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An Arrow to the Moon

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love. . . but time is running out, and fate will have its way.  

Told from alternating points of view, An Arrow to the Moon focuses on Luna and Hunter, whose parents hate each other. When Luna and Hunter first meet, the two begin to walk an unexpected path where love might bloom. However, their families’ hatred makes it imperative that they don’t get caught together. Intertwined with their budding romance, the two struggle with their family lives. Luna feels like her parents’ expectations are suffocating, while Hunter’s relationship with his parents is full of conflict, mistrust, and often borders on hate. Many readers will relate to Luna and Hunter, who are on the cusp of leaving home and desire to forge their own paths. 

While Luna and Hunter are similar to Romeo and Juliet, the story also incorporates Chinese mythology, which may confuse readers without background knowledge of the myths. The constantly shifting points of view also add to the confusion. The book includes excerpts from both Luna’s and Hunter’s families as well as the story’s villain. Many readers will have a difficult time remembering all the essential parts of the book, especially in the latter part, when the elements are being woven together. Even though the conclusion explains how Hunter and Luna fit into Chinese mythology, readers will still have questions, which leaves the story feeling incomplete. 

The author, Emily X.R. Pan, uses beautiful language to draw readers into An Arrow to the Moon, and at first, Luna and Hunter’s relationship is a sweet romance. However, the book’s tone abruptly changes about halfway through when Luna walks in on her mother having sex with a man who is not her husband. Afterwards, Luna is justifiably upset, which is reflected in the profanity used. Some readers may be shocked at how Luna’s whole attitude changes after this event, especially because the scene feels unnecessary and gives the story a harsh and negative tone that takes the focus off Luna and Hunter’s relationship.  

An Arrow to the Moon’s complex plot, shifting narrators, and incorporation of mythology will appeal to strong readers who already have some knowledge of Chinese Mythology. Additionally, the tonal shift makes the book best suited for mature readers who enjoy complex storylines that prompt them to think about how families shape our lives and decisions. If you’re looking for a romance that gets inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, A Pho Love Story by Loan Le and Crossing the Line by Simone Elkeles may be the perfect book to steal your heart. 

Sexual Content  

  • At a party, Luna plays Seven Minutes in Heaven. She had never kissed anyone before and she “was curious to do a lot more than kissing.” Later, Luna wonders, “What would have happened, if she’d gone ahead and kissed him?” 
  • Hunter falls into a crack in the earth. The next day, while on the school bus, Luna sees Hunter’s bruises. She “leaned down to kiss the tender brown and indigo. There was electricity between her lips and his skin, a spark as she made contact.” Later that day, Hunter shows Luna his bruises are unexplainably healed. 
  • While in the cafeteria, Hunter kisses Luna’s hand. “There was a spark. His lips buzzed and heat swept through his body.” The kiss leaves an “indigo print of his lips on her flesh.” Afterwards, Hunter “wondered if this was what a hickey was.” 
  • While in the woods, Luna kisses Hunter, who “worried he would be bad at kissing, but she made it feel easy. There was that electricity, and a sense of this being absolutely right. The smell of her soft skin was intoxicating, sent a pooling warmth down into his body.” Luna “brought his fingers to her lips. She kissed his thumb, his knuckles. . . He offered kisses of his own.” The kissing is described over a page.  
  • While Luna’s parents are out of town, Hunter goes to her house. While there, they get into a fight and he leaves. Luna reflects, “This was not what she had expected when she invited him over. She’d envisioned them side by side on the couch. Kissing again, like in the woods. Maybe stuff beyond kissing.”  
  • On a snow day, Luna comes home to find her mom having sex. When Luna opens the bedroom door, “The head snapped up to look at her from between her mother’s legs. It was a man who appeared as shocked as Luna felt. A man Luna did not recognize.” Later, Luna reflects on the experience, angry that her mom was “slick and wild-haired and naked in bed with another man.”  
  • Hunter uses a shed in the woods to hide his bow and arrows. One day, Hunter takes Luna there and they kiss. “But the longer she kissed Hunter, the more confident they both grew, and she was very intensely aware of the parts of his body that were pressing against her. An instinct took over. . .” Luna shows Hunter a condom that she stole from her mom and the two have sex, but it is marred because of Luna’s anger at her mother. “This was the anger that churned in her gut as she kicked off her jeans. Hunter was the escape she needed; she wanted to drown herself in his touch.”  
  • After having sex with Hunter, Luna reflects. “Her anger towards her mother and her wish to be with Hunter had blurred together, until she knew only her body’s firecracker desire. . . If she was being perfectly honest, a part of her had wanted to do it to spite her mother.”  
  • When Hunter’s brother, Cody, is secretive about a book, Hunter “hoped it wasn’t porn.”  
  • Hunter invites Luna over to his house and they have sex. “This time they were slow and tender. They experimented with lips traversing skin, their touches drawing little violet petals. He drank in the honey-sweet smell.” When his parents come home, Luna climbs out the window.  

 

Violence  

  • Rodney Wong is trying to find Hunter’s family because they owe him money. When he is first introduced, he is in a “water-damaged San Francisco basement, idly flicking a small knife open and shut, open and shut. . . The man strapped to the table in front of him was gasping, though nobody had done anything to affect his air supply. It was purely nerves.”  
  • Wong enjoys the man’s fear, thinking, “All he’d had to do was make the suggestion of a sharpened blade wedging between the tip of a nail and the soft skin of the finger, and his subject had spiraled into a full-blown panic.” Wong gets a phone call and lets the man go.  
  • Hunter’s father loses something valuable and blames Hunter for stealing it. Hunter’s father confronts him, but Hunter denies stealing it. “The blow came unexpectedly. Hunter fell against the fridge, registering only that his mother was shrieking for him to stop. His dad had punched him in the ear. His head was a clash of thunder.” Hunter missed two days of school because he had a “hideous bruise on the side of his face that would draw questions.” 
  • Rodney Wong is looking for an artifact that Hunter’s father stole from him. “Wong set his foot down on Hunter’s knuckles.” When Wong threatens to hurt Hunter, the boy laughs and says, “My parents don’t give a shit.”  
  • A strange crack appears in the earth. Around the crack, everything is dead and broken, and Luna can feel an evil presence inside the crack. One night, Luna and Hunter meet in the forest, and it begins to burn. Luna, Hunter, and Cody try to save a nest where the fireflies live. Rodney Wong tries to stop them. “A man Cody didn’t recognize grunted with pain as Luna kneed him somewhere questionable. He had a hand wrapped under her throat while she clawed at an object in his other fist.” Cody’s pet rabbit jumps on the man’s face. “It brought Luna the chance she needed to scramble away.” Rodney fell into the crack and disappeared.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Luna goes to a party where a group of teens are “drunkenly singing along to ‘Losing My Religion.’”  
  • Hunter uses an inhaler for asthma, although it doesn’t really help.  

Language  

  • Profanity is used occasionally. Profanity includes ass, bullshit, fuck, hell, and pissed. 

Supernatural 

  • The wind is portrayed as a supernatural being that brings Hunter money. When Hunter hears the wind, “he held himself still, waiting, his every muscle tense with curiosity. If he tried to look at it straight on, it would sneak away. . . The rustling stilled and silence returned, and then he looked. There they were. Two crisp twenty-dollar bills waiting beside his heel.”  
  • One day, the wind followed Hunter into class and “knocked over the teacher’s podium. Papers had gone flying; a pencil cracked in two; the blackboard eraser landed against someone’s shoulder.” Hunter is given detention.  
  • Hunter’s brother Cody has a book that has blank pages. However, sometimes when he opens it, the book’s writing is visible. For example, the wind opens the book to a page that says, “Houyi was the God of Archery, and his aim was always true. When he drew an arrow, he could tell. . . how to angle his shot, how to time his release. He never missed. . .” Cody thinks the book is telling the story of Hunter because he, too, never misses with a bow and arrow. 
  • One night, Cody opens the book and finds a story about a girl named Chang’e. The girl worked in the emperor’s palace. When she tripped and dropped a glass teapot, she was banished “to live on the earth among ordinary mortals.” Through this book, Cody learns the Chinese mythology about the God of Archery. 
  • Cody’s pet rabbit, Jadey, begins talking to him. Jadey explains that the magical book is his. The rabbit says, “I am the keeper of these stories. They are the records of the universe and its past. They are the truth of what is to come.”  
  • Hunter’s mother made a bracelet for him and imbued it “with prayers and the properties of an impossible medicine.” She willed the bracelet to keep Hunter “safe. Keep him healthy and hidden.” The bracelet keeps the villain from seeing Hunter. 
  • Fireflies often appear to Luna. When she has her period, “Fireflies were gathering below her navel, pressing close as if she, too, sparked with light. . . There was a tug, and a warmth, then release. Her breath came easier, as if bounds around her organs had been cut free. . . The fireflies had taken her cramps away.” 
  • The fireflies often gather around Luna. “They had a way of finding the knots inside her and loosening them, softening the muscles, dissolving the pain.” 
  • Rodney Wong shows Luna a planchette, which is similar to an Ouija board. Planchettes “were designed to hold a writing utensil, such as a brush. As the planchette moved, it would produce a mark, and these symbols or characters were then interpreted.” When Luna tries the planchette, it creates “a circle so perfect it should have been drawn using a compass. No human hand could be so precise.” The circle could represent many things. 
  • To keep Rodny Wong from taking the artifact, Luna eats it. “Luna fed the stone between her lips, let its weight settle on her tongue. As her mouth closed over it, the texture changed. It melted like honey, like cream.” Afterwards, the fireflies gather around Luna, and she floats into the sky. Hunter shoots an arrow at her, but instead of bringing her back to earth, “Hunter rose up into the sky behind Luna, and her face twisted with dismay.” Luna realizes that she was not “flesh and bone.” She flew higher and higher until she landed in a crater on the moon. “Hunter passed overhead, still drifting. . .” Everyone forgets Luna and Hunter, except for Cody. 
  • When Luna was a baby, she was often ill, and moonlight seemed to be the only thing that helped her. Her father would set Luna’s bottle outside “whenever the milk wouldn’t sour. . . when Luna drank from the moon-charged bottle, her energy was refreshed, and so was the color in her cheeks.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Luna discovers that fish and other underwater creatures will follow her “like [she is] the needle of a compass.” 
  • When Rodney Wong was young, he received a Western Education from a Lutheran missionary. The missionary taught that magic was forbidden. The missionary said, “Any practice of the occult, those wicked arts, takes one away from God and serves the evil spirits.” 

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky

For centuries, the color blue was one of the rarest and most special in the world! People believed the color was sacred, even magical. Artists crushed shiny blue rocks called lapis lazuli from faraway Afghanistan to paint the sky and the sea. Merchants gathered tiny sea snails that made a few precious drops of blue dye for royal robes. Later, a plant called indigo became famous for its deep blue color. It was so popular that whole countries grew it just to make more dye. But it was very hard work for the people forced to grow indigo. Then one day, scientists invented a way to make blue in a lab, and suddenly blue was everywhere—easy to use for clothes, art, and even your favorite jeans! 

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky invites readers on a journey to discover the origins of the color blue, both as a dye and a pigment, and reveals how rare, mysterious, and complicated its history truly is. Through gracefully woven historical snapshots, young readers will be fascinated to learn surprising facts, like how blue dye can be extracted from tiny sea snails. Readers will gain a powerful understanding of the color’s ties to slavery and the harsh realities of indigo production. 

As early as 4500 BC, when miners began extracting lapis lazuli from the earth, people discovered just how rare it was to find the color blue in any form. Crushing these vivid blue stones was the earliest method of creating the pigment. “By 44 BC, many Egyptians, including Queen Cleopatra VII, were applying a bluish mixture around their eyes that looked like eye shadow.” About six centuries later, blue began appearing in sculptures and paintings—but it remained a color reserved for the wealthy and powerful. 

Before long, people discovered a new, though challenging, way to create blue dye. Author Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond invites young readers to marvel at the humble sea snail. Inside its tiny body, “dyers had different ways of releasing the color. In Mexico, they pressed the snail’s foot. In the Middle East, they cracked its shell. Then they waited for the blue to appear.” For those who attempted it, creating snail-blue was incredibly difficult. Each snail produced only one or two drops of dye. Imagine how many snails it would take to color a single royal robe! 

At last, a discovery transformed the difficult process of making blue dye from sea snails into a thing of the past. “In parts of Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, a group of plants in the pea family grew. . . There were a few different ways to get blue from these plants’ green leaves. Indian dyers soaked them in water, while West African dyers crushed and dried them.” The miracle of this discovery was that the blue from indigo plants was not only far less expensive to produce, but also equally vibrant and long-lasting. 

The story reaches a remarkable turning point when a scientific breakthrough changes how blue is made forever. “From the time blue was found, scientists worked hard to make a blue that wasn’t so difficult or cruel to produce. In 1865, scientist Adolf von Baeyer began trying, and forty years later, in 1905, he won the Nobel Prize for creating a chemical blue.”

Each turn of the page reveals a sea of blue awash in complementary tones that dance across the paper. Three-dimensional realism meets flat pattern work, their layers softened by watercolor washes, flowing drips, and textures drawn from the natural world. Illustrator Daniel Minter, recipient of a Caldecott Honor and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, traces the remarkable journey of a single color as it travels across the world and through time. 

The book concludes with a captivating double-page spread of supplementary material, featuring an Author’s Note and additional fascinating facts about the color blue. These final pages are well worth exploring, as they uncover surprising pieces of history—especially about the United States. “South Carolina was an important part of the global indigo economy in the mid-1700s. . . For a time, until the Revolutionary War began in 1775, indigo was more profitable than rice to the American economy.” 

The book introduces fascinating new words, like Indigofera and tekhelet. These words might be unfamiliar at first, but they help tell the story of where the color blue comes from. For example, “Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Sang valley” is where people once mined the deep-blue stone called lapis lazuli. And there is “a group of plants in the pea family. . . called Indigofera.” Additionally, “tekhelet is blue made from the secretions of sea snails. . . part of the Jewish High Priest’s uniform was blue.” Each of these words shows how people all over the world have searched for and discovered different ways to create the color blue. 

Although Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky is a picture book, it is meant to be shared aloud rather than read independently. Its exploration of the color blue’s long and fascinating history adds depth and makes the story especially engaging when read aloud. 

Younger readers will be drawn to Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky again and again, not only for its compelling narrative but also for its vivid illustrations that bring moments in history to life. The image of a sea snail being squeezed to make blue dye is both amusing and memorable, while the story’s uplifting conclusion invites readers to reflect on the color’s meaning: “It’s become a symbol of possibility, as vast and deep as the bluest sea, and as wide open and high as the bluest sky.” 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The story reveals how the history of slavery is deeply connected to the production of indigo dye. It describes how farmers in India and Bangladesh were often tricked or forced into growing indigo plants instead of food crops.  
  • In the United States, “some made the African captives they had enslaved farm indigo, calling the plant a cash crop because it brought in a lot of money.”  
  • The book also draws a powerful link between this painful history and the birth of American blues music, showing how creative expression can emerge from deep suffering. “We feel ‘blue’ when we’re sad, perhaps because the people who had to dig, grind and grow passed down their painful memories of working the mines or slavery on indigo plantations.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • The story explains that many cultures view the color blue as sacred because it is so rare. From Liberia to Italy, Indonesia to Israel, blue carries special meaning. In Israel, for example, “blue drapes hung in the temple King Solomon built. And many Jews still wear blue-dyed threads called tekhelet.“ 

by Maureen Lowe 

On the Come Up

Bri Jackson wants to be a rapper. She wants to be famous, make money, and escape Garden Heights. Mostly, she wants to support her family – her unemployed mother and her brother, who is putting off graduate school to work. At sixteen, Bri feels helpless. However, when she enters a rap battle at The Ring, she figures this might be her one shot. When her battle goes semi-viral, Bri is suddenly torn between her mother’s expectations, attending school and earning good grades, and her community, which wants her to continue rapping. Bri records her first song, which details the assumptions people make about her, but many people interpret it as a black girl being “ratchet” or “ghetto.”  Bri is once again divided between multiple aspects of her identity. She must figure out how to balance rapping with staying true to herself.  

