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The Gladiator’s Victory

Travel back to ancient Rome with time-traveling brothers Arthur and Finn as they try to convince a powerful gladiator to escape certain death in the Roman arena. Will the boys manage to persuade the gladiator to break free, escape the clutches of the powerful and evil lords, and avoid being caught by the unforgiving Roman soldiers?  

The Gladiator’s Victory explores the brotherly bond and begins with the introduction of Marcus, a gladiator who regrets not joining his brother in fighting for freedom. When Arthur and Finn go back in time to help Marcus, their bond is tested. When Senator Lucius discovers Arthur and Finn’s bond, he uses it to manipulate Finn. If Finn doesn’t poison Titus, Lucius’ rival, the senator will murder Marcus. Despite his conflict, Finn is determined to save both his brother’s and Titus’ life. As readers continue reading the Warrior Heroes Series, they will discover that while Arthur and Finn have different personalities, they are devoted to each other and willingly jump into battle to protect each other. The brother’s bond and their desire to help the restless ghost gives the story heart.  

Short sections interspersed throughout the book provide more historical information, including descriptions of life in Rome, life as a gladiator, the types of gladiators, and how the games worked. One section describes the origins of gladiators. “The Greeks did it and so did the Etruscans who lived near Rome in the early days. They used to get people fighting to the death as a sacrifice at funerals, and the Romans picked up the idea and ran with it.” Eventually, the funeral games became a big business so the gladiators “weren’t expected to kill each other anymore. . . Of course, people still wanted to see some blood, so the Romans would execute prisoners or get prisoners of war to fight to the death. . .”   

Even though The Gladiator’s Victory is part of a series, the books do not have to be read in order because each book focuses on Arthur and Finn going back to a different time period and each book wraps up the storyline.  

The Gladiator’s Victory is another action-packed adventure that leads Arthur and Finn into the dangerous world of Rome. In a world ruled by rich senators, the boys discover death lurks around every corner. Senator Lucius magnifies the ruthlessness of the wealthy and the vulnerability of slaves. The Gladiator’s Victory will leave readers reflecting on Finn’s situation—is killing an innocent man worth saving Arthur’s life? Despite this question, Finn displays admirable strength of character and a willingness to trust others with the truth. This leads to a surprising and satisfying conclusion that asks: What is worth dying for?  

Readers interested in jumping back into time but want to avoid intense battle scenes have many opinions, including Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth by Lloyd Alexander, Time Travel Adventure Duology by Elvira Woodruff, and the Tangled in Time Series by Kathryn Lasky. 

 Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Spartacus, a gladiator, recruited “an army of highly trained solider-slaves who wanted to be free.” Spartacus and his army were defeated. “And most of them were crucified to set an example to other slaves.” 
  • When Arthur travels through time, he appears in an alley. Festus, a bully who leads a gang of homeless boys, finds Arthur. Festus says, “Now get up and tell me why you’re here, or by Jupiter, I’ll crush your skull before you say another word.”  
  • Arthur convinces Festus to fight with no weapons. “Festus hurled his club to the floor and charged at Arthur without warning. . . Arthur stepped to one side, leaving a foot trailing so that Festus tripped and tumbled to the ground. . . Festus stepped forward, feigned as if to punch Arthur in the stomach and then dropped to one knee, grabbing hold of Arthur’s ankle and giving it a vicious twist. Arthur tumbled to the ground, and Festus pounced, pinning him with an arm across his chest and punching him hard on the chin.” 
  • As the fight continues, Arthur escapes Festus’ grasp and stands up. Arthur “grabbed Festus’ wrist in both hands and twisted as the punch carried the older boy forwards and past Arthur. . . [Arthur] standing behind Festus and twisting his arm up behind his back. He curled a foot in front of Festus and pushed, sending him crashing to the floor.” Festus admits defeat. One illustration shows Festus getting ready to punch Arthur. 
  • When Festus’ gang surrounds Arthur, an older group of men who watched the fight step in. When the men approach the boys, “the gang’s circle disintegrated, and a brawl broke out as fists and boots and knees and heads connected with each other.”  
  • Festus goes after Arthur with a club. Finn helps his brother by “leaping onto Festus’ back. Festus staggered backwards and then fell forward to the floor yet again. Arthur rushed forwards and stomped on Festus’ arm. He dropped the club and roared in pain.” The fight ends after four pages. An illustration shows Festus preparing to punch Arthur. 
  • Arthur and Finn are taken to a gladiator school. Finn is recruited to be a spy for Senator Lucius. The senator threatens Finn with punishment if Finn is unable to carry out his mission. Lucius “gestured toward the slave . . . The slave grimaced and opened his mouth. . . it seemed that the slave was missing his tongue.” 
  • Lucius wants Finn to use poison to kill his rival, Titus. 
  • Finn meets Lucius’ niece. She says, “If I could kill him without getting caught, I would. He is very, very careful. He kills anyone who gets in his way yet no-one can kill him. He poisons people . . . He poisoned my parents.”  
  • Arthur is ordered to spar with Ajax. Arthur is given a net “to ensnare” his opponent and a trident, while Ajax has a spear and shield. “Arthur spang into action, taking a step forward and jabbing with the trident, which clattered into Ajax’s shield and glanced off . . . Arthur switched the trident to his right hand just as Ajax lunged forward, holding his shield out before him like a battering ram and crashing into Arthur, who fell heavily to the floor. . .” 
  • Arthur believes Ajax is going to kill him. “Arthur slashed out with the dagger in the direction of Ajax’s feet and felt the blade jar against something hard as his opponent howled in pain, dropping his sword and falling to the floor.” Because Arthur injured Ajax, Arthur is ordered to fight in the gladiator’s ring in Ajax’s place. The fight is described over one page and has one illustration.  
  • Two gladiators, Marcus and Achilles, fight each other on horse. “Again and again they charged . . . at last Marcus caught Achilles with a glancing blow to the shield arm, drawing blood from his opponent . . . Achilles was knocked back in his saddle but stayed on his horse and wheeled around immediately.”  
  • As the gladiators charged again, Marcus’ horse reared, and “Marcus fell heavily onto the sand of the arena. . . Both men drew their swords and rushed to clash again, this time on foot. . . Achilles was down on one knee, fending off overhead blows until his sword was smashed from his grip by a particularly savage strike.” Achilles surrenders. The match is described over three pages.  
  • Unable to poison Titus, Finn lies. When Lucius finds out, he “screamed, lashing out and slapping Finn hard across the mouth. . . Lucius roared, leaping forward and grabbing Finn by the throat.” Lucilla jumps in to help before Lucius kills Finn. 
  • Enraged further, Lucius grabs Lucilla by the throat with the intent to kill her. “Marcus could hold back no longer. He leapt at Gaius [who oversees the gladiator’s school] and with one vicious punch laid him out cold. . .” Lucius mocks Marcus for being a slave, but Lucius’ “words turned to a high-pitched groan as Marcus lunged and thrust forward savagely, burying his sword in Lucius’ back. The girl fell gasping to the floor while Marcus stood behind the senator and pushed him away, causing him to topple forward off the sword.” Lucius dies. 
  • Finn, Arthur, Lucilla, and Marcus must flee Rome. They get help from Festus and his gang. To hide the fugitives, Festus has Lucilla and Marcus crawl into a cart filled with dead bodies.  
  • When guards discover the ruse, a fight ensues. Marcus “leaped down with a cry, punching the hold of his sword into one man and knocking him into the other so that both collapsed to the ground. Two quick thrusts followed, and moments later, Marcus was dragging the bodies down the steps and flinging them in the river.” A boatman takes the fugitives out of the city.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Arthur calls Festus and his gang cowards. 
  • A man calls Arthur an idiot. 

Supernatural 

  • Arthur and Finn’s grandfather created a museum about warriors throughout history. The museum is haunted, and when the grandfather died, “he started haunting the place too. He felt guilty about the trapped ghost warriors and vowed he would not rest in peace until all the other ghosts were laid to rest first.” 
  • When one of the ghost warriors touches the boys, “we get transported to the time and place where the ghost lived and died. And we can’t get back until we’ve fixed whatever it is that keeps the ghost from resting in peace.” 
  • When the boys travel through time, “the air in the room shifted, and seemed to fill with mist, drifting at first and then whirling faster and faster around them until the study could not be seen, and it felt to the boys if they were spinning through the sky.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Jingle Dancer

Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared over generations in her family and intertribal community. She hopes to dance at the next powwow. But with the day quickly approaching, she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles? 

Jenna turns to her Indigenous community to help her prepare for the powwow. First, she watches a videotape of her Grandma Wolfe to learn the bounce step of the jingle dance. To get her dress ready, Great-Aunt Sis gives Jenna a row of her jingles and tells her a story. Then, Jenna asks three other women to borrow a row of jingles, making sure that she didn’t take so many that the others “dresses would lose their voice.” With her Grandma Wolfe’s help, Jenna helps sew the jingles onto her dress and practices her bounce-steps. 

Jingle Dancer focuses on Jenna’s community and traditions. When Jenna dances, she doesn’t just represent herself; she dances for the women who helped her get enough jingles to make her dress sing. The story illustrates how Indigenous women support one another and the significance of preserving and passing down traditions. 

The watercolor illustrations show Jenna in a typical suburban community. Many illustrations focus on the traditional jingle dancer, and the conclusion shows Jenna dancing at the powwow. Jingle Dancer helps readers understand traditional Native American customs and highlights the importance of storytelling in these cultures. The author’s note includes information about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the traditions behind jingle dresses. It also includes a glossary that explains the following terms: fry bread, Indian taco, powwow, and regalia. 

Jingle Dancer is a beautifully written story about Native American traditions. While the story is heartwarming and encouraging, wiggly readers may struggle to follow along with a reading of the book due to the text-heavy pages. However, the story focuses on community and storytelling, and it will appeal to many children and adults. Jingle Dancer encourages readers to learn about their culture and traditions, reminding them of the importance of remembering their ancestors.   

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Aaron Judge

Any fan of the New York Yankees is sure to know the name Aaron Judge. Beginning his first major league season with thirty home runs — the most of any Yankee rookie since the legendary Joe DiMaggio in 1936 — Judge went on to secure such accolades as the 2017 Home Run Derby trophy and the Rookie of the Year award. He quickly became a favorite among Yankees fans. Anyone with a ticket to a Yankees game during the 2017 season would see a large group of fans crowded in the right field of the Yankee Stadium. These seats – nicknamed the “Judge’s Chambers” – were filled with fans wearing judge’s robes and cheering Judge’s name. During one game, this passionate crowd even included US Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor – a longtime Yankees fan. 

Although Judge’s rookie season featured the success most baseball players aspire to, it was the product of years of hard work. In this book, Jon M. Fishman details the life of Judge, from his beginnings as a promising high school athlete to his fantastic achievements as a major league player.  

Aaron Judge is five short chapters, with the last five pages comprising a glossary, index, and citations. Chapter One briefly introduces Aaron Judge’s career. Chapter Two recounts Judge’s high school years, during which he played several sports before focusing on baseball. Chapter Three provides a detailed account of Judge’s typical training routine. Although he is a player for the MLB – and one of the strongest in the league’s history – he still trains regularly. Fishman explains Judge’s workout routine, while defining terms readers may not know, such as “cardio” or “pilates.” Fishman uses this chapter to communicate an important message to the reader: being good at something does not mean you should stop working to learn and improve. In Chapters Four and Five, Fishman writes about Judge’s achievements with the Yankees. 

Each page features a photo from Judge’s career – from high school yearbook pictures to action shots of Judge striking a home run. Each chapter is meticulously researched and filled with information. With one to thirteen sentences per page, this book will be a challenge for beginning readers.  

