The Red Hand Adventures #3: Legends of the Rif by Joe O'Neill

Malik and Sanaa recover from near death in the desert and attempt to organize the rebels to fight the Caid. However, rumors have spread that the rebel leaders were killed, so their efforts are extra difficult. The Caid's forces, led by the Black Mamba, are joined with the French, so they will create an overpowering juggernaut. Fez and Aseem help to organize a spy ring of orphans and children of the streets to gather information against the Caid. Tariq's talents grow, and he's joined by an Australian named Jack. Jack is searching for some ancient scrolls that hold great power in the balance of good and evil in the world. Meanwhile, Colonel Owens is trying to elude the British navy and bounty hunters after he's branded a traitor. His wife is pulled into the conflict and finds herself in prison. In the end, all of these characters will find their lives put on the line.

This book is the third in the series, and book two was nominated for a Cybils award in 2013. I have only been able to find the books in this series through Netgalley. A more detailed explanation of The Red Hand Society is described in this book. I have enjoyed the series but wish the author had kept Tariq as the focus of his stories. Book two, and now book three, added many side stories that I didn't think were necessary. They added new settings and characters that distracted me from the main plot. I liked everything, but the story of Colonel Owens could have been its own book. At this point, it hasn't had anything to do with the conflict between the Caid and the rebels, so I'm unclear why they're in the same book. Perhaps the stories will come together in the future, but I didn't feel the colonel's story was necessary at this time.

Spy School #3: Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

It's Ben's second year at the secret CIA spy school, and he manages to get himself into huge trouble on the first day. It seems that blowing up the principal's office with a mortar shell will get you expelled. Ben returns to his old middle school, but he accepts a position at the evil spy school instead. The decision is a little strange, since Ben thwarted two evil Spyder plots in the first book. There are only three students at the school, and the teachers don't seem very evil. He starts to wonder until the other students break Murray Hill out of prison. Murray tried to kill Ben on more than one occasion, and Ben is the reason Murray was in prison. One thing is certain, Spyder has some big plans that involve blowing things up! Ben and Murray are going to have a memorable reunion.

You probably don't need to read the first book in the series, Spy School, in order to enjoy this one, but it was good too. Ben is a fairly normal kid, although the characters have special abilities. Ben's strength is math, a couple of other characters are very athletic, and one character is a superb gamer. Not the most impressive powers, but they make it easier to connect with the characters. Ben has ongoing girl problems, as he tries to save New York City. I've enjoyed the quirkiness of the character's personalities, and the new characters have their own issues and insecurities. Murray always seems to be eating after escaping from prison, and he has faith in Ben's evilness.

The Ranger's Apprentice 3: The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

My name is Evanlyn Duncan. I've been taken captive, along with Will Treaty, an apprentice to Ranger Halt, and the Skandians plan to sell us as slaves. I must not let them discover I'm the king's daughter, since their leader has vowed to kill my entire family. When we arrive in their homeland, things get much worse for Will. He's forced to work outside in the ice and frigid cold, and other slaves have secretly gotten him addicted to warmweed, a narcotic drug. Skandian warriors are all around. but I must do something to save him, but what? I know Halt would find a way, but he's busy trying to find an outlaw back in Araulen. My father won't let him leave the kingdom, and I know Halt will do anything to help Will. I don't think he would defy my father, would he? Then, someone unexpected offers to help Will and I, but I don't know if his help will make things better, or worse.


All of the books in this series and the spin-off series written by Flanagan have been enjoyable to read. This book is unusual in that Will becomes a minor character once he becomes addicted to warmweed. It's nice to see a female character take the role of hero, as Evanlyn is forced to protect Will and lead him to freedom. The subplot following Halt allows the author to continue sharing the mystique of the Rangers while Will is ill. Halt is cunning, intelligent, and a formidable warrior, and he shares his knowledge with Horace, Will's best friend, as they meet rogue knights during their travels. Their story presents a great lesson in chivalry. My only dislike for the book is when the conflict with Will and Evanlyn isn't completely resolved. You can enjoy this book by itself, but you'll appreciate it more after reading the other books in the series.

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #1: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

This book is the first in a series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Sophie and Josh are twins, working summer jobs on opposite sides of the street in San Francisco. Their whole world changes when they discover that their bosses are married guardians of The Codex, a book of spells and secrets of the universe. An evil magician named Dee steals the book from them, although Josh rips two important pages from it before it's taken. The rest of the plot finds Dee and evil Elders chasing the guardians and the twins to retrieve the lost pages. There is a large battle during the climax, and a secret is revealed about the twins. It leads into the sequel called The Magician.

