Reading Level: Elementary

Elephant Secret

We Bought a Zoo meets Jurassic Park in a gripping story featuring the evergreen appeal of human-animal friendships and set in an elephant sanctuary, about a thirteen-year-old girl, a cast of elephants, and a surprising new arrival—a woolly mammoth. Sam was born and raised in an elephant sanctuary. When a beloved elephant dies giving birth, Sam develops a connection with baby Woolly—who isn’t actually an elephant but was cloned from woolly mammoth DNA. And the billionaire genius behind the cloning experiment will stop at nothing to protect his investment. Smart, determined, and loving, Sam stands up to this powerful adversary to protect the sanctuary and her herd. In the best tradition of child-animal friendship stories, Elephant Secret explores the strong and complex bond between Sam and her elephants while offering a fascinating, authentic glimpse into elephant—and human—behavior. 

Sam feels more comfortable around elephants than around humans, yet she still faces conflicts that middle-grade readers will relate to, like the awkwardness of going to a school dance and not always knowing what to say. When Woolly is born, however, her world narrows to the baby mammoth, her father, and her father’s girlfriend, Joyce. At first, Sam resists spending time with Joyce, but as the story progresses, she comes to realize that Joyce genuinely cares about her and about the elephants. As an attorney, Joyce also puts her legal skills to work in support of the sanctuary. 

Sam’s sense of family is woven throughout the descriptions of the elephants, who are portrayed as majestic creatures with distinctly human qualities—intelligence, compassion, and loyalty. When Woolly is born and his mother dies, Sam steps into the role of feeding and caring for the baby mammoth, and readers will fall in love with him just as she does, picking up plenty of fascinating facts about elephants, mammoths, and cloning along the way. Sam’s bond with Woolly is especially endearing; when she risks her life to save him, she reflects, “Risking my life was one thing. Risking hers was unthinkable.” With Joyce’s help, Sam comes to understand that she herself is just as valuable as the woolly mammoth—even if he is the only one of his kind in existence. 

The death of her mother has left Sam believing that “there isn’t much you can do to change anything that happens in your life. Things just happen, and you get on with it. I guess I learned that the hard way from the very beginning of my life [when her mother died].” Despite this outlook, Sam finds the courage to stand up to the billionaire who tries to take the sanctuary from her family, proving that she and her father are willing to fight for what they believe in, no matter how difficult the odds. 

The author’s note offers background on the discovery of mammoth remains in Russia and why such finds matter for the science of cloning. The book frames cloning as a hopeful advancement and is dedicated to “those making science fiction into science fact so that one day we all may have the opportunity to see woolly mammoths grace our planet once more.” 

In the end, Elephant Secret succeeds as both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a thought-provoking look at the ethics of science and conservation. Through Sam’s evolving relationships—with Woolly, with Joyce, and with her own grief—Walters reminds readers that healing and connection often come from unexpected places. It’s a book that will appeal to animal lovers and science enthusiasts alike, leaving readers not only informed about elephants and cloning but genuinely moved by Sam’s journey toward trust, resilience, and love. 

Sexual Content  

  • Sam’s father and his girlfriend kiss. “Then she took his hand and he bent down and they kissed. I knew they kissed and stuff, but they were usually careful not to do anything in front of me.” 

Violence  

  • An abused elephant that was “kept in a small pen” killed his trainer. “Crushed him . . . It was no accident. It was very deliberate and very thorough.”  
  • The elephant, Daisy Mae, goes into labor and a vet has to perform a Cesarean section. “Daisy Mae’s whole side had been cut open, and there was blood everywhere. The two vets were practically inside the incision, their arms and upper bodies not even visible.” Daisy Mae dies, but her baby survives.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Tranquilizers, antibiotics, and adrenaline are used on the abused elephant.   

Language  

  • Kids at school call Sam “Elephant Girl,” which annoys her. 
  • Sam thinks some teenagers are jerks. 
  • Sam goes to a school dance. While dancing with a boy, she calls him an idiot; then feels bad about it.  
  • An adult uses “Oh, my God!” as an exclamation once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Daisy Mae goes into labor, there are complications. Sam’s dad says, “We wait and hope and maybe even pray a little.”  
  • Sam and her father are forced to leave the animal sanctuary. After they leave, Woolly refuses to eat. Someone asks them to return to feed the mammoth before it dies. Sam’s dad says, “Maybe it’s the right thing [letting Woolly die]. We shouldn’t be creating life. Maybe nobody should be playing God, not even you.” 

Small Wonder

Tick, called Small Wonder by his grandfather, lives peacefully at the edge of Ellia, along with his little brother and faithful horse. But then a deadly assassin and an invading army arrive. The kingdom is in danger and Tick has six moons to get to King’s Keep and warn their ruler. Traveling through forests and over mountains, encountering bandits and rogue knights, Tick is determined to honor his grandfather’s last words of advice . . . make it count. Can Tick warn the kingdom in time and protect his little brother from the dangers they encounter? As they make their treacherous journey through Ellia, Tick starts to uncover a long-buried history that will change everything he thought he knew. 

Right from the start, Small Wonder jumps into action as Tick and his brother, Leaf, barely escape a Hunter determined to end their lives. With few supplies and no one to help, Tick relies on the lessons his grandfather taught him. Because he always strives to do what is right, Tick is easy to root for and incredibly likable. Even though he faces many hardships, he never loses sight of his morals. For example, when bandits attack, Tick and Leaf hide in a tree, and the bandits make camp nearby. Tick notices a caged man among them and, despite the danger, finds a way to free him. Tick believes you should always do the right thing, without reward or recognition. 

During the trek to Ellia, Tick perseveres because of his love for two people: Leaf and his grandfather. Leaf, who is only four years old, relies on Tick for every need, and like most siblings, the two occasionally get on each other’s nerves. Even so, their bond is clear, and Tick bravely protects his brother at every turn. Tick’s ability to care for Leaf and navigate danger comes directly from his grandfather’s teachings. Though his grandfather has passed, he remains present through Tick’s many memories of him. Grandfather taught Tick many lessons, including “If you have one chance, then you have to make it count.” 

The action never lets up, but it’s Tick’s emotional depth that gives the story its heart. He earns the admiration of everyone he meets because he’s kind, patient, and courageous, and along the way he comes to understand that the true mark of a king is bravery, modesty, and love for one’s people. The book also makes room for imperfection, acknowledging that mistakes are simply part of being human—a nuance that keeps Tick relatable rather than idealized. Woven through the external threats is a slower-building mystery about Ellia’s history, which adds an extra layer of intrigue and gives readers a reason to keep turning pages even between action sequences. Importantly, these lessons emerge naturally from Tick’s conflicts rather than being stated outright, so the story never feels preachy. 

Small Wonder succeeds as both a fast-paced adventure and a quieter story about grief, responsibility, and growing up too soon. Tick’s unwavering decency, paired with genuine sibling warmth and a mystery worth uncovering, makes this an engaging read for fans of character-driven fantasy. It’s an exciting, heartfelt journey that proves true bravery lies in doing what’s right, no matter the cost.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Bandits capture a man and put him in a cage “barely big enough to fit a dog. . . He wore nothing but rags, and his body was covered in cuts and bruises. The bandits were taking turns spitting wine at him.” One of the bandits suggests tossing the man into the fire. Tick causes a ruckus and saves the man. 
  • The bandits attack Tick and try to capture his horse. “A bandit flew past Tick, flinging a long rope weighted with rocks through the air. The rope snapped around Pebble’s forelegs, the momentum of the rocks wrapping it tightly and trapping her.” Pebble falls and is ensnared in the ropes.  
  • Barrett, a bandit, grabs Tick and “Tick booted him in the face, hard. Barrett roared with pain and Tick pulled himself free.” Tick and Leaf hide in a tree. The bandits sit under the tree and “open a bottle of wine, passing it among themselves” and getting “more drunk.” The men took turns “flinging their empty bottles at Tick.” 
  • The bandits threaten to kill Pebble and have “horse steak.” Before they can, a hunter attacks them. “Thwack. A sudden, soft sound, like a snap. Barrett halted in mid-step. . . and then, with a gurgle, he collapsed onto the fire in a plume of sparks.” The hunter kills all of the bandits over the course of a page.  
  • Tick goes into a house to look for food. A woman jumps at him, “screaming at the top of her lungs and hacking him with something hard. . . The woman was hitting him with some kind of club, and it hurt.” The woman realizes Tick and Leaf are just kids and feeds them. But then she gives them a sleeping potion and steals their money while they are sleeping.  
  • In the mountains, an avalanche buries Tick. “There was no snow in his mouth. He couldn’t move his lips, his tongue. He had blocked his face with his arm at the final second.” Leaf gives Tick a rope and has Pebble pull him out of the snow.  
  • The current ruler, King Cass, had murdered his brother and sister-in-law.  
  • In the mountains, the Hunter finds Tick and Leaf. “Tick heard a whistle and ducked just as the arrow shot past his ear. . . he felt a hot bloom of blood and clapped a hand to the side of his head.”  
  • The Hunter then sends his hawk after Tick. “The hawk came screaming down on top of them [Tick and Leaf]. Tick hit the ground just as the second arrow sliced through the air where he’d been standing. . . Wham. [Pebble’s] iron shoes hit the hawk with a devastating double blow. There was an explosion of feathers, a shriek of agony, and the hawk spiraled to the ground, dead in an instant.” 
  • The Hunter grabs a dagger. “The blade came fast and low, swiping at Tick’s stomach—he only just leapt back in time. . .” He hides in a crevice and “the Hunter leaped after him with a final slashing thrust. . . The tip of the blade missed Tick’s face by a single hair.” Tick leaves Leaf in the crevice and goes after the Hunter. 
  • In the fighting, Pebble is shot with an arrow. Tick “wrenched the arrow from her neck, making her whinny in pain.” Then he went after the Hunter with a knife. “Tick swung high and the blade caught the Hunter’s face, slicing a thick gouge across his cheek. The Hunter staggered back in shock.” The Hunter steps back, not realizing it isn’t safe. “He pitched backward, arms circling through the air as he toppled straight over the precipice. . .” The fight with the Hunter is described over seven pages.  
  • The castle doors are just closing when Tick and Leaf arrive. An enemy army is close behind them. “The first arrow hit the ground just beside them. Tick gasped. A horse-archer was already lining up his next shot. . . The second arrow whistled through the air, missing Pebble by inches.” Ellian’s force began shooting back, allowing Tick and Leaf to enter the castle.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Tick meets a group of bandits who are sitting around a fire “passing bottles of wine between them. Judging from the number of empty bottles scattered on the ground, they’d raided a caravan loaded with the stuff.” 
  • When the Ellian people celebrate the enemy’s demise, they drink wine.  
  • When Leaf is ill, a knight gives him medicine. 

Language  

  • A man calls Tick a “stray” and a “little maggot.” 
  • A bandit calls his group “dimwits.” 
  • One of the bandits says, “Flippin’ heck.” 
  • A woman calls Tick a “thieving little brute!” 
  • “God’s teeth” is used as an exclamation once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • While in the mountains, the cold weather makes Leaf sick. “Tick hoped and prayed they’d see another route down, but there was nothing.” 
  • Tick finds two knights in a cave. He asks them for help, saying, “You have to help my brother. You have to save him.” And then he, “Held Leaf up like an offering to a god.” 

Haunted Mansion

Ever since they moved to Orlando, Gemma and Torin have experienced Disney magic like no other. They have a hand-drawn map of Walt Disney World that can magically transport them onto any ride!

Gemma and Torin find out there are no longer 999 happy haunts staying at the Haunted Mansion. Two animatronics have gone missing! Are they thrilled to use the map to chase Pickwick, the chandelier ghost, and Constance, the ax-wielding Bride? Not really. 

But their Mom needs their help, so that means braving the creepy creeps with eerie eyes and the grim grinning ghosts. Will Gemma and Torin find the spooks from beyond the grave? Or are they doomed to extend their stay at the Haunted Mansion? 

Right from the start, Torin reveals that he’s hiding a secret from Gemma: he’s the one responsible for the Haunted Mansion going haywire. This time, Gemma is reluctant to enter the attraction at all, since she’s scared of ghosts. That reluctance means less action than in the previous book—rather than interacting directly with the Haunted Mansion’s ghosts, the siblings spend much of the story hiding as they move from room to room in search of the missing spirits. Still, Gemma and Torin rely on their problem-solving skills to fix the attraction, and Gemma’s struggle to face her fears gives Haunted Mansion more depth than a typical ghost story. 

When the kids find Pickwick and Constance, only Pickwick interacts with them. Readers will relate to him because he’s been lonely hanging from his chandelier, and even as a ghost, he still longs for friends. Gemma helps him see that his role in the attraction matters: he helps frightened children feel braver. Once Pickwick recognizes his own importance, he willingly returns Constance to her place and takes his own spot back. One loose thread, though: the story never explains why Constance remains an inanimate object while Pickwick is able to become a real person. 

While Haunted Mansion is quieter and more subdued than its predecessor, it will still hold the attention of strong readers. Full-page, black-and-white illustrations appear every four to five pages, though readers who are just beginning chapter books may need an adult’s help to get through it. 

Fans of Disney will recognize the attraction’s iconic scenes throughout, which adds an extra layer of fun for readers already familiar with the ride. Though it trades some of the first book’s momentum for a slower, more introspective story, Haunted Mansion still delivers a satisfying blend of gentle scares and sibling teamwork, proving that even a story about facing your fears can be as much about friendship as it is about ghosts. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Gemma calls her brother a numbskull. 
  • Pickwick says, “I’ve been an indulgent old fool.”  

Supernatural 

  • While holding a magical map, Gemma recites a magical rhyme: “Leave no place / we leave no trace / of where and when we went. / We journey there, / we must play fair, / imagine and pretend.” After reciting the spell, Gemma and Torin are transported into the Haunted Mansion attraction.  
  • To make sure they don’t leave a “trace of where and when we went,” Torin holds a gold coin and recites a spell.  
  • While in the library, Gemma and Torin start talking differently. For example, Gemma says, “My dear brother, did you happen to make a note about the library journal?” They believe the library is responsible for making them “talk funny.” 
  • The ghost Pickwick said, “Every time a human being is off-balance, it is a ghost who puts them upright. We save thousands of people a day from falling over and hurting themselves.” 
  • Pickwick levitates Gemma and Torin. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

September 11, 2001, began as a picturesque late summer day. The sky was blue and sunny, without a cloud in sight. Very quickly, that beautiful morning turned into one of the darkest days in America. Terrorists hijacked four airplanes. In New York, two planes hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center within minutes of each other. A third collided with the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. After a passenger revolt, the fourth plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, en route to Washington, D.C. In total, thousands died. This event would become known as 9/11: the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. 

Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks reconstructs the morning of September 11 through firsthand accounts from people who experienced the attacks. An entry in Capstone Press’s Tangled History series, which explores primarily American tragedies, the book follows events from 7:40 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Its short, chronological chapters shift among the perspectives of witnesses, survivors, and victims, allowing the reader to experience the morning through the people caught in it. Each chapter opens with a photograph depicting upsetting scenes, such as the Twin Towers on fire, the aftermath of the Flight 93 and Pentagon crashes, and the remains of Ground Zero. However, the photographs are no more graphic than those featured in school textbooks. These include images of the towers on fire, the second plane approaching the South Tower, the impact crater and remains of Flight 93, the towers’ collapse, and the aftermath of said collapse. No images of bodies or those who jumped or fell from the towers are featured. 

