Warriors by Erin Hunter - Juvenile Novel Series Review

Warriors is a series of juvenile fantasy novels which has captured the attention and delight of my 14-year-old grandson, Ryan. 

When Ryan visited me for three weeks this summer, he told me about this book series he was reading.   He had been a part of the Summer Reading Program at his local library in Iowa and wanted to continue with the next book in the series, so the first day of his visit we went to the library. Not being familiar with WARRIORS, and knowing that teens like adventure and Science Fiction things, I asked him if Warriors was a Sci-Fi story. With a big smile, he said "no, grandma, it's about cats ~ wild cats who live in clans in the forest and have adventures!" 

Grandson Ryan Reading "Warriors"
(c) Elf

As Ryan described the story line to me, I thought what an interesting plot series, especially for a boy who loves cats, adventure video games, and books.

The Warriors Series of Books

The Warriors series follows the adventures of four Clans of wild cats—ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan—in their forest and lake homes named after and by the 4 cats ~ Shadow, River, Wind and Thunder ~ who began the clans and set up the 'warrior code'.

Meet the Warrior Cats 

To learn about the warrior cats and their clans, go to their website - Warrior Cats - and meet the Warriors!

The Warrior Cats Series

Warriors: The Original Series 6 Books Collection Set by Erin Hunter ( Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets,Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path,The Darkest Hour)Check Price

 

To date, there are nine sub-series, each containing six books. Book 1 of the original series, "Into The Wild", was published in 2004 and series eight has now been completed, with series nine ongoing.

• The first 6 books in Warriors: The Prophecies Begin, introduces us to the clans and the cats within them.
• The second series, Warriors: The New Prophecy, follow the WarriorCat clans as they move to a new home.
• The third series, Warriors: Power of Three, tells us that the fate of the warrior code rests in the paws of three young cats, grandchildren of ThunderClan — Hollypaw, Jawpaw, and Lionpaw — as they become apprentices. They each possess unusual power and talent, but all of their strength will be needed for the Clans to survive.
• The fourth series, Warriors: Omen of the Stars, continues where the third series left off. A fourth cat must now join the three apprentice cats in order to save the Clans.
• The fifth series, Warriors: Dawn of the Clans, is a prequel that explains the origins of the Warrior Clans.
• The sixth series, Warriors: A Vision of Shadows, follows Alderpaw, Twigbranch, and Violetshine as they navigate a dark StarClan prophecy and work to reunite the five Clans.
• Series 7: The Broken Code follows a dark mystery involving a spiritual corruption of the warrior code and a mysterious imposter taking over a leader's body.
• Series 8: A Starless Clan explores the chaotic aftermath of the code reformation when RiverClan's leader dies and leaves the Clan without a successor.
• Series 9: Changing Skies (Ongoing) — The current active arc, which launched with its first installment, The Elders' Quest, centers around a looming threat to the Moonpool and a massive Twoleg construction project encroaching on Clan territory.

All the Warriors books and box sets of each series are available on Amazon.

Author: Who is Erin Hunter? 

Erin Hunter is actually six people! She is experienced children’s book writers Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui Sutherland, Gillian Philip, Inbali Iserles and Victoria Holmes. Together, they all have a love of animals (especially cats), are fascinated with the natural world and respect nature in all it's forms. 'Erin' enjoys creating mythical explanations for animal behavior. See their bios here.

An In-Depth Warrior Book Review

Bev Owens, a fellow reader and contributing writer here on Review This! reviewed Into The Wild, which is book 1 in "The Prophecies Begin" series. Her review will give you a more thorough understanding of what this series of WarriorCat books are about. Suggested for 8-12 year-olds, but greatly enjoyed by 14-year-old Ryan and, as Bev says, us older adults, The Warriors series of books will be a fun and interesting read for almost any age group.

For more book reviews, check out:

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More about the Warrior Cats!

For the complete history of The Warriors book series, plus ways to 'explore their world' and a section on games and extra activities, check out their website at WarriorCats. 

Ryan and his cat, Missy, think you will enjoy this Warrior Cats book series.

Ryan with his own cat, Missy
(c) Wednesday Elf

Review by Wednesday Elf

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Reviewing the Book, Hide in Time by Anna Faversham

I have just finished reading the book "Hide in Time" by Anna Faversham and I can easily recommend it to anyone.  To be completely honest, I was actually surprised by how much I really liked this book.  I am not a fan of time travel books, mostly because I don't believe time travel is possible.  But, like any really good fiction is apt to do, this book caused me to "suspend reality" and embrace the plot.

