Title: Trick or Treat on Scary Street Author: Lance Bass, Roland Garrigue (illustrator) Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Union Square Kids Source: Manda Group Format: Paperback arc Release Date: July 23, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From musical superstar Lance Bass, this quirky and surprising Halloween story is perfect for trick-or-treaters who love extra tricks and treats.
Come one.
Come all.
Come follow thirteen trick-or-treaters down Scary Street. Dare to stop at the vampire’s lair? Tempted to take a bite of the witch’s delight? How about a peek inside a ghostly haunt? Who will make it to the end. . . and what last trick (or treat) awaits?
Celebrate the thrills and chills of the season with this unforgettable trip down Scary Street!
This engaging Halloween tale appeals to young readers who love scary books and anyone looking for Halloween books for kids. Parents and kids alike will be drawn to this Lance Bass book, as the *NSYNC star brings his creative flair and love of Halloween to the world of scary stories for kids ages 4 to 6.
Trick or Treat on Scary Street, is a must-have for families who eagerly anticipate the Halloween season and enjoy sharing in its playful frights together.
Review:
Go trick-or-treating on Scary Street in this picture book! You can visit many different houses, like a gingerbread house or Dracula’s house. There’s a special trick waiting at the end of the street!
This is such a cute picture book! I loved the rhyming lines. The illustrations were beautiful and detailed. I know I would have loved this book as a kid!
Trick or Treat on Scary Street is a great Halloween picture book!
Thank you Manda Group for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read Trick or Treat on Scary Street? What did you think of it?
Title: The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon Author: Svetlana Chmakova Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: JY Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: October 15, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the Night Realm, shifters, vampires, weirns (a particular kind of witch), and other night things passing for human may prowl the streets, but school is still in session—and you still have to do your homework!
In The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods (released June 2020), Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students, but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they’re the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears. To get him back, she has no choice but to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
Just in time for Halloween, The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon (released October 15, 2024) takes readers back to Chmakova’s supernatural world full of magic, adventure, and… dragons! After her terrible adventures in the Silent Woods, Na’ya’s world seems to have returned to normal… that is, except for the nightmares that keep haunting her. What she needs is the power to protect everyone, and she has the perfect solution—she’ll turn into a dragon, once and for all! With help from Ailis and Jasper, everything seems to be going according to plan. But what’s that dark shadow slithering around the spell-casting range?
Review:
Ailis and Na’ya think their lives have returned to normal after defeating The Headmistress in the woods. Na’ya is going to focus on her goal of becoming a dragon. When a spell she casts goes horribly wrong, she accidentally summons a dragon to their town instead. Then, they discover a dark shadow sneaking around their school, so the evil Headmistress may not be gone after all.
This was a great sequel! The story was fast paced and action packed. There was more danger and intensity throughout the story than in the first book. It ended with such a good cliffhanger! I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon is a great middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Publicity Prose and Yen Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Q: What draws you to your signature manga- and anime-influenced art style?
A: It’s just what I love and where I feel most comfortable as a creative, where I can express the widest range with my art—the silly, the profound, the funny, the dramatic, the beautiful, the ridiculous, the horrifying, etc. That whole branch of comics is an incredibly versatile approach to cartooning. Manga was a bedrock formative artistic experience for me, those random issues and volumes I managed to get my hands on were the first comics that made me go ‘this is so cool, I want to do something like that!’ The other formative artistic influence was ElfQuest by Richard and Wendy Pini, reading the first issue of that and then furiously creating something resembling a comics narrative for 4 pages/3 solid hours was the first memorable step in my comics-making journey.
Q: What is your creative process like? Which comes to you first — the story or the visuals?
A: My creative process is pretty messy and it starts with both writing and images—I’ll write down and sketch scenes or character interactions, locations, try to flesh out events with both words and drawings. Once I have enough notes I would start crafting a written script with many visual notes, followed by roughly sketched storyboards/page layouts for the entire narrative. My editor is a very big part of that process—she is my first line of defense against bad story and pacing choices; when I am writing without a proper break it is very difficult to maintain perspective and see what I wrote instead of what I wanted to write, so it’s invaluable to have a fresh set of eyes with the knowledge to recognize the rough spots that need fixing. Once both my editor and I agree that the storyboarded book reads well, I start finishing the designs for places/characters and final page art production starts.
Five (5) winners will receive a paperback set of The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods and The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon!
