Nita is shipped off to Ireland to stay with her Aunt Annie for a few weeks. The barriers between Ireland and the Old World of Tir na nOg are thin, and Nita must help the Irish wizards to ward off nightmare creatures from the past. Legends and monsters from Irish legend come into the realm of reality, and only Nita and her friends have the magical power and the connections to stop them.

As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There's something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. They possess great magical power; they encounter mystic beings; and they get embarrassed when their socks don't match. Those little down-to-earth moments, like drinking a cup of tea and finding your favorite tennis shoes before going off to fight in the faerie wars, are what make her stories so special.

There's always a current of awareness running under her stories that glances out through little things, showing the dark and brightness in every human heart with a startling clarity. I love the way that each wizard responds to and experiences the magical powers they harness, and there is a reflection of struggle and understanding inside themselves. It makes the magic system so deep and wide and omnipresent in each aspect of the story, because of its complexity and actuality.
(I'm trying so hard to explain the particular enchantment of this magical setting, but I'm failing miserably. It won't make sense unless you've read the magic yourself.)

As always, I adore Nita and Kit's friendship! They are so comfortable together, and there is such a depth of understanding between them. Every scene with them is so carefully and beautifully written.

The plot in this one kept me reading and wondering and enjoying every page! I loved all the Irish mythology, and I consulted Wikipedia many times, looking up the old legends and tales, and trying to figure out how to pronounce all the Irish names.

I love that this author always deals with heavy subjects - sacrifice, and honor, and the meaning of truth- but there's also much light-hearted fun in her books.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Reuben is a city explorer, poking his nose into deserted alleys, climbing rooftops, and discovered hidden places. He finds a mysterious hidden clockwatch that leads him into adventure and danger. Reuben is hunted by the criminal mastermind, The Smoke, who is searching for the clock. Reuben must find out the secrets of the clockwatch and its origins before The Smoke and his henchmen, The Directions, find him and steal the clock.

Such a wonderful plot! I was interested to see how the mystery of the clockwatch played out, and I loved all the twists and turns. A couple of plot things were a little obvious, but I still loved it! The pacing of the writing, and the way the story moves along is just perfect. The city/country setting made a good backdrop for the story, and pushed the narrative along as though the city were its own character. I was pulled into the suspense, and I laughed and chuckled. The book really drew me into the world.

I adore all the characters! Reuben is a delightful main character. He's curious and bold and independent. I especially loved his relationship with his mother, and how those two are such good friends and look out for each other.

I liked the fragile Mrs. Genevive, the clockmaker, and how she immediately becomes a grandmotherly figure in Reuben's life.
I loved the wild and carefree Penny, with her flaming red hair and freckles. Her joyful spirit just flies off the page!
And I fell in love with the deliciously sly Jack! He is such an enigma, but I love how commanding he is without being bossy, how brave he is without being stupid, and how he always manages to be a rogue without being a jerk. He's so dashing and wild!

I love this series so much! Every book is wonderful!
In this book, Miri is asked to be a tutor at a Princess Academy for some distant cousins of the royal family. But Miri is not expecting to be teaching Poise, Elocution, and Etiquette in a backwoods swamp filled with reed huts, snakes, and alligators. As always, Miri is ready for a challenge, but when war threatens the peaceful country of Asland, the people are looking to Miri to solve their problems and bring peace. The political situation begins to unravel, and only Miri and her new Princess Academy students can expose the lies and deception that are plunging the country into a bloody war.

I adore Miri! All the time, every book, every page, she is golden. She's spunky, decisive, curious, and compassionate, but she also makes mistakes, feels weak and scared, and struggles with her unique situation. She's a real person to me, and I can't give higher praise than that.

The plot is surprising, with twists and secrets all over the place. The story moves at a good pace. The characters are diverse, complex, and adorable. I love love love the world-building! Especially the unfolding mysteries of linder stone and it's special properties.

I'm so sad that there won't be more books in this series, but it is a very satisfying ending.

I am so impressed with this book! I loved every second of it! There are definite influences of the Italian Renaissance in the setting through the artwork, architecture, and names. The writing is full of action, mystery, and magic, and of course, the characters are absolutely delightful. They feel like real people, varied and interested, changing and growing all the time, each with their own secrets and agendas.

