children’s chapter – One Chapter

Top 10 Spooky Mysteries: You Wouldn’t Want to Know About! by Fiona MacDonald

3 stars Children’s Nonfiction

I do like a good mystery, and spooky, yes that would make it extra special. This children’s nonfiction caught my attention at the library. This is a slim book consisting of only 32 pages. Those pages include 3 pages of introductions, two pages for the index and table of contents, and two pages for the glossary. In between all of that you have 10 pages of what the author believes are the Top 10 Worse Spooky Mysteries You Wouldn’t Want To Know About!

A mystery is a problem that hasn’t been solved yet inside this book each of the mysteries the author explains, they contain a “probable explanation printed upside down” on the pages of that mystery. As a reader, you’re supposed to try to solve the mystery before reading the upside “probable explanation.”

So let the countdown begin! Each of the two-page spread mysteries feature some vital statistics on the mystery: the name, place, date, the mystery, why you don’t want to know about it, and it’s “probable explanation.” The rest of the two pages are filled with information and illustrations. There are numerous paragraphs with separate titles describing the mysteries accompanying illustrations which are cartoon in nature. The illustrations take up about a third of the space on these pages.

From aliens to Curse of Tutankhamum to Mary Celeste to Dyatlov Pass incident, these mysteries cover ones that everyone should be familiar with and some that are not. I was surprised at the ones that made the list, and I welcomed reading something that I was not that familiar with.

After reading a short paragraph on the spooky mystery, I would read the vital statistics as that is how the book flowed for each of the mysteries. The supporting information followed as I read, and I was not a fan of how that additional information was presented on the pages. I tried different ways to read this information, but this information just felt disjointed, like some of the FYI Facts that someone had just plastered on the pages. I thought they did a great job with the various sizes and font types that were used on the pages, as they set the different sections of the information off from one another. I have mixed feelings about the illustrations that were used. They did a great job in creating the cartoon art for each of the mysteries but I’m not sure if humorous cartoon art was appropriate for this book. Again, this is just my own thoughts and preference. I give this book 3 stars as I was expecting to love this book but I didn’t.

They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Chapter Book/ Middle School

This book is so cute! It would make a great read aloud, a great bedtime book or a book for a young reader to read. As a Nana, I laughed many times and I look forward to passing this title along to others who need a great book for the younger individuals in their lives.

This book is about a dog who is now at a shelter and believes his name is No Sam. No Sam has a lot of preloaded thoughts into his head based on the life he has lived with his previous owner, Mike. Why Mike owned No Sam is a good question because Mike worked all the time and No Sam was left in the apartment by himself with the TV left on. No Sam would watch TV, believing what he saw on TV was how life was outside the walls of the apartment.

Told in diary format, Justin’s parents visit No Sam at the shelter and hope that he will make a good friend for their son. No Sam wants out of the prison he is now in and hopes he doesn’t end back with Mike.

Told from the viewpoint of No Sam, this book is hilarious at different spots. Again, No Sam has his own predetermined views of how life should be so every new activity with these new poor defenseless naked monkey-things is a new adventure. From New Sam’s new pooping rug to the beautiful drinking room, to the white treasure chest, No Sam will have you smiling.

It seemed that No Sam just cannot seem to understand the new rules. Here is a family who loves him and is showing him how much, they care for him but there’s confusion on No Sam’s part. This is not the world that No Sam knows. There are a few illustrations inside the book which complement the text. Fantastic book! 5 stars

Escape From Chernobyl by Andy Marino

4 stars YA/ Middle School

It was cover love that brought this book to me. I didn’t know that this was book one of a series and after reading this one, I don’t think I will continue with the series as the ending was disappointing to me. For me, there was no ending. As I listened to this book, I was hooked, I felt a deep connection to the characters and their fate and then, the book ended. I had been cheated. There had to be more! Was there book #2 to finish this story? No, it was over, and I felt cheated.

