Book Reviews By & For Kids

Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley (2018)

4/29/2019

By Nico

Nix, a mischievous forest sprite, is tasked with protecting the woods while the other fairies are gone. And all goes smoothly, until one of the dreaded ‘peoples’ from the village, someone who has no right to be in the woods, takes up residence in an abandoned cottage. Nix is determined to scare off the intruder before the fairies return, but time runs short, and the people is particularly stubborn. Nix plays all his best tricks, but will even those be enough to scare off the intruder?

Wicked Nix was a fun fairytale-like story. Humorous, light, but at the same time very deep, this book is a unique fairy story which can be enjoyed by old and young readers alike. I would recommend Wicked Nix to readers ages eight and up looking for a delicious fairytale fantasy.

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Melissa by Alex Gino (2015)

4/23/2019

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By Lina

Everyone thinks George is an ordinary boy—a pizza-loving, Mario Kart-playing, ordinary boy. They’re wrong. Secretly, George knows she’s girl named Melissa, but she doesn’t know how to tell people that, and isn’t sure if other people would understand. She’s never worked up the courage to tell anyone, and isn’t sure if she ever will.

But when she finds out that the fourth-grade play is going to be Charlotte’s Web, everything changes. Melissa wants to be in the play—a lot. But not as Wilbur, Templeton, or any of the other boy’s parts.

She wants to be Charlotte.

Determined to get the part, Melissa and her best friend, Kelly, concoct a scheme to show everyone who Melissa really is, once and for all…from the school bully to Melissa's mom.

I would recommend this book for ages eight and up, and in fact think that those eight and older should read it. It deepens the reader’s understanding of important present-day issues, and is at the same time moving, captivating, and amusing. The storyline is entertaining, and the ending is perfect for the story. There are more sophisticated and complex books about being transgender available for older readers, but very few are written for younger elementary schoolers, and that’s what really makes Melissa stand out. The straightforward plot, believable characters, and focus on Melissa and Kelly’s friendship make it appealing to younger readers, and it’s an excellent choice for book groups, or for kids and parents to read together and discuss.

Before I read it, I understood the theoretical meaning of being transgender, but reading Melissa really helped me appreciate what it’s like, and how hard it can be. Not only was it an interesting and thought-provoking read, it was also a satisfying and enjoyable one.

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Check Out Our New Nonfiction Post!

4/8/2019

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Look under the 'Nonfiction: Crafts & More' tab to find our review on I am Malala.

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The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupéry (1943)

4/8/2019

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By Nico

The story begins with an airplane crashing in the middle of the Sahara, and with the strange person the author finds there: a tiny stranger, who asks him to draw a sheep. The two slowly befriend one another and he learns the tale of the Little Prince: who came from a tiny planet with three volcanoes and a single beautiful flower but journeyed from it through the stars and finally to Earth, where he meets a fox and a snake and discovers the things which truly make life what it is.

The Little Prince is one of those books which ensures you will never look at the world the same way again. It has a kind of magic, not in the words on the page but the deeper ones that lie beneath them. Despite this, it isn’t dull, or even with a set lesson like many kinds of fables; it is a story, beautifully written and sometimes slightly amusing, and though you cannot read it without finding the lesson beneath it, the author does not seem to expect that a lesson is all you will get out of it, nor is it; there is more to it than just the story and just the truth woven into it, something beyond description which almost all other stories like this lack, the thing which really changes the way a reader thinks about the story and makes it a book which you could read and read again. I would highly recommend this book to readers ages nine and up.

A note from Piranha T - This review was supposed to be posted on Monday, but due to a technical glitch it wasn't posted until today. Sorry!

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Sabriel (book one in the Old Kingdom series) by Garth Nix (1995)

4/1/2019

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By Nico

Sabriel is used to danger. Her father, the necromancer Abhorsen, has taught her such things from a young age. She knows how to use the seven bells which are the root of the craft of necromancers, has journeyed through Death, and bound the creatures who lurk there. But despite this all, she hasn’t grown up in the magical and mysterious Old Kingdom, where she was born. Instead, she attends school in the modern realm of Ancelstierre, as far from anything magical as it is possible to get.

But Sabriel is pulled into an ancient conflict when Abhorsen disappears. Now, she must journey into the Old Kingdom, overcome dangerous creatures, and brave trials which she has never even imagined. And over her journey, she discovers that her father’s disappearance may just be part of a bigger plan—a plan orchestrated by one of the most powerful, nefarious beings she has ever encountered.

Sabriel is an engrossing read, starring a capable, clever, and believable heroine. This book, widely acknowledged as a modern classic, is set in a well-developed fantasy world with intricate, dangerous magic and a plot with mysteries that keep you wondering at the ending. That said, Sabriel is a young adult book, and though it’s amazing when you’re old enough, there are parts which may be disturbing for younger readers. Because of that, I would highly recommend it (and the rest of the series) to high fantasy fans ages twelve and up.

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Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley (2018)

Melissa by Alex Gino (2015)

Check Out Our New Nonfiction Post!

The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupéry (1943)

Sabriel (book one in the Old Kingdom series) by Garth Nix (1995)

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