Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: Ember Falls by S. D. Smith

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Ember Falls by S. D. SmithEmber Falls (Green Ember Series #2)
S. D. Smith
Illustrated by Zach Franzen
Story Warren Books
Published September 13, 2016

Amazon | Goodreads

About Ember Falls
The stage is set. It’s war. Morbin Blackhawk, slaver and tyrant, threatens to destroy the rabbit resistance forever. Heather and Picket are two young rabbits improbably thrust into pivotal roles.

The fragile alliance forged around the young heir seems certain to fail. Can Heather and Picket help rescue the cause from a certain, sudden defeat?

My Place Beside You

My Blood For Yours

Till The Green… Ember Falls

My Review
I enjoyed the strong fantasy-esque voice throughout Ember Falls and found Pick and his sister Heather to be cool characters. I struggled with the sheer number of named characters in the story, though, and found it really difficult to keep track of who everyone was. I sometimes got Pick and Perk confused because of their similar names. Other times characters would be introduced by name without any indication of who they were or why their name might matter, if that makes sense.

The huge vocabulary of story-specific terms made the story feel like it had a definite place, but often terms were introduced quickly or one on top of each other and I never felt like I had a good sense of their significance or meaning.

Pen and ink drawings show various characters and scenes throughout Ember Falls. They added a lot of detail to the story as well.

I think the thing I found most difficult, though, was the lack of character descriptions. Without the illustrations to clue me in, I wouldn’t have known the characters were rabbits until the second chapter. Their movements and expressions don’t relate to rabbit movements or expressions. I kept wondering if they twitched their ears when they were nervous or had heightened hearing because, well, rabbit ears. Ha. No real mention of any of that.

I liked the themes of sacrifice and honor. Pick struggles through the story with the knowledge that his family has been enslaved by Morbin Blackhawk and the birds of prey. He longs to rescue them, but the mission would place the survival of the rest of the rabbit army, and its prince, in jeopardy.

Reading the first book in the series first might have cleared up some of my confusion. Hard to say. I found it hard to get a sense of what had happened in the first book versus what was true backstory, so I’m not really sure. If you’re interested in the series, I do recommend starting with the first book rather than with Ember Falls.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Characters are rabbits, wolves, and birds of prey.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to the fact that Heather and Prince Smalls are intended to marry.

Spiritual Content
Brief note that former heroes have become sort of saints in the eyes of the rabbits. An order of rabbits wears blue robes and appears to be some kind of spiritual group, but their beliefs are unspecified.

Violent Content
Battles with swords, some proving fatal. Wolves attack, biting rabbits. Birds carry small rabbits off to become slaves. Masters threaten slaves with death. No gory descriptions.

Drug Content
Emma uses tonics to treat the wounded, some she appears to have discovered herself.

 

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Review: A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue by J. A. Myhre

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue (Rwendigo Tales #2)
J. A. Myhre
New Growth Press
Published September 13, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue
Eleven-year-old Kiisa had no idea why her parents would send her away to boarding school. She wondered why they couldn t all stay together in their beautiful African valley home. But no matter what she said they were firm: she must go, and she must go to this school.

As she said a tearful goodbye to her father, he whispered, For such a time as this. . . . Remember that phrase, and try to open your trunk soon. You ll find something unexpected inside. When Kiisa opened the trunk, she was astonished to find a small heap of black and white feathers that quickly unfolded into a little bird, a wagtail to be exact. Her surprise only deepened when the bird started to speak, My name is Njili. I am one of the Messengers, though a small one. I have been sent to assist you with the Rescue. Kiisa had no idea what she meant, but she would soon find out.

My Review
I liked the foreign setting of this story and some of the cultural details. Even though it’s set in a made up place, the author clarifies that some of the events in the story were based on things she witnessed while living in Africa serving as a doctor. I thought Kiisa was an interesting character and identified with her homesickness and her feelings of otherness at school.

While I liked that the author talked about prejudices girls face with regard to playing sports, I guess I found it odd that even though Kiisa was talented, she played for a while without being truly interested in soccer. I wondered if someone would do that when faced with all the teasing and pressure to quit that she must have faced. I also wanted that part to tie into the rest of the story somehow. It ended up being this sort of side vignette that didn’t really relate to the story’s major plot—the rescue Kiisa would need to perform.

