If you know anything about my taste in books, you know how unusual it is for me to read anything even close to high fantasy. (To be honest, I'm not sure I even understand what that term means!) Even though I'm really not into the genre, I have enjoyed my dips into Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere series (empire? realm? universe?). The original Mistborn novels were my first foray into the author's sphere and Tress of the Emerald Sea is my latest. I enjoyed the former, but I adored the latter. Let's just say that while fantasy still isn't my jam, if it's written by Sanderson, I've learned to at least give it a chance.

Not gonna lie, I'm not quite sure how Tress of the Emerald Sea fits into the Cosmere series (Goodreads says it's installment #28 and #1 of the Secret Projects). I just know that it works fine as a standalone. It isn't necessary to read the previous books to get what's going on in this one, although I think I read somewhere that there are some characters in this book that have appeared in other Cosmere novels.

Although she has managed to escape certain death at the hands of the cruel captain—at least for now— there are plenty of other ways for her to meet her maker on the open spore sea. With danger without and just as much (if not more) within, she must navigate her way through her very precarious situation in order to find and rescue Charlie. In the meantime, there's a deadly date with an evil Sorceress to look forward to...

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Tress of the Emerald Sea with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

In the wake of her father's abandonment and her mother's inability to provide for her children, 10-year-old Deborah Samson becomes an indentured servant. Her mentor, a kindly clergyman, reassures her that she will be treated well by the Thomases—and she is, more or less. Although her serving responsibilities in the home mean she's never quite part of the family, Deborah fits in well with the ten rambunctious Thomas boys. Tall, strong, and plain, she's a tomboy with little in the way of femininity or fragility. With an insatiable hunger for knowledge, Deborah is bursting with the desire for freedom, adventure, and real-life experience, a seemingly impossible goal for someone of her lowly station and protected sex. 

A Girl Called Samson is the newest historical novel by Amy Harmon. This is the third book I've read by her and my favorite one so far (although I do really love Where the Lost Wander). Deborah Samson was a real woman who truly did disguise herself as a man in order to serve in the Revolutionary War. Although Harmon tells a fictionalized version of Deborah's story, it's based in the remarkable truth about an extraordinary woman. In Harmon's hands, at least, she's a compassionate, brave, forthright, and passionate heroine who's both sympathetic and admirable. The author imbues her with a complex personality, a diverse range of emotions, and enough challenging experiences to prove her grit and fortitude, all of which make her a well-crafted character who comes alive on the page. John Paterson (also a real person) is just as likable and appealing. The sparks flying between the two are felt almost instantly, but their bond is built over time, giving their relationship a realistic warmth and depth. Besides their budding romance, there is plenty of action and other turmoil in A Girl Called Samson to keep the tale exciting, compelling, and, of course, heartbreaking. In addition, Harmon's prose is vivid, even poetic, but it's never sentimental or overdone. All of these things combine to create an engrossing, resonant novel that shines light on people who really lived, breathed, and loved their country so much that they did remarkable things in its defense. A Girl Called Samson is a gripping must-read for any historical fiction lover.

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of A Girl Called Samson from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Grief-stricken over the recent death of her marine biologist mother with whom she lived in Japan, 12-year-old Willa Twitchell is trying to adjust to her new normal.  Now residing on an island in Washington State, she shares a loud, chaotic home with her dad, stepmom, three younger step-siblings, and a baby half-sister.  The best thing about being back on Tupkuk Island is her renewed friendship with her long-time best friend Marc Mendoza, but even he is acting strangely.  With her life all upside-down, Willa finds solace in the same place her mother always did: the sea.  

While on a whale-watching trip with her dad, Willa is stunned when a humpback speaks to her.  Somehow, she can hear the creature's thoughts and hold lively conversations with the social animal who is named Meg.  The whale assures Willa that she can call on her new friend anytime for any reason—and Willa does.  She unloads all of her worries and fears
on the sympathetic humpback.  When a blue whale washes up on Tupkuk's shore, she becomes especially scared.  Willa's only a small girl.  How can she save the dying creature?  The townspeople are talking about all kinds of inhumane solutions to get rid of its body, including blowing it up or letting it rot.  Willa knows her mother would do everything in her power to save the whale; Willa intends to do the same.  With Meg's help, she puts a plan into action.  Will it work?  And what will happen when it's time for Meg to move on with her pod?  How will Willa, already wracked with sorrow, say goodbye to her friend?  

