Reviews written by Mark Buxton, Staff Reviewer

What worked: Sparrow, real name Ruyan, is an unassuming, humble student, trying to learn about magic before it’s lost. All children in this setting possess magic while knowing they’ll lose it as adults. Her older brother Ainsley is a third-year student, but he’s recognized for his powerful fire...

What worked: The format will be familiar to middle-grade readers, as an underdog, Jamie, teams up with two students at opposite ends of the student spectrum. Dan is a large, quiet boy whom everyone else avoids out of fear. Lakshmi is a popular, top student who brings her...

What worked: The book is based on Greek mythology, so young readers will be familiar with most of the gods mentioned. Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena are important to the story, as Odysseus’s behavior sometimes angers them, or he prays to them for help. Readers who enjoyed the Percy...

What worked: The early chapters will have readers immediately conjuring mysterious thoughts. The prologue describes Faye sleepwalking and hearing her aunt exclaim, “Oh, what have you done, you wicked child?” Faye is sent to a “different” school, far away from home, located on a desolate island. The headmaster’s...

What worked: The plot will be familiar to all middle-grade readers, as best friends George (Suds) and Joey look forward to being the oldest class in their elementary school. The early chapters describe George preparing for the first day of school, as he doesn’t know how to be...

What worked: This book has a giant role reversal, pun intended. Readers meet a young giant named Corman as he’s searching for medicinal plants to help his sick sister. It’s his first time above ground, so he’s leery of every new thing he sees, like an owl and...

What worked: Imagining how the past and present can merge can be daunting, but the author introduces it gradually. At first, a woman is startled to see her older image in the mirror, and her children treat her as if her mind is addled. A famous podcast personality...

What worked: The plot becomes an adventure when Roma encounters a rare golden monkey. She makes it her mission to return it to its home, but there are many complications to her plan. It’s first captured by bandits, sold, stolen again, and Roma eventually ends up in the...

What worked: The story is full of humor, as Minerva’s cousin, Tenacity, asks her to investigate a missing pearl necklace. Much of the humor arises from their lives as shrews, although Minerva lives in the wild and Tenacity lives in a house full of humans. Most of the...

What worked: The author breaks down the Declaration of Independence step by step and explains the meaning behind its different parts. The explanations are highlighted in red for easy identification. It briefly goes into the events leading up to its creation, and the colonists’ rising frustration and anger...

What worked: Deepa’s leukemia is in remission, but she tells everyone she knows that she’s cured. She just wants to get back to having a normal life, so she doesn’t even tell her best friend, Renee. Denying her actual condition causes Deepa to put her health in jeopardy,...

What worked: Paige and Gnat are sisters with contrasting views of Scrap. Gnat is convinced that Scrap is the missing King of the Robots and that he will help them escape Somewhere Five One Three. Paige is certain this dented, broken case of metal and bolts is definitely...

What worked: The synopsis is misleading, since Tassie doesn’t have a problem becoming part of the Chosen One’s prophecy. Saving Peryll from the Shadow fits perfectly into her dream of going on an adventure. The Wisest of the Wise tells her she’s the Chosen One, but she knows...

What worked: Time travel is always an intriguing topic, and the author adds a creative twist. Every New Year’s Eve, Lily is transported back in time, along with everyone she knows. However, Lily is the only character aware that it’s happening. These characters maintain their personalities and relationships...

What worked: The book describes a problem-solving process using the STEM approach. The group of kids must first identify a real problem where they can build something to solve it. They focus on the lunchroom and decide that the process for collecting food trays needs to be changed....