The Marsh Fellows by Anna-Laura Sullivan

Today's read caught my attention thanks to the cover. The energetic, elderly couple with an overly excited teen in the background promises silliness and all sorts of unexpected situations. I know that you can't judge a book by its cover, but it can give some insights, anyway. This one is a graphic novel and, which surprised me, a dystopian. It heads off into a world, where nuclear war has changed everything, and a teen is trying to assist the couple in reaching a safe haven only to discover some dark secrets. So, I'm not sure if it will be humorous or darker or...who knows.

Only one way to find out! So, off we go!

THE MARSH FELLOWS

by Anna-Laura Sullivan

Top Shelf Productions

YA Dystopian  /  Graphic Novel

152 pages

COMING MAY 19th!!!

Beloved online cartoonist Anna-Laura Sullivan makes her graphic novel debut with a captivating adventure about misfits exploring the dark edges of their world! After a nuclear war plunged the world into darkness, the last beacon of hope is the island utopia called Slumber City. In this rainy, happy town, one angst-filled urchin doesn’t see what there is to smile about. But after being taken in by the elderly Marvin and Pearl, Urchin is pulled into their quest to solve the dark, damp riddles lurking outside Slumber City—and uncover the plans of its mysterious mayor.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

A city survives behind walls with light and positive attitudes keeping the constant rain from wearing down and the citizens alive. Due to the danger in the outside world, no one is allowed to visit the swamps beyond the walls. When Urchin's latest foster parents insist on sneaking out to collect trash from these outer swamps, he's not sure what to think. He already knows they are odd, but they are his last chance before landing in juvie thanks to his lean toward mischief and accidents. When they let him visit the amusement park as a treat for helping them with the garbage, he can't believe how kind they are, but his accident proneness catches up quick. Before he knows it, he accidentally puts the entire city under a blackout. The mayor demands that one of the four lights, which keeps the city alive, be turned off to provide enough energy for the rest of the town, but that also means that an entire section of the city is no longer livable. Urchin decides to convince his mechanically-gifted foster father to head to the light and fix it, but that means an illegal and dangerous trip beyond the walls. Luckily, his foster mother is a pro with experience in the swamps, and soon, the trio finds themselves underway to somehow save the day. But what they find is nothing any of them could ever have suspected and flips everything they thought they knew on its head.

At first, I thought this might be the beginning of a new series, but the entire tale unfolds within these pages. The author dives right into the world, letting necessary backstory trickle in with the plot. This keeps the pacing steady the entire way through. It also guarantees large twists and turns as the characters aren't even aware of many things, allowing the reader to uncover the secrets right along with them. The characters pack visual and personality quirks, making them interesting and adding spice. Especially the grandma holds a sharp edge, which brings her to the border of unlikable...but the author is able to weave in just enough of underlying softness by the end.

The illustrations are bold and carry an unique twist, especially on the color scheme. This fits well to the world and characters, since the entire thing borders on ludicrous while still carrying serious tones and more than a little fuel for thought. The text flows well, sticking mostly to dialogue to balance with each scene. While this is sold for the young adult audience, it is no problem for upper middle graders to pick-up and dive in and is appropriate for this age group as well. It reminded me a bit of City of Embers but with a quicker pace and more quirks.

And here she is...

Originally from Nebraska, now living in bustling Brooklyn, Anna-Laura Sullivan is a traditional artist and graphic novelist. Her storytelling recognizes the magic in the mundane, offers reminders of cosmic nostalgia, and celebrates presence. She has gathered an audience of over a million eager hearts on social media through pint-sized parables.

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Book Birthday, The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund!

This one doesn't come out until early next week, either, but since I'm in the partying mood, I'm going to scream 'Happy book birthday', anyway. Today's read might hit with a little familiarity from my regular followers, since it was my Joker Read for March. Obviously, I didn't get to it, which is fine because there is still time. I'm very excited to pick it up and see what is inside, since I happen to enjoy Poe's works. 

This is the first in a new series and should hang heavily in the mystery direction. I'm curious to see how it flows and how dark it gets. So, let's snuggle down into a chair, open it up, and see if it's a series to follow or not.

THE FORGOTTEN LORE

Ellen Poe, Book One

by Diana Peterfreund

Running Press Kids

YA Mystery

304 pages

COMING APRIL 7th!!!

The first book in an exciting YA series about a teen girl, descended from Edgar Allan Poe, who must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor while learning to harness her own strength and intelligence, especially as she begins to commune with the dead. 

What happens when your tell-tale nightmares turn into reality and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe won't seem to let you alone? For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Ellen Poe's family has claimed to be long-lost descendants of Edgar Allan Poe. But when she moves in with her aunt in a Poe-themed B&B, the nightmares that have always haunted her begin bleeding into Ellen’s waking hours. When she stumbles upon a journal in the house, none other than Edgar Allan Poe himself begins visiting her. Has the journal somehow released his ghost? And what does he want with Ellen? Through secret messages in his writings, she learns that the two share the same psychic ability to interact with spirits—which is what ultimately drove him mad. 

