Age: Preschool-1st grade

A dojo master attempts to teach a group of ninja children about respect and kindness and all they want to do is fight--until the children realize how emotionally defeated the master appears. A nice twist in a tale about kindness and respect where the children finally decide to follow the rules based on empathy towards their master instead of being forced to help by an adult.

First line: "It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she'd been told."

Plot review: "Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century - Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself" (Goodreads).

An exemplary display of multiple perspectives, I love the shifts in time and the clearly defined characters. The intertwining of Eliza's fairytales was unique and intriguing. Although the book was quite long for me, I was invested until the end.

First line/paragraph: "Flora Belle Buckman was in her room at her desk. She was very busy. She was doing two things at once. She was ignoring her mother, and she was also reading a comic book entitled The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!"
Animal: Squirrel

Very quirky, repetitious humor that I hope kids will enjoy. The combination of words and comic paneling flowed well and were delightfully complimentary. While I won't shy away from recommending this for kids, I was annoyed by the quirkiness and couldn't wait for it to end. I think this book would have been better if I read it in one sitting instead of as a lunchtime book.

Spoiler

How is this series over?! What happens with the monsters? I want Taylor's beautiful and lengthy descriptions! I want more of Eliza! Uuuuugh.

Where Divergent and Hunger Games were great ideas forced by publishers to unsatisfactory and rushed completions, Taylor is a truly successful fantasy writer, delved deep into her story with each book in the trilogy chock full of new ideas, meaningful new characters, suspense, action, and world building. The world building felt so compelling that I am desperate to read more, and I typically have a hard time with series.

Warning: If you don't like flowery prose, seek your kicks elsewhere.

Point of lolment: When Mr. and Mrs. Dullard discover the wallpapered room, the paint can for beige shows a picture of a slice of bread (how dull).

Blanda, Borely, and Little Dud are a bit stifled by their parent's complete removal of creativity and imagination from their lives. The writing is tongue-in-cheek and kids will be rolling with laughter while the listen to the daily life of the most boring family imaginable. Wait! Don't imagine. That's far too excitable of an activity.

Age: 4th-middle school (disclaimer: there are a few death scenes)

"In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well."

I totally wanted to slap the arrogant main character throughout the book

Spoiler

(although it was nice to see that his cockiness was complimentary to his hiding technique)

but the suspense and mystery is perfectly suitable for the age group. Although the setting is fantasy, the writing style focuses more on adventure and plot instead of setting and character. Also a complimentary tale to all the princess fantasy books out there.

Age: High School-Adult
Family: Mom, son
Tough Issue: Cancer, Grief
Awards: 2015 Lincoln nominee

Hot damn. I mean, hot damn. I'm going to make a shelf called "I actually cried" and I think this book will be alone for awhile. Although the cover makes the book appear creepy, and yes, there are monsters and nightmares, this book is not scary or startling and should not fit in the horror genre. If there is horror in this book then it is in the complexities of the human mind.

The book jacket teaser is better than anything I can craft. It is intriguing without giving anything away:

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

Spoiler

The monster turns out to be a counselor that demands Conor speak the truth before the truth eats him alive. The truth is terrible: Conor wishes that it was all over, that he could just let his mum go and end the waiting game for what he knows is coming. The poetry spoken by the monster is so beautiful and comforting for those that have ever grieved and thought selfish, contradictory thoughts, that "[t]he answer is that it does not matter what you think, the monster said, because your mind will contradict itself a hundred times each day. You wanted her to go at the same time you were desperate for me to save her. Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both" (191). How do you fight this contradiction? Not with words or thoughts, but with your actions. Breathtaking!

It wants the truth.

Age: 4th-7th grade
Fairytale: Fractured Cinderella

This really is a feminist masterpiece retelling of Cinderella and because the character's actions were believable to her personality, it doesn't feel forced. I will definitely recommend this to young children seeking fairytale retellings (an incredibly popular trend at the moment) and romance for a younger crowd (young fans of Divergent).

Age: K-2nd
Family: Brothers
Nonfiction: Biography
Sport: Baseball

Ramon and Pedro Martinez both grow up with a passion for playing baseball in the village of Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. Eventually their perseverance leads them to two successful careers in the U.S.

This bio stands out for its emphasis on brotherly love and support that launches Pedro to be the best in Major League Baseball. The text was interesting without feeling too decorative and the supplemental material, including a graph of Pedro's stats, was the perfect touch for kids that want a little more.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Nonfiction: Bio
Art: Photography

A brief biography on an iconic photographer with simple--but heavy--text that it is hard to pin down the audience--maybe early readers? This is unfortunate because detail is sparse, leaving out interesting information like what Gordon's American Gothic is parodying. The artwork is wonderful but it doesn't make up for the confusing audience, the lack of biography, and a big flub regarding the death of Gordon's mother. In the first few pages, Weatherford writes that Gordon is 14 when his mother dies but in the supplementary material, Weatherford writes that Gordon is 15. Just to clear the waters, Gordon was 14 when she died.