By Piranha T.

Eva Evergreen might be the daughter of one of the country’s most powerful witches, but she only has a pinch of magic. Even when she can invent a spur-of-the-moment spell, they nearly always go wrong, summoning cabbages instead of flowers and leaving her embarrassed and so exhausted that she dozes off immediately afterwards. Nevertheless, Eva’s never wanted anything more than to become a witch like her mother, and she’s determined to pass her Novice Witch quest, the first step in achieving that dream.

There’s only one problem. If she fails, she’ll lose her magic…forever.

Eva’s quest brings her to the seaside town of Auteri, where she’s instructed to help the inhabitants however possible. But nothing goes quite right. Her ‘semi-magical repair shop’ remains customer-less. The magic she does perform goes horribly awry. And then there’s the looming danger of the mysterious Culling, a disaster which strikes yearly which she must somehow barricade Auteri against.

Still, she’s also beginning to form friendships with some of Auteri’s inhabitants. And when disaster strikes, it’s up to her to protect the town she’s grown to love.

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch is a fun, fresh fantasy novel full of distinct characters and intriguing worldbuilding. Eva is an interesting and motivated protagonist, and Julie Abe uses ideas of witches and spells in a cool way. I particularly liked Auteri itself—this town truly comes alive, with a layered network of characters and plenty of mysteries set up for the sequel. I recommend Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch to readers ages nine and up.

By SK

When twelve-year-old Reena's family decides to move from the city to coastal Maine, Reena imagines lupines and lobsters and beautiful rocky coastlines. She is definitely not anticipating her and her younger brother Luke being enlisted by a prickly, reclusive neighbor to help her take care of her animals, particularly an ornery cow named Zora. But like it or not, that's exactly what happens.

Maine is lovely, just like Reena had imagined. But cows? Not so much. Zora is irascible, stinky, and stubborn--not to mention ENORMOUS--and is as, er, uninterested in getting to know Reena as Reena is in taking care of her. But there's more to "that cow" than meets the eye, and with the help of two kids from a local farm, Reena and Luke slowly begin to feel a sense of belonging--with Zora, with Mrs. Falala, and with their new home.

Written in an engaging combination of free verse and prose, Moo is a warm, satisfying story about siblings, friendship, and the magic that can happen when you step out of your comfort zone. The writing is spare, but each character is deftly created and irresistible--including the cows! Like Reena, Creech lives in Maine, a fact that's made clear from her evocative descriptions of Reena's town and local county fairs, and while the basic plot isn't one I've never seen before, her distinctive storytelling makes the story fresh and amusing. Hopeful and heartwarming, I would highly recommend Moo to readers ages eight and up.  

By Piranha T.

“The exile of the princes of Lacharra didn’t begin with swords or spells. It began inside the castle kitchen with a quest for cloves.
It began with me.”
                  -from The Flight of Swans by Sarah McGuire

​When the King of Lacharra returns to the castle with a pale-haired woman without a name and eyes full of deception, only twelve-year-old Princess Andaryn doesn’t fall to the enchantments she weaves about the royal family. And when Ryn defies her, hoping in the doing to free her family from the Queen’s devious power, it instead gives her the chance to kill Ryn's six older brothers under false pretenses.

In desperation, Ryn makes the only bargain the Queen is willing to strike. She will be silent for six years—one for each of her brothers—if she allows them to go free.

And the Queen does set them free, but in the form of six black swans. They will regain their human forms only on the night of the full moon, and, after six years, will remain that way forever.

Only Ryn knows what the Queen has done, and she is unable to tell the story to any other. As the years pass and she travels across the land, she is pursued by the Queen’s fearsome Hunters and she herself pursues what she hopes will be a way to save her brothers. But as she learns more about the curse, she begins to wonder: who is the Queen, really?

The Flight of Swans is an effortless, brilliant fantasy novel. Based off the fairy tale Six Swans, this is one of my favorite fairy-tale retellings, adhering to the original story while expanding in unexpected directions. Sarah McGuire crafts a mysterious, multilayered landscape and world, with unusual magic, interesting history, and intriguing creatures. The Queen herself is a mystery who kept me wondering until the end, with her strange history and cunning mind. And Ryn is a courageous, bold protagonist who won’t stop at anything to save her brothers, who reminded me of heroines like Kara Westfall and Ella from Ella Enchanted. This book was engaging and fast-paced, despite taking place over a long period of time, with a twisting plot which kept me guessing. I highly recommend The Flight of Swans to readers ages twelve and up who love awesome main characters, complex worlds, and brilliant retellings of fairy tales! 

