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The Heir

Eadlyn, the daughter of Maxon and America, is next in line for the throne and will be the first woman in her country’s history to rule by herself. Eadlyn is powerful—the last thing she needs is a man to get in her way. When unrest begins to develop throughout the country, Eadlyn’s parents come to her with a solution to distract the people while they attempt to settle the turmoil in the country—a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn is against the idea. She doesn’t see how babysitting 35 boys will solve the country’s problems. Eadlyn finally agrees to an attempt at finding a husband through the Selection but plans to sabotage it by acting as unpleasant as possible, encouraging the boys to leave on their own and finishing the Selection her way. However, Eadlyn quickly discovers that she must play to the eye of the public in order to win the public’s favor of herself as the next ruler in line for the throne.

As the Selection runs its course, Eadlyn finds herself enjoying some of the boys and doesn’t entirely hate the thought of them being in her house. However, with fights and attempted inappropriate touching, the press begins to show that Eadlyn doesn’t have control over her own Selection. Will Eadlyn finish her Selection with a husband and continue on to rule the country?

Readers won’t be able to put down this installation of the Selection series as they watch the newest generation of Illea’s royalty work through a possible uprising, budding romance, and a whole new type of Selection. Although the first few chapters of The Heir are slow, the pacing picks up and will leave the readers turning the pages to find out if Eadlyn will find the love of her life and still rule Illea. Readers will want to read the previous books of the Selection series in order to fully enjoy and understand The Heir.

Eadlyn is shown as a powerful, headstrong heir to the throne, who learns how to let her walls down. Eadlyn discovers that letting people see her as more than just a ruler, will actually benefit herself. At the beginning of the book, her condescending, blunt, and rude personality may turn away readers. However, readers will eventually fall in love with Eadlyn as she learns how to be the “people’s ruler.” Entertaining characters from previous books make appearances along with new, well-developed characters. Overall, these components create a storyline that will keep readers turning the pages. The story highlights the importance of family and friends and shows that with the help of others, anything can be accomplished. Because the conclusion of The Heir ends with a cliffhanger, readers will want to have the next book of the series, The Crown, on hand.

Language

  • When Kile and Eadlyn greet one another on a date, Eadlyn jokes, “It’s ‘Royal Pain in the Ass’ to you, sir.”
  • Kile apologizes for calling Eadlyn “bratty.”
  • After a parade ends in a disaster, Eadlyn’s parents ask her what happened. Eadlyn replies, “Hell if I know.”
  • “Darn it” is used once.
  • Loser is used twice. Eadlyn jokingly tells someone, “Come in, loser.”
  • Erik tells Eadlyn, “That’s really none of my business, and you’re obviously having a rough day. I’m an ass.”

Sexual Content

  • General Leger is seen kissing his wife, Miss Lucy. In the studio, “General Leger was there, kissing Miss Lucy on her forehead and whispering something to her.”
  • When Eadlyn recounts her disastrous meeting of the Selected men, she says, “one blatantly stared at my chest for the entirety of our meeting.” Eadlyn later sends this man home for the reason, “‘When we met, you couldn’t stop staring at my breasts.’”
  • Kile and Eadlyn kiss in a hallway with the hopes of being photographed by paparazzi. Eadlyn describes their kiss saying, “Kile leaned down, lips meeting mine, holding them there. Then his lips parted and closed and parted again.” Their kissing is described for about a page.
  • Ahren, Eadlyn’s twin brother, makes fun of her for her lack of relationship experience. Ahren says a picture in the paper does not count as a relationship and, “Neither does making out with Leron Troyes at that Christmas ball in Paris.”
  • When going on a date with Baden, Eadlyn says, “Baden and I are going to make music…. I mean that literally, by the way.”
  • Eadlyn invites Kile over to her room and they kiss. Eadlyn recounts that she “wrapped my hand around his head, pulling him to me, and an instant later his arms were around my waist.” Eadlyn describes their kissing for a page.
  • Eadlyn is overwhelmed and goes to Kile for help. Eadlyn pushes Kile into a closet. “I was so overwhelmed, I pressed my lips into his, knowing that would make everything else stop for a minute.” As their kissing gets hotter, Eadlyn begins to remove his shirt, but Kile stops her.
  • Henri and Eadlyn kiss in the kitchen. Eadlyn describes their kiss as delicate. “I pressed my lips into his, trying to tell him without words that this was okay, that I wanted him to hold me.” Their kiss is described for half a page.
  • Camille, Ahren’s girlfriend, comes to Illea from France. When Camille arrives, Ahren, “held her tightly and kissed every corner of her face.”
  • Camille and Ahren sneak off to spend more time together. “Ahren snuck away with Camille, kissing her every step of the way.”
  • When Camille and Ahren don’t show up to breakfast one morning, Eadlyn assumes that either, “Ahren had come to his senses and told her that he needed to consider other options, and they were both in the process of avoiding each other… or they’d spent the night together and were maybe still in bed.”

Violence

  • When Kile calls Eadlyn “bratty” his mother “twacked her son over the head.”
  • When Jack tries to take things too far with Eadlyn, Ahren comes to Eadlyn’s defense. As Jack continues to torment Eadlyn in front of Ahren, Eadlyn had “never seen Ahren throw a punch before. It was almost as shocking as Jack’s limp body after my brother’s fist forced his head to whip back at an awkward angle.”
  • During a group date, Burke and Fox get into a heated argument over their cooking styles. As their argument continues to heat up, “Burke threw a punch that knocked Fox back several steps. I sucked in a breath, frozen. Fox came back at him, and I was pushed to the floor by Burke’s arm pulling back for another punch.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • As Eadlyn and her parents prepare for the arrival of the Selected men, her mother and the chef discuss the need to finalize the first seven-course dinner. Eadlyn “groaned internally. A true seven-course meal could take six hours from the first sip of a cocktail to the final bite of chocolate.”
  • Eadlyn hides away from her people. She says she “took shelter in long baths or a drink with dinner.”
  • After Eadlyn’s parade for the Selected men goes awry, Eadlyn’s mother and father “were both drinking something a little stronger than wine—a rare occasion—though it didn’t appear to be doing much for their nerves.”
  • When Eadlyn invites Kile into her room, Kile “spotted the wine I’d provided and wasted no time in pouring himself a glass.”
  • When Ean questions Eadlyn on what her favorite food is, Eadlyn answers, “Do mimosas count?”

Spiritual Content

  • When Eadlyn comes across two guards, one of the guards says, “Thank God. Go to the king and tell him we’ve found her.”
  • When Eadlyn’s mother has a heart attack, Eadlyn rushes to the hospital wing. When she gets there, “Aunt May sat next to Miss Marlee, who appeared to be deep in prayer.”
  • When the Selected men find out that Eadlyn’s mother is in the hospital wing, they come to show their support. As they approach Eadlyn, Kile says, “We’ve come to pray.”

Supernatural Content

  • None

Pirate Pedro

It’s Pirate Day at school, and Pedro and his mates have so much fun pretending to be pirates at school, they take the game home. The only problem? They all want to be captain of the ship.

The chapter book Pirate Pedro is written with simple vocabulary that beginning readers will be able to master. Each page contains four or fewer sentences as well as colorful pictures, which include a diverse cast of characters. The story contains fun pirate facts and new pirate words and sayings like “shiver me timbers!”

After the story ends, readers can continue the pirate fun by reading two pages of pirate jokes. The story also has a glossary, questions, and writing prompts. Pirate Pedro engages young readers by using interesting characters who have relatable problems. Pirate Pedro will help independent readers improve their skills and become confident readers. Although Pirate Pedro is part of a series with many of the same characters, it doe not need to be read in order. Readers who enjoy the Pedro series should also try the Katie Woo series because it has many of the same characters and is written in the same format.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Heartwood Box

Araceli’s parents wanted her to have a normal, American senior year, so they sent her to stay with her Great-Aunt Ottillie. Araceli is supposed to be focusing on school and getting ready for college, but she thinks that her aunt’s old Victorian home may be haunted. Araceli can feel someone watching her, and it doesn’t help that her great-aunt still leaves food out for her husband that has been missing for twenty years.

Araceli’s great-aunt isn’t the only creepy thing in town. Local businesses are plastered with missing posters. The townspeople are watchful and suspicious of each other. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city walls that no one talks about. When Araceli begins getting letters from the past, she thinks someone is playing a nasty joke on her.

When Araceli’s friend disappears, she is determined to find out what is going on. In order to solve the mystery, she must investigate the other disappearances as well as the secretive lab. But someone is willing to go to great lengths to keep their secrets hidden. Can Araceli uncover the conspiracy or will someone make her disappear?

The Heartwood Box is an immensely enjoyable, complicated story that will have readers guessing until the very end. Told from Araceli’s point of view, the creepy town comes alive. Although Araceli isn’t the most relatable character, her story is compelling. The supporting characters are not well-developed but they help move the plot along at a fast pace. For those who love character-driven stories, The Heartwood Box might disappoint.

This story is a mix of science-fiction, mystery, and historical romance. The multiple plots may leave readers confused unless they pay close attention. Not only is Araceli falling in love with a World War I soldier, but she is also trying to fit in at a new school and solve the mystery of the town’s disappearing people. The end of the story ties all of the threads together in a satisfying, if somewhat implausible, conclusion.

Aguirre also throws in the theme of colorism. Several times in the story, Araceli talks about colorism and gives examples of how dark skin people are treated differently than whites. At one point she thinks, “I wish America cared the same about Black and Brown girls, but there’s a lot to do yet.” Even though Araceli is bi-racial, this theme is not well fleshed out.

Readers looking for a unique time travel mystery will enjoy The Heartwood Box, which has several surprising twists at the end. Some of the vocabulary is difficult, but the majority of the story is written in easy to understand language. Although the ending is rushed, the book will captivate readers who enjoyed the Ruby Red series by Kerstin Gier or Passenger by Alexandra Bracken.

