Westly: a Spider's Tale

By Brian Beus

When Westly emerges from his cocoon, not as a beautiful butterfly, but as a spider, he is rejected by the butterfly kingdom and undertakes a journey to discover who he really is. But not even the dirt eaters can offer him answers. Not the dragonfly, the centipede, the moth, or even Zug Zug, the fly. None have ever seen an eight-legged creature who can spin webs. However, Westly’s new friend the Raven has offered to help. If only the Raven could get inside the glass menagerie where Westly and the other bugs lives. Yes, yes, the Raven is sure he could change everything. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way we plan.

This is a sweet tale that reminded me a bit of “Hope for the Flowers”.  But in this tale, the caterpillar knows what he is destined to be: a butterfly, the most majestic and perfect of the animals in their kingdom. When the caterpillars all go into a cocoon, Westly does not come out a beautiful butterfly, but to his dismay he comes out a monster that he doesn’t even recognize. He runs away and falls down to the place where the crawlers live. Nobody has ever seen anything like Westly, but unlike the butterflies, they welcome him so long as he works for his keep. Westly is desperate to return to the life he thinks he deserves, as a butterfly, so when he meets a Raven claiming to know how help him, Westly is sucked into a plot the could destroy everything. Westly is a cute and short novel that I enjoyed but will not likely read again.

I give it a 3 out of 5

The One and Only Ivan

By Katherine Applegate

Winner of the 2013 Newberry Medal and a #1 New York Times Bestseller, this stirring and unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendships. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point-of-view of Ivan himself.

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life if the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

This is a sweet story of an artist named Ivan. Ivan happens to be a gorilla that lives in a small mall zoo. His paintings are sold to tourists and he is pretty content with his life and his friends. Bob is the mutt that stays with him sometimes, sleeping on Ivan’s belly at night. Stella is the old and wise elephant that is Ivan’s best friend. Then things start changing around the mall. A new baby elephant is sent there, and Stella makes Ivan promise to take care of her. In this short novel we come to care for and cheer for Ivan, Stella, and Bob, along with their human friends who band together to save baby Ruby, and in turn just might find a better life for themselves as well. 

4 out of 5

Wild Born

By Brandon Mull

Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts—a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children—and the world—have been changed forever.

Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers…and on you.

Part engrossing book series, part action role-playing game—discover your spirit animal and join the adventure.

This is one of those books that if you’re an animal lover you’ll enjoy. It’s a nice little late elementary to middle reader book that centers around a coming war and the four children chosen to have the four fallen Great Beasts for their spirit animals. Each of the children is uniquely different and bonds (or doesn’t) with their spirit animals. They each find that they are looked to for answers to end the oncoming war, and it is up to them to discover their own parts in the battle and in the process become a team. I really enjoyed the mythology of this world and wondered throughout what spirit animal I might have. There is a whole online experience for kids that I tried to check out but lost interest in pretty quickly. This is a fun young fantasy that can get a little boring for an older reader at times, but on the whole it is a great book choice for young and reluctant readers.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Watership Down

By Richard Adams

One of the most beloved novels of our time, Richard Adam’s Watership Down takes us to a world we have never truly seen: to the remarkable life that teems in the fields, forests and riverbanks far beyond our cities and towns. It is a powerful saga of courage, leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventures forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community…and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called “home”.

Welcome to the warren.

 

Hazel’s brother Fiver, a runt, has just had a bad premonition. The worst; they must leave their warren, he doesn’t know why he just knows that if they stay they’ll die. Not many of the rabbits believe in Fiver’s vision and think him insane, but Hazel manages to gather some discontented bucks and they make a run for it, barely escaping the Owsla, or the strongest rabbits in the warren that take orders from the chief. On a harrowing journey to find a new home and create a new warren, Hazel and the other bucks have to cross rivers and fight for their survival.  This is a journey of courage and fortitude for this unlikely band of rabbit-heroes. Each rabbit comes into his own as either warriors, leaders, dreamers, or story-tellers, among other things. This story is a great epic and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good animal tale. I learned a lot about rabbits I never knew and had some good laughs along the way as well as praying that certain characters wouldn’t die. Some of my favorite sections of the book were the stories within the story about the ‘first rabbit’ El-arairah and his lieutenant and friend Rabscuttle. They were myth-like stories for the rabbits about their cunning royal ancestor.  It’s written brilliantly and with precision, and you’ll come to cheer for Hazel and his band by the end.

 

I give it a 4 out of 5

Fire Bringer

By David Clement-Davies


It is a dark time for the deer. A tyrannical new leader of the Herd has ended the old way, the yearly crash of antlers that ensured a change of leadership is overtaken by a command corps of young stags, antlers sharpened for the kill, whose mission is complete domination of the animal world. But a prophecy among the deer proclaims a hero—a fawn with the mark of an oak leaf on his forehead. His unique bond with all creatures, including humans, will bring a new age of freedom.

