Reviews written by Claire Johnson, Staff Reviewer

What I loved: It was no secret that I loved The Selection, I have pushed that book on nearly everyone I know. I was not disappointed by the sequel. In this installment, readers are able to dig deeper into the process as well as the personal conflicts...

I devoured this book in one sitting. Wendy Higgins does not fall victim to the curse of the second book. Sweet Peril may be more engaging and fantastic than Sweet Evil. What I loved: The characters. All of them, even the bad guys....

I may be a little late to the party but I loved Shannon Messenger's debut middle grade Keeper of the Lost Cities. What I loved: Can I say everything? I was hooked right from the very beginning by the world Messenger created. The characters were...

What I loved: Grave Mercy was one of my favorite reads from 2012 and I have been excited to get my hands on Dark Triumph for months. Sybella's story is much darker than even I had expected it to be. She had a painful childhood that has...

In this I Can Read! version of Pete the Cat, Pete joins a baseball team. In Pete's usual groovy way, the two teams playing happen to be the Rocks and the Rolls. What I loved: Pete's baseball game isn't going the way he would like...

What I loved: The illustrations in Let's Get Dressed are so adorable. The curly little haired baby and the pet dog are so sweet that I'm sure your little readers will give a big "aww" on every page. The large flaps and rhyming text are very engaging...

What I loved: The second book in The Never Girls series picks up right where the first one left off. The same cast of characters is back and the story moves right along with the four girls having to return home and leave Neverland. The girls are...

Fans of Fancy Nancy will be delighted with a chapter book format of Nancy's adventures. I always enjoy books in the Fancy Nancy series. I love the rich use of vocabulary along with a kid-friendly definition. Nancy's latest adventure involves her guitar teacher and favorite...

What I liked: The second installment in this series by Kate Messner delivered all that I hoped for. The main cast of characters are back along with some new friends to help them solve their latest mystery. The setting of Costa Rica was absolutely perfect, the plants...

In the Scholastic Discover More series, Sharks takes us all over the world's waters to learn about the large family of sharks. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of sharks but even I was impressed by these amazing animals. Like other...

The need for quality non-fiction texts for students continues to rise. This Scholastic series really impressed me with the amount of usable information in the book. As I flipped through the pages I was able to quickly learn a lot about plants, animals, and other aspects of the...

What I liked: The romance in this book hit the mark for me. Harry was utterly charming and the kind of guy you want to be friends with and as you get to know him more smoochy with. While I thought the beginning of the story felt...

In this installment of the Ballpark Mysteries series, Kate and her cousin Mike take a trip to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The two quickly discover that someone has been stealing the famous ivy from the outfield wall. Using a couple of clues and some quick...

There are not too many Little Golden Books that I don't instantly fall in love with, and The Princess and the Pea joins the long list of favorites. This is a great retelling just long enough to keep young ears interested. The illustrations are lovely and have a...

Chicks! is a great addition to a young readers bookshelf and it comes at a perfect time for children who may be learning about chicks in their classroom. This book has a lot of great information about raising baby chicks in an easy to read format that children will...