Topic: Animals

Simon Thorn and the Shark’s Cave

Simon Thorn is just learning the rules of the Animalgam, a secret race of people who can shift into animals. After years of being bullied, he has finally found a group of friends. They attend the secret Animalgam academy, which is hidden beneath New York’s Central Park Zoo. Simon and his friends are looking for the pieces of a terrible weapon—the predator. They are determined to destroy the weapon before Simon’s grandfather, Orion, can use it to take over the Animalgam kingdom.

When Simon’s dolphin friend Jam is summoned home to the underwater kingdom, Simon decides it is the perfect time for him to search for a missing piece of the predator. Simon soon discovers that finding the piece will be harder than he thinks. There is a traitor among the underwater kingdom and Jam’s family has strict rules that cannot be broken. Can Simon and his friends find the piece before Orion?

The third book in the Simon Thorn series takes the reader on a fast-paced ride through the underwater world where sharks rule. Even though Simon is still looking for a piece of the predator, Simon Thorn and the Shark’s Cave doesn’t simply repeat the events of previous books. Instead, the story focuses on Jam’s strict, military family and the dangers that lurk underwater. Even though the story has many of the same characters, Jam’s family is introduced, and with that come new complications.

Simon Thorn’s world is unique, dangerous, and utterly captivating. The characters are distinct, well-developed, and interesting. Simon is surrounded by a host of Animalgam with questionable intentions as well as two villains who are willing to kill him to gain power. The story highlights the dangers of one person having too much power. Simon thinks that even if someone wants peace, tyranny is not the way to gain it because “there will always be good people who rise up against tyrants and murderers regardless of what it cost them.”

The story highlights the importance of learning from mistakes as well as forgiveness. While in the underwater world, Simon gets a glimpse of the negative aspects of sexism, especially how it affects Jam’s sisters. Simon’s friend Felix points out that Simon is unique because, “You meet someone and you see who they are, not what they are. You got any idea how rare that is, kid?”

The Simon Thorn series must be read in order because the plot builds on previous books. However, readers who have read the first two books in the series will not be disappointed in this installment. New characters, new adventures, and new dangers arise in Simon Thorn and the Shark’s Cave. The fast-paced action and plot twists will keep readers engaged until the very end. The Simon Thorn series gives readers a relatable hero who will do whatever it takes to keep his family and friends safe.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A group of falcons chases after Nolan and Simon, who were flying in bird form. A falcon catches Simon’s wing and “Burning pain tore through his shoulder, and Simon cried out as his body spun wildly, careening toward a nearby window. . .” Simon “pushed his wing directly into the falcon’s path, throwing his opponent off balance as it tried to avoid a direct collision. Simon caught the falcon by the tail feathers and, using the golden eagle’s strength to his advantage, he spun the falcon toward the nearest roof as hard as he could.” When a falcon goes after Nolan, Simon “Caught up to it, and he grabbed it by the wings and pulled up with all his strength, throwing the smaller bird into the empty sky and away from the struggling golden eagle.”
  • Winter and another girl, Nixie, get into a fight. “Nixie let out a shriek that echoed throughout the cavern, and she shoved Winter backward. Simon caught her before she could fall. . . Winter screeched and charged straight for Nixie, tackling her.” The girls fall into shallow water.
  • Sharks attack a group of dolphin Animalgams. Simon watched as “a tiger shark nearly took a chunk out of Jam’s tail, and only then did he pull himself out of his stupor and rush toward the action, letting out a fierce cry. . .” Simon barreled “though a group of sharks like a bowling ball crashing through pins. . . He chomped down on a bull shark first, and while he’d only grabbed a fin, the shark squealed and swam out of the fight.” A great white goes after Jam, and the General enters the fight. “The great white’s teeth sank into the General’s dolphin body instead, and the General let out a scream that chilled Simon to the bode.” A jellyfish squirts ink into the water, and the fight ends. The fight lasts three pages.
  • An underwater soldier arrests Simon and “in one swift motion, she caught Simon’s wrists and bound them together with a zip tie. . .” Jam helps Simon escape. “One second she was slipping the zip tie over Jam’s wrists, and the next, he lurched forward, shoving her into the wall. . . when Jam backed away, her hands were bound together, not his. . .” Simon and Nolan escape.
  • When Simon tries to leave the underwater compound, the sharks Al and Floyd decide Simon will make a good snack and try to eat him. “Al rammed into him, knocking his smaller dolphin body off course. Simon’s side exploded in pain, and he spun around wildly until he wasn’t sure which way was up . . .” Floyd caught “Simon by the tail and flinging him back toward Al. His sharp teeth dug into Simon’s dolphin skin, but it was a scratch at best. . . Al’s tail made contact with his head. Dizzy and disoriented, Simon floated in water without moving, his thoughts scrambled and pain pouring through him in every direction.” Simon begins sinking to the seafloor unconscious, and then someone rescues him. The shark fight scene takes place over two pages.
  • While scuba diving in the ocean, a shark Animalgam sees Simon and hits him. “Simon flew backwards. His mouthpiece fell out, and he tried to reach for it, only to be yanked back by his oxygen tank a second time.” A second great white shark appears and helps Simon when “It chomped down on the first shark’s tail, and she let out a bloodcurdling shriek. . . the second shark sinking its teeth into her twice more, and during those precious seconds while she wasn’t paying attention, Simone used the last of his energy to propel himself toward the mouthpiece.” The attacking shark is chased away.
  • Orion killed an Animalgam, but the death is not described. Simon sees Orion with “his hands clasped around the delicate neck of a dead peregrine falcon.”
  • Simon snuck into Orion’s camp to talk to his mother. While he was there, “suddenly two large human hands grabbed him, pinning his wings to his side. Instinctively Simon struggled against the grip, squawking and snapping his beak at the strong fingers around his feathered body, but there was no give.” Orion threatens to kill Simon’s mother, who is chained up so she can’t escape. At one point, Orion lifts “the knife threateningly, the tip pointed toward Simon’s mother.” Ariana in spider form bites Orion, and they are able to escape. Before they leave, Ariana gives Orion an antidote so he doesn’t die. The scene takes place over five pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Simon tells his brother, “You’re an idiot.”
  • Simon calls shouts at some falcons, “Hey, birdbrains!” Later a student called Simon “birdbrain.”
  • Winter calls the general of the underwater kingdom a jerk. Later Simon tells one of Jam’s sisters that “You should think about not being such a jerk to him all of the time.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • The story revolves around Animalgams, “human[s] who could not only talk to animals, but developed the ability to turn into one, too.” This ability is passed down by family. “Nearly all Animalgams could only shift into a single animal, and they belonged to one of the five Animalgam kingdoms: mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, or underwater creatures.” Nolan and Simon are special; they can shift into any animal.

Friends Forever

Croc and Ally make an appearance in three short chapters that focus on their unique friendship. Croc is pessimistic and grumpy, but Allie has a positive outlook. In the first chapter, “Move Over,” the two friends argue over sharing the sofa. Ally wants to sit close to Croc, but Croc wants more space, so they go looking for two chairs. In the second chapter, “Mr. Grumpy Pants,” Ally wants Croc to know what a grumpy person looks like, so she pretends to be grumpy. In the last chapter, “The Mood is Hiding,” Ally can’t sleep without the moon, so the two sleepy friends try to find it. They don’t find the moon, but they do find a solution to Ally’s sleeplessness.

Beginning readers will enjoy the funny, cartoonish illustrations that appear on every page of Friends Forever. In one illustration, a frightened Croc holds a teddy bear. Friends Forever is written with simple vocabulary that beginning readers will be able to master. Each page has three or fewer simple sentences per page. The small word count will allow beginning readers to feel proud that they were able to read a chapter book. However, more fluent readers may be bored by the story and want a book with a more developed plot.

Croc and Ally highlight the idea that friends do not have to be exactly alike. Readers will enjoy the friendship between the two and want to spend time looking at the detailed illustrations. Readers will want to see what other adventures Croc and Ally go on. Friends Forever will help beginning readers become confident readers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Bella the Bunny Fairy

Rachel and Kirsty hide Easter eggs for a neighbor’s party. When the party guests arrive and start looking for eggs, they keep seeing a bunny that changes colors. Rachel and Kristy think the bunny is one of the fairy’s pets. Jack Frost was upset that he didn’t have a pet, and he kidnapped several magical animals that belonged to the Pet Fairies. Can Rachel and Kirsty save the bunny from Jack Frost’s goblins?

Bella the Bunny Fairy combines fairies, animals, and a villain to create an easy-to-read story that will engage young readers. Although the stories are formulaic, younger readers will enjoy the cute fairies, and guessing what the goblins will do next. Rachel and Kirsty are good role models because they are kind to others, help their neighbors, and are able to save the day.

Bella the Bunny Fairy is perfect for readers who are just beginning to read chapter books. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black and white illustrations on every page. The story has a simple storyline with a non-frightening villain. There are seven books in the Pet Fairies series as well as a Sports Fairies series, the Fairy Tale Fairies series, and Special Editions. Although the stories have some of the same characters, the books do not have to be read in sequence. Bella the Bunny Fairy will delight younger readers, who will want to read every book in the series because the stories are so much fun.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Goblins make a hole and cover it with leaves to trap Rachel and Kirsty. The girls fall into the trap.
  • The goblins fall into their own trap. “They fell on top of the twigs and leaves in a heap. A second later, the covering gave way. Yelping, the goblins all tumbled into the hole.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • The goblins argue and call each other names, including, “coward,” “scaredy-cat,” and “klutz.”

Supernatural

  • A fairy uses magic dust. “She lifted her wand, and a shower of golden sparkles floated down onto the girls. Rachel and Kirsty held their breath as they shrank to fairy size, and glittering wings appeared on their backs.”
  • A fairy uses her wand to send a message to a bunny. “Lifting her wand, she began to write in the air. Like a sparkler, the wand left a glittering trail of bright blue letters.”
  • A fairy wants to fix a box so a rabbit can’t escape. “Then Bella waved her wand. A cloud of dazzling sparkles swirled around the box, making it whole again.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Hello, Crabby!

Crabby is NOT happy. Sun is in Crabby’s eyes. Salt is in Crabby’s teeth. Sand is in Crabby’s shell. Plankton tries again and again to cheer Crabby up — with laugh-out-loud results! Will Crabby ever crack a smile? Or will Crabby always be crabby?

Hello, Crabby! is perfect for children who are learning to read. Crabby—the crabby crab—will have readers giggling with his over-the-top grumpiness. Bright colorful artwork appears on every page, showing the character’s emotions through their expressions. Pages are broken into colorful panels, which make it easy for readers to follow along with the plot.

