Topic: Friendship

Odder

Meet Odder, the Queen of Play:

Nobody has her moves.

She doesn’t just swim to the bottom,

She dive-bombs.

She doesn’t just somersault,

She triple-doughnuts.

She doesn’t just ride the waves,

She makes them.

Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spending time with a good friend. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and the humans who hope to save her.

Humans love otters because they are adorably cute, but Odder weaves a story that gives the otters personality. Odder is an adventurous otter who readers will quickly fall in love with. Best friends Odder and Kairi are complete opposites. Cautious Kairi is always reminding Odder to be more careful, but Odder gets caught up in the excitement and often forgets.

One day, Odder is so focused on finding a tasty crab to eat that she goes too far out in the bay. A hungry shark sees the otters and takes a bite of Kairi. In order to save her friend, Odder attacks the shark. Later, humans find Odder and she’s taken to an aquarium to get medical attention. Odder is consumed with grief over the loss of her best friend. Later, she learns that Kairi survived the shark attack and she is also at the aquarium!

However, the shark attack has changed Odder, who is no longer fearless. When Odder is reunited with Kairi, she has just lost her pup and has become a surrogate mother. While Kairi has always been careful, she wants the pup to be returned to the ocean. At first, Odder thinks that keeping the pup safe is the most important job for a mother. But when Odder becomes a surrogate, she learns that “teaching and loving are different words for the same thing” and that “the world is not meant to be feared.” 

Odder is inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers. Applegate uses beautiful free verse to bring Odder’s ocean world to life as well as to teach readers interesting facts about the ocean’s biodiversity and otters’ importance in keeping the ocean healthy. The survival of otters is important because they are a “keystone species. . . they are nature’s glue, holding habitats together.” Odder will give readers a deeper appreciation for the beloved otter and for the people who are helping save the species. 

From the start, Applegate weaves a beautiful story about friendship, love, and the gift of freedom. By the story’s end, readers will be able to view the world from an otter’s point of view and will have a new appreciation of ocean life. In addition, through Odder’s experiences, readers will be reminded that all wild animals should have the chance to live in their natural habitat. While Odder is an entertaining and easy-to-read story, it is a must-read because of its educational value.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • One day, Otter and Kairi get too close to the bay and a shark sees them. “Odder sees the terror in her friend’s eyes.” The two try to swim away, but Odder “hears a strangled cry, and turns to see the shark has nipped her friend’s tail, as the awful stench of blood blooms in the water.”
  • In order to save Kairi from the shark, Odder attacks the shark. “As [the shark] moves in for the kill, he’s met with sheer movement, flipping and twisting, an eruption of bubbles, the reek of fear.” Because of Odder, the shark can’t go after Kairi, and “so he veers and there she [Odder] is and his mouth is open wide and waiting and clamp snap gnash she is trapped in his jaws.” When the shark tastes Odder’s fur, he drops Odder.
  • After the shark lets Odder go, she swims to the shore. She has a “gaping wound on her belly” and is “drained of blood and hope.” Humans find her and take her to an aquarium to be cared for. 
  • Odder tells the story of the Fifty, when “humans were killing us for our fur.” The back of the book explains the story in more detail.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Your Friend, Parker

When Parker’s family goes on a road trip, Parker is worried that she won’t have fun because her best friend, Gia, isn’t with her. But then Parker has a great idea! She’s going to write letters to Gia, telling her about the exciting sights she sees during her road trip across America. Even though Parker and Gia are far away from each other, they can still be best friends! 

During the road trip, Parker’s family goes to the beach in North Carolina, to an aquarium in Georgia, and sleds down a sand dune in New Mexico. Parker writes Gia, telling her of the other things her family has had fun doing. Parker’s adventures are told using easy sight words and words to sound out. The simple plot is told using one to two sentences per page. The full-page illustrations add interest and help readers visualize the story’s events.   

The last page of the book tells the story of two writers who stayed friends because they wrote to each other often. The book also encourages people to write a letter to a friend or a family member. Readers can use Parker’s experience to help them know what to write. 

Unlike other books, Your Friend, Parker doesn’t have a typical plot. Instead, the book lists the places that Parker and her family visit. Some of the pictures, such as Parker looking at jellyfish or sledding down a sand dune, will fill readers with wonder. Other illustrations show everyday activities like eating peaches and lobster. While the story isn’t exciting, readers will enjoy going on a road trip with Parker and her family. Young readers who love the idea of writing a letter should also read Polly Diamond and the Magic Book by Alice Kuipers. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

All My Rage

In the humble and quiet town of Juniper, California, resides two Pakistani-American teens who are not just best friends, but family as well: Salahudin Malik, an aspiring writer who struggles to take care of the family motel as his mother’s health declines and his father slowly succumbs to alcoholism, and Noor Riaz, an intelligent and logical woman who dreams of becoming a doctor, yet has to hide her ambitions from her controlling uncle, who adopted her when her parents were killed in an earthquake in Pakistan. 

However, their friendship is compromised when the Fight breaks out between them, and their individual problems gradually worsen. Sal’s desperate attempts to save the motel and Noor’s determination to go to college lead to unforeseen consequences. Sal and Noor’s friendship rises and falls with each harrowing decision, all the while fending off the monsters that live in their past and the ones that live to this day.

Narrated in dual-POV, both Sal and Noor are engaging and complex—even though they have plenty of flaws. The teens are perfectly portrayed as realistic teenagers who are withstanding difficult lives. While trying to ensure his family motel remains competent, as per his dying mother’s wishes, Sal’s desperation and lack of proper judgment lands him in deep waters; this further compromises his friendship with Noor, who is sacrificing her own happiness to appease her selfish uncle by working at his liquor store. At such a young age, both teens must not only think for themselves, but also for their guardian/family as their living conditions and financial situations are not ideal.

However, the two protagonists shed an inspiring light with their determination—and especially their deep love and care for each other. When Sal finds out a disturbing fact about Noor’s uncle, he takes her out for the evening in order to distract her and ensure she does not undergo her uncle’s wrath anymore. Sal states, “She was always ready to run. Every day, she came to school wondering if this would be the day she had to get out. . . I should have seen. Done something.” He worries for her—just like Noor does for him, as she urges him to prioritize his impressive writing skills and make something out of it, instead of striving to save the motel and sacrificing his own dreams. 

Furthermore, Tahir perfectly exacerbates the problems delineated in this novel, such as racism, familial issues, the oppression of religion, and, of course, inner rage—specifically directed toward the unfair circumstances Noor and Sal are both placed in. Their character development is phenomenal, with them being naive and unsure in the beginning, and in the end, they’ve indubitably matured after undergoing numerous ups and downs in their personal and social lives. The plot development is extraordinary because the slow build-up to the climax, which hits the reader hard, perfectly exhibits how one really does not see the worst situation coming. It also depicts the true feeling of rage, and how—sometimes—the universe will compile loads of problems upon someone to no end. 

The story is more than enjoyable, what with Tahir’s effective storytelling and proper characterization of the two protagonists and the people they were surrounded by. The underlying message in this story is that home can only feel like home once you fit in. In this case, the two characters struggle indefinitely to do so — undergoing an infinite amount of distress and, eventually, rage as well. From there, the novel covers topics such as drug and alcohol addiction, Islamophobia, mentioning of repressed sexual assault, and death.

This awe-inspiring novel’s message is about the identity crisis that comes with belonging to two different cultures, especially for South Asian teenagers, as they often struggle with balancing their ethnic and nationalistic backgrounds. Someone from a background different from the characters’, or even the same, will learn that there are drawbacks, but also beauties involved in South Asian culture. They’ll also learn just how much these teenagers had to fight—just so they can feel like they belonged somewhere. Not only is this book adorned with a meaningful and captivating premise, but it has an impactful and emotional conclusion that will leave readers, especially those with a South Asian background, with a newfound understanding of young love, forgiveness, and inner growth. There is no doubt that Tahir’s razor-sharp writing and remarkable story will reside in all readers’ hearts from the first line. Readers who want to read another excellent book about teens with complicated family lives should read The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.

Sexual Content 

  • Noor is at Sal’s house, and he becomes enamored in her presence, thinking about the way she smells, “and the way her body curves beneath her worn The Cure t-shirt…” He also thinks that his “skin is tingling in a good way for once.”
  • Sal picks up Noor from school and thinks about how, last night on the phone, she made a “comment about impure thoughts . . . which made [him] wonder if she had impure thoughts. About [him].”
  • Sal takes Noor to the outskirts of Juniper, and she settles herself between his legs, her back against his chest. He thinks: “Too many synapses are firing. Too much of her is touching too much of me. My whole body prickles.” They kiss passionately two times after that, and she “makes a funny sound, between a gasp and a moan.” He also thinks: “Suddenly, I need her, all of her. I need her to be close to me.” This whole interaction lasts about three pages.

Violence 

  • When Sal visits his dying mother in the hospital, his drunk father is there. The police are called because his father was causing a commotion in the waiting room. As Sal pleads for his father to let him take him home, he jerks away from Sal, thus “windmilling” him and smacking him in the face.
  • Jamie, a bully, yells racist remarks at Noor. Then, Jamie grabs Noor’s arm, but Noor rips away from her grip and swings, meeting “her face with a dense thump” she “knows too well… [Jamie] falls back, screams, grabs her nose.”
  • Noor has been physically abused by her uncle, but it worsens when he finds out that she has been applying to colleges. He yells at her—right before he kicks her, and she is on the ground, and she curls up and waits “for it to be over.” He continues to kick her, “his tennis shoe [slamming] into [her] ribs.” From there, she pulls herself up to her feet and throws a brass sculpture at him, and he screams at her right before she runs away.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Drugs and alcohol are one of the few prominent themes in the story, as Sal’s father is an alcoholic and Sal becomes involved with drug dealing to keep his family’s motel running. 
  • In the very beginning of the book, Sal states, “It’s 6:37 a.m. and my father doesn’t want me to know how drunk he is.” Shortly after, Sal runs into Art, his then-girlfriend’s cousin, who is a drug dealer and deals with someone in the bathroom. He states: “Even though [Art] hangs out with the white-power kids, he gets along with everyone. Probably because he supplies most of Juniper High with narcotics.”
  • Sal and his alcoholic father share a heart-to-heart about Sal’s mother. Just when Sal thinks of consoling his father, Sal states, “His plate clatters in the sink. A cupboard opens. A glass clinks. I smell it, that sharp stink I’ll never get used to, and his sigh of relief, as his memories slide away, a quiet, merciful forgetting.”

Language 

  • The words bitch, shit, asshole, ass, dumbass, and dick are all used several times. The most common is shit.
  • The word “fuck” is used very rarely. For example, when Sal’s mother is dying, he recollects himself by thinking, “Not now. I’m not going to fucking weep.” 
  • Sal’s father curses in Punjabi once: “Haramzada kutta!” which directly translates to: Dog of a bastard. 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Most of the characters are religious, especially Sal’s mother, who commonly makes references to God to get through tough times. For instance, when Sal, as a young child, gets hurt by a stranger, she prays to God, “Do not let him remember. Punish he who did this. Punish him with pain, God. Punish him as only you can.”
  • Noor’s uncle refers to God negatively as he looks down upon the practice of Islam in general. For example, he says to Noor, “Do you even understand what they’re saying in Arabic? It’s backward and illogical, Noor .  . . ‘Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature. It is the opium of the people.’ Karl Marx.”

Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely

Kara Hendricks and Jordan Ferguson have been best friends since kindergarten. By now—sophomore year—they’re more like sisters, really. Jordan has always been the leader in the friendship, but still she’s the perfect friend. That is until Jordan started hanging out with a new “cool” crowd and decided Kara was a popularity liability. 

Devastated, Kara feels betrayed and abandoned by everyone—even God. How could Jordan do this? Why did God let this happen? Yet for all the hurt and insecurity, these dark blue days contain a life-changing secret. Now that Jordan is gone, Kara has the chance to discover something about herself that she never knew before. But first, she must learn to trust again. It won’t be easy.

Kara’s story deals with universal themes of self-worth, identity, and loneliness that anyone who has suffered a loss will relate to. However, readers may find it difficult to sympathize with Kara because of her self-pitying attitude. When Jordan starts hanging out with the cheerleaders, she tries to include Kara in her new friend group. However, Kara is so uncomfortable that she begins to avoid Jordan. Since Kara’s insecurities drive much of her action, when the friendship finally ends, Kara turns to daydreaming about scenarios that would hurt Jordan. From the start, the girls’ unhealthy relationship is portrayed in a negative manner, so when the friendship ends there is little emotional impact.

Unfortunately, there is nothing unique about Dark Blue’s plot. Instead, it revolves around the typical stereotypes – a goth girl, a nerd, and an academic high achiever. None of the supporting characters are well developed and Kara begins spending time with some of her new friends, not because she truly likes them, but because she’s so desperate not to be alone. The connection between Kara and her new friends feels forced and unauthentic, especially since so many of their conversations are about their belief in God. But through these lunch time discussions, Kara begins to realize that God is the only best friend she needs.

Another negative aspect of Dark Blue is Kara’s long and tedious inner musings. Most of Kara’s interactions with others are short and do little to develop Kara’s personality. Instead, the story has long passages that focus on Kara’s thought process. Because Kara is so caught up in her misery, it is difficult to relate to her. 

Dark Blue reminds readers that God is with us even during difficult times. While it is important to connect with others, only God can fill the emptiness that is inside of us. Once Kara accepts God’s love, she is finally able to look at life in a more positive light. While Dark Blue’s message will resonate with readers, the lack of character development and the typical plot structure are not very memorable. However, readers who are dealing with loss and loneliness will find comfort in the book’s message.

Sexual Content 

  • At school, Kara sees some “couples hanging onto each other like they can’t bear to let go, a few even making out.” 

Violence 

  • Edgar’s mom was up for parole, but it was denied so “she hung herself.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Kara’s friend, Amy, smokes cigarettes and is part of the “pot-smoking Goth group.”
  • When Amy and her friends show up at a school dance, Kara thinks “Some of them are high or drunk or both. Including Amy.” Later, Amy pukes. 
  • Kara’s friend, Edgar, has a father who is a recovering alcoholic and a mother who is in jail for drugs.
  • While talking about Edgar’s home life, Amy says that she’s “used all kinds of lame excuses to get drunk.” 

Language 

  • Freaking, crappy, and crud are used rarely. 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • When Jordan becomes part of the cheerleading squad, Kara thinks, “Maybe it’s because I prayed that Jordan did so well. Maybe her success was God’s way of getting even with me for being so hopelessly selfish.” 
  • Kara and her friends often discuss their belief in God. For example, during lunch, some of the kids talk about freedom of religion. A girl says, “I don’t think our government should tell us to pray either. But I don’t think they should tell us that we can’t.” The conversation lasts for a page. 
  • Kara asks her friends, “I mean do you think it’s true that you can really have a close relationship with God?” Two kids in the group discuss their beliefs. A boy who goes to church three days a week says, “God made us all unique people. . . I need to go to church a lot and read a lot and pray a lot.” The conversation lasts for three pages. 
  • Because of Kara’s depression, she thinks about giving “this God-thing a shot.” However, she feels like she wants to make a deal with God so her life will go back to the way it was before Jordan dumped her as a friend. Kara thinks, “And I’ve got to wonder whether it’s worth the risk of blowing it with God just because I think I might be able to swing some sort of deal. . . my life is cruddy enough without going and making it worse by messing with someone like God.” Kara’s inner musings last for a page.
  • One of Kara’s friends, Edgar, says, “I think God is calling me to be a missionary.” He then explains why he believes this. The conversation lasts for about a page. 
  • When Amy offers to give Edgar a makeover, he says, “I’ve been asking God to do something to change me. I’ve been praying to become the kind of guy that other people will listen to.” 
  • Edgar considers Jesus his best friend. 
  • Kara goes to church with Edgar. The youth pastor discusses how “God designed us to feel lonely” and only God can fill the lonely ache inside of us. 
  • After the pastor speaks, Kara isn’t sure how to ask Jesus into her heart. The pastor explains how she needs to “invite Jesus to come inside of you. And once you’ve done that, your life will never be the same.” The church scene is described over five pages.
  • Edgar tells Kara that “God wants us to make good choices. . .But most of all I think he just wants us to love him and to let him into all the ordinary and sometimes gory details of our daily life.”

Minecraft: Mob Squad #1

The village of Cornucopia is practically perfect in every way. Plenty of food, cozy homes, and a huge wall to keep everyone safe from the scary world outside. What more could a kid possibly need?

Well, a lot, actually.

Mal, a fearless girl, needs adventure, and her friends are right there with her. There is Lenna, a dreamer whose family underestimates her every day, and Tok and Chug, two brothers who love to build stuff (Tok) and smash stuff (Chug). They’re best friends, and in a town whose grown-ups value safety over bravery and fitting in over standing out, they’re the bad apples.

But when a mysterious mob sneaks past Cornucopia’s defenses, the village is in huge trouble. And nobody knows what to do. Finally faced with the adventure they’ve always wanted, Mal and her friends defy the rules their elders have always followed and set out beyond the wall for the first time.

On their journey across the Overworld, they discover wonders they’ve never dreamed of and dangers they’ve never imagined. To save the day, they’ll have to prove they’re more than bad apples. They’re the Mob Squad!

Minecraft fans will love Mob Squad’s action and adventure. As the four friends venture out into the unknown, they quickly learn that they aren’t “bad apples” like the people of Cornucopia have labeled them. Instead, they begin to understand how their unique talents are perfectly suited for the world outside of Cornucopia’s wall. As they fight mobs, they discover more about the world as well as themselves. Through their experiences, the kids gain confidence and realize being different is what makes them special. 

The Mob Squad shows the world of Minecraft from the viewpoint of the four friends. Readers will enjoy seeing aspects of the game through their point of view. Each chapter alternates between the four kids; however, the characters’ voices are not very distinct so readers will need to pay attention to the name that appears at the beginning of each chapter. 

Mob Squad’s quick pace will keep readers interested with plenty of action, adventure, and battles against mobs. The battle scenes are suspenseful, but not long or gory. However, what makes The Mob Squad shine is the friendship between the kids. Not only do they learn to survive on their own, but they also learn the importance of teamwork. When the kids save the town, they realize that their destiny doesn’t have to be chosen by their family, but they can choose to do what is best for themselves. Readers will be eager to learn what happens to Mal, Lenna, Tok, and Chug in their next adventure which appears in Mob Squad: Never Say Nether.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • A group of boys corner Tok in an alley. Tok’s brother, Chug, punches the leader of the bullies, Jarro. Then Chug “lands a kick right in Jarro’s backside.”  
  • Tok was running into town when Jarro put his arm out causing him to fall flat on his back. Chug is “just about to give in and woop some rumpus when a shadow looms over us all.” An elder stops the fight. 
  • Once the four friends leave Cornucopia, they fight mobs often; not all fights are listed below. On the first night out of Cornucopia, Tok forgets his cat outside. However, Chug and the others must help because zombies are waiting for them. Chug is “hacking at one monster, but it hits him back, and he grunts in surprise. . .” Lenna shoots arrows and “one of the zombies makes a splattery hiss and flops over dead. . . Lenna aims for the two zombies on the left with her arrows, one after the other, while Chug and Mal hack away at the one with the sword and helmet.” 
  • During the fight, Chug and Mal work together. “Mal swipes at [the Zombie’s] legs with her diamond pickaxe, and the moment it turns to groan angrily at her, Chug deals a massive blow against its back with his sword, and the zombie finally falls over.” The fight is described over three pages.
  • Skeletons start shooting at Lenna. Lenna describes, “On instinct, I throw the torch at the skeleton and use its moment of distraction to reach into my pocket and prepare my own weapon. I fire off two shots before it returns an arrow.” An arrow hits Lenna in the leg. “It feels hot and dull, and I yank it out and shoot it right back at the skeleton, destroying it.” The scene is described over three pages.
  • While in the wilderness, zombies attack the Mob Squad. Lenna takes down a zombie. “We’re all feeling confident, right up until someone runs around the corner and hits Mal with an ax.” Mal “stagger[s] back, seeing stars. . . The monster sprints at me again, axe raised, and my arm feels dead. An arrow lodges in the creature’s chest, and then Chug darts forward and gets in a strike with his new diamond sword.” 
  • The kids have to fight evokers, vindicators, and other mobs. When a vex attacks, Lenna takes “it down with two fiery shots. . .I’ve landed two shots on it when Poppy yelps and something slashes at my legs. I look down and see a spectral fang rolling past. My leg burns with pain, and I stumble.” No one is seriously injured.
  • The story concludes with vexes, vindicators, and other mobs attacking Cornucopia from inside the wall. One of Cornucopia’s members, Krog, is commanding the mobs. As the mobs climb out of an underground cavern, “three vindicators barrel out, axes ready, grunting. Chug and [Mal] engage them, working as a team as Lenna keeps harrying the vexes with flaming arrows. . . More vexes fly out, and one lands a hit on my back before Lenna can nock another arrow. The cry of pain flies out of my mouth before I can stop it.”
  • During the battle, “more vexes swarm out the door of Krog’s house, followed by their evoker. Ghostly white fangs ripple up from the ground, hitting Dawna [a resident of Cornucopia] in the leg and making her scream. . . Dawna reaches for one of Tok’s swords, takes her first swing at a vex, and incredibly, lands a solid hit.”
  • As the battle continues, someone grabs Lenna. Lenna “flail[s] and shout[s] . . My elbow catches someone in the face—I feel the pop of their nose at the solid hit, and they grunt and drop me.” Lenna discovers the person is her sister.
  • Tok is surprised when he hears “a snort and look[s] up to find a huge beast snarling at me. It’s like a cow crossed with the biggest, ugliest rock I’ve ever seen. It paws the ground with an enormous hoof and charges.” Tok runs for his life, leading the beast into a narrow alley. Tok jumps onto the beast’s back. “The creature screams and throws me, and I skid on my back across the cobblestones. It hurts. . . . I look up, and all I see is a ton of stinky beast butt. I raise my sword. . . I stab it.”
  • When the villain, Krog, begins throwing harmful potions at the Mob Squad, Tok hits him on the head with an iron sword. Krog “topples forward.” In the end, Krog is arrested and the mobs are defeated. The village attack is described over 30 pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A vex puts a potion on all of Cornucopia’s crops, causing them to die.
  • Chug licks a potion off the floor. Afterwards, he describes how he doesn’t “feel every rib when I breathe. I can do cartwheels again.”
  • Someone throws a slowness potion at Mal. The potion makes her do everything “super slowly.”
  • Krog throws a poison at Mal.  Once the poison hits her, “her cheeks are sinking in, there are purple hollow pooling made her eyes, her lips are going dry and cracked.” Mal feels “like being sunburned on the inside, like I’m drying out, all my blood turned to ash.” Mal drinks milk which reverses the effects of the potion.
  • Krog throws a potion of weakness at Chug. Chug’s arms feel like they “are made of noodles. I can barely lift the sword.” When he drinks milk, his strength returns.

