Shadowdale sets the stage for an epic high-fantasy trilogy that spawned an additional two sequels to make up the five-book Avatar Series. This first installment is rich with adventure and magic. The s…
Veronica Agarwal’s Just Roll With It is a sweet story of friendship and overcoming difficulties. Lee Durfey-Lavoie’s illustrations are an excellent complement to Agarwal’s story. The majority of the c…
Being a fan of Chris Grabenstein, I was excited to read his latest book, The Smartest Kid in the Universe: Genius Camp. While this book can stand on its own without having read the first in the series…
Brandon Sanderson delivers another fast-paced adventure in the second installment of his four-book Skyward series. Sanderson is known for his world building and his characters, and those are the stren…
Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Perfection is everything one could want in a middle-grade book: great characters, humor, and an excellent plot. The story begins as we meet Ben and his not-so-perfect pa…
Never Miss by Melissa Koslin is a standalone romantic suspense novel. The story is full of mysteries and some unusual circumstances that are not explained until later in the book. The stor…
Skin of the Sea is the debut novel of novel of Natasha Bowen. Steeped in the traditions of the Yuroba, a Sub-Saharan ethnic group, this novel combines aspects of traditional oral storytelling wi…
The Diamond Keeper is book two in The Jewel Thief series by Jeannie Mobley. But fear not, if you didn’t read the first book, aptly titled The Jewel Thief, you won’t be missing out. In fact…
The purpose of historical fiction is to awaken empathy in the reader. It’s to make historical events more than just dull facts in a history book, to make them the stories of people we care about and r…
Initially published in 1937 and awarded with a Newbery Honor in 1938, Bright Island is a classic coming-of-age story that holds up wonderfully to this day. The plot is simple enough, with no major sur…
When I first started Crown Duel, I thought it was going to be a trite YA fantasy and not worth my time. This was mainly because the main character, Meliara, was repeatedly described as a short, feisty…
Newt’s Emerald is simply a lot of fun. It manages to be light-hearted, easy to read and adventurous in a delightful alternate Regency England setting. The protagonist, Lady Truthful, is loveable and s…