By Piranha T.
 
When twelve-year-old Emmy Willick is sent to a boarding school in England, she knows she’s not going to fit in. After all, she knows those kinds of schools are populated by kids who have been in the system all their lives, who take Latin for fun and know everyone in their dormitory, and the school’s name--Wellsworth—hardly does anything to dissuade that notion. Her mom tells her it’s ‘the best’, just like she’s said about all the other horrible schools she’s sent Emmy to, but she always thinks she’s right. After all, her whole job is to give parenting advice. And Emmy’s dad…well, her dad disappeared nine years ago, and she thought he was gone for good. But only a few days before she learns she’ll be going to Wellsworth, she receives a mysterious letter which leads her to a strange set of medallions in the attic—medallions with belonged to her father.

At first, Wellsworth seems like any other school Emmy has attended. There’s difficult coursework, mean kids and nice kids, and competitive interscholastic sports. But with the help of her new friends, Jack and Lola, she learns that her dad went to Wellsworth, too, and for the first time, she’s on the edge of learning something about him. As she begins to dig deeper, though, it becomes clear that his disappearance might have had something to do with his time at the school after all. And then there’s the mysterious and dangerous Order of Black Hollow Lane…

It’s up to Emmy, Jack and Lola to learn the truth about Emmy’s father and the Order of Black Hollow Lane…before the Order stops them from doing just that.

​The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane is a fast-paced mystery novel with lots of twists. Emmy, Jack and Lola are a great trio of main characters, all of them interesting and sympathetic. The slow reveals in this book, especially around Emmy’s father and the Order of Black Hollow Lane, are well-paced and interesting, often raising more questions than they answer in a really cool way. I recommend The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane to readers ages nine and up. 

By Piranha T. 

In a far-off land, an enchantress consults her magic mirror about a complicated and difficult question: What makes a princess excellent? The enchantress has become godmother to a baby princess, and she wants to ensure the girl is as perfect as possible. But what characteristics might her godmother encourage in her? Should she be tidy? Beautiful? Kind to animals? Polite? These traits don’t seem like quite enough. At a loss, the enchantress casts her magic mirror into a journey across space and time to bring back tales of excellent princesses, and to tell her what qualities shine most brightly within them.

And the mirror does indeed find tales of princesses. It travels from great stone castles to modern-day skyscrapers, deserts to sea-surrounded islands, and the princesses it finds are more than just excellent. They navigate dangerous forests to find cures for their sisters, traverse nighttime deserts to warn their homelands of a coming threat, tame crocodiles and sail tumultuous seas. They are thoughtful, brave, resourceful, and kind. And perhaps among their stories, the enchantress will find the answer to the question the mirror set out for.

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror is a beautifully illustrated, magical book, at once a novel and a collection of short stories. The eight tales of princesses, set around the world, stand alone as stories, and yet are intertwined with the journey of the mirror between them, throughout the ages, leading from a far-off time of magic and kings to a modern-day city. The princesses are independent, interesting, and unique, ready to do what needs to be done without help from princes, and their stories connect perfectly with the main plotline and the enchantress. Additionally, Lydia Corry’s whimsical illustrations throughout the book add to the feel of the stories. I recommend Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror to fans of Girls to the Rescue, or anyone who loves fairy tales and strong female characters ages seven and up.

By SK

When eleven-year-old Viji runs away from home with her twelve-year-old sister, Rukku, she hopes to find a better life in the city, and maybe even the chance to someday fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. But the city is nothing like she expected, filled with a flood of noise and trash and movement--and very few opportunities for two inexperienced girls who are suddenly on their own. And she has to be careful to keep Rukku away from anyone who might try to put her in a "mental institution," a possibility which she has always feared. The reality of surviving on the streets seems grim, to say the least.

But then the sisters meet Arul and Muthi, two boys who are also homeless, and are introduced to a new world--one of struggling to find food, and gathering trash to sell from Himalayas of garbage, yes, but also of sleeping on an old bridge above a glittering river at night, not being ordered around by anyone, and forming a bond which quickly becomes unbreakable. With every day she lives on the streets, Viji feels her dreams of being a teacher, and of ever finding a better life, drifting farther and farther from reach. But with Rukku, Arul, and Muthi by her side, life's obstacles seem more like adventures than problems, and she and Rukku are the happiest they've ever been--until everything they've worked so hard to build begins to come apart. 