Sexual Content

  • When Araceli has a friend over to the house, her aunt says, “You can watch TV in the parlor if you want. I do trust both of you, but it would be disrespectful for you to go upstairs.” Araceli thinks to herself, “Oh my God, if I wanted to hook up with Logan, I’d go across the street. He already said his parents aren’t home.”
  • In a dream, Araceli is able to see soldiers who are on a ship. She hears, “a slick skin-on-skin sound that I identify as a soldier jerking off, trying to be stealthy about it.”
  • While talking to a boy, Araceli thinks, “He’s thirsty for me. I’ve seen the look enough to recognize it, but I pretend not to know. . .”
  • When Araceli is sitting in a car with a boy, her aunt “saves me by flipping the porch light on and peeking out the front door, likely to make sure we’re not getting hot and heavy in her Plymouth.”
  • While in a dream, Araceli meets a soldier and, “I can touch him in this dream, so I do. There’s no reason to hold back. When he drops his weapon and opens his arms, I slide into them like I belong there. . . I stretch up on tiptoe and cup his face in my hands; I feel the heat of his skin, the scruff on his chin and jaw. Then I press my mouth to his, light and soft. He drags me closer and kisses me like our lives depend on it, all heat and desperation. . . We kiss and cling until I can barely breathe.”
  • When Araceli’s aunt and uncle see her sitting in a car with an older man, her uncle asks, “Is there something you need to tell us? We won’t judge you. Grown men who entice young girls should be ashamed.” Araceli tells them that the man was a family friend.

Violence

  • The town sheriff physically abuses his son. The abuse is not described, but Araceli sees the bruises. When the boy gets to school, she “can see his lip is busted, and his face is swollen on one side. At a minimum, someone slapped the shit out of him, and it looks more like he took a few hits to the face.”
  • In a letter, a soldier writes about his experiences. “France has become hell on earth, no way around it. Great tunnels in the dirt, piled high with bodies and you can’t tell a Jerry from a Brit from a Sammy. . . Death makes every soldier the same. Nobody is coming for those men, not to give them services or say a few words or even to bury them. The birds pluck out their eyes. . .” The soldier also writes, “I killed my first Jerry and threw up afterwards. . . My friend John took one in the gut, bad way to go. Took him hours to go west, and we were all freezing next to his body in a trench during that first long hour of hate.”
  • Araceli thinks back to the past. “The kids are protesting, shouting, waving signs. A shot rings out. The student leader goes down, bleeding from his head, and it’s all mayhem, all running and screaming.”
  • Someone tells the county sheriff to kill someone. The sheriff says, “You’re trying to give me a kill order? I can’t believe you think you bought me for fifty thousand.”
  • Araceli and her friends are trying to destroy mechanisms that create the ghost light. A man sees them and Araceli “rush[es] toward him, and everything else is instinct. With the hammer, I knock whatever he has out of his hand, and then I swing again, as hard as I can, right upside his head. His body goes flying, tumbling down the hill and into the water with an ominous splash.” The man dies.
  • Araceli and her friends are chased by guards who shoot at them. Araceli’s “heart thunders in my ears as more bullets spray the area. I get stung on a ricochet and a sharp pain slices across my calf. Shit, it hurts. . .” One of her friends is shot. “His voice comes out liquid with blood and breathy from his struggle for air. . . Jackson gives me a sad smile, his teeth stained with blood. . . He goes limp in my arms. . . Jackson’s blood is all over the soil and the stones, staining my hands and the suit he made to protect us.” The scene takes place over seven pages.
  • After Araceli’s friend dies, she jumps on an ATV and tries to escape. The guards, “snap shots at me as they can, but it’s not as easy from the back of an ATV, firing at a moving vehicle.” She crashes, and a man “twists my arms behind me and binds my wrists with what feels like a zip tie, then drags me out of sight. . .I taste blood from where my lips split against my teeth.” The man gags her and then puts her in a cell. The scene takes place over 4 pages.
  • Over a radio, Araceli hears “the sound of a Taser discharging and the impact of a fist hitting flesh.”
  • As Araceli and Dr. Perry try to get to the lab’s control room, Dr. Perry “slams into three guards coming around the corner. His weapon flies out of his hand. . .” Araceli shoots a guard in the belly and “the guard screams and topples over. . .” Dr. Perry shoots a guard. Later Dr. Perry shoots two more guards “neatly, two chest shots, two clean kills.” Eventually, someone shoots Dr. Perry. “Slugs slam into the blocks, shaking the cement. . . He’s down, bleeding from several wounds. . . He manages to shoot three of the four, and I fire on the last one while he’s reloading. . .” Dr. Perry dies. The scene takes place over four pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • As Araceli goes through town, she thinks about her past homes. “I can’t remember ever living in a freestanding house. There will be no rooftop garden parties here, no barbeques that draw out the neighbors so that we grill whatever’s on hand, and I take beer from the cooler without anyone asking how old I am.”
  • While in the past, Araceli goes to a Halloween party and gets drunk.
  • Araceli goes into a pizza place where some adults are drinking beer.
  • A girl’s mother is put on depression medication after her son disappears.
  • In a letter, a soldier says that while passing through England, they stopped at a town and some men got “puking drunk.”
  • When a boy is teaching Araceli to drive, he tells her, “You’re going really slow. If you’re not careful, you’ll get pulled over. Only people who are slightly high drive this much below the limit.”
  • Araceli is given a document that has information about the Heartwood box. A researcher had an “unfortunate addiction to hallucinogenic drugs.”
  • Araceli sends a note to the past, but wonders if the person receiving it, “was stoned when he got my note, laughed and rolled a joint with it.”
  • A boy’s grandfather only talked about a girl he once loved when he “had a little to drink.”

Language

  • Profanity is used often. Profanity includes ass, asshole, bitching, crap, damn, dammit, fricking hell, holy shit, piss, pissed, shit.
  • Araceli meets a boy and thinks that he is “kind of a dick.”
  • When Logan’s father gets home, he yells at his wife and asks, “Where the hell is he? I told him to come straight home from school and look after the fucking yard.”
  • OMG is used twice. Oh my god is used six times. Oh god and Oh Lord are both used once.
  • When her aunt gives her snacks after school, Araceli thinks, “I swear to God, I’m starting to like pretending I’m five. . .”
  • Araceli describes her mood as, “grumpy as hell.”
  • Araceli thinks, “I’ve experienced some shit in my life, but I can’t say I ever lived in a haunted house. Until now.” Later she thinks, “This house is so damn haunted.”
  • A boy is wearing a shirt that says, “Get in line B*tches.”

Supernatural

  • While in her aunt’s house and at school, Araceli feels a chill. She also feels as if someone is watching her.
  • Araceli has vivid dreams where she goes into the past and can interact with a World War I soldier. When she is dreaming, no other people can see or hear her besides the soldier. However, after one dream a picture of World War I changes. When she dreams, she can find the soldier because “there was a tug. . . I feel that same pull now, delicate and tenuous. . .”
  • Araceli goes into the attic, and “before I get to the pull cord, it’s tugged by an invisible hand until the distinctive click, and the light flares on.”
  • Araceli finds a treasure box that allows her to communicate with a World War I soldier. They write letters back and forth. Araceli also puts small objects like mint and antibiotic ointment into the box.
  • The town has “ghost lights” that make people slip into another time.
  • When people disappear, their loved ones leave out food for them, which also disappears.

Spiritual Content

  • When Araceli wakes up after being asleep for days, her aunt says, “Thank God.”
  • Araceli thinks about her parents who “aren’t religious. My mom’s agnostic and my dad is a lapsed Catholic, so I was baptized and that’s about it. . . We go to mass once a year at Christmas, and it’s a somber occasion in most of the countries I’ve lived in.”
  • Araceli goes to church with a friend, but the service is not described. While there, a woman says, “Everyone is welcome in God’s house.”

The Catfish Club

Coral, Shelly, and Angel love to do everything together. They are excited to be in the same class. When their teacher assigns an art project, the girls know they will be partners. When they go to an art museum, they get in an argument with three other girls—the members of the Catfish Club. Coral, Shelly, and Angel, and the Catfish Club both think they can create a purr-fect project that their teacher will love.

Angel lets anger get the best of her and makes a bet. If the teacher likes her group’s project the best, the Catfish Club has to give her their purple pearl necklaces, and if the teacher likes the Catfish Club’s project best, Angel has to give them her purple pearl earrings. Angel is afraid that she will lose the earrings that were a special present. Will Angel and her friends be able to find a way out of this mess?

The Catfish Club uses a relatable conflict—mean girls and wanting to be first—in a story that will captivate younger readers. Angel, who cares about fashion, also gets angry easily. Angel loves her friends and thinks they are “fin-tastic friends.” However, her group of friends doesn’t get along with the Catfish Club, a group of three friends. At one point, Angel thinks, “I wish I hadn’t lost my temper and made that bet.” As the story progresses, the reader will learn about the importance of working together and the dangers of anger.

Readers will also learn about art. The story teaches that art can be found in unlikely places. The author takes some famous artists and changes their names to fit the purrmaid world. For example, the teacher talks about Pablo Picatso, and Vincent Fang Gogh. The story shows that when it comes to art, it’s important to try new things. Ms. Harbor explains, “The artist didn’t worry about what others told them to do. They didn’t follow the rules. They followed their hearts!”

The Catfish Club uses relatable conflicts to teach about the importance of being kind and working together. The story shows that purrmaids do not have to have the same qualities in order to be friends. Besides the relatable conflicts, younger readers will also enjoy the cat puns and sea similes that are incorporated into the story. For example, purr-ty, cat-tastrophe, and big as a blue whale. The puns are a little bit over the top, and although younger readers may enjoy them, parents might want to avoid reading The Catfish Club aloud.

The Catfish Club is perfect for readers who are able to read chapter books. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. The Catfish Club is part of a series, but the stories do not need to be read in order even though the story has some of the same characters and a similar conclusion to the previous books. Readers who like the Pet Fairies series will also find the Purrmaid series purr-fect. The Catfish Club uses adorable purrmaids to teach younger readers that, “If we work together, I know we can create a masterpiece.”

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Guardians of the Taiga

Stacy doesn’t remember her human family. She has been raised by wolves who taught her how to survive in the wild. Stacy and her wolf family rely on each other for all their needs. The powerful, playful wolves—Addison, Basil, Everest, Noah, Tucker, and Wink—are the only family Stacy has ever needed.

As much as possible, Stacy and her pack avoid humans and try to keep the other forest animals safe. Full of courage, Stacy and the wolves are able to accomplish risky rescue missions. But Stacy soon finds that humans pose a risk to their home. Developers want to change the landscape, destroying the animal’s habitat and forcing them to leave the forest. Powerful businessmen are determined to make their resort a reality. How can Stacy and her pack face the dangers that threaten them?

