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Bobbin and the Magic Thief: A Middle-Grade Fairytale Retelling
Step into a world of enchantment with Bobbin and the Magic Thief, where Bobbin, a spirited fairy, embarks on a spellbinding adventure alongside some unlikely companions. Her best friend, the charming Heddy, has been mysteriously kidnapped by a cunning human thief, setting the stage for a captivating journey filled with surprises. As Bobbin embarks on her daring rescue mission, she encounters a delightful array of characters, from mischievous pixies to otherworldly beings. But it soon becomes clear that Heddy’s captivity is not an isolated incident, adding layers of complexity to Bobbin’s quest.
Author Kat Farrow artfully weaves elements of traditional fairy tales into the narrative, including a clever nod to Rumpelstiltskin. Throughout the book, occasional illustrations add depth to the story, helping readers visualize the enchanting settings and characters. The author masterfully combines elements of fantasy and suspense, creating a narrative that is as enthralling as it is heartwarming. Bobbin’s unwavering determination and the bond of friendship that drives her forward make her a relatable and endearing protagonist. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn deeper into a world of enchantment and mystery. The well-crafted plot, filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeps you guessing until the end. The stakes are high, the danger palpable, and the emotional resonance of Bobbin’s quest is undeniable. The story introduces many characters, but you can’t help but love them all.
Bobbin and the Magic Thief is captivating perfect for older children and fantasy-loving tweens. It transports readers to a world brimming with imagination, delivering the essence of a timeless fairy tale that will leave them spellbound and eager for more. Dive into this enchanting adventure and let your imagination take flight!
Pages: 286 | ASIN : B0C7FNBNYQ
Pirate Dreams
Pirate Dreams, the first installment in the Ginny McC’s Mysteries series by DL Morton, takes readers on an exciting journey alongside the protagonist, Ginny, and her remarkable clairvoyant dreams. These dreams serve as valuable tools for unveiling the truths behind the captivating mysteries she encounters. Accompanied by her loyal and supportive friend Rita, fondly known as Ritz, they embark on an unforgettable adventure at the enchanting pirate-themed festival, Pirate Days. The story truly comes to life as Ginny’s dreams transport her to the deck of the festival’s centerpiece pirate ship.
The novel revolves around a group of young adults who face relatable challenges such as jobs, rent, and finding a new place to live. Including these realistic aspects adds depth to the characters and grounds the story in a believable setting. Although the book touches on their personal lives, it does so in a lighthearted and humorous manner, incorporating playful allusions to their bedroom activities. While the plot may appear simplistic at first glance, it ultimately proves to be charming and engaging, capturing the essence of a captivating children’s adventure. The author’s writing style, although straightforward, effectively conveys the story, allowing readers to effortlessly immerse themselves in Ginny’s world. The narrative adheres to the fundamental principle of “Show, don’t tell,” vividly bringing the scenes to life. The characters, particularly Ginny and Rita, possess a genuine and relatable dynamic, engaging in realistic arguments and moments of introspection. Their interactions mirror authentic human behavior, and though they occasionally backtrack on their initial stances, it serves to showcase their growth and emotional depth. One aspect worth noting is the deliberate exposition that subtly foreshadows character traits, allowing readers to anticipate their development. By skillfully revealing these traits, the writer invites readers to form deeper connections with the characters and better understand their motivations.
I recommend Pirate Dreams to those seeking a delightful and whimsical adventure, complete with mystery and intrigue. The novel’s imaginative storyline and relatable characters make it an enjoyable read.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0C2JW6TN7
Elysia
Courtney and her friends have finally re-entered the world of Elysia, only to discover the world that needs their help. Sinister characters are trying to harness the magic to steal the Crystal of Light from the dreamland, and they must be stopped. So Courtney and her friends must travel to another dreamland known as the magic world to stop them. Through their mission to stop the bad guys from taking the crystal, they face unique challenges to protect themselves in the dream world and reality. Will they make it through and save the dream worlds; find out in Elysia: The Magical World by Malcolm Chester!
Elysia: The Magical World is a story full of exciting plot concepts, including the traditional coming-of-age tale. Regarding plot and pacing, Elysia was a great and entertaining read. I was reading an Alice in Wonderland retelling. With the dream elements, special honey, and creative dream characters, Elysia carries the same magic as Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s book. It even further resembles the Disney live-action remakes with the amount of adventure that takes place.
