Category Archives: Historical

Review: Adventure in the City of Stories by Emma Otheguy

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , ,
Adventure in the City of Stories by Emma Otheguy

Adventure in the City of Stories (Cousins in the Time of Magic)
Emma Otheguy
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published July 21, 2026

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About Adventure in the City of Stories

When stolen artifacts magically appear in their aunt’s closet, cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy travel back in time to 1930 New York City to clear her name before history is irreparably altered in this companion to the “spellbinding” (School Library Journal, starred review) Cousins in the Time of Magic.

Cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy never imagined that dusty old puppets and a mysterious book would launch them into a time-traveling adventure. But when they discover their aunt has treasures belonging to Pura Belpré, the trailblazing Latina librarian and storyteller, they’re transported back to 1930s New York City. Their mission? Race against time to return Pura’s puppets and a signed first edition of her book, proving their aunt isn’t a thief.

The past is full of danger, though. A powerful woman will stop at nothing to steal the book, the cousins’ nosy neighbor is snooping around, and the hardship of the Great Depression is all around them. Luckily Jorge, Camila, and Siggy meet Antonia, a fierce Puerto Rican girl fighting injustice against her community.

The cousins will need courage, quick thinking, and a little help from history to protect Pura Belpré’s legacy, clear their aunt’s name, and make it back home. Can they pull it off before time runs out?

My Review

This clever series introduces readers to past Latine heroes through the eyes of a trio of modern kids who travel back in time with their eccentric aunt. The first book takes readers back to the battle that led to the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today. In this new adventure, the characters visit New York City in 1930 and meet librarian Pura Belpré.

The cast of characters is engaging, and though the story includes adult characters, the action primarily centers around the young narrators. The story explores what it means to be an American, especially a Puerto Rican American, making this a welcome addition to middle grade literature.

The story itself is less than 200 pages, making this a good choice for readers stepping into middle grade from shorter chapter books. Readers graduating from the “Magic Tree House” series will enjoy the familiar time-traveling mechanics of the plot.

All in all, this series is a lot of fun. I’m so glad to see the adventure continue.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 11.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Characters can travel through time via magical boats. At one point, characters make a wish and blow out a candle to complete another bit of magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief (age-appropriate) references to a historical war/invasion. Racist comments and microaggressions. (These are called out as harmful and wrong.)

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: Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi

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Travelers Along the Way (Remixed Classics #3)
Aminah Mae Safi
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 1, 2022

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About Travelers Along the Way

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This thrilling female-led Robin Hood remix reframes the legend’s tales of the Third Crusade from a Muslim perspective, rewriting its origin’s male and overwhelmingly white Euro-centric narrative.

Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji invaders have gotten reinforcements from Richard the Lionheart, all she wants to do is get herself and her sister home alive.

But Zeena, a soldier of honor at heart, refuses to give up the fight while Jerusalem remains in danger of falling back into the hands of the false Queen Isabella. And so, Rahma has no choice but to take on one final mission with her sister.

On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers—including a kind-hearted Mongolian warrior, an eccentric Andalusian scientist, a frustratingly handsome spy with a connection to Rahma’s childhood, and an unfortunate English chaplain abandoned behind enemy lines. The teens all find solace, purpose and camaraderie—as well as a healthy bit of mischief—in each other’s company.

But their travels soon bring them into the orbit of Queen Isabella herself, whose plans to re-seize power in Jerusalem would only guarantee further war and strife in the Holy Land for years to come. And so it falls to the merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning and wit (and not a small amount of thievery) to foil the usurper queen and perhaps finally restore peace to the land.

My Review

I really appreciate this series, which takes classic literature and reimagines it from a completely different perspective. I like that this invites a new point of view into a familiar story. It’s interesting to consider how the story changes when the main character is a different person.

I don’t know much about the history of the Crusades, but this novel seems very well-researched. The back matter includes a historical timeline, which helps place the events in the book in a broader historical context.

I’m generally a fan of a gender-flipped story because it also forces readers to consider the differences between male and female perspectives. I love the reversal in this novel that centers a girl, Rahma, as the infamous Green Hood, a thief who robs the rich and delivers the spoils to those impoverished by the war.

I spotted the connection between some of the parallel characters in Rahma’s band of thieves immediately, but it took me longer to place others. It was a lot of fun as the pieces clicked into place, and I recognized elements from the original story playing out in this new landscape.

I absolutely enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reimagined classics. I think fans of We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages LIST.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

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.

