Reading Level: Elementary

In the Deep Blue Sea

Jack and his genius siblings, Ava and Matt, embark on an adventure with Dr. Hank Witherspoon. They are off to the remote Hawaiian island home of Ashley Hawking, a technology billionaire. Hawking and engineer Rosa Morris have built a revolutionary electricity plant that harvests energy from the ocean’s depths, but someone has sabotaged the project.

In his search for the culprit, Jack ventures 2,000 feet below the ocean surface in a homemade submarine. He, Ava, and Matt attend the world’s strangest birthday party, face off against an arrogant young genius, and find themselves lost at sea. The three siblings have to use all their brainpower and cunning to find out who’s behind the sabotage . . . and to survive.

Maya, a Native Hawaiian, is an interesting addition to the cast of characters. While trying to solve the mystery, Jack, Ava, Matt, and Maya are swept into the ocean on a boat that Maya made. The boat is “an exact re-creation of the boats the ancient Polynesians used to cross the Pacific and populate all these islands.” Maya’s knowledge of her ancestors helps her navigate to safety. She says, “My ancestors didn’t just use the stars. They also figured out where they were on the ocean based on the direction of different swells and currents and whether they’d been bent around an island.” Even though Ava and Matt are geniuses, Maya’s ancestors’ knowledge saves the group.   

In the Deep Blue Sea is an exciting book with many suspects that Jack and his siblings investigate. The two suspects, Steven and his bazillionaire mother, are despicable humans who prove that being rich doesn’t equal being happy. Steven’s mother isn’t concerned about harming the island or its wildlife; her lack of concern reinforces the importance of respecting and preserving nature.  

The Jack and the Geniuses Series is perfect for readers who love mysteries, action, and adventure. While the book has plenty of suspenseful and exciting scenes, they are broken up with humor and interspersed with cool science facts. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone novel because every book takes place in a new location with a new mystery. In the Deep Blue Sea is an entertaining story that encourages readers to think outside the box, just like Jack and the other kids do in order to survive and solve the mystery. After following Jack and his siblings into the deep blue sea, readers will be eager to read the next book in the series, Lost in the Jungle, where the siblings face dangers lurking in the Amazon Jungle. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • A saboteur blows up an electrical plant. No one is injured.   

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Steven, the son of a millionaire, calls Jack and the geniuses “ignorant fools” and “imbeciles.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • One of the characters refers to the Hawaiian fire goddess, Pele. 
  • Before a storm, Maya sees little ripples on the surface of the ocean that she calls “the breath of Paka’a, the god of wind. . . The first whispers of a powerful wind—the signs of a coming storm.”  

Snow One Like You

Mia can’t wait for the Winter Festival—it’s what her hometown of Flurry, Vermont, is famous for. Plus, maybe she can work up the courage to show the cute new boy, Yoshi, how much fun snowball fights can be. There’s just one problem: the weather forecast isn’t predicting a single snowflake before the big day. And what is a Winter Festival without snow?  

Canceling the festival would spell disaster for the local businesses, including the cozy inn that Mia’s family runs. With the town in chaos, Mia is suddenly at odds with Yoshi and her best friend, Lark. Can Mia save the festival in time . . . or is she in for a wintry mix of troubles? 

Snow One Like You is a playful book that focuses on Mia’s first crush. Since Yoshi is new to Flurry, Mia has the opportunity to introduce him (and the reader) to the fun snow-filled Winter Festival. However, with no snow in the forecast, Mia and Yoshi will have to jump into action and find a way to save the festival! 

While the book focuses on Mia and Yoshi’s relationship, her family also plays a significant role. Mia’s parents are divorced and have remarried, but all of the adults are cordial to each other. This is one of the reasons that Mia is so upset when she overhears a conversation about her mother being forced to sell the inn and move away. Mia worries about moving and not being able to see her father or her half-sisters. Mia’s fear increases the stakes involved in making sure the Winter Festival doesn’t get canceled.  

Snow One Like You has a diverse cast of characters that includes Mia’s best friend Lark, who has cerebral palsy. Lark is an admirable character because she isn’t afraid to answer questions about her cerebral palsy and she doesn’t let cerebral palsy stop her from being an athlete, who can rock climb and swim. Unfortunately, Snow One Like You misses the opportunity to incorporate any cultural identity into the characters.  

Snow One Like You is a cute romance that is perfect for middle-grade readers. Middle-grade readers will enjoy the flirtatious romance that concludes when Yoshi kisses Mia, but only after Yoshi asks for permission. The book also shows the importance of honest communication and empathy for others. For example, Mia’s stepfather tells her, “Everyone is dealing with their own heartaches and their own trouble, and just because they’re smiling doesn’t mean they’re okay.” This theme is reinforced through several of the characters and there is a brief mention of an adult seeing a therapist. 

Snow One Like You introduces readers to the romance genre by focusing on Mia’s crush in a way that is appropriate for younger readers. The character-driven plot is easy to follow; however, the book has a slow start. Neither the plot nor the characters are unique, but readers will enjoy seeing how Mia deals with her first crush and other friendship problems. Snuggle up with more winter-themed books by reading Secret Snowflake by Taylor Garland, Cold As Ice by Sarah Mlynowski, and Kat Wolfe On Thin Ice by Lauren St. John. 

Sexual Content  

  • Mia talks about her first crush. For example, after talking to Yoshi, Mia thinks, “Flirting is . . . kind of fun. In addition to being terrifying.”  
  • Yoshi asks Mia if he can kiss her. Mia “lean[s] forward, his words propelling me, and my lips brush against his. . . He smiles that tiny, hidden smile that I like so much, and then he leans forward until his lips hover over mine again.” The kiss is described in a paragraph. 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Heck is used occasionally. 
  • OMG, oh my God, and other variations are used occasionally. 
  • Several times, Mia calls herself a dork, a dolt, and an idiot. One time, she thinks, “I’m so dumb.” 
  • After Mia calls herself an idiot, one of her sisters starts screaming, “Idiot! Idiot!” 
  • When Lark gets angry, Mia texts, “That was kind of crappy of me. I’m a terrible friend.” 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • Mia thinks of her parents (mom, dad, step-mom, and step-dad) all getting along. “For the millionth time, if there is any weirdness between [her parents] . . . they push it out of sight. 
  • While babysitting her three young sisters, Mia is exhausted. “I’m personally praying that I can get through their bedtime before I face-plant into my own bed.”  
  • Mia’s stepmom, Shannon, “would wear yoga pants if she were the churchgoing type.” 

Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth

Gareth is definitely not an ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, he’s got the power to travel through time. The instant he tells Jason this, the two of them are in ancient Egypt, on the first of nine amazing adventures that Jason will never forget! 

From ancient Egypt to Rome, from Japan to the American Revolution, Jason is taken on a whirlwind adventure with Gareth. Together, they meet friends, escape enemies, and learn how different cultures view cats. Some, like Egypt, worshiped cats. Others thought cats were magic creatures and either praised or feared them. But everywhere they go, one thing is the same: Jason and Gareth always discover an adventure.  

Time Cat takes readers on a brief yet lively journey through nine different cultures. The book is exciting and fun because it features fights, kings, witch burnings, and revolutions. While each culture is explored over two short chapters, Lloyd Alexander creates such a vivid picture of each place that readers will feel as if they’ve traveled to these time periods alongside Jason and Gareth.  

Jason is a likable protagonist whom readers will enjoy getting to know. He isn’t perfect and sometimes gets into trouble, but he is earnest and always willing to help others. The author portrays Jason’s cat, Gareth, in a realistic way that captures cats’ behavior. Gareth is amusing and aloof, as cats usually are, and will steal readers’ hearts away.   

Each time period and place are given equal coverage—two chapters. Jason and Gareth start their travels in ancient Egypt and go on to meet many interesting people, such as King Miliuc of Ireland, the Old Cats of Caesar, and German witch hunters. While readers may not understand all the historical references, this does not make the book less enjoyable. Along the journey, Jason teaches others about cats, and people learn life lessons such as the importance of curiosity and confidence. Time Cat is perfect for anyone who enjoys action and adventure sprinkled with humor. And, of course, it will appeal to all cat lovers, young and old. If you want to snuggle up with additional books featuring cats, check out the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter, Random Acts of Kittens by Yamile Saied Méndez, and Storm Rescue by Laurie Halse Anderson.  

Sexual Content  

  • When Jason leaves Ireland, “the princess hastily kissed him on the cheek.” 

Violence  

  • While on the march with the Romans, there is a battle between the Romans and the Britons. “Arrows sang through the air. The legionaries hurled their spears. Howling and shrieking, the Britons poured across the beach.” Jason and Gareth run away before they see any more of the battle.  
  • A wildcat attacks Gareth. “The animal began a long whine, ending with a snarling, toothy kind of cough. Then it leaped. Gareth grappled with the animal in mid-air. Two bodies thrashed on the ground and turned into a spinning, spitting ball. One screamed—Jason could not tell which.” Gareth gets a few scratches but ends up okay.  
  • A man holds “a long, ugly spear pointed at Jason’s throat” and forces Jason to come to his village. He does not hurt Jason.  
  • Gareth kills a snake before it can strike. “Gareth caught it behind its flat skull. The serpent’s tail lashed out and wound around Gareth’s body. Over and over, the fighters rolled across the floor. Gareth was on his back now, his hind paws furiously kicking.” The fight is described over a page.  
  • A woman warns Jason about witch hunters, who think “[cats are] poor little things. They say devils hide in them. Two days ago, the witch hunters drowned fifty—and burned another fifty. Poor suffering animals. My little tabby was with them.”  
  • Jason and his cat are accused of being demons in disguise, and a judge declares, “You will be burned at the stake in the morning.” They escape. 
  • In America, Jason sees the British fight the Minutemen. “The sword of a British officer flashed downward; the snick of flintlocks rattled along the scarlet line. Jason saw the flash and then heard the musketry crack like a giant whip. The Minutemen raced through the drifting smoke toward the Regulars, firing, reloading, crouching behind hillocks and large clumps of grass.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None

Supernatural  

  • Gareth is a cat who can talk to Jason. 
  • Gareth does not have nine lives, but he can travel to nine different historical places. “I’ll tell you a secret. I only have one life. With a difference: I can visit . . . I can visit nine different lives. Anywhere, anytime, any country, any century.”  
  • In Ireland, they think Jason and his cat are magicians. King Miliuc says, “That’s what we need. Some new magic from afar.” He says the spells of his court magician “are a little worn at the edges.”  
  • The Irish think “spirits live under the hills. They call them the Little People.”  
  • Jason meets the man who will become Saint Patrick. The man says, “We have the Christian faith in my land . . . but there is none of that in Erin, only magic and superstition and the Little People under every blade of grass.”  
  • In old Germany, Jason sees a man trying to summon a spirit. “‘By the spirit of Zazamonkh!’ the man exclaimed, picking up a long rod and tracing a circle at his feet. He went tramping around the circle . . . ‘Asmodeus! Ahriman! Beelzebub!’ the man cried. ‘Appear! I command you!’” 
  • The witch hunters in old Germany think that “cats bring on hail storms, they say, and winds. Cats have the evil eye, to bewitch whatever they look at. They can turn themselves invisible or fly through the air. They take the shape of a witch and a witch takes the shape of a cat.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • When Gareth and Jason travel to ancient Egypt, Gareth says, “The Egyptians worship us, you know . . . They have all kinds of sacred animals, but the cat—ah, the cat is most important. We’re sacred to the great goddess Ubaste of the Sun and Moon.”  
  • The Pharoah Neter-Khet of Egypt is a young boy. He tells Jason, “All my subjects worship me—I’m a god, you know—my slaves are building the finest pyramid in Egypt, so things will be comfortable for me in the Other World.”  
  • A Roman soldier asks for an omen. “O Mars, god of battles, mighty Jupiter, father of the gods, or whatever it is the regimental augur says. Shall this boy and this cat march with us?”  
  • Gareth meets some druids who believe in spirits. One man says that they “pray to the spirit of the catamountain.” 

Jasmine Toguchi, Flamingo Keeper

Jasmine’s best friend, Linnie, has just gotten a puppy. And now Jasmine wants a pet of her own—a flamingo! So, when her grandmother sends Jasmine a daruma wishing doll as a surprise gift, Jasmine colors in one doll eye and wishes for a flamingo to keep.

Next, Jasmine tries to convince her parents that she’s responsible enough for a pet. She cleans her room, brushes her teeth, takes out the trash, and, most importantly, researches everything she can about flamingos. But soon it becomes clear that her wish may never come true! Will Jasmine’s Daruma doll ever get its second eye? Luckily her big sister, Sophie, has a surprise planned that fulfills Jasmine’s wish beyond her wildest dreams. 

When Jasmine, the spunky protagonist, receives a daruma—a wishing doll—she thinks her wish of a pet flamingo might come true. But Jasmine’s grandmother tells her that in order to make the wish come true, Jasmine has to work hard. At first, Jasmine is disappointed, but then she realizes that she has worked hard to make other wishes come true. For example, “For our school talent show, I wished to have a great talent to show off and I learned how to play the taiko drum.”  

After this realization, Jasmine does extra chores to show that she is responsible enough for a pet and researches how to care for a flamingo. However, she soon realizes that her backyard wouldn’t make a good home for a flamingo. In the end, Jasmine’s mom helps her finds a unique solution that allows Jasmine’s wish to come true. While Jasmine doesn’t get a pet flamingo, her sister gives her a sweet surprise that gives the story a realistic and happy conclusion.   

