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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 

Unwholly

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed organs for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question.

But unwinding is a big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished. And the minds behind unwinding have already begun pushing its boundaries.

Cam is the first “rewound,” a futuristic Frankenstein’s monster who does not technically exist and is made entirely out of unwinds’ body parts. He struggles with his identity and the question of whether he has a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter inextricably bind Cam’s fate with the those of Connor, Risa, and Lev, Cam comes to question humanity itself. 

Unwholly introduces several new aspects that shine more light on the practice of unwinding teens by introducing several new characters, including Cam. When people are first introduced to Cam, many of them believe he is an abomination and not human. However, Cam’s creator, Roberta, is a master of deception who uses the media and Risa to convince others that Cam is indeed a unique person worthy of admiration. When Cam compares himself to the monster Frankenstein, Roberta says, “That monster was made from dead flesh, but you are made of the living! That creature was a violation of all things natural, but you, Cam, you are a new world wonder!” At first, Risa hates Cam, but when she’s forced to spend time with him, she begins to view him as a person instead of a thing. This change allows Risa and the reader to see Cam’s humanity.  

Because human parts are in high demand, the black market has thrived. Nelson, a parts pirate, uses traps to lure in unsuspecting teens. Once they are in Nelson’s hands, their fate is sealed—they will be unwound, and nobody—not Nelson or his buyer—cares if the teen belongs to a loving family. Money is the prime motivator when it comes to providing parts to the wealthy. Readers will come to hate Nelson, as he is truly evil. However, Nelson is not the only new character who is easy to hate; Starkey a stork saved from unwinding, has grand plans to make storks the center of attention. In his quest to become the storks’ leader, he is willing to take down anyone in his path—including Connor.   

Unwholly allows the reader to understand how unwinding has become a part of society. Through the practice of unwinding, parents are allowed to play God. However, unlike God, parents are often selfish and are too caught up in their own emotional turmoil to make logical decisions. For instance, Hayden’s divorced parents sign the unwind papers because they’d rather see Hayden unwound than in the custody of the other parent. Other parents sign the unwind papers when cash is offered. When it comes to unwinding, Shusterman makes the reader look into the cruelty and compassion surrounding the teens sentenced to “a divided state.”  

The second installment of the Unwind Dystology is a disturbingly dark tale that forces the reader to ask questions about the value of human life. While the first installment focuses on Connor’s, Risa’s, and Lev’s fight for their life, Unwholly delves into the evil that exists in the world. While the story is gripping and thought provoking, it may inspire nightmares. Readers who want a tamer book should consider leaving the Unwind Dystology on the shelf.  

Sexual Content  

  • Mason Starkey tells his mom, “Hey, Mom, by the way . . . Dad’s late nights at the office aren’t really at the office. They’re with your friend Nancy.” 
  • Connor and Risa love each other. “With no other way to prove his feelings, he reaches forward with his own hand, pushes the hair back from her face, then leans in, giving her a powerful kiss.” 
  • Looking for a companion, Cam interviews a series of girls. One girl “fauns all over him” and says, “I’d would love to be your first. You can do that, can’t you?” 
  • Risa and Cam are talking when Risa “kisses him. It’s more than a peck, but only slightly more.” 
  • Cam helps Risa escape. Before she leaves, “she leans forward and kisses him on the cheek. He feels it like an electric shock in all the seams of his face.”  

