All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,
Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy

Mallory in Full Color
Elisa Stone Leahy
Quill Tree Books
Published November 19, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mallory in Full Color

A funny, poignant middle grade novel about a tween who navigates questions of identity and friendship when her anonymous web comic goes viral, from the acclaimed author of Tethered to Other Stars.

Mallory Marsh is an expert at molding into whatever other people want her to be. Her true thoughts and feelings only come out in her sci-fi web comic, which she publishes anonymously as Dr. BotGirl.

But juggling all the versions of herself gets tricky, especially when Mal’s mom signs her up for swim team. Instead of being honest about hating competitive swim, Mal skips out on practice and secretly joins the library’s comic club. There Mal meets Noa, a cute enby kid who is very sure of who they are. As Mal helps Noa plan a drag queen story time, she tries to be the person she thinks Noa wants her to be—by lying about her stage fright.

Then Mal’s web comic goes viral, and kids at school start recognizing the unflattering characters based on Mal’s real-life friends. With negative pushback threatening the drag queen story time and Dr.BotGirl’s identity getting harder to hide, Mallory must reckon with the lies she has told.

If she reveals her full self, will her friends, her parents, and her new crush accept the real Mallory Marsh?

My Review

I want to highlight so many things about this book. Mallory has this really sweet moment with her grandmother that I loved. Her grandma surprises her by having a nonbinary friend, so when Mal tries tell her about Noa, whom Mal has a crush on, she doesn’t have to stop and explain about Noa’s pronouns.

I also loved how even though Mal’s friends are upset at discovering they appear as characters in Mal’s webcomic, what Mal points out to them is that those characters have incredible strengths. Instead of the narrative twisting to be about Mal secretly making fun of her friends, it shows that the webcomic helps her process how she feels about those relationships and remind herself about the great qualities her friends have. Not just the annoying moments.

I also love that Leahy includes a drag queen story time. At first, Mal isn’t sure about this as a kid-friendly activity. But when she talks to a friend about it and then meets the drag queen, she feels differently. It’s a big celebration of books and dress-up and affirming who you are. It’s really sweet.

There’s also a little romance between Mal and Noa, whom she meets at the comic club. It’s sweet and mostly consists of blushing and butterflies-in-the-tummy with one kiss. As Mal examines her feelings for Noa, she feels pressure to label herself. Ultimately, though, she decides she isn’t sure what label fits, only that she has romantic feelings for them. I liked that she makes clear that it’s okay not to know all of who you are in middle school. It’s okay not to label yourself. Kids definitely need that message, because the pressure is real.

Another wonderful surprise about Mallory in Full Color is that it’s a companion novel to Tethered to Other Stars, the author’s debut. I loved seeing more of Wendy in this book and seeing the friend group from another angle.

There’s so much to love about this story. Each chapter opens with a page showing part of Mal’s webcomic. The robots and sci-fi elements add a lot of appeal. Readers who enjoy manga and graphic novels will enjoy reading about the creation process and the comic club discussions.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
One kiss.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief instances of homophobia and transphobia. Mallory is hurt when her family members say something homophobic and her dad doesn’t push back.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Blood at the Root (Blood at the Root #1)
LaDarrion Williams
Labyrinth Road
Published May 7, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Blood at the Root

A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical . Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country .

Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what’s left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

My Review

Blood at the Root has been on my reading list since it came out. I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but obviously nothing that dissuaded me from reading the book. This is a debut novel, and it certainly has some flaws, but I think the author does a lot of things really well.

As a protagonist, Malik has a lot of depth. He’s not perfect. He’s impulsive, quick to anger, and easily distracted by pretty girls. But he’s also passionate, self-disciplined, and smart. He’s survived and overcome trauma, from witnessing a group of assailants attack his mom to being blamed for her death to surviving in foster care. Though he annoyed me sometimes, his character was consistent, his motives made sense, and his choices drove the story forward in believable ways.

