Genre: Fiction

When the Butterflies Came

Tara Doucet is a twelve-year old who seems to have everything going for her. She comes from one of the oldest families in New Iberia Parish and is a descendant of the original Paris Doucet Family. However, beneath the surface, Tara is struggling with a number of challenges. Her beloved Grammy Claire recently passed away, leaving a void in Tara’s life. Additionally, her mother has become reclusive and is unable to deal with her recent divorce or the looming foreclosure of their family plantation, leaving Tara to shoulder much of the burden. To make matters worse, Tara and her sister have never seen eye-to-eye, causing further tension and conflict within the family. 

Despite these difficulties, Tara’s life takes an unexpected turn for the better when she has a remarkable experience. After Tara’s grandmother’s funeral, a beautiful, velvety purple butterfly visits her, almost as if it were sent by her grandmother. Moments later, Tara receives a letter that sets her on a quest to unlock the mystery surrounding her Grammy Claire’s research with butterflies. As she delves deeper into her grandmother’s past, Tara must confront her own fears and insecurities and learn to embrace the beauty and complexity of life. 

The letter Tara receives from her grandmother leads her on an unexpected adventure to protect the butterflies that her grandmother discovered. Tara’s journey takes her to her grandmother’s house where she finds 10 keys and more letters with cryptic clues; the letters urge Tara to protect the butterflies and trust no one. As Tara progresses from clue to clue, she learns of her grandmother’s amazing scientific discovery. However, the discovery is what put her grandmother’s life and the existence of the butterflies in peril. 

The suspense builds as Tara relies on her wits and follows her heart to find the clues. She risks everything to save her grandmother’s butterflies. Tara’s wondrous tale is narrated in a gripping first-person, present tense, which allows readers to experience the intense range of emotions Tara goes through, including emotions from the depths of grief to the heights of wonder, from gripping fear to overwhelming surprise. As the reader follows Tara’s journey, they will be drawn into the vivid and enchanting landscape that is painted, where the rules of reality are suspended and anything is possible.  

Throughout Tara’s journey, she encounters various obstacles and challenges that she must overcome to succeed in her mission to protect the butterflies. Tara learns more about her grandmother’s life and the scientific discoveries she made. She also uncovers a sinister plot to destroy the butterflies and their habitat. Tara must use all of her skills and intelligence to stop the plot and protect the butterflies.  

However, figuring out who is behind all the danger is not an easy task. Tara must travel to the island of Chuuk, where her grandmother lived and her research began five years ago. There, she dives deep into her grandmother’s research, searching for clues that will help her uncover the truth of who is behind the plot to destroy the butterflies. Her journey to Chuuk reveals a world full of secrets and dangers that Tara never imagined. But with each new challenge, she grows stronger and more determined to complete her mission and protect the butterflies. 

Overall, Tara’s adventure is a thrilling and exciting story that teaches readers about the importance of protecting the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. When the Butterflies Came highlights the importance of perseverance, courage, and intelligence in overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. The story also emphasizes the power of family, even in the face of adversity, and the importance of cherishing the memories of those who have passed on. Tara’s journey is a story of growth and discovery, of facing one’s fears and finding the strength to overcome them, and of the enduring power of love. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Tara is up at two in the morning trying to determine what the seventh key, that her grandmother leaves as a clue towards her secrets of the butterflies, unlocks when she hears someone moving around upstairs. She goes to her Grammy Claire’s laboratory that should have been locked shut. Instead, she finds it unlocked and one of the precious butterflies, crushed on a desk. Tara wonders, “‘What happened here? How did she die?’ And then I started to cry even harder because I know deep in my heart that the Giant Pink butterfly didn’t die of old age. It didn’t have an accident. Its life span didn’t just run out. It was murdered.”  
  • In a letter following the seventh key, Grammy Claire outlines that there is someone who is willing to put their lives in danger for the butterflies. “Someone wants to hurt the [butterflies]. To steal them, and destroy them. I cannot allow that to happen. They are precious. They hold a secret the world is not ready for, but which someone is willing to kill for. I often make myself crazy thinking about each person I know on the island and wondering who wants the butterflies. And who might want me dead.” The letter makes Tara question how her grandmother died. She begins to wonder if her grandmother’s car accident, wasn’t truly an accident.  
  • Tara finds her sister, Riley, splayed out at the bottom of the stairs, which are covered in water and oil. Riley begins to draw conclusions of her own that she shares with Tara. Riley says, “These stairs were just fine last night . . . I think somebody tried to hurt me. Or you.” 
  • While Tara and Riley are attending a barbecue, two gunshots go off. “A second later, there’s two ear-splitting pops that rupture the air. Instantly, the bark of the palm tree I’m sitting next to spurts a shower of splinters. My cheeks sting from flying, razor-like slivers, and then shredded bark sprays over my hair, my lap, and clothes. I’m screaming as I fall to the ground.” Tara is okay, but they find a bullet missed her head by inches. Riley and Tara run to escape. 
  • After finding the final last chest that unlocks the secrets of the butterflies, Riley and Tara try to leave the island when they are intercepted by the individuals who have been after their family the whole time. Tara is suddenly “tackled from behind and flung to the ground. The treasure chest launches out of my arms and I get a mouthful of sand. Then someone huge and strong reaches around and clasps their hand around my mouth.” Tara remains pinned in the sand.  
  • Tara and Riley’s captors talk about how to dispose of them. “‘Rope.’ ‘Nope. Grotto.’ ‘Hmm . . . might be easiest’ ‘. . . found Claire’s hidden chest. Look like they drowned getting it.’” 
  • As Tara and Riley’s captors held their heads over the water, Riley screams out to Tara. Riley’s “voice is instantly muffled as a hand roughly shoves my head under the water. I never get a chance to take a decent breath. Almost immediately, bubbles escape my nose. After twenty more seconds, my eyes bulge, trying to see in the dark water, staring up at the cavern roof. Beams of light flash here and there, squiggly and hazy . . . Now I’m bursting. I am truly drowning. My lungs are on fire. I’m going to die! Die!” Right before Tara’s body can completely give out, the men release because people show up. 

Drugs and Alcohol   

  • None 

Language  

  • In Grammy Claire’s third note, she mentions the importance of nipwisipwis, but Tara doesn’t quite understand what it means. It isn’t until her sister Riley looks up that it is written in another language –Chuukese. “I can barely choke out the words. ‘Nipwisipwis means butterfly!’” Nipwisipwis is utilized frequently for the rest of the book.  
  • ‘Kinnisow’ means ‘thank you’ in Chuukese. Eloni, Grammy Claire’s research assistant, teaches this to Tara so that she may use it while on the island.  

Supernatural   

  • The first butterfly to visit Tara is a small, purple one that floats into her room. It sits and stares into her eyes, making Tara question if there is something special about the butterfly. “This butterfly ain’t no regular butterfly. ‘Are you magic?’ I say real quiet, because I don’t want it to fly away and disappear.” 
  • In Grammy Claire’s second note, she talks about her dear friend who used to help Tara’s mom come out of her bouts of melancholy. To do so, she utilized herbal practices to create a concoction. Tara says, “’I’ll bet Grammy Claire’s talking about the mother of Miz Mirage, the woman who lives in the swamp. The one all the kids at school call a swamp witch. . . Maybe what she does ain’t bad magic at all.’ Words dance in front of my eyes. Herbs. Healing. Prayers. Love.” 
  • Someone shows Tara the magic of the butterflies. Tara begins to realize that the purple ones with a yellow outline can make music of their own.  
  • Upon finding the last chest, Tara and Riley begin to read some of the curious findings that make their grandmother’s work with butterflies so dangerous. “I stare inside the thick envelope, trying to focus. Words jump out at me. Nipwisipwis is written over and over again on every sheet. Giant Pink. Experiments. Turn back time.” 

Spiritual Content   

  • After Grammy Claire dies, Tara receives a letter from her that was written in the event of her death. The letter says, “What does gone mean, after all? Am I six feet under? Floating in the air or dancing on a cloud? Maybe I am having tea with God and making Him answer the long list of questions I’ve been hungering after for decades . . . even if that means I’ll wake up in heaven next time I see you. You can bet I’ll be the first in line to hug you and smother you with kisses.” 
  • In a letter, Grammy Claire tells Tara how she is looking down on her from heaven. “In Chuukese, they call heaven naangenu, the place we came from and the place we return after death. Where I am, I will be with you in spirit. Always” 
  • Eloni, Grammy Claire’s research assistant, tries to comfort Tara. Eloni says Grammy Claire is still looking over them and that Grammy Claire, “is right now watching. From naangenu. . . It means heaven. Where the gods live. And one day, we live there, too.” 

The Door at the End of the World

Lucy Eberslee is a thirteen-year-old girl working as the Gatekeeper’s deputy, a job which she takes very seriously. As the gatekeeper’s deputy, Lucy stamps passports and files travel forms for travelers as they pass through the doorway to another world; her world, Southeast, is one of eight worlds visitors can travel to. One seemingly normal Thursday turns into a chaotic journey when Lucy’s boss disappears.

On top of this, a boy from the Eastern world, Arthur, accidentally leaves his world and enters Lucy’s. Upon trying to open the door to Arthur’s world, Lucy realizes that the door is stuck and that something bigger is going wrong. Lucy and Arthur decide they need to get professionals involved, and so they begin their journey to the Interworld Travel Center to talk to its chief, Mrs. Bracknell.  

Lucy is a sympathetic character who struggles with being overshadowed by the rest of her family. Lucy reveals that her parents work in high positions in The House of Governors, and her older brother, Thomas, “is a member of the Interworld Travel Commission.” Lucy’s job as the Deputy gatekeeper makes her feel less invisible, as she explains, “I’d done well enough in school, but I’d never really stood out. Even my teachers had a habit of not quite remembering I was there unless they read about [my brother] in the news or needed a favor or advice from my father.” By the end of the novel, Lucy’s older brother, Thomas, tells Lucy that she has proven herself to be very brave and inspired him to speak out when something seems wrong.  

Arthur is an equally sympathetic character because of his willingness to help Lucy, even though he has just met her. Arthur and Lucy bond over their feelings of being invisible. When Lucy asks him if his family will notice he is missing, Arthur says, “After a month or so it might occur to my father that I haven’t come downstairs for dinner in a while. He’s got eight sons, though, so he won’t mind misplacing one.” Arthur’s perspective allows the reader to feel that they are learning about all the worlds right alongside him and they will enjoy Arthur’s excitement when experiencing new things as he explores all eight of the worlds. 

As Lucy and Arthur investigate who is really behind the closing of the worldgates, they realize they need respected adults to help. The conclusion involves an extremely chaotic, but entertaining, scene in which the villain is revealed. Because of her adventure, Lucy demonstrates personal growth, especially when it comes to speaking her mind and standing up for herself. In the exciting conclusion, Lucy is put in charge of “the team that’s opening up all of the worldgates again.” Lucy begins to recognize her own talents and abilities, as she says, “It’s going to be total chaos to organize . . . but I think I’ll be good at it.”  

Readers who enjoy fantasy, magical creatures, and reading about different universes will love The Door at the End of the World. Overall, the story highlights important messages like having confidence in yourself, appreciating what makes you special, and speaking up when something is wrong. Readers looking for more magical adventures should also read the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit and the Wizard for Hire Series by Obert Skye. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Lucy’s boss, the Gatekeeper, does not enjoy spending time with another gatekeeper called Bernard. The Gatekeeper explains, “I’d rather have my ears nibbled off by a thistle-backed thrunt [a spiky, destructive, dangerous creature that tears everything it encounters to shreds] than have to spend the day with Bernard.” 
  • When a man, Mr. Silos, finds out that Lucy is affiliated with Interworld Travel, he feels that he is being threatened for his illegal interworld smuggling deals. Lucy notices, “Mr. Silos turned back to look at me and Arthur, studying us . . . His right hand crept towards his gun.” He does not actually shoot at them.  
  • The thrunt “munched the floorboards” in front of Lucy and Arthur. Lucy says, “There was no point in trying to escape; I couldn’t sprint half as fast as the thrunt could move. What would it feel like, I thought in a panic, to be eaten from the toes up?” Luckily, Arthur and Lucy are rescued.  
  • Rosemary, a girl who at first pretends to be another deputy gatekeeper like Lucy, but later admits she is a smuggler of interworld goods, kills the thrunt; “a beam of golden light shot out from the doorway, there was a loud sizzling noise, and the thistle-backed thrunt split neatly in two.” 
  • Rosemary offers Arthur and Lucy her “InterCom cards” to use as communication. Rosemary threatens them about losing the devices, saying, “You’d better not lose them, or Pa will sell your ears on the black market to make up for it.” Rosemary later admits that she’s joking.  
  • Lucy and Arthur are horrified to discover that when they left their room at Interworld Travel, someone poisoned their magical bees. “[Lucy] heard a thin, frantic hum. The floor of the closet was carpeted in bees. They were moving, but barely; some crawled listlessly toward my feet . . . I wasn’t any sort of an expert when it came to bees, but even I could tell something was badly wrong.” 
  • The bees spell out “FLOWERS,” indicating that someone brought poisonous flowers into their room to kill them. Sadly, some have died. “The [bees] who died must have come closest to the flowers; the rest were still doing poorly, but when I placed a little saucer of sugar water on the floor, they perked up enough to shuffle over and taste it.” Rosemary tells Lucy she thinks someone poisoned the bees as “a warning.” 
  • Lucy worries that the head of Interworld Travel, Mrs. Bracknell, has killed all the gatekeepers. Lucy explains, “If Mrs. Bracknell had harmed my own frizzy-haired, heavy-footed Gatekeeper, I didn’t want to think about it.” 
  • Mrs. Bracknell tries to flee, but the kids discover her plan. Rosemary explains, “[Mrs. Bracknell] cut that awful hole in the ground and said that if I tried to warn [Lucy and Arthur] to stay away, she’d push me through it.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Characters occasionally exclaim, “Oh, worlds!” 

Supernatural 

  • A swarm of bees follows Lucy. The bees can spell out words. Lucy explains to the bees that she thinks the Gatekeeper has gone missing. “The bees huddled together over my head, humming to each other. After a minute or so, they spread out to form foot-high letters against the backdrop of the sky. SPARE KEY?” 
  • While researching the magical gatecutters that are able to cut open entrances to other worlds, Lucy and Arthur are attacked by a “thistle backed thrunt.” The “thrunt” “can chew through almost any substance and travel as fast as an automobile. It has four rows of teeth, a powerful jaw, and an insatiable appetite. If an unprepared traveler stumbled across a thrunt, however, he will surely be devoured.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

My Flawless Life

Hana Yang Lerner seems to have it all. She excels academically and attends St. Francis, the most elite private school in Washington, D.C. Plus, her position as the daughter of a prominent senator means she is popular and has a bright, shining future ahead of her. 

However, Hana’s reputation is ruined when her father is arrested for a car accident that left a woman seriously injured. Unable to fix her own life, she becomes the school’s unofficial “fixer” – the fixer of other people’s problems. Now, her fellow students contact her, knowing she will be able to bury their secrets. With her friends gone and a deep knowledge of how to make and use connections to her advantage, Hana is well up to the task. 

Until one day, when Hana is contacted by an anonymous student, called Three. Three asks Hana to trail her ex-best friend, Luce Herrera. Hana agrees, thinking this is how she gets her old life back. But the deeper she digs, the more she finds out about her classmates – more than she ever wanted to know. Along the way, she is also forced to confront a deep secret of her own. 

The redeeming qualities of My Flawless Life mostly have to do with its discussion of complex issues such as the “money fixes everything” mentality, parental expectations, and the value that teens place on popularity and reputation. Because Hana and her classmates come from prominent families, they are expected to be perfect and do great things with their lives. Through Hana’s thoughts and emotions, readers will get a glimpse into how that pressure affects teens. They will also see how that pressure is reflected in Hana’s actions, and to a lesser extent the actions of her classmates.  

The overlap between money and reputation is also discussed, bringing to light how important money is in elite circles. Hana’s family’s reputation shatters after her father loses his job and they are forced to move into a smaller home, showing how quickly status can be lost. At the same time, this book examines how money can make a lot of problems go away. For example, Hana is paid well to keep her classmates’ secrets in the dark. My Flawless Life seeks to examine how teens growing up in wealthy elite circles are essentially encouraged to use money in this way. The story condemns this, while simultaneously showing the pressure and expectations that leads teens to accept this way of life despite its ethical concerns. 

