Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt!
Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever.
For readers graduating from the Magic Treehouse series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.
My Review
I feel like books about time travel to ancient civilizations are really nostalgic for me because I used to really love a movie like that when I was little, so I was excited to read THE EYE OF RA for that reason.
It’s a cute story– brother and sister with really different personalities find themselves tossed into life in ancient Egypt and trying to figure out how to get home. I liked that Sarah is the adventurous one and John is the more structured, introverted one. I feel like lots of stories would have had those personalities reversed, so I thought it was kind of fun to see it this way.
Disclaimer: I know very little about ancient Egypt and the construction of the pyramids, so I can’t really speak to the historical accuracy there. I did find it a little odd that the characters from ancient Egypt still spoke in a modern way and the relationship between the husband and wife as well as between the parents and children was very modern. That part of it felt a little more like a Fred Flintstone version of ancient life, if that makes sense?
I thought it was cool that John and Sarah meet someone in ancient Egypt who face one of the same difficulties they face (moving far away) and that it made them consider elements of the move that they hadn’t considered before.
The ending seemed a little abrupt to me. I would have liked the kids to have been more actively involved in solving the mystery. At the start, they’re very much taking ownership of locating the thief and solving the crime, and I liked that– I wanted that energy to continue through the end of the book.
Overall, I thought it was a fun read that would be enjoyable for middle elementary school readers, like maybe third to fifth grade.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 10.
Representation Sarah and John are white and the other kids are Egyptian.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content Reference to a kiss between Sarah and a boy.
Spiritual Content References to Egyptian mythology – the god Ra and others.
Violent Content Some situations of peril.
Drug Content None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE EYE OF RA in exchange for my honest review.
She never believed in fairies… until one set its sights on her little brother. Now, she must risk everything to get him back.
On her twelfth birthday, Cricket Kane uncovers a chilling secret–tooth fairies have stopped collecting single teeth and have resorted to kidnapping children instead. When her brother is taken, the fairy leaves a changeling and a toxic black dust in his place. The dust soon infects the rest of her family, but to her surprise, she’s immune!
With the guidance of a mysterious cat, Cricket follows the fairy to a magical land where legendary creatures are real. When Santa himself takes her under his wing, Cricket learns she’s the only one who can harness the power of the dust to rescue her brother and the other missing children. But doing so might cost her life.
Can she summon the courage and strength to save her family and herself?
Find out now in this middle-grade fantasy for fans of Nevermoor and The Land of Stories!
My Review
One of the things I like about THE SLUG QUEEN CHRONICLES is that it features a blended family. Cricket’s dad has remarried and he and Cricket’s stepmom have just had a baby. Cricket talks a little bit about that adjustment, but more from the practical side and not much in terms of deep emotional processing. I liked seeing that representation in literature.
I also really like Cricket’s character. She’s loyal, determined, and smart. I found it easy to root for her on her quest to save her brother.
The story is pretty action-oriented. Things happen quickly, new complications rising in every episode or chapter. The cast of characters is a bit large, but they’re introduced more slowly, which helps make it easier to keep track of them all.
Spiritual Content The story contains magical creatures and fairy bargains– such as trading something you want for something you need. Not all humans can sense magic or see fairies. Cricket is special in these abilities.
Violent Content Some situations of peril. Cricket has to eat or drink gross-looking or -smelling things. Some of the creatures are scary. An old woman gets hit on the head and collapses.
Drug Content None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE SLUG QUEEN CHRONICLES in exchange for my honest review.
About Raising Sir Gallant : Lessons that Transformed a Young Farm Boy Into a Knight
As a farmer’s son, young Gallant knows very little of a knight’s life, but he knows that it’s incredibly unlikely he’ll ever have a chance to become one. Then a surprise visit from a knight and old friend of his father’s reignites Gallant’s secret dream to become a knight.
After reconnecting with his father, Sir Francis offers to tutor Gallant, to train him to one serve as a knight himself. As his training begins, Gallant rushes into it eagerly, anxious to learn swordplay and see glorious things.
But training to be a knight is much harder than he thought, and Sir Francis expects much of him. In order to achieve his dream, Gallant will have to learn to put aside his own expectations and dreams of glory and learn what it truly means to serve as a knight.
My Review
This book was the perfect gentle read for where I am right now. It definitely has a day-in-the-life feel to it, but it also features a hero with a clear goal who needs to navigate some obstacles along the way.
I enjoyed the period details and the thoughtful way that life during medieval time was described. It kept the story at a gentle pace but didn’t leave me feeling bogged down with history.
Honestly, I thought the whole approach to the story was very thoughtful. There are vocabulary words in bold text with definitions at the end of each chapter as well as discussion questions. I think this book would make a great part of home school or private school curriculum. (It’s got a lot of faith-based content, so I don’t think it would be something that could be used in a public school setting.)
Fans of stories about how to become a knight or daily life during the medieval times will really enjoy those parts of the story. There’s also a strong emphasis on faith and virtue, so readers looking for overtly Christian characters and values will enjoy those components as well.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation All characters are white and British.
