Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations 2) by BB Alston (Middle Grade Fantasy Book Review)

 

Amari and the Great Game
(Supernatural Investigations #2)
by B.B. Alston
Published by Balzer + Bray
on August 30, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery
Length: 400 pages
Ages: 10+ years
Grade level: 3 - 7th

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Literary Awards:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's (2022)

Synopsis:
After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze. 

But between the fearsome new Head Minister's strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton's curse steadily worsening, Amari's plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She's got enough to worry about! 

But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers' successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner's magical rewards is Quinton's last hope--so how can Amari refuse? 


My Thoughts:

Amari Peters has joined the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, a super secret organization where Amari must compete with peers and discover her own gifts as a naturally powerful magician. With new leadership and new challenges added to the old, Amari continues to navigate the supernatural world and middle-school life while also taking on a secret competition that will decide the fate of magiciankind forever. 

This is such a fantastic series so far! I'm absolutely loving it! 
There's plenty of magic, mythical creatures & beings, mystery, friends & enemy dynamics, duels and dastardly deeds committed in secret, and more! 

Amari deals with a lot of heavy choices and responsibilities in this sequel. Being a naturally powerful magician puts her in a precarious situation with her peers and others in the supernatural world. Likewise, her involvement in the secret but pivotal 'Great Game' puts a strain on her relationships, but despite all the hardships, Amari sticks to her strengths and truths and ends up on top. 

Check out my review of the first book in this series, 
Amari and the Night Brothers.

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The Sisters of Luna Island by Stacy Hackney (Middle Grade Fantasy Book Review)

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

The Sisters of Luna Island
by Stacy Hackney
Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
on April 12, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Length: 336 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years

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Synopsis:
Little Women gets a Nevermoor twist in this bewitching novel about a young girl tasked to break a centuries-old curse or risk losing her beloved sisters. 

Twelve-year-old Marigold Lafleur is the last of a long line or aromages: witches who blend scents into practical charms using aromagic. But ever since a terrible accident injured her father and damaged Luna Island, Marigold and her sisters, Birdie and Lou, have vowed to abandon their family legacy and mama's way of life. Shunned by their neighbors and overlooked by their parents, Marigold relies on her big sisters above all else. 

But when Marigold discovers a secret curse that threatens her family, her sisters can't stop the impending danger. It's up to Marigold and her best friend, Sam, to uncover the origins of the curse and break the spell. To do so, she must learn to trust her instincts and believe in her own unique magic or risk losing her beloved sisters forever. 


My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic coming-of-age story filled with magic, mayhem, and familial life lessons! 

Marigold LaFleur lives with her mother and three sisters on Luna Island, as did all her ancestors before her. Like their mother, Marigold and her sisters, Birdie & Lou, are aromages and can make magic charms or potions by mixing scents and can also sense unknown things through scents around them. But using their gifts can have consequences, called vexes, and Marigold and her sisters have vowed to never use their aromagic again after the earthquake that injured their father and caused him to leave the island. 
Marigold and her sisters, unfortunately, seem to always be around when something goes wrong and they are quickly ostracized by their friends and community while their mother becomes more and more withdrawn from their daily lives. When Marigold learns that their family is cursed and that she is destined to lose one of her sisters, the few people she has left, she is determined to find the source of the curse and end it once and for all, but she will learn many lessons along the way. 

This is being promoted as Practical Magic meets Little Women and I have to agree, in all the best ways!
It's filled with magic and mystery, sisterly love and feuding, and a familial curse that must be broken to save a family and island community! 

There are some tough life lessons in this story that can also double as CONTENT WARNINGS, such as parental separation, child abandonment, bullying, and more. 
 Marigold struggles with guilt over her father's new absense, her mother's withdrawal, and the building tension between her older sisters, as well as the community, all creating the perfect storm.
Of course, there is character growth and resolution that ends on a happy, positive note! 

I loved that each chapter begins with a little herbal information such as "Sage leaves promote wisdom", which really sets the tone for the story ahead. 

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Willa of the Wood (#1) by Robert Beatty (Middle Grade Fantasy Book Review)

Willa of the Wood
(Willa #1)
by Robert Beatty
Published by Disney-Hyperion
on July 10, 2018
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years

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Literary Awards:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2018)

Synopsis:
Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. 

Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk will kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.  

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with the warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart. 



My Thoughts:

Willa is a night-spirit; a child who lives hidden away in the mountains and steals from the day-folk to appease her 'padaran'. The best hauls gain the most favor after all and going home empty handed isn't a choice. But Willa knows there is more to life than stealing for the padaran, for her ancestors are the faeran and they have always lived on the smoky mountain, friend to the trees and animals, and they even had magic once.
But there is destruction and chaos in the world that finds root within her clan and Willa must fight for what she knows is right. 