Violence  

  • Throughout the book, many people are shot with a tranq gun. Not all examples are included below. 
  • When Mason Starkey was in fourth grade, he “flipped a boy off the top platform of the jungle gym. The kid had suffered a concussion and a broken arm.”  
  • Two Juvey-cops, whom Starkey calls Mouthpiece and Lady-Lips, pick up Starkey. While being transported, Starkey gets out of his handcuffs, and “slides the penknife he used to pick the lock out of his sleeve, grips it in his hand, and slashes it across Lady-Lip’s face. The man screams, and blood flows from a four-inch wound.” Starkey runs. 
  • Mouthpiece catches up to Starkey. “Mouthpiece turns him around and pushes him against the brick wall, hard enough to scrape and bruise his face. . . [Starkey] elbows Mouthpiece in the gut and spins around, grabbing the gun. . .” 
  • The gun goes off, and Starkey sees, “Blood! Blood everywhere! . . . In front of him, Mouthpiece’s face is a red, pulpy mess. The man goes down, dead before he hits the pavement and—” Another Juvey-cop arrives, and Starkey shoots him. The two Juvey-cops die. 
  • One of the characters is a parts pirate who traps kids to sell them. This man pretends to be drunk one night, and Starkey picks his pocket. Starkey “opens the wallet, and the second he does, a jolt of electricity courses through him with such power his feet fall out from under him, and he’s left semiconscious on the ground, twitching. A stun-wallet.” The drunk “shoves him in the back of a waiting van.” 
  • While being taken to a harvest camp, a girl named Miracolina sees “half a dozen people dressed in black with faces hidden by ski masks come leaping out of the woods from all directions. The chauffeur is hit with a tranq bullet to the neck and goes down like an overstuffed rag doll.” Someone grabs her, and Miracolina “kicks, and bites, and claws in terror and outrage.” Miracolina is shot with a tranq gun. Miracolina is kidnapped to save her life. 
  • Cam gets angry and begins “hurling a plate across the room, then another, then another. Roberta has to duck, and now the whole world is flying dishes and silverware and glass. In an instant, the guards are on him, pulling him back to his room, strapping him to the bed—something they haven’t done for over a week.” 
  • Connor confronts a man who works for the resistance. They argue, and Connor hits him. “The punch connects with the man’s eye, and he stumbles backward into the bulkhead. He looks at Connor not with contempt, but with fear. . .” The man leaves. 
  • Connor isn’t sure if he can trust Trace, a man in Connor’s inner circle. Connor plans to ambush Trace, but Trace “kicks Connor’s legs out from under him, grabs the gun out of his hand, twists him around, and pushes him cheek-first into the dirt, wrenching [Connor’s arm donor’s] arm painfully behind his back. Connor can feel the seam of the graft threatening to tear loose.” The two work out their problems, and no one is injured. 
  • A nicotine-addicted boy falls into a pit while trying to get cigarettes. For fun, the parts pirate pretends that he’ll let the boy flee, but “the tranq dart hits him right in the back of the neck, delivering a full dose directly into his brain stem. His legs buckle beneath him. . .” The parts pirate sells the boy to an illegal organ criminal market. Several other times, the parts pirates use different tricks to trap teens and sell them. 
  • A girl posing as a Girl Scout is let into Lev and his brother Marcus’ house. She detonates a bomb, and “the explosion blows Lev back against the wall, and the sofa flips on top of him, pinning him there. Shattering glass, crumbling timbers—and a shooting pain in his ears so bad he’s convinced his skull has split open.”  
  • Lev’s brother Marcus is in the kitchen with a beam embedded in his gut. “There’s blood everywhere—but Marcus is still alive. . . With all his strength, Lev lifts the beam. Marcus screams in pain, and Lev, holding the beam up with his shoulder, pushes Marcus out of the way. . .” Lev’s wounds are minor, but Marcus only survives because he gets parts from an unwound teen. 
  • During the explosion, Dan “was blasted backward against the wall. A huge bloodstain in the rough shape of his body marks his impact, and now he lies a lifeless heap on the floor.” 
  • When Miracolina [a girl scheduled to be unwound] tries to escape, she uses metal serving trays to stop the tranq guns from knocking her out. Lev catches her. Miracolina, “pushing Lev, scratching at him. She tears the platter from her chest and swings it. It connects with his head with a heavy band. He falls, but he’s right back up again.” The two run away together.  
  • While researching the Heartland War, Connor discovers that hundreds of thousands of teens were protesting. “Those same angry kids are calling for change, and when they don’t get it, they hit the streets, forming random mobs, burning cars, breaking windows, letting loose a kind of communal fury. . .” These events happened before the president was assassinated. 
  • Starkey and some others go to “rescue” Jesus LaVega. Jesus doesn’t know this, and “Starkey turns in time to see a baseball bat swinging at him. He ducks, and the bat breezes past an inch from his head. . .” Jesus swings the bat again and, “It connects with Starkey’s side. An explosion of pain. Starkey goes down. . .” 
  • When Jesus continues to swing the bat, one of Starkey’s teens hits Jesus with a “large football trophy and swings the marble base at his head. The heavy stone connects with the back of Jesus’s head, and he crumples to the ground instantly. . . Blood pours out of his head, soaking the carpet.” Jesus is dead.  
  • Upset that Jesus is dead, Starkey hits the boy’s father. “Starkey swings his foot, connecting with the man’s torso. . . Starkey kicks again and again. The man screams, the man moans, but Starkey keeps swinging his foot, unable to stop . . . The man, bloody and beaten, still has enough strength to crawl out the door.” Starkey sets the family’s house on fire as he leaves. 
  • In a multi-chapter conclusion, the “Graveyard,” where Connor and others sentenced to be unwound are hiding, is raided by Juvenile Authority. There is chaos with both cops and teens shooting tranq bullets and real bullets.  
  • Miracolina and a kid on guard duty are both hit with tranq bullets and go down. “Then out of nowhere, a police battering ram, its headlights dark, crashes through with such speed that the gates fly off their hinges. [A guard] dives out of the way just in time, and when he looks back, he sees his unconscious friend turned to roadkill by the wheels of the battering ram . . .”  
  • When the riot squad arrives, Connor’s team must take cover. “Connor’s there, but his brain won’t give rise to words. Beside him, [a girl] lies draped over the leg of the upended pool table with a tranq bullet in her neck—but worse than that is the horse-faced boy. He took a real bullet to the forehead.” 
  • While fighting a Juvey-cop, Connor “takes the Juvey out—not with a bullet, but with the butt of his rifle.” 
  • Hayden and a group of teens lock themselves in a plane. The Juvey-cops turn off the power so the plane heats in the desert sun. The teens say they would rather die than be unwound, but after one boy dies, Hayden shoots out a window, and they give themselves up to the Juvey-cops. 
  • Starkey and his loyal group leave the Graveyard on a plane that Trace is flying. The plane hits an armored riot truck. “The starboard landing tear clips the truck, sending it tumbling like a toy, and a huge chunk of the landing gear rips loose. . .” The truck blows up, presumably killing everyone on board.  
  • The plane that Starkey and his group are on makes a water landing. “The fire outside provides enough light for Starkey to see to the far recesses of the main cabin, and he wishes he hadn’t looked. The dead are everywhere. Blood is smeared on every surface, sticky and thick. . .” Starkey plans to leave the critically injured because they “are just liabilities.”  
  • Trace asks Starkey to help him escape the plane, but Starkey refuses. As the plane sinks into the water, “Trace cranes his neck, trying to keep his head above water as long as he can. Then he takes one deep gulp of air, holds it, and he’s underwater. . . His body burns through the last of its oxygen; then, resigned to his fate, Trace releases his final breath. . . It’s as awful as he imagined it might be, but he knows it won’t last long.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • One of the characters is angry that he remembers “when you were three years old, and your mom, all doped up on pain medication from your sister’s cesarean delivery, took you to a fire station and begged them to take you away and make you ward of the state.” 
  • An advertisement for unwinding includes information about a seventeen-year-old girl who “got drunk, crashed her car, and killed two innocent people.”  
  • Cam is given Tylenol-aspirin for pain. 
  • Cam is given “graft-grade healing cream” to erase his scars. “He can feel the tingling as the engineered microorganisms in the cream do their job.” 
  • When a boy is injured, he is given a shot of “epinephrine,” which is “the same as adrenaline.” 
  • When someone discovers who Risa is, she threatens to kill herself with “a subcutaneous cyanide pill.” Later, the readers learn that this is not true. 
  • Someone notices Connor’s muscles and says, “I hope to God you’re not shooting up those damn military steroids they have the boeufs [soldiers]  on; they shrink your testicles down to peanuts.” Connor isn’t using steroids. 
  • There is a reference to real Russian vodka and “Tequila from before the agave extinction.”  
  • To get out of handcuffs, Starkey intentionally breaks his hand and then takes morphine for the pain. 

Language  

  • Profanity is often used such as ass, bitch, crap, damn, goddamn, freaking, hell, and piss.  
  • Jesus, my God, good God, and for God’s sake are used as exclamations occasionally.  
  • There is some name-calling, including asshole, bastard, bitch, lowlife, idiot, moron, and pompous baffoons. 

Supernatural 

  • When a person is given a body part from an unwound person, the body part remembers what the person learned. For example, Cam’s brain was assembled using many different people’s brains. Thus, Cam often has flashes of their memories.  

Spiritual Content  

  • Pastor Dan and Lev talk to kids in juvenile detention. Pastor Dan says, “The Lord works in mischievous ways.” 
  • Pastor Dan left the church, but he said, “I still believe in God, just not a God who condones human tithing.” 
  • Miracolina, who is Catholic, has always known she would be tithed. Her priest tells her, “The Vatican has yet to take a position on unwinding, and so until it is either condoned or condemned, I can be as uncertain about it as I please.” 
  • Miracolina’s name means miracle. “She was named this because she was conceived to save her brother’s life. Her brother, Matteo, was diagnosed with leukemia when he was ten.” Her parents “made a pact with God that if you were born, and Matteo was saved, we would show our gratitude by gifting you back to God through tithing.”  
  • Miracolina is upset that she was “rescued” from being unwound. At one point, she thinks, “Perhaps that’s why I have been put on this path, to humble me and make me realize that I can be a hater, just like anyone.” 
  • While talking to Lev, Miracolina says, “Miracles are the property of God.” Lev answers, “Miracles are gifts from God. To call them property insults the spirit in which they are given.”  
  • Miracolina and a teacher discuss the soul. When a person dies, the soul goes to God. When a person is unwound, what happens to the soul? According to the teacher, “if your soul leaves this world, then voluntary unwinding is no different from assisted suicide—and in the Catholic religion, suicide is a mortal sin. Which means that by your own beliefs, you’d be going to hell.”  
  • When a storm is brewing, Miracolina “has to believe that God has brought this storm for her, so she can escape—so she can do what she was meant to do. And if she does get struck by lightning, well, that would be a sign from above too, wouldn’t it. So she says a silent prayer. ‘Lord, if what I’m doing is wrong, then by all means, strike me down. Otherwise set me free.’” 
  • Cam was programmed with the Bible in three languages. “Risa has to laugh at the audacity of his creators—did it occur to them that filling him with biblical knowledge while playing God was the ultimate hubris?” 
  • When Miracolina and Lev are captured by a parts pirate, Lev says, “Then maybe you should start praying. I sure am.” 
  • At one point, Lev realizes that “he did not need to be adored or pitied. He needed to be forgiven. Not by God, who is all forgiving . . . He needed to be forgiven by an unforgiving world. By someone who once despised him. Someone like Miracolina.” 
  • When Miracolina is shot by a Juvey-cop, Lev prays that she isn’t dead or maimed. 
  • As Connor and Lev flee the Graveyard, Lev thinks, “How stupid would it be, if, after all this, Connor and I both die in a car accident because I don’t know how to drive? He can only thank God the road is straight.” 
  • When Hayden and a group of teens think they are going to die, Hayden “says the Lord’s prayer. . . Tad and several others are quick to join in. . . Nasim begins to recite an Islamic prayer, and Lizbeth covers her eyes, chanting the Shema in Hebrew.” 

