AR Test – Page 55 – Sneak Peek Books

The Dragon Thief

Jaxon had just one job—to return three baby dragons to the realm of magic. When he got there, only two dragons were left in the bag. His best friend’s sister, Kavita, is a dragon thief!

Kavita only wanted what was best for the baby dragon. Now every time she feeds it, the dragon grows and grows! How can she possibly keep it secret? Even worse, stealing the dragon has upset the balance between the worlds, and the gates to the other realm have shut tight! Jaxon needs all the help he can get to find Kavita, outsmart a trickster named Blue, and return the baby dragon to its true home.

The sequel to Dragons in a Bag continues Jaxon’s story; however, many of the characters from the first book only make a very brief appearance. Instead, The Dragon Thief jumps back and forth between Jaxon’s and Kavita’s points of view. Jaxon and Kavita both want to return the dragon to the realm of magic, but they don’t work together until the very end. Much of the story focuses on both Jaxon and Kavita trying to figure out how to return the dragon. With talking animals, magic, and a cast of helpful characters, the story has many interesting elements.

Readers may be disappointed that the dragon rarely appears in the story. However, several new characters add interest to the story. Jaxon meets a feisty fairy and gains the help of a classmate. At one point Jaxon thinks, “A week ago, a talking pigeon would have freaked me out. But over the past few days, I’ve encountered a very determined squirrel, actual dinosaurs, a talking rat, and three baby dragons. I’ve learned to take it all in stride.”

The Dragon Thief hints at some important themes, but they are undeveloped. Several times the story mentions slavery and freedom, but the information is not integrated into the story and seems random. Jaxon’s family only appears at the end of the story, but he thinks, “This is my family. Sure, we’re different from other families. Ma’s a witch, and I’m her apprentice. Mama’s a widow, and Trub’s reformed thief. We’ve all made mistakes—big and small—but we stick together because that’s what you do when you love someone.”

The Dragon Thief has some interesting elements, but the undeveloped plot will leave readers with many questions. One positive aspect of the story is that both Jaxon and Kavita are diverse characters who want what’s best for the dragon. Overall, The Dragon Thief has enough mystery and magic to interest fantasy fans, but the abrupt ending and the many characters may confuse some readers.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

At the end of the story, Ma tells Jaxon, “Then let’s get this party started boy! Bring me a beer!” Ma means a root beer, but readers won’t know that unless they’ve read the first book in the series.”

Language

As Jaxon is walking in a park, he almost steps on “a pile of dog crap.”
Kavita’s brother tells his friend that Kavita is a brat and a “pain in the butt.”
A boy tells Jaxon that “a lot of kids at our school are jerks.” Later, the same boy says Blue is a jerk.
While looking for Blue, Jaxon asks a rat for help. The rat tells Jaxon, “Blue’s a nasty piece of work. Trash, really…He hasn’t got a selfless bone in his freaky blue body.”
A boy calls Blue a creep.
Three times, someone calls the trickster Blue a fool.
Blue calls Jaxon and his friends “rotten brats.”

Supernatural

Ma is a witch who can travel to another dimension where magic exists.
Kavita and Aunty go to see Bejan, an astrologer and psychic. Bejan explains, “Jyotisha, or the science of light, involves the study of the stars and planets.” Bejan uses a dragon’s birthday to give Kavita and Aunty advice.
Jaxon can talk to animals.
Jeff, a fairy, “raises his arms once more, but this time when he lowers them, a circle of blue light appears. It’s as if the fairy traced a bubble in the air and then willed it into existence.” The bubble allows Jaxon to talk to someone who is in another dimension.
Blue takes animals from another dimension and turns them into tattoos. Blue explains, “These are my guests… We share space and show respect… Real tattoos are permanent, but these…are just temporary.” Later, Blue’s tattoos are taken away. “We see movement beneath his clothing and hear a faint clamor as Sis extracts the creatures tattooed on Blue’s skin. One by one the mermaid, parrot, sea serpent, unicorn, and others peel off and float toward Sis. Still in miniature, the creatures huddle together and are soon encased in a clear spear that forms above Sis’s outstretched palm.” The creatures are taken back to the realm of magic.
Blue uses the tattoos to give him power. He creates “potions, spells, curses, and hexes. Everything humans most desire—love, wealth, revenge, success. Put it in a bottle and slap on a price tag.”
A dragon appears and then changes into a “human form.”
Jaxon is given a potion that will wake up Ma. He is instructed to put three drops in a glass of water “before the moon wanes.” When Ma drinks the potion, she awakens.
In order to transport the dragon to the proper diminution, “Sis points at the creature and draws a circle around it once, twice, and by the third time another elastic sphere has formed. Unlike Blue’s tattoos, however, the dragon doesn’t accept its fate. It whines and claws against the sphere, but to no avail.”

Spiritual Content

None

Brute-Cake

With no monsters to fight, Alexander and his friends have drifted apart. The Super Secret Monster Patrol used to protect the town from monsters. Without monsters, Alexander is dreading summer vacation. In order to keep Alexander busy, his father has signed him up for a summer camp at the library.

But then Alexander starts finding super creepy monster cards. He’s convinced that the monsters are back, but Rip and Nikki don’t believe him. When Rip invites his friends over to see his new house, the kids decide to explore the attic. When a brute-cake jumps out of a can, the friends know that they must fight the monster together.

Fans of The Notebook of Doom Series will look forward to reading about the S.S.M.P.’s return. The same monster-fighting friends come together to fight new, non-scary monsters. Instead of having a Notebook of Doom to explain the monsters, Alexander keeps finding monster cards that have important information about each monster. Each card is illustrated on one page and has pictures of the monsters, their habitat, their diet, and more exciting information.

Even though the brute-cake wants to turn other monsters into statues, the spooky scenes are more funny than scary. Every page has large, black-and-white pictures that bring the action to life. The large text is comprised of short sentences and easy vocabulary. The Binder of Doom is a companion series; however, readers who have not read The Notebook of Doom will be able to understand Brute-Cake’s plot. The story’s dialogue and use of onomatopoeias make Brute-Cake a great book to read aloud. Full of friendship, mystery, and a funny fighting fruitcake, Brute-Cake will be devoured by independent readers. Readers who like monsters and adventure should add The Yeti Files by Kevin Sherry to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Rip, Alexander, and Nikki find a monster brute-cake. The brute-cake heats up the kitchen and then “the cake swelled up until it was the size of a baby elephant. Then – WHAM – it socked Rip in the jaw with nut-covered fist. . . Nikki jabbed the brute-cake with her spatula. Crumbs flew everywhere. . . The cake shoved Nikki into Alexander and Rip. They stumbled backward into a rack of pots and pans.” The scene is described over two pages.
When Nikki charges the brute-cake, the monster “blasted Nikki with a gush of warm glaze. Instantly, she became a shiny white statue.”
Rip and Alexander go after the brute-cake. “The monster yanked an enormous candied walnut from its own gut. WHOOMP! It chucked the nut at Rip.” Rip takes an ant out of his pocket. The ant grows to a gigantic size. The brute-cake tries to crush Alexander. “The brute-cake jumped in the air, directly above Alexander. As the monster came down, Alexander rolled sideways. . .”
The brute-cake charged towards Alexander. “Alexander dove aside at the last second. The giant cake rammed into the drill-pickle’s pointy drill and—PLOMPFF! The monster crumbled to pieces.” The last battle scene is described over five pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Rip calls Alexander a “weenie” one time.
Crud is used three times. For example, Alexander thought, “This crust crud on my shirt must be icing!”

Supernatural

While in Rip’s attic, Alexander opens a tin can. Then, “Plonk! The tin burst open. A small brownish creature leaps out and smacked into Alexander’s shoulder.” The creature runs away.
Alexander and his friends find a brute-cake that is “eighty times tougher than a regular fruitcake.” The monster is “bumpy, brown and covered with shiny bits of fruit and nuts.”
After the brute-cake falls apart, Nikki comes back to life.

Spiritual Content

None

Tumbling

Tumbling takes place over the course of a two-day gymnastics meet, but it’s not just any meet—this meet determines who will represent the United States at the Olympics. The story is told from the perspectives of five different girls, each of whom deals with her own struggles.

Leigh is a closeted lesbian and worries about the implications if her secret gets out. Grace has a distorted view of what a perfect gymnast is and ends up paying the price. Monica is a nobody and feels she isn’t good enough to be there. Wilhelmina’s shot at the Olympics was taken from her four years ago because of a rule change, and now she is determined to prove she deserves to go more than anyone else. Camille was injured four years ago in a car crash and is making a comeback to gymnastics, but she can’t decide if this is what she truly wants. Is the Olympics worth sacrificing her boyfriend and her happiness?

Although each girl’s problem is unique, they all struggle with the complexity of competing against friends. Everyone is paranoid; no one’s words can be trusted. Tumbling explores the enormous pressures that come with gymnastics—on bodies, mental states, friendships, and relationships.

Tumbling is an intense book with routines so detailed that readers will hold their breaths as they read them. Readers will cheer when the girls land their routines perfectly and ache when they make mistakes. Readers who know nothing about gymnastics will be able to understand Tumbling, but there is a glossary in the back of the book to help with the gymnastics terminology if needed. Rather than focusing on the intricacy of the sport, the story focuses more on the girls’ struggles. Readers will relate to the girls’ problems, which include sexuality, eating disorders, confidence, family relationships, and boyfriends.

The characters invoke sympathy, but none of them are truly likable. They are petty and constantly play mind games with each other. Because the story takes place over two days, there isn’t enough time for the girls to develop. The book ends abruptly and leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. Overall, Tumbling is best suited for those looking to read an entertaining book. Readers who want a mix of spots, teenage drama, and intense competition will enjoy Tumbling.

Sexual Content

Leigh has a crush on Camille and fantasizes about her a couple of times. Leigh is distracted at the meet and thinks about “Camille’s cushy lips.” Camille comes to Leigh’s room with the other gymnasts to watch an interview. “It wasn’t going to be like it had been in Leigh’s fantasies last night. When Camille had sat down with Leigh on her bed and told her she was dumping her boyfriend because she’d realized she thought Leigh was so much hotter. And then had laid down next to her and. . . ”
After Leigh performs a perfect floor routine, she hugs teammate after teammate until eventually, Camille hugs her. “Camille was hugging her, actually pressed against her body, like Leigh had imagined so many times in the privacy of her own head.”
Dylan Patrick, a member of a famous boy band, messages Grace and says she’s “hot.” He, Grace, and Leigh send flirty messages throughout the book, such as, “It means a lot to know someone is watching me. Especially someone as cute as you.”
Monica flashes back to when she got waxed “down there.” She describes how “…the wax job from a few days ago had replaced her pubic hair with angry red welts.” She remembers she lay “half-naked” and “her crotch burned like any other fifteen-year-olds.”
During the meet, Monica is uncomfortable being “basically naked” and having “every line on her body on display.”
A doctor asks Camille, who is sixteen, if she menstruates.
Camille lists the things that were different about her before she met her boyfriend. “Different height. Different weight. Different voice. Virgin.”
Camille talks about how she has grown since she took a break from gymnastics by saying, “…a woman of five feet and one inch with breasts and hips.”
Wilhelmina almost wishes she could be a mean gymnast, someone who would “message Dylan Patrick something suggestive tonight to get under Grace’s skin.”
There are several instances of Wilhelmina fantasizing about kissing her boyfriend, such as, “She’d wrap her arms around his and press her lips to his.”
Wilhelmina and her boyfriend almost kiss. Wilhelmina’s “lips were just centimeters away from his. She could feel her breath on his mouth.” They don’t kiss because he says he can wait until Wilhelmina is done with the Olympics.
Leigh thinks Grace wraps herself in multiple towels because she didn’t want Leigh to see “a bit of skin besides her face and her feet.”

