Fablehaven: volume 1

My 11 yr old loved the book

Me fascinó! Nega recomendado!

A magical book for both boys and girls from age 10 -14, although I also loved it while reading it to my 10 year old son. It's the traditional good v. evil battle, and very well written with some great unexpected twists. I can recommend it both as an English teacher of age 11+ students and as a mother of 2 boys who loved it.

I'm not going to recount the plot of the story to you because there are a million other reviews one can read if that is what they desire. However I will give you the skinny on the book and the skinny is...this book is better than Harry Potter. First, I will own up to the fact that I am a Harry Potter aficionado. Second, while some people think books should not be compared to others but reviewed in their own right I disagree. Harry Potter set a new standard for children's fantasy books; it is also a series, love or hate it, that is known by just about everyone, everywhere. Since the Fablehaven series is also a children's fantasy series a comparison to Harry Potter is a logical step. Now, why is Fablehaven better than Harry Potter? Fablehaven is simply more realistic and that makes it easier to relate to. Here is a list of reasons why it is a good series to dive into.1) Fablehaven is for everyone (all ages). I am 26 years old and have no children. I was killing time at Wal-Mart, saw the book, thought it looked interesting, and the words were small not over-sized children's type so I decided to check it out. Within the first 30 pages I was hooked; I couldn't put it down. After I was done I suggested it to some of my philosophy classmates and forced it upon my 56 year old mother (who told me I was pathetic for being so enthralled by a children's series). That children's series kept her up night after night...(who's pathetic now?) There are many characters of many different ages in the series that play distinct roles. This is a FAMILY BOOK. It would be most enjoyed together, as a family, by being read out loud.2) The children in the story, Seth and Kendra, are akin to realistic children. One thing about Harry Potter I never quite liked was the fact that he was very impulsive and irrationally dove into situations that he was only able to get out of due to good fortune, the help of others, and luck. In Fablehaven the characters make calculated decisions, sometimes they take risks based on their calculations and sometimes they don't. They are also always aware of the consequences of their decisions and there are many times in the story where the children, as well as the other characters, have to pay the piper for their choices. This series teaches a very important lesson with regards to choices, and consequences.3) Brandon Mull, the author genius, nailed the brother/sister combo of Seth and Kendra. In the series the reader can see in their relationship sibling rivalry, the lightness of teasing, and sibling love. Kendra is rather shy, is very cautious and calculating, and slow to flame. Seth, on the other hand, is a quick fire, always jumps in head first, acts impulsively, is defiant and sneaky, and is often in trouble because of it. Mull uses these characters and their opposite traits to create humor. There is one scene where Seth does something (I don't remember what) and after he does it he says something like, "That was worth 100" and Kendra says, "Yeah, 100 idiot points." And Seth replies, "What you call idiot points I call awesome bucks." And I just busted up laughing because my 18 year old brother still makes comments like that. Mull hits that old fashioned, classic, boy vs. girl humor perfectly.This series is worth the time, the energy, and the money. The kids will enjoy it, the parents will enjoy it, and everyone will benefit from the time spent together reading it. In the back of the books Mull provides a reading guide. The questions are priceless. While, they are for children I think they really enable parents to talk to their children and get involved in their lives. One of the questions is "Kendra has faced multiple betrayals over the course of the series. Which do you think was the worst and why? Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend? How did you handle it?" I say, "Drink the Milk and jump on board!"

Ich kann hier nur mitteilen was mein Sohn (13) gesagt hat, der dieses Buch zu Weihnachten bekam. Er hat das Buch verschlungen und danach sogleich sein Taschengeld geopfert um sich die anderen Bände dieser Serie zu holen. Er ist absolut begeistert und hat beim Lesen überhaupt nicht bemerkt das es ein englisches Buch war. Sodaß wir die anderen auch als englische Bücher dann aufs Kindle geladen haben. Es sind Jugendbücher, die aber mit allem was Fantasy zu bieten hat ausgestattet sind. Da die Helden Geschwister (Mädchen und Junge) und Jugendliche sind, fällt die Identifikation des jugendlichen Lesers sehr leicht. Ich habe jetzt nur das Problem das ich um mein Kindle kämpfen muss.