Language 

  • Chug insults Jarro by saying, “You’re a thief? You certainly stole all the ugly around town for yourself.” 
  • Because of her imagination, Lenna’s family refers to her as “loony Lenna” and “liar.”
  • Lenna’s sister calls her an idiot.
  • The town people call the Mob Squad “Bad Apples.”
  • An adult calls the Mob Squad kids “rapscallions,” “scalaways,” and “dunderheads.”
  • Darn is used three times.
  • Chug tells his brother to “shut your piehole.”
  • Twice, Chug calls someone a jerk. For example, when thieves steal from Chug and his friends, he calls one of the men a jerk. 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Only the Good Spy Young

After the events of last semester, Cammie could use more normal in her life. Well, as normal as the life of a spy-in-training can be. But people are still after Cammie, and she is no closer to finding out why. Even worse, the CIA seems to think Mr. Solomon is working on the side of the enemy. Cammie and her friends struggle to believe it, but true or not, they know it’s long past time for them to find some answers of their own.  

With her mother keeping secrets, an unlikeable new teacher, and Mr. Solomon in question, Cammie doesn’t know who to trust. But she has her roommates, Macey, Bex, and Liz, and the four of them will have to be enough. The stakes are higher than ever as the four friends hack into the booby-trapped sublevels, decode a secret journal, and break into the infamous Blackthorne Institute. There is no room for mistakes. At this level, mistakes are deadly.  

Only the Good Spy Young ramps up the action in an exciting story packed with twists and turns. This installment deepens the mystery and leaves readers wondering why the Circle is trying to kidnap Cammie, if Mr. Solomon is a friend or a foe, and why Zach keeps appearing every time Cammie is in trouble. Cammie feels as if her world is turned upside down and isn’t sure who can be trusted. While the mystery adds suspense, the highlight of Only the Good Spy Young is the relationship between Cammie and her friends—who always have her back. 

Through first-person narration, Carter creates a fun story full of relatable characters and explores teen romance in a wholesome way that is perfect for teens. While the beloved cast is back, this installment gives Zach a prominent role which will leave readers swooning. The moments between Zach and Cammie are adorable. Adding Zach to the spying, action, and danger makes Only the Good Spy Young one of the best books in the series.  

With a strong cast of smart girls, a relatable protagonist, and the perfect blend of humor and suspense, Only the Good Spy Young will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. Make sure you have the next book, Out of Sight, Out of Time, on hand, because this installment ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger.  

Sexual Content  

  • A teacher “accidentally spilled his latest invisibility concoction over Madame Dabney, and her white blouse was becoming more and more invisible by the second . . . At the front of the room, Madame Dabney (who, by the way, wears way sexier bras than anyone would have guessed) started dabbing at the front of her blouse with an antique tablecloth.”  
  • Zach keeps tabs on Cammie, watching her to make sure she is okay. One time he visits her while ice skating and “pressed his lips hard against my forehead for a split second—nothing more—and when he finally let me go and disappeared back into the trees, I thought that I might fall.”  
  • Before a dangerous mission, Cammie and Zach kiss. Cammie “kissed him—longer and deeper than I ever had before . . . we were just two people kissing as if for the first time, as if it might be the last.”  
  • Zach kisses Cammie goodbye at the start of summer vacation. “And then his arms were around me. When he kissed me it was hungrier somehow, as if this moment was all we had, and we had to taste it, drink it, savor it, and not waste a single drop.” 

Violence  

  • When Cammie finds a stranger in her room, she goes on the defense. Cammie “stepped back and grabbed the arm that grabbed at me, spinning, using my attacker’s own momentum to fling him through the open bathroom door and to the other side of our room. He smashed into a dresser and sent a lamp crashing to the floor . . . before he could say a word, a Louis Vuitton suitcase came flying into our room, struck the man squarely on his face, and dropped him to the floor like a stone.” Macey heard the struggle and threw her suitcase at the man, who turns out to be a new teacher at the school. His face is bruised, but he is okay.  
  • When Cammie meets the man responsible for her father’s death, she “brought my hand up along the side of his face—hard. It was just a slap—nothing special. Hardly something they would ever teach in P&E. And yet I felt like doing it again.” 
  • A member of the Circle interrogates Mr. Solomon. “The woman struck Mr. Solomon’s face so hard that blood sprayed across the room.”  
  • Cammie and Zach fight Zach’s mother, the leader of a splinter group of the Circle, and her henchmen. Their struggle takes place over three pages. Cammie describes, “I parried away another of [Zach’s mother’s] blows, and when I countered, I landed a swift punch to her kidney and another to her face . . . Across the room, Zach had taken an old sword from the wall and was fighting two men at once.” Both Zach and Cammie eventually get away, and are okay.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Cammie and her roommates drug an apple with truth serum, then interrogate their teacher/suspect. “It took four seconds for Liz to take the syringe from her bag. Her hands were shaking as I pulled the apple from my tray and held it beneath the table.” After their teacher eats the apple, they ask him some questions.  

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

A Dandelion Wish

Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby are special girls. They know how to travel between their hometown and Never Land—through a broken slat in a backyard fence. But what happens when the fence is repaired . . . with one of the girls stuck on the Never Land side?  

Mia sneaks out to Never Land and brings a fairy home. When Gabby finds out, the two girls get into a fight and Gabby decides to go to Never Land alone. When Mia’s father fixes the fence, she calls on her friends—and the fairy—to help. Determined to keep Gabby’s disappearance from her parents, Mia and her friends sneak around, sabotage a lawn mower, and eventually find a new way into Never Land. 

While Mia is trying to find a way to rescue her sister, Gabby is having an adventure with the fairy Iridessa. Many readers will relate to Iridessa, who gets flustered when things don’t go according to plan. When Iridessa is put in charge of watching Gabby, the fairy is surprised at how the girl keeps disappearing. Iridessa is upset that her plans have been interrupted because “planning was how you went about making sure things turned out as you wanted.” However, because of Gabby’s inquisitive nature, Iridessa isn’t able to follow her plan. Eventually, Iridessa realizes, “If it weren’t for Gabby, she never would have seen the dancing fireflies or the trail of wishes. Those things hadn’t been part of her plan, but Iridessa wouldn’t have wanted to miss them for the world.”  

The chapter book has ten short chapters. While the short chapters and illustrations make the story accessible to readers, younger readers may need help with the vocabulary. Cute black and white illustrations appear every one to four pages, which helps bring the fairy magic to life. The illustrations will help readers visualize the story’s plot. 

Young readers will enjoy A Dandelion Wish because of its fun cast of characters that include both clumsys and fairies. Gabby’s adventure into Never Land is full of wonder and her sister’s search for a way into Never Land adds suspense. In the end, Gabby and Mia get over their argument and learn to appreciate each other. However, parents may not like all of Mia’s sneaking around and her desire to keep her parents unaware of Gabby’s disappearance. Despite this, A Dandelion Wish’s high-interest topic, relatable conflict, and friendship among the girls will keep young readers entertained until the end. Readers who would enjoy another entertaining series focused on friendship should check out Purrmaids by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language    

  • Lainey and her friends think an elderly neighbor is a witch. 

Supernatural 

  • Never Land is “an island that has a mind of its own.”  
  • There is a hole in a fence that can be used to travel to Never Land. “No one knew how the passage between the two worlds had come to be—not even the fairies. . .” 
  • The fairy Rosetta is a garden fairy who “can make any flower bloom [and] hear the secrets inside a seed.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

What We Saw

When best friends Abbi and Skylar witness a clandestine meeting between a mysterious woman and someone in a dark van, they’re thrilled. Finally, a mystery to spice up the summer!

Who could these people be? Why are they meeting? Are they spies? Criminals? The two girls are determined to find out. But then a local woman goes missing and is found dead in the woods. And Abbi and Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. Suddenly, sleuthing isn’t so fun anymore.

As tensions rise and their friendship frays, the girls find themselves in increasing danger, and must choose between keeping a secret or exposing a life-altering truth.

What We Saw is told from Abbi’s point of view and her best friend, Skylar, also plays a significant role. Nevertheless, readers may have a difficult time relating to either of the girls. Of the two, Skylar is more adventurous, but she is also jaded because her father is a “cheater.” On the other hand, Abbi is more fearful and often follows Skylar’s lead, even when she knows she shouldn’t. Both girls are secretive and hide things from their mothers because they don’t want to get into trouble. Even when the girls realize they have information about the missing woman, the girls don’t come forward at first. Both girls are immature and self-absorbed which makes it difficult to connect with them.

When Abbi discovers who killed her teacher, Ms. Sullivan, Abbi’s only concern is not letting her mom find out what she’s been up to. Instead of telling her mother the truth, she keeps quiet because “right now, I need a mom who loves me, not one who’s too mad at me to care if I go to jail. I’ll lie my head off to keep her on my side as long as I can.” First of all, Abbi isn’t thinking clearly since she has done nothing illegal. Secondly, Abbi’s mother is portrayed as a reasonable, caring parent who isn’t going to hate her daughter. In fact, when Abbi’s mother finds out part of the truth, she tells Abbi that she will never hate her.

While What We Saw is supposed to be a thriller, there is very little suspense besides the description of the creepy woods that is close to the girls’ treehouse. Instead, Abbi focuses on the typical boring events of the summer—going to the pool, going to the mall, and hanging out with Skylar. In addition, the story often goes off on an unnecessary tangent such as Abbi thinking about the books she’s reading. Another example is when Abbi sees her art teacher leaving Victoria’s Secret and thinks, “She’s my teacher. I don’t want to know she wears lacy bras or sexy lingerie.” These events slow down the pace and do little to advance the plot. 

To make matters worse, the story’s conclusion doesn’t show any personal growth in Abbi. When Abbi goes to Ms. Sullivan’s funeral, Abbi still focuses on herself. Abbi misses her teacher and thinks about Ms. Sullivan’s paintings, but she’s not concerned about the other people who are affected by her death. After the funeral, Abbi thinks of “Skylar and me and the strange distance that’s opened between us. . . I wonder what eighth grade will be like.” Unfortunately, What We Saw lacks the suspense and mystery that is typical in Mary Downing Hahn’s stories. Mystery-loving fans will want to skip What We Saw and instead explore a book with more depth and insight. For a mystery wrapped up in suspense, you can read The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel by Sheela Chari or Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey.

Sexual Content 

  • As the girls are biking through town, a “beat-up red pickup slows down long enough for the driver to bang on his door and yell something gross at us.” Skylar says the person is “a perv.”
  • Skylar’s father is a “cheater” who ran off with a woman. Skylar brings this up often.
  • Skylar and Abbi are in a tree house when they see two cars stop at the end of a dead-end road. Skylar says, “Maybe the woman is married and she’s meeting the man in secret. Or maybe he’s the one who’s married. Or they both could be married—to other people.”
  • Abbi watches a news report on her teacher’s death. “Ms. Sullivan was assaulted and killed in the woods near Marie Drive. A thirteen-year-old boy found her body under a pile of branches and trash near the train tracks.” 
  • Skyler thinks that two of her teachers, Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Boyce, were having an affair. She says, “Ms. Sullivan was a cheater, too. She knew he was married, she knew he had a kid, but all she cared about was breaking up his marriage so he could be with her. In some ways, she’s worse than he is.”

