AR Test – Sneak Peek Books

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball

Baseball, America’s pastime, is a sport of moments that stand the test of time. It is equally a sport of a new generation of heroes, whose exploits inspire today’s young fans. This combination makes for a winning debut in Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball.

This is no traditional almanac of mundane statistics but rather a storyteller’s journey through baseball’s storied game. Told in short chapters and accompanied by iconic photos, a slew of “Top Ten” lists for kids to chew on and debate, and a timeline of the “40 Most Important Moments in Baseball History,” this collection covers some of the greatest players from Babe Ruth to Hank Aaron; the greatest teams to take the field and swing the bats; the greatest social triggers, such as Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier; the greatest playoff rivalries, including the 2004 showdown between the Red Sox and Yankees that turned into an instant classic; and, of course, the edge-of-your-seat World Series moments that left some cheering while others wept. 

The book begins with a note from the author encouraging people to read his book and “disagree with it, debate it, change it, have fun with it, decide for yourself” who is the greatest player and the greatest team. Bryant gives statistics and stories to help readers understand each player’s contribution to the sport. “Spring,” the book’s first section, discusses the greatest players, starting with Babe Ruth. This section is entertaining enough to keep all readers engaged. However, this changes in the book’s next two sections, which focus on specific teams such as the Yankees and the Red Socks.

The last two sections of the book include exciting play-by-play actions of specific games that will entertain baseball fans. Readers will feel the disappointment when a team loses a game and the excitement for the winning teams. In addition, Bryant helps readers understand how baseball changed through the years, as well as how baseball changed society.

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball highlights all the reasons that baseball is our national pastime and why people still debate who is the greatest. Bryant uses interesting facts, anecdotes, and play-by-play baseball action that will thrill baseball fans. However, the pages use advanced vocabulary, and all the pictures are at the back of the book. Even though the chapters are short, the text-heavy pages may overwhelm struggling readers. However, baseball fans will find Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball enjoyable because it is packed with baseball history that will help them understand the sport and the players that shaped it.

For readers who want to learn more about baseball, Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball knocks it out of the park. Readers who want to delve deeper into baseball’s greatest legend should read Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse by David A. Kelly and Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman. Readers looking for a fiction book that revolves around baseball should read The Batboy by Mike Lupica or the Baseball Genius Series by Tim Green & Derek Jeter.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

When Henry Aaron was a child, his mother would hide him and his siblings under the bed whenever she heard the Klu Klux Klan outside her window. “It was the 1940s, and the Klan targeted Catholics, Jews, and especially African Americans, intent on scaring them and often killing the ones who did not fear them, to keep them in their place.”
While playing in the major leagues, Henry Aaron received “terrible letters, the ones in which anonymous people threatened to kill him or members of his family. . . One letter was so serious that the FBI removed his daughter from college for her protection.” Aaron had to hire a security guard to protect him.

Drugs and Alcohol 

Sandy Koufax had severe pain in his left elbow and was given cortisone shots. The drug “eased some of the hurt, but left Sandy feeling uncomfortable.” Koufax decided to put his health first and retired from baseball.
Mark McGwire was being interviewed when a reporter “noticed a bottle of pills in McGwire’s locker. . . The pills were called androstenedione, and they were considered to have similar effects to steroids.” Later, it was discovered that Sammy Sosa and other players were also taking the pills. The scandal marred both McGwire’s and Sosa’s careers.

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Despite anti-Semitism, Sandy Koufax “was true to his Jewish faith . . . Koufax was proud of his heritage. He did not hide from it.” When his team played in the World Series, one game was on Yom Kippur, “the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.” Koufax “refused to pitch.”

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly

“Sniffles and Babbity: Rascally Rabbits”: Babbity lived alone in a cage and looked sad and lonely, so Finley asked the neighbors if she could have the rabbit. When they said yes, Finley was super excited and created a home for Babbity in a rabbit hutch. But when Finley saw how much Babbity loved being outside, she made a hole so the bunny could come and go. But when the rabbit left its cage, he fought with the goats. Will this fuzzy bunny find a new home where she can roam?

“Yellow-Yellow: Bandit Bear”: Many people called Ben, a wildlife biologist, to complain about Yellow-Yellow, who kept stealing human food. To find out more about Yellow-Yellow, Ben began studying her travels. Ben wanted to teach Yellow-Yellow and campers how to stay safe. When campers began using bear boxes to store their food, Yellow-Yellow learned how to open them. Would Ben be able to teach the bear to stay away from humans?

“Moose: Problem Pup”: Aline and Neil found a puppy alone in the woods. They took the puppy home, but when they couldn’t find its owner, they kept him and named him Moose. Aline and Neil would put Moose in the backyard and connect his leash to a cable. But Moose kept getting loose. One time, Moose even followed Aline and Neil into the grocery store. Aline and Neil had a huge problem—how could they give Moose freedom without him causing problems?

Based on the hit feature in National Geographic Kids magazine, National Geographic Chapter Series features three true stories about animals causing mischief. Each story is divided into three short chapters. The book is packed with full-color photography, lists, and infographics. Some pages also include orange boxes that contain additional facts about the animals. For example, “Black bears love sweets and sometimes get cavities.”

While reading each story, readers will learn more about the mischief animals get into and teach how to care for animals properly. For example, one page explains how to hold a rabbit properly. “Yellow-Yellow” also educates readers on staying safe from bears in the forest. The interesting facts, dialogue, and short sentences make the stories easy to read. Despite this, emerging readers may need help pronouncing difficult words like scruff, sensitive, and platform. And while the stories are easy to understand, adults will need to read the book to beginning readers.

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly will have readers at the edge of their seats, waiting to find out what the adventurous animals will do next. Each animal will capture readers’ hearts, making learning about animal safety fun. The full-colored pictures add more fun to the book and will help keep readers engaged. Anyone who loves animals will enjoy the National Geographic Chapters Series, which educates as well as entertains. Read more true stories about amazing animals by reading Pets to the Rescue Series by Andrew Clements.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

When Babbity the rabbit got into the goats’ pen, “the angry goat charged. She flung her head. Bam! The battered bunny flew through the air. Thump! He crash-landed in the dirt.” Babbity wasn’t injured.
Callie was cleaning the goat pen when “she saw Buddy the rooster—with its claws raised. Callie staggered backward. . . Callie had to kick Buddy to drive him away. And the minute she did, Flopsy [the goat] came running. Bam! She head-butted Callie’s other leg.”
After tranquilizing Yellow-Yellow and putting a GPS tag on her, Ben waited until she could run again, and “he shot her in the behind with rubber pellets. Ouch! It didn’t harm her, but Ben hoped that little ‘spanking’ would make her want to avoid people.”
Once Yellow-Yellow “surprised some hunters. . . They threw things [at the bear]. She didn’t leave. At last, they swatted him with their hiking sticks. That finally drove him away.”
Red-Green, a bear who roamed the area, kept getting into people’s food, so “the rangers had to put Red-Green down so he couldn’t be a danger to humans.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

A wildlife biologist wanted to keep track of Yellow-Yellow, a bear, so he trapped her and put a GPS collar on the bear. To do this, he “shot a drug-filled dart into her. The drug made her unable to move for a while, but she could hear and see. Ben blindfolded her to keep her calm.”
When Yellow-Yellow lost her collar, Ben “fitted a drug-filled syringe into the end of a long pole. Then he poked the pole through the trap window and stuck the doughnut thief in the rump. Yellow-Yellow slumped over, unable to move.”

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

The Vikings Revenge

Travel back to the days of Vikings with time-traveling brothers Arthur and Finn to retrieve the stolen sword called Blood Hunter and rewrite the past. The two brothers plan to help the Viking leader Hallvard and his village from being killed by raiders. However, Arthur and Finn are accused of being spies. Some of the villagers want to kill the two boys immediately, while Hallvard wants to give the boys a chance to prove themselves. Will the boys escape the grip of the powerful Vikings and succeed in changing the course of history?

Arthur’s impulsive behavior led to his capture twice. Luckily, Finn is an intelligent, quick thinker who pays attention to history and is used to getting Arthur out of difficult situations. The two brothers are forced apart when Viking raiders take Arthur and Hallvard’s son prisoner. Arthur is absent for much of the action, which allows Finn’s loyalty and bravery to shine. Despite the risk, Finn doesn’t hesitate to fearlessly fight with the Vikings. While readers won’t relate to Finn’s dilemma, they will cheer when he frees his brother and helps return Blood Hunter to its rightful owner.

Short sections are interspersed throughout the book, giving more historical information, such as how Viking longships were used, the Vikings’ belief in many gods, the types of Viking weapons, and how raiders and berserkers fought. The detailed information explains the Vikings’ views of crime and punishment. If you stole from someone, “the person you had stolen from had every right to kill you.” The Vikings often trafficked slaves, who they called thralls. “They captured thralls in battles, kidnapped them on raids, or created them by condemning criminals to slavery . . . If you escape and get caught, you’ll be killed instantly.” While historically accurate, the descriptions of battles and death may upset younger readers.

Even though The Viking’s Revenge is part of a series, the books do not have to be read in order because each book focuses on Arthur and Finn going back to a different time period and each book wraps up the storyline.

In The Viking’s Revenge, danger in the first chapter and the non-stop action makes the book impossible to put down. Readers will instantly be drawn into the Viking’s world, where they will learn many interesting facts about the time period. Even though the focus is on Finn, he is surrounded by fascinating characters, including a Viking leader and a slave girl. The combination of diverse characters, fierce battles, and nail-biting danger make The Viking’s Revenge perfect for readers who hunger for adventure.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

When Arthur travels back in time, he appears in the woods. Brand, a Viking boy, decides to capture Arthur and turn him into a slave. Brand shoots arrows at Arthur.
Brand’s friend, Olaf, tries to grab Arthur. Olaf “clenched his fists and pulled his arm back to punch Arthur in the stomach. . . Arthur stepped back, and Olaf staggered forward with the force of the punch. . . Arthur dropped his shoulders and crunched it into Olaf’s chest driving him back.”
Brand shoots another arrow at Arthur, but it hits Olaf instead. “Olaf screamed in pain and stumbled backwards clutching at the arrow that was now lodged in his arm, spilling blood onto the forest floor.”
Brand and Arthur begin to circle each other, “and then Arthur felt an explosion of pain in the back of his head. The world tipped over as his head erupted into tiny points of light and his legs gave way from beneath him.” Arthur wakes up locked in a room.
A warrior’s ghost appears and tells his story. The warrior says, “They came in the night. They killed us and they took Blood Hunter. My sword . . .” The warrior needs help returning Blood Hunter to his family.
Finn opens the shed that Arthur is locked in. “Without warning, a fist connected with [Finn’s] chin, and he fell to the ground. Somebody jumped on him and grabbed his throat.”
When the Vikings find Arthur and Finn, some want to kill them, and others want to wait. The boys are tied to a tree. A Viking says, “Well, you have a dangerous night ahead of you boys. You will need Odin’s protection from the bears and wolves tonight. . .”
In the middle of the night, Viking raiders crept closer to the longhouse. “Two of the men at the back of the group fell to the ground with arrows sticking out of their necks. Finn fired his first arrow and a third raider went down.”
The Viking leader Hallvard “smashed the edge of a shield into the raider’s face and lunged forward with his sword, burying it in the man and then kicking him backward. . .”
To save Hallvard, Finn “fired another arrow, and it whistled past Hallvard and into the chest of one of his attackers, who fell to the ground.”
A raider throws an ax at Finn but misses. As the raider advances, “his body slapped face first into the ground once again just as the raider reached him. . . the huge man tripped and fell directly on top of Finn. . . Just as the raider began to lift his weight off Finn he grunted and collapsed back on top of the boy. Finn felt a warm liquid flowing down his neck.” Two of Hallvard’s men die. The battle is described over five pages.
Thorfinna, a teenage girl, tells the story of how she became a slave. A man who wanted power, Moldof, murdered one of her kinsmen. “Moldof stabbed the man in the back—it was no honorable fight—it was murder.”
When Thorfinna’s father sent men to arrest Moldof, “Moldof overpowered them. He bound their hands and feet and tortured them horribly. . . their bodies were unrecognizable.”
Later that night, Moldof and his men attack Thorfinna’s village. “They killed everyone except for those they could sell as slaves. . . I saw the men kill my father and mother. . .”
Hallvard takes a group of Vikings, Thorfinna, and Finn, to attack the raider’s village. While looking for movement in the village, Moldof captures Finn. “a cloth was stuffed into Finn’s mouth to gag him, his hands were tied behind his back, and a rope was looped around his waist.”
Finn is forced to watch the battle in the village. “There were . . . huge warriors slaughtering and being slaughtered. . . Men that Finn did not recognize began to turn and run, pursued by men he did recognize from the ship.”
When Hallvard sees his son in Moldof’s grasp, he cries out. “As he stood staring up at his son, his axe and shield fell from his hands. His legs crumbled and he fell to his knees. He did not see the injured man beside him bring out the knife. He did not feel it as it slid into his back. . .” Hallvard eventually dies from his wound.
Finn sees Maldof “grinning insanely as he put his hands around Brand’s neck and lifted him off his feet to dangle over the drop. Brand kicked frantically. . .” Brand is not injured.
One of Maldof’s men, “Ulf staggered forward and toppled over the edge of the cliff with an axe protruding from his back.”
Thorfinna surprises Moldof when she attacks him. He drops his sword. “Thorfinna drove her sword into Moldof’s chest and let go. With a look of shock, Moldof fell backwards off the cliff and plunged down to the rocks below.”
After Hallvard’s men win the battle, “Moldof’s men had either fled or been killed, while several of Hallvard’s men lay dead also.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

During a meal, ale is served.

Language 

Several times, someone is called a coward.

Supernatural

Arthur and Finn’s grandfather created a museum about warriors throughout history. The museum is haunted, and when the grandfather died, “he started haunting the place too. He felt guilty about the trapped ghost warriors and vowed he would not rest in peace until all the other ghosts were laid to rest first.”
When one of the ghost warriors touches the boys, “we get transported to the time and place where the ghost lived and died. And we can’t get back until we’ve fixed whatever it is that keeps the ghost from resting in peace.”
The ghost of a Viking warrior appears, and he “will only be laid to rest when his sword is returned to him or his son. Find the sword, and he will find peace.”

Spiritual Content 

When Arthur hears a noise in the forest, he prays “that he will see Finn.”
To explain how he knows a raid will happen, Finn tells the Vikings, “Odin is our mater. He shows me things—he showed me your sword, Blood Hunter, and he showed me the raid that is coming.”
Two and a half pages explain the Vikings’ belief in gods and goddesses, but the passage mainly focuses on Odin, the God of magic, poetry, and war, and his son Thor, the god of thunder.
After the raiders attack, Hallvard tells Finn, “Odin gave an eye to gain knowledge and see the truth. Maybe if his boy gives an eye he too will see the truth. Call to Odin. Speak to him. Do whatever it is you have to do, and tell me who these men are!” Luckily, someone else recognizes the raider’s leader.
Hallvard tells someone, “None of us know what the Gods have in store for us.”
When Hallvard goes to save his son, Hallvard’s wife says, “May Thor give you strength in battle. And may Odin guide you to victory.”
The Vikings believed anyone who died in battle would “be taken by the Valkyries to feast in Valhalla.”
After his father is fatally wounded, Hallvard’s son prays, “Odin, hear me! Give me the strength to wield his sword and bring these men victory in his name and yours. Give me the wisdom to lead as he did.”
Some believed that Viking warriors known as berserkers were “Odin’s own warriors and that he gives them this superhuman strength.”