However, My Flawless Life is lacking in many aspects. Despite its marketing as a thriller, the book is slow-paced until over halfway through the story. The first half is mostly background information that could have been woven throughout the story to make the pacing more even. Once the mystery actually begins to unfold, the pacing feels too quick – there are so many twists and turns in such a short amount of time that the plot becomes confusing and overwhelming. Furthermore, although Hana is an interesting and well-developed character, most of the side characters feel flat and underdeveloped.  

In spite of the book’s drawbacks, My Flawless Life is interesting and worth a try for readers who enjoy mysteries, unreliable narrators, and discussions about issues such as money, parental expectations, and academic pressure. If you’d like another engaging story that touches on topics such as wealth and parental expectations, American Royals by Katharine McGee would make an excellent choice. Readers should also pick up Amber House by Kelly Moore, a fast-paced story that focuses on family drama. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • In a flashback, a car accident is described: “Through the beam of our headlights, I saw a flash of a person in front of us, one arm raised to her face as if bracing for impact. Then darkness. A grotesque thud on the front of the car. A sickening crunch as we skidded through the grass. Then stillness.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • At a party, Hana sees one of her classmates, Tiffany, snort a line of what Hana assumes is Adderall. 
  • At another party, Hana and her classmates play a drinking game. Some drink alcohol, while others drink nonalcoholic soda, but those who do drink get slightly tipsy. 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Chloe Green wants nothing more than the title of valedictorian, and she’s almost got it in the bag. There’s just one little problem and her name is Shara Wheeler, who happens to be Chloe’s greatest competition and school sweetheart. Chloe and Shara have been competing forces since Chloe arrived at Willowgrove Christian Academy during her freshman year of high school. They have a completely normal academic rivalry, until Shara corners Chloe and kisses her, leaving Chloe angry and bewildered. 

Then, Shara goes missing after prom night and the whole school is enraptured by the perfect Christian girl’s disappearance. Chloe is unfazed, however; she knows there’s more to Shara than meets the eye. Chloe discovers that she isn’t the only person Shara kissed before magically disappearing. Right before disappearing, Shara also kissed Rory, Shara’s next-door neighbor, and Smith, Shara’s boyfriend. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too. 

I Kissed Shara Wheeler takes the reader on a journey through the rigid conservative Christian values of False Beach, Alabama. Readers will get an in-depth look through the eyes of the residents who have a myriad of complicated feelings about their town and the places they occupy within it. The book is narrated by Chloe, whose perspective is strongly influenced by her liberal, southern California roots, but most of the other characters don’t know life outside of False Beach and their staunchly religious private school. As much as Chloe’s strong-willed opinions drive change, the other characters teach her about the complicated love they have for their home, even when it strives to suppress various aspects of their identities. 

Much of the book’s content discusses sexuality as the characters grow and learn to accept themselves for who they are. The story opens with Shara kissing Chloe, though at this point Shara has never appeared as more than just a conservative Christian girl. In contrast, Chloe is openly bisexual and anti-religious, but it takes both girls most of the book to realize that they have genuine feelings and attraction for each other. Many of the other characters also go through their own reckonings in the book, including Smith and Rory, who discover that their feelings for each other are more than just that of childhood best friends.  

Fans of Casey McQuiston’s other books Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop will likely enjoy the fun energy in I Kissed Shara Wheeler. McQuiston balances the serious moments with the characters’ sense of humor. Some readers may find Chloe to be a bit single-minded in her quest to triumph over Shara, but this doesn’t draw away from the story. Ultimately, readers will be able to take away that there is always more than meets the eye, and there is always room to change and grow into the person you want to be. Readers who enjoy I Kissed Shara Wheeler can find more romance by reading Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon or The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.

Sexual Content  

  • Chloe explains why she’s looking for Shara Wheeler. Chloe says, “Because two days ago, Shara found her alone in the B Building elevator before fifth hour, pulled her in by the elbow, and kissed her until she forgot an entire semester of French.” It then comes to light that Shara has kissed Smith (her boyfriend) and Rory (her neighbor) as well. 
  • No one knows where Shara is, and Chloe comes up with unlikely theories – one being that Shara has “some sugar daddy she’s holed up with or something.” 
  • Chloe writes a letter to her friend about being kissed by Shara. Chloe starts by telling her not to react while reading the letter because “if Madame Clark picks this one up and reads it out loud like she did with Tanner’s ranking of girls’ butt’s I will literally kill you.” 
  • Chloe notes that when she first moved to False Beach, Alabama, she was in freshman bio and noted that “the chapter on sexual reproduction was taped shut.” 
  • Chloe, Rory, and Smith go into Rory’s room to use his computer. Chloe “counts at least three different hand-drawn penises” on Rory’s bedroom wall. 
  • There is a joke school code of conduct that is presumably written by Chloe. Among other details, it includes, “No student may smoke, drink, dance, or have sex, which means half the students are smoking, drinking, dancing, having sex, and lying about it. Pills are fine. If you’re on the football team, just ask Emma Grace’s dad to write you a prescription.” This list lasts for a page. 
  • Chloe notes that once at a party, she “almost got French-kissed by Tucker Price from the Quiz Bowl team in his parents’ saltwater jacuzzi.” 
  • After a trip, Chloe’s two moms kiss. Chloe jokes that they kiss “like they’re on the bow of the freaking Titanic.” 
  • Chloe briefly mentions a situation where “a sophomore sent her boyfriend nudes and he forwarded them to all his friends.” This comes up on chapel day at school and the administration then gave “a very shame-y talk on modesty.” 
  • Chloe’s friend tells Chloe that he’s “a make-out hobbyist . . . I’ve kissed like, all my homies.” He doesn’t go into details. 
  • Shara’s neighbor, Rory, expresses his repressed feelings for Smith to Chloe. He says, “maybe I talked myself into [Shara], because when I looked at her and Smith together, I was so jealous, and she seemed like the right place to put it.” Chloe validates his feelings, telling him, “It would be okay. If you didn’t like Shara. If you didn’t like girls at all.” It is revealed later that Smith has similar feelings for Rory as well. 
  • Chloe finds Shara and Shara kisses Chloe. Chloe thinks that Shara “knows exactly what she’s doing when [Chloe] twists her fingers into the loose wisps of hair at the nape of Shara’s neck and kisses her back, hard. Her other hand grips the tulle where it fans out from Shara’s waist and holds Shara’s body up against hers like see, we’re a match, and it works — Shara sighs and lets go of the rail to slide her palm over Chloe’s cheek.” The description lasts for half a page. 
  • Chloe’s classmate Georgia gets caught “making out in the B Building bathroom” with their other classmate, Summer, and Georgia gets reported to the principal’s office. No other description is given for that kiss. It’s only said that Georgia has been dating Summer and Summer has “known she was bi since last year.” 
  • Smith and Rory kiss and Chloe walks in on their moment. She’s hiding and she describes only what she can hear, saying, “Then, after a few seconds, just long enough for a nervous first kiss, Smith laughs.” 
  • Two of Chloe’s classmates are arguing, and one tells the other that “if she wanted people to believe things she says, she shouldn’t have lied about giving her best friend’s crush a handjob at her birthday party.” 
  • Chloe and Shara kiss in Shara’s bedroom. Chloe describes, “She tips her head forward, and Shara kisses her. Chloe puts her arms around Shara’s neck and kisses her back.” The description lasts for a page. 
  • Chloe and Shara make out. “Chloe doesn’t know how long. It felt like a long time.” The page before, they have a conversation on how they both want to take it slow. Chloe says, “Shara’s hand drops from Chloe’s neck to her shoulder, and then she’s pushing Chloe down on the bed and kissing her, one hand pinning her to the mattress and the other on her waist.” 
  • Chloe fights against the school administration’s policies. For instance, she says, “Freshman year, she adjusted to Willowgrove by making problems on purpose, but nobody showed up to her GSA meeting, and she got suspended for bringing free condoms to school in protest of the abstinence-only sex ed policy.” 
  • Chloe’s classmate Dixon makes a rude sexual comment towards Chloe at the party, citing something he calls the Rachel Rule. He says, “‘It’s a rule the seniors made last year for Rachel Kennedy, who was a huge bitch but still got to come to parties because she had huge boobs.’ He’s looking down now. At her chest, and her wet shirt. He hands clench into firsts at her sides — ever since she sprouted D-cups in tenth grade, a guy staring at her chest has never ended well. ‘So, as long as you keep wearing that, the Rachel Rule says you can stay.’” Chloe does not like this, and she expresses her discontent by telling him that he peaked in high school and, even now, she “still wouldn’t sleep with him.” 

Violence  

  • Chloe finally finds Shara, and Chloe is furious. In her anger, she shoves Shara into a lake. Chloe describes, “with one solid shove, she pushes Shara — prom dress and all — over the railing and into Lake Martin.” 
  • Chloe “punched a mall Santa when [she] was five.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Chloe refers to her classmate, Jake Stone, as “Stone the Stoner.”  
  • Jake Stone was suspended once because he “was caught vaping” in the school bathroom. 
  • Every teacher at Willowgrove has to “sign a morality clause saying they won’t drink, express political opinions or be gay.” 
  • Chloe says that False Beach, Alabama has “the aura of a Mountain Dew bottle filled with dip spit.” 
  • Chloe goes to a high school party and is annoyed that she has to watch a classmate “slobber all over a beer bong.” There is plenty of drinking at this party, including something referred to as an “upside down margarita,” which is a drinking game. The party’s descriptions last for a couple of chapters. 
  • The Willowgrove school district hired a cop to scare the students about drugs, but instead, Chloe notes that the cop “ended up telling us exactly how many ounces of weed you can carry without getting arrested.” 
  • Chloe stays up too late thinking about Shara and has a massive headache the next day. She says, “This must be what a hangover feels like.” 

Language  

  • Chloe notes that Shara’s disappearance is odd. Chloe thinks to herself, “That’s the thing about popular kids: They don’t have the type of bond forged in the fire of being weird and queer in small-to-medium-town Alabama. If Chloe tried to ghost like this, there’d be a militia of Shakespeare gays kicking down every door in False Beach.” 
  • Strong language is used frequently. Profanity includes ass, fuck, idiot, d-bags, shit, megabitch, crap, dick, hell, and douchebag. 
  • Chloe says “Shara Wheeler is the most tragic heterosexual to ever cram herself into a Brandy Melville crop top.” 
  • Chloe describes her classmate’s understanding of her as “the weird queer girl from LA with two lesbian moms.” 
  • Chloe’s friend Georgia has a collection of books at her parents’ bookstore just for Chloe, and she “affectionately calls it Chloe’s Monster Fucker Collection” due to the fact that Chloe likes stories where the headstrong main female protagonist falls in love with the villain, which sometimes happens to be a literal nonhuman entity. 
  • Chloe and her friends identify as LGTBQ+, and they reference their sexualities somewhat often in-text. For instance, Chloe’s friend Benjy is worried about his future college roommate. He says, “My new fear is that he’ll be a hot straight guy. I cannot spend my first year away from home with an unrequited crush on a guy who wears neckties to football games…I don’t have high hopes for the gays of Tuscaloosa.”  
  • Chloe’s classmate is an unpleasant person by all counts. She details why, saying he’s “the type who insists it’s okay for him to make offensive jokes because he’s not actually racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/whatever so he doesn’t actually mean them, but aren’t the jokes so funny.” 
  • Smith asks Ash, a nonbinary student, to “explain the whole nonbinary thing” to him. Ash explains to Smith it’s, “Like if someone yelled your first name [William] at you. You might answer to it, but it wouldn’t feel right, because that’s not you.” Ash and Smith have this conversation for several pages. 
  • Chloe doesn’t want another student named Drew Taylor to be her salutatorian because “he has a YouTube channel about why girls at Willowgrove are sluts for taking birth control pills.” 
  • Chloe’s mom exclaims “Jesus Christ” when she finds out that Chloe has Shara’s expensive crucifix necklace. 

Supernatural 

  • Chloe sometimes wishes she lived in another place and time. An example of this is that she wishes she “were a vampire hunter in Edwardian England.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • The book opens with a service at the Willowgrove Christian Church, “where the Wheelers are spending their morning pretending to be nice, normal folks whose nice, normal daughter didn’t stage a disappearing act at prom twelve hours ago.” 
  • Chloe finds the spare key to the Wheeler’s house under a rock with “Joshua 24:15 engraved on it. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Bible quotes are scattered throughout the book. 
  • The students in this book attend “Willowgrove Christian Academy.” Chloe describes a billboard for the academy reading, “Jesus Loves Geometry! A Christ-Centered Education At Willowgrove Christian Academy!” The school also has “chapel days” where the students are required to attend service. 
  • Chloe greatly dislikes her religious school, but she attends the school because of its academics and theater program. She says, “If this was her only option, she could put up with the Jesus stuff.” 
  • Shara wore a somewhat revealing dress at homecoming. Chloe describes, “It was only a blue silk slip with a modest neckline, but it stuck to her like water, and she wasn’t wearing a bra . . . God’s favorite daughter shows one hint of nip.” 
  • Chloe half-jokes that Shara Wheeler’s family “has more money than God.” 
  • Mr. Wheeler is the principal at Willowgrove, and he has a reputation for “telling teenagers they’re going to hell.” He says many religious things to the students, including telling Chloe that “gossip is against God’s will.” This is how many teachers and much of the curriculum work at this school. 
  • Shara expresses in her journal entry that “the loudest Christians I’ve ever met were the worst ones.” 
  • Shara and Chloe go through their notes for their AP European History exam, which involves a lot of religious history. For instance, they reference the “Defenestration of Prague” where “Protestants threw a bunch of Catholic officials out of a castle window in Bohemia. Started the Thirty Years War.” There is a series of notes like this for a couple of pages. 
  • Georgia explains to Chloe that Summer’s church “is more into Jesus the brown socialist than the whole eternal damnation thing.” 
  • Chloe explains that her understanding of Christianity is based on Willowgrove’s variety – “judgmental, sanctimonious hypocrites hiding hate behind Bible verses, twenty-four-karat crucifix necklaces, and charismatic white pastors with all the horrible secrets that money can protect.” 
  • The school finds out that there’s been an admissions scam at Willowgrove, and Benjy sees all the fliers with the information and exclaims, “Jesus wept.” 

Magical Imperfect

Etan is a twelve-year-old boy whose life is full of silence, earthquakes, and a bit of magic. He lives in a world that is both familiar and unfamiliar. The ground beneath his feet is constantly shaking, threatening to upend everything he knows. But despite the danger, Etan finds solace in the game of baseball, a sport that has been a part of his life since he was old enough to hold a bat.

However, Etan’s world is turned upside down when his mother is admitted to a mental institution. He suddenly finds himself unable to express his thoughts and feelings because his words are trapped inside his head. Without the ability to communicate, Etan feels isolated from the other kids his age since he is unable to reach out and connect with them.

But there is one person who understands him better than anyone else: his grandfather. Raised in a close-knit community of immigrants, Etan’s grandfather knows the value of acceptance and understanding. He doesn’t judge Etan for his silence, but instead offers him the comfort and support he needs to navigate this difficult time.

Not everyone in the community is as kind-hearted as Etan’s grandfather. When a local shopkeeper asks Etan to run an errand for him, this sets off a chain of events that will change Etan’s life forever. While running the errand, Ethan Meets Malia Agbayani, whom the boys at school have nicknamed “the creature.” At first, Etan is hesitant to approach her, but when he finally does, he discovers a kindred spirit. Despite her nickname, Malia’s voice is like music to Etan’s ears. She sees the world in a unique way, and her perspective helps Etan to find his own voice. As they spend time together, Etan realizes that outside of his community, there is a world full of people who are different but just as valuable. With this newfound understanding, Etan’s world begins to open in ways he never thought possible.

Etan is a truly endearing main character that will captivate the reader’s imagination. His journey through the obstacle of selective mutism is truly inspiring, as he learns how to overcome his personal struggles and create new friendships. As the reader follows his journey, they are taken on a fascinating exploration of his family’s rich Jewish history, with all of its intricate traditions and customs. Through Etan’s eyes, the reader is transported to a world full of magic and wonder, where anything is possible if you believe in yourself. With each passing chapter, the reader will feel more and more invested in Etan’s story, eagerly anticipating what will happen next and how he will continue to grow as a person.