On the Come Up is an ode to hip-hop as much as it is a coming-of-age story. Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, hoping to fill the massive shoes of her father, an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big. But Bri’s path to success is anything but straightforward. 

Bri’s life hasn’t been easy. Her father was murdered when she was young, and her mother fell into drugs afterward, leaving her grandparents to raise her. Even though she’s been living with her mom for eight years now, she can’t accept that this stability is permanent—she feels like it could all disappear at any moment. When her mom loses her job and an eviction notice threatens their home, Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Simultaneously, she has to navigate microaggressions at her private school, where she’s labeled with an “aggressive” reputation, while also dealing with typical teenage problems like fights with friends, crushes, and a potential new boyfriend. Her mother fights to have Bri allowed to live as just a teenager, without the burden of financial worries, but Bri struggles to handle everything on her own. 

Bri soon finds herself at the center of controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC, as the story tackles systemic racism, poverty, police brutality, and the realities facing many Black youths in America. Thomas doesn’t shy away from exploring how economic uncertainty and viral fame complicate Bri’s journey, creating additional pressure as various people try to exploit her dreams for their own advantage. 

Bri is an assertive narrator with a strong sense of right and wrong. Even as she struggles with her identity, she knows what she wants her life to look like—she wants better for her community and her family. While she can sometimes be self-centered, she’s ultimately a good friend who cares deeply about those around her. Her friends Sonny and Malik provide interesting contrasts and tensions, calling Bri out when needed but standing with her when it matters most. Her mother and brother make sacrifices that show Bri what love looks like, even when she’s too overwhelmed to fully embrace it. 

Set in the same fictional Garden Heights as Thomas’s debut novel The Hate U Give, On the Come Up tells a grittier tale that highlights the narrow path many face as they try to climb out of poverty. Thomas weaves together themes of violence, identity, and family with careful attention to the characters and community of Garden Heights. 

While the ending is slightly rushed, the majority of the book unfolds with a pace that feels as carefully planned as one of Bri’s rap verses. Ultimately, while Bri has countless people standing behind her, she must decide who she wants to be—an important lesson for young readers figuring out their own values.  

Sexual Content  

  • Bri has a crush on her friend Malik. She thinks about how he makes her feel: “Like the way my heart speeds up every time he says ‘Breezy’. . . Like he wants the name to only belong to him. All these feelings started when we were ten.”  
  • Bri’s friend Sonny is gay, and Bri remembers when he came out. “Sonny turned to me and blurted out, ‘I think I only like boys.’”  
  • Malik grabs Bri’s arm, and she thinks about him touching her. “The way he’s holding my arm, running his thumb along my skin. Every single part of me is aware that he’s touching me.”  
  • Bri flirts with Curtis, a boy from church. “Is this flirting? I think this is flirting. Wait. I’m flirting with Curtis? And I’m okay with the fact that I’m flirting with Curtis?” 
  • Sonny used to have a crush on Bri’s older brother, Trey. “​​There was a time he could only stutter around my brother, that’s how big of a crush he had. Sometimes I think he’s still got a crush on Trey.” 
  • Bri and Malik kiss at Malik’s house. “When he inches his lips toward mine, I don’t move away. I simply close my eyes and wait for the fireworks. . . But, um, this kiss? This kiss ain’t none of that. It’s wet, awkward, and tastes like all those Cheetos Puffs Malik ate a little while ago.” Bri leaves afterward.  
  • Bri and Curtis kiss at Curtis’ house. “When he moves closer, I don’t move away. I can’t think; I can’t breathe. I can only kiss him back. Every single inch of me is aware of him, of the way his fingertips graze the back of my neck, the way his tongue perfectly tangles with mine.” They are making out, and he touches her chest. “He kisses me again, and slowly, his hand travels under my sweatshirt and under my bra. He grazes a spot that makes me stop kissing him long enough to make a sound I’ve never made before. I feel it in more places than my chest.” The scene ends with them kissing.  
  • Bri and Curtis kiss in Bri’s bedroom. “One kiss becomes two, two becomes three, and three becomes making out on the floor of my Tweety shrine of a bedroom.” They are interrupted by Bri’s brother and mom.  

Violence  

  • Bri thinks about the questions the school counselor asks her. These questions include references to her father’s murder. “Have you witnessed any traumatic events lately, such as shootings? . . . Are you struggling to come to terms with your father’s murder?”  
  • In Bri’s town, a young boy was killed by the police. It is referenced many times and is a contributing factor to much of the story’s tensions. “See, last year a kid was murdered by a cop just a few streets away from my grandparents’ house. He was unarmed, but the grand jury decided not to charge the officer.” 
  • There are many references to guns and murder in Bri’s rap verses. “This is no longer a battle, it’s your funeral, boo. I’m murdering you. . . This Glock, yeah, I cock it and aim it. That’s what you expect, bitch, ain’t it?” 
  • While going through security at school, Bri is tackled by a security guard and held down because they think she has drugs in her backpack. “Before I know it, my chest hits the ground first, then my face is pressed against the cold floor. [The guard’s] knee goes onto my back as [another guard] removes my backpack.” The security guards put plastic cuffs on Bri and take her to the office. Bri is scared of getting shot like the kid who was killed by the police.  
  • A riot starts at Bri’s school after Long and Tate, the security guards who hurt Bri, are allowed to continue working. “A fist connects with Long’s jaw. The bullhorn flies from his hand. Suddenly, it’s as if that punch was the green light some students were waiting for. A cluster of boys charge Long and Tate, taking them to the ground. Curtis is one of them. Fists fly and feet kick.” The cops arrive and break it up. The security guards are taken away in ambulances.  
  • Gang members robbed Bri and Malik. One gang member, called The Crown, punches Malik and threatens Bri with a gun. “The Crown rams his fist into Malik’s face. Malik hits the ground. ‘Malik!’ I start for him. Click click. The gun cocks.” The gang member leaves after Bri gives him her necklace. Malik’s eye is bruised, but they are otherwise unharmed.  
  • Bri goes to her aunt and unintentionally asks her to kill the gang member who robbed her. She regrets it later and fears for her aunt and the gang member’s safety. “I wanted that guy dead, I swear I did. Now all I can think about is how a gunshot’s gonna take him like one took Dad.” Bri’s aunt doesn’t kill anyone.  
  • Bri’s aunt is arrested in a police raid. “SWAT team members knock down apartment doors, and Garden Disciples rush outside or get dragged out with guns pointed in their faces. A few brave ones make runs for it. Aunt Pooh lies flat on the courtyard, her hands cuffed behind her back. A cop pats her down.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Bri’s mother, Jay, is a drug addict. She has been clean for eight years. “Jay really did leave me and Trey at our grandparents’ house. She couldn’t take care of us and her drug habit, too.” 
  • Bri mentions that her aunt stopped smoking weed.  
  • Bri’s aunt is a drug dealer. “‘Business’ has been her code word for drug dealing since I was seven years old and asked her how she made enough money to buy expensive sneakers.” 
  • Bri gets in trouble for selling candy at school, but a rumor starts that she was dealing drugs. “Some idiot coughs to cover the ‘drug dealer,’ he says as I pass.” 
  • When Bri’s aunt is arrested, they find cocaine on her. “The officer pulls a baggie from Aunt Pooh’s back pocket.” 

Language  

  • Profanity is often used. Profanity includes: shit, damn, hell, fucked, ass, goddamn, and bitch. 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Bri and her family go to church. “Not that Jay doesn’t love the Lord, but she gets extra-Christian when we’re in church.” 

by Abigail Clark 

Tight

Sixth-grader Bryan spends every day after school studying alone in his Ma’s office. With a sister who jokes that he’s adopted and a Pa who finds himself in and out of prison, Bryan yearns for a brotherly relationship—someone who’s always there for him.  

Bryan seems to get his wish when Ma, a social worker at a local community center, invites seventh-grader Mike over for dinner. Though reluctant at first, Bryan ends up bonding with Mike over a shared love of superheroes, comic books, and wrestlers. However, when Mike starts to influence Bryan to skip class and partake in dangerous activities, Bryan must consider what classifies someone as a true friend.  

While skipping school, Mike takes Bryan on impulsive, high-stakes adventures, including subway surfing, where the boys jump onto the outside of a subway and hang on as it zooms to the next stop. Though Bryan understands the dangers, he follows Mike anyway. Bryan thinks, “It feels so good getting props from him that I decide not to say half of what I want! Like, you almost killed us!” Bryan also follows Mike to the roof of an apartment building in their projects, where Mike recklessly hurls rocks at people below. Each situation is paired with Bryan’s inner monologue, where he questions why Mike acts so irrationally and what he should do about it. Bryan is torn between loyalty and his conscience, leaving readers to wonder—will he keep following Mike or forge his own path to be the person he wants to be?  

It’s only when Bryan spends time away from Mike, hanging out with his classmate Big Will, that he begins to see the kind of friendships he truly values. Big Will watches as Bryan plays Ms. Pac-Man and encourages him from the side throughout the game. He also teaches Bryan how to disengage when people around him are being confrontational. Bryan soon realizes the importance of having a friend like Big Will. Bryan thinks, “I smile because I realize that he’s the type of friend I want more of.” In a world of chaos and constant bickering, having a stable support system in Big Will is an asset that Bryan quickly comes to cherish. From Bryan’s journey, readers learn that true strength comes not from reckless risks but from surrounding yourself with friends who lift you up.  

The main characters are pre-teens who use slang that is common in pre-teen lingo. When Bryan describes one of his first interactions with Big Will, he says, “his hand is dumb strong like Pa’s grown friends who forget I’m a kid and shake my hand OD hard.” Most pages feature slang words such as “OD,” “lit,” “gotti,” “son,” or “on the DL.” While this may be relatable and entertaining to some teen readers, other readers who are not familiar with this vocabulary may struggle to understand the text. In addition to the slang, Bryan’s emotional turmoil, combined with scenes of violence, may cause intense feelings for some readers. These moments require young audiences to think critically about the pitfalls of peer pressure while vividly showing the consequences of falling under the influence of the wrong friend. 

Though the lingo may not connect with every reader, Torrey Maldonado weaves in an important lesson of staying true to oneself. This lesson is often highlighted in Bryan’s inner monologue, which is featured frequently. Readers will see Bryan analyze his relationships, specifically his friendship with Mike. Though Bryan does not want to ice Mike out completely, he takes steps to ensure that he regulates his own emotions around Mike and does not make hasty decisions just to appease Mike. Young readers will be inspired by Bryan’s growth and feel connected to the qualities he learns to value in his friends. In the end, Bryan shows readers that the bravest choice is not always following the crowd—it’s choosing the kind of friends who make you feel strong and true to yourself.   

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Bryan does not want Mike coming over for dinner. Bryan wishes “[he] could empty this Mike kid’s plate in the garbage, grab his elbow, and shove him out [his] apartment so he falls flat on his joking face.” 
  • Mike tells Bryan that he saw Bryan’s dad hit a guy. Mike said, “I almost didn’t see it, but he jumped off that crate and smacked that young guy so fast.” 
  • Bryan’s friend, Alex, gets into a verbal fight on the street with a group of guys after taunting them. When things escalate, Bryan tries to defend Alex by “pulling out a knife.” The sight of this knife causes the fight to end.  
  • Bryan and Mike get into a fist fight in Bryan’s apartment. The fight starts because Bryan’s dad no longer talks to Mike, and Mike blames Bryan for that. Mike starts to pick a fight with Bryan by mocking Bryan for never having been in a fight. Bryan “wraps his arms around Mike’s waist, lifts, and body slams him.” Bryan punches Mike multiple times, causing Mike to cry on the floor. Bryan has marks on his face from Mike slapping him. Although no one is seriously injured, the fight continues for two pages and concludes with Mike fleeing the apartment.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When Bryan goes to get groceries, he runs into Pa’s friends on the street. Bryan says that they have “that same smell Pa has when he drinks.” 
  • Bryan’s father is an alcoholic.  

Language    

  • When Hector, the owner of a grocery store, tells Bryan how much money his father owes, Bryan thinks, “Dang! Why’d he have to mention us owing money?” 
  • Mike throws a pebble from the roof down to the cars. He tells Bryan to “duck, stupid! You want someone from the streets to look up and bust us.”  
  • When Mike finds out Little Kevin, a kid from their school, can’t swim, “Mike goes in on Little Kevin with the disses. Punk, butt, and other things.”

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Madeline Hettrick 

The Great Greene Heist

At Maplewood Middle School, Jackson Greene’s elaborate heists, such as breaking into the copy room to plaster comedic posters around the school, have turned him into a local celebrity—a reputation that Jackson does not enjoy, ever since the infamous “Kelsey Job.” After the heist gone wrong costs Jackson his good standing with the school and his budding relationship with his crush, Gaby de la Cruz, he swears to give up heisting for good. That is, until a rich bully threatens to take over the whole school.   

Jackson’s rival, Keith Sinclair, is competing against Gaby for student council president. While Gaby runs a clean campaign with a positive message, Keith resorts to unethical tactics such as using his father’s wealth to bribe the other students. Keith’s ultimate goal is to redirect funds from popular clubs around campus to his own video game club. To stop Keith from winning, Jackson assembles a crew to carry out his most elaborate heist yet—steal the scantron machine used to count the votes and guarantee Gaby’s election.   

Jackson Greene is a likable and charismatic protagonist, yet, at times, he’s too proud for his own good. His main conflict stems from the guilt and consequences of the infamous “Kelsey Job,” the specifics of which are hinted at throughout the book but not fully revealed until the final chapter. After a pretty classmate, Katie Accord, gets her phone confiscated, Jackson agrees to steal it back in exchange for dancing lessons. However, when Keith catches him red-handed, Jackson petulantly kisses Katie, Keith’s ex-girlfriend. Ironically, Jackson only wanted Katie’s lessons so he could invite Gaby to the school dance. Too embarrassed to admit to needing help, Jackson refuses to clear up the misunderstanding until another character essentially forces his hand. Some readers may dislike that Jackson’s pride occasionally makes him act recklessly without considering the feelings of others. However, Jackson’s genuine remorse over his actions and his sincere apology to Gaby redeem him as a sympathetic protagonist. While Jackson occasionally makes mistakes, he mostly uses his talents for good, and his heart is in the right place.  

Gaby is the no-nonsense foil to Jackson. But while she is a headstrong and intelligent leader, she also has moments of vulnerability and self-doubt, especially in regard to her complicated relationship with Jackson. Gaby is a strict rule follower, but she occasionally breaks the rules to protect the people she cares about, such as when she helps Jackson avoid getting caught. Readers will appreciate that Gaby is more than just a love interest to be won over. She is a well-rounded character with her own goals and interests.  

Readers will be emotionally invested in Jackson’s goal and engaged in the fast-paced plot. The book is narrated in the third person, with each chapter told from a different point of view, focusing primarily on Jackson and his crew. The crew includes techie Hasemi Larejani, informant Charlie De LaCruz, financial backer Victor Cho, and popular cheerleader Megan Feldman. The group is well-rounded and makes a conscious effort to subvert stereotypes. For example, Megan is a pretty cheerleader, but she also loves science. Each member contributes something important to the whole, both in terms of personality and the heist.   

While Jackson Greene’s rebellious attitude may not make him the ideal role model for authoritarian teachers and parents, readers can appreciate that Jackson is always well-intentioned. Overall, The Great Greene Heist is heartwarming and entertaining, introducing middle school readers to more complex topics, such as corrupt politics, while providing positive representation that subverts common stereotypes. Readers eager to jump into another fast-paced heist story should also read High Score by Destiny Howell.      

