Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands

Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

Age - 11-14

Grade- 6-9

494 pages - hardcover

c. 2018

      

         The Call of the Wraith is the fourth book in the Blackstone Key Adventure Series. The author has indicated that there will be a fifth book and possibly more, but the fifth book is not out yet. In this book Christopher has been shipwrecked and separated from his friends Tom and Sally. He has been taken in by a kindly Devonshire farmer but has lost all his personal memories. He can remember facts but he doesn’t know who he is or anything about his past. He has been seriously ill for thirteen days and the villagers believe he has been possessed by an unseen evil. He regained consciousness only after being visited by the local witch. There are also dark, mysterious things happening in the area. Children have gone missing and the local people believe it is the White Lady, a ghost or wraith from local legend that has returned and is taking the children. A mysterious little girl, who will not speak, has also turned up in the village and is being cared for by the same kind farmer.

            Eventually Christopher is reunited with Tom and Sally, who managed to stay with the ship during the terrible storm which caused Christopher to be thrown overboard. Christopher believes that trying to find the missing children is connected to him receiving his memories. The three friends, together with the mysterious little girl they call Moppet, set out to solve the mystery. They believe that Moppet must have escaped from whoever is taking the children.

            Some dark topics, such as witches and witch trails and missing children, are explored in the book but they are balanced by themes of friendship, loyalty and humor. When Christopher, Tom and Sally are trapped inside an evil tower and Christopher explains his escape plan Tom replies, “The fact that we keep ending up in places where we need gunpowder is not something to be proud of.” There is also a very moving scene where Christopher and Tom are trapped atop a cliff facing an angry and dangerous band of Barbary pirates. Each one knows it is very likely that they will die but neither one is willing to abandon his friend. Moppet and Tom develop a very special friendship. He is the only one she trusts and she literally clings to him for much of the book. Tom, for his part, is extremely loving and gentle with her. He grew up with several little sisters who he loves dearly. Finally, throughout the entire series, there is a continuation of the warm and loving relationship between Master Benedict and Christopher. After Benedict’s death, which happens in the first book, there are times when Christopher is in danger or discouraged and he hears in his mind his master speaking words of guidance or comfort to him.

            There is plenty of action, plot twists and excitement in this book. There are less codes and puzzles to solve but the mystery of the missing children takes a lot careful thinking to unravel. The historic elements of the witch trials and the Barbary pirates are well done and add realism and interest. The Raven, mentioned in book three, is mentioned briefly in the beginning and at the end of the book, but it looks like we will have to wait until book five to find out more about him. Keep reading.

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

Age - 11-14

Grade - 6-9

529 pages, hardcover

c. 2016

     The opening line of The Mark of the Plague, the second book in The Blackthorn Mystery Series is Tom saying to Christopher, his best friend, “This is a bad idea.” It is a comment Tom often makes and many times he is correct. Christopher is proudly showing Tom his latest invention, Blackthorn’s Smoke-Your-Home, designed to prevent the plague and bring Christopher some much needed income. It does succeed in filling the shop with a thick, sweet-smelling haze but it also left a big black scorch mark on the wall and set Harry, the stuffed hedgehog, on fire.

            Christopher is still mourning the death of his master, Benedict Blackthorn, and the plague has hit London very hard. A strange prophet, who wears a bird’s head mask, has come to London with the ability to predict who will die from the plague. An unknown apothecary has also come who claims to have a cure for the plague. Christopher is given a letter from his master by a friend. The letter reveals that Master Benedict has left him a treasure but to find it he must follow many cryptic clues. The letter say, in part, “Somewhere in our house is a prize, hidden for you. Treasure. Understanding your nature, you probably haven’t found it yet….You won’t find it until you realize something incredibly important. Our home is yours. Use everything you have been given. Recognize exactly what this is…Solve this one last riddle, and you’ll not only find your treasure, you’ll learn one last thing - and that is the most important thing I’ll ever want you to know.” The riddle is, “The young bird finds its treasure when it settles in its place, hidden, deep, beneath its feet; don’t let it go to waste.” Christopher spends most of the book trying to solve the riddle and it is his faithful friend Tom who eventually helps him to do it.

