book reviews

Book Review: Ghostly Echoes

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Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby, #3)
by William Ritter 

4 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook and Mr. Jackaby are trying to solve a murder from ten years ago – the murder of their dearly departed friend Jenny, the resident ghost in Jackaby’s house. Whenever Jenny tries to remember her death, she is overwhelmed by an “echo” and dissolves into darkness. It might take her hours to recover a visible form again after an episode like that. When a new string of murders seems to mirror the same circumstances as Jenny’s murder, Abigail will do anything to uncover the clues, but Jackaby warns that they should be cautious when dealing with ghostly echoes. He is afraid of pushing Jenny too far in exploring her memories. Once again, Miss Rook and Mr. Jackaby are dealing with the supernatural as a greater evil becomes apparent. They have hidden in the shadows for years, but now Jackaby will bring their dastardly plans into the light.

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Three Book Reviews from Nosy Crow

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This is NOT a Polar Bear! by Barry Timms

This is NOT a Polar Bear! (This is NOT a…, 3)
by  Barry Timms, Ged Adamson (illustrator)

A child befriends a wonderful creature, but be warned… it’s NOT a polar bear. It’s a roller skating bear, a viola-playing bear, a bumper cars, skiing, train driving bear. This bear can do acrobatic dives into the pool. You can play with puppets together, blow bubbles, eat jiggly desserts together, and he might even save you from a fire-breathing dragon. You could go to space, research important books, dance to disco music, and you might even find buried treasure. But this bear is NOT a polar bear. You will have to think up a good name for your bear.

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Non Fiction Reviews from Nosy Crow

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Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! by Nick Crumpton

Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! (Everything You Know About… Is Wrong, 3)
by  Nick Crumpton, Gavin Scott (Illustrator)

Do sharks kill a lot of people? Are sharks always really big? Do sharks have no predators who eat them? Do all sharks live in shallow seas? Do all sharks lay eggs? Are sharks dumb? Do sharks die if they stop swimming? This book gives you all the answers about everything you have heard about sharks.

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Book Review: The House of a Thousand Candles

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The House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson

The House of a Thousand Candles
by Meredith Nicholson

4 out of 5 stars

If he wants to inherit his grandfather’s estate, John Glenarm must stay at a country house in Indiana for at least a year without leaving. His grandfather did not approve of his grandson’s wandering ways, so he devised this clause in the will to force his grandson to put down some roots. On his first night in the country house, John is shot at through the open window of the dining room. This begins an adventure that includes espionage, fugitives, hidden treasure, and a family secret that will change John’s entire life. In the middle of all the mystery is Marian Devereux, who will inherit the entire estate if John fails to stay in the country for the entire year.

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Book Review: A Countess Below Stairs

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A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

A Countess Below Stairs
by Eva Ibbotson

3 out of 5 stars

Anna and her family have fled to London after the Russian Revolution and she is forced to work as a maid in order to support her ailing mother. Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme, is on his way home from serving in WWI, and the entire household is working night and day to have the house ready to receive him. He is bringing his rich fiancée, Muriel, to look over the estate and plan their wedding, but the moment he meets Anna, he feels a strong attraction to her. Anna is torn between her feelings for him and needing to hide her high-born ancestry in order to keep her job.

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Book Review: Strawberry Acres

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Strawberry Acres by Grace S. Richmond

Strawberry Acres
by Grace S. Richmond

4 out of 5 stars

When four siblings inherit a run-down farm, they aren’t sure whether to sell it or try to live there. Max opposes every plan to live in the farmhouse, since it will need extensive repairs, and it’s so large that they could never afford to furnish it. But Sally has her heart set on a peaceful country life, and she tries to persuade her brothers that they could make a living growing strawberries in the fields. Although the guys hate their stuffy city office jobs, they can’t imagine themselves as rugged farmers. They argue back and forth until finally, a disaster in the family compels them to make use of the farm, and they discover that they love living in the country.

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Book Review: Tiger’s Tale

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Tiger's Tale by Colleen Houck

Tiger’s Tale (The Tiger Saga, #6)
by Colleen Houck (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars

DNF at page 222
Stacia and Veru are twin princesses, neither of whom want to inherit the throne. They long for freedom and they train with the soldiers, hoping to someday get a military command that will allow them to travel the empire while their sister has to take the throne and make a good political marriage.

When their mother is on her deathbed, the twins send for any healer, priest, or doctor who can cure her, and an old wizard claims to have the power to heal. However, he unleashes a curse that transforms the twins into tigers, and now they must travel to the furthest mountains to find magic that will turn them back into humans again.

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Book Review: Skyriders – The Sky King

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The Sky King by Polly Holyoke

The Sky King (Skyriders)
by Polly Holyoke (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars
In this second book, Kie is grieving for the losses her nation suffered during the chimerae war of the previous book. She has terrible nightmares of the people she saw killed in the war, and her greatest fear is that she will again be placed in a position to relay more orders that send skysteeds and their riders to their deaths in battle. When she is asked to accompany the prince on a diplomatic mission to the wild skysteeds, Kie is hopeful that they will be able to convince the king of the wild skysteeds to help them defend their land against the chimerae. However, Kie’s skysteed N’Rah disagrees with her. For the first time, they have a serious disagreement and they have to learn to navigate their delicate relationship in a new way.

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Book Review: Hannah Edwards: Secrets of Riverway

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Hannah Edwards by Ashley Hards

Hannah Edwards: Secrets of Riverway
by Ashley Hards (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Hannah’s father has disappeared and the police don’t seem to be doing much to solve the mystery. Hannah and her friend Sam are determined to find out what happened and find Hannah’s father. Although Sam claims that he has seen a ghost that looks like Hannah’s father, Hannah is not ready to admit that her father could be dead. They begin exploring the occult, using a Ouija board to try to contact the ghost.

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Book Review: Prisoners of Thornbrill

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Prisoners of Thornbrill by Hannah Pennington

Prisoners of Thornbrill (The Tindoria Chronicles, #1)
by Hannah Pennington (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars
Melanie and her brother Jason discover a dragon egg while camping near the Grand Canyon. They hide the little dragon and name him Scalaed. The dragon grows up and leads Melanie and Jason into another world. There they are captured by an evil huntress and imprisoned in her dark fortress. The huntress is using dark magic to create an army of dragons, and she wants Scalaed for a special purpose.

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