Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

'Prince Ribbit,' written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene, is a splendid story with an interesting and all-too-true moral - "just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's true." In an age where people are apt to believe much of what they hear, whether it is on...

'The Pathway to Dragons: The Portal to Pyranis' by Hannah Hoffman is more than your run-of-the-mill fantasy story. When Billy and his friends find themselves transported to Pyranis after going to visit Billy's grandmother, rather than wondering how this happened and questioning anyone they can, they dive right into the...

'Just Another Girl' by Elizabeth Eulberg is a terrifically realistic read about how assumptions can undermine one's ability to really know another person. There are times when readers will truly feel for one of the girls - Hope or Parker - over the other as they explain their circumstances, desires,...

'When Penny Met POTUS' by Rachel Ruiz, and illustrated by Melissa Manwill, is a terrifically imaginative read about a young girl spending the day at work with her mom. Her mom works at the White House and has a boss who Penny has never met. All she knows is that...

'The Hard Count' by Ginger Scott is an engaging novel. It impresses upon readers the highs and lows of high school football and the people who are a part of it. Anyone who has watched Friday Night Lights or anything like it can identify with the characteristics that Ginger Scott...

'This is a Serious Book' by Jodie Parachini and illustrated by Daniel Rieley is a cute children's book. From the inside cover, you are transported into the book by being made aware of its rules. They are all serious, as per the title, including how you must behave, stay quiet,...

'Outward Blonde' by Trish Cook was a fun read. Main character Lizzie, while believing she is fiercely independent and able to stand on her own two feet no matter the circumstances, finds herself thrown headfirst into trouble of her own making, which only becomes worse when her parents decide they've...

'Duck on a Tractor,' written and illustrated by David Shannon, encourages readers to suspend disbelief, if only to create a magic in its readers' eyes that they wouldn't have otherwise. It is not often that one sees a duck driving a tractor, so finding a way to make sense of...

'Almost Autumn' by Marianne Kaurin, and translated by Rosie Hedger, is a retelling of the Holocaust and its impact in Norway. The story, while fictional, depicts both the innocence and evil that pervaded World War II, and chronicles the hardships and losses that were all too common during that time....

'Mr. Moon,' written and illustrated by Michael Paraskevas, is a soothing read about what the moon does while out at night. The way the story says goodbye to the sun in the beginning and welcomes it back at the end serves as nice bookends to a sweet story. The illustrations...

'Autumn in the City of Angels' by Kirby Howell is an addictive dystopian read that reads so smoothly that it will feel as though you are watching a movie. It doesn't hurt that the writers, Dana Melton and Jessica Alexander, who write under the pen name Kirby Howell, met while...

'Stealing Away: When Wrong is the Only Choice' by Amy Ruth Allen is a deeply introspective look into the life of a girl who has become deeper and deeper involved in a mess, at least partially of her own making. Jaynie Haart lives life on the run, metaphorically at first,...

Swede Dreams by Eva Apelqvist was well-written in more ways than one. The imagery she created of locations throughout Sweden, and the beauty of the country in general, was beautiful to read, and it made me feel desperate for when I will one day be able to visit such...