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What is Home?
The Girl from Korn follows an eleven-year-old Mennonite girl leaving Russia for Oklahoma in 1903, who exsperances a harsh new land and strict community that tests her courage, faith, and understanding of what it truly means to find home. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This story is inspired by my grandmother’s family memoir. She was born in Corn, Oklahoma, and often spoke about her grandparents’ move to Corn and what life was like during that time. One day, after visiting Corn and seeing my ancestors’ gravestones in the cemetery, the idea for this story began to take shape in my mind. I started researching what life was like back then and created a strong-willed, curious character named Tillie as part of the DeFehr family.
How does Tillie’s journey resonate with modern immigration stories?
There are so many heart breaking stories right now about immigrants and the way they negative ways they are treated. For this reason, I wanted to include Tillie’s arrival to New York City and her seeing the Statue of Liberty, as a simple reminder that most of us descended from immigrants and the U.S. has a history of welcoming others from across the globe. We need to keep finding ways to take care of each other and treat each other with respect and kindness.
Family bonds are a major theme. Which relationship was most meaningful for you to write?
I appreciate Tillie’s relationships with several characters in the story. I admire how she struggles to understand her mother but ultimately comes to terms with her. I also love her bond with Preacher; he is kind, humble, and genuinely listens to Tillie. However, the most significant relationship is with her sister, Teenie. Tragically, Teenie passes away at the end of the book, and Tillie and her family each navigate their grief in different ways. This resonates with me personally, as my own sister passed away last year after a long illness. Therefore, Tillie’s relationship with Teenie reflects my experiences with my sister in many ways.
The idea of “home” evolves throughout the story. What do you hope readers take away about belonging?
I think our ideas of what is home changes over our lifetime, especially if you grow up in more than one culture. Tillie’s home kept changing, but ultimately it was always where her family was. However, she had to learn a new language, live in different houses, experience a new way of life. She had to contiually adapt in order to belong. Many of us do that thoughout our lives as well.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
At the turn of the century, Anna Mathilda DeFehr, known as Tillie to her friends and family, sets off on a life-changing journey from Europe to America. Immigrating with her Mennonite family, Tillie braves the open sea, a long train from the shining New York harbor to the rolling plains of Oklahoma, and the strange new world she finds herself in.
As her family journeys from the cramped and crowded steerage of a ship to the bustling crowds of Ellis Island, then again to settle in a quiet community that doesn’t understand her way of life, Tillie faces countless challenges: Learning a brand new language. Adjusting to life in a sod house. Confronting the elements and unsuitable living conditions. And, most of all, finding out how on earth she can call this place her home.
This historical fiction story explores how one girl’s faith, hope, and love for her family can propel her through a storm of obstacles to claim her rightful place within her own heart. With allies like Julius, a book-loving new friend, and Crazy Wolf, a member of the local Arapahoe tribe who introduces her to a new world, Tillie learns that home is something you build—it’s who you are and the people you belong to.
A captivating tale of the might of innocence to break barriers and adapt to change, The Girl from Korn inspires young readers to embrace their cultural roots while exploring the beauty of discovery in brand new places.
The Girl from Korn
Set in 1903, the story follows Anna Mathilda “Tillie” DeFehr on a long, perilous passage to a new life. She leaves Russia with her family and arrives in the United States. A brief glimpse of the Statue of Liberty marks the threshold. Then the journey continues to Oklahoma, where they settle among a strict Mennonite community.
From there, the book becomes a clear-eyed record of Tillie’s new reality. The American plains feel stark. Daily life demands grit. Adaptation comes slowly and often hurts. Hard lessons land early and keep coming. Yet the narrative never turns bleak. Warmth appears in ordinary moments. Joy shows up in family bonds, small victories, and shared routines. The result feels grounded and honest, capturing the immigrant experience at the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth.
The Girl from Korn, by Eileen Hobbs, reads as young adult historical fiction. It will likely resonate most with readers around ages 9–12. At times, it carries echoes of the Little House on the Prairie books. Familiar in the best way. Rooted in place, work, and family.
The novel unfolds as Tillie’s first-person account. She begins on her eleventh birthday, still aboard the ship, nearing her new home. Fear shapes those early pages. Homesickness presses in. Disorientation feels inevitable. She is leaving everything behind during a formative stretch of childhood, right on the edge of adolescence.
Once in Oklahoma, the detail becomes the book’s strength. The days are long. The labor is relentless. Community rules tighten the world even further. Tillie endures it with stubborn courage. She stays resourceful. She stays determined. Most of all, she stays connected to her family, and that connection steadies the story.
In the end, Hobbs delivers a strong and satisfying YA historical novel, with crossover appeal for older readers. The prose is vivid without being fussy. Scenes come into focus quickly and linger. The author’s inspiration, stories passed down from her great-great-grandparents, adds texture and conviction, giving the book the feel of a lived memory rendered into fiction.
