Topic: Magic

Temple of Secrets

Plum is facing the most difficult test of her Guardian powers yet. Lotus Island is in danger, and there’s not much time to save this special place. 

Power-hungry Councilor Yurn is headed to the island with a ship full of hoverbots and a devious plan in mind: he means to take over Lotus Island and build a new city there. His plan will destroy the fragile ecosystem, including the island’s precious lotus plants. When the Guardians learn that their unique powers are dependent on the lotus flowers, they realize just how much is at stake if Yurn succeeds. Plum must rely on her smarts, her Guardian powers, and most importantly—her friends—to save Lotus Island and all it stands for. 

In the last installment of the Legends of Lotus Island, Plum and several friends set out on a boat to travel to a mysterious island. Once there, Plum and her friends discover everyone on the island is a Guardian. At first, Plum is excited and pleads for help; however, the isolated island wants to protect their anonymity and refuses to let Plum’s group leave. Neff, a boy who seeks adventure, helps the group escape and battle Councilor Yun.  

Temple of Secrets reunites the core group of novice Guardians from the first installment of the series.  

The book also incorporates people from other islands, including Plum’s grandparents, showing the community’s importance. However, readers may be disappointed that the book doesn’t give more details about the mysterious island. For example, Neff plays a pivotal role in the beginning of the book, but then he fades into the background, leaving readers to wonder what he and his island are like. In addition, Neff helps the Guardians read the inscriptions of the Temple of Secrets, but little is revealed about what the secrets are or why they are important.   

The Legends of Lotus Island Series must be read in order because each book’s plot builds on the previous story. One of the enjoyable aspects of the story is seeing the characters’ growth from novices to confident Guardians willing to go against others to do what is right. 

Readers who have read the previous books in the series will enjoy seeing the novices reunite and finally defeat Councilor Yurn. The story allows Rella to redeem herself and she learns that her past mistakes do not have to define her future. Overall, the Temple of Secrets does not take an in-depth look at the people and places of the book, but is still an entertaining story with positive lessons about forgiveness, helping others, and standing up to protect the places you love.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Power-hungry Councilor Yurn sends hoverbots to take over Lotus Island. Some of the Guardians prepared traps, “but the net traps that they had set up didn’t stop every bot. An elk-bot broke free. . . [Plum and the bot] clashed, antler to antler, wrestling for control.” The bot runs away. 
  • One of the Guardians, Rella, “attacked the leopard-bot with such ferocity that she had it pinned to the ground in seconds.” 
  • While Rella was holding the leopard-bot down, Councilor Yurn pressed buttons on a control panel. “A thick trickle of some strange dark substance spilled out of the leopard-bot’s open mouth. It pooled up on the ground and then began oozing uphill, towards us . . . They seemed to swallow up everything they touched.” The shadowy substance kills the plants it touches.  
  • The shadows surround Rella. “She reared up on her back legs. She raised both paws and shouted, ‘HA!’ Her burst of power created a boom like a thunderclap. Dark shadows went flying in all directions.” 
  • To save her friends, Rella absorbs the shadows into herself. “She was absorbing them like a cloth blotting up ink. Once the shadows soaked into her, they didn’t escape.” Rella becomes unconscious and “underneath her skin, the shadows swirled like dark rivers.” 
  • When the shadows kill the last lotus plant, Plum puts her hands into the pond’s mud. To gain more power, Plum chants the names of her friends. Then, “I left it in my fingertips, soft as an earthworm’s heartbeat. A thrum, a stirring. It grew. . .The shadows had shrunk away. . .” The dormant lotus seeds grew until “they sprouted buds that popped open in full bloom.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • A girl uses “holy shrimp tails,” “holy linchens,” and “holy barnacles” as exclamations. 
  • When Councilor Yurn runs away from the shadows he created, someone calls him a coward.

Supernatural 

  • The students learn how to turn into mythical creatures, such as a fox bat and a gillybear. When they’re in their Guardian form, they have special powers. For example, one girl can control shadows and use them to disappear.  
  • Plum and her companions go to an isolated island where everyone is a Guardian. While there, she meets a boy who can turn into a moss badger. He used his power to manipulate rocks, and “algae-covered stones slowly rose up from the deep, filling the empty space in the walkway. They fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces.”  
  • One of Plum’s powers is to strengthen the other Guardians’ powers.  
  • Hoverbots say ancient chants that turn them into Guardian forms. 
  • The lotus flowers are beginning to die. The Guardians’ powers are connected to the flowers. 
  • One of the Guardians is “a Breath Guardian. My power is bestowing the gift of slumber.” He uses his power to put guards to sleep so Plum and her companions can return to Lotus Island. 
  • Plum rubs an eggplant’s leaf and talks to it. Then, “The stalk of the eggplant thickened and rose higher. Yellow flowers burst out all over the tips of the plant. . .  The seedling was now full grown and heavy with hanging eggplants.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Medusa

Ava Baldwin has always tried to keep her anger in check, just like her mom taught her. But when know-it-all classmate Owen King tries to speak over her yet again, Ava explodes . . . and Owen freezes, becoming totally unresponsive. 

Although Owen recovers, Ava’s parents whisk her off to her mother’s alma mater, the Accademia del Forte, a mysterious international boarding school in Venice. There, Ava and her brother, Jax, discover that the Olympian gods founded the Accademia to teach the descendants of mythological monsters how to control their emotions and their powers and become functioning, well-adjusted members of society. 

But not everything at the Accademia is as it seems. After her friend Fia is almost expelled for challenging a teacher, Ava realizes the school is hiding a dangerous secret. To uncover the truth, Ava and her new friends embark on an adventure that could change the way they view history, mythology—and themselves—forever . . . or end their lives.  

Everyone is secretive about Ava’s ancestry, heightening Ava’s dread of finding out the mythological monster from which she is descended. Despite the school motto, “Ancestry is not destiny,” Ava is upset when she discovers that she is descended from the worst monster of all—Medusa. At first, Ava keeps this secret because she doesn’t want others to judge her based on her lineage. But a teacher tells her, “Just because you are descended from a monster, doesn’t mean you will become one. The choice is yours.” Despite being a granddaughter of Medusa, Ava is a relatable character to whom readers will connect because of her insecurities and her desire to have friends. 

Ava has a small group of friends—Fia, Layla, and Arnold—who notice how women, including the goddesses, are treated unfairly. For example, when Fia is too outspoken, a teacher curses her, causing her to lose the ability to speak. To save their friend, the group travels to an island to find Medusa, who has also been cursed. Medusa says, “Stories are powerful. That’s why the male Olympians shaped the myths to celebrate and protect themselves. Look at those stories carefully. They either transform women into objects that have no voice—like a tree or a spider—or else they turn them into monsters.”  

At first, Ava relies on the Greek Myths to teach her about the gods and goddesses. However, she soon realizes that many of the myths have multiple versions. Ava has the opportunity to meet many of the goddesses and monsters, and she witnesses firsthand how the gods manipulate history in order to retain power. The interactions between the gods and goddesses amplify the mistreatment of women, and warn readers to question history since “history is the story the powerful tell. It’s not always the true story.” 

Ava’s story takes the Greek gods and goddesses off of Mount Olympus and puts them in a modern-day setting, creating a fast-paced and exciting story full of danger and adventure. As the story unfolds, readers will see the gods, goddesses, and monsters in a new light. To help bridge the two worlds, the story includes references from both modern-day sources, such as Twilight and ancient texts such as The Odyssey. The story reinforces the importance of liking yourself and using your voice. In the story’s conclusion, Ava says, “When you’re afraid to speak out and be yourself, it’s almost as lonely as being stuck on an island.” While Ava and her friends learn the importance of speaking up, Medusa reminds them, “You can’t change the world by force.” 

Sexual Content  

  • While discussing Medusa’s lineage, Ava thinks, “Perseus had survived only by looking at Medusa in reflection, but that seemed like a tough way to conceive a child.” 
  • The kids try to find out who fathered Medusa’s child. They find a love letter between Artemis and Orion. Ava reads the letter. “Thinking about Artemis snuggling up to Mr. Orion made her shut the drawer in a hurry.”

Violence  

  • Odysseus is referred to several times. Ava’s mom tries to teach her how to stay calm. Ava thinks, “All she’d done was teach her some breathing exercises, as if counting breaths had ever stopped Scylla from snacking on Odysseus’s men, as if all the Minotaur needed wasn’t yearly human sacrifice and a little yoga.” 
  • One of the teachers reads a letter from a past student. “I am writing you from an asylum for the criminally insane. I could not control my powers and killed a man.” 
  • In class, a “saw kicked up and landed on Arata’s forearm, chopping it clean off.” There was no blood because Arata is a Hydra, which can regrow limbs.  
  • Ava’s classmates talk about “how Perseus had lopped off Medusa’s head.” 
  • Ava’s friend Fia gets angry and “smoke billowed out of Fia’s mouth. . . Everyone dove to the floor as the fire shot up, scorching the ceiling.” 
  • When Fia begins bellowing fire, the teacher calls on Poseidon. “The windows of the classroom blow out as a wave of water poured in. Fia screamed as the wave sped straight for her, dumping itself over her head, and extinguishing her.” Fia learns that she is the descendant of a Chimera, “which was part lion, part goat, and part serpent.” 
  • A bully sees a boy crying, so “he hung me upside down out the window again…I really thought he was going to drop me this time.” 
  • Ava and her friends go to an abandoned island, Poveglia. It’s a “medieval plague island where victims were left to die. Then it became the site of a really horrible insane asylum where the patients were tortured. It’s supposedly haunted.” 
  • The kids travel to Tartarus to talk to Hecate. Along the way, “bolts of greenish lightning illuminated giants chained to the walls, iron collars around their necks. . . The Titans thrashed against their chains cursing Zeus.” 
  • In Tartarus, Ava and her friends see a forest of trees. The trees “begun to writhe, and Ava realized they weren’t ordinary trees either but the twisted forms of women and girls. The tortured screams and cries were coming from inside them.” Hecate says, “They are woman and girls who disobeyed the gods and have been transformed.”  
  • While in Tartarus, a Cerberus appears. “A head rounded the corner. It was as large as a bull’s, with glowing red eyes, a thick neck and enormous jaws.” The Cerberus attacks Ava. She “concentrated her stare on the pair of red eyes closest to her own. The first head lurched back, then froze in midair. . . [the third head] darted forward and bit her thigh. . . Ava felt something warm and wet, and when she looked down, she realized she was standing in a pool of blood.”  
  • To save Ava’s life, her brother Jax “jabbed something into his arm, and when he pulled it out, he was bleeding too. . . His blood dripped onto her—she could feel its warmth as if it were real.” Since Jax is a descendant of a Gorgon, his blood has healing powers. 
  • Athena turns into an owl and attacks Ava. “The owl dug its talons into Ava’s shoulders. Ava screamed in pain as it yanked her up off the ground. [Ava’s friend] Fia lunged just in time to grab Ava’s feet before she could be carried away.” 
  • Ava tries to freeze Mr. Orion, but Zeke, a school bully helping Mr. Orion, “rushed Mr. Orion like a football player, knocking him backward with such force that the headmaster toppled onto the floor, dropping his club.” Later, Ava discovers that Zeke was Layla in disguise. 
  • When the kids learn too much, Poseidon sends a flood to the school. “The pressure of the water on the glass had to be dangerously strong. . . With a smash of glass, the windows blew out. A torrent of cold seawater slammed into them, knocking them over and tumbling them around.” This is when the kids learn that they can breathe underwater. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • To stop Dionysus from voting in line with Zeus, “Hestia poured too much wine for Dionysus, then changed his vote after he passed out.” 

Language  

  • Ava calls a boy a jerk. 
  • Athena calls a student “pathetic, a monster, and a loser.” 
  • Athena calls the goddess of the hearth an “old fool.” 
  • Zeke, the school bully, says, “Shut up, bird boy. . . You tried to make a fool out of me too! I should have dropped you on your stinky face long ago.” 
  • Zeke calls another student “goat girl.”

Supernatural 

  • In Ava’s world, the Greek gods, goddesses, and monsters are real and still alive. Since all of them have powers, only some are listed below. 
  • Ava gets angry at Owen, a boy in her class. Unintentionally, Ava freezes him. “He stayed silent. Ava studies his face for a twitch of his lip or a flutter of his eyelid. In response. . . A trickle of drool ran down his chin.” He is taken to the hospital and recovers. 
  • Ava and the other kids at the Accademia are at dinner when “coils of water sprang into the air from every goblet and pitcher in the room and combined to form shapes—dolphins leaping over waves, a herd of flying horses, a whirling ring of dancers.” 
  • When the kids start to clap, “the swirls of water combined into waves and scooped up the applauding students. . . they were carried high over the tables on the foamy swells.”  
  • Hermes cast a spell on the students so their “native tongue” could be understood by anyone.  
  • Layla, one of the students, is “a descendant of an Empusa—a shape-shifting vampire.” Layla can shape-shift and uses this power to pose as a teacher and get Ava out of trouble. 
  • Athena, in disguise, appears in the Great Hall. “The little old man leaped to his feet, transforming into an enormous horned owl that circled the Great Hall with an angry screech. The owl swooped down over the student’s heads with its sharp talons bared, making them flinch. . .” She also transformed into a soldier, and finally a young woman. 
  • After Fia is disrespectful, a teacher curses her so she can’t speak or communicate by writing. One of the teachers says, “She’s lucky it’s not worse: having her liver eaten every day like Prometheus or forced to spend eternity in a state of hunger and thirst like Tantalus.” 
  • Ava is given Hades’s helmet of invisibility, which she uses to steal a boat. When Ava takes the boat, the captain yells, “My boat! A spirit has taken my boat!” 
  • Poseidon tries to stop Ava and her friends from reaching Poveglia. A wave “barreled toward them growing larger and larger—twenty feet, fifty, one hundred—as it sucked up the water of the lagoon. . . Ava could make out the barest outline of the sea god’s craggy face and some wisps of a long white beard in the wall of water.” Ava’s friend, Arnold, turns into a harpy and flies the kids to safety. 
  • A student uses a spell to open a terrarium with a goddess trapped inside. “Open case, open glass / The strength of gods will let me pass / This seam unseal, this spell undo, / By Zeus’s power, let me through.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Prince of Song & Sea

Before Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen of Vellona, went missing two years ago, she reminded him of the deadly curse that plagued his entire life. The curse? If he were to kiss someone other than his true love, he would die. With a neighboring kingdom looking for any excuse to invade their shores, plus rumors of ghost pirates lurking the seas, Eric is desperate for any information that may help him break his enchantment and bring stability to Vellona. The answers he has been searching for come to him in the form of a letter that reveals Eric must find his true love—the one with a voice pure of heart—or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place.

Now, Eric sets off on a quest to find the Isle of Serein, the witch’s legendary home. But after he is rescued by a mysterious young woman with a mesmerizing singing voice, Eric’s heart becomes torn. Does he enter a battle he is almost certain he cannot win, or does he chase a love that might not even exist? Then, when a shipwrecked young woman with flaming red hair and a smile that could calm the seven seas enters his life, Eric discovers true love isn’t something that can be decided by magic. 

Prince of Song & Sea retells the story of The Little Mermaid from Prince Eric’s point of view. However, most of the story focuses on Eric’s backstory, allowing Eric’s personality to become fully formed. Eric hasn’t been able to have normal relationships because of the witch’s curse. However, he does have two close friends who follow him in his quest to find the sea witch. His two friends add humor and depth to the story. Although Eric wants to break the sea witch’s curse, his reasons aren’t purely selfish. When he discovers that the sea witch wants to control Vellona, Eric puts the needs of his country above his own. Ultimately, Eric’s quest allows his bravery and compassion to shine.  

Anyone who loves The Little Mermaid will find Prince of Song & Sea a fun read. While it stays true to the Disney version of the story, focusing on Eric’s life adds an interesting perspective that allows readers to understand why Ariel was willing to risk her life for Eric’s love. Ariel is not portrayed as a love-sick teenager but as a curious, brave, and selfless woman. While some readers may miss Skuttle and Sabastian in this version of the story, Ariel is still a loveable character. 

Fans of fairytales will be swept into Prince Eric’s life and enjoy seeing what the world looks like from his point of view. While Prince of Song & Sea is an enjoyable read, it mirrors The Little Mermaid, which makes the story less suspenseful. Despite this, readers who love fairytales and mermaids will find Prince of Song & Sea entertaining. 

Sexual Content  

  • Eric thinks about kissing Ariel. Eric thinks, “She was wild and beautiful, hair damp with the sea. As they stared at each other, her tongue wet her lips, and Eric couldn’t help wondering what they would feel like against his own. They both leaned closer, her eyes fluttering shut. Eric reached for her, and – the boat tipped.” 
  • One of the female pirates flirts with another girl, and later, the two marry each other. 

Violence  

  • Pirates attack the ship Eric, and his friends are sailing. “A footstep cracked behind Eric. He twisted away, the blade of a short sword piercing the railing where he had been. . . Eric rammed his hilt into [the pirates’] temples.” 
  • Eric’s adviser, Grimsby, fights a pirate named Sauer. “Grimsby plunged his hand into his coat. A shot rang out. Sauer fell backward, blood splattering across the rail. They steadied themselves, blood dripping down their badly grazed cheek, and covered their faces with a hand.” Sauer is injured but doesn’t die. 
  • The pirates tie up the crew. “A purple welt marred Vanni’s cheek, and Gabriella’s bottom lip was busted. Not a single person had died, but neither were they unharmed.” The pirate battle is described over five pages. 
  • After the pirates capture Eric and his crew, they encounter sirens, which can make people see what they most desire. One of Eric’s friends, Gabriella, “lunged toward the edge of the ship…A wide, glassy grief lit her eyes, and she choked back a sob.” 
  • A supernatural storm batters the ship. “Another wave washed over the ship, rocking it to its side, and half the crew vanished in a blink.” The ship breaks up during the storm, and everyone climbs into a rowboat. Eric hears his dog, Max, and climbs back onto the ship. “His foot plunged through the wood, and he tossed Max as hard as he could. The dog vanished over the side of the ship. . . Pain shot through his ankle, and his heart stopped with each clunk of the loose barrels rolling across the fiery deck. . . And the world exploded.” Eric reawakens on the beach. 
  • The crew is attacked by “a malformed tentacle made up of eels. Hundreds of them were knotted together in one monstrous mass, the tangles so tight that blood rained. . . The tentacle curled over the ship, snapping rope and ripping away part of the sails, and gripped two of the masts tight.”  
  • The eels are able to generate electricity. “A terrible crack split the air. . . suddenly the eels along the tentacle bared their teeth. Eric lunged at it, butting through one of the small eels.” When Eric kills the eels’ leaders, “they untangled themselves from the knot of eels, and the electricity fizzled out.” No person is seriously injured. The scene is described over five pages. 
  • Ursula, the sea witch, disguises herself as Vanessa and compels Eric to marry her. But before the wedding, seagulls attack. “The flock swooped again, dropping half-eaten fish and seaweed on the deck. Vanessa shrieked, and the guests scattered. . . the world became a swirl of white feathers. . . A pair of sea lions barreled through the crowd, sliding across the deck and into Vanessa.”  
  • Ursula changes into her true form, grabs Ariel, and jumps into the sea. Eric follows on a dinghy. Ursula “had pinned Ariel against a rock, jabbing the trident at Ariel’s neck. . .[Eric] hauled his arm back before launching the harpoon. It sliced through Ursula’s arm, drawing a hazy cloud of blue blood.” Ariel escapes. 
  • Ursula’s eels grab Eric and “pulled him deeper and deeper, and salt burned in Eric’s eyes. He struggled against his hold, but teeth nipped at his hands every time he tried to break free.” A fish rams into the eels, and Eric gets free. 
  • Ursula causes a whirlpool that “pulled Eric in, sucking him beneath the waves and the holey hull of an old ship passed over him.” Eric pulls himself onto the ship. Before Ursula can kill Ariel, “Eric screamed, muscles aching at the grip it took to keep the ship steady. . . the bowsprit cut through her stomach, impaling her, and the pale waters ran sapphire blue with her blood.” Ursula dies. The battle is described over 14 pages.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • When a storm arrives, a crew member asks, “Which one of you pissed off Triton?” 