Glass: A Cinderella Tale

In a grand glass house, there was a girl named Bess whose power would, one day, change the fate of her family. . . Bess Wickham has always felt like a bit of an outcast among her family of extraordinary glassblowers, but then an immense, magical power that’s lain dormant in her bloodline begins to emerge. So, when she suspects her family’s business has taken a sinister turn, Bess must find the strength to defeat dark magic and save a certain cinder girl. But will she shatter under the weight of such evil or get her happily ever after? 

Glass is a prequel to the Cinderella story from the perspective of the young fairy godmother, Bess. While readers will sympathize with Bess’s situation, many readers will have difficulty connecting with Bess. Bess’s family does not understand her, so she often escapes into the forest with her animal friends. Much of the conflict revolves around Bess’s inner turmoil, and when she eventually runs away, she spends most of her time alone. Unfortunately, Bess’s personality isn’t given much room to shine, and although she eventually becomes Ella’s fairy godmother, their connection feels weak and forced. 

When Ella’s grandfather dies, Ella is forced to leave the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and go to live with her distant cousins, the Wickhams. Soon, Ella is forced into slavery. Luckily, Bess’s owl friend Ulli sweeps in and saves Ella’s life by bringing her warm clothes, blankets, and food. Although Bess knows about Ella’s horrible situation, she is too fearful to confront her family about their cruel behavior. Like Bess, most of Ella’s interactions with the family are described second-hand, which makes it difficult to understand her suffering. Likewise, when Bess finally decides to help Ella, her motives are unclear. This makes their happy ending seem like a coincidence that lacks a reason to celebrate. 

One of Bess’s attributes is her love of the natural world, including plants and animals. Unfortunately, Bess’s love of plants leads to long descriptions, which slow the plot down. Likewise, Ella loves the stars and dreams of becoming a comet chaser. Like Bess, Ella describes the night skies with excessive detail. Both Bess’s and Ella’s descriptions are full of jargon, and some of the language will be difficult for readers to understand. For example, one page uses the following words: social stratifications, keenly, pertaining, astral tables, relics, curators, spectroscopic studies, and lickspittles. 

Readers who want an exciting and adventurous story will find Glass lacking both. However, readers who love the natural world and exploring characters’ inner thoughts will enjoy Glass because of its unique twist on the Cinderella story. Since the book includes complicated magic and long descriptions, Glass is best suited for strong readers who don’t get discouraged when encountering new vocabulary. Readers who want a more playful story and are eager to enter the fairytale world can find magical stories by reading Maggie and the Flying Horse by E.D. Baker, If the Shoe Fits by Sarah Mlynowski, and The Prince Problem by Vivian Vande Velde. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • An owl gets impaled by a glass plant. “The blossoms were red, bloodred, and the needles were sharp. And there, hanging from the needles, was the owl she had seen. The owl her father had cursed and threatened to shoot now hung bleeding from the Blood Thorn lilies. Its white-speckled breast feathers were drenched in blood.” Bess treats the owl’s wounds, and it heals. 
  • One of Bess’s animal friends, a wolf, is shot. Afterward, Bess’s mother says she will taxidermy “just the head, my dear. They’re cutting it off and sending it over. But we are also going to make a glass casting of it.”  
  • Bess’s mother traps a titmouse and turns it into a figurine. Bess’s sisters “glanced at the shattered mirrors and the torn-up body of the titmouse. With one wing askew, the other was caught in a strange wild flight of its own, with no body attached. A glistening vaporous cloud began to form in the mirrored box over the remnant body parts of the titmouse.” A few seconds later, the titmouse had lost its soul. 
  • When Ella reveals her glass slipper, her family “seize her.” Ella “felt her dress ripping as Charles seized the skirt. Then Olivia grabbed her hair. The two together were wrestling her to the ground. . . [Ella] sunk her teeth into Olivia’s ankle. Charles was cursing her and reached down to grab her neck, but she raised her knee and kicked him in the groin.”  
  • To help Ella escape, Bess uses magic. “Estrella gasped as she watched Rose, Olivia, and their parents suddenly grow rigid and, then within seconds, turn transparent. Their eyes glared in a glassy, paralytic horror. . . The noise grew louder and was followed by the din of shattering glass as the Wickham family, one by one, crashed to the floor.” Bess had turned them into glass. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Bess’s father says, “My Lord” one time. 
  • Bess’s father describes her as being hek-ish. “He touched his heart as he said the dangerous word—as he did any word to do with witches or witchish things. It was an ancient custom to touch one’s heart when one said a forbidden or dangerous word like hek-ish.” Later, he says, “Hek-ish, by God!” 

Supernatural 

  • Some people believed that Bess’s grandmother was a witch. Grannie said, “Witchcraft nonsense. Your mamma would have lost that hand she burned when she was learning to take the glass off the blowpipe if I hadn’t bound it in sphagnum.”  
  • Bess talks in the wolf’s language and then faints. Her father says, “It was as if you were seized by some. . . some unnatural spirit.”  
  • Bess worries when her father uses the term unnatural spirit. “Two words from the witch-burning times in England. . . Surly her parents didn’t think she was a witch.” Her parents do believe Bess is a witch.  
  • Bess’s family uses magic to trap animal’s souls and turn them into glass figurines. “The creature is fed an ominous brew of melted crystals sweetened with honey. The animal quickly becomes addled and loses its bearings. If it’s a frog, it might hop backward or sideways. Jumping up when it means to go down. . . They surround the creature with mirrors. Handblown glass mirrors. It becomes confused and finally smashes into the mirrors, which then break. This is the sign that the soul has been extracted.” The smashed glass is turned into a figurine.  
  • Bess goes to visit her Grandmother’s grave. “When the trees bleed white with frost and every limb and pine needle is shrouded in ice, it is said that the hoar spirits come like ghosts from the frost in the night.” That night, Grannie speaks to Bess and gives her a magic wand.  
  • Bess’s grandmother knew druid rituals. For example, when Bess’s parents were married, “Grannie drew the sun around us for good luck and happiness. She held up the wand and made a circle over our heads in the direction of the sun. . . I know Pastor Filkins was simply mortified. Only heaths do these old druid things.”  
  • Bess learns how to use the magic wand by casting a spell: “Cruthaichidh mi mar a smaoinicheas mi agus a labhras mi.” In order to make the magic work, Bess has to imagine what she is trying to create. “One had to think something, figure it out, before the magic worked. One could not just wave a wand around and babble some spell.”  
  • Bess’s sister, Olivia, puts a three-tine fork under Bess’s bed. A three-tine fork “was sometimes considered a tool of the devil. To use them meant to invite temptation and evil into a house, but to throw them away could also cause evil across the land.” 
  • While transporting the three-tine fork, “a sprig of heart wort” was put in the box with it. 
  • When Bess was born, “the birth sac was around her head. . . that is supposed to be good, bring luck. It means a gifted child.” Bess’s mother believes it was a curse. “There is a particular way one must bury the sac, and I’m not sure Grannie did it right.”  
  • Bess learns how to become invisible.  

