Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer

I ran out of books at the beach, so I picked up this from my son. It was pretty much what I expected in a John Grisham kid's book. Theo Boone is sort of a modern day Encyclopedia Brown, but I have a hard time seeing what kid really wants to read about courts and their procedures. It's a little too literal for my taste, and very predicatable. If this turns into a series I won't be following it.

The Boggart and The Monster

In contrast to the prior book, The Boggart and The Monster was just what I was looking for. It took place entirely in Scotland and for the most part on Loch Ness, an area we were planning to visit. A delightful tale of the true nature of Nessie and his plight. This book I would recommend.

The Boggart

In preparation for our trip to Scotland I read The Boggart hoping it would be something Sam would read to get psyched up for the trip. He didn't. And since most of it took place in Toronto, it's not really a shame that he didn't. An okay read that I wouldn't recommend unless you're looking for a kid's story of Scottish mystical creatures.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

My son asked me to read this book once he finished it. It's an interesting tale of four "orphans" working together to uncover a devious plot. It's nice to read books where there are puzzles that not only the characters, but you as the reader can solve. While I can't say I'm dying to read the next two installments, I'm glad my son is interested in reading them. It was an entertaining example of children's fiction.

Artemis Fowl

I read this to see if I thought if was appropriate for my 10-year-old and if I thought he would like it. He's just finishing the Percy Jackson, Greek mythology series, and we needed a new series to get to. I think this will suit him just fine. The main character, and the namesake of the book, is a bit of a shady 12-year-old, and thankfully, my son figured that out to. He realized that just because you're the main character, it doesn't make you "good" or "right." But the main part of the book, and the part my son will most enjoy, is Artermis' foes. They are elves and pixies and trolls and centaurs, a whole world of what we'd view as folklore creatures. My son loves fantasy, so this is right up his alley. I think the Artemis Fowl series is the next in our list.