Readers will also be captivated not only by the wisdom and mysticism displayed by Etan’s grandfather but also by the rich cultural context he provides. Through his tales from his homeland in Prague, the grandfather shares his deep knowledge of the Jewish religion and the Hebrew language. Moreover, his character serves as a powerful reminder that everyone has the ability to create magic in the world – all that is required is a strong belief and a heart full of love. The reader cannot help but be inspired by the grandfather’s teachings, and they will come away with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and diversity of world cultures.

The Magical Imperfect is a heartwarming tale that emphasizes the value of embracing diversity and the true meaning of unity. The author beautifully showcases the power of empathy and compassion, and how they have the ability to bring people together. Through vivid descriptions and relatable characters, The Magical Imperfect teaches us that our differences should be celebrated rather than feared and that we should strive to build bridges of understanding and respect. Overall, this book is an excellent reminder of the importance of kindness and acceptance in our increasingly diverse world. This is a rich, rewarding, and deeply moving story that is sure to touch the hearts of readers of all ages.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • Malia, Etan’s friend, introduces Etan to a spot that is full of magic. “These are the Sitting Stones. This is where the trees listen the most. The pool is magical . . . But this water is magic.”
  • During an earthquake, Ethan gets a small cut on his arm. His grandfather sees the cut and decides to show him the power of the clay. Grandfather pulls Ethan close “presses down his two clay fingers on the cut on my arm . . . The cut is gone. I search with my fingers, trace my skin up and down, and back and forth . . . Then it feels like the world starts to spin cold and warm all at once. . .” Ethan’s grandfather explains, “Your body, Etan, it’s experienced something from another time, an ancient thing giving its power to something new right now.”
  • Etan and Malia visit the Sitting Stones and he begins to wonder if the clay inside the pool could heal. He wonders if it would help heal Malia’s eczema issues.
  • Another object that is considered magical is a small green stone that Etan is given. The stone helps give him the strength to find words to speak. His grandfather explains,  “This, he says, is a bareket, an emerald, an ancient, powerful stone, like from the breastplate of Aaron . . . When you feel afraid to speak, hold the stone in your hand, tight tight tight, and it will bring you courage.” 
  • In order to heal Malia’s eczema, Etan and Malia combine his grandfather’s clay and the clay from the Sitting Stones pool. Ethan puts “clay on two fingers, dab it onto her face, around her eye. I [Ethan] pray, think of the trees, the pool, my green bareket, somewhere in the water . . . When most of the clay is off my hands, Malia starts humming, her voice like light. ‘Look!’ she cries. Her red, swollen arms are smooth, clear, like the red was never there.” To both of their amazement, the clay makes the redness disappear. 

Spiritual Content 

  • Etan’s family holds religion near and dear to their heart. His grandfather is a Jewish immigrant that uses his religion and the magic associated with it to teach Etan different lessons about life. He often reminds Etan how important it is to remember his heritage and the different objects that help represent them. When Etan’s grandfather leaves his workshop early, it is usually for a specific religious activity, like lighting the Shabbat Candles. “When he leaves extra early so he can be home to light the Shabbat candles. The candles, he says, they make us Jews.”
  • Etan’s grandfather has a small box full of valuables from his life in Prague. He believes that the objects within hold a magical power that each represents a different thing. The object most talked about in the book is the clay. “This is the last of the clay taken from the Vlata River by your ancestor, the Maharal himself . . . It’s the clay of the golem; it once made a terrible monster that defended the Jewish people in their time of great need.”
  • There are mentions of aspects of the Jewish religion throughout the text, but it isn’t until Etan begins to pray when using the clay on Malia, that there is a full string of Hebrew language used. “Baruch ata Adonaim Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.” This is the prayer that they say for bread at Shabbat.

The Undercover Book List

Jane McDonald is a self-professed book nerd. When her best friend, Sienna, a fellow reader, moves away, she plans an “Undercover Book Club” to ease Jane’s loneliness. The idea is to leave an anonymous note in a designated library book and strike up a friendship with whoever finds it. Tyson Flamand is a video game-loving jokester whose antics tend to land him in the principal’s office. By accident, he sees Jane slipping her note into the library book, and he leaves an anonymous response. As Jane and Tyson become closer though the Book Club, they both discover their own resilience and ability to overcome seemingly overwhelming obstacles. 

Jane is an avid reader and a driven student, consistently impressing her teachers and other adults in her life. Her father is deployed in the Middle East on a military assignment, so her grandparents spend a lot of time supporting Jane’s mom with childcare. Her best friend, Sienna, recently moved away and Jane has to learn how to honor her friend while still moving on with her own life. Jane is a likable character due to her efforts to support others and make everyone feel appreciated. Despite her positive personality, Jane is dealing with a lot of loss, from missing her dad and best friend, and the threat of losing her after-school club, Kid Lit Quiz. This gives her another layer of character development, which makes her relatable to readers. 

Tyson’s nonchalant attitude has given him many friends but poor grades. Everybody in Tyson’s life believes he is a troublemaker. When he tells his mom he’s reading, she scoffs and says “Yeah, right,” which hurts Tyson. When Tyson joins the Kid Lit Quiz team Stefan, another member, asks Jane, “Are you sure he didn’t join as a prank? I didn’t even know he could read, never mind liked it.” Readers will appreciate Tyson’s efforts to change his reputation despite everyone in his life discouraging him – he shows that everyone is capable of greatness despite their past. 

Each chapter of The Undercover Book List alternates between Jane’s and Tyson’s perspectives. Jane’s chapters are in the first person, while Tyson’s chapters are in the third person. At first, the shifting points of view are confusing; however, as the teens grow closer, their perspectives overlap and build off each other. As part of The Undercover Book Club, Jane and Tyson write anonymous letters to each other. The novel periodically includes the letters between Jane and Tyson, which allows readers to see the perspectives of each character and watch their growth throughout the novel.  

The Undercover Book List highlights the importance of having the strength to embrace change. Jane learns that she is a fantastic leader who can accomplish lofty goals. Tyson manages to transform his reputation from a troublemaker to a successful student. He eventually decides he would rather be kind than popular. The obstacles that the teens face, including vandalism and illness, are handled in a straightforward manner but without sacrificing emotion. By the book’s gratifying conclusion at the Kid Lit Quiz regional competition, both Jane and Tyson prove to be excellent role models. 

Sexual Content  

  • Tyson’s friends, Andrew and Affan, “drew penises all over the poster” that Jane made to recruit more students to join. Tyson created “the penis game” several weeks before, where “the goal was to draw as many penises as possible before the risk of discovery forced the vandal to walk away.” This is the only instance of the penis game. 

Violence  

  • Tyson and his friends have a reputation as bullies. The pranks these teens pull on others can be mean and targeted, often at a student named Connor. At the beginning of the book, Tyson “ruined [Connor’s] jersey” after dropping it in the lunchroom trash can and “accidentally threw [his] hat on the roof.” As Tyson begins to repair his reputation, he distances himself from the bullying. 
  • Andrew and Affan want to “put [all Connor’s stuff] where it belongs – in the toilet.”  Nothing happens because Connor walks into the locker room while the teens are debating their course of action. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Tyson frequently plays a video game called “Mutant-Z.” It is about “a group of mutants who want to take over the Earth. They battle humans for control over key sites.” Tyson has a character named Lizardo who can “spin his head almost 360 degrees and crawl like a lizard up buildings and across ceilings.” The video game does not have a major role in the novel, but it is mentioned a few times. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Fast Pitch

Twelve-year-old Shenice Lockwood is the captain of her 12U softball team, the Fulton Firebirds, and she has only one goal this season: to win the DYSA 12U World Championship title. Not only would a championship reaffirm the obvious talent of her teammates, but it would also send a bigger, more important message to the softball world. That message would be that her all-black softball team belonged in their all-white league and deserved recognition and respect. 

However, when Shenice learns that her great grandpa JonJon’s baseball career was ruined by a crime he didn’t commit, she seeks the help of her Uncle Jack to uncover the truth of her family’s past. Faced with the pressure and the impossible decision between clearing her family’s name or leading her team to victory, Shenice must make a fateful choice that will forever change the game of softball.

From the start, readers will fall in love with the spunky, energetic Shenice Lockwood, who tells this story in her own humorous, yet authentic manner. Many readers will find Shenice’s heart to lead, love, and serve admirable. Her actions and decisions reveal a protagonist who’s determined to seek the truth and fight for equality. Whether it’s leading her teammates on a championship run, clearing an incident that put her great grandfather JonJon in jail, or admitting her feelings for her best friend Scoob, Shenice portrays the realistic struggles of a twelve-year-old girl amidst a topsy-turvy life.

Alongside Shenice, the book features several exciting side characters that push Shenice toward action and reflection. Whether it’s Shenice’s Uncle Jack, her hot-headed best friend Britt-Marie Hogan, or her teammates, Shenice’s interactions with these characters will keep the readers engaged with their quippy dialogue, profound revelations, and heartfelt conversations. Although Shenice doesn’t display drastic character growth, her view of softball does change, and she learns that some things, like winning a championship trophy, aren’t so important in the grand scheme of things. One of her teammates highlights this lesson by telling Shenice that “I did want to win, even just to make my dad proud. But what you were doing felt super important. And I think he would’ve been proud of me helping with that, too.”

Of course, the sport of softball plays a major role in the book, and readers will enjoy the frequent, fast-paced game scenes that break up the surrounding plotline. Thanks to the realistic plays, descriptions, and lingo, readers will feel completely immersed in the game of softball. The story also uses these game sequences as an important motivator for Shenice by reminding her of her great grandpa JonJon and her vow to clear his name.

By exploring the fractured relationship between the white and black communities, Fast Pitch addresses deeper topics such as discrimination in sports and the present-day struggles of the black community. Throughout its short eighteen chapters, the story captures the problem of inequality from a very mature perspective. Shenice’s troublesome experiences teach her to not ignore the past but to “dust [herself] off and get [her] head back in the game” despite the difficulties and hardships. As a result, she learns to overcome the various ways of discrimination in her life, like hurtful insults and Confederate flags. She chooses to pave her own future through the inclusion, recognition, and love for others on her softball team. Overall, Fast Pitch is more than just a softball story — it’s a tale that emphasizes the importance of love, family, and equality through a young girl’s quest to win a championship trophy.

Sexual Content

  • Shenice Lockwood’s parents listen to their favorite song and then, “they’re just smoochin’ away like nobody else lives here.”
  • Shenice develops feelings for a friend named Scoob. Her “face gets warm” and “palms go damp” when she’s around him.
  • On multiple occasions, Shenice says something about Scoob and how he makes her feel. For example, she wonders, “has he always had that cute mole under his eye . . . which for some reason is making my heart beat faster [and] which sparks all these swirly-tummy feelings?”

Violence

  • Shenice relays a memory where a girl slid into her ankle during a game. When Shenice tried to block home plate during a close play, the girl slid into her and “ripped through my tall socks and took out two large (for a nine-year-old, at least) chunks of my flesh. There was blood everywhere.” Her ankle is fractured.
  • Shenice slices her arm open on a shard of wood sticking out from a damaged door. She falls unconscious and finds herself in the hospital for treatment. “My right shoulder hits something that causes a snap, and then there’s a searing pain in my left forearm.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • When surprised, Shenice exclaims, “oh my god.” She does this several times. 
  • Shenice tells her best friend to “shut up.” 
  • Once, Shenice utters, “dang it,” in frustration.
  • One of Shenice’s teammates calls an opposing team’s girl an “apple-haired she-devil.”
  • “Idiot” is used once.
  • Once, the coach calls an opposing team “bigots.”
  • Several characters in Shenice’s team create creative nicknames for others, like “sour green-with-too-much-envy white dude.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Shenice’s mom begins one breakfast with a prayer: “Let’s say grace and get to eating before Li’l Man inhales the table.”
  • Shenice’s mom says “A-MEN” to affirm that Shenice’s grandparents are watching Shenice up from heaven.
  • Shenice acknowledges that “divine intervention” has helped everything fall into place.
  • Shenice visits her Uncle Jack at the hospital. Shenice “did something I don’t typically do: I prayed.”
  • Shenice believes that her great grandpa JonJon and great uncle Jack are “together again in whatever nice place we go after we’re not in our Earth bodies anymore.”

Random Acts of Kittens

When Natalia Flores finds a lost cat with a litter of newborn kittens, she is desperate to keep one of them. Whether or not her mami says yes to a new pet, the rest of the kitties will need homes — and Natalia has the purrfect plan. With help from her friend Reuben, Natalia starts an anonymous online account to find each cat the right owner. But as her classmates apply, her matchmaking scheme gets more complicated. And when her former best friend Meera applies for a kitten, Natalia doesn’t know what to do. Will her attempt to spread kindness help heal their friendship, or simply tear her and Meera further apart? 

Random Acts of Kittens has a slow start because a lot of kitten facts are introduced. While the facts will be helpful for readers who don’t know a lot about cats, others may find the fact-heavy pages boring. In addition to the slow start, readers may have a difficult time connecting with Natalia because at first, she is very unlikable. She complains about not having any friends; however, it’s hard to sympathize with her because she tries to manipulate people and situations to get others to like her. Her main concern is how other people perceive her. Despite this, she does learn and grow through her experiences. 

Random Acts of Kittens has several positive aspects, including teaching the importance of finding animals a loving forever home. It also highlights the difficulty in finding families to adopt older animals. In addition, Natalia connects what she learned about kittens to her life. By taking care of the kittens, Natalia realizes that “I didn’t have to divide my love up between [the kittens]—I would always have more than enough to go around.” Natalia applies this lesson to her life because now she understands that her mother loves both her and her sister equally, even if she gives one more attention when needed. 

Many middle-grade readers will relate to Natalia’s conflicts with her family and friends. Even though Natalia’s life is full of conflict, in the end, she learns the importance of communication and forgiveness. The heartfelt conclusion shows Natalia’s personal growth when she makes amends with a former friend and prioritizes the kitten’s needs.  

The back of the book also explains how readers can help animals in need. The story’s positive message makes Random Acts of Kittens a book worth reading. Younger kitten-loving readers will find the Pet Rescue Adventures Series by Holly Webb an engaging series with plenty of cat cuteness. Cat lovers will also find plenty of action and adventure by reading the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter. 

Sexual Content  

  • Natalia’s gets a ride to school with her sister, Julieta, and her boyfriend, Hayden. “. . . Julieta got in the shotgun seat and kissed Hayden on the lips. Fireworks and sparkles were exploding in his eyes.” 

Violence  

  • At school, Natalia overhears two boys talking. One, Brigham, says, “My older brother used to shoot at cats up in the canyon. It’s a lot of fun.”  
  • The boy’s conversation reminds Natalia that, “Brigham had been kind of a bully when we were in kindergarten. Whenever I complained about him, the teacher said he was like a puppy that didn’t know his own strength. One day, he pushed me off the swing. I turned around and jabbed him with a one-two-three to the stomach. He never bothered me again.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Brigham calls Natalia a weirdo and a loser several times.  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Gigi, the momma cat, gets out of the house and can’t be found, Natalia prays. “In a desperate move, I closed my eyes right there in the middle of the sidewalk and sent a prayer to the universe for forgiveness, and for help.”  

The Stern Chase

The Herons are home in Skandia—preparing to celebrate two of their own and working on sea trials in the newly constructed Heron. But during a short excursion, they encounter an Iberian pirate ship raiding the coast of Sonderland, so Hal and his crew take action.

Though the Herons quickly triumph, the Iberians voice their fury at the Herons, vowing to take revenge. And soon they do—raiding the harbor and stealing or destroying as many ships as they can. Though there is little proof the Iberians are behind it, the Herons take their ship—the only one that survived the raid—and race after their enemy in hot pursuit. They will take down these pirates and get justice, no matter what.  

The Stern Chase lives up to its name since the majority of the story focuses on the Skandians chasing the pirate ship. At first, Hal and his crew, The Brotherband, are trying to discover what country the pirates come from. Then, they need to figure out which direction the pirates went. And then, they must find the pirate’s secret hiding spot. Unfortunately, the search lacks action and readers may quickly become bored with the chase. Another of the book’s flaws is that The Stern Chase follows the same format as all the other books in the series, which doesn’t allow any surprises to unfold.  

While the previous books in the Brotherband Chronicle are action-packed and interesting, The Stern Chase is stale. There is little interaction between the characters and none of the characters show any personal growth. The story begins with Invgar and Lydia’s engagement party, however, once the party is interrupted there are few scenes that feature the couple. The Skandian Oberjarl, Erik, also joins the expedition, but he only has a small role. Overall, none of the characters are given a chance to shine.    

