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Review: The Storm Keeper’s Battle by Catherine Doyle

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The Storm Keeper's Battle by Catherine Doyle

Storm Keeper’s Battle (Storm Keeper #3)
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury
Published December 28, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Storm Keeper’s Battle

Fionn Boyle, Storm Keeper of Arranmore, is facing the fight of his life. The terrifying all- powerful sorceress Morrigan has been raised from the dead and has sealed off the island from all help.

Fionn is the only thing that stands between her and a dark future. He’s got to find a way to defeat her. But there are some terrible choices in store for Fionn as the dark sorcerer begins to take his nearest and dearest for her own. With only two candles left to burn, will Fionn master his powers in time to stop her?

In the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Storm Keeper’s Island series, evil sorceress Morrigan rises, and Fionn and his friends must use their wits to save Arranmore Island’s future.

“Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson can add Fionn Boyle as a generous and brave hero from the Emerald Isle.” –SCHOOL LIBRARY CONNECTION on THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND.

My Review

Confession: I learned that THE STORM KEEPER’S BATTLE came out in the UK in March, so I ordered a copy and read it long before the US release date. This is something I’ve never done before, but I seriously could not wait to read this book all the way until October. So technically I read the UK release of the book, but I waited to post my review until close to the release date here in the US.

I have too many favorite things about this book. The friendships between Fionn, Shelby and Sam. The way it again ties together all these moments in the island’s past and Fionn’s role in those events. The memories of and presence of Fionn’s grandfather. I may have sobbed through a couple of scenes.

At the beginning of the book, I’ll admit I was a little nervous that it would be tons of chapters of Fionn and friends stumbling around looking for clues and killing time until the final battle with Morrigan. But as the trail of breadcrumbs began to take shape pretty quickly and the stakes continued to go up higher and higher, I felt like I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I got completely lost in the story and couldn’t stop reading until I reached the very last page.

This is one of my favorite series ever. I want to have ten children so that I can read these books aloud to each one of them. I love the story of courage, family, friendships, and community. And I love the magic and the candles and the way that love speaks across time. It’s so, so good.

If this is the first you’ve heard of the Storm Keeper books, please check out my review of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, the first book in the series as you’ll definitely want to read that one first.

If you liked THE RAVEN HEIR by Stephanie Burgis, definitely check out the Storm Keeper series!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used twice.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
An evil sorcerer gathers the souls of others to her, making a cape from them and controlling their bodies, commanding them like an army. Fionn also has some magical abilities. He has candles from his grandfather which allow him to visit other times in the island’s history.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and battle violence. Fionn and his allies must battle a sorceress and her powerful, Titan-like brothers.

Drug Content
Fionn’s uncles drink wine and share stories with the family.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

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The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe
Tricia Springstubb
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published June 1, 2021

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About The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah’s surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter?

Things get worse yet when Loah’s elderly caretakers fall ill and she finds herself all alone except for her friend Ellis. Ellis has big problems of her own, but she believes in Loah. She’s certain Loah has strengths that are hidden yet wonderful, like the golden feather tucked away on her namesake bird’s wing. When Dr. Londonderry’s expedition goes terribly wrong, Loah needs to discover for herself whether she has the courage and heart to find help for her mother, lost at the top of the world.

Beautifully written, THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE is about expeditions big and small, about creatures who defy gravity and those of us who are bound by it.

For fans of SHOUTING AT THE RAIN by Lynda Mullaly and THE ADVENTURES OF A GIRL CALLED BICYCLE by Christina Uss, a novel about one unadventurous girl who discovers she is anything but.

My Review

I want to say all the things about this book at the same time, which could be my coffee kicking in. This book is odd in all the best possible ways. It has super quirky characters. A mysterious home deep in the woods. I love stories that feature the importance of community and found family, and THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE UNIVERSE absolutely does that so well.

At the beginning of the story, Loah is isolated and fearful. She’s counting down the days until her mom comes home and life will be normal again. Not only does that not happen, but her mom extending her trip is only the first in a series of dominoes that change Loah’s carefully ordered small world. As she faces circumstances that challenge her, she finds a fierceness that she didn’t know she had. The girl who once felt as isolated as an endangered bird becomes the catalyst for bringing a group of unconnected people together as a community.

I love the characters in this book. Sweet, soft-spoken Theo who can always be counted on to slip Loah some gummy worms and pragmatic, no-nonsense Miss Rinker reminded me of Matthew and Marilla from ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Loah’s neighbors, a keep-to-themselves, self-sufficient family also have strong personalities. At first they scare Loah, but they teach her a lot about resilience and family.

