Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Series: The Mysterious Benedict Society (Book 1)
Publication: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition (April 1, 2008)

Description: For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed!

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar newspaper ad and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children—two boys and two girls—succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it, they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

My Thoughts: This middle grade fantasy describes the adventures of four young orphans who are recruited by the mysterious Mr. Benedict for a dangerous mission to save the world. All four of the children are very bright and manage to pass a series of difficult tests.

Reynie Muldoon, Sticks Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire all have a variety of skills necessary to defeat the evil villain. Reynie is a great puzzle solver. Sticks remembers everything. Kate is daring and physically gifted. Constance is as contrary as her name and filled with stubbornness. 

The three are sent to a new school - the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened - to find out what its leader Ledroptha Curtain is up to. The kids have a variety of adventures including discovering secret tunnels and communicating with Morse Code. They also have to deal with the various students who are quite an odd lot. 

Fans of bright, brave kids having adventures in a fantasy world will enjoy this one. 

I bought this one January 6, 2010. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

In a city called Stonetown, near a port called Stonetown Harbor, a boy named Reynie Muldoon was preparing to take an important test. 

Friday 56:

He found himself in a brightly lit room with pitch-black walls. 

This week I am spotlighting The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. It has been on my TBR mountain since January 6, 2010. Here is the description from Amazon:

For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed!

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar newspaper ad and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children—two boys and two girls—succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it, they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

Book Review: The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis

The Raven Heir
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publication: Bloomsbury Children's Books; 1st edition (September 14, 2021)

Description: Perfect for fans of Robert Beatty and Shannon Hale comes a magical new middle grade fantasy series about a young shapeshifter trying to save her family.

Deep within an enchanted forest lies a castle where a set of triplets and their sorceress mother have lived for years--safe from the decades-long war for the Raven Throne that rages in the kingdom. Cordelia, one of the triplets, has the power to become any animal with just a thought, and she yearns to discover more about the world outside her castle.

But one day, the world comes to her, when the eldest of the triplets becomes the newest heir to the throne. Knowing that being named heir means certain death, Cordelia's mother hid the truth about which child is the eldest when she hid them in the forest. When her family is captured, it's up to Cordelia to use her powers to keep her siblings hidden and discover the truth about the Raven Heir--before it's too late.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family.

My Thoughts: THE RAVEN HEIR is the beginning of a new middle grade fantasy series. Cordelia and her triplet brother and sister have been raised in the middle of an enchanted forest protected by their mother. Cordelia, who is able to shift into any sort of animal, chafes at the restrictions that keep her confined to the forest and chafes at the secrets her mother is keeping.

When the castle is discovered and put under siege, Cordelia's mother tells her and her siblings Rosalind and Giles to flee. Running from these new enemies, the twelve-year-olds have to find out why they have been hidden and who wants them and why. 

The children learn that one of them is the potential heir to the Raven Throne. However, they don't know which of them. They do learn that many of the dukes want them only to cement their own power in the kingdom. They meet a previously unknown grandmother who has her own uses for the heir and her own political agenda. 

Cordelia is determined to find the Raven crown which was broken and hidden when the then current king broke the covenant with the land which led to the current problem of war for the kingdom as the dukes all fight to claim the throne. She and her siblings begin their journey to the site where the crown is hidden and along the way they see what the constant war has done to the kingdom. 

This was an exciting start to a new series. I love the emphasis on the importance of family and the ties between siblings. 

I bought this one May 29. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

Beyond the castle's moat, the deep, dark forest was shot through with trails of sunlight, tacing golden paths of possibility.

Friday 56:

"How long can you keep it going?" Rosalind asked as she tugged firmly at the arm Codelia had used to hide her wound. 

This week I am spotlighting The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis from my TBR pile. Here is the description from Amazon:

Perfect for fans of Robert Beatty and Shannon Hale comes a magical new middle grade fantasy series about a young shapeshifter trying to save her family.

Deep within an enchanted forest lies a castle where a set of triplets and their sorceress mother have lived for years--safe from the decades-long war for the Raven Throne that rages in the kingdom. Cordelia, one of the triplets, has the power to become any animal with just a thought, and she yearns to discover more about the world outside her castle.

