Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J.K. Rowling

Not enough Dumbledore in this one for my liking! Not bad, but happy to be moving on to book 6! 
 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 

by J.K. Rowling

Still my favorite after all these years!

by J. K. Rowling

This one was never my favorite of the series. I think it's paced a little slower than the rest, but my son and I still enjoyed it!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by J. K. Rowling

Forgot how much I like this one. Even better than the first! I'm really enjoying re-reading these with my son, and he's loving them, too!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J. K. Rowling

Just re-read this for the first time since around 1999. Just as awesome as I remembered!

His Royal Whiskers

by Sam Gayton

In this creative fairy-tale adventure, an evil, selfish, bloodthirsty czar rules the land of Petrossia with an iron fist. His six-year-old son and only heir, Alexander, has been turned into a kitten. The czar's henchman inform him that it's all the fault of Alexander's two friends, Pieter and Teresa. Pieter is an Abadabacus, a master mathemagician employed by the czar. Teresa, described as a "Spice Monkey," is a servant who swings from ropes collecting ingredients for the kitchen staff. But Teresa isn't all that she seems. She's been dabbling in alchemy, and it will take her, Pieter, and a whole lot of magic to convince the czar to keep their heads attached to their bodies. Puns, wordplay, and footnotes keep readers on their toes. What is lacking in character development is made up with numerous plot twists and unpredictable outcomes.

Cuckoo Song

by Frances Hardinge

When Triss wakes up from an illness, she's confused, disoriented, and has a fuzzy memory. Her little sister hates her, and since she has nothing but love for the girl, she can't figure out why. The "why" is something you'd never guess in a million years, and I love that about this wonderfully weird story. As it unfolds, it continues to be a surprise at every turn.

Frances Hardinge is a genius. This is historical fiction, a commentary on war, an exploration of grief and sibling rivalry, a twisted fairy tale, and a horror story. I absolutely loved every minute. I can't wait to use this as a read-a-like right next to The Thickety in the  library. Creepy, thought-provoking, and incredibly well-written.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J.K. Rowling

At the end of Deathly Hallows, we get a little glimpse into the future of our beloved characters, but get to imagine ourselves how they all turn out. It was a perfect ending. I, of course, like to envision them all happily living out their lives, but in this little continuation, that fantasy is shattered. Harry is not winning any parenting awards, Hermione works too much, Ron is kind of an idiot (not in a cute, charming way), and Ginny is just a bit on the overbearing side.

The story, quickly: Harry's kid and Draco's kid are both misfits. Albus Potter bears the burden of being Harry's son, and Scorpius Malfoy is rumored to actually be the son of Voldemort. (Huh? Since when did Voldemort show any interest in having a relationship with a woman? Okay, moving on.) They become friends on the Hogwarts train, and in typical teen fashion, decide to rebel against their parents. Only in the wizarding world, the type of rebellion they are planning could have deadly consequences.

First, it's a play, so it's a bit hard to read. Second, it starts out slow. Reeeaaallll slow. Like I almost didn't finish it slow. However, once I got used to the format and got through all the boring set-up, I actually ended up kind of liking it.

Echo

by Pam Munoz Ryan

Incredible. Unforgettable. Beautifully written. Just a few of the things that went through my mind as I put down this lovely book.

This is really three (arguably four) short stories with a common thread, but at the end of each, you're left wanting more. As Freidrich's story came to a close, I really, really, didn't want to leave him and start Mike's story. I was too invested in Freidrich! But by the end of Mike's, I didn't want to leave him to join Ivy. And, of course, as tears streamed down my face while finishing Ivy's tale, I couldn't wait to see how everything came together.

We are all connected in this human experience, and this book brings that to light in a way that might possibly change you forever.

by Sibeal Pounder

Tiga Whicabim doesn't know she's a witch until Fran the fairy shows up in her tiny shed of a home, shows her that her name is an anagram for I AM A BIG WITCH, and takes her down the sink pipes to Ritzy City. There she discovers that witches' hats are only pointy due to the journey up the pipes to our world, that witches love jam, and that she is one of nine girls slated to battle it out in the Witch Wars. The winner of Witch Wars gets to rule Ritzy City as Top Witch, but the stakes are higher for Tiga. If she loses, she'll have to go back to her shed with her horrible caretaker, who feeds her only cheese water. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't know a single spell. She'll have to work hard to outsmart mean girl witches Felicity Bat and Aggie Hoof, but luckily her new friend Peggy vows to help. The young witches, along with the sassy little fairies, make for a colorful and unpredictable cast of characters. Whimsical black-and-white illustrations throughout help readers envision this fantastical locale.

