Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Bite-Sized Reviews of Ruptured, Enemies in the Orchard, Skandar and the Phantom Rider, Ink Girls, and The Luminaries

Bite-Sized Reviews of Ruptured, Enemies in the Orchard, Skandar and the Phantom Rider, Ink Girls, and The Luminaries

Today, I’m reviewing two MG verse novels, a MG fantasy, a MG graphic novel and a YA fantasy. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Ruptured is a MG verse novel that explores the fragility of life and the triumphs that come from making it through incredibly difficult situations. Claire’s mom shares some devastating news with her just before suffering an aneurysm, so Claire struggles with fears both about her […]

Posted November 17, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of Good Different, The Last Mapmaker, Answers in the Pages, Momo Arashimo Steals the Sword of the Wind, How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? and Welcome to Monsterville

Bite-Sized Reviews of Good Different, The Last Mapmaker, Answers in the Pages, Momo Arashimo Steals the Sword of the Wind, How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? and Welcome to Monsterville

Today, I’m reviewing six MG reads. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Good Different is a poignant novel in verse about a girl who learns to advocate for herself and finally let go of her quest to be “normal.” Selah has always felt different than her peers. She realizes that she doesn’t experience the world the same way they do, and she has created a list of rules […]

Posted March 23, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments
Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe – Review & Giveaway

Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe – Review & Giveaway

Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org Looking to fill the void in your life that’s been festering ever since you finished the final book in the Arc of a Scythe Trilogy? If you’ve been missing Shusterman’s unique brand of intellectually stimulating dystopian, you must pick up this book of short stories immediately. It does not disappoint! The book explores multiple aspects of the dystopian world, including origin stories of some of the Scythes we’ve come […]

Posted October 31, 2022 in Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 7 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, and I Cannot Draw a Horse

Bite-Sized Reviews of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, and I Cannot Draw a Horse

Today, I’m reviewing two MG fantasies, a YA contemp (or recent historical, I guess?) set in Syria, and a picture book. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is an exciting middle grade fantasy adventure, filled with elemental magic, dangerous unicorns, and backstabbing betrayals. First off, I thought the worldbuilding in this book was really interesting. I loved the concept of the unicorn races […]

Posted October 27, 2022 in Reviews / 3 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of New From Here, Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Breaking the News, and the Welcome to Wonderland Series

Bite-Sized Reviews of New From Here, Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Breaking the News, and the Welcome to Wonderland Series

Today, I’m reviewing a MG contemporary, a kid’s chapter book, a MG non-fiction book, and a MG humorous contemporary series. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Set at the beginning of 2020, this book highlights the extra stresses of being an Asian American family at the start of the pandemic. Most kids will relate to the confusion and fears portrayed in the book, but the themes will especially […]

Posted March 15, 2022 in Reviews / 6 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of Roxy, Cupcake, Jillian Vs. Parasite Planet, and The Only Plane in the Sky

Bite-Sized Reviews of Roxy, Cupcake, Jillian Vs. Parasite Planet, and The Only Plane in the Sky

Today, I have a YA contemporary fantasy, a YA contemp, a MG sci-fi, and an adult non-fiction book. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! The Shustermans have a knack for tackling timely social issues in a unique and thought-provoking way. This book focuses on the theme of drug addiction. The story follows a high-school-aged brother and a sister, both ensnared by substance abuse. While Ivy has been caught […]

Posted November 29, 2021 in Reviews / 13 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of The Woods Are Always Watching, Pie in the Sky, Shatter the Sky, and How to Find What You’re Not Looking For

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Woods Are Always Watching, Pie in the Sky, Shatter the Sky, and How to Find What You’re Not Looking For

Today, I have a YA horror novel, a MG contemporary, a YA fantasy, and a MG historical fiction book. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! This book definitely has a slow start, but once it got going I honestly couldn’t put it down (I stayed up way too late reading it), and I’ve really needed a book like that lately. The premise is that Neena and Josie decide […]

Posted October 13, 2021 in Reviews / 9 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of The Witch Haven, The Midnight Library, The Renegades Series, and The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Witch Haven, The Midnight Library, The Renegades Series, and The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor

Today, I have a YA historical fantasy, an adult sci-fi/paranormal fantasy?, a YA fantasy series, and a YA graphic novel! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! A YA historical fantasy that explores gender roles in a time when women had little power—but some of them have magic. Frances is desperate to uncover the truth of who murdered her brother, but she’s almost given up hope. No one seems […]

Posted September 9, 2021 in Reviews / 12 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of The Last Fallen Star, Phoebe and Her Unicorn in the Magic Storm, Long Distance, and Heart of Iron

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Last Fallen Star, Phoebe and Her Unicorn in the Magic Storm, Long Distance, and Heart of Iron

Today, I have a MG fantasy, a MG sci fi graphic novel, an audiobook of a MG fantasy graphic novel, and a YA sci fi novel! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! This is one of my favorite Rick Riordan Presents books, which is saying a lot because I absolutely love this imprint! The book explores Korean folklore and features an adopted main character who struggles to reconcile […]

Posted July 14, 2021 in Reviews / 12 Comments
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk: Review and Sarah’s Top Ten Addictions

Made in Korea by Sarah Suk: Review and Sarah’s Top Ten Addictions

Today I’m featuring MADE IN KOREA by Sarah Suk, a fabulous Own Voices Korean-American YA romance about two entrepreneurs who put everything on the line when they make a bet about whose business can sell the most. Read on for my thoughts on the book, and then make sure you also check out Sarah’s list of top ten addictions—learn about what inspires her! Who doesn’t love a little competition fed by an entrepreneurial spirit? Valerie […]

Posted May 20, 2021 in Author Top Ten Lists, Reviews / 5 Comments