Reading Level: Elementary

Bird & Squirrel On The Run

Squirrel is busy preparing for winter. He’s collected and stored enough acorns to last him through spring. Meanwhile, Bird is enjoying riding the air currents. When Bird invites Squirrel to go south with him, Squirrel isn’t interested. But when Cat decides that he’d like nothing better than to eat Bird for lunch, Squirrel jumps to the rescue. Unfortunately, he also loses all of his acorns. With his winter supply of food gone, Squirrel reluctantly decides to head south with Bird. Cat sneakily follows, waiting for a perfect opportunity to make Bird his lunch.

Filled with cat chases, misfortune, and other drama, Bird’s and Squirrel’s adventure is pure fun. The two friends are comically different. Every time something bad happens, Squirrel is convinced that “We’re gonna die!” On the other hand, Bird looks on the bright side of everything. When all of their possessions are lost, Bird holds up a toothbrush and says, “Look on the bright side, we still have your toothbrush.” The interplay between Bird and Squirrel will make readers laugh out loud.

Bird and Squirrel’s adventure is reminiscent of Tom and Jerry. Every time Cat tries to sneak up and eat Bird, Cat ends up being injured in some way. As Bird and Squirrel try to avoid Cat, they run into a funny family of moles, a raging river, a slimy snake, and other misfortunes. Even though Bird & Squirrel on the Run is full of slapstick humor, the graphic novel also teaches the importance of friendship and working together.

The story is illustrated with brightly colored panels. Much like a cartoon, the illustrations use exaggerated facial expressions to add to the humor. Each page contains one to six simple sentences. Bird & Squirrel on the Run will appeal to even the most reluctant readers. Bird and Squirrel’s silly antics will keep readers interested as it teaches the importance of enjoying life, even if you’re being chased by a cat. Readers who want more animal mischief should read the Pets on the Loose Series by Victoria Jamieson.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Cat spends a lot of time chasing Bird. The first time that Cat tries to chomp Bird, Bird crashes into a tree and falls to the ground. To help Bird, Squirrel throws acorns at Cat. When an acorn avalanche begins, it sweeps Squirrel and Cat into a river. The scene is illustrated over eight pages.
  • Bird and Squirrel pack up to head south, when Cat decides to chase them. Bird and Squirrel fall into the river and lose all of their belongings. The scene is described over three pages.
  • When Cat chases Bird and Squirrel, the two friends hide in a hole. Cat tries to follow, but he cannot fit inside the hole. With his butt pointing up out of the hole, Cat is hit by lightning. The scenes is illustrated over three pages.
  • Bird accidentally angers bees, and the bees chase him. Bird leads the bees to Squirrel, who is shown with stingers sticking out of his face and body. The scene is described over three pages.
  • While walking through a dark forest, a snake attacks Bird and Squirrel. The snake wraps its tail around Squirrel, and Bird flies to the rescue. The scene is illustrated over five pages.
  • A hawk scares Bird, who is carrying Squirrel. Bird drops Squirrel, but is able to grab him before he smashes into the ground. The hawk gives chase, but Bird is able to get Squirrel to safety.
  • When it looks like Bird is in trouble, Squirrel jumps on the hawk’s back. The hawk stops chasing Bird, and drops Squirrel, who falls to the ground. The scene is illustrated over six pages.
  • Cat again tries to eat Bird. When Cat holds Bird to the ground, Squirrel throws a rock and hits Cat between the eyes. Squirrel taunts Cat, “I bet you’re too slow and too stupid to catch me!” Cat chases Squirrel and the hawk grabs Cat and carries him away. The scene is illustrated over six pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Wind in the Door

When six-year-old Charles Wallace tells his sister he’s found dragons in the pasture, Meg doesn’t want to believe him. But lo and behold, Meg and her friend Calvin discover the enormous creature with hundreds of wings and thousands of eyes. A giant man claiming to be their Teacher tells them the dragons—which are really one creature, a cherubim—is one of their classmates. They’ve been brought together because evil creatures called Echthroi are trying to destroy creation—from the largest stars down to the tiny mitochondria in Charles Wallace’s cells. With her brother’s life on the line, Meg must learn how to love even her enemies or the Echthroi will succeed in destroying her brother and perhaps all of creation.

What follows is a fantastical conflict between the forces of good and evil; a struggle of life and love against hatred and destruction. Meg, Calvin, and the cherubim must work together to save Charles Wallace’s mitochondria from the Echthroi that would destroy. They are transported into Charles Wallace’s cells and meet the farandolae that lives inside his mitochondria. The farandolae have been led astray by the Echthroi and are refusing to grow up, killing the mitochondria. Meg and her classmates have to show the farandolae a better way and rescue them from the Echthroi, before the misguided farandolae kill the mitochondria, Charles Wallace and themselves.

Once again Meg complains and resists the tasks that are given her, but she rises in the end and learns how to look for the good in people even if she doesn’t like them. A Wind in the Door is more complex than A Wrinkle in Time and may be confusing for younger readers as it deals with mitochondria and the relativity of space and size. Still, for readers able to grasps its more complex topics, A Wind in the Door is a fun read that imparts the importance of loving your enemies and looking for the good in everyone. While A Wind in the Door doesn’t discuss religion directly, its storyline and themes are allegorical. For instance, the cherubim and Teacher explain that there is a battle between life and darkness, and to save Charles Wallace the children must protect the ‘song of creation’ from evil forces that would disrupt it.

A Wind in the Door is not a science book, but it does combine quantum physicals and biology to show that people are galaxies unto themselves. In order to accomplish this, the main character is reduced to the molecular level, which is made believable through L’Engle’s use of imagery. Besides being an interesting story, the reader learns about the importance of compassion, friendship, and love. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the nature of human relationships should read A Wind in the Door.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • The farandolae don’t want to grow up so they suck the nutrients from adult farandolae, called fara, killing them in the process. “A group of farandolae whirled about a fara; fronds drooped; color drained. The dance was a scream of laughter, ugly laughter.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Meg has a run in with an Echthroi impersonating Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins, “rose up into the night like a great, flapping bird, flew, screaming across the sky, became a rent, an emptiness, a slash of nothingness.”
  • Meg meets a cherubim. “Wings, it seemed like hundreds of wings, spreading, folding, stretching—and eyes how many eyes can a drive of dragons have? and small jets of flame.”
  • Meg’s teacher is a “huge” man whose “long robe seemed chiseled out of granite.”
  • A large black garden snake acts strangely human, bowing to Meg’s new teacher. While the snake never speaks, it’s said that she too is a “Teacher.”
  • Meg is shown how the Echthroi destroy matter; how they turn it into nothingness. “Across the sky, where the stars were clustered as thickly as in the Milky Way, a crack shivered, slivered, became a line of nothing-ness.”
  • Meg learns how to kythe, a form of mind-to-mind communication. “It’s how cherubim talk. It’s talking without words, just the same way that I can be myself and not be enfleshed.”
  • Farandolae, things that live inside mitochondria, are depicted as “a small, silver-blue mouse…[that] spoke, but with neither a mouse’s squeak nor a human voice. The sound was like harp strings being plucked under water.” Meg and her friends are transported inside a mitochondria, to help the farandolae.

Spiritual Content

  • What Charles Wallace thought were dragons turns out to be a cherubim.
  • The cherubim tries to explain exactly what the Echthroi are. “I think your mythology would call them fallen angels. War and hate are their business, and one of their chief weapons is un-Naming—making people not know who they are. If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn’t need to hate.”
  • When Meg tries to stop the Echthroi, she sings the song of creation, “Sing for the glory of the living and the loving the flaming of creation sing with us dance with us be with us Be! They were not her words only. They were the words of Senex, of the Deepening Sporos…the cherubim and seraphim, wind and fire, the words of the Glory.”

by Morgan Lynn

The Spacedog Cometh

Klawde is not an average cat. He’s an exiled emperor from across the universe. Klawde spends his days plotting his revenge. He will use any means possible to return to his homeland. Klawde is cruel. He’s cunning. He’s also his human’s best friend.

As Klawde plots his cosmic revenge, the space dog Barx arrives on Earth. Barx plans to take Klawde back to his home planet, where Klawde will be punished for his crimes. Unlike Klawde, Barx is loyal and an overall good boy. He also loves to play catch. Barx is determined to bring Klawde to justice. Will the ferocious feline be able to avoid justice?

While Klawde is focused on evading Barx, Raj is faced with his own out-of-town visitor. Although his grandmother is from Earth, she may be even more formidable than Klawde. When Raj’s grandmother plans a birthday party for Raj, he is convinced that the party will lead to the ultimate embarrassment.

Klawde: The Spacedog Cometh brings in two new characters—Barx and Raj’s grandmother. Raj’s grandmother showers Raj with love. She not only begins packing him traditional Indian lunches, but she also invites his entire class to a birthday party that will feature traditional Indian food. Raj loves his grandmother enough not to complain, but he still worries about being different than his classmates. Raj’s relationship with his grandmother leads to some funny, awkward, and surprising situations.

As Raj is trying to survive his grandmother’s visit, Klawde is up to no good. He is convinced that torturing Barx is the key to returning to his home planet. The contrast between Klawde and Barx is amusing and leads to many fight-and-chase scenes. As Klawde and Barx create chaos, Raj doesn’t know if Klawde is being honest or not. After all, Klawde has told him, “Lies are the sharpest arrows in the warrior’s quiver” and “The truth is whatever I say it is.”

