Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Poseidon's Academy by Sarah A Vogler is a young adult epic fantasy that will thrill fans of Rick Riordan and readers who enjoy Greek mythology. Hailey is plunged into a world and a conflict she never envisaged for her first year in high school — a world of monsters, dangerous sea nymphs, and other awful creatures. She can’t accept the fact that she is the only Zeus in over a century and gifted with unimaginable powers. A child whose only dream is a normal life is at the center of a prophecy. Can she wield her powers properly and save the world from impending doom?

The narrative begins with unusual events — kids down the street displaying unusual powers. But the protagonist holds a letter in her hand, one she is hesitant to open because it will tell her whether she’s been accepted to the coveted Poseidon’s Academy. The author wastes no time in telling readers about the setting. So, from the very first page, the reader is introduced to the protagonist and to the mythical hints of the story. We quickly learn that Poseidon’s Academy isn’t an ordinary high school but an underwater palace that had once been the Olympian god Poseidon’s home.

Fast-paced and neatly written, Poseidon's Academy is a powerful and gripping story filled with surprises. Readers will love the adventure, the intense action, the strong conflict, and the deft handling of character. Sarah A Vogler creates a fascinating world for readers to enjoy and uses the elements of nature so masterfully to weave the fabric of her story. Hailey is an ingeniously developed character. When readers meet her, she is, curiously, an ordinary girl, but as the story progresses, her personality comes out and her character develops with the mission forced on her. The humor enriches the narrative and the protagonist’s stream of consciousness makes for great entertainment. This is a page-turner for fans of epic fantasy.

Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

Follow Max, Joe, Jemima, and Charlie as they travel back to 1483 London in The Shadow of the Two Princes by Wendy Leighton-Porter. Jemima hears strange voices in the night, pleading for her to help save them from their evil Uncle Richard. At first, Jemima thinks that they are talking about her uncle and it frightens her. Why would Uncle Richard want to kill her and Joe? Then, the voices tell her that they are trapped in a tower and their uncle plans on killing them. Were the voices just an awful dream? Max didn't hear the mysterious voices. Maybe it was just a dreadful dream. But Jemima is certain that the young boys she'd talked to were more than a scary dream, like Joe says. She is certain it was a plea for help sent through the reaches of time, calling them on a mission that could change the course of history. It takes her a while to convince Charlie and Joe that she really did hear voices, until something exciting happens that changes their minds. Join the young time travelers on another exciting adventure as they search for two princes that disappeared over five hundred years ago. Can they, with the help of a kindly doctor, his servant, and an unlikely new friend change the course of history? Or will they perish in the effort to protect and save the two young princes? Will Jemima and Joe find their missing parents before they die in the past? The eighth book in The Shadows From The Past series, The Shadow of the Two Princes is a must-read!

I loved reading The Shadow of the Two Princes by Wendy Leighton-Porter. Like the other adventures featuring Jemima, Max, Joe and Charlie, this book was filled with adventure, rich in history, and packed with excitement. I could hardly put the book down! I love how the author introduces history in a way that is so subtle children won't even realize that they are learning. I was thrilled to see that in this book they went to London close to the time of the War of Roses. I had struggled to understand what the War of The Roses was about when learning it in school. For some reason, it just didn't "click." So when the author explained it so simply, I wanted to hug her! She strips away all the political mumbo-jumbo and gives the reader the bare facts and then builds on them in a way that helps the reader learn while going on a historical adventure.

