Reviews written by Samantha Randolph

Just in time for the holiday season, Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish bring a story about the famous Santa and, more importantly, how to catch that mystical person. Two siblings narrate the story on a fun-filled Christmas Eve. HOW TO CATCH SANTA is an adorable picture...

Avery enjoys spending summers at her Grandma’s Southern farm with her brother, but this year is different. Her brother no longer wants to play their imaginary games, so now Avery is left to her own devices. When she meets Julian, a boy also staying in the area for the summer,...

Gypsy Beaumont has been waiting for her thirteenth birthday for a long time. She can’t wait to find out what special fun her savvy, also known as her magical ability, will be. When her birthday arrives, her savvy turns out to be something she never expected; she can see visions...

When Delilah Marlow is coerced into visiting the famous Metzger’s Menagerie, she feels horrible for all of the mythological creatures/people in the show, ranging from oracles to werewolves to sirens. When she witnesses a particularly brutal treatment of an exhibitor, Delilah discovers she isn’t as human as she thought. Taken...

This sequel to Blackbird picks up right where the first left off and doesn’t let readers go until the very last page. Anna Carey does a fantastic job of using a second person narration. It makes the reader feel right in the middle of the story and is a refreshing...

Lirael was taken as a child to be trained to eventually kill and replace her duplicate on a different Earth. The Sleepers are intent on being the ones not to disappear from the Earths, and she is one of the soldiers in their plan. But when Lira arrives at her...

Wes Auckerman wants to make a great film during a summer program and transfer to NYU. While helping his friend shoot a scene during a séance, he meets a girl named Annie that will change his summer altogether. Annie is mysterious, beautiful, and in desperate need to find a missing...

Olivia lives in a small town where the children are assumed to take after their parents. For Olivia, this means the town treats her like her mother’s suicide is contagious, and Olivia will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Everyone is shocked when Olivia and her three friends are instead involved...

Michael is happy with his girlfriend, Pepper, but when mysterious Lizzy shows up, he feels a strong pull towards her…almost a frightening one. As events around them start becoming stranger and stranger, including the presence of a guy who is supposed to be dead, Michael becomes more suspicious, but ...

Commander Charlie is no longer the only threat. Now, an alien race from Marden has invaded, taking a large number of the Surface citizens with their arrival. Clementine will have to negotiate with the Mardenites as best as she can if she wants to keep everyone safe and keep the...

Clementine and Logan are now with the rebels, eager and ready to take down Commander Charlie. Clementine’s current mission is to go into the work camps and weaken the infrastructure. But as determined as she is, the enemies surround everyone, and it may prove impossible to make it out safe....

Clementine has always wanted to go the Core: the place where life is safer, people aren’t dying around her, and she has a chance to do something other than hard labor. When she is one of the very few chosen to be “Extracted,” she is happy for a better chance...

Silly vaguely remembers a time with her mother was better, but lately, her mother only seems to be getting worse. She sleeps often, drinks frequently, and has unpredictable moods. Silly hopes to find comfort with her three sisters, but it becomes clear they are keeping a secret from her. When...

Jenna’s Great Aunt Tannie isn’t doing so well. After a series of accidents, Jenna’s mom decides to ask Tannie if she will move in with them, where she can help Tannie out. Tannie is reluctant at first but agrees, and Jenna’s household will have to get used to the new...

Rufus doesn’t want to have a typical lemonade stand. Instead, he’s decided to make a story stand, giving out stories in exchange for a few small treasures. What I Loved: The premise of RUFUS THE WRITER is adorable. I love how creatively encouraging it is...