Klawde: The Spacedog Cometh continues the engaging, comical story of Klawde. The new characters keep the plot fresh and exciting. Although Klawde’s plans don’t turn out as he had hoped, the conclusion is heartwarming and proves that Klawde will never change. The story continues in the same action-packed format as the previous books. The engaging story has short paragraphs, easy vocabulary, and hilarious blue-and-black illustrations. Not only do the illustrations help the reader imagine the story’s events, but they also highlight Klawde’s various emotions of misery, distaste, and disgust.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Raj brings a dog home, Klawde attacks him. “SLASH! I struck the dog’s nose, claws fully extended. The beast’s eyes snapped open as it yelped in shock and pain. When it saw me, it began to growl, a low rumble that sounded like thunder. Then it charged! Only my superior feline reflexes kept me from the death trap of its snapping jaws.” Klawde hides in his litter box. When the dog follows, “I began to kick up sand with my back paws, creating such a flurry that the canine was blinded.” Klawde eventually races away from the dog, and jumps on Raj’s grandmother’s head. The fight is described over three pages.
  • Klawde calls the dog a “slobbering moron.” In response, the dog bites Klawde’s tail. “The pain—it was like my tail had been blasted by a Zzaxxannian laser torpedo! Fortunately, my cry of agony so surprised Barx that he loosened his grip.” Klawde gets away by climbing a tree.
  • When Klawde finds the dog sleeping, he “bit him on the leg.” The dog doesn’t respond; instead, “Barx merely yawned.”
  • Klawde hides in the bathroom. When Barx comes into the bathroom to drink from the toilet, Klawde attacks. Klawde “sprang from my hiding place, claws fully extended! My left paw slashed Barx’s nose, my right his ear. Barx stumbled backwards in shock.” The dog chases Klawde, who climbs onto the mantel and “flung down a stack of books that the father-ogre kept there. They hit Barx on the shoulder, and he yelped in anger.” Raj’s grandmother shows up and stops the fighting. The fight is described over four pages.
  • Klawde demands that Barx returns to his home planet. When Barx refuses, Klawde calls him a bad dog. “A low growl started in Barx’s throat, and the fur along his spine began to rise. . . ‘Don’t you growl at me!’ I said, slashing him across his hideous snout. Barx bared every single one of his deadly teeth.” Then, Klawde ran from Barx.
  • When Klawde returns to his home planet, the other cats attack. “Just then, the escape pod started to rock. We were being swarmed by the infuriated mob. . .The mob was clawing at the hatch, trying to pry it open.” Klawde makes a desperate last-minute call to Raj, who comes and saves him.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • In his thoughts, Klawde often calls others names. The characters also call each other names, including moron, idiot, jerk, dimwit, imbecile, fool, cowardly scoundrel, dolt, fraud, sniveling charlatan, vile flatterer, and two-faced mongrel.
  • Heck is used three times. For example, when Raj takes a traditional Indian meal to school, someone asks him, “What the heck is that?”
  • When Klawde keeps saying “sit,” Barx says, “Dang it!”
  • Darn is used once. Barx says, “Klawde did something pretty darn awful in my solar system. . .”
  • When Raj sees the lights from a spaceship he thinks, “No. . . freaking. . .way.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The 39-Story Treehouse: Mean Machines & Mad Professors!

Andy and Terry have added thirteen new levels to their amazing treehouse! With a new trampoline, chocolate waterfall, active volcano, opera house, baby-dinosaur petting zoo, museum, boxing elephant, not-very-merry-go-round, X-ray room, disco dance floor, high-tech office, and the world’s scariest rollercoaster, the treehouse has gotten even more ridiculous!

As usual, Andy and Terry are too busy having absurd amounts of fun to realize that their next book is due tomorrow afternoon. Even though the boys have not written a scrap, Terry has a solution. He unveils his new top-secret invention: a Once-Upon-a-Time Machine that writes and draws the books for them. After the invention locks them out of the treehouse and threatens to write its own books, the duo must seek the aid of a mad professor, who is determined to destroy the universe, in order to save their treehouse.

Will the boys be able to save the universe and the treehouse all while finishing their book?

The Treehouse Series is a fantastic series for young readers who are reluctant to read. Griffiths and Denton create a silly, funny, and ridiculous story that will leave readers rolling on the floor laughing. In order to finish their book, Terry invents a machine that will write the book for them. After the machine locks the boys out of the treehouse, Andy and Terry go through a range of slapstick scenarios in order to save their treehouse and book series. In the end, the boys realize they should have written their book and not have depended on the machine to do it for them. This teaches readers the importance of doing their own work.

Unlike other books in the series, Griffiths and Denton do not depend on bathroom humor or inappropriate behavior as a crutch for their jokes, but instead, use wordplay and a bit of slapstick comedy to entertain their readers. The funny black-and-white drawings contribute to a positive reading experience and will help younger readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels.

Unlike other series, readers can enjoy each of these books by themselves and the series does not have to be read in order. In the end, this fun, easy-to-read book will teach readers the importance of doing your own work and encourage reluctant readers to finally read. The story’s fast pace and silly situations will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • In the treehouse’s baby-dinosaur petting zoo, one of the velociraptors bites one of Andy’s fingers off. It is illustrated, but not gory or violent.
  • The Once-Upon-A-Time Machine slaps the boys “away whenever we get too close to the treehouse.”
  • The Trunkinator, a giant boxing elephant, “stomps into the room and punches [Professor Stupido] in the nose.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • After Terry’s jet-propelled swivel chair malfunctions, he calls it “stupid.”
  • When the Once-Upon-A-Time machine refuses to let Terry and Andy in, Terry yells, “You’re just a dumb machine that I invented! Open the treehouse door! NOW!”
  • Professor Stupido, the world-famous un-inventor, is a main character in this book. He calls penguins “stupid, flightless things.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Matthew Perkey

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse

Kayla (a human) and King (a dog) are both detectives. One day, King and Kayla decide to play fetch with their friends, Jullian (a human) and Thor (a dog). When Jullian throws King’s ball too hard, it goes over the fence. Jullian goes to look for the ball, but she can’t find it. King and Kayla must put together the clues to find out where it went—and who had his ball.

Mystery fans will love Kayla and King who enjoy doing ordinary things like playing fetching, eating grilled cheese sandwiches, and following clues to solve a mystery. King’s enthusiasm is contagious and readers will enjoy King as he tries to find out who stole his ball. Thought bubbles appear over King’s head with cute pictures that explain what King is thinking. The illustrations add humor to the story. For example, when King thinks about his “stolen” ball, he pictures a cat thief wearing a mask.

As Kayla and King try to solve the mystery of the hidden ball, Kayla makes a list of “what we don’t know about this case” and a list of “everything we know about this case.” King causes a little havoc as he looks for the answer, but he also makes a new friend. In the end, King is surprised by the unexpected ball thief.

Young readers will love King who thinks that every new thing is his favorite thing. King, like many children, is upset when someone yells at him. The bright illustrations show each character’s emotion making it easy for young readers to understand what they feel. The illustrations often have unexpected details, like Thor making friends with a worm.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse 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. Beginning readers who love animals will enjoy the King & Kayla series.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Good Kind of Trouble

Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is follow the rules. (Oh, and she’d also like to make it through seventh grade with her best friendships intact, learn to run track, and have a cute boy see past her giant forehead.)

But in junior high, it’s like all the rules have changed. Now she’s suddenly questioning who her best friends are and some people at school are saying she’s not black enough. Wait, what?

Shayla’s sister, Hana, is involved in Black Lives Matter, but Shay doesn’t think that’s for her. After experiencing a powerful protest though, Shayla decides that some rules are worth breaking. She starts wearing an armband to school in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Soon, everyone is taking sides and she is given an ultimatum.

Shayla is scared to do the wrong thing (and even more scared to do the right thing), but if she doesn’t face her fear, she’ll be forever tripping over the next hurdle. Now that’s trouble, for real.

Told from Shayla’s point of view, A Good Kind of Trouble effectively explains the Black Lives Matter movement and Shayla’s budding awareness of political activism. When Shayla and her friends begin junior high, they struggle with the changes that come with growing up—crushes, changing friendships, and figuring out their own beliefs.

Readers will relate to Shayla as she struggles with the difficulty of junior high. Shayla’s teacher assigns an “eyeball journal” so students can write down their observations. As Shayla writes in the journal, her thoughts and emotions come to the forefront, which allows the reader to connect with Shayla on a deeper level.

As the story explains the Black Lives Matter movement, most of the information is introduced as Shayla’s parents listen to news about a trial where a black man was killed by a police officer. Shayla’s parents and several adults talk about the trial, but the events are not described in detail. Even though the story focuses on how African-Americans are unjustly stereotyped, the story also touches on how other races are also stereotyped. Shayla’s friends are different races—Isabella is Latin and Julia is Asian.

Throughout the story, Ramée incorporates quotes from famous people, such as author Ralph Waldo Emerson. Shayla’s parents and teachers also give positive advice. For example, one teacher says, “You can be different from the generations before you. You can celebrate people’s differences. Or step up and challenge beliefs you know are wrong.” As Shayla explores her own personal beliefs, she thinks about everyone’s opinions and applies them to her own life.

A Good Kind of Trouble will entertain readers as it introduces them to some heavy topics. The story will show the importance of taking a stand as well as discovering your own belief system. A Good Kind of Trouble would be an excellent story for parents to read and discuss with their children.

Sexual Content

  • Isabella tells her friends that “my dad has a new girlfriend. And you know my mom. She’s all freaked out about it, and worried that I’m going to freak out about it. . .”
  • For a science lab, Shayla is paired up with a cute boy. During the lab, “We both reach for the honey at the same time, and our hands brush. Then a few minutes later, there is this one moment when our heads get really close together. Thank God I brushed my teeth real good this morning!”
  • The students at school play a game and “command” a person to do something embarrassing. At the school dance, Tyler is “commanded” to kiss Shayla. Tyler asks Shayla to dance and “before I can say anything, Tyler kisses me. I’m not talking a peck on the cheek; his mouth is smothering mine. . . I know it’s not a nice kiss. It is slobbery, and even though he must’ve just had a mint so at least his breath isn’t bad, his lips are chapped and scratchy.”
  • Shayla is upset when everyone talks about her and Tyler’s kiss. When she talks to Tyler, she tells him, “And you should know it’s not cool to just kiss somebody. You can’t be all up on somebody who didn’t say it was okay.”

Violence

  • At school, a group of boys try to put Alex in the garbage can. Bernard tries to help. “Most of the boys are laughing, and a few try to grab Bernard’s arms, but Bernard is stronger than they are, and he hauls off and punches a guy and then yanks Alex from Daniel. . . Bernard pushes Alex behind him and then he clobbers Marcus, and that’s just when Principal Trask walks outside the cafeteria.”
  • Some of the students wear armbands in support of Black Lives Matter. “In fifth period I found out the fight was all about Noah Randolph getting commanded to take off his armband and he wouldn’t, so a bunch of other boys started whaling on him.”
  • Shayla’s father tells her about a woman who was “selling incense in front of a store.” When the police were called, “two officers shot her.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • While talking about other people, several characters are referred to as “jerks.” For example, when Shayla sees a boy in the school hallway, “A bunch of boys surrounded Alex, and I can tell they’re being jerks just by the way they’re laughing and nudging each other.”
  • While walking in the school hallway, a boy yells, “My dad says Black Lives Matter is racist.” Shayla thinks, “I want to tell him his dad is an idiot. . .”
  • Shayla’s sister calls her a dummy one time.
  • Dang and damn are both used once.
  • “Oh my god” is used as an exclamation once.
  • When a boy says, “Blue lives matter.” Shayla tells him, “Of course blue lives matter, stupid.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Shayla’s family prays before dinner. “Usually our prayer before dinner is really fast. Just a quick thank-you to God for the food, and sometimes Daddy will add something silly like thanking God for Momma’s brown eyes. . .But tonight Momma’s voice is slow and serious. . . ‘And protect our daughter, Hana, as she struggles to understand the horrible shootings and this troubling verdict. Keep her on the path of peace and nonviolence. And give solace to the poor families, Lord, who have lost young men way too soon.’”
  • During a relay, Shayla was afraid she would drop the baton. During the event she was “praying we’ll connect.”