Violence

Grace has an eating disorder. She “pared herself down to three hundred or five hundred calories a day just to be a bee to keep up with the skinnies.” She worries Leigh will “see how far my collarbone is sticking out today, afraid you’d notice that my legs are like twigs growing out of the hotel carpet.” She eventually confesses she doesn’t eat to Leigh and Camille, with the intention of confessing to her dad, and promises she will get help.
Wilhelmina sees evidence of Grace’s eating disorder a few times throughout the book and is saddened by it, but chooses not to do anything about it. She sees Grace throw away an entire plate of food twice. She notices how skinny her body is a few times. “Wilhelmina swore she could see through Grace’s quadriceps to her femur. Even when Grace was bent over, her hip bones were visible.”
In a flashback that takes place four years ago, Camille is ecstatic after making it onto the Olympic team. She is having an out-of-body experience when she gets into a car crash. “…almost like she wasn’t in the car but was instead floating about it, watching and saving the joy for later. And it was good she wasn’t in her body at that moment. Because that’s probably why she didn’t feel her head go through the windshield.” Her doctor says gymnastics caused “‘…the stress fractures in your back that caused it to break in three places during the crash.’”
Gymnastics is discussed as being dangerous to your health. Camille’s doctor tells her, “‘It’s gymnastics that almost killed you.’” Camille thinks, “Everyone had some sort of scare when she fell head-first off the bars or whacked her back into the balance beam from three feet in the air.”
Grace suggests to the reporters Leigh is a lesbian, and Leigh gets angry. “Leigh was going to slap her. If it weren’t for the cameras still in the vicinity, her hand would be imprinted on Grace’s face.”
Grace almost falls off the bar due to her eating disorder. During her routine, “her body almost crumpled off the bar and whacked it before falling 8.2 feet to the floor.”
Leigh falls off the beam and gets injured. “A hammer bashed into her forehead just above her right eye. Her body stiffened and her blood was sharp and painful, like razors running through her veins, and her eye was going to fall out and roll on the floor, that floor, which was coming up beneath her limbs much too quickly, and then, thankfully, she blacked out.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Leigh and Grace watch as Monica picks her wedgie. They say she needs to “‘buy better butt glue’” and call her the “Wedgie Queen.” They continue to joke about this a few more times throughout the book.
God, Oh God, Oh my God, and For God’s sakes are used frequently as exclamations.
Christ is used once as an exclamation.
Leigh’s coach calls a reporter an asshole.
Leigh worries she is a bitch on the mat.
Profanity is used sparingly throughout the book. Profanity includes: shit, bullshit, damn it, damn, badass, freaking, and kick ass.
“For the hell of it” is used once.
A girl says, “That was some effed-up stuff.”
Wilhelmina tells Camille to “cut the crap.”
“Get her butt back on the beam” and “Kicking butt” are each used once.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

Grace meditates before her beam routine. “It would look like she was praying, but Grace didn’t pray…It was her own body she counted on, not some Great Unknown Creature in the Sky.”
Camille made the Olympic team four years ago, but she had to withdraw due to a car accident. She describes her moment of happiness in the car as “this hoped for, prayed for moment was almost otherworldly, almost like she wasn’t in the car but was instead floating above it, watching and saving the joy for later.”
Leigh is tired of being mean during the gymnastics meet, so she promises to be nice and still win the meet. “So when Leigh had closed her eyes last night, she had made a promise to the Gods of Gymnastics or the Universe or whoever was in charge out there. Tomorrow, I will be me, and I will still win. I will win while being nice.”
After Leigh falls, Grace says, “I think I accidentally prayed for it.”
After Leigh falls, Monica tells Grace and Ted, “You aren’t gods.”

by Jill Johnson

Up for Air

Annabelle is relieved to be finished with seventh grade, and she’s ready to swim the summer away with her two best friends, Jeremy and Mia. In school, Annabelle struggles due to a learning disability, but when it comes to swimming, she’s the fastest girl in middle school. In fact, she is so fast that she is recruited to join the high school summer swim team. She is excited to hang out with her new teammates, especially Conner, a cute sophomore who just can’t seem to take his eyes off her. However, after an accident that leaves her unable to swim, she realizes how fragile her popularity really is. She starts to question if Conner really likes her, who her real friends are, and who she is without swimming.

Morrison addresses difficult topics through the eyes of an incredibly perceptive thirteen-year-old. Annabelle wants to express her sympathy to others, such as Jeremy’s older sister, Kayla, who is recovering from an eating disorder. Although Annabelle has never had an eating disorder, she understands how hard it must be for Kayla to wear a swimsuit or go to an ice cream parlor. She tells Kayla, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must have been really hard. And I’m really happy you’re better.”

Annabelle also struggles with the changes in her home life. Annabelle’s parents got divorced four years ago due to her father’s drinking problem. Since then, her father moved away and her mother remarried. Annabelle feels guilty for having a good relationship with her stepfather when she isn’t even sure she wants a relationship with her biological father.

Although Annabelle is a competitive swimmer, Up for Air hardly talks about the sport itself. Instead, it focuses on how being on the high school swim team affects Annabelle, her friends, and her family. Even though Annabelle makes mistakes throughout the book, readers will still love her as she grapples with the changes that come with adolescence. Like many girls, Annabelle struggles with insecurities, anxiety, and the desire to be liked. Up for Air explores the themes of self-confidence, friendship, and trust, making it the perfect bridge between elementary and young adult books.

Sexual Content

Annabelle describes her new swimsuit, which is more revealing than her previous ones. “The straps were thin and the front dipped low enough that she could see the freckle in the middle of her chest – the one most of her shirts covered up. Her other racing suits flattened her out, but this one didn’t. And the leg openings were cut extra high, which meant her legs looked extra long.”
At the pool, Annabelle notices she looks more like the high schoolers now that her body has changed. She is excited when Conner looks at her in her swimsuit and tells his friend she is “all grown up.”
It is implied that Annabelle cannot buy a shirt because it is too revealing. “When Annabelle had stepped out of the dressing room, Mia’s mom had said, ‘Va-va-voom! Honey, I don’t think you can wear that shirt to school!’”
Elisa, an older swimmer, tells Annabelle, “Coach Colette was practically salivating about how she’ll get to coach you once you’re fourteen.” Conner says, “What’s that now? Who’s salivating?” Elisa responds, “If anybody says anything that could in any way be twisted around to sound inappropriate, there you are.”
Annabelle admires her swim coach, Colette’s, body. “Annabelle hoped that when she did peak, her body would look a lot like Colette’s. People talked about how hot, pretty, and strong Colette was. Annabelle wanted people to talk about her like that, too.”
Annabelle invites Mia to get ice cream, so Mia can see the guy who was flirting with her last time they went.
At lunch, Annabelle sits with a few high schoolers. They are playing a game where one person names two people, and the others have to choose one. The high schoolers tell Annabelle the purpose of the game is to choose who they would want to “spend an afternoon alone with.” Annabelle doesn’t understand the underlying meaning.
When a guy asks Annabelle to choose between two guys, she says, “I don’t know. Why don’t you choose first?” She feels bad for making this joke. She knows they only laugh because they’re uncomfortable with homosexuality.
At a meeting with her principal to discuss her low test scores, Annabelle reflects that while her body is developing earlier than her peers, her brain is developing later than her peers.
When someone suggests going swimming, Annabelle notices no one has a swimsuit. “Were they going to swim in their clothes? Or – ack – not in their clothes?” In the end, they don’t swim.

Violence

Annabelle and her friends attempt to sneak into the backyard of a famous director. They hoist her up to unlock the gate, but she falls when the alarm goes off. “Her left knee smacked one of the iron bars halfway down, and her right ankle twisted under her weight when her foot hit the ground. But that was nothing compared to the pain that knifed through her right wrist when she put down her hand to stop her fall.”
Annabelle looks at her injured wrist a few minutes after falling. Her wrist “had puffed up pretty badly, and the tender skin on the side of her thumb was turning blue.”
The morning after she injures her wrist, “her wrist and thumb were even bigger, and the tender skin was pink and purple, like the ugliest sunset imaginable. She couldn’t rotate her hand at all. She could barely even flex her fingers.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Annabelle’s biological father had a drinking problem. She flashes back to one day when he came to pick her up from swim practice. He was swaying and talking “funny, as if he had marshmallows inside his cheeks.” Annabelle’s mom drove her home.
When Annabelle’s dad still lived with her and her mom, Annabelle would “wake up in the middle of the night and find him sitting on the couch with a glass of amber liquid in his hand.”
Annabelle remembers her mom telling her dad, “I’m worried about the drinking. I’m worried you haven’t started looking for another job. I’m worried you don’t seem like your old self.”
Annabelle goes to a party where a few high schoolers are drinking beer. Annabelle does not drink.
Annabelle has “never been able to forget the way her dad had slurred late at night or the way he swayed and couldn’t focus his eyes on her that terrible day when he showed up drunk at swim practice.”

Language

Jeremy tells Annabelle, “I can’t believe those dicks left you!”
Mia tells Annabelle, “It sounds like you really treated Jeremy like crap.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

by Jill Johnson

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Vol 1

Link is a simple boy in a small, peaceful village. However, he lived a very different life before he came to the village less than two years ago. Before, he had been training with the sword to become a border guard. Then, in a tragic accident, Link’s entire town was sucked into the blackness by a Death God and vanished. Link fled in terror and has been hiding ever since, though he hasn’t been able to escape his guilt.

When monsters invade Link’s safe haven, he springs into action to defend his new home. But these strange creatures are nothing like Link has ever seen before. Will he be able to redeem himself and save his new home? Or is Link doomed to watch another town be swallowed by the darkness?

Link himself is an enjoyable and relatable hero. He has a sense of humor despite his tragic past. He tries to be patient with the children of the village, and when he loses his temper, he regrets it later. However, the other supporting characters in the story are undeveloped caricatures.

There are some mild violent and sexual images, though these do not abound. Specifically, the monsters and Death God may be frightening to younger readers, and parents may not appreciate the bikini-clad princess that appears in the first chapter. However, for the 13+ recommended age range, the images in this graphic novel are much less graphic and sexual than other popular teen graphic novels. Still, the graphic novel is noticeably darker than the video game, such as when the Death God is introduced, Link suffers a gruesome injury.

For fans of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess video game, this graphic novel will be an enjoyable read. Though the graphic novel diverges from the video game, there are enough similarities that gamers will recognize and enjoy. Link is given a different backstory in this graphic novel, which provides enough of a difference that it is not simply a repeat of the game. For readers who have not played the video game and are meeting Link for the first time, they may find that the plot drags. While there is plenty of action at the end, the first half of the book meanders around, introducing characters and aspects of Link’s life from the video game. While interesting enough to gamers, there might not be enough action to hook new readers.

Sexual Content

The Twilight Princess, who only appears in chapter one, is dressed in a bikini top and sarong skirt that bares most of her legs.
When Link gets rammed by a goat, he thinks, “It’s weird for Ordon goats to be so aggressive. Is it mating season?”

Violence

The sorcerer Zant attacks the Twilight Princess. There is a giant explosion as he overpowers her.
A village girl is shot in the shoulder with an arrow and then kidnapped.
Link fights the monster trying to kidnap a village girl. The fight is depicted over 11 pages. At the end of it, Link’s arm is cut off.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Link lives in a world with magic and monsters.
The sorcerer, Zant, turns the people who live in the Twilight Realm into monsters to serve his evil plans.
When Link pulls a sword from a stone, his village is sucked into darkness by a terrifying Death God, who appears like a skeleton with glowing eyes.
There are drawings of goblins, skeletons, and other monsters that invade the realm and terrify the villagers. Most of this attack is not shown. One of the monsters threatens the people who don’t live in the twilight realm, saying, “I will curse them all.”
When Link travels to the Twilight Realm, he is transformed into a giant wolf.

Spiritual Content

The villagers speak of the spirits that protect them several times. For instance, a village woman tells Link, “The spirits give strength to all manner of things. They bring light and consciousness to all things.”
There is a legend that when evil people tried to use magic to take over the land, “the goddesses grew angry at this affront and sent four spirits of light to seal the upstarts’ magical power away in the shadow crystal. Furthermore, the mirror of shadow prevented these wizards from entering the world of light. They were exiled to the twilight realm.”
A spirit of light heals Link’s arm after it is cut off in a battle.

by Morgan Lynn

The Storm Dragon

Sophy was picking apples in an orchard when a cute dragon falls from the sky. The injured little dragon, named Cloudy, is in danger. The queen and the captain of the guard don’t like magical creatures. Sir Fitzroy and his guards are searching everywhere for Cloudy. They want to lock him in the dungeon.

With the help of a magical stone, Sophy is able to talk to Cloudy. It will take courage and creativity to keep Cloudy safe. With the help of a friend, Sophy knows how she can help heal Cloudy’s injured wing…but how can Sophy sneak Cloudy out of the castle, find the healing plant, and save her cute purple friends?

The Dragon Storm shows that you don’t have to be royal in order to be special. Sophy is a castle maid, but she is still able to keep Cloudy safe. Sophy’s kind nature shines as she smuggles Cloudy into the castle. Suspense is created as Sir Fitzroy and his guards hunt for the dragon; however, his exploits are silly and will cause readers to giggle. Readers will enjoy seeing Cloudy using his magic to stop Sir Fitzroy from yelling at Sophy. With a cute dragon, a sweet friendship, and a fairy tale setting, The Dragon Storm will delight younger readers.

The story uses easy vocabulary, simple sentence structure, and black and white illustrations to make The Storm Dragon accessible to younger readers. Illustrations appear every 1-3 pages, and they help readers understand the story’s plot. Readers will fall in love with Sophy and will be excited to read the next book in the series, The Sky Unicorn. Much like Harrison’s Rescue Princess Series, The Secret Rescuers will encourage readers to be kind to animals, brave in the face of danger, and ready to help a friend in need.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

Cloudy eats dragonweed. Sophy picks some of the plant and “Cloudy munched those too and then flapped his wings. This time his injured left wing looked as strong as the right one!”

Language

When a guard says he doesn’t believe a dragon is near the castle, Sir Fitzroy yells, “It was a dragon, you fool!”

Supernatural

Sophy finds a magic “Speaking Stone” that allows her to talk to dragons. A dragon tells Sophy, “A Speaking Stone is very powerful and very precious. Each stone chooses a keeper and will work for the person alone.”
When the Queen and Sir Fitzroy yell at Sophy, Cloudy causes a gust of wind. “Then a sheet floated out of the basket, followed by a pair of the queen’s royal bloomers, trimmed with golden thread… More clothes and sheets sailed into the hall as the wind become wilder… Five small whirlwinds were sneaking across the hall, twisting and turning as if they were dancing. The silverware rattled on the banquet table, and the royal tablecloth flew upward, scattering pie crumbs everywhere.”
Cloudy is a storm dragon. Storm dragons “bring rain clouds from the ocean and blow them across the dry land. My brother says that’s how the trees and flowers and vegetables get the water they need to grow.”

