The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society Book Review

 

The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society

By: Lindsay Currie

Publish Date: September 15, 2026

Publisher: Sourcebooks Kids/Sourcebooks Young Readers

Children's Fiction

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I would like to thank both NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. This is a different type of book for her to write. She usually writes about ghost and having the young person help them out. In this book the young children are solving a crime with the help of a grandma.

In this book a young girl is being homeschooled because the family needs to saves money and the school she was going to was a private school. The reason they need to save money is because her grandma needs to have dialysis and the medical bills are expensive. On this particular day there is an ice storm coming and they need to get home before it comes. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen because a car accident happens outside the shop where her mom works. While they are outside dealing with the accident inside the store something is happening that no one expects. 

The accident happened to be between her grandma and her friend's mom who was picking the children up from school. When it is all settled they all go inside while they wait for the police when they get inside, they hear a scream and find a dead body. The girl knows the man who is dead at her table which she uses as a desk.

When the police arrive for the accident, they are told about the man in the storage room. The police rule it as an accidental death, but the girl doesn't believe it because of the wet shoe prints on the floor. 

That is all I am going to tell you because I want you to read the book.

What I liked about the book is the friendship and the family. I love how they work together and protect each each other. The girl realizes that her grandma isn't as bad as she thought.

Pocket Bear Book Review

 

Pocket Bear

By: Katherine Applegate

Publish Date: September 9, 2025

Publisher: MacMillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel and Friends

Children's Fiction/Middle Grade

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I would like to thank both NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I just love reading the books that this author writes. She makes you feel all the feelings. I gave this book 4 stars. In this book a bear is rescued from the trash bin, and a smaller bear is charge of a group of rescued toys in a second chance shop. The owner's daughter cleans them up and gives them a little biography. The little bear is called a mascot bear, and he is from the first world war. He thinks he knows something about the new bear and it has affected him. Will the owners discover the truth about the new addition and what will they do. 

I really enjoy the way the author included this history about two different types of bears. It is a great way to learn, and the children will love it. In fact, I would say read it with your children because it can lead to a great discussion about the past. 

The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast Book Review

 

The Beast and the Bethany

Revenge of the Beast

By: Jack Meggitt-Phillips

Publish Date: March 22,2022

Publisher: Simon and Schuster children's Publishing/Aladdin

Children's Fiction

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I would like to thank both NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own. I'm sorry it took me so long to read this book.

Book Review:

This will be hard to review since it is the second book in a series, and I don't want to give away any spoilers. I did enjoy it and gave it 4 stars. The book picks up where it left off in the first book. You get more back story about Ebenezer in this book. The two are trying to change their image and the town is not believing them and think there is something behind their attempts. Their new friend Claudette is helping them, but she hasn't been feeling well since her last known meal she has eaten. What will the three of them do to help their image and will Ebenezer ever feel normal since the loss of his beast. How will the beast do his revenge.

I love the relationship between Bethany and Ebenezer. Ebenezer is learning how to love someone besides himself. Bethany may be bossy, but she also is lonely and she is trying. Can people change or not? You will have to read the book to find out. You do need to read the first book before you read this one so you know what is happening.

Tell the Ghosts I'm Gone Book Review

 

Tell the Ghosts I'm Gone

By: Kalynn Bayron

Publish Date: September 1, 2026

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books/Bloomsbury YA

Horror/Teens and YA

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Book Review:

This is my kind of horror of book. I am not fan of very scary books and this book was just right for me. I gave this book 4 stars. I love the authors writing style and how the story flows and how invested you get in the plot. I am an older adult, so I have to remember that how she writes the characters in this book is actually how most teenagers act towards a parent figure. I love the family and how even though they are not all related how they treat each other just like they born into the family.

In this book there are four young adults with special abilities, and they are struggling with how to control them, so the mom has bonded them together and their abilities until they are old enough to control them. unknown to the mom is that the four has created a web site for them to help others with paranormal sitings. They end up getting into deep and need help from the mom. 