In the back of the book, the author clearly states what is fact and what she made up for her story, including the history behind her factual characters, so that there is no confusion for the reader. As a parent, when my children read I want them to know whether the stories are real or made-up. As a child, I would get frustrated with a historical fiction book that would twist history for the sake of the book, and then not tell the reader what was real and what was "poetic license." Wendy Leighton-Porter writes beautifully and creates exciting story worlds without altering history. I cannot recommend The Shadows From The Past Series enough! The author has written the books in a way that also makes them an excellent teaching resource. I would recommend this book for children ages 7-12. It is a chapter book with beautiful historical pictures as reference.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Landry in Like: Landry's True Colors Series, Book 3 is a young adult and preteen coming of age novel written by Krysten Lindsay Hager. Fourteen-year-old Landry's life seemed to be finally looking up. She had been chosen to appear in an ad for the American Ingenue modeling contest and had been kissed by her boyfriend, Vladi Yagudin. Finally, she would be someone interesting at school, and she could share her exciting news with her friends. Then reality struck as she looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her face had broken out from the makeup they used during the shoot. Things at school didn't go much better. Some of her friends acted strangely around her, and they seemed to change the subject whenever she tried to tell them about her modeling. Worse yet, Yasmin was outright rude about her and made nasty jokes with Stuart, another eighth grader in their group. The friends she grew up with and cared about seemed to be distancing themselves, and her best friend Ashanti's acceptance into the clique of high school cheerleaders seemed to threaten her and Landry's friendship in a big way. Eighth grade was hard enough, so how would she survive the move to high school?

Krysten Lindsay Hager's young adult and preteen coming of age story, Landry in Like: Landry's True Colors Series, Book 3, continues the story of Landry and her friends in their last year of middle school. Hager touches on the many social issues facing young teens, including self-esteem, meanness and bullying, and transitioning from middle school into the high school atmosphere. Her main character, Landry, shares her deepest fears about losing her friends and her conflict between wanting to stay at home and play video games or go out to a teen club. This is the third book in Hager's True Colors Series, but I felt instantly at home with the story even though I hadn't read the first two books in the series. This novel should go a long way towards helping adolescent readers realize that they're not alone in having to cope with the mean girls and rude boys who seem to be targeting them, and help those being bullied understand why and learn to develop their own coping strategies. Landry in Like is well-written and while boyfriends, kisses and dancing are inevitably part of any coming of age tale, this story is squeaky clean and recommended for preteens as well as young adults.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

The Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams is the first book in the Legends of Olympus series. Phoebe Katz has spent her whole life in the foster system and has moved from place to place with only her social worker Carl looking out for her. Between a bully making her life miserable and strange incidents that always seem to come her way, she’s facing possible expulsion from her new school and a move to a new foster home. One startling discovery later and suddenly she’s fighting for her life in Olympus. Worse than that, she’s having to go up against the god of war, Ares, who has taken Carl, and she must confront several dangerous trials in a place where even the Fates are against her. Along with her two closest friends, she sets off for Olympus to save her social worker while also working to prove the prophecy wrong.

Alane Adams delivers a sensational twist on Greek mythology with an adventure full of heart, action-packed moments fit for the legends, an emotional journey, and the strength of friendship. Adams cleverly builds to the origins reveal by weaving in mythological elements through various incidents and strange sights that seem to follow Phoebe wherever she goes. Adams blends these elements into ordinary situations that are then twisted into these bizarre visions that set Phoebe up for an adventure in Olympus. Her two friends Damian and Angie are by her side through every trial faced and every creature fought with each moment pushing her to understand who she is. Her friends aid her through their skills and mythology knowledge, which are used to help her navigate this world of myths and legends while also helping her become smarter and stronger. Adams breathes new life into Greek mythology with classic beings and gods. The Eye of Zeus is the perfect adventure that will give children a passion for mythology, a love of adventure, and introduces them to fun twists on classic myths.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Epic Kids is an action and adventure fantasy for children and preteens written by David Blaze. Jake had a lot of trouble believing that the cool kids were actually inviting him to join them at their table in the cafeteria. Him? Really? His table-mate from the not-so-cool table he usually sat at confirmed his misgivings. No, he really wasn’t cool, but then why were they waving at him and waiting for him to join them? Jake was used to being basically a non-entity at school. His grades were nothing exceptional, and his sports ability, or lack thereof, relegated him to being the last person chosen for any team.