One of the best aspects of the Brotherband Chronicles is the sense of comradery among the crew and the action-packed scenes. However, The Stern Chase is missing both of these elements, which will leave readers disappointed. If you’ve sailed through all the Brotherband books, you can find additional excitement and adventure by reading the Starcatchers Series by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson and Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss. 

Sexual Content  

  • When a member of the Brotherband, Thorn, is about to leave to search for pirates, he says goodbye to his girlfriend and kisses “her on the lips. It was a long kiss . . .” 

Violence  

  • Iberians attack a trading ship and the Brotherband jumps in to help. “Thorn charged into the rank of the Iberian crew. His massive club smashed into one man, hurling him to one side, then he swung back again and took another in the chest as the startled pirate turned to face him.” 
  • The battle continues and the ship’s captain “leapt forward, bringing his long-bladed sword down onto the helmet of the pirate captain who had faced him. . . The sword blade sank deep into his helmet, cleaving a deep cut in the metal. The pirate’s last conscious thought was that he had dropped his own sword and was now unarmed and at the mercy of his former prey.” It is implied that the pirate dies. The scene takes place over four pages. 
  • The Brotherband captures the remaining pirates, who are closest to the harbormaster. “The pirates, their hands bound behind them and secured in a line by a rope around their necks, were marched down the quay by the trader’s crew. . . Piracy was a capital crime, and they had been caught red handed.” 
  • Pirates sneak into the Skandia harbor and damage their ships. In the morning, the Skandia guards are discovered dead. One of the guards is, “lying on his back, staring unseeingly up at the sky. . .he had been stabbed.” 
  • The pirates anger a bear that attacks them. “One massive, claw-laden paw swiped at him before he could bring his sword forward. The huge claws opened four red weals across his face. . .” The bear struck the pirate who smashed “into the rock wall behind him. His limp body slid slowly to the ground. The pirates run from the bear, but “the terrible bear snapped and smashed at those nearest it, leaving a trail of broken bodies.” Six men “paid the ultimate price, their bodies hurled to the rocks on either side, or lying still where they fell.”  
  • A sailor describes a pirate attack. His men were outnumbered and were quickly killed and “their bodies thrown overboard.”  
  • The Brotherband meet the pirates on the open sea. The pirates began shooting arrows towards the Brotherband. “An arrow flashed down at Thorn, grazing his arm and leaving a bloody welt.” Thorn “hurled the grapnel overhand back toward the ship behind them. . . Thorn’s blind throw had been effective. A man tumbled off the bow of the big ship, falling into the sea and being driven under by her plunging forefoot.” During the short confrontation, men on both sides are injured. 
  • Several members of the Brotherband spy on the pirates. The Brotherband hears a small party of pirates approaching. Lydia, a member of the Brotherband, throws a dart, and a pirate “felt a jolting impact in his right shoulder. The force of it spun him half around and the impact jarred the sword from his grasp. He staggered. . . then his legs gave way and he sank to the ground, gasping as he felt the first waves of pain seizing his upper body.” The man dies. 
  • The Brotherband tricks the pirates into following them. The Brotherband’s ship, Heron, purposely runs into the other ship’s oars. “The air was filled with the splintering, cracking sound of the oars being smashed and shattered. Lethal splinters of white oak flew above the two ships. . .” Several of the pirates “fell, struck by sharp daggers of white oak. . . Within seconds, a good half of the rowing crew were injured or disabled, lying groaning or unconscious on the rowing benches. . .” 
  • One of the Brotherband sets off “the Mangler,” which throws a giant bolt ball at the pirates’ ship. “It smashed into the men crowded around the mast, cleaving a deadly path through them, throwing bodies left and right before it sailed clear over the side into the sea.”  
  • The Brotherband boards the ship. “Thorn led the way. . . His massive club-hand smashed out to left and right, shattering shields, breaking limbs and fracturing ribs among those who opposed him.” 
  • During the battle, the Skandian Oberjarl, Erik, was wounded “but he seemed impervious to them, ignoring the blood streaking his arms and legs, dealing out quick vengeance to any who struck him. The pile of fallen pirates grew around him as he shattered and smashed his way along the blood-streaked deck.” The bloody battle is described over 12 pages. The pirates started with a crew of forty. After the battle there are “fewer than a dozen left standing.”   

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The Skandians throw an engagement party. During the party, alcohol is put out “so that revelers could fill and refill their tankards as they pleased.” Many of the adults get drunk. 
  • The Brotherband finds a sinking ship that had been attacked by pirates. One of the wounded men is given a “painkilling draft.” 

Language  

  • Oh my Lord and Oh God are both used as an exclamation once. 
  • “Gorlog’s beard” and “Gorlog bite him” are both used as an exclamation once.  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • The Brotherband gives a sailor from another ship a funeral. Hal wonders how to perform the ceremony because he “wasn’t familiar with whatever gods the Gallicans might pray too, and Skandians weren’t a particularly religious group, regarding their own gods with a kind of affectionate disdain.”  
  • The pirates hear a “low rumbling sound, full of threat and menace, and wonder if such an unearthly sound might come from a djinn or a demon.” A djinn is an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in both human and animal forms, that can also possess humans. 
  • When the pirates see a bear, “one of the men. . . let out a yelp of fear, calling on his gods to protect him.”  

Beyond the Kingdoms

Alex and Conner Bailey once lived the fairytale life most kids dream of. They spent the past few weeks in The Land of Stories – a world of kingdoms where fairy tales are true and their friends are famous storybook characters such as Little Red Riding Hood and Mother Goose. However, Alex and Conner aren’t living in a fairytale anymore. Following the death of the twins’ grandmother, the Fairy Godmother, The Land of Stories is threatened by the Masked Man, who is amassing an army to destroy the Land of Stories once and for all. 

The story picks up where A Grim Warning left off, with Alex and Conner hunting down the Masked Man. Alex is desperate to prove that the Masked Man is her late father after seeing him unmasked briefly, but no one believes her. Alex and Conner track him to a tavern where he uses a portal to escape. When the Masked Man vanished, Alex and Conner struggle to find their next clue. Meanwhile, Alex has had trouble with her new role as the Fairy Godmother, as her powers have become uncontrollable. Her unreliable powers lead her to lash out unexpectedly and almost cause harm to her friends. Because of this, the Fairy Council decides to remove her from the position of Fairy Godmother.

Upset, Alex runs away and meets with Mother Goose, who decides to help Alex prove The Masked Man is her father. They discover that The Fairy Godmother had two children, the twins’ father and Lloyd, who grew up despising magic and had ambitions to destroy the Land of Stories. Because of this, the Fairy Godmother killed Lloyd’s magic and had him imprisoned. However, Lloyd has recently obtained a potion and a collection of books from the human world. With these two items, he can travel to other fictional worlds, where he plans to recruit an army. 

With the new information, Alex regroups with Conner. They take their own potion and chase the Masked Man through fictional worlds such as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, King Arthur, and Robin Hood. Teaming up with famous characters such as Arthur and the Tin Woodman, they make it back to the Fairy World too late – the Masked Man has already started launching attacks on the kingdoms, which sends the fictional world into chaos.

The Land of Stories Series is filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing. While keeping track of the long list of characters is difficult, the series is entertaining because of the modern twists of a classic fairy tales. Conner is a funny and witty character who is dedicated to his sister and provides much-needed comic relief. Meanwhile, Alex is more serious, as she struggles with the responsibility of being the Fairy Godmother and managing her powers. She grows the most as a character, learning to take responsibility for her actions while also moving on. After loosing her position on the Fairy Council, she says, “My biggest fear was disappointing someone, and then after one moment of weakness, I ended up disappointing the entire fairy tale world. But rather than fighting the world that discarded me, I chose to continue saving it. So maybe greatness isn’t about being immortal, or glorious, or popular – it’s about choosing to fight for the greater good of the world, even if the world’s turned its back on you.” 

Though it seems like everyone is against her, Alex follows her heart and trusts that, in time, people will see her point of view. Many of the characters who have been villains in The Land of Stories Series refuse to forgive others and direct their anger back at the world, thinking that will make them happy. But Alex knows this won’t work. To be happy, one must be content with their own decisions. This is why – even when Alex is tempted to stay in one of the other fictional worlds she travels to – she instead returns to the Land of Stories, knowing she would regret not saving the fairy tale world. 

Overall, Alex and Conner stick to their morals and by each other, helping even when things seem grim. The twins and their allies protect the world they love in the face of great odds. The story ends on a cliffhanger as Conner proposes a way to beat the Masked Man. Conner wants to return to the real world to get his own stories, but we’re left wondering how Conner’s writing will help. Readers will have to tune in to the next installment, An Author’s Odyssey, to find out if Alex and Conner can save the Land of Stories before it’s too late. Readers who are ready to jump into another captivating series with lots of action and adventure should also read Keepers of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger.

Sexual Content 

  • Alex kisses Rook, her former boyfriend, on the cheek. 
  • Alex kisses Arthur. “[Alex] leaned over and kissed Arthur more passionately than she had ever kissed anyone. . . Arthur kissed Alex back. . . They lay under the stars and kissed each other” until morning. 
  • Maid Marion and Robin Hood “share a kiss” as Robin Hood sneaks into her bedroom. 
  • Mother Goose and Merlin fall in love. Merlin kisses Mother Goose’s cheek.  

Violence 

  • In the Hall of Dreams (see supernatural), the Fairy Godmother looks at her son’s dream and sees his desire to destroy the Land of Stories. “There was destruction everywhere she looked. Castles and palaces were crumbling to the ground and villages were on fire. The ground was covered in carcasses of every creature imaginable.”
  • The Masked Man slaps a soldier who makes him angry. “The Masked Man backhanded [the soldier] across the face.”
  • With her sword, Goldilocks cuts off a witch’s arm. “[The witch] crawled across the walls like a lizard and lunged for Goldilocks. [Goldilocks] swung her sword and sliced off the witch’s left arm.” The witch’s arm grows back. 
  • Jack is attacked by bugs. “Hundreds of insects crawled out of the witch’s tree-bark skin and attacked him, biting and stinging all over his body.” 
  • Alex uses her powers to choke one of the Masked Man’s soldiers. “The trees around the creek suddenly came to life. They grabbed every person at the creek except for Alex with their branches and held them tightly to their trunks. . . The branches wrapped around [the soldier’s] throat and choked him. . . He was gagging and could barely speak.” Alex lets him go. 
  • In a flashback, the Fairy Godmother kills her son’s magic so that he won’t take over the world. “The boy turned back around and saw his mother pointing her wand at him. POW! Ropes blasted out of the tip of her wand and wrapped her son around a tree. . . The Fairy Godmother pointed her wand at him again and hit her son with a bright blast of light. A few moments later, a sparkling silhouette his exact shape and size fell out of him. The Fairy Godmother waved her wand and chains wrapped around the silhouette. She dragged it into the river and held it under the water. The silhouette squirmed and convulsed as the Fairy Godmother drowned it, splashing water everywhere. . . Little by little, the silhouette faded in the water until it washed away completely.”
  • The Tin Woodman tells the story of how he was made. “The Wicked Witch of the East cast a spell on my axe, causing it to slip out of my hand and cut off my limbs one at a time, eventually severing my head and splitting open my body. A local tinsmith rebuilt me one appendage at a time until I was made entirely of tin.” 
  • Red discovers that the witch, Morina, has been kidnapping children and draining their youth and beauty to make potions that make other people seem younger. Eventually, these children die. 
  • Morina kills another witch. “Morina raised a hand towards [the witch] and she suddenly went as stiff as a board. Her stone skin cracked and chipped away until [the witch] crumbled into nothing but a pile of rocks on the ground.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Mother Goose carries a flask with alcohol or “bubbly” inside, that she occasionally drinks. 
  • While in Wonderland, the caterpillar from the story smokes a hookah. Mother Goose joins him and also smokes from the hookah briefly. 
  • Alex meets Merlin and Mother Goose when they are “three-quarters deep into a large bottle of ale.”

Language   

  • The Masked Man calls one of his soldiers an “idiot.” 
  • Goldilocks is pregnant. After crying, she says “damn these hormones!” 
  • Mother Goose calls the Fairy Council “uppity, colorful know-it-alls.” She later calls a woman a “loon.” 
  • Jack asks, “What the hell happened?” 
  • Red says that she’s going to kill the woman who stole her fiancé, Charlie. “I’m thinking about the day I get Charlie back, and get to slaughter Morina like the cow she is!” 
  • Mother Goose says the biggest “jerk” she’s had a fling with, was Charlemagne.

Supernatural 

  • In the Land of Stories, all fairy tales are real and magic is abundant, from witches casting spells to mythical creatures such as unicorns and mermaids. People use magic for everything, from teleportation to healing injuries.
  • A major aspect of this story is a potion that allows the user to open a portal into any fictional book of their choosing. The Fairy Godmother uses the potion to travel into Frankenstein. “As soon as the third drop [of the potion] made contact, the book illuminated like a gigantic spotlight . . [The Fairy Godmother] clutched her wand and stepped straight into the beam of light.” Other characters throughout the story will use the potion to travel into stories such as Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan. 
  • The Fairy Palace, where the Fairy Council lives, has a Hall of Dreams, where each person’s dreams are stored. “[The Fairy Godmother] pushed opened the double doors and stepped into the boundless space and watched the thousands of orbs floating around. Each orb represented someone’s dream.”

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Big Time

Gerri waits outside all night to audition for Big Time, her favorite TV singing competition. She believes she has a shot at success, but when she’s insulted by one of the judges and kicked out of the competition, she thinks she’ll probably never sing again. 

After a teacher at her school asks her to join a choral club, Gerri reluctantly gets involved. Even though she can’t read music and she doesn’t know the other kids, she finds herself enjoying the group and learning a lot about music. A cute guy she met at the Big Time auditions joins the group, and when they perform their unique mashups at an open-mic night, Gerri realizes there’s more than one way to be a successful—and happy—singer!

Anyone who’s ever faced rejection will relate to Gerri’s conflict and empathize with her feelings of insecurity. Since much of Gerri’s self-doubt and personal growth revolves around her musical ability, the story lacks action. Nevertheless, readers who are interested in music will enjoy learning how being part of a group helps Gerri understand music and herself better. While much of the story revolves around Gerri’s choral group, her guitar-playing granddad also plays a positive and significant role in Gerri’s musical growth. Gerri’s granddad helps her see that people should sing for their own personal enjoyment because music “helps us bring a little bit of happiness into other people’s lives.”

When Gerri tries out for Big Time, she meets Poppy, a confident singer who has some success on the reality show. Even though Poppy doesn’t play a large role in the story, her experiences help reinforce the importance of singing for enjoyment. While she was competing, Poppy began to focus on beating the other contestants, which caused a lot of stress and unhappiness. When she was cut from the competition, Poppy was relieved because being on Big Time took the joy out of singing. 

One of the best aspects of the book is Gerri’s personal growth. She changes from a downtrodden girl who doesn’t want to sing, to a more confident musician who is thankful that she was rejected from Big Time. Gerri thinks, “It turns out that getting rejected from Big Time was one of the best things that could have happened to me. . . because it helped me understand what being a musician is really all about. . . It’s about learning and practicing and making music wherever and whenever you feel like it.”

As part of the Orca Limelights collection, Big Time is specifically aimed at middle schoolers and teens with an interest in the performing arts who want to read a short, high-interest novel. The story’s straightforward plot, easy vocabulary, and interesting characters make Big Time the perfect fit for music-loving readers. 

Big Time has many positive aspects including teaching the importance of overcoming obstacles. In addition, the story portrays Gerri’s family in a positive light, and the supporting characters, while not perfect, unite over their love of singing. If you’re looking for a quick read, Big Time is a short, but solid story that will please anyone who loves music. Readers who want to read more music-themed books should grab a copy of Ace’s Basement by Ted Staunton and the graphic novel series Eagle Rock by Hope Larson.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • A woman calls one of the Big Time judges a jackass.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • One of the Big Time contestants says that Adele drinks whiskey before every performance.

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Puppy War

Wild has been on the run—jumping from one family to the next—ever since she left Chance almost a year ago. But when a mysterious canine corporation, C.A.T., abducts her and threatens to hurt Chance, she will stop at nothing to escape and find her old friend.

Together again, Wild and Chance must enlist the help of Junebug to hack into C.A.T.’s computer to discover what they really want. Along the way, the group is reunited with an old friend and introduced to the Puppio puppies, which are love-at-first-sight cute, with massive eyes, and smell like apple pie. Yet even though they look cute on the outside, Wild is convinced everything isn’t as it seems.