Spiritual Content

None

Star Dreams

Flame meets Jemma Watson in an alley, and this ordinary girl soon realizes that she is dealing with an extraordinary kitten. Flame’s magic powers come in handy as Jemma auditions for dance school while trying to look after her younger siblings. But the fun can’t last forever as Flame senses his enemies close by and must return to his kingdom. . .

Jemma loves having Flame, and she takes him everywhere she goes, including school. Flame often uses his magic to help Jemma out. One time, Flame’s magic is too much, which creates a funny food fight at school. Readers will fall in love with Flame as he uses sparkly magic to help Jemma with everyday problems.

Jemma loves to dance and is excited about trying out for a dance class. When the new girl, Fran, asks Jemma if she can come over, Jemma is nervous. Jemma knows that some kids think Fran is a snob. “But, she [Jemma] hadn’t had the chance to get to know her yet. Anyway, she liked to make up her own mind about people.” Because Fran has new clothes and her mom drives an expensive car, Jemma is worried to invite her over. Jemma doesn’t want Fran to see her run-down house; however, Jemma gets over her fear. When Fran comes over, she doesn’t make a comment on Jemma’s house.

Many readers will relate to Jemma, who worries about her family’s financial situation. However, Jemma doesn’t let this stop her from befriending Fran. Jemma is a positive character who helps her mother by babysitting and helping around the house. The story shows that a person’s character is more important than their financial status.

When Jemma performs, she makes a mistake in the routine, but she keeps going. Jemma was sure that her mistake would disqualify her, but in the end she has a happy surprise. The judges “were impressed because I didn’t let a small mistake get in the way.” Black and white drawings appear every 3-7 pages. Star Dream will engage readers as it teaches positive life lessons. Even though Star Dreams is part of a series, the books do not need to be read in order. Each book introduces a main character as Flame tries to hide from his uncle.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Flame’s uncle is looking for him. His uncle wants to kill Flame so he can keep the throne.
When sandwiches and other foods begin spilling out of Jemma’s brother’s lunch box, the kids go crazy and start a food fight. When Mr. Butler comes over and yells at the kids, Jemma’s brother threw a cherry cake at him. “The cherry cake hit Mr. Butler in the chest. Squish! The teacher’s face reddened with anger and he gave a roar of rage. An enormous chocolate éclair torpedoed into his open mouth as one boy with particularly good aim looked very proud of himself.” Flame uses magic to make all the food disappear and everyone forgets what happened.
A boy picks up Flame and “pretended to throw Flame over a nearby garden wall. Flame gave a terrified wail. His paws clawed at the air. He seemed too scared to do any magic.” When Jemma offers the boy money, he gives Jemma the kitten.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Jemma’s brother “leaped onto the bed and began playing with Flame.” Jemma yells at him and calls him a big jerk.
“Oh, heck” is used twice. When Jemma’s brother drops something, he says, “Oh, heck!”

Supernatural

Flame uses magic to change into a kitten and jump into a different world. When he changes, “sparks crackled in Flame’s fur and there was a flash of dazzling white light. A silky cream kitten with brown spots sat where the young white lion had stood just a moment ago.”
When Flame enters another world, Jemma sees “silver sparkles shot out of Flame’s fur. His green eyes began to glow like coals and his whiskers trembled with electricity. Jemma felt a tingling sensation.”
In order to make Jemma’s baby sister stop crying, Flame “raised a paw and a fountain of silver sparks whooshed into the air. Big, shiny, rainbow-colored bubbles appeared. They floated in the air, tinkling like silvery bells when they bumped gently into each other.”
Flame makes lunch for Jemma’s brother. Jemma “saw piles of ham and cheese sandwiches, cookies, and lemonade.” However, Flame’s magic was too strong. When Jemma’s brother opens his lunch box, “shooting out of it was a multicolored volcano of sandwiches, potato chips, cookies, and candy?”
Flame uses magic to make himself invisible.
When Jemma’s brother makes a mess in the kitchen, Flame cleans it up. “A minute later, the vacuum cleaner burst into action. It zoomed around wildly, making clean trails through the flour. . . The vacuum cleaner whizzed back into the closet. Swish! Cushions, carpets, and curtains flicked back into place. Phloop! Flour and sauce disappeared back into bags and jars.”
When Jemma is going to be late for tryouts, Flame transports her. “Opening the door, she poked her head outside. There was a long line of people twisting all down the hallway.”
Flame transforms Jemma’s backyard. “The flowers were all planted and the lawn had been mowed. The paving stones were in place.”

Spiritual Content

None

A Boy Called Bat #1

Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat) likes routine. When his mom, who is a veterinarian, is late coming home one day, Bat becomes upset. When Bat’s mom arrives, she has a good surprise. She has brought home a stray baby skunk that needs to be taken care of until they can hand him over to a wild animal shelter.

The minute Bat sees the baby skunk, he decides to become an expert skunk caregiver. Bat hopes his mother will change her mind and allow Bat to keep the baby skunk. Bat names the little skunk Thor and takes care of his needs. Bat even contacts a skunk expert in order to get advice about being a good caregiver. But can Bat convince his mom that Thor belongs with him?

Bat’s story doesn’t only focus on Bat’s love of the baby skunk, but it also shows how Bat doesn’t pick up on social cues. Through Bat’s eyes, the reader sees how Bat struggles to make eye contact, to understand others’ actions, and to make friends. Even though Bat is autistic, his difficulties are a natural extension of the story; Bat’s emotions are explained in a way that young readers will understand.

As Bat cares for Thor, he learns interesting information about skunks. Even though Bat is a good caregiver, the story makes it clear that Thor will need to be returned to the wild. Bat’s mother continually reminds Bat that wild animals should not be pets.

A Boy Named Bat is a sweet story that will appeal to animal lovers. Readers will relate to Bat and understand Bat’s desire to keep Thor as a pet. Adorable black and white illustrations appear every 3-7 pages and help readers visualize the characters. As readers learn about skunks, they will also see how Bat’s life is impacted because of his parent’s divorce. Even though the story focuses on Bat’s perspective, younger readers may have a difficult time with the advanced vocabulary. A Boy Named Bat is an entertaining story that would be an excellent choice for parents to read with their child. The story would lead to a discussion on many topics including animal care, family relationships, autism, and friendship.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Court of Mist and Fury

The story continues in this thrilling sequel. Feyre must heal from her torment and learn to control her newfound power. Feyre has saved Prythian from the evil tyrant Amarantha, and she has been reborn as a faerie. As Feyre adjusts to her new faerie body, she uncovers new powers she has been gifted from the high fae. Feyre struggles to overcome trauma causing her relationship with Tamlin to become increasingly strained. As their relationship deteriorates, Tamlin becomes more controlling. Eventually, Tamlin uses magic to trap Feyre inside their home. When Feyre calls for help, Rhysand, the high lord of the night court, hears her plea and saves her. Rhysand takes Feyre to the night court where her next chapter begins.

While Feyre begins to heal from her broken relationship with Tamlin, she finds an unlikely ally in Rhysand. As Feyre heals, her bond with Rhysand grows stronger; however, she must ready herself for an approaching threat. Dark plans are revealed, and Feyre realizes she might be the key to stopping an imminent war against Hyburn, an ancient land that is plotting a war to take over Prythian and the human lands. Will Feyre ever recover from her trauma? Will she let herself have feelings for the beautiful high lord of the night court? Will Feyre be able to master her new powers in time to save Prythian?

A Court of Mist and Fury is a stunning sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Feyre is a strong female who leads the fighting and demonstrates great powers among the faeries. A Court of Mist and Fury focuses on the inner workings of the night court and introduces new, funny, and vibrant characters. As Feyre’s adventure continues, her new powers begin to make her a target among the high fae. Instead of backing down, she trains to control her powers and to protect herself. Feyre’s powers put a feminist spin on the series because the high lords need Feyre’s help to save Prythian. With this sequel, Maas creates a story that is even better than the first. A Court of Mist and Fury continues to dive into the rich history of the faerie world and the different courts.

Maas develops her characters in a realistic way that allows the readers to relate to her strong characters and fall in love with them. Maas allows her protagonist to have multiple relationships and friendships, showing that a broken heart is not the end of a character’s story. She allows Feyre to have multiple loves, with many highs and lows, to show a more realistic look at what it is to find love. These different love interests and friendships display the true difficulties of relationships and that, ultimately, everyone has to do what is healthiest for themselves when it comes to love. These relationships make the story more genuine and powerful, even though the setting is in a magical world. With Feyre’s heartbreak and her healing from physical trauma, the story touches on her mental health and the effects of depression. While Feyre is healing, she goes through a mourning process and comes out the other side stronger than ever. This novel delves into the raw emotion of heartbreak, depression, and the healing that everyone, human or faerie, must go through in their life.

Sexual Content

Feyre and Tamlin have an intimate moment. Feyre “moved on him. Lightning lashed through my veins, and my focus narrowed to his fingers, his mouth, his body on mine. His palm pushed against the bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs, and I groaned his name as I shattered.” The scene is described over two pages.
To distract the court, Rhys and Feyre pretend to be a couple. They put their “show” relationship on display and Rhysand’s “hand slid higher up my thigh, the proprietary touch of a male who knew he owned someone’s body and soul. He’d apologized in advance for it- for this game, these roles we’d have to play. But I leaned into that touch, leaned back into his hard, warm body.” This exchange goes on for three pages.
Feyre and Rhysand stay in an inn, and they share a bed. “The fingers he’d spread over my stomach began to make idle, lazy strokes. He swirled one around my navel, and I inched imperceptibly closer, grinding up against him, arching a bit more to give that other hand access to my breasts.” They decide to not go any further sexually, as they are in the beginning stage of their relationship. This intimate moment lasts two pages.
Feyre and Rhys’s mating bond snaps into place, and they have sex for the first time. Rhys “deepened the kiss, and I wrapped my legs around his back, hooking him closer. He tore his lips from my mouth to my neck, where he dragged his teeth and tongue down my skin as his hands slid under my sweater and went up, up, to cup my breasts. I arched into the touch and lifted my arms as he peeled away my sweater in one easy motion.” The scene is described over three pages.

Violence

Rhys tells the story of how Azriel got his scars on his hands. “For the eleven years that Azriel lived in his father’s keep, she [Azriel’s stepmother] saw to it that he was kept in a cell with no window, no light. When he was eight, his brothers decided it’d be fun to see what would happen when you mix Illyrians quick healing gifts with oil and fire. The warriors heard Azriel’s screaming. But not quick enough to save his hands.”
Rhys and Feyre are flying when arrows attacked them. Feyre “felt the impact—felt blinding pain through the bond that ripped through my own mental shields, felt the shudder of the dozen places the arrows struck as they shot from bows hidden beneath the forest canopy.”
Feyre attacks a camp of faeries that have taken Rhys hostage. “The others around them shouted as I dragged my ash arrows across their throats, deep and vicious, just like I’d done countless times while hunting. One, two—then they were on the ground, whips limp. Before the guards could attack, I winnowed again to the ones nearest. Blood sprayed. Winnow, strike; winnow, strike.”
Valerian is attacked, and Feyre witnesses a woman impaled on a light post. The woman’s “body bent, her back arched on the impact.” As the city is being attacked, Feyre hears “screams, the beating wings, the whoosh and thud of arrows erupted in the sudden silence.”
Feyre attacks the Attor, a winged monster, before he can escape the attack on Valerian. The Valerian “shrieked, wings curving as I slammed into it. As I plunged those poisoned ash arrows through each wing . . . the Attor could not break free of my flaming grasp.”
Jurian “fires an ash bolt through Azriel’s chest” that almost kills him.
Feyre, Rhys, and the rest of his court try to infiltrate Hyburn and nullify the Cauldron before it can be used for evil. When they get to Hyburn, they realize it is a trap. Tamlin has sold them out to the king. The king kidnapped Feyre’s human sisters, who were “gagged and bound.”
The king forces Feyre’s sisters to go into the cauldron to be transformed into fairies against their will. “Elain was hoisted up between two guards and hoisted up. She began kicking then, weeping while her feet slammed into the sides of the cauldron as if she’d push off it or knock it down. The guards shoved my sister into the cauldron in a single movement.”
The king breaks Feyre and Rhys’s bond. “Tamlin gripped my arms as I [Feyre] screamed and screamed at the pain that tore through my chest, my left arm. A crack sounded in my ears. And the world cleaved in two as the bond was broken.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Feyre mentions drinking wine with most meals.
Mor tells Feyre, “come sit with me while the boys drink.”
Feyre talks about how Mor “had been out drinking and dancing until the mother knew when.” Feyre eludes that Cassian and Azriel have hangovers, describing them as “grumbling and wincing over breakfast, had looked like they had been run over by wagons.”
Feyre goes out to a nightclub with Rhys, Mor, Cassian, and Azriel. She describes “nursing her glass of wine” as Mor and Cassian “danced around the bar.”

Language

Profanity is used occasionally. Profanity includes: shit, damn, ass, and hell.
Rhys and Feyre are having an argument and Rhys says, “I don’t give a damn what I have to do.”

