Kid's Advisory Board Reviews
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These are reviews written by members of the Kids Advisory Board.
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This book stars three young vampires. By young, I mean, they're still children, even though they've been children for hundreds or even thousands of years. The main character, a non-binary vampire named Dragoslava, was born in 1460. They are drawn weirdly, like a cross between the stereotypical caped Dracula and Charlie Brown. Their friends, drawn much more realistically, are Eztli, born in 1597, and Quintus, the son of the (black) vampire queen, born 129 BCE. Centuries ago, Dragoslava was cursed by a witch and now has to do anything the witch asks. This time, the witch asks Dragoslava to retrieve a grimoire that was allegedly stolen from her a long time ago. Eztli and Quintus don't have to go along on this quest, but they want to help. Along the way, they learn more about this witch they've known for so many centuries, and find a way to change their destinies. I would recommend this book to fans of diverse, supernatural graphic novels like The Witch Boy.
-Review by Michael, age 12
This story was very creative - I haven't read a book like this before. It takes a lot of elements that I have liked from other stories, like graveyards, underground cities and multiple races barely at peace with one another, and puts them together in a new way.
the story starts when the main character, Grey, picks up a 1919 penny which his friend says is unlucky. Grey decides to take a shortcut through the graveyard to get his diorama to school on time. But he drops the diorama into what appears to be an open grave, and a hand reaches out and grabs it.
At school, he can't say what really happened, so he says he left his project at home. He stays up all night to remake it and it's stolen again - then he finds at his doorstep an amazingly complete model of the graveyard, which he turns in. The weird gifts don't stop there, though. Suddenly he's finding bone necklaces, tied-together bone keys, a doll that looks like him with real teeth sewn on.... Someone is apparently trying to be nice, but it creeps Grey out. Then he meets the gift-giver, Lavinia, who's a child ghoul. She explains her culture and why they're not supposed to reveal their presence to humans. Of course Grey winds up getting caught up in their culture nonetheless, and eventually embarks on an adventure in their underground realms that's equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The ghoul character is really fun - sincere and naive in terms of our culture, yet the holder of arcane secrets. Hideous, yet appealing. The other characters were well depicted too, rounded, realistic and believable.
-Review by Michael, age 12
Barclay Thorne lives in a town that's basically made of thousands of rules that dictate residents' whole lives. The town also hates Lorekeepers, who bond with dangerous Beasts to do magic, as years before, the town was damaged by a giant beast. Barclay is an orphan and no one wants to take him on as an apprentice, but finally, he finds a position as a mushroom hunter. He's sent on a mission to find a rare mushroom which grows close to the forbidden woods. Barclay is working with another apprentice, who's not that good at the job and doesn't even like mushrooms. Scared by something, they run into the woods. There, they meet Viola, a girl who is trying to bond with the very Beast that destroyed Barclay's town. However, it turns out she didn't summon the Beast. The Beast is the one who did the summoning, and he didn't bond with Viola, but with Barclay. The story is full of action and plot twists, with interesting characters, even better than I thought it would be. I would recommend it to fans of creative books about magic.
-Review by Michael, age 12
This exciting, fast-paced book/graphic novel tells the true story of a guy who hijacked a plane in 1971 and asked for a lot of money ($200,000)and four parachutes to escape with, then disappeared. It's really interesting, and for me it was a window on a whole different era when there wasn't as much security as there is now on planes. You could just carry a bomb right in and no one would know. The book walks readers through how the guy did it, the possible suspects - as law enforcement never learned who did it - and how he might have pulled it off. The story is told in a combination of comics, real documents, and photos from the scene. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy true crime and mystery.
-Review by Michael, age 12
This was a really great book, with believable, complex characters and an intriguing setting and plot. It opens in the perspective of Simon Frost, a boy who is not great at magic - which in his world is called animism. He works sorting mail for a big government foundation which regulates the known world. The foundation has been in place since a powerful magic user in the past made a big crater. This led people to lay down rules for magic. At least that's what people are taught. Simon keeps encountering differing information, however, first in newspapers that claim their queen is a giant lizard and other "questionable" news. Then, one day while he's working, a bird carries him a message with a cry for help from a far-off place. He has to decide whether to go or not. Along the way, he meets Alice, a human with tentacles who can change into a tentacled creature. At first they don't trust each other but later they learn to rely on each-other. Alice, meanwhile, only has memories of her last few months, and the duo has to unravel her history along with what;s going on in their world. One lesson that comes out of their adventures is not to take anything at face value.
-Review by Michael, age 12
Super Turbo Saves the Day is a graphic novel about a hamster named Turbo, that is also a superhero living in a cage In classroom c (or as he calls it, his palace). Among the other classrooms are other super hero pets who band together on a snow day to keep the school safe. This is the first in a series of books. I recommend this book to younger readers who like excitement and humor. The art in the book is simple but colorful and overall the book is enjoyable.