Other elements of the plot seemed disjointed, too, or like they kind of came out of nowhere. I liked the idea of animals as messengers from God and found that to be an imaginative idea, but I expected them to mentor Kiisa in her faith as well as help her with the practical steps toward a rescue.

I liked Kiisa’s relationship with her family, her dad especially. The setting made me think a little bit of Katie Quirk’s A Girl Called Problem, also set in a small village in Africa. Readers who liked Escape from Sudan might also like A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Characters are African—takes place in an imaginary place in Africa.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kiisa encounters Messengers, animals which speak to humans and are sent by God to help with His purposes.

Violent Content
Rebel soldiers with guns attack Kiisa’s school, taking one girl hostage. They set fire to the building where Kiisa and other girls sleep. A crocodile tries to attack two girls in the water. No graphic descriptions or details.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: The Griffin of Darkwood by Becky Citra

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

The Griffin of Darkwood
Becky Citra
Coteau Books
Published on August 15, 2016

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About The Griffin of Darkwood
After 12-year-old Will Poppy’s mother dies, he finds himself moving to a run-down castle with an aunt he loathes and servants who are up to no good – and that’s just the beginning of his troubles.

Will Poppy has always been fascinated with writing – he thinks there’s something almost… magical about it. But when his mother dies, Will finds himself stuck living with his awful aunt, unable to write a single word (despite the fact that two Muses will not leave him alone) and handed a mysterious package which includes an old picture of his grandparents and a piece of cloth with the words “The Griffin of Darkwood” on it.

When his aunt decides to move both of them to a small village, Will is excited for a new adventure – in a castle no less! But after a rude welcome to the town that includes stories about a curse, and an introduction to the servants of the castle who evidently mean to cause him harm, Will’s sense of dread about the whole village rises.

What is the curse the villagers claim has been on the castle for hundreds of years, and what does it have to do with the disappearance of a young girl forty years ago? More importantly, what’s the Griffin of Darkwood, and what does it have to do with Will and his family?

My Review
My favorite thing about this book was the small town where Will and his aunt move after Will’s mom dies. I liked the sense of mystery and magic the town had and the connections between Will and the town the story revealed. Will’s friends made a fun cast of characters, too. I liked the way he related to each and the surprises that came from those relationships.

The Griffin of Darkwood is a pretty quick read with a nice balance between its more sinister elements of mystery and its themes of courage and community. After the heartbreak of losing his mom and being thrust into the care of his cruel aunt, Will finds comfort in new friends and mentors in the small village where he and his aunt move. At the same time, Will struggles to dodge his aunt’s schemes and the disdain of the two castle servants, who seem to wish him ill.

In Will’s grief over his mom’s death, he gives up writing. He learns, however, that telling stories is a powerful ability, and may be something of an inescapable gift. I liked the way his writing fit into the story as a whole.

Readers who enjoy fantasy stories and mysteries will find The Griffin of Darkwood a great addition to their bookshelves and reading lists. See below for content information.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
No real cultural information or descriptions given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Will and his mother see literal representations of their Muses—companions who visit them as they write. After his mother dies, Will continues to see his Muse and hers.

At a local bookstore, Will briefly spots literary characters like Gandalf. The shop owner doesn’t seem surprised. The castle where Will and his aunt move is haunted by ghosts. Rumor says there’s a curse on the castle.

An old woman shows Will a crystal ball and he has a terrible vision. She tells him it’s because he “fell into” the crystal ball.

Will meets with a friend who uses Tarot cards to check her future. She suggests they consult a Ouija board for more information about Will’s quest.

Someone tells Will about a legendary tapestry weaver whose tapestries changed the future. Whatever he wove came to be.

Violent Content
A man threatens to kill Will. Will and his friends hear rumors of someone once tortured in the dungeon of the castle where Will lives.

A Sparrowhawk (bird of prey) catches a pigeon. A man tells Will that the bird will kill its prey.

