South Sound Book Review Council

Penny & Pip

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Midge Livingston

By Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann

When Penny goes on a field trip with her class she sees an egg hatch in the dinosaur wing of the Natural History Museum. As she enters another area she finds that a small dinosaur is following her. Pip is alone in the world and worried about Penny leaving without them. Together, the devise a plan to be together forever.

This book could be a nice introduction to seeing a museum. The illustrations are lovely and the characters are quite expressive. This would be a wonderful extra purchase if one had a little bit extra in their budget.

Beatrice and Barb

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Midge Livingston

By Kate Jenks Landry, Illustrated by Vivian Mineker

More than anything, Beatrice wants a pet to cuddle, snuggle and take care of. After a long negotiation with her mom, they agree upon a plant. While Barb is not the most affectionate pet a girl can have, Beatrice does everything she can to take care of her plant. She begins to notice that Barb is not doing well and is beginning to look sick. What can Beatrice do to save her beloved pet?

I would highly recommend this well illustrated book that shows determination, dedication and love.

The Snow Man

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Midge Livingston

By Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Jeanette Winter

This is the biography of billy barr (he chooses not to capitalize his name), a man who chose to live in the Rocky Mountains alone in the early 1970’s and continues to live there to this day. The author’s note at the end explains that billy become bored and thus started measuring and noting information about the first snowfall, snowpack and when certain animals and flowers returned to the mountains or came out of hibernation. His notebooks are still used when researching climate change and global warming.

I would highly recommend this book for elementary school. It is a wonderfully written and illustrated book that can be used extensively when recognizing climate change as well as a great example of the scientific method in action.

The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Midge Livingston

By Adi Alsaid

Bobert lives in the evil kingdom of Nefaria where everyone does what they can to keep evil “in check”. He lives a life where he feels that he is invisible. He is forgotten by all around him, even his parents. When he follows his classmates to a cursed gumball machine, he is sucked into an evil scheme created by Matt the evil wizard. Will Bobert finally be remembered by his classmates and found before the kingdom is taken over by Matt? Will Nefaria once again become a kingdom that is impervious to these evil schemes?

I found this book to be somewhat difficult to get in to as the storyline seemed difficult to understand at the beginning. The main character, Bobert, was difficult to get behind. If a reader enjoys quirky fantasy with underdog protagonists then they may enjoy this book.

Styx and Scones in the Sticky Wand

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Candy Ranney

by Jay Cooper

Miss Hildy and Miss Hattie, two friendly witches, leave Styx (a purple cat) and Scones (a ginger colored dog) alone in their cottage when they go off to gather some fenfruit. They instruct their pets to leave various magical items alone, including a crystal ball, potions and herbs and the flying brooms. They don’t say anything about the stick on the mantel. So, Scones figures it’s ok to play with, right? Well, mayhem ensues as the two animals scuffle over the magical stick, turning Styx into a variety of purple animals and adding a ship, pirates and many other magical things to the mix. Upon the return of the witches, they learn that the stick is just that, not a magic wand. Yet, they turn Miss Hattie into a jar of peanut butter. So, what is that about?

This hilarious beginning graphic novel is perfect for new readers, who are introduced to the format by Styx and Scones on the first few pages. Cartoon-like illustrations are bright and the text is very accessible. This book will not be on the library shelves for long! Highly recommended.

I’m Going to Build a Snowman

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Candy Ranney

by Jashar Awan

A young boy wakes up to a snowy landscape and decides to build “THE BEST SNOWMAN EVER!” He mulls over the steps to the perfect snowman and about daydreams about the result, so perfect that it will be a dream come true! Well, sometimes the outcome isn’t as perfect as planned. But, this little boy is undaunted. He creates his “BEST SNOWMAN YET!” And, it is.

Bright, bold colors in simple illustrations help tell a story that is full of fun, exuberance and heart. Text is spare, yet moves the story along and readers will enjoy the onomatopoeia along the way. Add this to your collection. It will become a classic!

Happy Spark Day!

