Review: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil

Mooncakes
Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil
Oni Press
Published October 22, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mooncakes

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering … Continue reading

Review: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD and Deepak Chopra

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Nonviolent Communication
Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD and Deepak Chopra
Puddledancer Press
Published September 1, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Nonviolent Communication

An enlightening look at how peaceful communication can create compassionate connections with family, friends, and other acquaintances, this international bestseller uses stories, examples, and sample dialogues to provide solutions to communication problems both at home and in the workplace. Guidance is provided on identifying and articulating feelings and needs, expressing anger fully, and exploring the power of empathy in order to speak honestly without creating hostility, break patterns of thinking that lead to anger and depression, and communicate compassionately. Included in the new … Continue reading

Review: The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan

The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan

The Prince of Nowhere
Rochelle Hassan
HarperCollins
Published May 3, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Prince of Nowhere

Roda isn’t afraid of the monsters that roam the wilds of the Aerlands. She’s safe in her small town, surrounded by a wall of freezing, enchanted mist that keeps the beasts away. So when Roda rescues an injured crow on the instruction of her secret pen pal, Anonymous – whose letters arrive without warning and correctly predict the future – she’s surprised to learn she’s brought one of the so-called monsters home. Because her crow is really a shape-shifting boy named Ignis.

Ignis doesn’t … Continue reading

Review: Upstander by James Preller

Upstander by James Preller

Upstander
James Preller
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 11, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Upstander

Girl bullies, internet bullying, and substance use are themes in this James Preller middle grade standalone companion to Bystander

Mary O’Malley is tired of keeping secrets. Secrets like her older brother, Jonny’s, drug use. Starting seventh grade is tough enough without the upheaval her brother is bringing to their family.

It seems the only person who might understand is Griffen Connolly, whose older sister runs with Jonny in the wrong crowd. Mary thought Griff was too cool, too popular for her. But now he wants to hang out with her, and listen.

When two girls Mary thought … Continue reading

Review: Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher

Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher

Silvertongue (Stoneheart #3) by Charlie Fletcher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 7, 2009

Amazon | Goodreads

About Silvertongue

The city of London is in the middle of one of its most destructive wars in history. And yet most of its inhabitants don’t even know it. The battle between the statues and gargoyles of London rages on. The stakes are high, with the spits engaged in a struggle against the evil taints that will determine the fate of their very souls. Twelve year old George Chapman and his friend Edie are caught in the middle. A glint with the ability to “see” the past, Edie has become a crucial asset in the ongoing war. The Gunner, a … Continue reading

Review: The Plentiful Darkness by Heather Klassner

The Plentiful Darkness by Heather Kassner

The Plentiful Darkness
Heather Klassner
Henry Holt & Co.
Published August 3, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Plentiful Darkness

In Heather Kassner’s spine-chilling fantasy novel, reminiscent of Serafina and the Black Cloak, an orphaned girl chases a thieving boy into a magician’s land of starless, moonless gloom where other children have gone missing before her.

Though the darkness is indeed plentiful, this book gleams with an eerie magic, its characters burning bright and fierce. A visual treat of a tale. –Stefan Bachmann, international bestselling author of Cinders and Sparrows

In order to survive on her own, twelve-year-old Rooney de Barra collects precious moonlight, which she draws from the evening … Continue reading