Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 6

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling continues Harry's exciting story. Having barely defeated Voldemort's henchman the year before, Harry is back with the Dursleys for the summer, his aunt, uncle, and cousin who aren't just muggles, but mean muggles. (Muggles are non-magical folk.) Angry because of something that happened out of his control, they lock him in his room and put bars on his windows. But of course, his good friend Ron and Ron's brothers come to Harry's rescue! But is he safer at Hogwarts than he is with the Dursley's? Several misfortunes make him feel uneasy about things, though he is glad to be back at school, and then, he starts hearing a sinister voice that no one else can hear why is that? And why do so many of his fellow students start turning up petrified? Will Madam Pomfrey be able to cure them with her mandrakes? And will Harry and his friends be able to stop whatever is petrifying people before it actually kills someone?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling begins the story of the courageous Harry Potter with an exciting introduction. Little Harry, only a year old, survives an attack that should have killed him. Voldemort, the evil wizard, killed both his parents and tried to kill him, but somehow, Harry thwarted him. As a baby. Growing up with his awful aunt, unkind uncle and caustic cousin, Harry doesn't even realize he's special until one day he received a mysterious letter telling him that he's been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! What?! And the adventure builds from there! Of course just because he defeated Voldemort once doesn't mean Voldemort won't try again! Harry needs to be on the lookout at his new school. But of course, he has the help of teachers like Professor McGonagal, Professor Dumbledore, and others as well as his friends Ron and Hermione. But will that be enough to save him from what Voldemort has planned?

Hole by Louis Sachar

Holes by Louis Sachar is a wonderfully written book with something happening on every page that leads the reader closer and closer to the exciting conclusion where every storyline finally comes together to help out Stanley and his friend, Hector. Sachar skillfully twines all of the seemingly unconnected stories of the notorious outlaw, Kissin' Kate Barlow, Elya Yelnats, (Stanley's ancestor) and Stanley's great grandfather, the first Stanley Yelnats. (The protagonist of the story is Stanley Yelnats, the fourth.) Through all of it, the reader is taken on Stanley's journey where he learns courage, loyalty to a brave friend, and self-discovery. It is a delightful book for young and old. There is also a very fun, family-friendly movie of Holes based on the book.

The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward

The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward is an entertaining historical fiction novel about a boy named Elijah Marshall, his encounter with two Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and his subsequent journey across the plains. He experiences loss, grief, danger, and love as well as he makes this journey. Will he make the journey safely, and will he be able to protect those he has come to love? Read this lovely book by Marsha Ward, and find out for yourself!

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite books of all time. In it, we meet the Pevensies, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. They are a group of siblings who have gone to live with old Professor Kirk in the country, in his big house since it isn't safe for them in the city as it is World War 2, and the Germans are regularly bombing London. While there, Lucy makes an extraordinary find. A wardrobe she climbs into, leads to a magical land called Narnia. There, it is constantly winter. Without any other seasons, yet it's never Christmas! And why is it constantly winter? There's an evil witch who's taken over, and has established herself as Queen of Narnia. So what do the Pevensie kids do when they get there? And how does a giant, golden maned lion named Aslan help them with what they have to do? Read the book and find out!

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder was a favorite of mine when I was little. Especially since my name is similar to the main character's. In the late 1800s, little Laura and her family are moving from Wisconsin to the Great Plains. Their faithful dog Jack is coming along with them of course, but is Jack and Pa going to be able to protect the family from all the dangers they might encounter on the plains? From rushing rivers to wild fires, Laura and her family have a lot of troubles to face. This is a good book for anyone from eight years old to adult. Anyone interested in seeing history through the eyes of a little girl of European descent would find this book an interesting and entertaining read.

J. Golden Kimball Stories by James Kimball

Being a fan of J. Golden Kimball, I really enjoyed this book. The stories in J. Golden Kimball Stories by James Kimball are hilarious, clean (mostly) and entertaining. It would have been interesting to have lived during his time and listened to him speak, either in a formal or informal setting. But I think to J. Golden Kimball, he managed to make some formal situations pretty informal. J. Golden Kimball was a high ranking official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints until his death in the late 1930s. Despite expectations that he be serious, prim, and proper, he wasn't. He was a very kind, compassionate person, but at the same time, he said it how it was. Sometimes with a few colorful explitives to enhance his sentences. As a result, he was absolutely hiliarious, and people still tell his stories today, in the 21st century. The book is an entertaining read for any one who enjoys humor, especially members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons as we're often called) but anyone who likes funny stories would enjoy this book.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer completes the Lunar Chronicles series. I enjoyed the book, and it wrapped up in a satisfying way for me, for the most part. I did consider it a bit longer than it needed to be. Throughout the book, of the group of nine heroes and heroines, someone was getting kidnapped by the evil queen then rescued, then someone else would be kidnapped and then rescued. But it was entertaining. We get to meet Princess Winter. She's not royalty, but the evil queen is her stepmother. And her loyal guard and love interest, Jacin. I listened to it on audiobook, and the narrator did a very good job with the voices. We have the heroes and heroines from the last three books, Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf (Se'ev), Cress, and Thorne. And of course, good old Aiko, the sentient and very life-like robot. This time, they're on Luna, trying to stop evil Queen Levana from taking over the world, and killing Kai. Lots of awful stuff happens, including several people we meet and make friends with, only to have them get killed. But, as I said, the ending was very satisfying. The book is reasonably clean. There are some serious kissing scenes, but nothing stronger than that, and the language is clean, too. "Aces," and "Stars above!" are the strongest explitives you'll hear. So it's pretty safe for older teens.

Dungeon of Dread by Rose Estes

Dungeon of Dread by Rose Estes was the first Dungeons and Dragons book I bought, and the first book that required readers to chose their own paths. I bought it from the school's book order form when I was in 7th grade. It looked interesting, and I enjoyed medieval fantasy stories at the time, so I got it. I was pleasantly surprised that I would be the one choosing which direction the story would go, and liked the fun and suspense of not knowing if the path I chose would take the character, Caric, to safety or end up killing him. I enjoyed this delightful book when I was a youngster, and despite these times being different with different technology, I know that most kids still love to read, when it's something interesting, and would enjoy reading this book.

Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons by Rose Estes

Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons by Rose Estes is another delightful book put out by Dungeons and Dragons as a book in which the reader chooses his/her own adventure. In this book, the reader takes on the character of Jaime, a boy who is a wizard's apprentice, who is tricked by 3 bad wizards and separated from his teacher. Depending on which choices the reader makes, Jaime goes on various adventures through the book. It is an entertaining read for middle grader kids, especially when a reader can make a different choices and come to different endings depending on what s/he chooses.