Review | Lights by Brenna Thummler

November 1, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Following Brenna Thummler’s bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novels Sheets and Delicates, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell the ghost are back to uncover the secrets of Wendell’s human life in the third and final heartwarming installment of the Sheets trilogy.

Marjorie Glatt’s life was forever changed the day she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. One of those ghosts was Wendell: a lonely phantom turned Marjorie’s best friend. When he and Marjorie are joined by ghost-enthusiast Eliza Duncan, the three friends band together in friendship, bravery, and all things paranormal.

Wendell died far too young and now must wander the Land of Humans with nothing more than a sheet for a body. He knows how he died—a tragic drowning accident—but lately he’s grown curious about his past life. He wants to know more about why he died, not just how he died. It’s not easy, though, since Wendell’s memory of his human life has grown increasingly blurry. With Marjorie and Eliza’s help, they set out on a journey to find out more. When they hear a rumor about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile, Marjorie and Eliza’s friendship is tested when Marjorie starts to befriend the very people who used to bully Eliza.

In the third and final installment of the Sheets trilogy, Wendell will finally uncover the truth of his human life. Marjorie and Eliza will learn that some people really can change. Most of all, they start to see that everything can cast shadows, but if you look hard enough, you can find the light.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two installments in this trilogy I was really excited to see the third one coming out. I really loved that in this one we saw more of Wendell’s past and what led to him becoming a ghost. We also see real growth with both Marjorie and Eliza, with a special emphasis on how you can have different types of friends that you do different things with, and that’s ok. Not only was this a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy, it was wonderful to see where Marjorie started and where she ended up by the end. A wonderful coming of age story on multiple fronts.

Happy reading!

Review | The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

September 3, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Wings of Fire meets The Hunger Games in this debut contemporary middle grade fantasy stand-alone about thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake, who enters the dangerous Great Texas Dragon Race to save her family’s dragon sanctuary.

Thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake wants nothing more than to race with her best dragon, Ranga, in the annual Great Texas Dragon Race. Her mother was a racing legacy, and growing up on her family’s dragon sanctuary ranch, Cassidy lives and breathes dragons. She knows she could win against the exploitative FireCorp team that cares more about corporate greed than caring for the dragons.

Cassidy is so determined to race that she sneaks out of her house against her father’s wishes and enters the competition. Soon, Cassidy takes to the skies with Ranga across her glorious Lone Star State. But with five grueling tasks ahead of her, dangerous dragon challenges waiting at each one, and more enemies than allies on the course, Cassidy will need to know more than just dragons to survive.

From the description of this book I was hoping it would be an action packed and fun adventure and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the alternate version of current day that was created and felt like even though the audience for this book is younger, the world building was done really well. It wasn’t hard to dive into this story and I was sucked in, I enjoyed Cassidy as a character and loved the competition and race aspects. I think this will be a great book for younger audiences that want books that are adventure packed and fun.

Happy reading!

Review | Growing Up Powerful Journal: A Confidence Boosting, Totally Inspiring, Joyful Journal

August 14, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Give yourself a fun and empowering confidence workout with this inspiring interactive journal.

Maybe you’d like to try out for a part in the school play, score a spot on a sports team, or make friends at a new school. This journal was created to give you a safe and encouraging place to explore your personality and your thoughts, goals, and dreams.

Through tried and true advice, questions, activities, and writing prompts, you’ll:
– Explore moments you are proud of, great ideas you’ve had, and plans for your future
– Celebrate your true superpowers
– Practice starting a conversation with anyone
– Try out tactics for being a more positive thinker
– Explore when you’re ready to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new!

I’m excited to see more interactive options being added to the Rebel Girls line. This is a journal full of prompts, scenarios, stories about Rebel Girls, quizzes, coloring pages and more. With all the different themes such as self confidence, friendship, moods and more – it’s sure to be a book that girls come back to time and again. It’s something where they can pick any page they want and do an activity, or go through it more sequentially if they want to.

Happy reading (and journaling)!

Review | World’s Worst Time Machine by Dustin Brady

August 9, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

For kids, life can be boring, but Liam and Elsa know how to create their own fun—or so they think. After finding a $3 time machine at a garage sale, Liam uses the machine to summon Thomas Edison for help with his book report. It’s not until the time machine sends a different Thomas Edison from the 1930s that chaos ensues..

This book was so fun to read! I didn’t know what to expect, but it sounded fun and that is definitely what it was. It was super fast paced and easy to read, so really perfect for its intended audience. The pace kept me engaged and the characters leapt off the page for me, which I think is another thing that will be beneficial for younger readers. I also really liked the real life references to historical events and figures. Overall it was a fun and quick read that I think is perfect for younger readers but could be picked up by anyone.

Happy reading!

Review | A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi

August 4, 2023August 3, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Paper Girl is a heartrending middle-grade graphic novel about a girl’s ill-fated wish to fit in, perfect for readers of Stargazing and Pashmina.

