Reading Level: Elementary

Hurricane Rescue

A dangerous hurricane is racing towards Ben’s hometown. Ben promises his father that he will stay safe inside their home. Ben doesn’t mean to disobey his father, but when Jack and his puppy, Scout, go missing, Ben knows he has to help. With the help of his friend Noah and retired search-and-rescue dog Hero, Ben sets off into the woods in search of his missing friend.

Ben, Noah, and Hero desperately try to locate Jack. When they find Jack, they soon realize that a raging flash flood has made it impossible to continue their trip. Together, Hero and Ben fight to keep everyone alive. But can Hero battle his way past alligators, mudslides, and raging floods?

With howling winds, angry alligators, and danger hiding in every corner, Hurricane Rescue is a fast-paced story that has surprises around every corner. Hurricane Rescue is told from Ben’s point of view, which allows the reader to understand his thought process and experience Ben’s worry about his missing friend Jack. Through their harrowing ordeal, Hero comes to the rescue time and time again. However, in the end, everyone must work together to make sure that everyone makes it out alive.

Hurricane Rescue is an engaging story that doesn’t only focus on the hurricane. Instead, the story also shows the importance of the father-son bond. While Ben lives in a traditional two-parent household, Jack’s parents are recently divorced, which makes it difficult for Jack to see his father on a regular basis. Jack’s grief over missing his father causes him to make the dangerous decision of sneaking off in order to try to make it to his father’s house, which is in a different town.

Told from Ben’s point of view, the readers understand why Ben isn’t truthful. Ben lies to Jack’s mother, intentionally disobeys his father, and leads his friend into danger. Even though the story ends happily, Ben should have been honest with the adults in his life instead of jumping into a dangerous situation on his own. Ben’s impulsive actions and dishonesty were also portrayed in the first book of the series.

Hero plays a main role in the story, and readers will enjoy seeing how Ben and Hero work together. The suspenseful story has likable, well-developed characters who show bravery and courage. However, some of the rescue scenes are unrealistic. Despite this, Hurricane Rescue will keep readers engaged until the last page while it illustrates the importance of rescue workers, such as the National Guard and police officers. Readers who enjoyed Hurricane Rescue should also try Survival Tails: Endurance in Antarctica by Katrina Charman.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • An alligator keeps Hero from helping a dog in trouble. Hero distracts the alligator. “The alligator’s front half was on land. His giant jaw stretched open, revealing sharp, angled teeth. . . Ben’s stomach flipped as the alligator snapped his jaw shut with a loud clack.” No one is injured.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • After a strange encounter, Ben’s friend asks him, “What the heck was that about?”
  • When Ben first met Jack, Ben thought Jack was “kind of a jerk.”
  • While Jack is trapped under a tree, he says, “Well, it kind of feels like it’s all on me, so why don’t you wimps lift this thing off me already?”
  • Jack tells his friend, “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m a total idiot.” Ben replies, “Well, now you’re a total idiot who’s been rescued.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Ben’s friend is in trouble, Ben thinks that he should “pray that Jack and Scout would be okay.”

Spider-Man: Far from Home: Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal

Spider-Man is off to Europe on a science exploration, crime-fighting adventure! While on vacation, Peter Parker and his best friend, Ned Leeds, decide to create a travel journal where they jot down all the exciting things that happened to them during their trip. From St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice to the Globe Theatre in London, Ned tells readers about the most astounding and historic spots to visit in Europe. While web-slinging, Peter introduces readers to European street food, including German pretzels and English toasties. Mary Jane introduces Europe’s most notable, historic women to the boys as she takes them to the weirdest and scariest places in Europe, including Cemetery Island in Venice and the Museum of Communism in Prague. The ultimate, web-shooting travel journal really has it all!

From the Venetian gelato to the London Eye, their international trip seems to be going great until Peter finds himself having to save the world again. As he fights world-threatening monsters, Peter struggles with becoming a big-time superhero and his new crush on his friend, Mary Jane. It’s a big step up from being just the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man. Will Peter be able to come to terms with his new identity, defeat the monsters, and finish the journal—or will the world fall into chaos?

 Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal is a fun, educational read for young readers. Peter, Ned, and Mary Jane’s adventures across Europe, along with their witty humor, make the book fun to read. It introduces young readers to Europe’s many different, historic cultures. Throughout the book, Ned introduces historical buildings to the readers, Peter introduces cultural food, and MJ introduces historic European women. Along the way, the trio even has intellectual debates discussing if Italian pizza is better than American pizza, if Nikola Tesla is smarter than Thomas Edison, and if Michelangelo is more influential than Leonardo Da Vinci.

However, readers should watch the movie Spider-Man: Far from Home before reading the travel journal. The journal makes many references to the crime-fighting antics of Spiderman’s on-screen personality, and the journal could be confusing for readers who have not seen the movie. The camaraderie between Peter, Ned, and MJ is entertaining; however, the characters often go way overboard on teen-talk. Even though the plot is not well-developed, the theme of friendship is portrayed throughout the journal.

Nonetheless, the fun, colorful illustrations will interest readers. The artwork appears much like the Spider-Man comic books with colorful pictures of Spider-Man in action and cartoonish pictures of European landmarks. However, some of the pictures are reused, which may bother some readers. With its mild language, this book is a fun read for superhero fans that are interested in learning about other countries.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • On the plane, Mr. Hutchinson tells Peter that “his ex-wife faked her own death in the Battle of New York …”
  • Ned thinks he is a great friend because “he will take a tranquilizer dart to the neck courtesy of NICHOLAS FURY and not complain about it.” In the movie, Ned is shot in the neck by Nick Fury.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Ned’s “No Lips” face will make Peter “laugh so hard he pees his pants.”
  • While in St. Mark’s Square, “a pigeon pooped on” Peter.
  • Ned thinks that “Betty is going to think I’m so smart when I tell her about these kick-butt ladies tomorrow!”
  • Ned thinks it’s funny to “imagine a baby country peeing in a diaper.”
  • Peter wants to snuggle with Mary Jane during the opera while they share opera glasses, but he wonders if there’s “another word for snuggle so I can just ask her without sounding like a dweeb?”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Matthew Perkey

The Dragon Thief

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

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

Spiritual Content

  • None

Brute-Cake

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

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

Spiritual Content

  • None

Up for Air

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

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

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Jill Johnson

 

The Storm Dragon

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

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

Spiritual Content

  • None

Star Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

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

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Boy Called Bat #1

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Dreams That Sparkle

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Darn is used once.

Supernatural

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

Spiritual Content

  • None

Jinxed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

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

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

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

Digging for Dinos

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

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

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

Ella Unleashed

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

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

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

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

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

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Wish

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

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

She’s the Liar!

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

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

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

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

Oh, Rats!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

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

Violence

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

Drugs and Alcohol

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

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Pugs and Kisses

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

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content

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

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

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

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Amelia Bedelia on the Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Project Middle School

Eleven-year-old Hope is excited to start JFK Middle School and be in advanced classes. However, Hope is nervous because for the first time, she won’t be in the same class as her best friend, Sam. When Hope heads to her first class, she discovers that middle school may be harder than she thought.

Hope makes her first embarrassing blunder in science. She makes her second embarrassing mistake in Spanish. When she goes to science club, Hope becomes frustrated because the boys don’t listen to any of the girls. That’s all just on the first day.

Hope may know a lot about science and her favorite superhero, Galaxy Girl, but that may not be enough to survive middle school. Can Hope navigate homework problems, changing friendships, and prove girls can do anything?

Hope has relatable problems that every middle school student can understand. She struggles to make friends, has embarrassing moments, and gets frustrated that others do not always listen to her and the other girls in the science club. In order to prove girls can do anything, Hope takes on more work than she can handle, which causes a colossal disaster. In the end, Hope and her peers are able to “acknowledge that failure is a key ingredient in success. Great scientists make mistakes all the time, and that’s how they learn and grow.”