Sexual Content    

  • To taunt Keith, Jackson kisses his ex-girlfriend. As Jackson comedically describes, “he lightly brushed his lips against hers. And Keith’s face crumbled like a month-old cookie.”  
  • Jackson has a crush on Gaby. His internal monologue often compliments her style, such as liking “how the rectangular frames of her glasses made her brown eyes look even darker. Wider. More mysterious.”  
  • Gaby has a crush on Jackson, but because he kissed another girl, she keeps her distance and remains emotionally detached from him. In one scene, she longingly reminisces about their relationship, thinking they had “held hands three times.”   

Violence    

  • After Jackson reveals that part of the reason he kissed Katie was to make Gaby jealous, Gaby says, “I could slap you right now.” The threat feels empty, and Jackson does not seem concerned.  

Drugs and Alcohol    

  • None.  

Language   

  • Crap and crappy are frequently used t. For example, after the school locks are upgraded, Jackson thinks, “Good-bye, crappy Ultra lock. Hello, Guttenbabel 4200.”  

Supernatural   

  • None. 

Spiritual Content    

  • None.   

by Kerry Lum

Unicorns and Germs

Zoey has come home to an exciting surprise: her mom is going to teach her how to make homemade yogurt! But when Zoey discovers that one of the main ingredients in yogurt is bacteria, she’s stunned. Her mom explains that some bacteria can be helpful because they keep the body safe and aid in creating delicious food! 

As Zoey and her mom cook the yogurt, their magic doorbell rings! Zoey opens the door to find an enormous rainbow unicorn named Tiny. Tiny is in pain from a large cut on his hoof. Zoey treats the wound with antibacterial ointment and wraps it up, but the unicorn comes back the next day with an infection. Now, it’s up to Zoey to conduct her own experiment—she must grow bacteria to find out which antibacterial will heal Tiny’s wound. With the help of her mom and her cat, Sassafras, can Zoey discover the perfect solution to heal the unicorn’s cut? 

Zoey is a kind and curious character who captures the hearts of young readers through her genuine compassion and scientific determination. When the unicorn shows up at her doorstep, Zoey is enamored by the large creature and wants to do everything she can to help him feel better. However, Zoey quickly realizes that healing Tiny’s wound will not be as straightforward as she originally expected. She utilizes problem-solving strategies to come up with another plan to help her new friend. “I need to get started on my research. I’ve got to make a list of things that I think will get rid of bacteria!” Young readers will love Zoey’s curiosity and feel inspired by her determination to help her magical new friend. 

The educational value shines through kid-friendly first aid lessons woven seamlessly into the adventure. Zoey explains to Tiny the steps that she takes when she gets a scrape. “The first thing my mom asks me to do is rinse it really well with water. Then she dries it and puts some antibacterial cream on it. After that she covers it with a bandage.” These simple explanations are repeated throughout the book as Zoey cares for Tiny and conducts her own experiments, making the story both engaging and educational. 

Citro enhances the educational experience by including a glossary at the end of her book. This glossary includes the definition of six scientific words, such as “agar” and “petri dish,” which are repeated frequently throughout the story. The book also includes black and white illustrations in every chapter, allowing readers to see Zoey’s experiments and Tiny the unicorn. These aspects add clarity and make the book more inclusive for any reader who wants to join Zoey on her journey to save her new unicorn friend. 

Unicorns and Germs is a perfect pick for kids who love science, animals, or magical adventures. Through Zoey’s curiosity and compassion, readers will learn about problem solving, helping others, and the fascinating world of bacteria—while enjoying a heartwarming story about friendship and discovery that demonstrates the power of child-led scientific inquiry. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • Only Zoey and her mom can see the magic animals that ring their doorbell.  
  • The unicorn has the power to heal other people with its touch, but it cannot heal itself or other unicorns.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Madeline Hettrick 

Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Story

Thirteen-year-old Noelle feels like the luckiest girl in the world to be cruising the Atlantic aboard the famed Titanic. The trip is made even better by her new friend, Pauline, a girl who is traveling with her father to live in America. The girls spend the first days of the journey exploring, but on the fifth night, Noelle awakens to a sinking ship. Women and children will be rescued first, and Noelle realizes motherless Pauline will be left all alone. Despite her parents’ wishes, Noelle breaks away from her family to find and help her friend.  

Noelle, who is half Haitian and half French, has led a sheltered life and is unprepared for the discrimination she faces aboard the Titanic. One first-class passenger shows hostility toward Noelle because of her mixed heritage, even telling another passenger to let Noelle sink with the ship when disaster strikes. While most discrimination is implied, it becomes explicitly clear that Noelle’s Haitian father lacks the same opportunities as others. 

When boarding the ship, Noelle meets Pauline, a third-class passenger who also faces discrimination because of her lower social status. Through her friendship with Pauline, Noelle witnesses how people are often prejudged based on both class and race. While these scenes may upset some readers, Pauline’s relationship with her father proves to be even more disturbing. After Pauline’s mother died, her father lost all interest in life and refused to leave the sinking ship. Noelle wonders, “What type of father asked his daughter to leave him to die? What kind of father refused to save his child’s life?” 

From the beginning, Noelle and Pauline’s friendship is built on deception. Since Pauline is a third-class passenger, she should not be on the same deck as Noelle, but Noelle allows others, including her parents, to believe that Pauline is a second-class passenger. This seemingly harmless lie leads to other rule-breaking when Pauline and her friend Albert convince Noelle to sneak into the first-class section and disobey her father’s orders. As Albert says, “My dad thinks a man should challenge authority.” 

Noelle at Sea addresses several sensitive topics that may be disturbing to young readers. However, the story is told from Noelle’s perspective and avoids detailed descriptions of the Titanic’s sinking. The book’s structure makes it easy to follow, with each chapter beginning by noting Noelle’s location and the time. Black-and-white illustrations appear every 10 to 17 pages, including one that depicts the silhouette of a lifeboat against the backdrop of the Titanic. The back includes nonfiction material on the Titanic, a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts. 

Anyone interested in learning more about the Titanic will find Noelle at Sea an engaging book that offers a unique perspective through its half-Haitian, half-French protagonist. The fast-paced story also provides readers with insight into the prejudices of the era. Readers captivated by the tragedy of the Titanic should also read Disaster on the Titanic by Kate Messner or Survival Tails: The Titanic by Katrina Charman. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When the ship begins to tip, Noelle is worried about her friend Pauline, who is in steerage. Noelle “pictured Pauline among hundreds of other passengers screaming for help down in third class. They would be running down the halls trying to find an unlocked gate.” 
  • While on the lifeboat, Noelle watches the Titanic. “The people on board were more frantic than they had been earlier. Bodies began falling from the ship. Some of their silhouettes seemed to be diving gracefully. Others tumbled through the air.” 
  • Some of the people on the lifeboats “froze to death.” 
  • When the passengers on the lifeboats were rescued, they “looked like they’d been through a war. Several passengers had cuts and broken bones. Nearby, Noelle watched a doctor tend to a man whose feet were frostbitten.” The doctor hopes the man’s feet do not need to be removed. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • A woman on a lifeboat “prayed through her sobs.” 
  • As Noelle watches the Titanic sink, “she prayed that [her father] was swimming towards them at this very moment.” Later, she says a second prayer.

Stormbreaker

When fourteen-year-old Alex Rider discovers his guardian Ian wasn’t a banker, but a MI6 spy who was killed on a dangerous mission, his world transforms overnight. MI6 director Alan Blunt blackmails the grieving teenager into completing Ian’s unfinished assignment, thrusting him into a morally complex world where institutional power overrides individual choice. Alex must infiltrate Sayle Enterprises, which plans to distribute new computers to British schools—a seemingly kind act that Ian suspected concealed a sinister plot. Grieving his uncle, Alex is thrust into a world of action and violence, where people are crueler than he can imagine and danger lurks around every corner.  

Alone and undertrained, Alex faces SAS training, assassins, and a giant killer jellyfish, relying on skills his uncle taught him and his own quick thinking. Readers will find themselves rooting for Alex for his ingenuity and intelligence. Alex is a hero who maintains strong moral principles even when the adults around him abandon theirs. Alex’s sharp, witty perspective and determination to do what’s right, regardless of personal cost, make him compelling to young readers who see themselves reflected in his character despite his extraordinary circumstances. 

Horowitz delivers fast-paced, violent action while embedding deeper themes about power and sacrifice. The moral complexity of espionage permeates the novel, as MI6 leaders firmly believe that the ends justify the means, even if it means exploiting Alex and putting him in danger. At the same time, he is mostly alone, with no backup. The author creates genuine tension through Alex’s isolation—he operates mostly without backup, making his survival entirely dependent on his own resourcefulness. Yet there remains a sense of heroism, and a confirmation that the good guys will win. Horowitz’s young audience will be thrilled by the action and subterfuge, and more mature readers will enjoy Horowitz’s subtle critique of the British government, traditional spy literature, and the question of what individuals should sacrifice for their country, as well as whether a fourteen-year-old should bear England’s fate on his shoulders. 

Stormbreaker explores more mature themes and features a semi-realistic villain, whose motivations may seem irrational from the perspective of a fourteen-year-old spy. Readers who want to read an action-packed book without violence should consider the City Spies Series by James Ponti and the Charlie Thorne Series by Stuart Gibbs. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Alex’s uncle Ian Rider is killed. Alex is told that he died in a car accident. “Driving home, [Ian’s] car had been hit by a truck at Old Street roundabout and he had been killed almost instantly.” However, Alex later finds out that he was shot. “A spray of bullets had caught the car full on the driver’s side, shattering the front tire, smashing the windshield and side windows, and punching into the side panels.” 
  • When Alex goes to the auto wreckers to find his uncle’s car, he is stuck in the car as it is about to be crushed. His leg is pinned, and he is covered in broken glass. “But the claw of the crane had already flattened the roof, pinning his left leg, perhaps even breaking it. . . The back window exploded and glass showered around his head, dust and diesel fumes punching into his nose and eyes.” Alex escapes with scratches and bruises but is not seriously hurt.  
  • As Alex tries to escape the auto wreckers, men start shooting at him, thinking that he is a trespasser. “Then there was a crack and a bullet whipped past.” The bullets miss.  
  • An MI6 agent shoots Alex with a tranquilizer to kidnap him. “The man fired. There was no explosion. The gun spat at Alex and he felt something slam into his heart. His hand opened and the file tumbled to the ground. Then his legs buckled, the room twisted, and he fell back into nothing.” He is unconscious but wakes up later and is unharmed.  
  • Alex is sent to train with SAS operatives. He has to endure combat training and other survival courses. “He took part in an unarmed combat class and was knocked to the ground so often that it took all his nerve to persuade himself to get up again.” He is bruised but not seriously injured.  
  • Wolf, one of the SAS operatives, is angry at Alex. He pushes him and forces Alex to fail a drill and accidentally set off a stun grenade. “The heel of Wolf’s palm had rammed into his chest, pushing him back with astonishing force. . . The trip wire activated a stun grenade—a small device filled with a mixture of magnesium powder and mercury fulminate. The blast didn’t just deafen Alex, it shuddered right through him as if trying to rip out his heart.” Alex can’t hear for a bit, but he recovers and is mostly unharmed. After training, he is left with cuts and bruises.  
  • Yassen, an assassin employed by Sayle, shoots and kills another employee who drops a case of smallpox. “‘No. You won’t,’ Yassen agreed, and shot him.”  
  • Two men use ATVs to try to kill Alex. They are trying to kill him because he has learned too much about what Sayle’s plan is. After being chased on ATVs, “Alex threw himself headfirst, flat on his stomach. The cheese wire whipped over him. If he had still been standing up, it would have cut him in half. . . One of the riders was carrying a flamethrower! He had just aimed a bolt of fire twenty feet long, meaning to burn Alex alive. . . Whoever these people were, they had tried to run him down, to cut him in half, and to incinerate him. . . Alex felt the first bullet slice past his shoulder. The second ricocheted off the side of his bike, almost causing him to lose control.” Both men die; one gets tangled up in barbed wire, and the other goes off the edge of the cliff. Alex escapes relatively unharmed.  
  • Alex is snooping in Sayle’s facility to report back to MI6, and a guard catches him and points a gun at him. “The gun was a Browning automatic pistol and one twitch of the man’s finger would send a 9mm bullet shattering through his skull and into his brain.” Alex attacks the man by “twisting his body around and driving his elbow into the side of the man’s head, just below his ear.” The man is knocked out. 
  • One of Sayle’s employees, Mr. Grin, attacks Alex because he found out Alex is spying on Sayle’s operation. “But Mr. Grin was quicker. He ducked to one side, then his hand shot out, the side of it driving into Alex’s throat.” Alex falls unconscious from the hit.  
  • The main villain, Herod Sayle, threatens Alex, saying that Mr. Grin will cut Alex. “Tell me what I want to know, Alex, or [Mr. Grin] will cause you more pain than you could begin to imagine. . . The edge of the blade had actually nicked the skin of his neck. He felt a trickle of blood slide down over his collar.” Alex is slightly cut by Mr. Grin’s knife, but he isn’t seriously injured. 
  • Herod Sayle reveals his plan to release smallpox through his computers, infecting schoolchildren. Alex speculates, “I suppose when the computers are turned on, people die.” Sayle confirms, “Because the virus I’m talking about is a form of smallpox. Of course, Alex, it’s been genetically modified to make it faster and stronger. . . more lethal.” 
  • Alex is put into a tank with a Portuguese man-of-war (a type of jellyfish). Alex is worried he will either drown or be stung by the jellyfish. Alex breaks the glass and escapes the tank.  
  • The jellyfish lands on Vole, another of Sayle’s employees, killing her. “The tentacles were wrapped all around her, hundreds and hundreds of stinging cells clinging to her arms and legs and chest.” 
  • Alex attacks a guard. “Alex used the handle of the harpoon gun, swinging it around and up to hit him, hard, under the chin.” He knocks him out, so he is able to escape Sayle’s facility. 
  • Alex sets off a smoke bomb on a plane, forcing Mr. Grin to crash. “He could imagine Mr. Grin blinded, fighting for control. The plane began to twist, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The engines whined. Now it was heading straight for the ground, howling through the sky.” Alex parachutes out of the plane and crashes into a glass ceiling. Mr. Grin dies in the helicopter crash. 
  • To stop the release of smallpox, Alex shoots the prime minister to stop him from pressing the button that would activate the virus. He also shoots Herod Sayle. “Shoot first and ask questions later. . . He emptied the gun. . . The first bullet smashed into the information desk. The second hit the prime minister in the hand, his finger less than an inch away from the mouse. . . Sayle had dived forward, determined to click on the mouse himself. The fifth and the sixth bullets hit him.” Sayle survives and escapes. The prime minister’s hand is wounded, but he is otherwise okay. 
  • Sayle threatens Alex with a gun, forcing Alex to go with him. “But the gun was in his right hand. It was perfectly steady, aimed at Alex’s lower back.” 
  • Yassen, an assassin, shoots Sayle on orders from his unknown boss. Alex initially thinks that Yassen is shooting at him. “Alex looked down, expecting to see blood. There was nothing. He couldn’t feel anything. Then Sayle staggered and fell onto his back. There were two gaping holes in his chest.” Sayle dies, and Yassen leaves Alex alive.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Profanity is used very infrequently. Profanity includes bloody, damn, and hell.  

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Abigail Clark

The Liars Society

Weatherby is a fish out of water. When she lands a scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, she’s excited to be in the same world as her dad, whom she’s never met, and make real friends. But Weatherby has a secret she’ll risk everything to protect, one that could destroy her new life. 

