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Messenger Of Fear, Ashley Roggow
Messenger Of Fear, Ashley Roggow
Children's Book and Media Review
In this suspenseful, gripping tale, the Messenger of Fear inflicts an awful cat and mouse game upon unsuspecting victims, who may or may not deserve their worst fears coming true. In the most recent game, Mara, a young girl, wakes up in an eerie, misty field with no recollection of how she got there. She soon learns that she has been chosen as the Messenger’s apprentice, to help him guide his twisted game. If those chosen to play lose, their worst fears will become reality. Mara feels like a pawn rather than an apprentice in the Messenger’s creepy game, but …
The Graveyard Book, Olivia Noli
The Graveyard Book, Olivia Noli
Children's Book and Media Review
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is the story of a boy who is cared for by the residents of a graveyard after his family is murdered. Named "Nobody Owens" to protect his identity, he is raised by the ghosts and a vampire, all the while hiding from the real world outside the borders of the graveyard. Silas, his vampire guardian, investigates throughout the novel who wants to murder "Bod" (short for Nobody). As he grows up, Bod learns many things about life from the ghosts and Miss Lupescu, a werewolf who occasionally visits. In the end, he learns why …
Sleep No More, Loretta Farnsworth
Sleep No More, Loretta Farnsworth
Children's Book and Media Review
Sixteen-year-old Charlotte sees the future, but the unpredictable episodes cause blackouts, and classmates avoid her because of her bizarre behavior. But Charlotte feels that it is best they stay away: after the death of her father, she knows the consequences of interfering in the fates she sees in her visions. However, when she begins to see the murders of her classmates, Charlotte can no longer stand on the sidelines. Choosing to ignore the instructions of her oracle aunt, Sierra, and following the guidance of a mysterious man called Smith, Charlotte begins exploring her powers and seeking to protect her town. …
Liars,Inc., Ariel Woodbury
Liars,Inc., Ariel Woodbury
Children's Book and Media Review
During their senior year in high school, Max, Preston, and Parvati, decide to make a little money at school by forging signatures, creating alibis, and assisting cheaters. It starts off really well and they make good money. One night, Preston asks Max to pretend to go camping with him so he can go visit a girl he has been talking to online, but afterwards Preston goes missing. Parvati and Max find an address that might lead to Preston, but when they get there the house is on fire. Preston's body is found with the body of his real mom. Later, …
Beautiful Idols #2: Blacklist, Kati Penovich
Beautiful Idols #2: Blacklist, Kati Penovich
Children's Book and Media Review
Although Layla, Aster, and Tommy’s lives have taken different turns after the nightclub competition, they can’t seem to stay away from each other. Curiously, each of them shares a connection with the rich and powerful Ira Redman: he is Tommy’s father, he gives Layla a good job she isn’t qualified for, and he gets Aster out of prison for a crime she didn’t commit. But how is Ira linked to Madison? He may be the generous and successful businessman he appears to be, or he may be the one holding Madison captive. The three teens continue to hunt for clues …
The Magician's Bird, Sarah Rawle
The Magician's Bird, Sarah Rawle
Children's Book and Media Review
Bud and Laurie soon find themselves fighting to save their school, Tuckernuck Hall, from closing down. This time, Walker LeFranco, former school board president, claims that that the founder of the school is a murderer. Bud and Laurie stumble upon a secret room in the school and find the Marchetti’s bird, the only proof that could save the school’s reputation. Walker LeFranco tries to pass off a fake Marchetti’s bird, unaware of Bud and Laurie’s discovery. The seventh graders and the school librarian prove Maria Tutweiler’s innocence and save the school by revealing that LeFranco’s bird is false.
A Little Taste Of Poison, Tessa Mcmillan
A Little Taste Of Poison, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
After failing to expose Eryx of murder, Isaveth and Esmond (aka Quiz) are living an uneasy existence away from each another. However, the owner of Glow-Mor changes everything when he gives Isaveth a scholarship to attend the socially elite Tarreton College. Soon after starting, Isaveth reunites with Esmond and they renew their search for clues against Eryx. Their leads show that Eryx is keeping any incriminating documents inside his magically protected car. Under the cover of a masquerade ball at Eryx’s home, Isaveth and Esmond try to get to the evidence. Their efforts are cut short when Esmond’s father, the …
Evidence Of Things Not Seen, Emilee Bell
Evidence Of Things Not Seen, Emilee Bell
Children's Book and Media Review
Small towns are full of gossip, but even small-town Texas outdoes itself when adopted Tommy Smythe disappears. According to the locals, Tommy wandered through life absorbed with the possibility of alternate realities. Everyone has a theory about how he disappeared, and the sheriff is gathering the stories from everyone who knew him. Whether Tommy’s disappearance was a consequence of kidnapping, murder, a horrible accident, or a jump into an alternate reality, the sheriff’s search for Tommy unlocks the alternate realities that exist in each human mind.
