Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble

Meriano, Anna. A Dash of Trouble. Walden Pond Press, 2018.

Leonora's family owns a bakery, and leading up to Dia de los Muertos, they are extremely busy getting ready for the holiday. Leo is the youngest of five sisters, and she can't understand why she is sent to school instead of being allowed to stay home and help prepare for the event. When she sneaks out of school and returns to the bakery, she discovers that she is part of a long line of brujas, kitchen witches who can bake magic into their food. But her mother still thinks she's too young to begin learning magic, so Leo studies on her own, with disastrously hilarious results.

If you have watched and enjoyed the show Just Add Magic, this is the perfect series for you. Leo learns the consequences of trying things without proper instruction/experience, and as she adds more spells to undo the results of previous spells, things compile and become even more complicated. This is an adorable and precious story with lots of Spanish language and Latinx culture added to the mix. Recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

The House in Poplar Wood

Ormsbee, K.E. The House in Poplar Wood. Chronicle Books, 2018.

Lee and his mother live in one half of their house and together serve Memory. Felix and his father live in the other half of the house and together serve Death. Felix has no memories of his mother, while Lee has never met his father. The twins can interact outside of the house, but when they turn sixteen they, too, will be apprenticed to Death and Memory for the rest of their lives. But both are looking for a way to break the contract.

This is a delightfully spooky and eerie book, perfect for this time of year. The world the twins inhabit is similar to ours, but the differences, including the service to Death, Memory, and Passion, are well thought-out and explained throughout the story. The characters are well-rounded and likeable, so the choice for multiple narrators doesn't hold the typical problem of lack of distinct voices. There is plenty of humor and some intense action sequences, and the plot twists will keep readers turning pages to find out what happens. This book would make an excellent middle school read aloud at this time of year. Recommended.

Recommended for: tween
Red Flags: some intense action; one character dies off page
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Scythe; The Darkest Part of the Forest; Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

The Royal Rabbits of London

Montefiore, Santa. The Royal Rabbits of London. Simon Schuster, 2016.

Shylo is the smallest of his brothers and sisters, and while they have grown strong and are good at foraging food for their family, he prefers to sit and read. One day he overhears some ratzis planning to take pictures of the Queen, and as he has learned that rabbits always protect the human queen, he is determined to help in any way he can. Thus he travels to London and meets up with the royal rabbits and attempts to stop the rats before they can besmirch the queen's reputation.

This is a clearly British story and some of the details may be lost on American children who read this book. The rabbit adventures are adorable, however, and the illustrations are engaging and appropriate to the story. Children who enjoy fantasy stories will love this tale, and teachers can use this book as a read aloud story for their classrooms.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: mild fantasy peril
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Tales of Peter Rabbit, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Redwall

The Stone Girl's Story

Durst, Sarah Beth. The Stone Girl's Story. Clarion Books, 2018.

Mayka's father died several years ago, and she and her fellow stone creations are beginning to fade. The marks her father gave them that allowed them to live are starting to wear away, and slowly they are losing their ability to speak, to move, to live. Mayka ventures from her mountaintop home to the valley in search of a stone mason who can recarve their marks, but she soon discovers that there is more to her father's story than she knows.

This is a fantastic fantasy tale with plenty of adventure and interesting creatures to keep readers turning pages. There are plenty of twists and turns in the story which compel readers to keep reading. While there are numerous intense scenes, nothing is graphic or scary, making this book accessible to a wide range of children. The world building is fantastic and Mayka and her friends are well-developed characters. This book would make a great read-aloud for a classroom or a book for a student to savor on their own.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some intense action
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Bob

Mass, Wendy. Bob. Feiwel and Friends, 2018.

Livy and her family visit her grandmother in Australia, and Livy finds a surprise in her closet. A small green creature wearing a chicken costume has been waiting for her since she left, but Livy can't remember anything about him. Together, Livy and Bob try to unravel the mystery of why he lived in her closet and waited for her return.

