Reading Level: Junior High

The Bletchley Riddle

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi’s Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother’s disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues that unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept? 

The Bletchley Riddle alternates between the perspectives of two engaging siblings, Lizzie and Jakob. Fourteen-year-old Lizzie is reminiscent of Enola Holmes—spunky, intelligent, independent, and resourceful. Readers will quickly fall in love with this “half-American” character who approaches problems with refreshing directness. Determined to find her mother, Lizzie enlists the help of two loyal friends, Colin and Marion. Together, the trio embarks on fact-finding adventures that lead them into surprising situations filled with suspense and excitement.  

Jakob, meanwhile, is an awkward mathematician who resorts to terrible jokes when under stress. This serious young man is determined to help defeat the Germans through his code-breaking abilities, but cracking the Enigma machine proves more challenging than anticipated. Complications arise when a mysterious figure appears, intent on proving that both Jakob and his mother are enemy spies. Focused on his crucial work, Jakob becomes frustrated by Lizzie’s unwavering insistence that their mother remains alive. Though Jakob rarely ventures beyond Bletchley Park’s boundaries, he experiences his own share of adventures. 

The Bletchley Riddle contains all the elements of compelling fiction: well-developed characters with distinct voices, an intriguing mystery, and high stakes throughout. The story features memorable individuals with realistic flaws and antagonists who pose genuine threats to the siblings. However, the primary danger stems from the ongoing war with Germany, which Jakob and his fellow Bletchley Park colleagues are determined to help win. The various plot threads converge satisfyingly in the conclusion, and while the story doesn’t end with Germany’s defeat, readers will finish with a sense of satisfaction.  

As historical fiction, the novel incorporates fascinating details about Bletchley Park and the vital work of codebreakers during World War II. Six pages of black-and-white photographs showcase code-breaking machinery, wartime scenes, and newspaper headlines. Unfortunately, these photographs lack captions, leaving readers to interpret their significance independently. Nevertheless, readers will absorb numerous interesting facts about the war, codebreaking techniques, and the individuals who played crucial roles in the Allied effort. Readers interested in learning more about Bletchley Park should also consider reading The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming. 

The Bletchley Riddle appeals to more than just history enthusiasts. The captivating narrative will keep readers engaged as the they attempt to solve the mystery surrounding Lizzie and Jakob’s mother’s disappearance while following the characters’ efforts to crack the Enigma code. The novel effectively highlights the courage and intelligence of the British people who refused to capitulate to German forces.  

Sexual Content  

  • As Lizzie delivers messages at Bletchley Park, she sees, “Couples kissing behind trees.” 
  • Lizzie tells the commander, “Well, the light in the ladies’ loo isn’t broken. The light bulb is intentionally unscrewed, as that location is a preferred spot for snogging. . . That is to say, kissing.” 
  • Collin admits to having a crush on Lizzie. He says, “I just knew that every time I was around you, I felt so odd.” When Lizzie admits to having a crush on Collin, she asks, “What happens now?” Collin replies, “I imagine we’ll just be better friends now.” They decide to hold hands.  

Violence  

  • Lizzie’s mother, Willa, is missing. She was “killed in a bomb blast. . . A falsity I refuse to accept.” Lizzie was told, “Willa went to Poland, the Germans attacked, and she was killed.” 
  • Later, Lizzie learns that Willa “stuck to her post, even as German bombers targeted the train. . . The station was destroyed. The Poles thought she was probably killed.” However, Willa is not dead. 
  • A newspaper article describes the Luftwaffe air raid. “[The Germans] hit factories and airfields up and down the coast. And some nearby houses as well.”  
  • Collin’s brother, a pilot, “was shot down over the Channel. He hasn’t been found.” Collin’s brother is presumed dead. Pilots had a life expectancy of four weeks. 
  • Lizzie and her brother are in London when the Germans attack. “Jakob grabs my hand as pulverized stone and glass rain down upon us. . . Flames rise in the distance, licking the sides of buildings.” They hide in an air raid shelter where, “the stairs rumble with tremors beneath our feet as we make it to the bottom.” 
  • When it’s safe to go outside, Lizzie and her brother see a changed London. “The morning air is sharp with the tang of burning wood, rubber, paint, sugar—whatever was in those warehouses along the river.” A German plane has crashed on the street, “or pieces of a plane, hunks of metal wreckage scattered along the road and sidewalk.” The pilot survived. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Lizzie knows that “Mr. Fleetwood enjoys too many nips of Old Schenley.” 
  • Lizzie’s grandmother tells her, “Nicknames such as ‘Lizzie’ are reserved for barmaids and axe murderers, of which you are neither.”  
  • A mysterious man Lizzie sees several times smokes cigarettes. 
  • While at a theater, someone buys Lizzie a “fizzy drink,” not realizing it was a gin and tonic. 
  • At an embassy party, champagne is served. 
  • As part of her plan not to go to America, Lizzie and her friends get Mr. Fleetwood “well oiled.”  

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Memory Thief

Rosie Oaks loves her stories, almost as much as she loves her best friend, Germ. Together, they dream of magical witches, feathered beasts, and haunting ghost stories. Rosie doesn’t know what she would do without her best friend, especially since Rosie’s mother is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. Rosie tries to focus on happier things, but one night, she starts hearing voices. Frightened, she goes to her mother, who doesn’t understand Rosie. The next evening, Rosie recruits Germ to help her with the investigation. That night, Rosie’s house comes alive with ghosts and decade-old secrets.  

Reasonably scared, Rosie and Germ run from the ghosts, almost making it out. They come face-to-face with a thirteen-year-old ghost named Ebb. He explains that Rosie did something to activate her sight, which is how she’s finally able to see the ghosts who have been haunting her house all this time.  

Regarding the witches, Rosie comes from a long line of witch-hunters, one of whom managed to kill one of the thirteen witches successfully. The other twelve have been plaguing Rosie’s family for decades. One of the witches, the Memory Thief, can steal memories. On the night of Rosie’s birth, the witch stole her mother’s memories. To save her mother, Rosie must find a way to defeat the Memory Thief. With the help of the ghosts and her human friends, Rosie enters the world of the supernatural, armed with only a sharp tongue and Ebb’s reassurance that her witch-hunting abilities will strengthen in time.  

The protagonist, Rosie, is a role model on a quest to save her mother. She relies on the power of friendship and quick thinking. Rosie has a wonderful best friend, Germ, who sticks with her through thick and thin, providing great emotional support. Her new ghost friend, Ebb, gives plenty of great advice and teaches Rosie how to stand up to bullies like the Memory Thief. Rosie demonstrates how to ask for help, as well as how to be independent and rely on your instincts. She’s deeply afraid of losing her mother and her town to the witches, but she won’t let that stop her from saving everyone.  

Like many fantasy books, The Memory Thief features supernatural elements and a complex magic system that gradually unfolds as Rosie navigates this new world alongside the reader. Despite being populated with witches, ghosts, and other magical creatures, the story maintains a relatively tame tone—even the spectral characters become Rosie’s allies in her witch-hunting quest rather than sources of fear. That said, the magic system suffers from inconsistencies and rules that don’t quite hold together. The book also leaves several threads dangling, though these unanswered questions appear intentional, setting up the sequel, The Sea of Always. 

Readers will love the powerful witches, ghostly magic system, and small band of heroes in The Memory Thief. Rosie navigates a world filled with supernatural creatures—from memory-stealing moths to cloud shepherds and ghosts—all of which complicate her quest to fix what the witches have broken. She’s an inspiring character who grows when challenged, leading by example and standing by her own moral principles. Overall, this is a beautiful story with moments of sweet friendship, powerful bravery, and dramatic losses and victories. 

Sexual Content  

  • None  

Violence  

  • When Rosie describes her best friend, Germ, she mentions a scar on her hand “where—at [Rosie’s] request—[they] both cut [them]selves when [they] decided to be blood sisters when [they] were eight.” 
  • After Rosie removes her mother’s necklace and Rosie’s magical abilities awaken, one of the witches comes after her. She threatens Rosie, “‘Watch for me at the dark moon, child,’ [the witch] calls over her shoulder. ‘At the dark moon, I’ll end you.’” 
  • To get answers about her family, Rosie goes to the ghost who haunts the hospital where she was born. The ghost explains, “‘[Rosie’s] mother only had time to hide one of [her children]. [One] was crying; [the other wasn’t]. [The witches] never knew there were two.’ His shoulders sag as if in release, or surrender, or both. And then he says the only thing that really matters. ‘Twins.’” He insinuates that the witches killed the brother Rosie never knew about. “They took him. Dropped him in the ocean.” 
  • When one of the witches again tries to snatch Rosie, one of the house ghosts, Crafty Agatha, comes to her rescue. But “with a howl of rage [the witch] reaches out for the figure nearest her—Crafty Agatha. A cluster of moths swarms Agatha as she screams. A moment later, the moths fly apart—and Agatha is gone.” Agatha’s spirit dissolves.  
  • To escape from one of the witches, Rosie summons her magical pet bird. “[Rosie’s bird] soars at the witch, opens her beak, and devours [the witch].” The witch dies. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None  

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • This book follows Rosie, a descendant of witch-hunters, as she tries to break a curse on her mother and fight witches with the help of ghosts. The story is full of supernatural creatures and magical events. Since supernatural elements are on nearly every page, not every example is documented below. 
  • The book opens, “In a stone courtyard at the edge of the woods, a ghost with glowing red eyes floats back and forth past the windows of Saint Ignatius Hospital, waiting for a baby to be born.” The ghost watches as a witch curses Rosie’s mother. “Moths fluttering out of [the witch’s] sleeves as she speaks.” 
  • Rosie’s ghost friend, Ebb, is described as “shimmery and glowing bright blue, frowning at me, his eyebrows low. He floats at least a foot off the ground.” After Rosie meets Ebb, she goes downstairs to her kitchen, finding even more ghosts. “A woman stands in the parlor staring at us, a ball of yarn in her hands. A man is just behind her wearing a yellow rain slicker, sopping wet and pale, starfishes stuck to his arms. There is another woman by the couch, very old, all in white. And closest—just inches from us—is a boy with floppy brown hair and a dour expression, like he’s just tasted something rotten. He’s a dreadful sight: maybe thirteen or fourteen, wide brown eyes, a furrowed forehead, pale, his dark hair plastered wetly down around his ears, bluish skin. He glows with a bluish light that casts a dim glow onto the wall behind him.” 
  • Rosie’s mother kept a witch-hunter journal, with instructions and descriptions of witch-hunting magic and tactics. For example, the journal lists qualities of the Memory Thief: “Familiars: Her moths are her weapons and her spies. They spread out all over the world at night and steal from her victims. They can be distinguished by the shifting, sparkling patterns on their wings, which are actually the shifting dust of the memories they have stolen. Victims: A person cursed by the Memory Thief may appear normal, go about their normal lives, but they’ve lost memories of the past, of the people they are close to, even how to love others. At times, entire towns have lost their histories to this terrible witch.” 
  • As Rosie trains to fight witches, she tries to use her mother’s witch-hunting bow and arrow. “But as [the arrow is] flying, something miraculous happens. A shimmer—a puff of something—appears, filmy and delicate but unmistakable, like the trail of exhaust you might see from an airplane. Only this is in a wave of colors and small, diaphanous shapes so exquisitely beautiful, so full of light, so warm and clear and sparkling that just looking at it makes something feel better inside you. The shapes are the shapes my mom has painted on the arrows; the colors are my mom’s colors come to life—as real and unreal, at the same time, as ghosts. They shimmer in the air for a moment, then disappear.” The instrument doesn’t work for Rosie; it only emits magical colors.  
  • As Rosie fights one of the witches, she is aided by magical creatures called “cloud shepherds”. As “the moths are knocked back, the wind is whipping. Patches of fog blow toward the trees. It’s unmistakable: shapes loom in and out of the fog, though I can’t make them out. The Memory Thief takes several stumbling steps backward. And just as the clouds part far above to reveal the last sliver of moon in the sky, it dawns on me: The cloud shepherds are helping.” 
  • Rosie describes the cloud shepherd: “[She] see[s] a face loom out of it, made of mist—a round face that disintegrates and rearranges into a long and thin face, then into a bushy-browed face, and then it has no eyebrows at all. But every face appears to be a kind one. It smiles at [Rosie] gently again and again as it changes. And then a sound weaves through the mist, as if several threads of voices are joining together at once.” 
  • After Crafty Agatha dies, Rosie describes many of the ghosts, having settled their earthly business, leaving for the “Beyond.” “And a moment later, something strange begins to happen all around us. Tiny, glowing spirits of bugs that were killed in the fray, crushed by falling walls and pummeled against trees—fireflies and dragonflies and crickets and ants—begin to float up from the ground, all tiny luminous ghosts rising and surrounded by sparkling pink dust.” 
  • While saving her mother, Rosie discovers her magic witch-hunter power. She is able to summon a magical bird with a flashlight. “As soon as [Rosie] take[s] hold of it, the bright, breathtaking bluebird appears—and then wreaks havoc. She circles the room, tearing down the chandelier above the overturned dining room table, knocks over the one vase that was still standing, and nearly eats Fred the spider as he sits on [Rosie’s] knee.” 
  • When the Memory Thief kidnaps Rosie, she steals some of her memories. Rosie describes it as, “so many memories, all beginning to blur and fade away. [She] feel[s] tears running down [her] cheeks as [she] watch[es] these visions turn to iridescent dust and fall through the air, gathered on the wings of the moths that flutter all around [her]. And then [she] can’t remember why [she’s] crying.” 
  • After Rosie defeats the Memory Thief, memories return to people around the world. “Everywhere, strange, subtle things have happened—stories [Rosie] see[s] on the news: Grandparents who’ve forgotten names and faces suddenly smiling at their grandchildren. Amnesiacs showing up in their families’ backyards. Towns publicly reflecting on histories long forgotten. Even if people don’t see the invisible moths in the sky, dropping dust on them like snow, maybe they feel it. Even the reporters look happy as they relate these stories.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Kate Schuyler

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Freidman and her Hidden Life

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was born in Indiana in 1892 and was determined to attend college against her father’s wishes. She worked hard to educate herself, and this determination would shape her entire career. Later in life, she would find herself working as a code breaker for a millionaire named Fabyan. This job would lead her to her future husband, William Friedman. 

Initially, Elizebeth worked for the eccentric millionaire, Fabyan, who believed that Shakespeare’s work had hidden messages. Elizebeth and William Friedman tried to prove Fabyan’s Shakespeare theory true. However, after a while, they became restless and looked for other job opportunities. The U.S. government hired them as code breakers during World War I. During this time, spies and U.S. enemies feared her because of her unique ability to break codes and uncover secret plans.  

After completing this assignment, they returned to Riverbank, but their relationship with their employer had changed. Their boss, Fabyan, intercepted their mail, which impacted Elizebeth’s ability to secure other jobs. Eventually, William secured a position and left Riverbank. The novel includes their letters during this separation. The letters demonstrate their devotion and mutual support in their shared field, as well as Elizebeth’s feelings of being stuck while William was away.  

The novel effectively shows how Elizebeth overcame challenges, particularly in putting herself through college as a young woman during an era when this was uncommon. Elizebeth broke glass ceilings before the term was coined. She was making waves in not only a male-dominated field but also in a world that had little respect for women. Her attention to detail and courage propelled her career forward, and she would go on to establish a distinguished career as a code breaker for the Coast Guard. 

Despite compelling elements, the book reads choppy and is strangely paced, making it difficult for readers to stay engaged. There is emphasis on plot points that don’t feel important to the overall narrative. Nevertheless, readers will be inspired by Elizebeth’s story regardless of the novel’s choppy nature. Her persistence is truly inspiring, demonstrating remarkable resilience in a male-dominated field. However, some readers may need background research on World War I before starting, as the pages don’t provide much historical context. 

Overall, The Woman All Spies Fear is an inspiring novel that gives proper credit to Elizebeth’s accomplishments. Most importantly, it allows her not to be overshadowed by her husband, giving her the recognition she deserves. Still, readers may walk away wishing they knew more about Elizebeth herself, and not just her work. If readers are interested in World War I or code breaking, this book is a great option that sheds light on an important female figure during World War I and World War II.  Her story is one of persistence and the power to overcome. Her commitment to doing important work with code-breaking is inspiring. Be inspired by other women code breakers by reading Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall and Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars. If you want to learn more about code breaking, read Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing, or Spy Files: Codes and Ciphers. 

Sexual Content 

  • Fabyan, Elizebeth’s boss, offers her a sexual proposition. Fabyan says, “Will you go out to Riverdale and spend the night with me?” She is shocked and refuses his request. 
  • Sex is hinted at when Elizebeth writes to William: “I am consumed with deep intimate things that burn one up with fire and longing.” 

Violence 

  • Criminal rumrunners during Prohibition used violence, and “anyone who got in their way would be gunned down.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Cigarettes are mentioned. “When writing to Elizebeth, William would often use the light from his cigarette to light the way.”  
  • Elizebeth goes to work for the Navy during the “Rum War,” which is what the Coast Guard called the effort to stop smuggled alcohol during Prohibition.  
  • During Prohibition, people “would down homemade hooch and bathtub gin.” 

Language 

  • William told Elizebeth not to worry about the “damn fool Bolsheviks.”  

Supernatural Content 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • Both families objected to Elizebeth’s marriage to William because he was Jewish.  
  • Elizebeth’s father is a Quaker.  

by Kayleigh Doyle 

Give Me a Sign

Seventeen-year-old Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. She longs for a place where she truly belongs.  

The summer before her senior year, Lilah becomes a counselor at Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, as well as those who are blind or have low vision. She hopes to connect with deaf culture. While at camp, Lilah navigates friendships, her first real romance, and camp traditions, all while gaining a deeper understanding of her own identity. What begins as an ordinary summer turns into a transformative experience that pushes Lilah to embrace her identity and claim her place in the world.  

Give Me a Sign unfolds over one summer. Lilah starts as a counselor-in-training, which allows her to slowly learn more sign language, build friendships, and fall in love. One of the strongest elements of the novel is its representation of deaf culture, as Lilah learns more ASL and discovers how empowering it can be to be in a community that understands her. Lilah makes several self-discoveries as she faces microaggressions, doubts, and the fear of not being good enough. Her journey will be relatable for readers who struggle with identity or the feeling of being out of place.  

At camp, Lilah meets other deaf and hard-of-hearing counselors who help her explore what identity and belonging really mean. The most important among them is Isaac, a co-counselor and Lilah’s love interest. Their romance develops slowly as they work side by side and share parts of their lives with each other. Rather than being overly dramatic and steamy, their relationship reflects a realistic first love. Issac’s confidence and self-assurance contrast with Lilah’s doubts. Through their growing bond, Lilah learns that her hearing loss is not something that makes her less than but is an important part of who she is. 

Other counselors play a pivotal role in Lilah’s development too. Ethan, whom Lilah has known since childhood, serves as an unwavering presence, someone she can consistently turn to. His familiarity and steadfast support provide her with a sense of stability, reminding her that she is not alone in her struggles. Mackenzie, however, brings a strikingly different perspective. She often frustrates Lilah by demonstrating superior sign language skills and attempting to “teach” ASL despite never having experienced deafness herself. To Lilah, Mackenzie embodies the privilege of being hearing while inserting herself into a culture that is not her own. This tension compels Lilah to confront her own deepening feelings of inadequacy. 

The pacing of the story is steady and heartfelt, with no major plot twists or drama. Instead, it relies on a satisfying, gradual journey of growth. At first, Lilah worries about not being deaf enough, misunderstandings in her relationship with Isaac, and her fear of stepping out of her comfort zone. These conflicts are realistic and will be deeply relatable for anyone who has ever felt caught between two identities. By the end of the summer, Lilah slowly begins to embrace her deafness as a part of who she is, and she finds confidence and a sense of belonging.   

Give Me a Sign has many positive aspects, such as its representation, hopeful tone, and portrayal of identity. One of the most powerful aspects of the book is how it highlights the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving when you find a community. Ultimately, Give Me a Sign is more than just a summer romance — it’s a story about self-discovery, acceptance, and the courage to be authentic. Readers will walk away with a reminder that community can be a place of empowerment, but the real turning point comes when you allow yourself to step fully into your own identity.  

