Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

This book was the second I read in the Redwall series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. In the first book, Redwall, Martin has been dead for quite a while, but he is spoken of as a hero of the castle and takes on an almost god-like status. Martin the Warrior explains his life. Martin loses his father's sword to an evil ruler. He escapes and vows to free all of the slaves and get his sword back. The plot follows the escapees as they try to find reinforcements to help rescue the other captives. Martin's group is captured and attacked by other forces along the way. In the meantime, the evil ruler is combating some problems within his own fortress caused by a former partner and rebels.


I enjoy the mystery and adventure in the book, although some people might want a bit more action. Some of my students have complained that they can't understand some of the characters, especially the moles. The author writes the dialogue the way they speak, and it can be a challenge. My suggestion, don't worry about the moles' individual words; you can usually figure out what they're trying to say from the context. The plot skips back and forth between three settings, so that may confuse some readers also. One setting is in the evil fortress, and the other two settings follow the escapees after they are separated.

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

This book is interesting, but maybe bizarre for some readers, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Johnny enjoys video games, and he's currently playing "Only You Can Save the Earth." While playing, a message appears on his screen that appears to be coming from the captain of the enemy spaceships. Johnny finds himself between reality and a dream world as he discovers that the aliens in the game are "really" being killed by his fighter. The aliens call him "The Chosen One" and beg him for protection from other players. The alien fleet can be saved if they can reach "The Border". Johnny must convince himself that he's not crazy and then must decide if he should help the aliens. After all, it's only a game, right?

I like the creativity of the conflict, although I would never recommend it for an award. Readers who enjoy alien novels should like this book, and it's a fairly quick-read. Some parts confused me a bit as Johnny tried to figure out if he was dreaming, playing a video game, or it was reality. If you don't like science fiction or aliens, move on to something else.

Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder

This book was recommended to me, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. It was interesting, but it just didn't grab me. Four children, ages six to twelve, live in the country and spend the summer hanging out together. However, they discover a wall in the middle of a cornfield that performs magic. They eventually realize that the wall's magic power is that it can transport them to other places that also have walls. The four children take turns making wishes that take them to other places in the world, past or future, which creates some adventures. A couple of the characters they meet along the way are Merlin and the son of Blackbeard the pirate.

Some readers may love this book, but there was something missing for me. Finding a magic wall in the middle of a cornfield was pretty random, and the early adventures weren't very intriguing. I must admit that I enjoyed the plot more as I read farther into the book. I found it more entertaining once they met Blackbeard's son and, later in the book, Bernice. Emma, the six-year old girl, was a curious character. She often gave the older children logical advice, like she belonged in the Mysterious Benedict Society. It was probably the author's intent, but I found it strange for the group to be using a first grader as their advisor.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

I reread this Newbery-winning novel for the blog, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Mrs. Frisby's son, Timothy, is seriously ill and can't be moved for several weeks. However, the farmer is going to be plowing up the field in five days, so her home will be destroyed. She is advised to seek the help of the rats found under the rosebush, but she has little hope that they'll even listen to her. She discovers that these rats have amazing talents, and she also finds out many secrets about her deceased husband's life. The suspense rises as the rats race to move Mrs. Frisby's house before plowing day arrives without being eaten by the farmer's cat, Dragon. All the while, the rats must be on the lookout for the scientists from NIMH.



It's been a number of years since I read this book for the first time, and I still enjoy it. I think the thing I like most about the plot is that everything in the it is possible if the science experiments performed on the rats were as effective as described. It's not full of fantasy and magic like the movie version of the book. In addition to literature, I have a love for science and math, and the characters use those skills to solve their problems.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

This book is the first in a very long series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Redwall is a fortress run by mice, and its purpose is to help needy creatures. They believe in peace and caring, although the legendary Martin the Warrior fought an enemy many years before. A beautiful tapestry on the castle wall honors his memory. However, Cluny the Scurge and his army of ruthless rats now plan to attack Redwall. Matthias views himself as the new protector of Redwall, and discoveries are made that link him to Martin. Matthias knows he must find Martin's sword in order to save Redwall. He helps to battle Cluny's army, has confrontations with attacking sparrows, a cat, an owl, and eventually a poisonous snake. Cluny is relentless in his attacks on Redwall, and Matthias is its final hope.

This series was very popular among students just a few years ago, so I'm happy to reintroduce it to current readers. All of the characters are animals, which I'm okay with. I also enjoy the idea of the weak defeating the powerful. I liked how the author introduced the main conflict, Cluny's attack on Redwall, very early in the plot but added more conflicts as Matthias tried to learn about Martin the Warrior to find his shield and sword. Cluny made repeated attempts to enter the fortress, so the plot didn't depend on one big battle. The sub-conflicts kept the plot fresh, while I knew there would eventually be a showdown between Matthias and Cluny. There's a great deal of action and suspense, so that should hold the interest of most readers. Many students have found it difficult to understand the moles, and some of the characters had trouble too. One of the characters comments that she can understand about every third word they say, and that was enough for me to get the gist of what they meant. It's a great book.

Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

This book was recommended by our librarian, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Barnaby Grimes is a messenger boy who likes to travel throughout the city by rooftop. This job gives him many opportunities to meet very interesting characters. One of his sickly friends finds a doctor with a miracle cure to his ailments, and Barnaby is suspicious that the medicine actually works. He becomes a messenger for the mysterious doctor and becomes even more suspicious of his activities. Although the doctor lives in the rich part of town, many of his patients are found in the most run-down parts of the city. Also, the doctor doesn't charge a fee for his treatments. Barnaby digs even deeper into the situation when many of the patients turn up missing or dead.

This book is the first in a series. The conflict in the story is unique, so it held my interest. I knew that the plot involved werewolves, but I wasn't totally sure how Barnaby and the doctor fit into it. That was a good thing, because it kept me wondering. The first page of the book grabbed my attention, because it described Barnaby's transformation into a werewolf. However, the introduction was a teaser, and I didn't find out what was really going on with him until much later in the book. Again, it held my interest by making me wonder about Barnaby would becoming a werewolf and how he would resolve the problem.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

This book was recommended by a student, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Stephanie's grandfather passes away, and he leaves her the majority of the fortune from his fantasy writing. However, she discovers that much of his writing is based on true events, and her biggest friend and partner turns out to be a skeleton named Skulduggery Pleasant. They discover that a character named Serpine has broken a truce and wants to find the mythical, powerful Scepter of the Ancients, but the Elders don't believe it. Stephanie and Skulduggery team up to battle all types of creatures and magicians/sorcerers in an attempt to stop Serpine. Serpine killed Skulduggery once to make him a skeleton, and he wouldn't mind killing him again with the power of the scepter. It turns out that Stephanie may possess some unknown powers of her own, but she's not able to summon them.

This book is the first in a series. I initially thought Skulduggery was a goofy character; I mean, he's a walking, talking skeleton. However, he has a quirky personality, and I enjoyed the dialogue between Stephanie and him. For example, Skulduggery informed her that his real head was stolen, and he won this one in a poker game. And later, when Stephanie asked if there was a way to tell if she had the ability to perform magic, Skulduggery said, "Yes, we cut off your head. If it grows back, you can do magic."

"You're being funny again, aren't you?"

"So glad you noticed."

It's corny dialogue, but I guess Skulduggery's dry sense of humor is similar to my own.