Spiritual Content  

  • After Grannie dies, Bess believes she is in the Summerlands. Bess doesn’t know what that is, but Grannie “used to talk about the Summerlands sometimes. . . I think it’s something from long ago. . . in the time of the druids.” 
  • When Bess asks about the shape of a spoonbill’s beak, she is told, “The roseate spoonbill’s beak was designed by the good Lord so it could scoop up the delectable delights of the shallows. . .”  

Otter: Oh No, Bath Time!

Otter and Teddy love to play in the garden. But when they get dirty, they have to do something they do not love at all: take a bath! Otter Keeper says bath time is fun, but Otter and Teddy are not so sure.  

Otter: Oh No, Bath Time focuses on Otter’s daily outdoor activities. When it rains, Otter and his friend Teddy have fun playing in a mudpuddle. Otter and Teddy decide to hide so they don’t have to take a bath. But Otter Keeper makes bath time fun using bubbles and toys. In the end, Otter and Teddy learn that they both love baths. 

Otter’s daily life is illustrated with simple but colorful pictures. Each page has 1 to 2 simple sentences that make Otter: Oh No, Bath Time ideal for reading with emergent readers. Readers may be confused the first time “Otter Keeper” is referred to and may need help understanding that Otter Keeper refers to the human that cares for Otter.  

Otter: Oh No, Bath Time focuses on simple joys and has a humorous ending that young readers will love. Through Otter’s experiences, readers will learn that fun can be found in surprising places—including a mud puddle and bathtub. Readers can learn more about animals by reading Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London and Polar Oceans by Bobbie Kalman. However, if you’re looking for a picture book series that will help a child with everyday problems like being afraid of the dark, then swim to the library to check out the Pout-Pout Fish Adventure Series by Deborah Diesen.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Story of Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was one of the most famous mathematicians in history, and her work at NASA helped send the first men to the moon. Johnson’s life was characterized by her curiosity and desire to help others. Plus, her skillful calculations at NASA set the foundation for modern-day space travel. Her legacy lives on in the people and companies she invested in, and society has honored her work through books and movies about her achievements. However, Johnson’s journey wasn’t easy, and her path to NASA required hard work that required her to seize opportunities.  

Born on August 26th, 1918, in the small town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Johnson was bright and curious. As a child, she loved counting things, and her love for math grew during high school and college. When Johnson accepted a work position at the prestigious company NASA, she was tasked with developing mathematical calculations to send the first men to space. However, with the margin of error slim, she feared that she had made a mistake with her math. Will the space missions be a success? Or will Johnson’s miscalculations ruin everything? 

The Story of Katherine Johnson tells the biographical story of Johnson’s life and her impact as a brilliant mathematician. Told from the perspective of an outside narrator, the book follows Johnson’s life, beginning with her childhood fascination with numbers and ending with her lasting legacy on NASA’s space missions. Thus, Johnson is portrayed as an inspirational figure whose willingness to seize her chances is exemplary and influential for readers. The book also depicts the challenges that came with her work and achievements, which gives the story a realistic and authentic feel. 

The biography offers a positive outlook on the themes of hard work and application. Although Johnson’s work at NASA came with trials and difficulty, her dedication to developing her math skills highlights the book’s message about jumping at one’s opportunities. It encourages readers to seize the occasions that open up in their lifetimes. In Johnson’s case, she “pushed the limits and encouraged others to do the same. She lived a life that was out of this world!” 

The Story of Katherine Johnson is part of a series called Story Of: A Biography for New Readers. The book is educationally oriented and includes additional supplementary material, like fun facts, discussion questions, a reading quiz, and a glossary. Hand-drawn, colorful illustrations pepper every one to three pages, and the back of the book features a small section with real-life pictures and reflection questions, such as, “What good things can happen when a person enjoys what they do at work?” While the text features large words and long paragraphs that can be challenging for younger readers, The Story of Katherine Johnson tells an inspiring tale about one of America’s most famous mathematicians. It’s a riveting story for math and space lovers. 

Readers can discover more about strong women inspired by space by reading Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell, Mae Jemison: Awesome Astronaut by Jill C. Wheeler and To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton. However, if you’d like to introduce a young reader to inspiring space-related books, blast to the library to check out Jada Jones Sky Watcher by Kelly Starling Lyons, Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly, and The Secret Explorers and the Moon Mission by SJ King. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen

Most of what we’ve known about Cleopatra—and what crept into art, film, and literature—came from her enemies, the Romans. Ascending to the throne at young age of 17, Cleopatra proved to be a brilliant negotiator who forged alliances that kept her in power and in control of her kingdom.   

Readers will be surprised to learn that Cleopatra was more of a bookworm than a seductress. The text is divided into small sections, with headlines announcing each topic. In addition, some sections answer common questions such as, “Was she beautiful?” To answer the question, the author refers to ancient documents. According to Plutarch, the ancient biographer, “The charm of her presence was irresistible, and there was an attraction. . . with a peculiar force of character. . . [that] laid all who associated with her under its spell.” 

Even though Cleopatra Rules is written at a high reading level, readers can use context clues to understand most words. Even reluctant readers will be able to enjoy the book because it features many sidebars and color illustrations: maps, photos of ancient artifacts, and artwork from many historical periods. The book is written in a humorous tone that can appear flippant. For example, the text explains the mummification process: “The organs, stuffed into special jars, stayed near the body. They pulled the brains out through the nose. After all, who needed brains?” 

Since Cleopatra’s life was entwined with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, readers will also learn more about Rome and the period’s politics. Anyone who loves history or is curious about Cleopatra will fully enjoy Cleopatra Rules because it presents history in an easy-to-read format that is engaging and educational. However, readers need to beware: Cleopatra Rules will make you want to dig deeper into ancient Egypt’s and Rome’s history because the political leaders are fascinating.  

Sexual Content  

  • In ancient Egypt, it wasn’t unusual for siblings to marry each other. Cleopatra’s father “probably expected the two to marry when the boy got older. And the eww factor gets even worse. After all, Cleopatra’s mother was likely also her aunt, her father’s sister.”  
  • The ancient Egyptian gods were often married to their siblings, which is why pharaohs often married each sibling. “All pharaohs were the human embodiment of Horus, sharing his divinity. When pharaohs died, they became fully divine. . .” 
  • The Romans believed Cleopatra was a “harlot.” However, she only had two romantic relationships.   

Violence  

  • When Cleopatra and her father went to Rome, Cleopatra’s sister Berenice claimed the throne. “It was a dumb move because as soon as Daddy regained control of the throne, Berenice parted with more than her crown. She parted with her life, too. . . she was executed for treason.” 
  • To gain Caesar’s favor, Cleopatra’s brother “had Pompey the Great—one of the most powerful leaders in Rome—beheaded on Egyptian soil.” When Caesar arrived in Egypt, “the boy king’s advisers shoved Pompey’s pickled head into his face.”  
  • Egypt attacked Caesar because he refused to leave Egypt. To escape, Caesar “jumped into the choppy waters and swam to a boat farther out to sea . . . Arrows and spears flew, nearly blotting out the bright Egyptian sun.” Caesar escaped, but Cleopatra’s brother drowned, and her sister Arsinoe was arrested. 
  • When Caesar became too powerful, “Twenty-six senators knifed Caesar to death at a senate meeting.”  
  • Mark Antony received a note saying Cleopatra was dead. “Antony then took the sword and stabbed himself in the belly,” causing “bleeding and gasping in pain.” When he discovered the note was false, he asked his servants to take him to Cleopatra.  
  • When Octavian captured Cleopatra, she “grabbed a dagger hidden in her dress and tried to stab herself, but Octavian’s man was too quick. She’d been captured.” 
  • After Antony died, Cleopatra “finished her ritual prayers at Antony’s tomb.” Then, she killed herself by letting a snake bite her. However, scholars debate whether this is true or if Cleopatra took poison. 
  • After Cleopatra died, her son was a threat, so Octavian “had him hunted down and murdered.” 
  • Cleopatra’s only grandson, Ptolemy of Mauretania, was murdered because he “wore a purple cloak that was prettier than” the Roman Emperor Caligula’s cloak. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When Cleopatra and Mark Antony were together, they threw parties where “tasty wine flowed.” 
  • Mark Antony drank heavily.  
  • The Romans celebrated a war victory with “food and wine. Party time!” The celebrations could last for days. The partying even had a religious vibe because the conquering hero was likened to a god.