This thrilling series for young adult readers follows Ellen on her quest to learn more about her abilities, the afterlife, and the clues Poe has left for her (ciphers and cryptograms galore), in an effort to not suffer his same fate.

PUBLISHER     /     GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Mystery and riddle fans are going to enjoy meeting Ellen Poe and diving into a mysterious world where paranormal, secrets, and teenage life cross in unexpected ways.

Ellen Poe Reynolds is temporarily living with her aunt while her father works out of town on a construction job, but her aunt's place isn't exactly normal...just like the rest of her family. Her family claims to be direct descendants of Edgar Allan Poe and own a house with ties to the famous poet, which her aunt has been trying to run as a Poe-themed hotel. Sort of. But upon arriving there, Ellen has been having nightmares, and when she discovers a very old book, Poe's ghost appears and speaks with her. Add that a new guy at school is intrigued with her talent for numbers and notices that she's discovered a code in Poe's writings, and her life is about to get very interesting...in a dark and dangerous way.

The author grabs attention right away with Ellen's strange situation. While she comes across as a kind, pretty normal girl with an odd background, which she can't really do anything about, the odd hotel immediately sets the scene. Ellen is just awkward enough while being innocent and kind to capture sympathy and connect with the reader. Her aunt and father might have their own quirks and issues, but the love and care is there. The school life feels natural with usual problems on the teacher and classmate end to fit Ellen's situation. And the new guy's personality adds an intriguing twist of light-heartedness and, yet, a dark past to make him fun but carrying depth. This adds a hint of a developing romance but only as a distant side-dish as a building friendship and trust comes first. And for all things, there are secrets, puzzles, and paranormal surprises.

The first part of the book allows Ellen's situation to sink in, and with her developing abilities to speak with ghosts and discover Poe's riddles, it's anything but boring. The dark tones stay relatively subtle, at first, but hit with a powerful punch about 2/3rds the way in. It's clear that there are sinister plots at play, but exactly what direction they go and who is involved remains a mystery until the end. Even then, only one of mysteries is solved by the end of this book, which promises much more to come.

Readers will get a lot of Poe in these pages as the author mentions the various works, which especially weaves in thanks to the themed rooms and English class, where they just happen to be covering Poe. Plus, the series-arching mystery is, of course, only centered on Poe. So, there's a lot to learn about the author, and he did have a surprising life to keep things interesting. The writing fits nicely to the younger end of the young adult audience, and this book easily works for upper middle graders as well, since the setting and characters hang nicely in a tween direction. Especially fans of paranormal mystery with a sleuth, who needs to solve puzzles, will enjoy this one quite a bit.

And here she is...

DIANA PETERFREUND has published sixteen novels for adults, teens, and kids. Her works have been named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, the Capitol Choices reading list, the Texas LoneStar List, and the Sunshine State Young Reader Awards List, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. In addition, she’s written dozens of short stories and a variety of nonfiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives in Maryland with her family.

Happy Book Birthday, Through the Garden Gate by Sharon Rose!

It's time to shoutout another book birthday! This one hits the shelves early next week, so I might be a bit early, but is it ever too early to celebrate? Plus, this book looks like an ideal read for Spring. The huge amount of flowers on the cover and bird and butterflies...yep, definite Spring vibes. And isn't it wonderful to walk into a blooming, overfilled garden? Or at least, I think that's what this one is about.

Let's sit down, open it up, and find out!

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

by Sharon Rose

Illustrated by Erin Brown

The Collective Book Studio

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING APRIL 7th!!!

A classic story for the modern era, Through the Garden Gate is a beautifully illustrated picture book that takes readers on a journey from the mundane to the magical, exploring the wonders of the garden through a child’s imagination.

Miles is bored one summer’s day—until a visit to a neighbor leads to a surprising a mysterious garden gate—and the adventure of a lifetime. What begins as an ordinary afternoon transforms into a magical journey filled with fairies, curious critters, and the most enchanting plants.

Every plant Miles encounters is based on real-life flora, carefully and accurately illustrated by Erin Brown. Readers can learn more about them in the back of the book, too!

Written by debut author and renowned garden designer Sharon Rose, Through the Garden Gate will take root in your imagination, delighting young readers and reminding us all of the magic that lives in the garden.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

 MY TIDBITS

The wonders of a garden come to life with a touch of fantasy to create a read which inspires and offers something to learn.

Miles is a bit bored and isn't convinced helping the neighbor pull weeds will be exciting, but thanks to a broken leg, the neighbor needs the help. The moment he enters her yard, he meets baby chicks, a dog, and more. Soon, he's learned how to clear crab grass and discovers a tiny door buried behind the weeds in the garden wall. The neighbor encourages him to explore beyond the door when his work is done, which he does. But when he opens the door, he discovers more than just a beautiful place. He meets a bit of magic, too.