Every member of Jack’s wealthy and privileged family has made their mark at the Boston School. Everyone, that is, except for Jack, who is entirely mediocre. He’s desperate to prove his worth to his influential father. But Jack has a secret of his own. . . one with the power to ruin everything. 

When the money for their school trip to a private island—exclusive to Boston students—is stolen, Jack and Weatherby are invited to play a high-stakes game and solve the mystery of the missing money. If they win, they’ll be selected to join the oldest, most powerful secret society in the world—and they’ll be Boston royalty forever. If they lose. . . well, they better not lose. 

The Liars Society is told from first-person point of view that alternates between Weatherby’s and Jack’s points of view. This allows the reader to understand Jack’s family, the Hunts, while also giving an outsider’s view of his family. However, Jack’s and Weatherby’s voices aren’t always distinctive, making it hard to remember whose viewpoint the chapter is from.  

Weatherby’s character is defined by deception from the moment she enters Boston School. She harbors a major secret that calls her integrity into question, and despite initially struggling to fit in with her wealthy classmates due to her own modest background, she quickly adapts by choosing dishonesty over authenticity. Her willingness to deceive everyone around her—classmates, her best friend, and even her mother—makes it difficult for readers to sympathize with her struggles. Moreover, her obvious enjoyment of the exclusive school’s privileges and her wealthy friends’ lifestyles reveals a shallow side to her personality that undermines any potential for genuine connection.  

Jack wants to win, but not if that means hurting others. However, Jack relies on his father’s wealth and power to get himself out of trouble. Like many middle schoolers, Jack wants to make his father proud, and the way to do that is to get into the secret society, Last Heir. Jack realizes that his father has prepared him to get into Last Heir by teaching him “Hunt-isms,” such as, “Keep it in the family” and, “Ignore. Deny. Threaten.” However, Jack also realizes that his family is keeping secrets—secrets that may reveal Jack’s dad is willing to do anything, including killing others, to maintain his position at the top.  

The Liars Society revolves around several mysteries—who stole the money for the field trip and what the Hunt family is hiding. However, the story mainly focuses on five students trying to complete tasks to prove they belong in the Last Heir. The five students—Prescott, Harper, Iris, Weatherby, and Jack—are not trustworthy because they all have hidden agendas, which makes the conclusion problematic. When each person reveals their secret, the others instantly forgive them despite their previous deception, which is unrealistic. In the end, the kids decide to form their own secret society, promising that there will be, “No secrets among friends.” But being in a secret society means they will have to lie to everyone outside of their group, creating a contradiction. 

Right from the start, many of the plot points are implausible. For example, when Jack first meets Weatherby, he instantly dislikes her. Yet, after winning just one regatta, Jack suddenly chooses to trust Weatherby over his own family. The conclusion wraps up everything so quickly that the events become unbelievable. The kids discover that Jack’s family has been dumping harmful chemicals into the ground for decades—chemicals being dumped on a lush island that the Hunts and the school own together. When the EPA discovers this illegal dumping, they clean up the site in a few weeks, and the Hunts receive no punishment. The Liars Society implies that if you are wealthy enough, you can get away with anything, even criminal activity. 

Although The Liars Society has conflicting messages, its strongest message is that “you get to decide who you want to be.” Even though Jack’s family is corrupt, Jack and the Liars Society have decided they will not harm others in their pursuit of the truth. Despite the book’s conflicting messages and underdeveloped characters, readers who enjoy mysteries will enjoy trying to figure out all of the clues. The book will leave readers questioning what they would do to win money, power, and influence. 

At her new school, Weatherby reinvents herself and makes new friends while struggling with keeping a lie. Readers who want to explore these issues should read Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun and High Score by Destiny Howel. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • To win a regatta, Jack puts a laxative in an opponent, JB’s, water bottle. Jack thinks, “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was only trying to make him get stuck in the bathroom and miss a race or two. . . JB had a bad reaction and pooped his pants in front of everyone, all their parents, and our biggest rivals.” After the incident, JB is sent to a boarding school.

Language  

  • While describing people, the term jerk is occasionally used. For example, when being introduced to Jack, Weatherby thinks, “The Hunt jerk who laughed at me.” 
  • A boy calls Weatherby a turd. 
  • A police officer questions Jack’s father. After the officer leaves, “Dad slams the front door behind him and mutters, ‘Loser.’” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • One of the characters is preparing for her bat mitzvah. She says, “I’m a woman now in the eyes of the Jewish people’s view.” 

I Am Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente is one of the most important baseball players in history. Born in Puerto Rico, he fell in love with baseball as a child and dedicated himself to reaching the Major Leagues. Once there, he exceeded all expectations, earning numerous awards and honors. But what mattered most to him was the work he did for his community, both in Pittsburgh and back home in Puerto Rico. His greatness on and off the field established him as one of the most influential athletes ever. 

During his eighteen seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemente faced segregation as a Black Latino player. The media mocked his accent, and in certain cities, he was barred from eating with his white teammates or staying in the same hotels. These indignities stood in stark contrast to life in Puerto Rico, yet Clemente persevered, ultimately winning over fans and media through his exceptional talent. He played in 15 All-Star Games, won 12 Gold Gloves, and earned two World Series championships. In his last regular-season at-bat, he recorded his 3,000th hit. Tragically, his career ended when he died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 

Clemente paved the way for future generations of Latin American baseball players by never forgetting his roots. His story teaches us to fight for our dreams and persevere through adversity, but most importantly, it shows that individual achievements matter less than what we do for others.  

I Am Roberto Clemente is essential reading not only for sports fans but for anyone with a dream. Despite becoming one of the game’s greatest players, Clemente remained humble and consistently used his platform to help those less fortunate. His story reminds us to remember where we came from and embrace selflessness. 

This biography comprises five concise chapters, featuring black-and-white illustrations on nearly every page. It features highlighted vocabulary words with a glossary, twenty fun facts, a timeline, a map, and illustrations of important figures from Clemente’s life. The author balances Clemente’s athletic achievements with his humanitarian work, giving readers a complete picture of his enduring legacy. Through this biography, readers will discover that Roberto Clemente’s greatest achievement wasn’t what he accomplished on the field, but the example he set for living with purpose and compassion.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Abigail Clark

The Basketball Blowout

Basketball season is underway at Franklin Elementary School, and the MVP club, comprising five best friends, is determined to represent their school in the weekend travel tournament. However, the school can only send one team to the tournament, forcing an intense winner-take-all playoff bracket between the MVP club and the school’s other teams. Although the MVP club is very talented, their lack of teamwork and inability to finish their shots threaten to disqualify them from the weekend tournament.  

Alongside the playoffs, the school challenges the basketball teams to sell popcorn for travel expenses, promising shirts to the winning team and a grand prize of the “coolest pair of sneakers” to the player who sells the most popcorn. With the playoff game and popcorn prize on their minds, the MVP club commits to practicing basketball and selling popcorn. However, difficulties quickly arise for the club, with low popcorn sales, a lackluster practice, and the introduction of a mysterious boy in their school. Can the MVP club pull it together and achieve its goals? 

The Basketball Blowout is the exciting fourth book in the MVP series, continuing the MVP club’s adventures in the realm of basketball and fundraising. Like the other books, the story focuses on the five young members of the MVP club—Max, Alice, Nico, Luke, and Kat—and their involvement in the school’s sports and community. While the story attempts to provide appropriate attention to each character, most of the character development revolves around Luke, who struggles to sell his popcorn and make his shots in the big moments. However, the kids display remarkable character and perseverance in the face of their challenges, and their ability to work as a team to overcome their problems will be inspirational for many readers. Adding in the childhood perspective of basketball tournaments and competitive school fundraisers, the book becomes a relatable and enjoyable story for all ages. 

The heart of the story lies in its lessons on teamwork and inclusion. Early on in the book, the MVP club struggles to win basketball games because they aren’t working together. To make matters worse, they allow the competitive spirit of the fundraiser to get in the way of their friendship. However, through the observation and advice of their new friend Jason, they realize that they’ve “been competing against each other” and need “to work together to beat Jenna’s team” and “win the sneakers.” Jason’s incorporation into the MVP club also highlights the theme of inclusion. When the kids learn that Jason comes from a financially challenging situation, they band together to raise awareness for his dog-walking job and help him earn more money for his family. These lessons remind readers of the importance of friendship and teamwork, demonstrating that the power of many can accomplish even the most difficult tasks. 

The book is divided into ten short chapters, with each chapter typically comprising eight to ten pages and containing several black and white illustrations. Although the writing doesn’t use large diction, its paragraph format and multiple story lines may make the book challenging for beginner readers. The story’s ending also includes additional material, featuring a small glossary of basketball terms and a sneak peek at the book Ballpark Mysteries: The World Series Curse by David A. Kelly. Much like its predecessors, The Basketball Blowout continues the MVP club’s sports adventures with its signature action scenes, lovable characters, and applicable lessons, making it a must-read for sports and early chapter book readers. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • Kat, one of the kids in the MVP Club, teases her brother Luke about his stinky feet. “My feet are smaller than your big clown feet! Plus, your feet stink like a skunk eating rotten eggs in a garbage bag! There’s no way I’d want to wear the sneakers after you’ve been wearing them.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

by Caleb Kleinmann

Saving Animals from Hurricanes

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast with heavy rain and winds that whipped at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour. Thousands of people had already evacuated the city, but many were not able to take their pets. Instead, they left extra food and water for the animals—thinking they would be back in just a few days. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As young readers relive the dramatic events surrounding the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, they will witness firsthand the dramatic and courageous rescue attempts that saved the lives of thousands of innocent animals that were trapped in the Gulf Coast region after Katrina. From rescue workers floating in boats down the flooded streets of New Orleans looking for stranded pets to marine biologists searching for dolphins that were washed out to sea. 

Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact caught everyone off guard, especially the countless pets left behind when the city was evacuated. Hundreds of thousands of animals found themselves trapped in the flooded city, forced to survive on their own. Saving Animals from Hurricanes by Stephen Person tells the inspiring story of the people who risked everything to rescue these abandoned animals.  

The book reveals little-known dangers faced by major animal facilities like the Aquarium of the Americas. When the power failed, the electrical systems that cleaned water tanks and pumped oxygen to the fish stopped working. Without these life-support systems, nearly 10,000 fish died at the aquarium. However, one dedicated employee, Don Kinney, remained at the facility throughout the disaster, feeding the alligators, otters, and penguins. His heroic efforts saved many animals from starvation. 

The Aquarium of the Americas wasn’t the only facility that faced catastrophic challenges. At the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were swept out to sea by the storm surge. Having lived their entire lives in captivity, these dolphins lacked the skills to hunt for food or protect themselves from predators like sharks. Fortunately, all eight dolphins were eventually rescued and relocated to a new home in the Bahamas. 

Saving Animals from Hurricanes engages readers through its compelling visual design. Each page combines striking photographs with text boxes featuring bold headlines and concise paragraphs. Red circles draw attention to fascinating facts, while detailed captions provide important context. The book balances heart-wrenching images of animals in peril—swimming through flooded streets or trapped in debris—with uplifting photographs of successful rescues. 

The book concludes with valuable reference materials, including a list of animals most vulnerable from hurricanes, accounts of famous hurricanes, and a helpful glossary. Important vocabulary terms appear in bold throughout the text, making complex concepts accessible to readers. Saving Animals from Hurricanes is an engaging and educational book that also teaches vocabulary words such as storm surge, tropical storm, and evacuate.  

The animal rescue operation following Hurricane Katrina became the largest in history. Through the combined efforts of volunteers and animal rescue organizations, more than 15,000 animals were saved from the disaster zone. While many animals tragically perished during the hurricane, the book concludes with an optimistic message that will resonate with readers: “Saving just one dog won’t change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog.” To learn more about hurricanes, read Carrie and The Great Storm: A Galveston Hurricane Survival Story and Hurricane Rescue. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

 Violence  

  • The book includes photographs of pets among the destruction following Hurricane Katrina. “No one knows how many animals were killed because of Hurricane Katrina. It is estimated that more than 100,000 pets died in the days and weeks after the hurricane.” 
  • A photograph shows a dead chicken. “Animals on farms all over the Gulf Coast region were killed because of Hurricane Katrina. Many cows and horses drowned, or were killed when barns collapsed.” 
  • The hurricane almost killed a pony named Molly. “Molly was left alone in a barn for more than two weeks.” Rescuers moved Molly to a farm. “However, dogs that had been rescued from the hurricane were also living on the farm. One of them attacked Molly, badly injuring her right leg.” Molly lost her leg and doctors “attached a replacement leg made out of plastic and metal.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Bakery Dragon

Ember has always been different from the other dragons. His fearsome roar sounds more like a polite sneeze, and when he breathes fire, the villagers just pat his head and say awwww.

Ember fears he’ll never collect a respectable hoard of gold until a chance encounter with a baker causes his fortunes to turn (and his stomach to grumble). As the little dragon soon discovers, the gold you make is way better than the gold you steal—and gold that is shared? That’s best of all. 

Young readers will relate to Ember, who is too small to shoot fire like the other dragons. When an unexpected storm catches the little dragon by surprise, the baker invites him into the shop and teaches him how to make bread. While preparing the dough, Ember realizes his hands are “perfectly suited” to making bread and his small flame can “light the wood stove.” 

But the best part of the book is the surprising conclusion. When the other dragons are envious of Ember’s golden bread, they march to the bakery and learn that “baking gold is better than taking it. And sharing it is best of all.” In the last scene, both dragons and humans are enjoying the golden bread and the golden coins. Like the dragons, the humans are diverse, and readers will want to hunt through the illustrations for all the little surprises, such as a man holding three goats, a little girl hugging a rabbit, and several dragons giving away their gold.  

Readers will be drawn into The Bakery Dragon because Ember is adorable, and he lives in a typical fairy-tale world that is awash in golden light, which is in almost every illustration. However, the golden glow doesn’t just come from the dragon’s treasures; it also comes from Ember’s small flame, the bakery’s windows, and the bread. When Ember piles his golden bread into his lair, readers will be able to imagine the warm, soft bed Ember creates out of his “gold.” One of the best parts of the illustrations is the dragon’s facial expressions, which are easy to understand and will pull at the reader’s heartstrings. Readers will empathize with Ember as he feels a range of emotions from sadness to fear to pride to contemplation. 

The picture book has zero to five sentences per page and uses simple vocabulary. When a character is speaking, the text appears in white quote bubbles, making it easy to distinguish between narration and dialogue. Even though The Bakery Dragon is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for the child to read it independently for the first time. However, younger readers will want to explore the detailed illustrations on their own.  

The Bakery Dragon is a must-read because it teaches many life lessons, such as the importance of sharing. The story and the illustrations highlight dragons’ and humans’ unique differences, which makes it even sweeter when Ember discovers that, while smaller than the other dragons, his body is perfectly suited to baking bread. The creative, magical book will capture readers’ hearts and should be on every reader’s bookshelf. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • To obtain more gold, the dragon, Blaze, throws fire at two villagers. No one is injured. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Fearless

Fearless follows the shocking events of the previous book, Reckless. When royal assassin Kai Azer and rebel traitor Paedyn Grey return to the kingdom of Ilya, their plans of debuting as a couple are ruined when King Kitt – Kai’s half-brother – makes a shocking announcement. To unite the Elites and Ordinaries and prevent more conflict and bloodshed, Kitt will marry Paedyn.   

The Elites revolt at the news, unwilling to accept an Ordinary queen. To prove her capabilities, Kitt instructs Paedyn to complete a series of three trials, where Paedyn must perform a series of increasingly difficult tasks, such as retrieving an ancient artifact and negotiating a peace treaty. Paedyn is determined to succeed, knowing their union would bring peace to the realm and uplift her long-suppressed people. However, despite her resolve to marry Kitt, Paedyn’s heart remains with Kai. Likewise, despite wishing to protect his brother, Kai’s heart remains with Paedyn. Once again, forbidden feelings threaten to return, forcing the ultimate choice between old duty and new love.     