The story is accessible to fluent readers who are ready for a book with multiple plots. Black and white illustrations appear every two to three pages and show Jasmine’s daily life. Many of the illustrations show the characters’ facial expressions, which will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. For more fun, the back of the book has directions on how to make a Daruma doll craft. Even though Jasmine Toguchi is a series, the books do not need to be read in order because each book focuses on a new storyline.   

Jasmine Toguchi, Flamingo Keeper will appeal to a wide range of readers because of the relatable conflicts and likable characters. While the story revolves around Jasmine’s wish to have a pet flamingo, the story also showcases Jasmine’s traditional two-parent family. Jasmine’s family has healthy communication skills and positive interactions. Readers will also learn the importance of having a “thinking spot” where they can go and quietly sit as they try to sort through their emotions. Overall, Jasmine Toguchi, Flamingo Keeper teaches positive life lessons with an engaging story that young readers will love. If you’d like to meet another kind protagonist with an interesting story to tell, check out the Diary of an Ice Princess Series by Christina Soontornvat.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Jasmine’s grandmother sends wishing dolls called darumas. Mom explains, “You make a wish and color in one eye. When the wish is fulfilled, you color in the other eye.”  
  • Jasmine wishes for a flamingo and then wonders, “Was the daruma like Santa Claus, and he would bring the flamingo to me down the chimney? Or was it magical like wishing on birthday candles?” 

Spiritual Content  

  • The back of the book explains the tradition behind the daruma doll. “The daruma doll is based on a real person, a Buddhist monk who sat in meditation for many years. It is his perseverance that is embodied in the daruma doll.” 

Grandma Elephant’s in Charge

Elephants are the biggest animals on land, and they live in big families, too. So who can possibly keep them in line? Grandma! 

Every elephant in the herd looks to Grandma to tell them how to find the best watering holes, gather the tastiest food, and sniff out danger. And you better be certain that when Grandma lays down the law, everybody pays attention.  

Teach young readers about elephants by reading Grandma Elephant’s in Charge, an entertaining and educational book about the everyday life of a family of elephants. The book uses a conversational tone to tell the story of an elephant’s family. Readers will learn how Grandma Elephant helps her family. Fun facts are also interspersed throughout the book. For example, when Grandma leads the herd “up the cliff to the salt lick,” a different font underneath the story text reads, “Salt licks are places where the earth is full of minerals. Lots of animals eat the salty earth there, which helps to keep them healthy.”  

Each page uses the soft colors of brown, green, and blue. The elephants are the focus of each picture and the landscapes fade into the background. Several pictures emphasize Grandma’s large size compared to the other elephants in the herd. Each page also has three to five complex sentences with some difficult vocabulary such as boisterous, scolding, and investigate. Even though Grandma Elephant’s in Charge is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. 

Grandma Elephant’s in Charge is the perfect book for readers interested in the day-to-day life of an elephant. The full-page illustrations are awe-inspiring, but some text-heavy pages may be daunting for young readers. If you’d like to rumble through the savanna and meet Grandma Elephant, then step into the book Grandma Elephant’s in Charge. Readers interested in learning more fun facts about animals should also read the What If Series by Sandra Markle. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up

After her parents separated, Rory March chose to move to Cincinnati, Ohio, with her dad. Rory’s dad was recently hired as the men’s basketball coach for the University of Cincinnati, a role that previously belonged to his own father. Naturally, Rory is a huge fan of basketball. As she enters eighth grade at a new school, she plans to join the school’s basketball team and become good friends with her teammates. Although Rory is terrific at basketball, she has very little experience making friends. With her dad constantly moving between colleges, Rory has never stayed in one place long enough to form a close friendship.  

On her first day at school, Rory meets Abby Allenbach, a funny and talkative classmate who feels like an outcast. The two girls connect since Abby shares Rory’s love for basketball, and Abby’s dad is also the men’s basketball team coach at Xavier University. Although Rory and Abby support rival teams, they become fast friends. When Abby’s father hears about this, he tells her to stay away from the March family for her own good. Rory and Abby soon discover their fathers’ rivalry extends beyond the court. They were best friends until some mysterious falling out in eighth grade. Not wanting to keep their friendship a secret, Rory and Abby work together to uncover the cause of their dads’ split, hopeful that they will be able to repair their broken friendship. 

Although the girls’ investigation initially provides a fun way for Rory and Abby to bond, fractures in their friendship begin to show as Rory repeatedly spends her time with her basketball team and Abby finds friends and a sense of belonging at a nearby school. Will these two fix the mistake that drove their dads apart, or are they bound to repeat it themselves? 

Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is a heartfelt middle-grade novel with an intriguing mystery and a pair of likable protagonists. Each chapter switches between Rory’s and Abby’s points of view, allowing the reader to understand each character’s perspective and follow the thought process that leads to each misunderstanding and miscommunication. While the story is centered on interpersonal conflict, at no point does the drama feel inauthentic or forced for plot progression. Bishop writes Rory and Abby like realistic tweens, each with unique strengths, flaws, and insecurities. By following each character’s perspective, the reader gains a strong understanding of both Rory and Abby and sees each side of the argument.  

Along with its emotional maturity and humor, the book has an excellent command of mystery. Chapters set in the 1990s are interspersed throughout the book to show the friendship and eventual split of Rory’s and Abby’s dads. This non-linear story structure allows the reader to uncover the mystery along with Rory and Abby. Following the perspectives of two rocky friendships, the book shows readers the importance of openness, communication, and being supportive.  

Overall, Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is sure to delight any reader with a passion for basketball or a familiarity with Cincinnati’s landmarks and customs. As a local Cincinnatian myself, I especially enjoyed the many city-specific references in the book. However, readers outside of Cincinnati will not feel lost. If anything, they will likely become all the more attached to Rory’s character, relating to her confusion around such oddities as chili on top of spaghetti.  However, if you belong to neither group, there is still plenty in the book to enjoy. In her afterword, Bishop explains that she did not grow up in Cincinnati and played little basketball in middle school. Her main intention was to tell a heartfelt story that would show the importance of friendship, forgiveness, and surrounding yourself with people who accept and uplift you. Free Throws, Friendship, and other Things We Fouled Up is certainly that story. 

Sexual Content 

  • Rory and Abby play a game called “Kiss, Marry, Kill.” 
  • Abby walks in on her brother, who is kissing a girl.   

Violence 

  • None   

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  •  “Asshole” and “jackass” are used sparingly. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

The Buccaneers’ Code

Hilary Westfield is now a freelance pirate. After trying to prove herself to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (“VNHLP”), she realized that many members of the league weren’t all that honorable—not even very nearly.   

Captain Blacktooth is in cahoots with the Mutineers, putting the kingdom of Augusta—and all of its magic—at risk. What the League needs now is a very honorable pirate to be their new president. So with the help of her friends, Hilary challenges Blacktooth to a High Seas battle. Winner takes all. Loser will be exiled. 

In The Buccaneers’ Code, Hilary is thrust into a battle to defeat the Mutineers, a group of villains who want to overthrow the queen. However, in order to defeat Captain Blacktooth, who is in cahoots with the Mutineers, Hilary must find 200 pirates who will fight by her side. But Captain Blacktooth isn’t afraid to use threats and blackmail to keep others from joining Hilary’s crew. As Hilary and her friends—Miss Grayson, Jasper, Charlie, Claire, and Alice—soon discover, they will have to find non-traditional pirates who are willing to fight.  

Readers will quickly become caught up in Hilary’s newest adventure. The spunky protagonist stays determined despite the various obstacles—including her father—that stand in her way. Along the way, she meets some unconventional people who are willing to become pirates and fight at Hilary’s side. This mixture of brave pirates, high society girls, and a swimming team shows that anyone can fight against evil.  

The epic battle between Hilary and Captain Blacktooth has several surprises. And while the battle has plenty of action-packed fighting, the scene also uses humor. Readers will love seeing girls in petticoats fight alongside seasoned pirates, and they will cheer when Hilary’s friends save the queen.  

Caroline Carlson has created a world where magic is currency, pirates are more charming than alarming, and a girl can choose a life as a pirate instead of a life in petticoats. And she once again delivers a story of high stakes, high seas, and high society in the hilarious and charming conclusion to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series. 

While the conclusion of The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series ties up all the loose ends, Hilary’s sense of adventure remains. In the end, the evil Mutineers receive their punishment, leaving the other pirates to honorably sail the seas. At the end of the story, readers will feel as if Hilary’s friends are their friends, leaving readers wishing the adventure would continue. Those ready for another epic journey can find more magic by reading The Emblem Island Series by Alex Aster and Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Hilary and her pirate crew find Captain Wolfson’s pirate ship under attack by a navy ship. “A cannonball splashed down only a few yards from where the captain was standing, drenching him and his crew. . .”  
  • While trying to help Captain Wolfson’s crew, Hilary asks a magic gravy boat to, “‘Please bring something that will stop that ship from firing on us. . .’ The gravy boat shook in Hilary’s hands and drew strength from her limbs.” A huge white pitcher full of molasses appears. Then the pitcher “rose up from the deck and floated slowly, but with great determination, towards the navy ship. . . A thick stream of molasses poured out of the pitcher, covering the cannon, the ammunition crates, and . . . the boots of the naval officer.” Hilary saves Captain Wolfson’s crew before their ship sinks. 
  • Hilary and her friends, Charlie and Alice, are hiding in a tree trying to spy on a young girl named Philomena. When Philomena finds them, she says, “Magic, if there are any other spies sneaking around Tilbury Park, please bring them here at once…Then the wind shook the branches of the pine tree, its trunk swayed like a ship’s mast during a storm, and Alice flew from the treetop, tumbling curls over petticoats.” Alice’s arm breaks with a snap. 
  • Hilary is walking down the street when someone grabs her from behind. Hilary “raised her right leg in front of her, swung it backward as hard as she could, and kicked him squarely in the knees. With a shout, the gentleman let go of Hilary’s arms, lost his balance, and tumbled into the path of stinging nettles.” Hilary is not injured.  
  • Hilary challenges Captain Blacktooth to a duel. On the day of the battle, Hilary’s father, Admiral Westfield, captures Hilary and her crew. Admiral Westfield’s men “tied her to [the ship’s mast] with a long coil of rope. . . he pulled a knot tight around Hilary’s middle, and she clenched her fist.” Other members of Hilary’s crew are also tied to the mast. Then Admiral Westfield sinks Hilary’s ship, the Pigeon.  
  • Captain Blacktooth had a replica of Hilary’s pirate ship built in secret. His men use the replica to attack the queen’s ship, the Benevolence. “An earsplitting bang drowned out the roar of the crowd, and a cannonball sailed from the false Pigeon’s deck, tracing a long, lazy arc across the sky before it smashed into the Benevolence.” 
  • During the battle, the two pirate crews fight each other. “Hilary dodged the pirate’s sword, hurried around behind him, poked him in the breeches, and watched with satisfaction as he jumped several feet into the air. When he crashed back down on deck, she stood over him, holding her cutlass to his nose.”  
  • Hilary’s friend Alice was “chasing several more pirates . . . Most of the pirates Hilary faced were handy with a sword, so it was fortunate that the gargoyle had offered to bite their ankles whenever she found herself in a tight spot.” 
  • During the fight, Philomena uses magic to conjure “a tiny whirlwind, a respectably sized crocodile” and a “flurry of regretfully declined party invitations fell on Mrs. Westfield and her High Society friends.” Hilary’s friend Claire is able to reverse Philomena’s magic. 
  • A pirate tries to take Philomena’s magic coins, so she “conjured up a swarm of hornets to sting his ankles.” The pirate jumps into the ocean to escape.  
  • When the Mutineers send another cannonball towards the queen’s ship, Hilary touches the gargoyle and asks him to protect “Queen Adelaide from the Mutineers—and protect the rest of us, too. The pirates, I mean, and Admiral Curtis, and all the spectators on shore.” To give the gargoyle enough power, several of Hilary’s friends also touch the gargoyle. “The cannonballs reversed their course and curved back toward the Renegade, picking up speed as they flew.”  
  • In the multi-chapter final battle, no serious injuries or deaths occur.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • There are references to pirates drinking grog. For example, Hilary and her friends “weather the storm around the grog barrel.”  
  • A woman gives her guard a “cup of tea mixed with sleeping powder” so she could escape from her home.  

Language  

  • A parrot exclaims “knucklebones!” 
  • Hilary’s friend exclaims “horsefeathers” several times. 
  • Blast is used as an exclamation often. 
  • Hilary’s friend Alice refers to her brother as a “bilge rat.” 
  • Pirates are referred to as scallywags.  
  • Drat is used several times. 
  • A naval officer calls Hilary and her crew “lawless hooligans.”  
  • Someone calls Admiral Westfield a “pickle-hearted scoundrel!” 

