Month: July 2018

REVIEW: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale

REVIEW: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Doreen Green is new in town. She had to leave her friends – squirrel and human – behind in California. But her mom insists there are lots of squirrels in New Jersey, so Doreen will get to make new squirrel friends. And there’s always her junior high school for human friends.

Sure enough, Doreen’s first friend in New Jersey is a squirrel named Tippy-Toe. Doreen saves Tippy from a high tech squirrel trap. Since Doreen also speaks squirrel and has a bushy squirrel tail, Tippy decides she might be okay.

Doreen’s first human friend is a girl at school named Ana Sofia. They initially bond over Doreen’s efforts to brush up on her sign language to help her communicate better with Ana Sofia in the loud lunchroom. Then they also click over some of the mysterious things going on in town – stolen bikes, vandalism, wild dogs and now the squirrel traps. Ana Sofia discovers Doreen’s secret when Doreen starts dealing with some of the neighborhood crime. And she encourages “Squirrel Girl’s” efforts to clean up their community. But their activities catch the eye of the local super villain, the Micro Manager. And he’s determined to make his reputation by destroying Squirrel Girl.

Review

This was outstanding! It took me a little while to find a rhythm with the story. There are footnotes all through the book – like in Hale’s Ever After High series – which I found tiresome at times in that series. And it takes a little while for Doreen to find her footing in her new community, which also made it hard for me to connect to the story. But once she had carved out a little niche for herself, I was hooked.

The characters are fantastic. I love Doreen and Ana Sofia. Doreen’s parents are a hoot – they are completely enamored with Doreen so they have a hard time disciplining her when she’s saving the day, even though they want her to stay safe. The sections with the villain reminded me of another awesome superhero series – N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley. Both are smart and funny with excellent action and pacing.

The story is terrific – a classic superhero/supervillain tale – but with squirrels. The chapters when Tippy tells her story are some of my favorites. She has a great voice for the story. My other favorite parts were the text exchanges between Doreen and various Marvel heroes. They’re smart and funny and remind the reader that Squirrel Girl is part of the Marvel universe (a veiled reference to DC comics was also funny).

This was a treat all the way around. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the story, the world building – all of it! I bought book 2 immediately after finishing this one, and it is on my TBR pile right now.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: July 31, 2018

BOOK NEWS: July 31, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Believe it or not, we are in back-to-school mode here with area schools starting up in the next week or two. Some kids are back in classes today! It seems too soon! If the calendar says JULY it should still be summer vacation. Fight back with some new “summer reading” books from the ones releasing this week.

Books for Kids

 

