Science – Page 2 – Sneak Peek Books

Cece Loves Science and Adventure

Cece and her Adventure Girl group are going on a camping trip. Cece has packed everything including the marshmallows. Her friends, Caroline and Daisy, help set up a tent. Once that is complete, Cece’s mom and the three friends go on a nature hike. They see all sorts of interesting things like a twisty oak tree and a fork in the path. Cece uses her camera to take lots of pictures.

A sudden rainstorm surprises the girls, but they’re prepared. They make a shelter out of their rain ponchos. When Cece’s mom loses her cellphone signal, the girls use the pictures that Cece took to make a map. Soon they are back at camp! The Adventure Girls are excited that they earned their camping pin.

Cece wants to make sure she is extra prepared for the camping trip, so she uses two lists—Adventure Girls Camping Checklist and Cece’s Camping Checklist. As the girls go on their adventure, they also use a list to make sure they are able to earn their camping pin. While on the camping trip, the girls have fun and have to use math to build a tent, figure out how far away a storm is, and find out how far they are from their camp.

Several times, Cece thinks about what her teacher, Ms. Curie, has taught her in class. While the story has some scientific facts, the lessons seem rushed and have little detail. For example, when a storm approaches, Cece thinks about the different types of clouds, which are identified in a thought bubble. The story quickly moves on, without teaching more about clouds. In addition, Cece and her friends are able to use pictures to create a map back to their campsite, which is unrealistic.

While the story’s plot is not as well developed as the first book in the series, younger readers will enjoy seeing Cece and her friends work together to solve problems. While the science is kid-friendly, younger readers will need help reading the text-heavy pages because of the complex sentence structure and difficult vocabulary such as Mississippi, cumulus, and gnome.

Cece Loves Science and Adventure uses an easy-to-understand format and brightly colored, full-page illustrations to engage students. Several of the illustrations show the math problems that the girls are trying to figure out. The illustrations highlight the characters’ facial expressions which helps readers understand their emotions. The story ends with a STEM Pin Worksheet that shows how the camping trip meet the requirements to earn a STEM Adventure Girl pin. A two-page glossary appears at the back of the book.

The Cece Loves Science Series introduces young readers to science in a fun and educational way. Each story makes science fun and shows the importance of working together. With supportive adults, a diverse group of characters, and an adorable dog, Cece Loves Science and Adventure will entertain and educate readers.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

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Dragons vs. Unicorns

Kate the Chemist is a ten-year-old science problem solver. There’s no problem Kate can’t fix. When her best friend, Birdie, is cast as the lead unicorn in their school’s musical, Dragons vs. Unicorns, and Kate is chosen to be the assistant director, they agree this is going to be the best musical EVER! Kate is a natural assistant director; like all good scientists, she’s smart and organized, but she also comes up with great ideas. But when everything starts going wrong with the musical and Kate realizes someone is sabotaging the show, will her special science sleuthing skills help save the day—and the show?

Dragons vs. Unicorns blends chemistry with a drama production. The story is told from Kate’s point of view, which allows readers to understand Kate’s emotions as well as her love of chemistry. While Kate has interests besides chemistry, she compares everything to science, which may frustrate readers who don’t love science.

Readers who were expecting a book about dragons and unicorns will be disappointed because the mythological creatures never appear in the book. Instead, some of the characters will be dragons or unicorns in the school play. However, the play allows Kate to use science to make it appear as if the dragons are breathing fire. The story focuses on science and also incorporates life lessons about getting along with others and the importance of listening. At one point, Kate’s best friend is honest with her and tells her, “you do get stuck in your own head and don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you.”

The short chapters all begin with definitions of science words such as thermal shocks, vapor, and protocol. Simple black and white illustrations appear every 1 to 3 pages. While the illustrations help break up the text, they will not help readers understand the plot or visualize the characters. The book ends with instructions on how to make unicorn glue. Even though the book includes some other experiments, Biberdorf warns readers not to perform them without adult supervision.

Readers who love all things science will enjoy Dragons vs. Unicorns. However, readers who are not interested in science might find the focus on science a little overwhelming. Dragons vs. Unicorns highlights the importance of trying new things and listening to others. However, the only character that is developed is Kate. The story would have benefited from having Kate interact with her peers more. Dragons vs. Unicorns is an entertaining book that will get readers thinking about how science is used in their daily lives. Readers who would like to mix a little fantasy and science will also enjoy the Zoey and Sassafras Series by Asia Citro.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“Holy jeans” is used as an exclamation one time.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Newton’s Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist

Famed for his supposed encounter with a falling apple that inspired his theory of gravity, Isaac Newton (1642–1727) grew from a quiet and curious boy into one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton’s Rainbow tells the story of young Isaac—always reading, questioning, observing, and inventing—and how he eventually made his way to Cambridge University, where he studied the work of earlier scientists and began building on their accomplishments.

When a bubonic plague outbreak interrupted his formal schooling in 1665, he made discoveries that illuminated the mysteries of gravity, motion, and even rainbows—giving mankind a new understanding of the natural world that changed science forever.

While most people recognize Isaac Newton’s name, they do not know how extraordinary his discoveries were. Newton’s Rainbow details many of Newton’s experiments, including when he made a mouse-powered mill. “Isaac attached a string to a mouse’s tail and put the mouse on a treadmill. When he tugged on the string, the mouse ran.” Readers who love science will be intrigued by Newton’s experiments.

Newton studied many great men who came before him including Aristotle, Plato, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei. The book includes a one-paragraph biography of both Galileo and Kepler. As Newton studied these great men, he also conducted experiments to prove or disprove a hypothesis. While the story of an apple falling on Newton’s head was not true, Newton was able to develop the theory of gravitation. He also developed calculus and his theories became the basics for modern physics.

Newton’s Rainbow is a picture book that has large full-colored illustrations that show Newton’s activities and experiments. However, the book will need to be read by an adult because of the text-heavy pages and the difficult vocabulary. Some difficult words, such as philosophy and chamber pot, are defined in the text. While the book does an excellent job of explaining Newton’s impact on today’s world, Newton’s Rainbow may not appeal to young readers. However, the book would be an excellent resource for a research paper.

Newton’s Rainbow will help readers understand Newton’s contributions to math and science. Readers who love science should add Newton’s Rainbow to their must-read list. However, highly active children may find it difficult to sit through a reading of the book. To introduce young readers to science, parents should read these books to their children: Questioneers Collection by Andrea Beaty and the Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

At school, Newton was often bullied. But then, “he beat up the school bully in a fight—even though the bully was much bigger.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Newton lived with an apothecary, who made medicines. “One required the patient to drink a mixture of mint, the bitter herb wormwood, and three hundred headless millipedes ‘well beaten with ale.’”
While at Cambridge, Isaac’s first roommate “liked to go to pubs and parties throughout the night.”

