Ayan's Book Review
The Go-KartAstrophe

-by Caron Pescatore

Do you know what happens in a courtroom? I didn't know. But I learned a lot about the courtroom and legal proceedings in this fun middle-grade fiction.

In 'The Go-KartAstrophe,' Greg Foster has been arguing with his friend Declan Mathias for days over who made Greg’s go-kart crash. Greg points out that Declan was at the wheel during the accident. However, Declan insists that the steering mechanism was defective. But then, their friend Phoebe suggests that they send the case to the Kids’ Court—a court made and run by kids. Greg and Declan accept the offer—and so this engaging book begins. And you, too, can join the Kids’ Court as they reveal clues and unravel the mystery.

I especially like this book because it taught me many legal terminologies like a bailiff, court reporter, plaintiff, defendant, and attorney. These are cleverly woven into the story instead of stuck in like a teacher making a lesson about the law. Besides, it even showed me how a judge conducts a case. Pretty good for a children’s book!

I recommend this book as a read-aloud to children 3+ years and as a reader for 5+ years.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a great book with many twists and turns, and it’ll keep you engaged till the end. I read this entire book in one sitting. Well, that says something. 😊

-Ayan

P.S. I found the court system a lot like chess—both have two opponents using strategy to defeat each other (and there are many other similarities I don’t want to go into detail right now😊).

 

Ayan's Book Review
Tales of a Sixth-Grade Werecat

-by A.M. Deese

'Tales of a Sixth-Grade Werecat' is the story of Felix and his battle against his archenemy Ethan. When Ethan dares Felix to enter the house of the town witch, Felix takes the dare, hoping to defeat Ethan once and for all. But an unexpected move from Ethan tosses Felix into a series of challenging escapades. But will he be able to take them all? Join Felix as he finds his talisman, gains control of his powers, and takes his last chance to take down Ethan.

The themes in this book are friendship, perseverance, and sympathy.

The illustrations in this book are pretty detailed—great for younger readers to understand the context.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 4+ and as a reader for 5+.
I give this book 4.7/5 stars as there is some name-calling. (Even though I don’t like name-calling, it’s needed in the story.) I enjoyed reading this book and would love to read more by the author, A. M. Deese.

Keep reading!!

-Ayan 

  

Amy's Book Review: 

The Last Fairy Door

-by N. A. Davenport

Do you think all fairies are girls? I thought that too. But can a boy be a good fairy? Oh yes absolutely, I found that in this middle-grade fantasy book.

The main character in 'The Last Fairy Door' was Amy. Her real name was Amaryllis, but she made herself a nickname—Amy.  Amy’s father was sick, and her mother was no-one-knows-where, so Amy had to move to her grandmother’s house. 

While going there, she saw some flickering movement in her grandma’s barn. In her grandmother’s house, she found a box labeled Amaryllis in which she found a pendant, which her grandma said seemed to be the one that Amy’s mom owned. She goes to her grandma’s barn to find out if the flickering was real, and she finds a boy fairy, Flax. (I was so happy to learn about a boy fairy.) 😊

Amy wants to find her mom, but she doesn’t know the continent, country, state, city, or neighborhood. Does she find her mom? Could she return to her grandma’s house? Read this exciting fantasy adventure book to find out!

A few themes in this book include friendship, family love, and perseverance.

I give this book 5/5 stars as 'The Last Fairy Door' is an exciting book and kept me hooked till the end. Even at night, when I’m not supposed to read from a tablet(for we have no screen time at night), I wanted to read The Last Fairy Door! 

I would love to read more books by the author, N. A. Davenport.  

  

Ayan's Book Review 

Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend

-by Cheryl Carpinello

I've read a few Arthurian legends before, but this book has a magical touch that takes it to the next level.

'On the Eve of Legend' is an Arthurian middle-grade book about Lady Guinevere. A few days before her thirteenth birthday, there came a visit from King Leodegrance’s (Guinevere’s father’s) neighboring kings. But before leaving, King Arthur made the life-changing decision to marry Guinevere. However, as King Leodegrance agreed to the betrothal without her having a say in it, Guinevere made up her mind to leave that world of Arthur. 
But will she ever come back? And what will happen to the engagement? You must read the book to find out!

