Genre: Mystery

Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth

It’s a big weekend for Jasmine Toguchi! She’s excited to celebrate Girl’s Day—a Japanese holiday honoring women and girls—with her sister, mother, and best friend, Linnie.  

On Friday after school, Linnie comes over to plan their outfits for the Girl’s Day celebrations, and Jasmine’s neighbor, Mrs. Reese, lets them search through her old clothes for the perfect accessories. But the clothes are in her dark garage, which is kind of scary. And then Linnie decides to go home early, which is kind of weird. Plus Jasmine’s big sister, Sophie, doesn’t seem to want to join in the Girl’s Day fun this year, which is kind of confusing. WHAT is going on?

As her big weekend plans start to unravel, Jasmine must use her sleuthing skills to spot the clues around her. Then maybe, just maybe, she can put everything back in order before Girl’s Day is over! 

Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth explores the topic of friendship with a relatable conflict between Jasmine and her best friend, Linnie. Jasmine and Linne play dress-up at their neighbor Mrs. Reese’s house. Afterward, they do not have time to properly clean up. Jasmine tells Mrs. Reese that it was Linnie’s fault that the clothes weren’t put away right. This upsets Linnie, who then tells Jasmine’s mom that she wants to go home. When Linnie explains why she is upset, Jasmine thinks, “Linnie was snitching on me! She was not a good friend at all.”  

After Linnie goes home, Jasmine “was afraid Linnie would be mad at me forever. I was afraid she would not be my friend anymore. I needed to make things right.” Jasmine realizes that even though she tries to be a super sleuth, she “missed some important clues” that prove Linnie is a super friend. In the end, even though it’s difficult, Jasmine apologizes and the friendship is repaired.  

The story is accessible to fluent readers who are ready for a book with multiple plots. Black and white illustrations appear every two to three pages and show Jasmine’s daily life. Many of the illustrations show the characters’ facial expressions, which will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. Another positive aspect of the story is that difficult words are explained within the text. For example, Jasmine’s teacher asks the class what a detective is. Jasmine answers, “A detective is someone who solves mysteries by using clues. Another word for detective is sleuth.”  

Even though Jasmine Toguchi is a series, the books do not need to be read in order because each book focuses on a new storyline. And for even more fun, the back of the book has directions on how to make origami paper dolls. 

Young readers will enjoy the engaging plot of Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth. With relatable conflicts, positive adult role models, and a kind protagonist, Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth will please young readers and their parents. One of the best aspects of the story is how Jasmine uses her powers of observation to solve a mystery and understand others. In addition, the story has positive life lessons about friendship, communication, and dealing with changes. Jasmine’s mom says, ”Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Growing up. . . is a part of life. Just make sure you’re doing things because you want to, not because of what others might think.” Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth will appeal to many readers, especially those who love to imagine themselves as super sleuths. For another educational and entertaining mystery, check out King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code by Dori Hillestad Butler. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Jasmine’s friend, Linnie, celebrates Hanukkah. However, the holiday is not described. 

You’ll Be the Death of Me

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal were once a tight-knit trio. Their first adventure, which they nicknamed The Greatest Day Ever, involved skipping a particularly boring class trip to wander around Boston. They vowed that their friendship would last forever—which lasted until the end of eighth grade. There was no big falling out; they merely drifted apart, as friends tend to do. 

Now, they are seniors in high school. Before school, they run into each other by chance but none of them are particularly excited to start the school day. Ivy, straight-A student and perfectionist, had just lost the senior class president election and is dreading her classmates’ reactions; Mateo is burnt out from working two jobs on top of doing school work and he just needs a break; and Cal just got stood up for a breakfast date with his girlfriend and is itching to do something reckless. They decide to skip school and recreate The Greatest Day Ever. What’s the worst that can happen from missing one day? 

But their lighthearted adventure takes a turn when they discover the body of one of their classmates, Brian (nicknamed Boney) Mahoney, in an abandoned studio in Boston. They begin to investigate, determined to find the murderer and the motive. But in doing so, they uncover many secrets—about their classmates, their school, their town, and even about themselves. 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets an Agatha Christie-worthy mystery in You’ll Be the Death of Me. The high stakes, plot twists, and quick pacing—the entire story takes place over one day—create a thrilling novel that will captivate readers and leave them unable to put the book down. The mystery continues to be solved until the last page. In the last chapter, clues are still being uncovered, and the book ends with yet another twist; this cliffhanger ending, particularly in a stand-alone novel, may not leave every reader satisfied. 

This book features three main protagonists, each with distinct personalities. Each chapter switches between Ivy’s, Mateo’s, and Cal’s point of view, allowing all three to share the spotlight equally. Because their personalities are so distinct, readers will easily be able to relate to at least one of them consistently and recognize their friends in others. The protagonists’ stories, emotions, and interactions with each other feel very real despite their current situation, making them easy to sympathize with even when they fight and make mistakes.  

You’ll Be the Death of Me is perfect for readers who enjoy secrets, fast-paced mysteries, and rekindled friendships. It’s the kind of book that can be read and enjoyed in a day, thrilling enough to be captivating while being easy to understand. Readers who enjoy You’ll Be the Death of Me may also like Five Survive by Holly Jackson and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.  

Sexual Content  

  • Ivy remembers when her brother, Daniel, replaced her notes for a speech at her school’s junior talent show with a page from their aunt’s latest erotic novel. She panicked and ended up reading the page out loud, and “a teacher had to rush to the stage and stop me, right around the time I was describing the hero in full anatomical detail.” 
  • Ivy describes Mateo’s cousin’s boyfriend as someone “who took particular delight in grabbing his crotch every time I walked past him in the hallway after my meltdown at the junior talent show.” 
  • Mateo and Ivy kiss in private. Mateo describes, “Ivy shivers, leaning forward until her soft lips graze mine. It’s not enough though; it’s nowhere near enough. I tangle my fingers in her hair and pull her closer for a long, lingering kiss. Any questions that might’ve been floating around my brain about whether this is a bad idea—and yeah, there were more than a few—disappear at the sensation of her mouth against mine. Kissing Ivy is both familiar and exhilarating, like coming back to a place I wish I hadn’t left and finding it’s even better than I remember.” 

Violence  

  • Mateo gets into a fight with Charlie, a friend from school, because Mateo thinks that Charlie was involved in the murder. “For a few seconds we’re a tangle of twisted limbs and flailing fists, throwing punches that don’t land hard enough to do damage as we grapple on the floor.” Ivy breaks up the fight. Mateo and Charlie are both left with minor injuries. 
  • Ivy is lured onto an abandoned street and put into a car by a mysterious figure. “His hand reaches out, lightning-quick, yanking the cables so hard I go sprawling at his feet. . .Sharp pieces of gravel bite into my palms and knees. . . I try to stand out then, but a hand reaches out, shoving me back down, and I realize I shouldn’t be angry. I should be scared. I open my mouth to scream, and a hand clamps over the bottom half of my face. Suddenly it’s hard to breathe, and panic floods my entire body as I’m hauled roughly to my feet.” 
  • Mateo gets into a fight with his cousin’s boyfriend, Gabe. Mateo ducks “all of his badly aimed punches and throw[s] him flat on his back, straddling him and pinning his hands until all he can do is struggle helplessly like a trapped bug.’” Mateo lets Gabe go when he tells him the information he needs. 
  • Cal and Ivy fight the people behind Brian’s death after being captured by them. Cal details, “I’m flat on my back, the entire right side of my head on fire from the impact of Coach Kendall’s fist. The element of surprise ended way too fast. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lara scrambling on the floor, going for the gun, until Ivy leaps at her and drags her back. They’re a tangle of motion, all blond hair and flailing limbs.” This scene lasts for three pages, and police arrive before anyone is killed. Cal is left with a minor concussion. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Ivy faints after seeing a syringe on the ground, and Mateo thinks, “Maybe it’s some tortured artist who overdosed and . . .” 
  • Ivy drinks a few sips of whiskey to calm down. “When Mateo returns with a single shot glass, amber liquid barely covers the bottom.” 
  • Charlie, the trio’s friend, gets drunk in his house. “‘He was freaked about Boney, and then freaked about his house getting torn apart, so his solution was to break into his parents’ vodka.’ Cal clears his throat and adds, ‘Which, I guess, beats overdosing on the Oxycontin that he stole.’”  
  • A major plot point is drug deals. Charlie sells drugs, as does Mateo’s cousin Autumn. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used sometimes. Profanity includes shit, dick, and fuck.  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

City of Magic

In the third installment of Avi’s Midnight Magic series, Fabrizio and Mangus the Magician are back for a final adventure. It is Pergamontio, Italy in 1492, and King Claudio and the tax collector call the elderly Mangus to them. As Pergamontio is losing money, Mangus must find the “magical” book about numbers written by Franciscan monk Luca Pacioli. If Mangus and Fabrizio don’t succeed in their mission, they risk death. The biggest issue: the book – and the monk – are in Venice. 

City of Magic mirrors the first book, Murder at Midnight, in a few ways. The king is especially superstitious and requires Mangus to sort out any foreign entities that may enter the kingdom. In this case, accounting has become Mangus’s new domain, which Fabrizio and Mangus realize is not something they understand. Since Mangus is elderly and in poor health, they are reluctant to take a long and arduous journey to Venice. The tax collector, like the other villains of the series, is obviously evil. The similarities to the first book did make certain plot elements, like the villains, feel a bit repetitive. 

In this installment, Fabrizio is less wide-eyed than in previous ones. However, he has become more interested in earning respect for using his illusions and tricks. As a servant and a child, he doesn’t have the same access to power that Mangus the Magician or King Claudio have, so he sometimes makes bad choices because he’s looking after his interests – in this case, being respected and honored by others. Fabrizio pressures Mangus into traveling to Venice. While there, Fabrizio realizes that he’s made a series of horrible mistakes and tries to atone for them by saving Mangus.  

As the characters enter Venice, the reader learns that Venice values secrets and money more than anything else. In many ways, it is a different world than Pergamontio, including the secret Black Hoods who act as an undercover police force and take people to prison. As Fabrizio is liable to give away excess information to strangers, he inadvertently gets Mangus arrested. Fabrizio also gets several other characters wrapped up in his adventure. The difference in location adds interest but also shifts the tone in a slightly darker direction. 

Similar to the first book, City of Magic has many historical references, including the Franciscan monk Brother Luca Pacioli, who during his lifetime was a philosopher and friend of Leonardo Da Vinci. Avi provides further historical notes at the end of the book. As usual, the story’s pacing is fast and upbeat, which moves the characters along at breakneck speed through the mystery, weaving in and around the narrow Venetian streets. Fans of the previous two books will enjoy this one as well, and they’ll find  

Fabrizio’s journey into maturity is compelling. Young readers will identify with Fabrizio’s desire to be respected for his intelligence and ultimately prove himself useful, even if it sometimes gets him into  trouble. Learning how to gain this respect is something readers and Fabrizio can learn through the course of the book. This was a solid new installment to the series, even if it reuses some key ideas from the previous books. Readers who want to be drawn into another magical series should read The Magic Misfits Series by Neil Patrick Harris.

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Fabrizio and Mangus enter Venice and are not greeted very kindly at the immigration port. A man warns them of another man lying at the base of one of the columns, saying, “he’s dead. Executed for breaking our laws.” Fabrizio looks at the man initially and only thinks that he’s sleeping. Other details of this body are not given. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • The tax collector shows up at Mangus’s home and demands that he come to see King Claudio immediately. Fabrizio comments to the tax collector that his master no longer practices magic, which is illegal, and the tax collector responds, “I don’t give a fig what Mangus does.” 
  • Light language is used throughout. Terms include fool and stupid. 

Supernatural 

  • Mangus the Magician no longer practices his magic, but Fabrizio does. Fabrizio notes that Mangus refuses to teach him magic. Fabrizio says, “[Mangus] claimed he didn’t know any. How exasperating. How annoying. How regrettable. If I’d known even a bit of magic, I would have done all manner of marvelous things.” 
  • Fabrizio says he once learned that “if you don’t cover your mouth when you yawn, evil spirits can slip into your body.” He believes in many superstitions like this and occasionally brings them up. 

Spiritual Content  

  • City of Magic is set in 1492 Italy, in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. All the characters are Catholic and will frequently make exclamations of God’s name or saints’ names, and they will pray in times of fear. Mangus’s wife Sophia, for instance, exclaims “Dearest Saint Monica” and crosses herself when the king summons her husband. 
  • Fabrizio and his new Venetian friend Bianca hide out in a church during what Fabrizio notices is “Midnight Mass.” Bianca notes, “I come here often and pray…I like to be alone with Saint Antonio.” She prays for her father’s return. 

Treasure Island: Runaway Gold

Three kids. One dog. And the island of Manhattan laid out in an old treasure map.  

Zane is itching for an adventure that will take him away from his family’s boarding house in Rockaway, Queens—and from the memory of his dad’s recent death. Some days it seems like the most exciting part of his life is listening to his favorite boarder, Captain Maddie, recount her tales of sailing the seven seas. 

But when a threatening crew of skater kids crashes the boardinghouse, a dying Captain Maddie entrusts Zane with a secret: a real treasure map, leading to a spot somewhere in Manhattan. Zane wastes no time in riding the ferry over to the city to start the search with his friends Kiko and Jack, and his dog, Hip-Hop.  

Through strange coincidence, they meet a man who is eager to help them find the treasure: John, a sailor who knows all about the buried history of Black New Yorkers of centuries past—and the gold that is hidden somewhere in those stories. But as a vicious rival skateboard crew follows them around the city, Zane and his friends begin to wonder who they can trust. And soon it becomes clear that treasure hunting is a dangerous business . . . 

Treasure Island: Runaway Gold reimagines Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic book Treasure Island. While the books have a similar plot line, many of the original story’s details are changed. Treasure Island: Runaway Gold revolves around Zane and his three friends, who are searching for a lost pirate treasure. Along the way, they meet Captain John, who claims that he wants to help the kids find the treasure but doesn’t want a share of the prize for himself. Right from the start, many red flags show that Captain John cannot be trusted, and Captain John eventually betrays Zane’s trust. However, Captain John was clearly a villain from the start, so his betrayal feels anticlimactic.  

The first chapter jumps right into action and there is never any lull. Fast-paced action scenes dominate the book. Despite this, the book finds time to shine a light on how Black slaves were used to build Wall Street and other important Manhattan buildings. In death, many were buried in a graveyard. However, “colonists didn’t care about a Black cemetery. For centuries, folks kept building over and through their graves.” This historical information blends seamlessly into the story, creating a cohesive mystery that is tied to the pirate treasure.  

Readers who want a story with plenty of action and suspense will quickly be swept away by Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. However, the story’s fast pace doesn’t leave a lot of room for character development, the ending is rushed, and readers will be left with many questions. Despite these flaws, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold uses an interesting premise to teach about Black history.  

