Reviewed by Ashley Tetzlaff - old account for Readers' Favorite

Put on your mental shoes and get ready for an adventure of a lifetime through the eyes of a little boy and his dog in Zach Lieberman’s latest work: Max & Charlie. Whirl through New York, meet various characters and hear their perspectives on life, from hobo to high fashion lady, from punk troublemakers to “righteous and orderly” New York Police officers. And dashing through all these is little Charlie, whose main goal in life is just to catch his dog, but whose senses are constantly being bombarded by the sights, sounds, and interactions with other humans in this path called life. All these adventures are brought to life in front of our eyes by the marvelously talented Louis Neubert. We switch between our view of the situation and Charlie’s. Beautiful work! Poetry of sight and heart.

When I first saw Max & Charlie, Louis Neubert’s illustrations on the cover really jumped out at me. And the pictures inside the book really pulled me into the first couple pages. Then I really got into Zach Lieberman’s tale and the drawings and story swirled together into an intriguing fusillade of colors and drama. If you choose to pick up this book, you will meet people who are warm-hearted and kind, those who are emotionless and power hungry, those who are too philosophical for earthly good, and those who are so mindful that you can’t help but grasp a new view of life from just a few pages of riding with them. This will definitely made you ponder life in a new way.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

As the first entry in the Gateway series, The Calling by Louise G White, holds huge promise of a wonderful ride for fans of contemporary young adult fantasy. Carolyn’s mother and brother have gone missing, escaping through a hole which appeared on their kitchen wall. She lives in fear of being discovered by enemies that hunt her. Now, she must hone her magic, perfect her combat skills, and get ready to find out about her brother’s and mother’s whereabouts, and bring them home. But the mission won’t be easy - with unexpected challenges, and a demon she unwittingly brings back from another world while rescuing a human by her side, and a lot of other unimaginable trials. Can she ever be reunited with her mother and brother again?

The Calling is a highly entertaining story and Carolyn is the type of character that I enjoyed immensely. I love stories that defy the laws of nature and that make me dream of other lands and cultures, and Louise G White has created a unique setting and a culture of its own in this hypnotic story. The plot held me spellbound from the very beginning to the end. There is wonderful exploration of the depth of the characters and it won’t be hard for readers to enjoy the emotional and psychological growth of the protagonist. Here is a story that is beautifully told in excellent and eloquent prose. It is a story that will take fantasy fans to places they’ll love.