Supernatural 

  • One of the main characters is a magic gargoyle who has been “living on a wall for two hundred years.” The gargoyle is supposed to use his magic to protect people. 
  • Magic items are made from a substance “similar to gold” and “when a piece of magic is held in the hand, it obeys the holder’s spoken request. It is said to draw its power from the user herself, and only a few individuals are powerful enough to use it in great quantities. . .”  
  • The Enchantress, Miss Pimm, is kept young by magic. “Magic, fresh air, and more than a pinch of stubbornness had kept her in good health for two hundred and forty years.” 
  • Philomena uses magic to transport people to different locations. Philomena says, “‘Magic, we five Mutineers would like to leave this uncivilized island before we all catch a chill.’ One moment Philomena was there, and the next she simply wasn’t.” 
  • Someone uses magic to fill a pirate ship with haddock. “The poor fish were floppin’ about in the wash buckets and cooking pots. . .” 
  • One of the Mutineers, Nicolas, uses magic to transport himself but accidentally ends up in the ocean. Nicolas explains, “I asked my magic piece to transport me here, but I wasn’t strong enough to travel all the way to land, so it dumped me in the sea instead.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Secret Room

Now that the ghost, Kaz, can finally pass through walls, he is excited to explore Beckett’s secret room at the back of the library. In it he finds an envelope, some empty soda bottles, and a ghostly doll. Are any of these things connected? Kaz wants to return the doll to the ghost it belonged to, but that may be harder than he thinks. 

With the help of his living friend Claire, Kaz and the other ghosts travel to various locations, looking for an older person who may remember more about the house that Kaz haunts. During their journey, the story often refers to ghosts who have been blown away in the wind. In previous books, Kaz and his siblings were blown away from their family. In The Secret Room, they are finally reunited with their grandparents, but the reunion doesn’t last long because Kaz and his siblings return to the haunted library so they can “be with people their own age.” 

The Secret Room revolves around the mystery of who built the secret room and why. To talk to other people who might know more about the house, Claire interviews several people. However, to do this, Claire lies to her mother. Secrecy seems to permeate Claire’s family — both Claire’s mother and grandmother can see ghosts, however, they never talk about their experiences. In the end, the family members finally share their ghost-seeing experiences, which allows them to understand each other better. 

Because of the ghost terms and lack of background information, readers who want to jump into The Haunted Library Series should begin with book one, The Haunted Library. The story includes black-and-white illustrations that will help readers visualize the characters and actions. However, the complicated plot includes a huge cast of characters that may be overwhelming for some readers. While Kaz and the other ghosts are good friends to Claire, Claire’s mom discusses a childhood experience with a mean ghost who caused quite a scare.  

Readers who want a ghost story with a simple plot will enjoy A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne and The Blue Ghost and The Green Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer. Plus, curious readers can learn more about real haunted places and famous ghosts by reading Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Ghost by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • When Claire’s mom was a child, she could see ghosts. She lived in a house with a ghost named Annie. Claire’s mom says, Annie “was a nasty, nasty ghost.” When Molly, another ghost, made Annie angry, “she pushed Molly through the wall. I ran outside to try to help Molly, but there was nothing I could do. I never saw her again.” The wind blew Molly away.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The story includes several ghosts who can shrink in size and travel through walls.  
  • Kaz discovers that he has the power to transform objects that are solid objects into ghostly objects. “A ghost is either born with the ability to transform an object or he’s not.” 
  • To transform solid objects into ghostly objects, Kaz has to “touch the very tip of your thumb and your second finger to whatever it is you want to transform, and then quickly pull your hand away.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Lurking Lima Bean

Wolver Hollow is not a normal town. The adults are too busy shuffling off to work at the old coffin factory to notice or care, but the kids know all about the monsters, ghosts, and strange lights in the sky. Strange things happen in Wolver Hollow. Creepy things.

Madeline Harper does not like lima beans and she’s not afraid to make that clear. But when she gets sent to bed for not eating her vegetables, she’ll find something far worse than her mother’s frustration. A lima bean scorned is a terrible thing, and it will not stop until Madeline Harper eats her vegetables!  

The second installment of the Night Frights Series moves away from a spooky mystery and instead tells an outrageous story with all new characters. The Lurking Lima Bean has no mystery to solve; however, the kids have to use some creative thinking to defeat the lima beans. While trying to conquer the lima beans, Madeline spends a lot of time running from zombies, which may cause readers to get bored.   

The story’s format will appeal to young readers because it uses large text, short paragraphs, and simple dialogue that make the story easy to read. In addition, black and white illustrations appear approximately every five to nine pages. The illustrations add humor as well as help readers visualize the characters, who are a diverse group.  

The entertaining ending will leave readers with a smile, as well as frighten them away from eating lima beans. While Madeline isn’t a very interesting character, the librarian makes a repeat (albeit short) appearance, leaving readers wondering how she is connected to the creepy happenings in Wolver Hallow. Readers looking for a humorous zombie book will find The Lurking Lima Bean entertaining. But mystery-loving readers will be disappointed by the lack of clues to solve. Young readers looking for another silly zombie story should read Night of the Zombie Zookeeper by Andres Miedoso. However, readers who are ready for a more involved plot with more monsters should read The Last Kids on Earth Series by Max Brallier.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The zombies chase Madeline and her friends. For example, “Grandma was only a few feet away, reaching for Madeline with handfuls of lima-bean paste. It seemed like half the town was behind Grandma, all staggering toward Madeline with bean paste and green eyes.” 
  • To free people from the lima beans, Madeline and her friends throw snowballs at them. Gilbert “pulled back his arm and let a snowball fly. It hit Grandma right in the shoulder. Grandma shivered for a second, and hesitated. . .” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • When two kids begin following Madeline, she yells, “Back off, weirdos!” 
  • Heck is used twice. 

Supernatural 

  • Somehow, lima beans convince people to eat them. Afterwards, the people change into zombies with green glowing eyes. Madeline’s grandma turns into a zombie who tries to get Madeline to eat lima beans. When Madeline is ready to leave for school, her grandma comes “running down the hall after Madeline, green eyes boring into hers and a toothy grin still plastered across her face.” Madeline runs away. 
  • In Wolver Hollow, “everyone knew that a troll lived under the bridge, and if you didn’t spit [while crossing the bridge], he would eat your toes in the night.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Red Pyramid

After his mom’s sudden death, Carter Kane has spent every moment traveling the world with his father, Dr. Julius Kane, an Egyptian scholar. While Carter’s sister, Sadie, has lived with her grandparents in the United Kingdom, where Carter and Julius visit her every year. What starts as a normal visit to the British Museum turns their lives upside down when their father accidentally summons several Egyptian gods and goddesses and is captured in the process.  

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set–has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe — a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. 

Along the way, Carter and Sadie meet Zia, a magician who is part of the House of Life, a group of magicians that Carter and Sadie’s parents were a part of. With her knowledge from being trained by the House of Life, Zia helps Carter and Sadie learn to use magic. “The Egyptian word shesh means scribe or writer, but it can also mean magician. This is because magic, at its most basic, turns words into reality.” Zia helps Sadie and Carter learn to develop their abilities as magicians, but she also becomes their friend; helping them fight chaos up until the final battle at the end of the book.  

The Red Pyramid shows the growth of Carter and Sadie’s friendship and relationship as siblings. They have lived apart for so long that they now have to get to know each other as pre-teens while they work together to learn about magic and save their dad. Each sibling is jealous of the other. Sadie says, “Poor [Carter], forced to travel the world, skip school, and spend time with Dad while I get a whole two days a year with him!” Carter responds, “You get a home! You get friends and a normal life and don’t wake up each morning wondering what country you’re in!” Eventually, Sadie and Carter learn to appreciate each other.  

Carter’s and Sadie’s experiences highlight how power in the wrong hands can be corrupt. For example, the god Set wanted the throne and power so badly that he imprisoned another god, Osiris, and harmed his sister, Isis, and her son, Horus. Horus tells this story to Carter and says, “Anger gave me the strength to defeat Set and take the throne for myself, you must do the same.” But unlike Horus and Set, Carter doesn’t want to rule. Carter says, “I don’t want a throne, I want my dad.” Carter and Sadie never give into the advantages that Set or the powers of chaos would give them, which makes them empathetic characters.  

Ultimately, The Red Pyramid leaves readers with an important message: you cannot assume anyone is completely good or completely evil. As their fight with Set ends, Sadie and Carter recognize that while Set is “evil, faithless, ruthless, vile . . . [Set] is also the strongest god” and they need his help to defeat the coming chaos, Apophis. Set is surprised by their ability to team up with him after all he’s done, but Carter and Sadie recognize, “we have to gain strength too—gods and men, united like in old times” to defeat Apophis, as “chaos is rising.”  

Readers who enjoy mythology, action, and magic will absolutely love Carter and Sadie’s journey in this book as they learn how to use their powers and make sacrifices to stop chaos from overtaking the world. Readers will empathize with Sadie and Carter as they strengthen their brother and sister bond while fighting to stop chaos and rescue their dad. This book will keep readers on the edge of their seats, eager to see what happens in the next book in the series. 

Sexual Content  

  • Sadie meets the god Anubis and says, “In person, if possible, Anubis was even more drop-dead gorgeous.”  
  • Carter says, “I was very aware of [Zia’s] shoulder pressed against mine . . . She had a dried chili stuck in her hair, and somehow that made her look even cuter.” 
  • Carter says, “Zia squeezed my hand, which sent a tingle up my arm.”  
  • Sadie sees a vision of the last time her parents saw one another: “They kissed one last time, as if they were saying goodbye.”  

Violence  

  • Carter explains that his mom died when he and Sadie were young. “I knew [mom] died in an accident in London. I knew my grandparents blamed my dad. But no one would ever tell us the details.” 
  • Carter and Sadie watch their dad fight a fiery being. “With another flick of his hand, he conjured a glowing coffin around our dad . . . My dad caught my eyes one last time, and mouthed the word Run! before the coffin sank into the floor, as if the ground had turned to water.”  
  • While entering the Land of the Dead, Sadie and Carter run into Shezmu, a creature defending the entrance. Shezmu explains that his role in the Land of the Dead is destroying the souls of wicked people after they have been judged by the God of the Dead, Osiris. Shezmu says, “Lord Osiris lets me behead the wicked! I crush them in my wine press, and make wine for the dead!”  
  • While the fiery god, Set, is fighting Carter, Sadie, and Zia, he threatens, “I will rend your limbs from their sockets!” For example, during this battle, when another magician arrives to help, Set quickly incapacitates him in a brutal way: “Set rose up behind [the magician] and swung his iron rod like a baseball bat. [The magician] tumbled, broken and unconscious, all the way down the pyramid.” 
  • Carter explains how easily Set is able to throw magicians around when they try to defeat him: “[Set] pointed at me, and I slammed against the wall, pinned as if an entire football team were holding me down.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Carter and Sadie witness their dad using magic at the British Museum. “Dad was writing on the [Rosetta stone]. Wherever the [wand] made contact, glowing blue lines appeared on the granite. Hieroglyphs.” Carter and Sadie’s dad is opening the Rosetta Stone by writing magic hieroglyphs on it: “Dad raised his arms. He chanted: ‘Wo-seer, iei.’” Carter and Sadie’s dad is summoning the god of the dead, Osiris.  
  • Carter and Sadie realize they have magical powers when they reflect on a story from Sadie’s sixth birthday. Carter and Sadie were arguing and fighting with one another. Carter says, “We started yelling. [Sadie] grabbed my shirt. I pushed [Sadie] . . . Sadie’s birthday cake exploded.”  
  • Carter and Sadie accidentally awaken a shabti, a clay doll that can perform magic. Shabti “were supposed to come to life when their master called.” Several times, Carter and Sadie ask the Shabti to bring them information. 
  • When Sadie and Carter are about to be attacked by a scorpion goddess, Sadie’s cat, Muffin, turns into the Egyptian goddess of cats, Bast. Bast was a friend to Carter and Sadie’s parents and has promised to protect them as best she can. Sadie explains, “My cat was no longer there. In her place was a woman—small and lithe like a gymnast.” Bast is able to protect Carter and Sadie and she meets back up with them at a later point in the book after this battle.  
  • Carter and Sadie have unwittingly become hosts to the gods Horus and Isis. The goddess hosted by Sadie’s cat Muffin, Bast, explains, “Part of Isis’s spirit now resides inside [Sadie]. Just as Carter now carries the spirit of Horus.”  
  • Sadie and Carter see their dad in the Land of the Dead. He says, “I am both Osiris and Julius Kane. I am alive and dead . . . Osiris is the god of the dead, and the god of new life.” To bring Osiris back to his rightful place as a god, their dad had to die. 
  • Sadie and Carter also see their mom in the Land of the Dead, and she speaks with them reassuringly, explaining, “We can’t go back . . . But nothing is lost, even in death.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • The gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology are a large portion of this book. However, instead of being reverently written, they act more like humans, showing traits like jealousy, vulnerability, and anger. For instance, Horus tries to influence Carter to take on more power and focus on anger: “Anger gave me the strength to defeat Set and take the throne for myself. [Carter] must do the same.”  
  • Uncle Amos explains to Carter and Sadie the ancient Egyptians’ understanding of the gods. Amos explains, “Egyptians had learned that their gods were not to be worshipped. They are powerful beings, primeval forces, but they are not divine in the sense one might think of God. [The gods] are created entities, like mortals, only much more powerful.”  
  • Carter’s dad gave him an ancient amulet that “was an eye of Horus, a popular protection symbol in Ancient Egypt.” 
  • The gods “cannot walk the earth in their pure form—at least, not for more than a few moments. They must have hosts [human hosts].” Carter and Sadie both unwittingly become hosts for Egyptian gods in this book. Carter hosts Horus and Sadie hosts Isis. Carter explains what it is like when he and Horus work together during a battle as Horus’ power allows Carter to have protective shields and amplified strength. Carter says, “[Horus] did not control me. I did not use [Horus] for power. We acted as one…My combat avatar formed around me, lifting me off the floor and encasing me with golden energy.”  
  • Sadie can communicate with Isis in her mind because she is hosting the goddess. Carter is able to do the same with Horus. Sadie describes struggling to decide what to do in the final battle: save her dad first or make sure Set is defeated. The discussion with Isis in Sadie’s mind is depicted, “Set must be dealt with first, Isis warned. But if I can free Dad…I stepped towards the throne. No, Isis warned. It is too dangerous.” Ultimately, Sadie works with Isis to defeat the chaos god Set. Sadie hosting Isis gives her the ability to open a magical portal. “‘A mortal can’t,’ [Sadie] agreed. ‘But a goddess can.’” 
  • Uncle Amos tells Carter and Sadie, “In the old days, the priests of Egypt would call upon these gods to channel their power and perform great feats. That is the origin of what we now call magic.”  
  • Uncle Amos explains an ancient Egyptian burial ritual: “In ancient times, the east bank of the Nile was always the side of the living, the side where the sun rises. The dead were buried west of the river. It is considered bad luck, even dangerous, to live there.”  
  • Carter and Sadie learn from the god Thoth that, “Everything in Creation has a secret name . . . Even gods.” And they learn that “To know a being’s name is to have power over that creature.”  
  • Before making an alliance with Set to fight chaos, Sadie and Carter ask Set to “Swear by your own name and the Throne of Ra” to ensure he keeps his word does so. 