Sexual Content  

  • Lilah develops a romantic relationship with Isaac, another counselor. Their romance includes kissing and handholding. 

Violence 

  • As Lilah is swimming, a child camper named Cole jumps on her and refuses to let go. It is later explained that he did this because he has a crush on her. “I try to shrug off his hands. But Cole latches on tight, nails digging into my skin.” She tries to push him off, but he ends up ripping off her swimsuit in the process.  
  • Isaac is pushed against a car and restrained by cops after being accused of theft. They refuse to listen to Lilah as she tries to explain that he’s deaf and can’t hear their orders. “[The cop] reaches forward and pushes Isaac’s back against the patrol car, preparing to search him.”

Language  

  • There is occasional swearing, including shit, crap, and damn. 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Rayna Burlison 

Return of the Padawan

Roan Novachez returns for his second year at Jedi Academy, eager to finally begin his starfighter pilot training. At first, things are going well. He reunites with his friends and even takes a field trip to the ice planet Hoth. Soon, trouble arises as his star pilot training class proves to be more challenging than he had anticipated. To make matters worse, Roan’s closest friends, Pasha and Gaiana, start ignoring him, leading him to wonder what he did wrong.  

In a similar format to the first book, Return of the Padawan is told through Jeffrey Brown’s illustrations. Roan’s diary entries, sketches, comics, newspapers, and poster clippings fill every page, and are just as charming as in Jedi Academy. The book is mostly split between Roan’s journal entries and his comic strips, the former featuring more words per page than the latter. Roan’s doodles continue to be humorous, relatable, and full of heart. The scrapbook style helps bring the characters to life and engages reluctant readers.  

Return of the Padawan is an excellent example of how problems can arise from simple misunderstandings. During gym class, Roan accidentally hits Gaiana in the face with a ball. Later, when Roan is unable to find her during the school dance, Gaiana assumes that he is ignoring her. From that point, Gaiana starts ignoring Roan. Roan’s friendship with Pasha also takes a tense turn. During a visit to Pasha’s home planet, Roan accidentally rips a museum’s ancient text, angering both Pasha and his family. The tension deepens when Roan sees Gaiana and Pasha holding hands in the hallway, making him feel even more isolated than before. 

Roan discovers Gaiana has been ignoring him because her father is sick. Afterward, Roan makes the effort to speak with her, owning up to his rude and selfish behavior, and asking about her father’s health. Gaiana is thankful for the gesture. He showcases his growth further during the lightsaber fencing tournament, when bullies Cyrus and Cronah give him the opportunity to cheat, but he ultimately chooses not to. Pasha asks him about this after the tournament, to which Roan replies, “It would’ve been cheating. Cyrus and Cronah were the ones who blinded you. . . when it came down to it, I didn’t want to be like them.” Roan’s actions highlight the value of integrity over a hollow victory.  

Overall, Return of the Padawan is a worthy sequel to Jedi Academy, offering a compelling continuation of Roan’s journey to become a Jedi Knight. Middle-school readers will find Roan’s story to be especially relatable regarding their own friendships. And much like the first book, you don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this heartfelt adventure. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • During gym class, Roan accidentally hits Gaiana in the face with a ball. An illustration of Gaiana getting hit, as well as sporting a black eye, is included. 
  • There are lightsaber training and fencing sequences with minimal violence (i.e., clashing sabers). No one is hurt in these sequences, though Pasha is noticeably more aggressive with his swings during his duel with Roan, leading Roan to wonder, “Is he trying to hurt me?” Moments later, bullies Cyrus and Cronah use a light to blind Pasha, helping Roan cheat. They tell Roan to “strike [Pasha] down.” Roan instead allows Pasha a few moments to recover before continuing their duel, which Pasha ultimately wins.  

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • While there is no overtly rude language, the characters Cronah and Cyrus are known for their verbal insults. Roan explains, “Every time I post on Holobook, it seems like Cronah and Cyrus have to say something mean to me. . . They’re jerks to pretty much everyone on Holobook, but if you say anything, they notice you and write even MORE mean stuff.” 
  • For instance, Cronah and Cyrus leave mean comments such as, “You couldn’t smell them because of how bad YOU stink, Roan,” “You’re a horrible pilot, so you can use more training for sure,” and “I think Roan was bit by a krayt dragon, and it made him stupid.” 
  • Characters use words like “stupid” and “jerk.” 

Supernatural Content 

  • The Force can be interpreted as a supernatural entity, allowing the user, among other abilities, to lift things with their mind. For example, an article in the school newspaper, The Padawan Observer, reads “Master Yoda was pleased with his class, except that ‘lifting things with the Force all the time, too many students were.’” 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

by Nicholas Paragano 

Diana and the Underworld Odyssey

Princess Diana has finally proved her worth to her mother and is approved to start Amazon warrior training. As the Chará festival winds down, Diana is sad to say goodbye to her best friend, Sakina, but excited to begin preparing for the real world. Then, a mysterious alien intruder kidnaps Sakina. As Diana tries to rally the Amazons to save Sakina, their impossible-to-find island is attacked by extra-terrestrial enemies hell-bent on capturing Diana too.  

The Amazons eventually force the alien ship to flee from the island, but Diana’s mom, Queen Hippolyta, is worried for her daughter’s safety, so she sends Diana to the island of the gods with Diana’s protector, the goddess Artemis, and Diana’s new friend, the dragon Liara. Yet, as Diana begs the gods for help, they ignore her insights and version of events, trusting Hades even though he is clearly working with the aliens and their boss, Zumius. Frustrated, Diana leaves the room and meets Imani, another superpowered kid being hunted by these aliens. When Imani is soon kidnapped, Diana decides that only she can save her friends.  

Undaunted and determined, Diana is a powerful, curious protagonist who fights to save her loved ones, no matter the challenge. With the help of the goddess, Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, Diana obtains the tools that allow her to reach the Underworld and escape intact. The journey is treacherous, full of untrustworthy beings and monsters attempting to lure her off her path, but pure-hearted Diana is unwavering. On the way, she also makes new friends and allies who strongly oppose kidnapping children and thus choose to go against their king, Hades, and follow Diana’s leadership. Diana knows that the gods won’t choose Diana over Hades. She knows she’s the only hope the kids have of escaping the Underworld, so she faces every monster with a brave face and a need to expose the truth of Hades’s misdeeds.  

While Diana’s character growth is well-developed, several other elements of this book fell a little short. Namely, Hades is an obvious and flat villain—he doesn’t have a motive or any substantial explanation of his actions. Diana identifies him as the one behind the kidnappings right away, and it doesn’t feel plausible that no one would listen to her or guess that it could have been him. That said, the magical landscapes are wonderfully described, and the problems Diana faces challenge her to think outside the box and adapt to her surroundings—a skill that every kid needs to learn sooner or later. Overall, the novel is worth reading, especially considering the strength of Diana’s character.  

Readers who enjoy powerful female superheroes, Greek mythology, and cleverly independent kids will love the fun battles, magical relics, and beautiful landscapes of Diana and the Underworld Odyssey. Diana encounters all sorts of magical creatures on her journey into the Underworld, from sirens to skeletons to three-headed dogs, all making for creative entertainment. Diana is a fierce and kind character who grows when challenged, leads by example, and stands by her own moral principles. Overall, Diana and the Underworld Odyssey is a sweet story with an inspiring message: stand up for what you believe in, even if no one hears you. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Diana’s best friend, Sakina, is kidnapped, Diana spots the kidnapper escaping out the window. Diana attacks the intruder. “Diana angled her sword and attacked square at its midsection. But then her stomach dropped. Though the sword had speared straight through the fabric cloak, it was as if she’d sliced thin air.” She eventually lassos the intruder with her Lasso of Truth, but they escape, and Diana is unharmed. The scene is approximately five pages.  
  • As Zumius’s minions try to kidnap Diana again, the Amazons attack the ship. Their assaults fails so Diana shoots a cannon at Zumius’s airship. “Diana pushed down on the lever. Instantly the cannon deployed. The force of the recoil sent Diana tumbling to the ground. The metal ball shot into the air, glinting in the sunlight. Diana watched nervously as the cannonball struck the underbelly of the airship with a clang before falling into the sea. Diana’s heart skipped a beat. There was an enormous dent in the airship. The vessel was swaying in midair!” They fired multiple times, and eventually the ship left.  
  • While Diana is on the gods’s island, she makes a new friend, Imani. Imani is being hunted, like Diana, and during a walk in the woods, the two friends are attacked by the same kidnapper who took Sakina. Diana fights the person off with a makeshift vine lasso. “But before she could take a step, the [kidnapper] had kicked off the vine. Wielding it like a whip, [their opponent] lashed out at Imani and struck her in the stomach. Imani wheezed and lurched forward. The attacker dashed toward her and grabbed her elbow. Hoisting her over its shoulder, it fled with astonishing speed toward the boat.” Diana is uninjured. The scene is approximately six pages.  
  • During her voyage into the Underworld, Diana encounters a Hydra that attacks her. “With a flick of its tail, the Hydra hurtled the boat hundreds of feet into the sky. Diana spun through the air and began to fall. She hit the surface of the water hard and plunged into the ocean. Her body stung from the force of impact; her face burned as salt water filled her mouth and nose.” She is uninjured. 
  • During the Underworld voyage, Diana also meets a Siren who tries to kidnap her. Diana’s dragon friend, Liara, fights the Siren. “Before Diana could do anything, Liara bit the Siren’s hand. The woman’s smug smile faded instantly. ‘Get off me!’ [the Siren] screamed. She waved her hand feverishly to shake Liara off, but the dragon had clamped down with all her might.” Diana escapes unharmed. 
  • When Diana finds Sakina and Imani, she rescues them from their cage, but the guards interrupt them. The guards attack and try to force all three of them into the cage. “One of them raised a hand and swiped its sword in Diana’s direction. Diana ducked as a burst of cold wind shot at her. It hit the stalagmites next to her and froze them into icicles. The three girls instantly fell to the ground, thick shards of ice missing them by mere inches. Diana shakily stood as another attack launched. Before she could leap out of the way, it hit her square in the chest.” The three friends escape unharmed. The whole scene is approximately ten pages. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • On her journey into the Underworld, Diana encounters a Hydra. “As [the Hydra’s] enormous heads grew near, practically surrounding Diana, she held her breath. One whiff of its poisonous fumes would kill her.” She escapes the Hydra before it can drug her.

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • Every page of this novel exhibits some kind of supernatural content. However, the magic is primarily wielded by Greek gods without spoken spells, just the wave of a hand. Magic is also present in the landscape, such as the magical island of Themyscira, which is hidden from the eyes of men. The monsters encountered include talking skeletons, Sirens, Hydras, mer-people, dragons, sentient stone creatures, and the gods.  
  • Diana is a superhero, complete with superpowers and magical relics, like the Lasso of Truth. She fights monsters and gods.  
  • Magical landscapes appear many times, including the Underworld, Themyscira, and the island of the gods. An example is when Diana is in the Underworld, and she watches as a cage magically transports everything inside of it to Hades himself. “The cage began glimmering and shaking. It vibrated faster and faster. Diana flinched as something shook in her satchel. The bar fragments were trembling and glowing. The cage shook for a full minute and then fell silent.” 
  • While Diana is fighting her kidnapper, they throw some kind of magical powder at her. “Instantly, the figure shot a hand up as a whirring sound bellowed from deep within its cloaked body. Before Diana could react, a burst of metallic-gold powder sprang from one of its sleeves. The powder coated the book [Diana had thrown at her attacker], which froze in midair and then burst into flames. Within seconds it fell to the floor, transformed into ashes.” 
  • Hades is helping an alien kidnap superpowered kids to create an army. When Diana meets Artemis, the goddess explains that many kids have already been taken. “Aristaeus can wield the wind with his hands and control bees. Lumierna can break metal as easily as they can snap a twig. They’re not as strong as their father yet, but quite capable for a child. Only two children have managed to outmaneuver the [aliens]: Diana and a child named Imani.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Princess Diana grew up among the Amazons, a community of warrior women who worship the Greek gods. She meets, fights, and even collaborates with many of them. The Greek gods or references to them appear on nearly every page. For example, Diana describes how “the sun shone brightly upon the beaches of Themyscira, the golden glow shimmering as though Zeus himself had struck the island with a lightning bolt.” 
  • An example of Diana’s interactions with the gods is when Diana meets the council of the gods while trying to find a sanctuary from her kidnapper. “When Diana turned in her seat, she shuddered. The figure standing in the doorway was broad-shouldered and tall, practically as tall as Zeus himself. He wore a green toga. A monocle sat on his left eye, his right hand grasped an iron staff, and his face was twisted into a scowl. It was Hades, god of the Underworld.” 

by Kate Schuyler 

The Bicycle Spy

Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he’s racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents’ bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany’s occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel’s rides with checkpoints and questioning.  

Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend’s entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help — but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it’s up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly. . . because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance. 

Told from Marcel’s point of view, The Bicycle Spy shows the effect of World War II by focusing on Marcel’s parents and classmates. Marcel’s love of the Tour de France gives the story a unique perspective and allows him to become friends with Delphine, who shares his passion for the event. Marcel and Delphine also connect because they both have a secret: Delphine is Jewish, and Marcel’s parents are part of the French Resistance. When Delphine’s true identity is revealed, Marcel and his family show bravery and don’t hesitate to help Delphine’s family escape France.  

Marcel is an extremely likable protagonist who worries about everyday things, such as completing his homework, winning a bike race against his friends, and avoiding trouble at school. When he discovers that his parents are helping the French Resistance, Marcel is determined to help the cause. However, he often feels pangs of guilt when he has to lie, even though he realizes that dishonesty is the only way to keep people safe from the Germans. Even though Marcel fears the German soldiers, he doesn’t let this stop him from delivering messages for the Resistance.  

When Delphine’s family is in danger, Marcel is trusted to deliver a message that will help them escape. Even though this means riding his bike a long distance in freezing weather, Marcel is determined to save his friend. “The ride to Porte-Vendres was punishing. He was exhausted, and very, very cold. But then he thought of the riders in the Tour de France. Surely they got tired, hungry, and cold, too.” Marcel gains the strength to continue by thinking about the men who have competed in the Tour de France, as well as the danger that Delphine’s family faces. Marcel’s journey is full of danger and suspense, which makes the book difficult to put down. 

The Bicycle Spy shows how ordinary people helped the Jews escape Hitler’s clutches. Since the story is told from Marcel’s point of view, readers gain insight from a child’s perspective. This allows readers to understand Marcel’s fears and concerns without having graphic descriptions of violence. Reading The Bicycle Spy will encourage children to do the right thing, whether it’s standing up to a bully, helping a friend, or supporting their family.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The German soldiers appear in Marcel’s classroom. “Two officers had come into the room, their shiny black boots heavy on the floorboards, their armbands with the thick black swastikas threatening. Even more threatening were the enormous black guns they carried so casually looped over their shoulders.” An officer talks to the teacher, who shows him the list of students in the class. Then the men leave. 
  • When Marcel encounters German soldiers, he wonders, “What would they do if they knew about his parents being in the Resistance? Drag them from the bakery? Force them to answer questions? Shoot them?” 
  • One of Marcel’s classmates, Thierry, dumped the contents of Delphine’s satchel. When she went to pick up her pen, “Thierry’s big foot got there first. There was an ugly crunch as he ground it under his heel.” Thierry saw a picture of Delphine and her brother and said, “You’re a Jew. . .  A dirty, stinking Jew!” Delphine is so upset that she leaves school and never comes back. 
  • Thierry accuses Marcel of helping “‘a Jew hide. Or maybe even escape and you know what that means.’ He made his hand into the shape of a pistol and pointed it to [Marcel’s] head.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Marcel saw a German soldier who “pulled out a cigarette and lit it.” 
  • When Marcel goes into town, he sees a man at a café smoking a cigarette. 

Language  

  • Some of the kids call each other names, such as shrimp, loser, jerk, idiot, dope, and liar. 
  • Marcel is riding a bike when a cat runs in front of him. Marcel exclaims, “zut alors,” which means “damn then.”  
  • When Delphine moves to town, one of her classmates asks, “Is your family rich or something? Like all those Jews who are wrecking the country?” Marcel didn’t understand why the comment upset Delphine. 
  • Marcel’s classmate, Thierry, calls Delphine a “dirty Jew” several times. 
  • Marcel’s mother refers to the Germans as “devils.” Later, Marcel’s father refers to Hitler as the devil. 
  • When returning home after a “punishing” bike ride, Marcel “races like the devil.” 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • When Marcel learns that Delphine is Jewish, he thinks, “Everyone he knew was Catholic and went to the church of St. Vincent de Paul on Sundays and saints’ days, or holidays like Easter and Christmas.” 
  • Delphine and her parents pretend to be Protestants because her father “thought that would be easier” than pretending to be Catholic. 
  • Marcel needs to take a hidden note to someone working for the Resistance. He prays, “no one had spotted him and wondered where he was going and why.” 
  • The school closes so the town can celebrate Saint Francois-Xavier. “Everyone would be in church” to honor the saint. 
  • After Delphine and her family flee, Marcel’s mom says, “I am praying that they are [safe].” 
  • When Marcel’s father doesn’t come home, Marcel goes to search for him. Marcel’s mother says, “Go with God.” 

American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

In 1903, the Wright brothers made history with the first powered, sustained, and controlled flight. Sixteen years later, a teenage Black boy named Cornelius Coffey’s world changed forever when he was given the opportunity to be a passenger in a barnstormer’s airplane. The white barnstormer did everything in his power to scare Coffey, performing rolls and spins, but this failed. After the flight, Coffey was determined to become a pilot, and he wasn’t alone in his dream. American Wings tells the true story of the Black Chicago aviators who fought for progress both on the ground and in the sky. 

American Wings chronicles the stories of Cornelius Coffey and Johnny Robinson, who first met in 1927 at a Detroit auto mechanic’s shop. Discovering a mutual fascination for aviation, they decide to team up and find a flight school that would accept them, opting for Chicago’s Curtiss-Wright School. Despite acing the application process, they were denied enrollment when they visited the school. Eventually, after the threat of a lawsuit from Coffey’s white boss, the school relented and allowed the two men to attend classes. Despite harassment from their white classmates, Coffey and Robinson excelled in their classes, completing their aviation mechanics course in May 1931. They soon began teaching at the Curtiss-Wright School, where Black enrollment skyrocketed.  

Coffey and Robinson were just getting started. Empowered by their passion for flight, especially as a means of progress, they founded what would become the Challenger Aero Club and constructed their first airfield in nearby Robbins, Illinois. As the Challenger Aero Club expanded, they would be joined by Willa Brown, a former student who would become the first Black woman to earn both a pilot and mechanic’s license in the US, and Janet Harmon Bragg, a nurse who rekindled her childhood fascination with flight after reading an article about Coffey and Robinson’s classes in The Chicago Defender. Together, they built a powerful, resilient, and historic community in Chicago in the tumultuous years between World War I and World War II. 

Authors Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein tell a compelling true story consisting of twelve chapters, beginning in 1919 with Coffey’s first flight and ending with an exploration of the Challenger pilots’ lives after the war. Smith and Wein weave the perspectives of Coffey, Johnny, Willa, and Janet into the story, which adds valuable historical context. The writers use clear and concise language that is easy to understand. There are also several photographs, documents, and newspaper clippings included that immerse the reader in the era of the Challenger Aero Club; these appear every five to ten pages. Smith and Wein’s research is so extensive that nearly 100 pages are dedicated to sources, citations, and resources, allowing for further exploration and research.  

