Milton Fauster doesn't think that life is fair, and neither, for that matter, is death. One moment, he was dragged along on his sister Marlo's spectacular shop-lifting spree (on top of some top-of-the-line cosmetics, she also stole an oar and smashed the mall cupids with it), the next moment he was trapped in the explosion of a marshmallow grizzly bear and died. He and his sister plunged directly to Heck, the nether-world reformatory school. Milton knows he doesn't belong there, while his sister most certainly does. To make matters worse, they were followed by the school bully, Damian, who had it in for Milton. This story is told with great tongue-in-cheek humor, for instance, the ethics teacher is Richard M. Nixon. Will Milton survive Heck and escape the clutches of Principal Bea 'Elsa' Bubb? This is book 1 in the Circles of Heck series.

Similar authors: Lemony Snicket, Pseudonymous Bosch

Similar books: Series of Unfortunate Events

Reviewed by: vfv

Date read: 12/26/2012

ISBN-13: 9780375840753

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Meet Princess Jennifer. She is rather plain and shy, with a chubby, good natured kind of face. This is not really how you would expect a princess to look. One day, an egocentric prince named Alexander happens upon the small kingdom that Jennifer's father rules. He is in need of a blacksmith, but the only blacksmith is on a fishing trip. Alexander decides to wait for the blacksmith to return, and goes on a walk with Jennifer. In the enchanted forest, Alexander gets on the bad side of the enchanted mirror, and it puts a sleeping spell on him. As Jennifer attempts to get help, Norman, a kindly sorcerer, helps her battle a giant, a dragon, and Malveena, the witch. Read this book and see how everyone's happily ever after is achieved.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0152012001

ISBN-13: 9780152012007

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Eric, Julie, and Neal find a magic stairway in Eric's basement. The stairway leads them to the fantastical kingdom of Droon. In Droon, red creatures on flying lizards are shooting arrows at them. Oh wait, not at them, but at Princess Keeah, who's coming their way. In exchange for helping her, Keeah will help them get back home. Follow Eric, Julie, and Neal as they make their way through Groggles and Ninns, spells and invisibility cloaks, spider trolls and Leep. How will they save Keeah, and get back home? This is book one of the Secrets of Droon series.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0590108395

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'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.' Thus begins the classic story when Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit, joins with a group of dwarves and a wizard to defeat a wicked dragon. Elves, giants, evil spiders, mighty eagles- this story has it all, and sets the stage for the author's later (and darker) Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 9/30/2010

ISBN-10: 0395520215

ISBN-13: 9780395520215

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During the Golden Age of Narnia, when Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy are ruling, a boy named Shasta manages to escape from the Land of Calormen to the North. He does this by partnering with a Talking Horse named Bree. They later join a girl named Aravis and her Talking Horse, Hwin. They have many adventures as they journey through the desert, but the biggest surprises occur once they have reached Narnia. This is book 5 in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 9/27/2010

ISBN-10: 0060234881

ISBN-13: 9780060234881

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