Willa is my new favorite character. 
She's fiercely independent but also a kind and protective soul that considers the trees and woodland creatures as her very best friends. Thanks to her grandmother's lessons, Willa has learned the language of the faeran and can communicate with both. She's a fascinating character with a big heart and I can't help but adore her. I wish I had had more characters like Willa in my childhood literature! 

Beatty has captured my heart once more. His beautiful, descriptive prose had me feeling like I was right there in the book. In the Great Smoky Mountains right alongside Willa and her animal friends. 

This was such a beautiful, heartwarming read with a focus on conservation. Nature-lovers will enjoy this series very much.
There's also a Netflix adaptation coming to screens very soon so take the chance to read this gem soon! 

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Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse: The Graphic Novel: Dinosaurs Before Dawn by Jenny Laird (Children's Graphic Novel Review)

Mary Pope Osborne's
Magic Tree House
The Graphic Novel:
Dinosaurs Before Dawn
Adapted by Jenny Laird
Illustrated by Kelly & Nichole Matthews
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
on May 4, 2021
Genre: Children's, Graphic Novels, Chapter Books, Fantasy
Length: 176 pages
Ages: 6 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
The #1 bestselling chapter book is now a graphic novel!
Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. 
Get whisked back in time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie! 


Our Thoughts:

Join Jack and Annie as they discover a mysterious (and magical!) tree house in the woods not far from their house. The tree house is filled from top to bottom with books and when Jack and Annie make a wish, they find themselves thrust back into the time of the dinosaurs! 

My daughter and I started reading this chapter book series last year and really enjoyed all the time travel adventures that Jack and Annie find themselves on. They are quick and easy reads that are perfect for beginner readers and are filled with facts about the time period that they end up traveling to so they are both fun and educational. 

This new graphic novel adaptation was even more fun to read, especially because my daughter picked this one up and read it out loud to me instead of the usual vice versa. The 'he said' and 'she said's were left out (thank the bookgods) and there's a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this even more beginner-reader friendly. 

This series is perfect for fans of history and magic and this first adaptation is perfect for dinosaur lovers! 

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The Enchanted Egg (M.A.A.A. #2) by Kallie George (Children's Fantasy Book Review)

The Enchanted Egg
The Magical Animal Adoption Agency #2
Written by Kallie George
Illustrated by Alexandra Bolger
Published by Disney-Hyperion
on November 3, 2015
Genre: Children's, Fantasy
Length: 144 pages
Ages: 7 - 10 years

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Synopsis:
There's a new resident at the Magical Animal Adoption Agency- but this one hasn't hatched yet! 

In the second book in Kallie George's delightful illustrated chapter book series, Clover meets a jovial pair of giants, a cupcake-baking ghost, a colorful young leprechaun, and a very special magical animal; one that must be seen to be believed! 


My Thoughts:

We return to the Magical Animal Adoption Agency, this time as Mr. Jams includes a mysterious magical egg to their magical menagerie. Clover is left to care for the egg as Mr. Jams goes off in search of an egg expert and while he is away, the egg hatches! But Clover can't seem to find the creature that has hatched from it! What could the creature be? And can Clover find it before it's too late? 

We have been really enjoying Kallie George's stories!

This is a whimsical little chapter book series for young readers that includes an MC who finally seems to find her luck when she stumbles upon the Magical Animal Adoption Agency within the woods her pet bird flew off into. She volunteers, thinking that if she can't keep a pet, she might as well work with them instead!
 
Our favorite part of these books are the magical creatures that Clover and Mr. Jams take care of and find homes for but also sweet Clover who is always trying her best, despite her perceived bad luck. 

This is a super cute, illustrated series that is easy to follow and perfect for chapter book readers or little listeners! 

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Clover's Luck (M.A.A.A. #1) by Kallie George (Children's Fantasy Book Review)

Clover's Luck
The Magical Animal Adoption Agency #1
Written by Kallie George
Illustrations by Alexandra Bolger
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
on February 3, 2015
Genre: Children's, Fantasy
Length: 144 pages
Ages: 7 - 10 years

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Synopsis:
Despite her name, Clover has always felt decidedly unlucky. So when she stumbles upon a mysterious cottage in the Woods, she can hardly believe her good fortune. It's the Magical Animal Adoption Agency, and it houses creatures of all kinds. Fairy horses, unicorns, and a fiery young dragon are just the beginning! 


