Reading Level: Junior High

See-Through Mummies

From the pyramids at Giza to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, mummies—those ancient and awesome figures of the dead—are among the most fascinating and surprising mysteries of the ancient world. Now you can travel back in time and look beneath the mummy’s bandages as it goes from dead to perfectly preserved, all in just a few months.  

Featuring clear pages that allow the reader a glimpse beneath the surface, See-Through Mummies will show you the secrets, legends, methods, and the exact step-by-step science of the practice of creating ancient mummies. Readers will not only learn how and why mummies were made, they will also unravel the secrets of the Book of the Dead, the legend behind Egyptian gods and goddesses, the inside story of Osiris, the very first mummy, and will glimpse the riches of tombs treasures as only a see-through page can show them. 

So, open your eyes and prepare to be amazed. With this book, you won’t just see mummies; you’ll see through them.  

See-Through Mummies is a beautifully illustrated book that breaks the Egyptian’s beliefs and mummification process into short informational sections. Each section has a bold title that clearly labels what the text is about. Illustrations show the mummification process with captions that explain each illustration. In addition, many pages have an infographic titled “Mummy Matters.” The infographic uses a bullet point list with additional facts, such as, “The valuable heart was left in the body. The worthless brain was thrown away.”  

The book gives step-by-step instructions on how to mummify a person and explains the Egyptian’s beliefs regarding the afterlife. For example, before being allowed into the afterlife, each person’s heart would be weighed. If they lead an evil life, they would be condemned to a second death. “The prospect of dying for a second time filled Egyptians with horror. It was the worst thing that could possibly happen to them.” Ammut was a monster called the “‘devourer of the dead’ because she ate the hearts of those who had led wicked lives. She was feared by all, and everyone knew that once she had eaten a person’s heart, they could never reach the afterlife.” Squamish readers may find the descriptions of the mummification process upsetting. 

The book’s format will instantly engage readers with the illustrations that mimic an ancient scroll. Each page has a border with brightly colored symbols, but the illustrations use earth tones. While none of the illustrations show gory detail, several of them include blood flowing from a body. Each illustration helps the reader understand the Ancient Egyptian’s beliefs. For example, the journey to the afterlife illustrates the steps involved in the weighing of the heart ceremony, along with captions explaining the illustration. The transparent pages are strong and will not tear; plus, they give the mummification process an added element because they allow the reader to see each step.  

Everyone who is interested in Ancient Egypt or mummies should read See-Through Mummies. This fascinating book breaks facts into easily manageable sections, and the illustrations help readers understand the Egyptians’ beliefs. Learn more about Ancient Egypt by reading The Curse of King Tut’s Mummy by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, the TombQuest Series by Michael Northrop, and the Kid Detective Zet Series by Scott Peters. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The God Osiris was married to his sister Isis. Their brother Seth was jealous of Osiris and tricked him into getting into a coffin. “Seth shut the lid and threw the coffin into the Nile River, and Osiris drowned. . .” Later, Seth found the body and “ripped his body into fourteen pieces, which he scattered across Egypt.”  
  • Isis was sad that Osiris was scattered over Egypt, so she searched for the body parts. “She found them all save one, which a great fish had swallowed.” Osiris’s body was mummified, and Isis “blew life into Osiris, and he was reborn, not to live in this world, but to live for all time in the afterlife.” 
  • During the embalming process, the brain was removed. “It was pulled out in bits through the left nostril or scooped through a hole in the base of the skull.” 
  • Some people believe King Tutankhamun was murdered.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • During embalming, “the body could be washed with wine made from the fruit of palm trees.” 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • After a person “entered the afterlife, he or she was able to use supernatural powers. These powers could be put to good use, helping to solve problems for the living. However, they could also harm the living, causing them illness or trouble in the form of curses.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • The ancient Egyptians believed in many gods. The book references the gods Horus and Thoth. “Horus, who was the son of Osiris, was the god of eternal life. Thoth was the god of wisdom and writing.”  
  • After a person died, embalmers took away the body, and “priests attended to the body of a dead person, offering spells and prayers, and preparing it for the embalming process.” 
  • While a person was being embalmed, “priests recited sacred words from the Book of the Dead. This was a collection of around three hundred spells, all of which were designed to help the dead person travel to the afterlife.” 
  • When a body was wrapped in linen, “Amulets and spells were placed between the layers. . . During the wrapping, priest chanted spells each time a new piece of linen was put in place. . . the spells were also designed to protect the person’s akh, helping it on its way to the next life where it would live again.”

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a “pleasure to have in class.” It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She’d never send them of course — she’d rather die than hurt anyone’s feelings — but it’s a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie’s work. 

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating co-captain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. “You’re attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you’ve been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft . . .” Sadie doesn’t have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them . . . that is, until they’re accidentally sent out. 

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It’s her worst nightmare — now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they’re not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there’s one person growing to appreciate the “real” Sadie — Julius, the only boy she’s sworn to hate . . .  

Sadie is a classic overachiever who worries about getting into her dream college, but of course, she keeps all her worries to herself. When her vicious emails are sent out, Sadie and Julius make a scene at a school assembly, and as punishment, the principal gives them a list of tasks they must complete together. Through it all, Sadie realizes that she doesn’t know herself, or Julius, as well as she thought.  

While the plotline of two sworn enemies forced to work together and fall in love isn’t new, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You throws the two competitive overachievers together in a surprisingly fun way. The story is told from Sadie’s point of view, which allows readers to understand all of her frustrations, fears, and insecurities. Sadie is convinced it’s up to her to save her family, but she unfortunately never has an open and honest conversation with them. This is similar to Sadie’s school life; she pretends everything is perfect despite harboring hard feelings. Through it all, Sadie learns to be real with herself and those around her. 

One reason Sadie tries to be perfect is because her parents divorced when she was young, and Sadie blames herself for her parent’s riff. Sadie’s parents never fought, so she was shocked when her father left. Her mom discusses how things aren’t always what they seem. Sadie’s mom says, “I almost wish that we had fought more, that we’d cared enough to challenge each other and bicker over the little things. Better that than just swallowing our resentment and staying quiet until we couldn’t take it anymore.” Not quelling her emotions is one of the major lessons Sadie learns. In addition, Sadie realizes the harmful effects of being a pushover. “What I’m realizing is that if you’re quiet about the things that hurt you, people are only going to mistake your tolerance for permission. And they’re going to hurt you again and again.” 

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You is a feel-good romance that wraps up important lessons with some laugh-out-loud moments. Even though Sadie and Julius aren’t always nice—especially to each other—everyone can relate to their fear of rejection and their unexpected feelings for each other. Ultimately, they both realize that being vulnerable isn’t the same as being weak. And when it comes to love, you have to take risks to win the game. For more swoon-worthy romance, grab a copy of I Believe in A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo and Maybe This Time by Kasie West.  

Sexual Content  

  • A girl shows up at a party with “blue mascara streaked down her cheeks. The word has since spread that she’d been dumped by a girl on her gymnastic team for one of the glamorous equestrians at another school.” 
  • During the party, some of the teens play truth or dare. Someone dares Sadie to kiss Julius. Sadie kisses him. “It’s so fast, so light that I only have time to register the startling softness of his lips before I’m reeling back again.”  
  • After Sadie kisses Julius, he asks, “You call that a kiss? That was barely anything?” Embarrassed, Sadie wants to “slap that smug look off his face,” so she kisses him again. “I grab the collar of his shirt and pull him to me. This time, when our lips meet, I don’t back away. I deepen the kiss, letting my fingers slide up his neck, curl into his hair. . . Then he kisses me back, presses me closer, and something inside me slides off-balance.” 
  • Sadie tells Julius that she kissed a boy at coding class. Afterwards, Julius says, “Why would I be jealous? I would rather die than kiss you again.” Sadie feels shame. She describes, “I lurch forward and do the first thing I can think of: I kick him. Hard, right in the knee. The sound of the impact is even louder than I anticipated. . .” Julius is shocked but not injured. 
  • At Sadie’s party, “three couples are making out on the couch in one row, as if they’re in a competition to see who can make the most disturbing sounds or flash the most skin.”  
  • One of Sadie’s friends is upset that her sister’s boyfriend is cheating. “Not with one person, but multiple people.”  
  • Sadie and Julius are planning where to go for the senior trip. Julius doesn’t want to go to the beach because “the probability of teenagers sneaking into each other’s rooms and hooking up increases by zero-point-four when you put them in a scenic beach setting.” There are several other sexual innuendos in the conversation. 
  • Julius’s brother tracks him down by using Julius’s search history. Julius is upset so his brother says, “Calm down, it’s not like you were searching up the closest brothel.” Later, Julius’s brother tells him to “hook up” with Sadie and “get it out of your system in order to focus on what matters.” 
  • While on the senior trip, Julius and Sadie meet up in the hallway. As they talk, “he murmurs against my neck. His lips graze my skin, and his other hand slides up, tangles in my hair, his nails lightly scraping my scalp. . .” Sadie gives Julius permission to kiss her, and then “his mouth is on mine in an instant, desperate, urgent. And I cave in. . . My brain is buzzing, but all of my thoughts are floating, nonsensical fragments as he deepens the kiss, wraps a hand around my waist . . .” The kiss is described over a page.  

Violence  

  • A student, Danny, comes to school with a black eye. Later, Sadie sees Julius’s knuckles, which are “split open and raw red . . . [his injury] looks more unnatural, more deliberate as if he’d slammed his fist into something hard. Like Danny’s face.” Later, Sadie finds out that Julius punched Danny.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Sadie decides to throw a party, but she’s worried no one will come. Her friend says, “There’s no quicker way to bond than over cheap beer and good music.”  
  • Sadie’s party has “giant cartons of alcohol lined up along the couches.” At the party, the teens get drunk.”  
  • At the party, Julius tells Sadie not to drink a bottle of alcohol. “I uncap the bottle, holding his gaze the whole time in challenge, and take a long, deliberate swig. The liquid burns my mouth, so much stronger than I’d been prepared for. It tastes like fire. Rushes straight to my head. . . My body starts to warm up from within, and my head starts to spin.” Sadie drinks an entire bottle of bourbon and gets drunk. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used often. Profanity includes ass, bullshit, crap, damn, hell, piss, and shit. 
  • Oh my god, oh god, and god are used as exclamations often. 
  • One of Sadie’s classmates writes, “Sadie Wen is a bitch” on the bike shed. 
  • When Sadie’s friend is upset about a cheating boy, Sadie says, “You couldn’t have known. It’s an unfortunate feature of douchebags that they’re good at hiding their douchebag tendencies.” 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen

Most of what we’ve known about Cleopatra—and what crept into art, film, and literature—came from her enemies, the Romans. Ascending to the throne at young age of 17, Cleopatra proved to be a brilliant negotiator who forged alliances that kept her in power and in control of her kingdom.   

Readers will be surprised to learn that Cleopatra was more of a bookworm than a seductress. The text is divided into small sections, with headlines announcing each topic. In addition, some sections answer common questions such as, “Was she beautiful?” To answer the question, the author refers to ancient documents. According to Plutarch, the ancient biographer, “The charm of her presence was irresistible, and there was an attraction. . . with a peculiar force of character. . . [that] laid all who associated with her under its spell.” 

Even though Cleopatra Rules is written at a high reading level, readers can use context clues to understand most words. Even reluctant readers will be able to enjoy the book because it features many sidebars and color illustrations: maps, photos of ancient artifacts, and artwork from many historical periods. The book is written in a humorous tone that can appear flippant. For example, the text explains the mummification process: “The organs, stuffed into special jars, stayed near the body. They pulled the brains out through the nose. After all, who needed brains?” 

Since Cleopatra’s life was entwined with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, readers will also learn more about Rome and the period’s politics. Anyone who loves history or is curious about Cleopatra will fully enjoy Cleopatra Rules because it presents history in an easy-to-read format that is engaging and educational. However, readers need to beware: Cleopatra Rules will make you want to dig deeper into ancient Egypt’s and Rome’s history because the political leaders are fascinating.  

Sexual Content  

  • In ancient Egypt, it wasn’t unusual for siblings to marry each other. Cleopatra’s father “probably expected the two to marry when the boy got older. And the eww factor gets even worse. After all, Cleopatra’s mother was likely also her aunt, her father’s sister.”  
  • The ancient Egyptian gods were often married to their siblings, which is why pharaohs often married each sibling. “All pharaohs were the human embodiment of Horus, sharing his divinity. When pharaohs died, they became fully divine. . .” 
  • The Romans believed Cleopatra was a “harlot.” However, she only had two romantic relationships.   

Violence  

  • When Cleopatra and her father went to Rome, Cleopatra’s sister Berenice claimed the throne. “It was a dumb move because as soon as Daddy regained control of the throne, Berenice parted with more than her crown. She parted with her life, too. . . she was executed for treason.” 
  • To gain Caesar’s favor, Cleopatra’s brother “had Pompey the Great—one of the most powerful leaders in Rome—beheaded on Egyptian soil.” When Caesar arrived in Egypt, “the boy king’s advisers shoved Pompey’s pickled head into his face.”  
  • Egypt attacked Caesar because he refused to leave Egypt. To escape, Caesar “jumped into the choppy waters and swam to a boat farther out to sea . . . Arrows and spears flew, nearly blotting out the bright Egyptian sun.” Caesar escaped, but Cleopatra’s brother drowned, and her sister Arsinoe was arrested. 
  • When Caesar became too powerful, “Twenty-six senators knifed Caesar to death at a senate meeting.”  
  • Mark Antony received a note saying Cleopatra was dead. “Antony then took the sword and stabbed himself in the belly,” causing “bleeding and gasping in pain.” When he discovered the note was false, he asked his servants to take him to Cleopatra.  
  • When Octavian captured Cleopatra, she “grabbed a dagger hidden in her dress and tried to stab herself, but Octavian’s man was too quick. She’d been captured.” 
  • After Antony died, Cleopatra “finished her ritual prayers at Antony’s tomb.” Then, she killed herself by letting a snake bite her. However, scholars debate whether this is true or if Cleopatra took poison. 
  • After Cleopatra died, her son was a threat, so Octavian “had him hunted down and murdered.” 
  • Cleopatra’s only grandson, Ptolemy of Mauretania, was murdered because he “wore a purple cloak that was prettier than” the Roman Emperor Caligula’s cloak. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When Cleopatra and Mark Antony were together, they threw parties where “tasty wine flowed.” 
  • Mark Antony drank heavily.  
  • The Romans celebrated a war victory with “food and wine. Party time!” The celebrations could last for days. The partying even had a religious vibe because the conquering hero was likened to a god.

Language  

  • By killing a Roman general, Cleopatra’s brother made a “boneheaded move.”

Supernatural 

  • To Egyptians, jewelry was “a form of fancy magic. . .They figured the more jewelry you put on, the safer you were from bad things happening. . . Almost every piece of jewelry had some sort of symbolic meaning or magical power.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • The ancient Romans worshiped many gods, including Montu, the Egyptian god of war. “The Buchis bull was believed to be the incarnation of the war god, Montu. When a Buchis bull died, it was mummified and placed in a special tomb. . . “ Cleopatra celebrated in a ceremony for the Buchis bull. 
  • The Buchis bull was “papered” because Egyptians believed it “helped cure the sick and delivered oracles.” 
  • When Cleopatra became queen, she “dressed as Venus, lay beneath a canopy of gold cloth, with boys costumed as Cupid stood on either side, fanning her. Beautiful girls posed as minor goddesses, and sea nymphs burned sweet incense to perfume the air around them. . . To the Egyptians, she was Isis, the main goddess of Egypt. And, as in a religious experience, everyone was hushed in awe at the sight of the goddess-queen.” 
  • The Egyptians worshiped “a healer god of perfume—Nefertem.”  

The Thieves of Ostia

Flavia Gemina is a natural at solving mysteries. The daughter of a ship’s captain living in Ostia, the port of Rome, in AD79, she and her three friends, Jonathan, a Jewish boy (and secretly a Christian); Nubia, an African slave girl; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy, must work together to discover who is beheading the watchdogs that guard people’s homes, and why.