Stacy takes precarious risks to care for animals in need. From the first page, readers see Stacy jumping into danger and relying on her wolf family to protect her. The Guardians of the Taiga’s non-stop action will have readers eager to turn each page. The story is not only entertaining, but it also teaches about animals, the dangers that humans pose to wildlife, and how developers can encroach on animal’s habitats. The story never feels like a lecture or a textbook, but instead teaches lessons through the characters’ experiences. For example, Stacy talks about an electric company that destroyed the beauty of nature when they “leveled a great swath of the forest for the electrical substation, and then shot at the wild creatures for trespassing on ‘their land.’ And the worst part was they acted entitled—as if the forest belonged to them more than it did to the wolves and the deer and the rabbits and even the bats.”

Even though Stacy is a unique character, readers will relate to her daring attitude, her concern for her wolf family, and her awkwardness around humans. Each wolf has a distinct personality, and although they do not talk, the reader is still able to connect with the animals. Even though Stacy is being raised by wolves, the wolves make sure Stacy has an education. For example, Stacy reads books such as Physics for Dummies, and at one point, Stacy uses physics in order to save a dog’s life. The physics is described in kid-friendly terms.

Readers will love the story because of the non-stop action, the danger, and the unique plot. Parents and teachers will appreciate Guardians of the Taiga because of the educational value. Not only does the story highlight the need to care for nature, but it also helps readers gain new vocabulary skills. The book contains some difficult vocabulary such as pelage, crepuscular, biomes, and satiated; however, many of these words appear in the glossary in the back of the book. Another positive aspect of the story is the black and white pictures that are scattered throughout the book.

The only negative aspect of the story is the abrupt conclusion that leaves many unanswered questions. Instead of wrapping up the story, the author sets up the sequel—Escape to the Mesa. The book ends with a selection of other reading material—an author interview, the inspiration for one of the characters, and an interview with a wolf researcher. Guardians of the Taiga will appeal to a wide range of readers including those who love animals, daring characters, and action. Readers who enjoy this series should add the Simon Thorn series to their list of must-read books.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • During a fire, a tree “cracked in two and toppled over, flames licking at its branches. It fell right in the middle of the wild pack, crushing several of its members. Stacy screamed, unsure of how many wolves had just been killed right in front of her.” Stacy tries to convince the wolves to follow her but Dusty, who was the alpha, wouldn’t move. Dusty “was illuminated by the flames, and Stacy could see a large patch of dark red on the wolf’s hindquarters. . . blood. Dusty wasn’t placing any weight on her back left leg. She’d been shot!” Stacy couldn’t help Dusty and eventually “the flames enveloped what was left of the den and consumed Dusty.”
  • Lightning strikes a wolf. “The wolf had a jagged, bloody strike down the left side of her body. . . Basil was stunned but alive.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Stacy wonders, “why are there so many dang bats here?”

Supernatural

  • Stacy and the wolves are able to communicate, and the wolves can perform some human-like tasks.
  • A dog can communicate with bats through echolocation and is also able to understand Stacy’s words.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Kitty the Tiger Fairy

Rachel and Kirsty are spending a week of their summer vacation volunteering at the Wild Woods Nature Reserve. While the girls want to help others, Jack Frost is up to no good. He has stolen the Baby Animal Rescue Fairies’ magic key chains and is planning on kidnapping baby animals for his icy zoo.

The girls have to help the fairies keep the zoo animals safe. When Jack Frost’s goblins try to capture Sheba the tiger cub, Rachel and Kirsty have to keep the tiger cub safe. Can they keep Sheba safe or will the cute tiger cub end up in Jack Frost’s zoo?

The Baby Animal Rescue Fairies follows the same format as the Pet Fairies series. Both series combine fairies, animals, and Jack Frost’s goblins to create an entertaining story that younger readers will enjoy. While the goblins spend most of their time running away from the tiger cub, younger readers will enjoy guessing what the goblins will do next. The story highlights the importance of volunteering and taking care of the environment.

Rachel and Kirsty are likable characters who use their time to help others. The characters are not well developed and the plot structure is repetitive of the previous books. Despite the predictable plot, readers of The Baby Animal Rescue Fairies will enjoy seeing Rachel and Kirsty defeat Jack Frost’s goblins. Black-and-white illustrations help readers visualize the plot while illustrations of the animals’ lives add to the story’s cuteness.

This book has easy vocabulary and short sentences, which make it perfect for readers just transitioning to chapter books. Younger readers will be able to read The Baby Animal Rescue Fairies without assistance, and the stories will help them build confidence and a joy for reading. There are seven books in The Baby Animal Rescue Fairies series in addition to a Sports Fairies series, the Fairy Tale Fairies series, and Special Editions.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Jack Frost uses a magic ice bolt to steal the Baby Animal Rescue Fairies’ charms—“the tiny furry animal key chains that helped them care for the wildlife. Jack Frost then gave the key chains to his goblins, and ordered them to hurry away to the human world and bring him some animals for his zoo.”
  • The fairies use their magic and “granted Rachel and Kirsty the power to talk to animals.”
  • A fairy shakes her wand, “conjuring up a cloud of glittering fairy dust. The girls were whisked gently away and, in the blink of an eye, Rachel and Kirsty found themselves thousands of miles from the nature reserve.”
  • With a flick of her wand, a fairy “scattered magic sparkles around the girls, turning them both into fairies.”
  • Rachel and Kirsty use fairy dust to go to the fairy world.
  • A fairy puts fairy dust on a log. “The log immediately rose up out of the water, floated through the air, and came to a rest on the bank of the stream.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t-Sleep Blues

Mr. Fish can’t get to sleep, so he goes to ask his underwater friends for some advice. Even though his friends explain their bedtime, the routine doesn’t help Mr. Fish sleep. Miss Shimmer comes to the rescue. She helps Mr. Fish see that different routines work for different creatures. Mr. Fish takes what he learned and creates a routine that works best for him. In the end, the frustrated fish falls fast asleep.

The picture book, The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t Sleep Blues uses beautiful, colorful illustrations to bring Mr. Fish’s underwater world alive. The Pout-Pout Fish incorporates humor into the story. When each sea creature gives advice on how to sleep, Mr. Fish tries the method, but it doesn’t work for him. However, when he looks over, his friend is snoozing away. Mr. Fish learns that not all advice can be used because everyone’s needs are different.

Younger readers will enjoy the story and will want to look at the pictures over and over. The colorful illustrations even show one fish getting its teeth flossed as well as a sea creature counting fish-sheep. The rhyming text and short sentences (four sentences on each page) make The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t Sleep Blues a perfect bedtime story. Any child who has trouble falling asleep should read about Mr. Fish’s can’t sleep blues, which will help them think about creating a bedtime routine that works.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

A Photo Journal Mission

Cyrus’s English teacher has given the class a photo journal assignment. Cyrus isn’t sure what to put in his journaling notebook. He and his friends head to the library and talk to the librarian Ms. Gillian. In order to help Cyrus figure out what to put in his notebook, Ms. Gillian takes him and his classmates into the past to meet two historical figures that used different methods of creating notebooks that documented their area of study. When Cyrus returns to school, he uses what he learned to begin his own notebook.

A Photo Journal Mission, which is a graphic novel, features Cyrus who isn’t afraid to ask for help on a difficult assignment. The diverse cast of characters jump back into time and meet John Audubon who wrote about birds. Audubon explains how he studied nature and wrote about it in a scientific journal. Audubon explains the importance of pairing illustrations with observations. After speaking with Audubon, the group meets an English botanist Anna Atkins, who was the first person to use photographs in a book. Atkins shows how she used photosensitive paper to create her images.

The story has a lot of positive aspects—it teaches vocabulary, introduces historical figures, and has wonderful illustrations. Each page contains six or fewer easy-to-read sentences, and the plot moves at a fast pace. For those who want to learn more about keeping a research journal, the book includes a list of further resources. The full-color drawings are interesting, detailed, and have both white text bubbles that show characters’ dialogue as well as black boxes for the narration. Words that readers may be unfamiliar with are in bold text, with a glossary in the back of the book. The back of the book also contains directions for making a photo journal.

Because the story is so short and the characters and the plot are not well developed, more advanced readers will quickly become bored with the Adventures in Makerspace series. However, for readers who are just transitioning to chapter books or are reluctant readers, A Photo Journal Mission will give them a simple, entertaining story that will help them build reading skills.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • When the librarian opens a book of Birds of America, the librarian and the students poof and enter the past.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Who Needs Glasses?

Pedro needs glasses, but he doesn’t want to wear them. Katie also needs glasses, but she isn’t afraid to wear them. She knows that glasses help her see. She even thinks they look good on her. While working on a class project, Katie finds a way to prove that glasses are great!

Who Needs Glasses? doesn’t only focus on how glasses help Pedro and Katie see better. It also has some fun dino facts that teach new vocabulary. In addition, while working on a school project, each student has to use their talents to complete the project. The diverse group of students demonstrates good teamwork.

Although Who Needs Glasses? is part of a series, and has many of the same characters, the stories do not have to be read in order. To help younger readers build reading fluency, the story has short chapters, easy vocabulary, and four or fewer simple sentences per page.

Cute, full-color illustrations appear on every page, showing Katie and her diverse classmates. The end of the book contains a glossary, questions, writing prompts as well as a craft. Katie Woo is an engaging story that will help beginning readers become confident readers. Readers who enjoy the Katie Woo series should also try the Pedro series because it has many of the same characters and is written in the same format.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Focused

Clea can’t control her thoughts. Some days, her thoughts repeat in an endless loop. Other days, her mind jumps from topic to topic. Either way, she can’t focus on her homework. Even when she tries to focus really, really hard, she still gets distracted. Someone is always chewing their gum too loudly or making annoying noises.

But that’s not her only problem. Everything that Clea thinks pops out of her mouth. She can’t seem to keep the words from jumping out. Clea’s issues are starting to cause problems in other areas of her life—when she’s playing chess, or when she’s hanging out with her best friend. What’s worse is that other kids are starting to notice.

When Clea keeps doing poorly in school, her parents want to have her tested for ADHD. Clea is convinced that she doesn’t have ADHD. If she tried a little harder, everything would be fine. Then, when Clea has an epic fight with her best friend, she knows that something has to change. But how do you change something that is in your head?