Willa and the Whale, the newest middle-grade novel by husband-and-wife writing team Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, is a gentle, hopeful novel about grief, friendship, and healing.  Filled with whale trivia, it teaches the reader about whales while also imparting greater life lessons.  Willa is a sympathetic character, although she sometimes comes off as self-centered and victim-y.  She does show growth during the course of the novel, but I still found her a little irritating.  Likewise, I found the magical realism element of this book a tad annoying.  It just wasn't convincing to me, which made the whole story fall a bit flat for me.  Add to that the fact that there's no real plot to keep the tale focused and you can see why Willa and the Whale was a like-it-didn't-love-it read for me.  I always appreciate a warm, empowering middle-grade novel; this is certainly that, even if it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington and Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly)

Tornadoes are known for causing havoc and destruction, but for 12-year-old Lexington Willow, a tornado was the thing that brought her home.  Seven years ago, the biggest storm in Nebraska's history blew her into the zoo.  She was found near an elephant enclosure, watched over by Nyah, a 20-year-old African elephant.  No one has ever come forward to claim Lex, so she has remained at the zoo in the care of Roger, her foster father.  She feels so safe and sheltered by the place's familiar boundaries that she rarely leaves.  Her days are spent doing homeschool lessons; hanging out with her best friend, Fisher Leigh, who also lives on the grounds; and voicing train tours of the zoo.  Now that she and Fisher are finally old enough to help with the care of her beloved elephants, Lex couldn't be happier.

Lex has always felt a special connection with Nyah, but when the pachyderm sends her a telepathic message, Lex is puzzled.  The elephant seems to be telling her to go outside the zoo, into the woods beyond, to find the answers to the many questions Lex has about her past.  Is she crazy to listen to the advice of an animal?  As nervous as she is to leave the safety of her precious zoo, Lex feels compelled to follow Nyah's instructions.  When Lex makes an otherworldly discovery out there, she embarks on a magical adventure involving a ghost, a treasure hunt, and a mystery, all of which promise to lead her back to her own inexplicable beginning. 

Magical realism is common in middle-grade books, but to find it combined with a mystery, a ghost story, and a tale of lost treasure?  That's something special.  The Elephant's Girl, a debut novel by Celesta Rimington, offers this enticing genre mash-up along with a unique setting, two likable heroines (one human, one pachyderm), and an exciting plot.  Not only does the book educate readers about elephants, but it also teaches important lessons about humans' responsibility toward animals, kindness, the true meaning of family, standing up for one's self, and finding courage to do hard things.  The story is predictable and I didn't always find the magical realism bits convincing, but overall, I found The Elephant's Girl to be a delightful, entertaining book.  Young animal lovers looking for a fun, magical reading adventure won't be disappointed.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, and books by Kate DiCamillo)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Elephant's Girl from the generous folks at Penguin Random House as part of an awards program I'm helping to judge.  Thank you!

As the sons of an avid survivalist, 13-year-old John Lockwood and his younger brother, Stewart, know how to cope with any doomsday scenario.  Not that they'll really need their father's advice about boiling toilet water and using yucca leaves to wash their clothes.  After all, Dad has stocked their home with enough supplies to last for two apocalypses.  The three of them can ride out any disaster in their isolated desert house, no problem.  

Then the power goes out—and stays out—while Mr. Lockwood is out of town.  No one knows what's going on, but it soon becomes clear to John that he and Stew are on their own.  Although John is concerned, he doesn't start to panic until a group of strangers invades his home, robbing the boys of all their food, water, and emergency supplies.  With no other choice, Johan and Stew are forced to stuff what little they have left into into their backpacks and set off across the desolate Nevada desert.  Help lies 96 miles away at the ranch of some family friends who will surely come to their aid.  It's a long journey, fraught with danger.  If they can survive the blistering heat, gnawing hunger, rabid thirst, feral animals, and desperate people they encounter, maybe just maybe, they can make it there in one piece.  As the grim days wear on, however, their chances of living through their ordeal grow slimmer and slimmer...

