Is 'The Dark Is Rising' Appropriate For Middle Schoolers?

Aurora is a calm and patient girl, incredibly beautiful that her beauty will put the moon to the shame, leaving her life with books and in solitude until she crosses the paths with the devil himself on a stormy night. She helps him not even thinking that it's going to change her life forever. Rafael Delgado! The Spanish mafia kings get captivated by the beauty at first glance and then what, the game of Obsession begins. Will Aurora survive his wicked games or will lose her mind to the devil? Will Rafael change his ways for her or will destroy her like every other thing in his life?

The Dark Below is a steam-punk/fantasy world filled with the darkness that rests beneath a wavering tide. Generations ago, Gods from the depths below rose from the black seas and in doing so, caused a great flood that would have destroyed all of humanity if it was not for the ingenuity of survival. Living among The Dark Below has come to pass, but now four warriors must come together in hopes of forging a brighter future.

All human beings have been born with darkness inside. The challenge that we face in every passing day is controlling this darkness sheltered within us; if not, demons will feed on that darknes, find a way to possess both our body and soul, and wreak havoc to our lives as we know it. In this story, five unique teenage individuals harbor darkness within their souls using it to combat evil and save the mortal world from destruction. Along with their all-knowing homeroom adviser, these teens delve into the world of mythology and folklore. Join Cassidy, Noah, Maura, Lowan, Ross, and Ms. Reina in witnessing the war between the dark and the evil unfold. P.S. - Points of view change every two chapters. Please enjoy diving into their stories one by one.

Nathaniel Hemlock was once one of the most feared pirates to ever sail the seas. His endless quest for gold and power claimed many lives but never concerned him since his heart had long hardened. That is until one day that desire took a dark turn. For power and gold he traded not only his own soul but that of his crew. Now he is cursed to sail the seas until the end of time, unless 1000 more souls are given, one a year...all must be children which was one of the only things he would never do. Present day. Lloyd has always scoffed at the legends that bring visitors to his town near the sea, and with the arrival of a movie crew it's gotten worse. Returning home one evening he sees a strange, old fashioned boat docked and curiously decides to board it. A decision he soon regrets. Once onboard he cannot leave. Nathaniel is not best pleased but there is little he can do and decides to use Lloyd as a cabin boy to make himself useful while he continues to search for another way of breaking his curse and freeing his crew. Their lives will soon become more entwined and perhaps Lloyd is the one who can warm the frozen heart.

The Mother That Fed the Dark is a study of inherited guilt, ritual, and the long reach of a mother's choices. Amahle, a woman who practices the old rituals in secret, believes that her younger son , Sipho, was born as a spiritual "door" to be sacrificed for the sake of power and protection. During the ritual she performed , she got interrupted by the older son, Thando, who died instead. While the community believes Thando's death was accidental, Amahle knows better: it was the wrong son who died, and the ritual was left unfinished. Drenched in fear and resentment , Amahle raises Sipho as if he is the love of her life, while at the same time working to destroy him. Behind closed doors, she feeds the supernatural force from the failed ritual, which weakens Sipho, making him fearful and dependent. As Sipho grows, so do the misfortunes that follow him, and an unseen entity begins to present itself-first in dreams and whispers, then in the physical world . What we see is that the ritual did not bind to the house but to Sipho's bloodline. When Sipho leaves home, the haunting grows stronger. After Amahle's death, Sipho finds her secret notebooks , which reveal to him the shocking truth: that his brother's death was a mistake and, in fact, Sipho was never meant to die but to be the vehicle for the ritual, which he indeed is. Setting the family home on fire brings only temporary relief , but the curse does not break. In the final revelation, Sipho realizes that he is not the offering but the keeper, the living portal through which harmony, hardship, and magical power flow. Unlike his mother, he comes to the realization that he has a choice.

In the darkest,and the most formidable hour of men,the future of our great world, rest on a shoulder of man. The strongest and the most reliable stronghold of man, will fall even before before the resurrection of the Dark lord. The struggle between darkness and light beginning.