Awesome! (August 1) – Marvin the moose and Woody the beaver are best friends, but when Marvin does something awesome it drives a wedge between the friends. I’ll be reviewing this one next week.
Hello Fall! – Get excited about fall with this new picture book. Looks adorable! I love fall.
Josephine Baker AND Mother Teresa – New picture books from the Little People Big Dreams series. This series is expanding into games and board books, and I am all over all of it!
The Three Little Superpigs – The Superpigs have defeated the Big Bad Wolf, but he breaks out of prison and sets a trap for them. This is a must-read for me!
Rocket the Brave! – Rocket is having fun chasing a butterfly when the butterfly disappears into the woods. Is Rocket brave enough to follow? I love Rocket from his previous books. This Early Reader looks adorable for kids looking for a new Rocket story.
The Haunted Halls – Book 3 in the Peachy and Keen series where the characters try to figure out if there are real ghosts wandering around their school’s Halloween celebration. This transitional chapter book series looks adorable!
Lullaby Lake – Book 4 in the Last  Firehawk series from Scholastic Branches. This is a fantasy series complete with a quest for the Ember Stone.
Meet Yasmin (August 1) – First in a new series about a little girl with a big imagination. This looks cute.
Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off – Book 5 in the Press Start science fiction series from Scholastic Branches.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Giganta’s Colossal Double-Cross (August 1) – I love the DC books that come from Capstone – the illustrations are my idea of PERFECT. In this book, Wonder Woman discovers that Giganta may be on her side against Grodd.
The Griffin’s Feather – Dragon Rider book 2. In order to save the race of pegasi, a boy tries find a griffin feather. But griffins are some of the fiercest creatures in the world. This book sounds like something I would love. I will have to add this series to my list.
Making Friends (Graphic Novel) – Middle school raises new challenges for the main character so she creates a perfect best friend using a magical sketchbook.
The Principal Strikes Back – Book 6 in the Jarrett Krosoczka Jedi Academy series (originally written by Jeffrey Brown). Things at the Academy have been weird since last year’s security breech. They now have a droid for a principal and things aren’t as they seem. This is a fantastic series!
The Ultimate Weapon (You Choose Justice League) (August 1) – Another Justice League book from Capstone. This one uses a You Choose format which is so fun for kids!
Greek Mythology (Weird But True Know-It-All) – a nonfiction reference for kids about Greek Mythology
In the French Kitchen with Kids: Easy, Every-day Dishes for the Whole Family to Make and Enjoy – Great for kids who love to cook and teens and adults studying French and looking for some examples of the culture.
The Pacific Islands: A Moana Discovery Book – Kids can join the characters of the movie Moana and explore the Pacific Islands as Disney expands their nonfiction line with tie-ins from favorite movies.
The Cheerleaders – After multiple deaths on the squad, the Sunnybrook High cheer team disbanded. Five years later the town wants to remember the girls, but the sister of the last girl to die isn’t sure revisiting those days is a good idea. I have already requested this one from the library!
The Darkest Legacy – The latest in the Darkest Minds series, from Suzume’s perspective. I’ve only read the first two books (Fantastic!) so I need to get caught up so I can read this one. I’m looking forward to checking out the movie in August with my teen.
Grace and Fury – In a world where women have no rights one sister is selected by the heir to the throne while her sister (who was groomed for that role) is thrown into prison. This sounds twisty and complicated and exactly the sort of story I love. I’ll be reviewing this one in August.
Heart of Thorns – A young woman discovers she possess the very magic she has sworn to eliminate from her world. Yep, this one too.
If Only – A teen finds herself dumped and pregnant, searching for what path she wants to take into her future. Sixteen years later her daughter wonders what happened to the birth mother who placed her for adoption and then disappeared when she was one year old. I have requested this one from the library, too.
The Letting Go – A teen puts up walls to keep others out because anyone who gets close to her is murdered. But death follows her to her boarding school. I SOOOO want to know what happens in this book!
So Glad to Meet You – When two teens commit suicide, their younger siblings are forever linked together by tragedy. When one of the teens finds their siblings’ bucket list, she reconnects with the one person who understands her grief. WOW! What a great week for YA books! I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.

Books for Adults

Against the Claw – Book 2 in the Lobster Shack Mystery series. In this one, a woman finds a body in the bay when she is helping her family on the lobster boat. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Death Over Easy – Book 5 in the Country Store Mystery series. In this one, a musician in a bluegrass festival is killed.(Mass Market Paperback*)
A Dark and Twisting Path – Book 3 in the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series, one of my favorite series! I pre-ordered this book months ago. If you love mysteries, check this series out! (Mass Market Paperback*)
A Duke by Default – Book 2 in the Reluctant Royals series. I read book one, A Princess in Theory, on vacation this summer and it was delightful! I’m looking forward to reading this one and getting more of Portia’s story. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Knot My Sister’s Keeper – Book 6 in the Quilting Mystery series. A woman and her newly-discovered half sister team up to find out what happened to their father. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Midnight Snacks Are Murder – Book 2 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series. I adored book one, Class Reunions Are Murder, so I will absolutely be reading book two! (Mass Market Paperback*)
Murder at Ochre Court – Book 6 in the Gilded Newport Mystery series about a society reporter in 1898. I haven’t read any of these, but I’d like to give the first book a try. (Hardcover*)
Murder on Memory Lake – First in a new series about a woman who inherits a fortune and a secret lake house but finds a dead body when she arrives. I love trying new series, and the cover of this one makes me want to read it on vacation. That looks so restful (well, without the murder part). (Mass Market Paperback*)
Murder, She Reported (ebook) – A socialite tries to break free of expectations by getting a job at a newspaper in 1938 but finds herself in the middle of a scandal. This sounds terrific! (E-book pricing – $5 at the time of this writing)
Poppy Harmon Investigates – First in the Desert Flowers Mystery series. A widowed retiree opens her own private detective business. I am curious about this series, but I tried one of the author’s other books once and did not care for the main character at all. So, I’ll be trying this one from the library to see how this new character and I click. (Hardcover*)
Purrder She Wrote – Book 2 in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. A new cafe where diners can socialize with cats and even adopt one is the scene of drama that may have led to murder. I’d like to try this series out. (Mass Market Paperback*)
S’more Murders – Book 5 in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series. A guest disappears at a murder mystery party on a yacht. I haven’t read any books in this series – yet. (Mass Market Paperback*)
The Biggest Win: Pro Football Players Tackle Faith – Six Christians from the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl team share the stories of their lives and faith. (Trade Paperback*)
The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church’s Guests to Return – For churches, businesses and ministries. This explores the keys to getting first time visitors to return. (Trade Paperback*)
The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture – I’ll be reviewing this one in a few weeks. (Trade Paperback*)

