Skip to main content

Amari and the Night Brothers

Image
By

(Supernatural Investigations #1)
By B.B. Alston
New York: Balzer + Bray, 2021. Fantasy.

13-year-old Amari Peters is sure that her beloved older brother Quinton is still alive, no matter what anyone says. But as his mysterious disappearance drags on and Amari is bullied at her fancy private school for being poor and Black, she loses her cool and is expelled. Then, by complete surprise, a man appears at her door with an invitation to attend summer camp at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs - the organization tasked with maintaining balance between our world and the supernatural creatures who inhabit it -- the same organization to which Quinton belonged before his disappearance. Amari is certain this is the chance she has been hoping for to find answers and bring her brother home. Once she gets to camp, Amari discovers that she is a magician with powers that are banned by the Bureau. Still, Amari is not ready to give up just yet and is determined to become a Junior Agent and save Quinton from an evil magician who is dead-set on destroying the balance between the worlds.

This series-opener is a fantasy-fueled adventure full of #BlackGirlMagic for fans of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. Amari is a winning character to lead this new series - she is full of grit, determination, and kindness and is unafraid to call out the prejudice she experiences as a Black girl from the projects and as a magician with illegal powers. The supporting cast of characters including Elsie, Amari's roommate and a were-dragon, and Dylan van Helsing, Amari's training partner descended from that van Helsing, are rounded and compelling. The exciting plot and well-developed characters are balanced by the creation of a well-crafted, magical world.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

By
Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.
Post a Comment
Read more

Dragon Run

By
Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013.  336 pgs.  Fantasy      Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life.  He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines.  Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...
1 comment
Read more

Review: Growing Home

By
Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship.  This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...
Post a Comment
Read more