Sparrow by Brian Kindall

February 1, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Sparrow by Brian Kindall
Publisher: Diving Boy Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A boy. A wish. A secret desire gone horribly wrong.

Timothy Sperling misses his mom and dad terribly. Left behind with his morose uncle while they’re off on an expedition to avert an environmental crisis, the bird-boned boy would give anything to see them again. But when he spies a shooting star, instead of wishing to be reunited with his parents, he falters and asks for snow… only to conjure up a blizzard that won’t quit!

As a town that never sees winter is buried in mountains of white, Timothy teams up with a wise explorer to figure out how to stop the relentless frozen flakes. And with all the blame being shoveled on his family, the clever kid’s connection to sparrows may be his one chance to pull the city out of its deep freeze.

Can Timothy undo his fateful wish and bring back the sunshine?

Sparrow is a high-flying middle grade novel. If you or your child like relatable characters, timeless settings, and high-stakes adventure, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s feathered flurries.

Wishes can change the world, so be careful how you phrase them.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored guilt and regret. Timothy’s uncle had made a terrible mistake many years ago that still haunted their family when this tale began. There were also some things that Timothy himself regretted doing, so uncle and nephew were on similar journeys to fix the troubles that they’d caused. It was fascinating to see how both of these characters approached the question of how best to do that, especially for the problems they were dealing with that didn’t seem to have easy solutions at all.

It would have been helpful to have a little more time spent on world building. I was intrigued by what was included, but there was never quite enough of it for me to feel immersed in the city of Candela or in the lives of the people who lived there. Having more details about this community in general and how it functioned would have gone a long way in giving me the opportunity to lose myself in their world. If this had been included, I would have happily chosen a five-star rating instead.

I adored the way magic was used in this book. Sometimes it flowed so quietly that it would have been easy to overlook it entirely. Other scenes included more obvious examples of how it worked, but even then it fit into the landscape so seamlessly that characters didn’t always necessarily realize just how special those experiences were. Occasionally, it was so blatant that no one could deny it, but in every case I loved seeing how the characters reacted to the existence of magic in their universe and how even the smallest choices they made could be magically amplified in all sorts of clever ways.

Sparrow was a delightful winter read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer

January 28, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer
Publisher: Clarion Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the fox do? Each animal advises the fox that its own plan is best, but the fox thinks otherwise—yet it’s not until he meets a golden-eyed friend that he finds the perfect way to celebrate the snowfall.

Stunning illustrations by the new talent Richard Jones are the perfect complement to the Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer’s lyrical and playful homage to the natural world.

Surviving the winter should be easy if you have a good plan.

This was such a poetic picture book. The words rolled off my tongue smoothly as I read it aloud. I especially enjoyed the lines that talked about the fox’s reasons for not taking the same approach to winter that other animals did. He obviously couldn’t spin a cocoon, fly, or dig a place to hide in the mud all winter. The way these ideas were shared with the audience were simultaneously amusing, beautiful, and completely impractical. This combination of emotions often felt like pure poetry in and of itself, and it only made me more curious to see what the fox’s eventual solution to the winter dilemma might be.

I would have liked to see a little more time spent explaining what foxes do in the winter and why they do it. There was so much time spent building up to this moment that I felt slightly let down by the small amount of story space that was given to exploring this part of a fox’s life. This became even more true once I realized that this section was based on things that real foxes have been known to actually do in the wild on snowy days.

The fox was such a friendly, curious, and sociable character. I truly enjoyed getting to know him as he wandered around the forest talking to the other animals and trying to decide how he’d spend the winter. No matter what he thought of the suggestions he received, he was always polite to the animals who were trying to help him in the best ways they knew how to.

Winter Dance was a wholesome read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Tower Steps by Aelth Faye

January 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Tower Steps by Aelth Faye
(Fairytale Hour #2)
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Marjoram has lived in her tower since her parents gave her to the witch to protect her family from her magical accidents. She sometimes wishes she could leave the tower, but she hates her magic and refuses to learn to control it, a prerequisite for getting out. The gardener boy exchanges letters with her, and she is content to stay a prisoner. But one day her foster mother brings a doctor who specializes in helping people like Marjoram. But the friendly doctor has dark secrets…

Who would have ever guessed that stealing a few herbs from a neighbor’s garden could be so life changing?

Marjoram was the quintessential fifteen-year-old girl in the best possible way. She was old enough to have nuanced conversations with her foster mother, but she wasn’t quite old enough to make the same decisions that an adult would make given the same experiences. Sometimes her impulsiveness made me shake my head, but I was impressed by how well the author captured what it’s like for a teenager to repeatedly butt heads with the people around her because she’s not quite developmentally ready yet to make other choices instead.

