Kids' Reading Jan. 08

C (11 years old)
13 books
The Figure in Hiding (Hardy Boys)
Akiko in the Sprubly Islands
Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd
Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Scooby Doo and the Ghostly Gorilla
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7

M(10 years old)
10 books
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules
Wiley and Grandpa: Night of the Living Eggnog

L (8 years old)
17 books
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, books 1-7
Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Treehouse)
Polar Bears Past Bedtime (Magic Treehouse)
Vacation Under a Volcano (Magic Treehouse)
The Boxcar Children
The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island
The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Yellow House
The Trouble with Tink (Disney Fairies)
Vidia and the Fairy Crown (Disney Fairies)
Lilly's Pesky Plant (Disney Fairies)
Nancy Drew & the Clue Crew: Sleepover Sleuths

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

870 pages

This is definitely my least favorite of all the HP books I've read so far. I did not like it.

It was longer than it needed to be. Actually, all we really needed were the last 100 pages or so. It was actually boring in a few spots.

There was no huge encounter with Voldemort as in the the previous books (although the book leads you to believe that there will be). There is an encounter, but it is not nearly as dramatic as in the previous installments. I find it hard to believe Voldemort would just disappear so easily.

I found myself getting frustrated that the adults wouldn't tell Harry what was going on. It would have prevented a tragedy.

However, towards the end of the book Dumbledore explained to Harry why he didn't tell him - and then he comes clean with everything, incuding exactly why Voldemort came after Harry when he was a baby, and why Dumbledore kept him (Harry) in the dark so often.

I hope the next book redeems itself.

2008 total: 3

Total Pages read: 1,826

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

734 pages

I admit it.
I love Harry Potter.

These books grab you from the first chapter and carry you along on an exciting and emotional ride to the very end.
You barely notice that the book is over 700 pages long, it is so fast paced.
It is plain and simple very good story-telling.

I still do not think I would let my children read them- at least not now. The first two are not so bad, but they get progressively darker.

It took me about a week to read this book, which is good time for me since I only read a few minutes before bed every night. I must confess, though. Those "few minutes before bed" turned into a "few hours before bed" while reading this. :-)

2008 total: 2
Total pages read: 956

Winter Reading Challenge

I've decided to join this reading challenge.

I'm a bit late, however.

It is for the months of Dec-Feb.

My goal is to finish the Harry Potter series.

I read the first 3 a few years ago, and I believe it's time I finish. lol

Gruel and Unusual Punishment- Tamar Myers

Book Description:
Pennsylvania Dutch Inn owner Magdalena Yoder returns in the tenth book in the mouthwatering series... When an imprisoned con man meets his Maker after sampling a bowl of gruel laced with arsenic, it's cruel and unusual punishment-indeed. And since Magdalena provided the last supper, she's convinced that one of his many visitors must have added the sinister secret ingredient. With the reputation of her establishment at stake, Magdalena puts on her detective bonnet to discover who in Hernia poisoned the porridge


I love Magdalena Yoder. These books are very funny and entertaining.

They are not deep and certainly not thought-provoking, but they are delightful diversions.


I could not get the picture to upload for some reason.
If you're interested you can check out the amazon reviews here.

222 pages

2008 total: 1