David Blaze’s Epic Kids is a fast-paced and action-packed novel that blends the best of middle school fiction with just enough science fiction and epic fantasy to make readers sit up and take notice that a new and monumentally good preteen series has just hit the shelves. Blaze’s characters run the gamut from villain to hero in truly epic fashion and each of them is well-defined and credible. The author's plot is clever and engaging and gets the angst that Jake feels as being a very middle-of-the-road middle-schooler. While this story is geared toward kids and preteens, those readers who are young at heart will most likely enjoy Epic Kids as much as I did. I’m looking forward to the sequel. Epic Kids is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

Adam Beck’s How I Lost My Ear is a marvelously comic, wonderfully wise, delightfully imaginative and deliriously unpredictable epic adventure. In Boony Point, young Ben Boyd covets a pair of ruby red bongo drums, seemingly tailor-made for his superstar tryout for the Marching Moose – the town’s pride and joy. Never mind that bongo drums have not previously been seen or heard in the community’s iconic marching band; Ben is determined and has the most deliciously eccentric support crew in the history of children’s literature to help him reach his goal.

Along the way, Ben contends with a practical-joking grandma fixated on crab apples harvested with the dew still on them, a monster to slay, a mystery to solve, the twists and turns of his never-ending quest to be a Member of the Marching Moose, and his own deep-seated need to overcome his unwanted nickname: Butterfingers. The drama is high, the pathos is non-stop, and the comedy is as whimsical and witty as any to be found in the realm of fiction for the young. Although How I Lost My Ear is listed as being intended for pre-teen readers, it has much to offer readers of any age who are willing to allow themselves to be young at heart long enough to become swept up in the merriment. Adam Beck is a master storyteller and a master of invention, and How I Lost My Ear is un-put-down-able.

Simon Farrow’s playful illustrations are a perfect match for Beck’s unique storyline. They capture both the eccentricity of the characters and the absurdity of the incredible situations in which they find themselves, time and again. Adam Beck’s How I Lost My Ear is always fresh, always a surprise; in short, an ideal antidote for the mundane cares of ordinary life for readers of all ages.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Journal of Angela Ashby is an action and adventure fantasy for preteens written by Liana Gardner and illustrated by Sam Shearon. Angela was ready and impatient to be off to the school carnival when she stopped by her best friend’s house to pick her up. Mallory, of course, was still not ready, and Angela hung out in her friend’s room while she got dressed. Mallory’s life seemed so much more harmonious than her own did right now. Ordinarily, her mom would have already taken her clothing shopping for the new year, but with her dad gone, her mom seemed to do nothing but work all the time. Angela couldn’t understand what had happened to break up their once happy family. She missed her dad, and she just couldn’t adapt to the idea that he was now with Holly instead of Angela’s mom and her.

The carnival had performed its yearly magic and transformed the athletic field of her school. Rides, games and vendors’ booths were everywhere Angela and Mallory looked, and the air was richly scented with the sweet smells of cotton candy, funnel cakes and kettle corn. Mallory’s mom had taken them and Mallory’s little brother to the carnival, and she gave them two hours to do some exploring on their own. Angela was an ace at the games; her pitching arm demolished the display at the baseball throw booth, and she managed to dunk the vice-principal, to his surprise. Then she and Mallory saw something odd -- a fortune teller’s tent that seemed strangely out of place. Angela wasn’t too sure about going in, but Mallory couldn’t resist. Angela finally gave in; after all, what could it hurt?

The Journal of Angela Ashby is an engaging and fun coming-of-age story about a twelve-year-old girl who is suddenly the possessor of great power. I loved following as Angela began to appreciate her journal’s powers and realized the importance of carefully considering everything she wished for. Throughout the story, Gardner addresses the issue of bullies and bullying, which is something all kids and most adults have to deal with at some point, and she shows how Angela learns to differentiate between solving the problem and descending into bullying behavior herself. Gardner also admirably addresses the stress and confusion felt by kids and tweens when their mom and dad get divorced. The Journal of Angela Ashby is a marvelous fantasy that brings up real-life issues without lowering the magic and fun potential for a moment, and Sam Shearon’s illustrations really make it all come alive most brilliantly. The Journal of Angela Ashby is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Cindy Bowles for Readers' Favorite