I felt that Courtney’s interactions with Reginald felt forced. When they first meet in Elysia again and kiss, it becomes awkward and uncomfortable for the reader. I felt like I was reading middle school fanfiction. With lines such as “Reginald’s lips tasted like the most delicious food Courtney ever ate.” and “The heat between them grew stronger.” You can attribute some of these matters to the age of our characters, but there may have been a better way to write these scenes and the dialogue within them. But overall, it gave the novel a sweet and quaint ending that many will appreciate.
Elysia: The Magical World is an entertaining children’s fantasy novel that takes readers into a magical dream world. This adventure story is a fun and fast-paced read that was easy to digest in one sitting. I look forward to seeing what Chester publishes in the future!
Pages: 166 | ASIN : B07N7RN2VW
Elysia
Elysia: The World In Children’s Dreams is a children’s book written by Malcolm Chester. It features 11-year-old Courtney, who has a troubled home life. In addition, she is a young girl just starting puberty and experiencing all the emotions that go along with this stage of life. Elysia is an escape for Courtney. It is a dream-like fantasy world that allows her to forget her problems at home. However, problems soon plague Elysia as the crystal that supplies the world’s magic is stolen by an evil king in this world. Courtney’s primary goal is to find and return the crystal and restore the magic and balance to Elysia.
Chester does a great job at creating a relatable character in Courtney. She is a caring girl while also dealing with issues children might be dealing with. For example, her father was sent to prison. Unfortunately, these issues are rarely brought up in books made for children. Hence, it is essential to shine a light on these types of relationships. Children need to have an outlet and understand that although their situation might not be typical, they are not the only ones going through it.
Chester creates a world that is so imaginative and charming readers will want to exsperance the magic of Elysia themselves. This lets the reader understand why Courtney doesn’t want to leave. The world of Elysia is symbolic and an excellent allegory for growing up. By saving Elysia, Courtney learns it’s important to be proactive when trying to fix a problem bigger than herself. She learns that she is brave and strong enough to resolve any issue in front of her. This is a lesson she can take to her real life and issues that will arise from puberty and growing up.
Elysia: The World in Children’s Dreams is a children’s and middle-grade fantasy novel. This story can be read by anyone looking to find inspiration. It’s a great story that teaches change doesn’t have to be scary, a lesson many of us could use today.
Pages: 320 | ASIN : B0792XS13D
Rooty the Rutabaga: A Story About Vegetables, Inclusion and Seeing the Sunny Side of Life
Rooty the rutabaga is all alone. He sits in a dark patch of the garden, away from all the other vegetables. Rooty has no friends and has never ventured out of his garden corner to discover what is making all the noise he hears on the other side of the plants. Then, one day two peppers are playing and accidentally throw their nut over into Rooty’s corner of the garden. While looking for their nut, they meet Rooty, who is initially rude and unfriendly. Not to be dissuaded, the peppers lead Rooty out into the sun and introduce him to all the rest of the vegetables. Soon he is making friends and learning how to play for the first time ever.
Children’s author Steven Megson has created an entertaining picture book with illustrator Andy Yura to teach kids about inclusion. Kids usually hear about the more common vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes, which are all friends and grow in the bright sun. However, rutabaga is a vegetable that many kids have never heard of. It has a strange name and looks really different. Megson uses this to teach children that even thorough someone is other, they are still part of the community.
The moment that stood out for me was when Rooty was rude to the peppers; they thought about leaving him alone and returning to their friends. Instead, they saw Rooty was lonely and afraid. So they took his hands and led him to meet the rest of their community. It was more than just being kind; it was seeing someone that needed help and taking a chance on them. This is a motivating story to help children learn to identify others needing help and show them ways that, even as children, they can make a difference in their world.
Rooty the Rutabaga: A Story About Vegetables, Inclusion and Seeing the Sunny Side of Life is a heartwarming picture book that children and adults can appreciate and learn from. This is an excellent children’s book for school classrooms and libraries to teach about multicultural groups and the value of kindness.
Pages: 30 | ASIN : B09RG9YW6X
The Masque of Count Milado
The Masque of Count Milado by GJ Scherzinger is a fantasy mystery centered around a powerful masque thought to be long lost. Xavier Gaines, a man from Earth who found his way to the magical world of Terranovae, has been asked by a friend to use his magical and physical abilities to retrieve this mask from Count Milado, who has acquired it. So Xavier sets off to infiltrate the count’s court with his wife and daughter in tow. Shortly after arriving, the count is found mysteriously dead, and the race is on to locate the missing masque before it’s lost forever.
