Category: Children’s Fiction

The Language of Spells

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Grisha is a dragon, living in a world where most people have forgotten how to see magic. Maggie is a girl, living in a world that wants her to be ordinary, even though she’s extraordinary. They encounter one another in the hotel that Maggie lives in… and their friendship might mean that there’s hope to solve a great mystery.

What I loved most:

There are some books that are written to children – where adults write down to their audience… and then there are books written with love for children. It’s like the difference between talking to a little kid while you’re standing up, and they have to crane their neck to look up at you… and squatting down when you’re talking to a kid, so that you’re at their level. The Language of Spells is the second kid of book. The language Weyr uses feels like a big cozy sweater and like an invitation to go on a bold adventure, all at the same time. It gives me the same kind of vibes of K. E. Ormsbee, who y’all know I love. This is a book that I’d highly recommend to literally any kid that I know.

Read this book if you like:

The House in Poplar Wood by K. E. Ormsbee, friendships, adventure, finding magic in the ordinary

Book details:

  • Author: Garret Weyr
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books
  • Date of Publication: June 26, 2018
  • Interest Level: Mid-elementary to early middle schoolers

Amari and the Night Brothers

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Amari’s big brother, Quinton, was always her guide and her protector. He’s been missing for months, and Amari doesn’t understand why people are giving up on him. She’s determined to keep searching. She never expected to receive a magical briefcase that Quinton left for her eyes only… and she definitely never expected to find out that werewolves and mermaids and magic are real. Amari and the Night Brothers is a super fun, immersive world that middle school kids will love sinking their teeth into.

What I loved most:

One of my favorite series is The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – the name of this blog is pulled from a line in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I feel like every kid loves reading stories where a normal kid (like them) finds out that magic is real, and gets pulled into this mysterious new world without the limitations we have in our current world. Plus, I’m HERE for #OwnVoices books, strong female protagonists, and teaching kids not to accept the constraints placed on them by society, so this book gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Read this book if you like:

The Chronicles of Narnia series, the Harry Potter series, strong female protagonists

Book details:

  • Author: B. B. Alston
  • Publisher: Balzar + Bray
  • Date of Publication: January 19, 2021
  • Interest Level: 5th – 8th graders

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

In 1982, a Chinese American man named Vincent Chen was beaten to death by two white men. Off-duty police officers witnessed the murder. The men pled guilty to manslaughter, had to pay a $3,000 fine, were placed on probation for three years, and served no jail time. From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is the story of how this terrible tragedy sparked the Asian American movement. I listened to the audiobook, and would highly recommend it in this format.

What I loved most:

Y’all, there’s just so much history that I don’t know about. I’ve been trying to intentionally expand my knowledge base over the last few years, and I have so much to learn. Paula Yoo did a great job in From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry of not only discussing the murder of Vincent Chen, but giving the bigger picture of the general culture at the time. Especially with the rise in hate crimes against Asian American people over the last year… this is a crucial read. Check it out.

Read this book if you like:

Know My Name by Chanel Miller, social justice, #BlackLivesMatter, narrative nonfiction

Book details:

  • Author: Paula Yoo
  • Publisher: Norton Young Readers
  • Date of Publication: April 20, 2021
  • Interest Level: High school students – Adults