Violence 

  • Two mean boys from Skylar’s school, Carter and Jason, see the girls on their bikes. “Jason tightens his grip on Skylar’s handlebars, and Carter blocks me. . . Carter makes a move to grab my [Abbi’s] backpack, and I duck away. My feet tangle in the pedals and the bike and I topple over.” Abbi has blood “running down my leg from a cut.” 
  • Skylar finds her brother smoking pot with some of his friends. Her brother says, “Calm down, Skylar, it’s just pot. It’s legal in some places now.”
  • While at Dairy Queen, a man named Paul “grabs Jason by the shirt and says, ‘Keep it up and I’ll punch your face in.’” Abbi’s mom’s boyfriend jumps in and calms Paul down. The boyfriend says that Paul “has issues…Drugs and stuff.”
  • Carter and Jason see Skylar and Abbi coming down the treehouse ladder. As Jason goes up the ladder, he grabs Abbi’s backpack and she falls “not far enough to kill me, but it hurt when I landed hard on my butt.”
  • Carter and Jason get into a fight. “Jason punches Carter, and Carter punches him back. They grab each other like wrestlers and grunt and strain and struggle until Jason’s face turns so red I think he’s dying of heatstroke.” Abbi breaks up the fight.
  • Skylar and Abbi follow Carter and Jason into the woods where they see an old trailer house. A drug dealer, Paul, and his dog Diablo appear and when Diablo smells the kids, they all run. Paul shoots at them as they leave. Skylar, Abbi and Jason stay together, but Carter runs off in another direction.
  • Jason tells the girls how Ms. Sullivan died. After Ms. Sullivan wanders into the woods, she finds Paul’s old trailer. Then, Paul sees her. “He must’ve been out of his mind on drugs. . . He accused her of being after his drug money. . . he hit her. And he hit her, and he hit her again, and he just kept hitting her. And she was yelling, fighting back, but, but—”
  • A police officer tells Abbi that Paul is in jail. When the police went to arrest Paul, they found Carter “badly beaten. He’s in the hospital being treated for severe dog bites and fractures.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A boy at school smokes cigarettes.
  • Skylar found pot in her brother’s bedroom. Later, Skylar’s brother tells her, “Buying that stuff was a once-in-a-lifetime mistake.”
  • Twice during dinner, Abbi’s mom and her boyfriend have a beer.
  • Skylar and Abbi go to their teacher’s house to get advice. In his kitchen, “the recycling bin overflows with beer cans.” Later, when they go back to his house, Abbi notices that he “smells like beer and coffee.”
  • Carter and Jason were selling drugs for Paul. 

Language   

  • The kids in the story occasionally call other people names such as moron, jerk, druggie, and idiot.
  • Carter blows cigarette smoke in Abbi’s face and says “Bowwow, ugly dog.” 
  • Hell is used once.
  • Jason says that Paul is a “freaking crazy man. A psycho.” 
  • Oh my God is used as an exclamation twice.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • When Abbi finds out her teacher was murdered, she asks, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to people like her? I don’t understand.”

Uni and the Perfect Present

Uni is generous and wants to give Silkie a special present for his birthday. But Uni doesn’t have anything! So, Uni asks different animals what they think the perfect present is. Uni gives Silkie many gifts on their special day together, but there is one gift that turns out to be the most special of them all.

Anyone who has ever had to pick out a gift for someone will relate to Uni’s conflict. As Uni and Silkie spend the day together, Uni asks other animals what the perfect present is. Taking their advice, Uni gives Silkie an acorn, a shiny pebble, and a strong stick. But Uni doesn’t think any of the gifts are special. Then, Uni has an idea! She draws a picture of all the things they saw—a blue stream, golden trees, and purple flowers. Uni finally has the perfect present for Silkie!

Each page of Uni and the Perfect Present has a large illustration that focuses on nature. Readers will love all the forest animals Uni meets, as well as the brightly colored trees and flowers. Each page has one to three simple sentences that appear in oversized text. As a Level 2 book, Uni and the Perfect Present uses basic vocabulary words that are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. In addition, the simple plot is relatable and easy to understand.

Uni and the Perfect Present will entertain readers who are ready to read on their own. The cute illustrations, the likable protagonist, and the theme of friendship add up to an enjoyable story that shows that “Best friends [are] the most perfect present of all!” Readers who love unicorns can find more sparkly fun by reading the Unicorn Diaries Series by Rebecca Elliott.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Ride On

Victoria has always loved horses. But riding in competitions is high stakes, high stress, and shockingly expensive. And even though Victoria’s best friend Taylor loves competing, Victoria has lost her taste for it.

After a heartbreaking fight with Taylor, Victoria needs a new start—at a new stable. A place where she doesn’t have to worry about anything other than riding. No competition, no drama, no friends. Just horses.

Edgewood Stables seems ideal. There are plenty of horses to ride, and Victoria is perfectly happy giving the other riders the cold shoulder. But can she truly be happy with no friends?

While Ride On will specifically appeal to horse-loving readers, the graphic novel also has a universal theme of friendship which all readers will be drawn to. Victoria’s past is murky and, although it is slowly revealed, she never explains why she has rejected all her friends including her yearbook friends. Despite the fear of rejection, Victoria slowly warms up to Norrie, Hazel, and Sam; while they all share a love of horses, it’s their love of the sci-fi television series, Beyond the Galaxy, that brings them all together. This adds both an interesting twist and some humor to the story.

Many readers will relate to Victoria’s insecurities as well as her desire to have a well-rounded life that doesn’t completely revolve around horse competitions. In a world where competitive sports are the norm, Ride On reminds readers that they do not need to let one thing consume all their time. Instead, they can love horses, cosplay, and hanging out with friends. Along the way, the story explores the importance of friendship as well as getting over fears. These lessons are wrapped up in a good story with interesting, relatable characters who often struggle with being different. Seeing the characters grow and connect is heartwarming as well as entertaining. 

The graphic novel’s artwork uses vivid colors to bring the characters to life. One of the best aspects of the illustrations is the characters’ facial expressions and body language—both of these will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. The horse pictures are wonderful as well. Some pages tell the story only through pictures, while other pages have up to seven sentences per page. This, along with the easy vocabulary, make Ride On accessible to most readers. 

Ride On highlights everyone’s need for companionship and validation. The graphic novel is a character-driven story that doesn’t have a lot of exciting conflicts. However, the characters are interesting enough to keep readers hooked. The conclusion holds several surprises that show the true meaning of friendship. Similar to Ride On, the graphic novel series Eagle Rock by Hope Larson is another coming-of-age story that explores the need to find your passion.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Crap is used once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Not That Kind of Girl

Natalie Sterling has made one thing clear: nothing will get in the way of her having a successful senior year of high school. She has big plans, such as applying to colleges and becoming Ross Academy’s student council president. Natalie doesn’t have time for distractions, and she certainly is not like the other girls, who get hung up on boys. But the road to success is not easy. On the first day of school, Natalie takes Spencer under her wing – a girl who has grown up considerably since Natalie used to babysit her long ago. Spencer likes getting attention and she’s not afraid to show it. Meanwhile, Mike Domski, a vulgar football player, is running against Natalie in student council. Still, Natalie stands strong: she is not the kind of girl who gets distracted.

Things start to change after Natalie is elected president. She fights with her best friend Autumn, who despite getting bullied over a failed relationship, still wants to go to parties and talk to guys. Autumn is willing to forgive the people who spread rumors about her, but Natalie can’t understand why her best friend would even associate with those people. Not to mention, Natalie’s caught the eye of one of Mike’s friends, Connor, who kisses her one night after school. Worst of all, Natalie starts to like him in return. 

Natalie’s perfect senior year crumbles. She sneaks out to see Connor nightly, letting her grades suffer in exchange for secret kisses. Natalie’s confidence wavers as she thinks about how people would perceive her if they find out. She might have feelings for Connor, but she says that “the realization that other people would judge what I’d done spoiled everything.” Their relationship becomes strained and awkward when Natalie can’t accept Connor outside their private nights. In addition, Natalie doesn’t speak to Autumn for weeks, and constantly butts heads with Spencer over the way she chases male attention. Disaster strikes when a nude photo of Spencer circulates, and Natalie knows that Mike is the culprit. Spencer begs Natalie not to get involved, but in an effort to protect Spencer, Natalie gets Mike in trouble. Retaliation is swift – Mike reveals that Natalie has been seeing Connor, and suddenly the perfect class president is perfect no more.

When Natalie’s whole world crumbles, she decides that her reputation is not as important as her relationships. Natalie has to accept that some part of her does like boys, and that she loved her time with Connor. The book encourages girls to explore their sexuality as long as they’re comfortable and in control of the situation. Natalie learns she’s okay not having perfect grades or being the perfect student council president. She says, “It didn’t matter if I was the kind of girl who had sex, or the kind of girl who had her portrait on the wall in the library, or the kind of girl who got into the best college . . . I just needed to be okay with all the kinds of girl I was.” She reconciles with Spencer and Autumn, and even asks Connor out on a real date. Not That Kind of Girl ends with Natalie accepting that she can be focused on her goals while still having a relationship. 

This story is narrated in the first person and is an interesting take on high school drama. It can be quite vulgar when the students talk about each other and the things they’ve done, but it is not a complicated read. In fact, Not That Kind of Girl is not the kind of book you’re expecting – the narrator, Natalie, is not the typical “hero-like” narrator. Instead, Natalie is incredibly judgmental about people’s actions and concerned about how she’s perceived, which ruins many of her relationships. While readers may find it hard to stomach Natalie’s harsh criticism, this is a story about a character who learns to be more accepting. 

Natalie realizes that she’s been hypocritical and that it’s not possible to know someone by making assumptions. Natalie used to believe getting into a relationship was a girl’s downfall, but she realizes how wonderful it can be. Natalie starts to understand that just because someone likes boys doesn’t mean that they don’t aspire to do other things. Some readers may have trouble relating to Natalie, but a key aspect of the book is learning to accept that everyone has a different idea of success. At the beginning of the story, Natalie believes that a girl can’t have a relationship and be successful, but the events of the story prove her wrong. Readers can learn a lot from Natalie’s willingness to admit her wrongs and her attempts to be more open-minded. Not That Kind of Girl shows how, when confronted with challenges and opportunities that redefine you, you can either run away or face them head-on. Natalie realizes that her fear of how people perceive her is negatively impacting her life. When she accepts the person she always refused to be, Natalie finds freedom and happiness where she least expects it.

