Nostalgic fans of the Miyazaki film and newcomers alike–soar into the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all!

Half-witch Kiki never runsfrom a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she’s eager to follow a witch’s tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.

Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.

Blending fantasy with the charm of everyday life, this enchanting new translation will inspire both new readers and dedicated fans.

Since the movie is one of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies, I definitely wanted a copy of the source material so I could read it and I was not disappointed. There are definitely some differences between the book and movie, with the book being more a slice of life coming of age story. Some of the subplots that we see in the movie are not part of the book because the book really centers on finding your place and being content. I loved Kiki’s escapades and the relationships she built. Overall it was a really adorable story.

Happy reading!

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun. 

If you’re looking for a tongue in cheek adventure full of quirky characters that try their best but don’t always succeed the way they think they will, then this will be a fun read for you. We follow four princes who have each been dubbed “Prince Charming” in their respective kingdoms, and some of them don’t necessarily enjoy the way their stories unfolded. This story is a mashup of multiple fairy tale couples who aren’t really having a happy ever after, more like they don’t really know their partners and have some real relationship hiccups along the way. They aren’t traditional heroes by any means, but they find ways to work together…sometimes. It was a funny story that constantly had ups and downs and I think for a middle grade reader who understands the tongue in cheek nature it would be great. For any age it would be an entertaining read featuring price’s as we’ve never seen them before. I also loved the artwork that was included throughout the book, looking like pencil sketches on the page.

Happy reading!

When Sam arrives in Foggy Harbor, South Carolina, all she can see is that it’s small, boring, and thousands of miles away from her mom. She dreads spending the summer there with her Uncle Mitch, and he’s not exactly happy to see her, either. But Sam quickly learns that there’s more to Foggy Harbor than she’d thought. With the help of a new friend, Tuck, she sets out to uncover the magical truth behind the town’s biggest mystery: the secret of Lost Luck.

When I saw the description of this book I wanted to pick it up because mythical creatures are instantly a want-to-read for me. This book is definitely middle grade, but I would say on the younger end of middle grade. We follow Sam, who feels like she doesn’t have a place because she and her mom move around so much and just when she feels like they might be staying in one place – she finds out otherwise and has to go stay with her Uncle for the summer. What she expects to be a boring and unhappy summer quickly becomes something altogether different.

I really enjoyed this adventure and the illustrations throughout were beautiful and perfectly suited the events happening in the book. It’s a great set up for a series and it definitely put in place a number of things that could happen in the future. I also really enjoyed the fact that there’s a section at the end with information about some of the things mentioned in the book, so that young readers could further learn about them if they wanted to.

Happy reading!

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. 

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real. 

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” 

With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

As soon as I heard about this book I wanted to pick it up, so I was thrilled when I received a copy. I was so excited about the premise of this one as soon as I read it and was not disappointed at all. Amari is a character who has faced a lot of prejudice in her life, whether it be for her race or where she lives, and is excited for the possibility of being somewhere where that doesn’t matter. She’s also desperate to find out about her brother’s disappearance. Right off the bat we can tell what type of person Amari is and as the story goes on we learn about some of her insecurities and strengths. She doesn’t always make the smartest of decisions and she finds that she’s traded one set of prejudices for another as she switches environments, but she perseveres.

I so loved this story and all the important conversations and topics that were woven into it. I loved watching Amari come into her own and truly believe in herself and really enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story itself. I had a suspicion who was going to be villians and who wasn’t but I didn’t know for sure until the very end. The writing was easy to follow and flowed wonderfully and I felt there was a great balance between building the world and actual plot.

B.B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

B.B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.

Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I’m thrilled I got to experience Amari’s journey and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for not just a fun adventure but an empowering read that tackles a number of complex and important issues.

Happy reading!

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie’s watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland’s help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story. 

I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since it came out, but then was kicking myself because I hadn’t managed to get to it yet – so I’m super excited I was able to add it to this month’s reading. Returning to the adventures of Ollie, Coco and Brian makes me even more excited for the third book when it comes out.

I really enjoyed this one and loved the wintery setting. Right away there are clues and some predictable elements, but the mystery was set up really well. I also really loved that we got so much of Coco in this book, I feel like she really came into her own and was able to grow throughout the book. I look forward to seeing more growth in all the kids as additional books come out and seeing who is able to take charge next time!

This book had the perfect amount of creep elements and the writing flowed super well. I loved just losing myself in it and could have easily read it in one sitting if I had been able to (oh adulting) but I loved the experience.

Happy reading!