Mall Girl Meets the Shadow Vandal by Kimberly Baer

March 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Mall Girl Meets the Shadow Vandal by Kimberly Baer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Chloe Lamont doesn’t live in a neighborhood, like most kids. Her house is in the middle of the mall. And now someone is stealing items from her house and using them to vandalize stores. Who is trying to frame her? And how are they getting into the house?

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Who would frame a kid for petty crimes?

The main mystery storyline was exciting and well written. It was fun to look back and take notice of the small clues that were included in the first few chapters once I had a better idea of what might be going on with the random acts of late-night vandalism at the mall. The author included the perfect number of them for this age group.

I would have liked to see more time spent developing the subplot about why Chloe’s mom, Ursula, had refused to have any contact with Chloe’s grandparents for so many years. Most people will only cut off relatives for pretty serious offenses, so I was expecting her to tell Chloe about something dangerous or illegal that had happened in the family. The actual reason given for this decision never quite made sense to me. It would have been helpful for me as a reader to dive much more deeply into what Ursula was thinking there.

Chloe was an instantly likeable girl. Figuring out why she was so reluctant to let people get close to her was nearly as interesting as sorting out the main mystery. She was such a creative and sweet kid that I couldn’t stop hoping she’d meet some new friends who appreciated her for exactly who she was.

Mall Girl Meets the Shadow Vandal should be read by anyone who has ever wished they could see what a mall is like after everyone goes home.

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

Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi

March 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Middle Grade
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Magic has all but disappeared in Brooklyn, but one tenacious young magician is determined to bring it back in this exciting middle grade mystery.

Custom made ITE instruments require daily maintenance to prevent damage check content buy cialis online and repair. Plunge in the sexual wish of the men or fall in djpaulkom.tv viagra generika the erection amount of the person outcomes with impotence grievances. Here are a few causes that bring sale levitra inability for men and women both. Massage therapy plays a significant role in healthcare and offers lots of benefits that it viagra on sale djpaulkom.tv is becoming highly popular. Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston’s father was King Preston, one of the world’s greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he’s determined to find his father.

Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City’s magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who’ve stayed behind don’t look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.

When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there’s more to his father’s disappearance than meets the eye. He’ll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.

While fantasy and themes of magic are not my first choice in genres, I had no problem reading this book. I flew through it, in fact. I think the reason it was so readable is not just because it is easy to read but because it is really and truly a good story. The kind that draws you in and makes you forget the things around you.

This is the story of a young boy determined to find his father, who is a magician. He and his friends work through the mystery to find him, all the while trying not to endanger their own lives. It’s full of tricks and codes and everything I loved as a 5th to 6th grade reader and well, ok…I loved it now as an old adult reader too. Just a fun run-away and get lost in a book kind of read. Recommended!

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

The Seeing Scroll by J.T. Grobler

March 5, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Seeing Scroll by J.T. Grobler
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A children’s mystery adventure with a little bit of magic.

When police exhume the body in her grandfather’s coffin, 12-year-old Gia Lance already knows that it isn’t him. And given that her dad won’t believe her, what choice does she have but to enlist the help of her drama-king best friend? Their search for her grandfather leads to the discovery of a secret riddle, a hidden plateau and an enchanted scroll steeped in mystery. It lures them by exposing visions – fragments of well-kept secrets.

Gia soon grapples with an eerie tale of a dungeon, an ill-fated ship, a missing child, and the legendary curse of the Seeing Scroll. But whose secrets are they? How does the scroll decide what she sees? Who can she trust? More importantly, what does it any of it have to do with her grandfather?
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Time is running out. For Gia to connect the dots, she must confront the idea of her grandfather not being who she thought he was and acknowledge the possibility of him being cursed. But there are people after the scroll. Dangerous people! Clearly, they’ll do anything to ensure their secrets remain buried. Maybe even their crimes. Can Gia evade them on her quest to solve the riddle and figure out how to save her grandfather without being duped by the scroll’s delicious secrets, or will he be forever lost?