Serafina and the Black Cloak

by Robert Beatty

I'll admit it. I'm a total sucker for a dark and forbidden forest. I just can't resist it. Sometimes those forests deliver the thrills and chills I'm looking for, and sometimes they don't. Serafina delivers, big time.

Seraphina and her Pa live in the basement of the Biltmore mansion, but no one knows they have made their home there, and no one knows Serafina exists. She's a strange little girl for all of her isolation, and believes she is the Chief Rat Catcher for the Biltmore. (She's really good it, actually!) One night, she witnesses a terrifying man in a black cloak pursue, and magically devour, a little blonde girl. He tries to get Serafina, but she manages to escape him. She then makes it her mission to try to help the blonde girl, and keep anyone else from becoming his prey. But to do this, she endangers everything her father has tried so hard to protect.

The Thickety: The Whispering Trees

by J.A. White

Kara and Taff are right where we left off--deep in the heart of the Thickety. They soon run into the infamous witch Mary Kettle, who claims she will help the pair by teaching Kara how to hone her skills as a wexari, a special kind of witch who can cast spells without a grimoire. The Forest Demon has many obstacles for Kara, though, and their lives are constantly in danger. Monsters abound, and the detail with which they are created makes them extra scary. The siblings never know who they can trust, and the emotional roller coaster is incredibly tense. The ending, once again, is a total shocker!

I just really love this series. What an imagination this guy has! My only complaint is that the main cliffhanger that left me gasping at the end of A Path Begins is STILL a cliffhanger at the end of The Whispering Trees. I was really hoping to get some resolution there, but I guess I'll have to wait until the next book to satisfy that curiosity. These are just the type of books I would have loved as a kid, but they're simply too good for adults to miss. Great sequel, Mr. White. I hope you are furiously writing, because I can't wait to see what's next!

Savvy

by Ingrid Law

The Beaumont family has a secret. When they turn 13, they get a "savvy," a special, (and kind of magical) skill. Two days from 13, Mibs has no idea what hers will be. Her brother summons storms with his every emotion, and her  mother gets everything she tries just right without making mistakes. Her grandma can capture radio shows in glass jars.  On this most eventful of weeks, Mibs and her family suffer a terrible blow, finding out that Poppa has been in an accident, and is in the hospital, unresponsive. On her birthday, she thinks her savvy has revealed itself, and is hopeful that she can use it to save Poppa. But first she's got to get to the hospital in Salina. Mibs, and an unlikely group of colorful characters, end up on a pink Bible bus going the wrong direction, but that's where the fun begins!

The Thickety

by J.A. White

This book sucked me in from the very first page. Oh my goodness. Where to start?

The setting is one of the coolest things about this story. There's an island, and it's off the coast of "the World." We don't really know what "the World" is, but we know the islanders fear it. On the island is The Thickety, a forest where a terrible demon lives. The Thickety is growing, too, and there are islanders whose sole job is to cut and burn it back. No one. Ever. Goes. In. The. Thickety.

When Kara is five, her mother is executed for witchcraft. She is accused herself, but let off the hook by one of the creepiest creatures I've ever encountered in literature. No one lets her forget, though, and she and her little brother Taff are either bullied or ignored by the rest of the islanders. When she is (sort of) forced to go into the Thickety, she is led to discover a grimoire (magical book) buried there, and brings it back to town. Using it awakens her own magical powers, and she discovers she is, indeed, a witch. The grimoire is dark, and addictive, and as readers, we fear that magic might destroy Kara. When her nemesis, Grace, gets her hands on the book, that's when the real fun begins.

And that ENDING. Oh, the ending. Didn't see that coming. Not even a little bit.

Far Far Away

by Tom McNeal

Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or rather, he hears the voice of Jacob Grimm. Yep, THAT Jacob Grimm. The ghost of Jacob is Jeremy's constant companion. They live in a town called Never Better, but the name is misleading. Kids are disappearing, and if Jeremy can't solve the mystery, he might be next.

