Reviewed by Janelle Alex, Ph.D. for Readers' Favorite

Lee Jordan has come up with an interesting story in One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web to teach children about the dangers of child predators on the Internet. Jordan uses an adorable young teenage girl as the main character. Creating a humorously spooky setting to grab the reader's attention, the author and illustrator achieved that goal beautifully. Annica, the red-headed thirteen-year-old witch, loves playing online and making friends. Her pet bat, Murray, has concerns about her decision to meet up with a new friend she met online, and her mother apparently has not been paying attention to Annica's online activities. As expected, Annica opts to meet her new friend without telling her mother she was leaving the house and without leaving a note. The new spider friend is actually one of the child predators that many innocent children succumb to. Annica's mother discovers she is missing from her room and phones the police for help. Can Officer Tate save the day and Annica?

One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web is very colorful and eye catching - if not a bit spooky. But, it covers a very frightening and serious topic in a softer way. The story expresses how many children are not saved. Going forward, Annica's mother and her pet bat, Murray, will mentor her on best practices for being online. There is a great lesson for both children and their parents within the pages of Jordan's tale. It may be a bit young for tweens and teens, but even so the message is deeply important. And, to top it off, Jordan has written it in rhythmical poetic style. Fun, cute, colorful, spooky and powerful! Good job!

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Iwogs Adventures in Bully Blues by Susan Marie Murdoch is a story that speaks about the relevant topic of bullying and makes young readers more aware of the issue. The Iwogs live within the roots of the great cypress tree, deep beneath Sweetwater pond. Corky goes in search of his friends, Jazz, Tripod and Biz. Corky senses that something is just not right with Biz. Corky understands that Biz is scared of Snip and Snap, who are bullies. They decide to do something to resolve the issue and go in search of the other Iwogs to discuss the problem of bullying by the turtle brothers. Will they be able to find a solution to the problem, and will they be able to stop Snip and Snap from bullying them?

The story, apart from speaking about bullying, also teaches readers the values of kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Readers are inspired to learn from the behavior of the Iwogs. The illustrations complement the story and breathe life into the characters and the scenes, giving the book a good pace. The story is excellent material for bedtime storytelling, and it is also suitable for read aloud sessions in classrooms and school libraries.

The concept and the message in the story are beneficial for young readers. Books that convey a concept, moral or a good message are perfect to introduce to kids when they start reading as it helps them understand things in a better way. The author's views are insightful and the book is a must-read for all kids.