Growing up with a Secret Service agent who was obsessed with emergency preparedness, J.L. Esplin was born to write this kind of debut novel.  96 Miles is infused with real survival strategies that will fascinate anyone who's ever wondered what to do in a disaster scenario.  These tips add an intriguing element to the story, which is already taut, tense, and compelling.  John is a sympathetic character who's brave and resolute, even while he struggles under the pressure of making decisions in a brutal situation where the consequences of every choice can be dire.  He's determined to save his brother no matter what the cost, which makes him an appealing, root-worthy hero.  Although 96 Miles is a pretty straightforward dystopian/survival novel, there is a story swerve toward the end that caught me by surprise (although it really shouldn't have, considering...) and upped the ante for the boys considerably.  With an engrossing plot, likable characters, and skilled storytelling, 96 Miles is a riveting, immersive read.  Not only is it entertaining, but it's also thought-provoking, asking intriguing questions like:  How would I handle a crisis situation?  How would I act as things became increasingly desperate?  Would I keep my carefully-stocked supplies to myself or share them with others?  What decisions would I be forced to make and would I be able to live with myself afterward?  These discussion-worthy themes are just one more element that makes 96 Miles an excellent read.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Alone by Megan E. Freeman, Dry by Neal Shusterman, and other middle-grade/YA dystopian/survival novels)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Minnie Miranda's single mother—an Argentine-American with no close family—labors tirelessly to support her and her two younger sisters.  Mamá is always working overtime at her menial jobs, leaving Minnie in charge.  When she is in their drafty basement apartment, Mamá is exhausted and cranky.  Despite all her hours at work, the fridge is never full, Minnie's sisters have few toys, and all of them make do with embarrassing castoff clothing.  Although the 12-year-old knows she should be grateful just to have a roof over her head, Minnie's tired of being poor, frustrated with all of her grown-up responsibilities, and especially weary of her mother's constant warnings to never let outsiders into their lives.  Mamá insists they don't need anyone's help with anything.  Minnie's not so sure.

Despite the endless hours she works, Mamá always comes home in the evenings to say goodnight to her girls.  When she fails to appear one night, Minnie hopes Mamá has just been unable to get away.  With no word from her, however, Minnie begins to fear the worst: she's been detained by ICE.  Knowing she can't confide in anyone—not even a surprising new school friend—she carries on as best she knows how, trying to keep her sisters calm, fed, and entertained.  Nothing seems to go her away, although somehow, the girls seem to be getting a bit of help from the Peques, the Argentine fairies Minnie's younger sisters still believe in.

Even the Peques can't help with Minnie's upcoming audition for Peter Pan.  Minnie knows a penniless Latinx girl has no real hope of playing Wendy, but she's desperate to try for the part.  Mamá knows how important the audition is to Minnie and promised to be there.  Is she really going to miss it?  If she could be there, Minnie knows she would be.  What has happened to Mamá?  She can't conceal her family's situation for much longer, but her mother has always insisted strangers can't be trusted.  What is Minnie to do? 

Let's be honest here, the cover of On These Magic Shores by Argentine-American Yamile Saied Méndez is...not great.  Thank goodness it came to my attention because of The Whitney Awards.  Had I seen the book in a library or bookstore, I never would have picked it up.  And that would have been a shame because there's a lot to like about this #OwnVoices middle grade novel.  It touches on a lot of tough issues—racism, poverty, fear of deportation, children with too much responsibility, etc.—in a way that is eye-opening but also approachable.  As Minnie struggles, she learns the value of friendship, forgiveness, asking for help when you need it, and being grateful for what you have even if it's not a lot.  Some of the lessons are more subtle than others, but they're all there.  Although the plot of On These Magic Shores isn't always logical, the transitions between scenes not always smooth, and the prose a little rough in places, overall the story is engaging and compelling with enough going on to keep me turning pages.  The magical realism isn't my favorite element of this novel, but it worked well enough.  Character-wise, Minnie and her sisters are sympathetic heroines.  Minnie's prickly personality makes her difficult to like, especially when she acts like a victim-y brat.  She does grow and change because of her struggles, but she's still a bit hard to take.  Others act inconsistently (Maverick, for instance), but they're still a likable lot overall.  There are enough issues with On These Magic Shores that I didn't end up loving it.  However, it is an eye-opening, empowering, empathy-inducing story.  I liked it overall.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar and Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros)

Everything has changed since Annie Lee Fitzgerald's father died two months ago.  Not only did the 11-year-old and her mom have to move to a tiny apartment in a rundown neighborhood, but now that her mom is working full-time as a housekeeper, Annie Lee is on her own a lot more.  Despite cutting costs in every possible way, they are still barely making ends meet.  The constant struggle just adds to the overwhelming grief that already looms between them.

Despite her father's absence, there are things that haven't changed.  The bathroom still smells like his aftershave, the radio plays his favorite music, there's stubble in the sink every morning, and the coffeemaker sometimes brews his preferred brand of coffee—even though no one buys it anymore.  Annie Lee's getting used to these strange things, so she's not all that surprised when she notices more magic while she's listening to an old man playing the piano at the mall.  It seems like a sign, maybe even from her dead father, that Annie Lee needs to go back to the lessons she abandoned long ago.  When she learns about a piano competition that pays out a significant prize, she persuades the elderly pianist to teach her.