Title: Sunny Gale Author: Jamie Lisa Forbes Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Pronghorn Press Source: iRead Book Tours Format: Ebook Release Date: May 15, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
It’s 1895 and fourteen year old Hannah Brandt is struggling with the hard life on a new Nebraska homestead. When her imagination is captured by a wild filly she becomes obsessed with horses, which opens the door to her destiny. Just three years later she enters the first Cheyenne Frontier Day rodeo where she wins the relay race, the following year she wins the bronc riding and her fate is sealed. She gives herself a new name, Sunny Gale, and pursues a rodeo career, much to the disgust of her young husband and her very proper mother. Sunny defies convention with every move as the drive to compete takes over her life, leaving everything else behind, including husbands and children. It is a rough life she has chosen, but she craves the glory of the spotlight and refuses to bow to the expectations for a woman in her time.
Award winning author Jamie Lisa Forbes has once again days when rodeo was wide open for them to become stars. It is a story of the social mores of the times and of a woman determined to defy them no matter how high the personal cost or where that choice might take her.
Review:
1895: Hannah Brandt was struggling with her family’s new life in Nebraska, until she decided to try riding a horse. She entered the world of rodeos and horse competitions, and changed her name to Sunny Gale when she started winning. However, her husband and mother weren’t happy with her new career. To have a successful career as a woman in the early 1900s means she must give up a lot, including her family.
This was a fascinating story. It was inspired by real women who competed in rodeos in the early 1900s, but they disappeared from history after they weren’t allowed to compete anymore. There was a lot of heartbreak in this story. There were numerous animal deaths, and Sunny tragically leaves her family to pursue her dreams. She was also treated horribly by most of the men in her life. Though many things that Sunny experienced are better for women today, things aren’t perfect, and women often have to give up other parts of their lives for success in their career.
Sunny Gale is a fascinating story about a woman who became a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry.
Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: death, death of animals, rape, child abuse
Have you read Sunny Gale? What did you think of it?
Title: The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex #1) Author: Erin Sterling Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy Publisher: Avon Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: September 28, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.
That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.
Review:
Nine years ago, while drinking vodka one night, Vivienne Jones cursed the man who had just broken her heart. Now, that man, Rhys Penhallow, has come back to her town of Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines. However, when things start going wrong with Rhys, Vivi realizes her curse on Rhys must have worked and is going to ruin her town. Vivi must own up to cursing Rhys and help him find a way to break the curse.
This was such a fun witchy rom com! It was hilarious from beginning to end. They got into funny and strange situations, such as plastic souvenir skulls coming to life, sneaking into a haunted house where one of Vivi’s students is trying to hook up with someone, and magical ley lines that turn them on. I’m so excited to read the rest of this series!
The Ex Hex is a fun rom com!
Content warnings: death, parental death (off page)
Other books in the series:
The Kiss Curse (The Ex Hex #2)
The Wedding Witch (The Ex Hex #3)
Have you read The Ex Hex? What did you think of it?
Title: Taxi Ghost Author: Sophie Escabasse Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Paranormal Publisher: Random House Graphic Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 3, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
At a certain age, every kid expects growth spurts and puberty…but no one mentioned the ability to see ghosts?! This hilarious and heart warming graphic novel about family secrets and the importance of community is great for fans of Witches of Brooklyn and Katie the Catsitter.
Adèle just wants to spend her winter break at the library, cozied up with her favorite books, and completely forgetting abut her friends who are all traveling to warmer climates. Unfortunately life has other plans…not only does Adèle get her first period…but she learns she comes from a long line of mediums!
And if seeing ghosts wasn’t enough of a surprise, Adèle learns that not only can she interact with them, but apparently they’ve been using her sister’s car to get around the city for years! These annoying ghosts won’t leave Adèle alone but maybe they will be exactly what Adèle needs for an exciting winter!
From Sophie Escabasse, the author of the beloved Witches of Brooklyn, comes a brilliant graphic novel that explores growing up and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.
Review:
Preteen Adèle wants to spend her winter break cozy at home with her books, but she gets her first period and discovers that she has inherited her grandmother’s talent of seeing ghosts. Her grandmother hates ghosts and does everything she can to stay away from them, but Adèle embraces her new skill and wants to help the ghosts move on to what’s next.
I love stories with ghosts. This was a great coming of age story. I liked that it started with Adèle getting her first period. Her family treated it as a celebration. There aren’t many middle grade books that talk about that, even though almost all preteen girls experience it. This was a fun read!
