The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

I finished the Exiled Queen (book two in the series) last night and started right into The Gray Wolf Throne (#3).  Chima has created strong and consistent characters that have plenty of human flaws (like falling for the wrong person or ticking off the wrong person or trusting the wrong person).  The third story in the series continues the suspense on many different levels: personal (friendship and romance), political (war and marriage as tools to gain power), and spiritual or magical.

Although prolific readers will find many similarities in Chima’s world and other fantastical realms, the author brings a fresh and believable world alive.  There is room for both strong young women and strong young men to find champions and blackguards in the Seven Realms Series.

The Book Without Words

 

Bibliographic information

The book without words [sound recording] : [a fable of medieval magic] / by Avi.

by Avi, 1937-

Prince Frederick, Md. : Recorded Books, p2005

Avi writes a fast paced adventure of some unlikely hero’s.  Can two children defeat an evil sorcerer, avoid the police and escape the city?  The reader will be kept on the edge of his seat wondering.

This adventure is similar to Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes or the Grimm Legacy wherein although magic exists and is available to the protagonists it does not solve the problem outright and often can create more problems.

Harry Potter

The Harry Potter Series by Rowling, J.K.

Although I have already read this series of books out loud twice and cannot officially use any of them for this project, I couldn’t leave J.K. Rowling out because this series is a must read.  She is a phenomenal author and I would say the catalyst for many tweens to start reading again.  In the middle of video game mania, T.V., computers and media all vying for our kids’ attention, Rowling created a reading revolution with her three young Hogwarts heroes!  I can’t say enough good things because as sales have proven these books are appealing to all ages.  I have read the books out loud to my children so we can talk about problems the characters run into and how they deal with them.  We can brainstorm other ways to solve similar problems in our own lives.  For example, in the first book when Harry chooses to lie to Professor Dumbledore I ask my boys if they think that was a good choice and what would happen if Harry had told the truth or why they think he didn’t.  The brilliance of this series is accented in the language and content of each book.  As Harry grows, so do his readers.  We come through childhood with Harry and find that life and people are not altogether good or evil and each character has a myriad of motivations for their behavior – even Voldemort!