Aaron Judge is an excellent study of Judge’s impressive career. It is a thorough introduction to readers unfamiliar with Judge. Readers who are already fans of Judge are sure to learn something new from Fishman’s extensive research. If you enjoy this book, be sure to check out Aaron Judge vs. Babe Ruth: Who Would Win? by Josh Anderson and the other books in the Sports All-Stars Series. Like Aaron Judge, each book describes the life and career of a famous American athlete playing today.

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Where Have All the Bees Gone?

Apples, blueberries, peppers, cucumbers, coffee, and vanilla. Do you like to eat and drink? Then you might want to thank a bee. 

Bees pollinate 75 percent of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States. Around the world, bees pollinate $24 billion worth of crops each year. Without bees, humans would face a drastically reduced diet. We need bees to grow the foods that keep us healthy. 

But numbers of bees are falling, and that has scientists alarmed. What’s causing the decline? Diseases, pesticides, climate change, and habitat loss are all threatening bee populations. Some bee species teeter on the brink of extinction. Learn about the many bee species on Earth—their nests, their colonies, their life cycles, and their vital connection to flowering plants. Most importantly, find out how you can help these important pollinators. 

The declining population of bees affects everyone who enjoys eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even ice cream. Where Have All the Bees Gone? explores the relationship between bees and plants in eight short chapters. Each chapter breaks down bee information in easy-to-read text broken up by infographics, pictures, and headlines that make each topic clear. The book is packed with interesting information; some topics include how bees are the perfect pollinators, the impact of bees on the economy, and the reasons behind the decline in bee populations.  

Where Have All the Bees Gone? explains the importance of saving bees and gives readers easy steps to help bees in their community. Hirsch lists ways readers can get involved in simple but powerful ways. She explains how to plant a pollinator garden, how to become a citizen scientist, and how to submit sightings of bees to organizations that track bee populations. Small steps, such as mowing the lawn less frequently, can help bees and other pollinators survive. Master gardener Pam Ford emphasizes that “a garden should be more than merely pretty. It should be full of life.” 

In Where Have All the Bees Gone?, Hirsch explores the importance of bees, providing fascinating details broken down into easy-to-manage sections. Readers will come away from the book with a new understanding of all types of bees: “There are green bees and there are blue bees, and there’s iridescence and tripes, and large ones and tiny ones.” By the end of the book, readers will be empowered to make small changes that will allow bees to feel at home in their yards.   

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

 Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Away

After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids, including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist, find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat.

As they begin to investigate, they discover that what they’re being told is less truth and more cover-up. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late? 

Away puts the spotlight on four characters—Ashanti, Harmony, Teddy, and Grandin. Each character has a unique voice and aspirations. Harmony, a student journalist, admires Nellie Bly and frequently refers to her. Harmony and Teddy, an aspiring filmmaker, team up to uncover the real reason they were evacuated. The two also have help from Ashanti and Grandin. The four teens come from different backgrounds, which provides readers with a broad view of the effects of the evacuation.  

When readers begin the book, they may have difficulty adjusting to the format. The story includes sections from each character’s perspective, which are labeled with different typefaces. The story also features news briefs, letters, screenplays, and plot descriptions. Ashanti often references the Greek gods and The Odyssey, which may confuse readers unfamiliar with Greek mythology. The characters’ stories merge when they arrive at the military base where they are being quarantined, and this is when the story becomes more intense and interesting.  

Each character brings something unique to the story. For example, Grandin’s family owns a farm and he aspires to attend West Point, while Ashanti wants to be a doctor. The characters’ aspirations are admirable, and readers will relate to each person’s worries. As the teens work to uncover the truth, they are forced to ask themselves difficult questions such as, “What’s the difference between a protest and a riot? Does the Bill of Rights still apply in an evacuation camp? During a statewide emergency? Can protestors be arrested and/or charged?”  

Although the beginning of the book is confusing and there are many plot holes, Away will appeal to middle-grade readers, especially those interested in movies and journalism. Away is the companion novel to Alone; however, each book has a separate plot that doesn’t intertwine, so they can be read in any order. 

Away encourages readers to persevere in their goals, just like the characters in the book. In addition, the teens discuss historical events and people who made a significant impact on the world due to their determination. For example, it is mentioned that Nellie Bly said, “Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything.” Even though the characters are teens, they use their voice to shed light on the evacuation camp’s hidden purpose. Teddy reminds readers, “Anyone who says art can’t change the world never studied history.”  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • When Harmony’s mom is out past curfew, Harmony is “pissed.”
  • Crap and holy crap are both used once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Ashanti often mentions Greek gods and other deities such as “Apate goddess of deceit”, and “the goddess Nemesis.” For example, at swim practice Ashanti stands “in front of mom / like Tethys the water goddess.” 
  • The residents are told they may have been exposed to “an invisible, imperceptible poison.” 

Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

Zuri Benitez loves her family and her neighborhood in Brooklyn because it’s filled with friendly faces and a shared sense of culture. She has an incredible sense of pride, so when the elitist Darcy family moves onto the block, she is very protective of her four sisters. While Zuri’s sister, Janae, falls for one of them, Ainsley, Zuri is hesitant to give them a chance. She is suspicious of all of them, especially the older brother, Darius Darcy. As the two families become better acquainted, Zuri spitefully finds herself more drawn to the rebellious Warren, who has a long history with the Darcy family. Zuri is a stubborn protagonist, but she is also ambitious, fiercely loving, and intelligent; this is her coming-of-age story of family, friendship, and love.

As Zuri’s relationships with Warren and Darius develop, she tries to stay focused on the prospect of college. As she sneaks away from home to tour her lifelong dream school in DC, she runs into Darius and gains a deeper understanding of the Darcy family. Zuri and Darius reach a tentative peace and a turning point in their relationship as they confide in one another. In an olive branch of a text message, Darius warns Zuri about Warren’s sinister motives. With her four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, Zuri must contend with the complications of teenage life and love, as well as the growing worry of gentrification in her neighborhood, which is forcing families out. This adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice sets the characters of early nineteenth-century England in a twenty-first-century New York borough’s Afro-Latinx neighborhood, complete with amusing drama and cases of miscommunication.

Pride is tame and chaste, balancing the budding physical and emotional intimacy between Zuri and Darius well with their individual ambitions and traits. However, the plot is somewhat two-dimensional and lacks the nuance that the book’s inspiration possesses. This version flattens aspects of the original Pride and Prejudice, creating a version of Darcy that is blameless, having become more direct and communicative. The modern version casts Zuri in a more negative light because she is judgmental, and there’s no real foundation for her dislike of Darius. The ending is unsatisfying and leaves several unresolved elements, including Warren, who commits wicked acts but seemingly gets away scot-free.

Still, Pride is easy to read, with simple language and a simple plot. It’s a good way to understand the overall framework of a classic novel, while being strongly rooted in American immigrant culture and the Brooklyn neighborhoods. Readers will connect with Zuri, a fun and inspiring main character who is trying to find her way in the world. Readers who love adapted classics like Pride and Premeditation, Geekerella, and Within These Wicked Walls will love the rude but playful banter, fierce independence, and strong setting of Pride. Additionally, Zuri’s heartwarming familial bonds and hometown pride enable her to fight for her future and demonstrate that, no matter how complicated life becomes or how far from home people stray, home is something to rely on.

Sexual Content

  • Darius and Zuri hold hands and kiss. For example, Darius “leans in, breathing heavy, looking into [Zuri’s] eyes, and his lips touch [hers]. He pauses as if making sure it’s okay, and that’s when [she] finish[es] what he started” and they “kiss right there in the middle of the vintage store.”
  • A couple of times, there are thoughts of kissing, but it’s not executed, such as, “I move in when he’s not looking, ready to plant a fat, wet one on his lips, but someone calls my name.”
  • It’s important to note that there are references to sexual harassment, specifically revealing pictures of minors shared without consent. At one point, Darius shares with Zuri that “Gigi is in boarding school because Warren took sexy pictures of her. He sent them to his friends.”

Violence

  • While Zuri walks with Darius around her neighborhood, she describes a person who was murdered right inside her apartment for trying to stop drug dealers.”
  • When Zuri is arguing playfully with Warren, she “ball[s] up [her] fist and punch[es] him really hard on his muscular arm…But Warren doesn’t even flinch. He keeps laughing.”
  • Darius discovers Warren’s predatory behavior and grabs “Warren by the collar. Warren pulls away and gets ready to throw a punch, but Darius ducks and hits him with an uppercut. . .  Darius gets hit in the face and stomach, but Warren manages to dodge all of Darius’s empty punches.”
  • Later on, when Zuri is tending to Darius, he visibly displays injuries from the fight, as “there’s a small scratch across his forehead and his lip is busted. His face is all wound up and he winces as he gets up from the couch.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • At an adult cocktail party, Zuri’s underage sister, Layla, gets her hands on wine. “‘It’s not cranberry juice,’ Layla sings with a wide smile. . . ’Layla!’ I whisper-yell through clenched teeth and try to grab the glass from her. But she snags it back, and some of it spills onto her dress.”
  • Zuri goes to a teenage house party, where there is a lot of underage drinking. When she gets there, “the smell of alcohol smacks [Zuri] in the face.” She sees “two guys are on the floor in front of her, playing a video game, and she’s surrounded by white girls who all have red plastic cups in their hands . . . and two others are taking turns swigging from a plastic vodka bottle and giggling.”
  • There are vague mentions of drug dealers in the area, but no drugs are exhibited in the story. During the teenage party, a crowd gathers and asks about her neighborhood. “Is it safe? It is loud? Are there gangs? Did he meet any drug dealers?”
  • When Darius and Zuri are talking, Zuri mentions that “when he was little, my father played with her kids here. She was murdered right inside her apartment for trying to stop drug dealers from selling in this park.”

Language

  • Profanity is used periodically, including words like bitch and damn. The f-word is used sparingly.
  • The n-word is used once in a non-discriminatory context.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • There are brief, vague mentions of spiritual beliefs in relation to the character, Madrina. Madrina is someone Zuri goes to for help, who passes towards the end of the story. For example, Zuri thinks “to Madrina and her clients, the basement is home to all of Ochún, the orisha of love and all things beautiful. For them, this is a place of magic, love, and miracles. . . it’s Madrina’s wisdom that unties the tight knots of my life, so I play along with what she does for a living and try to believe in these spirits.”

by Kate Schuyler

Thieves’ Gambit #1

Seventeen-year-old Rosalyn Quest is a master thief, adept at escape plans. After all, her family runs an organized theft enterprise that rules the North American region.  She longs to live a semi-normal teenage life, but she can’t seem to escape the pressure of her familial expectations. Her life becomes more complicated after her mom is kidnapped. It’s up to Rosalyn to acquire the ransom and save her mother.

The only way Rosalyn can get the ransom money is by entering the Thieves’ Gambit, a game composed of three phases where teenagers are tasked with stealing the world’s most prized possessions. Her competition is the best teenage thieves that exist in the criminal underworld. Through clever tactics, difficult choices, and life-or-death situations, Rosalyn competes for her mom’s freedom. However, when unanticipated obstacles arise, she must make difficult decisions not only for herself but also for her opponents and her mom. Rosalyn’s whit and unorthodox plans have gotten her this far in life, but will they help her win the game?

Readers will sympathize with Rosalyn’s wish to experience a normal teenage life. For example, Rosalyn gains the courage to venture out on her own to explore and self-reflect. Ironically, this is when her family needs her the most. Rosalyn grapples with the guilt of wanting to leave her family while at the same time attempting to save her mom. Joining the Thieves Gambit allows Rosalyn to socialize with other teenagers and make friends, something she has been longing for. Rosalyn’s intelligence enables her to think outside the box and find her way out of a sticky situation, making her a likable character.