I haven’t read either of the two books mentioned in the book summary, but THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE reminded me of SIX FEET BELOW ZERO by Ena Jones or CHIRP by Kate Messner. I think readers who enjoyed either of those books or who just like stories featuring small, quirky towns with big characters will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
One minor character is described as having dark skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some pieces fall from Loah’s roof, nearly injuring someone. A vulture vomits on someone.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The People We Choose by Katelyn Detweiler

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The People We Choose
Katelyn Detweiler
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published May 4, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The People We Choose

When Calliope Silversmith meets her new neighbor Max, their chemistry is instantaneous, but the revelation of her biological father’s identity throws her whole life into disarray.

Calliope Silversmith has always had just two friends in her small Pennsylvania town, Ginger and Noah, and she’s fine with that. She’s never wanted anything more than her best friends, her moms, their house in the woods, and their family-run yoga studio–except maybe knowing who her sperm donor is. Her curiosity has been building for years, and she can finally find out this summer when she turns eighteen.

But when Max and his family move into the sad old house across the woods from Calliope, she realizes it’s nice to get to know someone new, so nice that she decides to break her no dating rule. The stability of her longtime trio wavers as she and Max start to spend more and more time together.

When Calliope finally finds out who her sperm donor is, she learns a truth more shocking and unfathomable than she could have ever dreamed: her donor is Max’s father. How is this even possible? As she and Max struggle to redefine their friendship, Calliope realizes that she can turn a horrific situation into something positive by recognizing and accepting that family is both the one we are born into and the one we choose to make.

My Review

I love relationship books– and this is definitely a relationship book. Calliope has two lifelong best friends, one of whom is in love with her. She doesn’t return those feelings, though, and for a while, things go unsaid and unacknowledged. Max’s arrival and the obvious chemistry between Calliope and Max changes that, though.

I identified with that conflict so much– the complicated situation that a friendship where one person has greater feelings can become. I still have a lot of feelings of guilt and regret over a relationship in my own past, so it was both heartbreaking and cathartic to see that conflict on the page. I remember literally thinking some of the things Calliope thinks in wrestling with the relationship, so that felt real to me. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen another book tackle that situation in such a real, frank way.

Another thing I liked is the fact that while the story has some romantic feelings in it, it doesn’t center around romance. It really explores what makes a family and how to redefine relationships in the face of difficult changes. I liked the way Calliope’s moms were protective and paying attention, but that they also gave her space to find her own way. I felt like their relationships had a great balance in that way.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading PEOPLE WE CHOOSE. I think people who enjoyed YOUR DESTINATION IS ON THE LEFT by Lauren Spieller or who like books exploring relationships will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Max is Black. Ginger is a lesbian. Calliope has two moms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger Warning for Incest
Brief descriptions of kissing between boy and girl (who turn out to be siblings and really grossed out about it later.)

Reference to a kiss between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of heated arguments between adults. Brief description of a woman’s accidental death.

Drug Content
One minor character is an alcoholic.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of PEOPLE WE CHOOSE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

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Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini
Betsy Uhrig
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 22, 2020

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About Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini

Books aren’t supposed to be dangerous. Are they?

Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children’s book, he figures it’s an easy way to make ten bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn’t have only a few boring pages…the whole thing is a lost cause.
br>Alex gives his aunt some ideas to help her out—like adding danger and suspense. But books can’t just be interesting. They also have to be believable. Soon Alex recruits his friends to help him act out scenes so he can describe all the important details. He’s even getting plot twists from a mysterious stranger (who might also be a ghost). Too late, Alex discovers that being a real-life stunt double for a fictional character can land you in terrible trouble—even if your friends are laughing their heads off!

My Review

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you need a really good story to pull you out of a really terrible week, and you find exactly the right one and it somehow makes your life so much better? This was my experience with DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI.

I was having a really rough week. My cat had surgery, and I had my own health issues. I wasn’t sleeping much. I really didn’t feel like reading, but I didn’t feel like doing anything else, either. So I picked up this book hoping for hilarity and miracles, and it absolutely delivered.

First off, I was intrigued by the opening– we learn about a famous book that had a difficult beginning. And we meet Alex, a goofy, determined kid who doesn’t have a lot of faith in his own imagination and has a whole lot of trouble sitting still. He gets roped into helping his aunt fix her very boring book, and soon he and his friends are off testing scene ideas and chasing down a helpful writing ghost. I loved Alex’s friends and the relationships he forms with members of the senior center. This is one of those books that keeps you laughing and reminds you of the power of community to help one another and family to stick by each other. It’s packed with spunky characters and adventure and absolutely full of heart. It was exactly the book I needed to read.