But one day, the world comes to her, when the eldest of the triplets becomes the newest heir to the throne. Knowing that being named heir means certain death, Cordelia's mother hid the truth about which child is the eldest when she hid them in the forest. When her family is captured, it's up to Cordelia to use her powers to keep her siblings hidden and discover the truth about the Raven Heir--before it's too late.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family.

ARC Review: The Shelterlings by Sarah Beth Durst

The Shelterlings
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Clarion Books (June 21, 2022)

Description: A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers—and themselves—when they work together to thwart a villain’s attempt to steal their magic.

Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.”

When an old friend appears with a plan for curing the shelterlings’ defective magic, everyone is on board to help him locate and retrieve the ingredients for a powerful spell. But when they learn that his offer is not what it seems, Holly and the shelterlings must fight to defend their magic, discovering in the process that their unorthodox skills may just be what is needed to save the day.

My Thoughts: This was an exciting and entertaining middle grade fantasy. Holly, a gray squirrel, is one of a group of magical misfits whose unusual magical abilities make them unsuitable to work as wizard's companions. Holly and her best friend Gus, an owl who can turn to stone, are just a couple of the residents of the Shelter for Rejected Familiars.

All of the animals traveled to the magic pool in the hopes of becoming a wizard's familiar and going on adventures and doing heroic deeds. Holly and the others are disappointed and distressed to be rejected. But Holly is an optimistic sort of squirrel who is making the best of her new home. She's made friends with the other residents and is helping them perfect their magical abilities. Holly, herself, can conjure up pastries - muffins, croissants, and other baked treats. There's a turtle with super speed but slow reactions who keeps crashing into things. There's a gecko who can inflate like a balloon and float. There's a cow who makes prophecies - which are always wrong. 

When a new resident comes, Holly tries to make her feel at home. Periwinkle is a lemur who finds lost things. Unfortunately, the thing's owners don't always agree that the things were lost and call her a thief. Despite her prickly personality, Holly wants to befriend her and help her fit in. 

Then Charlie, a beaver whose magical talent is manifesting cut flowers, comes back to the house and asks the familiars to help him find some magical ingredients that he says will help all of the with their magic. He wants to recast the original spell on the magic pool. The familiars are excited to help Charlie.

Holly gets involved in a number of the quests and her courage, ingenuity and friendliness makes them successful. But she begins to think that Charlie might have an ulterior motive that he isn't sharing with the rest of the familiars. 

While I'm not usually a fan of talking animals, I did enjoy this story. I really liked Holly's character. She was such a wonderful person with integrity and curiosity and a quiet heroism. Middle grade fantasy fans will find much to enjoy in this engaging story. 

Favorite Quote:

"You're only a failure if you quit," Holly said, thinking of Cerulean. "Until then, you're someone who hadn't succeeded yet."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Shelterlings by Sarah Beth Durst

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

As the only squirrel at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, Holly always volunteered for the chores that required and exceptionally fluffy tail, such as sweeping the porch.

Friday 56:

Charlie added, "Everyone's going to be so happy if we come back with the sixth ingredient. We'll only be one step away from casting the spell!"

This week I'm spotlighting The Shelterlings by Sarah Beth Durst. She emailed and asked if I wanted to review it. Since I've enjoyed all of her other books, I was quick to agree.

Here's the description from Amazon:

A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers—and themselves—when they work together to thwart a villain’s attempt to steal their magic.

Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.”

When an old friend appears with a plan for curing the shelterlings’ defective magic, everyone is on board to help him locate and retrieve the ingredients for a powerful spell. But when they learn that his offer is not what it seems, Holly and the shelterlings must fight to defend their magic, discovering in the process that their unorthodox skills may just be what is needed to save the day.

ARC Review: Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers (Book 1)
Publication: Disney-Hyperion (April 5, 2022)

Description: Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl combines high-tech wizardry, old-world legends and a little bit of magic from the internationally renowned best-selling author, Julie Kagawa.

Shinji Takahashi is just an ordinary kid. An ordinary homeschooled smart-alecky orphan kid being raised by his globe-trotting aunt Yui. But when a magical guardian decides to use him as a conduit to awaken its power, Shinji’s life takes a turn for the anything-but-ordinary. Captured by the menacing Hightower Corporation, which is bent on using the guardian’s magic for its own nefarious purposes, Shinji must team up with a brilliant young tech whiz named Lucy and her robot mouse, Tinker, in order to escape.

