Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Title: The Emerald Atlas
Author: John Stephens
Genre: Juvi, fantasy, adventure, friendship
Perfect for: Middle school kids who like long fantasy tales
Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Taken from Goodreads, "Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.


Until now. Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right."


'The Emerald Atlas' by John Stephens is a fun fantasy adventure that is sure to please readers of Cornelia Funke's 'Inkheart' series, as well as fans of Lemony Snicket's 'Series of Unfortunate Events'. 'The Emerald Atlas' has a great cast of characters and some really great dialogue. And the funny thing? This juvi friendly story was dreamed up by someone who usually works on WB shows like Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl!


I've found that in-between YA reads, it's always nice to delve into a good juvi fantasy adventure. If you're in need of a Juvi fix, this book just might be what you're looking for. The standout feature of this novel, which is the first in a trilogy, has to be the characters.


We've seen plenty of books that star orphan children, but this set of kids seemed a little different. I found all three siblings unique, likable, and, actually, quite real.  My favorite character of the three is Emma.  She's the youngest of the trio.  She's a tough, spicy girl who you don't want to mess with.  Middle brother, Michael, is obsessed with knowledge, especially that on fantastical things.  And then there is big sister Kate, who at a very young age was entrusted by her mother to keep her siblings safe.  Each child has their own journey to take and that is one thing I really liked about this story.  Because each character had their own thing going on, we got to see a bit of development in each of them, not just one.


This book has some great dialogue.  The lines are fun and have a life of their own.  Stephens did a wonderful job at inserting a touch of everyday humor into his dialogue and story.  One running gag in particular made me laugh out-loud (note to future time travelers-- you may need to explain who you are to the same person a lot depending on the timeline!)


The only thing that bugged me a bit in 'The Emerald Atlas' was that the descriptions were a bit blocky.  That's a big pet peeve of mine because I don't do well with long involved paragraphs about things.  I like them to be broken up with dialogue.  Many time Stephens would use a line of description (instead of dialogue) to describe what people were discussing.  I would have loved for him to just show us, as opposed to telling us what was happening.  Plus, then it would have cut down the page count a bit-- this is quite a long read!


Other than that minor issue, I enjoyed 'The Emerald Atlas'.  No spoilers, but the ending had me grinning from ear to ear.  It was very well done! 'The Emerald Atlas' is a fun, fantasy read that should catch young readers interest quickly and even some older readers (like me!).  I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series!

Review: Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin

Title: Kristy's Great Idea
Author: Ann M. Martin
Release Date: April 2010
Genre: pre-teen, juvi, friendship, self esteem, coming of age
Perfect for: kids 8 and up who like more 'school' or 'general life' titles and less fantasy/sci-fi themes

Set after 'The Summer Before', 'Kristy's Great Idea' follows pre-teens Kristy (tom boy), Claudia (artist), Mary Anne (quiet and studious), and Stacey (fashion/boy expert) as they decide to start a club based around baby-sitting-- The Baby-Sitters Club.

Short description for this title, as I think that one sentence pretty much says all you need to know about the first book in the Baby-Sitters Club series.  Edited for todays generation, 'Kristy's Great Idea' should have no trouble catching the interest of pre-teen girls, as well as those us who just want to 'catch up' with the gang after years of being out of print!

Since the boom of fantasy and sci-fi titles in juvi fiction, it's been hard for me to really find titles for the younger set that have a good story and lots of heart.  'Kristy's Great Idea' has both of those qualities and more.  'Kristy's Great Idea' is a quick read with interesting characters and a great premise.  Girls will find it easy to relate to any one of the four main characters featured in this novel as they are all unique and likable.  The story is equally great as it has a definite girl power theme to it.  Also, in this day and age where most kids get huge allowances (or on the opposite end, no allowance at all), 'Kristy's Great Idea' might just inspire kids to work on something like this in real life.

As mentioned above, this is officially the first book in the Baby-Sitters Club series, not to be confused with the recently released prequel, 'The Summer Before'.  There are pro's and cons to reading one before the other.  'The Summer Before' gives you a nice introduction to the characters, but 'Kristy's Great Idea' has a bit more action.

'Kristy's Great Idea' is a great book for any pre-teen girl interested in a more 'real life' storyline.  Even though it was originally published in the late 80's, it reads (thanks to small edits) like it was written for todays audience.  Highly recommended for those looking for a good girl power, coming of age series!