Their struggles are not sanitized and instances of racism, segregation, and hostility that the pilots faced are far from sugarcoated. Readers will discover that the Challenger pilots were more than just talented aviators — they were teachers, innovators, and leaders. They built the Challenger Aero Club’s Robbins airfield, where Black pilots could train to fly and excel without fear. They were pioneers who helped lay the foundation for integration in the U.S. Air Force, the iconic Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, and for every Black person who dreamed of flying. Overall, American Wings is an exceptionally well-written and thoroughly researched book that tells an important, lesser-told story of the Challenger Aero Club’s fight for equality in the skies. To learn more about the history of flight, take a nose-dive into history by reading The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • The opening chapter discusses the history of Black men serving in the United States military before World War II. Segregation and general hostility were the norm. Smith and Wein cite a specific incident in August 1917 in Houston, when the “city erupted in rioting as Black soldiers, white policemen, and local citizens shot and bayoneted one another.”  
  • After World War I, eleven Black veterans were targeted by white supremacists and, along with sixty-seven other African Americans, were “lynched by white mobs. Horrifically, some people were even burned alive.”  
  • In September 1919, a Black man named William Brown was arrested on trumped-up charges in Coffey’s native Omaha. “A lawless mob set fire to the courthouse where Brown was being held, before dragging him out and hanging him. It took military intervention to disperse the crowd; two white civilians were killed in the riot. No one was ever found guilty.” 
  • In 1922, while Johnny was at college, “a Black man was lynched by a white mob in his hometown of Gulfport.” 
  • In May 1934, Willa Brown and her boyfriend, John B. McClellan, Jr., got into a tragic car accident, the exact cause of which isn’t stated. “A local boy watched screaming in horror as Willa’s car vaulted and rammed a tree. John was hurled fifteen feet into the air, landing hard and rolling another twenty feet before limping to rest.” John died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Willa suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, and a fractured vertebra, but would ultimately survive. 
  • In 1935, Johnny arrived in Ethiopia to train fighter pilots for the nation’s fledgling air force. In October, Johnny was in the town of Adwa when “four large Italian planes flew over the town and started to drop bombs. . . The image of Ethiopian soldiers attacking modern Italian armaments with their traditional weaponry of swords and spears would become symbols of the devastating war that was to follow.” 
  • Years later, in May 1954, Johnny took off on a trainer plane with an aircraft engineer. As they lifted off, the engine failed, and the plane crashed. “Johnny’s passenger was killed in the crash that followed, and Johnny himself suffered severe burns . . . two weeks later, Johnny died of his injuries.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • During the war, Janet Harmon Bragg made money as an amateur bootlegger, flying alcohol into the dry Macon County, Alabama. 

Language  

  • On their way to the Tuskegee Institute, Janet and her flight instructor, Walter Robinson, had to land in a field in Boaz, Alabama. Looking for a place to spend the night, Janet and Walter went to a local gas station and asked a young white man if any Black people were living nearby. The man replied, “Naw, we are pretty tough on [n-words] around here.” Deciding to brave a night flight instead of staying in Boaz any longer, Walter asks Janet, “Are we going to take off?” Janet replies, “Hell, yes!” 

Supernatural Content  

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Nicholas Paragano 

The Astonishing Maybe

Gideon just moved to Nevada, and all he wants to do is go back to New Jersey. He definitely doesn’t want to spend a whole summer with only his little sister Harper for company. However, when he sees his neighbor roller skating in her driveway with a blanket-cape around her neck, his determination to be miserable for the whole summer wavers. The neighbor, Roona, soon sneaks her way into Gideon’s life, introducing her own brand of whimsy and magic into Gideon’s more practical life. She encourages him to stretch his boundaries by taking longer bike rides and telling scary truths.  

Roona is determined to find her father. She lives alone with her mother, and all she knows is that her father saved her life and is now in the Air Force. After earning Gideon’s loyalty, she recruits him to her mission of traveling to his base near Las Vegas. When they lie to their parents and make it to the base, Roona learns that her father is in prison for setting the fire that he saved her from. With her worldview shattered, her belief in her own magic starts to fade, and it’s up to Gideon to bring it back to her.  

Gideon narrates the story, which allows his relationship with Roona to take center stage. His perspective is skeptical at first, but Roona’s quirky behavior wins him over, and he becomes a good friend who is willing to do almost anything to help Roona, even if it hurts their friendship. Roona, through Gideon’s eyes, is a fierce friend, opinionated about everything, and the first person that he can really be vulnerable with. Most importantly, she believes in a type of magic that Gideon would never have seen without her. Readers will relate to Roona and Gideon’s struggles and find themselves rooting for them. But it is their love for each other that brings heart into the story.  

The book’s frantic pace mirrors both Gideon’s anxiety and Roona’s desperation. Despite this urgency, the novel includes tender moments where Gideon and Roona share secrets with each other, gradually building trust throughout their journey. Roona’s belief in magic creates confusion for readers—partly because Gideon remains skeptical, and partly because Roona uses magical thinking to interpret her mother’s struggles, making it difficult to distinguish between literal and metaphorical elements. It remains unclear whether or not the magic is real.  

The Astonishing Maybe includes discussions of depression, suicide, overdoses, and child abuse. While difficult to read at times, these topics are essential for readers to understand as they navigate friendships and the complexities of growing up. Because the book is written from Gideon’s perspective, these topics are presented in a way that children can understand. For example, Roona’s mother’s depression is explained through Roona’s youthful perspective, focusing on her mother’s tears and the “Mean Reds,” which Roona describes as “when she just wants to be someone else. Somewhere else. But she doesn’t know why.”  

The Astonishing Maybe offers valuable lessons for young readers about loyalty and empathy in friendship. Throughout the story, Gideon faces difficult choices about how far he’s willing to go to help Roona while maintaining her trust and ensuring her safety. Although the ending feels somewhat hurried, readers will find the conclusion satisfying and will find themselves cheering for both Roona and Gideon from beginning to end. Readers will be moved by the message of doing anything to help a friend and to keep them safe.  

Sexual Content  

  • After Gideon goes to the movies with Roona and her mother, he thinks that he is “caught somewhere between mildly in love with both of them and half-dead with shock at my own nerve.” 
  • Gideon and Roona hold hands. Gideon thinks, “I’d never held a non-relative girl’s hand before. I’d never even thought about it. But I reached for hers, because I couldn’t stand how alone she looked.” 
  • Roona hugs Gideon after her mom has to go to the hospital. Roona goes to Gideon’s house. “Dad moved out of the way for her and she came right to me and wrapped her arms around my neck.”

Violence  

  • Before the book starts, Roona’s mother is depressed and tries to kill herself. Roona tells Gideon, “My mom almost died when I was in the third grade. . . She took too much medicine.” 
  • When Gideon was four, his mother left him alone at a gas station. “You aren’t supposed to remember much about being four years old, but I remembered. I didn’t get lost. She forgot me. We stopped for gas halfway to Grandma Ellen’s house in Philadelphia and she let me out to stretch my legs. After she filled the tank, she got back in the car and drove away while I stood on the curb between the pumps.” Gideon’s mother eventually remembers him and returns.  
  • When Roona was a baby, her house caught fire, and she was trapped. Her dad saved her. She describes, “I was bundled in [my blanket] like a burrito when our house caught fire. My dad busted in and picked me up, right out of the flames.” She was unharmed.  
  • Gideon discovers that Roona’s father set the fire that almost killed her. An online article says, “Curtis Mulroney, 25, was arrested today in Las Vegas after a three-day manhunt. Mulroney is suspected of arson. Authorities suspect the Logandale plumber of starting a house fire after a drunken argument with his wife. The Mulroneys’ infant daughter was sleeping in the house. There were no injuries.” 
  • Gideon tells a story about a man talking to his little sister at the park. “I saw some guy talking to her. A grown-up.” Gideon was worried something might happen to her, but the man left, and his sister was too young to realize what was going on, but Gideon thought the man was trying to kidnap or hurt her. 
  • After Roona’s mother overdosed, Roona stayed with her aunt. Her aunt hit her with a stick, and Roona shows Gideon the scars. “And [Gideon] saw two raised scars, long and narrow, running across her lower back. . . She used a stick she keeps under her bed.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Before the story begins, Roona’s mother overdosed. This is mentioned multiple times. 

Language    

  • Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes crap, damn, and shit.  
  • Roona calls Gideon a jerk once. 
  • Gideon calls Harper stupid once. 

Supernatural  

  • Roona believes that her mother’s emotions seep into what her mother bakes. When she’s sad, Roona says her mom’s tears “got into the pie,” which would make everyone who ate it cry.  
  • Roona tells a story about a birthday party where her mother’s tears got into the cake. “So sad that she filled our house with her tears.” Everyone at the party started crying when the cake was served.  
  • Gideon starts to believe that Roona and her mother actually have magic. “I didn’t think I believed in magic, until it was right in front of me, fragile as a soap bubble. Maybe. And what if it was true?” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Abigail Clark

Wild River

Daniel Redmayne is fast asleep on the first night of a white water rafting trip, when he’s awoken by screams. The dam has failed. The river is surging, and their camp will be under water in a matter of moments. As the shrieking roar of the river rushes closer, the kids scramble to higher ground. They make it; their counselors do not. 

Now they’re on their own, with barely any food or supplies, in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Do Daniel and his four classmates have what it takes to stay alive until they can get rescued? Alone in the wild, they forge powerful bonds—but develop dangerous disagreements. If nature doesn’t break them, they might just destroy each other. 

Wild River doesn’t waste any words building the characters’ backstories. Instead, it quickly thrusts the five teens into the dangerous wilderness with little knowledge to help them survive. The kids quickly form two groups—Daniel, Imani, and Mia form one group while Tony and Deke go off on their own. Each group is determined to take the one backpack that contains food and other supplies. However, readers will quickly find Tony and Deke to be short-sighted, reckless, and mean, which makes it easy to dislike them. And since the story is told from Daniel’s point of view, readers will empathize with him and his two friends, who know the importance of working together.  

The story’s short chapters often end in cliffhangers that propel the narrative forward. The teens’ fight to survive includes encounters with dangerous animals, unforgiving terrain, and each other. Since each new danger is suspenseful and realistic, readers will have difficulty putting the book down. Plus, there are enough surprises to keep readers guessing what will happen next.  

Early on, Daniel, Imani, and Mia are pitted against Deke and Tony. Deke bullies others and doesn’t care about anyone else’s survival. At one point, Daniel says, “I’m wondering about bullies. Who they are and why they act so mean. Have they been bullied, too, or do they just enjoy it? Can they change?” The book’s only flaw is the conclusion. In the end, the kids forgive Deke for his horrible behavior, and they all become lifelong friends. This is unrealistic, and readers will wonder whether Deke will become a better person or whether his bad behavior will return once they reach safety.  

As the kids become friends, they each reveal a secret about themselves. Daniel reluctantly shares his father’s struggle with bipolar disorder. After a brief discussion, Imani and Mia show their support in a non-judgmental manner. Throughout the book, Daniel thinks about how being bipolar affects his father, but the topic is not explored in detail. Despite this, the book emphasizes that there is no shame in having a mental illness.  

Wild River is perfect for fans of survival stories such as Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. The story focuses on the action and danger associated with being stranded in the wilderness, giving it a fast pace that will appeal to even the most reluctant readers. Daniel, Imani, and Mia show the value of teamwork and perseverance; they wouldn’t have survived without working together. Surviving the wilderness allows the kids to form an unbreakable, lifelong bond that will help them navigate any future struggles they face. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • When a dam fails, the two adult supervisors help the kids get to safety, but the adults are “both gone.” 
  • One of the boys worries about getting too hungry. He says, “The Donner party ate each other, that’s how hungry they were. . . A wagon train of settlers heading west. They got stuck in the mountains, snowed in for the winter with not enough food. So they improvised.”  
  • Mia refuses to give the pack containing food to Deke. Suddenly, “Deke charges like a linebacker attacking a dummy. And I’m the dummy, slammed to the ground so hard it knocks the wind out of me. . . Tony pushes Mia down and snatches up the backpack.”  
  • After getting the backpack, Tony is gloating when “he loses his balance, he drops the pack, and tries to regain his footing, but it’s too late. Tony falls over the edge. He screams all the way down. . . Tony lies at the bottom of the ravine, twisted and broken between two boulders.” 
  • Afraid Deke will attack and try to take the food again, the girls tie Deke to a tree. 
  • When the kids cross a bear’s path, the bear gets agitated. “This bear comes at Deke like it’s been shot from a cannon. It crashes into Deke’s legs, sending him head over heels to the ground.” The bear flees, leaving Deke “down on the ground, with both hands around the lower part of his right leg. Holding tight as blood gushes from between his fingers.” Imani bandages Deke’s leg.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Daniel’s father has bipolar disorder. “Mostly his medication helps keep him on the level, but not always.” 

Language  

  • Occasionally, bad language is used, such as freaking. 
  • There is some name-calling, such as jerk and loser. 
  • Imani calls Deke a “stupid fool.” 
  • Deke gets angry and yells at Daniel. Deke says, “Are you mentally ill? That’s it! That’s the only explanation. You’re a mental defective, like your wacky dad.” 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • After Tony dies, Daniel says a prayer. “God, if you hear this, please welcome Tony.” 
  • Daniel covers Tony’s body with rocks. Before leaving the area, the group bows their heads as Imani says a prayer. “God, we want you to know that Anthony Meeks wasn’t bad, not in his heart. He did stupid things sometimes, but please forgive him. We do. We forgive him. Amen.” 

That’s Not What Happened

Three years ago, Leanne (Lee) Bauer, a high school senior, survived the Virgil County High School massacre. Lee was one of six survivors, and ever since the tragedy, a story has been going around that her best friend, Sarah, died while declaring her faith. But that story isn’t true, and Lee knows it. The main conflict arises from Lee’s dilemma: whether to remain silent for the sake of others’ comfort or to tell the truth about what really happened, even if it means angering her community and losing people she cares about. Her desire to set the record straight shows her quiet courage and need for justice, even as she wrestles with guilt, isolation, and the weight of being a survivor. This conflict forces readers to think about how far they’d go to speak the truth in a world full of falsehoods. 

That’s Not What Happened has a powerful and emotionally driven plot that focuses on Lee’s wish for all survivors to write letters about their experiences in order to keep the truth of the events alive. The story is told entirely from Lee’s point of view, but she includes the letters of the other survivors to provide a more in-depth look at their perspectives. This structure emphasizes how the truth is often fragmented and how every perspective adds complexity.   

Lee is an emotionally complex character, and her desire to tell the truth makes her admirable. She hopes to keep an honest record, rather than letting myths spread through the public. This journey causes her to face ridicule, as well as her own pain and trauma. She risks losing friends, facing violence, and reliving the death of her best friend. She struggles with guilt, isolation, and the pressure of being one of the survivors, making her voice personal and grounded.  

The other survivors include Miles, Denny, Ashley, Eden, and Kellie. Each brings a unique perspective to the event. Kellie, who was in the bathroom with Lee and Sarah during the shooting, is the one who professed her faith to the shooter. Because of her dark and edgy style, no one believed her. Instead, the public assumed it was Sarah and idolized her for it, leaving Kellie to deal with ridicule and hate for “lying.”    

Ashley, another upperclassman, was left paralyzed and in a wheelchair after the shooting. She became extremely religious and defended the story of Sarah. She was the one who started the story in the first place. She swears she heard Sarah declaring her faith. Kellie and Ashley don’t interact in the present or much in the past, but their conflicting truths create tension throughout the novel. Readers can sympathize with Kellie for being ridiculed by her community and for telling the truth. They can also sympathize with Ashley for clinging to a story that gives her pain meaning.  

Before the shooting, Miles was about to be expelled for constantly fighting and breaking rules, but now he’s seen as a hero for covering Ashley’s body and keeping her from being shot again. Despite his rough edges, he’s compassionate and brave. Throughout the story, he begins to form a romantic relationship with Lee. This romance is significant because it demonstrates that healing can enable one to start loving again. Their relationship adds a quiet hope and calmness to the otherwise heavy narrative, reminding readers that life continues even in the wake of tragedy.  

Now in college, Eden has become a powerful advocate, giving speeches about gun safety. Behind this, however, she struggles with alcoholism, using it to cope with the pain and memories. Denny, a blind student, experienced the shooting differently from everyone due to his lack of sight. His trauma is uniquely portrayed because he heard the terror around him but did not see anything, showing that trauma is not just visual and that disability shapes, but does not lessen, a person’s experience or strength.  

By showing each character’s unique perspective, That’s Not What Happened demonstrates that, no matter how simple the truth may be, telling it can come at a great cost. Together, these characters illustrate how people can experience the same event in vastly different ways and how trauma can profoundly shape someone’s life. This diverse cast allows readers to see the far-reaching impact of violence from multiple perspectives, fostering empathy and understanding.  

That’s Not What Happened deals with the harsh aftermath of a school shooting. It’s worth reading for any teens and adults who want a deeper exploration of grief, trauma, identity, and courage. The journey and characters are powerful and realistic. The book also examines the influence of public perceptions on survivors, faith, and identity, as well as the emotional consequences of a tragedy. Its main message is that truth matters, and courage isn’t always based on physical heroism; sometimes it’s just telling your story. That’s Not What Happened challenges readers to examine how narratives are shaped, and consider who has the right to speak them into existence.  

Sexual Content 

  • Lee is asexual. “I’ve known for a while that I’m on the asexual spectrum. . . There are boys I’ve had romantic feelings for, but I’ve never had any desire to do more than hold hands or maybe kiss.”  
  • Lee tries to explain being asexual in terms of food, and Miles replies, “So . . . sex is eating.” 
  • On the day of the shooting, Sarah and Lee were in the bathroom. Sarah was attempting to cover the hickeys left by her boyfriend. “If [Sarah’s parents] found out I got a hickey behind the shop building when I was supposed to be at an FCS meeting. . . ” 
  • Eden has a girlfriend named Jenny, and they’re affectionate towards each other. “Jenny kissed her on the cheek.” 
  • Lee teases Miles after she accepts his prom proposal. Lee said, “Don’t put down my truck just because you’re sad about not getting laid.” 
  • Miles and Lee kiss. “I stepped closer to him again and then slowly, gently, pressed a kiss to his lips.” 

Violence 

  • The story focuses on the aftermath of the events of the Virgil County High School massacre, a school shooting that took nine lives. It is consistently referenced throughout the novel. “I was one of the girls in the bathroom with [Sarah] the day she was murdered. And I–Leanne Bauer–am one of the six witnesses who survived the shooting.”  
  • In a scholarship essay, Denny recounts his experience of the shooting. “I didn’t know what the popping sound was. I just knew it was loud. . . Even when the bullet went through my arm, just below my elbow, it didn’t register. I felt the pain and knew I was bleeding, but still couldn’t connect the dots.” 
  • When visiting the school with detectives, Lee recounts the shooting. Lee “kept picturing the inside, the light tiles darkened with blood. Gunshots and screams. They were like sounds, but I knew I wasn’t hearing them.”  
  • Lee attempts to tell Sarah’s parents the truth about what occurred during the shooting. She describes how she and Sarah “were in the stall, and she was holding my hand, and he just. . . he shot her. He didn’t talk to her.” 
  • Ashley recounts her experience of the shooting while outside the bathroom. “Not until I looked down at the sliver of the classroom visible between [the shooter’s] feet. And saw blood spreading across the carpet . . . I felt something hit me–hard–in my lower back.” She was shot in her spine, paralyzing her legs. 
  • Tara grabs Lee’s wrist while at prom and tells her, “It should’ve been you who died in the bathroom that day, Lee.” 
  • Lee recounts Sarah’s death. “The short version is that he found us and shot twice over the edge of the stall. One bullet hit the wall, near my head, and the other hit Sarah, who was killed instantly, her limp body collapsing into my arms.” 
  • Random students confront Lee while at a party and corner her, causing her to have a panic attack. The students, including Peter, were shouting at her for the “lies” she was spreading. Lee “tried to rush forward, but Peter caught [her] by the shoulders and shoved [her] back against the wall.”  
  • Miles recounts a fight he had with another student after the student brought up Miles’ dad’s mugshot: “I jumped out of my seat and threw a punch right at his face. He ducked, and I missed, but I tried again.” The fight doesn’t escalate due to Coach Nolan stepping in.  
  • Miles talks about watching Coach Nolan be shot and killed while trying to talk down the shooter. “Before Coach Nolan could even finish that sentence, there were two bullet holes in his chest.” 
  • Kellie talks about the shooting from her point of view. “I heard the gunshots. It only took me a second to know what I was hearing. The screams made it abundantly clear.” 