Language  

  • By killing a Roman general, Cleopatra’s brother made a “boneheaded move.”

Supernatural 

  • To Egyptians, jewelry was “a form of fancy magic. . .They figured the more jewelry you put on, the safer you were from bad things happening. . . Almost every piece of jewelry had some sort of symbolic meaning or magical power.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • The ancient Romans worshiped many gods, including Montu, the Egyptian god of war. “The Buchis bull was believed to be the incarnation of the war god, Montu. When a Buchis bull died, it was mummified and placed in a special tomb. . . “ Cleopatra celebrated in a ceremony for the Buchis bull. 
  • The Buchis bull was “papered” because Egyptians believed it “helped cure the sick and delivered oracles.” 
  • When Cleopatra became queen, she “dressed as Venus, lay beneath a canopy of gold cloth, with boys costumed as Cupid stood on either side, fanning her. Beautiful girls posed as minor goddesses, and sea nymphs burned sweet incense to perfume the air around them. . . To the Egyptians, she was Isis, the main goddess of Egypt. And, as in a religious experience, everyone was hushed in awe at the sight of the goddess-queen.” 
  • The Egyptians worshiped “a healer god of perfume—Nefertem.”  

The Hunt for the Coliseum Ghost

Geronimo’s nephew Benjamin struggles to learn Roman history. To spark Benjamin’s interest in history, Geronimo decides to take him to Rome. Once there, they discover that the Colosseum is being haunted by a gladiator ghost and none of the tourists want to visit anymore! Geronimo must solve the mystery and rid the site of its ghost. 

The end of the book contains a bonus mini mystery: The Cheese Burglar. Geronimo invites readers to solve the mystery by using clearly defined clues. Can Geronimo clear his name and catch the real thief before it’s too late? 

Geronimo’s hunt for the Colosseum Ghost includes humorous chases, surprises, and appearances from Geronimo’s acquaintances. While much of the action occurs in Rome, the story focuses more on Geronimo’s hunt for the ghost than on Roman history or culture. Even though the purpose of the trip is to teach Benjamin, his role is limited; instead, Geronimo’s secret agent role becomes the focus. 

Each Geronimo Stilton book begins with Geronimo introducing himself and any characters that have appeared in previous books. For example, Creepella sends a letter to Geronimo, sprayed with “Ratell No. 5, my friend Creepella von Cacklefur’s favorite perfume! One thing you should know is that Creepella tells everyone she is my girlfriend, but it’s not true.”  

Readers familiar with Geronimo Stilton and his background will enjoy seeing the reappearance of many characters. Unfortunately, The Hunt of the Colosseum Ghost’s large cast list and jumpy plot make the story hard to follow. The story’s flow is also broken up with many inserts that explain Geronimo’s past interaction with other characters, as well as information about Geronimo being a secret agent. The book includes several infographics that give readers more information about Rome’s history, including some of its historic places. Since Geronimo talks about his love of pizza, the book includes directions for making a three-vegetable pizza.  

The Hunt of the Colosseum Ghost will appeal to a wide range of readers because Geronimo describes his adventure with humor. Plus, each page has a large, full-color illustration. In addition to the often humorous illustrations, the large text has a graphic element that makes the words look fun, and some keywords are printed in a larger, colored print. 

The Geronimo Stilton Series will capture readers’ attention because Geronimo is a likable protagonist who shows bravery although he often feels fear. His entertaining adventures often leave the reader with a nugget of wisdom. In The Hunt of the Colosseum Ghost, Geronimo says, “I thought for a moment about how satisfying it is to share with those we love, whether it’s a special pizza or a love of knowledge. The warm feelings I get inside from helping others are even better than a slice of Mouse Island’s finest cheese!” Readers who love Geronimo Stilton can find more humorous adventures in the Zeus The Mighty Series by Crispin Boyer. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Geronimo goes into the Colosseum, a ghost appears holding a sword. The ghost says, “You will regret taking on the gladiator ghost!” When Geronimo sees him, “I took off as quickly as the wind. You have no idea how fast I can run when I’m being chased by the ghost of a Roman gladiator!” 
  • Geronimo goes into the sewer underneath the Colosseum and discovers a room full of “enormouse spiders!. . .They scampered around while glaring menacingly at me with their beady little eyes.” Geronimo runs as the spiders chase him. “Ahead of me, I saw a small opening in the wall. Desperately, I tried to wiggle my body through it, but my tail got caught. Unfortunately, the spider took advantage of the opportunity and pinched me on the butt.” Geronimo escapes the spiders.  
  • Geronimo and his friends hide so they can watch the gladiator ghost. “Suddenly, the gladiator ghost waved his sword so violently it grazed my helmet and sheared off my whiskers!” 
  • The gladiator hears Geronimo’s squeak and gives chase. Geronimo tries several tricks to try to trap the gladiator. As he runs, the Colosseum’s crowd yells, “Get them! Get them!”  
  • At one point, a lion comes into the Colosseum. Geronimo “didn’t want to become lion food. . . The lion had raised its paw and was about to strike. I prepared for the collision, covering my snout with my paws, but . . . nothing happened.” Geronimo discovers that the lion and crowd are holographic projections. But the ghost was a robot. “I smashed into the robot so hard; it broke into pieces. . . it powered down completely and lay motionless on the ground like a mound of scrap metal.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Geronimo uses many exclamations, such as squeak, holey cheese, moldy mozzarella, twisted rattails, and other silly words. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Who Was Julius Caesar?

He came. He saw. He conquered. Julius Caesar was a force to be reckoned with. He was a savvy politician, an impressive orator, and a brave soldier. Born in Rome in 100 BC, he quickly climbed the ladder of Roman politics, making allies and enemies along the way. His victories in battle awarded him the support of the people. However, flush from power he named himself dictator for life, and the good times would not last much longer. On the Ides of March, Caesar was brutally assassinated by a group of senators determined to end his tyranny and bring his reign to an end. 

Who was Julius Caesar? focuses on Caesar’s rise to power in a time when power and wealth were the leading cause of many battles in Rome. Many powerful men were willing to fight for power, including Cinna and Marius, who were supposed to rule the Senate together. Since Caesar traveled widely, there is also a short excerpt about Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy. Readers will find Caesar’s military expertise and ability to manipulate people fascinating. However, Caesar lived in a time of bloody battles, murders, and rebellions.  

The book has an easy-to-read format with a large font. Large black-and-white illustrations appear on almost every page. Many illustrations show maps, people, and objects from the time period. For example, there are illustrations of important people, Roman architecture, weapons, and maps. The wide array of illustrations and the short chapters will help keep readers interested until the end. Scattered throughout the book are one-page infographics that give more information about the time period, such as education in Ancient Rome, the Roman Forum, and Spartacus. The end of the book includes a timeline of Julius Caesar’s life and a timeline of the world during that time period. 

