Review: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

 

In Ravenfall, the Ballinkay family lives in a magical inn with a mind of its own. Thirteen-year-old Anna Ballinkay can see death just by touching someone. But even in a family full of talented psychics, Anna feels like an outcast and constantly wonders how her powers might be useful to maintaining her family's inn. 

 

That is until fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce shows up on their doorstep in search of his missing brother after the death of their parents. Finally finding a use for her powers, Anna offers to help Colin track down the killer. 

 

As they struggle to understand who is behind the death and what they might want with Colin, the hidden secrets go deeper and deeper. And if they can't solve the mystery by Samhain (the Irish Halloween), the veil between life and death will be ripped open destroying their world before they can solve the murder.

Ravenfall is filled with Irish traditions and lore. Anna and Colin are the perfect pair to tackle this mystery as the story twists and turns. It's exciting to watch them both discover who they are and what their strengths are in the process. As they navigate a whimsical world with a quirky psychic family, a magical house that fixes and decorates itself, and a shapeshifting cat, they learn about the world of the dead all while finding their rightful place among those they care about. Ravenfall has the right touch of secrets and scary and is a perfect read for spooky season.

Review Lola Benko Treasure Hunter by Beth McMullen

 

Lola Benko travels the world with her archeologist dad. She's used to hopping around the globe with no place to call home. But when her dad mysteriously sends her to live with her great-aunt Irma and is thought to have died trying to recover his next artifact, Lola swears he's still alive. She will stop at nothing to find her father even if it means getting caught stealing expensive art from a rich mansion. But if she's to uncover the truth she'll have to trust kids her own age and she's used to doing things on her own.

Lola is a fantastic character, she's into STEM and likes to invent things and dives in head first often without a plan which makes her lovable even in her mistakes. Unfortunately Lola Benko didn't have the world travels and Indiana Jones style treasure hunts I expected but it did have a lot of heart and some fun and sometimes unexpected middle of the night adventures that often went sideways before the characters were able to get themselves out of the mess created. Lola's friends Hannah and Jin are believable and help level and challenge Lola as a character. And the ending had a nice wrap up while also opening the door for the sequel.

I recommend to all middle grade readers looking for a little adventure with a side of mischief and fun that doesn't always go according to plan.

ARC generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls Double Cross

 

Abby and her friends have entered into a prestigious Challenge to compete against other teams at Briar Academy. The winning team brings glory to their school and stakes claim as the best and the brightest. While there, they discover some mysterious activities that lead them on another spy filled adventure. In order to uncover the nefarious plans that lead back to their nemesis the Ghost, Abby and her friends will have to decide if they want to sacrifice the competition and all its glory to stop the notorious Ghost once and for all.

Reading this final installment of the Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls was like visiting with old friends. Toby, Izumi, Charolette, and Abby are at it again, and they reluctantly join forces with Poppy and Owen Elliot the other team from Smith to solve the mystery. Much like the previous two, Double Cross is a lot of fun filled with sarcasm, adventure, gadgets, and mischief. It's a blast to watch these characters get into trouble and figure out how they are going to get out of it. Even when the odds are stacked against them, they manage to work together and power through. I will miss this world and hanging with these characters and their fully formed personalities. Overall a great final wrap up to the series.

Book Review: THE AMELIA SIX serves up girl power and history

 

First of all: I have always been obsessed with the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance: did she survive the crash or smash into the ocean? 

Over the years, the mystery has been addressed in novels and nonfiction books.

But this might be my favourite story that includes Amelia:

I've been a huge fan of Kristin L. Gray since her debut novel, VILONIA BEEBE TAKES CHARGE.

    

She has a wonderful ability to put her readers in the shoes of their main character and have us root for them the whole way! (She is also the author of two wonderful picture books: KOALA IS NOT A BEAR and ROVER THROWS A PARTY)

The premise

Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford—Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address.

Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust. With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.

My Thoughts

First of all, I LOVED this book. Not only because of my own obsession with Amelia, but because this is SUCH a good story.

Who wouldn't love a book where the first line of chapter one reads:

Imagine the worse smell you can think of, multiply it by rotten fish, and I promise you a turkey truck stinks worse.

I mean seriously, this is a GOOD opener!

I love Millie's awkwardness, her grief over her mother's leaving, and her thrill at getting to stay overnight at Amelia Earhart's house (who also happens to be her mother's idol).