Paedyn is a fighter, determined to uplift her people, even if it means risking her life in the trials. Her bravery is evident as she navigates numerous challenges, such as traversing a series of caves, fending off bandits, and crossing violent seas, all in pursuit of her noble goal. However, readers may be frustrated by her lack of resolve. Despite her engagement and the dire need of her people, Paedyn is unwilling to let go of her on-again, off-again romance with Kai, even though pursuing her fiancé’s brother constantly threatens to undermine her goals. On an emotional level, readers will sympathize with Paedyn’s struggles to let go of her first love, especially considering the complete lack of attraction she feels for Kitt. However, when considering the greater good, Paedyn’s choices seem selfish and irresponsible because she prioritizes her personal feelings over the survival of her people.    

Kai is tormented and pulled in two different directions. He finally understands the importance of the Ordinary cause, yet he is unable to let go of his feelings for Paedyn. However, despite his pain and jealousy, Kai helps Paedyn in any way he can, such as protesting her participation in Kitt’s deadly trials. Readers will appreciate that Kai has finally broken free of his father’s influence and become a fighter for good. However, readers may also be frustrated that, just like Paedyn, Kai is unwilling to commit to the cause completely, and he still pursues their romantic relationship, even if it means hurting his brother and jeopardizing the peace of the realm.  

While Paedyn and Kai’s romance is the heart of the book, keeping the reader emotionally invested in the story, it is not the main focus. Fearless’ focus is divided between the danger of Kitt’s trials and intricate court politics, which are full of plot twists, betrayals, and lies. The trials test Paedyn’s physical strength while the court tests her mental strength. While not quite living up to the heights of the first book in the Powerless series, Fearless far surpasses the second book in the series, Reckless. The stakes are once again elevated, and almost every scene feels important and consequential.   

Fearless is told from the dual points of view of Paedyn and Kai. While Paedyn pushes the plot along, contributing to the most important events of the story, Kai falls into a more supportive role, reacting to Paedyn rather than instigating any major events. Both rehash the conflict of the previous two books — the struggle between duty and love.  Unfortunately, Paedyn and Kai are never really forced to make a hard choice or sacrifice because Kitt is removed from consideration, allowing Paedyn and Kai to bypass what could have been a compelling moral dilemma. Overall, the series ends on a positive, crowd-pleasing note — the villain is defeated, the Ordinaries are uplifted, and Kai and Paedyn get married.   

Sexual Content    

  • In a shocking plot twist, Paedyn is revealed to share a mother with Kitt, making them half-siblings. While they never become physically involved, they do spend the majority of the book engaged. Kitt and Kai are half-brothers on their father’s side, so while Paedyn and Kitt share blood, Kai and Paedyn do not.  
  • Despite Paedyn’s engagement, Kai and Paedyn are unable to stay away from each other. They share a steamy kiss. As Kai describes, “This kiss is greedy and aching. This kiss is made up of every moment I wasn’t able to touch her, every moment I wanted her but willed myself not to. Her lips are as soft as the skin beneath my roaming hands.” 
  • Before swearing off their relationship for good (which does not last long), the story implies that Kai and Paedyn have intercourse. As Paedyn describes, “His mouth crashes into mine. I melt against him, letting this wave of wanting consume me… I’m quickly pulled onto his lap, one hand in my hair and the other gripping my hip… My mouth parts for him, our tongues meeting greedily… The loosened corset has a strap falling from my shoulder. Holding his gaze, I slip the other off my arm—an invitation. His chest heaves as I reach for his tunic and the trail of buttons down its center. One by one, I pull them free, revealing a sliver of skin beneath… the dress slips from my skin, leaving only the rain to clothe me.” The chapter ends as soon as Paedyn takes off her dress, and the next chapter begins the following morning, with the couple lying in bed. The steamy scene lasts three pages.  
  • Kai’s inner monologue frequently emphasizes his attraction to Paedyn, but more complimentary than graphic. For example, he thinks, “those beautiful blue eyes” or “that stunning smile she wears.” Paedyn thinks about Kai in a similar way, describing his appearance as “black hair curling over his brow, eyes bright, and dimples that I curse beneath my breath. But above all, love.” 

Violence    

  • After learning that his mother died while giving birth to Paedyn, Kitt accuses Paedyn of murder. To prevent Kitt from murdering Paedyn in retaliation, Kai murders Kitt. Paedyn describes their duel. “The Enforcer thrusts that stoker toward the king… The iron stoker protrudes from his chest… Kai rushes to his brother, voice choked. ‘No! You were supposed to dodge, Kitt!’” Paedyn watches “blood seep from Kitt’s touch… His wide green eyes lift.” The heartbreaking scene lasts three pages.  
  • In the first book of the series, a contestant named Blair kills Paedyn’s best friend, Adena. In revenge, Paedyn disfigures Blair. As Paedyn describes, “She screams when I force her face into the hungry wall of fire. The side of Blair’s pretty face bubbles and burns within the heat… The stench of fried flesh fills the air, accompanied only by the screams of Adena’s killer.” Blair is left with permanent burn scars on her face.  
  • Paedyn has a dream about Adena dying. “Suddenly, it’s Adena dying before me all over again. And all over again, I cannot save her.” 
  • During the final trial, Paedyn must fight an Elite who is using his superpowers to pose as Kai. Paedyn is not aware of the switch and believes she is fighting the real Kai. Over five pages, the tense fight unfolds, ending in the fake Kai’s death. “The dagger’s tip meets his chest…I try to pull my hands from the blade, but he lifts his free one, clamping it around mine… The blade sinks farther, springing bright blood from the deepening wound… And then the blade is buried to its hilt.”  

Drugs and Alcohol    

  • To escape the pressure of her situation, Paedyn gets drunk at a ball. As Kai observes, “She waves her glass at me, sloshing champagne over the brim of it.” Kai requests that she stop drinking.  
  • To prevent Kai from interfering in the final trial, Kitt drugs his brother.   

Language   

  • Profanity is used often. Profanity includes damn, hell, ass, shit, and bitch. For example, accusing Kitt of mirroring their father, Kai says, “This is the type of shit our father” would do.
  • God is referenced to emphasize the scale of someone’s power. For example, Paedyn privately thinks, “Elite powers do not make you a god.”   

Supernatural   

  • The Elites have superhuman abilities. For example, an Elite with fire powers lights a room on fire.  

Spiritual Content    

  • None   

by Kerry Lum   

Finally Seen

After patiently waiting, Lina Gao is finally going to be reunited with her parents and younger sister in the United States! For the past five years, Lina has been living in Beijing, China, and has been raised by her grandmother, Lao Lao. Her parents and younger sister moved to America without Lina, promising that she would eventually join them. So, when the day finally comes, Lina is excited to see her family again and begin her new, glorious life in America. 

When Lina arrives, the life her parents described and the reality of their situation are very different. Money is tight, their apartment seems to be falling apart, her dad is overworked, and she has trouble connecting to her younger sister. On top of all that, Lina is struggling to learn English, which makes it hard for her to connect with other kids her age. In fact, other kids have been laughing at her, making fun of her, and destroying her confidence.  

Despite these challenges, Lina decides to push through, not only for herself but also for her family. She works hard to learn English with her ELL teacher, she begins to make friends, and she steps into her role as a big sister. In addition, she helps her dad find the courage to leave his harmful work environment, and she helps her mom grow her small business. Through this, her family overcomes financial hardships, and Lina rebuilds her confidence and begins to excel.  

Lina also finds her voice and conquers her fears, allowing her to give a speech in English to a large crowd. Lina stood “staring out at so many strangers, each and every one of whom [spoke] better English than [her].  She felt her knees wobble. But adrenaline [pushed her] forward as [she reminded herself] that [she] worked too hard and waited too long for this moment.” This is one example that proves that her voice is courageous and powerful.  

Millie Gao, Lina’s younger sister, grew up in America after her parents moved there with her when she was very young. She is bubbly and extremely extroverted, contrasting with her older sister Lina. Her embrace of youth culture is evident in her obsession with TikTok dances and trendy expressions. However, Millie struggles with insecurities when trying to fit in with her classmates, particularly the most popular classmates. Initially, she compromises her principles to fit in, but as the story progresses, she experiences personal growth and recognizes what and who is truly important to her. Millie realizes that her popular peers, who are absorbed in their own lives, are no match for her family, who cherish her deeply.  

Finally Seen is a heartwarming story that displays the realistic lives of an immigrant family and their struggles in modern America. At only ten years old, Lina has taken on the burden of her parents’ financial hardships, attempts to fit into American culture, and navigates discrimination at school. Her character is relatable to any young immigrant who has struggled with learning English and adapting to American life. It is also relatable to any reader who has endured bullying and, like Lina, found strength through the struggle.  

Kelly Yang wrote Finally Seen with her own experiences in mind, as she, too, faced harsh realities when she was a young immigrant in America. Like Lina, Yang moved to America at a young age and initially struggled to find her way. Eventually, she overcame adversity and decided to share her story with others to ensure that they felt seen. Finally Seen is a must-read due to its authenticity and uplifting, inspiring narrative.    

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • While there is no physical violence, Lina faces bullying. Jessica, a student in Lina’s class who is hostile towards her, wrote a mean message on the back of the school’s bathroom stall. She wrote, “I wonder why she doesn’t talk. Her English is trash, that’s why. I bet Mrs. Carter only gave her the Best Emerging Artist thing because she felt sorry for her. It’s a pity award – for sure.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Leela Kowalski    

Ride It! Patch It!

Ace, a clever and fearless girl, rides her bike through the neighborhood on her way to a race at the fair. During the race, she faces two major challenges: her bike chain slips off, and her tire goes flat. Rather than giving up, Ace uses her tools and problem-solving skills to fix each issue. These moments highlight her calm, confident approach to problems, showing readers that quick thinking and perseverance can help turn setbacks into success. 

The story has a simple and engaging plot without complicated conflicts. Ace is on a mission, hits a few bumps, and works through them with determination. The pacing is smooth with clear steps that young readers can follow. When her chain slips, she fixes it and continues the race. When her tire goes flat, she patches it and gets right back in the race. Though she does not win, she is proud of her accomplishment. 

There are no major supporting characters in the story, but the illustrations include background people, such as children who are also participating in the race. This visual detail helps situate Ace’s world and adds context to the story. Still, the main focus remains on Ace and her experience. 

Ace models resilience and good sportsmanship when the story closes with her smiling alongside the other racers. This ending reminds readers that success isn’t always about winning — it’s about doing your best and enjoying the ride. Ace’s inventive thinking and determined spirit make her a strong role model, and the focus on problem-solving and resilience gives the story a clear educational and emotional payoff. 

The Racing Ace series employs short sentences with bold fonts and varied text placement to maintain a quick pace throughout the story. This approach makes the language accessible and easy to follow, perfect for readers who are just beginning to build their reading stamina. The text features repetition of words and phrases to build rhythm and emphasize Ace’s determination. Phrases like “And slower, and slower, and slower” highlight the tension Ace feels as her bike starts to fail, creating anticipation for what will happen next. This subtle shift in rhythm mirrors the struggle, drawing readers into the action. 

The full-color illustrations are bright and dynamic, reflecting Ace’s energetic personality. Each page is designed to keep readers engaged, matching the thrilling speed and resilience of Ace’s journey. The illustrations add clarity to the process, which helps readers understand how the race ultimately unfolds. 

Racing Ace: Ride It! Patch It! is a safe and enriching read for young audiences. It’s a great choice for children interested in bikes, tools, or stories about brave and capable characters. It offers a powerful reminder that even when the outcome isn’t what you hoped for, persistence and a good attitude can still lead to a win. Readers can go on more adventures by reading Ty’s Travels: Zip Zoom by Kelly Starling Lyons and Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Rayna Burlison

That Was Yesterday

Just when the Runaways finally start to feel normal, Alex Wilder shows up—a former Runaway and a literal ghost. He accosts Nico and Karolina as they’re returning to their hideout and pleads for shelter, claiming he has their parents’ evil colleagues on his trail. The last time the Runaways saw Alex, he betrayed them to save his real family, so they’re not sure if they can trust him.

Moments later, a monster appears, on the leash of the Gibborim, strange, evil gods who consume souls for breakfast. Their parents used to worship the Gibborim, and now the Gibborim are trying to collect on debts. The Gibborim demand that the Runaways pay what their parents owe, a willing sacrifice for the Gibborim to grow strong again. When the Runaways refuse, the gods give them seven days to find someone or seven days to organize their affairs.

On Christmas, the Runaways exchange jokes and laughter, uncertain how they’ll fare against the Gibborim, but determined to live in the moment. There are numerous distractions from their troubles, as the Runaways are simply trying to survive while battling their own insecurities, loves, and ambitions. Rowell continues the wonderful character development of the Runaways, devoting more time to Nico, Gert, and Victor, while allowing every character to grow, including the new addition, Alex. The Runaways are grounded, magical, and inspiring characters due to their perseverance and genuine kindness and support for one another. They’re the kind of group that supports each other through difficult times.

The graphic novel is divided into six main parts. Each part tackles a different arc but with similar themes, such as healthy relationship dynamics, responsibility, and self-awareness. The panels are organized creatively, enhancing the flow of the story. The plot is easy to understand, despite having many moving components. Since it is a Marvel comic, there are references to other storylines and characters that may confuse readers who are not familiar with the Marvel Universe. However, none of this takes away from the beautifully illustrated characters, fantastical battles, and Los Angeles setting. The panels alternate between close-ups and wide shots, designed to capture the scene and the characters’ expressions perfectly, with dialogue overlaid to make the scenes more engaging.

Readers who enjoy complicated supervillains, dramatic though comedic teenage drama, and clever outcasts will love the ancient powers, wholesome family connections, and sarcastic comments in the third installment of The Runaways. This story teaches about social-emotional health by emphasizing the power of family as a support structure. It also emphasizes hope in the face of doom and love in a time of hate. The Runaways need to learn how to forgive now more than ever, because problems shouldn’t be solved with violence, and sometimes people are led astray. Overall, this is a dynamic and sweet story with a wholesome message: family isn’t just about the good times, but the arguments, the discord, and redemption too.

Sexual Content

  • While Old Lace, the Runaways’ pet dinosaur, is roaming the halls of their hideout, she glances into Nico’s room to see Nico kissing Karolina. It’s only depicted in one panel as a close-up of their two faces. Old Lace leaves quickly.
  • When Nico comes back from breakfast with the sorcerer trapped in her staff, Karolina runs to meet Nico at the door. She’s worried about Nico since she has been gone for so long and pulls her in for a kiss. The panel displays an overhead view, allowing readers to see both their bodies and faces meeting.
  • After they defeat the Gibborim, Karolina pulls Nico into another kiss. Karolina’s leg is kicked up behind her as she cups Nico’s face. There’s one panel of them kissing.

