Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A very well told tragic story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not my favorite of the Penric and Desdemona books, but still fun to visit them again.
Looks great, but it's too emotional for me at the moment. I hope to come back to it when I'm in a stronger place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia
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funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very sweet series starter. I especially appreciate how the emotions are explicitly stated and illustrated.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A strong series starter, early chapter book. No interpersonal drama, which is a plus for many young readers.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A young child has to evacuate the family home to escape fires. Unfortunately growing to be an experience common to many children, this is a good book to hand parents wanting a way to process that experience with their children.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Gorgeous illustrations and sparse language present a haunting story of children lost and re-found, reminding me of Maurice Sendak's Outside Over There in tone.
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very fun boisterous family reunion with a treasure to find, a couple of murders, and a mystery to go with them. One of the cousins is nonbinary and one of the adults is a trans woman, with the thrust of the plot remaining the dual murder mystery and treasure hunt.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston, by Esme Symes-Smith is the successor to Alanna the Lioness in a lot of key ways. Sir Callie is a nonbinary kid who wants to be a knight, befriends the evil regent's daughter and the downtrodden young king who is into "girly things" like magic and dancing, and makes impassioned speeches about justice. They are a wonderful hero, living in a world with some supportive grownups alongside the unsupportive ones, and it's just a feel good story all around. Plus it's the first in a projected series, so you get to look forward to future books! It's the gen z Alanna, and while I won't claim there are no issues with it (for example there doesn't seem to be any racial diversity in this magical world, and I'm also not a huge fan of the plot's ending) there is a lot going for it and I'm rooting for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think this book would be better if it wasn't the Secret Garden. The sci-fi setting is just all wrong for the baby goth romantic vibe of the source material.