Judy Carlson

It has been a decade for the people of the Kingdom of Ajar; a decade since their beloved ruler - the benevolent King Elmern, and the entire royal family - were brutally murdered - and the malevolent and despotic Lord Regent ascended to the throne. During his tyrannical reign, the Lord Regent and his infamous Black Guard have effectively held the citizens of Ajar captive by dark sorcery and killed anyone who would openly oppose their new King. There are a brave but determined few who have created an underground resistance to the Lord Regent's tyranny, but they are beginning to lose hope that they will ever be liberated from their captivity.

According to an ancient prophecy, freedom will come from the neighboring Northern Dominions - from the demesne of the benevolent monarch, Emperor Haroldson. Since childhood, Prince Lael and Prince Cristin - the twin sons of the Emperor - have both been raised with a strong sense of righteousness and a deep knowledge of their royal duty. In an effort to fulfill that duty, Prince Lael will undertake a perilous quest to prove himself worthy of his subjects' continued fealty; he must first prove his strength and loyalty when he is challenged by an insidious enemy. The tragic loss of loved ones will only fortify Prince Lael's resolve to fight for the freedom of the Lost Kingdom.

Cousins Clara Mae Bennet and Ian Halverson - two children from Minnesota - suddenly find themselves dropped into the mystical realm of the Northern Dominions, and immediately swept up into an incredible adventure. Together, the cousins will search for a way home again; joining in the quest to free a captive Sea Princess, battling evil, and conquering lurking temptations. Clara and Ian will eventually meet the legendary White Knight - Lord Aryel - and along the way the children will gain better insight and wisdom about themselves, experience enduring love, and form the most extraordinary friendships.

I have always enjoyed reading mythical and epic tales of fantasy, and this book was certainly no exception. In my opinion, it was an intricately-woven and well-developed story that moved along at a leisurely, yet intriguing pace. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading a fantasy with strong Christian themes - I would give it an A!… (mere)

A long time ago, women were told they could not be good at a job outside the home. Nellie wanted to prove them wrong. She knew that nothing was impossible. She wrote to the newspaper to speak her mind about the power of women. They loved her writings. She made that her job, and she was good at it. She then wanted to met the man, Jules Verne, who travel the world in 80 days. She started her journey to travel the world in less than 80 days. Could she do it?

I thought is was a good story for little girls but also little boys. This would be a great story to get children’s minds racing about what they could do or be in the future. It was simply wrote and easy to understand for younger grades. The pictures were good to look at also.

You could have the children read books on a place they want to travel. Then have them write and draw a picture of that place as though they have already been there. They can also give a report of what they want to be in the future.… (mere)