Julius Caesar is one of the most famous Romans of all time—he was even the topic of one of Shakespeare’s plays. Everyone should learn more about Caesar and Ancient Rome because they impacted the world. Political unrest embroiled Rome in many battles, causing death and destruction. Despite this, learning about Ancient Roman history shows how Caesar’s quest for power and wealth led to his demise, and while the Ancient Roman Empire accomplished many great things, the empire eventually crumbled.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Pirates imprisoned Caesar. After Caesar’s ransom was paid, he was released. “He took each and every one of the pirates and had them killed.” 
  • Sulla and Marius were rivals who wanted to be the top general. When the two sides battled, “Sulla’s army burned down buildings and killed many people.” 
  • Marius’ army returned to Rome and “began killing Sulla’s supporters. Some victims had their heads chopped off and stuck to the ends of spears.”  
  • In Ancient Rome, many men fought for power, including Cinna and Sulla. “Wealthy citizens were being murdered by angry mobs. . . Cinna’s troops realized they were no match for Sulla’s army. . . They murdered their own commander.”  
  • When Sulla took power, “he began clearing the city of his enemies. A list of names was posted in the Forum. Anyone who killed a man on the list could keep some of that man’s property.” 
  • Spartacus was a slave who began a rebellion. “One night, Spartacus escaped with more than seventy other slaves. They were armed only with kitchen knives. As they fled, they came across wagons loaded with weapons.” Spartacus and his men killed many men. 
  • When Spartacus was killed, the rebellion ended. “For daring to rise up against Rome, six thousand rebels were crucified. The crosses stood one every hundred feet for a hundred miles, all along the road to Rome.” Spartacus and his rebellion are discussed over a page. 
  • Bibulus, a senate member, angered the people of Rome. “They threw things at him. Someone dumped a basket of animal poop on his head, and a mob chased him back to his house.” 
  • Caesar attacked Gaul. During this time, a group of three thousand Gauls planned to move to the coast. “They had burned their villages behind them, so no one could change their mind and move back home.” 
  • Caesar went to Egypt and the king gave him a gift, “a woven basket. . . containing Pompey’s severed head!” 
  • Caesar became so powerful that the senate decided to kill him. “The first to stab Caesar was a senator named Casca. He was so nervous that he only grazed Caesar’s neck. Caesar attacked with the only weapon he had—a pen—and stabbed it through Casca’s arm. Twenty-two more blows descended on Caesar, one knife after another.” Caesar died. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • The Romans believed in many gods. “Caesar’s family said they were descended directly from Venus, Roman goddess of love and beauty!” 
  • In a speech, Caesar said, “The family of my aunt Julia is descended from kings on her mother’s side and, through her father, from the gods themselves. My family therefore holds the sanctity of kings who rule among men and of gods who rule over kings.” 
  • One page explains the religion in Ancient Rome. The Romans “worshiped Greek gods—after giving them Roman names. The most powerful Greek God, Zeus, became the Roman God Jupiter. . . Religion was part of everyday life in Rome. Almost everyone had a household shrine: a small cupboard with pictures and trinkets where they could pray and make offerings—often food and drink—to the gods.” 
  • Romans appointed a High Priest of Jupiter. “The God Jupiter was the protector of Rome.”  

The Thieves of Ostia

Flavia Gemina is a natural at solving mysteries. The daughter of a ship’s captain living in Ostia, the port of Rome, in AD79, she and her three friends, Jonathan, a Jewish boy (and secretly a Christian); Nubia, an African slave girl; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy, must work together to discover who is beheading the watchdogs that guard people’s homes, and why.

One of the best qualities of The Thieves of Ostia is the interesting and diverse characters. While Flavia is the main protagonist, the addition of Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus adds interest and allows the reader to see how people in different social groups interact. Despite coming from different backgrounds, Flavia, her father, and her friends treat Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus equally. This highlights the importance of treating all people kindly and allows the reader to see Flavia’s compassion.  

When Flavia first sees Nubia, who is naked and chained, Flavia decides to purchase Nubia instead of buying an expensive book. From the start, Flavia treats Nubia like a friend instead of a servant. Likewise, when Lupus enters the scene, he’s in filthy, threadbare clothes and is unable to talk because his tongue has been cut out. Despite this, Lupus is treated with care and quickly joins Flavia’s friend group. Flavia’s friend Jonathan is also well-developed, and through him and his family, readers learn how Christian Jews are discriminated against. This topic isn’t explored in detail. Instead, the story affirms the importance of treating everyone with respect. Flavia’s father explains how Jonathan’s family has different customs that must be respected. Flavia and her father accept each other’s differences and create a welcoming atmosphere that allows friendships to bloom.  

In addition to the interesting characters, The Thieves of Ostia revolves around a fast-paced mystery with Flavia and her friends roaming different parts of Rome. This gives a glimpse into the harsh realities of life, including slavery and death, which were common during this period. These scenes are often graphic and may upset some readers. One character who is especially cruel is Venalicius, a slave trader who is rumored to kidnap children to sell as slaves. In one terrifying scene, Venalicius sends his men to capture Flavia and her friends. This heart-pounding scene shows the perils of children who live in Rome. 

The Thieves of Ostia has many positive aspects, including interesting characters, a compelling mystery, and several positive life lessons. Through Flavia and her friends’ adventures, readers will learn the importance of forgiveness. In addition, the story’s conclusion shows the dangers of judging people based on their appearance. One reason people did not suspect the culprit was because he was attractive. Flavia says the criminal was “polite and handsome. . . It just never occurred to me that he might be bad.” Readers who get squeamish by graphic descriptions will want to avoid reading The Thieves of Ostia. However, readers who are ready to delve into the hard topics of death and slavery will enjoy The Thieves of Ostia because of the exciting action and adventure.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • A pack of dogs chases Flavia into a tree. While she’s trying to figure out how to move to safety, “One of the yellow dogs yelped and leaped to his feet, as if stung by a bee. Then the leader snarled and writhed in pain. A stone had struck him!” A boy slung rocks at the dogs until they “slunk off.”  
  • When Flavia goes into town, she sees “terrifying men with broken noses, mangled ears, and meaty arms. Some had lost arms or hands or legs.” It is unclear how the men were injured. 
  • \While by the port, Flavia hears “the crack of a whip and clink of chains. Out of the mist emerged a pitiful sight, a line of women, naked and chained at the neck. . . Some had open sores.” The women were naked and wore “wooden tags with prices scrawled on them.” 
  • Venalicius is known to kidnap children and sell them into slavery. It was rumored “that he had kidnapped a nine-year-old girl named Sapphira and sold her to a Syrian merchant.” 
  • Venalicius had one ear “bitten off by a slave he had afterward crucified, if the rumor was true.” 
  • Flavia sees a young girl who is being sold by Venalicius. Flavia asks her father what will happen to the girl, and he says, “She may become a lady’s maid. Or a cook’s assistant. Or perhaps someone will buy her for a wife. . . You know that eleven or twelve is not too young for slaves to marry.”  
  • When Shanakda, a slave girl, was too afraid to walk the gangplank, “without warning, Venalicius had furiously unlocked her collar and pushed her into the water, though her hands had still been tied. . . Nubia would never forget the sight of bitter seawater filling Shanakda’s screaming mouth and silencing her forever.” 
  • Flavia’s family’s cook “had died shopping for leeks in the forum when a donkey kicked him in the head.”  
  • Flavia’s neighbor, Cordius, was an officer in Germania, and “his whole family had been slaughtered by barbarians. A lovely wife, three fine young sons, and a baby girl, now all gone to the underworld. . .” 
  • Jonathan’s family’s watchdog is killed. Jonathan tells Flavia not to look because “someone has cut off his head and taken it away.” Later, another dog is found with its head cut off.  
  • Avita, a young girl, “died horribly, in great pain, of hydrophobia. . . The disease is also known as rabies.” Avita’s mom says, “Avita lost her appetite, and then she began to be terrified of the sight of water. She even refused to drink. Finally, she began to see things that weren’t there. But the end, when it came, was peaceful.” 
  • Avita’s father goes to several taverns, gets drunk, then travels to a lighthouse and jumps off. “There was a cry from the onlookers as the figure struck the edge of the first tier, bounced, and tumbled like a rag doll down to the concrete below.” 
  • A young boy climbed a tree to get away from a pack of dogs. Someone begins shooting arrows at the dogs. “One of the dogs yelped, leaped into the air, then fell back with a shaft in his gut. . . the second arrow struck the leader. . . Two dogs with arrows in them lay writhing on the ground.” Jonathan’s father, Mordecai, grabs a sword and “cut the dog’s throat with a single stroke, putting her out of her misery.”  
  • The other dog “leapt directly at Mordecai’s face. Jonathan’s father reacted by instinct. The bloody sword flashed again, and the dog’s head and body fell in two separate places.”  
  • Flavia befriends an orphan boy who cannot talk because “someone has cut out his tongue.” The reason for this is never stated. 
  • Flavia’s dog begins to whine. Then, Flavia sees “a trident, the kind fishermen use to catch fish. Its base was wedged tight between paving stones, and its three prongs pointed up toward the cold stars. On each of the three points was planted a severed dog’s head.” Flavia faints. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Jonathan uses marjoram oil for his asthma.  
  • When Flavia hurts her ankle, an adult applies ointment to help it heal. 
  • Flavia and her father purchased a young slave. Flavia “bathed the sores on her neck with a sea sponge and applied some of Mordecai’s soothing aloe balm.”  
  • At Flavia’s birthday dinner, the adults drink wine, and the children drink “well watered” wine. Jonathan becomes “slightly tipsy.”  
  • Flavia lives close to the graveyard. “She often went there with her father to honor her mother and twin brothers. . . Wind could be poured into [amphora] necks to refresh the ashes of the dead below.” 
  • A boy follows Avita’s father to several taverns, where he sees men drinking and gambling.  
  • Flavia’s family has friends over for dinner, and they drink wine. Flavia notices that her father has drunk too much wine. 