 

*I’ve noticed that publishers have shifted some of their new mystery series to Trade paperback (full size paperback with a sale price around $15 or $16) or hardcover (with a sale price around $25) instead of Mass Market paperback which runs around $8. When I think of it, I’ll try to note the format so readers can plan their book budgets – and trips to the library – accordingly.

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In a dystopian future, the president is running for her fourth term (she had term limits canceled) after Russia destroyed our economy in retaliation for us winning the Sino-Russian War. The president has made it so people can be jailed for calling her names and she controls the media. She markets everything from champagne to steaks to energy drinks with her name and likeness on them. The world is corrupt and everyone knows it.

Theo had the idea first – a cheap, portable lie detector that uses brain imaging to know definitively when people were lying. Sam, Molly, Basquiat, Boob (it’s a long story), and Rebe were the team of teens helping him develop the prototype.

When a man offers the kids $8.5 million for all their research and designs (as well as a non-disclosure agreement), the dollars dace around in Sam’s head for awhile. He’s basically been in this for the money they could make since the beginning. The government has shut down his school and fired their teacher. They also stopped providing bionic upgrades for his mom, a war vet who lost her legs. The only reason they haven’t lost their house is that there’s no one around who could buy it from the bank if they foreclosed. But Sam and the rest are afraid the ones wanting to buy the device could use it for their own dishonest purposes. So they aren’t selling.

When Theo is killed and the buy out offer starts to sound like a threat instead of an opportunity, the kids trace the money back to its source. They discover they are in way over their heads. Powerful people with unlimited resources will do whatever it takes to get the device, even if they have to eliminate a handful of kids.

Review

This was fantastic! The dystopian world is absolutely believable if you watch the news today. The kids are smart (although their characters aren’t developed a whole lot – the focus of this is more on the action of the story) There’s a ton of action as the kids are fighting to stay alive. The people who use lies to get power and money won’t roll over when all of their lies are in jeopardy.

The book exposes the fact that we all have secrets – sins and shame – and some of us lie or hide to protect those things. Others lie in pursuit of wealth or power. The kids in this aren’t squeaky clean either. Some readers have had strong reactions to what they confess (including sex, voyeurism, an eating disorder). The flaws or secrets of the characters are part of why I enjoyed this. It doesn’t shy away from some of the harder pieces – the trauma of war, facing your own shameful choices, confessing them to others, and hopefully learning from them.

The fall out of what happens in the story when the device goes public was far more interesting to me than anything else. If a culture and society goes so far down the path of dishonesty and self-interest and manipulation where no one is held accountable, how can it ever turn back to integrity? This is an important question to me. I expected that the whole story would be about the quest to take the device public and not die. But this was even better than that! The real drama kicked in for me when the device was public and everything fell apart. I’d love to dig into this with some teens and hear their thoughts on this engaging story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne

REVIEW: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Worstley inherited the job of “Farm Boy,” caring for the barnyard (and cleaning up goat poop) from his brother, Bestley,  who was stabbed through the heart for being too handsome. But Worstley’s luck changes when Staph the pixie arrives and declares him the Chosen One. She even uses her magic to give Gustave the goat the power of speech.

