Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

In the latest comics collection/graphic novel starring Phoebe and her best friend Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, Phoebe explores life without her phone, unicorn court, and the science museum. She also hangs out with Lord Splendid Humility and her human friends Max and Dakota. Phoebe also learns about unicorn self-esteem, the Unicorn Investigative Agency, and the cut throat world of unicorn theater. She even gets to enjoy having a unicorn tail for awhile.

This collection is full of sass and sarcasm, unicorns and laughs. I completely enjoyed this one! One moment I was heartbroken for Marigold, and then the next I was laughing with her. I loved the full range of topics and adventures the two protagonists have together. This is one of my favorite books in the whole series.

This is book 12 in this long-running series! You can see my reviews of some of the other books here. You’ll also see posts where I talk about what makes Marigold a “memorable protagonist” and why I put this series in my list of “Must Have Graphic Novels” for kids in 2018. Hand this book – and the whole series – to graphic novel fans, unicorn fans, and kids who love smart and sassy characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

REVIEW: Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

These are 11 short stories from the Star Wars Universe that take place during the Clone Wars. The stories are told from the perspective of one character. Every story is adapted from one or more episodes of the Clone Wars TV series – 3 from season 1, 1 from season 3, 5 from season 4, and 2 from season 5.

Review

When I started the first story, “Sharing the Same Face,” I was struck immediately by how familiar everything seemed. Sure enough, after some research on Wookiepedia, I turned on the first episode of the series, “Ambush,” and followed along. Yes, there were extra bits of Yoda’s musings on clones and individuality, and their engineering to follow orders. But essentially the story was one I had watched in the show.

I read through six of the eleven stories this way – looking for an episode with a similar descriptions and watching along while reading – before realizing that every short story was based on the show. (Readers can look up the title of each short story on Wookiepedia, and it will list the episode(s) involved.) That’s when I stopped reading.

Somewhere along the way I missed that these were adaptations rather than original stories. And I was disappointed.

Taken alone, the adaptations are good. There’s a reason Star Wars is such a huge property. These are great characters and stories. And I liked the tidbits of personal content or thought processes that were included. But for the stories I read, the new, original material was only a small bit of the whole story.

Readers who are Star Wars fans who like novelizations of the movies might enjoy these retellings. There are plenty of very positive reviews for this book. I don’t know if readers who aren’t somewhat versed in the Clone Wars show will be able to follow all of the stories here because some reference characters, places, and events that aren’t in the main 9 films. But readers who already love the show may enjoy this look at those stories. There is an audience for this book.

That audience is not me, though. I wanted new stories with my favorite characters. Or new stories that endeared other characters I didn’t already love to me. I wanted to see the Star Wars Universe expanded. It’s why I read Star Wars and Star Trek novels. If I had bought this and then discovered it was only adaptations of episodes I have already seen (some multiple times), I would have felt betrayed.

For readers who understand what this is, and who are eager to read it, I think this could be a 3 or 3.5 star book – or more. I personally didn’t find a lot of new insights in this. So for me it was a 2 star read, which means “finished (or not), but didn’t like, not a good fit”

Rating: ♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Mask by Kate Hannigan

BONUS REVIEW: Mask by Kate Hannigan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

At first glance, Josie, Mae, and Akiko look like normal girls. But in reality, they are the Infinity Trinity. Thanks to some special artifacts – a cape, a mask, and some boots, the girls are superheroes.

Akiko’s family has been taken to an internment camp because of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor. But she gets word her mother has gone missing from the camp. And she’s not the only person missing. Several superheroes, like Zenobia, have gone missing as well.

As the girls start looking for Akiko’s mother, they run into a new villain on the scene, a clown called Side-Splitter. Side-Splitter is setting off bombs around San Francisco and trying to destroy American Naval vessels. The Infinity Trinity have their hands full with this guy!

Review

I love the creativity and uniqueness of this series. This is a re-imagined WWII story where superheroes are real. The racial issues of the time – like the internment camps – are present. Real historical figures are mentioned. The real role of women in the war is also reflected in the story. As with book 1, there are extensive end notes that let readers know which parts of this fantasy tale are anchored in reality.