The Bridge Home is rich with compassion, hope, and humanity. The irresistible characters aren't deeply complex, yet are filled with life and energy and motion; Viji is strong, determined, and fiercely loyal, and Rukku is incredibly lovable, kind, and far more talented than most people bother to find out. I was struck by how despite frequently facing dire circumstances, the protagonists still manage to have fun and be silly, ordinary kids. Their moments of triumph and true happiness make their heartbreaking ones even more wrenching (I cried quite a bit!), and the story gives a glimpse into the lives of millions of children whose stories aren't often told. In the author's note, Venkatraman notes that The Bridge Home is based on real stories she gathered from a variety of interviews and conversations, which I wasn't surprised to learn, given how deftly she brings the story to life. A piercing, beautiful story of survival, loss, friendship and sisterhood, I would highly recommend The Bridge Home to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

The place is Boston, in what is now called New Occident. The year is 1891.

The world has changed. Nearly a hundred years ago, an event known only as the Great Disruption cracked the world apart into many known and unknown Ages, from the distant past to the far-flung future. Old maps can no longer depict the world as it is, so new ones are made with different and mysterious materials, using what can only be seen as magic. Cartographers and explorers provide contact between places once connected in other ways, but now eschewed by the void of time.

Sophia Tims’s parents, two skilled explorers, disappeared on a voyage many years ago, so she’s been raised by her uncle Shadrack Elli, one of Boston’s most famous cartographers. She’s always wanted to eventually follow them, but never known if she can; Sophia, to her chagrin, has no internal clock, and easily loses track of minutes or hours, believing only seconds to have passed. Despite these things, her life is peaceful—until Shadrack is kidnapped, and Sophia leaves home with only a mysterious glass map to guide her.

She finds unexpected allies: Theo, a boy from a foreign age; a pair of flamboyant pirates; a botanist with little common sense. But as she is perused from age to age, she discovers the true motives of her enemies—and the secrets of the map she carries, secrets which may be much more dangerous than they seem…

Full of adventure and tension, The Glass Sentence was one of those books which I picked up with no expectations and couldn’t put down. What immediately struck me about this book was the worldbuilding, which I think would appeal to fans of The Golden Compass and Ink, Iron and Glass. Our world, fractured by the Great Disruption, made this an even more interesting read, intriguing me as I learned more and more about this alternate universe. But the layers of The Glass Sentence goes far beyond its setting. The plot was brilliant and unusual, and there was more than one point where it completely surprised me. And the characters—from Sophia and Theo to the brilliantly fascinating villain—were also spectacular. Overall, I highly recommend The Glass Sentence to fantasy fans ages eleven and up. 

By Piranha T.
 
The Florida town of Sabal Palms is known for few things. Mostly, it’s famous for being home to the rich DiSanti family, who made their fortune from oranges, and the Floras, an uptight club dedicated to helping the community.

Lane DiSanti isn’t interested in the Floras or her family, after being sent to her Florida grandmother while her parents file for a divorce. But she doesn’t want to spend the summer with only the peacocks near her house for company, either.

Ofelia Castillo’s school friends are all gone on vacations, and so she’s left with the prospect of going with her mom to work at the opulent DiSanti mansion. Only one thing keeps her going: a journalism contest which she’s determined to win—if she can just get her overprotective parents to sign the permission form.

Aster Douglas has always been homeschooled by her grandfather; she enjoys baking and frequent trips to the library. But this coming fall, she’ll go to public school for the first time, and she’s certain that she’ll be the only kid in the seventh grade who doesn’t have any friends.

Cat Garcia might belong to the Floras, but she wants no part in the organization; she’d much rather birdwatch and research the Migratory Bird Treaty Act than sell cookies to her neighbors. After she unofficially ditches the Floras, she has to find a way to keep her parents from knowing—and to get rid of the Floras hat, a symbol of the club which is adorned with feathers of endangered species.

When these four outsiders are brought together in an unused treehouse, they form a fast friendship over apricot ladyfingers, the correct terms for peafowl, and superstitions about minerals. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat may not appear to have much in common, but when they begin a shared mission which they’re determined to complete, these four strange birds might just have found a place where they belong.

​Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers was well-written, engaging, and hilarious. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat, all of whom narrated chapters, were all excellent and distinct. At first, it was a little hard to keep track of them, but it became clear before long. This book felt very authentic, even surrounding the harder parts of each character’s life, which I appreciated. I especially loved the themes of bird protection and civil disobedience; although you can read this seeing those deeper meanings, it’s also good for those who just want a lighthearted, fast-paced novel about summer and friendship. I highly recommend Strange Birds to readers ages ten and up. 

Check out our new nonfiction review of Rad American History A-Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl, an engaging exploration of some little-known moments in history! 