Giacomo is an orphan, living on the streets, when he mysteriously acquires a Genius, a little bird that is a companion to artists to inspire their imaginations and give them magical powers of creativity. But the evil ruler, Nerezza, sends her soldiers to kill all the Genius birds and their artists, and Giacomo and his new little friend are on the run. Giacomo teams up with some other artsy children, and they go on a quest to find an object of magical power to bring Nerezza's evil rule to an end.

One of the best things about this book is the unique magic system based on art forms, including sculpture and music. As the children begin learning Sacred Geometry and how everything in the universe is created from those shapes, they learn that everything is connected, and their magical power and strength all stems from the True Creator. Then the children can work together with their Genius birds to create shapes, draw forms, and use those to heal, to destroy, or to create images and material forms. It's interesting especially because it's based on real geometry and art techniques. I loved reading all about it!

I could definitely feel an "Avatar: The Last Airbender" influence in the structure of the story, and I loved it! A bunch of kids with magical powers team up, and go on a quest to stop an evil ruler. They are still learning how to use their magical abilities. Some of them are prickly and mean at first, but gradually warm up and start to trust each other. All of them have secrets and/or a damaged past that spurs them onward. It's great stuff, and there's a reason this kind of story structure works so well!
But Rebel Genius is definitely its own story, with a unique magic system, a totally different world setting, and a new set of characters that are not at all derivative of ATLA. Similar structure, but a completely new story.

Another great thing about this story is that there are puzzles, codes, and delicious mysteries everywhere! I do adore a good coded enigma!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!!

Any story about Robin Hood is bound to be delightful, full of fun and adventure, but the addition of a Maid Marian who is obsessed with falconry, can talk to her hawks, and enlist their help in the fight against the evil Prince John... well, that is simply genius!

I adore Marian's character, or Matty as she is known in her youth. She's plucky and independent, brave and smart. She just wants to be one of the guys, hanging out with the Merry Men, doing the whole outlaw thing in Sherwood; and eventually, through her resourcefulness, she wins their respect and admiration.

There is a darker side to the story, since Prince John, the Sherriff, and the evil Abbess of Nottingham are up to their old atrocities. We see Matty's parents attacked, her mother killed, her home ransacked, her people starving. Matty herself goes through some mild torture and pain. It's not a pretty story.

But there is also a light-hearted side to the story, as the Merry Men are playing their practical jokes on the rich, in addition to robbing them of their gold.

The sweet romance that grows between Marian and Robin is delightfully woven into the adventure in little bits here and there. Robin is the perfect hero, all courageous and generous and self-sacrificing, with a smile and charm that melts hearts.

The best part of the book though are the hawks themselves. Each hawk has its own story, its own character, even its own voice as Matty communicates with them all. They play a large part in the plot, and there is even some magic woven into the nature of Matty's connection with her birds.

Tyler and Lucinda are dismayed that they have to spend the summer at the farm with their mysterious Uncle Gideon, whom they have never met. But when they arrive at Ordinary Farm, they find it full of mythical beasts and other-worldly people. The secrets go deep, and the past will threaten everyone on the farm, unless Tyler and Lucinda can navigate the mysteries of Ordinary Farm, warding off attack from the outside before it collapses from within.

I liked Tyler and Lucinda a lot, especially because they bicker and tease each other at the beginning, as all good siblings do, and then they have some wonderful character development. I love stories about siblings learning to appreciate each other!

The setting of an amazing farm for mythical beasts is excellently written. Barns full of weird animals, pens for basilisks, feeding times, grazing unicorns, and of course some wild dragons, all make for a fantastic setting.

The plot takes a little while to warm up, but then the secrets start coming out and the mystery heightens, culminating in plenty of action towards the end.

The supporting characters are all weird and secretive and snooping, each with their own history and their own agenda. I was intrigued by the variety of characters, and enjoyed finding out more about each one.