The fawn is Rannoch. Born on the night his father is murdered, he is hidden by his mother from the deadly attention of the Lord of the Herd. But soon he is forced to flee, beginning a perilous, wondrous journey. Among the mountains and haunted glens of the Great Land, the young stag encounters strange herds, makes unusual allies, and, at last, finds the knowledge and courage to face his extraordinary destiny…

 
 
This is by far the coolest book I've read in a long time. Honestly I don't know why I haven't heard of this one before. It's got all the coolest features of a classic journey-tale as well as coming of age and fantasy. It's compared to Watership Down (the rabbit book) which I haven't read yet, but if it's anything like this story I'll love it. Rannoch's story is full of adventure, self-discovery, and magic. He's the deer from the prophecy, born to lead the red deer to freedom.
This book follows the good vs. evil dichotomy and follows the life of Rannoch as he tries to find his way with his strange powers of understanding the other creatures. He's different, and it's hard to be different, especially when the people around you tend to end up dead.
The best thing about this book is how it completely sucks you into the life of the deer and how it explains their lives and how things are. Davies is magic at describing scenes of the woodland forest, or the yearly clashing of the antlers, of the fawns playing in the grass, or of the strange power the humans have of taming that which shouldn't be tamed. You'll fall in love with Rannoch and his friends, root for him until the last page, and find yourself enchanted with this beautifully written epic journey.
 
I give it a 4 and 3/4 out of 5!

The Wizard of Ooze

By David Farland

When the evil wormlord Sebaceous ooze uses his magical song to enslave mice to dig a volcano that will help him and his slobber goblin armies take over the world, it’s up to Amber, a mouse with magical powers, to stop him. With her devoted friends by her side- Ben, a mouse who used to be a human boy; Thorn, a genius mouse; and Bushmaster, the wise vole- Amber might stand a chance of thwarting the giant worm’s sinister plan. But with a human army on their tails and betrayal in their path, these rodents are on a quest far more dangerous than any of them anticipated. A thrilling and exciting adventure for the young and young at heart.

So, this sequel to "Of Mice and Magic" was lacking for me. The premise was much the same as the first book; there's an evil sorcerer that Ben and Amber have to vanquish, and Amber fails many times to turn Ben back into a human boy. Thorn was quite entertaining. This sequel seemed to drop a few grade levels for me, and the concept was boring. I'm going to try and read the next one, but I'm not promising anything. I'm kinda bored with this series. Not really my cuppa tea.

Of Mice and Magic

By David Farland

More than anything, Benjamin Ravenspell wants a pet. But when he buys a mouse named Amber, he gets more than he bargained for. No sooner does Ben take her home, than Amber turns him into a mouse too. You see, Amber has magical abilities, and it so happens that Ben is a familiar-a creature that stores magical energy. Together they each form half of a powerful wizard. Alone, they’re just vermin. Soon Ben and Amber will find themselves pitted in an epic battle against a magical enemy who is as crazed as he is evil, and the fate of the world will depend on them learning to work together.

I met David Farland at a booksigning a couple of years ago and he seemed like a really nice guy. It's taken me this long to read one of his books. This children's fiction book is really cute. I'd say it's geared towards 4-7 grades. Ben Ravenspell is 10 years old and has two unconventional parents- one who has a hygiene problem and the other who is a champion couch potato. Ben is a kind kid who just wants a pet of his own. He doesn't realize that the mouse he bought from the pet store is a wizardess until she turns him into a mouse too. This book is all about Ben's adventures with Amber the wizard mouse. Cute and fun for younger kids.

The Shattering: book 5

By Kathryn Lasky

Soren’s sister, Eglantine, is falling under the spell of a strange nightly dream. Then, just as Soren notices her trancelike state, Eglantine disappears, and the dreams become a deadly waking nightmare that puts the Great Tree of Ga’Hoole in terrible danger. Soren must lead the Chaw of Chaws to rescue his sister. Thus begins the next battle between the owls of Ga’Hoole and the evil Pure Ones, deep in the treacherous territory known as The Beaks, where a raging forest fire will prove the greatest danger to the rescuers-and their best hope for victory.

I'm just quickly going to put up the rest of the Guardian of Ga'Hoole books that I've read and comment here and there.

The Siege: Book 4

By Kathryn Lasky

Tensions erupt in the owl kingdom when the forces of evil wage war against the protectors of good. Enraged by his clash with Soren and driven by an all-consuming desire for power, Kludd and his group, the Pure Ones, launch an attack upon the Great Ga’Hoole Tree. The noble owls who live there must fight fiercely to protect their resources and defend their honor.
Meanwhile, Soren is called upon by the elders of the great tree to lead a mission back to the one place he thought he’d never see again – St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. He and his crew will have to enter St. Aggie’s as spies, then leave unnoticed once their work is done. Soren escaped the rocky confines of St. Aggie’s once. If peace is to be restored, he must do it again.