The truth will always come out in the end.

I adored Gia’s friendship with Vuyo. Both of these characters genuinely liked and respected each other. They disagreed at times like any two people are bound to do, but they both did an excellent job of listening to each other and taking their friend’s point of view into perspective when deciding what steps they wanted to take next to solve the mystery of what actually happened to Gia’s grandfather. I only grew to like these characters more as I got to know them better.

There were some pacing issues. The plot was slower in some scenes and faster in others. Either pacing style would have worked for these characters and storyline just fine, but I didn’t enjoy jumping around between them so often without any clear indication of why things had suddenly slowed down or sped up again. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating as the mystery itself was well written.

The fantasy elements of the storyline were given exactly the right amount of space to develop. I was intrigued by the idea of a magical object that looked deceptively innocent but was actually quite dangerous to use. It fit the tone of the storyline well. These details also made me curious to learn more about where that item came from and why anyone would dare to use it once they’d realized what would happen to them if they broke the rules about how and when it should be used.

Anyone who loves magical middle grade mysteries should give The Seeing Scroll a try.

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

The Dragon’s Song by Binh Pham and R.M. Clark

February 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Dragon’s Song by Binh Pham and R.M. Clark
Publisher: Intense Publications
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Eleven-year-old Bao Dang remembers watching in horror four years earlier as Communist soldiers dragged his parents from their home. Now an orphan, he begins a journey to escape the oppressive government of South Vietnam. The owner of a small boat, paid in gold, smuggles Bao and his cousin, Binh Pham, down the Saigon River at night to the South China Sea, where he and over one hundred other “boat people” pack into a trawler designed to hold fewer than thirty. For six days, they face danger from the police, weather, and pirates, not to mention the constant threat of capsizing as they take on water while living only on dry, rationed rice.

Bao, Binh and the others hope a refugee camp in Indonesia accepts them, but there’s no guarantee. Word has it they may be turned away and even towed back out to sea to starve. Eventually finding a safe haven, Bao harnesses the power of music to heal and help endure months of harsh and dangerous living while he and Binh await word from relatives in the United States, hoping they’ll obtain the ultimate gift: freedom.

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I loved the fact that this gripping adventure was inspired by the real experiences of Mr. Pham in the early 1980s. He suffered many physical and emotional hardships during his escape from South Vietnam and the many different refugee camps and other places he stayed during his long immigration process. There were moments when I wondered whether specific scenes were fictionalized or based on true events. So much emotion was packed into all of them that I couldn’t always guess where the line was between fact and fiction. I credit the authors for seamlessly moving between what really happened versus what could have happened. They did an excellent job of portraying what the fictional Binh and Bao went through as they risked it all for a safer and happier life.

The characters met all sorts of different people in this tale, from those who were violent and cruel to others who would do anything to help a stranger. It was fascinating to me to try to guess where any one particular character might fall on this scale. Since this was written for middle grade readers, I was glad that such a strong emphasis was placed on the many kind and helpful folks in the world while still acknowledging that not everyone fits that bill.

This book included several moments of joy and humor that were as unexpected as they were delightful. Some of them happened when Bao and Binh were in circumstances that were otherwise quite difficult. It was nice to see them smile and even laugh after all they’d been through. The trauma they endured was real, but those scenes gave me so much hope for their futures while I waited to find out if the United States would accept their applications to immigrate there.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend The Dragon’s Song to anyone who has ever been an immigrant or would like to read a detailed, empathetic account of what that experience can be like.

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

Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner

December 11, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner
Publisher: Inkshares
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When eight-year-old Abbie Brown discovers a quiet pool of water while wandering through the woods behind her Oregon home, she wades out into it and discovers she’s not alone. A wild-haired boy in green stares at her from the other side of the water. Mesmerized, Abbie reaches down to him, and is yanked underwater.

