“Dream-Shifter” by Lois Wickstrom is an intriguing tale about Gwendolyn, a young preteen who can change forms as she dreams.
In “The Newton Chronicles: Soldiers, Temples, and Crystals,” Luke Alexander’s mother truly believes that her husband, an archeologist and historian, is missing and presumed dead from his last archeological search, though her son Luke strongly believes his dad is still very much alive. So, since it’s the beginning of summer break, Luke, along with his two friends, Nathan and Lydia, decide to comb through Mr. Alexander’s home study hoping to find a few clues as to where he headed on his expedition and determine the true meaning of this trip.
Emotions are part of our everyday lives, but at times it feels like they are controlling how we think and act to the point where we feel like we're not in control anymore. "There's A Monster in My Cupboard: Emotions: our brain, our body, and our feelings" by Susannah Nilsen is a profound text for young readers that explores different moods and feelings and how the human mind processes and generates them, based on sensory data and experiences.
“Nurse Florence, How Do We Keep Our Balance?” is just one of many Nurse Florence books in the series. Educating young readers in a variety of topics, author Michael Dow takes complex topics and makes them accessible and understandable for the masses.
In "Chase Across Time: Search for the Ice Castle of Fire" by authors Z. Altug and Tracy Gensler, Danny Day is an average 10-year-old kid who doesn't have special powers like most of his peers. On a mission to rescue his parents from the evil Lord Daaggerd, Danny assembles a crew of regular kids from different time periods and different countries and, in the process, he learns that despite being a Non (a person without powers), he still has value and can offer his own talents and virtues to stand out among the rest.
In the world today there are so many young adult fantasy stories to choose from that it gets to the point where one gets a bit bored assuming they are getting the same-old-thing. I am here to tell you that Lynne Howard’s debut novel, Dylan Dover, Into the Vortex, is not the same-old-thing and it should not be missed. It is an excellent story giving us a new supernatural hero, actually more than one, and it gives the reader an adventure and characters that are truly likeable, which is not always the case.
The adventure of “Dogs and Demons” by R J Lee Heroux features a young boy and his two dogs as he discovers a parallel realm where dogs talk and train their “humans” to protect themselves. James and his dogs Loki and Buddy meet four other children, along with their dogs, who have also come to train in Olympus. As the children learn more about this realm and its inhabitants, they come to realize that a crisis is unfolding and they are uniquely qualified to prevent it.
Ruozhen is a Chinese American fifth grader, entering her final year of elementary school in Austin, TX. “Turning the Corner” takes readers through her final year of elementary, which also happens to be her first year back in person after two years of online learning due to COVID-19.
A 360-degree view of life with autism.
Author David Petrovic and his mother, Sandy Petrovic, have invited readers into their hearts and minds through the story, pictures, activities, and words strewn across the pages of “See ME: The Invisible Autistic Boy.”
“Our Threatened Kin - Fur, Feather & Fin: Verses on India’s Vanishing Wildlife” by Dev Shah is an encyclopedia style book of unique, exotic, and vanishing animals from India. The target audience is Teen/YA, but I believe it would also be great for young readers. The book presents a list of animals native to different regions within India. Each animal has its own feature spread. Within its pages, readers will find a beautiful, accurate image; a descriptive information paragraph; a map showing the region where they are located; and a color-coded status on each animal.
I must say that since I was a child, more years than I care to admit to, the books written for this age group have gotten so much better and I am very grateful for that. A Home Called Haven: The Lower World is the first in a new series named A Home Called Haven and it is an absolutely wonderful beginning for a series that I hope will be around for a very long time….. Think Magic Treehouse here everyone.
"Your Brain: The Engine to Your Body" by Tracy Markley is the kids' edition to learning about one of the most important organs in the human body - the brain. The information begins as the equivalent of upper-level biology or anatomy of the brain classes with what makes up the brain - neurons, the synaptic cleft, dopamine/transmitters, endorphins, and 80% water. The information is sure to fascinate kids when they read, partly due to the strange shape of neurons and the brain, and also because of how powerful our brain is. Many aspects of maintaining a healthy brain are discussed, including hydration, nutrition, and outside influences. Markley does well with presenting such complicated and important aspects of the human body to children, while students currently in the upper-level classes are likely struggling to understand it all; it is likely that this book should be a condensed version for students of all ages to read.