The Mystery Of Biltmore House

The Mystery of Biltmore House

By: Carole Marsh

139 Pages (there are extras after the story)

Summary:

In 1981, Carole Marsh (a real writer) took four real kids on a visit to the famous Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. They went to learn about George W. Vanderbilt, the Victorian Era, O. Henry, and more. There was only one little problem... First one kid disappeared. Then another! Then, so did a priceless antique chess set! There was the creepy Halloween room, the very scary basement, the eerie attic, and all those gape-mouthed gargoyles. Oh yeah, and all that blood! And did I say that the kids got trapped in the mile-long heating system? Did I say ONE LITTLE problem?! How about LOTS of BIG problems! --bn.com

I LOVED this book!! It was so much fun to read! This is a good mystery for beginners. The way educational facts were blended into the story was phenomenal. This was the first book in a series that is going on almost 30 books (at the time of this copy's printing) and it's geared for children reading between 3-5 reading levels. With stories involving New York City, Chocolate Town, Disney World and sooo many more, there is something for everyone in this series.

The characters, both the main 4 and all the secondary ones, were fun to read. Uncle Ed is the security guard who befriends them. I thought he was aptly named, too. Stacy was the girl who's been to Biltmore House more times than she can count and wasn't happy to be going now since she had other plans. She was able to offer a lot of detail and authenticity to the book. You had the one spooky guest of the Writing Class who liked to dress up like Edgar Allen Poe. He felt the need to tell the children a bizarre and disgusting link between the house's original owners & Napoleon (I don't think it was true).

I'm looking forward to reading another book in this series, though I don't know which one it'll be. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Rating: Buy It

Mystery Series For Reading Level 3-5

Carole Marsh is the author behind is HUGE mystery series geared for children reading between Level 3-5. She takes real children and places them in her books. There are TONS of books in this series, so there should be something for everyone! She has stories involving, Chocolate Town, Disneyland, Pirates...

I'm reading the first book in this series now: The Mystery of Biltmore House. So far I'm enjoying it. I'm already deciding the next one of this series I'll read. Give it a try!!

Family Reading Invitation Update!!

My Father-in-Law & I read Treasure Island together. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it since it wasn't something I would normally read. We both thought it was groundbreaking and enjoyable. (I can't even count how many times he's read the book!) While we liked that all the characters were essential in the story we did have our favorites. He likes Dr. Livesey and I enjoyed Long John Silver. His favorite scene was when the parrot rats out Jim's arrival by screeching out "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" and mine was when Long John Silver talks his way out of the being given the Black Spot (A pirates death notice telling how long they have left to live.)

If you, or anyone you know, likes adventure and pirate tales, they might enjoy this book. However, we should warn you the book may be harder to read for some. There were times I got confused by some of the vocabulary used. While the Barnes & Noble Classics series is a little helpful, the heavy use of nautical terms and old English slang can be hard to understand for some readers. We both thought 11+ would probably be a good age to attempt the book at. --Jen

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

Reviewed for Kids Book Korner by Betty Jordan Wester

From Gaia & the twelve Olympians to minor gods & the heroes of Greece, this comprehensive & relatively unbowdlerized collection of greek myths is sure to delight adults & children alike.

Boys will thrill to the daring of heroes & the menace of monsters. Girls will be enthralled by tales of powerful goddesses not to be trifled with.

Nearly every page has a detailed & gorgeous picture. The D'Aulaires never condescend to their audience. Rather, they perfectly marry the power of greek art with the whimsy of childrens illustration.

Family Reading Invitation Update!!

Nightly Regulars For My 10 Month Old & I

I read books to my infant on a fairly regular basis when I put her down for bed at night. We always include these book in the pile we read. She seems to really love the colors and the pictures. Whenever I get a glance of her she seems glued to the illustrations. I love the stories and how cute they are!

I didn't have these with my oldest and I'm wishing I did. They are so adorable and fun to read!

Family Reading Invitation Update!!

Here's A book I read to both my girls.

I loved this book when I was little, so I took a shot and bought for my oldest when she was born. Turns out, she loves it! I tried it on my youngest, who is now 10 months old, and she loves it, too! They both love how animated I make Grover during the story. My oldest, who is 4, practically has it memorized and loves all the things Grover tries to do to keep us from turning the pages. It's a great, fun read that we've been enjoying for years!

The Happy Bee

The Happy Bee

By: Ian Beck

32 Pages

Reviewed By: Lauren Kuramoto, 6

Summary:

Every day the little bee flew from flower to flower and said "Hello" to Daisy, Rosie, Poppy and Lily. Now I wonder why this little bee was so happy? Ian Beck has painted the perfect story for very, very young children. --Amazon.com

What was you favorite part of the story?

When the Bee landed on the rose.

What happened to the bee at the end of the story?

He was happy because he landed on the rainbow and it made him BUZZ!!!

If you could be anything in the story what would it be?

I would be a good rose because I smell good after a bath.

Rating: Buy It!!