The book has lots going on. There’s the whole magic system, with some scenes devoted to showing how Black people with magic altered history. The magic users are members of different tribes and societies, so some scenes reveal those. There’s good and bad magic, some of which can cause great harm to the user. There’s a plot to find a powerful artifact that could unleash a nefarious group’s power.

Sometimes it feels like the amount of ground the book needs to cover pushes the characters to the side, especially Taye (Malik’s foster brother) and Alexis, his love interest. In a few scenes, critical things happen quickly (Malik steals a highly guarded document, and someone sees him do it, for example.) and are brushed aside or never revisited.

For the most part, though, this rich story celebrates Black culture and HBCUs. Some characters speak in an AAVE style. The story highlights relationships, like Malik’s with his grandmother, the found family relationship between Malik and his foster brother Taye, and the friendship that assures its participants that someone has their back.

Conclusion

While I think there’s room for development, I love that this book exists. I’d love to see some of the female characters push back on Malik’s tendency to objectify them. I’d also love more development of the younger female characters in general. I love the immersive celebration of Black culture. I’m interested to see where this series goes. The second book, Bones at the Crossroads is already out, so I’ve got that one on my reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex. A couple of scenes give a vague overview of a sexual encounter. Brief reference to a girl being a victim of human trafficking.

Spiritual Content
Characters have the ability to perform magic. References to Hoodoo and Vodun. References to Christianity. Within the magic world, there is good/safe magic and forbidden/bane magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Descriptions of death and injury from magic battles. Brief reference to human trafficking. Children have been going missing.

Drug Content
Teens attend a party where a drunk fight breaks out.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Carnival Fantástico
Angela Montoya
Joy Revolution
Published February 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Carnival Fantástico

An unputdownable romantasy following a young woman posing as fortune-teller at a magical traveling carnival, where the handsome boy who once broke her heart resurfaces and warns her that carnival is more sinister than it appears.

Welcome to the Carnival Fantástico, a spectacle of magic and mischief, and the perfect haven for a runaway. Using her tricks and razor-sharp wit, Esmeralda becomes the carnival’s resident fortune-teller, aiming for the lead role in the Big Top Show. Success would mean freedom from her former employer, the commander of the King’s army.

Ignacio has defected from the army and is on the hunt for evidence of his father’s corruption. But the last thing he expects to find on his father’s trail of lies is the only girl he’s ever loved, spinning false fortunes at a traveling carnival.

Perhaps fortune has thrown them together for a reason. They strike a deal: she’ll help him expose his father if he helps her secure the main act. But old feelings don’t die easily, and the commander’s secret isn’t the only thing they’ll need to confront.

My Review

I really enjoyed the story world in this novel. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the magic at the carnival. Wanting to understand where the magic came from, and whether it was good or bad kept me turning pages. The carnival itself reminded me a little bit more of Hotel Magnifique than Caraval, though Carnival Fantástico has some similarities to both. The romance dominates this story, which makes sense for a romantasy novel.

Periodically, notes Esmerelda and Ignacio exchanged in the past appear, shedding light on their connection. Before long, it becomes obvious that they’ve had a misunderstanding. They do eventually confront some truths from their pasts, but it takes a long time for them to question what they believe happened, even though they both based some of their understanding of events on messages from someone they both agree is untrustworthy. It requires a little suspension of disbelief, but I think it’s also supposed to suggest that the person who misled them has more power than they realize.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this one, and it made me want to go back and reread some of the other magical circus-type stories that I’ve read before. If you like Caraval or magic circus stories with a strong romantic thread, definitely take a look at this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Vague references to characters having had sex in the past.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to kidnapping, imprisonment, and enslavement. Brief descriptions of accidental injuries. Brief, scary descriptions of a powerful entity harming someone.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Mouse and His Dog by Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Choldenko

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Mouse and His Dog (Dogtown #2)
Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
Illustrated by Wallace West
Feiwel & Friends
Published September 17, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mouse and His Dog

Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur.

Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster, Stewie–a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean, and Smokey–a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control.

But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

My Review

I have only read parts of the first book in the series, but I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read this one, too. Mouse and Buster appear in the first book as side characters, so I love that this one gives us a closer look at them as characters.

The story really celebrates the work that dog shelters do, even while acknowledging that they’re not perfect. Dogtown hosts a community program called Reading Buddies, in which children get a chance to read to one of a selected group of dogs. It sounds like such a sweet program. I love that idea. The story also brushes by some of the challenges that the shelter faces, including not having enough kennel space for all the dogs that need homes. They also face a backlog of dogs needing to be evaluated by their trainer.

The true focus of the book though is on Mouse and his relationship with a golden retriever named Buster who can’t seem to find an adoption that will stick. The story shows two examples of dog adoptions that go awry. Adult readers will be able to read between the lines and note that in both instances, the people adopting the dogs weren’t making well-thought-out decisions. One couple wanted a dog at their wedding. Another wanted a dog for protection. In both instances, the adoptive person wasn’t thinking about the needs of the dog they’d be adopting.

All the adoption and shelter business aside, the story highlights a small community of misfits in the sweetest way. Rather than hiding all the time and maintaining nocturnal habits, Mouse forms bonds with the dogs and even a tentative connection with a few humans. Goofy, lovable Buster has poor impulse control, but champions the other dogs kept in the Dogtown basement.

Like the first book, this one contains a robot dog. This time, the dog is Smokey, a dog with a smoke alarm signal in his wiring. He’s also a sweet dog who has some things to learn. The story of Mouse seeking homes for his friends is heartwarming. I love that we get to see one of those special instances in which the dog chooses the human, too, and it’s a perfect fit. I definitely got choked up reading that part. (And I’m not a dog person.)

Conclusion

All in all, this is such a sweet story. The chapters are super short (most just a page or two), and the text is illustrated, so this has worked great for our family as a transition from chapter books to middle grade titles. I highly recommend it for dog lovers and/or younger middle grade readers.

You don’t have to read both books in order. I do recommend both, though I haven’t read all chapters of Dogtown. (I’ve read most of the book.)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Mouse worries that if humans discover mice living in Dogtown, they’ll call in the cats to exterminate them. Mouse worries about Buster and Stewie being euthanized if he can’t find families to adopt them.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (The Logan Family Saga #4)
Mildred D. Taylor
Dial Books
Published January 5, 2016

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

Mildred D. Taylor’s Newbery Award-winning masterpiece with an introduction written and read by Jacqueline Woodson, just in time for its 40th anniversary!

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family’s struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie’s story – Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.

My Review

I first read this book in fourth grade, but I wanted to revisit the story again. I remembered it being incredibly powerful– and it is. Cassie’s strength and boldness make her such a great character as she grapples with the difference between how she sees herself and how her white neighbors treat her. Her understanding of justice and fairness and the pain she feels when the town she lives in reveals itself as an unjust, unfair place hits deep.

The story shows the ugliness of Jim Crow laws, segregation, and racism, but also highlights the power of community, family bonds, and determination. Because we see the world through Cassie’s youthful gaze, the story stays within a child’s understanding. Many of the cruel or violent acts take place off-scene and are either recounted to Cassie later or only hinted at.

The version of the book that I read included an author’s note in which Mildred D. Taylor talked about the inspiration for her book and the song by the same title that appeared in her mind one day. As the final scenes of the story played out, I thought again about the way that the characters cry out for justice in an unjust system, and how the rain, more than once, opens an avenue for justice or aid for them.

There are a lot more books in this series than I initially realized. Some are novellas. I’ve only ever read this and Let the Circle Be Unbroken, but I’m anxious to read the other stories about the Logan family.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some brief use of the n-word.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to attending church and revival services.