Every account in Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks is powerful and insightful. A few stories stand out, such as that of survivor Jan Demczur, a window washer who became trapped in an elevator with five others in the North Tower after the first plane’s impact. They used his squeegee to break through the drywall, eventually escaping through a bathroom on the 50th floor. There’s also the story of Mark Bingham, a passenger aboard Flight 93 who was among those who attempted to regain control of the plane from the terrorists. Though Bingham and the other passengers involved did not survive the ensuing crash, their efforts undeniably saved countless lives in D.C. Another notable story is that of Jay Jonas, an FDNY firefighter who, along with his men and a woman they had rescued, survived when the North Tower collapsed on top of them. 

Because Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks covers mature and disturbing subject matter, it is not recommended for younger or otherwise sensitive readers. While the text is simplified and easy to understand, the book does not shy away from the gravity of what people experienced on 9/11, including being trapped in the buildings, what first responders saw and dealt with, and the deaths of thousands of victims. As such, Impact is best suited for readers ages 10 to 14, particularly older readers ready to learn about a difficult chapter in American history. 

In total, Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks is an incredibly effective work of narrative nonfiction. It successfully puts readers into the shoes of those directly affected by the attacks on 9/11. It provides a human side to that day that younger readers first learning about the attacks may not otherwise encounter. Its use of firsthand accounts and carefully selected photographs makes Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks an accessible introduction to the events of September 11, 2001. For young readers to grapple with this history, the book offers something textbooks often can’t: a visceral sense of what ordinary people endured and the courage many showed in the face of tragedy. It’s a valuable read for anyone looking to understand not just what happened on 9/11, but what it felt like to live through it. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Nicole Simpson feels the South Tower shake from her office on the 73rd floor. Her co-workers wonder if it’s another bomb: “Everyone who worked in the World Trade Center knew that terrorists had bombed the building before.” Looking out the window, Simpson sees “paper everywhere” floating down to the street, noting that the paper “was on fire.” 
  • The chapter “In a Flash” opens with an unnamed woman at her desk on the 93rd floor of the North Tower: “Her last moments were filled with terror. An airplane. An explosion. A scream cut short.” Another unnamed woman cries as “thick black smoke” fills her office. She opens a window to escape the flames, but “Within minutes, it’s unbearable. She’s roasting alive. Trapped.” With no other choice, she “throws the window open the rest of the way. She jumps” to her death. 
  • Firefighter Jay Jonas, captain of Ladder Company 6, responds to the scene with Matt Komorowski and Tommy Falco. Jonas hears a woman scream while “pointing up at one of the high floors where the flames were an inferno.” He then sees “the shape of a body falling from the tower.” Komorowski says, “Someone just jumped!” and “They’re jumping out of the windows! Oh no, no!” Jonas recalls, “It was horrifying.” 
  • People watch the North Tower burn on television, “smoke oozing from an open gash in the side of the building.” Suddenly, “countless millions gasped as they watched a dark shape race across the screen. . . it was another airplane. And it had just rammed straight into the other tower.” An accompanying photograph shows the second plane approaching the South Tower as the North Tower burns. 
  • Upon entering the North Tower’s lobby, Jay Jonas found it to be “in chaos. Two badly burned men lay on the floor near the main doors.” 
  • Mark Bingham watches in horror as Flight 93 is hijacked. One hijacker “grasped a sharp blade. It looked like a box cutter.” During the hijacking, Bingham witnessed, “Passengers screaming. Someone shouting there was a bomb on the airplane. A flight attendant brutally stabbed.” As Bingham and the other passengers are ordered to the back of the plane, he considers overpowering the hijackers but fears for his life: “The hijackers had already attacked at least one person. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.” 
  • At 9:37 a.m., Karen Baker and her friend Elaine Kannellis are working inside the Pentagon. “Then the ground shook. A loud, grinding thud rang through the halls. In the distance, a voice shouted, ‘It’s a bomb!’”  
  • Onboard Flight 93, Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, and other passengers learn that their plane is headed toward a target via phone calls to the ground and decide to fight back. They plan to “storm the terrorists using the only weapon they could get—scalding hot water.” Beamer tells an operator, “We’ve got hijackers with knives. One seems to have a bomb. I don’t know where the pilot or copilot are. They may be dead or wounded.” 
  • After setting down the phone, Beamer, Bingham, and Tom Burnett prepare to confront the hijackers. “Bingham was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure those hijackers failed, even if it meant driving the plane into the ground.” Beamer then “stood and led the charge. ‘Let’s roll.’” 
  • The chapter “No Words” describes the crash of Flight 93: “At more than 500 miles an hour, Flight 93 raced like a bullet toward the ground. . . A mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rose above the trees.” The plane “slammed into the ground with terrible force,” leaving “a scarred, burning crater” in the Pennsylvania countryside. None of the forty people aboard survived. A photograph shows the impact crater and wreckage, with the caption noting, “The impact of Flight 93 left a surprisingly small crater. Rescuers couldn’t believe an airplane had crashed there.” 
  • Jay Jonas and his men are helping Josephine Harris evacuate the North Tower when they hear a “low rumble” and feel the “walls and the floor” hum as the building begins to collapse. “They could feel each and every floor collapse. They had seconds—only seconds—until that wave reached the fourth floor and smashed them to a pulp.” Jonas “closed his eyes and thought of his family as he waited for the weight of the North Tower to crush them all.” They all survived the collapse. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural Content 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • When Nicole Simpson felt the building shake after the plane hit the South Tower, she wondered: “Oh, God. Now what?” 
  • Rick Leventhal, a Fox News reporter, witnessed the South Tower’s collapse while covering the event on the ground. His engineer, Pat Butler, whispered, “My God. The whole thing, just. . . gone. How many people were still inside?” 

by Nicholas Paragano 

Star Wars: The Wrath of Darth Maul

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. . . 

More than a decade had passed since his fateful duel on Naboo, in which the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi ultimately defeated Darth Maul. Darth Maul lost more than just the battle that day—he lost the bottom half of his body to a lightsaber, his role as a Sith Lord, and the memories of the life he had that led him to that moment. Now a shell of his former self, Maul lives like a feral animal on the junk planet Lotho Minor.  

The Wrath of Darth Maul is the final entry in a series of biography-like novels about iconic Star Wars characters. As with the prior books, The Wrath of Darth Maul opens with a prologue set in the present: Maul is stranded on Lotho Minor and desperately trying to remember his past. This establishes the book’s framing—chronological telling of Maul’s life, from his earliest memories of being taken from his home planet by Darth Sidious up to the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Unlike the previous books, there are no interludes tying the past to the present. This makes sense given that the present Maul did not remember his past – having constant interludes to the present would make the narrative confusing. The Wrath of Darth Maul consists of eighteen chapters sandwiched between a prologue and epilogue.  

The Wrath of Darth Maul is, by far, the darkest and most violent of the series, even more so than The Rise and Fall of Darth Maul. In the acknowledgements section, Windham thanks his daughter Violet, who reassured him that he could make “at least one person feel sorry for Darth Maul,” which he certainly succeeds at. Indeed, the Sith Lord’s childhood is one of tragedy, as he was forced from his home at an early age and forced to train in the Dark Side of the Force by Darth Sidious, who kept Maul at a training facility on Mustafar most of the time. Even the smallest mistake or transgression would mean physical punishment from Sidious, who taught young Maul to embrace pain and allow it to fuel his anger, making him strong with the dark side.  

Readers curious to learn about Darth Maul’s backstory will find a rich telling of his rise as a Sith. The book also provides a fascinating look into Darth Sidious as he trains his first apprentice. Sidious also makes great effort to keep his identity a secret from others, even Maul, who only knows a hint of his master’s public identity as the politician Palpatine. 

Some of the most interesting chapters take place during Maul’s years as a student at Orsis Academy, a school that trains students to become paramilitaries, assassins, mercenaries, and intelligence agents. His one rule set by Sidious and Trezza, the Academy’s director, is not to use his Force powers so as not to attract the attention of the Jedi, the Sith’s greatest enemies. Maul demonstrates his raw strength during his years at Orsis, becoming one of its strongest fighters, which ultimately spells the school’s doom. Sidious would order Maul to destroy the Academy and to kill all the staff and students to protect the secrecy of the Sith. 

Because of its darker subject matter, The Wrath of Darth Maul is best suited for middle-school-aged readers and above. There is frequent violence and death throughout, often from Maul’s hands. The book also covers mature themes, such as the abusive relationship between Sidious and Maul. Themes of manipulation, revenge, anger, and hatred are also present. Though the violence is not overly graphic, the tone of The Wrath of Darth Maul is noticeably darker than Windham’s previous books. Maul also expresses great enjoyment in killing others and constantly fantasizes about hunting down Jedi. 

It should be noted that this book, like the prior books, now falls under the Legends continuity—a distinction given to the old Expanded Universe, i.e., most Star Wars books, comics, games, and other media (minus the films and The Clone Wars) released before Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney in 2012. This means that this book is no longer considered part of the canon that connects to newer films, books, and other media released post-Disney; instead, it exists in an alternate continuity. Despite this fact, The Wrath of Darth Maul still holds up, and since it mostly takes place before the films, there is little that is contradicted by newer Star Wars media.  

The Wrath of Darth Maul is an excellently written, in-depth exploration of the history of one of Star Wars’ most iconic villains. It adds surprising depth and tragedy to a character who had little screen time, much less dialogue, in The Phantom Menace. Its darker tone and themes are best suited for older readers and especially for fans curious about Darth Maul’s backstory. Years after its publication, The Wrath of Darth Maul is still an engaging and thought-provoking character study of Maul, even if technically no longer part of the Star Wars canon. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • In the prologue, a feral Maul kills a rat that tried to attack him. “The rat never saw the fist that crashed down on the back of his neck.” 
  • To teach him not to flinch, Sidious fills Maul’s quarters with small animals called dinkos. The lights are turned off and the door is locked. The dinkos attack and spray their venom at Maul, who “took almost an hour to kill all the dinkos. When he was done, he passed out on the floor of the gore-filled quarters.” The next morning, Sidious opens the door and sees that Maul has “inflamed skin, swollen eyes, and bloody hands and feet.” 
  • During a training exercise, a training droid accidentally hits Maul, breaking his ribs. Maul awoke and “felt that the bandages were wet with blood.” Once alone, Maul made a drawing on the wall with his blood, a sketch of his view of Mustafar outside his first room at the facility. 
  • As another test, Sidious leaves Maul stranded on the volcanic surface of Mustafar and forces him to find his way back to the facility. Seeing a small group of Mustafarians, Maul thinks of a plan: “he would track them, find their food, and steal it. If it became necessary to kill them to ensure his own survival, he would gather rocks to strike them dead or strangle them with his own bandages and broken bones.” Though it is not explicitly stated, it is implied that Maul uses this plan to survive. 
  • Following Sidious’ order to “select the largest and most muscular student. Introduce yourself. Hurt him. No killing,” Maul gets into a fight with another student named Dalok on his first day at Orsis Academy. “Maul grabbed the back of Dalok’s head, pulled Dalok’s face against his own, and sank his teeth into Dalok’s fleshy nose… with his teeth and one arm, Maul held tight to Dalok’s head while he moved his other hand to grab Dalok’s throat.” During the attack, Dalok “convulsed” and passed out. Dalok survives, however, because he is an Abyssin, a species with “regenerative abilities.” 
  • Maul learns that another student, a Nautolan named Kilindi Matako, is a former slave and that her former owners are dead. Kilindi confirms to Maul that she killed them. Why she killed them isn’t explicitly stated, though it is likely because she wanted freedom and revenge for how they treated her. “Yes. They were a large family. I killed them all.” Maul thinks, Good. 
  • Two Rodian students, Fretch and Hubnutz, mock Kilindi for being a slave. In response, “Maul grabbed three of Fretch’s long green fingers and twisted them sharply. The sound of rapidly snapping bones made Fretch gasp and Hubnutz cringe. Fretch made a sick gurgling noise.” Maul then warns them: “Either of you call Kilindi a slave again, I’ll tear your arms off and feed them to you.” 
  • At fifteen, Maul is pursued by Fretch, Hubnutz, and a Mandalorian instructor named Meltch Krakko on Orsis as part of a training exercise. His pursuers fire blasters (set to stun) at Maul and “were kicking rocks over the rim” at him. Maul thinks, “They’re trying to kill me.” He grabs his own blaster, “moving his arm back and forth to aim at each of his cringing targets. He didn’t miss once. . . Maul shot at their legs and continued shooting them after they fell and began screaming.” Since his blaster was also set to stun, no one was seriously injured. 
  • Not long after, Maul participates in the Gora, a survival challenge in which he is left alone in the wilderness of Orsis for several days with only a vibroblade. During the challenge, “He moved like a jungle animal through the forests and grassy swamps that filled the enormous crater, killing some beasts in self-defense, some for food, and others for sheer sport. Never before had he known such freedom. After years of obeying orders while containing his rage, he was able to run and hunt and kill as he pleased.” 
  • Later, Maul is kidnapped by the Nightsisters, witches from his home planet of Dathomir. They plan to take him home but are intercepted by a Vollick who wishes to force them all into his army. Maul fights back against the invaders with an energy sword, but they fire at him with their blasters. “One stray bolt grazed the side of Maul’s upper right arm, drawing blood.” During the battle, Maul manipulates the speed of cargo containers in the hangar bay. “The containers moved faster than the soldiers could run, and they were crushed.” After reaching the hangar, Maul finds “over a dozen Weequays lying dead on the hangar’s deck. Although none of the Weequay bodies bore obvious wounds, Maul knew how they had died, and also the identity of their killer (Sidious).” 
  • After they reunite, Sidious reveals that the Mandalorian Meltch Krakko betrayed Maul, allowing the Nightsisters to kidnap him during the Gora. As a result, Sidious commands Maul to “deal with Trezza and the others at the school.” Returning to Orsis Academy, Maul moves swiftly and quietly through the campus. “First, he killed the Academy’s sentries, and then the security guards posted outside the training rooms and barracks. He used the Force when it was most efficient, and his bare hands whenever it pleased him. Knowing that most cadets would already be asleep in the barracks, he went noiselessly from one darkened room to the next, leaving a trail of death.” Maul found and killed the Rodians Hubnutz and Fretch: “he woke them before he broke their necks.” 
  • Entering Trezza’s office, Maul findsTrezza, Meltch Krakko, and Kilindi, who gasped at “Maul’s blood-soaked body.” Krakko grabbed his blaster and began firing. Maul dodged multiple shots with ease, “before he grabbed Krakko’s blaster with one hand, and his neck with the other. Krakko sputtered angrily. [Maul] hurled Krakko’s lifeless body into the fireplace.” 
  • Trezza immediately raised his hands and tried to plead with Maul. “He was not surprised to see the flat metal knife pop out of Trezza’s sleeve.” Trezza threw his knife at Maul, who caught it by the handle, “then whipped it back with blinding speed at Trezza’s upper chest. Trezza gasped, clutched at his chest, and collapsed upon his desk.” 
  • Kilindi “didn’t run. She did try to smile.” Her death is the only one not described in detail. Maul knows that Kilindi was one of the few people at Orsis who treated him with kindness. Even though she was the closest thing he had to a friend, “he never paused at all. His only purpose was to serve his Master.” 
  • Shortly after destroying Orsis Academy, Sidious presents Maul with one final challenge before he can become a Sith Lord. Maul is sent to a planet in the Outer Rim with several assassin droids. “I have sent a fleet of assassin droids to attack you. . . They are all programmed to kill.” Maul is tasked with surviving on the planet for one month. 
  • The assassin droids are “relentless” in their pursuit of Maul. “Programmed to fight to the death, they had blasters built into their chests and hands. . .  they never slept, never allowed Maul to sleep long, never hesitated before they pounced. . . the droids drove him into the frozen mountains and across the burning deserts.” After twenty days, Maul knows he is at risk of losing his mind “because the attacks never stopped. . . [he] was beyond paranoid.” 
  • During an attack, Maul sustains a blaster wound to his thigh. “The wound festered. The pain was blinding.” He hauls himself into a cave as his wound worsens. “The pain was beyond excruciating. He had no doubt that death would come soon. He thought he was hallucinating when he saw a figure appear at the mouth of the cave.” 
  • The cloaked figure is no hallucination; it is Sidious. He challenges a weakened Maul to a duel, handing him a lightsaber. “Now it is time for your final battle.” As Maul struggles, Sidious taunts him. “You are weak. Not worthy of being a Sith Lord.” To further manipulate him, Sidious claims that he secretly has a second apprentice who is healthy and has already conquered the challenge. This fuels Maul’s rage, which in turn fuels his strength. “He felt so powerful that he believed he could accomplish anything. And more than anything else, he wanted his Master’s blood.” 
  • Maul “sprang at Sidious,” striking at his Master with a swing “aimed to rip [Sidious] in half.” Another parried blow makes Sidious “stagger backward.” Maul thinks, I’m going to kill him. “You want to kill me? You want to kill your Master?. . . You hate me?” Sidious asks. His Master shifts “like a liquid shadow” and strikes a blow that knocks Maul’s lightsaber from his hand. “Maul knew he was going to die, but he did not cringe.” He grabs Sidious’ wrist and “sank his teeth into his hand. Maul tasted blood and spat it back at Sidious.” As Sidious raises his lightsaber to strike Maul, he “waited for the pain and shock of death,” but is surprised when his Master instead tosses the lightsaber to the ground. 
  • Sidious spares Maul and confirms that he has passed the final test to become a Sith Lord, revealing that there was never a second apprentice. Sidious asks, “‘Your rage. You enjoyed it? You enjoyed wanting to kill me?’. . . ‘I took pleasure in it,’ Maul confirms.” 
  • At the beginning of the events of The Phantom Menace, Maul watches Sidious’ hologram communication with Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation, who informs him that the two negotiators aboard their ship are Jedi. Sidious orders the Trade Federation to accelerate its planned invasion of Naboo. As for the Jedi, Sidious says, “The Chancellor should have never brought them into this mess. Kill them immediately.” Knowing that the Trade Federation will likely fail in its attempt to kill the Jedi, Maul privately thinks, “The Jedi are mine. Mine to hunt. Mine to destroy.” 
  • Maul further fantasizes about hunting down his enemies. “He closed his eyes and visualized the [Jedi] Temple in his mind and saw a smoking ruin. The bodies of fallen Jedi knights and their small Padawans littered the stairways and hallways. He saw himself standing in the rubble, surrounded by Jedi corpses.” 
  •  After the two Jedi escape Naboo with Queen Amidala, Sidious tasks Maul with tracking them down. Maul traces them to Tatooine, where “he realized his entire body was tingling with excitement. He could hardly wait to kill Jedi.” 
  • Maul’s ship is captured by a pirate freighter above Tatooine. After boarding the freighter in an escape pod, he kills several Togorian pirates with his lightsaber. The violence includes dismemberment (“the arm holding the vibroblade fell upon the deck”), a pirate being decapitated (“Maul’s blade. . . connected with the Togorian’s neck”), another being “cut. . . in half,” and a lightsaber being driven through a pirate’s chest. 
  • Maul kills the ship’s captain. “Blood pounded in Maul’s ears as he spun his lightsaber, slashing the captain’s arms before delivering a killing blow.” 
  •  Before leaving the freighter, Maul battles one final pirate, who wounds his leg with a vibro-axe: “Maul felt the blade slice into flesh.” Wanting the pirate “to die in agony,” Maul uses his lightsaber and “took off the pirate’s arm.” The wounded pirate later follows Maul aboard his ship. 
  • Maul rigs the pirate freighter to explode after he escapes. The explosion kills the remaining pirates and blasts the Togorian stowaway from Maul’s ship. Afterwards, Maul reflects that it “felt good to be alive after his enemies were dead.” 
  •  As Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin approach the Queen’s starship on Tatooine, Maul ambushes them on his speeder bike. Maul remains focused on killing the Jedi, thinking, “If he happened to mow down the boy in his path, so be it.” 
  • After failing to stop the Jedi from escaping, Maul broods on his failure. “I will destroy you, Qui-Gon Jinn. . . I will stand over your dead body in triumph, Qui-Gon Jinn. . . you will pay.” 
  • Arriving on Naboo, Maul finally confronts Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and engages in a lightsaber duel. While fighting Qui-Gon, “with a flick of his wrist, he drove one of his red blades straight through Qui-Gon’s chest. . . Maul yanked the lightsaber free from Qui-Gon’s torso and the Jedi collapsed beside the core.” 
  • During his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul uses the Force to throw Obi-Wan into the reactor core, but Obi-Wan escapes and cuts Maul in half with Qui-Gon’s lightsaber. “As he fell, the upper half of his body separated from the lower.” Though furious and believing he was about to die, Maul uses the Force to channel his rage and keep himself alive. 
  • In the epilogue, a mad Maul uses “a broken bit of blackened bone” to scratch drawings onto the wall. “Some figures were being tortured, others killed.” 
  • Morley, a “snakelike scavenger,” tries to warn Maul that someone is coming to kill him. Instead, Maul attacks Morley, enjoying “the sounds of Morley’s screams” and “the loud snapping of bones that broke Morley’s spine.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural Content 

