Summer Reading Reviews, Part 10

The Star of Kazan
The Star of Kazan is about a girl named Annika who as a baby is found in a church./  She grows as a servant.  One day her "mother" comes and takes her away.  She becomes an aristocrat and a "Von).  Then an old lady who is dead leaves her a trunk full of jewels.  Her mother sells them.  Then Annika is sent to a school.  After that, her friends have to save her.

Circles of Seven
I read Circles of Seven by Christian fantasy author Brian Davis, the third book in the thrilling series Dragons in Our Midst.  I discovered this series first when I found out about this amazing challenge.  This book will have you hurtling off a cliff with the characters Billy and Bomiel.  He is very clear about the subject of book dragons, and danger, and Jesus Christ.  I would recommend this book to anyone who would listen.  I can say that there was never a part I didn't like.

Land of Stories audiobook
The Land of Stories is about two twins escaping a book. I also liked the authors voices.

Girls World, August 2019, magazine review
I really enjoyed reading Girl Woprld 2019 August edition!  the magazine included games, recipes, fun quizzes, and tons of DIY's.  Even though this is a little different from the magazines I usually read, I still loved it!  I highly recommend this issue!

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 9

Cats (CD review)
Most musical CD's I've listened to make sense.  But this one was totally crazy, wacky, and quirky with a good beat and it made me want to dance!  I loved all of the names of the cats and I would totally want to see the actual musical.  I recommend this to anyone who like fin, upbeat music and cats!

Every Soul a Star
Ally, Bree, and Jack couldn't be different and have never met each other in their lives.  But a total solar eclipse brings them together and they discover that they're more alike than they realize.  With Ally's friend Ryan and Bree's sister Melanie, they attempt the almost impossible- finding the exoplanet.  This book was very interesting and in depth.  My favorite scene in this book was the solar eclipse scene because I've never seen a full solar eclipse.  This book gave me so much detail about what it would look like.  I'd recommend this book to, well, anyone because it's got something in it for every one to enjoy.

Mr. Lemoncello
Mr. Lemoncello and the Lemon Heads are back- this time competing in a VR game against Charles Chillington and his team of 8th grade bookworms.  There are twists and surprises around ever corner.  (Get ready for Haley Daley and her Kid Palooza Peeps.)  But nobody would expect any other because- Hello?  It's Lemoncello!  I loved all of these books because they are so unexpected and fin with lots of fun library facts and cool games.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fin books, adventure books, and fiction books.

Evermore by Sara Holland
Jules Ember is in hiding. She's trying to stay away from her enemy- the sorceress names Caro.  Jules must find a way to defeat Caro so she cannot break her heart.  On the way she learned that she loves  ****.  (Removed in case of spoilers!)

Star of Kazan
I read the Star of Kazan.  I really liked it.  I liked how she loved to be friendly and was never mean.

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 8

Taste of Home
The July-August 2019 edition of Taste of Home magazine is great for those who like to cook food or bake goodies.  It's great for those of us who just like looking at food and reading about it.  Make sure to take a look at it on Flipster today!

City of Fallen Angels
Clary is training to become a more skilled Shadowhunter.  Her mother is marrying Luke.  Some unknown person is murdering Shadowhunters for an unknown reason, but somehow its all connected.  Jace, Clary, and Simon must stop whoever is doing it before it gets too far.

Leepike Ridge
This is a really good book for adventurous readers.  It's about Tom who lives by Leepike Ridge, and he escapes his house to get some fresh air because Tom's teacher asks his mom to marry him and eventually ends up below Leepike Ridge.

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
I really enjoyed the book Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes.   I enjoyed reading a different perspective on the Greek myths.  Percy's retellings are hilarious and enjoyable, making it a refresher from the old myths.  I enjoyed the fresh perspective on the stories and the fascinatingly enjoyable illustrations.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a creative take on the old classics.

The 100
I read The 100 by Cass Morgan.  Overall, I really liked the book.  I thought the characters had very interesting character development.

Wink Poppy Midnight, by April Genevieve Tucholke

Some stories unfold like a fairy tale: Predictable, and with clear-cut heroes and villains. Other times, it's harder to tell who is whom: The scary-looking Ogre could harbor a heart of gold while the beautiful maiden is as evil as the night is dark. And sometimes there are infinite grey areas. And the reader can't begin to know who they can trust. Even after the final page is turned.