Then Everything Went Wrong

Hilo can’t remember his past, so he decides to go back to his home planet. But D.J. won’t let Hilo return to his home alone and jumps through the portal before anyone can stop him. In order to hide their disappearance, Izzy makes a fake Hilo and a fake D.J. robot. The two friends need time to explore Hilo’s home planet. Will D.J.’s parents figure out that D.J. is missing?

Hilo knows he is supposed to save everyone, but what happens if danger appears when he is gone. As Hilo discovers his past, the military is quickly narrowing their search for him. Will Hilo discover the answers he needs before it’s too late?

With Hilo and D.J. on another planet, Izzy and Gina are forced to take drastic measures to hide their missing friends. Gina creates a fake Hilo and a fake D.J., but it’s impossible for her to make them act “normal.” Even though Izzy and the robots are supposed to blend in, they keep getting into fights at school. Polly appears on earth, which adds to the comical conflict. Despite the fights and the misunderstanding, it is clear that the friends will do anything to keep each other safe.

Then Everything Went Wrong is full of humor and heart. Izzy and Polly clearly don’t understand earth’s customs, and their well-intentioned mistakes will keep readers giggling. Izzy keeps telling everyone that she “knows how all of the pieces fit,” but does she know what’s best for everyone?

Brightly colored illustrations will capture readers’ attention, but readers will want to keep turning the pages because of the engaging story and the likable characters. The detailed illustrations show exaggerated facial expressions which will help readers understand the characters’ changing emotions.   For maximum enjoyment, the stories should be read in order. Even though the first chapter recaps the events in the previous books, the story’s plots build on each other.

The story hits on themes of friendship, fitting in, and the dangers of war. The book ends with a shocking cliff-hanger that will leave readers in suspense. Even though Then Everything Went Wrong is the fifth installment of the series, the plot continues to build and keep readers engaged. Hilo is a boy robot that readers will love.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Hilo decides to go back to his home planet, and D.J. refuses to be left behind. D.J. puts on Hilo’s spacesuit and goes through a portal. Hilo follows. They see space pigs and D.J. almost gets eaten by a space frog.
  • When Hilo and D.J. find Dr. Horizon’s secret lab, Hilo hits a button that begins a self-destruct countdown. Hilo creates a shield around himself and D.J. that protects them from the blast.
  • When a boy calls Polly a weirdo, she hits him. The boy falls on the ground and Polly jumps on his back and pulls his arm back.
  • When a group of girls yells at Polly, Polly says, “I won’t be fighting anyone.” A girl pushes Polly and fake Hilo and fake D.J. jump in to protect Polly. The fight is not described.
  • A woman tells Hilo a story about Tamir, who said, “I was a creature of rage and greed. I sought only to hurt and to conquer and to rule my world. . . I was born enslaved, beaten, starved, abused, and forced to work until the day I was strong enough to fight back.” Tamir changed when he felt love.
  • When the army shows up and wants to take Hilo, Gina shoots a beam of light out of her wand. It hits a man in the stomach and knocks him down, but doesn’t seriously injure him.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • For show and tell, Izzy says, “So, when I armpit fart—it attacks pigeons. . . If I cup my hand too much, it sounds too high and the pigeons don’t come. . . When I do my right armpit I can call seagulls.”
  • In the space void, D.J. asks, “does this place always smell like a gorilla’s armpit?”
  • Gina waves her wand at the portal and two big dogs come through. The dogs chase Izzy and Gina.
  • Polly says that the Furback Clan was “forced to make weapons for those dirt-snaking vermin.” Then he calls them, “Lizard poop.”
  • A military man says, “Dang it” three times.
  • Polly, disguised as a human girl, tells the class about “hippopotamus bees” that “weigh three tons, and carry twenty gallons of nectar in their pouches which are attached to their rather gigantic butts.” Polly then points to her butt.
  • A boy calls Polly a weirdo.

Supernatural

  • Gina sends a communication spell across dimensions.
  • Polly uses a “masking spell. It’ll change my appearance. I’ll look human.”
  • When Tamir went through a dimensional portal, the creature said, “In my world we call a door like that magic. Here you call it science. It’s mostly the same.”
  • Robots “don’t have emotions . . .But they feel. They’re so afraid.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

EndGames

Blue arrives in the capital city of Altalus, where she is determined to find her friend Crow, the boy who was created to be a flying war machine, and Jack, the engineer who built him. But soon she is inadvertently kidnapped by Snow and Red, twins from the enemy side of their ten-year war. They set off on a dangerous adventure that brings them to the front lines of the war, and eventually realize that they must work together to help end it. But with larger, more powerful forces at work, the fight for peace and survival will be more difficult than they ever imagined.

The majority of EndGames’ plot focuses on the war between Goswish and Grimmaea. However, readers may have a difficult time following the story because of the abrupt transitions. The story jumps from scene to scene causing readers to struggle with keeping up with the new characters and all of the new information. While NewsPrints focused on Blue and Crow’s relationship, in EndGames the two are separated and have little contact. Readers will miss the interaction between the two.

Even though the story is recommended for readers eight and up, younger readers may not be able to understand the more mature themes that appear in the book. The story is very anti-war and shows the dangers of using children to fight an adult’s war. EndGames also shows how governments only print news that is beneficial to them. Instead of being concerned with the truth, many newspapers only spread the government’s propaganda. The newspaper only runs an important true story when “the truth happens to sell even better for the Bugle.”

Unfortunately, EndGames tries to accomplish too much. The story has themes of imperialism, gender roles, and discrimination as well as an anti-war message. EndGames features both a blind character and a transgender character. A female aviator tells Blue, “Oh I’ve always knon I was a boy. . . Other people just didn’t know it yet.” However, the transgender reference is brief and awkward.

Although the artwork is stunning, younger readers may be confused because of the quick transitions. Even though the illustrations help tell the story, some scenes are still confusing. The frantic pacing allows the story to skip over information that may have made the scene’s action clear.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • While flying, two airplanes shoot at each other. A plane is knocked out of the sky by “friendly fire.” No one is injured. The scene is illustrated over six pages.
  • When another country’s Navy appears, a soldier uses a weapon in an attempt to “destroy that machine before your Goswish troops can get it back.” The weapon hits a target and starts a fire. The soldier is shown celebrating the destruction. The scene is illustrated over six pages.
  • As airplanes approach, the army is told “to protect Goswing, we must destroy Grimmaea!” Airplanes are shot down and fall into the ocean. The scene is illustrated over four pages.
  • Blue is left on unstable land that is being consumed by lava. Blue falls into a crack in the ground, but is saved.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • “Goose Butts!” is occasionally used as an exclamation.
  • Heck is used once.
  • Someone calls Blue an “idiot.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Lintang and the Pirate Queen

Lintang loves her family, but she doesn’t want to be a homemaker. Lintang dreams of leaving her island home. She longs to go on dangerous and daring adventures. When she meets the infamous pirate, Captain Shafira, Lintang wants to join her crew. When she gets her chance, Lintang promises to follow orders. However, Lintang’s curious, impulsive attitude always gets her into trouble.

Lintang discovers that living on a pirate ship can be difficult. Her loyalties are divided when she finds that her best friend, Bayani, has stowed away and is desperate to stay hidden. Lintang knows that Bayani is hiding a secret that could change the world. However, she has promised the pirate queen that she will never lie to her. How can Lintang impress the pirate queen and keep Bayani’s secret at the same time?

Readers will relate to Lintang, who has a difficult time following orders. Despite her best intentions, Lintang gets into trouble time and time again. When Lintang is demoted to a cabin girl, she gains the crew’s respect through her positive attitude and work ethic. During her voyage, Lintang “had turned into Lanme Vanyan (the mother of all monsters), faced a Kanekonese siren, fought a dragon, almost drowned twice, battled a sea serpent, [and] worked as a cabin girl.”

Moss creates a beautiful world full of mythies. Some mythies are friendly and others are deadly. In order to introduce the different creatures, many of the chapters being with a page from The Mythie Guidebook, which describes each type of mythie. The information describes how to eradicate the mythie, their behavior, danger level, and provides a description.

Lintang and the Pirate Queen has non-stop action as Lintang, Captain Shafira, and her crew embark on a dangerous journey where they fight fearsome monsters. The story ends in an epic multi-chapter battle that has many surprises. Because of the complex world, the complicated plot, and the large cast of characters, Lintang and the Pirate Queen is best for strong readers. However, adventure-loving readers will love this tale of friendship and adventure.

Sexual Content

  • Lintang tells a legend about Pero, who “was not afraid of the Goddess of Death.” When he left home, he “packed his bag, said goodbye to his mother, kissed the barmaid, and left.”
  • Avalon is transgender. One of the ship’s crew treats him unkindly. She says, “Avalon pretends she is a boy. I remind her she is not.”