-Review by Jack
The Year I Flew Away is an incredible story, It is filled with passion. This book is fantasy but some spots are realistic fiction but mostly fantasy. The main character's name is Gabrielle. Gabrielle really wants to be an american, but something comes her way so she regrets it.
-Review by Lyv
The book was good because it showed how you can explore but you can always have someone by your side. I think the author did a good job because she showed that everyone can have empathy and that sometimes ideas are not great! This book was a fast and easy read.
-review by Lyv
Red, White and whole Is full of hope and passion, but also sadness.. It is about a girl named Reha and she realizes that her mom is Really sick. She wants to make sure that her mom is better. Her mom is named Rasam and that means moon, Rehas name means star. At the end "what would happen if the moon was missing from the sky".
-Review by Lyv
In this book Jeanie loves school and becomes freinds with Willow, but Willow has a secret. There are clues throughout the book that help the reader figure out Willow’s secret. This book is about friendships and trusting in one another. I really liked this book and I would recommend this to anyone who likes books about friendships and reading for clues.
-Review by Payson age 7
This is an amazing book. I almost never read a nonfiction book straight through, unless it's in graphic novel form, but this was just riveting. Barefoot, without food, having left their backpacks behind, 12 boys age 11 and up and their soccer coach set off to explore a cave in Thailand. They tell no one where they're going and expect to be back in hours. They miss or ignore a sign that warns not to explore the cave during the rainy season, but it's June and the heavy rains don't usually come until July. Way down deep in the cave structure, they find themselves trapped. They survive for many days on their own by drinking water running down the cave walls and keeping their spirits up through meditation. But the water keeps rising and eventually the oxygen is running out. This is also the story of the officials, volunteers, military personnel, scientists, engineers and ultimately the world-class cave-divers who find the boys, ease the flooding, and pull off a never-before seen cave diving rescue, bringing the whole team up alive.
-Review by Michael, age 12
This is the first book in a new series. Twig just moved to Happy Trails and started a new school. She has no friends there and misses her dog. Her teacher suggests she joins a club to meet new friends. Her new friends are ready to help get her dog back! I think Kindergarteners through Third graders would like this book.
-Ani, age 8
This book was really really interesting and I just plowed through it. The style of writing is funny, which makes it more appealing than a lot of other nonfiction that's out there. The author is obviously very excited to be writing about sharks and other sea creatures. I read it pretty much straight through, which I almost never do. It's an easy read, appropriate for kids of all ages or even adults who want a quick glimpse into the subject. I would recommend it to people who like fun informational books who might not be into reading traditional textbooks or other nonfiction.Review by Michael, age 12
The Cat Story is funny because cats want to find a home and they have conversations together. I think the author did a great job because she added fantasy which is fun. I really like animals,( especially the ones that talk!). Also I really like that it was a graphic novel. Lastly, I liked the main characters because they are cats and they both have funny personalities.
-Review by Lyv
The Cat Story is funny because cats want to find a home and they have conversations together. I think the author did a great job because she added fantasy which is fun. I really like animals,( especially the ones that talk!). Also I really like that it was a graphic novel. Lastly, I liked the main characters because they are cats and they both have funny personalities.
-Review by Lyv
This book was really good, fast-paced, with a lot of plot twists. I really want to have the next book in the series RIGHT NOW! Maya, the main character is doing math tutoring with her teacher as part of a normal, boring school day when suddenly the world turns grey and time seems to freeze momentarily. Then weird things start happening. Meanwhile, Maya's dad, whose mysterious job takes him away from home a lot, disappears for a longer time than usual. Ultimately Maya discovers there's another world, The Dark, and that her dad was the guardian of the veil, a barrier between the two worlds. In addition, she learns her dad was not even human. Instead, he's sort of a god called an arisha. As a godling, now that she's away from the protection of her dad and her boring community, Maya is now susceptible to monsters and she starts being attacked. The book would appeal to readers who liked books like Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret.
-Review by Michael, age 12
Seance Tea Party is about a young girl named Lora who is afraid of growing up. She has a ghost friend named Alexa. Alexa shows Lora how too live with confidence. In the beginning it was hard to follow along, but the rest of it was great! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books.
-Review by Payson age 7
Dagmar is not an ordinary girl. She is adventurous, brave, and a leader. When Dagmar's Dad and Stepmom move her and her little brother to the forest in the middle of nowhere to live in a tiny house on wheels she is bored and misses her home. Dagmar's boredom leads to a new friendship and an adventure of a lifetime!