Language

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Supernatural

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Spiritual Content

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Cece Loves Science

Cece loves to ask questions which is one reason she is so excited when her teacher, Ms. Curie, assigns a science project. Cece and her best friend Isaac both love zoology, so they decide to find out if dogs eat vegetables, and Cece’s dog Einstein will be the perfect test subject.

Cece and Isaac give Einstein different vegetables, but he refuses to eat them, even when they are covered with ketchup and bacon. Then Cece gets a great idea! Einstein loves bananas. Would Einstein eat vegetables if she made a vegetable and banana smoothie?

Both Cece’s parents and teacher encourage Cece to ask questions and then investigate to discover the answer. While in school, Ms. Curie introduces four famous scientists as well as different types of science. When Ms. Curie assigns the science project, Cece and Isaac use the scientific method which includes brainstorming, observing, and experimenting with different variables. The two friends use Ms. Curie’s Science Project Worksheet to document their experiment. The project worksheet appears throughout the story, which helps readers understand Cece and Isaac’s process.

Cece Loves Science introduces young readers to the scientific method in an easy-to-understand format. The brightly colored, full-page illustrations show Cece and Isaac in action. The illustrations highlight the characters’ facial expressions which helps readers understand their emotions. Readers will laugh at Einstein’s antics as he tries to avoid eating vegetables. The story’s text and illustrations expertly combine into an engaging format that will capture readers’ attention.

Even though Cece Loves Science is educational, the information is integrated into the story’s plot and never feels like a school lesson. While the science is kid-friendly, younger readers will need help reading the text-heavy pages because of the complex sentence structure and difficult vocabulary such as interpret, investigate and guarantee. Even though Cece Loves Science has more text than the average picture book, the fun science project will keep readers interested until the very end.

The supportive adults, diverse characters, and fun experiments make Cece Loves Science a must-read book. A two-page glossary appears at the back of the book. The glossary explains the scientists introduced in the story as well as defines science words. Cece’s curiosity is contagious, and her story will spark readers’ interest in science. After reading Cece Loves Science readers will be eager to try an experiment of their own. For more science fun, readers should check out the Ada Twist Series by Andrea Beaty, which includes both picture books and chapter books.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

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A is for Astronaut: Blasting Through the Alphabet

Retired astronaut Clayton Anderson takes readers on an A to Z flight through the alphabet from astronaut and blastoff to spacewalk and Zulu Time. Topics cover science, the history of NASA, and practical aspects of being an astronaut. In addition, A is for Astronaut has other astronaut facts that books usually overlook—such as how astronauts take out the trash while in space!

Even though younger readers may not understand all of the scientific information in A is for Astronaut, this picture book will captivate readers of all ages. Each letter has a fun poem paired with longer expository text. The main text appears in the form of a rhyming poem. Most pages have a sidebar that explains more about each topic. These sidebars have 2-3 paragraphs that use some difficult vocabulary. For younger readers, the poem will give enough information without reading the sidebars, while older readers will enjoy the additional tidbits in the sidebars.

The illustrations in A is for Astronaut are so beautiful that they would make gorgeous pictures to hang on the wall! The full-page illustrations use a kaleidoscope of color to show the beauty of space and the wonder of space travel. For example, one picture shows a child’s face, clearly captivated by a space shuttle launch which is reflected in the child’s sunglasses. Each illustration has beautiful details that show different aspects of space flight such as the planets, the astronauts, and the people on earth. While most illustrations focus on planets and astronauts in space suits, the pictures include a diverse group of men and women which will allow all readers to picture themselves in a space-related career.

Every child should read A is for Astronaut because the text and illustrations combine to show the wonder of space flight. For those who do not already love science or space, A is for Astronaut will provide a basic understanding of space flight. But more importantly, the book might just spark readers’ interest in space flight, the planets, or a career in science.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier

The United States may have put the first man on the moon, but it was the Soviet space program that made Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in space. It took years for the U.S. to catch up, but soon NASA’s first female astronauts were racing past milestones of their own. The trailblazing women of Group 9, NASA’s first mixed-gender class, had the challenging task of convincing people that a woman’s place is in space. But the women soon discovered that even NASA had a lot to learn about making space travel possible for everyone.

Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier follows Mary Cleave and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, among others. Many people, including Valentina’s own mother, didn’t think women were capable of becoming astronauts. Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier takes a humorous look at the gender stereotypes that women astronauts had to overcome. For example, as the first American woman in space, Sally Ride faced great pressure from the media.

Once NASA allowed women to train as astronauts, men realized women were capable of completing difficult tasks. Despite their differences, every astronaut works as a team to complete essential tasks. When Mary finally went into space, she talks about the beauty of space as well as some of the difficult aspects of space flight, such as how difficult it is to use the bathroom with no gravity. While the book has some lighter moments, it also reminds readers, “when you made a serious mistake in this job, it cost lives. We’ve lost three crews: Apollo 1 in 1967, Challenger in 1986, and Columbia in 2003.”

Even though Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier is a graphic novel, it packs a lot of history into a short amount of text. Since the text rarely uses people’s names, keeping track of the huge cast of characters is difficult. The back of the book has several pages with pictures of different astronauts, but these pages do not include names. Younger readers may become frustrated by the difficult space language as well as the unique font that is used when the Russians speak. One example of a complicated sentence is when Mary said, “That’s because of the 1X resolver’s IMU BITE, we needed a GNC spec 1on CRT 2.”

Strong readers who have a love of history and space will enjoy being introduced to space history, astronaut training, and life in space. The often humorous artwork excellently shows the characters’ feelings through facial expressions. Most pages contain two types of text. The characters’ words are shown in white quote bubbles, while the narrator’s thoughts and basic information appear in the square, blue boxes. Each page contains 2-13 complex sentences.

Even though Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier focuses on women, the graphic novel will appeal to both girls and boys. In the end, the book shows that with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, anyone can become an astronaut. The last panel shows a diverse group of women who are the “future astronauts.” Everyone who dreams of going into space should read Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

When Mary interviewed for NASA, she was nervous so she tried to be funny. After she got the job, she says, “I didn’t have a beer just before going to John Young’s office for my first assignment.”
When they first get to space, some astronauts take ScopeDex which is an anti-nausea drug.