Devroe Kenzie, a competitor in the Thieves’ Gambit, is a flirtatious young man who seems to be drawn to Rosalyn throughout the game. He offers his assistance, proposes that the two of them pair up to beat the others, and even asks her out on a date. These actions distract Rosalyn as she struggles to get a read on him and is tested by his flirtatious advances. She constantly reminds herself to remain determined to win the game for her mom and not to break her core value: a Quest can only trust another Quest. Noelia Boschert, Rosalyn’s childhood rival, is also competing but displays resentment and bitterness towards Rosalyn. Noelia goes out of her way to get Rosalyn kicked out of the game, pokes fun at her, and makes it difficult for the two of them to even remain in the same room without bickering. The tension between the two advances the overall plot and sheds light on Rosalyn’s past and the unanswered questions that are raised. They both enhance the storyline through emotional resonance and by challenging her perseverance to win the game for her mother.

Thieves’ Gambit is an action-packed book that delves into the lives of the world’s most skilled thieves, their methods of operation, and the extreme measures they will take to win the game. The characters reveal their skills, emotional intelligence, and complicated reasons for playing the intense game. Through this, the story takes unexpected turns, keeping the reader in suspense. Moreover, the events that unfold display the author’s imagination while also giving readers a glimpse into the underworld of crime.

Thieves’ Gambit grabs the reader’s attention from the beginning and keeps the thrill alive until the end. The book is easy to read and has an intriguing storyline. The author explores the ideas of friendship, trust, and a sense of belonging. The characters are relatable as they navigate their relationships and familial expectations. The conclusion will leave the reader reflecting on the characters. The book teaches the reader that when it comes to someone you love, you believe you will stop at nothing to ensure they are okay. However, when your morals are tested, it is sometimes necessary to think outside of the box. For more exciting books, read The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte and the Heist Society Series by Ally Carter

Sexual Content

  • There is flirtatious behavior between Devroe and Rosalyn, such as romantic slow dancing, Devroe telling Rosalyn she is beautiful, flirtatious looks, etc.
  • Devroe and Rosalyn cuddle in a hotel room. “I slid in next to him. He lifted his arm like he was going to pull me against his chest. . . I put his hand on my waist, letting him pull me close.”
  • Devroe and Rosalyn share a first kiss. “I cupped his face and pulled him in myself. His lips were soft at first and then they moved over mine. . . when he deepened the kiss, I couldn’t help but moan. . . ” and then they fell asleep.

Violence

  • Two competitors in the Thieves’ Gambit, Rosalyn and Noelia, fight. “My foot slammed into her torso, then into her hand. Her blade flew up and across the room.”
  • A museum guard shoots Yeriel, a competitor. “‘Hey! Freeze!’ a guard’s voice echoed distantly… a gunshot rang out… I was frozen, my gaze stuck on Yeriel and the red seeping through her jacket.” Yeriel is seriously injured and in need of a hospital.
  • Rosalyn’s mom is kidnapped by two men. Rosalyn saw “the yacht was speeding away. Disappearing into the night. Along with my mom… She was gone. Captive on a yacht headed to . . . I had no clue where.”
  • Rosalyn’s mom’s kidnappers request a ransom. “These people weren’t just going to give me my mom back… More rustling over the line. It sounded like he was talking to someone. Deciding just how much Mom’s life was worth… ‘One billion.’”
  • Rosalyn and Taiyo, one of her competitors, begin fighting during the second phase of the game over a flash drive that Rosalyn had acquired. “I kicked against his hold, but he twisted my arm tighter and dug his knee into my back.” Rosalyn is not seriously injured but is handcuffed to a balcony, struggling to break free.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Kyung-soon, a competitor in the Thieves’ Gambit, “[held] a small bottle of something definitely alcoholic. . . took a sip and her face scrunched up.”
  • Devroe shows Rosalyn his plan to drug clients to manipulate their spending at an auction. Devroe told Rosalyn not to drink it because “the chemical I am planning on using, when given in the correct dosage, should make the target disoriented.”

Language

  • Mild language including damn and hell is used very rarely.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Leela Kowalski

Monday’s Not Coming

Claudia’s best friend, Monday, is missing, and she’s the only one who cares. Determined to find her friend, eighth-grader Claudia conducts an investigation into Monday’s disappearance, hindered by her age and naivety. The book is told from Claudia’s point of view, giving readers insight into her fear and confusion, as well as the love she has for her friend. There are multiple timelines: “The Before,” “The After,” “One Year Before the Before,” and “Two Years Before the Before.” By describing the past, Jackson paints a picture of Claudia’s friendship with Monday and highlights Claudia’s innocence before being exposed to this new reality.

Claudia is supported by her parents, who clumsily attempt to help her while keeping her sheltered from the harsh realities of life. They often become hindrances in Claudia’s investigation. She starts keeping secrets from her parents, another element of her loss of innocence and trust in the adults around her. Although Monday is not present in the current timeline, she is present throughout Claudia’s memories and is her motivation throughout. Claudia’s loneliness is exacerbated by her classmates, most of whom bully her, proving her need for Monday’s friendship. However, she does make a friend in Michael, a high schooler from her church, which eventually leads to her first romantic relationship. All of the characters, including Monday’s siblings and mother, play roles in Claudia’s investigation and in her coming of age.

The mystery of Monday propels the narrative, but the different timelines often become confusing. Claudia is an endearing narrator, although the reader often figures out clues and realizes answers before she does, which can be frustrating. There is a twist at the end, which simultaneously answers many questions and creates more unanswered questions. The ending invites a rereading, allowing us to look back at what might have been overlooked.

Monday’s Not Coming also deals with many dark themes, including child abuse and murder. Claudia is not only growing up as she faces the prospect of high school, but she is also becoming increasingly aware of the world around her, outside her idyllic childhood. She realizes the contrasts between her life and Monday’s, and her growing horror parallels the reader’s. Claudia and Monday’s story brings awareness to the reality of the many missing girls of color, and the importance of telling their stories, and not allowing people to slip through the cracks. While there is a strong sense of community in the story, it also serves as an indictment of how the community fails its members by trying to stay blissfully ignorant. Part coming-of-age, part mystery, Monday’s Not Coming will keep readers engaged as more twists and questions are revealed. As the reader begins to care about Monday, they too are invested in Claudia’s exciting, yet tragic eighth-grade year.

Sexual Content

  • Monday describes making out with Jacob Miller, a boy she has a crush on. The kiss was the kind “when the guy puts his tongue in your mouth.”
  • Jacob later claims that Monday “sucked [his] dick.”
  • Claudia and Monday talk about sex. Claudia asks Monday, “did you . . . you know, do it?” Other characters talk about Monday and her sister, April, sleeping with people, but it is never graphically described.
  • A boy says to April, Monday’s older sister, “You don’t even go to this school. You’re just here to get some dick.”
  • Many of the classmates who bully Claudia and Monday do so through homophobia and speculating that the two girls are in a relationship. Monday and Claudia were sitting in a bathroom stall with Monday’s head in Claudia’s lap; someone takes a picture and spreads it through the school. Their classmates make references to sexual parts of their hypothetical relationship. “‘Cause in that PICTURE, look like Monday was the one licking your box”. “She did your homework and you ate her coochie.”
  • Claudia and Michael become close friends and eventually get into a relationship. They kiss when Claudia is drunk, and she gets on her knees, but Michael stops her before anything else happens. They hug and kiss throughout their relationship.
  • There are references to pregnancy, and Claudia’s mother has had multiple miscarriages. None of the main characters are pregnant.

 Violence

  • Claudia and Monday get into a fight with Jacob Miller, a boy with whom Monday is briefly involved but who eventually betrays her. The fight included punching, scratching, and shoving. “He shoved Monday into a locker, pinning her. [Monday] screamed, tackling his back like a monkey, hitting his head with my balled-up fists…I dug my freshly painted nails deep in his neck and scratched.” Claudia later accuses Jacob: “It was Jacob . . . he was biting her!”
  • A group of girls bullies Claudia; she tries to punch one of them but misses. Shayla, one of the bullies, shoves Claudia, and “Shayla propped me up like a doll, shoving my head toward the nasty toilet bowl.”
  • There are references to child abuse, both vague and explicit, along with references to neglect. “Monday, August, and her sisters were taken out of the house for neglect.” Claudia says, “See, I’d seen a couple [bruises] on Monday, here and there. But I’d never given them much thought.” Claudia worries about Monday’s well-being, and questions her multiple times about bruises and bitemarks on her body. “Finally, with a sigh, [Monday] pulled back the collar of her shirt, exposing her chewed-up shoulder.”
  • There are graphic descriptions of dead bodies, including the bodies of dead children. One child, “had been in that freezer for a year and a half.”
  • There are also descriptions of children being murdered. In a recording from Monday’s mom, she describes killing Monday’s little brother August: “I choked him, putting my hands around his throat. He fought until his eyes started rolling back, and then he was dead.” April also describes putting Monday’s body in the freezer: “Stupid freezer was already half full with August. Wouldn’t close right since Monday was so tall.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Claudia gets drunk at a party. After she drinks a “nasty brown drink” that is given to her. She’s not sure what it is at first.

Language

  • Profanity is used regularly. Profanity includes: ass, damn, dyke, fuck, hoe/ho, motherfucker, and shit.
  • Other derogatory language is used, especially homophobic language and language that insults Claudia’s intelligence. For example, a classmate says, “You dummy, everyone’s been finished. Why you so slow?”

Supernatural

  • Claudia imagines Monday’s ghost, but it’s not real.

Spiritual Content

  • Claudia goes to church with her family. She also prays for her grades to get lost in the mail.

by Abigail Clark

Three Bees: The Sound of Ee

Three Bees teaches readers simple facts about bees and how to detect word patterns using the vowel blend “ee”. For example, the book reads, “The three bees fly to the flowers, sip nectar, and return home.” The simple text is easy to understand, allowing readers to build reading confidence. 

Each two-page spread has a full-page picture that focuses on bees or flowers. Each sentence contains five to seven simple words, with repetition of the vowel blend ‘ee’, which helps readers learn how to produce this sound. The words are printed in large font, making them easier to read.  

Beginning readers will practice and apply knowledge of the “ee” sound when reading Three Bees. The photographs and colorful pages will help engage students. The book ends with a word list for review. Three Bees will help children learn to read by focusing on spelling patterns used in a simple story. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

My Friend Maggie

Paula and Maggie have been friends forever. Paula thinks Maggie is the best—until mean girl Veronica says otherwise. Suddenly, Paula starts to notice that Maggie is big and clumsy, and her clothes are sort of snuggish. Rather than sticking up for Maggie, Paula ignores her old friend and plays with Veronica instead. Luckily, when Veronica turns on Paula, Maggie’s true colors shine through.  

Paula, a groundhog, enjoys spending time with Maggie, an elephant. The two are completely different, but they still have fun together. Maggie helps Paula “reach the reddest apples,” and “lifts me up when I can’t see.” But that all changes when Veronica starts whispering in Paula’s ear. Suddenly, Paula is embarrassed to be seen with Maggie because she’s “too big,” “clumsy,” and her clothes are “a little snuggish.” Soon, Paula spends all her time with Veronica and purposely ignores Maggie.   

When Veronica starts teasing Paula, saying her “teeth stick out too far,” Maggie steps in and defends Paula. Even though Paula’s behavior had hurt Maggie, she forgives her friend, proving that “she’s the best.” The heart-warming story will resonate with young readers who have felt left out. Just like Paula, readers will learn the value of friendship as well as the dangers of trying to fit in.   

My Friend Maggie uses brightly colored illustrations to bring the story to life. The illustrations magnify the difference between Paula and Maggie, showing that you can be friends with people who are different from you. The other characters include a polar bear, a pig, a panda, and more adorable animals. The animal characters add interest and humor to the story. For example, readers might giggle when the animals are having a pool party because the pig is wearing a snorkel, and the rabbit has floaties on its arms. On another page, Maggie “hides” behind a small tree, and is clearly visible.   

