11. The Experiment

11. The Experiment. Rebecca Stead. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy] [j fantasy, j fiction, mg fantasy, mg fiction, j mystery, mg mystery, j science fiction, mg science fiction, 4 stars]

First sentence: Nathan had spent the morning re-reading comics in bed before sliding into a long nap that ended when his dad tapped twice on the door and called out, "Are you conscious?"

Premise/plot: Nathan, our young hero, is disgruntled. Just because he grew a tail over vacation and may no longer be able to conceal his alien-ness, life as he knew it is threatened. Several of his other alien friends have already vanished--did they grow tails too???? It is just a matter of time, he feels, until they come for him. His parents--also aliens--do not want to be separated from him, but, how much say will they have when it's time to return to the WAGON?!?!

Over a short period of time--a week, two weeks????--Nathan wrestles with EVERYTHING he knows to be true. Who he is, who his parents are, who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, who is telling the truth, his very reality. And his closest friends may just be his tail--whom he names TUCK--and his best friend, Victor.

My thoughts: I am incredibly conflicted. I am. The Experiment is speculative fiction that does keep you guessing. It isn't that Nathan is an unreliable narrator--far from it. Nathan is just about one or two steps ahead of the reader in what he knows. But both Nathan and the reader are "in the dark" as to what is really going on. Nathan and the reader find things out at almost the exact same time for most of the novel. It is slightly a mystery, but, not a mystery with clues for readers to find. Not really. So there isn't much predicting exactly and precisely what may happen next. Life with all its uncertainties are unfolding one moment at a time.

It IS a coming of age story with plenty of fantastical elements.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

3. Into the Fire (Westfallen #2)

3. Westfallen #2: Into the Fire. Ann and Ben Brashares. 2025. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, series book, mg speculative fiction]

First sentence: IF at first you don't succeed, cry cry again.

Premise/plot: Into the Fire is the second book in the Westfallen series by brother-and-sister authors, Ben and Ann Brashares. The premise is AWESOME. Three friends from the present (2023) "meet" three friends from the past (1944) and history is changed FOREVER-forever. (Or is it?!?!?!) Henry, Lukas, and Frances were at one time best, best, best friends though in recent years they've grown apart--far apart. Alice, Lawrence, and Artie are friends as well. These six friends become connected by a radio.

In the first book, loose lips from the future changes the past. They make an attempt to fix it for sure, but, that attempt is unsuccessful. America [and the Allies] lost the Second World War. Bad news all around.

The six kids working together--though NOT by magic radio--try time and time and time again to change the future by changing the past. That is the kids from 2023 are searching for clues in a future where they are strangers--strangers in a strange land if you will--to see WHAT events in 1944 led to this terrible, horrible future. IT is a mystery. The kids in the past are trying their best to look for clues too. To be careful and observant. To look for anything off--signs of treason within their neighborhood. WHO is it among them that would communicate with the BAD bad guys.

Will the future be changed? Almost four hundred pages of MORE attempts...is there any progress?!?!?!

My thoughts: I read the first book TWICE. It was awesome. It was thrilling and chilling. Did not disappoint. This second book is equally intense. Same premise BUT with an added layer of dystopia. The world-building IS intriguing--and terrifying. I do think some readers--perhaps older readers???--will piece together clues before the kids in the story. I did want to shout at the characters a few times. Did I expect a cliff hanger ending? I didn't. And that's probably all my own fault. I read this book in two or three sittings BECAUSE I thought at last, at last, at last RESOLUTION. There is no resolution. WAS it a great read? YES for the most part. At least as good as the first book. Perhaps I'm more invested for the second book. I want the third book NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

99. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

99. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 1999. 435 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [MG speculative fiction]

First sentence: Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard.

This is my third time reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I listened on audio book; the narrator was Stephen Fry.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter and his friends are preparing for a third year at Hogwarts. This one starts out in some ways extremely similar to the other two books in the series, but quite different as well. After an INCIDENT with his "family," Harry Potter runs away... Around this same time the magic world is shook by the escape of a prisoner from Azkaban--Sirius Black. Everyone is so distracted/concerned about his escape, that Harry Potter's so-called illegal use of magic is overlooked or quickly pardoned. Most of this school year is concerned with the missing Sirius Black. It is thought that Harry Potter is in even more danger than usual...

Plenty of adventures and misadventures are to be found in the day to day lives of Harry Potter and company. 

My thoughts: I certainly did not expect Scabbers--Ron Weasley's rat--to enter into the story in this fashion. I wasn't surprised by other elements of this one. I've learned to expect just about anything/everything from other characters--particularly adults, mostly professors, etc.