A few black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the book, which helps bring the events to life. In addition, the back of the book has a glossary of Zane’s skateboarding tricks and an Afterword that explains “how the [enslaved] Black people contributed to New York becoming the economic heart of the world,” as well as how “Thomas Downing, the son of enslaved people,” used his wealth to fund the Underground Railroad. Readers who want to learn more about the Underground Railroad should also read The Underground Abductor: An Abolitionist Tale about Harriet Tubman by Nathan Hale and Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Zane has a friend named Jack, who has an abusive father. Zane explains, “Since second grade, I’ve known the pattern. Dad home, Jack had accidents. Bruises, sprains. A black eye.” Later it is revealed that his father once broke Jack’s arm. 
  • Jack shows up at the skate park with “his body tilting left while his hand holds his side. Kiko says, ‘His dad still thinks he’s a punching bag.’ ” The conversation stops there. 
  • Zane gets home and finds, “it looks like a bomb has hit the dining room. Broken plates, shattered glasses, oatmeal, soft eggs, and crushed toast are on the floor. . .” Zane runs upstairs to find Captain Maddie “passed out cold.” Zane’s mother explains that skater kids and “that nasty boy came in frightening our guests, tearing up the place. Demanding to see Captain Maddie.” 
  • When the doctor comes, Captain Maddie, “is upright, flailing a small knife, slick with blood.” Captain Maddie dies. The doctor says, “The shock was too much for her. Probably an aneurysm.”  
  • During the night, the skater kids come back to Zane’s house. “Six skaters dressed in black, canvassing the house . . . Hip-Hop dives, racing across the grass, and bites someone. A scream. Jack is right behind Hip-Hop, punching right, left. . . Zane and his friends begin throwing baseballs at them . . . Some boys try blocking with their skateboards. Others limp away. Another runs. . .” 
  • Zane, Jack, and Kiko go to Manhattan to look for treasure. The skater crew swarms them. “Brave, ready for a fight, Jack sails into the gang, his board sideswiping other boards, his hands shoving, unbalancing the skater. . . A kid pulls Jack’s arms behind his back. . . [Zane] pull[s] the kid off Jack while Jack punches back at three kids trying to get a hit.” 
  • As the fight continues, “Jack gets pinned, his face against asphalt. I tug one kid off before I’m pounded in the gut and taken down.” At the end of the fight, “bloodred bruises cover his [Jack’s] face and arms. More, I know, are hidden beneath his shirt. He took the brunt of the beating. . .” The fight is described over five pages. No one is seriously injured.   
  • Zane and his friends are on a boat driven by John when the skater boys begin to “tail our boat, edging closer and closer, gunning, then leveling the engine. Almost like he’s going to ram us.” The skater boys’ boat gets so close that “a wall of water rises, slaps, and [Zane] topple[s] overboard.” 
  • John, Zane, and his friends sneak under a restaurant that was used to hide slaves. When men hear them, the men give chase. Zane describes, “The men are closer. Close. I’m not going to make it. . . I kick. The man grunts, stumbles back. . . Jack, beside John, is furiously pitching oyster shells. With a grunt, he throws his weight against a shelf filled with dusty jars, and jugs. The shelf falls, crashing, shattering glass and ceramic.” John, Zane, and his friends slip under the restaurant and escape. 
  • Zane and Kiko sneak into the old Woolworth’s building. A guard sees them entering an elevator and the guard gives chase. Zane shouts, “startling the guard, using my skateboard to whack his hand away.”  
  • One of the skater boys, Findley, grabs Hip-Hop and puts him in a sack. Matt, another boy, grabs Zane. Zane describes how Matt “twist[s] my arm. My knees buckle. He punches, kicks me. I crumple.”  
  • Kiko tries to help Zane. She grabs a cane and “like lightening, the cane flashes down on his arm, swings sideways—whack—slamming into [Matt’s] side. . . [Matt] dashing forward and back. Hopping left, then right. Feigning a punch. . .” Kiko uses the cane to smack Matt who “gasps, drops to his knees. He’s not unconscious, but it’s still a knockout . . .” The scene is described over three pages. 
  • In a multi-chapter conclusion, Jack reveals that when his father beats him, his mother “doesn’t defend me. Never did. Even when I was little, she said, ‘A boy needs to learn how to defend himself.’ When Dad started whaling on me, she left the mobile home.” 
  • John reveals that he is the lead of the skater boys’ gang, and takes Zane and Kiko to his secret hideout. John’s “first mate” Rattler makes sure Zane and Kido can’t escape. “Taunting, Rattler faces me as two pirates pin my arms beneath my back, roping my hands together.” Kiko is also tied up. Afterwards, Zane is hit occasionally. 
  • John’s secret hideout is under the city in an old, abandoned tunnel system. To search for treasure, John has his crew begin dynamiting the ceiling of a tunnel. “Gunpowder with wicks are driven into the tunnel’s sides, its unfinished ceiling.” Petey, who is about eight years old, is tasked with lighting the dynamite. When the dynamite goes off, “Petey tumbles. The torch arcs, twirls like a giant sparkler, landing on Petey’s back. . . Jack’s on it. Kicking aside the torch, he drops, patting Petey’s shirt, smothering flames. . . Petey groans. Beneath his shirt’s jagged burnouts, his skin is red, blistering.” Petey passes out and Kiko administers first aid. 
  • As the skater crew continues to set off explosions, the bones of the people buried there begin to fall. The kids are “tossing skeletons like ordinary sticks. . . ‘Look at this.’ A kid holds a skull and happily throws it to his mate.” Zane is upset that John and his crew are “disturbing graves.” 
  • John taunts Zane by saying, “Zane, a mama’s boy. Worse, a weak, whiny boy missing his dad.” Zane goes “berserk. I’m hitting, kicking, punching John. . . I fall flat, seeing stars. John slapped, shoved me.” When Zane and Kiko refuse to join John’s crew, they make them “walk the plank.”  
  • While in an underground abandoned subway, Zane and Kiko are forced to “walk the plank” which is an old pipe that is dangerously high. Kiko goes first and the crew begin throwing bones at her. “Findley lets a rib bone fly. Others throw rocks. Kiko wabbles, tries to duck low. Arms protecting her head, she shifts forward and back, side to side.” Kiko makes it across the pipe. 
  • As Zane walks the plank, “stones, skeletons fly. Rocks sail wide, especially from younger boys. Others bruise my shoulder and arm.” Zane makes it across the pipe. 
  • Zane and Rattler, one of the skater boys, duel it out by skating. After Zane has a good run, “Rattler leaps toward me, swinging his board at my head.” Kiko jumps in, “Knocking it out of his hands.” The fight ends. 
  • While in an underground tunnel, Zane, Kiko, and Hip-Hop find “hundreds of rats. Rats squeaking, running, crawling over one another. . . In his jaws, Hip-Hop snaps rat after rat. Shaking his head, he breaks their necks. He’s an efficient, killing machine. . . Hip-Hop has made a path—but it’s gross. Limp rats, blood. . .” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Jack’s father spends his money on alcohol instead of food and bills. 
  • John tells Zane that his “best mate” was a woman who would “drink gallons of rum and never spend a day hungover.” 
  • While talking about the history of slaves being used to build Wall Street, John says, “I need a swig. . .Rum helps set the mind straight.”  
  • Jack says, “Alcohol turns my dad into a wild man. . .” 
  • At one point, John is “sauntering off-balance” because he’s drunk. He offers Zane a flask and says, “Rum cures a lot of ills.” 
  • When a young boy is burned, Kiko gives him ibuprofen. 

Language  

  • Occasionally, there is name-calling such as brat, loser, failure, jerk, and traitor. 
  • John opens an old trunk expecting to see treasure. When the trunk is empty, he yells, “Aargh. Damnation.” 
  • John calls one of the skater boys a “gutless swine.” 

Supernatural 

  • Zane sees visions of the past. “Images like photographs. Now they seem like a silent movie. Figures move, stumble. I see a long line of shackled people, some stumbling, some wailing . . .” During the three-page vision, Captain Maddie shows Zane how slaves were used to build Wall Street.  
  • Occasionally Captain Maddie appears, but Zane is the only person who can see her ghost.  
  • Zane has a vision of Thomas Downing, a wealthy Black man who helped hide people who were escaping slavery. The vision guides Zane to the underground room where Thomas hid slaves.

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Lost Kitten

Katie Fry may be little, but she’s got a big brain, and she uses it to solve mysteries. So when she finds a very cute, VERY lost kitten named Sherlock, she decides to take his case. Can Katie track down the clues to find Sherlock’s home? Beginning readers will love hunting for clues in the art right along with Katie and Sherlock! 

Katie Fry is a curious protagonist that readers will love. She uses her powers of observation to help the cat, Sherlock, find his home. For example, when Katie first finds Sherlock, she notices that Sherlock has “trimmed nails, coat is brushed and cared for,” and the “fur around his neck is pushed down.” From this Katie deduces that “you once had a home and a collar.” When Katie runs out of clues, a yellow bird suddenly appears and reveals what he knows about Sherlock’s past. In the end, Katie finds Sherlock’s home, but that’s not the end of their friendship. The last page shows Katie and Sherlock, ready to solve another mystery. 

The Lost Kitten is part of Scholastic’s Level 2 Reader, which is perfect for developing readers, who are ready to learn new vocabulary words. Each page has one to three sentences. While most of the vocabulary is basic, readers may need help with more advanced words such as adventures, Sherlock, and evidence. Much like a picture book, every page has a brightly colored, large illustration. The illustrations will help readers understand the plot as well as give readers a chance to look for clues. 

The Katie Fry, Private Eye Series will appeal to a wide range of readers including those who love animals, mysteries, and a compassionate protagonist. The simple plot engages readers who will try to solve the mystery alongside Katie. For more reading fun, check out the following books: Shampoodle by Joan Holub, Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London, and The Firefly with No Glow by Rebecca Smallberg.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Midnight Magic

Princess Teresina of the kingdom of Pergamontio is being haunted by a ghost, and the former magician Mangus is called upon to help solve the mystery. But not all is what it seems in a kingdom that outlaws magic and once convicted Mangus for magic. Now, Mangus’s assistant, Fabrizio, joins his master at the castle to discover what secrets lie within the secret passageways. 

Avi’s Midnight Magic is the second book in the series, though the books do not need to be read in order to be understood. The book’s protagonist and narrator, Fabrizio, sets up the story and explains the context well for those who are unfamiliar with the previous installment. Fabrizio is aiding his master, Mangus the Magician, as the magician tries to solve the mystery of the ghost in the castle. Fabrizio is a likable but naïve boy, who wants to impress his master. Mangus is older and more jaded, and he occasionally mocks his young assistant; however, Mangus does like Fabrizio and praises him when he does well. 

The Kingdom of Pergamontio outlaws magic, and it becomes clear early on that Mangus the Magician is more Sherlock Holmes-clever rather than magical. He doesn’t believe that the princess is being haunted, despite Fabrizio’s clear belief in this supernatural specter. Instead, Mangus uses the power of reasoning to uncover the secrets of the castle. Although magic isn’t used, Fabrizio uses tarot cards throughout the book, something for which Mangus mocks him. Much of the book discusses the way faith and reason interact, leaning heavily on reason and logic being the wisest ways to learn about the world. Fabrizio, despite being overly trusting in others, does note that stories and context link together otherwise meaningless facts. To solve the mystery of the princess’s ghost, faith and reason must work together.  

As he spends time wandering the castle, Fabrizio learns about the royal family and accidentally befriends the princess. He also does his best to avoid the king’s terrifying advisor, Scarazoni, who wants Mangus killed, and who is rumored to have killed the missing prince. Each character’s personality, even the classic stereotypes like the evil advisor and brash, manipulative princess, brings further intrigue into an otherwise twisting mystery. The intrigue is fun and fast-paced, and readers will find themselves unable to put the book down. 

For younger readers, Midnight Magic is a great introduction to both the medieval fantasy and mystery genres because it discusses the real and unreal, and the characters are able to uncover the mystery thanks to their ability to come together and use both logic and faith. The tone of the story is mostly serious, though the inclusion of magic adds a hint of whimsy and wonder that helps bring the story to life. Fabrizio notes that stories, though sometimes fictitious, can speak the truth in spirit and emotion rather than content. To help solve the mystery, Fabrizio is able to seek out context to paint a larger picture; this highlights that there are many pieces to a good story, and sometimes they come from the most unlikely places. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Fabrizio notes that there’s a stick near the doorway. He describes it as “a cudgel with which he was supposed to beat away anyone who tried to enter the house.” 
  • Mangus becomes upset with the impossible task of dealing with a ghost, and he “in a pique of frustration, pushes [Fabrizio] away.” He apologizes after. 
  • Princess Teresina explains that she believes the ghost is her brother. She says, “A few months ago he was sent as an emissary to the pope, in Rome. He never reached the holy city. I believe he was murdered and the ghost we saw is . . . his.” There are no further details about his alleged murder. 
  • Fabrizio overhears the royal advisor, Scarazoni, conspiring with the princess’s tutor. Scarazoni confirms that “the prince was killed. There is no more to say.” 
  • The queen and Fabrizio come across the dead body of the princess’s tutor. No further descriptions of the dead body are given, but it is established that he was murdered. 
  • After Mangus, Princess Teresina, and Fabrizio see the supposed apparition, Mangus alerts the king and Scarazoni of the situation. Scarazoni becomes enraged, wanting to prove the princess wrong. Scarazoni “grabs hold of Mangus’s robe at the throat and shoves the old man hard against the wall.” Scarazoni proceeds to yell at Mangus for answers, and Mangus has difficulty speaking as he’s being held at the throat. This scene lasts for about a page. 
  • Scarazoni raises his hand to hit Mangus, and Fabrizio throws himself between them. Fabrizio describes, “When [his hand] came, [it] struck him down.” 
  • Fabrizio finds the kitchen boy, Rinaldo, in the chapel. “The boy’s clothing was torn in many places and streaked with blood. His face was marked with what also looked like blood. All around him were bits of broken candles. A sword was at his side. What’s more, he was writhing about, clutching his left leg tightly.” It is revealed that Rinaldo is the supposedly murdered prince, alive and well, living in the castle. 
  • Scarazoni’s plot is revealed, and he is sentenced “to be executed.” The reader does not see this execution scene. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • Fabrizio encounters a soldier who wants to speak with the magician Mangus. Fabrizio has some practiced replies that he uses to deter people, but the soldier responds in a mocking tone, “Well spoken, cur.” 
  • Mangus refers to the princess’s tutor as “a dolt.” 
  • Fabrizio announces that he believes in ghosts, and Mangus, unimpressed, says, “You are the living proof that even someone who reads can be a fool.” 
  • Light language such as stupid and fool is used often. 

Supernatural 

  • In the Kingdom of Pergamontio, there is magic as well as magicians. However, magicians are forbidden in the kingdom. Mangus was, “arrested and brought to trial in that same castello, had, under threat of torture, confessed and repented of being a magician.” The book occasionally uses Italian terms like castello, which in this case means castle. 
  • Fabrizio uses tarot cards to help divine events come. He notes, “These cards, he believed, could fashion the future. Since he could envision no life for himself other than as a servant, it was his master’s fate he wished to shape.” Mangus dislikes tarot cards and says “tarot cards are nothing but ignorant superstition.” 
  • The king’s daughter, Teresina, is being haunted by “a terrifying ghost.” Teresina recounts, “What I saw could not, would not, be felt. My hand passed right through it.” 
  • While wandering through the castle, Fabrizio sees the ghost. “It stood – or rather floated – four feet above the ground, with a fluttering radiance that kept within a specific niche. The more Fabrizio stared at it, the more convinced he grew that the illumination contained the shape of a person.” This is the central mystery of the book, and it is later revealed to be a trick of reflections. 

Spiritual Content  

  • Mangus, when summoned by the king, makes “the sign of the cross over his own heart” and says, “The Lord knows I’ll need all the help I can get.”  
  • When Mangus’s wife, Sophia, hears the ominous news that her husband has been summoned by the king, she exclaims, “God have mercy!” These expressions are used occasionally. 
  • The punishment for witchcraft and wizardry is to be burned at the stake, but Mangus escaped this fate. One government figure named Scarazoni states, “If you dance with the Devil, your feet will feel the heat.” These beliefs are strongly rooted in Christianity, which Mangus notes when he proclaims that “I am not now – nor have I ever been – a dabbler in ways of evil. I seek to be a good Christian.” 
  • After seeing the ghost for the first time, Teresina says that she “hastened to say a prayer.” 
  • After speaking to the princess about the ghost, the princess’s lady-in-waiting “joined a nunnery and [had] taken a sacred vow of silence.”
  • Many characters say prayers, but the prayers themselves are not written out. The text usually states, for instance, “Mangus said a prayer.” Further detail is not given. 
  • In the castle, there is a statue of the Mother Mary. It becomes a focal point as it is where the princess sees the ghost several times. 
  • Mangus prays in front of a “portrait of the Blessed Martyr, Saint Stephano, so pierced with arrows.” 

That Weekend

Three best friends. A lake house. And a secret trip—what could possibly go wrong?  

It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it’s clear that something terrible has happened when Claire wakes up alone and covered with blood on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours. Now everyone wants answers—most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that . . . nothing. And now Kat and Jesse—her best friends—are missing.

What happened on that mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she’s quickly finding out, everyone has secrets—even her best friends. And she’s pretty sure she’s not going to like what she finds out. 

That Weekend begins by following Claire, who wakes up in the middle of the woods and cannot remember anything. Right from the start, suspense is created due to Claire’s missing friends.  

Although readers may sympathize with Claire’s situation, Claire is so wrapped up in herself and her romantic feelings for Jesse that it is often difficult to feel sorry for her. This makes her an unreliable narrator, leaving readers wondering if she is telling the whole truth. All of this creates a character that readers may struggle to like. 

The book’s timeline isn’t consistent, which causes confusion. For example, the first chapter begins in the present, but then jumps to a flashback from three days earlier, then two days earlier, and then one day earlier. Later, the second half of the book jumps from the present to flashbacks, while also changing to another character’s perspective. Keeping track of the narrator and various flashbacks means the reader has to pay close attention to the titles at the beginning of each chapter in order to understand what is happening.  