Violence

  • Alex Wilder is a former Runaway who hasn’t seen the rest of the team in years. The Gibborim are colleagues of the Runaways’ parents and, therefore, enemies of the Runaways. When Alex shows up suddenly at the Runaways’ hideout, they have to fight the Gibborim off with Alex’s help. The page contains ten panels featuring violence, as well as two close-ups of characters’ faces. The Runaways are primarily punching the creature, though in one of the panels, their pet dinosaur, Old Lace, is biting the creature.
  • After Nico discovers that her Staff harbors a person, almost like a genie, she feels bad and attempts to release them. Then, the Staff says, “I’ll rebuild my army of thralls and slice my power from their throats.” Nico decides not to release them.
  • When the Gibborim return to claim their sacrifice for their ritual, Alex runs at them with a knife in a desperate attempt to protect the Runaways. Chase tackles Alex to the ground to try to avoid violence. Chase doesn’t want any of his friends to be hurt in the crossfire.
  • When Gib of the Gibborim turns on his fellow gods, he fights to protect the Runaways. There’s a lot of punching, though no one is grievously injured.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • The graphic novel revolves around superheroes and their associated superpowers. Most of the Runaways have magical or superhuman abilities, allowing them to fight crime. For example, Nico is a powerful magician who wields the Staff of One by bloodletting to cast her spells. She summons it by saying, “When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!”
  • Karolina is the other Runaway who uses magic. As an alien from another world, she can fly.
  • After the Gibborim show up at the Runaways’ door demanding a sacrifice, Nico retreats outside the Runaways’ cave lair to a forest. Frustrated at her lack of magic training and unable to prevent the Gibborim from returning to collect the sacrifice, she summons the staff. It turns into a person who explains that, “[Nico’s] grandmother bested [the sorcerer of the staff] and transformed [them] into the staff, twisting [their] magic to [Nico’s grandmother’s] own service.” Nico and the Staff make a deal that ends the practice of bloodletting. They negotiate so that the person locked inside the Staff has freedom to see the outside world occasionally.
  • Alex Wilder, a former Runaway, appears at their hideout, claiming that he’s being chased by Gibborim, the gods who controlled the Runaways’ parents. When Nico sees Alex, she asks, “Who let you out of Hell, Wilder?” She implies that he died and came back to life, though there is no depiction of this.
  • Soon after Alex appears, a monster follows him. It has three purple heads and is covered in scales. It wears a leash and charges at the Runaways, though they fight it off. The Gibborim are close behind, with skin of all colors of the rainbow, pointed ears, and horns.
  • When the Runaways fight the Gibborim’s creature, Gert and Victor return from the past in a time travel machine. They used the time machine in a previous story and are just now returning to the present. The machine is surrounded by blue waves and a bubble that reads PLIP! It implies that the machine appears out of nowhere.

Spiritual Content

  • The Gibborim call themselves gods and refer to religious rituals that appear to be based on any real religion. When they demand a sacrifice, Chase responds, “The Rite of Thunder? That weird church service we interrupted before? Where were our parents gonna feed your parent that poor dead girl’s soul?” Throughout this comic, there are references to this rite, although nothing else explains the religion from which the Gibborim originate.
  • In a heart-to-heart with Victor, Gert mentions God, saying, “I wouldn’t expect a cyborg to believe in God.” Victor responds, “I may have been created by a supervillain, but I’m still Catholic.”

by Kate Schuyler

Before I Let Go

Corey’s best friend, Kyra, has killed herself, drowning beneath the ice of the tiny Alaskan town of Lost Creek. Corey, who had left the small town seven months earlier, returns for Kyra’s memorial service—and to find answers. She doesn’t believe Kyra would kill herself, not when Corey was already planning to return in just a few days.  

When Corey returns to Lost Creek, she finds that she has been branded an outsider and that Kyra had been embraced by the town that had hated her previously. But all is not as it seems, and in the five days, Corey will uncover both Kyra’s and the town’s mysteries.  

The story is told from Corey’s first-person perspective in the present timeline, with flashbacks woven throughout to reveal the history of Corey and Kyra’s friendship. While Corey is the narrator, Kyra is undoubtedly the center of the story. The flashbacks reveal how Corey, the scientific mind, and Kyra, the storyteller, dreamed of escaping Lost Creek together. They also show how the town shunned Kyra following her bipolar diagnosis and how this adversity strengthened the bond between the two teenage girls.  Corey’s narration in the present is heavy with guilt and grief, and the absence of Kyra is felt in every word.  

Kyra’s bipolar disorder becomes central to the story, as the town dismisses her as insane without attempting to understand her condition—until they discover she has something valuable to offer them. Before Corey’s departure, Corey’s friendship helped Kyra manage her highs and lows. But after Kyra’s death, Corey discovered that the town twisted Kyra’s mania to their benefit. When people started to believe that Kyra’s paintings told the future, they hid her away and propped her up as a symbol rather than treating her as a girl. As Corey uncovers the extent of Kyra’s isolation, she too experiences isolation as she continues to ask questions no one wants to answer.  

Before I Let Go creates a beautiful picture of friendship, self-discovery, and love. Love bonds Corey and Kyra across space and time, and their love survives through their struggles and misunderstandings. Corey and Kyra are well-developed characters, but the other characters are almost one-sided, consumed by their obsession with Kyra’s supposed psychic powers. Corey doesn’t feel a connection to the other members of Lost Creek; therefore, the readers are not given space to connect with them either. Despite the book being centered on only two characters, readers will find themselves rooting for Kyra and Corey, and grieving Kyra as Corey does.  

Nijkamp also paints a harsh picture of mental health’s importance and the detrimental effects of isolation. Readers will be simultaneously moved by Corey’s and Kyra’s friendship but frustrated by the town’s small-mindedness. Alaska’s harsh setting reflects the Lost Creek’s immovable attitude, while Corey’s narration brings the readers alongside her as she uncovers the town’s prejudices and reckons with her own. “Love me or hate me if you want, I don’t care. But do it for all that I am, with all that I am,” Kyra pleads to Corey. The readers are faced with the same task. How do we love someone when they’re going through something terrible? How do we return home when we are not welcome there, when maybe we never were?  

Ultimately a story of hope, Before I Let Go reminds readers of the importance of loving people as they are. While its story is slightly fantastical, the dangers of ignoring mental health are real, and the friendship between Corey and Kyra grounds the book in reality. Although it is too late for Corey to save Kyra, the book offers a vital message of compassion and empathy, even if you have to go against the majority mindset to be a good friend.   

Sexual Content  

  • In a flashback, Corey kisses Kyra. “I [Corey] pushed myself up on one arm, and on impulse, I reached out and wove my fingers through hers [Kyra’s]. . . I pressed my lips against hers and waited . . . When she opened her mouth and leaned in farther, she was hesitant and careful.” Corey ends the kiss because she does not feel romantic attraction toward Kyra.  
  • Corey and Kyra talk about their relationship and Corey’s sexuality. Corey says, “I’m not attracted to you. I don’t think I’ve ever been attracted to anyone . . . I love you, but I’m not in love with you.” Kyra replies, “I love you, and I am in love with you.” 
  • Corey and Kyra discover their sexual identities with articles from the library. “[The article] was the first time I’d seen asexuality spelled out, and I found myself in the description. Kyra claimed pansexual, and it fit her comfortably too.” 
  • Two residents of Lost Creek, Sam and Roshan, spend the night in the abandoned spa building with Corey, and she finds them sharing a bed. “Instead, they lie together on the raggedy bed. Roshan’s arm hangs across Sam’s shoulders, and their legs and the blanket are all tangled together.” Corey realizes that they are in a romantic relationship.  

Violence  

  • Kyra kills herself before the story begins. Corey’s mom says, “No one knows quite what happened, but they think she [Kyra] wandered across the lake and found a weak spot. They found her under the ice . . . She drowned.” Kyra’s suicide is a main part of the story and is mentioned often.  
  • One of Corey’s old friends, Piper, and Corey argue at Kyra’s memorial service. Corey slaps Piper. “I slap her before I even realize what I’m doing.”  
  • The outbuilding where Kyra lived and where Corey is now staying was set on fire. Corey has to jump out of a window to escape. “I let myself fall . . . I sliced my palm and tore open my shin, but I’m out. I gasp for air. It hurts to breathe. My throat is raw from smoke and screaming.” Corey walks away and does not receive treatment for her injuries. She has a scrape on her leg and hand, and possible smoke damage in her lungs.  
  • Kyra’s father, Mr. Henderson, wants Corey to return the letters that Kyra wrote. When Corey refuses, “He lunges at me. I dodge as he reaches out to tackle me . . . His hands clamp around my throat and I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe . . . I ram my knee upward and he hisses when it connects with his groin . . . He holds the knife just above my bunny boot. If he pushes any harder, it’ll slide through fabric, skin, muscle.” Roshan tackles Mr. Henderson, and eventually Corey throws Kyra’s letters into the woods so Mr. Henderson will stop attacking her. These events take place over several pages.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Kyra was taking medication to treat her bipolar disorder. Kyra says, “She [her therapist] wants me to go. To try other medications under more supervision, more intense therapy.” Later, Corey describes, “Kyra struggled with medication from the time she got her diagnosis. She responded to drugs, but marginally. They dimmed her mania for a while, but it would only come back stronger.” 

Language    

  • Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes batshit and ass. 
  • Kyra is regularly insulted by the town’s people, who call her a freak and insane.  

Supernatural  

  • The residents of Lost Creek believed that Kyra’s paintings could predict the future. The Hendersons display a painting in which Kyra painted her death. “Kyra had painted herself floating under the translucent ice. Her brown hair is spread out around her, and her hazel eyes are open wide. Even as she sinks into the dark abyss of the lake, she smiles.” 
  • Kyra predicted that the town garden would survive through winter, and it did. “It’s another painting of Kyra’s, but one far more realistic than her usual style . . . It’s a garden that mirrors Mrs. Robinson’s garden almost exactly as it looks now.” 
  • Kyra paints a picture of two boys running, one carrying a bird. This exact scene happens a week after she paints it. “But the next Sunday, when Luke and Tobias went hiking in the woods, they returned carrying a kestrel with a broken wing.” 
  • Various residents of Lost say things like “She [Kyra] foretold it.” One resident says, “She saw a future that none of us could see yet. She believed in a future, and for that, we believed in her.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Abigail Clark 

Hollow Fires

Set in Chicago, Illinois, the story follows Safiya Mirza, a seventeen-year-old high school journalist on scholarship attending DuSable Prep. She is highly ambitious, runs the school newspaper, and has already committed to Northwestern’s journalism program. When a fourteen-year-old Muslim student disappears, Safiya is determined to uncover the mystery behind his vanishing. Simultaneously, her school newspaper is hacked, and racist, cryptic messages are posted, foreshadowing the extensive racism that will prevail.  

Jawad Ali, the fourteen-year-old Muslim student, created a backpack out of recycled materials for a school project. However, when one of his teachers suspected it to be a bomb, Jawad was arrested, suspended, and publicly humiliated. Although he was cleared, racist threats and comments followed him until he disappeared. When public news outlets, the police, and other students quickly forget him and overlook his case, Safiya persists. She will stop at nothing to expose the truth.  

Each chapter alternates between Safiya’s present narration and Jawad’s posthumous narration, which adds to the story’s intensity. The reader can sympathize with Jawad as he watches his family, who have questions about his death. Jawad wants his disappearance to be solved to ease their pain. So, as Safiya continues to inquire into his disappearance and her school’s racist hacker, Jawad observes over her, guiding her to the truth. Furthermore, she unearths the underlying racism that is embedded in her city, school, and the people around her. As she investigates, she also learns that familiar faces may not be as innocent as they seem, and her safety may be in jeopardy. Can she successfully catch the culprit and get justice for Jawad?   

DuSable Prep’s very handsome and highly popular senior, Richard Reynolds, is captain of both the lacrosse and swim teams. Like the majority of students attending his school, Richard’s family is quite wealthy, which undoubtedly contributes to his sense of entitlement. He is initially introduced as a potential romantic partner for Safiya, as he often flirts with her openly and even asks her to the winter ball. However, as their connection and banter build, Richard reveals his manipulation tactics, using his popularity and socio-economic status to dodge any suspicion and responsibility. So, when Safiya’s investigation leads to Richard, his deep-rooted beliefs are revealed and sadly reflect the racism that persists within society today.  

Throughout the story, there are multiple references to real-world events and offensive symbols. Some of these include 9/11, swastikas, Adolf Hitler, and Islamophobia. By including these elements, the author attempts to ground the story in reality and present harsh truths for the reader to grapple with. The author hopes that her book will inspire young readers to take action and seek out the truth, especially during a time of such drastic social division.  

Hollow Fires is based on real events, such as the murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks that took place in May of 1924. The murderers were from wealthy and prominent families, similar to those depicted in this book. The author, Samira Ahmed, notes that she struggled to finish this story due to its depraved content and realistic nature. Nonetheless, she wants her readers “to keep speaking up and speaking out. . . [and] to shine light on the truth” just as Safiya does. This book is a must-read for those passionate about social justice and change. 

The author includes common themes of justice, the power of truth-telling, privilege, and courage throughout the story. In particular, Safiya’s character persevered despite racial discrimination and frightening experiences to finally expose the truth. The book encompasses the racism and bigotry that immigrants and racial minorities experience in the United States. It will open the reader’s eyes to hidden prejudice and implicit bias that occur in modern society. There is no doubt that the reader will be deeply moved and left with a strong urge for social activism.      

Sexual Content     

  • In between class periods, Richard flirts with Safiya by her locker. When Safiya turns “back to Richard, he pecked [her] on the cheek.”

Violence     

  • Safiya’s mosque receives a threatening anonymous letter. The letter reads, “Dear Muslim Scum, we will be coming to your mosque. It will be a massacre on a scale never seen. Christchurch will pale in comparison. You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.” No violence is brought upon their mosque.  
  • Richard and Safiya meet up in a park at night. When Safiya suspects that Richard may hurt her, she attempts to flee. “I muttered a prayer as I clenched my right hand into a fist and swung at Richard’s face.”  
  • After punching Richard, Safiya runs. “[Richard] grabbed at my collar, yanking me toward him. I slammed into him and we both fell backward onto the grassy strip by the sidewalk. I tried to scramble away . . . but Richard pulled at my leg and I went down hard on my right side . . . He grabbed after me and I kicked at him. Making contact with his shin as he dropped down closer to me. I tried to push myself off of the ground with my left hand, but Richard shoved me back, straddling me to keep me pinned down . . . I dug my nails into the cold, wet earth and grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it into Richard’s eye. He reeled back and I pushed myself away from him. . . He lunged for me, grabbed me, shoved me against the hood of Nate’s car. There was rage in his eyes as he raised the rock [in his hands] above me.” A student at DuSable Prep, Asma, drives her car into Nate’s car, attempting to stop Richard from hurting Safiya. She succeeds, and no one was hurt.  

Drugs and Alcohol     

  • None  

Language     

  •  Language such as asshole, hell, shit, bullshit, fucking, bitch, and other offensive slurs are used often.  
  • When Safiya’s school newspaper is hacked and inappropriate articles are published, she says, “I think it’s the same assholes who put that meme on the school Facebook page.” 
  • The school’s fire alarm goes off. A student says, “What the hell? Is this a drill? It’s freezing out!” 
  • When Richard is being questioned for his involvement with Jawad’s death, he yells, “That fucking liar! That weak piece of shit. He did it! All of it! I never laid a hand on that raghead skittle.” 
  • When Nate, a fellow student at DuSable Prep, is being questioned about his involvement with Jawad’s death, he responds, “That was Asma’s fault – crazy bitch driver.” 

Supernatural     

  • Throughout the book, Safiya feels a strong spirit with her, although she cannot quite place what it is. “A crack made me jump back, startled. I thought Usman had broken the twig he was holding. But he was still rolling it between his fingers. Neither he nor Asma seemed to have heard the sound. . . I heard that voice again. So faint. But I knew what I heard. It wasn’t a delusion. Help. Safiya. Help me. I opened my eyes. There was that incense smell hanging over us like a cloud. I was the only one who noticed that, too.” There are many instances of Safiya feeling Jawad’s presence. This is just one.  
  • Jawad narrates, “She heard me. This time I’m sure of it. She. Heard. Me. My words. Help me. I tried to whisper it so many times before. But my voice sounded like the wind and the rustling leaves.” 