One of the best qualities of The Thieves of Ostia is the interesting and diverse characters. While Flavia is the main protagonist, the addition of Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus adds interest and allows the reader to see how people in different social groups interact. Despite coming from different backgrounds, Flavia, her father, and her friends treat Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus equally. This highlights the importance of treating all people kindly and allows the reader to see Flavia’s compassion.  

When Flavia first sees Nubia, who is naked and chained, Flavia decides to purchase Nubia instead of buying an expensive book. From the start, Flavia treats Nubia like a friend instead of a servant. Likewise, when Lupus enters the scene, he’s in filthy, threadbare clothes and is unable to talk because his tongue has been cut out. Despite this, Lupus is treated with care and quickly joins Flavia’s friend group. Flavia’s friend Jonathan is also well-developed, and through him and his family, readers learn how Christian Jews are discriminated against. This topic isn’t explored in detail. Instead, the story affirms the importance of treating everyone with respect. Flavia’s father explains how Jonathan’s family has different customs that must be respected. Flavia and her father accept each other’s differences and create a welcoming atmosphere that allows friendships to bloom.  

In addition to the interesting characters, The Thieves of Ostia revolves around a fast-paced mystery with Flavia and her friends roaming different parts of Rome. This gives a glimpse into the harsh realities of life, including slavery and death, which were common during this period. These scenes are often graphic and may upset some readers. One character who is especially cruel is Venalicius, a slave trader who is rumored to kidnap children to sell as slaves. In one terrifying scene, Venalicius sends his men to capture Flavia and her friends. This heart-pounding scene shows the perils of children who live in Rome. 

The Thieves of Ostia has many positive aspects, including interesting characters, a compelling mystery, and several positive life lessons. Through Flavia and her friends’ adventures, readers will learn the importance of forgiveness. In addition, the story’s conclusion shows the dangers of judging people based on their appearance. One reason people did not suspect the culprit was because he was attractive. Flavia says the criminal was “polite and handsome. . . It just never occurred to me that he might be bad.” Readers who get squeamish by graphic descriptions will want to avoid reading The Thieves of Ostia. However, readers who are ready to delve into the hard topics of death and slavery will enjoy The Thieves of Ostia because of the exciting action and adventure.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • A pack of dogs chases Flavia into a tree. While she’s trying to figure out how to move to safety, “One of the yellow dogs yelped and leaped to his feet, as if stung by a bee. Then the leader snarled and writhed in pain. A stone had struck him!” A boy slung rocks at the dogs until they “slunk off.”  
  • When Flavia goes into town, she sees “terrifying men with broken noses, mangled ears, and meaty arms. Some had lost arms or hands or legs.” It is unclear how the men were injured. 
  • \While by the port, Flavia hears “the crack of a whip and clink of chains. Out of the mist emerged a pitiful sight, a line of women, naked and chained at the neck. . . Some had open sores.” The women were naked and wore “wooden tags with prices scrawled on them.” 
  • Venalicius is known to kidnap children and sell them into slavery. It was rumored “that he had kidnapped a nine-year-old girl named Sapphira and sold her to a Syrian merchant.” 
  • Venalicius had one ear “bitten off by a slave he had afterward crucified, if the rumor was true.” 
  • Flavia sees a young girl who is being sold by Venalicius. Flavia asks her father what will happen to the girl, and he says, “She may become a lady’s maid. Or a cook’s assistant. Or perhaps someone will buy her for a wife. . . You know that eleven or twelve is not too young for slaves to marry.”  
  • When Shanakda, a slave girl, was too afraid to walk the gangplank, “without warning, Venalicius had furiously unlocked her collar and pushed her into the water, though her hands had still been tied. . . Nubia would never forget the sight of bitter seawater filling Shanakda’s screaming mouth and silencing her forever.” 
  • Flavia’s family’s cook “had died shopping for leeks in the forum when a donkey kicked him in the head.”  
  • Flavia’s neighbor, Cordius, was an officer in Germania, and “his whole family had been slaughtered by barbarians. A lovely wife, three fine young sons, and a baby girl, now all gone to the underworld. . .” 
  • Jonathan’s family’s watchdog is killed. Jonathan tells Flavia not to look because “someone has cut off his head and taken it away.” Later, another dog is found with its head cut off.  
  • Avita, a young girl, “died horribly, in great pain, of hydrophobia. . . The disease is also known as rabies.” Avita’s mom says, “Avita lost her appetite, and then she began to be terrified of the sight of water. She even refused to drink. Finally, she began to see things that weren’t there. But the end, when it came, was peaceful.” 
  • Avita’s father goes to several taverns, gets drunk, then travels to a lighthouse and jumps off. “There was a cry from the onlookers as the figure struck the edge of the first tier, bounced, and tumbled like a rag doll down to the concrete below.” 
  • A young boy climbed a tree to get away from a pack of dogs. Someone begins shooting arrows at the dogs. “One of the dogs yelped, leaped into the air, then fell back with a shaft in his gut. . . the second arrow struck the leader. . . Two dogs with arrows in them lay writhing on the ground.” Jonathan’s father, Mordecai, grabs a sword and “cut the dog’s throat with a single stroke, putting her out of her misery.”  
  • The other dog “leapt directly at Mordecai’s face. Jonathan’s father reacted by instinct. The bloody sword flashed again, and the dog’s head and body fell in two separate places.”  
  • Flavia befriends an orphan boy who cannot talk because “someone has cut out his tongue.” The reason for this is never stated. 
  • Flavia’s dog begins to whine. Then, Flavia sees “a trident, the kind fishermen use to catch fish. Its base was wedged tight between paving stones, and its three prongs pointed up toward the cold stars. On each of the three points was planted a severed dog’s head.” Flavia faints. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Jonathan uses marjoram oil for his asthma.  
  • When Flavia hurts her ankle, an adult applies ointment to help it heal. 
  • Flavia and her father purchased a young slave. Flavia “bathed the sores on her neck with a sea sponge and applied some of Mordecai’s soothing aloe balm.”  
  • At Flavia’s birthday dinner, the adults drink wine, and the children drink “well watered” wine. Jonathan becomes “slightly tipsy.”  
  • Flavia lives close to the graveyard. “She often went there with her father to honor her mother and twin brothers. . . Wind could be poured into [amphora] necks to refresh the ashes of the dead below.” 
  • A boy follows Avita’s father to several taverns, where he sees men drinking and gambling.  
  • Flavia’s family has friends over for dinner, and they drink wine. Flavia notices that her father has drunk too much wine. 

Language  

  • An adult exclaims, “Great Neptune’s beard!”  
  • “By Hercules” is used as an exclamation twice. 
  • Flavia and Jonathan both exclaim, “by Pollux” one time. 

Supernatural 

  • A boy overhears a soothsayer talking to Avita’s father. The boy “guessed the soothsayer was poking at chicken entrails or staring into a sacred bauble.” The soothsayer tells the father, “Unless you offer a sacrifice to the god Anubis, your daughter’s spirit will never be at rest. . . May the gods curse you!” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Flavia wears an amulet. “One day, when she married, she would dedicate this bulla to the gods of the crossroad.” 
  • When Flavia finds her father’s signet ring, she says “a silent prayer of thanks to Castor and Pollux,” who are deities and the patrons of athletes. 
  • Jonathan’s family is Jewish. When Flavia meets his father, he is reading the Torah. Jonathan says the family moved after “our old neighbors wrote things on the wall of our house, and once they threw rotten eggs at Father.” 
  • Jonathan’s family are Christians who aren’t allowed in the synagogue. The Rabbi tells Jonathan, “I suppose you can’t be blamed for your father’s misguided beliefs. Besides, the Master of the Universe, blessed be He, tells us to act justly and to love mercy. . .” 
  • Flavia tells Jonathan, “I’ve heard that Christians eat their God, and my father says they burned Rome.” Jonathan defends Christianity. He says, “Christians are peaceful. We are taught to love our enemies and pray for them.” 
  • Jonathan’s father, Mordecai, encourages the children to forgive. He says, “Our faith teaches that if you say sorry to God for the wrong things you have done, and if you forgive the people who have done wrong things to you, you will be forgiven.” 
  • When eating at Flavia’s house, snails are served. When Jonathan asks if he can eat them, his father says, “God has made all things clean.” After a discussion that lasted a page, “Flavia closed her eyes and tried to imagine which god she was speaking to. Finally, she settled on the beardless shepherd with a lamb over his shoulder.” 
  • While discussing the criminal who killed the dogs, Mordecai says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”   
  • Flavia’s father sets off on a journey after he “visited the temple of Castor and Pollux, to make sacrifices for a good and profitable journey.”  
  • Avita’s mom says, “I believe that after we die, we will go to a place more wonderful than we can imagine. Not the cold, dark underworld, but a sunny garden, a paradise. I trust Avita is there now. She was also a believer.” This implies that Avita’s mother is a Christian.  
  • Flavia and her friends talk to a sea captain who sailed through a terrible story. The captain says, “All of us are thanking whatever gods we believe in that we’re alive . . .” 
  • When the slave dealer sends his men to capture Jonathan and his friends, Jonathan prays that they reach safety. 
  • When Emperor Vespasian dies, he says, “Oh, dear, I think I’m becoming a god.”  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator!

This interactive story makes readers part of the story by inviting them to become the main characters. The story warns: watch out as a barbarian fighting against the Romans, you are about to be captured, sold as a slave, and trained to become a Roman gladiator.  

Tips from the experts:  

  • Train hard — your life will depend on your fighting skills.  
  • Eat porridge, barley, and ash to become fit and strong!  
  • Don’t get caught if you attempt to escape — the punishments are severe.  
  • Fight well or face the consequences! 
  • Win every contest and live long enough to retire.  

If you’re ready to jump into the life of a gladiator, You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator!  will teach you how to fight, kill, and die in a suitably sporting manner to entertain the Roman crowds. If you survive, you could become a hero but don’t count on it.  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator! introduces readers to the dark and violent life of a Roman gladiator. Instead of depicting the horrors that gladiators face in a dark, dreary mood, the illustrations use humor. While fighting is illustrated, the men have exaggerated facial expressions, and no wounds are included. One page does show two men being chased by wild animals, and one of the gladiators is on the ground while a tiger is about to pounce on him. The book’s light tone allows readers to learn about this important era in history without traumatizing them with gory details.   

The book’s format is perfect for reluctant readers. Each page has one large illustration as well as several smaller illustrations. On each two-page spread, a large paragraph explains what is happening to the reader. Along the edges, there is more information about a gladiator’s life. For example, one page includes an illustrated list of what happens when a gladiator is getting ready to “fight to the death.” In addition, each two-page spread has a “Handy Hint” that gives even more information, such as “keep oon fighting—if you don’t, your trainer will send a slave to whip you or prod you with a hot poker.”  

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator! is an interactive book that uses humor and illustrations to make learning about history fun. While some readers may not understand all of the words, context clues and illustrations will help them understand their meanings. Plus, there is a glossary at the back of the book. For more information about life in ancient Rome, you don’t need to search for an ancient scroll; instead, read the nonfiction book Ancient Rome and Pompeii by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce. Readers who want to experience a fictional gladiator’s life should read Ranger in Time: Danger in Ancient Rome by Kate Messner.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The Romans and Gauls fight; the Romans enslave the prisoners who “are chained at the neck and led away to begin a new life as slaves.” An illustration of the fight is included.  
  • When the slaves are sold at the market, they are forced to work in the mines, in the quarry, as gladiators, and in other difficult jobs. The slaves are chained and must wear a collar with their owner’s name and address. 
  • Several times, the book mentions that slaves were whipped if they didn’t work hard enough.  
  • If a slave tried to escape, “a runaway will have FHE (for Fugitivus Hic Est) and the initials of his owner, such as LT (for Lucius Titius) burned into his forehead.” 
  • A list of the different types of gladiators is included. Each gladiator appears with the weapon that he would use. One gladiator pictured is a woman. “An uncommon sight, but women fight as gladiators, too.” 
  • If a gladiator didn’t want to fight, “your trainer will send a slave to whip you or prod you with a hot poker.”  
  • When you fight another gladiator and feel as if you will lose, “appeal to the emperor. As you raise your left hand, the emperor will turn to the crowd and let it decide your fate. . . If people turn their thumbs down to the ground, as if swiping a sword through the air, then the defeated man must die.” The picture shows a gladiator on his back with another man holding a sword against his neck. 
  • If you survive until midday, “you’ll have a chance for a rest, when you’ll be able to watch criminals fight to the death.” 
  • Some gladiators fought wild animals such as lions, tigers, and elephants, but “those who are criminals have no means of defense.”  
  • The Colosseum could be flooded so battleships could fight. “From a distance, you will shoot burning arrows at the enemy ship. Then, when you are upon them, you will use hand to hand combat.” Some men are seen jumping into the water, and it is implied that they will drown if they do not know how to swim. 
  • At the end of the games, “men drag away the bodies of the dead and dump them in a pit. . . Dying gladiators are killed by a man dressed as the mythical character Charon from the underworld.”  
  • At the end of the reader’s fight, “your body is dragged from the arena, the victorious gladiator is presented with his prize.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The night before the gladiators’ fight, they are given meat and wine. 

Language  

  • A man yells at a gladiator, “Fight, you lazy dog.”

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When the Romans and Gauls are about to fight, you are captured. An unnamed narrator gives you this advice: before the battle, offer a gift to your gods by throwing a weapon into a bog. This is the entrance to their underground world. 

The Valiant #1

Princess. Captive. Gladiator. Always a Warrior. 
 
Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar.
 
On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister’s footsteps and earn her place in her father’s war band. She never gets the chance.
 
Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators—owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon’s family might be her only hope of survival.
 
Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier and her sworn enemy.  The Valiant recounts Fallon’s gripping journey from fierce Celtic princess to legendary gladiator and darling of the Roman empire.  

The Valiant jumps right into the action and proceeds at a breathtaking pace until the very end. Overnight, Fallon’s dreams are obliterated, and her life falls apart. As a captive, Fallon’s fierce determination to free herself is admirable. While Fallon’s pain is understandable, her strength and bravery never falter. Fallon takes the reader on her adventure, which leads her to several eye-popping surprises and forces her to question her beliefs while retaining her strength of character. 

Told in first person, The Valliant focuses on Fallon, who must learn about Rome’s culture and politics. At one point, Fallon meets both Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. This adds an extra layer of interest. As a strong woman, Cleopatra reinforces one of the book’s themes: “A woman ought to be able to chart her own course in life.” In addition to Caesar and Cleopatra, the book has many characters that play a significant role in the story but are not well developed. Despite being underdeveloped, Fallon’s romantic interest, Cai, has several swoon-worthy scenes that break up the battle scenes. 

The Valiant is an entertaining book that follows a brave protagonist worthy of rooting for. However, the book deals with dark topics, including slavery, murder, and worshiping the Greek god of death. And while the gladiatrix fights bravely, war is not glorified. Cai reminds Fallon, “Honor is nothing but a dangerous lie, Fallon. In battle, there is no honor, not really. Caesar never won because he was honorable. He isn’t. He won because he was clever and tenacious and used whatever means necessary. . .” Mature readers who aren’t squeamish about violence will enjoy following Fallon’s adventure into the Roman empire. For a less bloody adventure, read the Protector of the Small Series by Tamora Pierce and The Royal Ranger Series by John Flanagan. 

