Frances Watts

My opinion doesn't really count for much because I'm definitely not the target audience. This was not what I thought it was. It was strange and wasn't what I was expecting - I didn't realise there would be talking everything - like cats and swords. I didn't mind it but I would've preferred more plot. I thought it was middle grade not picture book. Well not picture book exactly - there's not pictures on every page but it's not middle grade so I don't know - whatever you call that. But I like show more swords and I like females fighting with swords (I grew up devouring Tamora Pierce obvs.) so it was nostalgic. In any case I'm sure younger readers (Kinder to Prep?) will like this story. The illustrations are gorgeous so there's probably a good chance I'll read the rest, I'm a sucker for a pretty cover. For myself personally, I'd give it two stars. But for the target audience solid three stars. show less

Flamant Castle has been besieged by pranks, horrible evil pranks - like itching powder and changing salt for sugar and Sir Benedict thinks Tommy is to blame! Well, the answer is much stranger than that. This one was alright, I would've preferred an actual person rather than a ghost that looked like Reynard . 4 stars for target audience. 2 for me.

In this adventure, Tommy gets a chance to join the Flamant Tournament when one of the squire's is injured. Of course, she can't ride so there's a bit of a learning curve. Straightforward adventure with talking animals and ghosts inhabiting swords. I liked the crocodile helping Tommy to learn to ride. Target audience 3.5 stars. My rating 2.

I have a new beginning chapter book series from Eerdman's Press to preview today! We are big fans of Tim Kennemore's Alice stories, so I was excited to see another series from the same publisher.

Ernie is a big fan of superheroes, but he's never thought of himself as superhero material. So it's a big surprise when the local superheros tell him he's won a contest to be their apprentice! But the superheroes aren't as cool as Ernie had expected...and his sidekick, Maud the sheep, most certainly show more isn't what he had hoped for! Are Ernie and Maud superhero material?

Ernie is a realistic and likable character and Maud brings a dash of common sense and humor to a job that's less excited than Ernie had expected. The humor of the superhero society seems like it would appeal more to adults than children; I don't mean it's inappropriate, but more subtle. The conclusion falls a little bit flat - as a reader, I was expecting something more exciting and over-the-top, but perhaps that's the point of the story, that every day is ok too. The illustrations have the same slightly kooky but still realistic feel as the story and are a nice addition.

I'm not as excited over these stories as I was over Alice, but it's a solid beginning for the series. I wouldn't recommend these to kids who are interested in superheroes, as the story will probably fall flat for them. Rather, I'd give it to kids who enjoy realistic fiction and slightly wacky, more subtle humor.

Verdict: No strong opinion either way.

ISBN: 978-0802853639; Published February 2010 by Eerdmans; ARC provided by publisher at ALA show less