The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story

When Buddy Stebbins stumbles onto the thirteenth floor of a shabby old building, he finds himself suddenly transported aboard a leaking pirate ship in a howling storm—three hundred years in the past! Cast adrift with Captain John Crackstone, Buddy washes up in New England, where his plucky ancestor, Abigail, is caught up in the witchcraft mania. In an adventure filled with ghosts, witches, pirates, and razzle-dazzle treasure, Buddy might be able to save his wayward ancestors. But will he find his way back to the thirteenth floor—and home? 

The 13th Floor’s conflict is introduced when Buddy learns that his sister may have to sell the family home. Buddy looks to his dead ancestors for help. For if he can find Captain John Crackstone’s treasure, their home will be saved! But Buddy never expected that he’d go back in time and become part of Captain Crackstone’s crew. Soon, Buddy is climbing the ship’s rigging in a storm and rescuing his sister from death by creating a pirate’s ghost out of a codfish and a Walkman.  

The 13th Floor doesn’t waste words, which creates a fast-paced story that not only includes pirate fights but also fascinating facts about the Salem witch trials. With the help of his sister, Buddy defends Abigail—one of Buddy’s ancestors—against accusations of being a witch. Readers will instantly like Buddy, who is humorous and shows his bravery time after time. And the court scenes are just as interesting as the pirate fights as they shed light on life in the 1690s.  

Along the way, readers are introduced to Buddy’s relatives, Captain Crackstone and Abigail, who are both interesting characters. Captain Crackstone’s cheerful and unflappable nature makes him extremely likable. The captain quickly takes Buddy under his wing and introduces him to pirate life. Once on land, Buddy also meets Abigail, who tries to run away before she can stand trial for witchcraft. Readers will understand Abigail’s desire to hide and admire her trust in Liz and Buddy’s promise to defend her in court. Captain Crackstone and Abigail give two unique views that blend together to make a truly captivating story. 

The 13th Floor is a fast-paced adventure that will captivate readers. By using a thirteen-year-old as a narrator, readers get a unique perspective of the past. In addition, Buddy’s willingness to jump into danger to help his relatives is admirable. Even though The 13th Floor is “a ghost story,” there are no actual ghosts; however, humor is added when Buddy is mistaken as a ghost.  

Anyone who likes a good pirate story will enjoy the blend of humor, action, and adventure found in The 13th Floor. And if The 13th Floor sparks your interest in the Salem Witch Trials, you can learn more about the historical event by reading What Were the Salem Witch Trials? by Joan Holub. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The crew of the Bloody Hand board Captain Crackstone’s ship. Captain Crackstone “came bursting out of the chart house. He was flashing a cutlass in one hand and a knife in the other. He leaped down the stairs and into the invaders. . . [Buddy] could see sparks fly as the blades met and clashed. . . He kept charging one and all, yelling insults as he went.”  
  • As the fight continues, the pirates “kept backing [Captain Crackstone] higher and higher toward the crow’s nest. . .” Captain Crackstone negotiates with the Captain of the Bloody Hand and Captain Crackstone’s men are spared. Captain Crackstone and Buddy are put adrift in a small dinghy.  
  • Buddy and his sister Liz travel to the past just before the Salem Witch Trials began. Liz explains, “The judges were hanging harmless Pilgrims as witches—mostly frail old grandmothers. . . In a week the judges are going to hang their first witch from an oak tree—an innocent old lady named Bridget Bishop.”  
  • Captain Crackstone and his wife, Mrs. Stebbins, are arrested for kissing on a Sunday. As punishment, “The captain and Mrs. Stebbins were outside in plain sight. It was as if their heads and hands had been thrust through an unpainted signboard. They had been clamped in stocks!” 
  • When Abigail is on trial for witchcraft, the judge tells the jury to “decide whether or not this child has by wicked and detestable acts shown familiarity with the devil. Should she be hanged and buried with a stake driven through her heart?” 
  • An unnamed pirate was caught by a Navy ship. “They caught a pirate off New York and hanged him from the mainmast.”  
  • When Liz is accused of witchcraft, the justice plans to make her do the water test. Liz says, “They’re going to tie me up and throw me in the bay. If I drown, it’ll prove I’m innocent. If I float, it will prove I’m a witch.” If she doesn’t drown, they will then hang her. Liz escapes before the test.  
  • Buddy and Liz are trying to find the portal home. They go into the bowels of a ship. A sailor sees them and “drew his knife.” To scare the sailor away, Buddy “jammed the flashlight all the way into my mouth and bared my teeth as if it were Halloween.” The sailor “went clattering up the ladder.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • While in court, a drunk man is sentenced to wear the letter D.  
  • A man claims Abigail turned him into a cat. However, Abigail said when she saw the man, he was “ale drunk as usual.” 

Language  

  • Buddy wants to know if his ancestor was a “nutcake” or “balmy.” 
  • There is some name-calling. For example, Buddy sees himself in the mirror and shouts, “Stebbins, you look like a nitwit! You’re balmy! You’re a nutcake! Your porch light has gone dim.”  
  • Captain Crackstone calls other people names often. For example, Crackstone calls another ship captain “pirate scum” and “that seagoing oaf.”  
  • During a battle at sea, men board Captain Crackstone’s ship. He calls the men, “snorting cockroaches, potbellied muckworms, and puny sea maggots.” 
  • When Liz travels to the past, she meets Abigail, who is being accused of witchcraft. Liz says, “I hope she doesn’t sound off in court and call her neighbors nitwits and jackasses.”  
  • Heck is used once. 

Supernatural 

  • One of Buddy’s ancestors held seances where “he’d lift a ship’s old copper speaking trumpet to his lips and command the dead to talk. He claimed that sometimes they answered back—once through the spout of a brass teakettle in the kitchen.” 
  • A relative who lived 300 years ago calls and leaves a message on Buddy’s family’s answering machine. 
  • Buddy goes into a building and takes the elevator to the thirteenth floor. “I had found the thirteenth floor, and it was a ship at sea.” 
  • When Buddy suddenly appears on a pirate ship, one of the sailors thinks Buddy is a ghost because his shoes glow. The sailor says, “Save me, wretched soul! It’s a ghost crawling up from the bilge! An unholy spirit!” 
  • Liz goes to the thirteenth floor and finds herself in a barn “full of wool and cider barrels.”  
  • According to witnesses, Abigail has performed witchcraft, including spoiling a pail of milk and changing a man into a cat. 
  • Liz is arrested for telling the future. 

Spiritual Content  

  • A Captain of a ship believes Buddy is a ghost and says, “God preserve us all in our right wits.” 
  • When Captain Crackstone makes it home, he sees his wife and says, “God bless my eyesight!” Then he “leaped up the wharf stairs. They fell into each other’s arms, and he kissed her loud.”  
  • Abigail is accused of being an “imp o’ the devil.” 
  • One of Abigail’s neighbors says she saw Abigail with “the devil’s own book. . . Old Beelzebub’s secret book with names of his witches and wizards writ down in his own hand.”  
  • Liz talks about a news story. “Some clods out on the desert burned a pile of green library books. . . They believe it’s the devil’s favorite color.”  

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Pumpkin

Peggy the Pug’s family are getting ready for Halloween, but Peggy’s human friend Chloe is too scared of monsters to look forward to trick-or-treating. Peggy can’t let her best friend miss out on all the Halloween fun. Peggy will have to conquer her own fears and go trick-or-treating with Chloe to keep her safe. But first, she needs the perfect costume . . .  

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Pumpkin explores the topic of fear by describing different reasons people and dogs are afraid. Most of the characters overcome a fear—Chloe fears public speaking, Finn fears spiders, Ruby fears heights, and a dog fears that no one will want to play with him. The most prominent fear is Chloe’s fear of public speaking. When Chloe is afraid to speak in public, her dad gives her advice. He tells her that when he has to give a presentation, he pretends “everyone in the audience is in their underwear.” Even though the advice is unconventional, it helps Chloe overcome her fear. Seeing the humans overcome their fears gives Peggy the courage to overcome her own fear of the “spookiest night of the year.” 

Young readers will enjoy the story because of the relatable characters—both human and pug—as well as the familiar conflict. The simple plot is easy to follow and the large text is broken up with black-and-white illustrations that appear every two to three pages. The author is British, and some readers may have a difficult time understanding the British terms. However, many readers will be able to use context clues to figure out the British words. For example, instead of using a leash, the author uses lead. Even though the book is part of a series, the books do not need to be read in any particular order.  

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Pumpkin will appeal to many readers because of the adorable pug who appears on the cover of the book. However, the story isn’t just cute—it also has several positive aspects. Peggy’s traditional family is portrayed positively even though they have typical sibling conflicts. Peggy’s and the kids’ conflicts reflect each other, which makes the story’s lesson clear: it’s important to overcome your fears.  

If you’d like to read another book that shows someone overcoming fear, check out Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog by Stephanie Greene and The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low. However, if you’re ready to brew up a little Halloween fun, fly to the library to check out a copy of Sleepy Hollow Sleepover by Ron Roy and Eva Sees a Ghost by Rebecca Elliot. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Chloe writes a story about a dog who “fell into a lake when its owner wasn’t paying attention and got gobbled up by a hideous swamp monster. Then it came back as a vicious ghost dog to haunt the old house where it had lived.” 
  • Zach, a friend of the kids, dresses up as a ghost. Peggy thinks he is really a ghost and “she growled and sank her teeth into its billowing white form.” The sheet falls off and Zach is uninjured. 
  • Tiger, a grumpy cat, tries to scare Peggy. Tiger points out a frog and says, “it used to be a cute little cocker spaniel named Maisy. She crossed paths with a witch on Halloween night, and her tail ended up in a cauldron. The witch didn’t need her after that so—abracadabra, hey presto—the witch turned Maisy into a toad.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • When Chloe has a sleepover, her brother says, “I don’t want to hang out with you and your stupid friends, anyway.” 
  • When Chloe is afraid of a ghost, her brother says, “Don’t be stupid. There’s no such thing as ghosts.” 
  • Chloe’s brother teases her, saying, “your face will scare people just as it is.” 
  • When Chloe presents her ghost story, it scares a boy, who runs out of the room crying. Chloe’s sister says the boy is a “baby.” 
  • Tiger, a grumpy cat, calls Peggy “Pig Tail.”

Supernatural 

  • A girl and her dog dress up as demon cheerleaders. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Hannah isn’t thrilled to be moving in with her dad and his new family, who live right next to a spooky cemetery. Luckily, Hannah doesn’t believe all the “ghost cat” stories she’s heard about the graveyard. But it turns out that the cemetery is the least of Hannah’s troubles. Her stepsister, Madison, is the meanest girl in Hannah’s grade. Her cat, Icky, has been missing since the move. And worst of all, Hannah can’t sleep at night because something keeps scratching at her door! Hannah’s starting to wonder – could those scary stories be true after all? 

Curiosity Killed the Cat mixes typical junior high conflicts with a spooky ghost story. Hannah has to deal with a lot of changes — her mom moving to another city, moving in with her mean stepsister, her first crush, and her best friend being too busy to spend time with her. When strange things begin happening to Hannah, she doesn’t feel like she can confide in anyone. At first, Hannah allows fear to control her decision-making. But when Hannah is forced to deal with problems alone, she learns to rely on herself and step out of her comfort zone. It is only by facing her fears that Hannah is able to help herself, as well as the legendary ghost cat.  

Readers who want a spooky Halloween story that won’t leave them with nightmares will find Curiosity Killed the Cat suspenseful but not scary. Because of the story’s brevity, neither the supporting characters nor the plot are well developed. Despite this, the fast-paced story has plenty of suspense that will keep readers flipping the pages. The simple plot line is easy to follow, and readers will learn several important life lessons including not overscheduling yourself, the importance of practice, and not making rash decisions.  

