A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft - NO

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft, 384 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $20.

Language: R (26 swears, 9 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Due to her hard-earned reputation, Niamh (18yo) has been hired by the palace to make clothes for Prince Christopher leading up to his wedding, which will pay her well enough for her mother and grandmother to retire. But the prince throws a fit upon her arrival, declaring he would rather go to his own wedding naked than to wear anything Niamh makes. Prince or no, Niamh means to win this battle of stubbornness.

With civil unrest hovering under the surface, I was surprised that the politicking was so well integrated in the story that it wasn’t boring. The happy ending was great, of course, but getting there was a chore because I disagreed with so many of Niamh’s decisions along the way. Furthermore, at least one of the obstacles to be overcome was entirely avoidable, and I didn’t like how it was forced into the story. On top of that, the sexual content was unnecessary.

Niamh and Christopher are depicted as fair skinned on the cover, and Rosa is described as having olive skin. Several of the main characters are part of the LGBT community, but naming them would include spoilers, so I will refrain. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for mentions of genocide and massacre.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm by Julie Kagawa - ESSENTIAL

Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm (Society of Explorers and Adventurers #2) by Julie Kagawa, 324 pages. Disney/Hyperion, 2023. $17 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, dangerous situations) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

13yo Shinji and Lucy are invited to accompany a group from SEA who are headed to a recently discovered shipwreck. Shinji is still trying to learn how to control his recently acquired Guardian powers, and the longish ship voyage seems the perfect place for him to work with Phoebe, a member of the society who has some powers herself. But when Hightower interferes with the mission, and the group - which has acquired a stowaway, a thief named Roux - finds themselves on an uninhabited island, Shinji and the kids get caught in an active volcano and Shinji releases an angry guardian, a giant Boar Spirit who is looking for revenge. 

This is an exciting series - I love the magical elements and the "Indiana Jones" style explorations with secret pathways and collapsing rooms that chase the kids into more danger. They have intelligent, caring adults with them (although the kids often slip their supervision and get into trouble.) Shinji is Japanese American. 

Lisa Librarian

Queen Bee by Amalie Howard - ADVISABLE

Queen Bee by Amalie Howard, 343 pages. Joy Revolution (Random House), 2023. $19

Language:  G (5 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Three years ago Lady Ela was a naïve young girl who was betrayed by her jealous best friend and doubly betrayed by family and friends who refused to believe her innocence. Sent to the hinterlands to a remote boarding school, 18yo Ela plots revenge and reinvents herself as Miss Lyra Whitley - ready to sweep into the receiving rooms and ballrooms of the ton of London and exact her revenge.

Loved it!  I’m just not sure how strong Regency-style romances are in your libraries. A couple of years ago I had a group of girls who wanted scandalous books and this completely fits the bill.  And bonus - it is a clean read - which seems to be harder and harder to find in YA nowadays. Ela/Lyra shows us the machinations of London society and is a strong character (with a little deux ex machina), who learns real lessons, besides finding love. Ela/Lyra is South Asian, her love interest is described as having dark skin; most of the characters are default white

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Never Coming Home by Kate Williams - MANY

Never Coming Home by Kate Williams, 304 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2022. $19

Language: R (60+  swears, 20+ ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (body parts mentioned, some drinking); Violence: PG-13 (ten deaths by various means, a couple are described)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

10 young social media influencers are the first guests for a remote luxury resort’s grand opening. And then they start dying.

Williams’s take on Agatha Christie’s classic novel is a refreshing remake with a very modern look. I doubt 90% of the teens who read this will have read the source material, so that won’t matter to them at all. The characters are default white.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer - OPTIONAL

Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer, 176 pages. Orca Book Publishers, 2022. $13

Content: G
 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL AVERAGE 

Mia and Lara are two 10yo girls growing up in the 1980s who are best friends. They live in Prince Rupert, Canada. Mia often compares her life with her friend Lara's. Mia's family is indigenous to Canada, Lara is Mexican Hungarian. 

Mia feels that she is treated differently because of her Indigenous background. There is no real plot in this book. It is more of a glimpse of the life of these two girls told in vignettes. I enjoyed this book but I think that it is geared toward 6th graders and students in middle school. Younger students may get bored with the lack of plot. Also, Mia's parents drink a lot and the book shows how this affects Mia. Older students may handle that part of the book better. Mia is Indigenous Canadian. Lara is Mexican Hungarian. 