The illustrations bring the garden with its flowers and animals to life. Every page is colorful and packed with small details to make gazing enjoyable. The illustrator has also taken time to keep each plant truer to reality, so that readers can learn more along the way. Even the magical moments meld wonderfully into the scenes and will have readers wishing they could spend time in the garden with Miles themselves.

The text is very fitting for a read-aloud during story time and also makes a lovely read for beginner readers, who are mostly sure of their words. It does hold a little more text than some picture books, but the story flows nicely and offers a complete adventure. While the first section lets the reader visit the neighbor's yard and get to know a bit about the plants as Miles pulls the weeds, the rest shifts into a fantastical mini-adventure with animals and more plants to learn about. The plant facts meld with the adventure to make sure that the learning takes place subtly on the side. And the adventure holds tons of goodness as friendship, working together, and helping others comes into play. So, it's a well-rounded read.

The end of the book holds a type of glossary where the main plants are shown again along with a short description about each one. This makes it also useful for themes surrounding plants and gardens or for other activities.

And here they are...

Sharon Rose is an award-winning garden designer and environmental artist based in San Francisco, California. She is the founder and owner of STUDIO SF Landscape Design, established in 2018, where she specializes in revitalizing natural landscapes and crafting distinctive garden spaces. With over two decades of experience and deep expertise in California native and Mediterranean plants, her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine, and Luxe Interiors + Design. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and inspiring children to discover the magic and wonder of plants.

Erin Brown is an award winning Northern Irish illustrator who lives and works on the beautiful island of Jersey. After graduating university with a bachelors degree in Fine Art, a passion for stories and children’s books took hold. She combines her love for hand drawn lines and traditional techniques with the flexibility and freedom of adding colour digitally. She has worked with clients all over the world but particularly loves illustrating Irish stories and folklore. Her love of stories comes from her Grandad who lived by the sea and was always ready with a tale or two. When she’s not working in her tiny studio, she can be found baking something overly sweet, exploring the forests and cliff paths of Jersey or down at the sea shore, watching the tide roll in.

The Ultimate Activity Book For Smart Kids Ages 8 to 12 by Nathan Fields

 I'm going to start off April with a bit of fun, and something to work those brain gears. I was a huge puzzle fan as a child and even enjoyed creating my own mazes and such. So, this book definitely catches my interest. I'm curious to see what level it's at, since making puzzles to easy always kills the fun. But then, too difficult isn't great either. 

Let's see if this book finds that balance...and really is for 'smart' kids.

THE ULTIMATE ACTIVITY BOOK

FOR SMART KIDS AGES 8 TO 12

by Nathan Fields

Good Vibes Puzzle Books

Middle Grade Puzzles

141 pages

ages 8 to 12

Unleash your child’s brainpower with “The Ultimate Activity Book for Smart Kids Ages 8-12: 101 Fun-Filled Puzzles of Mazes, Sudoku, Crosswords, Word Search, Mine Finder, Word Scramble, Brain Teasers, and More!” This engaging book is packed with a diverse range of puzzles designed to challenge and entertain young minds.

From twisting mazes and clever crosswords to intriguing Sudoku puzzles and exciting mine finders, each activity is crafted to enhance problem-solving skills, boost logical thinking, and promote concentration. Word scrambles and brain teasers offer additional layers of complexity, pushing kids to stretch their vocabularies and think outside the box.

Ideal for both fun and educational moments, this book provides hours of entertainment while helping kids develop critical thinking skills and mental agility. Whether on a long car trip, during school breaks, or as a daily brain exercise, “The Ultimate Activity Book for Smart Kids” is the perfect companion for any child eager to learn, solve, and explore. Grab a copy today and watch your smart kid become even smarter!

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

For rainy days, road trips, or just some simple, quiet hour fun, these pages offer tons of puzzles to challenge the mind.

This book contains 101 puzzles. Word searches, number searches (like word search but with numbers), Sudoku, Kakuro, mazes, mine sweepers, crosswords, and word scrambles make it a varied book to pick up and work through. At the very beginning, the author gives directions for most of the puzzles to make sure readers know what to do. These are mostly clear, and each one has an example puzzle with the answers next to it to help readers understand what is going on. The puzzles are grouped together by type in sections with some repeating later on in the book. For example, there are several Sudoku puzzles, one after the other, and later, there will be another batch. This also adds a nice variety to keep things interesting throughout the book. All answers are found at the end of the book.

Puzzle fans are sure to find more than a few they enjoy, and these pages give them an ample amount of opportunity to sink in for hours and hours. The puzzles work well for the middle and upper end of the age group, and even for slightly older tweens. In general, they are nicely set up and easy to use. The Sudoku could have used darker lines to separate the 9x9 boxes, and the mazes do not have a marked entrance/exit point, which adds a bit of difficulty.

Puzzle fans are sure to enjoy these pages quite a bit.