Supernatural

Feyre asks Rhysand about his winnowing powers and he says, “Winnowing? Think of it as . . . two different points on a piece of cloth. One point is your current place in the world. The other one across the cloth is where you want to go. Winnowing… it’s like folding that cloth so that two spots align. The magic does the folding and all we do is take a step to get from one place to another.”
Feyre meets a water-wraith and describes her as wearing “no clothes. Her long, dark hair hung limp and her massive eyes were wholly black.”
Feyre uses her powers unknowingly and goes into the mind of Lucien. She describes it as, “still there, still seeing through my eyes, but only half looking through another angle in the room, another person’s vantage point – his head. I had been inside his head, had slid through his mental walls.”
Tamlin and Feyre get into a fight, and he gets so enraged that his power “blasted through the room.” The room is destroyed around Feyre, but she isn’t hurt. When Tamlin tries to come to her, he hits an invisible wall around her. “And I realized that the line, that bubble of protection. . . It was from me. A shield. Not just a mental one but a physical one, too.”
Feyre starts to feel talons growing on her hands. She describes it as “where my nails were growing, curving. Not into talons of shadow, but claws.” She can also will them away “like blowing out a candle.”
Rhysand tells Feyre about her power to look into other people’s minds, which is a power he also shares. “We’re called daemati- those of us who can walk into another person’s mind as if we were going from one room to another. If you were to ever encounter a daemati without those shields up, Feyre, they’d take whatever they wanted.”
Feyre describes Amren, one of Rhysand’s inner circle members in the night court, as being an other-worldly being inside a human body. “Her silver eyes were like nothing I had ever seen; a glimpse into the creature that I knew in my bones wasn’t high fae. Or hadn’t been born that way. The silver in Amren’s eyes seemed to swirl like smoke under glass.”
Rhys describes the Illyrians, a race of winged faerie warriors, since he is half Illyrian and his closest friends and court members, Cassian and Azriel, are also Illyrian. “The Illyrians are unparalleled warriors, and are rich with stories and traditions. But they are also brutal and backwards.”
Rhys and Feyre go to a magical prison inside a rock with “the foulest, most dangerous creatures and criminals you can imagine” to visit a prisoner called the bone carver. The bone carver is a magical creature that may “appear to you as one thing, and I might be standing right beside you and see another.”
Feyre sees the weaver, a scary, mythical being. She describes her with “gray skin, wrinkled and sagging and dry. Her lips had withered to nothing but deep, dark lines around a hole full of jagged stumps of teeth.”
Amren doesn’t eat human food, and while they are all out to dinner together, the restaurant’s owner brings her “a goblet filled with dark liquid.” After Amren takes a sip, her teeth were “gleaming with blood.”
Feyre practices with her water powers by “making water rise from the tub, then shaping little animals and creatures out of it.”
The night court celebrates a holiday called Starfall, where stars “cascaded over them filling the world with white and blue light.” Rhys tells her they’re not stars at all, but “spirits on a yearly migration to somewhere. Why they pick this day to appear here, no one knows.”

Spiritual Content

Feyre meets Ianthe, one of the high priestesses of Prythian. “Among the high fae, the priestesses oversaw their ceremonies and rituals, recorded their histories and legends, and advised their lords and ladies in matters great and trivial.”
The bone carver tells Feyre about the Cauldron where “all magic was contained inside it and the world was born in it. It could not be destroyed, for it had made all things, and if it were broken, then life would cease to exist.”

by Adeline Garren

Dreams That Sparkle

Belissima is the prettiest pony at the Enchanted Pony Academy — everyone says so. The problem is, no one seems to see what else Belissima is: talented and hardworking. She dreams that someday everyone will see that her magic doesn’t have anything to do with her looks! When the royal children come to the Academy for the selection ceremony, Belissima is determined to show that she’s not just a pretty pony. It’s her last chance to prove that she can be so much more than a show pony.

Belissima is upset that people always make comments about her beauty. She wishes someone would notice that “she had the top grades in her class, or that she was a leader who always tries to be patient and pleasant with all the ponies at school.” Belissima even tries to hide her beauty because she is afraid that a royal child will choose her based on her looks and not on her personality. This story teaches that ponies (and people) have many aspects that make up his/her personality.

The students use the Magic Treats and Eats Cookbook to make some magical treats, which add some humor to the story. However, the story has little action and mostly focuses on Belissima’s attempts to hide her beauty. Some readers may have a hard time understanding Belissima’s conflict. Although Belissima finds her perfect match in the end, the two rarely interact. Unlike the previous books, this story has less action and the message is harder to understand.

Dreams that Sparkle will entertain those who have already transitioned to chapter books. Cute black and white illustrations help break up the text and appear every three to five pages. Although the vocabulary isn’t difficult, the text-heavy pages and long sentences may be overwhelming for beginning readers. Fans of the Enchanted Pony Academy books will enjoy the story. The Enchanted Pony Academy series does not need to be read in order; however, readers new to the series should begin with Let It Glow or Wings That Shine.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Darn is used once.

Supernatural

Each pegapony has a different Glitter Gift. The Glitter Gifts include being able to become invisible, being able to talk to winged animals, teleportation, and making flowers bloom. One pegapony can even shoot sparks out of his horn.
Belissima’s Glitter Gift is making her coat change color and sparkle. Later she learns that her other Gift is healing magic, which only works on her perfect match.
Several times in the story, someone levitates an object. For example, “Daisy galloped into the stable with a tray levitated by her side.” Daisy’s tray has posy pies on it.
Trying to make herself less beautiful, Belissima cast a spell by saying, “With these shinny shears, snip my mane shorter than my ears.” When she chants the spell, “the scissors zoomed through the air, and she watched as strands of her mane fell to the barn floor around her.”
Belissima casts a spell so she can see what she looks like. She says, “In front of me here, make a mirror appear.” She uses the mirror and sees that her mane grew back.
Belissima cast a spell so she can write a message to a friend. She chants, “To Sunny, send this note, so she can see what I wrote.” After Belissima says the spell, “the note folded itself and flew through the air, right out the door.”
Daisy finds a book, Magic Treats and Eats Cookbook, and makes posy pie. When Belissima eats the treat, her breath smells like flowers for hours.
A pony makes a recipe that allows him to eat a treat and then a rainbow will appear out of his horn. When the pony does this, “a rainbow arched over the arena, and the colorful light enveloped [Belissima]” The rainbow makes Belissima’s Glitter Gift ever stronger.
Belissima makes a treat that will make her less beautiful. When she eats the treat, “her soft purple coat was covered in moldy green spots. . . The moldy spots were bigger and fuzzier than she’d expected. They were darker green, too. The rainbow must have really enhanced the power of the recipe.”
Headmaster Elegius can teleport through a silvery orb.

Spiritual Content

None

Jinxed

Lacey Chu has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the baku, which is a customizable “pet” with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she’s crushed.

One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After Lacey repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she’s ever seen. . . he seems real.

As Lacy settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams of a future?

Lacey has always been focused on academics, but being successful at Profectus is not going to be easy. When she learns that she has been chosen as part of a baku battling team, Lacey is determined to make friends. Lacey was prepared for Profectus’s academic pressures, but Lacey wasn’t prepared for the challenges of having a baku that has its own opinion and agenda. Lacey soon learns that some of the students will stop at nothing to make it to the top of the class.

Lacey’s world is unique, fascinating, and full of unexpected surprises. Everyone in Lacey’s world depends on their baku, and each baku has the ability to make its owner happy. Whether it’s playing an upbeat song, helping instruct a recipe, or giving directions, each baku is essential for day-to-day life. However, Lacey’s baku, Jinx, is different. He doesn’t follow commands and often leads Lacey into trouble. The interactions between Lacey and Jinx create suspense as well as show Jinx’s unique personality.

Jinxed is an action-packed story that keeps the readers guessing until the very end. Although some of the characters are predictable—the mean kid, the rich cute boy, and the best friend who feels left out—the story never feels cliché. Instead, Lacey’s world gives the reader a realistic view of the future, where everyone is connected to a device 24/7. The end of the story will leave the reader with many unanswered questions, which might frustrate some readers.

Through Lacey’s experiences, the readers will learn important lessons about choosing your own path; it doesn’t matter where you come from, your choices and decisions make you who you are. The message that Jinxed portrays is clear: loving someone doesn’t give you the right to decide what’s best for them.

Sexual Content

Lacey gives Tobias a handshake and “he clasps my hand. I don’t know if he feels it too. A spark. A moment where electricity leaps from my hand to his, where all the neurons in my palm seem to light up. It takes my breath away.”
When Tobias winks at Lacey, she feels butterflies in her stomach and feels “my face burning bright red.”
After Tobias grabbed Lacey’s hand, her “palm doesn’t stop tingling for the rest of the weekend.”
When Tobias holds Lacey’s hand, her “heart pounds, my brain is unable to compute that Tobias Washington is holding my hand.”

Violence

A woman holding a “creature” runs from someone with a pulse gun. “She ducked and the shot flew over her head, obliterating the trunk of a beech tree in front of her. . . The next shot hit her shoulder, and she wasn’t sure who screamed louder: her or the creature.” The creature falls over a cliff into a ravine, then “the men turned back to her, gun barrels leveling at her head. She closed her eyes and accepted the inevitable.” The two-and-a-half-page scene ends without saying what happened to the woman or the creature.
The school allows teams to battle their bakus. During the battles, some of the bakus are destroyed and cannot be fixed. During a battle, Tobias immediately makes a hit on Dorian’s snarling wolf baku, his eagle stretching his talons out, wing spread wide to keep him hovering—and to enable a quick getaway from the wolf’s surprisingly high jump.” During the battle, one of the girls is upset because she thinks her baku is destroyed and cannot be repaired.
When a boy is being rude, Jinx scratches the boy’s hand, which “beads with blood.”
During another baku battle, “The cloud leopard is lightning fast, rounding on poor Jupiter with barely a delay. . . Frost swipes out with a sharp paw and part of Jupiter’s surface paneling is torn.” When it looks like Jupiter will be completely torn apart, Jinx jumps into the fight. “The boar falters, twitching and convulsing, as something is destroying him from the inside out.”
When Lacey’s baku is stolen, Lacey and her friends go to get it back from Carter. Carter’s panther baku “leap past their bakus and aim their attacks at the people themselves. . . While Tobias is distracted by my screams, he sends hunter up to bring Aero down. There’s a sickening crunch of metal against metal, as Hunter’s tusk pierces Aero’s belly.” Lacey is able to pin Carter to the ground.” Lacey and her friends are able to free Jinx. Tobias has “one arm around Ashley, who is bleeding from a scratch along her hairline, and another arm supporting River, who is getting shakily to his feet.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Jerk is used multiple times. For example, a boy from school is mean to Lacey. Lacey’s friends say, “He’s a jerk. Forget about him.”
Lacey’s friend tells her, “You’ve worked hard all friggin’ year. You’re allowed to take a break and relax.”
“Holy baku” is used as an exclamation once.
Heck is used four times. When Jinx scratches a boy, the boy says, “What the heck?”
Darn is used twice. For example, when a teacher tells Lacey that she’s late for class, Lacey thinks, “Darn.”
Oh my god is used as an exclamation three times. God is used as an exclamation once.
While working on a baku, Jinx’s “paw brushes against a smashed-up printed circuit board—if one of the bakus is missing that, they’re going to be seriously screwed.”
When a team captain thinks an opponent isn’t going to show up, he says the girl is a coward.
Jinx refers to an opposing team captain, saying “only idiots could have broken what you fixed. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past them to be idiots, but. . .”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

Lacey and her friend Zora run into a mean boy from school. The boy is rude to Lacey. “Zora doesn’t immediately follow, and I whisper a silent prayer for her to drop it. . .”
When Lacey tells her friend that she found her baku, “she responds almost right away with a series of ‘Praise the Lord’ emojis.”
Jinx plays loud music and draws attention to Lacey. When the music stops, she thinks, “Thank god.”

Batter Up Wombat

It’s a brand new baseball season, and the Champs are ready to go in their spiffy clean uniforms. Never mind that the previous year they finished last in the North American Wildlife League—this season will be different. But when a Wombat wanders onto the field on opening day, the Champs have no idea just how different the game is about to become.

When the Champs play a team of raccoons, they discover how little Wombat knows about baseball. The Champs decide that Wombat needs “a quick course in the sport.” In order to teach Wombat what baseball is, the Champs begin spouting baseball lingo. Readers will laugh at the baseball wordplay. For example, Wombat is told, “you’ll need a bat.” A thought bubble above Wombat’s head shows a bat flying above his head.

Cartoon-like illustrations show different animals including a bird, a frog, a mouse and raccoons. In order to help younger readers understand the wordplay, each time someone explains an aspect of baseball, a thought bubble appears showing the literal meaning of the word. Even though baseball fans will enjoy the wordplay, the story doesn’t flow well and is confusing at times.

When the Champs actually play a game, Wombat continues to be confused. Soon, the team realizes that despite Wombat’s size, he cannot play well. Wombat becomes “frazzled, exhausted, and very sad.” Then, a black cloud appears. When the animals realize a tornado is speeding toward them, they don’t know where to hide. There isn’t a dugout to hide in so Wombat quickly digs a tunnel big enough for both teams. Wombat wasn’t great at baseball, but he still saves the day.