Language  

  • Denny tells Lee, “You look like crap.” 
  • Miles tells Lee, “I kicked his ass.” 
  • During an argument, Jenny tells a guy, “My mom’s white, dumb-ass.” 
  • A random student calls Lee a “bitch.”  
  • Several times, someone is called a bitch.  
  • When talking about the shooter, Kellie says, “I am the one who talked to the asshole.” 
  • Other profanity is occasionally used, including crap, damn, and hell. 

Supernatural Content 

  • The fictional game Dungeons and Dragons, which contains supernatural beings, is mentioned. “[Jenny] had no idea [her] mom was such a nerd, but it turns out she grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons and is a bit of a snob about fantasy.” 
  • Jenny and Eden write a fictional comic that features magic. “Calliope is our baby. Our weird witch baby.”

Spiritual Content 

  • The central conflict is the false story that Sarah declared her faith before dying. Sarah’s mother said, “She was here to remind us all of what a good Christian should be. Her story will inspire so many people.” 
  • God and Jesus are referenced multiple times by various characters. For example, Sarah’s mother uses God as a comfort, saying, “I just have to keep reminding myself that God has a plan.” 
  • Miles and Lee discuss heaven. Miles asks, “You don’t believe in heaven?” Lee replies by saying, “I mean, I want to. Most people around here do.” 
  • The Virgil County Baptist Church is mentioned a few times. 
  • Ashley discusses her complicated relationship with God. Before the shooting, she was going through a rough patch, and she didn’t understand why God wasn’t helping. “I saw my friends and classmates and even my own family not being as good as I was, not being the kind of Christians I thought they ought to be, but that didn’t seem to matter. They seemed happy, and I wasn’t.” 
  • A priest confronts Lee, trying to get her to stop talking about Sarah. The priest says, “I hope you change your mind, but in the meantime, my congregation will be praying for you.” 
  • Another student at Virgil County High School named Tara tells Lee, “Hell is exactly where [Lee’s] going.” 
  • Lee and her mother are openly anti-religion. Lee says, “My lack of religious inclination comes from my mom. She was raised Baptist, but after the way her congregation treated her when she got pregnant at 16, she lost interest in organized religion.” 
  • Kellie discusses her religion. Kellie went to “the tiny little Methodist church in the next town over. . . no one from school went there. I thought that it was safe.” She believed she wouldn’t face more ridicule than she already had, since no one from her school attended that church. 

by Rayna Burlison 

Zane and the Hurricane

I never thought a mutt like Bandit could get me in so much trouble. Don’t get me wrong, he’s the best dog in the world, what happened wasn’t his fault, even if it nearly got me killed. Bandit didn’t cause the hurricane, okay? And it wasn’t his idea for us to go all the way from our home in New Hampshire to the heat and smells of New Orleans. 

It was supposed to be a vacation, a chance to meet family in a city I’d barely heard of. And then disaster struck. The world turned upside down and inside out—and that was before the flood. 

I need to warn you right now, there’s some really gross stuff in this book, stuff so awful it made a dog hide his nose. And things so terrible I wanted to close my eyes. But we saw it all, me and Bandy. The good and the bad, the dark and the light. Acts of astonishing courage. Acts of cowardice and cruelty, of generosity and greed. Acts of terror and tragedy, tears and laughter.  

My name is Zane Dupree, and this is my story. 

Zane’s story focuses on the effects of Hurricane Katrina, but it is also a story about family. When Zane travels to meet his grandmother for the first time, he doesn’t think it’s important for him to learn about his father, who died before Zane was born. However, as his grandmother shares stories, Zane comes to realize that knowing your family history is important. When the hurricane separates Zane and his grandmother, Zane meets other people who talk about Zane’s father when he was a teenager. While Zane’s story highlights the importance of family and community connections, the hurricane overshadows this theme. 

While traveling away from the hurricane, Bandy jumps out of the car, and Zane follows him. This leaves Zane alone when the hurricane hits. Afterward, Zane is rescued by Tru, an African American man, and Malvina, a young Black girl. The three canoe through New Orleans’ wreckage and along the way, they face danger from a drug boss as well as the security for a rich area of town. These dangers reveal the discrimination and hardships that Black people faced during Hurricane Katrina. The story examines the disparities between the poor and the wealthy, as well as the differences between people of color and white individuals.   

Zane and the Hurricane lacks a cohesive story. Instead, Zane’s travels through New Orleans give quick flashes of how different people were affected by the destruction. However, each person has such short scenes that readers will be unable to connect with them. Likewise, when Zane discovers his father’s secret, the moment is anticlimactic because the father’s personality is never developed. The lack of character development and numerous dull moments make Zane and the Hurricane a story best suited for readers interested in Hurricane Katrina. Although the story is fictional, it incorporates many facts and ends with four pages of “interesting facts about New Orleans and the Great Flood.” Readers interested in the destructive nature of hurricanes can be swept away in the pages of Hurricane Rescue by Jennifer Li Shotz and Carrie and The Great Storm by Jessica Gunderson. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Zane never met his father before he died. Zane is upset that “he did something stupid like get himself run over by some old gumby before [he was] born.” 
  • Tru, an African American man, and Malvina, a young Black girl, rescue Zane from a flooded house. They canoe to a rich part of town that isn’t flooded. Men with guns swarm them. “The guns swing in our direction, until all you can see is the black holes at the end of the barrels.” When Tru doesn’t get down fast enough, “one of the shotgun men plants a shiny black combat boot on his chest and shoves him to the ground.” 
  • Malvina screams at the man and grabs him. “He pulls her off the way you’d flick at a bothersome bug, and hands her to me. I can feel her heart slamming in her chest, and the tightness of her anger.” 
  • Before questioning Zane, the man with the gun “smiles an evil kind of smile, touches the end of the shotgun barrel to my chin, and says, very softly, ‘Bang. You lied.’” 
  • Zane and Malvina are pushing the injured Tru on an office chair. They come to an overpass where police officers are telling everyone to turn back. “Malvina keeps going. . . with the dog following close behind. . . And then cops in armored vests swarm from behind one of the cars, taking aim. . . Malvina shoves the chair forward, as if she’s trying to ram through the barricade. . .” 
  • Zane’s dog, Bandit or Bandy for short, jumps at “the men with guns as if he’s a big bad wolf instead of a twenty-pound mutt. A shotgun explodes. . . And then Bandy is slammed to the pavement like he’s been hit by a shovel, and he isn’t moving. Because they shot him, there on the bridge.” A vet takes the group, including Bandy, to her house. Everyone survives. 
  • A woman who knew Zane’s father, Gerald, tells Zane a story. Gerald’s brother James “found a paper bag on the playground, and inside the paper bag was a gun. Stashed there by a drug dealer. . . James showed off the gun to his big brother, fooling around.” Gerald takes the gun and accidentally kills his brother, James. 
  • Dylan, a “drug boss,” is “killed by one of the underage kids who worked for him selling drugs.” When Zane’s grandmother finds out, she says, “The wages of sin is when people do unta you wahat yoa did unta them.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Dylan, a known “drug boss,” tries to kidnap Malvina so she can sell drugs for him. Dylan says Malvina’s mom owes him. Tru says, “He done Malvina’s momma a few favors, if givin’ her drugs is a favor.” 
  • Dylan wants to add Malvina to his crew. Dylan “own[s] a bunch of fourteen-year-old boys, dealing his dope on the corners.” 
  • After Bandy is shot, a vet gives Bandy a sedative so she can clean his wounds. 
  • The vet also gives Tru antibiotics. “The medicine is for large dogs, but she says it will work just as well on humans.” 

Language  

  • Various characters rarely call others names, including fool, stupid, hellion, and jerk. 
  • Several times, Zane calls himself names, including moron, crud bucket, rotten crud, and dumb-butt dipstick doodlebrain. 
  • Bandy jumps out of the car, and Zane follows him into the path of the hurricane. Zane berates himself, thinking, “There’s no way to stop my brain from going over it again and again, every mistake, every stupid thing I’ve ever done or said.” His brain says, “Zane Dupree you are a fool, you are the dumbest human being on Planet Earth. . . [you] ran away to save your stupid dog.” 
  • Zane’s grandmother uses “Lawd have mercy” and “Oh my Lawdy” as exclamations once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Zane meets his grandmother for the first time, she says, “The Good Lawd has given me a great gift. Thank you Lawrd! Praise be!” 
  • When Zane asks his grandmother how old she is, she says, “I’m zactly older than dirt.” Then she tells Zane, “It’s bad luck to brag about her age because the Good Lawd might be listening and have cause to remember that she’s long past her sell-by date.” 
  • The news says that a hurricane might be heading for New Orleans. Zane’s grandmother says, “We can’t know that, child. Nobody knows but the Lawrd, and He’s not sayin’. . . Here’s what we gone do. Tomorrow morning we go to church and see what da Lawd provide.” The next day, they go to New Mission Zion Baptist Church. 
  • While at church, the pastor says the Lord’s Prayer and then he says, “I pray we will be in attendance next Sunday, and that the sun will be shining and that no harm will have come to us, or this ward, or our little church. . .” Then the congregation prays. The church scene is described over one page.  
  • A young girl sings “Jesus loves me.” 
  • Tru is injured and has a fever, but they can’t find help. A cop gives him a bottle of water and tells Zane and Malvina, “Might better pray.”  

Heist Royale

After surviving and almost winning the entire Thieves Gambit game, where she competed against other teenage mastermind criminals, Rosalyn can’t seem to escape this life. As a result of her loss, Rosalyn had to give up a year of her life to save the lives of her entire family. She has been forced to work with her ex-lover turned enemy, Devroe Kenzie, whom she hates, after he blindsided and betrayed her during the previous Gambit game. For six months, they have been traveling the world, completing mission after mission for the organization that runs the elite game.  

When the current leader of the organization faces doubt about Rosalyn’s capability to run it, a new Gambit game erupts. Two teams are formed, one in alliance with the current leader, Count, and the opposition team eager for fresh leadership. Rosalyn is dragged back into competing, only this time with a much higher personal stake. Whoever wins two out of three missions gets to decide who will be the future leader of the organization, and thus, if Rosalyn’s family will be protected from execution. However, she is also competing against the one person who despises her family more than anything: Diane Kenzie, Devroe’s mother.  

Diane proves to be a ruthless adversary, not only sabotaging Rosalyn’s team’s success but also directly threatening Rosalyn’s safety by targeting her personally. Can Rosalyn beat Diane’s team and protect her family’s lives?  

Heist Royale is the sequel to Thieves’ Gambit and continues Rosalyn’s story after her experience competing in the Gambit. Rosalyn’s character continues to evolve as she develops new friendships and learns how to navigate them. New tensions also form between her and her mother, and her connection with Devroe becomes more complicated as the story unfolds. Her struggles with these changing relationships can be relatable to any reader facing similar situations, especially those learning how to practice loyalty and awareness in friendships.  

Diane Kenzie is a relentless woman who will stop at nothing to destroy the Quest family. Her hatred began after Rhiannon Quest not only beat her during the Thieves Gambit game but also betrayed her. Years later, when Devroe and Rosalyn competed against each other in the Gambit, they seemed to form a connection. Despite his relationship with Rosalyn, Diane uses Devroe to hurt the Quest family, proving just how manipulative she is. Furthermore, her calculated plotting against Rosalyn throughout the missions displays her lingering grudge and pain.  

For those interested in an action-packed and fast-paced story, the Thieves’ Gambit Series is the perfect book for you. The author maintains the suspense and thrill that can be seen throughout the first book, Thieves’ Gambit. In this story, the author includes romance between two different couples, their love stories consisting of high tensions and many arcs. In addition, common themes of trust, betrayal, and personal growth are prevalent throughout. Thus far, there are only two books published in the Thieves Gambit series, but there is word that Lewis is working on a third book.  

Sexual Content   

  • Taiyo and Mylo, members of Rosalyn’s team, must make a scene to escape getting caught during one of their missions. They pretend to have a fight and to really sell it, “Taiyo closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Mylo’s.” 
  • Rosalyn and Devroe share a passionate moment in a private room in the casino. Rosalyn describes, “Before I could stop myself, I slipped into his lap. He jumped, sitting up as I fully straddled him. . . his hands settled on my hips. . . His lips crashed into mine. . . He devoured me, and I devoured him, drinking every drop I could get. He tasted like champagne and mint and everything I remembered from our airport kiss all those months ago. . . His hands on my hips pulled me even closer, like he was having the same thought as me, a perfect synchronicity.”  
  • Rosalyn and Devroe are relaxing on a beach after all of their missions have been completed, and they sit together on a lounge chair. “I shifted around. Devroe’s arm stayed snug around me. I drew him in for a soft kiss and slid a pair of Ray-Bans I’d stolen for him over his eyes.” 

Violence     

  • A mysterious group chases Rosalyn on the streets of Brazil, and she has to fight them off. “I grabbed [the woman who was following me by her] scarf and yanked hard, pulling her totally off-balance. She crashed to the ground. . . Fast steps crunched over the sidewalk. . . The link of my meteor ball unraveled. The weighted ball at the end cracked right into [another man’s] nose, drawing a splatter of blood. With him distracted, I sent an aggressive kick into his knee. He screamed. A bone cracked, and he dropped to a broken knee. I sent another kick into his chin, keeling him over.” 
  • Diane, Devroe’s mother, has a heated exchange with Rosalyn in New Orleans, as Rosalyn is trying to steal the very object that Diane has been hired to protect. Rosalyn explains, “I tried to shove [Diane] back. She grabbed my hand and twisted. I winced. My breath caught as she grabbed me by the braids and tugged so hard, she might have ripped some out.” Although no one is injured, Rosalyn realizes that Diane had chained her to the fireplace so that Diane could have a head start.   
  • Rosalyn and Diane have another tense confrontation. “[Diane] twisted my arm behind my shoulders and pulled me away. . . Diane parried my fist away, then executed a well-placed kick behind my knee. I doubled over, and she yanked me back into the curtained space.” While no one is injured, both Rosalyn and Diane are determined to complete their mission.  
  • Rosalyn and her team, including one member named Kyung-soon, seemingly win the game when Diane appears out of nowhere and grabs hold of Rosalyn. “My head snapped around as something cut Kyung-soon off. A hand covered her mouth and a snap sounded before a stick was pushed under Kyung-soon’s nose. Quicker than I could push the assaulting hand way, Kyung-soon was knocked out cold. On instinct, I dropped to catch her, but an arm snaked around my neck, pulling me in tight. Yelling, I clawed my nails in the arm. Until the all-too-familiar feeling of a chilly barrel [of a gun] dug into my side.” Diane had Rosalyn in a chokehold, threatening to hurt her. She does not hurt her but uses Rosalyn’s life as a bargaining chip. 

Drugs and Alcohol     

  • Rosalyn stumbles into Baron, one of her opponents, at the casino. “Baron [was] sipping a fruity margarita, legs crossed on a suede bench.” 

Language     

  • Profanity is used occasionally. Words such as bitch, asshole, bastard, pissed, and prick are used.  
  • Noelia, one of Rosalyn’s friends and teammates, explains her brother’s anger towards her, saying, “he’s still calling me Witch Bitch.” 
  • Deep in the mountains, Rosalyn is on her next mission. “I was unreasonably pissed at whatever asshole architect dropped this lab at the edge of the water.” 
  • Kiah, the casino owner, suspects Rosalyn of cheating and thus challenges her to a game. “Instead of [using] the glass elevators, he opted for the curving glass staircase, much to the woe of my feet, dying inside these heeled boots. The bastard probably did so on purpose.” 
  • As Noelia’s dad scolds her over FaceTime, Rosalyn inserts herself into the conversation and stands up for Noelia. Afterwards, Rosalyn says, “Sorry. I should have asked before butting in, but your dad was being a prick, and I’ve really had it up to here.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Leela Kowalski    

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

All his life, Roan Novachez has dreamed of being a starfighter pilot, following in both his father’s and older brother’s footsteps. After finishing primary school on his home planet Tatooine, Roan is crestfallen when he receives a rejection letter from Pilot Academy Middle School. Fearing his only option is to attend Tatooine Agricultural Academy, an unexpected opportunity presents itself: Roan receives an invitation to attend the prestigious Jedi Academy on Coruscant. Though it’s not what he wanted, Roan’s family accepts the offer to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi. 

Star Wars: Jedi Academy is a charming, lighthearted adventure that can best be described as Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets a galaxy far, far away. Much like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jedi Academy is told through diary entries, comic strips, notes, and sketches, which cover every page and are drawn by Roan himself. Jeffrey Brown’s combination of humorous doodles and writing makes Jedi Academy charmingly relatable, showcasing Roan’s emotions and bringing life to the many diverse supporting characters, making the text more engaging for reluctant readers. Along the way, Roan faces many challenges and experiences that middle school students can relate to—making friends, dealing with bullies, crushes, and finding his place in a new environment, all with a Star Wars twist.   

Roan’s primary challenge is his Force training, as he initially struggles to lift even the smallest of objects, a skill that his classmates mastered years ago. Despite his internal anxiety, Roan has many people at the Academy who support him: his friends Pasha, Bill, and Gaiana, and his teacher, Master Yoda, who is a constant source of wisdom and encouragement. Roan’s many mistakes teach readers that making mistakes is paramount to growth. This makes the end of the story, where Roan can lift several large boulders at once, even more triumphant.  

Overall, Star Wars: Jedi Academy is an incredibly fun, humorous, and surprisingly genuine book despite its fantastic setting. Young readers will find Roan Novachez’s story to be relatable and informative to their own middle school experiences, even with all the lightsabers, starships, and aliens present. With plenty of clever references to the movies, Star Wars fans will be especially entertained, but you don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate Roan’s journey, which feels anything but alien.  

Sexual Content  

  • Not long after arriving at Jedi Academy, Roan develops a crush on one of his classmates, a girl named Gaiana. Before leaving for summer vacation, Gaiana gives Roan a kiss on the cheek. 

Violence 

  • There is minimal violence in the lightsaber training and fencing sequences of the book. No one is hurt. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural Content 

  • The Force can be interpreted as a supernatural phenomenon. As defined in the Jedi Academy’s brochure, “The Force is an invisible energy field created by all living things. The Force gives a Jedi his power, allowing him to do extraordinary things like moving objects with his mind.” 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

by Nicholas Paragano 

The Samurai’s Assassin

Trapped in their great-grandfather’s museum and visited by restless ghosts of the past, Arthur and Finn must travel back in time and rewrite history to set the ghosts free. Travel back in time with brothers Arthur and Finn to prevent Tatsushi, a brave Samurai warrior, from making a fatal mistake. After warlord Kenji Kuroda kills Tatsushi’s father, Tatsushi is determined to get revenge. Will the boys convince Tatsushi to choose a different path in life and escape the clutches of the deadly tyrant Kuroda in time to make it back to the present?   

In this installment of the Warrior Heroes Series, Finn and Arthur meet the siblings Mayuko and Tatsushi. After witnessing his father’s murder and his sister’s kidnapping, Tatsushi vows to save his sister and kill Lord Kuroda. The three boys follow the enemy samurai on a perilous journey. Along the way, they are joined by a mysterious monk. The monk, Finn, and Arthur are determined to keep Tatsushi from reacting in anger. Tatsushi is reminded often: “We should only kill them if it will help us achieve what we are here for. . . You may desire revenge but you must never act on it.”   

The Samurai’s Assassin is an action-packed adventure that teaches about the samurai’s ways. Most of the book focuses on the journey to Lord Kuroda’s castle. As they travel, the group faces numerous dangers, making the story fast-paced. However, there is very little character development. Instead, the focus is on Tatsushi’s desire for revenge and everyone’s desire to keep Tatsushi’s anger under control.   

Even though The Samurai’s Assassin is part of a series, the books do not have to be read in order because each book focuses on Arthur and Finn going back to a different time period and wraps up the storyline. Each book in the series follows a familiar pattern, but there are enough differences to make each story unique and exciting.  

The historical facts of The Samurai Assassin highlight the samurai’s hope to solve problems peacefully and dispel any falsehoods portrayed in modern media. The brothers face dangers but engage in battle only when necessary. The appearance of a monk adds a mysterious element to the story. However, the monk often takes over, leaving the boys to follow his lead; this makes the victory hollow. In addition, Arthur and Finn do little to help Tatsushi other than shoot arrows at the enemy. Given the brothers’ insignificant role, readers may wonder whether their presence was necessary. 

