Ayan's Book Review
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

-by Fleur Bradley

Hi,

Do you like mysteries? If yes, then you will definitely enjoy this book!

'Midnight at the Barclay Hotel' is a compelling murder mystery of Mr. Barclay’s death. The suspects are a librarian, a CEO, an actress, and a cowboy, all of which received all-expenses-paid invitations to the Barclay Hotel. A detective was also called in to conduct a questioning. However, the CEO’s son, JJ, is determined to clear his mom’s name. 

Can JJ find proof that she didn’t commit the crime and find the real culprit…all before the detective accuses JJ’s mom? Read this book to find out!

I think JJ is a pretty cool guy—his hobby is ghost hunting. He even has an official ghost hunting kit—an infrared camera, an EMF detector, and a voice recorder. Pretty cool gadgets for a kid to own!

The pacing in this book is great, but you might find the start a little slow. Finish the first chapter, though, and you’ll find yourself caught in a flurry of action!

I recommend this book to any 9+ kid as murder might be a little hard to handle.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s one of the best mysteries I’ve ever read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

P.S. The murder happens before the book even starts, so there's nothing to be afraid of. You can safely read this book.

 

Ayan's Book Review
Journey Beyond the Burrow

-by Rina Heisel

Hi,

Are you ready for an adventurous tale? If yes, read this exciting and cute yet edge-of-the-seat action-packed book by debut middle-grade author, Rina Heisel.

'Journey Beyond the Burrow' is a fascinating adventure of how Tobin, Wiley, and Talia—three very resourceful mice—search for Tobin’s baby brother, who was captured by attacking spiders. 

As they pursue the spiders’ lair, they encounter many other dangers of the forest, like snakes, owls, and foxes. With these (and many more) hurdles in their way, they struggle to even survive. Will they be able to defeat the predators, get past the spiders and free the baby? Or will one have to sacrifice oneself for the mission? Read this book to find out!

The themes in this book include teamwork, perseverance, and friendship. The main characters—Tobin and Talia have a lot of perseverance and like working as a team, while Wiley is quick-witted (and sometimes reckless) but also a great friend.

I find this book a lot like the 'Freddy the Detective' series, in which Freddy goes out on dangerous expeditions with his friends (and once almost got eaten by a crocodile).

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 5+ and as a reader for 8+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it was a fun read.

We received an ARC of this book.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

P.S. We love Tobin's rules, and the best is Rule 1. Want to know what it is? Read the book to find out.

P.P.S. Are we reading or doing Yoga?

  

Ayan's Book Review
The Eye of Ra

-by Ben Gartner

Hi,
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to visit ancient Egypt? Or ever imagined time traveling? If yes, then this book is going to take you on a time-travel adventure that you will never forget.

In 'The Eye of Ra,' Sarah and John are on a hike when they stumble upon a mysterious cave. Sarah instinctively enters, followed by John. 

After exploring the cave, they expect to return to Colorado, but instead, they surprisingly time-travel to ancient Egypt! Join Sarah and John in this time-travel novel as they search for the portal to lead them back home and uncover the clues to unravel a baffling mystery.

The themes in this book include family relationships, friendship, and perseverance. The characters of this book are very realistic, and the pacing is amazing, making the story flow well with no boring or confusing parts.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 6+ and as a reader for 9+.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s an engaging and delightful read. 😊

I can't recommend this book enough. I can hardly wait to read the next book in this series, 'Sol Invictus.' Review coming soon!

Happy reading!

-Ayan

 

Ayan's Book Review
Puzzle Train

-by Richard James Edwards

I read this book on Kindle Unlimited, and due to limited screentime, I took a few days to complete this book. If I had a paperback, I would have definitely finished this book in one sitting; that's how engaging this book is.

In The Puzzle Train, Tom is an avid puzzler. He naturally loved The Puzzle Train TV show, in which teams of six puzzleteers try to make it from the first to the sixth carriages, each of which contained a puzzle. 