As Annie Lee attends her clandestine piano lessons, loses herself in books, and gets to know a new friend, she starts to process her grief and even feel a little bit of hope.  When an emergency threatens to blow everything apart, however, she has to make a choice that could ruin everything.

Beginners Welcome, a new middle grade novel by Cindy Baldwin, covers a lot of territory, so it's tough to describe its plot.  In fact, the story's more episodic than tightly told, which makes it seem unfocused at time.  Nevertheless, it features warm, likable characters; an engaging storyline; and solid prose.  While magical realism, even lightly sprinkled, isn't always my favorite, it worked for me in this case, giving the story an extra punch to make it more memorable.  I also appreciate that although this novel deals with some tough subjects, it remains upbeat and hopeful throughout.  While I didn't end up absolutely loving this heartfelt novel, I did enjoy it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin as well as other middle grade grief novels, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Beginners Welcome from the generous folks at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Potatoes have never been good to 12-year-old Ben Hardy.  Now that he's living in small-town Idaho in the heart of spud country, he feels positively cursed by his least favored vegetable.  A for-instance: after accidentally causing the school mascot to fall and sprain his ankle, Ben is sentenced to finishing out the season as Steve the Spud.  There are only two weeks left, but that's plenty of time for all of Ben's popularity plans to go straight down the toilet.  If his classmates know he's the one inside the dorky potato man suit?  That's it for Ben.  He'll go down forever as the nerdiest of nerds.  Since that absolutely cannot happen, he vows to keep his substitute Steve the Spud act top secret.  What could possibly go wrong?

I've read several dozen middle grade novels for the Cybils Awards over the past few months.  Most of them have told heavy, issue-y stories about everything from grief to neglect to homophobia to sexual abuse to drug addiction.  While these topics are timely and important, they also make for tough, sometimes depressing, reading.  After consuming book after book like this, I was definitely ready for something less weighty.  And guess what?  My Life As a Potato, a debut novel by Arianne Costner, was just the ticket!  It's a quick, funny, light-hearted novel that doesn't pretend to be anything but.  Ben's plight might be silly, but it makes for a lot of laughs while teaching some good lessons about honesty, being yourself, and putting in the effort to make the best out of an unpleasant situation.  If you're looking for diversity (this is rural Idaho we're talking about); deep, meaningful subject matter (it's hard to be serious about potatoes); or controversial topics (mashed vs. baked?), you're not going to find it here.  My Life As a Potato is simply a humorous, upbeat, enjoyable novel.  It's never going to win the Newbery, but there's still something to be said for a book that seeks only to entertain.  Personally, I loved it.  Hand this one to reluctant readers and fans of silly humor à
la Gordon Korman, Lincoln Peirce, and Jeff Kinney.

(Readalikes:  books by the authors mentioned above)

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After a short, disappointing marriage, 20-year-old widow Naomi May is ready to move on with life.  Her restless spirit longs for adventure, which is exactly what she gets when she and her family embark on a journey along the Oregon Trail.  What she doesn't expect is to fall in love.  Even though Naomi knows a match between her and John "Two Feet" Lowry, a half-Pawnee muleskinner, would be considered scandalous even in the wild, wild West, she can't help but be drawn to his quiet strength.  As the two trek along the trail with their company, they experience problems of every kind—illness, inclement weather, theft, broken wagon parts, animal stampedes, contention among the travelers, etc.—but when the worst happens, Naomi's heart is ripped in two.  Abducted by hostile Indians, her baby brother ripped from her arms, she fears she'll never see those she loves again.  Will she ever be reunited with her family?  What about John?  And what about all the happiness and prosperity they were hoping to find in Oregon?  When everything else has been stripped away, where does one find the hope to carry on?

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Where the Lost Wander from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

There's nothing 12-year-old Paige McBride likes better than working the Idaho farm her family has owned for generations.  Even with the recent death of her father, which has caused financial hardship, extra chores, and heavy sorrow, Paige is determined to keep the place running smoothly.  When she learns about her mother's decision to sell her beloved land, she vows it will never happen.  Not only does Paige have a foolproof plan to sabotage their realtor's schemes, but now she's got two unexpected secret weapons—a journalist who wants a hands-on farming experience and a wounded peacock of mysterious origins.  Paige will use them, as well as every other trick she's got up her sleeve, to rescue the farm she loves.  Will it be enough?

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), rude humor/innuendo, and depictions of underage drinking

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find