By Piranha T.

Oliver Nelson loves to read. Books are quite frequently his only escape from his life, where he’s learned from years of terrible mistakes and miserable misfortunes that things can always get worse. But books are also the reason for his darkest secret: he steals them. Not many, of course, and just from his local library when they are musty, ripped, or even incomplete, like his favorite tome, The Timekeeper’s Children. Still, Oliver lives in fear that someone will learn he’s a thief.

And indeed, this fear seems to be realized when the Pribbles summon him to their mansion. The Pribbles—extraordinarily rich inventors, philan-thropists, and collectors of fine children’s books. What could they possibly want with Oliver except to sell him out for his crimes?

But instead of revealing Oliver’s thieving tendencies, the Pribbles are determined to steal The Timekeeper’s Children--from Oliver’s mind. Using their latest invention, they send him into the world formed from his memories of the original, and instruct him to follow the story. Chapter by chapter, they intend to take it from his thoughts, thereby securing the last copy of this rarest of children’s books.

Now Oliver must partner with the timekeeper’s children from the title, Cora and Jack, to complete their quest and save their land from the grip of an evil sorcerer. They’ll encounter hungry eels, angry warriors, and even the Nasty Rodent Eater (nice to meet you) on the way—as well as a strange, shadowy figure who Oliver definitely does not remember from the original text.

But even if Cora and Jack succeed, can Oliver find a way to keep this story? Or will the Pribbles steal it from him forever?

The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children’s Books is a hilarious, fast-paced, and wonderfully weird story. This book is so fantastically quirky and witty, particularly the writing and plot, that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it; both Oliver’s home and the book’s world of Dulum come alive with all manner of peculiar people and places, including the aforementioned Nasty Rodent Eater, who is definitely my favorite character. Adam Perry takes familiar story elements and makes fun of them so successfully that he creates a story I’ve never read anything quite like before. For this reason, I think this book would particularly appeal to young writers. I highly recommend The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children’s Books to readers ages eleven and up who like stories which take a new spin on books, reading, and fantasy adventures. 

By Piranha T.

Why did Mrs. Olinski choose this particular sixth grade Academic Bowl team?

The question has been posed to Mrs. Olinski many times, and despite no dearth of good answers—their quickness to learn, their willingness to study, their ability to work together—none of them can quite explain how she decided to pair Noah Gershom, Nadia Diamondstein, Ethan Potter and Julian Singh. She doesn’t know herself.

But the lives of these four unlikely sixth graders began to collide long before Mrs. Olinski began preparing her team for the Academic Bowl, and these are the stories which unfold as overlapping flashbacks while they ascend through the ranks of the Academic Bowl championship.

​Noah accidentally becomes best man at a wedding. Nadia rescues sea turtles on a trip with her grandmother. Ethan takes a ride on the bus with someone he’s never met before, and Julian makes a choice backstage in the school auditorium. These are the tales which lead up to Mrs. Olinski’s decision: tales of their differences, their friendships, and the experiences they all have in common.

I first read The View from Saturday years ago, and rereading it, I’m not surprised it stayed with me. E. L. Konigsburg expertly crafts four intersecting stories, one for each character, which delve deeply into Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian, so as a reader, you know each of them intimately. Although at first these stories seem unrelated, they pull together in a truly amazing way. I especially love the elements of the Academic Bowl—having participated in a similar competition, it felt extremely realistic to me. I highly recommend The View from Saturday to readers ages eight and up. 

By Piranha T.

The Artifact Hunters is a companion book/sequel to The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox.

When twelve-year-old Isaac Wolf flees Prague in the midst of World War II, he thinks he’s only running from the Nazis. He’s wrong: the creatures which are following him are much more magical and just as malicious.

But Isaac doesn’t know about these mysterious pursuers when his parents give him a closed box and tell him to leave. It’s only when he arrives at Rookskill Castle, a place laced with magic and strangeness with an unknown power pressing in on all sides, and he learns the box is a time travel machine, that he begins to uncover answers: about the creatures following him, about the clues his parents left for him throughout the past, and about himself. But will Isaac learn everything in time? Or will his pursuers catch up to him first?

The Artifact Hunters continues the mysterious atmosphere and vivid historical setting of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. The magic in it is strong and interesting, from the time travel device to other powerful artifacts found along the way. I think I loved this book even more than the first one! I highly recommend The Artifact Hunters to readers ages ten and up.

Note: Although mostly unrelated, there is overlap (mainly characters) with The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, so I think The Artifact Hunters will be most enjoyed by those also familiar with the first book.