Sexual Content  

  • Fallon and Mael hope to one day get married. After practicing for battle, Mael kisses her. “His lips on mine silence my apology, muffling words with his sudden, hungry kiss. My eyes went wide. . . then drifted shut, plunging me into a red-lit darkness. . . My pulse surged loudly in my ears, and my fingers tangled in his long hair as I drew him down to me again.” The kiss is described over a page.  
  • Fallon’s father betrothed her to Mael’s brother, Aeddan. After the announcement, Aeddan “spun me around and kissed me hard on the lips.” Fallon does not kiss him back. Later that night, he brings wine to Fallon’s house to celebrate. 
  • When Aeddan tries to kiss Fallon again, she “jammed my knee into his groin, shoving him away as he gasped in pain and staggered back.” Before Aeddan can try to kiss her again, Mael appears and uses his sword to push Aeddan out of the house. 
  • A Roman officer, Cai, meets Fallon, who wanders the gladiator school’s grounds. “He took me again by the shoulders, drawing me toward him. . . Cai’s hands lightly moved up my arms, over my shoulders and down my back to my waist, tracing my body through the thin material. . .” Fallon flees before Cai can kiss her.  
  • After Fallon breaks Cai’s ribs, she goes to the infirmary to apologize. “Cai pulled me tightly to his bandaged chest and held me there. . . and he kissed me with a hungry desperation that tore the breath from my lungs. His hands tangled in my hair, and my arms tightened around him. . . he didn’t stop kissing me. Not for a long, dizzying while.” 
  • When Fallon goes to have a slave collar removed, Cai goes with her. Afterward, “Cai reached up and ran his fingertips along my skin, and I shivered at this touch. . . his hand shifted to slide into my hair, and he brought his face down to mine and kissed me. The kiss thrilled me all the way to my toes.” 
  • After professing his love for Fallon, Cai kisses her. “His mouth was nectar-sweet as he kissed me, and we fell back together into the soft, cool grass beside the stream.” 

Violence  

  • Mael and Aeddan fight over Fallon. “Suddenly, Aeddan reared back and head-butted his brother sharply. Mael reeled away in pain, blood running down his face. . .” Aeddan stabs Mael with a blade, and Mael “opened his mouth, and a dark gout of blood bubbled up and spilled down his chin. Aeddan wrenched the dagger out of his brother’s flesh, and Mael collapsed.” Fallon assumes Mael dies.  
  • Fallon was lost in the forest at night when “a broad-shouldered man swung his fist like a mallet at my head. I fell, consumed by a dark red tide.” When Fallon wakes, she tries to scream, but the man “pressed a knife blade up under my left ear. The scream building in my throat died instantly.” Fallon is kidnapped and sold to a slave trader. 
  • The man who kidnapped Fallon hit her. “A short, sharp jab to my stomach. . . his thick fingers fumbling at the lacing of my tunic. I kicked and swore at him, but I was chained, and he was much stronger.” The man intended to rape her, but the slave master stops him.  
  • The Varnini are a tribe of fierce women fighters. Fallon and Varini girl are put into a wagon and chained together. They get into a fight. Fallon describes, “She lashed out at me with one long leg, the leather sole of her sandal slapped painfully against my thigh. . .” The girl hit Fallon’s face, and “pain exploded from my left cheek, and a red mist descended in front of my eyes. . . I howled in fury and swung my clenched fist in a double blow that caught the Varini on the temple and sent her reeling.” The fight is described over three pages. 
  • Because of Fallon and the Varini’s fight, the wagon tips over. The slave driver’s “head was bent at an unnatural angle, and his mouth was frozen open in a silent cry of shock. A slick of dark blood painted the sides of his face, and his eyes were empty and staring.” 
  • When the Varini was first captured, she attacked the slave trader. She said, “I bit off half his ear and kicked him in the balls so hard he still limps.” 
  • Fallon and the Varini girl, Elka, run, but they are still chained together. They try to hide, but a group of men find them. “The man reared back again, and while his attention was focused on Elka, I sprang forward with a low, darting thrust that tagged him solidly on the upper thigh. . . I pulled my sword and blood spilled down the front of his leg.” The fight is described over two pages. 
  • Charon, the slave master, finds the girls who are being attacked. “With one swift motion, Charon had grabbed the brigand by the shoulder and yanked him around. Two moves and the man lost first his sword hand. . . and then his head. . . The man’s head toppled from his neck and bounced away into the undergrowth, the whites of his eyes glittering in the moonlight.” 
  • Pirates attack the ship that the slaves are in. The slaves are locked below deck. Fallon watched as “the body of a man fell across the grate. His mouth and eyes were frozen open in a horrible death grimace. Wind-dark blood flowed from a gaping wound to his chest. . .”  
  • Fallon breaks out of the ship’s hold and enters the fighting. “A legionnaire gutted one of the pirates not three strides in front of me, and the man twisted in a horrid dance as his guts spilled. . . Legionnaires in their uniforms [were] hacking and slashing and killing.” 
  • When being sold as a slave, Fallon and Elka are chained together. Two other slaves are given weapons and told they will be freed if they can kill the two women. When one of the men attacks Fallon with a pike, “with a powerful thrust of [Elka’s] long legs, Elka had launched herself toward us, howling with battle madness. The point of her sword blade disappeared up under the man’s helmet chinstrap. . . then the man’s chest bloomed suddenly with a dark crimson that flooded down over his painted skin.” 
  • During the attack, Fallon “swung up at a sharp angle and met my attacker’s weapon, screeching up its length in a flash of sparks. . . I brought the sword back around and down in a vicious slash across the man’s extended forearm. Blood spurted, crimson, and sparkling in the sunlight.” The fight is described over three pages. One man dies. 
  • While being trained to be a gladiatrix, a group of women attack Fallon. “Another crack of the whip and a line of fire licked across the backs of my legs. I fell to my hands and knees with a grunt. . .” When Fallon falls, “the girls kicked and punched at me in the darkness, and I curled into a ball to try to avoid the worst of it. . .”  
  • Enraged at her attackers, Fallon grabs two torches. “I spun circles of flames in the dark air, batting the whip away from me and almost setting the retiarius net aflame. . . One girl screamed in alarm as my torch set her tunic hem smoldering.” The next day, Fallon “hobbled out to the practice yard, where the throbbing, livid bruises on my legs and arms went glaringly unremarked upon.” The attack is described over three pages. 
  • After the swearing-in ceremony, two women were eager to use their weapons. One woman accidentally injures her sparring partner. Fallon sees “the crumpled body of a girl lying in a pool of blood, shockingly red against the white-gold sand. . .” The girl, Lion, lost her hand. Someone “was on her knees, tearing linen into strips and wrapping Lion’s arm tightly as she could while crimson spurted in time with the beating of the girl’s heart. . .” While in the infirmary, the doctor, Heron, “and his assistant worked to stanch the flow of blood. . . He returned with a bronze brazier full of angry red coals and a metal bell-shaped tool that had been heated until it glowed.” The woman survives. 
  • Cai is angry that Fallon will not allow him to buy her. He spars with her. “He was relentless, he was humorless. . .” Fallon tricks Cai, who looks away. “I wound up with all the strength that I could muster and delivered a slashing blow to his exposed flank. I heard his rib crack like a slap of a hard-shot arrow. Cai dropped to one knee in the sand. . .” Cai’s rib is broken.  
  • The end of the book has several gladiator tournaments described in long, bloody detail. Not all of the battles are described here. During one fight, “one gladiator’s trident had gone straight through the guts of his opponent. Two of the tines stuck out obscenely from his back, dripping wet. . .” The wounded gladiator’s “face [was] rigid with pain, and gestured for the mercy blow”. . . his opponent picked up his sword and “thrust the point through the other man’s neck.” 
  • During Fallon’s first gladiatrix battle, she is knocked down by the Fury. Fallon is “down on all fours in an instant, sucking sand-gritty air through my teeth. . . In the very last instant before her attack, I slammed the hilts of my twin swords together and thrust them out before me. . .” The swords went into the Fury’s ribs. The Fury’s “body slammed into me, throwing me back down to the ground. . . I thrashed and struggled and heaved her off me.” Fallon watches as “blood bubbled up and spilled out the sides of her mouth, staining my fingers.” The Fury dies. 
  • At a party, two gladiators fight. One of the men, Ajax, “looked down to see two blades protruding from his chest, the points red with his own blood.” Later, Fallon sees a group of men huddled around the body. “They had split Ajax’s torso open like the roasting carcass of a wild boar. I glimpsed the white gleam of his rib cage grasping like rigid fingers at the shadows, and I could hear the wet, gluttonous sounds of feasting.” 
  • A fellow gladiatrix named Nyx tricks Fallon and Elka into drinking spiked wine, Elka is flogged. Afterward, Fallon finds Nyx in the laundry. Fallon “went straight for trying to drown her in the tub. I used my shoulder to hit her from behind square in the middle of her back, and she fell face-first into the water. . . I grabbed a length of sodden linen and slapped it hard across her torso, knocking her over.”  
  • Fallon and Nyx are in a reenactment of one of Julius Caesar’s battles. However, they are on opposite sides. During the battle, Fallon attacks Aeddan. Fallon “rammed the butt of my spear into his side. The breath left his lungs in a whoof as he stumbled sideways, and I followed up with a series of swift, vicious jabs.”  
  • Fallon gets into a chariot and demands that Aeddan drive it. “Aeddan steered so that we would pass within arm’s length of Nyx’s chariot on our right. . . Nyx’s whip cracked, and I ducked instinctively . . . The wasp-kiss of the whip left a crimson welt on my upper arm.”  
  • After several passes, Fallon tells Elka to send a spear into Nyx’s chariot. “The chariot shot upward, arching through air like it had been unleashed from a legion catapult. . . Nyx screamed, arms and legs flailing frantically as she sailed up and over her horses’ heads.” Nyx is injured but not killed. The final battle is described over ten pages.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Every two years, the tribes come together to feast and drink alcohol, and many become drunk. 
  • Alcohol, usually wine, is often served with dinner. 
  • Fallon confronts her sister, Sorcha, who “strode over to a side table that held a wind jug and goblets. She sloshed a generous measure of dark red wine into one of the goblets and took a long drink.” 
  • After drinking the spiked wine, Fallon passes out on the side of the road. A group of girls finds her and takes her to their house. When Fallon awakes, she is at “a house of whores.”

Language  

  • Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes arse, bitch, damn, and bastard. 
  • “Oh dear goddess” and “Lugh’s teeth” are used as exclamations once. 
  • Another gladiatrix convinces Fallon and Elka to go to a party. As they walk to it, they consume wine. Fallon “took another swallow, and my urge to run faded as the liquid heat from the wine coursed through my limbs.” Later, she discovers the wine was spiked with mandragora, “a powerful intoxicant.”  

Supernatural 

  • Fallon’s tribe has both men and women warriors. “The legions thought of the Island of the Mighty were demons, aberrations whose corpses they burned in heaps after battles so that their black souls could never escape to inhabit another body.”  
  • When Fallon’s sister, Sorcha, was alive, she spent “time with the chief druid. . .The druiddyn were sages and mystics of our tribe. They dealt with portents and prophecies. . .” 
  • After Fallon kills a woman in battle, she is shaken. Her friend, who has killed before, tells her, “His shadow visits me almost nightly in my sleep. We’re so familiar with each other now, he’s almost a friend.” Later, Fallon “said a silent prayer for the Fury and thanked her for giving me the fight that would send me hurtling toward my destiny.”  
  • To frighten Fallon, someone nails a raven to her door. Some think it is an omen of “ill luck.”

Spiritual Content  

  • Fallon often refers to Morrigan, “goddess of death and battles.” Fallon had a dream that Morrigan visited her and called her daughter.  
  • Sorcha explains why she allowed her family to believe she was dead. Afterwards, Fallon “heard the sound of wings beating overhead. I looked up, the sky was clear. Empty. But in my mind, a throaty voice whispered, ‘Daughter’ and ‘Victory.’” Morrigan’s voice reassures Fallon.  
  • After being taken captive, Fallon prays to Morrigan, the triple goddess of blood and battles. “Mach. Red Nemain. Badb Catha . . . hear me. Wind, carry my words. Shadows and darkness, see my plight. Let the Morrigan hear my pleas. Give me strength to vanquish my enemies and wreak my vengeance.” 
  • After someone vandalizes Fallon’s room, “I whispered a prayer of thanks to Morrigan that I’d had the foresight to take the box of Charon’s armor directly to the quartermaster.” 
  • A woman died in a gladiator fight. During her funeral, someone says, “Last night the goddess Nemesis, she of the midnight brow, in her great wisdom called Ismene to the realm of heroes and sent forth Mercury to guide her there. She feasts now in the halls of Dis, she spars with Minerva. . .” 
  • When a gladiator is killed in battle, “the gladiator’s body was dragged from the arena by hook-wielding men dressed in outlandish headdresses meant to resemble long-eared desert dogs. . . the men were playing the ritual part of an Egyptian god of the dead called Anubis.”  
  • Fallon tells her friend, “Morrigan hates me.” Her friend replies, “Your goddess has brought you this far. Maybe this is her way of telling you she thinks you’re worth the effort.” 
  • During a battle, Fallon realizes that “The Morrigan had not forsaken me. She wasn’t against me. The true Morrigan had shown herself to lead me to victory.”  

Lost in the Jungle

Dr. Hank Witherspoon has disappeared. When Jack and his genius siblings, Ava and Matt, find Hank’s lab ransacked, they uncover clues pointing them to Brazil—but many questions remain. Why was Hank studying dangerous electric eels? And who is trying to steal his inventions? Their investigation leads them to a soccer prodigy, his savvy sister, a business tycoon who zips around on motorized boots, and a strangely incompetent riverboat captain.

In the depths of the Amazon rainforest, the three siblings and their new friends must overcome deadly piranhas, stealthy jaguars, and the dreaded “Trail of Pain” to save Hank . . . and make it out alive. 

Readers familiar with the Jack and the Geniuses Series will enjoy seeing Jack and his siblings take on another adventure. However, Lost in the Jungle has less science and fun gadgets. Instead, the siblings spend more time trying to locate Hank. Along the way, Jack has “mind drifts” where he thinks about random things; some readers may find the mind drifts irritating because they are so random. For example, after hearing about a sloth legend, Jack thinks, “. . . I started wondering what sort of creature I’d want to be in the rainforest. A vampire bat? A boa constrictor? The howler monkeys had amazing beards. It would be fun to yell all the time, too. . .”  

The adults in the kids’ lives are mostly absent. For example, Jack and his genius siblings rely on Hank; however, Hank gives them little guidance and leaves them alone for long periods. Hank doesn’t share his plans with the kids; instead, he leaves for the rainforest without a word. After not hearing from Hank for weeks, the siblings decide to find Hank. This causes them to put themselves and others in danger. Even though Hank is irresponsible, the story reinforces the idea that Hank and the kids are family despite not being biologically related. The conclusion proves that love can be found in some surprising ways. 

Lost in the Jungle is a fast-paced story that teaches how the Amazon is being destroyed by illegal logging and how this leads to global warming. While each book in the Jack and the Geniuses Series features a new location and a new dilemma, the books are best read in order so readers can understand the family dynamics of the kids. Readers who love adventure and science will enjoy learning about the Amazon by reading Lost in the Jungle. Readers can jump into another fast-paced adventure by reading the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit and Tom Swift Inventors’ Academy Series by Victor Appleton. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Someone breaks into the lab. When Jack and his siblings find him, the man puts Jack in a headlock. “The man clamped down harder on my head. My ears hurt. He yelled at them to back down the stairs as he dragged me out of the room.” The man threatens to drop Jack from the second story. Jack thinks, “One easy shove and I was going to sail right off the platform and splatter like a water balloon on the polished concrete.” The man leaves without injuring anyone. 
  • A man tries to kidnap Jack, Ava, Matt, and their two friends. The kids jump out of the vehicle to get away, but the man follows. “The driver started to charge, splashing with each heavy step, and then [the sibling’s friend] leaned forward, flicked the stone into the air with his left foot. . . and struck. His leg moved like lightning and the stone flew through the air. . . striking the driver directly in the side of the head. Instantly the man dropped to his knees, twisted, and fell forward in a puddle.” The kids flee. 
  • While lost in the rainforest, Jack follows the sound of voices and runs into a “burly and bearded” man. The man “kept shouting at me in Portuguese. He held his boot above my stomach like he was going to stomp on me.” The man pulls out a gun, but he doesn’t hurt anyone. 
  • When Ava and the other kids find Matt, one of the bad guys, Alex, “dropped his arm across my chest and held me up like a human shield. Then he grabbed the gun off the ground and pressed it into my neck. The blood rushed from my head.” Jack passes out. Everyone is gone when he comes to, and Jack runs into the forest to hide.  
  • Jack and the kids find several bad guys fighting over a flash drive. “Roger’s right fist flashed forward as quickly as a golden lancehead and smashed into Bobby’s forehead. He dropped like a puppet without string.” Two bad guys “showed us the pistol once more” and demanded that the kids take their shoes off. The kids comply.  
  • One of the bad guys, Bobby, plans to take a boat and leave the kids stranded in the jungle. As Bobby waded to the boat, “the giant electric eel wrapped itself around his right leg and pumped him full of nine hundred volts. Every muscle in his body instantly tensed. His eyes bulged. . . [he] fell face-first into the water.” Bobby isn’t seriously injured.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • In a woman’s office, the kids see that “a thick, half-smoked cigar rested in a silver ashtray on the desk.” 
  • In a crowd outside of a soccer match, “two old dudes chewing on cigars scurried alongside our car.” 
  • During intermission at the opera, “a few dozen operagoers rushed outside, reaching for their cigarettes, cigars, and phones.” 