Stay

Piper’s life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. She misses her house, her friends, and her privacy—and she hates being labeled the homeless girl at her new school.

But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named Baby. So when Baby’s person goes missing, Piper knows she has to help. But helping means finding the courage to trust herself and her new friends – no matter what anyone says about them—before Baby gets taken away for good.

Stay is written in alternating perspectives, with each chapter switching between Piper’s and Baby’s point of view. Piper often reflects on life before her family became homeless. She misses her friends, her Firefly group, and her grandmother, who died. As Piper meets more homeless people, she learns to look past their appearance and circumstances and see their value. However, this causes conflict between others who only see the homeless as problems.

Piper meets Jewel and her dog, Baby. Jewel suffers from a mental illness and has stopped taking her medication. Her mental illness skews her perspective of everything and makes her dependent on Baby. The little dog and homeless woman have become a “pack of two” and are utterly devoted to each other. When Jewel gets pneumonia and is hospitalized, Baby is sent to an animal shelter. The separation leaves both Jewel and Baby lost and confused.

When Piper hears about Jewel’s hospitalization, Piper and her friends jump in to learn more about Jewel so they can help her. Through this experience, Piper has to overcome her embarrassment of being homeless. Piper and her friends’ willingness to help motivates others in the community to come together and help Jewel as well. Even though Piper loves Baby and wishes he was her dog, Piper does what is best for Jewel and finds a way to reunite them. Through these experiences, Piper learns the power of friendship and community.

Piper’s experiences reinforce many positive lessons, including not judging people by their appearance or life circumstances. The book allows people to step into a homeless person’s world and see their struggles with finances, mental illness, and drug abuse. Each person became homeless for different reasons, which puts a spotlight on the person and allows the reader to feel empathy for them. When Piper jumps in to help Jewel, she shows others the power of words and storytelling.

The chapters told from Baby’s point of view are short and written in free verse, which allows Baby’s emotions to take center stage. Baby often uses his sense of smell and touch to explain his emotions. When separated from Jewel, Baby’s confusion and fear are obvious. However, these chapters slow down the plot, and the descriptions of Baby’s emotions may confuse younger readers.

Readers who have lost a loved one or have experienced homelessness will instantly connect with Piper and Baby. Throughout the story, Piper is reminded to look at the doughnut rather than the hole; this helps Piper see the good in small things—the sun on your skin, time with your family, and the kindness of others. Even though Stay has a powerful message about hope and the meaning of home, some readers may struggle to complete the book because of its slow pace. If you’re looking for another book on homelessness, consider reading How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor, Almost Home by Joan Bauer, and Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

When Baby’s owner, Jewel, gets sick, paramedics load her into the ambulance. She gets upset and starts crying for Baby. “Baby hurls himself toward his name. A man kicks the little dog away. Baby yelps in pain and frustration.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

Jewel stopped taking her meds. Piper finds a bag with Jewel’s meds: “Lithium. Zyprexa. Klonopin.” These are used to treat mental illness.
A homeless woman “goes to the clinic to get her meds.”
Noah lives with his brother because his “mom’s in jail for possession.”
A homeless woman smokes cigarettes. “The woman tosses her cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with the toe of her boot.”
A homeless person is an ex-drug addict.

Language 

Crud and holey moly are used once.
Dang is used twice.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Jewel, a homeless woman with a mental illness, refers to people who help as “angels,” and she sees wings on them. When the people give the homeless blankets, gloves, and hats, she says they are “Warm. Like God’s love.”
Jewel wrote in a notebook, “God is everywhere and in everyone.”
Jewel says, “God bless you.”

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon

If you’re brave, follow cousins Beth and Patrick to Libya in the 13th century. The town of Silene is being terrorized by a vicious animal that is eating livestock. The townspeople believe it’s a dragon sent by the devil. In order to appease the beast, the people believe they must offer a human sacrifice—a young girl named Sabra. When Beth tries to help Sabra escape, she too is tied up as an offering for the dragon. Meanwhile, Patrick and a new friend named Hazi join Georgius, a Roman knight who is serving in Africa to keep peace. Georgius decides to find the dragon and kill it. Georgius’s plans go awry when Beth and Sabra beg him not to kill the dragon. The girls know the true secret of Silene—the dragon isn’t its worst enemy.

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon begins with Beth being afraid to stand up for a friend wrongly accused of cheating on a test. Beth says, “I should have done something to stick up for Rachel. But I didn’t. I was . . . afraid.” This conflict shapes the rest of the book. Unlike Beth, the Roman Knight Georgius does what is right even when it is difficult. Georgius relies on God to help him in dangerous times. When Beth goes back in time, Georgius’ example gives Beth the strength to stand up for her new friend, Sabra, even though it means facing a dragon. Beth’s experiences with the dragon are tied back into her daily life. Beth had “trusted God and tried to defend Sabra. That decision almost cost her life. But God had taken care of her. He even used a dragon to save her!”

Beth’s and Patrick’s adventures are full of suspense and high-action scenes. The story has a surprising twist because, in the end, the dragon isn’t a bloodthirsty beast but a mother defending her children. Some readers will find the scenes with the dragon frightening, but they will cheer when the dragon is safe. However, readers may be terrified at the idea of adults being willing to sacrifice children to appease the beast. In the end, several people are injured, but no one dies, which allows the book to reinforce the idea of trusting God.

In Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon, Georgius bravely faces danger because he trusts God. Georgius does what is right because he believes God will protect him. He is even willing to fight a dragon and a saber-tooth cat! Intermixed with the action are lessons about trusting God, even when it is difficult. The conclusion reinforces the message when Beth discusses standing up to bullies. She says, “We don’t have to stand alone. Georgius helped me remember that God is my help when I face trouble.”

The Imagination Station Series books can be read as individual stories because each book focuses on a new adventure. Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon has many characters and a complicated plot that may confuse younger readers. However, black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the book to help readers visualize the events.

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon is an exciting book that will engage readers and teach biblical principles that can be applied to children’s daily lives. The story focuses on Beth, a likable protagonist and a good friend. Whit, the man who sends the children on their time-traveling adventure, helps Beth connect her experiences in the past with her daily life. This helps reinforce the message and allows Beth to discuss how she will treat the bullies when she returns to school. For more exciting time-traveling adventures that teach biblical truth, check out The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Series by M.J. Thomas. Readers longing for adventure should also read the Dragon Slayers’ Academy Series by Kate McMullan and the Time Jumpers Series by Wendy Mass.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

A young shepherd disappears, and the villagers believe a dragon has killed him. To appease the dragon, “The village people are upset. They are demanding more sacrifices.” The village had been sacrificing sheep, but now they want to sacrifice human children.
The villagers decide to sacrifice Tarek’s daughter, Sabra. “Tarek leaped in front of his daughter. But his efforts failed. Three strong men held him off.” Sabra is captured and Tarek is thrown in a jail cell.
Beth jumps in and tries to help Sabra. “Sabra screamed and kicked at the men. Beth hurled herself toward Sabra. But her foot caught a tone. And she tripped. She tumbled headfirst into the stomach of one of the men. He gasped, and he fell down.” Sabra and Beth are tied together and left for the dragon to eat.
When Beth and Sabra are tied to a post, a saber-toothed cat “roars in [Beth’s] face. The beast opened its mouth wide. Its fangs were as long as her forearm.” A dragon appears and fights the cat.
When the dragon appears, the saber-toothed cat “sprang at the dragon’s neck. The dragon swung its head like a hammer. The blow knocked the saber-tooth cat into the air. It hit the ground with a hard thud. . . The dragon opened its mouth wide and let out a loud cough. Once, twice. . . and then a burst of flames shot forward.” The cat runs away, leaving the dragon with three bold streaks across its snout.
Beth and Sabra break their bonds and hide in the dragon’s cave. Georgius arrives and believes the girls are in mortal danger. “Georgius stood in battle position. His sword and spear were ready. The dragon charged forward. It swiped at Georgius. The soldier knocked away its sharp claws with his spear. . . Georgius raised his sword and faked to one side. Then he jabbed at the dragon’s neck.”
During the fight, Georgius’s blade slices sales off the dragon. “The dragon spun violently. Its mighty tail whipped around. It slammed into Georgius. The soldier was thrown like a rag doll.” The battle is described over five pages and ends when Beth and Sabra intervene on the dragon’s behalf.
Lucius, a soldier, tricks others into believing Georgius left his post without permission. Lucius, along with other soldiers, travels to the village to kill Georgius. “One moment, Prefect Lucius was about to charge at Georgius again. The next moment his saddle was empty . . .” The saber-tooth cat had knocked Lucius off his horse, and “the beast raked its claws across Lucius’s shoulder. It tore his armor free.”
When it becomes clear that Lucius will lose the fight against the saber-tooth cat, Georgius “threw himself forward. He trusts his sword in front of him. He reached down and grabbed Lucius’ sword . . . Georgius thrust the swords at the animal. . . he lost his balance. The saber-tooth slashed its claws across Georgius’s upper arm. . .” Georgius eventually kills the cat. The fight is described over three pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

A soldier calls Beth and Patrick “castoffs, throwaways, dogs.”
A man calls his horses cowards because they ran away from the saber-toothed cat.
A soldier calls his horse a stupid animal.

Supernatural

With Whit’s help, Beth and Patrick use the imagination station to travel back in time. “The red button on the dashboard began to blink. Beth pushed it. The machine began to shake. There was a loud hum. Then everything went black.”

Spiritual Content 

Since the book is Christian fiction, not all references to God are listed below.
There is a contrast between two soldiers—one who is a Christian and one who is not.
Georgius, a Christian soldier, says, “Christos [Jesus] showed me mercy. He paid my debt of sin. So I show mercy by paying the debts of others. . . You have the means to pay your debts. These children don’t. Just as we can’t pay our debt to God. Only Christos can—”
Georgius tells Beth and Patrick that he does not fear others because “Christos told us not to fear those who can kill our bodies. Instead, we’re to fear those who can destroy our souls.”
The villagers believe a dragon has been killing people. One man says, “The dragon is from the devil.”
When Beth’s friend Sabra is taken captive, Beth prays, “God, please help me and Sabra.” Later, when Beth and Sabra are tied up as a sacrifice, Beth whispers, “My help comes from the Lord.”
When Georgius finds out that Tarek is in danger, he goes to help without anyone else. Georgius says, “I’m not alone. Christos goes with me.”
When Beth thinks she is about to die, she reminds herself Jesus “promised Christians life after death.”
A soldier Lucius prepares to fight Georgius, but Georgius refuses to draw his sword, saying, “My God will be my protector.”

The Defiant

Be brave, gladiatrix. . .And be wary. Once you win Caesar’s love, you’ll earn his enemies’ hate. Fallon was warned. Now she is about to pay the price for winning the love of the Roman people as Caesar’s victorious gladiatrix.

In this sequel to The Valiant, Fallon and her warrior sisters find themselves thrust into a vicious conflict with a rival gladiator academy, one that will threaten not only Fallon’s heart—and her love for Roman soldier Cai—but the very heart of the ancient Roman Empire.

When dark treachery and vicious power struggles threaten her hard-won freedom, the only thing that might help the girl known as Victrix save herself and her sisters is a tribe of long-forgotten mythic Amazon warriors. The only trouble is, they might just kill her themselves first.

Fallon’s story continues in The Defiant, but the setting is given more scope as Fallon and her companions rush to save Fallon’s sister, Sorcha, from being sacrificed by the Amazon warriors. When the gladiatrices are given a chance to choose their fate, many follow Fallon because of her bravery and fierce dedication to returning to Rome to save the gladiatrices who were taken prisoner. During the journey, Fallon must grapple with the fact that she cannot save everyone—some will be taken prisoner, some will change sides, and some will lose their lives.

The Defiant does an excellent job of recapping the main events from the first book in the series; however, the series is best read in order. The Defiant features many of the same characters as The Valiant and introduces several new characters. Even though Fallon is surrounded by her sister gladiatrices and several Roman soldiers, she is the leader who makes decisions for everyone. Fallon’s inability to trust others leads to a lack of teamwork, which takes away some of the enjoyment of each battle won. In addition, focusing solely on Fallon keeps the other characters stagnant. Readers who love character-driven stories may be disappointed with the lack of character development.

Like the first book in the series, The Defiant includes adventure, action, and several surprises. However, some of the story drags because Fallon and her companions travel a long distance. Despite this, Fallon’s adventure is both entertaining and exciting. Readers who get squeamish during bloody battles should avoid reading The Valiant Series because each battle ends in bloodshed, and Fallon’s enemies include a group of men who eat people’s hearts. The Defiant is best suited for mature readers who enjoy political intrigue, bloody battles, and the fight against evil.

Sexual Content 

Fallon and Cai kiss occasionally. However, only some of them are described. For instance, Cai returns to Rome after being in a battle. When Fallon sees him, “It took every last infinitesimal amount of self-control I could muster not to throw myself into Cai’s arms and devour him with kisses, right there in front of the whole academy. . .”
Later, when they are alone, Fallon “lunged at him, reaching up to pull his head down toward me, and silencing him with the kiss I’d been waiting on for months. . . his mouth opened hungrily on mine. His arms wrapped around me and he lifted me off the ground.”
In the evening, Fallon and Cai go to the garden. “Cai lowered his face to mine and kissed me on the mouth. I felt myself melting into his embrace as my arms circled around his neck. . .[they] sank slowly to the soft grass. . .”
Later that night, they show each other their battle scars and kiss them. Cai kisses her again. “A long, slow, teasing kiss that made my lips tingle and turned my skin to fireflies and feathers.” At this time, Fallon wished she was still a princess who should “be sleeping where—and with whom—she damned well pleased.”
While in a Roman bath, Cai and Fallon kiss. Fallon “lost myself to the sensation of his skin sliding against mine as he stopped swimming and, together, we sank beneath the surface of the water, breathing only each other’s air.”
Before a battle, one of the gladiatrices “leaned in and kissed [a Roman soldier], full on his open, astonished mouth.”

