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Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist

Sylvia is surrounded by family and friends. She lives in a close-knit neighborhood where everyone speaks Spanish. Sylvia loves her life because there are always other children to play with. Then Sylvia’s sister, Laura, gets really sick and everything changes.

Even though Laura recovers, she is never the same cheerful, inquisitive child she once was. Because of Laura’s illness, Sylvia’s mother decides to move the family to a more affluent neighborhood. Soon, Sylvia is forced to go to a new school – one where the majority of students are Anglo. Sylvia is miserable and self-conscious. When a classmate invites Sylvia to join Brownies, Sylvia finds a place to belong and learn. The Girl Scouts teach her the importance of planning for the future and creating opportunities for herself. Because of Girl Scouts, Sylvia knew “that I could teach myself to fulfill a goal and work as a member of a team. . . I had learned that planning ahead and doing things properly could help you get what you wanted.”

Sylvia’s family life is often chaotic, but with the lessons she learns from Girls Scouts, Sylvia gains the confidence to take control of her life. However, Sylvia has to battle cultural and gender expectations. Sylvia felt “pulled between different worlds: home and school, Spanish and English, traditional and modern.” This doesn’t stop her from planning, learning, and striving to better herself. Sylvia becomes the first Latinx to graduate with a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University and one of the few female rocket scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Now, Sylvia is the CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

This true story is told by Sylvia herself. Even though she has to struggle to overcome many obstacles, she continues to work hard in order to reach her goals. Sylvia refuses to be defined by gender roles. For example, when she began high school, the school enrolled her in home economics. However, she refused to go to the class because she didn’t want to be a homemaker. The principal allowed her to take an additional math class instead. This helped prepare her for her future career at NASA.

The autobiography Path to the Stars will encourage readers to plan and strive for a better tomorrow. Through Sylvia’s story, readers will come to understand the importance of hard work. Even though Sylvia’s journey was difficult, she continued working to meet her goals. Even though Sylvia gained much of her knowledge through books, she also found other ways to learn. For instance, when her parents’ car kept breaking down because they did not maintain it properly, Sylvia took a class that taught women how to maintain a car. After that, she changed the oil in the car herself, even though she wasn’t yet old enough to drive.

While Path to the Stars is motivational, some readers will struggle with the difficult vocabulary and the slow pacing in some parts of the story. However, the story teaches many life lessons that make Path to the Stars worth reading.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Sylvia’s parents argued, and “a couple of times at night, when they were arguing. I had heard Papá hit Mami. . . In those days, domestic violence was considered a private family business, and outsiders seldom intervened.”
  • One day, Sylvia’s mother told her “that she and Papá had a terrible fight and he had hit her the way he had in the past.” Sylvia’s mother planned to move to California and stay with a relative. Later that day, Sylvia’s mother changed her mind but said, “If he ever hits me again, I’m leaving.”
  • Papá was angry and annoyed by Sylvia’s four-year-old brother. “We all knew when Papá was about to lose his temper, and sure enough, he lifted his hand, about to strike. Armando cowered, tears starting down his face even before the spanking, and I rushed forward to stand between my father and my little brother. . . Mario joined me. . .. Papá backed down.”
  • Sylvia refuses to reply to her father with, “Yes, sir!” So her father “smacked” her face. “Papá ran after me, and when he caught up, I hit him without thinking, just trying to protect myself.” Sylvia runs to her bedroom. Then, he “stormed into the room his eyes filled with rage, a look on his face I will never forget. He pulled off his belt and struck me once, twice. I curled up on the bed, and he kept hitting me, over and over, as Laura sobbed and begged him to stop.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • Sylvia’s mother did not allow alcohol in the house. “This was partly because my family was Baptist and partly because my mother forbade my father to bring alcohol into the house. In the past, he’d sometimes had a problem controlling his drinking. Now he and Uncle Sam might enjoy an occasional beer, but that was all Mami would allow.”
  • In order to save for college, Sylvia and her friend collect recycling. When they had time, they would go to parks because they were “littered with soda and beer cans.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Sylvia and her family attend church.
  • Hermana Diaz taught Sylvia and her brother English. “To build our vocabulary in English, she taught the song ‘Jesus Loves Me.’”
  • After Sylvia’s sister gets meningitis, her father stopped going to church. “Before Laura got sick, Papá had been a lay minister and leader of our church choir. After Laura’s illness, he felt betrayed that so many members of the congregation, instead of rallying around our family, stayed away from our home for fear of catching meningitis. . . Even then, when I was older, I never knew if it was because he’d been bothered by the behavior of other members of our church, or if his faith itself was shaken by Laura’s illness.”
  • Even after Laura recovered, Sylvia’s mother was sad. “She blamed herself for Laura’s illness and in some ways felt it was a form of God’s punishment, even though she knew that others had gotten sick too. . .”
  • For many years after Sylvia’s sister was sick, Sylvia “prayed that in the morning Laura would wake up to her old self and our family would be happy again.”
  • Many of the school children were Catholic. Sylvia “knew that my family’s Baptist religion made us different from most of our neighbors. I liked church, but I wondered why we needed separate churches with different rules. “
  • When Sylvia was in Brownies, she recited a pledge. “I promise to do my best to love God and my country. . .”

Pony Problems

A new petting zoo has opened in River Heights. Nancy, George, and Bess can’t wait to check it out — especially since the zoo has the cutest Shetland pony named Buttons. And it looks like the Clue Crew won’t have to wait very long to get a glimpse of Buttons — he keeps escaping from his pen and showing up all over town!

Buttons is getting pretty famous for eating the flowers in everyone’s front lawns. As much as Nancy secretly wishes Buttons would turn up on her lawn, she knows it’s important to make sure he stays put. The only trouble is, no one knows how he’s getting out. Sounds like it’s time for the Clue Crew to saddle up and settle this pony problem.

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew are determined to find out how Buttons keep escaping and they plan on using their powers of observation to solve the mystery. As they investigate, their friend tells them interesting facts about Shetland ponies. The Clue Crew uses these facts and other clues to solve the mystery.

During their investigation, the Clue Crew also meets Amanda, who lives on the farm. At first, when Nancy tries to talk to Amanda, Amanda completely ignores her. This doesn’t deter Nancy and her friends. Finally, Amanda is honest and tells the girls that she misses her old home. Luckily, Amanda’s father agrees to take Amanda to visit her old friends. In the end, the Clue Crew become Amanda’s new friends and Amanda’s conflict is solved in a hopeful manner.

The Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Series has main characters that young readers can emulate. The girls are obedient, friendly, and nice. For instance, when Mr. Drew tells the girls not to pet Buttons, “the girls are careful to keep their distance as Mr. Drew asked.” In addition, the girls are given a five-block range that they can roam, and they stay within their parent’s set perimeter.

Pony Problems has many elements that will entertain readers, including black and white illustrations that appear every 2 to 5 pages. The pictures break up the text and help readers visualize the events in the plot. The last page of the book gives directions for making a craft pony as well.

Buttons’ behavior will make readers laugh and readers will enjoy solving the mystery. While readers will be drawn into the story because of the pony, parents will approve of the characters’ good behavior. Pony Problems is a wholesome story that will entertain both mystery fans and horse lovers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Nancy tells George, “Your brother is a nut.”
  • George says, “My brother can be such a spaz sometimes.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Kings of Clonmel

In the neighboring kingdom of Clonmel, a mysterious cult, the Outsiders, has sprung up, promising the defense against lawless marauders in exchange for the people’s riches. Their sermons attract audiences from miles around, but there’s a dark side to the seemingly charitable group. This prompts Halt, Will, and Horace to investigate…but what the trio uncovers could threaten the safety of not only Clonmel, but their homeland of Araluen as well.

Halt, Will, and Horace band together to fight evil in the action-packed adventure The Kings of Clonmel. Unlike the other books in the series, The Kings of Clonmel takes a hard look at a religious cult that brutally murders innocent people in order to convince them to follow their leader, Tennyson. While much of the story revolves around Tennyson and his followers, the reader will also get a surprising look into Halt’s life before he became a ranger, which gives depth to his personality.

As The Ranger’s Apprentice series progresses, the relationship between Halt, Will, and Horace matures. No longer uncertain apprentices, Will and Horace have grown into men who are fiercely loyal and willing to go into dangerous situations in order to help the common man. Although Will and Horace respect Halt, they are now comfortable teasing him. This new element adds humor to the story, and it shows the great lengths the two men will go to support Halt. While Horace is straightforward and honest, Halt and Will are willing to use deceit in order to defeat the enemy. The contrast between the men allows the reader to see that friends can disagree without destroying their relationship.

The eighth installment of The Ranger’s Apprentice series will not disappoint readers. While the conclusion of The Kings of Clonmel still contains an epic battle, the story never feels like a repeat of previous books. Instead, the adventure still contains surprises. Halt, Will, and Horace have a deep friendship, and each man uses his unique talent in order to help others. The men clearly love their country and their king, and they are willing to sacrifice for the greater good. While the story contains some disturbing scenes where women and children are mercilessly killed, their deaths highlight the importance of following reason instead of mob mentality. Even though today’s men do not need to go into combat, The Ranger’s Apprentice series teaches important lessons that can be applied to today’s world.

Sexual Content

  • After being gone, Will returns to the castle. When he sees Alyss, “She leaned forward, kissed him lightly on the lips and slipped away.”
  • Horace mentions an event from an earlier book. Horace had asked about some skimpily clad girls. Instead of saying they were prostitutes, Halt told him “that they had short dresses because they might have to run with urgent messages.”

