They just came upon this boy that doesn t even seem to find them strange Everyone speaks English and this fact is never questioned even once There is no true explanation about this magical world We just hear bits and pieces from the local boy and most seem to be connected in a disjointed way to various myths from all main ancient civilizations All this gave me an impression that the author was just making up the story on the go without any prior planning The action also seemed very flat with no twists or turns everything just happens to work out just because Penny is so strong and determined and Lacy is smart Their two companions from back home add no flavor to the story except for bits of humor Throughout the journey the kids did not learn any lessons or develop any new traits which I think is the most disappointing thing about a story aimed at young kids Overall.
I was having a hard time trying to start this review It s not that the book is unmemorable On the contrary it was an amazing adventure filled with dragons A whole planet of them What s interesting is to be accompanied by the two people who make fun of our two heroes Mostly I start my blog with small talk like how I got the book or an experience that relates to the subject of the book but I came up empty so I just started with the blurb The shortest blurb I have ever seen so far This way I am spared of making my own short summary of the story I can just go ahead and start my review. As mentioned I had a fun time on this adventure with Penny and Laci Being transported into another world full of dragons by a mysterious journal in the attic throw in some Norse mythology for good measure and people trapping giant plants It was like I can feel the heat and smell the sulphur And when one of the girls was trapped by the vine I wanted to help free her also I give the book 4 5 baby dragons. This book is a great example that you will never know when your love for books will come handy In this story Laci is the one who mostly spend her time with her nose inside books And those times spent reading were never wasted because it help saved them on this adventure Knowledge is really power Where to find that power Mostly in books It really helps that you are well read Based on experience it is always an advantage to learn facts and even just stories about people places and things Books help broaden the mind and enable you try to understand people You don t take things as they are and most of the time it saves you a great deal to double check facts than just take them at face value I would say I am a better person because of my love for books and travel They are both enriching and no amount of money can compensate for them I am proud to say that I have worked hard to spend my earnings on these two things I work to read and travel There were a lot of times that books got me out of a very depressing day or helped me cope with a very stressful period in my life I guess only hardened book lovers like me could understand what I am saying right But who knows we may yet change a few minds to come join us on the dark side. Pain is a symptom of the effort Mark Frederickson and Melora Pineda beautiful confident capable and loyal friend while Lacy is the smart shy always invisible girl Later on we are introduced to their two companions which happened to be the boys trying to bully them although in a friendly way The story develops rapidly with the protagonists finding themselves in a new world rather quickly They are immediately introduced to their handsome guide who just happened to agree to follow and help them with their seemingly simple mission This is where in my opinion the author ran into some difficulties Everything about this new world is just too convenient even for a story intended for kids in junior high Lacy just happens to have a magical book about dragons in her bag and is immediately aware of what to do and how to use it Upon entering the world The Emerald Key left me wanting As a short adventure book it got the job done by delivering action but in a rushed and absent minded way Mark Frederickson I loved the premise to this book Reading has been a passion to me all my life This was an interesting story and I wish i could give it a better rating but although the writing was well done there just was not enough character development One character Buzz drove me a little crazy I highly recommend this book for elementary school children around 3rd or 4th grade They won t see the flaws and will enjoy the adventure Mark Frederickson I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Emerald Key is a young adult middle grade adventure novel The two best friends Penny and Laci are invited to attend the wedding of the former s grandmother What they think is going to be a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the better when the two girls discover a mysterious journal that unlocks a portal to another world They come face to face with a baby dragon and decide to return it to it s original home This is when the adventure begins. The premise is simple but it keeps you reading non stop Whereas the beginning was rather slow and held a lot of predictable aspects the ending had quite a few surprising turns of event It made everything so far worthwhile and it s only after finishing the book that you realize how everything s been connected from the beginning The book is really funny and filled with humour The romance taks only a minimal place in the story with a bit of a teenage crush thrown in here and there which is obviously a good point Too much romance would take the whole purpose away Besides that it s also a simple read The reader doesn t need to put too much thought into it The wording is perfect for a middle grade audience I love how the authors use description It s simple yet contains everything we need to know No use of unnecessary words Just the basic description so the reader gets the point The same goes for the dialogue It s not only there as a supporting mechanism but also carries the story. The four main characters Penny Laci Buzz and Ethan are introduced from the beginning and they are instantly likeable Although they bordered a bit on the clich and reminded me of the perfect person One was tall and athletic while the other was slim and a bookish nerd Maybe it s just me but I also felt like the thirteen fourteen year olds were not acting the way they should be for their age They seemed too childlike 90% of the time and the remaining 10% they acted like they were used to doing adult stuff their whole life Part of that was due to the childish writing style though I have to admit that Laci reminds me of a tiny version of Hermione Granger which is not the only Harry Potter reference among many other fandom y ones I found so hooray That and the different adventures the four kids go on reminded me easily of the ones I would have loved to experience as my younger self I am sure that this is an aspect that is greatly appreciated by a younger audience. It s one of those books that make you ponder for a while after reading Some aspects may look like they re not connected and are just separate events while there s so much to it than meets the eye A true masterpiece Mark Frederickson We begin with two best friends on a missionto clear away some attic clutter and hunt down grandma s tablecloths Exciting stuff right Umm okay so maybe notyet