Most of all, I loved that that this book tells the story of a group of smart girls. Smart girls who can solve a mystery themselves AND work out their interpersonal issues AND support each other. 

I love that this book promotes teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and I LOVED the ending.

This book is a great whodunit with heart, and is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the history of women and early aviation and the life of Amelia Earhart. 

And there are great resources at the end for kids (and adults) who want to read more about Amelia.

This book is a winner - I highly recommend it!

Want to learn more about Kristin L. Gray? Visit her website: https://kristinlgray.com

Review of Slug Queen Chronicles by S. O. Thomas

Cricket could always see colors around objects, but she always thought it meant there was something wrong with her. Until her birthday when Cricket's Dad gave her mother's journal to her as a gift. From the journal, she discovered that her mother saw the colors too, meaning Cricket wasn't as odd as everyone thought. But when the colors she saw started indicating bad and strange things, she knew something was wrong. And after a creature replaces her baby brother with aslumgwump, things really started to get out of hand. When no one else seemed to notice the difference and Cricket was blamed for the strange happenings, she made it her mission to put things back the way they were. Cricket must find her brother and return him before everyone she loves, including her parents and her best friend, turns against her and her baby brother is gone forever.

The Slug Queen Chronicles was a great imaginative story with inventive ideas. While it was a little heavy on details at times, Cricket is a fun and inquisitive main character. I would have loved to have seen Cricket encounter more difficult challenges, but she asks lots of questions that the reader is asking right along with her. The world Cricket enters to rescue her brother, takes things from the known world and flips them sideways that gives the book a similar feel to Alice and Wonderland. And the illustrations at the start of every chapter are a lot of fun. I would recommend for readers looking to escape to an imaginative world.

Louisiana's Way Home: a completely biased yet totally true book review

This post is destined to be part fan girl relives awesome bookish moment and part book lover writes glowing book review, and yeah, I’m not even sorry. So, come for the fan-girl squee and stay for the book rec, okay? 😉

In June, I travelled to a galaxy far, far away…New Orleans, which seriously is a looong way from my home on the west coast of Canada. Five airports away, as it turned out. I’ve never ventured so far from home before, but oh, was it worth it! I was there for the ALA annual conference. (I WAS AT ALA!!! Author dream-list item achieved!) I had several events scheduled, but fortunately, oh so fortunately, they didn’t conflict with when KATE DICAMILLO was signing ARCs of Louisiana’s Way Home.

Kate is one of my favourite authors. I adore her books. But I also love how she seems to see the world, and I love her views on writing for children. She’s been an inspiration to me, and I wanted to tell her so.

The line at ALA was long, of course, but it was populated with wonderful librarians to chat with, and eventually, there I was, meeting Kate DiCamillo. I blurted out some form of adoration and thanks, which she graciously received, and then she shook my hand and congratulated me on my Schneider Award for Macy McMillan, and she signed a copy of Louisiana’s Way Home for me, and that was it and it was everything. Happy happy.

I read Louisiana’s Way Home on my way home from Louisiana (ha!), and it was every bit as delightful as I’d anticipated. Now, you're probably thinking I can’t possibly write an unbiased review, given my fan-girl confession, and you're probably right. But if you’re a fan of Kate’s work, trust me…you won’t be disappointed. Louisiana’s Way Home is classic Kate DiCamillo: sad and hopeful, tender and humorous, quirky and charming. 

Here’s the blurb from Candlewick Press:

When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder — she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana's and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.) 

Louisiana’s Way Home is a story about finding your place in the world and choosing who you will be. It’s also a story about the power of generosity and kindness, which Louisiana experiences through the family of her new friend, Burke Allen. It was wonderful spending time with “wily and resilient” Louisiana (after first meeting her in Raymie Nightingale). Yes, you have to suspend disbelief, particularly when it comes to Granny's actions, but I was absolutely okay with that. Both the voice and the story itself are unique, quirky, and compelling, and it all comes together in a perfect, hug-the-book-then-read-it-again ending – exactly what you’d hope for and expect in a Kate DiCamillo book. Highly recommended (obviously😂). 

