Mila, a mute cavern gnome, goes through a test to be considered worthy to study magic. After she fails the test, her mentor, Nora, sends her to the desert world of Achten Tan to study magic under Gerwyn, a wise and powerful witch. While in Achten Tan, Mila finds romance and friendship, becomes involved in a power struggle against the despotic Bone Chief Opu Haku, and discovers her strength and voice.
Circling Home: What I Learned by Living Elsewhere by Terry A. Repak is a reflective memoir about the author’s personal journey of self-discovery, identity, and belonging, shaped by her experiences of living in various parts of the world. The narrative not only explores the physical act of relocation but also delves into the emotional and psychological shifts that occur when constantly moving and trying to define "home."
The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Aviation Girls by Tom Durwood features eight girls and a starling bird, who show us grit and determination in doing what needs to be done. Nine stories fused in one book tell us the journey of different girls and their contribution to the history of flight.
Shiloh, a thirteen year old girl, embarks on a mission to rid her world of aliens who devastated her life and took her family two years prior. After a failed attack on an alien named Dracula, she reluctantly partners with a peculiar, hairless cat alien who claims to know where the enemy spaceship is. With the chance to obliterate these creatures once and for all, Shiloh struggles with her desire to kill her irritating companion. When she befriends another unexpected ally named Rita, they stick together for a journey of a lifetime.
Decker Brown and The Monster Club by J. A. England tells the story of a young boy who ventures into a strange world to save his parents from a dangerous situation. Decker Brown is a young boy who loves playing a game called Monster and Mages with his friends Rita, Jude, and Robert. His family was not as perfect as it seems to be in the public eye; they often are involved in arguments or fights. Recently, Decker has been having strange dreams about The Goblin King, (that was what it was called since it was about a Goblin with a massive wooden club).
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.)
Forever Boy is a paranormal book by Micheal J. Bowler about a young boy named Isaac who met a boy and became friends with him only to discover something shocking and mysterious about him. Isaac, a ninth grader, is an outcast at school. One day, he came across a young boy named Drágan who told him that he was an orphan. Isaac decided to take him home and introduced him to his mother. After much thought on how he would survive as an orphan, Mrs. Penelope, Isaac's mother, who is used to taking in foster children, decided to let him stay at their house.
Jessica (“Jessie") and her father, Adam, take one last flight to their favorite vacation spot in Bermuda before Adam’s cancer treatment starts. However, during a violent, unexpected storm, Jessie’s dad bangs his head and she must take over the plane. She must fly and land safely. Jessie finally spots land, but she is not sure where it is. Where were they blown off course?
Two years ago, Jessica's mom passed away from cancer. Now, Jessie and her father are going on a vacation from their home in Florida to Bermuda before her dad starts chemo for his thyroid cancer. Jessie is excited about their vacation but ignores her worries about her dad's cancer. On the way to Bermuda, Jessica and her father's plane hits a rough patch of weather, and Jessica's father hits his head, making him unable to see. Jessie has to take over flying the plane so they don't crash.
Forever Boy by Michael J. Bowler ushered me into a world where fantasy meets reality. The book tells the story of Isaac Foster, a 14-year-old high school student in the local town of Millwood. Isaac is a lonely student who had no friends and was at the bottom of the social ladder. But everything changed when he encountered Drágan Albescu, a handsome young model and orphan visiting Millwood for a short time. With nowhere to stay, Isaac invited him to live in his home, and Isaac's mother, Penelope Foster, accepted him warmly. From that moment, everything changed.
