Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White

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Thickety: A Path BeginsThe Thickety: A Path Begins
J A White
Katherine Tegen Books
Published May 6, 2014

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On the day of her brother’s birth, six year-old Kara witnesses her mother’s sentencing and execution as a witch. Branded as outcasts, Kara and her sickly younger brother struggle to scratch a living out of their failing farmland. Then the forbidden forest known as the Thickety begins calling to Kara. Hidden in the dark soil beneath the trees, Kara finds a powerful book of magic.

Though she’s determined to be a good girl, Kara soon finds herself caught in the pull … Continue reading →

Review: The Amaranth Enchantment

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Amaranth Enchantment by Julie BerryThe Amaranth Enchantment
Julie Berry
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published

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After the unexpected deaths of her parents, young Lucinda is thrown on the kindness of her uncle and his second wife. She spends her days as a servant in their jewel shop, ducking her aunt’s wrath and dreaming of a different future.

Three visitors to the shop change the course of her life: a prince, a wealthy woman rumored to be a witch, and an overconfident young thief. In different ways the visits inspire Lucinda to try to reclaim her lost family home. She will need help from all three … Continue reading →

Review: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson

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The Princess Spy by Melanie DickersonThe Princess Spy
Melanie Dickerson
Zonderkids
Published November 4, 2014

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Despite her romantic dreams and wishes, Margaretha is determined to wed a man who will secure her family’s future as well as her own. When a handsome though bedraggled stranger warns her that Lord Claybrook, her latest beau, is a fraud, Margaretha at first thinks him delusioned by fever.

Gradually she comes to accept and respect Colin, the English stranger and even volunteers to spy on Lord Claybrook for him. When Claybrook’s men seize her castle at Hagenheim and threaten the lives of her family members, it’s up to Margaretha and Colin to stop … Continue reading →

Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

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Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer PayneSince You’ve Been Gone
Mary Jennifer Payne
Dundurn
Published February 17, 2015

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Edie has to be ready to run at any time. Even though it’s been years, he still chases them. She and her mom move again and again, trying to stay ahead of him, but somehow he always finds them. The most recent move takes them to London, where her mom grew up. It’s a foreign place to Edie, who struggles to grasp the slang and hide within the shelter of a clique of girls.

When her mother disappears, Edie has two … Continue reading →

Review: Scents and Senses by Loren Secretts

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Scents and Senses by Loren SecrettsScents and Senses
Loren Secretts
Astraea Press
Published April 15, 2014

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Starra never asked for an invisible guardian to step in and make her life extraordinary. Yet when Joy began watching over her, she just couldn’t help herself. How can Starra not want the world to know how amazing she is? Unfortunately, Joy’s aid brings Starra more attention than she ever wanted. But when some serious creeps try to shut down her island home, Starra depends on Joy and her friends to bring help before someone gets hurt.

Joy is a mysterious three-toed Deeem. She has the ability to … Continue reading →

Review: Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen

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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 →