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child - OPTIONAL

The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child, 189 pages. Candlewick, 2023. $20. 

Content: G (mentions of real-life conditions and actions from each time period)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Just like the main character in Mr. Dickens's story from the newspaper, 12yo Birdie is a match girl in Victorian England.  She and her family barely eke out an existence, even though they work hard all day long. One night, after disaster has followed her all day, Birdie strikes her last three matches and sees wonders - wonders that help her realize that she is going to have to fight for a better life if that is what she wants.

While I appreciate Carroll using The Little Matchgirl story as a framework about life in Victorian England and the power of a strike to create change, the novel feels like only the beginning of what could have been a better story. Includes magical realism. All of the characters are white, and from England.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

The Drama with Doomsdays by Scott Reintgin - ADVISABLE

The Drama with Doomsdays (Celia Cleary #2) by Scott Reintgin, 351 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2023. $18

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Celia has saved Jeffrey’s life but at the cost of her beloved grandmother’s life. As she is coming to grips with her new powers of prophecy, she runs into a whole new level of problem - a doomsday curse.  If she can’t identify the center of the curse, the caster, and the receiver, her entire 8th-grade class could be doomed with bad luck forever. 

Celia is such a fun main character and Reintgen is so good at plotting an interesting story. I love Celia’s faith in her friends and her willingness to listen and learn. While I marked the first book in the series only for elementary school, I am going to start recommending the whole thing for middle school too.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed - NO

Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed, 336 pages. Dial Books. 2021. $12 

Language: R (58 swears 22 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (implied sex, petting, drug use, drug abuse, underage drinking) Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NOT RECOMMENDED 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

18yo Fern is bored with her life until she meets famous Ivy and then her world is turned upside down. Ivy and her rich acquaintances have no interest in right and wrong but only in doing what they want, no matter who gets hurt in the process.  Drugs, alcohol, partying, affairs and crazy behavior are what their days are made of. This topsy-turvy story shows shallowness, entitlement, and lack of shame. It bends reality and makes the reader question everything. 

The story is confusing and has some disjointed and choppy writing. The dystopian setting that’s not too far ahead of our time makes it more believable. The characters struggle with themselves and their insecurities, which is relatable, but I didn’t care for them at all, except for Ivy after she explained her past. I was expecting more from this book and ended up disappointed. The ethnicity is mixed. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

The Ever Storms by Amanda Foody - ADVISABLE

The Ever Storms (Wilderlore #3) by Amanda Foody, 368 pages. Margaret McElderry (Simon), 2023. $

Content: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: OPTIONAL

13yo Barclay and the other apprentices are headed into the Desert Realm for their Symposium - a series of classes and training to sharpen their magical powers and get them ready to take their licensing exams. They will meet different apprentices of different magical specialties from all over the realms. Besides the classes, there is also a secret prank competition that Barclay is not interested in, but it may involve him despite his protests. But danger also lurks - Keyes is still out there lurking and magical storms are endangering everyone in the realm.

I want to love these books, but I always feel like I am only getting half of the information I need to really understand them. Am I reading too quickly? No, because other fantasy books cruise along and feel complete. Foody keeps trying to do too many things all at once. The action and adventure are the only things holding everything together. Plus Barclay is pretty endearing as a main character.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow - OPTIONAL

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, 320 pages. Tor, 2023. $19 

Language: R (172 swears 63 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (implied sex, off-page) Violence: PG-13 (self harm for blood sacrifice)

BUYING ADVISORY:  HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

26yo Opal fiercely takes care of Jasper, her teenage brother, and has been his guardian since their mother drowned twelve years ago. Opal is bound and determined to give Jasper a promising future away from Eden, Kentucky. She earns money with part-time jobs until she starts cleaning for Arthur Starling, the owner of Starling House. She knows there’s something off about the house but she doesn’t care. Opal just wants to earn money for Jasper to attend private school and Arthur pays nicely, even though the longer she stays there, the more she sees the strange goings on and can’t seem to pull herself away. 

I love Opal’s tenacity, bravery, and loyalty to her brother. Then I was pulled into the story because of the mystery surrounding Starling House. I like how the author shared the background of the community, characters and Starling House. The ethnicity falls to white Jasper has a brown skin father. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston - OPTIONAL

The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston, 341 pages. Hyperion (Disney), 2023. $19.

