The Mystery at Jamestown

Like the other books in this series, it was an educational read, with lot's of information about the area and its history. However, all the books seem to follow the same pattern and is kind of predictable. This one, to its credit, did step it up a bit and was exciting. However, I don't understand why the culprit leaves clues. Every villain seems like he is trying to get caught.

The main characters, Grant and Christina, are visiting Jamestown and meet an archaeologist, who is suspected of stealing some bones from the site that he is working at. Grant and Christina, along with the archaeologist's son, and a girl they meet in Jamestown, have to clear his name. And convince their grandparents to let them keep their new puppy.

If this is the first book of the series that the reader has read, I think they'll enjoy it. If not, they could probably guess the ending.

The Mystery at Mount Vernon

This book is part of the Real Kids, Real Places series by Carol Marsh. It gives kids the chance to learn more about George Washington, especially his life when he was not president. The kids in the story follow clues that seem to lead them to what seems to be previously unfound fake teeth from George Washington. The fact that it was about weird trivia will appeal to kids.

The ending was not predictable, but to be honest, I assumed it would play out to be some kind of joke. I think the book needed more of a sense of urgency. The ending also kind of felt too much like a Scooby Doo ending.

However, the information they provided was good, and more than just what you usually hear. I could see how kids would especially enjoy it if their family was planning a trip to Mount Vernon or had just gotten back.

The Giggling Ghost: Girl Scout Mystery

The Giggling Girl Scout takes place in Savannah, Georgia. Young Girl Scouts have gathered to celebrate 100 years of scouting. This is a book that I was really excited about.

The main characters in the book are following clues that lead them to all the places that girl scouts over the years have frequented, and are important to the history of Girl Scouting. After they find each clue they hear giggling. They're older cousin, a veteran in solving mysteries, doesn't take them seriously.

The thing about this book is that it will appeal to a wide range. It's not scary, so younger readers will enjoy it, but the mystery is hard to figure out and not predictable. It's also a great way to learn more about Girl Scouting, and Savannah, Georgia, while still being fun.

Mary America: First Girl President of the United States

First some background. I recently opened a teaching supply store and we stock a number of books, mostly from a company called Gallopade, located in Georgia. Since business is understandably taking some time to build up, I've been reading the books so I know what to recommend. So that's why the next couple of reviews will be on kids' books.

Mary America was the granddaughter of the president. She was raised by him after her parents died in a car accident. She became president when the constitution was amended so that the president could appoint a successor. There was also a minimum IQ added.

In the story, Mary has to approve the budget, but doesn't want to because it calls for more spending than the country has. So she recruits her friends to help her without putting the country into debt. The story involves all of her family members, and her members of cabinet.

I can certainly see how this would be a fun book for learning about the presidency and the White House. What kid doesn't want to imagine what it'd be like to be the president? The writing style was fun, but I don't think any kids reading it will feel talked down to. However, there wasn't as much information as I expected. I also found the entire concept a little strange, almost un-American. While I get that it's kind of a difficult plot to set up, the concept was one that was too impossible to imagine, since the idea of inheritance into power was something this country was made to avoid. The ending was also confusing. I didn't understand the resolution.

Overall, it is something that I'd recommend, since I would have enjoyed it when I was the target age.

The Dragon Quartet: Book of Fire

About two years ago I started reading the Dragon Quartet. The series comes in two volumes, which comprise of a total of four books. So far I have read The Book of Earth and The Book of Water. The first volume was a captivating story that spanned across thousands of years and centered around two characters, the Dragon Guides, and their Dragons. The Dragons represent the four elements, and their guides are named for them. It's not obvious, since their names are in different languages, but they do make sure this is known. In the first two books, they realize that someone is wreaking havoc in their times. Erde, the girl, is from Germany in 913 and has been experiencing unusually long and cold winters. N'Doch, who represents water, lives in Africa in 2013 where there is widespread drought and heat. N'Doch is Erde's opposite, but the two seem to have a complicated relationship. It is determined that Fire must be causing it. The Dragons cannot contact him, or Air.

The Book of Fire is about Paia. Unlike the first two Dragon guides, she has spent more time with her dragon, but knows even less, since the other two had grandparents who taught them dragon lore. Paia is treated like a prisoner, never going out since her parents were killed and Fire, who calls himself The God, took over. Paia serves as his priestess. The heat that N'Doch faced has gotten worse and spread, so that most people almost never leave their houses during the day.

This is an excellent book, although probably not one that should be read on its own, since the first two books build on the premise and characters. The plot is complex. I almost went back and read the first two books, but remembered a lot of the details as I got further into it. The book has some themes that I'm not sure are intentional, or are meant to be taken the way that I did. For example, I noticed a environmental/balance between humans and nature message. At one time, Erde asks "What did humans do to upset God so much?" and another character replies, "Humans brought it on themselves." I feel like there was some kind of message about God and religion, but I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps these books are meant to be interpreted many different ways.

These are some of the most unique fantasy books I have read, and if you are looking to take on a literature challege, (these books are long, and took me awhile to get through them) I'd recommend them wholeheartedly.

The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom

The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom was written by Kathrine Arnoldi. Before I get to the review, I have a confession to make. I sort of cheated last week. Because I was not working as much as usual last week I decided to tackle a book that technically is two books. I did not finish it in time, and resorted to this book, a graphic novel, although I think it's more accurate to consider it a comic book.

The story was an inspiring one, that is certainly true. You have to admire the author and the work that she went through. And the drawings were creative. However, the story telling was light on details and a little less than believable at times. For example, the main character had no idea what financial aid was. I guess it just wasn't as available when the story took place. There was very little dialogue shown and most of the storytelling was done by narrating the pictures. 

It was a good concept, telling a simple, true story through a medium that is traditionally used for action, and the message was an important one. However, I wish that she did more to describe the chain of events and used clearer language.

Z.E.O: A Zombie's Guide to Getting a(Head) in Business

For my first book, I purposefully choose something that I thought would be easy and fun to finish. I got this book as a Christmas present and was able to finish it in one day. It is written by Scott Kenemore.

This book, as you suspected, was a humor book, and I don't think the author intended for the advice in it to be followed at all times; however, some of it was good and useful. It had tips such as cut out things that don't need to be done, and work more slowly and methodically on the things that are important. The zombie metaphor was a clever one.

On the downside, some of the jokes got stale from repeated use and it wasn't as entertaining as I expected it to be. Also, while I realize that this isn't a legitimate business books, I did disagree with the author on some points. I also suspected that he had a chip on his shoulder about some of the things. It also would have been funnier if he used "research," possibly from zombie movies to make his point. Finally, his track for you to become a C.E.O. (or Z.E.O.) seemed far-fetched, and only modeled after certain industries.

Overall, it was a worthwhile read, and a good way to kill a few hours. I'm just not sure it will make good repeat reading.