Supernatural 

  • Eric’s mother “saw a body floating in the surf. It was a child, small and chilled to the bone. . .” Eric’s mother saved the child, but a witch claimed that the child was hers. When Eric’s mother refused to hand the child over, the witch cursed her unborn child. The witch said, “If that thing in your belly ever kisses someone without a voice as pure as their spotless soul, someone who isn’t its true love, then it will die, and I will drag its soul to the bottom of the sea.”  
  • Before going on a voyage, Eric’s friend Gabriella “tipped a full bottle of wine into the sea before they left the bay as tribute to King Triton of the Sea, and there had been clear skies since.” 
  • Eric hears rumors of a Blood Tide and a ghost ship. “Once you acknowledge the ghosts are there, they ensnare you and force you to make a deal with them. Used to be they just offered. Now you have no choice.” The ghosts use their voice to control people.  
  • The legend behind the Blood Tide and the witch is explained. People would “make a deal with something in the depths so they could live their wildest dreams. The costs, though, were always souls.” 
  • There is a debate about whether ghosts are people who are dead. The pirates capture a ghost, who is “as translucent as a spiderweb in the wrong light.”
  • The witch captures souls, and “they require no maintenance other than a space to store them.” The witch turned Eric’s mother, Eleanora, into a ghost. “A ribbon of seagrass burrowed into her chest. Her form spun and shrunk, bones cracking and mouth open in a silent scream. She condensed. . . all that was left in her place was a ragged brown blade of grass with two branches like flailing arms. It shimmered with trapped magic.” 
  • The witch knows how to use magic in various ways, including how to compel people. At one point, the witch changes into a beautiful woman who uses her voice to control Eric. In addition, “the witch can transform people into whatever they want.” 
  • Nora discovers that one of her parents was from the mer world. Because of this, Nora transforms into a mermaid when she goes into the ocean. A merman explains, “You should’ve been taught how to control the transformation so that it became as natural as breathing. Most children who are part human and part merfolk transform every time they leave or enter the sea, but it can very much be controlled.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

City of Wishes

Make a wish. . . During the New Year’s break, Plum and her friends travel to fancy, fashionable Nakhon City to stay with Sam and his mother, the powerful Lady Ubon. The New Year always brings food, parties, and the grand old tradition of making a wish. 

At first, Plum is dazzled by the big city. But under the glittering surface, many secrets lurk. Mysterious tremors that shake the ground are growing worse by the day. Nakhon’s troubles give Plum a chance to fulfill her own New Year’s wish: to do something big and meaningful with her Guardian powers. But how far will she have to go, and what will she have to give up, to make that wish come true? 

City of Wishes follows Plum and her friends as they travel to Nakhon Island, which is overpopulated. Plum and her friend Cherry are excited to explore Sam’s world—one of wealth and power. Their fun is interrupted when the city experiences several tremors that endanger the citizens. Plum and her friends discover Master Render, an ancient rock creature who is responsible for the tremors. Unfortunately, Master Render acts like a small child whose primary concern is food. Master Render’s appearance adds little to the story other than helping Plum escape from Nakhon Island.  

Sam’s mother, Lady Ubon, offers Plum an opportunity to become a leader for the city. In her quest to become someone important, Plum loses sight of what is important. When trouble erupts, Plum realizes, “Wanting something—wanting it with your entire heart—could make you forget everything else was important.” Even though the villain works for Lady Ubon, Plum and Sam are confident that the villain works alone. This trust doesn’t feel authentic because Lady Ubon knows that the problems surrounding overpopulation have no clear solution. To solve the problem, the villain is determined to take over Lotus Island so the residents of Nakhon Island can relocate. 

Rella, a girl who was expelled from the Guardian Academy, makes another appearance. Plum and most of the other students believe that Rella is untrustworthy. In the end, Rella helps Plum and her friends escape the island, and she serves as a reminder that some mistakes cannot be fixed. Rella knows she can never return to the Guardian Academy and says, “I wish I could do everything differently. But I can’t. Those are wishes that will never come true.”   

City of Wishes feels a little disjointed because the story lacks focus. Plum and her friends explore the island; however, their adventures are not described in detail, which may make it difficult for some readers to visualize the setting. However, black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book to give readers a visual of the diverse characters and some of the key scenes.  

Readers who have read the other books in the series will enjoy seeing the characters in a new light. City of Wishes concludes with Master Render, Plum, and Cherry leaving Nakhon Island and traveling to an unknown destination, which sets the scene for the next book in the series, Temple of Secrets. Adventure-loving readers ready to jump into books with a more advanced plot should read the Legend of the Animal Healer Series by Lauren St. John and the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Plum and her friends discover that a man plans to use hoverbots to attack Lotus Island. To stop the hoverbots, Plum and her friends turn into their Guardian forms. The hoverbots “were becoming mirror images. . . of us. . . Each of the hover bots had shifted their shapes to mimic our Guardian forms.” 
  • The hoverbots attack Plum and her friends. Plum changes into a roan. “Suddenly it reared back on its hind legs and charged straight into me. I lowered my antlers just in time to take the shock. . . The roan-bot slammed its head against mine. Stars flashed at the edges of my vision as I staggered back.”  
  • A sloth-bot attacks Mikko. “The sloth-bot reared its blocky fist back, aiming a blow straight for Mikko’s face. . . Before the punch could land, the bot was tackled by a large mass of gray fur. . . The bot was fighting an enormous wolfhound.” The battle is described over six pages; no one is seriously injured. 
  • Using Guardian magic, Rella changes into shadows. “The shadows pulsed like they were alive. . . The shadow mass oozed towards [the hoverbots], wrapping itself around them until they disappeared into the dark.” Rella disables the hoverbots. 
  • Rella uses her magic on the villain. Shadows “wove themselves around him, covering him like a cloak. We heard his muffled cries from inside the shadows, but we couldn’t see him at all.” Plum and her friends flee. It is unclear what happens to the villain. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • “Holy pomelo seeds,” “holy celery,” “Holy fern fronds,” and “holy smokes” are used as exclamations. 
  • A girl is called a “sneaking skunk.” 

Supernatural 

  • The students learn how to turn into mythical creatures, such as a fox bat and a gillybear. When they’re in their guardian form, they have special powers. 
  • One of Plum’s powers is to strengthen the other guardian’s powers.  
  • When Plum’s friend is in danger, Plum touches a yamyam tree and “pictured a golden thread running between me and the yamyam tree. I imagined my energy flowing from my antlers, through her bark, deep into her green heartwood. . . Decades of time flashed in seconds and the tree grew tall, then taller still.”  
  • Plum’s mother put a wish in a shell. When the shell becomes hot, Plum blows into its opening, and a “tiny pinprick of light” appears within the shell. Plum hears her mother’s voice, and then “the white light floated out of the shell and hovered in front of my face.” Plum and her friends follow the light to a cave. Once there, they meet a rock creature. Plum is the only one who can talk to the creature. 
  • Hoverbots say ancient chants that turn them into guardian forms. 
  • Plum strengthens Rella, one of the Guardians. “The moment her paw touched my hoof, I felt a zing. It was stronger than what I had felt with the others, like an electric jolt. . .” Rella can create and control shadows. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Glass: A Cinderella Tale

In a grand glass house, there was a girl named Bess whose power would, one day, change the fate of her family. . . Bess Wickham has always felt like a bit of an outcast among her family of extraordinary glassblowers, but then an immense, magical power that’s lain dormant in her bloodline begins to emerge. So, when she suspects her family’s business has taken a sinister turn, Bess must find the strength to defeat dark magic and save a certain cinder girl. But will she shatter under the weight of such evil or get her happily ever after? 

Glass is a prequel to the Cinderella story from the perspective of the young fairy godmother, Bess. While readers will sympathize with Bess’s situation, many readers will have difficulty connecting with Bess. Bess’s family does not understand her, so she often escapes into the forest with her animal friends. Much of the conflict revolves around Bess’s inner turmoil, and when she eventually runs away, she spends most of her time alone. Unfortunately, Bess’s personality isn’t given much room to shine, and although she eventually becomes Ella’s fairy godmother, their connection feels weak and forced. 

When Ella’s grandfather dies, Ella is forced to leave the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and go to live with her distant cousins, the Wickhams. Soon, Ella is forced into slavery. Luckily, Bess’s owl friend Ulli sweeps in and saves Ella’s life by bringing her warm clothes, blankets, and food. Although Bess knows about Ella’s horrible situation, she is too fearful to confront her family about their cruel behavior. Like Bess, most of Ella’s interactions with the family are described second-hand, which makes it difficult to understand her suffering. Likewise, when Bess finally decides to help Ella, her motives are unclear. This makes their happy ending seem like a coincidence that lacks a reason to celebrate. 

One of Bess’s attributes is her love of the natural world, including plants and animals. Unfortunately, Bess’s love of plants leads to long descriptions, which slow the plot down. Likewise, Ella loves the stars and dreams of becoming a comet chaser. Like Bess, Ella describes the night skies with excessive detail. Both Bess’s and Ella’s descriptions are full of jargon, and some of the language will be difficult for readers to understand. For example, one page uses the following words: social stratifications, keenly, pertaining, astral tables, relics, curators, spectroscopic studies, and lickspittles. 

Readers who want an exciting and adventurous story will find Glass lacking both. However, readers who love the natural world and exploring characters’ inner thoughts will enjoy Glass because of its unique twist on the Cinderella story. Since the book includes complicated magic and long descriptions, Glass is best suited for strong readers who don’t get discouraged when encountering new vocabulary. Readers who want a more playful story and are eager to enter the fairytale world can find magical stories by reading Maggie and the Flying Horse by E.D. Baker, If the Shoe Fits by Sarah Mlynowski, and The Prince Problem by Vivian Vande Velde. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • An owl gets impaled by a glass plant. “The blossoms were red, bloodred, and the needles were sharp. And there, hanging from the needles, was the owl she had seen. The owl her father had cursed and threatened to shoot now hung bleeding from the Blood Thorn lilies. Its white-speckled breast feathers were drenched in blood.” Bess treats the owl’s wounds, and it heals. 
  • One of Bess’s animal friends, a wolf, is shot. Afterward, Bess’s mother says she will taxidermy “just the head, my dear. They’re cutting it off and sending it over. But we are also going to make a glass casting of it.”  
  • Bess’s mother traps a titmouse and turns it into a figurine. Bess’s sisters “glanced at the shattered mirrors and the torn-up body of the titmouse. With one wing askew, the other was caught in a strange wild flight of its own, with no body attached. A glistening vaporous cloud began to form in the mirrored box over the remnant body parts of the titmouse.” A few seconds later, the titmouse had lost its soul. 
  • When Ella reveals her glass slipper, her family “seize her.” Ella “felt her dress ripping as Charles seized the skirt. Then Olivia grabbed her hair. The two together were wrestling her to the ground. . . [Ella] sunk her teeth into Olivia’s ankle. Charles was cursing her and reached down to grab her neck, but she raised her knee and kicked him in the groin.”  
  • To help Ella escape, Bess uses magic. “Estrella gasped as she watched Rose, Olivia, and their parents suddenly grow rigid and, then within seconds, turn transparent. Their eyes glared in a glassy, paralytic horror. . . The noise grew louder and was followed by the din of shattering glass as the Wickham family, one by one, crashed to the floor.” Bess had turned them into glass. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Bess’s father says, “My Lord” one time. 
  • Bess’s father describes her as being hek-ish. “He touched his heart as he said the dangerous word—as he did any word to do with witches or witchish things. It was an ancient custom to touch one’s heart when one said a forbidden or dangerous word like hek-ish.” Later, he says, “Hek-ish, by God!” 

Supernatural 

  • Some people believed that Bess’s grandmother was a witch. Grannie said, “Witchcraft nonsense. Your mamma would have lost that hand she burned when she was learning to take the glass off the blowpipe if I hadn’t bound it in sphagnum.”  
  • Bess talks in the wolf’s language and then faints. Her father says, “It was as if you were seized by some. . . some unnatural spirit.”  
  • Bess worries when her father uses the term unnatural spirit. “Two words from the witch-burning times in England. . . Surly her parents didn’t think she was a witch.” Her parents do believe Bess is a witch.  
  • Bess’s family uses magic to trap animal’s souls and turn them into glass figurines. “The creature is fed an ominous brew of melted crystals sweetened with honey. The animal quickly becomes addled and loses its bearings. If it’s a frog, it might hop backward or sideways. Jumping up when it means to go down. . . They surround the creature with mirrors. Handblown glass mirrors. It becomes confused and finally smashes into the mirrors, which then break. This is the sign that the soul has been extracted.” The smashed glass is turned into a figurine.  
  • Bess goes to visit her Grandmother’s grave. “When the trees bleed white with frost and every limb and pine needle is shrouded in ice, it is said that the hoar spirits come like ghosts from the frost in the night.” That night, Grannie speaks to Bess and gives her a magic wand.  
  • Bess’s grandmother knew druid rituals. For example, when Bess’s parents were married, “Grannie drew the sun around us for good luck and happiness. She held up the wand and made a circle over our heads in the direction of the sun. . . I know Pastor Filkins was simply mortified. Only heaths do these old druid things.”  
  • Bess learns how to use the magic wand by casting a spell: “Cruthaichidh mi mar a smaoinicheas mi agus a labhras mi.” In order to make the magic work, Bess has to imagine what she is trying to create. “One had to think something, figure it out, before the magic worked. One could not just wave a wand around and babble some spell.”  
  • Bess’s sister, Olivia, puts a three-tine fork under Bess’s bed. A three-tine fork “was sometimes considered a tool of the devil. To use them meant to invite temptation and evil into a house, but to throw them away could also cause evil across the land.” 
  • While transporting the three-tine fork, “a sprig of heart wort” was put in the box with it. 
  • When Bess was born, “the birth sac was around her head. . . that is supposed to be good, bring luck. It means a gifted child.” Bess’s mother believes it was a curse. “There is a particular way one must bury the sac, and I’m not sure Grannie did it right.”  
  • Bess learns how to become invisible.  

Spiritual Content  

  • After Grannie dies, Bess believes she is in the Summerlands. Bess doesn’t know what that is, but Grannie “used to talk about the Summerlands sometimes. . . I think it’s something from long ago. . . in the time of the druids.” 
  • When Bess asks about the shape of a spoonbill’s beak, she is told, “The roseate spoonbill’s beak was designed by the good Lord so it could scoop up the delectable delights of the shallows. . .”  

The Golden Scarab of Balihar

Magic made her wish come true. Now she’ll need magic to undo it. 

In a kingdom surrounded by the ever-flowing sands of ancient Persia, sixteen-year-old Zahra dreams of attending the sultan’s lavish events rather than serving at them. Until she crashes headlong into the mysterious prince. Then she just dreams of the prince. Too bad she has no poise, position, or charm to catch his eye. To win his affection would take a miracle. Or magic… 

When Zahra interrupts a love spell meant for the vizier’s daughter, the prince falls for her instead. Zahra gets her wish but incurs the wrath of the vizier, and now he wants her head. Fleeing for her life, Zahra seeks the mythical Golden Scarab of Balihar, desperately hoping the power of the jinni within can shield her from his vengeance. But when she learns the extent of his plan, she’ll have to decide whether to save herself, her prince, or the entire kingdom. 

Readers will be instantly captivated by Zahra, who dreams of becoming a princess. However, when a love spell makes Prince Amir fall in love with her, instead of taking advantage of the situation, Zahra is determined to reverse the spell. Readers will relate to Zahra’s desire “to have something. To experience something. To be a part of something. To belong somewhere.” Despite this, her honesty and integrity won’t allow her to marry the prince unless he genuinely loves her. Zahra’s honesty is admirable and her compassion for others makes her an incredibly likable character who leads readers on an exciting adventure. 

As Zahra flees the kingdom, she acquires a diverse group of friends who help her along the way. Included in the group is the love-stricken Prince Amir who refuses to leave her side, a young servant boy, and an older gentleman who was attacked by thieves and lost everything. Instead of just being stock characters, each person is unique and has some surprising qualities that make them likable. When the group finds the Golden Scarab of Balihar and the jinni, the jinni is full of quirky characteristics that make him unique; the jinni adds an unexpected element of humor to the story. 

Anyone who fell in love with Aladdin as a child will find The Golden Scarab of Balihar enjoyable. After helping save the kingdom, the sultan tells Zahra, “You have also shown yourself to be loyal. More than that—brave, clever, and noble of spirit—worthy of my family, more so than any princess I’ve invited to meet my son. If you so desire, you may wed my son, and a princess you will be as well.” Even though Zahra dreamed about marrying the prince, she realizes that she “didn’t need the life of a princess to be happy.” Zahra’s happy ever after doesn’t include being a princess, but being true to herself. This is an essential message for everyone, and The Golden Scarab of Balihar relays the message with delightful characters and a fun adventure.  