Each page features large illustrations, and most pages contain only a single sentence, making My Friend Maggie the perfect book to read to a child when time is short. However, the book also gives adults an opportunity to discuss bullying, fitting in, and friendship with young readers. Preschool and kindergarten students learning how to navigate friendships will also benefit from reading the following books: Clovis Keeps His Cool by Katelyn Aronson, Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley, and Angus All Aglow by Heather Smith.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Whales! The Gentle Giants

Whales are beautiful creatures known for their massive size. Seeing a whale in the wild is a memorable nature experience. These amazing animals live in the oceans of the Antarctic to the west coast of California and eastern coast of Australia, and they migrate over many thousands of miles each year. Find out what scientists are discovering about whales, what whales tell us about our planet, and the efforts being made to protect these magnificent animals. 

Whales! The Gentle Giants introduces readers to the different types of whales and explains why some whales are critically endangered. Each two-page spread has one page of text and one page with pictures, maps, and infographics. The text is broken into small, manageable sections that won’t overwhelm readers with too much information. In addition, some pages have QR codes that will take readers to a video about whales.  

Readers interested in learning more about whales and their lives will find all the facts in Whales! The Gentle Giants fascinating. The book also shows how humans can help whales in realistic ways, such as doing simple things like talking about whales to friends and posting online comments. It is a great introduction to the different types of whales and is a good starting point for readers who want to learn more about the magnificent ocean creatures. Readers interested in learning more about helping ocean animals in need should also read Odder by Katherine Applegate. You can also learn about scientists who study the ocean by reading Shark Lady by Jess Keating, Life in the Ocean by Claire A. Nivola and Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • One page discusses how some people hunt whales and shows men preparing to harpoon a whale. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Pup and Hound Hatch an Egg

Pup wants to play with the spring babies born on the farm, but the mothers say no. Then, in the woods, Pup finds an egg — just there, right by his leg! Where is its mother? Who would know? Pup and Hound search high and low. Will they find the egg a home? 

Readers will fall in love with the helpful dogs as they look for the mother who lost the egg. The farm where the dogs live is full of animals—cats, sheep, chickens, and mice. The endearing ending shows a surprise—a turtle hatches from the egg, and Pup and Hound “watched him and worried as good parents do. Now where Pup and Hound go, Turtle goes, too!” 

As a Level 1 Reader, Pup and Hound Hatch an Egg uses easy vocabulary, simple sentences, and lots of repetition and rhyme. The playful illustrations provide visual clues to unfamiliar words. Each page has two to four simple sentences, making the book perfect for beginning readers learning sentences and word recognition. Plus, the use of rhyme and onomatopoeia makes Pup and Hound Hatch an Egg fun to read out loud.  

Pup and Hound Hatch an Egg is a super cute book with fun illustrations of animals. The basic plot will have readers wondering who the egg belongs to, and the surprise ending is endearing. For another adventure, read Bobby: Catch Me If You Can by David Gall and Cameron Scott, and Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

Goodbye Days

Carver Briggs may or may not have killed his three best friends.  

After his poorly timed text message leads to a car crash that kills Mars, Blake, and Eli, Carver is forced to reconcile his guilt and grief while also working his way through his final year of high school. His feelings are worsened when the father of Mars, the text recipient and driver during the accident, opens an investigation into Carver’s “negligent homicide.” As Carver mourns his friends, he also struggles to convince the court – and himself – that his reckless texting was not a form of murder.  

Desperate for a way to cope with his loss, Carver begins a series of “goodbye days:” days spent with each of his friends’ families as a way to remember them and say goodbye. In each of these episodic segments, the reader travels with Carver into the memories of his three late friends. Carver’s own reflections and imagined conversations also enrich the story. Complicated by his upcoming graduation, potential criminal charges, and growing feelings for Eli’s girlfriend, Carver must navigate situations he never thought he’d encounter.  

Carver’s deep internal struggle makes for an engaging, if heart-wrenching, story about grappling with difficult emotions and living life to the fullest. His status as a high school student makes the day-to-day of his life grounding and relatable, while the emotional turmoil that fills him for most of the novel adds complexity to his character. As a writer, Carver yearns for a way to retell the story of his friends’ deaths, struggling to accept his own powerlessness. This makes for a thought-provoking and poignant story that is sure to evoke emotional responses from the reader. While it seems unlikely that a real-life teenager would be charged with murder due to a text message, Zentner crafts a believable tale full of characters with a wide variety of opinions on the controversial issue.  

Aside from his personal grief and guilt, Carver spends a great deal of time with his friends’ families discussing deeper matters of being alive. As he ponders what he and his friends would be doing if they were alive, he seeks a way to move forward that both honors them and gives his own life meaning. Although the novel is certainly a tearjerker, it also has moments of joy and laughter that balance out the darker themes. The story leaves the reader with plenty to think about, from the dangers of texting while driving to embracing life without regrets. Readers who want to see how other characters face difficult circumstances may want to read Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper and Bruiser by Neal Shusterman. 

Sexual Content  

  • Carver dusts the dirt off of Jesmyn, his late friend Eli’s girlfriend, after she lies on the floor. Carver becomes aroused while touching her legs. 
  • Carver reflects on Blake coming out as gay. Carver says he has “never been into girls. . . that way. Ever.”  
  • Carver has a conversation about Blake’s sexuality with Nana Betsy that goes on for a few pages. “Blake…never found the right girl because he…didn’t want to.” 
  • There are rumors that Carver and Jesmyn were seeing each other before Eli died. Jesmyn asks Carver, “Have you been telling people we’re hooking up?” She says that at her old school, there were rumors about “what a slut” she was.  
  • Carver tells his therapist that he and Jesmyn are just friends, “boners notwithstanding (let’s be honest: a Kmart lingerie ad can get things moving under the right circumstances).”  

Violence  

  • There are frequent but non-graphic references and flashbacks to the car crash that killed Carver’s three friends. During the accident, “[Mars] slammed into the rear of a stopped semi on the highway at almost seventy miles per hour. The car went under the trailer, shearing off the top.” 
  • Nana Betsy recalls when she took Blake from his abusive mother when he was eight. Fearing for his safety, she entered the house with a shotgun. It is not fired. 
  • Nana Betsy rescues eight-year-old Blake after finding “a hand-shaped bruise on his back and another that looks to be a shoe print.” It is heavily implied that his mother inflicted these injuries.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Nana Betsy briefly references the scent of cigarette smoke.  
  • Eli’s parents have a wine rack. 
  • When recalling her first kiss with Eli, Jesmyn says, “My parents probably thought I was high.” 
  • Eli’s mom says, “We thought some of the kids had smoked up after the show.” 

Language    

  • Shit and ass are used frequently. For example, Carver says that Adair, Eli’s sister, “hates the shit out of” him and Jesmyn.  
  • Stronger profanity is used a few times. Profanity includes fuck and bitch.  

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Carver has a conversation with Blake’s grandmother, Nana Betsy, about whether God will let Carver into heaven after his role in his friends’ deaths. “What do you think it takes to keep you out of heaven?” 
  • Carver and Nana Betsy briefly discuss how she reconciles Blake being gay with her religion. “Our religion definitely doesn’t approve of that lifestyle, but I never did believe that people choose to be that way.” There are frequent references to Nana Betsy’s Christian beliefs.  
  • Carver tells Eli’s atheist parents that he “believed in God.” Eli’s dad “derided religious people as idiots.” The three of them, along with Jesmyn, discuss this topic for two pages. 

Animal Superstars: And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Talents

“Opee: The Motocross Biker Pup”: Mike was surprised when his dog Opee jumped on his motorcycle. At first, Mike tied Opee to him so he wouldn’t fall off the motorcycle, but Opee did everything right. He crouched closer to the bike and when the road curved Opee leaned into the turns. After a lot of practice, Mike and Opee signed up for the Baja 500 race that takes place in the desert. Would Mike and Opee be able to finish the race or would the noise and teeth-rattling ride be too much for the adventurous dog? 

“Sidewinder: Groundhog Weather Wonder”:  When Bob got home, he found a wicker basket on his doorstep. Inside was an injured groundhog that had been shot in the head. Determined to help the animal, Mike cleaned the animal’s wounds and fed him every three hours. Because of the injury, Sidewinder had difficulties standing up. When she finally learned how to walk, she could only walk in a circle. Someone asked Mike if Sidewinder could participate in Groundhog Day. Mike said yes, but he wondered, would Sidewinder be able to pop out of a hole and predict the weather? 

“Tuna: Kitty Rock Star”: Tuna, a white kitten, was born to purr-form. She wasn’t afraid of bright lights, noise or people. Tuna’s person, Samatha, knew Tuna could be a big star in the movies, so she began training Tuna and other animals to do tricks. It wasn’t easy and sometimes the animals didn’t perform well, but Samantha learned how to use humor to keep the audience engaged. Soon, Tuna, a chicken, and other animals had their own rock band. But will Tuna ever star in a big movie? 

“Sidewinder: Groundhog Weather Wonder” is an interesting story that shows the power of determination. In addition, Sidewinder went to Boby’s classroom. “In Bob’s class, all of the kids had special needs. It set them apart. Sometimes they felt left out.” Sidewinder helped the students feel important. “In one way, she and they were alike. She also had disabilities that made it hard for her to learn. Bob explained how Sidewinder kept trying. She never gave up. Her story gave the kids hope.”  

Based on the hit feature in National Geographic Kids magazine, National Geographic Chapter Series features three true stories about amazing rescues. Each story is broken into three short chapters. The book is packed with full-color photography, lists, and infographics. Some pages also include orange boxes that contain additional facts about the animals. For example, “Did You Know? When scared, groundhogs give a high whistle. That’s why they’re also called ‘whistle pigs.’” 

While reading each story, readers will learn more about animals. One page is about helping your dog when it’s hurt, another page gives a list of amazing things groundhogs can do. The interesting facts, and short sentences make the stories easy to read. Despite this, emerging readers may need help pronouncing difficult words, such as custodian, Candlemas, disappointment. And while the stories are easy to understand, adults will need to read the book to beginning readers. 

Animal Superstars isn’t just about the amazing things animals can do, it highlights the power of practice and determination. Each story shows how the animals—Opee, Sidewinder, and Tuna—practiced new skills and surprised everyone. Each story will amaze readers and encourage them to use determination to learn new skills of their own. Readers who want to learn more animal facts should race to the library and check out the nonfiction book What If You Had Animal Hair!? by Sandra Markle. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • While racing, Mike went into the sand, and “the back end of the bike spun out. It crashed to the ground. Both Mike and Opee flew through the air. Mike landed on his face in the dirt with his arms straight out in front of him. . .” Mike checked out Opee and found “a scrape on his nose another on his paw. . . Only then did he notice the blood. It was running into his boot from a cut on his calf.” 
  • When Bob was ten, he found an injured groundhog. “Someone had shot it. . . Bob taped bandages over the groundhog’s wound.” The groundhog recovered and was released into the wild. 
  • When he was older, someone left an injured groundhog on Bob’s doorstep. It had been shot in the head. A vet said, “The damage she had suffered had jumbled the signals in her brain. The plucky little groundhog could only walk in circles.”  
  • While in a public place, a big dog came close to Tuna, and “before Samantha could stop her, the cat leaped onto the dog’s back. EEEYOW! She dug in her claws. . . Fur flew as Samantha stood then in shock. Then, as suddenly as everything started, it stopped.” 
  • When someone becomes homeless, they may not be able to care for their cats. When the cats go to the animal shelter, “many cats are put to death.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Mike helped many different animals by giving them medicine. 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • While training Tuna, “Samantha prayed that their big break would come soon.”  

