Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
B. B. Alston’s Amari series blends magic, mystery, and heart. In The Great Game and The Despicable Wonders, Amari grows into a courageous young heroine facing moral choices and real-world parallels of prejudice and leadership. A must-read for middle grade fantasy fans.
Fairest of All offers a haunting backstory for Disney’s Evil Queen, exploring how heartbreak and manipulation led her down a path of darkness. Valentino balances fantasy and tragedy, showing how grief and insecurity can transform love into obsession. While the story could dive deeper into the Queen’s inner turmoil, it’s still an engaging read for fans of fairy tale retellings and moral complexity. Perfect for readers who enjoy exploring what makes a villain.
After the mysterious and grisly murder of her father, Marjan, an Iranian American teen, struggles to manage his struggling veterinary practice. When a stranger delivers a plane ticket to London and claims Marjan must tend to a mythical animal, she is thrust into a hidden world where griffons, unicorns, and other legendary creatures exist. A
On an ordinary night, Earth is suddenly harvested for resources, transforming into an enormous multi-level dungeon. Every building collapses, every human atomized into a deadly survival game watched by an intergalactic audience.
Audrey Fitzgerald’s life takes a wild turn when the ghost of her best friend suddenly appears in her apartment, claiming he was murdered and needs her help to solve the mystery. With the reluctant assistance of a charming detective and a snarky talking cat, Audrey dives into a supernatural investigation filled with humor, chaos, and ghostly surprises.