Friendship According to Humphrey According to Humphrey series #2 by Betty G. Birney Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “Friendship According to Humphrey” is a must read. The book starts out with Humphrey going back to school and Mrs. Brisbane hinting at a surprise. The surprise turns out to be Og the frog. Humphrey tries to be friendly, but Og is silent. The class in room 26 is writing poems, and … Read more
Trouble According to Humphrey According to Humphrey series #3 by Betty G. Birney Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “Trouble According to Humprey” is an enjoyable book. In Room 26, a town called “Humpreyville” is invented and there are also ‘jobs.’ When Humphrey gets out of his cage, he gets Miranda in trouble, and she is ‘fired.’ Humphrey feels awful, because he can get out of his cage and it wasn’t … Read more
Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones Fantasy Mystery * * * Stars (Pretty good) Annis Whitworth is a fashion-savvy young society lady living with her aunt Cassia in London in 1818 when they learn of her father’s untimely death. Annis finds evidence supporting her theory that her father was a spy who died in the line of duty and means to make it known to the London War Office. But her information … Read more
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker Fantasy Graphic Novel LGBTQ Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Nova Huang is a young witch who is reunited with her childhood friend Tam Lang (pronouns: they, them), a young werewolf, when Tam returns to town in pursuit of a demon that can only be destroyed by her wolf magic. Nova’s grandmothers are able to temporarily bind the demon while Nova and Tam work out how to … Read more
Wayward Son Simon Snow #2 by Rainbow Rowell Fantasy Romance * * Stars (Just ok) After defeating the Humdrum in “Carry On,” Simon Snow and his friends have to adjust to normal life – one where magical dangers don’t lurk around every corner. Penny and Baz are handling the transition well, but Simon, who has lost his magic (but gained large leathery wings and a tail), has spent months on the couch in a severe … Read more
Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost Adventure Fantasy Funny Graphic Novel Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This is my new favorite DIY guide to writing comics. A snarky Magic Cartooning Elf encourages a not-so-artistic princess to follow her dreams and make a comic book of her own, along the way offering helpful suggestions and tips about design and storytelling. The … Read more
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner Fantasy Graphic Novel Historical Fiction Supernatural Tween * * * * Stars (Great!) Moth discovers that she’s a real, honest-to-goodness witch with witch powers – a fact that her mother has been keeping from her ALL her life. When mom won’t divulge any additional details and refuses to teach Moth how to master her powers, Moth takes matters into her own hands. (Well, she has the help of Mr. … Read more
Abby in Wonderland Whatever After #11 by Sarah Mylnowski Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * Stars (Pretty good) When Abby is going to have fun with her friends at Penny’s house on a windy day, she accidentally drops her Crazy 8 card. It starts flying into the golf course where there is a giant hole. Frankie (Abby’s friend) falls into it! Then Penny and Robin and Abby! But they’re seeing floating objects as they … Read more
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Fantasy Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This is a really compelling and complex book. It is now in fact one of my favorite books. It really gives you a lot to think about, and the monster’s stories can be a bit hard to understand, so you really have to think about the hidden meanings. I strongly suggest to people looking for a read … Read more
Nevermore Maximum Ride #8 by James Patterson Fantasy Science Fiction Suspense Thriller Review #1 * * * * * Stars Max and her flock are at the end of the world. Max loves Fang and Dylan but she doesn’t trust Dylan even if he’s perfect for her. I really liked it because even if Max is a mutant with wings, she is a teen and you can have the same thoughts. She makes choices that … Read more