Title: Unicornia: Learning to Fly Author: Ana Punset, Diana Vicedo (illustrator) Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: Candlewick Press Source: Publisher Format: Hardcover Release Date: December 3, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Do you believe in unicorns? School, friendship, and a certain magical beast will enchant beginning readers in this first of a series.
Welcome to Unicornia, the most wonderful place ever! Claudia is about to start her first day at the Unicornia Academy of Magic, where she’ll learn all about spells, potions, and most importantly, unicorns! But she will need to ace her first unicorn flying test at the end of the week if she hopes to advance. With the help of her new friends, will Claudia learn to ride in record time? Get ready for unicorns, glitter, and magic galore in this shimmering story of friendship and fun. Originally published in Spain, the popular series, with sweet illustrations and a simple, humorous text, is poised to charm young unicorn fans everywhere.
Review:
Claudia and her family have just moved to Unicornia, where unicorns fly in the sky. She’s excited to start her first day at Unicornia Academy of Magic where she will learn about potions and magic. However, she’s nervous about learning to ride a unicorn. Claudia must ace the flying test at the end of the week to be able to continue in the class, so her new friends join together to teach Claudia how to get comfortable riding a unicorn.
This is such a cute, illustrated chapter book. I loved that the illustrations were coloured in black, white, and pink. Claudia learned to make friends who in turn taught her how to fly a unicorn. Even though she was scared at first, Claudia faced her fear and learned how to do it.
Unicornia: Learning to Fly is a fun chapter book!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books for providing a copy of this book!This book was gifted to me from @penguinrandomca as part of the Holiday Book Magic Campaign! The Holiday Book Magic books are a curated list of books that are perfect for gifting and enjoying all year long!
Have you read Unicornia: Learning to Fly? What did you think of it?
Cursed by a sorcerer’s hex, Alyssa McCarthy finds herself in a fight she can’t afford to lose, or everything she knows will be lost!
After she finishes her final year of junior high, fourteen-year-old Alyssa faces an uncertain future in more ways than one when a sorcerer casts a hex that leaves her with involuntary magical powers that are too dangerous to remove.
Unable to control her newly gained abilities Alyssa’s end-of-middle-school sleepover ends in disaster when she knocks her friends unconscious when her powers go out of control. If Alyssa can’t learn to master her magic soon, she will be cursed to forget her loved ones and serve as the warlock’s slave for all of eternity.
Her only hope is to focus on controlling her emotions if she is to break the curse. However, the difficulties of adolescence, along with the perils and growing disasters she faces, make Alyssa struggle even more. From putting her friends’ lives at risk to losing their trust, she continues to fear what will become of her if she fails.
Will Alyssa be able to break the hex and become the enchantress that she was meant to be, or will she become enslaved to the sorcerer forever?
Review:
Alyssa McCarthy’s magic powers have returned with the appearance of a new villain: Boo-Champ Corey. She has a sleepover with friends that ends in her friends being attacked and stolen away, which sends Alyssa on a hunt throughout the magical world for them. Alyssa has to regain the trust of her friends while also learning how to use her new powers and defeat Boo-Champ Corey.
This is a great third book in the series. It was action packed. Alyssa had to deal with regular friendship drama that most kids face, as well as learning how to use her magical powers. The writing and storytelling really improved throughout the series. The ending was open to more books in the future so maybe there will be more books about Alyssa McCarthy.
The New Enchantress is an exciting magical middle grade novel!
Thank you Sunayna Prasad and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign.
Title: Third Shift Society, Vol. 1 Author: Meredith Moriarty Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: March 5, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Life’s funny. One minute you’re jobless, deep in debt and on the verge of eviction; the next you’re in a fight with a monster and getting a job working for a Paranormal Detective with the head of a Jack-o-Lantern. It’s an age-old story.
In one afternoon, Ellie discovers that monsters are real, she has latent psychic powers, and a well dressed man with a pumpkin for a head wants her to be his partner. It’s a lot to take in. Now the clumsy but determined Ellie and her Pumpkin-headed boss Ichabod have to team up and fight the things that go bump in the night.