Language: R (50+ swears, 3 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (burned at stake described some; pierced skull)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

17yo Tara and her family have packed up and moved to Hellbourne, Vermont.  Yeah (not) - new high school! Kids are dying around school - and even though Tara wasn’t there when it started, she has become the scapegoat.  Unfair - all she wants to do is keep her head down and survive. Hellbourne’s problem dates all the back to the town’s first witch-burning and Tara will need a lot of help to stay alive, especially because not only is her magic glitching, but her father has forbidden her to use it. 

As much as I like a good Buffy prequel or retelling, I haven’t seen any interest in my students. Very appealing for Buffy fans, though.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen - ADVISABLE

Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen, 288 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL; ADULTS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Charlotte (26yo) had been studying and working abroad when she received an odd letter from her dying father. Rushing back home to England, Charlotte hoped to understand what he meant, but he died before her arrival, leaving her with a hundred unanswered questions. While her detective friends are willing to help, someone is doing everything they can to make sure she leaves England without the answers.

Action-packed both mystery-solving-wise and romance-wise, Charlotte’s story keeps readers on their toes. Despite long periods of time passing in the story and a few predictable elements, Allen’s writing was still engaging through to the happy ending.  There were several references to the previous books in the series, but reading them was not necessary to enjoy this installment.

Nearly all the characters mentioned are English, with a couple Americans and a Scottish man. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and mild innuendo. The violence rating is for illegal activity, blood and gore, assault, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Last Rose by Leah Cypess

The Last Rose (Sisters Ever After) by Leah Cypess, 236 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2023. $18.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

When Darina is kidnapped by the Beast in the castle in the woods, Mera knows that it is all her fault - the Beast really wants her, because of the secret she has been keeping all this time. When she finds her way to the castle, though, Darina seems to be happy to be there - how can that be?

Cypess adds a werewolf twist to the classic Beauty and the Beast tale this time. Based a bit on the Disney version, but with lots of differences. A young reader retelling, that is high on action and low on holding all of the facts together well (Darina’s protests that she loves the Beast don’t come off as sincere- we just have to take it on faith, for example).

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Kawaii Cafe Bubble Tea by Stacey Kwong and Beyah del Mundo - GIFT

Kawaii Cafe Bubble Tea by Stacey Kwong and Beyah del Mundo, 123 pages. Rock Point, 2024. $15.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - GIFT

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Stacey and Beyah share a little bit about their journey into the boba business as they share some of their recipes with boba fans!

The cookbook was surprisingly informative regarding different kinds of boba, though they keep it short and sweet to not bore readers. I also appreciate how they foster creativity in their readers, giving some building blocks and encouraging readers to try their own variations.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Facing the Enemy by Barbara Krasner - ADVISABLE

Facing the Enemy by Barbara Krasner, 335 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE. Calkins Creek (Astra), 2023. $20

Violence: PG (implied that a boy was drowned deliberately)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In the 1930’s Benjy and Tommy were best friends, until Tommy’s German father insisted that Tommy join the local Nazi New Jersey youth camp and learn how to be a “good” German. Benjy, meanwhile, watches his father befriend the famous boxer Nat Arno, as they and other Jews form the Newark Minutemen to counteract the local Nazi propaganda. 

Spanning 1937 to 1941, on Tommy’s side we see the insidious work of Nazi brainwashing and on Benjy’s side we see countermeasures that were ongoing within the US. While the poetry is not poetic, Krasner has created a good way to for any reader to learn about America’s own Nazi past (any maybe compare it to the present?). The subtitle for the book is “How a Nazi Youth Camp in America Tested a Friendship”.  The main characters are not real people. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments by Victoria Grace Elliott - OPTIONAL

Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments by Victoria Grace Elliott, 134 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, NON-FICTION RH Graphic (Random House), 2023. $22 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A collection of upbeat food sprites takes the reader on a tour of how various foods came to be from pizza to pickles. 

At first glance, this book looks like a fictional middle-grade graphic novel but sports a fairly high lexile as it goes through food facts from throughout the world. This is a fun way to learn facts, though I would have liked a table of contents. Some simple recipes go with the different sections. Food aficionados may enjoy this but the artwork seems geared to elementary-age girls. 