Language  

  • One of the bad guys calls a woman a “greedy old hag.” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Wren

For generations, Wren’s family has lived in an ancient Welsh castle in the mountains. The wind whistles through the halls, and the walls sing to Wren. The cold never leaves, and the sea is just outside her door. Wren is busy inventing things, and her father is busy disapproving.   

But the castle contains a mystery and as Wren is drawn further into it, she realizes the answer lies in the very foundations of her home, foundations that are being shaken to their core. Wren knows something powerful is trapped in her house. Just like Wren. Flight may be the answer, but what if only one of you has wings? 

Wren is a dark, gothic adventure set on the island of Anglesey in North Wales that features a fantastical beast—a dragon. Unfortunately, the dragon rarely appears, which will disappoint some readers. Instead, the story focuses on Wren and her family—her father, her aunt Efa, and her brother Tudur. 

Readers will sympathize with Wren, who is lonely and grieving her mother’s death. Wren’s brother is mean, and her aunt’s only concern is being fashionable. Wren also struggles to understand why her father is so critical. For instance, her father criticizes Wren because she prefers going to sea on her boat rather than being an obedient daughter.  

Due to family dynamics, Wren believes happiness can only be found by running away from home. When her father threatens to send her to a school for misbehaving students, Wren decides to build a flying machine to escape—even though her mother died after crashing her own flying machine. Since Wren feels she cannot trust anyone, she becomes adept at sneaking around and keeping secrets.   

Wren’s character is marked by her determination and curiosity, qualities that make her a compelling protagonist. When she discovers the dragon, she immediately sets her mind to freeing it, devising a plan to teach the dragon how to fly. While some aspects of the story remain unexplained, such as Wren’s father’s frequent references to an ancient relative named Gruffudd ap Bleddyn ap Llewelyn, readers will find themselves cheering for Wren as she persuades her father to do the right thing and set the dragon free.  

The story acknowledges Wren’s grief over her mother’s death and points out that when someone dies, the person lives on. This is showcased when Wren realizes that her mother is still with her—in her memories and her heart. In addition, when Wren is flying, she hears her mother’s voice giving her instructions and encouragement. The memory of Wren’s mother gives her the courage to go against society’s norms.  

Lucy Hope grew up in North Wales, and her love of the outdoors is evident in her writing. Some readers may struggle with the advanced vocabulary such as dauphinoise, abhorrence, obsequious, tetchy, eiderdown, and soporific. However, the writing style is straightforward, so readers shouldn’t have any difficulty understanding the story. Wren will be enjoyed by readers interested in flying, friendship, and finding their voice. Readers looking for a book focusing more on a dragon should instead read Rise of the Dragon Moon by Gabrielle K. Byrne, Rise of the Dragons by Angie Sage, and the Dragon Rider Series by Cornelia Funke. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence  

  • Wren’s father takes her to church, where a man takes her to the front and compares Wren’s chin to the chin of a skull that was of “Gruffudd ap Bleddyn ap Llewelyn,” the King of Wales in the 1000s. Next, they know, “a blast of air fills the room, followed by the arrival of dozens of gulls. Soon, the church is full of the creatures, flapping, swooping, and dive-bombing the ladies’ hats and splatting on the shoulders of the top-hatted men.” 
  • At the church, the birds attack a man named Airey, who “swipes at the birds now attacking him, tugging at his cowl, pecking at the hairy protrusions sprouting from his ears.” Airey and the other people flee the church. 
  • When Wren takes her flying machine into the air, she crashes and is knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, she discovers that her glasses “caused a few little cuts here and there. . . And you took quite a blow to your head, judging by the egg you have up there!” 
  • After the crash, Wren looks in the mirror. The eyeglasses caused “jagged cuts below and above each eye. My cheeks. . . are now a dozen shades of red, yellow, orange and purple, with another giant bruise running from my forehead all the way down to my collarbone.”  
  • Wren’s brother is mean to her, so she calls him a “ridiculous little boy.” As she glares at him, she has an urge to “kick the pale, skinny shins sticking out from his shorts.” 
  • One of Wren’s relatives from way back was killed “in a brawl over a horse.”  
  • After the dragon breaks free of a house, several men prepare to attack it. “Groups of men are now creeping across the lawn towards the dragon, wielding rakes and hoes and anything they can get their hands on. At least two are carrying shotguns.” The dragon moves towards Wren, but “some of the men bark commands to each other and run round the dragon like sheepdogs.”  
  • The dragon tries to escape, but a man “delivers a blow to her exposed underbelly with his stick.” Wren’s father then “yanks a garden fork out of a nearby rose bed and points it at the [man]. ‘You stay away from that dragon. . . And my daughter,’ he hisses.” 
  • To show the dragon how to fly, Wren takes off in her flying machine. When she leaves, “One of the [men] gives [the dragon] another sharp prod with his stick. . . She lifts one of her giant legs, scoops up the [man], and hurls him towards the water.” Someone goes out into the river to save the man. The men attacking the dragon is described over 10 pages. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Wren’s aunt takes a “slurp of red wine” at dinner. 
  • Wren’s father shows up at dinner and “smelled of wine before he’d even had a drink at the table.”  
  • Wren watches her father in his office. “He slumps into his old leather armchair, picks up his glass of wine and tips what’s left of it into his mouth.”  
  • A man is blackmailing Wren’s father. The man tells him, “His lordship should be more careful who he shares his secrets with after a skinful of claret.” 
  • After Wren crashes her flying machine, a chemist puts “daily application of oil of earthworm, foul-smelling vinegary poultices and . . . horse-dung tonic” on her wounds.

Language  

  • Several times, the book says an adult “swears,” but no specific swear words are included.  
  • The adults say blasted a few times. For example, Wren’s father says, “You’re too like your blasted mother.” 
  • Damned is used once. 
  • “Dear God” and “Good God” are both used infrequently. 
  • Poppycock is used as an exclamation once. 

Supernatural 

  • When Wren flies for the first time, she can feel her dead mother’s presence. “As I ease the cords through their pulleys with cold fingers, I feel callused hands on mine, guiding them, reassuring me.” Wren’s mom tells her, “Keep an eye on your tail. Watch your height.”  
  • One of Wren’s relatives from a long, long time ago found an egg. He put the egg in the basement and built a house on top of it. Several generations later, the egg hatches, and a dragon is born. As the dragon grew, “it became entangled within the area that protected it—your house. . . And as it grew, every part of it . . . grew into and around the stonework of your house, until the two became one.”  
  • For the dragon to fly, it must sing to the mountains. “As she began her life in the belly of the mountains, she is the child of the mountains. She cannot fly until they respond. Until they call to her.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • Wren prays several times. For example, when she plans to use her boat as part of a flying machine, Wren prays, “It’ll still be seaworthy after my fight.”  
  • Wren’s friend gets trapped in the house, which is crumbling around him. “Without thinking I tear at the pile of stones with my bare hands, praying the roof doesn’t collapse on top of me.” 

Behind the Legend: The Loch Ness Monster

Behind the Legend looks at creatures and monsters throughout history and analyzes them through a scientific, myth busting lens. Behind the Legend debates whether or not the sightings and evidence provided are adequate proof of the monsters’ existence.  

In The Loch Ness Monster, readers learn about all the sightings and proof of the Loch Ness Monster, from famous photographs to huge “footprints” found by the Loch. It also discusses the history surrounding the monster, such as how Nessie became a major figure in popular culture and other mythical beings that arose in Scotland. Complete with engaging anecdotes, interesting sidebars and fantastic illustrations, kids won’t want to put this book down! 

Author Erin Peabody uses a humorous and conversational tone that makes reading The Loch Ness Monster enjoyable. The oversized text and short passages are easy to read. Plus, large black-and-white illustrations appear on almost every page. The black and white drawings bring the legend to life. Scenes depicting the Loch Ness Monster attacking people are humorous, highlighting the lack of scientific evidence proving that the monster exists. The text does an excellent job of explaining how the culture of the 1900s helped reinforce belief in the existence of large creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster.  

Even though The Loch Ness Monster uses difficult vocabulary, the text is easy to understand since the book defines unfamiliar vocabulary and gives familiar examples. For instance, the root for cryptid is crypt, which “comes from the Greek word kryptos, and means ‘hidden’. . . There’s ‘Kryton,’” the home planet of Superman and Supergirl.  

In a time of fake news, The Loch Ness Monster explores how “pop culture, greed, and the temptation to trick and deceive can influence public opinion.” Thus, the book explains the importance of using scientific evidence in proving that a new species exists. Peabody also includes other sources readers can use to learn more about the Loch Ness Monster. 

The Loch Ness Monster uses many interesting stories and examples to explain why some people believe the monster still hides in the depths of the deepest loch in Scotland. The book includes sightings of the mysterious monster and explores how people have tried to gain proof of the monster’s existence. “Yet, despite all of the inventive, tech-savvy methods tried, not a single beastie bone, fossil, or other form of solid evidence ever turned up.” Even though there is no scientific evidence that the Loch Ness Monster is real, people are still trying to find proof of its existence.  

The Loch Ness Monster is a must-read for anyone who believes selkies, wizard shackles, or the Loch Ness Monster still find their home in Scotland. Spending an afternoon reading The Loch Ness Monster will be entertaining and educational. Plus, the book will give you many different ideas on how you can explore the legend of the Loch Ness Monster in more detail. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • If a child got onto a kelpie’s back, “their fates were sealed. Instantly, the children would become stuck to the animal, which would then race into the water, not stopping until they’d dragged their poor victims to the bottom to drown. And then the kelpies would eat them.” 
  • The only way a child could escape a kelpie was by “cutting off his own fingers.” 
  • Scotland also has selkies, sinister shapeshifters, that lured “their victims into love affairs that would tragically end.”  
  • In Scotland, the wizard shackle, a nine-eyed eel, would wait for a human or horse “then lunge, twisting itself around its victim’s ankles and dragging its prey underwater to drown. . . the leechlike slitherer would suck its victim’s blood.” 
  • The boobrie is a carnivorous bird that “ambushes its victims [with its] large hook-shaped beak.” The boobrie eats lambs, calves, and children. 
  • When writing King Kong, George Spicer used “an exact description of Nessie. And the Nessie look-alike in the film is quite terrifying. In one scene, it seizes a raft full of men in a lagoon, savagely killing them in its apparent thirst for blood.” An illustration shows Nessie eating a sailor. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Throne of Fire

Following the events of book one in The Kane Chronicles, Carter and Sadie are facing a new danger: the serpent of chaos, Apophis. Carter gives the reader a very brief overview of what happened in the previous book, saying, “The Egyptian gods are running around loose in the modern world; a bunch of magicians called the House of Life is trying to stop them . . . and a big snake [Apophis] is about to swallow the sun and destroy the world.” However, Carter and Sadie now have several new magician trainees who can help them fight Apophis.  

Carter and Sadie discover that they must work with the gods to defeat the serpent of chaos, Apophis, as his rise threatens both mortals and gods. Sadie explains it well as she says, “Apophis can’t imagine that anyone could unite the gods and magicians . . . He thinks the return of [the sun god] will weaken us even further. We have to prove [Apophis] wrong. We have to make order from chaos.” After their mom passed away, Carter was sent to live with his dad, and Sadie was sent to live with her grandparents, and throughout the book, we get to see them really bond and reconnect with each other as siblings as they learn to understand their magic. Readers with siblings are likely to find Carter and Sadie very relatable, as they do not always get along, but when they are facing danger, they support each other no matter what. 

The Throne of Fire’s theme focuses on Carter and Sadie strengthening their friendship as siblings. In the first book, the readers learn that Carter and Sadie have lived far away from each other for most of their lives, but now they spend every day together learning more about magic and working together to save the world. Readers with siblings will likely empathize with Carter and Sadie as they worry about each other’s safety. For instance, Sadie says, “Seeing Carter hurt was the final insult . . . My friends had been attacked, and my birthday ruined. But my brother was off-limits. No one was allowed to hurt my brother.” Sadie and Carter stand strong and have each other’s back in the face of constant danger.  

Sadie and Carter face a new struggle—their friend, Walt, is dying of an ancient curse that they cannot stop. Walt explains that his curse is connected to King Tut’s bloodline. Walt says, “[The] curse runs in my family . . . Kind of a genetic disease. Not every generation, not every person, but when it strikes it’s bad. [King Tut] died at nineteen. Most of the others . . . twelve, thirteen. I’m sixteen now . . . My dad was eighteen. I never knew him.” Sadie and Carter desperately try to come up with solutions to help Walt, but he explains, “This curse has been defying healers for three thousand years.” Carter and Sadie feel guilty that they still cannot cure Walt, and this unresolved issue will continue in the next book.   

The Throne of Fire has one impactful lesson: do what feels right even when another option seems easier. For example, when Carter and Sadie fight Apophis, the serpent of chaos, he tries to bribe them to join him. Carter thought, “Chaos can also be appealing. It tempts you to believe that nothing matters except what you want. And there was so much that I wanted.” However, Sadie and Carter decide that the most important thing is to restore order. The Throne of Fire will appeal to readers who love mythology, magic, and being kept on the edge of their seats.   

Sexual Content  

  • One of the new magicians that Sadie and Carter are training, Jaz, gives another trainee, Walt, a kiss on the cheek before trying a difficult spell. “[Jaz] pulled her wand and then—much to [Sadie’s] shock—gave Walt a kiss on the cheek.”  
  • Sadie thinks about her friend Walt and realizes she has feelings for him: “I wasn’t at all interested in how handsome [Walt’s] face looked in the moonlight, or his muscular arms in that sleeveless tee . . . Sorry. Lost my train of thought.”  
  • Sadie discusses her interactions with the god of funerals, Anubis. “I had a bit of a crush on Anubis. I know how ridiculous that sounds . . . [Anubis] was a god. We had absolutely nothing in common. I hadn’t heard from [Anubis] since our adventure with the Red Pyramid.”  
  • Sadie is briefly transported to the Land of the Dead where Anubis advises escaping some monsters. “Anubis said. ‘I’m sorry I can’t do more. But happy birthday, Sadie.’ [Anubis] leaned forward and kissed [Sadie] on the lips.”  
  • Walt reveals that he is dying of an incurable curse, “I’m going to die anyway, Sadie. I want my life to mean something. And . . . I want to spend as much time as I can with you.” Sadie doesn’t know how to respond and reveals to the reader, “I think I might have kissed [Walt].”  
  • Sadie performs a spell to get herself and Walt out of a cavern. Afterward, “Walt leaned down and kissed me.” 

Violence  

  • Carter receives a vision in which he has to fight several monsters. “Horrible faces rose up—a sea dragon with feline eyes, a crocodile with porcupine bristles, a serpent with the head of a mummified man. Each time one rose up, I raised my sword and cut it down, or speared it with my javelin.”  
  • A three-headed serpent attacks Carter and some of his magician trainees. “The serpent opened its mouths, blasting out three columns of flames.” Luckily, Carter and his friends can protect each other, and “[Carter] raised a green shield of magic to deflect the fire.”  
  • Carter describes how his magician trainees defend themselves against the three-headed serpent attacking them. “Julian’s sword sliced off one of its heads. Felix’s shoe bounced off another. The blast from Walt’s wand turned the third to dust. Then Alyssa’s statues slammed into it, smashing the monster under a ton of stone. What was left of the serpent’s body dissolved into sand.” 
  • A monster with deadly venom bites Carter. “The creature sank its fangs into Carter’s left shoulder, and he dropped to the ground.” Sadie destroys the creature with magic. She “unleashed a beam of golden light that hit the monster with the force of a sandblaster. The [creature] crumbled to bits.” Luckily, healing magic saves Carter.  
  • Sadie, Carter, and their friend Bes play a game in the Land of the Dead with the moon god, Khonsu, in exchange for a few more hours of time so that they can complete their quest. If they lose, Khonsu threatens to, “Erase part of our souls . . . take our memories, our identity.”  
  • The magician Desjardins has to fight one of his own friends, whom Apophis possesses. Desjardins tells his fellow magician, “You toy with something much worse than death, my old friend. Pray that I kill you before you succeed.” Desjardins uses his magic to banish Apophis to the duat, a realm between our world and the underworld, and succeeds. However, the spell requires so much magic that Desjardins passes away afterwards.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Characters occasionally use words like stupid, shut up, and idiot.  