Readers will be drawn to the story because of the bright color and the humorous pictures. But they will also enjoy the storyline as well as the rhyming words that appear throughout the text. The text uses simple sentences and easy vocabulary, and the speech bubbles are color-coded to distinguish each speaker. Each page contains five or fewer sentences, which makes the story assessable to new readers.

Hello, Crabby is not only full of humor, but it also introduces a word with different meanings. The dialogue is full of humor and includes a joke as well as several puns. Readers will fall in love with the cranky crab and laugh as Plankton tries, unsuccessfully, to make Crabby smile. Hello, Crabby! will help beginning readers build confidence as well as instill a love of reading.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Simon Thorn and the Viper’s Pit

Simon Thorn recently discovered that he is an Animalgam, a secret race of people who can change into animals. Now Simon is going to school at a secret Animalgam academy, which is hidden under the Central Park Zoo. Even though Simon does not get along with his newly discovered Animalgam brother, he makes some true friends as he learns about his new power and learns how to fight.

But life still has challenges. Simon’s evil grandfather, Orion, killed Simon’s uncle and took his mother captive. Orion wants to rule over all Animalgams, but to do so, he needs to find all of the pieces of the predator—a terrible weapon that will change the Animalgam world forever. In order to stop this, Simon is determined to find his mother and the pieces of the predator. Simon and his friends head across the country, battling not only the bird kingdom but rogue Animalgams as well. Can Simon and his friends work together to overcome dangerous enemies, torn loyalties, and unexpected setbacks?

Simon Thorn and the Viper’s Pit has the same cast of characters as the first book in the series and adds a few interesting new characters. Each character has their own unique ability, which allows them to work as a team to get out of dangerous situations. As the kids race across the country, they must avoid the bird kingdom as well as other mammals. This conflict adds non-stop action that involves more running away than actual fighting. At one point along the way, Simon is told, “Life is hard, and it changes in ways we don’t want or expect. Running away isn’t the answer. We have to find the good in what we have, and we have to appreciate it. Otherwise you’re never going to be happy no matter where you are.”

Simon and Winter, who are the most developed characters, add an interesting contrast. Simon is an extremely likable character, who has compassion for others and wants to do what is right. On the other hand, Winter’s prickly personality and insecurities are more consistent with a rebellious teenager. Simon and the others stick by Winter’s side even though she is at times difficult to deal with. The friends’ interactions highlight the importance of individuality and accepting yourself. After all, “When it comes to you, the only opinion that matters is your own.”

Aimee Carter brings the complex Animalgam’s world into sharp focus as she creates well-developed characters that are unique. The action-packed sequel to Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den is just as amazing as the first book. Readers will enjoy the non-stop action and will root for Simon and his friends as they try to defeat an evil villain. Simon Thorn and the Viper’s Pit takes the reader on an exciting adventure that focuses on friendship, loyalty, and family. Readers will not be able to stop turning the pages of the Simon Thorn series, so make sure you have the next book in the series, Simon Thorn and the Shark’s Cave.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • After a boy makes mean remarks, Simon “launched himself at the bigger boy with a feral cry. Garrett fell, his elbows knocking against the wooden floor with a hard crack. Simone scrambled over him trying to pin his legs and arms, but before he could get any kid of grip, Garrett began to shift.” Garrett turns into a mountain lion, shoves Simon, and taunts him. “Simon wheezed, struggling to breathe as his vision went red.” Simon’s uncle, in wolf form, appears and, “tackled the mountain lion, sending Garrett flying.” The fight then ends. The fight scene takes place over three pages.
  • During a school match, Nolan changes into a wolf, and “in a flurry of fur and teeth, Nolan snarled and jumped, his paws landing against Jam’s chest as they fell to the ground. Jam’s glasses flew off into the sand, and Nolan bared his teeth an inch from Jam’s throat. While he didn’t bite him, Jam winced with pain, and Simon noticed the wolf’s claws digging deep into Jam’s black uniform.” Jam’s shirt is ripped, but he is not injured. Simon jumps in and stops the fight.
  • When a man tries to capture Simon, he aimed “a swift kick at Perrin’s knee before taking a sharp turn into the park. Perrin howled with pain.” Simon is able to run away.
  • When Perrin grabs Simon, Simon’s mouse, Felix, helps him. “Simon turned his head just in time to see Felix sink his teeth into the soft space between Perrin’s thumb and finger. With a cry, Perrin released his grip, snatching his hand away.” One of Simon’s friends turns into a snake, and Perrin “snatched the snake out of the air and hurled her against the wall. She hit the brick with a sick crack, and there was a loud ringing in Simon’s ears as panic overtook him.” Simon is able to escape, and he takes the unconscious snake with him.
  • Simon is on a train that makes a stop. While Simon is walking, “he was pulled through the door and off the train, spilling out onto the cold, dark platform. Simon fought his abductor with all his might, kicking and yelling into the warm palm stifling his cries for help. He struggled against the unyielding grip that held him in place on the platform, but it was no use.”
  • When Perrin again tries to capture Simon, “the humans formed a ring around Simon and his friends, and the adults began to shift. . . Talons clawed at fur, teeth ripped out feathers, and in the midst of it all, Simon saw the woman leap from the dusty street toward Perrin, shifting into a red fox in midair.” Perrin is able to escape uninjured, but when he comes back, Simon turns into an eagle and attacks. Simon “caught Perrin’s wing and dragged him back toward the brawl in town. . . he flung Perrin’s delicate bird body toward a waiting coyote. . . But at last Perrin spread his wings, catching a current before the coyote could take a bite out of him.” Perrin flees and Simon is safe.
  • When Malcom goes to get Simon and his friends, some of the mammals try to stop them. Malcom shifts into a wolf, and a man pulls a gun. “But before his fingers could curl into claws, Jam appeared behind Keval and kicked him between the legs. Hard. Keval cried out and dropped the gun. . .a cottonmouth snake struck Keval’s exposed ankle with a hiss, and a shiny black spider appeared on his collar and sank her fangs into his neck.” Keval collapses, and the kids are able to escape.
  • When a man catches Simon, he “pulled a long knife with a jagged edge and rested it against Simon’s throat. . . He could feel the sharp edge of the blade pressing against his skin, only a slip away from opening an artery, and the fiery knot in his chest constricted.”
  • Simon’s mother tries to keep Orion from hurting Simon. “His mother slammed into Orion, and together they tangled as they half flew, half fell. . . Simone spotted a figure he thought might be a golden eagle crumpled on the ground.”
  • Malcom finds the reptiles that are holding Simon and his friends captive. The reptiles hand the kids over to Celeste, and “In a flurry of howls and growls, the mammals shifted and launched themselves at the reptiles. . . Celeste yanked Simon backward toward the elevators. He stumbled and tried to grab hold of a nearby couch to resist, but Celeste dragged him to the doors and jabbed the button. . . an armadillo and a badger raced towards them, and they too jumped onto the wolf’s back. Celest screamed, and Simon darted past her and down the corridor.”
  • A man turns into a poisonous snake and bites Simon’s friends. When he corners Simon, someone hits the man, whose “expression went blank, and seemingly in slow motion, crumpled to the floor.” Simon’s friends are given the antidote.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Another student calls Simon a “birdbrain.”
  • Twice someone is called a “jerk.”

Supernatural

  • The story revolves around Animalgams, “a human who could not only talk to animals, but developed the ability to turn into one, too.” This ability is passed down by family. “Nearly all Animalgams could only shift into a single animal, and they belonged to one of the five Animalgam kingdoms: mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, or underwater creatures.” Nolan and Simon are special, they can shift into any animal.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

 

The Wonky Donkey

A bird was walking down the road and saw a donkey. The donkey only had three legs. The story builds, until the end when the donkey is a spunky, hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey. Each page repeats a portion of the story and then adds more funny facts about the wonky donkey.

Younger readers will enjoy the repetition, rhyming story that has funny pictures of the bird and the donkey. The bird snatches an eye from the donkey and carries it away, which may scare some readers. The Wonky Donkey will cause giggles if it is read aloud because the main phrase becomes a tongue twister. The Wonky Donkey, which is a picture book, is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently.

Readers will either love or hate The Wonky Donkey. Some may find the illustrations and the rhyming words used to describe the donkey funny, while others may think the donkey and his many defects a bit creepy. The snappy rhyming words and the repetition of the donkey saying, “Hee Haw,” make The Wonky Donkey a fun book to read aloud; however, the story has no educational value.

.Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go on a Class Trip

Every day Sassy and Waldo put on a trench coat so that everyone thinks they are a human kid named Salty. Then they go to school with their boy, Stewart. When their teacher announces that the class will go on a field trip to a museum, Sassy and Waldo are excited. They love trips!

Stewart isn’t so excited about the field trip. Steward says everyone will have to learn facts. When Sassy and Waldo have to fill out the permission slip that says lunch on it, they wonder how can a trip to a place with lunch be bad?

Sassy and Waldo will entertain readers with its comical, easy-to-read writing style and hilarious black and white illustrations. Much of the humor comes from the fact that it is absolutely obvious that Waldo and Sassy are dogs, but no one notices. The font changes each time Sassy and Waldo talk, making it easy for readers to follow along with the conversation. Many of the words appear in large, bold font, which adds interest to the page and also highlights the dog’s obsession with food.

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go on a Class Trip is silly enough to entertain even the most reluctant readers. Even though the third book in the series does not have the educational value of the previous book, readers will enjoy watching Sassy and Waldo chomp on a dinosaur bone, run from the guards, and lead students on their own version of a museum tour.

The story ends with a short lesson on the importance of trying new things as well as getting to know new people. The guards and the tour guide have a rivalry, which causes them to avoid each other. They just make up nicknames for each other. With the help of food, the guards and tour guides begin to build a friendship.

If you’re looking for a fun series that will engage readers and encourage them to read for enjoyment, then pick up any of the Two Dogs in a Trench Coat books, which do not need to be read in order. The silly story Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go on a Class Trip will have readers giggling through the entire book. Look for the fourth installment of the series, Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Enter Stage Left.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Darn is used twice by a museum tour guide.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Queen’s Secret

Horses have been banned in the country for centuries, and most people believe that horses were carriers of disease. Anthea and her family know the truth—horses are majestic creatures who can share their thoughts with people through the Way. The queen wants to reintroduce horses into the kingdom, but the king has demanded that horses and riders with the Way follow his every command.