It’s April 26, 1986, the place Pripyat, Ukraine. This city was built for the individuals who would work at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. I liked the variety of characters as it gave a great view of what was happening around this event as it was unfolding,

It was Yuri who I fell for in this book. He was the one who had less at stake but gave the most. While those with higher titles, rattled off commands or walked among the clouds, Yuri was on the ground with his eyes open, watching and risking everything. Alina, Yuri’s relative, was just like him, but at times, her emotions got the best of her. Who could blame her, considering what was transpiring right in front of her. Yuri knows Chernobyl like the back of his hand. Yuri is a janitor at Chernobyl. They treat him better than a janitor but that’s still what they consider him to be. Yuri hopes that one day, yes one day, they’ll realize the potential that Yuri has and move him up into a more suitable title. While at work on April 26, Yuri notices something isn’t right. His eyes have been on the ground since day one but today, today is different. Today, there is no going back.

What was happening inside Chernobyl? Sofiya dad is an engineer at the power plant and getting his perspective as the day’s events spiraled downhill added an intensity to the drama unfolding. Despite everything, Sofiya tries to help the residents of Pripyat. Sofiya had a different emotional burning within her than Alina but together they show the confusion and turmoil that the residents faced as this event changed their world.

This book covers April 26, 1986. One day. I felt cheated as I wanted and needed to know what happened after this day. I felt a deep connection to the characters and as I closed the book, I was sad and disappointed that there wasn’t something to help bring me closure.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Eighth Grade Witch by Andrew E.C. Gaska

2 stars Children’s Chapter/Middle School

I was excited when I came across this book while volunteering at the library last week. Once a month, I clean the children’s graphic novel sections at two of the branches that our library has in town, and when I came across this graphic novel, I immediately snagged it up. This book brought back so many memories of reading the smaller paperbacks of Choose Your Own Adventure stories with my own children when they were younger. I really had high hopes for this graphic novel. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

I was totally lost in this book, I mean really lost. I started it multiple times and took many of the different options that were offered within its pages, but it still didn’t make any sense to me. I even backtracked and thought that perhaps I had landed on the wrong page and had read the “If you want …… go to page XX” wrong but nope, I was just lost. It felt that when I page hopped, there was no connection to the previous page that I had just read, which was unfortunate.

I liked the storyline as I thought it could have lots of different possibilities. Thirteen-year-old Rabbit has just moved into a new city, into a new house, that has been rumored to be haunted. From day one, things are a bit weird and I’m not sure if she’s a witch or if she’s not but that’s just one of the questions that she’s confronted with. There seems to be a lot happening in Rabbits new surroundings, bits and pieces that I tried to put together, but it was the illustrations that drew me in.

The illustrations were great, and I liked the variety of text fonts that were used throughout the book as they made the scenes pop.

I remember loving the original Choose Your Own Adventure books in fact, I still have some of the books that I used to read with my own children. I will try to find another one of these graphic novels and try it again, as perhaps it was the story itself that I couldn’t follow. Perhaps I am better off imagining these books in my head instead of seeing them in a graphic novel. This book, I’m not a fan. 2 stars

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo

5 stars Tale

They were together and then, they’re not. I heard about this book, so I picked it up. It’s a Norendy Tale about five puppets that’s told in 3 Acts consisting of 28 chapters. Kate brings us this story about a lonely sea captain who discovers five puppets and the story they were meant to tell. The wooden trunk for which they were housed becomes their home, their shelter, as they traveled about experiencing the world. They were a unique group, a bonded family who knew they held greatness within.

The sea captain, a man alone in his thoughts, was out for a walk because today was one of his good days as the weather was nice and his body felt good. On bad days, the sea captain would lie in his bed all day and just exist. Spelhorst was a lonely man as he listened and watched the world around him. Today on his walk, there’s a toy shop in the alley that grabs Spelhorst attention. Floating midair, in the glass display there are a group of puppets: a king, an owl, a wolf, a boy, and a girl. It’s the girl puppet that captures his heart. As he attempts to buy this female puppet from the merchant, the face on this female puppet fills his head with memories. Unable to buy just one of the puppets, Spelhorst buys the whole set and sets off for home.