Pages: 250 | ASIN : B0FZG1B334
High School Epic
High School Epic is a coming-of-age YA novel that follows Danielle from the first days of freshman year in 1989 through the messy, funny, dramatic, and sometimes painful moments of early adolescence. The story centers on Dani’s tight bond with her two best friends, her growing fixation on a skater boy named Kevin, and the quieter, heavier ache of her dad’s disappearance two years earlier. Built around friendships, crushes, family fractures, and the small-but-big moments that mark high school, the book blends teen romance and heartfelt drama in a voice that feels both nostalgic and relevant.
I found myself slipping into Dani’s head easily. Her voice feels like sitting on someone’s bedroom floor with the lights low while she tells you everything that’s been happening. There’s a looseness to the writing that works, especially in scenes with Tiff and Kris, who bounce off each other in a kind of chaotic harmony. Their friendship is loud and weird and sometimes exhausting, which is exactly why it feels real. The author leans into those small sensory moments that stick, like the smell of Dani’s dad’s sweater or the warm buzz of walking outside with Kevin after detention, without ever feeling showy. The tone stays grounded even when the drama spikes, which kept me on Dani’s side even when she spiraled or overthought things, which she does a lot.
What surprised me most is how layered Dani’s inner world is. The school crush storyline is fun and sweet and very YA-romance, but running right underneath is this deeper thread of loss and confusion around her dad. Those moments hit in a softer way, like when she tries on his sweater in the attic or clings to old fantasies of him returning. They add weight without dragging the story down. It also made her desperation to feel wanted by Kevin and her friends hit harder. The book captures that strange ninth-grade cocktail of insecurity and longing and sudden boldness, the way you can feel childish one minute and painfully grown the next. It felt honest and familiar.
I found myself thinking that High School Epic will speak most to readers who like contemporary YA that blends romance, friendship drama, and emotional family threads. It’s especially perfect for anyone who remembers the late ’80s or early ’90s, or just loves that vibe in their coming-of-age stories. If you want something that feels like reliving freshman year through a friend who tells it all, the awkward, the funny, the embarrassing, the sweet, this book is worth reading.
Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0FVFCL3YC
Greenhorn
Greenhorn marks Cheryl Hunter’s debut in the young adult novel genre, delivering a powerful and captivating coming-of-age narrative that keeps readers engrossed with each passing chapter.
The book’s premise is undeniably compelling, infusing a unique rhythm into the plot’s pacing. Nicole, a typical teenage girl on the cusp of high school, finds herself grappling with common adolescent concerns – fangirling over artists, navigating social life, and searching for her sense of belonging. However, her curiosity is piqued by a legendary Indian curse rumored to haunt the land her family resides on, the Greenhorn, Cuerno Verde curse, infamous for bringing disgrace and chaos. As Nicole’s life unravels into a series of unmanageable and traumatic events, she believes she’s cursed. Now, her bravery must guide her in breaking free from this curse and restoring her life to its rightful path.
From the very outset, Nicole’s personality radiates through the pages. Her adolescent spirit yearns for exploration beyond her parents’ constructed world. She endures significant losses and joyful moments, traversing the typical phases of teenage life. With each passing moment, her life becomes more challenging, her foundation continually shifting. Nevertheless, she proves resilient, consistently finding ways to surmount obstacles and discover her true self as she grapples with the mysterious occurrences surrounding her. The curse of Greenhorn becomes a masterful metaphor used by the author to vividly depict the tumultuous nature of a teenage girl’s life. As the protagonist contends with newfound changes and both symbolic and literal deaths, she navigates the intricacies of school and family life, confronting the darkest facets of humanity along the way. Her unwavering determination is an inspirational beacon, encouraging young readers to confront their most formidable challenges and inner demons.
Cheryl Hunter’s Greenhorn showcases impeccable story pacing, a highly relatable narrative, and the chapters thoughtfully crafted to showcase Nicole’s growth and her profound journey of self-discovery. This book presents a mirror to the struggles of youth, making it easily relatable and enjoyable for a broad audience.
Pages: 391 | ISBN : 978-1-956048-22-3
Odriel’s Heirs
Odriel’s Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow follows a young girl named Kaia. As the first Born of her siblings, she inherited the fire of the dragon. She has three siblings, her twin Bram, younger brother Layf and younger sister Elani. She lives somewhat of a sheltered life because the surrounding villagers believe they are evil. As she starts exploring society, she comes close to some dangerous obstacles. Her father is away fighting a war that she believes she can assist in. Once she realizes that a necromancer has unleashed lost souls onto the humans, she believes it is her duty as the dragon heir to help keep the humans safe. She wants nothing more than to prove that she is strong and a good person to her family and the outside world.
Odriel’s Heirs is a gripping epic fantasy novel from start to finish. The flow of the story was both entertaining and exciting; I was hooked throughout the entire story. The characters are well thought through, and they bring the story alive. The main character is strong-willed and brave, someone a teen girl can look up to and admire. Kaia’s character is one reader can’t help but feel bad about at times because of how she is treated by others for the gift she inherited. However, despite her obstacles, she never losses sight of her goals and always looks for a way to persevere. The secondary characters are written just as well and add additional layers to this fantastic story.
