Wordless Wednesday: July 3, 2019 (w/linky) - My Favorite View

Today's photo a day prompt was "My Fave View," and for the majority of the day I was trying to figure out what local landscape view I should take a picture of. Which view is my favorite? I debated going through my archive to find some favorite views from different times of the year. Then, when Harold and I were walking across the street to the store, I looked over and realized what my favorite view is, seeing my children so engrossed in a book that they don't want to put it down.

So,  of course, I had to then call them outside for a photo shoot. I got a few shots of just these three while Amelia was trying to find her books.

Then Amelia joined us.

And yes, she brought out two books.

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Fun Fiction Friday - September 14th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
September 14th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

We've read quite a few books since the last time I posted a couple of weeks ago.

These are the books Tabitha has been reading.

She has finished:

The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger, the third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. We both finished it actually. She finished it for the first time, and I finished it for the second time. We are now impatiently waiting for the fourth book to become available. Ironically, we already have books 5 and 6 in our library book box. 

While we have been waiting, Tabitha zinged through the third and fourth book of the Land of Stories series and she is now waiting for book five. 

She has read The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning and The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms. I am still reading The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns. I sort of set it aside to read another book, oops. 

She is currently reading the Warriors Power of Three book: The Sight by Erin Hunter. 

Amelia finally decided to focus on one book, so she has a better chance of at least finishing one. She is reading Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter. She also grabbed the remainder of the first series from the library.

We never did finish A Bear Called Paddington. We just have too many we are reading right now. I might have the older girls finish the book by themselves.

We are also on the third book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series titled, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.

The girls and I took turns reading the following books for review. In fact, I just posted my review on Wednesday.

We are also reading this new review book. The girls have all actually read it on their own. I am just reading a chapter a night so Harold can hear it, plus the girls never read the devotional type pages. This review will be posting next week.

Rescue Me! What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Power of Faith by Bryce Morgan.

We are also reviewing Forensic Faith for Kids by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace. Both of these books have been our bedtime stories.

I'm sorry I never got my review of Everblaze posted. I started reading other books and my mind wasn't clear enough to write this review. I plan on reading it again soon so I can write that review, but it will probably be when we can get Neverseen from the library.

I actually got hooked on one of the newest books from the I am Number Four series (or the series that came after it Lorien Legacies Reborn). I was at the library one day and noticed Fugitive Six on the shelf. Then I realized there was another one, The Legacy Chronicles: Trial By Fire by Pittacus Lore. This second book is a collection of three short stories focusing on what was sort of going on behind the scenes around the time of Generation One. I picked it up and couldn't put it down, especially because I was thrilled to get the chance to read about two beloved characters. With the new series there haven't been many appearances of the original characters, and I was missing them. So, I have all three of these books out right now.

Of course, I am still trying to read The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns. Tabitha really zinged ahead of me with those books.

And today, because I needed another book to read, I spied the following book and decided to take it out. The library has had several books from this series on display for the last couple of weeks (at least) and I was intrigued.

Fun Fiction Friday - August 31st, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
August 24th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

Tabitha is currently reading the following books.

The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer. This is the third book in The Land of Stories series.

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene is another Nancy Drew mystery.

The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger is the third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. I did just finish this book, but I want to read it again before writing my review, as I was having trouble keeping details straight in my mind seeing as I read some other books since then.

Amelia is still reading the following three books.

She decided all those books sounded interested, so is attempting them all. We'll see how this goes. She is a little ways into all three books, but she is really focusing on Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.

Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

The Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

As a family, we are still reading A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond  as it goes along with our review of the literature study of Paddington from Branch Out World. I actually posted that review last week.

We are also on the third book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series titled, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.

The girls and I will also be taking turns reading the following books for review. I don't think I will do these are read-alouds, mainly because we already have two going on as it is.

We are also reading this new review book.

Rescue Me! What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Power of Faith by Bryce Morgan.

I set aside House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo, but I plan on getting back to it soon. I finished the third book of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series titled Everblaze. I will share my review next week, as I mentioned above.

I actually decided to focus on the following books these past two weeks.

I finished Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan last week. I will be sharing my review below. And I actually finished The Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer today and started the second book: The Enchantress Returns, finally. I had it out from the library last summer, but got interested obsessed with the I am Number Four series, so I didn't get back to them til recently.

The following book was a quick read for me. Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan, is a compilation of three novellas featuring the main characters from the Percy Jackson books and the Kane Chronicles books. 

