Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

In Daryl Sherfey's Toad Road, Wart knew he was destined for greatness if only he didn't have to prove himself. Whenever he tried something always went wrong and he became a laughing stock; not that he was ever taken seriously, to begin with. His size had always been a sore point. Smaller than his peers, he felt the need to be accepted, so guard duty was his chance to do just that. The pond had been shrinking, the creek running dry. Only the brave stood guard, which is why he had never been asked, but when Jumbles returned with news about a suspicious plot by the toads, Wart finds himself on his biggest adventure yet. He may be small in stature, but his heart and focus are enormous, and he will need all his courage to face what is to come.

Through the misadventures of Wart, in Daryl Sherfey's Toad Road, young readers are given a glimpse into the natural habitat of frogs, and the environments they thrive in. Great scene setting conjures up vivid images, leaving a firm picture in the mind while not becoming too overwhelming for younger readers. The diverse and entertaining characters not only hold interest and drive the story forward but also have their own messages which a child can easily pick up on and be inspired by. There are so many little pieces of factual information woven in that readers learn without even realizing as they follow the exciting adventure. Food chains, evolution, survival, and character are but a few topics touched upon in this charming children's book. The level makes it suitable for youngsters transitioning from picture books and the involved plot will appeal to older children. But this is not something only to be enjoyed by children; it possesses a whimsical charm that will appeal to adults looking for a fun read to share with the family. Action, adventure, humor, and danger fill each page, propelling you through the wondrous adventure that in some ways reminded me just a little of The Wind in the Willows.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Storms and Scarabs by HR Hobbs is the first book in the Time Chaser series. Mitch’s whole life has been uprooted when his family moves to his grandpa’s farm. He’s not looking for a friend or to settle in there when he meets Brock on the bus and is quickly taken under his new friend’s wing. After he searches through the attic, he uncovers a diary and spyglass that belonged to his great-grandpa. He quickly discovers this is the key to the past when it sends him and his new friend through a portal back in time to ancient Egypt. They make new friends and must fit in with their new environment while they search for a way home. Their plans are forced to change when the pharaoh’s son dies and he requests Mitch’s presence at the palace. This allows him to discover a prophecy and to learn of the High Priest’s interest in the spyglass. He and his friend must stay a step ahead if they’re ever going to find a way back to their own time.

HR Hobbs delivers a fast-paced adventure through time as two boys stumble into the past and struggle to find their way home. A coming of age journey is at the root of the story as Mitch struggles with several changes in his life, from living in a new place to going to a new school to forming a new friendship. The story has a strong connection to history which goes deeper than just through the time travel. Mitch digs up his family’s history when he uncovers the diary, which allows him to learn about where he came from and helps him connect on a deeper level to his family.

The journey to ancient Egypt is full of action and suspense, leaving you wondering if they’re going to make it home or if they’re going to get caught. The mystery is a key element of the story as the trip into the past opens a deeper mystery that involves the High Priest and this mysterious spyglass. The story has a primarily light tone with humorous moments but also has plenty of heart throughout and genuine growth for Mitch. Children will be immediately captivated by ancient Egypt and a time travel adventure that will allow them to explore the history of a stunning and fascinating place. Storms and Scarabs is a delightful read that blends time travel, mystery, humor, friendship, and coming of age in an action-packed adventure.

Reviewed by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite

Amie Borst created adventurous characters and a fun, action-packed novel in Doomy Prepper’s Complete Guide: How to Survive Fifth Grade and the Apocalypse. Doomy Prepper is a logical fifth-grader, whose family is actively prepared for any crisis, disaster, or the apocalypse. He has rules set in place to maneuver through his life in an organized fashion. One of those rules is to ignore the lights in the sky. No one knew what they were or where they came from. It draws Doomy’s curiosity when the lights change colors and start flashing. The only one who will listen to him is his best friend, Peter, and a few of his classmates. Could the lights have anything to do with the people in his town who have gone missing?
 
Doomy Prepper’s Complete Guide: How to Survive Fifth Grade and the Apocalypse by Amie Borst is a refreshing read that middle school students will love. Borst organizes each chapter with three enticing rules, which gives clues to what Doomy will face in that chapter. Borst uses a variety of characters and personalities and shows kids that being different is acceptable. Each of the five students contributed what they could without ridicule. Overall, the author is creative and humorous, while keeping the story on track for the targeted age. I love how the author generates a complex web of mystery and suspense. The story twisted uniquely, surprising the reader in the direction it took. Another plus to this fantasy is Sean Bova’s illustrations. He brings the story alive with his inspiring art.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Dwarf Story by Professor W. W. Marplot is a mythological fairy tale for kids. Arty never misses school and the day he does, there has to be a good reason. Maybe he is gravely ill or just maybe his backyard is the scene of war. On that fateful Wednesday morning, Arty finds a warrior dwarf in his garden, swinging an ax and scaring the dogs. Soon, his other friends begin to find strange creatures appearing – elves, pixies, even a dragon. The big question is, why have they all appeared? And can you give aspirin to a pixie? Arty joins forces with his friends to try to find out what’s going on, but things are taking a sinister turn as the mythical beings begin to take sides. The Gwyllion, the Old Woman of the Mountains, has turned the neighborhood into a battleground and it just needs one more thing to make it perfect – young heroes. Can Arty and his friends save the day?