Review: Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

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

Out of Darkness
Ashley Hope Pérez
Holiday House
Published September 10, 2019

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About Out of Darkness

“This is East Texas, and there’s lines. Lines you cross, lines you don’t cross. That clear?” New London, TX. 1937. Naomi Vargas is Mexican American. Wash Fuller is Black. These teens know the town’s divisive racism better than anyone. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.

Naomi and Wash dare to defy the rules, and the New London school explosion serves as a ticking time bomb in the background. Can their love survive both prejudice and tragedy?

Race, romance, and family converge in this riveting novel that transplants Romeo and Juliet to a bitterly segregated Texas town. Includes a fascinating author’s note detailing the process of research and writing about voices that have largely been excluded from historical accounts.

A Printz Honor Book
A Booklist 50 Best YA Books of All Time Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book
Winner of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award

My Review

I read about this book in the anthology Banned Together edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, which I reviewed earlier this year. (Side note: I highly recommend that book. It’s got a lot of information about book banning from authors’ perspectives and offers tons of book recommendations.)

In the author’s note, Ashley Hope Pérez reminds readers that what happened in her novel are representative of real events in the American South in the 1930s. The school explosion really happened. The racism is real. This book gives voice to perspectives often left out of discussions about that time period.

The book contains some really grim scenes. From descriptions of the aftermath of the explosion to brief depictions of abuse to murder, the story holds some painful experiences. It doesn’t linger in those scenes or offer gratuitous details, though. Often, readers receive just enough information to understand what happened without placing the traumatic events front and center.

That said, the story contains so much beauty as well. Naomi, Wash, and the twins create a refuge of love in the woods near their homes. Though the world around them doesn’t see, respect, or understand the connections between them, these four treat one another with dignity and love.

In some ways, the story reminded me of Jennifer Donnelly’s debut, A Northern Light, which is set in 1906 in New York. Give this to readers who enjoy gritty historical fiction or stories by marginalized perspectives.

Content Notes

Racism, deaths of children, pregnancy loss, brief depictions of sexual assault.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Contains the use of racial slurs and racist comments. Scenes from the perspective of “The Gang” (a group of white boys from the school) sometimes objectify girls and share vague sexual fantasies. Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Naomi remembers hearing her mom and her stepfather having sex in an adjacent room and her mom crying afterward. References to sexual abuse. Very brief descriptions of masturbation. Brief descriptions of sexual contact. One scene briefly depicts sexual assault.

Spiritual Content
References to church participation. Naomi’s step-dad has had a religious experience that prompted him to want to raise his two children. Naomi’s younger brother, Beto, opts to be baptized at the church. The church pastor counsels Henry to remain pure, stay away from alcohol, and devote himself to his family. He argues with a grieving parent about whether their child, who was not baptized in his church, will be waiting for them in heaven. He tries to intervene to stop a mob from lynching a man and his son.

Violent Content
The opening scene describes the aftermath of a school explosion. Rescue workers discover remains of victims and prepare for funerals. Brief depictions of abuse/rape. A mob burns a family’s home and property, intent on hanging a man and his son. A man brutally beats someone. Multiple people die of gunshot wounds. A man repeatedly threatens to harm a boy’s pet cat.

Naomi’s mom had several miscarriages. One happens while they’re sleeping next to one another, and Naomi recalls some vivid details about it.

Drug Content
Henry is an alcoholic. His pastor encourages him to avoid drinking, but Henry gradually returns to drinking more and more alcohol.

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.

Review: Room to Dream by Kelly Yang

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Room to Dream (Front Desk #3)
Kelly Yang
Publisher
Published September 21, 2021

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About Room to Dream

New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang is back with another heartwarming and inspiring story of Mia and friends!

Mia Tang is going for her dreams!

After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family — to China! A total dream come true! Mia can’t wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China’s going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . .

1. Lupe’s taking classes at the high school! And Mia’s own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck.

2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it.

3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing.

Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!

My Review

Mia’s journey continues in the third installment of this smart, engaging series. Inspired by some events from her own childhood, Yang writes about running a family motel, pursuing a dream as a young writer, and learning to navigate challenges in friendships and family relationships.

This book invites young readers to consider how a changing political landscape impacts their families and communities. Sometimes we act like we can shelter kids from the news and political changes. And, while we can shelter them from some things, they often see and hear more than we realize. They also feel the impact of some things in the community around them.

