Unikorn by Don Handfield

What worked:

Many young readers love horses, and unicorns are even better! The spelling in the book’s title refers to unicorns that have lost their horns, and that creates the backdrop of the story. Mae’s mom had a veterinary practice on an old farm, and Mae now helps tend the animals for the farm owner. The animals have quirks, Percy the horse only eats goat food, so readers know there’s something unusual about this place. The stump on Percy’s forehead foreshadows his true identity.

The story deals with grieving and friendship. Mae’s father is having a very hard time mourning his wife’s death, and he displays a wide range of emotions common to the grieving process. There’s even a scene where the book labels the various feelings he’s experiencing. With her father not always thinking clearly, Mae relies on her friends and solicits help from two other classmates. The friends are skeptical when Mae shares what’s going on, but they stick by her and provide support.

This graphic novel is full of colorful, informative illustrations. The pictures show the facial expressions of Mae and her father as they battle emotions for the dead mother, and they help readers visualize the physical transformations of a couple of characters. The visuals replace words during the chase scenes, and they’re very effective through the fast-paced action. The illustrations provide detail to the setting without using words that might slow down the plot.

What didn’t work as well:

The graphic novel doesn’t fully develop characters, since the artwork replaces descriptive words that might have been used. Readers can’t thoroughly interpret underlying details by interpreting pictures. However, the author is able to communicate a great deal about Mae, the main character, since the plot is told from her point of view. The description of Mae and her feelings is enough to carry the story.

The Final Verdict:

The innocent must be protected from evil.  The authors deftly blend words and illustrations to share this emotional story of loss and discovery. The colorful pictures and exciting story will appeal to young readers, and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass by Anna Priemaza

What worked:

The plot creates mystery from the beginning to get readers thinking and wondering. Vera’s brother disappears while helping her make dinner, but the mysterious part is no one realizes he’s gone. No one remembers he even existed, although Vera has a nagging feeling that something’s missing in her life. Shortly after, a boy in her small group of friends disappears and she gets that same unexplainable sense that something’s amiss. None of her friends, teachers, or parents remember the boy ever existed. The unease gets to the point where Vera decides to figure out what’s going on, and that leads into the meat of the story.

The story is told from Vera’s point of view, which helps since she’s the one character readers know won’t disappear. It’s important to know what she’s thinking and feeling, since these hunches are the backbone of the story. It’s nice that Vera’s not interested in sex and drinking like many other novels focusing on high school students. The interesting twist to the plot is Vera’s investigation of the problem. It’s difficult to research a problem when she can’t identify the problem itself. She’s the first character to feel like something’s missing in her life, and she’s the most motivated to uncover why she has these feelings. The author does a masterful job of slowly revealing the answer to that question, and she hides the revelation until the plot nears its climax.

Every character, actually every person, has one magical ability. Vera is able to open any lock, although she thinks it’s only useful if she chooses a life as a robber. Her best friend Riven’s magical talent deals with manipulating light, and her mother has intuition magic. Vera’s parents work at a research facility, and scientists there are studying a possible link between magical abilities and dark matter. Her parents constantly say they can’t talk about any projects, and Vera wonders what’s actually going on at the facility. She wonders if the nothingness she feels is being caused by someone’s ability, or maybe there are different dimensions of life. Faith in God is addressed in the story, although the plot isn’t overly religious.

What didn’t work as well:

The resolution of the problem is satisfying, although it leaves some unanswered questions. Namely, we discover why the characters disappear, but we don’t know where they disappear to. This may sound like a big problem for readers, but the overall story is very entertaining and enjoyable.

The Final Verdict:

How do you find something you don’t know is missing? The author creates an imaginative mystery that will keep readers riveted to their seats. Characters slowly disappear and leave voids in the lives of families and friends. I highly recommend you give this book a shot; you won’t be disappointed.

The Lurking Lima Bean (Night Frights #2) by Joe McGee

 

What worked:

The book is modestly spooky, so it’s a good introduction to ghost stories. The concept of lima beans being able to change people into mindless, slobbering zombies is silly, but the author is still able to create an air of eeriness. The problem begins on page one when Madeline refuses to eat the vegetables at dinnertime. It’s not clear if the dark and stormy night is a factor, but it adds a ghostly touch to the setting. The power goes out, grandma gets possessed, and then Madeline can’t find anyone else who hasn’t been infected. Most of the book finds her running from the zombies, trying to figure out how to stop them, and how to warn the rest of the town.