 Michelle in the Middle

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G.Z. Schmidt - ADVISABLE

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G.Z. Schmidt, 272 pages. Holiday House, 2023. $18 

Language: G (0 swears 0'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Peril, suspense, missing child, talk of using a child's heart) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

13 years ago, 6yo Beatrice Willoughby disappeared without a trace at the Amadeus' annual All Hallowed's Eve party. Now Mort Amadeus is in jail, convicted of her murder from only circumstantial evidence. Tonight, a special party is being thrown with invited guests only. Maribelle Amadeus has collected people who were there on the night Beatrice disappeared and won't let them leave until they solve the mystery of what happened. 11yo Dewey came (uninvited) with his dad Chaucer, a story collector, and Dewey seems to be the only one with any detective skills. They only have until midnight to exonerate Mort. 

What a delightful story - I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel. Laced with magic and fairy tales, Dewey, an "own schooled" kid on the road all his life has a great education from all the books he's read. The perfect outsider to see things the party guests don't or won't notice. I loved it! The time period is sketchy - a computer is mentioned, but a spinning wheel is also in use. The characters default white. 

Lisa Librarian 

Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski and Anu Chouhan - ADVISABLE

Fairest of All (Whatever After The Graphic Novel #1) by Sarah Mlynowski, illustrated by Anu Chouhan. 160 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Graphix Scholastic, 2024. $13 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Abby and her little brother, Jonah, have been sucked through a magic mirror into the story of Snow White. They are pretty proud of themselves for keeping Snow from eating a poisoned apple from the Queen until they realize that they've changed her story and she might not meet her prince. 

Though there are countless retellings of fairytales, this is a fun romp into the genre with the idea that change isn't always bad. The characters are fun and the artwork is bright and colorful and adds to the story. No specific race or culture is mentioned in the story. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds and Raul the Third - ADVISABLE

Stuntboy, In-Between Time (Stuntboy #2) by Jason Reynolds, drawings by Raul the Third, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Atheneum (Simon and Schuster), 2023. $15.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

10yo Portico's parents are Xs and are now living on separate floors in the apartment building. Today is his first time staying at his dad's and he's not ready. This whole thing has been a shock. So, he avoids the inevitable, and instead of going to his dad's apartment, he hangs out with his friends instead. With a broken elevator in the building, they have to avoid the bullies in the stairwell, but Herbert has found an empty apartment that is unlocked and takes Portico and Lola there - the perfect playground for three kids - with a pocket full of markers. 

Jason Reynolds is a master storyteller. Stuntboy reads like an adventure serial, complete with commercial breaks. Raul the Third's illustrations are perfect. While I have labeled Stuntboy a graphic novel, it's more of a hybrid, with lots of illustrations and plenty of traditional text. 4th and 5th graders will love this series. Follow along with the audiobook - the multiple narrators add so much to this exciting story. Although Portico is only 10, the reputation of Jason Reynolds along with kids talking about Stuntboy, I think my middle schoolers will enjoy it too, so I am buying a copy. The characters are Black. 

Lisa Librarian

Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson - ADVISABLE

Final Word (Winterton Deception #1) by Janet Sumner Johnson, 384 pages. Pixel + Ink (Holiday House), 2023 $19. 

Language: G; Mature Content: G Violence PG: Peril, injuries, adult attempts to strangle a child 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

13yo twins Gordon and Hope have entered a spelling bee. The prize money will help pay the back rent on the motel room they share with their mother (who recently lost her job) and keep them from going into foster care. But this year the stakes are high. The matron of the Winterton family has recently passed away and this year's grand prize is a half million dollars! But they are competing against members of the Winterton family, all of whom seem to have been disinherited, and there's a treasure hunt involved. 

Johnson dedicates The Final Word to Ellen Raskin - which put me in mind of the Westing Game. The estate where the bee is held has a massive library, and many many great children's books are mentioned. Loved the nods to both classics and recently published novels. The mystery is fast-paced and works well against this backdrop - the intensity of the spelling bee rounds balances the frantic search for a family heirloom. It was fun to follow the clues along with Hope. I could have done without the epilogue though - it confused things and brought more questions than answers.  The characters default white, although Hope mentioned she has tanned skin. 

Lisa Librarian