So when the Puzzle Train opens up to kids, Tom leaps at his chance to get featured, only to find that his stepfather, Phil, is dead set against him. Can Tom outsmart Phil, earn a place on the Puzzle Train, and make it through carriage six all in the ninety-minute limit?

The themes in this book include friendship, teamwork, courage, and perseverance. These themes are used very powerfully and will leave a good impression on the reader.
There are some real puzzles in this book—made for the reader to solve—which is pretty cool!
I recommend this book to any child who loves puzzles and adventure books.

I would like to give this book 6/5 stars (if that's even possible) as it's perfecter than perfect. 😊 

I look forward to reading the next book in this series, which is 'Puzzle Island.'

 

Ayan's Book Review
Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend

-by Cheryl Carpinello

This is the second book of the Guinevere series, and I think this book is as riveting as the first, if not more.

In 'At the Dawn of Legend', King Arthur has been battling incessant rogues who keep plundering and ravaging England. While he is away, Guinevere and Cedwyn go to the Enchanted Stones to learn when the fight will end.

But even the Goddess of the Stones does not know who will come back alive; however, she does know that Guinevere and Cedwyn are in grave danger. And they are. For when they return to the castle, they find that the rogues attacked it! As Guinevere, the outlaws’ target, was absent at the time of the attack, they kidnapped the other children. So Guinevere and Cedwyn embark on a quest to save them. Their lives will never be the same.

Will Guinevere and Cedwyn be able to save the children? Or will they themselves get kidnapped too? Read this compelling Arthurian tale to find out.

The themes in this book include friendship, trust, and courage. These themes make this book unique, as I think the author has done a brilliant job in binding these completely different themes together.

I recommend this book to ages 7+ as it’s very easy to read with no confusing parts. 

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s an engaging book and will keep readers hooked till the last page. 😊

 

Amy's Book Review: 

Trouble with Parsnips

-by Laurel Decher

'Trouble with Parsnips' is about a nameless princess who lives in the Cochem Kingdom. She’s the fifteenth child of her family. She doesn’t have any actual name, but when the king or queen wanted or needed her, they would call ‘Fifteenth’ or ‘Sibyl #8’. 

All the princesses in the Cochem Kingdom got the name Sybil, and all the princes got the name Harold. So the nameless princess ended up being Sybil #8. 

Sybil #8—the unnamed princess—is the youngest, and she feels forgotten by her family. She can’t speak up for herself, and she has only fifteen days to find herself a name, else she would become invisible forever.

Can she save the Kingdom and find a name for herself in time? Or will she become invisible forever? Read this amazing realistic fairytale to find out. But wait! Read the rest of this review first. 😊

I loved Sybil #8 as she was very smart and intelligent. 

In Trouble with Parsnips, there are very funny instances. There is a palace agriculture library (PAL) and a ventriloquist league (VVL), which I liked very much.

The themes in this book include family relationships, believing in oneself, and speaking up for oneself.

I give this book 5/5 stars as there were no confusing or boring parts.

'Trouble with Parsnips' isn’t like any other book I’ve ever read. I would love to read more by the author.

 

Amy's Book Review: 

The Mystery of the Wooden Box

-by Cyrena Shows

‘The Mystery of the Wooden Box’ is a chapter book. This story’s main character is Gracie, whose father sometimes calls her Amazing Gracie. Gracie is at Mimi’s house. When a new neighbor moves in, Gracie goes to the neighbor’s house with her cousin Beckett. They wanted to make a new friend. They meet Cassidy and her pet dog, Hugo.

Hugo finds a box that contains a key. The three friends were curious to know more about the key, so they start looking for clues.

Will they find out where the key would lead them to? Or will it remain a mystery forever? Read this amazing mystery book to find out!

The themes of this book include friendship and family importance.

I liked the illustrations in this book. I loved how the mystery kept me hooked till the end, and I read the whole book in one sitting! 😊

I recommend this book for children five years and above. 

I give ‘The Mystery of the Wooden Box’ 5/5 stars as it is very engaging and interesting. And I would love to read more books by the author, Cyrena Shows.

- Amy