This book was okay. It's pretty cute, but it wasn't my favorite read.

Beautiful illustrations.

I enjoyed this one. It's a lot like Jumanji in a chapter book, with some cool twists. Farah loves to play games, despite the fact that she always has to include her younger brother, Ahmed. It's her 12th birthday party, and friends and family are gathering in her new apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City. Things with her friends are a little strained, but she's hoping they get better. Her aunt gives her a gift of a mysterious game. When Ahmed impulsively goes into the game, Farah and her friends Alex and Essie must go in after him and beat the game in order to make it back out...alive.

I am a big fan of diversity in books, and so I was excited to read this offering from Salaam Reads. I think Riazi does an excellent job of setting the groundwork for a game in a world different from others. I had to do a little research to picture everything, but it was fun to do. I do think the actual world of the Gauntlet was hard to picture, I was imagining clockwork and minarets together but trying to get all the different levels was a little hard. I did find the games intriguing. Overall, I liked it a lot.

This book is super adorable. It's about being a fan, and having no chill, but also the classic Cinderella story. I personally love text/email/chat sequences in books, and this one involves our two protagonists chatting with each other, while not knowing who the other is. It also has an element of the "You've Got Mail" trope that I also enjoy.

This book would also work well for advanced middle grade readers, as it's a YA title without too much in the way of language, violence, or sexual activity.

I like this one.

I always like the moral behind this story, but lately I kind of think--if I saw foreign soldiers walking around, generally I'd think there was a war going on and I'm not sure I would be super eager to help the enemy. Maybe I'm losing my soft touch?

Beautiful art.

A cute storytime read about cars.