Violence 

One night, the Amazona, a rival gladiatrix academy, attacks Fallon’s academy, the Ludus Achillea. First, they kill the guards and set the barn on fire. As the Ludus Achillea women are being rounded up, a Roman soldier “lunged for one of the guard’s weapons. . . an archer up on the sentry walk spun and aimed, loosing an arrow. . . [the arrow] lodged in the breast of legionnaire Tullis . . . he sank to his knees and toppled forward motionless onto the ground.”
During the attack, the Amazona leader, Nyx, uses her whip to attack one of the Ludus Achillea girls, Lydian. “The crack of leather echoed across the yard. Lydia screamed and dropped to the ground a Nyx’s whip caught her on the side of her face, and blood poured onto the sand from between her fingers. . . the whip cracked again as it sliced across Lydian’s shoulder. . . drawing an arch of bright blood. She shrieked again in agony. . .” Later, Lydia is in the infirmary, and “the skin on the right side of her face, where the lash of Nyx’s whip had scored, was split to the bone.”
To stop the abuse, Fallon attacks Nyx. Nyx “brandished the heavy butt end of the whip like a club and caught me on the side of the head with it. Stars burst in front of my eyes. . . Nyx slammed the whip across my back like a truncheon. Then again. And again. . . A kick from her hobnailed boot lifted me off the ground.” Nyx stabs Fallon and then puts her in a dark cell.
To escape Nyx, Fallon has to kill Ixion (an Amazon warrior) from behind. “Ixion’s heavy dead body sagged away from me. . .Never mind that my hands were shaking as I wiped clean my blade on the dead man’s tunic.”
When Fallon and her companions are escaping from Nyx, a guard is killed. “The blade sliced through the rain, spinning end over end, and the man toppled soundlessly over the Ludus wall.”
One of Fallon’s friends tells her a story. “When I was a girl, I came across what was left of one of those captives. . . He’d been blood-eagled. Split open and strung up between the branches of a tree as an offering to our god and a warning to our enemies.”
Fallon and her companions flee from Rome. While sneaking onto a ship, guards called vigiles see Fallon and her fellow gladiatrix, Meriel. The girls attack the guards. “And two of them went down like sacks of grain the instant they attacked. I didn’t have time to think about how it felt to have to wrench my sword out of human flesh again, twisting as I did to avoid slipping in the hot, red rush of blood. . .”
A guard attacks, and Fallon “raised an axe over his head, screaming as he swung the weapon back for a killing blow. He screamed louder when he realized that he no longer had an axe—or an arm—to swing.” Fallon escapes, but Meriel doesn’t. It is unclear what Meriel’s fate is.
One of Fallon’s friends questions the goddess Morrigan’s kindness. He says, “Your fearsome war goddess. She who—as I’ve been led to understand—bathes in the blood of her enemies and feasts on their eyes after the battle’s done. She would not be so cruel?”
To free Fallon’s sister, Sorcha, some of the gladiatrices from the Ludus Achillea go to the island the Amazons inhabit. When they get there, Thalestris—who had kidnapped Sorcha—was to sacrifice Socha. Thalestris tied Sorcha to a menhir and called out to her god. “Cybele! Black stone mother! Guardian of the boundaries between the living and the dead! Accept this blood sacrifice that we may wash the shame of our sister Orithyia’s disgrace and defeat from our skins and our souls.”
Fallon and her group attack the Amazons. “The flaming iron cage balls soared out of the darkness like stones hurled from catapults, slamming into the protective shell made from our wall of shields, and the darkness exploded knot showers of sparks. . . Our blades darted out like serpents’ tongues, sometimes tagging flesh.”
An older Amazon woman “swung an oak staff at [Fallon’s] head. . .and I caught the blow at an angle.” Fallon head-butted the woman in the face. “I felt her nose break. Blood gushed and she reeled backward, pain-blind . . .” The fight ends when Fallon repeatedly yells stop. Fallon gives the Amazons a speech, and both sides put down their weapons.
As the Ludus Achillea leaves the island, Thalestris throws a fishing spear, killing a man. “His body stiffened and jerked, chest thrust forward, and the glistening red tip of a spear blade appeared as if by some evil magic, sticking out of the center of his tunic. . . When he opened his mouth to say something, all that came out was a gout of bright blood.”
While at Cai’s father’s home, the guards try to attack Fallon and her friends. When the guard tries to punch Fallon, she “blocked the blow with my sword. He didn’t have time to scream in pain before I circled my blade through the air and lunged forward, burying the point in his chest.”
When all the guards are dead, “the blood pooled beneath our feet, seeping from the mortal wounds of the seven dead vigils.”
Cai’s father, Varro, attacks Fallon, who “took the length of a pitchfork shaft in the stomach. I dropped to the ground, wheezing, and my sword fell from my hands. . . Varro turned and threw me through the air. . . It felt as though my head had been torn half off.”
To protect Fallon, “without the slightest hesitation, Cai thrust the blade between his father’s ribs. Right to the hilt.” As Varro took his last breaths, Cai said, “I renounce you, and your name, and your blood. I will not perform the rites for you, old man. I will not put coins for the Ferryman on your eyes. You go to Hades with no issue, no legacy, and no hope to ever walk the fields of Elysium beside my mother’s shade.”
The Amazon and the Achillea gladiatrices battle. Sorcha fights Nyx. As Thalestris goes to kill Fallon, Sorcha “brought her blade up and around. . . and thrust into the space beneath Thalestris’s arm as she tore my sword out of my grasp. . . Thalestris was dead before she hit the ground.”
Nyx joins the fight, wielding a fire chain. Nyx “swung the thing back and attacked again. And again. . . In her enthusiasm to spill my brains, it seemed she’d forgotten that I had a second sword. And she’d left herself wide open. . . I buried it between her ribs.”
From the stands, someone shot an arrow at Fallon. “It dented on impact, and I felt like I’d been hit by a catapult stone, but I was alive.”
Another arrow was let loose, but “Aeddan leaped in front . . .taking the second arrow that was meant for [Fallon] square in the chest. . . He spun around in a grotesque dance. . . toppled off the wall and hit the ground below.” The Achillea gladiatrices win the battle, but there are many deaths.

Drugs and Alcohol 

Often, Fallon and other adults drink wine. For example, after a practice battle, a drunk man asks Fallon for a kiss. She “snatched the cup from his hands and drank the wine in one gulp.” She left without kissing him.
At night, Fallon and the other gladiatrices sit around the fire with “mugs of beer.” Some of the girls get drunk.
When injured, Fallon is given a “potion” to stop the pain. Another gladiatrix is given “poppy draughts” when injured in a battle.
Fallon’s sister is rescued and given a sleeping draught.
To give Fallon and Cai time alone, Cai’s friend gets the guards drunk.
Fallon thinks a “potent soporific” made her have bad dreams.
One of the Sons of Dis put hemlock, a sedative, in Fallon’s wine. However, Fallon says, “The senator’s physician sent a cup of wine to my room every night to help me sleep. But I had such terrible dreams the first night; I just kept pouring the stuff out the window.”

Language 

Profanity is used occasionally. Profanity includes arse, ass, bloody, damn, and hell.
There is some name-calling, including bitch, bastard and whore.
“Lugh’s teeth” is used as an exclamation several times.
“Morrigan’s bloody teeth” and “sweet Juno” are used as exclamations once.

Supernatural

When Fallon is delirious with fever, she’s forced to flee the Ludus Achillea; she prays to her goddess. Afterward, she sees a vision of a warrior she knows. She follows the warrior, who leads her to safety. Fallon believes, “The Morrigan had sent his shade back from the Lands of the Blessed Dead to lead my friends and me.”

Spiritual Content 

The conflict revolves around “the Sons of Dis, a depraved and cultish secret society dedicated to the sacrificial worship of a god of the Underworld.” Fallon saw a group of men “in feathered masks crowding around [a gladiator’s] split-open carcass, greedily devouring the heart that had beat so strongly within his chest only a handful of moments earlier.”
Dis is “the dark incarnation of the Roman god Saturn—ruler of the Underworld, a pitiless deity who could grant his worshippers strength and power but would only be placated with blood.”
The Egyptians believed that “when we die, Anubis, the god of the dead, carves out our heart and weighs it against Ma’at, the feather of truth.”
Fallon often refers to her goddess. Her father promised her hand in marriage to a man Fallon didn’t love. After a time, Fallon wonders, “if my father’s decision hadn’t been a part of the goddess Morrigan’s plan for me all along.”
Before the gladiatrices are attacked, Fallon dreams of Morrigan appearing. “Her cloak was made of dagger blades. . .” Morrigan whispers the word “vengeance,” and Fallon wakes to find the stables on fire. Later, Morrigan tells Fallon to “Run! Live! Return to fight another day!”
When Fallon is seriously injured, she wonders, “Had the Morrigan forsaken me because I’d pledged my warrior’s gifts in service to Caesar?”
When Fallon’s enemy has captured her, he says, “Don’t you see, Fallon. Your goddess has laid out your fate’s path to lead right to the doorstep of my god. Dis and Morrigan are kindred.”
When Fallon is in danger, she prays to Morrigan. Later, she believes “the Morrigan had heard my prayers and given me this chance.” When Fallon is finally safe, she offers “a silent prayer of gratitude to the Morrigan.”
When Fallon’s sister, Sorcha, is kidnapped, a friend “made sacrifices to the goddess for her safe journey.”
Sorcha was kidnapped so she could be sacrificed “to the goddess of the Amazons under the light of the Huntress Moon. How spilling of her blood would make their tribe mighty again.”
Fallon’s tribe believes that after a person dies, they go to the Blessed Isles of the afterlife.
When a man in Fallon’s group dies, she “whispered a prayer for the Morrigan to guide his soul’s flight.”
Cleopatra tells Fallon that she can’t join the fight because “I am the daughter of the gods and, as such, should probably leave such robust bloodshed to you who are trained in those arts.”
For protection, Cleopatra gives Fallon a pendant with Sekhmet on it. “One of the goddesses, and much like—if I understand what your sister has told me—your goddess, the Morrigan.”

The Serpent’s Shadow

Following the events of Book Two of The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire, Carter and Sadie prepare to face the Serpent of Chaos, Apophis. “It had been six months since the Chaos snake Apophis had escaped from his Underworld prison, but he still hadn’t launched a large-scale invasion of the mortal world as we’d expected.” Apophis has attacked several Nomes—organized groups of magicians—but Apophis seems to be waiting for the perfect time to launch a destructive attack on the entire mortal world. As Apophis’ attacks on groups of magicians continue, Carter and Sadie are determined to find a way to defeat Apophis, before he can reach his goal of overrunning the mortal world with chaos.

In this book, Carter and Sadie reflect on and experience a lot of loss, which some readers may be able to empathize with. Carter explains, “I’d already lost so many people. My mom had died when I was seven. My dad sacrificed himself to become the host of Osiris [Egyptian god of the dead] last year. Over the summer, many of our allies had fallen to Apophis.” Having lost so many people that they love, Carter and Sadie have grown closer, and they recognize how important it is that they support each other. As Carter explains, “I needed [Sadie].”

An important theme in The Serpent’s Shadow is Sadie’s evolving relationships with Anubis, the Egyptian god of funerals, and Walt, her friend and fellow magician. Middle-grade readers will likely sympathize with Sadie as she struggles to understand her emotions. Sadie explains that she does not really know what she wants and feels conflicted. “My heart had been torn between [Walt] and Anubis for months now, and it just wasn’t fair of Anubis to pop into my dreams, looking all hot and immortal, when poor Walt was risking his life to protect me.”

Things take a dramatic turn for Sadie when Walt, who has been dying of an incurable curse, is able to live—but only by becoming the mortal host of Anubis. At first, Sadie is mortified and does not know how to handle both Anubis and Walt being in one body, but she is ultimately able to accept this. Sadie “saw [Walt] smiling down at me. Anubis, too. I could see them both, and I realized I didn’t have to pick.” Sadie ultimately decides to pursue a relationship with Walt even after he becomes Anubis’ host, saying, “This was a new boy in front of me, and he was everything I liked.”

Ultimately, to defeat the Serpent of Chaos, Apophis, the gods and goddesses must work together with the mortal magicians. While the gods and goddesses keep the serpent at bay, Carter and Sadie are able to perform a spell and defeat Apophis by destroying his shadow, or his sheut. Carter and Sadie visit their parents in the underworld, where their mom emphasizes the importance of magicians working in tandem with the gods to create harmony. Carter and Sadie’s mom says, “Keep teaching the path of the gods. Bring the House of Life [the organization of the magicians] back to its former glory. [Sadie] and Carter will make Egyptian magic stronger than ever. And that’s good . . . because your challenges are not over.”

Readers who enjoy mythology, action, and magic will love this series, which is an absolute must-read because of its message of working together to make the world a better place, or in Carter and Sadie’s case, to defeat the Serpent of Chaos.

Sexual Content 

While running from an angry goddess, Walt, Sadie’s friend and fellow magician, kisses Sadie. “He nodded, then gave me a hasty kiss. ‘Good luck.’”
After successfully performing a spell to avoid being captured, Sadie kisses Walt. “I kissed him properly—or as properly as possible given our situation.”
Carter and Zia, Carter’s friend from the first two books and fellow magician, kiss. “She leaned over and kissed me. I’d imagined this many times, but I was so unprepared, I didn’t act very cool about it. . . I said something like ‘Hum-uh-huh.’”
Carter and Zia kiss while on a date in the mall’s food court. “She leaned over and kissed me.”
After Walt explains to Sadie how he agreed to become Anubis’ mortal host so that he could stay alive in spite of his curse, Walt and Sadie kiss. “[Walt] leaned down and kissed me.”

Violence 

Carter and Sadie fight alongside a group of magicians from another Nome, or magician group, from Texas. However, in the course of the battle, the demons sent by Apophis kill all the magicians that came to help Carter and Sadie. Sadie says, “The Texas magicians had welcomed us and supported us . . . ’They’re dead,’ [Sadie] said. ‘All of them.’” The killings aren’t described, but Carter and Sadie find remnants of some belt buckles worn by the magicians that passed away.
A rebel magician leader, Sarah Jacobi, has gathered a group of supporters who believe that Carter, Sadie, and their relatives are dangerous and that Carter and Sadie, not Apophis, have caused the many deaths of other magicians. Jacobi threatens Carter and Sadie, “The Kanes are a plague . . . you must be destroyed. Surrender yourself and your family for execution.” Carter and Sadie do not surrender to Jacobi, knowing that she is wrong, and that Apophis is the threat to magicians and to the mortal world at large.
A river monster attacks Carter and his friend, Zia, and Carter changes into a falcon so that he can get a better view of the monster during the fight. Carter says, “I dove at the monster’s eye, raking it with my claws . . . but I could tell that I hadn’t done any real damage.” Carter and Zia are saved by a giant who appears in the river and defeats the monster.
When Carter and Sadie cast a spell to destroy Apophis’ shadow and defeat him, the Chaos serpent explodes. “His head exploded. Yes, it was just as gross as it sounds. Flaming bits of reptile flew everywhere.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

Characters occasionally say stupid and shut up.

Supernatural

Carter and Sadie discuss the various parts of the soul. Carter and Sadie’s friend and the goddess of cats, Bast, explains the shadow part of the soul. “You can never be free of your shadow—your sheut. All living beings have them…The sheut is not just a physical shadow. It’s a magical projection—the silhouette of the soul.”
Carter is able to channel the power of Horus, a god, since they worked together in the past two books. Because of this, Carter is able to use Horus’ power to change into a falcon if he needs to. “I changed into a falcon . . . it was fairly easy magic for me, since the falcon was Horus’ sacred animal.”
While the gods fight off Apophis, Sadie and Carter are able to combat Apophis with a spell. Sadie explains how she uses the magic. “I faced down my own chaos. I accepted my jumbled emotions about whether I belonged in London or New York, whether I was a magician or a schoolgirl. I was Sadie Kane, and if I survived today, I could bloody well balance it all . . . I stilled my restlessness and let go of my doubts. ‘Ma’at [order]’ I said.”

Spiritual Content 

Like in the other Kane Chronicles books, Carter and Sadie encounter the gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology throughout this book and often fight Apophis, the Serpent of Chaos, alongside the gods. The Egyptian gods in this series are not really worshipped in a traditional sense, but rather are given human characteristics—anger, revenge, love, and jealousy.
Sadie explains of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, “the gods are not human. They have trouble thinking of us [humans] as more than useful tools or cute pets. To gods, a human life span doesn’t seem much longer than that of the average gerbil.”
Characters rarely exclaim “gods of Egypt” when frustrated or surprised.

Holes

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

Stanley is an interesting character who has been bullied his entire life but has never fought back. When he’s sent to Camp Green Lake, his life takes a turn for the worse. There is trouble between Stanley and his cabinmates when, unbeknownst to them, Stanley agrees to teach Zero to read in exchange for Zero’s help digging Stanley’s hole. Even though Stanley doesn’t feel like the trade is fair, like everything else in his life, he goes along with it because it was Zero’s idea. Similarly, when Stanley’s cabinmates begin to beat him up, Stanley takes the punches without fighting back. Readers will empathize with Stanley’s insecurities and inability to voice his opinions even though they may not relate to his struggles.

