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The Princess Protection Program
This was a fun twist on the retelling of fairy tales. The theme is a solid discussion on deciding your own story. I liked how hopeful this story was and how malleable our lives can be. Even with the bad guy in the end, there was still hope for change. This is a strong theme…
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Wizard’s Hall
This fun little book in the spirit of Harry Potter or Worst Witch. I love the theme of really trying. So much people talk about trying, but how many really dig deep even when they feel like the least qualified in the room. Overall a great message and a fun look into a well developed…
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The God of Life
Book 8 of The Realm Between. This second stone quest set takes us all over the place. It definitely is exciting as there are several death defying moments. Overall this stays both via content and language strongly in the adult level and I recommend sensitive and younger readers beware. That said it was a great…
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The Spy Game
Book 118 of the Boxcar Children series. This was a fun simple mystery suitable for children of all ages. Albeit the theme continues to emphasize hard work, this book has less red herrings and was a little more written for the younger reader in mind. It was well done and the only minor complaint I…
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The Chalice of the Gods
Book 6 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The only thing missing from this one was the spooky prophecy and something world ending. But if you think that it can’t be a good book, you’d be wrong. Percy survives danger and chases yet another impossible deadline. This is the first Percy Jackson I have read…
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The Traitor
Book 9 of the Michael Vey series. This book takes us back to the roots of Peru. It was interesting to revisit the starting point of this series. Don’t get too attached to any of the Electroclan as not everyone will make it out of this one. Overall the series continues to push the same…
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The Mystery of the Traveling Tomatoes
Book 117 of the Boxcar Children series. This is a straightforward bank robber mystery. We start with the children hard at work helping out in a volunteer garden. Fun gardening insights and again small detective processes described in a kid friendly way. My favorite part is that this book themes around working with three examples…
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Separation
Book 7 of Battle Mage Farmer. This is truly a book of two stories. Yes they tie together but more can be tied together loosely. Really, you’re getting two stories in one book. There is a lot of fun as our favorite overpowered farmer continues to take on bigger and bigger foes. This ends odd…
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Last Best Hope
Book 3 of Dungeon Academy. In this conclusion we see bravery and hard choices. We see people inspired to be much more than they ever thought they could be. The series is a fun read and a good conclusion, if a little sad. Overall, take the time and enjoy this little trilogy.
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The Ghost at the Drive-In Movie
Book 116 of the Boxcar Children. This one puts us right to the heart of another spooky mystery. I liked that the deductive process was displayed and used through this one. Figuring out motivations was key to understanding this mystery and is a great lesson for children to learn. Not to worry, the Aldens are…