Sexual Content 

  • Natalie says guys will have a successful high school experience if they “wear a condom.”
  • Natalie describes an infamous high school couple as people who “fooled around.” According to Natalie, the girl “took things slow, preferring sweet kisses while walking through piles of crispy autumn leaves over half-naked wrestling matches.” 
  • Natalie describes how two students, Autumn and Chad, almost hooked up in the locker room. “Chad greeted [Autumn] with a grin. A moment later, before they’d even said hello, they were kissing. Which quickly turned into groping. . . Chad tried to convince her with words, with kisses. . . He pleaded with her to stay. After all, she’d barely touched him, and he was so turned on. . . [Autumn] leaned in to kiss [Chad]. A cute peck aimed for the tip of his nose, to make it all okay.” Autumn leaves to go back to class and Chad starts to ignore her. 
  • Natalie says that before this incident with Autumn and Chad, Chad’s “inability to get off with a freshman had become a running joke. . . He’d complain of blue balls after he’d drive [Autumn] home, or hump his locker door in mock frustration after [Autumn] hugged him good morning.” Everyone knew that he was going to hook up with Autumn in the locker room, but when it didn’t happen, he needed an excuse, so he started a rumor that Autumn smells bad. He starts to call Autumn “Fish Sticks” and breaks up with her.
  • Natalie says everyone forgets about the “Fish Sticks” incident months later, “when a junior supposedly had a three-way in her parent’s shower.”
  • Spencer bends down in the hallway, accidentally revealing her underwear. Natalie says, “The girl was kneeling on the floor. . . Her pleated uniform skirt tipped forward like a ringing church bell. A small triangle of lavender mesh barely shielded her rear from the entire hallway.” 
  • Natalie tells Spencer that people can see her underwear. “When you bent over before, you could see everything. And a bunch of boys were enjoying the view.” After Natalie leaves, Spencer bends down again, “her butt back on display for everyone. The eyes of the passing football players flitted to the left as if Spencer’s ass gave off a high-pitched noise at a frequency only boys could detect. One of the guys snatched a binder and flapped it furiously toward Spencer’s rear end, trying to make a strong enough breeze so her skirt would flutter up even higher.” 
  • A jock, Mike Domski, runs for student council with a poster “with a cartoon version of [himself], smoking a cigar and flanked by two busty bikini girls.”
  • Natalie says that one day Mike Domski will marry “a pregnant stripper.”
  • Mike vandalizes Natalie’s student council campaign poster. Originally the poster said “Vote For Natalie, a Leader with Experience.” Mike “had taken a marker and done some doodling at my expense. He had given me a mustache, drawn two enormous penises (one for each of my hands), and a bunch of question marks hovering over my head. He’d crossed out Leader and written VIRGIN on top of it. And squeezed the word NO in before Experience.”
  • When Natalie gets mad at Mike, he says, “I have to say Natalie, your level of intensity is pretty hot. . . I’m actually getting a chubby.” When Natalie tells him to stop, Mike says, “I’m only kidding with you. . . You could never give me a hard-on. You’re like. . . dick repellent.”
  • Natalie drives by a house party where the boys from the football team run out in front of her car drunk. “I tried to inch my car forward, but [it was] pinned by the human roadblock, forced to witness their drunken celebration.” 
  • While the football players surrounded Natalie’s car, “Mike Domski tossed aside a beer can and started humping my hood ornament. . . . ‘I’m trying!’ he moaned. ‘Oh, God, I’m trying!’ After Mike pretended to bring my Honda to orgasm, the laughing boys made their way up the front lawn.”
  • Spencer says that Natalie and Mike have “sexual tension.”
  • When Natalie asks Connor to donate wood for a bonfire, Mike says, “Natalie wants your wood. Bad.” Natalie says, “I don’t need anybody’s wood. I can buy my own wood. . . ” She later realizes what she said and “dream[s] about a tragic accident where Mike’s crotch caught fire.”
  • Spencer and her friends wear inappropriate shirts to school. “Each shirt had a pair of bulbous footballs positioned like pasties over their boobs. And above them, the same single word was printed across the chest, curling in a perfect arch. Rosstitute.” This is a combination of Ross Academy and prostitution. When one of the teachers tells Spencer to change, she takes off her shirt in the hallway. “She took off her shirt, right there, in the middle of the hallway. Her bra was a pink gingham number, with a tiny rosette in the center, underwire working overtime to hoist and enhance a modest amount of cleavage.” 
  • Natalie overhears the football boys talking. Mike says, “I’d like to make that Spencer girl’s titties my business. . . Did you see her dancing? I mean, she’s practically a stripper.” One of the players reminds Mike that Spencer isn’t interested in him because she likes Connor. Mike replies, “You think a girl like her will turn celibate because Connor shuts her down? Trust me, man. The Domski will make it happen. And none of you guys better try and cock block me.” 
  • A football player says, “That skinny blond freshman would be cute if she weren’t totally flat. I might as well feel up my little brother.” 
  • Mike says that Natalie is “the kind of chick who’d cut off your balls in the middle of the night. . . I wouldn’t be surprised at all to hear Natalie has a bigger dick than I do.”
  • Spencer says that girls aren’t permitted to have “sexual needs” in the same way guys are. “I won’t be villainized because I happen to like being sexual. . . Forcing girls to be ashamed for doing the things that come naturally to them – it’s a ridiculous double standard, and we should all, frankly, tell anyone who judges us to screw off.” 
  • During an all-girls meeting, one of the girls admits that she gave a guy a hand job to prove that people treat her differently because she experimented with her sexuality, “My brother found out I gave a hand job to one of his friends, and now he won’t even look at me.” Spencer says, “That’s horrible! Because I bet your brother wishes a girl would give him a hand job. But because you’re his sister, you’re dirty.” 
  • Spencer shows Natalie a picture of “a back-to-school pictorial, where a sexed-up vamp of a teacher stood on her desk in fishnets and stilettos, with schoolboys cowering in a pile on the floor.” 
  • Connor kisses Natalie. Connor “took another step. A big step, closing the gap of air between us. And then he kissed me. He grabbed me and kissed me, and his whole body tensed up. . . When I felt him pull away, I leaned forward and kissed him harder. . . This kiss had heat behind it.” 
  • On Halloween, Spencer dresses as a “slutty construction worker.” The outfit “consisted of a skintight little denim minidress cut to look like a pair of overalls. She had a tight white cami on underneath, and the whole thing fit her like a corset, her boobs bubbling up over the top. The skirt stopped right underneath her butt cheeks, and when she dipped and bent to the music, you got flashes of a pair of electric orange booty shorts. . . She really, truly looked like a stripper.”
  • At the Halloween dance, Natalie notices Connor looking at another girl. Natalie says, “Of course guys like Connor were going to notice the scantily clad girls dancing in front of them. . . Immunity to booty and boobs did not occur in teenage boys.”
  • Spencer tells Natalie she looks hot. “Natalie, you have such a good body. Your butt looks totally hot in those pants. Why are you hiding it from everyone?. . . You could get any guy in this room, if you just loosened up a little.”
  • Connor and Natalie meet secretly in a shed behind Connor’s house, where they kiss. Natalie “leaned in and kissed him fast. . . And then he kissed me. This time with lips parted, as if he was whispering into my mouth. . . His hands moved up to my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. He was warm, hot even. I wrapped my arms around his neck, tucked my fingers down into the back of his collar. My whole body folded into his warmth, and then we both lay down. . . We were moving and pressing and shifting all over each other.” They end the kiss after a while. 
  • Spencer tricks Mike into meeting her at a movie theater. Later, she tells the story to Natalie. Spencer says, “I told Mike to whip it out and have it ready for me. He wrote back, You nasty little girl. . . Anyway, a bunch of girls and I were already hiding in the very last row, and we could see him shimmying and wriggling in his seat. I ducked out and found the manager and let him know that there was a boy with his pants down in theater twelve.”
  • While Natalie and Connor kiss, he tries to undo her bra. “Connor pulled me on top of him, and his hands slid up my back again. . . His fingers tucked underneath my bra strap, then he pinched the closure, trying to pop the hook open.” Natalie stops him.
  • Natalie tells Connor that she knows he lost his virginity in eighth grade. She says that everyone knew that Connor had gotten really drunk and had sex with a girl on New Year’s Eve.
  • Natalie gets a splinter in her rear while in the shed. Connor has to help her pull it out. “Suddenly my left butt cheek burned bad enough for me to gasp. . . I rolled over to my knees and stuck my butt up in the air. . . I unzipped my pants and pulled my jeans down. I’d never been undressed in front of a boy before.” 
  • Natalie looks at herself in the mirror and is unhappy with what she sees. “I wished that I had bigger boobs. . . I turned sideways and stared at the dimpled skin on my upper thigh.” Natalie wondered, “Is this the kind of stuff Connor would see if I let him look at me naked?” 
  • Spencer uses the gesture of wiggling a pinky to make fun of Mike. She says, “I invented a hand gesture to make fun of Mike Domski. It means teeny peeny, and it’s caught on like wildfire.” 
  • Spencer asks if Natalie’s guy is “all good down there” to which Natalie replies that she’s a virgin. Spencer says, “Like a total sex virgin? Or a straight-up intercourse virgin? Because I haven’t had complete sex with anyone before, either, though I’ve done lots of other stuff.”
  • Natalie and Connor have sex. “I lifted up my T-shirt and shimmied out of my pants. I unhooked my bra and slid down my underwear. . . I took Connor’s clothes off too. . . I rolled on top of him and let gravity press us together. Lips, chest, abdomen, thighs. I wasn’t planning to have sex with him. Only now it was all I wanted. . . The entire world fell away until it was just me and Connor. Finally.”
  • A naked picture of Spencer starts to circulate at school. Connor shows Natalie the picture. “Nothing could have prepared me for seeing Spencer like this on the tiny pixelated screen. Her curls, her puckered lips, her bare breasts cast forward toward the cameraman.”
  • Connor gets mad at Natalie for defending Spencer. Natalie says, “Mike takes naked photos of a fourteen-year-old girl and spreads them to the whole school, and I’m the one who did something wrong? . . . I wish that Spencer had kept her freaking boobs covered up… I also wish that the whole school didn’t think I’m a slut.”

Violence  

  • When Mike Domski calls Autumn “Fish Sticks” in the cafeteria, Natalie “reached for the closest object and hurled it at Mike. That turned out to be a slice of my pizza, and it hit him square in the chest.” 
  • Spencer says she wants to cut Autumn’s ex-boyfriend’s balls off because he started the “Fish Sticks” rumor.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Natalie says there is a “smoker’s tree” at her school.
  • Autumn takes Natalie to a party where there are guys smoking and drinking. “We came upon a big boulder. . . A bunch of guys sat on it, drinking beers and blowing smoke into the night sky.”
  • Natalie says that girls avoid the bathroom by the teacher’s lounge, so they don’t get caught smoking cigarettes. 
  • At the Halloween dance, Natalie smells beer on Connor’s breath.

Language   

  • Curse words like ass, shit, bitch, and damn are used occasionally.
  • Occasionally, the teens call each other names such as asshole, bitch, boners, sluts, and nympho.
  • Spencer says, “Mrs. Dockey was just bitching about Principal Hurley not approving her costume budget for the school musical. She actually said that she ‘can’t put on the Wizard of Oz with fucking bedsheets and a burlap sack.’”
  • A football player calls Connor a “lucky bastard” for getting Spencer’s attention.
  • Spencer says that she’s “not looking to shack up with some pervert.”
  • When Natalie tries to host a girls-only event, Mike wants to sign up. He says, “This girl’s night is more of a vaginathon. No dick allowed.” Spencer steps up and says, “That’s right, Mike. No dicks, no dickheads, no cocks, no penises, no wieners, no weewees, no boners, no dongs, no dill weeds, no scrotums allowed. Which, I think, are all adjectives used to describe you.” Mike gives Spencer the middle finger and leaves. 
  • Natalie and Autumn look at Halloween costumes, which Natalie finds too revealing. She says that she’s not going to be “slutting it up” on Halloween. At the Halloween dance, Natalie calls Spencer a “stripper” and calls another girl “Slutty Sherlock Holmes.”
  • Natalie calls Connor “as big of a dick as Mike Domski.” 
  • “Oh God” or “My God” are both used occasionally. 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Natalie thinks about a biblical story when things feel awkward between her and Connor. “I thought about Adam and Eve. How they’d been so happy, playing naked in the garden. And then in one moment, it all turned to shame.”

The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck

Using a unique blend of notes, lists, and classic prose, The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck tells the story of Bud and Laurie’s quest to find the infamous Tutweiler Treasure. They’re hot (or at least lukewarm) on the trail of scavenger hunt clues, but time is running out as the school board wants to tear down Tuckernuck Hall. Can Bud and Laurie find the treasure before it’s lost forever?