  • The Nightsisters, witches from Maul’s home planet of Dathomir, use the Force to create convincing illusions of themselves. During one encounter, “dozens of Nightsister warriors materialize,” though Maul realizes they are “nothing more than a powerful Force illusion.” 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

by Nicholas Paragano

Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel

Olive Oakes loves a good mystery. She keeps a notebook with her at all times, ready to jot down observations about anything that seems out of the ordinary. Along with her cousin Eli, Olive is always looking for clues to follow. When Olive and her family visit a town called Whispering Woods, she uncovers a strange backstory to the traveling carnival that comes through the area once a year. With rumors of missing kids and ghost sightings, it’s the perfect opportunity for Olive to investigate! The people of Whispering Woods are very secretive, but Olive is ready to solve the mystery of the haunted carousel. 

Olive looks for a mystery in every situation, and most of her suspects did nothing out of the ordinary and “didn’t do anything wrong.” One secret she discovered was that her neighbor had been “buying Amazon packages and blaming it on other people in the neighborhood instead of telling [her husband] about her shopping habits.” As Olive and her cousin investigate the mystery of the haunted carousel, there is little evidence and no suspects who act guilty. In the end, the kids discover that the two kids were never missing. Instead, some of the town people made up the story to draw in tourists. Unfortunately, the clues and conclusion are slightly disappointing. 

Olive and Eli speak in a distinctive, conversational voice that often is impertinent, such as when she describes a neighbor who wears a fedora: “A fedora is a hat that looked like something Peter Pan would wear if Peter Pan was a creep. . . He was weird.” Another instance is when a woman invites the kids into her house, and Olive says, “Have you ever read ‘Hansel and Gretel?'” implying the woman is “a witch trying to lure [the kids] inside so [she] can cook and eat [them]?” 

Olive’s cousin, Eli, is her constant companion who often tries to talk her out of doing things. Eli lives with Olive’s family because his parents died, although the cause of death is not revealed. Unfortunately, his parents’ death seems like a convenient plot point because his grief is not explored other than Olive saying, “It was okay now because we know that our little family was going to be just fine.” Additionally, the kids research the disappearance of two children, only to find out that the kids had never really been missing at all. Children who have experienced grief may find it difficult to read Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel. 

Using binoculars, eavesdropping, and judging people by their looks are part of Olive’s mystery-solving skills. Additionally, Olive and Eli talk to random people and sneak off to potentially dangerous places. For example, while searching for information, they approach a man in the park. Olive thinks, “He seemed nice enough, but I stayed out of snatching distance.” The snarky characters, the thin trail of clues, and the lackluster conclusion should be taken into consideration before reading Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel.  

Readers who love a good mystery have a lot of options to choose from, including King & Kayla, Ghost Ship, and Stepping Stones Mysteries. You can also learn about people’s beliefs in ghosts by reading the nonfiction book Ghosts: Magic Tree House Fact Tracker. 

Sexual Content  

  • Olive’s mom tells her husband that she loves him. Eli says, “I bet they’re kissing.” Olive responds by saying, “Don’t gross me out.”

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Olive often refers to people using descriptions like “weird” and comments on their appearance. Olive notices that a man had “a tuft of gray hair [that] poked out of his left nostril.” 
  • Dang and heck are both used three times. 

Supernatural 

  • While at the fair, the carousel starts moving really fast, and Olive sees “two blurry shapes sitting on the same horse. The ride was going so fast it made the shapes look like they were frozen in time.” The carousel suddenly stops, and people believe they have seen the ghosts of the two kids who had been missing for years. 
  • Olive and Eli go back to the carousel alone. “An eerie glow suddenly lit up the space,” and a man appeared. “His skin was pale and sagging off his bones, and his eyes were sunken in their dark, hollow sockets. The man screamed, ‘GET OUT!’” Thinking that the man was a ghost, the kids ran away.  
  • Olive’s dad researches haunted houses. He says, “Some people believe that ghosts have unfinished business. They think that’s why they hang around—there’s something they need or a message they need to pass along, something like that.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Star Wars: A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… 

Raised in secret by his aunt and uncle on the desert planet Tatooine, Luke Skywalker grew up believing he was an orphan. He knew almost nothing about his parents; his uncle told Luke that his father was a navigator on a spice freighter. Luke knew one thing for certain — the life of a farmer was not his destiny. One way or another, he would find a way off Tatooine and become a pilot, to chase the same adventures his father once did. 

Star Wars: A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker is the third book in a biography-style series of iconic Star Wars characters written by Ryder Windham. It follows the titular hero from his earliest years growing up on Tatooine, to the events of the original trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and even beyond.  

Like the previous entries in the series, A New Hope employs a framing device to add further depth to Luke’s iconic story. The book begins with a prologue, set not long after the events of Return of the Jedi, aboard the New Republic cruiser New Hope. Luke asks his sister, Leia Organa, if she wants to talk more about their father Anakin Skywalker, who was once the fearsome Darth Vader. Leia refuses, reminding him of the atrocities Vader committed, including the destruction of her home planet Alderaan. While understanding Leia’s hesitation, Luke still longs to know who his father was. He wonders, “How can I know myself if I never really knew my father?” Luke begins to reflect on his life so far, starting with his earliest memories as a boy on Tatooine. 

The progression of Luke’s character from impatient, longing farm boy to calm, stoic Jedi Knight is further fleshed out beyond what is seen in the films. Windham utilizes many stories from the Expanded Universe to expand upon and fill the gaps in between the films. Some of the highlights include the stories of Luke’s childhood on Tatooine, which make up a significant portion of the early chapters. These more grounded moments make Luke’s character progression and journey more impactful. Windham also cleverly incorporates a deleted scene from A New Hope, in which Luke’s childhood friend Biggs Darklighter returns home from the Imperial Academy and reveals his intention to defect to the Rebellion. Though this scene might have slowed the pacing of the film it was deleted from, it works incredibly well here, strengthening Luke’s motivation to leave Tatooine and adding emotional weight to their reunion before the Battle of Yavin.  

Luke’s struggle with his own identity is another compelling theme covered throughout the book. He believes that learning more about his father, Anakin Skywalker, will help him learn more about himself in the process, so Luke actively seeks out the few leads he has on Anakin’s past. For instance, Luke journeys to Mos Espa on Tatooine, where he uncovers Anakin’s career as a podracer (including a recording of his win at the Boonta Eve Classic), and, more significantly, that Anakin and his mother were once slaves. This shocking revelation adds complexity to Luke’s perception of his father; that he was not just once the evil Darth Vader, but also once a young boy both incredibly gifted but burdened by hardship and oppression. This deepens Luke’s own conflict as he tries to balance his father’s legacy while forging his own path. As Han Solo tells Luke near the end of the book, “The way I see things, knowing who your father was isn’t nearly as important as knowing who you are.” 

Like the previous titles in the series, The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader and The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, this book also now falls under the Star Wars Legends continuity. This is a distinction for most Expanded Universe material released prior to Disney’s acquisition of the franchise in 2012. As a result, it is no longer considered canon that connects to the newer films, books, games, and series – most notably, the sequel trilogy, which continues Luke’s story decades after Return of the Jedi. Despite this fact, A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker is still a faithful and thoughtful retelling of the original trilogy, standing on its own merits regardless of its non-canon status. 

Overall, A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker serves as yet another excellent Star Wars character biography by Ryder Windham and an engaging retelling of the original trilogy. It offers a thoughtful character study of Luke Skywalker, highlighting his internal journey – his doubts, his compassion, and his quest to understand who his father truly was. Windham makes an already compelling protagonist even more compelling in the process. This book is an excellent choice for both younger readers and long-term Star Wars fans, offering a comprehensive, reflective look at Luke’s journey from farm boy to Jedi Knight. 

Sexual Content 

  • During their first encounter on the unnamed jungle planet, the mind witch S’ybll tricks Luke by presenting herself as a younger, attractive woman. S’ybll tells Luke that she needs someone like him to protect her. “‘I need you,’ she whispered before she pulled him closer and kissed him.” 

