A Weapon of Magical Destruction by Katie Salidas is the first book in the Agents of A.S.S.E.T series. Sage is still dealing with the loss of her mother and what she inherits is the last thing she ever expected. Getting her mother's belongings from her...

Jane Congdon's How the WILD EFFECT Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure is Congdon's memoir of her Appalachian Trail hikes, particularly in 2015. She was inspired by Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild," an account of Strayed's 1995 hike on the Pacific...

Steven F. Freeman's Thirty Seconds to Live is a mystery thriller with a chilling plot about people who die very quickly, under what appear to be normal circumstances. The story begins in New Zealand with the deaths of fifteen people aboard a sabotaged boat that...

Character, plot, and realism are among the things that get me reading a book. Dusties (Dusties Series Book 1) by Brett Murrell has all these elements expertly woven into the story. I felt pulled into the narrative in just the same way one would...

Let's meet five-year-old Michael in the story Michael and the Spots by Carl Witt. He was having fun in the bath where he went swimming with the sharks and rescued his baby duck from the evil washcloth monster. That day Michael saw some spots on...

"Be careful in what you pursue, lest you find yourself consumed by the object you desire." The Mirror Shop by Nicholas Bundock is about a middle-aged couple, Luke and Eve. They live an ideal life as he owns and operates a business, and she is...

Anne Frank House Amsterdam by Marko Kassenaar is a terrific guide book for any visitor to the Anne Frank House and Museum. For myself, having been to this historic site, this book enhances the experience. While other guide books give general highlights on this iconic...

Meet Harry, the kindest giraffe in the world, in the story Diary of a Giraffe: Harry and Bedtime by Jenny Mitchell and Eugenia Mitchell. This book is very appropriately subtitled Bedtime Story Picture Book Helping your Kids Overcome Fears before Sleep. All children are Harry’s...

War Nightmares by Michael Montero is a memoir set in Madrid, Spain, in the midst of the bloody Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. A seven-year-old boy is thrust into the struggle between the right-wing Nationals and the ruling left-wing Republican government that...

It was Halloween on the night Maddison was born ten years ago in the storybook Maddison: A Ten-Year-Old Witch with Magical Powers by Michael Montero. Maddison’s hair was shiny like a raven’s wings and her black eyes had the sparkle of diamonds. Maddison dreamed of...

The Silver Six is the second novel in the Uncanny Valley series by C.A. Gray. Readers are once again taken on an exciting adventure. Rebecca Cordeaux has learned that her mother is the mysterious leader M of the renegades. Considering that her mother had...

Arthur Strohmeier shares his childhood in the beautifully written book, Raising Arthur by Will Sherwood. This is a tale of a young boy born to German immigrant parents at a time when it was not easy to be of German descent. His father was already...

Journey through the Island of Rügen: A Classical Journey by Arthur Strohmeier is a fresh rendition, a translation of the work of Johann Jacob Grümbke published in 1803, and a work of adventure with hints of sociology. In a collection of twelve letters, Grümbke describes...

Journey to the Hidden Mountain by Victoria Heales is a fantastical tale that begins when young Violet spots what she believes is a colorful stone. When her older brother, Jude, almost steps on it, he realizes that it is an egg. They bring it into...

Winston, the tiger, and Henry, the bear, are looking for an adventure in Winston and Henry Do Art. Author Greta Von Szabo invites young readers to join the cuddly duo on their spectacular adventure. They decide to go see some art and ask their friend...

Finding yourself in a whole new world would be a dream come true for most kids, particularly with the promise of adventure and missing school. Elizabeth Harding, however, would much rather stay at home or in the library. It’s hard enough dealing with the not-quite-there...

Unremembered: Tales of the Nearly Famous & the Not Quite Forgotten is a nonfiction collection of historical events and figures written by Ken Zurski. Zurski is a broadcaster, speaker and author whose books recreate the past. This book casts a spotlight on several dozen personalities...

The Boy Scout by Vanayssa Somers is a new kind of fairy tale. It has kings and queens and fairy wizards. And a shaman, with a magic carpet. Vanayssa Somers also uses time travel in a unique way. Another one of those...

Metaphase: Beauty in the Chaos by M Street took me by surprise. Metaphase is the second novel in M Street’s Mitosis series. In this installment, readers are given a flashback to Piper’s literal infancy and, soon afterward, it picks up where the first novel left...

Davy wants to play outside where there is lots of snow and likes riding down the great hill. Davy wants to go outside and play but his mother wants him to finish practicing violin first. Davy gets his violin and plays Bach. He gets ready...