This short story follows the villains of the Elandrian series, Arius and Arriana, as they search for a mysterious crystal and have to survive the booby traps of an ancient cave to retrieve it.

There wasn't much to the story other than getting past the booby traps, and showing how heartless and power-hungry Arius and Arriana can be. I would have liked a longer story with more meat on it. For instance, how did they know which was the right cave to search? The story begins just outside the cave, and we never get to see the actual search.

The booby traps were cool, and I liked the drama as the mercenaries try to find a way past them. I wish there were more magical barriers though, and more puzzles. I really love puzzles and codes, and it would have been so much more dramatic if there had been more obstacles.

Overall, a good short story, but not amazing. It's a fun little addition to the series.

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.

Hachiken attends an agricultural high school even though he has no interest in pursuing an agricultural career. In this 3rd volume, Hachiken is conflicted about his favorite pig, Pork Bowl, being sent to the slaughterhouse. He has to work through his feelings about raising animals for slaughter, and it brings up a lot of debate among his classmates. He works hard to earn the respect of his teachers and classmates, and his thoughtfulness and kindness draws people to him.

This manga is hilarious! The characters are fun and some of them are really silly. After their summer break, they all come back to school with renewed energy and more of a sense of class unity. I really love the character dynamics and their friendships.

Hachiken has a lot of character development in this volume, and he struggles to decide how he really feels about a lot of things. He tries to help his friends to follow their dreams and goals, even though he doesn't know what his goal in life is going to be.

We get to meet Hachiken's older brother who has dropped out of college, and we get a little bit of a closer look at Hachiken's family life, but it's still a mystery why Hachiken left his family.

I love the drama and emotional development in this volume!

Delightful story that reminds me a lot of Roald Dahl's style! Entirely different from the movie. I did not like the illustrations though; too dark and heavy-handed.

This short Christmas story is reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, in that a ghost appears and propels the main character into drastic changes with plenty of moral lessons along the way.
Dickens is extremely long-winded in this one, and at his finest with the long descriptions of everything. (Confession: I skimmed half of the descriptions.)

I loved the basic premise of the story- the sorrow and troubles in our lives teach us valuable lessons.
I laughed so hard at the Tetterby family, especially poor Johnny getting crushed every time he sits down with the baby in his lap! Haha!
But five minutes later, I was crying at the old man praying by his son's sickbed, begging God to forgive him. So touching!
Dickens did an amazing job of making it clear through their dialogue exactly when people lost or regained their memories. It could have been confusing or ambiguous, but it was clearly and beautifully written!
I loved that each character has their own funny mannerisms of speech: The old man constantly reminding everyone that he is eighty-seven, and William saying the same things over and over. So adorable! Dickens always has such brilliant characters.

I am really enjoying this manga series! Each volume is hilarious and full of interesting characters.

I'm really enjoying this manga series! All the characters are fun and interesting.

Olive imagines her father's sadness like a gray elephant that follows him around and weighs him down. She enlists the help of her best friend and her grandfather to figure out how to chase away the depressing elephant and cheer her father up.

I am so impressed with this thoughtful and sweet middle grade novel. The story is really emotional, and the writing gently leads us through the journey that Olive takes to reach out to her father. All the elements in the story dove-tail together so beautifully: a project that Olive is working on for school, an old broken bike, a colorful pigeon, a paper airplane that floats on the breeze, and a jacaranda tree in Olive's backyard. Olive and her grandfather have a favorite song they love to sing together. Olive's best friend, Arthur, reads a huge book all about elephants and shares it with Olive. There are a dozen little details like these that make this book truly special and meaningful.

I fell in love with Olive! She is observant, kind, and introspective. She truly wants to help her family, and she learns that even small things can have a big impact on how you feel. I love how curious and imaginative she is, and she's not afraid to share her heart with people around her.
I loved Olive's side kicks: Arthur and Grandad. They are such fun supporting characters with excellent personalities and quirks of their own!