Sexual Content  

  • After Prince Amir saves Zahra from a perilous situation, Amir kisses her. “She lost herself in his firm embrace and in the feel of his lips on hers. She had imagined this more than once . . . For a long moment, she forgot he was under a [love] spell. She seized hold of him and kissed him back. . .” Their kiss is interrupted.  
  • The vizier uses reverses the first love spell and makes a new one that makes Prince Amir fall in love with the vizier’s daughter, Maliha. After they are married and then the marriage is annulled, Maliha sees Hani, the man she truly loves. “She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to her. ‘I love you.’ She kissed him softly on the lips.”  

Violence  

  • A young slave, Rafi, picks dates and eats one before giving them to his master. His master “slapped Rafi hard across his face, knocking the date from the boy’s mouth and causing a trickle of blood to drip down his lower lip. The man grabbed Rafi by the ear and hauled him away, thumping him on the head with the other hand.” 
  • Zahra befriends Rafi and a man named Josef. As they leave an oasis, the king’s vizier sends guards to look for her. While in the desert, a “man blew a long, deep note, and then a second guard joined him using a horn of his own.” The notes summon a dust demon. “Zahra watched in horror as the older man was yanked from his feet and lifted high into the air.” The book implies that Josef died. However, he reappears uninjured.  
  • Zahra, Rafi, and Prince Amir enter a magical underground cave. Vines cover a passageway. “As soon as Amir grabbed hold of the first vine, it snapped out and twisted around his arm, pulling him forward. . . his feet slid along the cave floor as he was dragged into the other tendrils. Rafi was likewise caught in their grip.” Zahra tries to pull Rafi free, but the vines also capture her.  
  • As Zahra tries to escape the plants, “The coiling plants pulled her tight. . . Again she could hardly breathe, not from being strangled, but from having her face covered in creepers. . . Her arms were constricted against her chest.” The three companions free themselves. The scene is described over three pages. 
  • A snake guards the Golden Scarab of Balihar. “Zahra lashed out and wrapped her fingers around the snake’s neck. . . The thing hissed at her, and its body pulled up off the dial to coil around her arm. . . She tried to pull it off her arm with her other hand, but it was wrapped too tightly. . . It opened its mouth and hissed sharply as [Amir] got close, so Zahra pressed down on the top of its head with her thumb to close its mouth.” Then the snake transformed into a “piece of jewelry that wrapped around her forearm.” When Zahra touches its head, it regains “its slithery living form.”  
  • The magical cave that holds the Golden Scarab of Balihar has a huge, living eye on one wall. Zahra “balled her hand into a fist, and pressed it directly into the squishy part of the eye. There was a great roar of wind through the cave, the eye’s lids snapped shut with a wet thwack, and the chamber was plunged into darkness.” 
  • When Zahra and her companions leave the cave, they face a giant scorpion. Amir throws a giant fruit at the scorpion, and “it approached again, claws extended, snapping at both him and Rafi. They each dove aside. . .” When the scorpion tries to strike Rafi, Zahra grabs its tail. 
  • The scorpion tries to “shake” Zahra loose. “Amir ran at the scorpion from the side and jumped onto its back, Rafi following his example from the other. . .” They run back into the magical cave, and the scorpion follows. 
  • While in the magical cave, “The monster slashed out with a claw aimed straight at Rafi’s neck. Amir threw his hands up to catch the pincher. He deflected the strike sufficiently to save Rafi.” Amir falls to the ground and the scorpion’s “pincher snapped shut and lopped off Amir’s pinkie finger.” 
  • When the scorpion goes into a passageway full of stalactite, “The scorpion’s wide body brushed against several of the cave protrusions. Crack!—Snap!—Squish!—Snicks!—Splash! Spike after spike slammed up and down and into and through the carapace of the scorpion.” Blood and gore splattered the prince and Zahra. The scorpion attack is described over four pages. 
  • After Amir lost his finger, Nadim, the jinni, was tired of listening to Amir “screaming like a baby crying for its mother.” So, “Nadim held up a hand, manifested a sharp knife, and sliced off his own pinkie finger. Blood sputtered out and started pouring down his hand.” The jinni offers to heal Amir’s finger, but only if Zahra uses a wish. She does not. 
  • The vizier and his men capture Amir, whom they tie up and gag. Then the vizier “flicked a powder into Amir’s face and he couldn’t avoid breathing it in. ‘Forget,’ the guard said.” Zahra, Rafi, and the jinni Nadim are left without food, water, or horses in the desert. 
  • Zahra and her friends find Amir and try to save him. Zahra falls, and the vizier “stepped on her back to hold her in place, his weight pressing her hard into the earth . . . She saw him draw forth a curved dagger. He was going to kill her! She thrashed, trying to escape. . .” The prince comes to her rescue. 
  • Zahra and Amir were able to escape. As they ride off, “Zahra risked a glance back and saw the vizier wave his hands and throw something to the ground. . . The sands formed into columns and then into the shape of men.” The vizier commands the sand soldiers to capture the prince and kill Zahra and her friends. 
  • When escaping the sand soldiers, Zahra and Amir find a group of brigands threatening Rafi. Zahra tricks the brigands into fighting the sand soldiers. “The brigands yelled again and slashed and hacked at the sand warriors, managing to chop off arms and legs and even a couple of heads, but the warriors absorbed sand from beneath them and regrew their bodies. . . The battle was quick; in a short time, three dead brigands lay sprawled in the dirt.” Later, Amir finds a way to dissolve the sand warriors. 
  • When Maliha, the vizier’s daughter, marries Prince Amir, the demon Ghazi demands to be set free. Maliha refuses the request. “The moment she uttered the last syllable of her defiance, [her father] Yaseen gasped, and his eyes bulged. He fell to his knees. His hands came to this throat—he was struggling to breathe. . .” To save her father, Maliha sets Ghazi free. Ghazi tells Maliha, “You and your father will watch as I tear this so-called Palace of Light to pieces around you. . .”  
  • In a multi-chapter battle, Ghazi attacks the city. “The palace shook again, and more sculptures toppled over and shattered. Braziers fell clanging to the floor . . . The palace residents and guests alike screamed and fled in terror.” 
  • Zahra, Amir, and Rafi go to find the sultan. When they reach his chambers, “the doors lay splintered in pieces in the hallway. Two of the king’s guardsmen lay dead at the entrance, and in the sultan’s expansive inner room, more guards were strewn about, some lying motionless and others writhing in pain.”  
  • The demon Ghazi creates a storm. “A twisting funnel descended and whirled toward the city, raging through the outer wall. Stones and humans alike were swept like debris into the air.” 
  • Ghazi punishes Zahra. “Zahra felt something tightening around her throat. She tried to pull it away, but there was nothing there. . . She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes locked with Rafi’s, and she saw his terror. . . Nadim’s leg arched past her, his foot slamming into the ifrit and sending the demon flying through the wall of the sultan’s anteroom and into the chamber of the Eternal Flame.” Zahra is freed. 
  • Amir jumps into the battle. “He lifted a mirror shard and held it up to the Eternal Flame. An intense beam of light reflected off the mirror, and he aimed it directly into the demon’s eyes. . . the sheer brilliance of it overwhelmed him, and he threw up his arms to cover his eyes.”
  • To save the city, Zahra feeds the Golden Scarab of Balihar to a magical serpent. “The smoke around Nadim and Ghazi had turned to an inky black. It twirled and spun and was sucked inward, shrinking. Zahra heard Nadim’s voice call out one more time.” Nadim gave her “a blood-soaked dagger” so they could release Amir from the love spell.

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • After her marriage, Maliha “poured herself a glass of wine.”

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The king’s vizier uses a spell to summon an ifrit, a demon. The ifrit “had flame-colored skin covered in tattoos of swirling lines and glyphs. Twin spiral horns protruded from its skull above large, tapered ears.” The ifrit can change his appearance “with ease.”  
  • The vizier makes a love spell out of “a jar of frankincense, one of kohl, and a vial of cobra venom.” The spell also required acid from the darkling beetle. The ifrit tells the vizier, “Simply have your daughter present the flower to the prince, see that he smells it, and when his gaze meets her face, he will fall instantly in love.” This spell is used multiple times.  
  • Zahra goes on a journey looking for the Golden Scarab of Balihar. “It was said the Scarab contained a powerful jinni, and everyone knew a jinni would grant wishes to those who freed them from confinement.”  
  • Zahra and her companions find the Golden Scarab of Balihar. When she pulls the wings, “The Scarab once again burst into motion. It thrummed and flew from her hand, up into the air in the middle of the cave, sparks and flashes of golden light trailing behind it. . . A burst of smoke filled the cavern, swirling and raining down glittering powder. . . Finally the air cleared, revealing a figure standing before them.” 
  • The jinni first appears in human form. Then, “he snapped his fingers and golden smoke swirled around until it completely obscured him. The smoke expanded, and from it his teeth and four arms, each wielding a shining scimitar.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None

The Boy Who Could Draw

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

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

Drugs and Alcohol  

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

Language  

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

Supernatural 

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

Spiritual Content  

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

Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth

Gareth is definitely not an ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, he’s got the power to travel through time. The instant he tells Jason this, the two of them are in ancient Egypt, on the first of nine amazing adventures that Jason will never forget! 

From ancient Egypt to Rome, from Japan to the American Revolution, Jason is taken on a whirlwind adventure with Gareth. Together, they meet friends, escape enemies, and learn how different cultures view cats. Some, like Egypt, worshiped cats. Others thought cats were magic creatures and either praised or feared them. But everywhere they go, one thing is the same: Jason and Gareth always discover an adventure.  

Time Cat takes readers on a brief yet lively journey through nine different cultures. The book is exciting and fun because it features fights, kings, witch burnings, and revolutions. While each culture is explored over two short chapters, Lloyd Alexander creates such a vivid picture of each place that readers will feel as if they’ve traveled to these time periods alongside Jason and Gareth.  

Jason is a likable protagonist whom readers will enjoy getting to know. He isn’t perfect and sometimes gets into trouble, but he is earnest and always willing to help others. The author portrays Jason’s cat, Gareth, in a realistic way that captures cats’ behavior. Gareth is amusing and aloof, as cats usually are, and will steal readers’ hearts away.   

Each time period and place are given equal coverage—two chapters. Jason and Gareth start their travels in ancient Egypt and go on to meet many interesting people, such as King Miliuc of Ireland, the Old Cats of Caesar, and German witch hunters. While readers may not understand all the historical references, this does not make the book less enjoyable. Along the journey, Jason teaches others about cats, and people learn life lessons such as the importance of curiosity and confidence. Time Cat is perfect for anyone who enjoys action and adventure sprinkled with humor. And, of course, it will appeal to all cat lovers, young and old. If you want to snuggle up with additional books featuring cats, check out the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter, Random Acts of Kittens by Yamile Saied Méndez, and Storm Rescue by Laurie Halse Anderson.  

Sexual Content  

  • When Jason leaves Ireland, “the princess hastily kissed him on the cheek.” 

Violence  

  • While on the march with the Romans, there is a battle between the Romans and the Britons. “Arrows sang through the air. The legionaries hurled their spears. Howling and shrieking, the Britons poured across the beach.” Jason and Gareth run away before they see any more of the battle.  
  • A wildcat attacks Gareth. “The animal began a long whine, ending with a snarling, toothy kind of cough. Then it leaped. Gareth grappled with the animal in mid-air. Two bodies thrashed on the ground and turned into a spinning, spitting ball. One screamed—Jason could not tell which.” Gareth gets a few scratches but ends up okay.  
  • A man holds “a long, ugly spear pointed at Jason’s throat” and forces Jason to come to his village. He does not hurt Jason.  
  • Gareth kills a snake before it can strike. “Gareth caught it behind its flat skull. The serpent’s tail lashed out and wound around Gareth’s body. Over and over, the fighters rolled across the floor. Gareth was on his back now, his hind paws furiously kicking.” The fight is described over a page.  
  • A woman warns Jason about witch hunters, who think “[cats are] poor little things. They say devils hide in them. Two days ago, the witch hunters drowned fifty—and burned another fifty. Poor suffering animals. My little tabby was with them.”  
  • Jason and his cat are accused of being demons in disguise, and a judge declares, “You will be burned at the stake in the morning.” They escape. 
  • In America, Jason sees the British fight the Minutemen. “The sword of a British officer flashed downward; the snick of flintlocks rattled along the scarlet line. Jason saw the flash and then heard the musketry crack like a giant whip. The Minutemen raced through the drifting smoke toward the Regulars, firing, reloading, crouching behind hillocks and large clumps of grass.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None

Supernatural  

  • Gareth is a cat who can talk to Jason. 
  • Gareth does not have nine lives, but he can travel to nine different historical places. “I’ll tell you a secret. I only have one life. With a difference: I can visit . . . I can visit nine different lives. Anywhere, anytime, any country, any century.”  
  • In Ireland, they think Jason and his cat are magicians. King Miliuc says, “That’s what we need. Some new magic from afar.” He says the spells of his court magician “are a little worn at the edges.”  
  • The Irish think “spirits live under the hills. They call them the Little People.”  
  • Jason meets the man who will become Saint Patrick. The man says, “We have the Christian faith in my land . . . but there is none of that in Erin, only magic and superstition and the Little People under every blade of grass.”  
  • In old Germany, Jason sees a man trying to summon a spirit. “‘By the spirit of Zazamonkh!’ the man exclaimed, picking up a long rod and tracing a circle at his feet. He went tramping around the circle . . . ‘Asmodeus! Ahriman! Beelzebub!’ the man cried. ‘Appear! I command you!’” 
  • The witch hunters in old Germany think that “cats bring on hail storms, they say, and winds. Cats have the evil eye, to bewitch whatever they look at. They can turn themselves invisible or fly through the air. They take the shape of a witch and a witch takes the shape of a cat.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • When Gareth and Jason travel to ancient Egypt, Gareth says, “The Egyptians worship us, you know . . . They have all kinds of sacred animals, but the cat—ah, the cat is most important. We’re sacred to the great goddess Ubaste of the Sun and Moon.”  
  • The Pharoah Neter-Khet of Egypt is a young boy. He tells Jason, “All my subjects worship me—I’m a god, you know—my slaves are building the finest pyramid in Egypt, so things will be comfortable for me in the Other World.”  
  • A Roman soldier asks for an omen. “O Mars, god of battles, mighty Jupiter, father of the gods, or whatever it is the regimental augur says. Shall this boy and this cat march with us?”  
  • Gareth meets some druids who believe in spirits. One man says that they “pray to the spirit of the catamountain.” 

And Break the Pretty Kings

Princess Mirae is destined to inherit a dark legacy: Her mother, Queen of the magical city of Seolla, is succumbing to madness, which has stemmed from her connection to the Inconstant Son, a mysterious entity trapped beneath Seolla who threatens to destroy the world. Now, with her mother’s health failing, Mirae must face a trial of the gods, who will decide if she’s worthy to follow in her mother’s footsteps as Queen. 

On the night of her trial, disaster strikes. When Mirae obtains the power of horomancy – controlling time – she unwittingly is trapped in a vision of the future. The Inconstant Son attacks the city during the chaos and kidnaps her brother, Minho, to turn him into a slave to govern his army of brainwashed soldiers. Mirae must save her brother, despite the premonition that she must let Minho die. Nevertheless, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost. 

After multiple meetings with the Inconstant Son, Mirae learns that Seolla – which only allows women to practice magic – has built their monarchy by branding the men who can do magic with a mark that represses their abilities. The man trapped beneath Seolla is not the Inconstant Son but instead his descendant, who has been trapped for centuries. This man – called the Netherking – wants to use Mirae’s brother to start a male-led revolution. In particular, he wants revenge on Mirae’s mother, who abandoned the Netherking’s beloved wife and daughter to an awful fate. As the story progresses, Mirae’s loyalties are tested as she finds it necessary to ally with the Netherking to get her brother back while also wanting to prevent him from destroying her kingdom. However, she tries to treat her enemies with grace. After stopping the Netherking’s plans, she gives his allies a new chance at life in Seolla despite their past wrongs.  

Mirae is a talented and promising young woman who always tries to find the bright side. For example, she professes, “There are two sides to every moon. . . depending on where you’re standing.” Even when she can’t see the path ahead, Mirae boldly forges her own. She is not solely good nor evil but understands both are part of life.   

Mirae, the rest of the supporting characters, and the story’s multiple villains all get their time to shine. The villains feature prominently in the story and have well-developed backstories, making the whole cast of characters seem less like villains and heroes and more like individuals trying to do what they think is right. This allows all of the characters to be compelling. 

From the beginning, many things are fated to be: The queens of Seolla go mad, men can’t practice magic, the kingdom of Josan is evil, and the Inconstant Son will ruin the world. However, the story’s events slowly convince Mirae that the destiny of her kingdom is not set in stone. She makes her own way forward, offering forgiveness to the misguided and defying the long-standing rivalry between Seolla and Josan. Her main concern is protecting those she loves, but she begins to see merit in uncovering the truth behind the Inconstant Son if it means bringing peace to both kingdoms.  

And Break the Pretty Kings is a very difficult read due to the intricate worldbuilding and endless unfamiliar terms. Almost every page references types of magic, types of people, and creatures of legend. Because of its complexities, the book is almost inaccessible to the average reader without a base knowledge of Korean folklore and culture. However, if you already have some knowledge, this book could be an enjoyable challenge as it blends fantasy with history in a unique way. Those who enjoy high fantasy stories with cultural ties and intricate worldbuilding will enjoy reading Mirae’s journey as she tries to change her fate.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Mirae’s mother is afflicted with madness, which causes her to attack her children. “Mirae lowered her damp palms, bidding the elements under her control to disperse. But they didn’t obey. Instead, the water roiled into a whirlpool of rage. . . As the droplets churned each other into chaos, Minho became nothing more than a flailing blur, fast running out of air. . . Mirae whirled towards the palanquin and saw a pale, skeletal arm reaching through the beaded curtains, stretching in Minho’s direction. A second later, her mother’s face pushed past the beads. . .The madness. It had taken hold of her mother, filling her mind with delusions once again. Turning her magic against those she loved. . . Mirae fell to her knees, gasping for air as her mother’s magic crushed her head and neck.” Mirae dispels the magic before she goes unconscious. 
  • Mirae hears the oracles that attended her trial being murdered. “The sound of something whipping through the air, trailing a series of clacking noises behind it. Chattering teeth or guttural clicks deep in the throat. More wet slices. Chokes and gurgles. Then the screams of oracles being murdered.” 
  • Mirae’s mother goes insane and attacks her husband. “Mirae shot one last look at her father. Her mother was sending more violet fireballs at him. . .” Mirae watched as “her father grabbed her face and kissed her, just as her clawlike hands raked red lines down his back, bloodying his blue robe like a smear of a sunset against a perfectly calm sky.”  
  • Minho is kidnapped and drowned in a tub of magical water. “A wide stone room [was] lined with deep basins. Each was filled to the brim with black water. . . The guards lifted [Minho], fighting futilely against them, into one of the tubs. They submerged all but his head, which he kept above the water with all his strength. [They] grabbed Minho’s hair and shoved his head under. Mirae watched, horrified, as the dark water bubbled with air her brother could no longer breathe. Once the ripples stopped altogether and the black water fell still, Minho floated to the surface face-down.” Minho is unconscious until his rescue. 
  • Mirae kills the Netherqueen. “Mirae lifted the sword over her head and struck the Netherqueen’s body with everything she had. As soon as the sword hit flesh, it glowed, slicing through the Netherqueen’s shoulder and lodging in her heart. Sparking, searing, smoking everything it touched except for Mirae’s hand.”   

