What's all the buzz?

As a parent, I really appreciate the message of Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure. It addresses sibling rivalry and a parent's unconditional love for his children. The theme of accepting yourself as a unique creation of God's is also interwoven throughout. This DVD offers parents a good opening to discuss some of these important themes with their children.

As far as my young children (4 yrs old and under) are concerned, this is not one of those videos that they ask to watch repeatedly, but neither do they protest when I put it in. Perhaps the themes are a little more relevant to the 5-7 yr. age group? Overall, I'm happy with the video and believe as my children get older, we will be able to use this video as a springboard for discussions about each person's unique, God-given gifts.

Review of House of Dark Shadows

I'm very conflicted in my opinion of Robert Liparulo's House of Dark Shadows. On one hand, the characters are engaging and likeable, especially Xander and David, the 15-yr-old and 12-yr-old brothers, who explore together the creepy old house that their family moved into. As I was reading the book, it reminded me a little of a Stephen King novel as far as the shadow of horror and impending doom that color every page. On the other hand, I find it extremely annoying to have so many loose ends left flapping with the final page. For instance, the boys discover that the linen closet leads to a school locker. So what? Nothing ever develops from there. Now, perhaps Liparulo is setting the reader up for a development in a sequel, but if so, I think it should have been introduced and developed in the sequel. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it is much the same. Lots of new info is introduced without coming to a resolution.

Perhaps I'm unfair in my disappointments with this book, expecting too much from a work written for a young-adult audience. However, I feel that this book is really only the introduction to the novel. To be called a book is a stretch. If you're committed to buying the whole series (which is in the process of publication as I understand it), I would recommend reading this book, but if not, it's so incomplete that it cannot stand by itself.