Worstley and Gustave head off for adventure to save a sleeping princess from an enchanted castle. But things don’t turn out so well for Worstley. But at the castle, Gustave meets the warrior Fia and a bard named Argabella who’s been turned half-rabbit. The women and the goat then join up with the Dark Lord Toby, his clumsy rogue Poltro, and Grinda the sand witch for a quest. If they can survive, they hope to find the ones responsible for the sleeping spell at the castle so they can reverse the spell and maybe resurrect poor Worstley.

Review

This is one of the quirkiest books I have read in a long time. It’s full of odd characters, biting satire and sarcasm, and plenty of innuendo. There are trolls and elves, giants and ghosts as well as magic and violence and some gross humor. The adventurers face a lot of challenges on their quest, so the reader will really get his/her moneys worth out of the book in terms of a long read.

The characters were my favorite part of this – far better than the titular Farm Boy, Worstley, was at first. The band of adventurers becomes something of a family – except when they try to eat Gustave. They all start out focused on their own needs and challenges, but care well for each other (most of the time) by the end. The romantic storyline between two of the ladies in the group builds slowly and naturally through the whole quest.

This is a long book – or it felt like a long book to me.  It’s wordy, with a vocabulary that sometimes left me hunting for a dictionary and losing the flow of the story. The words worked for the voice of the book, but got to be a distraction when a simpler word would have sufficed. The violence is graphic at times as is some of the bodily function “humor.” I was hoping for a sharp, clever celebration – and skewering – of fairy tale tropes. Instead it felt like the authors were trying too hard to be funny. Some of the humor and gags were immature. I can handle that to a degree, but in this it sometimes felt never-ending.  There are hints at a sequel. I am undecided about reading one. I wouldn’t mind more time with some of the characters, but the reading experience as a whole wasn’t my favorite.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie

REVIEW: The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Atheneium Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Guinevere, her sister Elizabeth (Bitty), and their dad move back to Gwyn’s parents’ home town, Crow, Iowa, because of Vienna. Vienna is Gwyn’s mother. Six years ago, when Gwyn was four and Bitty was a baby, Vienna’s heart stopped. Her brain was without oxygen for a long time. While she was eventually revived, her brain was damaged. Vienna doesn’t remember anything now beyond age 13. She remembers her husband because they had been childhood friends. She remembers her mother and sisters, but she can’t reconcile their older, adult lives with her childhood memories. She doesn’t know her daughters at all.

In Iowa, Gwyn and Bitty have Nana and their dad there to help them with the day in and day out activities. They see Vienna at her care facility and on outings, but it is hard to see the person who should love you the most not even know who you are. One saving grace to the whole move is Gwyn’s friendship with Micah and Jimmy. Along with Bitty, the four kids do everything together, including their attempts to solve the disappearance of a local man. Micah’s mom, Gaysie, is Gwyn’s primary suspect. Everyone in town talks about her and whispers about “the accident” that happened when Gwyn’s parents and Gaysie were kids.

Gwyn will learn a lot about her new community, her new friends, her mom and even herself as she experiences these early months in Iowa.

Review

This is a lovely, heartbreaking story of family and friendship. There are several layers to this, and they all worked well.

On the surface, this is about Gwyn and her family, especially her mother. My heart broke for Gwyn (who acts older than 10 in a lot of ways) as she tries to manage her emotions about her mother. The situation is difficult and tragic, but Gwyn’s dad refuses to lose hope. Gwyn’s anger and resentment is understandable; she is grieving in her own way the lost of her mother in a parental role in her life.

This is also about the past. The family moves back to Iowa hoping the familiar people and places will help Vienna regain some of the memories she has lost. There are a lot of references to the past, especially to the friendship between Gwyn’s parents and Gaysie, and the mysterious “accident.”