When Bud and Laurie are given gerbil duty at their school, the two accidentally discover the first clue to the Tutweiler Treasure. While the story definitely has some laugh-out-loud funny moments, those are largely overshadowed by subplots that don’t add much to the story. These subplots slow down the action and make it hard to stay engaged in the mystery. For example, the two must avoid an English teacher that wants Laurie to start a poetry club, and, in an effort to find a clue, Bud ends up with a part in the school play. 

Bud and Laurie have relatable conflicts with their parents, their classmates, and each other. While looking for the treasure, Bud (the school outcast) and Laurie (who only has one friend) bond over the clues and the gerbils. The gerbils add an interesting twist to the story that will cause readers to laugh. As the two look for the treasure, Bud and Laurie’s relationship changes from unwilling partners to friends, which adds some heart to the story. However, the two characters are not well-developed which makes them easy to forget. 

The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck creates a humorous mystery that lacks suspense. The large cast of characters and the many subplots slow the story’s action, which may make it difficult to stay engaged. Because of the nature of the Tuckernuck Treasure, the story contains no violence and instead creates suspense through Bud’s and Laurie’s teachers, classmates, and family. However, readers who are looking for an action-packed mystery should leave The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck on the shelf. Readers who love the thrill of finding treasure can instead find action and adventure in Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes and Notorious by Gordon Korman.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Crap is used once.
  • Heck is used frequently.
  • Laurie thinks Bud is a “butt-kisser.”
  • There is some name-calling such as lame, moron, and nitwit. 
  • Laurie thinks that one of the teachers is a “bearded English freak.”
  • Laurie says, “I’m such a dork.”
  • Laurie’s friend calls herself a “goober.”
  • “Holy cow” is used as an exclamation twice; “Omigod” is used as an exclamation once.
  • Laurie writes a list of reasons Bud is an idiot. When he says he wants to say the speech at eighth-grade graduation, Laurie thinks, “Eighth-grade graduation, my butt.”
  • One of Laurie’s lists is titled “Boneheaded Statement of the Day by Bud Wallace.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Half-Court Hero

There’s nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well it doesn’t get any better than that. When the twins start a summer basketball league at their local park, they notice the once rundown court is getting freshened up with each passing day. First new nets, then the benches have been completely restored. But who’s behind it? Zach and Zoe are on the case!

The Half-Court Hero will appeal to a wide range of readers because it has both play-by-play sports action and a solid mystery. Plus, the twins have many positive attributes thanks to their parents who have taught them to always focus on the positive. While the kids share a love of sports, it’s Zoe’s curiosity that drives the mystery. As the kids practice for a tournament, several accidents happen because the court is in disrepair. When someone secretly begins to make repairs, the kids are determined to discover who the culprit is, even though the person clearly wants to remain anonymous. As the twins dig for clues, their parents remind them that “a good deed is its own reward” and public recognition isn’t necessary. Despite this, Zach and Zoe follow all the clues until they know who the half-court hero is.

There’s a lot to like about The Half-Court Hero including the kind characters and their healthy two parent family. While sports are clearly important to Zach and Zoe’s family, the kids’ parents remind them of good sportsmanship and the importance of passing the ball to whomever is open. Even though the kids want to win the tournament, they know having fun is just as important. 

The short chapters and illustrations that appear every four to seven pages will appeal to young readers. Most of the pictures focus on Zach and Zoe, but the scenes on the basketball court show a diverse group of players. Even though The Half Court Hero is intended for younger readers, emerging readers may struggle with the difficult vocabulary. 

In a world that often glorifies winning at all costs, The Half-Court Hero highlights the importance of being a good sport. While both the conclusion of the basketball tournament and the solving of the mystery are predictable, readers will still enjoy the well-written story that has a good blend of looking for clues, hanging out with family, and basketball action. Readers who want more courtside action should dribble to their closest library and check out a copy of STAT: Standing Tall and Talented by Amar’e Stoudemire.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Deep Down Popular

Jessie Lou Ferguson has loved Conrad Parker Smith since the second grade. Conrad is the most popular boy in school and the star of the soccer team. Jessie Lou, on the other hand, is described by her mother as a “tomboy,” and is an outsider with few friends. She doesn’t like dressing up. She cuts her own hair choppy and short. And she is very smart and loves to write poetry.  

Now, Jessie Lou and Conrad are in sixth grade at Cabanash County Elementary, and things have changed. Conrad is no longer the popular boy he once was. Conrad has developed a limp and wears a leg brace, hindering his performances in soccer, at school dances, and during field trips. When Jessie Lou is asked to help Conrad, they begin to spend more time together. But Jessie Lou is worried that if Conrad’s leg gets better, he’ll no longer want to be her friend. 

Deep Down Popular is a fun and light story that addresses issues such as friendship, self-image, and internal beauty. In the end, Jessie Lou finds the most meaningful friendships in the people she least expected—Conrad and a fourth grader named Quentin. The more they hang out with each other, the closer they become. By the end of the story, Jessie Lou tells Quentin that she, Conrad, and Quentin are “deep down friends, and as far as I’m concerned that’s about better than anything.” 

Additionally, as Jessie Lou’s sister, Melinda, prepares for the Junior Teen Beauty Pageant at the Apple Blossom State Fair, the two become closer. Jessie Lou had always been jealous of her beautiful, perfect older sister. Melinda has luscious long hair while Jessie Lou’s looks like it is buzzed. Melinda is doted on by their grandpa and mother all the time. Towards the end of the book, Jessie Lou and Melinda become closer as they bond through their sadness. Melinda is disappointed that she didn’t win the pageant and Jessie Lou thinks Conrad won’t be her friend anymore after his leg is fixed. They cry together and reassure one another, bringing them closer together.  

Jessie Lou struggles with self-image throughout the story. She compares herself to Melinda a lot and feels like a “stupid ugly old beanpole” next to her. On her self-portrait, she writes that she thinks she’s stupid, ugly, and skinny. Eventually, Jessie Lou realizes that she is her own special person and that internal beauty matters more. On her self-portrait, she writes the word “happy,” and realizes that being happy matters more. Her supportive family helps Jessie Lou realize, “I don’t know how I look on the outside, but I’d like to say that I feel pretty on the inside, and Granddaddy always told me that’s all that really matters.” Deep Down Popular is a sweet story because Jessie Lou’s relationships progress and she grows as a person.  

Stone writes mostly from Jessie’s first-person perspective, allowing readers to have a better sense of how Jessie Lou thinks. Naturally, readers end up rooting for Jessie Lou and hoping that she begins to think positively about herself. Deep Down Popular talks about the meanderings of a small town, and the events are believable. However, it is difficult to tell what is going on sometimes because of how much is happening. While the plot isn’t always entertaining, the characters are enjoyable. The kids and the shenanigans they got into are fun to read about. They are snappy, sarcastic, and silly little kids who are having fun while growing up. 

Sexual Content  

  • In second grade, Jessie Lou was so in love with Conrad Parker Smith that “when he’d go running by, I’d jump out and pull him down and give him a great big kiss on his cheek. He didn’t seem to really mind, but he never kissed me back.” 
  • Quentin, Conrad, and Jessie Lou watch an airplane flying while lying in the grass, “and then they roll over toward me and Conrad kisses my cheek and Quentin kisses my forehead.” 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • The word bimbos is used once. 
  • Heck is used four times. 
  • While talking about people’s names, Jessie Lou says you can tell who has hippie parents. She says, “I think I’d feel half stupid to have a name like Moon n’ Stars.” 
  • When Jessie Lou is left alone, she predicts how the rest of the night will go. She predicts she will go to her room and “write me a poem about feeling like a stupid old ugly beanpole, about never being able to be perfect and pretty like my snooty older sister, Melinda.” 
  • Jessie Lou’s teacher assigns a self-portrait where the students draw themselves and write words to describe themselves. When looking at Quentin Duster’s self-portrait, Jessie Lou comments, “I think I would have written on his, PIP-SQUEAKY, BOSSY, TOO BIG FOR HIS BRITCHES.” Around Jessie Lou’s own, she writes “STUPID. UGLY. SKINNY.” 
  • While talking about Tiny Bailey, a supposed fifth-year senior, Quentin says he sleeps a lot because of his size, to which Jessie Lou asks him, “is there anything you don’t have a lamebrain answer for?” 
  • Quentin asks Jessie Lou if she likes Conrad. When she denies it, he says, “Good. Don’t gross me out by liking that idiot.” 
  • Quentin gets a new snorkel set. Jessie Lou says he looks “like an idiot space alien” when running around in the yard with it. 
  • Conrad goes on TV. Jessie Lou says Conrad is still “plain old, stupid Conrad,” and that it won’t change just because he went on TV. 

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • While talking about Pizza Day at school, Jessie Lou says the pizza is so good that “you could just flap your way to heaven.” 

The Second Story

Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. The other orphans would make fun of her whenever they could, sometimes going so far as to lock her in a closet and get her in trouble. Then Dante Vernon, a renowned magician, adopted her and Leila turned her hardship into a skill. With time, Leila becomes an escape artist, a valuable trait in a group of magical best friends.  

But when one of Dante’s old friends, the famous psychic Sandra Santos, comes to town, Leila and her friends can’t keep away from the mysterious incidents that came upon the psychic’s arrival. Leila especially can’t resist the offer to perform in one of the psychic’s shows, especially because the psychic could provide answers on why Leila was left at an orphanage, who placed her there, and the key they left with her. But trouble disrupts the peace in Mineral Waters. From chasing angry monkeys to banishing ghosts from a hotel, the Magical Misfits do their best to protect the town and to figure out the enigma behind the latest acts of mischief.    

Leila takes center stage in this installment of the Magical Misfits! A limited third-person perspective allows the reader to learn about Leila’s backstory and her struggle to be more open with her friends. Readers will empathize with Leila’s desire to tell her friends about herself and the possible rejection that might follow. This causes Leila to keep secrets and hide her negative emotions behind a smile. 

Leila assumes that her new friends wouldn’t want her around if they knew about her days as an orphan, so she doesn’t confide in her friends about the mystery behind her key. But the group’s friendship deepens because of their collective interest in the magical arts. When Leila finds the courage to tell the group about herself, Ridley, one of Leila’s friends, says, “We know exactly who you are, Leila. And we love all your various parts . . . even the ones you think you keep secret.” This interaction carries an important lesson: friends stick by their friend’s side and accept them for who they are. Because Leila’s friends accept her, she learns to open up to her friends instead of keeping her feelings locked away. 

Occasionally, an omniscient, unnamed narrator chimes in with a summary of the story’s events, which blends seamlessly with the overall narration. As a bonus, black and white pictures are scattered throughout the novel and help readers visualize the setting and the action scenes. 

In order to fully engage the readers, how-to magic tricks are sprinkled throughout the story. These sections contain instructions for performing the magic tricks, along with illustrations to reference. Tricks such as changing a card by shaking it and making a coin vanish out of a glass are easy to do, but adults are encouraged to help their little ones with these activities. Ciphers and Morse code add even more to the book’s visual flare and create opportunities for further involvement. 

The Second Story is a dynamic, dazzling novel that gets its energy from the tension of performers trying to up-stage one another at every opportunity. Combined with excellent narration and evocative descriptions, the striking visuals of various styles complement an eye-catching story. Readers will enjoy reading about the friendship between Leila and her friends, and watching how the characters solve the mystery behind Sandra Santos. If you are looking for stories about magic, friendship, and secrets, then give Magic Misfits: The Second Story a read! 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • Carter says “crud” when he failed to catch the monkey that had been skulking around the magic shop. 
  • Ridley calls a parrot a “nut-so.”  