Stanley’s tale follows two storylines—his current struggles at Camp Green Lake and those of his ancestors, beginning with his “no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.” Stanley’s unlucky ancestors face discrimination and hardships, but it’s up to the reader to decide if their downfall was due to fate or their decisions. While his ancestor’s hardships don’t coincide with Stanley’s struggles, the conclusion explains how each storyline connects. The ancestors’ storyline is interesting, but some readers may find the back-and-forth between plots confusing.

Holes uses an interesting premise to create a story with unique characters who show how a person’s ancestors’ decisions can impact generations. At first, Stanley feels he’s destined to have bad luck, but when his friend Zero disappears into the desert, Stanley finally steps out of his comfort zone to help his friend. The story’s conclusion gives both Stanley and Zero a happy ending, but readers are left to question whether Stanley has changed and is willing to stand up to others and let his voice be heard.

Most of the story’s action comes from the characters’ interactions and from Stanley’s difficulties digging holes. Some readers may struggle with the story’s slow pace and the constantly shifting perspectives. However, Holes is worth reading because it explores real-world issues such as justice, friendship, cruelty’s destructive nature, and history’s importance in everyday life. Readers who enjoy Holes should also read the Alabama Moon Series by Watt Key and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Sexual Content 

In the past, someone saw Kate Barlow kissing a black man.

Violence 

Stanley calls a boy by his given name instead of his nickname. The boy “threw Stanley to the ground. Stanley stared up at him, terrified.”
Armpit, one of Camp Green Lake’s inmates, questions the Warden. “The Warden jabbed at Armpit with the pitchfork, knocking him backward into the big hole. The pitchfork left three holes in the front of his shirt and three tiny spots of blood.”
Zigzag and Stanley were digging in a hole when “Zigzag’s shovel caught him in the side of the head. He collapsed. . . Stanley brought his fingers up the side of his neck. He felt his wet blood and a pretty big gash right below his ear. . . Mr. Sir made a bandage out of a piece of his sack of sunflower seeds and taped it over Stanley’s ear.” Stanley has “throbbing pain,” and the wound is “considerably swollen.”
The Warden mixes rattlesnake venom with her nail polish. When Mr. Sir annoys the Warden, she scratches his face. “He had three long red marks slanting across the left side of his face. Stanley didn’t know if the redness was caused by her nail polish or his blood. . . Mr. Sir screamed and clutched his face with both hands. He let himself fall over . . . Then his head jerked violently, and he let out a shrill scream, worse than the one before.” Mr. Sir’s face swells “to the size of a cantaloupe” and has “three dark-purple jagged lines running down his cheek.”
When a boy asks Mr. Sir about his wound, “there was a crash [and] Mr. Sir holding the boy’s head against the oatmeal pot. . . Mr. Sir had the boy by his throat.” Mr. Sir choked the boy and then let him go.
Some of the inmates get angry at Stanley. Zigzag began pushing Stanley “hard,” but Stanley wouldn’t hit back. “Stanley made a feeble attempt to punch Zigzag; then he felt a flurry of fists against his head and neck. Zigzag had hold of his collar with one hand and was hitting him with the other.” The supervising adult, Mr. Pendanski, encourages Stanley to fight back.
When Stanley still refused to fight back, Zigzag jumped on Stanley. “The side of Stanley’s face was pressed flat against the dirt. . . Zigzag’s fist slammed off his arms and pounded his face into the ground.” The supervising adult does nothing to stop the fight.
Zero helps Stanley. “Zero had his arm around Zigzag’s long neck. Zigzag made a gagging sound, as he desperately tried to pry Zero’s arm off him. . . Armpit charged into them, freezing Zigzag from Zero’s choke hold.” Finally, the supervising adult shoots a pistol in the air, stopping the fight.
After the supervising adult, Mr. Pendanski, berates Zero, “Zero took the shovel. Then swung it like a baseball bat. The metal blade smashed across Mr. Pendanski’s face. His knees crumpled beneath him. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.” Mr. Pendanski “had two black eyes and a bandage over his nose.”
Zero walks off into the desert. “The counselors all drew their guns.” The Warden tells the counselors to let Zero leave because he’ll either come back to camp or die in the desert.
Stanley’s great-grandfather was robbed by “Kissin’’ Kate Barlow. “Kate Barlow didn’t actually kiss Stanley’s great-grandfather. . . She only kissed the men she killed. Instead, she robbed him and left him stranded in the middle of the desert.”
Kate Barlow was a school teacher who fell in love with Sam, a Black man. When someone sees them kissing, they destroy the school. Kate goes to the sheriff (who is drunk) for help, but he will only help Kate if she kisses him. “She slapped him across the face. . . She tried to slap him again, but he caught her by the hand.”
The sheriff planned to hang the man Kate loved because “it’s against the law for a Negro to kiss a white woman.”
Kate Barlow and her love try to escape on a boat, but a man named Trout Walker finds them. “The Walker boat smashed into Sam’s boat. Sam was shot and killed.”
Kate Barlow survived. “Three days after Sam’s death, Miss Katherine shot the sheriff while he was sitting in his chair drinking a cup of coffee. Then she carefully applied a fresh coat of red lipstick and gave him the kiss he asked for.” Kate turned into an outlaw.
During Kate Barlow’s bandit days, she went to a cabin to rest. “She was awakened one morning by someone kicking open the cabin door. She opened her eyes to see the blurry end of a rifle, two inches from her nose.” Trout Walker and his wife, Linda, wanted Kate’s loot. When Kate refused to give it to them, they forced her to walk on the hot sand “until her feet were black and blistered. Whenever she stopped, Linda whacked her with the shovel.”
A lizard with “sharp black teeth bit into her leg. Its white tongue lapped up the droplets of blood that leaked out of the wound.” The bite killed Kate.

Drugs and Alcohol 

A camp counselor is trying to stop smoking. In a stressful moment, he “lit a cigarette.”

Language 

Hell is used once.

“Oh my God” is used twice.

Supernatural

According to family legend, Stanley’s family is cursed. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather “had stolen a pig from a one-legged Gypsy, and she put a curse on him and all of his descendants. Stanley’s parents didn’t believe in curses, of course, but whenever anything went wrong, it felt good to be able to blame someone.”
According to legend, after Kate’s love was killed, the town was cursed. “That all happened one hundred and ten years ago. Since then, not one drop of rain has fallen on Green Lake.” The narrator asks the reader, “You make the decision: Whom did God punish?”

Spiritual Content 

When Kate Barlow kisses Sam, a Black man, a woman tells her, “God will punish you!” In addition, someone calls her “the Devil Woman.”
When the sheriff refuses to help Kate Barlow, she says, “We’re all equal under the eyes of God.”
In Kate Barlow’s time, Mrs. Tennyson’s daughter becomes sick. Mrs. Tennyson gave her daughter Sam’s onion tonic, which healed her. When Mrs. Tennyson thanks Sam, he says, “I’m sure the good Lord and Doc Hawthorn deserve most of the credit.”
Stanley disturbs a yellow spotted lizard nest. When he safely exits the hole, the warden says, “Thank God.”

Jane Goodall: Groundbreaking Primatologist

In Jane Goodall: Groundbreaking Primatologist, early fluent readers will learn about the life, accomplishments, and contributions of primatologist Jane Goodall. “Take a Look”! infographics explain STEM concepts, sidebars present interesting, supplementary information, and an activity offers readers an opportunity to extend learning. Children can learn more about Jane Goodall using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Jane Goodall also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Jane Goodall is part of Jump!’s Women in STEM Series.

Young readers will learn about Jane Goodall in three easy-to-read chapters written in oversized text with brightly colored backgrounds. Each page has one to seven simple sentences that use basic vocabulary. Scientific words such as primatologist and groundbreaking appear in bold font, and their definitions appear in the book’s glossary. In addition, one page explains how readers can study animal behavior by watching a video. In addition, each page has a large illustration of Goodall and/or the chimpanzees she loves.

Any reader interested in animals will enjoy reading Jane Goodall: Groundbreaking Primatologist. The book shows how Jane Goodall overcame hardships to become a primatologist, how she’s impacted the scientific world, and how she continues to advocate for animals. The words and pictures blend to make an entertaining and educational book that young readers will love. To learn more about Jane Goodall and women scientists, read She Persisted in Science by Chelsea Clinton. To instill a love of science in a child, add Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes , and Charlotte the Scientist Is Squished by Camille Andros to your little one’s reading list.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

What If You Had Animal Eyes!?

What if you woke up one morning to find that you had a completely different pair of eyes? What if you now had chameleon eyes and were able to look in two directions at once? What if you had the glowing eyes of a colossal squid and were able to shine light in a dark room?  These are some of the many examples explored in What If You Had Animal Eyes!?

In this entry of the series, author Sandra Markle asks the reader to imagine their life with several different pairs of animal eyes, from an eagle’s to a dragonfly’s. Each page of the book describes the eyes of a different animal, listing their unique abilities and showing how these abilities could be used in your life. For example, eagle eyes can see up to eight times better than the human eye, with a field of vision that stretches as far as two miles. While eagles use these abilities to catch prey, the reader could use them to have the best view of the football game despite sitting in the very back of the stadium! Each description is concise and never overwhelms the reader with excessive information; each page has one to seven sentences per page.

The book is brought to life by illustrator Howard McWilliam, who visualizes each scenario with funny, exaggerated drawings of children making the most of their new animal eyes. While one child uses her leopard eyes to see in the dark, another uses his yellow mongoose eyes to help him win a game of laser tag. These illustrations match Markle’s clear, engaging writing to create a book that manages to educate readers through its content while also encouraging their imagination with the question of how these eyes would play into their daily lives.

The story’s illustrations are an excellent companion to the book’s educational content, creating a unique nonfiction book that will educate and engage the reader’s imagination. What If You Had Animal Eyes!? is an excellent book for those looking for a book that educates young readers while still providing a charming and pleasant read.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Daughter of Sparta

Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis, who holds Daphne’s brother’s fate in her hands, upends the life she’s worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus. If Daphne cannot find them, the gods’ waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother’s life will be forfeit.

Guided by Artemis’ twin—the handsome and entirely too self-assured god Apollo—Daphne’s journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves. A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a female-led adventure.

Daphne desperately wants to fit into the world of Sparta and is willing to jump into battle to keep her family’s honor. She has “strived [her] entire life to be Spartan, to leave behind the Mothakes title hanging over [her] head.” When Artemis threatens to kill her brother, Daphne is forced to go on a perilous adventure. But Daphne isn’t willing to play by the gods’ rules. Instead, Daphne uses her bravery, battle skills, and intelligence to find the missing Muses. Daphne is a heroine worth admiring because she is determined to beat fate and live her life according to her own designs.

Soon after leaving Sparta, Apollo finds Lykou—Daphne’s childhood friend and possible love interest—following them. The untrusting Apollo turns Lykou into a wolf, who becomes Daphne’s faithful companion. Lykou’s determination to help protect Daphne from danger makes him likable and gives the love triangle an interesting twist. And although Lykou cannot talk, readers will still fall in love with him. On the other hand, Apollo clearly loves Daphne, and although he comes across as arrogant—he is a god after all—readers will find Apollo capturing their hearts as well.

Readers not familiar with Greek mythology will find Daughter of Sparta difficult to read because of the Greek words, ginormous cast of characters, and many gods and mythological figures that appear. The book contains a glossary of terms, and readers will have to flip back and forth between the text and the glossary in order to understand the plot and how the characters are interconnected. As with most stories of the Greek gods, there are epic betrayals, bloody and descriptive battles, and supernatural enemies that are suited for more mature readers.

Readers who loved reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan and are ready to jump into a more mature book revolving around the Greek gods will enjoy reading Daughter of Sparta. Daphne is a compelling character who isn’t afraid to make her own mark on the world. Plus, the non-stop action, shifting alliances, and mystery behind Daphne’s birth mix into an exciting adventure that shows that women are just as capable as men and are worthy of respect—even from the gods.

Sexual Content 

After sparring with Lykou, Daphne goes to a celebration. Later, Lykou congratulates her on her battle skills. Daphne’s “gaze trails the line of his bicep, my mouth suddenly dry. Maybe I could let myself enjoy Lykou’s plush lips, find out what it feels like to run my fingers through those dark curls. . .”
When Daphne was born, her father said Daphne was “godspawn and a curse.” He accused his wife of being a “whore.” He cursed the gods and said, “Damn the gods. What more can they do to me? They have nothing left to smite me with. They have taken my wife and given me the spawn of Tartarus as a daughter.”
While at a party, Apollo pushes Daphne against a wall. “His gaze is like a tendril of smoke, the arm around my waist the flame, scorching the narrow space between our bodies. My mind and heart do battle. . . It’s hard to focus on anything else but the arm pressing me close.” Finally, Daphne pulls away.
There is sexual tension between Apollo and Daphne. For example, Apollo “takes my chin in his hand, forcing me to meet his gaze. His thumb passes gently over my bottom lip, and my heart skips a beat. . . His face starts to slowly lower itself toward mine, eyes dropping to my lips. His lips are mere inches from my own when Lykou snarls behind us.”
Daphne cleans herself in a river. After she gets out, Apollo steps in her way. “His body is an unyielding mass, scorching against my chilled skin. His hips press against mine. My knees tremble despite my best efforts as he reaches behind my head, fingers running gently through my soaked curls. . .” Despite her attraction to Apollo, Daphne pushes him away.
Daphne and Apollo argue. Then, Apollo’s “eyes dart to my lips, hunger brewing in his gaze. I catch his hand as it travels down my neck, placing it firmly between my own. . . Warm and sweet, our lips fold together in a warm embrace. A fire erupts inside me . . .I moan against his mouth.” Lykou attacks Apollo. The scene is described over a page and a half.
Before Apollo goes into the underworld, Daphne kisses him. “With no reservation, I pour every one of my burgeoning feelings into our kiss. . . feeling stirs inside of me with each pass of his tongue across my lips. He is the sun, and I am the Earth, underling beneath his lips.”
The story mentions that one of the gods had male and female lovers.