Hayley Reese Chow has combined paranormal and fantasy genres in this adventure for young adults in Odriel’s Heirs. The journey that the author takes readers on is creative and unique. It was definitely one of those books that take you out of the real world and into a new fantasy and amazing dystopian world that you can’t help but get lost in.
Pages: 198 | ASIN : B0838R4DTB
Magic, Mystery & the Multiverse
Ana has always wondered why she has to wear lenses to conceal her eye color. She has violet eyes like Elizabeth Taylor’s, which is an idiosyncrasy in Hollywood. She soon starts to find answers to her strange eye color after she and her brother steal his uncle’s car and drive to the multiverse. Once in the multiverse, they crash land in the elevated earth and kill Emerald Censor. They soon encounter various interesting characters, such as the cook, Egor, and a wizard called Snapdragon, who can heal anyone. Ana wants to meet the wizard to help Zackary, who is immunocompromised, but she runs into problems as Crimson Censor searches for the murderer of the Emerald Censor. The Marvelous Multiverse App is the first book in the series Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse by Aurora Winter, which sets the foundation for the coming books.
The first chapter, “Imprisoned,” sets up a mystery tone for the rest of the book. As its title suggests, this book offers a combination of magic, mystery, and adventure. It’s a fantastic book that will transport you to magical worlds, from magical cooks with Tear gifts to gold-hungry dwarfs and power-hungry censors to controlling Opus Die.
My favorite part of this book is the magic and mystery of Ana’s family. I am in complete awe of the Lokey, the elevated earth, and the Egors, with their genius minds and broken hearts. Winter does an excellent job writing clever one-liners and has a simple yet impressive writing style.
While the storyline is exciting and action-packed, the world-building is vague and does not give readers much of an idea of their cultures and histories, and I feel that could be captivating. For example, there was no specific mention of Avenir people besides censors and oxygen mining, aka stealing robots. However, because this was the first book in the series, we may learn more about them in subsequent books.
Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse is an exciting new young adult fantasy series that will draw in readers of all ages. For those passionate about adventure and magic, Dr. Who and Harry Potter will enjoy this book and be waiting for the next novel in the series.
Pages: 224 | Available on Kindle Vella
The Vending Portal
Seventh-grader Mel and her sister Sage begin an average walk home from school. Taking a detour through Old Town and out into the rice paddy fields, Mel and Sage discover an old vending machine that is much more than it seems. Suddenly thrust into an alternate world, the sisters find a strange world where everything seems utopian…or is it? With high technology, free food, and smiling faces, the world Mel and Sage have entered looks a little too perfect. Encountering new friends and enemies and discovering their own unique connection to this strange parallel world, Mel and Sage must use their wits to survive. And as the cracks in utopia widen to reveal the ugly secrets beneath the surface, the sisters fight for the world’s fate as they struggle to find a way back home.
The Vending Portal by Judy Liu is the chilling tale of two sisters entering a terrifying dystopian universe. I loved the culture in the story and the beautiful descriptions of the rice fields. Clear-headed Mel and spontaneous Sage are as different as night and day, and I love the interplay between the sisters as the plot progresses.
Enigmatic Romilda and savvy Lewis add depth to the increasingly complex story, which has as many intricate layers as a chef’s prized recipe. The setting is so well-thought-out and immersive that it is easy to lose time in the parallel world alongside Mel and Sage. With twists and turns, and a deadly threat more perilous than anyone could have imagined, this intense story of heroism in spite of tyranny is one of the best I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Vending Portal is a through-provoking coming-of-age science fiction novel that young adults and teens will be whisked away into. The gripping story will have readers questioning what the perfect society is and what the cost of such a society means to those that live in it. This fascinating story is ideal for opening up the discussion with teenagers about how they want to impact their own society and community.
Pages: 234 | ASIN : B0BCH7FL9S
The First Assignment
The First Assignment by Billy Kramer is a fantastic addition to the young adult fantasy genre. The plot contains a new and exciting take on the paranormal genre and centers around Shawn Turner, who wakes up in a wooden cell without understanding how his whole life has changed. Soon, he learns that through unexpected circumstances, he is part of an underground “Wayward Academy.” Through a series of dramatic and sometimes dangerous adventures, Shawn discovers secrets surrounding the school and explores more throughout his training, with surprising findings.
I found the author’s writing style exciting, and it captures the essence of what it means to be a young adult facing challenges. The plot is clearly developed and will absorb readers of all ages, and Kramer creates many different storylines between the protagonists while focusing on Shawn’s academy experience. It’s an exciting story that follows Shawn’s escapades, including fast-paced action, betrayal, thrill, and unexpected twists.
The First Assignment by Billy Kramer is a solid 5-star read and a great piece of literature, whether you’re a fan of young adult fiction or new to the genre. I promise you will not be disappointed by the adventures of the “Wayward Academy,” Shawn, and the other characters in the thrilling universe surrounding them. The author expertly crafted a fantastic world with riveting lore and amazingly eccentric characters that will pull you in for an excellent read. It’s a book I highly recommend.
Pages 328 | ASIN B0BLYV69MD