Lifeboat 5

When Nazi bombs begin to destroy Bess Walder’s hometown of East London, Bess convinces her parents to evacuate her and her younger brother, Louis, to Canada aboard the SS City of Benares. On the journey, she meets another evacuee, Beth Cummings. Bess and Beth have a lot in common—both strong and athletic, both named for Queen Elizabeth, both among the older kids on the ship, and both excited about life in Canada.

On the fifth day at sea, everyone starts to relax, but trouble is right behind them. That night, a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the Benares. As their luxury liner starts to sink, Bess and Beth rush to abandon ship aboard their assigned lifeboat. Based on true events and real people, Lifeboat 5 is about two young girls with the courage to persevere against the odds and the strength to forgive. 

When Bess boards the Benares, she doesn’t expect to find a friendship that will last a lifetime. Despite the dangerous situation, Bess and Beth instantly connect and enjoy being aboard a luxury ship where the crew treats them kindly. The two girls like to share secrets and imagine their life once they get to Canada. Bess is a relatable character who finds her brother annoying, enjoys flirting with the crew, and desperately wants to find a place where she belongs.  

Even though the story is mainly told from Bess’ point of view, readers also get a glimpse of the people who impacted Bess’ life, such as the boys’ escort Michael Rennie. Michael showed kindness to the children, and when the ship sank, he did all he could to save the boys from the freezing water. Michael died before being rescued, but those who knew him remembered his kindness and heroism.  

The story of Lifeboat 5 is told through prose, and the text is often shaped to emphasize emotions. However, the prose does not allow space for character development, keeping readers emotionally distant from the events. Several aspects may make the book confusing for readers. The characters use colloquial language. For example, Bess says, “We’ll settle in and have us / a jolly good chin wag.” In addition, some of the story is told from different characters’ and the ocean’s point of view. This requires readers to pay attention to the chapter titles that are labeled with the narrator’s name. 

Lifeboat 5 educates readers about the devastating sinking of the Benares and the kindness and heroism of the adults who tried to save the children. In the end, Beth and Bess’ friendship allowed them to survive a harrowing nineteen hours in the ocean. As an adult, Bess learned: “Forgiveness / can be. . . beneficial to the soul . . . / helpful in healing deep wounds / of the mind.” Since most of the ship’s crew and passengers died, Lifeboat 5 may be a difficult book for some readers. However, for readers who want to learn more about World War II, Lifeboat 5 is a must-read book that reflects on the destructive nature of war. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • There are references to the violence in England. For example, Bess’ family goes to a bomb shelter. “Huddling inside, / we hear the drone / of the airplanes— / a low thunder, / then the pop-pop-pop / of the antiaircraft guns, / then the whistle / of the bomb drop.” 
  • A girl talks about why she is fleeing the country. “I didn’t have much left after / the Volendam [a ship] was torpedoed / and my house was bombed. / All my stuff was wrecked.” 
  • The ship’s departure was delayed because “the Germans / have dropped mines / in the mouth of the Mersey, / blocking our path.” 
  • The SS City of Benares is torpedoed. “Whoosh! / A cold, hard missile / rockets / through the sea’s sleep. . . Sound explodes in [Bess’] ears. / The dresser smashes into / the cabin door. / The whole ship / shudders / beneath me.” 
  • As the ship is evacuated, a crewman has to chop through the door to Bess’ room. “The crewman reaches / in again and pulls Ailsa out, / but she’s wounded / by the ragged woodwork.” 
  • The evacuation is chaotic. People jump into lifeboats and rafts, and “some just jumping / straight into the sea— / children and adults alike.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • After being rescued, a sailor gives Bess “cool sugar water and rum.” 

Language  

  • Bess tells her friend, “You’re a cheeky one! / Don’t be daft!” 
  • While in the ocean, Bess “wees” and then thinks, “Who knew taking a piss / could feel so good?” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • While traveling to Canada, the children are gathered to say morning prayers. For example, Reverand’s hands “lift to God / fold in prayer / lead a hymn / embrace the world / bless us all.”  
  • When the Benares sinks, Bess holds on to a capsized lifeboat and thinks, “God help me.” 
  • While hanging on to the lifeboat, Bess thinks about the bullies back home and thinks, “I thank God / Beth and I are/made of stronger stuff.” 
  • Two Lascars are also hanging on to the lifeboat. When she hears them speaking, Bess thinks that they are praying. Later, “[Bess] hear[s] a voice calling to Allah. / It’s one of the Lascars / on the end of our lifeboat.” Bess says the Lord’s Prayer. 
  • Bess believes that her brother is dead and thinks, “Oh God. / It will break [her parents] / And it will be all my fault.” 
  • Three of the rescued boys die and are given a sailor’s funeral. “Officers, sailors, stewards, / escorts, and children / stand together to / sing hymns, / whisper prayers, / and weep. / We grieve for / the three boys / who died last night / and for all who were lost.”
  • A man tells Bess’ father, “Your children are safe.” Her father says, “Thank God.” 

A Manatee Calf Grows Up

Learn all about manatees by tracing the life of a manatee calf from infancy to adulthood. The book starts with a word hunt that uses pictures to introduce key words in the text. Then readers will learn interesting facts about manatees. 

Using an engaging format, A Manatee Calf Grows Up reinforces core language skills for first and second graders. Whenever a keyword is introduced, an arrow points to a picture that helps readers understand the word. Each two-page spread has one page with three to five short sentences with keywords in bold font. The other page has a full-page colored illustration with one to two sentences of facts about the manatee. For example, “A calf begins drinking its mother’s milk a few hours after it is born.”  

Many of the book’s concepts are repeated throughout, and the end includes an infographic summarizing a manatee’s growth cycle, a glossary of keywords, and pictures of other mammals that readers will want to learn about. This Scholastic News Nonfiction Reader helps readers build background knowledge, expand their vocabulary, and develop critical reading skills.  

A Manatee Calf Grows Up will engage students as they learn about manatees. The illustrations and repetitive text help readers remember the facts. To learn more about ocean animals, readers should also read Disney Moana: Moana’s New Friend by Jennifer Liberts and Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Thankful

At the first snowfall of winter, a young girl and her family begin a yearly tradition: they jot down everything they are thankful for on strips of paper. These strips are then assembled into “thankful chains,” which decorate the family’s house giving comfort during the cold months. While the chains are easy to make, the girl finds herself stumped as she faces the blank pieces of paper. It’s difficult to list all the things she has been thankful for during an entire year. The girl decides to start with the things in her room, like her bed and her books. By finding the value and comfort in these small things, she is able to find more things to be thankful for than she believed. 

Thankful is a moving and inspiring book by award-winning author Elaine Vickers. The girl’s exercise allows her to fully appreciate the value of the little things in her life, which have wider effects on her than she realized. Looking about her room, she realizes she is thankful for her dog, who comforted her before her first day of school. This small act helped the girl understand that her nerves were perfectly natural. The girl finds that she is thankful for pen and paper, which let her create stories and express her creativity. By the end of her exercise, the girl’s chain is longer than she had expected.  

The book is accessible to younger readers, with simple vocabulary and only one to six short sentences per page. Vickers’ lullaby-like prose is perfectly matched by Samatha Cotterill’s stunning illustrations. Characters are drawn on cutout pieces of paper, then placed in studio-lit, hand-made dioramas, mixing traditional illustration with photography. Cotterill’s style is a perfect match for Vicker’s story: familiar and comforting elements portrayed in a way you have never seen before. 

Thankful is a warm story that invites readers to find value and beauty in their everyday lives. Thankful is an excellent pick if you are looking for a comforting nighttime read with a strong message. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

Game Changer

All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t look quite the way he remembers it. Impossible though it seems, he’s been hit into another dimension—and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are almost-but-not-really his own.  

The changes in his world start small, but quickly spiral out of control as he ends up in universes where he has everything he’s ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past, and universes where he finds himself as someone he’s never had to consider before.  

And if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence . . .  

Game Changer follows Ash as he jumps into different worlds, forcing him to take a hard look at his own bias and choices. For example, in one dimension, America is still segregated which makes Ash realize that he had little understanding of what it means to be Black in America. In another world, Ash is a self-centered jerk who sells drugs—a version of himself Ash doesn’t like. Each time Ash’s world changes, he is forced to explore the complicated nature of humans and how small decisions can lead to major consequences. 

Ash’s world is everchanging which forces him to face many difficult topics such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. This is accomplished not only through Ash’s own experience but also the experiences of people close to Ash. Before jumping to other realities, Ash had never thought about “the idea of basic human dignity being stripped away. . . people whose lives were so far removed from mine, they might as well been on a different planet.” While Ash doesn’t find a way to fix society’s woes, he does become a better person by realizing how his own biases affect his relationships. 

Game Changer explores the idea of having a multiverse; however, the plot is easy to understand because Ash is surrounded by a core group of characters that appear in every world. The fast-paced plot isn’t afraid to take a deep look at complicated issues and forces the reader to question their own biases and choices. Shusterman doesn’t give a cure to the world’s illnesses, but instead reminds us of how little we understand and that “only by being humbled can we ever hope to be great.” 

Sexual Content  

  • Ash’s friend says he’s only interested in “food and sex.” 
  • In one of Ash’s worlds, he “secretly hooked up last spring” with his best friend’s sister. Ash thinks his other self would never “hook up with his best friend’s sister behind his back.” 
  • Ash has a crush on Katie, who is dating someone on the football team. Ash and Katie hid behind the bleachers so they could talk, but then Ash “leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss.” He apologized afterward, and Katie said, “I didn’t say not to do it again. Just don’t do it now.” 
  • In one of Ash’s worlds, he is gay and has a boyfriend named Paul. When alone, Paul kisses Ash. Ash says, “The kiss pretty much laid waste to my brain.” At first, Ash is conflicted, and then he “kissed Paul with such force, we both stumbled back against the closed front door.” 
  • The gay Ash remembers when he was twelve, “[he] would sometimes get a hard-on in the locker room. [He] was good at hiding it though.” In ninth grade, he “made out with a friend the night before he moved away.” 
  • In the hallway at school, Ash gets everyone’s attention and then “turned to Paul, and planted one on him that was even better than the kiss at my front door.” 
  • In one reality, Ash is a girl named Ashley. It is implied that she had sex with her boyfriend. 
  • A teen says, “Personally, I’d have loved a wide receiver on top of me” before taking off after a guy. 
  • In one universe, Ash is “an all-American vagina-loving straight boy.”