Anyone who has struggled in school will be able to relate to Clea. Even when Clea tries her best, she still can’t focus. She constantly berates herself, thinking that she’s just too dumb to do well. Told from Clea’s point of view, Focused allows Clea’s frustration to take center stage. With the assistance of a cast of helpful adults—psychologists, teachers, parents, counselors—Clea gains new time management skills and learns how to speak up for herself.

Even though the story focuses on Clea’s difficulties, the reader will be drawn into the conflict between Clea and other characters in the story. Clea’s best friend is dealing with family problems while one of the chess players constantly puts Clea down. The story also adds a little romance, a little chess, and a host of imperfect characters. Clea’s sister Henley is one of the best parts of the story. The sweet little sister who struggles with talking is always cheering for Clea. Clea realizes that having a person love you unconditionally is amazing. She thinks, “It feels like magic that there’s a person in the world who thinks I’m definitely going to win, no matter what, just because I’m me.”

This easy-to-read story explains how ADHD works and teaches management skills as well. Best of all, it shows that having a learning disability is nothing to be ashamed about. Anyone who reads Focused will come away with a better understanding of ADHD plus empathy for those who struggle with their emotions. The story also highlights the importance of perseverance and forgiveness. Anyone who has ever struggled with feeling inferior or has struggled with school work should read Focused. The story will encourage young readers to ask for help when needed as well as never to give up.

Sexual Content

  • Red’s father moved to Colorado and has a new girlfriend. Red finds out that his dad married his girlfriend and that she is going to have a baby.
  • While talking to Dylan, Clea slips her hand into his, and “he wraps his fingers around mine and squeezes, like he doesn’t want to let go. My stomach flips.”
  • After Dylan asks Clea to be his girlfriend, they kiss. Clea smiles at him, and then “before I know it, his lips are on mine and we’re kissing. It’s soft and sweet and mint chocolate flavored, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with my hands, so I leave them exactly where they are, because I never want the kissing to stop. I want to stay like this forever.”
  • Clea and her friend talk about kissing a boy. It was both of the girl’s first kiss. When Clea’s friend worries that she was bad at kissing, Clea googles “Am I bad at kissing?” Clea then asks her friend, “Okay—did you bump teeth? Or move your head all over the place? Or slobber?” When Clea’s friend says no, the girls laugh and decide they are good at kissing. The conversation takes place over a page.

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Clea thinks she is “an idiot.”
  • Jerk is used four times. Once Clea thinks a boy is a “jerk.” Later she tells the boy that he was acting like “a jerk.”
  • OMG is used six times.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

The Scary Library Shusher

Welcome to Kersville, a town with a spooky history and a collection of ghosts and spirits who are major mischief-makers. Most kids spend their days without ever seeing or dealing with a ghost, but some kids get stuck with a haunt. When that happens, they call Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol. There’s no job too spooky, icky, or risky for Desmond.

Andres Miedoso is not like that at all. He’s Desmond’s best friend and ghost patrol partner. When our teacher gives us a research project, we’re excited to research the library. There should be nothing scary about the library, right? But once we begin our research, there’s a ghostly mystery woman who is causing all sorts of mischief. Can Desmond and Andres figure out what the ghostly woman is up to?

Desmond Cole and Andres are fun characters who are complete opposites. Desmond wants to chase after the zombie, while Andes wants to run in the other direction. Although the library isn’t the most exciting scene for a story, the flying books and spooky woman will demand the reader’s attention. Desmond and Andres learn that the book-loving ghost has a unique problem; one that the two kids help solve. The story has a humorous, unexpected conclusion that will leave readers smiling.

Although The Scary Library Shusher has a common plotline, it still has enough action, humor, and a non-scary ghost to keep readers interested until the very end. The story is told in ten short chapters with easy-to-read vocabulary which is perfect for emerging readers. A black-and-white illustration appears on almost every page. The often humorous illustrations use exaggerated facial expressions so readers can tell what the characters are feeling. Readers will laugh as Desmond and Andres find themselves in unexpected situations. Night of the Zombie Zookeeper is the fifth installment in the Desmond Cole series, however, none of the books need to be read in order. Readers who enjoy The Scary Library Shusher should also try the Notebook of Doom series by Troy Cummings.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Books float off a shelf “all by themselves. Then they started flapping their covers like wings until, suddenly, the flying books swooped down toward Desmond. My best friend was under attack!”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Desmond and Andes hear a strange shhhhhh sound even though no one is there.
  • Computers start turning on all by themselves and “in the darkness, we could hear typing, and whoever was typing was doing it really fast. . . Plus, they were typing the same thing on every single computer. At the same time! It was just one very long word: Shhhhhh.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Hey, Kiddo

Not everyone’s family is the same. Jarrett learned this at a very young age. Most of his classmates had a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett’s family life is complicated. His mom is an addict who jumps in and out of his life. His dad is a mystery—Jarrett doesn’t even know his name. Jarett lives with his grandparents. Although his grandparents loved him, they could be very impatient and opinionated.

Now that Jarrett is a teenager, he wishes his life were normal. His grandparents send him to a Catholic high school, where he doesn’t know anyone. Jarrett’s trying to navigate a new high school, a drug-addicted mother, and new adolescent freedoms. Jarrett lives in a home where no one talks about his past, his parents, or his problems. Art is the only thing that brings Jarrett a sense of accomplishment. When Jarrett finally gets his driver’s license, he decides to confront his father and find his own identity.

Hey, Kiddo is a powerful memoir in a graphic novel format that explores the painful effects of drug addiction. Throughout the story, the author shares artifacts from his youth, including original letters from his mother and drawings he created when he was young. The easy-to-read format shows Jarrett’s narration and thoughts in burnt orange boxes to distinguish them from the conversation bubbles. The drawings appear in shades of gray with splashes of burnt orange. Although the drawings are not beautiful, they perfectly convey the dark tone, Jarrett’s hectic life, as well as show the array of negative emotions the characters feel.

Although Jarrett’s grandparents clearly love him, they are far from perfect. His foul-mouthed grandmother is often more concerned with her television shows than Jarrett. Jarrett’s grandfather is emotionally unavailable but teaches Jarrett about the value of hard work. The one constantly good thing in Jarrett’s life is his next-door neighbor and best friend. The two boys are completely different but stick by each other through difficult times. The story highlights that people do not have to be perfect to have a positive impact on someone’s life.

Many readers will be able to relate to Jarrett’s complicated relationship with his family. When it comes to his mother, Jarrett feels anger, hate, resentment, and love. One example of Jarrett’s conflicting emotions is when he has a hard time picking out a Mother’s Day card for his mom because no cards fit their relationship. Jarrett thinks, “Hallmark didn’t make cards that said, ‘Even though you did all of those drugs, you’re still a swell mom!’ or cards that read, ‘Hey, remember all that time you spent in jail and missed, like, every aspect of my childhood.’”

Even though Hey, Kid is a graphic novel, it contains mature themes and language. While the sentences on each page are short and simple, the words have an impact and highlight the harsh environment in which Jarrett lived, as well as the often frightening events in Jarrett’s life. The book ends with a detailed author’s note explaining more about his life. In the author’s note, Jarrett says, “Your childhood realities do not have to perpetuate themselves into adulthood, not if you don’t let them.” Hey, Kid is an impactful story that will make readers think about the true definition of family. Jarrett’s memoir is both heartbreaking and hopeful because it proves that circumstances do not have to define you.

Sexual Content

  • When Joe went on his first date with Shirley, they kiss.
  • Jarrett explains how his birth parents met. His mother met a man at “my father’s family’s bar. . . However they found each other, they did, and they managed to hide it from my father’s girlfriend. And then my mother got pregnant. . .My father backed off, claiming that the baby wasn’t his. Supposedly, his girlfriend started spreading stories about how my mother had been sleeping around, so the baby could belong to anybody. And sure, she had been sleeping around, but my mom knew he was the father as soon as I was born—I was white. All of her other boyfriends hadn’t been.”
  • When Jarrett was little, he walked into his mother’s room when she was in bed with a man. His mother yelled at him, “I told you not to come barging in here! Get back to your room!”
  • While watching the Price is Right, Jarrett’s grandmother watches a contestant go to the front, and she says, “Well this one looks like a tramp with her tits all flapping about.”
  • When Jarrett is getting dressed in the locker room, a boy laughs at Jarrett’s chest hair and says, “Nice chest vagina.”
  • A comic that Jarrett drew was printed in the newspaper. The comic shows two people getting ready to go into a dance. One boy’s quote bubble says, “Hey man, you got any protection?” The other boy’s quote bubble says, “What kind? Guns, knives, or condoms?”
  • Jarrett paints a mural of Napoleon, the school mascot. The light switch is on Napoleon’s private area.
  • Jarrett goes to a party where kids are drinking alcohol and one couple is making out. Someone yells, “Dude! Get a room!”

Violence

  • Two men show up at Jarrett’s mom’s house covered in blood and holding a knife. Although there are no words, the pictures show Jarrett’s mom helping the men clean up and dispose of the bloody clothing.
  • Jarrett’s hand gets stuck in an escalator, and someone pulls it out. The picture illustrates Jarrett’s bloody hand. His grandmother asks him, “What the hell were you thinking?” When he goes to school, Jarrett’s middle finger is sticking up in a huge bandage.
  • At a pool party, Jarrett and his friends put a flame to hairspray and accidently catch a stuffed animal on fire. They throw the stuffed animal in the pool.
  • Jarrett’s mother introduces Jarrett to her boyfriend. She tells Jarrett, “He had a tough childhood, watched his mother burn to death.”
  • After the cops show up at a party, Jarrett runs. Several boys see him walking and beat him up. A boy said, “You were looking at my girlfriend?” The fight is drawn over two pages. One boy holds Jarrett’s friend so he can’t help. Three other boys start punching Jarrett.” When Jarrett gets home, his grandfather tells him, “I told you nothing good happens after 11. . . This is what happens when you go ‘out.’ Now go to bed.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Often when Jarrett’s grandfather came home from work, “the front door would open and the smell of alcohol would fill the house.”
  • When Jarrett’s grandmother “was rally drunk” she used “foul language.” Once she tells Jarrett and his grandfather, “You are all a bunch of fecking assholes!
  • Jarrett’s mother was an addict, and “she’d steal anything to sell it for heroin.” Once, Jarrett’s grandfather sees a notice in the newspaper. After reading it, he tells Jarrett, “Well, if you were wondering where your mother has been, her name is here in the paper. They found her O.D.’d face down on the pavement.”
  • Jarrett and his grandparents go to a restaurant. Jarrett jokingly tries to order a “Southern Comfort Manhattan, gray with a twist, rocks on the side.” Jarrett says, “I had my grandparents’ drink order memorized. Ice on the side so they could fit more liquor in the glass.”

