kailey_luminouslibro's reviews
3794 reviews

Falcon Quinn and two neighbor kids board the school bus one morning and are whisked away to the Monster Academy, where they will discover their monster natures. Max finds out that he is actually a sasquatch, and Megan appears to be some sort of elemental. But no one is sure what Falcon might be. The teachers and nursing staff do all sorts of tests, but they can't find out what type of monster he is. All around him the other kids are turning into werewolves, zombies, vampires, and even a little tiny Chupacabra from Peru. But Falcon is a mystery.

I really liked Falcon's character. He has a complex personality as he tries to fit in somewhere at the Academy. He doesn't feel like a real monster, but he doesn't feel human either. He just doesn't seem to belong anywhere. I think we all feel like that as young teenagers, trying to discover our place in the world.

The writing is really excellent. It brings you into the scenes with emotional hooks that make the characters feel real. The world building is fun and imaginative. If you like monsters and horror tropes, then you will enjoy this book. It's never too scary or gross though. The plot is exciting and adventurous. There is a lot of comedy that keeps it light-hearted.

I enjoyed reading this one! But I wish it were a stand alone. It ends on a cliff-hanger, with some things resolved but with other plot points waiting for a resolution in the second and third books of the trilogy. I just don't know if I want to commit to a whole long thing with two more books right now.

This book details the Egyptian gods that are featured in the Kane Chronicles trilogy, and some of back story for the characters. It includes some real Egyptian history, and information about Egyptian artifacts found museums around the world. There are sections about the spells that the Kanes use in the books and the weapons and artifacts they use to create magic.

This book did not have any information that was not already included in the main trilogy. I did not care for the artwork. Waste of time to read this.
Even the real Egyptian history was just basic things about mummification and pyramids that any schoolchild would already know.
It's a shame that this book is so boring, because I really love the Kane Chronicles trilogy.

In this final book of the Kane Chronicles trilogy, Sadie and Carter are facing off against the evil Serpent Apophis. They have gathered many allies around them, but their enemies are more powerful than ever. There is only one way to stop Apophis from rising and devouring the sun; they must discover an ancient spell hidden by a magician who died centuries ago. Fortunately, their father has power in the Duat to locate the magician's ghost. Unfortunately, the ghost is insanely murderous and sure to betray them. It's just another day for the Kane siblings, fighting off monsters and doing the impossible.

I loved this fun adventure! Sadie is full of spunk and sass, and Carter is serious and responsible. They make a great team, and I love the sibling dynamic between them. In this book, they can almost read each other's thoughts at times. They are in tune with one another, despite their differences, because all their adventures together have forged a strong family bond.

I enjoyed the adventurous plot and learning all about Ancient Egyptian legends of the gods. The setting in this book mostly focuses on Egypt where all the battles take place. But the gods have the power to reveal themselves in many places and in many forms.

I enjoyed the writing style which jumps back and forth between narrators. Sadie and Carter take turns telling the story from their point of view. Normally that would be annoying to me, but it's very well organized with Sadie narrating one chapter and then Carter narrating the next one. Since it is so well delineated, and since they both have very unique voices, it works great for this story.

Scientists gather data and organize it to find the results and make predictions. First they have to gather the data in a random way so that there is no bias in their results. This book warns about several types of data bias that can mess up your analysis if you don't watch out. You have to consider all the variables. Once scientists have gathered their data, they can organize it in a graph or chart, and see the results. You could make a pie chart, a bar graph, or a box and whisker plot.

This is such a fun book! I love the cute illustrations and the hilarious characters. The information is clearly explained step by step in a playful way that makes it memorable. At the back of the book there are some experiments you can try to gather data and make your own charts!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Athletes have to train for years in order to qualify for the Olympic team in their sport and be selected by their country to go to the Olympic games! While there, they represent the spirit of peace and community for their nation among all the countries of the world. Most athletes discover their love of sports when they are young through sport programs at school. If they show a special aptitude or passion for one sport, they might train with an elite group or find a special coach. Then they will have a chance to be selected for the Olympics.

It was so interesting learning more about Olympian athletes and the challenges they face. I especially liked the emphasis on teamwork and promoting peace and goodwill through friendly sports competitions.

This is such a fun book! I love the cute illustrations and the hilarious characters. The information is clearly explained step by step in a playful way that makes it memorable.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

 Meteorologists gather data by sending up weather balloons, satellites, and taking readings from the ground. Then they can predict how the weather will change by using complex math and computer programs to analyze the data. They use many different weather instruments to measure temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and barometric pressure.