Violence 

Since Daughter of Sparta contains excessive and gory violence between humans, gods, goddesses, and mythological creatures, not all violence is described below.
During a celebration, Daphne spars with her friend Lykou. “He leaps across the arena and strikes his dory [spear] wide. . . I barely roll from his reach in time, my shoulder hitting the dirt hard enough to steal the breath from my lungs. Before he can attack again, I swipe for his legs.”
During the fight, Daphne tricks Lykou. “With an exaggerated grimace of pain, I slump my bruised shoulder ever so slightly. . . [Lykou lunges] for my injured shoulder. . . I twist and swing to meet him as he jumps right into my reach. . .my dory has already grazed his side, tearing what little he has of a chiton in a strike of victory.” The fight is described over two pages.
When Apollo turns Daphne’s friend into a wolf, her “fist meets Apollo’s chin with a solid crack. He spins, crumpling to his knees.” Realizing what she had done, Daphne falls to her knees. Apollo doesn’t punish her.
A god leads Daphne into the forest. “Her claws dig into my arms, dragging me to my feet. . . Wrenching from her grasp, I slash my dagger across her pale throat. . . The handle of my dagger is slick with her blood, but I find my grip and plunge the dagger forward. She chokes, cackle cutting off with a gurgled screech as my dagger finds its home in her heart.” The woman falls and transforms. “Apollo is spread-eagle across the ground, a river of red pooling beneath his tangled curls.” Daphne prays to Dionysus, who saves Apollo’s life.
Daphne and Lykou (who has been turned into a wolf) are looking through outdoor stalls. A blacksmith gets upset that Daphne is trying to barter with him. “The blacksmith swings at Lykou’s throat just as the wolf leaps into the air. . .” Daphne steps between the two, and Lykou’s “fangs barely miss my fingers. I slam the blacksmith’s wrist into the brick wall. He yelps, dropping the sword. . . The blacksmith’s meaty fist soars above my head. . .”
During the fight with the blacksmith, his apprentice jumps in. The apprentice “flings a hammer at my head, and I duck just in time to hear it sing past. A fist follows in quick succession. . . I catch his fist a heartbeat before it can pummel my gut.” Daphne outmaneuvers the men and quickly flees.
King Minos wants to end the gods’ reign. He says the gods “have suppressed, stolen from, and murdered us . . . We no longer bow and scrape to their selfish siblings, no more sacrifices of our children to appease their unruly children’s whims.” To weaken the gods’ powers, King Minos throws three Muses into the Minotaur’s lair.
While Daphne is sneaking through King Minos’ palace, guards capture her. As the guards question her, Theseus appears holding weapons. The guards turn their back on Daphne, and she “slip[s] the dagger from beneath my sleeve and ram[s] it deep into the nearest guard’s back. . . angled up to pierce beneath his bottom ribs. He collapses. . .”
When the other guard sees his dead friend, “he swings the sword for [Daphne’s] head, and [she] roll[s] beneath his reach. [Her] dagger slices right through the tendons on his ankles. . . [Theseus] slams a blade through the back of his neck.” Daphne and Theseus hide the bodies.
Daphne and Theseus go into the Minotaur’s lair to save the Muses. When the Minotaur finds Daphne, “It lunges. I leap to the side, narrowly avoiding obsidian claws as they rip through the air. Theseus is not so quick and releases a horrible, anguished yell. His shoulder shreds beneath the Minotaur’s reach. . .I spin and lash out with my sword. . . the blade barely leaves a mark.”
During the fight, the wolf Lykou “leaps and catches the beast’s arm between his teeth. The Minotaur only growls in annoyance, shaking the wolf off. Before Theseus can jump away, it sends him hurtling backward with a solid kick to the gut. . .” At Theseus’ request, Daphne flees. The bloody fight is described over two pages.
Daphne finds the Muses in the Minotaur’s lair. “Amid a ruin of rubble and rotting bodies, a cage sits in the center of the landing. Bones make the bars, the locks and corners held together by circles of stone. . . Three tattered women huddle inside it.” The cage was closed using “magic only a few Olympians can wield.”
Blood is the only thing that can open the cage and free the Muses. Daphne details, “I draw my blade across my palm. Blood pours from my hand, and I slap it against the carvings. My blood runs freely, too quickly, and my vision begins to spin. The bone crumbles beneath my hand. . .”
Daphne leads the Muses through the Minotaur’s maze. The Minotaur “grabs Terpsikhore [a Muse]. His claws dig into her arms. A choked scream escapes her. Lykou snarls, jaws clamping down on the beast’s other arm. He only holds on a moment before the beast flings him across the room.”
While in a large room, Daphne finds a broken statue and grabs the kerykeion, the staff carried by Hermes. Daphne attacks. “I land on the Minotaur’s back again. My legs wrap around the broad torso. My thighs burn with the effort, my battered arm barely keeping its grip. . . With a single stab, the wing of the kerykeion pierces the Minotaur’s eye and pushes deep into his skull. A last shuddering exhalation shakes its entire mass. It collapses and I rocket across the floor.” The Minotaur is dead. Theseus, Daphne, and the Muses escape. The scene is described over three pages.
The god of war and Hermes go to Tartarus and meet an unnamed goddess. Ganymede, a Trojan prince who was abducted by Zeus and taken to Mount Olympus to be his cupbearer and lover, follows Ares. When Ganymede is found, “The herald’s arms are like bands of iron, keeping Ganymede from fleeing. . . Ares’ hand lashes out, catching Ganymede by the throat. . . [Ares] gives the spy a sharp kick in the ribs. The god’s ribs crack audibly . . .” Ganymede is injured but not dead.
Daphne and her companions are sleeping when Minos and his soldiers surround them. A fight ensues. “Lykou snatches [a soldier] and drags him screaming beyond the camp. White teeth flash, the sharp tang of blood hangs heavy on the air. A moment later, Lykou returns to tear another soldier into the dark, his screams snatched from the air by a terrifying snarl.”
Apollo also fights the soldiers, and “blood arcs through the air and screams erupt around me. . . [Apollo] moves through the line of soldiers with deadly efficiency and precision, a warrior when threatened. The sharp song of metal meeting metal echoes into the night. . .”
During the fight, Minos attacks Theseus and “rams a dagger” into him. “Theseus collapses in the dirt, eyes locked on mine. His blood pours into the earth. . . He chokes slightly, his eyes desperate, begging me to reverse this. The warm pool of blood beneath him stains my knees.” Theseus dies.

Drugs and Alcohol 

During a celebration, many people, including Daphne and Lykou, consume alcohol, some to the point of being drunk.
While at a party, Daphne and other guests drink wine. One guest “downs goblet after goblet of the fruity wine.”

Language 

Profanity is used rarely and includes ass, bastard, damn, and shit.
Daphne thinks Apollo is an “arrogant ass.”

Supernatural

When Artemis finds Daphne’s brother Pyrrhus spying on her, she turns him into a stag. “No warning or dramatic fanfare precedes the transformation. One second Pyrrhus is crumbled on his hands and knees at Artemis’s feet, and then in a blink of an eye, a stag stands before me.”
Apollo shapeshifts and makes himself look like King Minos.
After fighting the Minotaur, the Muse Urania uses her power to heal Theseus. She touches him, and “the bruising begins to fade, and his nose reassembles itself. . . Her finder continues down Theseus’s broken body, and the slashes across his legs and chest begin to knit together.” Another Muse heals Daphne’s wounds.
To give Theseus time to heal and to escape Minos’ palace, one of the Muses stops time.

Spiritual Content 

The story occurs in Sparta during King Menelaus’ and Queen Helen’s rule. The Greek gods play a prominent role in the story and intervene in human affairs. Below are just some examples of how the gods play a role in the story.
One man warns, “The drought has left our people with ire. The kings of Greece grow restless, their people hungry, and the gods bored. A reckoning awaits beyond the horizon.”
Each year, Sparta celebrates and makes a sacrifice to the gods. An oracle says, “With this race, we not only ask for Apollo’s divine favor but must also give him our strength. . . [Beyond Sparta] children of the Mesogeios sacrificed each year to beasts lurking beneath cities. . . These ills. . . will reach us, just as they have reached even the gods from the heights of Olympus.” The oracle believes the gods are causing natural disasters.
When Daphne and four men begin a race, Menelaus says, “May the wings of Hermes be beneath your feet.”
Artemis appears to Daphne. Artemis says, “My powers—my family’s powers—are dwindling. Olympus is at its weakest, the love and worship of men long since waning. Soon, I will die, my family will die, and all the gifts that we bestowed upon men will wash away like dust across the stones under a heavy rain.” Artemis forces Daphne to help the gods.
Daphne refuses to leave Sparta and help Artemis, so the god takes an arrow and “slices deep across my skin. I cry out involuntarily as searing heat envelops my chest and spreads to my limbs. . . My blood drips from the weapon. . . The arrow slashes out again, faster than any mortal could react, ripping across the belly of my chiton and driving into my stomach.”
Artemis curses Daphne. Artemis says, “The Midas Curse will envelop you, enslave you, and bind you to me. The gold can spread to your toes, molding you into a tool that I might wield as I choose. Mock me, and the gold will crawl to your neck, choking off any insolent words before they can be uttered.”
Apollo accompanies Daphne on her journey and helps protect her. He carries a golden arrow that can bring someone back to life. At the end of each day, Apollo drinks wine.
When Apollo discovers Lykou following them, Lykou “falls to the ground, thrashing and roaring. He claws at his head, back, legs, and neck, skin rippling and contorting in the firelight.” Lykou turns into a wolf.
Daphne almost falls off a cliff, but she catches herself. “As panic seizes me, I send up a prayer to the goddess Tyche for luck and press close to the rock, clenching my eyes shut.” Daphne is able to drag her body over the ledge and is safe.
Daphne meets Prometheus. He is “spread-eagled between twin stone columns, hangs limp from his chained wrist before us.” Prometheus gives Daphne the gift of knowledge. “My life and a thousand others whip before my eyes, there and gone in a blink. And then they return, upended and awash with blue and gray.”
Hermes plays a role in the story. He is a “trickster and foil to many of Apollo’s schemes. . . The god of heralds and thieves is twice as likely to give with one hand while stealing with the other.”
While in the Minotaur’s lair, Daphne finds the Muses locked in a cage. Pasiphae appears and says, “I thought to return and see what foolish nonsense my husband was up to now. . . And it’s a good thing I did, or else these Muses would be dead, and my powers completely gone.”

Rising Above: Inspiring Women in Sports

Some of the most accomplished and famous athletes in the world—tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles, World Cup superstar Carli Lloyd and others—faced earthshaking challenges in their youth. But they refused to give up. Through hard work and determination, they rose above their circumstances and went on to conquer the sports world. This collection of mini biographies, complete with firsthand content drawn from in-depth interviews, is a source of inspiration and self-empowerment for kids and sports fans of all ages.

Included in the book: Venus and Serena Wiliams (tennis), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Carli Lloyd (soccer), Wilma Rudolph (track and field), Mo’ne Davis (Little League baseball), Swin Cash (basketball), Elena Delle Donne (basketball), Bethany Hamilton (surfing), Ronda Rousey (mixed martial arts), and Kerri Strug (gymnastics).

Rising Above is a motivational book that will appeal to anyone—athletes and non-athletes alike. Each chapter focuses on one athlete who is a legend in their field. However, even for these elite athletes, life threw unexpected challenges their way, including chronic illnesses, injuries, harsh criticism, and racism. For example, basketball player Elena Delle Donne had to overcome criticism about her body and her choices. In addition, she had to overcome having a chronic illness.

Each athlete’s story is told using specific examples, quotes from the athlete and others who knew them, and motivational advice anyone can apply to their lives. For example, soccer player Carli Lloyd said, “You’ve got to work hard to turn negatives into positives…That’s really the key in life.” Even though most readers will never have the intense public scrutiny that these athletes were forced to face, readers will find each athlete’s story motivational and inspiring.

One theme that comes through in every athlete’s story is the need to bounce back from failure. After having polio as a child, Wilma Rudolph became an African American Olympic legend in track. Along the way, she learned, “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. If you pick up after a crushing defeat and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” Each athlete admits that they are not perfect and that they had to turn to others for help. “Turning to a friend, parent therapist, or other person for help or guidance isn’t a sign of weakness. Instead, it can be the best way to deal with life’s trials.”

The book’s afterword summarizes the similarities in each athlete’s situation and recaps their important life lessons. By reading Rising Above, you will see how athletes faced serious setbacks and rose to overcome them. Autor Gregory Zuckerman wrote: “The stories from Rising Above can serve as useful life lessons for those facing their own challenges.” Whether you dream of being a sports star or being a nurse, you can take the stories in Rising Above and apply the athletes’ lessons to your own life.

Sexual Content 

While in the ocean, Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a shark. “Out of nowhere, Bethany saw a flash of grey. A split second later, she felt two lightning-fast tugs and then tremendous pressure on her left side. Bethany saw the jaws of a huge, fourteen-foot tiger shark covering the top of the surfboard and her entire left arm. Almost immediately, the water around her turned red.”

Violence 

Ronda Rousey’s father was paralyzed in an accident, and he “had to deal with a rare disorder that made it impossible for him to stop bleeding.” Her father was in extreme pain and “unable to deal with the unbearable pain and with no hope in sight, Ronda’s father had taken his own life.”
When Ronda Rousey was a child, she began training in judo. The kids would tease her about being muscular. “One day, a boy crept up behind Ronda and grabbed her throat. Ronda reacted with unusual quickness and strength, throwing the boy over her hip on the cement, stunning him.”
When Ronda was in eighth grade, a girl challenged her to a fight. “Ronda defended herself and earned respect from her classmates for refusing to accept the abuse. Ronda dropped the eighth grader with a single punch.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

Simone Biles’ mother “suffered from drug and alcohol addictions,” causing her to lose custody of her children.
After Simone competed in the Olympics, “hackers released the medical files of various Olympians, a leak that showed Simone was taking a drug that was on the prohibited list. . .Simone acknowledged taking the medication since childhood for ADHD. . .She had permission for the drug and wasn’t ashamed.”
Elena Delle Donne contracted Lyme disease and “began taking about fifty different supplements to keep her disease under control.”
Basketball player Swin Cash was injured. She said, “Sharp movements would feel like someone was stabbing me with a steak knife.” Because of the pain, she took painkillers and injections.

Language 

While playing tennis, Serena Williams dealt with racism. She said, “I heard the word nigger a couple of times. I couldn’t believe it.”
When Wilma Rudolph, an African American Olympic runner, was young, white kids taunted her, saying, “Hey, nigger, get out of town.”
Wilma Rudolph was nicknamed “the Black Gazelle” and “mosquito, ” and some referred to her as “gorilla.”
While shopping in Honolulu, a white woman saw three African Americans window shopping. The woman said, “What are you natives doing out in the streets?”
Ronda Rousey was bullied, and kids called her “Miss Man.”
Pissed is used twice.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

People criticized Simone because of her muscular build. She says, “Love your body. You were born with it. God has blessed it. Don’t pay attention to negativity.”
When Elena Delle Donne quit college to go back home, “some criticized Elena for squandering her God-given talent.”
After losing her arm in a shark attack, Bethany Hamilton had to be resilient. “Bethany says her religious faith also helped her. She felt God had a plan for her and was guiding her and helping her adjust to living with only one arm.”
When basketball player Swin Cash was injured, she said, “You cry out to God, and you’re trying to understand, ‘Why is this happening to me?’” She eventually overcame the pain. “It was a lot of prayer, a lot of family, and a reevaluation of my life.”

Gracie Under the Waves

Inspired by her own experience, beloved author Linda Sue Park tells the story of a girl learning how to impact a cause she cares about while navigating the ups and downs of a sibling relationship and turning disappointment into opportunity.  

Gracie loves snorkeling! She loves it so much, she convinces her parents to let her plan a family vacation to Roatán, Honduras, where they can all snorkel together. She even makes a new friend there. Now, if only her irritating little brother would leave her alone, everything would be perfect. Then Gracie hurts her leg, and all her carefully made plans start to come apart. Worse still, she learns the reef itself is in serious danger. Gracie wants to help the reef . . . but she’s just a kid. What can she do to make a difference? Fortunately, her new friend has a few ideas! 

Gracie is a resourceful protagonist who loves planning things. However, she can’t go with the flow, especially regarding her energetic, enthusiastic brother, Ben. To Gracie, it seems as if her brother ruins all of her plans. This is no different when the family arrives in Roatán. While snorkeling, Ben accidentally knocks into Gracie, causing her to hit her leg on the coral. Unable to snorkel, Gracie’s frustration grows, and she takes her anger out on her brother. However, when Ben gets caught up in a jellyfish bloom, Gracie doesn’t think twice before she jumps in to help her brother.