Another flaw is that the conclusion of the story isn’t very convincing. For instance, the FBI is unable to find Kat and Jesse, however Claire is able to locate her missing friends without difficulty. To make matters worse, the reader discovers that Kat and Jesse planned their own kidnapping because Kat’s father was abusive and Kat’s grandmother demanded that Kat break up with Jesse. However, in the end, Kat and Jesse part ways and Kat returns to her controlling family. Plus, it can be hard to sympathize with Kat because her actions are responsible for three deaths.  

Because of the forgettable characters, the complicated timeline, and the strange plot twists, That Weekend is a confusing story that readers may want to leave on the shelf. If you’re looking for a suspenseful book that is more entertaining, read Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards or We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

Sexual Content  

  • There is a rumor that Jesse “had hooked up with some girl from Westhampton beach after Battle of the Bands.” 
  • After breaking up with Ben, Claire tells Jesse that sex “doesn’t have to be a big deal. Ben turned out to be an asshole, but I don’t regret that he was my first.” Jesse is surprised that Ben was Claire’s first.  
  • At school, Jesse gets into a fight with “some asshole sophomore who’d been teasing him. Jesse was white in the face when a teacher pulled the other kid off him. When Jesse looked down at his hands, drenched in the blood spurting from his nose, he’d started to tremble . . .” 
  • When Claire was fifteen, she went to a party and met up with Amos, who “at seventeen, was practically a man to me.” Amos “runs his hands down my sides, tugs the waist of my jeans. I’m in my brand-new red bra. . . Amos flipped me onto his bed. The Captain Morgan shots roiled in my gut; his sheets, too cool . . .” When Amos tries to undo the zipper of Claire’s jeans, she stops him and says she wants to go home. 
  • On New Year’s Eve, Claire goes home with her ex-boyfriend, Ben. They’re sitting on the couch when Claire notices Ben watching her. “I feel my lips part as he reaches. . . I climb onto Ben so I’m facing him. He pulls my face to his and kisses me. . . he flips me over, pushing my shirt up to kiss my belly button. He moves lower, and I close my eyes. . .” It is implied that they have sex. The scene is described over one and a half pages.  
  • Ben drives Claire home. Before she leaves, Claire is “brushing my lips over his. . . but the urgency in Ben’s body as he kisses me back makes it clear. This time, things will be on my own terms.” 
  • After Claire and Kat have a fight, Amos tells Claire, “[The fight] almost made me pop a boner.” 
  • Kat babysits for a woman who “disappears so fast there’s no doubt she’s off to get laid.”  

Violence  

  • At a party, Claire sees her boyfriend walking up the stairs with another girl. Claire assumes he is cheating on her. When he chases after her, she “slap[s] him across the face.” Claire then leaves the party. 
  • A television personality, Brenda Dean, has a show about real crime. “Twenty years ago, Brenda Dean’s younger sister was abducted off her bike and murdered, the killer never caught. Brenda dedicated her life to justice—first as a lawyer, then with her own cable show.” 
  • Brenda interviewed a woman whose toddler disappeared. Brenda “accused the mom of knowing more than she was saying about what happened to the baby; the woman left the set a sobbing mess, and went home to slit her wrists in the bathtub.” 
  • While at a ransom drop, Kat’s father tries to stop the getaway car and he is dragged behind it. He has surgery but never awakens from his coma. He dies several months afterward. 
  • An FBI agent interviews Claire. During the interview, the agent says, “You ever hear of the plane crash in Queens after September eleventh? . . . My mother and aunt were on that flight.”  
  • Kat comes home late and her dad grabs her. Kat yells, “Get the fuck off me!” Then Kat’s father grabs her and “the world went black when my head smacked against the wall. For a moment I thought I might not come back, that I was dying— when I woke to him shaking me, fear replacing the rage on his face, my mother in the doorway whimpering. . .”  
  • Kat, Jesse, Amos, and another accomplice, Mike, plan a fake kidnapping. However, many things go wrong. Claire, who didn’t know about the plan, gets angry and leaves. She runs into Mike, who panics and attacks Claire, who stabs him with a knife. Afterward, “Mike winced as he lifted the sleeve of his T-shirt . . . Blood poured from an angry slash on his shoulder.” He cleans the wound with Vodka.  
  • Claire is canvassing a house where she thinks Amos is hiding out. “I’m changing gears when my car lurks forward. My forehead knocks into the steering wheel . . . A scream catches in my throat as Amos Fornier pulls me from the car and throws me to the ground, my spine numbing as it hits snow and ice. I see the shovel in his hands at the same moment he brings it down on my head.” Amos takes Claire hostage. 
  • Claire tries to leave, but Kat “blocks my escape through the doorway. When she grabs my arm, something snaps in me. . . I grab a handful of her hair and pull until she’s struggling beneath me like a cat. . . She’s clawing at me; I yank her hair until she’s falls to her knees, smashing her face into the edge of the dresser.” Amos holds a gun to Claire’s head and she stops fighting. 
  • Amos tells Claire about an incident with Kat’s father. Kat’s father found Amos playing with a cigar torch. He “picked me and Kat up by the backs of our shirts. Dragged us outside and held me over the deck railing. He stuck the flame right in my face. He kept saying, ‘You want to see what fire does to a body?’” 
  • Amos, who is drinking heavily, tries to convince Kat to allow him to kill Claire. His plan was to, “Get some booze in her, slip [a fentanyl patch] on while she’s passed out, and bam, overdose.” Kat refuses to let Amos kill Claire, but later Claire puts the fentanyl patch on Amos and he dies. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Both the adults and the teens in the story drink alcohol, so not all instances of alcohol consumption are listed below.  
  • Claire goes to a party and sees her boyfriend in a hot tub sitting on a girl’s lap. In response, she goes inside. Claire’s friend pours her a “few inches of rum into a cup and tops it off with a splash of Coke.” Claire gets drunk. Other teens at the party are also drinking alcohol.  
  • When lost, Claire goes into a bar where a man “raises his beer bottle to his lips, his eyes raking over me.”  
  • When Claire and Kat are alone in the lake house, Kat breaks out a bottle of wine and the two share it and get “giggly-tipsy.” 
  • While in the hospital for a head injury, Claire is given morphine, ibuprofen, and Ambien to help her sleep. Claire is also given a prescription for Ativan, which is supposed to help her with anxiety; however, she is soon taking Ativan in larger doses than recommended.  
  • Claire’s cousin, Amos, smokes weed and eventually becomes a drunk.  
  • Claire finds out that Amos was kicked out of school for selling drugs on campus but he continues to sell drugs afterward.  
  • Someone posts a picture of Claire at a party. “Jamie Liu and I knocking back shots. My eyes are glazed, my head tilted back. Jamie is laughing at me . . . I barely recognize the girl in the picture. She looks like the sloppy chick at the party you never talk to, who hangs on your neck like a spider monkey, crooning into your ear that she’s so wasted.” 
  • A few days after Clarie gets home from the hospital, she sees her mom, “cradling a glass of seltzer that I’d wager has vodka in it.” 
  • Claire is working at a restaurant on New Year’s Eve. One of the customers is her ex-boyfriend’s mother, who is drinking champagne.

Language  

  • Profanity is used often and includes ass, crap, damn, goddamn, fuck, hell, piss, and shit. 
  • OMG, Oh God, and Jesus are used several times. 
  • There is some name-calling such as asshole, bitch, bastard, and douchebag.

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Occasionally, Claire quickly prays. For example, after leaving a party, Claire is “praying I won’t cry in front of Jesse . . . I am not religious, but I say a silent prayer to whoever. . . [that] I had the presence of mind to keep my goddamn mouth shut. . .” 
  • When her friends disappear, Claire thinks, “I wasn’t raised with religion, but I don’t know if I accept that it’s all random, that we’re not accountable to anyone. I make a silent bargain with whoever is listening: . . . I’ll be a better friend, if only they come home and be okay.” 
  • Claire is home alone when the doorbell rings. She says “a silent prayer that whoever is at my front door is selling something . . .” and is not someone she knows.

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen

Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is a flamingo fan, tree climber, and top-notch mess-maker!

She’s also tired of her big sister, Sophie, always getting to do things first. For once, Jasmine wishes SHE could do something before Sophie—something special, something different. The New Year approaches, and as the Toguchi family gathers in Los Angeles to celebrate, Jasmine is jealous that her sister gets to help roll mochi balls by hand with the women. Her mom says that Jasmine is still too young to join in, so Jasmine hatches a plan to help the men pound the mochi rice instead. Surely her sister has never done THAT before.

But pounding mochi is traditionally reserved for boys. And the mochi hammer is heavier than it looks. Can Jasmine build her case and her mochi-making muscles in time for New Year’s Day? 

Jasmine is determined to prove that she is strong enough to pound mochi. In order to get her wish, she comes up with some unique and silly ways to get more muscles. However, Jasmine will also need to convince her family to break tradition — after all, pounding mochi is only for boys who are ten years or older. While Jasmine appeals to her father, he doesn’t give her a quick answer. Instead, before making his decision, he talks to the other family members to get their approval. In the end, Jasmine discovers that pounding mochi takes a lot of strength and hard work. She’s disappointed that she was only able to lift the heavy hammer one time. Despite this, Jasmine’s family showers her with praise because “you’re the first under-ten-year-old and the first girl to pound mochi in our family.”  

The story is accessible to fluent readers who are ready for a book with multiple plots. Black and white illustrations appear every two to three pages and show Jasmine’s daily life. Many of the illustrations show the characters’ facial expressions, which will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. Another positive aspect of the story is that difficult words are explained within the text. For example, Jasmine explains that her mom is an editor. “An editor reads other people’s work and fixes the words.” For more fun, the back of the book has a recipe for microwave mochi. Even though Jasmine Toguchi is a series, the books do not need to be read in order because each book focuses on a new storyline.  

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen is an entertaining chapter book that teaches the importance of controlling one’s emotions. For instance, Jasmine has a cousin named Eddie, who often teases her. To control her anger, Jasmine uses a counting strategy that works…most of the time. Jasmine can do this because her family members have taught her healthy communication skills. 

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen will encourage readers to work towards a goal — even those that seem unlikely to happen. Because the story focuses on Jasmine, young readers will feel as if they have made a new friend. Readers will also adore Jasmine’s spunky attitude and understand her determination to do something before her sister. In the end, Jasmine is an admirable character not because she has muscles, but because, “You’re strong. . . You believe in something and you don’t let anyone change your mind.”  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Eddie makes fun of Jasmine, she “forgot to count to ten again. My foot flew out from under me and kicked the ball. Smack! It pounded Eddie in the back.” Afterwards, Eddie leaves the room. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Jasmine’s cousin Eddie is mean to her. He calls her “Jasmine Pee” and says she’s a weakling. 
  • When Jasmine ignores Eddie, he asks, “Are you so dumb you can’t make conversation?” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

The Elephant’s Tale

Martine and her grandmother discover they might lose their game reserve, Sawubona, because of a clause in her grandfather’s will. Martine and her best friend Ben decide to take matters into their own hands when Martine hears a prophecy that says, “The elephants will lead you to the truth.” After hearing this, Martine and Ben stow away in an airplane, get stuck in the desert, and help a group of elephants escape a horrible prison. Along the way, Martine learns the truth about Sawubona and the dramatic truth about her gift with animals and where it will take her in her life.

In The Elephant’s Tale, Martine and Ben take off alone to the foreign country of Namibia. The two kids are stranded in the desert with nothing to eat or drink. With some luck, Martine and Ben meet Gift, a teenager who agrees to help them investigate Henry James, who says he going to inherit Sawubona. While the story doesn’t have the same fast pace as the previous books, the mystery of the elephant whisperer, the missing elephants, and Mr. James’ schemes will keep readers entertained. 

Readers will get a look into Namibian culture and learn many interesting facts about elephants. In addition, the story hits on the topic of global warming. While it doesn’t go into detail about the causes of global warming, the story does discuss some of the effects. For example, most scientists “agree that the warming of the earth’s surface is going to lead to sea level rises, the melting of the polar ice caps, and an increase in disease and extreme weather.” In the end, Martine and Ben learn that if global warming continues, the need for water will eventually lead to war. 

Unlike most villains, Mr. James is full of good intentions. Animal conservation is one of his main goals; however, he captures and experiments on elephants in the hope of genetically breeding animals that need less food and water to survive. Mr. James deceives and manipulates others and justifies this behavior because he hopes to have a positive effect on animals’ ability to survive. Since Mr. James isn’t portrayed as completely evil, his situation would be an excellent conversation starter about morality. 

Readers who love animals will love learning about elephants through Martine’s eyes. While Martine isn’t perfect, she is a caring protagonist who is willing to put herself in danger in order to help animals. However, Martine often hides her activities from her grandmother and while she doesn’t outright lie, she uses omission to deceive. Despite this, Martine’s curiosity and bravery are admirable and when it comes to animals, her love shines through in everything she does. Plus, the series features several adults who are unique and guide Martine along her life’s journey. Unfortunately, the dangerous situations Martine and Ben willingly throw themselves into are a little over the top, which makes their ability to remain uninjured hard to believe. 

Readers who want to learn more about the importance of conservation will enjoy the Legend of the Animal Healer Series because of the interesting characters, the animal action, and the animal facts. Through each story, St. John encourages readers to be kind to animals in order to make their lives better. Mystery-loving readers who want more action and adventure can find it in the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit as well as in Lauren St. John’s Wolfe & Lamb Series.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Mr. James’ chauffeur, Lurk, sees an angry elephant and raises a rifle at it. Someone tells Lurk to put the rifle down, but instead “Lurk cocked the rifle and took aim. Tendai grabbed his wrist and crushed it so hard that Lurk winced and dropped the gun.” 
  • An elephant charges Lurk, who runs for his life. “The elephant bore down on the chauffeur, her great feet tearing up the earth. In seconds, Lurk would be a bloody pulp.” Tendai yells at Lurk telling him to throw down his jacket. When Lurk does, “the elephant halted in confusion.  . . She decided to attack the jacket instead. . . Dust roiled up as she pounded it into the ground, trampling it, tossing it, crushing it.” 
  • While guarding the animal sanctuary, “Tobias was knocked unconscious.” Afterward, “he has a splitting headache and a lump on his head, but he should recover in a day or two.”
  • Martine and Ben sneak into a hotel and oasis that was being built by Mr. James, where they find elephants who are being held in captivity and experimented on. When Mr. James and his business partner, Callum, appear, “the elephants cast off their shackles and charged, many of them trumpeting along the way. . . There were swinging tusks and yelling men everywhere. Lurk was tossed about like an elephant’s football, and Callum Murphy, Reuben James, and the guards disappeared inside an elephant scrum.” 

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Several adults smoke cigarettes.

Language

  • My God and Oh my God are both used as an exclamation once.
  • When Gift first meets Martine and Ben, he calls them “idiot tourist kids.”

Supernatural

  • Martine can heal animals with her touch. When she sees a sick buffalo, Martine “poured the green liquid into the buffalo’s mouth. . . Laying gentle hands on the bull’s head, Martine stroked his wet nose, his rough, sharp horns, and the thick, hard bone and muscle around his jaw and neck. . . Her hands heated up. So fiery did they become that she almost expected them to start smoking. She heard the voices of the ancients, buzzing in her head guiding her.” Healed, the buffalo jumps to his feet and runs off.
  • Grace, a witch doctor, can tell the future. “Grace took a leather punch from around her neck. She scattered its contents — an assortment of tiny bones, porcupine quills, a hoopoe bird feather, and fresh herbs — around the tusk, and lit a match.  . . It sounded as if Grace was having an argument with someone — perhaps the ancestral spirits. She was pleading with them.” When Grace comes out of her trance, she tells Martine, “The four leaves will lead you to the circle. The circle will lead you to the elephants. The elephants will lead you to the truth.” 
  • Reuben James, a businessman, is building an oasis in an extinct volcano. Some of the locals “believe he is most unwise. They think the spirits will be displeased.” 
  • Martine heals an elephant that collapsed to the ground. “Her hands were so hot her blood was virtually boiling in her veins. Most times when she healed an animal Martine had dreamlike visions of warriors with spears and great herds of animals and men in animal masks. Today she saw Swaubona.” When the elephant was healed, “with the tip of her trunk she caressed Martin’s cheek in an elephant kiss.” 
  • Grace explains the ancient prophecy about a child and the white giraffe. She says the ancients, “Saw that only the unconditional love of a child could heal this creature and that, in turn, the white giraffe would give something back—a power to heal other animals.” 