Language

During a test, one of the astronauts says, “good lord, doc.”
When Mary joined NASA, “I got one more welcome gift. Nicknames, thanks to my assignments and my degree. Sometimes my fellow astros called me ‘Sanitary Fairy,’ sometimes ‘Crap Com.’”
“Oh God” and “my God” are both used once. When Mary looked at the earth from space, she says, “My god.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

While the astronauts were getting ready to go into space, someone prays, “Dear Lord, don’t let these guys screw up.”

The Sky is Full of Stars

On a clear, dark night, go outside and look at the stars. They may all look alike to you at first. But soon you will notice differences. Some stars are brighter than others, some have colors and some stars even seem to form pictures. You can find these constellations whatever the season and wherever you live if you just know where to look for them.

Anyone who wants to learn more about stars should read The Sky is Full of Stars. The illustrated book shows a diverse group of kids and a cat, who all decide to go stargazing. Not all of the pages have illustrations. However, many pages have an illustration and include 2-5 sentences. The book explains not only what the constellations are, but also the history behind them. The book has many illustrations of the night sky that show constellations. The Sky is Full of Stars’ illustrations also include some fun elements such as a cat that appears in many of the illustrations.

The Sky is Full of Stars includes directions for an art project that will allow readers to create their own constellation. The book is packed full of interesting information that is presented in a kid-friendly manner. Through both text and illustrations, readers will learn how to find the constellations in the night sky and understand why stars move.

Readers will enjoy learning both the history and the science behind the stars. Readers may have difficulty pronouncing the stars’ names. The book explains that “some of the names of stars sound strange to us. That is because they are not English words. Hundreds of years ago the Arabs and Persians named many of the stars. Today we still use many of those names.” The Sky is Full of Stars is designed for primary-grade readers who are ready to explore more challenging concepts. The Sky is Full of Stars uses an entertaining format that helps readers understand more about science.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Spaceman (Adapted for Young Readers): The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut

From the time he was seven years old and saw Apollo 11 land on the moon, Mike Massiamo dreamed of becoming an astronaut. But Long Island is a long way from space. Kids like him, growing up in working-class families, seldom left the neighborhood. But with the encouragement of teachers and mentors, Mike ventured down a path that took him to Columbia University and MIT.

It wasn’t easy. There were academic setbacks and disappointments aplenty—and NASA turned him down three times. Still, Mike never gave up. He rose to each challenge and forged ahead, inching closer to realizing his boyhood dream. His love of science and space, along with his indomitable spirit and sense of teamwork eventually got him assigned to two missions to fix the Hubble Space Telescope as a spacewalker.

Growing up, Mike didn’t know anyone who could tell him how to become an astronaut. “There was no science club at school where we could build and launch rockets. None of my friends were into space; it was something I did on my own. I had my spaceman costume, my Astronaut Snoopy and my library books, and that was it.” However, Mike learned that “being the smartest isn’t always the most important trait in school or in life; working hard, having a positive attitude, and getting help when you need it can be more important.” Mike chronicles his life’s failures, his successes, and the people who help him along the way.

Mike tells his story as if he were sitting down to coffee with a friend. His conversational tone and plenty of life lessons make his story even more interesting. He doesn’t leave out the difficult decisions he had to make, or the mistakes he made along the way. Mike says, “I don’t know if there are any lessons to take from this except to realize that the things you think are mistakes may turn out not to be mistakes. . . if you make the most of what you’ve got, you can find a way to keep moving forward.” In the end, what makes Mike stand out is his determination to find a way to overcome life’s obstacles.

Throughout Mike’s journey, he shows how people at MIT and NASA work together as a team. People helped Mike not to get something out of it, but “because that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s how a team works. You help the people around you, and everybody’s better off for it.” Despite receiving help from others, Mike didn’t always know what to do, and he wasn’t always confident in his abilities.

Many of the lessons in Spaceman are told in such a matter-of-fact way, that it sounds like advice from a big brother. Mike reminds readers that, “If you get caught up worrying about things you can’t control, you’ll drive yourself crazy and waste valuable time. It’s better to focus on the things right in front of you that you can control.” Throughout his time at NASA, Mike’s experiences changed his perspective. To Mike, one important aspect of space travel is that “every person who goes to space, every person who gets to peek around the next corner, is someone with the potential to help change our perspective, change our relationship with the planet, change our understanding of our place in the universe.”

While Spaceman is full of encouraging advice, life lessons, and interesting anecdotes, younger readers may have a difficult time understanding the significance of Mike’s experiences. The ending’s pace is slow and uneventful because it explains how the termination of the space program affected Mike. However, anyone who loves space should read Spaceman. In addition, high school readers would greatly benefit from reading Spaceman because Mike shows how hard work and determination can help a person fulfill their dreams.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

When Mike went to work for NASA, he loaded up his car and “prayed I didn’t break down in the backwoods of Appalachia along the way.”
When Mike interviewed for a job as an astronaut, he worried that he couldn’t pass the eye exam. He “was praying for something so far out of my control that I could throw up my hands and say, ‘Well, that’s life. Nothing I can do.’”
When Mike reapplied to be an astronaut, he “prayed I’d be ready in time.”

Dragons and Marshmallows

Zoey discovers a glowing photo in her mother’s bedroom and her mother shares an amazing secret. Zoey’s mother has been helping injured animals who come to their backyard barn for help. Since her mom is going on a trip, it’s up to Zoey to keep watch on the magical photo for any animals that appear. But when a baby dragon appears, Zoey isn’t sure how to help. With the help of Sassafras, Zoey’s cat, Zoey must figure out what is wrong with the dragon. Will they be able to help the little dragon before it’s too late?

Dragons and Marshmallows will appeal to younger readers and parents. Zoey is an adventurous, bug-loving girl who uses science to solve problems. The curious cat Sassafras stays by Zoey’s side and adds some humor. Even though much of the conflict revolves around helping a baby dragon, Zoey also worries about her mom going on a trip. Zoey “felt a little nervous about not seeing her for a whole week.”

Little Marshmallow, an adorable magical dragon, is weak and must rely on Zoey for help. Zoey jumps right in and documents her experience in her science journal. In order to help Little Marshmallow, Zoey reads books that have fun reptile facts. After learning about reptiles, Zoey comes up with a hypothesis and makes a list of necessary materials. When Zoey writes in her science journal, the font changes to a large, kid-like font and occasionally uses illustrations. One of the best aspects of the story is that Zoey does not succeed the first time; instead, she makes mistakes and must use trial and error before she succeeds in helping the dragon.

Zoey’s adventure is shown through large black and white illustrations that appear on almost every page. Sassafras appears in many of the pictures, and clearly loves bugs just as much as Zoey. At one point, Zoey tells Sassafras, “I do not trust you out here with my bugs. My new little friends are not a snack!” Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, plenty of dialogue, and a simple plot, Dragons and Marshmallows is accessible to most readers.