Gracie loves snorkeling so much that she wants to show her family the wonders that live under the sea. This often takes the form of educating herself and learning more about the fish she sees while snorkeling. Once on Roatán, Gracie learns about the dangers of global warming and other reasons that the coral is dying. Gracie wants to help save the coral and she learns how small changes, such as using reef-safe sunscreen, can make a big difference. Gracie’s knowledge also allows her to help her brother escape a jellyfish bloom. After being stung by jellyfish, Ben doesn’t want to go back into the water. But with Gracie’s help, Ben realizes that “they weren’t being bad. They were just being jellyfish.”

Gracie Under the Waves educates readers about the effects of global warming and gives a list of resources that show ways people can help save the reef. Several times, Gracie mentions the Netflix documentary Chasing Coral, which offers additional information about the importance of the reefs. In addition, the book has many black-and-white illustrations of the different types of fish that Gracie and her family see. Teaching about the ocean reefs isn’t the only positive aspect of the story. Gracie’s family is a traditional two-parent family with realistic conflicts, and they uses healthy communication skills to discuss their feelings. Readers who love the ocean will find Gracie Under the Waves an educational and entertaining story that gives them suggestions on how they can help save the reefs. Ocean-loving readers can learn more about saving ocean creatures by reading Odder by Katherine Applegate, Manatee Blues by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Out of My Shell by Jenny Goebel.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

When Gracie gets injured, she is given antibiotics.
Ben and Gracie are stung by jellyfish. The doctor tells them to use vinegar and “antihistamines for a bad case.”

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a “trailblazer in American history.” She became the second woman to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States and demonstrated that anyone, especially young girls, can attain influential positions through hard work and perseverance. As a leader, lawyer, and judge, she fought for justice and equal rights for all people, pushing for laws that called for fairness and equality in the workplace and society. To this day, her legacy is a testament to her determination for equal opportunities for men and women. However, Ginsburg’s journey to the Supreme Court wasn’t easy, and she had to overcome many difficulties in her studies and workplace.

Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, Ginsburg was an intelligent and observant girl. Although she loved to read and write, she wasn’t happy with the small injustices in her childhood, such as the girls not having as “many choices and opportunities as the boys had at school.” These inequalities continued to build as Ginsburg continued her studies, and she feared that her dream of law school would dissolve because she was a woman and not a man. Could Ginsburg still achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer and judge despite the gender discrimination?

The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg tells the biographical story of Ginsburg’s life as an advocate for equal rights and gender equality. Told from the perspective of an outside narrator, the book follows Ginsburg’s life, beginning with her childhood frustration at her school’s gender injustices and ending with her world-changing work as a judge for the Supreme Court. Ginsburg is depicted as an inspirational character whose determination for equality in society is admirable and influential. Although not all readers will be able to relate to the gender discrimination that Ginsburg felt, they will understand the impact that inequality had on Ginsburg’s rise to becoming a judge. The book takes on an authentic and realistic feel by incorporating these highs and lows in Ginsburg’s life.

The biography presents a positive outlook on the themes of determination and perseverance. Despite society’s implicit discrimination toward women, Ginsburg’s determination to fight for justice and equality highlights the book’s message about fighting fearlessly for what you believe in. It teaches that justice requires hard work, determination, and perseverance and challenges readers to uphold what’s right despite opposition. After all, Ginsburg’s life teaches others to “fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is part of a series called Story Of: A Biography for New Readers. The book is educationally oriented and includes supplementary material, such as fun facts, a reading quiz, and a glossary. Cartoonish, colorful illustrations are found every one to three pages. The end of the book contains real-life photographs of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and some discussion questions such as, “How has Ruth’s work made a difference in your life or the lives of the women in your world?” Although the text does feature larger paragraphs and complex judicial terminology that can be challenging for younger readers, The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a captivating tale that teaches readers the importance of justice and equal rights.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Have you ever heard of the Mercury 13 women? Did you know that nearly twenty years before the first women were let into NASA’s astronaut program, there were others who tried?

What are the requirements for being shot into space, piloting a hunk of metal while carrying the hopes and fears of your nation? Mastery of flying, as well as courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, and fitness—any checklist would certainly include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was an unspoken rule in place: astronauts must be male, and they must be white.

Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved not only that they were as tough as any man but also that they were brave enough to challenge the government. Their passage to space was blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and a note scrawled by one of the most powerful men in Washington. But in the end, their inspiring example empowered young women to take their rightful place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. Almost Astronauts is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.

Every young girl should read Almost Astronauts, which gives the account of determined women who refused to take no for an answer. The Mercury 13 women “knew their own minds, their own hearts, their own dreams.” The women took the same test as male astronauts and often outperformed the men. “They showed up ready for anything: to be run ragged, spun in circles, pushed to their limits. They were ready to show their smarts, their strength, and their courage.” The Mercury 13 women’s stories will encourage young women to persevere despite the heavy roadblocks that are placed in front of them.

Many people, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, NASA, and the Navy, believed that women should not be allowed to be astronauts, but they were careful “not to be seen as dismissing women’s concerns outright.” But pilot Jerry Cobb and other women refused to be dismissed. Pilot Jerry Cobb said, “The race for space will not be a short one—nor any easy one—but it is one in which we must all participate. Let us go forward, then—there is space for women!” In the end, while the Mercury 13 couldn’t overcome the social constraints of the time and become astronauts, they forced their way into the pilot seats of airplanes and opened the hatch that would eventually allow other women to take their place in the cockpit of a space shuttle.

Black-and-white and color pictures appear every two to four pages. The text often breaks up information with subheadlines that include the date or topic. The back of the book includes an author’s note, an appendix, further reading, a bibliography, sources, source notes, and an index. The book includes information on many famous women who influenced NASA, including Katherine Johnson, Mae Jemison, and Mary Golda Ross.

Almost Astronauts is an educational and engaging story that will empower young women to reach for the stars. It is a must-read because it shows how many women took their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. The women’s accomplishments show that women are truly capable of making impossible dreams come true. To learn more about how women influenced space travel, read To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts by Rebecca Siegel and Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Katie Ledecky

Katie Ledecky always planned to be a swimmer. Her mother had been a swimmer for the University of New Mexico, and her favorite pastime was swimming with her brother, Michael. At just six years old, Ledecky began swimming competitively, but it did not come easily at first. One of Ledecky’s first races was 25 meters, and Ledecky could not go that distance without stopping to rest. To motivate herself, Ledecky set a goal to swim the whole race without stopping. But a bad earache developed before the race, and Ledecky’s doctor advised her not to participate. Despite this, she swam in the race and met her goal. This kind of determination fueled Ledecky in the coming years.

At fifteen, constant practice and several junior championships prepared Ledecky for her first national competition. Many professional swimmers aspire to compete in this competition, but very few feel prepared to do so early in their careers. This was the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where athletes from across the country were selected to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games. Ledecky won first place in the 800-meter freestyle, a victory that earned her a spot in the U.S. Olympic team. As the team’s youngest member, Ledecky took home the gold medal and set a U.S. record that year.

Katie Ledecky’s biography is only 32 pages and concisely reviews her amazing career. Readers will follow Ledecky’s life story—from her beginnings as a six-year-old swimmer to an Olympic champion who swam in four Olympic games and won nine gold medals. The book is an easy read, with only two to ten sentences per page. Every page features a full-color photograph of Ledecky’s swimming events, and every other page features a “fast fact” about her career. For example, one fact mentions that Ledecky’s race time was less than a second shy of the world record. Katie Ledecky is the first in the Olympic Stars Series, a collection of short biographies that introduces young readers to various Olympic athletes.

While a nonfiction book may turn some readers away, Scheff does an excellent job retelling Ledecky’s races in an exciting and engaging way. Scheff writes, “Ledecky dove in. She led by nearly two seconds after one lap. Seven laps remained. With each lap, Ledecky pulled farther and farther away from the field.” Katie Ledecky’s biography is an inspiring book that teaches readers the importance of trying your best no matter the odds. Although Ledecky was the youngest competitor in her first Olympic race, her diligence and tireless training prepared her to win first place. The book will appeal to readers interested in swimming and the world of Olympic sports. However, all readers will be fascinated by Ledecky’s story and accomplishments. If you are looking for an equally educational and exciting nonfiction book, Katie Ledecky is a terrific choice. To learn more about inspirational athletes, add Florence Griffith Joyner by Rita Williams-Garcia and She Persisted in Sports by Chelsea Clinton to your reading list.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

High Score

My name’s Darius James – but everyone calls me DJ. At my old school, I was the go-to guy for all kinds of tricky problems that needed creative solutions. But at my new school, Ella Fitzgerald Middle, I’m just trying to blend in.

Well, I was, anyway, until my best friend, Conor, got himself transferred to the Fitz, too. Now Conor owes 100,000 arcade tickets to Lucky, the biggest bully around, and he only has two weeks to make it happen. Impossible? Not with my head in the game.

When Lucky, the school bully, threatens to “rocket boost” Conor, DJ doesn’t want to step in to help. However, DJ discovers that being rocket boosted is “not good. I mean, if you’re bullied, beat up, pushed around—that’s bad. That’s really bad. But you’re still in the fight. You can push back. . . But when you get rocket boosted, it’s like you don’t exist. You’re a ghost. You can’t fight back. . . It’s pretty much game over.” Because of the extreme consequences of being rocket boosted, DJ steps in to help Conor, but in order to make his plan work, he needs more help, so Conor and Audrey are recruited to the team

Audrey, an actress who longs to play the part of the evil villain, adds a lot of fun to the story. Since DJ has a crush on Audrey, he doesn’t want to get her involved in his schemes. However, he needs her acting skills, and she plays a pivotal part in the heist. Middle-grade readers will relate to DJ, who occasionally acts awkward and weird around Audrey, which adds humor. Even though DJ is crushing on Audrey, she is a well-rounded character who readers will love and respect.

While High Score’s heist focuses on getting arcade tickets, the book will appeal to many middle-grade readers because DJ is discovering who he is and determining who he wants to be. While he is wickedly smart and good at conning people, he doesn’t want to use his skills and has vowed never to hurt someone intentionally. However, one of DJ’s biggest obstacles comes from his best friend, Conor, who loves the thrill of setting up a scheme and wants DJ to continue using his skills to manipulate others. In the end, DJ learns who he is —a person of integrity who isn’t willing to bow to peer pressure.

High Score is the perfect book for middle school readers who love a good mystery and want to enter a world full of surprises. While some of the happenings at Fitz are a bit exaggerated, middle school readers will relate to the characters’ conflicts, which revolve around peer pressure, school bullies, and not wanting to become a social outcast. Reading High Score will leave the reader feeling like they spent a day hanging out with their friends and never wanting the day to end. And, of course, there are plenty of laughs and ice cream. If you enjoy reading about smart kids solving interesting mysteries, you should also read the City Spies Series by James Ponti and Chester Keene Cracks the Code by Kekla Magoon.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

DJ’s teacher, Mr. Danvers, was “full-on arachnophobic. . . [because] he fell into a nest of spiders when he was, like seven.” DJ didn’t know this and put a spider on Mr. Danvers’ sleeve. “He knocked over so much paint. He ruined, like an entire periods’ projects. And then he just, shut down. Like he wasn’t even there. . . The nurse had to literally drag him out of the classroom, and he was off for two weeks.” DJ felt terrible and didn’t do anything like that again.

Drugs and Alcohol 

For Halloween, DJ dressed up as James Bond, but most people didn’t recognize him. DJ thinks, “I’m Black, so I’m never gonna be a dead ringer for Daniel Craig, but I was carrying a martini glass!”
A student sells candy at school. DJ refers to it as “Choi’s sugar cartel.”

Language 

DJ refers to people, including himself, as idiots. For example, when talking about his friend, he “thought the director would be an idiot if they didn’t cast her as Ariel.”
Heck and dang are used several times.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Controlled Burn

Twelve-year-old Maia’s parents say she’s lucky she noticed something as early as she did. Lucky to have smelled the smoke, lucky to have pulled her sister, Amelia, out of their burning house. But is it really “lucky” when Amelia’s stuck in the hospital, covered in burns? And is it “lucky” when Maia knows it was her candle, left unattended, that started the fire in the first place?

When she’s sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in Northern Minnesota while her sister heals, Maia discovers that her anxieties and demons are intent on following her wherever she goes. . . unless she can figure out how to overcome them. But what if she can’t? Maia barely knows her grandparents, she desperately misses her sister and home, and she’s not thrilled to be spending the summer with Grandpa Howard on his daily motorcycle rides out to the middle of the woods, where he spends all day keeping watch for forest fires. There are no kids her age in Gram and Pop’s small town at “the end of the road”—just the chatty nine-year-old neighbor who is intent on getting his Bear Scout badge at all costs, and a friendly, stray dog who’s been lurking around.

But Maia will soon learn that nature is a powerful teacher, and sometimes, our greatest strengths show themselves when we have to be there for someone else. As she begins to figure out how to face her guilt and paralyzing fears, she’ll discover there’s a fine line between fear and adventure. And when danger strikes again, Maia must summon all her bravery and overcome her self-doubt if she wants to save those she loves most.

Controlled Burn follows Maia’s journey to becoming stronger and less fearful. The first chapter begins with the fire, and afterward, Maia is taken to her grandparents, where she wrestles with nightmares and fears. Maia spends most of her time alone, and her only companion is a friendly dog named Bear. The solitude allows Maia to ruminate on her guilt over the fire and her many fears, allowing the reader to look intimately into Maia’s inner thoughts.

The quiet story will appeal to readers with daily anxiety and unfounded fears. For example, Maia hasn’t learned to swim because she fears drowning in deep water. However, with the help of friends and her grandparents, Maia conquers her fear and learns how to swim. In addition, Maia’s grandpa helps her to understand that “you can’t prevent all bad things from happening, and you definitely can’t change things that have already happened. But what you can do is make the best out of a bad situation.” In addition, the book also highlights the importance of being able to forgive yourself.

While Controlled Burn isn’t full of action and adventure, Maia’s emotional journey shows that with the help of others, overcoming fear is possible. In addition, Soderberg’s love of nature shines through and gives readers a unique perspective. Readers who love animals and want to explore fear through an animal’s perspective should read Odder by Katherine Applegate.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

While Maia and her sister Amelia are home alone, a fire starts. Maia goes to her sister’s room where “the fire had formed a sort of yellowish-orange ring around the base of the bed. . . she wailed as the flames caught her T-shirt and ripped into her hair.” Amelia is put in a medically induced coma and has to have skin grafts.
A woman hits a deer, and Maia’s grandfather helps move the deer out of the road. Mia “stared at that deer, crumpled up on the side of the road. I didn’t need to touch it or even get close to know it was still warm. Blood oozed out of the side of the poor animal’s face, and its legs were splayed at an unnatural angle.”
The deer was pregnant, so “Grandpa had bent over the dead deer and begun carefully slicing open her abdomen. . . [Maia] reached my hands into the dead animal’s belly, and helped Grandpa pull out a squirming mass of baby deer. . . There was goop and blood everywhere, but I hardly noticed.” The baby deer survives.
Grandpa tells Maia about when his brother died. His brother was helping put out a fire when “one of the trees cracked off halfway up its trunk. . . It landed on my brother. James died instantly, I guess.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

While in the hospital, Maia’s sister is “pumped full of sedatives and medicine to stop her from hurting too much.”

Language 

Maia’s grandfather has a pet dog. He said, “Some jerk abandoned it on the side of the highway.”
Maia’s grandfather is injured “trying to keep up with that damn dog.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Maia’s grandma takes her to church. Before riding on a motorcycle, Maia “crossed my fingers, and hoped the prayers I’d said at yesterday morning’s church service would protect me today from certain doom.”
When Maia’s grandfather helps with a dead deer, he says, “Thank God.” This upsets Maia, but Grandpa says, “It could be worse. Could have been severely injured and suffering.”