Violence  

  • The story implies that one of the characters is physically abusive, and he is definitely emotionally abusive to his girlfriend. 
  • Ash decides to stop selling drugs. His drug supplier shows up with two other men, whom Ash calls Thing One and Thing Two. “Thing One was holding me, and Thing Two was swinging away. It was all fist. . . I kicked, swung, and elbowed. . . I was doubled over, and although my knees were buckling from the pain, Thing One kept me on my feet so they could keep hitting me.” Ash shifts, and the drug supplier and his two goons cease to exist. People assume that Ash was beaten up because he is gay. 
  • Ash recounts how “in 2016, nearly fifty people were killed by a gunman armed with semiautomatic weapons at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando. In 1998, Matthew Shepard was tortured, beaten, then tied to a fence, and left to die just because he was gay.” Ash lists several others who were killed for being gay and how they died.  
  • While working at a grocery store, Leo, a Black teen, sees a homeless guy who is “not strung out or anything, just wrong in the head.” One of the managers corners the homeless guy. “The guys got a knife, and he’s scared out of his mind. Because my manager’s pulled a gun on him. . . [Leo knows] from the look on [his] manager’s face that he’s gonna pull the trigger. So I take my manager down before he can. . . the gun goes off, shattering the deli case. And the homeless guy gets away.” Leo is arrested and put into jail. 
  • Multidimensional beings try to help Ash. Teddy gives Ash advice, but when things go wrong, the others punish Teddy by putting him in a burned-down church. “Down in the pit. Teddy sat, tied to a chair. He was in bad shape. Bruised, bloody.” 
  • In one dimension, Ash is a female named Ashley. In this world, Ashley’s boyfriend, Layton, bruises her, “but never on my face. They’d appear on my arm when he’d grab me to stop me from storming away.” 
  • While Paul is tutoring Ashley, “out of nowhere . . . I leaned in and kissed him.” Paul gets upset and leaves. When Layton finds out, he beats Paul up. 
  • Layton tells Ashley to meet him at the park. When she gets there, Layton has a baseball bat “smeared with blood and Layton was splattered with it.” Layton confronts Ashley, and then “he brought his arm up across his chest and swung it in a brutal backhanded slam across my face so powerful it spun me around and knocked me to the ground.”  
  • Layton takes out a gun, intending to use it. “In that moment, [Ashley] saw three worlds unfolding: The world where he killed me and ran away. . . the world where he put the gun in his own mouth and blew his brains out in front of me. . . and the world where he did both.” 
  • Paul arrives at the park, takes the bat, and swings it. “The bat connected with the nape of Layton’s neck. I could hear the vertebrae fracture. Layton crumbled to the ground. . .” Layton survives but is paralyzed from the neck down. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • In several of Ash’s parallel worlds, he sells drugs from his family’s store. The drugs include “pills, powders, and weed.” The drugs also include steroid powder. He would sell the drugs at “parties, and in school hallways, and out back of various local hangouts.” 
  • Ash “even supplied coke to Mr. Gilbreath, my English teacher, who was an old hippie.” 
  • Ash’s parents don’t notice his side job. Ash thinks, after his mom’s “nightly bottle of merlot, [she] wouldn’t care if a pallet of heroin was airdropped through the living room ceiling.” 
  • Ash doesn’t sell heroin and meth, so he doesn’t think of himself as “a drug dealer—I was a recreational entrepreneur.” However, he does sell ecstasy and oxycodone. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used often. Profanity includes ass, bitch, bastard, crap, damn, dickwad, douchiness, goddamn, fuck, hell, pissed, and shit. 
  • God and My God are used as exclamations once. 

Supernatural 

  • During a football game, when Ash gives a power hit, he feels “a sudden surge of phantom cold . . . like my blood had been replaced by ice water, but only for an instant.” Later, he discovers that he has caused a shift in time and is now in another dimension.  
  • When Ash is hit, he goes to “Elsewhere.” Each time he does this, his world changes. “Each time I’m in Elsewhere, I can sense the different realities around me. They feel alive. They feel . . . needy. Like they’re afraid of being left behind.”  
  • Ash meets “multidimensional beings that project into” his world. They try to help Ash navigate his abilities. The beings say there may or may not be a God, but if there is a God, “then the universe would be an it rather than a he/she/they. . .” 
  • The people closest to Ash remember part of the previous world. “It’s called the proximity effect. The closer someone is to the subjective locus, the more likely they, and even people around them, are to have stray memories from other existences.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Ash describes one of his friends who makes “stupid decisions and say[s] all the wrong things at the wrong times, like maybe he was taking a dump when God was handing out common sense.” 
  • After a time shift, Ash thinks, “Maybe this was the life I was supposed to be living, and the universe, or God, or whatever, decided to fix it.” 
  • Ash tries to understand what is happening. He thinks, “Faith would tell us that we are a spark that exists separate from the drama of our lives.” 
  • To avoid the man who supplies his drugs, Ash closes the store and posts a sign that says “Closed for Religious Reasons.” Ash checks and discovers it is “Yom Kippur—the Jewish day of atonement. The perfect day for my ‘special customers’ to repent from their drug habit.” 
  • After Ash makes three people cease to exist, Ash feels “guilt and shame. Like somehow I had pissed in God’s teacup, and not even he knew.” 
  • Ash wants to change the universe for good. He thinks, “My grandma would say God was working through me, because that’s the way he worked.” 

Swimming with Spies

It’s February of 2014 in the seaport city of Sevastopol in Crimea. Sofiya Oleksandrivna only wants two things: to figure out a way to get Ilya Ilyich to stop bullying her, and to convince her mother to come back home. But as battleships come to populate the waters around their city and Russian forces, including Ilya’s father, start to make their presence known, an even greater threat takes over Sofiya’s life. 

Sofiya’s only escape is the dolphinarium where her father is a trainer at the forefront of teaching sign language to a pod of dolphins. And now the Russian military has ordered the dolphinarium to hand over its animals for military use. As armed Russian troops invade Crimea and conflict and tension continue to rise, Sofiya will do everything she can to keep her pod safe. And what she knows better than any of the soldiers occupying her city, is that the most powerful force is communication. 

Sofiya’s world is forever changed when the Russians take over Crimea. As the daughter of a Ukrainian father and a Russian mother, Sofiya doesn’t want to choose sides. But when Sofiya is forced to work with Ilya, she is forced to look beyond Ilya’s public persona. Sofiya’s grandmother gives her sage advice, saying, “I told you to listen with your eyes, not only your ears. Everyone wants to be understood. Never doubt that. Most of all, though, we have to listen with our heart.”  

Swimming with Spies highlights the complicated conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Often, Sofiya’s teacher, Miss Yvette, discusses the conflict with her class. One concern is that Russia will try to erase Ukraine’s culture because, before Ukraine became independent, “Ukrainians could not learn or work in their language. They had to function in Russian. And language as a weapon is something I overheard over and over since I was a kid.” Ukraine’s conflict is a central component of the book; Sofiya’s relationship with Ilya and the dolphins also highlights the importance of communication and working together. 

Since the story is told from Sofiya’s point of view, the events focus on how the annexation of Crimea affects her and her friends. Sofiya grieves when the people she cares about decide to leave the peninsula. She’s frightened when her friend’s brother is arrested, and people begin losing their jobs. Using Sofiya’s point of view gives younger readers an understanding of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict without showing military conflict or violence. While most readers will not relate to the country’s conflict, they will empathize with the children and adults impacted by the annexation.  

Swimming with Spies uses a unique premise to show readers the power of communication and the importance of using one’s voice. The book poses the question—are you Russian or Ukrainian—without giving an answer. In the end, Sofiya learns that “people can only decide—in the end—what’s best for them.” In addition, the book shows the power of forgiveness and not blaming others for life’s disappointments. Swimming with Spies is a powerful story that will give readers a new understanding of what it means to be Ukrainian.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • After Ilya and his friends use racial slurs, Sofiya’s friend Cedric and Ilya fight. “Ilya is a blur, and when I turn around, he and Cedric are tumbling on the ground. . .” One of the teachers breaks up the fight. Cedric has a slit lip but is otherwise uninjured. 
  • Sofiya thinks about a Ukrainian protest where “some protesters were shot at.” 
  • Ilya, a boy in Sofiya’s class, lost his mother in a boating accident. When he was four, his family was on a boat, and Ilya fell overboard. “Ilya was in the water, with a life jacket, thank God. But. . . well, Elena—his mother—jumped in after him. There was a large wave that crashed over her. They searched and searched, but no one could find her after that.” 
  • Sofiya overhears a conversation about “peaceful protesters, with Ukrainian flags, went to the parliament building, and a swarm of ‘pro-Russian’ protesters got into a fight with them. Two people were killed. Others were arrested. Not Russians, though.” 
  • A Russian military leader, Major Chaban, wants to use the sea animals for military purposes. While at the dolphinarium, Sofiya sees “the shape of Major Chaban. Six men with rifles are marching behind him straight to our front door.” The dolphinarium’s staff is forced to get Russian passports or be fired. 
  • One of Sofiya’s friends is upset because her brother was arrested after “he posted a video of himself and his friends driving around Sevastopol the other night, singing the Ukrainian anthem.” 
  • While at school, Sofiya gets angry and takes it out on Ilya. “The next thing I know, Ilya is under me, and I scramble onto my knees, and I feel a sharp pain. But I just start pummeling. . . I hardly land a couple of punches when I’m ripped off him.” Ilya gets a black eye. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Sofiya thinks that talk shows have “a lot of older people standing around and shouting. It’s like listening to the homeless men in the park when they’ve drunk too much vodka.”

Language  

  • Sofiya refers to a group of Russian classmates as “Ilya and the Idiots.” 
  • Sofiya overhears a conversation where two men are talking about Russians who harass Ukrainians. A man said, “Rashist—a term, he said, that is cooked up from the words Russian, racist, and fascist.”  
  • In another overheard conversation, a man uses the Russian word “Russkyi mir.” Sofiya thinks, “It’s not a nice thing to say. It means violence, and blood, and criminality, and corruption. Miss Yvette once said Russkyi mir involves having our Ukrainian language, our culture, our traditions all taken away, along with our land.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Only Game

Jack Callahan is the star of his baseball team and seventh grade is supposed to be his year. Undefeated season. Records shattered. Little League World Series. The works. That is, until he up and quits.

Jack’s best friend Gus can’t understand how Jack could leave a game that means more to them than anything else. But Jack is done. It’s a year of change. Jack’s brother has passed away, and though his family and friends and the whole town of Walton think baseball is just the thing he needs to move on, Jack feels it’s anything but.

In comes Cassie Bennett, star softball player, and the only person who seems to think Jack shouldn’t play if he doesn’t want to. As Jack and Cassie’s friendship deepens, their circle expands to include Teddy, a guy who’s been bullied because of his weight.

Time spent with these new friends unlocks something within Jack, and with their help and the support of his family and his old friends, Jack discovers sometimes it’s more than just the love of the game that keeps us moving forward—and he might just be able to find his way back to The Only Game, after all. 

Readers will sympathize with Jack, who blames himself for his brother’s death. As penitence, Jack gives up baseball. However, Jack’s grief isn’t explored in depth; instead, the story focuses on Jack’s unwillingness to tell anyone why he quit the team. His friends and family are even more confused when Jack begins to help coach Cassie’s team, and teach Teddy how to play baseball. While his new friends give Jack the courage to talk to his parents about his guilt, the conflict is resolved too quickly without showing any of Jack’s grieving process. While this allows the story to focus on baseball, it minimizes the story’s emotional impact. 

When Jack quits the team, Cassie and Teddy immediately step in to take the place of Jack’s other friendships. However, the friendships don’t seem genuine. For instance, Jack soon teaches Teddy how to play baseball, even though Teddy has little interest in the game and the boys have nothing in common. In addition, Cassie is a braggart, and her arrogance may annoy some readers. Unfortunately, the supporting characters are not very likable, and their interactions with Jack do not feel authentic.  

Even though Jack quits the baseball team, The Only Game still contains enough baseball action to keep sports-loving readers entertained. The book doesn’t delve into the many emotions of the grieving process, which allows the story to focus on Jack’s friendships and the importance of supporting each other in difficult times. The Only Game’s strength lies in showcasing the joy of competition and how baseball brings people together.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • Some of the kids call others idiots. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • One of Jack’s friends “and their parents usually went to church at nine.” 
  • After Jack and his best friend Gus stop talking, Jack goes to Gus’s house. Gus’s mom says, “I’m going to leave you alone to talk to your friend Jack now and also pray to the Lord that you remember your manners while you do.” 

She Caught the Light: Williamina Stevens Fleming: Astronomer

Williamina Fleming changed the course of astronomy by devising the world’s first classification system of the universe. Alongside paving the pathway for future discoveries, Fleming also showcased the importance of women’s role in science and astronomy by becoming the first woman to become the curator of astronomical photographs. However, Fleming’s place in history didn’t come easy, as her success required hard work and patience.  