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural  

  • Three types of magic exist and are mentioned frequently. They are known as Sacred Bone Magic. Sacred Bone Daughters are women in Seolla who are blessed by a magical lineage. 
  • The first type of magic is the ability to control the elements (earth, air, fire, and water). This magic is called Jade Witchery, which can be used to summon fire or manipulate the earth. For example, Mirae throws a fireball while training. “Mirae raised a hand to the heavens. . . A small, white-hot orb appeared in her palm; before its sharp heat could blister her skin, Mirae lobbed it with all her strength at her opponent.” 
  • Mirae witnesses someone using Jade Witchery to repair destruction in the palace’s courtyard. “Mirae heard the sound of the grass rustling as it righted itself and the ground rumbling as it stitched itself back together. It would be long before the field looked exactly as it had before, heeding the will of a powerful Jade Witch.”  
  • The second type of magic is illusory, called Ma-eum Magic. Mirae describes it as “the ability to trick an opponent into sensing something that wasn’t actually there.” Mirae uses this magic to change her appearance when she’s in the Josan kingdom so she can’t be recognized. It is used many times in the story to alter a character’s physical appearance, such as making them smell like perfume or altering their facial features. 
  • A general enchantment type of magic is also mentioned frequently, such as when Mirae enchanted a turtle to fly and talk, but the incident is not described. 
  • The third type of magic is called Horomancy, the ability to manipulate time. Mirae describes it: “Of the three magic systems, which exemplified the virtues of cunning, craftsmanship, and foresight, horomancy was the most enigmatic power. Mirae had never seen it used, though she knew that was for good reason. The rules of time were rigid, dangerous things to manipulate.”   
  • Hongbin, Mirae’s younger brother, thinks a visitor to the palace is a “gumiho,” a Korean creature of legend similar to a nine-tailed fox. He previously thought the visitor was a dokkaebi, the Korean name for demons. 
  • There are three powerful relics called the Sacred Bone Relics that correspond to the ancestors of the different branches of magic. They are the dagger of the Silver Star (representing Ma-eum magic), the seong-suk – a stone – of the Deep Deceiver (representing Jade Witchery), and the black bell of the Unnamed Dragon (representing Horomancy). Mirae chooses the black bell to guard her reign. 
  • After picking the bell, Mirae switches to another time period where she sees her brother, whose face looks “like he’d battled monsters and knew that the world held many, many things to fear.” She realizes she has used Horomancy to travel into the future. Several times, she switches time periods, which works like visions of the future that guide her on her journey. 
  • Mirae switches time and sees a festival in the spirit world where people dance and sing in animal masks.  
  • Mirae’s mother gifts a magical necklace with 12 beads depicting the 12 horoscope animals. Each bead contains a different power, which Mirae uses. For example, she uses an ox bead to gain strength. “She picked up the ox bead and put it on her tongue. The powers of the bead made her stumble back almost immediately with vertigo, trembles, goosebumps, and a crashing headache all at once. But the symptoms faded in seconds. As the bead warmed on her tongue, Mirae felt its power swell within her, roping around her muscles and making them bulge. Just then, the door to the room she was hiding in flew open, and Mirae reacted on instinct; she punched her opponent right in the chest with all the strength of an ox, throwing him through the door and into the wall behind him.” 
  • Mirae and her companions encounter a gwisin, the evil spirit of a woman who has suffered. This gwisin, the haggard moon gwisin, is described as having “hair dark and long enough to blend in with the spaces between trees. There was a starry paleness to her sleeveless knee-length dress, which wasn’t long enough to hide the fact that she didn’t have any legs – nor did she have a face. . . Gwisin lingered because they, or someone they loved, had been wronged. . . according to legend, the haggard moon gwisin [was] abandoned by a friend, left to die alone and in pain, and subsequently drowned anyone who showed her any kindness, before they had the chance to betray her too.” 
  • Mirae summons a dragon with Sacred Bone Magic. 

Spiritual Content  

  • The book frequently references mudang, the name for Korean shamans. These women are known for performing rituals in which gods possess them. When Mirae and her companions are traveling, she pretends to be one of these shamans, triggering her “switching” power instead of actually becoming possessed. 
  • The book also references “gods” or praying to the gods, but no gods are named in particular.  
  • Mirae’s family are known as the “gods-touched” guardians of Seolla. The gods are beings that are respected, and are often mentioned in the context of fate and destiny, such as “I could only do something like that with permission from the gods” or “I hope the gods are on our side.”  

The Buccaneers’ Code

Hilary Westfield is now a freelance pirate. After trying to prove herself to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (“VNHLP”), she realized that many members of the league weren’t all that honorable—not even very nearly.   

Captain Blacktooth is in cahoots with the Mutineers, putting the kingdom of Augusta—and all of its magic—at risk. What the League needs now is a very honorable pirate to be their new president. So with the help of her friends, Hilary challenges Blacktooth to a High Seas battle. Winner takes all. Loser will be exiled. 

In The Buccaneers’ Code, Hilary is thrust into a battle to defeat the Mutineers, a group of villains who want to overthrow the queen. However, in order to defeat Captain Blacktooth, who is in cahoots with the Mutineers, Hilary must find 200 pirates who will fight by her side. But Captain Blacktooth isn’t afraid to use threats and blackmail to keep others from joining Hilary’s crew. As Hilary and her friends—Miss Grayson, Jasper, Charlie, Claire, and Alice—soon discover, they will have to find non-traditional pirates who are willing to fight.  

Readers will quickly become caught up in Hilary’s newest adventure. The spunky protagonist stays determined despite the various obstacles—including her father—that stand in her way. Along the way, she meets some unconventional people who are willing to become pirates and fight at Hilary’s side. This mixture of brave pirates, high society girls, and a swimming team shows that anyone can fight against evil.  

The epic battle between Hilary and Captain Blacktooth has several surprises. And while the battle has plenty of action-packed fighting, the scene also uses humor. Readers will love seeing girls in petticoats fight alongside seasoned pirates, and they will cheer when Hilary’s friends save the queen.  

Caroline Carlson has created a world where magic is currency, pirates are more charming than alarming, and a girl can choose a life as a pirate instead of a life in petticoats. And she once again delivers a story of high stakes, high seas, and high society in the hilarious and charming conclusion to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series. 

While the conclusion of The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series ties up all the loose ends, Hilary’s sense of adventure remains. In the end, the evil Mutineers receive their punishment, leaving the other pirates to honorably sail the seas. At the end of the story, readers will feel as if Hilary’s friends are their friends, leaving readers wishing the adventure would continue. Those ready for another epic journey can find more magic by reading The Emblem Island Series by Alex Aster and Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Hilary and her pirate crew find Captain Wolfson’s pirate ship under attack by a navy ship. “A cannonball splashed down only a few yards from where the captain was standing, drenching him and his crew. . .”  
  • While trying to help Captain Wolfson’s crew, Hilary asks a magic gravy boat to, “‘Please bring something that will stop that ship from firing on us. . .’ The gravy boat shook in Hilary’s hands and drew strength from her limbs.” A huge white pitcher full of molasses appears. Then the pitcher “rose up from the deck and floated slowly, but with great determination, towards the navy ship. . . A thick stream of molasses poured out of the pitcher, covering the cannon, the ammunition crates, and . . . the boots of the naval officer.” Hilary saves Captain Wolfson’s crew before their ship sinks. 
  • Hilary and her friends, Charlie and Alice, are hiding in a tree trying to spy on a young girl named Philomena. When Philomena finds them, she says, “Magic, if there are any other spies sneaking around Tilbury Park, please bring them here at once…Then the wind shook the branches of the pine tree, its trunk swayed like a ship’s mast during a storm, and Alice flew from the treetop, tumbling curls over petticoats.” Alice’s arm breaks with a snap. 
  • Hilary is walking down the street when someone grabs her from behind. Hilary “raised her right leg in front of her, swung it backward as hard as she could, and kicked him squarely in the knees. With a shout, the gentleman let go of Hilary’s arms, lost his balance, and tumbled into the path of stinging nettles.” Hilary is not injured.  
  • Hilary challenges Captain Blacktooth to a duel. On the day of the battle, Hilary’s father, Admiral Westfield, captures Hilary and her crew. Admiral Westfield’s men “tied her to [the ship’s mast] with a long coil of rope. . . he pulled a knot tight around Hilary’s middle, and she clenched her fist.” Other members of Hilary’s crew are also tied to the mast. Then Admiral Westfield sinks Hilary’s ship, the Pigeon.  
  • Captain Blacktooth had a replica of Hilary’s pirate ship built in secret. His men use the replica to attack the queen’s ship, the Benevolence. “An earsplitting bang drowned out the roar of the crowd, and a cannonball sailed from the false Pigeon’s deck, tracing a long, lazy arc across the sky before it smashed into the Benevolence.” 
  • During the battle, the two pirate crews fight each other. “Hilary dodged the pirate’s sword, hurried around behind him, poked him in the breeches, and watched with satisfaction as he jumped several feet into the air. When he crashed back down on deck, she stood over him, holding her cutlass to his nose.”  
  • Hilary’s friend Alice was “chasing several more pirates . . . Most of the pirates Hilary faced were handy with a sword, so it was fortunate that the gargoyle had offered to bite their ankles whenever she found herself in a tight spot.” 
  • During the fight, Philomena uses magic to conjure “a tiny whirlwind, a respectably sized crocodile” and a “flurry of regretfully declined party invitations fell on Mrs. Westfield and her High Society friends.” Hilary’s friend Claire is able to reverse Philomena’s magic. 
  • A pirate tries to take Philomena’s magic coins, so she “conjured up a swarm of hornets to sting his ankles.” The pirate jumps into the ocean to escape.  
  • When the Mutineers send another cannonball towards the queen’s ship, Hilary touches the gargoyle and asks him to protect “Queen Adelaide from the Mutineers—and protect the rest of us, too. The pirates, I mean, and Admiral Curtis, and all the spectators on shore.” To give the gargoyle enough power, several of Hilary’s friends also touch the gargoyle. “The cannonballs reversed their course and curved back toward the Renegade, picking up speed as they flew.”  
  • In the multi-chapter final battle, no serious injuries or deaths occur.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • There are references to pirates drinking grog. For example, Hilary and her friends “weather the storm around the grog barrel.”  
  • A woman gives her guard a “cup of tea mixed with sleeping powder” so she could escape from her home.  

Language  

  • A parrot exclaims “knucklebones!” 
  • Hilary’s friend exclaims “horsefeathers” several times. 
  • Blast is used as an exclamation often. 
  • Hilary’s friend Alice refers to her brother as a “bilge rat.” 
  • Pirates are referred to as scallywags.  
  • Drat is used several times. 
  • A naval officer calls Hilary and her crew “lawless hooligans.”  
  • Someone calls Admiral Westfield a “pickle-hearted scoundrel!” 

Supernatural 

  • One of the main characters is a magic gargoyle who has been “living on a wall for two hundred years.” The gargoyle is supposed to use his magic to protect people. 
  • Magic items are made from a substance “similar to gold” and “when a piece of magic is held in the hand, it obeys the holder’s spoken request. It is said to draw its power from the user herself, and only a few individuals are powerful enough to use it in great quantities. . .”  
  • The Enchantress, Miss Pimm, is kept young by magic. “Magic, fresh air, and more than a pinch of stubbornness had kept her in good health for two hundred and forty years.” 
  • Philomena uses magic to transport people to different locations. Philomena says, “‘Magic, we five Mutineers would like to leave this uncivilized island before we all catch a chill.’ One moment Philomena was there, and the next she simply wasn’t.” 
  • Someone uses magic to fill a pirate ship with haddock. “The poor fish were floppin’ about in the wash buckets and cooking pots. . .” 
  • One of the Mutineers, Nicolas, uses magic to transport himself but accidentally ends up in the ocean. Nicolas explains, “I asked my magic piece to transport me here, but I wasn’t strong enough to travel all the way to land, so it dumped me in the sea instead.”  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Halloween Goblin

A creepy goblin is scaring people all over town! Bogey Bill — whose favorite holiday is Halloween — likes to magically change normal things into spooky things. Violet, Leon, and their fairy friend Sprite need to send Bogey Bill back to the Otherworld. But their task gets harder when a pixie named Buttercup casts an annoying hiccup spell on the whole school! Can Violet, Leon, and Sprite trick TWO pixies at once?  

Bogey Bill is a scary-looking goblin who likes to scare people. Most of the time, his mischief doesn’t cause any harm. However, when Violet is playing with a little girl, Bogey Bill turns the girl’s stuffed rabbit into a snake! While Bogey Bill isn’t a nice goblin, the appearance of a cute garden gnome named Robert B. Gnome balances out the story. 

The Halloween Goblin has a fast-paced plot that revolves around Sprite, Violet, and Leon trying to stop Bogey Bill’s magic. Sprite and the kids aren’t afraid to ask for help when needed, and the addition of Queen Mab and Robert B. Gnome lets the reader know that not all fairies are the same—some are helpful while others cause problems. The interesting mix of fairies adds to the story’s suspense and allows for some fun fairy magic. 

Newly independent readers who love fairies and magic will enjoy The Halloween Goblin. The story uses easy-to-read text and a fast-paced plot with lots of fairy mischief. Black and white illustrations appear on every page, which will help readers visualize the characters and understand the plot.  

Sprite, Violet, and Leon work together to find creative ways to send the fairies back to the Otherworld. Even though trickery is involved in sending the fairies home, none of the tricks are mean. While most of the fairies are cute, Bogey Bill’s appearance and mean pranks might frighten some readers. “Bogey Bill is a very scary-looking fairy! He had yellow eyes and sharp teeth. His skin was gray.” However, Bogey Bill’s bad attitude will make the story’s conclusion a little bit sweeter.  

The Halloween Goblin ends with Finn the Wizard running for mayor. Sprite warns, “If we don’t stop him, he’s going to be mayor of your whole town!” This cliffhanger will leave readers eager to read the next book in the series. However, readers looking for fairy magic with a less scary goblin can read Katie the Kitten Fairy by Daisy Meadows. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Bogey Bill is a goblin that “has two main powers. He can make people feel afraid for no reason. And he can turn normal things into scary things.” 
  • Fairies cause havoc in Violet’s world. For example, a fairy changes the picture on Violet’s shirt. “Instead of a purple flower, there was a picture of a purple monster’s face on Violet’s shirt! The face had long fangs. It had bulging eyes.” 
  • To change Violet’s shirt back to normal, her cousin Leon says Bogey Bill’s name backward three times. After Leon says, “Llib Yegob! Llib Yegob! Llib Yegob!” The shirt “sparkled. Then it turned back into a purple flower.” 
  • While at school, Bogey Bill casts a spell on the food. “Spaghetti was crawling around everyone’s plates, like worms! The kids and the lunch aides started to scream.” When the kids in the cafeteria say Bogey Bill’s name backward, the food goes to normal. 
  • To make the kids forget about the spaghetti moving, “Sprite blew pixie dust into the room. . . The glittering dust swirled around the lunchroom. The kids and aides blinked. Then the kids began eating their spaghetti like nothing happened.” 
  • Bogey Bill changes a little girl’s stuffed bunny rabbit into a snake. The girl begins to cry and then Violet reverses the spell. 
  • To talk to Queen Mab, Sprite takes out a stone. “The stone glowed brightly . . . Then a picture began to appear. It was Queen Mab.” Queen Mab gives advice on how to trick the fairies and send them back to their world. 
  • Sprite uses pixie dust to transport Violet and Leon. “Sprite threw the pixie dust on them. . . [Violet’s] body tingled as the garden disappeared.”  
  • When Bogey Bill is tricked into saying something “sweet,” he is magically sent back to his world. 
  • Buttercup, a pixie, gives Violet hiccups that won’t stop until someone frightens her. 
  • When Buttercup is tricked, “a whooshing sound filled the air. A tunnel of wind appeared out of nowhere. The wind sucked Buttercup inside . . . Buttercup and the tunnel vanished.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

A Purr-fect Pumpkin

In Kittentail Cove, Paw-loween is a super fun holiday! Shelly, Coral, and Angel can’t wait to decorate jelly-o-lanterns, dress up in costumes, and go to the Paw-loween festival! But Coral is a little nervous about the Haunted House. Can this scaredy cat learn to be brave so she can see her purr-fect pumpkin on display in the house? Maybe with a little help from her friends! 

Paw-loween mixes the fun of Halloween with the perfect amount of spook factor. Young readers will enjoy the adorably cute costumes the purrmaids wear as well as the jack-o’-lanterns. Even though Coral is afraid to go into the haunted house, she joins her friends as they travel through the house. Along the way, Coral is sure a mummy is following her—and she’s right. In the end, the mummy is revealed to be Coral’s teacher, who is trying to return Coral’s lost gem.  

Being afraid of the haunted house is not Coral’s only conflict. She also feels left out when Shelly and Angel dress up as squids while Coral dresses as a princess. Several times, Shelly and Angel have a conversation without including Coral. While her friends aren’t trying to be mean, Coral still feels bad that she is not included. While this conflict isn’t resolved, the story acknowledges that sometimes friends unknowingly hurt each other’s feelings.   

A Purr-fect Pumpkin is purr-fect for readers because of the relatable conflict. The story has easy vocabulary, short sentences, and cute black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. Even though A Purr-fect Pumpkin is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order to be understood. Readers who are eager to celebrate Halloween will find A Purr-fect Pumpkin a delightful blend of Halloween cuteness and spookiness. Readers who love mermaids and want more underwater adventures should swim to the nearest library and check out the Mermaids To The Rescue Series by Lisa Ann Scott. 

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

The Skull is a retelling of a Tyrolean folktale, originating out of Austria. Klassen is both the author and illustrator of this book, and his art will certainly draw in young readers’ attention. The art adds to the depiction of the spooky setting of the book, filled with dark colors and shadows and occasional pops of color. 

