Reviewed by Lois J Wickstrom for Readers' Favorite

Beverlee Beaz the Brown Burmese by Regan W. H. Macaulay is a story about an imaginative brown Burmese cat. Everything she sees becomes something even more amazing. For example, a black and orange butterfly becomes a parrot and her meadow becomes an emerald-colored jungle. Her imagination takes her all over the world and lets her see many wonderful creatures. But sometimes her imagination gets her into trouble. Beverlee’s imagination takes a form that Beverlee can see and touch.

Author Regan W. H. Macaulay was in the sixth-grade when author Emily Hearn visited as a guest instructor and guided Macaulay’s class through an assignment where they each created picture storybooks by hand. Macaulay's story has changed quite a bit since then, but that was the beginning of Beverlee’s adventures. Thanks to Alex Zgud’s drawings, the young reader can see what Beverlee sees. If it’s real for Beverlee, it’s real on the pages. This probably isn’t a bed-time story because after seeing Beverlee Beaz’s imagination at work, children will want to talk about the fun they have with their own imaginations.

In this tale, Beverlee’s imagination gets her into trouble in the real world. The coolest thing is that the cat, Beverlee Beaz, doesn’t seem to figure out where the world stops and her imagination begins. The combination of real-world and imaginary animals leads to a dramatic rescue at the end, which wouldn’t have been possible without Beverlee Beaz’s imagination. After making sure this adventurous cat is safe, the animals discuss the fun of imagination, too.

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

A colorful story with an important lesson, Eddie the World's Greatest Creature by Kayleigh Mackie follows the adventures of Eddie, a youngster who wants to be the greatest creature there is. With arms like those of a monkey, Eddie can swing from tree to tree. Swimming is also easy for him as he has the tail of a dolphin. As Eddie moves from one adventure to another, his abilities grow and he becomes a magnificent creature who can do many things he could not have done previously. But is this what Eddie wants? As Eddie begins to stumble and fall, sometimes even tripping over his wings, he begins to change how he sees himself and also changes his idea of being the most amazing creature. Along the way, he discovers a wonderful lesson.

In Kayleigh Mackie’s Eddie the World's Greatest Creature, beautiful illustrations of lush grass and trees, blue bright skies and an inviting sea fill the pages. Pictures of Eddie as the magnificent creature are equally captivating. The rhyming words that create the musicality in the book will facilitate young readers’ ability to remember the story and have fun reading the lines aloud. In the beginning, Eddie is set on being the greatest creature in the world. But with time, he realizes that even being the greatest comes with its challenges and he begins to understand that it is amazing to just be yourself. A beautiful, engaging story that carries an important lesson for both young and adult readers, Eddie the World's Greatest Creature will make a great story for parents reading with their children or for young readers who love stories that involve adventure.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

A Kite at the Edge of the World is a work of poignant and meaningful children’s fiction and was penned by author Katy Grant. Caught amid the pure joy of childish innocence and the cruel, fragile nature of life itself, this inspiring and heartbreaking work focuses on themes of friendship, loss and making the most of what you have. We see these themes unfold in the brand new friendship between two young boys, one of whom has never seen the seaside before. As the new friends contrive a plot to ditch their adult minders and set off to fly kites over the sea, it transpires that one of them is terminally ill and that his seaside day will be one to remember.

Author Katy Grant has created a powerful tale for adults and children to read together, developing the simplistic charms of traditional kite flying and outdoor hobbies of times gone by with the clinical, medical world and some pretty dark ideas of mortality. It is unusual to find themes such as death and grief discussed so frankly, and I think these are masterfully handled in this text to teach young readers a lot about emotional intelligence, seizing the day and being open to new experiences in their own lives. The characters are subtly brilliant, introduced very simply but slowly informed and developed through their dialogue and actions. Overall, A Kite at the Edge of the World is a suitably moving but also motiving and uplifting read, one which would benefit any young person trying to understand grief.

Reviewed by Geree McDermott for Readers' Favorite

Mike Crowder’s Wild About the Alphabet! And Other Tales is a delightfully challenging and entertaining alphabet book for grown-ups. I found this book at times surprisingly educational and other times so funny I laughed out loud. This is the perfect book for someone ill or feeling low but only if they don’t mind those around them eyeballing them when they burst out laughing. And, not only does Mike Crowder stimulate our thinking by teaching us new animals and their names, but he also rewards us with his abstract depictions of the animals which are artistically expressive and well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mike Crowder’s unique collection of illustrations of animals, some of which I had never heard of before I read this book. Each letter captivated me and I soon found myself engrossed in the descriptions, illustrations, and the names of odd animals with even more unusual portraits. I found myself smiling, and yes sometimes I even laughed out loud as I read each page and examined each drawing. I like the unusual choice of animals to portray each letter of the alphabet as well as the unique artwork. I also like the animals given honorable mention and illustration, as well as the thoughtful guide to teach us how to pronounce the unusual names, found at the back of the book. Wild About the Alphabet! is amazingly informative and scholastically entertaining at the same time.

