Geo Librarian

  THE MONSTER AND THE MAZE Monkey King and the World of Myths #1 written and illustrated by Maple Lam G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-52463-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Percy Jackson meets Dragonball in the first book of this adorable, funny, and action-packed graphic novel series! Follow along as the legendary Monkey King tries to save the world from a mysterious new threat—and smashes his way through the world of ancient Greek mythology in the process! A long-forgotten evil has reemerged, determined to transform everyone—humans, beasts, and gods alike—into monsters. And there’s only one being who can stop it, or at least that’s what he thinks. Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, is said to be the mightiest of all beasts, and he’s made a deal with the gods. They will grant him his greatest wish and make him a god too. All he has to do is battle ...

  ASH'S CABIN written and illustrated by Jen Wang First Second, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-250-75406-6 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life. But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants ...

  THE HARROWING: A GRAPHIC NOVEL written by Kristen Kiesling, illustrated by Rye Hickman Harry N. Abrams, 2024 ISBN:   9781419760846 Source: eBook from the public library through Sora Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this YA graphic novel, a psychic teen hunts potential killers until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target Rowan Sterling should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether her best friend, Lucas, is maybe more than a friend. . . . Instead, she’s having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As the premonitions increase in number and intensity, Rowan seeks her father’s help, but instead finds herself drugged, kidnapped, and sent to a mysterious facility called Rosewood. It isn’t long before Rowan discovers Rosewood isn’t a boarding school or an it’s a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows. Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers be...

CRIMSON TWILL, WITCH IN THE CITY by Kallie George, illustrated by Birgitta Sif Candlewick Press, 2022 ISBN: 9781536214635 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 7-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Crimson Twill's unusual preferences help her stand out in the witch world.  She loves polka dots, she giggles rather than cackling, and skips rather than slinking, and dreams sweet dreams rather than nightmares.  A visit to Broomingdale's, a mall in the city, highlights her differences as she looks for a way to spend her gold coins. Her efforts lead her to visit several different floors where she looks at pets, brooms, and hats.  She picks up a lost puppy on the pet floor and spends the rest of her time looking for its owner.  She meets another young witch with colorful tastes while looking at hats before ending up at the fashion show where she finds the owner of the puppy.  She doesn't find s...

THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb by Candace Fleming Scholastic Focus, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-338-59661-8 Source: purchased Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within. During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings. His tomb was also said to be cursed. Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits -- a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist -- worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for ...

CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER How Elizabeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars words by Laurie Wallmark, art by Brooke Smart Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-4197-3963-7 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. REVIEW This stunning book about Elizabeth Friedman and her incredible code-cracking skills presents a fascinating look into a woman who used her skills to benefit her country, during not one, but two world wars.  The codes scattered throughout the book offer young readers a chance to learn some code-breaking skills themselves.  Interestingly, an encounter with a librarian set her on the path that lead to Elizabeth becoming one of the world's most accomplished code breakers.  Along the way she met her husband and helped form the United States first code-breaking unit.  Not only did she and her husband help break codes but they helped establish techniques and strategies that would be used for years to come. She ...

CLEO PORTER AND THE BODY ELECTRIC by Jake Burt  Feiwel and Friends, 2020 ISBN: 9781250236555 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A woman is dying. Cleo Porter has her medicine. And no way to deliver it. Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humans from the earth. Safe from everything. The trade-off? They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else--a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival--Cleo is stuck. As a surgeon-in-training, she knows the clock is ticking. But people don't leave their units. Not ever. Until now.   REVIEW   Cleo Porter plans to be a surgeon like her mother. She's working hard to prepare for the test she must pass to continue ...

  THE MONSTER WHO WASN'T by T.C. Shelley Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0456-2 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   It is a well-known fact that fairies are born from a baby's first laugh. What is not as well documented is how monsters come into being … This is the story of a creature who is both strange and unique. When he hatches in the underground lair where monsters dwell, he looks just like a human boy – much to the monsters' dismay. Even the grumpy gargoyles who take him under their wings and nickname him "Imp" only adopt him to steal chocolate for them from nearby shops. With feet in both the monster and human worlds, Imp doesn't know where he fits. But little does Imp realize that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a great and dangerous destiny in mind for him, and he'll stop at nothing to see it come to pass. . . With rich, atmospheric writing, debut author ...

  THE PRINCESS WHO FLEW WITH DRAGONS Tales from the Chocolate Heart #3 by Stephanie Burgis Bloomsbury, 2020 ISBN: 9781547602070 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Princess Sofia of Drachenheim is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and a promised future fiancé to a wicked fairy. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend--Jasper, a young dragon whom she's never even met. When Sofia's older sister sends her on a diplomatic mission to far-off Villenne, she's meant to play the part of a charming, smiling princess. But when an accident leads to her exile from the city, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper's food-mage sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can't get any better. Until… the legendary ice giants of the n...