Upon entering his home, Spelhorst sets the girl puppet on his table, casting the other puppets into a wooden chest on the floor. Spelhorst is overcome with emotions as he begins talking to the girl puppet, calling her Annalise and apologizing to her. Retiring for the night, the emotional spent sea captain takes to bed while the puppets begin to talk amongst themselves about their new surroundings. They’re finally out in the world, experiencing the world but they’re not prepared for what lies ahead.

They wanted to tell their story; they each knew they had something within them, but would they be able to tell it.

This is such a fun adventure story. As two young girls become the owners of the wooden chest, the puppets each begin to experience life outside the toy store. With individual personalities and stories, each of them has an adventure that has a lasting effect on them. Everyone dreams and has hope and this book definitely shows us that. 5 stars

Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage by Bethanie Murguia

4 stars Children’s Graphic Novel

Sage loves all things enchanted while her dog Thunder doesn’t. Sage doesn’t like the cape and hat that Sage dressed him up in, in fact he believes it’s all wrong. While Sage is diving into her fantasy obsession, Thunder’s inner self materializes.

Thunder knows he’s a dog but who were his past ancestors? Discovering that wolves were his descendants, Thunder is told by his inner self to embrace this new knowledge and to gain strength and power from it. No longer is Thunder the easy-go-lucky dog, he now has his own thoughts and ideas.

Sage’s energy and spirit fill the pages, as she tries to entertain herself and her dog Thunder while Thunder’s inner wolf spirit is pushing back. Thunder needs to find a balance with the person who loves him the most. With cute illustrations that help retell the story, I think this book is geared more towards the younger elementary readers. 4 stars

Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen

5 stars Middle School

This book is a jewel. I loved the character of Quag with his resilience and insight. He remained upright while his mother spiraled around him. With a history of mental illness, Quag knew his mother, so he knew the signs. His mother would slowly start to lose control, and gradually, she would start spinning. Not physically spinning but spinning internally. Quag knew where his mother would eventually land, and this is what he feared. This was his mother, this was his life, this was the life that he was trying to hide.

It was during one of mom’s spin that Quag finds himself on his uncle’s farm. Not a place he wants to be but one that will change his life forever. A time for Quag.

This book was more than I anticipated. The characters were fantastic, and I enjoyed how this book transitioned. I’m glad I picked this one up. 5 stars

“Here are some bad surprises about country living. First, people get up earlier than any other people should ever get up for anything. Second, milk. Quag’s not a fool. He knew it came out of a cow. …. Now, that he’s a little more acquainted with the process, he may be off milk for the foreseeable future. This morning he poured Dr. Pepper on his cereal, which …..”

“The circumstances being that his own mom ditched him on the side of a road, that she is spinning hard.”

“They’re riding that same wild circle they always ride, and his mom, spinning, is the center of that circle.”

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps

5 stars Fiction Book in Verse Children’s/ Middle School

And then, WOW! This book really packs a punch, and I loved it so much. Written in verse, this book is powerful as it deals with issues that many young adults unfortunately must face today. It’s just not the poverty that Joe needs to adjust to but it’s also the abandonment, the insecurity, and the loneliness that just keeps on popping up in his life. When will it ever end?

Mom gets “the itch” and before you know it, she’s out the door. Sometimes its weeks, months, or just a few days, that she’ll be gone. They lived with Joe’s grandmum in her house until she lost it on legal matters for Joe’s mom. Now, Joe and grandmum are living in a car and using food stamps to eat. My heart was breaking as Joe fought to use public bathroom facilities to maintain his appearance. They’re hungry but they’re doing the best that they can. As he tries to go to school, he struggles to hide his life from others that are around him. One of his best friends finds them a place to stay and finally, things change direction.

The mobile homeowner, Uncle Frankie is an amazing person, and he becomes a fantastic friend to Joe. One obstacle is taken down but the others remain. One moment in this book which has stuck with me is when Joe wins at Jeopardy in his classroom. Able to take any prize out the storage closet, which is filled with games and puzzles, Joe picks……. Yes, this is a storage closet so it’s also storing cleaning items and extra supplies. Joe picks out “an enormous box of toilet paper.” This is a 6^th grade boy, and he picks toilet paper as a prize. Yep, that got me……..