Before she can say “boo,” Ellie finds herself tangled up in a magical world where monsters are real, demons tend bar, and psychic conversations take place in a super unsettling mystical void. And there are even more dangerous forces at work, just out of sight.
This volume collects Season 1 of the bewitching WEBTOON comic Third Shift Society .
Review:
After suddenly losing her job, Ellie discovers that paranormal creatures are real and she has magic powers. She meets Icabod, a man with a pumpkin head, who invites her to work with him as a detective at Third Shift Society. They must fight paranormal creatures to make the world a safer place.
This is such a fun graphic novel! I loved the way paranormal creatures were hiding in plain sight in the world of this story. I was surprised that people didn’t have a stronger response to seeing Icabod with a pumpkin head, but he was so charming, it was easy to forget that he didn’t look like a human.
Third Shift Society, Vol. 1 is a fun start to this graphic novel series!
Other books in the series:
Third Shift Society, Vol. 2
Have you read Third Shift Society, Vol. 2? What did you think of it?
Title: The Sea Train Chronicles: The Call of the Waves Author: Darian Storm Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: Parker Publishers Source: Author Format: Paperback Release Date: August 22, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Every life is a unique tapestry woven from countless threads of experiences, challenges, and triumphs. I am an immigrant from a small island in the Caribbean who took on the challenges of adapting to a new way of life, culture, and lifestyle, all while dreaming of the past. As I sat down to write this story, I was reminded of the moments that have shaped who I am today-the ocean, adventure, and friendships. From the laughter and love of my childhood friends, family, and kids, to the trials and discoveries of my adult years, each chapter of my life has contributed to the person I have become. In these pages, I invite you to walk with me through the pivotal moments, the lessons learned, and the dreams pursued, reflected in the story that the main characters live and endure as they search for the Sea Train. Welcome to the journey. I hope that all of you get to have some fun.
Review:
Four teenage cousins and friends embark on a journey out of their village and find a coded map. It takes them a couple of years to decipher what it means, but they eventually learn that it is a map to the Sea Train. Each of the kids have different skills which they use on their epic journey.
This book began with detailed world building. There was everything from the locations in the town to the festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. I appreciated the attention to detail that the author put in to build this world. These details formed the foundation for the exciting journey that the main characters went on.
The Sea Train Chronicles: The Call of the Waves is a great middle grade fantasy!
Thank you Darian Storm and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for a paid campaign.
Have you read The Sea Train Chronicles: The Call of the Waves? What did you think of it?
Title: There Might Be a Magical Unicorn at the End of This Book Author: Andy Waters, Mark Kummer (illustrator) Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Taffy Tales Source: Publisher Format: Hardcover Release Date: July 7, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Prepare for a tale of enchantment and quacky chaos! Join our intrepid narrator as he embarks on a whimsical retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, only to find himself in a feathery frenzy thanks to an inquisitive duck! This feathered mischief-maker can’t help but dive beak-first into the heart of the story, peppering the narrative with uproarious questions and hilariously skeptical speculations about the potential appearance of a majestic unicorn. Will the narrator manage to corral this whimsical waddler and bring the fairy tale to its majestic conclusion, or will the duck-driven disruptions lead to a side-splitting showdown of epic proportions? Get ready for a quacktacular adventure that’s bound to have you giggling, grinning, and dreaming of unicorns! About the There Might Be book series: The There Might Be series from Taffy Tales is silly. It is funny. It is funny and silly. That’s it. It is for every young reader who impatiently wants to rush to the ending of the story, but one who also enjoys some jokes and silliness along the way. Taffy Tales creates best-selling children’s titles that will be cherished and remembered.
Review:
The narrator is reading Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the duck, but the duck is only interested in finding a unicorn in the story. The narrator told the duck that there might be a unicorn at the end of the story. After the duck gets too excited and rips up the book, the story takes an unexpected turn with seven squirrels appearing and possibly a unicorn.
This was such a fun picture book! The duck was impatient to find out what happened at the end of the story. I’m sure most readers will know that the traditional story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs doesn’t include a unicorn, so the story has to take an unexpected turn to end the way the duck wants. This story reminded me of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, which is one of my favorite picture books!