Together the two turn to the venerable Society of Explorers and Adventurers and its ragtag cast of spelunkers, hackers, mapmakers, pilots, and mythology experts (among other things) to return the guardian to its rightful home and release Shinji from its magic―which seems to be draining his life force. Time is ticking, the Hightower Corporation is hot on their tail, and success or failure might depend on one small thing―Shinji finally coming around to the belief that he is anything but ordinary.

Based on the Society of Explorers and Adventurers lore that exist across the Walt Disney Parks, Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl is the first book in an all-new action-adventure series that brings S.E.A. into the twenty-first century through a blend of science and magic, and a focus on two young characters on an epic journey through time and place.

My Thoughts: This was a great middle grade adventure! Shinji Takahashi has been traveling with his aunt since the death of his parents in a fire. She travels to find native arts and crafts for her shop in Miami. Thirteen-year-old Shinji would rather spend his time playing adventure video games.

One day he is given some money and told to find a treasure at a market in Abenge, near the Zambezi River, in Africa. He wanders into a shop he's never seen before and discovers a statuette of the Coatl which seems to be calling to him. He doesn't know that purchase will lead to great adventure.

Pursued by employees of the Hightower Corporation who want the figure, Shinji is kidnapped and threatened when he won't give the statue up. In fact, the statue has become a tattoo on his arm and he doesn't know how to give it up even if he wanted to. Aided by a girl named Lucy who is able to combine magic and technology, the two go off to find the Society of Explorers and Adventurers to help them find a way to get the Hightower Corporation off his back and get the statue back to its correct location.

There are lots of adventures as the explore jungles, almost fall through a swinging bridge over a bottomless canyon, and battle snake warriors and Hightower minions. The story has a strong environmental message about the need to save the Earth and preserve its wonders.

Fans of action and adventure will enjoy this fast-paced story.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess

Glass Slippers
Author: Leah Cypess
Series: Sisters Ever After
Publication: Delacorte Press (April 5, 2022)

Description: The second book in the Sisters Ever After series of fairy tale retellings from the point of view of the siblings in the background, this is the thrilling story of Cinderella's never-before-mentioned third "evil" step-sister, Tirza.

Meet Cinderella’s third “wicked” stepsister, Tirza. For years, Tirza has lived with the shame of what her family did to Cinderella. Against everyone’s advice, Cinderella—now Queen Ella—took a chance on young Tirza. She gave Tirza a home in the castle instead of banishing her. The queen told everyone Tirza was good and kind, not cruel like her older sisters.

But now Queen Ella’s famous glass slippers are missing, and there’s only one suspect. . .

Tirza may have tried them on . . . but she didn’t steal them. Now she must find the true thief before she loses her royal home. But as Tirza gets closer to the truth, she finds herself getting closer to something else: her sisters, who might not be quite as evil as Cinderella claims.

My Thoughts: Tirzah is Cinderella's third stepsister. She was only five when Cinderella was chosen by her prince. While the other sisters were exiled, Cinderella brought Tirzah with her to the palace because she claimed Tirzah was not wicked.

Unfortunately, Cinderella - now Queen Ella - is the only one who doesn't think Tirzah is wicked. She's teased, ignored, belittled and treated poorly by everyone except her one friend Aden who is a stableboy. When the glass slippers that Queen Ella wears once a year on the anniversary of her meeting with the prince go missing, eleven-year-old Tirzah is the first one to be blamed. 

Tirzah did see them in Queen Ella's bedroom. And she did try them on and dance a few steps. But then she returned them to where she had found them and left. No matter who asks, and despite no one actually listening to her, she keeps saying that she didn't take the slippers. 

Things get more complicated when Aden comes to release her from the dungeon and aid her escape, since he's congratulating her on the theft. Tirzah also learns that her sisters and her godmother have been keeping watch over her and now want her to join them in overthrowing Queen Ella.

Tirzah doesn't know what to believe and doesn't know who to trust. Everyone has their own side to the conflict and all the viewpoints are confusing to her. And the slippers aren't what she thought either. They are remnants of fae magic that give the wearer power but at great cost. She sees what they do to her sisters and begins to understand why Queen Ella has kept her away from them since she moved to the castle. The slippers are calling to her and promising power. 

