My name is Sabrina, and my sister Daphne and I finally had to start attending our new school. Daphne loved getting Snow White for her teacher, but my first day was awful. The only "highlight" was getting to punch the class bully right in the eye. Later, after school, my sister and I found one of my teacher's dead, hanging from his classroom ceiling in a cocoon. We were then surprised when Prince Charming deputized us to help our grandma solve the crime. Most Everafters hate humans, especially my family, since my ancestors trapped them in this village forever. We now know there's something dangerous happening right under the school building!
This book is the second one in the series, and the number of reserves in the library system reflect its popularity. What do I like about this title? Most of the characters come from fairy tales, so readers already know a bit about their backstories. Puck adds much humor to the story, as he's a reluctant hero. He's proud of the mischief he causes and refuses to take any credit when he comes to the rescue. It will ruin his reputation. Prince Charming is a pain in the butt, but Snow White tempers his behavior. Each book has a different mystery, the one in this book deals with the murder(s), but Sabrina's effort to save her parents is a continuing thread throughout all of the books. Mr. Canis (The Big Bad Wolf) is an intriguing character, as he struggles to control his two personalities. He's usually a kind companion living with Grandma, but anger brings him to the brink of becoming big and bad again. Overall, this book and the rest of the series will appeal to lovers of fairy tales, and I've already started the third book. I recommend you give them a shot.
My name is Brendan, and I love science. The start of sixth grade would be much easier if my friends and father had the same interests. However, Morgan is a new girl, and she loves rocks and science as much as me. Both of her parents are even scientists! The big complication is that everyone else thinks she's my girlfriend. Is she? We've been partnered to create a project in a national science competition, and I'm surprised she likes my idea. Would you be excited about studying fresh cow manure? My dad's not. He doesn't understand why this is important to me, and I think he wants me to be tougher. I'll never be a sports jock, but does that make me a science nerd?
First off, it will be hard for you to enjoy this book if you don't appreciate science. Although the story isn't confusing, Brendan's character is complex. He has a whole lot going on. He's biracial, and his grandmother makes sure he celebrates his African-
American heritage. The relationship with his father is obviously an issue, and living up to parent expectations is a common problem for young readers. Emerging interests in girls is another everyday phase of growing up, and Morgan presents that situation. Tension with his best friend grows throughout the plot, and his parents are thinking about adopting a baby sister. Brendan's love for science is the one thing that keeps him going. A cool twist to the story is the significant presence of his two widowed grandparents and how Brendan still misses the one who died recently. Brendan has many things to deal with, and they're all easily relatable to middle grade students. Overall, this book is a fun read, but as I said earlier, you must have a strong appreciation for science. If you're that kind of person, you'll really enjoy this book.
My name is Maxine, and I thought Gilly was my best friend in the world. Most people don't treat ogres very well, but she was always nice to me. Until she joined Royal Ladies in Waiting club. Gilly started saying mean things about me and never had time for our group of friends. She became more selfish and only wanted glory for herself. I couldn't tell her about the new secret messages I'd been getting, and it's clear Alva is gaining new followers to overthrow the Royals. We stopped the evil witch once before, but that's when we worked together as a team. There's a mole at the FTRS helping Alva recruit students, and we don't know who we can trust.
I've read the first and third books in the series, so I figured it was time to read the second one. There were many references to familiar fairy tales which added to the amusement of the book. There was a magic mirror named Miri monitoring student behavior, magic carpets and pegasi transported characters around, and the kingdom was run by princesses including Rapunzel and Cinderella. The inclusion of a mole added a twist to the plot to keep readers guessing. However, the mole's identity seemed fairly obvious to me and should be identifiable to most readers. The story presented a common theme, as Gilly learned to be humble and to appreciate being part of a team. Jocelyn had been an antagonist and a thorn in Gilly's side, but Gilly discovered she may have misjudged the girl, a little. Overall, this is fun series to read if you're into twisted fairy tales, and I recommend you give it a shot. I guess it's time for me to move on to the fourth book called Switched.
My name is Ali Cross, and I'm the son of the well-known detective Alex Cross. He's going to be on trial soon for putting a man in a coma, but it was really an unfortunate accident. Also, my friend Gabe has been missing for several days, and I haven't been happy with the lack of progress by the police. I guess being a detective is in my blood, so I've started my own investigation. Gabe disappeared on his way home from school, but no one witnessed anything. I stopped by his house later to ask some questions, and his dad wasn't very helpful. The man scares me. Then, someone burglarized our house on Christmas Eve but returned my laptop and my parents' service revolvers a few days later. Who does that? My dad always says he often trusts his gut, and my gut is telling me something that makes little sense.