Dragons and Marshmallows combines magical animals, a relatable character, and the scientific method into an entertaining story that children will love. Zoey and Sassafras will not only entertain readers but also teach important lessons along the way. Readers will learn about reptiles, the importance of eating healthy foods, and perseverance. The end of the book has a glossary that explains unfamiliar terms. Even though Zoey and Sassafras is a series, the books do not need to be read in order. Readers who want more magical animal fun will also enjoy The Last Firehawk Series by Katrina Charman.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A frog told Zoey’s mom that “he’d been out past dark looking for something he’d dropped during the day. An owl attacked him. He was terrified and hurt, but managed to escape.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

When Zoey’s mother was a child, she found an injured frog. When she helped it, “the frog looked me in the eye, smiled, and said, ‘Thank you!’” The frog told other magical animals that Zoey’s mom would help them if they were injured.
Not everyone can see the magical animals. Zoey’s mom explains that the picture of the magical frog glows “because of the magic. Any time you photograph a magical creature, some of the magic stays in the photo.”

Spiritual Content

None

Goldie Blox and the Best! Pet! Ever!

Bloxtown is hosting a pet pageant and the winner gets to name the new animal shelter. Goldie’s friend Li wants to name the animal shelter “Dr. Zhang Animal Shelter” after his grandmother. To help Li, Goldie, and her dog, Nacho, enter the contest. Even though Nacho spends his time napping and chasing his tail, Goldie is confident that she and her friends can teach Nacho everything he needs to know in order to win the contest.

When rich and snobby Zeek Zander enters the contest, Goldie is even more determined to win. Zeek doesn’t like pets and wants to call the shelter “Flea Bag Hotel for Ugly Dogs.” With the help of Zeek’s Butler Phone, Zeek sets out to get the best pet and win the race. Will Goldie and her friends be able to teach Nacho to follow commands? Will they be able to beat Zeek?

Goldie and her friends turn to engineering in order to get Nacho to run an obstacle course and follow commands. However, Nacho is more interested in sleeping and eating. In order to help Nacho get ready for the contest, Goldie and her friends make many gadgets, such as a tuxedo programmed to music. Younger readers will giggle at Nacho’s response to the gadgets and his crazy antics.

Goldie and her friends demonstrate positive friendship traits. One morning Goldie discovers Nacho missing. Her friends quickly jump in to help find Nacho. Ruby uses a drone to help find Nacho. However, Ruby used questionable methods to obtain the drone. Ruby says, “I may have borrowed one from HiBo Prep. And I may have hacked the system. And I may need you to keep it secret.” At another point in the story, Goldie enters a contest and she doesn’t win first place. But that doesn’t stop her from celebrating. The story emphasizes that winning a contest doesn’t make Goldie a winner. Instead, Goldie celebrates because “We built an awesome go-cart and had an amazing race. It was so much fun!”

Goldie Blox and the Best! Pet! Ever! will appeal to younger readers because of its humor. The story introduces readers to the idea of engineering; however, the story doesn’t explain the process that goes into making gadgets. The story is accessible to younger readers because it uses easy vocabulary, short paragraphs, and cartoonish black and white illustrations that appear every three to five pages. Goldie and her friends demonstrate positive traits such as perseverance and working together. Readers who want to delve into more books that mix science and humor should put The Data Set Series by Ada Hopper on their must-read list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Zeek calls Goldie and her friends losers.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Project Middle School

Eleven-year-old Hope is excited to start JFK Middle School and be in advanced classes. However, Hope is nervous because for the first time, she won’t be in the same class as her best friend, Sam. When Hope heads to her first class, she discovers that middle school may be harder than she thought.

Hope makes her first embarrassing blunder in science. She makes her second embarrassing mistake in Spanish. When she goes to science club, Hope becomes frustrated because the boys don’t listen to any of the girls. That’s all just on the first day.

Hope may know a lot about science and her favorite superhero, Galaxy Girl, but that may not be enough to survive middle school. Can Hope navigate homework problems, changing friendships, and prove girls can do anything?

Hope has relatable problems that every middle school student can understand. She struggles to make friends, has embarrassing moments, and gets frustrated that others do not always listen to her and the other girls in the science club. In order to prove girls can do anything, Hope takes on more work than she can handle, which causes a colossal disaster. In the end, Hope and her peers are able to “acknowledge that failure is a key ingredient in success. Great scientists make mistakes all the time, and that’s how they learn and grow.”

Project Middle School is told from Hope’s point of view and focuses on both her home and school life. Even though the story has relatable conflicts, the story’s flow is choppy. Several of the events felt like they were incorporated to prove a point instead of being a natural extension of the story. For example, Hope asks a Latinx classmate if Spanish is her superpower. Hope then realizes that she shouldn’t make assumptions about other people.

Middle school readers will enjoy Project Middle School, which is told from Hope’s point of view. The story uses easy vocabulary and cartoon-like black and white illustrations. Large illustrations appear on almost every page. JFK Middle School’s students are diverse. The story teaches valuable lessons about not making assumptions and apologizing. The story illustrates that every voice counts. Despite this, Hope doesn’t have a clear voice and her story is bland. Even though Project Middle School isn’t a memorable story, middle school readers will understand Hope’s struggles as well as learn positive life lessons. Readers who enjoy Project Middle School should add You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly to their reading list.

Sexual Content

During class, Hope accidentally reads the wrong page from the science textbook. She reads to the class, “The mating habits of fruit flies will be the main subject of this selection.”

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Darn is used once.
OMG is used as an exclamation four times. For example, when Hope’s friend sees her in the school hallway, the friend says, “OMG, Hope! I was just thinking about you.”
Hope calls her dogs “little fluff butts” twice.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

When Hope goes up to the whiteboard, she was “praying no sweat marks are visible under my arms.”

In the Spotlight

Ellie’s best friend Kit loves to be in pageants. Kit wants to share the pageant experience with Ellie. Ellie is excited to spend time with Kit and meet new friends. Plus, Ellie has plenty of engineering ideas to help the other contestants with their acts, like building a light-up skateboard ramp for Kit.

One contestant, Kit’s not-so-nice pageant rival Melody, makes fun of Ellie’s tool belt and thinks engineering isn’t “ladylike.” Then Melody’s rabbit—part of her talent act—goes missing. Ellie knows she can build a contraption to catch him, but will Melody’s attitude make Ellie doubt that engineering has a place in the pageant?

