The Last of the Sky Pirates, Edge Chronicles 5 -- by Colin

I recently read the fifth book in the Edge series, “The Last of the Sky Pirates” and it was AWESOME!  Rook Barkwater is a normal underlibrarian but somehow he gets chosen as a librarian elect, instead of his worthy friend. He then embarks on a great journey to study the wild, but, as we all know, the wild is dangerous. Who knows what awaits him?

One thing I liked about this book is how the character can seem to make friends in a minute. I know I like to read about a friendly character. Another thing I liked about this book is how the contraptions worked. When I saw a glider I knew that is would be possible for this to work and that I could make my own if I had the skill and supplies. A third thing I liked about this book is how there is a variety of new things. I have seen a variety of series that reuse so many villains but this series never does. In every book there are new fantastic creatures and people.  Over all “The Last of the Sky Pirates" is a great book!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by Natalie

I recently read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and it was a great book. I think you should read it.One of my favorite parts is when Harry goes shopping with Hagrid. l liked how J.K Rowling described the town. Another one of my favorite parts was when the orc went free. I don’t know why the orc went into the girls bathroom because I am pretty sure it was a boy.  I saved my favorite for last. This was the battle at the end.  It was between Harry and the one who should not be named (Voldemort). It was a great battle. I think you will like this book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw, Jeff Kinney - by Natalie

You should read Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw.  I will give you three reasons.  One, because he has a little brother and his little brother is funny.  Two, Greg has a crush!  He loves Holly Hills.  He wanted her to love him and then he found out that she was not the girl for him.  Third, his dad nearly sends him to military camp.  His dad does that because a boy he hated went there and came back well behaved.  There are many more things about Greg's life in the book.  If you want to know more about Greg, then read the book.  I thought the book was pretty funny and I enjoyed reading it.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl. By Lauren.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl, is an interesting and amazing book.  It is about a little girl named Matilda.  She’s kind and smart.   Matilda gains psychic powers and with her brilliance she can punish her parents when they are beastly to her, which is often.  Matilda helps her teacher, Miss Honey, get her house back from Miss Trunchbull.  She also teaches herself how to read.  I think you should read Matilda because its funny and enjoyable.  I’ve read it four times and I think its a great book!

Leviathan and Behemoth

I couldn't get this book out of the boy's hands.  He stayed up way past his bedtime.

Colin says:  I thought these were very good books.  They are based on events in a real war.   There are also some strange things made up, giant robots and monsters, both human creations.  I can't wait to read the next story.

I think it's steampunk for kids.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series

It is always a great pleasure to give your child something to read that you loved dearly growing up.  I am currently reading "The Trouble with Jenny's Ear" to my girls, a book I remembered fondly from when I was about their age.  I also started Lauren on Roald Dahl, in particular the non-Charlie books.  My favorite is still "Danny, the Champion of the World," the least fantastical of his books, although Lauren is currently reading Matilda, which seems a really perfect book for her.

But the really entertaining thing has been watching Colin plow through the many books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series over the last month.  You would hear him moving from chuckling to laughing out loud in the evenings and every once in a while he would come in and read aloud a passage that he thought was particularly hilarious.  He delighted in this series, and I am sure he will again, as he has also recently discovered the joys of rereading.

Also:

Classic series of the week - The Great Brain

If you are not familiar with The Great Brain series, you should go check it out.  This is the cover when I read the series when I was a kid.  My books were falling apart by the time I was done with them, especially the fourth one, The Great Brain at the academy.  Colin read these last year and loved them as well.  Set in the 1880s in Utah, these stories of brothers, the middle one, the "Great Brain", too clever for his own good, and the younger telling of his adventures.   The adventures are everyday to over-the-top, from the first, Tom selling tickets to see the family's new indoor toilet, to setting up a "roller coaster" in his back yard.  Tom always has a plan and therein lies the entertainment.  And even though its set over a century ago, the kids and their problems are relatable - from sibling rivalry to bullying, to being the new kid at school.  A great series for your 3-6th grader.  There are 7 books in the series, although I recall mostly the first five.  AR levels 5.0-5.8, 4-7 pts.