Language

  • Profanity is used often throughout the book. Although most of the characters use profanity occasionally, Jarrett’s grandmother uses it to the extreme. Profanity includes assholes, bitch, bastard, damn, goddamn, hell, holy crap, piss, fuck, son of a bitch, and shit.
  • When Jarrett’s mother found out she was pregnant, his grandmother “called her some terrible names.” Jarrett’s grandmother’s words are in large, orange letters and include: “goddamn mulatto baby! slut! You whore! prostitute! Hussy! Tramp!”
  • Jarrett’s grandmother calls her husband a “son of a bitch and a bastard.”
  • Oh dear God, for Christ’s sake, Jesus Christ, and Jesus, Mary and Joseph are used as exclamations often.
  • Jarrett’s mother was caught stealing, and she and Jarrett are taken to the police station. Jarrett’s grandfather tells her, “Les, you stay on this track and you’re gonna fuck up so bad that he’ll be taken into custody.”
  • A boy calls Jarrett a “wussy.” A different boy calls Jarrett a “faggot.”
  • While at the cemetery, Jarrett’s grandmother tells him, “And when I’m gone, I’m sure everyone will be saying ‘Thank god that bitch is dead.’”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Jarrett’s grandfather would go by the cemetery to see his parents, and “he always makes sure we stop and say a prayer for them whenever we are here.”
  • When Joe and Shirley married, their parents weren’t happy about the union. “It was a controversial union—Joe’s parents were Catholics who’d immigrated to the U.S. from Poland, while Shirley’s parents were Protestants who’d immigrated from Sweden.
  • Jarrett attends Holy Name, a Catholic high school. While at the Catholic School Jarrett is bullied by older boys. Jarrett tells his grandfather that “Holy Name is filled with a bunch of assholes.”
  • Jarrett’s half-sister asks if Jarrett will be at her first communion.

My New Team

Every day when Little Rhino comes home from school, he finishes his homework, grabs his bat and his glove, and runs outside to meet Grandpa James. They always practice catching and hitting in the backyard. Playing baseball with grandfather is Little Rhino’s favorite thing to do, especially when he pretends to be a real Major League home run hitter.

One afternoon, after a long day of second grade, Little Rhino comes home to find out that Grandpa James has signed him up for a baseball league! Little Rhino will finally be a part of a team! But Little Rhino will quickly learn that it is not always so easy to be a good teammate, especially when there’s a bully wearing the same uniform as you.

Even though the characters in My New Team are not well-developed, the story will appeal to younger readers who love sports. The story doesn’t only focus on baseball but also includes a conflict with a bully, as well as the difficulty of being in new situations. Throughout the story, Rhino shows the importance of putting schoolwork before sports as well as the necessity of practice. One positive relationship in Rhino’s life is his grandfather, who plays a prominent role, and has taught Rhino the importance of thinking before he speaks.

My New Team uses realistic situations that younger readers can relate to. When Rhino is faced with a bully, he tries to understand the boy’s actions, and instead of being mean to the bully, Rhino tries to show the boy kindness. Readers who are just transitioning into chapter books may have difficulty reading My New Team because of the text-heavy pages. Although black-and-white pictures appear approximately every three pages, the pictures are similar to those found in a coloring book and do not have much appeal. My New Team uses realistic conflicts to teach important lessons about friendship, perseverance, practice, and the importance of thinking before you act. Readers who enjoy Little Rhino will also want to read the Ball Park Mysteries series.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • A bully calls Rhino a “wimp” twice.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Far From the Tree

Grace always thought she was going to attend homecoming with her boyfriend, Max. All the pictures, suits, dresses, makeup, heels—it was supposed to be one of the happiest, most memorable nights of her life. However, after Grace gives birth to Peach, her and Max’s baby—Grace finds herself giving Peach away to adopted parents on homecoming night. After giving Peach away, Grace is desperately alone and decides to find her own biological mother.

As Grace searches through adoption paperwork for any information on her birth mother, she learns she has a biological sister and brother. Maya lives close by, but in a family where she feels she does not belong. After years of group homes Grace’s brother, Joaquin, now lives with foster parents. After a few awkward encounters at a local coffee shop, the three teenagers find out they have more in common with each other than they first thought. Together, they search for their mother, and along the way, they learn what truly defines a family.

Three diverse characters. Three diverse families. Three diverse storylines wrapped up into one magnificent book. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin are unique, well-developed characters each with their own problems. Grace feels alone in the world and finds it difficult to love. Maya feels as if she does not fit into her adopted family because her parents love their biological child more. Joaquin loves his foster parents but is scared to be adopted by them. Together, the three friends help each other cope with their problems. Their combined effort will show readers just how strong the ties of family and friendship are.

Although best suited for older readers, Far from the Tree paints a perfect picture of teenagers in modern-day society. Readers will feel as if they are one with Maya, Grace, and Joaquin and will empathize with them as they struggle against their inner demons. The siblings deal with a multitude of problems including racism, bullying, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and mental health issues. The dilemmas the siblings face are authentic and will have readers in tears. Benway also dives into the problems that adopted children face and the bullying and torment they often encounter in school and foster homes.

Although the story is easy to read, the heavy topics, profanity, and sexual content make this book more appropriate for older readers. The three main characters each have a different perspective on the issues they encounter throughout the story, so every reader will be able to identify and relate to at least one of the characters and their struggles. Altogether, Benway creates a story of three teenagers against the world. Far from the Tree will tug on readers’ heartstrings and leave them with a new world perspective.

Sexual Content

  • Maya asks Grace if she had a boyfriend. Grace answered “yes,” and “Maya wondered if Grace was lying. Grace seemed like the kind of girl who would wait her whole life so she could lose her virginity on her wedding night, who would read Cosmo articles about How to give him the best blow job of his life! but never actually say the word blow job.”
  • Joaquin reminisces about the first time he kissed his girlfriend. He thinks, “The very first time she had kissed him, he had panicked at how soft she was, how hot her mouth felt, and he didn’t understand how someone with such cold hands could have such a warm heart.”
  • While eating in a sandwich shop, Rafe and Grace sit close to each other. Grace thinks that “no boy had been this close to Grace since the night she and Max had the sex that produced Peach, but she didn’t scoot away from him.”
  • After fighting, Maya and her girlfriend Claire decide to make out. “Maya smiled again, her teeth bumping against Claire’s mouth.” Maya says, “Because nothing’s more hot than making out behind the gym at school.”
  • When Grace accidentally falls in Rafe’s arms, “Grace knew what she was supposed to do in the TV-show version of this moment: kiss him. She knew what she wanted to do: kiss him. And she knew what she couldn’t do, not just yet.”
  • Maya asks Grace if intercourse with Max was good. Grace says, “At least tell me the sex was good. If you have to get pregnant and have a baby, the sex should be mind-blowing.”
  • After breaking up with his girlfriend, Joaquin sees her kissing Colin. Joaquin describes this encounter in detail saying, “They were kissing, Birdie’s long arm wrapped around Colin’s neck the same way that she used to wrap it around Joaquin’s. If he thought about it too much, Joaquin could almost feel the warmth of her skin, the heat of her mouth, the way she always smelled good, like soap and shampoo.” One of Birdie’s friends runs up to Joaquin after the encounter and insists that she is doing it to make him jealous.

Violence

  • When Maya was in third grade, Emily Whitmore explained how Maya’s sister would always be loved more than her because she is a biological child. Maya could still remember “Emily’s face as she explained the ‘facts’ to her, could still remember the sharp, cutting way she’d wanted to put her eight-year-old fist right through Emily’s smug little mug.”
  • After being harassed about having a baby with Adam, “Grace didn’t know what moved first, her body or her hand, but then she was flying over her desk like she was running the hurdles in gym class, her fist out so it could make clean contact with Adam’s face. He made a sound like someone had let the air out of him, and when he fell backward, his desk trapping him against the floor, Grace pinned him and punched him again. She hadn’t had this much adrenaline since Peach had been born. It felt good. She even smiled when she punched Adam for the third time.” Grace and Adam are both taken to the office, and Grace has to be homeschooled for the rest of the year. This scene takes place over two pages.
  • After going out for dinner, Maya finds her mom on the bathroom floor, “crumpled like a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest, and there was blood coming from her head, staining the marble floor that was freezing cold under Maya’s bare feet.” Maya’s mom had fallen after drinking too much.
  • The siblings are meeting at a coffee shop when Adam appears and harasses Grace yet again for having a baby. “Maya was about to do something, say something, anything to release the pressure that she felt exploding her chest, when suddenly Joaquin was up and moving so fast that no one saw him coming. In one smooth motion, he had Adam up against the wall, his forearm pressed across his chest, and Adam looked wide-eyed and scared, a fish out of water.” Joaquin threatens Adam, and Adam never hurts Grace again. This scene takes place over two pages.
  • Joaquin discusses his anger management issues. During one of his temper tantrums when he was younger, Joaquin threw a metal stapler at Natalie, a toddler that Joaquin’s former foster parents, the Buchanan’s, loved. After it hit her in the head and knocked her unconscious, Mr. Buchanan let out a roar and grabbed Joaquin and threw him against a bookshelf, breaking Joaquin’s arm. “Joaquin could still hear the crack of bone, one white-hot pain replacing another, but nothing was as loud as the sound of Natalie falling to the floor.” This scene takes place over two pages.
  • Aunt Jessica describes a truck accident. The woman “was twenty-one, crossing the street, and she got hit by a trucker who ran a red light. He said he didn’t even see her. She died instantly, they said. She didn’t suffer. I worried about that, but that’s what they told us.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • The night Maya got caught sneaking out with her girlfriend, Maya “had met up with Claire in the park, smoking a joint that Claire had stolen from her older brother, Caleb.”
  • Maya’s mom is an alcoholic, and Maya finds her hidden wine while looking for some costume materials. When Maya pulls boots from the closet, she thinks that “they were heavy when she pulled them out, though, way heavier than any boots should have been, and by the time she’d wrestled them out of the closet and into the bedroom, the bottle of merlot had fallen out. Maya looked at it for a long minute before reaching into the other boot and pulling out a half-full bottle of red zinfandel.”
  • Maya and Grace smoke a joint, much to Joaquin’s surprise. He asks, “Are you supposed to be smoking weed?”

