Tag: friendship

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Playing Juliet is perfect for middle grade drama fans!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

61608100684480LPlaying Juliet, by JoAnne Stewart Wetzel (Nov. 2015, Sky Pony Press), $15.99, ISBN: 9781634501835

Recommended for ages 9-14

Twelve year-old Beth wants nothing more than to be an actress. She participates in her local children’s theatre productions and gets great reactions, but her parents think this is just “kid stuff” and push her toward being a lawyer, just like her dad. When the announcement that the children’s theatre is going to close, though, Beth and her best friend, Zandy, are crushed. The theatre director announces that the last play the company will put on will be the first play that opened the theatre 50 years ago – Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – and Beth is beside herself. She’s desperately wanted to play Juliet, but she’s grounded and can’t even audition. How is she going to be part of this production? Even more important, how can she make her parents understand that acting, not law, is her true passion?

Playing Juliet is loaded with theatre fan terms and inside secrets. Every chapter begins with a quote from Shakespeare, and the text itself is full of superstition (did you know that wearing real jewels or the color blue can be considered bad luck?) and behind-the-scenes action. Beth is a likable heroine with a likable best friend and strong support group around her. She’s also got the relatable frustration of having her parents choose her career path for her (my dad always told me I was going to be a doctor), and the dual dread of disappointing them or having them trivialize her desire to be an actress. Her parents aren’t the bad guys here, either – they just want what’s best for their daughter, and are supportive of her in every other way, including fair discipline, as you’ll see in the story.

Tweens – particularly girls – are going to enjoy this book for the strong female characters and the bravery they display in fighting for what they believe in. It’s a solid story about friendship, family, taking chances, and pursuing your goals. Author’s notes about the theatre and quotes from Shakespeare round out this novel. Pair this with Raina Telgemeier’s Drama for middle schoolers!

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

A Blind Guide to Stinkville is a must-read!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

61608104724460LA Blind Guide to Stinkville, by Beth Vrabel (October 2015, Sky Pony Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781634501576

Recommended for ages 8-12

Twelve year-old Alice’s family has moved her from Seattle, across the country, to Stinkville – that is, Sinkville, South Carolina. It’s a paper mill town, her dad’s the new paper mill manager, and he seems to be the only one settling into their new life. Her mother is depressed, her brother is angry, and Alice sticks out like a sore thumb. Alice is an albino who needs to slather on the sunblock and wear hats so her sensitive skin doesn’t burn, and she’s legally blind – but she’ll be the first to tell you that she’s not that blind.  She can see, but things have to be really close for her to see them.

Alice’s parents start talking about sending her to a school for the blind when school starts in the Fall, and Alice is furious – she’s always been in public school! She’s determined to start doing things for herself, whether it’s finding her way to the library or doing the laundry at home. She even enters the Sinkville essay contest and decides to tell the stories of some of the locals she’s met; and that’s when she learns that Stinkville may not stink so much after all.

This is a little book that tackles some pretty big issues: the Civil Rights movement, depression, special needs, for starters. Told in the first person from Alice’s perspective, A Blind Guide to Stinkville tells the story of a family and a town with humor and sensitivity. Alice is a normal tween: she wants to fit in, but she’s got something that makes her stand out. She wants to be independent, and her family drives her nuts. Most of all, she’s a new kid in a new town and she missed her friends – her best friend, who is moving forward with her life. It’s a lot for any kid to handle, and Alice’s sense of humor is her best defense – that, and her determination to advocate for herself.

Importantly, for me at least, it also provides a glimpse into parental depression and the effect it has on the rest of the family, and how the fight to “get better” is not that easy. Alice’s mom has good days, then a bad day will hit. It happens, and Alice’s brother James doesn’t always understand. It’s a realistic portrayal of the helplessness felt by parent and child, and there are no answers, just getting through as best as possible while sticking together as a family unit.

Readers will appreciate this book for its good story and likable characters.  Parents and educators will appreciate how it promotes deeper understanding of different special needs – and how a kid is a kid is a kid at heart, really – and the subplot telling the story of the Civil Rights movement in the South. Great for discussion groups.