The later is the case with April Genevieve Tucholke's exciting novel Wink Poppy Midnight. Wink is the quirky redhead who is obsessed with obscure fairy tales. Poppy is the Queen Bee and crueler than a whole horde of mean girls put together. Midnight is the shy, quiet boy caught between them. But what, at first, seems a Trope As Old As Twilight quickly morphs into a mystery that changes with every chapter. A mystery that cumulates one fateful night when the paths of the tree teens clash at the haunted house...and something unexpected and awful happens. 

There is romance.

There is intrigue.

There are clues scattered throughout that are so well-hidden the reader won't recognize them for what they are until much, much later.

And finally, at the end, the reader must decide: Who is the REAL villain? Who is the REAL hero? And do these designations even exist?

Wink Poppy Midnight recalled, for me, E. Lockhart's popular novel We Were Liars. The plots and settings of the two books are completely different, but the way the authors handled the mystery-building and the Big Reveal Plot Twist were reminiscent of each other. The endings of both stories had me completely shocked. And then I was flipping back through the pages searching for clues (they were there, but so embedded in the plot and dialogue I didn't see them for what they were).

If you're looking for an incredible mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, pick up Wink Poppy Midnight. And let us know what you thought.

--AJB

Spellbook of the Lost and Found, by Moria Fowley-Doyle

It all begins on a Dark and Stormy night. 

The lives of three teens (Olive, Laurel, and Hazel) are inexplicably drawn together in the aftermath of the town's annual bonfire when a mysterious handwritten notebook titled The Spellbook of the Lost and Found comes into their possession under just as mysterious circumstances. Each of the girls has lost something recently, some things small and trivial (bracelets, hair clips), others life-changing and important (diaries, reputations), so they decide to perform the ritual written inside the book in hopes of recovering the lost items.

They're not completely serious when they perform the ritual (I mean, really? A spellbook? How old are they? Like, 11?), but they're astonished when they discover that the spell actually worked. The missing items begin to turn up in strange places, along with other things they weren't looking for... Like the discovery of three runaways secretly squatting in the abandoned housing development. Or the enigmatic guitar-playing Jude, who may (or may not) be the origin of the trouble in the first place. Also, all magic comes with a price. And, as time goes on and the repercussions of their actions come to light, the girls aren't sure the cost was worth what they got out of it.

One thing's for certain: The ritual has caused an immeasurable amount of trouble in their town, and the girls figure the only way to undo it is to repeat the ritual. So they do. But will this fix things...or make them worse?

You'll have to read the book to find out (Yep, I just pulled that).

Did you love Spellbook
of the Lost and Found?
Try this one!

Moria Fowley-Doyle's sophomore effort is seeped in a perfect blend of magic and strangeness, an ideal combination as we approach the Halloween Season (which, as we all know, begins October 1), when all things mysterious and magical are appreciated even more so than any other time of year. The shifting viewpoints take some getting used to, but as you get deeper into the story things quickly come together, piece by piece. And the Big Reveal makes it all worth the effort. So stick with this book! Follow the trail of clues! You'll be more than glad you did.

And if you enjoyed Spellbook of the Lost and Found (because of course you did), be sure to check out Fowley-Doyle's other book, The Accidenet Season, which is just as engrossing and just as magical.

--AJB

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 7

Everless
A girl names Jules lives in a town with her elderly father.  She decides to work at a place called Everless in order to earn money for her father.  Her father warns her not to go but Jules does not know why.  As Jules meets new people she learns she has a sister and who she truly is.

City of Glass
Clary must go to the City of Glass to try to save her mother.  Her friend, Simon, was thrown in prison and her brother left but didn't want her to come with him to the City of Glass for her won safety.  Jace and Clary must defeat the villain before he takes over the world of Shadowhunters.

Planetarium
The Planetarium was a great informational book about space.  It talked about the universe, the Milky Way, black holes, constellations, and lots more.  For example, by reading it I learned that Saturn isn't the only planets in our solar system with rings.

11 Birthdays
11 Birthdays is a groundhog's day like story where the two main characters have to relive the same day over and over again.  11 Birthdays is a really funny book with a good story.  I suggest reading it.  It's sure to make you laugh!

