Wowzers!  This was so similar and different to the podcast.  I had head of Night Vale for quite some time and when I saw the book on sale a while ago, I decided I should find out what it was all about.  But it sat on my shelf for and embarrassingly long time.  I finally checked out the podcast this year and was instantly hooked on the world, the craziness of it all and "The Voice of Night Vale" Cecil.  When I decided to finally read this, I thought it would be awesome to listen to tha audio while reading along--cuz Cecil.  I swear I would listen to him read stereo instructions.

Anyway, this was a very indepth story about Diane and her form-shifting son, Josh and the unaging Jackie.  This had all of the weirdness and shenanigans of Night Vale.  Time is a mess and there are multiple Troys spread across mutliple towns bringing the mess of Night Vale to other times and wreaking all kids of havoc.  This is full of adventure and mystery.  It was an excellent read/listen.

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.

This final book in the series was just as good as the rest. An amazing story that I was sorry to see come to an end. I love the way everything tied together in a period of time that lasted over a thousand years!

After reading the whole thing, I watched The Passage tv show (it aired on FOX last year and was cancelled). It was ok. They changed a lot but I can see why. At the end of the series, they moved forward in time just like the book and were going to start where book 2 begins (I think). It could have been amazing... but it would never have compared to the books. :)

Book 2 in an EPIC series. I loved every minute of it.

(I'm not putting much effort into these reviews because I have no idea if the site will even work.)

Audience: Early Elementary (1st-3rd)

Format: Ebook/Library Copy

Tag and Skyla stood in a dusty clearing and examined the magical map.

- first sentence

This is a cute story, with animal main characters who are on a quest. This is the first book of the series I read, but the kids at school love it. There is an introduction at the beginning of the book to remind kids what the characters are currently facing (the story continues from book to book).  The Branches books are a gentle bridge into chapter books for early readers. They still have pictures, but the stories are more complex and interesting. A great series for kids who like magical animals and adventure.