This is a sweet story with an adorable cast of characters. The brown tones in the illustrations match the focus on the Australian drought in this story, and the magical elements feature heavily throughout. The action and mystery throughout the story will keep readers turning pages until they reach the very satisfying ending. Recommended.

Recommended for: middle grade, fans of Ghibli movies
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

The Girl with the Dragon Heart

Burgis, Stephanie. The Girl with the Dragon Heart. Bloomsbury, 2018.

Silke is trying to make the chocolate shop famous by telling the tales of how she and Aventurine (a dragon who has taken the form of a human girl but who can switch back to being a dragon at will) saved the day. Now the royal family want to use Silke as a spy! Will she be able to get them the information they need without revealing her secret (or Aventurine's)?

This is a perfect adventure story for middle grade and tween readers, particularly for those who are fans of Inkheart and similar fantasy adventure tales. There are enough details about the world Silke lives in to delight the hearts of fantasy fans, while the action will keep adventurous readers turning pages. This story would make a great read aloud for an upper elementary classroom.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Hephaistos: God of Fire

O'Connor, George. Hephaistos: God of Fire. First Second, 2019.

This eleventh installment in George O'Connor's Olympians series focuses on Hephaistos, with a side plot surrounding the story of Prometheus. Full-color illustrations draw the eye to the page, and the action-filled plot will have readers turning pages to discover what happens next. The end matter includes information about various titans and gods and other information regarding particular panels throughout the story.

The Olympians graphic novels are very easy to read and fairly short, but they provide an appropriate amount of backstory about each of the various gods and goddesses. I always make sure my library has one copy of each of the titles in this series as it circulates well. It is popular with fans of the Percy Jackson series but also with kids who simply enjoy mythology. I like that this title can tie in to the nonfiction section of the library as well and may lead kids to read books outside of their normal comfort zone. Recommended

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: "mild fantasy peril;" Hephaistos and Dionysus have a drinking party at one point and Hephaistos gets fairly drunk
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

The Whispers

Howard, Greg. The Whispers. G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR, 2019.

Riley believes in the old tales of the Whispers, forest creatures who can grant wishes if you bring them tribute. He also thinks they know what happened to his mama and how he can take care of what he refers to as his "other problem," aka his crush on an older boy. But he's having difficulty convincing anyone else that the Whispers are real.

This is a whimsical story of a boy who still believes in miracles and fairy creatures, but who is also struggling with a family with a missing member and who hasn't yet come out to anyone and is relentlessly teased. This mashup of contemporary fiction and fantasy makes for a few awkwardly written transitions between the two, and Riley's inner monologue doesn't always read true for a junior high student. Nonetheless, the fantasy element will draw readers in, particularly those who have enjoyed fairy tales in the past.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some homophobic commentary from Riley's classmates
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Edelweiss for the purpose of review.

The Confectioner's Guild

Luana, Claire. The Confectioner's Guild. Live Edge Publishing, 2018.

Wren is an orphan who has been working in a bakery since the baker discovered her using a leftover piping bag to decorate a snowbank. She prefers her job over a life in the streets, until one day when a guild member whisks her away from her bakery and informs her that her bakery skills are actually imbuing her treats with magic and that she must be trained. Immediately after learning this, the head of her guild dies and Wren is accused of his murder. Now she has one month to find the actual murderer and clear her name.

This description made this book sound like it was right up my alley. I love fantasy stories and mysteries, and having recently read Changeling, thought this would be a great read-alike. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. This book reads like a story for children or tweens, but multiple uses of the word "ass," as well as sexual encounters, make this a book for teens. Further, the main character spends most of her time ogling one of her fellow bakers, so there are long descriptions of his hair, his abs, what he looks like without a shirt, how sad she is when he puts a shirt on, etc. etc. And he's not the only character she pines after. All of this is to say that this book is best categorized as a teen romance novel, which is perfectly fine, but it is not a tween book nor a fantasy nor really a mystery at all, and readers looking for those things will be disappointed. I would recommend this book to fans of romance novels but not to those who prefer fantasy or mystery without a romantic subplot.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: multiple uses of the word "ass," underage alcohol consumption (although as this is a fantasy, I don't know that it's illegal per se), off-page sex
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Changeling

Harper, Molly. Changeling. INscribe Digital, 2018.