I also love that the story championed audiobooks as an alternative way to read and that the crafty librarian is a hero, too. I think readers who enjoy funny stories and powerful friendships will love DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Alex’s friends are Latinx.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Alex and his friends joke that his neighbor’s house has a ghost.

Violent Content
Alex and his friends create a model for the final battle in his aunt’s story and discuss what kind of injuries it might cause the characters.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: Send a Girl! by Jessica M. Rinker and Meg Hunt

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Send a Girl!: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY
Jessica Rinker
Illustrated by Meg Hunt
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published March 9, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Send a Girl!

Brenda Berkman was often told that she couldn’t do certain things because she was a girl. When she grew up, she longed for a job that was challenging, different every day, and required physical and mental strength. In 1977 when the New York City Fire Department finally complied with the Civil Rights Act (from 1964) by allowing women to take the FDNY exam, Brenda jumped at the chance.

But the FDNY changed the rules of the exam so women wouldn’t be able to pass it. Even a lot of men couldn’t pass this new exam.

So Brenda Berkman took the FDNY to court. In 1982, they finally made a fair test, and Brenda and 41 other women passed. Brenda went on to serve in the FDNY for 25 years, reaching the positions of Lieutenant and Captain, and was a first responder during the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9/11. After her retirement, Brenda founded the United Women Firefighters, an organization that helps train and prepare women to be firefighters. Send a Girl! is Brenda Berkman’s inspiring story.

My Review

I’m really excited to see this particular story– about Brenda Berkman, and how women joined the FDNY– coming to shelves in a way that young readers can enjoy.

The pictures are expressive and bright, really adding depth to the words on each page. I like how expressive the faces of the characters are, too.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, hitting the perfect high notes of Brenda’s youth and her career as a firefighter. It feels powerful and triumphant.

I also like that it doesn’t end with Brenda Berkman successfully becoming a firefighter, but that the story also discusses discrimination against female firefighters in an open but not defeated way.

This book would make a great addition to a classroom or library, and seems like it’d be especially useful in talking with students or kids about community and careers.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 6 to 10.

Representation
The story focuses on Brenda Berkman, a white woman and includes references to discrimination that she and others faced as women on the job as firefighters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some scenes show people being rescued from fires. Some references to 9/11. It’s a pretty brief mention, told appropriately for younger readers.

Also some mention of discrimination the Brenda and other women faced as firefighters. It’s mentioned that some of the pranks against them were dangerous, but no details are given.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of Send a Girl! in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: Amina’s Song by Hena Khan

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Amina’s Song
Hena Khan
Simon & Schuster / Salaam Reads
Published March 9, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Amina’s Song

It’s the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of it. The food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family—all of it holds a special place in Amina’s heart. Now that the school year is starting again, she’s sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale.

After she’s home, though, her friends don’t seem overly interested in her trip. And when she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates focus on the worst parts of the story. How can Amina share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen?

In the companion novel to the beloved and award-winning AMINA’S VOICE, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves—this time across continents.

My Review

I read AMINA’S SONG at the perfect time– just when I needed a warm, fun story of community and family and belonging. I loved the chapters showing Amina with her family in Pakistan. The descriptions of the market, the rooftop, and the food all made those scenes come to life. I also loved Amina’s relationship with her cousin Zohra and her uncle.

I also loved the way the story followed her faith and her connection with her mosque and the ways she and others sought to help refugees who had just come to America. That generosity and welcoming warmth was really sweet.

As with AMINA’S VOICE, this story also focuses on Amina’s internal journey. She feels caught between her love for America and Pakistan and at a loss for how to explain and show that love to the people in her life on each side. I love that her path led her to compose her own music and challenged her to find ways to speak up, both in her class project about Malala and in her friendships.

All in all, I’d say this book is another winner. It’s got a strong faith-positive message, and a beautiful celebration of community as well as a thoughtful, brave heroine in Amina. Readers who enjoy multicultural stories or are looking for books that celebrate community will definitely want this one on their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Amina’s family are Pakinstani-American Muslims. The first part of the book takes places in Lahore, Pakistan, where Amina is visiting her family.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Amina makes friends with a boy at school and her friends tease her about being romantically interested. She is not allowed to date, and believes she wants to simply be friends with Nico.

Spiritual Content
Amina and her family are Muslims. She talks about reading the Quran and spending time in prayer. She’s also involved with continued fundraising to rebuild the mosque her family attends after it was vandalized a year earlier.

Violent Content
Amina learns about Malala and briefly discusses that she was shot in the head by the Taliban. She tells her cousin she was afraid to come to Pakistan because of the stories of violence she’d heard on the news. Her cousins in Pakistan worry that Amina and her brother could be shot, since they see reports of school shootings in the news so often.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of AMINA’S SONG in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. All opinions are my own.