Val Muller

I was at a consignment sale the other week, and I picked up several of the books in the Magic Treehouse series (by Mary Pope Osborne) for a fairly good price. They are not consecutive, but volumes 1 and 2 were there.

The series came out during the gap between my own childhood and that of my child, so I never got to read the series. But I always hear elementary students talking about it when I conduct writing and reading workshops, and my own high school students share fond memories with me of reading the series.

The story follow almost nine-year-old Jack and his eight-year-old sister Annie as they find a treehouse in the woods of Pennsylvania. It’s just before dark, and they’re supposed to be heading home, but Annie decides to investigate, and Jack is tempted to follow when he learns the treehouse is full of books.

In this episode, they end up opening a dinosaur book, and Jack says aloud that he wishes he could see real dinosaurs in action. And his wish is granted. The two travel in time to see dinosaurs, and on the way they find a strange medallion with the letter “M” stamped on it, suggesting that someone else has traveled there before them.

When they return home, no time has passed.

The book is about 60 pages, which includes illustrations. It’s a chapter book, but for a grown-up, it only takes a few minutes to read. It’s an engaging, plot-based story, and I will definitely be sharing it with my daughter in a few years. The text is large enough to read easily, and there are enough details to tell the story without being overwhelming. It’s a good story to read aloud each night or for a young independent reader tackling chapter books.

Since each book only takes a few minutes to read, I’ll tackle the rest of the stack as I have time–and then leave the books on my daughter’s bookshelf so that they’ll be ready when she is!

For the next week, my young adult novels are deeply discounted over at Barking Rain Press. You can buy The Scarred Letter or The Girl Who Flew Away for just $2.99. This deal is valid at Amazon.com (Scarred or Girl), the publisher (Scarred or Girl) and anywhere else e-books are sold!

I purchased this book when I heard Garcia speak at a writers conference. The book is meant for young adult readers. The story follows a 17-year old named Kennedy. After her father abandoned her, Kennedy is left with just her mother and cat. But a gruesome start to the book leaves Kennedy without anyone, and before long she is approached by four others who form a Legion, a group formed long ago. In its past, the group summoned a demon, and now the job of each descendant is to keep the fight against the demon going. Each member of the Legion has been trained for his or her job by a former member (and relative)—except for Kennedy, who knows nothing about it.

Each group brings a particular talent to the group in their fight against demons. Kennedy has a photographic memory and learns to draw symbols that help bind the demons and spirits they encounter. And, of course, there is a love interest.

I liked the plot of the novel. Most chapters were completely action-packed, and there was hardly any downtime for the group. That said, at times the plot was formulaic—like watching episodes of ghost hunters on steroids—and the constant action left me yearning for a bit more character development. There were flashbacks that offered a little insight into Kennedy’s life, but I wanted more—and to know more about all the characters. There is a second book in the series, which make sense since it ends on a cliffhanger.

I would recommend this book as a high-interest book to young readers, especially those who want more of a plot-centered book. I could see myself devouring this book as a younger reader. As a grown-up, I craved just a bit more. That said, aside from some violence/creepiness involving ghosts, it was a relatively clean read listed as appropriate for grades 8 and up, so I would recommend it to my daughter when she gets old enough!

Last June, I reviewed the first book in the Twig Stories series. In honor of Earth Day, I read the second.

The Twig Stories series follows stick creatures that I think of as elves or sprites (but more wood-like), with a focus on descriptive language and environmental issues.

In this book, Leaf (who is always eager to take on adult responsibility) takes a big risk to save a group of stranded creatures (fellow Twigs, salamanders, a chameleon) from a dangerous situation: their forest has been destroyed by bark beetles that have browned-out all the trees. But a forest fire starts, sending all the wildlife into a panic.

In my review of Book 1, I mentioned that as a kid, I would have adored these books. I’ve always been fascinated with nature, and I would often daydream in the same way the book’s description takes the reader on a journey through nature. Because the stick creatures are smaller than humans, they notice things in more detail than we do. In this way, the reader is taken on a journey that allows them to appreciate nature.

The book also includes amazing illustrations by D. W. Murray, and these really help capture the spirit of the setting.

My favorite part is the wand that Leaf has (it’s a really cool tool) and the humor injected in the description of the very, extremely, inconveniently slow chameleon that just happens to be traveling with the group. I also like the description of the bark beetles. I have my own battle every spring with a swarm of Japanese beetles that are trying very hard to kill one of my trees. They have already taken out a branch, and I’m hoping they don’t take away the whole tree. There is a note in the back of the book about how invasive species are harmful and have repercussions that we should all care about. This book helps young readers to ignite that spirit of care and concern.

The book focuses on plot and description, so I would recommend this to readers who want to be captured in a world that takes them deeper into nature and readers who want to turn page after page in order to find out what happens next. I have the last two books in the series, and I look forward to reading them as well. In fact, once my daughter is old enough to understand chapter books, I can see myself reading her a chapter each night before bed to help foster her imagination about nature and the world outside.

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Have you read my latest book? The Girl Who Flew Away is about a freshman who used to love nature but now isn’t sure what she loves or who she is. You can read the first four chapters free and receive a 35% off coupon here.