Summary Val is trying to find her place at a new school after yet another move. And while she’s trying not to get into trouble this time, some of her peers are making that goal even harder to reach. Then Val gets a chance to join the Table Titans, a Dungeons and Dragons club which helps her make some new friends. But there’s a chance the club will lose their faculty advisor. If that happens – and if Val can’t get her feud with another student settled – the club might have to shut down. Review I LOVED this! Val is fantastic. I loved her self-confidence – in trying something new, in asking for w ..read more

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Greenwillow Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] Summary When Princess Rosamund wakes after 100 years of slumber to a smooching prince (Ew!), it takes a bit to get her bearings and remember her story. But when she arrives at the Orphans Home Educational Academy, it all comes back to her – the spindle, the 100 years, the angry fairy. But Rosamund is now in the Princess Protection Program. It’s a safe. protected space for fairy tale characters who have left their stories to prepare for life in ..read more

Summary A group of 8th graders have to take summer school PE in order to move on to high school. Kids call summer PE “Slugfest.” The “slugs” this year are: Yash – He thought playing on the high school’s JV teams in 8th grade would meet his PE requirement, but it didn’t. Cleo – She missed three months of school for medical reasons and has to make up ALL of her classes in the summer in order to move to high school – including PE. Arabella – She hasn’t been to a gym class since elementary school out of protest. Kaden – He also skipped gym all year, but for different reasons. Fiona – She refuses ..read more

Summary Charlie’s glad her dad has retired from the military so they can settle in one community for awhile. But at the same time, everything feels different. Her dad seems to know everyone in his old home town, making Charlie feel even more like an outsider. And after so many years when it was just Charlie and her mom, his daily presence in her life makes things awkward and weird at times. But Charlie has a plan to make all this change start to feel like home. She’s going to make some new friends! She’s done tons of research, and she’s determined to do all the “cool” things so she can fit in ..read more

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] Summary Olive is surprised when her parents’ latest business trip lands her at a boarding school called RASCH. Usually they treat her like she’s invisible. But her grandmother used to watch her, and now that she’s gone, they seem to have noticed that Olive has to go somewhere. RASCH is more than it appears to outsiders, though. Olive discovers that it is secretly training kid operatives to help with secret missions. Olive and ..read more

Summary “Seven halfbloods shall answer the call….” Leo, Jason, Piper, and Annabeth find Percy at Camp Jupiter with Hazel and Frank, and they team up for the next part of their quest to save the world from Gaea and her giants. Hazel is trying to find her half-brother Nico, who is being held by giants with only days to live. At the same time, Annabeth is on a side quest from her mom, Athena. One that has killed many of her siblings over the centuries. And the Roman campers are trying to stop the seven before Leo can get them to Rome – and if they can’t, they’ll settle for destroying Camp Half Bl ..read more

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Greenwillow Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] Summary Cinzia is apprentice to a printer who gets on the wrong side of the ruling family with something she writes. Cinzia is able to escape arrest, but only with unexpected help from the mysterious Contessina Elena. Together they go looking for the proof needed to convince the Principessa that the magistrate – her brother – is up to no good. Review This was excellent! I loved the story and the girls. It’s an inspiring tale about the power of ..read more

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! If you are looking for gift ideas on this Black Friday, be sure to check out my Holiday Hint List of book recommendations. [I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] Summary Game designer Luigi Lemoncello builds a fantastical public library in his home town and then invites a group of kids to take a early peek inside by spending a night in the library. But the lock-in turns into a game when the kids have a chance to solve the puzzle of how to escape ..read more

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Clarion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on Tuesday, November 14th.] Summary Punycorn lives in the land of Carbuncle which once vanquished evil and now enjoys peace. Punycorn trains like the other, majestic unicorns. But Punycorn is small and struggles at times. Sir Ogre has received some magical “gauntlets” to help him defeat Carbuncle once and for all. He schedules his attack, but the unicorn fighting force is away on training maneuvers. Only Punycorn remains behin ..read more

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 20, 2012. When this book first released, I often found it shelved with teen books. I think it probably best fits an Older Middle Grade age group, so 10-14. This is the first in what is now a four-book series by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  Summary Sage is an orphan – cocky, clever and independent. When he is bought and taken from the orphanage, his plan is to run away at the first opportunity. But the man who buys him has plans for Sage and the other orphans with them. He’s going to turn one of them into a prince – and the ..read more