Violence

  • While walking in the forest, Lintang and Bayani are attacked by a malam rasha. “A night terror (malam rasha) is a humanoid forest mythie in the predator category. It appears as a woman with wooden skins, long dark hair, and a white dress. Instead of arms, it has tree roots, which are sharp enough to dig through flesh.” Bayani’s fey friend, Pelita, helps. “Before it could attack, a ball of white light zipped in front of its face. The malam rasha recoiled, snarling.” Lintang raised her sword and the “malam rasha reared up. It moved to strike with its arm of tree roots, but she stabbed and it retreated. Slash. Dodge. Stab. Dodge. . . Lintang ran to Bayani, shoved him to the ground, and threw herself over him.” When the two are laying on the ground, someone chases the mythie away. The fight scene takes place over four pages.
  • The malam rasha goes to the temple and goes after Lintang. “The mythie barreled into her. She landed on the stone floor, winded. Pelita fluttered out of the way just in time. The malam rasha curled its lip and slashed at Lintang’s stomach. . . The malam rasha tried again, clawing and tearing until the front of Lintang’s sarong was in tatters.” Panna leaves that were smeared on Lintang protected her. Captain Shafira jumped in to help. “Captain Shafira aimed sword blows at the malam rasha so fiercely that it was forced to retreat.” The Captain’s crew assists her in capturing the malam rasha. “Captain Sharfira brought her sword down and chopped off its arm. It released an earsplitting shriek.” The battle is described over three pages.
  • Once the malam rasha is captured, Captain Shafira “directed a kick to the malam rasha’s wooden head, and it slumped, unmoving.” Later when the light of day appears, the mythie “burst into flames, leaving only a silhouette of ash and the broken fishing net.”
  • A predator mermaid uses her power to make Lintang jump into the sea. “Stinging spread across her body, from both the impact and the chill. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She was with the mermaids now.” The mermaids try to pull Lintang deeper into the ocean. “Splinters sliced at Lintang’s lungs. Her head felt light. . . She barely noticed the flash of steel, or the clouds of blood in the water, or the fact that the mermaids had released their deadly grip.” Lintang is saved. The scene is described over a page.
  • When leaving the island, Nyasamdra picks up Captain Shafira’s ship. Nyasamdra “let them float in the air. She watched them swirl inside the bubble, her face childlike with curiosity.” Trying to help, a “bird darted past Nyasamdra’s fingers and pecked the bubble. There was a pop, and everyone had to hold on as the ship plummeted back into the waves.” Bayani comes above deck and gives Nyasamdra the correct tribune, then she lets them pass. The scene is described over four pages.
  • A sea serpent attacks Captain Shafira’s ship. The huge serpent tries to break the ship up by squeezing it. “Lintang acted without thinking. She raced forward and shoved a harpoon into the serpent’s mouth to wedge it open. The serpent started to snap but stopped as the dragon’s claw dug into the roof of its mouth and sprayed blood across the deck.” One of the crew members “swung out on a rope, caught the harpoon with one hand, and used the dragon talon to slash the serpent through the neck.” Lintang is injured. The fight is described over three pages.
  • When Governor Karnezis tries to get Lintang to give up Captain Shafira’s location, Lintang tries to escape. “. . . Governor Karnezis snatched her hair. She cried out as he yanked her backwards.” Lintang uses a dart to put the governor to sleep. Captain Shafira and her crew help Lintang escape.
  • Farah and her family helped Captain Shafira when she was injured. The Vierzan counsel sent “people to kill Farah’s family and burn the place down.”
  • While under the sirens’ spell, Avalon attacks a crewmember, Mei. “Avalon lunged. He wrapped his arm around Mei’s throat. . .Mei strained to pull his arm from around her neck. Her round cheeks turned pink. She was suffocating.” A crew member hits Avalon over the head with a frying pan, causing him to pass out.
  • Captain Shafira boards Captain Moon’s ship and the two fight with swords. “The two thrust and parried, each as skilled as the other. A few clashing blades and a clever maneuver later, they’d switched positions. . . Captain Shafira managed to kick Captain Moon’s ankle, dropping her to one knee. Captain Moon blocked an attack while she was down, then stabbed forward so violently that Captain Shafira had to jump two steps down the staircase. . .” When the sirens threaten both ships, the two captains work together.
  • The ship’s dragon awakens. Captain Shafira and Captain Moon bait the dragon, causing it to tear down a locked door.
  • At one point in the fighting, Bayani is “standing on the bridge with the spear side of the khwando pointed at Zazi’s neck.”
  • Lintang jumps in the ocean, then turns into the mother of monsters named Lanme Vanyan. Lanme attacks a dragon. Lanme “sprang, clamping her hands on the dragon’s shoulder. It tried to toss her aside, but she held on and slashed at its wings. They twisted in the air like a whirlwind.” She flings the dragon away and then attacks a siren. “Lanme zipped toward it and bit it beneath the arm. . . The siren tried to crush her with its free hand. She bit its fingers. Bubbles hissed from its mouth, but it didn’t pull back.” The siren swims away.
  • The dragon returns and attacks Lanme again. Lanme “whipped her tail into the air, wrapped it around the dragon, and slammed it onto the waves. The dragon shuddered with the impact, then floated, stunned.” Then, Lanme turns back into a human.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • The Vierzans developed a medicine that “kills dangerous things in your body. Stops illnesses, disease; you name it, the Curall fixes it.” When Pelita is sprayed with Curall, she glows brighter. “Pelita’s squeaks turned into tiny shrieks. She sounded like she was in pain. . . And then, as swiftly as a sneeze, a human body burst out of the pixie. A girl lay in Pelita’s place, an Islander barely ten years old.”

Language

  • While practicing sword fighting, Lintang says to her best friend, “You ebony-nosed loobatoon! You brown-tailed barbanees! You blood-eyed ruberrince!”
  • “By the Gods” is used as an exclamation four times.
  • When Lintang scares the ship’s cook, she says, “Mother of monsters, you scared the petticoats off me!”
  • Someone calls another character a gnome.

Supernatural

  • Lintang’s world has various mythies, such as sirens, propheseeds, mermaids—both predator and friendly types. For example, “Propheseeds are sky mythies that take the form of three glowing dandelion seeds. They appear harmless, giggling childishly, and do not physically attack. . . The propheseeds will say your name three times, then, in a form of a riddle or rhyme, give you the time and details of your imminent death.”
  • Those born on the twin Islands have “small, shiny fish scales” on the back of their necks. A ship can only leave the island if they have someone from the Twin Islands. But the island’s mythie guardian Nyasamdra drowns ships “that tried to leave her territory unless they carried someone with her mark.”
  • Sirens are predator mythies. “Like the common siren, it calls for males, but unlike the common siren, it gives power to its victims, making them strong and violent, unable to think of anything but getting close to the mythie.”
  • Mythies did not appear in Lintang’s world until “shooting stars had passed overhead when the mythies arrived. No one knew why the Three Gods had sent the mythies. The creatures had caused havoc throughout the world, but the priest always said in serene voices that the Gods had reasons for everything they did, even if humans could not understand them.”
  • One of the characters is a talking clamshell.
  • Lintang turns into the mother of monsters named Lanme Vanyan.

Spiritual Content

  • People believe in Ytzuam, which is “high above, past the clouds, past the sun, there’s a world in the stars. . . It’s separated from our world by a single thick curtain. There are three Gods who live there: Niti, Patiki, and Mratzi.”
  • As Lintang walks she sees the temple, which makes her think about the gods. “Lintang used to learn about the Gods from the priest there when she was younger, but the only time she visited now was during seasonal festivals.” The three gods are Neti, the creator of the stars, Patiki, the planter of stars, and Mratzi, the harvester of stars.”
  • When Lintang accidentally sets the house on fire, she needs water fast. “Their offerings to the Three Gods had been freshly lain on the stone alter that morning. She reached between a scattering of juicy bubleberries and thin, smoldering sticks of mollowood to take the earthen jug.” She uses the water to help fight the flames.
  • When Lintang fights the malam rasha, she was “praying to the Three Gods that her plan would work.” Then she “dredged up a memory of a prayer from temple. ‘Hear me, Niti, Patiki, Mratzi—Gods of Ytzuam, givers of life, guardians of stars. Please protect us, please don’t let the malam rasha eat us.”
  • People believe that when someone dies, they continue to live. Lintang thinks about her dead grandfather. “Lintang hoped her grandfather’s star, blazing high in the sky” was not ashamed of her.
  • Bayani had died and Mratzi told him that the mythies were human. She then allowed him to return to the living.
  • Lintang trusted the Pirate Queen, but then “prayed to Niti she wasn’t wrong.” Later, when the Pirate Queen decides to stay with Lintang until she gets to her destination, Lintang “sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Gods.”
  • In Vierzan, the people have destroyed the Gods’ monuments because “they think the Gods sent mythies to wipe humans out. . . Now they refuse to pray or build temples or leave offerings.”
  • When Lintang must jump off a building, Bayani thinks she is injured. When he discovers that she is fine, he says, “Thank the Gods, thank the Gods—”
  • When almost drowning, Lintang sees a vision. Shooting stars crashed “through a field of unplanted seeds. . . the impact of the shooting stars scattered seeds throughout the world. . . She saw a man unwittingly absorb one of the star seeds, then he burst apart as a gnome sprang from him.” The vision shows Lintang how humans became mythies.
  • Lintang turned into a mythie.

Let It Glow

Pegapony Electra loves to be outside, running as fast as she can—and she’s fast! Now that it’s time to learn to ride with the children at the Enchanted Pony Academy, Electra couldn’t be more excited. But riding is a lot harder than it looks. When Electra accidentally throws a prince onto the dirt, the other children are afraid to get in the saddle. Can she find her perfect match and keep working toward becoming a royal pony—before time runs out?

Readers will relate to Electra as she struggles to learn a new skill and worries that no one will like her. Electra is the fastest pegapony in her class, and she desperately wants a royal child to choose her as a pet. But during her first lesson, she doesn’t understand what the boy wants and accidently throws him off off the saddle. Soon Electra’s self-doubt causes her to wonder if she will be rejected during the choosing ceremony.

Let It Glow focuses on Electra’s struggle and connects it to Alana, who is afraid to try new things. Alana, who is in a wheelchair, wonders if her disability means that she cannot become her kingdom’s queen. Even though Electra is struggling with her own problems, she continues to encourage Alana. Electra’s willingness to help Alana is heartwarming and will show readers the power of kindness.

The story also highlights the importance of being careful with your words. When the children talk badly about Electra, Alana says, “Didn’t we talk about the importance of kindness in our class? Royal children are supposed to set a good example. Are you doing that by saying such nasty things to this nice pony?”

Let It Glow is the third book in the series. However, Enchanted Pony Academy books do not need to be read in order. Let It Glow 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. Let It Glow will entertain readers as it teaches important life lessons about perseverance and kindness.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Electra comes to a sudden stop and “the boy flew forward, tumbling off the saddle onto the ground.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

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.
  • Electra’s Glitter Gift is making her horn and hooves glow. When she used her Gift, “she could feel a warm tingle whenever they started to light up.”
  • Several times in the story, someone levitates an object, which is usually the pegapony’s riding gear. For example, when Electra is getting ready for riding class, “Mulligan levitated the saddle onto her back and tightened the straps around her.”
  • Electra tries to go to the hundred kingdoms, but the stairs aren’t there. “Only the headmaster and headmistress could enchant the rainbow to form stairs.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

 

Cowboy Pug: The Dog Who Rode for Glory

Pug and his best friend, Lady Miranda, are ready for a horseback adventure. They gallop into trouble and are kidnapped by bandits. When they end up at the county fair, there’s lots of cotton candy and also a rampaging bull. Will the bull ruin the county fair? Can Pug and his new friend Horsey save the day?

Lady Miranda and Pug travel to a farm where they meet Frank and Horsey. Frank shows Miranda some unsuccessful magic tricks. The clueless Frank adds to the story’s humor as he causes havoc. Equally clueless are Lady Miranda’s footmen who spend most of the story chasing Lady Miranda and Pug. The silly story leads the reader to the county fair where Pug and Horsey end up surprising everyone.

Cowboy Pug will draw the reader in with humorous illustrations that have splashes of red and yellow. The large illustrations and big text make Cowboy Pug accessible to confident readers. However, younger readers may find the text-heavy pages and the vocabulary difficult. Independent readers will enjoy the adventure, the slapstick comedy, the accidents Frank causes, and Pug who is reluctant to be a cowboy.

