The NOLO: Danger in the Hills by Liz Fahey

NOLO is short for Nolomus, a mythical creature of the forest. Danger in the Hills introduces young readers first to Jake the Nolo and his mundane daily rituals. Readers are then introduced to a group of children lost in the woods. After being scared by a wild animal and now lost in the woods, it was agreed that two should head to higher ground and try to signal for help. Heather & Colleen carried out their duty and were on their way back when Heather slipped and hurt her ankle. In the midst of her despair, she remembered her uncle telling about the Nolo and that if she were to call out, they would hear her. She faintly whispered "Nolo."

Jake's ears perked up and he set off on a trot. What the reader doesn't know is whether he is friend or foe to humans. When Heather and Colleen first encounter the huge Nolo, they aren't too sure either! There is a bit of mild peril and some humor mixed in as the children and Jake try to find a way to communicate with one another. Will the girls be able to get Jake's help to save the rest of the kids?  The book offers just the right amount of suspense without being too scary for youngsters. This would make a great read aloud, but keep in mind that if you read at bedtime, kids will be begging for extra chapters to know how it turns out!

The end of the book explains the origin story for the Nolo. But there isn't much explanation of how the children came to be stranded alone in the woods. Perhaps the author wanted to leave that up the imagination of readers. The Nolo stories were first imagined by the author's father (known as "Uncle Jerry" and Ms. Fahey wanted to share his stories with new generations. It would make a great exercise for children to try their hand at creating their own Nolo story! In the back the author also includes illustrations of the various subspecies of Nolo (which will hopefully factor into future stories). 

I loved the illustrations and they really help draw the readers attention to the exciting parts of the story. Artistic children could be encouraged to draw some Nolo characters of their own. Ms. Fahey's book offers an exciting story with just a hint of suspense and a whole lot of entertainment for elementary readers. Keep an eye out for future adventures!  

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The NOLO: Danger in the Hills through Reedsy Discovery for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own.    

Violin of Hope by Ella Schwartz

 

Memories are made by a young family when their Papa plays his violin at night. And on Fridays, he plays before Shabbos dinner. Music filled their home with laughter and closeness. Father patiently showed his son how to hold the bow and encouraged him to keep trying. All that changed one night when soldiers pounded on the door, burst in, and grabbed the violin, tossing it on a heap of gathered items and carted away.

Left in a damp cellar for years, the violin became cracked and warped. Years later a luthier (maker and repairer of stringed instruments), found the abandoned violin in the damp cellar and began restoring it. I love how the book describes the process of bringing the instrument back to life and the steps it took. When completed, the instrument was displayed in the luthier's shop until a father came into the shop looking for a violin for his son.

The luthier encouraged the boy to practice telling him that one day he would play as well as the luthier's grandfather. After years of practice, the boy grew into a man who brought hope to people through his music. 

The author included an end note about a father-son luthier team that have made it their mission to find as many confiscated instruments as possible and bring them back to their former glory. They are keeping alive the memory of those who lost their instruments in the war. Their project is called Violins of Hope; check out their website for more information about their program.

I loved the portrayal of music as a connector of people as well as a connector of generations with young and old enjoying music together. The information about Violins of Hope was fascinating and an important project that helps young people better understand history.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Violin of Hope from NetGalley for review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Neighbors' Secret by Diana Sussman

 

Maddie and her best friend Rachel are 8th graders. Maddie always sees mysteries to solve and Rachel sees boys to chase. In spite of their differences, they make a great team (when Rachel isn't bringing up Maddie's past sluething failures). At least they used to. Now Rachel's interest in boys seems out of control: more make-up, flirting and incessantly talking about boys. While Maddie is trying to figure out Rachel, she meets Chloe, a new girl at school and wants to include her. Rachel on the other hand, seems intent on cutting remarks and snarky humor. 

Then when new neighbors move in the neighborhood, Maddie and Rachel start competing for the attention of the new boy, Alex. Complicating matters is the fact that Maddie thinks his parents are spies. So she's torn between her interest in him and her suspicions that his parents are not who they claim to be. While she's spying on her new neighbors, Maddie is also learning how to hold her own against mean girls and a sexist teacher.  

Are the neighbors really spies?  Will Maddie and Rachel's friendship survive? Is Alex interested in either one or just acting a part?  Readers will want to find out those answers!

Woven within the story are some tidbits on history (Maddie is working on a report about a spy in the American Revolution).  The cover artwork suggests an upper elementary, early middle grade book but I would place the content closer to YA as there are references to parties with drinking, hooking up, and more high school related interactions. Rachel and Maddie skip school and then forge notes for the school. I would caution parents to preview first. I found it to be a little edgy for my taste. Would suggest for audiences age 14+.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Neighbors' Secret from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

Come Again, Pelican by Don Freeman

Don Freeman, creator of the beloved Corduroy books, first published Come Again, Pelican in 1961 and it has been re-released May 2024. Seeing the cover was enough for me to know that I would absolutely adore this book. Each page of softly blended colors and child-like simplicity will capture and keep the attention of youngsters. They may even be inspired to copy some of the art. 

 A little boy named Ty is camping with his parents (their annual holiday) and he is excited to head out to fish. He greets his pelican friend and together they spend the day fishing (Ty learns a bit about the tides as well.)  Children learn about helping one another, friendship, and the pure magic of summer adventures! 