Project Middle School is told from Hope’s point of view and focuses on both her home and school life. Even though the story has relatable conflicts, the story’s flow is choppy. Several of the events felt like they were incorporated to prove a point instead of being a natural extension of the story. For example, Hope asks a Latinx classmate if Spanish is her superpower. Hope then realizes that she shouldn’t make assumptions about other people.

Middle school readers will enjoy Project Middle School, which is told from Hope’s point of view. The story uses easy vocabulary and cartoon-like black and white illustrations. Large illustrations appear on almost every page. JFK Middle School’s students are diverse. The story teaches valuable lessons about not making assumptions and apologizing. The story illustrates that every voice counts. Despite this, Hope doesn’t have a clear voice and her story is bland. Even though Project Middle School isn’t a memorable story, middle school readers will understand Hope’s struggles as well as learn positive life lessons. Readers who enjoy Project Middle School should add You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly to their reading list.

Sexual Content

  • During class, Hope accidentally reads the wrong page from the science textbook. She reads to the class, “The mating habits of fruit flies will be the main subject of this selection.”

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Darn is used once.
  • OMG is used as an exclamation four times. For example, when Hope’s friend sees her in the school hallway, the friend says, “OMG, Hope! I was just thinking about you.”
  • Hope calls her dogs “little fluff butts” twice.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Hope goes up to the whiteboard, she was “praying no sweat marks are visible under my arms.”

The Bull Shark

When the ominous theme song to Jaws plays on his cell phone, fish-obsessed sixth-grader Barn Whimbril knows a shark attack has been reported. Barn tracks attacks all over the world. But this time, it’s right in his own backyard—a series of canals near coastal Florida. As more sightings of these aggressive bull sharks occur in the area, Barn sets out to investigate. Can Barn figure out what has brought these sharks to a once quiet part of his state before another attack occurs?

Full of nonstop action and adventure, Dragged from Under: Bull Shark starts off with a deadly shark attack. The story is told from Barn’s point of view, which allows the reader to learn interesting shark facts without the information sounding like a biology lecture. Barn is awkward around Margaret because she’s a girl, and he’s surprised that a girl could also be interested in sharks. Barn is an extremely likable character. He’s obsessed with sharks, smart, and a little odd. Even though Barn knows he’s different than other kids his age, he doesn’t try to change who he is.

Barn isn’t the only likable character. The large cast of supporting characters are unique and interesting as well. Barn is surrounded by positive adults, who encourage him to be careful, as he investigates the shark attack. Many of the adults, including Jessup who works for Fish and Game, acknowledge Barn’s knowledge and listen to his ideas. Instead of discounting the adults around him, Barn listens to their advice and shares his ideas with them.

Dragged from Under: Bull Shark will engage middle school readers as it teaches how human behavior can cause wildlife to act differently. Even though sharks are dangerous, they are not portrayed in a negative light. Several chapters have the shark’s perspective, which allows readers to understand that the sharks were just doing what sharks do—searching for food.

Shark lovers will want to add Dragged from Under: Bull Shark to their must-read list. The Shark Whisperer series by Ellen Prager and Extreme Adventures: Shark Bait by Justin D’Ath will also take shark-loving readers on a bunch of adventures under the ocean.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • While Robby and Jason are swimming in Florida, a bull shark attacks Robby. Robby “began splashing water every which way. . . then Jason saw something red bloom around Robby’s body. . . Robby’s eyes had gone wild and terrified. Jason saw a large dark body, a fish’s body, slash across Robby’s chest and bite him on the shoulder. . . The shark went underwater when it came to Robby. Robby jerked hard when the shark struck him again.” Robby dies from his wounds.
  • While Barn was on a deck behind a restaurant, a man sics a dog on him. Barn “ducks behind the garbage can, using it to fend off the dog. . . It was a small dog, compact and rust-colored, maybe an Australian cattle dog. It lunged at Barn as soon as it discovered him behind the garbage can, its lips curled back, its teeth flashing forward for a bite.” Barn accidentally falls into the water.
  • When Barn falls into the water, a shark attacks him. “Something hit his leg. . . hard. His knee. The force of the blow swung his leg back in his hip joint and he wondered if he had been bitten.” Trying to get away from the shark, Barn crawls into a floating garbage can. “. . .Something else slammed against the garbage can. The plastic quivered with the force of the impact. It was like being hit by a bat as well as being bitten.” Barn is not seriously injured. The shark scene takes place over four pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Freaking, heck, and Dang are each used once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Legends of the Sky

Milla has heard the dragon legends. She has seen the dragon murals. But everyone says the dragons who used to rule the skies are gone forever.