Will finds tapestries depicting a group hunting for a griffin.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl by John Putnam Demos

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl
John Putnam Demos
Amulet Books
Published on October 31, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl
Inspired by Demos’s award-winning novel The Unredeemed Captive, Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl will captivate a young audience, providing a Native American perspective rather than the Western one typically taught in the classroom.

As the armed conflicts between the English colonies in North America and the French settlements raged in the 1700s, a young Puritan girl, Eunice Williams, is kidnapped by Mohawk people and taken to Canada. She is adopted into a new family, a new culture, and a new set of traditions that will define her life. As Eunice spends her days learning the Mohawk language and the roles of women and girls in the community, she gains a deeper understanding of her Mohawk family.  Although her father and brother try to persuade Eunice to return to Massachusetts, she ultimately chooses to remain with her Mohawk family and settlement.

My Review
Though this book is classified as historical fiction, I thought the style of the writing was much more like a biography or nonfiction narrative. The story follows a much more bird’s-eye view of Eunice’s life and sometimes jumps away to catalogue her family’s reactions to various news and moments. That said, I found the story captivating as it followed a girl so young and the transformation of her ideas and identity as she grew up. I liked that the author clarifies in a note at the end of the book which parts were based on true historical documentation and which were filled in using traditions of the English or Mohawk at the time the events took place.

I think Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl would make a great supplement to a U.S. History curriculum for fourth or fifth grade readers. It focuses on some interesting relationships—not only the English versus the French, but Protestants versus Catholics and settlers versus Native American ways or beliefs.

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Eunice is an English girl. A Mohawk family adopts her. She marries a Mohawk man. Though the story follows much of her time in a Mohawk settlement, the story remains from Eunice or her biological family’s perspectives.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Brief, mild profanity used very infrequently to reference someone being cursed by God.

Romance/Sexual Content
Eunice feels attracted to a young Mohawk man.

Spiritual Content
Eunice was raised by a Protestant minister who values preserving her faith. At that time, Protestants and Catholics were at war (the English were at war with the French) and there was a massive campaign to convert any prisoners captured as part of the war. Eunice’s father worries terribly about her becoming a Catholic and that such a conversion would damn her soul.

During her life with the Mohawks, Eunice learns both Catholic ways and the traditional beliefs of the Mohawk people. She listens to stories about how the world was made and the afterlife from an elder of the tribe.

Violent Content
Eunice and her family are captured initially as part of a battle between the English and French, with whom the Mohawk have allied themselves. She witnesses the dead body of her servant and a baby—killed by Mohawk warriors. Later, Mohawk take her mother into the woods to kill her when it’s clear she is unable to keep up with the party as they travel. They return alone, and Eunice understands what has happened and grieves.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: City of Thirst by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

City of Thirst (Map to Everywhere #2)
Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published on October 13, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About City of Thirst
When the magical waters of the Pirate Stream begin flooding Marrill’s world, the only way to stop the destruction is to return to the Stream and find the source of the mysterious Iron Tide. Reunited with her best friend Fin–who has been forgotten all over again–Marrill, her disbelieving babysitter, and the Enterprising Kraken crew must make the treacherous trek to the towering, sliding, impossible world of Monerva and uncover the secrets of its long-lost wish machine. Only there can Fin wish to finally be remembered. Only there can Marrill wish to save her world and all the people she loves. But to get everything they’ve ever wanted, Marrill and Fin may have to give up on the most important thing they already have: each other.

My Review
City of Thirst has been on my reading list since I first read The Map to Everywhere back in 2014. I love the imaginative story world and especially the relationships between characters. Fin, whom the crew continually forgets, and his struggle to become memorable hooked me from page one. I love Marrill and her determined babysitter, Remy, and watching them navigate the foreign world of the Pirate Stream.

I also thought it was really clever that the story opens with a kind of recap in the form of Marrill’s homework assignment which has been corrected by Remy. The essay describes Marrill’s first visit to the Pirate Stream. It gives enough detail to orient readers to this second book whether they’ve read the first one and forgotten it or needed a quick refresher before diving into this second book.