My original rating was three stars; I've since come to enjoy this one more. If I'm being honest, the second half I'd give an enthusiastic five stars. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the last section of this one where ALL THE action happens with Harry, Sirius Black, Ron, Hermione, etc. I loved the 'redo' they get. I don't know why exactly but Sirius Black is one of my favorite characters in the series. I couldn't begin to tell you why--he just is. I loved learning more about James and Lily Potter. I loved learning more about the friendships and relationships from their younger school days. The first half isn't bad by any stretch. 


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

95. Stitch

95. Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein. Padraig Kenny. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg speculative fiction, mg fantasy]

First sentence: Stitch wakes up, just as he always has done for the past five hundred and eighty-four days he has been waking up.

Premise/plot: Is Stitch a reimagining of Frankenstein? No. Yes. Maybe, a little. Stitch and Henry Oaf are the results of an experiment, though, whether their creator was 'mad' or not could be debated. Stitch is certainly fond of his Creator, Professor Hardacre. Henry is perhaps less so since he's been caged for being too clumsy and prone to breaking things. But the Professor has been "asleep" for many, many, many days. Stitch knows the rule of never waking him, so, he is slightly uncomfortable with how things are but not alarmed. When visitors--the Professor's nephew and a young girl, Alice--arrive, Stitch learns the awful truth. The Professor is more than sleeping. The good news? Henry can come out of his cage at last. The bad news? The nephew--who leans towards being a scientist of the mad, evil sort--is determined to experiment further on HENRY and STITCH. Can these two "monsters" escape the "monster" scientist? And will they find peace in the nearby village? With Alice by their side, these two stand a better chance than Mary Shelley's monster ever did.

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this intriguing read. I definitely came to care for the characters of Henry, Gregor, Stitch, and Alice. There were brief 'inspired-by' moments to the original Frankenstein, however, these were few and far between. The concept of electricity bringing the dead back to life is borrowed, obviously, but the story, the characters, the motivations, etc., everything is original.

I definitely appreciated the writing and the storytelling.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

85. Time Travelling with a Tortoise

85. Time Travelling with a Tortoise. Ross Welford. 2024. 220 pages. [Source: Library] [MG speculative fiction, time travel, dinosaurs, 4 stars]

First sentence: You may remember that my dad died twice. As for me, I ended up having two twelfth birthdays, which sounds like a whole lot more fun. Trust me: it isn't.

Premise/plot: Al Chaudhury is back for another time travelling adventure. In the first book, he received a mysterious letter from his late father telling him of a time machine and giving him instructions of how to ultimately save his life. [The dad had had a head injury back in 1984.] His father's life was saved, though it took multiple attempts. Meanwhile, his old life--his original life--is GONE. His father is life, but, he's a stranger to his own life. His mother never remarried, and he doesn't have a stepsister. His dad is no longer *his* dad: gone is his love of computers, technology, science, physics, etc. His father is now obsessed with HAMSTERS. No one believes his time travel story, and, he has no memories of his 'new' life. Now in the second book, he has another choice to make: his grandfather recently had an accident one that has robbed him of his health and his memory. His grandfather now is asking him to rebuild his father's time machine and use it to prevent his accident. But life doesn't go as planned and soon Al and his friends find themselves running from DINOSAURS. Can he [and his friends] escape the dinosaurs and return to the present? And when they do, which present will it be? How many trips to the past will it take for things to get back to a 'normal' he can live with?

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. In some ways it was even more compelling than the first one perhaps. Though that might just be that the end of this one provides resolution for both books. Both books are essentially one continuing story.

Definitely recommended to readers who love adventurous time travel stories.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

81. Right Back At You

81. Right Back at You. Carolyn Mackler. 2025. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg speculative fiction, Jewish, mg fiction, coming of age]

First sentence: Dear Albert Einstein,
I'm only writing this letter because Barb told me I had to. She said I could write it to anybody or nobody. I chose to write to you. She said I didn't have to send it. That's a good thing because you've been dead for almost seventy years.

Premise/plot: Right Back At You is set in 1987 and 2023. Mason lives in New York in 2023. He's troubled by many things: his mom's drinking, his dad starting a new job in a new city without them, the bullies at school, the lack of friends, shame. He begins writing letters and putting them in his closet never expecting a reply. Talia lives in Pennsylvania in 1987. She's troubled by many things as well: not being allowed to play baseball, being bullied because she's Jewish, no one being outraged at the antisemitism, loss of friends due to growing apart, etc. Both are a bit shocked and surprised to be communicating with the other. She comes to terms with it a LOT faster than Mason.

Right Back At You is undoubtedly and without apology a problem novel. The 'problems' tackled are antisemitism and bullying, but also alcoholism and neglect.

