The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Exciting and interesting children's book where you step into life within a library, literally. Viviani lives in the local library with her two older brothers and her parents. She learns valuable life lessons not only from her family and friends, but from the ghost of the library, all the while saving the day from the stamp thief.

I had a hard time adjusting to the didactic and narrative writing style in the first chapter, but after the first few chapters, I was hooked. I enjoyed the chapter headings that matched entries in a library catalog. It brought to life how the children live in a library and find adventure there everyday.  The vocabulary was also great for helping children grow in their reading ability while still catering to their reading level. I particularly loved how so many things said were profound, and I wanted to write them on my facebook as quotes.  I will be looking for this book for my personal and classroom collections.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.) 

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott

Adorable fantasy children's book perfect for bringing diversity to your classroom or school library. Jaxon is left with a woman called "Ma" when his mother abruptly drops him off with her one day. While trying to figure out who she is and what is moving in the box on her counter, he is met with time travel, invisible people, dinosaurs, magic, growing dragons, and a magical new land.

A book with simple structure and style fit for young readers in elementary school. Good challenging vocabulary found within the pages to help young readers grow. Loved the elements from Brooklyn that made the story come alive with real detail. Take a look if you are trying to find more fiction for your classroom, school, or personal library.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.) 

The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep

Adventurous Mercy and her older loyal friend Matthew are transporting gold for the British army between an area torn by a French and British war.  They are forced to take traitor Elias along who is to act as Mercy's husband; however, he has plans to not make it to their destination because other people are counting on him. Can Elias keep his secret hidden or will losing his heart to Mercy, one bent on never marrying, cause his downfall?

I had a hard time getting through this book because the real action did not start until after 60% into the book. It takes its time with setting up the story and developing the characters through minor interactions the first half of the book.  I also did not care for the title of the book as it really does not seem to fit the story line. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the action and twists to the plot once I reached that section.  Additionally, Mercy had a good transformation emotionally and internally.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

First Impressions by Debra White Smith

As a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I thought this book was spectacular. I absolutely loved the irony of how the main characters were involved in a community play of Pride and Prejudice acting as the character in the play they are modeled after. The story unfolded in a realistic way as the two stubbornest people battle offstage and onstage and try to deny their attraction while ultimately learning from their mistakes.

The use of point of view added much to the story. It switched between Dave and Eddi (playing the roles of Darcy and Elizabeth respectively from Pride and Prejudice) allowing readers to see the emotion and life in every chapter.  I was also glad that a few chapters were shown from Linda's  (Eddi's little sister) point of view and side of the story; Linda makes terrible life choices and has to live with the consequences. Linda's part of the story brought to life the relationships between the three sisters while adding depth to the main characters and their transformations by the end of the book. I recommend this to Pride and Prejudice fans and to those who are not familiar with it as many will enjoy it as the beautiful love story it is.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson

This is the first book I have read by Melanie Dickerson, but it will not be the last. She has created an adorable romance novel set in a Medieval feeling background.  Aladdin is an orphan that has grown up in the local orphanage after moving there from a foreign country. Despite his difference in social status from Lady Kirstyn, the Duke's daughter, he has grown up with her and become fond of her.  He leaves her to find his fortune to one day come back for her; however, when she is kidnapped, his dream may not come to fruition.

The only part of the story that feels like Aladdin, since this is supposed to be a retelling of Aladdin, is how he starts out as a young boy stealing to survive. However, to be fair, the only experience I have with Aladdin is the Disney version.  Even without more of a connection, I was not disappointed with the story line but was also thrilled with the twists at the end. I found myself laughing at how childish the main protagonists were sometimes but loved the message of how no one is perfect. Overall, a fun read and beautiful cover art.


(The publisher gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

Rise of the Fallen by Chuck Black

Chuck Black is a genius at writing so much meaning and heart into a small number of pages. I have read his Knights of Arrethtrae series which was intended for a young audience and felt more satisfied than reading some of the larger fantasy and adventure novels out there from other authors. The Rise of the Fallen is no exception to this.

Rise of the Fallen is the second book in a series of three. I still enjoyed and understood what was going on in the book even though I have not read the first book yet, but I plan to get my hands on it. The story follows the least of the angels from his creation, throughout history including the the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Jesus' birth and death, the Holocaust, and up to present times. The story switches between the past and present every few chapters as you get to know Validus. In the past, he rises through the ranks to become the warrior leader of North America in present times. However, the climax of the story centers around how Validus is resigned from protecting the whole continent to protecting one man. What is so special about one man?

This story is a masterpiece.  I absolutely loved the depth to the characters and the connection between the angels. Additionally, the author did a great job providing extra resources such as vocabulary definitions and timelines of history in the front of the book.  I also appreciated the section in the back explaining how pieces of the story connected to the Bible. He did a great job explaining how nothing is truth besides the Bible, but that he wrote a story to bring alive the spiritual battle that is going on based on Biblical evidence. I look forward to finishing the other two books in the series.

(I received a free ebook version of this from the publisher; however, this review is my opinion after reading the story for myself.)

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

 I absolutely loved this childrens story with its unique take on storybook characters. Gracie and her mom are characters from a book that have escaped the harsh realities of their story and come to the real world. However, the real world is all Gracie has ever known. When she goes looking for answers, she get more than she bargained for and her world is turned upside down.

Tara Gilboy has something pretty unique here. While the story has a slow beginning, once the action picked up, I wanted to find out how the story would unfold. The more I read, the more I was pleasantly surprised with something different from classic story tales.  I am always looking for books with twists that take me by surprise which is hard after all the books I have read, and this book had exactly what I was looking for. The characters were interesting and relatable. The overall theme of choosing your own path no matter what anybody else tells you made this a worthwhile read. I will be looking to purchase multiple copies of this book, one for my classroom library and one for my personal library.


 (The publisher gave me a free ebook version of this book to review, but this opinion is my own after reading the book for myself.)