Skip to main content

Review: Juneberry Blue

Juneberry Blue
By Candice Ransom
Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., 2024. Fiction. 289 pages.

Andie Jennings lives in a small town. Single-digit small. 8 people! Luckily, one of those eight is her close friend Tanner, who loves to go on adventures with her. Andie is prepping for her eleventh birthday, when she will face a test to see what kind of magic, if any, she has. 

Unfortunately, her test day doesn't go as she had planned and Andie is crushed. However, there are some unexplained events that she starts to experience, and she has to wonder if her magic is different than the other girls in her family. She tries to distract herself by paying extra attention to Bunch, her little sister. Andie realizes the mysterious see-through cat she is trying to ignore, won't leave her alone, no matter how busy she is keeping herself. Eventually, she gives in and lets the cat guide her places she is afraid to go.

This book was a fun read with mystery, magic, ghosts, and beautiful fairytale feelings woven in. I loved the family relationships, the friendships, and the small town magic. For any tween who has worried about how they fit in, how to help their family, or if their story will even matter, I would recommend this book! 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard.  Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Five Faves: New Picture Books by Black Creators

Every February during Black History Month, people remember the achievements, stories, and rich culture of black communities across the United States. As before, 2025 will see a new influx of quality picture books crafted by black authors and illustrators. So, here are five titles to start your year off strong, in recognition of these outstanding creators! How Sweet the Sound Written by Kwame Alexander Illustrated by Charly Palmer New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2025. Informational.  How Sweet the Sound is a celebration of black music that bebops its way through landmark styles and musicians, including: Miles Davis, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Holiday. The lyrical verses interspersed with loud onomatopoeia pops of sound and the acrylic genius of Charly Palmer's illustrations, make this a book   sure to leave its mark of children's literature. An expansive back matter section provides detailed context and history for readers looking for more insight.   When Alexander...