The final art for the graphic novel sections of the book were not available in my review copy, but there were descriptions of what will be included in the final art. I think readers will enjoy this fun feature to this series. I love the creativity of including comic panels – this is a superhero story after all – into a prose novel.

While there is a lot about this series that I love, I struggled with the pacing of this story. There were several sections that dragged for me. In this story there are several times where the girls are puzzling out coded messages, and it’s hard to put action into moments when they are listening and thinking. There are fight scenes, of course, but this particular story also has quieter moments of thinking, of empathizing with Akiko as she stresses over her mom’s role in the Side-Splitter’s plans, etc. The great features I have already mentioned, though, make up for the slower sections of the story telling for me.

There are several unresolved threads here, including the missing superheroes, to lead readers to book 3. These books should definitely be read in order. Be sure to check out the first book in the League of Secret Heroes series, Cape.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lois Lane is ready for the best summer ever. She is working on her video channel and hopes to make a #FriendshipChallenge video with her BFF Kristen that goes viral. But Kristen wants to focus on the local bike race and getting ready to go away to camp for the first time.

When a rival bike shop springs up near their neighborhood store, the owner is convinced the new rival wants to rig the race. She shows the girls a threatening note, and then her fireworks for the big race are stolen. Lois is certain she and Kristen can solve the mystery. In fact, Lois is already sure she knows who did it – Izzy, the new girl in town.

Review

Lois is a LOT to take in this book. I was exhausted by her as I read. She’s an intense person, earnest. She has big ideas and big plans. And she easily gets tunnel vision. She isn’t trying to be a bad friend, but she tunes out anything Kristen says and anything that doesn’t fit her ideas of what is going on or what is important.

Lois is so over the top I don’t think readers will have any trouble seeing the friendship red flags in the story. The bigger question is will readers like Lois enough to stick with her through the book in the hope that she will learn and grow? Thankfully that does happen. Lois starts to see how she is behaving, and then she decides to make some changes.

I liked Henrietta/”Henri,” an older, mentoring, voice-of-reason sort of character. Not only does she try to speak into Lois’ friend issues, but she also shows Lois how journalism is like detective work. She also explains the importance of journalistic integrity – letting the facts drive the story rather than squishing the facts to try to make them fit into the story you decided to tell. Which is exactly what Lois is doing with Izzy.

Readers who enjoy graphic novel friendship stories might give this one a try. If you are looking for more Lois Lane stories, I HIGHLY recommend the Lois Lane series for teens by Gwenda Bond. I loved it!

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sara and Elizabeth meet at an afterschool cooking club at Sara’s new school. Her mom is teaching the class South Asian cuisine, and Elizabeth is taking it with her best friend, Maddy.

Sara’s struggling at the new school. Before this she went to a Muslim school. She knew all of her peers and felt like she fit in. Now, there are hundreds of other sixth graders, and even more 7th and 8th graders on top of that. Sara’s not sure she will ever fit in here.

Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends for years, but ever since Elizabeth went away to summer camp, Maddy’s been more interested in being friends with another, more popular girl. With Elizabeth’s mom struggling with her grandmother’s death, things at home are strained, and now things at school are, too.

But Sara and Elizabeth find common ground at the cooking club. Sara might not like to cook, but she’s knowledgeable and skilled. Elizabeth loves the recipes they are cooking. And both girls, for different reasons, are coaching their mothers through the American citizenship curriculum. Maybe the moms could become friends, pass their tests, and life could get better – for both families.

Review

Outstanding! I loved this! Sara’s prickly at the start – at school and at home – so it takes a bit to warm up to her. But once I did, I adored the frank relationship she and Elizabeth have together, the freedom they have to ask religious and cultural questions of each other. (Elizabeth is Jewish, and her mom is British. Sara’s family is from Pakistan, and they are Muslim.)

All the threads – food, family, friendship, culture, anti-racism – are perfectly woven together. All of the pieces are kept in balance, and I loved every bit of it.

This is an excellent middle school friendship story that I think works for both older elementary and middle school students. The racism/anti-racism pieces are unambiguous, but also age appropriate for readers at the younger end of the range. There are creative elements with the food and cooking as well as Sara’s art that will appeal to kids. Mental health and mental illness (depression) are talked about in an age-appropriate way as well. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and home libraries as well as for reading aloud at school or at home. (Mental health/Depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Sara Martinez is arrested, she knows it’s a big deal. She was caught hacking. She did it to expose her foster parents for the abusive charlatans they are. But of course nothing happened to them, and Sara was arrested.

