Although it’s not written explicitly for a younger audience, Prospero’s Children is a good transition for older tweens/young teens ready for more involved novels. In fact, if it were published today instead of 14 years ago, it would probably be considered YA. Fern, our 16 year old protagonist, is very logical and scientific, used to controlling […]
Harry Potter, Books 1 & 2
November 22, 2013 by 2 Comments
Review written by Clark Valentine. (This review focuses on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s / Philosopher’s Stone, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This review is full of spoilers, but I can’t imagine that’s super relevant to most people at this point.) You almost certainly know the story. 11 year old Harry Potter […]
The Runaway King
November 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you read the review of The False Prince, you know I loved it. Its sequel, The Runaway King, doesn’t disappoint (which is rare in sequels, particularly in middle books of trilogies, but that’s probably a post for another time). If you haven’t read The False Prince yet, I suggest you do that before you […]
Wild Orchid
October 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Another fairy tale retelling from Cameron Dokey! This one is Wild Orchid, based on the ballad of Mulan. (Yes, we could get into a discussion about whether this truly qualifies as a fairy tale. Let’s not—I’ll happily have that conversation with you over coffee someday.) In this version, Mulan has mostly grown up without her […]
The False Prince
October 24, 2013 by 3 Comments
I was enthralled by The False Prince, the story of an orphan caught in a dangerous plan to place a false prince on the throne. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Runaway King. Sage, our hero, and three other orphan boys have been purchased by a nobleman, Conner, who intends […]
A Hidden Magic
October 11, 2013 by 1 Comment
Review written by Jocelyn Koehler. In A Hidden Magic, when ordinary Princess Jennifer and handsome Prince Alexander wander into the Enchanted Forest, things quickly get messy. Alexander, who doesn’t believe in magic, angers a magic mirror and falls into an enchanted slumber. Jennifer does believe in magic, so she finds out how to break the […]
The Cupid War
October 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Cupid War is intended for a YA audience, so only tweens on the more mature end of the scale will probably appreciate it. On the surface, it has a lot in common with Heck in that it’s an irreverent story that takes place in the afterlife and therefore has young death at its core, […]
Stargirl
October 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
My son is reading Stargirl with his class in school, so I figured I’d move it up my To Read list since I’ve been meaning to read it for about a year now! The story is told from the point of view of Leo, a junior in high school in Mica, Arizona. He, like most […]
Crossed
September 30, 2013 by 3 Comments
In Crossed, the sequel to Matched, the dystopian love triangle continues. Cassia has left Society to search for Ky who was sent out to fight against the Enemy. The point of view alternates between Cassia and Ky, although it’s always in first person present tense. Occasionally I found myself forgetting whose point of view I […]
The Real Boy
September 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy, doesn’t write happy books with neatly tied up endings, but she does write beautiful and evocative books. (If this sounds appealing and you haven’t yet read Breadcrumbs, go change that.) The Real Boy takes place on an island where magic is strong. It’s the story of Oscar, an […]