Taxi Ghost is a great middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Have you read Taxi Ghost? What did you think of it?
Title: Pablo and Splash Author: Sheena Dempsey Genre: Graphic Novel, Children’s Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 3, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
‘Irresistibly funny’ Guardian
Join time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash on an unexpected adventure to the time of the dinosaurs in this brilliantly funny full-colour graphic novel. Perfect for fans of Bunny vs Monkey or Bumble and Snug.
Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a holiday with her. But far from the luxury beach destination that Splash has in mind, the pair end up in a time-travel machine that takes them back to the age of the dinosaurs! Suddenly their icy homeland doesn’t seem so dull …
‘Joyful, fun and very silly indeed’ Louie Stowell, author of A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good
This is the first book in a series and further time-travel adventures await for Pablo and Splash.
Review:
Pablo and Splash are two penguins who live in Antarctica. Pablo likes his life on the ice, but Splash wants to go on an adventure somewhere hot. They end up escaping to a scientist’s lab and jump in a time machine that takes them to a beach. However, they have gone back in time to the age of dinosaurs. Pablo and Splash must find their way back to their safe, comfortable home.
This was such a cute graphic novel. I liked how Pablo and Splash were best friends but they were opposites in many ways, which gives two perspectives. This story taught them to love their home.
Pablo and Splash is a cute children’s graphic novel!
Thank you Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing a digital copy of this book!
Have you read Pablo and Splash? What did you think of it?
Title: Fall into Midnight (The Fall Trilogy #1) Author: Arden Coutts Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Thriller Publisher: CEI Media Source: Author Format: Paperback Release Date: September 30, 2023 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Gyrating to the beat and downing shots isn’t Dr. Hannah Winter’s cup of tea. But when a good friend drags her out of the sanctuary of her sunroom for a rare night out at Club Midnight, a chance encounter with an enigmatic bouncer ignites an undeniable spark of passion she can’t resist. Working at Club Midnight comes with a heavy price that Gray Alexander has grown weary of paying. But even as the treacherous underworld associated with her work threatens to destroy her, the love of a sweet-faced, ginger-haired doctor may be her saving grace. As Hannah and Gray seize their unexpected chance at love, they quickly realize the very place that pulled them into each other’s orbit may inevitably tear them apart…
Review:
Dr. Hannah Winters goes to Club Midnight one night with her best friend and her two bodyguards. Despite not wanting to be there, Hannah has a chance encounter with one of the security guards, Gray, and she can’t get her out of her mind. Gray’s job at Club Midnight also involves getting into dangerous situations with her boss. Hannah and Gray quickly fall for each other, but their relationship is tested when their lives are threatened.
This was such a great, intense romance. Gray and Hannah had steamy chemistry. There was a surprising twist at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming. I’m so glad there are more books in this series because I loved these characters!
Fall into Midnight is a great start to the Fall Trilogy!
Thank you Arden Coutts for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: stabbing, drugging, sexual assault, shooting
Other books in the series:
Fall Into Me (The Fall Trilogy #2)
We All Fall (The Fall Trilogy #3)
Have you read Fall into Midnight? What did you think of it?
Title: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods Author: Svetlana Chmakova Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: Yen Press Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: June 16, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets… but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears-It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
Review:
Ailis and her cousin Na’ya are weirns, witches born with a demon guardian spirit who is bound to them for life. While they’re walking to school through the woods, Ailis sees a mysterious figure. After seeing the figure again, Na’ya’s little brother disappears. Ailis, Na’ya and their friends must go into the forbidden house in the woods to save Na’ya’s brother and the rest of their magic world.
This was a great magical world. It was well developed right from the beginning. Though Ailis and Na’ya went to a magic school where all the other students also had magic, they were bullied by the popular girl. Their bully actually had secrets and insecurities of her own that they discovered in the house in the woods.
Be Wary of the Woods is a great spooky middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Publicity Prose and Yen Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Other books in the series:
The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon
Have you read Be Wary of the Silent Woods? What did you think of it?
Frankie and Friends: The Big Protest by Christine Platt, Alea Marley
HappyHead by Josh Silver
Eleven Houses by Colleen Oakes
A Vile Season by David Ferraro
Thank you Wattpad Books, Penguin Random House Canada, Atria Books, Walker Books US, Penguin Teen Canada, Simon Teen, and Manda Group for providing copies of these books!
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