In the Spotlight begins with several of Ellie’s engineering plans and sketches. Each sketch explains engineering ideas in a kid-friendly manner. The beginning of the story is slow, but once Ellie and Kit begin their pageant activity the pace picks up and has several positive life lessons. At first, Ellie is fearful that others will not appreciate her engineering talents, but her love of engineering and her knowledge of electricity and circuits refuses to be quelled. Through Ellie’s experiences, readers will learn to appreciate people’s different skills.

At first, mean girl Melody comes across as stereotypically selfish. However, as the story progresses her character becomes more well-rounded. Even though Melody is mean to Ellie and Kit, instead of being mean in return, both girls show Melody kindness. Kit believes that “sometimes it’s more important to be nice than to be right.” Because of the girls’ kindness, Melody realizes that her cruel behavior was wrong. Kit and Ellie also learn how forgiveness can be a path to friendship.

The story contains some fun illustrations of Ellie’s sketches; however, the story is text-heavy, which might make the story daunting for some readers. The story’s plot is easy to understand and vocabulary isn’t difficult, but the sentence structure is complex. Strong female characters, important life lessons, and positive adult interactions make the Ellie, Engineer a series worth reading. Ellie, Engineer would be an excellent choice for more advanced readers or to read aloud with a parent. Even though In the Spotlight is the third book in the series, the books do not need to be read in order.

Instead of being a stereotypical beauty pageant story, In the Spotlight is a cute story of friendship and accepting yourself. With realistic conflicts, engaging characters, In the Spotlight teaches life lessons along with electricity. Readers who enjoyed In the Spotlight should also try the Girls Who Code Series and Rosie Revere and The Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Melody calls someone a weirdo.
One of the characters repeats their tee-ball coach who says, “Don’t get distracted! Stop scratching your butt!”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist

Jada is hosting her first sleepover and she has lots of cool scientific activities planned: kitchen chemistry, creating invisible ink, and even making slime! But when her friends get tired of the lessons and just want to hang out, can Jada figure out the formula for fun and save the sleepover?

Jada wants to combine her favorite things: science and her friends. She’s even more excited when her best friend who moved away shows up for the sleepover. But in her excitement to plan her perfect party, Jada forgets that not everyone loves the same thing. Soon all of the girls want to go home and Jada, with the help of her mother, learns to listen to other’s opinions.

Anyone who loves science will love Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist, which has kid-friendly science experiments as part of the story. Throughout the story, Jada’s family plays a positive role and Jada includes her brother, even when she doesn’t want to. When Jada’s brother accidentally makes a mess, Jada’s friends don’t throw a fit—instead, they pitch in and help clean up the mess. Like the previous books in the series, Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist has relatable characters, realistic conflicts, and reinforces real-life lessons.

Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has seven short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text and some complicated sentence structure. Overall, Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist is an entertaining story that has positive life lessons. Readers who enjoyed Katie Woo by Fran Manushkin or Sofia Martinez by Jacqueline Jules will also enjoy Jada Jones.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants

Ada Twist loves questions. One morning, she learns that hot coffee smells stronger than cold coffee. In a quest to find out why, she heads to the backyard to experiment with smells. Ada takes her brother’s shoes to use in her experiment. She doesn’t understand why her brother Arthur gest so cranky when he discovers his shoes are part of her experiment. As Ada is working on her theories, Uncle Ned flies by.

Uncle Ned got carried away in his helium pants. In order to help Uncle Ned, Ada must first answer a lot of questions. With help from fellow Questioneers Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere, her brother Arthur, and some new friends, Ada Twist is ready to save the day!

Ada loves to discover the answer to the myriad of questions that she has. She collects data, keeps a notebook, and brainstorms solutions with her friends. Ada uses all five senses to “gather data.” Even though the story explains science in kid-friendly terms, the number of topics might overwhelm some readers. The story explores smells, air currents, how weather vanes work, buoyance forces, and types of birds. In addition, the story explains what air is, what gases are, and what smells are.

Ada’s scientific notebook contains purple and brown illustrations that help readers understand her science experiments. In addition to Ada’s notebook, the author also includes pictures of the characters. Readers will giggle as Uncle Ned’s helium pants take him on a crazy journey. The illustrations in The Questioneers series are similar to the author’s picture books.

The text contains short, simple sentences with plenty of dialogue and onomatopoeias. Although the majority of the text is easy to read, some of the vocabulary is difficult, such as perilous, hazardous, buoyancy, overwhelmed, and reeking. Unlike the first book in the series, Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants tries too hard to incorporate science lessons. The plot is at times confusing because it jumps from topic to topic while including many of the characters from the previous books.

Readers who are just transitioning to chapter books will have difficulty with the advanced vocabulary and the confusing plot. However, readers interested in science will be completely engaged in the story. Even though Ada’s excitement takes over, her family is patient and encouraging. The story often points out the importance of asking permission before using someone else’s belongings. The end of the book has information about becoming a citizen scientist, a list of information about birds, and a poem about gas. Readers who enjoy The Questioneers series will also want to read the Ellie, Engineer series. Science lovers who aren’t ready for The Questioneers series may want to try The Data Set.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Photo Journal Mission

Cyrus’s English teacher has given the class a photo journal assignment. Cyrus isn’t sure what to put in his journaling notebook. He and his friends head to the library and talk to the librarian Ms. Gillian. In order to help Cyrus figure out what to put in his notebook, Ms. Gillian takes him and his classmates into the past to meet two historical figures that used different methods of creating notebooks that documented their area of study. When Cyrus returns to school, he uses what he learned to begin his own notebook.

A Photo Journal Mission, which is a graphic novel, features Cyrus who isn’t afraid to ask for help on a difficult assignment. The diverse cast of characters jump back into time and meet John Audubon who wrote about birds. Audubon explains how he studied nature and wrote about it in a scientific journal. Audubon explains the importance of pairing illustrations with observations. After speaking with Audubon, the group meets an English botanist Anna Atkins, who was the first person to use photographs in a book. Atkins shows how she used photosensitive paper to create her images.

The story has a lot of positive aspects—it teaches vocabulary, introduces historical figures, and has wonderful illustrations. Each page contains six or fewer easy-to-read sentences, and the plot moves at a fast pace. For those who want to learn more about keeping a research journal, the book includes a list of further resources. The full-color drawings are interesting, detailed, and have both white text bubbles that show characters’ dialogue as well as black boxes for the narration. Words that readers may be unfamiliar with are in bold text, with a glossary in the back of the book. The back of the book also contains directions for making a photo journal.

