Thursday, May 2, 2019

12 Gates Publishing Hamelin Stoop Series Review


We have been enjoying reading the first two books in the brand new Hamelin Stoop Series from 12 Gates Publishing.  We received both Hamelin Stoop:  The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge (Book 1) and Hamelin Stoop:  The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna (Book 2).  The reading level for this series is 6th grade and older; however, it can be read aloud to younger children as it is a clean fantasy series (there is some violence and hard life situations).



Book 1 and Book 2

Robert B. Sloan

About the Author:  Dr. Robert B. Sloan is president of Houston Baptist University in Houston, Texas (another Texan!).  He and his wife have seven adult children and more than 20 grandchildren.  He has worn many titles including author, communicator, educator, and leader.  He has a passion for Christian higher education.

When our package arrived in the mail and A (age 15) saw that they were books, she quickly asked if she could read them first.  I told her absolutely!  As soon as she was finished, B (age 13) picked them up and read them both as well.  They both read them within a few days as they are avid readers.

B with our books

Here is what B had to say about the books.  "Hamelin Stoop" was what they called the little baby abandoned on the stoop of the orphanage with a note that no one understood but one word:  Hamelin.  He longs to find out who his parents are and what things he has to do.  With the eagle as his guide, he was finally able to cross the bride.  His parents left him there to protect him from the evil person, whom I haven't met yet in the books.  I enjoyed reading these books.  Hamelin's story is very unique, exciting, and suspenseful.  I really liked in the first book that when he failed to cross the bridge, a couple years later he got to try again and made it.  It reminds me how God always gives us second chances.  From the moment I started reading it, I wanted to find out what happens next.  The stories are so suspenseful, I never got bored reading them.  The second book is Hamelin's journey after the bridge, and how he meets new friends and goes on more adventures.  In the end, his story connects with so many of his friend's stories and that really surprised me!  I can't wait to find out what happens next.

A with our books

Here is what A had to say about the books.  I really like these books.  Hamelin's adventures are exciting, suspenseful and action packed.  In the first book, when Hamelin's eighth birthday is forgotten, he goes out and meets an eagle who tell him he was summoned and needs to cross a footbridge.  But being a boy of only eight, he fails his test.  A few years go by and Hamelin makes new friends but he can never get the eagle or cave out of his mind.  When he finds the gloves the eagle gave him, he knows the time has come to try again.  In the next book, Hamelin has made it across the footbridge but his quest has just begun.  He wants to know who he is and who his parents are.  With the help of new friends and three gifts, Hamelin is on another quest to find a kidnapped princess, and maybe, even find a lost one!

I know that sometimes people like to read a book series out of order but this one really needs to be read in order as it is more of one continuous story.

It's nice that an advanced middle grade reading series has content suitable for all ages.  It bridges the gap from middle grade into the young adult genre.  And of course, these books are fantasy so you are going to have some unusual or strange things happening within the storyline like the fact that there are multiple worlds.

Want to know more?  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of 12 Gates Publishing.

The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge (Book 1) & The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna (Book 2) {12 Gates Publishing  Reviews}

The Hamelin Stoop Series predicts a 6 or 7 part book series and my kids are eagerly awaiting the next one.  They want to continue the journey to the end!  Check out the short Book Trailer below to see more.



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2 comments:

Mumma said...

A & B make these books sound exciting. Thanks for letting us know about them.

Kathryn said...

Yes! They love reading and the only thing they were bummed about when finishing these two books is that I didn't have the next one for them. I told them we will get it when it becomes available.