by David Lumsdom Illustrated by Shiei 5 stars A fun adventure filled with humor, mystery, and time travel. Tomorrow is the Great Cake Bake Festival and Pinkie Pie can’t wait. But when she wakes up the next day, she’s surprised to find that tomorrow is the Great Cake Bake Festival. Then tomorrow and tomorrow and…
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5 stars A reluctant hero, a lost baby, and a witch who will do anything to find them. I loved everything about this. Wonderful artwork with a perfect blend of weird, sweet, spooky, and beautiful. Bera is a pumpkin farmer who lives on an island with her loyal owl friend, Winslowe. After rescuing a human…
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2 stars The mirror in the basement is not all it seems. After knocking on the mirror three times, Abby and her brother, Jonah, are transported into a fairy tale realm. While trying to help a young girl, they realize they’ve changed the ending of her story. Now they must set things right and find…
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by Chris Colfer 3 stars Twins Alex and Conner are having a hard time adjusting to life after the death of their father. When their grandmother gives Alex her book of fairy tales, the siblings are transported inside into the Land of Stories. Now the two must search for the items of the Wishing Spell…
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Story & Illustrations by Angela De Vito Written by Leigh Dragoon 2 stars A kidnapped princess, a prince’s stollen heart, an orphan with mysterious abilities, and a witch out to ruin them all. I thought this was a standalone when I started it, but later found out it will be part of a trilogy. There…
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Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit 3 stars A standalone tale loosely based on the Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. This book is all Miyazaki. Stunning settings, a strong woman with agency and determination, fascinating creatures, rich backgrounds, and intentional ambiguity. Slow-paced story that puts more emphasis on the visuals than…
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by Jason Pamment 5 stars bsolutely stunning! The artwork is gorgeous. The story is heartwarming. I loved the world Pamment created. A fun adventure filled with new friendships, found family, and discovering your place in the world. Perfect for fans of The Stonekeeper series who are looking for a relaxing read. A gorgeous book with a story…
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3 stars A hilarious, fast-paced adventure featuring friendship, a well-dressed villain, and a whole lot of unique cryptids. Penny and her mother are moving. But before they do, Penny wants to thank the mysterious creature who saved her from drowning. Together with her friends, she sets out to find the Bawk-ness Monster and discovers the…
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adapted by Naoko Amemiya 3 stars A lengthy picture book that covers the entirety of the film, Howl’s Moving Castle. I don’t normally like picture books that use screengrabs of movies, but the artwork from this movie is so well done, I really didn’t mind. I think you could take any Miyazaki film and easily…
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3.5 stars A truly beautiful book. I loved the aesthetic. Ghosts, gardens, romance, and necromancy. A winning combination. The story itself was a bit disjointed. The connections in the second half weren’t very clear. Honestly, I’m not mad about it though. I was perfectly content to be along for the ride. The characters are all…
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