My thoughts: The premise was intriguing. I think the two story lines balanced each other out. Perhaps as individual stories without the speculative fiction aspect would have been too heavy-handed.

I liked this one. Not sure I absolutely loved it. But I did find it a quick, compelling read.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

79. Moonleapers

 79. Moonleapers (Moonleapers #1) Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2025. [September] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [MG fiction, MG speculative fiction, 4 stars]

First sentence: "Maisie? Is that you?" Mom's voice floated down from her second-floor office as soon as Maisie pushed open the front door. 

Premise/plot: Margaret Peterson Haddix's newest book is MOONLEAPERS. Maisie, our heroine, feels 'behind' because she does not have a smart phone. The good news? She's about to receive a phone. The bad news? In return she'll be expected to babysit her brother and sister, Rufus and Dora. It is a hand-me-down phone from her GREAT-GREAT aunt. Great-Aunt Hazel is dying and the family is going to travel to visit her. Around the same time she's told of the upcoming trip, she begins receiving strange riddles on her new-to-her phone and is given a BLANK book. It seems that there will be mysteries to solve perhaps in the upcoming weeks. Mysteries that of course only deepen once they arrive at Great-Aunt Hazel's house. Two of those mysteries are a CAT and a DOG that seem more than just a cat and dog.

My thoughts: Margaret Peterson Haddix is known for her premise-driven middle grade books. I have loved, loved, loved, absolutely loved some of her series [and a few of her stand-alone novels.] I have rated many of Haddix's novels as 5 stars. I have LOVED. I have treasured. I have reread. It was impossible for me not to compare this one with previous books.

What I enjoyed: Moonleapers IS a premise-driven novel. I liked the premise. Moonleapers are people who almost transcend time and are able to communicate with the past, to influence the past and present, to reach out to other moonleapers, to make a difference. It isn't so much the idea of moonleaping that I liked but the idea of alternate realities and small changes making big differences.

I also enjoyed the magical cat and dog and how they were able to 'help' Maisie solve all the clues needed to save the day and change the world. Without the dog and cat....well....the book might have been less engaging.

What I didn't quite enjoy: I was not as impressed by the characterization as I was the development of the premise and the world-building. Not every book needs to be character-driven. This is very much a book about mysteries and puzzles.

I also thought the pacing was a on the slow side. This one had less suspense than most of the other Haddix novels I've read in the past. This one was lacking the INTENSE, engaging, compelling, suspenseful pace. There was not a strong need to keep turning pages, to read just one chapter more. It was interesting and entertaining, but it was not exactly thrilling.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

75. Time Traveling with a Hamster

75. Time Travelling with a Hamster. Ross Welford. 2015. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg fiction, mg speculative fiction, time trave, mg science fiction]

First sentence: My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine, and again four years later when he was twelve. (He's going to die a third time as well, which seems a bit rough on him, but I can't help that.) The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn't been for his "time machine." 

Premise/plot: Al Chaudhury is given a unique opportunity on his twelfth birthday when he receives a letter from his dead father. Al receives detailed instructions on how to use his father's time machine. He'll have to break all the rules and then some, but, there's a chance he may just be able to travel back in time and prevent his father's death. His grandfather is subtly-not-so-subtly warning Al NOT to use the time machine and to let things be, to accept what is. Yet Al (and his hamster) seem destined to time travel. His destination? 1984 his father's childhood to prevent an accident. 

My thoughts: I found Time Travelling with a Hamster to be a compelling, intriguing read. I am always open to reading time travel books. I thought the premise was interesting AND it wasn't all premise-focused. I thought the characterization--particularly of Al and his grandfather--was strong.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

14. First State of Being

   

14. First State of Being. Erin Entrada Kelly. 2024. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Newbery Medal, MG Speculative Fiction, MG Fiction, Time Travel]

First sentence: Peaches, Michael Rosario thought. That's what we need. His mother loved peaches. If the world came to a standstill at midnight on January 1, 2000, at least she would have two things she cherished: peaches and Michael.

Premise/plot: The year is 1999. Michael Rosario, the narrator, struggles with worry and anxiety. His biggest anxiety at the moment is the end of the world, aka Y2K. He is secretly hoarding food and supplies. Since he doesn't have money to pay--he's a kid, after all, just twelve--he's picked up the habit of shoplifting. His second biggest anxiety is that his mom will lose another job--just like before. Right now they are living paycheck to paycheck, he fears what would happen....if. There are so many 'ifs' of the future. He does have friends in the apartment complex, and, I believe he's friends with some--at least one--of the adults as well. But it is his new friend, Ridge, a friend who claims to be from the FUTURE and even has a book in hand that details historical events, who may just change his perspective and help him come into 'the first state of being' (aka living IN the moment, IN now).