            Sands based this story on actual events and included the Bills of Mortality, which listed the number of people who had died each week. The Great Plague of London would ultimately kill one in five of the city’s residents. The humorous dialogue between characters, especially between Christopher and Tom, makes a nice balance from the dark events described in the book. Interesting new characters are introduced, both good and evil. One of these characters, Sally, continues to be a major character in the following two books. As with the previous book there is much action, narrow escapes and many plot twists. I highly recommend this book.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

by Chris Grabenstein

adventure, mystery, puzzle-type book

age 9-12

grade 4-7

271 pages

c. 2016

                The sequel to Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is another entertaining, fast paced book filled with more puzzles, riddles and clues to solve. Students from around the U.S. wanted a chance to complete in a library quest so Mr. Lemoncello set up regional competitions that will end in a Library Olympics in his hometown. The winners of the first contest will be the defending champions. However, this time the competition will be much harder and the team is worried about their chances of winning again. There are also some people in town, led by Charlie, the rich boy who lost in the first game by cheating, who dislike the new library and want to take control over it. Finally Mr. Lemoncello has his own, private reason for conducting the Library Olympics. In this book, unlike the first, not everything is as it appears and not everyone is who they appear to be.

                There are many books, old and new, mentioned as well as some interesting library facts. I did not know that Shel Silverstein’s book The Light in the Attic was banned from a school in Wisconsin in 1985 because “the book encouraged children to break dishes so they would not have to dry them.” My favorite rebus puzzle was a quote from Neil Gaiman. “Google can bring you back one hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one." There are more logic puzzles in this book as well as games that involve knowledge of books, research skills and book cart relays. As in the first book this is an action packed, plot-driven story without deep character development. The joys of reading, using your imagination, thinking outside of the book, and real friendships are all celebrated in the book. In the end it is only those willing to sacrifice a lot to do what is right that are the true champions. Issues of banned books and freedom of speech are also addressed and at the end of the book there is a list of all the books mentioned in the story. The list consists of 76 titles.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library

  by Chris Grabenstein

adventure, mystery, puzzle-type book

age 9-12

grade 4-7

291 pages 

c. 2013

              A fast paced fun read filled with all kinds of puzzles. I especially liked the rebus puzzles. Mr. Lemoncello is an eccentric, quirky billionaire with a great love of libraries. He also is an extraordinary gamer and has made his money in creating all sorts of games. The old library in his hometown was destroyed twelve years ago and he has created a new, state of the art library there. He has created a contest that will allow twelve children who are twelve years old to spend an overnight in the new library before it officially opens. Once there it is revealed to them that there is another contest for them to participate in. Using the resources of the library and their knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System they are to solve the clues and puzzles to find the hidden escape route that will let them exit the library which is now locked. The one who is able to exit first will win the grand prize and be featured in commercials advertising Mr. Lemoncello’s new games.

                The twelve students are a diverse bunch including gamers, overachievers, bookworms, library helpers, and a spoiled rich kid. At first they all work by themselves but quickly decide it is better to team up. During the process even the gamers discover the pleasure of reading a book. They also learn that loyalty, respect and teamwork produce better results than taking short cuts and cheating. The character development is not very deep but I think many will enjoy this as a fun read. A lot of book titles are mentioned along the way that might give some suggestions for other books to read.

The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

mystery, some fantasy elements, puzzle-type book

age 9-12

grade  4-7

384 pages

c. 2018

The second book in the Winterhouse trilogy continues the adventures of Elizabeth and Freddy as they explore this unique hotel and discover more mysteries surrounding it. Elizabeth is now a permanent resident at Winterhouse and is delighted that she has a new home. Once again on her trip to Winterhouse she meets some very unpleasant people, the  Powter family and especially their teenage son Rodney. There are also two new guests at the hotel who are both mysterious and suspicious, Elena and her creepy grandmother Mrs. Vesper.

 Elizabeth learns that there may be another magical object left behind from the former hotel guest Riley S. Granger. In the first book Elizabeth found a magical book written by Granger that the evil Gracella Winters was trying to find to destroy the Falls family. Elizabeth suspects that the Powters and Mrs. Vesper are looking for this new object. There are also rumors of secret passageways within the hotel and the possibility of four secret doors that lead to the passageways. An unusual seal in the floor of one of the hallways in the hotel has a complicated series of numbers and words that Elizabeth and Freddy believe could be some sort of code, perhaps telling the locations of the secret doors.