Readers looking for another non-scary ghost story should read The Trail of the Ghost Bunny by Linda Joy Singleton. However, if you’re interested in learning about real-life ghosts and ghouls, you should read Ghostology: A True Revelation of Spirits, Ghouls, and Hauntings by Lucinda Curtle & Dugald A. Steer.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Hannah was in elementary school, Parker “had been known to chase the girls during recess, trying to kiss whichever ones he could outrun. When he’d come after her, Hannah had been so afraid she had panicked and accidentally punched him in the stomach.” 
  • There is a legend about a ghost cat. People say the cat lured a little girl to her death. “People around here have seen the shadow of a black cat in the cemetery. Anyone who follows the shadow is led to their death. . .” An eight-year-old boy followed the cat “and got lost in the woods for three days. When they found him, he was so dehydrated he almost died.”  
  • Molly, a ghost, reveals details about her death. She took a rowboat out on the lake even though she was forbidden to do so. A storm rolled in and “the boat began to rock back and forth violently. The entire time, I could see Shadow pacing on the riverbank. . . Then a huge wave washed over the boat, and it tipped over.” She drowned and died.   

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • On the school bus, Hannah overhears her stepsister and another girl talking about her. They call her a loser and a dork.  
  • OMG and heck are each used once. 

Supernatural 

  • At night, Hannah hears strange scratching noises. Other weird occurrences happen as well. For example, even though the ceiling fan does not work, it turns on full blast and blows Hannah’s schoolwork around. 
  • Hannah wakes up in the middle of the night because she hears the sound of water. She finds out that the water in her bathroom is running, but the door is locked from the inside. When Hannah’s dad appears, the bathroom door is no longer locked, but the water is still running.  
  • Hannah’s dad falls off a ladder when he feels “as if a cat had brushed against my ankles. . . There was something soft and furry and –I don’t know. But there was nothing there — it must have been my imagination.” Afterward, Hannah sees “a trail of paw prints — cat paw prints—leading away from the puddle of paint. The prints didn’t seem to go anywhere — they just got fainter and fainter. . .”  
  • Hannah’s friend researches ways to keep ghosts away. He makes a list that reads, “1. Put salt in your pocket. . . 2. Mint keeps bad spirits away. . . 3. Burning a bunch of pine needles and sage is supposed to clear our home of ghosts and bad luck. . . 4. Charms. I don’t think these are the lucky cereal kind—I think they’re more like poems.” 
  • Hannah puts salt in her pocket and mint tea bags on her windowsill to keep the cat away.   
  • On Halloween night, Hannah and her stepsister Madison follow the ghost cat into the cemetery. Once there, Hannah opens the door of a crypt and the cat disappears inside. “Both girls watched in horror as a shimmery, white ghost stepped out of the tomb” and said, “Do not be afraid. . . I do not mean to harm you. I want to thank you so much for opening my tomb. You let my Shadow [the ghost cat] back inside, and I am forever grateful to you.”  
  • The ghost turns out to be a girl named Molly. Molly says that she has been “living in this tomb for a very long time, trapped between this world and the next. I have been unable to move on without my dear cat.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Mine

Lily Horne is a drama queen. It’s helped her rise to stardom in the school play, but it’s also landed her in trouble. Her parents warn her that Florida has to be different. It’s a fresh start. No theatrics. But this time, the drama is coming for her.

Lily’s new house is a nightmare. The pool is full of slime, the dock is rotten, and the swamp creeps closer every day. But worst of all, the house isn’t empty . . . it’s packed full of trash, memories, and—Lily begins to fear—the ghost of the girl who lived there before her. And whatever is waiting in the shadows wants to come out to play. 

Readers will instantly sympathize with Lily, who is forced to move to a creepy house full of trash. To make the house livable, Lily and her mother spend day after day throwing out the previous occupant’s belongings. Unbeknownst to her, Lily upsets the ghost of Britney, who is determined to scare Lily out of the house. Soon, strange things begin happening and Lily has difficulties distinguishing between what is real and what is a dream. Even if readers cannot relate to Lily’s ghostly experiences, they will empathize with her struggles. She’s friendless and without Wi-Fi. Her parents think she’s overly dramatic. And she’s trying to atone for a past mistake. In the end, Lily’s bravery and determination to fix her mistake make her an admirable character. 

Full of suspense, surprises, and supernatural events, Mine is not for the faint of heart. Lily’s fear is palpable and the danger becomes too real when Britney tries to harm Lily. When Lily meets the ghost of Brian, a man who died in the house, his dead body is described in detail, which may upset sensitive readers. In addition, Britney’s abusive childhood and her accidental death are disturbing. However, readers who enjoy a good ghost story will quickly be caught up in the book’s spooky atmosphere and the mystery behind the house.  

While Mine isn’t a story for squeamish readers, it’s perfect for readers who want a terrifying and creepy ghost story. The mystery behind the house’s history is intriguing. Plus, the scary scenes give the story a fast pace that will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. Even though the story is meant to spook readers, it also leaves the reader with a positive message: mistakes happen to everyone, and making a mistake does not make a person bad.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Lily and her friend Rachel use an Ouija board and the ghost of Britney appears. Afterwards, Britney pushes Rachel. “Rachel squeaked and her arms pinwheeled as she floated in space for just a moment before tumbling, flailing down all fourteen steps with a series of sickening thumps. . . Rachel landed on the floor of the den like a broken doll.” The ambulance comes and takes Rachel to the hospital.  
  • Lily tries to befriend Buddy, Britney’s dog. When Lily goes to open the door to Britney’s special place, Buddy begins “barking, growling, frothing at the mouth like he’d gone mad. Lily stood. . . pressed her back against the house. Buddy advanced on her. . . Buddy lunged for her, and she kicked out as hard as she could. . . her foot met his soft body, and he yelped. . .” Afterwards, Buddy runs into the bushes. 
  • In a dream, the angry ghost of Britney appears. Lily “heard squelching footsteps crossing the boards. Her mind showed her images of a drowned little girl, purple lips and gray-white skin stretched and bloated.” Lily runs. “Branches and leaves plucked at her nightshirt, and strange noises echoed through the darkness, animalistic screams and howls. Soon she heard footsteps pounding on the gravel behind her.” Lily’s mom wakes her and the scene stops. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • During a car ride, Lily’s parents give her motion sickness medicine. 
  • After Rachel falls down the stairs, paramedics give her pain medicine. 

Language  

  • Crappy and heck are both used one.  
  • Dang is used twice. 
  • Oh God, oh my God, and other variations are used as an exclamation five times. 
  • Lily gets a phone call, but the caller doesn’t speak. Lily says, “You’re being a real butt, you know.” 
  • A girl tells Lily that her brother is a jerk. Later, Lily calls her brother a jerk. 
  • After Rachel falls down the stairs, Rachel’s brother Kyle shows up. Kyle is told not to touch Rachel. He replies, “Don’t touch her. Screw that.” As Kyle leaves, he “shot up his middle finger at Lily.”

Supernatural 

  • When moving into a new house, Lily starts seeing strange things. While cleaning boxes out of the house, Lily sees a shape in the shadows. “It looked like a child curled up . . . And as Lily watched, two green eyes turned toward her, shining like an animal caught in a car’s headlights. . . [the child] began to crawl toward her.” 
  • Lily tries to back away from the child but falls into a box. “A cold hand grasped her ankle, soft and clammy as a mushroom, and a rough voice whispered ‘Are you ready to play with me?’” Lily’s mom comes into the room and the girl disappears.  
  • Lily’s new friend, Rachel, says her brother saw the ghost of a little girl. He said, “The ghost looked like she was confused, looking for something.” According to an urban legend, the girl was murdered. 
  • While Lily is in bed, she hears a whisper, “You wouldn’t go away. I told you to. . . So now we’re going to play. I’m going to show you things.” Lily isn’t sure if she’s seeing things that are not there. But then, “the shadow detached from the door and rose up. Fingers appeared, all white with black at the tips. . . Lily saw hair, dark, ragged hair, rising up as if floating. . .” As the girl comes closer, Lily screams. When Lily’s mom comes, the girl disappears. The scene is described over three pages.  
  • Lily’s friend Rachel finds an Ouija board underneath a loose board in the stairs. Rachel and Lily use it to communicate with ghosts. A ghost named Brian uses the Ouija board to talk to the girls. Through the Ouija board, Brian says, “You Done It Now. . . Britney is coming!” 
  • After using the Ouija board, Rachel wants to leave. “But the door slammed shut in her face. The lights went out, but the ceiling fan turned on and began to twirl faster and faster. . .” The girls hear steps coming up the stairs. “The footsteps stopped in front of the door. . . As they watched, water flooded under the door, dark and dirty, with green scum floating on top. The water smelled awful. . .” A voice asks, “Why did you call me?” Rachel and Lily begin screaming. When Lily’s mom appears, the ghost leaves. The scene is described over a chapter.  
  • Lily is afraid to sleep because she has super vivid dreams and thinks she is sleepwalking. “One time, she fell asleep on the couch in the afternoon and woke up on her belly on the dock, her fingers trailing in the water. Later, Lily discovers that Britney has been possessing her body. 
  • Lily goes to sleep and wakes up in “her swimming pool, the one in her yard, that nasty hole in the ground just brimming with muck. . . This was nasty green sludge chocked with algae and plants and dead things. . . She tried to scream again, but the filthy water ran down her throat, making her splutter.” Eventually, Lily is able to get out of the pool, uninjured. The scene is described over three pages.  
  • Brian, the man who died in the house, comes to warn Lily. “His skin was thick and grayish, pulled tight over his bones and then hanging like melted wax.” Lily tries to run away from Brian, but “she was frozen in place. Her eyes were the only thing she could move.” Brian explains Britney’s backstory and how he found her “just a-floating in the lake face down, dead and still.” 
  • Brian explains that Britney is upset with Lily. Brian says, “Since she couldn’t make you leave, she’s got somethin’ else in mind. And I can’t help you.” Then Brian disappears. The scene is described over seven pages.  
  • Lily finds Britney’s bunny stuffed animal. When she gives the bunny to Britney, the ghost disappears.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

A Purr-fect Pumpkin

In Kittentail Cove, Paw-loween is a super fun holiday! Shelly, Coral, and Angel can’t wait to decorate jelly-o-lanterns, dress up in costumes, and go to the Paw-loween festival! But Coral is a little nervous about the Haunted House. Can this scaredy cat learn to be brave so she can see her purr-fect pumpkin on display in the house? Maybe with a little help from her friends! 

Paw-loween mixes the fun of Halloween with the perfect amount of spook factor. Young readers will enjoy the adorably cute costumes the purrmaids wear as well as the jack-o’-lanterns. Even though Coral is afraid to go into the haunted house, she joins her friends as they travel through the house. Along the way, Coral is sure a mummy is following her—and she’s right. In the end, the mummy is revealed to be Coral’s teacher, who is trying to return Coral’s lost gem.  

Being afraid of the haunted house is not Coral’s only conflict. She also feels left out when Shelly and Angel dress up as squids while Coral dresses as a princess. Several times, Shelly and Angel have a conversation without including Coral. While her friends aren’t trying to be mean, Coral still feels bad that she is not included. While this conflict isn’t resolved, the story acknowledges that sometimes friends unknowingly hurt each other’s feelings.   

A Purr-fect Pumpkin is purr-fect for readers because of the relatable conflict. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. Even though A Purr-fect Pumpkin is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order to be understood. Readers who are eager to celebrate Halloween will find A Purr-fect Pumpkin a delightful blend of Halloween cuteness and spookiness. Readers who love mermaids and want more underwater adventures should swim to the nearest library and check out the Mermaids To The Rescue Series by Lisa Ann Scott. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

The Skull is a retelling of a Tyrolean folktale, originating out of Austria. Klassen is both the author and illustrator of this book, and his art will certainly draw in young readers’ attention. The art adds to the depiction of the spooky setting of the book, filled with dark colors and shadows and occasional pops of color. 

Klassen’s book follows a young girl named Otilla who has run away from home. While running through the woods, Otilla encounters a large, seemingly empty house. Because she is tired from running all night, Otilla stops and approaches the house. “[Otilla] knocked loudly to see if anyone was inside, but nobody came to the door.”  

Surprisingly, the big house is not abandoned but is home to a talking skull. Otilla meets the skull and asks nicely for help. She says, “My name is Otilla. I ran away, and I need a place to hide and rest.” The skull kindly agrees to let Otilla stay and shows her around his house. Nearly every page of the book showcases Jon Klassen’s amazing artwork; spooky, dark images done in mostly blues and shades of black show readers how scary this unknown place is to Otilla.  

Though the artwork can be dark and spooky, it is not particularly scary, as the skull’s cartoon style makes him less intimidating. Klassen’s full-page illustrations appear about every two pages and feature many shades of gray, blue, and black. There are occasional pops of pink depicting happy scenes. The large text and the way the book is broken up into three clear parts will appeal to younger readers.  

Otilla is an extremely empathetic character, as she is not afraid of the talking skull, and she treats him kindly. The skull tells Otilla that he has been alone in his house for a while: “You are the first person to find [this house] in a long time.”  The skull is afraid of something too – a skeleton that comes to the house every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? 

Throughout the story, Otilla and the skull develop a friendship, and both help each other. For example, without a body, the skull can no longer do things he used to enjoy, like dance. Otilla “carried the skull to the middle of the ballroom. She held him to face her . . . they danced and danced until it got dark.” Ultimately, the skull and Otilla become friends, as Otilla helps the skull solve a problem he has faced every night for a long time. The skull is chased by a headless skeleton every night and Otilla is able to help the skull get away from the skeleton. 

