Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Soul: A Robot with Heart is a sci-fi adventure story by Viki de Lieme. Soul is a thirteen-year-old robot living in the iron country of Roboland with his M.O.M. and D.A.D. Roboland is full of robots who do everything perfectly, leaving no room for feelings or mistakes. But for some reason, Soul's operating system is built differently. Unlike other robots, he feels things, likes to wash his stainless steel hands with soap and water, and reads books. One day, while hovering home from RoboSchool, Soul stumbles upon a fluffy puppy that turns his worldview upside down. He names her Nova, and now he must find a way to reveal her to his parents. How will they react? Will Soul be able to bring back feelings for everyone in Roboland?

A heartwarming tale full of humor and drama, Soul is a short story for kids and adults alike. Viki de Lieme gives a poignant social commentary on the relentless pursuit of material possessions and success that sometimes take the joy and feelings out of people's lives, those same feelings that make them human and differentiate us from being just mindless and efficient robots. The story is narrated through the perspective of Soul, a young robot who always felt different from his people and, eventually, works his way to change the world. I enjoyed Soul's relationship dynamics with his parents and Nova, who is adorable. So grab a copy and treat yourselves to a fun-filled sci-fi adventure tale!

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Family get-togethers are always a lot of fun, especially when you're a kid, as you meet and play with kids your age when your cousins join in on the fun. The Cousins Are Coming is one such adventure story of a family get-together. Written by Kay Jones, MA, in catchy rhyming verses, with some lively illustrations by Peter Trimarco, the story follows a group of siblings awaiting the arrival of their cousins. Excited and brimming with energy, the kids greet their cousins enthusiastically. But now it's time to cosplay, using rock-paper-scissors to decide who will play which role. Soon, the kids will spy on their parents, play hide-and-seek, look at old family pictures, race across the house, eat ice cream, play board games, and at the end of an exhausting day, argue over who will sleep where.

I still remember the days I waited patiently for family get-togethers when my cousins would come, and we would get into tons of mischief and create an uproar all over the house, much to the chagrin of our parents. This is precisely the energy and vibe I got while reading The Cousins Are Coming. Kay Jones has created a short, sweet story of rhymes for kids to enjoy. The combination of quirky characters and hilariously funny dialogue and rhymes are bound to entertain children of all ages. Peter Trimarco's illustrations are the icing on the cake, making it even more enjoyable. I can't recommend this one enough.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Turning The Corner is an adventure drama story for preteens by Ruozhen Ma. Inspired by her own experiences of re-joining school after two years of distance learning due to COVID lockdowns since 2020, Ruozhen recalls the period of adjustment she and her friends had to go through to feel like traditional fifth graders. With the advent of fifth grade also came dealing with puberty and the social cliques of school, which is never easy for any young girl. Being a Chinese American also adds to the challenges of trying to fit in. Upon her arrival in fifth grade, Ruozhen wins the student rep elections and performs spectacularly in sports, music, and writing contests. But is she prepared for middle school, where rumors, gossip, and social cliques are going to be on the next level?

The pandemic has created an unprecedented situation where schoolchildren of this generation have been forced to study from home for two years and return to the pressures and challenges of mingling with their peers in school. Ruozhen Ma, an eleven-year-old author, eloquently puts her experiences on paper and tells an engaging story any preteen can relate to. Turning The Corner represents the kids who have lost two years of their school life and now have to start anew. Ruozhen's interactions with her family, friends, and teachers feel genuine and authentic, and you can't help but find them adorable. The narrative is paced well and breezes past without a single hitch. I highly recommend this book to preteens and young adults alike.

Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite

And Sometimes Y is a children’s picture book by David Ross with illustrations by Bogdan Gărgărită. In a world of alphabetic letters, X, a consonant, and O, a vowel, fall in love and have a child, Y. Unfortunately, Y acts like both a consonant and a vowel, which causes a lot of confusion among the letters. As Y grew, more confusion arose, which built a wedge between the parents, who claimed that Y was a vowel or a consonant. It caused the parents to argue, and Y felt sad and alone because neither the vowels nor the consonants wanted to be around Y. The parents tried to change Y with guilt and subtle hints. But something marvelous happened when Y decided to embrace both identities of being a vowel and a consonant.