Even though the character development is lacking, readers will still enjoy stepping into the world of the samurai. Readers will appreciate Finn’s role in helping Tatsushi as well as his knowledge of the samurai’s ways. The story emphasizes the importance of avoiding hasty decisions made out of anger, as well as the value of using nonlethal force when possible. Even though Lord Kuroda is killed, his men are allowed to retreat without the threat of retaliation. The Samurai’s Assassin delivers an entertaining story that reflects the samurai’s beliefs and culture. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Samurai believed ritual suicide was honorable. “They’d slit their own bellies open rather than face dishonor.”  
  • During a ritual suicide, “you sit down in front of a crowd, take a dagger, grit your teeth and cut your own belly open. . . If it hurts too much the samurai has someone standing behind them ready to chop off their head and put them out of their misery.” 
  • The samurai Hanzo Uchida died an unjust death. His son “wanted to avenge [his] death, but he acted rashly,” causing the villagers to be massacred. Hanzo Uchida wants Finn and Arthur to go back in time and keep his son from killing in anger. 
  • Finn befriends Mayuko and Tatsushi, two Japanese teens. When the three friends get to the village, they find Mayuko and Tatsushi’s father dead. “Face down in the mud lay a simply-dressed samurai, his long hair streaking out into a growing pool of blood.” 
  • Samurai used many weapons, including a sword, spear, bow, and kusari-fundo. The book explains the weapons and their use. For example, “you can use the weight on one of the ends of the [kusari-fundo] chain to crush your enemy’s skull.”  
  • Mayuko is kidnapped. Finn, Arthur, and Tatsushi follow the enemy. Tatsushi frees Mayuko. Afterwards, “at Tatsushi’s feet lay two bodies.”  
  • The enemies attack the four friends. “Two of [the enemy samurai] fell as they ran, Finn and Arthur both finding their mark. The larger mob of Kuroda. . . bellowed in rage and began running towards them, brandishing swords and spears. . .” The four friends run as “spears hissed into the ground around them.” The teens escape without injury.  
  • The four teens, a servant named Ryu, and a monk are traveling when Ryu sat bolt upright. His eyes rolled up in his head and he fell forward to reveal the shaft of an arrow thrusting up from his back.” The teens hide, but Ryu is dead. 
  • The monk confronts the men who killed Ryu. “Then in a flash of impossibly quick motion he crouched down, grabbed the end of his staff and drove the other end up in the air to connect with one of the horsemen’s faces. . . He gave two more swift thrusts and all three men toppled to the ground.” The men are knocked unconscious.   
  • While scaling a castle wall, a man looks out the window. The monk “brought his staff down off the roof and jabbed the tip down. It connected with the base of the man’s neck, and the immediate danger was over.” 
  • Finn and five others scale the castle. When they reach the top, a man comes out of a roof hatch. Tatsushi “sprinted across the roof towards the guard, parrying the man’s vicious spear-thrust and charging into his chest. The guard stumbled backwards, tripping. . . and with a terrified shriek, toppled sideways over the edge of the castle.” 
  • Another man comes out of the roof hatch. “Finn’s arrow was lodged in his chest before he could move any further.” 
  • The enemy, Lord Kuroda, agrees to fight the monk, Akira. Akira “crouched, twisted his staff to vertical and thrust powerfully upwards into Kuroda’s chest. The warlord grunted, his eyes wide with shock as he was propelled backwards through the air, and with a final roar of rage, soared over the edge of the roof and down into the darkness below.” Lord Kuroda’s men flee.  
  • One page describes the clever ways an enemy would be killed if they attacked a castle. For example, “pouring hot sand out of windows onto your attackers.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Mayuko and Tatsushi’s father, Lord Kuruyama, was killed by poison.  
  • While outside a village, Finn and his companions hear “raucous laughter of drunk men.” 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • Arthur and Finn’s grandfather created a museum about warriors throughout history. The museum is haunted, and when the grandfather died, “he started haunting the place too. He felt guilty about the trapped ghost warriors and vowed he would not rest in peace until all the other ghosts were laid to rest first.” 
  • When one of the ghost warriors touches the boys, we get transported to the time and place where the ghost lived and died. And we can’t get back until we’ve fixed whatever it is that keeps the ghost from resting in peace.”

Spiritual Content  

  • When Finn time-travels, he ends up in the ocean. He prays “he would see some way out of this nightmare that he had swapped for the Professor’s study.”  
  • While talking about avenging the death of Tatsushi’s father, Finn “prayed that his brother had something that would keep their friend in check.” 
  • When Tatsushi frees is sister, five men give chase. Finn and Arthur prepare to help. Finn prays “that their enemies would have all eyes on Tatsushi’s band.” 
  • While Finn is scaling a castle wall, a man looks out the window. Finn “looked up at the roof above, praying that one of the others would see the predicament he was in.”  

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life

Seventeen-year-old Salvador Silva enters his senior year overwhelmed by anxiety about the future. He faces typical teenage pressures—graduation, college application essays, and choosing where to attend school—but also grapples with deeper questions about his identity and growing anger at the world around him.   

His unique family situation complicates Salvador’s internal struggles. As a white teenager adopted by his gay Mexican father, he often feels caught between worlds, never quite fitting in. When classmates remind him he’s not “really” Mexican, the pain of not belonging cuts deep. This alienation intensifies when a bully named Enrique targets him, making cruel jokes about his father’s sexuality. 

The novel is written from Salvador’s point of view, allowing readers to understand his inner thoughts and struggles. This point of view also provides context about the secrets he is keeping from his friends and his dad. Although Salvador’s adoptive family’s dynamic is stable and supportive, he still struggles to control his fear and anger.  

Despite these challenges, Salvador isn’t alone. His close friends, Sam and Fito, provide crucial support, though they’re fighting their own battles with difficult family situations. The three teenagers find strength in their friendship and in Salvador’s father, who serves as a stable, caring presence in their lives. 

With guidance from his dad and his beloved grandmother, Mima, Salvador learns to navigate the transition to adulthood while processing his complex emotions about identity, belonging, and family. Together, this unconventional support system helps him and his friends find healthy ways to cope with change and discover who they want to become.  

Salvador is a relatable character who realizes that bad things happen in his life, and he must be prepared to face difficulties. This includes the death of a loved one, learning to regulate his emotions, and making choices. Salvador’s friends deal with similar issues as they struggle with dysfunctional and abusive families. Despite their difficulties, the three teenagers lean on each other for support and help one another in times of need.   

The plot of the novel is not overly complex, but it tackles very serious and heavy topics such as love, death, and identity. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life highlights the complexities of relationships between parents and their children, as well as the dynamics between friends. It also showcases the many forms of love, whether it be familial or friendship. However, the overarching theme is that family can come in many forms.   

Sexual Content  

  • Salvador’s friend Sam has an argument with her mom where her mom says, “If you don’t watch yourself, little girl, you’re going to wind up dancing around a pole, half-naked, surrounded by salivating dirty old men.”

Violence  

  • While walking home after school, Enrique approaches Salvador and says, “Your dad’s a faggot.” Salvador hits him. Salvador describes, “I remember feeling the pain in my own fist just after it hit Enrique Infante’s face. . . seeing all that blood gush from another guy’s nose made me feel alive.” Enrique has a broken nose after the incident. 
  • While getting a Coke at a gas station before school, a guy calls Salvador a “pinche gringo.” This results in another fight. Salvador “punched him. No thinking involved, just a reflex. Punched him right in the stomach. . .” There are no grave injuries. 
  • A boy calls Sam a “bitch” while Salvador is with her. “And just like that, I took a swing at him. He fell back, but my punch didn’t stop him. He put up his fists and started going for me.”  
  • Salvador witnesses a group of boys bullying a classmate and intervenes. “. . . I had this guy by the collar and was shoving him against a chain-link fence. I was right in his face and I was telling him, ‘I’m gonna kick your ass from here to Canada.’” 
  • Salvador’s friend, Fito, gets kicked out of his home after not allowing his mom to steal his money. He says, “[My mother] had this demonic look on her face, and then she just starts hitting me and saying all sorts of shit.” 
  • Salvador threatens Sam’s ex-boyfriend after seeing them speaking post-breakup. Sam slaps Salvador to get him to back off. “That’s when I felt Sam’s slap. She slapped me so hard I fell back.” 
  • Upon hearing the news of his mom’s death, “Fito started hitting himself. I mean, he was punching the hell out of his chest . . . and he wouldn’t stop hitting himself.” 
  • During Fito’s mom’s funeral service, Fito and Salvador get into a violent fight with Fito’s brothers after they insult Salvador’s dad. “Fito had his brother on the floor and was punching his lights out. And then his two other brothers jumped in. . . next thing I knew, I’d joined the fight, and I was pulling one of Fito’s brothers off him and I was punching him in the stomach – then in the face. . .” Fito has to go to the ER for his injuries afterward, but no one else is seriously injured. 
  • In a letter left for Salvador by his late biological mother, she states, “[Your biological father] slapped me with the back of his hand and sent me flying.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Fito’s mom and brothers struggle with drug addiction. “[They] had all dropped out of school in favor of mood-altering substances, following in their mother’s footsteps. When I met [Fito’s] mother, her eyes had been bloodshot and glazed over, and her hair was all stringy and she smelled bad.” 
  • Salvador’s dad smokes on their back porch multiple times.  
  • Sam’s mother dies in a car accident because she drove under the influence. 
  • Salvador’s father tells Sam, “When you and [Salvador] were about six years old, your mother got arrested for driving while intoxicated.”  
  • Salvador remarks that “Fito lives in a crack house.” 
  • Sam and Salvador drink two bottles of wine while his dad is away. Salvador says, “I wanted to know what it felt like to be drunk.” 
  • Salvador’s uncle offers Fito and Sam beer. Sam and Fito drink it, but Salvador does not. 
  • Fito’s mom dies, and the newspaper reports it as “an apparent drug overdose.”  
  • At his grandmother’s funeral, Salvador drinks, “chugging three beers on an empty stomach . . . no bueno.”  
  • In a letter left for Salvador by his late mother, she describes her younger days. “I was an incredibly self-destructive young woman. I loved to party, I loved to drink, and I loved drugs.” She also states, “I got hooked on alcohol and cocaine.”

Language  

  • There is heavy cursing in both English and Spanish, as well as the use of homophobic slurs. Profanity includes faggot, fuck, fucking, shit, puto, pinche, bitch, cabrón, maricón, pocho, etc. 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Salvador, his dad, and Sam state they are attending Mass to appease Salvador’s dying grandmother.  
  • Salvador mentions that his grandmother is Catholic. He says, “I didn’t consider myself a very serious Catholic. I mean, my dad was gay, and the Catholic Church was not big on gay people.” 
  • When his grandmother is sick, Salvador “took out my rosary and prayed. Mima had given it to me when I made my First Communion.” 
  • Salvador thinks about religion, but “I didn’t care about sin or about God.” 

by Gabie Rivas

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

As a member of one of the wealthiest families in the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is destined for greatness. At the top of his class, Coriolanus excels in his studies at the Academy, charming students and faculty alike. But underneath this guise of wealth and class, Coriolanus hides a shocking secret. The Snows are broke; their fortune lost due to the war that plagued Coriolanus’s childhood. If anyone discovered the Snows’s true financial situation, they would be disgraced. But Coriolanus sees a path to success. The 10th annual Hunger Games, a televised competition in which children from the twelve districts that serve the Capitol are selected to fight to the death, is approaching. If Coriolanus successfully mentors the winning tribute in the Games, he will win a prize great enough to pay his university tuition.  

When Coriolanus is assigned to mentor the female tribute from District 12, his hopes of winning the prize diminish. Nobody from District 12, the poorest and most downtrodden of the districts, has ever won the Games. But when Coriolanus’s tribute, Lucy Gray, enthralls the audience by serenading them shortly after being selected to compete in the Games, Coriolanus holds out hope that he can put her on a path to victory. As affections grow between Lucy Gray and Coriolanus, Coriolanus must decide how far he is willing to go to protect her and win the prize. Despite the bloodshed and brutality, will the Hunger Games offer Coriolanus a chance at power, wealth, and love? Or will the pressure send Coriolanus down a path of destruction? 

Coriolanus is a deeply complex character that will have readers rooting for him against their better judgment, as fans know that this character will grow up to be the main villain in the Hunger Games trilogy. Initially, Coriolanus is motivated by a desire to provide for his family and have a successful career. He is shown as being caring toward his cousin and grandmother, although there are hints that a darker side to him lurks beneath the surface. As the story progresses, this darkness becomes more apparent as Coriolanus reveals himself to be callous, calculated, and manipulative. Behind his generous acts lies a calculated effort to cultivate his public persona and climb the ladder of success. Eventually, Coriolanus has fallen so far that he kills and betrays his own loved ones to benefit himself. Readers will find themselves disturbed by Coriolanus but will be interested in seeing this gifted boy with great potential transform into a corrupt and cruel man. 

The story of Coriolanus’s fall from grace and rise to power is driven by interesting supporting characters. Coriolanus is drawn to Lucy Gray, who looms large at the center of this tale, showcasing her talents, wit, and will to survive through her actions both within and outside the Hunger Games arena. Lucy Gray serves as a foil to Coriolanus, as her free spirit and creativity contrast with his rigidity and reliance on order. Coriolanus’s treatment of Lucy Gray reveals flaws within his character, such as how he treats her as a means to an end and believes that he can control her. Much like the fictional audiences within the book, readers will be charmed by Lucy Gray. 

Coriolanus is often irritated by his classmate Sejanus Plinth, a rebellious and emotional boy who, much to Coriolanus’s dismay, is characterized by his sympathy for the tributes and the districts, and his anti-Capitol ideals. At the Academy, Coriolanus is tormented by the jaded Dean Highbottom, who seems to be the only faculty member not to have fallen for Coriolanus’s charms, and the sinister Dr. Gaul, who delights in creating mutated animals. These characters help to drive Coriolanus’s decisions and behavior, while serving as a unique contrast to Coriolanus himself.   

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is centered around human nature and asks if humanity is inherently good or inherently evil. Opposing viewpoints are presented, as Sejanus believes that the tributes behave brutally in the arena due to their circumstances, while Dr. Gaul insists that mankind is inherently violent. Coriolanus’s opinion on this matter shifts as Dr. Gaul mentors him. This debate relates to questions about whether the Capitol should exercise the amount of power it currently holds. Sejanus believes that the Capitol is cruel and oppressive to the districts, while Dr. Gaul believes the people living in the districts are naturally brutal and must be controlled. While reading this novel, readers will consider both viewpoints and explore why each character has certain beliefs.  

While The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes can be read independently, fans of The Hunger Games trilogy will appreciate familiar surnames and settings like the Capitol and District 12. Set 64 years before the original series, this prequel introduces new characters while maintaining Suzanne Collins’s distinctive style—though uniquely written in third person rather than first. Unlike the survival-focused original trilogy, this novel centers on power and perception as Coriolanus obsesses over his family’s reputation and control. The book matches the trilogy’s tone and maturity level, though its large cast of characters may challenge some readers.  

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an entertaining and shocking novel that promotes introspection. The moral and philosophical questions raised in this novel will stick with readers, as will the engaging plot and characters. Longtime fans will be interested to see the nefarious President Snow, portrayed as a young protagonist, rise to power. At the same time, new readers will be enthralled with this fast-paced plunge into the Hunger Games universe. This is a must-read novel that teaches important lessons about the dangers of complicity, violence, and selfishness. It encourages readers to think outside their comfort zone and consider new perspectives. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an interesting, memorable, and important installment in the Hunger Games series. 

Sexual Content  

  • Before Lucy Gray goes into the arena, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray say goodbye. They share a kiss. Coriolanus describes it as “a real kiss on the lips, with hints of peaches and powder. The feel of her mouth, soft and warm against his own, sent sensations surging through his body.” 
  • After Coriolanus and Lucy Gray reunite in District 12, they kiss. “Then, almost shyly, she kissed him, sending shock waves through his body.”
  • Lucy Gray and Coriolanus kiss a few more times during scenes they share together. The kisses are described simply. For example, “She greeted him at the back door with a kiss.”

