's indicates how much I enjoyed the reading experience of each title. It is completely subjective and does not reflect the "literary value" of the book. The grade-level is also assigned by me, as much as I believe that those are the readers most likely to enjoy each title. The 
means that I read the Galley (or Advanced Readers Copy) of the book, not the finished and published book.
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07/27/2004: "Sea of Trolls 
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author: Farmer, Nancyaudience: 4-6
Why did I only give this very inventive, vividly told, adventurous, fun, and appealing book only 3 pens?First of all, the writing seems to me fairly pedestrian and falls flat in many places. The plot and exciting events sometimes do successfully distract me from this weakness. Secondly, in order to enjoy the book and lose myself in the world of the Northmen, the Skalds (Bards,) and the Trolls, I had to struggle with the awkward pairing of an early European (500 A.D.?) setting and a remarkably "modern" text. I imagine that the author and her editor made a conscious stylish choice in this regard. It might work very well with some readers, (as many have voiced their pleasure in reading this book) but not for me.
