Ayan's Book Review
A Mermaid in Middle Grade: The Talisman of Lostland

-by A. M. Luzzader

A Mermaid in Middle Grade: The Talisman of Lostland is the wonderfully crafted story of a young mermaid who is nervous about going to middle school but excited to learn magic there. When the first day of school drags by, and Brynn reaches the magic class, she finds out that she can’t do the magic! 

The other students learn the basic illumination spell as their first session, but not Brynn. She spends weeks practicing, to no avail. Brynn can’t learn any other magic as the illumination spell is the foundation of them all. As the mid-term exam comes up, she takes the only choice available to her now. But will it help? You must read this book to find out!!

This book doesn’t remind me of any other book that I’ve ever read; it’s one of a kind.

This book’s themes are loving and caring for everybody, helping ocean life thrive (did you know that ocean life is currently being negatively impacted by human activity?), and reaching out to others for help, which came as a surprise to me. 😊

There aren’t any illustrations in this book, but I still didn’t miss them.

I give this book 5/5 stars as I read it all in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.

-  Ayan

P.S. My sister loved this book, too. We would love to read the second book of this series. 😊

 

Amy's Book Review: 

Lockdown Hair! 

-by Linda Steinbock

I loved the funny and colorful illustrations of this book and also the sweet story of Siona. 

She cares for her mother and comes up with plans to help her mother get back to work. I loved the last illustration with a lot of hair on Siona’s head.

Lockdown Hair is a pretty fun way to remind children to stay safe. This book reminds us about all the things we are facing during Coronavirus: wearing masks, social distancing, and video calling.

I recommend this book to children three years and above. I give this book 4.5/5 stars. I am sure you will enjoy reading this book.

The book is now available for preorder. Click here: Lockdown Hair. 

Ayan's Book Review: 

I...Am...Wolf! 

-by Stephanie J. Teer

In this thrilling sequel of I…Am…Cheetah!, Nathan, David, Gabby, Dorian, and Cassidy have to search for David’s bead: a lost bead that holds the only connection between David and Chase—David’s own cheetah. The pressure of losing Chase forever pushed David to stop trying, but Nathan’s perseverance motivated David to continue their quest.

This book includes multiple themes like friendship, courage, and integrity, all very cleverly woven into the main plot.

I found the illustrations in this book quite realistic, especially the ones of Nathan’s wolf Shadow and the cool drawings of a cheetah and a wolf (by David and Max).

Just like the first book in the Wild Animals Kids Club, I recommend this book as a read-aloud to kids 3+ and as a reader for anyone who can read.

This book also has a sneak peek at the third book of the series, and I can’t wait for its release.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it will make readers fall off their seats because they were too close to the edge.

P.S. I suggest reading the series in sequence to fully enjoy this book.

Start from here: I…Am…Cheetah!

Have fun reading!

Sometimes you just can't put the book down.

 

Ayan's Book Review: 

I...Am...Cheetah! 

-by Stephanie J. Teer

I…Am…Cheetah! is the magical story of five kids—Nathan, David, Gabby, Dorian, and Cassidy—and a mysterious portal. When the portal sends them three cheetahs, they need to go on challenging adventures throughout Safari Park to keep the cheetahs safe. This all leads up to an ultimate climax, and finally, the resolution that is a true work of art.

I found this book’s scenes very hilarious, especially a chase scene in which Dorian chases Chase, Chase chases a poodle, and so on. There are many funny instances like this that will keep the reader interested.

Even though this book is fictional, I learned many interesting and cool facts about this endangered species—the cheetah.

I loved the illustrations in this book. These beautiful illustrations will also help young readers visualize the scenes in this book.

This is a short read but is packed with tons of interesting themes like friendship, compassion, and adventure. And what came as a surprise to me is standing up against bullies.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for children above 3 years and as a reader for anyone who can read.

I give this book 5/5 stars because if I gave 6/5 stars, it would look silly. I am about to start the next book in the series: I…Am…Wolf! 

Ayan's Book Review: 

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab 

-by Fiona Ingram

Hi, 

Do you like ancient Egyptian history? I most certainly do. Do you like adventure books? I adore them, too. As much as I love learning about ancient Egypt, I enjoy reading mystery and adventure books.

‘The Secret of the Sacred Scarab’ is a mix of both and much more; it also has mythology, history, legends, and hieroglyphs clues (my favorite).

This book is a story of two cousins, Adam and Justin, and their trip to Egypt, where they go on an educational trip with their journalist aunt. Aunt Isabel had invited them to stay with her and Gran for a week. They were supposed to take notes of their learning and share them with their classmates. But Adam wanted to have an adventure on their trip. And they most certainly did. Right from their first day in Egypt, they experienced strange things that led the two into mystery and peril.

The main characters felt very real to me. I could immediately connect with Adam and Justin. Adam’s fear of traveling by airplane for the first time made him very relatable. I enjoyed the adventure along with Adam and Justin: walking in the market, sweltering heat of Egypt, crowded streets, bus rides, visiting Sphinx and the pyramids; everything felt real and full of life.

I loved that the story was fast and engaging right from the very beginning. I learned a lot more about Egyptian mythology and history than I had expected from a fiction book.

None of the book’s parts were confusing. I also liked the end of the book glossary, which contains more information on the Egyptian terminologies used in this book.

I recommend this book for children eight years and older as there is not much violence in the book but more suspense, adventure, and mystery that will keep the readers hooked until the last page.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it qualifies for a fun read. I can’t wait to read Book 2 in The Chronicles of the Stone series.