This was an entertaining middle grade story. It has interesting characters and a fast-paced plot with lots of adventure.

Favorite Quote:

I was used to having people sneer at me, But my room, so out of the way and inaccessible, was the one place where I usually didn't have to put up with it. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

I didn't do it.

Friday 56:

When I woke, my head was cushioned on a soft pillow, and a bandage was wrapped around my leg.

This week I am spotlighting Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess. This is a middle grade/YA title from my review stack. Here's the description from Amazon:

The second book in the Sisters Ever After series of fairy tale retellings from the point of view of the siblings in the background, this is the thrilling story of Cinderella's never-before-mentioned "evil" step-sister, Tirza.

Meet Cinderella’s third “wicked” stepsister, Tirza. For years, Tirza has lived with the shame of what her family did to Cinderella. Against everyone’s advice, Cinderella—now Queen Ella—took a chance on young Tirza. She gave Tirza a home in the castle instead of banishing her. The queen told everyone Tirza was good and kind, not cruel like her older sisters.

But now Queen Ella’s famous glass slippers are missing, and there’s only one suspect. . ..

Tirza may have tried them on . . . but she didn’t steal them. Now she must find the true thief before she loses her royal home. But as Tirza gets closer to the truth, she finds herself getting closer to something else: her sisters, who might not be quite as evil as Cinderella claims.

YA Book Review: Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst

Catalyst
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Clarion Books (June 9, 2020)

Description: Zoe must figure out how to keep a giant kitten safe in this magical adventure about change, expectation, and accepting all for who they truly are—regardless of shape or size.

Zoe named the kitten Pipsqueak, because she was so tiny, and promised to always take care of her. Then the kitten grew. And grew. Now she’s bigger than a horse—and talking as well! Fleeing into the woods to escape the curious eyes of the Internet, Zoe and her best friend, Harrison, must keep the giant cat hidden as they desperately search for a way to return her to normal size. If they don’t succeed, Pipsqueak may never be safe again. But why did she grow so large in the first place? And what if trying to change her back leads to even greater danger?

My Thoughts: Lots of things are changing for almost 12-year-old Zoe. She's grown 4 inches and now towers over her best friend Harrison. Her brother Alex has graduated from high school and won a scholarship to a school in Paris. Her mother has taken a new job with the mayor's office. And her family is getting ready to start on a big remodeling project. Zoe wishes that things would just stay the same for a while.

Zoe has always been the kid who rescues animals in need. Her mom says she can't bring anymore home after the "skunk incident" though. When Zoe finds a tiny kitten between the garage and the garbage can, she doesn't quite know what to do. She decides to bring the kitten in and hide her in her room - just for the night. But she never expects what will happen next.

Zoe names the tiny kitten Pipsqueak and falls in love with her. She promises to always take care of her. So when her kitten starts to grown unusually fast, Zoe has quite a dilemma. Her parents agree to let her keep the kitten if she agrees to be completely responsible for its care. When the kitten grows to become a full size cat in three days and begins to talk, Zoe and Harrison don't know what to do.

It doesn't help that there have been sightings of other unusual animals including a green dog and a flying poodle which are bringing unwanted attention to Zoe's neighborhood. And Pipsqueak keeps growing. Zoe moves her to the garden shed when she gets to be the size of a large dog and still needs to keep her secret both from her family and from reporters who are looking for unusual animals.

Zoe wants to find a way to change Pipqueak back into an ordinary size cat and hopes her Aunt Alecia who believes in unusual things will be able to help her. But the two kids along with Pipsqueak, a rainbow colored mouse with wings, and the green dog have to find a way to travel the hundreds of miles to Aunt Alecia's house to get her help.

They all have lots of adventures and close calls as they find their way to Aunt Alecia's and then even farther into the White Mountains before they learn the secrets Aunt Alecia is keeping.

This was an excellent story about friendship and promises and the way things change even when you don't want the to. I loved the characters and the magic.

Favorite Quote:

Pipsqueak let out an offended meow before saying, "I'm not a robot."

"You're right," Harrison said. "Robots don't grow. But what if her growth were triggered by a robot? Nanotechnology."

"You just wanted to say nanotechnology."

