Alisa WilliamsJul 7, 20192 minBook Review: Cape by Kate HanniganCape by Kate Hannigan is Book One in The League of Secret Heroes, and what a great debut to this exciting new series. This is a quick, fun read for middle grade readers that intersperses the chapters with graphic novel panels. Alas, because I read an advanced reader copy, the panels weren't included, but that just gives me even more reason to go out and buy the book when it releases on August 6! Main character Josie O'Malley's father is away fighting against the Nazis in Worl
Alisa WilliamsMay 11, 20192 minBook Review: Aru Shah and the Song of Death (A Pandava Novel Book 2)Aru Shah and the Song of Death (A Pandava Novel Book 2) Written by Roshani Chokshi Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2019 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle Fun, fast-paced and full of humor, Aru Shah’s latest adventure is the perfect addition to the Pandava series. I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi’s first Pandava novel, Aru Shah and the End of Time (which I reviewed here), and this second in the series is just as epic. In Aru Shah and the Song of Death, Aru and h
Alisa WilliamsMay 7, 20192 minBook Review: Hurricane Season by Nicole MellebyHurricane Season Written by Nicole Melleby Algonquin Young Readers, 2019 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle Nicole Melleby’s debut novel, Hurricane Season, is a gentle look at love and life in all its messy complexity and hopeful beauty. It’s been just Fig and her dad since she was a baby, and that’s fine by her. Fig knows her dad, a brilliant and once-famous pianist, has his bad days – days where he can’t get out of bed or where he’s so excited he’s liable to wander off i
Alisa WilliamsApr 16, 20192 minBook Review: The Line TenderThe Line Tender Written by Kate Allen Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2019 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle The Line Tender by Kate Allen is one of those books that hooked me from the very first page, and the equal parts humor, heartbreak, and nostalgia held me until the very last. Set in the 1990s in coastal Massachusetts, The Line Tender is the story of 12-year-old Lucy Everhart, whose marine biologist mother passed away suddenly when Lucy was seven. Since then, Lucy a
Alisa WilliamsMar 5, 20192 minBook Review: Sal and Gabi Break the UniverseSal and Gabi Break the Universe Written by Carlos Hernandez Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2019 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle The latest book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint of Disney Hyperion, Sal & Gabi Break the Universe (A Sal & Gabi Novel, Book 1), is totally different from what I was expecting. I’ve read every book from Rick Riordan’s imprint and almost every book Riordan himself has written (he writes too fast, ok? I’ll catch up eventually), an
Alisa WilliamsJan 13, 20192 minBook Review: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha LeeDragon Pearl Written by Yoon Ha Lee Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2019 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle The latest book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint of Disney is an absolute delight! Thirteen-year-old Min is a fox spirit who has always dreamed of joining the Space Forces. Her older brother, Jun, joined a couple of years ago and she can’t wait until she turns 16 and can follow him to the stars. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong when an investiga
Alisa WilliamsOct 2, 20183 minBook Review: Louisiana's Way HomeLouisiana’s Way Home Written by Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press, 2018 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle “I am going to write it all down, so that what happened to me will be known, so that if someone were to stand at their window at night and look up at the stars and think, My goodness, whatever happened to Louisiana Elefante? Where did she go? They will have an answer. They will know. This is what happened. I will begin at the beginning.” —Louisiana Elefante I may have l
Alisa WilliamsSep 18, 20182 minBook Review: The Storm RunnerThe Storm Runner (A Storm Runner Novel Book 1) Written by J.C. Cervantes Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2018 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle Zane Obispo may not have thought so a few days ago, but it turns out he lives the coolest life ever. Not only does he have a smart and loyal dog named Rosie, but there’s a volcano in his backyard. A real volcano! Ok, so school is a real drag, especially because other kids make fun of the fact that Zane walks with a limp a
Alisa WilliamsAug 14, 20182 minBook Review: The Splintered LightThe Splintered Light Written by Ginger Johnson Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover The Splintered Light was a delight to read, full of beauty and mystery. In Ginger Johnson’s debut novel, we’re introduced to main character Ishmael who goes in search of his older brother, Luc, who disappeared months ago. Things have deteriorated at home since Luc left. Their father died tragically, their mother is overworked with too many mouths to feed, and Ismael i
Alisa WilliamsJun 5, 20182 minBook Review: The Orphan Band of SpringdaleThe Orphan Band of Springdale Written by Anne Nesbet Candlewick Press, 2018 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle This book stole my heart! I have hesitated a long while after reading it before writing this review, because my words feel small and insignificant compared to the magnitude and depth of this lovely middle-grade piece of literature. My review could simply be, “Go out and buy this book now!” and that lone sentence would encapsulate my excitement, or I could write pa
Alisa WilliamsMar 22, 20183 minBook Review: Aru Shah and the End of TimeA Review of Aru Shah and the End of Time (A Pandava Novel Book 1) Written by Roshani Chokshi Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2018 Buy Now on Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle I’m a huge fan of Rick Riordan and so have been looking forward to his imprint, “Rick Riordan Presents” with great anticipation. I love Riordan’s goal which is to “publish great books by middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by