Book Review: The Infinity Ring: A Mutiny in Time

Anyone up for a little mystery, adventure, and time travel? Or how about a lot? If you are, the new series, Infinity Ring, may be for you! The first book in the seven-part series, A Mutiny in Time, was released last week. It introduces us to best friends Dak and Sera, who discover the key to time travel: a device called the Infinity Ring. It’s not long before Dak and Sera also discover that the fate of the world is in danger, and it may be up to them to save it by traveling back in time.

OWL readers Kayla, Chris, and Mei Anne got the chance to ask the author, James Dashner, some questions.

Q: What inspired  you to write this book?

A: It was mostly inspired by my love of history and adventure. I particularly love the story of Christopher Columbus, so it was really cool to include him as a character and imagine what he was like.

Q: How long did it take you to write it?

A: It took me a few months, including a lot of editing and rewriting.

Q: Did you talk to the other authors who are writing books in the series to help with your ideas?

A: It’s been so much fun getting to know the other authors! We’ve had several other occasions where we got together live or by phone and shared ideas. They are amazing to work with.

Q: Is it harder or easier to write only some of the books in the series?

A: I wouldn’t say it’s harder or easier, just different. The biggest challenge is maintaining the same style even though all authors have their own unique way of writing. But I think we’re succeeding in a big way.

So, what do our three OWL readers think about the book?

Kayla, 12

The book was a bit hard to follow, but I loved the characters and the plot. Overall, it was a great read. 7/10

Chris, 12

I found I couldn’t relate to the characters in the book and the story line was hard to follow, but there was one adventure that caught my attention. It’s not a book I would rave about, but it wasn’t bad. 5/10

 

 

 

 

Mei Anne, 11

The ideas and the suspense in this book were great! There weren’t many parts that weren’t exciting. There was so much suspense at the end of each chapter. Overall, it was an excellent book! 10/10

 

 

Click here to find out more about A Mutiny in Time and the entire Infinity Ring series.

James Dashner will also be at Indigo Yorkdale in Toronto on Thursday, September 20 at 7:00pm to help launch the series. If you live in the Toronto area, you might want to check it out!

-Kim, owlblog@owlkids.com

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Video Game Review: New Super Mario Bros. 2

Mario, Luigi, and all your favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters are back for another adventure. With tons of new features, gameplay elements, power-ups, and characters, the New Super Mario Bros. 2 for your Nintendo 3DS is better than ever. Just ask OWL reader Eric!

Eric, 10

I never thought Nintendo could pull off a side-scrolling game with 3-D graphics that was this good, but they did! Amazing, if I do say so myself. Not to mention the fact that you are supposed to collect one million coins, creating a pretty big challenge. 8.5/10

Thanks for your review, Eric!

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is available now. Have you played it yet? If so, what did you think? If you’re a Super Mario Bros. fan, let us know!

For more Kids Score reviews from OWL readers, check out the September issue of the magazine on newsstands now!

-Kim, owlblog@owlkids.com

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MOVIE NEWS: ParaNorman

Hey, blog readers! As promised on Wednesday, OWL Assistant Editor, Kendra Brown, is back to tell us about the movie, ParaNorman. Take it away, Kendra!

Ghosts and zombies and witches… oh my! It may not be Halloween yet, but it actually feels like it here at OWL since since we’ve been working away on the October issue already (hint: it’s awesome). So, it was the perfect time for me to go see a creepy and cool movie like ParaNorman.

Norman Babcock is a boy that can see and talk to ghosts. No one in his hometown of Blithe Hollow believes him, though. But when an ancient witch’s curse threatens the small town, Norman may be the only one who can save everyone since he can communicate with the dead. With ghosts, ghouls, and zombies on the attack, can Norman go from “Abnorman” the outcast to hometown hero?

Here are two things you need to know about this movie:

1. It’s gloriously gruesome. There are zombies with rotting limbs, a ghost in a toilet, and plenty of other gross, gory stuff in this movie. And it’s all in 3-D stop-motion animation. The detail is amazing. Which is why, rather than just being completely freaked out, I found myself fascinated by how cool the movie looked.

2. It’s frightfully funny. This movie may gross you out, but I guarantee it will also make you giggle. There are so many funny scenes that had almost everyone in the theatre cracking up. One of the most hilarious scenes involves a man, a snack dispensing machine, a bag of potato chips, and a zombie. And that’s all I’ll say for now.

Overall, I liked this movie a lot. And if you’re a fan of Tim Burton or the movie Coraline, I think you’ll like it a lot, too. Normally, I’m not into zombies or gross stuff, but the humour and awesome animation in this movie definitely won me over. And, actually, so did Norman. He’s a pretty cool dude.