When Wild finds out a shocking discovery about her past, she must decide who is more important to protect—her past, her best friend, or the greater Los Angeles area that is in incredible Puppio danger.

The second installment in the Wild & Chance Series has just as many heart-stopping moments as the first book. However, in this installment, Wild isn’t sure who the real threat is. Is it the Russian men in suits that tried to dognap him, or is it Dr. Pao the woman who invented the technology that created Wild? Unlike the previous book, Wild, Chance, and Junebug aren’t working together. Instead, the three have gone their separate ways, leaving Wild to find out what the puppy war is all about.

Readers will fall in love with Wild, who wants to protect her friends. However, when she realizes that Dr. Pao has used her DNA to create puppies, Wild is torn between protecting her children or protecting the humans she loves. To make matters even more difficult, Chance is given one of Dr. Pao’s genetically altered puppies, and the two instantly bond. Wild must use her stealth to discover Dr. Pao’s real reason for creating the puppies.

The Puppy War uses the unique perspective of Wild to create a suspenseful story that is also full of heart. The story combines intense chase scenes, friendship difficulties, and two separate groups who want to make Wild their property. Plus, an old nemesis appears and showcases that dogs (and people) can change for the better. However, the true gem of the story is the relationship between Wild and her two human friends, Chance and Junebug.

While The Puppy War is a solid story, the conclusion is rushed and unrealistic. In order to allow room for a third book, Zadoff leaves several threads untied which is frustrating. Despite this, The Puppy War uses a unique concept that will have readers on the edge of their seats—and contemplating the ethics behind manipulating DNA. Dog-loving readers who want to view life through a heroic dog’s point of view should also read the Pawtriot Dogs Series by Samuel P. Fortsch and the Hero Series by Jennifer Li Shotz. If you’re in the mood for a less serious, humorous dog series, check out Two Dogs in a Trench Coat by Julie Falatko.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • After being kidnapped, Wild wakes up in an airplane. In order to escape, Wild knocks a man off his feet. “I seize the opportunity to dart toward the skinny man, avoiding his attempt to kick me by biting down on his arm. He howls in pain and tries to get away from me, but I clamp harder.”
  • Wild drags the man out of the flying plane. “A second later we’re falling into open air, my jaws firmly attached to the skinny man’s arm.” The man tries to detach Wild from his arm, but Wild twists and “bite[s] down on his calf.” As the two fall, the man deploys a parachute. When they land, the man “is alive and breathing, but it looks like he’s going to be out for a while.”  
  • Men go to Chance’s home with the intent to kidnap him. Wild jumps out and “I hit the first man like a bowling ball, sending him careening into his friend, the two of them stumbling into the wall. . . I land and spin in place, instantly jumping towards the third man. I kick him in the throat and he falls, breathless and clutching his chest.”
  • The men in suits find Wild and Chance again. Wild sees “one of the men in suits coming toward us, a can of knockout spray in his hands. . . I roar and leap at the man, knocking the can from his hands and striking him dead center in the chest.” They escape.
  • The men in suits drag Chance, Wild, and Junebug into a car. In order to get Wild to talk, “the man puts a hand on Chance’s shoulder, squeezing in a claw motion. Chance grits his teeth against the pain as the man’s fingers turn white with effort.”
  • Someone drives a vehicle into the men in suits’ SUV. Wild hears “brakes screaming around us and the sound of multiple crashes.” Wild sees one of the men “stumbling out of the car, a trickle of blood on his forehead where he injured himself during the crash.”
  • During a training exercise, Wild attacks several men. “I leap from the sidewalk into the first man’s chest, knocking him back into his friend . . . I snatch his paint leg, ripping it with my teeth and knocking him to the ground.”
  • Two puppies, Sebastian and Scarlett, get into a fight. “Sebastian tries to dominate her, two paws slapping down hard on Scarlett’s face. Her head bounces off the floor with a crack.” Wild stops the fight.
  • An animal control officer tries to capture Wild. “Suddenly, a Taser hits me, the electric shock passing down my spine and through my nerves. My muscles contract and release in rapid succession, freezing me in place. . . A needle goes under my skin. It burns when the injection goes in and the tranquilizer enters my bloodstream.” Wild wakes up in a cage.
  • The head of the puppy project, Dr. Pao, orders her men to euthanize Wild. When Wild wakes up, she’s on a medical table. Wild kicks “the medical tray to the floor, then I use a paw to whip off my muzzle.” One of the men goes for a weapon and Wild races “toward him, vaulting over the table and smashing his head into the side of the cabinet . . . He groans and goes down, unconscious.” The other man passes out from fright and Wild escapes.
  • On the puppy release day, Dr. Pao holds Junebug and Chance as hostages. Wild confronts Dr. Pao and then Wild “leap[s] at her from across the room, smashing against her chest and sending the two of us sprawling backward.” A struggle ensues and is stopped when the men in suits take Dr. Pao away. It is unclear who the men work for.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Men kidnap Wild and drug him with something that makes him go to sleep.
  • Wild and Chance go to a secret Ukrainian hangout spot where Wild smells “food, combined with alcohol.”  

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Sister Switch

Addie Asante of Columbus, Ohio, feels stuck in the middle. Her big sister, Sophie, bosses her around while her little sister, Camille, gets whatever she wants.

When Addie receives a mysterious package with a magic bracelet, she makes a wish to no longer be in the middle and—POOF—she’s transformed into her big sister!

Being Sophie is amazing: Addie can hang out at the café after school, have her own room, and sing in the talent show. But as her friend Becca warns her, having a wish come true can get really messy. Plus, in a twist of magical chaos, Addie’s big sister has become the baby sister, and the baby sister has become Addie!

With friendships—and grades—on the line, plus a sneaky stranger determined to get her hands on the magic bracelet, can Addie and her sisters find a way to switch back before it’s too late?

The Sister Switch is told from Addie’s point of view which allows the reader to understand her frustration at being the middle child. However, Addie isn’t a very likable character because she is self-centered and doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions. When Addie is in Sophie’s body, Addie thinks about how she can use the situation to her advantage. She never thinks about how her actions will affect Sophie. In the end, the sister switch brings all three sisters closer together, but there is no large character growth. 

Addie’s sisters, Sophie and Camille, aren’t very likable either. When Sophie enters Camille’s body, she acts like a bratty child who throws temper tantrums, refuses to do schoolwork, and causes havoc. Meanwhile, Camille’s cheerful attitude and focus on having fun isn’t realistic. Plus, her terrible behavior causes trouble. For example, she begins a food fight in the cafeteria. While some of the scenes are supposed to be funny, it’s difficult to ignore that when the three sisters interact, there is little kindness between them. 

Anyone who has a sibling will be able to understand Addie’s difficulties and find humor in some of the situations. In the end, Addie learns that she should stay true to herself and embrace what causes her joy. However, the story glosses over Addie’s selfishness. While The Sister Switch is a book that younger readers will likely enjoy, parents won’t want their child to copy Addie’s behavior. Overall, the sisters’ bad behavior, the tired plot, and the lack of character growth make The Sister Switch a book that is best left on the shelf. If you’re looking for an entertaining book that reinforces positive sister behavior, read Disney Frozen Polar Nights: Cast Into Darkness by Mari Mancus and Jen Calonita. If you want another dash of magic to add sparkle to your day, check out Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Addie’s twelve-year-old sister, Sophie, is “stuck in Camille’s five-year-old body.” When Sophie goes to school, she “apparently threw a fit. And a chair? Plus, she refused to do any of the activities.”
  • When Camille is stuck in Addie’s body, she goes to lunch with Addie’s friends. Camille and Addie get into an argument and then Camille “smiled wickedly. . . she’d picked up her leftover sandwich and tossed it at my face.” A food fight ensues. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • OMG is used as an exclamation often.

Supernatural

  • While at school, Addie makes a wish. “Suddenly, I felt something tighten around my wrist. The lights in the hallway flickered. . . My skin felt weird. Like it was being tickled by a million tiny feathers.” The bracelet’s magic switches Addie’s and her sister’s bodies. 
  • After the wish, Addie’s “fingers looked different. . . And then I looked into the mirror. Sophie’s face stared back at me.” Meanwhile Addie’s twelve-year-old sister, Sophie, “was stuck in Camille’s five-year-old body.”
  • A blond woman wants Addie to give her the magical bracelet. The woman can track the bracelet and has a gold bead that “warms up and glows when the magic is working.” It’s similar to a “radar.”

Spiritual Content 

  • When Addie’s sister takes over her body, Addie prays that her friends don’t laugh at her. 

Unscripted

Zelda Bailey-Cho is an incredibly talented and ambitious seventeen-year-old comedian who dreams of making it big before she turns 25. She is a young woman with a sharp wit, impeccable timing, and a passion for making people laugh. Zelda has always known comedy is her calling, and she is willing to work hard and persevere until she achieves her dreams.

As Zelda prepares to attend the Rocky Mountain Theater Arts camp, she is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. She sees the camp as the perfect place to start her journey and is determined to take full advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. At RMTA, Zelda has the chance to learn from some of the most experienced and skilled comedians and improvisers. She is eager to absorb as much knowledge and experience as possible. She believes that making the varsity improv team is the first step towards achieving her goal of being on Saturday Night Live. However, the reality of being on the varsity team at the camp is not everything Zelda expected. 

It turns out, the camp is plagued by toxic masculinity, sexual harassment, and misogyny, all of which make it difficult for Zelda to accomplish her goals. She faces many obstacles, including being the first female in fifteen years to make the varsity squad on top of being one of only five female campers that summer. She wants to make her other female campers proud, but it becomes increasingly difficult as she becomes the target for humiliation on her male-only team.

As Zelda struggles to navigate the obstacles at camp, her relationship with her coach, Ben, becomes increasingly complicated. While Ben reassures Zelda that he will stop the humiliation, he still allows the guys to tear her down during rehearsals. His sweet smiles and endearing touches leave Zelda’s head spinning. As the rehearsals become more and more heartbreaking for Zelda, so does her relationship with Ben. It all comes to a head one day when he pins her against a tree and unclasps her bra. 

Zelda feels betrayed and violated because she thought she could trust Ben. The incident leaves her questioning her own judgment, as well as the intentions of those around her. But despite the trauma she experiences, Zelda refuses to let it define her. Her fellow female campers — Paloma, Sirena, Emily, and Hanna — help Zelda learn the difference between abuse and affection. They help Zelda realize that she is a survivor who will not be silenced. Zelda finds the strength to speak out about what happened to her, hoping that her story will inspire others to do the same. 

Zelda’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and strength. She faces numerous challenges, including toxic masculinity, sexual harassment, and misogyny, but refuses to let them hold her back. She is a role model for young women everywhere, showing them that they too can achieve their dreams, no matter what obstacles they may face. 

Unscripted is a captivating and thought-provoking book that is sure to resonate with young women. In a where misogyny and sexual harassment are still prevalent, it is important for young women to be aware of these societal issues and learn how to navigate them. The book does an excellent job of exploring these themes through the experiences of its strong and inspiring female lead character. Furthermore, Unscripted is not limited to themes of misogyny and sexual harassment. It also delves into various other issues that young women may face, such as gender stereotypes, body image, and self-esteem. The author does a great job weaving together these themes in a way that is both informative and engaging. Overall, Unscripted is a great read for young women who want to empower themselves and learn how to overcome the challenges they may face in today’s society. It provides a positive role model and valuable insights that can help them navigate the complexities of the world. Readers who enjoy Unscripted should also read Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush Hager.

Sexual Content 

  • During Zelda’s first rehearsal with her male counterparts, she plays a nurse. One of the boys opens her office door and says, “Well, hello there, lady doctor. How lucky am I? Should I drop my pants now, or now and later?” Zelda stays in character, looks at his chart, and says, “Ah! I see you’ve had a series of brain injuries that make you say inappropriate things. Well. We should get you some heavy drugs to suppress that.”
  • In another scene, there were some allusions to Zelda’s character being a porn actress, but it wasn’t the focus of the scene so she “let it go.”
  • In another scene, one of the males in Zelda’s group forces her to be a prostitute in the woods. “‘Oh, look! A woods hooker! I think I’d like to see a dance,’ Xander said. ‘I’ll be the pole.’” 
  • Xander tries to make Zelda uncomfortable by making sexual comments. Xander began grinding on Jake and pitched his voice into a falsetto. “’Oh, Jakey!’ he tittered, apparently imitating me. ‘You’re so funny! I love it when you do me!’ The grunting sounds increased, reaching a fever pitch.”
  • The girls at the camp tell Zelda that guys look at her as a sexual object. Hanna says, “See—you do that leaning in thing and your boobs just—” Hanna makes jazz hands.
  • Ben utilizes his power as a coach to get Zelda alone for a one-on-one rehearsal. He makes her act out a scene in which he kisses her. “And then he was kissing me. A real, live boy was kissing me. Kissing ME. I hardly knew what was happening. He wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me closer.”  The kissing stops as Ben pulls away and calls the rehearsal to a close. It is the only scene that they “rehearse.”
  • Another time Zelda is put in a demeaning position. “It was happening again. And Ben was doing nothing to stop it. I was numb as Xander marched with me over his shoulder and set me down off stage. ‘Woo! Quick, but satisfying!’ He mimed zipping up his pants. Bile rose up in my esophagus.”
  • Ben sexually violates Zelda outside the cabins against a tree. “Before I had a chance to make a decision, the fingers of his right hand unclasped my bra and his left hand grabbed my boob. The moment he made contact, I knew I didn’t want it. I tried to step back, but I was still pushed up against the tree.” Zelda says, “‘Don’t. Please, Ben. Just—’” Zelda “tried to push him away with my hands, but he ground into me. ‘It’s okay,’ he murmured. ‘You’re so sexy. I can’t help myself.’” He only stops because Zelda knees him in the crotch and runs away. 

