YA

Book Review: Claudia

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Claudia by Barbara Brooks Wallace
Claudia 
by Barbara Brooks Wallace

4 out of 5 stars on GoodREADS


12-year-old Claudia’s best friend, Duffy, is an 8-year-old boy, and together the two get into mischief of all kinds. Her parents think she should be making friends with girls her own age, but Duffy is the only one who really understands and accepts Claudia. When the mean girls at school begin to make trouble for Claudia, it seems even more impossible to make other friends. Claudia finds the strength and imagination to stand up to bullies, navigate the treacherous waters of neighborhood kid politics, and find a new appreciation for her boring normal family.

I loved this book! Poor Claudia is so awkward, but her heart is pure and strong. Duffy is adorable as a sidekick for all Claudia’s adventures, and I loved all the supporting characters in Claudia’s family. I hated the villainous mean girls, and cheered for the good guys in every scene!

Great writing, and a wonderful plot!

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Book Review: Kitty Hawk #5

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Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency #5) 
by Iain Reading

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Kitty Hawk meets up with her old friend, Charlie, in Rome, and the two become involved in a mysterious international intrigue. They befriend a group of Italian siblings whose father has a dark past, and it’s up to Kitty to follow the clues through secret codes, hidden rooms, and the disturbing history of several long-lost paintings by famous artists.

As always, I adore Kitty’s character. She is better than Nancy Drew! Her incredible kindness and insatiable curiosity propel her into the most marvelous adventures. I love that her reaction to almost everything is, “Let’s go! Let’s find out! Let’s jump in!” She is such an energetic character, and that energy shines off every page.
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Book Review: Kitty Hawk #4

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Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, #4) 
by Iain Reading (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Kitty is traveling through Ireland, when she is asked to help with a family treasure hunt that has baffled experts for generations. Kitty and Andrew team up to unravel clues left by Bruce Ismay, a famous survivor of the Titanic disaster. Their search leads them to the home of his grandson, Thomas Ismay, and the mystery of a painting of the tragic Titanic shipwreck. But Thomas Ismay wants the treasure for himself, and will stop at nothing to prevent Kitty and Andrew from following the clues. He stalks them at every turn, causing trouble, and threatening to derail the entire treasure hunt.  Continue reading →

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue

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Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, #3) 
by Iain Reading

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Kitty Hawk is visiting Iceland, and staying with a kind Icelandic family who work to find clean energy solutions. Kitty is excited to experience all the beauties of Iceland, touring around Reykjavik, swimming in hot springs, and flying over the enormous icefields. But she becomes entangled with the rising hostilities between violent environmentalists and corrupt aluminum companies, and must unravel the mysteries of the Viking legends and the mystical Hidden People (Icelandic elves and trolls) if she wants to escape and help her friends to save Iceland from the greed of foreign corporations. Continue reading →

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’s Ghost

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Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’s Ghost (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, #2) 
by Iain Reading (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Kitty Hawk is vacationing in the Florida Keys where she encounters a mystery in the treacherous waters of the Gulf. Her adventures lead her to sunken shipwrecks, peculiar echoes of Hemingway’s typewriter, and strange lights on the ocean floor. The history of the Keys unfolds as Kitty’s curiosity propels her into danger and the uncovering of ancient secrets.

I loved every minute of this book! The plot takes many twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more. There is so much action and spying, and Kitty flies all over the Keys investigating every clue on the trail of each suspicious circumstance. One of the best things about the plot is the puzzling aspect of the mystery. I love plots that have some sort of puzzle to solve, with cryptic maps or symbols to decipher. Continue reading →

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold

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Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, #1) 
by Iain Reading (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Kitty is a 19-year-old pilot on a summer mission to observe humpback whales in Juneau, Alaska, when she stumbles across the path of some gold thieves and is forced on a trek through the Alaskan wild as their captive.

Move over, Nancy Drew! I have a new favorite teen detective! This book ended up being so much more amazing than I ever expected, with an adventurous plot full of twists and turns, compelling and complex characters, and clever dialogue. Continue reading →

Book Review: Sword of Waters

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Sword of Waters by Hilari Bell
Sword of Waters 
by Hilari Bell (Goodreads Author), Drew Willis (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Arisa, Weasel, and Prince Edoran are searching for the missing fabled sword of King Regalis, and they uncover a secret plot involving a kidnapper, a silent assassin, and a fiery tavern keeper. Unable to trust anyone in the palace, the three friends unravel the mystery of the sword while keeping one step ahead of the traitors in their midst.

I am falling more and more in love with this series! The awkward and adorable friendship between Arisa, Weasel, and Prince Edoran makes me smile in every chapter! I especially like that they don’t always get along.

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Book Review: In the Hand of the Goddess

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In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness, #2) 
by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

2.5 out of 5 stars

Alanna is a teenage girl who pretends to be a boy so that she can train as a squire and learn to be a knight in the royal palace of Tortall. Only a few people know about Alanna’s true identity, among them, her dearest friends, Prince Jonathan, and George, the King of Thieves. In the midst of a war with a neighboring kingdom, Alanna starts out with a determination to focus on her knightly studies, but she gets distracted by the temptations of love. With the protection of a Goddess upon her, Alanna uses her magic to unmask a deadly enemy within the very walls of the palace.

I was disappointed in this book. So disappointed in Alanna. She makes very bad decisions,

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