Tag: fantasy

Roar

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Plot:

Aurora is the heir to the Pavan throne. Her family is one of the oldest Storming bloodlines in existence, and Aurora’s storm magic abilities are rumored to be one of the most powerful of all time. Little does everyone know… Aurora has shown no signs of her family’s legendary gifts.

When faced with an arranged marriage, Aurora is ready to submit to her fate. Yet when she encounters a young storm hunter who was born without magic, but took it from the heart of a storm, she dreams of charting her own path. Roar is the first book in the Stormheart trilogy. The second book has already been published, and the conclusion is currently scheduled to come out in 2021.

What I loved most:

I’ve read a lot of YA fantasy books. And don’t get me wrong, I love a typical YA fantasy world – but it seems like so many of them tell the same story over and over again. Roar tells a new story. The world and the magic in this series are so unique. I’ve never encountered a fantasy world built around storm magic. I also loved the concept of people being able to take magic for themselves, rather than relying on inheriting magic through their bloodline. Three cheers for creating your own destiny!

Read this book if you like:

Fantasy trilogies, strong female protagonists, romance, challenging people’s expectations for your life

Things to be aware of:

There is some sexual content, so this might not be appropriate for high school students. There is also spirit magic involved in part of the book.

Book details:

  • Author: Cora Carmack
  • Publisher: Tor Teen
  • Date of Publication: June 13, 2017
  • Series: Stormheart #1
  • Age Recommendation: Late high school to college
  • Look up Roar on WorldCat to find it at library near you!

Welcome to Unicorn School

~ rachelbenzine ~ 1 Comment

Plot:

Mira is so pumped for her first time at Unicorn School. Her older sister has gone for the last two summers, and it’s finally Mira’s turn! She’ll get paired with her own unicorn, and they’ll go on magical quests and earn medals and probably be best friends. This is going to be great! But then, on her first day, she gets paired with Dave. Dave is small, and rotund, and falls asleep in class, and doesn’t seem anything like the unicorn best friend that Mira has dreamed of. Welcome to Unicorn School is full of unicorns, glitter, and fart jokes… what more could you ask for? This is absolutely going to be a hit with all of the kids I know. 

What I loved most:

There’s such awesome diversity in this book. Mira is a person of color, as is her new friend, Raheem. Her other friend, Darcy, uses a wheelchair, and her inclusion in all of their activities is natural and presented as the norm. I love when books exhibit diversity as something to be expected, especially in stories for younger kids. 

Read this book if you like:

Like I said above… unicorns, glitter, and fart jokes (so basically the trifecta for elementary kids). Also read if you like laughing, adventures, summer camps, and donuts. 

Book details:

King of the Mole People

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Review:

Doug is trying super hard to be a normal kid. He moved to a new school for seventh grade, and he’s trying to join clubs and make friends and eat normal things for lunch and wear non-muddy clothes and not have grubs or mushrooms all over him. But as hard as he tries to be normal, weirdness seems to be attracted to him… which is probably why he was crowned King of the Mole People a couple of weeks ago. So now in addition to trying to fit in with the other kids in his grade, he has to figure out how to rule the Mole Kingdom, and maybe save the world from being destroyed by Mega Worms.

Honestly, I saw the cover of this book and decided I needed to read it before I even found out what the plot was. Paul Gilligan both wrote and illustrated King of the Mole People, and his illustrations were so hilariously on point. It’s perfect for kids in late elementary school, and will hit shelves just in time for back-to-school. Look for it on August 27th!

Favorite Passage:

20190810_083119“‘The crown must be worn at all times while in the Mole world,’ said Ploogoo.
‘But look at it, it’s ridiculous! Why is it so tall when you all live in low-ceilinged tunnels? It keeps getting knocked off my head by stalactites!'”
– 3 : Underground
[This passage was quoted from an ARC; as such, it may change before final publication.]

What I Loved Most:

This book was funny enough to make me laugh out loud more than once, but it also addresses serious issues. Doug is trying to figure out his identity. He wants so badly to fit in, but can’t quite seem to achieve the level of normality that he wants. King of the Mole People is a great book exploring the social-emotional learning pillar of self-awareness, but does so in a way that doesn’t hit kids over the head with the message of accepting who you are. It’s funny enough to keep kids interested, while also low-key encouraging them to embrace their own brand of weirdness.

Read this book if you like:

Heavily-illustrated books, super weird storylines, being okay with who you truly are

Book Details: