Reviews written by C.J. Redwine

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...

What I Loved: SO MUCH. Velveteen is smart, sassy, damaged, brave, terrified, and startlingly self-aware of the breadth of her own psychological shortcomings. She walks a fine line between sociopath and goth girl (at least in her own head), but truly, she possesses more honor and courage...

There's a talent show, and everybody has a special talent to showcase except for Penguin. Kids will enjoy Penguin's disastrous attempts to copy his friends' talents. I think the message that while his talent might not be something you can win a trophy for, it's still unique and valuable is...

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book with fabulous illustrations and a nicely repetitive structure that early readers will love. In each chapter, Fox and Crow make a three step plan to trick the other out of a piece of cheese. There's a nod to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which...

I really enjoyed this book, and think it's a great mystery for young readers just entering the chapter book genre. Themes of respect, friendship, and community are very strong throughout the story. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the accurate historical information! Readers will learn about King...

The description of this book says that the contents have a light dose of science, but to be honest, the dose is so light, I had a hard time finding it. The story tells a child that she came from the stars and she and the stars are one. Then...

What I Loved: I love a good genre mash-up, and Lia Habel delivers. The steampunk, Neo-Victorian, and science aspects of the world are very well done. I also particularly loved the way she explores the themes of prejudice and political intrigue through the various zombie factions (and...

I love this book to pieces. I nearly cried as I read it. It's *that* amazing. Charlie's grandpa told him one amazing story after another when Charlie was little (A pirate lives in the attic! A gnome lives in the basement!), but now his grandpa doesn't recognize him or talk...

This is an absolutely lovely little book. It feels like a pretty, magical fairy-tale from start to finish. There's even a unicorn! I think kids who enjoy castles, princesses, and fairy tales will love it. As soon as I opened the book, my daughter (who is a toddler) instantly rushed...