The plot moves very quickly and isn’t overly complicated. Motivated readers can finish it in one sitting. Lima-bean possessed zombies take over the school and Madeline’s neighborhood, and she constantly evades them to find a cure. The zombies all tell her to “Eat. Your. Lima. Beans.” which shows that Margaret is the target of their sole obsession. Figuring out how this all started isn’t important; maybe the lima beans are upset by Madeline’s rejection. She finally finds a couple of allies, as they frantically try to avoid the zombies. The solution to the problem is clever, but as in Night Frights #1, the author leaves the resolution less than clear. Is the problem actually gone forever?

What didn’t work as well:

The story doesn’t go into great depth or description, so experienced readers will find it difficult to make an emotional investment. It’s hard to make personal connections to the characters and events when there’s minimal detail about them. However, the story is simply entertaining and amusing. The format of the book is very similar to The Haunted Mustache, the first book in the Night Frights collection. Both books have a fun-factor value, and they will appeal to their target audience. Each book can be read as a stand-alone.

The Final Verdict:

Revenge of the vegetables! The fast-paced, simple, spooky story will appeal to a wide range of young readers. It will result in eerie satisfaction, and I recommend you give it a shot!

Room to Dream (Front Desk #3) by Kelly Yang

What worked:

The author includes a good deal of information about the Chinese culture, especially when the family returns there for a vacation. Food is the most common cultural topic, but homes, jobs, and language are blended in with the story too. Mia contrasts how things have changed since her family moved to America five years ago, but her relatives want to compare/contrast how Chinese life differs from California. Hank’s twist on hamburgers is a huge hit with the Chinese people in the neighborhood, but Mia misses the small stores and restaurants that closed with China’s modernization. There’s a similar problem in America when the family returns, and it becomes the major conflict in the plot. A large chain motel has moved in next to their small one, and the battle between big business and independent locals moves to the forefront of the story.

Mia has many issues to sort out in her mind. Her good friend Jason kissed her, so she’s trying to figure out how she should behave around him. He’s her good friend, but she’d already told him she doesn’t want to go any farther than that. The author explores the onset of boy/girl attraction, as Mia tries to navigate the school year. In addition, Mia wants to become a writer, so she starts writing columns about her American experiences for a kids magazine in China. She shares honest feelings about her life and friends and uses their real names. She assumes it’s okay because they’ll never learn what she’s done, but experienced readers will know it’s only a matter of time before it blows up in her face.

Mia is very dependent on her few friends since she’s not readily accepted by classmates. This is a problem since Jason wants to be her boyfriend. Her best friend is Lupe, but she’s working hard to excel in school and has little free time for a social life. She experiences racial prejudice too and knows she needs to prove herself twice as much to stand out from other students. This creates a conflict for Mia, who is in desperate need for her best friend. Assumptions are made, and neither one of them realizes how much they need understanding from their friend.

What didn’t work as well:

The time of the setting isn’t clear, as there could have been more clues for readers. It’s significant because there is racial unrest going on, and the characters experience different levels of prejudice. Some of the details seem unusual unless readers are aware the story takes place in the past. There is a reference to the OJ Simpson trial just ending, and most young readers probably won’t have any idea that it was in 1995. Racial injustice was rampant, and China was undergoing significant social change. My suggestion is to read Front Desk, the first book in the series, before reading the sequels.

The Final Verdict:

Friendship can survive the hard times. Mia faces common problems for middle-grade readers, so the book should appeal to that audience. The variety of characters and cultures offer additional insight into the battle against racism. Give the book a shot!

The Dark Beast by Dave Mazeriski

What worked:

The concept of the Dark Beast is intriguing, as a boy is overcome by embarrassment and anger to become a dangerously magical fiend. The transformation of his personality is rather abrupt and hard to believe, but the beast he becomes is ruthless. The beast is a contradiction of thoughts, as he wants to be accepted by others but punishes them for the slightest hint of criticism. His internal conflicts and growing magical power make the Dark Beast the most interesting character in the book.

The trio of heroes is a team that’s dedicated to its loyalty to the king. They persevere in their quest to locate the Dark Beast, although their roles in the group are less clear. Ravai and Raven are introduced while causing mischief in a memorial hall dedicated to knights of the past. Their playfulness doesn’t continue during the mission, so the purpose of the first chapter is confusing. Romda joins them at the start of Chapter 2 without any further information about her character before she whips out a potion to help defend the trio. How does she know about potions, and what is her relationship to the other two boys?

Minor characters along the way share stories about the Dark Beast, and they help to understand its history. The tales about the beast make it the most well-understood character in the book. It seems all of the characters have heard details from the same tales, since they’re able to pick up the story where others left off. The stories begin when the Dark Beast is a little boy and take readers through his transformation and growth into the vindictive monster currently terrorizing villagers.

