Luminescence by Braden Bell

by Braden Bell

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: March 11th 2014

by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

ISBN 1462114059

“He’s alive!” she yelled. “He’s alive!”
As Lexa spoke the words, she knew they were true. She knew with total certainty.
“Dr. Timberi’s alive!”

When Lady Nightwing kidnapped Dr. Timberi, everyone assumed their teacher had been killed. So when Lexa discovers that he isn’t dead, Conner can’t believe his ears.

Determined to rescue their favorite teacher, Conner, Lexa, and Melanie confront their worst fears and use their powers in unexpected ways to defeat Lady Nightshade, the treacherous Darkhand leader. But when the trio makes a terrible choice to save Dr. Timberi, their powers may not be enough to keep everyone alive. A thrilling conclusion to the Middle School Magic series!

Your favorite characters return in this satisfying conclusion of the Middle School Magic series! Filled with plenty of twists, humor, and adventure, Luminescence will keep you guessing until the last page.

Study hall? Definitely. Substitute Teachers? Absolutely. Rescuing people from brutal villains? Bring it on!

I have to admit that this is one of my top three middle grade series.  I have really, really loved the journey I've taken with Lexa, Conner and Melanie and friends and now that it is over, I'm kind of sad.

Sometimes it is hard in middle grade fiction to get the voices right.  I often find that the characters seem too old or too young and therefore not realistic.  That is definitely not the case in this series.  The characters were always believable and the choices they made consistent with the age group.  I liked that.

When you combine great characters with a magical storyline it creates a book too good to pass up.  These three young people really are on an adventure.  Along the way they learn important lessons about life, themselves and other.  They learn to work together, to show respect and what courage really is.  There are lessons to be learned for all of us in this book.  Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book-

"Being mad at each other was like holding on to Darkness and it meant the light couldn't help us."  (pg. 45)

Lexa, Conner and Melanie learn that when they work together they are so much stronger and that each of them makes up a great whole.

"Our gifts and personalities each represent a dimension of a human being:  mind, spirit and body."  (pg. 46)

The ending was fantastic.  It defines the word "hero" in many different ways.  This is a book and book series I would recommend to anyone and not just those with middle grade readers.  My middle grade daughter loves these books and that makes me happy!

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During his middle school years, Braden Bell was the least-stable, lowest-achieving student in the history of the world. He shocked every former teacher by graduating from high school and college, and then going on to earn both a Master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. A teacher by day and a parent by night, he is around teenagers 24/7. He teaches music and directs plays at a private school, much like Marion Academy in The Middle School Magic series. Whether he fights evil after hours is something he cannot disclose.

Braden Bell holds degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from NYU. A committed educator, he has been directing plays and teaching school now for over twenty years. Braden lives with his family on a quiet, tree-lined lot outside of Nashville, TN, where he teaches theatre and choir at a middle school. The author of The Road Show, The Kindling, and Penumbras.

Lean More on his website* twitter* facebook* goodreads* publisher

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