Language  

  • An adult exclaims, “Great Neptune’s beard!”  
  • “By Hercules” is used as an exclamation twice. 
  • Flavia and Jonathan both exclaim, “by Pollux” one time. 

Supernatural 

  • A boy overhears a soothsayer talking to Avita’s father. The boy “guessed the soothsayer was poking at chicken entrails or staring into a sacred bauble.” The soothsayer tells the father, “Unless you offer a sacrifice to the god Anubis, your daughter’s spirit will never be at rest. . . May the gods curse you!” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Flavia wears an amulet. “One day, when she married, she would dedicate this bulla to the gods of the crossroad.” 
  • When Flavia finds her father’s signet ring, she says “a silent prayer of thanks to Castor and Pollux,” who are deities and the patrons of athletes. 
  • Jonathan’s family is Jewish. When Flavia meets his father, he is reading the Torah. Jonathan says the family moved after “our old neighbors wrote things on the wall of our house, and once they threw rotten eggs at Father.” 
  • Jonathan’s family are Christians who aren’t allowed in the synagogue. The Rabbi tells Jonathan, “I suppose you can’t be blamed for your father’s misguided beliefs. Besides, the Master of the Universe, blessed be He, tells us to act justly and to love mercy. . .” 
  • Flavia tells Jonathan, “I’ve heard that Christians eat their God, and my father says they burned Rome.” Jonathan defends Christianity. He says, “Christians are peaceful. We are taught to love our enemies and pray for them.” 
  • Jonathan’s father, Mordecai, encourages the children to forgive. He says, “Our faith teaches that if you say sorry to God for the wrong things you have done, and if you forgive the people who have done wrong things to you, you will be forgiven.” 
  • When eating at Flavia’s house, snails are served. When Jonathan asks if he can eat them, his father says, “God has made all things clean.” After a discussion that lasted a page, “Flavia closed her eyes and tried to imagine which god she was speaking to. Finally, she settled on the beardless shepherd with a lamb over his shoulder.” 
  • While discussing the criminal who killed the dogs, Mordecai says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”   
  • Flavia’s father sets off on a journey after he “visited the temple of Castor and Pollux, to make sacrifices for a good and profitable journey.”  
  • Avita’s mom says, “I believe that after we die, we will go to a place more wonderful than we can imagine. Not the cold, dark underworld, but a sunny garden, a paradise. I trust Avita is there now. She was also a believer.” This implies that Avita’s mother is a Christian.  
  • Flavia and her friends talk to a sea captain who sailed through a terrible story. The captain says, “All of us are thanking whatever gods we believe in that we’re alive . . .” 
  • When the slave dealer sends his men to capture Jonathan and his friends, Jonathan prays that they reach safety. 
  • When Emperor Vespasian dies, he says, “Oh, dear, I think I’m becoming a god.”  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator!

This interactive story makes readers part of the story by inviting them to become the main characters. The story warns: watch out as a barbarian fighting against the Romans, you are about to be captured, sold as a slave, and trained to become a Roman gladiator.  

Tips from the experts:  

  • Train hard — your life will depend on your fighting skills.  
  • Eat porridge, barley, and ash to become fit and strong!  
  • Don’t get caught if you attempt to escape — the punishments are severe.  
  • Fight well or face the consequences! 
  • Win every contest and live long enough to retire.  

If you’re ready to jump into the life of a gladiator, You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator!  will teach you how to fight, kill, and die in a suitably sporting manner to entertain the Roman crowds. If you survive, you could become a hero but don’t count on it.  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator! introduces readers to the dark and violent life of a Roman gladiator. Instead of depicting the horrors that gladiators face in a dark, dreary mood, the illustrations use humor. While fighting is illustrated, the men have exaggerated facial expressions, and no wounds are included. One page does show two men being chased by wild animals, and one of the gladiators is on the ground while a tiger is about to pounce on him. The book’s light tone allows readers to learn about this important era in history without traumatizing them with gory details.   