Servant girl Milla witnesses a murder and finds herself caring for the last four dragon eggs. She tries to keep the eggs’ existence a secret, but soon, the eggs are in Duke Olvar’s possession. When the dragons hatch, Milla and her friends vow to stay with the dragons and protect them from harm. Milla and her friends try to learn how to care for their dragons, but it soon becomes clear that the dragons must belong to the city, not to the Duke.

Tensions in the city are growing due to Duke Olvar’s dislike of anyone who isn’t a Norlander, like him. The Duke wants to control the city and continues to put restrictions on those of Sartolans descent. In order to protect the Norlanders, the Duke decides that “anyone of Norlander descent got to wear a black dragon badge on their clothes—the Duke’s own symbol. Everyone else had to wear a badge in the shape of a ship, to show they were newly arrived.”

Soon Milla and her friends find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Duke’s soldiers and the Sartolans. How can Milla and her friends keep the dragons safe? Should they join the battle or stay safely tucked away in the Duke’s mansion?

Flanagan builds a complicated island city that is under the Duke’s tight control. As Milla learns more about dragons, she also discovers that the Duke will do anything to bond with one. The Duke wants control of the dragons, so he keeps Milla, her three friends, and the dragons in the dragonhall. While under the Duke’s watchful eyes, Milla’s friendships begin to fracture.

Told from Milla’s point of view, readers will fall in love with Milla and her dragons. Milla is a complex character who struggles to do what is right. Milla struggles with her inability to help her Sartolans friends. Readers will understand Milla’s problems with her friends, her hope for the future, and her desire to keep her dragons safe.

Politics, deadly intrigue, and dragons combine to make a fast-paced story where danger hides in the shadows. The story’s complex plot and the violent conclusion make Legends of the Sky the perfect book for confident readers. With shifting loyalties, new friendships, and the struggle for power, The Legends of the Sky explores the topics of power, discrimination, and friendship. Through Milla’s point of view, the reader will come to understand that discrimination hurts everyone. Legends of the Sky is a beautifully written, action-packed story that will leave readers wanting a dragon of their own.

 Sexual Content

  • Tayra is upset when she finds out that her father has arranged her marriage to Vigo. After she gets to know him, the two are playing when Taya “reached up and kissed Vigo.”