What didn’t work as well:

The book doesn’t take the time to develop characters, so it’s difficult to make personal connections with them. All three main characters are flat and lack distinct, memorable personalities. The story is told in the present tense, but the narrator is not one of the characters. It sounds strange to have someone describe what’s happening at that moment when they’re not even present. It might be more effective to have the story told first-person by one of the main characters.

The Final Verdict:

Birth of a vengeful monster. The concept of a monster arising from an offended young boy creates conflict and tension, and his character is intriguing. The story can entertain readers, although it could be more engaging with additional description and detail.

Marco Swift and the Mirror of Souls: A Middle-Grade Fantasy Adventure by D.E. Cunningham

What worked:

The author manages to create subtle doubt as the plot develops. Readers use clues to determine which characters are good and which ones are bad, and this book doesn’t make things obvious. Marco’s mom needs medical help, and he’s feeling tremendous guilt for her condition and his father’s death. He jumps at the chance to heal her when he passes through a mirror to meet the Illustra, Queen of Souls, and she asks him to retrieve a powerful sword called Straya. Dark is traditionally evil in novels, and Illustra is surrounded by shadows and ill-tempered creatures. However, she says Marco’s father helped defend the realm of Mortem before his death, and she has the golden armor he left for his son. Is this queen good or evil?

The plot has familiar elements that make it easy to follow. Marco’s sole focus is on protecting his mother and little sister, so it’s easy to manipulate his feelings. He discovers new abilities with the crystals, but his overconfidence puts him in situations he’s unprepared for. He’s given a quest to retrieve three pieces of a key that will lead him to his father’s hidden sword. The queen says Straya’s power will enable her to restore glory to Mortem and save Marco’s mother. Clues hint that there’s more to Marco’s character than it appears, and other characters allude to underlying events that will be revealed later.

While there are familiar elements to the plot, the cast of characters keeps the story uncertain. The queen tells three other kids to train Marco in using his crystals, but one of them openly detests him. The other two are helpful, but their motivations and alliances aren’t clear. A tiny dragon called Elune, with the appearance of a small cat, helps Marco along the way, but it enjoys teasing him about being a weak human and doesn’t always jump in to help. El says it has trouble remembering previous people and events, so there are questions about what it’s done in the past. The characters create an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, as they express little empathy for Marco. The truth about everyone’s identity will eventually be uncovered.

What didn’t work as well:

Marco’s power in the mirror world comes from different-colored crystals on his armor. Twisting each of four colors presents a different ability such as strength, speed, or wielding a sword. The combat scenes feel like video games, as Marco quickly adjusts the different crystals to overcome the dangers. The crystals lose power fairly quickly, so there’s always a question of when they’ll run out and leave him in peril. While manipulating crystals in a fast-paced battle is strange, it results in more tension as the outcomes of the conflicts are less predictable.

The final verdict:

There is more bravery in us than we imagine. The author creates a puzzling world of uncertainty that pits good versus evil. Hidden identities cast light on the problems, and also the solutions. The book is recommended for lovers of fantasy worlds, mystery, and family. Give it a shot!

Whispering Alaska by Brendan Jones

What worked:

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the whole world, and this book addresses it head-on. The mother of middle-grade twins, Nicky and Josie, dies from the virus, so the father moves them to live with relatives in Alaska. The family falls into the middle of a contentious debate that will impact the future of the tiny, remote lumber and fishing village. The town economy has been devastated by the virus, even though no one has been infected, so the debate of commercial development versus preserving nature will end in a critical vote for the town’s survival.

Most of the story sounds like realistic fiction, but a speculative fiction angle is infused into it. Nicky’s cousin Clete informs her that the trees predicted she would arrive and save them. Talking trees? Nicky slowly accepts the fact that she’s able to make a connection with them and sense their thoughts. It’s not like they have a conversation, but she becomes aware of ideas that eventually help her resolve the problem. The author comes up with a very unexpected, creative resolution that makes almost everyone happy.

Despite being mirror twins, a conflict between Nicky and Josie has developed since their mother died. Josie has become bitter and angry, and her focus is on saving the Alaskan wilderness from deforestation. She’s a zealous advocate for nature and doesn’t have much of a filter for her thoughts. She lets her feelings control her voice and manages to offend almost everyone she meets. Some of her most hurtful comments are directed at her father. Nicky misses the twin who was also her best friend, and her attempts to reconnect with Josie don’t go well. However, Nicky must eventually embrace some of her twin’s personality in order to get things done.

What didn’t work as well:

After a while, Josie’s negativity gets tiresome. Nothing makes her happy, and she never stops talking long enough to consider anyone else’s thoughts or feelings. However, her character performs an important role in the plot, as her passion toward the problem evokes equally passionate feelings from other characters.

The Final Verdict:

Save the trees or save the town? The book presents the real-life, emotional conflict between nature and people trying to survive. Characters from both sides of the issue are represented, and the result is a gripping story that can be enjoyed by all, especially lovers of wildlife.

The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer

What worked:

The format is very similar to Artemis Fowl books, so fans of that series should readily enjoy this book too. The intelligence of Myles rivals his older brother, and he frequently informs readers that he’s actually the smartest Fowl. His twin brother Beckett is more physically gifted and likes to trust his instincts, so the pair make a formidable team. As in the Artemis Fowl books, the twins work with an officer from the LEP, but she’s off dealing with her own problems and has a less visible role with the Fowls. Her subplot may become more prominent in a future book.

The author consistently puts the twins in impossible situations and lets them escape through ingenious/lucky events. Myles accepts an impossible challenge from ghosts in order to keep his head attached to his body. Most of the time, Myles is able to think through situations and come up with “logical” plans to resolve them. Beckett has an innate ability to quickly calculate angles and time in order to react at just the right moment. Together, they make an amusing pair and add funny banter with other characters.

As the title implies, the major conflict centers on Lord Teddy’s diabolical plans to get revenge against Beckett and especially Myles. Myles admits that Teddy’s plans are truly devious and match what he might have devised himself. Lord Teddy shares needless antagonist banter that allows Myles time to figure out a solution. Adding humor to the scenes, Lord Teddy is aware he’s giving Teddy an opportunity to escape, and the characters make fun of this flawed tradition among bad guys. Their relationship might be compared to classic enemies in old cartoons, like Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

What didn’t work as well:

As mentioned above, LEP officer Lazuli spends much of the plot dealing with her separate story. She seems impossibly lost and near death in a totally different part of the world, so it’s challenging to keep her character connected with the twins. The assumption is that she’ll eventually reappear to save the day, but this thought drags on. Rest assured, the characters are reunited, but you’ll need to imagine the circumstances until you read the book.

The final verdict:

The final confrontation between archrivals. The Fowl twins are creative, resourceful, and humorous, and they create a wildly entertaining adventure. This book is the third in the series, but it can be read independently. Readers who have enjoyed Artemis Fowl will surely love The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve too.

Ronan Boyle and the Strangeplace (Ronan Boyle #3) by Thomas Lennon

What worked:

Ronan is a human detective, but he investigates crimes related to faerie creatures. The first third of the plot finds him transporting rogue leprechauns imprisoned in a magical purse to a leprechaun king who will administer their punishment. This trip takes place below ground where Ronan encounters many other strange characters and beasts. However, the real story begins after the prisoners are delivered, as Ronan and a ladyship of female colleagues set out to capture Ronan’s nemesis, Lord Desmond Dooley. Dooley has enlisted the help of a world-famous entertainer who is bankrolling their evil deeds, and he always seems to be one step ahead of Ronan.

Ronan has a crush (or is he in love?) with his superior officer, and these feelings have been growing throughout the series. In a previous book, Ronan impulsively told her he loved her, so now he struggles to figure out if they might actually become a couple. Other characters notice which adds to the humor of the book. The thoughts pop up in Ronan’s mind more than necessary, but their relationship gains some clarity later in the plot.

This book is meant to be humorous, and it succeeds using bizarre mental images and wordplay. Picture a piece of cheese being the mayor of a town, Ronan wearing a pink wig during the adventure, and a villain having magical dancing feet as his superpower. Imagine a delegation of characters including the ghost of a toad wearing kabuki makeup, a Scottish cat wearing a soccer jersey, and a buff mythological Hawaiian dwarf wearing a grass skirt and lei of flowers. Ronan suggests his group should be called a ladyship, not a fellowship since most of the participants are female. They are captured in a tricky replica of a castle, and their escape requires a very unusual strategy.

What didn’t work as well:

This book requires a tolerance for silliness and crude humor, but thankfully, many middle-grade readers love these same qualities. The biggest issue is overly-descriptive details that are used to emphasize the humor. While funny, these descriptions slow down the plot and create distractions from what’s actually happening. The playfulness of the narrative is often strange, so readers need to balance their experiences with absurdity and the “seriousness” of the plot. The over-description is less noticeable during the mission to find Dooley.

The Final Verdict:

A hilarious adventure into the faerie world. The book will definitely be fun for readers with patience for the absurd. The descriptions and humor can be distracting, but the underlying story of the hero hunting down a notorious villain is easy to follow.

