Reviews written by Jacklin Updegraft

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A BELL is a hilarious story of an old women who swallows all types of things. Usually with a theme to the things she’s swallowing, this one is all christmas items and is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. From bells to reindeer,...

With everything that happened in A Sliver of Stardust, Wren has begun to doubt everything. Her ability, and even if she really wants to be there. She has lost faith in what she loved about the stardust in the first place and when she’s called by the council to help...

This was such an amazing book. MOON CHOSEN is about a young girl Mari who lives with her mother, the Moon Woman of the Clan Weaver. They are called Earth Walkers. Mari’s mother washes the men and women of the tribe, the men so they don’t become violent and the...

GOLDENHAND is the fifth book in the Abhorsen series. A wonderful series about magic and dead things coming back to life. This book has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be happier with the way this book went. In GOLDENHAND we follow Lirael who is no longer a...

DRAGON MARKED is about a girl named Jessa, who is a wolf shapeshifter. She soon learns though that she is dragon marked. Which places her in grave danger with The Four. Four men whose main job is to hunt and capture those marked by the dragon king. Jessa, along with...

LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS was everything I hoped it would be. It had me on the edge of my seat and I stayed up till 4 in the morning to finish. I didn’t even realize what time it was until I put the book down and looked at my clock....

I want to begin this review by saying that this is not a light read. It’s got some very dark themes and Mindy does not hold back. While it’s not overly graphic, it does talk about rape, drinking, drugs, sex, molestation, and murder. I do recommend it to YA readers,...

FROST LIKE NIGHT was such a perfect ending for a great series. It picks up where Ice Like Fire left off. Meira has left and gone with Rares to figure out how to protect herself, fight against Angra, and end the war. What I loved is how much Meira grows...

Edie is back at Knight's Haddon for another term. She was separated from Anastasia during the summer and can't wait to see her friend again. She quickly learns that she and Anastasia are not going to room together. Instead Edie is to room with the new girl Janet. That's when...

Ninja Bunny is an adorable and funny story of sister vs. brother. With adorable illustrations and hand drawn letters, this is a great book for parents and their kids. It reminds me so much of Peter Rabbit and I loved the nods to the story in this one. Like Farmer...

Dragons from Mars was such a beautifully illustrated story. I have never read a book illustrated by Colin Jack but I am absolutely in love with his style of art. The amount of detail that went in to each picture is simply amazing. No detail was overlooked, and you can...

I absolutely love the world in Recreated. The sequel in the Reawakened series, which was a great follow up. Colleen's worlds are always so richly described and brought to life. I find myself drawn quickly in to the world and swept up in the fights. In Recreated Lily has to...

What I loved: I have found myself completely invested in the world that Julie has created and the characters she has brought to life. Soldier, which is the third book in the Talon series, blew me away with the depth of characters and the way the story...

We Love to Sing Aloud is a beautiful collection of nursery rhymes with adorable illustrations to match. Kids ages 1+ will love the soothing effect this story has not to mention the very cute illustrations. With ‘You are My Sunshine’, ‘The More We Get Together’, ‘Rain, Rain, Go Away’, and...

What I liked: What first drew me to this book, to be honest, was the cover. It's so simple but so eye catching. Sophie is a girl who grew up in a small town, she doesn't have many friends, and she has rarely dated. But when Billy Buskin comes...