Violence 

  • In the prologue, Luke asks his sister, Leia, if she ever thinks about their father. Leia says she does not, but Luke still wants to talk about him. “I know you’re still upset about how he—” Luke begins, before Leia interrupts: “Tortured me? Stood by and did nothing while Grand Moff Tarkin destroyed the planet Alderaan? Cut off your hand? Killed more people than we’ll ever know?”  
  • At seven years old, Luke considers the many dangers of Tatooine, including deadly creatures such as womp rats, whose teeth could “easily slice through flesh,” krayt dragons, and most dangerously, the Tusken Raiders, described as “masked nomads” who “sometimes attacked and killed without any obvious motive or reason.” Luke also recalls his Uncle Owen’s warning, “If the heat doesn’t kill you on Tatooine, everything else will.” 
  • When Luke is thirteen, he, his friend Windy, and Windy’s pet dewback Huey become lost in the desert when a storm kicks in. Suddenly, a krayt dragon appears and roars at the three of them. The creature lunges at Luke, who dodges and falls to the ground. As he looks back, he witnesses the krayt dragon attacking Huey: “he heard a terrible crunching sound and saw the krayt dragon biting down on Huey. . . Huey’s body went limp and dangled from the krayt’s jaws.” 
  • At fifteen, Luke takes a ride in Biggs Darklighter’s landspeeder near an abandoned Republic cruiser, the Spice Siren, which has become infested with womp rats. When one womp rat digs its teeth into the speeder’s hull, Biggs grabs his blaster and “fires an energy bolt into the womp rat’s head.” The two then decide to eliminate the rest of the local population. “It took them fifteen minutes to kill the remaining womp rats. They shot skillfully and efficiently. . .” Later, they gather the carcasses and “use some spare fuel to set all but one ablaze.” 
  • Later that day, Luke and Biggs come across a long-abandoned Tusken Raider camp and find “a number of shattered humanoid skeletons.” Biggs tells Luke, “Those skulls. . . they’re cut clean in half. The only thing I know that can cut with that kind of precision is an industrial laser.” 
  • At age seventeen, finally having a landspeeder of his own, Luke spots a womp rat in the distance. Without even slowing down, Luke grabs his blaster and “squeezed the weapon’s trigger. . . Luke hollered with excitement as he saw the fired energy bolt strike the vile womp rat, killing it instantly.” 
  •  After a skyhopper race with his friends, Luke is surprised to see a militia scout approaching, warning them of “Tusken Raiders on the rampage!” Not long after, a group of “at least a dozen” Tuskens arrives and begins to attack. Luke and his friends take cover and return fire with blasters. As he attempts to leave in a skyhopper to warn Anchorhead, Biggs Darklighter is attacked by a Tusken wielding a gaderffi stick. “Luke shouted as the gaderffi struck Biggs.” Acting on instinct, Luke fires his blaster at the attacker. “The blast caught the Tusken in the chest, and the masked figure collapsed in a heap against the rocks.” Biggs is poisoned by the weapon, which had been dipped in “sand bat venom,” but is treated soon after and survives. 
  • In an interlude, Luke recalls the events of A New Hope, knowing he would never forget “his horrific discovery of the charred remains of Owen and Beru, slain by Imperial stormtroopers. . . the realization that the Empire had obliterated the planet Alderaan. . . [and] the death of Ben Kenobi on the Death Star”, as well as “the Battle of Yavin, which had taken the lives of many Rebel pilots, including Biggs Darklighter, shot down by Darth Vader in the Death Star’s trench.” 
  • After escaping the planet Ardius on a Rebel mission, Luke and C-3PO crash land on the ice planet Hoth. Luke meets other survivors, a girl named Frija and her father, an ex-Imperial governor hiding from the Empire. Wanting to be left alone, the governor draws his blaster, but Luke quickly uses his lightsaber to slice the blaster, which “shattered in the man’s grip.”  
  • Frija decides to accompany Luke to repair the ship’s communicator, having grown tired of her father’s isolation on Hoth. They are soon confronted again when the governor returns, wielding another blaster he had hidden in the ice caves. He begins firing at Luke, who attempts to draw the man’s fire away from Frija so she can deliver communicator parts to C-3PO. Upon overhearing “communicator parts,” the governor becomes even more enraged. “Another blaster shot rang out. . . the blast caught Frija in the back. . . she fell from her mount and collapsed against the snow.” He exclaims, “No! I wanted to hit the pack with the communicator parts!” before blaming Luke: “Now you’ll die for it!” Luke swings his lightsaber, “its blade met the rifle’s barrel just as the governor squeezed the trigger. The rifle jerked as it backfired a split second before the lightsaber swept through the sleeve of the governor’s tunic and across the back of his right hand.” The governor collapses into the snow and lies motionless. A wounded Frija then reveals to Luke that both she and her father are droid replicas, and that their human counterparts are alive elsewhere. 
  • After the Millennium Falcon lands on a jungle planet for repairs, Luke wanders off and encounters a “mind-witch,” S’ybll, who uses illusions to appear younger. After a brief encounter with a Night Beast, Luke is knocked unconscious. He awakens blindfolded. Despite S’ybll’s warning, he removes the cloth after hearing C-3PO. Seeing her true form as an old woman, S’ybll reveals she has been manipulating him and projects an illusion of Darth Vader. Luke resists, causing the illusion to vanish. Enraged, she attempts to drain his mental energy and attacks by hurling stones. Luke turns her assault against her; a falling column crashes down, “the noise was followed by an almost total silence.” S’ybll is presumed dead, though she later returns. 
  • Toward the end of his duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back, Vader severs Luke’s hand: “Darth Vader’s lightsaber swept through Luke’s wrist. . . Luke screamed. His hand arced away from the suddenly cauterized stub at the end of his right arm, carrying his lightsaber with it.” After revealing that he is Luke’s father and urging him to join him, claiming “it is the only way,” Luke refuses, thinking, “No. It’s not the only way.” Luke lets himself fall into the reactor shaft. He survives and later receives a prosthetic hand. 
  • After his father’s redemption at the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke returns to Tatooine to investigate Anakin Skywalker’s past. He learns not only of Anakin’s podracing career, but also that Anakin and his mother were once slaves. A childhood friend of Anakin, Wald, reveals the fate of Luke’s grandmother: “Sand People abducted her from the Lars farm. Took her off into the desert and killed her.” Luke’s “legs felt weak” upon hearing this and he immediately leaves Tatooine. 
  • Han Solo informs Luke of a distress signal from the planet Tarnoonga, sent by two Rebel scouts who were “attacked by an Oskan blood eater.” Han reports that “according to the report, an unidentified woman killed the creature before it could harm anyone” and that she “used a lightsaber.” Upon arriving on Tarnoonga, Luke encounters the mysterious woman, Frija, but soon realizes she is actually S’ybll, who survived their previous encounter and has lured him into a trap. Inside an Imperial outpost, S’ybll unleashes a blood eater on Luke. He “jumped back to avoid the incoming claw, then kicked off the wall, launching himself over the monster’s torso while swinging his lightsaber downward and through the thing’s head. . . the blood eater remained standing on its one leg for a moment, but it was already dead.” 
  • After freeing the Rebel scouts, Luke confronts S’ybll. After a tense confrontation, Luke grabbed his lightsaber with the Force, “ignited his blade and turned quickly to defend himself.” “He didn’t realize that S’ybll was already lurching toward him. His lightsaber went straight through her chest. S’ybll’s mouth fell open and she made a croaking noise. . . teetering on her spindly legs, S’ybll sneered and said, ‘I never did like you.’ Then the mind witch’s eyes rolled up into her skull and she collapsed upon the cavern floor.” Luke confirms that S’ybll is indeed dead. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • There is some brief, very mild language, though nothing more serious than some light taunts. For example, when Luke was thirteen, his friend Windy informs him that when he was in Anchorhead, two kids named Fixer and Tank called both him and Luke “small fry” because they weren’t old enough to drive landspeeders. Windy calls Fixer and Tank a “couple of jerks.” “‘They called us jerks too?’ Luke asks. ‘Not us, you idiot,’ Windy said, rolling his eyes. ‘Them! They’re the jerks!’” 

Supernatural Content 

  • Luke has two encounters with S’ybll, a mind witch. After Luke discovers her real identity, S’ybll explains, “I’m a mind witch. . . I can reach into your memories and create illusions to ensnare and weaken you until a psychic link is forged. Then I drain the mental energy from you, the very life essence that will renew me. . . make me young again!” Two notable examples of her illusions include creating false apparitions of both Ben Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.  

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

By Nicholas Paragano 

The Cursed Spotlight

Nari lands her first big break when she is selected to perform the coveted Spotlight Solo during the Lunar New Year celebration. However, the spotlight has a curse—every past solo has gone terribly wrong! Even worse, a fire demon dog threatens her band, AURA’s, performance and grows stronger with every doubt. To battle the fear of failure, Nari must rely on the help of her friends and the boy band VORTEX to give her the courage to seize the spotlight. 

After defeating the demons that haunted the school and fed on fear, AURA is back and preparing for finals. After being chosen for the Spotlight Solo, Nari fears the rumors that the solo is cursed and wants no part of it. During the break, Nari invites Tae and Hana over to watch a grand end-of-the-year concert. She also invites Soojin, who reluctantly attends. The girls connect and, when Nari is selected as the performer of the Spotlight Solo, travel back to K-pop Academy to prepare for their performance. Practice is intense, and Nari struggles with the weight of the spotlight. However, it is clear that something is amiss when the girls encounter a mysterious force causing trouble within VORTEX, a boy band making its debut at the winter performance. Nari draws strength from her friends to build her confidence and come face-to-face with a fear-feeding fiery spirit called a bulgae. During the big performance, the bulgae causes Nari to freeze up during a big moment. However, with the help of her friends, Nari pulls through and casts the bulgae out. The performance is a humongous hit, and AURA proves that friendship is always stronger than fear. 

This second installment of the K-Pop Academy Series focuses on Nari, and the shift is effective: she becomes a strong protagonist, given the solo in a big stage performance, and throughout the book she goes through a journey of discovering self-confidence and casting out fear. The other characters also receive more focus and care, as the book takes the time to develop their relationships, so AURA feels more like a real group of friends rather than simply a bundle of characters. The book does, however, seem to undo Soojin’s growth from the previous book—she begins cold and separate from AURA despite the last book’s ending suggesting she’d grown friendlier toward them. Despite this, Soojin is developed into a multi-faceted character, making her interactions with AURA more believable and significant. Overall, the book’s focus on its characters benefits it greatly; everyone gains depth and changes over the course of the story, making The Cursed Spotlight a strong, inspirational read.

The story is much less fast-paced and more focused than the first book, The Stage of Shadows. Its slower pace allows for more character development, especially for Nari. The bulgae is effectively kept in mystery and built up to before its appearance, making it feel more threatening. This time, the mysterious enemy isn’t the focus of the story. Instead, Nari’s struggles to take the spotlight take center stage and the bulgae simply represents her gnawing fear of failure. The creature’s defeat at the end of the book signifies Nari conquering her fear and her growth in confidence. This role fits the book’s focus well, giving the story a mystical element without taking away from its true purpose as a character-driven tale. 

The themes once again center on friendship and casting out fear, with Nari’s journey focused on building confidence in her abilities and trusting that she is good enough. Her friends play a key role in helping her become her best self, and the book emphasizes that one doesn’t have to carry the weight of their anxieties and insecurities alone. It champions friendship as a source of strength and an essential tool for reaching one’s highest potential—a message that feels especially relevant today. 

K-Pop Academy: The Cursed Spotlight expands on the world established by The Stage of Shadows by developing its characters into strong, relatable protagonists, and reminds the reader that perfection isn’t required to succeed—friendship is what makes one truly strong. The improvements to the book’s structure, pacing, and character development make it a step up from its predecessor, even with less action. The Cursed Spotlight successfully builds on the K-Pop Academy series and is sure to continue entertaining and inspiring its fans.

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • A bulgae enters the girls’ empty room and leaves burn marks behind. Later, the bulgae attacks a group of boys in their dorm. “There was this crash near the window. The glass shook, but it didn’t break. . . when I went back in, the others were on the floor, and something slammed me into the wall.” 
  • While in a hallway, Nari fights the bulgae with her daggers. “She moved without thinking. One slash at the glowing shoulder, pivot, second strike from the opposite angle. The blades didn’t hit anything solid like flesh – they sliced through the heat around the bulgae’s body, sending sprays of sparks across the wall. The air burned her exposed skin, but she kept going. The fire dog reared back. . . It swiped a paw through the air, right where Nari’s head had been a split second earlier.” She eventually defeats it using her voice. The scene is described over four pages. 
  • During the big Lunar New Year performance, the bulgae returns when AURA is on stage. Together with the boy band VORTEX, AURA uses their voices to defeat it. “Together they lifted the chorus again. Their hands painted arcs through the air and a shimmering blue afterglow trailed behind them. . .The bulgae stumbled backward, flames drawing inward. Its shape shrank, folding in on itself until the inferno peeled away.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The Spotlight Solo is said to be cursed. Whoever gets the solo freezes on stage and loses their voice. The girls think demons cause it. “Anyone who gets the Spotlight Solo fails out or transfers the next summer. . . maybe demons hate solos.” 
  • The girls encounter a spirit called a bulgae. It is a fire dog that feeds off fear and makes the singers freeze on stage. 
  • Soojin mistakes a bird for a demon. 
  • The bulgae’s energy is connected to the stage lighting system, causing the lights to flicker when someone shows fear or doubt. 
  • During the final performance, the bulgae possesses a street dog and is exorcized using their voices. 

Spiritual Content  

  • Demons are not referred to in a religious context. 

by Brent Krueger

Pirates of the Caribbean

Ten-year-old Gemma wishes everything could stay the same, but that’s impossible after her mother accepts a new job at Disney Parks in Orlando. Struggling to fit in and make friends, Gemma’s focus is instead drawn to a weathered journal left behind in her mother’s bookshop by a mysterious stranger.

After Gemma discovers a hand-drawn map of Walt Disney World, riddles begin appearing across the page like magic! Even weirder are the problems her mother is facing at work: the animatronics on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride keep moving all on their own in the middle of the night.

With the help of her brother, Torin, Gemma discovers that the map can transport them onto the Pirates attraction. But there’s something wrong—this version of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride has real live pirates! Will Gemma and Torin figure out a way to save the ride, or will they be forever trapped in the pirate stockades? 

When Gemma is given the map, she knows there must be a reason for it. This plucky heroine and her reluctant brother are thrust into the world of the ride, where they must figure out how to get the pirates and other characters back to their proper places. Gemma is determined to save her mother’s job, even if it means facing down the pirates herself. One of her best qualities is her willingness to admit she doesn’t know everything: “She didn’t spend a lot of time feeling sorry about her mistake. It wasn’t her first. It wouldn’t be her last. She not only had to live with her mistake, but she also had to fix it.” 

The pirates and other characters from the attraction are delightful, especially for anyone who’s ridden through the scene before. Readers will love imagining the mayor escaping his bounds while his wife yells at the pirates to leave her husband alone. These funny antics give the story a sense of suspense that’s more humorous than scary, and Pearson throws in a few surprises along the way, including an octopus and a flock of chickens. 

As the first book in the series, this story sets up a fun premise that will engage strong readers. Full-page, black-and-white illustrations appear every four to five pages, though readers who are just beginning chapter books may need an adult’s help to get through it. Pirate-loving kids who aren’t quite ready for longer books may instead enjoy the Puppy Pirates Series by Erin Soderberg and All Paws on Deck by Jessica Young. 

Pirates of the Caribbean is a fun adventure that any pirate-loving reader will enjoy. Gemma and Torin share a sweet, believable sibling bond, and neither one has any idea how to fix the attraction, but that doesn’t stop them from facing the pirates head-on. Their determination and problem-solving carry the story, and their willingness to learn from mistakes gives the book real heart alongside its humor. Overall, this is a fabulously fun start to a series that celebrates imagination, resourcefulness, and the courage it takes to fix what you broke, even when you’re only ten years old. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • One of the pirates grabs Gemma. “Her arms were yanked behind her back and her wrists tied together. The pirate spun her in circles, wrapping the rope around her and restraining her arms.” Gemma is tied to two other “captives.” 
  • White hens attack Torin with a loud squawk. “They pecked at his feet and shins. He cried out for help. There were six hens hammering Torin’s ankles and feet. . . One daring hen rose to Torin’s shoulder and drove its beak into the side of Torin’s head.” Torin isn’t injured. 
  • An octopus grabs Torin. “The tentacle holding Torin erupted, shook the boy, and pulled him back underwater. . . Again, Torin was lifted out of the water, spitting and coughing, the tentacle holding him tightly. His arms flailing alternately.”  
  • To escape the octopus’s tentacles, Torin bites it. “The tentacle loosened slightly. Torin popped out of the monster’s hold.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • One of the characters tells a pirate, “Shut your blowhole, you rancid piece of jerky.” 

Supernatural 

  • While holding a magical map, Gemma recites a magical rhyme: “Leave no place / we leave no trace / of where and when we went. / We journey there, / we must play fair, / imagine and pretend.” After reciting the spell, Gemma and Torin are transported into the attraction.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

How to Save an Otter

Ivy and Ezra are “critter couriers” whose family volunteers to transport injured and orphaned animals to their local wildlife hospital.