"Yeah, I did," Harrison admitted.

She laughed. "Any other new ideas?"

"Pipsqueak could have come from outer space. Or another dimension. Parallel dimension? Pocket dimension? Mirror dimension?"

I received this one from the author in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.

YA Book Review: The Princess Who Flew With Dragons by Stephanie Burgis

The Princess Who Flew With Dragons
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publication: Bloomsbury Children's Books (August 8, 2019)

Description: Sofia is the other princess. Not the crown princess - that's her perfect big sister, Katrin. Sofia is the princess who always says the wrong thing; who hates going to parties; who doesn't like people; who just wants to sit and read her books. So when Sofia is shipped off on a stomach-churning dragon flight to make another royal visit, she decides it's time for this princess to take a little break. In disguise, Sofia soon finds herself discovering a magical city of learning, new friends and freedom. In short, everything is going wonderfully . right up until it goes horribly wrong. And that's before the ice giants show up.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a magical third adventure about acceptance, family and friendship, perfect for fans of Cressida Cowell and Cornelia Funke.

My Thoughts: This story was an excellent middle grade adventure with a heroine to root for. Princess Sofia is the other princess in Drackenheim. Her older sister is the perfect heir who keeps manipulating Sofia into dangerous situations. Sofia would much rather stay in her room sipping hot chocolate and reading philosophy books by Gert van Heidecker.

Sofia's sister decides to sent her on a diplomatic mission to Vallenne to view the Diamond Exhibition and hobnob with other Royals from other kingdoms. However, Sofia arrives after three days of motion sickness in a carriage carried by a dragon and makes a totally awful first impression. She's exiled to a distant house. But Sofia is determined to find her way around the city and meet people. She is especially eager to sit in on a lecture by her favorite philosopher. She doesn't expect to meet and become friends with goblins and see Gert van Heidecker arrested for his revolutionary views.

She also doesn't expect the finally meet her friend Jasper who is a young dragon who has run away from home to come and share adventures with her in Vallenne. Nor does she expect her perfect sister Katrin and Jasper's mother to come chasing after them. And she really doesn't expect the find herself the only Royal left after an attack by Ice Giants who freeze all the other Royals into blocks of ice and take them off to their frozen kingdom.

Sofia is determined to find a way to free her sister and Jasper's mother. She has Jasper as her companion and Fedolia, a kobold girl with her own goals in mind. They face hardships along the way to find the kidnapped Royals but Sofia learns a lot about herself. And her actions with the Ice giants give her a chance to show strengths she didn't know she had.

I loved the setting and Sofia. I liked that she underestimated her talents until she had to show them all. I liked that she learned about friendship and loyalty and learned her place in her family.

Favorite Quote:

So that was how I entered the fabled city of Vallenne on my first-ever diplomatic mission: hanging halfway out the open door of my carriage, with dried dragon spittle covering my hair and skin and my two guards gripping tightly to my legs as I dangled a heavy Drachenheim flag in midair.

It was a good thing I'd never expected to be the perfect princess for this mission...because this had to be the most embarrassing first impression ever. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

YA ARC Review: Spark by Sarah Beth Durst

Spark
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Clarion Books (May 14, 2019)

Description: When a shy girl and her dragon-like companion discover their country’s idyllic weather comes at a steep—and secret—cost, they recruit fellow students to defy authority and attempt to spread the truth.

Storm beasts and their guardians create perfect weather every day, and Mina longs for a storm beast of her own. But when the gentle girl bonds with a lightning beast—a creature of fire and chaos—everyone’s certain it’s a mistake. Everyone but Mina and the beast himself, Pixit. Quickly enrolled in lightning school, Mina struggles to master a guardian’s skills, and she discovers that her country's weather comes at a devastating cost—a cost powerful people wish to hide. Mina’s never been the type to speak out, but someone has to tell the truth, and, with Pixit’s help, she resolves to find a way to be heard.

My Thoughts: This is the story of a quiet young girl named Mina who lives in Alloria where the weather is always perfect. It is kept perfect because of the bonding between children and storm beasts. Mina is one of the children who bonds with a storm beast. However, when her egg hatches into a lightning beast, her family is certain that some big mistake has been made. Lightning beasts need assertive, loud partners. Mina is certain that her lightning beast Pixit is just perfect for her but her family isn't at all used to listening to her and don't really listen when she tries to tell them. They love her but they don't really know her.

