommend it.

fun time

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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Emigration and immigration    6. Family life    7. Fiction    8. Jerusalem    9. Jewish-Arab relations    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. People & Places - Other    12. Social Issues - Emigration & Immigration    13. Social Situations - Emigration & Immigration    14. Fiction dealing with family issues    15. Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / Other   

Reviews (21)

Good,, but rather short
THis will end up being a hodgepodge review of the entire series becuase each book blends into the other. The characters were strong and well portatryed, and the cultures were fairly believeable.
just a side note
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Tal and Milla do not form a romance at any point in this series. In fact, I think the story is stronger for it.
The end of it all!!!!!
I was kinda suprised, I loved the ending but there are some things I was anticipating that never happened. I was waiting for Tal and Milla to start a romance, if you really read you'll notice that they really like each other and through the series go from hating each other to loving each other in a quiet unspoken way, they just never come out and admit it. The one thing that irritated me about this book was the freeing of the Spiritshadows, I thought that was a great twist and Andras and Odris were becoming good friends to Tal and Milla and then it is over for them. But this is still a great book and altogether a great series, I own all the books! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Fantasy fiction    4. General    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Readers - Beginner    7. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic