Michael Writes Again!

Hey, guys, our good friend Michael, that reading and writing machine, has sent us three more reviews of books that sound really interesting. Let's hear him:

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
by Jason Caffoe, Emily Carroll, Kazu Kibuishi, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Dave Roman, Rad Sechrist, Raina Telgemeier, Saymone Phanekham, and Stephanie Ramirez
Some of the world's best graphic novelists have come together to make this amazing collaboration of seven stories that all have to do with mysterious boxes. You'll get everything you want: morals, live dolls, treasure, aliens-- it's all there! Don't miss out on these great stories from great writers! A fabulous piece of work!

Antarctica, book 1
Journey to the Pole
by Peter Lerangis
In the year 1909, a secret journey is being made to go to the South Pole. Widower Jack Winslow, his two sons, Colin and Andrew, and nephew of the trip's millionaire sponsor, Philip Westfall, are the leaders. There are unbelievable trials waiting for them, and they'll also face things that they never thought possible in their wildest dreams. Will the team make it to the South Pole? Will they even survive? What about the team on the ship? Will they be alright? Will there really be a mutiny? All these questions are answered in this incredible adventure to the bottom of the world! Very well-written. Unfortunately, the library does not have the sequel. Check this book out today!

Time Snatchers
by Richard Ungar
Caleb is a time snatcher. He was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and a mysterious man adopted him and a few other kids his age. They know the man only by Uncle. Uncle is the only man who knows the secret of time travel. He's allowed rich people to request things from history (the first photograph, the first Frisbee, etc.), and then he sends his kids back to get it. But if they fail, there are dire consequences. Caleb doesn't want to live under Uncle's rule, but there's nowhere on earth or in time that Uncle cannot find him. Caleb doesn't want to be a time snatcher; he wants a normal life like everyone else. But more than anything, he wants a family. It doesn't help that Frank, another time snatcher, is trying to poach Caleb's snatches. Frank is becoming more and more of a bully, and Caleb's snatch partner, Abbie (who he's starting to see in a different light) actually seems to be falling for Frank! Is there anything Caleb can do to escape Frank and Uncle, or is he stuck as a time snatcher forever? These questions and more are revealed in this great sci-fi book. It's not as thrilling as I'd expected. No one who Caleb is snatching from gives him a hard time. It's kind of like Star Trek meets soap operas. It's great for time travel lovers (like myself), but it's not a thriller. Too bad. There are also some flaws with the laws of the time-space continuum, but only someone who reads non-fiction about time travel (like me) would notice that. I think that for his first novel, it was pretty well done. I like the first-person narration. And some people might say that the ending was really dumb, but I liked it. One more thing: the book didn't really have a plot. Caleb wasn't really trying to accomplish anything. However, I think that the good outweighs the bad in this case and that this book is worth the read.

Michael Lanier
Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist

Thanks, Michael! Graphic novels, adventure, and sci-fi--they're all here! We're glad you let us know about them. Keep those reviews coming. And let us hear from YOU, all you crazy reading cats out there. What have YOU read lately???