Because the story is so short and the characters and the plot are not well developed, more advanced readers will quickly become bored with the Adventures in Makerspace series. However, for readers who are just transitioning to chapter books or are reluctant readers, A Photo Journal Mission will give them a simple, entertaining story that will help them build reading skills.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

When the librarian opens a book of Birds of America, the librarian and the students poof and enter the past.

Spiritual Content

None

Jada Jones Rock Star

When fourth-grader Jada Jones’s best friend goes away, she doesn’t want to go to school. Now, Jada doesn’t have anyone to share her love of rock collecting. When the class is given a rock and minerals project, Jada misses her best friend even more. Jada is excited to share her rock knowledge with her group of three. But being in a group of three has its own problems, especially when one of her teammates doesn’t seem to like any of Jada’s ideas. Is there any way Jada and her group can work together to make a winning science project?

Jada Jones is a relatable character who struggles with missing her best friend and all of the changes that happen when her best friend moves. Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. As Jada tries to make new friends, she learns the importance of showing kindness to others, even when they are not nice in return. Even though the story focuses on Jada, it also shows how her teammate was mean because she was afraid Jada would steal her best friend. Jada Jones Rock Star highlights the importance of trying to understand others as well as the importance of trying new things.

Jada Jones Rock Star is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has seven short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text, and some complicated sentence structure. Jada Jones is a relatable character that has many positive qualities—she’s kind, smart, creative, and isn’t afraid to share her love of rocks. Jada Jones Rock Star is an entertaining story that has positive life lessons.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Ada Twist, Scientist

Ada Twist loves asking questions. Her curiosity is never satisfied. When she tries to figure out just what is causing the stinking smell, Ada takes her fact-finding a little too far. Her parents are frustrated and frazzled, so they send Ada to the thinking chair. Can Ada figure out how to complete her scientific experiment without causing chaos?

Ada Twist uses rhyme, questions, and scientific vocabulary to show that questioning and curiosity are part of the scientific process. Ada loves asking questions. Why? What? How? When? As Ada tries to figure out the world around her, Ada’s parents try to figure out how to best deal with her inquisitive spirit. The story ends with Ada using her curiosity in an appropriate way instead of writing her hypotheses on the walls.

Short text and large illustrations appear on every page, which makes Ada Twist, Scientist an excellent choice for beginning readers. The adorable full-color illustration brings the action to life as well as shows an African-American family in a positive light. The parents wear professional clothing, Ada’s brother appears in sports apparel, and Ada wears a cute dress. Readers will also enjoy finding the picture of the family’s cat that appears on most of the pages.

Ada Twist, Scientist uses a creative and entertaining story to teach the fun of the scientific process and the importance of questioning skills. The two-parent family is portrayed in a positive manner. Ada, although different from other children, is never portrayed as weird or strange. Ada’s classroom has students from different races and the children appear in a variety of colorful clothing and styles, which helps enhance the message that being different is a wonderful thing.

Ada Twist, Scientist is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The vocabulary may be difficult and some of the scientific language will need to be defined for the reader. However, Ada Twist, Scientist should be on every child’s bookshelf because of the story, illustrations, and lessons that will entertain readers time and time again.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Next Level

Ellie attempts a new project and accidentally makes a big mess. As punishment, her parents have Ellie help their elderly neighbor, Mrs. Curran. Ellie and her friends, Kit, and Toby, are supposed to help with little things like stuffing envelopes. However, when Ellie sees things around the house that need fixing, she puts her engineering skills to work.

Mrs. Curran assumes that Toby is responsible for fixing things around the house, even though they are Ellie’s ideas. Ellie wants to prove to Mrs. Curran that girls can do anything, even be engineers. How can Ellie use her engineering knowledge to change Mrs. Curran’s assumptions about engineers?

Ellie, Engineer focuses on showing that girls can be smart and creative, but it also examines other stereotypes. Ellie makes many assumptions about “grandma-age people.” However, as she gets to know Mrs. Curran, she learns that those assumptions are incorrect. Through Ellie’s experiences, the theme becomes clear—making assumptions about others is wrong. Boys can play with dolls. Girls can be engineers. Not all old people are the same. Even though the story focuses on Mrs. Curran and her assumptions, she is not well-developed. However, in the end, Mrs. Curran’s perception changes, both about others as well as herself. The ending has a cute surprise that readers will enjoy.

Ellie, Engineer is a fun story about friendship and has the added benefit of teaching important lessons. Even though Toby acts like a know-it-all, Ellie realizes that “It didn’t seem right to be friends with Toby but still call him a name behind his back.” The story also reinforces the importance of asking permission before using someone else’s things.

Although the story’s plot is easy to understand, there is very little action that propels the plot forward. The first chapter starts out strong, with Ellie and her friends having an engineering disaster; however, after the first incident, the three friends do not discuss how to make the invention better. Instead, they seem to build a working elevator without much planning.

The story contains some fun illustrations of Ellie’s sketches; however, the story is text-heavy, which might make the story daunting for some readers. The story’s plot is easy to understand and would be engaging for elementary readers. Ellie, Engineer’s vocabulary isn’t difficult, but the sentence structure is complex. Strong female characters, important life lessons, and positive adult interactions make Ellie, Engineer a story worth reading. Ellie, Engineer would be an excellent choice for more advanced readers or to read aloud with a parent.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Spotlight on Coding Club!

Erin loves being on stage. When the school announces an upcoming talent show, Erin knows she can come up with a winning performance. Erin also agrees to help the coding club with developing an app to help score the contestants. Erin knows she’s taking on a lot, but she’s determined to distract herself. Erin doesn’t want to think about her father’s deployment and staying busy is her solution.

With operation distraction in full force, Erin’s anxiety gets the best of her. She wants to pretend that everything is okay, but her stress levels keep increasing. Her friends from the coding club have always been there for her, but Erin doesn’t want to tell them what’s really going on in her life. Will Erin be able to handle the pressure? If she tells her friends the truth, will they still like her?

The fourth installment of the Girls Who Code series has the same lovable characters but is told from Erin’s point of view, which allows the story to focus on a new conflict. Readers will get a look at Erin’s thought process as she tries to use humor to diffuse stressful situations. Erin tries to hide her true feelings from her friends. Readers will relate to Erin’s struggle with anxiety and her fear of telling others. The story makes it clear that having anxiety should not be viewed as an embarrassment. Erin is told, “I think it’s really cool that you talked to a therapist about this. Getting professional help was definitely the mature way to handle it.”

