Book Reviews
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Demigods and Monsters
Which Greek god makes the best parent?
Would you want to be one of Artemis’ Hunters?
Why do so many monsters go into retail?
Spend a little more time in Percy Jackson’s world—a place where the gods bike among us, monsters man snack bars, and each of us has the potential to become a hero.
Find out:
- Why Dionysus might actually be the best director Camp Half-Blood could have
- How to recognize a monster when you see one
Why even if we aren’t facing manticores and minotaurs, reading myth can still help us deal with the scary things in our own livesPlus, consult our glossary of people, places, and things from Greek myth: how Medusa got her snake hair extensions, why Chiron isn’t into partying and paintball like the rest of his centaur family, and the whole story on Percy’s mythical namesake.
For readers 11-14 from kid favorite author Rick Riordan.
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Ms. Pennypickle’s Puzzle Quest
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mr. Lemoncello series comes a race across the country full of rousing riddles and laugh-out-loud humor as two brothers try to solve the million-dollar puzzle of an eccentric genius!
Benjamin and Ethan Broderick don’t fit together. Twelve-year-old Ben loves retro arcade games and puzzles, while his older brother would rather play sports and hang out with his friends. The only thing they have in common is how much they resent being forced to go on a summer road trip.
But at the quirky diner where the brothers make their very first stop, they discover a clue leading to a giant puzzle race with a million-dollar prize! Along with five other families, the Brodericks are thrust into a high-stakes competition along the famous Route 66.
Can Ben and Ethan put their heads together—and put aside their differences—to beat out the other families and solve Ms. Pennypickle’s ultimate puzzle?
For readers 8-12, by kid favorite author Chris Grabenstein.
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The Screaming Monkey: Ava & Carol Detective Agency
A hidden pirate treasure. A legendary artifact. Two teen detectives caught in a dangerous game of secrets and lies.
Join teen detectives Ava and Carol in this action-packed, Nancy Drew meets National Treasure mystery adventure as they hunt for the legendary Screaming Monkey statue and unearth the secrets hidden on Nantucket.
When Ava and Carol cross paths with celebrity adventurer Sebastian Strong and his film crew, they stumble onto a legend of lost pirate treasure: the Screaming Monkey statue, rumored to have vanished with the shipwreck of the Whydah Gally. But the deeper they dig, the more they realize this isn’t just a ghost story—it’s a deadly game of secrets, betrayal, and hidden treasure.
Armed with forensic science, fearless determination, and the help of quirky characters, Ava and Carol follow clues through Nantucket’s cemetery and a centuries-old schoolhouse. From coded letters hidden in old Bibles to fingerprints and fibers left behind, every piece of evidence brings them closer to the truth—and closer to ruthless enemies who will stop at nothing to protect their legacy.
Perfect for fans of Nancy Drew, Enola Holmes, and fast-paced treasure hunt mysteries, The Screaming Monkey combines history, adventure, and heart in a thrilling page-turner for junior detectives and mystery lovers of all ages.Will Ava and Carol solve the cipher and uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will the Screaming Monkey claim its next victims?
For readers 8-14, from author Thomas Lockhaven. This is Book 11 of 13.
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Adventures in a Video Game: Never Trust a Robot
In the next installment of Adventures in a Video Game, Diego and his new friends, including a robot, must solve Guntir Island’s many mysteries before the clock hits zero.
With its beautiful coral reef, lush jungle, and powdery white beach, Guntir Island is paradise. Too bad it’s going to explode in two hours.
Diego has just arrived on Guntir Island with no memory of how he got there, where he’s from, or even who he is. Now, he must team up with five other kids in the same predicament to defuse the bomb. Their guide on this deadly mission will be Robbie, a frustratingly friendly robot who definitely knows more than he’s letting on. Can Diego and his new friends solve Guntir Island’s many mysteries before the clock hits zero?
For readers 8-12, by author Dustin Brady and illustrator Jesse Brady.
