July was our annual potluck lunch meeting and business meeting. I became Vice President, mostly because nobody else offered to do it. I reviewed the following books:
Sticks & Stones (Upside Down Magic #2) by Sarah Mlynowski
In this adorable sequel, Nory and Bax are continuing to deal with their upside down magic, this time facing a petition to get rid of the UDM program after some mysterious things start happening at school. Can the UDM students prove it wasn’t them, or will they be banished for being too dangerous?
Readers of Upside Down Magic will love the second book in this series. Our favorite characters return, and as we get to know them better they become even more lovable. With great lessons of empathy and teamwork, and an exciting plot, young readers are sure to love this series.
Highly recommend for grades 3-5.
Sweaterweather by Sara Varon
This retrospective collection of Sara Varon’s work gives readers a glimpse into Varon’s growth as a graphic novelist. The illustrations and stories are simple, but show her growth as a storyteller. I’m not really sure who the audience is. Readers who are already a fan of Varon may enjoy reading this, but new readers may find the introduction to each story tiresome, as I did. Some stories make sense, some I had to read multiple times to understand what was going on. Overall, I finished this book feeling relieved to be done, and not motivated to read any of her other works.
Gorilla Tactics by Sheila Grau
The second book in the series, Runt continues to search for information about his curse, but needs to find the Archivist of the Great library, a secret library guarded by CLOUD, the Covert Librarian Order Until Death. Meanwhile at school, Dr. Critchlore is trying to save the school with a fashion show.
I really enjoyed the plot line about the CLOUD and the secret library, though I wasn't crazy about the fashion show idea. Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions series is a silly read that is sure to delight and entertain young readers.
Recommend for grades 4-7
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's story
This beautifully illustrated edition delivers us the story of the Jungle Book in the most imaginable way possible. The images are gorgeous and supplement the text to create a vivid story. Having never read The Jungle Book, I was pleasantly surprised by the precision of the words and the natural flow of the short stories and poems. Teaching us about empathy for animals, this book evokes a variety of emotions. This is an edition that readers of all ages will enjoy.
Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
The third in a trilogy, this book picks up with Calen studying under Krelig, the evil mage. Calen wants desperately to escape, but doesn't yet know how he can defeat Krelig, and won't leave until he has that information. Meanwhile, Princess Meg and her dragon are fighting off enemy forces at the castle. Told from the alternating perspectives of Calen and Meg, readers will enjoy the action and world building that Knudsen creates.
I had not read the previous two books in the series, but was not lost at all. I would highly recommend this series. Though, the first two books do need better covers since I can already tell my teens won't pick them up based on that alone. Highly recommend for middle school readers.
Sticks & Stones (Upside Down Magic #2) by Sarah Mlynowski
In this adorable sequel, Nory and Bax are continuing to deal with their upside down magic, this time facing a petition to get rid of the UDM program after some mysterious things start happening at school. Can the UDM students prove it wasn’t them, or will they be banished for being too dangerous?
Readers of Upside Down Magic will love the second book in this series. Our favorite characters return, and as we get to know them better they become even more lovable. With great lessons of empathy and teamwork, and an exciting plot, young readers are sure to love this series.
Highly recommend for grades 3-5.
Sweaterweather by Sara Varon
This retrospective collection of Sara Varon’s work gives readers a glimpse into Varon’s growth as a graphic novelist. The illustrations and stories are simple, but show her growth as a storyteller. I’m not really sure who the audience is. Readers who are already a fan of Varon may enjoy reading this, but new readers may find the introduction to each story tiresome, as I did. Some stories make sense, some I had to read multiple times to understand what was going on. Overall, I finished this book feeling relieved to be done, and not motivated to read any of her other works.
Gorilla Tactics by Sheila Grau
The second book in the series, Runt continues to search for information about his curse, but needs to find the Archivist of the Great library, a secret library guarded by CLOUD, the Covert Librarian Order Until Death. Meanwhile at school, Dr. Critchlore is trying to save the school with a fashion show.
I really enjoyed the plot line about the CLOUD and the secret library, though I wasn't crazy about the fashion show idea. Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions series is a silly read that is sure to delight and entertain young readers.
Recommend for grades 4-7
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's story
This beautifully illustrated edition delivers us the story of the Jungle Book in the most imaginable way possible. The images are gorgeous and supplement the text to create a vivid story. Having never read The Jungle Book, I was pleasantly surprised by the precision of the words and the natural flow of the short stories and poems. Teaching us about empathy for animals, this book evokes a variety of emotions. This is an edition that readers of all ages will enjoy.
Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
The third in a trilogy, this book picks up with Calen studying under Krelig, the evil mage. Calen wants desperately to escape, but doesn't yet know how he can defeat Krelig, and won't leave until he has that information. Meanwhile, Princess Meg and her dragon are fighting off enemy forces at the castle. Told from the alternating perspectives of Calen and Meg, readers will enjoy the action and world building that Knudsen creates.
I had not read the previous two books in the series, but was not lost at all. I would highly recommend this series. Though, the first two books do need better covers since I can already tell my teens won't pick them up based on that alone. Highly recommend for middle school readers.