Language

  • Profanity is used frequently. Profanity includes asshole, boobs, slut, idiot, damn, and variations of shit and fuck.
  • Oh My god is used as an exclamation often.
  • After Maya reminisces about being bullied for being adopted, Maya says, “Other kids could be real assholes.”
  • When they pulled up to Maya’s house, Grace’s dad whistled under his breath, and her mom said, “Oh my God, I knew you should have worn a suit.”
  • Joaquin realizes that he has two sisters and exclaims, “Holy shit.”
  • After breaking up with Birdie, Birdie’s friend Marjorie says, “You’re a real asshole you know that?” to Joaquin.
  • At school, Grace was called, “Slut, baby mama, Shamu – the list went on.”
  • When Grace sits down at her desk on her first day back, “Someone had carved SLUT into the fake wood desk, but she wasn’t sure if that was for her, some other girl, or just the product of some bored junior who had a limited vocabulary.”
  • Adam makes fun of Grace by saying, “Grace! Hey, are your boobs all saggy now?”
  • Rafe finds Grace crying in the bathroom after her fight with Adam and says, “Shit, I’m sorry, I’m so bad when people cry.”
  • When Grace asks Maya how school is going, Maya answers, “Sucks donkey balls.”
  • Joaquin likes “Ana’s no-bullshit approach to therapy.”
  • Joaquin thinks that his younger self was “a fucking idiot who fucked everything up.”
  • Maya says, “Everything is so fucking fucked up.”
  • Joaquin was scared of being adopted because he thought his birth mom would come back for him. He says, “It’s stupid, I know, it’s so fucking stupid. I was such an idiot.”
  • Claire freaks out after her parents question her about her relationship with Rafe, and says “If I can’t move forward and like someone and make friends and, God forbid, fall in love again, then I don’t understand why I gave up my baby in the first place!” She ends the argument by saying, “And you can tell Elaine from down the street that what I do is none of her damn business.”
  • After Maya continues to annoy Grace while driving, Grace says, “Maya, I swear to God.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Maya jokes with Grace about why she got grounded, saying “I snuck out last week to practice devil worship with these kids I met in a cornfield.”
  • Maya remembers how Lauren cried after her fish died. Maya “would still swear on a stack of Bibles that she hadn’t touched that creepy, scaly thing. Lauren was paranoid and a terrible fish parent, that was all.”
  • When Grace dips her fries in mayonnaise, Rafe says, “Mayonnaise, it’s the devil’s condiment.”
  • Jessica says, “Oh. Thank God ” after she learns that Grace has great parents.

by Matthew Perkey

Spark

In Algorria, storm beasts and their guardians create perfect weather every day, bringing prosperity and peace to Algorria. Twelve-year-old Mina has been carefully tending a storm beast egg, and is eager for the egg to hatch. Everyone is surprised when a lightning beast hatches from Mina’s egg. Mina’s family thinks that their quiet, shy daughter should not be paired up with a lightning beast, a creature of fire and chaos.

Unlike her family, Mina is sure that she, her storm beast, and Pixit are perfect for each other. Mina and Pixit are enrolled in lightning school and begin to learn the skills of lightning guardians. Even though Mina has always dreamed of completing daring acts, she struggles at school. She is unable to learn the basic skills and often feels as if she doesn’t fit in anywhere.

When Mina accidentally learns that Alorria’s perfect weather comes at a devastating cost, she discovers that powerful people are willing to do anything to hide the truth. Mina has never been able to speak out, but now without her help people will die. Mina and Pixit both dream of being like storybook heroes that change the world for the better. Is there any way that Mina can find her voice?

Readers will pick up Spark because of the beautiful cover of a storm beast, but they will keep turning the pages until the very end because of the beautiful relationship between Mina and Pixit. Anyone who has been afraid to speak up will relate to Mina, who is happy to let others take over the conversation. Yet within the quiet girl’s heart is the dream of making a positive impact in the world. Mina often struggles with feelings of insecurity, but with Pixit’s help Mina learns that being “different isn’t wrong.” In order to help others, Mina does not need to change herself. Instead, she only needs to use her own unique talents.

This engaging story uses a unique setting to bring modern-day problems to the forefront. As part of Mina’s studies, she is introduced to the idea of isolationism which is explained as follows: “Isolationism—defined as caring only about your own country—had the benefit of limiting the area that the early storm beast and guardians had to protect. Here’s the important bit to understand: all the world’s weather is connected, and more complex than you can comprehend.”

As Mina learns more about her country, she gets a lesson in false propaganda and how the political leaders are willing to suppress the truth because they fear change. However, the message is clear: “you can’t dismiss the facts just because you don’t like where they lead.” Even though Mina is quiet, she finds a way to become a leader. However, becoming a leader was not an easy choice for Mina. Her self-doubt and worry come through because Pixit can hear Mina’s thoughts. The relationship between Mina and her storm beast is so endearing that it will leave readers wishing they had a storm beast of their own.

Not only is Spark an exceptional story, but it also teaches readers that it is possible to change the world for the better. By the end of the story, Mina and Pixit feel like friends who have made a positive impact on you. Spark is an unforgettable story that will resonate with children and leave them wanting to be kinder, better people who do good in the world.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A fight broke out in the school’s dining hall. A student “launched herself across the tables, and dozens of her friends joined her. . . dozens of other students threw themselves into the battle. . . Mina, unable to run, unable to move, stared as students and beasts fought in front of her, over the tables, and up on the metal ladders, chains, and other obstacles.” Pixit joins the fight, and Mina “felt pain shoot through her arm as another beast bit into him.” Some students began throwing potatoes. A teacher breaks up the fight, which lasts for two pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • One of the students tells Min, “Mina, tell him he’s an idiot. He doesn’t believe me when I say it.”

Supernatural

  • Storm beasts and their guardians create perfect weather every day. Wind beasts blow the clouds away, sun beasts produce balmy temperatures, rain beasts water the crops, and so on.
  • When a person is chosen to care for a storm beast’s egg, the person must spend time each day with skin-to-egg contact. When the egg hatches, the person and the storm beast are linked. Mina’s brother “Gaton had told her what it felt like to be linked mind-to-mind to a storm beast: he couldn’t hear all of Arde’s thoughts the way he heard his own, and Arde couldn’t always hear his, but he could always feel Arde’s emotions like a constant hum in the back of his mind. . . And when he wanted to talk to Arde, all he had to do was concentrate on both the words and his beast. It was like shouting. But quietly.”
  • Mina and Pixit can feel each other’s emotions. For example, when Mina and Pixit were about to fly into a storm, Mina “felt Pixit’s nervousness, like bubbles in her veins.”
  • Lightning beasts can store lightning, and the guardians can then discharge the lightning’s energy. During a storm, Mina “rose in her seat, and she reached her arms up, hands high over her head, fingers spread. . . Roaring, Pixit flew into the lightning. Mina felt it hit her fingers and rattle down her arms. She brought her hands together, holding the lightning steady above her. . . Mina opened her hands and released the electricity. Some of it spread through the air and slammed down, harmlessly, on the blackened hills below. But most of the energy was absorbed into Pixit, causing him to glow an even more brilliant yellow.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Jada Jones Rock Star

When fourth-grader Jada Jones’s best friend goes away, she doesn’t want to go to school. Now, Jada doesn’t have anyone to share her love of rock collecting. When the class is given a rock and minerals project, Jada misses her best friend even more. Jada is excited to share her rock knowledge with her group of three. But being in a group of three has its own problems, especially when one of her teammates doesn’t seem to like any of Jada’s ideas. Is there any way Jada and her group can work together to make a winning science project?

Jada Jones is a relatable character who struggles with missing her best friend and all of the changes that happen when her best friend moves. Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. As Jada tries to make new friends, she learns the importance of showing kindness to others, even when they are not nice in return. Even though the story focuses on Jada, it also shows how her teammate was mean because she was afraid Jada would steal her best friend. Jada Jones Rock Star highlights the importance of trying to understand others as well as the importance of trying new things.

Jada Jones Rock Star is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has seven short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text, and some complicated sentence structure. Jada Jones is a relatable character that has many positive qualities—she’s kind, smart, creative, and isn’t afraid to share her love of rocks. Jada Jones Rock Star is an entertaining story that has positive life lessons.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Ghostopolis

Garth Hale is going to die, but he is still surprised when he is accidentally zapped into the ghost world by Frank Gallows, a washed-up Ghost wrangler. Frank doesn’t believe in himself, but he’s determined to fix his mistake and bring Garth home. But getting Garth home isn’t going to be easy. The power-hungry, evil ruler of Ghostopolis wants to trap Garth. With Garth under his control, the evil ruler can tighten his grip on the spirit world. While in the ghost world, Garth meets his grandfather, who promises to help Garth return home. With the help of a bone horse, his grandfather, Frank Gallows and others, Garth may just find a way out of the ghost world.

TenNapel creates a complex, interesting ghost world using comic-style illustrations that do an exceptional job showing the character’s emotions. Younger readers will enjoy the many multi-paged, action-packed panels that contain onomatopoeias like “shink, hack, putt, snuff.” The story contains surprising pockets of humor that will make the reader laugh out loud. However, many younger readers may not understand the historical reference to Benedict Arnold, which adds to the story’s humor.

The plot is not necessarily original, but the ghost world does have frightening, fantastic creatures. Integrated into the plot are lessons about not giving up, using your imagination, as well as the fact that children do not need to make the same mistakes as their parents. Garth meets his grandfather, who illustrates the idea that it’s never too late for second chances, even if you’re a ghost.

A man named Joe created Ghostopolis. Joe is similar to Christ, and although he is portrayed in a positive manner, his appearance in the story is random and does nothing to advance the plot. The story does contain a love triangle, and although the relationship happened before the story began, one of the characters comes to realize that, “Love is in the acts, not in the feels.”

Ghostopolis uses a creative story about the afterlife to focus on relationships. Younger readers will enjoy the spooky adventure that allows a boy to be friends with a bone horse. Older readers will appreciate the story as it explores family relationships. Ghostopolis will engage readers because of the easy-to-read text, spooky spirit world, and protagonist that they can root for.