When a deadly plague breaks out, people believe that horses are the cause. People’s fear of horses rises as more fall ill and the death toll increases. Anthea and her friends are asked to transport a lifesaving vaccine, but the people fear the medicine that can save their lives. To complicate matters, Anthea learns the queen’s secret—but will revealing the queen’s secret help or hurt their cause?

The second installment of The Rose Legacy series continues to focus on Anthea, who is an extremely likable and strong protagonist. The story introduces a group of all-female scientists that are struggling to understand the disease that is rapidly infecting people. Although the scientists discover a vaccine, the discovery comes because of a chance encounter instead of through their hard work and research. In the end, the story shows women in a variety of roles—the queen, mothers, young girls, and a villain.

Much of the plot revolves around the spread of the disease and people’s fear of both horses and vaccines. Although the plot takes an unexpected direction, the story is fast-paced, interesting, and enjoyable. The story highlights the dangers of allowing fear and misconceptions to overtake reason. Readers will appreciate seeing girls take action and face danger in order to help, even when others doubt their ability. Readers will be eager to read the next book in the series to find out why the villain has kidnapped horses and why the villain seems eager to start a war.

The Queen’s Secret is full of conspiracy theories and intrigue, but what makes the story even more enjoyable is the relationship between horses and their riders, as well as the friendships that Anthea makes. Jessica Day George creates a unique world that builds suspense without graphic violence, romance, or using cliché characters. Anyone who wants to read an engaging horse-related adventure should pick up the Rose Legacy series.

Sexual Content

  • Finn grabs Anthea’s “gloved hands. . . Now both of their faces were red, but it was not from the cold. . . Greatly daring, Anthea leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek, then pulled her hand away.”
  • After not hearing from Finn, Anthea finds him and, “she wasn’t even embarrassed to hug him tightly and kiss his cheek. Then she pushed herself away just as he tried to hug her.”
  • Jilly gives an account of her relatives. One relative’s “second wife ran away with a blacksmith.”

Violence

  • The queen tells others about an incident with the Kronenhofers. When two Kronenhofer ships entered the river, the Knonenhofer’s refused to answer guards who “hailed the ship to ask their intent. But the guards didn’t get an answer. Instead, the ship went into battle mode. . . The garrison disabled the Kronenhofer ship. One of them sank, and the other burned almost to the waterline, and there were only a handful of survivors.”
  • An injured man shows up at the farm, and “Anthea nearly fainted at the sight of the flesh underneath: bruised, bloodied, and with a large round hole that seeped more blood with every one of the major’s breaths. The blood looked dark and thick. . .” The man survives.
  • Men shoot at Anthea and two other girls, but they are able to escape unharmed.
  • A strange vehicle enters a village and attacks. “The man was destroyed. The front was simply gone. A gaping hole had been blasted in the beautiful stone façade, and there were flames pouring out of it. . .” During the attack, a princess and some horses were kidnapped.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Sometimes smugglers bring in alcohol. “There are Coronami who enjoy Leanan ale. . . And many Leanans prefer the Coronami wines to their own ale.”
  • Anthea says, “Liquor really is the root of all evil, as Miss Miniver said.”
  • An injured man is given an injection. “Morphine probably.”
  • Anthea is given a glass, “and she tossed back the water like it was whisky and slammed the glass down for emphasis.”

Language

  • Anthea calls a horse a “big idiot.”

Supernatural

  • People who have “the Way” can communicate with horses and feel the horse’s emotions.
  • A village is surrounded by stones that guard the place and helps it stay hidden. People and horses are not able to use the Way to communicate with others outside the village.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Katie the Kitten Fairy

The pet fairies and their special pets help all animals find safe homes. But Jack Frost has stolen the special pets, who were able to escape to the human world. When Rachel and Kirsty go to the park, they see a dog chasing a kitten. When they go to help the kitten, it changes into a tiger and then back into a kitten. Rachel and Kirsty know they must help the kitten get back to the fairy world, but Jack Frost’s goblins appear; they want the kitten for themselves. Can Rachel and Kirsty find the purr-fect solution to their problem?

Younger readers will enjoy Katie the Kitten Fairy because it combines fairies, animals, and goblins. The easy-to-read story has cute black-and-white illustrations on every page. The goblins add non-scary suspense, and readers will enjoy guessing what the goblins will do next. The story highlights the importance of being a good pet owner. For example, when James finds a kitten in the park, his dad won’t allow him to keep it until they call the animal shelter to make sure it doesn’t belong to someone else.

Katie the Kitten Fairy has likable characters who are kind to others. The story has easy vocabulary and short sentences, which make it perfect for readers transitioning to chapter books. Even though the story and characters are not well developed, younger readers will want to read every book in the series because the stories are so much fun. Younger readers will be able to read Katie the Kitten Fairy without assistance, and the stories will help them not only build confidence, but a joy for reading as well. There are seven books in the Pet Fairies series as well as the Sports Fairies series, the Fairy Tale Fairies series, and Special Editions.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Goblins try to capture the kitten. “With angry cries, two of the goblins dropped their butterfly nets and dove toward the girls. They stretched their gnarled green hands out to grab the kitten.” Rachel and Kirsty use fairy dust to escape.
  • The fairy queen tells Rachel and Kirsty that Jack Frost stole the fairies’ pets and, “He took them to his ice castle, and then sent out a ransom note.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • A fairy’s kitten pet is in the human world. When a dog chases it, the kitten changes form. “A sudden flash of light flickered through the air. A cloud of amber-colored sparkles swirled around the kitten. Seconds later, the kitten had vanished—and an enormous striped tiger had appeared in its place!”
  • The kitten uses magic to knock a man’s plate on the ground. The kitten then eats the food.
  • The kitten uses magic, so Rachel and Kirsty can understand it. “Sparkles streamed out of its mouth and swirled around in the air! The kitten meowed again, but this time the girls could hear words in its meows.”
  • Rachel and Kirsty use fairy dust to go to the fairy world.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Where Does Thursday Go?

Thursday was Bruno’s birthday. It was such a special day that he doesn’t want it to end. Bruno wonders what happens to Thursday when night comes. Where does it go? Can Bruno and his friend Bert find it in time to say goodbye?

Where is Thursday has cute colorful illustrations that show Bruno, who is a bear, and his friend Bert, who is a bird, exploring the natural world looking for Thursday. With adorable pictures and four or fewer sentences on a page, Where is Thursday is the perfect bedtime story. The story contains dialogue, personification, and onomatopoeias, which make reading fun. The picture book illustrates the abstract idea of time in a fun story that focuses on two friends.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

A Good Team

Yeti is good at bouncing a ball on his head, but Unicorn cannot bounce a ball on her head. Unicorn is good at running races, but Yeti can’t run fast. Even though Unicorn and Yeti aren’t good at the same things, they can still have fun together. They play ring toss, run a race, and go ice skating.

Designed for children who are learning to read, A Good Team contains easy-to-read text. When each character talks, their words appear in different colored quote boxes. Each page has a full page of illustrations, and contains three or fewer sentences. Beginning readers should be able to read the text alone, and will enjoy flipping through the story multiple times to look at the colorful, silly pictures.

A Good Team is the second installment in the series but can be read as a stand-alone story. Although the story does not have a plot, the characters enjoy a special friendship. As they play games, Unicorn and Yeti encourage each other to try new things, and they demonstrate positive communication skills. A Good Team is not as funny as the first book in the series, but readers will still enjoy the sweet story. A Good Team will build confidence, fluency, and a love of reading.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Unicorn uses magic to make ice skates and hot coco appear.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Shark Whisperer

Tristan Hunt is known for being clumsy, which is why his parents aren’t surprised when he falls into a pool of sharks. After his strange experience in the shark tank, Tristan is invited to an ocean-themed summer camp in the Florida Keys. But this camp has a secret. All of the campers have a special talent when it comes to the ocean.

While at camp, the ocean animals ask for help figuring out who is finning sharks in the Bahamas. When several of the campers go to investigate, they disappear. With the help of sharks, dolphins, a quick escape-artist octopus, and other sea creatures, can the campers stop the shark-finning, reef-blasting billionaire?

Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians takes the reader on an underwater adventure, where sea creatures of all types come to life. As the campers learn about sea life, they discover an array of sea creatures from a toothless shark in a rehabilitation center to chatty seagulls. Several scenes are from a shark’s point of view, which adds interest. Tristian meets several sharks with a Bahamian accent, and one humorous shark laughs at Tristan’s fear of sharks and tells him that humans taste awful. The interaction between humans and sea life, and the variety of sea creatures with their different personalities make the story a lot of fun.

As Tristan and the other campers learn about their skills, their different reactions are interesting. At first, Tristan is a clumsy, insecure boy. However, as the story progresses, Tristan becomes more confident, is able to speak his mind, lead others, and can also laugh at his clumsiness on land. The story connects sea creatures’ behavior to the campers’ behavior and shows the importance of leadership, cooperation, and helping each other.

As a marine scientist, Prager beautifully describes the ocean sea creatures and their habitat as well as highlights the importance of taking care of the ocean. Although the ocean descriptions accurately explain the ocean, some of the long descriptions and advanced vocabulary may make the story difficult for some readers. Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians mixes adventure, action, and ocean life to create an exciting, educational fantasy that readers will enjoy. Readers will want to jump into this series, which continues in The Shark Rider.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Someone is finning sharks. Tristan explained, “Finning, that’s totally disgusting. It’s when people slice off a shark’s fins and then throw the dying shark back into the water.”
  • The bad guy’s crew kidnapped some of the campers. The kidnapping was not described.
  • The sea life reported that “men from the ship killed and finned ten lemon, two bull, and five bull sharks. Took the fins and dumped the sharks. A few pilot whales were injured by the blasts; hurt their ears and they’re having trouble navigating.”
  • In order to free the kidnapped campers, the sea life attacks the bad guy’s yacht. A group of birds “dove like kamikazes toward the men on the upper deck at the back of the ship.” Then a group of birds poops on the men. When the kids try to escape, “the security man also tried to pull out his gun, but the birds had aimed well. The firearm kept slipping in his grasp due to a heavy coating of poop and slime.” The kids jump off the yacht, and the men tried to start the Jet Skis’ engines. “At that very moment, however, another team was preparing to go on the attack. The flying fish swam fast to build up speed. They leapt out of the water, stretched their fins out wide, and used their tails as rudders. The eight-inch, silvery fish glided low, swift, and silently over the water’s surface. . . They hit their target in quick successions, pummeling one of the men in the face and chest.” The attack happens over four pages.
  • After the campers are rescued, and with the help of humans, the sea creatures put explosives on the ship. Tristan “noticed that the ship was leaning. Its right side was lower in the water than the left. . . Men started yelling. Black smoke began billowing out from inside the ship.” The yacht sinks, but no one is injured.
  • When one of the bad guy’s men finds a group of campers, they trick him into driving his Jet Ski into an ooid sand wave. “The water over the top of the ooid sand wave was too shallow for the heavy Jet Ski. It hit the sand and stopped with a tremendous jolt. Somehow the man was able to stay aboard and upright on his machine. He reached for his gun. Just as he was about to swing his weapon around, a heavyweight rammed him from behind. The man flew off the Jet Ski as if he’d been hit by a dump truck.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • As the kids were flying over an island, “Coach Fred came on the intercom and told them about a secret navy base there that specialized in capturing drug smugglers.” One of the teens asks if the Navy shoots the drug smugglers. Coach Fred replied, “No, they do not shoot the drugs smugglers. . . well only if necessary.”

