kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

All leaders start out as kids who want to change the world for the better. This book gives short biographies of some famous leaders and how their childhood shaped their dreams.

There are sections about "democracy", "black lives", "our planet", and the "power of art".
I found the writing to be extremely biased toward the political left, and I was disappointed that the biographies were not given in a balanced way. This book basically reads like political propaganda, ignoring the real issues and reinforcing political lies from the media.

Each biography is about 10 pages long, and includes inspiring quotes from the famous person. I just wish that this book would at least admit that some of these people have had controversial lives. There should be a balance in the writing that doesn't hide any undesirable things, but still accepts and celebrates the good.

There are cartoony illustrations on each page depicting scenes from the lives of each person. The designs are so clever and attractive!

This book encourages young people to change the world and speak up for what they believe in. If only the book would present the true facts, and leave it to the reader to decide for themselves what to think about political issues, then I would have enjoyed it. But they shove their own leftist agenda down your throat on every page.

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

Cricket is dealing some serious issues when her best friend abandons her to hang out with the "horse" girls, her aunt is institutionalized with mental illness, and her mother is dissatisfied with their family.

I hated this book so much! I couldn't even get past page 27 because I was so disgusted and appalled. This book is full of uncouth nastiness on every page. There is an illustration of dirty tampons. WHY??? What in God's name possessed the publishers to publish this trash?!

The main character is a mean hooligan who admits to all sorts of terrible things like vandalism, lying, and theft. She says that she sneaks out of the house at midnight and "does bad things" because the "darkness makes me." That is terrifying.

This child needs to be in a mental home where she can get some help. She breaks streetlights, and fills water balloons with jelly and throws them off the "overbridge". I'm assuming that is a bridge over a highway, where it appears she is endangering passing cars. She steals money from her teacher's purse. She tries to start a forest fire on purpose.

I am shocked. I just can't even wrap my head around what this book is supposed to be. It's horrible!

I received a little promotional packet along with the book which contains some balloons and bubblegum, (because the main character makes art out of bubble gum. Gross.) So I'm doubly confused. Are the publishers condoning this evil behavior and giving their readers the tools they need to make their own jelly-filled balloons for a fun night of vandalism? Nothing about this book makes sense.

The illustrations are all so ugly. The art style is ugly and the subject material is ugly.

I'm throwing this book in the trash. It is very disturbing. There is a healthy way to address difficult issues, and this is not it. This is extremely unhealthy and should not be allowed out into the world for people to read.


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.

Genesis returns home from college when her grandfather dies, and discovers that he left behind an ancient relic of great mystical power: one of the nails from the cross of Christ. Genesis must protect the relic from the powers of darkness and discover the strength of her own faith.

I really liked that this book uses a lot of quotes from the Bible, and has a clear message of faith in Christ. I always think it's a very interesting premise that the nails from the cross could be imbued with power. It's a cool mixture of fantasy and history!

However, I ended up DNFing this book after page 68, which is right when the action really starts to get going. But I just lost interest. The writing is not very polished. It needs a good editor, both for grammar and for things like a better flow in the sentences. The writing style is sort of disjointed.

I think the title of the series is so odd. It makes me think of "toenail" instead of the type of "nail" that you would hammer.

I did not connect with Genesis' character. None of the characters seem to have much depth, at least not in the first third of the book. They might get better character development later on.

Overall, I feel like this book has potential, if only it had a good editor to smooth out some of the problems in the writing.

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 book has activities and creative games, so that you will never say the words "I'm bored!" You can make a time capsule, invent a dance, create your own board game, make up a quiz, or write a song. There are dozens of fun games to play or tricks to learn! These activities are sure to get your creative juices flowing!

I really love the cool design of this book! The colors are attractive, and the layout of each page is sure to draw your attention. There are little snippets of history and weird facts about each activity. You can learn about ancient dances or yoga poses or famous museums while you create your own! If you try to draw your own self portrait, you can also learn about Frida Kahlo's portraits. Learning about Matisse might inspire you while you make your own collage.

This book will definitely inspire you to get creative!

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 YA fantasy takes place in the Middle Ages, and Sylvie is terrified that an Inquisitor from the Holy Catholic Church could denounce her as a witch. She has a special ability to heal which she believes is from God, but being a good Christian won't save her from being killed as a witch if the wrong people find out about what she can do.
Sylvie tries to heal her mother, but when it goes terribly wrong, Sylvie leaves her quiet French village searching for someone who might be able to teach her how to control her powers. Her little friend, Martin, tags along eager to travel and see the wide world.

I loved this story so much! The narrative is very subtle and subdued with lots of emotional tension under the surface. There are so many great plot twists that surprised me and kept me on my toes!

The writing style is very clever at making you feel what is happening without having to explain things outwardly. The writing just says that Sylvie's shoulders grew tense, and because of all the other build-up around the scene, the reader immediately knows what Sylvie is thinking and feeling. It's very emotional and immersive!

The characters have so much depth and development! There are two other characters besides Sylvie who both get these amazing arcs. It's so satisfying to see how they rise to the occasion and grow through the story!

Sylvie is a very complex and beautiful character! I fell in love with her right away. She is so strong and determined. I loved her independent ways and her courage. But she grows into that courage through difficult situations. She has so many questions at the beginning of the story, and she is a lost soul. It's incredible the way she finds a path for herself, and makes a new life for herself. Just wonderful!

There is a little bit of a romance in this book that is very subtle and soft. The most they ever do is hold hands and hug, and it is so sweet and meaningful. It was very interesting to see the slow and careful way these two begin to understand one another and develop feelings for each other. They both have trouble trusting people, but they finally begin to recognize that there is someone they can rely on. It's completely adorable!