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

The first story, "The Son of Sobek," features Carter Kane and Percy Jackson who meet as Carter is in the process of being eaten by a giant crocodile. At first they aren't sure what to think of each other, and even end up in a fight, until they call a "truce" to take care of the monster. The second story, "The Staff of Serapis," takes place a few weeks later, and Annabeth meets up with Sadie Kane. They join up to stop a combination Egyptian/Greek god from gaining power. And in the third story, "The Crown of Ptolemy," all four of the teens join forces to battle the one who was behind it all, in an attempt to gain godhood. 

I will not say who the ultimate "baddy" ends up being, but it is someone who you will be familiar with if you have read one of the series. I'm not even going to give away if this person is from the Greek or Egyptian series. Just know, this person found a way to attempt to become powerful by combining Greek and Egyptian power. I love the way it actually brought some closure to one aspect of the one series that was left a bit up in the air. And I love the way the Kane siblings got to meet Percy and Annabeth. I mean, with all this godly power taking place in Brooklyn and Manhattan, you'd think they would have noticed each other sooner. But they do realize it is imperative that those powers don't mix. 

This was definitely a quick read, both for myself and Tabitha. We both enjoyed it very much. I will say, you really should read both series to understand what is going on. And I would recommend the second Percy Jackson series, only if you have every intention of ever reading it. It isn't necessary for understanding the book, but it does give some detail away about what happens in the second series. 

Definitely an enjoyable read. 

Fun Fiction Friday - August 17th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
August 17th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

The girls are actually still reading the same books as last week.

Tabitha is currently reading the following books.

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer takes place a year after the first book ended. I won't let Tabitha tell me much about it right now, as I plan on reading it when she is finished.

The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile by Shannon Messenger is the second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Which I have mentioned previously. I will be sharing my review of this book at the bottom of this post. 

Amelia is still reading the following three books.

She decided all those books sounded interested, so is attempting them all. We'll see how this goes. She is a little ways into all three books.

As a family, we are still reading A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond  as it goes along with our review of the literature study of Paddington from Branch Out World. I actually posted that review last week.

We are also on the third book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series titled, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.

The girls and I will also be taking turns reading the following books for review. I don't think I will do these are read-alouds, mainly because we already have two going on as it is.

I am still reading House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo, but I have sort of set it aside to reread the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. I am almost finished with the third book, Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze.

After I finish that book, I will return to the other books I have out from the library, as there is still quite a wait for the next three books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. These books are quite popular, but unfortunately our entire library system only has a couple of copies of each.

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

In this series Sophie, who was brought up by a family of humans until she was 12 year old, suddenly finds out she is an elf, and part of a magical world that keeps itself separated from the human world. She also finds out she has a very important role to play and has more powers than most elves, though all have different skills, and the majority have at least one special ability.

Exile starts off a few weeks after the first book ends. Sophie has now finally found her place and feels accepted in her new world and most importantly with her family. She is becoming more comfortable with her Telepathy, yet is still trying to get used to the new ability she discovered she had at the end of the first book. Though she isn't pleased to realize she is an Inflictor, she can at least remain at Foxfire thanks to this new ability.

Sophie also makes a new friend in this book, an alicorn who only she can comfort and control at the start. This alicorn is terribly important to their world, and a lot of the story revolves around her and Sophie's relationship with her.

Unfortunately, she is also struggling with severe headaches, and it is soon discovered that something isn't quite right with her. She feels she is "malfunctioning" and is desperate to find out what is wrong with her, especially after something terrible happens to a dear friend who she was supposed to be helping with a classified task. Everyone has given up on him, yet she keeps hope alive, desperate to save not only him, but the one she feels she was "created" to save in the first place. 

Between dealing with the alicorn, struggling with the heartbreak of what happened to her friend and mentor, starting a second year at Foxfire with all its new challenges, and trying to figure out the mystery of the Black Swan and how they are related to her and her adopted family's daughter, Sophie has quite the stressful time in this second book. The mystery of the Black Swan is quite intriguing. Are they friend or foe? Why did they help her at the end of the first book, yet are feared to be dangerous rebels? If the Black Swan aren't the "bad guys" then who really are the ones they should fear? In a world where there was supposed to be such peace, there are a lot of secrets to uncover and truths to find out.

Shannon Messenger continues to build this world wonderfully, adding to what we already know and introducing the reader to just enough to keep us wanting more. Poor Sophie continues to go through quite the heartbreaking struggles, yet we see her strength and determination, though she does tend to keep too many secrets from her parents and at times her friends. However, there are consequences, so she knows she can't just get away with doing wrong.

I love this second book in the series. If you couldn't tell, seeing as my daughter and I were "fighting" over who would get to read it. She is also enjoying it very much.

Next week I will share my review of Everblaze.