Beth Vrabel is the author of the 2015 Cybils-nominated book, Pack of Dorks, also from Sky Pony. The sequel, Camp Dork, will be coming in May 2016. Her author website offers a study guide for Pack of Dorks, an FAQ, and links to her blog and published writing.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Pack your bags for creepy Camp Midnight!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

camp midnightCamp Midnight, by Steven S. Seagle/Illustrated by Jason Adam Katzenstein (April 2016, Image Comics), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1-63215-555-9 (Diamond ID: AUG150485)

Recommended for ages 8-12

Poor Skye is shuttled between her divorced parents – and she is NOT a fan of her step-monster, Gayle. When her mother drops her off at her father’s for summer vacation, she finds out that they’ve made plans to send her off to camp – and then they end up sending her to the wrong camp! Camp Midnight is no ordinary camp: the head counselor is a witch, and the really cute boy she likes is a werewolf. Skye is under pressure to show her “real self” from the mean girls in her cabin, but she and her new friend Mia are keeping their secrets to themselves. Skye will learn a lot this summer, especially when Mia reveals her secret and it’s up to Skye to decide whether or not it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Camp Midnight is an original graphic novel from Big Hero 6 creator Steven T. Seagle and New Yorker artist Jason Adam Katzenstein. This brilliant pairing brings a lot to the table: we have a sarcastic middle grade main character who readers will love. Skye’s in a position too many kids understand, being shuttled between two households; she has the indignity of a step-mother who makes no secret about not wanting her around, and a seemingly clueless father. Sent off to summer camp without even being asked, she finds herself the odd kid out in a big way, and reacts by rejecting everyone outright before they can reject her. Middle graders are going to love Skye’s sarcastic exterior and her vulnerable interior.

The art is a brilliant accompaniment to the story. I love Katzenstein’s rendering of the “step-monster”, with her glaring dark color and overbearing stature. Mia is drawn to be as soft and sweet as her character, with huge eyes, evoking sympathy from the get-go. The art is often exaggerated, larger than life, giving a bigness to the story that a tale with monsters deserves. Color is for overall mood, with panels in shades of orange, brown, or red, often with one color – like a blue or fuschia – to set apart a mood or action.

Camp Midnight is a fun addition to graphic novel libraries, and I already noticed the kids in my comic book group at the library circling while I was reading it (during what was supposed to be their comic book creating time). Call your distributors and pre-order it!

 

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Teen

Fathomless – Lovecraft-inspired fantasy

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

9780765335906_be583Fathomless (Redemption’s Heir, #2), by Anne M. Pillsworth (Oct. 2015, Tor Teen), $18.99, ISBN: 9780765335906

Recommended for ages 13+

The second book in Anne M. Pillsworth’s Lovecraft-inspired Redemption’s Heir series, Fathomless, picks up where Summoned leaves off. Sean, having learned his magical heritage, is studying magic with his friend, Eddy, and a new classmate, Daniel, who has secrets of his own. The last time Sean played around with magic, though, all hell broke loose – it turns out that HP Lovecraft was writing fiction based on some pretty real happenings – so his teachers are a bit worried about Sean’s desire to jump right back into spellcasting, especially when an ever darker branch on his family tree makes itself known.

As Eddy and Sean become closer friends with Daniel, though, they find themselves mired deeper and deeper in magic and intrigue. Sean ultimately turns to Reverend Orne one more time for help – the same Reverend Orne who was responsible for Sean’s magical awakening and the fallout that followed. Family secrets and Lovecraftian beings abound in this continuing story, with plenty of intrigue and magic for everyone. If your teens have moved on from Harry Potter but haven’t dipped a toe into Lev Grossman’s The Magicians yet, this is the book for them. It’s Arkham without the mind-bending madness.

Sean is an interesting character. He’s a kid trying to figure out his place in the magical world, and he’s fully aware that the grownups in his life are either keeping things from him or holding him back. Eddy is a good sidekick – she’s more reasonable but isn’t above bending a rule or two to help her friends out, and Daniel’s the most intriguing character of all, with a family history shrouded in secrecy and magic and a conflicted relationship with both parents for very different reasons. I’d love to see a book focus on Daniel’s beginnings,  maybe even a short story, along the lines of “Geldman’s Pharmacy”, set in the same world as the Redemption’s Heir adventures. (nudge, nudge)