Spiritual Content

  • None

Murder at Midnight

Murder at Midnight presents the story of Mangus the Magician and his newest servant, Fabrizio. The story takes place in the kingdom of Pergamontio, Italy in 1490. Pergamontio is behind the times, and the hapless King Claudio is terribly superstitious in this traditionally Catholic kingdom. When hundreds of identical papers calling for treason against the crown appear overnight, the royal advisor accuses Mangus of witchcraft. Desperate to save his new master’s life, Fabrizio sets out to help prove Mangus’s innocence and discover what created these documents. 

The main protagonist, Fabrizio, is a delightful mix of naïve and brash – he’s never quite sure how he’s going to help Mangus, but he’s determined to try even though he’s likely to make many life-threatening mistakes along the way. In some other characters, this might be trite or annoying, but Fabrizio is ten years old and genuinely doesn’t know any better. He believes in magic wholeheartedly despite Mangus’s repeated explanations about how he’s an illusionist, not a magician. Fabrizio wants nothing more than to save Mangus from certain death – except, maybe, learn magic himself. 

At the start of the novel, Mangus is curmudgeonly and deeply uninterested in Fabrizio, but by the end when Fabrizio and his friend Maria help save his life, he’s just curmudgeonly. Their dynamic involves plenty of Mangus demeaning Fabrizio for not being smart enough, which motivates Fabrizio to want to be a better servant. Mangus is a self-proclaimed philosopher, and he relies on reasoning to make decisions. He serves as a counterweight to Fabrizio whose decisions are motivated entirely by his heart. Although these two never quite see eye-to-eye, they grow a close bond. 

These two characters are well-developed for future installments, and the mystery plot of this first book works well. Fabrizio meets Maria, the daughter of immigrants who bring a printing press to Pergamontio. As the kingdom is somewhat backward, this situation is slowly unveiled through the course of the novel, eventually showing that the scandal runs right to the heart of the king’s inner circle. The plot is interesting with semi-historical elements, and it’s action-packed enough to keep the attention of younger readers. 

Murder at Midnight deals with some light violence as the story is set in 1490s Italy with plenty of intrigue and quite literally backstabbing. The main conflict revolves around Mangus, whose life is threatened since he’s accused of witchcraft and the punishment is death. The book also deals with some Catholic-related themes since Italy is a historically Catholic nation, though the book doesn’t take any stance on religion. Murder at Midnight is a fun introduction to the printing press and censorship. In addition, the dynamic between reason and emotion comes through, showing readers that a balance of the two ideas leads to better outcomes than just reason or emotion separate from each other. Through cooperation and patience, Fabrizio and his various companions can save Mangus and go on with living their peaceful lives – that is, until the next book, Midnight Magic.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When the other servants, Benito and Giuseppe, speak to Fabrizio, they often take swings at him because they don’t like him. For instance, Fabrizio is coerced into telling them secrets from Mangus. When he’s trying to run off, Fabrizio notes that he is “trying to dodge a flurry of blows.” This happens somewhat often. Fabrizio notes that from this particular altercation, he receives bruises from them and nothing more. 
  • The king’s officials, DeLaBina and Scarazoni, threaten to “burn [Mangus] at the stake” and “cut out his heart” if he truly is a magician. Mangus, of course, is not a magician but an illusionist, but the other characters don’t necessarily understand this. 
  • Fabrizio is falsely accused of distributing treasonous papers, and he is taken down to the dungeon to be executed. While there, he nearly trips over a corpse. A soldier asks if the body is dead, and the executioner says, “I hope so. I broke his neck three days ago.”  Fabrizio is not executed, and there is no further discussion about the corpse. 
  • Fabrizio and his new friend Maria find DeLaBina dead in the dungeons. Fabrizio notes, “Beneath lay a man with his head twisted to one side. A ruby-encrusted dagger was sticking out of his back. On the ground, a pool of wet blood was spreading.” This is the extent of the description. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Light language is used frequently. Terms include: fool, stupid, ignorant, blockhead, nasty, ugly, and fat. 

Supernatural 

  • Fabrizio works and lives with Mangus the Magician, who performs, as far as Fabrizio is concerned, “real magic” as well as sleight-of-hand tricks. Much of the book’s main plot deals with how the Kingdom of Pergamontio feels about magic that is rooted in anything other than Christian miracles. Mangus notes that the king “is deeply superstitious” and that he has “outlawed magic.” 
  • One night, Fabrizio watches Mangus perform and decides what is real magic and what is fake, saying that when “a burning candle was pulled from an ear” and “a box changed into a hat” it was for sure “true magic.” 
  • The king of Pergamontio expresses his true fears as to who made the identical treasonous papers that have been distributed throughout the kingdom. He says, “Ghosts? Is that who made the papers? Ghosts can do anything they wish, you know.” DeLaBina expresses that it’s instead magic and someone who “is in league with the devil.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Since the book is set in 1490 Italy, the characters are notably Catholic. For instance, Mangus notes that “God gave us the gift of reason.” 
  • The kingdom has a curfew, and Mangus tells the crowd that there’s a curfew because “the king loves us and wishes to keep us safe from devils.” 
  • Fabrizio makes an astute comment that catches Mangus’s attention, and Fabrizio attributes it to living on the streets. Fabrizio says, “When you are a homeless orphan – as I was – the teachers God provides are one’s own eyes and ears.” 
  • After seeing a treasonous document, Mangus exclaims, “God protect us!” 
  • Mangus is accused of using magic to make treasonous documents to overthrow the king. As this is 1490 Italy, the king is uncomfortable with modern inventions like the printing press, and identical documents are outside the bounds of imagination. The top prosecutor for the kingdom says, “Such identical replication is impossible for human hands! Not even God – in all his greatness – makes two things alike.” 
  • Fabrizio refers to the treasonous papers against the king as “the devil’s work.” Mangus corrects him that the papers were definitely done by human hands. 
  • The executioner, Agrippa, explains his profession to Fabrizio. Agrippa says that he wanted to be a stonemason, but “the good God willed it otherwise, didn’t he?” 
  • A knock sounds at the door of the execution room, and Fabrizio, who thinks he’s about to be executed, “fell to his knees and began to murmur frantic prayers.”  
  • Fabrizio meets Maria, the daughter of immigrants from Milan who own a printing business and use a printing press. Maria introduces herself as a “printer’s devil” because she’s covered in the black ink she works with, and it’s incredibly hard to scrub off. 
  • When Mangus’s wife, Sophia, learns that her husband has been arrested, she “clasped her hands in brief prayer.” 

The Clockwork Crow

A magical story of snow and stars, The Clockwork Crow is a mysterious gothic tale set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion. On her way to her new home, orphaned Seren Rhys is given a mysterious package by a strange and frightened man; she reluctantly takes the package with her. The package contains miscellaneous gears and parts that build a small, metal crow. As Seren adapts to her new life at Plas-y-Fran, she is thrust into a mystery about a young boy who vanished on Christmas Eve a year before. The mansion servants refuse to answer Seren’s questions, so she decides to investigate on her own. Who are the family who must not be spoken of, and can Seren find the boy, Tomos, before time runs out? 

Twelve-year-old Seren Rhys has lived in an orphanage for most of her life. After the death of her great-aunt, Seren discovers that she will be moving in with her godparents who have a mansion in Wales. She dreams of a fabulous life with lots of joy and warmth, but that is not the reality awaiting her. The servants of the house speak about the family in hushed whispers, and Seren’s curiosity gets the better of her. With the help of her magical Clockwork Crow, she uncovers a great mystery regarding the youngest boy of the family and decides it’s up to her to save him. Despite being afraid, Seren decides, “I’m not going to let that stop me.” 

The author crafts an elaborate fantasy from deceptively simple language. The book is written in third person and follows Seren’s journey throughout. Many readers will relate to Seren’s curiosity and her desire to learn more about the household’s secrecy. The supporting characters are fascinating yet ambiguous, likely from being poorly revealed. This is perhaps a casualty of the quick pace that the book has. The deadened manor provides the perfect backdrop for magical forces. Together, these elements create an engaging story that draws readers to try to solve the mystery with Seren. 

The importance of belonging is highlighted since Seren has been alone for most of her life and dreams of the “traditional” family that others have. When she arrives at Plas-y-Fran, she discovers that the family has been torn apart following the disappearance of their son, Tomos. Seren reflects that saving him at her expense would be acceptable, because “[Tomos’] mother and father were longing for him. But no one was longing for her. No one would care if she never went back.” She has always felt like an outsider, after living in an orphanage for the beginning of her life and then joining a family that already had a child. Through her adventure, Seren learns the value of belonging and discovers that she is loved.

The Clockwork Crow is enjoyable to read, although the story is a bit rushed. The novel consistently moves forward and never feels stagnated. At the beginning of every chapter, there is a short riddle that is relevant to the chapter, although it is not one that readers can solve. An example riddle is “Beak and wing and eye and claw. I’m not who I was before.” Fans of fantasy and mystery will enjoy The Clockwork Crow, but it can be enjoyed by all readers thanks to its message about self-discovery and found family. Seren feels lonely at times but manages to establish a family with her godparents after finding their son and reuniting the family. This book is the first in the Clockwork Crow trilogy; if readers are interested in continuing the story, they can read The Velvet Fox to follow Seren’s journey.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • The housekeeper consistently calls Seren an “impudent little girl.” She also puts Seren down frequently. For example, the housekeeper says Seren has “appalling manners.”

Supernatural

  • The Clockwork Crow is able to talk and move independently once the key is cranked. The Crow claims to be “as real as [Seren]” when asked if the events were just a dream.
  • The Crow was confined to clockwork when a witch cursed him by saying, “until you give up the one thing that means the most to you, you’ll be a black crow forever and ever.” Prior to the curse, the Crow used to be human.
  • There is a fairy family of “magic, secret creatures, who can never get older, can be beautiful or ugly and twisted.” Every character in the book is afraid of the Fair Family and speaks about them in hushed whispers.

Spiritual Content 

  • The household attends church sermons every Sunday, and the housekeeper tells Seren “this is the Day of the Lord and we must be respectful” regarding the tasks and activities expected of her for the day.

Kat Wolfe On Thin Ice

Best friends Kat Wolfe and Harper Lamb can’t wait to travel from England’s Bluebell Bay to New York’s Adirondacks for a fall vacation with their parents. But misadventure plagues them from the start, leaving them in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alone! As the weather turns wild, Kat discovers she may have been the last person to cross paths with Riley, a girl who is a star witness in a criminal trial making headlines across the country. When the witness vanishes, Kat and Harper race to piece together the clues that might save Riley from a notorious gang, but soon Kat and Harper are targets too. With an early snowstorm moving in and no way out, detectives Wolfe & Lamb will need all their wits, skills, and the help of some wayward animals if they’re to survive.

In the past installment of the series, Harper was a minor character who let Kat take center stage. However, in Kat Wolfe on Thin Ice, Harper takes a starring role and her fun-loving personality shines. Although Kat is still the story’s focus, readers will enjoy getting to know Harper and seeing how the two girls work together to solve the case. Their relationship adds interest and readers will enjoy seeing Kat and Harper interact.

Even though the girls spend much of their time snowed in, there is still plenty of action and adventure because they end up in the wrong cabin, alone except for a pack of huskies and a pet raccoon. Mystery is added when the girls investigate Riley’s disappearance and risk their lives to search for clues before a major blizzard hits the area. Along the way, they must use all their survival skills as they attract the attention of a bear, get lost in the wilderness, and are saved by huskies. 

Kat and Harper put the pieces together to solve the mystery and, along the way, the case highlights how stereotypes are hurtful. In the end, the girls keep many secrets from their families, including their accidental stay in a stranger’s cabin and they don’t reveal the culprits that committed the crimes. Despite this, Kat and Harper have many positive attributes including being brave, considerate, and showing kindness to strangers. 

Kat Wolfe on Thin Ice is a wonderfully entertaining book that has the perfect blend of suspense, surprises, and silliness. Plus, the book teaches that “We’re all human. Every one of us makes mistakes. The real test is what we do about it.” For those who love mysteries and animals, not picking up the Kat and Lamb Mystery Series would be a mistake since each book in the series is full of suspenseful mysteries and loveable animals.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Riley, “a star witness in an upcoming trial,” is kidnapped. The two officers who were protecting her “were both wounded in an ambush” and are “critically ill.”
  • A police officer shows up at the cabin where Harper and Kat are staying. When Harper answers the door, the man begins to question her. When he realizes Harper is lying, “he lunged at her and clutched her arm.” When she refuses to answer the questions, the man “squeezed even harder.”
  • As the police officer manhandles Harper, a racoon jumps on him. The policeman “reeled away, blood streaming from two punctures on his neck. Chittering in terror, the raccoon jumped from his shoulder onto the kitchen cabinet.” This gives Harper time to run. Later, the police officer is also bit by one of the huskies. 
  • A rich family earned their fortune through blood diamonds. “Diamonds mined using child and other slave labor in conditions of unimaginable hardship and wickedness.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • When Harper’s dad forgets his passport, he says, “What a bone-headed peanut brained dingbat I am.”
  • When a husky injures his foot, Kat tells it, “I’m going to disinfect and tape up your paw. It’ll hurt like hell.”

Supernatural

  • When Kat meets Riley, she gives Riley a picture of her Savanna Cat, Tiny. When Riley says the cat photo helped save her life, Kat explains that Tiny’s “spirit kept her going when she was lost in a blizzard.”

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Lost Girl

When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark. The twins have always had each other’s back and their bond was so strong that they never felt alone. They shared their looks as well as their thoughts and feelings. Lark was the extension of Iris and vice versa, and they were always better off together. 

However, things change when they are put in separate classes in fifth grade. They are in unfamiliar surroundings without their other half. For the first time, they have to make new friends and acquaint themselves with new teachers, new routines, and new challenges. Despite the grownups telling them that this is the best decision, Iris and Lark do not agree.  

Iris’s heart aches because she misses her sister’s constant presence. She had always been confident with Lark by her side, but now she has to navigate the scary and unfamiliar world of fifth grade alone. Lark, on the other hand, finds herself hiding in a world of her own as she struggles to adapt to the changes. The once inseparable twins now feel the weight of their individuality. 

At the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them. Things both great and small go missing. The girls can’t help but feel a sense of unease as they notice their world changing. When Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it is up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe. Iris starts paying attention to her surroundings and taking note of suspicious activities. With each passing day, Iris becomes more determined to protect her sister and unravel the mystery of the missing things. 

The Lost Girl is an incredibly touching story that celebrates the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, and the beauty of individuality. The story follows two sisters, Iris and Lark, as they navigate the challenges of life, and come out on the other side stronger and more resilient. The reader experiences the twins’ journey and is drawn into the world of Iris and Lark by their intricate relationship. Since the story is told from the third-person perspective, the narrative style creates a sense of mystery around the identity of the speaker, which adds an intriguing element. While this narrative style has its benefits, it can also be confusing at times. For instance, the speaker seems to have knowledge of the girls’ internal thoughts, which can sometimes make it difficult to discern who is thinking or talking. However, black and white pictures appear once each chapter and provide a visual element that helps readers fully immerse themselves in the story. 

Throughout The Lost Girl the reader is reminded of the transformative power of change, and how even the most difficult situations can lead to personal growth and a greater understanding of yourself. However, The Lost Girl could benefit from a more developed and connected plot. The mystery and magic elements are not clearly explained which may cause confusion and disconnect readers. While the beginning seems to crawl along at a snail’s pace, the imbalance between the explanation behind the mystery and the deep development of the main characters leaves the ending feeling rushed.  