Violence

  • A group of men, the Outsiders, attack a family farm. When the men attack, a man “reached for the ax he had just leaned against a water trough. Before he could raise it, an arrow flashed across the clearing and buried itself in his throat. He gave a choking cry and staggered, falling half into the trough. The water began to turn red with blood.” When the men are dead, the killers “shouldered the door of the farmhouse open…” Once inside, a woman threw a pot of boiling water on a man. “He screamed in agony and lurched to one side, dropping the bloody sword and throwing his hands to his face.”
  • A surviving man “had a long pitchfork in his hands and he raised it as he ran forward. He never saw the bandit leader. He only felt the searing agony of the sword thrust into his side… He fell facedown.”
  • During the attack, a woman asks for mercy. “The raiders, oblivious to the splashed blood and sprawled bodies around them, helped themselves hungrily to the platters of hot, sizzling bacon…” Everyone is killed except for two children who were able to run away. The family’s death is described over three pages.
  • Halt stops raiders from setting a fire to villagers’ boats. “The first moment the raider knew he wasn’t alone was when an iron bar of an arm clamped across his throat while a powerful hand forced his head forward to complete the choke hold.” The man passes out. Then, Halt approaches another man and “slapped the burning pile of tinder out of his hand, scattering it onto the sand. Then he followed through with his other hand, his left, in a hooking palm strike that had all the power of his twisting body and shoulder behind it. The heel of his hand slammed into the man’s chin, snapping his head back and sending him crashing into the hull of the boat with a cry of pain.”
  • A man confronts Halt. Halt “flat-kicked sideways at the inside of the man’s left knee. The leg buckled and the man collapsed with a cry of pain, holding his injured knee and yelling.” The scene is described over four and a half pages.
  • The Outsiders try to capture Halt and send dogs after him. “Faced with a head-on target, the Ranger waited until the dog had lifted its head to send the snarling challenge… Then Halt shot for the throat, the impact of the heavy arrow, with the eighty pounds of draw weight from his bow behind it, sending the dog staggering backwards and sideways. The second arrow… dropping it stone dead.”
  • Another dog is sent after Halt. “As he watched, another massive gray-and-black shape detached itself from the group and came arrowing up the slope after them… This as a pitiless killing machine, perverted by its cruel training so that it sought only to kill and kill again.” Halt’s shot kills the dog instantly.
  • When a man tries to approach Will, “he’d barely begun to draw when a black-shafted arrow hissed downhill and sent him tumbling back into the trees. His companions looked at his lifeless body…” The men send another dog, and Halt kills it “and sent it rolling back down the slope, eyes glazed, tongue lolling.” The dog attack is described over four pages.
  • One of the bandits tries to track Halt, but Halt sees him and “Halt swung an overhand blow and brought the striker knob down hard onto the man’s skull, just behind the left ear.” The man “collapsed, limp as a rag, onto the ground.”
  • Halt takes a man, named Colly, prisoner. The man “tried to throw a punch at Halt. Halt ducked under the wild blow. Stepping in and pivoting his upper body, he hit Colley with a palm strike to the jaw, sending him sprawling again.”
  • When he was a teen, Halt’s brother tried to kill him numerous times. At one point, Halt says his brother “tried to poison me.”
  • Will looks at the evidence left behind in a village. “He could see the scene in his mind’s eye. A boy or a girl, terrified by the galloping, screaming men, had tried to run for the shelter of the trees. One of the raiders had swung out of line to pursue the little running figure. Then he’d cut his victim down from behind.”
  • Horace, Will, and Halt warn a village about the Outsiders preparing to attack. When the Outsiders attack, both Halt and Will begin shooting down men. “And within a few seconds, six men in the center of the advancing line went down. Two of them made no sound. The others cried out in pain, dropping their weapons.”
  • When the Outsiders’ defense begins to break up, “they fell back, leaving a number of their companions sprawled lifeless on the ground and on the barricade itself… they had paid the penalty for assaulting a well-defended position on their own.”
  • Horace goes after the enemy. “They began to back away, but they were too late. Kicker smashed into two of them, hurling one to the side and trampling the other… A sixth outlaw was already sinking to his knees, staring with disbelief at the black arrow buried in his chest. His head dropped forward. The lone survivor looked at his companions, scattered and broken, some of them lying still, others trying desperately to crawl away…” The battle takes place over seven and a half pages.
  • When a messenger mentions the Sunshine Warrior to Tennyson, Tennyson “let his rage loose and he beat back and forth at the wretched man with his closed fist. Blood flowered from the crouching man’s nose and he huddled lower, trying to protect himself from the savage fist.” Tennyson has a servant give the man ale and a meal. Then Tennyson has the messengers assassinated.
  • When trying to leave Tennyson’s camp, a sentry tries to stop Will. In order to escape, Will “shot his booted right foot forward, straightening his knee and slamming the sole of the boot hard into the man’s face. The man stumbled and went down…”
  • When Halt’s brother, King Ferris, won’t listen to Halt, Halt has Horace knock him unconscious. “The king was stretched unconscious on the floor an overturned chair beside him.”
  • Tennyson sends an assassin after Will. When Will sees him, “Will brought his right elbow up to face height and pivoted on his right heel, slamming the point of his elbow into the man’s face, breaking his nose and sending him reeling back against the people around them.”
  • Horace faces one of Tennyson’s assassins, Killeen, in a combat to the death. Killeen uses a mace while Horace uses a sword. The man hits Horace’s shield. “To Horace it felt as if a house had fallen on his shield.” When Killeen exposes his neck, Horace “stepped in and swung a lightning side stroke at the exposed two centimeters of neck. There was a roar of surprise from both sides of the arena as Killeen’s helmet went spinning away to land on the turf with a dull thud… the spectators realized that his head had gone with it.” The combat is described over four pages.
  • When Will finds an assassin in Horace’s tent, Will attacks. “…Something hard crashed into his head, behind the ear, and everything went black.”
  • Even though Horace has been poisoned and cannot focus, he still attempts to fight Gerard. Before Horace can be injured, Will intervenes. “Gerard’s snarl of triumph turned abruptly into a screech of agony as the arrow transfixed the muscle of his upper right arm…the sword falling harmlessly from his nerveless hand…” The scene is described over four pages.
  • Will and one of Tennyson’s assassins agree to a combat. Each man has to shoot arrows until one of them is dead. Will shoots his arrow, and then “the purple figure jerked suddenly, stumbled a few paces and then fell faceup on the grass.”
  • At the end of the combat, the King is found dead. “Peering behind the throne, he saw the flights of the crossbow bolt protruding from the thick wood. The missile had gone through the back of the chair and into Ferris’s back, killing him instantly, pinning him to the chair.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • Someone poisons Horace, making him unable to focus. After a few days, the effects of the poison wear off.
  • Will finds a village that had been burnt down. The inn still had cheap brandy sitting on a shelf.
  • In order to infiltrate the Outsiders’ camp, Will knocks out one of the sentries and pours brandy on him. “If a sentry was found reeking of brandy and sleeping peacefully under a tree, no amount of protesting on his part would convince his superiors that he had been attacked.” While Will is sneaking into the camp, he sees a group of men who “were drunk and talking loudly, staggering slightly on the uneven ground.”
  • As Will is spying on the enemy, he heard “the clink of glasses from inside and the sound of pouring… There were one or two appreciative sighs—the sound a man makes when he has taken a deep draft of wine.”
  • While trying to recruit members, the Outsiders set up “several casks of ale and wine under a large, open-sided tent and were serving generous mugs of both to all comers.”
  • Several times during the story, people are served wine or ale. For example, when setting up for a combat, wine and ale are set up for the townspeople to purchase.
  • When the Rangers finish their Gathering, someone says, “So now let’s have a glass of wine and call it a night.”
  • Halt, Horace, and Will go to a farmstead and say, “we’ll pay well for a hot meal and a tankard of ale.”

Language

  • Halt calls his brother “a lying sack of manure.”
  • Damn is used three times. For example, Halt says, “Horace, when you get older, try to avoid being saddled with an apprentice. Not only are they a damned nuisance…”
  • Hell is used twice. Halt says that his brother’s castle is “drafty as hell in winter, too.”
  • “Oh for God’s sake” is used as an exclamation several times.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • A group of raiders, named the Outsiders, are posing as a religious group in order to fleece the town of its money. The people had a “simple message of friendship… they asked for nothing but a place to worship their benevolent and all-loving deity, the Golden God Alseiass. They made no attempt to convert the locals to their religion. Alseiass was a tolerant god…”
  • When trouble began in the village, “then the Outsiders would come forward with a solution. The outlaws surrounding the village were followers of the evil Balsennis—a dark god who hated Alseiass and all he stood for.” The villagers were told that “to expel Balsennis, special prayers and invocations would be required.” However, they had to build a shrine made of gold.
  • When Will realizes that the Outsiders are killing innocent children, he thinks, “You’d better pray that your god will protect you.”
  • Tennyson preaches about Alseiass, saying, “I’m a servant of the Golden God Alseiass. And he says all men are my friends—and I should be a friend to all men… There are evil, lawless men abroad in the world. They are the servants of the black spirit Balsennis. I see his hand everywhere I go, bringing sorrow and despair and death to the people of this wonderful country…”
  • Tennyson says that Alseiass doesn’t mind if a person worships other gods because “that isn’t Alseiass’s way. He doesn’t’ care to force himself upon you. If you have other gods you prefer, or no gods at all, he doesn’t condemn you.” Tennyson preaches for eight pages, trying to get support to overthrow the king.
  • When Halt goes into a town pretending to be looking to buy sheep, he says, “Thank God, I’ve seen little in the way of good animals arrive so far.”
  • When Tennyson’s inner circle go in to raid a town, one of the men says, “My men and I serve Balsennis, the mighty god of destruction and chaos.”
  • Halt meets a woman who doesn’t believe in Alseiass. She says, “Some of us here worship the old gods. We know the gods send us good times and bad to try us. I don’t trust a god that promises only good times… A god that brings you good and bad in equal amounts doesn’t ask for much. Maybe a prayer or two… A god that promises only good times? A god like that will always want something of you.”

Roscoe and the Pony Parade

The spring festival is in town! Happy Go Lucky and his friends from Big Apple can’t wait to see what it’s all about. There will be games, decorations, and the ponies will even march in the big parade!

But then Rosco goes missing at the festival. A trip to town could be dangerous for a tiny barn mouse! Can Happy find his big-eared buddy—or will Roscoe be lost forever?

Roscoe, a curious mouse, can’t wait to explore everything at the festival! While at the fair, Roscoe doesn’t intend to get trapped in a bag of cotton candy or go swimming in one of the games, but he seems to find trouble around every corner. Readers will laugh at Roscoe’s antics and wonder what the little mouse will do next.

With a simple plot, the book is easy to read and will capture the attention of horse fans. Roscoe and the Pony Parade will have readers giggling as it reinforces the importance of staying together and not wandering away from a group. When Roscoe gets lost, Happy and the other horses worry about his safety. Roscoe’s friends don’t want the mouse to get left behind when everyone heads back to Big Apple Barn. The message is clear: “One of the rules is that we have to stick together.”

Readers will be drawn into the story because of the beautiful horses, the wise barn cat, and the little mouse, Roscoe. Black and white illustrations appear every 2 to 4 pages and help break up the text in order to keep readers engaged. The text is easy to read, with short sentences and colorful dialogue that gives the horses personality. The last page of the book explains how a horse sees. Roscoe and the Pony Parade’s action and adventure will please all readers who love animals.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Roscoe is chased by a group of people. “Everyone was darting in different directions. Happy thought he could make out the vendor, the booth owner, and the cheesemaker zigzagging across the square, their arms stretched out in front of them.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Marley Firehouse Dog

When Marley and his family are out for a walk around town, they are pleased to be invited into the fire station for a tour! Unhappily, Marley has to stay behind . . . or at least, that’s what his family says. Before long, Marley has chewed through his leash and is leading his own tour of the firehouse. From the kitchen to the garage, Marley is hot on the trail for some mischief!

Firehouse Dog gives readers a glimpse behind the walls of a firehouse. When Marley sneaks into the firehouse, he makes quite a mess as he inspects the sleeping quarters, the classroom, and the kitchen. Readers will laugh as the fire chief tries to find out which one of the firefighters made such a mess. The cute conclusion shows Marley dressed as a firefighter. In the end, the firefighters and Marley’s family both help clean up the messy firehouse.

Young readers will fall in love with Marley, a mischievous dog, who becomes a fire dog for the day. Each page of Firehouse Dog has a large, brightly colored illustration that will help younger readers visualize the story’s actions. The story showcases a traditional family unit and their adorable dog Marley. Each page has 24 or fewer words. The story uses longer sentences and has some challenging words that readers may need help with.

Firehouse Dog is an engaging story that shows positive interactions between the characters. Even though Marley makes quite a mess, no one scolds him. Instead, everyone works together to clean up the mess—even the fire chief and the youngest family member. Even though Marley is featured in over 20 books, the books do not need to be read in order. The wonderful illustrations and fun plot make Firehouse Dog a good choice for young readers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution

Squirrel hears about New Year’s resolutions, but she doesn’t know what they are. So she visits her friends to find out what they resolve to do in the new year. Bear wants to help others learn to read. Porcupine decides to be less grumpy. What will Squirrel choose to do for her resolution?

 Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution explains the significance of a resolution in kid-friendly language. The story goes through the steps of making a resolution. Bear starts by explaining, “A resolution is a promise you make to yourself to be better or to help others. When we begin a new year, we make a fresh start.”

When Squirrel still isn’t sure what to do, Rabbit tells him, “Think of a way to improve yourself. Or a way to use what you’re good at to help others.”

The story concludes with Rabbit pointing out that even though Squirrel had not verbalized a resolution, Squirrel has helped others. Throughout the story, Squirrel helps other characters find realistic ways to keep their resolutions. Rabbit tells Squirrel, “Your actions are better than words. It looks like you resolved to help someone every day.”

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution has illustrations with friendly forest animals in bright colors. Each two-page spread contains one full-page illustration as well as one or more large illustrations. Not only are the pictures beautiful to look at, they also show the animals’ emotions. Each page contains 3-9 sentences and the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently.