When Mina and Pixit go off to be trained, Mina has her doubts too. All the other students are much more extroverted and boisterous than she is. Pixit is there to boost her confidence even when the skills Mina needs don't come easy to her. When a storm throws Mina and Pixit to the other side of the mountain that they have been forbidden to cross, Mina is surprised to learn the consequences of Alloria's weather control. The nearby country suffers from devastating storms that kill quite a few people.

Mina is determined to change things in her country. She needs to find her voice and convince the grown-ups who run things that they have to change their ways. It is wonderful to watch Mina as she learns that you don't have to be loud to have good ideas and that even quiet people can cause major changes.

This was an engaging middle grade fantasy with wonderful, well-developed characters and a message that was clear but that didn't overwhelm the story. I loved the worldbuilding and the storm beasts who bonded with their selected humans.

Favorite Quote:

"Come on," Vira urged. "You're a lightning guardian! You are fearless! You are fast! You will not be stopped! You will not be silenced!" Her voice rose louder and louder. "You are a thunderstorm come to life! Loud and ferocious!"

Silently Mina wailed, I'm not any of those things!

[You're my Mina. And we can do this.]

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

YA ARC Review: How I Became a Spy by Deborah Hopkinson

How I Became a Spy 
Subtitle: A Mystery of WWII London
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Publication: Knopf Books for Young Readers (February 12, 2019)

Description: Bertie Bradshaw never set out to become a spy. He never imagined traipsing around war-torn London, solving ciphers, practicing surveillance, and searching for a traitor to the Allied forces. He certainly never expected that a strong-willed American girl named Eleanor would play Watson to his Holmes (or Holmes to his Watson, depending on who you ask).

But when a young woman goes missing, leaving behind a coded notebook, Bertie is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of Eleanor and his friend David, a Jewish refugee--and, of course, his trusty pup, Little Roo--Bertie must decipher the notebook in time to stop a double agent from spilling the biggest secret of all to the Nazis.

From the author of The Great Trouble, this suspenseful WWII adventure reminds us that times of war call for bravery, brains and teamwork from even the most unlikely heroes.

My Thoughts: This middle grade historical mystery stars Bertie Bradshaw, Eleanor Shea, and David Goodman. These thirteen-year-olds find themselves solving ciphers to find a German double agent in London before the specifics of D-Day can be discovered and sent to Germany.

Bertie's father is a policeman. Bertie is working as an air-raid messenger. One evening when the sirens go off, Bertie grabs his dog Little Roo and heads out to the air-raid shelter. He directs everyone he sees to the nearest shelter including American Eleanor Shea. He literally bumps into her. When she continues on her way, Bertie finds a small red notebook. Then Little Roo leads him to an alley and an unconscious young woman.

When Bertie gets back to his base and sends help, the young woman is gone. Where she went and who she was is a mystery for him to solve. The red notebook contains still another mystery. It tells of a young woman who is being trained to infiltrate German-held lands and assist the Resistance. It talks about her training. However, the last part of the book is ciphered. Bertie calls on his friend Jewish-immigrant David who is a devoted fan of Sherlock Holmes and a good puzzle solver.

The boys also reconnect with Eleanor who tells them that the red notebook was written by her French tutor Violette. Violette asked Eleanor to take care of it and share it with her father, who works for the OSS, if something should happen to her.

The kids work together to solve the various ciphers and then use their information to try to track a traitor. While the three main characters are fictitious actual historical figures do make brief appearances in the story. Both General Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower and his dog Telek have a role as does Leo Marks who worked with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who sent civilians to occupied territory and who wrote a book after the war.

Each chapter begins with a quote from the SOE Training Manual or other quotation and each section has a different cipher for the reader to solve (with solutions in the back of the book). There are notes at the end citing the chapter quotations.

This was a nice mystery about a time period that interests many students. 

Favorite Quote:

"You may always feel regret over what happened that night, Bertie. But that doesn't mean you can't move on with your life. You were brave tonight," said Warden Ita. "But it takes a different kind of bravery to the ones we love, ask forgiveness, and move on. Sometimes all we can do is take one step at a time."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.