Forks Over Knives (magazine review)
A magazine that had tips on becoming a vegan.  In the magazine there was a recipe for strawberry banana cupcakes, the ingredients surprised me because I never thought of tofu being used in a cupcake.  In the magazine there were lots of advertisements and I learned about Brunchables by Lunchables.  There were so many recipes that looked amazing and delicious, from pepper poppers to almond salads (bad examples).  So many great recipes that helped me think more about going vegan or first vegetarian.  So thanks to this magazine and the amazing ideas I got in August I'm to to try, as one of the writers likes to say, "life with only veggies."

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 6

Trout Fishing in America (CD review)
I love this CD because it has a lot of fun and creative songs.  Trout Fishing in America is a good CD for parents with kids because they will love all of the songs.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 
I love this book because J.K. Rowling keeps you hooked with every chapter and it's filled with LOTS of cliffhangers.  I would recommend this book because it's really fun to read and lots of people recommended this book to me before and I loved it!

News of the World
News of the World by Paulette Jiles is a great book and I totally recommend it to a friend.  The main character in the book is Captain Kidd, for a living he goes around Texas and reads the paper.  In the story he gets paid to take a Native American girl back to her tribe.  It's a great book, 10 out of 5!

If I'm Being Honest
It I'm Being Honest is all about Cameron Bright and after saying hurtful things at a party, her crush sees who she really is.  Cameron goes and tries to apologize to everyone she hurt and after that all of the people realize she's not a bad person on the inside, she's just honest.

13 Little Blue Envelopes
Ginny Blackstone had an aunt who recently died due to sickness.  She left Ginny 13 little blue envelopes that instructed her to go backpacking through Europe.  She meets many people and learns about her aunt's secret.

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 5

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Gettaway
This Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is about Greg Heffley and his family are going somewhere to escape the stressful holiday season, but things don't go as planned, like heartbreak and collecting "sea shells."

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Rodrick Rules is about Rodrick and Greg Heffley and in this book Rodrick gets lots of revenge on Greg, like taking his old diary and showing it to the world but Greg takes it and little did he know that was a big mistake.

Snake Bites
Snake Bites is a great book if you want to learn about snakes.  In this book I learned that some snakes live underwater and have super poisonous bites!

Better You Than Me
Better You Than Me is all about two girls who get stuck in a prop room and wish for each other's lives.  But when they switch,k they realize being themselves isn't that bad after all.

Honor Girl
A girl named Maggie goes to a camp that she goes to every summer.  She makes a new friend, becomes closer with her other friend, and learns something about herself that changes her perspective forever.

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 4

City of Ashes
Clary is the daughter of a rogue shadowhunter named Valentine.  Clary and her brother go looking for their father in an attempt to stop him from starting a war between shadowhunters.

We Should Hang Out Sometime
Josh realized at 21 that he had never had a girlfriend.  He describes and evaluates all of the situations that went wrong.  In the end, he finds out that it was his insecurities about himself that stopped him.

Sisters Red
Scarlet and Rosie March are hunters.  They hunt wolf-like monsters to protect people.  Scarlet's hunting partner is in love with Silas only to find out that he could become one of the wolf-like monsters.

11 Birthdays
It's Amanda's birthday and she's super excited.  But from the start everything is wrong.  Leo, her best friend, whom she has shared every birthday with since she was one, won't be having their birthday party together.  When Amanda wakes up the next morning, everything seems the same.  In fact, it is!  As Amanda lives through her birthday over and over again, you will be chuckling through the whole story.  What I liked about this book was Wendy Mass's time loop concept which kept me really interested!

Wonder
Wonder is a great book and is all about a normal kid with some little differences and can be no longer home-schooled so he is starting a public school and he is bullied along the way.  But, in the end, he made lots of friends and people realize he is as normal as anyone else.

Summer Reading, Part 3

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
A boy named Henry has been living with his uncle and aunt because his parents are missing.  When he lives with his aunt and uncle, he discovers cupboards hidden behind the wall.  Henry and his cousin, Henrietta, explore the cupboards and find new places, things, and people.

Because You Love to Hate Me (short story collection)
This book told the stories of multiple villains.  It showed their side of the story.  My favorite was the story about Medusa's backstory.  It was called "Beautiful Venom."  I also love the twist in the fantasy stories.

Projekt 1065
I loved the book and will definitely read it again.  It was intense and you just wanted to keep reading.  I would recommend it for teens but for kids over nine.