Younger readers will enjoy the simple plot and detailed illustrations of Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution. The story is not only engaging, but also encourages readers to improve themselves, help others, and make the world a better place. The enjoyable story and positive message make Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution a must-read.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Astronaut PiggyWiggy

 PiggyWiggy dreams of being an astronaut. Along with his faithful friend and companion, Teddy, he boards a rocket dressed in his special space suit and blasts off to explore the wonders of the planets. What will bring PiggyWiggy down to earth again?

PiggyWiggy’s imagination comes to life in illustrations that use bold colors. While the pictures are simple, they do have some cute details that children will love, such as a parade of animals carrying space helmets. Each two-page spread has one sentence that is written in large print. While in space, PiggyWiggy meets some colorful aliens and puts a flag on another planet.

PiggyWiggy’s adventure has a simple plot with 5 to 17 words on each two-page spread. Even though Astronaut PiggyWiggy is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. The short story will entertain younger readers who have a short attention span. Astronaut PiggyWiggy will teach a few facts about space. Space-loving readers will also enjoy Moon’s First Friends: One Giant Leap for Friendship by Susanna Leonard Hill. Both books are imaginative stories that introduce young readers to space.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The New Year’s Party

It’s five minutes to 1965. Beth should be at the party having fun with her boyfriend. Instead, she’s looking for her best friend, Karen. Suddenly, a group of men barge into the house with guns—they’re attempting a robbery. One man grabs Jeremy, Beth’s shy brother, puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger. However, nothing happens because the gun is fake. The robbery was just a prank pulled by Karen and some seniors. Upset, Jeremy runs off. Beth follows him into his car. They’re driving recklessly in the snow when suddenly they hit a boy. They swerve, then crash.

The story jumps in time to the present day. Reenie, Greta, Archie, and Sean are all friends who enjoy playing pranks on each other. For example, Archie hides in Reenie’s closet pretending to be a corpse. Reenie starts to get the idea that their pranks are going too far, though, when she falls off a cliff and nearly drowns in a frozen lake. She has an uneasy feeling when Archie suggests she throw a house party but ultimately agrees.

Archie and his friend Marc come up with the perfect prank to pull at Reenie’s party. They will get Sandi, the most popular girl in school, to ask P.J., the new quiet kid, to the party. At the party, Sandi will kiss P.J., then pretend to die. This prank goes too far when P.J. actually dies from shock. Reenie and her friends are horrified, but the horror turns to confusion when P.J.’s body disappears. In the next couple of weeks, Marc and Sandi are both murdered. Someone is taking revenge on Reenie and her friends, but they can’t figure out who.

 In addition to the supernatural elements, The New Year’s Party has relatable characters, who are not perfect. Like many typical teens, the characters try to justify their wrongdoings. In addition, the story includes fighting couples, friends who party together, and friends that have trouble with trigonometry. The story jumps back and forth in time, but the time differences are separated by chapters.

In the climax of the story, Liz, P.J.’s sister, invites Reenie and her friends to a New Year’s party. At the party, Liz reveals who killed Marc and Sandi, and chaos ensues. This exciting conclusion that connects the past to the present will shock readers.

The New Year’s Party is a gripping story that will keep readers turning the pages. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger. The vocabulary is simple, and the plot moves quickly. Reenie’s friends play multiple pranks that always seem real, keeping the readers on the edge of their seats. In true R.L. Stine fashion, the book ends with a twist. The New Year’s Party is a good book for readers of all types who are looking for a quick, enjoyable read.

Sexual Content

  • Beth is at a party scanning the room for her friend when she sees a couple who “were making out in the corner.”
  • When the clock strikes midnight, Beth’s boyfriend, Todd, “pulled Beth to him and kissed her.”
  • Todd asks Beth if she wants to move to the stairs, where “four couples sat on the carpeted steps, making out.” Beth “didn’t want to make out in front of the entire party.”
  • At Reenie’s house, Artie sat next to Gret, then “leaned forward and gave her a long kiss.”
  • Sandi, a pretty, popular girl, slow dances with P.J. When the song ends, she “pulled P.J.’s face to hers. Kissed him. A long, slow kiss.” Reenie observes Sandi “kissing the helpless P.J. so intensely. . . her mouth moving over his, her arms wrapped tightly around his slender shoulders.”
  • Before he leaves the party, Sean “pulled [Reenie] close and kissed her. Reenie wished the kiss would never end. She didn’t want to think about anything but the way Sean’s lips felt against hers.”
  • Reenie is hiding under the bleachers in the gym so she can listen to Liz and Ty’s conversation. Reenie watches as “Liz gently pulled Ty’s head to hers and kissed him. A long, serious kiss.”

Violence

  • A group of men with pistols crash a house party. One of the men grabbed Jeremy and “pressed the gun barrel against Jeremy’s head. Then he pulled the trigger.” The gun didn’t fire because it was plastic. The whole thing was a prank played by a group of high school seniors.
  • Jeremy is driving recklessly on icy roads with Beth in the car. They saw a “dim figure” in the road before “something bounced on the hood with a heavy thud. A face appeared through the foggy windshield. A boys’ face, his mouth open in a scream of surprise. The boy dropped to the ground. The car rolled over him with a hard bump.” Because they are scared of facing the fact they just killed a boy, they do not stop to help him and keep driving.
  • Jeremy lost control of the car on the icy roads. “The car smashed hard into the snowbank. . . [Beth’s] scream ended in a grunt as she was thrown forward and her head cracked against the dashboard . . . Beth felt warm blood trickle down her forehead.” Beth watches the car break “through the snowbank” and feels “shock after shock of pain.” Beth is able to crawl out of the car, but she later realizes she is just a spirit, and her body is still in the car, dead.
  • As Reenie puts her sweater in her closet, she sees “bulging, blank eyes.” At first she believes it to be a “corpse” with “gooey blood, dark and caked, oozed over his head.” The corpse is actually Sean, and he was pulling a prank on Reenie.
  • Reenie falls off the edge of a drop-off that overlooks a lake. “She was falling, sliding and tumbling, down the snowy hillside. It knocked the breath out of her. She struggled to gasp in air.” She falls onto the frozen lake, and her “hip smashed against the hard surface. She let out a small moan of pain.” As she is walking to the bank, “the ice beneath her gave way with a groan. She slid into the freezing, black water.” Struggling to get out, “she thrashed her arms, trying to pull herself back up to the surface. . . her head hit the underside of the ice. ‘I can’t breathe,’ she realized. She pounded on the ice with her fists. Clawed at it.” Reenie passes out, but Sean rescues her.
  • As Artie speeds into an intersection with Reenie in the car, another car hits them. Reenie heard “metal slam against metal. Shattering glass. The car spun, slamming her into the door. . . She felt the seat belt biting into her stomach, as she was thrown forward. Then she lurched back against the seat.”
  • After Sandi kisses P.J., she shoves him away and “uttered a long, frightening moan. . . She sank to her knees, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open. . . Sandi crumpled into a heap on the floor.”
  • Artie and Marc are working in the garage when Reenie and Greta come over. Artie leaves Marc alone in the garage. Marc’s friends hear “a high, ragged scream of terror” come from the garage. When they rush to the garage, they see “a body lay sprawled over the shiny red hood. Marc’s body. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose and his head . . . was twisted around on his neck . . . completely backward.” Marc was murdered.
  • Reenie leaves Sandi alone at the Burger Shack. When Reenie comes back, she finds Sandi dead in a trashcan. “Sandi’s eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. But she lay on her chest . . . Her head had been twisted around backward. And her face held the same terrified expression. Her blue eyes wide with horror.”
  • Liz is holding Sean, Greta, Archie, and Reenie captive. Sean holds a knife as he demands that Liz open the door to let them go. Liz “threw herself at Sean,” who “toppled to the floor with Liz on top of him. . . His body twisted and thrashed as he tried to throw Liz off.” Liz “tried to choke” Sean but Reenie “grabbed Liz by the shoulders and struggled to pull her off Sean.” Liz “tore at Sean’s wrist with her teeth,” causing him to drop the knife.
  • Once she regains the knife, Liz “grabbed Sean and pressed the blade against his throat . . . Reenie saw a drop of red blood roll down Sean’s neck.”
  • While Reenie distracts Liz, Sean “grabbed Liz around the waist. He pinned her against him with one arm—and grabbed the knife away with his other hand.” Liz “stumbled into [Sean]. And the knife plunged deep into her chest.” Everyone is frightened, especially when, “No blood poured from the wound.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Reenie has a house party and runs into Marc. “He stood so close she could smell the beer on his breath.”
  • At the party, Reenie notices Artie’s eyes look watery, and thinks, “Great. They’ve both been drinking.”

Language

  • Artie threatens P.J. after P.J. dropped a weight on him. Artie says, “I’m going to get that little creep, P.J.” Artie goes on to call P.J., “You little jerk!”
  • After he describes their “dumb practical jokes” to a police officer, Sean admits he sounded like a “total jerk.”

Supernatural

  • After they crash the car, Beth and Jeremy realize they are dead. They can see their bodies in the car. Jeremy tries to get back inside his body, but he can’t. He cries, “My arms passed right through my body!” Beth realizes Jeremy is starting to fade. Beth feels herself fading too. “Only the darkness remained. Everywhere. Closing on her. Claiming her.”
  • It is revealed that Liz and P.J. are the same people as Beth and Jeremy; they just changed names. Their spirits somehow reappeared solidly enough for them to act like real people. They died in a car crash thirty years ago, and they were trapped for years in a “cold, gray place.” Liz explains, “As the years passed, we grew stronger. And then suddenly we were back. Back in our old bodies. People could see us and hear us again.”
  • Ty confesses he was the boy Beth and Jeremy ran over, and he was also brought back to life to get revenge.
  • As the clock strikes midnight, Beth, Jeremy, and Ty fight with each other. “Liz and Ty and P.J. whirled around, tugging each other as if in a mad dance. Faster and faster. Waves of icy air swept off their bodies. . . A ghostly whirlwind.”
  • Beth, Jeremy, and Ty disappear once the clock strikes midnight. “A high, shrill whistle pieced Reenie’s ears. Louder. Shriller. Until Reenie covered both ears to shut it out. And the three ghosts began to fade. . . They faded to shadows. Then the shadows faded to smoke. A spinning column of smoke . . . The smoke faded. And floated away.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Jill Johnson

Cowgirl Grit

Sydney Todachine wasn’t expecting to spend the summer at her grandpa’s ranch on a Navajo reservation. But when her parents go on a research trip, Sydney has to leave San Diego and go to the Navajo reservation. When she gets to her grandpa’s place, she is even more upset that her cousin Hadley is also staying at the ranch because he has always been mean to her. Without any of her friends, Sydney is prepared for a terrible summer.

But then Sydney bonds with a beautiful horse named Midnight. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself, so she rides the horse in the middle of the night. Sydney thinks she can never be as good of a rider as the experienced cowboys and cowgirls. How can Sydney find the courage to saddle up and compete in the upcoming rodeo?

Readers will relate to Sydney, who is having a difficult time adjusting to being at her grandfather’s. Even though she loves riding, Sydney doesn’t want anyone to see her riding Midnight because she is afraid others will make fun of her skills. In addition to that worry, Sydney is upset because Hadley teases her for dressing like a city girl. Hadley’s teasing makes Sydney want to avoid him at all costs, but how can she avoid her cousin while they are living together?

Readers will relate to Sydney’s insecurities and her desire to fit in. Cowgirl Grit focuses on Sydney and her fears, but it also introduces readers to the rodeo. While the characters are undeveloped and the story conclusion is unrealistic, Sydney grows and becomes more confident over the course of the story. She also learns to get along with her cousin and make new friends.

Sydney and her family are Navajo and the story takes place on a Navajo reservation, but the Navajo culture is never introduced. The story misses the opportunity to share cultural knowledge. While the story has diverse characters, the characters are one-dimensional and generic.