Then there’s the mystery. Gaysie’s neighbor and friend, Wilber, disappears, and Gwyn is determined to figure out what happened to him. At the same time, there’s also her friendship with Jimmy and Micah which grows while they work on the mystery.

I don’t think the mystery is central enough to put this in that genre. I’d categorize this as realistic fiction. It’s beautiful and emotional. A really engaging story. This would be a great addition to personal libraries, school libraries, classroom libraries and class read-alouds. Just be sure to have tissues nearby!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: July 24, 2018

BOOK NEWS: July 24, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s another small week for new books. But while we might be low on quantity, we have some great quality! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Babymouse Miss Communication – Book 2 in the Babymouse Tales from the Locker series about graphic novel star Babymouse in middle school.  This one focuses on Babymouse’s quest to get a cell phone.
The Knight’s Armor – Book 3 in the Ministry of the SUITS series about a covert agency for Strange, Unusual, and Impossible Things and the kids who work for them. This series sounds perfect for me, so I need to get ahold of all three of these books asap.
Pizzasaurus Rex – A bullied genius finds a way to pull Pizzasaurus Rex – a party-dinosaur – into our universe in this new graphic novel for kids. This looks completely over the top and awesome!
The Winner Is – The third and final book in the Next Best Junior Chef series about the last two kids in the competition.
Theodore Roosevelt (Action Presidents) – Book 3 in the Action Presidents series of graphic novels introducing kids to historic individuals in a new format.
The Future Will Be BS Free – A group of teens use a souped up lie-detector to reveal government corruption. The kids are on the run and those in power want the device and won’t hesitate to kill to get it. I will be reviewing this one later this week.

Books for Adults

Star Wars Thrawn Alliances – Grand Admiral Thrawn teams up with Darth Vader to investigate a disturbance in the Force for the Emperor. But this isn’t the first time these two men have fought side by side. My husband loved the first Thrawn book, and I know this one is on his must-buy list. The story for this one makes me want to go back and read the first one so I can dig into this one, soon.

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Elementia is a trilogy of fantasy books written by the late M. E. Thorne. They’re like a female-led Lord of the Rings. The fandom is just as robust and outspoken. And they aren’t sold on the movie version being filmed in Ireland and directed by a woman.

Iris and Ryder Thorne may be the grandchildren of M. E. Thorne, but they didn’t really know her. As far as their dad is concerned, the books are garbage and they should have nothing to do with them except to bank the royalties as they roll in.

But Ryder fell in love with the books. And after a traumatic run in with a fan, the books seem to help him with the emotional fall out. So he begs their dad to go to Ireland for the filming. Since their dad is on a book deadline, he sends Iris to keep tabs on young Ryder.

Iris would love nothing more than to watch the movie crash and burn. She resents having to parent her younger brother, and she’s terrified of another fan making their family a part of his or her psychotic episode. As Iris gets to know the director and actors for the film, she starts to see Elementia, her family, and herself in new ways.

Review

I stumbled across this one at the library and decided to give it a try. What an unexpected delight! I loved the idea of this – the fantasy book series, the siblings in Ireland, the family drama, and the filming. Iris is awesome – so complicated. The development of her character across the book was one of my favorite things about this. She grows and tries and fails and tries again. She struggles to find her own voice under the barrage of her father’s criticism in her head. It was a terrific journey to watch unfold.

There are so many factors stacked against the movie that there were a lot of roadblocks to keep the story in the book moving forward. The actors, director, and film crew made a little temporary family for Iris and Ryder. Their real family – the off-in-her-own space mom and the angry dad with mother and grief issues of his own – were yet another layer to the larger story.

All of the pieces of this worked for me – the two kids finding their way together in their own lives and with their parents, the romance, the fantasy story in the filming, the feminist threads, and the fandom issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Hand this to kids who love fandoms or fandom stories. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Portrait of a Sister by Laura Bradford

REVIEW: Portrait of a Sister by Laura Bradford

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Even though they were identical twins, Katie always felt like an afterthought where Hannah was concerned. Hannah was the outgoing, energetic, fearless one. Katie was quiet and cautious. The differences between them became even more pronounced when Hannah decided not to be baptized and to leave their Amish community. Katie, the rule follower, stayed. Of course she stayed. This was her home, her family, and her community.