Readers who enjoy spooky stories will enjoy the descriptions of the woods and the big house. The book highlights the importance of having empathy and treating others kindly. Otilla treats the skull with respect and helps him escape the skeleton that chases him. In return, the skull offers Otilla a safe place to stay by allowing her to stay in his home. Readers will be interested in seeing Otilla and the skull develop a friendship throughout the story and will be left imagining the possibilities of what adventures Otilla and the skull will have in the future.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • The skull tells Otilla, “There is a skeleton that comes here, to this house . . . it is a headless skeleton. It walks around the halls looking for me. When it finds me, it chases me.” The skull tells Otilla that the headless skeleton chases him every night.  
  • The headless skeleton comes and tries to get the skull. “A headless skeleton opened the bedroom door . . . it only shouted one thing: GIVE ME THAT SKULL. I WANT THAT SKULL.” 
  • Otilla runs from the headless skeleton, carrying the skull, but the headless skeleton chases her until suddenly, it falls over a ledge on the roof. “[Otilla] watched the skeleton fall into the dark until they heard it land, the sound of bones hitting the ground. They listened some more, but they did not hear anything after that.” 
  • After the headless skeleton falls off the roof, Otilla decides to make sure the skeleton cannot come back and chase the skull again. “[Otilla] gathered [the skeleton’s bones] into the bucket . . . She took a bone out of the bucket and put it on the rock. Then she took the rolling pin, held it over her head, and smashed the bone. She smashed it over and over, into smaller and smaller pieces . . . she did it to all of [the bones].”  
  • Otilla then burns the smashed bones. “[Otilla] took the bone pieces and threw them into the flames.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The main character in this book is a talking skull. The skull speaks to Otilla and offers to let her rest in his home. The skull said, “I will come down and let you in, but only if you promise to carry me once I do. I am just a skull, and rolling around is difficult for me.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Legend of Annie Murphy

In 1885, the Murphy mine struck gold. According to legend, Annie Murphy killed her husband out of greed, but just before she was to be hanged for the murder, she escaped. Now, a hundred years later, there have been sightings of Annie Murphy’s “ghost.” The Coopers unwittingly become involved in a mystery that finds them caught between the past and the present. 

The Legend of Annie Murphy is a fast-paced mystery that jumps back and forth between two time periods. While following the “ghost” of Annie Murphy, Jay and Lila accidentally end up a hundred years in the past, while Sheriff Potter ends up in the present with Dr. Cooper and his friend Mac. The different perspectives allow readers to learn the truth about Annie Murphy and the legend, which gives the story an interesting twist. 

While in the past, Jay and Lila explore the town and look for clues about Annie. During their investigation, they learned that Annie was illiterate; however, she was able to tell her life’s story through carvings that she created. This allows Jay and Lila to learn the truth about Annie and her husband’s death. While the mystery is full of intrigue by itself, Jay and Lila have another problem—the townspeople believe they are ghosts! This leads the siblings into some unusual and humorous situations. Even though Jay and Lila are afraid they will forever be stuck in the past, they still trust God and focus on solving the mystery of Annie. 

Back in the present, Dr. Cooper and Mac discover that Sheriff Potter has accidentally traveled into the future. However, the sheriff is reluctant to help the two men investigate what happened to Annie. Through research, the two men are able to discover clues as to who really murdered Annie’s husband. The two men also discuss how the time travel happened. Even though the situation seems outlandish, readers will understand the concepts behind the time travel and will easily follow the story’s many different perspectives.  

The Legend of Annie Murphy will appeal to a wide range of readers because of the mystery, ghosts, and time travel. Plus, the story is full of action, suspense, and surprises. In addition, the time travel aspect gives the story a unique premise that will draw readers in. The story also has a positive message since the events that surrounded Annie Murphy’s life highlight the destructive nature of greed. If you’re looking for a fun and entertaining story, The Legend of Annie Murphy may be the perfect book for you.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Some boys camp out at a graveyard. While there, they tell the story of Annie Murphy. According to legend, Annie Murphy killed her husband. “She cut him up into little pieces with a long butcher knife. . .The next night she came back and this time she wanted the sheriff. He woke up and there she was, standing in his bedroom. She still had the knife.” The townspeople found his body “on Annie Murphy’s grave. He was cold and dead and looked like he’d been scared to death.” 
  • Dustin Potter, a sheriff from the past, ends up in the present time. When he sees Mac and Dr. Cooper, “the sheriff cocked his revolver and aimed it between Jacob Cooper’s eyes.”  
  • The sheriff begins to fade in and out of the time period. “Dr. Cooper and Mac were momentarily puzzled. They could see right through the sheriff as well. Then they realized the sheriff was off guard. . . Dr. Cooper and Mac took full advantage of that and pounced on him. . .Dr. Cooper tried a judo move to bring the sheriff down, but his arms passed through the sheriff’s body. . .” After the confusion, the men talk and begin working together. 
  • The siblings go to investigate Annie Murphy’s bedroom. When they enter the room, a deputy talks to them. “The voice behind them made them gasp, jump, and come down shaking. . . They saw the lanky deputy sitting in a chair behind the door, his six-shooter in his hand. . . [he] then gestured with the gun barrel toward a small couch in the opposite corner.”  
  • When the deputy confronts a judge, the judge begins shooting. “A flash of fire exploded from a gun in the judge’s hand. Deputy Hatch hit the wall from the impact of the bullet.” The judge tries to shoot the kids, but they begin wavering between time periods. “A bullet whistled by their heads. . . The slow sound of a gunshot rumbled behind them.” 
  • When Mac and Dr. Cooper discover the sheriff’s part in Annie Murphy’s story, the sheriff begins to shoot at them. “A gunshot rang out. There was a loud PING! as a bullet hit the steel railing. They instinctively dropped to the platform.” Dr. Cooper “landed on Sheriff Potter and they both went down, grappling, wrestling. Potter still had the gun in his hand.”  
  • Mac and Dr. Cooper run from the sheriff. “They ran through the ruins as one more shot rang out and a bullet nicked Dr. Cooper’s ear. . .” When Dr. Cooper touches his ear, he finds “blood on his fingers.” He is not seriously injured. 
  • As time continues to flicker, Dr. Cooper hears “two gunshots.” Then, “Dr. Cooper looked south, and through a quivering, waving window in time saw Sheriff Potter doubled over, wounded.” In the end, the sheriff kills the judge, and the judge kills the sheriff.  

 Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Lila talks to a man and “she could smell the beer on his breath.” 

Language  

  • A man calls Dr. Cooper an idiot. 

Supernatural 

  • The “ghost” of Annie Murphy appears several times. She appears as “a dim, bluish shape. . . a woman with long hair and a long dress blowing in the wind. She was running, moving in eerie slow motion, her arms outstretched. Her face was etched with fear. . .” 
  • Jay and Lila chase after the ghost of Annie Murphy. Suddenly, all the kids could see “were bright flashes of blue, then white, then blue again as the earth reeled under them. . . from every direction they could hear the ghost of Annie Murphy still crying over and over again.” When the kids wake up, they are in Annie Murphy’s time period. 

Spiritual Content  

  • When people think Jay and Lila are ghosts, Lila says, “Well, we know we’re not ghosts. If we were really dead, we’d be in heaven with the Lord right now. . .” 
  • When the kids realize that they are stuck in the past and the sheriff is in their time period, Lila prays, “Dear Lord, you know all about time and space and little people like us. Help us, Lord. Help us get back home again.” 
  • Mac and Dr. Cooper discuss God’s ability to see “across time. . .He can reach out and help us no matter where we are. . . He knows all things.” The discussion goes on for a page. 
  • After Mac, Dr. Cooper, and the kids solve the mystery of Anne Murphy, Dr. Cooper says, “And God’s justice finally came through. Sometimes it takes a while.”  
  • After everyone is back in their time period, Dr. Cooper prays, “Dear Lord, we thank you that you helped us through this adventure and brought us all together once again.”  

The Haunted Mustache

Wolver Hollow is not a normal town. The adults are too busy shuffling off to work at the old coffin factory to notice or care, but the kids know all about monsters, ghosts, and strange lights in the sky. Strange things happen in Wolver Hollow. Creepy things.

But fifth graders Parker, Lucas, and Samantha are determined to debunk one of Wolver Hollow’s legends: Over a hundred years ago, Bockius Beauregard was vaporized in an unfortunate accident and all that remained was his magnificent mustache. People say it returns every year, on the anniversary of Bockius’s death, seeking a lip to claim as its own! When the boys try to prove the story is fake, they find more than they bargained for. 

Readers who want a humorous, spooky story that won’t leave you with nightmares will enjoy the blend of humor and suspense in The Haunted Mustache. As Parker, Lucas, and Samantha try to solve the mystery behind Bockius Beauregard’s mustache, they attract the attention of the mustache, which is determined to plant itself on one of the kids’ upper lips. The story’s action includes suspense and silly scenes that will keep readers interested until the very end.  

The story’s format will appeal to young readers because it uses large text, short paragraphs, and dialogue that make the story easy to read. In addition, black and white illustrations appear approximately every 5 to 9 pages. The illustrations add humor as well as help readers visualize the characters, who are a diverse group.  

In the conclusion, the kids don’t entirely vanquish the haunted mustache, and the narrator reminds readers, “Be wary, friends. For when the moon is full and the crickets stop chirping, that old mustache may return, forever seeking a new lip to call its own. Maybe even yours. Be ready.” The ambiguous conclusion will make readers eager to read the next book in the series, The Lurking Lima Bean.  

The outlandish events in The Haunted Mustache will entertain readers who will admire the kids’ determination to stop the mustache from haunting their town. Readers who love humorous books packed full of suspense should also read the Notebook of Doom Series by Troy Cummings and the Looniverse Series by Dave Lubar. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The story revolves around Bockius Beauregard, who was killed in an explosion. The only thing that remained was Bockius’ mustache. A farmer found the mustache, which “killed the old man on the spot. He had a heart attack right there.”  
  • After the farmer was killed. The town’s people “pried that bloody mustache out of the farmer’s cold, dead hand and took it up to the cemetery. . . They dug a small hole. Then they set that mustache on fire, and when it was nothing but a pile of ashes, they dumped those ashes in the hole, covered them over, and left them to the worms and grubs.” 
  • The mustache chases Parker, Lucas, and Samantha. “The mustache reached the end of the bridge and leapt into the air, flying after them. It swatted at them with its left curl, then its right, trying to grab Parker off his bike.” The kids run into the junkyard and chain the gate shut. 
  • The kids use a line of salt to keep the mustache in the junkyard. The mustache “floated down and wrapped one curl around a stick, holding it like a pencil. The kids watched in shock as it scratched something in the dirt. Your lip is mine.” 
  • The kids try to trap the mustache. Parker “positioned himself directly in front of the open [car] trunk. He pointed to his lip and stuck out his tongue. The haunted mustache . . . threw itself at Parker’s face.” The mustache flies into the car trunk and Parker “slammed the hatch closed before the mustache could fly back out.” 
  • The kids lead the mustache to Bockius’ old home and run upstairs. “The door flew off the hinges and crashed to the floor. The haunted mustache pulled itself through the open doorway and locked on Parker. . . The mustache twisted its curls and then rocketed towards Parker.” Samantha uses a salt circle to trap the mustache. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • On the anniversary of Bockius Beauregard’s death, his mustache comes back for a face to attach to. “That magnificent mustache haunts Wolver Hollow, angry at being blown up, burned, blamed for the farmer’s death, and dumped in a hole. That magnificent, remarkable mustache, unable to rest in peace, forever seeks a new lip to rest upon.” 
  • To stop a restless ghost such as Bockius’ mustache, “the restless ghost was drawn to the last place it called home, it had to be trapped in a circle of salt, in full view of the rising sun. Once the sunlight fell upon the spirit, it would find peace. . .” 
  • Parker, Lucas, and Samantha go to the graveyard to find the mustache. “The haunted mustache hovered a few feet from the ground, caked with crumbling grave dirt and glowing with a pale blue light.” The kids run.  

Spiritual Content  

  • According to legend, Bockius’ mustache was able to survive because it was “the devil’s work.” 

The Story of Gandhi

Mohandas Gandhi was one of the “bravest and most outspoken leaders in India and the world,” and his dedication to nonviolent protests for freedom and equality led India to achieve independence from Great Britain. During his life, Gandhi’s efforts brought equality to many struggling minorities, and his peaceful methods of change, like fasting, inspired many other leaders worldwide to adopt other nonviolent manners of opposition. Today, millions of people admire Gandhi’s legacy and impact, and they continue to fight for change through his peaceful teachings. However, Gandhi’s journey wasn’t easy, and his path as a world leader required discipline and courage.  

Gandhi was a shy and curious child born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India. Although he struggled to talk in public settings, his desire for honesty and equality led him to pursue a life of helping others. Gandhi started a way of life called satyagraha, where he encouraged people to protest unfair laws and discrimination through peaceful, non-violent actions. However, when Great Britain imposed strict laws on the colony of India, Gandhi’s nonviolent manners of change were tested. Would he achieve freedom through his peaceful movements? Or would inequality continue to reign over India? 