Spiritual Content     

  • In a threatening letter to Safiya’s mosque, God is mentioned: “You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.”   
  • After a heated class argument between Nate and Safiya regarding the hacker who has seemingly hacked their high school’s newspaper, Nate mutters to himself, “God is dead.” 

by Leela Kowalski 

The Ship of the Dead

Magnus Chase can’t catch a break. First, he died bravely and was reborn in Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes. Soon after his death, he had to embark on a mission to stop Fenris Wolf from escaping. Shortly after this perilous quest, he had to find Thor’s missing hammer, which is much easier said than done. Now, Magnus faces his toughest challenge. The sinister trickster god Loki has broken free from his prison and is intent on starting Ragnarök, the prophesied end of the world. 

Magnus and his ragtag group of friends must sail across three worlds to intercept Loki and prevent him from wreaking havoc with his army of the undead. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Magnus wrestles with one question: Is he strong enough to stand against Loki?  

The Ship of the Dead is the fast-paced and engaging finale to the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy. Building upon the groundwork laid in the first two installments, this book dives further into Norse mythology while exploring themes of family, strength, and individuality. Throughout this novel, Magnus and his friends band together as they face many different foes. They support one another while embracing the unique skills and backgrounds that each character brings to the team.  

The plot is driven by the eight core characters of this novel, who are as eclectic as they are lovable. Magnus, a deeply compassionate healer, is willing to risk everything to protect his friends. Sam, one of Odin’s Valkyries, embarks on the quest while fasting for Ramadan, and utilizes this to help her stay focused and determined. Hearth, a deaf elf, is the greatest sorcerer in the Nine Worlds. Blitz, a fashionable dwarf, is a skilled designer and inventor. T.J., a Civil War soldier who died serving the Union, is as cheerful as he is brave. Mallory, a hotheaded fighter who hails from Ireland, is ready to attack any challenge that comes her way. Halfborn, a Viking warrior who died over a thousand years ago, is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Finally, Alex, the transgender and genderfluid child of Loki, unites the crew with her mischievous nature and quick wit.        

The Ship of the Dead contains Riordan’s familiar humorous writing style and well-developed plots. This story contains many characters and settings, which some readers may find confusing. However, readers do not have to be familiar with Rick Riordan’s previous works to enjoy the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series.  

Like the previous installments in this series, The Ship of the Dead discusses serious topics such as homelessness, ableism, transphobia, child abuse, and Islamophobia. These themes will resonate with readers who relate to the struggles that the characters face and allow them to feel represented and understood. These topics are written about in a way that is suitable for young readers, and this novel offers readers a chance to consider new perspectives and learn about those who are different from them.   

The Ship of the Dead is an action-packed and touching finale to one of Rick Riordan’s greatest series. Readers will be both entertained and moved by the plot and the bonds that the characters develop with one another. This series is perfect for middle-grade readers who are eager for a fun and adventurous story.  

Sexual Content  

  • Magnus and Alex, Magnus’s friend and child of Loki, kiss as they are walking across a frozen bay. Magnus details, “Then, before I even knew what was happening, she kissed me. She could have bitten off my mouth and I would have been less surprised. Her lips were cracked and rough from the cold. Her nose fit perfectly next to mine. Our faces aligned, our breath mixed. Then she pulled away.” 
  • A giantess named Skadi says that Loki publicly “insinuated that he had shared [her] bed.”  
  • Alex and Magnus kiss after the quest is complete. Alex “clamped his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me.”  

Violence  

  • Magnus describes the accidents he had while training for his quest. He had “gotten chomped by a great white shark, strangled by a giant squid, and stung by a thousand irate moon jellyfish.” He recovers from all these injuries.  
  • Alex decapitates a wolf that had stolen a mead horn from Magnus’s uncle’s house. Alex “lashed out with his garrote like he was throwing a bowling ball. . . the golden cord wrapped around the wolf’s neck. With a yank backwards, Alex cured the wolf of any future headache problems. The decapitated carcass flopped against the carpet.” 
  • Halfborn injures his head during a shipwreck. “Halfborn Gunderson was slumped over the rudder, blood dripping from an ugly gash on his forehead.” Magnus heals Halfborn. 
  • Nine giantesses attack Magnus and his friends. “The nine sea giantesses fell upon us with a collective howl of glee. My friends were ready. Mallory Keen flipped onto [a giantess’s] back and plunged her knives into the giantess’s shoulders. Halfborn Gunderson dual-wielded mead goblets, slamming [one giantess] in the face and [another] in the gut.” This fight is described over seven pages. Nobody is seriously injured or killed.  
  • In a dream, Magnus hears Kvasir, a wise being created by the gods, being murdered. “Inside the cave, Kvasir began to scream. A few moments later, I heard the sound of a chainsaw, then liquid gurgling into a large cauldron.”  
  • In a dream, Magnus sees Alex get kicked out of her house. “A trickle of blood ran from [Alex’s] left temple. She crawled down the front walk on her hands and knees, her palms shredded from breaking her fall and leaving dabs of blood on the cement like a sponge painting.” It is implied that Alex was kicked out for being transgender. Alex leaves, and the pair do not reconcile.       
  • T.J. fights a stone giant in a duel. “With a dry crack T.J.’s rifle discharged. The giant roared in pain. He staggered backward, smoke streaming from his left eye, which was now black instead of amber.” T.J. kills the giant. The fight scene is described over 11 pages.  
  • Magnus kills a dragon by stabbing it in the heart with his sword, Jack. “Fumbling and panicked I positioned Jack’s point against the weak spot in the hide. Then, with all my strength, I drove the sword into the dragon’s chest.”  
  • Magnus kills a giant with the help of a flock of crows. “[The giant] raised his ax over his head once more. Jack pulled me into battle as the murder of crows rose from their tree and swarmed [the giant’s] face, pecking at his eyes, nose, and Frosted Flakes beard.” 
  • Magnus and his friends fight an undead army on Loki’s ship. Alex “turned into a mountain lion and lunged at the [zombie], biting his head clean off. . . Sam pulled out her Valkyrie spear. With searing light, she blasted through the undead, burning dozens at a time, but hundreds more pressed forward, their swords and spears bristling.” During this fight scene, which spans over three pages, numerous zombies are killed.      

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The characters occasionally mention and drink mead. 
  • Magnus recalls seeing how alcohol affected people while he was homeless. “I’d been on the streets long enough to know how ‘mead’ improved people’s skills. Pick your poison: beer, wine, vodka, whiskey. Folks claimed they needed it to get through the day. They called it liquid courage. It made them funnier, smarter, more creative. Except it didn’t. It just made them less able to see how unfunny and stupid they were acting.”  

Language  

  • While kicking her out of his house, Alex’s father yells, “That’s all I want from you! To be a normal kid! Is that so damn hard?”

Supernatural  

  • Magnus has a magical sword named Jack that can talk and fly.  
  • Sam is a Valkyrie, a warrior who leads the souls of the dead heroes to Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes who died bravely in battle.  
  • Magnus and his friends sail in a magical ship that can take the form of a handkerchief. Magnus “flicked the handkerchief toward the water. As soon as the cloth hit the surface, the corners unfolded and unfolded. . . In the space of two breaths a Viking longship lay at anchor in the canal, the turbulent water coursing around its stern.” 
  • Magnus and his friends encounter nine giantesses as they are sailing. “In front of us, the sea had started to churn, swirling into a downward funnel like someone had pulled the bathtub plug out of Massachusetts Bay. Rising from the maelstrom were the giant watery forms of women—nine in all, each as large as our ship, with dresses of foam and ice, and blue-green faces contorted in rage.” They fight the giantesses and escape. 
  • Magnus has healing powers that he often uses on himself and his friends when they get injured. For example, he “channeled Frey-power to heal Halfborn’s head wound.”  
  • Hearth is a sorcerer who uses runes to cast spells. “Hearth threw a runestone I hadn’t seen before. It hit [a giantess] with a bright flash, liquefying her into a large angry puddle.” The giantess recovers.  
  • Magnus possesses a magical ability known as the Peace of Frey. This power allows Magnus to “blast everyone’s weapons out of their hands.” 
  • \A stone giant appears in front of Magnus and his friends and threatens to kill them. Magnus’s “mind had to process what [he] was looking at: not a section of ruined wall, but a giant, twenty feet tall, whose appearance perfectly mimicked limestone.” Magnus and his friends fight the giant. 
  • Hearth’s dad, Mr. Alderman, is transformed into a dragon by a cursed ring. “The monster’s four feet were each the diameter of a trashcan lid. Its short thick legs dragged along a lizard-like body, maybe fifty feet from nose to tail, its spine ridged with spikes bigger than my sword. . . The new, dragonish Alderman pulled himself from his lair, muttering, grinning, then cackling hysterically—all for no apparent reason.” 
  • After Magnus accidentally tastes the blood of a dragon heart, he gains the ability to understand animals.   
  • Magnus and his friends encounter an undead army on Loki’s ship. “Taking up most of the vast deck, they stood at attention in ranks of ghostly white and blue, tens of thousands, like they were waiting for a parade review. Some were mounted on zombie horses. Others had zombie dogs or wolves by their side. A few even had zombie birds of prey perched on their skeletal arms.”   

Spiritual Content  

  • This novel is centered around Norse mythology and contains frequent depictions of and references to Norse gods. 
  • While on the quest, Sam is fasting during Ramadan. This means that she does not eat or drink during the day. 
  • Magnus prays to Frey for help when he is fighting the giantesses. Magnus says, “Okay, Frey, Dad, please. . . we’re about to die down here, so if you’ve got any help you could send me, I’d really appreciate it. Amen.” Frey sends a deity to aid Magnus. 
  • Sam prays and breaks her fast. “At sunset. . . Sam did her ritual washing. She prayed facing southwest, then sat down next to me with a satisfied sigh and unwrapped a package of dates. She passed me one, then took a bite of hers. She closed her eyes as she chewed, her face transformed by pure bliss like the fruit was a religious experience. Which I guess it was.” 

by Kelly Barker 

Saving Animals After Tornadoes

The Super Outbreak of 2011 was a series of more than 300 powerful tornadoes that struck in 15 different states over several days in April of 2011. One of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history, the tornado outbreak killed more than 340 people and flattened thousands of buildings. Many pets, farm animals, and wild animals were injured or left stranded without food or water. Could rescue workers save the animals and reunite pets with their owners? In Saving Animals After Tornadoes, kids will discover the inspiring stories of rescue organizations like the Alabama Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose volunteers brought injured pets to animal shelters for veterinary care, and the Alabama Wildlife Center, whose rescue teams saved baby birds with broken wings and damaged feathers. 

When tornadoes tear through communities, the devastation extends far beyond damaged buildings and uprooted trees. Saving Animals After Tornadoes opens readers’ eyes to a crucial but often overlooked aspect of natural disasters: the countless animals that suffer injuries and displacement when these powerful storms strike. 

While most people understand that tornadoes destroy homes and property, this book reveals how wildlife and pets become casualties too. Dogs, cats, baby birds, deer, horses, and even ferrets face serious injuries during these catastrophic events. The book emphasizes that these vulnerable animals require immediate assistance, and fortunately, dedicated volunteers, rescue organizations, and veterinarians step up to provide life-saving care. 

Saving Animals After Tornadoes captivates readers through its thoughtful design. Each page features a striking photograph paired with a text box containing a bold headline and one concise paragraph. Blue circles highlight fascinating facts, while descriptive captions provide additional context. The book doesn’t shy away from showing the reality of injured animals alongside heartwarming rescue stories, creating a balanced perspective on disaster response. 

The book concludes with valuable reference materials, including a list of animals most vulnerable to tornadoes, accounts of famous tornado events and rescues, and a helpful glossary. Important vocabulary terms appear in bold throughout the text, making complex concepts accessible to readers. 

The book presents a startling statistic: scientists cannot fully explain why the United States experiences most of the world’s tornadoes, with approximately 1,300 striking the country annually. However, when disaster strikes, people and search-and-rescue dogs work together to help find survivors. Despite this sobering reality, Saving Animals After Tornadoes maintains an optimistic tone by celebrating the countless individuals who dedicate themselves to helping both animals and people affected by natural disasters. Older readers who want to learn more about how search-and-rescue dogs help people should read Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World by Nancy F. Castaldo. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • The book includes photographs and descriptions of the destruction caused by tornadoes. For example, in the Super Outbreak of 2011, “more than 340 people were killed by the storm.” 
  • Baby birds are often injured during a tornado because “most types of birds cannot fly until they are a few weeks old. As a result, baby birds are not able to move to safety if they see tornadoes coming.” 
  • A huge tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. “The storm flattened entire neighborhoods, killing more than 100 people.” 
  • A tornado destroyed a barn. A couple learned the barn “had been turned into a heap of cracked lumber. . . They soon found one of their horses, Cajun, but he was bleeding badly.” The horse had an operation to remove wood splinters from its leg. 
  • Mason, a dog, was lost during a tornado. When he finally made it back home, he had to have an operation. Doctors “had to put two metal plates and 17 screws in Mason’s legs to help them heal.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Kristy’s Great Idea

Kristy Thomas was having a normal dinner with her family when she had a brilliant idea: she should start a babysitting club! The club would meet three times a week, and during that time, parents can call and reach four babysitters at once. With the help of her friends Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, there is nothing that can stand in the way of The Baby-Sitters Club being created. Together, the four girls promote their new club by distributing fliers, putting an ad in the paper, and creating a logo.  

As the club becomes more and more popular with parents, the girls must learn how to run a business, all while navigating their lives as middle school students. Can the girls overcome their personal struggles and ensure the club’s success? 

Kristy’s Great Idea focuses on the formation of The Baby-Sitters Club and the girls’ adventures in babysitting. This comical and easy-to-read graphic novel is perfect for younger readers. Each page contains one to ten short sentences. These short sentences use easy-to-read vocabulary that makes the book accessible to struggling readers. The colorful and bold illustrations effectively capture the characters’ expressions and creatively portray various scenes. The story is told almost entirely through dialogue, which readers will find interesting and engaging.  

The Baby-Sitters Club sets a good example for young readers because the characters display responsibility and maturity while babysitting. The babysitting scenes remain lighthearted, and the girls respond well to different problems that arise while on the job. For example, when Claudia is faced with three children who are screaming and running around the room, she calmly begins to read to another child, rather than giving in to the chaos or losing her temper. Her decision to do this causes the rambunctious children to settle down and listen to the story.  

This story effectively balances fun babysitting antics with more serious plotlines. For instance, Kristy is shown struggling with her parents’ divorce and rejecting her soon-to-be stepfather, Watson. She lashes out towards her mom and Watson due to her difficult emotions, but by the end of the story, she has grown fond of her future stepsiblings and is supportive of her mother’s engagement to Watson. Kristy’s journey is portrayed in a way that is approachable for young readers, and this story will resonate with audiences who are facing similar circumstances.  

The simple plot, combined with likable characters and the cartoonish art style, makes this graphic novel a great choice for elementary and middle schoolers who are eager to dive into a series. This book contains positive messages about the importance of friendship, determination, and resilience. The overall plot and themes of this graphic novel adaptation are faithful to the original series, with the illustrations making the story more appealing to younger readers. Kristy’s Great Idea is an engaging and easy-to-read introduction to The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptations.   

Sexual Content  

  • Kristy’s mother is dating a man named Watson. The couple becomes engaged by the end of the book.   
  • When Stacey learns that she will be meeting Kristy’s older brothers, she is shown smiling with hearts in her eyes. She gets hearts in her eyes often when talking about the older brothers.  
  • Kristy’s older brother Sam is shown blushing when he meets Stacey. He decides to stay at home instead of visiting his friend so he can be around Stacey.  
  • Stacey smiles as she tells Kristy, “Your older brother is so hot!” 