Fun Fiction Friday - August 10th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
August 10th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

Tabitha is currently reading the following books.

She finished the first Keeper of the Lost Cities book and really enjoyed it, as do I. Between last week and this week she also read the first book of The Land of Stories series, titled The Wishing Spell, which I read and wrote a review of last summer. (You can check out my review here.) I wasn't aware she was reading it last Friday, so it didn't get included in last week's Fun Fiction Friday. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities:Exile by Shannon Messenger is the second book in this series. We are both reading it and having a hard time putting the books down. In fact, we are fighting each other to have our turn to read it. Though there was a time in the dentist's office last week when we shared. 

As I have mentioned in previous Fun Fiction Friday posts, this is a wonderful series full of adventure and unexpected twists and turns. This second book starts shortly after the first one ends, a year after Sophie ended up in the elven world. She is learning more about her world, helping her adoptive family, and discovering new powers and secrets. I hope to share my review of this book next week.

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer takes place a year after the first book ended. I have not yet read this book, even though I had it out of the library last summer. I ended up returning it as I became obsessed with the I Am Number Four series by Pittacus Lore. Tabitha can't tell me too much right now, except that they do return to the Land of Stories. I have every intention of reading it so I can share about the book. 

Amelia is now reading three books.

She decided all those books sounded interested, so is attempting them all. We'll see how this goes. She is a little ways into all three books.

As a family, we are still reading A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond  as it goes along with our review of the literature study of Paddington from Branch Out World.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond was a book I loved when I was a child. I have been wanting Tabitha to read it for a while, but she has so many books in her TBR pile she hasn't gotten to it yet. So, we are now making it a family read-aloud.

We are also on the third book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series titled, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.

I am still reading House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo, though if I write a review it will be posted over on my book blog (Me, Myself, I Read (and Write)) as I am trying to keep Fun Fiction Friday for juvenile books.

I have sort of set it aside to reread the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

Yes, I actually finished the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and decided to read it again. Yes, I enjoy it that much! I am very much emotionally attached to these characters.

In this series Sophie, who was brought up by a family of humans until she was 12 year old, suddenly finds out she is an elf, and part of a magical world that keeps itself separated from the human world. She also finds out she has a very important role to play and has more powers than most elves, though all have different skills, and the majority have at least one special ability.

In this first book Sophie is found by an elf who tells her they've been looking for her for 12 years. Of course, she doesn't believe him at first, not until he takes her to the elven world. She finally understands why she has been able to hear people's thoughts since she was five years old, though that is even abnormal in the elven world. She ends up having to leave her family and completely integrate into this world she knows nothing of.

She makes friends, and foes as she begins school at Foxfire, while having to keep the secret that she is a Telepath. She struggles with having to unlearn things she learned as fact in the human world, which makes some of her classes quite the challenge. Which is really weird for her seeing as she was a child prodigy in the human world, a 12 year old high school senior.

In addition to struggling in school, she is also struggling trying to find her place in her "foster" family, a couple who lost their daughter years earlier and were convinced to take Sophie in. She's not sure if she really belongs, and when dangerous events take place, she finds herself unsure of her future with them. Which then leads to a perilous predicament involving a friend and black hooded figures.

The book does a wonderful job introducing the reader to this mythical world, a world where all the creatures you thought were fairy tales actually live, along with all the animals we think are extinct. Though most are nothing like humans think they are. The author is so imaginative, and wonderful at describing this world. And as I have already mentioned, she does a wonderful job with character building. I am very much emotionally attached to Sophie and her friends. There is at least one scene in each book were I have found myself in tears, this first book included.

I definitely recommend this series for lovers of the fantasy genre.

Fun Fiction Friday - July 13th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
November 17th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

At least that is what I was doing. I didn't realize it has been more than half a year since I actually posted a Fun Fiction Friday. Another thing I forgot was that I actually started this during Summer Reading Program of last year. So, it was a year ago exactly that I posted my first post. I would love to try to stay faithful with it this time. I am not going to be sharing any book reviews or thoughts this week. Instead, I am just going to share what the children and I are reading. Tomorrow I will be sharing my Picture Book Saturday, plus a review/giveaway for a sweet little children's book titled, Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings.

Tabitha has been reading a wide variety of books.

She is trying to finish the Warriors: The New Prophecy series by Erin Hunter. She really enjoyed the original Warriors series. My oldest son read them years ago and also loved them. He was thrilled that she was reading them. Knowing how much she loves mysteries I encouraged her to try out the original Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene that I read and loved as a kid. She finished book 1 and is ready to start book 2: The Hidden Staircase. I also took out A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I remember enjoying it as a child and we went to see the movie at the library so she became interested in it.

