Scorpions is a realistic novel published in 1988 and set in a similar time period. It’s the story of Jamal, a 12 year old who is pulled into a gang after his 17 year old brother, Randy—the leader of the gang—is jailed for a robbery in which a clerk is killed. Mack, who was Randy’s […]
Larkspur
April 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In Larkspur, two teenage dancers—Taylor and Leslie—learn that their elderly teacher is actually a princess from another world when their dance transports them to that world. It turns out that their teacher, Luminara, was banished from her home by the evil Puranna and Derrick of Dungeoness. The dresses she made for them are magical and, […]
The Dragon Charmer
April 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The Dragon Charmer is the sequel to Prospero’s Children. Twelve years have passed, and Fern has grown up; in many ways, the tone of this novel has grown up as well. After denying that she has the Gift, Fern is about to marry a charming media personality to live a perfectly acceptable life. She’s not […]
Black Maria (AKA Aunt Maria)
March 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. In the novel Black Maria (also published as Aunt Maria), Naomi and Chris’ father died while visiting his Aunt Maria. She lives in a place called Cranbury, and Naomi has tried her best to make sure that they never visit Aunt Maria. She has given Aunt Maria explanation after explanation as […]
Dork Diaries 1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
February 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I read the second Dork Diaries book before I read Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, and I think I’m glad I read them out of order. The first book fills in some minor gaps for me—I now know that Nikki is new to her private middle school and that she’s there on scholarship […]
Dork Diaries 2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl
February 10, 2014 by 2 Comments
Unable to get my hands on the first book at any of the libraries available to me, I started with the second book, Dork Diaries 2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl. The books seem to stand alone just fine—I didn’t feel at all lost starting with the second one. The Dork Diaries are the […]
Undercaffeinated and Overexposed: The Tale of a Coffee Shop Princess
February 1, 2014 by 1 Comment
In Undercaffeinated and Overexposed: The Tale of a Coffee Shop Princess, we meet Beauty—the princess from every fairy tale—who is currently living in Washington DC and working at a coffee shop. It turns out that the characters of fairy tales and myths are eternal. They relive variations on their stories, never truly changing, and are […]
The Titan’s Curse
January 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jeff Dougan. The Titan’s Curse is the third installment in Rick Riordan’s bestselling series about Percy Jackson & his friends. The success has inspired a direct response called Son of Angels, published for Christians who think fantasy is evil. The first two books, The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, have […]
Miri Attwater and All That Glitters
January 29, 2014 by 1 Comment
The adventures of Miri Attwater continue in Miri Attwater and All That Glitters. It’s very much a sequel, picking up where Miri Attwater and the Ocean’s Secret left off (in fact, I kind of wished I’d taken the time to reread the first book) and I’ll assume you’re familiar with my previous review. Miri continues […]
Harry Potter, books 3 & 4
January 6, 2014 by 1 Comment
Review written by Clark Valentine. (This gleefully spoiler-filled review focuses on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PoA), and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (GoF). I also assume you’re read my review of Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets. If you haven’t, go do that. It’s OK, I’ll wait. Go on. Shoo. […]