The Menagerie #2: Dragon On Trial, Becky Jamieson
The Menagerie #2: Dragon On Trial, Becky Jamieson
Children's Book and Media Review
Logan, Zoe, and Blue will do anything to stop the Menagerie from being shut down, and that means proving to a jury of magical creatures the innocence of Scratch the dragon. Scratch faces the death penalty for killing Pelly, the goose who laid the golden eggs. With the help of Marco, a werechicken in their seventh grade class, the three friends learn that Scratch is guilty of no more than eating a few farmer’s sheep and that Pelly is not dead after all. They find Pelly and bring her back in time to save Scratch, but they are still unsure …
Pyramid Hunters: The Iron Tomb, Tessa Mcmillan
Pyramid Hunters: The Iron Tomb, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
Sam Force is dreading his yearly Cairo vacation with his Egyptologist uncle, Jasper. Upon his arrival, Sam learns Jasper is wanted by the police. Escaping the authorities himself, Sam uses his wits and three new mysterious friends to search for Jasper. Following coded clues left by Jasper, Sam learns about the Panehesy: a buried merchant ship that carried an ancient-Egyptian treasure. Sam is threatened by the Short-Haired Man who also wants Jasper. Sam uncovers the buried Panehesy and finds Jasper trapped inside. Jasper tells Sam that the ship holds The Ark of the Covenant, an artifact many believe is the …
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Rebeca Wallin
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Rebeca Wallin
Children's Book and Media Review
The game is afoot in three classic stories reimagined with Sherlock Holmes played as a woman. In Copper Beeches, Holmes and Watson solve a mystery involving a forced impersonation and an imprisonment. In Yellow Face, Holmes makes a mistake when a missing first husband turns out to be a hidden mixed-race child. This child brings to light the racial prejudices rampant during the time period. In Bohemia, Holmes meets the infamous Irene Adler. She is involved in a blackmail case with the King of Bohemia involving an inappropriate photograph. Though Holmes cracks the case, she is still outsmarted by Adler …
Arcadia Burns, Lisa Packard
Arcadia Burns, Lisa Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
As Rosa is still trying to get a handle on changing into a snake when her emotions get out of control, which is very hard to do with Alessandro around, she and Alessandro are trying to figure out who TABULA is and what they do. Rosa's family lawyer sends her a tape of who raped her almost two years ago and the discovery is disturbing. Alessandro's cousins raped her under the direction of her father, who is believed to be dead. As Rosa gets to the bottom of the mystery, the Hungry Man, the leader of all the clans, is …
Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine, Aylea Stephens
Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
Zoe’s life changes when brilliant, annoying Digby shows up at her door and expects her to come along in his schemes. A local girl has been kidnapped, and Digby is determined to get to the bottom of it and the kidnapping of his little sister eight years ago. Digby, Zoe, and a few other friends try to get to the bottom of the mystery, from breaking into a skeevy gynecologist’s office, making friends with a few police officers and getting them to help with their detective work, and investigating the strange cult in Zoe’s neighborhood. Their adventures lead to almost …
The Sisters Grimm #6: Tales From The Hood, Olivia Noli
The Sisters Grimm #6: Tales From The Hood, Olivia Noli
Children's Book and Media Review
Mr. Canis is arrested for his crimes as the Big Bad Wolf several hundred years ago. He is resigned to his fate, but Sabrina wants to help. The trial for The Big Bad Wolf is obviously rigged against him, but the Grimm Family refuses to give up. They learn what really happened to Little Red Riding Hood and prove Canis's innocence. They even manage to cure Red Riding Hood of her madness and extract the wolf from Canis's body. Meanwhile, the family races to find Goldilocks, the only person who can free their parents from the sleeping curse.
