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The Forest Queen, Braxton Church
The Forest Queen, Braxton Church
Children's Book and Media Review
After Sylvie’s cruel brother John becomes the sheriff of Woodshire, Sylvie escapes into the woods with her childhood friend Bird and their newfound friend Little Jane. But as time passes, Sylvie learns about the unjust treatment of the commoners, and soon robs from the rich to give to the poor. Her brother dubs her the Forest Queen as more and more people rally behind her cause. But when Sheriff John burns their forest hideout, the people following Sylvie crusade against the unjust nobles, bringing peace and equality to the land of Woodshire.
Robots Rule: Lots Of Bots, Melissa Secor
Robots Rule: Lots Of Bots, Melissa Secor
Children's Book and Media Review
In the exciting sequel to Robots Rule: The Junkyard Bot, George Gearing has landed his dream apprenticeship at TinkerTech Headquarters. He can’t believe his luck, but on his first day, he realizes that there is something sinister going on, and he worries that Dr. Micron might be behind it. With the help of his trusty robot friend Jackbot and his best friend Anne Droid, George works to stop Dr. Micron before the town of Terabyte Heights is ruined forever. As they dig into the mysteries of TinkerTech, they realize that George’s late parents may have been more involved that he …
Sun, Ashley Mckenzie
Sun, Ashley Mckenzie
Children's Book and Media Review
It's a hot day, but not too hot for an adventure. A boy and his grandfather collect all the necessary items for a picnic and set out on an adventure in the blazing heat. They consult the map and walk and walk until they find the perfect spot. As it turns out, someone else was already there. They have stumbled upon a ship full of pirates. They join the pirates for a picnic and then head home to reflect on the day and hope for more sunny days ahead.
Robots Rule! #1: The Junkyard Bot, Melissa Secor
Robots Rule! #1: The Junkyard Bot, Melissa Secor
Children's Book and Media Review
Ten-year old George Gearing lives in the town of Terabyte Heights where robots and humans co-exist. His best friend, Jackbot, is even a robot. When a car hits Jackbot, George ends up in the TinkerTech Laboratories to fix him. However, George doesn’t just fix Jackbot, he creates a new intelligence that has never been created before. The next day, Jackbot is kidnapped and it is up to George and his new friend Anne to figure out who is behind the kidnapping. But, once they got to TinkerTech Headquarters, they realize that the person behind the kidnapping has much more sinister …
My Name Is Victoria, Kenzie Pierce
My Name Is Victoria, Kenzie Pierce
Children's Book and Media Review
Miss V. Conroy is an ordinary eleven-year-old girl living in England, but she is given an extraordinary opportunity when her father takes her to Kensington Palace to become Princess Victoria’s companion. Miss V.’s father is the advisor to the Duchess of Kent, and he takes the princess’ safety very seriously. The princess, however, is convinced that Sir Conroy is imprisoning her with his strict “system.” Princess Victoria’s hatred for Sir Conroy and her sickly, irritable disposition makes it difficult for Miss V. to be a good companion initially; however, the two girls become the best of friends as they spend …
Hoot & Olive: Brave Enough For Two, Karen Abbott
Hoot & Olive: Brave Enough For Two, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Friends can be brave for each other. Olive's stuffed owl wants to try some adventurous new things, like flying with balloons and climbing trees. These things make Olive nervous, but Hoot assures her that he is brave enough for both of them. Then when owl needs some encouragement, Olive tells him that she will be brave enough for two this time.