Release date: October 2, 2018

Review: Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen

When Abigail's mother tells her she's sending her to boarding school, Abby thinks she's being punished. When she finds out the school uniforms have little blue whales on the skirt, her life is over. But what Abby didn't expect was to learn her school is really a front for a secret spy ring that trains young girls. And, as one of the center's top spies, her mother is in on the whole thing. But when Abby's mom goes missing, the headmaster wants to use Abby as bait to find her mom. With little spy training, Abby faces one villain after the next, all in an effort to get her mom back. And something that seemed crazy at first, quickly becomes a game of life and death for Abby and her mom.

The voice of Abby is the first thing that grabbed me and reeled me into this story. Abby is such a fun character to follow around. But beyond the voice of the story is an adventure full of action and surprises that keeps the reader guessing at every turn. In addition, Abby has fantastic cast of supporting characters. There's everyone from her school friends who she has to lie to about becoming a spy, to the stern headmaster, to the nerdy boy Toby, who is a tech wizard and unlikely ally to Abby.

The story overall is great journey in learning who Abby can trust and how to power through new experiences in unconventional ways. Abby is such a strong character. She leaps off the page and into your heart. You can't help but want to be friends with her.

All in all, this story was so fun and engaging. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put the book down, but I also didn't want it to end. This book was so amazing, I hope to see more stories with these characters in the future. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy action-packed, fast moving stories with butt kicking heroines and a small side of sass.

ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The World's Greatest Adventure Machine by Frank L. Cole

Trevor (the troublemaker), Devin (the internet star), Cameron (the genius), and Nika (the reserved) just won the Castleton's contest to be the first to ride the World's Greatest Adventure Machine, a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster. As the adventure unfolds, the four winners begin to suspect there's more to their fellow participants than meets the eye. And if trusting their fellow riders isn't enough, the ride seems to have a mind of it's own, putting Trevor, Devin, Cameron, and Nika on an wild and twisted adventure they couldn't imagine in their wildest dreams. But as they embark on their journey it seems the adventure machine has other plans for them and if they aren't careful they might never get off the ride.

The thing that stood out for me the most in this story were the characters. Each were unique and fun to follow in their own right. And as the reader learned more about them, it was easier to fall deeper and deeper into their story. It was fun to see what would come up in the adventure next and watch how the characters would react and affect how the story unfolded. It was also incredibly endearing to watch the characters get to know themselves better through interacting with each other through their experiences on the ride.

This story also had many great, entertaining, and unexpected moments. It kept the reader guessing about the characters and the plot as things progressed. It was almost impossible to predict what would come up next on the ride but was fun to experience it as the characters did.

This is an exciting story that middle grade readers will get lost in and love to follow Trevor, Devin, Cameron, and Nika through their adventure. There's humor, danger, and twists and turns to keep any young reader engaged from beginning to end. I recommend this for any Middle Grade reader looking for a fun adventure.

*ARC generously provided by Penguin Random House Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

They read what?

In keeping with my co-bloggers' themes of late, here's a list of what my children have been reading. While it's a small sampling, the comments are genuine and valuable and are delivered directly from middle grade readers.

Me to Third Grade Girl: What are the books you've read most recently, and what did you like most about them?

The Day the Crayons Quit - "I liked that most of them (the crayons) were mad at Duncan or each other and cuz they were saying funny things." (I think she really dug the conflict.)

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose - "I liked the fact that he let a whole bunch of animals in his antlers and didn't even know that they were about to fall off. And the hunters got all of the animals and his horns, I mean antlers."

Hug Machine - "I liked it because pizza energized him and he liked hugging a lot."

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - "Well, um I liked the fact that she thought it was a gigantic bears' house and I liked the fact of what the morals were. If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave. Oh, and for the dinosaurs, always remember to lock the back door."

Me to Fourth Grade Girl: What books have you read recently and what did you like most about them?

The Shadow Children series - "I liked that it's about third children, who are illegal. Lots of unfair things concerning food are happening but rich people called barons eat like nothing happened. Ok, see, there were a few years of famine and the barons are eating like nothing bad happened and like there's plenty of food. And I like that it's from lots of different characters' points of view."

Me to Sixth Grade Girl: What books have you read recently what did you like about them?

The Heroes of Olympus series - They're funny, dramatic, umm, I like how they're all from the different characters' views and they all have their own moods and feelings - like actual people do.

The Ranger's Apprentice series - The romance is way unbalanced. With Evanlyn, Alyss, Will, it's all kind of awkward. It's so obvious how, now that I've read it before, that it's hard to believe I didn't know it before.