Supernatural 

  • Carter explains that the god, Horus, is able to speak to him in his mind. Horus gives Carter advice on finding an artifact Carter is looking for. However, Horus warns Carter about the artifact at the last possible minute. Horus speaks to Carter, “You’ll have five days to figure out how to use [the artifact], or we’re all doomed. Good luck!”  
  • After talking to Horus, Carter says, “I could’ve screamed at [Horus] for not telling me sooner, but it wouldn’t have made any difference. Gods only talk when they’re ready, and they don’t have a good sense of mortal time. I knew this because Horus had shared space in my head a few months ago.”  
  • Carter and Sadie see their friend Jaz perform a spell to protect them all from evil spirits of chaos. Carter “turned just in time to see a flash of blinding red light. The entire vortex collapsed inward, sucking all six [spirits] into Jaz’s circle. The light died. Jaz fainted, her wand and the Sekhmet statue both crumbling to dust in her hands.”  
  • Carter channels the power of the god Horus to give him strength while fighting some demons. “I awoke in a different body . . . My arms were bronze and muscular, circled with bands of gold and lapis lazuli. I was dressed for battle in leather armor.” Carter describes, “I felt strong and powerful like . . . well, a god.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Before doing a spell, Jaz takes out a goddess statue to bring her strength. “From [Jaz’s] bag, she produced a small statue of Sekhmet, [Jaz’s] patron goddess, and held it aloft.”  
  • Like the previous book, the gods in this book are not worshipped but interact with others. The gods have strengths and powers. For instance, Carter discusses his thoughts about the god Horus. “[Horus] didn’t want [another god] coming back to challenge his authority. Gods tend to be selfish. Even when they’re helpful, they always have their own motives. That’s why you have to be careful about trusting [gods]. 

The Boy Who Could Draw

Ramses is an orphan with a strange skill. He has a magical talent for drawing. His pictures of the gods are so real that they appear to breathe with life. The sight terrifies Ramses’ evil caretakers, who call him cursed and punish him for his unique powers. But not everyone thinks he’s cursed. When Ramses’ parents were alive, they loved him and called his talent a gift. He doesn’t know who or what to believe anymore. Then, famous craftsmen come looking for an artist to paint the walls of King Tut’s tomb. Ramses longs to win the apprenticeship. If he does, he might just find where he belongs. But if he fails, he’ll never escape his cruel caretakers. 

Neferet, the daughter of chief scribes, continually gets into trouble for sneaking out of the Place of Truth, but that doesn’t stop her from exploring the world outside of her village. During her excursions, she meets a vile boy who threatens to curse her community if she doesn’t help him win the apprenticeship. Before the craftsmen see anyone else’s artwork, the boy wins the favor of the city leaders. Can Neferet convince her father not to give the apprentice to the evil boy? 

From the very first page, readers are drawn into Ramses’ life in Ancient Egypt, and the compelling story is impossible to put down. After his parents’ deaths, Ramses’ aunt and uncle treat him as a slave. Despite this, Ramses works hard, treats others kindly, and strives to do what is right. When villainous men try to blackmail Ramses, the boy is willing to give up his hopes of winning the apprenticeship in order to stay true to himself. Ramses’ positive character traits make him a likable protagonist worthy of admiration.   

The addition of Neferet’s story gives an inside view of the historical Place of Truth, which was isolated from other communities. Neferet’s explorations outside of her village add suspense because she meets both Ramses and another boy, who both want to win the apprenticeship. Using Neferet’s point of view allows readers to understand the conflict that arises when the craftsmen choose the new apprentices. In addition, Neferet’s desire to make her father proud while also quenching her curiosity makes her a relatable character that readers will connect with. 

The Boy Who Could Draw has two well-developed protagonists who readers will root for. The fast-paced story also has plenty of action and adventure to engage readers. In addition, the villains are easily recognizable and add conflict to the story. In the end, the villains are justly punished, and the characters who did what is right receive their just reward. The conclusion highlights the importance of doing what is right, even when it is difficult. In the end, Ramses gets the apprenticeship because “he has more than a gift; he is smart. He doesn’t rely on the whim of the gods. He puts a method to work, a reliable method that nothing can foil. [He is] a farmer. . . And farmers are stubborn, determined people.”  

The Boy Who Could Draw is ultimately a story about a boy who is trying to find where he belongs. The struggles and misfortunes he endures along the way make for a compelling story. Magic is mixed in with interesting historical facts that allow readers to understand how the Ancient Egyptians lived. The relatable conflicts, likable characters, and realistic villains will appeal to any readers who want to jump into a fast-paced story where good wins against evil. Readers fascinated with Ancient Egypt should also read the TombQuest Series by Michael Northrop and The Curse of King Tut’s Mummy by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Ramses’ Aunt Zalika is abusive. When she finds Ramses’ drawing, she “pulled her hand back, raising his drawing stick overhead. Then she brought it down fast. . . The stick slammed into his back. It tore away a layer of skin.” Ramses has “two blazing welts on his back.”
  • Aunt Zalika accuses Ramses of trying to hurt her son, Sepi. When Ramses tried to give Sepi water, Aunt Zalika “backhanded him hard. Her rings drew blood. . . She grabbed Sepi’s walking stick. Ramses ducked as she brought it down on his head; it slammed his shoulder. He stumbled sideways as she hit him again.” Ramses runs out of the house.  
  • When Aunt Zalika finds one of Rames’ drawings, she makes him put his hands on a rock. “Aunt Zalika cracked the whip across his neck. . . Aunt Zalika forced him to kneel and open his hands. . . Then the lash came down and tore away a layer of flesh. He couldn’t breathe; his chest froze in a gasp. Down the lash came again. . . flaying the skin.” A farm worker stops Zalika’s attack. Despite Ramses’ injuries, he is still forced to cut grain with a scythe.  
  • While Neferet collected plants, a boy “lunged and snared her by the wrist.” He demands information; she “kicked at his shins; he dodged sideways. She tried to wrestle so that they both landed on the scorched earth.” He threatens Neferet and then lets her go. 
  • Aunt Zalika takes Ramses’ drawing and throws it in the oven. “Swinging the hot poker at Ramses, she caught him in the chest. He fell back, the burnt smell of singed skin filling his nostrils.” 
  • A man tries to blackmail Ramses. The man’s “fist shot out and slammed Ramses in the jaw. The ground rose up fast. Razored stems broke his fall.”  
  • One of the blackmailers named Denger ties up Ramses and forces Neferet to walk. “Ramses kicked hard and slammed him in the gut. Muscled as a bull, the man just laughed. . . He crushed [Ramses] to the ground, snaked the rope around Ramses’ neck and wrists, and bound his hands together.” Later, Denger presses a sword “to Ramses’ throat, then slid the blade lightly across the skin.” Denger threatens to kill Ramses.  
  • Neferet tries to run away from Denger. When she falls, “Denger was on her—he caught her hair in his fist. . . Denger wrenched her head to look at him.”  
  • Ramses tries to escape Denger, but they fall over a bridge. Denger hits a boulder. “A sickening crunch sounded as the man hit the stone. . . The rope wrenched them both to a halt. . . Denger made a low whine—eerie and frightening.”  
  • When Denger fell, he fell on his sword. “Buried in the man’s stomach, all the way to the worn leather hilt, was the sentry’s own sword. Worse, it wasn’t a clean cut. The blade had gored him badly, exposing his gut.” The physician tries to save Denger’s life by working “to remove the blade, pulling it carefully from his ruptured belly. They tried to stitch the gore back together. They tried to stop the blood, the oozing blood that poured over everything.” Denger dies. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When Ramses’ father is ill, he is given a “potion.” 
  • Neferet collects plants that the village physician uses to make medicine. A girl who is jealous of Neferet tampers with the herbs, replacing helpful herbs with a deadly belladonna berry. Luckily, the berry is found before anyone is harmed. 
  • A woman ordered “two jars of beer.”  
  • When Ramses goes into a temple, he passes out because he “fell under the spell of drugged incense.” 
  • Occasionally, the adults drink wine. For example, Rames passes a group of people who “sang as they walked, the litters swinging drunkenly on their shoulders.”  
  • One of the adults “drank too much beer and dealt with his problems by shouting.”  
  • When a man is injured, he is given a sleeping draught.  

Language  

  • Ramses’ aunt and uncle call him names including “flea-bitten farm boy,” “little flea,” “grubby little rat,” “scrounge-brains,” and “river scum,” as well as other demeaning names. 
  • “By the gods” and “flea-dung” are used several times as an exclamation.  
  • “By the beard of Ptah” is used as an exclamation once. 
  • When Ramses tries to help a girl who fell into an animal trap, she calls him “jackal-breath!” 
  • A man calls someone a “lout.” 
  • A mean girl tells Neferet, “Maybe it’s a good thing your mother died. . . So she didn’t have to see what a pathetic excuse for a daughter you are.” Later, the mean girl calls Neferet “dirt-face.” 

Supernatural 

  • When Ramses draws, the pictures move. For example, when Ramses drew a picture of the god Osiris, “Osiris’s eyes—eyes made of sand—were moving. . . They flicked up to stare at the acacia stick in the boy’s hand. Locking onto it, the god’s eerie sand-eyes studied the simple tool that had drawn his huge form on the riverbank.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • The Greek gods, such as Osiris, the king of the underworld, play a role in the character’s lives. 
  • When Ramses’ father died, a priest chanted “magic spells over his sick father.” The priest implies that Ramses’ drawing caused Ramses’ father’s illness. The priest said, “What that boy does is unholy. . . He was barely out of swaddling clothes. Yet there he was sketching his dark magic on the ground. No god meant him to have such power.”  
  • One of the story’s conflicts revolves around Ramses’ ability to draw—is it a curse or a gift? 
  • After his father dies, Ramses draws Horus, “the god of the sky, whose eyes were the sun and moon. Ramses didn’t know what he’d do if Horus came to life. Demand answers? Ask him if Osiris killed his father as punishment? Was it all Ramses’ fault, like the priest said?”  
  • Ra, the sun god, is mentioned often, especially when night falls. Ra “would drop below the horizon and begin his nightly voyage through the underworld.” 
  • Ramses tries to free a bird that is caught in a trap. When the bird dies, Ramses “prayed to Osiris to care for the bird’s everlasting soul.” 
  • To steal Ramses’ inheritance, his uncle had Ramses’ “birth wiped off the records. . . In one stroke, Uncle Hay had made him no one. Not only in the eyes of humans, but worse, in the eyes of the gods. Without a birth record, when he died, he’d be lost to wander the darkness forever. Unable to rest. Stuck in limbo. The ultimate horror.” 
  • Ramses draws Ptah, the patron god of craftsmen.  
  • Someone gives Ramses an amulet that is “a carved figure of Maat, goddess of justice and truth.” 
  • Several times, Ramses encounters a cobra he believes is Meretseger, “the snake goddess who protected the craftsmen of the Valley of the Kings.” 
  • When Neferet meets a mean boy, she “prayed fate would not carry him through the village gates and into her life.” 
  • Needing an isolated place to practice his drawing, Ramses goes to a shrine to Hathor. “Fruits and flowers lay piled at the goddess’s feet, along with a stew pot, strings of beads . . .” Rames thinks, “Hathor wouldn’t demand an offering for passing her shrine, but the gods he planned to visit were a different manner. . . No one in their right mind visited the gods without a gift. There would be a price to pay. There was always a price to pay. . .”  
  • When Ramses enters a temple, he worries about what will happen. “Elaborate spells, carved into their surface, warned intruders against entering. All of Egypt knew that only priests were allowed to cross the threshold. . . Any prayers or wishes had to be made outside.” 
  • Ramses draws a picture of Meretseger. When a group of men look at the picture, “Either a breeze was moving the page, or the goddess’s chest was rising and falling of its own accord. . . As if in response, Meretseger’s eyes flashed. . . The figure of the cobra shimmered, bulging up from the page. . . Meretseger was rising, a frightful goddess made of gold.” Some of the men “fell to their knees and covered their faces.”  
  • When a boy is being disrespectful, he is reminded, “As it says in the sacred texts of the Ke’gemni, ‘comfortable is the seat of the man of gentle speech—but knives are prepared against the one that forces a path, that he does not advance, save in due season.’” 
  • When a man dies, several people say, “Maat protect him.” 
  • The craftsmen who built the pharaoh’s tomb “make the magic that carries Pharaoh to the underworld, that ensures his safety, that keeps him for all eternity.” 

You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pyramid Builder!

You are living in Egypt around 1500 BC. When a pharaoh dies, he joins the hawk-headed sun god Ra and travels the sky in his boat. To ensure his eternal life, the pharaoh’s corpse must not decay. So, each pharaoh gets his subjects to build him a gigantic tomb—a pyramid—which will preserve his body forever. Thousands of Egyptians are forced to work on it, including you.  

You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pyramid Builder! immerses the reader in the story, making the interactive book fun to read. Readers will learn about the difficult work required to build a pyramid fit for a pharaoh. Much of the work was completed by unskilled workers who mined in a granite quarry or cut stone with a very hard rock. Skilled carvers and painters were also necessary to complete the inside of the pyramid. While most of the book discusses pyramid building in detail, it also incorporates the Egyptians’ belief in many gods and how the gods were vital to everyday life. 

Even though building a pyramid was serious work, the book uses humor to engage and educate readers. The text and full-color illustrations give accurate technical detail and give readers a vivid understanding of what life was like as an Egyptian pyramid builder. The book’s format is perfect for reluctant readers since each page has larger and several smaller illustrations. On each two-page spread, a large paragraph explains what is happening. Along the edges, more information about a pyramid builder’s life is given. For example, “On payday, your wages come in various useful forms, such as grain, oil, or fine linen cloth. 

Anyone who wants to understand how the pyramids were made will find this easy-to-read book fascinating. The nonfiction book includes informative captions, a complete glossary, and an index. While some readers may not understand all of the words, context clues and illustrations will help them decode their meaning. Readers don’t have to watch for scorpions or crocodiles to learn more about ancient Egypt. Instead, they can head to the nearest library to check out Mummies and Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne or The Curse of King Tut’s Mummy by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Tax collectors “always have ways of showing how wrong you are.” The illustration shows a man on the ground being beaten with a stick.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • When creating the decorations in a tomb, “It is very important to know the exact stance and gestures the figures should portray and what symbols and written spells should accompany them. . . If you get any of them wrong the decorations will lose their magic power of ensuring the pharaoh’s safe journey to the gods.”  
  • To keep evil spirits away, “place the god Bes in a shire set in the wall of one of your rooms. He protects homes.” 
  • Some days are considered unlucky, “when it is believed evil forces are particularly strong. . . On those days, it is best to avoid bathing, making a journey, killing an ox, a goat, or a duck. . . Illnesses are caused by evil spirits too, so doctors prescribe spells as well as medicine.” 
  • It is important to carry an amulet such as the eye of the Sun God, Ra.

Spiritual Content  

  • The Egyptians believed in many gods and that the pharaohs were gods. “The Egyptians think the gods look after them because their rulers, the pharaohs, are gods themselves. When a pharaoh dies he joins the hawk-headed sun god Ra and travels to the sky in his boat.”  
  • The Egyptians believed the gods controlled everything. “You must bring offerings of your best produce to the temples for them. . . when the crops fail or when the hot wind blows blinding sandstorms from the desert, the gods are angry.” An illustration gives an example that shows a man getting eaten by a crocodile.  
  • It is important to preserve a body because “if it decays your spirit will perish. In the case of a pharaoh, these arrangements are important because the well-being of Egypt relies on his union with the gods. . . The head embalmer wears the mask of Anubis, the god of the dead, and recites appropriate spells.”  
  • When a body is preserved, “lucky amulets are bound in wrappings and the mummy is completed by a face mask portraying the person within.”  
  • When burying a pharaoh, “sacred rites, performed by the temple priests daily, will keep his spirit alive forever.” 