 My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I am so glad I finally read it. It had been on my want to read list for months. It recently won the Newbery Medal. I thought the premise of a time traveler was interesting. It is more usual, more typical, to read books from the point of view of the time traveler, that is not the case here. Michael is tempted--incredibly tempted--by trying to find out anything, everything, something--about the future. Here is his opportunity to KNOW what the future holds...but would knowing change things for the better or the worse? And what if the theories of how damaging knowing could be if it leads to changes.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

3. The Oarsmen: Chasing Embers

 3. The Oarsmen: Chasing Embers. Glenn Beck with Mikayla G. Hedrick. 2024. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg speculative fiction, mg dystopia, mg fiction]

First sentence:  It was the night the scales tipped decisively in the Administrator's direction. A young couple was sitting in their unit in the half-built utopian city known as "Oasis." The city was flush with the sounds of mechanical construction--crash, whizz, pop, smash. These sounds were normal in Oasis. The Tenants were hardly bothered by it anymore.

Premise/plot: Chasing Embers is a middle grade [or perhaps young young adult] dystopian novel set in a future America. Like all dystopias it features a bleak, dismal, unsettling, disturbing reality. Some are more subtle than others--think Twilight Zone. Others are more obviously harsh.

What should you know? There are two main characters who alternate narration. Sky and Ember. Both have grown up in Oasis--I believe--and both will have to make a tough decision--or two or three--before the close of the novel.

Ember "inherited" a forbidden book, a handwritten book I believe, that capture in bits, pieces, and spurts the past. It's a past that is purposefully forgotten and/or revised by the current powers that be. The current powers that be determine what is true and what isn't true--and mostly they err on the side of everything from the past being lies, lies, and more lies. There are a few "holdouts" who live apart, and some that live within just super cautiously. There are also fabled Oarsmen. 

 Sky has left Oasis and is visiting one such holdout community and is learning things in "the sticking place." All the "lies" are being taught as truth and the community is being nurtured by morals and values--being taught right from wrong, truth from lie, etc. But Sky has his doubts and cannot believe what he is seeing and hearing. Or perhaps he wants to believe but struggles to incorporate his new realizations with everything he's ever known.

Though much of the book is world-building, plenty is left mysterious--for better or worse. There will be costs to pay for "holding out" and not conforming to the powers that be, and many characters will be forced to decide if it's a cost worth paying.

My thoughts: My biggest issue with this book is the lack of understanding of HOW IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL character motivations are within a book--any book really, but especially a supposedly action packed dystopia. IF hard work is put into character motivation--knowing WHY characters do what they do, say what they say, choose what they choose, etc--then much can be forgiven such as info-dumping for world-building sake. Also being premise-driven. A book can be premise-driven, plot-driven and be far from character driven....and still be a compelling read IF some amount of attention is given to showing WHY. 

I feel that both Sky and Ember lack ANY development when it comes to character motivation. It's a big guessing game with extremely shaky foundations as to WHY they say or do ANYTHING at any given time. Yes, it keeps readers guessing but for all the wrong reasons. I think *a little* more focus on building the characters inner worlds would help sell this one as a compelling read.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

89. Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. Joshua S. Levy. 2024. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Speculative Fiction; Friendship; MG Fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: My first bar mitzvah took forever.

Premise/plot: Two strangers become friends when they realize they have much in common: a) they are both celebrating their bah mitzvah (in the same hotel, different ball rooms) and b) they are both stuck in a three-day time loop (Friday morning through Sunday afternoon). Can Ezra and Finn find a way to move ahead into the future? Or will they be reliving the same weekend hundreds or thousands of times. Is there anything worse than being stuck in a time loop? Maybe. Maybe not. 

My thoughts: This speculative fiction time-loop themed novel has dual narrators--Ezra and Finn. I enjoyed both narrators. I enjoyed meeting both families. The boys definitely have some adventures and misadventures as they brainstorm potential ways out of the mess. Time loop stories (along with time travel stories) are among my favorites. This one did not disappoint.   

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

88. The Last Dragon on Mars

The Last Dragon on Mars. Scott Reintgen. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [MG fantasy, MG science fiction] [3 stars]

First sentence: There's a storm coming that looks right nasty.

Premise/plot: For readers wanting DRAGONS in their science fiction (colonization, space flight, survival), readers should consider picking up this new middle grade series. The first book, The Last Dragon on Mars, newly published, introduces readers to Lunar Jones, an orphaned boy living on a cursed planet. Mars (the planet) has been cursed since first colonized by humans generations previously. It is NOT a hospitable, homey place, however, it is the only home he's ever known. And even though every single day is a struggle for resources, a struggle among many for those extremely limited resources, he's not ready to give up on Mars just yet. (Then again, what choice does he have?) 

