Adventures of Alex and Katie Series by Julia Gousseva

Instead of traveling to Russia with mom and dad, ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie are stuck in a creepy old house with their weird Aunt Karina. Alex thinks that his summer is ruined. But then the kids discover a portal that leads them into the magical world of the Firebird. That world quickly becomes dangerous. The kids search for the way back, but instead find Baba Yaga, the Russian witch. "We got a little lost," Alex says to Baba Yaga... moreInstead of traveling to Russia with mom and dad, ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie are stuck in a creepy old house with their weird Aunt Karina. Alex thinks that his summer is ruined. But then the kids discover a portal that leads them into the magical world of the Firebird. That world quickly becomes dangerous. The kids search for the way back, but instead find Baba Yaga, the Russian witch. "We got a little lost," Alex says to Baba Yaga. "And now you may get a little eaten!" she responds. Can Alex and Katie get back to their aunt's house? Or will they become Baba Yaga's latest victims? "Firebird: Adventure One" is the first book in the series of Alex and Katie's adventures. Each book in the series takes the readers into a different Russian fairy-tale. The series is aimed at kids ages eight and up. less

Ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie are on a mission to save a young man named Emelya who is imprisoned by an evil tsar. Alex and Katie rush to the rescue. When they stop by a log cabin to ask for directions, a creature in a sheepskin's coat with green furry hands opens the door. His emerald eyes shine a bright green light right at Alex and Katie. Is he a friend or an enemy? Will Alex and Katie find Emelya? Will they return safely to Aunt Karina's house?

A warm June morning at Aunt Karina's house suddenly turns cold. Thick white snowflakes start falling down and covering the ground. Ten-year-old Alex is surprised and delighted. He senses the approach of a new adventure. Together with his nine-year-old sister Katie, they rush into the winter forest in search of a little girl Masha. She is lost in an unexpected storm. They see her footprints in the snow and follow them... moreA warm June morning at Aunt Karina's house suddenly turns cold. Thick white snowflakes start falling down and covering the ground. Ten-year-old Alex is surprised and delighted. He senses the approach of a new adventure. Together with his nine-year-old sister Katie, they rush into the winter forest in search of a little girl Masha. She is lost in an unexpected storm. They see her footprints in the snow and follow them. The wind is picking up, whistling through tree branches, creating white flurries on the ground and erasing Masha’s footprints. Will they be able to find Masha before the wind completely hides her path? "Alex, look, there she is!" Katie says. In the distance, a person dressed in a white sparkling coat and a silver hat is walking between the trees. Alex and Katie run as fast as they can. "Masha!" The person turns around. It’s not Masha. It’s a tall elderly man with a long white beard. In his right hand, he holds a staff. In his left, he carries a large sack adorned with white sparkling fur. His brows are furrowed, and his eyes look cold and unfriendly. "Who goes here?" the elderly man bellows. "Why are you in my forest? Who invited you here?" He opens his mouth and starts blowing cold air at the kids and at the path, sweeping away all the footprints. Alex shivers. He has never felt that cold in his life. Will he and Katie survive and make it back to Aunt Karina's house? And will they ever find Masha? less

This series is a unique, fascinating and exciting modern interpretation of old Russian folktales for today's American kids. Firebird: Adventure OneLollipop: Adventure TwoSnowdrops: Adventure ThreeBaba Yaga: Adventure Four (coming soon)In The Firebird: Adventure One, ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie discover a portal that leads them into the magical world of the Firebird. That world quickly becomes dangerous... moreThis series is a unique, fascinating and exciting modern interpretation of old Russian folktales for today's American kids. Firebird: Adventure OneLollipop: Adventure TwoSnowdrops: Adventure ThreeBaba Yaga: Adventure Four (coming soon)In The Firebird: Adventure One, ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie discover a portal that leads them into the magical world of the Firebird. That world quickly becomes dangerous. The kids search for the way back, but instead find Baba Yaga, the Russian witch. How will they get back?In Lollipop: Adventure Two, Alex and Katie are on a mission to save a young man named Emelya who is imprisoned by an evil tsar. Alex and Katie rush to the rescue. When they stop by a log cabin to ask for directions, a creature in a sheepskin's coat with green furry hands opens the door. His emerald eyes shine a bright green light right at Alex and Katie. Is he a friend or an enemy? Will Alex and Katie find Emelya? Will they return safely to Aunt Karina's house?In Snowdrops; Adventure Three, Alex senses the approach of a new adventure when on a warm June morning, thick snowflakes start falling down and covering the ground. Alex senses the approach of a new adventure. A little girl is lost in an unexpected storm, and it’s up to Alex and Katie to find her. Amazon Critics Reviews of books in this series:This is a brilliant idea: take an old fairy tale and update it in such a way that it would be interesting for kids to read it. Let's face it, kids today won't sit through most of the classic fairy-tale stories. So, the author takes this:"Once upon a time, there lived a father with three sons. The father had a garden where golden apples grew. One night, the apples started disappearing. The father ordered his sons to catch the thief. The oldest son stood guard the first night, but fell asleep and did not see the thief. Etc. etc etc."And turns it into this:"Are you ready for a little adventure? If you are, you can go in.Rule One: Come back as soon as you get the feather.Rule Two: Don't talk to old ladies. They can be dangerous."There's also a little hint of "The Chronicles of Narnia" in this book, which would make kids relate to the story much more readily; and some humor for a good chuckle:"...we got a little lost.""And now you may get a little eaten!!"-- Oleg Medvedkov, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer"Julia Gousseva has done an excellent job here in writing a great story and one that I can recommend. This book serves as an excellent read but more so than that, as an introduction to a genre of literature that is satisfyingly refreshing. I am most definitely looking forward to reading more stories like this one." -- Dennis Waller, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer"The interaction of the children with the book opens the idea of taking part inthe story, which encourages us to get involved and make the connection to ourown life and choices; but it may also spurn on the talented reader to thinkabout writing stories themselves."-- ChristophFischerBooks, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer"Highly recommended for parents who are looking for a fun, exciting adventure to read to their children and grandchildren." -- EbooksReloaded Reviews"Firebird by Julia-Gousseva is an admirable undertaking, striving to update one of the most fascinating fairytales in literature, and make it accessible to young readers."-- Uvi Poznansky, Amazon Reviewer less