Even though Batter Up Wombat 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 1-4 sentences. Readers may have difficulty with the compound sentences. Batter Up Wombat’s wordplay is similar to the Amelia Bedelia Series. Young baseball fans will enjoy the wordplay and Wombat’s literal interpretation of the game.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Digging for Dinos

Haggis and Tank go on a dinosaur adventure! They play games with a triceratops and try to hatch a dinosaur. But then, the ground starts shaking and a volcano erupts. Haggis and Tank need to get home fast!

Dino-loving kids will laugh as Haggis and Tank sit on dinosaur eggs and wait for them to hatch. As the two talk, homophones are cleverly weaved into the dialogue. The use of homophones creates some silly confusion. For example, while looking for dino eggs, Tank says, “I’ve been told I have a strong sense of smell!” Haggis replies, “That’s true. But you need a strong sense of smell. You need to be a good smeller.” The homophones will not only cause giggles but will also teach multiple meanings of words.

Anyone who has ever wished they could meet a real dinosaur will love Haggis and Tank’s dino adventure. Haggis and Tank’s adventure is illustrated in brightly colored panels. Much like a graphic novel, some of the pages only have quote bubbles. In order to move the story along, 1-2 sentence narration is included on some of the pages. The illustrated story is funny, imaginative, and full of surprising details.

Younger readers will laugh as Haggis and Tank walk in circles and play games with a triceratops. Digging for Dinos is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line called Branches which is aimed at newly independent readers. With 1-3 sentences on each page, independent readers can read the story to themselves. The story ends with five questions and gives page numbers to help readers take a closer look at the text. Even though Digging for Dinos is the second book in the series, each book can be read as a stand-alone story.

Digging for Dinos will take young readers on a fun adventure. Readers who love Haggis and Tank and want more dinosaur fun should read The Dino Files by Stacy McAnulty.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Haggis and Tank run from a T-rex. “Suddenly, a giant T-rex came crashing through the trees.” A volcano erupts, sending the T-rex running.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776

Twelve-year-old Daniel helps his family in the family tavern. When English tea is dumped into the Boston Harbor to protest taxes, Daniel cheers. Then the British arrive, and soon Redcoats are taking over Boston. Soon everyone must take a side—support the British or join the rebels. Daniel’s family serves the British soldiers in their tavern to try to gain information and pass it on to the rebels.

When Daniel’s father leaves to join the fighting rebels, Daniel must help his mother in the tavern and help keep his sister safe. When Daniel overhears a crucial secret, he knows he has to cross British lines to deliver it to his soldier father and General Washington. He knows that liberty is worth fighting for, but is he brave enough to risk his life?

Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776 brings the American Revolution to life through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy. Despite the young narrator, the story is at heart a war story that doesn’t shy away from death. Even though the dead and wounded soldiers are not described in bloody detail, Daniel is deeply disturbed by the battle between the Redcoats and the rebels. Daniel witnesses wounded soldiers dying, which may upset some readers. Although Daniel agrees with Dr. Warren, who said, “Our liberty must be preserved; it is far dearer than life,” watching people die leaves a lasting impact on Daniel.

Even though Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776 shows the importance of the American Revolution, the book is best suited for history buffs. Even though the story focuses on Daniel’s family, the long list of names may become overwhelming to readers. In addition, many historical figures, like John Hancock and Samuel Adams, are mentioned, but they never appear in the book. Readers who already know some of the key figures in the Revolutionary War will enjoy learning about the Boston Revolution through the eyes of a young boy.

Several times, Daniel acts out of fear, then later feels ashamed of his actions. However, Daniel’s father lets him know that the soldiers all feel fear. Daniel’s father tells him, “only the foolhardy are unafraid, Daniel. That’s not what bravery is. True courage is moving forward when you’re most afraid.” The story shows how the courage and perseverance of colonial men paved the way for America’s freedom. Daniel and the reader both learn that “Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages. They’re far more powerful than even the mightiest of armies.”

Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776 shows the brave deeds that led men to fight for liberty and allows readers to understand America’s history. The book ends with historical information about children’s roles in the American Revolution, the historical characters, a timeline, and a glossary. Readers who enjoy learning about America’s involvement in wars should add Calkhoven’s G.I. Dogs series to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Daniel mentions British soldiers trying to desert the military. “General Gave, the military governor of Massachusetts, had threatened to execute all deserters from the British army and any who helped them. More than one soldier was shot on the Common, caught in the act of trying to leave Boston.”
Soldiers bring a man into the tavern. The soldiers accuse the man of trying to help soldiers desert the “king’s army.” When the men come in, Daniel’s “father’s hands were underneath the bar, no doubt reaching for the musket that was hidden there.” When Daniel makes a quick move towards his sister, “my sudden movement put one of the soldiers on alert. He swung around and pointed his musket at me. His bayonet was fixed, candle light flickering against the shiny blade.”
The soldiers are ordered to tar and feather the man accused of helping soldiers desert. “The soldiers rushed to their task like boys to a game of ringer, only it was a life they played with, not marbles. Some men did not survive such torture.”
A man comes into Boston telling people, “‘They’ve done it,’ he said. ‘The Redcoats have fired on the people. . . I’ve seen the dead with my own eyes.’”
During a battle, the Patriots seize the hill. Then, HMS Lively began “firing cannonballs in our direction. . . Soon the HMS Somerset and other ships in the squadron joined the warship Lively. . . Cannonball after cannonball pounded into the side of Breed’s Hill and our fort. I’d never seen such a storm of round shot as was poured out us, but our fort stood undamaged.”
During the battle, “one soldier became too bold. A private stood tall and raised his arms in the air. The next I saw, his head was gone. I jumped to avoid the smoking six-pound ball that rolled past my feet.” The scene takes place over three pages.
The British try to take Breed Hill. “The Redcoats seemed to be upon the very walls of the fort. The solider next to me muttered a prayer. . . Suddenly the Patriots let loose with a burst of fire. Smoke boiled in all directions. The first wave of Redcoats fell. And then the next, and the next. . . When the smoke cleared, I saw just how many bodies they had left behind. Redcoats dotted the hill. Some crawled. Most were still.”
Again the Redcoats advanced. “The Redcoats seemed impossibly close to the walls of the fort before there was a burst of fire and smoke and noise. The first wave of Redcoats fell, and then the second. . . A third wave began to fall and once again the king’s men turned and ran. A good many of them were left behind, broken and dead.”
When the Redcoats again advance, the Patriots are out of gunpowder. “The first Redcoat mounted the parapet and leaped into the fort. Soon they stormed in from three sides. The Patriots used their muskets as clubs, but they were no match for British bayonets.” Daniel recognizes Dr. Warren as “he defended an exit, making it possible for many of the Patriots to escape. . . I saw a bullet strike his head. Dr. Warren fell.”
The Patriots begin to retreat and Daniel finds his father. “It was only then that I noticed my shirt was splattered with blood.” The blood wasn’t Daniel’s, but he watched as “two wounded men hobbled past us, one with a gaping wound in his neck, the other with a gash in his leg.”
As Daniel leaves the battle, he “found a man kneeling by the side of the road, moaning. . . Someone had bandaged his wounds, but he was still bleeding fiercely. He opened his eyes, but did not see me. . . He slumped over and fell into me. Dead.” Daniel vomits and runs from the scene.
As Daniel tries to get to his father, three men stop him. “I raised my hands to show them I was unarmed and prayed they would not shoot. . . They lowered their guns and after many questions gave me leave to go.”
While trying to leave Boston, Daniel runs from soldiers. “A musket fired, and then another, but I kept running. Something hit my shoulder. A bullet whistled past my ear.” Daniel runs and then hides behind a bush. “My shoulder burned. My fingers found a hole in my jacket but no blood. The bullet had only grazed me.” As he was hiding, “Too late, I saw a flash. The next thing I knew, my hat was blown off.” Daniel is frightened, but not injured.
The Redcoats hang one of the Patriots. Daniel sees “a man sat on top of a horse with his hands tied in front of him and a noose around his neck. The rope was attached to the strong branch of an oak tree. . . A crowd of soldiers and others jeered at the man. They urged the hangman to hurry, shouting for blood. . . The hangman slapped the horse’s rear and it lurched forward, out from under the barber. His legs dangled and the rope tightened around his throat. . . The barber’s legs danced, searching for purchase.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Daniel’s family owns a tavern, which the British soldiers have made their headquarters. Daniel’s family “filled their tankards and their bellies.” While serving the man, “Father quietly surveyed the room while he drew ale and poured rum. . . There was a low rumble of voices, and the occasional call for drinks, but all was peaceful.” The tavern and soldiers are mentioned drinking ale and rum many times throughout the book.
When soldiers point a musket at Daniel, his mother says, “There’s no call for any of this. . . Come, finish this nice meal I’ve made for you. A free glass of rum for all.”
After the battle, one of the Redcoats “walked into the tavern after camping on the hill for two nights, his breeches splattered with blood, and ordered a glass of rum.”
While Daniel was getting water, he sees a couple of Redcoats “laughing so hard they fell into the other. Drunk, I thought, and up all night.”

Language

After a battle, one of the Redcoats says, “Kill the sorry cowards! Kill them!”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

When the men prepare for battle, the Reverend Mr. Langdon says a “long and fervent prayer.”
When Daniel leaves the tavern, his mother tells him, “god be with you, Daniel.”
When Daniel’s sister becomes ill, “we watched and prayed, hoping for the best.” Later, Daniel “wondered if Father knew of her illness and prayed he did not.” His sister recovers.
In order to listen to the Redcoats, Daniel hides and “prayed their voices would reach my ears.”
When a man is taken prisoner, Daniel’s mother tells him, “We must remember him in our prayers.”

Geekerella

Elle Whittimer is living in an impossible universe. Her father died, leaving her with her awful stepfamily. Now her only connection to her father is through Starfield, an old science fiction television show that he loved so much he started a fan convention for it. These days ExcelsiCon is one of the biggest cons in the country, but Elle hasn’t been back since her father died. Instead, she finds her solace in late night Starfield reruns, posting on her blog, Rebelgunner, and dreaming of the day when she can escape to California and become a screenwriter. When a movie reboot of Starfield is announced, Elle is afraid that her favorite story is about to be ruined. But this movie just might be the ticket to her dreams because this year, the first-place prize for ExcelsiCon’s cosplay contest is a chance to attend the premiere in Hollywood. With a little help from her coworker Sage, Elle decides to turn her father’s old costume into a prize-winning cosplay.

Darien Freeman just landed the role of a lifetime: Federation Prince Carmindor in the Starfield movie reboot. However, as a lifelong fan, he’s afraid he won’t be able to do the character justice. There are already fans, like the blogger behind Rebelgunner, who are convinced that casting a teen heartthrob was a terrible idea. The last thing Darien wants to do is surround himself with a bunch of angry, hardcore Starfield fans, which means he really needs to get out of judging the ExcelsiCon’s annual cosplay contest. When Darien sends a text hoping to contact someone at ExcelsiCon, he ends up reaching Elle. After connecting through a mutual love of Starfield, their anonymous friendship begins to grow into something more. But what will happen when their paths cross on the convention floor?

Geekerella is part modern-day Cinderella story and part love letter to fandom culture. Poston does a wonderful job exploring the ways in which art can bring together creators and fans alike – across time and distance. Themes of love and acceptance are an integral part of the story. At the same time, some darker topics are addressed, like Elle’s mistreatment by her stepfamily and how Darien has lost his personal life to overzealous fans and toxic paparazzi.

At its heart, Geekerella is an adorable fairytale. Even if readers are unfamiliar with fandom culture, they can still have fun picking out the parallels to the classic Cinderella story. Elle is a charming heroine, whose wit and determination make her easy to root for, while Darien’s sweet optimism makes him an incredibly endearing character. When these two lonely souls find each other through a mutual love of Starfield, it’s nearly impossible not to hope that their budding romance will overcome all the obstacles thrown in their way.