Klassen’s book follows a young girl named Otilla who has run away from home. While running through the woods, Otilla encounters a large, seemingly empty house. Because she is tired from running all night, Otilla stops and approaches the house. “[Otilla] knocked loudly to see if anyone was inside, but nobody came to the door.”  

Surprisingly, the big house is not abandoned but is home to a talking skull. Otilla meets the skull and asks nicely for help. She says, “My name is Otilla. I ran away, and I need a place to hide and rest.” The skull kindly agrees to let Otilla stay and shows her around his house. Nearly every page of the book showcases Jon Klassen’s amazing artwork; spooky, dark images done in mostly blues and shades of black show readers how scary this unknown place is to Otilla.  

Though the artwork can be dark and spooky, it is not particularly scary, as the skull’s cartoon style makes him less intimidating. Klassen’s full-page illustrations appear about every two pages and feature many shades of gray, blue, and black. There are occasional pops of pink depicting happy scenes. The large text and the way the book is broken up into three clear parts will appeal to younger readers.  

Otilla is an extremely empathetic character, as she is not afraid of the talking skull, and she treats him kindly. The skull tells Otilla that he has been alone in his house for a while: “You are the first person to find [this house] in a long time.”  The skull is afraid of something too – a skeleton that comes to the house every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? 

Throughout the story, Otilla and the skull develop a friendship, and both help each other. For example, without a body, the skull can no longer do things he used to enjoy, like dance. Otilla “carried the skull to the middle of the ballroom. She held him to face her . . . they danced and danced until it got dark.” Ultimately, the skull and Otilla become friends, as Otilla helps the skull solve a problem he has faced every night for a long time. The skull is chased by a headless skeleton every night and Otilla is able to help the skull get away from the skeleton. 

Readers who enjoy spooky stories will enjoy the descriptions of the woods and the big house. The book highlights the importance of having empathy and treating others kindly. Otilla treats the skull with respect and helps him escape the skeleton that chases him. In return, the skull offers Otilla a safe place to stay by allowing her to stay in his home. Readers will be interested in seeing Otilla and the skull develop a friendship throughout the story and will be left imagining the possibilities of what adventures Otilla and the skull will have in the future.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • The skull tells Otilla, “There is a skeleton that comes here, to this house . . . it is a headless skeleton. It walks around the halls looking for me. When it finds me, it chases me.” The skull tells Otilla that the headless skeleton chases him every night.  
  • The headless skeleton comes and tries to get the skull. “A headless skeleton opened the bedroom door . . . it only shouted one thing: GIVE ME THAT SKULL. I WANT THAT SKULL.” 
  • Otilla runs from the headless skeleton, carrying the skull, but the headless skeleton chases her until suddenly, it falls over a ledge on the roof. “[Otilla] watched the skeleton fall into the dark until they heard it land, the sound of bones hitting the ground. They listened some more, but they did not hear anything after that.” 
  • After the headless skeleton falls off the roof, Otilla decides to make sure the skeleton cannot come back and chase the skull again. “[Otilla] gathered [the skeleton’s bones] into the bucket . . . She took a bone out of the bucket and put it on the rock. Then she took the rolling pin, held it over her head, and smashed the bone. She smashed it over and over, into smaller and smaller pieces . . . she did it to all of [the bones].”  
  • Otilla then burns the smashed bones. “[Otilla] took the bone pieces and threw them into the flames.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The main character in this book is a talking skull. The skull speaks to Otilla and offers to let her rest in his home. The skull said, “I will come down and let you in, but only if you promise to carry me once I do. I am just a skull, and rolling around is difficult for me.”

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Abracadabra: The Story of Magic Through the Ages

A magician never reveals his secrets . . . but HP Newquist does, in this illustrated history of magic and famous magicians!

Magic is a word we use to describe something amazing, awe-inspiring, or spectacular. Truly great magic makes us believe in things we know can’t be real. In the hands of the greatest magicians, even a simple card trick can become truly wondrous.

Now, in this nonfiction narrative of magic through the ages, HP Newquist explains how the world’s most famous tricks were created. From the oracles of ancient Egypt and the wizards of medieval Europe to the exploits of Houdini and modern practitioners like Criss Angel, this book unlocks the secrets behind centuries of magic and illusion. 

This fascinating book will astound readers as they learn about the history of magic. While much of the information will surprise readers, they will recognize some of the famous magicians the book discusses such as Robert-Houdin, P. T. Barnum, David Copperfield, and others. Although the stories are interesting on their own, the book also includes drawings, artwork, and pictures every one to three pages. These graphic elements break up the text and help readers understand some of the more complicated tricks.  

Abracadabra: The Story of Magic Through the Ages includes information on magic tricks such as who created the trick and how the trick works. In addition, the book also explains the social and cultural climate of the time. For instance, in the 1800s France controlled Algeria in North Africa. “A small group of Muslim holy men. . . planned to revolt against the French government.” The French government hired Robert-Houdin to trick the Algerians with magic. The Algerians believed Robert-Houdin had incredible powers and “they decided not to rebel against the French.” In addition to interesting historical facts, the book also covers how the business of magic changed throughout time.  

Abracadabra: The Story of Magic Through the Ages is packed full of interesting facts and will springboard readers’ interest in the most famous magicians throughout time. The interesting facts, fun format, and engaging text make Abracadabra: The Story of Magic Through the Ages a book that everyone can enjoy. And for those who dream of bringing a little magic to life, there are step-by-step instructions for eight classic magic tricks.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • During the Dark Ages, people who performed magic were accused of “practicing black magic. Witch hunts occurred regularly throughout Europe as villagers sought to destroy anyone they thought might be a witch. Many suspected witches were arrested and executed.”  
  • During the 1500s, “people began to look to both science and religion instead of local superstition to help them understand their daily lives.” People started exploring science. “Nonetheless, religion was still a more important part of people’s lives than science. And many religious leaders of the time didn’t like science. . . To stop scientists and others who didn’t follow its teachings, the church began inquisitions. . .” People who did not practice religion were “imprisoned, tortured, or executed.”  
  • In 1584, Reginald Scot wrote The Discovery of Witchcraft which “stated that there were no such things as witches or wizards, and no one on Earth had the power to control nature or change the things God made. . .” Outraged, King James and his soldiers burned all of the copies they could find. 
  • After a show, magician Harry Houdini was “relaxing on a couch. . . talking to some college students about how strong his stomach and chest muscles were.” One of the students “hit him several times without warning. Houdini had no time to prepare for the punches, which came hard and fast.” Houdini didn’t realize how badly he had been injured and died because of “a ruptured appendix and peritonitis.” 
  • Magicians Siegfried & Roy stopped performing after “Roy was mauled onstage in 2003 by one of the tigers in their act.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content  

  • During the Dark Ages, people believed “good things came from God and bad things came from the devil. Many churches in Europe even claimed that magicians were friends of the devil. . . Since God didn’t give men and women magical powers, there was only one explanation for magicians: they must have gotten their special powers from the devil.” 

The Storyteller

The Storyteller centers around Ziggy, a Cherokee boy in sixth grade, who is living in Poisonberry, New Mexico. Ziggy and his sister, Moon, are dealing with a tragedy. As Ziggy says, “When Moon and I were little, our mom disappeared. Native women go missing all over the country. Nobody seems to be doing much about it.” Ziggy, Moon, and two of their close friends decide to go on a search for any clues about Ziggy’s mom’s whereabouts.  

The Storyteller brings up a prevalent issue in real life: the unsolved cases of Native women going missing. Ziggy explains, “In my mom’s case, the sheriff and the police have given up trying to find her. But it’s not just her. My friend Sheila has an aunt who’s missing. A few other Native kids at my school have relatives who are missing. It’s been going on way too long.”  

Ziggy juggles starting middle school while also longing for answers about his mom; he also discusses how his anxiety affects his life. After his mom goes missing, Ziggy and Moon see a therapist. Ziggy says, “My therapist, Kari, says I have anxiety, which can make school and life harder in many ways,” but that “it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Ziggy describes what his anxiety is like in a way that will allow readers to relate to him. Ziggy worries that because of his anxiety “all the other kids will think I’m dumb. The teachers won’t like me . . . Someone will beat me up or say something to embarrass me in front of everyone.” Even though he struggles with anxiety, Ziggy conquers his fears about making friends and befriends a girl from his class named Alice. 

Alice, who is Cherokee and has hearing aids, offers him important and emotionally charged advice that will allow readers to empathize with both characters. Alice says, “We must protect each other. There are plenty of people who will tell lies about [Cherokee history]. There are many who don’t want our history to be a part of theirs. But we cannot give up. We take the truth of the past with us, and preserve it from being forgotten.” 

Readers may be disappointed that Ziggy does not find his mother. However, readers will feel the warmth and love present in Ziggy’s family as Ziggy bonds with his dad. Ziggy’s dad tells him, “You can have my stories [about your mom] and the ones Grandma tells you. There are other people who knew her, too. If we can’t find your mother, we’ll find more stories.” This comforts Ziggy as he is worried that “Mom will disappear” because he does not have memories of her since he was so little when she went missing. Ziggy ultimately realizes if his mom were alive, she’d say, “Don’t be afraid. . . Live your life.”  

The Storyteller uses fantasy tropes to educate readers about the historically prejudiced treatment of Indigenous people. Ziggy might not have any control over the past — but if he learns the lessons of the storytellers, he might be able to better shape his future and find the friends he needs. Learn more about the importance of telling stories by reading Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Ziggy’s friend, Alice, says that she once used berries to try to poison someone. Alice says, “I tried to poison a bad man once . . . I put the [poison berries] in his tea when he visited my mother.” Alice explains that the man “was trying to hurt someone I was protecting. The berries made him sick, but he didn’t die.” 
  • Ziggy’s sister, Moon, explains, “Andrew Jackson ordered the removal of Native tribes from their land. They were forced to migrate and leave.” 
  • Ziggy and his sister recall a story their grandma told them about a dangerous group of people called the Raven Mockers. In the story a young boy is asleep and “the [Raven Mocker] ripped out his heart with her claws and ate it.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None

Supernatural 

  • There are several instances of Ziggy and his friends encountering animals that can speak to them. For example, “The old buzzard opens his mouth and speaks: ‘Y’all headed out yonder to find the Storyteller?’” These animals guide Ziggy and his friends and offer words of advice. 
  • Ziggy and his friends encounter an armadillo that speaks. The armadillo says, “My name is Andrew Jackson,” and he wants “to separate the Indians from immediate contact with the settlements of whites.” Ziggy and his friends leave the armadillo alone. 

Spiritual Content  

  • Ziggy explains that his grandma told him stories of the Cherokee Nunnehi. “Nunnehi lived in underground tunnels and traveled around to help our ancestors when called upon. They were spirits, mostly invisible, but they could appear in human form if they wanted.” 
  • Grandma tells Ziggy about how Nunnehi helped other Cherokee people. The Nunnehi “found joy in being tricksters, like turning themselves into coyotes or hawks. They chased the soldiers and frightened them.” 

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe

Following the events of Hernandez’s previous novel, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, Sal and Gabi are dragged into even more multiverse shenanigans when versions of Gabi from other universes begin showing up in their universe. Sal is approached by a Gabi from another universe who says that she wants to help Sal protect his universe from meeting a terrible fate like hers. While Gabi from another universe, whom Sal calls “FixGabi,” claims to want to fix holes in the universe, Sal realizes that she is tricking him and hiding her true intent. Sal realizes, “FixGabi, it turned out, was a supervillain bent on cosmic destruction.” To protect the universe, Sal and Gabi must enlist the help of their families, as well as their understanding of what Sal’s Papi calls “Calamity physics.” 

Considering the perspectives of others is one of the major themes in the novel. For instance, one of Sal’s teachers explains, “People make art because they want you to learn what life feels like to them. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s scary, sometimes it’s sad or uplifting or gross or deep or a million other things. But whatever it is, it’s always about what the artist thinks of life.” This theme becomes specifically important to Sal later when he interacts with FixGabi. Even though FixGabi has tried to trick Sal and cause havoc in his universe, Sal realizes that FixGabi “has lost a lot of loved ones. She’s seen her world ravaged by rips in the universe. She felt helpless and afraid. But rather than give in to those feelings, she fought back, as hard as she could.” Sal and his friends accepting FixGabi makes her decide that, “I want to make up for everything . . . I was so lonely.” 

Another major theme is friendship and found family. Just like in the previous novel, Sal and Gabi support their friend, Yasmany, as he struggles with problems at home that ultimately culminate in Children’s Services removing him from his home. Yasmany reveals that he has nowhere to live because “My [grandparents] are trying to get me to move back in with Mami. They said they’re too old. They can’t handle me . . . I got nowhere to be. Why doesn’t anybody want me?” But Sal and Gabi are great friends to Yasmany; Sal offers to let Yasmany stay with him for a few nights and Gabi’s parents ultimately decide that Yasmany will come live with them. When Yasmany asks Gabi’s family why they would do this for him, Gabi tells Yasmany, “You deserve a family that deserves you.”  

Readers who loved the first book in this two-part series will be thrilled by Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe. Sal and Gabi’s friendship gets even stronger and readers will be compelled by their friendship and how they always have each other’s best interests in mind. For instance, Sal tells Gabi, “There’s no one like you in the world, Gabi Reál. You are one of a kind.” And Gabi tells Sal how much she appreciates him, saying, “You saved my baby brother, Sal, and therefore my whole family. Thank you. Thank you forever.” Hernandez’s novel will appeal to readers because it has science fiction, theatre productions, and amazing friendships.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Following up on a situation discussed in the previous novel, Sal describes how his friend, Yasmany, had to leave home for his own safety. Sal says, “[Yasmany] was living with his abuelos now because life with his mami had gotten intolerably bad. I don’t know why exactly, since Yasmany wouldn’t go into details, but I knew Children’s Services had gotten involved.”  
  • When Yasmany witnesses Sal’s dad ground Sal for messing with his calamity physics equipment, Yasmany says to Sal, “Nothing got broken; no one got hit. It was just, like, normal talking at the kitchen table.” Sal realizes the dark implication of what Yasmany said.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Sal is upset with his Papi because he found him smoking a cigar. Sal’s dad says, “My team and I might very well be nominated for a Nobel Prize before I die . . . I guess I wanted to celebrate a little.” Sal angrily says, “Even though you swore to Mami when she was dying in the hospital that you’d never smoke a cigar again?” Papi tells Sal that his experience trying a cigar again after all those years was “terrible.” 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When talking with their school janitor, Mr. Milagros, Sal and Gabi discover that Mr. Milagros’ wife, Lourdes, passed away. Mr. Milagros exclaims, “She’s not with the devils, Gabi. She’s with the angels. Lourdes is in heaven.” 
  • Gabi thinks, “I don’t even believe in heaven . . . but I’m sure Lourdes is there.” 

A Tale of Witchcraft

Brystal Evergreen knew that becoming the icon of the fairytale world was going to be a large responsibility, but the immense pressure as the newly-appointed “Fairy Godmother” is more than she can handle. In addition to public appearances, fixing local issues, and campaigning for fairy rights, she’s also the new headmaster of The Celeste Weatherberry Memorial Academy of Magic, which has gone from ten students to a thousand overnight. Additionally, a sect of revolutionaries called the Righteous Brotherhood are rising, ready to return magic to the crime it once was.  

If that wasn’t enough, Brystal’s resolve falters when Lucy and Pip, two of her trusted friends, decide to leave the Academy to join a strange woman named Mistress Mara at her school for witches, Ravencrest. As Brystal fails to juggle these tasks, thoughts of inadequacy and giving up start to plague Brystal’s mind. The one break in Brystal’s constant onslaught of responsibilities is her budding romance with “Seven,” otherwise known as Prince Gallivant, seventh in line for the throne of the Southern Kingdom.  

Meanwhile, Lucy begins to practice witchcraft at Ravencrest, trying her best to put her life as a fairy behind her. However, Mistress Mara’s teachings start to rub Lucy the wrong way. Witchcraft requires Lucy to hurt others, and it’s not without a price – Lucy starts to change physically too, growing feathers instead of hair. Skeptical, Lucy decides to investigate Mistress Mara’s affairs, and uncovers a secret plot to curse Brystal and destroy the reputation of the fairies. She flees from the academy to warn Brystal but it’s too late: Brystal has already fallen into the Righteous Brotherhood’s trap.  

Mistress Mara and Seven, who reveals himself as the Righteous Brotherhood’s leader, have cursed Brystal to think negative thoughts. After Seven frames Brystal for the King Champion’s murder, her weakened resolve from the curse and Seven’s betrayal compels her to surrender. Seven, having also killed his other six siblings, kills Brystal and aims to turn public opinion against the fairies. However, Brystal postpones her death by making a mysterious deal with Death himself facilitated by Mistress Mara, and comes back to life just in time to be rescued by Lucy and her allies, The Fairy Council. Reconnected with her friends, Brystal remembers why she works so hard: to give others hope. With renewed willpower, Brystal is ready to fight her curse and stop the Righteous Brotherhood from destroying everything she’s built.  

In the sequel to A Tale of Magic, the drastic changes made at the end of the last book – such as the rapid growth of the academy and the legalization of magic, have brought new challenges to Brystal’s door. It’s natural that she starts having some reservations. Brystal is now facing tougher challenges than ever, and the curse that afflicts her brings these questions to the forefront of her mind: “Am I good enough? Can I save everyone? What happens if I fail?” Brystal says, “I got so busy changing the world I forgot to change myself with it.”  

We all might not have experience changing the world, but anyone can relate to the feeling of the world moving on without you; where you wish you could stop time and get ahold of your own feelings before tackling another issue. Brystal has to learn the hard way that time doesn’t stop for anyone, magical or not. The way she struggles through these issues and moments of weakness make her a well-rounded and relatable narrator.  

While the conflict with the Righteous Brotherhood is the main event of the story, Brystal’s mental state, as well as her relationship with Lucy, is at the forefront. Early on in the story, Lucy discovers that Brystal has been keeping Madame Weatherberry’s identity as the Snow Queen a secret. She lashes out at Brystal and Brystal has her removed from the Fairy Council, which prompts Lucy to leave and join Mistress Mara’s school of witchcraft. This test in their relationship weighs on both their minds, as they had come to trust and support one another, but they are both left without their best friend in such a trying time. Brystal leans on Madame Weatherberry’s advice: “The only thing in life that lasts forever is the fact that nothing lasts forever. . . Just like the weather, people have seasons, too – we all go through periods of rain and sunshine – but we can’t let a particularly rough winter destroy our faith in the spring, otherwise, we’ll always be stuck in the snow.”  