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Belly Up
Twelve-year-old Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt Fitzroy believes that Henry, the hippopotamus at the brand-new FunJungle, has been murdered.
The zoo’s top brass claim the hippo went belly up the natural way, but Teddy and his feisty friend Summer McCraken have other ideas.
Could the culprit be FunJungle’s animal-hating head of operations? Or is it FunJungle’s owner—Summer’s dad—a man who is much more concerned about money than animal welfare?
The deeper Teddy and Summer dig, the more danger they’re in—because when it comes to hippo homicide, the truth can’t be caged!
This is Book 1 of 10 of the FunJungle (Teddy Fitzroy) series, for readers ages 9-12, by the ever-popular Stuart Gibbs.
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Evil Spy School: The Graphic Novel
The New York Times bestselling Spy School series continues in graphic novel form with the third book as Ben gets kicked out of the CIA’s spy school and enrolls with the enemy.
During a spy school game of Capture the Flag, twelve-year-old Ben Ripley accidentally shoots a live mortar into the principal’s office—and immediately gets himself expelled. Not long after going back to the boring real world, Ben gets an offer to join evil crime organization SPYDER. And he accepts.
Ben can tell he’s a key part of their sinister plan, but he’s not quite sure what the plan is. Can Ben figure out what SPYDER is up to—and get word to the good guys without getting caught—before it’s too late?
Follow Ben as he crosses over to the dark side in action-packed, full-color panels.
For readers 8-12, from that ever-popular author Stuart Gibbs and the talented illustrator Anjan Sarkar.
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Juliet Dove, Queen of Love
Juliet Dove is a girl who doesn’t like to be noticed. But though she may be shy, she has a wickedly sharp wit. Whenever someone does take notice of her, she tears into the person with a savagery that’s earned her the nickname “Killer.”
Juliet ends up leaving Mr. Elives’s magic shop with Helen of Troy’s amulet—that is, a virtual man magnet. Juliet doesn’t know what she’s got, but the boys in her class do—they start to notice her…
Soon, every boy in town is swooning for her. Yet, much as she’d like to lose all the unwanted attention, she can’t: The amulet won’t come off!
For readers 8-11, from Bruce Coville, the author of My Teacher Is an Alien and The Unicorn Chronicles.
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Dog Man: Big Jim Believes
In “Dog Man: Big Jim Believes,” Dog Man and friends must save their transformed city from Space Cuties From Space while exploring themes of trust and self-belief.
The celebration comes to a halt for our heroes in Dog Man: Big Jim Believes when the mischievous Space Cuties From Space return. Our caped crusaders — Dog Man (aka Scarlet Shedder), Commander Cupcake, and Sprinkles — along with Mecha Molly discover that the city has changed, and nothing is how it should be. Can Big Jim’s positivity and innocence help our heroes? Will Dog Man, Big Jim, Grampa, and Molly have the courage to trust each other and save the day? How does the past help shape the future? And who is the chosen one?
Readers will want to hold onto their hero capes as they soar into a new thrilling Dog Man story.
A graphic novel for readers 7-11 from the award-winning author of Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey.
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Chase Speedington and the Last Dragon’s Breath
An intrepid young man of action, Chase Speedington, is working with his adopted mother, the Queen, to search for the truth about his parents when he is confronted once again by the Evil Eisenfaust! This latest encounter sets in motion a series of events that lead Chase to the legend of the Dragon’s Last Breath! Working with the help of friends, Chase finds clues that might lead to his parents, but instead, they lead to information that Dragons once existed on Earth!!! …and that they can be brought back to life??
For readers 7-12 by author Franco Aureliani.
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Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation
Charlie Thorne is a genius.
Charlie Thorne is a thief.
Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive.And now it’s up to her to save the world…
Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it.
But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger.
In a breakneck adventure that spans the globe, Charlie must crack a complex code created by Einstein himself, struggle to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and fight to keep the last equation safe once and for all.
For readers 9-12 by the ever-popular Stuart Gibbs.