A familiarity with HP Lovecraft isn’t necessary to enjoy this book, but reading the first book in the series is recommended. Definitely have some HP Lovecraft on hand for readers who want to learn more – his work is available for free via the H.P. Lovecraft Archive, and any library worth its salt will have at least one copy of his work.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Not Very Merry CoverThe Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen/Illustrated by Dan Hanna (Sept. 2015, Macmillan), $16.99, ISBN: 9780374355494

Recommended for ages 3-7

The grumpiest fish in the sea is back, and this time, he’s stressed out over holiday shopping. He’s so worried about finding the perfect gifts for all of his friends, that he’s missing the whole point of the h0liday season – it’s the thought that counts, after all! He learns that making handmade gifts that speak from the heart are the best gifts of all – a valuable lesson for kids and adults alike.

The kids in my library LOVE Pout-Pout Fish. When I first got here, there were two board books of the original story that were worn to the point of falling apart (they’ve been replaced). I can’t wait to bring this story out as the holiday storytimes get a little closer (I have to do Thanksgiving, after all!), with a fun craft afterwards that will show the kids how delighted their parents are with their own handmade gifts.

The book is written in rhyme, perfect for young audiences to follow along. Pout-Pout’s initial refrain about gift-giving: “A gift should be big, and a gift should be bright, and a gift should be perfect—guaranteed to bring delight! And a gift should have meaning, plus a bit of bling-zing, so I’ll shop till I drop for each just-right thing.” will resonate with grownups who work themselves into a state each and every holiday, and maybe give them the message to slow the heck down and enjoy the season.

How happy are we when our kids give us a handprint on a piece of construction paper, or a tissue paper flower? It’s a gift made for us, with love. And it goes beyond that – look at the success of Etsy, the site where crafters sell their handmade stuff. We want that personal touch, that connection. I knit for my friends and family, and the time and love that goes into my gifts means that anyone who gets something handknit from me is pretty amazing in my life. It’s a message that we seem to inch away from a little more every year; maybe the Pout-Pout Fish will help bring us back to that all-important message this holiday season.

Dan Hanna’s art is absolutely adorable. Pout-Pout has a big, gloomy pout as he rushes around trying to make everyone happy – but himself. Paired with Deborah Diesen’s rhyming text, kids will giggle and engage with this book right away. My toddler loved it!

Add The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish to your holiday libraries and get your winter crafts ready. But wait – you can also enter this Rafflecopter giveaway//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js for a chance to win your own copy!

INTERVIEWS WITH THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR!

Deborah Diesen - Author PhotoDeborah Diesen, Author

Since the first book, we’ve seen Mr. Fish go to school, learn to smile, face the dark, discover how to dream and play hide-and-seek. What do kids (and their parents) love most about the series?

I think one of the things that makes Mr. Fish an appealing character for many kids and parents is that kids and parents alike can identify with his experiences. Toddlers sometimes pout; so do adults! Preschoolers have things they’re scared of; so do adults! Kindergarteners get nervous about starting something new; so do adults! Mr. Fish’s experiences provide a way for kids and grown-ups to explore those issues together. In addition, the stories have rhyme, repetition, and wordplay, which are fun in a read-aloud book. And Dan Hanna’s illustrations! They’re fantastic. They truly bring the stories to life.

What do you hope young readers (ages 3-6) will learn from The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish? Is there a message here for grown-ups as well?
I hope that Mr. Fish’s latest tale will help children to realize that presents don’t need to be expensive or complicated or splashy. Simple, heartfelt presents that connect us to one another are the best gifts of all. A drawing; a craft project; time spent together; even just a smile! These sorts of gifts are the most cherished and the most enduring. It’s a lesson we grown-ups have to re-learn periodically as well.

Do you have any tips for parents of toddlers about the joy of giving presents, rather than just receiving them, this holiday season?
Kids love to give presents, and they especially love having an active role in the process of creating the presents. Try a craft idea or project that’s extremely simple and stress-free, and then let your child have at it with a minimum of help. The more messy, lopsided, and imperfect the results the better! Have fun with the process, and as you do you’ll create not just gifts but memories as well.

Dan Hanna, Illustrator

danhanna by jennifer beckwithThe items in the shop and the gifts Mr. Fish imagines in this story are so detailed and quirky. How did you come up with them? Did you have a specific inspiration?