Violence

  • Milla is hiding in a tree when she sees a man killed. “A gloved hand pressed a knife against the cloaked man’s throat. . . His knife dug into the flesh of the man’s neck. A thin trickle of blood ran down the blade. . . Afterward, she [Milla] still saw the sudden spray of scarlet against a terracotta pot. She heard the heavy slump as the body hit the ground.”
  • When the dragon eggs begin to hatch, the duke “lifted the egg, and broke it against the surface of polished wood . . . the egg shattered with a damp crunch. The duke pulled it apart, flicking away pieces of shell with his fingers. He lifted up a limp body streaked with blood. . . The dragon didn’t move.”
  • A woman tells a story about the past when “Rufus murdered his cousin Silvano. . .” The murder is not described.
  • An “idiot” soldier accidently started a fire in the prison. The guards flee without trying to help the prisoners escape. Milla and others try to help the prisoners escape. The prison “was ablaze, sending plumes of smoke and fire shooting high into the night sky. . . There were bodies scattered across the dockside. Some were moving. A few were not. . .Six people had died that night.”
  • When a dragon named Heral flies over the city, a soldier shoots an arrow at it. “One arrow buried itself in Heral’s side. He screamed. A plume of fire shot from his open mouth.” The dragon blows fire towards the soldiers. “Now the archers screamed, arms raised in feeble defense. Milla saw bows burning, arrows torched in midair. A man leapt into the sea, ablaze.” Tayra is able to help her dragon. “Tayra pulled the arrow cleanly from the flank: a shallow wound, but a bloody one.”
  • During an argument, the duke “struck his wife across the face.”
  • A riot breaks out. During the fighting, Milla “almost stepped on a dead soldier. A man in the duke’s livery, on his back, staring sightlessly at the gray sky.” Milla takes a shield from a dead soldier. As Milla tries to reach her friends, “A sword crashed down on her shield with such force that she fell, winded, then rolled to avoid the next blow. . . She struck back, catching the soldier low, in his thigh. She slammed her shield in his face and he fell, lost under feet that danced and stamped and leapt to stay alive.” During the fight, the duchess is killed and Milla is injured. The riot is described over three pages.
  • Milla and her friends try to flee the island. Soldiers try to stop them. When Milla got onto the boat, she heard “the clashing of steel, followed by a scream of pain. She twisted to look. One man lay on the floor. Nestan was upright, clutching his sword arm, dark red blood seeping through his fingers.” Another one of Milla’s friends, Simon, “had his wooden staff that he used to parry and block. With a grunt, he twisted it around and landed a hard blow in the man’s gut with one end. . . Simon slammed the broadside into his chin. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.”
  • The book ends with an epic battle. Tayra “let her arrows fly faster than ever. . .” Tayra, her dragon, and Vigo fight side by side. “They cut through the duke’s forces, leaving a trail of ash and black-clad bodies so that Carlo’s army found their way clear.”
  • During the battle, someone grabs Milla, and “her injured ribs burned in agony. . . Black dots danced before her eyes, and she struggled not to pass out.” Milla is able to get away, and she “grabbed a chair and flung it at Richal Finn, aiming for his sword arm. He stumbled but didn’t fall.” Milla’s dragon used his bulk to pin Richal Finn down. Richal Finn fights back and “he kicked out viciously, catching Iggie square on his leg wound. The wound gaped open, right down to the bone: it gleamed palely through, making Milla feel sick.”
  • The duke grabs his sword and threatens to smash the dragon eggs. Isak “threw his whole body weight at Olvar [the duke] and pushed him aside. Duke Olvar pushed Isak away, sending him staggering backward.” In order to protect her eggs, the dragon “blasted Duke Olivar with a massive stream of fire. Olvar caught the worst of it, but Finn’s clothes also burst into flame. He fell to the floor with a hideous shriek.” The battle is described over 13 pages. The duke dies.
  • The story alludes to the fact that the duke used to hit his wife, Serina. After Serina is injured, Milla “watched his [Serina’s son] work, remembering what Serina had said about all the times her son had tended to her injuries. She didn’t ask how Serina had gotten those inures. She didn’t need to.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • An angry boy yells at his father, “You’re not even a soldier, not anymore. We only have your word that you ever were. You probably hurt your leg falling down drunk outside a tavern.”
  • Milla sees a man on his way to teach fighting skills to a girl. She tells him, “I’ll have a skin of ale cooling in the well for you afterward, shall I?”
  • A girl plans to go to a party. She was “planning to borrow a bottle of sweet Sartolan wine from her parents’ stall for the street party.” Later, the girl tells Milla that the wine helped her make some friends.
  • A woman tells Milla a story from the past, when the dragonriders had a disagreement. A dragonrider named Rufus “laced their evening meal with poison: just enough to send Karys and her cousin Silvano into a deep sleep. They awoke in the dragonhall to find themselves in chains.”
  • When Milla goes to visit a friend, the woman poured them “a small measure of sweet Arcosi wine.”
  • Someone gives Milla gifts, which include wine.
  • When Milla is put in jail, her friends poison the guards. “We baked treats for the guards—a special reward for their hard work. . . they’ll sleep all day, sore head tomorrow. Josi knows her poisons. . .”
  • The duke poisoned a dragon, but “the poison wore off after half a day.” However, when the dragon awoke, she was “in chains.”