I would have preferred to see more character development in this novella. The first book in this series had a generous amount of it, so I was a little surprised by the reduced amount of attention it was given here. Marjoram was definitely amusing, but she didn’t grow and change from her experiences as much as I thought she could have. Her childhood was such a unique one that it sure seemed like it could have been the catalyst for something amazing in this area of the storyline. If that had been the case, I would have gone with a much higher rating as I liked everything else about it.

The world building was handled nicely. Marjoram grew up in such an isolated home that she and the audience had only the most rudimentary knowledge of the outside world. It was a great deal of fun for me as a reader to piece all of those scraps of information together and try to figure out how they should be interpreted. Some of them could easily be taken in multiple contradictory ways, so it required critical thinking to narrow down the possibilities. That’s exactly what I like to see when an author is describing the world their characters live in.

This is the second installment in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

The Tower Steps was a memorable retelling of Rapunzel, the classic German fairy tale, that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl

January 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

For as long as he can remember, Leo has lived in the blue house with his dad, but lately the neighborhood is changing. People are leaving, houses are being knocked down, and shiny new buildings are going up in their place. When Leo and his dad are forced to leave, they aren’t happy about it. They howl and rage and dance out their feelings. When the time comes, they leave the blue house behind–there was never any choice, not really–but little by little, they find a way to keep its memory alive in their new home.

Starting over again in a new place is never easy.

I adored the fact that Leo and his dad were part of a low-income household. There aren’t enough picture books out there about families who struggle to make ends meet and who live in homes that are leaky and creaky because the people who live in them simply can’t afford to fix everything. What endeared me to it even more was how matter-of-fact the narrator was about their social class and living situation. It was simply part of their tale, but by no means was it the focus or the most interesting portion of it. That was the perfect note to strike, especially for this age group and for readers who might be in similar circumstances.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how Leo’s dad encouraged him to express difficult emotions like fear and grief. The father was so loving and supportive of his son no matter how much the boy struggled with leaving their beloved blue house and moving to a new home. Change can be difficult for adults, much less young children. Leo’s father couldn’t have done a better job of making that transition as easy as possible for his family.

It was delightful to see how the author mixed the sad moments in with happier ones that showed why this family loved the blue house so much and how they planned to keep the traditions they started there going after they moved away. There is definitely something to be said for remembering the past fondly and actively looking for the good in life no matter what happens next.

The Blue House made me blink away tears. I can’t recommend this poignant tale highly enough!

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Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

January 19, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.

Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games, throwing Madoc in Ash’s path. She realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.

But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

After reading the words Avatar-The Last Airbender meets Gladiator in the blurb, there was no way I couldn’t read this book. I went in with very high expectations, and I’m very happy to report that the authors exceeded them.

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons is told from dual points of view, and the two narrators couldn’t have come from more different backgrounds. Ash is the last in a long line of famed gladiators, and no stranger to using her elemental fire. She understands her responsibilities but finds no joy in the arena. Madoc, on the other hand, has no elemental gift but has still managed to make a name for himself in street fights (earning money to feed his family). When circumstances force them together, they end up setting a chain of events into motion that will change their world forever.

I’m a big fan of mythology, and I practically squealed when I learned this book features its own unique pantheon. The interactions between these gods reminded me a lot of how the Greek and Roman gods brought mortals into the middle of their disputes. I’m at the point where it’s very hard for an author to surprise me with a story based on classical mythology (because I’ve read so much), but I enjoyed how the authors of this book were able to keep me on the edge of my seat and throw in a lot of unexpected twists. The dynamics of how each of the elemental gifts work was also a highlight.

While the book is compared to Avatar The Last Airbender and Gladiator, I was also reminded of The Hunger Games. Citizens are forced to fight for the pleasure of those in power, and while winning gladiators are promised a life of comfort, they never really earn true freedom (similar to the Victors of Panem). Fights are slightly fairer in this book though, as gladiators are not children and they do receive training before they are forced to compete in the arena.

Please note, this book does feature the on-page death of a parent. While in some books you could skip over the triggering event, that isn’t really possible as it occurs towards the beginning of the story and is referenced multiple times in subsequent chapters.