But just a warning: even though most of the frights in this movie are fun, there are some more intense scary scenes, which may be not be for everyone. In which case, you may want to skip this flick. (You can always go see The Odd Life of Timothy Green instead!)

So, who’s going to see this movie?

-Kendra, owlblog@owlkids.com

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MOVIE NEWS: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

OWL Assistant Editor, Kendra Brown, is back with another movie review. Let’s hear what she has to say about The Odd Life of Timothy Green!

It’s been a summer full of superheroes, aliens, prehistoric pals, and wimpy kids. And now? A boy who grows out of the ground with leaves on his legs in The Odd Life of Timothy Green!

One stormy night in Stanleyville, Cindy and Jim Green dream up what their ideal child would be like. Writing down personality traits, including honest, artistic and musical, on pieces of paper, they place them all in a box and then bury it in their garden. Later that night, after a mysterious wind blows through their backyard, the couple wake up to find a real boy named Timothy on their doorstep. One of the first things Cindy and Jim notice about Timothy are the leaves growing on his ankles. But soon, Cindy and Jim, along with the entire town of Stanleyville, start to realize that’s not the only special thing about this boy.

Here are three thoughts about this movie:

1. It’s unique. The premise of the movie is definitely different. I mean, a boy who magically sprouts from the ground with leaves growing on his legs? There are lots of little touches throughout the movie that make it unique, and even magical, like Timothy’s special friendship with a girl named Joni. One of my favourite scenes is when Cindy follows Joni to find out what she and Timothy are up to. What she discovers is pretty amazing.

2. It’s touching. Timothy and Joni’s friendship isn’t the only part of the movie that will warm your heart. In fact, there are so many touching parts of the movie that you may want to keep a tissue handy (you know I did). Some of the scenes may be a bit too sappy for some, but you’ll probably still be rooting for Timothy during one particular soccer game.

3. It may not be for you. Especially if you’re more into action, adventure, or comedy. This movie has some fun and funny moments, for sure, but it also has plenty of emotional scenes and life lessons. I think it’s a good one to go see with the family.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I just wish it had less tears and more laughs because, well, I love to laugh!

The Odd Life of Timothy Green opens in theatres today. Do you think you and your family will go see it?

Kendra will be back on Friday to tell us about another new movie, ParaNorman, which hits theatres this weekend, so make sure you come back to read that review, too!

-Kim, owlblog@owlkids.com

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MOVIE NEWS: Ice Age: Continental Drift

Hey blog readers, OWL Assistant Editor Kendra Brown is back with another movie review. This time, she’s here to tell you all about Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Who’s looking for a break from the summer heat? Because Ice Age: Continental Drift is crashing into theatres today! I caught a sneak peek last week, and I’m here to share my thoughts.

This is the fourth film in the Ice Age franchise, bringing back your favourite prehistoric pals, Manny, Diego, and Sid, for another icy adventure. This time, the trio are setting out to sea after an earthquake (which Scrat the squirrel may have had a little something to do with) separates them from the rest of the herd. Set adrift on an iceberg in the middle of a vicious storm, Manny, Diego, and Sid, along with his toothless granny, must find a way home. But bad weather, creepy sea creatures, and even some pirates, are just a few of the obstacles in the way. Will they return home to reunite with their friends and families? Obviously, I’m not going to tell you. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out!

Here are a few observations about the movie:

1. It’s cute. This movie is packed with adorable animals, including some of the cutest critters I’ve ever seen (check out the video below to see the chubby little creatures I’m talking about). Plus, lots of gags and jokes kept me giggling throughout the movie.

2. It’s cool. Literally. All of the cold, icy scenes in this movie were a huge help on the hot day I went to see it. The 3-D animation is also very cool. Icebergs and water were splashing right out of the screen at times, making me feel like I was right there in the middle of the ice age (which, again, helped during that heat wave last week). The awesome animation is definitely one of the best parts about the movie.

3. It’s full of famous voices. There’s Drake as a wooly mammoth named Ethan, Nicki Minaj as another wooly mammoth named Steffie, and Jennifer Lopez as a saber-toothed tiger named Shira (just to name a few). See how many voices you can recognize, if you watch it!

Overall, I thought this movie was a lot of fun. The plot was a little bit predictable, but maybe it’s just hard to be original on the fourth film in a franchise. Still, it’s a cute, funny flick with awesome-looking animation.

So what do you think? Will you go see this movie? If you do, come back and tell us what you thought!

-Kendra, owlblog@owlkids.com

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