Raven's Gate

Once I find an author I enjoy, I try to read everything that person has written. It stands to reason that if I enjoyed one book by him, then I would enjoy the rest. I have found that logic to be pretty sound, but there are a few exceptions.

Anthony Horowitz is one of those exceptions. Horowitz is the author of the Alex Rider series I'v written about before - James Bond for junior high and high school students.

I was in the young adult section of our library, looking for the next book in the Alex Rider series, when I found Raven's Gate, book one of The Gatekeeper series. I picked it up, thinking I'd be proactive, reading it before my 11-year-old asked.

And I am so glad I did.

Horowitz is a great writer, and Raven's Gate is no exception. It's the subject I dislike.

Raven's Gate is about a teenage boy, Matt Freeman, who finds himself in a very sticky situation - a robbery where his friend kills a guard. He's offered a chance at a new program for first-time juvenile offenders - go to live with Mrs. Deverill in Lesser Malling instead of going to jail. He doesn't really care, so they send him to Lesser Malling.

Strange things start to happen, and Matt discovers he has some strange abilities.

Raven's Gate is a very creepy book - very creepy. There are references to human sacrifice, clairvoyance, ESP and worship of ancient beings, among other things.

Here's the thing - I believe in a spiritual world and spiritual beings. And I believe that messing with these beings is dangerous, as depicted in this book. I also believe that Jesus Christ defeated Satan and his followers at his Resurrection, and I believe followers of Jesus are able to defeat spiritual forces by His power, and not their own.

In Raven's Gate, Matt is able to escape and defeat his enemies with the help of other people, and his own special powers.

Horowitz himself, in the interview in the back of the book, describes the Alex Rider series and James Bond for teenagers. He then compares The Gatekeeper series with Steven King for teenagers.

I do not want my children tempted to start down that dark path, so these books will not be on our reading list.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians

My nephew is obsessed with the “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” series. He has read them all, and has sparked my son’s interest in reading these books. I like to know what my kids are reading, so when The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan came in at the library, I grabbed it to read it first. (Mean, I know, but Nathaniel had schoolwork to do!)

I found it a little difficult to get into the book. There were so many unexplained events, so many questions that I thought took a long time to get answered. But, like the Alex Rider series, these books are action-packed.

Unlike Alex Rider, Percy Jackson is fantasy, in case you didn’t figure that out from the title of the series. The series is based on the idea that the Greek gods were real, are still alive and working today, and still running around messing around with humans and having children who are demigods, or half-bloods, or heroes (used interchangeably in the book).

Percy has to figure out how to live in the ‘real’ world while fighting monsters from the mythical world. He has some good friends, mentors and a magical pen, which turns into a sword he can use to fight the monsters. In The Lightning Thief, Percy is required to go on a quest, fighting all sorts of monsters, gods, and traps along the way.

Nathaniel told me this morning, “That book is really scary.” And it is, so I would not recommend it for grade-school children – especially those who are afraid that monsters live in their closets or under their bed.

But for boys old enough to handle the action, The Lightning Thief will capture, and hold, their attention and imagination. Nathaniel can't wait to read the rest of the series... especially since he's already done with the Alex Rider books.

Stormbreaker

My oldest son brought me Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz after a recent library trip.

"Mom," he said. "Would you please read this book and let me know if it's OK for me to read?"

I greatly appreciated his asking.

And honestly, I enjoyed the book.

Basically, Stormbreaker is James Bond for preteen and teenage boys... without all the swearing and sex.

It's rather unbelievable, but I think that's what makes it so fun. What 14-year-old boy wouldn't love to be able to train as a spy, hunt down the bad guy, and parachute out of a plane in order to save the day?

Alex Rider, the main character, makes it a point to try to avoid killing anyone. However, plenty of people around him are killed, including his only living relative, and his life is in danger frequently. If you have a child sensitive to being left alone or violence, then this book is not for him.

I told my son, who's 11, that he would enjoy reading it, but asked that he not share it with his little sister. She just turned 10, but I don't think she's quite ready for the action in this book.

He ended up reading it in one day - on a long car ride over the holiday. What did he think of it?

"I liked Stormbreaker because of the gadgets. Those are pretty cool," Nathaniel told me. "The story has good action, excitement and lots of suspense. I would definitely recommend it to other boys."

Since then, he has quickly read through the other Alex Rider mysteries - I think there are six in all. He tells me that in a couple of them, there are some swear words. If that concerns or offends you, you might want to pre-read them for your boys.

The House of Sixty Fathers

Meindert Dejong is probably one of the best children's literature authors you may have never heard of. I had never heard of him before I started using Sonlight's homeschooling curriculum.

Over the past few years, we have read Wheel on the School, Shadrach, and Along Came a Dog in school, so when I saw this year included a Meindert Dejong book, I was excited.

The House of Sixty Fathers is an excellent book. It's set in China during World War II and the Japanese Invasion of China. The back of my copy says it's for children ages 10-14, and I would agree with that.

The main character, Tien Po, is separated from his parents during the war. This book is about his journey to find them and the unexpected help he gives and receives along the way. It is set during a war, so Tien Po witnesses some awful things younger children may not be ready to process.

We finished reading The House of Sixty Fathers this morning. Actually, Anna finished reading it because I couldn't. They thought I couldn't read because I was laughing too hard. Au contraire! I was crying too hard! But I won't tell you why and ruin the ending.

Throughout the entire book, we were trying to figure out why it was called The House of Sixty Fathers. We ventured many guesses, but didn't discover the answer until nearly the last chapter - and then it all made sense.

This is a great book to read aloud to your children if they are 10 or older, unless your child is especially sensitive to emotional distress of separation and fear. My older children and I really enjoyed it.