middle grade

Book Review: Island of the Aunts

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Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson

Island of the Aunts
by Eva Ibbotson
5 out of 5 stars

The aunts need help, so they decide to kidnap some children and train them up. But these will have to be special children; children who can be trusted with the greatest secret of the island.

Fantastic and imaginative! I loved it! I had me gasping in surprise, and laughing and crying and laughing some more.

Update: Reading this the second or third time is just as enjoyable and magical.

I love all the weird and wacky characters! The aunts are just hilarious, Minette is utterly sweet, and Fabio is such a brave little fellow.

I love all the magical creatures, the mermaids, and selkies, and other wild creatures. It’s all so imaginative and interesting. The details make it all feel real and exciting.

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Book Review: The Secret of Platform 13

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The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson

The Secret of Platform 13
by Eva Ibbotson, Sue Porter (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars


The baby Prince of a magical land has been stolen in London, and the King and Queen must wait until the portal between the worlds opens again in 9 years before they can rescue their son. They send a rescue team of oddballs; an old wizard, a fey, an ogre, and a young hag. With the help of some nice ghosts, they locate the Prince, but he is not at all what they had expected.

Wonderfully inventive and funny! I love this book more every time I read it!

The world-building is imaginative and weird and wild. The characters are interesting and all so different. There are a lot of supporting characters with hilarious personalities, and the main characters are all beautifully vivid.

I really love the way the writing can paint a striking scene in just a few words, really drawing the reader into the story. The plot has all these funny twists and turns that really capture your attention. It’s such a delight to read!

Book Review: The Tiger’s Nest

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The Tiger's Nest by Trudi Trueit

The Tiger’s Nest (Explorer Academy, #5)
by Trudi Trueit (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

In this book, Cruz and his friends are tracking down another clue that his mother left for him when she died. This time they are visiting the Seychelles, India and Bhutan, and the stakes have never been higher. The spies from the evil Nebula corporation are closing in, and Cruz begins to doubt is he can trust even his closest friends.

There are a lot of plots twists and major revelations in this book! Just when you think it’s going to be another formula plot, finding the clues, solving the puzzle, and traveling around the world… Bam! Something insane happens and it throws everything into turmoil. The adventure is fantastic!

I just adore these characters! They each have some good development and I love their different personalities. It’s so cool to see how they discover their strengths and weaknesses in this book and grow closer as a team. Cruz is such an amazing main character. He surprises me in every book!

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Graphic Novel Review: The Sprite and the Gardener

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The Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whitt

The Sprite and the Gardener
by Joe Whitt, Rii Abrego (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Wisteria is a little sprite who is new to the area. The sprites live in a neighborhood where the humans do all the gardening, so the ancient art of using magic to help the plants grow has been completely lost. Wisteria begins to experiment with a budding power, and finds that she can make a difference in one small garden.

This graphic novel is so adorable! All the little sprites are so beautiful and sweet. I loved the delicate art style and the pastel colors. Each panel is blossoming with exquisite little details in the background of each scene, and strong emotions in the body language and facial expressions of the characters. It just carries you away to another world!

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Graphic Novel Review: The Secret Garden

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The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden

The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel
by Mariah Marsden (Adapted by), Hanna Luechtefeld (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

This retelling of the Secret Garden in graphic novel form is lovely, but has some issues with story-telling. I liked it, but it also has some flaws.

I liked the beautiful art style! The art is whimsical and sweet with bright colors. However, I didn’t like that there were so many tiny panels on each page. It felt too busy.

There is very little dialogue, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of the story. In the original novel, we get to see the gradual character development of Colin and Mary. But with so little dialogue to give the reader clues about what is happening on that internal journey for the characters, the characters seem to leap ahead with no indication of what made them change.

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Book Review: The Dragon in the Library

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The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

The Dragon in the Library
by Louie Stowell, Davide Ortu (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Kit doesn’t like to read. She can’t sit still. She would much rather be climbing trees or playing with matches or other dangerous things. Her friends, Alita and Josh, convince her to visit the library with them. Kit discovers magical properties within the books that propel her and her friends into a wizarding adventure.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful!

I liked that the plot is simple and straightforward, but has a few little surprises that keep the story fresh and exciting. 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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February Reading Wrap Up

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This video is NOT sponsored, but does contain affiliate links. Familius Affiliate Link: http://www.familius.com/happy-families-read-together/?utm_source=booksformks&utm_medium=Influencer If you make a purchase using an affiliate link, I may receive a small affiliate commission before taxes and at no additional cost to you. There are also Amazon affiliate links below. I only recommend books and products that I actually enjoy myself, and all the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts. Thank you for your support!

Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery https://amzn.to/3bjYZyP

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie https://amzn.to/38blio8

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby https://amzn.to/30d8AB0

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses https://amzn.to/3sMwm30

Friendshipping: The Art of Finding Friendship https://amzn.to/2MSEBLK

Zeus the Mighty: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur https://amzn.to/3ebSqQA

Flash Facts by Mayim Bialik https://amzn.to/38cTVKB

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost https://amzn.to/3ebxHwa

The Night Walk https://amzn.to/3v0pocP

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Book Review: Icefall

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Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Icefall
by Matthew J. Kirby
4 out of 5 stars

Solveig and her siblings have been sent to a frozen fjord in the mountains where they will be safe during a Viking war between clans. The winter cold freezes the sea, preventing any ships from getting to them. However, there appears to be a traitor in their midst among the soldiers and servants, and they are trapped until the spring thaw can bring help.

I loved the thoughtful writing style in this book! The writing brings important details to the forefront, giving the characters depth and enhancing the setting without slowing down the pacing.

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Book Reviews: Masterminds Trilogy

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Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Masterminds (Masterminds, #1)
by Gordon Korman
3 out of 5 stars

The town of Serenity is not as serene as it seems. Eli and his friends begin to discover that their seemingly perfect town is hiding dark secrets.

I really liked the mystery in this book, and the gradual unravelling of the secrets that the townspeople are hiding. The adventure aspects of the story are exciting and kept my attention, but sometimes felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.

The characters are smart and emotional, and they all have such unique personalities. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, and seeing how their flaws and strengths push the story forward. They each react in different ways when they discover what is really going on in the town, and I can’t wait to see what further character development they might have in the rest of the series.

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Book Review: Masterminds

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Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Masterminds (Masterminds, #1)
by Gordon Korman
3 out of 5 stars

The town of Serenity is not as serene as it seems. Eli and his friends begin to discover that their seemingly perfect town is hiding dark secrets.

I really liked the mystery in this book, and the gradual unravelling of the secrets that the townspeople are hiding. The adventure aspects of the story are exciting and kept my attention, but sometimes felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.

The characters are smart and emotional, and they all have such unique personalities. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, and seeing how their flaws and strengths push the story forward. They each react in different ways when they discover what is really going on in the town, and I can’t wait to see what further character development they might have in the rest of the series.

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