All Yuna wants is to belong. She wants to go to sleepovers, have a smart phone, and go to summer camp—just like her friends in middle school.

Furious at her Umma for never packing her a “normal” American lunch, they get into yet another fight. Out of options and miserable, Yuna remembers a legend that her grandma, Halmoni, told her. If you fold 1,000 paper stars, you will be granted one wish.

When she reaches 1,000 paper stars, Yuna wishes for her family to move back to Korea, where she can finally be normal. Seconds later: a knock at her door. It’s her sister with devastating news. Halmoni has died and they must go back to Korea to attend the funeral.

Yuna knows this is all her fault. As her guilt builds, her body begins to turn into paper. Yuna realizes she must undo her wish and bring her Halmoni back—or turn into paper forever.

Wholly heartbreaking and with light touches of magic realism, Paper Girl is a captivating graphic novel about identity, family, and the love that can bridge generations.

I was so excited when I was able to get a copy of this book as I could tell from the synopsis that it would be something I would enjoy, and I did! I loved the story and Yuna’s struggle with the feeling that she didn’t belong anywhere because she didn’t quite fit in in either America or Korea, and her longing for that feeling of home. This also really delves a bit into grief and sudden loss of a loved one as well and overall was a beautiful but heart wrenching story. The art style was beautiful, with different palettes for different types of scenes, such as memories being differently shaded than things happening in the present. I also really enjoyed the touches of Korean culture that the author included, shaped by their own experiences.

Happy reading!

Review | The Green Girls by Loic Nicoloff

August 2, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Emma, Lily, and Fadila want to save the planet . . . but no one around them seems to care. Frustrated, they name themselves the Green Girls, take to social media, and launch a series of bold protests. Alongside their classmate and aspiring Green Girl Silas, the crew risks getting in trouble (and stirs some up) to raise awareness about container ship pollution, palm oil overproduction, and more environmental hazards. With a mix of livestreams, spray paint, and bungee cords, they’re out to make a difference―and get their followers to do the same.

I enjoyed the overall premise of this book, it’s a great subject to explore to encourage kids/teens to make a change in the world and stand up for causes they care about; however, I did take some issues with some of the methods the teens used in the story to achieve their goals. Sure, when you’re doing activism of any kind there is the possibility that you’ll cross some lines for the cause, but I’m not sure some of their actions should be presented as acceptable such as lying and vandalism.

That aside, I really enjoyed the art, story and characters overall. It was a quick and enjoyable read about sparking the idea of activism and taking action to stand up for what you believe.

Happy reading!

Review | Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine

January 25, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

What was the pandemic of the century like at the start? This swift, gripping novel captures not only the uncertainty and panic when COVID first emerged in Wuhan, but also how a community banded together.

Weaving in the tastes and sounds of the historic city, Wuhan’s comforting and distinctive cuisine comes to life as the reader follows 13-year-old Mei who, through her love for cooking, makes a difference in her community. Written by an award-winning author originally from Wuhan.

Grieving the death of her mother and an outcast at school, thirteen-year-old Mei finds solace in cooking and computer games. When her friend’s grandmother falls ill, Mei seeks out her father, a doctor, for help, and discovers the hospital is overcrowded. As the virus spreads, Mei finds herself alone in a locked-down city trying to find a way to help.

Author Ying Chang Compestine draws on her own experiences growing up in Wuhan to illustrate that the darkest times can bring out the best in people, friendship can give one courage in frightening times, and most importantly, young people can make an impact on the world.

I’m going to start my review off with a content warning, if you are at all triggered by talk of the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, you may find parts of this book hard to read. This book talks about the beginning days of the pandemic where it began in Wuhan and there are definitely some portions that are raw.

That being said, books like this are important because they highlight the humanity of a crisis like this. Not politics but sides of humanity, both good and bad. It shows that fear is a powerful motivator in both good and bad ways causing people to either band together and take care of each other, or to turn to the side of fear that result in anger (such as hoarding food or treating others badly).

I really enjoyed Mei as the main character, someone who has hard hardships in her life and is still processing through grief at a very formative age. There are understandable moments of panic and anxiety on her part, but she processes everything and makes decisions in a real way. She’s truly the heart of the story and a great example about how one person can make very positive actions in hard situations, even if they are young.

Happy reading!

Review | Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

January 24, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

The haunted season has arrived in the Antler Wood. No fox kit is safe.

When Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they discover a dangerous world full of monsters. In order to find a den to call home, they must venture through field and forest, facing unspeakable things that dwell in the darkness: a zombie who hungers for their flesh, a witch who tries to steal their skins, a ghost who hunts them through the snow . . . and other things too scary to mention.

