Review: Ghost

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ghost has been running all his life. Usually it's been away from trouble, but one day he stumbles upon a track team. His natural talent is noticed and his has the potential for great success. He must just stay out of trouble, but it's not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have a certain reputation...

I really liked the character of Ghost. I felt like he could have been a real boy. His mother works hard, but has little time left over for him. He's lucky to have other adults in his life that help him make choices. I also liked watching the way all the individual members of the track team began to pull together. This is a middle grade novel that is worth reading.

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Review: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Benedict Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A decent version of the Arthurian legends for middle grade readers. I read this as an audio book. I enjoyed hearing Sean Bean read this. He lent the characters the right amount of gravitas and nobility. This is very accessible for young readers. Some of the morality in the tales are difficult to explain, but this tells the tales without dwelling on some of the more mature aspects.

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Review: Pax

Pax by Sara Pennypacker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pax is the story of a Peter and the search for his pet fox, Pax. Along the way he overcomes great obstacles, meets people who change his life, and he finds out what's truly important. The book is told in alternating chapters between Peter and Pax.

I really wanted to LOVE this story, but I didn't. I liked learning more about foxes, but the part about the war, Vola, running away didn't ring true with me. The war being in his backyard really caught me my surprise. It seemed to come out of nowhere. While Vola would refer to herself as a grenade, I never felt the menace that would give weight to that statement. She was certainly cranky, but not so dangerous. A lot was implied about Peter's relationship with his father, but not much was revealed. I'm not sure most middle grade readers would make the connections the author seemed to be trying to lead the reader to make.

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