My Thoughts:

 When a baseball flies through the very unlucky Clovers' window and her new pet bird, Penny, flies off, she knows she won't find her bird again but she tries anyway and ends up in the dark woods where she comes across an advertisement for the Magical Animal Adoption Agency. Clover decides that helping animals might be better than losing another pet so she volunteers and is hired, but soon after, the owner, Mr. Jams, disappears and Clover is left to take care of the creatures and choose who is or isn't right for adoption, all by herself! Can she make it through her first few days of work? 

This is a wonderful start to a magical children's series about a little girl with little luck but a huge heart and a love of animals... and mythical creatures! You really feel for unlucky Clover but root for her as she learns her way about the adoption agency and stops a wicked plot while also finding the perfect home for some of the magical creatures. 

The illustrations are gorgeous with a very soft and calming quality that really fits the whimsical theme of the story!

I definitely recommend this to any young readers that love fantasy, animals, or mythical creatures such as unicorns, fairies, gnomes, dragons, and more! 

I read this aloud to my 6 year old and she adored it!

More by Kallie George:

The Heartwood Hotel Series
A True Home
The Greatest Gift

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Lily's Water Woes (Wild Fairies #2) by Brandi Dougherty & Renee Kurilla (Children's Chapter Book Review)

Lily's Water Woes
(Wild Fairies #2)

Written by
Brandi Dougherty

Illustrated by
Renee Kurilla

Published by Rodale Kidson May 7, 2019

Genre: Children's, Chapter Books, Fantasy, Fairies

Length: 96 pages

Ages: 6 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
Prepare your wings and listen closely: the wild fairies are now in bloom and popping up in a forest near you!

Our Thoughts:
Lily, the mermaid flower fairy, is feeling quite left out from her fairy friends' favorite activities. She can't be out of water for very long so her visits are very short, meaning she spends most of her time alone in the pond with her frog friend, Splash. She thinks her friends have forgotten her, but it turns out they have whipped together a big surprise for their water-bound friend!

'Lily's Water Woes' begins where the first book in the series, 'Daisy's Decorating Dilemma', leaves off; just after the big Blossom Bash! We were introduced to the entire cast of fairy characters and their sidekicks in the first book and this sequel continues on with the same characters so it was extra easy to identify them and follow along, but in case anyone might read these out of order, each book includes a few pages in the back that show each character with a bit about them and their favorite things!

This nature-based series is super cute with a big focus on friendship. In this sequel, Lily realizes how different she is and how that affects what she can do. Not being as able-bodied as her fairy friends takes its toll on her. Luckily she has a really great group of friends!

My daughter adores these books so far but Lily, who is a mermaid as well as a flower fairy, is her favorite! She really loves all the and colorful illustrations that are added to every spread and the fun activities at the end of the book that includes how-to-draw prompts, spot the difference games, and more!

We can't wait to get our hands on the next one!

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Daisy's Decorating Dilemma (Wild Fairies #1) by Brandi Dougherty & Renee Kurilla (Children's Chapter Book Review)

Daisy's Decorating Dilemma
(Wild Fairies #1)

Written by
Brandi Dougherty

Illustrated by
Renee Kurilla

Published by Rodale Kids

on May 1, 2018

Genre: Children's, Chapter Books, Fantasy

Length: 96 pages

Ages: 6 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
Spring is in the air in Sugar Oak!

Before the fairies can smell the flowers and soak in the sun, they must plan the biggest party of the year--the Blossom Bash!

Infused with ecology and botany, the wild fairies' whimsical adventures will inspire in kids a sense of wonder and curiosity for nature, as well as inform them about the wildflowers and critters behind the fairies.

Our Thoughts:
It is Spring and the wild fairies of Sugar Oak are preparing for the Blossom Bash, a big neighborhood party to greet the new Spring season. Daisy is in charge of the decorations but after hearing so many great suggestions from her fairy friends, she just can't decide what will work best.

This series starter is super cute with amazing illustrations on every page and a group of fun flower fairies that are the best of friends!

Each character is introduced in a way that makes it easy to know who is who among the friends, with Daisy as the main character, and each fairy has a critter pal that matches them in color and style. With illustrations on every single page, this makes a great chapter book for beginner readers. There are eleven short chapters in all.

There are also extras at the end of the book that includes a couple of pages 'all about honey', a recipe for one of the yummy desserts in the story, a step by step how-to-draw Daisy, a spot the difference game, and more!

My daughter loved reading this together! We flew through it and really enjoyed the extras at the end. She loved how colorful and beautiful the pictures were and can't wait to continue on to the sequel, Lily's Water Woes, which features the unique mermaid fairy in this story!

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