Author Archives: designpointaaron

AUTHOR: Katherine Rundell

GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Dragons, Animals, Magic, Mythology

SUMMARY: The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it’s the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help. Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

AUTHOR: Jenny Cote

GENRE: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Animals, Fantasy

SUMMARY: Max, a Scottish terrier, takes his usual morning trot down to the loch where he hears a mysterious Voice humming in the reeds saying, “Come to Me…follow the fire cloud.” He embarks on an unknown journey from Scotland, meeting other animals along the way including Liz, a brilliant, petite black cat from France. Max and Liz become the brave leaders for their group, and eventually, for the entire ark. The mysterious journey, filled with danger, humor, trials, and triumphs, leads them across Europe to the Middle East. The moment of arrival for these animals is spectacular as the ark is miraculously transformed into the animals’ natural habitats.

Throughout the previous one hundred years, Noah and family have endured ridicule from villagers while building the ark. Now this family must painfully witness the loss of lives and total destruction of the earth through the mighty flood.

After the journey to the ark, the voyage in the ark begins. Liz finds ways to keep the animals occupied, including daily exercise led by the flamingos and a talent night where the animals entertain each other with their natural abilities. But a sinister plot develops Someone is out to kill Noah and his family. Liz follows clues that lead her to discover a stowaway who has deceived them all.  Max and Liz foil the plot, but at a high price. The end climaxes with unexpected twists and turns, taking the reader from despair to hope.

AUTHOR: Jason Lethcoe

GENRE: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Time Travel

SUMMARY: A mystery is afoot at 221 Baker Street, but will Griffin Sharpe be able to figure out the clues before the future catches up with the past? When Sherlock Holmes moves out of Baker Street, a new tenant moves in’a mysterious woman named Elizabeth who has long been a fan of Holmes. When she discovers that Griffin and his uncle are also detectives, she becomes very friendly. So when Elizabeth goes missing along with a special invention, Griffin sets out to rescue her. But finding Elizabeth will take them on a race against the clock that bends time itself!

AUTHOR: Kate DiCamillo

GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Animals

SUMMARY: Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. Edward finds himself on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes’ camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis.

AUTHOR: Lauren Tarshis

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Survival, Fiction, Adventure

SUMMARY: It was 1964 in the brand-new state of Alaska, a vast land of staggering beauty and heart-stopping dangers. Eleven-year-old Jack had grown up living happily with his parents in an off-the-grid cabin, miles from their closest neighbors. Grizzlies and wolves outnumbered people, and dark winter days were 30 degrees below zero. Jack had always thought of himself as strong — “Alaska tough”. But then the most powerful earthquake in American history — the Good Friday Earthquake — struck. The 9.2 magnitude quake lasted nearly five minutes, destroying downtown Anchorage and sending 30-foot tsunamis into coastal cities, wiping out entire communities. Its vibrations were felt around the world. In the end, it caused billions of dollars in damage and the death of 129 people. The event tested Jack in ways he never could have imagined.

AUTHOR: Paul McCusker

GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Christian

SUMMARY: While running through an old railroad tunnel, Scott Graham bumps his head, and suddenly finds himself in another world where time has stopped and he is expected to fulfill a purpose he knows nothing about—set for him by the Unseen One. In a wartime period resembling Nazi Germany, Scott must learn from a daring prophet and take a stand that will affect an entire nation—and his very life. Based on the biblical story of Elijah, Draven’s Defiance retells the story from a kid’s perspective, helping kids understand the themes and principles in God’s Word.

AUTHOR: Howard Pyle

GENRE: Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy

SUMMARY: When young Robin Hood commits a crime against the Sheriff of Nottingham, he is forced into hiding in Sherwood Forest. There he is joined by a group of colorful characters also escaping wrongful oppression. Along with Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Tinker, Robin Hood and his Men get involved in many fine feasts and adventures, robbing the rich of their wealth and distributing it amongst the poor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to differences in multiple editions of this book, please read the Great Illustrated Classics edition only: ISBN 1591971969.

AUTHOR: Andrew Clements

GENRE: Fiction, Humor

SUMMARY: Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever…the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it.