To learn more about Don Freeman, his background, and other books that he wrote, check out his author website managed by his son, Roy. I highly recommend Come Again, Pelican.  It's the perfect summer read aloud for the adventurous child. 

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Come Again, Pelican from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

 

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

 

Fans of The Paris Library will be thrilled by another installment of historical fiction from Janet Skeslien Charles. Set during the World War I, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade follows the work of the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD after the French title for the group). Jessie Carson was one of those who travelled to France. She was working at the New York Public Library under a very unpleasant boss and so the leave of absence brought a welcome respite from tensions at work. She arrived in France with grand ideas of restoring the library and bringing books to those who were hit the hardest. As she slowly got to know the families in the area, she won them over by offering children's story hour. Families were starved for books as most of theirs had been destroyed by invading forces and there was no money for such luxuries any longer. Jessie was instrumental in making over old ambulances to create bookmobile and she traveled the surrounding areas bring books and even more importantly hope and a sense of normalcy that so many were missing.

In a parallel storyline, Wendy Peterson works at the New York Public Librarian in 1987 scanning archived documents. She stumbles across stories about the CARDs and becomes intrigued to learn more. As an aspiring writer, she smells the making of a great story and sneakily reads while working. As she learns more about the CARDs and their courage and bravery, she finds models to follow in her own life. 

The book is a well researched project that brings to light a little known effort in WWI. It was very inspiring to hear of how the heiress Anne Morgan used her wealth for such a noble cause. CARDs helped with more than one evacuation, provided support and through Jessie Carson, also provided access to books that offered a lifeline during one of the darkest times in French history.

Jessie went on to promote children's libraries within other French cities and trained other women to be librarians. It was an excellent look at the resourcefulness of women in WWI and the sacrifices they made as well. I appreciated that the author had extensive end notes with more information about the historical figures and information on people she had based other characters on. 

Note: There were scenes in both story lines that I would consider R-rated. I feel the book would have been even better without those details. Because of this, I would recommend this title for adults. 

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade through NetGalley and a print copy through the publisher, Atria Books, for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received. 

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie

 

West, Hannah, and Sarah, referred to as "The Deltas" are a threesome intent on finding a treasure rumored to be hidden in an abandoned funhouse. Of course, the building is off-limits but that doesn't stop the trio from trying to solve the hardest puzzle of them all! Having honed their skills at numerous escape rooms, the friends join forces to do what no one has done before. Why risk life and limb? Because Sarah's family is in dire financial straits and friends do all they can to save the day!

As the friends move through the funhouse, each one has a chance to use skills they are good at and as they learn to appreciate the strengths of each other, they gain a perspective on how differences can be a good thing and weaknesses offer opportunities to show compassion and support. Putting aside the obvious trespassing the children did, the book was an imaginative story that will resonate with middle-grade readers. What child hasn't fantasized about finding a long-lost treasure?!  Sprinkled within the pages are logic, problem-solving, and conflict resolution--skills every reader can always improve on! If you enjoy puzzles or mysteries, you'll want to check out The Mystery of Locked Rooms.

On the author's website, readers can take a quiz to see which Delta they are most like. I am hoping the author will write more mysteries of the "not spooky" type.  The various challenges within the funhouse reminded me of the Mysterious Benedict Society so fans of that series should love this one. I would have loved to have seen a map of the funhouse layout (even better would be an interactive tour on the author's website with different challenges to try).

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Mystery of Locked Rooms from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

The Ghost in the Garden by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

 

Sophie Madison, 12 years old, is moving to the small town of Stratford, Ontario. She can't help compare her new small town to all the exciting parts of Calgary that she loved so much. Her guidance counselor father thought a smaller school would be beneficial but Sophie was not convinced. The only silver lining is in the form of a very cool turret bedroom in her new house. The house even comes with a garden and if Sophie's eyes do not deceive her, a resident ghost!

That's not the only "ghost" in her life. Sophie's best friend, Tina, seems to have ghosted her. Thankfully she meets a neighbor boy her age, Fitzroy, who offers to show her around Stratford. He also proves to be a great ally in trying to solve the mystery of some very strange occurrences happening in Sophie's house. Fitz calls on the help of a teacher with an interest in the paranormal and discovers that there may be more than one haunted place in Stratford. Eventually, Sophie comes clean to her parents about the strange nighttime events and they are portrayed in a positive, supportive way. 

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from The Ghost in the Garden. I thought it might be along the lines of an imaginary friend who helps Sophie cope with moving. Tabitha does fit that description but there is a second spirit of a decidedly more sinister nature which added a good bit of scare factor to the story. Given that the story involves a 12-year-old, I would say this is best suited for middle school readers. I think younger readers may find some scenes rather frightening (especially if they have a vivid imagination!). I really liked the interactions between Fitz and Sophie and enjoyed exploring the town through Sophie's eyes. The author had some end notes explaining some things unique to Canada and the inspiration for the story setting. 

For the reader who enjoys a bit of fright fiction, this story offers good doses of friendship and a strong family to help offset the scary parts. Nothing Sophie will face at her new school could be half as frightening as the summer she survived! Sophie offers readers a great role model of a courageous heroine who learned to face her fears. That's a skill we could all benefit from!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Ghost in the Garden from Reedsy Discovery for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.