Sexual Content

Darien says he doesn’t want to think about the “creepy google searches” that male fans of his costar Jessica Stone make, implying that they might be sexual in nature.
Elle describes Darien’s face as “annoyingly beautiful.”
When Darien takes off his shirt on live TV, Elle says, “His abs and chest beam across Catherine’s plasma TV, piercing through [her] sleepy brain like a ray of hope in this godless universe.”
A fan jumps on stage and forces herself onto Darien. “Her mouth connects with [Darien’s] with such force that it sends them both tumbling over the sofa.”
When Darien discusses the kissing incident with his bodyguard, Darien says he thought he’d “choke on her tongue.”
Darien and his co-star Jessica must kiss for a scene. When Jessica asks where Darien learned how to kiss, he jokes that he’s had “two hours of practice by now.” In the same scene, Jessica refers to herself as “the best kisser in Hollywood.”
Elle daydreams about what life in a better universe would be like. “And maybe at that midnight release, I’d see a guy across the theatre dressed in a federation uniform, and we’d lock eyes and know that this was the good universe. Maybe a guy with dark hair and chocolate eyes and—for a moment Darien Freeman flashes across my mind.”
Darien thinks to himself that when he was kissing Jessica, he was really thinking about Elle. “The truth is, it wasn’t just when we’d kissed that I’d thought about Elle. I’d thought about her during every step of that dance.”
During a text conversation with Darien, a.k.a. Carmindor, Elle describes an episode of Starfield as “the one with the other Carmindor being sexy in the shower.” She then panics and adds, “Not that YOU couldn’t be sexy too.”
Elle worries about what would happen if she met Carmindor, a.k.a. Darien, in real life and thinks to herself, “I hate that I’m falling for someone I don’t even know.”
Darien refers to Elle as “ah’blena” during one of their text conversations, in the universe of Starfield this is a phrase meaning “my heart.”
Darien’s handler says that whoever wrote the negative blog posts about him “has a serious crush.”
After filming the final scene for the movie, Jessica asks Darien if he’s thinking about “the absolute sadness that we didn’t make out more?”
When Elle meets Darien for the first time, she describes him as “beautiful in person,” but thinks that his personality is “the biggest turn off.”
When she enters the cosplay ball, Darien is captivated by Elle. Darien watches “the top of the stairs, the girl with glowing red hair stares down at the rest of us from behind a sparkling golden mask. Her bowlike lips are painted the flaming color of a red giant. She’s beautiful.”
As Darien watches Elle enter the ball, he compares the moment to a meet-cute from a movie scene. “But this isn’t a movie, and I’ve already missed my meet-cute. The sky doesn’t suddenly crash in around us. The world doesn’t lose sound. Because this isn’t where I fall in love. I fell in love across the cell signals and late-night texts with a girl I barely knew.”
A rude stranger at the cosplay ball insinuates that Elle is simply a Darien Freeman fangirl, not an actual Starfield fan, and tells her that she is “too cute to play dumb” when she gets offended.
Elle and Darien share a dance at the cosplay ball and start to fall into familiar banter. “We’re so close, I can feel his breath on my lips, and my heart is tugging, telling me to kiss him even though I don’t know him. Even though my heart, battered and bandaged and taped together, is still rattling from the text a few hours before. But there’s something familiar in the cadence of his words, the way he phrases sentences, the way he articulates thoughts, like a voice I’ve heard before.”
Realizing she’s stayed too long, Elle rushes out of the cosplay ball. Darien, having realized who she is to him, chases after her. “His mask has fallen off and I can see the shiner on his nose, dark as a rainstorm, and the alarm in his eyes. The kind where you’re afraid you’ll never see someone again. ‘Wait, ah’blena!’ Ah’blena? I stumble and one of Mom’s shoes slips off.”
One of Elle’s stepsisters tells her friends that Darien is “way sexier in person.”
When Darien shows up at the country club looking for Elle, Chloe throws herself at him. Elle thinks that “flirting comes as natural as breathing” to her stepsister.
Darien reflects on seeing the real Elle for the very first time. “I won’t say that she is perfect or that she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, but the moment her gaze finds mine, she’s the best part of the universe. She’s a person I would love to spend a lifetime with on the observation deck of the Prospero.”
Elle and Darien share a kiss upon being reunited. “‘Ah’…,’ he begins, enunciating every syllable, raising his hand to my chin, ‘blen…,’ tilts my face up, slowly drawing toward me, like two supernovas about to collide, ‘…a.’ And somehow, in this impossible universe, his lips find mine.”
Elle and Darien kiss a second time and she describes it as “the kind of kiss that creates [possibilities].”
Sage and her girlfriend are holding hands in the limousine before the Starfield Elle says, “I don’t think they’ve stopped holding hands since that day at the country club.”
Sage’s girlfriend says she loves Jessica Stone, to which Sage responds, “Maybe we can share her.”
When a reporter asks if Elle and Darien are a couple, he tells her, “I want you, ah’blena. I want to try this thing with you, whatever this is. I want you to be my copilot. And I want to ask you before the movie, in case you really hate it.”
Darien kisses Elle on the red carpet. “He bends close, despite the crowds, despite the cameras, despite Franco’s nose-diving into his suit pocket where he’s probably keeping a snack, and kisses me. Around us, the flashes flare like the thrusters of the good ship Prospero, sending my heart rocketing into the farthest reaches of this impossible universe.”

Violence

During a fight, Elle’s stepmother, Catherine, hits her. “With a crack, Catherine’s manicured hand strikes the side of my face.”
Darien films a choreographed fight scene. “There’s an explosion behind us—bright lights, the actual effects to be added later—as half the ship blows. Calvin lunges at me. I dodge left, grab his right hook, but he powers through it and sends me careening backward. I slam against the floor, pulling my weight back, scrambling to get my feet under me. He picks me up by the collar; I grab his hand and wrench it away. Quickly, I reach for my gun. Too slow. He rams his shoulder into my chest, and I stumble into the console. The entire structure shakes. He grabs hold of my neck and pretends to squeeze.”
Elle accidentally hits Darien in the face with a door, causing his nose to bleed. He describes the blood as leaking “into my mouth and down my chin and onto my favorite T-shirt.”
Darien gets into a physical altercation with his former friend, Brian. “If one good thing has happened over the last few months of preproduction and soulless salads and four A.M. workouts with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cousin, it’s that I learned to throw a punch. Thumb out, clench fist—swing. Brian stumbles from the force of it.” The fight scene lasts for three pages.
Sage tells a dog, “The next time you jump on me I’ll skin you and wear you as a hat!”

Drugs and Alcohol

Prior to the beginning of the story, Darien was in an accident that prompted headlines to speculate about his health. When he describes the accident he says, “I wasn’t drunk, or high, or tripping on anything besides my own feet.”
Darien describes his former relationship with Brian, a friend who sold him out to the paparazzi, as “shoot-the-shit, drinking beer in the back of pickups friends.”

Language

Elle uses the phrase “Nox’s crack” in place of a curse. The Nox are a race of aliens from the Starfield
Anon, the director of the Starfield movie, tells Darien that he has “brass balls” right before he films a stunt sequence.
Darien describes one of his lines as a “kiss ass goodbye.”
Elle describes sitting inside the food truck on a warm day as “hot as balls.”
Sage refers to Elle’s stepsisters as “the hell twins.”
Sage describes Princess Amara’s character arc as a “crappy subplot.”
When Elle first sees Darien in person, she thinks to herself, “Holy Federation Prince, Batman. It’s Darien effing Freeman.” This is one of three times this phrasing is used as an exclamation.
Miss May, one of the people running ExcelsiCon, says that Elle gave Darien “a snowball’s chance in hell.”
When Sage enters ExcelsiCon, she says, “Holy shit.”
Darien uses the word “fracking” in place of an f-bomb.
Darien tells Brian that he’s “not trying to be a dick.”
Elle calls the stranger harassing her a “left-testicled Nox.”
During his fight with Brian, Darien imagines a headline describing the incident: “DARIEN FIGHTS WITH SLEAZY PAPARAZZO AND MURDERS HIS ASS.”
During an argument with his father, Darien asks, “Why the hell insure my abs anyway?”
Sage tells Darien that she has been grounded by her mother, adding, “like hell I am.”
Elle says that her stepmother got rid of all of her Starfield memorabilia, including “one hella rare Pez dispenser.”
Elle tells Darien that she will make his life “a living hell” on her blog if he screws up Carmindor.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

Elle describes herself as sending a prayer to “the Lord of Light or Q or whoever is listening.”

by Evalyn Harper

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

When Mad Dog Branzillo, a leader of a small South American country, develops nuclear weapons, it seems the end of the world is at hand. Mad Dog is a crazy man full of hate who would be willing—eager even—to destroy the world. When Meg’s family hears this, there seems to be nothing to do but wait for the end of the world. But Mrs. O’Keefe, Meg’s mother-in-law, is suddenly reminded of an old Irish rune that her grandmother taught her about when she was a child. The rune is supposed to have great power, but can only be used in the time of greatest need.

Meg’s little brother Charles Wallace decides to use the rune. When he does so, he is sent a unicorn who can ride the winds of time. The unicorn tells him that history is full of Might-Have-Beens, where a single decision could change the course of history. To save the world, the unicorn takes Charles Wallace back in time and sends him ‘within’ the lives of several people—from the first Native American settlers to the Civil War period. As a passenger in these people, Charles becomes them. He sees what they see and hears what they hear. But he is able, perhaps, to nudge them in a better direction and change the vital Might-Have-Beens that lead to Mad Dog Branzillo.

L’Engle’s book is an allegorical tale that explores the battle of good and evil that started when the fallen angels were banished from heaven. While most of the story is phrased in terms of good and evil, there are points where the unicorn mentions heaven, angels, and other biblical concepts explicitly. In addition, when Charles Wallace visits a settlement in the time of the Salem Witch Trials, God is discussed frequently and scripture is used both by the pastor trying to condemn a woman and by the man defending her.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet is all about the importance of choices, even those that seem small. It explores two family lines: one family who leaned toward violence and hungered for power, and another family who promoted peace and friendship. The two family lines parallel the struggle between good and evil, heaven and darkness. While the story is enjoyable and full of good messages, there are many characters that Charles interacts with throughout history whose many names may become confusing for less advanced readers. For those able to follow the complicated family lines and keep track of the many names, A Swiftly Tilting Planet is yet another fun ride in the Time Quintet.

Sexual Content

A pregnant Native American woman uses “birthing flowers” to prepare for her birth. “She knelt and breathed in the fragrance of the blossoms, took them up in her hands, and pressed them against her forehead, her lips, her breasts, against the roundness of her belly.”
A boy reports that his sister and the hired hand were “kissing.”

Violence

Two brothers fight. The brother who wins holds his brother’s head underwater until his brother promises to leave and never come back. “Madoc forced Gwydyr into the lake, and held him down under the water until rising bubbles told him that his brother was screaming for mercy.”
The unicorn is injured. “The entire abdominal area, where the webbed hammock had rubbed, was raw and oozing blood. The water which had flooded from [his] nostrils was pinkish.”
When she was an only child, Mrs. O’Keefe’s mother “came to breakfast with a black eye, explaining that she had bumped into a door in the dark.” It’s clear that her new husband abuses her.
Mrs. O’Keefe’s stepfather boxed her brother’s ears and pinched her inappropriately as a child. When her grandmother tried to intervene, the man tried to hit her. “Chuck thrust himself between his grandmother and stepfather and took the full force of Mortmain’s blow. Again Breezie screamed, as Chuck fell, fell down the steep stairs in a shower of broken china and glass.”
A girl says she saw Jack O’Keefe “take a homeless puppy and kill it by flinging it against the wall of the barn.”
A man comes back from war and says, “I saw a man with his face blown off and no mouth to scream with, and yet he screamed and could not die. I saw two brothers, and one was in blue and one was in grey, and I will not tell you which one took his saber and ran it through the other.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Charles Wallace’s family has plum pudding. “Mr. Murry got a bottle of brandy and poured it liberally over the pudding…The brandy burned with a brilliant blue flame . . . Mr. Murry tilted the dish so that all the brandy would burn.”

Language

“God” and “Oh God” are used a few times. They are said in devoted ways, not as profane exclamations.
A woman says, “Thank God,” when she learns that her son is alive.
A man writes a letter describing a Native American who helped the settlers: “God knows he is helpful.”

When his friend is giving birth, Brandon prays, “Oh God, God, make Zylle be all right.”

Supernatural

Mrs. O’Keefe gives Charles Wallace a rune that her grandmother gave her as a child. It calls upon heaven to stand against the darkness, and Charles uses pieces of the rune when he is in danger. The first time he says, “In this fateful hour I call on all Heaven with its power!” and a unicorn appears to help him. Another time, he says, “And the fire with all the strength it hath,” and the sun causes a pile of flowers to burst into flames.
Charles Wallace and his sister Meg know how to kythe, which is a deeper form of telepathy that “was being able to be with someone else, no matter how far away they might be…talking in a language that was deeper than words.” In this way, Meg is able to be with her brother even when he goes on a long journey.
Charles Wallace travels in time with a unicorn. “Slowly the radiance took on form, until it had enfleshed itself into the body of a great white beast with flowing mane and tail. From its forehead sprang a silver horn which contained the residue of the light.”
Charles Wallace goes back in time to prevent a madman from destroying the world. The unicorn explains, “What we must do is find the Might-Have-Beens which have led to this particular evil. I have seen many Might-Have-Beens. If such and such had been chosen, then this would not have followed. If so and so had been done, then the light would partner the dark instead of being snuffed out. It is possible that you can move into the moment of a Might-Have-Been and change it.”
Twice, Charles Wallace is blown into a Projection, which is “a possible future, a future the Echthroi want to make real.” The first time, they arrive in a lava world and see a “monstrous creature with a great blotched body, short stumps for legs, and long arms, with the hands brushing the ground. What was left of the face was scabrous and suppurating.”
A Native American says, “When the soothsayer looked into the scrying glass and foretold my father’s death, he saw also that I would live my days far from Gwynedd.”
A Native American sees a vision of the future in the reflection of a pond. “He feared the small oval of water which reflected Gwydyr’s face, growing larger and larger, and darker and darker, quivering until it was no longer the face of a man but of a screaming baby.”
Brandon, an early North American settler, sees pictures of the future. A Native American tells him, “Among my people you would be known as a Seer, and you would be having the training in prayer and trusting that would keep your gift very close to the gods, from whom the gift comes.”
When injured, the unicorn takes Charles Wallace to his planet in order to be healed. There the snow heals them, the unicorn drinks liquid moonlight, and Charles Wallace sees a unicorn hatch from an egg. “A sharp cracking, and a flash of brilliance as the horn thrust up and out into the pearly air, followed by a head with the silver mane clinging damply to neck and forehead. Dark silver-lashed eyes opened slowly, and the baby unicorn looked around.”