The Lost Girl presents a heartwarming tale about the bond of sisterhood and the journey towards self-discovery. While the plot development has some flaws, specifically with the integration of mystery and magic, the novel still offers wonderful life lessons.  Additionally, the themes of individuality, family connection, and the power of friendship are sure to strike a chord with many readers. Readers longing for books similar to The Lost Girl should also read the Legend of Eerie-on-Sea Series by Thomas Taylor and Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Mr. Green, the man who owns the antique shop, invites Iris to stay with him. When she refuses, Mr. Green tries to force Iris to stay. Before anything can occur, Duchess, Mr. Green’s cat, comes to Iris’s aid. “A yowling sound—then Mr. Green yelled, ‘Ow!’ Duchess was at his ankle, biting. Iris wrenched free from his grasp and ran forward, and then heard another yowl, this time in pain. Mr. Green kicked the cat. Then his hand wrapped around her shoulder again, and the next thing she knew, she was being thrown into the doorway marked office.” Duchess and Mr. Green remain mostly unharmed, but Iris is left trapped in the room. 
  •  Mr. Green attempts to get close to Iris because he plans to use magic to transform her into a doll. Iris “dove over to the shelves with the jars of magic, grabbed one, and hurled it at Mr. Green. He yelled and ducked out of the way. The jar exploded on the wall, and the magic inside splattered and oozed and steamed and hissed, and Mr. Green slapped his hands over his face and screamed.” Iris temporarily halts the attack, but wounds Mr. Green with a magic substance.  
  • The girls from Camp Awesome, the after-school camp Iris attends, attempt to save Iris from Mr. Green. Unfortunately, the girls are no match for the size and strength Mr. Green possesses. Mr. Green “swore, then threw Hannah across the room and kicked Lark in the stomach. She stumbled backwards. Iris dove to her.” Hannah and Lark are wounded slightly. The girls are left trapped listening to the demands of Mr. Green. 
  • Iris agrees to go with Mr. Green as long as he allows the other girls to go free. To ensure she doesn’t leave, he binds her to a chair. Mr. Green “growled at her. And then he duct-taped one arm to the chair. Then the other. Then he bound her ankles. And then her mouth.”  
  • The girls continue to fight Mr. Green and they use their intelligence to outwit him. They formulate a plan to shove him into the magic well. “Then several things happened at once. Mr. Green pushed the door open. As he did, Lark jumped backward. A crow let out a cry and dove toward him. He whirled around, and out of nowhere Duchess came barreling forward, right toward his ankles. He bobbled. Lark thrust out her hands and pushed. He slipped backward. And he fell.” The girls defeat Mr. Green and escape. After he falls into the well, it is presumed that he is dead and unable to come back up from the magic water within. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Tommy Whedon, Lark’s sworn enemy, makes fun of Iris in the hallway. “You’re a psycho, you know that?” Iris retaliates by calling him a mole rat and blowfish.  
  • Tommy Whedon became Lark’s enemy when he called her crow girl. “And at recess, Tommy told Iris she was nasty and ugly and bossy and no one liked her, and Lark didn’t talk for the rest of the day. Somehow their parents got wind of the ‘mole rat’ comment and Iris got a talking-to about name calling. Meanwhile people whispered Freak and Crow Girl at Lark for the rest of the year.” This nickname pops up a couple of times.  

Supernatural  

  • Lark is imaginative and believes there is magic in even the most mundane things. Lark believes her teacher to be an ogre because he made fun of her and seems out of place as a fifth-grade teacher. “‘I am pretty sure,’ [Lark] said, voice intent, ‘that Mr. Hunt is an ogre’…To Lark an ogre took great pride in his collection of children’s hearts and when the other ogres would come over for dinner (usually ogres serve yak to guests) he would show his treasure, boasting about how he had the finest collection in the land. He’d take the jar off the shelf and tell the great and glorious story of the capture of the child the heart once belonged to.” This is a thought Lark brings up repeatedly throughout the text and she continues to theorize about why she believes Mr. Hunt is an ogre. 
  • Iris sees a cat, Duchess, travel thorough a clock.  
  • Duchess leads Iris behind a curtain where Iris discovers a whole house. Not only is it almost the size of a mansion, but there are remarkable pieces of art scattered throughout. Mr. Green says, “I told you I had magic. You kept saying it was science.”  
  • Mr. Green use magic to make a compass using water and create a battery out of a potato.  
  • Mr. Green gains power by accessing wells of magic. He shows Iris a new well that is hidden inside his mansion. “Iris shook her head slightly as if to clear it. It was a well of magic. Magic was a thing, something you could scoop up like water.” Iris has a hard time comprehending the magic.  
  • Inside Mr. Green’s office, Iris discovers more magic. “One wall of shelving was lined with wooden carvings, and perched right in front of it was a big shiny black-and-gold sewing machine with a foot pedal. Another was filled with sealed jam jars of shimmering magic.”  
  • Mr. Green explains magic’s power. “The magic is hard to work with, but it does excel at one thing in particular . . . It excels at transformation. This is very useful when you need to walk out of a museum with a painting or take a sculpture the size of a semi-truck out of a public garden. It can also be useful in other ways. And I think, Miss Maguire, I know the best way to keep you. . . Perhaps I can give you as a gift to [my lost sister] after all.” He explains to Iris that he could use the magic to transform Iris into a doll for his sister.  
  • The explanation behind who the narrator is brought full circle and revealed as Mr. Green’s lost sister, Alice. It is learned that Alice turned herself into a crow and that she’s the giant crow following the girls throughout the story. “Iris was right — I did run from you. You locked me in a room, you said it was for my own good, and I pulled all the magic I could from the room and turned myself into a crow. I made a tool to open the latch and flew out the window. Crows are very good with tools. Magic has a cost. You gave your humanity willingly for it. I gave mine, too, but in a different way. I like my way better.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

United We Spy

Cammie has finally discovered why the Circle wanted her dead. Once upon a time, she had seen a list of the Circle founders. Now that Cammie’s mother has the list, she and her most trusted allies are determined to track down the masterminds of the Circle and arrest them. But they are not the only ones hunting them. A splinter group of the Circle is also tracking the founders down; their goal is not to arrest, but to kill. One by one, members of the Circle arebeing picked off. But before one dies, he warns Cammie that the Circle is planning something big, and the wheels are already in motion.  

To make matters even worse, the Winters are one of the names on the list of Circle founders. Macey swears Preston Winters can’t know that his father is in the Circle, but with tensions as high as they are, Preston may be guilty by association. When he and his father are whisked off to a secret, high-security prison, Macey fears Preston isn’t safe even there. Those worries are proved right when his father is killed by a mole while in prison. Cammie and her friends are left with no choice—they must break Preston out before it’s too late. 

The mysteries of the Circle are being solved one by one, yet Cammie continually feels one step behind the Circle’s plot. As the dominoes begin to topple, Liz warns that the building tension will lead to World War III. Cammie will do anything—even give her own life—to stop the cascade before it’s too late. 

United We Spy is full of action, tension, and the satisfaction of a long-brewing mystery resolved. Cammie and her usual cast of friends and family will stop at nothing to prevent the Circle from starting World War III. The question is, can they stop the chain of events before they reach a critical mass? And even if they can, what will be the price they have to pay? Through first-person narration, Carter creates an exciting story full of relatable characters and action-packed sequences. Readers may want to have a box of tissues handy as they close the final chapter of this epic saga.   

Sexual Content  

  • Cammie sees her aunt Abby kiss Agent Townsend. “On the Tarmac, Agent Townsend whispered something to Abby, then squeezed her hand and kissed her softly when he didn’t think we were watching.”  
  • Zach and Cammie kiss several times. Most kisses are described in one to three sentences. For example, “Zach’s hand was warm in mind, and I didn’t feel the chill, even when he stopped me on the stairs, pressed me against the wall, and kissed me. Softly at first, then more urgently, hungrily. It was like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.”  
  • Another time, Zach and Cammie kiss. “I brushed my lips across his mouth, lightly at first, teasing. Tasting. And then his lips parted and the moment was over.”  

Violence  

  • When Cammie and Bex go to arrest Sir Walker, a member of the Circle, Zach’s mom beats them there and kills him. Cammie gets there and she “heard the hiss of the bullet, saw the dark spot that grew on Sir Walter’s chest, and watched him fall to his knees . . . A drop of blood ran from his lips. As the life drained out of him, he toppled over onto the floor, never to defy us—or anyone—again.”  
  • A member of the Circle launches a grenade at Cammie. Cammie describes, “Blood ran into my eyes. The grenade must have struck a gas line, because smoke swirled all around me and I could feel the heat of the explosion at my back.”  
  • Cammie and her friends are in a car crash during a getaway chase. “The crash came too fast—too hard. One second we were careening along the Roman streets, and the next there was nothing but the screech of tires and the crunch of metal. I felt myself falling, tumbling in the back of the truck as it flipped onto its side. Sparks and scraping metal.”  
  • Cammie hears Preston’s dad get shot in the next room. Cammie “jumped over the partition and into the other room . . . blood stained the concrete. His face looked almost peaceful as he stared up at me and gave me one last smile. ‘Save Preston,’ he whispered, eyelids fluttering. And then he died.”  
  • When outsiders come for Cammie, the Grand Hall of the Gallagher Academy breaks out into chaos. “Seventh graders jumped onto the backs of FBI agents. Seniors squared off against the CIA. It wasn’t cat versus mouse; it was spy versus spy.” No one was seriously injured. The fight takes place over two pages.
  • While infiltrating a prison, Zach attacks a guard. Cammie “stepped into the hall just in time to see Zach haul back and head-butt the guard, knocking him to the floor.” Later on the way out of the prison, Macey takes out some guards. “A guard rounded the corner and Macey dropped to the ground, knocking the man’s feet out from beneath him. Another guard followed so closely behind that they became tangled together, falling.”  
  • After escaping from the prison, Cammie realizes Bex has been shot. Cammie “looked at Bex just as she unzipped her heavy down jacket. Blood stained her shirt spreading across her shoulder and dripping down her side.” Bex survives.  
  • Cammie and her friends are close to a bomb that detonates. “There was nothing but a cloud of smoke and terror. People screamed . . . The force of the blow had knocked [Cammie] to the ground, and my side ached . . . A man stumbled through the crowd, his face so covered in blood that I couldn’t even tell what damaged had been done.”  
  • When Zach’s mother turns herself in, Cammie hits her because she is angry. Cammie “pulled back my fist and punched with all my might.”  
  • Cammie lunges at a man with a gun and is shot. “He fired. Once. Twice. Blinding pain coursed through me, but I didn’t stop. I just kept running toward him, catching his gun hand in my arms and spinning.” 
  • While rescuing Amirah, a fellow Gallagher girl, Cammie is shot. Cammie then kills the man who attacked her and Amirah. “Pain seared through me again—a hot, burning stab . . . I took aim at the very place Amirah had been just seconds before and pulled the trigger . . . [Amirah] crawled away from the man who was falling to the ground. His blood was on her shirt, but she didn’t seem to be in any pain.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When taken to a top-secret prison, Cammie is drugged so that she cannot reveal its location. “In the next second a syringe was in Agent Edward’s hand, and the needle was in my arm, and just that quickly my mother’s office began to spin, the whole world spiraling quickly into black.”  
  • A teacher at the Gallagher Academy developed Napotine patches, which knock a person out. These are used several times. Once, Bex “slapped [a guard] hard across the face . . . the man looked almost amused for a moment before the strength slipped out of his limbs and he crumbled to the floor. The other guard was struggling to his feet, but Macey was already on him, attaching yet another Napotine patch to the back of his neck.”  
  • Liz drugs Zach’s mother with a concoction stronger than truth serum. “Liz’s concoction entered her bloodstream. It was like she was growing drunk and sleepy. Her eyelids were heavy.”  

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Secret of White Stone Gate

After the events of The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane, Emmy goes home to Connecticut for summer break. Now she has returned to England for the new semester at Wellsworth, but there’s a catch—her mom wants her to spend time with and be under the strict rules of her mom’s cousin, Lucy. On top of this, upon returning to Wellsworth, Emmy begins receiving threats from Jonas, a leader in the Order of Black Hollow Lane, who tried to kill her in the previous book. Jonas wants information about her father and the medallions that she stole from the Order and he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Emmy realizes the reality of her situation when her friend, Lola, is framed for stealing money from a charity fundraiser causing her to be expelled. Emmy must navigate dealing with the constant threats from the Order. Should she give them what they want so that they stop hurting her friends? Or is there another way?

A major theme in The Secret of White Stone Gate is betrayal. Emmy’s favorite teacher, John Barlowe, discusses betrayal in his class. He says, “Brutus betrayed Caesar during the Golden Age of Rome, Henry the Second betrayed Thomas Becket in the twelfth century, and it goes on and on. Sometimes greed and power become stronger than friendship.” This theme is reflected in Emmy’s discovery that her dad had been friends with Jonas, the leader of the Order, but Jonas betrayed him and now is part of the group of people trying to find and kill her dad. 

Desperation to get what one wants is also a topic since the Order demonstrates they are willing to manipulate children. For example, it is revealed that Emmy’s friend, Jack, has a younger brother named Oliver who the Order forced to frame Lola. Isolation and struggling to make friends, combined with the Order’s manipulation, forced Oliver to frame Lola. However, Emmy and her friends do not get angry or act cruelly toward Oliver because they realize an important lesson, “We’re your friends, and you need to know that the Order isn’t your only option.” Emmy and her friends demonstrate true friendship which in turn teaches Oliver that he doesn’t need the Order for a sense of community. 

At long last, Emmy is able to reconnect with her dad. He reveals that he has been secretly watching her, maintaining disguises all along. He explains, “I knew Jonas would be following you. I had to be there. I had to make sure you were safe. I tried to help [Lola] too, but it wasn’t easy to get to her.” Her dad is able to explain why he left her and her mom all those years ago. He says, “[the Order] knew I had a twelve-year-old American daughter. [The Order] found out I was alive and had a family, but [they] didn’t know your name or where you were. I had to run to keep you safe.” Though at first, Emmy struggles to overcome her anger that her dad left, she realizes that what matters most is that her dad is alive and loves her. 

The story neatly wraps up with the Order believing that Emmy’s father is dead. Emmy finally feels that she and her family are free “since you [Emmy] cannot get what [the leader of the Order] wants, we have decided to pursue other avenues. You are no longer of any interest to the Order.” Knowing that Emmy and her friends are safe leaves Emmy feeling happy that she will finally get a chance to “do all the things normal kids got to do . . . Well, maybe they’d never be totally normal.” 

Readers who enjoyed the first book in this two-part series, The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane, will enjoy the strengthening friendship between Emmy, Lola, and Jack. Overall, The Secret of White Stone Gate will keep readers on the edge of their seats as it shows the importance of enjoying the little moments with your friends and loved ones. Readers who are eager for more fun mysteries should also read Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki and Jada Sly Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston.

Sexual Content 

  • Emmy notices Sam, a new student at Wellsworth. “He pushed some floppy blond hair out of his eyes and smiled at something he was reading. Emmy’s stomach fluttered in a way that it usually only did for famous, good-looking soccer players.”
  • When Sam says hi to Emmy, “Emmy prayed no one would notice her cheeks getting hot.”
  • Emmy and Sam work together to help set up a school charity event. “Every once in a while, if Sam made her laugh or accidentally brushed her hand, she’d feel a giant swoop behind her belly button. Those swoops seemed to have a direct connection to her ears, making them hot and flushed. Thank goodness she could hide her ears behind her hair.”
  • Emmy appreciates that “[Sam] was sacrificing a lot for Lola, even though he barely knew her. She imagined being with Sam, Lola, and Jack, sitting around the fire, just being normal friends. And maybe being more than friends with Sam.”

Violence 

  • Reflecting on events from the previous book in the series, “Emmy shivered. She always did that when talking about the old head of security, Jonas. She had trusted him, but he was the one who had caught her in the tunnels, chased her into the belfry of an old church, and tried to kill her.”
  • Emmy finds a threatening note in her room from Brother Loyola, the head of the group that attempted to kill Emmy in the previous book, “In case you were wondering, I’m always keeping an eye on you.”
  • Emmy’s friend Lola is framed for stealing money from the school’s charity fundraiser. Then Emmy receives a threatening video message from a member of the Order. He says, “Tell us where your father is, or your friend will get far worse than expulsion.”
  • At her new school, Emmy’s best friend Lola is attacked by two students. Lola says, “My face is hurting pretty bad, and my hand is killing me from trying to hit them back . . . I managed to stay off the ground, though, otherwise, it would have been a lot worse.”
  • While Emmy is visiting Lola, Jonas, the leader of the Order, suddenly appears and threatens her and her friends. Emmy is afraid so “her hands started to shake. Should she run? Should she scream? Jonas wouldn’t try to hurt her in broad daylight with all these people around . . . would he?”
  • Jonas threatens Emmy’s friend, Lola. Jonas says, “Such a shame about what happened this week. I hope [Lola] isn’t too banged up. You don’t think that’ll be the end of it, do you . . . we’d always find [Lola].”
  • Jonas tells Emmy, “If you value your dear friend’s life, I’d suggest you try a little harder to find your dear old dad.”
  • When Emmy still refuses to tell Jonas where her dad and the medallions are, he says, “It doesn’t seem like you’re getting the message, so let me make it clear. I hurt [Lola]. I hurt your roommate. Here’s the next person on my list.” He then pulls out a photograph of him with Emmy’s mom and says, “Get me what I want, or I’ll bury her.” 
  • Emmy and her dad are chased by several cars carrying members of the Order. The Order is trying to kill them, and her dad decides the only way for them to escape is for him to fake his own death. He grabs an air tank, “It will let me breathe underwater.” Then as they approach a bridge over a large body of water, “the door flew open and her dad leapt onto the railing. Emmy screamed. He didn’t look back. He just disappeared over the edge.” After he landed in the water, Emmy’s dad was able to safely get away, convincing the Order that he is really dead. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • The characters occasionally use mild insults like git, prat, or stupid.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • The leader of the malicious group threatening Emmy and her dad is referred to as “Brother Loyola,” as one would refer to a priest. 