Emma and Sonnet, two look-alike girls, are suddenly transported into each other’s lives due to identical, ongoing, local mystical storms when each teenage girl enters the same closet space a century apart. Culture and identity shocks initially wreak havoc for them, but as they each move forward in the life of the girl they have replaced, they find faithful friends and visionaries that give them each hope that they can somehow return to those they love in their own lifetimes. However, Emma’s life is especially topsy-turvy for Sonnet, and she seeks sanity and reasoning to solve the mystery behind it for her own survival, as well as for Emma's if she should ever be able to return. Emma, on the other hand, discovers a relationship that she has hungered for her whole life in Sonnet’s very own family circle. What is each girl meant to learn from this unique time travel experience and why did it happen to them? Will they ever be able to find the coordinated, mystical portal again to switch back into their own time or will they have to settle for living out each other’s lives?

In this romantic tale of fantasy, young adult readers, tweens and even adults will become absorbed in the adventure of time travel, and how true friendship and real courage help one to conquer even the most difficult of challenges. Even though they never actually meet, for they cannot share the same time and space, Emma and Sonnet learn to greatly appreciate one another. A mystical tale of teenage time travel that engages and delights the reader. But Not Forever by Jan Von Schleh is an intriguing, imaginative teenage tale with bits of suspense, modern life, history, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, family relationships, and family history all wrapped together—and is highly recommended!

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Best Friends...Forever? Landry's True Colors Series: Book Two by Krysten Lindsay Hager is the story of a young girl who is trying to come to terms with how time can change certain things. You would think that being a model would be a great way to gain popularity at school, but Landry Albright knows this is not the way things are. There was a time when she had a great set of friends and a boyfriend to call her own, but things changed very quickly for her. While the rest of her class is getting excited about starting high school next year, she is trying to come to terms with the fact that her boyfriend just broke up with her and she doesn’t seem to have any friends anymore. To make matters a little more difficult, she gets to have two makeovers so that she has a higher chance of winning the American Ingénue modeling competition. With so many things happening at the same time, it is hard for her to find her footing. Can she figure out what is happening around her before her time runs out?

This was an entertaining and fun novel to read. I felt for young Landry, I really did. This is a great novel for the teens and tweens who are either in middle school or are starting high school soon. They will experience the ups and downs of high school beforehand and, hopefully, they’ll also get a head start on how to act and how to cope if things are a little too hard. Landry is a great role model; she is calm, collected and she just never loses her temper. She does get nervous, but she handles the situation with grace and sets a good example. Her character growth is great; from the nervous girl at the beginning of the novel, she turns to be a strong and powerful young woman in the end. Impressively accurate about the emotions and drama of a high school. I enjoyed it! This fast-paced novel is great for all ages!

Reviewed by A. L. Peevey for Readers' Favorite

In Book II of D.E. Night’s The Crowns of Croswald, The Girl With The Whispering Shadow, Ivy Lovely’s adventures begin right at the end of the previous story. Ivy still has so much to learn, and despite the fact that the Dark Queen is looking for her, she wants to spend the summer with her best friend, Rebecca, whose family dwells in a castle. But, Ivy is troubled by a letter left behind by the scrivenist Derwin Edgar Night, whom she once freed. She must find her way to the hidden town of Belzebuthe, where she can hide from the Dark Queen, who wants her dead, and where she can also continue her quest to discover the next piece of the Kindred Stone. But, a shadowy presence has begun to haunt her. As time draws short, will she find what she needs?

D.E. Night gives us as much of an enchanting story in The Girl With The Whispering Shadow as she did in The Crowns of Croswald. This is an imaginative story with wonders and delights for readers at every turn. Croswald is about as fully conceived and realized as any of the other currently popular magical worlds without dumping too many details on us at once. This is one of the best put together books I have read in a while. The story advances from scene to scene smoothly. With her wide-eyed innocence, Ivy moves forward in her discovery of her natural magical ability and in her attempts to fulfill the destiny thrust upon her, in spite of her being mostly an untried teenager. This is an enjoyable read.