When they discover a baby river otter with a hurt leg, Ivy worries about the little otter being separated from its family – a feeling she knows all too well. She’s struggled to make new friends since her twin cousin BFFs moved away. 

Taking on a big project for the wildlife hospital keeps her busy, but can she find the confidence she needs to make it a success, build new friendships, and help the otter heal enough to return to the wild? 

Many readers will instantly connect with Ivy, who is struggling to adjust to her cousins moving away. Their absence makes Ivy question her place in their friend group: “Gemma and Sara were more her cousins’ friends than hers. Sometimes it seems like they only included Ivy because they felt stuck with her.” When the three girls are assigned a group project for Earth Day, though, it helps bring them closer together. As part of the project, they collect towels for the wildlife rescue center, and by the end of the story, sharing the otter’s story with others has given Ivy a stronger bond with Gemma and Sara and a newfound confidence in using her own voice. 

When Ivy finds the injured otter, another girl tries to feed it a granola bar. To help her understand why she shouldn’t, Ezra says, “If you got hit by a car and were in lots of pain, you wouldn’t want somebody shoving a hamburger in your face, right?” This and other examples make it easy for readers to understand how to help an animal in need. Ivy and her family have limited interaction with the otter after they take it to the wildlife rescue center, but it doesn’t disappear from the story. The book acknowledges that some animals brought to the center don’t survive, though the otter Ivy finds is ultimately released back into the wild. 

How to Save an Otter educates readers on the different ways kids can help injured animals. For example, it explains what to do if you find a baby animal alone: “Some animals, like deer, leave their babies alone for a long period of time. That’s why it’s important to call the wildlife hospital for advice if you found a baby animal on its own.” While the information is aimed at younger children, the book juggles several plotlines, making it best suited for independent readers. Still, it includes elements that will appeal to younger readers, too, such as short chapters, easy vocabulary, and full-page black-and-white illustrations — many featuring otters — appearing every three to seven pages. The back of the book also offers simple ways kids can help wildlife, like picking up litter and supervising pets. 

How to Save an Otter will have wide appeal thanks to its lovable otter and Ivy’s relatable conflicts. Ivy often compares the otter’s feelings to her own, helping readers understand how an injured animal might feel, and she models exactly the kind of behavior readers can emulate by using her voice to help the rescue center. The combination of a cute otter and genuine life lessons makes the Wildlife Rescue Series worth reading. Readers who finish this one are likely to come away curious about other animals in need of rescue and eager to see what the series covers next. It’s a gentle, encouraging introduction to conservation that never talks down to its audience. Readers who love otters should also read Odder, The Disappearing Otters and Otters Love to Play. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The otter is injured when an animal attacks it.   

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The injured otter is given pain medicine and an antibiotic.  

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • At church, Ivy asks her father if it was okay to pray for an animal. She asks the congregation: “Please keep our otter in your prayers this week, too.” 

Gabby Torres is the Best Winner Ever

Gabby Torres is back and more mature than ever! While she’s still only nine years old, her adventures with social media have taught many lessons. Now, Gabby is on a quest to become the best winner ever! All of her friends seem to be winning awards, so Gabby is determined to win one for herself. She decides to join a baking competition, despite having just learned how not to burn her cookies. Gabby dives into the world of baking and budgeting, but it proves to be harder than she thought. Not only are her baking attempts ending in disaster, but she’s also quickly running out of money to buy supplies! How will Gabby win the baking competition and prove herself to be the best winner ever? 

Both of Gabby’s friends have won awards—Kat for bouldering and Priya for an essay—but Gabby has none. Determined to get one, she tries different things, like playing tennis with her mom and dancing with her cousin, but she isn’t good enough at either. Gabby finds her answer when she sees a flier at the grocery store: she will enter a baking competition, earn a trophy, and win a cash prize to donate to save otters’ homes!  

After gathering her money and creating a budget, she goes to the store to buy supplies. She attempts to bake éclairs, but they don’t turn out well. After buying more supplies, she tries again with macarons. Later, Gabby tries a more ambitious dish: Baked Alaska. Using the oven by herself, she quickly loses control and makes another mess. Her parents sideline her, threatening to pull her from the competition. When Gabby’s grandparents come to visit, they show her how to make a beloved family recipe, and Gabby decides this will be her competition dish. On the morning of the event, she makes it herself and nervously enters it. Gabby wins third place and a $100 prize—but she must use it to repay her parents for the borrowed supply money, leaving nothing for the otters. Undeterred, Gabby decides to hold a bake sale to raise money for them instead. It is a success, and Gabby learns that winning isn’t everything. 

Gabby continues to be a likable and energetic protagonist. Her baking adventures bring chaotic fun that sometimes gets her into trouble, and she tells the story with a plethora of colorful images that capture her feelings—often in the form of Girl Scout badges. Gabby Torres is the Best Winner Ever also continues the previous book’s natural inclusion of different cultures. Her asides not only provide translations for Spanish words, but also share fun facts about birds, otters, and baking, making the book an educational adventure well-suited for young readers. 

The story is more tightly focused than its predecessor, with side threads that complement the main plot and build toward a meaningful conclusion. The Sea Musketeers remain central, with river otters appearing throughout the illustrations as a reminder of Gabby’s goal to protect them. This element adds heart to the story and inspires young readers to channel their own talents toward a good cause. 

Gabby Torres is the Best Winner Ever also tackles the surprising complexities of baking and budgeting. Gabby’s parents require her to pay for her own supplies, prompting her to create a budget—and eventually take out loans from her parents when necessary. Gabby handles these challenges in a mature, yet fun way that will engage young audiences and teach them the importance of money management. Once again, author Angela Dominguez succeeds in addressing grown-up topics through the relatable point of view of a nine-year-old. 

The story is told through an entertaining mix of a traditional book and graphic novel panels. Each page has a fun illustration such as a river otter wearing square glasses and a red tie. Others include pictures that highlight Gabby’s emotions. For example, a page includes stickers to show her emotions—one says “Dreams Crushed You Should Give Up” with a unicorn crying. In addition, Gabby’s friends are diverse, and their faces are also full of emotion. Many of the animals that Gabby learns about are introduced with facts paired with a humorous illustration that helps make it memorable. For example, it is stated that, “Birds apparently love water.” The illustration shows a bird lying in a tub and wearing glasses as it floats down a river. If the book sparks readers’ interest in helping wildlife, they may want to read Odder and the Seaside Sanctuary Series. 

Gabby Torres is the Best Winner Ever is an effective sequel that builds on what made the first book successful. While it doesn’t tackle as large a topic as its predecessor, it teaches young readers valuable lessons about financial responsibility and the true meaning of winning. Gabby’s voice keeps the story entertaining while conveying its themes in a way that is both easy to understand and genuinely meaningful. As a worthy follow-up, the book solidifies Angela Dominguez’s ability to craft stories that both kids and parents will appreciate. Readers who enjoy Gabby Torres is the Best Winner Ever may also like Cooler Than Lemonade, The Bakery Dragon, and Awesome Orange Birthday.  

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None   

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None  

Spiritual Content  

  • An illustration depicts the Ten Commandments. 

by Brent Krueger

Wilderness Hacks

Hatchet meets Survivor in this high-action, humor-filled middle-grade adventure about two kids stranded in the wilderness, whose annoyance with each other rivals the roaring rapids and ferocious predators they must face. 

12-year-old Sadie Hahn didn’t plan to eat grubs on camera to win a contest. And she definitely didn’t plan to win first prize while making a guest appearance on a YouTube show hosted by America’s favorite 13-year-old survivalist, Radley Shaw. But she’ll do anything to cheer up her little brother Silas, who’s too young to qualify.  

Rad has millions of followers and exactly zero real-life friends, so the contest is a great chance for him to hang out with kids his own age. But it’s hate-at-first-sight when Silas throws a wrench in his plan, and Sadie decides Rad is just a clueless poser who doesn’t know the first thing about survival. Disaster strikes when their scripted rafting trip turns into a real fight for survival. Lost in the mountains, Rad and Sadie must find shelter, build a fire, forage for food, and try not to become food for a hungry predator. 

Wilderness Hacks’ chapters alternate between Rad’s and Sadie’s perspectives, highlighting one of the main themes: our assumptions about others are often wrong. The two kids immediately get off on the wrong foot because they assume the worst of each other, heightening the drama and suspense in a way that mirrors the social dynamics most middle schoolers know well. Even though Rad and Sadie dislike each other, both characters are unique and likable because of their insecurities and difficulty expressing their emotions. Readers will relate to their conflicts, recognize their conflicting emotions, and appreciate their different strengths. Notably, the dual perspectives also illuminate how each character carries burdens the other can’t immediately see. Sadie’s panic attacks, for instance, reveal a vulnerability that surprises Rad, and when he responds with genuine kindness by guiding her through breathing techniques, it marks a turning point in their reluctant friendship. 

This emotional depth extends to the book’s thoughtful portrayal of characters with invisible disabilities. Sadie’s brother Silas is autistic and has celiac disease, and Sadie’s constant worry about him — knowing that even a crumb of gluten can trigger serious side effects — is rooted in real grief: her father died because his own celiac disease went undiagnosed. These details are woven naturally into the story rather than feeling like add-ons, giving the adventure genuine emotional stakes alongside the physical ones. 

Wilderness Hacks is a fast-paced, action-packed story that readers won’t want to put down. The dual perspectives, high-stakes drama, and short chapters will engage readers while teaching important life lessons about survival, friendship, and not making assumptions about others. The back matter — including Sadie’s Secret-Spice Recipe, Rad’s Top Ten Survival Essentials, and a list of “Would You Rather” questions — extends the fun beyond the final page and makes the book especially well-suited for classroom use or book clubs. One of the characters mentions Bear Grylls, which may lead readers to explore other survival-themed books, including the Girls Survive Series, Bear Grylls Adventures, and Survival Tails. Overall, Wilderness Hacks is an entertaining survival story that requires both protagonists to use their individual skills, teamwork, and grit to survive. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Rad finds a dead man in the river. “He’s lying half in, half out of the water, his upper body exposed and swollen, straining against a life jacket. He’s not wearing a helmet—just the life jacket and swim trunks—and his feet are bare.” Later that night, the kids hear animals eating the man. 
  • A mountain lion attacks Rad. He looks back and “it’s that motion that has the mountain lion’s massive jaw and teeth scraping Rad’s helmet instead of his face when the big cat launches itself at Rad like a guided missile on a moving target.” 
  • When the mountain lion pins Rad to the ground, he feels “searing agony as claws scrape my back. . . The thud of impact as it brings me to the ground and then scrambles to find a better angle on my throat.” Sadie screams, and “thrust[s a tree branch] again, and the cat backs up this time, still screaming.”  
  • Sadie props Rad against a tree. Riding a bike, she leaves to get help. When she returns, “The mountain lion is crouched down, ready to pounce, and Rad has no idea. . . The cat leaps a split second before I reach them, and I wrench the handlebars toward the airborne animal. . . There’s a snap and a crack and then. . . Nothing.” The mountain lion attack is described over several chapters. Both kids are injured. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • After the mountain lion attack, Rad is given painkillers in the hospital. 

Language  

  • In the narration, people are occasionally referred to as jerks. For example, Sadie thinks, “I sound like a jerk.” 
  • As a joke, Sadie tells Rad, “I’m usually better at spotting you weirdos.” 
  • Sadie tells Rad that he’s acting like an idiot. Later, in a fit of anger, she calls him an idiot. 
  • Sadie thinks that Rad is “a balloon-headed meatball.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Silas asks Sadie to enter a contest, she prays “that this new obsession won’t have me eating anything that still has a face.” 
  • When faced with a difficult situation, Sadie mumbles. Radley asks who she is, and she says, “God.”  

Who Were the Beatles?

By early 1964, the Beatles were on top of the world. They began what would become the “British Invasion” when they made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, before an audience of more than 73 million viewers. This would only be the beginning of their global domination that endures to this day. How did they become the most famous rock band in history? Who Were the Beatles? explores the full history of the Fab Four in a fun, accessible format and introduces readers to the lives, music, and continuing legacy of the group that changed music forever. 

Who Were the Beatles? is an entry in the Who Was? biography series, designed to introduce younger readers to important historical figures. The book is divided into eleven chapters covering events before, during, and after the Beatles’ time together as a group. The first four chapters are dedicated to the early lives of each member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison. These early chapters provide fascinating details about the childhoods of the Beatles, such as Ringo’s many bouts with illnesses that kept him in the hospital for extended periods, John and Paul both losing their mothers at young ages (and how their losses affected them musically), and George’s relatively stable and happy childhood in comparison to his bandmates.  

As the book progresses, it covers the formation of the band, the rise of Beatlemania and the touring years, the Beatles’ transition to a studio band from 1967 to their breakup in 1970, and each member’s solo career. The last major event covered is the shocking murder of John Lennon in December 1980. There are several references to violence, drugs, and alcohol, so this book may be better suited for middle-grade readers. 

Who Were the Beatles? is an easy-to-read book with short chapters comprising simple language and large text that makes for a breezy read. Every page features large black-and-white illustrations, as well as blurbs to provide context for other events and figures of the era (the Sixties, the Vietnam War, and other musicians who inspired the Beatles, such as Elvis Presley and Little Richard). These additions are helpful for younger readers, helping them better understand the broader history of the era in which the Beatles were famous. The end of the book also features a timeline of Beatles history from 1940 to 2001 with other important historical events (such as the moon landing or the Soviet Union’s collapse) that coincided with them. 

Altogether, Who Were the Beatles? is an entertaining, comprehensive biography of the Beatles’ career filled to the brim with charming illustrations and pop culture references. It serves as an excellent entry point for new Beatles fans or young readers interested in the history of pop music.  

Sexual Content 

  • The opening chapter describes Elvis Presley’s provocative stage presence, noting that he wore “very tight” jeans and “swiveled his hips” while performing. It also explains that television appearances sometimes showed him “only from the waist up” so audiences would not see him dancing. 
  • Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s second wife, was considered an “experimental artist” even for the 60s. “For example, she once made a film of a fly walking up and down a naked person’s body.” 

