The Dragon of Doom by Bruce Coville

by Carol3 Comments
The Dragon of Doom (Moongobble and Me #1) by Bruce Coville Description: Edward is bored with life in the little town of Pigbone. Then Moongobble the Magician and his faithful toad, Urk, move into the cottage on the hill. Soon Edward has a job helping Moongobble. And Moongobble needs a lot of help because it turns out, he is not a very good magician. (His spells keep turning things into cheese!) Edward has never been so busy -- or so happy. But then someone threatens to stop Moongobble from ever casting another spell. Edward can't let that happen. He'll do anything to save his friend's magic -- even face the deadly, dreaded Dragon of Doom! My thoughts: We actually listened to this on CD and it lasted about an hour. Amber says Coville is her favorite author to listen to in the car. I think it's because his stories are wacky and the CDs have a full cast, not just a single narrator, which makes them fun....
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The Monsters of Morley Manor by Bruce Coville

by Carol3 Comments
The Monsters of Morley Manor by Bruce Coville Description: When Anthony Walker bought five brass monsters at Morley Manor, he didn't suspect that they were real—or that thawing them out of their frozen sleep would pull him and his sister, Sarah, into a galaxy spanning adventure. But soon these two brave kids have to deal with monsters, aliens, giant frogs, a tragic angel—and an eerie trip to the land of the dead. Yet for all its madcap weirdness—for all its laughs and spooky thrills—at heart Morley Manor is about the bonds that hold us together as families. It's just that some families are stranger than others... My thoughts: Amber, my mom and I  listened to the full cast unabridged audio recording of this on a car ride last weekend. It lasted just under 5 hours and kept our attention the entire time. It started off with Anthony and Sarah discovering the monsters and helping them return to their full size. Then comes a twisty, turny, convoluted story of their...
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Rapunzel’s Revenge

by Carol2 Comments
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale Published : August 2008, Bloomsbury USA Children's Books From the cover: Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother...or the person she thought was her mother. Every day, when the girl played in her grand villa and lush garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the ridiculosly huge garden wall. Year after year, things just seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally managed to sneak over the top of the wall and was horrified to see what lay beyond... Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair, along with a mysterious outlaw named Jack, gallop around the wild and Western landscape, battling creatures and outrageous villains,...
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Stardust

by Carol7 Comments
Stardust by Neil Gaiman From the back: What happens when you make a promise to bring back a fallen star? Teenager Tristran Thorn is about to find out, as he ventures beyond the wall of his English countryside town. After falling in love with the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester, he sets out on a quest to fulfill his promise to his beloved—and stumbles into the magical realm that lies beyond. My thoughts: This is a beautiful fairy tale, full of magic, both good and bad, gorgeous women, brave men, mystical creatures and, of course, love. Tristran has to find his star, protect the star from others, including an evil witch and a Lord of Stormhold. He has help along the way, from various people and things. It has a happy ending, of course, where all the various story threads are tied up. I would say this is a great story for the whole family, but there are a couple scenes that are not appropriate for kids....
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