If you look at the cover of this book, you’ll find a unicorn. This unicorn teaches Guinevere that the path of life might be ragged, but doing the right thing will always lead to victory. That’s the theme of this story—doing the right thing no matter what.
I particularly liked the illustrations in this book, especially the ones that included Merlyn. Merlyn always had a huge beard, which I found quite hilarious.

I recommend this book to anybody aged 7+ as the plot might be a little complex for younger children to understand.
I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a great read and will keep anyone engaged.
P.S. I'm reading the next book in this series, and the review of that is coming soon!
Keep reading!!

 

Ayan's Book Review
The King's Decree

-by Torina Kingsley

'The King’s Decree' is about Devina’s family’s search for something to make Devina happy. Being a princess, Devina had naturally been happy…up till her fifteenth birthday. 

Her sadness lasted a year, and on her sixteenth birthday, her father (the king) decreed that whoever could make her happy would get her hand in marriage and become the heir of the throne. As you can guess, many people came and tried their luck. But did the princess become happy after all? Read this wonderful retelling of a fable to find out.

This book’s themes include family bonding, friendship, perseverance, and, most importantly, the importance of happiness.

'The King’s Decree' is a fractured fable, which means that it’s a modified version of a fable (in this case, The Princess Who Never Laughed). I've read many fractured fables, but this book is one of the best so far.
I recommend this book as a read-aloud to ages 4+ and as a reader for 5+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s very enjoyable and highly engaging.

Ayan's Book Review
Ben Archer and the Toreq Son

-by Rae Knightly

I would like to start this review with one word. WOW!

Do you like sci-fi? And what about Alien abduction? If yes, then you must read The Alien Skill series by Rae Knightly.

'Ben Archer and the Toreq Son' is the final leg of this intergalactic sci-fi adventure. 

The story starts when an alien spacecraft lands in front of the United Nations headquarters. The police officers, snipers, and helicopters are ready to attack the craft. The head of the UN, Adhira Prabhakar, is a powerful woman. The secretary-general and superintendent request Adhira to evacuate the building, but she decides to find out who has come in the alien craft. 

And to her surprise, she finds a boy in front of the craft. She immediately walks over to talk to him, only to find Benjamin Archer, the missing boy, or may I say the boy abducted by the aliens. Ben tells her to find Mesmo and come to ‘The Great Gathering’ before he was whisked away by the aliens.

Do the UN attack the spaceship in which Ben was kept hostage? Does Adhira find Mesmo? Could they save the world? Read this edge-of-seat sci-fi to find out. 

Every character in this book is very well developed and has a distinct personality. And my favorite character is Ben (of course, what did you think? 😊). The end of this book (and the series) is very satisfying too.

I loved how the author has woven the story to keep it highly engaging right from the start until the last page. I couldn’t put it down since I wanted to know what would happen next. 

There are some references to the previous books in many instances, but I think this book can still be read as a stand-alone. At the same time, I would highly suggest reading this entire series to enjoy this great adventure.

Needless to say, I give this book 5/5 stars because this the best sci-fi series I’ve ever read.

I received an ARC copy of this book.

Ayan's Book Review
Super Problems

-by Jason R. Lady

Have you ever imagined what would happen if you got a magic pen? A pen with which if you drew something, it would become real?

Super Problems is a highly engaging superhero book.

Scott, Barry, Joel, and Prudence very unprecedently turn from four very typical sixth-graders into four very normal superheroes complete with unique superpowers…all because Scott had drawn them as comic book superheroes, not knowing that he was using a magic pen. But it turns out that a super-villain also comes real as Scott had drawn the Stinky Sock as well!

Join Zapster, Hi-Tech, Snack-Man, and Blue Hood as they defend their demanding but magical alpaca Bruce and crusade against the Stinky Sock.

This book’s themes are friendship and never giving up. These are, coincidentally, my favorite themes in any book.

There aren’t any illustrations in this book. Pretty cool; the narrator of the story herself likes writing stories without drawings!

I haven't read many superhero books, so I can't compare this to any other books. 

I recommend this as a read-aloud or personal reader to superhero-loving kids aged 7+ as the plot might be a little complex for younger children.

I give this book 4.7/5 stars, and I would love to read more by the author, Jason R. Lady. 😊