But then the British guy shows up. Pretends to be her lawyer. Masterfully works the court case to Sara’s favor, getting her sentenced to a fictional facility until she turns 18.

All so Sara can become a spy for MI6.

MI6 has a team of young spies ready to go on a super secret, super vital mission. But their hacker up and quit the program. If Sara can cut it, she’ll be their new hacker.

They’ve never seen a computer whiz like her!

Review

This was an absolute treat! I loved Sara from the start. She’s crazy smart, fierce, and loyal. My favorite sort of protagonist. The other kids on the team are fascinating as well – talented and quirky with interesting back stories. Even some of the adults get backstories in this book!

The mission and mystery are top notch. No surprise, really. I expected that after the delightful FRAMED series by this author. (I totally need to read those again!) There were several fantastic twists along the way. And some unresolved threads will pull readers into the next book, which is City Spies: Golden Gate, scheduled to release next spring. I already have it in my shopping cart!

Readers who love mysteries, kid spies or found family stories should NOT miss this one!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Parked by Danielle Svetcov

REVIEW: Parked by Danielle Svetcov

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Jeanne Ann and her mother live in Chicago where her mom works in a restaurant as a cook. The hours are long, and her boss is awful. Jeanne Ann splits her time between school and the local library. She stays there until it closes, and the staff have a rule that someone stays with her until her mom gets there to pick her up. The library is like a second home. Jeanne Ann loves Mrs. Jablonsky, the librarian. She has a reading spot, and she helps shelve the books. The librarian even gives her review copies of upcoming books so she can tell them which ones to buy.

But one day, Jeanne Ann’s mom decides to pursue her dream, so they buy a run down orange van and start driving west to San Francisco.

They find a side street with a great view and park the van near some other folks with the same idea. Jeanne Ann’s mom says they are on vacation and can relax for a few days. But when she decides to look for a job, she runs into road blocks. The former co-worker who invited her to come out to San Francisco is gone. The apartment they thought they could live in isn’t an option. So they live on the side street in their van. Across from Cal’s house.

Cal was 8 the first time he approached one of the folks parked across the street. He gave the man some food. And ever since then, he’s been hyper-aware of the people living there. He wants to help them. He wants people to SEE them. But his efforts backfire. He’s gotten into trouble at school which means trouble at home. But the arrival of a new orange van – and a girl his age – catches his attention.

Review

This was SO good! I loved Jeanne Ann and Cal. Readers in books get me every time – and Jeanne Ann is a reader. That trait – and her relationship with books – is a thread through the whole story. Cal is earnest and determined. He’s young – both kids are going into 7th grade. His intentions are great, but his execution causes some trouble. But he keeps showing up. He keeps trying to help; he keeps trying to get his mom to see HIM and see the need right in front of them.

There’s a library thread in this that is absolutely delightful! Mrs. Jablonsky is trying to find Jeanne Ann and her mom when Jeanne Ann stops coming to the library and her books are flagged overdue. The love of this team of librarians for this preteen girl warmed my heart.

The ending of this is also spectacular. I loved how everything came together in the end. This feel-good story tackles a lot of topics – homelessness, helping vs. rescuing, success and failure, fear, friendship, food, reading, neighbors. So much to love here. This would be an AMAZING read aloud at home or at school. Be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Shuri by Nic Stone

BONUS REVIEW: Shuri by Nic Stone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When a middle school aged Shuri discovers the Wakandan heart-shaped herb is dying, she throws all of her scientific know-how at the problem. At the current rate of decay, there will be no herb left for T’Challa’s next challenge day. If T’Challa loses and there is a new leader, he or she would not have the herb and therefore not have the powers of the Black Panther.

Despite Shuri’s brilliance, the problem is too big for her to solve on her own. With support from her best friend K’Marah, a Dora in training; someone from the X-Men; and an Avenger, Shuri leaves Wakanda, racing against time to save the future of her nation.