She emerges on the other side as an unwelcome visitor to the Otherworld, the land of the Fae, with only the boy Foster to guide her. Back in Oregon, a changeling lookalike has taken her place, bonding with her mother while her father, hiding a secret of his own, views the “girl” with suspicion.

In the courts of the Fae a truce has long been in place between Winter and Summer. What havoc might a human child wreak in the careful machinations of beings older than time? And to what lengths will Abbie’s father go to get her back?

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The world building in this story was marvelous. Ms. Meissner envisioned a land of the Fae that was as beautiful as it was dangerous. Learning more about it only made me yearn to dive even deeper into this world’s mythology, history, and setting. Honestly, this rivalled many of the adult fantasy novels I’ve read when it came to creative a place that was familiar enough to understand but also different enough from human society to make every revelation about how it all worked that much more captivating.

Not only was Abbie a well written and likeable protagonist, she behaved exactly like an eight-year-old should. Sometimes she forgot to follow the rules or tried to do things her own way instead of listening to the wiser folks around her. I appreciated the fact that she acted just like an ordinary kid, especially since her adventures were anything but ordinary.

Abbie had such a warm, loving relationship with her parents. Of course they loved one another, but they also genuinely liked each other as fellow human beings. This is something I don’t see nearly enough of in middle grade novels, so it was nice to find another example of a healthy and functioning family for young readers.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored changeling lore. They gave plenty of background information on it for readers who might not already be familiar with it, but then the narrator put their own spin on it to make it fit into this setting perfectly. I truly enjoyed reading about what changelings are like in this world and why humans fear them so much.

Fae Child was pure escapism in the best sense of that term. I heartily recommend it for anyone who wants to lose themselves into a magical time and place.

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

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden by Heather Smith

December 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden by Heather Smith
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the tsunami destroyed Makio’s village, Makio lost his father . . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child’s anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project―building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn’t connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind.

Grief can be a heavy burden to carry alone.
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I wasn’t aware of the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, before picking up this fictionalized version of what happened there, so it was nice to have the wind phone explained so fully in the plot. It was easy to imagine what it would be like to use such a device. The thought of picking up a phone that wasn’t actually plugged into anything and talking to a deceased loved one made me smile. What a nice way for people to make peace with their deaths but still feel like one could communicate with them in some way.

It was tricky to figure out which age group this picture book would work best for. While the tsunami that killed so many people was described gently enough for younger readers to hear, many of the themes in the storyline like how complicated and lonely the various stages of the grieving process can be seemed far more appropriate for kids who were well into their elementary school years. Had it been more specific about who the audience was supposed to be, I would have given it a five star rating.

Tragedies can affect the communities that go through them in so many different ways. It was bittersweet to see how Makio, Mr. Hirota, and all of the other survivors found ways to reach out to each other and deal with their grief after the cleanup from the tsunami ended and they had time to sit quietly with their thoughts. They seemed like such a loving and close-knit village. More than anything, I wanted everyone who lived there to find peace with what happened.

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden was a heartfelt tale I’d recommend to adults and children alike.

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The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

October 29, 2020 By 1 Comment


The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Publisher: Yearling
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.

The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won’t they? One thing’s for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.

Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

How much trouble the Penderwicks get into?
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The Penderwick’s Summer takes an unexpected turn when the place they had planned on vacationing at is unexpectedly unavailable. When Mr. Penderwick hears of Arundel cottage, he books it sight unseen. From the moment they arrive, the Penderwicks are awed by the beauty of Arundel and are itching to explore every inch of the estate. As I read, I shared their excitement. I could clearly picture the grounds and the mansion in my mind and couldn’t wait to find out what adventures awaited the Penderwicks! Even better, Jeffrey turns out to be a great friend. Despite a rocky start, the Penderwicks welcome him into their group with open arms.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Tifton, Jeffrey’s mom, is less than thrilled to see the sisters roaming around her property. She is determined to win a prestigious garden competition and wants the girls to keep to their side of the wall. However, the Penderwick sisters can’t turn down the possibility of a good adventure. Will their curiosity get them into more trouble than they bargained for?

