Category Archives: Reviews

Good Neighbors by Stephanie Burgis

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Katy K.

Here’s a sweet, uplifting and funny fantasy romance … between a semi-magical inventor and the necromancer down the road,. Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Books, Fantasy, Print, Reviews, Romance | Tagged , | 4 Comments

4 Cybils YA Spec Fic Finalists

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Katy K.

Here are my takes on four of the seven 2021 Cybils YA speculative fiction finalists, including high fantasy, magical realism, and twisty science fiction. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanias. Illustrated by Tracy Subisak

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Katy K.

A heartwarming and beautifully painted picture book about a girl building a real relationship with her grandmother when she and her mother travel to Taiwan. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, picture books, Realistic, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Four 2021 Cybils Middle Grade Graphic Novel Finalists

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Katy K.

Here are short reviews of four of the seven finalists in the elementary/middle grade graphic novel category of the 2021 Cybils Awards, including Borders, Chunky, Jukebox, and Salt Magic. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Historical, Middle Grade, Realistic, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Katy K.

A fantasy from Irish author Pádraig Kenny that strikes a balance between scary, adventuresome, and thoughtful. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

3 Fantasies by Award-Winning Authors: Willodeen, the Beatryce Prophecy, and the Robber Girl

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Katy K.

Here are three Cybils-nominated books, all of them by authors who have already won major awards – Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Applegate, and Franny Billingsly. All three are also about children finding meaning and a new life after major trauma. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Time Villains by Victor Piñeiro

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Katy K.

Here’s a fast-paced time travel adventure, with two modern-day kids at a school with more secrets than they know about accidentally bringing the notorious pirate Blackbeard into the present day. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Katy K.

Here’s a story of growing up in a military family, making new friends – and battling an evil witch from Costa Rican legend in small-town Texas. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Power of Kindness: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls and Flight of the Puffin

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Katy K.

In both the fantasy Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera and the realistic story Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden, kindness is the secret power that wins the day. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Root Magic by Eden Royce

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Katy K.

In 1963 South Carolina, Jezebel and her brother Jay are trying to learn the traditional Root magic their late grandmother practiced in time to save themselves from monsters both supernatural and human. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments