An Enemy at Green Knowe

by LM Bostom

OwnzOred

by Cory Doctorow

of 5

Genre: Children's Book, magical fantasy, one of a series of books

    Synopsis: When a rude stranger moves in next door and begins pressuring Grandma Knowe to let her search her vintage home for magical books left over by a previous owner, strange things begin to happen.  Working to outwit the villain at every turn, Ping, Tolly, and Grandma struggle to defeat wave after wave of black magic curses all intended to force Grandma Knowe to relinquish her ownership of her prized old home.

       Review: Although I wasn't initially enchanted with the book it did take hold (maybe if I had started with the first book of the series.)  Written in 1962, this series of books have been in continuous production since.  Apparently they are quite popular in England as they have that old world British flavor about them.  If you liked CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, then the Knowe series would be a good choice to pick up.  They are not Harry Potter, but if your child is an avid reader they'll tear through these books in a hurry.

Recommendation: Good books for avid middle school readers, will bore lower level readers.

Review written by Mitch Taylor

of 5

Genre: Short story, modern sci-fi    

            Synopsis: After spiraling down into deep depression following the tragic death of his best friend, programmer Murray Swain finds himself face to face with his not-so-dead friend.  After learning from his dearly departed hackerz friend how a secret government project was used to keep him alive and even enhance his physical condition, Murray finds himself involved a lot deeper than he had wanted to be.  Pursued by secret agents bent on recovering their secrets, his life changes dramatically.  Unfortunately, that's as much as I can tell you without ruining the story. 

       Review: Right off the bat, I will tell you that Cory Doctorow's writing style may not appeal to all readers.  Specifically; old farts.  Written in a narrative that is sprinkled with L33t (that's how the kids spell leet--short for elite) and a lot of programming/hacking references that will be unfamiliar to older readers but trendy for the younger crowd.  Also, his writing style, while polished, is a departure from classic sci-fi.

             Another hallmark of Cory's is that he has put quite a bit of his work on the internet for free.  No charges, no memberships, no fees at all.  His last book, in its full entirety is available at www.craphound.com/

            Recommendation: If you are looking for fascinating new sci-fi and are willing to try something new then Cory's is worth the read.  If you prefer a classic style in your sci-fi (ie; you're a stodgy old-timer) then you'll probably want to pass on his work.