Because I don't often read time travel books, the beginning was a little confusing to me, but after the first few pages, I got it!  Once the author smoothly lead me by the hand through a wall that separates the 1800's to the twenty-first century, I was hooked.  I needed to see what would happen to Laura who found herself lost in a world that was 200 years beyond her life.  

Because we can study history, I think it would be easier to go back in time, but imagine what it would be like to be cast into the world 200 years into the future.

The Book, Hide in Time by Anna Faversham 

Synopsis Written by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

 Hide in TimeAfter discovering her fiancé had been unfaithful, Laura boarded a ship to America.  She wanted to get as far away from him as possible.  She wanted a new start.  She meant to be traveling to a new world, but she had no way of knowing she would actually be traveling to a different place in time.  She knew she wouldn't know anyone in America, but she didn't expect to be clueless about fashion, jargon, idioms, and a more informal way of living.  

The shipwreck she survived changed her life forever.  When she washed up on shore, the land was the familiar, but everything else had changed.  It was to her great fortune, that Matt Redfern, the first person to actually speak to her, was always willing to help the helpless.  Since she had no memory of who she was or where she was from, he helped her get medical attention.  When she still could not "find her past", he helped her establish a new life and guided her in starting her own business.  

Five years after Laura was tossed into the future, she had found her footing there.  She was thriving, actually living.  Although she had regrets, she was content.  During the past 5 years, Laura investigated the area of her arrival and discovered the secret of time travel.  She also discovered that she was invisible when she returned to the past and it was clear her future belonged in the future.  Then she met Xandra.  

She saw so much of herself in Xandra.  They had so many things in common, even looks.  She felt she had actually found someone who would be a real friend.  Someone who could understand her unique ways and would like her because of them.  Laura hoped Xandra could be the sister she had never had, or at least believed she had never had.   However, when Xandra found herself on a murderer's hit list, she needed a safe haven and Laura had the answer.  She sent Xandra back in time.

As this point the book is divided in chapters where the reader is following two stories.  Laura in the future and Xandra in the past.  A truly fascinating exchange of lives.  It was a very interesting twist to doppelgangers trading places and I really, really liked it a lot.  So much so, I plan to read it again!  I feel like I may have missed some hidden nuggets in the story.

My Recommendation of the Book, "Hide in Time"

When I think about it carefully, I know there were several reasons why I really liked this book and why I would highly recommend it to anyone.

First, it shows us that we can completely change the course of our own lives when needed and find happiness in a new place.  It might take some time to readjust, but we can survive and adapt to new surroundings and people.

Second, it highlights how people are basically the same today as they were hundreds of years ago.   Evil still abounds and good people still exist to maintain the balance that is our world.

And, last but by no means least, I like the concept about time travel in "Hide in Time".  You can't go back!  Once you have crossed into a different place in time, you can't return and just pick up where you left off.  Yes, Laura returns, but she cannot be seen.  She can whisper to the living and they hear her, but they believe she is what most of us would think of as a "ghost".  

As I said at the beginning of this article, I don't believe in time travel, but if there were such a thing, it would have to be in a way that everyone traveling in time couldn't constantly be changing the future by visiting the past, literally. 

More Books By Anna Faversham

Now that I have discovered the author, Anna Faversham, I will be reading more of her books!

 

 One Dark Night (The Dark Moon Trilogy Book 1) Under a Dark Star (The Dark Moon Trilogy Book 2)

& 

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Book Review of "Hide in Time" Written by:

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Halloween Countdown Calendar Reviews

October is a long month and with Halloween coming at the very end, it can seem like forever to a child who can't wait to wear his new costume and go trick or treating around the neighborhood.

A Halloween countdown calendar will help put the "How many days 'til Halloween?" question to rest. Here are three easy Halloween countdown calendars that you can make yourself.

AbilityPoweredDesign on Etsy

Downloadable Halloween Countdown Calendar

Since I'm sure I'm not the only one who puts off projects until the last minute, I'm going to start with this one. It's super-quick and easy to make for as little as three dollars if you have a spare picture frame on hand.

Simply purchase this Halloween Countdown Calendar download, print it out immediately, put it in an 8 x 10-inch frame and you're ready to start counting down the days 'til Halloween. Each day, use a dry erase marker (available at the link or at your local discount store) to write the number on the glass. Next day, wipe off the number and update. Hooray, you're one day closer to trick-or-treat!

