The Hollow Boys is the opening installment in Douglas Smith’s Dream Rider Saga series, an urban fantasy aimed at young adult readers. The book follows Will Dreycott, a teenager with the power to walk through the dreams of others. Cursed with a crippling fear...

The Wish Carvers, written by Kathleen Gauer and illustrated by Sari Richter, tells the story of elf siblings Fay and her brother Eddie, who spend their days creating beautiful carvings to sell at the village market every Saturday, so they can buy food, clothes, and...

High in the Sky by Kathleen Gauer is an unusual story in that it tackles the question of boredom head-on and suggests how the imagination can be used to overcome that awful feeling. Beautifully illustrated by Sari Richter, the first picture shows a child who...

She's Still Here is the first book in the Kate Sablowsky Paranormal Investigator series by Caitlin Alexander. Kate Sablowsky wasn't too excited about moving to Ravendale, Iowa. But when her mother's job as a TV anchor forces them to move again, Kate decides to take...

Cursing with Style: A Dicktionary of Expletives by Erika M. Weinert is a resource with a satirical but factual presentation that sets out to define what many would think defies definition -- swear words. However, referring to them as swear words is an oversimplification of...

The secret behind Give Us This Day lies in the subtitle: The Merthyr Rising. The setting is the coal mines and ironworks of South Wales as they existed in the early nineteenth century. On one side are the wealthy mine owners and ironmasters. On the...

Hazelet’s Journal: A Riveting Alaska Gold Rush Saga written by George Cheever Hazelet and edited by his great-grandson John H. Clark is a fascinating account of George Cheever Hazelet’s Journal as he hunted for gold in the remote, unforgiving wilderness that was the Alaskan Goldfields...

The children in Ms. Rita’s class are super excited about the assignment she gives them to do during class. She asks them to discuss their favorite superheroes in preparation for the following show-and-tell day. Only a couple of kids pick superheroes like Superman and Harry...

Chrysteen Braun does it again with The Girls in Cabin Number Three, a fantastic addition to The Guest Book Trilogy. Carrie Davis enlists the help of interior designer and fellow cabin owner Annie Parker in updating the log home that she has just inherited from...

Foraging For Edible Wild Plants: The Natural Food Lover’s Guide to Identify and Cook the Abundant Free Food Around You Right Now by Greer Jackson is a helpful introduction to the world of foraging. As the work notes, the world around us is abundant...

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Buzzy is a sweet, educational children’s picture book by Josh Brandstadter. It’s time for Fuzzy the bear and Buzzy the bee to meet. Fuzzy just woke up from his hibernation and is positively starving! He can’t find anything nice to...

Sheldon’s Time by Lindsey Pope, delightfully and artfully illustrated by Nadja Bullis, is a charming and empowering tale for children in which Sheldon the Crab, Stella the Starfish, and Sully the Seagull find a way to harmonize their divergent energies. Stella and Sully are eager...

The First Bear by Tatu and illustrated by Saira is a children's picture book with three stories in a single volume. The first story is the titular tale, which provides an account of a young bear that does not like winter and decides to sleep...

Once Upon an Enchantress by Hermione Lee tells a fantastical tale of good versus evil, bringing together humans, fairies, werewolves, mermaids, and more as differing sides fight for leadership and power. The main character Sharon, with her boyfriend Samuel and their friends Cynthia, Marcus, Sidney,...

Soldiers, Temples, and Crystals is the first book in The Newton Chronicles series by Terry Overton. Luke is spending another church service on his phone, as usual, until the mention of Isaac Newton piques his interest. His father disappeared two years ago, and Luke...

Birds in the Black Water by Kodie Van Dusen is a supernatural tale that is as suspenseful and intriguing as it is introspective. This is the story of Neviah. Ever since she was a child, she has been able to see a dark world known...

The Rebirth by V. P. Evans sees Dermot Walsh murdered after a lifetime of committing countless crimes. Before he dies, he sends a message to Jason Roneros about his murder. Jason had made a deal ten years ago with an organization named Imperatores to save...

Darcy Lane by James T. Graham shows how life can sometimes be cruel. That’s what seven-year-old Elise Rose learns. One day she’s a child enjoying her books and toys and then in a flash, her childhood’s over. She’s lived in a tenement flat with her...

Today, as a grandmother, my memories of how my two daughters tried my patience and drove me to despair when they were squabbling, misbehaving youngsters have grown dim. As I read Keri Williams’ memoir But, He Spit in my Coffee, I couldn’t help but wonder...

Parents spend a lot of time teaching their children to behave and be well-mannered. This is proper, but sometimes our children misunderstand and think they should never voice their preferences. Everyone has the right to be heard. It is fine to share what is in...