Cassandra Reed is a new student at Miss Castwells, a finishing school and magic school for young ladies of high society. Before she came to Miss Castwells, though, she was Sarah, a non-magical snipe who was fated to serve her benefactors for the rest of her life. Because she has magic, though, Sarah has become Cassandra and must learn quickly to act and speak as a person of high parentage. She soon finds, though, that things are much more complicated than they seem.

It is very rare for me to begin reading a book and then discover that I like it so much I want to slow down so I can savor the story. This is one of those books. Cassandra has to navigate the social game of teen girls, which is complicated enough, but is also hiding the secret of her true family. Also, she's trying to learn magic. And she's become a Translator, a rare person chosen by an ancient tome to be one who can translate the text so that the information can benefit society, so now she's even more in the public eye than ever. This story was filled with court intrigue, magic, villains, love letters, action scenes, a jealous older sister - it's got a little bit of everything a person could want in a story. I'm glad to see that it's only the first in the series, because I am excited to read the second one when it comes out. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: minor fantasy violence (a zombie-like creature chases a character, etc.)
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purpose of review.

The Priory of the Orange Tree

Shannon, Samantha. The Priory of the Orange Tree. Bloomsbury, 2019.

There are four storylines in this book which intertwine:

• Tane: a Seiikinese orphan drafted into the Houses of Learning as a child to train for the High Sea Guard in the East.
• Doctor Niclays Roos: an anatomist and alchemist whose current residence is in the East after being banished by Queen Sabran of Inys in the West.
• Ead Duryan: a sorceress of the Orange Tree posing as an Ordinary Chamberer in the Upper Household of Queen Sabran of Inys.
• Loth Beck: Heir apparent to the wealthy northern province of the Leas in Inys. He is a close friend to Queen Sabran.

Obviously there is a large cast of characters and some new vocabulary to master, but this is typical of most epic fantasy stories, so those who enjoy that type of story should not be surprised. Similar to the grandfather's description of The Princess Bride at the start of the movie with the same name, this book includes adventure, sword fights, miracles, true love, ... and dragons.

This is quite a long story, but that doesn't lessen its impact at all. I enjoyed the fact that I could read so much of this book and still know I had many more pages to go. The story makes full use of its length to build the world and develop the characters as well as move the plot along. I am glad for the diversity of characters, which is a welcome change after so many whitewashed fantasy stories. Those who enjoy epic fantasies will be able to savor this one for a long time. I echo what many others have said about reading carefully for the first 100 pages or so and referring often to the character list and glossary; you'll thank me later.

Recommended for: adults who enjoy epic fantasy
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Read-Alikes: Eragon, Lord of the Rings, Seveneves (even though it's science fiction)

I received a complimentary ARC of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch Boy

Ostertag, Molly. The Witch Boy. Scholastic, 2017.

Aster is being raised to be a shape-shifter, along with all of the other boys in his family, but he is drawn time and again to the lessons in witchcraft the girls are learning. He is teased by the other boys for wanting to do girly things, and his elders caution him not to be like his grandfather, who was into witchery and was cursed. But when boys start mysteriously disappearing, it's up to Aster and his skills in witchcraft to get to the bottom of it.

I LOVED this story. From a graphic novel perspective, the panels are colorful and engaging, and the color palette perfectly matches the tone of each section of the story. It's just the right amount of scary for a tween audience. The story itself is very interesting, both in concept and in pacing. There is plenty of character development and just enough world building so the reader can follow the plot. This story, though, is mostly about Aster, a boy who wants to do girl things. In the end, his desire to do girl things is accepted rather than shunned, and he finds out some surprising things about his relatives along the way. His only friend outside the family has two dads, and that is mentioned in passing throughout the story because it is shown as perfectly normal (which it is). This is a great book to give to kids who enjoy the many Rick Riordan series, Harry Potter, or any other fantasy story involving magic. Highly recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some mild fantasy violence; witchcraft (like, lighting candles and mixing potions and all that - if your family won't read Harry Potter, you won't want to read this, either)
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Iron Trial, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,

The Silver Mask

Black, Holly. The Silver Mask. Scholastic Press, 2017.