Of course, she also enjoys these Disney fairy books.

I had the following series recommended to me a while back and was thrilled to find it in our library system. Funnily enough, Tabitha's penpal had told her about them, and I hadn't realized it. So, I started the first one, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and couldn't put it down. I told her she HAD to read it. I zinged through the second book, Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile and handed it to her yesterday morning. Now I am reading some Christian suspense books by Ted Dekker, which I will be sharing about on my book blog. I had to wait for the third book, Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze to become available through inter-library loan. As you can see, it is here now. So, I am reading two books.

Amelia couldn't really get into the Warriors books, but for some reason has really been enjoying these Survivors books by Erin Hunter.

Hannah started reading the Tales of Sasha books before going to camp a couple of weeks ago. She zinged through the first three quite fast. Then I put the other three on hold. We were shocked to see they were available for her today. Amelia and Tabitha also decided they wanted to read them. These are a very quick read for them. I finished the first book in half an hour.

Harold tried reading some superhero books, but they ended up being a little difficult for him. He did enjoy the first book in the Magic Tree House series, so is trying the next one. I had him take out several in case he really gets into them. I know he really liked the first one because it was about dinosaurs, but I am hoping he can get into the rest of the books. 

Hopefully next week I will have a chance to have the girls tell a little about the books they are reading.

As a family, we are also reading Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, and the Kane Chronicles: The Serpent's Shadow, by the same author. These have been fun ways to learn a little about the mythology of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. 

Fun Fiction Friday - August 25, 2017

Fun Fiction Friday
August 25th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading. 

I have yet to start The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer. I decided to continue reading I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. I started it earlier this summer, and put it aside for other books. I'm now hooked and will probably finish it before starting on The Land of Stories. But I definitely have to get to those. I just discovered there is a SIXTH book in the series! It was on the shelf of new books at the library. 

I have returned most of the books to the library. Unread. I will have to take them out one at a time. 

Moving on to the girls' books:

Amelia is still reading The Prisoner of Azkaban. She finished Charlotte's Web and I am now reading it to them a chapter at a time. She took Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble out of the library and hopes to be able to get to it soon. I reminded her she still has to finish the Flat Stanley book!

Amelia really likes Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban. She is halfway through the book and is quite obsessed. This is what she has to say about it so far:

It's about a boy named Harry Potter who is 13 years old. An evil wizard named Sirius Black escaped from a prison called Azkaban, and there are dementors looking all around Hogwarts for him. And they even start searching the little town called Hogsmeade. Sirius Black is Harry Potter's godfather. 

Tabitha is really enjoying the History Mysteries from American Girl. She finished reading Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal by Elizabeth McDavid Jones. She also finished Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic by Sarah Masters Buckey. She is now reading Mystery at Chilkoot Pass by Barbara Steiner.

Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal is about a girl whose name is Rhoda. Her father works at a life saving station to save people from shipwrecks because they live on an island. Rhoda has a sick friend named Pearl who may die if her father can't get enough money. 

Rhoda sees some kind of light, and she tries to figure out what it is, and it becomes more and more mysterious. She thinks it could be the light of a wrecker, who is a person who takes a big light and lures ships to their doom. It could look almost like another ship or a lighthouse. 

She thinks it is really good and she likes it. Tabitha thinks Rhoda's figured out that it is a wrecker, and thinks she knows who it is. But Tabitha realizes that in mysteries sometimes the people add up the clues too hastily and jump to conclusions. Tabitha ended up being wrong about who the wrecker was, and so was Rhoda.

Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic is about a girl named Emily and her big sister Dorothy. They live in Philadelphia. Their mom is an art and music teacher. Dorothy's friend invites them to the Grand Atlantic which is a very very fancy hotel. Their mom only lets them go because gangsters have threatened the store clerk who lives next to them, and Emily. So their mother thinks they should go away for awhile. But instead they find out that a gangster named Mr. M, who is a rum runner, is at the hotel. Well, they think he is at the hotel anyway. So they have to stop him. 

I have been reading the following books to the children at bedtime:

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is a book I loved as a child. I'm glad the children are getting to read it for the study guide we are reviewing from Progeny Press. Imagine...The Great Flood by Matt Koceich is also a review product. The review will be posting mid-September. Once it is live, I will make sure to link to it here on Fun Fiction Friday. It has been really interesting so far. Young Cory is upset he is going to be moving across country, from Texas to Florida. During a storm he suddenly is transported to the time of Noah in the Bible. He is interacting with Noah and his sons. I can't wait to share my full review next month. 

