Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

the-scorpio-racesThe Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press

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Every year the deadly capaill uisce emerge from the sea. Lucky riders will capture one of these bloodthirsty water horses and ride in the Scorpio Races, competing for a prize purse – it’s enough money to change a life. And it’s exactly what Puck Connolly is hoping to achieve. If she can win the race, she can keep her family together in their home. If she loses, she will lose everything.

Sean Kendrick knows too well the risks of the race. As a boy, he watched his father murdered by the … Continue reading

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel HartmanSeraphina
Rachel Hartman
Random House
Published in 2013

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Seraphina has lived a carefully unnoticed life. Even as a talented musician, she’s always avoided the spotlight in order to protect a terrible secret that, if discovered, will threaten her life and that of her family.

When a prince of Goredd is murdered, rumors circulate that a dragon is the culprit. These rumors threaten the uneasy peace between humans and dragons. Drawn into the murder investigation, Seraphina helps the handsome captain of the guard, Prince Lucien, to bring the killer to justice.

Seraphina’s quick thinking and easy lying … Continue reading

Review: The Ruby Airship by Sharon Gosling

The Ruby Airship by Sharon GoslingThe Ruby Airship
Sharon Gosling
Capstone Young Readers
Published on February 1, 2015

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Reformed jewel thief Remy Brunel tries to live the quiet life of a stage performer in a busy London theater. Thaddeus Rec, a detective with the London police force, wants to believe Remy has given up her old ways. When one of Remy’s old friends shows up in town, he can’t help but wonder if this man is connected to a string of impossible robberies he is responsible to solve.

As Thaddeus investigates further, he uncovers hints of a much larger, more sinister plot. Before … Continue reading

Review: Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

golden-daughterGolden Daughter
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Rooglewood Press
Available November 25, 2014

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A Dream Walker with legendary power returns from a dream marked by an enemy hand and lost in a trance. Hoping to buy time for her healing, the high priest places her in the care of a cunning protector. As one of the emperor’s famed Golden Daughters, Sairu vows to serve her mistress on a dangerous journey from the emperor’s palace to a remote temple. They are accompanied by an orange cat and a slave boy with unexpected abilities. A dark enemy seeks to eliminate the Dream Walker in Sairu’s care.

Fans of the Tales … Continue reading

Review: Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen

Both of Me by Jonathan FriesenBoth of Me
Jonathan Friesen
Zonderkidz Books
Published December 23, 2014

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On the run from a past she can’t bear to face, Clara retraces her the journey outlined in her father’s journal. Then a captivating, broken boy derails her. He sketches things he shouldn’t know. Images from memories she wants to forget. And she can’t let him out of her sight until she understands how he knows these things.

But following Elias means a trip into fantasy. The boy has two parts – the gentle Elias who soothes Clara’s fears and the rough, unpredictable one who lives in an imaginary world called Salem and a great evil to the east. … Continue reading

Review: Wonder by R J Palacio

Wonder by R. J. PalacioWonder
R J Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published February 14, 2012

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Fifth grade student August Pullman faces his first day at school. After being homeschooled for his entire previous education, his parents have decided it’s time for him to be around other kids his age. He’s prepared academically. He’s even met a couple of students already who’ve been very kind. But no one has prepared the rest of the school for August and his unusual appearance. When some students turn cruel, Auggie and his few friends band together, determined to outlast the hazing.

The story is first narrated first … Continue reading