  CURSE OF THE NIGHT WITCH Emblem Island #1 by Alex Aster Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-4926-9720-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it. Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power. The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin...the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch. With only his village's terrif...

  THE GHOST IN APARTMENT 2R by Denis Markell Delacorte Press, 2020 ISBN: 9780525645719 Source: Purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK What if there was a ghost in your brother's room? This kid-friendly mystery about three friends who try to help a restless spirit find peace is perfect for fans of Under the Egg and The Book Scavenger . It stinks that Danny's older brother moved out and went to college. But you know what's worse? He left behind an angry ghost in his room! With the help of his friends Nat and Gus, Danny interviews everyone his Brooklyn neighborhood to find out about spirits. Is it an Arabian ghoul? A Korean gwishin? A Polish haunting? Maybe the answer lies with Danny's own bubbe and her tales of a dybbuk, a Jewish mythological ghost. Regardless of its origins, what does the spirit truly want? And can Danny manage to bring the phantom to rest?   REVIEW   The Ghost in Apartment 2R provides a slightly spo...

  HIDE AND SEEKER by Daka Hermon Scholastic, 2020 ISBN: 9781338583632 Source: school library Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   One of our most iconic childhood games receives a creepy twist as it becomes the gateway to a nightmare world. I went up the hill, the hill was muddy, stomped my toe and made it bloody, should I wash it? Justin knows that something is wrong with his best friend. Zee went missing for a year. And when he came back, he was . . . different. Nobody knows what happened to him. At Zee's welcome home party, Justin and the neighborhood crew play Hide and Seek. But it goes wrong. Very wrong. One by one, everyone who plays the game disappears, pulled into a world of nightmares come to life. Justin and his friends realize this horrible place is where Zee had been trapped. All they can do now is hide from the Seeker.   REVIEW   This book sucked me in from the very first page.  From the moment Justin a...

  RIVAL MAGIC by Deva Fagan Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020 ISBN: 9781534439054 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   A young wizard's apprentice discovers that the best magic is not the biggest or the brightest, but the magic unique to you, in this cinematic middle grade fantasy in the tradition of Kiki's Delivery Service and The School for Good and Evil. Antonia may not be the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, but she's worked hard to win her place as apprentice to renowned sorcerer Master Betrys. Unfortunately, even her best dancing turnip charm might not be enough when Moppe the scullery maid turns out to be a magical prodigy. Now that Betrys has taken Moppe on as a second apprentice, Antonia's path to wizarding just got a bit more complicated. But when Betrys is accused of treason, Antonia and Moppe are forced to go on the run. To prove their master's innocence--and their own--the...

  EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH by Julie Abe Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020 ISBN:  9780316493888 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Sometimes all you need is a pinch of magic... Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before she turns thirteen years old. If she doesn't, she'll lose her magic forever. For most young witches and wizards, it's a simple enough test: ONE: Help your town, do good all around. TWO: Live there for one moon, don't leave too soon. THREE: Fly home by broomstick, the easiest of tricks. The only problem? Eva only has a pinch of magic. She summons heads of cabbage instead of flowers and gets a sunburn instead of calling down rain. And to add insult to injury, whenever she overuses her magic, she falls asleep. When she lands on the tranquil coastal town of Auteri, the residents expect a powerful witch, not a semi-magical girl. So Eva comes up wit...

  IN THE RED by Christopher Swiedler  Harper, 2020 ISBN: 9780062894410 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Michael Prasad knows he shouldn’t go out on the Mars surface alone. It’s dangerous. His parents have forbidden it. And the anxiety he feels almost every time he puts on a spacesuit makes it nearly impossible for him to leave the safety of the colony. But when his best friend, Lilith, suggests they sneak out one night, he can’t resist the chance to prove everyone—including himself—wrong. As the two ride along the Mars surface in a stolen rover, miles from the colony, a massive solar flare hits the planet, knocking out power, communication, and navigation systems, and the magnetic field that protects the planet from the sun’s deadly radiation. Stranded hours from home with an already limited supply of food, water, and air, Michael and Lilith must risk everything if they’re to get back to the colony alive.   R...

A WISH IN THE DARK by Christina Soontornvat Candlewick Press, 2020 ISBN: 9781536204940 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free. Nok, the prison warden’s perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family’s good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the t...

  MULAN : BEFORE THE SWORD An Original Tale by Grace Lin Disney Press, 2020 ISBN: 9781368020336 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   Family is important to Hua Mulan-even if her parents don't understand why she would rather ride her horse, Black Wind, than weave, or how her notorious clumsiness can be so different from the graceful demeanor of her younger sister, Xiu. But despite their differences, Mulan has a deep love for her family, especially Xiu. So when her sister is bitten by a poisonous spider, Mulan does everything she can to help, including seeking out a renowned healer. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to both the mysterious spider bite and the healer than meets the eye. On a quest with the Jade Rabbit of legend, Mulan visits extraordinary places, meets Immortals, and faces incredible obstacles while searching for an antidote for her sister. And the danger only rises when Mula...