For the imagined gifts, I drew on my own experience as a kid where I would dream up magnificent presents for my family and friends.  Eventually, as with Mr. Fish, I would have to confront reality and drastically scale back my plans.

The shop items are based on all the goofy stuff you can find on the shelves of some of the more interesting gift shops.

Of all the items that the Pout-Pout fish dreams up (robot, spaceship, submarine etc.), which one would you love to get this Christmas?

The Submarine!  When I was a kid there was an ad in the back of a comic book for a submarine.  The ad went something like this: “Deluxe Submarine!  Life Size!  Torpedo Tubes!  Absolutely NO Cardboard Parts!  Only $10!!

I saved up the money and sent away for it.   As I waited for it to be delivered my dreams were filled with visions of underwater adventure.  Eventually it arrived and sank my dreams into the abyss.  It was just a cardboard box with torpedo tubes made from toilet roll tubes.  It was even more depressing than the Sea Monkeys and X-Ray Glasses.

What do you think was your most valuable childhood experience?
Being bored.  I firmly believe that having enough free time to sit around and be bored is very important for the development of a healthy imagination.

What do you want the students to get out of your school visits?
That being a writer or illustrator is like being a wizard.  Your magic wand is a pencil.  Your potions are words and scribbles.  And the spells you cast will be the stories you write and the pictures you draw.  So pick up a pencil and make some magic happen!

THE NOT VERY MERRY POUT POUT FISH BLOG TOUR

Chat with Vera chatwithvera.blogspot.com

MomReadIt https://momreadit.wordpress.com/

Anakalian Whims anakalianwhims.wordpress.com

Mymcbooks Blog mymcbooks.wordpress.com

Outnumbered 3 to 1 http://www.outnumbered3-1.com

Picture Books Review http://www.picturebooksreview.com/

Check It Out https://maclibrary.wordpress.com/

Jumpin Beans http://jumpin-beans.blogspot.com/

Caiafa Craziness http://www.caiafacraziness.com

TeacherDance http://www.teacherdance.org/

Kid Lit Reviews http://kid-lit-reviews.com/

Heck of A Bunch http://www.heckofabunch.com

Leslie Lindsay http://leslielindsay.com/

Double Duty Twins doubledutytwins.com

GeoLibrarian http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/

Cassandra M’s Place http://www.cassandramsplace.com

Philly Burb Moms http://www.phillyburbmoms.com

Not So Average Mama http://www.notsoaveragemama.com

Tales of Mommyhood http://www.talesofmommyhood.com/

Susan Heim on Parenting susanheim.blogspot.com

Bookish Babes https://bookishbabes.wordpress.com/

Bea’s Book Nook http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/

Bumbles and Fairytales http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot.com/

Be the Difference http://mariadismondy.com/blog/

Stacking Books http://www.stackingbooks.com/

Local Busy Bees http://www.localbusybees.com

Reading through Life http://readingtl.blogspot.com/

Parenting Healthy http://www.parentinghealthy.com

Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com/

Kristen Remenar http://kristenremenar.com/

Oh My! Omaha http://www.ohmyomaha.com/

My Silly Little Gang http://mysillylittlegang.com/

The Corner on Character http://corneroncharacter.blogspot.com/

Mommy Ramblings mommyramblings.org

SoCal City Kids socalcitykids.com

Saffron Tree http://www.saffrontree.org

Mrs Brown Loves Bookworms http://mrsbrownthebookworm.blogspot.com/

The Neighborhood Moms http://www.TheNeighborhoodMoms.com

Inspired by Savannah http://www.inspiredbysavannah.com

The Reading Nook Reviews http://www.bookrookreviews.com/

In the Pages Blog inthepages.blogspot.com

Writers’ Rumpus http://writersrumpus.com/

Miss Marple’s Musings http://www.joannamarple.com/

Investing Love http://www.aliciahutchinson.com/

Natural Mama http://www.naturalbabygoods.com/

One Crazy Kid http://onecrazykid.com

Mommy’s Block Party http://www.mommysblockparty.co/

Mommy Has to Work http://mommyhastowork.com/

 

Posted in Animal Fiction, Preschool Reads

Blue Whale Blues: A good friend always helps cheer you up!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

blue-whale-bluesBlue Whale Blues, by Peter Carnavas (Kane Miller, Sept. 2015), $22.99, ISBN: 978-1610674584

Recommended for ages 3-7

Blue Whale is singing the blues about life’s little obstacles, but his friend Penguin is always there to cheer him up. Can the poor whale ever learn to laugh at himself and make lemonade out of life’s lemons?