Language

  • Darn is used twice.
  • Heck is used once. When a man sees a strange shadow in the ocean, he asks, “What the heck was that?”
  • Oh my God is used twice. Tristan’s father said, “Oh for God’s sake.”
  • Hugh’s family has a chef. He said, “Thank God we do. My mom can’t cook at all.”
  • Someone calls Tristan an idiot.
  • A shark calls Tristan a “lame brain.”
  • A man calls a group of people dorks.
  • frickin’ is used once.

Supernatural

  • All of the kids at camp have different abilities. Ms. Sanchez explains why. “Well, as you and the others know, life on Earth is believed to have started in the ocean. Over hundreds of millions of years, animals evolved and adapted to life in the sea—like dolphins. . . Humans have always lived on land. But since life began in the sea, our very earliest ancestors came from the ocean. In some people there are still traces of the genes that allowed those organisms to adapt to and live in the sea. At the right age and with the right help, these genes can sort of, well, be turned on, at least for a few years.”
  • When the kids at camp drink a pink-colored water, their hands and feet change. After drinking the pink-colored water, “there was a thin sheet of skin between their toes, like the webbing on a duck’s feet.” The effects of the water are temporary.
  • Some of the students can communicate with sea animals. Others have “excellent mucus deployment skills.”
  • When an octopus touches Hugh, “the creature turned brown with blue polka dots. Hugh smiled. Then an even more shocking thing happened. Hugh’s hand also turned brown with blue polka dots.” Hugh discovers he has the ability to camouflage and communicate with animals. Ms. Sanchez explains, “I bet in seawater you’ll be an excellent mimic. Your skin will have the ability to change color and maybe even texture when you’re in the ocean.”
  • Sam discovers that she can echolocate. Sam was swimming in a lagoon, and “after she made the clicking noises she had more than a feeling that the sharks were coming. It was like she had a full-screen 3D image of them in her head.”
  • When the students are in the water, their wounds heal quickly.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Prince Fly Guy

Buzz has a hard homework assignment. He has to write a fairy tale. With Fly Guy’s help, Buzz brainstorms story ideas. Fly Guy puts himself into Buzz’s story suggestions—an ugly troll, a smelly pig herder. Fly Guy decides he wants to be a handsome prince. Prince Fly Guy flies to a dark castle, fends off a giant, and rescues a beautiful princess.

The fiftieth installment of the Fly Guy series does not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Like the previous books, the story uses slapstick comedy and humorous full-colored illustrations. Much of the humor comes from the illustrations that show Fly Guy as different fairy tale characters. At the end of the story, Prince Fly Guy lives happily ever after.

Prince Fly Guy introduces the process of brainstorming ideas for a story. Throughout the story, Buzz and Fly Guy discuss different story possibilities. For every story possibility, Fly Guy imagines himself as the character going through the scenario. Readers will giggle at the illustrations that show Fly Guy as a fairy tale character who runs from a giant, kisses a frog, and eats cold porridge. Although the story is not unique, younger readers will still enjoy the story, and the conclusion is sure to please.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large illustrations that use exaggerated facial features to help readers read the character’s emotions. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Prince Fly Guy has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Prince Fly Guy a good choice for younger readers.

Prince Fly Guy uses the same format as the others stories in the series. Although the story does not have a lesson, the story shows how fun the creative process of writing can be. Prince Fly Guy is an entertaining story that may just lead readers to pick up a pen and try to write their own fairy tale.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When a giant swats Prince Fly Guy and the princess, “The princess threw her crown. It hit the giant on the nose. The giant fell down.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Darkest Hour

After the battle with the dogs, the dust settles. There is only one casualty—Bluestar, the leader of ThunderClan. Since Fireheart was the deputy, he must now receive his nine lives and new name from StarClan. Everything seems to be flowing smoothly at the beginning of Firestar’s rule. Prey is good; there have been no fights with other Clans, and Tigerstar has been quiet so far, even though he was the reason the dogs attacked. Firestar works with his apprentice and helps the Clan recover, but he is haunted by a new prophecy.

Soon Tigerstar announces that RiverClan and ShadowClan are merging and that they will be forming TigerClan. When TigerClan attacks WindClan, it becomes clear what will happen if ThunderClan and WindClan don’t accept the new order. Is there any way the clans can work together to bring peace to their home?

As Tigerheart tries to unite the other clans, he shows his cruelty. Unlike previous books, The Darkest Hour doesn’t focus on floods, fires, or storms. Instead, the clans fight each other and the intense battle scenes are often described in detail, which will cause an emotional reaction because of the graphic descriptions.  The book transitions smoothly from the clan’s life to the battles; the battle scenes and the epic climax will leave the readers’ hearts pounding.

The final chapter in the Warrior series, The Darkest Hour, will not disappoint! As the six-story arch ends, readers will feel an emotional connection with the clans’ cats and will be surprised by unexpected and shocking events. Young readers love the Warrior series because of the well-developed characters, the descriptions, and the nonstop action. The Warrior series has turned many youngsters into avid readers because the series takes the reader into the lives of wild cats, who soon feel like friends. Warriors fans will forever remember Fireheart, who will leave his paw marks on their hearts.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Tigerstar commanded Stonefur to kill two cats, and when Stonefur refuses, Darkstripe attacks him. “The two warriors were a clawing, screeching knot of fur on the floor of the clearing. The rest of the cats scrambled backward to give them space, still keeping the same eerie silence. . .” They fight for two and a half pages. Stonefur eventually dies in the battle.
  • Firestar was in his camp when he heard wailing. Firestar watched as “limping out of the tunnel was a cat that was almost wounded beyond recognition. Blood dripped from a long gash in his flank. His fur was matted with sand and dust, and one eye was closed . . . The newcomer was Mudclaw, barely able to stand from pain and exhaustion.” Mudclaw announced that TigerClan was attacking their camp. When a patrol goes to their camp, Onewhisker “was lying on his side with deep wounds to his throat and shoulder. Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, was pressing cobwebs to them, but the blood still oozed out sluggishly.” Onewhisker told them that Gorsepaw had been killed. Onewhisker said that Tigerstar “pinned him down in the center of the clearing, with his warriors around him so none of us could get close enough to stop him. He . . . he said he was going to kill him to show the rest of us what we could expect if we refused to join him.”
  • Tigerstar attacked Scourge. As they were fighting, Tigerstar “fell on his side, exposing his belly, and Scourge’s vicious claws sank into his throat. Blood welled out as the smaller cat ripped him down to the tail with a single slash. A desperate scream of fury erupted from Tigerstar, then broke off with a ghastly choking sound. His body convulsed, limbs jerking and tail flailing . . . The dark red blood kept on flowing, spreading across the ground in a ceaseless tide. Tigerstar let out another shriek.” This fight lasted one page.
  • During a major battle with BloodClan, Scourge attacked Firestar. As Scourge attacked Firestar, “Agony exploded in his (Firestar’s) head as the reinforced claws struck down. Flame washed over his eyes, fading to leave nothing but darkness. A soft, black tide was rising to engulf him; he made one final effort to get up, but his paws would not support him, and he fell back into nothingness.” Firestar died, but because he had nine lives from StarClan, he was brought back to life.  After he was brought back he killed Scourge, and the battle was over. The battle is sixteen pages long, and many lives were lost.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Firestar’s friend called him a “Stupid furball.”
  • Firestar called a cat a “mouse-brain” because they jumped into a battle and almost fought the wrong side. The phrase mouse-brain is used six times.
  • Blackfoot called some cats “half-Clan crowfood.”
  • Darkstripe called someone “fox-dung.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Cats that die go to StarClan and can come back in dreams.
  • Cats go to the moonstone, “a gleaming rock, which glittered as if it were made from countless dewdrops,” to share dreams with StarClan and gain answers.
  • StarClan shared a prophecy that said, “only fire can save the Clan.”
  • A clan leader can be granted nine lives from StarClan, which means they can die eight times and return to life.
  • Cats are granted their warrior name, “by the powers of StarClan.”
  • Fireheart said that it was the will of StarClan that Bluestar died, and that she made peace with StarClan before she died.
  • Firestar received a prophecy from StarClan saying, “Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest.”
  • Ravenpaw said that StarClan made a good choice making Firestar leader.
  • Firestar tried to reach out to Spottedleaf, the dead medicine cat, in a dream. Firestar wanted help making a decision, but Spottedleaf wouldn’t help him, and she told him that it was his decision.
  •  Firestar said that “Tigerstar behaves as if he’s never heard of StarClan.”
  • Sandstorm said, “It’s in the paws of StarClan.”
  • Tallstar swore on StarClan.
  • Bramblepaw started arguing with his father and he said, “then at least I’ll go to StarClan as a loyal ThunderClan cat.”
  • Right before all the cats went into battle, they said, “And may StarClan be with us all.”
  • Cats think the stars represent each member of StarClan, so when one cat saw some stars at dawn, he thought, “a few early warriors of StarClan looked down at him.”
  • After Firestar was killed, he lost one life, met with StarClan, and then he came back to life.
  • A cat said, “Thank StarClan.”
  • Firestar asked his medicine cat if they had received any messages from StarClan.
  • Firestar said that they are in the forest, “by the will of StarClan.”
  • As Whitestorm died, he said, “I go to hunt with StarClan.”
  • After they won the battle, Firestar said, “Thank you, StarClan.” He then received a vision from Spottedleaf.

Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den

Twelve-year-old Simon Thorn’s best friend is a mouse. The kids at school think Simon’s a freak because he talks to animals. Simon doesn’t think life can get worse, until a herd of rats kidnaps his mom. After his mom’s disappearance, Simon learns that he and his family are Animalgams—people who can change into an animal at will.