I’m eager to learn how this story ends in the sequel, Rise Up From the Embers. Readers can expect action-packed fight scenes, an exciting magic system, and off-the-charts world-building when they pick up this book. I would happily recommend it to fantasy readers at the young adult level and above.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Once ‘a Pun’ a Time – a Guide to Reading and Telling Jokes for Kids by Wolf Cub Chlo

January 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Once ‘a Pun’ a Time – a Guide to Reading and Telling Jokes for Kids by Wolf Cub Chlo
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What do you get when you mix a 6 year old with a global crisis? If you twirl around, click your heels three times while chanting “there’s no place like home,” you get a jokes for kids book! Tired of reading the same boring books?

Want to read something funny and learn a secret at the same time? Then you’ve come to the right place! Read silly jokes for kids in part I and learn the secret joke formula in part II.

Funny joke books for kids help:
* increase reading comprehension
* decrease depression and anxiety
* spark creativity
* create endless hours of fun and so much more

“Once ‘a pun’ a Time – a guide to reading and telling jokes for kids:
contains colorful illustrations on every page
short read to keep the attention span of young and reluctant readers
introduces readers to homophones and common puns
teaches readers how to tell their own silly jokes also known as dad jokes
is small in size and can be carried in: backpacks, gift bags, totes perfect for subway rides, airplane travels, long road trips and bored days at home.

If you need something lighthearted and cheerful, look no further!

I couldn’t stop chuckling at the puns the author shared in the beginning of this book. She had a playful sense of humor that I think would appeal to adults who like dad jokes just as much as it does for the kids that it was originally written for. Honestly, who doesn’t enjoy some silly wordplay every now and again?

My favorite section was the one that showed kids how to come up with their own jokes. It clearly explained how homophones could be used to make people laugh. I also appreciated the pictures it shared and the space it gave the audience to make up their own jokes about what was happening in those scenes. Everything was presented so logically and simply that it could be understood by younger kids just as much as it could the older ones.

Occasionally, the author clarified what she meant in parentheses after finishing a sentence or section. I liked the fact that she put so much effort in making sure her audience understood what she was truly trying to say. While I did interpret nearly all of them in the way she was hoping I would, it’s definitely a good idea to clarify. That’s a sign of a good writer, and I look forward to seeing what else she writes in the future as she grows older.

Once ‘a Pun’ a Time – a Guide to Reading and Telling Jokes for Kids was a delightful read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Snow Queen by Claire Keay

January 14, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Snow Queen by Claire Keay
Publisher: Windmill Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holiday, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The classic story of how Gerda saves Kay from the evil Snow Queen is depicted in this enchanting picture book. The entertaining narrative presents this beloved story in a way that allows for independent reading and for story time with an adult. Beautiful illustrations will inspire young readers to tap into their imaginations. This fresh take on a Christmas classic will get readers in the holiday spirit and excited for fun winter activities.

Friendship can make anything possible.

One of the things I liked the most about this picture book was that it didn’t require prior knowledge of the classic fairy tale that this was based upon. The narrator explained almost all of it quite clearly while still leaving room for readers who were already familiar with it to think of a few details from the original that were changed or left out. This also meant that all readers could use their imaginations in certain portions of the storyline which was delightful in many cases.

With that being said, I do wish the origins of the Snow Queen and her wicked specks of snow had been explained better. This was something I’d probably go ahead and talk about ahead of time with the little ones in my life so they’d better understand her backstory and motivation for doing the naughty things she did. While the plot did make sense without it, knowing about it would make certain scenes easier to explain to anyone who might wonder what was happening in them and why Kay was suddenly behaving so awfully.

The friendship between Gerda and Kay was wholesome and wonderful. They truly cared about each other. I enjoyed the scenes that described the sorts of things they did together before the Snow Queen came into their lives and changed everything. It helped to explain why Gerda was eager to go on her long journey to save Kay and try to get their lives back to normal.

The Snow Queen was a heartwarming fairy tale that works well for little ones.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Kingston and the Echoes of Magic by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi

January 6, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Kingston and the Echoes of Magic by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

In this duology’s finale, Kingston travels back in time and uses his growing magic to save the world.

Kingston might have saved Echo City but the victory is bittersweet without his pops by his side. The holidays are approaching and if Kingston could have one wish, it would be to have his father, who is trapped in the Realm, come home. But as new problems arise and blackouts blanket the city, Kingston begins to have a persistent feeling of déjà vu, as if he’s lived this same day before—and he has. Echo City living up to its name, is caught in a repeating time loop.

Maestro, his father’s old rival, has found a way to overwrite reality with an alternate timeline where he rules over all. It will be up to Kingston, Too Tall, and V to find a way to enter the Realm and travel back through time to stop him. But with a magic he still barely understands, Kingston will needs his friends’ smarts and their collective courage to figure out the mystery and find Maestro before Brooklyn as they know it is erased for good.