Language

  • A soldier calls a group of prisoners “Sartolan scum.”
  • A woman calls recent arrivals “filthy dock rats.” Later someone says, “Dock rats! Throw them into the sea.”
  • When the duke orders soldiers to clear the docks of people, Milla yelled, “Where the hell are you going to clear them to?”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • The duke talks about the past, when his people fled their home country. He says it had been “Fifty years since our prayers were answered and we found Arcosi waiting for us.”
  • Occasionally, Milla sends out a prayer, but she never mentions a specific god. For example, when she sneaks out of the house, she “sent a prayer out into the pale morning. . .” Later Milla “prayed that Nestan would listen to his daughter now.” Milla prays twelve times throughout the story.

Hero #1

Hero, a retired search-and-rescue dog, is not prepared for a stray puppy to come into his life. But when he and a twelve-year-old boy, Ben, discover Scout is injured and afraid, Hero is determined to give the tiny pup a home. Ben promises his parents that he will be able to care for both of the dogs and still be able to keep up on his school work.

When Scout hears a loud noise, he becomes frightened and runs off, disappearing. Hero and Ben go in search of Scout, but soon Ben and Hero find themselves going down dangerous and unexpected paths. Ben soon learns that he has gained the attention of Mitch, the leader of a dogfighting ring. Mitch is determined to capture both Scout and Hero in order to make the dogs fight. Can Ben find his dogs and bring them home before it’s too late?

Ben is excited when he learns that the police department has agreed to let him take care of Hero. However, Ben soon finds that taking care of a dog isn’t as easy as he thought. Soon, Ben is falling behind in school and forgetting important obligations. Ben’s father has always taught him to act with purpose, but Ben seems to be messing up more and more.

When Scout and Hero are missing, Ben intentionally lies to his family about the dogs’ whereabouts because he doesn’t want to get in trouble. He also sneaks out of the house and puts himself and his friend Noah in dangerous situations. When Ben finally talks to his parents, he justifies his actions by thinking that he “hadn’t lied, exactly. He’d told his parents the truth—just not all of it.” Ben doesn’t reveal the whole truth until there is no other option.

Hero is a fast-paced story that takes readers into the dogfighting arena. Readers will connect with both Ben and Hero as they try to save each other. The story doesn’t just focus on dogfighting. Instead, Ben also has conflict with a new boy at school and his friend Noah. The well-rounded story is full of danger and friendship. Even though Ben’s actions do not always make sense, readers will fall in love with Hero.

