Sometimes it feels like book companies are trying anything these days to get people to go out and buy an actual paper copy of a book. With the vast numbers of ebooks available, I suspect this will become more and more true. Although the one place that I never though you would need a gimmick to get someone to buy a paper copy of a book was a children’s book. Children’s books are all about the hands on factor, and no matter how awesome the ebook is, it’s just not as awesome as paper. That is why I am on the fence about THE SPIRIT GLASS by Justin Heimberg.

The Spirit Glass, like Heimberg’s The Ghosts of Rockville, comes with a “Spirit Glass” a magic viewer designed to reveal hidden images in the book. It harkens back to the days of the “secret decoder” books of the 1970s. I like the idea, I really do, and The Spirit Glass has the added factor of falling into the spooky magic Harry Potter-esque world that young readers devour like crazed dragons. The art work is great, the images really eye-catching, but…

And there is a but here.

It’s actually the same criticism I had about the magic viewer in The Ghosts of Rockville. It just doesn’t always work, which could prove frustrating for the intended four to eight-year-old age group, but maybe the problem is me, I pressed the thing against the page, turned it the way it was supposed to be turned and half the time found myself looking at the back where there is an “answer key” for all the images. It was extremely frustrating at times, especially when I would peek at the back, then return to try and find the image and couldn’t. The other thing is, the difficulty isn’t consistent. Some images are right there, and others I never did manage to find. For those that do find them all, there is even the opportunity to pop online to find more and enter to have their own ghost image used in the next Spirit Glass book

I love children’s books. I have dozens of them, I love the art and the stories and I love the sense of wonder that the combination of the written word and stunning art can bring to a child. It’s a way to create a love of reading that will never go away. That’s why I am so stuck on this book. The Spirit Glass is fun, it’s spooky and if the magic viewing glass works it’s double the fun. I am not sure that the added gimmick really adds anything to the book, and I just hope that if someone can’t get the “magic” to work, it doesn’t sour them on all books.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars | Publisher: Seven Footer Press | Pages: 32 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

This week I read the highly acclaimed Newberry award-winning, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is known for several popular young adult books, including Coraline, which was adapted into a movie. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a young boy, Nobody Owens. Nobody, or “Bod” as he is affectionately called, is a human boy that lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts. Nobody was orphaned as a toddler when the evil “The man Jack” murders his entire family. The ghosts discovered the child and decided to raise and protect him.

Although the murdering of an entire family may sound like a dark way to begin a children’s book, I think Gaiman did a good job of relating this in a way that wouldn’t be too traumatizing to youngsters. In The Graveyard Book Gaiman develops a charming world filled with ghosts, ghouls, magic, and an evil secret society. My only real issue with this book is that it was too short and Gaiman didn’t make it into a series.

I felt like the book ended with some weak explanations and left some questions unanswered. This was the only reason I have it a 4. The book was superbly written, and reminding me a bit of Roald Dahl. The Graveyard Book is the very definition of a page-turner, but it ends almost as quickly as it begins.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: HarperCollins | Pages:320 | Buy on Amazon

I was completely devastated when I finished the final Harry Potter Book as it meant I had no more Potter books to look forward to. The remaining 2 movies helped lessen the blow a little bit, but what I’ve really been hankering for is a new book by Rowling. This winter, I was temporarily comforted by the release of The Tales Of Beedle The Bard. If you haven’t checked it out yet, don’t get too excited. This is not a new Potter book. It’s also not a novel, but rather a collection of short stories with some footnotes by Dumbledore, that clocks in at around 100 pages (with large print and pictures).

All that being said, it’s an excellent book. Rowling has the great ability to open up one’s imagination and create worlds where anything is possible. So, it only made sense for her to write a book of fairy tales. Just like the stories we grew up with as kids, The Tales Of Beedle The Bard will excite your imagination, teach you life lessons, and leave you yearning for more.

If you’re in “Post-Potter Depression” like me, you won’t find total relief with The Tales Of Beedle the Bard. You will however find a great book that proves to be a small distraction. My personal favorite is “The Wizard And The Hopping Pot” which is about a grumpy wizard that turns his back to those in need and gets a healthy dose of karma. I recommend this book for not only Potter fans, but for young children as well. It would make a great gift to any young child, or would be a great book to read to your kids before bedtime.

Buy The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling on Amazon by clicking here.

The movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens this week so if you haven’t read the book yet, now is the time. Most fans of the series read the book a few years ago, so read on for a quick refresher. If you recall, the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ended with the wizarding world finally becoming aware that Lord Voldemort had returned. The sixth book begins with the magical world at war and a new minister of magic taking office, now that the bumbling Cornelius Fudge has been relieved of duty. As the story of his battle with Voldemort spreads, Harry is once again everyone’s hero, the chosen one who will defeat Voldemort forever.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens with Harry spending his summer at the Dursley’s, until Dumbledore arrives and asks him to help him persuade Horace Slughorn to become the newest professor at Hogwarts. Professor Slughorn isn’t a bad person, but he is one of those people who value others for their social connections or what they can do for him. To me he’s pretty repulsive, but a vast improvement on the hideous Dolores Umbridge. While at Hogwarts, Harry acquires an old potions textbook with writing-covered margins that once belonged to someone who called himself “The Half-Blood Prince.” Despite Hermione’s objections, Harry uses the spells in class to his benefit.

Dumbledore, whose hand is mysteriously withered, begins meeting with Harry to show him everything he has learned about Voldemort’s, aka Tom Riddle’s, life before and after Hogwarts so that Harry may better understand his enemy. Through the Pensieve, Harry sees that Riddle collected objects of importance that he later turned into horcruxes – objects that hold onto a piece of one’s soul, which ensures immortality but at the cost of fracturing the soul. Harry realizes that in order to kill Voldemort, he must first destroy the horcruxes. One thing this book really drives home is how different Harry and Riddle are, even though they were both orphans who found a home at Hogwarts. Despite being given many opportunities, Riddle chose to use his talent and charisma for evil.

Those who have read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will certainly remember the unforgettable ending, so I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t. But, seriously, if you haven’t read the book, what are you waiting for? I love all the Harry Potter books, but this is one of the best in the series. Dumbledore preparing Harry for defeating Voldemort is bittersweet because it needs to be done, but it’s heartbreaking to see Harry have to face such adult problems. The Half-Blood Prince is more grown-up than previous books and has adult themes, but there is also a lot of teenage romance and angst that is a reminder of how young the characters really are.

The Harry Potter movies are fantastic and I will definitely be the first in line this weekend, but I highly recommend reading the books too because they contain so much more detailed information. There’s just no way to fit all the various storylines into a 2 hour movie, so by not reading the book you really do miss some of the background that makes Rowling’s characters so enjoyable.

Buy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling on Amazon by clicking here.

(You can also read a review for the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince here.)