Cowboy Pug will appeal to a wide range of readers—pet lovers, adventure seekers, and those who dream of being a cowboy. The fun story will keep readers interested until the very end. Even though Cowboy Pug is part of a series, the books do not need to be read in order to be enjoyed. Readers who enjoyed Cowboy Pug should also read the Haggis and Tank Unleashed Series by Jessica Young. Younger readers who aren’t ready to tackle Cowboy Pug might want to try the Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A boy accidentally clipped a cyclist. “The cyclist wobbled into a grocery stall, sending watermelons tumbling into the road behind them.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

 Cabin Fever

Most people love the holiday season, but it makes Greg a nervous wreck. Greg believes that if he makes a mistake in the first eleven months of the year, it’s not a big deal, but if he does something wrong during the holiday season, then he’s in trouble with Santa and won’t get any presents. With Thanksgiving gone and Christmas fast approaching, Greg becomes obsessed with playing Net Kritterz online – a game where he takes constant care of his internet pet Chihuahua. Greg needs money in order to feed and clothe his virtual pet, but after his mom says money is tight, Greg has to create new ways to earn cash quickly.

After Greg’s request to his local church for a ‘donation’ and his snow shoveling business fall through, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, decide to hold their own Holiday Bazaar where they will sell concession snacks, offer holiday games, and make gifts like their school’s own Bazaar. However, after Vice Principal Roy stops them from handing out advertisements at school, the young duo decides to advertise their Bazaar by hanging signs on the outside school wall. But while taping them up, rain begins to pour and the paint on the signs runs, staining the bricks a neon green. With the police hot on their tails, Rowley and Greg flee the scene of the crime.

After the local newspaper carries a story about the vandalism and Vice-Principal Roy demands that the guilty parties come forward the next day, Rowley submits an anonymous note indicating that he and Greg are responsible for the vandalism. Refusing to identify Rowley as his partner in crime, Roy forces Greg to clean the outside bricks alone for hours. When Greg gets home, he learns the police have paid his house a visit and left a note saying that they would be back later. That night, a huge snowstorm traps Greg and his family inside their house. Greg now has to wait out the snowstorm while stressing about the police as his family’s food rations and electricity run out. Will Greg survive the snowstorm and get the chance to clear his name or will he be sent to jail like he fears?

Cabin Fever’s plot revolves around everything that happens in Greg’s life and is told from his 12-year-old perspective. The story contains a lot of bathroom and childish humor and at times the humor and illustrations can be crude and inappropriate for really young readers. At one point in the story, Greg clears a neighbor’s driveway of snow using a sprinkler and feels annoyed when his neighbor slips on the resulting ice. In another part, Greg tries to steal from the collection tray at church in order to pay for his Net Kritterz. Many illustrations also depict a butt, someone using a toilet, or Greg in his underwear.

Despite the book’s bathroom humor, Cabin Fever has positive lessons for young readers. Jeff Kinney has a natural talent for using humor to mask important messages. In this book, Kinney uses Greg and his humor to address gratefulness. When Greg is on the verge of losing everything – electricity, food, shelter, video games – while snowed in, he realizes how grateful he is for his family, friends, and home.  Also, the consistently funny black-and-white comic illustrations will help younger readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels, helping even the most reluctant of readers start reading. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a fun, easy-to-read story that will entertain readers and teach them to be grateful for their families and friends.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • One of Bryce Anderson’s cronies shoots Greg with a BB gun.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Bathroom and immature humor are used consistently. Words like stupid, jerk, and poop are used frequently.
  • After Greg went to the bathroom, somebody asks, “Did you poop?”
  • Every time someone gets hurt on a piece of playground equipment, the teachers remove it for safety issues. Eventually, the only thing left is the balance beam and Greg thought it would never leave, “but believe it or not, some idiot wasn’t looking where he was going the other day, so now that’s gone, too.”
  • Greg thinks Rowley’s skipping “looks stupid.”
  • When Greg was in elementary school, his teacher, Mr. Harkin, accidentally walked in on him while he was using the bathroom. Greg says he “felt like a jerk” after he told his mom about it.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • It’s Christmastime in the novel; Jesus and God are mentioned.
  • The family goes to church three times and to folk mass one time. Greg says, “Our family usually goes to church at 9:00 a.m., but today we went to the folk service at 11:00.” Greg and his family even go to church on Christmas morning.
  • Greg feels bad for people who have their birthday right around the holidays because it gets lumped together with Christmas and they get cheated out of a gift. Greg guesses it’s been happening for thousands of years and an illustration shows God handing a gift to Jesus saying, “This gift counts for Christmas AND your birthday, Jesus!”

by Matthew Perkey

Pete the Cat’s Trip to the Supermarket

Along with his dad and brother, Pete the Cat heads off to the supermarket. But what happens when Dad loses the grocery list before they even get there? It’s up to Pete and Bob to help remind Dad what was on their list!

Pete and his brother help with the grocery shopping, but they don’t just get what they need. Soon the cart is full of groceries that include dinosaur eggs, cupcakes, popcorn, popsicles, and even flowers for Grandma.

Pete the Cat’s Trip to the Supermarket has a simple plot suited for a young audience. The story shows Pete’s family going through the grocery store aisles. The story lacks adventure and conflict, and instead focuses on what each character adds to the grocery cart.

Each page has large, colorful illustrations. Readers will want to take their time looking at the pictures to find some surprises. For example, a frog is passing out free samples of hot dogs and the egg freezer has dragon, ostrich, frog, and chicken eggs.

Pete the Cat’s Trip to the Supermarket is intended to be read by beginning readers. The story contains sight words and will allow children to sound out words and sentences. The short sentences and the simple plot is best suited for younger readers. As Pete and his family load up their grocery cart, parents may want to discuss food choices. The story would be a perfect conversation starter about healthy eating choices. Children will love the brightly colored illustrations, and the story encourages readers to sound out new words.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Through the Untamed Sky

After winning the wild Pegasus mare named Echofrost in a contest, Rahkki Stormrunner is officially a rider in the Sky Guard army. Rahkki is terrified of heights though, and Echofrost doesn’t want to be tamed. But with Echofrost’s herd captured by the giants and a fierce battle looming on the horizon, the duo will have to conquer their fears if they want to fly with the army and free the herd.

Meanwhile, back in his village, Rahkki learns of a growing rebellion to overthrow Queen Lilliam. Unfortunately, the queen suspects Rahkki’s family is behind it, and she places him under intense watch.

As Rahkki and Echofrost escape to Mount Crim to save Storm Herd, Rahkki worries that the greatest danger may not come from the impending battle against the giants, but from within his own clan.

Through the Untamed Sky continues the story of Echofrost and Rahkki. In order for Echofrost to free her herd from the giants, Echofrost joints the Sky Guard with Rahkki. However, it soon becomes apparent that none of the Landwalkers (humans) care whether Rahkki lives or dies. To make matters worse, someone is actively trying to assassinate Rahkki. In a world where political power can only be gained by killing the current Queen, danger lurks in the shadows.

Although Echofrost’s desire to be free is understandable, she never thinks about Rahkki’s needs. Echofrost’s selfish behavior continues to the very end of the story. It takes a battle with the giants for Echofrost to see that “freedom meant choosing her bonds, because a Pegasus could not live alone or act only for oneself.”

The second installment of the Riders of the Realm Series shifts its focus away from Echofrost’s conflict and focuses more on the political unrest. As the story unfolds, Rahkki remembers the night his mother died. Even though the flashbacks help explain the political structure, readers may become upset that someone would kill a pregnant woman in order to gain the throne. The death of Rahkki’s mother is not the only violence in the story. An epic battle is fought and many lose their lives. Although the descriptions are not gory, there is blood and violence that may upset sensitive readers.

Through the Untamed Sky will entertain readers. However, the long descriptions, the large cast of characters, and the complex storyline make the story suitable only for strong readers. Like the first book in the series, Through the Untamed Sky ends with a cliffhanger that will have readers reaching for the third book in the series, Beneath the Weeping Clouds.

Sexual Content

  • The princess and Rahkki are talking when the princess “placed her hand in his, and a jolt of heat shot through his body.”
  • During the battle, Rahkki “leaned forward and kissed [the princess’s] lips. She tasted sweet, like peppermints.”

