Reviews written by Mark Buxton, Staff Reviewer

What worked: The author is a master of writing dystopian novels for middle-grade readers. In this setting, the government controls everything, and citizens are afraid to say anything against the president. He has ruled for decades, and no one opposes him during elections. Animals have been eliminated from...

What worked: The story deals with death and grief, as Joey still struggles with the loss of his grandfather two years earlier. The author hints at the cause of Nonno’s death, and Joey feels guilt for having caused it. Joey loved Nonno more than anyone, and the first-person...

What worked: The mixed bag of supernatural creatures will amuse young readers. The prologue describes a newly caught wyvern that can mentally communicate with the main characters, Ollie and Gerin. Their parents study elves, goblins, and other creatures, and Ollie’s father has made discoveries that help the world....

What worked: The book opens with a quest adventure for Kate, Jack, and Stefan. These three characters have grown up together, and they pass through a portal into another world. The king gives them the option of rescuing his daughter or spending time in the dungeons, so the...

What worked: Obviously, identifying witches in the title means there will be magic, and the author adds new twists. The witches live in hidden settlements around the world, and the setting for this story is Missen Dessalin. The witches work together to create an invisible shield that conceals...

What worked: Mina is the main character, and she has a variety of issues. Her psychiatrist says it’s unlikely that she’ll ever act on her thoughts of stabbing people, and her OCD is how her body maintains control. She doesn’t know how to get along with people, and...

What worked: Middle-grade readers will feel a sense of familiarity as Glory and Marcus find themselves mixed up in a major problem once again. Paxton was the main antagonist in the first book, and she’s still roaming behind the scenes in this book. Glory is certain she’s up...

What worked: The author uses several techniques to make the non-fiction information more palatable and approachable for young readers. The numerous, colorful illustrations are most obvious, but the backgrounds and text boxes are multi-colored too. Humor is an important part of text, making the information entertaining. Questions about...

What worked: The author is a master storyteller, weaving several of them together in this book. Roman has never heard the entire story of his grandfather’s missing toe, and readers can expect the unexpected from events surrounding the grandfather’s death. Roman is surprised by his grandfather’s terrified face...

What worked: Two aspects of this book differ from those of others. The setting is on a planet called Miro, and the humans harvest power from rocks called Orra. Humans had mismanaged natural resources on their former planet, so survivors fled to Miro. Conservation of nature is a...

What worked: Honesty and trust remain key issues, as Raini struggles with her father, Gerry. He recently entered her life, and she’s constantly challenging his patience. Raini has lied quite a bit in the first two books, so Gerry is reluctant to give her the benefit of the...

What worked: A mysterious man tells Raini that she can see her mother if she doesn’t say anything to her father. Raini was a baby when her mother left, so she jumps at the chance. However, the effect of this misadventure is that the setting shifts to New...

What worked: The story breaks down into two main parts. The opening chapters describe Raini taking a gold coin that thieves left on the beach and fleeing the beach patrol. She reluctantly tells her cousin, Ian, what she’s done, and they form a shaky alliance to keep it...

What worked: The characters and story are odd, which should appeal to middle-grade readers. The main characters are the three Porch “sisters” with their unique personalities. Gertrude is the oldest at 13 years, and she is a lover of animals and nature. Staying at the Purple Pearl Hotel...

What worked: Ria has a complicated relationship with her mother. Her mother works for the Metropolitan Museum, but she spends much of her time trying to get relics returned to the countries from which they were stolen. The book opens with the mother announcing that Ria and her...