Mystery of the Egyptian Amulet

When the Nile town of Thebes is threatened by a scarab-amulet eating ghost, Zet is determined to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Zet’s best friend, a jeweler’s apprentice, is in trouble. Could the ghost and his best friend’s ominous master be connected somehow?

As if he didn’t have enough trouble, special orders have gone missing at Zet’s family pottery stall. With angry customers on his hands, his family’s reputation is going downhill fast. Soon the investigation becomes a race against time. Zet and his sister, Kat, must solve the ever-twisting puzzle before it destroys the people they love. 

Zet is an extremely likable protagonist who isn’t afraid to face danger to help the people around him. When Zet suspects that his best friend, Hui, is in danger, he does what comes to him naturally—he investigates the jeweler’s compound where Hui works. When he investigates, Zet is often impulsive; however, his intentions are always honorable. Zet’s fun personality, his mystery-solving skills, and his bravery make him shine. By the end of the book, readers will be wishing Zet was their best friend.

Mystery of the Egyptian Amulet is an engaging story that will appeal to anyone who likes a fast-paced mystery. Readers will also enjoy learning what life was like in ancient Egypt. Even though Zet is only twelve years old, he is responsible for running his family’s pottery stall as well as providing for his mother and younger brother. Zet takes this responsibility seriously, and while he worries about not being able to care for his family, he never complains about his lot in life. Likewise, even though his sister can be annoying, he treats her kindly and even appreciates her knowledge (although, he doesn’t let her know this!). 

The Mystery of the Egyptian Amulet’s danger and mystery will captivate readers. While they will enjoy trying to solve the clues, the best part of the Kid Detective Zet Series is Zet, an interesting character who has many positive character traits despite being impulsive enough to get into some sticky situations. Even though Zet often runs from thugs, the story is kid-friendly with plenty of suspense without being scary. The story’s short chapters and easy vocabulary also make the book perfect for reluctant readers. The Kid Detective Zet Series is a highly entertaining series that will hook kids on reading. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Zet’s best friend, Hui, is an apprentice for a jeweler. When Zet tries to see Hui, a guard tells Zet to leave. When Zet “didn’t move, the man cracked his meaty fingers. . . . the man grabbed his arm and twisted Zet into a headlock.” The guard says, “Makes a funny noise when your neck breaks. Crunch-like.” The next day Zet shows his sisters the bruises the guard gave him.
  • Hui says he must be careful of the jeweler or, “He’ll make me disappear. I know that’s what happened to his partner.” 
  • The police chief tells Zet to be careful because “a servant was attacked in Khonsu Street and almost killed. He was found unconscious, his head bleeding.” 
  • Zet tries to sneak into the jeweler’s house. When he jumps over a fence, “three large hounds crouched at the open door to the house. The snarling dog bared its teeth. . . They bore down on him in a flash of teeth and fur. . . Teeth caught hold of his ankle. He felt skin tear. He wrenched his leg free. . .” Zet got free and ran. His wound is not described. 
  • Zet knows the jeweler is planning on hiding stolen jewels in bread. To catch the jeweler stealing, Zet dresses like a demon. When he went into town, “people fell back in shock.” People began running which allowed Zet to get close to the cart with the hidden jewels.
  • When Zet begins throwing bread out of the cart, the jeweler’s guard, Snaggletooth, “snatched Zet’s ankle. Meaty fingers took hold of Zet’s oiled skin. Zet wrenched backward. . .” 
  • When Zet crawls into the cart, “someone shoved him hard. . . He flew forward. . . he saw Sanaggletooth’s sword chop down.” Zet is uninjured. The scene is described over three pages. 
  • Another one of the jeweler’s guards tries to get Zet. “The henchman landed a glancing blow against Zet’s leg with his club. Nails scraped down his shin. If it had been any closer, it would have broken Zet’s leg. . .” The injury is not described. 
  • When the jeweler’s guards are detained, Zet finds Hui hidden at the bottom of the bread cart. “Hui’s arms and legs were bound tightly to his side. The medjay [police chief] whipped out his blade and cut the bindings free.” Hui is uninjured.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • When the police chief went to investigate a man’s residence, the man “sat back drinking wine while we turned the place upside-down.” 

Language 

  • Zet sneaks into the jewelry apprentice shop with Kat. When she makes a loud noise, Zet thinks, “Wormsnot and bettledung! He was a complete idiot. . .”
  • Kat uses “by the gods” as an exclamation once. 
  • When surprised, Zet yells, “What in the name of the gods?”

Supernatural

  • There is a rumor that an evil army of spirits is coming to town. A shopkeeper says, “They’re creeping into town. Stirring up trouble. Casting dark dreams.” The spirits are accused of stealing scarab amulets. The man explains, “And you know how important scarabs are to Egypt. They ensure long life. They ensure birth. Creation. Balance.”
  • Kat worries that the rumors are true because of the war. She says, “The Hyksos spirits probably are mad. And you know they can’t be burying the enemy Hyksos soldiers properly, with the war going on.” 
  • When Hui acts strangely, Kat thinks he has been “hypnotized, or worse, possessed.” 

Spiritual Content 

  • When giving the time of day, the text refers to the sun god. For example, when Zet walked to work, “the sun god spilled his rays over the rooftops.” 
  • When splurging on a litter to carry her, Hui’s mom says, “The gods know I don’t indulge in luxury much.”
  • Because of the strange things happening, some people were frightened. While walking, Zet “passed a man painting a protection symbol on his front door, and chanting what sounded like a spell.”
  •  A man opened a new shop. “Protection amulets of every kind swung from his awning. There were oil lamps with strange symbols, Hyksos spirits probably; heady, acrid-smelling incense burned, and he was stirring liquid in a pot and chanting.” 
  • When Zet’s mom travels down river to find out about a missing shipment, Zet prays, “Please, let her have found out about the shipment.” 
  • Hui made his mother “a tiny gold statue of Maat, Goddess of Truth. The goddess looked ready to do her job – to greet people when they arrived in the afterlife.”
  • In his room, Hui had a statue of “Bes – Hui’s family God. . . Sure he protected their household, like all family gods did, but Bes also loved to stir up trouble. Generally of the entertaining kind.”  
  • Zet passes a temple that had a pool of water in front of the doors. Hui thinks, “Everyone knew the temple pools were doorways into the underworld.” He hurries past the temple.
  • When Zet’s mom doesn’t return home as expected, he prays. “Zet went straight to the household shrine. He knelt in front of the statue of Bastet. The cat goddess regarded him with her gold-rimmed eyes. He lit one of the incense for her . . . ‘Please bring Mother and Apu home safe,’ he whispered.” 

The Tombs of Anak

An angry terror lurks at the bottom of a dark pit . . . 

Jay and Lila Cooper are back for another adventure, this time in search of a young treasure-seeker whose ambitions drove him to the bottom of a pit, never to return. In their struggle to understand what happened to him, the Coopers learn of a greedy, man-eating creature known as Ha-Raphah, who terrorizes the locals into worshiping him. Although they are certain he is extremely dangerous, Jay and Lila are determined to uncover the truth.

When an ancient Philistine tomb is discovered, the archeologists enter a vast system of chambers with deadly traps. This setting gives The Tombs of Anak a similar tone to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Along the way, Dr. Cooper, his team, and his children meet the Yahrim people, who worship the cruel god named Ha-Raphah. Dr. Cooper also meets Ben-Arab, a local man who knows more about the Yahrim people than he is willing to admit. As the group investigates, danger lurks around every corner, and much of the action occurs in the dead of the night when Ha-Raphah stalks his prey. 

Even in the face of danger, the Coopers rely on God and refuse to bow down and worship Ha-Raphah. The concept of only worshiping Jesus Christ is reinforced. The story also teaches the dangers of power and greed. Dr. Cooper explains, “Greed is a sin, and lust for power is a sin. . . We might start with just a little bit of greed or just a little bit of power, but that greed and that power just keep growing, and we keep wanting more and more, until finally we can’t control them anymore—they control us.” Even though The Tombs of Anak teaches biblical principles, the lessons are integrated into the story and never seem forced.

In The Tombs of Anak the mystery of the Yahrim, the interesting characters, and the heart-stopping chases will capture readers’ attention from the start and keep them flipping the pages until the very end. In the exciting conclusion, one man steps up to become the Yahrim’s leader and—unlike his predecessor—the man knows his people “need a God who is real, who is loving, who truly cares for them and does not use them for his own gain.” 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • One of Cooper’s men is lowered into a pit in an ancient tomb. He screams and then disappears. Later, they discover the man was killed.
  • While on a trail, the Coopers see a goatherder. “Before Jay and Lila knew what was happening, a tangled blur of skins, rags, hair, and flailing arms dropped on their father, knocking him to the ground . . . The little man swung the staff, and Dr. Cooper ducked it as it whistled over his head once, then twice. On the third try, he was able to grab it, give it a yank, and then trip the little man with a well-placed foot.” The man warns them that his god, Ha-Raphah, eats men “when he is angry.” 
  • While exploring the tomb, the Coopers and a local man named Ben-Arab are chased by the Yahrim holy men, who are dressed as animals and carrying spears. “The Wolf was near the door. He reached up with his spear and threw a lever on the wall. There was a grinding sound. . an immense slab of stone began to drop into the opening. The room would soon be sealed shut. . .” The group escapes the room but is chased. 
  • As the Coopers run from the strange men, they get lost in the tomb. They run into a room. “They had fallen right at the feet of the Hawk, the horned demon, and the Wolf. Hideous, living idols stood all around them, and the points of a dozen deadly spears were right under their noses. . . They were surrounded.” The Coopers are taken to the Yahrim’s leader, Mara the Sorceress. The chase scene is described over four pages.
  • After a brief discussion between Mara the Sorceress and Dr. Cooper, “Sudden terror filled the room like an explosion. With stony indifference and one deadly move, the Hawk grabbed Jay by his hair and held him in his chair with an iron grip. Just as quickly, the Wolf did the same to Lila. . . Then with a droning, metallic ring, the Hawk and the Wolf each drew out a glimmering, razor-sharp sword and brought the edge right up to each child’s throat.” After Dr. Cooper solves two riddles, the kids are set free.
  • While Dr. Cooper is talking to Mara the Sorceress, he “notices the faint nod of the woman’s head and the shadow of the Wolf falling across his chair. The Wolf’s powerful arm took hold of Dr. Cooper’s head as the beast’s sword came at his throat, but Dr. Cooper’s legs flipped up in a flash and clamped around the Wolf’s neck. . . The Wolf sailed over the chair.” No one is injured. 
  • As Lila is gathering firewood, she follows a cry and finds a lamb in a ravine. As she climbs up the ravine, Ben-Arab and Dr. Cooper “saw Lila far below, scrambling up the rocks, fleeing for her life. They could see a huge, black, hideous thing right behind her. . .” The Yahrim “surged like angry waves all around them. Dr. Cooper hurried up the trail, ducking spears and arrows as he carried Lila.” Ben-Arab “fired his rifle this direction, then that, in front, behind, spinning and looking about.” The Yahrim flee. No one is injured. 
  • After Lila saves the sacrificial lamb, Ha-Raphah punishes the shepherd. “Ben-Arab took a look inside the house, and his face immediately twisted with horror and disgust. Jeff [an archeologist working for Dr. Cooper], shocked, slumped against the wall, taking deep breaths to recover. . . Jeff shook his head in horror and amazement. ‘I’ve hunted grizzlies and Kodiaks and never seen any of them that can do this.’”
  • One night, while waiting for Ha-Raphah to appear, Mara the Sorceress is attacked. When Dr. Cooper finds her, she says, “Anak Ha-Raphah. . . He is silent, invisible. . . He carried me like the wind.” Mara the Sorceress dies, but her injuries are not described.
  • As Dr. Cooper and his men search for Ha-Raphah, the Yahrim attack. “Arrows ricocheted off the rocks and skipped end over end along the ground. From above came the angry war cries of the Yahrim archers. . . [Dr. Cooper] scrambled down the trail, crouching, dodging, dashing from cover to cover. . an arrow just nicked his sleeve. Jeff must have seen the archer—his rifle shot echoed and rumbled through the hills.”
  • In a multi-chapter conclusion, Ha-Raphah traps the kids in the underground tunnels of the tombs. Ha-Raphah chases them. “They rose from their hiding place and started quickly and silently down the tunnel in the dark. . . Lila went down hard, and her flashlight clattered across the floor. Jay groped in the dark, trying to find her. She was kicking, crying out, struggling.” Ha-Raphah tries to grab her, but Lila escapes.
  • Ha-Raphah corners Jay and Lila. Jay knocks Lila to the ground right before “the sword came down in a flashing arc. . . They dashed across the room as the sword rose high in the air, held by a menacing, unthinkably huge hand. . . They leaped aside just in time as the sword came down like a bolt from a thundercloud and sparks flew from the rocks.”
  • The Cooper kids trick Ha-Raphah into setting off one of his own traps, and then they climb up a narrow ledge, trying to reach a ventilation shaft. “The monster burst into the room like an angry bull, still wielding that huge sword, but his wound was still bleeding. . . The beast came at them with footsteps that shook the whole room.” The kids slide down the shaft and escape.
  • Ha-Raphah finds the kids in another room. Jay and Lila set off a trip lever that closes the door. “With a sudden roar of ropes and a grinding of stone, the huge slab dropped like an avalanche on the giant’s shoulder driving him to the floor and pinning him there as the big sword clattered out of his hand. . . Anak’s roaming hand found a large rock. . . Jay didn’t see the rock coming. It struck him in the right shoulder and he went tumbling like a tenpin, stunned and senseless, unable to see anything but a spinning blur. . .”
  • When Dr. Cooper finds Ha-Raphah and his kids, he throws a ruby at Ha-Raphah. The giant lunges for the precious stone and “Anak let out a horrible scream and dove headlong after the flying ruby, catching it in his outstretched hand. The pit was waiting for him. His huge body came down like a giant tree. . . .” Ha-Raphah “dropped into the chasm with a final roar of hate.” He is presumed dead.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Dr. Cooper, his two kids, and the other members of his group are Christians. Throughout the book there are many references to God and the characters pray often. Since the book is Christian fiction, not all the references are mentioned below.
  • The Yahrim people worship Anak Ha-Raphah. Their leader, Mara the Sorceress, explains, “The tombs belong to Anak Ha-Raphah himself, and we are the Yahrim, who fear Anak as one fears death and who worship him in his tombs. He is our fearsome god.” 
  • Mara the Sorceress is a direct descendant of Anak and “his High Priestess, appointed by Ha-Raphah himself . . . As such, my power and rule over the Yahrim is limitless. Ha-Raphah says it is to be, and it is so.” According to Mara the Sorceress, no one is as mighty as Anak. “His spirit is everywhere. . . silent, cunning, more vicious than you can possibly imagine. He watches us all, but is never seen; he kills, and not a sound is heard. We always know where he has been, but never where he will be.”
  • The Coopers go into an ancient Philistine tomb where they unearth “an ancient temple of Dagon, the bizarre half-fish god of the Philistines” where they see “the eerie stone image of Dagon himself, staring down at them with a fiery expression.” 
  • When the Coopers learn about the locals’ belief in a God named Ha-Raphah, Dr. Cooper discusses the biblical story of Joshua. “The lord commanded Joshua to drive out all the ungodly inhabitants of the land. He didn’t want His people coming into contact with this kind of moral and spiritual pollution.” 
  • During the exploration of the tomb, the Coopers find a “ceremonial room. A place for pagan rituals.” On the walls were idols. “They were man-sized images of birds, beasts, pagan gods, and monsters, and every one of them was holding a very deadly-looking spear in their Ha-Raphah hands.”
  • The Yahrim holy men dress like idols. “Their costumes evidently portray different qualities of their god: fierceness, cunning, bravery, terror, those sort of things.”
  • When the Coopers are taken to the Yahrim’s leader, Mara the Sorceress, they refuse to bow to her. Dr. Cooper says, “We bow only before the one true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.” When Ha-Raphah threatens the kids with death if they do not worship him, the kids pray: “Lord Jesus, You’re the only God we’ll ever serve. Please help us out of this mess. Help us to think.” Afterward, the kids come up with an escape plan.