Dragon-lore is plentiful in the world-making of this speculative fiction series. To go into details of why planets, moons, and stars have dragon [avatars] would be tedious. That is, my description of the book's world would be tedious. 

In some ways this is a typical quest-adventure book where a young, thoroughly unprepared boy is thrust into a position where he must save the world. However, I haven't read many science fiction novels set in space involving dragons.

My thoughts: I liked it well enough. It is certainly on the eccentric, taste-specific side. But then again that is how science fiction works. It was a quick read that was enjoyable enough. I didn't love it as much as I was hoping. But I think the target audience could certainly find it appealing.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

73. Westfallen

Westfallen. Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars] [MG speculative fiction, MG science fiction, MG dystopia, TIME TRAVEL, alternate history]

First sentence: Let me ask you this: What's the worst thing you've ever done? Really think about it. Well, multiply your thing by a billion and you don't even get close. Sorry to brag. It's just...your thing? It's the Cheeto-dust thumbprint you left on the basement sofa. It's an ant's toe you stepped on. And then you said, "Sorry!" and the ant went, "No worries, mate!" Because the ant's British, I don't know. 

My thoughts (preview): Ever been HOOKED on a premise????? It doesn't happen all that often, though it does happen. This is the case with Westfallen. The premise had me at HELLO. Reading the synopsis raised my expectations immeasurably, and it did NOT, I repeat did NOT disappoint. 

Premise/plot: Six kids working together (with the best intentions)--separated by time--manage to destroy life as we know it. Shocked I was able to sum up an entire book in one sentence? Me too. 

Henry, Lukas, and Frances were at one time best, best, best friends though in recent years they've grown apart--far apart. Alice, Lawrence, and Artie are friends as well. These six friends become connected by a radio.

Alice "saves" her brother's radio from the trash. It's broken and her brother, Robbie, is gone--presumably for the war. Her two friends, Lawrence and Artie, are near by and interested in seeing if they can fix the radio.

Henry is burying his gerbil, Zeus, when he discovers a long-buried radio. His (former) friends are there for the funeral. All are interested in this buried "treasure" of sorts. 

All six kids are SHOCKED when the radio works. The two sets of friends refer to themselves as "Mars" and "Jupiter." It takes time for them to realize that the new friends they've made aren't living in the same year. Henry, Lukas and Frances are in 2023....and Alice, Lawrence, and Artie are in 1944. Both are in the same house, same street, same city. 

Will innocent casual conversation lead to the unwinding of the universe?????

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THIS ONE. Mostly. I will say that the CLIFF HANGER ending was while not a huge surprise a bit disappointing. If the cliff hanger leads to a book two, then YES PLEASE. If it does NOT lead to a book two then readers everywhere have been robbed. 

I loved the premise. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. This is one I could easily see myself reading again and again and again. 

 

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

69. Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Terry Pratchett. 2001. HarperCollins. 242 pages. [Source: Library] [Animal Fantasy; MG Fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: Rats! 
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--
But there was more to it than that. As the Amazing Maurice said, it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.
But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.
It began--part of it began--on the mail coach that came over the mountains from the distant cities of the plain.

Premise/plot: What is this one about? Maurice has a scheme to get rich. He travels with a human piper, Keith, and 'his' educated rodents (rats). (Both the rats and the cat can talk.) They go from town to town--or village to village--though never in places too close together. First, they'll be an outbreak of rats. Then Keith will appear as a rat piper to save the day and lead the rats away. For a fee, of course. They split the money between them.

Readers see their "last" adventure in the town of Bad Blintz. All does not go according to plan...

My thoughts: I loved The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. I just LOVED it. I loved the characters. Maurice, the cat, and many of the rats--including Hamnpork, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Sardines, etc. And the humans, Keith and Malicia. I loved seeing these characters interact with one another. I loved the story too! It was such a great adventure story. And the writing--of course--I just loved it! Terry Pratchett is a new favorite of mine!!!

One of my favorite things about this one is Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. These rats LOVE the book Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. And many of the chapters begin with a quote from this book.

One day, when he was naughty, Mr. Bunnsy looked over the hedge into Farmer Fred's field and saw it was full of fresh green lettuces. Mr. Bunnsy, however, was not full of lettuces. This did not seem fair. (1)

Mr. Bunnsy had a lot of friends in Furry Bottom. But what Mr. Bunnsy was friendly with more than anything else was food. (20)

The important thing about adventures, thought Mr. Bunnsy, was that they should not be so long as to make you miss mealtimes. (49)

There were big adventures and small adventures, Mr. Bunnsy knew. You didn't get told what size they were going to be before you started. Sometimes you could have a big adventure even when you were standing still. (79)

I would definitely recommend this one!