Caraval #2: Legendary, Karen Abbott
Caraval #2: Legendary, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Tella watched as her sister, Scarlett, played the game known as Caraval. Caraval is only ever played once a year—except this year. Another game will be played in honor of the empress' birthday and this time it will be Tella's turn to play. A "friend" offers to help Tella find her mother if she wins Caraval and gives him the true name of the Caraval master, known only as Legend. The game is on. Tella will find, as Scarlett did before her, that the only way to win Caraval is to give your whole self to rescue the people you …
The Wild Robot #2: The Wild Robot Escapes, Mavanee Farnsworth
The Wild Robot #2: The Wild Robot Escapes, Mavanee Farnsworth
Children's Book and Media Review
Robot Roz is no ordinary robot. She learned to survive on an island and now has to learn to survive on a farm. However, Roz has left her son back on the island and desperately wants to make it back to him. She tells every animal she can about her son Brightbill back home. The rumors spread and soon Brightbill hears the story his mother is telling everyone. Brightbill decides to migrate on a different route this year and finds his mother Roz. Together they escape and attempt to make it back to their home. The humans they encounter are …
The Weather Girls, Robyn Lee
The Weather Girls, Robyn Lee
Children's Book and Media Review
The weather girls take readers on an adventure through the seasons, changing their clothes and activities as they go. Starting with the swimming and playing of summer, the girls continue on, teaching about the apples and sweaters of fall, snowmen, snowflakes and mountains of winter, and finally the breezes and colors of spring. All these adventures culminate in a summary of each season, how they relate to each other and how they affect animal and plant life.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale Of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, And A Very Interesting Boy, Erica Sonzogni
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale Of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, And A Very Interesting Boy, Erica Sonzogni
Children's Book and Media Review
What do four little girls, one dog and one boy have in common? They have a great summer together! The four Penderwick sisters, their father, and their dog rent a vacation home for three weeks in Massachusetts. They are excited to spend time together but do not realize that they are renting a portion of the Arundel Estate from Mrs. Tifton, a snobby, stuck-up woman who does not like children of any kind. Unfortunately, she has an only son, named Jeffrey, who the Penderwick girls befriend. Mrs. Tifton does not approve of the Penderwick girls, which leads to conflict and …
The Fourline Trilogy #3: The Last Remnant, Karen Abbott
The Fourline Trilogy #3: The Last Remnant, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Natalie is devoted to finding a cure for the bite of the Nala in Fourline. Unfortunate humans become partially Nala when bitten. After trial and error, Natalie believes that she has succeeded and becomes obsessed with returning to Fourline to deliver the cure. She acts against everyone's counsel and advice and sneaks through the membrane. Her sister Calpurnia follows her through. Nat is almost to the Healing House when she and Cal are attacked by a Nala. Nat runs into the forest to lead them away while Cal runs to deliver the serum. Nat is betrayed by a corrupt Sister …
The Fourline Trilogy #2: On The Meldon Plain, Karen Abbott
The Fourline Trilogy #2: On The Meldon Plain, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Natalie Barns goes to Sister Barba and discovers that she must return to Fourline and sever the head of the Nala monster who infected her. Sister Barba finishes Natalie's training and Nat goes back into Fourline as a full Sister. Nat, Soris, and their friend Annin find and behead the creature, but in doing so, they awaken the Nala Queen. When Natalie returns to the Healing House, she recognizes a woman in a painting as the crazed person that she met in the capitol's castle on her first visit to Fourline. This means that Estos' sister, the deposed Queen, is …
The Fourline Trilogy #1: Gateway To Fourline, Karen Abbott
The Fourline Trilogy #1: Gateway To Fourline, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Natalie needs a new job. She is attending an Ivy League university on a partial scholarship but her father's recent injury and inability to work has put stress on the family finances. Between her cafeteria job and the effort to keep her grades up, Natalie is stressed and falling behind financially and scholastically. Luck is on her side when the costume director for the theater major hires her to help with her off-campus family business. The business is actually a front for a Gateway into a land called Fourline. The king of Fourline is hiding in this world until he …
Ocean Meets Sky, Karen Abbott
Ocean Meets Sky, Karen Abbott
Children's Book and Media Review
Finn misses his grandfather. Outside is beautiful day and he knows that his grandfather would have said that this is a good day to go sailing. Finn has a playhouse in the shape of a boat and it is where he plays and imagines great adventures like the ones his Grandfather told him. Finn sleepily curls up for a nap where he dreams of a place where the ocean and sky become one. There his boat can float among ships and whales and other ocean vessels. Too soon his mother's voice calls him, it is time to wake up for …
Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad, Erica Sonzogni
Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad, Erica Sonzogni
Children's Book and Media Review
Danny’s mother is kidnapped by fairies, and it is up to Danny and his friends, Wendell and Christiana, to save her. The three enter the fairy realm and must go through a variety of challenges in order to rescue Danny's mom. The trio encounters talking shrubs, a fox, and a fairy that curses Christiana. After many twists and turns, they rescue Mrs. Dragonbreath and are able to return home.