Supernatural  

  • Many of the characters use tricks related to illusions or trickery, such as Leila’s escape artist tricks or Dante Vernon’s sleight-of hand. These tricks are in no way similar to supernatural magic.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

by Jemima Cooke 

How to Test a Friendship

Best friends Pablo and Violet are excited to start their first day of third grade. However, when Violet starts giving the new boy, Deepak, her attention, Pablo gets upset. Pablo is afraid that he’s about to lose his best friend. But when Pablo, Violet, and Deepak discover a magical makerspace, they can’t wait to check it out! They must work as a team, but Pablo still doesn’t want Deepak’s help. Can the three learn how to work together or is Pablo about to lose his best friend forever?  

When the kids are magically transported to the Maker Maze, they find cool science games and puzzles behind every door. They also find a wacky scientist who will be their guide, giant puzzles to test their skills, and holograms of animals, plants, and more!  

Science loving readers will love jumping into Maker Maze, where they will learn about the food chain, such as the difference between producers, consumers, and decomposers. While the story mixes in friendship drama, the story’s focus is on teaching readers about the food chain. Pablo, Violet, and Deepak are challenged to correctly identify plants and animals that are producers, consumers, and decomposers. They also must learn to work together to find the correct answers. While the book is educational, the story is heavy on science, so some readers may have difficulty reading the entire book. 

With oversized text, black and white illustrations on every page, and the magic of the Maker Maze, How to Test a Friendship will delight readers interested in science. The large illustrations show the kids in action, which will help readers understand the plot. Plus, the characters’ facial expressions clearly show their emotions—this makes Pablo’s worry palatable. To add a little fun, the text occasionally shows onomatopoeia in large font. The end of the book also includes instructions on how to make a rubber band powered boat and a diorama of an ecosystem. Younger readers may need a little help with the project. 

How to Test a Friendship uses a lot of science, a little bit of magic, and three friends to teach readers about the food chain and about friendship. When Pablo first meets Deepak, Pablo is worried that Violet will no longer be his best friend. In the end, Pablo finally tells Deepak why he is upset and the two work through the problem. Pablo realizes that “friend groups are a lot like ecosystems. Over time they can change. And that isn’t always bad.” Science loving readers who want more science adventures should also check out The Data Set Series by Ada Hopper and the Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series by Margaret McNamara. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • Violet tells Pablo, “Don’t be a party pooper!” 
  • Pablo says jeez once. 
  • Dr. Crisp, the scientist in the Maker Maze, says, “Oh, fiddle flasks.” 

Supernatural 

  • A telescope in the classroom pulls the kids into a portal. “It was as if they were paper clips, and the telescope was a giant magnet. One by one, Pablo, Deepak, and Violet were squeezed through.” They come out in the Maker Maze. 
  • While the kids are exploring the Maker Maze, the kids in the class are asleep. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Just Dance

Put on your dancing shoes! Believe it or not, there’s a fairy named Maryrose LIVING in my house. And she’s sending me and my brother, Jonah, through the magic mirror and into the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. There, we meet the twelve sisters who sneak out every night to go dancing. But Jonah and I have our own mission. It’s up to us to find the enchanted object that will give Maryrose her fairy powers back.

So now we need to:

-Get our hands on an invisibility cloak

-Follow the twelve princesses to their secret hideout.

-Learn some VERY complicated dance steps.

-Avoid being thrown in the dungeon.

We better wiggle our way out of this magical mess or we’ll never help our fairy friend in time!

Whether you’ve read all the Whatever After books or none, Just Dance will entertain young readers with a fun new version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. In this version, the prince who is trying to discover the princesses’ secrets is silly and slightly unintelligent. Yet, this doesn’t stop one of the princesses from crushing on the cute prince. In order to have a happy ever after, Abby and Jonah step in. 

When Abby and Jonah get to know the princesses, they realize that each girl has their own hopes and dreams. For example, Ellie loves chess and wants to go to a chess competition, but the twelve princesses have a dance recital at the same time. After taking Abbi’s advice, Ellie decides “that I have to put myself out there. Take risks. Because that’s how I achieve what I want. It’s about having fun and following my heart.” 

Even though Abby is scared to dance, she is determined to help Ellie. So, Abby learns Ellie’s dance steps and takes Ellie’s place on the stage. Through this, Abby realizes that you shouldn’t let your fear keep you from doing things such as dancing. Instead, “you’ve got to aim and hope for things to go right.” 

Just Dance has some silly moments and the conclusion is a bit ridiculous, but the enjoyable story will leave readers with a smile. The fairy tale retelling uses core facts from the original but reimagines them. In the retelling, the princesses, the prince, and the king are given distinct personalities which allow readers to connect with the story. Plus, the fairy tale ties into Abby’s and Jonah’s personal lives, which makes the story’s lesson more memorable. Readers who want to step into a fairy tale with more complexity can find a land of magic by reading The Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer or the Fairy Tale Reform School Series by Jen Calonita.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • The prince has three days to discover the princess’s secret, or “it’s off with this guy’s head if he fails!”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • In order to keep their activities secret, one of the twelve dancing princesses puts a sleeping potion in the prince’s wine. The other nights, they put the sleeping potion in something else so the prince won’t catch on to what they are doing.

Language   

  • Abby uses “crumbs” as an exclamation. 
  • OMG is used as an exclamation once.
  • When a soldier begins stealing from the castle, one of the princesses calls the soldier a jerk.

Supernatural

  • The fairy, Maryrose, sends Abby and Jonah into the fairy tale world through a mirror. Abby explains that when it’s time, “I knock three times on the mirror at midnight, the glass starts hissing and then turns purple and my brother and I can jump through the mirror, right into a fairy tale.”
  • A fairy gives Abby and Jonah an invisibility cloak. Later, the fairy gives a soldier an invisibility cloak, but when Abby and the soldier are both under their cloaks, they can see each other.
  • Maryrose is able to get out of the mirror, but she keeps getting weaker. When Abby and Jonah bring a ruby back from a fairy tale, the fairy “puts her hand on the ruby. It sparkles and shines. And then Maryrose sparkles and shines. And then shines brighter. And brighter.” Touching the ruby makes Maryrose “feel so much better. . . But the more I touch the ruby, the stronger I’ll get.”

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Tryout

When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and her best friend, Megan, literally jump at the chance to join the squad. As two of the only kids of color in the school, they have always yearned to fit in—and the middle school cheerleaders are popular and accepted by everyone. But will the girls survive the terrifying tryouts with their whole grade watching? And will their friendship withstand the pressures of competition?

Middle school readers will relate to Christina, who must navigate the strange world of junior high. However, Christina also faces the added obstacle of racism, especially at the hands of one mean boy who makes snarky comments and calls her “rice girl.” Since Christina is the only Thai girl living in her predominately white town, no one seems to understand her feelings except for Megan, her best friend, who is also seen as different because her father is from Iran. Christina and Megan often feel like outsiders because everyone sees them as “too different, too much on the outside.” 

The Tryout gives readers an inside perspective into Christina’s struggles as well as her Thai culture. Even though Christina often gets upset at being viewed as an outsider, she clearly loves her culture, her family, and her best friend. However, Christina isn’t a perfect protagonist; instead, she says mean things that she later regrets, she worries about losing Megan as a friend, and she wants to fit in and be popular. The Tryout gives an honest look into the author’s middle school experiences and shows the importance of trying new things, even if they might be scary. 

The graphic novel’s illustrations bring Christina’s world into focus and the characters’ facial expressions will help readers understand their varying emotions. Christina’s thoughts appear in cloudlike quote bubbles, which make it easy to distinguish her thoughts from dialogue. Christina’s active imagination takes life since her musings are illustrated like a video game. With three to six sentences per page, The Tryout is accessible to most readers.

The Tryout is an entertaining graphic novel that shows the conflicting emotions of middle school students. Even though Christina and Megan do not make the cheerleading squad, Christina has a positive attitude about the tryout experience. Christina thinks, “Maybe Megan was right about life not giving you something just because you wanted it really badly. But sometimes . . . you got something better.” Not making the cheerleading squad allows Christina to find another extracurricular activity that she loves. 

Since many middle schoolers struggle with self-doubt and the desire to fit in, The Tryout will appeal to a wide range of readers. Plus, the story shows how friendships change, grow, and often stay with you into adulthood. Readers will enjoy seeing the pictures of the author in middle school that appear at the back of the book. Middle school readers can also learn more about dealing with obstacles in the graphic novel, New Kid by Jerry Craft, where the protagonist changes schools and wonders how he can fit in at the new school while still being true to himself.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • A boy at school calls Christina “rice girl” and “China girl.” He also says, “Why don’t you go back to where you came from?” 
  • A boy tells Christina, “Don’t be such a psycho.”  
  • Christina calls a mean boy a “dumbface jock idiot.” 
  • When some kids at school make fun of a girl’s clothes, Christina says, “Yea, Deanna did you get that out of the trash?”
  • When Christina tells Megan about a mean boy, Megan says, “He’s like a walking turd log.” 
  • A boy from school says that Megan’s dad is a “Muslim terrorist” because he’s from Iran. 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Christina goes to the Thai temple where “the Buddha teaches us how to act and think wisely. . . how to handle sorrow. . . and how to live a good life while we are here, so you can think about those things.”
  • Christina and her mom go to the Presbyterian church when they cannot go to the temple. Christina thinks, “Buddhism and Christianity were different in many ways, but I always thought the teachings of Jesus Christ and Buddha had a lot in common. In my mind, I pictured them as good friends.” 
  • A girl at school is upset when she finds out Christina hasn’t been baptized, because she believed “if you’re not baptized, you can’t be saved, and you won’t go to heaven.” Another girl jumps into the conversation and says that Christina won’t go to “you-know-where” because “God cares what’s in your heart, that’s all.” 
  • Before cheerleading tryouts, the coach prays: “Please be with each of our girls today. They have worked hard for this moment, and they’re all good girls. Please keep them safe from injury and give them the strength to do what they need to do.”

Louise, Soccer Star?

Louise can’t wait for soccer season to start! She has been practicing, planning, and even dreaming about it all summer. But at the team’s first practice, she is thrown completely off by Trelawney, a new girl with some very impressive soccer skills. Is it the fault of the flashy new player, the one with all the new tricky moves? Or maybe the coach just doesn’t understand what a star Louise could be—if only she had the chance to show her stuff. 

Readers will relate to Louise, who is jealous of the new girl, Trelawney. Louise was sure that this year she was going to be the star of the soccer team. But when Trelawney shows up, she makes soccer skills “look so easy. Louise always felt like a jerky wind-up toy when she tried it herself.” To make matters worse, Trelawney is also getting a lot of attention at school—even Louise’s friends are spending time with her! Louise is determined not to like Trelawney, but her bad attitude is affecting her on the field, at home, and at school.  

Though she may be a few points down, Louise is determined to prove herself. Her effort leads her to do unusual exercises, such as taking inspiration from the Greek goddess Hera and listening to tips from her favorite computer game. 

Even though Louise, Soccer Star? features sports, the book will have wide appeal because of the mix of soccer action, family scenes, and friendship drama. Louise is a relatable character who isn’t perfect. She loses focus and daydreams, she gets jealous of the attention Trelawney is getting, and she doesn’t want to be seen at the mall with her mom. In the end, Trelawney and Louise connect over a video game and afterward, Louise realizes that she doesn’t need to compete with Trelawney. Instead, they need to work together on and off the field.  