There Might Be a Magical Unicorn at the End of This Book is a fun picture book!
Thank you Taffy Tales for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read There Might Be a Magical Unicorn at the End of This Book? What did you think of it?
History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself.
It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought…
Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear.
In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness.
Review:
Alyssa McCarthy has left magic behind since moving in with her godfather, Alex. When the magical items that had been left in her care disappear, Alyssa discovers that she now has magic powers. However, she can’t control them, so she gets in trouble at home and school for using magic. Every time Alyssa uses her magic, an evil skeleton named Errol gets one step closer to getting his body back, so she must quickly figure out how to get rid of her powers.
This is a great sequel in the Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions series. This story was quite different from the first one. Alyssa had new friends in this book, because she had moved from New Jersey to Chicago. I liked that this introduced new characters to help Alyssa on her mission.
A Curse of Mayhem is a great middle grade fantasy!
Thank you Sunayna Prasad and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for a paid campaign.
Title: DeadEndia: The Divine Order (DeadEndia #3) Author: Hamish Steele Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Young Adult Publisher: Union Square and Co. Source: Publisher Format: Hardcover Release Date: April 23, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Eisner Award–winning creator Hamish Steele’s DeadEndia series is Steven Universe meets Adventure Time for fans of Scott Pilgrim, Rick and Morty , Adventure Time , and Pumpkinheads .
In this diverse YA graphic novel, third in the DeadEndia trilogy, Barney, Norma, and friends team up with unlikely heroes to fight a battle for the fate of the universe, all while dealing with their greatest challenge of their love lives.
The battle between angels and demons rages on, and Courtney finds themselves restored to former glory in the realm of the angels with a new bring about a new Divine Order and create a fourteenth plane of existence to keep the demons at bay. On the seventh plane, known to us as Earth, Norma Khan and Barney Guttman have allied with the demons in a search for both freedom and peace. There’s just one thing standing in their the Guttman family reunion. Badyah has joined the resistance as well, honing her martial arts skills and getting ready to protect Norma in battle.
But Pael, the Divine’s lead angel, has tricks up their sleeve that throw everything into chaos as Norma, Barney, and Badyah learn the truth behind everything. The three friends struggle to stop Pael before their lives are changed forever, and a familiar friend returns with a power that just might save them all in this stunning conclusion to the DeadEndia series.
Review:
Barney, Norma, and their friends must begin their final fight to save the world. Their friend Courtney has returned to the angels and is trying to restore Divine Order to try to keep the demons away. Pael, the Divine’s lead angel, throws twists their way that causes chaos in the world, so Barney and Norma have a huge fight on their hands.
This is a great finale to the DeadEndia series. There were unexpected twists, but I really liked how everything came together at the end. This story has great inclusivity, with characters of different gender and sexual identities and cultural backgrounds. I’m excited to go check out the Netflix series that accompanies this series!
I highly recommend checking out the DeadEndia graphic novel series!
Thank you Union Square and Co for sending me a copy of this book!
Title: The Frights of Fiji (Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions #1) Author: Sunayna Prasad Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: S.A. Prasad Publishing Source: Author Format: Paperback Release Date: October 20, 2018 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A world of magic and adventure awaits for 12-year-old Alyssa McCarthy. A sorcerer kidnaps her to an enchanted island, filled with magical creatures and technology, but also danger. It is up to Alyssa to defeat the peril and overcome the warlock.
Review:
Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy has lived with her uncle and cousin since her parents died in a car accident five years earlier. One day when she’s doing the chores that her uncle assigns to her, she sees words appear on a window. Alyssa discovers that magic is real, and she’s the key to a dangerous wizard regaining his powers. Alyssa must work with other wizards to save herself and her friends.
This is a great start to a middle grade series! It was fast paced and exciting. I liked that the story was short, so it would be easy for young readers to read it fairly quickly. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!
The Frights of Fiji is a great middle grade fantasy!
Thank you Sunayna Prasad and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for a paid campaign.
Content warnings: death of parents, memory loss
Other books in the series:
A Curse of Mayhem (Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions #2)
The New Enchantress (Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions #3)
Have you read The Frights of Fiji? 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: 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?
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