Book Review -- The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I knew who Neil Gaiman was because of the movie Coraline (which I only watched the beginning of because it was so creepy), but I'd never read any of his work. I heard about this book from a list of YA "must reads," so I decided to give it a whirl. Well. I was captivated! This story absolutely grabbed me right from the first chapter. It was a creative idea (human child raised in a graveyard by ghosts), and it had just the right mix of creepy but with heart. I loved, loved, loved it. Five stars all the way, and Mr. Gaiman is now an author I plan to read more of. Teachers and parents...supernatural horror situations, physical violence, no strong language, no inappropriate physical romance. 13+ for sure. 12 and under with caveats. Not for the 12 and under gentle crowd.

Book Review -- Three Times Lucky

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun mystery story! At first I wasn't sure. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story and the characters. I think some of the southern-ness was tripping me up (I'm not from the south), but once I got cruising, this was a delightful read. I'll admit, I didn't have the mystery solved until the end of the book. There were several possibilities, but I hadn't guessed the author's solution. I ended up loving our heroine, what a fun person. I heartily recommend this one to all kids in the grades 4-6 range. Parents & Teachers -- crime mischief, kids in tense situations without parental involvement, no swearing (but the text indicates that the characters do use foul language), and no inappropriate physical romance. Ages 10+