Editorial Reviews

A time-travel adventure packed with mystery and hard lessons, Mysteries of a Middle Schooler: Let the Adventures Begin by Dr. Tonmar Johnson is a thrilling hyper-modern fantasy for middle grade readers. The start of fifth grade for tech-savvy Marcus and warrior-poet Evie Wilkins is exciting, but their ChatGPT-fueled plan to crack time travel takes them where they don’t expect. Redefining the concept of extra credit, Evie’s trip back to 1862 gives her everything she could ever need for their history presentation, but the lessons learned extend far beyond the classroom. Exploring deep concepts of bloodlines, inequality, loyalty, and the uncomfortable […]

A Sip of Magic by Kate Swansea is an enthralling work of romantic fantasy with a delightfully unique premise. Serena is a witch who wants to open a tearoom in Pembrooke, but she doesn’t get the welcome she had hoped – Jared, a handsome but strict member of the Magic Council, is trying to sabotage her in order to protect the secret of magic from the rest of the community. Can Serena and Jared see eye to eye, and can magic ever exist in the open? With effervescent prose, an enchanting backdrop, and an original cast of characters, the novel […]

Marisol, an illegal immigrant living in Washington Heights, New York, hatches a daring plan with her neighbor to marry for a Green Card, in Maria Rivera’s entertaining Christian romance novel, Chasing The Wind. The hapless Marisol attempts to seduce her new husband using an advice column from Cosmopolitan magazine, while her neighbor also needs to get married to keep his inheritance, with predictable but satisfying results, as their marriage of convenience blossoms into something much more. Religion is kept at the forefront of this romantic melodrama, through a regular sprinkling of earnest prayers and quotes from scripture, heightening the […]

Demystifying a revolutionary technology in both the classroom and the broader realm of teaching, ChatGPT Hacks for Teachers: A Comprehensive ChatGPT Guide for Educators for Teaching and Learning with Step-by-Step Instructions, Practical Demonstrations, Examples, Prompts, and Video Outputs by Keshav Jha is a thorough and useful guide for this new paradigm of education. Harnessing the power of AI for better educational outcomes of students and teachers alike is the utopian goal for many fans of ChatGPT, but understanding how to use the program effectively is the important first step. Whether you are seeking to develop more interactive learning modules, multilevel […]

The Moon Behind the Clouds by Vasilis Taouxis is a heartbreaking feminist novel set in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Since her mother and brother’s sudden death, Azadeh’s father has spiraled down into depression and has stopped caring for her. When Azadeh becomes a victim of rape, the trauma triggers an early onset of her bipolar disorder, and her position in her radicalized community becomes extremely fragile. Inspired by a true story, Taouxis’ novel is a brutal, honest, and vivid account of the horrors and injustices suffered by a young girl believed to be guilty simply because she’s a woman, […]

A wild homage to time travel fiction, The Lost Family Robinson by Alan Priest is an engrossing, dialogue-driven drama about survival and loyalty in truly strange places. When a DIY time machine drops ten members of the Robinson family sixty years in the past, they will have to put their fraternal fighting aside to get back to 2028, but their fiddling with sacred timelines doesn’t go unnoticed by the Vatican’s holy-rolling watchdogs. A creative caper with a strong spine of theoretical and quantum science, this is a cleverly penned and paradox-dodging adventure in rugged recent history, with tender nods to […]

An inspiring collection of lessons from women who made an indelible impact on their time, The Secrets of Women Who Never Give Up: 11 Resilience Building Strategies Learned From Remarkable Women in History by Dr. Katja Lindemann MD is an original work of self-help that also acts as a fascinating work of social history. Along with activist icons such as Rosa Parks, Florence Nightingale, and Emmeline Pankhurst, Lindemann introduces the reader to less celebrated and yet no less compelling historical figures, including the explorer Alexandra David-Néel, the marathon runner Katherine Switzer and the romantic comedy screenwriter Nora Ephron. Alongside short […]

A whimsical story of youthful compassion and the opinions that divide us, V.I. Puptonians: The Mysterious Arrival by Dr. Trueblood holds myriad important lessons for young readers. When Ava and her 10-year-old brother Joe discover a spaceship bearing alien babies and bottles, their opposing views on what to do with the extraterrestrial visitors highlight the fears, instincts, and societal pressures that guide countless actions in our modern world. Cleverly exploring concepts of othering, fear of the unknown, and unfair judgments, this subtle allegory demonstrates the timeless values of patience and kindness, while instructing readers on the importance of critical thinking […]