When Katie’s mom got sick, her commitment to home and family was even stronger. Her mother and family needed her. And after her mother’s death, Katie kept the family going. She picked up her mother’s responsibilities in the home and cared for her younger siblings as if they were her own.

When Hannah comes home for the funeral, she discovers Katie’s secret. She’s an artist. She draws in a secret sketch pad. And she’s extremely talented. But the Amish believe that photos or art of people are making “graven images.” A sin. Since Katie was baptized into the faith, she would be shunned if anyone ever found out. And if she chose her art over her community, she would never be able to contact her father or siblings again.

Drawing is the only time when Katie feels like herself, though. It’s the only thing that makes her smile. And it’s been months since her family has seen her smile. So her father sends her off for a week to visit her sister Hannah in New York City. It will be an opportunity to just be herself with no family responsibilities. She can see what life might be like if she chose her art over her faith. Would it be worth all she would lose?

Review

This was lovely! I don’t usually read Amish fiction, but after enjoying Belle and Ella so much earlier this year, I was interested in trying some more. This author’s Amish mystery series is on my TBR shelves, but I haven’t tried them yet.

I didn’t sense the same  level of faith in this story as I did in Belle and Ella. Katie’s commitments felt more like a commitment to tradition and expectation than a strong sense of faith. Katie has a lot of questions about the Amish assertion that her mother’s death was “God’s will” and something to just accept. But that was really the only place where faith was really explored. I completely identified with Katie’s need to do the “right” thing and put others before herself. Her struggles to choose her own path apart from her sister and her wrestling with where art could fit into her life, if it could at all, really clicked for me.

I did not care for Hannah for most of the book. She is bossy and brash and self-centered. She takes Katie’s art and does what she wants with it without respect for Katie’s perspective. Hannah knows the rules it violates but maybe since she doesn’t personally follow those rules anymore, she doesn’t even think about what the violation means for Katie. It’s almost as if she wants Katie on the “outside” with her – like she misses the family connections she once had. If Katie leaves, too, she can have it all, family and freedom. And she’ll risk Katie’s shunning and the fall out to do what she chooses. It was frustrating, but it made me appreciate Katie that much more.

There’s a slight love triangle in this – the Amish man Katie has been promised to and the man in New York who listens and understands her because she is free to tell him everything. I was thrilled with how that all worked out in the end.

This was a terrific story and I highly recommend it to fans of Amish fiction as well as those who enjoy stories about characters looking for – and finding – their identity.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Game Masters of Garden Place by Denis Markell

REVIEW: The Game Masters of Garden Place by Denis Markell

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The adventurers – Torgrim, Bran, Jandia, Mirak and Gerontius – are on a quest to find the pieces of an ancient scepter. They have secured six of the seven pieces, but the final battle seems impossible to win.

Ralph, Noel, JoJo, Persephone and Cammi have been playing Reign of Dragons for a couple years. Their original Game Master moved away so the kids have been taking turns planning the next part of their campaign for the pieces of the Seven Serpent Scepter. But as they’ve gotten older, everyone but Ralph seems to be drifting away from the game.

Ralph plans one final gaming day with his friends hoping to find the final piece of the scepter before the rest quit Reign of Dragons all together. But one roll of a golden d20 changes everything when  their characters – Torgrim, Bram, Jandia, Mirak and Gerontius – are pulled from the game into the real world.

Review

This was SO fun! I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons, but I know enough that I was able to follow along with the game play here. Kids who aren’t familiar with RPGs (Role Playing Games) may need a 5 minute tutorial about how the game works, but the rest of the story will make sense for everyone.