Violent Content
References to racially motivated crimes against Black people. Cassie learns that white men lit three Black men on fire in a nearby town. A white man wrenches her arm behind her back and forces her off the sidewalk before demanding that she apologize for refusing to move for a white girl. Cassie speaks up when a white store owner leaves off filling her friend’s order to assist white customers. The store owner throws her out of the shop. Cassie hears about a violent robbery. An injured boy tells Cassie that two young white men attacked him. A white man shoots a Black man on the road.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the public library. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Lion’s Run by Sarah Pennypacker

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The Lion’s Run
Sarah Pennypacker
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Balzer + Bray
Published February 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Lion’s Run

The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of Pax delivers an historical novel about an orphan during WWII who discovers unexpected courage within himself when he becomes involved with the Resistance.

Petit éclair. That’s what the other boys at the orphanage call Lucas DuBois. Lucas is tired of his cowardly reputation, just as he’s tired of the war and the Nazi occupation of his French village. He longs to show how brave he can be.

He gets the chance when he saves a litter of kittens from cruel boys and brings them to an abandoned stable to care for them. There he comes upon a stranger who is none too happy to see him: Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer, who is hiding her filly from German soldiers.

Soon Lucas begins to realize they are not the only ones in the village with secrets. The housekeeper at the German maternity home and a priest at the orphanage pass coded messages; a young mother at the home makes dangerous plans to keep her baby from forced adoption; and a neighbor in town may be harboring a Jewish family.

Emboldened by the unlikely heroes all around him, Lucas is forced to decide how much he is willing to risk to make the most courageous rescue of all.

Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz, Ruta Sepetys, and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, this accessible novel, told in short chapters, illuminates a little-known aspect of World War II history.

My Review

I could not put this book down. The author’s note at the beginning explains how Sarah Pennypacker learned about the Lebensborn program and the germination process of the idea that became The Lion’s Run.

The Lebensborn program is a part of history that I wasn’t familiar with. This was a Nazi program through which they planned to create a new generation of blond-haired, blue-eyed Germans. They did this by rounding up teenage girls who were pregnant by Nazi soldiers, imprisoning them in these Lebensborn facilities, where they were well-fed and cared for until the birth of their babies, when they were returned home. The babies were then forced into adoption.

Information about the program is pretty limited to keep the story appropriate for a middle grade audience. Lucas meets one of the moms and her baby and sympathizes with her over her situation. It’s also obvious that the girls living at the Lebensborn are well fed when everyone else in Lucas’s town is not getting enough to eat.

In terms of the story itself, I was wholly engrossed. Lucas wants to be brave and worries he isn’t. Yet, he saves kittens from drowning. He hides them, saving food from his own meager meals to give to the little furry critters. He also insists on helping adults in his life who are in the Resistance.

I loved how the story showed him processing the question of what it means to be brave and to help. What a timely message. This will resonate with both middle grade readers and older readers.

I highly recommend this book. It’s a great pick for readers interested in historical fiction, especially those who enjoy stories set during World War II. I think it’ll appeal to readers who like fast-paced stories, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lucas delivers groceries to a facility for pregnant teens called a Lebensborn. He befriends one of the young mothers and her newborn. Readers learn about the German initiative to imprison these girls, who are pregnant by Nazi soldiers, for the purpose of producing a new generation of blond-haired, blue-eyed children who are forced into adoptive homes in Germany.

Spiritual Content
Lucas lives at a Catholic convent and speaks with a priest who is part of the Resistance.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A woman tells two boys to drown a litter of kittens they find near the convent. A boy throws a rock and hits another boy in the face. A boy buries broken glass in a dirt road, hoping to damage the tires of a German convoy. The story references other Resistance members who have been sent to concentration camps, or worse.

Drug Content
Before the babies at the Lebensborn are transported to Germany, the nurses add a drug to their milk so they’ll sleep through the trip.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.