Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince
Liz Kessler
Candlewick Press
Publishes March 12, 2019

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About EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE PIRATE PRINCE

Emily Windsnap ends up surrounded by pirates — and on a life-changing adventure — in the eighth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

Traveling home by cruise ship should be a relaxing break after Emily’s latest adventure, but things take a turn when the ship is overtaken by a pirate king and his crew. After the pirates collect everyone’s riches, they steal something even more valuable: Aaron. The pirate king’s eldest son takes Aaron captive, forcing him to help guide the pirates to the mythical Trident’s Treasure.

So Emily dives into action and joins the younger son’s crew in hopes of saving Aaron. But while experiencing life on the waves, Emily is surprised to find herself not only enjoying the pirate life, but actually bonding with the crew — especially Sam, the pirate king’s son. Between helping Sam unravel riddles to beat his brother to the treasure and making sure that her friends are safe, Emily realizes that she needs to be true to herself. Will she cast aside her mermaid life to join her new friends, or will she find a way to follow her own path?

My Review

EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE PIRATE PRINCE is the first book in the series that I’ve ever read. I think I own a couple of the others, books I bought when my own older reader was the right age to enjoy them, but we never got around to reading them. I enjoyed the book. It was a super quick read, and even had a few unexpected twists. Emily makes a spunky, fun narrator and the plot moves quickly through a series of challenges as Emily and her team of pirates race toward the treasure and Sam’s chance to be the next pirate king.

I think the series is a great fit for fans of The Frog Princess books or CLIFTON CHASE AND THE ARROW OF LIGHT by Jaimie Engle.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
No race details.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl. (like, a peck on the lips brief.)

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The pirate king and his older son play by pirate rules — hurling tricks and insults at each other and the crew.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Within These Lines
Stephanie Morrill
Blink YA
Publishes March 5, 2019

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About WITHIN THESE LINES

Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family in 1941 is everything it “should be” until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.

Degrading treatment makes life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world are treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out on behalf of all Japanese Americans, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.

With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichi must hold true to their values and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.

My Review

It’s probably no secret that I love Stephanie Morrill’s storytelling. Her characters always have this deep core of integrity and courage, and yet they’re relatable and funny. WITHIN THESE LINES has all the thing I love about her other books, and it focuses on a historical moment that we need to remember.

WITHIN THESE LINES isn’t the first book about the Japanese internment camps that I’ve read before, but it’s the first one I’ve seen where the political atmosphere around the camps is so overtly described. I loved that the story followed Taichi’s perspective as a Japanese American and a prisoner of the Manzanar camp. But I thought it was also cool to show how difficult it would be to speak out against the camps, and to love across racial lines at a time when not only was it viewed as wrong, but was illegal. It’s easy for us to look back at history and say, “I would never have stood by silently while that happened. I totally would have spoken out.” WITHIN THESE LINES gives us a chance to walk in those shoes and see how difficult that might have been. (Obviously Evalina’s experience was nothing compared to Taichi’s.)

In terms of the characters, I loved both Evalina and Taichi. I spent a couple of months in Tokyo a few years ago, and some of the language and the way Taichi relates to his family and camp members made me think back to that trip and really miss it. I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but there were a lot of references to and snapshot moments of Japanese language and culture throughout WITHIN THESE LINES. Taichi’s sister was probably my favorite character. She added a lot to the story with her fierceness and strong emotions.

At its core, WITHIN THESE LINES is a love story. If you love forbidden romance and/or liked Morrill’s other historical novel, THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET, then you definitely want to check this one out. (Also, if you haven’t read LOST GIRL, go check it out!)

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Evalina is an Italian American and considered white. She is ashamed of her family’s earlier connection to the mafia. Taichi and his family are Japanese American and end up imprisoned in an internment camp.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some racist comments and situations. Signs prohibit Japanese from entering some places of business. A man spits at the feet of people on their way to internment camps. A group within the camp vows to overthrow the system and align themselves with Japan, threatening to harm or kill others, including any fellow prisoners who don’t support their efforts.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle

Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

The Storm Keeper’s Island
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 22, 2019

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About THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet …

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn’s grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.

But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island’s next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

My Review

The Storm Keeper’s Island is my favorite book that I’ve read for far this year. It’s definitely one of those books whose characters stay with you and has that extra sense of magic. Fionn and his grandfather (and even his know-it-all sister) had me hooked from their earliest scenes.

Fionn chases after his older sister on a hunt for a secrete cave which, once a generation, grants a wish. Tara’s snooty boyfriend means to use it to call himself the next Storm Keeper. But all Fionn wants is to bring his dad back. The only problem is the cave lies hidden somewhere on the edge of the island, and Fionn is terrified of the ocean. So right away there are huge stakes, and lots happening between rival families on the island. Fionn’s grandfather, Malachy, has this super quirky, ridiculous feel to him, but you never doubt his love for his family.

I won’t give anything away, but the climax of the story totally got me. Oh. My. Gosh. All the weeping. I think I cried for like 25 pages. In a good way. Such a good way! So many things snapped into place and happened the way they really had to, but it made for such a powerful confrontation and strengthened the story’s focus on the value of family connections and sacrificial love.

I totally recommend THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND. If you liked THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage or BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD by Monika Schröder then definitely check out THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Takes place on a small island. Everyone is Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The Storm Keeper has a certain kind of magic power. He can capture a storm and particular memory of something in a candle that can be burned and re-experienced. See violent content for more.

Violent Content
Fionn witnesses a battle between Dagda, the island’s ancient protector, and a sorceress who seeks to destroy it. Seeing this confrontation sparks a connection between Fionn and the sorceress– like she knows he has a special calling on the island, and she wants to steal his power.