I can see Wild About the Alphabet! becoming a must-read among students of literature and art as well as those enduring a long flight or illness or any other stressful situation. My husband of 45 years died two months ago and I have had few instances of spontaneous laughter until I read Wild About the Alphabet! I highly recommend Mike Crowder’s book to those interested in literature, words, art, and, of course, animals.

Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

If you enjoyed the Dr. Seuss book titled Oh, the Places You’ll Go, you’ll love Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me. This new book by author Valerie J. Lewis Coleman introduces children to many different occupations written in story form. While MeMe is looking after two grandchildren, Lyric and Samara, she tells them of people who have succeeded in their professions. Although the story features famous black Americans, such as Michelle Obama, Alicia Keys, Serena Williams, and Mariah Carey, everyone can benefit from the encouraging underlying messages. You can be whatever you want to be. This book also encourages creative play—indoors and outdoors.

The realistic-looking artwork by illustrator Natasza Remesz will help to draw young children into the book and the story will keep them interested. Author Valerie J. Lewis Coleman has written a book to inspire children to be whatever they want to be. MeMe, the grandmother, provides several role models while she babysits her two grandchildren. After reading the book, why not read it again and act out the roles? Draw a picture while they’re talking about artists, sing when they discuss famous musicians, play a sport when they discuss well-known athletes, play doctor with a doll or plush toy, or pretend to be a teacher. This book encourages creative play and letting children dream about what they would like to be when they grow up. There are two activities at the back of the book to please teachers and parents. I think all public and school libraries should have Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Twelve-year-old twins Karina and Charlie Rosas are on a trip to Switzerland with their famous survivalist uncle, Diego Rosas, when their train mysteriously derails. They find themselves in a strange world, prompting them to find the nearest help. Unfortunately, a ferocious dragon appears, snatches Uncle Diego up, and flies away. Afraid but determined, the twins decide to rescue their uncle with the help of a dwarf, Zid, and a pirate, Captain Niraya Storm of the Red Hood. The task, however, is not easy. Other than the deadly dragon, they have to face a Kraken, werewolves, ghosts and other fantastical creatures that one can imagine. It's an impossible rescue mission that could end their lives. How will they fare? Roses in the Dragon's Den is an exciting children's fantasy adventure by Jacob Devlin.

Filled with adrenaline-pumping and heroic moments, Roses in the Dragon's Den hits all the right notes with spunky characters and a fascinating but dangerous world. The plot is well-paced and has great surprising twists. Family bonds is a strong theme that resonates in chapter after chapter. Alternating the POVs between Karina, Charlie, and Diego is deftly done, easily giving readers the chance to relate to the protagonists. The twins are easy to root for even though they let their emotions get the better of them at times. I gravitated towards Captain Niraya Storm instantly, the fearless and intelligent pirate who becomes the twins' protector during their journey. Simply put, this is an entertaining story by Jacob Devlin that has charm, a great sense of wonder and adventure for its readers.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Guitar of Mayhem is a work of children’s fantasy fiction penned by author Jessica Renwick and is the sequel to the award-winning The Book of Chaos. We continue the adventures of our heroine Fable Nuthatch and her faithful friends a little while down the road from their last great escape out of the clutches of Endora. Now, in this second instalment in the Starfell series, the children are busy practising magic until incredible messages appear in Fable’s book. It seems Endora is on their trail again, and a series of bizarre signs send them on the hunt for a magical guitar that holds life-changing secrets for all.

This truly magical sequel has tons to offer fans of fantasy and incredible magical adventures. Fable is a plucky heroine with plenty of smarts, but the authenticity of the youth of her and her friends is palpable on every page, making them highly relatable to children of the same age reading this book. The prose is simple enough to be understood by independent readers, but also offers gorgeous, lavish descriptions of the magical elements of the world and hidden brilliance that adults reading along are sure to enjoy too. The plot turns with clever pinpoints that mimic a traditional fairy tale but also twist the conventions into new and surprising directions, thus offering something inventively new but comfortingly familiar. Overall, The Guitar of Mayhem is a fun and frolicking sequel that author Jessica Renwick can be truly proud of. Any kid’s new must-read!