Favorite quotes: 

There's always a plot. You just have to know where to look.

Malicia leaned against the wall with incredible nonchalance. There was not a click. A panel in the floor did not slide back. "Probably the wrong place," she said. "I'll just rest my arm innocently on this coat hook." A sudden door in the wall completely failed to happen. "Of course, it'd help if there was an ornate candlestick," said Malicia. "They're always a surefire secret-passage lever. Every adventurer knows that." "There isn't a candlestick," said Maurice. "I know. Some people totally fail to have any idea of how to design a proper secret passage," said Malicia. She leaned against another piece of wall, which had no effect whatsoever.

Cats don't go around feeling sorry! Or guilty! We never regret anything! Do you know what it feels like, saying, 'Hello food, can you talk?' That's not how a cat is supposed to behave!

If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story.

A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks they've lost.

"We don't want to be like the first mouse!" shouted the rats. "Right! What mouse do we want to be like?" "The second mouse, Darktan!" said the rats, like people who'd heard this lesson dinned into them many times. "Right! And why do we want to be like the second mouse?" "Because the second mouse gets the cheese, Darktan!"

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

64. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

64. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 1999. 435 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars] [MG speculative fiction]

First sentence: Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter and his friends are preparing for a third year at Hogwarts. This one starts out in some ways extremely similar to the other two books in the series, but quite different as well. After an INCIDENT with his "family," Harry Potter runs away... Around this same time the magic world is shook by the escape of a prisoner from Azkaban--Sirius Black. Everyone is so distracted/concerned about his escape, that Harry Potter's so-called illegal use of magic is overlooked or quickly pardoned. Most of this school year is concerned with the missing Sirius Black. It is thought that Harry Potter is in even more danger than usual...

Plenty of adventures and misadventures are to be found in the day to day lives of Harry Potter and company. 

My thoughts: I certainly did not expect Scabbers--Ron Weasley's rat--to enter into the story in this fashion. I wasn't surprised by other elements of this one. I've learned to expect just about anything/everything from other characters--particularly adults, mostly professors, etc. 

I liked this one okay. I didn't hate it. But it also wasn't all that thrilling. Well, it had its thrilling moments towards the end. But for the most part it is all ho-hum. Hermione is super busy taking a million classes at once. Hermione has a "mean" cat. I guess the only other positive thing is that we get a few glimpses of who Harry's parents--their characters/personalities/relationships/etc.

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

1. Courage to Dream

Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust. Neal Shusterman. Illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez. 2023. [October] 256 pages. [Source: Library]

Genre(s): Graphic novel, short stories, historical fiction, speculative fiction, alternate realities, MG fiction, 

First sentence of "He Opens a Window": Gretchen, No! 

Premise/plot: There are five thematically-linked stories told in graphic novel format. The approach isn't strictly historical, each story has a speculative twist [science fiction, fantasy]. It definitely has a Twilight Zone feel. I don't mean it in a glib way. While some might view Twilight Zone as just being entertainment and spooky fun, there are some thought-provoking episodes. The stories in Courage to Dream ARE thought-provoking. They engage you on a what-if or what-might-have-been level. 

The five stories are "He Opens a Window," "Legend Speaks of a Superhero...," "Spirits of Resistance," "Exodus," and "The Untold."

My thoughts: As I mentioned above, this one very much embraces the twisty-turns of speculative fiction.

Will this one be for every reader? Probably not. It isn't historically "true" or "accurate" enough to read to really learn the realities [of the horrors] of the Holocaust. It is very much a serious, sobering sci-fi twist to our reality. 

I found all five stories memorable and haunting. I don't know that I could pick a true favorite of the bunch. "Exodus" might stand out a little more than the others. My least favorite story is probably "Spirits of Resistance" (but I could see it being someone's favorite.)

I do think it can be enjoyed by readers middle grade on up. I found it enjoyable as an adult.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

158. Rewind

Rewind. Lisa Graff. 2023. [August] 256 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Speculative Fiction; Time Travel]

First sentences: In most ways, Gap Bend, Pennsylvania, was just like any other small town. 

Premise/plot: Gap Bend, Pennsylvania, has a tradition of hosting a 'Time Hop' community event. McKinley O'Dair is super excited. This year the Time Hop will be celebrating all things 1993. She realizes--foreshadowing--that 1993 was the year her father was her age. 

After an explosive argument with her father--in which she runs away at the Time Hop--she finds herself traveling back in time. She's IN the "real" 1993. Her father is her own age. And she is clueless as to how to return to 2018. 