I like that Kelly Yang introduces readers to these ideas in an age-appropriate way. Some readers will identify with Mia, a young girl from an immigrant family, watching her teacher and classmates’ attitudes change as they embrace political ideas that malign people like her. Mia shows courage by figuring out how to speak up for herself and help friends in need. She learns some lessons about being a true friend and about navigating changing feelings in a relationship.

I love this series so far, and I highly recommend it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy kisses a girl without her consent. A couple of characters discuss an unrequited crush.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone throws a bowl of punch on the floor at a school dance in a moment of anger.

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.

Review: The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards

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The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy
Erin Edwards
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 7, 2026

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About The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy

Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after in Pride and Prejudice, and now it’s his sister’s turn in this swoony queer romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Georgiana Darcy has only ever kissed one girl before, and the resulting blackmail almost ruined her reputation. Since then, she’s carefully calibrated her life to be as quiet as possible, focusing on books and music. She certainly isn’t planning on falling in love with another girl. But then she meets Kitty Bennet, and everything is thrown off kilter.

After a moonlit kiss shifts their newfound friendship into something more, Georgiana follows Kitty to the Bennets’ home. The visit proves ill-timed when she encounters the one man who knows her secret and threatened her with it before. Terrified of testing the limits of her family’s love and of putting Kitty in danger, Georgiana doesn’t know if there’s any chance of a happy ending.

Every etiquette guide she’s ever read makes it clear that if she wants to protect her family name, Georgiana must pretend her heart follows society’s accepted rhythm. Unless, with a little help from those who understand how it feels, she can compose the future she and Kitty both deserve.

My Review

It’s always interesting to read a spin-off of Pride and Prejudice. It’s the work by Jane Austen that I’m most familiar with (and a go-to audiobook when I’m having trouble sleeping), so I sometimes get picky about how authors reimagine or eliminate certain story elements.

This story takes place after the original timeline and follows the coming-of-age of Georgiana Darcy. It also features Kitty Bennet, the sister most overlooked in the original.

I liked how the book reimagines both Georgiana and Kitty. Both characters felt like they could conceivably be found in the original novel, but our understanding today of neurodivergence and identity gives the characters’ interpretations new space to expand. I especially love that, in this story, Georgiana is a composer as well as a musician. That was a nice touch. Kitty wants to explore the world, which seems very much in line with her impulsive nature in Austen’s novel.

Some minor characters seemed a little oversimplified, but for the most part, I appreciated getting to see this familiar cast on scene in this sweet story. I enjoyed the development of the girls’ romance, and especially loved that Edwards included an older couple to mentor them at a critical moment.

All in all, if you’re looking for a sapphic regency era romance, definitely try this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Vague references to homophobia or fears of homophobic reactions to coming out. References to a blackmail situation before the story began.

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: The Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee

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The Heiress of Nowhere
Stacey Lee
Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published March 17, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Heiress of Nowhere

An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this “atmospheric…beguiling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.

1918. Orcas Island, Washington.

Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.

Then she finds her employer’s severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn’t believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.

Her closest friend, the estate’s vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim.

My Review

I’m super late to the Stacey Lee fan club, but wow, I loved this book. It’s so different than other books I’ve read. The story has a bit of a spiritual or magical edge, plus all the tension of a murder mystery. I thought those elements, along with the historical setting, made this a very memorable reading experience.

Heiress of Nowhere brings together many plot elements and a fairly large cast of characters, but Lee keeps these components in perfect balance. I felt like I got a sense of the characters and invested in the relationships Lucy formed. One of my favorite characters was the secretary. I didn’t expect her to be such an important part of the story, but I loved the way that Lucy bonded with her and Flossie.

The murder mystery and the mystery surrounding the orcas and their behavior absolutely propelled me through this book. I ate up every breadcrumb that the author dropped and guessed at all the clues. It was a very engaging read.

Something about this book made me think of Angeline Boulley’s books. This story doesn’t center on Indigenous people or beliefs, but it does explore some of the history of Chinese immigrants in Washington state. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend reading Heiress of Nowhere.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
One character experiences a supernatural connection between themself and an animal. Rumors hold that another person experienced a connection like this, too.

Violent Content
References to the death of animals. A man’s head washes up on the beach after he’s murdered. Reference to a similar murder years before. Someone attacks another person and threatens to torture them to death or end their life quickly if they tell a secret. Two men get into a fistfight several times. References to an argument in which someone shot someone else in the leg. Reference to possible death by suicide (happens off-page).

Drug Content
Characters consume alcohol in a few scenes (legally).

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.