Okay, things are starting to get interesting in the series and the story plot thickens as Soren clashes with the owls of St. Aggies and also worries about his brother Kludd and his treachery against owlkind.

The Rescue: book 3

By Kathryn Lasky

Ever since Soren was kidnapped and taken to the St. Aegoliue School for Orphaned Owls, he has longed to see his sister, Eglantine, again. Now Eglantine is back in Soren’s life, but she’s been through an ordeal too terrible for words. And Ezylryb, Soren’s mentor, has disappeared. Deep within Soren’s gizzard, something more powerful than knowledge tells him there’s a connection between these mysterious events.
In order to rescue Ezylryb, Soren must embark upon a perilous quest. It will bring him face-to-face with a force more dangerous than anything the rulers of St. Aggie’s could have devised –

and a truth that threatens to destroy the owl kingdom.

While being fun reads for adults, this series would be much more suited to kids from 8-12. They are quite enjoyable however and worth a read to see how you like them. They were good enough for me to keep reading, and I'm glad I did. They are only about 180 pages on average, and I was glad I kept going because I felt like the story hit its stride at about book 6. So while this and the next few books are a bit on the -well not boring side- but slower, I'd keep going.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Journey (2)

By Kathryn Lasky

It began as a dream. A quest for the Great Ga’Hoole Tree, a mythic place where each night an order of owls rises to perform noble deeds. There Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger hope to find inspiration to fight the evil that dwells in the owl kingdom. The journey is long and harrowing. When Soren and his friends finally arrive at the Great Ga’Hoole Tree, they will be tested in ways they never dreamed and face challenges they never imagined. If they can learn from their leaders and from one another, they will soon become true Ga’Hoolian owls- honest and brave, wise and true.

The second book in the popular series about noble owls who fight for truth, justice, and...well you know. This story centers around the four friends as they learn from the different Chaws, or groups, in the Great Tree. Soren finds his niche in the Weather Chaw with the old and wise Ezylryb as his mentor. They are the owls that ride the gales and can fly through forestfires to gather hot coals for the tree. Gylfie is a natural for the Navagation Chaw, and studies the stars. Digger is a tracker, and Twilight is just Twilight. This is a fun book that shows how the young owls learn to become true Guardians.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture

By Kathryn Lasky

Soren is born in the forest of Tyto, a tranquil kingdom where the Barn Owls dwell. But evil lurks in the owl world, evil that threatens to shatter Tyto’s peace and change the course of Soren’s life forever. Soren is captured and taken to a dark and forbidding canyon. It’s called an orphanage, but Soren believes it’s something far worse. He and his friend Gylfie know that the only way out is up. To escape, they will need to do something they have never done before-fly.

This is the popular series that spawned the recent movie "Legends of the Guardians". I read this over a year ago, but decided it deserved a review. I've read the first 11 books in the series and have enjoyed it immensely. Soren is a loveable character who believes faithfully in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole- a arthurian like legend among owls. He dreams of becoming just like them. When his life takes a horrible turn and he is pushed out of the nest by his brother Kludd, he is taken to Sanit Aggies, a school for "abandoned" owlettes. The story of his escape and survival is an epic journey; one that anyone who enjoys stories of good and evil will appreciate and love. A great read for owl-lovers like myself as well. :)

P.S. I did see the movie and it was okay for a book adaptation. My favorite part was the computer graphics and the song by Owl City. :) Read the book first if you see the movie. It makes more sense and is more enjoyable.

Redwall

By Brian Jacques

It is the Summer of the Late Rose, and the mice of Mossflower Wood are gathered at the ancient stone abbey of Redwall, celebrating a year of peace and abundance. But a shadow has fallen across the abbey, for it is rumored that Cluny is coming-Cluny, the terrible one-eyed rat, whose vow is to conquer Redwall!
The woodland creatures rush to a desperate defense. But what can peaceloving mice do against Cluny and his army? If only they had the sword of Martin the Warrior. But its hiding place is long forgotten, even by the wise old mouse Methuselah. It is his young apprentice Matthias who sets out to find the legendary sword and becomes a most unlikely hero…


I remember my 6th grade teacher reading Brian Jacques’ books to us out loud, and I recall everyone loving them, except me, who always had the attention span of a flea when it came to listening. So, I decided to revisit Redwall, the beginning of the animal stories of Brian Jacques. I love Mathias; a little abbey mouse who wants to be a warrior and a monk at the same time. This book has that classic hero-journey in it that so many people adore and is an age old tool to write a story. The only difference is you don’t have humans. It’s mice, ferrets, foxes, rats, badgers, adders, and chipmunks. It’s loads of fun to read and has a great feel to it. I’d recommend it to anybody any age.