Reviews written by CJ Redwine, Site and Staff Manager

This is a fun book! I loved the storyline--a nice old-fashioned knight-in-shining-armor tale with a twist. This is definitely a book my kids will love. In fact, the storyline, the twists, and the hilarious little asides remind me of the stories my boys like to create. The illustrations also remind...

This book is a one-stop-shop for all of your Japanese monster research needs! Every entry provides essential information (name, pronunciation, alternate names, gender, height, weight, location, weapons, weaknesses and MORE) along with that particular monster's claim to fame. There are descriptions of the monster's attack, tips on how to survive,...

If you have an interest in ghost stories or Japanese culture, this is a must-have book. Every ghost story is told in a casual, sit-by-the-campfire style, but is meticulously researched. We get not only the original ghost story, but also a comprehensive detailing of any strange and unexplained phenomenon associated...

What I Loved: Children will enjoy the storyline of two adventurous kids sneaking into a firetruck and then being accidentally taken to the scene of a fire. The illustrations are fun, especially when the kids are covered in colors and filth. It's short and to the...

I devoured this book in a single day because I couldn't make myself slow down. I had high hopes going into it because I really loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns, and I'm happy to say that Crown of Embers surpassed my expectations. This is a fully realized fantasy...

This is a fun, lively take on the classic Old MacDonald rhyme. Instead of EIEIO, the author uses AEIOU (and sometimes y!) and then each subsequent tongue twister features words with that particular vowel. It's a nice teaching tool for preschoolers, but a few of the rhymes are very difficult...

This is a fabulously thorough book, with colorful, helpful pictures scattered throughout to illustrate each point. It's organized like a textbook (and indeed would be a wonderful tool to use in homeschooling for a garden unit), but I found it more engaging than the usual textbook. ...

I loved everything about this book. The illustrations are wonderful--just childish enough to engage a preschooler's imagination. The story itself brings to mind a young Anne Shirley or perhaps a young Ramona Quimby. It's the perfect tale of a girl's pretend pets and how the strength of her imagination gives...

This is a charming story perfectly highlighting the attachment a child feels to a special blanket. The story is told in simple language, perfect for a young child, and the story feels nicely complete. My only issue is that the illustrations are just as simple as the language, and almost...

To be honest, this book didn't really ring any bells for me. I didn't respond to the stylist choice of superimposing chartoon characters on top of real photographs, and I didn't really find the storyline to be highly entertaining, even though it's certainly charming enough. However,...

What a thrill ride this book is! From the first page, we're plunged into danger and mystery, and it never lets up for long. What I Loved: Just about everything. Seriously. The characters were interesting, relatable, and flawed. Noa is everything I wanted...

What I Loved: The world building in this book is simply flawless. From the evolved language to the setting to the customs of a society 400 years in the future, every single second felt absolutely believable to me. I really appreciated that the author put so...

This is just the kind of book kids love. Two trolls, Grunty and Grouchy, live together in the most disgusting mess they can possibly manage and have one bumbling adventure after another. Kids will be drawn to the messiness (saving sneeze snot in a snot jar, using eggs for ping...

What I Loved: The storyline reminded me a bit of "Are You My Mother?" which is a staple around this house. Only in this story, the eggs don't realize their mother is missing, and it is up to a friendly Brontosaurus to save the day. I love that the bronto...

What I Loved: The author keeps the story focused and simple, which makes it accessible for pre-school readers. Using the familiar game of hide & seek also keeps the story accessible, as does the inclusion of so many fun animals. I also really loved that the chameleon is disguised on...