The children of the Animalgams attend a secret academy hidden within New York’s Central Park Zoo. Simon sneaks into the academy hoping to find clues to his mother’s whereabouts. While at the academy, Simon learns that the Animalgam world is full of ancient rivalries and feuding kingdoms. Commanding the school is a dangerous foe intent on holding supreme power, and she thinks Simon is the key to gaining it. In an instant, Simon’s world has shifted, and he isn’t sure who he can trust. Simon is determined to find his mother, but he may lose his life in the process.

Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den jumps into action right from the start. The plot twists and turns as Simon uncovers family secrets, new friends, and evil villains willing to kill for power. Although the plot is complicated, the author circles back to repeat important information, which helps the reader keep track of key details.

Simon is a relatable character because he wants to fit in, but he refuses to bow to bullies. Even when Simon is under intense pressure, he continues to do what is right, including protecting those around him. Because the story is written in the first person, Simon’s thoughts and feelings allow the reader to understand why Simon puts his life in his enemy’s hands.

The villains in the story are capable of hiding their true intentions, but in the end, their actions show the dangers of desiring power. The story also highlights the themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the pain of loss. Simon’s uncle, Darryl, shows what a good parent figure should act like—he gives encouragement, sets rules, and is willing to die for Simon. At the end of the story, readers will understand that even when people have good intentions, the outcome doesn’t always work out as expected.

The story’s advanced sentence structure and often scary violence make the story more appropriate for older elementary readers. Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den is a fast-paced story that takes readers into a fantasy world where unlikely Animalgams band together to defeat evil. This entertaining story will surprise and delight readers, while it teaches that “you are the person you choose to be, not the person others think you are.” Readers will be clamoring to read the next book in the series, Simon Thorn and the Viper’s Pit.

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Bryan is bullying Simon, Winter stands up to the bully. The bully “shoved her backward. Winter hit the chair hard, and the crack of elbow against metal echoed through the cafeteria. Simon didn’t stop to think. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already tackled Bryan to the ground and socked him in the soft spot below the ribs. Bryan cried out, and Simon pulled away, dumbfounded.” During the fight, “Bryan shoved his arm against Simon’s throat. His fist connected with Simon’s abdomen, and Simon curled into a ball.” When Bryan goes after Winter, “Simon roared. His hand shot out, his fingers curled into claws, and he swiped his nails against Bryan’s face. Bright red lines sprouted across Bryan’s cheek, and he faltered, his mouth opened in shock.” The bullying and fighting scene lasts for five pages.
  • While walking through the park, Bryan and his friends see Simon. Bryan shoves Simon, and then “one of the eighth graders caught him and pushed him forward. Back and forth he went, until he was so jarred that he could barely keep his balance. . . Simon made what was possibly the stupidest move in his life: he kneed Bryan in the stomach. Hard. And as Bryan doubled over, Simon pushed him to the ground, grabbed his backpack, and made a run for it.”
  • While at home, rats attack Simon, Darryl, and Isabel. “Rats—hundreds and hundreds—crowded the hallways and poured into the apartment, surrounding the three of them. Their high-pitched squeaks made Simon’s ears ring and he could see their sharp front teeth. . . A particularly eager one tried to climb up Simon’s leg, its tiny nails scratching his skin, and he kicked hard.” Simon’s mother tries to steal a car, but the rats disable the car. The rats begin throwing bricks at the car. “Another hit the window, and another, and another. . . The window shattered. Shards exploded all over him, clinging to his sweatshirt.” As Simon runs, the rats “descended on him with impossible speed, climbing up his clothes, flinging themselves at him, biting him everywhere they could reach. . . One of them crawled up the knife, and though the blade cut its belly, the rat either didn’t notice or didn’t care.” The rats take Isabel. Simon and Darryl get separated. Simon is safe. The rat scene takes place over ten pages.
  • Winter helps Simon escape a guarded building. Winter “kicked an unexpecting guard. Hard. His cry of pain echoed through the lobby. . .” When Simon and Winter get outside, the rats attack. As Simon tries to run, he feels “the rats’ sharp claws scratching his legs as they tried to climb up his jeans again.” A flock of predatory birds appears, and “before Simon could move, talons ripped the rats off his clothing and more vicious screams echoed in his ears as the birds and rats clashed.” The rats scatter.
  • During an Animalgam training exercise, “the mountain lion snapped at the girl, who wore a stony expression and didn’t take her eyes off her opponent. . . At last the cat attacked. Again the girl was ready for him, and she sprang aside a second time. With impossible speed and strength, she flipped the beast over in midair and pinned him to the ground, her knee against his throat. The mountain lion fought back, his massive paws striking her again and again until—The girl disappeared.” The girl wins the match by turning into a spider.
  • During an Animalgam training exercise, Simon tries to sidestep his opponent, “but she grabbed his sweatshirt and twisted him around, and Simon fell hard on his back. All the air left his lungs, and he gasped. . . He buried his knee in her stomach and pressed his arm across her neck, the same way Bryan had pinned him. . . he held her down as she struggled.” When the opponent changes into a spider, Simon is able to capture her in the palm of his hand. When he threatens to squish her, she gives up.
  • When Nolan denies that he is Simon’s brother, Simon dumps chocolate milk on him. Then, Nolan “lurched forward and tackled Simon to the floor, ripping at his shirt and tearing at his hair.” Simon doesn’t fight back, and their uncle breaks up the fight.
  • Brothers, Malcolm and Darryl, fight. “An inhuman snarl cut through the air, and in a flurry of teeth and fur, Malcolm shifted and leaped at Darryl, knocking him to the grass. Darryl roared. In an instant, he also shifted into his wolf form, and Simon jumped back as they collapsed in a heap of limbs and claws. The wolves snarled and ripped at each other’s fur, pawed each other’s snouts, and rolled over and over again as they each fought to gain control.” Even though the brothers fight, they make sure they do not hurt each other. Their mother breaks up the fight.
  • Winter turns into a snake and attacks a man who is trying to keep Simon from leaving. When the man grabs Simon, Winter “shot toward him, sinking her fangs into Perrin’s ankle. Winter must have been venomous, because instantly his grip loosened enough for Simon to shove him away. . . His eyes rolled back into his head, and his knees buckled as he collapsed to the ground.” The man is given anti-venom serum.
  • An Animalgam turns into a black widow and bites the villain. The venom does not kill her.
  • While in wolf form, Darryl is caged and birds attack him. The attack is not described, but Simon finds Darryl. “The hulking wolf lay inside, his sides heaving and his gray fur matted with blood. Scratch marks lined his belly, and the feathers that clung to him made it obvious what had happened. . . As soon as Darryl was free, he shifted back into a human and staggered against the wall.”
  • When Simon and his friends get to his grandfather’s place, they find the security guard “stooped behind the desk. Simone moved closer. A security guard was slumped in his chair, and dark liquid dripped from his neck.”
  • In an epic battle that lasts for two chapters, the villains fight for control over Simon. During the battle, an eagle “flew after Simon, catching up in seconds. His talons scratched Simon’s neck and shoulders, and he shoved the bird away, using all his might to tear a handful of feathers from Orion’s wing. The eagle screamed and disappeared into the trees.” Hundreds of birds attack Darryl, who is trying to help Simon. Darryl is in wolf form, and he “snapped at the birds, fighting to break free, but there were too many of them. They pecked and scratched at his face, his throat, his paws, every part of him they could reach. . . Orion lunged toward the wolf, sinking the razor-sharp points of the Heart of the Predator into Darryl’s chest . . . Darryl had shifted back into a human, and a pool of blood expanded beside his motionless body.” Darryl dies.
  • During the epic battle, Simon turns into an eagle and “lashed out with his talons, slicing across Orion’s face and grazing his one good eye. . . Orion cried out, and at last he let go. Clawing at the air, he stumbled backward off the roof and fell into an empty sky.” Orion is injured but comes back to grab the scepter.
  • Malcolm is able to pin one of Simon’s enemies to the floor. He tells her, “You will leave the city and all our lands, and you will never return. If I ever see you again, I will rip you limb from limb, as slowly and excruciating as possible. By the time I’m finished, you will be begging me to let you die.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Several times someone calls somebody else a “jerk.” For example, when Simon is being bullied, a girl tells the bullies, “Would you jerks shut up and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of?”
  • A bully, Bryan, calls Simon a “freak” and a “psycho.” He also calls Simon a “fart face.”
  • Simon calls Bryan an “ape face.”
  • A girl calls Nolan a “royal halfwit.”
  • Several times someone calls another person an “idiot.”

Supernatural

  • Simon can talk to animals. “Not only could he understand what they were saying, but they could understand everything he said in return.”
  • The story revolves around Animalgams, humans that can change into an animal. This ability is passed down by family. For example, when Darryl changes, his “fingers shifted into claws, his hands into paws, and his nose into a snout. Gray fur spouted all over his body, engulfing his clothing, and as his torso thinned and lengthened, a tail appeared at the base of his spine. In the time it took Simon to blink, his very human uncle had changed into a real, live, snarling wolf.”
  • Animalgams can only turn into one animal, except for the Beast King. The Beast King ruled hundreds of years ago, and “he killed countless Animalgams who refused to bow down to him.” The Beast King was powerful because “he could shift into any animal he wanted. . . You try defeating an enemy who can suddenly grow venomous fangs or dive underwater or fly away. Not to mention he had thousands of followers willing to fight for him.” Nolan and Simon are the Beast King’s heirs, and many believe one of them will eventually be able to shift into any animal.
  • The villain is trying to find all of the pieces of a scepter, because “when all the pieces are in place, the Predator can absorb the power of everyone it kills and transfer it to the person who holds the scepter.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Ride, Fly Guy, Ride

When Buzz and his dad decide to go for a ride, Fly Guy happily goes with them. Fly Guy’s adventure begins when the wind blows him out of the car’s window. Fly Guy blows into a passing truck and lands in the driver’s mouth. The man spits out Fly Guy, who continues on a wacky adventure. Fly Guy even ends up on a circus train, where he meets a sleepy and surprised elephant. Will Fly Guy b lost forever, or will he make it back to Buzz?

Ride, Fly Guy Ride will pull readers into the silly story, which focuses on transportation. Giggles will erupt because of the slapstick comedy and the humorous full-colored illustrations. Much of the humor comes from the illustrations that show Buzz and his father trying to save Fly Guy. Fly Guy ends up in some silly situations including landing in a man’s mouth and falling onto an elephant’s nose. At the end of the story, Fly Guy survives unscathed, which will delight readers.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large illustrations that use exaggerated facial features to help readers read the characters’ emotions. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Ride, Fly Guy Ride has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Ride, Fly Guy Ride a good choice for younger readers.

