John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Two young boys learn about the excitement, risks, and proper usage of their new high-tech toy in Drone Adventure by Chris Mather. With the increasing popularization of drones in recent years, this is an important read for a new generation of gadget-savvy children. Despite the occasional slant rhyme and awkward syllable count in the rhythmic flow, the writing is straightforward, educational, and engaging. The quality and cleverness of the rhymes improve as the book progresses, and despite being quite short, Mather packs in plenty of understandable and critical information for young drone users. Balancing simple illustrations with an instructive two-part […]

Penned with the linguistic and lyrical mastery of a trained storyteller, Rupture State by MB Bartkowski is a dramatic piece of future fiction, replete with thrilling twists and subtle philosophical undertones. Otto, a young man ostracized from everything he knows is forced to unravel the mystery of his collapsing life as he charts an unknown course to the other side of the world. While this may seem like a vague and familiar premise, it is elevated to profound heights by the skilled voice of the author. Summoning visceral environments, capturing tension with ease, and driving the story along with powerful […]

Providing a behind-the-scenes look at the technology that has revolutionized life as we know it, The Other Computer History: Amazing, amusing and expierenced stories about the Computer science from 1959-2004 by Hans Bodmer is an eye-opening and hands-on glimpse into the past. From card-punchers and encryption devices as big as filing cabinets to the earliest prototypes of the phones we now can’t live without, this memoir recounts rare anecdotes at the heart of computer science, with the personal touch of a high-spirited storyteller. Unfortunately, the prose feels choppy, disjointed, and poorly paced, largely because of the frequent grammatical errors, as […]

A young girl torn between two worlds must carve out a new home in Ghana after disaster strikes in Slaves of Men and Gods by Jacqueline Smith, a dramatic and original YA thriller. Digging into issues of adolescent development, gender dynamics, relatable questions of morality, traditional Ghanaian practices, and more, the target audience may be teenagers, but the themes are complex and mature, while never talking down to readers. With vivid characters and vulnerably emotional writing, this authentic tale about cultivating new roots is an engrossing and wholly unique read.

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