I've personally purchased many downloadable files from Etsy and just love the ease and convenience. This is a great project, simple and fun. I think this would make a cute gift for a teacher, neighbor, relative, or friend, too. Choose a pretty black, orange, or gold frame, include a new marker with the gift, and voila! I know I'd be impressed if someone made one of these for me. Oh, and if you like the idea but would prefer another design, you'll find many more choices in AbilityPoweredDesign's Etsy store.

No Tricks! Halloween Countdown Calendar With Treats

OhHappyDay.com

This next project is from the Oh Happy Day blog and I think it's adorable. It takes more time to make, but it's actually quite simple, the supplies are easy to find, and the end result is quite impressive and makes a beautiful, seasonal display. What's more, you'll be able to add little candies or stickers to the adorable cupcake-cup witch's hats to add even more fun each morning when your child counts down one more day.

Chiara, who wrote the post, includes complete directions and awesome photos to help make this project really easy. I hope you'll leave a comment on her blog if you like this project.

DIY Halloween Countdown Calendar With Printable Numbers

DIYNetwork Blog

Next we have a Halloween countdown calendar project from the DIY Network blog. This is another countdown calendar that will take a bit of time to put together, but it's a simple craft that even a beginner can handle.

I love the popular chevron-patterned gift bags and the printable letters and numbers, all in seasonal black, orange, and white. (Note: I can see this project being carried over to other holidays, using other colors, can't you? Love it!)

The project calls for either a bulletin board, as shown, or a foam board. The supplies are inexpensive, the instructions are complete, and the final product is adorable.







So there you have it, three easy DIY Halloween Countdown Calendar projects. I hope one or all appeal to you. Which one do you like best? If you make and use one of these, I'd love it you come back to let me know. Have a happy Halloween!

~Susan

Click Here to Read More Halloween Reviews From Our Review This! Team

~Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Review This: What are the 10 Most Wanted Halloween Treats

We all know it's coming and we all know that we will enjoy the evening!

What's coming? Why, the most important night of all nights, for anyone who is under 14 years of age!

 These pictures belongs to me, please ask if you want to share them elsewhere!

Let me give you a hint! Kids have been thinking about it since school started. They have changed their minds a dozen or more times. They are driving their parents crazy with outrageous costume ideas!  

  Why it's Halloween of course!

These pictures belongs to me, please ask if you want to share them elsewhere!

                               

So once the costume question has been settled, what's the next most important part of the Halloween festivities?

If you guessed the treats, you would be right! Did you know that there are Treats that are Favored by the youngsters? They will seek you out if you happen to be shelling out their favorites!  You will get the biggest thanks from all the little Goblins and Witches for miles around.

So What are these 10 Favorites, you might ask! Let me enlighten you and make all the kids in your neighborhood really happy!

Starting with the Best and Most Wanted!

1. Butterfingers/Starbursts
2. Milky Way Bars
3. Twix Bars
4. Skittles
5. Milk Duds
6. Snickers
7. Reeses Pieces
8. Tootsie Rolls/Tootsie Pops
9. Kit Kat Bars/Nerds
10. Sour Patch Kids

All of these are readily available, so if you are going to buy treats, they might as well be something the kids are really going to enjoy. (If there are any left overs, you just might enjoy them too!)

HERSHEY'S Halloween Demon Treats Snack Size Assortment (48.05-Ounce Bag, 125 Pieces)Skittles, Starburst and Life Savers Gummies Halloween Candy Bag, 315 Fun Size Pieces, 99.78 ounceMARS Chocolate Favorites Fun Size Candy Bars Variety Mix 33.9-Ounce 60-Piece Bag

& 

Now for every 10 that the Kids really want to have, there must also be 10 that they really don't want to have!

So here the list that will prove a waste of money in the eyes of all the Hobo's, Captain Americas, Princesses and their ilk!

1. Toothbrushes
2. Apples
3. Orange taffy pieces
4. Candy rings
5. Good and Plenty
6. Jaw breakers
7. Dubble Bubble gum
8. Chocolate coins
9. Necco wafers
10. Candy corn

Halloween time is a great holiday for everyone to let their inner child out to play for a while. You know you will be spending money on candy for the kids, so you might as well get them something that they will enjoy.

Just don't buy your candy too early because you know that you will have to do some quality control on just how fresh these Candies are and that will not be good for you or the kids in your neighborhood!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing A Crochet Pumpkin Pattern

Crochet your own pumpkin for Fall

Crocheted Pumpkins

As I write this review of a fun crochet pumpkin pattern, we are officially into the fall season here in my neck of the woods. I found this pattern last year about this time and decided having some decorations that I made myself would be a fun way to celebrate autumn in my dining room. 

