By Super Kitty and Piranha T. 

​Amina Khokar has never been one for raising her voice. Everyone who truly knows her--from her best friend Soojin to her Pakistani family--tells her that she’s a beautiful singer, but she’s never found the courage to perform in front of a crowd. Now less than ever, what with the visit of her strict uncle from Pakistan, who doesn’t believe music is good. And since she started middle school, Amina is less sure of herself. Her friend Soojin, who she always knew she could rely on before, wants to change her name to something more ‘American’, and is making new friends in the popular girls who have always made fun of Amina and Soojin and their cultural heritages. At least she still has her friends at the Islamic Center, who she sees on the weekends at Sunday School. But even that peace is shattered when someone breaks into it, shaking Amina to her core.

Amina’s world is changing fast. But maybe in the midst of it all, she’ll find the courage to raise her voice.

This is one of the (many!) books which have been on my reading list for years, and I'm so glad that I finally have! The story is inspiring and hopeful, and Amina is relatable and caring. I especially liked how Amina's struggle to adjust to middle school and her experiences with her family--especially Thaya Jaan--balance and contrast with each other, giving the story depth and complexity. Although I'm several years older than the main characters (and target audience), I felt a strong connection to all of the characters, especially Amina, whose dreams, fears, and growing courage feel deeply real. It's an excellent choice for book groups and fans of Grace Lin's The Year of the Dog or Meg Medina's Merci Suárez Changes Gears. I would highly recommend Amina's Voice to readers ages eight and up looking for a satisfying story about friendship, family, and growing up in a complicated world.

By Piranha T.

This year, Emma’s first day of school is different. It isn’t because it’s fifth grade, or it’s a new school. It’s because she hasn’t gone to public school before in her life. Ever.

​She and her older brother Owen have always been homeschooled. But last year, Owen gave public school a try, and now, Emma’s doing it too. She’s looking forward to everything, but most of all, she wants to make a best friend.

The night before school starts, Emma and her dad rescue a honey-colored rabbit caught in a fence. Emma knows they can only keep him until they learn who the real owners are, but she names him anyway—Lapi. Buy the next day, she can’t imagine ever letting him go.

Then school starts, and it’s harder than Emma expected. Everything is so new to her that she can’t keep track of it all. She has a hard time meeting people. At last, she devises a way that Lapi can help her make friends. But will even he be taken from her?

In her author’s note, Cynthia Lord explains that her daughter went from school to homeschooling, and much of her experiences were part of what shaped Because of the Rabbit. I’m not surprised. This book held a vivid, realistic portrayal of what it would be like to go to school for the first time. It was sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes sad, but felt completely real. Emma is a great main character who I really like. I highly recommend Because of the Rabbit to readers ages eight and up. 

 By Super Kitty
 
Pacy Lin is excited about the upcoming Year of the Dog—according to her parents, it’s a year to “find yourself” and make friends. As one of the only Taiwanese-American kids in her school, Pacy sometimes feels like she doesn’t fit in, and the Year of the Dog seems like a good time to figure out who she really is.

Sure enough, she becomes fast friends with Melody Ling, a new girl in school who has so much in common with Pacy that they’re practically twins! Pacy is hoping that the Year of the Dog is a sign that she’s going to discover a new talent and decide what she wants to be when she grows up, and as the year goes by she and Melody compete in a science fair, perform in the school play, enter a Halloween costume contest, and more. But as the end of the year gets closer and closer, Pacy begins to wonder: will she find something that she’s good at before the Year of the Dog is over? Or will she be stuck without a special talent forever? 

I read The Year of the Dog before Piranha T. and I started Rapunzel Reads, and we’ve been meaning to review it ever since! I loved it as second grader, and it was just as good when I re-read it recently—it’s one of those books that is impossible to grow out of, and while aimed for younger kids, older readers shouldn’t take that as a reason not to read it. There are some books which really capture what being a kid is like, and this is one of them. In an author’s note, Grace Lin, who based the story on her own childhood, says that when she was young her favorite books were about normal kids: “When I read those books, it was as if I was wrapped in a warm hug. I saw all the things that I loved and lived—my neighborhood, my friends, and my school. The only thing I didn’t see was me….I wrote [The Year of the Dog] because it was the book I wished I had had when I was growing up, a book that had someone like me in it.” Fun, believable, and engaging, I would highly recommend this book for ages eight and up. And if you enjoy it, I also loved both sequels: The Year of the Rat and Dumpling Days.
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By Piranha T.

Once, the river was lively. It flowed beside the houses raised on stilts in a cascade of flashing water. A young water sprite known as Perdita splashed in the waves, waiting for the elders to finish building a portal to another world, where humans had not yet disrupted the delicate peace of the river.