Violence

  • As part of a ceremony, Rahkki and Echofrost are branded. After the branding, Echofrost’s “eyes bulged and her breath came in rapid bursts as she absorbed the pain of the branding. Rahkki’s body had gone numb except for his throbbing shoulder.”
  • The giants come to talk to the queen, but the queen upsets the giants, then, “The Sky Guard ascended. Guiding their pegasi with their legs, the Riders fired arrows at the Gorlanders. . . Led by the two elephants, the Gorlanders rushed out and their huge strides carried them swiftly toward the jungle.” The Gorlanders’ dragons “dived down, shooting hot jets at the new pair. Rahkki cringed when the flames licked the back of his neck.” The scene is described over three pages. No one is seriously injured.
  • A giant lizard, Granak, chases after Rahkki and the princess. In an attempt to hide, the two “quickly pushed vines and leaves over their bodies, but Granak reared back and uprooted their tree with his massive clawed foot. Thick roots popped out of the soil, throwing Rahkki and l’Lenna into the air.” As the two run, their pegasi “swooped down, attacking like angry birds. Echofrost landed a barrage of kicks to Granak’s head. Shysong kicked him hard across his ear hole. . . The lizard’s huge foot swung at the roan, just grazing Shysong’s wing. She spun out of control.” When I’Lenna gets to the fortress, the guards close the gate, locking Rahkki out.
  • When the lizard catches up to Rahkki, “Granak swiped his huge paw and slammed Rahkki’s chest. The boy tumbled across the yard. . . Rahkki tumbled across the soil, his body vibrating from the power of the dragon’s paw. His armor clanged, protecting his skin. . .” Rahkki throws hot pepper spice “straight into the dragon’s open mouth. Granak reared back with a roar and shook his great head.” The lizard flees. Some people believe Rahkki defeated the giant lizard with magic. The chase scene is described over eight pages.
  • Rahkki remembers the night his mother was assassinated. His mother’s Pegasus was injured as he tried to fly the kids to safety. “A long sharp sliver of wood was embedded in the stallion’s chest like a spear. . . [Rahkki’s] tears dripped onto the stallion’s face. They mixed with the rain as he [his brother] stroked the boy’s cheek and listened to his soft breaths.”
  • Giant spiders attack and try to wrap the pegasus in their web. Rahkki’s brother, Brauk, tries to help. “Brauk picked up a sharp stick. The closest spider had reared back and shot a band of silk at them. . . then he charged the waist-high spider and smashed it across its fangs.” The spider is able to grab Brauk with its web. The pegasus is able to help. “Drael stomped its head, and pale-blue blood squirted across Rahkki’s nightdress.” The spider scene is described over three pages.
  • Someone tries to kill Rahkki with a poisonous snake. “A pillow slammed onto Rahkki’s head. He tried to shove it aside, but the person pressed it into his face, cutting off his air. Meanwhile, the serpent bumped against his thigh.”
  • When Echofrost tries to find her herd, giants see her. “A small tree spiraled up from the Gorlan party, thrown like a spear. It struck her between the eyes.” Echfrost and Rahkki fall to the jungle floor. “Hot blood trickled from Rahkki’s hairline. He ran his hands along his body, checking for injuries; but other than his raw skin, a few cuts, his throbbing ear, and a pulled muscle in his thigh, he was undamaged.”
  • A giant finds Echofrost. “Suddenly, a rock struck her flank and she whirled around.” Echofrost saw “an adult Gorlan male, squatting and facing her . . . Reaching into a bag strapped to his back, the giant threaded out a long rope. At the sight of it, Echofrost pinned her ears back. He caught her, tugged hard, and rolled her onto her side.”
  • Rahkki finds the captured Echofrost and fights the giant, who is a prince. “Desperate, he sliced the prince’s arm with his dagger.” Then a huge python reached the giant and “it sank its teeth into his short neck. The giant roared and toppled onto his back, and the snake’s great weight pinned him.” Feeling sorry for the giant, Rahkki helps. “He reached the base of the python’s skull and drew his dagger. . . Then he tightened his fists around the pommel and drove the sharp blade straight into the python’s brain.”
  • When the Land Guard is commanded to attack the giants, Rahkki is forced to go with them. The army is supposed to steal the wild herd from the giants. While trying to get to the pegasi, “screams and shouts and smoke filled the valley.” The tiny dragons use their fire and “several Land Guard soldiers rolled across the grass, trying to snuff out their burning tunics. Others swiped at the burners with their sawa blades, cutting them out of the sky.”
  • The giants use their saber cats to help them fight the battle. “The first saber cat reached the captured wild herd, and its long fangs punctured a mare’s throat, severing the vein.”
  • A saber cat attacks Rahkki. The cat “galloped at him, tail lashing, jaws wide.” Echofrost threw Rahkki out of the way. Rahkki “grabbed his sawa sword instead. The cat turned on him, muscles rippling, lips curled back in a snarl, whiskers bristling. . .” Echofrost goes to help and “kicked the cat in the head, knocking it out. It tumbled onto Rahkki, pinning him to the ground.”
  • When the princess claims to be “the rightful Queen of the Fifth,” the head soldier Harak tries to kill her. General Tsun helps the princess, then “Harak loosed the arrow, and the shaft plunged straight through Tsun’s throat. His breath cut short, the general collapsed and his life force pooled atop soil. . .”
  • When the giants take the princess captive, Rahkki jumps in to help her. “Rahkki sliced the bindings around I’Leanna’s wrist. . . the king roared at the sight of I’Leanna being cut free, and the line of ten giants loosed their stones at the princess. Rahkki clutched her close, blocking her body with his.” Rahkki is injured when a stone “slammed into his anklebone. Another stone struck his helmet. He released I’Lenna and crumbled to his knees, his ears ringing.”
  • Harak shoots an arrow at Rahkki, but Echofrost “darted between the arrow and Rahkki’s neck. It slid between her armor and into her rib cage. . .”
  • During battle, a mare named Rizah “tossed the man across the field and then kicked another.” A young soldier shoots an arrow at Rizah. “The arrow lodged deep in Rizah’s neck . . . The golden mare pinwheeled toward land and struck the grass. She toppled over, wheezing.” The battle scene takes place over 50 pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • When Rahkki’s brother is injured, he is given “medicine to keep him asleep.”
  • An animal healer explains how she uses dragon drool to make a medicine that puts people to sleep. “Boiling the venom removes all of the toxins but leaves the anesthetic properties intact.”
  • During a meal, the Queen’s table has food and rice wine.
  • A merchant sells food and rice wine to shoppers.
  • After Rahkki gives a girl his food, she was found “convulsing in the dirt. Another groom screamed for help as white froth poured from the girl’s mouth.” It turns out that Rahkki’s food had been poisoned.
  • During the battle, Rahkki uses “drool-soaked” darts to put giants to sleep.

Language

  • Bloody rain is used as an exclamation frequently.
  • Lands to skies, sun and stars, and by Granak are all occasionally used as an exclamation.
  • Rahkki’s brother says, “My brother’s an idiot.”
  • By the Ancestors is used as an exclamation once.
  • When a group of boys was wrestling, a boy calls someone a “Gorlan-blooded freak.”

Supernatural

  • Each clan “claimed a different mascot, and the queens fed their respective beasts live animals to keep them content, then stared at the gnawed bones as if their futures were written in them.” In one clan, the queen’s adviser “oversaw the sacrifices to the clan’s mascot, read omens, and made predictions.”
  • Someone tells Rahkki that curiosity calls the kaji spirits. “Kaji spirits harassed the seven clans, causing people to trip and slip and blunder where they were otherwise sure-footed and agile. Kajies came in flurries when Sandwens were either up to no good, full of pride, or curious about things that had nothing to do with them.”
  • When attacking a python, Rahkki says, “Granak protect me!”

Spiritual Content

  • After winning Echofrost in a contest, Rahkki goes to talk to the queen. When he returns, he climbed onto her back, “with a small prayer to the wind spirits.”

 Masters of Mischief

After successfully trapping Ralph and his two cronies in South Ridge Middle School, Max’s crazy night seems almost over as police sirens approach. There is just one last thing to do – go home! While evading the police and possible suspensions, Max and Erin dive into the back of a pickup truck just as it is about to take off. What they don’t know is that the pickup truck is driven by the thieves – Ralph, Tucker, and Moose – who all escaped from Max’s traps and the police!

Successfully ditching the pickup truck when it stops for fast food, Erin and Max head home for some well-needed rest. Throughout the weekend and at school on Monday, Max must dodge police, his parents, his nosy neighbors, and a brutal bully to avoid any possible suspicion for his involvement with Friday’s robbery. If Max is caught, he risks detention and probably homeschooling by his grandmother for the rest of his life. However, Max and Erin discover the thieves’ new plan – to pose as security guards to steal the new, expensive school computers when no one is looking. Can Max and Erin avoid detection and detention while stopping the malicious thieves?

Masters of Mayhem is a fun, suspenseful read for young readers. Throughout her three books, Russel has created a character who is troubled just like any other boy his age but manages to strive through his problems and think of others. Max does not flaunt or boast about how he stopped Ralph and his gang and saved the school but instead keeps it to himself. He considers the consequences of his actions and worries about involving Erin and tarnishing her perfect school record. Max cares about other people more than he cares about himself. He even swears to put a stop to the thieves again, risking his own life to protect his new school. He is a role model for young teenagers.

Unlike other books in the series, Russel does not depend on bathroom humor or inappropriate behavior for her jokes. Instead, she puts Max in hysterical and wacky scenarios to entertain her readers. In addition, the book’s cartoonish, manga-like black-and-white illustrations will help readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels, making this story great for young, reluctant readers.

The Misadventures of Max Crumbly is a series that should be read in order. Like every book in the series, Masters of Mischief ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger, so make sure you have the next book in the series ready for your reader.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • After Max and Erin fall into the school dumpster, Max worries that unless he and Erin “can figure out how to get out of this stupid dumpster,” they might never roam free again.
  • Erin doesn’t want her ice princess costume to get damaged. Max says, “Erin only cared about her STUPID ice princess costume.”
  • When Max and Erin hide in the back of a truck, Max worries that “those Neanderthals would see us through that big window in the back of the truck and try to run over us or something.”
  • Max says that if “Erin could sneak out of her house to rescue me, then I could at least sneak INTO my house to save my butt.”
  • Max screams when he sees his sister in an oatmeal face mask. Max’s sister tells him, “Shut up, you birdbrain!”
  • After the police visit their house, Max’s sister comes downstairs and asks if the police were there. Max says his sister is hearing things and she responds with, “Actually, the voices TOLD me to give YOU some mouthwash, BUTT BREATH!”
  • Thug Thurston, Max’s bully, asks Max, “Did you have a nice weekend, BARF?!”
  • Erin fumes and says they “can’t just let these JERKS get away with this!”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Matthew Perkey

Kitty and the Tiger Treasure

Kitty’s family has secret superpowers. Kitty is a girl by day, but a cat by night. Kitty is excited to visit the museum’s new exhibit—the Golden Tiger statue. Legend says the Golden Tiger statue can grant people their heart’s desire. Kitty isn’t sure if the legend is true, but she doesn’t want her cat, Pumpkin, to miss out on the excitement.

Kitty and Pumpkin plan to sneak into the museum at night. As the two are looking through the museum, the museum cat Figaro startles them. Figaro thinks that Kitty and Pumpkin are thieves. As they talk, the real thief sneaks the Golden Tiger statue out of the museum. Can Kitty, Pumpkin, and Figaro work together to find the thief and return the statue?

Animal lovers of all kinds will fall in love with Kitty and the cat crew as they work together to stop a sneaky cat from stealing the Golden Tiger statue. Kitty and her friends meet a greedy cat who wants the statue for herself. Kitty uses the statue’s legend to scare the bad kitty, Precious, into giving up the statue. Kitty tells Precious, “But if it is true, I expect the spirits come in the dead of night and creep in through tiny cracks around the doorframe.” Even though a spooky event happens, the reader knows that Figaro, the museum cat, is the culprit—not a spirit.

Readers will enjoy Kitty, a spunky girl who values her animal friends. The fast-paced plot will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. Each page has illustrations ranging from cat prints to detailed illustrations of Kitty and her activities. The illustrations are black and white with a pop of orange. Although most of the vocabulary is easy, younger readers may need help with some of the words. Some of the vocabulary is more advanced, such as encrusted, swished, pampering, civilized, and suspicious.

Kitty and the Tiger Treasure is a fun story for those who are ready for chapter books. The bright pictures and large text will keep the reader’s attention. Kitty’s adventures show her sneaking out of the house, walking across buildings’ roofs, and using a window to get into a pet store. In the end, Kitty and her cat crew are able to solve the mystery and return the priceless statue. However, Kitty knows that the most priceless treasure is her friends. Any young reader who has pretended to be a cat will enjoy reading the imaginative story, Kitty and the Tiger Treasure.   

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Kitty’s family has superpowers. “Kitty could see in the dark and hear noises from far away. She could also balance perfectly and perform amazing somersaults. Best of all, she could talk to animals!”
  • According to legend, the statue of the Golden Tiger has magical abilities. “The legend says that the Golden Tiger listens to your heart’s desire, and if you touch its paw, it will grant you your greatest wish.”
  • Legend also says that the statue can curse people too. “If a bad person does something to make the statue angry, it will conjure up ghostly spirits to seek revenge!”
  • Precious, a cat, can hypnotize with its golden eyes. The cat hypnotizes a dog and has the dog steal the Golden Tiger. When Kitty meets Precious, “Kitty felt the cat’s golden eyes drawing her in like a magnet. . . Kitty’s head swam. For a moment she could hardly remember why she was there. Then she thought about how much she wanted to help Cleo, and her eyes focused again.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Lana Swims North

Princess Lana is excited to be learning at the Royal Mermaid Rescue Crew School, but she finds it hard to speak up in class, even when she knows the answers. She doesn’t have this problem with her friends. When she’s with them, the words come easily. But when her teacher asks her a question, she’s too frightened to speak.