Violence  

  • A four-year-old boy named Jamie falls off a swing. There is an illustration of Jamie being pushed on the swings, and the next panel says the word, “Thump!” Jamie is shown crying, but there are no visible signs of injury.  
  • Kristy tells a story about how she broke her ankle last summer. Kristy says, “I was taking our dog, Louie, for a walk. . . I wasn’t actually walking, I was riding my bike. Louie was on his leash running next to me and we came to a tree. Louie went one way, and I went the other, and WHOOOSH!” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language   

  • The word geez is used occasionally. For example, Kristy says, “Geez. . . what if Mom marries Watson?” 
  • The word gosh is used occasionally.  
  • After Sam prank calls the club, Kristy calls him a rat.  
  • Mrs. Porter, a woman who lives next door to where Mary Anne is babysitting, calls a cat a rapscallion after it digs in her garden.

Supernatural  

  • Karen, a little girl Mary Anne is babysitting, thinks that her neighbor, Mrs. Porter, is a witch. 
  • Karen tells Mary Anne that Mrs. Porter cast a spell on her cat to make it fat. After Mrs. Porter chases the cat out of her garden and up a tree, she touches her nose, and the cat falls to the ground, where it lands on its feet and runs away. Karen is convinced that a spell caused this.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Kelly Barker 

Court of Lions

Amani succeeded in saving Maram, but it cost her everything. Sequestered in the palace as punishment, Amani has no family and no friends. She’s also been torn away from her love, Idris—seeing him would only tempt her to take what she cannot have. That is, until Princess Maram asks Amani to take her place in her wedding to Idris.

Confused about Maram’s intentions, Amani refuses. As they talk, Amani realizes just how hurt Maram has been by everyone in her life. Amani agrees and goes to the wedding in Maram’s place. What Amani doesn’t know is that Maram has been falling in love with one of the royal falconers, Aghraas, and that Amani’s perceived betrayal cuts Maram deeper than Maram knew possible. While both young women torture themselves with love they’re unsure they can have, wedding celebrations await in Idris’s hometown, M’Gaadir.

M’Gaadir changes everything for both of them. The more time Maram and Amani spend together, the more they realize their similarities run deeper than appearances, especially as tension between the Andaalan nobles and the Vathek Empire tightens. With Aghraas’s influence and the discovery of letters containing her father’s horrible secret, Maram grows bolder and agrees to help Amani with the rebel cause. Posing as one person, Amani and Maram strengthen Maram’s political position, relying on both the rebels and the Andaalan nobles to spread word about Maram’s intention to take the throne from her father and free Andaala.

The characters face significant personal challenges alongside their political mission. Idris doesn’t approve of Amani’s rebellious activities because he’s worried she’ll get hurt. Aghraas and Maram can never be seen in public together due to their different social stations. Neither Amani nor Maram has family to rely on for advice or emotional support, forcing them to navigate their complicated feelings and dangerous political situation independently. Maram and Amani emerge as inspiring, determined, and clever protagonists who bravely confront an oppressive colonial system while wrestling with profound emotional turmoil in their personal lives.

Court of Lions focuses on two main characters who rise to face seemingly insurmountable challenges and evolve into people very different from who they were at the beginning of the series. Both Amani and Maram transform into calculating and protective leaders who lead by example, protect their loved ones at all costs, and stand by their moral principles even when doing so puts them in danger.

Somaiya Daud crafts powerful characters in Court of Lions and creates an amazingly complex and fantastical world that weaves rich culture into each poetic chapter. The novel successfully combines political intrigue with deeply personal character development, illustrating how the shaky trust established in the first book evolves into a friendship that can save the world.

Unfortunately, the book has several flaws. Maram and Aghraas’s relationship feels somewhat rushed and isn’t explored thoroughly, leaving readers wanting more depth in their romantic development. The story’s suspense could have been built more effectively. Instead, the king’s assassination is too straightforward, and the series has a disappointing conclusion that doesn’t fully match the complexity of the political maneuvering that precedes it. However, the story delivers plenty of compelling political intrigue, inspiring female characters, and a wonderful science fiction atmosphere that blends fantasy and science fiction together in this tumultuous tale of sisters, sacrifice, and resilience.

The book effectively explores themes of identity and self-acceptance that are inextricably tied to revolution and the dismantling of colonial oppression and power. Overall, Court of Lions is an engaging story with a beautiful message: nothing worthwhile ever comes easily, but what is fought for with determination and sacrifice delivers stunning rewards. The novel stands as a testament to the power of unlikely friendships, the courage required to challenge systemic oppression, and the transformative journey of young women discovering their own strength and agency in a hostile world.

Sexual Content

  • Maram is managing one of her mother’s old properties when she meets and grows close to the master falconer, Aghraas. When Maram receives important letters that change everything, she is emotionally overwhelmed, and Aghraas comforts her. “Aghraas’s mouth was soft and still for less than half a heartbeat. [Aghraas’s] fingers tightened around [Maram’s] waist, and Maram pressed back, the line of her shoulders, the length of her body. For half a heartbeat relief roared through Maram, and then a fire caught, as if it had waited all her life in the embers inside her. There was a soft cry—hers or Aghraas’s she didn’t know—and her hands clung to her shoulders as Aghraas lifted her up onto her lap.” The chapter ends before anything else happens.
  • Before the rebels try to assassinate the king, Idris apologizes to Amani, worried it may be his last chance to do so. She accepts his apology, and they kiss. “His mouth was hard on [Amani’s], and his hands tightened around [her] ribs—[she] felt as if [her] breath had been stolen from [her].”  When he kisses her neck, she pushes him away, saying she needs time.
  • In the aftermath of Maram becoming queen, Aghraas kisses her. “Aghraas bent her head to Maram’s, and her arms came around her waist, and her mouth met hers. She never ceased to be surprised by her warmth or the frisson of pleasure that shot through her from a single touch.” The book ends before anything else happens.

Violence

  • While Amani and Idris are in M’Gaadir, the Vathek government takes Idris’s relative, Adil. There is no description of the violence, but Amani and Idris discuss it. “‘Adil is dead?’ Amani whispered. ‘They sent his body to his parents’ estate—it arrived last night,’ [Idris responded].”
  • To emphasize her commitment to the rebel cause, Amani explains, “We lived in a village that was not a village. It was a kasbah, abandoned by whatever [nobles] had held it before the conquest. Nineteen families made their home there. Shortly before we left, Vath attacked. We were defenseless. Most villages have a magistrate, or a surveillance force. We were in truth homeless and trying to eke out an existence. [Everyone in the village was] slaughtered, [while the Vathek were] looking for someone.”
  • Maram starts distancing herself from Nadine, her father’s steward. Nadine blames Amani for Maram’s distance. Nadine is convinced that Amani is a negative influence on Maram. The next morning, Nadine wakes Amani with a slap. “[Amani] was roused from slumber violently, with a hand that felt like a claw around [her] arm, and pulled unceremoniously from the bed. There was no time to understand who pulled [her] from bed or why. The moment [she] stood a hand struck [her] across the face, sharp and hard. Hard enough that [she] fell again, inches from the fireplace.” Amani has a bruise, but Maram stops Nadine from inflicting more harm.
  • Later on, Nadine tries to attack Amani again. “[Nadine’s] voice did not rise, but it took on a cruel edge and her fingers gripped [Amani’s] chin like claws, as if she meant to rip [her] jaw from [her] face. [Amani] tightened [her] hold on [her] skirts. If [she] took her wrist, if [she] fought back, [she] would have lost [her] chance.”
  • Nadine confronts Amani once again, growing suspicious about the helpful information Amani has been providing about traitors to the Vathek Empire. Amani fears that Nadine has discovered the information is false and deliberately planted. However, Nadine is merely suspicious and hasn’t uncovered the deception yet. To intimidate Amani into revealing more information, Nadine uses a robot to physically threaten her. “[The robot’s] fingers wrapped around [Amani’s] throat and between one breath and the next [she] was suspended in midair. [Her] vision filled with spots, [her] throat ached, [her] heart pounded. Nadine could not kill [her]—she couldn’t. And yet [Amani] hadn’t counted on [Nadine’s] hatred of [her] and [Nadine’s] rage outweighing her sense.” Amani has bruises but is otherwise fine.
  • During the assassination attempt, the king grabs Amani. “[His] grip tightened painfully on [Amani’s] arm.” Afterwards, Amani has bruises.
  • Amani breaks herself free from the king’s grasp, but Nadine quickly grabs her. Nadine points a gun at Amani’s head, to warn the rebels away from them. Idris eventually shoots Nadine. “[Nadine] jerked, her hand still tight around [Amani’s] arm, and then released [her] and fell back.” Nadine survives.
  • While Idris saves Amani, Maram and Aghraas shoot down the king. “[The king] seemed suspended in midair for a long, agonizing moment, then fell to his knees. A moment later, he toppled forward.” The king dies from his wounds.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • When Amani realizes she needs Maram’s help to assassinate the king, she reveals her involvement with the rebels. Maram agrees to join the plot after discovering that the king—her own father—had murdered her mother. Maram says, “He poisoned her so that no one could accuse him of killing the rightful ruler of the planet. She died slowly. And her husband was executed on charges of treason.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • The prologue describes the magic Amani’s people believe. In the story, “a prince hunting [a magical woman, Tayreet] found her; her body had loosed its natural bird shape and taken on a human one. The prince loved her from the first, and Tayreet him.” These birds, called tesleets, exist as symbols to warn or push people towards certain events. It is implied that Aghraas is one of these birds in human form.

Spiritual Content

  • The Andaalans and people on Cadiz have a monotheistic religion. They worship the god, Dihya, and the prophetess, a Jesus-like figure, Massinia. Their religion contains many parables, stories, and prayers that Amani tells to her friends at various points. The prologue concludes with a religious saying, “And from His first creatures He made stars, glowing hot with their fire and warmth. All may see the stars, but few will see their forbears. And those whose eyes see golden fire We say heed Us and listen. For We have sent unto you a Sign. See it and take heed.”
  • After Amani’s sequestration in the palace ends, Maram asks Amani to take her place in her wedding to Idris. The wedding has some religious overtones. One wedding ritual includes people crowding around Amani as she steps into water, a baptism of sorts. “‘Be blessed,’ [Nadine and Maram’s sister, Galene] said, as Galene tipped a small vase of oil over [Amani’s] hair. ‘Be blessed’ echoed back from the crowd, reverberating and out of sync.”
  • Once the wedding is over, Maram insists that Amani also take her place in the following wedding celebrations in a city called M’Gaadir, which has a deep religious history. Amani explains that, “when at last [the tesleet eggs] landed on our planet and hatched, the first of mankind came from their hallowed shells. And because they were far from the sacred flames of their city, they never became what they ought, and remained mortal. And it was from these people that Houwa came and nursed the kernel of magic in her blood. And it was from this legacy that they chose their name—Kushaila, ‘those among the noble.’”
  • Following a busy day with Idris meeting new nobles, Idris tries to relax Amani by taking her to a religious statue. Amani describes it as “a woman sat atop the promontory outside M’Gaadir, the ocean behind her. . . Her daan [a familial tattoo] was a sharp pictograph of a feather, its end situated perfectly between her eyebrows. She cast no shadow.” The statue is of Houwa, a saint among Amani’s people.

 

by Kate Schuyler

The Bletchley Riddle

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi’s Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother’s disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues that unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept? 

The Bletchley Riddle alternates between the perspectives of two engaging siblings, Lizzie and Jakob. Fourteen-year-old Lizzie is reminiscent of Enola Holmes—spunky, intelligent, independent, and resourceful. Readers will quickly fall in love with this “half-American” character who approaches problems with refreshing directness. Determined to find her mother, Lizzie enlists the help of two loyal friends, Colin and Marion. Together, the trio embarks on fact-finding adventures that lead them into surprising situations filled with suspense and excitement.  

Jakob, meanwhile, is an awkward mathematician who resorts to terrible jokes when under stress. This serious young man is determined to help defeat the Germans through his code-breaking abilities, but cracking the Enigma machine proves more challenging than anticipated. Complications arise when a mysterious figure appears, intent on proving that both Jakob and his mother are enemy spies. Focused on his crucial work, Jakob becomes frustrated by Lizzie’s unwavering insistence that their mother remains alive. Though Jakob rarely ventures beyond Bletchley Park’s boundaries, he experiences his own share of adventures. 

The Bletchley Riddle contains all the elements of compelling fiction: well-developed characters with distinct voices, an intriguing mystery, and high stakes throughout. The story features memorable individuals with realistic flaws and antagonists who pose genuine threats to the siblings. However, the primary danger stems from the ongoing war with Germany, which Jakob and his fellow Bletchley Park colleagues are determined to help win. The various plot threads converge satisfyingly in the conclusion, and while the story doesn’t end with Germany’s defeat, readers will finish with a sense of satisfaction.  

As historical fiction, the novel incorporates fascinating details about Bletchley Park and the vital work of codebreakers during World War II. Six pages of black-and-white photographs showcase code-breaking machinery, wartime scenes, and newspaper headlines. Unfortunately, these photographs lack captions, leaving readers to interpret their significance independently. Nevertheless, readers will absorb numerous interesting facts about the war, codebreaking techniques, and the individuals who played crucial roles in the Allied effort. Readers interested in learning more about Bletchley Park should also consider reading The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming. 

The Bletchley Riddle appeals to more than just history enthusiasts. The captivating narrative will keep readers engaged as the they attempt to solve the mystery surrounding Lizzie and Jakob’s mother’s disappearance while following the characters’ efforts to crack the Enigma code. The novel effectively highlights the courage and intelligence of the British people who refused to capitulate to German forces.  

Sexual Content  

  • As Lizzie delivers messages at Bletchley Park, she sees, “Couples kissing behind trees.” 
  • Lizzie tells the commander, “Well, the light in the ladies’ loo isn’t broken. The light bulb is intentionally unscrewed, as that location is a preferred spot for snogging. . . That is to say, kissing.” 
  • Collin admits to having a crush on Lizzie. He says, “I just knew that every time I was around you, I felt so odd.” When Lizzie admits to having a crush on Collin, she asks, “What happens now?” Collin replies, “I imagine we’ll just be better friends now.” They decide to hold hands.  

Violence  

  • Lizzie’s mother, Willa, is missing. She was “killed in a bomb blast. . . A falsity I refuse to accept.” Lizzie was told, “Willa went to Poland, the Germans attacked, and she was killed.” 
  • Later, Lizzie learns that Willa “stuck to her post, even as German bombers targeted the train. . . The station was destroyed. The Poles thought she was probably killed.” However, Willa is not dead. 
  • A newspaper article describes the Luftwaffe air raid. “[The Germans] hit factories and airfields up and down the coast. And some nearby houses as well.”  
  • Collin’s brother, a pilot, “was shot down over the Channel. He hasn’t been found.” Collin’s brother is presumed dead. Pilots had a life expectancy of four weeks. 
  • Lizzie and her brother are in London when the Germans attack. “Jakob grabs my hand as pulverized stone and glass rain down upon us. . . Flames rise in the distance, licking the sides of buildings.” They hide in an air raid shelter where, “the stairs rumble with tremors beneath our feet as we make it to the bottom.” 
  • When it’s safe to go outside, Lizzie and her brother see a changed London. “The morning air is sharp with the tang of burning wood, rubber, paint, sugar—whatever was in those warehouses along the river.” A German plane has crashed on the street, “or pieces of a plane, hunks of metal wreckage scattered along the road and sidewalk.” The pilot survived. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Lizzie knows that “Mr. Fleetwood enjoys too many nips of Old Schenley.” 
  • Lizzie’s grandmother tells her, “Nicknames such as ‘Lizzie’ are reserved for barmaids and axe murderers, of which you are neither.”  
  • A mysterious man Lizzie sees several times smokes cigarettes. 
  • While at a theater, someone buys Lizzie a “fizzy drink,” not realizing it was a gin and tonic. 
  • At an embassy party, champagne is served. 
  • As part of her plan not to go to America, Lizzie and her friends get Mr. Fleetwood “well oiled.”  

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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