Dwarf Story by Professor W. W. Marplot is a fascinating tale of humans meeting mythology in a huge battle, not just a physical one but a battle of wits too. It is a well-written story, perfectly aimed at its audience, and is full of action. Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, all of whom have been well-developed into likable, relatable characters – at least, the human ones have. It’s a fun story and I understand there may be more to come. I hope so because I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The story jumps right into the action on page one and it stays there, never letting up until the very end. Great story and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Reviewed by Samantha Coville for Readers' Favorite

Landon is excited about his first Taekwon-Do lesson and there's nothing to worry about. With great classmates to do exercises with him and his own dad as his teacher, Landon will have a blast! He kicks and punches and, once he's finally ready, it's his turn to break a board with a loud "KIAAA!" Now he can rest up, do his practices and stretches, and prepare for his next Taekwon-Do lesson which will hopefully be very soon.

Victor Teran's picture book for children, titled Landon's First Taekwon-Do Lesson, is an absolute delight to read. I appreciate a children's book that not only provides fun pictures and a cute, pleasant story line but inspires children to ask questions and learn. Within these pages kids will learn about different types of kicks, proper etiquette in a dojo, and why you start with a white belt, which even as an adult I found interesting. There's a lot of great content in here and Teran ends it with a sweet passage to kids teaching them to respect their teachers, which I think is an especially valuable lesson that can often be overlooked when the excitement of learning Taekwon-Do is in the forefront of their minds.

This picture book would be a perfect gift to a child or grandchild who is about to start martial arts lessons. Or you can simply use this as a bedtime story by itself. Landon's First Taekwon-Do Lesson is a home run on all fronts from art to writing and I think you'll find this a worthy addition to any child's library.

Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

Neat Freaks by John Arvai III is an illustrated story in rhyme. It tells what happens when children go to bed at night and don’t clean up after themselves. As this story explains, the Neat Freaks that live in the couch cushions come out to play. They will play with all the toys, racing in the cars and having a great time with all the toys lying around. The trouble is, after they have been playing for a while, they become hungry. And when they get hungry, you wouldn’t believe what they eat! Suffice it to say that when the children wake up in the morning, all their toys are gone.

This is a great way of telling children to tidy up before they go to bed or they may have to face the consequences – which is losing all their toys. If I was a child, this story would have me leaving my room spick and span every night without fail! The thing about this story is that although the Neat Freaks are very naughty, they also have a likable quality about them, and I don’t think a child would feel angry with them but would laugh with and at them. The idea that they are playing and having fun with their toys is quite funny. Loveable rogues, really. The illustrations are simple yet colorful and draw the eye, and the rhyming is fun in telling the tale. This cute story will have children checking the couches every morning for the Neat Freaks, without a doubt.

Reviewed by Stephen Fisher for Readers' Favorite

The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe is a marvelous adventure story for children of all ages. It begins with Charlotte, or Lottie for short, in an orphanage. It's the only place where she has lived since her mother died when Charlotte was still very young. Then, on her 12th birthday, she is told by Mrs. Thumble that she has to get her belongings and leave. She has been hired to be the lady's maid for Mr. Henderson's wife. They have to leave right away, because they are setting sail on the ship, The Dorchester. Once they shove off, Lottie finds out that she also has to take Mr. Jacks, their dog, for walks. Shortly after setting sail, the ship runs onto a reef during a storm and sinks. Lottie is able to save the dog and straps herself to some barrels. They finally wash up on the beach of an island. While exploring, she smells food cooking and she finds that pirates are also on the same island. When she gets caught trying to steal food, she is placed in the care of the cook. Then her adventure really begins when the local cannibal tribe pays the pirate camp a visit.

Ms. Lowe does a superb job of bring this adventure story to life, with wide array of characters and events that are vividly described. Redface, the cook, puts her to work alongside Jasper, the cabin boy. Suzanne Lowe weaves this adventure tale with enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. The story moves along at a near breakneck pace, and there is no let-up in the action. For a book that really isn't very long, it is by no means short on all of the elements that make this book action packed. I was immediately drawn into the story. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket was just a joy to read from beginning to end, and tough to put down. I would love to see this entertaining masterpiece on the silver screen some day. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe is a page-turner for sure. Brava!