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Candy Ranney

by Shane Richardson & Sarah Marino

It’s a special day in Ember City! Young dragons will learn what their “Spark” (special power) is at the Spark Day Ceremony. Among them are Li, Runa and Drake, who are three best friends. At the Ceremony, they see the beautiful disco ball that was created by dragons on the very first Spark Day. During the party after receiving their Sparks, Drake and another dragon, Fizz, get into a bit of tussle and break the special disco ball, ending the Spark Day festivities. Each of the young dragons tries to fix the broken disco ball with disastrous results. Suddenly, Drake remembers something that the mayor said, “Our Sparks shine their brightest when we use them to help one another”. They follow this advice and not only fix the broken disco ball but make it more special, alight with rainbow colors. They had learned a valuable lesson and saved Spark Day!

Brightly colored cartoon-like illustrations in a graphic novel/early chapter book style make this a nice introduction to the genre for young readers. It is not text-heavy and there is a lot of white space on the pages, which makes it even more accessible. The story moves along and the dragons are fun and a little silly. Kids will love it!

The Revenge of Magic

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Candy Ranney

by James Riley

Monsters! Magic! Mystery!

While on a trip to the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., Forsythe Fitzgerald, known to his family and friends as Fort, watches as his father is snatched and pulled underground by a long clawed monster hand. Desperate to rescue his father, he is stopped by a voice in his head telling him to run. Six months later, a depressed Fort is invited to attend a special school to help him overcome the mysterious loss of his father. The school is out in the middle of no where, looks like an army camp and is heavily guarded by armed soldiers. Fort meets other students and instructors and learns that the school is not an ordinary one but one in which to learn magic to defend against the beings that control the monster hands that took his father. He also learns that several different types of magic books have been unearthed and only people no older than Fort can learn and work magic. Fort wants to learn “destructive” magic to get revenge for the taking of his father. Instead he is assigned to learn “healing” magic and has only three days to learn three spells to catch up with the other students or be sent home! The other students took months to learn just one spell and adults can’t learn any, so how can he possibly learn three in three days? He gets help from an unexpected source…the voice he heard in his head so many months before. This mysterious voice enables Fort not only to learn his three spells but also to master several advanced ones as well. His sudden possession of arcane spells earns him the begrudging respect and the animosity of some of the more accomplished students as somehow their skills are transferred into Fort. With the help of his new allies, he begins to search for the source of this strange voice despite foot dragging by some of them. Eventually his friends and he uncover the source not only of his mysterious voice but also to whom the books of magic originally belonged and why they want them back. Without revealing any spoilers, Fort discovers the true magic power of healing and that cooperation with others is the real strength of leadership. Does he rescue his father and thwart the aliens controlling the monster hands? Well, those answers and other adventures are in the sequels to The Revenge Of Magic. You’ll just have to read those to find out.

-guest reviewer, Bill Pfender

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Candy Ranney

by Jenna Yoon

All Lia wants is make it into the International Magic School with her friend, Joon. Her overprotective parents, who work mundane desk jobs for the magical organization, won’t let her do anything and she can’t figure out why. In an act of rebellion, Lia attends the party of the popular girl from school and ends up revealing her family’s location (by breaking an ancient protection spell) to the evil diviner spirit, Gaya, who kidnaps her parents and demands a ransom. Lia’s parents manage to get a message to her during the kidnapping and she and Joon are magically transported to Korea. There, they discover Lia’s true lineage as they and Lia’s grandmother desperately fight to save her parents and destroy Gaya before she returns Korea to a vastly different time hundreds of years before.

This book brings together Korean mythology, magic, modern day technology and typical tween feelings in a wonderfully rich, exciting story. Lia is a twelve year old that is feeling a little (ok, a lot) hemmed in by her parents and sets off a chain of events that will change her life (and possibly the world) when she sneaks out to a swim party at the popular girl’s house. This act of rebellion leads to a fast-paced fantasy adventure that will cause you some sleepless nights, because you just can’t put it down. Hand this book to those students that love Rick Riordan’s books. They will thank you!