I can’t tell you much more about what happens inside the pages of this emotional read but I loved so much about it. I love how Joe gathered strength from within to keep moving forward. From everything that happened in his life, Joe could have lost hope or retaliated but he didn’t. His friends stood by him, and he learned many lessons along the way.

This is such a great read, one in which I could read it again and again. Read it because this is real folks, this is what is happening all around us whether you want to see it or not.

“Every time I hugged Grandmum,

I’d breathe in her scent.

When I miss her a lot,

like tonight,

I open the bag in the back of my closet

where I keep Grandmum’s quilt

and breathe in her scent.

I call it, “Grandmum in a bag.””

Home Away From Home by Cynthia Lord

4.5 stars Middle School Realistic Fiction

Sometimes life is not all about yourself. This is something that Mia learns in this middle school which captured my heart. Mia’s parents have divorced, and Mia is having a hard time finding her place. Her father has remarried, and they have a new baby while her mother and current boyfriend have decided that they’re going to move in together. Mia likes Scott and was okay with them moving in together until she found out that they would be selling her childhood home and they’d all be moving into a new home together. This was too much change for Mia and their yearly mother-daughter visit to grandma’s is now just going to be a month-long visit for Mia. Mom and Scott can deal with the house details while Mia has grandma’s attention all to herself.

Mia has made plans for this visit with grandma, after all she’s been coming here for years. Grandma has a new cat which Mia can handle but there’s another addition that Mia feels is invading her space. This was supposed to be grandma and Mia’s time – a month of exclusive grandma time and now, there’s Cayman. This neighbor boy seems to know too much about Mia’s grandma and her life. Mia is finding him annoying, and I find myself laughing at her as he moseys his way onto the scene. There are these emotions that Mia is having, when Cayman is present and when he is gone. They’re not romantic but Mia is confused about this boy who has popped up in her life. I like Cayman’s attitude and Mia’s confusion causes quite the drama she wasn’t looking for.

It’s a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed how openly and honestly the emotions were portrayed in the book and I think young readers will be able to relate to the characters. This was an Iowa Children’s Choice Award Book 2024-2025. 4.5 stars.

““That’s all you can say?” Cayman snapped. “I’m telling you that it upset my mom and you want nosy details? Why? So you can blame her, too? You don’t understand anything!” He started running away from me up the path.”

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

5 stars Middle School Realistic Fiction

I loved, loved this book. Oh, the things that we take for granted. Minni and her family soon realize how much their Ma did for them when she falls ill and decides to move in with relatives who can tend to her until she’s recovered.

Water was the main focus of this book, but I thought there were many other great themes captured within its pages. Minni and her family live in the slums and someone must wake up early to gather water. Grabbing vessels to carry water back to their living quarters, families wait in line to fill from a common tap outside, for their daily water. If you wait too long, you might not get any water, or it might take a long time if the water pressure gets too low. It’s like a social event but it’s not really a pleasant one. Ma usually handled this job each morning. Once back home, that water must be boiled to make it safe for consumption and this is where the problem started for Ma.

While Ma is away, she asks Minni to take over her job, so she does not lose it. Minni knows her family depends on that money and hopefully, Ma won’t be gone that long, so Minni takes on the job after school. Sounds quite eventful for such a young child. Minni the maid.

Tending school full-time, working as a maid part-time after school and helping around the house when she gets home, Minni days are full. Oh wait, she must also get water early in the morning, once the tap has been turned on. Minni is a terrific student showing great potential so keeping up her studies is high on the list. When Minni starts the job, it doesn’t seem fair when the individuals living in the luxury apartment building have fresh, clean water flowing out their taps, right inside their apartments! They don’t even have to boil it! They can drink immediately from the tap! Ma has learned she must have proper behavior while working but Minni, she hasn’t yet. It’s a hard reality to understand but Minni must, if she is to keep her Ma’s job.

I liked how Minni’s community came together to help her when they realized how much she was trying to juggle. Seeing life through Minni’s eyes, we get to see the inconsistencies and how Minni tries to cope with them. This was a fabulous read and one of Iowa’s Children Choice Award Books for 2024-2025. 5 stars