| Here's part of a review from ReaderViews Kids Reviewed For Kids, By Kids Check ReaderViewsKids for Entire Review Lisa Marie Lanno iUniverse (2006) ISBN 9780595405855 Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (9/07) "...From page to page, you will find yourself wanting to not lay down “The Secret Cave” until it is finished. Lisa Maria Lanno is an awesome storyteller. Each chapter builds on the last and you to try to try to figure out the mystery on your own. It’s almost as if you are right there by Ronnie and Joe. Each chapter ends with a set of questions making you think and draw your own conclusions. “The Secret Cave” is a must have for kids who enjoy a great mystery. It’s a novel which appeals to kids like because it is kids who are the main characters. I simply loved “The Secret Cave” and hope that Lisa Marie Lanno continues to write more books like one!" |
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The Secret Cave by Lisamaria Lanno An enjoyable adventure to embark on reading! The “Secret Cave” is a treasure trove for young readers looking for a good mystery/ adventure that keeps them guessing. Each chapter ends with a “stop and think” section to get the reader’s thinking, a great tool to enable kids to use their imagination. Mixed with vocabulary words, the “stop and think” sections enhance understanding and help turn readers into writers. Great for reluctant readers, use in the classroom and to get young readers’ writing! We need more books like the "Secret Cave" for reading fun, and to help young readers create and think. Janice McArdle - Youth Service Librarian Granby Public Library - Granby, MA. 01033 Telephone 1-413-467-3320 tjmcardle@comcast.net |
| From: Epinions.com Product Rating: Five Stars Great Book - Fun AND Educational! Sep 15 '07 Pros Real characters, great plot and ending, lots of fun in between, and very educational. Cons They can't put it down! The Bottom Line Highly recommended. Kids will love the story, the questions to help them imagine, and I personally like the vocabulary section at the end. Interesting story as well as educational. Review (In part) This book has over 80 pages of mystery, chills & thrills, and keeps them interested. The characters are "real"... The plot is full of riddles to solve and is full of adventure, rather than "fright",... The author put questions to end each chapter that stimulates imaginative thinking, making them answer as if they were to write the next chapter. I must admit, I was thinking up my own next chapter. ... it has a lot of value... (I wrote the author and she is starting on a second book) As a parent, I highly recommend the book and speaking for my kids, they do as well. The kids get a good book, and best of all, they get an education, without even realizing it! The "stop and think" questions at the end not only help them to think, but they help with overall attitude when they realize they CAN do it, a goal the author is reaching for. I think your kids will enjoy it as much as mine did. Recommended: Yes Read Full Review |
| Reviews Author Interview on Reader Views Kids Five Star Reviews! Listen to Author Interview here! Inside Scoop Live |
| Five Stars On Amazon.com |
| #2 From: Epinions.com Product Rating: Five Stars A winner! Oct 01 '07 (Updated Oct 01 '07) Pros Delightful reading, strong plot and distinctive characters, a learning experience Cons None The Bottom Line I strongly recommend this youth novel. Children will find each chapter more interesting than the next. The additional educational elements only make the book that much more of a winner. Review (in part) I can't stress enough, the importance of reading, and when the book is as easy-flowing as this one, it makes it all the more positive. One chapter flows into the next with the questions at the end of the fourteen chapters... There are funny parts, serious parts and some scary parts in this entirely delightful novel. The stop and think questions are an ingenious addition to help the children to use their own creative thinking process, while still enjoying their book... As a parent, I am very pleased to see such a well thought out book and I do hope Ms Lanno writes the next one soon. Recommended: Yes Read Full Review |
| Interview with Lisa Maria Lanno (In Part) The Secret Cave ISBN 9780595405855 Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (9/07) Read Entire Interview Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to be joined by Lisa Maria Lanno, who is here to discuss her new children’s book “The Secret Cave.” We are also joined today by Brianne Plach, our ten-year old reviewer of “The Secret Cave” who will ask Lisa a few questions to begin. Brianne: Did you have a cousin close in age to you while growing up? If so, is that who Joe and Ronnie are based on? Lisa: No, I really didn’t have anyone in my family that was close in age, but I did have a friend who lived one house away. She was the more “logical” of the two of us, but was always willing to participate in my “imaginary” adventures. (Maybe that’s ‘cause she was a year and a half younger than I was, and more easily convinced!) I’d drag her up the big hill behind my house and she’d play “archeologist” or “detective” with me. That is, until I fell down the hill head first, broke a tooth, and hurt my foot! Here’s one that my kids still tease me about: We’d go to a store with our parents, and off on our own, we’d “follow” people, pretending to be detectives. I had a pen, yes a pen, which I’d talk into, as it was my secret phone. Sometimes when I misplace a phone, my kids will hand me a pen, and say, “Here, use this”! Tyler: What do you feel sets “The Secret Cave” apart from other children’s books that involve mysteries and adventure? Lisa: I feel the characters are very relatable ... Readers will actually be able to picture themselves in the mystery. As the clues are revealed, the reader will find that he or she will be thinking about what each clue could mean and how to solve each riddle, as well as how to get out of the jams ... I’m “all about imagination” and creative thinking, and this book will make people, young and old, use their imaginations. The best part is, you don’t even realize you’re doing it! ... Tyler: Lisa, I understand “The Secret Cave” is not just a straight story, but has educational supplements included. Will you tell us a little bit about those? Lisa: Of course! I feel it has a lot of educational value. I put in the “Stop and Think” section at the end of each chapter to ignite the imagination of the reader ...I’m not asking the reader to predict what I wrote, but to think of how they would tell it if they were writing the book ... Tyler: I understand you actually work with schools and reading programs. Would you tell us a bit about your work? Lisa: Certainly! I am presently working with libraries, schools and bookstores, with Author Readings, Motivational Talks, and Creative Writer’s Workshops. I have my own little “twist” on the traditional “author reading.” ... we’ll talk a bit about motivation and how to apply what they’ve just learned to every day life... My goal is to have the young ones feel good about reading, writing, and about their self worth. The Creative Writer’s Workshops that follow are also very interactive with what I call “brain exercises.”... |
| The Secret Cave is featured on Reader Views & Reader Views Kids |
| Five Stars On Barnes & Noble B&N.com |
| Five Stars on Target Target.com |
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| TARGET.COM Reviews Written by Teacher Too (Boston, MA) Grab this book!, January 11, 2008 Whether you're a reader, parent, teacher, or librarian, you should "grab this book!" It has a great story for the readers that they won't want to put down, as well as questions at the chapter's end to wake up the imagination. Vocabulary words are very helpful for the kids as well as the educators. As an educator, I highly recommend this book for everyone. Read review on Target.com |
| Mrs D writes: Subject: Wonderful Book I agree with this review. The Secret Cave is a wonderful book, with plenty of adventure (the kind I wish I had as a kid) and educational value as well. My 11 year old son wrote a book report on this novel and got an A. He really enjoyed reading it, as did I. Recommended with two thumbs up! Comment provided January 9, 2008 at 6:23 pm Comment on: Reader Views Kids.com |