Book Review: Skyriders

Skyriders by Polly Holyoke

Skyriders
by Polly Holyoke (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

In a land where human riders can communicate telepathically with their pegasus steeds, one man has made a special study of how the ancient peoples fought off a scourge of monsters called chimerae. When the chimerae return, he entrusts a book full of his research to his niece, Kie. She and her stysteed, N’Rah, must take the book to the capital city and somehow convince the emperor to use these ancient battle techniques. Kie has been practicing using special weapons that her uncle taught her about, and she is hoping to demonstrate how effective they are against the monsters.

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Book Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers

Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell

Handbook for Dragon Slayers
by Merrie Haskell (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Princess Tilda thinks that her townspeople hate her because they believe her deformed foot is unlucky or cursed. She hobbles around the castle on crutches, and the maids make a sign against the evil eye behind her back. Tilda wishes she could run away from her princess duties and be free to write her own book as a scribe. When her cousin tries to steal the family lands, Tilda is rescued by two dragon slayers and they start tracking down a dragon to kill. The only problem is… these dragon slayers have never actually killed a dragon.

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

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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Book Review: The Lemonade War

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

The Lemonade War
by Jacqueline Davies

4 out of 5 stars

A brother and sister start a competition to see who can make the most money running a lemonade stand. Evan is extroverted and popular. He loves to talk to people, and is great at getting customers to stop and buy lemonade. But Jessie is a math genius, and she knows how to organize the business for optimal sales. They are both determined to win and prove that they are the best, but underneath they just want to repair their relationship.

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Book Review: The Other Shepards

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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Book Review: Water Sky

Water Sky by Jean Craighead George

Water Sky
by Jean Craighead George

4 out of 5 stars

Lincoln Noah visits Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in all of the United States. He stays with some friends of his father, the Ologak family. The head of the family, Vincent Ologak, is the captain of a whaling team who camp out on the ice. They have a quota of only a few whales that they are legally allowed to hunt each year. Lincoln’s uncle came to Barrow years ago to protest against the whales being hunted, but Lincoln hasn’t heard from him in a long time. Lincoln is hoping to find out what happened to his uncle, but no one will talk about him. Lincoln joins the Ologak whaling team and finds out why whaling is so central to the Iñupiat culture.

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Book Review: Ellie in First Position

Ellie in First Position by Brian Freschi

Ellie in First Position: A Graphic Novel
by Brian Freschi

4 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel follows Ellie, who is very awkward and clumsy when it comes to sports. Her mother encourages her to try a lot of different sports so that she can make friends with her teammates. However, Ellie only wants to draw and dance. She takes after her artistic father who is a musician. Ellie makes friends with some kids who take ballet classes, and secretly learns a few dance moves, but her mother refuses to pay for ballet lessons, saying all that frou-frou stuff is a waste of time. But Ellie knows that she could be good at dance if only she was given a chance!

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Book Review: Demigods and Magicians

Demigods & Magicians by Rick Riordan

Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes
by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Carter Kane is hunting a wayward Egyptian crocodile monster when he encounters a guy wearing a “Camp” Something t-shirt. Apparently Percy is after the same monster, and he is hefting a serious magical sword. But Carter has his own brand of magic, and the two young men aren’t quite sure what to make of each other. But one thing is for sure… they can’t defeat this monster on their own. They will have to team up and fight side by side!

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Book Review: Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (Falcon Quinn, #1)
by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Goodreads Author), Brandon Dorman (Illustrations)

4 out of 5 stars

Falcon Quinn and two neighbor kids board the school bus one morning and are whisked away to the Monster Academy, where they will discover their monster natures. Max finds out that he is actually a sasquatch, and Megan appears to be some sort of elemental. But no one is sure what Falcon might be. The teachers and nursing staff do all sorts of tests, but they can’t find out what type of monster he is. All around him the other kids are turning into werewolves, zombies, vampires, and even a little tiny Chupacabra from Peru. But Falcon is a mystery.

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Book Review: The Serpent’s Shadow and The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles, #3)
by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

In this final book of the Kane Chronicles trilogy, Sadie and Carter are facing off against the evil Serpent Apophis. They have gathered many allies around them, but their enemies are more powerful than ever. There is only one way to stop Apophis from rising and devouring the sun; they must discover an ancient spell hidden by a magician who died centuries ago. Fortunately, their father has power in the Duat to locate the magician’s ghost. Unfortunately, the ghost is insanely murderous and sure to betray them. It’s just another day for the Kane siblings, fighting off monsters and doing the impossible.

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