Drug Content
None

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Affiliate links appear in this post.

Review: Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan

Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Watch Us Rise
Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 12, 2019

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About WATCH US RISE by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

Jasmine and Chelsea are sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women’s Rights Club. They post everything online—poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine’s response to the racial macroaggressions she experiences—and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices—and those of other young women—to be heard.

My Review

I loved the multi-media feel of WATCH US RISE. The descriptions of art, the poetry and blog posts, all of it created this really broad reading experience for me. I loved that Jasmine and Chelsea made mistakes along the their journey as strong women– not because I wasn’t rooting for them, but because those mistakes made them so real and made me feel like it’s okay to make my own mistakes, too, because it’s part of learning. Their passion energized me.

And if that’s all there was to this story, I’d still say it was a great book, but ohmygosh there’s actually more! Romance. Family issues. Grief, loss and mourning. And all the way through, I felt so connected to the characters and what they experienced. I love that they were strong women with passionate voices advocating for themselves and others. But I also loved that they weren’t defined by their ideals, and I felt like that was a really important part of the message, too. You can be a feminist and still be interested in fashion. You can be a feminist and still idolize a man (in this case, her dad).

I realize that’s probably obvious to a lot of people, but I feel like it’s worth repeating in a world where often we distill people down to one idea or one thing and ignore the rest. At any rate, I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it, especially to girls looking for their place and their voice in social issues.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Chelsea is white and Jasmine is black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some disparaging comments about Christianity, and some questions like, why is God referred to with masculine pronouns in the Christian faith?

Violent Content
In one brief scene, a fight breaks out between students over one of the girls’ blog post topics.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Running Strong by Diana Sharples

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Running Strong
Diana Sharples
Published on June 29, 2018

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About Running Strong

Races are won in the turns.

Flannery Moore rides motocross bikes and can’t remember the last time she wore a dress. She’s also in love with one of her riding friends. Although nothing else could make her do so, Flannery decides to redefine herself into the kind of girl Tyler Dorset might fall for.

Despite his mother’s desperate efforts to keep Tyler close to home, he has dreams of his own. Dreams that will take him far away from sleepy and safe Bentley, North Carolina. Will Flannery understand how a well-played guitar solo moves his soul? Or will their bond fade away if he’s not riding his dirt bike anymore?

When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Flannery is compelled to make sacrifices, some obvious, some that break her heart. Will this mean settling for “less than” with Tyler when she longs for so much more?

For the sake of staying true to themselves, both Tyler and Flannery are pushed to make the choice between running away… or running strong.

My Review

This was such a sweet book. I read RUNNING LEAN some time ago when it came out, but I hadn’t realized this companion book existed. RUNNING STRONG takes place after the end of RUNNING LEAN and follows two characters who appeared in that first book: Connor’s friends Tyler and Flannery.

I think Flannery’s journey affected me the most. After her mom’s cancer diagnosis, Flannery struggles with a lot of fear and anxiety over what will happen with her mom. Her relationship with Tyler becomes both a happy place and another stressor to her. I found it easy to identify with her roiling emotions and her battle over wanting to be herself or change herself so she fit into popular ideas about femininity.

Ultimately, Flannery decides the person she needs to please, in terms of the way she dresses and acts, is herself. I liked that she’s both the motorcross girl and the girl who likes makeup.

Tyler’s guitar playing added a lot of depth to his character, I thought. It really showed a lot of passion and drive, and I liked that. His struggle to break away from an overprotective mom also felt pretty real.

Overall, I liked this book. In terms of spirituality, it’s definitely written from a Christian perspective, but I didn’t think it sounded preachy. It’s a sweet, clean story, perfect for readers who are just beginning to read romance or who are looking for a gentle love story that also tackles family issues. You can read my review of Diana Sharples’ first novel, RUNNING LEAN, here.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. One character has recently been through recovery from an eating disorder. Flannery’s mom receives a cancer diagnosis early RUNNING STRONG. Most of the characters are Christian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex—Tyler wants to make sure he doesn’t go too far with Flannery, since they both believe in waiting until marriage to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Both Flannery and Tyler’s families attend church. At one point, Tyler’s family meets with a pastor for counseling. He uses a Bible verse to talk about speaking life, or saying positive things, to one another.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Tyler’s mom believes his uncle drinks and uses drugs. Another family member died from a drug overdose in the past.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost anything for you to use but which help support this blog.

Review: The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Noble Servant (Medieval Fairytales #3)
Melanie Dickerson
Thomas Nelson
Published on May 9, 2017

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About The Noble Servant
She lost everything to the scheme of an evil servant. But she might just gain what she’s always wanted…if she makes it in time.

The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.

On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.

When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?

My Review
My daughter LOVES these fairytale stories by Melanie Dickerson. They’re sweet, straightforward tales with that classic fairytale happily ever after moment. Very clean, very safe, which is what she often prefers. Sometimes you need a story where everything works out all right and justice is perfectly served, you know? If that resonates with you, The Noble Servant is probably the kind of book you’re looking for.

I enjoyed reading this retelling of the Grimm’s fairytale Goose Girl, though it took me a while to get into it. The writing is a little bit stilted at times, but the characters are interesting. I liked the way Magdalen and the shepherd had to work together, and the secrets they kept made things interesting.

The books in the Medieval Fairytale series and Dickerson’s Hagenheim series are great for readers in that zone where they’re transitioning to stories about older characters but not quite ready for the mature content in some young adult books.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
A couple of times characters pray together during a crisis and quote scripture.

Violent Content
Physical fights between some of the male characters. Some peril and limited details about inuries.

Drug Content
None.