Sexual Content

  • Claire, who broke up with her boyfriend, tells him, “If I had known what a slime you were, I’d have left you even sooner!”

Violence

  • A dog bites Frank on the nose.
  • When Garth gets to the afterlife, dinosaur skeletons chase him. The scene is illustrated over nine pages.
  • Bugs on four-wheelers chase Garth and his grandfather, but they are able to hide.
  • Bugs try to capture Garth, who uses his power to get away. During the fight, Frank tries to help Garth, but an old woman hits him. Then Frank’s friend hits the old woman, and a brawl begins in the street. The fight is illustrated over eight pages.
  • In order to save the boy from the bugs, Frank grabs him out of a flying vehicle. Grandpa hits the bug in the face. Garth eventually uses his power to whap the bug. The scene is illustrated over four pages.
  • A skeleton holds a sword against a woman’s throat and leads her away. Garth and Frank follow. The woman is not injured.
  • The story ends with an epic battle over 54 pages. The bugs attack and kill the bone king. The villain pulls a gun on Garth’s friends. In the end, Garth uses his power to defeat the evil villain, who flees and then comes back. The villain grows large and throws a man. He is defeated in the end.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Garth’s mother tells him, “Grandpa was a drunk.”

Language

  • Heck and crud are used once.
  • Frank calls Benedict Arnold a jerk.

Supernatural

  • Garth is accidentally zapped into the afterlife.

Spiritual Content

  • When people die and go to the afterlife, they go to a city called Ghostopolis, which was created by “A mysterious Tuskegee airman named Joe. He made every mountain you see, laying one chunk of sand at a time. He stacked every brick in Ghostopolis so that ghosts would have a place to live. . . Joe is a mysterious guy. Most of us have never even seen him. We only know him by the work he’s done.”
  • Garth meets Joe, who is helping people leave Ghostopolis through a crack in the wall. He helps the children, the widows, and the infirm go first. Joe will not take Garth through the crack, because “it’s not for you. . . yet.” Joe tells Garth, “I know a lot of things about you, Garth. And I’m rooting for you anyway.”
  • The afterlife has seven kingdoms—the bone kingdom, the mummies, the specters, the wisps, the zombies, and the boogeymen.
  • In the afterlife, people “get put back to our internal age. It gives us a chance to take care of unfinished business.”
  • After the villain throws a man, and when someone saves him, the man says, “Thank God!”

The Scaredy Cat

Coral, Shelly, and Angel are best friends. They are excited about meeting their new teacher on the first day of school. Their teacher asks the kids to bring something special to share with the class. The three friends decide that they need to search Tortoise-shell Reef to find something special enough to share. Coral is anxious about going to the reef because it is on the edge of the cove. However, she agrees to go because it’s important to her friends.

When the purrmaids get to the reef, Coral’s friends discover that she doesn’t know how to complete flips. Angel and Shelly are eager to teach Coral a new skill, but soon they have flipped so many times that they don’t know where they are! Can the three friends find their way home? Can Coral learn to be brave?

The Scaredy Cat mixes kittens and mermaids in a story about friendship that will have younger readers enthralled. The unique idea and the adorably cute black-and-white illustrations will draw readers to the book. The story focuses on the purrmaids’ homework assignment as well as Coral’s cautious attitude. When the group goes to Tortoise-shell Reef, Coral shows bravery several times; each time her friends are in danger, Coral jumps in to protect them. The story highlights the importance of trying new things, but also of being cautious.

As part of the adventure, Coral meets a misunderstood catshark named Chomp. The shark gives the story an added dose of danger. After she gets to know him, she learns that he isn’t dangerous. Chomp complains that “Catsharks always get a bad rap. Everyone in the ocean thinks we’re out to eat them!” Coral is able to learn that it is wrong to judge a shark just because he’s a shark.

The Scaredy Cat is perfect for readers who are able to read chapter books. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. Younger readers will enjoy the cat puns that appear often, like “cat-tastrophe,” “paw-sitive,” and “purr-omise.” The puns are a little bit over the top, and although younger readers may enjoy them, parents might want to avoid reading The Scaredy Cat aloud.

Readers who like the Pet Fairies series will also find the Purrmaid series purr-fect. While the Pet Fairies series has a non-scary villain, the Purrmaid series focuses more on friendship and the quest for the perfect item to share with the class. The Scaredy Cat will delight younger readers, who will want to read every book in the series because the stories are so much fun. The satisfying conclusion will have readers squealing in joy as the story shows that friendship is the best gift of all.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Anya’s Ghost

Anya just wants to fit in with the other kids. But, she knows that she’s not like them. She’s embarrassed of her Russian heritage, self-conscious about her body, and she only has one friend at school. After a particularly bad day at school, Anya distractedly walks home and falls into a well.

Anya didn’t expect to find a new friend at the bottom of the well, especially not one that has been dead for a century. Anya thinks the ghost is just what she needs to make her life better. But Anya’s new BFF isn’t telling the truth about how she ended up dead in a well. Can Anya trust her ghostly BFF or will Anya’s new friend turn into her worst nightmare?

Brosgal’s fantastic artwork brings Anya’s terrible teenage years to life. The illustrations capture Anya’s conflicting emotions and her angst as she navigates high school. After Anya’s family immigrated to America, Anya was bullied which caused her to turn away from her heritage. In order to fit in, Anya has learned to talk without an accent, as well as look like all of her classmates. However, Anya still struggles with making friends, she has insecurities about her body, and she is angry about life in general. Anya’s character is incredibly real—she is snarky, sarcastic; she sulks and sneers her way through life. Although Anya acts like many teens, she is not a role model. She’s rude to her family, unmotivated to do well in school, and sneaks out of class to smoke cigarettes. Despite Anya’s negative attitude, readers can still learn powerful lessons from the less-than-perfect teen.

Anya is self-centered and only thinks about herself. At first, when Anya meets her ghost, she just wants the ghost to disappear from her life. But when the ghost helps her cheat on a test, Anya thinks having a ghost around might not be so bad. Anya is so self-centered that she doesn’t even ask the ghost her name until the ghost becomes helpful. Anya also treats a Russian boy terribly. Anya doesn’t want to associate with the Russian boy at her school because he’s “fresh off the boat.”

The story also portrays teachers in a negative way. The teacher doesn’t notice when Anya sneaks out a classroom window. Another student complains about the P.E. teacher who makes them complete the physical fitness test because “he just likes watching us run around in these stupid skirts.” Then when Anya trips in class and the other girls jump over her, the teacher says, “Ladies! If we are all done losing ourselves in Anya’s derriere, we have a test to finish.”

Despite the negative aspects of the books, the story will make readers reconsider how they treat others. The story highlights the courage it takes for teens to embrace their differences instead of trying to blend in with the crowd. Anya’s Ghost uses real-life situations and humor to show how it feels to be an outsider. Anya wishes that she was skinnier, had more friends, and had a different last name. But thanks to Anya’s spooky, demanding ghost, Anya learns to appreciate her life, even if that means embracing her Russian heritage. Anya’s Ghost is comical, compassionate, creepy, and will engage even the most reluctant readers.

Sexual Content

  • Anya has a crush on Sean. She sees Sean in front of the school, kissing a girl.
  • When someone teases Anya, her friend tells the girl, “Hey, Katy, I heard about your nice moves in the boys’ bathroom today.”
  • Anya tells her friend that Sean talked to her. Anya’s friend replies, “Are you sure he wasn’t talking to your boobs?”
  • Anya fantasizes about kissing Sean. In the fantasy, the two dance, and then Sean says, “Oh Anya, let’s have an intense spiritual relationship for no believable reason.” To which Anya replies, “Oh, Sean, Take me away!”
  • To go to a party, Anya dresses in a short skirt and a low-cut shirt. When she looks at herself, she says, “this feels kind of slutty.” When Anya gets to the party, a boy tells her, “Your boobs look spectacular in that shirt.”
  • At a party, Anya finds Sean’s girlfriend outside a door. Anya can hear a girl giggling inside the room. Sean comes out of the room and briefly flirts with Anya. Then Sean tells his girlfriend, “Maybe a bit more of a signal next time, Liz?” Sean’s girlfriend reveals that the girl in the room is another boy’s girlfriend.
  • Anya decides she doesn’t want anything to do with Sean because “he’s upstairs making out with Amber.”

Violence

  • The ghost, Emily, tells Anya that she fell into a well and died, but “it didn’t hurt. But I couldn’t move or talk. I got very thirsty and then I died.
  • The ghost tells a story about how her parents were “very religious” and would offer to let passing people sleep in the barn. One man who “seemed like a good Christian” killed her parents. When Emily “woke up from a dream and came downstairs, he was standing over my parents’ bodies, ready to go upstairs for me.” Emily ran and fell down a well, where she died.
  • When Emily was alive, she had a crush on a man. When she sees the man with another woman, Emily killed them both. Emily says, “He said I was ugly! He broke my heart!”
  • The ghost tries to hurt Emily’s mother by turning on the stove burner and poisoning the food.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Anya and her friend skip class so they can smoke cigarettes.
  • During a conversation, Sean says that his friend gets “kind of freaky when he’s drunk.”
  • Anya goes to a party, where it’s implied that teens are drinking.

Language

  • Profanity is used frequently. Profanity includes: ass, badass, crap, goddamn, and whore.
  • Anya’s friend tells her, “I heard about you down that freakin’ well for two days! That’s so badass.”
  • God, my God, and Oh my God are used as an exclamation frequently. When the ghost sneaks up on Anya, Anya says, “Jesus, Emily! You scared me to death!”
  • A girl tells Anya’s friend, “Screw you.”
  • When a girl teases Anya, her friend tells her, “forget about that whore, Anya.”
  • A girl says her brother said Sean was a dirtbag. The same girl says that Sean is a manwhore.
  • Anya says that Emily is “just a pissy cloud.”

Supernatural

  • Anya falls into a well and meets a ghost, who “can’t go very far from my bones.”

Spiritual Content

  • Anya falls into a well. When she finds food in her backpack, she says “Oh, Thank God.” Later, when someone finds her in the well, she again says, “Oh, Thank God.”
  • There is a picture of Jesus on the wall in Anya’s house. When Anya cusses, her mom tells Anya not to “swear in front of Jesus.”
  • Anya refuses to go to church with her family. When her mom tells Anya people are worried about her, Anya asks, “Because I’m sick or because I’m going to hell?” Later Anya tells the ghost that she doesn’t want to go to church because “orthodox church is weird.”