Horse lovers will enjoy the story and the cute black and white illustrations that appear every 4 to 7 pages. The story has a simple plot, easy vocabulary, and realistic conflicts. The ten short chapters and full-page illustrations make Cowgirl Grit a quick read. For those who would like to use Cowgirl Grit as a learning opportunity, the end of the book has a word glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and a glossary of rodeo events. Readers who want more horse stories should add the Big Apple Barn Series by Kristin Earhart to their reading list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Biggest, Best Snowman

Little Nell lives with BIG mama, BIG Sarah, and BIG Lizzy. They think she’s too small to do anything. So little Nell goes into the big, snowy woods to play with her friends Reindeer, Hare, and Bear Cub. They don’t think she’s too small at all. They think she can build a BIG snowman. And with their help, she does—the biggest, best snowman ever!

Little Nell would like to help with something, but her family thinks she’s too small to help. Nell goes into the snowy woods and plays with her animal friends. When Nell’s friends want her to make a snowman, she says she can’t because “I’m so small.” Bear asks, “How do you know unless you try?” With the help of her friends, Nell makes a gigantic snowman. When she shows her family the snowman, they realize that she isn’t too small to help.

The Biggest, Best Snowman will appeal to a wide range of readers—the story is set in a winter scene with cute forest animals. After Nell and her forest friends have a tea party, they all work to build a snowman. Nell starts by patting snow into a ball, and then each animal helps make the snowball larger. Even the birds help with the snowman by finding objects to make a face. The illustrations have pops of blue and green that help give the story a festive feeling. Nell’s BIG family is portrayed oddly. One sister has silly details, such as holly in her hair and Christmas ornament earrings. However, the other sister is obese, sulky, and ill-mannered.

Even though The Biggest, Best Snowman is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page contains 1-8 sentences with some complex sentences. The pictures are beautiful and have some fun details. For example, when the animals roll the snowball, their tracks spell out snow. However, the story’s repetitious dialogue and the repetition of the word BIG may irritate some readers. Some might find the odd sisters and their behavior silly, but others might find it slightly disturbing. For example, the mom pulls the big sisters on a sled, up a hill, while the younger sister has to walk.

The Biggest, Best Snowman teaches that even little kids can do something big with the help of their friends. However, there are better winter books to read including, The Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner, Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, and A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Shampoodle

Two kids take a group of dogs to the salon so they can be groomed for picture day. When the dogs get to Shampoodle, the groomers begin cutting the dogs’ hair. There’s “scrubbing. Bubbling. . . Rubbing. Patting. . .Tangling . . . Combing.” Then a couple of cats come in and the “puppies spot them.” Chaos ensues as the dogs begin to chase the cats. The chaos causes the groomers to make some silly errors with the dog’s hair.

When the dogs are finally picture-perfect, the two kids head to the park. But the excited dogs find some mud and soon create a “dog mud slide.” The dogs and the kids finally make it to the park and get their picture. In the picture, both the kids and the dogs are a silly, muddy mess.

Shampoodle makes reading fun. The colored illustrations are full of fun details that younger readers will love. The dogs are humorous and cute, and the illustration captures the dog’s hair care journey. The story is intended to be read in preschool through first grade. Readers will recognize familiar sight words, but they will also need to sound out new words. Each page has 4-10 words and short sentences filled with rhyming and alliteration. Shampoodle is a simple, silly story and both the text and the illustrations will entertain readers over and over again.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Merhorses and Bubbles

Zoey and Sassafras go to a stream to look for bugs, but they discover that there are no bugs! Things get even more urgent when they learn that the magical creatures living in the stream are in danger because the bugs that the merhorses eat to survive have all disappeared. Zoey and her mom must solve the mystery of the stream. Can Sassafras, Zoey, and her mom find where all the bugs went? Will they be able to save the merhorses?

In Merhorses and Bubbles, Zoey uses everyday objects to create an underwater viewer. When Zoey goes to the stream, she teaches her cat, Sassafras, about her favorite stream bugs. Sassafras loves bugs and loves to chase and eat them. However, when Zoey and Sassafras can’t find any bugs, her mom helps test the water and they discover that the water is polluted. The remainder of the story focuses on investigating how the stream is being polluted and finding a way to fix the problem.

Readers will relate to the adventurous Zoey and her desire to help the merhorses. Zoey uses her “thinking goggles” and data to conclude that the stream is polluted. She relies on her parents’ help and eventually meets the magical frog named Pip. Zoey’s father cannot see the magical creatures and this creates some humorous situations that will have readers giggling. With the help of her parents, a magical frog, and Sassafras, Zoey is able to use the scientific method to save the stream.

Even though the merhorses do not play a major role in the story, readers will still enjoy the mystery of the polluted stream. Throughout the story, many lessons are taught about the environment, including how pollution affects pond creatures, how pollution gets into streams, and how something like soap can be harmful. Zoey and her parents finally discover that the pollution is caused by a group of teens who are raising money by having a car wash. Instead of taking over, Zoey’s parents allow Zoey to educate the teens, and then her parents help the teens come up with an alternative fundraiser.

Zoey’s adventure is shown through large black and white illustrations that appear on almost every page. When Zoey writes in her science journal, the font changes to large, kid-like font. While Sassafras plays a tiny role in the story, the cat appears in many of the pictures. Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, plenty of dialogue, and a simple plot, Merhorses and Bubbles is accessible to most readers. Even though Zoey and Sassafras is a series, the books do not need to be read in order.

Zoey is a strong girl who uses science to solve problems. Through her experiences, readers will be encouraged to positively change their world for the better. Even though Zoey is a child, she still finds a way to help keep pollution out of streams. Zoey’s parents are portrayed in a positive manner and they exhibit healthy communication skills. Merhorses and Bubbles teaches valuable lessons about nature by using a fun story and a relatable character. The end of the book has a glossary that explains unfamiliar terms.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Zoey calls Sassafras a goofball.

Supernatural

  • Zoey and her mom are the only people that can see and talk to the magical creatures that live in the forest.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Lu

Lu’s birth was a miracle, and he’s used to being the only child and track star in the house. That is until Lu’s parents break the news that he’s going to be a big brother. In the final installment of the Defenders Track Team, Lu grapples with his father’s drug-dealing past, his mother’s unusual fruit masterpieces, and his own fears. All the while he’s trying to pick a name for his new sibling and help his team win the end-of-season track championship. Lu struggles while running hurdles; it’s the one race where he can’t seem to get past the first twelve steps.

Lu builds on the growth of the characters in the previous three books. However, Lu spends more time tackling personal integrity, drug abuse, and forgiveness. Lu’s teammates, family, and coach help him learn how to be a compassionate person who rights his wrongs, and he becomes a big brother that his little sibling can look up to. By now, the Defenders track team is a full-fledged family, and the end of the novel wraps up their journey together.

Reynolds knows how to write young teenagers’ voices. Lu’s voice strikes the balance between self-confident and insecure. He’s a great runner, and he’ll be sure to tell everyone about it, but the thought of running hurdles makes him afraid. Lu worries, would he be a good big brother? Can he face his childhood bully and show him kindness? Lu is a good kid, but his ability to overcome his fears and not let them consume him makes his character compelling. Lu even inspires others around him to be better by demonstrating integrity and eventually apologizing for his actions.

Lu is a good end to the series. Unlike the first book, not a lot of big events occur. Despite this, the story never seems to drag, and the smaller plot points carry more weight as they develop the characters. Reynolds’s straightforward style and vernacular usage are fun, and they help make the story believable and interesting.

Readers will enjoy the end of the Defenders Track Team series because it neatly ties up all the characters’ conflicts and ends on a compassionate note. If the reader has read the previous three books in the series, they should definitely read Lu because these books take themes like family, friendship, and track and give them life. Most importantly, these books ask the reader to always be the best version of themselves.

Sexual Content

  • Patty teases Lu about a girl named Cotton, but Lu says “Patty was only teasing me about Cotton because she thinks I like her and we should go together. But I don’t. I do. But not like that. Not all the way. But she cool. But go together. Grease face? Nah.”
  • Lu’s parents occasionally hug or kiss in greeting. When Goose, Lu’s father, returns from work, Lu’s mom “leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.”

Violence

  • Lu and his family playfully slap each other on the arm. For instance, when Lu hears about being a big brother, Dad “popped me on the arm with the back of his hand” out of excitement about the big secret.
  • Ghost playfully “slapped [Lu] on the arm” while getting a ride home after practice.
  • Lu fantasizes about throwing an orange at Kelvin, his childhood bully. In his daydreams, he “cocked [the orange] back like a pitcher, and fast-balled it at his ugly face.”
  • There are references to previous books when Ghost’s dad tried to kill Ghost and his mom. According to Ghost, Mr. Charles “saved our lives. He hid my mom and me in his storage room.” No other details are given.
  • Lu and his teammate Aaron get into a fight when Aaron trips Lu while running. Lu says Aaron “charged me and shoved me with his whole body, and I flew to the ground.”
  • It is implied that Ghost gives Lu a wedgie. The team was chatting with Lu when “one of them thinking it would be funny to give me a wedgie.” The wedgie is played off as friends goofing around.
  • It is implied that Kelvin was abused at home, probably by a parent since it is also mentioned that he went to live with his grandparents. While at the basketball court, Lu sees that Kelvin has “no blue-and-purple spots on his arm. No marks.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • A former runner referred to as “the Wolf” now has a drug addiction and begs for money. After giving him a dollar, Coach Brody says to Lu, “To me, that’s embarrassment. Not the dope—that’s illness. But to let something get in the way of your full potential…” There are many references to Wolf’s addiction throughout the book.
  • Lu’s dad, Goose, explains how he started selling drugs at 15. His dad says, “I’ve told you that before, and you know I’m not proud of it.” This is the extent of the conversation. Later it is revealed that Goose sold the Wolf “his first hit.”
  • Coach Whit convinces her brother and former track star, the Wolf, to check into a rehab center. Goose brings Lu along because Goose works with people struggling with addiction, and he wants to give Lu a chance to see what he does.
  • While sitting in the rehab center, Lu talks about the pamphlets he reads. Lu says, “I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever, reading these papers about detox, and how sometimes before they can even start real treatment they have to let the drug pass through people’s bodies, and how terrible it feels to, like get all the stuff out of you.”
  • At the dinner table, Goose drinks a beer. Lu says, “Juice for Mom. Beer for Dad. Milk for me.”

Language

  • The book is written in the main character’s vernacular, so the grammar is often purposefully incorrect, like when Lu says, “lightning so special it don’t never happen the same way or at the same place twice.”
  • A couple of times, Lu is flippant towards his parents. Early on, when he describes listening to his mother, he says, “I swear, sometimes she just be talking to be talking.”
  • Lu says that Shante Morris “looks like a horsefly” because “her eyes kinda made her look like she was always surprised how nasty those cupcakes were every year. Ha! Sorry.”
  • Words like shut up, dang, fool, stupid, and hater are all used frequently throughout the book.
  • Lu has albinism, so characters will make comments about it. For example, he notes that in his yearbook people write “Have a nice summer, you fine-o albino.”
  • When his dad is late, Lu considers calling him a “booboo-faced clown.”
  • Lu’s family has plenty of playful banter, like when Lu returns from practice and his parents tease him by saying, “You smell like bananas” and “stinky son.”
  • Lu has a laundry list of nicknames for a kid named Kelvin (“Smellvin”), who made fun of him for his albinism.
  • Two pages are dedicated to the things that Kelvin has said to Lu. Some of the more creative insults on the list include: “You look like a cotton ball dipped in white paint,” “Like milk. Like somebody supposed to pour you over cereal,” and “Like grits with no butter.” Of Kelvin’s appearance, Lu says, “It don’t even look like he was born, but instead was built, but together in some kind of blockhead bully factory.”
  • Coach Brody and Goose knew each other as kids, and Coach Brody would make fun of Goose for his stutter. Coach told Goose, “You sound like a choking Chihuahua.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Lu refers to his birth as “a miracle,” and at one point he says that his mom having another child was “magic.”

by Allison Kestler

The Boy in the Black Suit

Matt wears the same suit every day. Even to school. He needs the suit for his job at Mr. Ray’s funeral home, which he does because his mom died and his dad’s struggling with the bills and alcohol. Despite his mom’s recent death, Matt doesn’t mind working in a funeral home. In fact, he likes sitting in on the services and finding the most grief-stricken person. It makes him feel less alone.