Even though Ride, Fly Guy Ride is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Ride, Fly Guy Ride is a fun story that beginning readers can read alone; it is also is a quick read for those looking for a story to read aloud.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Wild Robot Escapes

After being repaired, Roz is sent to Hilltop Farm, which is unlike the remote island that Roz considers home. Roz still speaks the language of the animals and is able to make new friends on the farm. She talks to the cows and the farmer’s children and works to help keep the farm in check as wolves and natural disasters assault the small homestead.

Even though Mr. Shareef and his children consider Roz part of the family, Roz still misses home. Eventually, Roz begins to yearn for the friends and family she left behind. Flocks of geese begin migrating and stopping on the farm, reminding her of her son Brightbill. Roz can’t escape due to a tracker installed in her body, but she works with the farmer’s children to research the tracker and remove it.

After Roz escapes for the second time, recovery robots quickly capture her and bring her to her creator. She is destroyed to appease the public, but Roz’s creator gives her a new body with more features than she had before. They travel to the island Roz came from and reunite her with her old friends and Brightbill. Throughout Roz’s journey, she wonders why she isn’t like other robots. Roz questions, “Is being different the same as being defective?”

Like the previous book in the series, The Wild Robot Escapes is a story of a robot trying to fit in with a new crowd. Roz encounters a number of friendly characters while she tries to get back to the home she knows, which shows that we’re never completely on our own. With the help of friends, Roz is able to overcome many obstacles.

Roz’s destruction, reconstruction, and return to her island also show the darker sides of society. Even though she eventually returns to her family, she has to fake her own death to please the world that thinks she is a rogue robot. The Wild Robot Escapes teaches the importance of friends and family, while also considering the realities of death and society. It’s a heartwarming book with unnervingly realistic undertones about judgment and fear.

The story refers to characters and events from the first book in the series, so readers should read The Wild Robot first. Many readers will be able to relate to Roz, who is a hard-working and compassionate robot who questions her purpose in life. The Wild Robot Escapes is an intriguing, illustrated story that is both entertaining and educational.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Roz recounts the time from the first book when she, “tumbled off a cliff . . . killed two geese and smashed four of their eggs.”
  • Roz finds the carcass of, “a dear [that] had recently been killed and eaten.”
  • Mr. Shareef, “hand[s] Roz a rifle.” Roz uses it to intimidate wolves, but she doesn’t fire it.
  • Wolves “slash her [Roz’s] chest,” and Annabelle then “land[s] a hard kick” on the wolves.
  • Mr. Shareef says, “sometimes farmers have to kill animals.” Mr. Shareef tells Roz, “I order you to kill those wolves.”
  • During a storm, a tool “hit the back of her [Roz’s] head.”
  • A wolf named Shadow says, “You can eat all the animals you like. . . after we kill the robot.”
  • During a hailstorm, “a stone hit Brightbill’s shoulder, and he fell to the ground.”
  • While hunters are looking for prey, “a gunshot echoed throughout the mountains.”
  • A ram “smashed right into the robot.”
  • When Roz is melted down, “a blazing beam of light filled the picture, and the robot parts turned orange.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Roz, “slipped on cow dung.”
  • Similar to the first book, many animals mistake Roz for a “monster” or “creature” before they get to know her.
  • Annabelle calls a group of wolves “brutes.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • A character says a prayer before they eat. “Thank you, God, for this yummy food.”
  • Shadow and Barb say that Roz was, “towering above them, looking like a demon.”

by Dylan Chilcoat

 

Shawn Loves Sharks

Sean loves sharks. He has 126 shark books, which have taught him a lot about ocean predators. Sean loves how sharks have a big mouth full of sharp teeth. Sean does not love his classmate Stacy. He loves to pretend to be a shark and chase Stacy around the playground.

Sean loves sharks more than anything else in the world. When his teacher announces that every student will do a report on a predator, Sean is excited write about the shark. But he isn’t assigned the Great White Shark. When Stacy begins researching sharks and acting like one at school, Sean turns mean. Is there any way sharks can bring Sean and Stacy together?

Young shark lovers will love Sean Loves Sharks. Although the story has shark facts, it is also about building new friendships and discovering new things. Sean acts like a shark as he goes through his day—he chops his food and pretends to chomp the cat and his classmates as he chases them. When Sean is forced to learn about seals, he is incredibly disappointed, but as he reads he learns that seals are actually really amazing.

At one point, Sean is really mean to Stacy. As he thinks about his behavior, he realizes that “he knew that even a fast and clever seal could never be friends with a shark.” The conclusion is absolutely, adorably wonderful and will lead to some great discussions between parents and their young readers. Readers will not only learn facts about sharks and seals, but will also learn about bullying, friendship, and being kind to others.

Besides being an entertaining story, Sean Loves Sharks also has beautiful, often funny, full-colored illustrations. The illustrations will put giggles into young readers because humor is often incorporated into the pictures. For example, Sean’s cat is dressed as a shark, and the students pretend to be predators. Another positive aspect of the illustrations is that they show diverse characters; Stacy has dark hair and slanted eyes; Sean has brown skin; the students in the classroom are also drawn showing different ethnicities.

Even though Sean Loves Sharks is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The engaging story is fun to read aloud. Since there is little text on each page, the story is a quick read making it an excellent bedtime story. Sean Loves Sharks is not only an entertaining story containing ocean creature facts but also has a positive message about being kind to others.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Shoo, Fly Guy!

Fly Guy comes home to discover that Buzz has gone on a picnic without him. Sad and hungry, Fly Guy goes in search of his favorite food. Buzz only wants a bite to eat, but the others don’t want to share their meal. Fly Guy goes in search of his favorite food. Readers will want to know what oozy, lumpy, smelly, and brown food Fly Guy loves.

Shoo, Fly Guy introduces readers to descriptive writing, as Fly Guy goes from one food to the next. Readers will giggle as others shoo Fly Guy away from their food. Fly Guy licks a hamburger, chomps on a dog’s bone, and even tastes some roadkill. The comical, exaggerated facial features help readers read the character’s emotions. Although the story focuses on Fly Guy’s adventure, the story also shows Buzz taking care of Fly Guy. The non-violent suspense and happy ending make Shoo, Fly Guy a good choice for younger readers.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large full-color illustrations and introduces chapter books in an easy-to-read format. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Shoo, Fly Guy has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Shoo, Fly Guy Ride a good choice for younger readers.

Even though Shoo, Fly Guy is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Shoo, Fly Guy Ride is a fun story that beginning readers can read alone; it is also a quick read for those looking for a story to read aloud. Even the most reluctant reader will enjoy Shoo, Fly Guy and want to read more of his adventures.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Unicorn Quest

Claire’s great-aunt Diana mysteriously disappeared. As her only family, Claire, Sophie, and her parents plan to spend the summer cleaning out Diana’s house, which is cluttered with her aunt’s collection of strange artifacts. When Claire and Sophie discover a ladder in the fireplace, Sophie leads the way up. . . and up. . . and up. They discover a fantastical land called Arden, filled with castles, magic, and dangerous creatures. Claire makes Sophie promise never to climb the stairs again.

When Sophie disappears, Claire knows she must be brave enough to search for her sister by going up the ladder. When Claire gets to Arden, she discovers a world full of danger. Four guilds of magic no longer trust each other. All of the unicorns have disappeared. Horrible wraiths roam at night. And Sophie is missing. Claire must find the courage to search for her sister, but first she must discover the secret of the unicorns.

Claire is fearful that her sister is in danger, which propels her to team up with two others—Netta and Sena—in order to find Sophie and a stolen unicorn relict. Because Arden’s war happened in the past, the action included in the book is not scary. Instead, readers will be enthralled with Arden’s strange creatures and magic.

The land of Arden is well developed, and the author uses beautiful descriptions to bring the setting to life. Even though the story contains some exciting scenes, the long descriptions slow down the pacing of the plot. The story follows a typical epic format—a girl is forced to go on a quest, teams up with others, and travels from place to place searching for answers. Readers expecting a story about sisters and unicorns will be disappointed, because there is little interaction between Claire and her sister, and the unicorn only appears for a brief flash at the end.

The Unicorn Quest will entertain strong readers who like reading about magical lands and characters going on a quest. Although the story is not unique, Claire is a believable character that overcomes her fear as she searches for her sister. The sweet ending has several surprises and will leave the reader wanting to pick up the next book in the series—Secret in the Stone. The Unicorn Quest will appeal to those who like stories such as The Last, by Katherine Applegate, and Podkin One-Ear, by Kieran Larwood.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A wraith tries to attack Claire, but before it does Sophie, “had thrown herself onto the thing’s back and was desperately pounding at its shoulder blades, her fist sinking into the shifting, smoky blackness that hung around it. . . Claire scooted away from the creature, but then there was another shriek—from Sophie this time—and Claire watched in horror as the beast’s clawed hand reached behind and finally peeled Sophie off its back, throwing her to the ground.” With help, the girls are able to escape.
  • When Claire climbs up the ladder to get to Arden, she is attacked. “The air whooshed out of Claire as something—someone—tackled her from behind. She felt a knee land firmly on her lower back, pinning her to the ground. Pain ripped through her shoulders as her arms were yanked behind her. . .Claire coughed, spitting out the dirt that coated her mouth from the fall. Something cold and hard suddenly pressed at her throat: the edge of a knife.” Claire is then taken into the city, where she is put in jail.
  • While stuck in a cave a wyvern appears. Claire uses magic to put the wyvern in a cage. “The wyvern strained, its shoulders pounding against the rock-cage. To Claire’s dismay, the wyvern’s scales seemed to be chipping away at the bars, widening the space little by little.” Claire calms the wyvern, and the group gets out of the cave safely.
  • A man tries to club Claire, so she holds her sword as if it is a baseball bat and, “swung at the club, trying to keep it away from her. Sword and club met with a clang that reverberated through her.” Someone stops the man from hurting Claire.
  • When Sophie is shot with an arrow, “a scream burst out of Claire as her sister’s blood poured over her knees. . . Sophie’s pitiful whisper made Claire grab on to her tighter. . .” A man picks up Sophie and lays her, “at the foot of Queen Rock,” in order to perform a ceremony.
  • A wraith grabs Claire. “As its skeletal hand, smelling of rotten flesh, tightened around her neck, Claire knew, in that horrible way one always knows, that she had made an irrevocable mistake. She gasped for breath as the wraith dragged her slowly back. . . Dark thoughts wrapped around Claire’s mind as she felt herself drowning in the wraith’s cold.” Claire uses magic to save herself.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Claire is given Sinceri Tea, which is, “distilled from forget-me-not petals for recollection, sunflower seeds for openness, and a blade of hedgehog grass from the beaches of the Sunrise Isles. It will ensure you cannot lie when you answer.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Claire and Sophie find a ladder in a fireplace. When they climb the ladder, they end up in Arden—a world where magic is real.
  • In Arden, there are four guilds of magic. Forgers work with metal, Gemmers work with rocks and gems, Spinners weave magic from thread, and Tillers work with all that grows from the earth. “Our magic, guild magic, only extends to what’s around us. . . The magic doesn’t come from within us, but from the things around us—plants, rocks, thread, metal. All we do is encourage the magic that naturally exists in those things, to make plants grow bigger and faster and stronger, for instance.”
  • Wraiths are dangerous creatures that kill humans. Claire describes a wraith as “big and dark and cold. It kind of looked like a skeleton wrapped in shadows.”
  • Nett uses Mile High Potion to turn a blade of grass into rope. Nett, “let a drop of something green tumble onto a blade of grass. With his thumb and forefinger, he pinched the blade and gave it a twist . . . The blade of grass was growing longer and larger, going from the length of some floss to shoelace size in a matter of seconds.”
  • While in a shop, Nett finds a revealer, which, “reflects a person’s greatest flaw. . . It’s a horrible thing to have the nastiest, most secret thoughts within you revealed to all.” He also finds an herb that will, “take away the eater’s ability to make decisions for an hour, or four years, depending on the amount consumed.”
  • Claire discovers that she is a Gemmer and can talk to wyverns.
  • A woman uses a magic threat to choke a man. “Francis dropped to his knees as though someone had set a bag of bricks on his shoulders. His arm flailed as he tried to push his Royalist cloak off, but as hard as he tried, he could not lift the garment from his shoulders. There were a few snaps as his ribs cracked.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande

Professor Fauna hears a news report about something that has completely drained the blood from a cow’s body! The professor thinks a chupacabra may be the culprit. Professor Fauna bursts into Elliot and Uchenna’s classroom and flies them to Laredo, Texas.

Once they arrive in Texas, the kids team up with local kids Lupita and Mateo, their brilliant mother Dr. Alejandra Cervantes, and their father Israel. However, helping the chupacabras isn’t the only problem. The people of Laredo are also angry about the building of a border wall. Is there any way to help this divided community? Can the Unicorn Rescue Society save the bloodsucking creature?

As Uchenna and Elliot search for clues that will help them find the chupacabras, they also learn the complicated issue of building a border wall. When talking about the border wall, Professor Fauna said that a border wall is intended to enforce the law, but it is also, “dividing communities and families who have always lived on both sides of the border.”

The kids also meet Andrés, who is having a difficult time because he is separated from his parents. Andrés was born in the United States, but his parents weren’t, so they were taken to a detention center. The story shows that people can disagree about the border wall but still be friends. In the conclusion, the theme is made clear; “Governments create borders. But for families—of chupacabras and people—borders just keep them apart.” The author’s view on immigration is made clear; although it ties into the story, the story only shows one side of the argument.

The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande has a well-developed plot full of suspense and adventure. The addition of the Cervantes family allows readers to learn about the Mexican heritage. Although the story takes a more serious tone than the previous books, readers will enjoy the interaction between the characters. In the end, the story highlights the importance of working together despite differences. The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande is an entertaining story that could be used as a starting point for a good discussion on immigration.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • The chupacabra runs into a flea market where it, “leaped from the table and slammed into an elote cart, knocking it over. Corncobs and kernels and cream and liquid chili went spraying all over the asphalt.” At one point an, “elderly woman . . . threw a charger at him.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • “Heck” is used twice.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Uchenna and Elliot go to the Cervantes’s house, they see a niche that has a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Cervantes’s also have an, “alter to our abuela. . . She was the family matriarch.”

Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot

Elliot wants life to be normal. Uchenna wants adventure. But when Professor Fauna takes the kids to the Pacific Northwest on another mission in the Muckleshoot territory in Washington, they discover that film crews have arrived in masses. The news crews want to find Bigfoot. But the news crews aren’t the only danger. The Schmoke brothers plan to clear the forest. Is there any way the Unicorn Rescue Society can help keep the Sasquatch hidden? Will the Sasquatch’s territory be destroyed by chainsaws?

The third installment of The Unicorn Rescue Society has the same lovable characters and the same evil villains. As the group heads to the Pacific Coast, the narration shows a strong love of nature and teaches the importance of taking care of the natural world, which includes logging responsibly. When the group arrives at their destination, they meet Mack, who shares the Muckleshoot’s culture.

Mack shares some of the Native Americans’ history, including how the “white folks. . . believed the white way of life was superior.” Because of this belief, the whites forced the Native Americans to give up their languages and customs. The white called this, “Kill the Indian and save the man.” Now the Native Americans are using some of their casino money to buy back the land that the whites stole from them. Even though the story shows the Muckleshoot people care for the forest and the animals, much of the dialogue seems to promote a political agenda instead of teaching about the Native American culture.

Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot is not as enjoyable as the first two books because the plot focuses less on the adventure of helping the mythical creature. The professor and kids do very little to help Mack find a solution to help the Sasquatch. In addition, the absent-minded professor is taken to the extreme. Even younger readers will have a hard time believing that the professor is so clueless that his plane runs out of gas. And how many times can the professor crash land his plane without anyone getting injured?

Readers will enjoy the black-and-white illustrations, funny puns, and the way Mack calls Elliot by a variety of names such as “Screams A Lot.” Other positive aspects of the story are the diverse characters and the use of Spanish and Lushootseed words and phrases. Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot has some humorous scenes, and readers will enjoy watching Elliot overcome his fear. Unlike the first two books in the series, Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot is missing much of the action and adventure that made the first two books fun to read.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Four men capture the professor. The professor is, “smacked on the face with his shoe, but the others quickly grabbed his arms and legs. He struggled, but their hands were strong as tree roots.” The men tie up the professor.
  • When Uchenna, Elliot, and a friend dress up like Sasquatch, men try to grab them. The men, “grabbed the three juvenile Sasquatch and tried to wrestle them to the ground. The small furry ones fought valiantly, striking out with their fists and kicking the shins of the hard-hatted attackers. But they were overpowered and pinned to the mossy forest floor.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • “Darn” is used once.
  • A news reporter calls someone an “idiot.”
  • One of the characters knew someone in middle school who was a “real jerk.”
  • A man calls someone a “fool.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Last

Byx, a dairnes, has always been a part of her family and a part of her pack. She has always had the love of her parents and the guidance of her pack. One terrible day, Byx wanders off from her pack’s nest. When she returns, she discovers that soldiers have killed everyone. Now Byx is the last of the dairnes. The endling.

As the youngest and the smallest of her siblings, Byx doesn’t feel like she is capable of taking off on her own. But she has no choice. She’s alone. Byx sets off on an epic journey in search of a legendary island where other dairnes may live. In her search for the island, she must travel through a war-torn kingdom and flee from knights who want to kill her.

During her travels, she finds allies who join her. There’s Tobble, the worthy wobbyk, Khara, the girl of many disguises, Renzo, the honorable thief, and Gambler, the principled felivet. Their enemies will stop at nothing to kill Byx, the last of the dairnes. Will Byx’s allies be able to keep her alive?

Byx’s story comes to life as she tells her own story of heartbreak and hope. As Byx meets others, she feels incapable of leading because she was the runt, and she feels like she was “too young to be clever. Too small to be helpful.” Many readers will relate to Byx’s insecurities, but also her determination to keep working towards her goal. Even though Byx feels that “this hope of mine is ridiculous. And I’m a fool,” others choose to follow her because Byx believed in them first. Through Byx’s experiences the message is clear; it is never wrong to hope.

The interesting and compelling characters are one of the best parts of the story. Readers will fall in love with Tobble, who according to wobbyk code, must save Byx’s life three times. Even though Tobble is small, he’s determined, fiercely loyal, and willing to fight for others. Each character has their own reasons to help Byx, but through teamwork they overcome obstacles. Each character has unique talents, which allow them to help their friends.

The Endling highlights that all people are capable of being a hero or a villain. In the story, humans are portrayed as untrustworthy deceivers who are hungry for power. Humans “do not understand the balance of life. They do not understand their will to dominate and control, to use and abuse, is destructive to all.” Throughout the story, humans are shown in a negative light, and younger readers may be frightened by the deception and the violence in the story. Much like real life, the death in the story is disturbing and the scenes may remain with the reader for a long time.