Spiritual Content

A Swiftly Tilting Planet is an allegorical story about the powers of good and evil, of light and darkness, of heaven’s creation and those who would want to destroy everything. There are many references to this battle throughout the book, beginning with the following description of the Echthros, the enemy of everything good. “The Echthros wanted all the glory for itself, and when that happens the good becomes not good; and others have followed that first Echthros. Wherever the Echthroi go, the shadows follow…There are places where no one has ever heard the ancient harmonies.”
Charles meets ancient Native Americans. They have many songs, some of which refer to “Lords of snow and rain and water.” This song eventually becomes a prayer: “Lords of blue and Lords of gold, Lords of winds and waters wild, Lords of time that’s growing old.”
When speaking of dead spirits struggling to find peace, a Native American asks, “Are the gods of Gwynedd so weak they cannot care for their own?”
A man says, “For brothers to wish to kill each other for the sake of power is to anger the gods.”
Ritchie, an early North American settler, says, “I cannot find it in me to believe that God enjoys long faces and scowls at merriment.”
When his daughter gives birth, Ritchie reads from the Bible. “I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous. I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.”
Charles Wallace visits the time period of the Salem Witch Trials, where there is much talk of witches, of good and evil, and of spirits. For example, one boy says, “My father says there are evil spirits abroad, hardening men’s hearts.” The pastor claims a Native American woman is a witch and it is God’s will that she be killed. The Native American woman’s father-in-law uses scripture to defend her, but the townspeople won’t listen.
Mrs. O’Keefe’s grandmother said several times that her dead husband is “waiting for me” before she passed away.
A man speaks about the Civil War. “Oh God, it was brother against brother, Cain and Abel all over again. And I was turned into Cain. What would God have to do with a nation where brothers can turn against each other with such brutality?” He later says, “There were many nights during the war when God withdrew from our battle fields. When the songs of men fight against each other in hardness of heart, why should God not withdraw? Slavery is evil, God knows, but war is evil, too, evil, evil.”

by Morgan Lynn

Ella Unleashed

Ella didn’t think having a stepparent would be cool, but when her mom married Krishnan, Ella soon loved doing things with her stepfather. When Ella enters a junior dog show, Krishnan teaches her how to handle his champion dog, Elvis. Ella’s first attempts end in embarrassing disasters; however, she isn’t giving up. She is determined to win the prestigious National Dog Show.

Ella wants everyone that she loves to see her perform in the next dog show, but her dad can’t stand to be around Krishnan. Ever since her mom and dad’s divorce, Ella’s dad has been lonely and depressed. When Ella’s friends suggest she find her dad a new girlfriend, it seems like the perfect idea. A new girlfriend will lift his spirits and hopefully make him want to come to her next dog show.

When Ella and her friends create a fake online dating profile for her dad, Ella’s convinced that nothing can go wrong. But soon, Ella realizes that her plan isn’t as perfect as she thought. Can Ella find the perfect girlfriend for her father? Will she manage to bring her divided life together in time for her moment in the spotlight?

Any tween with divorced parents will relate to Ella’s struggles. When it comes to winning a dog show, Ella thinks practice will give her the winning edge. When it comes to her father, she’s convinced that using scientific data will help her find her dad the perfect girlfriend. Soon, Ella learns that when it comes to dogs and people, it’s impossible to predict how they will react. In the end, all of Ella’s perfect plans led to hilarious disasters.

Any reader with a blended family should read Ella Unleashed. Although Ella does attend several dog shows, the majority of the story focuses on complicated human interactions. Through her experiences, Ella learns that she can’t control everything. The story also shows the importance of communication. At the end of the story, Ella and her father decide to go to counseling to help them work through some of their issues. Ella Unleashed is an easy-to-read story that uses compassion and humor to explore complex family relationships.

Sexual Content

While secretly signing her father up for a dating site, Ella and her friend are confused by the drop-down menu. They don’t know what demisexual and non-binary mean.
While having dinner at a restaurant, two women discuss breaking up.
A character mentions her “college roommate and her wife.”

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

While at a restaurant, a lady orders a glass of Malbec.
While on a date, a woman “is making big sweeping hand gestures as she talks. . . Beth flings her arm to the right, and her hand smacks directly into the server, who’s about to put down their drinks. . . two full glasses of red wine go flying.”
When going to a house for dinner, a woman brings wine.

Language

“God,” “OMG,” and “Oh my god” are used excessively as an exclamation. For example, a boy tells his siblings, “God, both of you shut up! I hate you!”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

Ella is preparing for her bat mitzvah by “learning my Torah portion.”
While at a dog show, a judge inspects Ella’s dog, who is acting like he has to go to the bathroom. Ella prays that “she doesn’t put her hands anywhere near his bladder.”
Ella pretends to be surprised by something her dad said. Ella prays “my surprise looks genuine.”

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code

Kayla and Mason both get mysterious letters written in code. Neither of them knows where the letter came from or what it means. King, a lovable dog, knows which one of their friends left the letter, but Kayla doesn’t understand him.

Kayla and Mason use clues to discover who left the letter. Kayla makes a list of “everything we know about the case” and a list of “everything we don’t know about the case.” The two friends find out who sent the letter, but it isn’t the clues that lead them to the culprit. Instead, King leads them to the answer. The person who sent the letter gives Kayla and Mason a clue so they can figure out what the letter says.

Readers will giggle as King tries to tell Kayla who left the letter. He sings, dances, and barks, but Kayla can’t figure out what King is trying to say. King is a loveable dog, who thinks that everything is his favorite thing. The bright illustrations do an excellent job showing King’s and Kayla’s emotions.

King and Kayla are likable characters who solve a relatable problem. Much of the humor comes from King’s desire to communicate with Kayla. The fun, easy story is perfect for readers transitioning out of picture books and into chapter books. Each page has a large picture that allows the text to be spaced out so younger readers will not get discouraged by the amount of text. The simple, fun plot and interesting characters will keep readers engaged until the very end.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Wish

Charlie has made a wish every day since fourth grade. Then, social services send Charlie to live in Colby with a family that Charlie has never met. Charlie doesn’t let that stop her from making the same wish, but now Charlie wonders if that wish will ever come true.

Charlie doesn’t get along with the “hillbilly” kids at school; however, her backpack buddy, Howard, just won’t go away. When Charlie sees a skinny stray dog, Howard promises to help her capture the dog. With Howard’s help, Charlie is able to befriend the dog who has captured her heart.

When Charlie’s sister, Jackie, comes to visit, Charlie begins to see things in a new light. Jackie points out all of the good things in Charlie’s new home. When Charlie’s social worker tells Charlie that she will soon go home to live with her mother, Charlie wonders why she isn’t excited by the news. After all, wasn’t Charlie hoping to leave Colby?

Charlie is an endearing character who desperately wants a normal family filled with love. Because of her unhappy family life, Charlie is filled with uncertainty and anger. Like many children, Charlie says things that she doesn’t mean, worries about fitting in, and dreams of a better life. Despite Charlie’s anger, Howard befriends Charlie, and she soon learns the true meaning of friendship.

Wish is a compelling story about Charlie’s struggle to understand her broken family life. Charlie’s strong voice allows the reader to understand both her anger and her confusion. Charlie is surrounded by an interesting cast of supporting characters that help her begin to heal. With the help of her foster parents, Gus and Bertha, Charlie begins to realize that possessions don’t make people blessed—love does.

Even though Wish deals with the difficulty of coming from a broken family, Charlie’s feelings are described in ways that young readers will understand. Even though the story focuses on Charlie’s internal struggle, the story contains enough action to propel the story forward. Wish is beautifully written, and each character jumps off the page.

When Charlie allows her anger to get the better of her, she is often surprised by Bertha’s kind reaction. Bertha tells Charlie, “You can’t judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.” In the end, Charlie realizes that she has a “real family,” even if it is different than a traditional two-parent household. Wish is written with compassion and insight that will help readers understand the importance of friendship and family.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

When a girl makes fun of Charlie’s boots, Charlie “kicked her skinny shin. Hard. The next few minutes were a blur of crying and hollering and tattling and then I found myself sitting in front of Mr. Mason, the principal.”
Charlie tells her friend about a time when “I got sent home from kindergarten the very first day for poking some boy with a pencil.” She said she used the pointy side of the pencil.
Bertha tells Charlie a story about when her mother was in elementary school. When a boy was being mean, Charlie’s mother “stomped over to that boy and bit him on the hand so hard he hollered like she’d cut his hand off with a butcher knife. Then ran home crying while she hollered cuss words at him.”
When a girl accuses Charlie of lying, Charlie gets angry and “before I knew it, I was standing over her with my fists balled up and my heart beating like crazy. I felt red-hot anger settle over me like a blanket. I wanted to stomp her perfect sneakers. I wanted to yank those butterfly barrettes out of her hair.” Charlie’s friend comes over and calms her down.
When a boy makes fun of Charlie’s friend, Charlie got angry and ran “straight at T.J., full steam ahead. I kept my arms stiff in front of me and bam! I shoved him so hard his head snapped back and he crashed face-first into the dirt. I confess I was more than a little surprised when he got right up and shoved me back, knocking me to the ground.” The vacation Bible school teacher breaks up the fight.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Dang and Darn are used often. For example, after Charlie kicks a girl, her friend asked her, “Dang, Charlie, why you gotta get so mad about that?”
Heck is used once. While talking to Bertha, Charlie wonders, “What the heck kind of question was that?”
Charlie calls her friend a “squirrel-eating hillbilly.” She also refers to the kids that live in Colby as hillbillies.
Charlie’s friend calls her a “quitter and a baby.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

Charlie goes to church with Bertha and Gus. Charlie “hadn’t been to church since I was little. Scrappy [her father] never wanted any part of it, calling those people do-gooders and Bible-thumpers, but Mama took me and Jackie for a while.”
When a snake gets into the house, Bertha stayed with a friend “for nearly a week until Gus swore on the Bible that it was gone.”
Charlie goes to a friend’s house for dinner. “So we sat at the table and before I knew what was happening, Howard grabbed my right hand and Dwight grabbed my left and they all bowed their heads while Burl said the blessing. He thanked the Lord for nearly everything under the sun, inkling the deviled eggs on the plate in front of him.”
When Charlie goes to dinner at a friend’s house, “everyone held hands and Dwight said the blessing and thanked the Lord for baked beans and new friends.”
Bertha and Gus invite friends over for dinner. Before eating, everyone “held hands while Mr. Odom said the blessing. Gus and Bertha weren’t the blessing type, but I guess they did it to be nice to their company. Mr. Odom sure had a lot of stuff to be thankful for, everything from this beautiful day to those turnip greens.”
Charlie attends vacation Bible school and learns songs.
Charlie thinks about “those good-hearted Odoms thanking the good Lord for me at their supper table.”

She’s the Liar!

When Abby enters sixth grade at her new boarding school, Brookside Academy, she is determined to reinvent herself. She sheds her shy personality and starts playing the part of the confident, bubbly, popular “Abbi.” She quickly learns about the Committee, an all-powerful student organization that controls nearly every aspect of extracurricular life. Whatever you do, you don’t want to be on the Committee’s bad side.

Abby’s older sister, Sydney, is in eighth grade at Brookside. At home, she was always a loner, so Abby is shocked to discover that Sydney has also crafted herself into a new person at school—she’s the president of the Committee and rules the entire student body through intimidation.

Each sister is a threat to the success of the other’s new personality, and things get heated as Abby and Sydney try to outmaneuver each other for power and influence. Both girls have hidden motives, and they soon find themselves hopelessly tangled in a web of lies, schemes, and blackmail.

She’s the Liar! uses the backdrop of a boarding school to highlight the fact that every story has two sides. The first half of the book is told from Abby’s point of view. In the past, Abby allowed one embarrassing moment to define her. Now that she’s at a new school, Abby decides to reinvent herself. Instead of avoiding people, Abby is going to be outgoing, join clubs, and make friends. Soon, Abby is able to overcome her fears and she realizes, “The old me would’ve been totally terrified that if anyone knew my secrets, nobody would like me. But then you told me that I had to own my failures and my success, because they’re all part of me.”

The second part of the book is told from Sydney’s point of view. At the beginning of the book, Sydney’s actions seem villainous and cruel. Adding Sydney’s point of view allows readers to understand her actions, which are largely based on insecurity. Even though it is clear that the reader is supposed to sympathize with Sydney, why she blackmails people instead of befriending them is never mentioned. The ending is a little too sweet and unrealistic; however, even Sydney learns the importance of taking ownership of her past deeds.

Middle school readers will relate to Abby’s fears and uncertainty, and they will cheer for her when she takes steps towards being a better person. Even though there are some holes in the plot, younger readers will still enjoy the story, which showcases student government and sister relationships. Even though the story focuses on Abby and Sydney, the other characters in the book have different interests: astronomy, theater, dance, and even playing Dungeons and Dragons. The other characters add interest and show that people’s differences should be celebrated. She’s the Liar! is an entertaining story that teaches that no one should feel embarrassed about their past.

Sexual Content

One of the sixth graders is embarrassed because “I wrote this really stupid, gushy letter to a guy in my youth group.”