Then Matt meets Love, who has experienced even more tragedy than Matt. She’s tough and kindhearted despite her circumstances. Matt finds himself drawn to her strength. Love understands Matt’s pain and loneliness, and she might be able to help him be strong too.

Death is the main focus of The Boy in the Black Suit, and the topic is handled gracefully and respectfully. Although the content is dark, Reynolds balances this with lighthearted moments. The funerals that Matt describes often have some element of comedy. Some characters treat the funeral as a celebration of life rather than a loss. Matt likes seeing both the positive and tragic responses because it gives him an outlet for his own pain.

Throughout the novel, Matt quietly deals with his grief. Matt’s grief over his mother’s death is not immediately obvious, but his thoughts slowly let the reader into his carefully locked-away emotions. Many of the other characters struggle with grief as well. For instance, Matt’s father sinks into alcoholism after his wife’s death. The funeral homeowner, Mr. Ray, still struggles with his wife’s tragic passing many years ago. Matt also discovers that when Love was younger, she witnessed her mother’s murder.

The grief-stricken characters deal with their sadness in realistic ways. Reynolds manages to create well-rounded characters while still showing how grief has influenced their personalities. The Boy in the Black Suit offers a variety of responses to terrible events. After her mom’s death, Love continues her mom and grandmother’s work with the homeless and carries their spirits with her. Despite the tragedies in Love’s life, she doesn’t let them get her down. Because of her compassion and quiet strength, Matt is drawn to Love. With her help and the powerful supporting cast, Matt can begin to come to terms with his grief.

The Boy in the Black Suit tells a story about grief and growth in an accessible way for young adult readers. The themes are universal, and many characters learn to grow from their unfortunate circumstances. The Boy in the Black Suit is an important read because it shows that kindness exists even in dark times, and it introduces topics like death in a mature way for readers. Although this book is somewhat darker, fans of Reynolds’s other work will enjoy this thoughtful story.

Sexual Content

  • Matt thinks about his best friend Chris Hayes and how “girls had a thing for his shaved head.”
  • One of Matt and Chris’s classmates, Shante, “got pregnant sophomore year.”
  • Mr. Ray, the funeral homeowner and Matt’s friend, tells Matt that he “was thinking about one thing only—skirts,” meaning girls. Matt misunderstands and says, “You were thinking about wearing skirts?”
  • Mr. Ray tells Matt that once he and his brother “Robbie done wrecked many a car, taking our eyes off the road to check out some lady’s hind-parts.”
  • Matt’s mom wrote on the cover of a cookbook: “The Secret To Getting Girls, For Matty” because “cooking is what girls really like.”
  • While in Mr. Ray’s basement that was dedicated to his dead wife, Matt “watched [Mr. Ray] take a few more moments down memory lane, back when he could make the game-winning three-pointer, then kiss his girl after he came from the locker room.”
  • At her grandmother’s funeral, Matt flirts with Love. Matt tells Chris about it later, and Chris misunderstands. Chris asks, “The girl from the Cluck Bucket [a local restaurant] is your girlfriend?” Matt says no, but he does express that he likes her.
  • Matt explains Chris’s dating history. Chris “used to kick it with Shannon Reeves, a certified winner. Shannon was so fly, all the older dudes would try to get at her until they found out she was only sixteen. And even then, some of them still tried to get at her. [Chris] also used to kick it with Lauren Morris and Danni Stevens at the same time. Danni was kind of geeky, but in a cute way. And Lauren was a cheerleader at our school, so she had that whole thing going on. Long hair, pretty smile, in shape, all cheery, all the time. The two girls knew about each other, because Chris was up front and told them the truth.” This exchange continues for several pages.
  • Matt tells his dad about how Matt and Love are having Thanksgiving together. Matt’s dad says, “And if for some reason you feel like having dessert, think twice, son. One slice of her pie could equal a lifetime of your cake, if you know what I mean.” Matt is mortified at this innuendo.
  • Matt and Love help at a homeless shelter. When handing out chicken, Matt asks, “Leg, wing, or breast?” An older man replies, “Well, I’m known to be a breast man.” The lady standing behind him “slapped him on the back of the head.”
  • At the park, there’s a couple making out on a park bench. Matt says, “The girl across from us moved her mouth to her boyfriend’s neck. Yuck.”
  • Love kisses Matt at the Botanic Gardens. He spends a page hyping up his feelings, and then describes the kiss as “a peck… Yup. Just a peck.”
  • After the Botanic Garden date, Love and Matt kiss again. Matt describes it, saying, “I pressed my lips against hers again, this time kissing her longer and pulling her as close as possible. I wrapped my arms around her, and I could feel her hands gripping my back.” This description lasts for less than a page.

Violence

  • When someone tried to steal a bag of chips from the local bodega, the owner, Jimmy, “pulled the biggest knife I’ve ever seen—I mean, like a machete—from behind the register and started banging the blade on the counter… He then said that if he catches anyone stealing, he’ll leave their fingers on the bodega floor for the cat to nibble on.”
  • Matt’s mom gives Chris’s mom “the green light to pop [Matt] if she needed to.” In a flashback where Matt is suggesting breaking the rules, Matt considers this potential consequence.
  • One night, Chris and Matt hear Chris’s neighbor get into an altercation with her boyfriend that ends with the cops and paramedics at the apartment complex. The boyfriend shot and killed her. The description of the altercation lasts for a couple of pages but is only told through what the boys can hear. Matt describes, “All of [the man’s] words were long, like he was halfway singing, so we knew he was drunk. And the lady was pretty much screaming, ‘It’s over! It’s over!’ and kept telling him to go home… the loudest sound I had ever heard in my entire life came rushing toward us, making both of us shout out and slam the door. Then came the screams of the woman, and the drunk man in the hallway now mumbling something about him being sorry and that he didn’t mean it.”
  • A car hits Matt’s dad. He was drunk. “When he got to the corner of Fulton and Albany, he lost his balance and stumbled out into the street. Gypsy cab got him.”
  • Mr. Ray’s wife “slipped, hit her head, and was gone before anyone could even get to her.”
  • Matt destroys the wilted flowers sitting on his mom’s grave because he’s upset. He “grabbed a fistful of the flowers by their brittle stems and began beating them against the ground… as if [he] were hitting a drum.”
  • When Love was seven, her mom was murdered. The guy was “accusing her of cheating. He called her all types of names… About five minutes later… gunshot.”’
  • The guy that asked Love for her number at the beginning of the book is killed. No explicit details are given, but Matt works the funeral.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • At a funeral for a man named Speed-O, Speed-O’s friend, Mouse, tells a story about a horse that’s dead-tired. Mouse says that Speed-O said, “that somebody slipped a cigarette in the horse’s mouth to smoke because the dang horse looked so stressed out by the heat… ‘I know it was real because I was the one who lit the horse’s cigarette!’” It is made clear that the cigarette was not real but alluded to because of the exhaustion. However, later Speed-O was “lighting a smoke.”
  • Matt thinks about how rumors spread and warp into lies, including when it comes to his mother’s death. Matt thinks, “Knowing this neighborhood, people were probably saying it was a drug overdose because that’s always what people say. ‘Yeah, she used to get high. That’s why she was always so funny.’”
  • Outside of Chris’s apartment building there is often drug dealing. Matt describes, “There’s always a gang of dudes posted up outside all night, talking trash, and pushing packs of whatever to whoever.”
  • The night when Matt’s mom died, his dad was “down in the kitchen, pouring shot after shot of cognac since around midnight.” It is later described that after his wife’s death, he becomes an alcoholic. One night, Matt finds his dad in the kitchen, and Matt notes, “his words were slurring. I ran down the steps to find him on one knee, holding on to the kitchen counter, trying to pull himself up… On the kitchen floor was a soggy paper bag, soaked with what was obviously cognac. The bottle had broken and glass had torn through the bag and cut his hand. Liquor and blood, everywhere.”
  • Matt’s dad was an alcoholic before he met Matt’s mom. Matt thinks about how his mom says, “Baby, the bottom of the bottle was your daddy’s second home… And if I didn’t stop him, he would’ve made that second home his grave.”
  • Mr. Ray’s youngest brother “was a straight-up drunk” and is often seen loitering outside the liquor store.
  • On the way to the hospital to see his dad, Matt says that he would’ve “taken anything [Mr. Ray] offered [him]. Even a cigarette.”
  • Matt says that “Chris used to always tell [him] that drug dealers played [chess] to keep their minds sharp.”
  • Mr. Ray tells Matt about his friend who would “invite me and [Mr. Ray’s wife] to his shows—this was before he was doing Broadway—and we’d all go out afterward and run through a pack of smokes like it was nothing.” Matt notes that Mr. Ray was “probably thinking about his own cigarette habit that he couldn’t kick, even after cancer. Twice.”
  • Mr. Ray and his brother sometimes smoke cigarettes.
  • Outside the homeless shelter, “there were a few guys… all huddled up. One was holding a handful of cigarette butts while the others sifted through, picking out the ones that still had a little tobacco left in them.”
  • Outside one of the funerals, “teenagers stood on the steps and watched [the procession], some lighting cigarettes, others slipping fingers behind their sunglasses to wipe hidden tears.”

Language

  • Profanity is used frequently. Profanity includes asshole, crap, damn, and shit.
  • Fuck is used once. Mr. Ray has a shrine to his wife who passed away, and he shows it to Matt. Mr. Ray tells Matt, “I was a goddamn mess [when she passed], which is when I started this room, this shrine of all the fucked-up things that happened to me.”
  • A kid ran up behind Chris and Matt at school, “slapped [Chris] on the ass, and rambled off some dumb joke, calling us gay or whatever.”

Supernatural

  • None

 Spiritual Content

  • Mr. Willie Ray is the neighborhood mortician. Matt thinks, “after he beat [cancer] the second time, he basically became, like, a Jehovah’s Witness for cancer, knocking on doors and passing out pamphlets. He swears the only reason God spared his life twice is so that he could spread the word about the illness.”
  • Matt says that his mom used “to always joke with [Mr. Ray] and say, ‘Willie, God saved you just so you could torture the hell outta the rest of us?’”
  • Matt thinks about his father’s alcoholism. “All I could do was pray to God that he would get a handle on it.” Other characters also say, “Lord knows…” to explain their thoughts.
  • Matt works at Mr. Ray’s funeral home, and Matt often sits in on the funerals that take place in the church. Prayers lead by the surviving family members usually occur.
  • Matt attends a funeral for a woman named Gwendolyn Brown. The minister giving the opening speech says, “We don’t come in sadness. No, we come in joy, for sister Brown is finally at peace with the mighty King of Kings.” The funeral program stated that Brown “loved God.”
  • Matt goes to his mom’s grave and tells her about Love. He thinks, “I was going to ask my mother to make me and Love work out, like maybe she had some kind of magic power, or could ask God and the angels to fool around with Love’s mind to make sure this whole thing goes smooth.”

by Alli Kestler

The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur

Zeus the Mighty and the gods of the Mount Olympus Pet Store are exhausted from the sweltering heat. In order to restore Greece to a cooler temperature, Zeus and Poseidon team up to defeat the menacing Minotaur. As Zeus and Poseidon argue their way through the Minotaur’s Maze, they meet an unlikely ally. However, the minotaur isn’t the only threat. The bully Sinis, a Harpy, and the soothsayer Phineus all want to teach Zeus a lesson. Is there any way Zeus and Poseidon can work as a team and make it out of the maze alive?

Join Zeus the hamster, Athena the wise cat, Demeter the loyal grasshopper, Poseidon the proud pufferfish, and Ares the treat-loving pug on their newest adventure.