Elizabeth is also noticing her own special powers seem to be increasing and there are times when she is tempted to, and sometimes does, use them to satisfy herself despite Norbridge repeatedly warning her not to do so. She is also having more trouble controlling her emotions, especially when she gets angry and feels frustrated. These result in her bring rude to guests when she is helping Leona in the hotel library. Despite these growing pains when Elizabeth, spoiler, does locate the object of power she is able to resist the very strong temptation to keep it for herself. “All she wanted to do was keep the pendant pressed within the palm of her hand, wanted to maintain the feeling she had experienced, wanted to keep it hers forever.” …”The words of the rhyme filled Elizabeth: The holder, heeding silent voice alone must make the fateful choice. …”I have to choose, Elizabeth said weakly.”…”I choose not to use this for evil. ”The depths of the evil that Gracella is willing to do is also revealed in her using the lives of those related to her to keep herself alive.

It is a little darker than the first book but also filled with many puzzles and riddles to solve and the deepening of the friendship between Elizabeth and Freddy.

Westing Game by Elen Raskin

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Mystery, Puzzle-Type Book, Newbery Medal Book

Age 9-13

Grades 4-8

206 pages

c. 1978

           The Westing Game is a classic mystery, puzzle type book and one of my favorite books. An eccentric billionaire, Sam Westing, has gathered his sixteen heirs for a reading of his will. The will states that he did not die of natural causes and that one of the heirs is responsible for his death. Sam Westing was an expert gamer and the will further states that the heirs must compete in his “Westing Game” and the one who wins the game will inherit his estate.

            All the heirs have been invited to live in a new, high rise apartment building, but a mistake has been made. One of the residents is not actually an heir. These heirs are a unique group of characters, each with their good points and faults. They consist of mothers and fathers and children and single people. One is a bookie, a burglar, a bomber, a dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, and a judge. More details about each of them and their relationship to Sam Westing are revealed as the story progresses. There are many twists and turns in the plot, fascinating and puzzling clues and many "red herrings." The author, Elen Raskin, is a lover of language and word plays.

            Raskin also has a lot of understanding of human nature and the last three chapters of the book deal with growing up and growing old, with joy and self- knowledge, sadness and grief, but all told in the most beautiful and gentle way. I highly recommend this book. I would also suggest keeping a chart of each character and the clues if you want a chance to solve all the mysteries.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

                                                 

          Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

                                Mystery, Fantasy, Word Puzzles, Friendship  

     Age - 9-12

         Grade - 4-7 

       365 pages

     c. 2018    

      

Elizabeth Somers is an 11 year old orphan living with her nasty aunt and uncle in a depressing town called Drere. Shortly before Christmas she finds herself locked out of the house with a note telling her to spend the holidays at an unusual hotel called Winterhouse. Once there she meets many unusual characters, some who seem quite nice but a bit mysterious, like the owner of the hotel Norbridge Falls, and some quite creepy, like the booksellers Mr. and Mrs. Hiems. She also meets Freddy, a boy her age, who like herself enjoys books, word puzzles, and exploring the many things Winterhouse has to offer.

While exploring the vast library Elizabeth comes across a strange book that she quickly discovers is magical. She also learns about the history of Winterhouse and the strange relatives’ of Norbridge Falls. She gets drawn into increasingly dangerous situations while at the same time realizing she has some connection to Winterhouse itself.

I found a lot to like in this book. The writing is excellent, bringing to life both the characters and the hotel and surroundings. The friendship that develops between Elizabeth and Freddy is refreshing in the way they respect and appreciate both the interests they have in common and the ways they are different. Even when they have a very serious disagreement they manage to sort things out. There are numerous word puzzles throughout the book and each chapter begins with a word ladder puzzle. There are also whimsical black and white drawings throughout the book.

Winterhouse is a very special place that seeks to promote the good with the hope that those who come there will experience it and hopefully bring some of it back when they return home. An inscription on the base of the bust of the founder reads:

“Some people say this world of ours is just a tumbling stone

No soul, no guide, no heart within, mere atoms all alone

But I believe there’s more to things than simply meets the eye

There’s good and bad – and so I say

Make sure the good survives."

The choice of choosing good or evil is a key element in the book.

There will eventually be three books in the series. The second book is The Secrets of Winterhouse. I plan to review it as well as the other books I have listed below. 

Similar puzzle type books that I have enjoyed are The Westing Game,The Mysterious Benedict Society Series, Chasing Vermeer, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Series and The Century Quartet Series