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Ben is distracted, Jack throws a baseball at him. Ben tries to duck, but he isn’t fast enough. “The ball nailed him on his right collarbone, hard. The pain shot through his body. Ben doubled over and took short, sharp breaths, hoping he didn’t pass out right there on the field.”
  • Ben and Noah sneak into a barn that men use for dogfighting. Ben can hear “snarling. Growling. Pained yelping and crying. He smelled the sharp tang of blood in the air.” As Ben looks around the barn, he sees caged dogs. The dog’s faces “were scared and bloody. Their bodies bore the marks of man injuries. Even worse than their wounds, though, were their eyes. They gazed at Ben with a combination of desperation and fear.”
  • As Ben looks for Scout, he can hear “dogs tearing at each other. . . Ben heard one of the dogs wailing and whimpering. It sounded like the animal was hurt—badly.”
  • The leader of the dogfighting ring sees Ben in the barn and pulls a knife on him. Hero sees Ben and he “soared at top speed, front paws extended, teeth bared. . . He [Mitch] let out a confused grunt as Hero landed on him. Ben watched Mitch’s eyes grow big as his body fell forward, Hero on his back with his teeth clamped down on the back of Mitch’s neck. . . Mitch fell facedown onto the concrete floor, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thump. . . Mitch was out cold.”
  • After Ben gets away from Mitch, two “bloodthirsty demons” chase him. Hero comes to the rescue. “One of the dogs was on the ground bleeding. The other was crouched down low, circling his opponent: Hero.” Ben runs away.
  • When Mitch again corners Ben, Hero’s “eyes burned with hatred, and when he opened his mouth to snarl at the men, Ben saw blood on his teeth from the other dogs. . . Hero launched himself into the air, straight at Mitch. . . Mitch wailed in pain as his head smacked the concrete again.” Ben runs away.
  • Again, Mitch comes after Ben. “Hero snarled and snapped his head sideways, latching on to Mitch’s calf with his powerful jaw. Mitch cried out in pain, but he couldn’t get away.” Hero bites Mitch on the leg. A man tackles Hero. Ben grabs a rusty shovel and “hefted it with both hands and ran toward Hero and the man who still lay on top of him. . . Ben swung the shovel high in the air and brought it down fast onto his head. With a groan, the man passed out cold and fell to the side, off Hero.” Hero is injured and has to be taken to the vet. The barn scene is described over eight pages.
  • Hero leads Ben and his father to Mitch, the leader of the dogfighting ring. Hero runs into Mitch’s house and is attacked by two dogs. Ben watches as “Hero and the two dogs spun in circles, snapping their jaws and pouncing on each other. It was a cloud of fur and spit.”
  • When Ben’s father sees Mitch, he pulls a gun on him. As the two men talk, Scout “launched himself at Mitch. The puppy jumped onto Mitch’s wounded leg, closing his small but sharp teeth on his calf.” The police arrest Mitch. The scene is described over six pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Heck is used three times. For example, Ben tells his dog, “You scared the heck out of me.”
  • When Ben asks Noah for help, Noah replies, “Of course I’ll help you, stupid.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere

Olga loves animals and science, but she’s not too great with people. When Olga finds a weird creature, she decides to take it home even though it smells terrible. She names the creature Meh after the sound he makes. Olga uses the scientific method to record her discoveries. She writes all of her research in her observation notebook. Olga heads to the library to research, but she soon learns that Meh isn’t in any of the books.

Olga calls Meh’s species olgamus ridiculus. She wants to learn everything about the new species. What does the olgamus eat? Why does its burp sound weird? Does it speak another language? Do they come from space? Olga’s research comes to a stop when Meh disappears. As Olga searches for Meh, she realizes that humans aren’t as bad as she thought.

Olga’s an odd character with a negative attitude. She likes animals more than people because “animals don’t pollute the planet and make wars and lie to you and steal your erasers and call you names. . . Even animals that people usually dislike are cuter than humans, in my humble opinion.” Much of Olga’s humor has to do with sniffing butts, farts, and poop. Olga even uses a page to draw different types of animal poop. Even though Olga makes several derogatory remarks about “evil humans” and their pollution, she doesn’t think twice about sending a huge helium balloon into the sky.

Olga’s illustrations make humans look ugly and weird. There are several humans—the store owner, the librarian, and a kid with squiggles for hair—that are kind to Olga. However, the story focuses so much time on poop, pee, and other gross potty humor, that it’s hard to take away anything good from the story. Even Olga’s observation notebook becomes a joke. Instead of listing anything factual and interesting, she makes observations such as this: “Mister’s Chasing Technique: 1. Run 2. Pee 3. Run 4. Pee.”

Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere is a blend between a graphic novel and a picture book, which will appeal to reluctant readers. The cartoon-like illustrations are drawn in black with red and pink accents. The story uses a blend of regular story text and quote bubbles. Olga’s story will appeal to fans of Captain Underpants. Unfortunately, Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere uses a combination of strange scientific observations, potty humor, and weird-looking humans. Olga’s story is one that is best left off of readers’ bookshelves.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • When Olga talks about animals being better than people, she draws animals (including a baby earthworm and a baby fly). The animals appear next to a boy that looks like a potato and even has a shirt that says, “I ♥ Potatoes.” Olga writes, “Not too hard to pick a loser here, is it?”
  • “OMG” and “Oh my god” are both used once.
  • Olga’s neighbors refer to Meh as a “fart balloon.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None
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