Violence 

  • The opening chapter covers John Lennon’s early life. On the day he was born in 1940, “World War II was raging in Europe. Liverpool, England, was being bombed by the Germans.” John’s mother, Julia, gave birth early in the morning as “the walls of the hospital shook from falling bombs.” 
  • Tragically, just before John’s eighteenth birthday, his mother was “hit by a car and died.” 
  • A one-page blurb discusses the Vietnam War. “By 1964, thousands of soldiers were fighting in Vietnam. The war dragged on for years. More than fifty thousand American soldiers died before it ended.” 
  • A two-page blurb provides context on the turbulent events of the 1960s. “John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. His brother Robert was shot and killed. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed. The wave of violence shook everyone. The world didn’t seem safe.” 
  • Chapter 10 covers the careers of each member after the Beatles’ breakup in 1970. George Harrison and his family purchased a “hundred-room mansion” in England to live in privacy, but in 1999, a man broke in. George was stabbed, but he recovered, and the man was arrested.” 
  • Chapter 11: “The Saddest Day” explains the events of December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was assassinated in New York City. That afternoon, outside his apartment at the Dakota building, he signed a copy of his new album for a fan named Mark David Chapman, who “wasn’t like other fans. He was mentally ill. He heard voices in his head, voices that told him to hurt John Lennon.” Chapman waited outside the Dakota for Lennon to return later that evening with his wife, Yoko Ono. “When John and Yoko arrived home, Chapman called out, ‘Mr. Lennon.’ Then he took out a gun and fired. John Lennon. . . fell to the ground. He died shortly after. He was only forty years old.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • During the Beatles’ early days performing in Hamburg, Germany, they started taking “pills [to] stay awake on stage.”  
  • Their fans are described as “interesting.” Sometimes, they “had too much beer and got into fights. They threw chairs and swung from lights hanging down from the ceiling.” 
  • When the landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band released in 1967, John stirred controversy with his song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” “People thought John was writing about LSD, a drug that some people were using.” 
  • During the mid-1970s, John’s marriage to Yoko Ono was falling apart. The couple separated for a while, and in that time, “John began to drink too much. He also took drugs.” 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural Content 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • One of the most infamous controversies involving the Beatles occurred in 1966, when John Lennon told a reporter that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus right now.” “Many people were deeply offended. Some radio stations held protests with big bonfires. People were invited to throw Beatles albums into the flames. John quickly apologized.” 

by Nicholas Paragano

Oil-Soaked Wings

An oil spill in the ocean means destruction for both animals and their habitats—and lots of work for Seaside Sanctuary, where Elsa Roth’s parents work. When pelicans are gravely hurt in the spill and brought into the sanctuary, Elsa and her friends are given important roles in caring for the birds. But the animals can’t be released until their habitat is clean—and the company responsible for the spill doesn’t seem interested in stepping up. Can Elsa and her friends spearhead the cleanup and save the pelicans? 

When Elsa and her best friend Olivia discover an oil spill in their community, they immediately jump in and help the pelicans that have been covered in oil. The girls quickly learn how to properly care for the birds without treating them like pets. The girls learn that “it’s very important the pelicans don’t start associating humans with food. We don’t want them to get comfortable with us.” Despite this, Elsa and Olivia become attached to a pelican, whom they name Pellie. When Pellie dies, the girls are devastated, but they continue to help in the rescue efforts. 

Oil-Soaked Wings teaches readers how oil spills can destroy an ecosystem. “The oil would kill fish and crab and coral and seaweed and dolphins and seals and birds. And it would stay and stay until someone cleaned it up, which was hard—and expensive—to do.” When the company responsible for the oil spill refuses to help clean it up, Elsa and Olivia organize a group of kids to clean the beach. Even though Elsa and Olivia are just kids, Elsa’s dad encourages them by saying, “Some people think that because you’re kids, you can’t produce any kind of change. But that’s not right. Kids can have a huge influence on real-world problems. They just need to gather and organize.”  

Both Elsa and Olivia are likable protagonists who love animals and work alongside adult volunteers. They show readers how to organize a beach clean-up and how to use the media to get the word out. Because of their efforts, the company takes action to clean up the oil spill. The girls’ actions highlight the importance of using their voices to effect change.  

Oil-Soaked Wings is told in eight short chapters, and each begins with a black-and-white illustration. The end of the book includes a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and additional information about pelicans. The books in the Seaside Sanctuary Series can be read in any order because each focuses on a new adventure. Oil-Soaked Wings is an engaging story that realistically depicts the harmful effects of an oil spill while also showing how Elsa and Olivia made a positive impact on their injured animals.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Darn is used once.

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Star Wars: The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… 

On the desert world of Tatooine, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker revisits the home of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. In desperate need of a new lightsaber after his devastating duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City, Luke hopes to find and knowledge Obi-Wan may have left behind. Down in the dusty cellar, Luke finds a box containing handwritten instructions and also Obi-Wan’s personal journal. 

The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi is the second entry in a series of Star Wars biographies written by Ryder Windham, detailing the storied life of Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the saga’s most central characters. This book retells the events of the first six Star Wars movies (Episode I: The Phantom Menace to Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) from the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi, covering everything from his early years as an apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn, his training of Anakin, to his exile on Tatooine, where he protected Luke Skywalker.  

The concept of Luke discovering Obi-Wan’s journal as a framing device is an interesting idea, as he learns about Obi-Wan’s past alongside the readers. Obi-Wan’s journal chronicles a series of stories. Interspersed throughout the book are interludes during which Luke reflects on these stories as he builds a lightsaber, bridging the past and present. The most entertaining sections of the book are the chapters that explore what Obi-Wan was up to before and in between each film. For instance, the first chapter begins over a decade before the events of The Phantom Menace with Obi-Wan and his master Qui-Gon Jinn arriving on the planet Ilum to obtain a crystal for the Jedi Padawan’s lightsaber. The most insightful chapters take place in the nineteen years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, exploring Obi-Wan’s time as a hermit on Tatooine, adopting the alias Ben Kenobi, watching over Luke Skywalker, and discovering that his former apprentice, Darth Vader, had survived their duel on Mustafar.  

This book explores Obi-Wan’s psyche with depth and care, examining the weight of fulfilling Qui-Gon’s final wish by training Anakin, his grief and guilt over losing him to the dark side, and his determination to spare Luke the same fate. These quieter, introspective moments are scattered throughout, adding depth to an already complex character.  

It should be noted that this book, like The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader, now falls under the Legends continuity — a distinction given to the old Expanded Universe, i.e., most Star Wars books, comics, games, and other media (minus the films and The Clone Wars) released prior to Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney in 2012. This means that this book is no longer considered part of the canon that connects to newer films, books, and other media released post-Disney; instead, it exists in an alternate continuity. For instance, newer additions to Obi-Wan’s story, such as his rematch with Darth Vader, as depicted in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, are nowhere to be seen. This fact doesn’t diminish its value by any means. It still serves as a solid retelling of Episodes I-VI and stands well on its own merits. Windham’s character study of Kenobi is thoughtful and engaging, even if the book itself is no longer canon.  

All in all, The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi is another fantastic Star Wars biography, serving both as an excellent retelling of the first six movies and an intimate character study of Obi-Wan. The themes of duty, loss, and enduring hope resonate throughout. The weaving of Expanded Universe material to fill in the gaps between movies is seamless and enhances our understanding of Obi-Wan.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence 

  • While on the planet Ilum to obtain a Kyber crystal for Obi-Wan’s lightsaber, Qui-Gon Jinn reminisces. The last time he was on the planet, he was with his former apprentice, Xanatos.  Xanatos would later fall to the dark side, and that Obi-Wan was with Qui-Gon on Telos IV when “neither was able to stop the dark, former Jedi from deliberately ending his own life by plunging into a boiling black pool of acid.” 
  • Years later, during the events of The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are attacked by the Sith Lord Darth Maul, engaging in a lightsaber duel. After several minutes of fighting, Maul “drove his lightsaber straight through Qui-Gon’s chest.” Qui-Gon soon dies in Obi-Wan’s arms. 
  • Obi-Wan defeated Darth Maul as he “swung Qui-Gon’s blade, and the creature’s face contorted into an expression of surprise. And then it was the dark figure’s turn to tumble into the pit, and as he fell, his neatly cleaved body separated, bounced off the core’s walls, and vanished.” 
  • Ten years later, after returning to Coruscant with his apprentice Anakin, Obi-Wan was instructed to go to a high-security apartment to meet with Senator Padme Amidala, “who had recently survived an assassination attempt that had left six others dead.” After a second attempt that night, Obi-Wan and Anakin tracked down the assailant in a nightclub, where Obi-Wan spun his lightsaber, “neatly cleaving through the assassin’s right arm.” As the two Jedi attempted to question her outside, the bounty hunter was hit by a toxic dart – “her wide, heavy-lidded eyes fell closed and she died in Obi-Wan’s arms.” 
  • During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin fought alongside clone troopers against Separatist battle droids on the planet Farquar III. During the battle, Anakin’s gunship is struck by missiles and “fell sideways and crashed onto a water fountain, killing the vehicle’s clone pilot instantly.” 
  • One of Obi-Wan’s journal entries recounts an early encounter during the Clone Wars with the warrior Asajj Ventress. “Asajj Ventress escaped that day, but not before she killed one Jedi and maimed his apprentice.”  
  • In the same journal entry, Obi-Wan describes his first duel with Darth Vader on Mustafar as “awful in its savagery,” recalling how “I left him maimed and burning on the shores of a lava river. To have dealt a killing blow would have been the merciful thing to do, but I had no mercy for Vader… all I could do was leave Vader to his fate.” 
  • During the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan and Yoda return to the Jedi Temple after Order 66, when the clone troopers turned on their Jedi generals. “They found the Jedi Temple in ruins, and all the resident Jedi—even the youngest initiates—lying dead.” A recording later reveals Anakin’s involvement in the massacre. 
  • Not long after exiling himself on Tatooine, Obi-Wan visits the settlement Anchorhead and watches a HoloNet broadcast reporting on events on Kashyyyk. “The Empire claimed Kashyyyk had been plotting a rebellion. Imperial forces not only killed the unidentified Jedi but also hundreds of Wookiees. Hundreds of thousands more Wookiees had been imprisoned.” The report reveals Darth Vader’s involvement, leading Obi-Wan to realize his former apprentice is still alive and to question whether he could face—and kill—Anakin again. 
  • Two years after arriving on Tatooine, Obi-Wan becomes aware of increasing Tusken Raider attacks, learning that “the Tuskens had attacked three moisture farms and left seven colonists dead in a single day.” Discovering that their leader is a former Jedi, A’Sharad Hett, Obi-Wan confronts him in a duel, during which his lightsaber “swept up and through Hett’s right arm. Hett shouted as his arm fell away from his body.” Hett survives and is ordered to leave Tatooine. 
  • During the events of A New Hope, Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker discover a destroyed Jawa sandcrawler. “Dozens of Jawas lay dead, their small forms scattered across the sand.” Obi-Wan determines they were killed by Imperial stormtroopers, and he, C-3PO, and R2-D2 prepare a funeral pyre for the bodies. 
  • Realizing that the stormtroopers were looking for the missing droids now in their possession, Luke rushes home. When he returns, Obi-Wan knew from Luke’s expression “that Owen and Beru were dead.” 
  • Obi-Wan and Luke enter a cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport, where Luke is confronted by “a disfigured looking man” and an Aqualish alien. After threats from the pair, the encounter escalates, and Obi-Wan intervenes. His lightsaber “ignited and swept past the blaster-wielding criminals. The disfigured man fell back against the bar, a deep slash across his chest. The Aqualish screamed and his right arm—severed at the elbow—fell to the floor.” 
  • On the Death Star, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader engage in a lightsaber duel. Sensing that Luke and his friends will escape, Obi-Wan lowers his defenses, “then closed his eyes and raised his lightsaber before him. Darth Vader did not hesitate to strike.” Vader kills Obi-Wan, who becomes one with the Force. 
  • As a Force ghost, Obi-Wan witnesses Luke’s confrontation with Darth Vader and the Emperor aboard the second Death Star. When Luke rejects the dark side, the Emperor “raised his gnarled fingers and unleashed his wrath on Luke, launching bolts of blue lightning at him. Luke screamed and writhed.” Obi-Wan fears that “Luke would soon be dead.” 
  • Obi-Wan is stunned when Vader decides to save his son and watches as “he grabbed the Emperor and lifted him off his feet… Vader carried the Emperor across the throne room and hurled him down the elevator shaft. A moment later, the Emperor exploded in a great release of dark energy.” Vader, now redeemed as Anakin Skywalker, would soon die from his injuries.  

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • After tracking Padme’s would-be assassin to a nightclub on Coruscant, Obi-Wan tells Anakin he is going to the bar “for a drink” as they split up to search the crowd. While there, he is approached by a man offering “death sticks.” Obi-Wan uses a Jedi mind trick to persuade him to “go home and rethink [his] life,” which the man promptly does. 
  • On his first visit to the Anchorhead settlement on Tatooine, Obi-Wan visits a cantina called The Weary Traveler. However, he orders only “a drink of water.” 
  • Many years later, Obi-Wan and Luke go to the Mos Eisley Cantina to find a pilot who can take them to Alderaan. At the bar, Luke is harassed by a pair of criminals. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Obi-Wan offers to buy the pair drinks, saying, “This little one’s not worth the effort. Come, let me get you something.” 

Language 

  • After being struck with a toxic dart, Padme’s would-be assassin mutters in an alien tongue, “Wee shannit… sleemo”, which Anakin translates as “bounty hunter slimeball.” 
  • Obi-Wan tells Anakin that he is the Chosen One and that he was supposed to “destroy the Sith, not join them!” In response, Anakin yells, “I hate you!” 

Supernatural Content 

  • At the end of Revenge of the Sith, Yoda informs Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon Jinn had “learned the path to immortality” and “returned from the netherworld of the Force.” Obi-Wan is trained to commune with him, and during his years on Tatooine, he is visited by Qui-Gon’s spirit. 
  • After his death, Obi-Wan becomes one with the Force. “As a spiritual entity, Obi-Wan was not hampered by the laws of physics. He could travel across the galaxy from one world to another by merely thinking of the journey. He could not only communicate with the living but also manifest an illusion of his former physical self. He can communicate with fellow spirits, should they be mutually inclined.” He appears to Luke at various points from this point forward, offering guidance on his journey to become a Jedi.  
  • In the epilogue, five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan’s spirit visits Luke one final time in a dream. He tells Luke that he had “lingered too long already and can no longer postpone [his] journey from this life to what lies beyond.”  

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

by Nicholas Paragano 

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers

Gabby Torres is only 9 years old, but she’s very mature for her age. She’s the youngest member in the Sea Musketeers Club, a group of students who do fundraisers to help save the oceans. Gabby has the best idea to help the club reach more people – make a social media page! What Gabby doesn’t expect is that her post gets three comments – and one of them is mean! Even worse, she is caught going online without her parents’ permission and accuses her friends of being cyberbullies! She’s in big trouble, but she can fix it. . . right? 

Gabby has a great idea to increase awareness for the Sea Musketeers Club: start a social media page. After convincing her parents to let her on social media (with some very strict rules), Gabby makes her first post. Despite having orders to never go on social media by herself, Gabby checks her post and finds a mean comment. She is outraged and determined to find out who wrote it. Gabby rudely interrogates people she knows. When she accuses her friends of leaving the mean comment, Gabby has a falling out with them.  To make matters worse, Gabby’s parents catch her sneaking online, and they have a much-needed talk about social media safety. She realizes that the person who left the mean comment is probably just an internet troll. Gabby apologizes to the people she hurt and makes up with her friends. Afterwards, Gabby passes on the role of social media organizer of the Sea Musketeers to an older, more qualified candidate and decides to stay off social media. 

Gabby is a very likable and energetic protagonist who narrates the story. The full-color illustrations— molded from her imagination—add a charming and humorous touch to the narrative. While Gabby is only nine years old, she is mature enough to understand the lessons the book teaches, explaining complex issues like social media in a fun and easy-to-understand way. However, Gabby is still at times rebellious and rash in her actions, and she learns her lessons from their consequences. The book also includes a diverse cast of characters, from Gabby’s friends to her extended family. This ensemble creates a full world with a warm atmosphere that young readers are sure to enjoy. 

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers excels at infusing different cultures into the story in a natural, educational way. It begins by introducing Gabby and her family: she has a diverse Latino-white background and often visits both sets of grandparents. This creates a blending of the two cultures in Gabby’s home, and they positively interact with each other. Because of her background, Gabby speaks both English and Spanish. While Spanish appears infrequently throughout the main story, it adds cultural depth. When Spanish words are used, Gabby explains their meaning in brief asides, helping non-native speakers learn about the language through natural integration. Gabby also has an Indian friend who hosts a Diwali party, and readers learn about the holiday along the way. These inclusions of diverse cultures enhance the book’s value and represent the increasingly diverse world we live in. 