Louise, Soccer Star? uses soccer to teach valuable lessons about friendship and teamwork. One lesson Louise learns is that “adding a new friend doesn’t have to mean getting rid of the old ones.” The book has twelve short chapters printed in oversized font. In order to help readers visualize the plot, large black and white illustrations appear every two to three pages. Soccer playing readers will get a kick out of Louise, Soccer Star? Readers can find more soccer action in Good Sport Gwen by Valerie Tripp. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Hot Hand

It’s simple. All Billy Raynor wants to do is shoot hoops. After all, he is one of the best shooters in his basketball league. But with his dad as his coach, and his parents newly separated, somehow everything’s become complicated. His brother Ben hardly talks anymore. His mom is always traveling on business. And his dad is always on his case about not being a team player. But when Ben’s piano recital falls on the same day as the championship game, it’s Billy who teaches his dad the meaning of being a team player.

Billy’s story contains enough play-by-play basketball action to keep sport-loving readers engaged. While Billy loves basketball, he often doesn’t pass the ball. Instead, he chooses to make the shot himself. Despite his father’s chastisement, Billy keeps trying to make a “hero shot.” Unfortunately, Billy’s teammates’ perspectives are never given, which gives a limited view of Billy’s actions. Instead of seeing it from another’s point of view, Billy thinks his basketball skills are the reason his team keeps winning.

Billy’s troubled family life and the school bully, Zeke, also play a large role in the story. On and off the basketball court, Billy often gets caught up in the moment and doesn’t think about his actions. While this leads him into trouble, Billy’s conflict is relatable because he wants to be a good teammate and a good brother. While Billy isn’t sure how to make meaningful connections with his brother, Ben, he doesn’t stop trying. In the end, Billy realizes that his brother Ben is more important than a basketball game—even if it’s the championship game. Billy’s change of focus makes the spectacular conclusion even more heartwarming.

Billy’s family life is complicated and, unfortunately, his parents are not good role models. Billy’s mother is a workaholic who is rarely home, and his father is a stubborn man who often yells at Billy in front of his teammates. Billy obviously loves basketball, but his father’s harsh attitude takes the joy out of the game. Even though Billy’s team wins the championship game, the reader is left to wonder if Billy and his father will be able to put their differences behind them.

Hot Hand is an easy-to-read story that will appeal to sports-loving fans who want an action-packed story. Through Billy’s story, readers will learn the importance of family, friendship, and teamwork. Basketball-loving fans should also read the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream Series by Hena Khan. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • A school bully, Zeke, picks on Billy’s brother, Ben. Billy saw Zeke “pulling Ben Raynor’s hoodie over his head and spinning Ben around like they were playing blindman’s bluff. . .” Billy helps his brother get up, but “Zeke took a fast step, reaching out and grabbing him by the arm, then slid his hand down so he held Ben’s right hand . . . Billy could see from Zeke Mills’s face how hard he was squeezing one of his kid brother’s piano hands.” Billy tackles Zeke and both Zeke and Billy are suspended. The scene is described over four pages.
  • While on the school playground, Zeke goes up to Billy and, “Before Billy could get a better grip on the rope handles attached to his swing, Zeke the Geek leaned down and jerked the seat up so fast that Billy went flying backwards into the dirt.”
  • Again, Zeke grabs Ben’s hand “and didn’t let go until Ben yelled, the sound coming out of Billy’s brother.” 
  • While in town, Zeke sees Ben and he begins laughing “as he shoved Ben to the ground.” Before Ben could throw a punch, “Billy was launching himself at his own brother.” Zeke walks away.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Billy thinks that the school bully is a jerk. Later, Billy tells his mom that Zeke is a jerk. 
  • Billy calls Zeke a loser.
  • Zeke calls Billy and Ben “two whack jobs.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Cartwheel Katie

When Katie sees gymnasts on TV, she thinks the girls are so cool! So she jumps at the chance to take a gymnastics class. But it turns out that somersaults and cartwheels aren’t as easy as they look. Will Katie ever learn to land on her feet?

Cartwheel Katie uses Katie Woo’s difficulties with gymnastics to show the importance of perseverance and encouragement. When Katie finds somersaults and cartwheels difficult, both her teacher and other students encourage Katie to keep trying. Everyone’s positive attitude helps Katie practice “again and again.” However, it’s not just the people in Katie’s class who are a positive force in Katie’s life. As Katie watches her mom playing tennis, Katie sees that “sometimes she hit the ball. Sometimes she missed.” Instead of feeling embarrassed by the misses, Katie’s mom focuses on the fact that she keeps “getting better. I am proud of me.”

Independent readers will enjoy the easy-to-understand plot and the bright colorful illustrations that appear on every page. Each page contains four or fewer sentences with simple vocabulary. Although Cartwheel Katie is part of a series with many of the same characters, it does not need to be read in order. At the end of the story, readers will find a glossary, questions, and writing prompts. Younger readers can continue the fun by creating a Be-Your-Best Medal by following the directions at the back of the book.

Katie Woo is a likable character who keeps practicing gymnastics even when she has difficulties. She is surrounded by positive people who encourage her to keep trying. Cartwheel Katie will delight young readers with the cute story and parents will appreciate the positive characters. Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry & Jessica Curry is another motivational book perfect for young readers.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Fly Away

After a member of her competitive cheerleading team is injured during practice, sixteen-year-old Marnie is asked to be a flyer – the most coveted role in cheerleading. The Soar Starlings team has a real shot at the provincial championship, and Marnie has only a few weeks to prepare. But as she scrambles to polish her lifts and throws, Marnie’s personal life begins to unravel. First, her boyfriend of two years breaks up with her, and then her best friend Arielle, captain of the Starlings, disappears during a team trip to Toronto. As Marnie struggles to adjust to being both a flyer and the team’s new captain, she realizes that to be a leader, you have to let go of old alliances to make room in your life for new ones. 

While Fly Away is told from Marnie’s point of view, the self-centered protagonist isn’t very likable. When her best friend Arielle disappears, Marnie focuses on how Arielle’s disappearance affects her. Then instead of being honest with the adults around her, Marnie and another cheerleader take off on their own to find Arielle. The two girls discover that Arielle is being taken advantage of by an older man. However, it’s unclear if Marnie reveals Arielle’s whereabouts to those concerned for her wellbeing. Instead, Marnie thinks that keeping Arielle’s activities a secret is what a best friend should do. 

Fly Away has a blend of boyfriend drama, cheerleading conflict, and mystery, which will keep the reader engaged until the very end. Plus, Marnie does show personal growth as she takes on the leadership of her cheer squad. At one point, Marnie tells the girls, “Each one of us worries about making a mistake and letting the others down. But that’s a waste of energy. It’s yourself that you need to be accountable to. Do right by you. The rest will take care of itself.”  

Fly Away will appeal to readers who are interested in cheerleading. Readers will also relate to Marnie’s desire to fit in with her cheerleading squad and her insecurity when it comes to leadership ability. The story’s high-interest topic is written specifically for teens who are reluctant readers. Because of the brevity of the book, the story leaves some unanswered questions which will frustrate some readers. Despite this, teens will relate to Marnie’s desire to be a good friend and a good leader. Readers who want a strong cheerleading protagonist worthy of cheering for should also read Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Marnie runs from a vicious dog. The dog attacks Marnie and she “punched, blindly, in the animal’s direction, and missed. . . The dog closed its jaw around my wrist, and pain shot up my arm. I swung my leg forward and booted the dog in the throat, and it let me go.” Marnie has to go to the hospital to have the dog bite looked at.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Swim Team

Bree can’t wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees—until she’s stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule: the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she’s forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.

With Etta’s training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school’s failing team around. But that’s easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake. Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap—for good?

Swim Team is an entertaining graphic novel that shows the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and friendship. Told from Bree’s point of view, Swim Team focuses on Bree’s embarrassment because she doesn’t know how to swim. When Bree enrolls in a new school, Swim 101 is the only elective that she can take, but to avoid being noticed, Bree skips class. When her father finds out, he enlists the help of Etta. With Etta’s help and encouragement, Bree not only learns how to swim, but she also joins the swim team. 

With Etta’s help, Bree learns Black people’s history with swimming—this section appears in the shape of a puzzle which ties into Etta’s love of puzzles. “In America, laws were passed that limited Black people’s access to beaches, lakes, and swimming pools.” This section includes short descriptions of Black people who fought the discriminatory laws. The brevity of this section keeps the action moving and may spark readers’ interest in the people who fought for change. In kid-friendly terms, Swim Team highlights the effects of segregation and how it impacted an entire community. 

The graphic novel Swim Team will appeal to many readers because the illustrations use bright colors and are full of action. Plus, the easy-to-read vocabulary makes it accessible to all readers. Each page has three to eight simple sentences and some panels tell the story without words. When Bree is overcome by feelings of uncertainty and doubt, her negative thoughts appear in gray blobs, while conversations appear in white quote bubbles which makes it easy to distinguish the two. 

While Swim Team hits on difficult topics of discrimination, segregation, and classism, these themes are integrated into the story and never feel like a lecture. Since everything is filtered through Bree’s eyes, the information is kid friendly. While the historical information is interesting, Bree’s personal struggle is what drives the story. Bree is a relatable character readers will root for. Plus, readers will enjoy seeing Bree’s growth in and out of the water. Swim Team is a fun and educational graphic novel that will entertain readers as well as encourage them to try new activities. Even though the story focuses on Bree’s swim team experiences, the graphic novel will appeal to all readers because of the relatable conflicts and the positive lessons. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Etta explains how some people opposed allowing black people to swim in public places. “Opposition to these conditions were often met with violence. From the murder of Eugene Williams in Chicago, in 1919 to acid poured in a pool with protesters in St. Augustine Florida in 1964.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Oh my God and heck are both used once.
  • A member of the Holyoke Prep swim team calls the opponents losers. 
  • Bree says the students from Holyoke Prep seem like “a bunch of jerks.”
  • When Bree and her friends ask Humberto to help them take costumes from the theater department, he is reluctant. One of the girls says, “C’mon, Humberto, don’t be a weenie.” 

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Baseball Ballerina

A shortstop in a tutu? Not if she can help it! Forced by her mother to take ballet lessons, a die-hard tomboy discovers that there is team spirit at the barre as well as on the baseball diamond. 

The unnamed narrator doesn’t want her baseball team to know she is taking ballet lessons because they might think she is a wimp. The narrator also doesn’t understand why her best friend Mary Ann enjoys ballet and wants to wear a crown. In the end, the narrator saves the dance recital because of her baseball skills. The unexpected conclusion shows the narrator giving her baseball team high fives. She thinks, “Maybe ballet isn’t so bad after all. But I still like baseball better.”  

Baseball Ballerina is part of the Step into Reading Level Three Series, which targets readers in first grade through third grade. With three short chapters, Step Three books are both longer and slightly more difficult than Step Two books. Each page has 3 to 7sentences and a large illustration. This level includes some more challenging vocabulary and concepts, though the meaning is made clear through context and illustrations. 

Baseball Ballerina is a fun story about baseball, ballet, and best friends. Beginning readers will love the illustrations that show the narrator in her baseball uniform and in a dandelion ballet costume. Plus, the story encourages readers to try new activities and to find joy in each new activity. For more sports action readers will want to catch a copy of Parker Shines On: Another Extraordinary Moment by Parker & Jessica Curry and the Little Rhino Series by Ryan Howard & Krystle Howard. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 
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