Diane and Robin are kidnapped by an alien race to be sold as slaves on a far-away planet. Their father, a starship captain, is searching the galaxy for them, but he will have to travel farther than anyone thought possible in order to rescue his daughters. However, Diane and Robin are not sitting around waiting to be rescued. They take matters into their own hands, and try a daring escape.

I enjoyed this book! The plot is a fun adventure and has some interesting twists. There were a couple of times when lucky coincidences in the plot made it a little unbelievable. I feel like the plot could have been a bit tighter in a few places. But those were few and far between, so I still liked the story a lot!

The writing is really good! I immediately connected with the story and with the characters. The pacing is excellent, and the scenes have a lot of suspense. I laughed several times at some of the funny dialogue! Those girls are so sassy!

The story includes a lot of flashbacks as the characters encounter something in the present that reminds them of something important in their past, and we get a little snapshot memory from that character. Most of the flashbacks are of the girls getting punished for some crazy prank. It got a bit repetitive after a while, and I felt like 90% of the interactions between father and daughters was always of them getting punished for something. They must have spent half their lives being grounded in their rooms!

The world-building is not particularly imaginative; it's a basic sci-fi setting similar to Star Trek. But I didn't mind that, because the main focus is on the characters.

Diane and Robin are wild little girls! They are always getting into mischief. They are bold, but also sensitive and sweet. I love how intelligent and resourceful they are!

Captain Marsh, their father, has a strong personality. He is resolute, which is good since he spends most of his time disciplining his wild daughters. He can come across as too serious at first, but then his sense of humor will shine through. I love his character!

I was so touched by the close family relationships in the Marsh family. Despite spending half their lives being grounded, the girls really do love their father and I think that deep down they appreciate the boundaries he gives them to make them feel safe. Family relationships are complex, and that is beautifully explored in this book!

I liked all the supporting characters, and the way they form strong connections with the main characters. There are the sweet grandparents who just want to protect the girls. There are various starship personnel who joke around with the girls and turn a blind eye to their pranks.

The alien villain is really nasty and evil, which gave the story weight and suspense. The stakes are high, because you can tell that this villain means business.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much!

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.

Violet has been cast in the part of Ariel in her class's production of The Tempest, but Violet doesn't feel light and airy like the fairy she is supposed to be playing. She feels heavy with sadness and worry. Her voice is a whisper, and she is petrified with stage fright. What can she do to find the courage to act in the play?

This was such a sweet book about finding your own voice and having the confidence to perform in your own way. I really liked the positive messages in this book!

I loved that Violet's grandmother encourages and guides her as Violet navigates this internal "tempest". Her grandmother is so kind and patient. Violet's uncles, who appear to be a homosexual couple, also try to encourage her.

The illustrations are so beautiful! I love the art style and the warm colors. Every page is a delight!

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.

Finn and Sage begin to wonder if there might be merfolk living in the ocean off the Scottish coast. They have been seeing strange sights in the water, and hearing a weird song that echoes off the cliffs. Sage begins to investigate in her kayak, but when Finn does a dangerous solo swim in the freezing waves, the two discover that the merfolk are more mysterious and strange than any legend they have ever heard. The merfolk are in danger from an old enemy, and they need help from the human children to save their little underwater colony.

The plot is incredibly slow. This could have been a short story, but it drags on and on. Once something finally does happen, it's not that amazing. Finn and Sage are completely obsolete to the plans of the merfolk. They make a big deal about "helping", but they never do anything that the merfolk couldn't have just done themselves with less effort. A lot of fuss over nothing.

The writing style is good, and each scene has an emotional hook to get you interested. But the pacing was just too slow.

I did like the legends surrounding the merfolk, their origins, and their deadly enemy. I found that part really imaginative and interesting! I also was intrigued by the appearance of the merfolk. They have green and gray coloring so that they blend perfectly with the seaweed and the rocks, making them almost invisible. It's the perfect camouflage!

I was interested in Finn and Sage's home life. A lot of the scenes are spent with their families, and I liked the family dynamics between parents and siblings. There are some lovely complex characters in both families.

Finn has a new stepmother that he does not like, and he is dealing with a lot of difficult emotions as he navigates this new family situation. He and his father have a complex relationship, and it was sweet to see how they become closer through the story. They both love swimming and sailing, so that is a bond between them.

Sage has two mothers, a homosexual couple, and they are protesting the building of a new harbor that will endanger local wildlife. Sage is feeling isolated, because her family is planning to move soon, and she feels that it's no use getting attached to anything or anyone since they will soon be saying goodbye and losing everything familiar.

Overall, this book was okay. The characters were good, but the plot was too slow.

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.

Despite its popularity, MacBeth has never been one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. Too bloody and gory and gloomy for my taste. But if you like a dismal adventure with plenty of violence and mayhem, MacBeth has plenty of that! And this manga adaptation rings true with the moods and poetry of the original play. I like that the words of Shakespeare are modernized in a thoughtful way, and the artwork beautifully illustrates all the action and drama.

Each character has a memorable and striking appearance, and I found it especially interesting to see how MacBeth's demeanor changed after he commits murder. His posture and facial expressions are different, and shadows gather around him in the darker shadows of the artwork. It's a subtle but effective way of showing the development of his character, slowing falling into madness and despair.