The plot involved a great deal of magic and strange creatures, which should delight lovers of the fantasy genre. It was interesting that the Elders were the first creatures on Earth and have existed for millions of years. There were humorous moments to the plot, including a scene where Josh was forced to drive a car because the guardian and his friend didn't know how. Josh couldn't believe that the guardian was the most powerful alchemyst in history, and almost 700 years old, but he didn't have the ability to control a car. There were a number of chases and battles, so the action should hold the interest of most readers.

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #2: The Magician by Michael Scott

This book is the sequel to The Alchemyst, which I enjoyed very much. Twins, Josh and Sophie, are transported from San Francisco to Paris with Nicholas Flamel and a warrior called Scathach. Sophie's magical powers have been Awakened, and Flamel believes the twins are the keys to saving the world. However, evil immortals want the kids captured, and they want Flamel and Scathach dead. They surround the Alchemyst and the kids in a Paris house and call in formidable assassins. The Disir, three Valkyrie sisters, are determined to kill Scathach and avenge the deaths of their ancestors, and they unleash a powerful beast on the home. A prophecy says the twins will save, or destroy, the world, so they must be saved at all costs. Sophie is still learning about her powers, and Josh's powers have not yet been Awakened. All of their powers will be needed to defeat the ruthless forces converging on them.

You should read the first book before reading this one. The plot is a wonderful blend of fantasy and adventure with plenty of chases and fighting to please action-lovers. This book focuses more on Josh's character than in the previous book. He feels like an outsider, he's the only character without any special abilities, and he's a little jealous of his twin sister. He questions Flamel's motives and allows Dee, an evil immortal, to influence his thinking. Josh is willing to do anything to have his powers Awakened. Sophie has gained the memories of an ancient witch, so her thoughts add a lot of background information to the plot. A subplot involves Flamel's wife; she's being held prisoner on the island of Alcatraz but discovers Dee has been collecting dangerous monsters in the old prison. The author adds another layer of conflict by giving the immortals, Flamel and his wife, a few weeks to retrieve The Codex, a magical book, or they will die. Joan of Arc is a welcome addition to the characters and provides another warrior for the good team!

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #3: The Sorceress by Michael Scott

Josh, Sophie, and Flamel flee to England, but that's probably a bad decision. Even though Flamel wants the ancient King Gilgamesh to teach the twins water magic, friends of the Dark Elders are all over the country; any use of magic will attract them like magnets. Palamedes, the Sacaren Knight, reluctantly agrees to help Flamel, because a prophecy says the twins will save the earth, or destroy it. Meanwhile, Flamel's wife, Perenelle, discovers the sorcerer Dee has been collecting terrifying creatures on Alcatraz Island, and they will be released to cause mayhem across the world. Perenelle escapes from her cell, but she's now trapped on the island. The Dark Elders will do anything to capture the twins, but they now want Flamel and his wife dead.

You need to read the other books in the series before reading this one. This series has many Immortals, so it presents a strange mix of characters from history. Imagine Joan of Arc, William Shakespeare, and Billy the Kid all in the same plot! An unusual complication in the book arises, because of the connections between Sophie and a dead witch and Josh and a Magical sword. Sophie has all of the witch's memories, many are helpful, but Sophie's own memories are being lost. Josh's senses for battle tactics become strong, but his thinking is sometimes controlled by the sword. The kids still have issues with Flamel's lack of honesty and motivations, so there are moments when the characters clash. However, Flamel lost possession of a powerful book of spells, The Codex, in the first book, so Perenelle and he start aging quickly and are dying. This twist causes the characters to become weak and defenseless even after using their great powers to defeat their enemies.

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Amy is tired of being responsible for her mentally-handicapped sister and wants to get away. She ends up visiting Aunt Clare at her country home and discovers a beautiful, but spooky, dollhouse in her attic. Amy notices that the dolls change positions by themselves and that there are cries and lights coming from the dollhouse. Aunt Clare seems to get upset around it, and she accuses Amy of being mean for moving the dolls. Amy discovers a grisly secret about her grandparents' deaths and makes it her mission to find out the truth. The dollhouse seems to hold the key.

Many of my students have raved about this book. It was a pretty easy book to read and had an interesting plot. There was a nice blend of conflicts between the sisters, Amy and her aunt, and the mystery surrounding the dollhouse. Amy wants to discover the truth, but she doesn't want to upset her aunt. She wants to get away from her sister, but she wants to protect her. The climax fittingly comes on a dark and stormy night. Overall, it was a good book.