Williamina Fleming, affectionately known as “Mina,” was born in Dundee, Scotland on May 15, 1857. As a child, Mina showed interest in her father’s photography work and constantly asked questions about the nature of photographs, such as, “Why do the chemicals work?” or “How does the light get onto the plate?” After Mina’s father died, she became the maid for Professor Pickering, the renowned director of the Harvard College Observatory. For a while, Mina did the typical jobs of dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing, but when Professor Pickering became frustrated at his assistants with their astronomical calculations, Pickering turned to Mina for the job. Could Mina seize this opportunity to showcase her intelligence and change astronomy forever? 

The book gives a third-person narration about Mina’s life, demonstrating how her persistent determination, calm composure, and astute decisions impacted her growth from a curious child to an influential lady. The story depicts Mina as a strong, intelligent, and inquisitive person, and her ability to ask questions and learn from others makes her an aspiring and influential figure. Many readers will relate to Mina’s desire to know the secrets of the cosmos, and her slow climb to the position of curator of astronomical photographs feels realistic and genuine. 

She Caught the Light is a rousing illustrated story that exemplifies the power of hard work and patience. After all, Mina’s chance to showcase her intelligence and impact on the astronomical world took time. When her opportunity finally arose, Mina built a long-lasting career that served as a testament to seizing the opportunity. The book also encourages readers not to grow disappointed when things take time to develop. For Mina, although she started as a maid, her past gave her the foundation to eventually create “a portrait of the universe that astronomers would use for over a century.” 

She Caught the Light features simple, watercolor illustrations that aid the story’s plot with helpful character depictions and scenery. The story also contains supplementary material at the end of the book, such as a timeline, glossary, biography, and author’s note, which complements and fortifies Mina’s legacy as “a hero of the stars.” However, for an illustrated children’s book, She Caught the Light uses complex concepts, such as the inner workings of a spectroscope, and large, tricky paragraphs that may frustrate younger readers. As a result, She Caught the Light is a tale for more experienced readers. Mina’s story will leave readers more informed, inspired, and curious about the celestial objects in our skies.  

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

Unsouled

Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, the last safe haven for AWOL unwinds. But for the first time, they’re not just running away—they’re running towards answers, in the form of a woman Proactive Citizenry has tried to erase from history itself. If they can find her and learn why the shadowy figures behind unwinding are so afraid of her, they may discover the key to ending the unwinding process forever.

Cam, the rewound boy, is plotting to take down the organization that created him. He knows that if he can bring Proactive Citizenry to its knees, it will show Risa how he truly feels about her. And without Risa, Cam is having trouble remembering what it feels like to be human.

With the Juvenile Authority and vindictive parts pirates hunting them, the group’s paths will converge explosively—and everyone will be changed. 

Unsouled focuses on human evil, and Risa wonders, “Which is crueler, man or nature? She determines it must be man. Nature has no remorse, but neither does it have malice.” As readers delve into the world of unwinds, they will most likely come to the same conclusion as Risa. The world of unwinding is paradoxical; on one hand, people with disabilities are not allowed to be unwound. However, the lucrative business of unwinding created an industry that has no bounds to its greed and many teens are legally killed. 

While changing the unwinding age to 17 was supposed to help teens, it has helped the black market become more ruthless and profitable. In addition, to get even more body parts, some politicians are encouraging people to vote for Initiative 11, which would allow criminals to be unwound. “So the question is, how do we want our violent offenders to pay their debts to society? Wasting into old age on taxpayers’ dollars—or allowing them to redeem themselves by providing much-needed tissue for society?” 

Unwinding has become so popular that politicians want to “raise the legal age of unwinding back to eighteen and possibly beyond. Removing the brains of convicted criminals and unwinding the rest of their bodies. Allowing people to voluntarily submit themselves to unwinding for cash.” While at first unwinding was supposed to help in medical emergencies, “it’s becoming more and more common for people to get vanity transplants. You want a new skill? Buy it instead of learn it. Can’t do a thing with your hair? Get a new scalp. . . NeuroWeaves instead of education. Muscle refits instead of exercise.”  

While the world is focused on the need for more human tissue, Cam—who was created by using unwinds’ body parts—questions his humanity. He wonders if he has a soul and, if so, what will happen to his soul after he dies. Cam thinks, “Certainly he exists as organic matter, but as a sentient being? As a someone rather than a something.” Cam looks to the Catholic church for answers but receives none. To add to this theme, when Connor finally meets Cam, instead of completely hating him, he recognizes Cam’s humanity. Cam’s existence forces the reader to contemplate the human soul—is it created by a “divine spark,” or can it be created by another human? Ultimately, the only answer comes from the court: Cam is legal property, not a person who can make choices for himself. 

Connor, Risa, Lev, and Cam’s worlds collide, forcing them to put their personal desires aside. They hope to expose Proactive Citizenry’s insidious plan and, in the process, end unwinding. But Starkey’s violent attacks against harvest camps cause fear and chaos. In the end, the reader is left to wonder—will fear or reason prevail?  

Sexual Content  

  • While at a fancy party, Cam enters a room to be alone. A girl follows him. “She undoes his bowtie. . . He holds her in his arms, and she leans forward, kissing him. When she pulls away from the kiss, it’s only for a moment. . . She leans in for another kiss that is far more explorative than the first. The girl says, “I want to be your first.” The girl’s father finds Cam and the girl kissing, and he drags her out of the party.  
  • After speaking at a university, Cam takes three girls into a room. Cam takes off his shirt, and “one of the girls explores those seams and the varied skin tones of his chest. The other girl snuggles with him and feeds him Jordan almonds, sweet and crunchy.” Cam’s handler chases the girls away. 
  • Lev fantasizes about Miracolina, a tithe he helped. “His current fantasies put them at the same suburban school . . . Go to the movies. Make out on the couch when her parents aren’t home.” 
  • Starkey impregnates three girls. When his second in command, Bam, finds out about it she’s furious. Starkey “cranes his neck to kiss her, but their lips are still an inch away. . . he reaches behind her head, pulling her down into the kiss. That kiss is like a conjurer’s act. It’s artful, it’s worthy of applause, and it is everything Bam dreamed it might be, but nothing will change the fact that it’s only a trick.” Bam realizes that there is no meaning to the kiss. 

Violence  

  • Scattered throughout are news items that use teen violence as a reason to continue unwinding, such as a clapper blowing up a school and killing a student. These ads are not included in the violence below. 
  • While driving, Connor accidentally hits an ostrich. The creature’s body “wedges in the windshield frame, with a twisted wiper blade embedded in its slender neck. . . [Connor] screams and curses reflectively, as the creature, still clinging to life, rips at Connor’s chest with its talons, tearing fabric and flesh. . .” The Ostrich dies. Connor is wounded but recovers. 
  • Connor goes into a grocery store to buy food. After he leaves, Argent, the checker, flags Connor down and attacks him. “A kick to the groin that registers a surge of shock, followed by a building swell of excruciating pain. . . Suddenly his attacker is behind him and puts Connor in a choke hold.” Connor wakes up in a cellar, tied to a pole.  
  • To escape from Argent, Connor hits him with a glass pipe. “The pipe catches Argent just above his jaw and shatters, cutting the left side of Argent’s face in at least three places. . . His face gushes blood.” The deputy is tied to a pole but is given “a jagged piece of the broken bong from the floor and put into the deputy’s bound hands so he can eventually cut himself free.” 
  • The police arrive at Argent’s cellar, asking about Connor, who is hiding. When only one deputy is left, “Connor makes his move, lunging out of the sack he’s hiding in, grabbing him by the ankles, and pulling his feet out from under him.” 
  • Two clappers go into a gym. They split up so they can detonate themselves and kill the most people. “Suddenly an explosion rocks the gym, and the cardio desk comes crashing down upon the first floor. . .” Everyone in the gym dies. 
  • A group of teens who ran away from being unwound band together. They enter a 7-Eleven and begin stealing everything. “The night manager reaches for the shotgun, but before he can grab it, there’s a gun aimed at his face, and another, and another. The three kids hold their aim steady.” As the group disappears, the manager shoots at them, but no one is hit. 
  • As a man enters his house, “he’s hit in the head with one of his wife’s heavier knickknacks and falls to the ground. . . he looks up to see the face of his attacker. It’s just a kid of maybe sixteen.” Instead of calling the police, the man gives the boy a job.  
  • Risa falls into a parts pirate’s trap. “She reached for a bag of chips, hit a trip wire, and a spring-loaded steel cable wrapped around her wrist. She was caught like a rabbit.”  
  • When the parts pirate lunges at Risa, “he throws himself forward, Risa raises the pitchfork that she’s concealed in the hay. She doesn’t have to do any more than that: just hold the thing up. His weight and momentum do all the work.” 
  • Later that day, a “coyote dines on the man, who is already beginning to grow rancid in the summer heat.” Later, the coyote bites Risa several times. She is saved, but the coyote and the trip wire injure Risa. She is also dehydrated. Risa fully recovers. 
  • While in a state home, a girl attacks Risa. “When the girl pins her to the ground, Risa gouges the girl’s eyes, flips her, and spits in her face.” A teacher pulls them apart. 
  • Cam has nightmares that are caused by the memories of the teens who were rewound to create Cam. Cam “would scream from the terror, from the sheer helplessness one of those kids felt as the surgeons moved closer, limbs tingled and went numb, medical stasis coolers were carried away in their peripheral vision. Each sense is shutting down and each memory evaporating, always ending with a silent cry of hopeless defiance as each Unwind was shuffled into oblivion.” 
  • While Risa is looking for a place to hide, three boys surround her. One guy, Porterhouse, grabs her. “She smiles at him, lifts her foot, and jams her heel into Porterhouse’s knee instead. Porterhouse’s kneecap breaks with an audible crunch, and he goes down, screaming and writhing in pain. . .” 
  • During the confrontation, Risa elbows another boy in the nose. “She’s not sure if she’s broken it, but it does start gushing blood.” A boy brandishes a knife at Risa, but an adult pulls Risa to safety.  
  • Starkey hijacks a truck by pressing a weapon into the driver’s ribs. When he has a chance, the driver runs away.  
  • Starkey and his group of storks attack a harvest camp. “Starkey gets out of the cab in time to see some of his precious storks go down. . . a sharpshooter is taking kids out. The first couple of shots are tranqs, but the sharpshooter switches rifles. The next kid to go down, goes down for good. . .” 
  • Some of the kids “use counselors as human shields. . . The rebellion feeds itself, fueled by desperation and unexpected hope. It grows in intensity until even the guards are running, only to be tackled by dozens of kids and restrained with their own handcuffs.” The rebellion is described over two pages. It is unclear how many people are hurt or dead, but “at least a dozen kids litter the ground.” 
  • After the rebellion, the harvest camp director, Menard, is captured, and Starkey orders a boy to kill him. “The kid is clearly terrified, but all eyes are on him. . . He squints. He puts the muzzle of the gun to the back of Menard’s head and looks away. Then he pulls the trigger. . . Menard crumples, dead before he hits the ground. . . There are no exploding brain bits and pieces of skull—Starkey and the crowd seem disappointed that an execution, in the end, is far less dramatic than the buildup.” 
  • Starkey and his crew attack another harvest camp. They get the kids out safely, but then Starkey has five workers hung with a noose. “Starkey, one by one, kicks their chair out from beneath them.” He leaves one worker alive to give the authorities a message.  
  • Cam follows one of his memories to a Chancefolk [Native American] reservation, and a woman he knows, Una, takes him to an abandoned sweat lodge and knocks him unconscious. Una “tears off his jacket and shirt and uses them to string him up between two poles six feet apart. She knots the fabric so tightly only a knife could undo it. The rest of his unconscious body slumps on the ground, his arms outstretched above him in a supplicative Y.” Una uses a chainsaw to trace Cam’s seams and threatens to remove his hands.  
  • Connor finds Cam. “He’s tied to a pole, struggling to pull himself free. By the smell of the place and the look of him, he’s been here for a while, in this helpless, hopeless situation, without even the freedom to relieve himself anywhere but in his clothes.” Connor sets Cam free. 
  • When Nelson, the parts pirate, discovers that Argent has been lying to him, Nelson “flips the table. Dinnerware flies, a plate smashes against the mantel, and Nelson pounces, pinning Argent against the wall so hard Argent can feel the light switch digging into his back like a knife—but it’s nowhere near as deadly as the steak knife that Nelson now holds to his throat.” Nelson threatens Argent but doesn’t hurt him. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • At a fancy party, some of the adults drink alcohol. One lady has a “slight alcoholic slur.” 
  • Argent chokes Connor and then ties him up. While Connor is tied up, the boy forces him to smoke the liquid from a tranq gun mixed with marijuana. “Argent takes a hit from the pipe, then puts it over Connor’s mouth, holding Connor’s nose so he has no choice but to suck it in.” They both get high.  
  • A teen goes to New Orleans and drinks alcohol where “Drinking in the street is not only legal, but encouraged!” 
  • A parts pirate who is injured “sleeps off a binge of the alcohol and painkillers he doused himself with.” 
  • One of Connor’s friends “had slipped Connor some medicinal chocolate to get him to mellow out a bit,” which caused Connor to hallucinate. 
  • While celebrating, two adults have champagne.  
  • One boy’s father is a drug addict and was “offered a lot of money to sign the [unwind] papers,” which he did. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used often and includes ass, crap, damn, freaking, goddamn, hell, and piss. 
  • There is some name-calling, including bitch, bastard, moron, idiot, scumbag, wimp, and prime douche.  
  • Grace is “low-cortical” which is the term for mentally challenged people. Her brother calls her feebleminded. 
  • Native Americans are called ChanceFolk or SlotMongers, “that hideous slur put upon them by the very people who made casino gaming the only way tribes could earn back their self-reliance, self-respect, and the fortunes leeched from them over the centuries.”  
  • Oh my God and Oh Jesus are used as exclamations. 
  • Connor calls Cam “Pork-n-beans.” 
  • Starkey’s crew has a sign “like a heil Hitler thing, but with just the middle finger.” 