Kingston and the Echoes of Magic is Book 2 or a sequel to the first book, Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found. It’s as fast-paced and as easy a read as the first book. It might be a little quirkier, but I mean that in a good way. Kingston, his cousin V, and their friend Too Tall are stuck in a world that goes round and round. A sort of time warp that repeats the same day. Sometimes it’s good to know what will happen tomorrow and sometimes not. None of that will help Kingston find his pops.

There is plenty of magic or fantasy here and once again a cast of characters that most any young person can identify with. Winston and his pals are left with puzzle after puzzle to solve. It makes this book enjoyable to read but keeps the reader on his or her toes. There’s lots of fun here too. I enjoyed the plucky dialog and the interaction between the characters. I read Book 1 earlier. While either book can stand alone, I’m glad I read them in order. I think it gave me a better chance to know the characters and to understand the pace and flow of the story.

This was a good read. I was disappointed when it was over and wish there was a 3rd book on the way.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Coloring the Zodiac by Christina Haberkern

January 5, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Coloring the Zodiac by Christina Haberkern
Publisher: Plume
Genre: Non-Fiction, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

There are twelve signs in the zodiac and twelve ways to celebrate the radiance of the stars, as well as the incredible history and symbolism behind each sign. Illustrator Christina Haberkern shares beautiful, intricate, fun-to-color pages influenced by the latest trends in fonts, design, and pop culture, with more than forty pages to color. The symbol, character, and constellation of each sign will be featured, along with pages of pure celestial, decorative, and pattern designs.

Are you a fan of astrology? Do you sit down and check your horoscope daily? If so, then this is a great coloring book for you. Even if you’re only a casual student of astrology or simply randomly curious, you can still enjoy this fabulous book celebrating all twelve sun signs. There’s something for everyone inside these pages, no matter your artistic abilities.

Coloring the Zodiac gives you a lot of options when deciding what to choose first. For each sign you get several pages with different aspects of the signs. Symbols, images, affirmations, and even quotes from some famous reps for your sign abound in this book. The illustrations are easy enough to color but detailed enough to make your artwork really stand out when it’s complete. The artist does an excellent job of capturing what is truly representative of each sign with her drawings.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book. Adult coloring books can be very hit or miss at times. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found in this one. All the drawings called to me, not just those for my sign. I could relate to the pages dedicated to my sign and see my family and friends in the others. Another bonus is that it’d be suitable for younger audiences as well, teens and tweens would have fun coloring in the designs as well as adults. The next time you’re feeling a bit stressed or restless, grab your colored pencils and this book and have fun. I know that’s how I plan to spend some time in the very near future – it’s written in the stars.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Once Upon a Winter Day by Liza Woodruff

December 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Once Upon a Winter Day by Liza Woodruff
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A boy learns that nature is full of stories to tell when he finds and follows a mouse’s tracks in a wintery wood.

Milo wants a story, but his mom is too busy to entertain him. Instead, she encourages him to go out and play in the snow. At first, Milo is disappointed – he doesn’t want to play outside, he wants a story.

But when he starts to follow a trail of mouse-prints, he discovers signs of activity all around, prompting him to ask, “What happened here?” Before long, he’s using his imagination — depicted in lush wordless spreads that capture the vividness of Milo’s fantasies — to fill in the gaps. By the time Milo comes home, he’s the one with stories to tell.

There can’t possibly be anything interesting happening in the woods in the middle of winter, right?

I adored how this story handled Milo’s disinterest in going outside in the first scene. Not everyone immediately enjoys spending time in nature, especially on a cold and snowy day when it didn’t seem like there was much to do out there at all. Seeing him slowly come up with ways to amuse himself out there was delightful and felt realistic to me. There are countless ways to pass time on a snowy day, and his solution to his problem fit his personality and interests beautifully.

The subplots were just as exciting as the main one. They involved the various animals who had passed through the area shortly before Milo was sent outdoors, and it was a great deal of fun to follow all of them to their natural conclusions. While I can’t go into detail about most of them without giving away spoilers, I will say that the mysterious quest the mice were on appealed to me the most. It was nicely communicated to the audience and the ending for it made me smile.

One of my favorite portions of this tale was related to how much freedom Milo had to explore the land near his family’s home. It seemed to be an incredibly safe place for a child to wander around in, so he had plenty of opportunities to investigate anything outside that caught his attention. This isn’t something I see happen very often in modern books written for this age group, but I thought it was nicely shown here. There is definitely something to be said for giving kids the space to figure things out on their own when they’re bored or don’t know what to do next.

Once Upon a Winter Day was a perfect winter picture book.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,
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