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight is an action and adventure thriller for young adults and preteens written by J.B. Michaels. After the tumultuous events that marred this last Christmas season, Jane wanted nothing more than to rest and restore her flagging energy -- and give her wings the time they needed to recover from the damage incurred by traveling to the South Pole. It seemed that she had just fallen asleep when she was woken by her phone’s vibrations against the floor where it had fallen. The tenor of Admiral Pixie’s voice clearly signaled the urgency of his call, and she quickly realized that the fourteen hours she had actually slept were a gift. Still, however, her wings ached, and the headache she’d been trying to ignore was nearly a migraine. The Fae Fairy was used to pushing aside her own bodily discomfort as part of her role in inspiring and leading others, and so she quickly dressed and flew over to the hangar where Admiral Pixie’s office was located. The news he had to impart was stunningly grave: three of the Tannenbaum Tailor teams had lost their Fairy Flyers while the teams were tending their trees. Those Fairy Flyers had simply vanished without a trace.

J.B. Michaels’ action and adventure thriller for young adults and preteens, A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight, is a fast-paced and exciting tale that follows Jane and her sister Kath as they battle sinister and unseen forces -- and each other. While the author gives enough background information to allow this book to be read on its own, I would strongly recommend that readers begin with the first volume in the series, The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Secret Snowball, to more fully appreciate this imaginative and entertaining continuing saga. Michaels’ stories transcend the basic presumption of belief in Christmas, the North Pole and Santa, and build instead an epic fantasy structure that works on so many levels. His characters are credible and complex, and his plot is tidy and clever. A Capitol Abduction: Fairies in Flight is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

The wonderful anticipation for any reader of young adult fiction, but an equally difficult challenge for its author, is the always exciting and expectant notion of One … Great … Story. The implication being: The writer had better be a good storyteller. In just such a book, Benice, by Metin Karayaka, one gets two bangs for his expectant buck: One great story, and many wonderful illustrations by Rohan Daniel Eason. Both the story and the illustrations are reminiscent of their classic predecessors - such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped – but without the baggage (for some) of a now considered antiquated style. A mysterious old fisherman, an impressionable young boy, the suggestion of pirates in the wings: These are the elements enticing the aforementioned reader to “Come aboard!”

Ben Ice, a reclusive old gossiped-about fisherman with one hook for a hand, a peg-leg for a leg, a patch for one eye, and a parrot perched on his shoulder is a character who bodes well for Metin Karayaka’s great story, Benice. I’m sure one can speculate on Mr. Ice’s true profession, even without the grand illustrations provided by Mr. Eason. The young boy, Levend, who retells his tale later on in life, comes to the longed-for revelation appetizingly late in his telling. One has come to suspect by then that Ben Ice is but an allegory for old ways and somewhat nasty things, but then the plot thickens, our boat is twisted sideways, and we are suddenly face to face with …. Ah, but there be no spoilers here, matey! This is a story for us kids. Told by one great storyteller. And great expectations are duly rewarded with ample buried treasure!

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

Flurry the teddy bear cub had already been through so much, so he couldn't understand why his mom had been so angry when she found him watching a pirate movie. The adventure was PG13, but tame compared to what he had already experienced in the flesh. The fact that he did something called 'pirating' sounded cool, but his mom had explained why it wasn't. But he still didn't get it. He had developed a taste, an addiction, to adventure and even as he settled down to sleep his mind raced with thoughts of adventure, and how he wished he could experience the thrill again. It's well known you should be careful what you wish for, because when he awoke he was still within the comfort of his own bed, but his bedroom was lost - instead he and his plush bear brothers found themselves adrift in the ocean. An ancient evil is rising, led by the nefarious Black Bear'd, the pirate, and it falls to Flurry and his crew to save the day.

Having read The Land of the Sourpie, which is book 2 in the Flurry the Bear series, I was quite eager to see what misadventures our little teddy bear cub encountered this time. I have to say this series just keeps getting better. As much as I enjoyed the second book, book five, The Rising Tide, is my favourite to date. There's action, adventure, pirates, sorcerers, manipulation, epic sea battles, and dark forces all brought together in a rich and vibrant child friendly world - what is there not to like? J.S. Skye writes in a stylistic manner well-tuned to his target audience, whilst ensuring that any adult would also be drawn into the adventure. I honestly can't wait until my son is a little older because these are, without a doubt, going on his reading list. This is a world of imagination, adventure, and hidden lessons, and any parent should be proud to add this book to their child's library. I found the text size, chapter length, and line spacing ideal for younger readers.