The Story of Gandhi tells the biographical story of Gandhi’s rise as a brave and forthright speaker. Told from the perspective of an outside narrator, the book follows Gandhi’s life, starting with his childhood in India and ending with his leadership in the fight for India’s independence. While other characters briefly appear in the story, the story primarily focuses on Gandhi. As a result, Gandhi is depicted as an inspirational figure whose courage through difficulties and dedication to his peaceful protests are admirable and influential for readers. The challenges that arose with Gandhi’s movements also showcase the realistic problems in his life, giving the story an authentic and genuine feel. 

The biography displays a positive outlook on the themes of courage and discipline. Although Gandhi was opposed and repeatedly thrown in jail for his actions, he held firm to his nonviolent protests and continued to protest peacefully despite the danger. His efforts emphasize the book’s message about standing up against injustice, and it challenges readers to fight for equality without violence. After all, Gandhi believed “in words instead of wars, victory without violence, and leadership through love.” 

The Story of Gandhi is part of a series called Story Of: A Biography for New Readers. The story is educationally oriented and includes additional supplementary material, like fun facts, discussion questions, a reading quiz, and a glossary. Simple, colorful illustrations are found on every one to three pages. The back of the book contains a small section for reflection, where the author asks questions for readers to ponder, like “Have you ever stood up for someone who you thought was being treated unfairly?” The book features difficult vocabulary and discusses heavier topics, like discrimination, in a kid-friendly manner, but younger readers may still overlook its significance. Overall, The Story of Gandhi conveys an aspiring tale about one of history’s greatest activists. It’s a motivating story influencing readers to fight for justice and freedom. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Gandhi is repeatedly arrested and “thrown in jail for his peaceful protests” in India and South Africa. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

New Kid

Tommy Rust is a pro at being the new kid. So when his dad marches onto his baseball field, he knows that time is up. In his new town, he goes by the name Brock, and he’s having a hard time fitting in. And being friends with the bully from the wrong side of the tracks isn’t helping. But thanks to a prank gone wrong, the baseball coach of the travel team notices Brock’s skills and offers him a place on his failing baseball team. But can Brock prove himself on and off the field before he strikes out and becomes the new kid . . . again? 

Unfortunately, New Kid is an underwhelming book with a shaky premise that makes the story difficult to believe. Brock’s father is on the run and hiding from someone. Despite the imminent danger, Brock’s father leaves him alone for long periods. Brock is expected to keep a low profile by keeping himself isolated from other people. However, Brock’s anger and confusion over his situation causes Brock to rebel. Soon Brock is hanging around Nagel, a troublemaker from the wrong side of the tracks. 

Even though readers will find themselves sympathizing with Brock, his situation is not relatable. The details behind Brock’s constant moving are murky, which makes it difficult to connect with him. In addition, Brock’s new friend Nagel is portrayed as a bully and a troublemaker. While the book hints that Nagel has some redeeming qualities, the story thread isn’t well developed and Nagel never has a time to shine. In the end, Nagel’s involvement in Brock’s life highlights Brock’s desperate need for attention and reinforces the reasons that Brock has begun rebelling. 

The book’s mystery and danger are interspersed with play-by-play baseball action that breaks up Brock’s personal drama. While the coach believes Brock has great potential to be a pitcher, Brock falls apart at his first game and then hides in the bus, refusing to talk to anyone. Brock’s immature behavior makes it difficult to feel sorry for him. Since Brock isolates himself from his teammates, the baseball scenes focus on Brock whose newfound talent isn’t realistic. Then, with a little help from a professional baseball player, Brock overcomes his obstacles and leads his team to a championship. Despite this, the winning has less impact because Brock never connects with the team. 

Readers who want an exciting baseball book with well-developed characters may want to leave New Kid on the shelf. The story’s underdeveloped characters and confusing plot make the story difficult to enjoy. In addition, in one scene Brock’s dad admits that he has killed people and then explains how killing someone in self-defense is not wrong. However, the details are so murky that the purpose of the scene is lost. In addition, the conclusion is rushed and doesn’t resolve any of Brock’s problems. Sports-loving fans can find an array of baseball books to choose from, which makes New Kid easy to pass up. Fast Pitch by Nic Stone, Baseball Genius by Time Green and Derek Jeter, and Heat by Mike Lupica all have compelling stories that readers will cheer for. 

Sexual Content  

  • A girl from school, Bella, and Brock confess that they “like” each other. Then, Brock “closed his eyes until he felt her lips on his cheek.” Then they held hands. 
  • Right before leaving town, Brock “took Bella’s face in his hands and kissed her cheek.”  

Violence  

  • On Brock’s first day at a new school, another student, Nagel pushes Brock. “Brock sprang up off the polished wood and turned to face his tormentor. . . Brock turned and attacked the much smaller boy without hesitation. Nagel landed a quick jab to Brock’s nose on his way in. Brock saw stars. He heard a pop and tasted the warm flow of blood down the back of his throat.” A teacher, Coach Hudgens, breaks up the fight and the boys are suspended.  
  • After the fight, Nagel says Brock gave him a concussion. When Brock apologizes, Nagel says, “Don’t worry about that. . . man gives me one every other frickin’ week.”  
  • Nagel is upset that Coach Hudgens “manhandled” him in order to break up the fight. In retaliation, Nagel and Brock go to the coach’s house and throw rocks at his house. “Brock’s stone hit the shutter so hard it sounded like a gunshot. The window exploded with a tinkling shatter. Nagel whooped and flew.” Nagel runs away, but Brock gets caught. Afterward, the coach’s wife says, “Torturing cats. Blowing up frogs with firecrackers. You’re sick.”  
  • Brock looks into a box that his dad has hidden. In the box is a story “of a young woman brutally murdered, her body found floating snagged by a buoy in the East River. His mother.”  
  • While running away from Coach Hudgens, Brock goes through an alley. “It was in those shadows that he suddenly found himself surrounded by the dark shapes of boys. No, not boys. They were young men. . . One of them stepped forward and shoved Brock backwards with a stiff hand. . . Nagel’s brother gripped the front of his shirt and raised him up off the ground, grinning at him with jagged teeth lit by the moon.”  
  • When Nagel tries to stop his brother, Jamie Nagel, from hurting Brock, “Nagel’s brother sent him flying with a punch to the side of his head. Nagel sprawled on the grass, bawling.” 
  • When Coach Hudgens sees Jamie holding Brock, the coach throws a baseball at him. “THUNK. Jamie Nagel’s chest rang out like a bass drum. He dropped to the grass. . . [he] tilted sideways and collapsed on the grass, gasping for air, then sobbing like a baby.” Coach Hudgens says he didn’t mean to hurt Jamie, just scare him. 
  • Brock and his father are getting ready to eat dinner when they hear “a crash from the garage . . . His father moved like a panther, swift and smooth. In a blink he was in the living room with one hand on the door to the garage. In the other hand was his gun.” They discover the intruder is Nagel; Brock’s father sends him away. 
  • While walking through a field, Brock and his friend Bella are chased by Jamie Nagel and his friends. Brock falls and “hit the ground hard. . . He had almost regained his feet before Jamie Nagel tackled him and knocked the breath from his chest. . . Jamie took a knife out of his pocket and snapped it open. The long thick blade gleamed in the dappled sunlight. . .” When they hear sirens, the boys run. 
  • As Brock’s dad goes into their house, Brock is waiting in the car. A man tapped the window. “In the man’s hand, tapping on the window, was a gun.” When Brock opens the car door, the man grabs him. “With a swish and a snap, swish and snap, the man taped Brock’s hands behind his back, then plastered a piece across his mouth.” The man shoves him in a seat. Brock’s dad hits the man in the head, who then falls to the ground.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Coach Hudgens is known to be a drunk. According to Nagel, Coach drinks right before school, at lunch, and right after school. Nagel also says that at a tournament, the coach “passes out in his bathroom.”  
  • While at home, Coach Hudgens often drinks beer.  
  • While at Brock’s house, Nagel tries to smoke a cigarette. “Brock took three quick steps and slapped the match out of Nagel’s hand.”  
  • While hanging out with Brock, Nagel offers to “swipe some beer from my brother.” Later, Nagel is caught trying to steal a six-pack of beer from Brock’s garage.

Language  

  • At school, someone “flipped the middle finger” at Brock. 
  • Nagel says people think he is “white trash.”  
  • Frickin’, darn, and crap are each used once.  
  • Brock’s friend calls Jamie Nagel and his friends “fatheads” and “losers.” 
  • The kids frequently call other people jerks. Several times someone is called a rat. 
  • Heck is used three times. 
  • Oh my God and God are both used as exclamations once. 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • Before dinner, the coach says a prayer. He thinks family is more important than sports. His niece says, “God, family, school, sports.” 
  • Coach’s wife, Margaret, offered to help take care of Brock. “She said she thought God put you in their lives. She said she loved you the minute she met you.” 

The Trail of Tears

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. This book introduces the Cherokee’s creation story, how their communities were formed, as well as how they were displaced several times. Each time, the Cherokee were forced to move, the white settlers took the Cherokee’s houses, businesses, farm animals, and other personal belongings.  

The Cherokee Nation had a written language and many of their towns had a Cherokee newspaper. However, when the Cherokees became successful, many white settlers “did not want them around. President Thomas Jefferson believed in a policy called Indian Removal. This meant moving all Indians to Indian Territory. . . Jefferson thought this policy would protect the Indians from dishonest white people who might trick them or kill them for their land.” Many of the Cherokee disagreed on whether they should move or not. In the hope of creating peace, some people moved further west. Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem because the whites continued to move west and continued to take the Cherokee’s land. 

Written by Joseph Bruchac, who is of Abenaki, Slovak, and English descent, The Trail of Tears explains how the Cherokee people lived and worked. Many people may be surprised that the Cherokee towns were very successful and required schoolchildren to learn Latin, algebra, botany, grammar, and geography. Despite the Cherokee’s success, the white settlers and the government broke treaty after treaty and cruelly forced the Indians off their own land. Despite this, the Cherokee Nation continues to thrive today.  

As part of the Step Into Reading 5 Series, The Trail of Tears is intended for readers in grades 2 – 4 who are proficient readers. The book includes large, colored pictures of historical events and several pictures of the Cherokee being mistreated. For example, one illustration shows a woman being separated from her child and the soldiers with guns. Another picture shows people falling off a boat and drowning. Illustrations appear on every page, and some pictures fill an entire page. The book’s oversized text, large illustrations, and short chapters will appeal to younger readers.   

The Trail of Tears presents historical events from the perspective of the Cherokee people and introduces several brave Cherokee leaders who fought for their people. Readers will see how various United States presidents’ policies affected the Cherokee, as well as how the whites betrayed them. The book is written similarly to a history text, describing events in a factual tone. Bruchac leaves the reader with the message: “Lessons can be learned from the bitter journey called the Trail of Tears. One is that when promises are broken, many people may suffer.” Readers interested in United States history or Indigenous people will find The Trail of Tears interesting. To learn more, read Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story by Andrea L. Rogers.

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • After the American Revolution, “American settlers wanted the land owned by Cherokees. There was more fighting, this time against the Cherokees. A thousand Cherokee towns were destroyed.”  
  • Some white settlers killed Indians in order to take their land.  
  • At one point, the Cherokee were taken captive. “They were locked up in stockade forts. They had to leave behind everything except for the clothes they wore and what little they could carry. Groups of white men, following the soldiers, quickly took over the Cherokee homes. . . Many died while being held captive.” 
  • When the soldiers forced the Cherokee off their land, “People were loaded onto large flatboats guarded by troops. . . Some [Cherokee] fell into the water and drowned.” 
  • Some Cherokee resisted being moved off their land. “Two white soldiers were killed. One of the Cherokees, an old man named Tsali, was sentenced to death after he and two of his sons killed a soldier trying to capture them. He was killed by a firing squad of his own people. They knew that they would be shot if they didn’t obey.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Many Cherokees believed that their trip would be a hard one because there was a roll of thunder and black clouds appeared before they left. 
  • According to legend, “It is said that each drop of blood that fell from the Cherokees turned into a stone rose. Those red stone crystals can still be found along the Arkansas River.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • When the Cherokee Nation was forced to leave Tennessee, John Ross said a prayer. “We ask for God’s guidance on our journey, Amen.” 

American Indian Biographies: Sacagawea

Imagine being captured by your enemies and taken to live in a new village, without knowing if you would ever see your family again. At age 12, Sacagawea was captured by an enemy tribe of her Lemhi Shoshone people. As a teenager, she traveled from a village on the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast, with a baby strapped to her back. During this journey with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Sacagawea helped by showing them which foods were good to eat and which plants the American Indians used for medicine. She also served as a symbol of peace to American Indian tribes. Today, many people celebrate Sacagawea’s contribution to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 

As a young girl, Sacagawea was taken captive by a Hidatsa warrior, and then a French fur trader named Toussiant Charbonneau “visited the Hidatsa warrior’s lodge. . . Charbonneau purchased Sacagawea and Mountain Sage from the Hidatsa warrior. They became his wives.” The book doesn’t mention how the Hidatsa warrior or Charbonneau treated her. However, Wallner includes her opinion on how Sacagawea could have felt. For example, after Sacagawea’s village was attacked, Sacagawea saw her mother’s dead body. “It would have been difficult to hold back her sorrow any longer.”  