This is an adorable story about something kids (and adults) will recognize right away – letting the little things get to you, and the importance of having a friend there to help you shake off the blues. Blue Whale sings about his “Blue Whale Blues”, but Penguin always jumps in with a better way of handling life’s little trials. Blue Whale Blues is about the importance of having a friend to boost you when you’re feeling down, but also the value in laughing at yourself – something Whale eventually learns. Preschoolers will love the cartoony art and the upbeat ending. Grownups, make up your own Blue Whale Blues tune and sing along – the kids will love it!

Blue Whale Blues is a fun addition to storytime and classroom libraries. It’s available through Usborne as well as through online retailers.

 

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians: Middle Grade marine adventure!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

shark whispererTristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians, Book 1: The Shark Whisperer, by Ellen Prager, (May 2014, Mighty Media), $9.95, ISBN: 978-1938063442

Recommended for ages 9-13

Twelve year-old Tristan Hunt is kind of a klutz. He trips and falls a lot, which garners him a lot of teasing at school and disappointed glances from his father at home. The luckiest thing happens to him, though, when he falls into a shark tank while vacationing with his parents in the Florida Keys – not only does he emerge unharmed, but shortly after the incident, he receives an invite to a very special summer camp – a summer camp where all the campers learn that they have special talents when it comes to the ocean and the creatures that live there. Tristan can communicate with sharks – that’s a pretty handy talent to have! – and once he’s in the water, he’s not a klutz at all.

That’s not all, though. The camp staff not only teach the kids to hone their abilities, but use them to protect and rescue sea life. They’re supposed to wait until they’re older and receive more training before they qualify for missions, but when critical mission pops up and the team is short-staffed, Tristan and his friends may have to save the day.

This is the first book in a middle grade series that Mighty Media was kind enough to send me, and I am thrilled that they did. With hat tips to both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, this summer camp for gifted kids is packed with adventure and wonder – the kids are thrilled, yet nervous, about discovering and embracing their new abilities. There’s some great information about various forms of sea life in here, making this a must-read for kids with an interest in sharks, dolphins, octopuses, or any other sea creature. Once it’s established that the kids can communicate with the animals, they each exhibit their own personalities, which adds some fun to the mix (and the sharks with Jamaican accents are hilarious).

Author Ellen Prager is a marine scientist and children’s author, so she brings a great deal of expertise and knowledge to the book. Budding conservationists are going to want to have this book in their collections, too. Ellen Prager’s author webpage offers more information about her background, beautiful photos, fun facts, and printable puzzles to share.

The series is also perfect for your more conservative students and readers. It’s clean, the kids are respectful to adults and one another (mostly), and the adults are fun to be around while exhibiting concern for the kids’ welfare. We’ve got a villain who cares nothing for life outside of his own interests, and has the resources to make enough trouble for the Sea Guardians that we know he’ll be around for at least another book.

This is a fun series for both boys and girls that may have been missed when it hit shelves last year – make sure to give it a look and consider adding it to your shelves this year. I’m always a fan of finding a little magic in my tween realism when I can find it.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Roar! A Tale of Friendship and Sleepless Adventure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

roarRoar! by Julie Bayless (Oct. 2015, Running Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9780762457502

Recommended for ages 2-5

A little lion cub can’t get to sleep. When he tries to wake up his family to play, their snores send him roaming the savannah in search of fun. He meets a group of hippos and a group of giraffes, but his friendly “ROAR” scares them off, but he and a bunny hit it off perfectly, and spend the rest of the night yelling “ROAR!” and “MORE!” together!

Roar! is a fun tale of friendship and adventuring. Kids (and sleepy parents) will recognize themselves in the little lion cub, trying to no avail to wake up the sleepy grownups to have some fun. The little guy’s no predator, but his friendly exclamation scares off much bigger animals; when he meets a similarly spunky bunny, the fun begins.