at least Flash forward to a mysterious journal and emerald discovered beneath the floorboards words of unknown origin and meaning uttered without a thought a brilliant flash of light where none should have existed and a new scaly friends that should simply not be I gotta day these two besties are certainly a matched pair They stick for each other in good times and bad playing to the other s strengths and boy oh boy are they about to be tested Between putting up with the shenanigans of their boy duo counterparts Buzz and Ethan on a quest cross country world dimension understanding that some do better in worlds of fantasy than others and they don t always have to be right there are gonna be some sticky situations and hurt feelings that need mending Can t say I blame them considering the situation but stillPenny gets in a jab or two at Laci that set MY head spinning Moving forwardThere are many antics and dangers to deal with than simply the guys versus gals sitchand many or much deadly We re talking vines with mind of their own pirates that would just as soon gut you as they would laugh in your general direction dashing young wannabe heroes faking their way through their latest cough first quest and BIG SCARY FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS of several varietiesoh and Digger He s not so scary though just misunderstood Their coming there may have been an accident but their getting back to their own time place is gonna have to be a team effort with all that lies aheadIn the end it was quite the exciting adventure filled with twists and turns betrayals and discoveries love lost AND found From the sound of things at book s end there might be to come too Can we say wish list Recommended for Children s Fantasy adventurers from the small to the tall ebook copy was received for review full post can be seen on my site Mark Frederickson Penny and Laci are headed for a mundane summer vacation until a mysterious journal unlocks a portal to another world and they find themselves face to face with a baby dragon In an attempt to send their new acquisition back to its home the girls along with two neighborhood friends get sucked through to a mythical world In this land they must battle foes seen and unseen pushing them to both their physical and mental limits If they fail to stop the powers they ve unleashed it could not only destroy this strange world but also annihilate their home The Emerald Key The Emerald Key was a light young adult fantasy which was well written The plot vehicle being a journal which produced portals to other worlds was intriguing The four main characters were a delight The interpersonal relationships between these young teens was genuine Watching them blossom into their own confident persons was marvelous The dialog was real and the connections made with secondary characters satisfying The author s creation of the different worlds was not too lengthy The brevity did not hinder the narrative it only enhanced the fast pace Anyone who is interested in dragons would enjoy this story And even if you are not it is a good read. I received this free ebook in exchange for an honest review and will be reading it to my nine year old granddaughter soon Mark Frederickson In The Emerald Key authors Mark Frederickson and Melora Pineda take readers on a fast paced journey sure to enthrall not only middle grade readers but their parents as well When best friends Laci and Penny discover a journal an emerald and a baby dragon in a dusty old attic they have no idea they re about to be plunged into another world entirely On the other side of a strange portal their adventure unfolds in fine tuned prose unlocking each new setting and the dialogue is fresh and believable throughout No spoilers though Laci and Penny will appeal to anyone looking for strong resourceful female characters and the side characters are well developed and hilarious too my favorite might be Buzz The Emerald Key is clearly the first book in a series for which Laci and Penny are still preparing and I can t wait to see what Frederickson and Pineda have in store for their readers Mark Frederickson The Emerald Key by Mark Frederickson is a fun filled adventure for kids of all ages When I read about magic and dragons I knew I wanted to go with them and I love that the action began early. Laci lives mostly through books Her best friend Penny stands up for her when she won t do it for herself They are opposites Penny is an athlete and a chic dresser Laci is a bookworm and dresses for comfort She s a bit of a klutz too. Four teens a book of magic and a baby dragon Poisonous snakes dragons cliffs and traps Guessing this isn t a big tourist destination A fun story of traveling through portals with a fire breathing baby dragon dodging styggs Chuvashia Hellblaze Wyvers Vardo Witches Glem fog pirates and deadly vines all to return him to his home. What would you think if the fantasy world you read about became a reality and you were in it The Emerald Key made me think of Neverending Story A book is an adventure but what happens when magic brings it to life I love action and adventure and we also have a mystery to solve All the characters have an important part to play and I hope if I ever fall down the rabbit hole I have friends like Laci s to accompany me. To see visit fundinmental Mark Frederickson The Emerald Key by Mark Frederickson and Melora Pineda is such an awesome middle grade kids book I am no kid but I enjoyed it just the same It had fun and humorous scenes that kept the story going It had suspense action a wonderful plot and intrigue that kids would love It had believable characters in an unbelievable world and the story was well developed and dialogue kids could relate to The whole book was full of fantasy such as dragons strange creatures plants and magic and so much fun and danger I giggled like a school girl while reading this and I am sixty years old I can t wait to buy this for my grand kids I can t wait for book two I received a review copy of this book a review was not required but it was so good all opinions are my own Mark Frederickson An interesting story that follows the inadvertent adventures of a young group of friends While the story presents some new ideas about common story themes dragons time travel shape shifting magic etc it follows a standard story with a classic twist The main characters are not developed clearly but are imaginable so it does not detract significantly from the story The ending is somewhat predictable however so at a certain point close to the end it became too predictable and easy to lose focus Overall it is a good quick read that doesn t require a lot of thinking or wondering about what will happen next Mark Frederickson
| The Emerald Key By Mark Frederickson |
| English |
| 180 |
| Kindle Edition |
.: I am a certified bookworm I am not a bookworm is just my sarcasm in play and my fondness for reverse psychology, In the attic the girls find a hidden box and the adventure is set in motion, I can t figure out who they can trust or who will betray them. I do wonder if one mystery will be solved and they will return home with than they started out with or less: The ending was fabulous and if you like a smile on your face when you close a book then this will be good one[1]The Emerald Key Thank you ebooksforreview.I received a copy of The Emerald Key from Mark Frederickson