Ayan's Book Review
The Verdigris Pawn

-by Alysa Wishingrad

The Verdigris Pawn by Alyssa Wishingard is a fantastic middle-grade novel that is hard to put down.

Beau is the heir to the throne, and trouble is brewing. Evidence of the talk of rebellion has been coming up, a charmer is supposedly using natural disasters to create havoc, and people are forced to send their children to work due to high taxes. Beau doesn’t know about any of this until a nursemaid informs him. Seeking to fix this, he sets out to try his hand at killing three birds with one stone.

This book is similar to The Kingdom of Secrets as both have a kingdom with the notion of a rebellion that the main character sets out to investigate.

This book’s plot is suspenseful right from the start and kept me captivated till the end. But in the middle, there’s a surprising set of plot-twists…

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 9+ and as a reader for 10+ as there were some scenes at the end that younger readers might not be able to handle.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a great middle-grade read.

    

Ayan's Book Review
One if by Land, Two if by Submarine

-by Eileen Schnabel

Are you ready for an action, adventure, and time-travel book? One if by Land, Two if by Submarine by Eileen Schnabel is one such middle-grade novel.

For Kep Westguard, the Revolutionary War reenactment camp was torture. But that was nothing compared to when he, Max, Tela, and T.J. were sent back in time to the beginning of the real revolution. 

They have to take place of Paul Revere, who was kidnapped by another time-traveler determined to crush America. They face test after test, facing the British army to freeing a captured teammate. Can they battle the British, get the message to Lexington and Concord, and warn Hancock and Adams…before it’s too late? Read this book to find out!

This book teaches about the American Revolution in such a way that you won’t even know you’re learning in the process! You can use this book in school or at home, as a history supplement while doing reading.

The themes in this book include courage, friendship, and patriotism. 

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 8+ and as a reader for 10+, as the book has war and other topics that might be hard for younger readers.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a captivating time-travel novel.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

    

Ayan's Book Review
Kingdom of Secrets

-by Christyne Morrell

Oren seems to be a normal kingdom. Built on a valley, it had a large wall around it, like a city wall. But on the inside, it had more secrets than you could imagine.

Prismena Reece, the balloonist’s daughter, is tinkering with some odds and ends when Abigail Smeade steals her mother’s scarf. The scarf is the only remnant of Prismena’s mother that she has, so she strikes a deal with Abigail: in return for the scarf, she would send a box to Tulera (another kingdom). Sounds simple, but this trade would not leave them unchanged.

The themes in this book include friendship, trust, and family relations. This book uses these themes to amplify the pacing of the story.

The pacing in this book develops quickly from the inciting incident right in the first chapter all the way to the climax and even in the resolution.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 8+ and as a reader for 10+.

I give this book 4.8/5 stars as the end had a few unexplained questions. Well, that didn't stop me from enjoying this book, and I really hope there will be a sequel. I absolutely love it and would love to read more books by the author.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

   

Ayan's Book Review
The King's Ransom

-by Cheryl Carpinello

You know what, if Prince Gavin hadn’t alerted his friends of the Wild Man’s arrest, Sir Lancelot may well have lost his life.

Gavin, Phillip, and Bryan were all great friends of the Wild Man and all shocked when he was accused of committing murder and heisting a priceless jewel—the King’s Ransom. Fueled by the disbelief of the Wild Man’s capture, the three embark on a quest to find the real criminal. None of them will remain unchanged.

The themes in this book include friendship, loyalty, and trust. I find that when these themes are used together, they combine to give a powerful message; that’s one of the things that led me to love this book.

The plot in this book combines with the pace to give a vivid experience as if you were the point of view. Besides, it’s written in omniscient, so you’ll know where the bad guys are, but the good guys won’t!

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’s a highly engaging middle-grade read.

Happy reading!

-Ayan

         

Amy's Book Review: 

Beyond the Birch

-by Torina Kingsley

Do you like action and adventure books as I do? Then you'll definitely enjoy this book.