My thoughts: I wanted to love, love, love this one. I didn't love it. I will try to share why I personally didn't love this one so that you can make up your own mind as to if this is one you'd be interested in picking up and reading for yourself.

What I liked: I liked the premise of time travel. I LOVE the premise of time travel. I seek out time travel books like they're candy. I was super excited about the premise of this one. The fact that she'd be able to "get to know" her father when he was her own age was intriguing. It had potential.

The chapter titles are song titles. I wasn't familiar with most of these songs, but, it could make a good side project for those that love music OR that love quests in general. Not having listened to these songs, I'm not sure if the song lyrics themselves have anything at all to do--themes? tones?--with the plot of the book. Perhaps they do. Maybe they don't. I will say that the characters themselves don't really talk music--artists, songs--all that often (if at all). (And when they do bring up a song title, I *think* it was a song actually released in 1997. Granted, perhaps the Backstreet Boys only covered "Hey Mr DJ Keep Playing That Song". But any internet search showed that the Backstreet Boys as the artist and the 1997 as the year it released.) 

What I didn't like: I found almost all the characters (except McKinley's grandma) insufferable. I truly found them so incredibly annoying and obnoxious. The characters in 2018 and the characters in 1993--both were so unlikable that even the premise of time travel didn't really keep me loving the book. McKinley, our main character, was SO full of it. I just couldn't stand her smugness. And I don't think she was purposefully written to be smug. She wasn't the only annoying character, but, she was the one readers never got away from.

One thing that definitely bothered me was that every single character was disrespectful, rude, unkind, bully-ish. All the conversations McKinley and Jackie had in the past were SO rude and obnoxious. The way they treated others. The way they treated each other. 

I also didn't like the fact that the fashion descriptions felt a LOT more like mid-to-late 1990s--than 1993. Again, every adult who lived through the nineties might have a different recollection of the details. So perhaps it's just me that thinks it's a tiny bit off. You can decide for yourself. Maybe 1993 was all about Doc Martens, silver spaghetti strap dresses, white baby doll tees, lace choker necklaces, butterfly clips, and denim vests. I wouldn't let the fashion descriptions keep you from picking up the book. If that was the only thing that annoyed me--slightly--I would still have enjoyed the book. It was mainly the characters being annoying. Again--totally subjective.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

91. Project F

Project F. Jeanne DuPrau. 2023. [October 10] 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: All was going well in our country at the time this story begins, which is several hundred years in the future from the time you're reading it. There were no wars, few wildfires and floods, no famines.

Premise/plot: Looking for a children's book written with a hammer instead of a pen? Not literally, I suppose, since I imagine almost all writers type instead of write by hand. But this may be one of the most heavy-handed books I've read in my life--definitely the most obnoxiously didactic I've read in 2023. So what is the premise? DuPrau has created a perfectly perfect utopia set several hundred years after a terrible/horrible/disastrous fall. No fossil fuels are used at all. At all. And though the world's population is much smaller, civilization less advanced, and technology frozen at a socially-acceptable place, everything is just about perfect--in a self-righteous way. (The characters are so SMUG.)

Keith Arlo, our protagonist, hasn't been paying close enough attention to history lectures about the evilly-evil monsters of the past. So he's gullible and falls prey to adventure. It starts with a train ride. He is going to collect his newly-orphaned cousin, Lulu. But Malcolm, the passenger sitting close to him, is working on Project F. He tells just enough to make Keith super curious. When the two passenger's bags are mixed up--Keith takes Malcolm, Malcolm takes Keith, Keith's fate is nearly-sealed. He MUST return Malcolm's bag; he must explore all the secret documents and drawings; he must read the HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, a book in his suitcase. 

The fate of the world may just rest on Keith's young shoulders and because he's not great at researching the evil-monsters of the past at the library OR great at listening in history class, then utopia is threatened.

So what is Project F? Well, it's MODEL F. F for Freedom? F for Fossil Fuels? F for Fun? Model F stands in opposition to everything this new utopia stands for. And Keith is tempted to have fun and experience freedom. Will the world collapse a second time?

My thoughts: I suppose I blended some of my thoughts in the premise/plot summary. I couldn't help it. It's rare I'm so incredibly disappointed by a book. I would say that City of Ember is one of my all time favorite-favorite-favorite books to reread. I adore that book SO MUCH. It's like one of my go-to books that I love to recommend to anyone/everyone. It's just a fantastic adventure. This book is the complete opposite. The character development is horrible. Unless the goal was to create characters that are so incredibly self-righteous, smug, proud, condescending, that you can't help but to hate them. The story is weak/thin--in my opinion. The writing is horrible. All tell, no show. I think the biggest annoyance was that whole pages of this one are just excerpts from a book HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. These excerpts are literally just over-the-top lectures. As if the main narrative thread wasn't didactic enough.