Explorer Academy #6: The Dragon's Blood By Trudi Trueitt

What worked:

Cruz is focused on figuring out a cryptic message left by his deceased mother that will lead him to the seventh piece of a stone cipher. The completed cipher will reveal the recipe for a serum that will change the future of medicine and health all over the world. Cruz’s mother had an accident while she was pregnant, and the serum has given him amazing healing powers; he may be immortal. Nebula is determined to stop Cruz from finding the cipher, and it’s willing to go to any lengths to stop him. Cruz tries to make wise and just decisions, but maneuvering through confusion and suspicions is difficult. Plus, he has feelings for Bryndis, and everyone else on the ship knows they’re a couple. His various friendships in the Explorer Academy are complicated by the fact that he doesn’t know who to trust.

The plot includes a number of mysteries and uncertainties to keep readers wondering. Obviously, the clues to finding pieces of the cipher are cryptic, so the explorers are never totally certain they’re on the right track to finding them. The most interesting problem concerns Nebula’s spies within the academy and aboard the Orion, the ship acting as a mobile school for the students. Cruz and his friends know two spies are on board, code-named Zebra and Jaguar, but that only makes them suspicious of everyone not in their group. Cruz even suspects his own aunt might be Zebra. Every few chapters, the setting focuses on Nebula, so readers gain some insight into their plans. These pages also reveal distrust and sabotage among the antagonists, as the players position for power.

Each book in the series focuses on an ecological mission, and this one deals with finding a marsupial scientists assume is extinct. However, a video surfaced one year ago that seems to show a thylacine wandering through the forests in Tasmania. This book includes information about other rare animals, along with colorful photographs, as well as geographical and historical facts regarding Borneo, China, and Tasmania. Specifically in China, the book displays knowledge of the thousands of statues in the Terra-Cotta Army, the Xi’an City Wall, and the lantern festival. The facts shared throughout the plot don’t interrupt the flow of the story, and some of it’s important to how events progress.

What didn’t work as well:

This book is the sixth in the series, and a lot has happened. References are made to past events, but many holes are left for readers to figure out. Nebula is the evil organization trying to locate pieces of a cipher, while Cruz and his friends follow the clues left by his mother to find them first. Details surrounding Nebula and the Explorer Academy are missing, but reading the previous books will solve those problems. Readers probably won’t miss the information, but it’s helpful in understanding the overall situation.

The Final Verdict:

The search for the cipher nears its end. It’s recommended readers begin with the first book in the series, The Nebula Secret, to appreciate the full story. The science-based adventure is full of mystery and intrigue, as Cruz tries to fulfill his mother’s quest. The Dragon’s Blood should appeal to all middle-grade readers, especially lovers of nature, ecology, and science fiction.

Oliver Blue and the School for Seers #3: The Obsidians by Morgan Rice

My name is Oliver, and I must travel through a dangerous portal in time to have any chance of saving Esther's life. The key to finishing the recipe of the Elixir can be found somewhere in Rome around the time of the Renaissance. However, Esther is quickly nearing death, and my brother Chris has shown up with other Obsidians to kill me.

What worked:
Oliver has been having issues with his brother Chris since the series began. Chris loved to bully Oliver at every opportunity, but his anger and fury have increased with every page. The second book saw Chris recruited by the Obsidians, a school using dark magic to upset history, and he was sent on a mission to kill Oliver. His failure has put Chris into an uncontrollable rage, and this book sees him traveling back in time to end Oliver’s life. Plus, Chris now has received training with his dark powers, so he rivals Oliver’s abilities and is even more formidable than before.
Each book in the series finds Oliver traveling back in time to maintain the integrity of historical events. This time, he goes back to meet Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo in order to finish the recipe for a magical Elixir, although his motivation is saving Esther from dying due to time-travel sickness. It just so happens that creating the Elixir and saving her life will also save history and the future existence of everyone on earth.
Oliver is always helped by other seers and minor characters from the past. Every moment in time has a school for seers, and they’re always stepping up to help Oliver uncover clues for his mission. The story reveals another famous person in history who was secretly a seer. Additionally, the author introduces the possibility that a seer might have been corrupted and is working with the Obsidians. Obviously, this adds another layer of conflict and doubt to Oliver’s quest, as he questions the motivations of some allies. By the way, the truth about Oliver’s parents is finally revealed.
What didn’t work as well:
This book is the third in the series, and you should read the previous two books first. They explain the seer powers and how things have evolved to this point. Many sequels in other series recap previous events from earlier books, but The Obsidians assumes readers already have important knowledge from the past.
The Final Verdict:
The search for an Elixir to save mankind. Readers should read the series from the beginning, as this book continues the tale. Lovers of history, science, and magic should enjoy this book.