The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward

The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward

is an entertaining historical fiction novel about a boy named Elijah Marshall, his encounter with two Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and his subsequent journey across the plains. He experiences loss, grief, danger, and love as well as he makes this journey. Will he make the journey safely, and will he be able to protect those he has come to love? Read this lovely book by Marsha Ward, and find out for yourself!

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite books of all time. In it, we meet the Pevensies, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

They are a group of siblings who have gone to live with old Professor Kirk in the country, in his big house since it isn't safe for them in the city as it is World War 2, and the Germans are regularly bombing London. While there, Lucy makes an extraordinary find. A wardrobe she climbs into, leads to a magical land called Narnia. There, it is constantly winter. Without any other seasons, yet it's never Christmas! And why is it constantly winter? There's an evil witch who's taken over, and has established herself as Queen of Narnia. So what do the Pevensie kids do when they get there? And how does a giant, golden maned lion named Aslan help them with what they have to do? Read the book and find out!

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder was a favorite of mine when I was little. Especially since my name is similar to the main character's.

In the late 1800s, little Laura and her family are moving from Wisconsin to the Great Plains. Their faithful dog Jack is coming along with them of course, but is Jack and Pa going to be able to protect the family from all the dangers they might encounter on the plains? From rushing rivers to wild fires, Laura and her family have a lot of troubles to face. This is a good book for anyone from eight years old to adult. Anyone interested in seeing history through the eyes of a little girl of European descent would find this book an interesting and entertaining read.

J. Golden Kimball Stories by James Kimball

Being a fan of J. Golden Kimball, I really enjoyed this book. The stories in J. Golden Kimball Stories by James Kimball are hilarious, clean (mostly) and entertaining.

It would have been interesting to have lived during his time and listened to him speak, either in a formal or informal setting. But I think to J. Golden Kimball, he managed to make some formal situations pretty informal. J. Golden Kimball was a high ranking official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints until his death in the late 1930s. Despite expectations that he be serious, prim, and proper, he wasn't. He was a very kind, compassionate person, but at the same time, he said it how it was. Sometimes with a few colorful explitives to enhance his sentences. As a result, he was absolutely hiliarious, and people still tell his stories today, in the 21st century. The book is an entertaining read for any one who enjoys humor, especially members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons as we're often called) but anyone who likes funny stories would enjoy this book.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer completes the Lunar Chronicles series. I enjoyed the book, and it wrapped up in a satisfying way for me, for the most part. I did consider it a bit longer than it needed to be.

Throughout the book, of the group of nine heroes and heroines, someone was getting kidnapped by the evil queen then rescued, then someone else would be kidnapped and then rescued. But it was entertaining. We get to meet Princess Winter. She's not royalty, but the evil queen is her stepmother. And her loyal guard and love interest, Jacin. I listened to it on audiobook, and the narrator did a very good job with the voices. We have the heroes and heroines from the last three books, Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf (Se'ev), Cress, and Thorne. And of course, good old Aiko, the sentient and very life-like robot. This time, they're on Luna, trying to stop evil Queen Levana from taking over the world, and killing Kai. Lots of awful stuff happens, including several people we meet and make friends with, only to have them get killed. But, as I said, the ending was very satisfying. The book is reasonably clean. There are some serious kissing scenes, but nothing stronger than that, and the language is clean, too. "Aces," and "Stars above!" are the strongest explitives you'll hear. So it's pretty safe for older teens.

Dungeon of Dread by Rose Estes

Dungeon of Dread by Rose Estes was the first Dungeons and Dragons book I bought, and the first book that required readers to chose their own paths. I bought it from the school's book order form when I was in 7th grade.

It looked interesting, and I enjoyed medieval fantasy stories at the time, so I got it. I was pleasantly surprised that I would be the one choosing which direction the story would go, and liked the fun and suspense of not knowing if the path I chose would take the character, Caric, to safety or end up killing him. I enjoyed this delightful book when I was a youngster, and despite these times being different with different technology, I know that most kids still love to read, when it's something interesting, and would enjoy reading this book.

Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons by Rose Estes

Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons by Rose Estes is another delightful book put out by Dungeons and Dragons as a book in which the reader chooses his/her own adventure.

In this book, the reader takes on the character of Jaime, a boy who is a wizard's apprentice, who is tricked by 3 bad wizards and separated from his teacher. Depending on which choices the reader makes, Jaime goes on various adventures through the book. It is an entertaining read for middle grader kids, especially when a reader can make a different choices and come to different endings depending on what s/he chooses.

Circus of Fear by Rose Estes

Circus of Fear by Rose Estes is a Dungeons and Dragons Choose your Own Adventure book. In it, the reader is the main character, taking the part of the protagonist.

I enjoyed this book, because in this book, the main character is female, and since I'm female, I was more able to relate to the main character. The reader takes the part of Laela, a girl in a medieval fantasy world who is visiting a circus with a friend, Petra. The conflict starts almost immediately when Bombax confronts the children when they're petting a pegasus, chained by her ankle to a peg in the ground. After that, the adventure changes, depending on what the reader chooses to do. I enjoyed this book when I was in 7th and 8th grade, and it is still an enjoyable adventure for young people in middle grades, and adults who enjoy reading middle grade adventures!