Violence 

  • Before Zelda goes to camp, her father tries to teach her about life. He recounts the story of what led them to this point, but this time he includes a part Zelda had never heard. He loves his new wife and stepson, Will, but they were not deterring him from the negative thoughts inside his head. It was Zelda that ultimately saved him. “‘Zelda-belle.’ He exhaled sharply, folded and unfolded his arms, then took my hands. ‘Your mom loved Will, and I . . . I couldn’t take the sadness anymore. I was thinking about . . .’ He raised his eyebrows, willing me to fill in the blanks . . . Did he mean . . . he was thinking about killing himself?” He lets Zelda know it was her birth that brought light back into his life. She was the one to pull him out of his depression.
  • The owners of RMTA, Paul Paulsen and Paul Deluca (P1 and P2), lay out the ground rules upon everyone arriving at the camp. “’Lastly, we have a very strict physical violence policy. If you get in a physical altercation, you will be sent home. No exceptions.’ Paul Paulsen said . . . ‘Well,’ Paul DeLuca drawled, ‘unless it’s in a scene.’”
  • There is a scene in which Jake 2 and Trey, other members of the varsity improv team, fake punch one another. “‘A punch in the face for not freeing the slaves earlier!’ Jake 2 called. He turned to Donovan and clapped him on the back. ‘Right, my brother?’ My eyes grew huge. Anger flashed in Donovan’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly, I thought I might have imagined it.” This scene upsets Donovan as a biracial individual. It is one of the first times Zelda realizes that it isn’t just sexual comments that are being made and hurting someone.
  • Zelda knees Ben in the crotch to avoid him going further in his sexual advances. “A switch flipped in my head. A message flashed in my mind with lightning speed and clarity: Ben was not what love looked like. He was what danger looked like. And that’s when Dad’s voice shouted in my head, Prime attack zones: spectacles and testicles! I jerked up my knee as hard as I could and rammed it into his crotch.”
  • Ben, the varsity coach, punches a Boy Scout that Zelda is hiking with, Jesse, in the face which causes a fight to break out between the three of them. Most of the violence comes from Ben. “But it took a cracking sound, blood pouring out of Jesse’s nose, and Ben shaking out the hand that had punched Jesse to set off a bomb inside my body…Ben charged at me, and I barreled toward the steps…’How dare I?’ He caught up with me in two strides and grabbed my arms. ‘How dare you?’ He spun me to him. Fury contorted his face. ‘I let you onto Varsity and this is how you repay me?’ His hands dug into my upper arms, and he shook my body…I tried to break out of his grasp, but he growled, ‘Shut up!’ and shook me again…I twisted around, but still gripping my arms, Ben kicked Jesse in the knee as he lurched toward us, which sent him stumbling back down into the gravel. Jesse’s nose was bleeding so freely, the front of his shirt was a lake of blood…’Stand UP, bitch,’ he demanded, digging his fingers even deeper into my forearms. Whimpering from the pain, I listened…Turning around in shock, Ben dropped my arms, so I grabbed his shoulder to force him back to face me, then spectacles-testicled him, and he collapsed to the ground.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • Zelda is in a conversation with two girls who are discussing how the males on their improv team tend to stereotype them just because they are female. For example, “Then when guys do a scene together, do they call it ‘Dick-prov’?”
  • Sexism and misogyny are heavily discussed throughout the book.
  • The terminology surrounding the LGBTQ+ community is brought up multiple times as both Zelda’s brother and bunkmates are a part of the community. In one scene, the two bunkmates, Sirena and Emily, are telling the girls what they feel comfortable being called. “Sirena says, ‘We like ‘gay.’ And ‘lesbian’ is fine, too. In certain contexts, ‘queer’ makes the most sense. Right, Em?’”’
  • Emily, one of the few females at the camp,  brings up her weight multiple times on her own volition and discusses the stereotypes she faces because of it. This scene is a wonderful example of the adversity she faces daily due to her weight. “Unfortunately, Emily was too anxious to be her best self. At one point, she played a really funny newscaster who was so nervous, she couldn’t remember any of the news, and later managed a spot-on Irish accent, but the guys she was performing with mostly sidelined her. After the third scene, where she played someone’s mom, a guy behind me whispered, ‘That fat girl is really bombing.’”
  • The terminology “asshats” is used several times. 
  • There are also multiple instances of the males making derogatory symbols and expressions towards the girls. When Zelda glares at a group of boys, they “flipped me off. I looked to the coaches to see if anyone was paying attention to the cretins, but the coaches were spread around the room, eyes on the stage.”
  • Zelda’s varsity group is called up to the stage for one of the improv games, but she is joined by the two guys who continue to humiliate her. “I took a deep breath and trotted up on stage. Unfortunately, Crotch-grabber and Finger-flipper stood on either side of me. My weakest aspect of improv next to two sexist body-shamers. Awesome.”
  • The word damn is used several times.
  • The words prostitute and hooker are used multiple times, often in improvisational scenes where they are forcing Zelda to be one.
  • Zelda stands up to some of the negative comments being made towards her during rehearsal. Zelda says, “You know, improv has always made me feel good. Like I was strong and funny and smart. I was a part of something. But you guys — What you do isn’t improv. It’s a lot of one-upmanship and dick waving and you don’t need me for that.” 
  • Ben, the varsity improv coach, calls Zelda a bitch multiple times. Zelda thinks, “It took a long time to fall asleep, but when I woke the next morning, I was sure about two things: 1) Ben was never getting me alone again. And 2) If I was a bitch, I was going to be the funniest bitch that asshole had ever seen.”
  • Ben calls Zelda a whore one time.
  • Nina Knightley, Zelda’s idol, says, “There’s a lot of crap out there. . . and I’ve seen my fair share of it. But the way you get through it is together. Find your people. And then keep helping people up. It’s the only way. Got it?”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Green Glass Sea

Young Dewey Kerrigan and Suze Gordon live in a time ravaged by World War II. When their families are moved to a secret location in the New Mexican desert called Los Alamos, the girls’ lives become filled with military personnel and top-secret information. Their parents are the nation’s finest scientists and have been enlisted to build a powerful weapon to end the war. However, with their parents on this mission, the girls are left with many questions and choices about the war, their families, and their futures. 

Dewey’s and Suze’s worlds collide when Dewey’s father goes on an important business trip and leaves Dewey in the hands of the Gordon family. Although Suze’s parents are friendly and hospitable, there’s one massive problem: Suze and Dewey are very different people and don’t like each other. As the war grows more dire and tragedy strikes the Gordon family, problems erupt between the girls that could jeopardize their present and future lives. Can Suze and Dewey settle their differences in time? 

The Green Glass Sea features two main protagonists — Dewey Kerrigan and Suze Gordon. Each chapter alternates between the two girls’ points of view which showcases their drastically different voices and personalities. For example, Dewey prefers to work on her gadgets and gizmos in solitude. On the other hand, Suze enjoys her social network and creates beautiful collages filled with old, discarded objects. The girls’ differing personalities keep each of their chapters fresh and exciting. Their realistic views and worries about the war, their family, and the future ground them as authentic, enjoyable characters. While most readers may find it difficult to relate to these girls’ experiences, they can admire the girls’ motivation, strength, and optimism during this tough period. 

Dewey and Suze are surrounded by a wonderful cast of supporting characters who emphasize the story’s lesson about family and loving one another. Dewey and Suze learn to love each other’s differences, and Dewey finds a home with the Gordons when Suze explains, “You’re coming too . . . Daddy said the whole family’s going.” Alongside this heartwarming plot and engaging characters, the story also features a realistic portrayal of history, matching the story’s scenes with the real-life events of World War II. 

The Green Glass Sea addresses the difficulty of World War II and includes sensitive topics like the Nazis, concentration camps, and the ethical usage of the atomic bomb. This information may be hard to digest for certain readers, but it only makes up a small portion of the story. Overall, The Green Glass Sea is a moving story about two girls’ worlds colliding because of World War II. With the combination of exciting characters and historical events, this book is a must-read for history buffs who appreciate the impacts that big-scale events have on normal people. Readers who want to learn more about World War II should also read Survival Tails: World War II by Katrina Charman and Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood. 

Sexual Content 

  • Suze and Dewey sing a song about the war, where they sing, “Hitler has only got one ball. Goering has two but they are small. Himmler has something sim’lar, but poor old Goebbels has no balls at all!” 

Violence 

  • Suze escapes some military police (MPs) while taking a shortcut through a restricted area.  As she climbs over a fence, she scrapes her knee, causing “a little rivulet of blood [to trickle] slowly down her dirt-covered leg . . . ” This scene is described over two pages. 
  • Suze bullies Dewey by drawing “a straight yellow line down the middle” of their room and saying, “You and your stuff stay on your side. Got it?” 
  • When Suze and Dewey go to school. Suze says, “You better not walk with me,” and, “Don’t even think about eating lunch with me.” 
  • While at school, Suze purposely hits the edge of Dewey’s radio “sending it flying,” which causes “a loud crack and a clatter like hailstones as its lid popped open and its contents scattered.” 
  • Suze and Dewey encounter a mean girl, Joyce. After Joyce insults Dewey and her, Suze “took a step forward, grabbed Joyce by the knot of her yellow Girl Scout neckerchief, and pushed her away. Hard.” Joyce lands in a muddy puddle. 
  • Dewey’s father, Jimmy Kerrigan, dies in a car accident. The accident isn’t described.   
  • Dewey angrily smashes a record that reminds her of her father’s death. Dewey “lifts the record off the turntable with both hands and smashes it with all her strength across her upraised knee.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • While on a train, Dewey sees people “smoking cigarettes and drinking cocktails and talking very loud.” 
  • Dewey keeps her home-built radio inside a “wooden cigar box.” 
  • Throughout the story, Suze’s mom repeatedly smokes cigarettes in the house.  
  • Suze’s father regularly drinks beer and whiskey during and after work. While at home, “he reached up and opened the cupboard, putting two glasses and the bottle of whiskey on the counter.” 
  • Suze’s dad, Phillip, also regularly smokes his pipe. As he smokes, “the smoke blew over her head, smelling like sweetish-sour burning leaves.” 
  • Dewey’s dad, Jimmy, offers Suze’s mother, Terry, “an inch of brown liquid.” Terry exclaims, “It’s Bushmills [whiskey]. How heavenly.” 
  • Jimmy gets drunk after a couple of drinks at an after-work party. He didn’t realize that “the boys were just dumping liquor bottles willy-nilly into the bowl.” 
  • Jimmy once pulled out “a pack of Camels, and lit one.” 
  • After they had completed their gadget, many scientists “held whiskey bottles” in celebration. 

Language 

  • Mrs. Kovack, Dewey’s neighbor, yells, “For the love of Pete, will you just come inside?” 
  • The book references the black community as “negros.”   
  • Dewey’s friend, Jack, uses the word “bitch” to describe the fighting and atrocities of World War II. 
  • Throughout the story, the kids repeatedly call Dewey, “Screwy Dewey.” 
  • Suze’s mother says both “damned” and “goddamn” once. 
  • Suze’s father says “goddamn” and “oh, Jesus” once.  
  •  “Oh god” and “My god” are both used as an exclamation once. 
  • Throughout the story, kids call Suze “Truck” because she’s a “big fat pushy steamroller truck.” 
  • Suze once utters that something is “a bunch of bushwa.” 
  • Suze and Dewey repeatedly use the acronym “FUBAR,” which means “fucked up beyond all recognition.” 
  • “Hell,” “crissakes,” and “jeez Louise” are all used once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • Mrs. Kovack does “her good Christian duty by taking Dewey in.” 
  • Suze mentions that her family celebrates Hanukkah. 
  • Dewey’s father once exclaims that he hopes “to god the war doesn’t go on longer. . . ”

Masterpiece

Marvin is not your average beetle; he has unique characteristics that set him apart from others. He is an excellent swimmer, has an accurate sense of human time, and most remarkably, he has an incredible ability to draw with ink. Marvin discovered this talent when he decided to create the perfect birthday gift for James Pompaday, the eleven-year-old boy who lives in the apartment where Marvin’s family resides. Marvin and James are an unlikely duo, but their friendship is unbreakable. 

James Pompaday is not your average human either. He is a quiet and careful individual who doesn’t immediately squash Marvin upon finding him. In fact, James is curious about Marvin’s abilities, and he takes the time to observe and understand the beetle’s artistic skills. Little did they know that Marvin’s talent would catch the eye of not only James but also the entire art world. 

James gets the credit for the beetle’s ink drawing. Soon, James finds himself covering for his pint-sized friend. But this is just the beginning of their journey. The duo soon becomes embroiled in a crazy plot that involves replicating a masterpiece created by a 14th-century artist named Albrecht Dürer. In order to save the masterpiece, James and Marvin must work together in ways they never imagined.  

The friends’ adventure leaves them with a newfound appreciation for the power of art and the importance of standing by those you love. Despite their differences, Marvin and James know that they can count on each other no matter what. They learn that sometimes unexpected alliances can lead to incredible adventures and lifelong friendships. In the end, Marvin and James prove that even the smallest creatures can make a big impact on the world, and that true friendship knows no boundaries. 

The charming story, Masterpiece, is about an unlikely friendship. The adventure within the art world is depicted through thin-lined artwork that appears every two to three pages. The black and white drawings play a crucial role in emphasizing the world from Marvin’s perspective, as well as portraying the true intensity of the journey he goes on. The intricate details of the drawings allow the reader to fully immerse themselves in the story and experience the same emotions as Marvin, making it a truly captivating read. From the way Marvin sees the world to the obstacles he faces, the drawings bring the story to life in a way that words alone cannot. The artistry of the illustrations is truly remarkable and will evoke a sense of wonder and awe in the reader. 

Masterpiece is a heartwarming tale that explores the power of friendship and human connection.  The author paints a vivid picture of the characters’ emotions and thoughts, making the reader feel fully immersed in their world. The story progresses as Marvin and James develop a strong bond that helps them overcome the challenges they face. Along the way, the reader witnesses how their friendship grows, how they learn from each other, and how they support one another.  One of the most wonderful moments is when Marvin comes to the realization of what he feels when looking at James, “It was more than happiness. More than affection or gratitude. It was something deeper. It was the sense of being seen and loved exactly for who he is.” It shows the true connection and extent of the friendship between James and himself. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion that will leave the reader feeling uplifted and inspired. Masterpiece is a beautifully crafted story that celebrates the power of friendship and reminds us of the importance of human connection in our lives. Readers who enjoy Marvin and James’s unlikely friendship should also read Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • After Marvin completes his test piece of a Dürer drawing, he attempts to hide on James’ shirt collar. Then Christina, the lady in charge of the art exhibit, sees Marvin and swats him off of James. “Marvin tried to dive out of sight, but before he could even register what was happening, he felt a blow so forceful that it sent his entire body hurtling through space. He was upside down, turning in midair, the room around him a blur. He bounced off something hard – a wall? A bookshelf? Who could tell? – and crashed to the floor, where he lay on his back, legs waving.” Marvin is unharmed. 
  • After Marvin and James leave the art gallery to return home from their adventures, James closes his hand in the trunk. “He saw James’ right hand reach toward the open trunk at the same time the cabbie slammed the trunk closed. There was a sickening, thwarted clunk as the metal trunk crashed down onto something that wasn’t meant to be there. And an anguished cry.” James ultimately ends up needing a cast for a broken hand. Instead of being upset, James almost seems relieved about the injury because it means he will no longer have to keep pretending to be the one who created Marvin’s artwork. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Unleashed

One month after the events of Jinxed, Lacey wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. With Jinx missing and MONCHA, the company behind the pet robot, threatening her family, Lacey doesn’t know who to turn to for answers.

After Lacey gets expelled and her mother acts strangely from the latest update from MONCHA, Lacey and her friends must get to the bottom of a sinister plot at the heart of the company, one that would ruin the interactions between bakus (pet robots) and their owners. Lacey must use all her skills to stop the corporation from carrying out their plan. But how can she take on the biggest tech company in North America with just a level one baku? 

Without the resources from her school, Lacey relies on her ingenuity and smarts to modify her baku. However, she hadn’t prepared for the company to remove public access to any information about the customization of bakus. Lacey soon learns that MONCHA, now headed by a temporary CEO, wants absolute control over the look and function of all their products, including the beloved pet robots. 

Departing from the action-packed baku battles of the previous book, Unleashed delves into Lacey’s world, which is fascinating and distinctive. Everyone relies on their baku, and each baku can make its owner happy. From copying hairstyles of famous celebrities to competing in races alongside similarly modeled species, bakus give a positive spin on day-to-day life. Yet, Jinx is different than the other bakus. He can feel and perceive things, which allows him and Lacey to converse. Jinx’s standoffish behavior adds tension to their relationship while furthering the suspense. 

Unleashed builds upon the action of the previous novel. In place of the well-known baku battles of the previous book, Lacey’s encounters with MONCHA will keep the reader engaged. Though a few characters are predictable—the incompetent adults; the spoiled rich boy; the corrupt CEO of a tech company—the story never feels stale. On top of that, Lacey’s story gives the reader a realistic look into a world in which everyone is on a device 24/7. The story has a satisfying end, answering any lingering questions the previous book left unresolved. 

Through Lacey’s experiences, readers learn an important lesson about following your dreams. You don’t have to go on a predetermined, well-trodden path to achieve your goals. The message in Unleashed is clear: going a different way doesn’t mean you will fail to reach your destination. If you’d like to go on another adventure with a mechanical animal and an unlikely hero, check out Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye.

Sexual Content 

  • Lacey blushes when Tobias, her crush, touches the back of her arm. 

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • While hospitalized, Lacey receives some medication.  

Language   

  • One of Lacey’s classmates texts “OMG” on a group school messaging board.
  • Lacey says “Oh my god” twice.
  • Jinx exclaims “Holy bakus.”
  • One of Lacey’s friends calls Tobias’s brother a jerk

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It’s Criminal

George Beckett is a natural-born thief, or at least, that’s what the teachers at Pilfer Academy think. 

When a mysterious individual recognizes George’s talent for sneaking around unnoticed and taking things he shouldn’t, he is kidnapped and brought to the mysterious and captivating Pilfer Academy. At Pilfer Academy everything, including the students, has been stolen.

At first, George is excited to have the opportunity to escape his family and play with thief gadgets. However, he soon realizes that applying the lessons he learns at Pilfer Academy to real-life situations is a lot harder than he imagined. George doubts his abilities and wonders if he can keep up with the other students. Despite his doubts, George dives right in and works to become one of the best thieves to attend Pilfer Academy. Along the way, he makes new friends and discovers that there’s more to being a thief than just stealing things. George also learns the importance of loyalty and making difficult moral decisions.

Dean Dean Deanbugle, the goofy antagonist that runs Pilfer Academy, views George as a prospective top pupil. He has a unique way of grooming his students, using praise and rewards to encourage them to engage in mischief and thievery. While George is initially enthralled by the new way of life, the pressure to adjust to the school’s expectations becomes overwhelming. His peers become jealous of the favoritism Deanbugle shows George, creating tension and conflict in the classroom.