I don't know how to describe this book without ruining any of the surprises, so I'll just tell you how much I loved it! When the mystery is finally revealed, I promise, it will knock your socks off!

The Mostly True Story of Jack

by Kelly Barnhill

Jack is a person who just doesn't get noticed. In fact, he feels invisible most of the time. When his parents split up, he goes to Iowa to live with his aunt and uncle, and his life gets even weirder. Letters home always end up back in the mailbox, and it seems his parents are finding him easy to forget. Unfortunately, he does get noticed by the town bully. Soon he realizes he's fighting more than a local bully, as he begins to investigate the town's overabundance of missing children. Can Jack win against an ancient soul-stealing evil, or will he lose his in the process?

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It started out great, but for me, it got confusing and convoluted pretty quickly. The characters all blended together, and I had a hard time keeping them straight. If you really love quirky, weird, mysteries, this might be for you, but it was hard for me to finish.

A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

Felicity's mama is a wanderer. She has a hard time staying in one place for very long, so Felicity and her little sister don't get too comfortable anywhere. When they wind up in Midnight Gulch, where mama grew up, Felicity falls in love with the town, where there is a little bit of magic, but there used to be more. She wonders where all the magic has gone, because Felicity carries a little bit of magic around with her. She sees words like auras--they float around a person's head and tell her a bit about what they are thinking or feeling. She's so happy in Midnight Gulch, living with her no-nonsense aunt Cleo, meeting her uncle for the first time, and helping out the town's mysterious benefactor, The Beedle. But mama's already got the travel bug brewing again. Can Felicity settle her mama's heart down enough to finally make a home?

If you like books like Savvy, or A Tangle of Knots, you'll eat this one up, too!

The Amulet of Samarkand

by Jonathan Stroud

Nathaniel is an apprentice to a magician in a sort of magical modern day London. As an apprentice, he's not supposed to perform magic on his own, but he sneaks around and summons a djinni, a very difficult and dangerous task. Half of the story is narrated by Bartimaeus. He's sassy, and funny, and arrogant, but he's been around for thousands of years so he thinks he's entitled. When Nathaniel forces Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from a very evil magician, they are both launched into an epic adventure.

This is a must for fantasy and Harry Potter fans!

Summer of the Mariposas

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Five sisters, cinco hermanitas, are swimming where they shouldn't. They love this little spot in the river, though, where the water bubbles up into a little alcove. They've snuck to this spot many times before, but today, there is a body floating in their playground. They are afraid to call the police, for fear of getting in trouble for being there in the first place. They drag him out, find his wallet, and see that he lives across the border in Mexico, very near their abuelita, their father's mother. Their papa, a once popular Tejano singer, has left them with no explanation. This body has given them an excuse to make a journey to Mexico to find their abuelita, and maybe their papa.

Odilia, the oldest, has the first of many mystical encounters with La Llorona, just before they leave. She gives Odilia some cryptic advice and a magical earring, and the girls, dead body in tow, are on their way to Mexico. (La Llorona, by the way, is a famous Mexican folktale. Many others are sprinkled throughout the story, like Chupacabra, etc.)

This is a retelling of The Odyssey, which, to be fair, is not one of my favorite stories in the first place. I found it hard to believe that five little girls would ride to Mexico with a dead body propped up in the car next to them, and while I realize I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief a little bit here, I just couldn't get past it. The story of the sisters and their falling-apart family was the best part of the book, but unfortunately, so much more time was spent on the mystical elements, which just weren't as interesting to me.

The Vengekeep Prophecies

by Brian Farrey

Jasper Grimjinx comes from a long line of great thieves. No one in Vengekeep respects or trusts them, and they're constantly trying to figure out ways to stay out of trouble. Jasper's mom thinks she has crafted a way to get them out of the worst types of messes, but ends up setting off a chain of terrible prophecies. Jasper thinks he knows how to save the town, but he has to go on a quest for some rare and dangerous ingredients before he can even try. Joined by some unlikely sidekicks, Jasper embarks on a crazy adventure full of magic and mayhem.

Vengekeep is a really cute book. It's a fun story, with good characters, and a fast-moving plot. I felt like it fell down a little bit in the world-building area. (I'm kind of already sick of that word, but I'm not sure how else to describe it.) The expressions, creatures, foods, etc., just seemed a little forced. As a reader, I didn't QUITE buy it. But still, an easy, quick, entertaining read.