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 I read 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!

Summer Book Bash! FREE eBooks!

My Book Cave is doing a Summer Book Bash, a book giveaway during the month of July, offering over 60 books for free! The listing includes my book, Felicity~ A Sparrow's Tale. I hope you take a look, and check it out! You can choose any book you like, sign up for the author's newsletter, and then My Book Cave sends the book to you! Check it out, HERE! Or any of the other links in this entry! And remember to enter the drawing for a $30.00 gift card!

Cress by Marissa Meyer

So, to make this review fair, I have to say that I am not finished listening to Cress by Marissa Meyer, the 3rd book in the Lunar Chronicles. But so far, it is great. It begins after Scarlet ends. Cress (patterned after Rapunzel) is stuck on a satellite, high above Earth.

And of course not having seen scissors in years, her hair is super long, like Rapunzel's. She is a Shell, a Lunar (person born on the moon) without special powers. The people of Earth and the people on the Moon are all human, but have lived separate long enough that Lunars, as they're called, have developed special powers in that they can manipulate or influence the minds of others. They can make themselves appear more attractive, for one, and certain Lunars can even manipulate the behavior of others with their minds. Cress cannot do any of those things. But she is really good with computers. So instead of being killed, or being a prisoner on her own planet (regular Lunars despite Shells) she is put in this satellite. She does not agree with Queen Levana, the Queen of Luna, who believes it is her destiny to take over all of the world, and so Cress is sympathetic to Earthens, and wants to help. But she's stuck. Until she's contacted by Cinder, Scarlet, Thorne (a character Cinder escaped prison with) and Wolf. They are aboard Thorn's ship, and will come rescue her, so she can help them fight back against Queen Levana. But are these plans going to go smoothly? This book, so far, like Scarlet, seems to be appropriate for teens and up. Readers who enjoy retellings of old fairy tales will enjoy this story, and Scarlet.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles. It comes after Cinder. Meyer takes fairy tales and adds a new twist to them. After the first book, in which Cinder (patterned after Cinderella) a cyborg (having been injured in a fire as a toddler) warns Prince Kai that the evil Lunar Queen wants to take his throne and kill him, we meet Scarlet.

Patterned after Little Red Riding Hood, Scarlet is worried about her grandmother who has gone missing. She recruits the help of a street fighter named Wolf who says he can help her find her grandmother, and off they go toward Paris. But can she fully trust Wolf, or does he have secrets he's not telling her about? And what connection does her missing grandmother have to do with Cinder, who has managed to escape prison despite being caught after warning Kai that the Lunar Queen wants to kill him? This book has some violent bits in it, and some kissing, but it is appropriate for teens to read. I recommend it to people who like sci-fi, and enjoy old stories retold in a new way.

Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary

In Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary, Ramona is facing a whole new set of trials she never expected to face. Ramona's best friend Howie has an uncle, Uncle Hobart, who has come home from Saudi Arabia and Ramona isn't sure she likes Uncle Hobart's sense of humor.

Her mother is getting suspiciously plump in front, her beloved Aunt Bea starts dating a man that she won't tell her neices about, and to top it all off, a sad event that Ramona has never experienced before, happens to their family. But Ramona, ever innovative and courageous, faces everything with grace and flexibility. This is a great book for families to read, especially when facing big changes like a family member getting married, a new baby in the family, or the loss of a beloved pet. The stories are written with the language and thoughts that a young child would use, and would be able to relate to. Children as well as adults who enjoy looking back on their childhoods will love these stories, and find themselves relating to and cheering on Ramona Quimby!