Callum Hunt, who carries within him the soul of the most evil mage ever, is in prison while the Magisterium tries to figure out what to do with him. Master Joseph wants to turn Callum loose in the hopes that he will complete the work Constantine started. Most of the Magisterium wants to keep Callum in prison for life or possibly execute him. Callum himself isn't sure what he wants; he's certain he's not the resurrected Constantine, but that's about the only thing he's sure of.

This book picks up where the third book left off, and leaves off at a cliffhanger which sets the stage for the fifth and final book in this series. The similarities between this series and the Harry Potter series make it an excellent read-alike for tweens who enjoyed Harry Potter. This may also be a good series to start a reader on if they think Rowling's books look a bit too long or overwhelming. This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader turning pages, and while it is certainly helpful to have read the first three books in the series, I found that I could pick this one up and get back into the story even though it has been probably a year or more since I read the third book.

It is worth mentioning that this book goes further than Rowling did by having the Dumbledore-esque character actually be gay (or at least he's a man who is interested in men; it's possible that he is bi- or pan- or something else). It was only a brief mention in passing as the character spoke with Callum, but he did say that he was in love with a man at one point.

Bottom Line: The series is good, and it's very readable. It's not my favorite series of all time, but I could easily book talk these books to tweens and entice them to give them a try.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: fantasy violence (a mostly undescribed battle scene, a few deaths and near deaths)
Overall Rating; 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Black Wings Beating

London, Alex. Black Wings Beating. Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, 2018.

Kylee and Bryson lost their father when he went hunting for the infamous Ghost Eagle, a bird which could earn its captor untold riches, but which most often kills instead of being caught. Now they are working to pay off their father's debts by selling birds to those who cannot capture and tame them on their own. They head off to fulfill their father's quest, but will they be able to do what he could not do?

This is a lyrically written, character-centric story focused on a society where birds are worth more than currency. Bryson attends bird fights (similar to dog fights or cock fights), while his sister sells birds in the market and helps keep their birds trained and fed. This a richly descriptive book filled with lots of world building and character description as we learn more about both Kylee and Bryson. I loved Alex London's Proxy, so I was excited to read this newest book. Unfortunately, the story didn't hook me in the way it has with other readers. It's a good book, and I'm sure that some of my patrons will love it, but it's not for me.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: violence
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes:

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

The Gift of Dark Hollow

Larwood, Kieran. The Gift of Dark Hollow. Faber Faber, 2017.

The rabbits are at war with some evil borg-like creatures that take rabbits and turn them into monstrous part-machines. Podkin and his siblings are living in hiding, but they learn that there is a special gift that has been hidden. If they can acquire the gift, then they can forge some weapons and possible defeat their enemies. But there is a long journey between their hiding place and that of the gift.

This is a perfect gift for fans of fantasy involving talking animals such as the Redwall series. The story is intense at times but not overly violent or scary. There is some great world-building in this story and the characters are well-developed. Highly recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: minor fantasy violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Watership Down, Redwall, the Warriors series

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Ruin of Stars

Miller, Linsey. Ruin of Stars. Sourcebooks Fire, 2018.

Having won the position of Opal, Sal now works for the queen. In the meantime, though, they are also pursuing their own agenda of revenge on those responsible for their family’s death. The Queen sends Opal on a mission: discover why children have been disappearing. Kill those responsible. Sal works to uncover this mystery as they also discover that revenge isn’t always as good as it seems.