Spotlight on Coding Club uses texting bubbles, emojis, and simple vocabulary, which makes the story easy to read and assessable to younger readers. The fourth book in the series focuses less on the girls’ friendship and more on Erin’s personal struggle. Although Erin’s struggle is real, the story contains less action than previous books. Along with Erin’s personal struggle, Maya struggles with asking a girl on a date. Although dating is a topic many preteens are interested in, Maya’s romantic interests seemed forced and added little to the plot. In the end, Spotlight on Coding Club teaches a valuable lesson about friendship and anxiety but lacks action and suspense.

Sexual Content

There is a short conversation about Maya asking another girl out on a date. Later in the story, Maya asks the girl to the movies and it is “definitely a date.”

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“Oh my god” is used as an exclamation three times.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Rosie Revere and The Raucous Riveters

Rosie Revere loves engineering. When Rosie’s Aunt Rose and her friends—a group of women who built airplanes during World War II—ask her to complete an important project, Rosie is excited to help. One of the Riveters has broken both her wrists and can’t participate in the Art-A-Go contest. Rosie and her friends use all of their knowledge to invent a tool to help her paint. Building a paintapolooza comes with setbacks. When Rosie begins to lose hope, her friends step in to help. Will Rosie and her friends be able to finish the paintapolooza in time for the big event?

Readers will initially be drawn to Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters because of the cheerful illustrations but will continue reading because of Rosie’s personality. Rosie is a strong character who uses problem solving to create her inventions. Rosie’s struggle is realistic; she doesn’t find the solution to her problem without failure. When Rosie feels “frustrated and frazzled,” she uses smart strategies to refocus. For example, Rosie’s great imagination causes her to focus on what-ifs, and “when that happened, Rosie had to remind herself to stop and think differently.”

Rosie’s illustration notebook, which contains lists and alliterations, will engage readers transitioning to chapter books. Rosie and her friends use imagination and teamwork to help someone in need. The story portrays the older generation in a positive light, and through her interactions with the Riveters, Rosie learns the importance of strong friendships. The story’s positive message is clear: “The only true failure can come if you quit.”

After the story concludes, additional text is included: a poem about a valve, information on valves, and historical information about the Riveters. The book ends with a “think about this” section that guides readers to apply the story to their life.

Instead of focusing on a simple plot, the book delves into too many characters and too many subplots. For instance, Rosie misinterprets one character’s behavior, but later discovers that the person was allergic to sunlight. Although there is historical information about the Blue River Riveters, the facts do more to complicate the story. For beginning readers interested in engineering, readers may want to begin with the Ellie, Engineer series before moving to The Questioneers series.

Sexual Content
• None

Violence
• None

Drugs and Alcohol
• None

Language
• None

Supernatural
• None

Spiritual Content
• None

Out of Remote Control

The Data Set finds a time-altering remote control. In the hopes of discovering if their project for the science fair works, they hit the button and travel into the future. But from there everything goes wrong. When Laura drops the remote control, the kids are taken on a crazy adventure. Is there any way they can reset the remote control? Will they be stuck in an alternative universe forever?

Out of Remote Control takes the reader on a wildly fun adventure. As the kids jump into television shows, younger readers will enjoy the funny pictures of Dr. Bunsen as he plays the role of villain in every show. Each short chapter jumps to a new place. In an attempt to outrun danger, the kids keep hitting the buttons on the remote control, and they jump into new situations.

The kids work together to try to figure out how to return home. The funny black-and-white illustrations appear on every page and help beginning readers follow the plot. The illustrations add humor, but also help break up the text so new readers do not become overwhelmed with the number of words on the page. As the seventh installment of the series, Out of Remote Control doesn’t continue the plot from previous books and can be read as a singleton.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

The kids jump into an old western television show. When they arrive, they are on a train that is being held up by bandits. “The kids raced from train car to train car, with the bandits right behind them.” The kids are saved when they hit pause on the remote control.
The remote sends the kids into a shark show. When the kids swim away from the sharks, “the narrator laughed loudly, ‘SHARKS KNOW THAT THEIR PREY OFTEN HIDES BEHIND ROCKS.’” The kids hit a button on the remote and jump to a new channel.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

The kids find a remote control that can take them back in time or jump them into the future. The remote control takes the kids into television shows where they become the characters.

Spiritual Content

None

Invasion of the Insects

The Data Set kids accidently shrink themselves. Now they are the size of a bug. When a dragonfly grabs Laura and flies her out the window, her friends come to the rescue. Now they’re lost in the backyard with a bunch of creepy crawlers. How will they ever make it back to Dr. Bunsen’s lab? Can the bug-sized kids work together to solve this problem?

When an argument breaks out between two of the kids, they soon learn the importance of working out their differences. The kid-appropriate message is clear: no argument should be allowed to end a friendship. The story includes a few fun insect facts and this bug knowledge helps the Data Set come up with a solution to their problem.

An entertaining book with a diverse cast of characters, Invasion of the Insects is a perfect book for beginning readers. The interesting, imperfect kids use their brainpower to solve problems. Invasion of the Insects has the right amount of action and conflict to keep readers engaged. With easy-to-read vocabulary, short sentences, and illustrations on almost every page, the story will build a reader’s confidence. The sixth installment of The Data Set series can be enjoyed without reading the previous books.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A spider web traps the kids, and a spider almost eats them.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Laura accidentally hits a machine in Dr. Bunsen’s lab. The machine zapped her, and “the room whirled around her. Everything in the lab was growing bigger and bigger!” Laura becomes the size of a bug. Later the other members of the Data Set also are shrunk.

Spiritual Content

None

Pathfinder

Rigg is as unimportant as a young boy can be. He lives in almost complete seclusion in the far northern woods of his wallfold. He and his father are trappers, coming down from the mountains only to sell their furs. But Rigg has a talent. He can see the path left by every living being that has traversed Garden. This skill comes in handy when tracking animals, but it is not until his father dies that Rigg beings to realize the full extent of his powers.

With his dying breath, Rigg’s father tells him a secret—he is not Rigg’s father. Shocked and hurt, Rigg must travel into the heart of civilization to find his family. He explores his terrifyingly powerful talent on the way, using it to get out of trouble time and time again. But when he arrives at his wallfold’s capital, he realizes that his talent may be most useful in protecting himself from his very own family.

Orson Scott Card creates a fascinatingly unique world. His detailed understanding of physics and his elaborate exploration of time travel puzzle and delight. Rigg’s story is wonderful to follow. It is exciting, dangerous, and enthralling. The skill in which Orson Scott Card builds this world will quickly suck readers into a wonderful trilogy. There are adult conversations regarding sex and violence, but the adult content is not described in detail.