The main message is about social media. However, Gabby’s social media page centers around ocean and animal conservation and promotes much-needed activism among youth. The handling of social media itself is very well done, demonstrating both the good and the bad that can come from it. Gabby’s parents teach her about the dangers of social media, and she in turn relays those lessons to the reader in an interesting and digestible way. When Gabby receives a negative comment, she becomes obsessed with finding the culprit, insulting many of her friends in the process. This illustrates how social media can have negative consequences. In the end, Gabby decides to stay off social media, imparting valuable wisdom to young readers growing up in a digital age. 

The charming book delivers its story through an entertaining mix of a traditional book and a graphic novel. Each page has a fun illustration such as a grumpy cat wearing an octopus hat, while others include pictures that highlight Gabby’s emotions. For example, one picture shows Gabby with a huge smile and hearts in her eyes. In addition, Gabby’s friends are diverse, and their faces are full of emotion. Gabby’s social media post looks like a computer screen complete with pictures, hashtags, and icons to leave a comment.  

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers is an essential book for young readers today. It tackles important topics in a simple yet effective manner, exposing readers to many positive ideas. Most importantly, the format and illustrations will immediately draw readers in, and Gabby’s personality will make them love the book even more. However, the lessons on social media are what make the book a must-read. Overall, it is a stellar first installment in the Gabby Torres Series that children are sure to love. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Brent Krueger

The Water You’re Swimming In

Noah is used to being a straight-A student, swim champ and all-around easy kid. 

But things haven’t been the same since Noah’s older brother Jamie ran away to Halifax, leaving only a note behind. His parents spend every free second on the phone or driving to Halifax to try to find Jamie, and Noah is left trying to mask his anxiety and grief by pretending to be the perfect son who does everything right. But inside he feels like crying and gets a knot in his stomach whenever he thinks of Jamie. 

Some warmth returns to their home when Grandma Aisling comes to stay, bringing her fiddle and her genius for making chocolate cake with her. At school, funny and kind Alysha joins his class, and Noah has a new friend to distract him from his worries. When a swim competition is announced with the grand prize being a trip to Halifax, Noah knows he has to win it so he can go to Halifax himself and get Jamie back. 

Noah’s family dynamics are complicated, and his brother running away makes life even more difficult. His parents are so worried about Jamie that Noah thinks he has to be perfect so he doesn’t add more stress to their lives. To make matters worse, Noah doesn’t have any friends or a trusted adult he can confide in. While readers may not relate to Noah’s specific situation, they will understand his desire to have friends and be loved. The theme is strengthened as Noah shares his fears during each hardship, allowing readers to sympathize with him.  

Throughout the story, Noah’s parents and grandmother appear infrequently. They are so focused on Jamie that Noah feels invisible. However, after Noah goes to look for Jamie on his own, this shakes everyone and finally forces them, including Jamie, to examine the family dynamics and seek professional help. The story highlights that even loving parents don’t always make the right decisions. Additionally, the book explores sibling relationships and the difficulties that are caused by misconceptions and family expectations.  

The beginning of the book describes the conflict between the Christian school kids and the public-school kids at length. This section of the book feels rather odd, especially since there is only one scene in which the students interact: a water-balloon fight. The thread adds nothing to the story and breaks the flow.  

The Water You’re Swimming In blends Noah’s personal struggles at home and at school, which keeps the book interesting. Even though the swim competition is an important part of Noah’s plan to bring Jamie home, he spends little time in the pool and starts skipping practice to spend more time with his new friend, Alysha. While the story builds up the importance of the competition, there is little suspense when it finally arrives because the event isn’t described in much detail. Despite this, the book has many positive aspects, including a likable protagonist, an imperfect but loving family, and realistic conflicts. The Water You’re Swimming In encourages readers to express their feelings and not make assumptions about others. Readers who enjoy stories about friendship, family, and swimming should also read Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas, Deep Water by Jamie Sumner, and Live and Let Dive by Jake Maddox.  

Sexual Content  

  • Jamie’s friend, Alysha, breaks up with her girlfriend and finds a new one. 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • During dinner, the adults have a glass of wine.  
  • Noah’s grandma is an herbalist and uses plants to heal people. 
  • One evening, Noah’s parents drink wine. Jamie is given a sip of wine. His grandma drinks beer.  
  • Noah tells his new friend that some kids smoke cigarettes at the park. 
  • Noah goes into a bar to look for his brother. Two old men were drinking “large glasses of beer.” 

Language  

  • Heck is used five times. 
  • Darn is used once. 
  • Damn is used twice.  
  • Noah explains his family dynamics, saying, “Mom sometimes calls me her genius child, which I know secretly pisses Jamie off.” 
  • Oh my lord and OMG are each used as exclamations once. 
  • Noah gets sick after going to bed with wet hair. His grandma says, “Sleeping with a cold, wet head hat, what kind of fool are you? My God, you’re as hot as hellfire.” 
  • The kids at school call Noah a “nerd” and “teacher’s pet.” 
  • Jamie thinks he is an idiot. 
  • When a classmate is mean to Jamie, his friend asks, “Jeez, what’s up her butt?” 
  • Noah skips school to go look for his brother. Afterward, his mom asks, “What in dickens are you thinking, Noah?” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

Manatee Summer

Peter and his best friend, Tommy, have a goal for their last summer before middle school: finish their Discovery Journal, a catalog of the wildlife around their Florida town. When they spot a manatee in a canal, Peter knows they’ve found something special—and when the manatee is injured by a boat, something to protect! 

As Peter joins the fight to save Florida manatees, he also finds himself caring for his ailing grandfather and facing an unwelcome surprise that jeopardizes his friendship with Tommy. Soon, Peter is adrift, navigating shifting tides and realizing that he has as much to discover about himself as he does about the world around him. 

Manatee Summer focuses on Peter, who is given “Official Caregiver Duty” for his grandfather, Papa, who has Alzheimer’s. Peter believes that if he is the best caregiver ever, Papa won’t have times of confusion. Caring for Papa is stressful and, at times, Peter doesn’t know what to do. However, he doesn’t reach out to others for help because he doesn’t want anyone to know about Papa’s condition. Many readers will relate to Peter, who longs for a summer of freedom and fun, but instead faces family expectations and secrets. Like most middle-grade readers, Peter is trying to understand his own conflicting emotions and find his place in the world.  

Peter’s family obligations often conflict with Peter’s friendship with his best friend Tommy. Tommy has been hiding a secret of his own, and when Peter discovers this, he pretends that Tommy doesn’t exist. Peter’s relationships with his friends and family interfere with his desire to help the manatees. With everything going on in his life, Peter often feels powerless because “even if I can make a difference, it won’t fix everything. . . manatees will still be at risk. Animals all over the world will still be at risk. The problem is too big—so big it might just swallow me whole.”  

Manatee Summer tackles the difficult subject of Alzheimer’s in a child-friendly way that helps readers understand Peter’s feelings. Peter’s relationship with Tommy and his budding interest in activism are woven into the story, allowing readers to see how interconnected all his relationships are. In the end, Peter learns the importance of using his voice in his personal life and in public. The story also highlights that people are imperfect and that we often need to view others with compassion and understanding. The book’s only problem is that there are a few instances in which Peter reflects on morality. For instance, Cassidy, a young woman who works at a manatee rescue center, lies, saying she doesn’t hate public speaking. Afterward, Peter thinks, “Maybe it’s okay [to lie] if morality is relative.” Adults may want to discuss morality with younger readers.  

Manatee Summer is an engaging story that highlights the importance of caring for the natural world. Peter struggles with the changes in his life and his fear of public speaking. With the help of his family, Peter shows personal growth and realizes that fighting for what matters—friendship, family, and the manatee—is truly important. And although he cannot fix every problem in the world, he can make a difference in the lives of the manatees and the people in his community. Readers who want to learn more about helping wildlife should also read the Vet Volunteers Series by Laurie Halse Anderson and the Rescuing Animals from Disasters Series by Stephen Person. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Peter is on “Official Caregiver Duty” for his grandfather, Papa, who has Alzheimer’s. Peter has to give Papa his pills “at three o’clock.”  
  • During a hurricane, both Peter and Papa are injured and have to go to the hospital. The nurse gives them both painkillers. 
  • At a restaurant, a woman sings about “heartache and whiskey.” 

Language  

  • Jerk is used five times. For instance, Tommy tells Peter, “I don’t think you’re a jerk, though. You did act like a jerk. But that doesn’t mean you are a jerk.” 
  • One of the neighbors tells her husband, “Be nice, Eddie, Lord save you.” 
  • Oh God, God, and dear God are used as exclamations nine times.  
  • While talking to an adult, Peter’s mom says, “I swear to God, if you say another word to me about my son. . . you are not going to like what happens next.” 
  • An older man who is receiving physical therapy tells the therapist he “doesn’t need any dang help.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Peter goes to Emerald Springs State Park, he calls his mom to let her know they arrived. She replies, “Thank God.” 

The Stage of Shadows

Hana has always dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol. When she earns a scholarship to K-Pop Academy, Seoul’s most prestigious training school, she’s determined to work hard to make her dreams come true. However, when she arrives, she encounters the dark whispers of demons who are slowly taking over the school, feeding on fear and chaos. With her new friends, Hana must learn to fight against the darkness and protect everything she cares about. 

After Hana witnesses the shadowy forces behind the strange occurrences at K-Pop Academy, Principal Lee reveals that demons have infiltrated the school and are exploiting the students’ doubt and impacting their performance on stage. She recruits Hana to lead a team that will protect the school and fight back against the demons. Hana, along with her new friends Tae and Nari, forms the K-pop group AURA. At dance performances, the group attempts to fend off the demons and prevent them from infecting the students with fear. However, during a training session, Nari is pulled into a mirror dimension by demons. To rescue her, Hana teams up with her enemy, Soojin, hoping to reach perfect unity through dance and pierce the darkness. After much practice, the group is able to break through the mirror and pull Nari out, sealing the demons away. Soojin joins AURA, and together they become a bright K-pop group that promises to defend the academy from the demons. 

Hana, the main character, goes through the “new kid” school experience. However, the fast-paced nature of the book largely skips over Hana’s school struggles, which limits her relatability. Upon arriving at the academy, she instantly makes enemies with the school’s “Miss Perfect” and becomes friends with Tae and Nari. Despite being new, Hana is strong, confident, and determined to help her friends, making her a likable protagonist. Through her leadership and treatment of others, she provides a good role model for the reader. Her friends lift her up when she begins to doubt if she belongs. The interactions between Hana and her friends are charming, and while the other characters are underdeveloped, they make a strong group that serves as the heart of the story. 

As the debut work of author Mina Finch, The Stage of Shadows is imperfect. The book jumps straight into the mystery, and the fast-paced beginning leaves no time for the characters to develop. Instead, the plot focuses on hunting and battling demons, leaving the day-to-day experience of a K-Pop Academy student behind. Thus, some character details are not entirely clear, and some plot points feel somewhat random and convenient to the story rather than sufficiently developed and earned. However, the imperfect plot and inconsistencies do not detract from the book’s excitement and intrigue, and it delivers a good, albeit slightly repetitive, story arc that introduces the audience to the world of K-Pop Academy. 

The Stage of Shadows is marketed to K-Pop Demon Hunters fans and borrows elements from the hit movie, including special weapons to defeat demons and seal them back with song. However, the story makes enough additions to offer a fresh take on the premise of K-Pop Demon Hunters, including demons that feed on fear and inhabit a mirror “in between” dimension. It is clear the book was made to capitalize on the movie’s massive popularity. 

The book explores the themes of friendship and confidence. It promotes connection and kindness through its characters’ actions, such as the protagonist, Hana, working with her “frenemy,” Soojin, to save their friend, Nari. It mentions social classes within the academy but does not fully develop its potential to address the social and ethnic hierarchy of Korean society. However, it keeps the themes simple for its age range while drawing some attention to the unfairness of the social structure. 

K-Pop Academy: The Stage of Shadows immerses the reader in the world of K-pop, providing a behind-the-scenes view of the culture and training of the famous idols. It seamlessly blends action and demon-fighting with the art of musical performance while delivering a solid beginning to a series with great potential. The Stage of Shadows is sure to entertain young readers and satisfy those who are looking for an extension of their K-Pop Demon Hunters obsession. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

 Violence 

  • Two students get into a physical fight. There is no description of the actual fight. 
  • Hana fights a demon during a vocal performance. “She pivoted low and swept her leg through the air, and the shadow shimmered against her kick. She flipped again, arms slicing down. . . pinned the shadow under her, and slammed it down onto the polished floor.” The demon dies. The scene is described over a page.
  • Principal Lee gives Hana, Tae, and Nari a sword, bow, and daggers. The girls use them to fight and defeat demons. During one battle, “Their daggers and bow slashed through the air in practiced rhythm. They leapt, spun, and landed together, striking the floor at the same time. The shadows hissed and shattered.” 
  • Tae fights a demon. “She grabbed the wriggling shadow by its tail, whipping it back and forth against the wall like a wet towel. Whack. Whack. Whack. It let out a hiss and popped into smoke.” 
  • During a performance, demons attack and burn the lead singer. “Her feet skidded out of sync. Something dark, a faint gray line, shimmered over her wrist. She pressed a hand to it, eyes wide. Then a beat later, her perfect smile was back, but her other hand trembled faintly as she raised the mic.” 
  • When the girls are practicing, they are attacked by demons. “Hana swung. Her blade cut through the air and shadow both, leaving a trail of light that hissed like steam. The thing recoiled, reforming instantly.” The demons capture Nari and drag her into a mirror. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • Soojin calls others “clumsy buffalos.” 
  • “Unnie” is used as a term for a new student. It is sometimes used rudely. 
  • Hana is referred to as a “dirt spoon” to represent her low social standing among the students. “Silver spoon” and “gold spoon” are used to refer to higher social tiers. 
  • The girls talk about Soojin behind her back, referencing nepotism many times. 

Supernatural 

  • In the book, there are demons called Eoduksini that come from the underworld and feed off of fear and doubt. They latch onto people and enhance their fear. 
  • Hana’s grandmother describes someone as having “the fire of a demon in her.” 
  • After two girls get in a fight, Hana describes it “as if they’d been possessed.” 
  • Jason uses a demon-detection device to sense demons. It can also sense Nari’s life energy when she is pulled into the mirror. 
  • A demon pulls Nari through a mirror into another dimension “between here and. . . there.” 
  • Demons are said to hate red ink. 
  • The girls use runes to save Nari from the mirror. 

Spiritual Content  

  • Demons are not referred to in a religious context. 

by Brent Krueger

The Abduction

When his best friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theodore Boone—who knows April better than anyone—has answers. As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it’s up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April. 

The Abduction focuses on Theo as he follows the clues, looking for April. The story involves Leeper, a distant relative of April, who has just gotten out of jail. Theo’s determination and worry over April make him likable. However, to find his friend, Theo takes off with his uncle Ike, even though he knows his parents would disapprove. In addition, Theo convinces his friend to lie for him. While his intentions are honorable—save his friend—his deceit is intentional. After finding April, Theo calls his parents to explain why he lied to them and receives no punishment. 

Since the book is written from Theo’s point of view, much of the action is only seen through his perspective. Instead of being an active participant, Theo watches the investigation. For example, when police find a body in the river, Theo and his friends watch from a hillside. This provides readers with a buffer between the crime’s harshness and the information they receive. The book stays accessible to younger readers because they witness the characters’ fear from the outside rather than feeling it themselves. 