The book’s format is perfect for reluctant readers. Each page has one large illustration as well as several smaller illustrations. On each two-page spread, a large paragraph explains what is happening to the reader. Along the edges, there is more information about a gladiator’s life. For example, one page includes an illustrated list of what happens when a gladiator is getting ready to “fight to the death.” In addition, each two-page spread has a “Handy Hint” that gives even more information, such as “keep oon fighting—if you don’t, your trainer will send a slave to whip you or prod you with a hot poker.”  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator! is an interactive book that uses humor and illustrations to make learning about history fun. While some readers may not understand all of the words, context clues and illustrations will help them understand their meanings. Plus, there is a glossary at the back of the book. For more information about life in ancient Rome, you don’t need to search for an ancient scroll; instead, read the nonfiction book Ancient Rome and Pompeii by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce. Readers who want to experience a fictional gladiator’s life should read Ranger in Time: Danger in Ancient Rome by Kate Messner.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The Romans and Gauls fight; the Romans enslave the prisoners who “are chained at the neck and led away to begin a new life as slaves.” An illustration of the fight is included.  
  • When the slaves are sold at the market, they are forced to work in the mines, in the quarry, as gladiators, and in other difficult jobs. The slaves are chained and must wear a collar with their owner’s name and address. 
  • Several times, the book mentions that slaves were whipped if they didn’t work hard enough.  
  • If a slave tried to escape, “a runaway will have FHE (for Fugitivus Hic Est) and the initials of his owner, such as LT (for Lucius Titius) burned into his forehead.” 
  • A list of the different types of gladiators is included. Each gladiator appears with the weapon that he would use. One gladiator pictured is a woman. “An uncommon sight, but women fight as gladiators, too.” 
  • If a gladiator didn’t want to fight, “your trainer will send a slave to whip you or prod you with a hot poker.”  
  • When you fight another gladiator and feel as if you will lose, “appeal to the emperor. As you raise your left hand, the emperor will turn to the crowd and let it decide your fate. . . If people turn their thumbs down to the ground, as if swiping a sword through the air, then the defeated man must die.” The picture shows a gladiator on his back with another man holding a sword against his neck. 
  • If you survive until midday, “you’ll have a chance for a rest, when you’ll be able to watch criminals fight to the death.” 
  • Some gladiators fought wild animals such as lions, tigers, and elephants, but “those who are criminals have no means of defense.”  
  • The Colosseum could be flooded so battleships could fight. “From a distance, you will shoot burning arrows at the enemy ship. Then, when you are upon them, you will use hand to hand combat.” Some men are seen jumping into the water, and it is implied that they will drown if they do not know how to swim. 
  • At the end of the games, “men drag away the bodies of the dead and dump them in a pit. . . Dying gladiators are killed by a man dressed as the mythical character Charon from the underworld.”  
  • At the end of the reader’s fight, “your body is dragged from the arena, the victorious gladiator is presented with his prize.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The night before the gladiators’ fight, they are given meat and wine. 

Language  

  • A man yells at a gladiator, “Fight, you lazy dog.”

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When the Romans and Gauls are about to fight, you are captured. An unnamed narrator gives you this advice: before the battle, offer a gift to your gods by throwing a weapon into a bog. This is the entrance to their underground world. 

Danger in Ancient Rome

Ranger is a golden retriever who has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog. In this adventure, Ranger travels to the Colosseum in ancient Rome, where there are gladiator fights and wild animal hunts! Ranger befriends the young boy Marcus after saving him from a runaway lion. Ranger also befriends Quintus, a new volunteer gladiator who must prove himself in the arena. Can Ranger help Marcus and Quintus escape the brutal world of the Colosseum?  

Told in third-person, Danger in Ancient Rome includes the inner thoughts of Ranger, Marcus, and Quintus. This increases the suspense by focusing on both Marcus’s and Quintus’s fear of being killed. Their point of view also allows them to explain Ancient Rome’s beliefs and practices. Since Marcus is young, he explains his master’s cruelty in kid-friendly language that is suspenseful, but not terrifying.   

Adding Ranger’s point of view allows the reader to understand Ranger’s thought process, which often includes comparing a situation in Rome to something similar in his family’s situation. For example, when trying to save a boy from a burning building, Ranger barks but doesn’t leave the building. The dog thinks, “He never had to bark this long practicing with Dad and Luke. When Ranger found the person and barked, Luke came.”  

Life in Ancient Rome was difficult and slaves were often treated cruelly. The descriptions are not graphic or gory, however, sensitive readers may get upset when Quintus is forced to fight in the Colosseum. The fight ends in a realistic but surprising way. Ranger and Marcus help Quintus fight and the emperor frees Marcus, Quintus, and the gladiator. A servant tells them, “But today, you and your dog gave [the audience] the one thing they love more than blood. . . You gave them a story. One they will tell for a long time to come.”  

The Ranger in Time Series format will appeal to young readers. The book has large text and full-page, black-and-white illustrations that appear approximately every six pages. The author’s note includes information about the historical people and places in the book, including information about Pompeii. Plus, there is a list of resources for readers who want to learn more about Ancient Rome.  

Danger in Ancient Rome is a suspenseful story that allows readers to learn about Ancient Rome. The story focuses on Marcus, a servant raised in a gladiator school. Since he has watched gladiators train, he is very knowledgeable and helps Quintus survive his first battle. The heartwarming conclusion shows Marcus and Quintus being given their freedom and becoming a family. Ranger uses his ability to smell to help others. Readers who want to learn more about amazing dogs should read The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs by Shirley Raye Redmond, Dog Heroes by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce, and Sniffer Dogs by Nancy F. Castaldo. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The emperor Domitian “had a reputation for being cruel. Some people even said he had killed the former emperor, Titus, his own brother.”  
  • A lion jumps on Marcus. “The lion knocked him to the stone floor. He hit his head on the edge of a stair. . . [the lion] pinned Marcus down with a fat, heavy paw.” Ranger helps and Marcus is uninjured. A one-page illustration shows the lion pinning Marcus to the ground. 
  • When help arrives for Marcus, “Ranger jumped to the side just as the animal trainer jabbed the lion with his stick. The huge cat roared and reared to face him. Then, four more men came running with sticks and swords and nets. They snared the big cat and tied it tight with thick ropes.” 
  • When a trainee disappears, Marcus’ owner tells Marcus, “You will find him. And you will bring him back. Or you will pay with your life.” Later, Marcus thinks that his owner “could have had him beaten or even killed for failing to do his job.”  
  • Ranger goes into a fire to rescue a boy. When he finds the boy, Ranger barks until Marcus comes to help. “Pieces of ceiling fell in burning scraps around them. Marcus couldn’t see anyone. . . He could only feel the dog under his hand, leading him.”  
  • Quintus is a “retiarius,” which means he is “the lowest of all the gladiators, that he almost always fought a heavily armored sector in the arena.” A retiarius usually dies in battle. 
  • Quintus, a gladiator in training, tries to run away. When his owner finds him, he shackles Quintus “with a thick iron cuff around his ankle and locked him into the barracks. . .” 
  • Men who committed crimes are “tied together with ropes and wearing nothing but rags.” They are executed, but their deaths are not described. 
  • Quintus is forced to fight Cleto, who is much bigger than him. During the fight, “Cleto slashed with his sword. Quintus fell back, clutching his upper arm. . . Marcus could see blood seeping from between [Quintus’] fingers.” 
  • During the fight, Quintus throws a net over Cleto. “Cleto cut through the net with his sword. He slashed at Quintus’s arm again, and this time, a bigger gash opened, spilling blood into the sand.” 
  • Ranger jumps in to help Quintus. Ranger “tackled Cleto, the way he tackled Luke when they were roughhousing in the yard at home. . . Even through the dark holes of the metal mask, Ranger could sense the anger in [Cletos’s] eyes.” 
  • Quintus again puts the net over Cleto. “. . . Cleto freed himself from the net. He struggled to untangle his sword and shield. . . [Cleto] rushed at Quintus, and slammed his body against him.” The emperor stops the fight and allows everyone to live. The fight is described over ten pages. There are two illustrations, but they do not show any of the wounds or actual fighting. 
  • After the fight, Quintus’s “face is smeared with sweat and drying blood.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Ranger can time travel. When it is time for him to travel, a first-aid kit begins to hum. When Ranger picks up the first-aid kit, “Bright light spilled from the cracks in the old metal box. . . The light beamed brighter and brighter. . . Ranger’s skin prickled under his fur.” When he opens his eyes, he’s in Rome.

Spiritual Content  

  • When Quintus sees animals being led into the Colosseum, he whispers, “May the gods have mercy.” 
  • When Quintus fights in the Colosseum, Marcus “clenched his hands together and prayed to the gods for help.” 
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