I was intrigued by the magical powers that Sylvie is discovering. She can't control it, but she is sort of testing her limits and trying new things with her power. Sometimes she just instinctively knows what to do, and other times she is completely confused.

I'm not sure why this book is marketed for Middle Grade. It seems very much like a Young Adult genre to me. Sylvie is 15 years old, so that seems a bit old for MG. There are a few mentions of illegitimate children, menstrual periods, prostitution, rape, and abortion. Pretty serious material for a MG novel.
There is nothing explicit. These things are just mentioned as existing in the world around Sylvie. She carries a knife to protect herself from any sexual attack. She is wary around men. One of the characters is ashamed that they were a male prostitute in the past, but there is nothing like that which happens in the "present" of the story.
In my mind, if the main character is old enough to be thinking and talking with others about sex, then it's a Young Adult or Adult novel. Not Middle Grade. But that's just my opinion. But I would not say that this book is inappropriate for MG. There is nothing explicit that would be improper for a Middle Grade child (11-13) to read. Some of the subjects are just a bit too mature for ages 11-13.

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.

Elizabeth is back at school in this second book in the series, and she is determined to have a great semester, follow the rules, and make friends. But her reputation as the naughtiest girl in school still follows her, and her temper still gets the better of her from time to time. When Elizabeth catches Robert bullying the younger students, she flies into a rage and gets both of them into trouble. Will she ever learn to control her temper and earn the respect of her classmates?

I really liked the continuing character development for Elizabeth in this book. She has a very strong sense of justice. She is talented and strong-willed, and her teachers and classmates love that about her. But she can't control her wild impulses, and they gently teach her to manage those wayward emotions.

I love the simple, old-fashioned writing style, and the sweet characters. The plot is delightful and funny!

Some of the side characters don't really act in believable ways though. In certain situations, they react in ideal ways, instead of realistic ways. It's like basic human nature just got thrown out the window. But for the most part that didn't bother me too much. The story is just so charming that I didn't mind a few perfectly perfect characters.

Anna Hibiscus lives in Nigeria, in a beautiful garden compound with all her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and her wonderful parents and twin brothers. They are a very big loud family! Sometimes Anna wishes she could have a few moments alone, but when she goes on vacation with just her parents and brothers, she begins to miss all the rest of her big family. How can they manage without everyone to pitch in and help?

I loved this sweet book! Anna is so adorable, and I loved her amazing family. I especially loved learning about Nigerian culture and traditions. It's so interesting and beautiful!

The writing style is light-hearted but emotional. In just a few words, the writing really paints a picture for you of Anna and her family. The stories are told in a straightforward manner, but there is a lot of depth and meaning in them as well. I love the themes of family, generosity, love, and gratitude.

I love the beautiful illustrations! The black and white art work is absolutely lovely, and brings Anna's family to life. You can see Anna's energy on each page!

This book is perfect for ages 7-10.

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 book gives little snippets of wisdom for finding self-awareness in life.

I did not like that this book uses foul language and has a crass sense of humor. The writing style did not appeal to me at all. The author spends too much time talking about their own life experiences, instead of getting to the point.

I didn't feel like they were really an expert in anything they were talking about. Some of their ideas go directly against the advice of actual mental health professionals, like saying to just ignore your worries and hope they go away. Actual therapists will tell you that ignoring your negative thoughts will only strengthen them. The author doesn't appear to have any training in mental health. They are just sharing their own philosophies about life.


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.

Ivy loves living in her apartment building because her best friends are right down the hall, but the rest of her family is hoping to move away to a nicer house. Her best friend, Alice, gets some bad news and Ivy tries to cheer her up but ends up always saying the wrong thing and hurting Alice's feelings. Ivy feels terrible, but doesn't know how to make things right again. Ivy hopes that they can bond again through their favorite cooking show.

This was such a cute little book! Ivy's narrative voice was a little more juvenile than I was expecting, but I found her very relatable and sweet. I remember always feeling like I said the wrong thing when I was a kid, and not knowing how to fix it. I love the excellent writing style! Ivy's voice is very distinct and memorable.

However, I felt like the plot moved way too slow. This book could have been condensed, and I think that would have fit the narrative style to appeal to younger readers. Especially since Ivy is nine years old, a shorter book would have been more in keeping with the age range for the target audience. Plus it just seemed like several plot points and similar scenes were repeated over and over. The emotional arc just took too long to get to the point.

I loved all the little details of Ivy's family and her friendships and all her hobbies. But I didn't need all the superfluous details about every single neighbor in the apartment building. It is very well-written, but a little too much for this type of book.

Overall, this is a sweet book that I enjoyed 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.

Jack and Draycos are searching for information from a mercenary group, so Jack joins the group as an indentured soldier, hoping to sneak into their computer systems. After only ten days of training, Jack and his fellow teen soldiers are sent into battle. Things appear to be safe enough on the edges of the war and Jack is given sentry duty, but betrayal and danger are lurking in the shadows. Only Draycos, a poet warrior of the K’da, can help Jack to escape!

I love the nonstop action in this book! And it’s not just about blowing things up and guns and chase scenes either. It has all those things, but there’s also a puzzle aspect to how the characters interact with one another and there is new information that is revealed in shocking plot twists. It really kept my attention. It’s such an exciting plot!

Especially loved seeing how Jack and Draycos have a closer and more trusting relationship in this book. They get into some very sticky situations where there’s no time to explain and they just have to blindly trust the other person, and that level of faith in another person is truly special. I just love their friendship!

I also really enjoyed the exploration of deeper themes of morality in this book since Jack and Draycos have such different philosophies about life. They have some really engaging discussions, and it was interesting how Jack begins to question the selfish worldview that he previously had embraced.

I love all the characters, the plot, the themes, the writing style! Everything about this book is just so delightful. I can’t wait to read more from the series!