Very Bad People

Six years ago, when Calliope was in middle school, her mother lost control of a minivan and plunged into a lake. Calliope and her two sisters, Lorelai and Serafina, survived the crash, but their mother died. The investigation into why the car crashed was inconclusive. Despite the pain of losing their mother, Calliope’s sisters and father were able to move forward. But Calliope has never been satisfied. She suspects that something else is at work behind her mother’s death, and she’s determined to find out what it is.  

Now a junior in high school, Calliope has earned a spot at Tipton Academy – the school her mother once attended. For the first time, she is separating from her family in order to get closer to her mother’s past, hoping that it will bring closure. While Calliope struggles to adjust, she joins Haunt and Rail, a secret society that is responsible for influencing important decisions at the academy. After attending the initiation, Calliope is wary of the society’s role and motives. She also learns that her mother was once a member of Haunt and Rail, or a “Ghost,” too. Feeling that she is closer than ever to discovering her mother’s past, Calliope’s doubts subside as Haunt and Rail secretly – and successfully – launch a campaign to increase pay for the food staff at Tipton. Calliope plunges headfirst into her responsibilities as a Ghost, and she finally feels like she belongs and is inspiring change at Tipton.  

Things start to go awry for Calliope when rumors arise that one of Tipton’s English teachers, Mr. Ellis, is having inappropriate relationships with female students. At first, Haunt and Rail seek to vindicate the affected women, but soon their desire for change becomes more ambitious. Calliope becomes caught up in a crime she never expected as the truth behind her mother’s death comes to light.    

Very Bad People lives up to its title. Readers may pick up this book expecting a boarding school mystery, but they may not be ready for the story’s twists and deceptions. As for the narrator, Calliope is a curious, driven character, who often reflects on her choices. At times, Calliope realizes that she is a bad friend and tries to be better. Plus, she struggles with her allegiance to Haunt and Rail. Even though Calliope is trying to be a good person, she is often complacent even though she knows something is wrong.  

Unfortunately, Very Bad People has many flaws. For example, while Calliope’s complexity makes her more interesting, readers may be surprised by the story’s dark nature. In the end, Calliope’s story feels secondary to the mystery and setting. In addition, her romance with Nico is almost unnecessary. The plot is bogged down with lots of detailed information about the school and a long list of characters that can be difficult to keep track of. Very Bad People is a story for an experienced reader of the mystery genre – not for someone looking for a romance or a detective tale.   

Sexual assault and murder are the main conflicts of this story, and it is very dark at the end. The conclusion shows that Calliope can’t trust anyone—not even her family. The events in the story are traumatic for Calliope and she will never be the same. Regardless, the story has a somewhat happy ending. The conclusion is satisfying because Calliope is finally brave enough to make the right choice.  

Very Bad People is a page-turning thriller. The betrayal between friends and family is shocking to the core and Calliope’s investigation of her mother’s death is thorough – too thorough for her own good, leaving her entangled in a secret society whose motives are questionable. Overall, readers who want a mystery full of twists and turns in an intricate setting should give this story a try, particularly those who enjoy dark academic themes. Readers who aren’t afraid to jump into an exciting book with complicated characters who face evil should read the Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson. Readers who want an excellent mystery that isn’t as graphic should grab a copy of Endangered: A Death on a Deadline Mystery by Kate Jaimet. 

Sexual Content  

  • A few weeks after starting school, Calliope begins dating another student, Nico. They hold hands occasionally. 
  • Calliope and Nico kiss. Nico “leans forward and tilts his chin just slightly to the left. Our lips brush lightly once, then come together, and I am falling, falling, and I don’t have to think anymore.” They kiss a second time but it is not described. 
  • Calliope’s aunt, Mave, is bisexual. She uses the words “bisexual” and “queer” to refer to herself, and she is also married to a woman, Teya.  
  • At a Haunt and Rail celebration, Calliope sees two students kiss. “Akari and Lucas finish their dance and collapse onto the couch to a round of applause and hoots. Her body drapes across his, and he presses his lips to hers.”  
  • Calliope’s sister, Lorelai, says that she kissed a boy.  
  • Mr. Ellis, a teacher at Tipton, is accused of being a predator. It is revealed that he “watches teen porn” on his tablet and that he converses with female students via inappropriate text messages. According to a student, Ellis is responsible for, “Inappropriate touching, sexually explicit speech, and private invitations to visit his faculty apartment without other students or teachers present.” Multiple victims are mentioned in the story, including a girl named Lacy, who committed suicide after what he did to her. In addition, Brit, a member of Haunt and Rail, reveals that Mr. Ellis made sexual advances toward her.  
  • After a student, Aymée, is kicked out of Haunt and Rail, the group retaliates against her by sending pictures to the school. The pictures include depictions of Aymée’s past relationship with a teenage boy while she was in middle school along with a note that suggests she had a relationship with Mr. Ellis. In one of the pictures, Aymée is kissing the teenage boy. 
  • Aunt Mave admits she slept with Kathy (Calliope’s mother’s) ex named Danny. 
  • Calliope’s sister, Lorelai, admits that she knew that Kathy was having an affair with Danny. “I saw them together. . . When I walked into the house. . . Momma wasn’t inside. I went around back, looking for her, and she was in the woods behind the house with some stranger. They were half-naked, rolling around in the pine needles. . . Momma said Danny was her special friend and tried to sell me some bullshit story about what they’d been doing. I didn’t fully get what was happening, but I knew it was bad. I knew what kissing was, obviously.” 

Violence  

  • Calliope’s mother, Kathy, died in a car accident. Kathy, Calliope, and her two sisters, Lorelai and Serafina, were in the car. Calliope frequently remembers this moment and her memory of the incident is crucial to the story’s plot. It is described in detail when Calliope says, “I woke to cold water – rushing in, filling the van, dragging us under. Screams and screams. Only our mother was silent in the front, slumped over the steering wheel . . . ” Calliope continues to describe how she and her sisters were able to escape the van, but had to leave their mother behind.  
  • Aunt Mave tells Calliope a story about a student who died when she went to Tipton. The student, Adam, died on campus and there were rumors that his death may have been a murder and that Haunt and Rail were involved. Mave says, “[Adam] died on campus, right in one of the dorms. Tripped down a flight of stairs in the middle of the night, and no one found him until the next morning.”  
  • Calliope finds out that Haunt and Rail members killed Mr. Ellis by poisoning his food. Calliope sees his dead body. “Mr. Ellis is slumped over in a wooden chair, head, chest, and arms draped across the top of his kitchen table. His eyes are open, empty bowls. A dark pool halos his head and drops down onto the tile. Blood – no, vomit.”  
  • Lorelai admits that she was the one who caused her mom’s car accident. “I never planned for it to happen. . . I just needed the car to stop, and I kept asking Momma, and she told me to be quiet. . . Momma still wouldn’t pull over, so I grabbed the wheel. I just wanted us to turn around, go home, but the van spun out, off the road. Then we were in the lake, and Momma wouldn’t wake up.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • At a Haunt and Rail party, someone brings champagne. No one gets drunk. Calliope takes a sip of it. 
  • Calliope’s classmate carries a flask and drinks from it when she visits Calliope’s room.  

Language  

  • Lucas calls Adam a “douchecanoe” and an “ass.” He curses while he describes Adam’s behavior. “Adam was a total daddy’s boy. He was this uber-privileged asshole. . . Adam was partying on campus… [After curfew] he kept the party going in his room, getting shitfaced by himself.”  
  • Students says “fuck” a few times. For example, one student says, “fuck this meeting” and calls Mr. Ellis a “fucker.”  
  • Akari (another student) says, “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” 
  • “Shit” and “bullshit” are said once.  
  • When the senior Haunt and Rail students accuse Aymée of sabotaging their plan, Aymée says, “I’m not putting my ass on the line,” and, “You’re all fucking brainwashed.” 
  • “Jesus,” “Christ,” and “Oh my God” are all used several times.  

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Last Leopard

Martine, her grandmother, and her best friend, Ben, are off to Zimbabwe to help her grandmother’s friend, Sadie, run her hotel in the Matobo Hills. But when they arrive, Martine realizes that someone wants to run Sadie off her land. Not only that, but hunters and treasure seekers are trying to capture Khan—a legendary giant leopard, rumored to be the rarest in the world. Can Martine help before it’s too late?

Martine is surprised when her grandmother announces they are going to Zimbabwe to help her friend Sadie. When they arrive at the isolated hotel, Martine discovers that Sadie is hiding something. Sadie eventually reveals that Mr. Ratcliffe has been trying to run Sadie out of business so he can hunt the legendary leopard, Khan. When the police unexpectedly arrest Martine’s grandmother and Sadie, Martine, and Ben vow to keep Khan safe even if it means putting themselves in danger. 

The third installment of the Legend of the Animal Healer Series has a darker mood than the previous books because it focuses on Mr. Ratcliffe’s greed and his “canned” hunting business. In order to keep his illegal business in operation, Mr. Ratcliffe bribes corrupt police officers. Mr. Ratcliffe is not content with hunting lions and other dangerous animals. Instead, he is also determined to kill the legendary leopard Khan—even if it means hurting others to obtain his goal.

When Martine’s grandmother and Sadie are arrested, Ngwenya, a local, helps Martine and Ben hide in a local village. This situation gives readers an inside look at the indigenous people who live in the bush. While the Zimbabwe culture is completely different from the United States, the communities shine with beauty even though, like any society, not everyone has pure intentions. The mix of characters that Martine and Ben meet adds interest to the story as well as highlights the negative aspects of greed. In the end, the story clearly shows that money is not important; instead, people only need “love, freedom, and enough to eat.”

The Last Leopard is a fast-paced story that teaches readers the horrors of canned hunting and the need for people to take action to save endangered animals. In the author’s note, St. John explains that illegal hunters have caused “cheetahs, lions, and hippos, animals we thought would be around forever, [to be moved] onto the endangered list, and the leopard, one of the world’s most elusive and beautiful creatures, [to be] in danger of being wiped out. Unless we act soon, we’ll wake up to discover that there is only one last leopard.”

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence

  • According to legend, the tribe elders, including Lobengula, hid a treasure. Lobengula was suspected of “having several of his own brothers murdered.” After the treasure was hidden, “Lobengula ordered all who had buried the treasure to be killed in case they had thoughts of stealing it.”
  • When others went to search for the treasure, their expedition “was cursed. Men were struck down with illness none had ever seen before; charged by elephants or murdered by rivals; one even had his nose licked by a lion just before he was disemboweled.”
  • The story revolves around the practice of canned hunting which is “the wicked and widespread practice of putting lions, leopards, and other dangerous and hard-to-hunt animals in small enclosures so that ‘hunters’ are guaranteed a ‘kill’ or a trophy to hang on their walls.” Mr. Ratcliffe owns the Lazy J [?] which captures animals to be hunted.
  • Martine hears a shot. When she looks through binoculars, she sees “the lion lay dead on the ground. The hunter had one foot on its chest and one hand on his rifle, and he was smiling and posing for photographs. The lion’s blood was leaking out onto his boot, but he didn’t seem to notice.”
  • While in the wilderness, the leopard Khan knocks Martine to the ground. “His great paws thudded against her chest and his claws pierced her skin. She was winded and in pain. She could feel blood trickling down her armpit.” Martine can feel Khan’s hatred and fear as well as his exhaustion “from the endless struggle to survive.” When Khan hears others coming, he runs into the desert.
  • Martine and Ben sneak onto Mr. Ratcliffe’s property, where they find animals ready to be canned hunted. When the owner sees them, Martine and Ben run. As they ran, Khan “jumped from the sky” saving Martine and Ben. A man who witnessed the events says, “There was no shooting. One of the guides went to get his rifle and Khan opened up his chest with a swipe of his paw. That man will be spending many months in the hospital.”
  • To keep Martine and Ben out of the way, Mr. Ratcliffe pays a man named Griffin to kidnap the kids. “They’d been kidnapped at about nine o’clock in the morning and denied food or water until six in the evening because Martine refused to give Griffin any information on her gift.” After Martine pretends to tell the future, Griffin allows the kids to eat. Then, he locks them “in a dusty, windowless storeroom with nothing but a bottle of water, a wooden crate, and a couple of snacks.”
  • To escape from Griffin, Martine and Ben hatch a plan to have the “Enemy of Lions” ants bite Griffin. When the ants begin climbing up Griffin’s legs, he “let out a tormented scream. . . He was leaping, twisting, and screeching like a madman.” Griffin’s friends jump up to detain the kids but “Martine and Ben were ready with the sacks. A single swish sent showers of biting ants all over the men.” The kids escape.
  • Martine and Ben go in search of Khan. While searching, “a hand was clamped over [Martine’s] mouth.” Martine is able to flee, but Griffin follows her. “Griffin grabbed at her ankle and missed. Martine scooped a rock as she dodged him and threw it with all her might. The rock hit the bees’ nest square on.” The bees attack Griffin who “fled down the mountainside.” Later, Martine discovers that police found “a comatose figure by the roadside. . . he was so swollen that one of the constables described him as looking as if he’d been blown up with a bicycle pump.”
  • A guide pulls a gun on Ben, so Ben pretends that he will lead the guides to the leopard. Ben is uninjured. 

Language

  • An adult asks Martine, “What the heck do you think you’re doing?”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A young adult and his friends are looking for the location of the legendary treasure. They want to find the treasure so they can buy luxuries including cigarettes and whiskey. 
  • When a witch doctor is called to help a sick child, he chanted and “took a swig from a brown bottle at his side. . . In between chants, the witch doctor had continued to take long swallows from his brown bottle.” Before the end of the ceremony, the witch doctor passes out drunk.
  • Martine carries a survival kit that contains “three small brown bottles: one for headaches and pain, one to treat Bilharzia, a disease found in Zimbabwean rivers, and one for stomach ailments.” Martine gives the stomach medicine to the sick baby, who recovers.
  • One of Sadie’s workers discovers that the owner of the Lazy J. paid someone to poison the water tank for the cattle on Sadie’s property.

Supernatural

  • There are several witch doctors who use bones and other items to tell the future. One witch doctor tells Martine, “I will throw the bones and tell you what you need to know. . . what you call destiny is written in sand and not in stone.” During the ceremony, the witch doctor “scattered the bones onto the dry earth.”
  • The witch doctor tells Martine and Ben, “You are bound together, but you will be torn apart. When that happens, look to the House of Bees.”
  • Martine has a gift that allows her to feel the emotions of animals as well as heal them. When she finds Khan, who is injured, Martine uses her magic. When Martine uses her gift, she has a vision of “the ancients, the San Bushman. . . and they were chanting with her, encouraging her. . .  a magical energy came from them and passed through her as if she were a lightning conductor.”
  • When Martine’s hands heat up, she puts them on Khan’s wound. “At first the leopard writhed beneath her touch as if her hands were so hot they were singeing him but gradually his muscles relaxed and a peace came over him.” Afterward, Martine uses moss, honey, and super glue to treat Khan’s wound. 

Spiritual Content

  • The people of the Matobo Hills created shrines to worship “Mwali, the High God. Each shrine had its own guardian and they are looked after to this day.”
  • After Martine and Ben are kidnapped, Martine pretends to be ill. When Griffin sees her pale skin, he prays, “Mwali, don’t desert us now.” 

The Red Ghost

Jenna finds the perfect gift for her sister at a neighbor’s garage sale—a beautiful old doll dressed all in red velvet. Jenna can’t believe her luck. Not only does Mrs. Tate seem happy to be rid of the doll, she even gives it to Jenna for free! But when Jenna takes the doll home, trouble begins. First, her best friend gets a creepy feeling whenever she’s around it. Then, the family cat hisses at the doll, and at night Jenna thinks she can hear it moving around in her closet. Finally, when Jenna gives the doll to her sister, she won’t take it. Could the red velvet doll be haunted? And if it is, what can Jenna do? 

In this companion book to The Blue Ghost, Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer creates a spooky story that may scare young readers. At first, Jenna is taken in by the doll’s beauty, but soon after taking the doll home Jenna is frightened because the doll’s eyes seem to be talking to her. The unnatural demeanor of the doll is reinforced when Jenna’s sweet-natured cat attacks it. The doll also scares Jenna’s friend, who thinks the doll can talk. To make matters worse, Jenna’s sister Quinn refuses to take the doll because it is “full.”  

Not wanting to throw the doll in the garbage, Jenna tries to return the doll to her neighbor, Mrs. Tate. The old woman refuses to take the doll because it belonged to her dead sister. However, instead of being sad at the thought of her sister, Mrs. Tate is angry and bitter. Mrs. Tate complains that her mother “used to sit and rock that thing all day long . . . all night, too. Like she was rocking Hazel.” After Hazel’s death, her mother “didn’t seem to care about anybody except Hazel. And when Hazel was gone, she cared about that silly doll instead.” Readers who are dealing with grief may be upset by Mrs. Tate’s anger at her mother and confused when they discover Hazel’s ghost was trapped within the doll.  