Then Lana meets a horned creature named Spike, who has never seen a creature like himself. With Lana’s help, Spike discovers he’s a narwhal. Lana promises to help Spike find other narwhals. When they swim to the north, Spike finds his long-lost family and Lana finally finds the courage to speak up.

Lana’s story takes the reader inside of Lana’s home, to the surface where she meets humans who attend the Enchanted Pony Academy, and to the colder waters in the north. Lana’s family and friends encourage her to help Spike. In return, Lana convinces Spike that his dolphin friends and family should know where he is—even if they aren’t alike, they still care about each other. The characters display positive communication skills.

Lana helps Spike solve his problem. This allows Lana to understand that she can be a leader. She realizes, “I like spending time thinking, solving problems. It’s what I’m good at.” Lana recognizes that her skills would make her better at “solving problems that aren’t emergencies.” Even though Lana doesn’t think quickly on her feet, she can still be a helpful member of the Rescue Crew.

Lana Swims North will entertain those who have already transitioned to chapter books. Cute black-and-white illustrations help break up the text and appear every 3-5 pages. Although the vocabulary isn’t difficult, the text-heavy pages and long sentences may be overwhelming for beginning readers. Even though the mermaids look different on the cover, in the illustrations inside the book the mermaids look very similar. Lana and her family are the only characters that have dark skin and dark hair.

Any reader who has a difficult time speaking up in class will relate to Lana. As Lana travels to the north, readers get a glimpse of various sea creatures, including turtles, walruses, dolphins, and even a polar bear. Lana Swims North takes readers on a fun underwater adventure that teaches the importance of teamwork.

 The Mermaids to The Rescue series does not need to be read in order because each book focuses on a different mermaid princess. However, readers may want to read Scott’s Enchanted Pony Academy Series first because Lana visits the school during her travels.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A polar bear shakes the ice. “Lana looked up and saw four huge black paws stalking across the ice above. It looked like they’d come crashing down on their heads at any moment. . . The bombing outside continued. Lana wondered what kind of enormous creature was stalking overhead, sending panic throughout the kingdom.” The merfolk hide.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Darn is used once.

Supernatural

  • Each seapony has a different Sea Savvy, such as blowing a big protection bubble, blowing stun bubbles, or conjuring whirlpools. One seapony can change “color until she blended in with the background.” Another seapony can swim amazingly fast.
  • When Lana wraps her arms around her seapony, “they both faded into the colors of the coral behind them, disappearing from view.”
  • Lana and some of her friends go to the surface to talk to the humans from the Enchanted Pony Academy. A magical pony casts a spell. She says, “Open the book so we can look!” The book “floated out of her saddlebag and opened in front of her.”
  • When the mermaid can’t read the book, a magical pony “used her magic to float the book closer to the river.”
  • While looking for a shell, a mermaid says, “This is a spell to find the lost shell.” The spell doesn’t work.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Gotta Warn the Unicorns

Princess Pulverizer is so close to completing the Quest of Kindness that will allow her to go to Knight School. Before she can do her next good deed, she needs to help Fortune—a unicorn she recently rescued—find his family.

When a cowardly king orders his knight to capture all the unicorns they can, it’s up to the princess and her pals to warn the unicorns before it’s too late. But first they have to find them. Can Princess Pulverizer, her friend Lucas, and Dribble the dragon save the unicorns?

With her same feisty attitude, Princess Pulverizer faces King Harvey the Lion-Hearted. The cowardly king is convinced someone is trying to poison him and the only solution is to find a unicorn horn. When his knights present the king with a false unicorn horn, Princess Pulverizer shows off her unicorn knowledge and explains why the horn is not truly from a unicorn. She didn’t mean to endanger the unicorns, but her prideful nature has made King Harvey send his knights out on a unicorn hunt.

Princess Pulverizer is determined to fix her mistake and save the unicorns. Readers will giggle as Princess Pulverizer and her friends trick the king’s knights. King Harvey’s ridiculous behavior also adds humor. However, some of the story’s humor comes from the gassy king who likes to eat beans. The story’s comedy doesn’t interfere with the important message of not showing off.

Gotta Warn the Unicorns has a spunky, selfish princess who is trying to learn to be more like a knight. In the end, she praises her friend Lucas and asks King Harvey to give Lucas the magic lion charm. The story’s conclusion will leave readers curious about where Lucas’s newfound courage will lead them. Readers will be eager to grab the next book in the series, Yo-Ho, Yo . . . NO!

Gotta Warn the Unicorns is perfect for readers who are ready for chapter books. The story contains easy vocabulary and short paragraphs. Black-and-white illustrations appear frequently and add humor to the story. Gotta Warn the Unicorns will engage readers and encourage them to be kind to others.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Princess Pulverizer has a magic mirror that shows the future.
  • Princess Pulverizer has a magic ring that allows her to enter a room in complete silence.
  • Princess Pulverizer has a magic arrow. “If ever the holder of the arrow finds themselves lost, it will always point them toward home.”
  • Princess Pulverizer has a magic mace that has “the power to heal the wounds of anyone on the side of all that is good and right.”
  • Princess Pulverizer has a truth-telling sword. “If someone is lying, it will wiggle. But if he’s telling the truth, it will lie still.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Search for the Mermicorn

Coral, Angel, and Shelly can’t wait to work on their school project about creatures in the ocean. There are so many animals to choose from! How do you pick just one? Then Angel remembers something she read about in a book–a mermicorn! It’s perfect…but are mermicorns real? Angel thinks so! And a student at the Science Center just might help her prove it!

The three purrmaid friends clearly love school and the library. As part of a class project, the purrmaids research sea animals and go to a science center to learn more. The purrmaids learn important sea creature facts that come into play later. The story reinforces the importance of learning about the natural world and respecting sea creatures.

As the friends research sea animals, they find a pod of narwhals and a lost mermicorn. The mermicorn tells the purrmaids, “Mermicorns like to stay out of sight. Our horns are just here to be pretty. We can’t use them to defend ourselves. So staying hidden is how we keep ourselves safe.” Even though the friends are excited to tell everyone that they met a mermicorn, they decide to keep the information secret so they do not endanger their new friend.

Search for the Mermicorn is perfect for readers who are able to read chapter books. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. Young readers will enjoy the puns such as “fin-tastic,” “shell-ivision,” “fin-teresting,” and “perr-fect.”

Even though Search for the Mermicorn is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order. The Purrmaid series takes readers on an underwater swim that teaches fin-tastic lessons as well as entertains. Readers who love animals should also add The Critter Club Series by Callie Barkley to their reading list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Enemies

Klawde and Raj are back! As summer turns to fall, our favorite warlord cat remains in his pitiful, exiled existence. But Raj has an even scarier prospect than cosmic exile: starting at a new school. And if things didn’t seem complicated enough, both cat and human are confronted with two figures from their past they did not expect to pop up in Elba, Oregon.

While Klawde trains three kittens to become warriors, Raj is trying to make new friends and win a robotics contest. The tense story atmosphere chronicles Klawde and Raj as they both seek revenge on an enemy. When Klawde feels depressed and hides out in his bunker, Raj cheers him up with Klawde’s own words: “Revenge is a dish best served as often as possible! Revenge is the best medicine!” Klawde is truly an evil alien warlord who believes “an excellent lie is better than an inconvenient truth.” Even though Raj realizes that revenge isn’t the best medicine, the story has some bullying and gives no advice on how to conquer the problem.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat #2 jumps back and forth between Klawde’s and Raj’s points of view. The story focuses on the drama of middle school, using humor and fun illustrations that are washed in blue. Klawde’s violent behavior is often outrageous and humorous, and he perfectly captures cats’ disdain for others. The conclusion shows Raj learning that revenge isn’t the right course of action because it hurts others.

Readers will enjoy the fast-paced story but may have difficulty with some of the advanced vocabulary, such as perfidious, malevolence, nefarious, and exponentially. However, readers will be able to use context clues to understand the meaning of the difficult words. Short chapters, large font, and pictures that are scattered throughout the story will keep even reluctant readers interested. Even though Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat #2 doesn’t have an anti-bullying message, the highly entertaining story will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Klawde teaches kittens to be warriors. As they train, the calico kitten “dispatched each of her brothers so quickly that, for the final match, I paired both girls against her. The fight was even, until on one the grays caught the calico with a strike to the head that sent her sliding across the floor. She crouched in a corner, meowing pitifully… The boys went to check on the state of their sister. Once they were near, the girl sprang forward with a leap so lightning-fast, they had no time to react. She landed on their backs, slashing and biting and yowling with glee.”
  • The calico pretended to be heading towards a nap and then, “she turned, rose up behind her brothers on her hind legs, and crashed their skulls together.”
  • Klawde finds his enemy, who was “finished slurping up the innards of whatever creature he had captured, and crunched its bones between his teeth.”
  • Klawde and his sworn enemy fight. Klawde “cuffed him on his cheek as an answer to his insolence. Then I reached with my other paw to strike at his shoulder. I ducked his next swing, and at the same time used my right hind leg as a surprised cudgel, jackhammering him with a blurred series of blows.” The fight is described over two pages.
  • Klawde is upset, so he attacks a human by “grabbing at his leg. His hideous bare skin now bore four perfectly parallel scratch lines.”
  • After Klawde tampers with Raj’s robot, the robot goes crazy during an assembly, and “it shot the coffee out of Miss Natasha’s hand, and next it sprayed water at Principal Brownepoint, nailing him right in the crotch of his pants. It looked like he’d peed himself!”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Klawde gets high on catnip.

Language

  • On the human side, there is some name-calling, including jerk and dork.
  • Klawde has many funny names that he calls both humans and cats alike. For example, he calls a cat an ignorant imbecile, a dim-witted dolt, and a moron.
  • Heck is used twice.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Klawde challenges his enemy to a duel to the death, his enemy “looked like he’d just seen the ghost of King Si-uh-meez, whose spirit is known to appear to cats on their deathbed.”

Double Team

Eleven-year-old Amar’e Stoudemire has always had fun playing basketball with his friends. Competing in tournaments with his two best friends, Deuce and Mike, has made Amar’e realize that his true passion is basketball.

Amar’e and his two best friends usually play as a team, but when the competition gets intense, Amar’e thinks that he is the only one capable of getting the ball into the net. Amare’s getting attention from older, better players. When Amar’e gets invited to a special invitation-only tournament, he wonders if ditching his friends is the right thing to do. Will Amar’e’s friends stand by him even if he leaves them behind on the basketball court? In order to keep his friends, will Amar’e need to turn down the opportunity to play in the special tournament?