Me to Sixth Grade Boy - Tell me about the books you've read recently.

"I'm going to tell you about The Templeton Twins Have an Idea. First of all it's part of a trilogy, therefore it makes you want to read more. One of the reasons I like it is the narrator gets in the story a lot. For example, at the end of most of the chapters, he has questions for review. Some of these questions are "different". For example, 'The author has succeeded I writing an actual prologue. Aren't you proud of him?' The second question for review of that section is 'what do you mean, no?' Number three in that section is 'Explain, in fifty words or less, why you believe the story will actually get started, and why it will be wonderful.' The reason I like how the narrator does this is because he actually gets involved. Sometimes when he gets involved, he explains words you may not know."

Me: And that's a good thing?

SGB: Yeah.

Me: Would that work for every book?

SGB: I do believe that would work for most books, though I do not know if when you get involved it would be funny in every book.

Me: What are you presently reading?

SGB: City of Orphans: The thing I like most about it is how detailed it is and how well everything is explained.

Me: What's it about?

SGB: New York in the late 1800s. Two kids Max and Willa are struggling with finances and survival. Max is an "newsie" - a news boy you know "Extra, Extra, read all about it!" - boy. He works hard each day to earn 8cents. Willa is an orphan who has been living in an alley for five months. Max gets in a jam with a gang and Willa happens to be there and saves him with her mighty stick. Now, Max and Willa have these troubles; the gang is always on watch for them, Max's sister was just sent to jail for no reason, and his other sister has wasting disease - the disease that killed Willa's mother. Will they make in the big city of the late 1800s?


Whenever I corner my children and grill them about the books they're reading, I always get some valuable insights. I hope you did too. Thanks and happy writing! -Rob

Review: What The Moon Said by Gayle Rosengren

What The Moon Said is the story of a family who must find a way to survive in the wake of The Great Depression. Set in Chicago, 1930, the story starts out with Ester’s father losing his job. I love the setting in the beginning-- images of the buildings and town cars, the radio being the center of the family’s entertainment, the theater showing Rin Tin Tin.

(Funny, I totally didn’t picture it in black and white! J)

Unable to pay rent in the city now, the family takes their savings and they buy a farm where they can support themselves (food being the main issue). I was actually a little disappointed when they move away from Chicago because it’s such a cool place.  The farm is shabby and more than a little scary. Soon, with the animals (including a dog!), the raspberry picking and the new friends, Chicago is all but forgotten.

But this story, it isn’t really *about* the farm or the Great Depression. It’s about Ester, and more importantly, her mother. You see Ester isn’t sure if her mother really loves her, because she doesn’t hug her the way her friend’s mom hugs. That’s what real love is, right? So Ester sets out to do anything and everything she can make her mother love her.

Overall score: 4 stars

This story is sweet with such a fun setting and some really fascinating historical aspects.

And honestly, of everything in the book though, the best aspect is character. Ester is the kind of character you’ll want to curl up with and she will definitely stick with you after you set the book down.  She’s sweet, hopefully and very determined.

But it’s a quiet story, even a little slow at times. I never get tired of Ester, but I do wish that there was a bigger plot line, that Ester could have done something to help her family (more than the 1.50 she makes selling nuts).  I don’t expect the nine year old girl to save the farm, but I wish she’d done something fulfilling for the whole family-- Something big and fun, even if it didn’t work out all the way.  I don’t mind a bitter sweet ending, just as long as we get some fun in the meantime (and as long as things end hopeful enough, which is definitely the case for What The Moon Said).

I’m happy with this book. I enjoyed it and love the historical relevance. It’s the kind of book I imagine reading to my children before bedtime, explaining some of the little things about the United States during that time period “Yes! That really happened!” (remember my post about MGers love to learn things without being “taught”. Yeah, this book totally does that). It’ll be one that sits on my shelf, waiting for the day I can read it and learn alongside my future children.

What The Moon Said by Gayle Rosengren is coming from Putnam Young Readers Group  on Feb 20 so check it out and let me know what you think!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17866844-what-the-moon-said

Author website:  http://www.gaylerosengren.com

Kirkus -- "Sensitive and tender."

Booklist -- "...heartwarming story...engaging historical fiction"

Publishers Weekly -- "...Esther makes the most of each day, asks little, and gives much."