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“God” and “Oh my god” are frequently used as exclamations. For example, during play auditions when a girl sings, someone says, “Oh my god, she’s so good.”
Freaking is used once. When Sydney approves purchasing a telescope, someone asks, “Jenna gets a freaking telescope, and I can’t have two hours at the mall?”
Pissed is used once. When a student tells her friends that Sydney tried to blackmail her, her friends were “pretty pissed.”
While out to dinner with their parents, some girls walk by the table. Abby asks her sister if the girls are her friends. Sydney replies, “I would never associate with those idiots. God, don’t be stupid.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

While on stage, Sydney takes “a deep breath like I taught Abby to do and pray everyone can’t read my emotions all over my face.”

Oh, Rats!

Phoenix has always been lucky: he’s the largest in his litter, he has the most lustrous fur, and he’s the most sought-after squirrel in his part of New Jersey. All of this makes him being kidnapped by a hawk seem all the more unlucky.

Luckily, the hawk doesn’t have the best grip; however, he drops Phoenix on a freshly tarred street in downtown Manhattan. Stripped of his gorgeous golden-brown coat, Phoenix now looks like . . . like . . . a common sewer rat! Enormously unlucky!

But his luck changes once again when it isn’t sewer rats that find him, but rather Lucy and Beckett, wharf rats living in an abandoned pier on the Hudson River. Just as Phoenix starts to adjust to city life, the rats discover that humans (an unobservant and furless species) plan to tear down the pier and build a tennis complex. Can Phoenix save his new friends’ home? Or has his luck finally run out?

At first, Phoenix is a vain rat who wants to win Giselle’s attention. As Phoenix is admiring his reflection in a pond, a red-tail hawk grabs him. The hawk eventually drops him over Manhattan. Two rats, Lucy and Beckett, drag Phoenix back to their crate and nurse him back to health. After Phoenix sees his battered reflection, he stops eating in the hopes that he will die. However, he soon is caught up in the plight of the rats, whose home is about to be demolished. The rats decide to sabotage an electrical substation to stop the gentrification of their pier.

The rats’ diverse community has many characters that are interesting and well-developed. Phoenix has to overcome his dislike of rats and learn to appreciate of his own looks. Beckett, a bookish rat, would rather hide in his crate reading than join the other rats swimming. The red-tail hawk adds humor. However, the rats’ world also has several villains that also add interest to the story.

Oh, Rats! has some exciting moments, but the plot drags in many places. The focus on Lucy and Beckett’s alcoholic father seems out of place because his appearance does nothing to advance the plot. Although readers may find the rats’ way of life interesting, readers may struggle with the vocabulary. The story uses difficult vocabulary such as ignominious, appalled, piqued, lugubrious, and curmudgeonly. However, black and white illustrations appear occasionally, which helps break up the text.

Phoenix is a relatable character, who has a mix of good luck and bad luck. In the end, Phoenix realizes that friendship is more important than one’s looks. Even though Phoenix’s story is interesting, many readers will have a difficult time wading through the slow plot and difficult vocabulary. With a vast selection of animal books out there, Oh Rats! may be best left on the library shelf.

Sexual Content

Phoenix has a crush on a squirrel and they brush whiskers. Later, Phoenix thinks, “Giselle! Phoenix hadn’t thought of her in days. He wondered if she’d gone back to the pond from time to time to think about him. It didn’t seem likely. She’d switched from Tyrone to him so easily, she would probably have switched to another squirrel by now. Though she had seemed to like him.”

Violence

Tyrone, a squirrel, is electrocuted. Even though his death is not described, Phoenix carries Tyrone on his back so Tyrone can have a proper funeral.
A hawk grabs Phoenix. “He was in the clutches of a bird of prey. He tried to wretch himself free, but the bird tightened its grip, and the terrible pain in his shoulder redoubled—a talon was piercing it. The bird’s other claw had a vicelike hold on his hindquarters.”
The hawk drops Phoenix, who “finally dropped out of the tree and hit the street, the pavement wasn’t as unforgiving as pavement usually is. This particular crew had just laid down a new layer of hot tar, which was still soft and doughy.” The tar burned Phoenix. “His whole front side was instantly scalded. . . When he leaped to his feet, the tar scalded his footpads.” As Phoenix escaped the tar, dogs chased him. A bird finally helps Phoenix find water.
An alley cat chases Lucy and Beckett. Lucy runs into a pipe. “Her less agile brother dove and hit the pipe snout-on. For an instant he saw stars. The stars cleared up just as the alley cat pounced. A claw grazed Beckett’s back, but he darted to the other end of the pipe and squirmed in before the cat could grab him.” Lucy and Beckett hide in the hot pipe until it’s safe to leave.
When humans place dynamite by the rats’ home, Mrs. P moved some under the bulldozer. “After lighting both fuses, she dropped the match and waddled away as fast as she could. But the dynamite was only meant for weakening beams, and the blast wasn’t much louder than a car backfiring.”
Beckett reads an article about the rats causing the electricity to go out. “The headline was: SUICIDE BOMBER?” When a rat asks what that is, “Beckett squirmed. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said at last. But of course he knew, and by the aghast look on Lucy’s face he could tell that she did too.”
In an electrical substation, Phoenix lights dynamite. “The dynamite exploded just as he stepped onto the balcony. The detonation wasn’t all that powerful. The balcony didn’t tremble under his paws or anything. Nevertheless, he watched one neighborhood after another blink out, till the entire city was dark again.”
When a hawk lands by the rats, the rats flee. “In his rush to protect Lucy, Beckett had knocked her over, and they lay tangled on the ground, while their father was pressed flat behind his beer can.”

Drugs and Alcohol

When a construction crew put poison out, four rats eat it and end up dying.
In order to gain an inheritance, a rat tries to poison Mrs. P. Mrs. P is given an antidote and doesn’t die.
Lucy and Beckett’s father, Mortimer, is an alcoholic. Lucy “loved their father Mortimer, but since the death of their mother he’d taken to drink, which brought out his temper.” When Mortimer comes home, he smells bad. Beckett asks him, “Sucking old beer cans again?”
Lucy worries about her father because “once, when he’d staggered home alone after one of his binges, a cab on the West Side Highway had hit his tail, which was why half of it was missing.”
Lucy and Becket go to look for her father. “She knew the neighborhood bars on the other side, as well as the alleys behind them where her father liked to drain the dregs from toss-out beer and wine bottles.” As she looked for her father, Lucy saw “a sour-smelling human was passed out in front of the first bar they checked. . .”
Beckett isn’t sad that his father isn’t at home because “Mortimer was particularly nasty when he drank.”
Lucy and Beckett find their father at a bar. “Mortimer grabbed a paper cup. . . the bartender was filling four mugs with draft beer. He held the mug handles in one hand and left the spigot open as he filled them, some trickles of beer spilled down onto the rubber mat. Or would have, if Mortimer hadn’t been there with his cup. When it was full, he carried it back to his hideaway with great care.”
Lucy and Beckett are able to leave the bar because humans are not observant creatures, “especially when guzzling beer and watching baseball.”
When the electricity goes out, Mortimer decides to come home. “Indeed, it was Mortimer, rolling an unopened can of New Amsterdam ale in their direction.”

Language

Someone asks Phoenix, “What the heck are you doing here?”
A construction worker says, “I’ll be darned if I’m going to set the charges.”
When humans yell at the construction workers, someone calls them “wackos.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

In this hardcover picture book, Pete the Cat wakes up feeling grumpy—nothing seems to be going his way. But with the help of some rockin’ magic sunglasses, Pete learns that a good mood has been inside him all along. Groove and move with Pete as he helps Squirrel, Turtle, and Alligator discover that the sun is shining and everything’s alright.

The bright pictures will capture young reader’s attention, but they will keep flipping the book’s pages because of the funny text. The repetitious text shows how the animals’ mood changes from frustrated, mad, and sad to happy. In the end, Owl tells Pete, “Pete, you don’t need magic sunglasses to see things in a new way. Just remember to look for the good in every day.” The silly story uses a fun refrain to show how a person’s attitude can affect how they feel.

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page of the picture book has 1-5 simple sentences. The text uses a variety of sizes and colors to make the words pop off the page. The colorful art, the repetitive, fun text, and the positive message make Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses a fun choice for young readers.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Pugs and Kisses

Ana Ramos has always wanted a dog of her own, but her mother has a no pet rule. That’s one of the reasons Ana is happy to walk her neighbor’s adorable pug, Osito. When Ana takes Osito to the park, Osito befriends another pug, whose owner is a cute boy named Calvin. When Calvin assumes that Osito belongs to Ana, she doesn’t correct him. After all, Ana probably won’t see Calvin again.

Then Calvin enrolls in Ana’s school and they have several classes together. When Calvin suggests setting up playdates for the two pugs, Ana pretends that Osito is her dog. Soon, Ana discovers that she’s telling lies to cover up the fact that she lied about Osito. As time goes by, Ana’s lies increase, and she’s using both her best friend and her sister to help keep her secret. Ana wants to fess up about her lies, but she’s afraid of Calvin’s reaction. How is Ana ever going to get out of this mess?

Ana and Calvin meet at the dog park and bond over their love of pugs. Even though Pugs and Kisses uses the traditional romantic movie formula, younger readers will enjoy the sweet story of Ana’s first crush. Middle graders will understand Ana’s confusion when it comes to her feelings for Calvin. When Calvin invites her over to his house for dinner, Ana isn’t sure if going to his house is a “date” or just two friends hanging out. One positive aspect of Ana’s crush on Calvin is that both Ana and Calvin are smart and do not try to hide their love of academics.

The story hits on topics that are important to middle graders: friendship, families, and crushes. Ana is an imperfect character that readers will be able to relate to. Ana is often frustrated with her family, worries about school, and wonders about her emerging feelings for Calvin. However, the story doesn’t just focus on Ana’s family and Calvin. Another positive aspect of Pugs and Kisses is that Ana’s Puerto Rican heritage is naturally integrated into the story. Readers will learn facts about Ana’s sister’s quinceañera and her neighborhood.

Despite the predictable plot, the pugs and cute awkward moments will appeal to younger readers. Pugs and Kisses will entertain readers who aren’t ready to read longer books such as The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Readers who want a light romance with more action should read the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.

Sexual Content

At her sister’s quinceañera, Ana is so excited that Calvin forgave her that “without stopping to think, I stood up on my tiptoes and give him a kiss. My first kiss. He looked a little surprised when I pulled away, but he was smiling.”
After kissing Calvin, Ana says, “I can’t believe I kissed you.” Calvin replies, “I’m glad you did.” Then he put a hand on Ana’s waist and “pulled me even closer to him, and then he kissed me again.”

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Dang is used twice. When Ana asks a boy to her sister’s quinceañera, Ana’s friend says, “Dang girl, I’m impressed.”
Darn is used three times. Ana says, “Darn right, I didn’t choose the pug life. The pug life chose me.”
Crappy is used once. When her friend’s dog runs off, Ana thinks, “How dare they keep going after their crappy fencing-in job had led to Pancake getting out?”
When Ana says something insensitive and upsets her sister, Ana thinks, “I felt like a jerk.”
Ana realizes that she’s been preoccupied and didn’t help her neighbor enough, so she says, “I’ve been an idiot.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Amelia Bedelia on the Job

Amelia Bedelia’s class is learning about jobs, but most of the students don’t know what their parents’ occupations are. Amelia’s father talks about making slides and pitching, so Amelia assumes her father coaches baseball. When Amelia’s class goes on a field trip to a corporate park, she discovers a lot about her father and his job.

In Amelia Bedelia on the Job, Amelia’s story jumps back and forth between Amelia’s home, her school, and a corporate park. During the story, different students share what they learned about jobs. For example, one student gave a report about plants and factories, while another student gives a report on mills. During the field trip, students learn about getting paid, withdrawals, and other work-related items.

Similar to other books, Amelia Bedelia on the Job uses silly illustrations to show what Amelia imagines a word to mean. However, the chapter book also teaches the difference between jargon and slang. While on the field trip, one of the adults also uses idioms in his speech. Even though the idioms are illustrated to mean the literal meaning of the idiom, the idioms’ meanings are never explained in the story’s text. Instead, at the end of the story, there are two pages of illustrated idioms that show their literal and figurative meanings.

Amelia Bedelia’s parents are portrayed in a positive light and they share a cute story about how they met. When he was younger, Amelia’s father was a “jerk.” While telling the story, both parents explain what a “soda jerk” is. Readers who enjoy action-packed stories will be disappointed with Amelia Bedelia on the Job, which feels like an extended vocabulary lesson.

Even though Amelia Bedelia on the Job has black-and-white illustrations that break up the text, the story has some advanced vocabulary which may be confusing for some readers. When Amelia is confused about a word’s meaning, her confusion is often illustrated, which adds some humor to the story. Amelia Bedelia on the Job is packed with information about words and careers. Unfortunately, the story’s focus on teaching gives the story a slow pace, which may cause many readers to put the book down and never pick it up again.

If you’re looking for a book that teaches vocabulary and is an interesting story, you may want to add Hilde Cracks the Case by Hilde Lysiak, Polly Diamond by Alice Kuipers, and Diana Toledano, or Mac B. Kid Spy by Mac Barnett to your reading list.

Sexual Content