Book 3 of the Earthsea Cycle. Sparrowhawk archmage steps away from his duties to save the world and takes an unlikely champion with him. This story like so many of her others has layers of meaning and will leave you with things to think about far into it. I loved in particular the idea of…

Book 3 of the Gamer Squad. This conclusion to the trilogy keeps up the excitement and fun. This one is a little higher octane but even with zombies being the topic, it keeps the storyline safe for middle aged readers. We see relationships deepen and we see Bex have to face her fears and be…

Book 2 of Gamer Squad. This is a fun middle grade book that deals with that awkward starting middle school and protecting the town from aliens. This book brings our group into cohesion. It also deals with the normal insecurities that go with this time in life. This is appropriate for all ages and is…

Book 1 of Gamer Squad. This little book about a Pokémon Go style game is aimed at the middle grade audience. This would be a good read for those tied to video games that you cannot get to read. The book reads well as a stand-alone and feels appropriate for the age group. The theme…

Book 2 of the Raven series. This was the concluding book and takes our storyline so much further with old friends and a hidden enemy they must race before Tier succumbs to what the mages were doing to him. This is high fantasy and as such has a lot of in-depth themes going on. The…

Book 1 of Raven. This book follows Patricia Briggs style from the previous books. Albeit this contains more magic and really draws you in. This book reads fine as a stand alone but lends itself to a second book. There are various themes throughout this storyline but most prominent is that of accepting those different…

Book 4 of the Animorphs Chronicles (Book 47.5). This follows that strange creature that touches the storyline at various times. We learn his history and struggles. In the end the theme is best summed up by the final words. Did my life matter? I love this as a deep premise and gives us all pause…

Book 6 of The Realm Between. This continuation of the saga definitely takes a new direction. I love the dungeon dive, lots of fun traversing both the monsters and the puzzles. Excited to see where the next book takes us on Azure’s quest to get back home. I did love the moment he had the…

Book 1 of Star Wars: The High Republic. This was an interesting read. Not like the movies, if you don’t think someone will die then you’re wrong. I think half the challenge of this novel was figuring out who the main character was. In the end it is the last standing. This is new for…

Book 106 of Boxcar Children. This was not a crime mystery but a lost person. This is appropriate for all ages and sensitivities as this mystery is all about finding a passenger that has disappeared. The clues lead them through with just a few red herrings to mix it up. Overall a fun but short…