Night of the Ninth Dragon (Magic Tree House #55) by Mary Pope Osborne

 Night of the Ninth Dragon (Magic Tree House #55) by Mary Pope Osborne-144 pages

Jack and Annie receive an urgent note telling them to return to Camelot. It isn't from Morgan Le Fay per usual, however. It is from Queen Guinevere of Camelot. King Arthur has been gravely wounded by invaders and Morgan, Merlin, Teddy, and Kathleen are all in Avalon. Avalon is one of the nine mystical realms of Camelot. It is where King Arthur must go to be healed. However, the ninth dragon was stolen by the invaders because it is made of gold. Jack and Annie are asked to help find it so that King Arthur can travel to Avalon and so that Morgan and the others can return from Avalon. I enjoyed reading this one just as I have all the others.

King Arthur’s Bones: a historical mystery by Medieval Murderers

 

King Arthur’s Bones: a historical mystery by Medieval Murderers – 405 p.

 Medieval Murderers is a writers group of historical mystery novelists. The book is divided into several acts, each one written by one of the authors. The general story follows the supposed bones of King Arthur over a few hundred years, and their occasional disappearance, theft, and other misadventures. Several murder mysteries arise and are solved as the story proceeds. The writers include historical notes about real people and events included in their tales. Some of the storylines are more successful than others, but overall it’s a fun read.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Avalon High by Meg Cabot - 288 pages

This is a retelling of the King Arthur legend set in a modern-day high school.  I enjoyed this teen book.  It was a quick, fun read.

Earthquake in the Early Morning by Mary Pope Osborne

Earthquake in the Early Morning by Mary Pope Osborne-72 pages

In this adventure, Jack and Annie are taken back to the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake to find the last writing to help save Camelot. Once they find the writing, they are taken to Camelot by Morgan le Fay to cheer up King Arthur, who is somber because of a recent military defeat. I am really enjoying reading the Magic Tree House books (over again, for the most part).

Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne

Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (audiobook)-128 pages in print

I really enjoyed reading this series as a kid (though I don't remember which ones I have read), as they take readers to faraway lands in distant times. It would be really fun to go to the places and witness the events that Jack and Annie go to in these novels, especially in a magic tree house. I loved to read as a kid, and still do, and these novels took me to magical lands and helped shape my imagination and curiosity. In this novel, Jack and Annie are invited by an "M" (which turns out to be Merlin and not Morgan) to Camelot for Christmas, where they meet King Arthur for the second time and his Knights of the Roundtable for the first time. They end up going to "The Other World" to save Camelot from black magic at the behest of "The Christmas Knight." It turns out that Merlin was angry at King Arthur for banishing Magic from Camelot and got back at him by using magic to put Camelot in a dark slumber and send for Jack and Annie, hoping that they would volunteer to save Camelot. Jack and Annie are able to save Camelot with Merlin's help. Overall, it was still pretty fun to listen to this, though kids are the target audience.

Conspiracies by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill

Conspiracies by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill - 342 pages
A Shadow Grail Novel - book 2

Spirit and her friends have defeated the evil that was killing students at Oakhurst Academy so they should be safe.  However, the school is under attack.  Debilitating attacks of fear descend on the students.  For the students safety several alumnus come back to the school.  Supposedly they are there for their protection, but are the?
This is the second book in the series.  The cast of characters is slowly expanding although the focus is still on the five main friends.  Also, the Arthurian mythology is finally appearing in the story.  

Camelot Burning by Kathryn Rose

Camelot Burning by Kathryn Rose  375 pages

By day, 17-year-old Vivienne is the lady-in-waiting to the future queen Guinevere; at night, she is an apprentice to Merlin. The famed wizard has given up magic and is teaching her the secrets of alchemical machines. Guinevere and Arthur are to be married soon, and Vivienne is kept busy during the preparation for the wedding. Her feelings for Marcus, a knight in training, are a welcome distraction to her double life. Suddenly, Morgan Le Fay returns to attack Camelot and claim the throne. Vivienne soon learns that magic always comes with a price. At the exact moment she begins her attack, Merlin's protection spell begins to expire, and he must be careful not to resort to magic.

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler - 352 pages

Lizzie Mortimer thinks she lives in the ordinary modern day coastal town of Crabapple until one morning the letters in the newspaper rearrange to give Lizzie a foretelling of her best friend's death.  Lizzie finds herself embroiled in a battle between the forces of good and evil to fulfill her destiny within the framework of Arthurian legend come to life.  This book is written for teens and is appropriate for that age group.  Personally, I found the characters to be a little too one note for my taste and wished they were more fully realized and less caricature.

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler - 344 pages

Lizzy's life changes drastically the morning of her 14th Halloween.  That morning while reading the newspaper the words rearrange to become the obituary for her best friend.  It is at that time she learns she is a "Death Catcher", one who is given notice of a person's death in the hopes it can be changed.  Not only must she save the lives of those important to her, she also discovers that she is to be the Keeper of King Arthur's last descendant who will one day save the world.
This was a really interesting book.  It is written as a letter for an extra credit assignment for her English class.  It includes many facets of writing (i.e. symbolism, point of view, scene, etc.).  It uses those facets to introduce the important points of the story.  It was also a different take on the King Arthur story with the inclusion several minor characters in the legend.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will start recommending it to teens.

The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated by Gerald Morris

The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated by Gerald Morris, 94 pages
(Book 4 of "The Knights' Tales" series)

What would you do if you were given a prophecy that you would: 1. Become the noblest knight, but your greatness would only bring calamity. 2. You'd never refuse an adventure and be bravest of all knights, but you'd destroy the knight you love most in the world? When the prophecies start to come true one by one, Balin panics and tries to flee from his destiny. The result is a silly story that will keep young kids laughing at Balin's antics. Each story in the series is about different knights. They are: "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great", "The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short" and "The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True"