Live and Let Dive

Quinn is a quitter. With the unfortunate nickname of “Quitt,” he is infamous for constantly quitting every new sport he tries, which disappoints his friend, sister, and, worst of all—his dad. Everything changes when Quinn decides to compete for the diving team. Although the sport is difficult and he is not very good, Quinn enjoys the action and challenges himself to finish the season. However, things go wrong when Quinn breaks his arm in a freak bicycle accident, throwing his diving season into jeopardy. Can Quinn overcome this injury and finish the season?

Live and Let Dive is told from the perspective of Quinn, a young boy who loves trying new things but struggles with commitment. In the beginning, Quinn’s portrayal as a person who frequently gives up is uninspiring for readers. However, his character development is evident throughout the story, as he learns the power of determination and self-confidence to finish what he had started, making him feel realistic and admirable. At the end of the story, Quinn even acknowledges that “You have to keep looking for something you love, even if it’s hard. If you don’t find something you like right away, keep trying.”

Despite Quinn’s unwanted reputation, he learns to push through the hardships and rewrite his narrative by successfully finishing the diving season. Not only does Quinn make his friends and family proud, but he also rebuilds his own self-confidence, demonstrating the importance of perseverance and determination. Quinn’s story ultimately urges readers to tackle their biggest challenges with an uplifting mindset and positive attitude.

Live and Let Dive presents its story in an engaging graphic novel format. Each page contains two to six panels in a gorgeous comic-like art style, where the characters and settings are detailed enough without overwhelming readers. The book also incorporates several fun graphic novel aspects, such as movement lines and overlapping panels, to enhance its illustrations, giving the scenes a realistic feel. Although the story uses frequent dialogue with small text and an extensive vocabulary, the illustrations will help younger readers follow the plot, especially since each scene is illustrated in a precise and exciting manner.

Live and Let Dive is part of the Jake Maddox Graphic Novel series, which focuses on inspiring lessons in sports and competition. Alongside its colorful illustrations, the book also features additional content, such as a glossary, fun facts about diving, and “Visual Discussion Questions,” which ask the reader to identify how the art style reflects the tension and emotion in each scene. Live and Let Dive is an exciting and inspiring story about diving and an engaging graphic novel that showcases the importance of perseverance, commitment, and self-confidence.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Night She Disappeared

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part-time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working.

Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her. She becomes obsessed with finding Kayla and teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead and hopefully to find her before she is.

The Night She Disappeared is told from the alternating perspectives of Gabie, Drew, Kayla, and other minor characters. However, most of the story focuses on how Kayla’s kidnapping affects Gabie and Drew. The two characters are completely different, but the kidnapping draws the two together as they try to unravel the mystery of who kidnapped Kayla. Gabie is a lonely, good girl who does well in school but mostly goes unnoticed by her parents and peers. On the other hand, Drew is a poor boy with a drug addicted mother, who has little to look forward. While the two are unlikely companions, as they learn about each other’s lives, Gabie and Drew both change for the better.

Some of the chapters are told from Kayla’s perspective, allowing the readers to see the horrors of being kidnapped. While the kidnapper is abusive, the abuse is not described in detail. However, readers will be able to understand Kayla’s fear and her desire to live. The kidnapper’s motives are murky, but one thing is clear—Kayla is not the first girl he’s kidnapped, and she won’t be the last.

At first, readers may have difficulty keeping track of the shifting perspectives, especially because there isn’t a clear pattern. In addition to different chapters with different characters’ perspectives, the book also includes a variety of snippets, such as newspaper articles, a police interview, and a website from a criminal defense attorney. The often chaotic changes in the book reflect the chaos that ensues after Kayla is kidnapped. In addition, the changing perspectives allows the reader to see how Kayla’s kidnapping affects everyone—her coworkers, her parents, the police, and others. The other snippets also help readers understand the wider ramifications of a kidnapping.

Even though The Night She Disappeared focuses on the horrifying events of being kidnapped, the author’s descriptions avoid graphic details. Despite this, there are many examples of teens being murdered, and several of the characters die. Readers who want an in-depth exploration of being kidnapped will find The Night She Disappeared to be a fast-paced story that will send chills running through their bodies. If you enjoy thrillers, grab a copy of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards, and Pretend She’s Here by Luanne Rice.

Sexual Content 

Gabie’s parents gave her “the condom lecture when [she] was thirteen.”
Drew goes home with Gabie so they can talk about Kayla’s kidnapping. When Gabie begins to shake, Drew “put [his] arms around her.” Then, Gabie kisses him. “I feel like I’m drowning, or drugged, or I’ve gone someplace where things are beyond my control. Like I could fall inside Drew and never come out.”
After Gabie kisses Drew, he is confused by the kiss, and he thinks about the other girls he kissed in a wooded area behind his house. “I’ve kissed a girl or two there. When it’s dark, you just need to hold on to someone because she’s warm and her mouth is soft.”
Drew goes home with Gabie, so she’s not in an empty house alone. They start kissing, and Drew thinks, “I could get a contact drunk kissing Gabie. The Kahlua makes her mouth sweet and loose. After a while, I don’t know where she begins and I end. . . I’m on top of her, and for a long time, we didn’t say anything. At least now with words.”
Even though Gabie is drunk and Drew is not, they continue kissing. “Her hands slide up under my shirt and urge it off. And then she takes off her own shirt. . . It’s pretty clear that I can do whatever I want and Gabie won’t do anything but say yes. But something stops me. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never done it before. . .” Drew puts Gabie in bed and leaves.
When Gabie wakes up with a hangover, she’s embarrassed by “how I licked his ear, and then told him I wanted him.” Gabie wonders if Drew “thinks I’m some drunk slut.”

Violence 

A diver is looking for Kayla’s body at the bottom of a fast-moving river. He remembers “the feel of a human hand against his throat as he searched. . . he had finned directly into the outstretched arm of a dead six-year-old girl.” The diver briefly thinks about other dead bodies he found.
Kayla is kidnapped and hit over the head with a rock. When she wakes up, she has a head wound. “The pain makes me shriek. It’s like someone just tried to scalp me. . . A warm trickle of blood curves down my neck. How bad is it? I’m scared to know.” Kayla shouts for help, but nobody comes.
The man who kidnapped Kayla demands that she call him “master.” When she refuses, he slaps her. “He hits me so hard that I fall against the white wall. Stars bloom behind my eyes. My ears ring. On boneless legs, I slide down to the cheap-looking linoleum.” Afterwards, Kayla calls him master.
Gabie thinks about a girl from school. “Her older brother took their dad’s gun, went downtown, and shot into a crowd waiting for a movie to start. He hit seven people, killing two, and then shot himself in the head.”
Gabie reads an article titled “Body of Teen Found in Landfill Stuffed in Suitcase.” The 16-year-old girl’s murderer was arrested.
A tweaker who was accused of killing Kayla shoots himself. The teen’s 911 call is included, as well as a one-page newspaper article about Kayla’s and the boy’s death.
The man who kidnapped Kayla plans to kill her. “My plan is to strangle her, come in when she’s asleep, and be nearly done before she has a chance to struggle. I’ve fashioned a cord with two wooden handles on it. I won’t do it like the other one—too much blood. And she took forever to die.”
Drew is driving Gabie’s car when someone crashes into the back of it. “The car is filled with foul-smelling powder. My face hurts. A huge white balloon is already deflating on my lap.” Unbeknownst to Drew, the man in the other car thought Gabie was driving and he was hoping to kidnap her. The man sees Drew and flees.
In a multi-chapter conclusion, Drew, Gabie, and Kayla fight the kidnapper. Drew and Gabie discover the house where Kayla is being held captive. When they arrive, they hear Kayla screaming. Drew rounds a corner, and “light spills out of a doorway. . . But I only have eyes for the guy. He’s facing the light, with his back to us. . . His free hand comes away from his cheek, his fingertips dark with blood. Now he’s lifting his gun.”
Gabie holds a gun and fires it at the kidnapper. “With his free hand, the guy swipes at the back of his neck. The undamaged back of his neck. . .” The gun that Gabie found wasn’t a real one; it was a BB gun.
The kidnapper, Gabie, and Kayla “are a shouting, screaming, grunting blur on the floor. A girl cries out. . . The guy gets to his feet, pressing one hand against his bloody side where his shirt has been slicked open. . . He kicks Kayla. Hard. Then Gabie. They don’t seem to be moving.”
To save the girls, Drew pulls the trigger of a gun. The police arrive, but “Drew is frozen, one hand holding a flashlight loose at his side, his other hand still wrapped around the gun, blood dripping from his arm.” Drew’s eyes are fixed on “the remains of the man who held me prisoner.”
Kayla gave first aid to Gabie, who had been stabbed in the neck with a screwdriver. “There’s so much blood it looks fake, especially splashed around in this tidy room where the only things out of place is the blood-drenched people.” All three teens are taken to the hospital. The kidnapper is dead.
When the cops search the kidnapper’s property, they find a girl buried “who had been shot in the head.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

Drew and Kayla were caught “smoking weed in the cooler” at work.
When a woman enters Pete’s Pizza looking for Drew, Gabie thinks, “Everyone at school knew you could buy weed off Drew Lyle. But it was all pretty casual, a couple of joints . . .But now it looked like he was selling to adults as well as kids. . .”
The two teens who found Kayla’s car had “two six-packs of beer on the floorboards.”
Drew has a pack of cigarettes because he “took them from my mom when we were arguing about how much she smokes.”
A guy comes into the pizza place asking about Kayla. After he leaves, Drew says, “That guy’s a tweaker. . . Sometimes they get paranoid.” Drew says he can recognize a meth user because “of his teeth. . . My mom has some, um, friends that use it. They get skinny like that.” Later, Drew reveals that his mom also uses meth.
Gabie finds a bottle of Kahlua hidden in a cabinet. She drinks until she is drunk.

Language 

Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes ass, crap, hell, and pissed.
“Oh, my God” is used as an exclamation a few times.

Supernatural

Kayla’s parents hire a psychic who claims that Kayla is dead. The psychic was on The Opal Show and discussed how she knew Kayla was dead. The shows three-page transcript is included.

Spiritual Content 

A woman comes into the pizza place to ask about Kayla. The woman tells Drew, “We’re all praying for Kayla.”
Gabie’s parents “don’t believe in ghosts or spirits or witches. Or God, for that matter. Only in what they can see and touch and measure.”
Kayla plans on attacking her kidnapper so she can escape. Beforehand, “I pray for my family and my friends, letting their faces come into my mind one at a time. . . And I pray that I’ll be ready. Ready to kill him. Or to kill myself, if it comes to that. Because I’d rather draw my homemade knife across my wrists than take three months to die.”
After Kayla is rescued, she thinks, “Thank God I didn’t draw that homemade knife across my wrist.”

The Knight’s Enemies

Travel back in time with brothers Arthur and Finn to help stop the castle of Sir William Malory falling and prevent the death of his daughter Eleanor. The brothers arrive just as John the Withered attacks Wroxley Castle. With the castle under attack, Arthur and Finn must help defend the castle walls. When it becomes clear that Wroxley Castle will fall into enemy hands, the brothers must find a way to save Eleanor’s life by sneaking her out of the castle. But then Arthur and Finn are accused of being spies and thrown into a medieval dungeon. Will the boys escape after being imprisoned, save Eleanor, and succeed in changing the course of history?

The Knight’s Enemies is told from the third-person point of view, allowing the story to switch between the two brothers’ perspectives. Including both brothers’ experiences gives a broader view of castle life. When called upon, the brothers show bravery by helping defend the castle. Between battles, Arthur and Finn try to figure out how to find and save Eleanor. The action-packed scenes create a gripping adventure that highlights the brothers’ bravery and shows the importance of friendship and loyalty.

When Arthur and Finn travel to medieval times, the brothers land at different places. This helps build background knowledge of the castle and introduces various characters. At the beginning of the book, so many characters are introduced that readers will have to pay close attention to keep track of all of them. Even though one of the story’s villains is obvious from the start, readers will be surprised when the spy is revealed.

Short sections are interspersed throughout the book, giving more historical information, such as how to defend a castle, steps to becoming a knight, and medical weapons. The information is detailed and includes how soldiers “poured boiling water over the enemy’s heads.” Another section describes the way an enemy tried to enter the castle, including “shooting dead animal corpses over the walls to spread disease [and] shoot the heads of dead enemy soldiers over the walls to terrify the poor souls inside the castle.” Defending a castle can be brutal, and the book doesn’t shy away from describing the battles, which may upset younger readers.

Readers will hold their breath in anticipation, wondering how Arthur and Finn will fulfill Sir William Malory’s dying wish to save his daughter. The Knight’s Enemies weaves a compelling story with a typical damsel in distress trope. However, Eleanor is not a weak woman who needs to be saved. Although her appearance is short, Eleanor helps the wounded, cares deeply for her father, and bravely escapes certain death. The exciting battle scenes and the drama surrounding Eleanor perfectly blend to create a gripping adventure. But be advised, at 160 pages The Knight’s Enemies is a quick read that will leave readers excited to read the second book in the series, The Viking’s Revenge.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

The ghost of Sir William describes the siege of Wroxley Castle. John the Withered attacked the castle and kidnapped Sir William’s daughter, Eleanor. “They sent Eleanor’s head back to me the following morning.”

When Finn travels back in time, he appears along the road to Wroxley Castle. He meets Thomas Shipton. Finn saves Thomas’ life by warning him about archers hiding in the forest. “Romas hunched down into the horse’s mane as an arrow hissed between the two boys and thudded into a tree.”

Finn jumps onto the horse and “Thomas kicked the horse’s side to speed them away, but as he did so, the horse screamed and reared up.” Finn falls off the horse “while Thomas shouted in alarm as his horse staggered sideways on its hind legs and then toppled heavily to the ground, an arrow protruding from its flank. . .” The horse pins Thomas to the ground.

Two men run towards the boys. To save his life, “Finn drew the string back, took aim at the bigger of the two men, and released. The man collapsed to the floor, gurgling horribly as he clutched at the arrow lodged in his throat.” The man presumably dies.

The remaining man shoots more arrows at Finn and Thomas. Finn shoots another arrow. “The archer gave a shout of pain.” When Finn stands up, he sees “his enemy lay[ing] motionless on his back, an arrow buried deep in his chest.” The scene is described over four pages.

Sir Ralph bullies Thomas. When Arthur defends Thomas, “Sir Ralph’s eyes widened in shock. . . He sprang forward and grabbed Arthur roughly by the throat. Arthur struggled, coughing and choking, pulling at Ralph’s hands in a desperate bid to free himself.” Another man breaks up the fight.

John the Withered’s men use a catapult to attack the castle. “Something shot up from the catapult, and sailed high through the air across the divide between attackers and defenders. Finn noted with a sick feeling in his stomach that whatever it was appeared to have arms and legs. . . the first missile from the attacking army had been a horribly misshapen corpse.”

Pots full of burning tar are catapulted over the castle wall. “One poor soul was running around in bigger and bigger circles, wrapped from head to toe in the flickering fire. Eventually someone managed to wrestle him to the ground with a blanket and extinguished the fire.”

The castle archers release arrows. “Some men dropped to the ground, but their comrades did not falter and stepped across the bodies, marching inexorably on.” The soldier next to Arthur “screamed in pain and toppled backwards off the wall spouting blood from an arrow wound to the neck.”

The castle soldiers began pouring boiling water “to burn any who tried to place ladders against the outer wall.”