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Slug Queen Chronicles is a work of playful fantasy fiction written for middle-grade aged children and penned by author S. O. Thomas. Billed as Season One of the chronicles, the opening to the story sees twelve-year-old Cricket Kane face a dangerous magical adventure as she learns the truth: fairies do exist, and they’re much more terrifying than you’d think. When Cricket’s brother is kidnapped and toxic dust takes his place and infects her family, so begins a wild adventure to recover him and discover why fairies don’t take single teeth anymore. The story is told over four short novellas that make up the season as a continuing arc.

Author S. O. Thomas writes with a delightful sense of imagination that teeters between fun and darkness nicely for the target middle-grade age range. There are plenty of hairy moments for young Cricket to endure as she solves dangerous problems, fights for her family and learns a lot from the characters she meets along the way. The four-novella format actually breaks a large, complex story down into very manageable chapter-chunks for MG readers, making it easy to lose yourself in this fabulous, cute and creepy world. Fans of visual feasts like the works of Tim Burton will fall in love with Thomas’s descriptive techniques, the atmosphere and color palette that falls as a backdrop to the magic and mayhem of the plot. Overall, The Slug Queen Chronicles is a sharp series with plenty of fantasy fun for children everywhere.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

The Gemstone Chronicles: The Amethyst by William Stuart is the second book in the Gemstone Chronicles. Aidan and Maggie along with their grandparents have another mission awaiting them which will take them back to Celahir. This is a magical world where a group of Light Elves asks for their help to recover four gemstones that were stolen by Dark Elves. The loss of the gemstones has tipped the scales in the way of evil and weakened the barrier between the two worlds, allowing evil to grow in power. They retrieved one of the gemstones during their last journey into Celahir but the Light Elves have once again arrived to ask for the family's help to find the next gemstone: the Amethyst. Their upcoming journey is waylaid when it's discovered that Naesse has kidnapped Aidan and Maggie's father, which pulls their mom along into a race against time to rescue him and to retrieve the Amethyst.

The story is a family orientated adventure which takes the whole family into another world to save two worlds from evil. The family weaves between two worlds, with the human world and Celahir drawing them into this ultimate battle. They're the heroes of the story which veers from the typical fantasy-adventure as instead of the protagonist venturing off to save a magical world on their own, this is a family that takes this journey together. Family is at the heart of the story as they band together to rescue one of their own which provides a sweet center and drives each of the characters forward. The plot is driven by the love and bond of this family which is the key to stopping the plan of the Dark Elves and tipping the scales back to good. The fate of the two worlds and the balance of good rests on the shoulders of this family as the Light Elves trust in them.

William Stuart delves more into the rich and incredible mythology brought to life within this world by the balance between good and evil. Balance is a key theme of the story represented through light and dark, good and evil, and the two worlds. The gemstones even add to this theme of balance as they maintain the separation of the two while keeping in the favor of good. The fight between good and evil is represented through the Light and Dark elves. The Gemstone Chronicles: The Amethyst is an exciting and magical story that pulls a family into the middle of the fight between good and evil with the fate of a world at stake.

Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite

In this collection of thirteen short stories, even the un-spookable reader will experience goosebumps. The Pumpkin Pastry Princess is my favorite. A story of fitting revenge that refuses to leave the reader’s mind, well into the dark hours of the night. Mary loves Halloween and the town loves Mary’s incredible pumpkin confections that she bakes every single day in October. Living in a quaint stone cottage that the neighborhood children refer to as a gingerbread house, Mary’s home is the favorite stop of all the yearly trick-or-treaters. Normally Mary has no problems with the crowd that comes to her door ... until a late-night visitor shows up at the stroke of midnight. Hudson is a brooding young man filled with anger and greed. When he makes his last appearance years into the future, Mary has a permanent reply to his standard “see ya next year.”

The Pumpkin Room by Mark Milbrath is the perfect Halloween collection of spooky tales right from the dark corners of the author’s mind. All the stories revolve around the Halloween tradition of the Jack-o-Lantern and pumpkin accessories of the holiday. Based on Halloween pranks and ghostly events, The Pumpkin Room is geared toward middle school readers but will thrill any age. Mark Milbrath’s use of imagery is spot on. You will find yourself reliving favorite childhood memories of trick or treating while nodding your head at the realistic pictures the author conjures up. The addition of a plot summary at the beginning of each tale is a unique storytelling technique.