As she spends time away from Lucy, Brystal decides to let go of her anger. Brystal and Lucy don’t let one bad “season” spoil their friendship. Because the emotional development between the characters takes the stage over battles and new plotlines, this book is a bit more mature, yet even more purposeful than Colfer’s Land of Stories Series. Beyond a compelling world of magic is an inspiring girl on a journey to discover herself, who demonstrates fierce loyalty to her friends, and can find hope even in the darkest of times.  

 Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Prince Gallivant, aka Seven, describes how he lost his family in an attack. “When I was three, we [the royal family] were travelling to the countryside when our carriage was attacked by an angry mob. . . I don’t remember much besides all the screaming. My parents shielded me, otherwise I wouldn’t have survived.” 
  • The Righteous Brotherhood attacks Brystal while she’s at her brother’s wedding. “In a matter of seconds, the wedding became a war zone. . . Brystal spotted a row of smoking cannons on the top of a nearby hill. . . BOOM! A cannonball whirled right past Brystal’s head. . .” They use cannons and crossbows to fire at her. “The [soldier] fired his first shot. Seven jumped in front of Brystal, and the arrow hit the front of his leg. He fell to the ground screaming in agony.” After Seven is shot, the attackers retreat. He is the only person mentioned who is injured. Brystal later finds out this attack was a ploy to help build her relationship with Seven. 
  • Seven kills Mistress Mara. “FWITT! Suddenly, Mistress Mara felt something hit her chest. She looked down and saw an arrow was sticking directly into her heart. . . The witch dropped to her knees and black blood poured down her body. . . Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she collapsed, and then became deathly still. Like a dying fire, her body started to smoke, then she slowly disappeared from sight.” 
  • When the Fairy Council rescues Brystal from the clutches of the Righteous Brotherhood, Mrs. Vee, the cook at the academy, comes too, fighting more ruthlessly than anyone. “The bubbly housekeeper twirled her arms like a maestro conducting an orchestra as she assaulted the Brotherhood with her kitchen supplies. She smacked their faces with wooden spoons, she beat them over the head with baking sheets, and she poked their eyes with whisks and forks. Mrs. Vee unleashed such a powerful and ruthless attack the fairies almost felt sorry for the Brotherhood.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Lucy compares flying on a broomstick to Fabubblous Fizz, a bubbly drink, but it’s unclear if this is alcoholic or not. She says, “I feel like I just drank a barrel of Fabubblous Fizz!” 

Language    

  • While repairing a dam with the Fairy Council, Lucy says, “Dam!” Brystal says, “Watch your mouth, there are children—” Then, Lucy says, “No! Look at the dam!”  
  • Lucy says Tangerina “sounds dumb” when she speaks.  
  • Seven calls his soldiers “idiots.”  

Supernatural  

  • In the Fairy Tale world, magic exists. Magic is mentioned frequently in the story and used for everything from household chores to fighting. Every member of the Fairy Council uses magic that has to do with a ‘specialty,’ such as Tangerina, who controls bees and has hair made of honey. 
  • Brystal uses magic to repair a cracked dam. “Brystal waved her wand at the damage below her. The giant crack was magically filled with a golden seal. . . [and] the spewing water finally stopped. . . To help matters more, Brystal flicked her wand again and this time sent a powerful breeze through the city that dried up all the streets, shops, and homes.” 
  • Many magical creatures are mentioned in the book, such as unicorns and trolls. Unicorns are sometimes mentioned as means of travel or messengers, such as when a unicorn delivers a letter from the Fairy Council to a king. 
  • Mistress Mara, a witch, travels in a large carriage with wooden, spider-like legs that operates by magic. “[The] large carriage was shaped like a human skull. . . [it] crawled on eight wooden legs like a massive spider.”  
  • Brystal’s usual means of travel is by bubble. She creates a bubble with her wand and floats from place to place, able to steer it with her wand. “She quietly opened the windows of her office and floated outside in a large bubble. . . She landed on a snowy mountainside and popped the bubble with her wand.” She does this a few times in the story. 
  • Brystal visits Madame Weatherberry, the Snow Queen, who is living far from civilization in a cave in the mountains. Madame Weatherberry has used a spell to separate herself from the Snow Queen. She appears as a ghost-like figure to Brystal. “Brystal ran across the cavern to embrace her former mentor, but she passed through Madame Weatherberry like she was made of air. . . ”  
  • Madame Weatherberry explains how she became a ghost. “Living in seclusion made the Snow Queen stronger. . . I searched the mountains for a place to imprison her and discovered this cavern. I froze myself in a wall of ice to trap her, and just in case it melted, I blinded myself so she would never find a way out. With my last bit of strength, I performed a detachment spell to separate us. As long as the Snow Queen exists, I’ll exist like a phantom outside of her.”  
  • Ravencrest, Mistress Mara’s school of witchcraft, has an invisible butler, moving paintings, and staircases that move in all directions.  
  • Mistress Mara distinguishes witchcraft from fairy magic by four things – jinxes, hexes, potions, and curses. There is a lesson for each in the story. Jinxes alter one’s appearance, behavior, or function in a negative way, such as when Pip, a student, jinxes a mirror to show an ugly reflection. A hex is a jinx applied to a living creature. Pip hexes someone to have two left feet. Potions are non-magical. Lastly, a curse is a long-lasting or irreversible spell that can take over an environment, inanimate object, or a living thing, and is fueled by anger.  
  • Lucy curses girls who used to make fun of her by turning them into swans. Curses leave something called a “curse counter” behind, a token of the cursed person that shows how long the curse will last. Whenever Mistress Mara curses someone, a jack-o-lantern appears. If its candle is burning, then the curse is still active. 
  • Witchcraft also causes a “recoil” effect to those who use it. The spellcaster’s body is altered with non-human traits. When Lucy uses witchcraft, she grows feathers like a goose. When Pip uses witchcraft, she starts to grow whiskers. Mistress Mara has cast so many spells that she looks like a skeleton. The witches use magical golden necklaces to conceal their true appearances. 
  • Lucy and the witches travel by broomstick once in the story.  
  • Mistress Mara curses Lucy to contain a Shadow Beast, a creature that is used as a sacrifice for an incredibly powerful spell. Lucy has the Fairy Council expel the Shadow Beast from her. “Lucy’s body surpassed her original height and weight and kept growing as she blew up like an enormous balloon. The fairies were shocked as Lucy swelled before their eyes. They could hear something growling inside of her. . . The fairies grabbed hands and recited the chant. . .  Lucy’s body stopped expanding. The Shadow Beast started to howl from inside her. . . Lucy’s body started to twitch and shake. . . Suddenly a dark vapor erupted out of Lucy’s mouth. Her body deflated and she shrank to her original size. The Shadow Beast whirled around the office like a black cloud.” It escapes out the window and finds Mistress Mara.  
  • Mistress Mara sacrifices the Shadow Beast to raise an undead army of former members of the Righteous Brotherhood. “The witch twirled her arms through the air and the Shadow Beast grew into a massive cyclone. The storm whirled around the courtyard. . . The Shadow Beat split into ferocious animals. The creatures scattered to different parts of the fortress and disappeared into the walls and sank into the ground. . . Suddenly, hundreds of decaying hands emerged from the dirt and shot out of the stone walls. . . corpses clawed their way out from their resting places. The corpses faced their leader and saluted him, like a platoon of skeletal soldiers.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • After Seven kills Brystal, she goes to a place in between life and death. She describes it as a “gray field with a perfectly smooth surface.” There, she meets Death, a ten-foot-tall hooded figure with a cloak made of “darkness itself.”  

Into the Shadow Mist

Plum and her friends are traveling to the misty Bokati Island. There they will study with the mysterious Guardian Master Em, who is the keeper of the ancient forest there. The field trip comes just in time for Plum, who still can’t figure out why she’s so different from the other Novices on Lotus Island. 

At first, Plum doesn’t know what to make of this quiet and sometimes gloomy place. But it doesn’t take long to discover that Bokati is brimming with an incredible array of fascinating animals and plants. When an unseen force begins to destroy the trees, putting the entire ecosystem at risk, Plum and her classmates must spring into action. Plum is determined to help, even though she’s hiding secrets about her own Guardian powers from even her closest friends. 

Since the story is told from Plum’s point of view, readers will learn more about Plum’s struggles with feeling different. Because Plum’s Guardian powers are unique, Plum worries that something is wrong with her. This is why, when Plum learns that she can enhance other Guardians’ powers, she tries to keep it secret. But Plum’s secret has become “like a thorn in the bottom of my foot.” Even though she might get into trouble, Plum realizes she can’t “keep the secret inside anymore.” When Plum finally reveals her secret, she finds peace with her powers.  

Into the Shadow Mist follows Plum and her friends as they travel to a new island, where they learn that everything is connected. If you hurt one plant, you hurt the entire habitat. While Plum and her friends—Cherry, Sam, and Salan—explore the forest, they discover several Bokati trees have been cut down. To save the trees, the group must stop the person responsible. The story’s action focuses on the trees and readers will find themselves deeply invested in the trees’ plight.  

At the end of the story, Plum discovers that the villain is Rella—a student expelled from the Guardian Academy. Even though Rella used her Guardian powers to harm the Bokati trees, Plum wonders if she and Rella are similar. Both girls are trying to find their destiny. In the end, Plum lets Rella escape. However, Plum confesses, “I don’t know why I did it. I let my grip on her arm loosen.” This sets up the conflict that will appear in the next book, City of Wishes, and leaves readers questioning if Rella acted on her own or if the powerful Lady Ubon is the mastermind behind the destruction of the Bokati trees.  

Into the Shadow Mist takes readers onto the island where the Bokati trees live. Although the island is not a typical island paradise, Plum and her friends come to love the forest. And while the mystery revolves around trees, the book’s setting and characters will enchant readers and keep them invested in the story.  Plum is the only character who is developed in detail. However, adding a new teacher, Master Em, adds interest to the story. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book to give  readers a visual of the diverse characters and some animals unique to Bokati Island. Since the characters and Guardian powers are introduced in the first book, The Guardian Test, the series should be read in order because the plots are connected. Readers who want to jump into an imaginative world full of magic will find Legends of the Lotus Island an enjoyable series.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Someone is sneaking onto the island and cutting down Bokati trees. Master Em and a group of Guardians follow a buzzing sound through the forest and find hoverbots. “Cherry rushed towards the hoverbots, claws out. She swatted the bot away from the Bokati tree. The bot spun out of control and slammed into the ground.” 
  • Another student, Mikko, “rushed to Cherry’s side and grabbed a hoverbot. He slung it away from the tree so hard that it slammed into another bot with a loud crash. Metal parts flew through the air in all directions.”  
  • After disabling several of the hoverbots, Plum follows a mysterious mist. The mist “swirled away from me like smoke through the trees, faster and faster. . . A figure stepped out of the disappearing mist. It was a large gray leopard. With a shake of its smoke-gray coat, the leopard shifted to human form.” The person escapes the island. 
  • When the bots come back to cut down another tree, Master Em and the Guardians are ready to attack. “When our homemade pomelo bombs hit the hoverbots, they burst open, sending clouds of spores into the air. . . [the spores] stuck to the hoverbots” which made them easier to see. After smashing several hoverbots, “a large net of woven Bokati fibers dropped own onto the hoverbots, trapping them.”  
  • Plum and another Guardian follow the shadow form of Rella through the woods. “Finally, the shadow vanished and the form of the gray leopard appeared. Sam pinned the big cat down, growling above her.” When Sam goes to get help, Plum lets Rella escape the island.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Heck is used once.

Supernatural 

  • According to stories, when “the Great Beast carried the people and animals across the sea from the Old Home, he allowed them to bring only one thing with them . . . during the long journey.” One of their great-great-great grandmothers brought a “rootlet of a Bokati tree. . . Every Bokati tree you see is descended from that root.”  
  • The Great Beast is mentioned several times. The Great Beast “bestowed his powers upon the Guardians, he gave them their ability to turn into extraordinary creatures so we could protect all the ‘normal’ animals.” 
  • There are different types of Guardians. “Breath Guardians learned to control their power of the mind and senses. Hand Guardians sharpened their powers of strength and agility. And Heart Guardians. . . worked to strengthen their healing powers.”  
  • When the lotus plants become unhealthy, the Guardians must heal them. One of the teachers, Brother Chalad, demonstrates. He “scooped up some water in his furry kinkajou hand. He sprinkled water onto a specked lotus pad. Then he placed his palm on the leaf and breathed out slowly. After a moment, vibrant green life began to flow out from the center of the leaf, erasing the brown spots one by one.”   
  • The students can turn into Guardian animals that have unique powers. For instance, Cherry turns into a gillybear. Cherry “began her transformation. Fluffy cream-colored fur burst out all over her legs, and her hands widened into paws. Her face elongated into a bear snout with a wet black nose. And she grew big, big, and bigger still.”  
  • While in her Guardian form, Plum discovers that she can enhance the other Guardian’s powers. In addition, her antlers can “glow like a torch.” When Plum uses her power, her “antlers thrummed like a pure note played on a piano. I could feel the electric tingle run through me, through Cherry, through Hetty, through each of us.” 
  • Master Em has the power of intuition and can see into the future. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

The Terror of the Southlands

Hilary Westfield is a pirate. In fact, she’s the Terror of the Southlands. She’s daring, brave, fearless, and . . . in a rut. Okay, maybe Hilary hasn’t found any treasure lately. And maybe she isn’t fighting off as many scallywags as she’d like. But does that mean she and her loyal crew deserve to be kicked out of the ranks of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (VNHLP)? 

There is only one thing to do—find a daring mission worthy of her fearless reputation. With the help of her first mate Charlie, finishing school friend Claire, and a self-proclaimed intrepid gargoyle, Hilary sets sail on a swashbuckling expedition that may or may not involve a kidnapped Enchantress, bumbling inspectors, a mysterious group called the Mutineers, and—the most terrifying of all—a high Society ball. 

To prove herself worthy of being a pirate, Hilary sets off on another fast-paced adventure with her friends Charlie and Claire. The three must follow the clues to find the missing Enchantress, Miss Pimm. This is complicated because while Charlie may not be afraid of walking the plank, he is afraid of Claire. Miss Pimm’s disappearance adds mystery to the story while Charlie’s fear of girls adds humor. The two plots converge to show the importance of supporting your friends through thick and thin. 

The Terror of the Southlands brings back most of the characters from the first book, Magic Marks the Spot. However, several new and interesting characters are added to the cast. While Hilary’s focus is on being bold and daring, she also must navigate the complications of friendships, especially when there are disagreements. While the pirate elements of the story add excitement, the friendship element makes the story relatable. Through Hilary and her crew’s experiences, readers will see that pirates may not always follow the rules, but that doesn’t make them villains. While the true villains in the story are predictable, readers will still cheer when Hilary and her friends thwart their evil plans.  

The book includes the Gargoyle’s memoir, which recaps the backstory of the series. Despite this, The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series is a continuous story that should be read in order. To help readers keep apprised of the inspector’s investigation, additional information is given in the form of reports written by the queen’s inspectors. While the reports do contain important information, the queen’s inspectors are portrayed as bumbling fools, which adds to the story’s humor.  

Adventure-seeking readers will enjoy following Hilary and her crew as they take to the high seas in search of the Enchantress. The story’s humor and suspense will keep readers engaged until the very end. The story concludes with an enjoyable epic battle between the pirates and the villains. One fun aspect of the conclusion is that each character has a unique quality that makes them special. For instance, Hilary’s mother uses her skill as a hostess to get guests out of harm’s way, while Claire discovers her extraordinary ability to use magic, allowing her to vanquish the mutineers. In the end, Hilary proves that she is indeed bold and brave enough to be a pirate, even when she is wearing a dress that makes her look like a cabbage.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Someone shoots cannonballs at Hilary’s boat, Squeaker. “Then a tremendous splash drenched [Hilary] from her hat feather to her boot buckles, and the Squeaker rocked perilously from side to side. . . Another cannonball splashed in front of the ship, nearly grazing the Gargoyle’s Nest on the way down. The gargoyle yelped and buried himself as well as he could under his hat.” The other ship pulls close to the Squeaker and the ship’s occupants invite Hilary and her crew to their house.  
  • The president of the VNHLP, Captain Blacktooth, orders Hilary to abandon her quest. When Hilary refuses, Captain Blacktooth’s crew “advance toward Hilary. . . She raised her cutlass as a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder stepped in front of her. . . But the pirate didn’t back away. Instead, he swung his sword toward Hilary, clipping the end of her braid and knocking her cutlass to the floor. . .” Hilary’s governess, Miss Greyson appears and stops the pirates from hurting Hilary.  
  • When Claire tries to use magical coins, they explode. No one is injured. 
  • At the beginning of the story, Hilary’s friend Jasper disappears. Later, Jasper reveals that he was kidnapped. The villains “confiscated my sword, bound my wrists and ankles, and tied me to a rather uncomfortable palm tree. . . The pirates kept me well fed, at least.” When the pirates decided to leave the island, Jasper got out of the ropes and followed. 
  • When Miss Pimm is kidnapped, Hilary tracks her down. Miss Pimm’s “wrists and ankles were bound with thick ropes, her eyes were closed, and she was snoring softly.” She is weak, but uninjured. 
  • Miss Pimm explains, “I tried to stick [the kidnappers] to the ground with my crochet hook, and I did stop a few of them, but the others pulled the hook out of my hand. They picked me up, which must have been quite a challenge for them, since I confess I was kicking and scratching in a terribly unladylike way.” Someone hit Miss Pimm on the head and she woke to find herself tied up. 
  • While trying to sneak into a house, Hilary and her friends meet a coachman named Lewis. Before he can yell, “Hilary pulled her cutlass from her waistband and pressed the tip into Lewis’s shoulder, not hard enough to slice through his livery, but hard enough to show she meant business.” 
  • While trying to get Lewis to leave his guard post, the gargoyle “leaned toward Lewis, baring his teeth, crossing his eyes, wiggling his ears, and flapping his wings so violently. . . His snout touched Lewis’s nose, and he let out a great breath. . .” Lewis faints. 
  • While at a party, Hilary and her friends discover that the Mutineers, Mrs. Tilbury, Philomena, and Nicholas conspired to kidnap Miss Pimm so Philomena could be the next Enchantress. “Mrs. Tilbury, Philomena, and Nicholas raised their magic piece in the air. Hilary raised her cutlass. . .” Suddenly, a group of pirates crash through the windows and a fight ensues.  
  • During the fight, “Miss Greyson was using her crochet hook to blast several of them off their feet, while Claire jabbed all the guards within reach with two of her very sharp hairpins. . .” Captain Blacktooth corners Hilary. “He held his sword frighteningly close to her chin, and his expression was so fearsome that she froze. . .” Another pirate jumps in and saves Hilary. 
  • Philomena uses magic to put Claire in the air. Then Philomena begins taunting Claire. “Hilary grabbed Philomena from one side just as Charlie grabbed her from the other. They both held up their swords. . .” Philomena drops Claire, who “crashed to the floor” and “yelped in pain.” 
  • Claire stops the pirate fight when she grabs a magic item and says, “I wish all you dratted Mutineers would disappear to some horrid little deserted island and leave me alone!” Then, “with a very loud pop, Philomena (and the other villains) vanished.” The battle is described over 13 pages. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Some of the adult pirates drink Grog. 
  • At a party, some of the guests have champagne. 
  • Hilary gives Miss Greyson a cup of ginger beer. 