Monsterland, Tessa Mcmillan
Monsterland, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
Charlie Cooper is grieving for his beloved cousin Billy. On Halloween night, Charlie sees a figure that reminds him of Billy. Charlie follows the figure and is lead along an unfamiliar path deep into a neighboring mountain valley. But when Charlie catches up, he’s shocked to see a hideous vampire. The vampire, known as the Prime Minister, governs a monster sanctuary called Vampyreishtat, or Monsterland. In Monsterland there is an island where lost souls reside and the living can see them again. The Prime Minister says that Charlie can go there to see Billy. Eventually they get to the island …
Eleven And Holding, Margo Isabell
Eleven And Holding, Margo Isabell
Children's Book and Media Review
Macy’s life is far from simple. She is starting middle school and changing friend groups, and her father is on a special military assignment and has been absent from her life during the recent years. Macy clings to her father’s promise that he will return to her on her twelfth birthday, so she determines to “stay” eleven until his return. One day, Macy and her best friend Twee help a forgetful older lady find her missing dog. This small adventure is a catalyst for an even bigger one as Macy decides to track down her absent father at his “new …
Beyonders: Seeds Of Rebellion, Brooklynn Marshall
Beyonders: Seeds Of Rebellion, Brooklynn Marshall
Children's Book and Media Review
In this second installment of the Beyonders trilogy, Jason is trying to find a way back to Lyrian in order to relay key information that the Word to defeat Maldor is a hoax. When Jason finally finds a way to return, he finds himself to be the most wanted fugitive on the continent. Meanwhile, during her time stranded in Lyrian, Rachel has discovered that she possesses a natural talent for Edomic magic—an ability that may prove vital in the struggle against the evil wizard Maldor. When the pair finally reunites, they and several other friends reassemble for a new mission …
Bartholomew Biddle And The Very Big Wind, Liz Romney
Bartholomew Biddle And The Very Big Wind, Liz Romney
Children's Book and Media Review
Bartholomew Biddle is a boy who hates math and loves adventure, but soon finds himself being swept up by his trusty bedsheet and a powerful gust of wind. As Bart travels and meets new friends in strange lands he must decide where he truly belongs among pirates, pilots, parents, and friends. What will he do when he finds himself where the wind doesn't blow--will he return home? Ross's story follows this fantastic character as Bartholomew questions the role of pleasure, persistence, and adventure in boyhood.
Peak #3: Ascent, Meagan Andrus
Peak #3: Ascent, Meagan Andrus
Children's Book and Media Review
In the third book of the Peak series, Peak Marcello has been invited to Burma to relax and hang out with Alessia, daughter of the French ambassador and a friend from a previous climb. Alessia has more than just hanging out in mind, however, she wants to summit Hkakabo Razi, which could be the tallest summit in Southeast Asia. Peak, Alessia, her bodyguard Ethan, and a new friend, Dr. Freestone, have to survive the jungle of Burma before they can even make it to the base of the mountain. Their journey to the base of the mountain is rife with …
Ocdaniel, Leah Christopher
Ocdaniel, Leah Christopher
Children's Book and Media Review
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is commonly misunderstood, and Daniel doesn’t even know he has it. Although Daniel recognizes his strange tendencies—the “Zaps” that force him to repeat actions like tapping and stepping on cracks, the intensive “Routine” every night—he feels powerless to overcome them. Unexpectedly, a fellow student named Sara, with oddities of her own, enlists Daniel’s help to track down her missing father. When they break into a suspect’s home to search for clues, one of Daniel’s Zaps almost gets them caught. But Daniel and Sara persist in their investigation and discover that Sara’s dad had overdosed on medication, and Sara …
Legacy Of Orïsha: Children Of Blood And Bone, Braxton Church
Legacy Of Orïsha: Children Of Blood And Bone, Braxton Church
Children's Book and Media Review
The night the magic disappeared was the night Zélie’s mother was slaughtered. In a single night, King Saran took away all magic in Orïsha and ordered the death of the maji, those blessed with magic. Years later, when the King discovers a lost magical scroll, his daughter Amari steals it, and Zélie regains her magic the moment she touches the scroll. Now Zélie, her brother Tzain, and the princess Amari must travel across the land of Orïsha to bring magic back, all while being hunted by Prince Inan. However, Inan himself develops magic of his own, and his magic lets …
Isle Of Blood And Stone, Meagan Andrus
Isle Of Blood And Stone, Meagan Andrus
Children's Book and Media Review