In The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur, everyday objects become the relics and monsters of ancient Greece. Boyer uses imagination and comedy to bring the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur to young readers. A high-action plot, humorous situations, and black and white illustrations blend to make a fun series that will keep readers turning the pages. Each illustration shows the Greek gods, which gives the reader a visual and helps them understand the plot and the gods’ emotions. Large illustrations appear every 1-5 pages.

The second installment of the series focuses on Zeus and Poseidon, who both want to call the shots. As the two learn to work together, they discover that the soothsayer Phineus is really Cronus, who wants to teach Zeus how to be a better ruler. According to Cronus, a leader should “delegate” instead of lead others on adventures. Cronus says, “Why, I had your minions running all over Greece, doing my bidding. And I didn’t have to lift a paw. That’s how you rule.” However, Zeus realizes that it is important to work as a team and allow others to make decisions.

The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur takes the reader on a fun adventure and introduces Greek mythology. Readers that are unfamiliar with Greek mythology will want to read the historical information about the Olympians, Theseus, and the Minotaur that appears at the end of the book.

The Zeus the Mighty series is perfect for young readers who aren’t ready to jump into The Percy Jackson series. The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur will not only have readers eager to read, but it will also spark their interest in Greek mythology.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A Harpy tricks Zeus into jumping into a ladle. Poseidon and the Harpy play tug-of-war with Zeus. Zeus “held fast, caught between the lord of the sea and a fiend of the sky. Zeus’s paws ached. They began to slip… He released his grip and plummeted to the ground… Zeus flopped onto his back…”
  • When Zeus upsets Poseidon, “Poseidon had poked Zeus’s rump with” a spear.
  • With Poseidon’s help, Zeus attacks the Minotaur (a furnace). Zeus “took a deep breath and heaved the spear, burying its tip directly into the orange pit of the beast’s nostril… He pulled on the spear, but it was stuck up the nose of the beast… The Minotaur’s teeth began to unclench, exposing the black pit of its mouth. The boiling gale increased, blowing bits of animal fur dislodge from the Minotaur’s teeth.” Zeus is able to extinguish the Minotaur’s fire.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Zeus calls Poseidon “puff-’n-stuff” and “fish lips.”
  • Periphete calls Zeus a rodent.
  • A Harpy calls Zeus a “flea-ridden fool.”
  • Zeus calls Sinis a jerk, and Demeter calls him a “blowhard.”
  • Twice, Cronus calls Ares a fool.
  • Zeus uses “oh gods” as an exclamation one time.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

King’s Cage

After completing her mission to secure an army of newbloods, Mare Barrow finds herself once again trapped in the royal palace of Norta. She’s become King Maven’s pet, forced to play a dangerous role at his side. Her forced words carry weight with the Reds, and create schisms in the Scarlet Guard and Norta as a whole.

Without Mare, the Guard has trouble accepting both the newbloods and Silvers into their ranks. Cameron Cole, a newblood herself, knows exactly what it’s like to be ostracized for her ability. After seeing Mare struggle to control her ability, Cameron fears becoming like her; yet, she’s not alone in the struggle. Farley, a new commander of the Scarlet Guard, continues to fight after losing her lover, Shade. Kilorn, Mare’s best friend, must decide whether to continue fighting or focus on protecting Mare’s family. Cal must figure out what side he will choose. Will he be able to continue to kill his Silver comrades, or will he betray the Scarlet Guard?

But just as loyalties are tested in the Scarlet Guard, so are they in Maven’s court. Evangeline Samos, now betrothed to Maven as the future queen of Norta, wants nothing more than to rule. When noble houses begin to betray Maven left and right, navigating the palace becomes more complicated. Will Evangeline get to rule Norta? Will Cameron and the Scarlet Guard prove too much for the Silvers to handle? Will Mare be able to change Maven for the better and abolish the monarchy?

As the third installment of the Red Queen Series, King’s Cage is an excellent continuation of the story because Mare is back in the thick of political intrigue. She’s right there to see the complicated and unique relationships between the Silvers, allowing the reader to see both sides of the power struggle.

The plot is a roller-coaster of twists and suspense, leading Mare, Cameron, and Evangeline through many life-changing and life-threatening moments. The three main heroines are fascinating to follow because each one is constantly on the edge of danger. For instance, Mare has gotten over her selfish and arrogant nature, but now struggles to stay at Maven’s side. Mare is forced to pretend that she betrayed the Scarlet Guard, yet she manages to stay sane enough to secretly gather intel. Cameron struggles with the fear of turning into a monster. And Evangeline must find a way to rule over Norta without becoming Maven’s bride.

The theme of betrayal is once again central to the plot, as characters and noble houses backstab each other left and right. The action scenes are the best yet with each heroine battling individually at first, but then all coming together in a big battle at the end. The buildup and suspense work well as Mare’s, Cameron’s, and Evangeline’s stories intertwine. Overall, King’s Cage is a great follow-up to a lackluster sequel. The story will conclude in the final book, War Storm, where readers will find out whether Mare will triumph over King Maven.

Sexual Content

  • During an argument, Maven kisses Mare. Mare thinks, “His kiss burns worse than his brand.”
  • Maven pledges his hand to the Lakeland princess, “From this day until my last day, I pledge myself to you, Iris of House Cygnet, princess of the Lakelands.”
  • One morning, Evangeline wakes up to her lover’s kisses. Elane “laughs against my neck, her touch a brush of lips and cold steel.”
  • Mare is torn up about her love for Maven. “There are still pieces of me, small pieces, still in love with a fiction. A ghost inside a living boy I cannot fathom.”
  • Mare is humiliated by her guards. “Kitten forces me into the scarlet gown, making me strip in front of them all.”

Violence

  • Mare’s former tutor says, “I watched babies die without seeing the sun.”
  • When visiting wounded Silver soldiers, Mare thinks, “Their kind aren’t meant to bleed. Not like this.” The soldiers fought in a battle against the Scarlet Guard.
  • In a military transport, Mare attacks Maven. Mare “jumps forward, lunging, hands stretched out to grab him by the collar. Without thinking, I shove, pushing, smashing him back into his seat.” Later, Mare thinks, “I fantasize about cutting his throat and staining Maven’s freshly painted walls with Silver blood.”
  • Mare is forced to attend a feast put on by Maven. It ends in an assassination attempt, which kills Maven’s foreign guest, Prince Alexandret. Mare sees, “Prince Alexandret, slumped dead in his seat of honor with a bullet hole between his eyes.” At the same time, Mare sees Maven wounded, “Silver blood bubbles from his neck, gushing through the fingers of the nearest Sentinel, who is trying to keep pressure on a bullet wound.”
  • During an attack on the capital, Cal kills Samson. “Fire races down Samson’s throat, charring his insides. His vocal cords shred. The only screaming I hear now is in my head.”
  • During a sparring match between Mare and Cal, Cal overwhelms her. Mare gets hit with Cal’s fire, and her “flesh ripples with fresh blisters, and I bite my lip to keep from screaming. Cal would stop the fight if he knew how much this hurt.”
  • In a final battle between Maven’s army and the Scarlet Guard, the first casualty is a Red soldier. Mare sees the soldier fall, and then “shouts as he goes over the edge, plunging thirty feet—before sailing skyward, born of a graviton’s concentration. He lands hard on the wall, colliding with a sickening crack.” In the thick of the fight, Farley, a Scarlet Guard commander, kills some Silvers. “Farley peppers them with gunfire, dropping a few Silvers where they stand. Their bodies slide off into darkness.” The battle is described over 20 pages.
  • A newblood committed suicide after being outed as a spy. Mare thinks, “I’ve seen suicide pills before. Even though I shut my eyes, I know what happens next.”
  • Three of the noble houses of Norta attack Maven. Mare watches as “Laris wind weavers toss Iral silks from one side of the room to the other with sharp gusts, wielding them like living arrows while the Irals fire pistols and throw knives with deadly precision.” A few of Maven’s guards are hurt in the fight.
  • When Cameron infiltrated a prison, she used her ability to kill Silvers. Her ability is to snuff out other abilities, as well as other lives. Cameron thinks, “The memory still makes me sick. I felt their hearts stop. I felt their deaths like they were happening to me.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Maven explains that his mother controlled his father. Maven says, “He was a drunk, a heartbroken imbecile, blind to so much, content to keep things as they were. Easy to control, easy to use.”
  • While at a party, Mare notices, “Music dances on the air, undercut with the sweet and sickening bite of alcohol as it permeates every inch of the magnificent throne room.”

Language

  • During a televised speech, Mare is forced to say the former King and Queen “rightfully knew that a Red with an ability would be considered a freak at best, an abomination at worst, and they hid my identity to keep me safe from prejudices of both Red and Silver.”
  • Bastard is used several times. For example, Cameron calls Cal a “Silver Bastard.”
  • When thinking of her twin brother, Cameron wonders, “Send him home? To another hellhole?”
  • Cameron thinks Mare is a “condescending twit.”
  • Ass is used several times. For example, Cameron calls Cal a “veritable pain in the ass.”
  • Someone calls Evangeline’s lover a “whore.”

Supernatural

  • Samson Merandus, one of Maven’s allies, describes his ability. “As a whisper, my ability allows me to bypass the usual lies and twists of speech that most prisoners rely on.”
  • During an infiltration mission into a Silver compound, Cameron takes the newblood, Harrick, along. She sees a pair of guards as Harrick uses his ability to make their “figures ripple slightly, like the surface of disturbed water.” Harrick can create illusions to manipulate people’s senses.
  • Cameron’s ability allows her to stop other’s abilities. When Cal confronts her, she notices his flames still “waver before my ability, fighting to breathe, fighting to burn. I could snuff them out if I wanted to.”
  • When he gets angry, Cal will let loose his fire. “The gleaming bracelet at Cal’s wrist flickers, birthing sparks that travel along his arm in a quick burst of red flame.”
  • Evangeline can manipulate metal. When Mare is about to be shot, Evangeline catches the bullet mid-air. “Her fist clenches and the bullet rockets backward to where it came from, chased on by splinters of cold steel as they explode from her dress.”
  • The leader of Montfort, a country far from Norta, can create blue walls out of thin air. He stops Cal and Mare’s sparring match with “another blue wall of something divides the spectators from our spar. With a wave of Davidson’s hand, it blinks out of existence.”
  • During the final battle, nymphs on Maven’s side flood a city. Mare watches as “the rain shimmers, dancing on the air, joining together into larger and larger droplets. And the puddles, the inches of water in the streets and alleys—they become rivers.” No one is injured.

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Jonathan Planman

Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

Who’s knocking on Christmas Eve? Kyri is afraid that it’s the trolls that come every year and gobble up Kyri’s Christmas feast. Kyri hears someone knocking and when she peeks out the window, she sees a boy from Finnmark. Kyri lets the boy and his bear in, then quickly closes the door.

The next time Kyri hears knocking, she knows it’s the trolls. Kyri and the boy from Finnmark try to keep the trolls outside, but the trolls are able to sneak in. The hungry trolls chase Kyri and the boy outside. As the trolls eat Kyri’s Christmas dinner, Kyri wonders if anyone will be able to save it.

Beuer brings a Norwegian fairytale to life with her beautiful illustrations. Each picture is detailed and includes side panels, borders, and a lot of winter landscapes. The artwork is beautiful, but the trolls may be frightening for younger readers. In order to fully grasp the story’s illustrations, readers must look at the decorative side panels that focus on the different characters.

Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? is not a typical Christmas story. Although the story takes place in winter, the focus is on the mischievous trolls who want to gobble up dinner. Some readers may be frightened by both the trolls and the polar bear that chases them away. Even though Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has four or fewer lines of text. The complex sentences and detailed pictures will require readers to take their time to enjoy the story. Even though the story is not well-developed, readers will enjoy the pictures and the conclusion of Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Rain Forest Relay

Russell was the one that convinced his friends to try out for the race around the world. That’s why he’s so surprised that all four of his friends are in the same group, but he’s in a group with strangers. Running the race will be extra difficult for a team that knows nothing about each other. Despite this, Russell and his team are eager to begin the first leg of the course.