Next week I hope to have The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns finished so I can share my review. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will come back tomorrow to read Picture Book Saturday. 

I'm sharing over at:

Fun Fiction Friday - August 11, 2017

Fun Fiction Friday
August 11th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading. As I am also reading books for adults, I have started my book blog up again. A few weeks ago I shared my Friday Finds, Book Beginnings on Friday, and The Friday 56 in my Friday Fun post. I haven't had a chance to post one since, but hope to do so today. I will also be sharing my reviews of any adult books over there. If I do, I will share links to those reviews in my Fun Fiction Friday post. 

I finished The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron. I was so excited to see I had a message on my Tots and Me Facebook page by the author. That was just so exciting. I have yet to start The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer. I've just been way too busy. A lot of books are going to end up going back to the library unread. I had such lofty reading goals at the beginning of the summer reading program. Just isn't going to happen. 

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer is the second book in the The Land of Stories series. Young Alex and Conner Bailey are back to help save the day in this sequel to The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. The Eastern Kingdom, once called The Sleeping Kingdom, had finally began to really recover from the original sleeping curse. At the time of the first book, the Sleeping Kingdom was still half asleep and unproductive (both the land and the people), though Queen Sleeping Beauty's actual curse had been broken before the book began. Now the evil Enchantress (the one who originally cursed her) is back and her evil had reached into the real world. Friends and acquaintances from the first story join forces to help Alex and Conner rescue their mother and save the fairy-tale world. Can't wait to actually read it. Think I'll start tonight after the kids are in bed.

Moving on to the girls' books:

Amelia is still reading The Prisoner of Azkaban, plus a chapter book for Australia called Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures: The Australian Boomerang Bonanza, and recently started Charlotte's Web because we are reviewing the study guide from Progeny Press. She took Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble out of the library and hopes to be able to get to it soon. Though she sort of ended up reading a fairy book first called Ava the Sunset Fairy.

Amelia really likes Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban. She is toward the beginning of the book still and wanted to share a bit about what is going on. When Harry was still with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, right before he went to Diagon Alley, he got presents from Ron and Hermione. He then took the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley and in the morning he met them. Then they went to the pet store and Hermione got a cat named Crookshanks. Ron got his rat tonic. A few days later they got on the Hogwarts Express where they meet Professor Sleeping Lupin. 

Tabitha is really enjoying the History Mysteries from American Girl. She is almost finished reading Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal by Elizabeth McDavid Jones. She is also almost finished with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. She is also reading Charlotte's Web, for the same reason Amelia is. 

Tabitha is enjoying Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal. It's about a girl whose name is Rhoda. Her father works at a life saving station to save people from shipwrecks because they live on an island. Rhoda has a sick friend named Pearl who may die if her father can't get enough money. 

Rhoda sees some kind of light, and she tries to figure out what it is, and it becomes more and more mysterious. She thinks it could be the light of a wrecker, who is a person who takes a big light and lures ships to their doom. It could look almost like another ship or a lighthouse. 

She thinks it is really good and she likes it. Tabitha thinks Rhoda's figured out that it is a wrecker, and thinks she knows who it is. But Tabitha realizes that in mysteries sometimes the people add up the clues too hastily and jump to conclusions. 

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

The Castle in the Mist is another book I found on display in the library. It is a juvenile fiction book written by Amy Ephron, her first book for young people. In this story Tess and Max are sent to their aunt's English countryside village because their father is in Afghanistan and their mother is sick.. There isn't a lot to do until Tess finds a key that unlocks a magical gate into what at first I thought was a mysterious land, but ended up being the neighboring estate. However, there is still a huge mystery about who the boy is who Tess first meets, a boy who is there with his "governess" and a man named Barnaby. Tess keeps the key and ends up bringing her brother Max back with her to meet William. A lovely friendship is forged in the fantastical backyard with a beautiful rose garden, pond, magical carousel and lifelike statues of different gods and goddesses. However, there is something sinister about the hawthorne trees, something that isn't quite understood, but definitely makes for some suspense. 

There is quite the mystery about who these people might be, seeing as nobody is supposed to be living in the castle, and their Aunt Evie knows of no young boy living anywhere nearby. And there are magical wishes involved, wishes that bring adventure, but also some intriguing surprises. 

The chapters are quite short, maybe a little too short actually. Personally, I wish the story was a bit longer and a little less confusing. I loved the idea of the storyline, but some of it was just a bit weird, and never really explained well. The ending left me wondering what exactly is going on their, and how these people are even there. 

I did enjoy the book, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. It also caught me off guard when Tess was wanting to pray to one of the statues of the gods. There seemed to be a bit more power in these statues that didn't quite make sense.