Violence  

  • The mayor of District 12 hits Lucy Gray in the face after she slips a snake down his daughter’s dress. The mayor “made a beeline for [Lucy Gray], and struck her in the face so powerfully that she was knocked to her knees.” The mayor attempts to hit her again, but is stopped, and Lucy Gray recovers. 
  • During the war, Coriolanus witnessed his neighbor cut the leg off a maid’s corpse. Coriolanus watched as his neighbor “carved the leg from the maid, sawing back and forth with a terrifying knife until the limb came free. He wrapped it in the skirt he ripped from her waist and then bolted down the street that led to the back of his townhouse.” The neighbor and his family ate the leg. 
  • Coriolanus gets into a fight with a boy as they are riding in a truck together. “The boy’s hands came up fast, encircling Coriolanus’s throat with his long, scarred fingers and slamming him back. His forearms pinned Coriolanus’s body against the bars. Overpowered, Coriolanus resorted to the one move that had yet to fail him in schoolyard scuffles, driving his knee up hard into his opponent’s crotch.” The boy releases Coriolanus, and the fight stops. Both boys are unharmed.   
  • Coriolanus’s classmate, Arachne, taunts the tribute with food, so the tribute kills her. “Coriolanus could see the tribute’s face darkening, the muscles tightening in her neck. He could see something else, too. Her fingers sliding down the bar, darting out, circling the handle of the knife . . . In one movement, the tribute yanked Arachne forward and slit her throat.”  
  • After a tribute kills Arachne, Peacekeepers shoot the tribute. “The bullets pierced her body, slamming her into the bars. She slipped into a heap as her blood commingled with Arachne’s.” 
  • Coriolanus’s friend, Clemensia, is bitten many times after she is asked to retrieve papers from a tank full of snakes. Clemensia “yanked her hand from the tank, but not before half a dozen neon snakes sank their fangs into her flesh.” The venom from the snakes makes Clemensia very ill, but after several weeks, she recovers. 
  • While the mentors and tributes are touring the arena where the Hunger Games will take place, bombs go off. “Burning debris rained down on [Coriolanus]. Something struck his head hard, and the heavy weight of the beam landed diagonally across his back, pinning him to the ground.” Lucy Gray helps free Coriolanus from under the beam, and he recovers from his injuries.  The bombs kill several people. 
  • Marcus, a tribute who escaped from captivity before the Hunger Games began, is recaptured and beaten. He is chained to a beam in the arena, visible to viewers before the start of the Games. “At the center of the structure, Marcus hung from manacled wrists, so battered and bloody that at first Coriolanus thought they were displaying his corpse. Then Marcus’s swollen lips began to move, showing his broken teeth and leaving little doubt he was still alive.” He remains chained to the beam as the Games begin.  
  • A tribute named Lamina kills Marcus, presumably out of mercy. Lamina “swung down, and drove the ax blade into the curved side of Marcus’s neck. Once. Twice. And on the third time, in a spray of blood, she succeeded in killing him.”  
  • A tribute named Dill dies of tuberculosis. “Dill’s body convulsed with a final, violent bout of coughing, and a gush of blood soaked her filthy dress.” 
  • Sejanus, upset with Marcus’s death, goes into the arena. Coriolanus is sent in to retrieve Sejanus. While in the arena, Bobbin, a tribute, attacks Coriolanus. Coriolanus “spun around just in time to see Bobbin bringing down his knife. The blade glanced off his body armor and sliced his left upper arm.” Coriolanus retaliates: “Coriolanus’s fingers closed around a two-by-four, and he brought it up, catching Bobbin in the temple hard, sending him to his knees. And then he was on his feet, using the board like a club, bringing it down again and again without being sure where it made contact.” Coriolanus beats Bobbin to death with the board, and he and Sejanus escape the arena. 
  • A tribute named Coral kills another tribute with a trident. “After a brief chase along the bleachers . . . Coral killed her with a trident to the throat.” 
  • A tribute named Jessup contracts rabies and attacks Lucy Gray. To deter him, Coriolanus and his friend send bottles of water into the arena using drones. “Jessup froze, and his eyes bulged with fear. As the drones closed in on him, he pawed at them but failed to connect. When they started releasing the bottles of water, he lost all control. Explosive devices could not have elicited a stronger response, and the impact of the bottles smacking into the seats whipped him into a frenzy.” As Jessup tries to evade the bottles, he falls over the edge of a wall. “The sound of snapping bones that accompanied his landing surprised the audience, as Jessup had landed in a rare pocket of the arena with good audio.” The fall kills Jessup. 
  • Coral kills Lamina during a fight. “After Lamina managed to block the first few jabs with her ax, Coral wove the trident in a twisting move that distracted the eye before it plunged into her opponent’s abdomen.”  
  • Coral kills a tribute by stabbing him in the back with a trident. “Coral drove the second trident into his back.” 
  • A tribute named Wovey dies after drinking a poisoned bottle of water. “After a few gulps she sank back against the wall and gave a small belch. A thin stream of silverish liquid trickled out the side of her mouth and then she went still.  
  • Venomous snakes bite a tribute named Circ. “Circ stumbled over a rusty, old spear and the snakes overtook him. A dozen pairs of fangs pierced his body. . . Circ struggled to breathe for about ten seconds before he died.” 
  • A tribute named Mizzen is swarmed by malfunctioning drones while he stands on a beam high above the ground. Because of this, “he lost his balance and plummeted toward the ground, snapping his neck sideways on contact.” Mizzen dies from the fall. 
  • A tribute named Teslee is killed by another tribute that sneaks up on her with an ax. Teslee’s attacker “seemed to appear out of thin air, making a gigantic leap into the frame and bringing his ax down on Teslee in one fell swoop. She had barely taken a step when the blade connected with her skull, splitting it open and killing her instantly.” 
  • A tribute attacks Lucy Gray with an ax, and she defends herself by putting a venomous snake on him. When the tribute noticed the snake, he “tore something from the back of his neck. His hand shot into the air, fingers gripped tightly around the bright pink snake. Then he collapsed to his knees and smashed it into the ground, again and again, until he fell dead in the dirt, the lifeless snake still clutched in his fist.” Lucy Gray escapes unharmed. The tribute and the snake die.    
  • A man named Arlo was hanged because he killed three people. “The clap of the trapdoor release and subsequent twang of the rope cut him off mid-word, drawing a gasp from the crowd. Arlo dropped fifteen feet and seemed to die instantly.” 
  • The mayor of District 12’s daughter, Mayfair, overhears a group of people conspiring to run away with stolen weapons. Thinking that she will turn the group in, Coriolanus shoots and kills Mayfair. “Coriolanus reflexively reached for the Peacekeeper rifle and fired toward Mayfair’s voice. She gave a cry, and there was the sound of her collapsing to the floor.” 
  • After Mayfair is killed, her boyfriend, Billy Taupe, becomes violent. . . “Without hesitating, Spruce shot Billy Taupe through the chest. The blast carried him backward, and he crumpled to the floor.” 
  • It is discovered that Sejanus was conspiring to free a woman from prison. “As the drumroll began, Coriolanus squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could block out the sound as well. But he heard it all. Sejanus’s cry, the bang of the trapdoors, and the [birds] picking up Sejanus’s last word, screaming it over and over into the dazzling sun.” 
  • Snakes bite Coriolanus. “He’d just registered the snake when it struck, uncoiling like a spring and digging its teeth into [his] forearm.” Coriolanus recovers from the snakebite. 
  • Coriolanus, thinking that Lucy Gray is going to kill him, tries to shoot her. “He estimated her to be about ten yards away, lifted the rifle to his shoulder, and released a spray of bullets in her direction.” Her fate is left ambiguous, and both the reader and Coriolanus are unsure if she is alive or dead after this attack. 
  • Coriolanus kills Dean Highbottom by mixing rat poison in a painkiller called morphling and leaving it for Highbottom to use. “There was nothing to make Dean Highbottom suspicious of [the morphling] when he pulled it from the trash and slipped it into his pocket. Nothing when he unscrewed the dropper and dripped the morphling onto his tongue.”    

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Coriolanus drinks a sip of posca at a school banquet. Posca is “a concoction of watery wine laced with honey and herbs.”  
  • Dean Highbottom is addicted to morphling. Coriolanus notices that Highbottom is under the influence of the drug at a school banquet. Coriolanus says Highbottom “presented himself to the students with all the verve of a sleepwalker, dreamy-eyed and, as usual, doped up with morphling.” 
  • Coriolanus and his friends trade baked goods for a bottle of moonshine. “They ended up in possession of a quart bottle of clear liquid so potent the stuff made their eyes water.” 
  • Lucy Gray and her band play in the market, and the audience is described as “companionably drunk.” 

Language    

  • After she is selected to compete in the Hunger Games, Lucy Gray sings a song that includes the line “you can kiss my ass.” 

Supernatural  

  • Lucy Gray and her band perform a song about a girl, and it is ambiguous if the girl is alive, dead, or a ghost. After Coriolanus hears this song, he thinks, “Oh, a ghost story.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None

by Kelly Barker 

Savvy

When a child in Mibs Beaumont’s family turns thirteen, they gain a savvy, an inherited superpower that can range from mundane to magnificent, such as her mother embodying effortless perfection or her brother creating life-threatening hurricanes. With no idea what her savvy will be, Mibs needs all the support she can get, but just two days before her thirteenth birthday, a car crash changes everything.  

Suddenly, Mibs’ dad is in a coma, and her mom is out of state watching over him, leaving Mibs without parental support on her big day. But in her darkest moment, Mibs’ thirteenth birthday brings the solution to all her problems. Her savvy is to wake people up. Convinced only she can save her dad, Mibs will do anything to reach him as soon as possible. Mibs becomes a secret stowaway in the back of a delivery driver’s van, along with her brothers, Fish and Samson, and her neighbors, Bobbi and Will Junior.  

But as she travels across the country, Mibs realizes she may be in over her head, and her savvy may be another power entirely. While her father’s health may be out of her control, the journey teaches Mibs more about herself and her personal relationships with others. She feels like an outsider in her small town, but maybe she is just looking for belonging in the wrong place.  

Mibs is a brave and headstrong young girl, determined to save her dad no matter what obstacle stands in her way. However, in pursuit of her goals, she occasionally makes dangerous and ill-conceived choices. For example, Mibs hitchhikes a ride in the back of a stranger’s van without telling any adults. While the driver, Lester, turns out to be a good person, Mibs did not know that at the time. Readers may disapprove of her reckless decision-making, as her actions could have endangered not just herself, but also her brothers and neighbors. However, considering the stress of her situation and her naiveté at such a young age, Mibs remains a deeply sympathetic character that is easy to root for. 

Will is a year older than Mibs and serves as her love interest. In contrast to Mibs’ classmates, who often tease and isolate her, Will does not make Mibs feel strange and “freakish.” Instead, he makes her feel rather special and gifted. He is kind and clearly has romantic feelings for Mibs. Even when she feels too young to reciprocate, Will accepts the rejection in stride and remains positive and supportive, teaching readers the importance of accepting others’ boundaries.  

Will’s older sister, Bobbi, fills a somewhat antagonistic role. She is a stereotypical angry teen, prone to lashing out at others without justification. For example, she makes fun of Mibs’ birthday dress and kicks Fish. While her antics may annoy some readers, Bobbi has occasional moments of vulnerability, such as thinking about her loneliness, that make her rebellious nature come off as insecurity rather than genuine meanness. Readers will learn to not judge someone by their appearance because they may be going through hidden struggles.   

Savvy is told from Mibs’ point of view. She acts like an authentic thirteen-year-old, who occasionally makes misjudgments that the reader will know are wrong long before Mib catches up. For example, Mibs hears Bobbi’s thoughts, and it becomes clear her savvy is not “waking others” but mind reading. Yet, for a significant chunk of the book, Mibs ignores the evidence in favor of what she wants to believe. Despite her good intentions, Mibs ends up accomplishing the opposite of her goal – to protect her family. The desire to help a loved one clouds her judgment, ironically putting more loved ones (her brother and friends) in danger. 

While Mibs’ personal relationships are the heart of the book and keep the reader emotionally invested in the story, they are not the main focus. Savvy is a journey of self-discovery. Mibs learns what her power is, both in terms of her savvy and her independence. For a book about superpowers, the stakes are relatively low. Instead, the conflict derives from a much more intimate, personal scale, allowing the reader to understand Savvy’s characters better. Savvy feels like a realistic, grounded portrayal of how a family would handle superpowers. They go about their daily lives, occasionally receiving assistance and experiencing societal ostracization along the way, but they are mostly normal people.  

This book has won the Newbery Honor and was a runner-up for the Indian Paintbrush Book Award, with its success extending to two spin-off books. Although this book was published in 2010, it remains relevant today due to its timeless story. Through a flawed yet compassionate protagonist, Savvy tackles mature themes, such as the loss of a parent. He demonstrates a girl growing into herself while avoiding the pitfalls of growing up too quickly.  

Sexual Content    

  • Will Junior has a crush on Mibs, as seen through his attentiveness. For example, Mibs observes that “Will always seemed to be walking on our heels or watching us when he was supposed to be praying. One time he even gave me his own cup of juice.”  
  • Likewise, Mibs has a crush on Will Junior, as seen through her jealousy. Mibs states that she doesn’t “like the way Ashley kept staring at Will, or the way her staring at him bothered” her.  Ashley is Mibs’ mean classmate.  
  • In a pool, Will Junior kisses Mibs, then her brother asks Will to stop. Mibs describes, “Then [Will Junior] moved forward and his lips touched mine, quick and awkward with the taste of chlorine and salt, like maybe he’d just slipped and bumped his face into mine accidentally.”  
  • Mibs later tells Will Junior that she likes him, too, but is unwilling to be in a relationship due to their age. He supports her decision and decides to wait for her.  
  • Will Junior was born out of wedlock and then secretly raised by his grandparents. Mibs describes, “I might have been wrong in believing that Will Junior was Bobbi’s brother. Will had a secret. Now I knew his secret.”  

Violence    

  • After drawing on Will Junior’s hand, Mibs discovers that when ink touches a person’s skin, she can read their mind. Mibs panics, so Fish attacks Will Junior. Fish “spun him around, clocking him hard and fast in the eye with his fist. . . Bobbi joined the scuffle, climbing over the seats and throwing herself at Fish, scratching his cheek with her fingernails.” The fight ends when Fish finally understands why Mibs is scared and spits “a big, thick wad of juicy spit right into Will Junior’s hand. ‘Eww, man!’ Will hollered out in disgust.” The comedically chaotic fight lasts three pages, with no characters getting injured aside from scrapes and bruises. 
  • The group takes a detour at a restaurant, where they encounter the manager, Ozzie, being rude to one of the waitresses. After Ozzie fires the waitress and throws her final paycheck across the ground, Samson “leaned forward from his hidey-hole behind the counter and bit The Great and Powerful Ozzie hard on the leg.” The extent of Ozzie’s injuries is unknown, as the group immediately flees the scene. However, Samson’s mouth is not bloody, so readers can assume they were superficial.  

  Drugs and Alcohol    

  • None 

Language   

  •  None   

Supernatural   

  • Mibs and her family have supernatural abilities. For example, Mibs can read minds and Fish can create storms. Mibs once reads Will Junior’s mind, where he hints at having a secret.   

Spiritual Content    

  • The van driver, Lester, delivers Bibles, and Will Junior’s grandfather is a pastor.   
  • Overwhelmed with her new savvy, Mibs begs God to take it away. “I tried making a deal with God. I vowed that I would eat my green beans without complaint. . . If only I could stop hearing voices when someone nearby had ink on their skin.”   

by Kerry Lum   

Roomies

Senior year is over, and Elizabeth is more than ready to leave her New Jersey town behind for Berkeley. When she receives an email from Berkeley Housing with her roommate assignment, she immediately reaches out to introduce herself to Lauren. Lauren is just as eager to escape—in her case, from the stress and chaos of her large family. But Elizabeth’s enthusiastic message lands poorly because Lauren had been hoping for a single room where she could finally have some peace and quiet. 

The two girls get off to a rocky start, but their emails gradually become more personal. Lauren reveals she’s the eldest of six, while Elizabeth shares that her parents are divorced and her father left her and her mother to live in San Francisco. Over the summer, as their worlds shift rapidly with new boyfriends and goodbyes to old friends, they begin to realize they’ll need to rely on each other through this pivotal transition. 

Lauren and Elizabeth are extremely relatable protagonists, as Zarr captures the complexity of the emotions surrounding the end of high school and the first time leaving the nest. For example, Lauren is desperate for her own life after helping parent her five siblings, yet she’s afraid of change. She’s afraid to leave her family, and she’ll miss being part of their daily lives. Elizabeth is unhappy with her life because of the growing distance between her and her friends and boyfriend. Additionally, Elizabeth has a complicated relationship with her mother, who often behaves in an immature way. Lauren and Elizabeth are flawed characters who make plenty of mistakes and struggle to communicate. However, they remain endearing because the strife they endure is part of growing up, which readers will relate to.    

Much of the emotional conflict and fear about change that Lauren and Elizabeth experience stems from the new men in their lives, Keyon and Mark. When Lauren meets Keyon, she’s unsure whether to start a relationship. But Keyon is sweet and confident, and the two slowly fall in love. Mark enters Elizabeth’s life and becomes a steadying presence, though his and Elizabeth’s love seems too fast to be real. He also has a strained relationship with his father, which allows him to give Elizabeth an outside perspective on her parental issues. Zarr accurately captures the emotional turmoil of eighteen-year-olds navigating new experiences.   

Roomies is a fantastic story about growing pains from two different perspectives and environments. Lauren and Elizabeth experience first love at the same time their other friendships are drifting apart. They’re afraid to be vulnerable with each other, but soon learn they can lean on each other to get through the last summer before college. Lauren discovers she can spread her wings without fear of leaving her family behind, while Elizabeth learns to appreciate her mother. Zarr emphasizes the importance of understanding different cultures and views, as Lauren and Elizabeth initially misunderstand each other, but eventually expand their worldviews and find acceptance in one another. 

Zarr’s ending is one of hope and excitement for the roommates’ futures. Lauren and Elizabeth have issues throughout the book that escalate to Elizabeth requesting a roommate change. However, the two girls resolve their conflict and become honest about their feelings. This exchange solidifies their friendship and their desire to live together through the ups and downs of freshman year. They leave their families behind, knowing they will always be there to support them, freeing them both to live their own lives. Roomies explores the complexities of growing up, including making friends and leaving others behind. It teaches those transitioning to college that all their complicated feelings are normal and that the right “path” is to trust themselves and their decisions. 

Sexual Content  

  • After seeing a red lipstick mark on a cup, Lauren’s dad jokes that the Garfield on his mug “has been violated.”  
  • While hanging with her friends and their boyfriends, Elizabeth decides to “kiss [her boyfriend] right there on the beach.” 
  • Lauren’s coworker, Keyon, stretches, and his shirt rises. Lauren tries not to “ogle his abs, regardless of their excellent condition.” 
  • Elizabeth’s boyfriend jokes that she “doesn’t put out that easily.”  
  • Elizabeth meets Mark at work, and she notices “the way his shorts hang a little bit too low on his hips.” Elizabeth also notices that Mark’s lip “sort of puckers when he talks and for sure when he kisses, too.” 
  • At the party, Elizabeth’s friends only talk about sex. “Justine was thinking of doing it with Danny that night, and Morgan and Mitch, who’ve already done it, kept talking about how it wasn’t a big deal.” 
  • Elizabeth calls her friend Justine a “lush who is hell-bent on losing her virginity.” 
  • Lauren is at a party where she gets really close to Keyon, and they kiss. Lauren describes it as “lusty. . . sometimes you want to make out with someone, anyone.” 
  • Elizabeth is worried about what Lauren will think because “I kissed a guy I barely know even though I already have a boyfriend.” 
  • Lauren is responding to Elizabeth’s email about pressure to have sex and thinks, “I can keep taking care of my own needs the few times I have the interest and the privacy.” 
  • Elizabeth and a boy she’s been dating, Alex, talk about their relationship, but Alex wants to give a “last-pitch plea for me to sleep with him to ‘deepen’ and ‘solidify’ our relationship,” which results in them breaking up. 
  • Mark comes over to Elizabeth’s house after the breakup, and Elizabeth is wearing a “tank [that] is sort of loose and I’m not wearing a bra and he seems incapable of not noticing.” 
  • While Mark is visiting, he and Elizabeth end up “kissing and our arms are entangled and we’re moving toward the wall.” They eventually stop so that Mark can run an errand for his mother, but he assures her they can meet up later. 
  • Elizabeth is nervous about a swim park date with Mark because they have been “kissing a lot, but always with clothes on. Lifted and pushed aside some but still on.” 
  • While driving and talking about the future of their relationship, Mark says he wants to “pull over and kiss some sense into [Elizabeth].” 
  • After a successful dinner with Keyon’s parents, “he kisses [Lauren] like [she’s] never been kissed before.” 
  • Elizabeth and Mark are about to have sex, but they are both nervous. “I ask, ‘Have you ever… before?’ ‘Once.’ He takes my hand. ‘For the wrong reasons. And it was pretty bad and I didn’t handle it all especially well so I decided to wait for the right reasons.’ ‘What if it’s bad again?’ I ask, looking at him. ‘Well, we’ll be bad together.’” They reassure each other of their feelings and walk into the motel together.  
  • Elizabeth tells her friend Justine about giving her virginity to Mark and how she “did it again, too. The other night. Under the boardwalk!” 
  • Mark comes over while Elizabeth is packing for college and “slides his arms around me and kisses me and kisses me.” They stop, and Mark helps her pack. 
  • Elizabeth jokes that she might bring “birth control” to college.

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Elizabeth goes to a party where “everyone but [her] got annoyingly drunk.” 
  • Elizabeth ends up at the party alone, “holding a beer [she] wasn’t even drinking.” 
  • Mark comes to visit Elizabeth and offers her a beer, which she wants to drink to “feel loose and free.”

Language  

  • Profanity is used frequently. Profanity includes shit, fuck, hell, and bitch.

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Elizabeth believes in signs and thinks they could come from “fate, or the universe or God, if there is one.” 
  • Elizabeth thinks that “someone, some power” must have seen that she needed help because “he (or she or it) takes it upon himself (or herself or itself)” to decide her roommate placement. 
  • Elizabeth “hope[s] to God” that the kid she babysits didn’t pick her nose. 
  • Lauren “thank[s] God” that her little sister is behaving because her other siblings are not. 
  • The Ten Commandments are on Lauren’s mind after she learned from Elizabeth’s email that her mother is having an affair. 
  • Lauren says that being “Catholic must be in [her] blood because [she] feel[s] sort of judge-y” about Elizabeth’s mother’s actions. 

by Annamaria Lund

The Demon Tide

Newly exposed as the Black Witch of Prophecy, Elloren Gardner Grey is on the run. She has finally made it to the Eastern Realm, but the Eastern authorities are convinced the Black Witch has arrived to kill them all as the Prophecy foretells. If there’s any chance of defeating High Mage Marcus Vogel, Elloren must find her friends and make new allies. As Elloren hides from the Eastern authorities, she learns more than ever about different cultures and what’s truly at stake if the Eastern Realm were to fall to Gardneria. With her magic bound, her fastmate captured, and a bounty on her head, Elloren battles intolerance as fierce as she battles Vogel, and uncovers secrets all countries have long since buried.  

The Demon Tide oscillates between the perspectives of Elloren’s friends, building them up as individual characters with distinct loves, fears, and ambitions. Elloren’s brother, Trystan Gardner, and her friend, Tierney Calix, are two prominent perspectives explored. Trystan’s and Tierney’s points of view allow readers to see the war from two fronts. Trystan is reviled because of his Gardnerian heritage, and Tierney is ostracized for befriending him. When Elloren arrives, they do everything in their power to protect her, which is difficult because they have their own romantic lives to distract them. Overall, the author explores twenty perspectives; this overload of perspectives makes things confusing at times and slows the story’s pacing, making the novel seem less eventful.  