The Spin

Everyone knows Marcus Stroman as a baseball player. He loves the sport, and yes, he probably has a shot at the pros. But “baseball player” doesn’t totally define him. Why won’t anyone also see him as a basketball player or a musician? While he loves being known for what he does well, he’s struggling because people are trying to limit him to just one thing.

Literally how high up a mountain does Marcus need to climb to be completely free of what everyone else sees? How can he protect himself from the online zings, the chatter, and the opinions? When you walk out on the field or that court, how much criticism is fair play? With some perspective from a new view, Marcus realizes that no matter what field, court, or classroom he’s in, he has to block some shots.  

Marcus’ story rotates between Marcus’ family life, school life, and counseling sessions. The Spin reflects on the importance of words—both written and spoken. This topic is reinforced when Marcus’s class discusses a newspaper article and whether the reporter used any biased words. The teacher says, “The difference in reporting may seem minor, with just a few different words or phrases, but how things are reported has major implications.” Marcus gets first-hand experience when he is mentioned in a school newspaper article—Marcus feels that the article doesn’t portray him accurately. During class, with the teacher’s help, Marcus and the reporter discuss how the articles’ words affected the information conveyed. The class discussions allow the reader to understand how word choice can affect how readers interpret biased words differently.  

Marcus meets with his therapist, Gary, several times. During one session, Gary reminds Marcus that he can’t just assume that his parents know how he feels. Instead, “I have to tell people what I need from them instead of leaving them guessing.” With Gary’s help, Marcus finds a way to discuss his love of basketball with his parents. Gary also helps Marcus when some students write mean online comments. Gary says, “The instant sting or hurt? That’s real. That happens, and you process it. But then you can decide how much sticks and how much you shake off. You could also ignore it altogether.”  

The Spin includes many life lessons that are relatable to middle-grade students. However, some conversations, especially those between Marcus and his peers, aren’t authentic. Furthermore, Marcus’s parents are extremely agreeable and patient, but this behavior will not seem genuine to many readers. Besides students’ snarky comments online, the characters work through their disagreements using healthy communication skills.  

The Spin focuses on Marcus’s frustration with people classifying him as “just a baseball player.” Many readers will relate to Marcus’ conflicts, especially the difficulty discussing their emotions. However, the long conversations with Marcus’ parents and therapist slow the action, and many will be disappointed that there are few play-by-play sports scenes. While The Spin isn’t action-packed, the story includes relevant lessons about communication, friendship, and choosing your words wisely. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • Freaking, dang, and heck are each used once. 
  • In one of Marcus’ classes, the teacher discusses a newspaper article. A kid asks, “Someone was a bonehead about setting the fire?” 
  • Marcus thinks that one of the players on his team is a jerk. 
  • An adult uses “Good Lord” as an exclamation once. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Women in Space Exploration

Women have been traditionally underrepresented in space exploration, but that has changed in recent years. A career in space exploration is the perfect choice for a variety of people—from those who like conducting research about the universe, to adventurous souls who want to travel to and live in space. In this book, you’ll learn about groundbreaking female astronauts and space research professionals, career paths in space exploration, how to prepare for the field, key skills for success, methods of learning more about careers while in school, and much more.  

Women in Space Exploration gives readers an inside look at the little-known career opportunities available in space exploration, including careers that do not involve flying into space. Each of the five chapters follows the same format. The first page lists words and definitions that appear in the chapter; these words include conductivity, cosmology, celestial, and more. These words appear in bold gray font, which makes them easy to identify. 

Women who were pioneers in space exploration are featured, including Sally Ride and Mae Jamison. Each woman faced many obstacles. Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman to enter space, was told by a professor that being an engineer was not “ladylike,” and her father dissuaded her from being an engineer. This did not stop Chawla from earning her PhD from the University of Colorado and working for NASA. Each biography highlights how different skills are used in the space field. Five biographies also include a QR code so readers can learn more about the women through educational videos.   

The book is straightforward and easy to understand despite the use of informational space exploration jargon. The short paragraphs are broken up with photographs of women at work that appear every one to two pages. In addition, the book has short blurbs about issues important to women in space, such as the international space stations, finding time for family, and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Often, important information is presented in lists, such as skills needed for success. The end of each chapter includes a research project and text-dependent questions that check for understanding.  

Women in Space Exploration explores many women’s roles in the space industry. The book highlights the skills and education needed for anyone interested in working for NASA and other space companies. By featuring women who work in the field, readers will discover the many different degrees that can be used in the field. In addition, the biographies prove that dreams do come true for those who persevere. 

Readers who dream of flying into space will find Women in Space an excellent source of information and encouragement. The book highlights the necessary education needed for anyone who wants to work in the space industry, as well as shows that space exploration is for everyone. Readers who want to learn more about women in the space industry should also read To Fly Among the Stars by Rebecca Siegel, Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks, and Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross by Traci Sorell. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

Gymnastics Challenge

Harper is a parkour extraordinaire. Nothing brings her more joy than “packing in the fun” at the park with her friends Cici and Lily, where they “move over, under, and around obstacles” with grace and agility. However, when Harper is unexpectedly invited to join a local gymnastics team, she fears that her decision could rupture her friendship with Cici and Lily. Can Harper maintain her friendship without sacrificing her opportunity to compete in gymnastics? 

Gymnastics Challenge is a captivating graphic novel that showcases the importance of friendship in sports, especially when new opportunities threaten to tear apart existing relationships. The book is told through the eyes of Harper, a spunky, energetic girl who wants to use her parkour skills to succeed in gymnastics. Her determination to overcome the difficulties in the new sport, such as the uneven bars, is evident throughout the story, and her ability to recognize her own faults and train to get better is admirable and inspirational. Of course, the story also makes Harper’s character feel realistic, emphasizing how she makes mistakes and wobbles during her routines. She overcomes her fears of making mistakes and learns that “we all wobble sometimes . . . in parkour, in gymnastics, and in friendships.” 

The book presents a positive outlook, relaying the importance of telling the truth and supporting one another in friendships. Conflicts arise when Harper is dishonest with her friends, but she learns to apologize and admit her faults, repairing her struggling relationship with Cici and Lily. Conversely, Cici and Lily learn to support Harper in her new opportunities. For instance, during Harper’s big competition, they shout, “Go Harper! You got this!” These events teach readers that the strongest friendships require honesty and support. 

Gymnastics Challenge presents its tale in a captivating graphic novel format. Each page contains two to four panels in a simplified art style, where the characters, movements, and dialogue are easy to read and follow. The book also uses a combination of graphic novel aspects, such as page-covering panels and pictorial elements like facial creases or sweat drops, to enhance its illustrations, making the scenes look and feel believable. Although the number of speech bubbles per page might be slightly overwhelming for younger readers, each bubble typically only contains one to two sentences with simple vocabulary. 

Gymnastics Challenge is part of the Jake Maddox Graphic Novel series, which focuses on inspiring lessons in sports and competition. Alongside its colorful illustrations, the book also contains additional content, such as a glossary, “Learn More About Gymnastics,” and “Visual Discussion Questions,” which ask the reader to identify how the art style represents the feelings and emotions in each scene. Although older readers may find the plot slightly cheesy, Gymnastics Challenge wins a perfect score with its illustrations, characters, and action sequences. 

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

In The Red Zone

Alex Summers and Oscar Han have always been the “dynamic duo” for their school’s football team, the Bobcats. With Alex as the star quarterback and Oscar as the wide receiver, the boys expected another fantastic football season with their friends. However, when Oscar unexpectedly quits the team, Alex is thrown into a frenzy of sadness, confusion, and betrayal. More alarmingly, Alex’s performance begins to drop in Oscar’s absence, and his team starts losing game after game. Can Alex right his relationship with Oscar before his season spirals out of control? 

In The Red Zone is an engaging graphic novel that explores the importance of friendship in the context of football. Told from Alex’s perspective, the book presents him as a lovable yet determined football player who wants to lead his team to a championship. His friendship, care, and support for his teammates are evident throughout the story, making him an admirable and inspirational protagonist. However, the story also highlights his weaknesses, such as his inability to appropriately understand Han’s reasons for leaving football; these flaws make his character realistic and genuine.  

The book presents an important lesson on honesty, communication, and supporting the differing interests of others. Much of the story’s conflict comes from the miscommunication between Alex and Han. Alex can’t comprehend that Han “didn’t even like playing football anymore.” However, through an honest conversation, both boys realize that their differing interests shouldn’t drive a wedge between them. Instead, they learn to understand and support each other. In The Red Zone teaches readers that they can avoid misunderstandings through proper communication, honesty, and love for one another.  

In The Red Zone delivers its story in an engaging graphic novel format. Each page contains two to three panels in a simplified art style, making the character movements and dialogue easy to read and follow. Although the art style lacks common graphic novel aspects like splashes or bleeds, its variety of colors and onomatopoeia make its illustrations captivating and enjoyable. Large speech bubbles also quickly identify the speakers and typically contain one to two sentences with simple vocabulary and sentence syntax.   

In The Red Zone is part of the Jake Maddox Graphic Novel series, which focuses on uplifting lessons in sports and competition. Alongside its enjoyable illustrations, the book contains additional content, such as a glossary, football history facts, and “visual questions,” which ask the reader to identify how the art style represents the feelings and emotions in each scene. While the plot can be too simplistic and slightly cliché for older readers, In The Red Zone’s charm lies in its illustrations, making it an exciting read for graphic novel enthusiasts and football fans alike.  

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

Unwind

After America’s Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement. According to their Bill of Life, human life may not be terminated from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. But between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the child may be gotten rid of by their parent through a process called “unwinding.”

By repurposing a teen’s organs and other body parts in living recipients, the unwound child’s life doesn’t technically end. According to society’s leaders, unwinding leads to a healthier and safer community, as troublesome and unwanted teens are used for the greater good.

Connor is a rebel whose unwinding was ordered by his parents. Risa, a ward of the state, has been slated for unwinding due to cost cutting. And Lev, his parents’ tenth child, has been destined for unwinding since birth as a religious tithe. As their paths intersect, they start to fight for their own destinies. But do they stand a chance of escaping their fate or proving their lives are worth saving? 

Readers who want a light, entertaining read should avoid the Unwind Dystology. Unwind has plenty of action and suspense that propels the story forward at a fast pace and leaves the reader questioning their beliefs about the value of human life—both before and after birth. Shusterman expertly delves into difficult questions from multiple perspectives by focusing on three completely different characters. After Lev is kidnapped, he chooses to escape his destiny—being unwound. At this time, he begins to question God’s will. Lev’s friend says, “You got it in your heart to run from unwinding, ain’t no one can tell you it’s the wrong thing to do, even if it’s against the law. The good Lord wouldn’t have put it in your heart if it wasn’t right.” In the end, Levi learns that he can still believe in God but not condone human tithing. 

On the other hand, Risa grew up in a state institution where she helped care for babies that no one wanted. Since abortion is illegal, many babies are left on people’s doorstep, but this doesn’t guarantee that the child will be loved or cared for. Risa wonders, “Which was worse. . . to have tens of thousands of babies that no one wanted, or silently make them go away before they were even born?” Risa’s experiences force the reader to ponder both the pro-life and the pro-abortion point of view.  

Unwind is a thought-provoking story that begins with the question: Should unborn children have a right to live, or should women have a right to choose what happens to their bodies? To put a spotlight on these questions, Shusterman creates a dark world full of violence that is not for the faint of heart. However, readers who aren’t afraid of exploring controversial topics will find that each protagonist—Connor, Risa, and Lev—has a different system and wants to do what is right. The next installments of the Unwind Dystology explore human evil in more detail. Although the series makes readers ask important questions, many readers will not be ready to face the books’ disturbingly dark images. Readers who want a tamer dystopian book have many options, including Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie, The Maze Cutter by James Dashner, and Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. 

Sexual Content  

  • When Connor’s friend, Ariana, says she will run away with him. He “kisses her.” 
  • A woman helps Connor, Risa, and a storked newborn hide. Storked are those left on doorsteps. The old woman assumes that Connor and Risa are the baby’s parents. The woman says, “If you really want to stay alive, honey, have him get you pregnant again. They won’t unwind an expectant mother, so that will buy you nine whole months.” 
  • One boy says that he has two dads, but “I’m not like my dads—my compass points to girls, if you know what I mean.” 
  • While hiding out in a warehouse, two kids “make out all day long, drawing a cluster of other kids who sit there and watch.” 
  • Connor kisses Risa. “She did not expect it, and when he breaks off the kiss, she realizes from the look on his face that he hadn’t expected it either. . . she pulls him into another kiss—this one longer than the first.” 
  • Connor and Risa are sent to a harvest camp to be unwound. While they wait, “They meet in the girls’ bathroom . . . They hold each other in the tight space, making no excuses for it. . . they kiss as if they’ve done it forever.”

