Big life changes, like moving houses, can make even the strongest of us shrink back into our shells. Quickly, the unfamiliar faces and loud noises get tough when you lose the comfort of your previous safe spaces, especially for children. Oliver the turtle was merely going about his joyous day-to-day routine, appreciating what his home has to offer and recounting fond memories with Papa Turtle and Mama Turtle, when he learns that everything is about to be different: they’re going to live on the land below the hill. Oliver, like anyone who loves their home, is shocked!
Knowledge is power, and power in the wrong hands leads to destruction. When the Excreters, a hateful, malicious group of aliens, abduct Earth’s long-time, brilliant government scientist, Ransom Sky, new technology begins to emerge that threatens the existence of Pauldarians and humans alike. Now, it is up to Sky’s former colleague, Douglas Whitaker, to ensure his rescue from the imprisoning clutches of the Excreters and an end to dangerous, inhumane technological warfare.
Snitchland is the second novel in Tim Mulligan’s Richland trilogy, meaning that this review contains spoilers for Witchland: The Graphic Novel. If you have yet to read Witchland, you may consult my previous LitPick review (and the other lovely ones.)
We all know the ancient myth of Medusa: A cruel gorgon cursed with a fearsome gaze that turns mortals to stone. But, who tells this story? That’s right, the tale of Medusa’s terror has been told time and time again by narrators who heard of the terror, never by anyone who has bothered to meet her stony gaze. Well then, what exactly happens when someone encounters her –the real deal– knowing all the rumors? A Stony Gaze by Steffanie Costigan investigates just that, teaching an unforgettable moral to young readers. So, what are you waiting for?
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Fueled by the societal hysteria of the Satanic panic, visceral accusations of child sexual abuse and devil-worshiping rituals spiral out of control in the “safety” of the suburbs. Suddenly, out-of-the-blue, Virginia Montrose (or “Miss Ginny”), a teacher at Operation Go! (a school for young children) is rapidly assaulted by these baseless, vapid claims against her. Imprisoned and left only with a teacher’s salary to pay for an attorney, her future is looking grim.
Outside her dismal, dilapidated house lies a pile of sticks; knock them over and tomorrow they will be back in place, but never, never take one – the consequences are beyond the limits of your mind. Ali, a high school senior, and her two dads, Jared and Von, are unknowingly moving just across the street from Richland’s witch. Despite their many misgivings about Jared’s new job at the nuclear power plant, they agree to tolerate Richland, a place where they stand out like sore thumbs.
