Review: Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler

Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler

Code Name Kingfisher
Liz Kessler
Aladdin Books
Published May 7, 2024

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About Code Name Kingfisher

When Liv finds a secret box from her grandmother’s childhood she uncovers an extraordinary war-time story of bravery, betrayal and daring defiance. A story that will change Liv and her family forever…
 
Holland, 1942. The world is at war and as the Nazis’ power grows, Jewish families are in terrible danger. Twelve-year-old Mila and her older sister Hannie are sent to live with a family in another city with new identities and the strict instruction not to tell … Continue reading

Review: A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

A Crane Among Wolves
June Hur
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 14, 2024

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About A Crane Among Wolves

June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a … Continue reading

Review: One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

One Big Open Sky
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Holiday House
Published March 5, 2024

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About One Big Open Sky

Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.

1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their … Continue reading

Review: The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Callela

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray
Christine Calella
Page Street Press
Published April 9, 2024

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About The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray

Storms and pirates are nothing compared to the evil within men’s hearts.

After a lifetime of abuse at the hands of superstitious townsfolk, Ophelia Young, a bastard child of the notorious pirate queen, is tired of paying for the sins of her mother. Despite playing by the rules her whole life, she’s earned nothing but spite and suspicion. So when a naval officer saves her from the jeering crowd at her mother’s hanging, Ophelia … Continue reading

Review: Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong cover shows a crystal decanter with a smoky substance inside surrounded by a vine with pink flowers.

Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1)
Chloe Gong
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 27, 2022

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About Foul Lady Fortune

The first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but … Continue reading

Review: Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock cover shows a twelve-year-old girl in a white dress riding a dark gray horse. A woman's face appears in the background as if she's part of the clouds.

Salt Magic
Hope Larson
Illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published October 12, 2021

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About Salt Magic

When a jealous witch curses her family’s well, it’s up to Vonceil to set things right in an epic journey that will leave her changed forever.

When Vonceil’s older brother, Elber, comes home to their family’s Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War … Continue reading