Eighteen years ago, the two eldest princes of St. John del Mar and the Royal Navigator were kidnapped and murdered in a devious plot set in motion by the rival kingdom of Mondrago. Neither kingdom fully recovered, and the wounds run deep. Now, two unsigned maps turn up in del Mar with hidden riddles and clues that seem to hint that the events of the past were not as straightforward as they were told. Elias, the son of the lost Royal Navigator and an expert mapmaker, decides to investigate the mysteries and clues left by the maps at the insistence …
The Nocturnals: The Slithery Shakedown, Beverly Jones
The Nocturnals: The Slithery Shakedown, Beverly Jones
Children's Book and Media Review
This particular installment in The Nocturnals series is suited for children in grades one and two. Bismark, the fearless leader, is ready to embark on another exciting adventure. But Bismark finds out he is more of a fearful leader when he and his friends have an unwelcome encounter with a sly, slithery snake. The snake wants to make a snack out of Bismark, the small sugar glider, but that won’t happen with Tobin the pangolin and Dawn the fox around. The three friends realize that you can be “scared and brave, too” and they send that sneaky snake right back …
Wolf, Cynthia Frazier
Wolf, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
He is now called Jack, after having other names, adventures, and roles in the book Sheep. Four years later, Jack is back doing what a Border Collie was born to do. Jack and his human Luke have found a good home on the sheep ranch with people who care about them. Jack senses an unfamiliar odor on the farm, and then two of his flock are killed on his watch. The Wolf has come to California in search of a new home and a mate. A fierce confrontation with another animal leaves him with a wound that won’t heal and …
Orphan Island, Emilee Bell
Orphan Island, Emilee Bell
Children's Book and Media Review
Nine orphans live together on a magical island and every year, a small child skims across the sea to trade places with the oldest child and is mentored by the oldest child left. Blue-eyed Jinny struggles with wide-eyed Ess, but ultimately rebels from the law passed down by oral tradition that the Elder must leave upon arrival of a new child. Little by little, the magic of the island turns into curses until the ultimate horror happens: the new small one is bitten by a once-gentle snake. It’s in the emergency that Jinny realizes that she must forget about what …
Legacy Of Orïsha: Children Of Blood And Bone, Lisi Merkley
Legacy Of Orïsha: Children Of Blood And Bone, Lisi Merkley
Children's Book and Media Review
After witnessing her mother’s murder, Zelie is left in a world where she is an outcast. Years ago the king of Orïsha ordered that all maji—people endowed with magical powers from the gods—be killed and as the maji died, so did magic. When the king’s daughter, Amari, steals a scroll that brings back these magical powers, she fortuitously runs into Zelie and her brother, Tzain, and the three of them begin a quest to bring back magic. As they struggle to find the other artifacts necessary to perform the magic-saving spell, they are hunted down by Amari’s brother, Inan, who …
The Mysterious Benedict Society: The Mysterious Benedict Society And The Perilous Journey, Becky Jamieson
The Mysterious Benedict Society: The Mysterious Benedict Society And The Perilous Journey, Becky Jamieson
Children's Book and Media Review
Mr. Benedict has planned a surprise for his four young friends, but it turns out his evil twin Mr. Curtain has a far darker surprise for them all. Mr. Curtain has kidnapped Mr. Benedict and his right hand woman Number Two. Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance set out to rescue their adult friends. They travel by sea, train, and plane to reach the island on which the prisoners are being held following the clues left behind by Mr. Benedict as part of his surprise. With help from Milligan, the kids rescue their friends and stop another of Mr. Curtain’s plots …
Monsters Beware!, Olivia Hales
Monsters Beware!, Olivia Hales
Children's Book and Media Review
Tomboy Claudette is the sort of hard core, no fluff, all grit, eight-year-old hero you’d expect to be crushing monsters on a daily basis. And that’s exactly what she plans on doing. Problem is, the warrior games have had their deadliness dialed down a bit. Claudette finds herself churning butter instead of putting minotaurs in a headlock. Claudette’s teammate and younger brother Gaston discovers that the team from the ocean kingdom is really monsters in disguise. Distressingly, no one believes him. While Claudette flounders outside of her element, her teammates scramble to outmaneuver their disguised foes. The ocean kingdom’s plot …
Jigsaw Jones: The Case Of The Bicycle Bandit, Haley Cook
Jigsaw Jones: The Case Of The Bicycle Bandit, Haley Cook
Children's Book and Media Review
Jigsaw Jones has a new mystery to solve. Ralphie cannot find Old Rusty, his beat-up, hand-me-down bike. While looking at books in the library, it was taken from the bike rack. It’s up to Jigsaw to piece together the clues and find the bike. All Jigsaw knows is that his own bike, a nice new one, was not stolen, even though their bikes were locked up with the same lock. There were also three suspicious skateboarders in the area during the time of the theft, but no one knows who they are. Jigsaw, along with the help of Mila, is …