The witches were especially frightening and creepy with all their dark arts and ugly meddling. Their faces were hairy and eerie, and it weirded me out! All of the paranormal scenes were chilling, and that is just how powerful the illustrations are.

I love the heroic characters, with their square jaws and clear eyes. Just from seeing their facial expressions, I could really imagine their dialogue being spoken in distinct voices.

I am so impressed with the way the text was modernized, and with the integrity and thoughtfulness that went into editing it. It really does feel like something that Shakespeare would have written if he had been alive today. There is no jarring modern slang to ruin the beauty of the lines. It feels like someone just translated the words from another language, and made it easy to understand for modern readers, but without losing any of the flavor and emotion of the original text.

I'm so in love with all the Manga Classics series, and this one is excellently done!

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.

I am in awe of how beautifully this book captures the majesty and mystery of Robert Frost's poem. The narrator stops in the woods to reminisce about his life, and he is visited by the ghostly memories of his family and friends who have departed. They all come vividly back to him. He cherishes those memories of the people he has lost. He has one of those moments of inspiration when you realize that your journey has led you to a place of beauty and heart's ease; all these things are explored in this lovely picture book.

The artwork is warm and welcoming despite the chill of the snowy scenes, inviting the reader into the story of a man who is looking back on his life. The illustrations are beautifully colored in blues and greys as the snow falls among the trees. The man himself stands out in a red coat against the backdrop of the winter woodland.

I am completely enchanted with this lovely book! I almost cried reading this, because it touches your heart in a special way.

Even though it's a picture book, this would make a delightful gift for an adult who loves Robert Frost's poetry. And it's a great way to introduce Frost's poetry to children as well.

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 children's cookbook is perfect for any young bakers who want to learn the basics of cooking and get inspired in the kitchen. It's so cool that this is written by one of the winners of the Great British Baking Show! This book includes recipes for breakfast, lunch and supper, cakes, and desserts.

These recipes are kid-friendly and give instructions to the young readers about when to ask an adult for help. There are recipes for pancakes, tacos, pizza, scones, potpie, lasagna, and a lot of yummy cakes. I really want to try the recipe for Victoria sandwich buns, which is a little cake with jelly in the middle.

Each recipe has cute illustrations that show the step-by-step process for creating delicious food. And there are illustrations of children and adults enjoying the food and having fun cooking together! I love the adorable art style. The colors are warm and attractive!

Although the author is British, the edition that I have has all the American-style measurements in cups and teaspoons, instead of the European-style metric system. There may be different editions for the UK and USA.

This would be the perfect gift for a young cook who wants to learn how to cook delicious meals and special treats!

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.

I adore this book! It is one of my favorite classics to reread. There is something so enchanting about Mole and Rat, Toad and Badger, and all the animal folk. Every time I read it, I am swept away into the exciting world of the River.

When I received this beautiful Templar edition in the mail, I literally started crying because the book is so beautiful. The cloth-bound green cover perfectly captures the peaceful mood of a breezy day boating on the River. I love the gorgeous gold foiling on the cover. It's so tactile! I want to run my fingers over it, feeling the embossed edges of the ripples in the water, but I don't want to mess it up by handling it too much.

And the inside is just as gorgeous! The endpapers are a pretty green with patterns of willow branches. Every couple of pages throughout the story, there is another delightful illustration bringing the story to life.

I love the beautiful art style in this edition! Each scene is delicately designed, and I love the sweet characters of Mole and Rat. It perfectly captures the way I imagine the animal characters in my imagination. I am absolutely entranced looking through the book at all the art work. Every page is full of color and vibrancy. You can feel the emotions of the story through the illustrations, whether the scene is peaceful, dangerous, or exciting.

This would be the perfect gift for a fan of Wind in the Willows who wants to own a pretty edition, or for someone who is reading this classic for the first time!

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.

Did you know that a girl pitcher struck out Babe Ruth? Did you know that a Japanese baseball player has more home runs than Hank Aaron? Who were really the first African Americans to play in the major leagues before Jackie Robinson? These are the lesser known heroes of baseball.

I loved this book all about the lesser-known history of baseball! With decades of history, there are some people's stories that have been lost to time, but now you can discover the real people behind the legends.

This book includes short biographies of the pioneers who organized the first Negro leagues, the first women's leagues, the first dedicated baseball news columns, and even a doctor who developed an arm surgery to save pitcher's tendons and ligaments.

Each section features people who broke barriers, worked hard, and developed new strategies. There are cool factoids about the longest game in history, the highest records, the weirdest stats, and the craziest game rules and why they were created.

I loved the cool illustrations in this book! Every page is so colorful and attractive. The writing really kept my attention, and I found it very interesting and informative.

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.

Throughout history people have tried all sorts of weird things to cure ailments. Sometimes they have even continued to use products that they knew were poisonous, hoping for lingering benefits. Conmen have promoted cure-all elixirs that promised youth and beauty and robust health, when really they were poisoning their customers with arsenic, mercury, and morphine.

I think this book is just too morbid for me. It is certainly interesting, and the writing is excellent, but it's not quite my cup of tea. The writing is funny, putting a light mood onto a dark subject, but it's still too yucky and disturbing for me.

I like the way the chapters are organized, and the layout of the pages is very attractive. There are medical diagrams, old sketches from history, newspaper clippings, historic paintings, and other interesting graphics that enhance and explain each section.


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.