Profanity/Crude Language Content One brief mention of hell as a place.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Characters are practicing Christians and pray openly. Gallant is encouraged to pray daily. Some characters quote from the Bible.
Violent Content None.
Drug Content None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of RAISING SIR GALLANT in exchange for my honest review.
Meg has been friends with confident, self-assured Beatrix since kindergarten. She’s always found comfort in Beatrix’s shadow—even their families call them Beatrix-and-Meg. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick. Upsetting Beatrix means risking The Freeze—or worse.
Meg gets into a special science elective and wants to take the class, no matter what Beatrix thinks. But when quirky new girl Hazel becomes Meg’s science partner, Beatrix sets her sights on Hazel. At first, Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be—and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: What’s it really like to be the Queen Bee? And more importantly: Is being Beatrix’s friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?
My Review
You know how some books have really great layering, where there are things happening between the adults that sort of bleed over into what’s happening with the kids, but the kids don’t always 100% get what’s happening between the adults?
I thought THE QUEEN BEE AND ME showed that kind of layering really well. Meg recognizes some of the pressure and manipulation in the way Beatrix treats her as being the way Beatrix’s mom speaks to others and wonders if Beatrix realizes she’s even copying that way.
Another thing that I really liked was that the message in the story wasn’t, “Beatrix is a bad friend, Meg just needs a new, better friend.” Instead, she has an opportunity to have a new friend, but that doesn’t fix all of what’s become so toxic in her relationship with Beatrix. Meg needs to learn to change how she behaves, not just change who she hangs out with. And I felt like that was a critically important, deeply insightful lesson.
As a mom with kids where there’s a huge age gap, I really appreciated this positive portrayal of a family with a big age gap between kids. I also thought Meg’s relationship with her mom felt very realistic and complex– definitely captured some of the kinds of struggles that can happen between parents and middle school kids.
If you can’t tell, I simply loved this book. I wish I could go back in time and give myself this book in late elementary school. THE QUEEN BEE AND ME is perfect for fans of books by Kate Messner or THE LIST by Patricia Forde.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation Major characters are white. Meg deals with anxiety and specifically a fear of bees that can result in her fainting.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content None. There are a few instances of verbal manipulation and verbal bullying.
Drug Content None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE QUEEN BEE AND ME in exchange for my honest review.
After a lifetime of being the younger sister–of letting Sophie fight her battles, of following her on countless Experiences and through a fireplace into a magical land–it’s finally Claire Martinson’s turn to lead. And she’ll do anything to keep her big sister safe: resist the wraiths’ cold shadows, experiment with new and dangerous magic, become a thief in disguise.
When Claire discovers that “only a queen can defeat a queen,” she knows she must steal and reforge the ancient Crown of Arden to stand a chance against the darkness that threatens the world and her family. Because Queen Estelle d’Astora, desperate to reclaim her power, will stop at nothing to gain the support of the four guilds–even if it means killing the last unicorn. Claire will need every friend she’s made to help her as the fate of Arden hangs in the balance . . . But the secrets of the unicorns are deeper than anyone could have ever imagined. Does Claire have what it takes to ignite the long-buried magic of this world and wake the fire in the stars? Or will the true salvation of Arden rest on one final and heartbreaking sacrifice?
My Review
What a finale! I love sister books, so this series has been lots of fun to read. I love that it’s the little sister who’s the star of the books, too. I really enjoyed watching Claire find her gifts and her confidence and her place in the world.
FIRE IN THE STAR brings together a lot of characters from the earlier books, but it’s pretty easy to keep track of everyone as the story kind of refreshes you on who’s who as you read.
I also really loved that in the story, Claire and her allies all need each other, need to work together to save Arden. It meant learning to value one another, trust each other, put aside past grievances, and find a way to work together. Definitely a feel-good story in that sense.
This has been one of my favorite middle grade series, and I really can’t wait to see what Kamilla Benko writes next. She’s an author I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any middle or late elementary school-aged readers.
If you like books by Jessica Day George, you really need to check out The Unicorn Quest series.
Here is my review of the first book in the series, THE UNICORN QUEST.
Profanity/Crude Language Content No profanity. The characters sometimes use made up curses like “slug soot”.
Romance/Sexual Content Brief kissing between a boy and girl and references to a crush between them.
Spiritual Content A unicorn healed Sophie and saved her life with its magic in the first book in this series, and that moment is referenced in this one, too. Other characters have magical abilities as well. Claire learns to make gems glow with her magic. Other characters can manipulate plants or metals. Deep shadows called wraiths chase the girls and their allies, trying to stop them. Sensitive readers may be frightened by descriptions of the wraiths… they’re a little bit like the Dementors in Harry Potter maybe? Not quite as scary as that.
Violent Content Some brief descriptions of battle violence and situations of peril.
Drug Content None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of FIRE IN THE STAR in exchange for my honest review.
The other morning, I was browsing Twitter and saw a blogger talking about how hard it is when someone asks you your favorite book. She asked, “Do you have an answer?”
So predictably, the responses were all over the place from some people easily listing one top favorite to others totally (but understandably) cheating and posting a list, and others saying no way, the question is too hard!
But the answer that stuck with me was this one person who said that her favorite book hadn’t changed in 15 years.