Felix Powell, Boy Squirrel Book Review

 

Felix Powell, Boy Squirrel

By: Erin Entrada Kelly

Publish Date: August 18, 2026

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books/Greenwillow Books

Children's Fiction/Middle Grade/outdoors and nature

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Book Review:

This is a younger middle grade that is fun and easy to read. I gave this book 4 stars. I have read from this author, and I have enjoyed most of her books. 

This book is about a young boy who enjoys being outside and has an imagination like you wouldn't believe. He lives with his grandma, and they have a special relationship. He also has a little dog that goes everywhere with him. One day while Felix and his dog are outside, they are a playing a game about flying dinosaurs. Felix ends up falling asleep under his favorite blanket and when he wakes up, he discovers that he a squirrel and his blanket is in a tree that he isn't in. He meets another squirrel who is afraid of almost everything and request his help on how to get his blanket back. 

The moral of the story is how Felix is able to help this squirrel with his fears and makes new friends with other in the long run. This is a cute story and there are some pictures that make it easier for the younger reader to figure out with ease.

Eight Enchanting Elixirs Book Review

 

Eight Enchanting Elixirs

Book 8 of Kitchen Witch Mysteries

By: Lynn Cahoon

Publish Date: July 28, 2026

Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies

Mysteries and Thrillers

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Book Review:

I enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. It did take me a minute to get back into this world because I haven't read all the books and I was a little confused. Once I got back into the world, I enjoyed myself and got invested into the story. 

Someone is after Mia and isn't happy that she is testing so well. She has to do retest sooner than she planned and she is a little stressed. Her Grandma is also stressed because an ex-lover is back in town and she is engaged to someone else. Grandma is also Mia's trainer, so she stressed about that. Mia's test was really hard, and it almost kills her because the tester thinks she cheated the first time and ends up being furious when Mia's test results are higher than last time.

Mia doesn't want to be at the new level because she just wants to be a kitchen witch and cook for people. This higher level has a lot more responsibilities. 

The day after her test results the small town finds the tester dead. She has frozen to death. Who killed her and why. Luckily Mia is able to prove it wasn't her because she had friends and family over waiting for the results of the test. 

Mia's boyfriend and the police chief's wife and daughter are stuck in a home for training of their hellhounds and aren't able to help her figure out who is after her. 

The coven wants her to join the local group and keep pushing her, but she is more interested in who killed the tester than becoming a member of the coven. Soon it comes to the acknowledgement of the small town that the incident is ruled an accident, but in actually means that the incident is a coven problem and they will take the case into their hands and figure out who the killer is. 

What I like about this book is the family and friendships between all the characters and the love they show each other. I would recommend this book but also read them in order so you are able to follow the story line better.

Japanese Gothic Book Review

 

Japanese Gothic

A Folk Horror Novel of Japanese Mythology, murder, and Family Duty Across Two timelines

By: Kylie Lee Baker

Publish Date: April 14, 2026

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press

General Fiction (Adult)/Horror/ Mystery and thrillers

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Book Review:

This is Kylie's second book, and I enjoyed it but not as much as her first book. I gave this book 4 stars. 

I wouldn't call this book horror because I wasn't scared, but it did have some moments that I was given the eek. This book takes place in Japan during two timelines. Present day and 1877. 

In present day a young man comes to Japan to be with his father who has a heart condition. They are both originally from the states, but his father decided he wanted to be in Japan for the time being. The young man, Lee, is taking a break from college and he has some mental issues. 

In 1877 there is a young woman, Sen who is training to become a samurai by her father. This is unusual for the time period. During this time women are not thought of as warriors and the samurais are coming to an end. She isn't sure where she fits in the world.

They meet through the closet in the house that Lee's father has rented which use to be Sen's home.

The story was very interesting, and you can tell that the author did a lot of research on this subject. I like how she was able to combine two different time periods together and make it interesting. I love how the two characters got along for the most part and tried to help each other out. The ending of the story was one I had to read twice before I was able to figure it out.