Language  

  • There is some name calling including sea cucumber, rogues, and slime. 
  • Drat and blast are used as exclamations frequently. 
  • “Oh, Crumbs” and “oh curses” are both used as an exclamation once. 
  • Pirates are often referred to as scallywags, scoundrels, and rapscallions.  
  • Hilary’s father, Admiral Westfield calls the Enchantress, “That Meddling Old Biddy.”

Supernatural 

  • Magical items exist. Claire tries to use a magic crochet hook to order “a tray of egg sandwiches.” Unexpectedly, a ball of light appeared and “flared up around Claire’s crochet hook so furiously that Hilary could hardly look at it. Then a tremendous bang shook the trees to their very roots, and the hook exploded.” Afterward, Claire’s fingers were red.  
  • While investigating Miss Pimm’s disappearance, Hilary uses magic to stop the queen’s inspectors. Hilary’s “cutlass floated out of its sheath and hovered in front of the inspectors, directing its point at their chest when they attempted to move. . . Hilary’s arms felt weak from the magic, and her breath was strained, but she had more than enough strength left to grin.” Hilary eventually lets the inspectors go.  
  • Hilary uses magic to pick a lock. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Pet Store Sprite

Violet and her fairy friend Sprite have to send more pixies back to the Otherworld! This time, they team up with Violet’s cousin, Leon, to stop a water sprite named Aquamarina who loves the drip, drip, drip of leaky faucets. But there’s something terribly fishy about Aquamarina’s fun and games. Can Violet stop this tricky fairy and stay out of the deep end? 

The Pet Store Sprite starts with adults worrying about five people who have gone missing. However, the story turns humorous when Violet and Sprite discover that Aquamarina has changed the people into fish. All of the people are now swimming around in a pet store’s fish tank. The fish, who have some human accessories (such as eyeglasses), add silliness to Aquamarina’s mischief. The humor is ramped up when Leon is partly turned into a fish and begins craving fish food. In the end, Aquamarina confesses to all of her misdeeds and is transported back to the Otherworld. 

Newly independent readers who love fairies and magic will enjoy the Pixie Tricks Series. The story uses easy-to-read text and a fast-paced plot with lots of fairy mischief. Black and white illustrations appear on every page, which will help readers visualize the characters and understand the plot. For example, when a character is under Aquamarina’s spell, his eyes have stars in them and he has a blank expression.  

Readers will giggle their way through The Pet Store Sprite. Unlike the gremlin who appeared in the previous book, Aquamarina isn’t mean or cruel and she only changes people into fish to protect her identity so she can stay in the human world. And this time, Sprite and Violet don’t send the water sprite back to the Otherworld by tricking her. Instead, when Leon accidentally breaks the fish tank, Aquamarina lands on dry ground, which sends her home.  

The book’s only flaw is that Sprite is seen as an ineffective fairy, who doesn’t come up with a solution to the problem. Despite this, readers will find The Pet Store Sprite a lot of fun to read. Readers who want to step away from mischievous fairies and spend some time with a group of sweet fairies should instead check out the Candy Fairies Series by Helen Perelman.  

Sexual Content  

  • None

Violence  

  • Violet’s aunt says, “Five people have disappeared in the last few days. . . Each one of them was near a lake, a pool, or a pond when they vanished!” Later, the reader learns that Aquamarina has turned the people into fish. Aquamarina tells Sprite, “Five humans saw me. That’s why I turned them into fish.” 
  • Leon, who is partially turned into a fish, hungers for fish food. “He tried to jump into the fish tank. But he knocked it over instead. The tank fell to the floor with a crash. Smash! The glass shattered into a million pieces, and water gushed everywhere.” The fish “flopped around on the floor.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • Aquamarina is a water sprite who lives in water and breathes underwater. She has “blue-green skin” and wears “a dress made out of fish scales. . . She almost looked like a mermaid, but she didn’t have a fishtail. Instead, she had legs and webbed feet. Her hands were webbed, too.”  
  • Violet goes into Mr. Miller’s pet store. Mr. Miller is acting strange and Violet notices “his eyes were sparking with blue lights.” Aquamarina had put him under a spell. 
  • While in the pet store, Violet’s friend Brittany gets close to a fish tank. Then, “two beams of blue-green light shot out of the tank. They zapped Brittany. Brittany’s body glowed brightly. Then she disappeared . . .” Brittany is turned into a fish. 
  • When Aquamarina tries to turn Violet’s cousin Leon into a fish, Sprite uses pixie dust to transport Violet and Leon to the parking lot. 
  • Aquamarina’s spell changes Leon partially into a fish. “Leon’s eyes were big and bulging, like fish eyes. He had shiny scales on his face. His ears looked like fins.”  
  • When Sprite needs help tricking Aquamarina, he reaches into his bag and “pulled out a glowing purple stone. The light on the stone faded. Then a picture began to appear. . . It was a woman’s face.” Queen Mab appears and tells Sprite and Violet, “You two must not give up.”  
  • When the fish tank that Aquamarina is in breaks, she “lands outside the [pet store’s] door and skidded across the sidewalk. . . a whirling tunnel of wind appeared out of nowhere. The wind scooped up Aquamarina.” Aquamarina is transported back to her world. 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

When Sal Vidón meets Gabi Reál for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared. 

On his very first day at his new school, Sal meets Gabi Reál, “student council president and obviously one of the smartest kids in school,” and Gabi is absolutely set on understanding how Sal performs some of his most difficult magic tricks.  

Sal feels a bit singled out because of his diabetes, and there are a few instances when Sal struggles to manage his blood sugar. But Sal also has a secret, he can reach into other universes. Sal explains, “We are not alone in the universe my friends . . .There are countless other universes above and beneath our own like pages in a book.” Sal has the unique ability “to see these other worlds” and access them.  

After reaching into another universe, Sal realizes, “All the holes I’d made so far usually didn’t last long . . . [This] hole wasn’t gone yet. That was bad. Until a hole was closed, there was a risk that stuff I didn’t intend to bring over from the other universe would come through on its own.” Sal and his new friend, Gabi, discover that she can also see the holes in the universe, and Sal explains, “I’d never met anyone else who could see [the holes].” Sal and Gabi team up, on a mission to learn more about how to close the holes into other universes.  

Though Hernandez’s novel centers around Sal and Gabi learning more about other universes, as well as how it impacts their universe, Sal’s diabetes is an important theme as well. Sal had to go explain his condition to the principal on the first day of school. Sal’s principal admits, “We’ve never had a student with diabetes before,” but that she will instruct her teachers to learn “how to meet [Sal’s] needs.” Readers will likely learn a great deal about diabetes and readers with diabetes will appreciate being represented by Sal.  

Readers will relate to Sal as he starts at a new school and tries to make new friends. Sal is an empathetic character who puts time and effort into his passions, one of which is magic tricks. Sal consistently makes Gabi and other characters in the book laugh when they are feeling down. Sal explains, “I started studying magic when my mami died. It was a way for me to cope with the pain and to try to take back control of my life . . . That’s why I love performing tricks now. I love to see people’s eyes fill with wonder.” Sal always does his best to make other characters feel happy, saying, “Sometimes, when [life’s] too hard, when it hurts too much, only silliness can save us. And I’m all about doing whatever it takes to help people make it to tomorrow.” 

A major theme of the story is coping with the pain of losing a loved one. Sal often reflects on how much he misses his mom. When Sal is struggling with grief, Sal’s dad reveals, “[Mami’s] death was the worst thing that’s ever happened to either of us . . . I thought my life was over when she died . . . I thought it would kill me, you know. Literally stop my heart.” And when Sal asks his dad what helped him keep going while he was grieving, Sal’s dad says, “You, mijo.” Sal and his father’s bond is a positive force throughout the novel, and they are able to support each other after the loss of Sal’s mother. Readers will learn from this novel to “trust in the people that love you,” and this will help you during the hardest times in life.  

Readers who enjoy fantasy, reading about alternate realities, or magic tricks will adore this book. Hernandez showcases a heartwarming and strong friendship between Sal and Gabi. Sal explains that he and Gabi bonded over embracing the nuances of each other’s families: “Months later, [Gabi] told me the way I had met her interesting, complicated family, pleasantly and without judgment. . . made her think I was the most mature seventh grader she had ever met.” This book discusses more sensitive topics such as grief and struggling to manage type one diabetes, but throughout the novel Sal and Gabi showcase strong friendship, humor, and kindness toward others, and in this way the book maintains an uplifting tone.  

The ending perfectly sets up the second book in the series, Sal and Gabi Save the Universe, as Gabi and Sal have used Sal’s ability to reach between universes to save Gabi’s sick, newborn brother—but they do not know what the consequences of this interference will be. Readers will be on the edge of their seats to see what happens in Sal and Gabi’s next adventure. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

 Violence  

  • Sal encounters a bully on his first day at school. The bully, Yasmany, “slapped [Sal’s] diabetes bag out of my hands. It hit the ground with a glassy crunch. My stomach crunched right along with it.” Yasmany does eventually apologize to Sal.  
  • Sal and Gabi discover that Yasmany has run away from home because he feels unsafe. After Sal and Gabi help him and take him to eat and stay with Gabi’s family, Sal asks Gabi, “Is Yasmany’s papi a bad guy?” Gabi reveals, “The bad guy is his mom.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Sal explains a Cuban insult to Gabi, saying, “‘Sapingo’ is a classic Cuban insult. It’s basically how you tell the person whom you are insulting that they’re about as smart as a day-old skid mark.” 
  • At his previous school, the majority of students are white while Sal is Cuban. Sal says, “kids were telling me to ‘go back to brown town’ all the time.”  
  • Sal explains, “‘Cacaseca’ is the word Miami talk-show hosts use instead of BS. It literally means ‘dry poop,’ but it really means ‘Dude, your poop is so played out. Don’t try to play me with your played-out poop.’” 
  • While walking home from school, Sal is nearly hit by a car. Sal explains, “I never even flinched. Not because I am very badass or anything. I was paralyzed. Classic deer-in-headlights syndrome.”  

Supernatural 

  • When doing a magic trick, Sal reaches into another universe and creates a hole. He “made a pretty big rip in the universe inside that locker.” Because of this rip, Sal and Gabi are briefly able to see into another universe, where there is a chicken factory. But the hole does eventually close, and they go back to their own universe.  
  • Because of his ability to reach into other universes, Sal has been able to bring other versions of his Mami into his world. For instance, Sal says, “I had [brought] Mami Muerta back from the dead five times since [her death]. Six including this one.” However, Sal recognizes how each of these versions of Mami is very different from the Mami he knew as a child.  
  • After Sal uses his abilities to reach between universes to save Gabi’s sick, newborn baby brother, Gabi reveals that she thinks her brother has become “a wormhole to another universe.” This sets up the plot for the second book in the series, Sal and Gabi Save the Universe.  

Spiritual Content  

  • Sal’s classmate, Gladis, wears a necklace with an “ojo turco.” Sal explains, “An ojo turco is a piece of blue glass with a blue eyeball painted on it. People wear them on necklaces and bracelets to protect them against the evil eye.”  
  • Sal explains that Mami would “tell me stories about how a brujo [witch] could make you sick, make your cows give blood instead of milk, turn your hair white, age you in five seconds, all sorts of stuff.” 
  • When Sal takes Gabi into another universe for the first time, the people living in the other universe think Sal and Gabi are “evil spirits, or devils, or something. She says she is going to kick us in the butt three times and send us back to hell.” Sal and Gabi convince the lady from the other universe that they are “good spirits.” 
  • Even though Gabi’s newborn brother is in the NICU and does not have a positive prognosis, Gabi’s mom says, “I lost my faith for a while, too. Do you know how I got it back. . . God is just another word for ‘goodness.’ Every time we do a good thing, God grows. Inside us.” 

The Guardian Test

Plum is shocked to discover that she’s been accepted to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island, an elite school where kids learn how to transform into Guardians, which are magical creatures sworn to protect the natural world. The Guardian masters teach Plum and her friends how to communicate with animals and how to use meditation to strengthen their minds and bodies. The kids also learn to fight, so they can protect the defenseless. 

To her dismay, Plum struggles at school. While her classmates begin to transform into amazing creatures, Plum can’t even seem to magic up a single feather! If she can’t embrace her inner animal form soon, she’ll have to leave school—and lose the first group of real friends she’s ever known.  

In The Gradian Test, Plum narrates her experiences at the Guardian Academy. While there, Plum feels like an outsider who doesn’t belong at the academy. One reason Plum feels this way is because mean girl Rella looks down on her because Plus is from a farming community. Despite the teasing, Plum feels most at home working in the garden, where she talks to the worms and plants. Plum is an extremely likable character whom readers will connect with because of her insecurities and worries. 

Several times throughout the story, the book shows the importance of meditation. In Breath class, students learn to meditate, which is an essential part of transforming into the Guardian form. During class, one of the teachers, Master Sunback, says, “Let the rest of the world fall away until there is nothing left but your breathing.” This is one area that Plum has difficulty mastering because when she closes her eyes, questions begin running through her mind. However, it is only through meditation that Plum can change into her Guardian form. When Plum finally transforms, she “just felt like . . . me.”  

The story reinforces the importance of taking care of the animals and plants that have been entrusted to our care. For example, the Guardians stop a fleet of boats from overfishing because, “The coral reef near Bidibop Island is very fragile, and your fishermen were dropping anchor, destroying coral that had been growing for thousands of years. They were also overfishing, taking far too much in their nets.” While The Guardian Test doesn’t explore this topic in detail, it highlights the importance of caring for our world.  

The Guardian Test is an exciting story that takes the reader into a beautifully imaginative world. While Plum is the only character who is developed in detail, the supporting characters are interesting and readers will look forward to learning more about all of the characters in the next book in the series, Into the Shadow Mist. The plot has enough mystery and suspense to keep readers engaged while still being simple enough that the storyline is easy to follow. In addition, black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book to give readers a visual of the diverse characters and some of the animals that are unique to Lotus Island. The Guardian Test begins an exciting series that is perfect for fans of The Legend of Zelda.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • During class, Master Drew turned into “a huge muscular jaicat with an inky coat and a pair of short golden horns perched between her ears. She prowled in a slow circle around Cherry [a student] and then—before any of us could blink—she pounced on her, tackling Cherry onto her back.” Cherry is uninjured. 
  • During class, Cherry “threw herself into attacking our teacher. But Master Drew blocked every one of Cherry’s moves with speed and ease. And then, just when it seemed like Cherry was finally going to get in a kick, Master Drew grabbed her ankle and used it to flip Cherry onto the ground.”  
  • While in the forest, a leopard jumps on Plum, knocking her down. “Without even thinking, I popped my hips to knock the leopard off balance. I used my advantage to curl my knees in and push from underneath the beast. The next second I was on my feet and running.” Plum discovers that mean girl Rella is the leopard.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Plum learns to use various plants such as milkfoot and other herbs to heal ailments.  

Language  

  • Dang and heck are both used once.  
  • Rella says that Plum “probably lived in a sheep pen. At least, that’s what she smells like.”  
  • While doing defense drills, Rella and Plum are paired together. Rella says, “Come on, pig farmer. Pretend I’m a bucket of slop you can’t wait to roll in.”  

Supernatural 

  • There are “three types of Guardians: Hand, Heart, and Breath. Hand Guardians are fierce, fast and strong. . . Heart Guardians are the healers. And Breath Guardians are super chill, and they can calm people down.” 
  • Heart Guardians “have the power to mend broken bones, soothe pain, and repair damage.”  
  • The students learn how to turn into mythical creatures such as a fox bat and a gillybear. In order to transform, students need to learn how to meditate. 
  • To show the students how to transform, two Guardians “swooped their arms down, and in an instant they transformed. One became a zorahawk with broad wings and a curved beak. The other was a glister mare with a sparkling mane and powerful legs.”  
  • In a demonstration, one Guardian turns into a buttermoth and the other turns into a raccoon. “Together they knelt at the edge of one of the lotus ponds, where the sun had scorched the lotus pads a patchy brown. The raccoon placed his hand on the damaged leaves while the buttermoth fluttered her wings. Green life flowed back into the pads, healing them completely.” 
  • Two students have a dream amulet. “Parents whisper their dreams for their children into a charm or a stone and give it to them for luck.” Plum’s friend, Sam, breathes on his charm. “When he opened his hand, a soft light, like a tiny ball of starlight, glowed from the ruby gem. He held it up to my ear. I heard the faintest echoing whisper of a woman’s voice: ‘Wealth and power will flow to you like water from a rain.’” 
  • When Plum breathes on her dream amulet, Plum hears her mother’s voice. “Suddenly the white light shot straight out of the shell. It hovered like a twile-fly right in front of my face. Its light pulsed like a heartbeat.” The light leads Plum to some ancient ruins. Then, Plum “opened my fingers. The white light flickered faintly as it drifted up to my shell pendant and back inside.” Plum believes that she had been visited by her mother’s spirit.  
  • A student named Rella finds a chant written on the wall of some ruins. She uses it to transform into a leopard. The chant is “ancient magic from before the Santipapa Islands even existed.” Rella doesn’t know what the words mean, but when she says “them in the proper order, you can tap into the old magic.” When using the chants, the person feels an enormous sense of power. 
  • When Plum uses the chants, “the entire temple flooded with light. The images on the mural burst into motion. . . The tingling in my fingers surged into my arms and legs. I felt so strong like I could run to the top of the mountain or leap over trees.” While saying the chant, Plum partially transforms into her Guardian form.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Magic Marks the Spot

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors. She particularly enjoys defying authority, and she already owns a rather pointy sword. There’s only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let girls join their ranks of scourges and scallywags. 

The world believes that girls belong at Miss Primm’s Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, learning to waltz, faint, and curtsy. But Hilary and her dearest friend, the gargoyle, have no use for such frivolous lessons. They are pirates! 