Violence  

  • When Conner discovers he is supposed to be unwound, he runs away. Connor’s father and the police find him hiding in the back of a semi. To escape, Connor runs across a busy highway. “He hears a gun fire. He feels the impact, but not in his skin. The bullet embeds in his backpack.” Connor realizes that they’re firing tranquilizer bullets. 
  • As Connor is running across the highway, a Cadillac’s “side mirror smacks him painfully in the ribs before the car screeches to a halt, sending the acrid stench of burned rubber up his nostrils.” Connor sees Lev in the Cadillac so he grabs Lev to use as a human shield. 
  • Connor puts a “choke hold” on Lev and drags him across the road. As they run, “bullets now fly past them.” To escape, “Lev grabs the arm that’s locked around his neck and sinks his teeth in with the full force of his jaws until he tastes blood. The kid screams.” Lev is hit with a tranquilizer bullet and falls to the ground. 
  • While Connor is running, a bus swerves, and “Risa’s head is slammed against the window as the bus suddenly pulls to the right. . . Risa is thrown forward, down the aisle, as the bus comes to a sudden, jarring stop.” 
  • After the bus crashes, “the windshield is smashed, and it’s covered in blood. Lots of it. . . It’s the bus driver’s blood. His hands halfway through [the windshield], and he’s not moving.” 
  • Connor and Risa work together to trick a police officer. Risa pretends to be injured. When the officer goes to help her, “the officer is knocked to the ground, and suddenly there are two figures attacking him—The Unwind and the girl.” Connor uses a tranquilizer gun on the police officer. 
  • An unwanted baby is put on Connor’s doorstep. His parents did not want to take the child in, so they put it on a neighbor’s doorstep. Eventually, the child is placed back on Connor’s doorstep, but by then, it’s so sick that it dies.  
  • Roland, a runaway, was sent to be unwound because he “had beaten up his stepfather for beating his mom. The mother took her husband’s side, and the stepfather got off with a warning. Roland, on the other hand, was sent to be unwound.” 
  • A newspaper article talks about a hospital that was harvesting stem cells. “The council described a general culture of trafficking of children snatched at birth. . . The pictures show organs, including brains, have been stripped—and some bodies dismembered.” 
  • Roland corners Risa while she’s in the bathroom. “He grabs her hands, pushes her back against the cold green tile wall, and presses his hip against her so that her knee can’t reach its mark.” Rolands implies that he is going to have sex with her whether she wants to or not. Another teen comes in and interrupts. Roland lets Risa go. 
  • Lev goes to a pawnbroker to sell a stolen bracelet. The pawnbroker opens the safe. “He feels something hard and heavy connecting with his head. His thoughts are instantly scrambled. He loses consciousness before he hits the ground.”  
  • While hidden in a warehouse, the Unwinds are woken so they can be transferred to another hiding place. The “Fatigues,” adults in charge of watching the Unwinds, have rifles. “A cranky kid pushes a Fatigue for tearing away his blanket. The Fatigue with the gun hits him on the shoulder with his rifle—not enough to seriously wound him, but enough to make it clear to the kids, and everyone else, that they mean business.” 
  • Lev turns Connor and Risa into the cops. Afterward, Connor “hauls off and punches Lev in the eye. Not hard enough to knock him down, but hard enough to snap his head halfway around and give him a nasty shiner.” 
  • Someone shows Connor a crate that has five dead kids in it. “There are no signs of blood, no wounds. They could all be asleep except for the fact that [one]’s eyes are open and staring at nothing.” Later, Connor learns that the kids suffocated in the crate. 
  • Connor entices his enemy, Roland, into an airplane. Connor “leaps forward and firmly plants the muzzle of the Admiral’s gun against Roland’s back. . . Roland makes his move. He spins, knocks Connor back, and grabs for the gun.” Connor pushes Roland into a crate and locks him in. “While Roland rages inside, Connor takes aim at the crate and fires the gun, once, twice, three times.” After making sure Roland can breathe, Connor leaves. Later, Roland is let out, uninjured. 
  • To hurt the Admiral, a mob of kids attacks the Admiral’s jet. “The first of the kids reaches the top of the stairs and heaves the hatch open, only to be met by Risa, and a brutal punch to the jaw. It sends him tumbling over the side and to the ground . . . The second kid is met by an aerosol burst of Bactine [a pain-relieving spray] right to the eyes. The pain is excruciating. He stumbles backward. . .” The mob destroys everything they can get their hands on. The scene is described over multiple chapters. 
  • Cleaver, a helicopter pilot, tries to get away from the mob but is unable to. Connor breaks up the kids and finds “the man on the ground is battered and bloody. . . He’s been beaten to a pulp.” Helpless, Connor watches Cleaver die. 
  • Connor thinks about the Mayan game of pokatok. “The game was a lot like basketball, except that the losers were sacrificed to the Mayan gods.”  
  • Roland and Connor fight. Roland “begins swinging, and Connor is quick to defend. . . Connor taps into his own wellspring of fury, and he lets loose a brutal offensive of his own. . . [Roland] slams him against the wall his hand pressed against Connor’s windpipe. . . Connor’s struggles become weaker without oxygen to feed his muscles.” Roland thinks about killing Connor and is surprised that he can’t. The scene is described over two pages. 
  • Roland is unwound and is conscious of the entire procedure. As Roland’s body is taken apart, a nurse says, “You may feel a tugging sensation near your ankles. . . it’s nothing to worry about.” 
  • An hour and fifteen minutes into the procedure, “surgeons leave, new ones arrive. He looks towards his toes but can’t see them [because they have been removed]. . . A clanging of metal. The lower half of the table is unhooked, and pulled away. . . Now Roland feels discomfort in his gut. Discomfort, a tickling sensation, but no pain. The surgeon lifts things away.” 
  • The nurse leaves once Roland’s eyes have been removed. Roland sees “not quite darkness, just an absence of light. He hears everything around him but can no longer communicate. . .” The doctors talk about sports as they continue to remove parts of Roland’s brain. After three hours and nineteen minutes, the procedure is complete, and Roland is still alive, but he is confused about what has happened. The procedure is described over six pages. 
  • In the conclusion, three Unwinds [Lev, Blaine, and Mai] decide to attack the harvest camp where they are being held. Blaine and Mai both go inside the “Chop Shop” where the unwind procedure is performed. A guard sees Blaine and “aims his tranq gun at Blaine’s left thigh, and fires. . . The impact of a tranq bullet is more effective than a detonator. Blaine and the guard are instantly incinerated as the six quarts of liquid explosive coursing through Blaine’s body ignite.” 
  • During the attack, Connor is injured. “His face is a shredded, bloody mess. He’s lost an eye. His right arm is crushed and mangled. But he’s alive!” Connor is in a coma for several weeks. When he awakes, he has been given an Unwind’s eye and arm. The revolt scene is described over eight pages.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • At a party for Lev, champagne is served to the adults. Lev’s brother, Marcus, pretends to be drunk so he can go on a rant. 
  • A police officer thinks that Unwinds are “often high on illegal substances. . . Nicotine, caffeine, or worse.”  
  • Lev is hit with a tranquilizer gun. When he wakes up, “his head hurts, he feels like he might puke, and his brain is still only at half power.” 
  • An adult who helps hide Unwinds talks to Connor when “the Admiral adds some whiskey from a flask to his own coffee.” After the Admiral’s son was unwound, he “left the military, spent several years more drunk than I am now.” Then he sobered up and began helping the Unwinds. 
  • A boy who has asthma takes Xolair. 
  • Roland steals a bottle of ipecac from the infirmary. “He was planning to use the stuff to spike the drinks and create a puke-fest.” His plan is never carried out. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used seldom. Profanity includes hell, damn, crap, and ass. 
  • My God and for God’s sake are used several times as an exclamation.

Supernatural 

  • When a person is given a body part from an unwound person, the body part remembers what the person learned. For example, one man received a new hand, and the hand still knew how to perform magic. 
  • One boy, Cyrus, was injured and received half of a boy’s brain. Now, the boy is in Cyrus’s head. “This boy in the corner of his head doesn’t talk to him in words. He feels. He emotes. He doesn’t understand that he’s only a part of another kid. . . Now he keeps looking for things in Cyrus’s head that just aren’t there. . . And so the kid hurls out anger. Terror. Grief. Waves pounding the wall, and beneath it all, there’s a current tugging Cy forward.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Lev is a tithe, “a child of a religious family who is born and raised to be unwound, as an act of charity.” 
  • Lev’s parents are Christians who “have always given 10 percent of everything to the church.” This includes giving Lev as a tithe, who will be unwound. Lev’s parent told him, “Your life will be to serve God and mankind.” Because he is a tithe, Lev has “always felt closer to God than to his friends, or even his family.” 
  • Lev’s family believes “everyone’s equal in God’s eyes.” 
  • Lev is jealous of his siblings, who are not unwound. Lev’s pastor tells him that God asks for the best fruits, not the first fruits. Lev thinks, “Giving of one’s self is the ultimate blessing.” 
  • After Lev is kidnapped, he still wants to be unwound, “as it was ordained to be. . . Being torn from his purpose was the most unnerving thing that had ever happened to Lev, but now he understands why God let it happen. It’s a lesson. It’s to show Lev what happens to children who shrink their destiny: they become lost in every possible way.” 
  • When Lev talks about being tithed, he says, “Tithing’s in the Bible; you’re supposed to give 10 percent of everything. And Storking is in the Bible, too.” Storked is when babies are left on doorsteps. “The homeowner is obligated to keep and raise the child.” 
  • When talking about storked babies, Lev uses Moses as an example. “Moses was put in a basket in the Nile and was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. He was the first storked baby, and looked what happened to him!” 
  • Unwanted babies are raised in a state institution or storked. Connor wonders, “If a baby was going to be so unloved, why would God want it brought into the world?” 
  • After Lev runs, he says his parents “loved God more than they loved me, and I hate them for it. So I guess that means I’m going to hell.” 
  • Connor and some of the other Unwinds discuss when a soul is put into an unborn child. One Unwind says a girl believed that “if someone actually gets unwound, then they never had a soul to begin with. She said God must know who’s going to be unwound, and he doesn’t give them souls.” The conversation lasts for three pages. 
  • Lev is part of the group that plans to destroy the harvest camp. Before he can set off his detonator, he thinks: “God, dear God, what am I doing? What have I done? How did I get here?” Lev is unable to set off the detonator and helps rescue people instead. 
  • While Lev is in a cell, Pastor Dan visits. The pastor “resigned my position. I left the church. . . I still very much believe in God—just not a god who condones human tithing.”  

National Geographic Kids Why?: Over 1,111 Answers to Everything

The concept is simple. Got a question? Well now you have an answer! 1,111 of them, in fact. Want to know why your snot is yellow? Flip to the human body chapter. What’s on the inside of a turtle shell? The animal section has you covered. What’s in the deepest part of the ocean? And why doesn’t Earth just float off into space? Check and check. With hundreds of topics ranging from silly to serious, we’ve got expert information in a fun and entertaining format that will keep kids digging for answers. Answers include all kinds of fascinating extra info like top ten lists, weird-but-true facts, explorer profiles, and cool activities. Now, go stump your parents! 

National Geographic Kids Why? has seven chapters that cover the following information: 1) Your Body, 2) Our Planet, 3) The Universe, 4) History, 5) Technology, 6) Animals, and 7) Pop Culture. The wide range of topics includes many interesting facts about the Big Bang, global warming, ancient Egyptians, mummification, the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, why we can’t teleport like in Star Trek, why animals play, and why some people are mean on the internet. Boyer uses examples from the Guinness Book of World Records to put some facts into perspective. In addition, many lists break items down, such as the steps ancient Egyptians used to make mummies, how castles were conquered, how to avoid getting bit by a shark, and how search engines work.  

While the book’s information is extensive, Boyer acknowledges that we don’t know much. For example, people do not know what’s in the Earth’s core. However, several theories are discussed, such as “In 2014, geologists found what might be a reservoir of water larger than all the planet’s oceans combined deep in the Earth’s mantle.” The section about the earth includes several diagrams labeling the parts of the Earth.  

Along with facts, National Geographic Kids Why? has sidebars that showcase eleven people of interest. These people include theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawkings, scientist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, explorer Leif Eriksson, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., Polish mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus, electrical engineer Ralf Baer, blacksmith Johannes Gutenberg, author J.K. Rowling, video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and singer Micheal Jackson. 

National Geographic Kids Why? uses a fun format with large, full-color pictures and illustrations on every page. Each topic is put in the form of a question, such as why there are different languages. Each question is answered anywhere from one to three paragraphs. While the book’s reading level is advanced, the information is formatted in easily digestible segments. National Geographic Kids Why? will appeal to any curious reader, and since none of the topics are discussed in detail, the book may inspire readers to further research many of the topics found in the book.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • The Neanderthals “died out, possibly because humans hunted them for food or started families with them.”  
  • While trying to conquer a castle, the attacking army used starvation and devices designed to batter the castle and its defenders. “Catapults hurled stones that smashed walls and the people hiding behind them. . . The castle’s garrison of knights and soldiers, meanwhile, mounted a furious defense, raining arrows and boiling water on the attackers and shoving siege ladders away from the walls.” 
  • Before a squire was knighted, he prayed through the night. “He knelt before his lord or the knight who trained him. This man then delivered a punch to the squire’s cheek—in some cases with enough force to knock the would-be knight to the ground—to help him remember his oath.” 
  • Gladiators were slaves or prisoners of war who were forced to fight “for the bloodthirsty crowd’s amusement.” The gladiators often fought exotic animals, and the fights were often “gory.”
  • The ancient Mayans and Aztecs played a brutal ball game. “The solid rubber balls left players bruised and bloody. Games sometimes resulted in broken bones and even death as players dove to the stone court to keep the ball from touching the ground.” 
  • Knights entered jousting tournaments, and “many knights were permanently injured or killed in jousts. King Henry II of France died in a joust when a lance pierced his visor.” 
  • During the witch trials in 15th-century Europe, “suspected witches were rounded up, tortured into confessing any number of crimes, and then burnt alive at the stake. By the 1700s, as many as 60,000 suspected witches had been tried and executed in Europe.” 
  • Africanized bees were made in a lab, and “they’ll pursue any threat until it drops—and then continue stinging and stinging and stinging! A swarm chased a Texas man and nailed him more than a thousand times!”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • The Hope diamond may be cursed and is “best known for its history of unhappy owners. King Louis XVI lost his head in the French Revolution. More than a hundred years later, a woman who wore the diamond became convinced it was cursed after her husband, eldest son, and daughter all died.”  
  • Legends say, “a ninja could fly, walk on water, and vanish. Two of these powers were real, sort of. (Ninjas wore special wooden shoes to tread on water and explosive powers to disappear in a cloud of smoke.)” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish mathematician, said the Earth orbited the sun. “It was a dangerous theory that went against the teachings of the Catholic Church, so Copernicus didn’t publish his big idea until his final days.” 
  • Some men who played the ancient Mayan and Aztec ball games played for religious reasons. “The games were thought to represent the battle of good against evil. Some games may have ended in sacrificial rituals to appease the gods.”  
  • In the 1500s, church officials linked “the practice of witchcraft to the devil.” 

Batter Power-Up!

Zack is a young, aspiring baseball star for his team in Leeville. Known for his defensive plays in the outfield, Zack wants to help his team win every game. However, there’s one problem: Zack can’t hit. Every time he goes to the plate, he ends his at-bat with a pop fly or a strikeout. And with the strikeouts mounting, Zack fears losing his spot in the starting lineup. 

However, everything changes when Zack’s friend, Jamie, gives him a Gamer Gear headset with virtual baseball. Using the pitch recognition of the batting game, Zack begins to see encouraging results. But, one day, when the headset unexpectedly breaks, Zack fears that he has lost his only chance to improve his hitting. Will Zack learn to hit without the headset and save his season? 

Batter Power-Up! is an exciting graphic novel that effortlessly blends action-packed sequences with heartfelt moments. Told from the perspective of Zack, the book portrays Zack as an enthusiastic young boy who finds joy in video games and baseball. Although he initially struggles to overcome his inability to hit, his journey to trust in his own abilities instead of other things, such as the Gamer Gear headset, makes him an inspirational character. After all, most readers will relate to Zack’s experience of learning to believe in himself and overcoming difficult challenges. 

The book provides a positive outlook on the theme of believing in oneself. Despite Zack’s Gamer Gear headset malfunctioning and costing him valuable training time, Zack’s recognition that he doesn’t need the headset emphasizes the book’s message about trusting one’s abilities. It teaches readers that many obstacles can be overcome through mental fortitude. This theme is reinforced when Zack exclaims, “I just had to trust my instincts.” 

Batter Power-Up! brings the story to life in a delightful graphic novel format. The panels and characters feature a detailed art style with lots of color, dialogue, and onomatopoeia. The detailed style enhances the action sequences during baseball games, where each panel provides insights about the characters’ thoughts and movements in a structured, organized way. Meanwhile, the text appears in big white bubbles that easily identify the speaker and contain one to two sentences with intermediate vocabulary and sentence structure. 

Overall, Batter Power-Up! presents an encouraging story about a young baseball player learning to believe in himself. Although the plot may be too simplistic for older readers, Batter Power-Up! is a must-read for graphic novel enthusiasts and baseball fans alike.  

Sexual Content 

  • None 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • After repeatedly swinging and missing, Zack throws his bat on the ground and shouts, “Why can’t I hit the blasted ball?” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content 

  • None 

Crush at First Sight

Pippa Park is no longer the new girl at Lakeview, but that doesn’t mean she can get comfortable. With Christmas approaching, Pippa’s friends – nicknamed “the Royals” – are preparing for the biggest party of the year! Pippa is determined to use the party as a chance to show that she truly belongs with the Royals. She needs a great dress and a great date (neither of which she has). Nevertheless, she’s determined: Everything about this Christmas has to be absolutely perfect.  

Unfortunately, perfection is not in the cards. Literally. A tarot reading Pippa receives from her neighbor, Mrs. Lee, warns Pippa that her future holds a disaster. Pippa isn’t sure what to think about the reading until she learns that her mother, who lives in Korea, won’t be able to make it to America for Christmas. If that wasn’t bad enough, Pippa was put in charge of organizing the Royals’ Christmas party. Making the best party ever is a little difficult in a small apartment, not to mention the cost of all the food and decor. Pippa is stretched thin between babysitting gigs, tutoring sessions with her crush, Eliot, and volunteering at the church. Plus, her friends, Buddy and Helen, are too obsessed with their new relationship to offer her any support. The only escape in this growing mess is a boy named Marvel, whom Pippa meets during her volunteer work. But even things with Marvel are rocky – after all, doesn’t she have feelings for Eliot?  

A week before the party, just about everything Pippa worked for has been destroyed, just like Mrs. Lee warned. Her sister Mina needs the money Pippa earned from babysitting. Then, Mrs. Lee gets in an accident and moves into the Park’s living room, robbing Pippa of a venue. Pippa snaps at Buddy and Helen, putting her friendships in jeopardy. Finally, she’s caught with Eliot when she’s supposed to meet Marvel, taking her date options for the party from two to zero. It seems like things can’t get any worse. Then, Pippa remembers Mina’s advice: “Pippa, there is only one person responsible for your future. And that’s you.”  

