Audience: Grades 4 & up

Format: Audiobook/Library

I shouldn't do it.

- first line

This book is based on a true story of kids that were travelling on the SS City of Benares to Canada to escape the Nazi bombing of London. When the ship is torpedoed, Ken (13) and other survivors are left on Lifeboat 12 in the middle of the ocean. It's the little details in this book that make it so impactful. Ken was supposed to be on a different lifeboat, the young woman who makes up stories for the boys, the one sailor who acts crazy to make everyone laugh.
The story is told in verse, so I recommend reading a written copy more than the audio (or maybe both together). The audio is very well done and I could hear the emphasis and lyricism in the narrator's voice. The story is compelling and shows the importance of believing in yourself and each other and joining together to survive. Highly recommended. A 6-8 Sunshine State nominated book for 2020-21.

For more review, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A few years ago I read the third book in this series (not realizing it was a series, just so captivated by that cover). I recently saw my library had the audiobooks of the previous books so I thought I'd listen to them for some quick entertainment while driving.

Overall, this was a good book. It was interesting to get the backstory on the world I was introduced to in the third book. The world-building was well-done and made the book intriguing and mysterious. The plot was a bit slow in the beginning with all of the introduction, some of which could have been sped through a bit. You know there is going to be some weird stuff going on at the school so it gets a little tedious leading up to that. But overall the book was well-written and interesting.

While the book is not necessarily very scary, there is a bit of animal cruelty, which may not be a good fit for sensitive readers. While it is not outright gory, it's pretty gross with enough details to be upsetting and is referenced multiple times. I dislike when authors fall back on cruelty to animals in order to show how evil a character is.

A good read although I could have done without the animal stuff. Interesting set up and a nice lead in to the next book.

Being a teenager is an exciting time for children. Not only because their body is undergoing significant changes but also because they will be entering into middle school which is quite a different journey than primary and elementary schooling. Middle school education brings with it its challenges of learning and finding a direction for further education. When your child is in a middle school Brookhaven, s/he will have different sets of strengths and motivation which when polished will help reach their goals and have a better future. The environment and the educational goals of the middle school will determine the direction of career and life that your child will choose for his/her future. Therefore, if you are thinking of transferring your child into a new middle school, you must enquire and understand some important learning goals that middle school education must fulfill.

1. Giving your child the chance of independent study and developing that skill is one of the major goals of middle school education.

2. Middle school education will help your child become independent and allow him/her to choose the direction of his/her study. It will help your child, to come out of dependent childhood to a more independent adolescent stage.

3. Middle school will help them polish their decision-making skills which are crucial for a better future.

4. One of the most important goals of middle school is to develop social, physical, academic, and emotional skills.

5. Learning to respect your peers and the differences is also a key element of middle school education.

As you can see that middle school education is crucial to set your child for a better and successful future. Brookhaven middle school such as The Christian Academy might be one the best options for fulfilling all the above-mentioned goals of middle school education. The school has been deemed as the best middle school in the region with its qualified teachers and excellent resources required for your child’s development. Following the teachings of God, The Christian Academy can set your child for a fulfilled and successful life. This middle school aims to develop your child for a better high school and collegiate education. At The Christian Academy, your child will be educated to develop excellent body, mind, and spirit which will prove beneficial to create a bright future. Book your school tour now!

About The Christian Academy:

The Christian Academy is a leading middle and Brookhaven elementary school providing excellent education.

Audience: 4th Grade & Up

Format: Audiobook/Library Copy

Myths, my abuela used to say, are truths long forgotten by the world.

- first sentence

Charlie Hernandez knows the Hispanic myths inside and out because his abuela (grandmother) has been telling him stories about them since he was very young. Then one day, he finds out that all the monsters that he thought were myths, are actually real. Not only are they real, but they are trying to break through the barrier between life and death. 

This a great book for fans of the Percy Jackson series. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and hearing the story told by someone who could pronounce all the words correctly instead of trying to imagine how they should sound in my head. We read this book for our middle school book club and will be zooming with the author this week. I'm so excited!

Audience: Young Adult

Format: Hardcover/Library Copy

Chains clanked in the darkness of the holding cells.

- first sentence

This book comes from the same universe as Shipbreaker. In this book, Mahlia and Mouse managed to find each other and escape the Drowned Cities and live with a doctor in a small town. One day, they find a bioengineered half-man (Tool) nearly dead in the jungle. Mahlia believes Tool will save them and help them travel north beyond the Drowned Cities to a place of safety and opportunity. But Mouse is taken by the soldier boys and Mahlia must decide whether to risk everything to try to save her friend or escape to a place where freedom is possible.

This is a heart-pounding story of loyalty, survival, and adventure and I loved it! Though it is a bit gory at times, so be warned.