Cornered and afraid, Elloren proves herself to be an empowering and intelligent protagonist. She tries to navigate the customs and traditions of the Eastern Realm. Plus, she has strange visions of death and destruction that are seemingly delivering vague warnings she cannot decipher. She grapples with a complicated love that haunts her dreams and distracts her from the waking world. With love at the forefront of everyone’s minds, Elloren and her friends learn how to multitask and see beyond the veil of intolerance and ignorance that seems to exist in every culture.  

Like many long fantasy series, the intricate worldbuilding can be overwhelming at times, with numerous events, characters, and details to track. There is also a lot of exposition required for each character’s background. This bogs down the story and makes it drag. However, the story is powerful and moving, and each character has depth. Many of the characters have been developed over the entire series, delivering potent and thorough perspectives. The author has successfully created a complex fantasy world, complete with diverse cultures, despicable villains, and intricate magic systems to match.  

The series has been building up to the explosive battles and new, official romantic relationships found in The Demon Tide. Readers who love digging into intricate political dilemmas and a kaleidoscope of characters fighting for a good cause will love Forest’s direction in The Demon Tide. Elloren and her friends teach their audience that intolerance is beatable and the best way to fight it is to love yourself and others. Elloren and her friends teach that bravery in the face of fear is necessary and achievable, especially if you rely on your loved ones to support you and ask for help.  

Sexual Content  

  • Freyja, an Amaz soldier, reminisces about a past encounter with her old boyfriend, Clive. “Freyja’s heart twisted as she held Clive’s impassioned stare and remembered. . . sneaking off into the woods. . . falling into each other’s arms. . . and taking each other with an intensity that stole Freyja’s breath and ignited that familiar, piercing yearning to be with Clive always.” 
  • While Trystan, Elloren’s brother, is training in the East, he starts crushing on his guard, Vothe. At one point, he watches Vothe and Basyl (Vothe’s current friend with benefits). Basyl “reaches up, threads his fingers through Vothe’s silver-tipped hair, and pulls him into a sultry, farewell kiss.” Later, Vothe runs his “tongue just below Basyl’s ear as Basyl slithers against [him] enticingly” to provoke Trystan and make him jealous. 
  • While Elloren’s friends, Thierren and Sparrow, are escaping East through the desert, they grow more attracted to one another. One morning, while asleep, Sparrow “presses her lips to the warm nape of [Thierren’s] neck, a thrill singing through her as Thierren shivers against her.” Thierren returns the affection but then realizes that she’s dreaming. He wakes her up, and they’re both embarrassed.  
  • Safe in the East, Elloren has a vision of Vogel’s prisoner, Lukas. His “lips press down on [hers], sending a tight shiver through [her], the kiss suffused with breathless hunger. . . strong hands grip [her] arms, a hard male body fitted to [hers]. An aroused male body.” Elloren realizes that they’re psychically linked and quickly breaks away from Lukas. 
  • While exploring an Eastern market, Elloren witnesses two women “fall into each other, laughing, as if in the midst of some private joke, and the spike-haired woman pulls the flowery woman into an embrace, kissing her deeply.” Elloren moves on without seeing more. 
  • Authorities find Elloren and chase her through the market streets. Elloren runs into her mate, Yvan, and they “kiss like [they’ll] merge straight into each other, [her] fingers knotting in his hair.” They break the passionate kiss to discuss Resistance business. 
  • Similar to Valentine’s Day but more magically induced, the East celebrates a holiday of love that heightens emotions for one evening, complete with a purple moon. Nearly every one of Elloren’s friends kisses or has sex with their partner, crush, or significant other. As the moon settles into effect, Elloren has a “vivid remembrance of Lukas’s lips on [hers], the two of [them] entwined in the forest . . . the memory shifts to a flush-deepening recollection of Yvan’s heated embrace in the North Tower, that night in [her] bed.” 
  • During the purple moon, Elloren’s friend, Tierney, kisses Elloren’s cousin, Or’myr. Tierney “makes an irresistible little sound of surprised pleasure, her full breasts soft against [Or’myr’s] chest, her hand coming up to caress his neck with unmistakable want.” However, the encounter ends quickly, and both decide they do not want to date each other. Later that night, Tierney kisses her friend, Viger, and “her lips meet his in a swirl of darkness.” 
  • To cool down from an argument in the mess hall, Trystan walks to the water, followed by Vothe. While having an emotional conversation, “Trystan grabs hold of him, his lips coming to Vothe’s.” They kiss a bit until Vogel’s forces suddenly arrive at their city. 
  • Elloren’s old professors, Jules Kristian and Lucretia Quillan, are also in the East on holiday. They decide to have their first date. Tired of waiting, Lucretia shows him her Sanjire root (a birth control method) and says, “I’m asking you to kiss me whenever you want from here on in.” They kiss but are interrupted by Vogel’s forces breaching the city. 
  • Elloren’s old friends, Aislinn and Jarod, are in the forest of the East’s capital city during the purple moon. Aislinn asks Jarod to “take [her] to mate.” They go into the woods, and it is implied that they have sex. 
  • Thierren and Sparrow, finally in the East, celebrate this holiday by kissing. “Sparrow falls into [Thierren’s] loving, passionate kiss.” They are interrupted by Vogel’s forces arriving at the city. 
  • Mora, the woman who volunteered to house Elloren in the East, and Elloren’s old professor Fyon, are trying to celebrate the holiday at Mora’s house. Fyon’s hands “slide around her waist and up through her braided hair, his honeyed kiss deepening as Mora traces her fingers down the long column of his neck.” They are kissing when Vogel’s forces arrive and interrupt them.  
  • Vogel gains a form of mind control over Elloren, and Yvan attempts to break it by kissing her. His “mouth claims [hers] once more, forcing a stream of power into [her] that drives Vogel’s hold on [her] back a fraction further.” He is successful and frees her.  
  • Elloren escapes from Vogel into the forest and becomes a Dryad. Yvan and Elloren choose to renew their mating bond by kissing again. Yvan “leans down, eyes molten, and brings his lips to [hers].” They kiss, and then the book ends. 

Violence  

  • In the prologue, Marcus Vogel finds the Shadow Wand and takes it from a Death Fae in the forest. He murders the Fae in the process. He “draws his iron blade and hurls it across the table. The knife slams into [the Fae’s] chest, a look of shock passing over the young man’s face as he falls to the ground.” 
  • Vogel has flashbacks of being abused as a child. “Blows rain on the priest’s face, his small shoulders as he cowers and curls into a pathetic ball, pleading in a child’s voice, Momma, stop. . . no! I repent! I vow to repent!” 
  • At the end of the previous book, Elloren teleports to the East and immediately encounters a creature attacking a family and promptly defeats it. In this book, the teenage girl of the family attacks Elloren. “Her knife finds its mark above [Elloren] with a dull thwack.” However, they make peace, and no harm is done. 
  • As Trystan trains in the East, he’s unpopular because of the color of his skin. Everyone thinks he’s trying to sabotage them from within. An assassin attacks him during training. “She draws back her arm and hurls a silver rune star at Trystan.” He is unscathed, and the assassin is arrested.  
  • Aislinn has successfully escaped from her abusive husband, but Sparrow watches as Aislinn undresses, noting “lash marks all over her form and bruising on her breasts. And bite marks.” 
  • As Trystan tries to save refugees from the river’s current, one of the refugees is suspicious of him because he’s Gardnerian. Once everyone is safe on the boat, the teenage refugee “surges forward and pushes Trystan clear off the boat.” Trystan has recovered safely.  
  • When Aislinn reunites with her crush, Jarod, she tells him about the abuse. Jarod offers to kill her ex-husband, but Aislinn replies, “No, I’ll be the one to kill him.” 
  • Over the course of fourteen pages, the country of the Amaz is attacked and razed to the ground. The Gardnerians surprise the Amaz and storm into the capital city, killing and wounding thousands with enslaved dragons. As an example of the violence, during the battle, “a Mage’s neck snaps back as [a] dragon’s head bursts into a ball of emerald flame, the dark creature’s flight pattern chaotic as the Mage’s wand falls from his hand.” The Mage and the dragon are attacked and killed by the head of the Amaz queen’s guard, Valasca.  
  • Lukas Grey is Vogel’s prisoner, and Vogel sporadically tortures him. “Pain strafes through Lukas’s [magic] lines as he’s hit by a blast of Shadow, a guttural cry escaping his throat as his body spasms.” Lukas’s magic is depleted, and his body is left sore and aching. 
  • During the purple moon, one of Elloren’s friends, Nym’ellia, is attacked by citizens of the East. She cries while saying, “One of them threw a rock at me and it hurt.”  
  • One hundred pages of the novel consist of Vogel’s forces attacking the capital city of the East, and each of Elloren’s friends fighting them off. It starts with the Death Fae, Viger, announcing that he “can sense impending death,” and there’s a loud noise as a mountain in the distance explodes. This starts Vogel’s onslaught, which hurts and kills many citizens of the East. Elloren and Vogel battle, but she escapes in the last thirty pages of the book.  
  • At one point during Elloren’s battle with Vogel, he brings Lukas Grey in front of her and transfers Elloren and Lukas’s marriage-binding magic to himself. Vogel is magically bound to Elloren in marriage and hurts Lukas in the process. Elloren’s “heart tightens with agony” and soldiers “grab hold of Lukas’s bindings, dragging him away.” 
  • As Elloren communes with the trees in the forest, they show her images of the Shadow Wand’s historical destruction. She watches as “an army of grey-eyed Keltish soldiers amassing around the king as they advance on the city. Death everywhere.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • On a national holiday, a friend of the Resistance, Thierren, suggests to Elloren’s friend, Sparrow, that they “start [celebrating] with some forbidden wine.” As the night drags on, the two have a conversation while drunk; Sparrow is “seeming[ly] entranced by the glowing beauty of the rose-flavored spirits.” 
  • While confronting Vogel, Elloren and her old roommate, Ariel, are threatened by him. Ariel has a history of forced addiction; she had been kept in prison and force-fed an opiate-like substance called nilantyr. In this confrontation, Vogel threatens to “shove nilantyr down [Ariel’s] throat until [she] begs for more.” This doesn’t actually happen, and Ariel is now addiction free. 

Language    

  • Language such as stupid, idiot, and hell appear frequently. 
  • The word whore is used three times. 
  • Bitch is used twice, and ass is used once. 

Supernatural  

  • This series contains all manner of supernatural creatures, including magic spiders, horrifying monsters, Fae, demons, Kelpies, Lupines, witches, dragons, Dryads, Amazonian warrior women, Icarals, lizard people, wyverns, Selkies, and people with skin of all colors of the rainbow. 
  • Most of the magic appears in magical battles in two ways. The first is Marcus Vogel’s magical creation of shadow monsters that attack Elloren and her friends. “In unison, the Marfoir grin. Their legs click outward as one, extending then drawing inward once more toward the shield, almost touching it. Curling shadow begins to rise from the tip of each pale spider limb to flow over the [Amaz capital city’s protective] dome, hugging its surface and spreading out, the Marfoir’s forms darkening as the fog of Shadow advances. . . the insectile eyes of the Marfoir directly before [Freyja], a terrifying smile on his bone white lips.”  
  • The second way magic is used in battle is through wand magic and spells. When trying to unbind Elloren’s magic from the forest, “Trystan and Lucretia bring the tips of their wands close to Or’myr’s stone and murmur spells.” They are attacked by the forest and use wands and spells to protect themselves.  

Spiritual Content  

  • The book opens in a prologue from Priest Apprentice Alaric Fynnes’s point of view. In the name of their religion, he “accompanies his mentor, Priest Vogel” to the Lost Islands, where Vogel finds the Shadow Wand and kills a Death Fae.  
  • As Vogel’s forces surround the Amaz capital city, Vogel says to a random soldier, “It is the Ancient One’s will [that the Icaral of prophecy stays alive]. So, let the Prophecy come to completion. The Holy Magedom will soon have possession of Erthia’s most dangerous weapon, and she will smite the Icaral demon without mercy.” 
  • Elloren’s friend, Wynter, is under the influence of the Zalyn’or necklace—the religious brainwashing instrument used by the Elves to enslave people. “The Zalyn’or necklace tightens and Wynter’s head arches back, a strangled cry torn from her throat. She shudders as she’s swept up in a new, overpowering Zalyn’or yearning, the old yearning to be purely [Elven] stripped away. Yes, she still wishes with everything in her for her demonic wings to be torn from her back. But there’s a staggeringly fierce, new longing in her now—to have black hair, glimmering green skin, and black clothing. . . not the path of the [Elven] fate at all, but the [Gardnerian] religion.” 
  • The Gardnerian religion discriminates against non-heterosexual sexual orientations, and Vothe comments, “such a bizarre thing for a religion to hate. But [he’s] heard that there are whole passages in the Gardnerian religious book that condemn anyone who loves another of the same gender.”  
  • While in the Eastern Realm, Trystan discovers that the Eastern religion is more peaceful. “The Way of Vo. The prayer text practically everyone raised in [the East] knows by heart, and Vothe can tell that there is something new in it for Trystan.” Trystan begs Vothe to teach him his religion. This religion is not based on a god but on nature and meditation, more similar to Buddhism.  
  • As Elloren and Vogel fight, and Vogel strips Lukas and Elloren of their marriage and transfers it to himself, Elloren tells him that he can’t marry since he’s a priest. Vogel says he “relinquished [his] priestly role before [he] took hold of this fasting, as is allowed by the Blessed Book. Elloren, the Ancient One has made it clear to me. We are each other’s destiny.” 

by Kate Schuyler 

I Escaped the California Camp Fire

When 14-year-old Troy’s parents leave him in charge overnight, he has no idea his life in Paradise is about to change. Unaware of any danger, Troy and his kid sister dive into a huge junk-food-feast and watch movies until 2 a.m. 

When Troy’s dog, Rascal, jerks him awake at 9 a.m., he’s alarmed to see that it’s black as night outside. How can that be? Then, he gets a bunch of panicked texts from his best friend, “I see flames. Get out of town.” 

Terror slingshots down Troy’s spine. He sprints to the neighbor’s house, only to have Mrs. Jones tell him to stay put. Wildfires happen all the time. But Troy can see flames rushing toward their home. Unable to reach his parents, and with a kid sister, a dog, and a cat to protect, he knows he has to act. How can he get them all to safety? They’ll never be able to outrun the fire on foot. He has to make a decision, fast. Does he have what it takes to escape? 

Readers will empathize with Troy, who is forced to make adult decisions that could have dire consequences. At first, Troy wants to rely on adults to make decisions for him, but many of them do not think they need to evacuate. But Troy knows that to survive, he must leave Paradise. Despite his terror and uncertainty, Troy takes action. Troy’s quick thinking and courage are admirable, making him a very likable character. 

I Escaped the California Camp Fire is a fast-paced story that incorporates facts about the Camp Fire. Troy’s experiences highlight the unique situation that the people of Paradise faced, such as having only one road in and out of town. Reading the book will help readers understand how the fire affected people and why eighty-six people lost their lives. To enhance readers’ understanding, the backmatter provides additional information about the Camp Fire, a timeline, and a list of additional books about fires.  

Similar to the I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis, I Escaped the California Camp Fire explores a natural disaster without using graphic descriptions. However, Troy’s experiences will cause the readers’ hearts to race as he fights for survival. The story’s short, suspenseful chapters will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. The likable protagonist and high-interest topic will appeal to any reader who enjoys a good survival story.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • The majority of the book focuses on Troy and his sister’s attempts to escape the fire. For example, Troy’s neighborhood is engulfed in flames. “Another series of explosions boomed, sounding like a giant’s machine gun mowing down the enemy. . . More patches of fire spots erupted in the distance.” 
  • Unsure what to do, Troy watches as “a propane tank exploded into a massive firebomb. The bright fireball lit the neighborhood. Flowing debris flew as if tossed by a fire god, casting destruction into the wind.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • Troy tells his sister, “Don’t be a brat.” 
  • Troy’s sister calls him stupid. 
  • Troy thinks the town he lives in is a “H-E-double-hockey-sticks kind of place.” 
  • When Troy falls, he exclaims, “Banana boogers.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • At first, Troy says he doesn’t believe in God. Later, he says, “Maybe there is a God.” 
  • Troy’s neighbor refuses to leave because, “I was born here and if it’s God’s will, I’ll die here.” It is implied that the woman dies. 
  • A woman tells Troy that her husband is not in town. She says, “Thank the Lord I don’t have to worry about him out in this inferno.” 
  • While talking to his parents on the phone, Troy’s mom says, “Let’s pray. Dear Lord in heaven, like Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, give my babies safe passage through the flames, amen.” 
  • A neighbor tells Troy not to leave town. As Troy drives away, “he prays she was wrong because there is no turning back.” 
  • Several times, Troy prays. For example, “God, if you’re real. Let us outrun this fire.” 

Diana and the Journey to the Unknown

Diana cannot rest until every kid is saved from Zumius, the alien boss who has kidnapped many children. After her voyage into the Underworld, Diana feels guilty that she couldn’t save every superpowered kid that Hades kidnapped. So, while the Amazons debate how to keep her safe, Diana decides to confront her enemies by herself. Determined to help, no matter the cost, Diana transports herself to a strange facility. 

After being drugged and thrown in a cage, Diana escapes outside, looking up to find three moons in the sky and no way home. However, nothing can stop Diana. She befriends some of the planet’s native inhabitants, but when the monsters tracking her threaten her new friends, Diana sacrifices herself by surrendering to protect them. This time, the guards take her to Zumius’s lair in the mortal world.  

When Zumius sends guards after Imani, the last superpowered child, Diana escapes once more. She emerges in an unfamiliar city filled with advanced technology and oddly dressed inhabitants. Despite facing extraordinary challenges for a twelve-year-old, Diana overcomes them with impressive resilience. Diana saves Imani and reactivates Imani’s powers. Then, Diana and Imani put themselves in danger to save the rest of the kids. With the power of the gods failing, no adults to help, and a skyscraper filled with guards in their way, Diana and Imani are bravely undaunted. Along the way, Diana discovers that, while she does have secret superpowers she never knew about, her real superpower is love—love for her family, friends, and people that push her to perform acts of wonder. 

Diana and the Journey to the Unknown serves as a perfect conclusion to the trilogy, although the sequence of events is somewhat overcomplicated. There are only a few implausible moments, such as guards repeatedly underestimating Diana, but these don’t overshadow the power of Diana’s character and the magic of this world. The Amazons are a great example of women empowering one another, and the kids Diana rescues will be an inspiration to kids everywhere. The rest of the story is well-constructed, using simple language and an easy plot that will engage the average reader.  

Readers who enjoy out-of-this-world adventures, Greek mythology, and amazing independent kids will love the world-jumping, new superpowers, and the brutish villains of Diana and the Journey to the Unknown. Diana travels to multiple worlds to save others, complete with monstrous aliens, magical poisons, and plenty of guards for Diana to outwit, all making for creative entertainment. Diana proves again that she’s a powerful character, accomplishing what even the gods could not by defeating Zumius. Overall, this is an inspiring story with a wonderful message: there’s always a way to adapt to the situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • After Diana escapes from the alien facility, she encounters an alien called a Targuni in the woods. Assuming the Targuni has come to imprison her, she attacks them. “With a swoop, she lassoed the creature with a final flourish. The Targuni rose unsteadily to their feet. They tugged at the rope encircling their shoulders, pulling frantically, struggling to break free. Diana tightened her grip.” The Targuni eventually tells Diana that they mean Diana no harm, and Diana lets them go.  
  • When Diana gets recaptured, she breaks the bars on her cage and interrogates a nearby guard for her friend Imani’s whereabouts. “Diana didn’t have time to negotiate. [The other guard] could be back any second, and it would be much harder to fight two. Swinging her lasso, she hurled it toward [the guard]. It launched into the air and wrapped itself around him. He pressed his arms against the lasso as though he could burst it with sheer force. His cheeks turned bright red. A few seconds later, as she expected, his shoulders drooped in defeat. His head hung low.” She gets the information from him and lets him go.  
  • The second guard comes back, and Diana attacks him. “Before [the other guard] could finish his sentence, Diana struck her sword out, upending the food in his hands and splattering the cheeseburger against his face. Then she shoved him as hard as she could. He fell backward onto the carpeted floor with a loud groan.” She runs past him and escapes.  
  • Once she finds the rest of the kids, she fights the guard so they can escape. “Diana crouched, waiting for [the guard] to approach. He was almost there. His hands inches from her wrist. She sliced the air with her sword; it skimmed his arm.” It’s a small wound, and while there are a couple more punches thrown, no one is grievously injured.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • After grasping the cage fragments and teleporting somewhere new, Diana is surprised by two scientists who are walking into the room. They see her and assume that she is in an altered state because of a gas triggered when someone teleports into that room. One of the doctors says, “Be that as it may, she’s under twice the usual dose, and she’s definitely not one of [the superpowered] kids. There’s a protocol to prepare for their arrival. Some sort of glitch must have occurred. It’s not the first time.” This implies they have drugged the other kids into submission. However, Diana is unaffected by the drug and pretends to be unconscious to buy time. 
  • While trying to rescue the kids from Zumius, Diana discovers that they’re being drugged by a substance that induces the feeling of hopelessness, ensuring the kids’ compliance. Diana’s friend Augustus says, “The kids won’t do anything. I can’t be absolutely certain what it is he’s given them to cause their apathy, but based on the scent when he administers it, I believe he’s using a pazzo bean. It instills hopelessness in whoever imbibes it.” Diana is briefly drugged by this substance but manages to ignore the effects. 