As they race through the lush Amazon rain forest, Russell and his team see amazing animals, raging rapids, and toxic venom. But the animals aren’t the only danger in the race. In order to win, Russell’s friends aren’t afraid to be sneaky and cheat. Russell isn’t sure what he should do. He knows what his friends are doing is wrong, but he doesn’t want them kicked out of the race. Can the red team learn to work as a team? Is there any way Russell and the red team can finish the race ahead of the sneaky green team?

Rain Forest Relay is a fast-paced story that takes the readers on a race through the Amazon. Although the story has plenty of adventure, it also hits on the topic of cheating in order to win. Throughout their journey, they continue to struggle with the green team’s ability to show up unexpectedly. Russell explores his conflict with his friends’ behavior and his desire to keep his friends’ activity a secret. By the end of the book, Russell has not answered these questions, but he knows that his team can win if they use teamwork.

With nine short chapters, each chapter packs a lot of adventure into it. While the race is interesting, a lot of animal information is thrown at the reader. Occasionally, the story seems more like a textbook than an adventure story. The four main characters are featured on the cover and are diverse—one is African American, one is Indian, one is Hispanic, and one is Caucasian. However, the characters’ races are never discussed and the characters are generic. While the characters are likable and competent, they are not alone on their journey. Instead, each group has an adult that keeps an eye on the contestants and makes sure they are safe.

Black and white illustrations appear every 3-6 pages, and the beginning of each chapter has interesting facts about the rainforest and the animals who make the Amazon their home. Fluent readers will enjoy trying to solve the race’s clues and learning about the Amazon. Rain Forest Relay is an engaging story that will entertain any reader who loves animals and adventure.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Case of the Secret Tunnel

When one of the boarders gets married, girl detective Maisie Hitchins is disappointed that her grandmother found a boring-looking man to replace the lady. Fred Grange claims to work as a clerk for a biscuit company, but he’s out and about on the London streets at odd hours, and Maisie soon discovers a list of stolen paintings hidden in his room. Maisie is determined to unmask him as a thief, but the truth is far more complicated—and dangerous. Before long, Maisie and her dog are led into a web of mystery lurking in the London Underground. Can Maisie solve the mystery before the thief strikes again?

Maisie is curious, daring, and has big dreams of being a detective. She uses her powers of observation to solve the mystery. During Maisie’s investigation, she finds many clues and the end of the story explains what Maisie learned from the clues. The plot is easy to understand and the conclusion doesn’t leave any loose threads or end in a cliffhanger. Some readers may need help understanding some of the vocabulary since Maisie and the other characters use old-fashioned vocabulary such as tuppence, wittering, deportment, and hobnobbing.

For the most part, Maisie wants to do what is right. However, she does sneak out of the house and isn’t always truthful. When Gran thinks Maisie is going across the street to see her friend, Maisie really goes to investigate the theft. Maisie justifies the lie because “detectives must bend the truth sometimes.” Another aspect that may upset parents is that the police officers are portrayed as incompetent. For example, Maisie easily finds clues that the police officer missed, and a boarder says police are “a useless lot.” Even though the police officer plays an important role in saving Maisie from the thief, he was incapable of solving the mystery.

The Case of the Secret Tunnel focuses on Maisie’s investigation which leads her on an interesting adventure. Black and white pictures that focus on the characters’ actions appear every two to four pages. The boarders and Maisie’s dog only make a slight appearance and their presence is missed. However, the story is fast-paced and will appeal to young mystery lovers. While the vocabulary may be difficult for some readers, the short chapters and non-scary plot make The Case of the Secret Tunnel a good bedtime story. Readers looking for a good mystery with another curious and brave girl as the main characters should read Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison.

Sexual Content

  • Alice thinks her father, who is a widower, is smitten with her governess.

Violence

  • An art thief tries to grab Maisie, but “Eddie snapped at his trouser leg, throwing him off balance and giving Maisie time to dart away.” Maisie runs, but the thief catches her, and “a huge hand covered her mouth. . . Eddie barked madly as Maisie kicked and struggled and tried to break free. But the man was holding her too tightly and began to pull her back down the alley.” Maisie is saved by the police.
  • A boarder finds Maisie snooping in his room. “Maisie tried to back away, but Mr. Grange caught her arm and she panicked.” After the two talk, Mr. Grange lets Maisie go.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Drat is used twice. For example, someone says “dratted boys.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Other Side of the Wall

It’s Christmas break. Tess and Max are in London staying at the posh Sanborn House with their Aunt Evie. As they wait for their parents to arrive, there is an unusual snowstorm that makes the city seem as if it’s caught in a snow globe. It’s the perfect weather for an adventure in Hyde Park. But when Max, Tess, and Aunt Evie leave to search for a cab, they find a horse, carriage, and driver curiously waiting for them at the curb. And that’s just the beginning…

Soon Tess is charmed by a mysterious boy named Colin who lives at the hotel all year round—on the 8th floor. Max is sure the elevator only had 7 floors the day before. How come everyone at the hotel seems to ignore Colin? Things seem to get stranger and stranger. There’s a 1920s costume party in Colin’s parents’ apartment, a marble that seems to be more than it appears, and a shadow that passes mysteriously by Tess and Max’s hotel window.

Tess wants to figure out what’s going on, but she finds only more questions. Is it just a coincidence that Colin’s last name is Sanborn, the same as the hotel? Why does the cat’s-eye marble look eerily similar to the crystal at the top of their hotel room key? And, most importantly, what happened in that hotel one Christmas long, long ago?

Tess and Max are realistic characters who travel back in time. The world building is beautiful, but some readers will quickly become bored because the beginning of the story lacks action. When Tess and Max meet Colin, they are slow to realize that he is a danger. When Colin possesses Max, Tess begins calling him “the person who used to be Max.” This phrase was used too often, and the repetition is annoying. Despite this, Tess’s dedication and love for her brother is both realistic and enduring.

Unlike traditional Christmas stories, The Other Side of the Wall is both mysterious and creepy. The story takes the reader back in time and ends with the sad death of Colin. Readers who have not read the first two books in the series will be slightly confused. Even though the story hints that Tess sometimes sees things that are not really there, her behavior is never explained. The Other Side of the Wall ends abruptly leaving many unanswered questions.

Anyone who wants to add a little fright to their Christmas night will want to read The Other Side of the Wall. The unique story replaces jingle bells for spooky spirits. However, if you’re looking for a fast-paced adventure, you will want to leave The Other Side of the Wall on the library shelf. For those looking to put a little scare into the holiday season, you might want to ask Santa to put Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story by R.L. Stine into your stocking.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Tess and Max go into the hotel’s lobby. “There were two young men in the library (which also had a fully stocked serve-yourself bar in a small room adjacent to it).”
  • Tess’s aunt tells her that, “My friend Bobbie rang up and asked if I’d run down the road to a pub for a holiday drink.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Tess and Max go to a party where they meet a seer. She tells them, “I ask the question, or you do, but it’s the cards that tell me the answer. I’m not much more than a conduit.”
  • Tess and Max meet a boy named Colin. When Colin begins to go pale, “Max reached out to touch him, but it was as if his hand seemed to go right through Colin’s arm. As if he had become transparent or he wasn’t really there, as if. . .” When Max moves away, Colin “started to walk towards Max, purposefully, step by step, directly to him, almost as if Colin was playing chicken or else he wanted to whisper something to Max. . . But then there was the most startled look on Max’s face. . . as Colin walked directly into him and simply disappeared.” Colin takes over Max’s body.
  • Tess pets a terrier. The dog suddenly vanishes “and Adele the psychic was standing in front of her.” Tess wonders how the dog could transform into Adele.
  • Max walks “straight through the wall. . . and simply disappeared.” Frightened Tess runs out of the room and talks to a man. “But before she could finish the sentence, she saw the gentleman’s face begin to crack and tiny pieces start to break away, first his cheek and then part of his nose as if he was made of plaster.”
  • Tess follows Max into a dark hallway where orange vectors appear. As Max walks on the vectors, Tess follows.
  • Following Max, Tess jumps in a carriage. The horse, Comet, raced so quickly, “it was as if Comet was able to, levitate would be the right word, or simply fly just off the ground, carrying the carriage behind her through mid-air, cold air, spectacularly dotted with snow. . .”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Top Prospect

Travis is starstruck when Elvis Goddard, head coach for the Gainesville Fighting Gators, comes to his house to offer his older brother, Carter, a football scholarship. Carter isn’t the only one who gets an offer.  When Coach G sees Travis’s talent as a quarterback, the coach offers him a scholarship even though he’s just an eighth-grader. This once-in-a-lifetime offer turns Travis into an overnight sensation, landing him VIP access to the Gainesville University gym and football field, an interview with ESPN, and instant popularity at school.

Meanwhile, Carter is learning the ropes of being a college football player. He and his roommate, Alex, start part-time jobs at a car dealership under the guidance of Walter Henry. Walter secretly gives Carter hundreds of dollars, something for which the Gainesville team has already been investigated. Carter feels guilty but accepts the money. When Alex tears his ACL in a football game, he miraculously recovers.  Alex confesses that he is taking steroids to help his healing process. Although Carter doesn’t agree with Alex’s decision, Carter promises to keep it a secret.

Back home, as Travis graduates eighth grade and enters high school, the pressure of keeping a scholarship gets more intense. He is chosen as the high school quarterback, but he feels used because the coach just wants a job at Gainesville University. For the three players, everything is going according to plan until Alex collapses from an apparent heart failure at a football practice and dies. Carter knows the real reason for Alex’s death—the steroids—but chooses not to tarnish Alex’s name by sharing his secret.

Shaken by Alex’s death, Travis’s skills deteriorate. During a game, Travis injures his elbow and must begin a slow, painful recovery. After a devastating loss of a game that costs Travis’s team the championship, Walter Henry offers Travis steroids. Travis hesitantly accepts the steroids, but he decides to ask for Carter’s advice on whether or not he should take them. Carter, knowing the steroids killed Alex, blows up and attacks Walter. Although Walter is investigated, nothing happens to him; however, Coach Goddard resigns, and Travis’ scholarship is withdrawn. Even though Travis is heartbroken, he is happy to be relieved of the pressure of keeping a scholarship.

Football players and fans will enjoy Top Prospect because it explores different aspects of football. The story explores multiple football issues including steroid use, the never-ending pressure to perform well, and under-the-radar payment from sponsors. Readers will relate to Travis’s, Carter’s, and Alex’s passions for football. However, the games and practices are tediously described, which might bore readers. In an afterword, Paul Volponi recounts a few real-life stories of eighth graders being offered college scholarships that inspired this book.

In addition to football issues, Travis also goes through personal issues. Travis’s parents are divorced, and he has to deal with his dad’s emotional and physical distance. The story is told mostly from Travis’s point of view, but there are also several short chapters from Carter’s perspective. Carter is initially frustrated to always have Travis tailing behind him, but the time they spend together ends up strengthening their relationship. Besides his brotherly bond and love of football, Travis is not a relatable character. He overcomes many conflicts, and he learns not to push himself too hard and to always be honest with Carter. However, Travis does not change as a person. He is self-centered and is never humbled. There is no real plot to the story, and the book ends abruptly. However, Top Prospect will suit older readers looking for a football-intense story.

Sexual Content

  • Travis recounts a date with Lyn, a girl he has a crush on. Travis “had even worked up the nerve to kiss her by the end of it. My first real”
  • Travis goes to a party where “five or six cheerleaders kissed [him] hello on the cheek.”
  • Travis, a freshman, is going on a date with a sophomore. His mom has “the talk” with him and tells him, “This is an older girl. I just want to make sure that you’re ready for these relationships.”
  • At the movies, Travis runs into Lyn, who is on a date with a junior boy named PJ. Before the movie starts, PJ “gave [Lyn] a quick kiss,” which makes Travis jealous.