I love it when an author thinks outside the box and uses a simple concept to deliver a powerful message. And Sometimes Y combines lessons about individuality and uniqueness and teaches children about consonants and vowels. Children will learn to be inclusive, have confidence in themselves, and embrace their differences. David Ross is a great storyteller who made me feel compassion for these characters to the point where I forgot they are just letters in the alphabet. He made them relatable and made me see myself in them. The book also has beautiful visuals that bring the story and characters to life. The drawings were unique, and I loved the different sketches of the letter Y. They showed the internal struggle that the character experienced. I recommend parents and guardians read this book with their children and teach them that it is okay to be different because it makes us special and unique.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Tips For Magicians is a work of fiction in the fantasy, drama, and adventure subgenres. The work is intended for children from the fourth to sixth grade reading age and was penned by author Celesta Rimington. Our central protagonist is Harrison Boone, a talented singer who loses his voice when his mother passes away unexpectedly. Now no longer able to follow his musical dreams, Harrison decides to focus on mastering the art of illusionary magic instead. But as he endures one life-altering event after another, his new hometown Muse offers an intriguing new mystery. A legendary magical entity is said to reside here who grants wishes but hasn’t been seen in years. What results is a charming, heartfelt adventure about healing, adapting, and finding your passion once more.

It is rare to find a children’s book with such a sophisticated level of emotional realism, but this was a tale that truly moved me at the core from beginning to end. Author Celesta Rimington reveals that the true magic of this charming novel is not in the tricks or legends of the story, but in art itself, and its incredible power to heal us against some very painful odds. As a central protagonist, Harrison is a highly relatable figure to both adults and younger readers and is sensitively portrayed with close, empathetic narration that really lets us feel every moment from his perspective. I also really loved the setting in Muse, a desert town that felt like a character all of its own in a story swimming with atmosphere, personality, and detail. The work that Rimington does with dialogue is especially effective in terms of its characterization too. Overall, I would highly recommend Tips For Magicians to one and all as a resonant work of social issues drama that breathes new life and hope into the genre.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Hyrax Song (Pearls of Wisdom Series Book 2) is a work of fiction in the fantasy and adventure subgenres, and it forms the second installment of the series. This work by Catherine Ann Russell and artist Brooke Connor is intended for children. We follow a series of adorable animal creatures on a quest to find the truest version of themselves in this short tale based on Biblical messages of goodwill to others. Our protagonist, the mouse Princess Journee, must band together with friends old and new to save her father’s kingdom from a dark fate that awaits. In doing so, she will encounter all different kinds of personalities and ideas and learn to embrace others with acceptance and cooperation.

I enjoy children’s works that have a clear moral message but also manage to tell a compelling story without simply turning it into another sermon or lecture on Biblical morals. Catherine Ann Russell achieves this beautifully in this succinct but memorable work that independent readers will certainly enjoy escaping into. To add to the layers of clever storytelling and positive theming, the illustrations by Brooke Connor make the story come to life for those whose imaginations need a little more of a nudge. The combined approach gives a unique personality to Journee and each of her lovable friends, making readers even more invested in the outcome of their adventures. The Hyrax Song will certainly please fans of the first work in the series, and newcomers will adore discovering a new storytelling style from a creative team with an uplifting message to share.

Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite

Life is hard enough, but it gets worse when your sibling becomes your arch-nemesis. Austin and Derek Davenport are two brothers who attended Cherry Avenue Middle School. Derek was only eleven months older than his brother, and they were in the same grade. While Austin was the academic genius, Derek was the athletic icon. There was an unhealthy rivalry between the brothers, and Derek collaborated with the school principal to make Austin’s life a living hell. The Halloween dance approached, and Austin looked forward to attending with a girl he liked called Sophie. Unfortunately, Derek and the principal would rather ruin the event than see anyone happy. Can Austin thwart their plans in time for the dance? Down With The Dance by C. T. Walsh has the entire story.

Down With The Dance by C. T. Walsh is the first installment in the Middle School Mayhem Series. It was all shades of fantastic, hilarious, and educational. The book contained many pictures/caricatures that made me laugh, especially the butt chin image. However, it also explored social issues like bullying, parental shortcomings, low self-esteem, and more. I asked myself if parents could love their children equally instead of playing favorites. When does it go from keeping the peace between siblings to taking a side and emotionally damaging the other party? At what point does disciplining a student become bullying and making them a target of harassment? There was a lot to unpack in this story. I loved the lighthearted and witty first-person narrative, making the novel perfect for teenagers and middle schoolers. The plot was unique, and the storyline was realistic. I await the next installments.

Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite

Tears and Tulle by Gina Bell is a beautiful children's picture book that tells the story of a girl who was born wearing a skirt made of tulle. The skirt was as colorful as the rainbow and only the girl could see it. The skirt makes her so happy as it connects the girl to her magic, color, and dreams. Yet, as the girl grows, so does the skirt, and unfortunately, life suddenly became hard and chaotic. In life’s darkest moments, the girl needs to remember that the skirt is there for her and that it has the power to make her strong enough to deal with all the uncomfortable situations coming her way. She just needs to fluff her skirt and the power within her will activate.

With adorable illustrations and a powerful message, Tears and Tulle by Gina Bell reminds readers that young girls and grown-up women alike must remember to connect with their magic, joy, and color. This is a gorgeously written story of empowerment that touches your heart and makes you celebrate your inner sparkle. It contains an encouraging tale about a rainbow tulle skirt that comforts and empowers a girl, and also reminds her of the magic and color that exist in her. This wonderful message is uplifting, and an inspiration for women of all ages around the world. It teaches them to embrace their perfectly imperfect lives. It's a great reminder of one's value and a delightful read that I will gift to my nieces and all moms to be that I know.

Reviewed by Trisha Dawn for Readers' Favorite

Katie Petruzziello's Mighty Mila: An Inclusive Children's Book about an Unstoppable Deaf Girl is about a bright and amazing young girl named Mila. Mila is a creative, smart, and hardworking girl. However, she feels frustrated because her parents are not treating her like a big girl. They do not let her do things on her own, even when choosing her clothes. One day, she decides to prove to them that she is a big girl now and she doesn't need them to help her do things! She wants to show them that she can make her own decisions and do many things on her own like a big girl. Unexpectedly, Mila faces a sudden dilemma. Will she be able to face this on her own? Join Mila as she teaches everyone how a big girl acts!

Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello was an inspiring, fast-paced, and well-written story. It was filled with valuable lessons about accepting one's flaws. Not only is the story full of important lessons, but it is also filled with helpful details about Mila's cochlear implants, and I was able to learn a lot about the implants that deaf people wear. Reading this wonderful tale, I was immediately attracted to the main character, Mila, who was a ball of sunshine throughout the story. I admired how strong-willed she was when she wanted to prove something to her family. The adorable and colorful illustrations by Nadja Sarell made the story even more joyous. The art is truly praiseworthy and adds more depth and tone to the tale. At the end of Mighty Mila, there are interactive activities for readers to enjoy. Having these activities at the end of the story made learning a lot more fun and worthwhile. It also helped me remember the important things I learned after I read the book. Children will surely enjoy and also learn a lot from Mila's adventures! Great job!

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Do you frequently get distracted and end up doing something other than what you should be doing? Then you forget what you were supposed to do? And you end up on another tangent and the day just keeps on getting more and more complicated and disorganized? That’s Riley’s problem. She’s a very energetic, creative young lady and wants to be busy at all times, only her busy-ness is what leads her away from the tasks she should be doing. So, on her first day of school, when she should be organized with her clothes ready and everything where it should be, she becomes distracted yet again and ends up wearing one shoe, one boot, mismatched socks, and an ugly top. Her friends comment on her wardrobe and she’s feeling rather uncomfortable about her choice of clothes. So, when her new teacher hands all the students a list of things they must do and check off the things as they’ve done them, Riley at first ignores the list and wanders around the classroom, looking at books, drawing a picture, anything and everything except what she should be doing. At some point, she addresses the list and is amazed at how organizational methods help her get her jobs done when they should be done and she feels good about herself and her accomplishments. This list-thing is a new superpower, one that she is going to put to good use.

June Akers's early chapter book, Riley Madison Discovers the Superpower of a List, is a clever way to introduce young readers to a better way to organize their time. Being super organized doesn’t come easily for everyone; it certainly isn’t easy for Riley. But the teacher’s insistence on following a list and reaching a goal, which is the best reward, teaches Riley a valuable lesson in how to organize one’s time and still have fun. The plot develops with a lot of humor as Riley does some amazingly silly things. Her brain is obviously over-active; she’s definitely a high achiever. Only, she doesn’t know where to draw the line and she wants desperately to do everything all at once. Enter the teacher’s solution: the list. And, quite remarkably, Riley has a new superpower. This is a fun way to help overactive, high achievers organize their lives. After all, no one wants to be embarrassed by something as simple as a mismatched wardrobe like Riley wore on her first day to school.