“Six weeks plus one day ago, Cecelia Dahl understood the world. She resided in a town called Hungrig, in a crooked house named Widdendream. … Then Monday rolled into Tuesday and Cecilia did the bad thing. Now the world had narrowed down to this: Tuesday hated Cecilia and Cecilia hated it back.”
Continue reading “New Release! A lyrical middle grade novel we can’t wait to read! “
The Thickety first came out in 2014, followed (like clockwork) by The Whispering Trees in 2015, Well of Witches in 2016, and The Last Spell in 2017 (which was, in fact, the last spell, as it concluded the series.) So why is it on sale now, in 2018?
Because Nightbooks came out four days ago, on July 24. A book that has nothing to do with the Thickety series. What?
Continue reading ““Why is that book on sale?” An insider’s look at some great reads.”
“In 2012 two things changed the life of fourteen-year-old Frankie Fretini forever. The first was the death of his father—we’ll talk more about that later. The second thing was the malocchio. What’s the malocchio, you ask? The Italian evil eye. A curse, jinx, hex, hoodoo. A whammy.”
So begins the story of Frankie Fretini, whose ancestors encountered a witch almost eight hundred years ago, leaving behind a paranormal mess he’s about to inherit. Frankie and his friends hide from a bully in a carnival fortune teller’s booth and end up in the Middle Ages, with no choice but to track down the witch and deal with her if they ever want to get back home.
Given the overwhelming popularity of this title, we’re ashamed to admit we only learned of it last year, and by accident at that. A young reader told us our first novel was one of his two favorite books ever. Our reaction? Shock. Stunned silence. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
The List is a fascinating dystopian tale of a post-apocalyptic society in which language is limited to only 500 words. And falling. The leaders of Ark–a relatively save haven in the midst of chaos and wilderness–believe words are to blame for the cataclysmic Melting. Scientists and journalists used words to hide the impending global disasters behind pretty lies and false promises until it was too late.
Now, only the aging wordsmith and his young apprentice, Letta, are allowed to use words that are not on the List–collecting and protecting them until the day that humanity might once again deserve the full range of language and expression. When the wordsmith fails to return from a word collecting mission, Letta must take his place, only to discover that the promises of Ark itself are beginning to unravel.
Apollo review.
With stick figures… and haiku.
Would he approve? Yep.
Continue reading “The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1), by Rick Riordan”
When twins Jerry and Jacob visit their Gran, they end up with more than they bargained for.
More work—cleaning out her old shed.
More fun—turning that shed into a secret hideout.
And more trouble—thanks to Hob the Goblin.
The Kingdom of Oceana is a classic story of sibling rivalry—a novel based on action and adventure that we’d recommend for readers twelve and up. Set in a fantasy version of a timeless Hawaii, it has fire walking and surfing and sharks and zombie fish… plenty of thrills to capture the imagination.
It also has magic, mystery, and a message of environmentalism weaving a natural thread throughout the story. Many books for younger readers attempt to merge entertainment with education, but few do it well. This one does.
Continue reading “The Kingdom of Oceana by Mitchell Charles”
This is a gentle story, appropriate for young readers. The lessons about friendship are magnificent. The science is well within the understanding of a young mind and at the same time flies above and beyond anything ordinarily found in a child’s fictional tale. A+ for the author on both counts.