-Seri, age 8
In the complex and fully imagined realm of Irpa, an evil bird destroyed the sun a long time ago so there is no true night and day. But the fabled race of Guldurians build The Lights, which act as mini-suns. The main character of this graphic novel, Bea, is an adopted (human? humanoid?) child who lives with her grandpa, a wizard pig. He runs a potion shop. She is out to get ingredients for potions when she falls from a tree and is caught by Cad, an amphibian who is part of a long-lost race.When she returns to the shop, Bea's grandpa is gone, and Cad pauses in his quest to find the rest of his people to help her find her missing grandpa. I loved all of the world-building the author does. The setting is really complicated and the characters are interesting, complex and believable. I would recommend this book to people who liked the Amulet graphic novel series or the middle reader books The Edge Chronicles. It is really imaginative and original. I can't wait until Volume 2 comes out.-Review by Michael, age 12
The author/artist team for this graphic novel, the second in a series, take a really original approach to the illustrations, which are made out of collages, with drawn details on top. In the first book, The Plant Planet, CO2 levels on the earth have gone over the "red line" so "NNASA" sends bioengineered animals with special strengths to search out a possible exoplanet.The story continues in this second volume. The book has humor, imagination, and enough actual science to make it almost plausible. I enjoy the author and artist's creative weirdness. I am looking forward to the release of the third volume in this story.Review by Michael, age 12
A Place At the Table is a story entwined with life lessons that everybody can learn from. It is a telling of two friends, but that is only a little bit of the meaning to this book. Once you start reading, you will be transported into both Elizabeth and Sara's life. These two girls have two different sides of one story, that bit by bit become the same. Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan tell this story in a way that pulls you into the book, and makes you feel what the characters are feeling inside.
Review by Krin, age 12
I loved this book, but it was slightly confusing. Then again, that is what happens when people meet themselves. I suggest it to people who aren't easily confused. Amazing for sci-fi lovers.
-review by Jack
I expected this graphic novel to be kind of stupid and excessively girly, but it was really pretty good. Yes, it goes have unicorns, castles, and rainbows, so if you don't like those things, don't read it. Pacey always dismissed her sister Mina as having an overactive imagination, but when she hears a noise upstairs and checks on Mina, she finds there are actually unicorns in the room, and Mina's "plushie" is actually talking. They gallop across a rainbow to get to a castle, but she and Plushie fall off into a wilderness. From there, they have to find their way through the wilderness to the castle. Meanwhile, not everything is what it seems. The book has pretty broad appeal, with some really great characters in this story and a lot of plot twists at the end. I would recommend it to elementary readers, especially girls.
-Review by Michael, age 11
This was a creative and original steampunk type of adventure. The main character Hannah visits the switchboard facility in a building her dad owns. It has all kinds of moving parts, not just machinery - sections of the whole building move, but only a few people know the secret of how to move it.In the building, Hannah meets an orphan boy who has been making his home among the equipment, hiding out and learning its secrets.He has nowhere else to go. Some people help him out, while others want to see him gone. It turns out he's guarding a secret, and together he and Hannah must work together to save the city. The art was unfinished in the advance review copy I read, but the style was intriguing and I really loved how the building worked. I'm eager to see the full color book.
-Review by Michael, age 11
I liked it, it was about a goblin who's name is Beetle and she has a friend named Cat, it's a human-cat-skeleton. Once she accidentally did magic but it wasn't goblin magic so she got a crystal but she wasn't taught completely yet so yeah. I think other people will like it because it's good and funny and I think everyone will like it.
-Review by Mady, age 7
I liked it, it was about a goblin who's name is Beetle and she has a friend named Cat, it's a human-cat-skeleton. Once she accidentally did magic but it wasn't goblin magic so she got a crystal but she wasn't taught completely yet so yeah. I think other people will like it because it's good and funny and I think everyone will like it.
-Review by Mady, age 7
I expected this graphic novel to be kind of stupid and excessively girly, but it was really pretty good. Yes, it goes have unicorns, castles, and rainbows, so if you don't like those things, don't read it. Pacey always dismissed her sister Mina as having an overactive imagination, but when she hears a noise upstairs and checks on Mina, she finds there are actually unicorns in the room, and Mina's "plushie" is actually talking. They gallop across a rainbow to get to a castle, but she and Plushie fall off into a wilderness. From there, they have to find their way through the wilderness to the castle. Meanwhile, not everything is what it seems. The book has pretty broad appeal, with some really great characters in this story and a lot of plot twists at the end. I would recommend it to elementary readers, especially girls.
-Review by Michael, age 11
I liked it, it was about a goblin who's name is Beetle and she has a friend named Cat, it's a human-cat-skeleton. Once she accidentally did magic but it wasn't goblin magic so she got a crystal but she wasn't taught completely yet so yeah. I think other people will like it because it's good and funny and I think everyone will like it.
-Review by Mady, age 7