When Theo and his uncle find April, the scene is anti-climactic because she was never in any real danger. After she is found, they take a long car ride back home, and the book ends with a court hearing involving April and her parents. The lack of action makes The Abduction best suited for readers who enjoy learning about police investigations and character motives. Even though the book isn’t as action-packed as other books in the series, Theo is an interesting protagonist who gives readers an inside look at criminal investigations.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • April says her parents are “crazy” and have “drug convictions.” 
  • April’s mom left her alone at night because “her mother was taking pills and losing her mind.” 
  • Leeper, a relative of April, bought “cigarettes and beer.” 
  • A man who is mentioned once spent most of the evening in his favorite bar, drinking his favorite cheap beer. 
  • Theo’s uncle Ike represented a client who was “convicted for operating a small-time drug ring.” 
  • When Theo went to visit Ike, he had a “bottle of beer already opened.” 
  • Theo and Ike go to a frat party. “Theo had never seen so many cans of beer in his young life. Girls were dancing on the porch as their dates watched them and smoked cigarettes.” Theo also sees two cans of beer. 
  • April says her father’s band drinks and does drugs.

Language  

  • Theo’s mom says, “Oh, my God” one time. 
  • April says “Omigosh” once. 
  • Theo thinks his mother is “a Nazi about his cell phone bill.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When April returned home, “the entire town took a deep breath, smiled, and thanked God for a miracle.” 

Orca in Open Water

When an orca is rescued from an Oceanarium, a less reputable aquarium, and brought to Seaside Sanctuary, the seaside marine biology facility where her parents work, Elsa Roth is excited to help with the animal’s care and rehabilitation. It’s a crucial step before it can be released into the wild. But the whale has been in captivity for a long time. It’s up to Elsa and the rest of the sanctuary staff to teach the animal how to live on its own — the whale’s survival depends on it. 

Elsa and Olivia are excited to join a month-long expedition aboard a ship to research orcas near the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. On their first day out, they find a baby orca who has been separated from his pod. The two girls immediately jump in to help capture the starving orca. The girls are admirable because they both care deeply about animals and are willing to help in any capacity, including handling slimy, live fish. In this installment of the Seaside Sanctuary, the girls spend much of their time learning about orcas. 

The story’s conflict centers on a dispute over what is best for August, a baby orca who has become separated from his pod. The sanctuary staff believes the orca should be returned to his pod. On the other hand, Oceanarium wants August to live in their facility and eventually be showcased in live performances. From the beginning, Oceanarium is villainized. For instance, Oceanarium is compared to a prison, where the animals are “thrust into a cell with a total stranger.” The book goes on to explain, “Oceanarium is a company whose goal is to make money. They capture young mammals, like bottlenose dolphins and orcas, plus other animals like seals, and train them to do tricks in shows. It’s not natural for the animals, and it’s cruel.” In its effort to show the importance of rehabilitating animals and returning them to the wild, Orca in Open Water’s portrayal of Oceanarium is one-sided.  

Anyone who has been to SeaWorld will make the connection between the two marine mammal parks, which may upset younger readers. Despite this, Orca in Open Water will appeal to animal-loving readers. The story is told in ten short chapters, and each begins with a black-and-white illustration. The end of the book includes a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and additional information about orcas. The books in the Seaside Sanctuary Series can be read in any order because each tells a new adventure.   

Overall, Orca in Open Water is a fast-paced, entertaining story that gives readers an in-depth look at orca culture. Like the other installments in the series, the book highlights the importance of humans keeping away from wild animals so they can be returned to their natural habitat. The main characters, Elsa and Olivia, act like typical middle graders just learning how to fight for a cause. Their adventure shows the importance of advocating for those without a voice, like August. Plus, the beautiful ending depicts August being reunited with his family, one very similar to a human family. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • While visiting Oceanarium, Elsa learns that the orcas “attack each other and fight, which they never do in the wild. Some orcas have even killed others because they’re just tossed in a tank together. They even attacked the trainers and hurt them.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Crash From Outer Space: Unraveling the Mystery of Flying Saucers, Alien Beings, and Roswell

In 1947, during the early years of the Cold War, a field in Roswell, New Mexico was disturbed by a strange crash and smattering of debris. Some say the bodies of extraterrestrial beings were strewn across the ground, that a UFO had crashed there, and that the government was covering up the evidence in a massive conspiracy. But what really happened at Roswell? 

The infamous “crash from outer space” has become a fixture in our culture, inspiring a surge of UFO sightings and conspiracy theories. But at its heart is the story of military scientists, a city on the brink of the Cold War, and a debris field scattered with mystery. What was it that actually crashed at Roswell? Were alien bodies found? Was it Russian spies? Secret military technology? And did the government try to hide what they found? 

Crash From Outer Space takes an in-depth look at the witnesses and evidence surrounding the Roswell UFO sightings, beginning with the first evidence that came to light—a press release from the military. Fleming expertly walks readers through all of the evidence, and at times explains why it was deemed “bogus.” Since most of the physical evidence was taken by the military, there is a lot of speculation about what it actually proved. Readers who want to play detective and have all the clues point in one direction will be disappointed. Many of the clues in Crash From Outer Space can be interpreted in several ways, and even today, not everyone agrees about what happened in Roswell. 

Most of the evidence comes from witnesses, so it is important for readers to assess the credibility of each source. Crash From Outer Space forces readers to think critically about whether witness testimony and the information presented are credible by using criteria for weighing evidence, such as whether the witness is an expert and whether other experts have studied the information. The book also discusses the validity of witnesses who “merely repeated what someone else had said.” Furthermore, there are many instances of “extraordinary evidence” given. To help readers think critically about the evidence, Fleming breaks down the basic principles of critical thinking into five categories. This allows readers to put the information into perspective and use the scientific method to determine if the evidence is reliable.  

Using news reports, witness testimony, photographs, and other evidence, Crash From Outer Space allows readers to examine the complicated history of the Roswell alien crash. Fleming breaks down the information into manageable sections and includes black-and-white illustrations, photographs, and historical documents. This information helps readers understand why experts don’t always agree. For example, the book shows photographs of lights in the sky, which some believe prove aliens have visited Earth. Despite the large amount of information, the book is easy to read and engaging. 

Crash From Outer Space is a must-read book for anyone interested in UFOs. Moreover, any young person who wants to understand the importance of evaluating evidence should read the book. In today’s world of fake news, chatbots, and AI, Crash From Outer Space challenges readers to look at evidence objectively and warns that people often trust witnesses even when they are not credible. This book helps readers develop media literacy and critical thinking skills and learn to analyze both sides of the story. Anyone who wants to understand the Roswell incident better will love Crash From Outer Space.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • During World War II, the United States dropped “atomic bombs—more powerful than anything previously made by humankind—on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The bombs had essentially vaporized both cities, and killed a quarter of a million people.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

On Pins and Needles

Zoey Webber returns in the second installment of the Sew Zoey series, reentering the familiar yet evolving landscape of middle school with her characteristic creativity and resolve. The narrative returns readers to Zoey’s world, sustaining the series’ momentum. Defining moments emerge, including Zoey’s anticipation of meeting her fashion idol, her first crush, and her decision to enter an important sewing competition. At the same time, the story introduces a more complex emotional conflict. Misunderstandings create tension between Zoey and her two close friends, testing her views on loyalty. The central question becomes whether Zoey can fix her struggling friendships before they fall apart, while still chasing her dreams and holding on to her confidence. 

On Pins and Needles continues the journey of 12-year-old Zoey as her DIY fashion blog gains momentum, expanding both her creative voice and her presence in the emerging social media landscape. Each chapter opens with a blog entry addressed directly to her followers, offering insight into her daily life and the designs currently taking shape in her imagination. A school football game sparks one of her earliest creations, an unexpected dress inspired by the comfort of a sports jersey, a soft, breathable knit fabric known for its stretch. Zoey reflects, “That’s what I love about making clothes: all the happy surprises that it brings!” 

Zoey’s network of support grows stronger, highlighting how resilience is built through connections with others. Cecily Chen, her fashion idol, steps into a mentoring role, helping Zoey move past school tensions and think strategically about her brand. Jan, the fabric store owner, proudly connects them at a book signing, while Aunt Lulu and Zoey’s immediate family provide steady emotional grounding at home. The return of a mysterious benefactor whose earlier kindness shaped Zoey’s journey in the first story underscores the power of encouragement. Together, these figures model perseverance, generosity, and integrity, giving Zoey clear examples of how to carry herself with confidence.  

In the previous book, boys were not something Zoey spent much time thinking about. In On Pins and Needles, a classmate named Lorenzo enters the picture, prompting Zoey to question her confidence in her appearance. For the first time, she feels jealousy as she watches him pay attention to her best friend, Kate, while openly rejecting her during a lunchroom conversation. The humiliation that follows is a reaction many twelve-year-old girls will recognize. The text explains, “It wasn’t as if Zoey didn’t get attention herself these days, but it was for her clothes, and that felt very different from getting attention for her looks.”  

“I will not be jealous,” Zoey tells herself, even as she struggles with her feelings toward Kate. At the same time, Cecily Chen invites Zoey to enter a sewing contest in which the winning design will be reproduced and sold in stores. With only five days to create something, the pressure mounts. It is an exciting opportunity, yet Zoey feels increasingly strained as tension with Kate deepens, fueled by her lingering feelings of rejection and jealousy over Lorenzo. The situation worsens when she misses a soccer tournament she had promised to attend, allowing readers to sense the growing distance between the girls. As the text notes, “Zoey had never gone so many days without talking to Kate, and she realized she missed her a lot.” Complicating matters further, Zoey becomes entangled in a misunderstanding with her close friend Libby, whose aunt is one of the contest judges. Libby begins to question whether Zoey’s friendship is genuine or influenced by this family connection to the competition and its prize. Caught between ambition, loyalty, and insecurity, Zoey reaches a difficult emotional crossroads, and readers can feel her inner turmoil. 

On Pins and Needles opens each chapter with illustrations that offer a visual glimpse of what Zoey’s sketches might look like, without directly showing her sketchbook or blog. Zoey continues to treat her blog as a diary, sharing candid reflections with her followers about the highs and lows of creative expression. Concerned about her privacy, her father intervenes by logging into the blog and editing her posts, believing he is protecting her. Instead, his actions add another misunderstanding, intensifying the strain already building within her friendships. 

The story thoughtfully uses metaphor to explore the effort required to repair strained relationships. Zoey describes her situation as a “friendship emergency,” comparing it to mending fabric. “You take threads from the fabric itself and use it to fill in the hole, so it basically disappears. . . They say it is just as strong, if not stronger, in the end.” 

As in the first story, specific vocabulary is intentionally introduced, including terms such as “accordion pleats,” “basting stitches,” and “tracing wheel.” The text also incorporates fabric terminology such as “ikat” and “ombré,” along with technical terms from fashion, such as “muslin test dress” and “adjustable dress form.” These specialized terms are supported through clear textual context, allowing readers to build understanding and reinforce new vocabulary without disrupting comprehension.  

As the second book in the series, On Pins and Needles delivers all the elements of an engaging read and leaves readers eager to follow Zoey’s journey. The story closes with relief and resolution, rewarding readers as Zoey works through misunderstandings and restores her friendships. The dual backdrop of Zoey’s creative world and her relatable school life provides an ideal setting for teens to confront difficult emotions, make sense of them, and ultimately find a positive way forward. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Maureen Lowe 

American Dog: Poppy

The summer before sixth grade, Hannah and her family moved to California. Hannah has no friends, and she doesn’t know what to do with herself. With a large birthmark on her face, Hannah feels like an outcast, and she’s nervous about making friends. After her family settles into their new house, Hannah finds an unruly pit bull named Poppy. Hannah connects with Poppy because they’re both judged on appearances—Hannah for her birthmark, Poppy for being a pit bull. Hannah discovers that the dog, Poppy, belongs to her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gilly, who is recovering from surgery and can no longer manage an energetic dog, so she may have to return Poppy to the shelter. Hannah is distraught, but when Mrs. Gilly sees how much she cares for Poppy, she makes Hannah a deal. If Hannah can get Poppy certified as an obedient dog that follows commands, Mrs. Gilly will be able to keep her, which means Hannah won’t lose her only friend. 

Hannah struggles to connect with the other neighborhood girls her age, especially Sophia, who makes mean comments about Hannah’s birthmark. Because she has no friends, Hannah spends her summer attending a dog obedience class with Poppy. Throughout the summer, Hannah contends with bullies, Poppy’s frustrating inability to follow instructions, and the loss of her home. Hannah is an interesting and inspiring character because of how she deals with her struggles as an anxious tween. The way she conquers her fears feels realistic. Many of her issues come from her interpreting situations with paranoia, leaving her feeling ostracized when that’s not actually what’s happening—like when she decides that everyone at the dog training class is judging her skills with Poppy, but in reality, not many people notice. Poppy forces Hannah into new situations that ultimately help her adapt to her new environment in a beautiful way. Hannah’s relationship with Poppy is incredibly sweet, and they help each other become less anxious.  

That said, a few details could be improved. For example, the book is predictable and repeats the same patterns. For example, two cakes are destroyed in two similar situations with dissimilar outcomes—but these outcomes don’t show Hannah’s or Poppy’s character development. Additionally, Sophia’s two best friends, who disapprove of Sophia bullying Hannah, are too similar and would be better suited to the story as a single character. Sophia’s two friends both fawn over Poppy, love animals, surf a lot, and welcome Hannah with open arms. Even though they’re friends with Sophia, they cheer Hannah on. These characters don’t affect the story much, and it would be similar if they were a single character.  

American Dog: Poppy has well-developed themes that suit the intended audience of middle school kids perfectly. The way the author dissects anxiety from Hannah’s perspective is accurate. Many readers will feel empowered by reading about how Hannah conquers her fears and makes new friends. One primary theme includes not judging things by their appearance. 

For the animal lovers and those who like coming-of-age stories, Poppy’s enthusiasm and Hannah’s brave evolution will be a fun read. This book is full of moments when pets emotionally support their owners, new friendships, and second chances—especially when Hannah takes Poppy in, giving Poppy a second chance. It’s wonderful to read how Hannah comes into her own as a protagonist and grows when challenged. Overall, this is a delightful story with a beautiful message: things are never as bad as you think, especially when you have good friends. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The story includes bullying, but it never escalates to physical altercation. However, Hannah is often excluded or looked at strangely. For example, Hannah is often bullied by Sophia, a new neighbor. When Hannah first meets Sophia, Sophia reacts poorly to Hannah’s birthmark. Sophia says, “What’s wrong with her face?” This makes Hannah feel insecure. Throughout the book, Sophia tries to exclude Hannah from her friend group by making comments like these. 
  • Much of Sophia’s bullying also comes from Poppy’s actions. At Sophia’s dog’s party, Poppy eats the entire dog cake, leaving none for the other dogs. Again, Sophia reacts poorly and says to Hannah, “I knew it was a mistake to invite you.” Hannah leaves the party in tears.  
  • At the obedience class graduation party, Poppy plays with a terrier dog. The terrier dog ruins a cake meant for the dogs while playing with Poppy. The owner, Carol, is offended. Carol blames Poppy for engaging with the terrier, and, by extension, Hannah for her dog’s mistake. Carol says to Hannah, “Your dog has been nothing but trouble all summer. . . your dog is a menace.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Kate Schuyler 

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