Review

I loved this! This diverges from the Marvel movies in several ways, but Shuri’s love for her home and her brilliance are as I expected. Yes, her adventure may be a bit over the top for a 14-year-old princess, but we don’t watch Marvel movies – or read the books and comics – for their realism.

The story here was fantastic. The outlook for Wakanda’s future is dire. And Shuri is the one with the time and the intellect to pursue a solution. She finds the right support to give her clues to what she’s missing so that she can get to work on a solution.

I adored the relationship between Shuri and K’Marah. This adventure was good for their friendship. Shuri also chooses a good mentor to help her through the story. The tech and gadgets were fun, and the pacing of the story – the risks and dangers as well as the closing confrontations – was terrific!

I hope there will be future adventures for Shuri and K’Marah! (Note: This is NOT a graphic novel.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science by Amanda Deibert

REVIEW: DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science by Amanda Deibert

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The DC Super Hero Girls are friends at Metropolis High. And it’s time for the science fair. The judge of this year’s fair is a Cadmus scientist, and the first prize is an internship at Cadmus as well as a year of treats from the Sweet Justice Cafe. All of the girls are excited to get their science on!

All the girls except “Zee” Zatara.

Zee is all about magic, not science. But the Cadmus scientist and Zee’s friends encourage her to help her friends with their projects while she tries to come up with one for herself.

Each project ends in some sort of disaster. Is Zee bad luck? Is she sabotaging her friends? Or is something else going on?

Review

I’ve enjoyed the previous DC Super Hero Girls series, which takes place at Super Hero High, for awhile now. You can read my reviews of those graphic novels here. This is my first book, though in this new Metropolis High series. I prefer the earlier series myself, but I enjoyed this new iteration and setting.

At Metropolis High, the girls have to balance their superhero lives with their alternate identities at school which adds an interesting dynamic to this series. I also enjoyed references to other DC characters. There are appearances here from Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, Steve Trevor, and Lex Luthor as well as references to Superman. The next book – Midterms – promises Lois Lane and Harley Quinn and will release this fall.

This is a meaty story. Zee “helps” Bumblebee, Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman and a Green Lantern as she prepares for the fair. (It looks like this was originally published as 15 issues of a comic book series. There’s a lot here to dig into.) Every time Zee tries to use magic to fix a problem or speed something along. And almost every time it backfires. Zee doesn’t really learn a lesson from this, but she does find her way to the science fair for herself, and the mystery of the disasters gets solved.

Hand this to DC fans, graphic novel fans, super hero fans, and fans of this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Diana has been looking forward to an event where women leaders from around the world travel to Themyscira to share art and wisdom and weaponry with one another. It’s the one time Diana’s best friend, Princess Sakina, comes to visit. They get to spend one thrilling week together exploring the festival.

But instead of getting a week with her best friend, Diana finds a boy on the island – something that is NOT allowed. Augustus manipulates Diana into trusting him while he lies to her about Sakina’s family. But the truth is even worse. He’s been sent to the island by a demon who holds all of Augustus’ people hostage. Either Augustus brings Diana back, or all of his people die.

Diana and Sakina are on their own to decide how to deal with the threat as all of the woman on the island are in an enchanted sleep. What can three pre-teens do against a deadly demon?

Review

Young Wonder Woman is getting a lot of attention lately in the world of books. Young readers will be fascinated by Diana before she gains and understands her full powers. The various books that have come out lately – Diana, Princess of the Amazons; Wonder Woman Warbringer; and the many iterations of the DC Super Hero Girls – don’t seem to be connected to one another, but they all explore this idea of a young Diana figuring out who she is. (This is NOT a graphic novel, but a traditional middle grade novel.)

I enjoyed the team up with Sakina in this book. Sakina had the background knowledge they needed while Diana had the tactical knowledge, physical skills, and determination. The story is very suspenseful. There’s one challenge after another after another, even before they confront the demon. It made for a stressful yet compelling reading experience. I think kids will love it!

My review copy included a two chapter teaser for book 2 – Diana and the Underworld Odyssey. I was hooked after those two chapters and now I have to read the sequel! Hand this to Rick Riordan/mythology fans because I think the challenges here will appeal to them. Wonder Woman fans shouldn’t miss this one either!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