The Penderwick sisters are certainly an entertaining bunch! Each sister has a distinct personality. Rosalind is the oldest and is the voice of reason and caretaker of her sisters since their mother passed away. Skye the next oldest. She is a bit of a tomboy and definitely the most outspoken of the group. She often doesn’t think before she speaks. Consequently, her mouth frequently gets her into trouble. Then comes Jane. She has an amazing imagination and has her heart set on becoming an author. She is very dedicated to her craft, and I have no doubt that she will be successful! Batty is the youngest. She has a way with animals and a special bond with their loveable dog, Hound. I like them all immensely and couldn’t possibly pick a favorite!

Jeffrey had no idea how much his life was going to change when the Penderwicks arrived! Jeffrey seems very lonely to me. He has no close friends and his mother has future all planned out. Mrs. Tifton wants Jeffrey to go to a military academy. Jeffrey wants to study music. Despite her stiff and strict exterior, Mrs. Tifton means well. She truly loves her son and he loves her, but she doesn’t see how unhappy Jeffrey is. However, their relationship is not broken beyond repair! They just need to have a long, honest conversation. I kept my fingers crossed that they would make the time to talk. Fortunately, with a little help from his new friends, Jeffrey just might find the courage to talk to his mom about his dreams.

The Penderwicks is such a sweet story. While it is definitely character driven, the plot is interesting, if a bit slow at times. In the space of a few weeks, the Penderwicks find themselves experiencing heartbreak, running from a bull, tracking down lost rabbits, and facing the wrath of Mrs. Tifton!

I truly enjoyed reading The Penderwicks. It is a heartwarming tale perfect for young and old alike. I’ve grown attached to the sisters and look forward to reading more about them in the next installment of this charming series!

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

A Sanfranciscan Dream by Saad Aman Sayyed

October 2, 2020 By Leave a Comment


A Sanfranciscan Dream by Saad Aman Sayyed
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the adults are away, the kids will play.

Six kids: Aman Forbes Ultraviolet, Tina Gates Ultraviolet, Zee Edward D’Souza, AFN Siddharth Dikshit, John Kim Lufthaver and Heather Kim Lufthaver- differently aged, and of different ethnic identities face weird problems as they are stuck in San Francisco.
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Will they make it alive back?

Aman, Tina, Zee, AFN, John, and Heather were good friends even before this adventure began. I enjoyed seeing the way all six of their personalities worked together, or clashed in some cases, as they figured out how to spend their time until they could go home again. Someones one of them would say something that lead to the most amusing conversations. Even the best of friends don’t always agree, so it was interesting to see how they handled conflict, too.

The only thing that prevented me from giving this the much higher rating I wanted to give to it were all of the grammatical errors I kept finding as I read. There were simply too many of them for me to ignore. With another round or two of editing, this story could become a true modern-day classic. It had everything else it needed to appeal to middle grade readers and anyone else who enjoys books written for that age group.

This tale has a wonderful sense of humor. Honestly, what else could anyone expect while reading about six children who were accidentally stranded in San Francisco with a few thousand dollars in their pockets and no adult supervision? The possibilities for hijinks in that scenario are almost endless, and the author did a nice job of finding the humorous side of how the average preteen would react to that scenario.

Anyone who wants to read something funny and cheerful should check out A Sanfranciscan Dream.

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

Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts

September 16, 2020 By 1 Comment


Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts
Publisher: Markosia
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Middle Grade/Young Adult (8+)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Nothing lasts forever . . . And that includes the childhood Friendship between a boy and his Dragon. Throughout the years they boldly tackle many adventures. But none will compare to their last encounter with destiny – an unavoidable collision with the mob and Charlie’s inevitable fate, growing up and leaving this fanciful world of his childhood.