As George becomes more involved in the school’s culture, he begins to question the morality of his actions. Is it right to steal from others, even if an adult tells you to? He wrestles with these ethical dilemmas as he navigates his way through Pilfer Academy, trying to balance the desire to impress his teachers with his own sense of right and wrong.

Despite his misgivings, George continues to thrive in the school’s environment. He becomes more skilled at thievery and mischief, earning high marks from his teachers and the admiration of his classmates. However, as the stakes get higher and the tasks more dangerous, he begins to wonder if the price of success is worth the cost. Will he continue to follow Deanbugle’s lead, or will he find the courage to forge his own path? This all comes to a head when he is forced to steal a teddy bear from a baby for his midterm grade. The depravity of the task is enough to tell George all he needs to know about his future at Pilfer Academy. 

Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It’s Criminal is perfect for middle-grade readers who enjoy adventure, mystery, and humor. The world-building is creative and unique, and the characters are well-developed and relatable. One primary example of this is Tabitha Crawford, George’s partner in crime. Tabitha is intelligent, sweet, and honest. Her humility and loyalty towards George make her a loveable sidekick, but Magaziner does a beautiful job of including her flaws as a friend as well. This makes the friendship between George and Tabitha highly relatable. Pilfer Academy is a fun and entertaining read with has a positive message about the importance of doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult. Additionally, the plot is engaging and will keep readers hooked from the first page to the last.

In summary, Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It’s Criminal is an excellent book for young readers who enjoy a thrilling adventure with a positive message. The story follows a young protagonist as he navigates an unexpected kidnapping, a school full of criminals, discovering what a true friend really is and where the lines are drawn morally. It teaches readers that friendship is about trusting and supporting someone else and that it is okay to have disagreements sometimes. It also covers the topic of when it is okay to question an authoritative figure and what is morally right or wrong. These themes are presented in a palatable and humorous way that will have readers hooked on every page.

Sexual Content 

  • When touring Pilfer, George is brought through many exhibits including “big ones and small ones, portraying Greek gods and naked people and cupid babies. One even squirted yellow liquid out of its mouth, which George thought looked positively disgusting.”

Violence 

  • One of the opening scenes displays George being stolen from outside his home when he attempts to buy ice cream from a van. George “screamed and tried to bite [the kidnapper], but the netting was small and thick, and George ended up with a mouthful of mesh . . . The woman fastened him down with some heavy-duty duct tape. . . George pushed her—she tumbled back and hit the wall of the truck.” The kidnappers drape George in a net and secure him with duct tape which holds him for several hours.
  • Students repeatedly exhibit bullying behaviors. Pilfer doesn’t just accept bad behavior but encourages some of these interactions between students. This causes a lot of fights and antics to occur amongst classmates. “But the class would have been a lot better if he didn’t feel like he was being hazed by Milo and his friends.” These incidents of “hazing” include George’s roommate, Milo, stealing his bedding, sabotaging his class assignments, and convincing the Dean that George should be sent to the whirlyberg.
  • There are many instances when the “whirlyberg” is brought up. It is a broken-down carousel the Dean uses as a torture device when students are not listening. “I’m going to take these children down to the whirlyblerg for ETERNITY.” Deanbugle tells this to the staff after finding George and Tabitha attempting to escape Pilfer. 
  • Trying to escape, George and Tabitha encounter a set of lasers. “ZZzzzzzzzt!!! came the sound from across the room. ‘What’s that?’ George shouted. He was stuck between three lasers and couldn’t see her. ‘Tabitha! Did you get hit?’” Tabitha is okay, but her hair is burnt by the lasers. They continue to move because they know their options are to escape and get help or spend eternity in the whirlyberg.
  • The rightful owner of the mansion that Pilfer Academy resides in comes to try to airlift it off the ground. He needs it to be airlifted is because the rightful owner of the mansion is the Duke Valois of France, the sworn enemy of Dean Dean Deanbugle. “There came sounds of glass shattering and students screaming. A wave of lemonade from the fountain in the foyer spilled over and drenched a bunch of third years, who ran into the hall, shrieking.” The mansion is successfully airlifted off the ground with a majority of students and teaching staff having jumped out of the building. George, Tabitha, and the rest of the staff are carried all the way to France where they are greeted by the Duke.
  • When Deanbugle is close to being captured by the Duke, he shouts and jumps out the window. “Then he began to kick his legs and throw the biggest temper tantrum George had ever seen. His wails echoed into the night sky. He beat his fists and pulled at his eyebrows. He sneezed onto his sleeve. He punched the living stuffing out of a scarecrow. He ran around like a rabid dog, cursing the day that George and Tabitha had been born and vowing for revenge.” He is apprehended by police cars while throwing his temper tantrum.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • Browbeat is a teacher who utilizes goofy acronyms to teach her lessons, but one acronym creates the curse word “piss.”  “Browbeat lectured for an hour and fifteen minutes on the basic principles of stealthiness, which he called the P-I-S-S method: Patience, Imperturbability, Silence, and Surprise.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Taken

Isla and her family are foxes who have always lived in the Graylands, not too far from the furless. She and her brother, Pirie, being young cubs, are slowly learning to survive the many dangers that face them. Suddenly, Isla returns to her family’s home to discover the smell of fire and strange newcomers – and no trace of her family.

Alone and afraid, Isla plunges deep into the world of the furless to search for her family. While dodging danger at every turn, she meets Siffrin, another fox who knows magic and can shapeshift. More importantly, Siffrin is also looking for her brother, but Siffrin won’t explain why. Shrouded in mystery, Isla begins to learn about the world beyond that of the Graylands and seeks to find her brother before the foxes who caused the disappearance find him.

The Taken is the first in the Foxcraft Series and it is an action-packed start to the series. As this is a fantasy world with foxes and other supernatural forces, there are plenty of new terms for readers to take in while reading. For instance, the characters refer to humans as “the furless” and roads as “the deathway.” Fortunately, if readers are confused, there is a glossary of terms at the back and a map of the near the front of the book.

Isla, much like the reader, does not know anything about foxcraft or foxlore, much to Siffrin’s chagrin. The Taken sets up what will follow in the coming books, continuing the mysterious disappearance of Isla’s brother, Pirie. Importantly, it introduces the reader to Isla, whose self-confidence and compassion for others grow as the book progresses. Despite not knowing if her family is alive, she will do anything to get them back and she learns to confront foxes and any other creatures who get in her way. 

Isla, Siffrin, and Pirie are hunted by a dark magical force living in the aptly-named Darklands that can seemingly control foxes that it captures. Iserles is one of the authors from the Warriors Series, and there are similar amounts of fighting in both series. Fans of the Warriors Series will not find the violence upsetting, but some young readers may be upset by the descriptions. For instance, there is a scene in which Isla describes death in gruesome detail, saying, “From where we were perched, I couldn’t see the impact, and the rain distorted the cracking limbs. I was spared the mangle of her broken body.” However, those familiar with other Erin Hunter Series will feel at home in this world and will enjoy the high-octane plot. 

Foxcraft: The Taken is a solid start to this exciting series, which leaves plenty of unanswered questions to stir readers’ excitement for the second book, The Elders. Despite many new terms, it’s relatively easy to fall into the world and understand the various plot points. Isla’s resilience and love for her family drive this book and nicely sets up the character that will lead the rest of this series. Those ready for a fun adventure should absolutely read the Foxcraft Series. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • The dangers of cars and roads are always present. Isla’s grandmother says, “The death river claims more foxes than all other assassins.”
  • A dog attacks Isla, but at the last second, she manages to free herself from the trap she’s in. Isla “flailed and bucked, desperate to free my trapped foreleg. The creature’s great jaws gaped above me; I felt the dampness of his breath.”
  • Some human children throw rocks at Isla. “One of them grabbed a rock and flung it at me. It struck the stone ground by my hind paw, and I sprang back in confusion.”
  • A guard dog announces that she “killed a cat the other night.” 
  • Ilsa’s grandmother, Greatma, tells how foxes have historically been treated, especially by humans. She says, “Our kind has been hunted, tortured, attacked, and turned into pelts to warm the necks of the furless. They have shot us for fun and chased us as a game –  they do not even eat those they kill. By the death river or their casual cruelty; by gas, or dogs, or simple starvation. The land of the furless is full of deaths and each one whispers a fox’s name.”
  • Isla attacks Siffrin, a messenger of the Elders, because he’s been following her. She “bit him hard on his wiry tail. The dog yelped in surprise.”
  • Siffrin shapeshifts to fight the foxes that are hunting him and Isla. Isla “heard the scrape of their claws as they scrambled on stone, and I craned to see what was going on. With a snarl, Siffrin broke free, this time in the form of the mongrel dog. He vaulted into the air, at least at full brush-length, slamming down on the fox that was snapping at his paws. He sent her tumbling onto the deathway.” This fight scene lasts for several pages.
  • Isla learns how to catch a mouse. Isla pounces on it, and “with a bite and a jerk of [her] head, it was dead.”
  • A fot named Karka orders her cronies to capture Isla and Siffrin. Karka says, “Get them or I’ll tear out your filthy throats!”
  • One of Karka’s minions (known as The Taken) jumps across the buildings to chase Isla and Siffrin, but misses the building and lands on the street below. Isla describes, “From where we were perched, I couldn’t see the impact, and the rain distorted the cracking limbs. I was spared the mangle of her broken body.” The description lasts for a paragraph.
  • Siffrin reveals that he watched Karka kill Isla’s family. “When [Siffrin] arrived, it was almost over. Your ma and fa, they were already dead…Your greatma was courageous. She fought hard. [She] was already falling, was already wounded.” The description lasts for around a page and doesn’t describe the specifics of their deaths.
  • Animal control captures Isla and she is scheduled to be euthanized. She talks with another captured fox as they watch an animal be taken to another room by humans. The other fox says, “Another one taken to be killed.” This scene lasts for a chapter.
  • The wolf that Isla freed saves her life by attacking Karka and the Taken. “The great wolf opened his jaws. Karka stayed frozen, held in his thrall. He sprang upon her and threw her down, fastening his deadly fangs around her neck. With a brutal snap he shook her and then dropped her, letting her head roll on the graystone. She stared at him with her single gray eye. Would stare like that forever.” This scene lasts for a couple pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • Isla has a confrontation with a wolf. Isla tells the wolf that she eats rats, and the wolf says to Isla, “A thing that eats rats has no right to exist!” He also calls her a “rat-munching coward.”
  • Light language is used often. Terms include: idiot and stupid.

Supernatural

  • The book details the story of Isla and Pirie, who are foxes who think and talk like humans, as do some other animals in the book. Isla meets a wolf who speaks the same language as her, and she’s surprised. Isla says, “He must have been a cub of Canista –  a creature like me – though I could hardly imagine how we might be related.” Canista is the name for the Fox deity from which they come from.
  • Isla has a vision of her brother being captured, being led into the world of the humans. Isla describes her vision, saying, “I was moving with difficulty, my flank throbbing with pain. Up ahead there was a row of tall furless dens. In the front of them was a huge stone yard with a lone furless standing at the center. Her skin was cool gray, her eyes stared blindly, and great wings unfolded from her back. I gazed at her in fear and wonder.” Siffrin explains that this is a rare kind of foxcraft called “gerra-sharm” that can happen between cubs of the same litter.
  • Isla meets a small dog who “cast no shadow.” As Isla learns, he is a “messenger of Jana, one of the Elder Foxes from the Wildlands.” When Isla asks why he is a dog, he says, “I am in wa’akkir. I have assumed a disguise.” It is explained later that wa’akkir is an ancient fox magic called foxcraft.
  • Siffrin, the magic fox messenger, explains foxlore to Isla. He explains how foxes, wolves, and dogs are “cubs of Canista” and that, “Only Fox had the courage to live without rules, without the hierarchies of others – to hunt and survive in freedom and peace. For while Wolf and Dog are so brutalized that they will gladly kill their own kind, Fox avoids conflict at all costs. She does not yearn to control others –  only to live by her own wits.” The history lesson lasts for several pages, as he explains the magical powers they possess, like imitating other animals (“karak”) and invisibility (“slimmering”). These magic powers are used by Siffrin throughout the book, and he teaches Isla to use them as well.
  • Siffrin uses his powers to heal Isla. Siffrin says, “With my touch, I sense you; with my eyes, I heal you. By Canista’s Lights, I share what I have; we are knit together and you are whole.” During this, Isla has a vision of Siffrin as a cub where he was “desperate and starving.” The scene lasts for a page.

Spiritual Content 

  • Siffrin heals Isla using his Maa. He describes to Isla that the Maa is the “essence of every fox,” or the spirit.

Five Survive

Six friends. One RV. Five make it out.

Red thought this would be a normal spring break road trip with her friends, Maddy, Simon, and Arthur. Maddy’s older brother, Oliver, and his perfect girlfriend, Reyna, come along as chaperones. But things start falling apart after the RV unexpectedly crashes, stranding them in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. Soon, it becomes clear that this was no accident. Someone had masterminded all of this.

A sniper’s voice in the woods tells them that one of them has a secret. Once that person confesses, they die; the rest go free. Alliances form and tensions rise, forcing Red to recall harsh truths about her past and come to terms with the fact that not everything in her life is as straightforward as it seems.

Red is an incredibly complex protagonist. Right away, it’s clear that there’s more to her than meets the eye. Her thought process is quite scattered, so readers initially only get small glimpses into her background but those glimpses are powerful enough to convey that her home life is quite rocky. When Red was in middle school, her mother was killed, leaving Red to take on household responsibilities while her dad was consumed by grief. Throughout the novel, she must work through the guilt related to her mother’s death. Red is a puzzle that slowly comes together as she and her friends work together, first to devise an escape plan and then to figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to come to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night.

While Jackson uses traditional third-person narration, every character is equally fleshed out and has a distinct personality. Each of them has a role, even if it may not be obvious at first. In the beginning, Oliver takes control and seems to be the unquestioned leader, but power dynamics subtly shift over time and each character has their moment in the spotlight. As each new piece of information is revealed, Red is forced to reevaluate her relationship with her best friend’s family. This creates a familiar experience for teenage readers who learn that their childhood perceptions of the people around them are not necessarily the full truth.

Jackson is a master at grabbing the reader’s attention and not letting it go for 400 pages. Pacing is maintained through multiple internal plots and sagas that all come together in the end; every story element is there for a reason. With each failed escape attempt, Jackson raises the stakes impossibly high, creating delicious suspense. Characters must grapple with their sense of right and wrong, and question what they think they know about themselves and the people closest to them. Five Survive will stay with readers long after they finish the final page. Although it’s action-packed, it’s also a fascinating glimpse into human psychology, examining what drives people to make the decisions they do and keep the secrets they keep. Jump into another suspense-filled thriller by reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart or The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson.

Sexual Content 

  • A few sexual “that’s what she said” jokes are made. 