The Sisters Grimm #5: Magic And Other Misdemeanors, Olivia Noli
The Sisters Grimm #5: Magic And Other Misdemeanors, Olivia Noli
Children's Book and Media Review
Sabrina and Daphne are finally in real training to be fairy tale detectives. The girls learn how to track suspects, escape traps, find clues, use self-defense, and other helpful skills. Meanwhile, they are also searching for ways to wake their parents from a sleeping curse. But several distractions occur that keep them from this goal. Several incidents of time travel keep happening in their latest mystery, and the evil Scarlet Hand is doing everything to try to get the Grimm family out of Ferryport Landing. With the help of all their friends, Sabrina and Daphne are determined to change the …
Bone Gap, Abigail Packard
Bone Gap, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Finn and his older brother, Sean, live in Bone Gap, a quiet town where everyone knows each other. When Roza, a young woman fleeing from some unknown horror, arrives Finn and Sean invite her to live in an apartment attached to their home. But only months later, Roza disappears. Finn tries to figure out what happened to Roza while Sean urges Finn to forget her, throwing himself in his work to escape his own heartbreak. But Finn refuses and becomes closer to Priscilla “Petey” Willis. As Finn and Petey’s feelings for each other deepen, Finn discovers he has a disorder …
The Secret Of Goldenrod, Aylea Stephens
The Secret Of Goldenrod, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
Trina and her family move around the country for her father's job doing different construction projects, but Trina longs for a more permanent place to call home. When she and her father move into Goldenrod to work on the house, everyone in the town keeps telling them that the old beautiful mansion is haunted. Trina isn't sure if she believes it or not, but one day she finds a tiny porcelain doll named Augustine who can talk. Augustine and the old house help her adjust to her new home and uncover the mysteries of why everyone thinks the house is …
Blackthorn Key #2: Mark Of The Plague, Tessa Mcmillan
Blackthorn Key #2: Mark Of The Plague, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
The plague is sweeping through London’s streets. Christopher Rowe wants to help by using his departed master’s apothecary, but strict rules deny Christopher, still only an apprentice, the right to open the shop to the public. Desperate for money, Christopher finds a cryptic note from Master Blackthorn about a hidden treasure. While Christopher and Tom are out following a clue, an intruder breaks into the apothecary. This break-in entangles Christopher in a deadly conflict between two competing doctors, Melchior and Galen, who claim to be healing plague victims in their own ways. After Tom is falsely diagnosed with the plague, …
All The Wrong Questions #2: When Did You See Her Last?, Aylea Stephens
All The Wrong Questions #2: When Did You See Her Last?, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
Young Lemony Snicket continues his time with the unusual S. Theodora Markson as he continues to try solving mysteries while asking all the wrong questions. When the brilliant scientist Cleo Knight disappears, Lemony takes on the case with the help of the mysterious girl he met in his last case. Although it appears that Cleo intended to run off, there is strong evidence that she was kidnapped instead. The villainous Hangfire seems to be behind the disappearance, but while Lemony should have been asking the question” How could someone who was missing be in two places at once?” and other …
The Sisters Grimm #2: The Unusual Suspects, Olivia Noli
The Sisters Grimm #2: The Unusual Suspects, Olivia Noli
Children's Book and Media Review
Sabrina and Daphne, their town’s appointed fairytale detectives, enroll in school only to have a murder occur on their very first day. They investigate with Puck, the fairy from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, as their bodyguard. As the story progresses, Sabrina becomes more upset by the practices of the Ever Afters and struggles to control her temper and prejudice. Sabrina’s anger causes friction between her and her grandmother and sister, but ultimately she is able to save the day. The second installment of Michael Buckley’s The Sisters Grimm series focuses on growing up and dealing with your emotions, especially …
The Invention Of Hugo Cabret, Kristie Hinckley
The Invention Of Hugo Cabret, Kristie Hinckley
Children's Book and Media Review
There is a mystery behind the clocks in the Paris train station and a little boy named Hugo has to do with it. He was left behind in the train station when his father and uncle died. There is a broken invention that he rescued and wants to repair. After a stealing a few things from different train station vendors, his dreams are put on hold and the police are after him. A wonderful story full of heart, suspense, and dreams--The Invention of Hugo Cabret demonstrates how broken pieces can be mended together to make something beautiful. Brian Selznick's The …
The Case Of The Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery, Aylea Stephens
The Case Of The Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
Beekeepers have discovered that several of their bees have inexplicably gone missing. Without honeybees, many foods cannot get pollenated and be able to grow. In January 2007, beekeepers from across the world gathered to discuss the loss of the bees, calling the problem Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Without the essential worker bees, the hive cannot survive. Scientists have tried to find the problem with the disappearing bees, researching to see if urban development, overwork from farmers transporting bees year-round across the country for pollination, cell phones, mites, fungi, and other issues have contributed to CCD. No one knows for sure …
