Reviews written by Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer

I've always been fascinated with the Civil War so I was excited to find a teen's eyewitness account of the war. Tillie Pierce and her family lived in the town of Gettysburg right before and during the war. Her journal accounts are woven throughout this book. The...

This is a great resource for sixth grade classrooms. This year I'm teaching sixth grade. Part of the sixth grade social studies curriculum and California state standards includes learning about Ancient Civilizations. Two civilizations that are covered include Ancient Rome and Egypt. I'm excited to learn about both...

I love YA paranormals, especially ones with intriguing premises and hot guys. A Shimmer of Angels has all this and more! Rayna ‘Ray’ has just gotten released from SS Crazy after admitting she happens to see angels. She's labeled ‘schizophrenic’ and given a...

I’m a huge fan of graphic novels. I also love books that present historical events in an appealing way for reluctant readers. I was very excited when I received the graphic novel JERUSALEM from :01 First Second, one of my favorite graphic novel publishers. ...

Lately I've been reading tons of dystopian novels with vamps. This is just a sign that if a novel is well written, it doesn't matter if the market is saturated with books with similar premises. I have one word to say about THE PREY: ...

TIMEKEEPERS is the second book in the Timeless series. This story takes off right after book one ends. Michele Windsor's passes out in class when she thinks she sees her soul mate Philip Walker again. Problem is her long lost love Philip is from 1910. This...

I'm a huge fan of stories that paint a realistic story of an abusive relationship without going over the top. As a survivor of abuse, I feel it's important to get these stories out there. How I wished they'd been there when I was a teen. Maybe then...

I love time travel novels if they work. If the whole premise behind the time traveling aspect of the story seems too far fetched or there are no consequences, then I put the book aside. TEMPEST though does work in many ways. First, the idea...

I'm a huge fan of THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER series. I was so excited to meet the author Jana Oliver at RWA Nationals back in July. When she promised the fate of Beck and Riley would be told in this book, I couldn't wait to get a copy! ...

Ooh, love futuristic stories that have a Romeo and Juliet feel to them! Aria Rose wakes up and finds she's engaged to marry Thomas, son of the rival Foster family. No matter how much she tries to believe she 'loves' him, everything feels wrong. Then she stumbles...

I'm a huge fan of ghost tales and was excited to be able to read THE DEAD AND BURIED. This intriguing tale is so much more than the usual ghost story. It's also a mystery with a hint of romance. Jade's family ends...

Neryn has lost everyone she's loved and is on the run. A tyrannical king has a verdict out to kill anything that has to do with magic or the Good folk. Neryn is a Caller, one that can see and speak with the Good folk. Now there's...

I admit I'm a huge fan of fantasies with multicultural backdrops. VODNIK takes place in Slovakia and introduces readers to new urban legends that include a Vodnik, which is a trickster who has a thing for capturing souls and putting them in teacups. Tomas...

I couldn't wait to read this book! For one thing I loved the premise of a Amish teen getting ready for her Rumspringa, coming of age experience, right when all things break loose. In this case, vampires. You'd think this mixture of things wouldn't work but it...

Twists on classic fairy tales are very popular right now. Look at the success of the TV series ONCE UPON A TIME and GRIMM. One YA author who's been retelling some classic tales is Jackson Pearce. I loved her previous stories: SISTERS RED and SWEETLY. I...