Violence 

  • Oliver and Maddy’s mother is an attorney who is currently involved in a case related to a conflict between two gangs. When describing the case, Oliver mentions some violent altercations. “At the end of August last year, one of the leaders, Joseph Mannino, was killed by another, Francesco Gotti. Allegedly, I should say. Shot him twice in the back of the head.”
  • After the RV breaks down, the six hear a loud noise outside. When they go outside to investigate, a rifle is shot. “A crack in the darkness, louder now that she was outside with it. Red flinched, hands up to her ears, and the red dot wasn’t there anymore. But there was something else. A splintered hole in the RV. Not the size of a fingernail. The size of a bullet.” This scene occurs over two pages.
  • In an internal flashback, Red remembers reading a graphic description of how her mother, a police officer, was killed. “Mom on her knees. Begging for her life…On her knees, terrified, knowing what was about to happen. And then it did: two shots to the back of the head. Killed with her own service weapon.”
  • The six devise an escape plan using reflections in a mirror. The sniper would shoot at the reflection, thinking that one of them was coming out, revealing where the sniper was hiding and allowing them to run in the opposite direction. As predicted, the sniper shoots: “Behind Simon, there was a splintered hole in the wooden base of the dining booth, where the bullet had struck through after the mirror, probably out the other side of the RV back into the dark night. Through glass and wood and wood and plastic and metal. Skin and bone would be nothing in its path.”
  • An elderly couple, Don and Joyce, drive by and, noticing the broken down RV, offer to help. The sniper communicates via walkie-talkie that the six have to drive them away; if they ask for help, the couple will be shot. Oliver slips them an SOS note despite protests from the other five, and the sniper kills them. “Crack. Too quick. Joyce folded sideways onto the road, a space where the middle of her face had been…Crack. A plume of blood in the headlights. A gaping hole in Don’s face, beside his forever-open mouth. He fell slowly, knees buckling first, crumpling backward over his legs, bent all wrong. Empty stare up at the stars, a halo of red pooling on the road.”
  • Oliver describes a bar fight he was in a few months before. Someone was hitting on his girlfriend, Reyna. Oliver describes, “So I pull Reyna away from the guy and I tell him to leave her alone. And then this guy loses it. He shoves me and I’m asking him what his problem is. And then he hits me, punches me right in the face…So I did what any other guy in the situation would do: I hit him back. And maybe it was too hard, I don’t know. But I think the guy gets knocked out. He falls back on the pavement and, you know, he’s breathing heavy like he’s unconscious. He’s not bleeding out or anything.” It is later revealed that this person died a few days later as a result of this incident.
  • Thinking that Arthur is the one with the secret, Oliver attacks him, demanding a confession. “Oliver slapped a hand down on the kitchen counter beside him and then he charged, wrapping his hands in Arthur’s shirt, driving him backward.” This incident continues over four pages, with the fight described between interludes of dialogue.
  • The sniper shoots Maddy in the leg when she tries to get to Don and Joyce’s abandoned car to get help, and the five work together to stop the bleeding as best they can. This is the focus for seven pages; Maddy’s injury is referred to throughout the rest of the novel.
  • The police arrive and chaos ensues. Multiple people are shot and Oliver threatens to set fire to the RV. “Red’s hands jumped to her ears at the sound of the rifle, her eyes flickering from Oliver, lying dead still on the road, to Arthur clutching at this neck, to the police officer in front of her. But the woman wasn’t looking at Red. She was looking at the dark shape of the walkie-talkie in Red’s hand. It must have been instinct for her too. Her gun flashed. A tiny firework. Something stung Red in the chest, breaking through…Her hand cradled her chest, pressed against her dark red shirt. Her fingers came away and the red came away with them.” Several people are injured, but only Oliver dies. This scene lasts six pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A few references to drinking and being drunk are made. For example, Simon sits down awkwardly next to Red, who remarks, “You’re drunk already? I thought you only had like three beers.” When he moves closer, she “smells the sharp metallic tang on his breath.”

Language 

  • Profanity is frequently used, mostly variations of “fuck” as well as a few instances of “shit” and “ass.”
  • “Oh god” is rarely used as an exclamation.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Game Master: Mansion Mystery

Rebecca Zamolo has managed to foil the Game Master’s plans before, but this time the Game Master has snake-napped Nacho, her good friend Miguel’s pet. No way is Becca going to let the Game Master get away with this dastardly plan. When the clues lead Becca and her new friends in the direction of the one house in their entire neighborhood that none of them ever want to go near, they know they have no choice but to screw up their courage and dare to investigate if they want to rescue Nacho. 

But the problem is that getting into the super spooky house is way easier than getting out. The Game Master is up to their old tricks, and Becca, Matt, Kylie, Frankie, and Miguel are going to have to face their fears and use all their smarts and strengths to solve the puzzles and games and save the day. 

Mansion Mystery is another action-packed adventure from the super-sleuthing team Rebecca and Matt Zamolo, stars of the popular Game Master Network.  

In the second installment of The Game Master Series, the kids must face their deepest fears in order to defeat the Game Master and find Frankie’s pet snake. In this spooky adventure, the kids no longer argue and disagree. Instead, they work together and encourage each other to face their fears. While most of the challenges are harmless—collecting squirmy bugs, making it through a maze, eating mud pudding—in order to escape the mansion the kids must take a perilous walk on the mansion’s roof and climb into a huge tree. When the kids find a tree house, they realize that the Game Master has been using a telescope to spy on them and the Game Master has detailed notes of each person’s behaviors. Unfortunately, instead of being completely freaked out by this, the kids believe that the Game Master may be someone who wants to be their friend.  

While the plot is farfetched, the easy-to-read story will appeal to young readers because the fast-paced mystery focuses on friendship and working together. Another positive aspect of the story are the black and white illustrations that appear periodically. Readers will relate to the diverse cast of characters, who have common fears such as a fear of spiders. While the mansion has some creepy elements such as a red stain that could be blood, it is spookily mysterious instead of scary. 

While The Game Master Series lacks character development and the plot is at times unbelievable, readers will still enjoy the escape-room-styled mystery. In the end, the kids are only able to escape the mansion by working as a team to overcome their fears. Readers who enjoyed The Game Master Series should also check out the Zeus The Mighty Series by Crispin Boyer; both series are engaging and show the importance of using a person’s individual talents to overcome an obstacle.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • Heck is used four times. 
  • Darn is used three times. 
  • Dang is used twice. 
  • Holy fruits and holy cats are both used as an exclamation once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Donut Go Breaking My Heart

Sheyda is a behind the scenes girl. She loves helping in the kitchen of Doughlicious, the donut shop run by her best friend’s family. And Sheyda loves designing stage sets while others perform in the spotlight.

Then lights, camera . . . surprise! Tween heartthrob Cabe Sadlier is filming his next movie in Doughlicious! Sheyda’s outgoing BFF, Kiri, is sure this will lead to stardom and perhaps a date with Cabe. But somehow it’s Sheyda who gets picked for a small role in the film.

To make matters worse, Cabe seems spoiled and rude. Too bad he’s so cute. Can Sheyda overcome her stage fright, get to know the real Cabe, and find her own kind of stardom?

Told from Sheyda’s point of view, Donut Go Breaking My Heart, is the perfect book for middle school readers who are trying to navigate their tween years. Sheyda is a relatable and likable character who often feels invisible because of her shyness. Since Sheyda doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, she often keeps her thoughts and emotions to herself, especially when it comes to her best friend Kiri. To Sheyda’s surprise, she finds herself really liking Cabe. But she doesn’t want to upset Kiri, who thinks Cabe is her ticket to stardom. Sheyda’s understandable conflict will keep readers engaged.

Donut Go Breaking My Heart sprinkles in friendship drama and family fights which give the story depth. Young readers will find plenty of sweet moments between Sheyda and Cabe, and these moments will keep readers engaged even though the story has a typical romance plot. Many of the conflicts are caused by Sheyda hiding her true feelings. However, Cabe helps Sheyda learn the importance of speaking up for herself. As Sheyda and Cabe’s relationship evolves, they both learn about themselves. One of the best aspects of the story is that both characters learn the importance of not judging someone based on their appearance.

Middle-grade readers who want a cute, clean romance will find many sweet moments in Donut Go Breaking My Heart. The story teaches the importance of communicating your feelings instead of trying to hide them. Plus, Sheyda’s story will encourage readers to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. For another story that revolves around friendship and crushes, check out Pugs and Kisses by J.J. Howard.

Sexual Content

  • Kiri pretends to sprain her ankle so Cabe will help her walk. As they leave a theater, they are surrounded by reporters. To get publicity, Kiri “beamed up at [Cabe], and then kissed him on the cheek.”
  • Cabe asks Sheyda to run a scene with him. As Sheyda looks at the script, she’s freaked out because there is a kissing scene. During the scene, her “heart was melting. . . And suddenly the rest of the world was dropping away because Cabe’s lips were moving toward mine. Then they met mine, and the world stopped existing entirely. . . His lips were so soft. . . I wanted the kiss to last forever.” Then the kiss was over.
  • After Cabe and Sheyda share their feelings about each other, Cabe “took my face in his hands. His mouth met mine in a soft, sweet kiss. I tasted the faintest trace of icing on his lips. . .” 

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language

  • Omigod is used as an exclamation often.
  • Darn is used once.
  • At first, Sheyda thinks Cabe is a jerk.
  • Sheyda meets an actress who is known as “the wicked witch.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Out of Sight, Out of Time

At the end of the last school year, Cammie decided to leave the Gallagher Academy. The Circle of Cavan will not stop trying to kidnap her until they get the answers they need, and the people around her were in constant danger because of it: Bex, Liz, Macey, and Zach. Cammie will not allow anything bad to happen to them. In order to protect the people she loves most, Cammie decides to spend the summer holiday following in her father’s footsteps and hunting for the Circle. 

Then Cammie wakes up in a remote convent in the Alps. Her body is weak and covered in wounds. Her hair is short and midnight black. And tomorrow is the first of October.  

Cammie is whisked back to school, but she remembers nothing—nothing—of what happened over the summer. Did she find any answers? Was she captured by the Circle of Cavan? Her mother and teachers beg her to let it go; they warn her there are things she may not want to remember. But Cammie can’t let it go. Bit by bit, she begins to piece together what happened last summer. And the more she does, the bleaker the future becomes.  

Out of Sight, Out of Time diverges from past books as it wades deeper into the mystery that has surrounded the Circle of Cavan. Less focus is given to Cammie’s school as Cammie struggles with confusion, feeling lost, and how her friends and Zach were changed by her disappearance. After she returns to school, Cammie’s state of mind is questioned by everyone—herself included. At times, the first-person point of view takes on a dreamy quality, as Cammie gets sucked back into the trauma of what happened last summer. Though it is implied that Cammie was tortured, there are no graphic descriptions of her experiences.  

Since it has a different feel from the previous books, readers will either love or hate Out of Sight, Out of Time. As she pieces together a frightening picture of her summer, Cammie’s fragile mind leads her to doubt if she can trust herself. However, it is easy to relate to Cammie’s struggles with her friends, who are mad at her for leaving them behind. The mysteries built up over the last several books slowly fall into place, queuing this series up for a dramatic showdown in the next and final book in the series, United We Spy.  

Out of Sight, Out of Time has high stakes, suspense, action, and mystery galore. All our favorite characters are back, including Macey’s friend Preston Winters. From Rome to the Alps, Cammie will stop at nothing to find answers, to fix whatever went wrong last summer, and to finally finish her father’s mission.  

Sexual Content  

  • When Zach and Cammie reunite after the summer, Zach kisses Cammie. “Zach’s lips found mine. His hands burned as they left my arms and moved through my hair, bracing the back of my neck . . . And then he kissed me again, and the kiss was all that mattered. He pulled back, traced his lips across the tender place on my head.”  
  • When Zach and Cammie split up on a mission, “he squeezed my hands and kissed me gently. ‘For luck,’ he said.” 

Violence  

  • When a teacher startles Cammie, she reacts instinctively. “It felt like someone else who was turning, grabbing the hand, and kicking at the leg closest to me. That girl was spinning, using gravity and momentum to push the two-hundred-pound man toward the railing.” Later, she sees the bruise marks that she left on the man’s neck.  
  • A sniper aims for Cammie but hits a teacher, Dr. Steve, instead. His blood splashes Cammie. “I’d never realized how pale Dr. Steve’s skin was until it stood in contrast to the red blood that was oozing down his arm.” Dr. Steve survives.  
  • Then, Cammie kills the mysterious sniper, who was about to kill Bex. “Bex lunged, striking the man, but he didn’t fall. And as he shifted his weight, Bex crashed to the ground . . . She tried to block the blow, but the man was so strong. And the next thing I knew, there was a splatter of blood and Bex was screaming, her face a mix of shock and fear and . . . relief as the man fell to the ground and didn’t move again. The gun was in my hands. My finger was on the trigger.” The struggle takes place over two pages.  
  • A man guides Cammie to an alleyway where the Circle is waiting to ambush her. When Cammie realizes it is a trap, she “was already spinning, kicking him to the ground, knocking his head against the stone wall and starting to run . . .” The fight to escape takes place over seven pages. 
  • During the fight to escape, Cammie’s car crashes. “My head snapped, and the car spun. I was faintly aware of the sensation of being weightless and then rolling, over and over. The crunching metal made a sickening sound. Shards of glass pierced my skin.” Cammie is shaken up with some cuts, but otherwise is okay.  
  • Cammie flees from Zach’s mother, leader of a splinter group of the Circle. As Cammie flees, she “felt a blow to my back. I fell, crashing against an outcropping of rocks . . . my right arm slammed against the ground. Pain shot from my elbow to my shoulder as if lightning had struck.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Only the Good Spy Young

After the events of last semester, Cammie could use more normal in her life. Well, as normal as the life of a spy-in-training can be. But people are still after Cammie, and she is no closer to finding out why. Even worse, the CIA seems to think Mr. Solomon is working on the side of the enemy. Cammie and her friends struggle to believe it, but true or not, they know it’s long past time for them to find some answers of their own.  

With her mother keeping secrets, an unlikeable new teacher, and Mr. Solomon in question, Cammie doesn’t know who to trust. But she has her roommates, Macey, Bex, and Liz, and the four of them will have to be enough. The stakes are higher than ever as the four friends hack into the booby-trapped sublevels, decode a secret journal, and break into the infamous Blackthorne Institute. There is no room for mistakes. At this level, mistakes are deadly.  

Only the Good Spy Young ramps up the action in an exciting story packed with twists and turns. This installment deepens the mystery and leaves readers wondering why the Circle is trying to kidnap Cammie, if Mr. Solomon is a friend or a foe, and why Zach keeps appearing every time Cammie is in trouble. Cammie feels as if her world is turned upside down and isn’t sure who can be trusted. While the mystery adds suspense, the highlight of Only the Good Spy Young is the relationship between Cammie and her friends—who always have her back. 

Through first-person narration, Carter creates a fun story full of relatable characters and explores teen romance in a wholesome way that is perfect for teens. While the beloved cast is back, this installment gives Zach a prominent role which will leave readers swooning. The moments between Zach and Cammie are adorable. Adding Zach to the spying, action, and danger makes Only the Good Spy Young one of the best books in the series.  

With a strong cast of smart girls, a relatable protagonist, and the perfect blend of humor and suspense, Only the Good Spy Young will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. Make sure you have the next book, Out of Sight, Out of Time, on hand, because this installment ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger.  

Sexual Content  

  • A teacher “accidentally spilled his latest invisibility concoction over Madame Dabney, and her white blouse was becoming more and more invisible by the second . . . At the front of the room, Madame Dabney (who, by the way, wears way sexier bras than anyone would have guessed) started dabbing at the front of her blouse with an antique tablecloth.”  
  • Zach keeps tabs on Cammie, watching her to make sure she is okay. One time he visits her while ice skating and “pressed his lips hard against my forehead for a split second—nothing more—and when he finally let me go and disappeared back into the trees, I thought that I might fall.”  
  • Before a dangerous mission, Cammie and Zach kiss. Cammie “kissed him—longer and deeper than I ever had before . . . we were just two people kissing as if for the first time, as if it might be the last.”  
  • Zach kisses Cammie goodbye at the start of summer vacation. “And then his arms were around me. When he kissed me it was hungrier somehow, as if this moment was all we had, and we had to taste it, drink it, savor it, and not waste a single drop.” 

Violence  

  • When Cammie finds a stranger in her room, she goes on the defense. Cammie “stepped back and grabbed the arm that grabbed at me, spinning, using my attacker’s own momentum to fling him through the open bathroom door and to the other side of our room. He smashed into a dresser and sent a lamp crashing to the floor . . . before he could say a word, a Louis Vuitton suitcase came flying into our room, struck the man squarely on his face, and dropped him to the floor like a stone.” Macey heard the struggle and threw her suitcase at the man, who turns out to be a new teacher at the school. His face is bruised, but he is okay.  
  • When Cammie meets the man responsible for her father’s death, she “brought my hand up along the side of his face—hard. It was just a slap—nothing special. Hardly something they would ever teach in P&E. And yet I felt like doing it again.” 
  • A member of the Circle interrogates Mr. Solomon. “The woman struck Mr. Solomon’s face so hard that blood sprayed across the room.”  
  • Cammie and Zach fight Zach’s mother, the leader of a splinter group of the Circle, and her henchmen. Their struggle takes place over three pages. Cammie describes, “I parried away another of [Zach’s mother’s] blows, and when I countered, I landed a swift punch to her kidney and another to her face . . . Across the room, Zach had taken an old sword from the wall and was fighting two men at once.” Both Zach and Cammie eventually get away, and are okay.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Cammie and her roommates drug an apple with truth serum, then interrogate their teacher/suspect. “It took four seconds for Liz to take the syringe from her bag. Her hands were shaking as I pulled the apple from my tray and held it beneath the table.” After their teacher eats the apple, they ask him some questions.  

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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