Most of Sacagawea is told in an informative tone that includes many facts, but it also implies that Sacagawea agreed to travel with Lewis and Clark, when she had no choice. Sacagawea’s emotions are described: “Sacagawea certainly would have been excited to see her family again. But she may also have been worried about making such a long, hard journey with a small baby.” No one knows how Sacagawea felt because the Shoshone people did not have a written history. Unfortunately, Wallner portrays the white explorers as kind and peaceful and doesn’t include any of the white people’s cruelty towards the American Indians.  

The American Indian Biographies lead you through the lives of famous American Indians. You will learn about their families, the types of homes in which they lived, and the chores they performed. Special sidebars will teach you crafts they made, games they played, or recipes they cooked. As you follow these American Indians through their lives, you will get to know their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. And you will learn how the actions of these native people affect our lives today. 

Sacagawea’s story is told in this easy-to-read biography, which uses large, full-color illustrations on almost every page. The book is divided into short chapters, with oversized text, pull-out quotes, and illustrations and captions that blend to make it visually appealing. A short glossary can be found at the back of the book.  

Sacagawea provides basic facts about Sacagawea’s life after she was kidnapped from the Lemhi Shoshone people. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t include information about her Native community or explain how Sacagawea felt about being forced to live in the white man’s world. Sacagawea is an admirable woman who stayed calm during difficult situations, but she is best known for helping Lewis and Clark navigate during their expedition.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The Hidatsa Indians attacked Sacagawea’s village. “One of the few men in the camp rushed out of his teepee, calling to the others. His warning cries stopped suddenly as an arrow pierced his heart. Women and children fled into the nearby forest.” Later, Sacagawea “noticed the dead body of her mother.” 
  • Sacagawea tried to run away from the Hidatsa Indians. “A Hidatsa warrior reached down and grabbed her. Sacagawea fought hard. She bit and scratched, but the warrior just laughed and held her firmly in front of him on the horse.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • While in labor, Sacagawea was given medicine made with “two dried rings from a rattlesnake’s tail with water.” 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

Stone Fox

Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, a young boy who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. Little Willy loves living on the farm with his Grandfather, but one day Grandfather falls ill and is no longer able to work the farm. Little Willy tries to work the farm himself, but then he learns their farm is in danger of foreclosure. If they cannot come up with the money in time, the government is going to take away their home and break up their family.   

Little Willy is determined not to let this happen. Then one day, he discovers a solution. He is going to enter and win the National Dogsled Race, because the prize money will be enough for Little Willy to save the farm and his grandfather! But he isn’t the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog, Searchlight, must face off against experienced racers, including a man named Stone Fox who has never lost a race.  

Stone Fox will keep readers up late into the night because once they start the book, they will not want to put it down. While most readers may not want to read about a potato farmer, Stone Fox makes the protagonist so relatable that his life becomes interesting. Readers will connect with Little Willy because all readers can understand wanting to save someone they love. While Little Willy’s love for his grandfather is admirable, it is his persistence and hard work that make Willy a compelling protagonist.  

Since Stone Fox has never lost a dogsled race, many townspeople tell Willy that he is foolish for entering the race. But this doesn’t deter Little Willy! Instead, he works harder. Readers will root for Little Willy and his dog, Searchlight, but the unexpected tragic ending may leave readers in tears.  

Stone Fox is a compelling story about the love of family and Little Willy’s refusal to give up. When his grandfather becomes sick, Little Willy takes on the responsibility of caring for his grandfather and the farm. Through it all, Little Willy treats others with respect even when he disagrees with them. Little Willy’s action-packed adventure shows that “there are some things in this world worth dying for.”  

When Stone Fox was published in the 1980s, it was well-received and was taught in many classrooms. However, the book describes Stone Fox, a Native American man as “an Indian—dressed in furs and leather, with moccasins all the way up to his knees. His skin was dark, his hair was dark . . . His eyes sparkled in the sunlight, but the rest of his face was as hard as stone.” Due to Stone Fox’s portrayal, some, such as American Indians in Children’s Literature, now believe the book uses stereotypes and should not be read in schools, while others disagree.  

One thing is certain: Stone Fox is an exciting book that adults can discuss with their children. If you’re looking for a book that portrays Indigenous people in a more diverse light, you can read Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac and Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story by Andrea L. Rogers. If you’re interested in Navajo mythology, read Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When little Willy gets home, a man is standing at the door, “holding a small derringer and pointing it at Searchlight. His hand was shaking.” An illustration shows the silhouette of the man holding the gun. 
  • The town drunk tells a story about Stone Fox. There “was this time in Denver he snapped a man’s back with two fingers.” But people don’t believe the story.  
  • Willy hears dogs barking in an abandoned barn. He goes in and sees Stone Fox’s dogs. When Willy “held out his hand to pet them. . . There was a movement through the darkness to Little Willy’s right. A sweeping motion. . . A hand hit Little Willy right in the face, sending him over backward.” That night, “Little Willy couldn’t sleep—his eye was killing him.” The next day, Little Willy’s eye is swollen shut. 
  • Little Willy thinks about how he killed a bird with a slingshot. He never killed another animal again. 
  • At the end of the race, Searchlight “gave it everything she had. She was a hundred feet from the finish line when her heart burst. She died instantly. There was no suffering.” 
  • To allow Little Willy time to carry Searchlight across the finish line, Stone Fox draws a line in the snow. When the other racers appeared, “Stone Fox fired his rifle into the air. They came to a stop. Stone Fox spoke. ‘Anyone crosses this line—I shoot.’”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • While at Little Willy’s house, Clifford Snyder, a tax collector, “lit up a long, thin cigar and blew smoke toward the ceiling.”  
  • Little Willy goes to the bank to see Mr. Foster, the president of the bank. “Mr. Foster was a big man with a big cigar stuck right in the center of his big mouth.”  
  • Before the race, Little Willy sees Mr. Foster “chewing his cigar” and the town drunk, “took a powerful swig from a whiskey bottle.” 
  • The town drunk is mentioned several times. 

Language  

  • Doc Smith tells Willy, “I think you’re a darn fool for using your college money to enter that race.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Native American Heroes: Osceola, Tecumseh, & Cochise

Osceola, Cochise, and Tecumseh are three Native American heroes who fought valiantly for their land and people. This book is divided into three parts—each part recounting the life of one of these great heroes.  

Osceola, a Seminole leader, fought to keep his people’s native land and to protect all Seminoles, including those who had black skin. The Seminoles were not just fighting the army; they were also fighting the slave traders who wanted all black Seminoles turned over to them. The whites wanted the Seminoles to sign a treaty, agreeing to move to lands in the West. One of the reasons Osceola refused to sign a treaty was because the treaty said “that no Seminole who had the blood of the black man could go to the western country. How this would tear brother from brother! Child would be torn from parents!” 

Thompson, an American general, pretended that he wanted to discuss the treaty with Osceola, and instead, Thompson had Osceola put in irons and thrown into prison. A soldier who witnessed the capture of Osceola wrote to a friend: “I shall never forget that day, nor the sad, disappointed face of Chief Osceola and the other Indians. We were outraged by the cowardly way he was betrayed into capture.” Osceola died in prison, and many of the Seminoles agreed to move west.   

Tecumseh was born into a world of war between the Shawnee Nation and the Americans. The men of his tribe taught Tecumseh how to be a warrior, but his sister “taught him to be honest, to respect the rights of others, and to obey his elders.” Even though the Shawnee Nation and the Americans were at war, Tecumseh still had compassion for the enemy and did not let his men torture captives. Tecumseh tried to unite all of the tribes; however, he was unsuccessful. Despite this, “Tecumseh was a great man. He was truly great—and his greatness was his own, unassisted by science or the aids of education. As a statesman, a warrior, and a patriot, we shall not look upon his like again.” 

Cochise, an Apache leader, brought peace to his people by cooperating with the whites. “Not all of the Chiricahua warriors believed that peace was the way to survive. . . But every warrior knew that Cochise had pledged to keep his peace and that he would never break that pledge. Truth and honor had a value among all Apaches, but in no man was it stronger than in Cochise.” Unfortunately, Cochise’s honesty and cooperation weren’t enough to keep the peace, and fighting resumed. After Cochise’s death, the Americans broke their promises and the Apache “were driven out of their mountain home and moved to a distant reservation.”  

Native American Heroes is a tragic and true story that highlights the violence and racism that the Indigenous people endured. Osceola, Cochise, and Tecumseh are heroes who fought to keep their tribes from being pushed off their native land. The trickery and deceit that the Americans used against the Indigenous people is heartbreaking. These tragic stories include violence but do not include gory details.  

Native American Heroes teaches about history by using black-and-white original source materials, including photographs, maps, portraits, and newspaper articles, to supplement the narrative text. This engaging and educational book will help readers understand how the colonization of America affected the indigenous tribes. In addition, the book doesn’t shy away from showing the cruelty that the white man inflicted upon the Native Americans.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Osceola would not sign a treaty with Thompson, who represented the United States. Thompson then had Osceola arrested. “It took four soldiers to subdue Osceola. They put him in irons and threw him in prison.” 
  • Chief Emanthla agreed to give Black Seminoles to the whites, who would sell them into slavery. “To Osceola, this act of betrayal was punishable by death. Osceola raised his rifle and fired.”  
  • The whites captured Osceola’s wife, Morning Dew, because “her mother was believed to have been a black woman, so in the eyes of the white men, Morning Dew was a slave.” This caused Osceola to wage war against General Thompson and the whites.  
  • Osceola and a war party hide in the woods waiting for Thompson to go on his usual morning walk. “It was Osceola who struck down the general. And it was the Seminole war cry – Yo-ho-ee-tchee! — that Thompson heard as he fell dead.”  
  • After Thompson was killed, General Clinch arrived with his army. The Seminoles watched as the army began crossing a river. “Suddenly the Seminoles came out from their hiding places and attacked. The general’s army was now split in two. The five hundred men who were unable to cross the river watched helplessly as their comrades and the Seminoles fired at one another.” One hundred whites were killed that day. 
  • As the war continued, the whites “died as often from the bites of the snakes and the mosquitoes as they did from the weapons of the Seminoles.” 
  • Slave traders wanted all black people to be turned over to them. The slave traders couldn’t tell if a black person was a runaway slave or a Seminole so they “seized anyone with black skin.” 
  • General Hernandez asked Osceola and other Seminole leaders to discuss a peace treaty, but then Hernandez ambushed them. “Hernandez gave the signal. His troops, hidden nearby, moved in. Osceola was captured, together with twelve chiefs, seventy-five warriors, and six women.” Osceola was put in prison, where he eventually died. 
  • The Shawnee leader Cornstalk is killed while visiting an American fort. “A mob of soldiers, angered by the killing of a white man, had shot the Shawnee leader.”  
  • When war came to the Shawnee’s territory, Tecumseh “watched his village vanish in flames, as American soldiers drove the Shawnees from their homes.”  
  • To protect their land, the Shawnees attacked the flatboats carrying the settlers down the Ohio River. “After one such attack on a group of settlers’ boat, the Shawnees burned a captive at the stake. Tecumseh watched in horror.” 
  • The battle of Tippecanoe “lasted only a day. . .[General Harrison was] not satisfied with smashing the houses, Harrison’s army also destroyed all of the corn the Shawnees had harvested.”  
  • Tecumseh returned to the fort to find “a group of Native Americans was torturing twenty American soldiers. Tecumseh charged at them at a gallop. He grabbed a knife from one warrior and sent others sprawling to the ground.”  
  • A white man accused Cochise’s men of kidnapping his son. Lieutenant Bascom asked Cochise to meet with him. Cochise took his family with him. Bascom tried to take Cochise and his warriors as prisoners. When Cochise “cried to his people to run,” Bascom’s guards started shooting. “One of [Cochise’s] brothers’ sons was stabbed in the stomach with a bayonet. His wife, brother, and nephews – and Cochise’s son — were seized.” 
  • Cochise tried to take several of Bascom’s men. “An Apache warrior fired and one of the white men fell dead.” Later, the Apache took several of Bascom’s men captive. “They killed the four white men and left their bodies there as a message to Bascom and his men. . .  In retaliation, they hanged the male Apache hostages.” Cochise “saw, hanging from a tree, the bodies of his relatives along with three other Coyoteros Apaches that had been captured.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The white men introduced whiskey to the Native Americans. The whiskey “destroyed their bodies” and “turned brother against brother.”  
  • Governor Harrison met with several chiefs to convince them to sign a treaty. “Harrison may have first supplied the chiefs with whiskey and then pressured them to sign this new treaty.”

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Tecumseh’s brother, Laulewasika, “gave up whiskey and turned to religion.” Laulewasika had many followers. Laulewasika told “his people to stop warring among themselves and to stop drinking the white man’s whiskey.” 
  • Laulewasika was called the Shawnee Prophet.  
  • The Shakers may have influenced Laulewasika.  
  • Governor Harrison told the Delaware Indians that if Laulewasika was really a prophet, he could cause “the sun to stand still, the moon to alter its course, the rivers to cease to flow or the dead to rise from their graves.” Laulewasika used the solar eclipse to prove that he was a prophet.  
  • The Native Americans did not understand why the whites owned land. Tecumseh said, “Sell a country? Why not sell the air, the clouds, and the Great Sea as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?” 
  • Tecumseh tried to unite all of the Indians. He said, “This is the will of the Great Spirit.”  
  • After Cochise’s relatives were killed, the dead men’s faces were painted. They were dressed in their finest clothes “so that they would look their best for the long journey to the gods. . . Everything the dead men had owned was thrown into the flames.” 
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