Sexual Content

Loaf tells Rigg that he threw out this first wife when he came home from a lengthy trip and discovered she had three children from three different men. Loaf says she was lucky he didn’t kill her, as was his right.
Rigg hangs a purse of jewels under his clothes, around his waist. Loaf says, “I think you carry in your crotch most of the wealth of this wallfold . . . but that’s how all young men feel, isn’t it!”

Violence

Rigg’s father dies when a tree falls on him and he is impaled. His father calls out to him, “I have been pierced by two branches, completely through my belly.” Rigg does not see this directly, and his father makes Rigg promise, “You will not come look at me, now while I’m alive or later after I’m dead. I don’t want you to have this terrible image in your memory.”
Rigg tries to save a boy from falling off a waterfall. In the process, he nearly knocks a man over the falls. “The weight of Rigg’s head and shoulder striking the man caused his leg to buckle, and the man twisted, started to topple forward. I came to save a boy and now I’m killing a man.”
Umbo thinks his brother was pushed over the waterfall by Rigg. Umbo throws rocks at Rigg, nearly knocking him over the falls. Later a mob, stirred up by Umbo, comes for Rigg. Nox talks the mob down. “Why do you want to believe the worst? Why are you hungry to do a killing here today?”
Umbo runs away because his father beats him, and after his little brother dies he was scared his father would kill him. “Perhaps Umbo was afraid . . . Everyone knew how Tegay beat him when he was angry.”
Loaf met his wife after a battle. He was on the ground with a gash across his stomach. His wife found him, stitched him up and took him home. “By scavenger law I’m her slave,” Loaf says.
When captured, a general threatens to torture and kill Rigg’s friends.
A man talks about his great-grandfather, who was given, “a slow and gruesome public death . . . with his body parts fed to the royal hunting dogs.”
Rigg hits a man on the forehead and pees on the same man during an attempt to escape his own assassination.
Ram Odins’ neck is broken by expendables, machines that look human. “The expendable reached out with both hands, gave Ram’s head a twist, and broke his neck.”
Peasants broke into the house the former princess was living in, and forced her to surrender all her clothing.
Loaf injures a drunkard who was close to hurting his wife. He does this before his wife would have killed the drunk to save herself from harm.

Drugs and Alcohol

Rigg is attacked by soldiers who are drugged to the point of being unable to recognize when they received, “orders [that] would lead directly to their deaths.”

Language

Bastard is said once.

Supernatural

Rigg and several others have the ability to manipulate time to different extents. These abilities are genetic.
Some people in Rigg’s wallfold have genetically induced powers such as projecting a wall with their minds.

Spiritual Content

The people of Rigg’s wallfold pray to many deities such as the Wandering Saint.
Rigg briefly wonders if he is a demon, since he has strange abilities.
Rigg and his friends take a pilgrimage to the Tower of O, a strange structure of unknown origins that is the oldest structure in the Wallfold.

by Morgan Lynn

Ruins

Rigg and Umbo have started to hone their time traveling skills—and just in time. They discover that in the not-so-far future Earth visits Garden with the intent to completely destroy Garden. Now the two boys race to figure out why their parent planet would destroy a colony they created. Something the Earthlings found on Garden horrified them, but what?

Garden cannot fend off these attackers, so Rigg will have to find the motive behind the attack and change the past to stop it from ever happening. As Rigg searches for answers, he travels through different wallfolds. One is extinct of all human life, another seemingly populated by poop-throwing yahoos and sentient mice, and in a third, the people have evolved to live in the sea. But wherever he goes, Rigg finds people who want to manipulate him. With no one willing to tell him the whole truth, how can Rigg decide which path to take?

The second installation in the Pathfinder series takes the story up a notch. By expanding Rigg’s world from one wallfold to four, the reader is shown several different paths the human race could have taken. The what if’s are tantalizing. The world Rigg explores is as interesting and exciting as the actions he takes. Ruins is in no way linear. Now that Rigg and Umbo are skilled time travelers, their paths jump forward, go backwards, and sometimes cease to exist entirely. While these time jumps may cause one to stop and ponder for a while, they are written in a way that is relatively easy to follow.

Sexual Content

When discussing a parasite, it is said that “the only part of the earthborn brain it could control was the wild, competitive beast, bent on reproduction at any cost . . . That sounds like soldiers on leave.”
Rigg notes that some mice are mating. Later, when starting a colony, Loaf says the mice are “mating their little brains out.”
The humans that live under the ocean are naked. Larex comments on how Rigg is staring, to which Rigg replies, “I’m fifteen years old, I think . . . my eye goes to naked women.”
Umbo explains that when they change something in time, children will be born, but the “mix of genes . . . will be different. Perhaps conception will happen on a different day. Or a different sperm will win through.”

Violence

Yahoos, creatures that appear to be similar to humans with little intelligence, throw poop at Umbo and Loaf. “The watcher flung something out of his lofty perch. It splatted against Umbo’s cheek and shoulder. It stank. It clung . . . it was nightsoil. Presumably the watcher’s own.”
Param is murdered. When she is skipping time, the mice move a metal rod into the space she is about to occupy. When she and the rod collide, “Param felt a searing agony in her throat, the heat of billions of molecules being torn about . . . she lived just long enough to feel the heat pulse through her entire body, every nerve screaming with the pain of burning to death in a searing moment.”
To keep the mice in line, Olivenko points out that the humans “can break their little skulls under our feet.”
Rigg and Loaf discuss the morality of preemptive killing.
When Ram Odin tries to stab Rigg, Rigg jumps into the past and kills Ram with a knife. “He was also completely aware of the knife in Ram Odin’s hand, the hand that was darting forward to plunge it into Rigg’s kidney . . . In the very moment he caught Ram Odin’s knife, Rigg shifted half an hour back in time . . . the knife easily passed between the ribs of Ram Odin’s back and pierced his heart. A little flicking motion and both ventricles of Ram Odin’s heart were split open. The blood of his arteries ceased to pulse. He slumped over and, without time even to utter a sound, he died.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

The words “pissed” and “butt-ugly” are used once.

Supernatural

Symbiotic creatures evolve so they can live in conjunction with humans. They attach to the human body and, depending on the breed, can provide benefits such as breathing underwater and increasing a person’s speed, eyesight, etc.

Spiritual Content

Rigg discovers the Odinfolders have meddled in genetic alteration, and selectively bred themselves for traits they considered desirable.
Humans are defined as any creature, no matter how diverse, that is descended from what we consider a homo sapien.
Mice were bred for intelligence, to the point that Rigg says their souls look very similar to human souls.
Param briefly wonders if death is better than life.
Rigg accidentally copies himself by time traveling. Vadesh warns him to be careful or he will “run out of souls to populate these bodies that you accidentally make.”

by Morgan Lynn