Fern is a magical girl with a secret parentage, and when she meets her true father, The Bone, and leaves her extremely dull adoptive parents, she is swept into adventure and danger. The Bone's archnemesis, The Miser, is lurking in the shadows and plotting evil, and it's up to Fern to discover the secrets of her parents' murky past in order to puzzle through the future and find her true identity.

Fairies, several famous Rabbits with pocket watches and blue coats missing buttons, an enigmatic Robin, a rather large Peach, and a few tiny Borrowers make their appearances in this bookish book for book lovers. When characters and objects start falling out of their books, you never know who or what will pop into the story!

I liked how the various storybook characters have very small parts, but this storyline is entirely Fern's own story. The other characters never hijack HER story, but stay firmly in the background.
The plot is funny and silly and surprising. I loved the ridiculous plot twists, that despite their absurdity were somehow still believable within the world of the story.

The best parts of this book are Fern's unruly spirit and her budding friendship with her father, The Bone. At first, the two are very awkward with each other, not willing to admit their feelings. Seeing them gradually rely on each other and begin to understand and appreciate each other was simply brilliant writing and delightful to read!

Fern has a wild spirit and an unruly mind, her thoughts flying in all directions at once. She casts off the shackles of dullness and politeness and perfection, so that she can be simply and beautifully herself. Her personality is hilarious and sweet and curious and brave. I adore her, and she is the perfect main character for a bouncing plot like this.

This hilarious "jungle noir" mystery features endangered animals, a panda detective, villainous snakes and shrews, and one very enigmatic green bird.
Jake G. Panda is a hotel detective who gets involved in a mystery that will lead him on an adventure across the Sahara, through Morocco, and to fabled lost cities in Asia. Following the signs of the green bird, Jake has to fight off not only poaching humans, but also back-stabbing animals willing to make a few dollars on other animals' misery.

The humor is wonderful with lots of puns and classic lines from film noir! It reads like a funny version of the Maltese Falcon or Casablanca. It's hilarious and delightful to read!

The characters are mostly endangered species with their own funny characteristics; the grumpy waitress at the diner, the jovial hotel clerk with a past to hide, the dumb but loyal sidekick, and of course the beautiful femme fatale singer in the club.

The only thing I didn't like was the writing style. It's written in present tense which always gets on my nerves, and there are cues as though it were a movie script. Sometimes it cuts to another scene and I have to stop and figure out where things are happening; that was jarring, and I wish it flowed more smoothly or had page breaks in between scenes to help show more clearly that the scene has changed. But that's just my personal peeve; it's actually written clearly and well.

A very fun book for kids to educate them about different types of endangered species without feeling like a textbook lesson!

When Hazel Wong stumbles across the corpse of a murdered teacher, no one believes her except her faithful friend, Daisy Wells, and it's up to the two girls to investigate the murder in between classes and still get their homework done. This 1930s British boarding school is the perfect setting for a murder mystery!

I love stories about boarding schools, and the little everyday goings-on of this school make for a hilarious story!
The plot has a lot of red herrings, so I never saw the solution until the very end. I puzzling and puzzling through the whole thing, and completely surprised at the end.

Hazel Wong is a complex character. As a "foreigner" trying to fit into British society, she learns to imitate the other girls at the school so that she doesn't stand out, but still remains true to herself in her own way. She wants to be brave, but has very natural fears and sensitivities, which she has difficulty hiding.
That's why it's so easy to relate to Hazel. She is a misfit. She mostly hides who she is inside and what she's feeling inside. She longs to belong, and she clings to "normality" like a security blanket. We all feel that way all the time every moment of our lives, I think.
But she shows amazing fortitude and cleverness, and runs around solving mysteries. She's a trooper, and that's why I love her!

Daisy is a little more of an enigma. She's also hiding her true self, and laughing at everyone behind her mask. She's a kind-hearted person, but feels that she has to play the social games of the school. She craves excitement and adventure, and doesn't have the same imaginative fears that Hazel suffers from.

For a simple murder mystery, this book really gets deep into the meaning of friendship and social acceptance!
I love the writing style and the funny little descriptions of boarding school life, the rules, the teachers, and the hierarchy of students.
I want to read everything from the Wells and Wong series!