BTS Persona (CD review)
I liked the music it had and it made you feel calm.  I still sing to the English parts.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry has three children with Ginny.  One of his sons, Albus, is different than Harry.  He makes it into the Slytherin house at Hogwarts.  After Harry and Albus have a fight, Albus takes a time turner and travels in time.  In the end, both son and father understand each other better.

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 2

Linkin Park (CD)
I listened to a Linkin Park CD.  In it you can feel with the lead singer Chester of his pain.

The Amazing Book is Not On Fire: The World of Dan & Phil
This audio book was about two youtubers names Dan and Phil.  It starts with when they were born and talks about their lives.  It was pretty much an autobiography where they told funny events that happened to them.  The best story in my opinion was the one about when they went to Las Vegas.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steiver
I liked this book because it was a fantasy book.  I also liked how it wasn't very predictable.  It was about a girl named Blue and how she was the daughter of a psychic.  She becomes friends with four boys who are nicknamed the Raven Boys because they all go to a private school.  I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy books with unpredictable plots.

J-14 (magazine review)
This magazine had many pop stars that teens know.  For example, there was a page about a band called Why Don't We where each member answers questions about what they each like.  There is Dane, Zack, Jack, Jonah, and Corbyn.

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer
After the new princess of Luna takes the crown, there are still wolf-hybrid soldiers on earth from the previous Lunar queen.  Iko, a droid, is ordered to destroy them to bring peace but they create a plan to try and take back Luna.  They do this by capturing all of Cinder's allies.

This Was Our Pact, by Ryan Andrews

I got the opportunity to sample lots of amazing books this summer, but by far my favorite was Ryan Andrews' graphic novel masterpiece This Was Our Pact. This one had it ALL, you guys: Fantastic characters, gorgeous imagery, and the most perfect ending. 

Every year during the Autumn Festival, the residents of Ben's town set hundreds of lanterns adrift on the nearby river. Legend has it that, when the lanterns have traveled far enough downstream, they change into stars and float into the sky. Of course Ben and his friends don't believe the stories, but they're still curious. So they make a plan to hop on their bikes and follow the lanterns to see what happens to them. 

That IS the plan, anyway. But soon enough Ben's friends drop out of the journey, one by one (ok...Taco Night is a pretty good excuse). And soon it's only Ben and Nathaniel, a somewhat nerdy and awkward classmate whom Ben cannot stand. But Ben won't let a tagalong distract from his mission. And Nathaniel is just as determined.

Over the course of the night, the rivals have some unbelievable experiences and encounter some pretty fantastic characters...like Fisherbears and Giant Map-Making Crows and witches who wish to harness the sun. And over the course of the night, the boys become friends in the way only people who have shared amazing experiences can.

And they DO discover what becomes of the lanterns. And it's even more incredible than they could have imagined. But no spoilers.

I loved this story, you guys, Absolutely loved it! And I think you will too. So check it out! And if it's not on the shelf (and chances are it's not, because word of this book's awesomeness has spread), ask a librarian to put it on hold for you. I promise you you'll be glad you read this one!

--AJB

Summer Reading Reviews, Part 1

You guys did such a good job this summer!  I can't wait to share the reviews we received!  For the rest of the month, I will be rolling out a few reviews at a time.  I hope that you find something you want to read!  -RYQ

Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy goes to a different place and asks for help from a wizard and she has to kill a witch to get home.

Artie Shaw Greatest Hits Artie Shaw (CD)
The CD "Artie Shaw Greatest Hits" is a great mix of his band's popular song versions.  It is very relaxing music and easy to listen to while drawing or even reading!  If you decide to listen to this CD, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Giant Days, vol 10 John Alison
Daisy, Esther, and Susan are in their last year of university and it's getting crazy.  Daisy's broken up with Ingrid, Esther is working things out with Ed, who seems to want nothing to do with her, and Susan is trying to cope with living in the building she hates the most.  It may seem easy but nothing ever is for these three.  My favorite character is Daisy because she's mature but also fun loving and she doesn't care what others thing.  Now a combo of Daisy and Esther?  Sign me up, please!

When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? Billie Eilish (CD)
Billie's album is very dark but her voice is very nice and beautiful.  She may look frightening in pictures, and in her song lyrics, but her voice takes you away!

Girls Life (magazine)
I love Girls Life magazine!  It's great for girls that are in between teenagers and kids.  They've got useful crafts, inspiring articles, and advice and inspiration.  I especially loved this one because it gave lots of advice about school and plenty of great style tips.