The advantage to crocheting a pumpkin is that it works for fall, Halloween and even into Thanksgiving. As you can see by the photo at the left, I have the crochet pumpkins that I made last year in a display with real pumpkins and a few acorns. For right now, the display is for Halloween. Once we move into November, I will take out the real pumpkins and add some dried corn, maybe a gourd and some pine cones from my back yard. The small amount of time that I invested into making the large pumpkin and the small one has turned out to serve me well for decorating for more than one holiday. 

I found the crochet pumpkin pattern on The Crochet Crowd website, last year. I often go to this site when I am looking for something fun to crochet either for myself or for gifts. Mikey, the owner of the site, often offers a tutorial with the patterns that he showcases and I find them very easy to follow. The video below was really easy to follow!

Video Tutorial For Crocheting A Large Pumpkin

The pattern was really easy to follow, especially after having watched Mikey in the tutorial video. I find that the videos are so handy because I can start and stop them as I progress through the crochet pattern.

You can pick the color of orange that you want for your crocheted pumpkin at your local craft store or online. You will need some brown for the stem (I used some scrap brown) and just a tiny bit of green for the curly little leaf. You will also need some stuffing for the inside. One thing that I found was that you do not want to be frugal with the stuffing. Put plenty of it inside your pumpkin or you might find that your finished crochet pumpkin is flat looking.

If you like to crochet and make decorative items for your home, you will enjoy making this pumpkin in the large size or any size for that matter. Mikey provides a video for large, medium and small. I love that my cute pumpkins don't have to be carved, won't turn bad and they are easily stored away until next fall when I am ready to use them again.

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IKEA Poang Chair Review

IKEA Poang Chair (photo: Amazon)

Over the past many years, the IKEA Poang chair has been a favorite in my home. If you have not heard of the IKEA store or the Poang chair, you must check them both out. In this review I will describe my experience with this stylish, comfortable, easy-to-move, and space-saving chair.

IKEA Poang Armchair: Comfort and Style

My Poang is approaching 10 years of age. I purchased it when I relocated to the east coast and had an entire apartment to furnish. I had never heard of an IKEA store. But during my first visit to the store, and my first sit in the chair, I purchased a Poang without a second thought.  My plan was to use this lightweight chair until I settled in and bought a substantial (and expensive) chair - such as an upholstered recliner.  

I love my Poang so much that I haven't given a recliner a second thought. I have changed the cushions on my chair once.  I replaced the white cotton canvas (what was I thinking?  I had a dog!) cushion with a red leather cushion. I must say that the white canvas did last longer than they should have - and were machine washable. But after time, I thought the leather would be easier.

My chair is perfect for watching television, reading, and blogging from my laptop.  In fact, I'm writing this now from the comfort of my chair. The bentwood frame allows some rocking motion - which I love.  The curve of the chair back and the head cushion support my back, neck, and head in a way that is so comfortable that I can easily doze off in this chair. 

Poang support and cushion (photo: Amazon)

Why Choose a Poang Series Chair?

• stylish - comes in a variety of colors
• comfortable - curved back and cushioned head rest perfect for relaxing
• sturdy - despite it's light weight, it is very strong and sturdy - listed as being able to hold up to 375 lbs.
• the cotton canvas cushions are washable and the leather cushions wipe clean
• placed in a grouping, multiple chairs would be a perfect conversation area
• small enough to place in a reading nook, bedroom area, or other small area
• lightweight - extremely easy to move to other areas of the home or to a new home
• not quite a rocking chair, but perfect for rocking a baby, or yourself, to sleep
• whether you live in a large or small square footage home a Poang would fit nicely

One or two online reviews state that if you are an older person the chair is difficult to get up and out of. Thus far, I am not finding that to be true. Nor have my older guests had trouble getting out of the chair. Also, I am no skinny-minny and I never feel that this chair is going to break or tip over.

One word of caution:  I did not find this level of sturdiness to be true for the separate footrest. I once sat on the footrest and the bottom popped out - suddenly depositing me to the floor. 

In my home, my chair is so popular that it isn't easy to get a chance to sit in it. "Move your feet, lose your seat" is the rule here when it comes to sharing our IKEA Poang armchair.

Mittens thinks this is her chair

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Reviewing Orange and Black for Halloween and How it Affects Feng Shui

A Good Choice for Halloween & Beyond 
A Water Feature (Via Amazon)
Surround it with Pumpkins

Are you worried that adding more orange and black than usual will upset the Feng Shui you've worked hard to create in your home?