To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary answers a curious advertisement for a pirate crew. Suddenly, she finds herself swept up in a seaworthy adventure that may or may not involve a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn’t exist, a rogue governess who insists on propriety, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas. 

Magic Marks the Spot is a fast-paced adventure that focuses on Hilary, a girl who longs to join the The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (VNHLP). Using the book Treasure Island as her guide, Hilary and her gargoyle set off to join a pirate crew. But before she sets sail, Hilary’s governess tracks her down and insists on joining the crew. The creative cast of characters has plenty of unique quirks that keep the story interesting. Instead of portraying pirates as dishonorable villains, Jasper, captain of the pirate ship Pigeon, is most nearly honorable: he wants to redistribute magic objects to keep high society from abusing their power.   

Adventure-loving readers will find Hilary’s travels fascinating. While there are plenty of pirate fights, the book’s humorous tone continues throughout the action-packed fight scenes. As Hilary learns to be a real pirate at last, readers will root for her as she improves her skills. The fact that Hilary is fighting her evil father, Admiral Westfield, gives each battle an even more satisfying win, especially because Admiral Westfield underestimates Hilary’s abilities and is often patronizing. In the end, Hilary proves that she is a capable pirate and becomes an important part of Jasper’s crew.    

To give readers additional information about Hilary’s world, the book includes excerpts from several newspapers including The Augusta Scuttlebutt, “where high society turns for scandal.” There are also letters and the Official VNHLP guide to help readers understand the complexities of the story. While many of the excerpts are interesting, they slow down the plot, which drags towards the middle. Despite this, most of the world-building creates a clear division between pirates and High Society and allows readers to understand the ridiculous expectations for girls. 

Jump aboard the Pigeon and take a ride into Hilary’s world where you’ll find action, adventure, and some very likable characters. Magic Marks the Spot will entertain readers with humor as it leads readers on a suspenseful trip where danger is behind every corner. Seafaring readers who want even more pirate-related action should also read Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss, Piratica by Tanith Lee, and the Starcatchers Series by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • During dinner, Claire upsets another student, who then uses magic to punish Claire. “The fish sticks on Claire’s plate started to wobble. They squirmed. . . they formed a tidy line. Hilary stared at the regiment of fish sticks in horror as, one by one, they leaped off the plate and smacked themselves against Claire’s forehead. . .By the time the assault reached its end, Claire was dripping with crumbs and smelling quite a bit like Queensport Harbor herself.”  
  • Charlie, one of the pirate crew, is a young boy whose parents were killed. “The navy sank their ship with no apologies.” Later, Claire finds out it was her father who was responsible for sinking the ship. 
  • The queen writes a letter to Admiral Westfield, telling him to take a voyage because the royal treasurer is in the infirmary. “He is confined there for the moment because, as you may be aware, he was bashed over the head with a priceless porcelain vase whilst guarding the Royal Treasury last week.” 
  • Hilary and her friends try to go into a pirate establishment, but the guard refuses to let them enter. When Hilary argues with the man “a wall of air hit Hilary hard in the stomach and sent her staggering back into the street. She landed on the cobblestones a good ten feet from the Scallywag’s Den, and Charlie crashed to the ground beside her.” 
  • Hilary’s father, Admiral Westfield, and his men board a pirate ship that Hilary and her governess are on. Hilary saw, “Miss Greyson clutching her golden crochet hook in one hand and giving a naval officer a swift kick in the pants. . . the officer sailed across the deck and splashed into the sea.” 
  • During a battle, Hilary faces off with a young officer who “was not much better at dueling than Hilary was, but several of his wild blows came dangerously close to her head. . . When the officer’s sword whizzed past her ear again, she clutched her hands to her chest, gave a dramatic gasp, and sank into a simple swoon. . .” The officer put down his sword and Hilary “leaped up and pointed her own blade at his throat.” The man jumps into the sea to escape.  
  • Another officer, Orange Mustache, swipes at Hilary. “Her left cheek stung where the officer’s sword had grazed it . . . As Hilary dodged Orange Mustache’s blade and attempted to whack him with her own, she performed several waltz steps. . . Orange Mustache stood in front of her, with his sword at her throat: he had her cornered . . . Hilary struck him in the head with a well-aimed tin of beets . . . Hilary tossed a second tin at him just to make sure he’d stay unconscious.” When the Admiral discovers that Hilary is on the ship, he orders the pirate to take her back to finishing school. He and his men then leave the ship. The battle is described over six pages. 
  • While on Gunpowder Island, a fight breaks out between Admiral Westfield and a group of pirates. “Many of them didn’t seem to care whose side they were on, and they brandished their weapons at anyone who happened to be within reach.” Hilary, Charlie, and the gargoyle use the diversion to escape and look for treasure. 
  • Miss Primm plants a fake treasure. When Hilary and her friends find the treasure, Miss Primm uses magic to restrain them. “Jasper dropped his sword as though it had burned him. Charlie reached for his own sword in response, but his arm froze in midair, and Miss Greyson muttered a pirate curse as her hand came to a halt. . .” Jasper and Miss Greyson are taken to the dungeon. Charlie and Hilary are taken back to Miss Primm’s finishing school. 
  • When Miss Primm was young, she fell in love with an honest man. Scoundrels wanted to take all Miss Primm’s treasure for themselves, so they went after Miss Primm’s love. “The scoundrels came for him when he was out in his balloon, with no protection to speak of. They conjured up a fearsome wind, and that was the end of it.” Miss Primm’s love died. 
  • Hilary, Claire, and Charlie find hidden treasure. As they debate what to do with it, Admiral Westfield appears. Charlie “grabbed a porcelain-handled letter opener from Miss Pimm’s desk and held it out like a sword as he approached Admiral Westfield. Charlie was quick, but the admiral was quicker: he lunged forward and caught hold of Charlie’s arm, twisting it backward and holding it there until Charlie yelped with pain. . .” 
  • To get help, Claire threatens to scream, but the admiral stops her with magic. “Claire opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She stood quite still for a moment, clenched her fists, and let loose a string of perfectly silent words that Hilary guessed were not at all complimentary to Admiral Westfield.”  
  • When the admiral tries to use the gargoyle’s magic, the gargoyle “sank his teeth into Admiral Westfield’s arm. . .Hilary dove headfirst into Admiral Westfield’s legs. The admiral shouted and cursed, and the three of them crashed to the floor. Charlie pinned Admiral Westfield’s feet down with his good arm, Claire grabbed Admiral Westfield’s hands. . .”

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The adult pirates occasionally drink grog. 
  • When Hilary is accepted into the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, Miss Greyson “uncorked her bottle of grog, pouring a glass for herself and a few sips for Hilary.”

Language  

  • Several times, the book refers to someone cursing. For example, Hilary’s father let out “a barrage of nautical-sounding curses.” Later he shouted, “words that were impolite even to think about in high society.” 
  • Pirates are often referred to as scallywags, scoundrels, and rapscallions. Other name-calling includes rat, scum, and fiend. 
  • Blast is used as an exclamation, but not frequently. For example, when the gargoyle bites Admiral Westfield, he yells, “What the devil? Your blasted pet rock sank his fangs into me!” 
  • Drat is used as an exclamation several times. In addition, the gargoyle says, “Would you put down that dratted coin? It’s making my ears tingle. . .” 
  • A pirate calls a group of men “idiots.” 
  • Several times, Admiral Westfield calls a woman a “meddling old biddy.”  

Supernatural 

  • One of the main characters is a magic gargoyle who has been “living on a wall for two hundred years.” The gargoyle is supposed to use his magic to protect people. 
  • Magic items are made from a substance “similar to gold” but “when a piece of magic is held in the hand, it obeys the holder’s spoken request. It is said to draw its power from the user herself, and only a few individuals are powerful enough to use it in great quantities. . .”  
  • Hilary was talking to her father, when suddenly “one of the porthole windows. . . was growing larger and larger. . . It swallowed up the surrounding windows and half the wall besides.” The glass vanishes. “Then, all at once, every drawer in the admiral’s study flew open, and every door burst from its hinges.” As Hilary and her father watch the strange events, suddenly a scroll “traveled out the enormous window and into the waiting, black-gloved hand of the tall person on the lawn. . . Then with a great shudder, the porthole window collapsed back to its proper size.” The thieves get away with the scroll.  
  • A pirate uses magic to conjure costumes to disguise his crew’s identity.  
  • Miss Greyson has a gold crochet hook that can perform magic. For example, she used her “crochet hook to summon a wind.” Later, when a pirate asks for a drink, “a silver serving tray appeared on the deck. In the center of the tray, a pink china teacup perched on a lace doily, accompanied by a small pink bowl of sugar and a small pink pitcher of milk.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

A Tale of Magic

Brystal Evergreen is a young girl who lives in the Southern Kingdom, where strict laws created by the town Justices prohibit women from becoming more than wives and mothers. Brystal and other women aren’t even allowed to read (although Brystal finds herself lost in stories of magic that her brother secretly supplies). Brystal considers herself lucky because in comparison to the other four kingdoms which punish magic users with the death penalty, the Southern Kingdom is praised for its mercy – those found practicing magic are sentenced to a life of hard labor at the miserable Bootstrap Correctional Facility. Brystal never expected to be one of them.  

When Brystal reads a magical incantation, she’s caught by the town guard and swiftly sentenced to life imprisonment by her own father, a Chief Justice. Brystal is sent to the Bootstrap Correctional Facility to be “re-educated.” The future seems bleak for Brystal until she is rescued from the academy by a mysterious woman named Madame Weatherberry, a self-proclaimed fairy who recruits Brystal to start an academy of magic. Madame Weatherberry explains to Brystal that there are two types of magic users, witches (who use dark magic for evil deeds) and fairies (magic users who use their power to do good). By creating the academy, training fairies, and using magic to help others, Madame Weatherberry wants to change the world’s perception of magic.  

Once Brystal accepts her place at the academy, she starts to develop her magic, as well as friendships with the other students. She also develops a close bond with Madame Weatherberry, although her teacher keeps disappearing for long periods to fight an evil witch called The Snow Queen whose growing power threatens to cover the world in snow.  

When Madame Weatherberry disappears, Brystal convinces the other students at the academy – her friends Lucy, Xanthous, Emerelda, Tangerina, and Skylene – to save Madame Weatherberry. The destruction of the north is devastating, shocking Brystal, but that is nothing compared to how surprised she is to discover that Madame Weatherberry and the Snow Queen are one in the same. Madame Weatherberry admits she can’t fight the Snow Queen any longer and asks Brystal to kill her, thus proving to the world that it needs good fairies to protect from evil witches. But Brystal believes that the world isn’t so black and white. Despite the evil and anger in Madame Weatherberry, Brystal chooses to see the good. Brystal says, “I’ll never understand why you chose violence as a road to peace, I’ll never understand why you chose fear as a remedy to hate, but I will not repeat your mistakes.” Brystal convinces Madame Weatherberry to keep fighting and allows her to escape. Brystal returns to her friends with a newfound determination to find a peaceful way to change the world’s perspective on magic. 

A Tale of Magic is a prequel to The Land of Stories Series that details how Brystal Evergreen later becomes Brystal Bailey, the Fairy Godmother. This story’s setting is set solely in The Land of Stories making it easier to read than The Land of Stories Series. If you’ve already read The Land of Stories Series, you should definitely check out this prequel series to learn more about the Fairy Godmother and how the Fairy Council (Brystal’s name for the coalition of fairies bringing about change) is formed. If you haven’t read either series yet, even though this book is a prequel, you should start with the Land of Stories because that book sets up the world in detail. A Tale of Magic is written under the assumption that the reader already knows what the Land of Stories is. Start with The Land of Stories to get the context you need to understand A Tale of Magic.  

A Tale of Magic is narrated by Brystal, who is an empathetic narrator. She cares deeply about others and sees the best in them even when they can’t see it themselves. Even though Brystal’s magic specialty is compassion, Brystal still has moments of anger and doubt, but these make her both relatable and realistic.  

This book’s theme may seem contradictory to Brystal’s character: rebellion. At first, Brystal is afraid to go against the path society has laid out for her. However, Brystal questions what she’s been told and aims to prove the innocence of magic, even if it means turning against the people she loves most. One of the most poignant scenes in the story is when Brystal stands in front of her father—the Justice who sentenced her to the correctional facility—and demands that he change his intolerant ways. Brystal questions her faith, her society’s criminalization of magic, and the patriarchy.  

Madame Weatherberry teaches Brystal that, “Ignorance is a choice. Hatred is a choice. Violence is a choice. But someone’s existence is never a choice or a fault, and it’s certainly not a crime.” People can choose to be intolerant, or they can choose to accept people for who they are. And Brystal chooses to support her friends no matter what. Similarly, Brystal extends this compassion to the world and Brystal ends the story determined to ensure that future generations will have a happy ending. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • In most of the kingdoms, the punishment for witchcraft is death. “In the Northern Kingdom, perpetrators and their families were put on trial and promptly burned at the stake. In the Eastern Kingdom. . . [they are] hung in the gallows. In the Western Kingdom, suspected witches and warlocks were drowned without any trial whatsoever.” 
  • When Brystal is imprisoned for practicing magic, she hears prisoners being tortured: “Bloodcurdling screams of prisoners getting whipped echoed through the halls.” 
  • At the Bootstrap Correctional Facility, the young girls are physically abused. Those who deserve worse punishment are subjected to the “dunker.” This is a well where a girl is repeatedly submerged and eventually drowned. Brystal is sent to the dunker but is saved before she is plunged into the icy water. 
  • Mrs. Edgar, one of the wardens of the Bootstrap Correctional Facility, slaps Brystal when she questions Mrs. Edgar’s perception of the Book of Faith and the nature of the Lord. Brystal said, “’What if you’re wrong about the Lord? . . . What if the Lord invented magic so people could help each other and enrich their own lives? What if the Lord thinks you’re the unholy ones for abusing people and making them believe their existence is a –’ WHACK! Mrs. Edgar slapped Brystal so hard her whole head jerked in a different direction. . . blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.” 
  • Xanthous, one of the academy students, reveals that his father beat him after coming home from the pub where he found Xanthous doing something “unspeakable.” Afterward, Xanthous sets his home on fire, and his father perished. Xanthous explains, “As he was hitting me, I became angry – really angry. I felt all this heat building up inside me like a volcano. . . next thing I knew, there was fire everywhere. . . Our house burned to the ground and my father. . . ”  
  • Emerelda, an academy student, tells a story about the Snow Queen. Emerelda says, “Many years ago, the Snow Queen was just a simple witch with a specialty for controlling the weather. One night, an angry mob found her home and killed her family.” Afterward, the Snow Queen turned evil. 
  • Brystal and her friends witness a fight between trolls and goblins. “Brystal and her classmates watched the brawl in horror—they had never seen such violence in their lives. The creatures ruthlessly bludgeoned and stabbed one another, and when their weapons gave out, they resorted to twisting noses and pulling ears.” Brystal and her friends run away before they see anyone get seriously injured. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The academy students find a bottle of “Fabubblous Fizz” when they break into Madame Weatherberry’s office. Xanthous asks, “There isn’t any alcohol in there, is there?” No one knows the answer. The students only have one sip each. It causes them to be able to blow bubbles out of their mouth. 
  • It is mentioned that Xanthous’ father beats him after coming home from the pub drunk.  

Language  

  • Heck is used twice. For example, when a witch breaks into his castle, the king of the Southern Kingdom says, “Who the heck are you?”  
  • Brystal’s friend, Lucy, plays the tambourine. When Lucy says she’s going to give up magic and go back to playing the tambourine, Brystal calls the tambourine “stupid.” 
  • Lucy insults witches by calling them “gizzard suckers.” 
  • The Snow Queen calls Brystal a “stupid, incompetent girl.” 

Supernatural  

  • In this world, magic can be used for just about everything from everyday tasks to creating storms, talking to animals, healing wounds, and more. It can also be used to turn one item into another; the possibilities are endless. 
  • Some magic users have a specialty, a type of magic or spell that they are very good at. For example, Tangerina, one of Madame Weatherberry’s apprentices, controls bees. Magic users also tend to have physical attributes that represent what they’re good at. For example, Tangerina has a beehive of orange hair that drips honey and is home to a swarm of bees.  
  • Madame Weatherberry can create storms. Her body is frostbitten due to creating powerful snowstorms. 
  • Skylene, one of Madame Weatherberry’s apprentices, controls water and has water for hair that evaporates at her feet. 
  • Madame Weatherberry has a magical carriage made of gold that is pulled by unicorns. Inside, there are plants that produce berries in every color of the rainbow. Madame Weatherberry can make the carriage into a brooch for easy transportation, which she does occasionally throughout the story. 
  • Xanthous, an academy student, controls fire. His power is hard to control, so Madame Weatherberry gives him a medal called a Muter Medal, which allows him to suppress his abilities.  
  • The castle that is home to the academy is magical and expands as needed. When new students arrive, a new bedroom grows in the castle. Madame Weatherberry explains, “The castle grows extra bedrooms based on the number of residents and designs the chambers around the occupant’s specific needs.” For example, Brystal’s room is a library, while Xanthous’ room is fireproof. 
  • A few magical creatures, such as goblins, gryphons, and unicorns, are mentioned in the story.  
  • Horence, a knight who protects the school grounds, is a spirit that can’t speak and rides a three-headed horse. Madame Weatherberry tells Brystal a story of how Horence was created. “Horence was in love with a witch. . . after he was murdered, the witch used witchcraft to bring him back to life. The spell was so dark and vile, the witch died in the process.” 
  • Brystal finds a Tree of Truth that can answer any question. The tree can speak to Brystal in her mind. 

Spiritual Content  

  • The Southern Kingdom’s religion comes from the Book of Faith. The religion is not described in detail but there is a “God” or “Lord” that is referred to occasionally with phrases like, “By God” and “God have mercy.”  
  • Brystal reads in a banned book that the Book of Faith has been rewritten many times to fit lawmakers’ political agendas. “If the Book of Faith was as pure as the monks claim it is, there would be no need to amend it or publish versions over time. However, if you compared a current Book of Faith to one from a hundred years ago, you would discover vast differences between the religion of today and the religion of yesterday.” The book says that the law and faith should be separate, but the Justices of the Southern Kingdom have made the Book of Faith and the law the same, thus “any activity or opinion that questions the government is a sin… The Book of Faith no longer reflects the Lord’s will, but the will of men who use the Lord as a tool to manipulate their people.” 
  • Brystal prays to God by saying, “Please, God, I need more than just faith to keep going. . .”  
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