The book mixes graphic novel-style panels with full-page spreads and shifts in perspective, making this a fun read that will keep little ones engaged. It’s interactive – I’ve read this to toddlers and preschoolers, and we’ve hollered “ROAR!” and “MORE!” to our hearts’ content as we read through the book. I had one group of toddlers demand a second reading, and the roars were wonderful!

The digital art has a beautiful sharpness to it. The backgrounds are largely dark violet-blue, with the animals crisply defined against them. There are few words to the story: mostly “Roar” and “More”, with a few snores, burps and sniffs thrown in for good measure, so there is a lot of room for interaction – kids can describe the land, name the animals the cub encounters, and veer off into their own narration.

Roar is a great storytime book, bedtime book, anytime book. It’s been kid-tested, mother and librarian approved – don’t miss it!

Posted in Espionage, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

The League of Unexceptional Children – Be Ordinary and Save the World!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

leagueThe League of Unexceptional Children, by Gitty Daneshvari (Oct. 2015, Little, Brown), $17.99, ISBN: 9780316405706

Recommended for ages 9-12

Jonathan and Shelly are average. Forgettable, even. They don’t stand out, they’re not super-genius smart, and hardly anyone remembers their names five minutes after meeting them. And that’s what makes them the perfect spies. When the Vice President of the United States is kidnapped, Jonathan and Shelly find themselves recruited into the League of Unexceptional Children to find out who’s behind the kidnapping and to save the world: it seems that the VP isn’t the strongest-willed guy around, and happens to have access to some very important codes that could bring some big problems if they were to get out. Can Jonathan and Shelly save the day?

This is a hilarious beginning to a new series by Gitty Daneshvari, who’s authored the Monster High and School of Fear middle grade series. The kids in my library are ALWAYS asking me where these books are, so I know this book is a no-brainer for my shelves. Most of the adults are as hapless as the kids, and Jonathan and Shelly have a great rapport and go at one another like a regular Nick and Nora (look it up, kids). Shelly makes grandiose boasts about her abilities, while Jonathan is a little more down-to-earth, and their back and forth will leave you chuckling and inwardly wincing with awkwardness. Boys and girls alike will love this one. Heck, build a program around it and show a season of Code Name: Kids Next Door to kick off a Secret Agent Day!

Gitty Daneshvari’s author page is loaded with great little things to do. Kids (and adults!) can contact her, check out her blog, request a Skype session for your class or library, and meet Harriet, the Literary Bulldog.

 

 

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A Tale of Light & Shadow – Good, old-fashioned adventure and romance!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

neverak_1A Tale of Light & Shadow, by Jacob Gowans (2014, Shadow Mountain), $9.99 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1609079819

Recommended for ages 12+

The world of Atolas is a world where emperors and kings rule the land. Wealth determines one’s place in society, and social stations carry more weight with some of the populace than with others. Isabelle and Henry have grown up side by side and have fallen in love. Henry, a prosperous carpenter, wants to marry Isabelle, whose wealth is in name alone, but her father won’t allow it. When her father turns to a terrible way to get Isabelle out of the way and get to her mother’s gold, Henry comes to her rescue – and their group, including their siblings, Henry’s childhood friend, Ruther, and Henry’s apprentice, Brandol – find themselves on the run from the Emperor’s guard. There are rough times ahead for Isabelle, Henry, and their group. There will be betrayals, secrets, and a hard journey to freedom for them all.

I really enjoyed this book, the first in a new series by author Jacob Gowans. It reminds me of an old-school adventure, with the young lovers in peril, the hidden betrayer, an epic journey both in body and in spirit – each of the characters in the group goes through emotional upheaval through the course of the book – and a thread of magic that promises to grow stronger as we progress through the series. I love this book because it’s the kind of book I can give to my more conservative teens, my teens who love a good romance, and my teens who love an epic fantasy. It’s a relatively clean book – there’s some battle violence and references to concubines – but it’s within acceptable levels for teen reading. Fans of older movies will be drawn into the sprawling lands and hero’s journey that lays ahead. The ending of the book promises a sequel that will pick up where this first book leaves off.

Speaking of that second book, guess what’s next on my night table? So get ready, check out A Tale of Light and Shadow, and get yourselves up to speed for the next book in the series, Secrets of Neverak.