From the very first page, Applegate creates captivating settings and fascinating characters readers will love. The fast-paced adventure shows that even those who feel unworthy can become leaders. The Endling is an epic story that will take readers to an imaginative world where good must fight evil in the hopes of saving the last of the dairnes.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A group of humans begins shooting arrows at Byx, who jumps off a cliff and glides down to the sea. Byx is safe from the poachers, but they kill her pack. Byx hears the “howls and screams. Agony. Pain beyond words. Terror and despair.” She then sees her family “piled on the ground like discarded hides, blood pouring, white and pearly, soaking the leaves, eyes glassy and open, mouths open. Torn and stabbed.”
  • When Byx tries to run to her dead family, someone hits her with an arrow. “It wasn’t a killing arrow. It was an arrow meant for capture. . .” When Byx continues to struggle, the person hits her on the back of the neck, but she “felt it for only a second, maybe two, before I was lost in swirling darkness.” Later the person cleans Byx’s wound.
  • Byx thinks about her dead family and all that she saw. She “closed my eyes and heard the screams. I smelled the brackish blood, steel and iron, sword and armor. I saw a spear poking at the dead bodies, the pitiful dead piles of fur.”
  • A giant snake pins Byx to a tree. She “struggled, but with each movement the enormous snake coiled around me, tightening its hold. . . I tried to free my arms, but the strength of the huge serpent was infinitely greater than anything I could muster.” Byx’s friend Tobble tries to help. “He leapt to my defense, digging his teeth into the serpent that had pinned me, but suddenly the little wobbyk was snatched away, as if someone had him on a string.” Someone appears and chops the snake in half, and “the two pieces thudded to the ground. They writhed for a moment, then went still.” The scene takes place over four pages.
  • A group of soldiers discover Byx and her friends hiding. Gambler, a huge cat, “swiped at a careless constable, leaving bloody tracks down his sword arm.” As they try to escape, “a reckless raptidon constable came at him, talons at the ready. In one move, Gambler knocked him out of the sky and sent him in a tangled, bloody heap down to the ally below.” They are able to flee safely.
  • Khara talks about her great-grandfather, who was “given the treatment reserved for traitors. . . He was roasted over a slow fire for days, screaming in agony, before they finally cut off his head.”
  • When knights begin following Byx and his group, Gambler attacked the knights so his friends could escape. Gambler, “flew through the air, paws outstretched, and slammed full force into the knight. The knight toppled from his horse but was up in a heartbeat, reaching for his sword. Gambler leapt on the knight before he could draw. . .” The knight uses magic to shoot a spear, “from the end of the spear came a jet of flame.” The grass catches fire and the group ran for their life.
  • A soldier sees Byx, assumes he is a dog, and kicks him, “in my ribs with enough force to knock me over.”
  • When Byx’s group comes across a rat-like creature that spies, Gambler attacks it. “. . . Gambler ended the creature’s life with a bite that crushed its skull.”
  • A group of guards throw a net over Byx. His friends try to help. During the scene, Khara, “staggered from a savage blow from the hilt of a guardsman’s sword against the side of her head. Her eyes rolled up.” During the fight, Tobble “hurled himself with mad fury on the guardsman. . . dug his claws into the man’s ears, and began ripping at his nose. . . Blood flew everywhere.” The scene takes place over 6 pages.
  • When Khara accuses someone of treachery, the person “swung a backhand and hit the side of her face with a sharp report that seemed to echo off the walls.”
  • A knight suspends a boy above a fire. “The knight meant death to come slowly to his human prisoner.” Before the boy can be roasted, Byx and Gambler save him.
  • The knight attacks a group of guards. “Crossbow bolts few. One missed. One struck the Knight in his right thigh.” As the guard tries to escape, one of the men was “wreathed in flames.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Byx and his friends go into an inn where, “two barmaids threaded through the crush of people, carrying pitchers of ale, mead, or cider.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Byx is a dairne who can tell if someone is lying because she can “feel the falseness.” Byx explains that when she hears a lie, “there’s something missing, and you hear the wrongness of it. You feel it in your belly. . .”
  • Some of the characters know “theurgy” which is the “study of spells and incantations.”
  • A natite has a fishtail and is “vaguely human in shape. . . Green flesh covered its powerful shoulders and chest, and two huge, writhing tentacles rose from the creature’s shoulder blades.” In order to cross the sea, Khara must pay a “blood tax” that allows the natite to “pin down elements in it that identify a particular person. Somehow, by means we don’t understand, they can share this information instantly with every other natite in the world. Once they know who you are, if you cross the sea again, they will know you by some obscure natite sense . . . It’s like having your travel documents.”
  • One of the characters is a seer who has “magical runes and seals, the visible manifestation of powerful theurgic charms. It is said that she cannot be killed.”
  • Khara has a magical sword that conceals its true nature until it is drawn in anger.

Spiritual Content

  • Byx hears a voice and wonders, “Was it some echo of my mother’s voice? Did she still call to me from the land of dead?”
  • One of the characters sings a song about the beginning of the world. “In ancient times/When life was new, /The great ones met/At Urman’s yew. /Beneath the tree, / Beside the sea, / They planned the world /For you and me.”
  • Byx asks what a ‘knight of fire’ is. Someone replies, “Pray to your gods, dairne, that you do not find out the answer.”
  • When Gambler thinks he is about to die, he sings a song. He explains, “It’s a death song. Felivet who knows he is about to die sins his love to the moon and stars, our guides.” Gambler says that he will never end his own life because “we believe that a felivet who dies well in battle ascends to a great forest above the clouds. There we hunt endless prey and gather sometimes without others of our kind to tell of our great deeds in life.”
  • Byx and her group are looking for a moving island. Someone says that, “the sentient islands are gods to many. Others think they’re home to foul beasts and monsters. Still others believe that anyone who sets foot on the island will be eaten, consumed by the very trees.”
  • The Knight of Fire chases Byx and his group. In order to get rid of the knight, they make a trap. When the knight approached the group, “Khara, screaming, attacked the knight . . . The knight, unable to stab her, instead slammed the pommel into her face. Khara fell back, her nose spraying blood.” The knight, “tumbled into the stake-filled gully.” Byx hopes “never to see anything as awful as the sight of the fearsome Knight of the Fire and his charger, pierced through with sharpened sticks. The knight had died instantly. His horse, impaled by five spears, still lived, whinnying and kicking, but it was clearly doomed.”

 

A Dangerous Path

Times are rough in the forest, and all the Clans are wary of each other. With ShadowClan’s new and dangerous leader, Tigerstar, everyone in ThunderClan is on edge. None of the other Clans see anything wrong with Tigerstar’s leadership, but Fireheart knows better. Fireheart is convinced that the new leader will bring danger, and he has a feeling that something terrible is brewing. Dreams of danger haunt Fireheart, who worries that there is a connection between his foreboding dreams and Tigerstar’s rise to power.

There is also a strange evil loose in the forest, lurking in the shadows. When the leader of ThunderClan turns her back on StarClan, Fireheart is not sure what to believe. Should he trust in StarClan and his dreams to lead the Clan to safety? Has StarClan abandoned them?

The fifth installment of the Warrior Series has a slow pace that continues for the first half of the book.  Like the previous books, the cats hunt, go to meetings, and train apprentices. Although many aspects of the books are repetitious, the number of characters and the complexity of the plot may confuse some readers. The story continues to hint about a terrible danger, but the mystery behind the danger takes too long to solve. Still, once revealed, it creates a tense climax for the novel.

The story focuses on Bluestar, who has suffered a devastating loss and has become irrational as a result. Bluestar’s negativity gives the book a darker tone. Although the story is still a good adventure that allows readers to see into the cats’ world, A Dangerous Path has a more mature tone and adds themes of danger, death, and violence. The story covers some difficult topics such as Cloudkit’s skepticism regarding StarClan, and a cat willing to scheme to kill others. For those who have fallen in love with the Warrior series, A Dangerous Path sets up an epic battle that will take place in The Darkest Hour.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Leopardstar and Bluestar fight over territory. Other cats join the fight. Leopardstar yowled and launched herself at Bluestar. “The two cats crashed to the ground, spitting and clawing. Fireheart sprang forward to help his leader, but before he reached her a warrior crashed into his side, bowling him over and sinking his teeth into Fireheart’s shoulder. Fireheart scrabbled against the RiverClan cat’s belly with his hindpaws, desperate to break his grip, and slashing at his enemy’s throat. The tabby warrior let go and backed off yowling.” Many cats are injured, but no one is killed. The fight takes place over six pages.
  • A group of cats was looking for two apprentices. When they find them, “Foul-tasting bile rose into his throat as he took in the scene in front of him. . . In the middle of the clearing Swiftpaw’s black-and-white body lay motionless, and just beyond him, Brightpaw. . . The apprentice lay on his side, his legs splayed out. His black-and-white fur was torn, and his body was covered with dreadful wounds, ripped by teeth far bigger that any cat’s. His jaws still snarled and his eyes glared. He was dead, and Fireheart could see that he had died fighting.”
  • Fireheart finds a dead cat, but it is not described.
  • Graypool’s “paws slid from under her. She rolled down the steep slope in a scramble of legs and tail, and landed hard against one of the rocks the pulled out of the turf. There she lay, and did not move again.”
  • While Snowkit was playing, there was a hawk. “The hawk plunged down toward the clearing. Snowkit screamed as the cruel talons fastened onto his back. The great wings flapped. . . As the hawk lifted off, she sprang upward and snagged her claws in the white kit’s fur. . . The hawk released the kit with one foot and scored its talons across Speckletail’s face. The she-cat lost her grip and fell back, landing heavily on the ground.”
  • Tigerstar attacks Fireheart, in the hopes that the dogs will catch up and kill him. “Fireheart struggled desperately to get free, lashing out with his hind paws to claw a tuft of fur from his enemy’s belly. . . The reek of his scent was in Fireheart’s mouth and nostrils, and his amber eyes glared into Fireheart’s own.” After Tigerstar let go of Fireheart, the dogs came. “Pain stabbed him as sharp teeth met his scruff. His limbs flailed helplessly as the dog lifted him from the ground and shook him from side to side. He twisted in the air, struggling to claw eyes, jowls, tongue, but his thrashing paws met nothing.” Bluestar knocks the dog off balance, saving Fireheart and sending the dogs and her into the gorge. Fireheart jumps in and tries to save her, but it is too late. He gets her to shore with the help of two RiverClan warriors, but Bluestar dies on shore.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • When angry, the cats occasionally call each other terms such as mouse dung, crowfood, furball, and mouse brain. For example, Bluestar got angry and said, “What a mouse-brained fool.”
  • Someone asked Fireheart, “Are you just going to stand there and let that piece of fox dung take over?”
  • Tigerstar asked a cat about some kits, and when she did not respond right away he snapped and said, “Tell me whose kits they were, old crowfood.”
  • When they started talking about StarClan, a cat said, “You don’t really believe that load of thistledown, do you?”
  • When he was falsely accused, Tigerstar said, “All this is a pile of mouse dung.”
  • When preparing to go into battle, a cat says, “They’ll make crowfood out of us!” This phrase is used twice.
  • Someone made a bad choice and a cat said, “What a mouse-brained idea!” This phrase is used three times.
  • Several time a cat is called a furball. For example, when the Clan was mad at someone, another cat said, “Then half of the Clan are stupid furballs.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • StarClan is the heavenly tribe of dead warrior cats that watches over all the cat clans. Cats that die go to StarClan and can come back in dreams to share visions or prophecy. StarClan can help shape fate because they can see the future.
  • One of the cats “is afraid she’ll go to StarClan soon.”
  • A cat died so it is said that, “she hunts with StarClan now.”
  • Cinderpelt received a dream from StarClan and tells Fireheart about it. She said she heard a huge animal walking saying, “Pack, Pack and Kill, Kill.”
  • Spottedleaf and Yellowfang are medicine cats that walk with StarClan. They visited Fireheart’s dreams to give him advice.
  • If a leader or medicine cat needs to speak with StarClan, they go to highstones. When they are there, they touch the moonstone at night and can share dreams with StarClan.
  • When the cats were fighting, a cat yelled, “Defend yourself or I swear by StarClan I’ll kill you.”
  • When a cat is made into a warrior, the leader says, “By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name.”
  • A cat believed she had made StarClan angry so she said, “I have brought down the wrath of StarClan on you.”

by Paige Michelle

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