The Avatar Battle (Cragbridge Hall, #2)

by Chad Morris

[sstaley]

I read The Avatar Battle: Cragbridge Hall Book two in less than 24 hours. How does it compare to the fabulous first book The Inventor’s Secret? The second book is just as engaging as the first book in this middle grade fantasy series. This series has some of my favorite elements in a story: humor, memorable characters, and time travel. Once again we enter the world of Cragbridge Hall where the brightest students in the year 2074 attend secondary school. Here they learn how to design their own virtual worlds and control robot animals. This is also where Grandpa Cragbridge is fighting to protect his school, and the world, from the evil Charles Muns who wants the keys to control time travel where he can change history to suit his means.

I love the adventure found in the books. The twins, Abby and Derek, also learn so much about themselves. They learn so many life lessons as they help their grandfather battle Muns. Some of the powerful messages readers will gain from this book are believing in yourself and doing hard things, realizing that with every choice you make comes great consequences, and that there are important lessons to be learned from studying about history. As a teacher I’m reminded of how much I’d love to work at a school like this one. What amazing technology happens at Cragbridge Hall!

Author Chad Morris’s writing style is fun, moving and there is never a dull moment in The Avatar Battle. The story is a good read for anyone from 8 years old and up. Adults will enjoy this story/series as much as the tweens and teens. There are some fantastic surprises found in the last ¼ of the book. What a great way to write an exciting finish to this book. Now all that’s left to wonder is how long do we wait until book three comes out?