But things are different now. Many years ago, the river was dammed with fallen trees and mud, and no one since has been able to get it to flow. Now, the houses have been raised much higher, to avoid the rising water. A marsh has formed where the river used to be. And anyone who swallows the marsh water gets a wasting sickness no one has a cure for.

Luna has grown up in the houses raised above the marsh, paddling through the still water with her little sister, Willow, on the prow of her ship. She doesn’t believe that the wasting sickness comes from a curse, or that magic exists at all.

But then Willow gets the wasting sickness. No one believes anything can be done to save her. But Luna is ready to do anything to make her better—even believe in magic.

A Nearer Moon was a beautifully written fantasy which read almost like a fairytale. The world of the river—in the times of both Luna and Perdita—felt real and unique. Melanie Crowder wove together the two stories of Luna and Perdita in an exciting, beautiful narrative. I would highly recommend A Nearer Moon to readers ages eight and up.

By Piranha T.

​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.

By Super Kitty
 
Everyone thinks George is an ordinary boy—a pizza-loving, Mario Kart-playing, ordinary boy. They’re wrong. Secretly, George knows she’s girl, 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. George 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, George and her best friend, Kelly, concoct a scheme to show everyone who George really is, once and for all…from the school bully to George’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 George stand out. The straightforward plot, believable characters, and focus on George 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.
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Before I read it, I understood the theoretical meaning of being transgender, but reading George 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.

By Piranha T.

Aventurine is a fierce dragon who longs to go out into the world. But she’s still young by dragon standards, her scales not yet hard enough to dare to venture out into the world. When she finally gets fed up with staying in her family’s caves, she leaves in an attempt to prove that she’s able to take care of herself in the outside world.

But instead, she gets duped by the first human she meets into drinking a pot of enchanted hot chocolate. She’s transformed into a twelve-year-old human girl, helpless without her fire and scales. One thing, however, keeps her from despair. She’s finally found her passion--chocolate.

Aventurine leaves for the city to find an apprenticeship at a chocolate house. But when she finds one, she discovers that the business is in danger. Can Aventurine save the chocolate house, follow her passion, and at the same time be reunited with her family?
​
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart was a fun read. Aventurine was an entertaining main character who was extremely funny, particularly because she saw everything in a medieval-type world through a dragon’s eyes and looked at things in a very different way. I love dragons, and I love chocolate too, but you don’t have to love either to love this book! This book reminded me of The Girl in the Tower and The Language of Spells, so if you like either of those books, check this one out! I would highly recommend The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart to readers ages eight and up.

By Super Kitty
​
When ten-year-old Fidge loses her temper, she expects some things to happen. Little things, like getting a scolding, and maybe being tortured by her maddening cousin Graham. Definitely not getting trapped in an alternate world, where she’s been mentioned in a strange prophecy and has to overthrow a villainous ruler in order to get home. But there’s more to the strange, colorful, cheerful world that Fidge is stuck in than she first thought: things seem oddly…familiar. And that connection might be the single thing which can save the peculiar world, and get her and Graham home…
​
I liked Wed Wabbit for several reasons. It’s entertaining, exciting, and highly amusing, plus it has great characters and a very amusing and original setting—read it and you’ll see what I mean! I would recommend it to readers ages eight and up who like funny stories, clever puzzles, or have been forced to read an annoying picture book again (and again and again.)  

By Super Kitty

The emperor of Camellion, it is said, is the worst ruler in the history of the land. He’s spoiled, selfish, and doesn’t have the faintest idea of how to lead an empire—nor does he have any intention of learning. To make matters worse, he is nearly of age to rule, and will gain full power in a few days’ time. He needs to be taught a lesson. And fast.

Begonia, a dairymaid from the country, doesn’t know anything about the shortcomings of her exalted ruler. She has enough to deal with without worrying about things like that—her cow has disappeared (again) and she has to find her as soon as possible. However, when two ancestor spirits decide to take matters with the emperor into their own hands, things start to get out of control, and Begonia seems to be the only one who can stop it. To save the empire and set things to rights, she sets off on a journey which will cross paths with a strange collection of characters, including a self-proclaimed Finder of Things That Are Lost, a peculiar—and incredibly rude—stranger, a stubborn cow, a suspicious circus owner, plotting lords, and an eight-foot ostrich. But even with her new friends to help her, is Begonia bold enough to face unnamed dangers to stop the injustices in her land?  Or has she taken on much more than she bargained for?

I liked this book for a lot of reasons. It was amusing, captivating, and most of all fun. A cast of quirky characters and usurping villains, not to mention a very determined ostrich, brought the story to life, and various escapes and twists kept it entertaining and original. I would highly recommend it for ages seven and up, or for any readers looking for a light but satisfying new read.