Review: The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin

Title: The Summer Before- A BSC Prequel
Author: Ann M. Martin
Release: April 1st, 2010
Genre: Juvi, pre-teen, friendship, coming of age
Perfect for: 8 and up, kids looking for fun, friendship reads, and those twenty somethings who loved the series as kids

It's the summer before 7th grade and Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne are psyched.  Set before 'Kristy's Great Idea', 'The Summer Before' shows us the trio transitioning into teens, or at least pre-teens.  Kristy is dealing with her moms growing attachment to boyfriend Watson, Claudia feels she is 'growing out' of her friends, and Mary Anne is trying to break out of her shell while dealing with an over protective father.  Meanwhile, Stacey is getting ready for a big move from New York City to Suburban Stoneybrook, CT after recently being diagnosed with Diabetes.

It was fun revisiting the Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) gang-- at least the four featured in this book.  It's been years since I've read this Ann M. Martin series but I am pleased to say it read (felt) like revisiting an old friend.  The style and rhythm felt natural and the story was quick and entertaining.  It's a short, light story, so those who want to read it out of nostalgia should have no problem.

Off all four story lines, Stacey's was the most interesting to me.  I don't remember the original series going much into the reason for her move other than a quick sentence or two (though it's been a while-- I could be wrong). In pure BSC fashion, the message that you shouldn't be scared of friends with health issues came across very clear due to Stacey's story.

While I would have preferred a sequel, a prequel makes more sense when it comes to re-branding this story for this generation.  'The Summer Before' gives us a good look at how the members of the (soon to be formed) BSC stay friends, even though they are all maturing in different ways.  'The Summer Before' is available now online or at your local bookstore!

Review: Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher

Title: Knightley Academy
Author: Violet Haberdasher
Genre: Juvi, Younger YA readers, fantasy, steampunk, adventure, friendship
Perfect for: those who enjoy the 'Harry Potter' or 'Vampirates' series

Henry Grim is an orphan who for most of his thirteen years has worked as a servant at the local boarding school.  When a loop hole in the system allows Henry and other commoners to take the exam to gain acceptance into the posh and highly exclusive Knightley Academy, Henry does everything he can to pass the test and, to his great surprise, is chosen above all other test takers to attend!

School life isn't all that is cracked up to be, even in a school where 'chivalry' is the basic code, as he and his roommates, fellow outcasts Adam and Rohan, learn that someone is sabotaging their chances of staying at Knightley Academy.  With the help of the headmasters daughter Frankie, Henry, Adam, and Rohan must find out who wants them out before they really are expelled.

The first thing that grabbed me about 'Knightley Academy' was the title.  It's just a great title.  Along with that, the cover is nicely put together and should attract attention.  It caught mine pretty much instantly.  While the page count looks a bit hefty, don't worry.  The text is large and the story moves along in such a way you won't notice anything but the story.

Author Violet Haberdasher has put together a story that should attract anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter.  The style is similar in the fact that this is a fun read about friendship and confidence and is filled with so many possibilities for future storylines.  By no means is this book a stand alone novel.  There will be sequels-- sequels that I am very much looking forward to reading.

The characters are fantastic.  We have Henry, the main character, who is confident and bright, but  has drawn the short end of the straw when it comes to lineage.  A common boy, he is the character that keeps us, the readers, from being confused about this new world.  His voice is easy to read and he's just an overall great character.

Along with Henry, we have Rohan, Adam, and Frankie.  Rohan comes from a proper family, but as he is biologically the son of a dark skinned servant, he is shunned due to his color.  Rohan is the logical one of the group.  Adam, son of a banker, is Jewish and brings a fantastic sense of humor to the tale.  Frankie, daughter of the headmaster, wants to learn many things-- far more than the stitchery and languages her grandmother deems appropriate for girls.

These four heroes make for fantastic friends and a fantastic story that has some steampunk influences and lots of adventure.  While the main storyline in this novel has an ending, it is definitely apparent that this is the beginning of a great series.

If you are or know a Harry Potter or Vampirates fan looking for something new, this is it.  It's fun, adventurous, quirky, and humorous.  Highly recommended!  'Knightly Academy' is available now from your local bookstore and online!