Violence

  • During a Gator’s football game, Carter blocked a defender. “You could hear the huhh of air leaving that defender’s lungs as Carter flattened him like a pancake.”
  • During a Gator’s football game, Alex tears his ACL. “Alex caught a cleat in the turf while he was making a sharp cut. His left knee twisted with a ton of torque, buckling beneath him. He fell to the field screaming in pain, with both hands clamped around his knee.” As he is brought to the locker room on a cart, he “slammed the cart’s metal railing so hard [Travis] thought he might have broken his hand.”
  • During a game, Carter gets tackled in mid-air. “At the height of [Carter’s] leap, a defender hit him in the thigh, sending Carter into a mid-air backflip. He crashed into the ground.”
  • During a game, Travis takes his first sack of the season. “A heavyweight lineman…pounded me pretty hard. But I went with his momentum and didn’t try to fight his force. I bounded up off the ground right away.”
  • During a game, one of Travis’s D-backs “absolutely drilled” the opposing team’s receiver, “burying his shoulder pads into the receiver’s chest and causing the loudest pop [Travis had] heard in a long time.”
  • During a game, Travis decides to ram into a senior linebacker. Travis “lowered [his] right shoulder and stuck it square into his midsection. The crowd let out a roar as my body shook from the collision. But that all-state linebacker flew back almost as far as I did.”
  • During a game, Travis dives for a football that lands close to his feet. Travis “got to the football first and tucked it beneath [him] when the Bruiser slammed into [his] left elbow. A bolt of pain shot through [his] entire body. Then it happened again and again as other players piled on top.”
  • Believing Coach Harkey, the Gainesville fitness coach, gave Travis the steroids, Carter “grabbed [Coach Harkey], running Harkey back against a wall… [Carter] tried to shove that vial down Harkey’s throat.”
  • When Carter realizes Walter gave Travis the steroids, Carter drives to Walter’s dealership. Carter “aimed the car straight for [Walter], jumping the curb… By the time Walter looked up, [Carter] was almost on top of him… [Carter] slammed on the breaks, stopping just a few feet away, nearly pinning him against the glass of the showroom.” After Carter gets out of his car, he “grabbed Walter by the collar and rammed him against the hood of the car.” Then, Carter “punched [Walter] in the solar plexus.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Alex tells Carter he is taking PEDs to help his knee recover quickly.
  • Alex explodes on Carter and Travis for talking too loudly while he is trying to sleep. Carter knows this is a side effect of Alex taking PEDs. In his inner thoughts, Carter thinks, “PEDs—that was the only way I could explain what I’d witnessed.”
  • Walter Henry tries to give Travis steroids to help his elbow heal. Walter justifies using steroids by saying, “Travis, steroids are everywhere in society. They’re in the feed we give chickens and cows to make them healthier. These are for humans… The mildest you can take. Just a few steps above aspirin or Tylenol. But instead of making pain, they heal the problem at the source and promote growth… It’s what plenty of scholarship athletes do to compete when they’re injured.” Walter gives Travis “two vials of pills.”
  • When Walter initially offers Travis steroids, Travis tells him, “I can’t. They’re drugs. Anyway, it’d be cheating.” Later that day, though, Travis “talked [himself] into believing [he] really wouldn’t be cheating… taking steroids would be about getting healthy, not about becoming a better player. [He] already had the talent in the first place.”
  • Walter hands Travis the steroids and gives directions for taking them. Walter “produced two vials of pills. ‘It’s a seven-week cycle,’ [Walter] explained. ‘The first four weeks, you take the ones in the container with the blue stripe. The next three weeks, take the ones from the red. They’re stronger.’”

Language

  • When Travis is offered a scholarship, Carter wonders, “Why was I busting my butt in the weight room and staying up nights studying the playbook?”
  • When Travis does an ESPN SportsCenter, his mom asks if it’s live. When he nods, she mouths, “My God!”
  • Damon, a member of Travis’ football team, fumbles a ball and calls himself “a moron” and “a fat idiot.”
  • Alex tells Carter they need to talk, and Carter wonders if it’s about Alex’s mom or “God forbid, somebody from the NCAA heard about Walter’s money.”
  • After a bad first half of Travis’s football game, his coach furiously yells at the players, “If you’re going to get your butts whipped, at least keep your heads up!”
  • When Travis shows Carter the vial of steroid pills, Carter asks him, “Who gave you this crap?”
  • When Carter realizes Walter Henry gave Travis the steroids, he says, “God, I should have seen it.”
  • When Carter tells Coach Harkey he knew Alex was taking steroids, Harkey says, “Relationships aren’t easy. Lord, I only wish I’d had a better one with Alex Moore.”
  • Travis “wished to God [he] could have been there when Carter beat [Walter’s] behind.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • In testimony to Alex, Coach Goddard says, “[Alex] was totally committed to fight back from his injury and to play to the very best of his God-given abilities… I’m sure that his spirit and memory will remain a vital part of this team.”
  • Carter says, “After the EMTs put Alex in the ambulance, we all held hands in a circle and got down on one knee to pray.”
  • After swearing he will never tell anyone about Alex taking PEDs, Carter says, “God bless you, fam.”
  • After he dies, Alex’s jersey hangs inside his open locker. “Players passed by it and crossed themselves or bowed their heads, like it was a sort of shrine.” Travis “ran [his] fingers over the fabric, trying to feel Alex’s spirit.”
  • Carter tells Alex’s mom he took steroids. She responds, “I’ll let God judge my son’s mistakes.”

by Jill Johnson

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive. He and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built. George can’t resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it keeps getting him into trouble.

Then the impossible happens: the Titanic hits an iceberg and water rushes in. George is stranded, alone and afraid, on the sinking skip. He’s always gotten out of trouble before…but how can he survive this?

Readers will relate to George, whose curiosity gets him into trouble. Because George loves to explore, the reader is able to see different areas of the Titanic. In the end, George’s curiosity helps him save his sister and aunt. Even though the story focuses on the Titanic, George is also dealing with the death of his mother, which has caused friction between George and his father. However, George’s relationship with his sister is sweet and adds some humor to the story. Because George has many facets to his personality, the conclusion has several surprises that give depth to the story.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 answers the broad questions about the day’s events without giving readers a graphic image of the passengers’ deaths. When the ship begins to sink, George’s curiosity and perseverance help keep him and others safe. Even though the story is historical fiction, the ending doesn’t focus on those who died. Instead, the story leaves the reader with a sense of loss and with a sense of hope. In the end, George and his father begin to repair their relationship.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 uses a relatable character and suspense to answer readers’ questions about the sinking of the Titanic. The story is accessible to all readers because Tarshis uses short paragraphs and simple sentences. Realistic black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story and break up the text. While the story weaves interesting facts through, the book also ends with more facts about the Titanic. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 uses kid-friendly descriptions to educate readers about the Titanic and can be used as a springboard for learning more about the sinking of the ship. Proficient readers who would like to learn more about the Titanic should add Survival Tails: The Titanic by Katrina Charman to their must-read list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • George snuck into the baggage room, trying to find a mummy that was rumored to be on the ship. While there, “something leaped out of the shadows and pushed him to the ground.” George sees a man “with glittering blue eyes and a scar running down the side of his face.” Before the man could hurt George, “there was a tremendous rumbling noise… A trunk tumbled off a shelf and hit the scar-faced man on the head.”
  • When the Titanic begins to sink, a steward locks a gate so the third class passengers cannot go up deck. As the passengers begin to get rowdy, the steward “took a pistol from his pocket. His hand shook as he waved it toward the crowd.”
  • George’s aunt and sister are able to get on a lifeboat, but George is left on the ship’s deck. As the Titanic was sinking, “Lounge chairs sailed past them and crashed over the side. People clung to the rails. A few slipped and were swept overboard.” A man helps George jump into the water and swim away from the sinking ship.
  • When the ship goes down, George hears “people calling for help. More and more people, screaming and yelling, hundreds of voices swirling together like a howling wind.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Snowmen At Night

Have you ever wondered about the secret life of a snowman? Maybe one morning his grin is a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have drooped, and you’ve thought. . . What do snowmen do at night?

Now is your chance to marvel at their magical frosty adventures, as roly-poly snowmen slide away to the park for an evening of wintertime merrymaking. Once the sun goes down, let the snowman fun begin! And just to add to the wintertime mystery, Mark Buehner has hidden the following in his paintings: a cat, a rabbit, a Santa face, and a Tyrannosaur Rex.

Snowmen At Night is a simple story about the fun snowmen have when everyone is asleep. Told in rhyme with entertaining imagery, readers will enjoy seeing snowmen sipping hot coca, skating on a frozen pond, and having a snowball fight. Most pages have one sentence, which makes Snowman At Night a wonderful read-aloud bedtime story. To add to the story’s appeal, the text is not always linear; it occasionally swoops along with the snowmen.

Even though Snowman At Night is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The story’s illustrations are bright, colorful, and the snowmen often look like they are ready to jump off the page. To add to the fun, the reader can search for hidden images within the illustrations. Snowman At Night is a fabulously fun story that will keep its appeal year after year. Grab a hot chocolate, snuggle up with a little one, and let Snowman At Night show you what fun winter can be. Readers who want to add more winter fun should add A Snowy Nap by Jan Brett to their reading list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

 

Lost in the Snow

Fluff, a barn cat, is desperate to find a home of her own. Sadly, no one seems to want her. Then a little girl named Ella comes to the farm where Fluff lives. Ella begs her mother to let her take the kitten home, but her mother says, “No.” What happens to kittens that nobody wants?

Lost in the Snow alternates between Fluff’s and Ella’s points of view. While most people think Fluff is scrawny and ugly, Ella sees the beauty of Fluff and she is devastated because her parents won’t let her bring Fluff home. Soon Ella’s parents give in, but when they return to the farm, they discover that Fluff has run away.

Fluff becomes lost as she decides to look for Ella. While Fluff has always been shy and skittish, she soon learns to stick up for herself. While the conclusion is predictable, readers will love the happy ending because Fluff and Ella finally find each other.

Animal lovers will enjoy Lost in the Snow with its simple plot and realistic conflicts. Cute black and white illustrations appear every one to four pages, which helps break up the text. Younger readers will need help reading Lost in the Snow because of the advanced vocabulary and sentence structure. While all of the Pet Rescue Adventures are similar, each book has different characters and enough plot changes to keep the stories interesting. Holly Webb has written 40+ animal stories, which will keep readers busy for many, many hours. However, animal lovers may also want to check out The Rescue Princesses Series by Paula Harrison for more animal rescue adventures.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When the adults aren’t looking, a boy “held Fluff out at arm’s length and made a disgusting face at her. . . He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and poked her angrily. . . He made a growling noise.”
  • When a boy is mean to Fluff, her “fur stood up on end. She hissed angrily at Nathan, then sank a mouthful of sharp little teeth into the finger that he was poking her with. He yelped and dropped her.” Fluff runs away.
  • Fluff is standing on a wall when a tomcat “made a low growling noise as he inched toward her. Then, in one quick movement, he lifted one of his enormous paws and cuffed Fluff around the head, sending her flying. Dazed, Fluff landed badly on pavement below.” Fluff is scared but uninjured.
  • Fluff sneaks into a store and begins eating dog food. Then a dog “chased Fluff out onto the pavement, his teeth only inches from her tail. . . [Fluff] stood nose to nose with the little dog and snarled, her tail twitching. Then as he started to bark again, she shot out a paw and raked her tiny claws down his muzzle.” The dog’s owner throws a newspaper at Fluff and she runs away.
  • A fox “grinned at Fluff, showing his enormous teeth. Fluff was trapped, but she wasn’t giving up. . . She fluffed up her fur and hissed defiantly, as much to make herself feel brave as anything else. . . Fluff batted at it angrily with one tiny paw. It was like hitting a rock.” Fluff and the fox end up becoming friends.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • A boy calls Fluffy a “ratty little thing.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None
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