This book begins a new series and is a spin-off from the Alex Cross mystery collection for adults. Ali is truly a "normal" middle school student and doesn't have any super abilities or intelligence. He should be very relatable to most middle grade readers. His strength is strong determination to get answers, and he uses it to doggedly search for clues. This tends to get him into trouble, but he still keeps going. The subplot about his father mirrors issues in the world today. Alex Cross is accused of police brutality, and some members of the public and the police force have ignored his exemplary career and deemed him guilty. Some people are tired of seeing seemingly guilty officers get away with crimes they've committed. This book looks at the issue from the viewpoint of a wrongly-accused officer and his family. Ali gets some flack at school, and the book predictably includes the class bully. The plot moved a little slowly for me, although things picked up around the middle. The book used gaming as a communication tool, so that will appeal to today's readers too. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and recommend you give it a shot.
My name is Cordelia, and I was angry when my parents made us move away from all my friends in California to a small town in New Hampshire. My new school looked like a huge old house, and it was easy to get lost walking through the hallways. I was thankful for Agnes, as she helped me navigate the school. However, she wasn't able to help me with everything. I was alarmed to find a small boy crying under the gym bleachers, but I soon discovered no one else could see him. That is, until I noticed Benji. He was able to see the boy and made me aware of many other ghosts in the school. He wanted to stay far away from the ghosts, but I think I've figured out a way to get rid of them. However, we've also made something else at Shadow House very angry.
This is a story involving ghosts, but it's scary-level is low. It has more of a compassionate feeling with the kids trying to help ghosts move on to a more restful place. The characters mentioned above form the group of three protagonists, although Agnes can't see the ghosts. She's the smartest of them, but Cordelia must be careful not to inadvertently make her friend feel left out. Cordelia is a dynamic character, as she transforms into a more mature person. She lived a superficial life in California, but the ghosts now give her life some focus and direction. The setting of an old house becoming a school sets up possibilities, but that's only the beginning. The house's history provides hidden secrets. The antagonist/antagonists aren't clear which adds to the tension in the conflict. Who/what wants the kids to stop helping the ghosts, and why? Overall, this was an entertaining book, and I recommend you give it a shot.
My name is Effie, and I used to love visiting my cousins in the Otherworld. I was even excited to go with Clothilde to get my kharakter analysis, but I never dreamed I'd be labeled a selfish, self-centered galloglass. I've now been banished from the Otherworld! I don't know what to do, but it now looks like the Diberi are behind everything. I can't understand why I always feel so tired. My M-currency seems to run out too quickly, so I've stopped wearing my Heroes ring. I'm sure the Diberi have plans to kill me or something, but I'm not sure why I'm always the focus of their attention. The current situation concerns the separation of the Real World and the Otherworld, and I can be certain the Diberi's plans will be bad for everyone.
I enjoyed this book more than book two, and it may have been because the antagonists were more clear-cut. The main plot followed Effie, and she finally figured out what made her so special. Her character was forced to become more dynamic when she seemed to lose support in the Otherworld. She needed to follow her instincts and trust herself in order to open up new possibilities. The author touched on some other societal issues with child abuse being the most disturbing and realistic. One of Effie's friends was being coerced into doing things that made her uncomfortable, and she was afraid to seek help. The abuser was an honored guest in the house, and the young girl was afraid others wouldn't believe any accusations. The book's resolution included a direct plea to victims instructing them to seek help from a trusted adult. It feels like the series could end after this book, but I'm not sure if the author has a sequel in the works. I've enjoyed the series very much, and I recommend you give it a shot. The first book is entitled Dragon's Green.
My name is Rachel, and I've been pulled into a battle to save the world along with Jia and Fort. Some students at a London school have Time magic, and they've told us about a future of famine and war unless we get the book of Spirit magic. However, we don't know where to find it, and we're sure the students aren't telling us everything. Then, Fort said he was given conflicting warnings about the future from Cyrus and some old man, but we're not sure if any of it will help or hurt our predicament. The immediate problem is keeping the city of London from going up in dragon flames, but the solution may be worse than that. Using Spirit magic to stop the dragon could cause another world war!
You should probably read the first two books in the series before reading this one. Time magic was more important this time, as the characters considered different decision options and the potential consequences. I wasn't crazy about the frequency of time-traveling, as characters briefly jumped to the past or future. The students even used it as a "weapon", as they seemed to disappear or dispatched other characters to other times. There appeared to be a main antagonist, but it fluctuated as the plot moved along, especially in the second half of the book. Experienced readers know to be alert when a character seems to be keeping secrets, and the main characters in this book were clearly aware the other students weren't being totally open. Fort's character was fun to watch, as he was the least powerful of the protagonists. He was the main character and has gotten really good at using the portals he creates. It was amusing to see how quickly he could open and close them to manipulate other characters or objects. Overall, The Revenge of Magic is an entertaining series, and I recommend you give it a shot. It seems like each book will feature a different kind of magic, so I'm curious to see which one is next.