The Sisters Grimm #1: The Fairy-Tale Detectives, Olivia Noli
The Sisters Grimm #1: The Fairy-Tale Detectives, Olivia Noli
Children's Book and Media Review
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives is a coming-of-age story about two girls whose parents have gone missing, and the girls are now forced to lived with a woman claiming to be their grandmother. As decedents of the famous Brother Grimm, the girls take on the family business as fairy tale detectives. The fairy tale characters, or Everafters as they prefer to be called, are immortal beings who have settled in New York and built the town of Ferryport Landing. The Grimm sisters have to solve the mystery of who let a giant into town in order to save their …
A Series Of Unfortunate Events: A Wide Window, Part Two, Lisa Packard
A Series Of Unfortunate Events: A Wide Window, Part Two, Lisa Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Discovering the suicide note of Aunt Josephine, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny realize there is something suspicious about the note. There are a lot of grammatical errors in it when there shouldn't be since their Aunt was very correct in her grammar. The orphans call Mr. Poe for help and find that their Aunt Josephine has left them in the care of Captain Sham, who they know is Count Olaf but no one will believe them. The find that their Aunt left them a message in the note that she is hiding in a cave. On the way back from the …
Nooks & Crannies, Tessa Mcmillan
Nooks & Crannies, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
Life for Tabitha Crum has been difficult because of neglectful parents and a harsh school bully. The two things that help Tabitha survive are taking care of her pet mouse Pemberley and reading the Inspector Pensive mysteries. Just when her parents are about to abandon her, Tabitha receives an invitation from the Countess of Windermere to stay for the weekend. The Crums postpone their trip hoping they can cash in Tabitha for the Countess’s fortune. However, they learn five other children have been invited as well. When all the guests arrive at the Windermere estate, they are greeted by an …
Lies I Told, Sebastian Shiraishi
Lies I Told, Sebastian Shiraishi
Children's Book and Media Review
For 10 years, Grace Fontaine had everything she wanted--a family. However, it came with a cost: she had to lie and steal in order to follow her new “family rules.” After a successful con in Arizona, the family decided to do their biggest heist yet: steal 20 million dollars in gold from a family in Playa Hermosa, California. Grace and her brother Parker have to get involved with Logan, the son of the millionaire they’re going to rob, but things go wrong when she starts falling in love with him. She realizes that her actions are wrong and Parker confesses …
Through The Skylight, Paige Price
Through The Skylight, Paige Price
Children's Book and Media Review
Siblings Jared, Shireen, and Miranda had no idea that on the rainy day they walked into an English bookstore in Venice they would soon be drawn into a magical world of villains and heroes. The bookseller gives them an old book and three seemingly ordinary objects. However, the objects turn out to be magical, waking up Venetian history around them, and the book contains a story of three children kidnapped and forced into slavery with many other children in a time long ago. That story intrudes on the present time when the siblings run into the children from the story …
Pretty Little Liars: Pilot, Lisa Packard
Pretty Little Liars: Pilot, Lisa Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
One year ago, Alison DiLaurentis went missing after spending the night with her four best friends—Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily. After Alison’s disappearance, the other four girls lost touch. But now they are all back in town once more and each is receiving strange messages about extremely personal information from an unknown number that signs each message with “A.” The messages not only contain personal information and secrets but also come off as threatening and sinister; “A” is determined to torture each of the four friends by threatening to expose them for the mistakes they’ve made and the secrets they’ve …
The Inn Between, Ashley Roggow
The Inn Between, Ashley Roggow
Children's Book and Media Review
Quinn is a young girl who is going through a rough time. Her little sister has disappeared, never to be found, and she has also been getting into trouble at school. And now her best friend is moving away! Quinn and her friend Kara go on a trip one last time with Kara's family. They expect it to be fun and adventurous, but that's not exactly how it goes. First, they arrive at this beautiful, old Victorian Inn. It's big and fancy and may be hiding some of its own secrets. Soon after arriving, Kara's parents disappear within the hotel …
A Drop Of Night, Lori Cunningham
A Drop Of Night, Lori Cunningham
Children's Book and Media Review
Anouk--seventeen, moody--finally finds a way to escape her family: a once in a life time adventure to explore an uninhabited palace hidden underground since the French Revolution. She finds herself having to deal with four other awkward teens who have been selected for this expedition paid for by the mysterious Sapani family. Once settled in to the home above the palace things take a turn for the worse and land Anouk and the others in danger in the palace deep below. When tragedy strikes Hayden, Anouk realizes that she has to team up with Alice, Will, and Jules to make …