During the battle, Finn is hit with an arrow. “He lost his footing and with a cry for help he tumbled off the wall, his helmet knocked off his head as he fell. He landed on something soft, hit his head on something hard, and lost consciousness.”

As the soldiers battled, the enemy used a battering ram to break the castle’s door. “The archers above kept up a relentless shower of arrows” and flung pots filled with burning tar at the enemy.

Sir Ralph accused Arthur and Finn of being spies. When Arthur tries to defend himself, Ralph yells at him, “striking Arthur savagely across the face with the back of his hand and knocking Arthur’s helmet off as he did so. Arthur stumbled backwards, clutching his stinging face. . . “

When Arthur is thrown in the dungeon, he thinks about oubliettes. “An oubliette was a deep shaft in the ground with a lid on the top. The shaft was often so narrow that there was only room to stand and breathe . . . If they really wanted someone to suffer, they would lower the poor wretch into the oubliette, stick the lid on, leave them in total darkness, and forget about them.”

During the battle, Sir William Malory receives a killing blow. As he lay dying, “he broke off and coughed more blood onto his chin.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

A spy plans to give Eleanor a potion to make her “sleep like the dead.”

Language 

Several times a character calls someone a name, including calling people devils, insolent dogs, little rats, and smug fools.

Sir Godfrey, receives a message that John the Withered wants the castle surrendered to him. Sir Godfrey says, “John has no claim to this castle save that he is a thieving, shriveled up rogue who bullies the weak. Leave now, scoundrel or I will have you killed.”

During the battle, “all hell broke loose.”

Several times, the characters “curse.” No profanity is used.

Supernatural

Arthur and Finn’s grandfather created a museum about warriors throughout history. The museum is haunted and when the grandfather died, “he started haunting the place too. He felt guilty about the trapped ghost warriors and vowed he would not rest in peace until all the other ghosts were laid to rest first.”

When one of the ghost warriors touches the boys, “we get transported to the time and place where the ghost lived and died. And we can’t get back until we’ve fixed whatever it is that keeps the ghost from resting in peace.”

The ghost of Sir William appears in the museum. “His scar face was smeared with blood that seeped down from under his chain mail hood, and the expression he wore as he cast his stare around the room was one of pure anguish.” A picture of the knight shows blood dripping down his face.

Sir William wants Arthur and Finn to travel back in time to save his daughter. “A ghostly hand gripped each boy by the neck. The air filled with mist so thick that nothing of the room could be seen, the handle flickered and died, and the boys saw only darkness.” The boys travel back to Sir William’s time.

When Eleanor is safe, a “mist enveloped [Arthur and Finn], growing thicker and thicker. . . the castle and their friends vanished completely.” When they see the mist, the boys know they are going home.

Spiritual Content 

As Finn climbs down the castle wall using a ladder, he must jump into a river. He was “praying that he would clear the river bank and land in the water.”

Lucky Leopards!: And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Rescues!

“Runa and Kata: Lucky Leopards!”: Meet Runa and Kata, two baby leopards who lost their home when a woodcutter chopped down a hollow tree. To make money, the woodcutter took the cubs home, but he didn’t know how to feed them. Luckily, someone told a forest department worker about the cubs, and they were rushed to a local wildlife rescue. Will workers be able to raise the cubs and release them back into the wild?

“Koa: Turtle in Trouble!”: One day, Nadine stopped in Newport, Oregon. On the beach, she saw an endangered sea turtle that was cold-stunned and couldn’t move. To help the turtle, a man carried the turtle on his back and put him in the back of a car. The sea turtle was taken to an aquarium to receive treatment. Could the sea turtle be saved and returned to its home?

“Crooked Neck: The Lone Loon!”: Neil and Alina were boating when they noticed a loon with a backward neck. They discovered that the Loon was caught up in the fishing line. They tried to catch the loon, but he was too fast of a swimmer. Without help, the loon would die of starvation. Will Neil and Alina be able to save the loon?

Based on the hit feature in National Geographic Kids magazine, National Geographic Chapter Series features three true stories about animal rescues. Each story is broken into three short chapters. The book is packed with full-color photography, lists, and infographics. Some pages also include orange boxes that contain additional facts about the animals. For example, “Did You Know? Sea Turtles have lived in Earth’s oceans for about 150 million years.”

While reading each story, readers will learn more about the rescued animal. However, each story reminds readers that they should not try to help an injured animal—instead, they should call in a professional wildlife rescuer. The interesting facts, dialogue, and short sentences make the stories easy to read. Despite this, emerging readers may need help pronouncing difficult words, such as binoculars, dehydration, stranding, and approached. And while the stories are easy to understand, adults will need to read the book to beginning readers.

National Geographic Chapters Series is perfect for young animal lovers who are ready for short chapters with lively, true stories just right to carry in a backpack, share with friends, and read under the covers at night. Readers will be drawn into Lucky Leopards because of the cute animal photographs, but they will want to read every page because the book is engaging. The book makes learning about animals fun. So, whether you’re looking for a story to read with a young child or trying to engage an older reader, Lucky Leopards is the purr-fect book.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

When Runa and Kata were put into the wild, they “attacked [a] hen. They wrestled for it. They bit. They snarled and hissed. Kata finally won the prize. Then he carried his supper straight up a tree.”
When a dog came into the forest, “Runa and Kata teamed up and attacked the dog! It might seem sad, but in the jungle, ‘kill or be killed’ is a way of life.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

Before Runa and Kata were released to the wild, vets “gave Runa and Kata medicine to put them to sleep.” Then vets put radio collars on the cats.

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Love in English

Sixteen-year-old Ana is a poet and a lover of language. Except since she moved to New Jersey from Argentina, she can barely find the words to express how she feels.

At first, Ana just wants to return home. Then she meets Harrison, a very cute, very American boy in her math class, and discovers the universal language of racing hearts. But when she begins to spend time with Neo, the Greek Cypriot boy from ESL, Ana wonders how figuring out what her heart wants can be even more confusing than the grammar they’re both trying to master. After all, the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love.

Told from Ana’s perspective, Love in English shows Ana’s struggle with understanding both the English language and American culture. To convey Ana’s language difficulties, Ana’s family’s conversations are peppered with Spanish words. In addition, when others speak to Ana in English, she misses many of the words which are written as “####### ########.” Ana also struggles with words, such as “close,” that have two meanings and are pronounced differently. Throw in American idioms like “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush” and “a stich in time saves nine” and readers begin to understand and empathize with how hard it is to learn English.

It’s not just English that Ana struggles to understand. Ana meets Harrison and Neo at school. When Ana meets Harrison, she thinks, “There’s so much I wish I could ask him about. . . but I can’t catch any of the words needed to form those questions. They swim in my brain, some visible, some shapeless, but none want to coalesce into sentences. It’s so frustrating. It’s like someone stole all my words.” Ana struggles to understand the language of love, which often leads to misunderstandings.

Much of the plot revolves around Ana’s inner dialogue, which makes Ana feel like a new friend that you want to sit down and share coffee and a secret with. Ana is extremely likable and deals with many of the same struggles as today’s teens. However, readers who love action-packed stories full of adventure will find Love in English difficult to read. For those who love looking into a character’s heart and soul, Love in English is the perfect book. Many readers will relate to Ana, who is trying to find a place where she belongs in life and in America. Through it all, Ana learns that “The most important words are the ones we’re brave enough to share.”

Sexual Content 

While leaving the classroom, Ana bumps into Harrison. She thinks, “For a second, I want to grab his hand and hold it. Or pull him toward me, and we will have our first kiss here in our math classroom.”
One of Ana’s new friends, Altagracia says, “You like boys? Girls? Both? I like girls myself.” Later, Altagracia tells Ana that “she went on a date with another girl and they kiss[ed].”
In the cafeteria, a girl says she can’t keep lipstick on for more than twenty minutes. Her friend replies, “You should probably stop kissing so many people then.”
Ana goes to a night club to watch Harrison’s band play. Ana sees Harrison dancing with Jessica, a girl from school. Jessica “pushes onto the tiptoes of her high-tops. The lean in is slow, so slow. . . Her lips land on his. He stands there. . . She gets off her tippy toes and runs her thumb gently over his lips.”
After seeing Jessica kiss Harrison, Ana leaves but has no way to get home so she calls Neo. Instead of going home, Ana goes to Neo’s house and they watch a movie. Ana looks “up at Neo. He’s so close, a few inches away. He looks at me steadily. . . His lips look perfect, the dimple in his chin a little shadowed where he missed a spot shaving. . . “ Ana’s phone rings and she’s left to wonder if she wanted Neo to kiss her.
Ana goes to Harrison’s house and he asks Ana permission to kiss her. Ana is “looking at Harrison, and I know I want to kiss him. Instead of words, I use my lips. His lips are soft, and wonderful, but he doesn’t move them. I am self-conscious. Am I supposed to do something more? I kiss him again. He kisses too, then pulls away.”
Neo takes Ana to a poetry slam and then the Empire State Building. While at the top, he “leans in. When his lips touch mine, the moment shivers through me, his lips, warm and perfect, part mine. His hand is on the small of my back, and he pulls me in, and I can’t breathe.” The kiss is described over a paragraph.

Violence 

Several times, a boy from school makes snarky remarks about Neo being an immigrant. One day, Ana gets to school and sees Neo and the boy fighting. “One has the other in a headlock. . . It’s Neo in the headlock, swinging his arms, connecting with a thud on the other boy’s lower back. He pulls Neo tighter.” Neo has blood on his face when teachers break up the fight.

Drugs and Alcohol 

While at a night club Ana sees some girls from school and one of the girls is “flirty drunk.”

Language 

Ana overhears profanity in the hallways at school. Ana writes in her journal, “Fuckface. A face that likes to do sex? Doosh noze? Shit biscuit? Duck butter? Bananas. Like ‘crazy’?”
Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes damn, fuck, and shit.
Oh my God is used as an exclamation.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

City of Wishes

Make a wish. . . During the New Year’s break, Plum and her friends travel to fancy, fashionable Nakhon City to stay with Sam and his mother, the powerful Lady Ubon. The New Year always brings food, parties, and the grand old tradition of making a wish.

At first, Plum is dazzled by the big city. But under the glittering surface, many secrets lurk. Mysterious tremors that shake the ground are growing worse by the day. Nakhon’s troubles give Plum a chance to fulfill her own New Year’s wish: to do something big and meaningful with her Guardian powers. But how far will she have to go, and what will she have to give up, to make that wish come true?

City of Wishes follows Plum and her friends as they travel to Nakhon Island, which is overpopulated. Plum and her friend Cherry are excited to explore Sam’s world—one of wealth and power. Their fun is interrupted when the city experiences several tremors that endanger the citizens. Plum and her friends discover Master Render, an ancient rock creature who is responsible for the tremors. Unfortunately, Master Render acts like a small child whose primary concern is food. Master Render’s appearance adds little to the story other than helping Plum escape from Nakhon Island.

Sam’s mother, Lady Ubon, offers Plum an opportunity to become a leader for the city. In her quest to become someone important, Plum loses sight of what is important. When trouble erupts, Plum realizes, “Wanting something—wanting it with your entire heart—could make you forget everything else was important.” Even though the villain works for Lady Ubon, Plum and Sam are confident that the villain works alone. This trust doesn’t feel authentic because Lady Ubon knows that the problems surrounding overpopulation have no clear solution. To solve the problem, the villain is determined to take over Lotus Island so the residents of Nakhon Island can relocate.

Rella, a girl who was expelled from the Guardian Academy, makes another appearance. Plum and most of the other students believe that Rella is untrustworthy. In the end, Rella helps Plum and her friends escape the island, and she serves as a reminder that some mistakes cannot be fixed. Rella knows she can never return to the Guardian Academy and says, “I wish I could do everything differently. But I can’t. Those are wishes that will never come true.”

City of Wishes feels a little disjointed because the story lacks focus. Plum and her friends explore the island; however, their adventures are not described in detail, which may make it difficult for some readers to visualize the setting. However, black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book to give readers a visual of the diverse characters and some of the key scenes.

Readers who have read the other books in the series will enjoy seeing the characters in a new light. City of Wishes concludes with Master Render, Plum, and Cherry leaving Nakhon Island and traveling to an unknown destination, which sets the scene for the next book in the series, Temple of Secrets. Adventure-loving readers ready to jump into books with a more advanced plot should read the Legend of the Animal Healer Series by Lauren St. John and the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

Plum and her friends discover that a man plans to use hoverbots to attack Lotus Island. To stop the hoverbots, Plum and her friends turn into their Guardian forms. The hoverbots “were becoming mirror images. . . of us. . . Each of the hover bots had shifted their shapes to mimic our Guardian forms.”

The hoverbots attack Plum and her friends. Plum changes into a roan. “Suddenly it reared back on its hind legs and charged straight into me. I lowered my antlers just in time to take the shock. . . The roan-bot slammed its head against mine. Stars flashed at the edges of my vision as I staggered back.”

A sloth-bot attacks Mikko. “The sloth-bot reared its blocky fist back, aiming a blow straight for Mikko’s face. . . Before the punch could land, the bot was tackled by a large mass of gray fur. . . The bot was fighting an enormous wolfhound.” The battle is described over six pages; no one is seriously injured.

Using Guardian magic, Rella changes into shadows. “The shadows pulsed like they were alive. . . The shadow mass oozed towards [the hoverbots], wrapping itself around them until they disappeared into the dark.” Rella disables the hoverbots.

Rella uses her magic on the villain. Shadows “wove themselves around him, covering him like a cloak. We heard his muffled cries from inside the shadows, but we couldn’t see him at all.” Plum and her friends flee. It is unclear what happens to the villain.

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

“Holy pomelo seeds,” “holy celery,” “Holy fern fronds,” and “holy smokes” are used as exclamations.

A girl is called a “sneaking skunk.”

Supernatural

The students learn how to turn into mythical creatures, such as a fox bat and a gillybear. When they’re in their guardian form, they have special powers.

One of Plum’s powers is to strengthen the other guardian’s powers.

When Plum’s friend is in danger, Plum touches a yamyam tree and “pictured a golden thread running between me and the yamyam tree. I imagined my energy flowing from my antlers, through her bark, deep into her green heartwood. . . Decades of time flashed in seconds and the tree grew tall, then taller still.”

Plum’s mother put a wish in a shell. When the shell becomes hot, Plum blows into its opening, and a “tiny pinprick of light” appears within the shell. Plum hears her mother’s voice, and then “the white light floated out of the shell and hovered in front of my face.” Plum and her friends follow the light to a cave. Once there, they meet a rock creature. Plum is the only one who can talk to the creature.

Hoverbots say ancient chants that turn them into guardian forms.

Plum strengthens Rella, one of the Guardians. “The moment her paw touched my hoof, I felt a zing. It was stronger than what I had felt with the others, like an electric jolt. . .” Rella can create and control shadows.

Spiritual Content 

None

Icon: AR Test

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly

The Vikings Revenge

Stay

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon

The Defiant

The Serpent’s Shadow

Holes

Jane Goodall: Groundbreaking Primatologist

What If You Had Animal Eyes!?

Daughter of Sparta

Rising Above: Inspiring Women in Sports

Gracie Under the Waves

The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Katie Ledecky

High Score

Controlled Burn

Live and Let Dive

The Night She Disappeared

The Knight’s Enemies

Lucky Leopards!: And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Rescues!

Love in English

City of Wishes

Latest Reviews

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball

Aaron Judge vs. Babe Ruth: Who Would Win?

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly

The Vikings Revenge

Salat in Secret

Strength of the Mountains

Stay

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon

The Defiant

The Serpent’s Shadow