Language  

  • Language is tame. Words like stupid, idiot, and imbecile appear frequently

Supernatural  

  • Diana is a superhero, complete with superpowers and magical relics, like the Lasso of Truth. She fights monsters, aliens, and gods. Every page of this novel exhibits some kind of supernatural content. However, the magic is primarily wielded by kids with superpowers without spoken spells, just the wave of a hand. Magic is also present in the landscape, such as the magical island of Themyscira, hidden from the eyes of men. The monsters encountered are mostly aliens, and, while fantastically described, they do not have supernatural powers.  
  • The kids Diana is trying to rescue are described by two scientists trying to figure out how to contain Diana. “‘I’m just saying. If she’s one of those kids, her size doesn’t matter. You’ve seen them,’ [one scientist] replied defensively. ‘The metal bender nearly ripped the door apart when the charm wore off a smidge. And [another superpowered kid] had my arms go soft like jelly without even touching me before we got the second dose on her.’” 
  • Diana’s powers are described after she saves a kid from falling off a play structure.  “[A girl] held up her device [for Diana to see]. [In the video] there was a shifting of green grass—a blur—and then there was Diana; she swooped in, grabbing Fiona before she hit the ground. Someone had captured the moment. How is this possible? Diana stared at the image as it played and replayed. She wanted to wave it away as a trick of the eyes, except it was her. The blur in the image was Diana. She’d known she could run fast, but seeing herself doing it. . . it was far faster than she’d realized. In this video, she was. . . impossibly fast.” 
  • While Diana is trying to rescue the kids, she climbs up a building and falls, discovering a new superpower. “Diana hadn’t fallen. She was levitating in midair; her hands were up and swimming frantically inches from the edge of the beam she’d slipped from. Diana gritted her teeth and, reaching up, she grasped onto a ledge. Hastily, she scrambled atop it and climbed onto the balcony.” 
  • After defeating Zumius, the kids need to figure out how to escape the skyscraper. A new friend, Aristaeus, can control insects and the wind. While escaping, bees flew through the open window and “propelled Aristaeus in the air. Diana shivered. They held him much like the [aliens] had held Diana up not so long ago [to capture her]. But this time was different. These creatures promised safety. Imani tapped her hands against the bees and closed her eyes—and within seconds, they flew invisibly through the air. As the kids let the bees sweep them up, Imani guided them to her home.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Princess Diana grew up among the Amazons, a community of warrior women who worship the Greek gods. In Diana and Journey to the Unknown, she meets, fights, and even collaborates with a couple of them. The Greek gods or references to them appear on nearly every page of this novel. For example, when Diana confronts Zumius, claiming the gods will come to her rescue, Zumius replies, “The gods! They’re frazzled as can be, aren’t they? Hades was dishing out the yummiest gossip before they neutralized him. But the fact of the matter is it’s too late for any of your gods to actually do anything at this point.” 
  • Diana’s friend Imani is a demigod and the child of Zeus. Diana mentions this when trying to get Imani to activate her abilities. “Zeus—your father—said you could stay in our world and learn more about your powers and who you were. He said returning to this world—the mortal world—with your memories and powers intact compromised your ability to live a normal life. You chose to forget. That is why none of what I’m telling you rings a bell. But it’s all true. Every last word.” 
  • Once the kids find their way back to Imani’s house, Zeus appears at the end to congratulate the kids on saving the day. “Lightning crackled in the distance. The home rumbled gently beneath their feet before a white burst of light appeared in the room. Diana blinked. It was Zeus. He wore a white tunic and a gold crown and held an enormous staff in his hands.” 

by Kate Schuyler 

The Hammer of Thor

A couple of months ago, Magnus Chase’s life changed forever. . . because he died. But Magnus didn’t go down without a fight, and he earned himself a place in Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes. It’s not easy getting accustomed to life in Valhalla, where Magnus’s days are filled with fighting and feasting amongst the honorable dead. But just when Magnus is finally settling in, his afterlife is disrupted by the news that Thor, the formidable god of thunder, has lost his hammer. A hammer-less Thor means a defenseless Earth, and armies of giants are lining up to invade while the god is weak.  

With his friends by his side, Magnus embarks on a perilous quest to find Thor’s hammer. With Loki, the cruel trickster god, pulling strings from his prison, will Magnus be able to complete his mission, or will he play right into his enemies’ hands? 

The Hammer of Thor is a witty and entertaining dive into the world of Norse mythology. Narrated by Magnus, readers will be guided through the story by his sarcastic sense of humor. Throughout the novel, Magnus often acts out of empathy and compassion for others. This, combined with his self-aware commentary, makes him a lovable and relatable character. Readers will find themselves invested in Magnus’s story. 

One of this book’s greatest strengths is its diverse cast of characters. On his quest, Magnus is joined by Sam, a devout Muslim whose faith is as strong as her work ethic and skills with an ax. Her knowledge and determination drive the plot and save Magnus on many occasions.  

Fan-favorite dynamic duo Hearth and Blitz also accompany Magnus. Hearth, a deaf elf with a skill for sorcery, and Blitz, a dwarf with a passion for fashion design, are fiercely protective of one another. The pair’s unique skills and personalities steal every scene they share.   

Finally, Magnus finds himself drawn to Alex, the shapeshifting child of Loki, who adds a bit of chaos to the story. Alex is a fierce fighter who is proud of her identity as both a shapeshifter and a transgender and genderfluid person. In addition to driving the plot and making this novel unforgettable, these characters offer readers an opportunity to consider new perspectives and learn about those who are different from them.  

The Hammer of Thor balances tension with moments of levity and handles serious topics in a way that is respectful and impactful. This novel addresses issues such as homelessness, ableism, transphobia, and child abuse in ways that are easy for younger audiences to understand. It also explores themes of trauma and grief, depicting the various ways characters mourn their losses. These subjects are explored in an age-appropriate manner that feels safe and inviting to children, as the story maintains its optimistic and entertaining voice. 

Readers do not have to be familiar with Rick Riordan’s previous works to enjoy the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series. This trilogy is a strong standalone series with unique new characters and settings. Fans of Riordan will enjoy references to his other series, as well as his entertaining conversational writing style. Fans and new readers will be interested in reading the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series because it opens a new world of magic and mayhem.  

This novel contains themes of friendship, perseverance, and strength. Throughout the story, Magnus and his friends often support each other through difficult situations. The bond the characters share empowers them as they work together to overcome every obstacle that comes their way. Despite facing setbacks, the heroes continue to work towards their goals, refusing to abandon their quest. Magnus and his friends are resilient, and readers can find strength through their actions. 

The Hammer of Thor is a must-read for middle-grade audiences that will entertain readers while encouraging empathy and introspection. This novel will help audiences find the joy of reading while taking them on an adventure that explores mythology and friendship. This fast-paced story will hook readers from the start and will be remembered long after they turn the last page.     

Sexual Content  

  • Magnus’s friend Halfborn implies that his girlfriend Mallory likes seeing him shirtless when they are preparing for a practice battle. Mallory comments that Halfborn “always goes into battle bare-chested.” Halfborn replies, “Are you complaining about that?” This causes Mallory to blush.  
  • Loki arranges a marriage between Sam and a giant against Sam’s will. Sam says, “We have to find Thor’s hammer before the first of spring or. . . I will have to marry a giant.” Sam and her friends prevent the wedding from occurring.   

Violence  

  • A magical goat named Otis is struck in the chest with an ax. “Living in Valhalla, I was used to deadly weapons flying out of nowhere, but I was still surprised when an ax sprouted from Otis’s furry chest. . . the ax had pierced his heart.” Otis dies, but due to his magical nature, he comes back to life.   
  • Magnus chases after Otis’s killer and engages in combat with them. “An ax hurtled from above, slicing the buttons off my denim jacket. An inch closer and it would’ve opened up my chest.” The fight scene is described over five pages. The killer escapes and leaves Magnus behind on a rooftop. 
  • Magnus and his friends participate in a practice battle in Valhalla against the other dead heroes who live there, such as Charlie, T.J., and Big Lou. During this battle, “Halfborn and Mallory chopped us a path through a pack of berserkers. T.J. shot Charlie Flannigan in the head. . . We dodged a volley of fiery tar balls from the balcony catapults. We had a brief sword battle with Big Lou from floor 401.” Because they are in Valhalla, everyone who dies in this battle will come back to life. This fight scene is described over 15 pages. 
  • Alex decapitates a wolf using a garrote after the wolves attack an old man in an alley. Alex “lashed out with her wire, using it like a whip. With a single flick, one of the wolves lost its head.” 
  • Alex is bitten on the neck and killed by a wolf. “The last beast took her by the throat. She wrapped her fingers around its neck, but her eyes were losing focus.” After her death, Alex is reborn in Valhalla.  
  • Hearth breaks his ankle after falling into a tomb. Magnus “heard a wet snap followed by Hearth’s grunt, and [he] knew immediately what happened.” Magnus heals Hearth. 
  • Magnus and his friends fight zombies in a tomb. “Sam thrust her spear under [a zombie’s] jaw. The weapon’s light burned away his head like a flame going through toilet paper.” This fight is described over four pages.  
  • Magnus’s Uncle Randolph stabs Blitz in the stomach with a magical blade called the Skofnung Sword because he is following Loki’s orders. “With a cry of horror he buried the Skofnung Sword in Blitzen’s gut.” Blitz is badly injured, but he eventually recovers. 
  • After Uncle Randolph stabs Blitz, Magnus retaliates by slashing “upward, and the Skofnung Sword flew out of Randolph’s grip, along with. . . a couple of pink things that looked like fingers.” Randolph recovers from his injuries.  
  • The police shoot Hearth as he and his friends run away from a party that had become dangerous. “Behind us, a shot rang out. Everyone flinched except Hearth. . . Hearth stumbled, a red stain soaking his shirt.” Hearth recovers from this injury. 
  • Sam kills a giant named Little Billy with an ax. “In one fluid moment, Sam turned and threw her ax right at Billy. The giants gasped. Little Billy’s eyes went even more cross-eyed as he stared at the hatchet now sprouting from his forehead.” 
  • Sam hits a giant named Thrynga in the side with an ax. “Samirah’s ax hurtled across the room and embedded itself in Thrynga’s side.” Thrynga recovers from this injury. 
  • Magnus breaks his ribs when he collides with a stalagmite during a battle. Magnus “slammed into a stalagmite. Something in [his] chest went crack.” 
  • Loki kills a snake by breaking its spine. Loki “grabbed the snake that had been dripping venom on him, yanked it off its stalactite, and snapped it like a whip.” 
  • Uncle Randolph falls into a pit and dies. Uncle Randolph “slipped sideways into the darkness without a sound.” 
  • Thor smites Thrynga, killing her. “Thor pointed his hammer at Thrynga as casually as if he were channel surfing. Tendrils of lightning shot from the runes engraved in the metal. The giantess burst into a million bits of rubble.”      

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Sam goes into an alley that “heroin junkies liked to shoot up in. . . which made it a great place to get beaten, robbed, or killed.” No drug use is depicted in this scene. 

Language    

  • Halfborn calls someone a “meinfretr.” Magnus says that this is an Old Norse swear word that translates to “something like stinkfart.” 
  • Mallory makes a gesture with her hand that is equivalent to giving someone the middle finger. “Mallory made a V with her fingers and flicked them under her chin.”  
  • The word idiot is used many times. For example, Mallory tells Halfborn, “You’re an idiot.”

Supernatural  

  • Sam is a Valkyrie, a warrior who leads the souls of dead heroes to Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes who died bravely in battle. Sam comments on her role, calling it her “part-time job reaping souls of the dead and running top secret missions for Odin.”  
  • Magnus comments on the various things he has done since his death and rebirth. Magnus “travelled the Nine Worlds meeting Norse gods, elves, dwarves, and a bunch of monsters with names I couldn’t pronounce. I’d scored a magical sword that presently hung around my neck in the form of a runestone pendant.” 
  • Magnus speaks with a magical anthropomorphic goat named Otis. “Otis climbed into the chair I’d reserved for Sam. He sat on his back haunches and put his front hooves on the table.” 
  • Magnus recalls fantastical things he did in the previous book. “I’d played catch-the-lava-ball with fire giants. I’d eagle-skied over the rooftops of Boston. I’d pulled the world serpent out of Massachusetts Bay and defeated Fenris Wolf with a ball of yarn.”  
  • Magnus learns that he will have to encounter a wight, which is “a powerful undead creature that likes to collect magical weapons.”  
  • Magnus has a magical talking sword named Jack. “As I bounded across Newbury Street, Jack sprang to full form in my hand. His blade—thirty inches of double-edged bone-forged steel— was emblazoned with runes that pulsed in different colors when Jack talked.” 
  • Alex can shapeshift because she is a child of Loki. “The animal grew into a regular teen, long and lanky, with a swirl of dyed green hair. . .”  
  • Sam and Magnus go for a ride on a flying horse. “Sam saddled a white stallion. She climbed on his back and pulled me up behind her, then we galloped out the gates of the stable, straight into the skies above Boston.”  
  • Hearth performs magic by casting runes. “From the inside pouch of his jacket, he produced a small collection of runestones.” 
  • Zombies come to life and attack Magnus and his friends. “To absolutely no one’s surprise, the twelve mummified warriors stepped out from their niches along the walls.” 
  • A pilot named Barry is briefly possessed by the mysterious person who killed Otis the Goat. “Barry’s new voice crackled with distortion and went up and down in pitch.” 
  • Magnus and his friends walk across the Bifrost, a rainbow bridge connecting Earth with Asgard, the home of the Norse gods. “Radiance surrounded us, fuzzy and hot. Rather than walking across a slick, solid surface, I felt like we were wading through the waist-high field of wheat.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • This novel is centered around Norse mythology and contains frequent depictions of and references to Norse gods. 
  • Sam is Muslim and comments on how she views the Norse gods. Sam says that she “doesn’t accept that Norse gods are gods. They’re just powerful beings. Some of them are my annoying relatives. But they are no more than creations of Allah, the only god, just like you and I are.”  
  • Magnus watches as Sam prays. “Sam took off her shoes. She stood very still at the foot of her rug, her hands clasped at her stomach, her eyes half-closed. She whispered something under her breath. . . Then she began her prayers, a soft, singsong chanting of Arabic that sounded like she was reciting a familiar poem or a love song. Sam bowed, straightened, and knelt with her feet tucked under her and pressed her forehead against the cloth.”    

 by Kelly Barker 

The Secret of Locker 24

One morning before classes start, Emily Turner sees something in her school’s hallway that brings her to a dead stop — Locker 24 is open. That locker has been shut for over two decades, and no one is allowed to talk about it or ask about it. . . and certainly not touch it. But Emily’s heard the rumors. She knows she should report it immediately. As a straight-A student and yearbook editor, Emily always does the right thing. But this time she just can’t. Instead, she finds herself unable to resist looking in the forbidden locker — and begins a journey that will change her life forever. 

As the yearbook editor, Emily believes it is her responsibility to create a yearbook that accurately reflects the perfection of her junior high. At first, Emily is so busy with schoolwork and other extracurricular activities that she doesn’t notice anything outside of herself. This all changes when she looks into Locker 24. For some reason, the locker’s past owner, Adriana, is trying to communicate with Emily. Even though Emily doesn’t want anything to do with Locker 24, her curiosity leads her to research Adriana. The mystery behind the locker propels the plot forward, and the actions of the past are connected to events currently unfolding at Emily’s middle school, allowing the reader to see that bullying has been and continues to be an often-overlooked problem.  

Emily is portrayed as a typical popular kid who is perfect and always wants to do the right thing. Despite this, Emily is neither judgmental nor arrogant. However, when she begins to research Locker 24, Emily realizes that she has a major flaw—she is completely focused on herself and her desire to portray junior high in a positive light. With Adriana’s help, Emily notices Hailey, who doesn’t have friends. Emily eventually steps in to protect Hailey from a group of bullies. However, Emily doesn’t stop there; the conclusion hints that Emily and Hailey will become friends, something that Hailey desperately needs. 

The Secret of Locker 24 is a compelling mystery that highlights the lasting impact of bullying. Both Adriana and Hailey give readers an understanding that being kind to others isn’t enough. Emily points out, “Okay, maybe I’m not actually doing the bullying myself. But that doesn’t mean I’m totally blameless. I still saw it. I still heard about it. And I did nothing. Nothing.” In the end, Emily steps up and stops Hailey from being bullied, demonstrating both compassion and courage. But more importantly, Emily befriends Hailey. This suggests that Hailey’s life will significantly improve because Emily took the time to notice what was going on around her. 

As part of the West 44 collection, The Secret of Locker 24 features a straightforward plot that employs simple language, appealing to students who may be overwhelmed by challenging vocabulary and complex sentences. The book enables students to explore bullying in a safe and age-appropriate manner, facilitating meaningful discussions. The hi-lo format makes the West 44 collection perfect for struggling readers.  

The Secret of Locker 24 is a fast-paced and suspenseful book that has many positive life lessons. Emily’s life seems a little too perfect—she’s a straight-A student, has two loving and supportive parents, and is liked by her peers. Despite this, Emily is a likable character who shows character growth. Emily’s eyes are opened to the problem of bullying, and she realizes that “asking for what you need isn’t a sign of weakness.” Readers who enjoy The Secret of Locker 24 should also read Haze by Erin Thomas. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Emily’s mom remembers Adriana, a girl she knew from middle school. Emily’s mom said, “She met some of the other kids from school at the mall. Some real jerks. It was all a setup. I don’t know what happened, exactly, but I heard she was never the same after that.” 
  • Adriana was not only bullied by some of the kids in school, but some of the teachers were mean to her as well. “The kids said mean things to her or threw things at her. . . And the people who worked at the school would be nasty to her, too.” 
  • When Adriana was walking down the hallway, a teacher said, “Where do you buy your clothes, Adriana? From the mall on Mars?. . . Is that how you wanted to wear your hair today? Or did a crow get stuck in it?”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • Emily’s mom talks about a person she knew in middle school. Emily’s mom says, “Truthfully, most kids thought she was a freak.” 

Supernatural 

  • One day at school, Emily notices that Locker 24 is open. Because of the rumors regarding the locker, Emily closes it. But then, the next day, it is open again. Emily realizes that the locker had only been open when Emily was alone in the hallway. Emily discovers that Adriana, the last person who used the locker, died “the same day. . . that [Emily] found the locker open.” 
  • Emily starts talking to the locker. “Then, just as Emily was about to walk away, the door began to open further. . . the door moved by itself.” As Emily looks at the contents of the locker, she sees a movie ticket stub. As Emily reads the ticket, the locker closes by itself, “the lock firmly back in place.” 
  • Emily helps Hailey, a girl who was being bullied. Afterward, “the heart sticker that had been on the inside of Adriana’s locker door was now on [Emily’s]. And the single word that was printed on it seemed more important than ever—love.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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