The Friendship War

Grace and Ellie have been best friends since second grade. Grace doesn’t mind that Ellie always gets her way and is always the center of attention. When it comes to Ellie, Grace is used to tagging along and doing what Ellie wants.

Everything changes when Grace shares part of her button collection at school, and accidentally starts a new fad. Soon students in her grade, and then the entire school is trading and fighting over buttons. Grace has always been okay with fading into the background, but when button fever hits her, she just has to have the button with a blue pinwheel. Soon Grace and Ellie argue over a button, and it looks like their friendship might just be over. Button collecting may have cost Grace one friend, but it also leads her to a new one—Hank, the biggest button collector in the sixth grade. Is there any way the two new friends can figure out how to stop the button craze?

Readers will relate to Grace, who connects to the world through math. Grace is always counting, collecting, and overthinking. Her unique flaws and the way she connects with others will give readers a unique perspective as well as show how people with different personalities and interests can still be friends. Throughout the book, readers will learn new words because Grace explains several scientific words and ideas. The vocabulary is so ingrained into the plot that learning new concepts never feels like a school lesson. Learning about science, math, and the history of buttons has never been so much fun!

Another positive aspect of the story is Grace’s strong relationship with her family, who understands her crazy collections. Her family relationships extend to her grandfather, who writes letters and texts to Grace. Scattered throughout the story are conversations about Grace’s recently deceased Gramma, which gives insight into the grieving process.

The Friendship War, which is written by the same author of Frindle, is a fast-paced story that highlights the complicated nature of friendship. Through Grace’s experiences, the reader will learn not only the value of friendship but also how friendship should not be one-sided. At one point, the school principal tells Grace, “It’s a great thing to have one good friend, but to have two looking out for you? That’s nothing short of wonderful.” The story also highlights the importance of forgiveness and taking responsibility for your actions. The Friendship War is a highly entertaining story that not only shows the family in a positive light but is also packed with life lessons that are so ingrained in the story that the message is never preachy.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Grace thinks that her brother is “acting like a jerk today.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Grace and her mom have a two-page conversation about what happens after someone dies. Grace’s mom says, “If you’re asking me if your grandmother is still herself, still somewhere, then I would say yes, I believe she is. But do I know that, the same way I know that the sun comes up every morning? Then, no, I don’t know it like that. . . I believe that Gramma is still herself, still thinking, still loving you and Ben and your dad and me and Grampa. . . And I guess I won’t completely know any of this for sure until that moment when I die, or rather, when I don’t die—when I figure out that I haven’t stopped thinking or stopped being myself. Where I will be at that moment, or what any of that will be like—I have no idea.”

 

 

Pedro’s Big Goal

Coach Rush is choosing a goalie for the next big soccer match. Pedro wants the job, but he’s worried he’s too slow and too small. There’s only one thing to do—practice! Will Pedro meet his big goal?

Pedro doesn’t have the skills he needs to be a goalie, but he practices until he improves. Readers will relate to Pedro, who uses his everyday life to help him become a better goalie. For example, he blocks his brother from stepping in dog poop. The story also highlights the dangers of bragging. Even though the story shows Pedro’s friends helping him improve, readers will wonder why there could only be one goalie during a game.

Independent readers will enjoy the easy-to-understand plot and the bright colorful illustrations that appear on every page. Each page contains four or fewer sentences, with simple vocabulary. Although Pedro’s Big Goal is part of a series with many of the same characters, it does not need to be read in order.

At the end of the story, readers will find a glossary, questions, and writing prompts. Younger readers will giggle as they try out the sports jokes. Despite the predictable conclusion, readers will still enjoy Pedro’s Big Goal as well as improve their reading skills along the way. Readers who enjoy the Pedro series should also try the Katie Woo series because it has many of the same characters and is written in the same format.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Coding Mission

Ms. Gillian has set up The Makerspace in the library so students can work together on projects. A group of students built a diorama of a labyrinth, complete with the Minotaur and the Greek hero Theseus. A group of students decides they want to make a code to help Theseus find his way out of the labyrinth. What better way to try out the code than use Ms. Gillian’s magic book to take them into the center of the labyrinth? Will the students be able to write a code that leads them out of the labyrinth before the Minotaur finds them?

A Coding Mission, a graphic novel, has a diverse cast of characters that aren’t afraid of showing that they are smart. The story weaves together coding and Greek mythology. The kids, with the librarian’s help, use trial and error to design a code to help them find the way out of the labyrinth. The code is illustrated on a device, so readers can get a general idea of what code looks like.

The full-color drawings are interesting, detailed, and have both white text bubbles that show the characters’ dialogue as well as black boxes for the narration. Words that readers may be unfamiliar with are in bold text, with a glossary in the back of the book. The back of the book also contains directions for making a maze and using an algorithm to solve the maze.

The story has a lot of positives aspects—it teaches vocabulary, introduces a Greek myth, and has wonderful illustrations. Each page contains six or fewer easy-to-read sentences, and the plot moves at a fast pace. For those who want to learn more about coding, the book includes a list of further resources. However, because the story is so short, the characters and the plot are not well developed. More advanced readers will quickly become bored with the Adventures in Makerspace series. However, for readers who are just transitioning to chapter books or are reluctant readers, A Coding Mission will give them a simple, entertaining story that will help them build reading skills.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • When the librarian opens an old book, the librarian and the students poof and enter a labyrinth.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Drama

When Callie’s middle school decides to produce Moon over Mississippi, Callie doesn’t want to be on stage. She loves theater, and as part of the stage crew, she wants to create a set worthy of Broadway. But bringing her big ideas to life won’t be easy with a middle school budget and her lack of carpentry knowledge.

Once the actors are chosen, Callie finds herself in the middle of drama onstage and offstage. The actors don’t all get along, and Callie has a confusing crush on an eighth-grader. When two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier.

Drama focuses mostly on the stage crew, which gives the readers a unique look at the hard work that takes place behind the scenes. Told from Callie’s point of view, many fans will be able to relate to Callie as she deals with the confusing world of middle school. Callie is naive, cheerful, and obsessed with having a boyfriend. Callie seems to fall in love with any boy that is nice to her, which causes her heartache. However, Callie does seem to finally realize that having a boyfriend isn’t necessary.

The drawings are colorful and do an excellent job of showing the character’s emotions through their facial expressions. Reluctant readers will appreciate that many of the pages do not have words, but instead tell the story through drawings. Readers will love the manga-infused art, which shows the jealousies and misunderstandings of the cast members.

Although Drama does revolve around the students’ production of Moon Over Mississippi, a majority of the story focuses on the characters trying to discover themselves and their sexual orientation. Like a soap opera, the characters in the book are very interested in who likes who, and who broke up with who. When Callie’s friend tells her that he is gay, Callie easily accepts it and promises to keep the information secret. Drama highlights the importance of being accepting and open-minded, and not judging those who are exploring their sexuality—whether they are straight, gay, or bisexual. Although many readers will enjoy the graphic novel Drama, Callie and the plot are not unique or memorable. There is too much romantic angst and not enough action focusing on the production of the play.

Sexual Content

  • Callie has a crush on Greg. When Greg tells her that he broke up with his girlfriend, she kisses him on the cheek. Greg asks, “What was that for?” Callie tells him, “Oh, I don’t know. Just something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.” They have a short conversation, and then Greg kisses her on the lips. The next day at school, Greg ignores her.
  • In order to make Greg jealous, Callie walks by the baseball field with two of her guy friends.
  • One of Callie’s guy friends tells her that he’s gay. Later, when they discuss the eighth grade dance, the boy says he won’t ask another guy because “my dad would probably flip out, and I’m not sure if he’s ready for that. I’m not sure if I’m ready.” The boy says his parents suspect he’s gay, but “we don’t discuss it.”
  • Callie and a group of theatre kids go into the school’s basement to look at the costumes. They find a girl and a boy hiding behind a rack of clothes, kissing.
  • During the school production, a boy breaks up with the lead girl right before the play is about to begin. The girl melts down and refuses to continue acting in the play. In an act of desperation, one of the boys dresses in an evening gown and steps in for the missing girl. During the kissing scene, two boys kiss. There is an illustration of the shocked expressions of the audience.
  • A boy likes another boy, but he’s unsure if they will become a couple because “West still doesn’t know if he’s really gay. Or, I dunno, Bi, or whatever.”

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Callie calls her brother a “fuzzbrain.”
  • Callie’s friend calls Greg a “dork.”
  • A boy calls his brother a “jerk-face.”
  • “Heck” is used twice. “Darn” is used once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Jada Jones Class Act

The nominations are in, and Jada is officially a student council candidate! At first, Jada isn’t worried about running against her friend Miles in the election. She’s sure that they can support each other even though they are both running for class representative. But it isn’t long before Jada’s classmates start taking sides. Could winning votes mean losing friends?

Still, Jada is excited to run for student council, and she has the perfect slogan: “Vote for Jada, the voice of a friend.” Soon Jada learns that running a campaign comes with a lot of conflicts. Jada’s class learns the characteristic of a leader, but soon the candidates are only focused on winning. As the class’s conflict heats up, Jada struggles to overcome her fear of public speaking and is distraught when a rumor about her becomes the talk of the class. To make things worse, Jada’s friends start pressuring her to make promises she can’t keep. As the campaign heats up, Jada Jones Class Act focuses on relatable conflicts including the dangers of rumors, the fear of public speaking, and the pressure to lie to keep friends.

Jada Jones Class Act has relatable characters, realistic conflicts, and reinforces real-life lessons. Throughout the story, Jada’s family plays a positive role, and Jada treats her brother with kindness. Even though Jada and the other candidate do not act like leaders, in the end, they learn from their mistakes and are able to repair their friendships. Jada Jones has many positive qualities—she’s kind, smart, creative, and honest. Readers will want to emulate Jada’s positive characteristics and parents may want to use the story as a stepping stone to discuss gossip, honestly, and friendship.

Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. Jada Jones Class Act is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has eight short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text and some complicated sentence structure. Overall, Jada Jones Class Act is an entertaining story that has positive life lessons. Readers who enjoyed Katie Woo by Fran Manushkin or Sofia Martinez by Jacqueline Jules will also enjoy Jada Jones.

Sexual Content

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Language

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Supernatural

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Spiritual Content

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  1. Pages:
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