Book Review - The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch - Joseph Delaney

Title: The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch
Author: Joseph Delaney
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Medieval
Age Range: 10+

TV Guide Snippet: Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son apprenticed out to the Spook where Tom learns the wiles and ways to defeat ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and witches.

Plot Summary: Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. As his father has used up most of his favors on the five brothers that proceeded him, Tom is made the apprentice of the County Spook. The Spook has been ridding the County of ghosts and ghasts for a long time. Within this time, there have been twenty-nine other apprentices who have met various fates from fleeing to dead as a door nail. Tom is the last apprentice the old Spook can train.

Tom's training begins with lectures and books on boggarts, but he is quickly diverted to witches when a girl in pointy shoes helps in against a local gang of boys. He extends her a favor. She cashes it in quickly by asking him to give some cakes to a witch at midnight that lives in a pit under the Spook's power. The next morning, the Spook is called away to the east. When Tom checks on the pit, he notices the iron bars to the pit are bent. What was in that cake? How were these thick solid bars bent? Who did this? Did the witch get out?

Anything Critical: While I put this book in the age range of 10+, there are some pretty graphic descriptions. What I mean by graphic descriptions has nothing to do with violence or gore. In one passage, Delaney describes the movement of one of the witches that stuck with me as a writhe, slither, and float upon the ground. Somehow, the image and motion manifested and grew inside my subconscious. It totally gave me a nightmare. Not one of those shake it off kind of nightmares, but one of those nightmares that give you the serious heebees and cause you to talk to yourself, "Okay, it's 3 AM, what can I do between now and 9 AM when I start work, because there's no way in hell I'm going back to sleep. Thanks book."

It does offer some good life lessons. Tom makes a lot of mistakes that he will pay for later on down the road. Most of them are because he does not give the ol' Spook full disclosure. If Tom had given him the whole story, he would have had an easier time with life. Much like teens his age, he suffers the conciquences for not seeking wiser council.

Satisfaction Level: 95%

Curriculum Ties: English, History

Challenge Issues: Magic, Paranormal, Witches

Program Ideas: I tried doing a book discussion but failed completely. I think one could have kids make silver chains, like out of gray paper x-mas style, or have like a witch themed party goin' on with some of those wicked cakes... Well, minus the real ingredients (shiver). It could also serve as a movie launch with all of the things from movie like the poster or sword or other mythical creatures. You know, kickoff party type stuff.

Currently Reading: Service - Marcus Luttrell (I can read adult books too!)

Book Review - The Titan's Course - Rick Riordan

Title: The Titan's Curse

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Mythological Fantasy

Age Range: 10+

TV Guide Snippet: Good Ol' Percy Jackson is back at it on the next (stolen) quest to find a missing goddess, defeat Cronus' AGAIN, and save Olympus.     

Plot Summary: Percy, Annabeth, and the recovered Thalia are on a mission to help Grover snatch two more half-bloods, Bianca and Nico di Angelo. But as usual, things go sideways as a Frenchy manticore (a half lion, scorpion, humanoid monster) who names himself Dr. Thorn tries to kill or steal them away to Cronus' side. If not for the huntress goddess Artemis and her arrow launching band of prepubescent boy hating girls, they would have been pushed straight off the cliff. But alas, Percy and his friends are able to fight another day. Except Annabeth, she fell off the side of the cliff daggers deep clinging to the manticore. Artemis orders the hunters to Camp Half-Blood so that she can go off and find a beast that could destroy Olympus. 

Now with the hunters in Camp Half-Blood, there is a new prophecy that has been prophesied and propho-said that requires a break in the on going feud between hunters and half-bloods to go save Artemis from whatever has captured her. But, it is decided that the heroes going don't include Percy. In his very Percy way, he goes anyway and ends up being the fifth team member that they need on their journey out to foil the Titan's Curse and save Olympus from the mysterious beast that will cause its ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION! 

Anything Critical: Reading a Percy Jackson book is like slipping on your favorite pair of shoes. They are proportioned just right, comfortable, and make you feel good. There was some growth in this book I wasn't expecting. Much how the the third Harry Potter book takes an emotional turn, I think that this third Percy Jackson book makes headway in a different direction. Early on, Percy swears to do his best to protect a member of the quest, but he fails. Later on, Percy is held responsible. A promise is a promise, and he is held to his word. I think this is the first time that Percy is faced with the idea that if he fails some people may die. And when people die, grudges are held. That principle explains god and half-blood life in a nutshell. You succeed, someone hates you. You fail someone, their kin is out for revenge. 

Satisfaction Level: 95%

Curriculum Ties: Mythology

Challenge Issues: Death, Magic, Religion

Program Ideas: Having the Percy Jackson movies is a 50/50. Some kids like the books better and harbor resentment. What might be cooler is a shield making program. Thalia has this rad Medusa head shield called Aegis. Kids could make their own shields, with or without the Medusa head, while talking about the quests they'd like to go on.

Currently Reading:

Christmas Cats

 

Rex looking dapper.

 Zeus is looking dapper as well.

 

Rex has little vampire teeth. 

 

Rex on the hunt for Christmas dinner.