Hold the phone.
What?
I just.
I mean, I get it at a level, because like, there’s never going to be another TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, you know? It’s written. Done. And it’s kind of incomparable. (Bookish Hint: This is NOT the time to bring up GO SET A WATCHMAN. Just do not.)
But really… no new favorites in fifteen years? Thinking about it, I felt like the years stretched out in front of me like this vast reading desert, which resulted in me stress eating more chocolate-covered Oreos than I’ll ever admit. Yikes. I could not handle that.
I think that’s one of the reasons I keep blogging — because the next book I pick up might blow me away, and seeing authors (or other bloggers) I love post about upcoming releases gets me super excited.
I’m pretty much loving the book description here. Working at a medieval times-themed restaurant? Sounds like fun! Conflict over the policy not allowing girls to be knights? I love it. I realize this kind of thing has been done before, but with the right voice and some fresh elements, I think it could prove to be a funny, inspiring book.
You might recognize this author as the same one who wrote CATERPILLAR SUMMER, which I absolutely loved. I thought the way she made fishing (and a GIRL fishing) a critical part of the story was awesome. So THE QUEEN BEE AND ME has some big shoes to fill in terms of being my favorite book by this author, but I am very optimistic about it.
The way Gillian McDunn brings relationships and characters to life on the page made that book a huge win, so I’m hoping for another great cast of characters and interesting relationship arcs.
The Lost Tide Warriors (Storm Keeper #2) by Catherine Doyle
THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND was another book I fell head over heels for last year. It’s definitely now one of my favorite books. The super imaginative story world. The unexpected twists. The connections between the characters– and Fionn’s grandfather! I want him to adopt me.
I’ve been waiting to dive back into this story ever since I finished the last page of the first book, and I still can’t wait.
I feel like this one is kind of a given, honestly. It’s one that I’ll probably see a lot on lists of this theme, but for good reason. Karen McManus wrote a super twisty, edge-of-your-seat, emotionally explosive tale introducing this cast of characters in ONE OF US IS LYING, and I totally bought in. I am crazy excited to get to visit these characters again and follow them through another wild ride.
I’ve also only recently discovered how much I like suspense. For some reason it was never a genre I sought out, but authors like Karen McManus and Caleb Roehrig have totally won me over.
So… I’ve actually never read anything by this author, but I follow him on social media, and really enjoy his posts, so maybe it’s not such a big leap to think that if I enjoy 240 characters at a time, I’ll probably enjoy 70K-ish words he wrote? I’m game. This plot reminds me a little bit of GEEKERELLA by Ashley Poston, which I also liked. And I’m always game for fun contemporary stories.
Honestly this book seems part GEEKERELLA, part READY PLAYER ONE? Gamers meeting online to escape real-life problems, humor, relationships, hopefully lots of snarky dialogue?? What could possibly go wrong?
Speaking of fun contemporary stories: enter the champion, Emma Mills. Everything I’ve read by her has been amazing. The writing is witty and charming. The characters are totally unforgettable. My favorite so far is THIS ADVENTURE ENDS.
So I’m hoping for all of that in this book, too. Plus, I’m intrigued by the description– a girl taking a radio broadcasting class? I love that, and I’ve never read anything like it. The closest might be JUST LISTEN by Sarah Dessen (another that I loved) in which the love interest boy works as a deejay on a sort of obscure show. (I think?)
The characters and complex story world in THE GIRL KING pretty much blew me away, so I’ve been eagerly waiting for a chance to read the next piece of the story.
In EMPRESS OF FLAMES, it looks like sisters Lu and Min, will face off, an army between them, each determined to rule the Empire of the First Flame. I’m a huge fan of sister stories– it seems like there are a LOT of these lately, too– so I’m really excited about seeing how that relationship plays out in this book, and I can’t wait to read it.
I love the way Elizabeth Wein brings World War II stories to life using unexpected characters. Here’s a story of a fifteen-year-old girl who wants to make a difference in the war, and finds an opportunity when she hears of an Enigma machine that can translate German code.
So that sounds exciting enough, but add to it the fact that characters from CODE NAME VERITY will appear in the book, and I’m 100% completely hooked. Must. Read.
I’ve only read one other book by Bill Konigsberg, but I loved the difference in the voices of the characters in the story and the way they were so easy to connect with. I’ve got a few lighthearted contemporary titles on this list, but this one appeals to me because it promises a lot of angst.
The description of THE BRIDGE reminds me a little bit of A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL by Eric Lindstrom. I’m hoping for one of those books that makes you ugly cry. Sometimes I just really need one of those.
I read Rachel Lynn Solomon’s first book, YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE while I was in the hospital, so I was really distracted and needed something to ground me. The story pulled me in, held my attention with intense characters and strong writing. I enjoyed reading it even if some of the themes made me uncomfortable (mostly I think it was meant to be that way). So I really can’t wait to read this next book. I’m a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers type of story, so I’m hoping for a great read here.
What books are you predicting you’ll love this year?
Are there books at the top of your pre-order/buy list coming soon that you are betting will be among your new favorite books? What should I add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know.
