Reviews written by CJ Redwine, Site and Staff Manager

This book is incredibly interesting. The author visited a remote village in Thailand to learn firsthand how Thai silk is made: from raising the silk worms to weaving the thread into garments. Told in a relaxed, narrative story-teller's style, illustrated with gorgeous photography, the story of silk is as much...

This is an excellent collection of famous ghost stories, complete with a story-like narrative to introduce the reader to the spine-tingling creepiness of that particular haunting and a well-researched discussion of the origins of that story and any major sightings throughout history. I found the entire book fascinating and extremely...

This is a lovely, poignant story of a little girl struggling to understand what happens when a loved one dies. Told from a distinctly Jewish perspective, the story deals with emotions that I think readers will find universal. While there isn't a firm answer given to the girl about where...

I was completely captivated by this book. The storytelling is excellent! Every page is full of fabulous adventures (Like crocodile wrestling and fish raining from the sky!) which young readers will certainly find exciting, but the adventures are book-ended by the story of the man who wrote those adventures down....

What I Loved: This was a fast-paced, fun thrill ride with a nice touch of romance near the end. I really loved the story itself. The plot kept me interested and engaged, and I liked Audrey enough to care about her outcome. The world-building is pretty solid,...

I loved this book so much, I blurbed it. In this sequel to ANGEL EYES, the stakes are just as high, the action is nearly non-stop, and the relationships are complicated, authentic, and sometimes heartbreaking. I was thoroughly invested in the characters and the outcome of the plot the entire...

What I Loved: I was immediately draw in by Wren's voice as a narrator. She's at turns haunting, heartbreaking, feisty, and strong. I really enjoyed how deeply she felt things, and how willing she was to take responsibility for the things she'd done. I was also very...

What I Loved: Everything. Seriously. This is a lovely, heartbreaking, uplifting, achingly honest debut that just consumed me from start to finish. The writing is beautiful without getting in the way of the story. The characters are flawed, authentic, and relatable. The setting works perfectly as a...

This book is advertised as an introduction to manga drawing for boys and girls. And there are certainly some very useful and helpful things in this book for beginning artists. Careful instruction on how to combine shapes to draw people and instructive passages on the art of shading or how...

What I Loved: The voice! The main character is nearly sixteen, but her voice skews a bit younger, which is perfect for middle grade readers. She's funny, witty, smart, and observant. In fact, her voice combined with the mystery in the plot reminded me of a more...

This is a lovely exploration of the Civil War South in all its beauty and flaws as told through the eyes of a horse. It reminds me of Black Beauty in a way, although it's easier for the younger reader to grasp. The historical details are wonderful. Readers are thoroughly...

What I Loved: As I've come to expect from Ms. Fisher's writing, the setting is perfect. The descriptions enfold the reader into the almost-Gothic atmosphere of the novel, and the setting itself breathes credibility into the plot. I enjoyed the pacing of the novel as well. It...

This is another solid installment in the Lego Ninjago series. The illustrations are fabulous, and the book welcomes new and old Lego fans into the ninjago world with familiar faces and a familiar world. The story has humor and is full of action, though it won't take readers long to...

What a fabulous idea this book is. Forget choose your own adventure. Now you get to draw your own adventure, make up dialogue for some of the characters, and decide what some characters look like. It's a combination graphic novel and activity book, and my sixth grader loved it. The...

What I Loved: This is a fabulous addition to the horror genre. I especially enjoyed the voice of the narrator, Nick. He is a teenage boy who thinks and talks like a teenage boy. He is at once a reluctant hero, a quiet leader, and a boy...