Basketball fans will enjoy the play-by-play action Amar’e and his friends compete in a tournament. When Amar’e’s friends get angry that he is “hogging the ball,” Amar’e doesn’t try to see things from his friends’ point of view. Instead, he is overconfident and focuses on how his friends aren’t being fair. In the end, Amar’e talks to his mother and brother about the conflict, which allows him to solve the problem and keep his friends. Amar’e brother tells him, “You’ve got to do your thing, but you don’t want to hurt anyone along the way.”

Although Amar’e has positive interactions with his parents, the story focuses on the tournaments. Because the play-by-play action is told from Amar’e’s point of view, he comes off as arrogant. Amar’e is confident that he is the only reason the team wins so he cuts his teammates out of the action. In the end, Amar’e realizes that friendship is more important than winning.

Basketball fans will appreciate Double Team’s easy vocabulary and the black and white illustrations that are scattered throughout the story. Amar’s has positive interactions with his family and works hard. Younger sports fans with enjoy Double Team because of the relatable character and the realistic conflict. Readers who are looking for similar books should try the Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream Series by Hena Khan.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • “Holy Finger Roll” is used as an exclamation.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Don’t Disturb the Dinosaurs

Dr. Bunsen has undone it again when his time machine mistakenly beams the Data Set—Gabe, Laura, and Cesar—back to the prehistoric era. Before they can say, “Look out!”, Gabe, Laura, and Cesar find themselves dashing from flying pterosaurs, stegosaurus stampedes, and an Allosaurus on the hunt for an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Despite the dangers, the Data Set are determined to help a special friend while exploring ancient earth where dinosaurs roam the earth.

Don’t Disturb the Dinosaurs is an action-packed story that teaches facts about dinosaurs without overwhelming the reader with information. The Data Set works together to find a new home for Stego, who used to be a plastic toy. Readers will admire the friends’ willingness to go up against a hungry Allosaurus in order to help Stego. The diverse characters work together to fight danger. However, all of the danger is kid-friendly and won’t leave readers with nightmares.

The dinosaur danger comes to life through black and white illustrations that help create the story’s suspense. In addition, the large illustrations will help readers visualize the story’s events. With illustrations that appear on every page, large text, and easy vocabulary, Don’t Disturb the Dinosaurs is an excellent book for beginning readers.

Readers will enjoy reading about Gabe, Laura, and Cesar as they try to stay alive in Prehistoric times. Another lovable character, Dr. Bunsen, adds a little humor to the story. Even though Don’t Disturb the Dinosaurs is a part of a series, the books do not need to be read in order. The Data Set Series is a fun, imaginative series that also teaches readers. If your little reader can’t get enough of dinosaurs, they should add The Dino Files Series by Stacy McAnulty to their must-read list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A giant Pterosaur takes the baby dinosaur, Stego. “The giant Pterosaur from earlier suddenly swooped down, snatched up Stego, and flew off!”
  • An Allosaurus tries to snack on the kids, who climb a tree to safety. The Allosaurus “chomped widely, barely missing Cesar’s sneaker. . . The Allosaurus roared and banged against the tree trunk.” Eventually the Allosaurus leaves “in search of an easier meal.”
  • When the Pterosaur sees the kids with Stego, she tries to attack them. “Suddenly, Stego moved between the friends and the angry creature.” The Pterosaur gets distracted when its egg begins to hatch.
  • An Allosaurus tries to get the kids again. Cesar “grabbed a fiery stick from the pit and waved it at the dinosaur. . .A spark jumped and struck the Allosaurus on the nose! Scorched, the dinosaur howled.” The dinosaur runs away.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Dr. Bunsen’s “growth ray accidentally brought our toy animals to life. Then they started growing. And we had to sneak them into the zoo.” However, the dinosaur needs to be taken back in time to find a home.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Because of the Rabbit

On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her father, who is a game warden, on a routine call. They’re supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead, they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night.

The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being home-schooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school. But things don’t go as planned. On the first day of school, she’s paired with a boy named Jack for a project. He can’t stay on topic, he speaks out of turn, and he’s obsessed with animals. Jack doesn’t fit in, and Emma’s worried he’ll make her stand out. Emma and Jack bond over her rescue rabbit, but will their new friendship keep Emma from finding the new best friend she’s meant to have?

Because of the Rabbit combines several subplots into one story. Not only is Emma struggling with attending public school for the first time, but she also is upset that her brother, Owen, has less time for her. Emma’s family demonstrates healthy relationships and positive communication skills. Emma revisits tales that her grandfather shared with her. She also names her pet rabbit Monsieur Lapin after a character from her grandfather’s stories.

Attending public school isn’t an easy transition for Emma. The author does an excellent job describing Emma’s complex feelings in kid-friendly language. Like many students, Emma hopes to find a best friend and worries that telling the whole truth will make others dislike her. One of her classmates, who appears to have autism, is kind to Emma. Even though Emma likes spending time with the boy, she worries that others will judge her if she spends time with him. In the end, Emma learns that it is important to look at things from another person’s perspective. Emma realizes that “I’ve wanted them all to be the kind of friend I needed, but I hadn’t tried as hard to be the one they needed.”

Anyone who has ever been left out of a group or is facing a new school will relate to Emma. Because of the Rabbit is beautifully written and has many positive life lessons. However, the story focuses on Emma’s personal conflicts. Readers who enjoy fast-paced, adventure stories will have a difficult time staying engaged. Because of the short chapters and easy vocabulary, Because of the Rabbit would be an excellent story for a parent to read aloud to their child.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Wrinkle in Time

Meg’s father is a physicist. Or at least he was, before he disappeared. While her mother insists that he will come back, Meg and the rest of the town doubt he’ll ever return. It doesn’t help that Meg is having trouble at school and thinks that her curls, glasses, and braces make her a “moron.” In fact, Meg is convinced that her life will be terrible forever–until Mrs. Whatsit blows into her kitchen one stormy evening.

Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which definitely aren’t from Earth, and Meg doesn’t trust them. But her little brother Charles says they’re alright, and Charles has always been able to see below the surface of people. When Mrs. Whatsit says they can help the children find their father, Meg doesn’t care what they are, as long as they can help. Suddenly Meg finds herself traveling to other planets with Charles and their friend Calvin. Together will the three of them be able to rescue Meg and Charles’ father? Or will they too become lost?

A Wrinkle in Time has memorable characters that will quickly find their way into readers’ hearts. Meg is very relatable to young readers, as she deals with her fears, her braces, and with not fitting in at school. Watching Meg struggle, grow, and find her inner strength will leave readers cheering for her. The beautiful, imaginative planets that Meg journeys to will awe and delight.

Throughout A Wrinkle in Time, Meg will glimpse a cosmic battle between good and evil, light and darkness, and knowledge and ignorance. While rescuing her father is just a tiny piece of this battle, Meg’s journey is filled with gravitas. Numerous lessons are learned along the way: Meg learns how to be brave, how to take responsibility rather than blaming others, and she discovers the one thing that the Shadow doesn’t have: love.

Sexual Content

  • The rumor is that Meg’s father “left your mother and [went] off with some dame.”
  • When Meg has to go into mortal danger to save her brother, she says goodbye to Calvin. “Calvin came to her and took her hand, then drew her roughly to him and kissed her. He didn’t say anything, and he turned away before he had a chance to see the surprised happiness that brightened Meg’s eyes.”

Violence

  • Charles thinks a man is a robot, so he “darted forward and hit the man as hard as he could.” When he realizes the man is not a robot, he says, “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
  • The mind in charge of a planet that has been lost to the Dark Thing tells Meg, “We let no one suffer. If it is so much kinder simply to annihilate anyone who is ill . . . Rather than endure such discomfort they are simply put to sleep.”
  • When Charles is hypnotized, Meg tries to knock him back to his senses. “She hurled herself at him. But before she could reach him his fist shot out and punched her hard in the stomach. She gasped for breath.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Charles says, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
  • Moron is used often. The town thinks Charles is a moron because he never talks, and Meg calls herself a moron several times. When Charles speaks to Calvin, Calvin is surprised. “Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to be the moron?”
  • Calvin calls Charles and Meg “dope” several times as an affectionate nickname. “Look, dope. I just want to get things straight.”
  • Ass is used once. Mrs. Who says, “And old ass knows more than a young colt.”

Supernatural

  • Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which are not from earth, though they can appear in human form. It’s never directly stated what they are, but it’s mentioned that Mrs. Who is a “paltry few billion years” older than Mrs. Whatsit, and that Mrs. Which is even older.
  • At one point, Mrs. Whatsit morphs into a new form. “Outwardly Mrs. Whatsit was surely no longer a Mrs. Whatsit. She was a marble white body with powerful flanks, something like a horse but at the same time completely unlike a horse, for the magnificently modeled back sprang a nobly formed torso, arms, and a heard resembling a man’s but a man with a perfection of dignity and virtue.”
  • The children tesser across space (a form of faster than light travel) several times with Mrs. Which. “All light was gone. Darkness was complete . . . Just as light and sound had vanished, she was gone, too. The corporeal Meg simply was not . . . She was lost in a horrifying void.” They visit several different planets and meet the occupants of those planets.
  • The children visit the “Happy Medium,” a very happy woman who can see the entire universe through a crystal ball.
  • The children visit a planet that has been lost to the Shadow. There, they find a man who is possessed by IT, the mind in charge. “His eyes were bright and had a reddish glow. Above his head was a light, and it glowed in the same manner as the eyes, pulsing, throbbing, in steady rhythm. Charles Wallace shut his eyes tightly. ‘Close your eyes . . . He’ll hypnotize you.’ ”
  • The children finally meet IT and realize, “It was a brain. A disembodied brain. An oversized brain, just enough larger than normal to be completely revolting and terrifying. A living brain. A brain that pulsed and quivered, that seized and commanded.”

Spiritual Content

  • On one of the planets they visit, centaur-esque creatures are singing a song of pure joy. Mrs. Whatsit tries to translate the song into words: “Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles; and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift their voice; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory onto the Lord!” When Meg hears the song, she “felt a pulse of joy such as she had never known before.”
  • The children learn their father was taken prisoner while fighting the Dark Thing. Meg sees the Dark Thing, a huge shadow stretched across space. “What could there be about a shadow that was so terrible that she knew that there had never been before or ever would be again, anything that would chill her with a fear that was beyond shuddering, beyond crying or screaming, beyond the possibility of comfort?” When they ask what it is, Mrs. Which says, “Itt iss Eevill. Itt iss thee Ppowers of Ddarrkknesss!”
  • The children realize that many people have fought the darkness on Earth for years. Mrs. Whatsit says, “They’ve been lights for us to see by.” They include Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Bach, Pasteur, Madame Curie, Einstein and more.
  • Meg’s father said, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
  • When struggling to describe Mrs. Whatsit to aliens, Calvin says they are “Angels! Guardian angels! Messengers! Messengers of God!”
  • Before Meg goes to confront It, Mrs. Who tells her, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble men are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are.”

by Morgan Lynn

 

 

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