Reviews written by Connie Reid, Site Manager and Staff Reviewer

Max in the Land of Lies is the conclusion to the duology by Adam Gidwitz. In the first book, we met Max Bretzfeld as his parents found him safe passage out of Germany just as things were going from bad to deadly for the Jewish people in World War II...

April’s Journey was a unique book. I would advise you to read the summary and know your audience before choosing this book about the fallout of war. I did not, and thought the cover image was of a snowy scene, so you can understand my surprise that the very first...

Infinite Shores is an incredible conclusion to the Drowned Gods Trilogy. Clover is on the verge of destroying all the worlds as he ascends to godhood on the stolen magic of everything else. Things go from bad to worse, and a complicated situation seems too easy a way to describe...

How Do You Jew? Is a colorful board book celebrating the Jewish diaspora. On each page is a tradition that may be unique to a certain country, but explaining that it is still a Jewish tradition. I like that this book states where in the world these traditions are...

I am Smart, I am Blessed, I Can Do Anything! Is a board book perfect for starting the day off on a bright note. Ayaan wakes up not feeling self-assured, but along the way, his mother supports him in pointing out that he has friends, that he is smart, and...

Stranger Skies delivers a robust second book in the Drowned Gods Trilogy. I can see why the author went from planning two books to making it a trilogy because that is the only way to do this story justice. Some second books limp along, trying not to reveal too much,...

Beacon Hill Trilogy #2, Secrets of the Highlands, begins about a month after the events of the first book. Jack’s body is slowly dying after Eden’s star was placed inside his chest. This situation allows ample time to slow the action down long enough to establish camaraderie with his friends...

Curious Tides is a consuming fantasy in which you can get swept away by the intricate world-building if you aren’t careful. The magic system is determined by the tides and the moon phases during which you are born, so that it is infinitely complex in the type of magic you...

Forever Rogue is the seventh and last book in the Forgotten Five series. It has something for every fan. The action is nonstop in the first part of the book. Each member plays an important role in stopping President Fuerte from using a mind-controlling super named Hecter to steal the...

Rise and Fall: Great Empires that Shaped the World is a good introduction to the basics of 9 historic civilizations that had a major impact on history. The paragraphs were broken up throughout the page with key information about the art and culture, religion, trade, government, and decline that shaped...

Terra Electrica sets up a fascinating and realistic end-of-times novel appropriate for Middle-Grade audiences. Our main character, Mani, lives in a near future where the ice caps have melted, many animals we know today are extinct, and when the ice melted, something was released that sent a virus through electricity...

We Are ALL Animals is a nonfiction Middle-Grade book describing how animals and humans have more in common than you might suspect. The author is also a veterinarian and advocates that doctors for humans and animals should conduct research together, as we are similar in many ways. The book provides...

Beacon Hill Trilogy #1 Hunt For Eden’s Star sets up the trilogy with mystery and suspense while exploring Christian themes in Hong Kong. The writer’s choice to set this story in Hong Kong and the surrounding areas gives it a unique perspective from the beginning. Jack is an expat attending...

Fake Skating may be the best Lynn Painter book yet! The book was told in alternating points of view of Alec and Dani, which helped flesh out both characters. What usually leaves me wanting more in other books by Painter is that female characters say they have best friends or...

Mission Moon explores the history of our human need to understand the moon. There is a robust amount of information from the ancient names we called the moon, the stories we told, to the invention of the telescope, all the way through modern space programs. The book was inclusive in...