The Alchemist
by Paul Coelho

Publisher's Note:   Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.


Overall Review:  The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a lyrical fable, simply told, of an Andalusian shepherd boy searching for his destiny and his treasure.  Stylistically, one can almost hear an ancient storyteller unfolding the story next to a fire under a canopy of stars.  This is not a book about character development.  This is not a book about plotline.  This is a thinking book.  Woven within the story are ideas and themes to be pondered and revisited.  It is refreshing in an increasingly skeptical and secular society to hear a message regarding fate and faith; destiny and the divine.  The cynical reader would say the book appeals to what people want to believe about life and destiny, but I think it rather reminds of truths that we all once knew, but have forgotten along our way.  Beautifully begun, patiently paced, and eloquently ended, The Alchemist inspires personal evaluation and leaves a taste of hope for life’s possibilities.  Overall  Rating is 5 out of 5 stars!


Content Review
 
VIOLENCE:  one mild instance

PROFANITY:  one mild instance

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  none

RECOMENDED AGE GROUP:   16+

Violence consists of the report of wars, battles, and a hanging.  A character is robbed and beaten, but a detailed account is not provided.  Profanity includes one mild instance.  There was no sexual content.  No difficult, mature thematic material is present, but the book’s general themes would be most appreciated by readers 16 and older.  Because this is a great discussion book , it would be an excellent selection for a book club.  The Alchemist is a Squeaky Clean read for ages 16+.

This Review was Written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Reviewer

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis

Publisher's Note:  The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, completed in the winter of 1949 & published in 1950, tells the story of four ordinary children: Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy Pevensie. They discover a wardrobe in Prof. Digory Kirke's house that leads to the magical land of Narnia, which is currently under the spell of a witch. The four children fulfill an ancient, mysterious prophecy while in Narnia. The Pevensie children help Aslan (the Turkish word for lion) & his army save Narnia from the evil White Witch, who's reigned over the Narnia in winter for 100 years.


Overall Review:  I have loved the Chronicles of Narnia all my life.  As a child, I loved to read them because the story was magical!  I imagined in my mind the journey of Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan as they discover the new land in the wardrobe.  I reveled in the characters—talking animals, dwarfs, Aslan, even the children themselves.  The battles between Aslan’s people and the evil hordes of the White Witch were breathtaking and intense.  And of course, who wouldn’t love the comeback of Aslan to surprise the White Witch and her minions just as Peter and all who followed Aslan felt that all was lost!  I loved the majesty, the prophecy and the legend of the land of Narnia.  As an adult, I still love to read the story, but there is even more meaning to it now.  The depth of C.S. Lewis’ symbolism is lovely and unimposing.  There are magical enchantments, treachery, brotherly love, and the power of giving one’s life for another—that magic older than the dawn of Time itself.  The characters breathe through the pages.  The land is full of color, culture, and magic.  I have always loved being swept away into the land of Narnia, and now I share its magic and mystery with my own children.  Overall rating is 5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: None

VIOLENCE: A few mild and two moderate instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: None

MATURE THEMES: Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 9+

The themes in this book are varied, and I put mild because of some scary creatures, situations, and peril.  As this book is mostly a tale of good versus evil, there is some violence involved.  There is a very evil character who turns many creatures to stone—they are, in essence, dead (but it’s made right in the end).  A character is made to suffer quite a bit: he is slapped, yelled at, made to starve, made to walk with his hands tied behind his back, tied to a tree in order to kill him, etc.  There are some mildly scary chase scenes involving large wolves.  A character is attacked by a wolf—it is killed by another character.  The battle at the end has quite a few casualties on both sides and many are wounded.  There is a giant who crushes enemies,  the evil witch who turns everyone in her way into stone (some are then crushed, so they cannot be saved later), dwarfs with axes, etc.  One character is tied up, taunted in horrible ways, and then stabbed to death.  These battles and episodes are very well written, however, and I’ve had no qualms reading this aloud to my children many times.  This is a Squeaky Clean Read for ages 9+.

Dragons of the Valley
by Donita K. Paul

Publisher's Note:  War threatens the peaceful land of Chiril… can one painter-turned-reluctant-swordsman really help?
 
With an invasion of her country imminent, Tipper Schope is drawn into a mission to keep three important statues from falling into the enemy’s clutches. Her friend, the artist Bealomondore, helps her execute the plan, and along the way he learns to brandish a sword rather than a paintbrush. 

As odd disappearances and a rash of volatile behavior sweep Chiril, no one is safe. A terrible danger has made his vicious presence known: The Grawl, a hunter unlike any creature encountered before. 

To restore their country, Tipper, Bealomondore, and their party must hide the statues in the Valley of the Dragons and find a way to defeat the invading army. When it falls to the artistic Bealomondore to wield his sword as powerfully and naturally as a paintbrush, will he answer Wulder’s call for a champion? 

Overall Review:  Wizards, Dragons, Kings, Queens, Mysterious Beasts… What more could you want in a fantasy?  A beautiful tale with unique characters and details, Donita Paul has woven fantasy into an allegorical tale that can be enjoyed by all.  The rich descriptions bring you into a world where an artist’s sculptures keep the balance and an evil beast man wants to tear it all apart.  Many races gather on a quest to discover and overcome.  Can they restore balance and decipher the reasons for all the mysterious disappearances before war breaks out?  Is belief in Wulder, the Creator, enough to sustain them and help them conquer in time?  My only complaint with this book is that I was unaware that it is part of a series.  It is book two in a series that is a companion to another 5 book series.  There were many times that I felt very confused, due to the allusions to other quests and adventures that were included in previous novels.  It took awhile to understand who was who, as there is no introduction.  We just jump right into the story from page one.  This is wonderful and perfect if you’ve already become acquainted with the characters, but difficult for a first time reader.  The appendix in the back is detailed and helpful if you’re lost, though.  I did love many of the characters (especially Lady Peg-I loved her ‘logic’), and the story is well written.  If all her books are written in this same manner, then I could highly recommend this as a fun and imaginative Christian fantasy series.  I would also recommend starting with the first book in the series to get the most benefit.  Overall rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:


PROFANITY: None

VIOLENCE: Few mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: None

MATURE THEMES: Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 14+

There is no profanity or sexual content at all.  There is a very evil character whom has no qualms killing.  This character also prefers to eat animals alive and raw which gets a little gross!  Many characters die; one is a bit graphic.  There is war, battles, and skirmishes, but they’re not described in much detail.  As far as mature themes, there is the intensity of war and its consequences.  Also, since this is an allegorical tale, there are a great deal of religious overtones.  The question of religion and God and whether or not to believe could be considered mature for some.  ‘Dragons of the Valley’ is a Squeaky Clean Read for ages 14+.

This review was written by Emily
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads  by Multnomah for a review