This is a well-written fantasy epic that fits in perfectly with the multi-hundred page tomes I devoured as a teen. I know the teens at my library will love it. I enjoyed the discussion of gender and the presence of gender fluid, bisexual, aromantic, and transgender characters. The idea of a land where gender and sexuality are seen as fluid and not binary is truly beautiful.

What I missed, though, was the page-turning intensity of the first book. Sal is already Opal at this point, so people are still trying to kill them, but not with the same frequency as when they were vying for the position. There is a fair amount of political intrigue mixed into this book, which is not something I particularly enjoy, either. Nonetheless, this is a good addition to the series and worth reading. I recommend reading the two books close together so the storyline is not lost.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: fantasy violence (main character is an assassin)
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Edelweiss for the purposes of review.

An Unkindness of Magicians

Howard, Kat. An Unkindness of Magicians. Saga Press, 2017.

New York City is filled with magicians who all belong to various houses. When there is a Turning, the houses compete to see who will be the ruling house. Some of the competitions are deadly. Sydney is a magician who escaped from the House of Shadows, and she has more power than can be imagined. Will she beat the others in the Turning and become the new ruler, or is something more sinister at play?

This is a great read-alike for those who enjoyed Lev Grossman's The Magicians series. This is grown-up magic: dangerous, serious, and deadly. It took a while for my questions about the backstory in this novel to be answered, but they were eventually answered. Recommended.

Recommended for: adults and teens
Red Flags: as an adult book, it contains adult themes as well as violence and language
Overall Rating; 4/5 stars

The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Morrigan is a cursed child, so everything bad that happens is blamed on her. That doesn't matter, though, because she will die on her twelfth birthday and everyone will be rid of her, including the family that only grudgingly acknowledges her existence. However, on Morrigan's 11th birthday, two unexpected things happen: death comes for her and she is rescued by a strange man from Nevermoor and invited to join the trials for entrance to the Wundrous Society. Morrigan revels in this new world where she isn't thought of as cursed and where strange, magical things occur every day, but what will happen if she doesn't pass the trials?

This is an excellent fantasy story a la Harry Potter, and one that I will easily and readily recommend to the middle grade readers in my library. My only quibble is that it is just the first book in the series and the rest haven't been written yet, so I can't read the second one at the moment.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: mild fantasy violence
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Iron Trial

The Eternity Elixer

Gordy comes from a family of potion masters, and he is in training to brew potions himself. His parents are impressed at his abilities to make excellent potions. While his mother is away on potion-brewing business, Gordy receives a package addressed to his mom and opens it. Soon after, mysterious people come to his house and attempt to steal the package. Thus begins a race between Gordy and his family and the villians who want what Gordy has received - the eternity elixir.

This book is an action-packed fantasy adventure perfect for fans of J.K. Rowling and Holly Black. The story reads similarly to the final chapters of the first Harry Potter novel: there isn't much world-building, but plenty of action and problem-solving. Fans of fantasy will enjoy the potion-making world and will be eager to read the next one. Recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: fantasy violence - people experience results of various potions (explosions, growing an extra limb, etc.)
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Iron Trial, The Glass Sentence

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

The Impostor Queen

Fine, Sarah, The Impostor Queen. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2016.

Elli is next in line to be queen - to wield equally the power of fire and of ice. She was chosen the day the current queen ascended the throne, and has been trained her whole life for this position. However, when the queen dies and Elli takes her place, she does not receive control of the magic the way she is supposed to. Fearing for her life, Elli is forced to flee to the outside, where she learns for the first time what the kingdom and the queen look like to those who have been banished.

I read this entire book in one sitting, which is an extremely rare thing for me. I loved the character development, the world-building, the unique twist on a standard fantasy story, I thought this book was well-paced, as I enjoy both page-turning sections of intense action and more moderately paced world-building sections in stories. And as I said, I read it all in one sitting. It is a very rare book that makes me stop everything else just to finish it.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: moderate fantasy violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Shadow & Bone, Three Dark Crowns, A Thousand Nights