He loves to go sit by the sea and imagine things. When one day a big blue dragon shows up, he can’t believe it. The dragon invites him to go for a ride. He does and he loves it! Now he’s a regular visitor so they can have more fun together.

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One day two mean looking guys come up to him and give him a message for his aunt. They want her to stop what she’s doing. If she won’t, they’ll be back again and they won’t be nice. He tells her, she refuses to quit and the mob boys return.

One thing they didn’t count on was his dragon. Everything they try to do to scare them backfires. The dragon gets tired of them and runs them off. No more mob trouble.

This is a graphic novel so all the characters are illustrated. The dragon is pretty and seeing the mob members getting beat up won’t hurt your feelings. The dragon protects the boy and his aunt from any trouble. He finally lets the aunt see him and she’s astonished.

Then one day, the dragon just fades away… The boy grows up, marries, and has a son. When the boy goes down to the sea, he finds a big surprise. He discovers the dragon again! His father smiles and watches his son ride the dragon. What fun!

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

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

August 25, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
(Chester Cricket and His Friends #1)
Publisher: Square Fish
Genre: Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

One night, the sounds of New York City–the rumbling of subway trains, thrumming of automobile tires, hooting of horns, howling of brakes, and the babbling of voices–is interrupted by a sound that even Tucker Mouse, a jaded inhabitant of Times Square, has never heard before. Mario, the son of Mama and Papa Bellini, proprietors of the subway-station newsstand, had only heard the sound once. What was this new, strangely musical chirping? None other than the mellifluous leg-rubbing of the somewhat disoriented Chester Cricket from Connecticut. Attracted by the irresistible smell of liverwurst, Chester had foolishly jumped into the picnic basket of some unsuspecting New Yorkers on a junket to the country. Despite the insect’s worst intentions, he ends up in a pile of dirt in Times Square.

Mario is elated to find Chester. He begs his parents to let him keep the shiny insect in the newsstand, assuring his bug-fearing mother that crickets are harmless, maybe even good luck. What ensues is an altogether captivating spin on the city mouse/country mouse story, as Chester adjusts to the bustle of the big city. Despite the cricket’s comfortable matchbox bed (with Kleenex sheets); the fancy, seven-tiered pagoda cricket cage from Sai Fong’s novelty shop; tasty mulberry leaves; the jolly company of Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat; and even his new-found fame as “the most famous musician in New York City,” Chester begins to miss his peaceful life in the Connecticut countryside.

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Chester had no idea his life was about to change the day he hopped into a picnic basket. When he wakes up in a subway station in New York City, he’s understandably confused and frightened. Things could have easily gone back for a small cricket in such a big city. Fortunately, the first inhabitant of New York that Chester meets is a young boy named Mario. The meeting will change both their lives forever.

Chester is a wonderful character. He’s kind and honorable. When he makes some mistakes that could cost the Bellini family dearly, Chester doesn’t run away. He stays and faces the consequences. With the help of his friends, Tucker and Harry, he finds a way to make it up to them by utilizing a rather incredible ability! I won’t spoil the story by revealing what Chester’s special talent is, but I will say that Chester’s talent soon attracts throngs of people to the newsstand! As much as Chester enjoys life in the city helping the Bellinis, he realizes he has to be true to himself and makes a very tough decision

Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat are great friends for Chester. Tucker can be selfish and greedy at times, but he has a good heart and, with a small nudge from Harry, Tucker always does the right thing. I loved watching them help Chester acclimate to city life. Their little dinner parties are especially entertaining!

I will say the portrayal of Sai Fong, a Chinese man who helps Mario learn about caring for Chester, is a bit problematic in that his dialogue and actions are stereotypical despite his otherwise positive character traits. Mario’s Italian mother also comes across in a stereotypical way at times as well. However, I think this book is worth reading, and these characters could prompt a discussion about stereotypes with children.

I had so much fun reading this tale with my children! The ending is bittersweet and satisfying while still leaving the door open for the next story. While I recommend this novel for ages 8-12, it can easily be read to children a bit younger. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series!

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