Despite the serious themes in this book, it is also full of fun and silliness! Olive climbs trees, sings songs, jumps on the trampoline, and draws colorful pictures. She notices birds, and flowers, and little scraggly plants. She sees beauty in everyone. There are many light-hearted and playful scenes in this book that keep it from feeling too heavy.

I loved the simple artwork in the illustrations. The art style makes this story come to life in black and white, and really sets the tone for the book.

There is a beautiful plot twist at the end that had me amazed, and it felt so right. Everything in this book is woven together perfectly for a powerful and interesting story.

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.

Pistachio has to babysit her baby sister, Penny, and they go to the park. But Penny keeps getting into trouble. She shoplifts fruit, she dives into a fountain to steal the coins, and she climbs over a wall into the garden of an old woman who appears to be a magical witch. They escape before they are turned into toads, but Penny is such a handful, and Pistachio is fed up with her. But at least they are never bored!

Pistachio is a mess: tangled hair, sloppy clothing, and always falling into puddles. She's so hilarious and cute! I love how she is a perfect combination of girly princess and tomboy. She is passionate and wild and impatient. I love her character development in each of the books. She is definitely bratty and rude. Her friends tease her, and never seem to have anything nice to say.  But I can forgive that because Pistachio does seem to learn her lesson by the end. 

The illustrations are completely adorable. The bright colors and cartoony style are charming and sweet. I love the funny expressions on the characters' faces. It brings the story to life! I really like the pretty design of this book.

The writing is delightfully funny with rich words, perfect for expanding the vocabulary of young readers aged 8-11. I love that vivid words like "menacing, clenches, preening, triumphant, rustling, and frantically" are included in the book. The writing is clear and powerful. This is a great little chapter book for readers who are starting to read more on their own.

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.

Pistachio is convinced that she is actually a kidnapped princess. She receives a mysterious crown in the mail, and believes that her real parents, the king and queen, will be coming to take her away to a palace. When she wears her crown to school, the other children make fun of her. Eventually, Pistachio learns to appreciate her family even if they aren't royalty. She even learns to love her bratty little sister, Penny.

Pistachio is a mess: tangled hair, sloppy clothing, and always falling into puddles. She's so hilarious and cute! I love how she is a perfect combination of girly princess and tomboy. She is passionate and wild and impatient. I love her character development in each of the books. She is definitely bratty and rude. Her friends tease her, and never seem to have anything nice to say.  But I can forgive that because Pistachio does seem to learn her lesson by the end. 

The illustrations are completely adorable. The bright colors and cartoony style are charming and sweet. I love the funny expressions on the characters' faces. It brings the story to life! I really like the pretty design of this book.

The writing is delightfully funny with rich words, perfect for expanding the vocabulary of young readers aged 8-11. I love that vivid words like "menacing, clenches, preening, triumphant, rustling, and frantically" are included in the book. The writing is clear and powerful. This is a great little chapter book for readers who are starting to read more on their own.

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.

Pistachio takes her dog to an audition for a theater play, but the only thing her dog can do is sleep all day. How can she get her dog to perform at the theater if he just snores through his audition? At first, Pistachio's friends tease her about her boring dog, but when Pistachio's dog becomes famous, they might get a little jealous.

Pistachio is a mess: tangled hair, sloppy clothing, and always falling into puddles. She's so hilarious and cute! I love how she is a perfect combination of girly princess and tomboy. She is passionate and wild and impatient. I love her character development in each of the books. She is definitely bratty and rude. Her friends tease her, and never seem to have anything nice to say.  But I can forgive that because Pistachio does seem to learn her lesson by the end. 

The illustrations are completely adorable. The bright colors and cartoony style are charming and sweet. I love the funny expressions on the characters' faces. It brings the story to life! I really like the pretty design of this book.

The writing is delightfully funny with rich words, perfect for expanding the vocabulary of young readers aged 8-11. I love that vivid words like "menacing, clenches, preening, triumphant, rustling, and frantically" are included in the book. The writing is clear and powerful. This is a great little chapter book for readers who are starting to read more on their own.

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.