Supernatural 

  • When a person is given a body part from an unwound person, the body part remembers what the person learned. For example, one man received a new hand, and the hand still knew how to perform magic. 
  • Cyrus was injured and received half of Tyler Walker’s brain. Now, Tyler is in Cyrus’s head and occasionally talks through Cyrus. Cyrus and some of the other people who received parts from Tyler live in a compound, so they “feel the need to reunite the Unwind they share.” Some of the people have Tyler’s memories. 
  • Some people who receive body parts from an Unwind have “cellular memory being transferred” to them. For example, “an eight-year-old girl receives the heart of a ten-year-old girl who was murdered. The recipient begins having nightmares about the murder, remembering details that only the victim could know, such as when and how it happened and the identity of the murderer. Her entire testimony turns out to be true, and the murderer is caught.”  
  • NeuroWeaves take a part of an unwind’s brain and graph it to another person. This allows a person to acquire a skill without having to learn anything. 

Spiritual Content  

  • Cam wrestles with his thoughts. “He begins to scour his memory, seeking out moments that ring with a spiritual connection. He had First Communion, a Bar Mitzvah, and a Bismillah ceremony. He saw a brother baptized in a Greek Orthodox church, and a grandmother cremated in a traditional Buddhist funeral. Just about every faith is represented in his memories. . .”  
  • Cam goes to a Catholic church for confession. Cam asks the priest if he “qualifies as a human.” The priest tells him, “How can I speak to whether or not you carry a divine spark?” 
  • While looking for answers, Cam “prays in nine languages, to a dozen deities—to Jesus, to Yahweh, to Allah, to Vishnu, to the ‘I’ of the universe, and even to a great godless void. Please, he begs. Please, give me a single reason why I shouldn’t hurl myself beneath the wheels of the bus.” 
  • Before the harvest camp director is executed, he prays. “A man who kills for a living praying for deliverance.” 
  • Starkey’s second in command is Bam. After the harvest camp is attacked, “she knows she mustn’t steal Starkey’s thunder. She’s Bam the Baptist, preparing the way for the Savior of Storks.” Later, the media refers to Starkey as “the Stork Lord.”  
  • Deuteronomy 21:18-21 was used to convince the public to allow unwinding. According to a legislative candidate, unwinding “would be a tremendous incentive for children to give proper respect to their parents.”  

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball

Baseball, America’s pastime, is a sport of moments that stand the test of time. It is equally a sport of a new generation of heroes, whose exploits inspire today’s young fans. This combination makes for a winning debut in Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball.

This is no traditional almanac of mundane statistics but rather a storyteller’s journey through baseball’s storied game. Told in short chapters and accompanied by iconic photos, a slew of “Top Ten” lists for kids to chew on and debate, and a timeline of the “40 Most Important Moments in Baseball History,” this collection covers some of the greatest players from Babe Ruth to Hank Aaron; the greatest teams to take the field and swing the bats; the greatest social triggers, such as Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier; the greatest playoff rivalries, including the 2004 showdown between the Red Sox and Yankees that turned into an instant classic; and, of course, the edge-of-your-seat World Series moments that left some cheering while others wept.  

The book begins with a note from the author encouraging people to read his book and “disagree with it, debate it, change it, have fun with it, decide for yourself” who is the greatest player and the greatest team. Bryant gives statistics and stories to help readers understand each player’s contribution to the sport. “Spring,” the book’s first section, discusses the greatest players, starting with Babe Ruth. This section is entertaining enough to keep all readers engaged. However, this changes in the book’s next two sections, which focus on specific teams such as the Yankees and the Red Socks.  

The last two sections of the book include exciting play-by-play actions of specific games that will entertain baseball fans. Readers will feel the disappointment when a team loses a game and the excitement for the winning teams. In addition, Bryant helps readers understand how baseball changed through the years, as well as how baseball changed society.   

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball highlights all the reasons that baseball is our national pastime and why people still debate who is the greatest. Bryant uses interesting facts, anecdotes, and play-by-play baseball action that will thrill baseball fans. However, the pages use advanced vocabulary, and all the pictures are at the back of the book. Even though the chapters are short, the text-heavy pages may overwhelm struggling readers. However, baseball fans will find Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball enjoyable because it is packed with baseball history that will help them understand the sport and the players that shaped it. 

For readers who want to learn more about baseball, Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball knocks it out of the park. Readers who want to delve deeper into baseball’s greatest legend should read Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse by David A. Kelly and Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman. Readers looking for a fiction book that revolves around baseball should read The Batboy by Mike Lupica or the Baseball Genius Series by Tim Green & Derek Jeter. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Henry Aaron was a child, his mother would hide him and his siblings under the bed whenever she heard the Klu Klux Klan outside her window. “It was the 1940s, and the Klan targeted Catholics, Jews, and especially African Americans, intent on scaring them and often killing the ones who did not fear them, to keep them in their place.”  
  • While playing in the major leagues, Henry Aaron received “terrible letters, the ones in which anonymous people threatened to kill him or members of his family. . . One letter was so serious that the FBI removed his daughter from college for her protection.” Aaron had to hire a security guard to protect him. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Sandy Koufax had severe pain in his left elbow and was given cortisone shots. The drug “eased some of the hurt, but left Sandy feeling uncomfortable.” Koufax decided to put his health first and retired from baseball. 
  • Mark McGwire was being interviewed when a reporter “noticed a bottle of pills in McGwire’s locker. . . The pills were called androstenedione, and they were considered to have similar effects to steroids.” Later, it was discovered that Sammy Sosa and other players were also taking the pills. The scandal marred both McGwire’s and Sosa’s careers. 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Despite anti-Semitism, Sandy Koufax “was true to his Jewish faith . . . Koufax was proud of his heritage. He did not hide from it.” When his team played in the World Series, one game was on Yom Kippur, “the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.” Koufax “refused to pitch.”

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly

“Sniffles and Babbity: Rascally Rabbits”: Babbity lived alone in a cage and looked sad and lonely, so Finley asked the neighbors if she could have the rabbit. When they said yes, Finley was super excited and created a home for Babbity in a rabbit hutch. But when Finley saw how much Babbity loved being outside, she made a hole so the bunny could come and go. But when the rabbit left its cage, he fought with the goats. Will this fuzzy bunny find a new home where she can roam? 

“Yellow-Yellow: Bandit Bear”: Many people called Ben, a wildlife biologist, to complain about Yellow-Yellow, who kept stealing human food. To find out more about Yellow-Yellow, Ben began studying her travels. Ben wanted to teach Yellow-Yellow and campers how to stay safe. When campers began using bear boxes to store their food, Yellow-Yellow learned how to open them. Would Ben be able to teach the bear to stay away from humans?  

“Moose: Problem Pup”: Aline and Neil found a puppy alone in the woods. They took the puppy home, but when they couldn’t find its owner, they kept him and named him Moose. Aline and Neil would put Moose in the backyard and connect his leash to a cable. But Moose kept getting loose. One time, Moose even followed Aline and Neil into the grocery store. Aline and Neil had a huge problem—how could they give Moose freedom without him causing problems? 

Based on the hit feature in National Geographic Kids magazine, National Geographic Chapter Series features three true stories about animals causing mischief. Each story is divided into three short chapters. The book is packed with full-color photography, lists, and infographics. Some pages also include orange boxes that contain additional facts about the animals. For example, “Black bears love sweets and sometimes get cavities.”  

While reading each story, readers will learn more about the mischief animals get into and teach how to care for animals properly. For example, one page explains how to hold a rabbit properly. “Yellow-Yellow” also educates readers on staying safe from bears in the forest. The interesting facts, dialogue, and short sentences make the stories easy to read. Despite this, emerging readers may need help pronouncing difficult words like scruff, sensitive, and platform. And while the stories are easy to understand, adults will need to read the book to beginning readers. 

Rascally Rabbits: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly will have readers at the edge of their seats, waiting to find out what the adventurous animals will do next. Each animal will capture readers’ hearts, making learning about animal safety fun. The full-colored pictures add more fun to the book and will help keep readers engaged. Anyone who loves animals will enjoy the National Geographic Chapters Series, which educates as well as entertains. Read more true stories about amazing animals by reading Pets to the Rescue Series by Andrew Clements. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Babbity the rabbit got into the goats’ pen, “the angry goat charged. She flung her head. Bam! The battered bunny flew through the air. Thump! He crash-landed in the dirt.” Babbity wasn’t injured.  
  • Callie was cleaning the goat pen when “she saw Buddy the rooster—with its claws raised. Callie staggered backward. . . Callie had to kick Buddy to drive him away. And the minute she did, Flopsy [the goat] came running. Bam! She head-butted Callie’s other leg.” 
  • After tranquilizing Yellow-Yellow and putting a GPS tag on her, Ben waited until she could run again, and “he shot her in the behind with rubber pellets. Ouch! It didn’t harm her, but Ben hoped that little ‘spanking’ would make her want to avoid people.”  
  • Once Yellow-Yellow “surprised some hunters. . . They threw things [at the bear]. She didn’t leave. At last, they swatted him with their hiking sticks. That finally drove him away.”  
  • Red-Green, a bear who roamed the area, kept getting into people’s food, so “the rangers had to put Red-Green down so he couldn’t be a danger to humans.” 

 Drugs and Alcohol  

  • A wildlife biologist wanted to keep track of Yellow-Yellow, a bear, so he trapped her and put a GPS collar on the bear. To do this, he “shot a drug-filled dart into her. The drug made her unable to move for a while, but she could hear and see. Ben blindfolded her to keep her calm.”  
  • When Yellow-Yellow lost her collar, Ben “fitted a drug-filled syringe into the end of a long pole. Then he poked the pole through the trap window and stuck the doughnut thief in the rump. Yellow-Yellow slumped over, unable to move.”

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

 Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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