If so, don't worry, it's all good.

What matters is a healthy balance of the five basic elements of Feng Shui.

These five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. 

For the purpose of this article, we'll just cover the colors Black and Orange and how you can easily integrate Halloween Decor into your home without the worry of affecting your home's 'balance' (Chi) - meaning, it's good energy.

Orange (A Fire Element Color) - The Social Color

Orange is the color of social activity and conversation. In fact orange is an excellent paint color choice for the kitchen for that very reason.

Kitchens are typically the gathering place for people to converse, so adding orange to your kitchen simply aids in encouraging communication. You can do this by adding items with Halloween or Fall Colors to the space; center pieces, window stickers, and pumpkins.

Bagua Map Created by Funkthishouse.com

However, orange pumpkins usually end up in our foyer or front step. That's a good thing; as you can see by the Feng Shui Bagua Map attached, the Foyer or front entrance area is usually the center part of our home, where we focus on bringing in good fortune.

Adding earth elements such as pumpkins to the hallway or entrance area will merely enhance the balance needed to encourage a little more good fortune.

Black (A Water Element Color) - The Flow of Chi (Good Energy) in Your Home/Life

Black is a huge part of Halloween Decor and like orange, tends to be focused in the Foyer, Front Yard or Entrance Way.

With Black being a Water Element, it represents the flow of energy up and into your home. However, during the Halloween Season we tend to put out some funky freaky items and that's ok too - these items are temporary and relate to fun, so enjoy the night!

However, if you want to keep some standard Feng Shui rules in place even with your Halloween Decor, add black colored elements that are 'flowing'.

A good choice is a rug for the front step that has a wavy element to it, or is round. You could add a round Halloween Rug with Black and Orange in it.

Other items you can add to your front door area are; A black framed mirror (works for Halloween), black metal pots (fill them with Halloween Decor - like a witches brew, straw, a Halloween head prop, yikes! or just a simple fall plant).

An actual water feature in your front yard or entry way is the ideal water element. Decorate it for Halloween, then remove the Halloween Decor from the water feature, and you'll have a basic Feng Shui piece all year 'round to aid in encouraging abundance and success into your life.

So remember the basics: Your front door and entry way are where the flow of Chi enters your home and Water Elements and dark colors such as black can work well.

Conversation, good energy and social connection is brought out with Orange, so place it in your home where you want this part of your life improved - and that certainly is the Front Door when those little Trick or Treaters show up for their candy.

Trick or Treat!

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Planning a Halloween Party

Halloween Witch,
GraphicStock.com

Halloween Party Planning Reviewed

Any good party requires some planning and a Halloween party is no different. So it's time to review getting your plans together for a good Halloween party. There are basics that we all need to think about. When is the party? Who are we inviting? What will they eat and drink? Along with other things. That's what we'll go through here. The things to consider for Halloween party planning.

Halloween Party Preparation

As with any party, preparation is key to helping you have a great celebration and getting to enjoy it yourself. And the preparation needs some planning. Get started early so that you have plenty of time to order the fun home decorating items, buffet decor and specialty goodies.

Look at your planning list and make sure you're timing gives you enough time to get everything done.

• Plan the date, time, location and theme if you want one, like All Spiders or Zombie Invasion..
• Decide on the guest list.
• Order the Halloween party invitations - remember to include special notes about theme, costumes and food where needed to prepare your guests.
• Plan the menu, buffet or table decorations and what extras you need to make creepy or ghoulish treats (like dry ice for a punch or brain molds for food fun.).
• Determine what home decorations you want. This may include your front porch or yard for welcoming your Halloween party guests. 
• Make absolutely sure you plan in time for you to enjoy the party. You don't want to be cooking while everyone else is having fun. 
• If you have kids included in your party, remember to plan Halloween games and activities for them.

Halloween Bathroom Decor for the Party

Decorating the bathroom your guests will use is a big part of the fun. It sure is for me and I've got some great ideas for you.

• Start with a funny skeleton door cover. Let your guests know immediately where the bathroom is located with the perfect addition.
• Add a ghoulish toilet topper. These are clings that can complement your theme, or just be another way to decorate for your Halloween party. 
• Then finish off with a set of Halloween hand towels. Make sure your guests are fully immersed in the fun of your party. 

Halloween Party Planning Review

Get your Halloween party planning ready. This way you won't find yourself scrambling for what you need or settling for something not nearly as good. Party planning is the key to a great and fun Halloween celebration.  And be sure to check out my Halloween Haven - Website Review for more tips and suggestions for your own Halloween party.

Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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