First and foremost, this book took me by surprise because I had it in my mind that it was more of an anthology and not an ongoing story, so that set me a little off kilter. At the beginning of the story we are introduced to a litter of fox kits who desperately want to hear a scary story, so they go to see someone known as the storyteller. Over the course of one night the storyteller tells them stories about a pair of foxes and their adventures.

I did really enjoy the writing style in this, especially because between each story we get an interlude between the kits and the storyteller and I did like how all the stories came together at the end. I think a younger reader looking for something a little scary and adventurous would really enjoy this book and find it to be a fast and enjoyable read.

Happy reading!

Review | Children of Ragnorok by Cinda Williams Chima

December 26, 2022 DeAnneLeave a comment

Ever since Ragnarok—the great war between the gods and the forces of chaos–the human realm of the Midlands has become a dangerous place, bereft of magic, where most lead lives of desperation.

Sixteen-year-old Eiric Halvorsen is among the luckier ones. Between fishing, going vikingr, and working his modir’s farm, the family has remained prosperous. But Eiric stands to lose everything when he’s convicted by a rigged jury of murdering his modir and stepfadir. Also at risk is his half-systir, Liv, whose interest in seidr, or magic, has made her a figure of suspicion. Then a powerful jarl steps in: he will pay the blood price if Eiric will lead a mission to the fabled Temple at the Grove—the rich stronghold of the wyrdspinners, the last practitioners of sorcery.

Spellsinger, musician, and runecaster Reggin Eiklund has spent her life traveling from town to town, performing at alehouses all for the benefit of her master, Asger, the fire demon she is desperate to escape. Then after one performance that amazes even Reggin herself, two wyrdspinners in the audience make her an irresistible offer: return with them to the temple to be trained in seidr, forever free of Asger.

Eiric, Liv, and Reggin’s journeys converge in New Jotunheim, the site of the Temple at the Grove, a paradise fueled by magic. They soon realize that a great evil lurks beneath the dazzling surface, and that old betrayals and long-held grudges may fuel another cataclysmic war. It will require every gift and weapon at their command to prevent it.

Sweeping adventure, breathtaking twists of fate, and immersive worlds based in Norse mythology are woven into this first volume of the Runestone Saga, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Seven Realms and Shattered Realms series.

I think I’ve said it enough times that anything mythology/lore related will pique my interest and Norse/Nordic is one of the ones that I really enjoy so I was eager to pick this one up.

I have heard great things about Cinda Williams Chima in the past, but hadn’t gotten around to her earlier books, so this was my first experience with her writing and I’m so glad I finally read something from her! The writing style was easy to read but definitely something that could be enjoyed by all ages and I was engaged pretty much from the get go. The characters are well fleshed out in my opinion and I just loved the mystery and adventure that played out in this story.

The world building was wonderfully done and I always like when I feel like I can see things being described, it’s just another way to suck in the reader. I also really liked that this isn’t your typical spin on Norse mythology, but looking at what life might be like for people after the supposed end of Norse mythology (Ragnorok). I’ll definitely picking up further books when they come out!

Happy reading!

Review | The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz

September 2, 2022 DeAnneLeave a comment

A Young Teen Falls in with the Mob, and Learns a Lesson About What Kind of Person He Wants to Be

In The Prince of Steel Pier, Joey Goodman is spending the summer at his grandparents’ struggling hotel in Atlantic City, a tourist destination on the decline. Nobody in Joey’s big Jewish family takes him seriously, so when Joey’s Skee-Ball skills land him an unusual job offer from a local mobster, he’s thrilled to be treated like “one of the guys,” and develops a major crush on an older girl in the process. Eventually disillusioned by the mob’s bravado, and ashamed of his own dishonesty, he recalls words of wisdom from his grandfather that finally resonate. Joey realizes where he really belongs: with his family, who drive him crazy, but where no one fights a battle alone. All it takes to get by is one’s wits…and a little help from one’s brothers.

I found the concept of this book interesting, featuring a young teen in a transition period of his life, in a transition time period in Atlantic City. As a character Joey is very compelling and I could see how kids in the same age range would really identify with him. Joey is the third of four sons and really struggling to find his place in his family and in life itself, he feels like no one gets him and like he’s sometime invisible or an afterthought – which is a feeling I think a lot of young readers may struggle with at some point. Throughout the story is the theme of Joey not only figuring out things about himself, but also determining what is right and wrong when he’s exposed to some individuals associated with the mob.

He goes through a lot of growth in a small amount of time while also solidifying his place in a lot of ways. He learns a lot about life in general as well as his family and how society treats people they see as different than them. This book does touch on discrimination and while I don’t know a lot personally about the Jewish faith, I appreciated the snippets of information throughout the book and really appreciated Joey’s questions and contemplation on his own faith.

While some of the little twists were a tad predictable for me, I think they were perfect for the targeted age range for this story. I really enjoyed reading Joey’s story and seeing how he grew along the way.

Happy reading!