books.

Book Review: A Wish in the Dark

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A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

A Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Pong was born in prison, and he escapes with a tattoo that marks him as a criminal. A kindly monk takes him and covers the mark with bracelets. Each bracelet represents a blessing. Pong hides in plain sight, joining the monks in their prayers and charitable deeds.
Nok, the daughter of the prison warden, is determined to prove herself by tracking down the escaped prisoner and bringing him to justice. However, she begins to realize that justice and the law might not always agree.

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Christmas Books from Nosy Crow

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Tis the Season by Richard Jones

Tis the Season: A Lift-the-Flap Advent Calendar Full of Christmas Poems
by Richard Jones (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This advent calendar book has a lift-the-flap surprise illustration for each day until Christmas as well as a poem to read each day. The poems are lovely selections from poets like Thomas Hardy, Christina Rossetti, Ogden Nash, and James Pierpont, as well as several that are the lyrics to traditional Christmas songs like Deck the Halls and Here We Come A-Wassailing.

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Picture Book Review: How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? (English and Spanish)

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¿Cómo baja Papá Noel por la chimenea? (Somos8) by Mac Barnett

¿Cómo baja Papá Noel por la chimenea? (Somos8) (Spanish Edition)
by Mac Barnett

5 out of 5 stars

Tal vez Papá Noel se encoge hasta quedar muy pequeño para poder pasar por la chimenea. Pero ¿se queda atascado alguna vez? ¿Se ensucia todo el traje con el hollín? Tal vez pueda aplanarse para deslizarse por debajo de la puerta. ¿Y qué pasa con los perros en las casas? Tal vez Papá Noel lleve golosinas para perros, para que no ladren. ¿Usa gafas de visión nocturna para ver a su alrededor en la oscuridad? Sea como sea, ¡estamos contentos de que Papá Noel venga en Navidad!

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Christmas Books from Familius

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12 Little Elves Visit Georgia by Trish Madson

12 Little Elves Visit Georgia: A Christmas Counting Picture Book
by Trish Madson, Sadie Han (illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Santa sends twelve little elves to Georgia to check if the kids are sleeping on Christmas Eve, but the elves get distracted exploring the Peach State. They visit the Georgia Aquarium, Anna Ruby Falls, and Jekyll Island. They put strings of twinkle lights on the state tree, the live oak, and they listen to the state bird, the brown thrasher, singing. The elves float on a raft down the Chattahoochee River, and see alligators at the Okefenokee Swamp. And of course, they have to sample the famous Georgia peaches!

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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: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Wrath of the Triple Goddess

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Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan

Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #7)
by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Percy needs three recommendation letters from three gods in order to get into college with Annabeth next year. So he teams up with Annabeth and Grover for a few last quests to earn those godly recommendation letters. Their second task is to pet-sit a polecat and hellhound for the scary triple goddess, Hecate. These pets are terrifying and wild, and Hecate’s home is a creepy mansion full of secrets and weird bathrooms. The pets do not look friendly, but Percy is determined to follow Hecate’s instructions and keep the pets alive and well for the entire week. All while trying to pass his regular school classes and graduate senior year.

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Manga Review: Record of Lodoss War, Crown of the Covenant, Vol. 1-2

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Record of Lodoss War by Atsushi Suzumi

Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant Volume 1
by Atsushi Suzumi

3 out of 5 stars

Prince Lyle is on a quest to find the legendary high elf, Deedlit, hoping that she can stop a war from starting among the island nations. The ruler of each nation is magically bound to a covenant of peace when they are crowned with a special magic crown. However, their lords and nobles are not bound by any promise of peace, nor are their royal descendants who refuse the crown. War is looming on the island, and armies are mobilizing. Prince Lyle will do anything to stop the bloodshed, and his siblings have some plans of their own.

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Book Review: Ava Lin, Best Friend!

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Ava Lin by Vicky Fang

Ava Lin: Best Friend
by Vicky Fang (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend when she starts first grade. She thinks that maybe one girl in her class might be a possible friend, but then they have a misunderstanding about a sparkly plastic jewel. Ava Lin just wants someone to hang out with and make beautiful notebooks, but somehow everything seems to go wrong. She gets a special pebble stuck in her ear. She finds some little treasures but leaves them in her pockets when her clothes go in the wash. She gets in trouble at lunch. Ava Lin thinks school is a big mess, but maybe she could still find a best friend.

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Book Review: The Other Shepards

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The Other Shepards by Adele Griffin

The Other Shepards
by Adele Griffin (Goodreads Author)

2.5 out of 5 stars
Sisters Geneva and Holland are constantly living in the shadow of their deceased siblings, who died before they were born. Everyone they meet has a story about the siblings, and the girls can’t seem to grow up in their own way without everyone comparing them to their deceased older siblings. Annie is a painter who comes to their home to help them paint a mural in the kitchen. Geneva and Holland find a freedom in her company, and she encourages them to express themselves and begin to heal.

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