Pippa comes clean and restores her relationships. Mrs. Lee even gives Pippa the key to her place so she can host her party there. When Pippa admits she’s struggling, the Royals don’t laugh at her like she thought; they rally behind her and help create the best party ever. Pippa learns that asking for help isn’t a bad thing – her friends and family are there to support her however they can.  

Pippa is a great character for middle school girls because everything in Pippa’s life is realistic. She deals with a multitude of issues at the same time, which makes her seem more relatable. Between her home life, school life, romantic feelings, and friendships, she becomes a well-rounded individual that girls can relate to since they will often experience these same troubles in middle school — wanting to fit in, having their first romantic relationship, and struggling to manage new responsibilities. Despite all these conflicts, the plot is straightforward and easy to follow.  

Crush at First Sight is a good, lighthearted read with a positive message showing the importance of relying on others. Pippa wants to seem like she can do everything herself, but in reality, when she struggles, she needs the help of others. Through Pippa’s experience, readers will learn to share their struggles with their friends and family. Instead of asking for help, Pippa says, “[I] buried my insecurities deeper and deeper until my feelings morphed into resentment. I had kept waiting for things to go back to normal, but I refused to take the initiative to make that happen.” When Pippa admits to the Royals that she’s having a hard time, they show her understanding and offer help instead of turning against her. As a further sign of their support, the book ends with Pippa getting a golden scrunchie from the Royals – a sign that they accept her, even if she isn’t perfect. For more holiday fun, grab a cup of hot cocoa and snuggle up with the Celebrate the Season Series by Taylor Garland and Hot Cocoa Hearts by Suzanne Nelson. 

Sexual Content  

  • Buddy and Helen, two of Pippa’s friends, are dating. Pippa sees them kiss once. “I watched as Buddy stepped forward. I watched as Helen brought her face closer to his. And I watched as their lips met.” 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Pippa volunteers at her local Korean Baptist Church. While not religious herself, the church is putting on a play about Jesus’s birth. Pippa is a shepherd.  
  • Pippa’s family sets up a nativity scene for Christmas with wise men and camels.  

Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society

Charlie Thorne is a genius. Charlie Thorne is fearless. Charlie Thorne may have finally met her match.

Charlie Thorne is used to being on the run. Ever since she was recruited by the CIA to track down Einstein’s most dangerous equation, Charlie has traveled around the world with former CIA agents Dante Garcia and Milana Moon to prevent history’s greatest discoveries from falling into the wrong hands. But after beating others to the secrets hidden by Einstein, Darwin, and Cleopatra, Charlie and her comrades realize they are not the only ones searching for an immensely powerful discovery of Isaac Newton’s.

From a chase over the rooftops of Cambridge University, to scaling the Sydney Harbour Bridge and skirting a volcanic eruption, Charlie will need to think one step ahead of her opponents in order to follow Newton’s trail of devious clues and keep herself out of the hands of the many enemies who are hot on her tail. 

Filled with high-stakes action scenes, historical facts, and plenty of adventure, Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Along the journey, readers will enjoy deciphering the clues and ciphers leading to Newton’s discovery. In addition, readers will learn about the explorer James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, and other historical figures. Since Charlie is following in Cook’s footsteps, she also explores the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Newton’s discovery has a surprising twist—Newton discovered an elixir that gave him immortality, but immortality was a blessing and a curse. Newton discusses how immortality affected his life, and when Charlie has an opportunity to use the elixir, she doesn’t take it because “I don’t want to live forever. Someday, I hope I’ll meet someone and have a family with them. I don’t want to outlive them and all my kids and grandkids, too. That sounds a whole lot worse than dying.” Newton makes it clear that the elixir should only be used by someone of great intelligence, like Charlie, so that it is not abused.

The conclusion wraps up the series and leaves readers with this thought: family is the greatest treasure. The Charlie Thorne Series is a must-read for anyone who wants to travel the world. The series will give readers hours of adventure and teach interesting historical facts. Readers can find more adventure by reading the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit and the TombQuest Series by Michael Northrop. For readers interested in decoding codes and ciphers, take a peek into how ciphers work by reading Spy Files: Codes and Ciphers by Adrian Gilbert and The Usborne Book of Secret Codes by Eileen O’Brien & Diana Riddell.

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • A mob forms outside of Isaac Newton’s house. “An angry laborer threw an empty liquor bottle at the building. It shattered off the wall just below Newton’s window. The other members of the mob cheered, then began to throw things as well: stones, garbage, empty bottles of their own.” Newton flees out the back door.  
  • When Newton flees in a carriage, several men try to stop him. “Two men clung to the outside of the approaching carriage. . . but Newton’s coachman coaxed a burst of speed from his horses at the last minute. . . The vehicle toppled into the street, throwing Newton’s potential attackers into the path of the other two carriages. The horses trampled them. . .” Newton escapes. 
  • Charlie finds one of Newton’s discoveries but a boy, Kenji, tries to steal it. “Charlie threw the book down onto his foot hard enough to make him yelp. . .” Charlie runs away, but two “big” men give chase.  
  • Dante sees the men chasing Charlie and swings a pole. “He swung it like a bat, catching the big man across the chest. . . the blow knocked him back a step but didn’t knock him down.” The man uses the pole like a spear and “charged like a medieval knight, looking to run Dante through.” The man clubs Dante, “knocking him to the ground. . . [the man] prepared to impale him with it.” Someone “clobbers” the man, knocking him out and saving Dante. 
  • In an emergency, Dante tries to take someone’s truck. When the man tries to stop him, Dante “dropped him with a single punch, then stole the keys.”  
  • Charlie is kidnapped by a wealthy man and Kenji’s grandfather, Yoshi. When she wakes up, her “wrists and ankles were bound with duct tape.” Charlie tells the man, “You realize that keeping a teenage girl tied up in your private office makes you look like a pervert, right?” The kidnapper forces Charlie to look for Newton’s discovery.   
  • When Yoshi drinks a potion and passes out, Kenji attacks Charlie. “Kenji clamped a hand on Charlie’s neck, hard enough to make her gasp. He pushed her against the wall. The rough stones jabbed into her back. Charlie struggled for breath, feeling her consciousness start to slip away.” Someone hits Kenji over the head and knocks him out. 
  • When Yoshi awakes, he tries to recapture Charlie. However, Newton helps her flee. Newton attacks Yoshi. “He drove Yoshi backward to a small ledge by a channel through which the lava was flowing. They tottered on the edge, then toppled into the channel. . . A burst of flame flared up as the molten rock consumed them.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • King John keeps wild animals as pets and gives them wine and beer to drink. 
  • Yoshi discovers a vial that he believes is Newton’s discovery. When he drinks it, “his eye bulged. His face turned red. His hands clutched at his throat as he wheezed.” He passes out. 
  • Isaac Newton was in a carriage when “one rioter managed to leap onto the running board . . . He was so drunk that Newton could smell the liquor on his breath.” 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • As Isaac Newton flees, a young scientist says, “God be with you.”  
  • When explorer James Cook went to Hawaii, he was mistaken as a “powerful Hawaiian God named Lono,” and “James and his men were showered with food and gifts.” The natives finally realized Cook was not a god, and a mob killed him. 
  • Newton hid his discovery because “there were many more who might think it was the result of witchcraft—or a pact with the devil—or other dark forces.”

The Grip

Young Marcus Stroman is determined to make it to the highest playing level he can, despite every coach telling him he’s not tall enough to become a “real” pitcher. He’ll show them…with some struggling and a whole lot of learning.

It’s easy to forget that for every professional sports player there was a kid learning the sport, dealing with nerves during try-outs, dropping the ball when all their teammates were counting on them, and learning how to stay friends with someone who doesn’t make the team. These hard lessons are universal whether in the majors or on a school playing field, as are teamwork, competition, and believing in yourself. 

The Grip rotates between Marcus’ home life, practice with his father, and “assessments” for the baseball team. This allows Stroman to incorporate many important life lessons. However, there is very little action, and there are no baseball games. Despite this, many of the conflicts are relatable.  

Marcus feels a lot of pressure to perform well on the baseball field. His dad is convinced Marcus will make it to the big leagues, but Marcus wonders if his future could look different. He thinks, “It would be really cool to be a video game designer or musician. . .” In addition to worrying about his future, Marcus also worries that he’s short and won’t make the baseball team. While these are concerns that many middle graders have, Marcus’ worry is over the top, especially because he practices every day and is really good. This may leave some readers thinking that if someone like Marcus can’t make the team, then there’s no way they can.  

When Marcus gets stressed, he calms down by using breathing techniques that his mom taught him. While the breathing exercises help, Marcus’s mom also makes an appointment with a “mental-health coach” who gives more advice on ways to cope with stress. When Marcus sees one of his teammates struggling, he says, “It doesn’t matter what I say or how I play or even what the coaches say. It matters that you think you can do it. Block everything out, man. But don’t block out the voice in your head that tells you that you have this.” All readers will find this advice helpful, no matter what difficult situation they are facing. 

The Grip takes an overly optimistic view of facing difficulties and resolving conflicts. For example, Marcus’s parents are divorced, but they never argue, fight, or disagree with each other. The only indication that the parents don’t agree on everything is when Marcus’ mom lets him skip baseball practice and go to the pool instead. Since Marcus’ father wouldn’t agree with this decision, Marcus’ mom decides not to tell him. In addition, a mean boy named James is a thorn on Marcus’s side. Despite this, when James is having a difficult time, Marcus gives him good advice that cheers James up.   

The Grip encourages readers to find healthy ways to deal with stress as well as encourages them to believe in themselves. While the positive message will resonate with teens, neither Marcus nor the supporting characters are very memorable. Nevertheless, The Grip will appeal to sports players who want tips to improve their game. Readers looking for more baseball-inspired stories with positive lessons should also read The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson and Mascot by Antony John. However, if you’re looking for more baseball action, step up to the plate and read Fast Pitch by Nic Stone and Much Ado About Baseball by Rajani LaRocca. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Marcus thinks one of his teammates is a jerk.  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Change the Game

Written by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing and illustrated by Orlando Caicedo, Change the Game is a graphic novel that follows Colin Kaepernick’s high school years. This was a difficult and critical time for Kaepernick. With college fast approaching, he felt pulled between two career paths. He was an excellent baseball pitcher, earning him several offers from colleges, which his parents and teachers encouraged him to pursue. However, these deals saw him only for his athletic ability and disregarded his academic success.
Along with this, Kaepernick had no passion for baseball. Instead, he felt a strong calling for football. His high school football team was a place of comfort for him, where his closest friends played alongside him. Meanwhile, his high school baseball team was made up of mostly strangers who regularly made racist comments. When Kaepernick spoke up against his teammates, the coach scolded him. 

In Change the Game, readers will come to understand how Kaepernick’s love for football developed alongside his awareness of the racial prejudices of his environment. Kaepernick grew up in a predominately white small town. He lived in a household with white adoptive parents and siblings. Since most of his friends on his football team were people of color, Kaepernick felt he could truly be himself around them. Not only did his teammates share his love for football, but he could also talk to them about their mutual feelings growing up in their town.  

Caicedo’s dynamic illustrations help the reader understand Kaepernick’s feelings throughout the story. For example, Caicedo illustrates Kaepernick’s daydream of a potential baseball career in wavy, overlapping panels. The climactic playoff game is illustrated across a double-page spread, with a small, claustrophobic layout of panels depicting Kaepernick’s anxious, shifting focus; the pictures include a closeup of the ball being caught, a referee barking out calls, a closeup of a shouting fan. The illustrations help the reader fully understand the intensity and anxiety of the game. Each page’s panels have zero to eight sentences. 

The book ends with a section describing Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, a free camp that raises awareness on higher education and self-empowerment for young people of color, as well as instructions on how to interact with law enforcement in various situations. The section includes photos from the camp and quotes from its members, who answer how they plan to “change the game” as future leaders of change. 

Overall, Change the Game is an excellently illustrated graphic novel led by Kaepernick’s candid and personal voice as he retells the beginning of his athletic career. In this book, Kaepernick stresses the valuable lesson these experiences taught him: you should always stand up for what is right, even if it feels uncomfortable. The story is sure to resonate with young readers who may share Colin’s experience as well as readers who may not already recognize the more covert examples of racial prejudice in their own environments. 

Sexual Content 

  • Colin describes a “sort of game” in which his father would ask him who on TV he found attractive. 

Violence 

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None 

Language 

  • Colin overhears a white student saying the “n” word. 
  • A member of Colin’s baseball team refers to a “Mexican stealing another job” from a white store owner. 
  • Colin describes how he would overhear white fans of his high school football team refer to the team’s Black members as “animals out there,” or “real beasts,” without acknowledging that these descriptions are dehumanizing. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

  

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Gamer Girls: 25 Women Who Built the Video Game Industry

Women have always made video games: from the 1960s, first-of-its-kind, projector-based Sumerian Game to the blockbuster Uncharted games that defined the early 2000s. Women have been behind the writing, design, scores, and engines that power one of the most influential industries out there. In Gamer Girls, you can explore the stories of 25 of those women. Bursting with bold artwork, easy-to-read profiles, and real-life stories of the women working on games like Centipede, Final Fantasy, Halo, and more, this dynamic illustrated book shows what a huge role women have played—and will continue to play—in the creation of video games.

With additional sidebars about other influential women in the videogame industry, as well as a glossary and additional resources page, Gamer Girls offers a look into the work and lives of influential pixel queens such as:   

  • Roberta Williams (one of the creators of the adventure genre) 
  • Mabel Addis Mergardt (the first person to write a video game) 
  • Muriel Tramis (the French “knight” of video games) 
  • Keiko Erikawa (creator of the otome genre) 
  • Yoko Shimomura (composer for Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts) 
  • Rebecca Heineman (first national video game tournament champion) 
  • Danielle Bunten Berry (creator of M.U.L.E. and early advocate for multiplayer games) 
  • And more! 

Anyone who plays or wants to make video games should read Gamer Girls, which gives readers a peek inside the video game industry. Many of the women made an impact on the video game industry by using their unique perspectives. The gamers discuss how they overcame obstacles; this includes creating new technologies that were necessary to bring their video game ideas to life. In addition, each woman gives advice. For instance, Kazuko Shibuya, the video game artist behind the Final Fantasy Series, explains: “There’s no substitute for experiencing things with your own two eyes, taking the whole atmosphere and context directly. A designer must hone all five of her senses. . . They are all connected to creativity. The more experiences you have to draw from, the more depth you will be able to impart to your creations.” 

Gamer Girls is broken into clear sections that are easy to follow. The first page introduces a new woman, features a full-page illustration of the woman, and lists her role in the video game industry. Each illustration is drawn using orange and purple, which give the pages a lively feel. Short sections titled “Side Quest” introduce other women who impacted the industry. And since some readers may not understand all of the technological terms, there is a glossary.  

Even girls who don’t dream of creating video games can still learn important lessons from the women featured in Gamer Girls. Donna Bailey, writer of the first romance game, advises, “Never stop learning new skills. Whether it’s choosing a new career because of a song, or leaving a career to reconnect with yourself, never lose the sound of your inner voice, and never lose curiosity.” Readers of Gamer Girls will come away feeling inspired to make their dreams come true. 

Sexual Content  

  • Game Developer Robin Hunicks spoke at a video game conference. “Robin quickly listed the types of game art displayed in hallways: ‘Sexy babes who can’t stop touching themselves. Coy babes who are kinda naked. Lesbian baaaaabes. Studded babes!. . . Latex babes.’ Hunicks went on to talk about how to reach women gamers.” After her rant, she “flipped the audience a set of double birds and walked off the stage.” 
  • A Japanese video game called Seduction of Condominium Wives was “a role-playing game in which a door-to-door salesman tries to sell condoms to women and fights Yakuza and ghosts.” 
  • Two video game designers became frustrated with people asking, “What’s the game mechanic for sex?” Later, they released “a game about sex that has nothing graphic in it. It’s a collection of flowers, shapes, colors, circles, and eyes.” 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • One game developer’s advice is to “know your shit.” 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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