This was a fantastic story. This world had excellent story building. There was some nicely done backstory that really brought the characters to life and made them richer. The magic was beautifully described. I love how each transformed state was kind of its own being and not the magic user in just a different form. They each had their own personality and were treated as such, complete with different pronouns. There was a beautiful mystery that I wanted to solve. There were twists I wasn’t expecting that kept me guessing how the story would play out. I got excited when things were revealed to me, making the story more engrossing. This kept me reading on, captivated.
The beginning has a slow burn as things get set up but really picked up as the plot progresses. I felt that it was redundant that every time Xavier became a tiger, the beast was described to us. Seeing as how it was the same tiger each time, I feel the initial description was enough to give us a clear picture of what it would look like from then on.
The Masque of Count Milado is a fascinating new fantasy novel with mythology and folklore elements. A world filled with magic, mystery, and mischief to keep readers engaged. I definitely want to read more of this world.
Pages: 267 | ASIN : B0B1P9YDW3
Fixing Nick
Nick, the barn is looking run down and old. His doors are broken, his fence is falling down, his stalls are dirty, and his paint is faded and chipped. So the farmer decides that it is time to build a new barn to replace Nick. However, the animals want to save their friend. They work together to fix Nick and make him like new again. It is a big job. Will they be able to save Nick, or will the farmer still replace him with a new barn?
Fixing Nick, written by Howie Groff, tells the story of friendship and working together. This beautifully written picture book shows an unlikely group of animals that band together under the guidance of Goose to make all the repairs to Nick the barn before the next day when the farmer has someone coming to build a new barn. Old Goat doesn’t think they can do it, and that Nick is not able to be saved. However, the rest of the animals refuse to give up and will not let their friend down. This children’s book powerfully portrays the message of sticking together and helping those in need. Even when the tasks seem too big for the animals, they find a way to make them happen.
The colorful and cheerful illustrations done by Olya Bond bring the story to life. They have managed to capture the animals’ emotions on each page, the determination, the concern, and the joy as they make a difference in the life of their friend.
I enjoyed the rhymes in the story, it makes reading it a joy, and you can’t help but smile as you follow along with all the animals. This is a story children will want read aloud to them as they follow along with the playful illustrations.
Fixing Nick is a heartwarming picture book about friendship and working together to save another friend. This children’s book is perfect for teaching kids about the value of working hard and fixing things rather than just throwing something away or replacing it. It teaches the importance of friendships and teamwork.
Pages: 33 | ASIN : B09S7MX4YG
Strung
Strung is a beautiful literary work by Roske. This book includes enthralling accounts of its characters in a fantasy folklore setting that is full of romance and magic. How Lady Lysbeth’s world changes with the arrival of Faye and how she maneuvers through different events in the gender discriminative Avon society is quite striking. Roske presents the storyline in stark contrasts. The book begins as some kind of musical composition in the making and flows flawlessly with vivid imagery and illustrations, taking readers on a fantastic visual journey. A patient reader would find everything they need to know within the pages of Strung. The words are selected masterfully, the characters evolve deeply as the novel progresses, and the scenes feel authentic and lively. There is never a dull moment in this novel if you get into the rhythm and tune of this book.
Roske manages to keep the dialogues crisp and flowing and does justice to the era the novel revolves around. I am delighted with Roske’s approach to showing the relationship dynamics of each character. Strung is filled with rich dialogue between characters, with some narration inserted to add additional information or set the scene. In addition, the author includes words and language of a different era that give the characters a more dynamic personality. It is easy to get lost in the plot and the setting with such well-written passages.
This captivating book is a slow-burn romance while managing to not be a typical romance novel. Roske has created an enchanting story that is unique. Lysbeth’s life in a male-dominated society, her fascination with Faye, the cultural clashes, and how society plays a role in shaping one’s identity are meticulously portrayed.
Strung is a spellbinding fantasy and romance novel. Beautiful writing, a well-developed cast of characters, and a mystical romance that defies the social norms of that era will appeal to readers across multiple genres.
Pages: 390 | ASIN: B09T3NLGT6
LITERARY TITAN 