This is such a fun book! I love the cute illustrations and funny characters. The information is clearly explained step by step in a playful way that makes it memorable. There is even a science experiment at the back of the book that you can do to create your own thunderstorm in a plastic jar. You can also do a craft to make your own weather vane!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone. 

This humorous book introduces the reader to 50 different instruments. We learn how they are played, who invented them, and what type of music they are commonly used for. Each page has a QR code that you can scan, which will take you to a Youtube soundtrack of the instrument being played. The soundtracks are original music composed by the co-author.

I did not care for the soundtracks for each instrument. It's a lovely idea, but the music is aimless. There's no form. It's out of tune sometimes. It's boring and doesn't reflect the abilities of the instrument. I'm a musician myself, so I guess I was just expecting a lot more from these soundtracks, and was disappointed.

The book tries to bring in some humor in the text, speculating about the instrument origins that we don't know because it goes so far back in history. It was cute and made me chuckle! But I wish there had been more concrete information. The book is so focused on being funny, that it doesn't really give very many solid facts. It's just a brief introduction to each instrument, not a full explanation of the history and uses of the instrument. Still, it's good to whet your appetite to study further on your own!

The illustrations are adorable, and I loved all the cute animal characters playing the instruments!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Basil and his trusty friend, Dawson, are hot on the trail of the evil Professor Ratigan. When Basil is invited to investigate a clue that might lead to the famous Lost Colony, Ratigan infiltrates into the very heart of Baker Street and steals the clue! Now it's a race to the top of a treacherous mountain in the Alps. Who will be the first to claim worldwide fame for the discovery of the Lost Colony of mice who disappeared more than four hundred years ago?

Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world.

I love this story so much! I have always been a fan of the Great Mouse Detective cartoon, so I was delighted to discover that the movie was based on a book series. The writing is charming, the story is exciting, and the mystery is full of wild clues that only Basil can figure out. I also loved the adorable illustrations that bring the characters to life.

This chapter book would be perfect for young readers ages 6-10 who are starting to read on their own, but it is also enjoyable for older children to read. I loved reading it even as an adult!

After all their adventures, Kishan has been left behind in the past to be the tiger of the goddess Durga. Anamika has taken on the mantle of the goddess, and both Kishan and Anamika are empowered with magic that allows them to protect and heal the people who pray to the goddess. They are working together just fine, but keeping an emotional distance between them, when Phet the prophet appears and says that they must travel through time once more to save Ren and Kelsey. What follows is a wild adventure through time that will break Kishan's heart and force Anamika to face her darkest fears.

This book broke my brain! There is so much back and forth through time, but it explains a lot of things that were wild and magical in the first four books. Some parts of the plot are really adventurous and exciting, and other slower scenes focus more on the inward journey of the characters as they process everything that has happened and will happen in their future. The plot twists bring in a whole new level to all the previous books, and completely change the story from beginning to end.

I wish that I had reread the first four books before reading this one. It's been about four years since I read the rest of the series, and I had forgotten some of the details of their previous adventures. But I remembered enough to figure out what was going on without missing much.

As Kishan and Anamika revisit scenes from their past, they are forced to ponder the weight of their actions. Kishan feels a great deal of remorse for his selfish behavior in the past, and his character grows and learns through those mistakes. But he is still an adorable idiot sometimes! I really loved hearing the story from his perspective in this book.

Anamika is a mystery in the beginning. She closes off her heart and puts up a wall of belligerence. But eventually Kishan's kindness opens up a closer communication between them, and as Ana learns to trust again, they discover that a new emotional attachment is forming. I love the slow burn romance!

There are trigger warnings for slavery, kidnapping, and sexual abuse of a child, although it is never too scary or graphic. It is just kind of understood that it is happening behind closed doors, and then the child is rescued.

I basically cried through this entire book! The writing just grabs your heart and squeezes mercilessly, and then makes you laugh right in the middle of your heartache. I have a massive book hangover, and I know I'll still be thinking about this book for weeks to come.

The magic is enchanting! The characters are wonderfully complex and intense. What a wonderful series from start to finish!

This book explores the best way to write your memoir with grace if you have to tackle difficult or delicate subjects. There are chapters about family, children, spouses, and exes. There is a whole chapter just for writing about sex, drugs, and addiction. There are chapters about revealing secrets and how to not get sued for libel. The main focus is on how to write about awful things like abuse and divorce and cheating.

Since I don't have any horrible secrets to write about, this book wasn't helpful for me. It is well-written, but I didn't care about the excerpts from memoirs at the end of each chapter. I read some of the beginning, mostly skimmed over some of the first chapters, then completely skipped most of the middle, and read some more at the end. Most of the book doesn't apply to me at all.