Beyond the Birch is about Macy and her friend, Jay. Macy is a farmer’s daughter, and Jay is a shopkeeper’s son. Being a farmer’s daughter, she takes care of her father’s sheep and his horses. But one of the sheep, Slip, keeps escaping, and her mother, Laurel, has to go on after Slip.

A librarian told Macy and Jay about bad guys, Faeries, who took the place of humans and would have to sacrifice anything to a birch tree. The human will turn into some creature or thing or animal. If a Faerie misses giving an item to the birch tree that Faerie will turn back into its original form. If they kill the actual person, that Faerie will become a human. But if you catch a Faerie lying, its eyes will turn ruby red. And if you touch a birch tree, solve a riddle, and sing it aloud, Faeries will be banished from Earth until the spell wears out.

One night, Macy takes a ride on her horse to the woods her mother, Laurel, always found Slip in. She sees a woman burying a necklace in the dirt near a birch tree. When the woman glances up, Macy sees that she is Laurel, her mother. After that encounter, Macy thinks her mother is a Faerie. Is Macy correct? Is her mother actually a Faerie? If not, where is Macy’s real mom? Read this amazing chapter book to find out!

I recommend this book for children 7+ as there are parts young children might not understand.

I give this book 5/5 stars as it is a great read.

Happy reading!

-Amy

        

Amy's Book Review: 

Katt Scallion and the Planet of the Sharks

-by E.K. Isaacs

In Katt Scallion and the Planet of Sharks, Katt Scallion, Speedy, and Robogirl are supposed to save a dying planet, Ceto. Ceto is full of sharks. Katt and Speedy are in debt to a bank manager. There are two tribes in Ceto, the Finsters and the Biters. The Biters are great white sharks, while the Finsters are all mixes of two different animals. Robogirl made Ceto 2 so that when Ceto dies, the sharks won’t die along with the planet.

 

The two tribes are battling because Grandpa Shark’s (the Biter’s leader) ancestor was not invited to Madam Megalodon’s (the Finster’s leader) ancestor’s birthday party. And that caused the war to begin. Can Katt Scallion unite these two tribes and then make them go to Ceto 2? Read this awesome book to find out!

 

Katt Scallion has become a wonderful character in the first book of this series and becomes even better in Katt Scallion and the Planet of Sharks. Speedy still loves coffee, but he has other traits too. He is a good friend and I’m pretty sure Katt loves having him as a friend. 

 

I recommend this book for children 7+, as children younger than that might not understand the climax very well.

 

I give this book 5/5 stars as it is a fun-filled, exciting book to read. My favorite part is the climax, which is the most intriguing part of this fascinating book.

 

-Amy

 

P.S. Ayan and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

       

Amy's Book Review: 

Maylie and the Luck of the Irish

-by M. L. Tarpley

In Maylie's Luck of Irish, Maylie is looking forward to going to the next place in their summer vacation, Ireland.

Even though she’s excited, she is still scared to go on a ferry ride. She’s scared of having only water surround her. After an accident, she doesn’t feel well but continues the ferry ride. When Maylie, Grandma Suey, Aunt Layla, and Camden were off the boat, she was relieved to be finally on the ground.

Maylie wants to write a book, but she doesn’t even have a topic to write about. When Grandma Suey gives her something to write about, Maylie begins writing a story. In Ireland, there’s a festival called Fleadh (say Flah). In Fleadh, there’s a creative contest for Irish art—music, stories, and poems—that is going to open soon. Maylie wants to enter, but she just started to write a story. Will she be able to write a wonderful story and enter it in the contest? Read this amazing book to find out!

My favorite character in Maylie's Luck of the Irish is Maylie. Grandma Suey and Aunt Layla are amazing, and Camden is becoming less and less annoying. 

I recommend this book for children 5+ as it is very easy to understand.

I give this book 5/5 stars as many people will love to read this great book.

Happy reading!

-Amy

P.S. Ayan is planning to read Maylie and the Maze, the first book in this series, because I recommended it to him.