From the start, Quinn knew there was something that filled the doll. Later, she explains that the doll held the ghost of Hazel, who was “Happy to go, you know?” Quinn doesn’t know exactly where Hazel went, but Quinn “made ‘away’ sound like a very pleasant place.” The Red Ghost doesn’t explain what happens after death or how Hazel became trapped in the doll. Despite this, the idea that a person’s spirit can become trapped may frighten young readers.  

Even though The Red Ghost is part of the Stepping Stone’s Mystery Series, it creates a creepy mood especially because Jenna is afraid of the doll. The Red Ghost has short chapters, large font, and illustrations. The black and white illustrations appear every three to six pages and will help readers understand the story’s plot. The Red Ghost book is part of the Stepping Stones Series that is specifically written for beginning readers. The series allows readers to explore different genres such as history, humor, mysteries, and classics. 

Readers who are ready for a creepy ghost story will enjoy The Red Ghost’s fast pace and suspense. Readers will relate to Jenna, who isn’t sure what to do with the doll but doesn’t feel it is right to throw her in the garbage. In the end, Jenna doesn’t understand why Hazel’s ghost was trapped in the doll, but she is happy to know that Hazel has moved on and that the doll has a new home with Quinn’s other dolls. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Jenna brings the doll into her bedroom, her cat Rocco attacks it. “Rocco’s yellow eyes were slits. . . Rocco sprang! He swiped at the doll’s face. His claws caught in the lace edge of the bonnet. They caught and held.” Jenna hides the doll in her closet. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Jenna hears the doll crying.  
  • The doll says, “Help me!”  
  • When the doll falls and cracks, “something red was drifting through the crack. . . It seemed like red smoke. The red smoke shaped itself into a girl. . . The red girl stayed joined to the broken doll at first. . . Then slowly, slowly, she broke free.” The girl floats out the window and disappears. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The End of Time

Following the epic conclusion of The Secret Society, Oliver, Mya, and Jorge find themselves at an impasse: The Protectors’ headquarters lie in ruins; the nefarious Octavian is nowhere to be found; and they have no idea how their tampering with the timeline of Poptropica might affect history.  

As our heroes band together to save the mysterious, uncharted island world and find a way home, they are reminded of crucial events from their past—including how they were transported to Poptropica in the first place. The trio suddenly finds itself in the heart of Poptropica, where the Protectors discover the nexus of all time and are offered the opportunity to see what their lives would be like if they could change just one thing from their pasts. But will they choose to go down these alternate paths? 

The End of Time jumps back and forth between the present and the past. The story quickly tells what life was like before Oliver, Mya, and Jorge went to Poptropica. Because of the difficulties the trio faced, the book takes on a more serious tone. Before Poptropica, Mya struggles to deal with her mother’s death. Oliver wonders why his father disappeared from his life. Jorge doesn’t have any friends. Through their experiences, the kids realize “We’ve all lost something along the way. But we’ve gained even more. A friend. A family. Through it all, we’ve become ourselves.” 

As the last book in the series, The End of Time, ties up the loose ends and explains the characters’ backgrounds. However, jumping from different time periods and seeing alternative realities makes the plot more complex and readers may have a difficult time understanding the significance of some of the events. The story explores the importance of overcoming grief and accepting things as they are—not as we wish they would be. The graphic novel strays away from the humor and action of the previous books, and instead, takes on a serious tone to get its message across.  

The conclusion is somewhat bittersweet. Oliver, Mya, and Jorge realize the importance of their friendships, return to their own world, and are happily reunited with their parents. Even though Octavian is portrayed as a villain throughout the story, it’s hard not to feel sorry for him. While some of his actions are not acceptable, he is trying to save his love. While this reinforces the idea of accepting a loss, many readers will not understand the message. 

Each page has brightly colored illustrations that use fun elements such as onomatopoeia—”Krash! Smash! Krak!”—as well as comical characters with oversized eyes. The illustrations clearly show the characters’ varying emotions such as annoyance, fear, and confusion. Some of the pages let the illustrations tell the story without text. Other pages contain up to nine sentences with easy-to-understand vocabulary. Most of the sentences are super short, which makes the book accessible to most readers. 

The Poptropica Series is a fast-paced graphic novel that takes an adventurous trip into the past. With plenty of humor and silly illustrations, the series will entertain readers. If you’re looking for another funny graphic novel that will leave readers smiling, check out Pets on the Loose! by Victoria Jamieson. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Octavia goes back in time to Pompei in order to save the woman he loves. Men in space suits appear and tear Octavian away. Octavian watches the volcano erupt and he knows his love has died. 
  • Jonas, a protector of Poptropica, is injured in an explosion. The explosion was described in the previous book.  
  • In order to make friends, Jorge joins a group of mean boys. They take a child’s toy away and throw it into a mud puddle.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • Dang is used twice. 
  • Heck is used three times. 
  • The characters call each other names such as cheater.  
  • In the past, two mean boys make fun of Jorge and call him a baby, a dweeb, and a dork. 
  • In an alternate reality, Oliver gets a glimpse of his father. Oliver realizes, “my dad is kind of a jerk.”

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Dragon’s Blood

The dense, steamy rainforests of Northern Borne are some of the oldest and most magical in the world. Under the shade of the towering tree canopies majestic elephants and orangutans roam. However, Cruz Coronado is more focused on a tiny leech with a surprisingly painful, slow-healing bite. As the leech inches closer and closer, Cruz wonders if what he discovered at the top-secret Archive is true.   

In The Dragon’s Blood, the sixth installment in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz is still reeling from an explosive revelation. But with Emmett, Sailor, and Lani by his side, he is more determined than ever to track down the next-to-last piece of his mother’s cipher. Nebula is close on their heels, though, and the global hunt for the world-changing serum is riskier than ever. The daring explorers follow clues to an emperor’s tomb, and their studies take them to a rugged island in search of a mysterious animal once thought to be extinct. Just as Cruz feels hopeful about the survival of the species—and his own survival—a voice threatens to make sure his mission hits a dead end. 

The explorers travel to Borneo’s Kinabatangan River Basin in Malaysia where they learn about proboscis monkeys and other animals. Soon after, the explorers travel to the Tasmanian wilderness to place cameras that will capture pictures of the wildlife. However, the wildlife adventures end quickly and the story shifts to focus on Cruz’s search for his mother’s cipher. While Cruz’s travels are full of suspense and surprises, some readers may miss learning more about animals and conservation efforts. 

To find the next piece of the cipher, Cruz and his friends travel to China to search the terracotta soldiers. Similar to the other book, in The Dragon’s Blood the episode with the terracotta soldiers happens too quickly to give readers an in-depth view of China or the history behind the terracotta soldiers. While the travel creates suspense and moves the plot forward, the fast pace doesn’t allow readers to soak up all the places Cruz and his friends travel to. 

The Dragon’s Blood pushes the limit on what readers will find believable. Most of the ciphers have been hidden in elaborate ways that have remarkably remained unfound despite their proximity to heavily visited tourist locations. Some of the ciphers have many layers of protection. Because of this, the speed with which Cruz and his friends find the hidden ciphers does not ring true.  

The Dragon’s Blood begins to reveal some of the pivotal pieces of the plot in an effort to bring the series to an end. Through Cruz’s experiences, the reader will learn valuable lessons. For example, when one of the spies is revealed, readers get a close look at how “hate destroys the hater.” In addition, as Cruz and the other explorers travel the world, their instructors encourage them to face their fears and push their limits. This allows them to work as a team, create new technology, and face difficult. While the Explorer Academy Series is not perfect, it is entertaining and encourages readers to risk making mistakes in the quest to learn. 

Sexual Content  

  • Bryndis “planted a kiss” on Cruz’s cheek. 

Violence  

  • Someone tampered with a rotating room, making it spin uncontrollably while Dr. Fanchon and Cruz were inside. “Cruz tried to get up but couldn’t get his feet under him on the slick floor. Stumbling, he hit his knee on the cabinet and went down. Pain shot down his leg.”  
  • As the room continues to spin, Dr Fanchon falls. “Cruz heard a sharp crack a second before he saw her crumple to the floor next to the wall. . . Cruz knew if he let go of the drawer, like Fanchon, he would be flung into the wall with a force violent enough to break bones. . . Everything was a blur. His ears hurt. His stomach churned.” The scene is described over seven pages. No one is seriously injured. 
  • Two men corner Cruz and his friends in a pit where there are terracotta soldiers. One man threatens them with a laser. “There was a cry. A burst of laser fire. . . Next to Cruz, Scorpion’s partner was out cold. Sailor stood over him, the clay arm of a warrior clutched in her hand.” The kids are able to escape.  
  • While in the lab, Dr. Vanderwick grabs Cruz from behind. “‘Don’t move,’ a digitized voice said into his left ear as icy fingers clamped on to him. . . His back was still to her. Next to his shoulder appeared the end of a metal poker, its rounded tip glowing scarlet. . . Suddenly, a jawbreaker-size orb of flames shot out! Cruz ducked as the fireball whizzed past his ear.” 
  • Dr. Vanderwick tries to shoot Cruz with the laser. Luckily, the lab contained sensotivia gel, which reacts to people’s emotions. When Dr. Vanderwick becomes upset “like two bear paws, the sensotivia gel stretched toward her. . . wrapping its gooey claws around her neck, the sensotivia gel began to cover Dr. Vanderwick.” 
  • Despite being captured by the sensotivia gel, Dr. Vanderwick shoots at Cruz. “Suddenly, a ball of flames was soaring toward him. . . Cruz dropped to the floor, and the fiery orb hit the corner of the wall. In a matter of seconds, the blaze spread. The cabinets were on fire.” The scene is described over seven pages. 
  • Another faculty member, Nyomie, appears to help Cruz. Dr. Vanderwick tells them she planted a “liquid compound I’ve been working on. A few drops did the trick. Once the detonator triggers, it’ll blow a hole in the ship big enough to sink her.”  
  • Nyomie finds the helmet containing the explosive and throws it overboard. “The helmet exploded mere seconds before it would have splashed into the sea. . . [Cruz] felt a wave of heat as the shock rocked the ship.” The scene with Dr. Vanderwick takes place over several chapters. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • A scientist is working on creating an emotion potion. “A cream to improve your mood. Say you’re feeling a bit sad, you rub a little of it into your skin and it’ll help cheer you up. If you’re scared, it’ll give you a boost of confidence.” 
  • Cruz’s mother (and others) use animal toxins to create medicine. 

Language    

  • One of the bad men calls Cruz and his friends “dumb kids.” 
  • Darn is used once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Deadman’s Castle

A twelve-year-old boy has a simple desire: to have friends, go to school, keep his name, and stop “bugging out.” Unfortunately, his life has been far from simple ever since his dad witnessed something he shouldn’t have. In order to protect themselves, his family abandoned their identities and went into hiding. Currently, the young boy hides under the name Igor.  For the past seven years, they have had to live under different names and in new houses. Now they’re always on the run, hiding from the mysterious and dangerous Lizard Man.

Despite the constant danger and the fear of being discovered, Igor clings to the hope of a normal life. He yearns to have a routine. Igor longs to be able to discover his real name, the one that connects him to his past and his family. But as he grows older and more restless, Igor starts testing the limits of his dad’s strict rules, hoping to find a way to break free from the never-ending cycle of running and hiding. But the more Igor uncovers, the more he realizes that the danger is real, and the Lizard Man is closer than ever. The Lizard Man is getting closer, and Igor’s father’s past is catching up with them. But Igor is determined to find a way out of this life of fear, to discover the truth about his father’s past and his family’s connection to it.

Despite the odds, Igor clings to the hope of a normal life, and his determination to find a way out of the cycle of hiding and running makes him a hero in his own right. Will he be able to uncover the truth about his family’s past and put an end to the never-ending cycle of hiding and running? Only time will tell.

Deadman’s Castle is a gripping tale of adventure and mystery that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats. From the very first page, readers will be transported to a world of danger and intrigue, where every turn of the page brings a new revelation and a new challenge for the protagonist, Igor. As the story unfolds, Igor finds himself embroiled in a web of lies and deceit that threatens to destroy not only his own life but the lives of those he loves most.

The plot of Deadman’s Castle is both intricate and compelling with a rich and immersive world that readers won’t want to leave. There are heart-stopping action scenes that will leave readers breathless with fear and suspense, as well as heart-warming moments of tenderness and compassion that will bring a tear to the eye. 

But it’s not just the plot that makes Deadman’s Castle such a captivating read. The characters are fully fleshed-out and multi-dimensional, with their hopes, fears, and motivations making them feel like real people. Readers will find themselves cheering for Igor as he struggles to uncover the truth about his family’s past and break free from the never-ending cycle of hiding. They’ll also be drawn to the other characters, such as Zoe and Angelo, Igor’s two new friends, who each have their own unique story to tell. Zoe, if that even is her real name, is a mysterious orphan struggling to find her sense of identity. Constantly changing her entire style and name without warning, she still knows how to remain true and honest to those she keeps closest to her. Angelo, on the other hand, is a rough and tumble boy with a hard exterior but a soft inside. Zoe and Angelo make for loveable and relatable sidekicks to Igor’s adventures.

In short, Deadman’s Castle is a must-read for anyone who loves a good adventure story. The book masterfully explores the theme of living a life of constant movement, while recognizing and empathizing with the struggles of adolescents. It addresses the themes of identity, family, and the lengths taken to protect loved ones. It’s a novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end and leave them longing for more.  Readers who want more suspenseful stories should also read The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown and Dreaming Dangerous by Lauren DeStefano.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • On the first day of school, the other kids treat Igor like an outcast. A group of three boys threatens to harm Igor. One of the bullies, Angelo, “turned to [Igor]. He pointed a finger like a stabbing knife. ‘I’m going to kill you,’ he said.” At this point, Igor becomes worried that his dad may have been right; starting school so suddenly with a strange name would make him an easy target for being picked on.
  • Igor decides he must face Angelo and he goes outside with Angelo and his posse. “The others held my arms and pinned me there, one on each side . . . his hand swept up again,  and in his fist was — snow. He had a handful of snow, and he squashed it into my mouth and my eyes. He forced it between my lips, against my teeth; he pushed it up my nose.” The boys only stop their torture when Igor starts laughing because it wasn’t as bad as the things he imagined in his head.
  • Trevis, Angelo’s former best friend, likes to make up bizarre stories instead of answering questions truthfully. Igor asks about Zoe, one of Igor’s new friends, and Trevis tells Igor, “Both of her parents were killed. Zoe grew up as an orphan. . . It was a 747. A jumbo jet . . . Three hundred and forty people were killed.”
  • Angelo, Zoe, and Igor decide to go to Deadman’s Castle. Igor inquires why it is named Deadman’s Castle. “‘Cause there’s dead men in it,’ said Angelo. ‘There were bodies sealed in the walls.’” Although they never confirm what the actual story behind the name is. 
  •  While at Deadman’s Castle, Igor faces the Lizard Man. Igor “didn’t know what to tell him. [The Lizard Man] swung his foot and kicked me in the ribs.” Igor lay on the ground, unable to get out of reach of the Lizard Man. He ultimately joins Angelo, who has already been placed in a cell in the basement. 
  • The Lizard Man corners Angelo and Igor who use their video game skills to defend themselves. Igor describes how Angelo was “suddenly Johnny Shiloh, and I was Colt Cabana. We leapt from the floor and tackled the Lizard Man. The whip fell from his hand; his hat went rolling into a corner . . . With fists and feet we attacked the Lizard Man.” It deters the man for a few seconds but doesn’t take long for him to get back up and chase after the boys, before recapturing them.
  • Angelo’s dog, Smasher, tries to protect the boys from the Lizard Man. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much for the Lizard Man to fend off the dog. “Either way, it didn’t matter. The door slammed against her. There was a thud and a cry that came together, the most terrible sound I’d ever heard.”
  • The Lizard Man chases Angelo and Igor when they try to break free. To escape, the kids must cross a very deep pit that is only crossable by planks of wood. “With a scream, he fell. The lantern dropped from [the Lizard Man’s] hand and went tumbling down in a whorl of light. It hit the walls and went out, and we heard the thudding of the planks as they boomed from the sides of the pit. Everything landed at once, what seemed a long time later: the light, the Lizard Man, and the planks of the bridge.” The kids presume he has died and run for help.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

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.” 
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