It is my opinion that even GOOD messages (or GREAT messages) can be incredibly annoying if used as a hammer. No opinion is made better by being used as a weapon, a hammer; you can't beat a belief into someone else's head. You can't. You just can't. But you can get it published apparently. 

I don't love disliking a book. I don't. I was super excited to read her newest book. I had high hopes. I even moved it to the top of my list. I was eager to read this. I welcomed this. But I was disappointed.

I also thought some of this one was blasphemous. Yes, I know not every reader will come from a Christian background, a religious background with Christian roots, but this futuristic "update" of sorts to the doxology was horrendous.

Praise Earth from whom all blessings flow.
Praise sky above and sea below.
Praise creatures great and small between.
Praise darkness, light, and holy green.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

75. Hamra and the Jungle of Memories

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories. Hanna Alkaf. 2023. [March] 400 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: There was once a girl named Hamra who lived in a crooked house on the edge of the tangled Langkawi jungle, with a mother and father who told her what to do, a grandfather who told her stories, and a grandmother who told her truths. In time, she would come to discover that all of these things were equally important. In fact, if Hamra could go back in time, she'd tell herself three very important things: 1. Listen to Atok. 2. Listen to Opah. Listen to your father and for goodness' sake, tie your shoelaces. 

Premise/plot: There are RULES (not guidelines) for how to enter the jungle. Hamra has grown up with these five rules forever. (The rules are as follows: 1) Always ask permission before you enter; 2) Don't challenge what you can't even see; 3) Never use your true name; 4) Never take what isn't yours; 5) If you hear someone calling your name, never, ever look behind you.) One day, a day when Hamra is already super-flustered and angry, she forgets ALL five rules. And there are consequences...even if the consequences aren't right in the moment. Soon, her consequences lead her to a quest in the jungle with her best-friend/neighbor, Ilyas, and a were-tiger. The were-tiger wants to be human again, but, he's forgotten how to transform. He's also forgotten his true name. Since she took a piece of fruit for the jungle, she's in his debt. He's demanding that she help him become human again. Ilyas owes no one a thing; he's there simply because he's a decent friend. 

My thoughts: Set near/in Malaysia during the COVID pandemic, this one plays around with being a twist on a folk tale. The setting is novel/unique. I've not read many middle grade books set on one of the islands in Malaysia. Let alone a middle grade fantasy novel with were-tigers and were-snakes and faerie folk. Is it a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood? Not really. Not in my opinion. Yes, there's a jungle (instead of woods). Yes, there's a grandma (though she lives with the family full time). Yes, there's danger in the jungle--a tiger (instead of a wolf). But the tiger is not following her--not really--and the tiger isn't out to gobble down grandma. The tiger doesn't try to gobble down anyone. There's no trying to fool anyone and dressing up like Grandma. Hamya has a hot-temper and is reckless. Definitely not your stereotypical little girl with a red hood/cape skipping merrily and innocently along with a basket of goodies. I'm also not sure why the COVID setting is a plot point--except that it makes the absence of the parents easier. All the reminders to wear a mask...which are sprinkled throughout...seems a little silly. If you're in an enchanted jungle with supernatural/magical/immortal creatures....it just seems random to have reminders about COVID protocol thrown in. 

I really enjoyed the first third of this one. I didn't end up enjoying it overall. But reading is subjective and maybe it will be just the right match for you.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

50. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. J.K. Rowling. 2000. 734 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. 

Premise/plot: Harry Potter returns (eventually) to Hogwarts where he and his friends discover several changes for the school year ahead. Before school returns, there is a Quidditch World Cup to be endured. It felt like the sporty Quidditch World Cup took up 800 pages. Once he (and his friends) return to Hogwarts and begin their studies again, the pace picks up a bit. One of the changes this year is the triwizard competition. Hogwarts is one of three schools participating. There is supposed to be one student per school. But someone has entered Harry's name into the goblet of fire and so he ends up being a 'champion' [participant]. Cedric Diggory is the other Hogwarts champion. [I don't remember the names from the other two schools.] This competition is spread out throughout the school year. 

My thoughts: I feel like the first six-hundred pages were mostly dull and ho-hum. I think the last bit of the novel has all the action and suspense. Out of the four novels I've read so far, this has been the dullest all things considered. All things being taking the book as a whole. There were definitely intense, action-packed, emotional scenes/chapters. But does THAT end-portion make up for all the sporty-sport-sport bit at the start???? I'm not sure. This was the first Harry Potter book where I've had to force myself to keep reading to get to the end of it.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews