Book Reviews
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Golden Gate (2) (City Spies)
In this second installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies returns for another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.
After thwarting a notorious villain at an eco-summit in Paris, the City Spies are gearing up for their next mission. Operating out of a base in Scotland, this secret team of young agents working for the British Secret Intelligence Service’s MI6 division have honed their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.
Fourteen-year-old Sydney is a surfer and a rebel from Bondi Beach, Australia. She’s also a field ops specialist for the City Spies. Sydney is excited to learn that she’ll be going undercover on the marine research vessel the Sylvia Earle. But things don’t go exactly as planned, and while Sydney does find herself in the spotlight, it’s not in the way she was hoping.
Meanwhile, there’s been some new intel regarding a potential mole within the organization, offering the spies a lead that takes them to San Francisco, California. But as they investigate a spy who died at the Botanical Gardens, they discover that they are also being investigated. And soon, they’re caught up in an exciting adventure filled with rogue missions and double agents!
This mission is hot! The City Spies are a go!
For readers 8-12.
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Dog Man Mothering Heights: From the Creator of Captain Underpants (Dog Man #10)
Dog Man and Petey face their biggest challenges yet in the tenth Dog Man book from worldwide bestselling author and illustrator Dav Pilkey.
Dog Man is down on his luck, Petey confronts his not so purr-fect past, and Grampa is up to no good. The world is spinning out of control as new villains spill into town. Everything seems dark and full of despair. But hope is not lost. Can the incredible power of love save the day?
Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including love, empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of doing good.
For readers 7 and up.
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Epic Zero Series: Books 1-3: Epic Zero Collection
Growing up in a superhero family is cool, unless you’re powerless…
All Elliott Harkness wants is to be a superhero. His parents are superheroes. His older sister is a superhero. Heck, even his dog is a superhero. But Elliott has a problem—he’s a “Zero”—which is super-speak for powerless! So, while his family is off fighting crime, Elliott is stuck muddling through middle school.
But when danger strikes and Elliott is Earth’s last hope, will he find the power to be the epic hero he’s always wanted to be—or will he always be just an Epic Zero? Follow Elliott’s hilarious journey to fit in with his family, save the world, and make it home for dinner.
The Epic Zero Series Collection includes:
– Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader
– Epic Zero 2: Tales of a Pathetic Power Failure
– Epic Zero 3: Tales of a Super Lame Last Hope
Epic Zero is the laugh-out-loud, action-packed series that will entertain kids, middle school students, and adults. The Epic Zero Collection includes 48 illustrated character profiles and a full glossary of superpowers.
For readers 8-12. -
Secret Agent 6th Grader: 3 Book Collection (Books 1-3)
Three laugh-out-loud books bundled into one action-packed collection – Brody Valentine was just a normal kid until he stumbled upon Glitch, a secret agency at his school…
My name is Brody Valentine, and this is the story of how I accidentally became a 6th grade secret agent at my school. You see, my life is plain and boring, just how I like it. Not too hot – not too cold – perfectly normal. That is, until a dangerous secret fell into my lap. Everything I knew to be true was completely flipped around and suddenly I’ve found myself buried in special codes and conspiracies. Now I’m being hunted because my brain knows a secret about my school so huge that your head would explode if you heard it.
This collection includes three hilarious books in one place: Secret Agent 6th Grader, Secret Agent 6th Grader 2: Ice Cold Suckerpunch, and Secret Agent 6th Grader 3: Extra Large Soda Jerk
For readers 8-12.
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Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories (Awesome Friendly Kid)
Scare yourself silly with Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney, the #1 international bestselling author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
Grab a flashlight, crawl under the covers, and dive into the twisted, unexpectedly hilarious world of Rowley Jefferson’s imagination. You’ll meet zombies, vampires, ghosts, and much more in these comically terrifying tales.
Rowley’s spooky stories might leave you laughing, but beware—you could end up sleeping with the lights on.
And don’t miss Rowley Jefferson’s first two awesome friendly books, the instant #1 bestsellers Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal and Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure!
For kids 7 – 12.
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The Elephant in the Room
From the New York Times bestselling Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s, comes a heartfelt story about “the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life’s challenges.”
It’s been almost a year since Sila’s mother traveled halfway around the world to Turkey, hoping to secure the immigration paperwork that would allow her to return to her family in the United States.
The long separation is almost impossible for Sila to withstand. But things change when Sila accompanies her father (who is a mechanic) outside their Oregon town to fix a truck. There, behind an enormous stone wall, she meets a grandfatherly man who only months before won the state lottery. Their new alliance leads to the rescue of a circus elephant named Veda, and then to a friendship with an unusual boy named Mateo, proving that comfort and hope come in the most unlikely of places.
A moving story of family separation and the importance of the connection between animals and humans, this novel has the enormous heart and uplifting humor that readers have come to expect from the beloved author of Counting by 7s.
For readers 10-14.
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Bridge of Souls (City of Ghosts #3)
Victoria (“V. E.”) Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, invites readers to haunted New Orleans in this third installment of her thrillingly spooky City of Ghosts series!
Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows . . .
Unless it’s the other way around?
Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while traveling for her parents’ TV show.
But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colorful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself
For readers 8-12.
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Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day
Bestselling author and entertainer John Cena motivates and inspires readers with this illustrated book of uplifting encouragements adapted from his popular Twitter feed.
Hope + Effort = Making the impossible possible
In this colorfully illustrated book of encouragements, John Cena urges young readers to be who they are, act to make the world a better place, and never stop striving.
Aimed at elementary and middle schoolers, but fun and fitting for readers of any age, John’s inspiring perspective and thoughtful advice are perfect for milestones like graduations, new siblings, and other big life moments, as well as for anyone who could use a little boost.
These affirmations about growing up and moving forward are sure to help kids find joy in their efforts and achievements.
For readers 8-12
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Wild River
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers rushing down a raging river on a life-or-death adventure when a white water rafting trip goes terribly wrong!
Daniel Redmayne is fast asleep on the first night of a white water rafting trip, when he’s awoken by screams. The dam has failed. The river is surging, and their camp will be under water in a matter of moments.
As the shrieking roar of the river rushes closer, the kids scramble to higher ground. They make it; their counselors do not.
Now they’re on their own, with barely any food or supplies, in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Do Daniel and his four classmates have what it takes to stay alive until they can get rescued? Alone in the wild, they forge powerful bonds — but develop dangerous disagreements. If nature doesn’t break them, they might just destroy each other.
This gripping survival story from the Newbery Honor author of Wildfire is filled with adrenaline-pumping adventure and moments of true bravery.
For readers 9-12
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Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Book 1)
Author Marissa Meyer brings you a rousing tale that you are going to love.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
This is a great read for kids 10 and up.