The story explores themes about the value of friendship and what happens when we take each other for granted. It also winds its way into explorations about how desire can be a positive idea when it motivates us to help others but can become a destructive force when we begin to value our own wishes over the needs of others.

Filled with whimsical characters and places, City of Thirst is a great book for fans of adventure and fantasy. I think you could read it without having first read The Map to Everywhere, but honestly, I don’t know why you’d want to, since Map is a fantastic book, too.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Marrill and her babysitter are white characters. Fin is described as a boy with olive skin and dark eyes. The rest of the cast includes made up creatures and races from civilizations along the Pirate Stream.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
There’s a bit of boy/girl attraction between a few characters and one almost-kiss. A minor character references and introduces the crew to her “missus.”

Spiritual Content
Some references to magic and prophesies. Fin and Marrill search for a wishing machine which can grant any wish. The cost of the wish may be higher than the wish-maker imagines, though. The story explores some themes about the dangers of chasing desire and letting want for something control one’s actions.

Violent Content
A fire and a magical stream both threaten Marrill and crew at different times.

Drug Content
None.

Review and Giveaway: Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

I’m super excited to share this review of the fourth book in the Villains Series by Serena Valentino. Check out my thoughts and be sure to read to the end where you can enter to win the first four books in the series plus a branded mug that changes color in hot water. (Check it out in the prize pack picture below. It’s so cool.) Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for sending me a set of VILLAINS books, and for providing a prize pack!

Mistress of All Evil (Villains #4)
Serena Valentino
Disney Press
Published on October 3, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Mistress of All Evil
The tale is told as if it’s happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess-a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love’s first kiss. The two live happily ever after.

And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.

My Review
The book started out a little rough for me. It introduced a lot of characters I wasn’t familiar with who I think feature in earlier books in the series. So if I’d read from the beginning, I probably would have had a better frame of reference. Without that, it took me a while to figure out who the odd sisters and Circe were and why they were significant to the story.

The other tricky thing for me was that at times the story jumped around a bit, and I wasn’t always sure I followed what was happening. At one point the story references Princess Tulip as (I think?) Aurora’s daughter and I didn’t understand how that could be. Probably I misunderstood the reference or it’s better explained in an earlier book in the series.

Once I got my bearings, I enjoyed the way the book explained some of Maleficent’s history and wove together the stories of other villains in other fairy tales. That definitely made me want to read the rest of the series. In fact, a couple of times I almost put down Mistress of All Evil in order to go back and get the full backstory on some of the other fairytales. I especially found the story behind Snow White and her relationship with her stepmother compelling. Totally have to add that to my reading list now.

On the whole, I found the concept for the series pretty cool. I liked that it went above and beyond the facts and elements present in the familiar Disney fairy tales to create a larger whole story world connecting them all. I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series if you can, just so you don’t have the confusion I had at the beginning. I think especially younger readers would find that off-putting. Fans of Jennifer Donnelly’s Deep Blue should check out this series.

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Cultural Elements
As in the fairy tale movie, it seems like most of the characters are white. Maleficent, as in the movie, has greenish skin, though here it changes color with her mood.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief references to kissing, marriage, or betrothal between a prince and princess.

Spiritual Content
Maleficent grew up in Fairyland with lots of other fairies, like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, the three good fairies who protect Princess Aurora, and the Blue Fairy who guides Pinocchio.

Several reference to nameless gods. Maleficent finds a ruined castle which she learns was once the home of the god Hades. She never meets him but hears about him from her goons, creatures who were once his servants.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of Ursula’s death and the battle between Maleficent (as a dragon) and the prince who wants to rescue Princess Aurora.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About Serena Valentino

Website | Facebook |Twitter

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, and Mistress of All Evil.

About the Villains Series

The Disney Villains series by Serena Valentino explores how the antagonists in Disney movies became some of storytelling’s most iconic villains. In the first four Villains books, we see how the Evil Queen, the Beast, Ursula, and Maleficent fall into darkness, through the instigation of the mysterious Odd Sisters: Lucinda, Martha, and Ruby.

Enter to Win the Villains Prize Pack

One winner receives a copy of the first four books in the Villains series and a branded mug that changes color in hot water. Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Disney-Hyperion.

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