The characters in this – both the real life kids and their game counterparts – are terrific. It took me a little while to get all of them straight – which adventurer had which powers, which kid went with which character, etc. The kids are racially diverse (there’s a conversation about this when the kids explain that dynamic to the adventurers which is terrific) and one of the kids seems to be working through some things regarding his sexuality although it is fairly subtle. While these things round out the characters, they aren’t “issues” to be addressed in the story. These are just pieces of who the characters are. There are some fantastic moments when the kids really click with their game counterparts which was fun. The characters were my favorite part of this story.

This is a delightful fantasy book. The first 40% or so is set up – getting to know the kids, getting the history of their game play, and seeing the game characters in action. Then the game characters are pulled into our world. I loved seeing the adventurers trying to sort out our culture. And the connection between the game world and ours was handled in a clever way.

I highly recommend this book for kids who love fantasy and gaming and RPGs and the like. This was so fun!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BOOK NEWS: July 17, 2018

BOOK NEWS: July 17, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

I find myself missing spring – we never really had one. Right now it is hotter than blazes, and I just want to curl up under a ceiling fan with a book and pray that fall doesn’t skip us too.  If you want that too, here are some books releasing this week to keep you company while you wait out the heat wave.

Books for Kids

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented – This picture book detailing the history of the popular board game Monopoly looks fantastic!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Electric Boogerloo – Book 2 in the I Am Fartacus series is about a group of misfits trying to track down a missing school mascot. I love both the MAX and MIX series from Aladdin for middle grade readers. They are great stories.
The Game Masters of Garden Place – A group of kids playing an RPG (role playing game, like Dungeons and Dragons) find their characters have come to life. This was SO fun! I’ll be reviewing this one tomorrow.
Star Wars Adventures Vol 3: Endangered (Graphic Novel) – This story includes a story about Rose Tico from Star Wars The Last Jedi as well as a young Anakin Skywalker and Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels.
My Family Divided: One Girl’s Journey  of Home, Loss and Hope – If you have been tracking the immigration crisis at the border and you have wondered how to talk about it with kids, check out this book. I haven’t read it – or the original book for adults – yet, but this is on my list. This is the true story of the author who was separated from her parents who were undocumented immigrants.
Like Never and Always – After four teens are in a car accident, one wakes up in the body of one of the others, discovering some dark secrets about the girl’s life. This sounds fascinating!

Books for Adults

Bad Girls (Graphic Novel) – Three women have 12 hours to get out of Cuba with six million dollars in 1958. Sounds like a thrilling edge-of-your-seat story. (Hardcover*)
Heart Land – After trying to make it in the fashion industry in New York, a young woman has to move back home to Iowa until she can scrape enough money together to go back. When she redesigns a vintage dress from a flea market and sells it for $200, she has her ticket back to the Big Apple. But her heart may be getting attached to Iowa. This sounds lovely.  (Trade paperback*)
Kill the Farm Boy: The Tales of Pell – An unlikely farm boy is off to rescue the princess in a Monty Python-esque story. Of course I am reading this one! I’ll be diving into it this week so I can review it next week. Be sure to come back and check out the review. (Hardcover*)
Maze Master – Two students are trying to find their missing brilliant professor who might the be only one who can stop a pandemic level virus. This sounds like the sort of thriller that will be hard to put down once you start reading. (Hardcover*)
Rescued – Book 17 in the fantastic Andy Carpenter series finds Andy and the team trying to defend a guy accused of murder who says it was self-defense. But there’s no sign of another weapon. The whole case may hinge on the smallest of clues. I loved this one and will be reviewing it in August. (Hardcover*)
Am I Enough? Embracing the Truth of Who You Are – A new book for Christian readers about finding your identity in Christ. I love books like this! (Trade paperback*)
Set Phasers to Teach! Star Trek in Research and Teaching (July 21) – This new book looks at the influence of the Star Trek universe on everyday technology and a wide variety of disciplines. I would love to read this one! (Academic Title*)

 

*I’ve noticed that publishers have shifted some of their new mystery series to Trade paperback (full size paperback with a sale price around $15 or $16) or hardcover (with a sale price around $25) instead of Mass Market paperback which runs around $8. When I think of it, I’ll try to note the format so readers can plan their book budgets – and trips to the library – accordingly.