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Picture Book Review: Ready for the Spotlight!

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Ready for the Spotlight! by Jaime Kim

Ready for the Spotlight!
by Jaime Kim

5 out of 5 stars

Tessie is jealous that her big sister Maya always steals the spotlight in their ballet class. Maya is older and has more training with dance, so she gets to wear a crown in the ballet recital. Tessie is so sick of always being overlooked! Until one day in class they have freestyle dancing, and Tessie gets a chance to show her amazing dance skills.

I loved this cute book! It’s so sweet how the sisters navigate some tough emotions of jealousy and inadequacy, and they learn to help and appreciate each other. I love the positive messages in this story as the girls learn to share the spotlight together.

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Graphic Novel Review: The Orphan King

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The Orphan King by Tyler Chin-Tanner

The Orphan King (The Orphan King, #1)
by Tyler Chin-Tanner, James Boyle (Illustrator), Andrew Dalhouse (Color Artist), Pete Carlsson (Letterer)

4 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel follows Prince Kaidan, who travels to a faraway island for combat training with his aunt. When he returns, he finds the kingdom in ruins and his parents dead or missing. With a price on his head, Kaidan can trust no one, and he is being hunted wherever he goes.

I loved the legendary tropes in this book! Kaidan is like a young King Arthur, and there is also a Robin Hood type character, but the story isn’t really a retelling of either of those stories. There are elements from those legends, but this story stands on its own. I can’t wait to read the next volume in the series!

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Book Review: The Monster in the Lake

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The Monster in the Lake by Louie Stowell

The Monster in the Lake (The Dragon in the Library, #2)
by Louie Stowell, Davide Ortu (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Kit and her friends are flabbergasted by a recent surge of wild magic that is making random things happen. Kit’s magic spells are going haywire. Animals in the park are talking to humans, and something magical is bubbling up from the depths of the lake. This new adventure will take Kit all the way to Scotland to solve the mystery of the unpredictable wild magic.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful! The writing style is absolutely hilarious! There are so many cute bits of dialogue and funny scenes that had me laughing.

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Picture Book Review: Tea Party with Brielle

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Tea Party with Brielle by Brielle Vivienne

Tea Party with Brielle
by Brielle Vivienne, Jacqueline Regano, Yuliia Zolotova (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Brielle is preparing a tea party for her guests. She chooses a theme, picks out a fancy dress, sets the table with a beautiful tablecloth, and prepares the food. She even has a special recipe for a delicious tea! When her guests arrive, everything is ready for a fantastic tea party!

This is such a cute book! Everything is floral and pink and pretty- perfect for those girly girls who love a fancy tea party! I love all the little details about the teapot and the plates, the flowers, and all the chic accessories.

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Picture Book Review: My Colorful World

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My Colorful World by Jill McKellan

My Colorful World: Making New Friends
by Jill McKellan

3 out of 5 stars

In this book, the Fairy Brigade pretend to be regular children to help Arya gain the confidence to make new friends. Arya is very nervous, but the Fairy Brigade help her to overcome her fears. Little by little, she opens up and learns how to make friends.

This is a cute story about overcoming social anxiety, and finding ways to connect with people. I liked the positive messages in this book! The story is very simple and the writing is a little stiff, but I enjoyed the way that Arya grows and becomes more courageous.

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Book Review: Explorer Academy The Dragon’s Blood

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Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

Explorer Academy: The Dragon’s Blood (Book 6)
by Trudi Trueit (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

In this book, Cruz and his friends travel to China where they search for clues in an emperor’s tomb. With Nebula spies all around, Cruz wonders who is telling him the truth, but the truth is more complicated than he realizes.

There are a lot of plots twists and major revelations in this book! Around every corner something insane happens and it throws the whole plot into turmoil. The adventure is fantastic, and it’s really interesting to learn about all the historic sites that the characters visit.

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Book Review: Shadow of the Spider

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Shadow of the Spider by Marianne E. Burgess

Shadow of the Spider: A Quest to Save A Queen
by Marianne E. Burgess (Goodreads Author)

A set of triplets are separated as babies to protect them from a danger that lurks around their family. Two of them are sent to the modern world and they grow up leading normal lives. As teenagers, they are magically transported back to the land of their birth- a fantasy world where people have magical abilities, and satyrs, elves, and dwarves populate the land. A mysterious wizard launches them on a quest to save their mother.

The main plot of this book looks like it’s pretty good, but the writing got on my nerves so badly that I DNF’d the book at page 76. Multiple POVs is already one of my pet peeves, but this book took head-hopping to a whole different level of annoyance. Sometimes there are multiple POVs in the same paragraph!

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Manga Classic Review: Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Manga Classics by Crystal S. Chan

Manga Classics: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Modern English Edition)
by  Crystal S. Chan, William Shakespeare, Po Tse (Illustrator), Michael Barltrop (Editor)

5 out of 5 stars

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but still captures the original style of Shakespeare. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare’s words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

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Book Review: James and the Giant Peach

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James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach
by  Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

James lives his two horrible aunts, wishing that he could get away. A mysterious stranger gives him a bag of magic, but James accidentally drops the bag near an old peach tree, and the tree absorbs all the magic creating a giant fruit. The giant peach propels James into a new adventure that will take him farther than he ever dreamed and get rid of his awful aunts once and for all.

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Picture Book Reviews: The Magic House, and The Lonely Cloud

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The Magic House by Alan Matkovic

The Magic House: The Amazing Adventures of Alexander and Sophia
by  Alan Matkovic

3 out of 5 stars

Sophia and Alexander are two children looking for adventure. They discover a secret entrance to a magic house with mysterious rooms filled with every imaginable delight. As they explore the rooms, they find all their favorite things. But the mystery behind the last door will surprise them with magic they never imagined to be possible.

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