​A big thank you to Julie Berry, for sending us a review copy of her book!

​By Piranha T.
 
Not many people remember how to see magic anymore. Many years ago, a hundred dragons appeared in Vienna, but now only forty remain. They’ve disappeared, but to where, no one knows.
 
Grisha is a dragon who no longer has a friend. Maggie, the daughter of a famous poet, has never truly had one. Their stories meet one night, and they form a fast friendship. But neither can ignore the mystery of the vanished dragons. Both want to somehow put it to right, but neither knows how.
 
Help comes in the most unlikely places. The Department of Extinct Exotics, which makes sure the dragons stay to the rules. A talking cat who both think is their enemy. But it’s Maggie and Grisha’s quest—and it is they who must brave the final price.
 
The Language of Spells is a beautiful, deep fantasy novel set in a real world which is easy to believe with sympathetic characters. The beginning was a bit slower and harder to get into, but once you do it’s an engrossing read. I think it would appeal to readers of Lisa Schroeder’s The Girl in the Tower. I’d highly recommend The Language of Spells to readers ages 8 and up.

By contributing reviewer Radical Reader, age 10

This book is about a girl from the 1970's named Julie. She meets a new girl in school named Carla. She immediately bonds with her, but something seems off. The stories of her family just do not add up. So Julie goes on a hunt to figure out who Carla Warner really is. I liked this book because it had so many plot twists in turns and in the midst of all the lies I could not figure out what was real and what was not. I'd recommend this book to kids of the age of 8 and up because it can get confusing and it might be difficult for younger kids to follow the plot.

By Piranha T.

Twelve-year-old Oona Crate has no great love of magic. Although she possesses the rare gift of Natural Magic, Oona has a different passion—solving mysteries. And it looks like she might just get her chance. But when the Wizard of Dark Street is stabbed with an otherworldly dagger, Oona must combine magic and logic to solve the mystery before the world falls into disaster.

​The Wizard of Dark Street was a fun, amusing, quick read. A brilliant mystery, pot and world, with funny characters and varied suspects. Although not a ‘solve-it-yourself’ mystery, Shawn Thomas Odyssey gives the reader plenty of chances to uncover the clues right along with Oona. I would highly recommend The Wizard of Dark Street to readers ages eight and up looking for an entertaining, engrossing mystery.

By Piranha T.

Nine-year-old Lucy Castor loves her life just the way it is. Her father reading her The Hobbit at night, her mother making spaghetti every Monday, but most of all, playing with her best friend, Ella, making magic in the tiny moments of everyday life. She certainly doesn’t expect anything different as fourth grade draws near.

Yet everything seems to be changing all at once—and not for the better, either.

Ella has stopped believing in magic and found some new, more stylish friends. Lucy’s weird neighbor, Chloe, might not be so weird after all. Biggest of all, her perfect world with her father, her mother, and Lucy herself is about to end, because Mrs. Castor is going to have a baby.

Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle is a beautiful story. I could easily identify with Lucy, and everything about the book made me fall I love with it. It reminded me almost of The Girl in the Tower. I would highly recommend Lucy Castor Finds her Sparkle to kids and adults ages seven and up.

By Piranha T.

Brian Brown is looking forward to a perfect summer—a soccer-playing, camping-out, adventuring sort of summer. But it’s just Brian’s luck that his parents are away, so he must go to Boring, Illinois, to spend the summer with his Uncle Gary, Aunt Jenny, and Nora, their daughter. They’re just as boring as the town itself.

At first, all is just as bad—and worse—than he imagined. His aunt and uncle have decided that Brian will spend the summer using an online learning program of Uncle Gary’s making called Summer’s Cool—and the only interesting thing in Boring seems the forest which backs up on their property, which his aunt and uncle have forbidden him to investigate. But after he gets into a fight with Nora, they accidently stumble into the forest and discover the reason that they aren’t allowed inside—the precariously-built Matchstick Castle, where there live the van Dashes, a family as quirky as the house they live in.

Once they befriend the family, Brian and Nora are caught up in all sorts of unpredictable adventures. However, once they discover a plot to demolish the Matchstick Castle, Brian and Nora try to help prevent it. Of course, the van Dashes have more than Brian and Nora on their side—with the help of enormous insects, a leaky submarine, and a bit of dynamite, there might be a chance that the Matchstick Castle won’t be demolished after all.

​The Matchstick Castle is a quirky, fun-filled book about two ordinary kids who stumble upon a bit of adventure. The characters are well-developed and whimsical, and it’s full of nonstop action and humor. For any kid ages 8 and up, I’d recommend this quirky, funny, and awesome book.