Dragon is the seventh book in the Five Ancestors series and delivers a solid finish. In Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Rosie sometimes gets upset with her best-friend-since-always Bailey, especially when a new girl in the neighborhood takes a shine to him. No one is better at diffusing tension than Granny Torrelli, who comes over to cook and to tell stories about when she was Rosie’s age. Both the food and her grandmother’s honesty and humor do help. Tumble & Blue turned out to be a favorite read for the year. Somewhere in Blue’s family history, on the night of red crescent moon, a wish was made that twisted the fates of every generation that followed. Some have it good. Always good. Some have it bad. And Blue is one of the cursed ones. Changing his fate seems impossible, especially with everyone else in the family vying for the chance. But his new friend Tumble is willing to help.

Are you following me on GoodReads? >>

Mouse is the sixth book in the Five Ancestors series. Still loving my kung fu advenures. January is the first book in a (you guessed it) 12-book series set in Australia. Callum Ormond doesn’t have much to go on, but he knows he needs to get away, stay hidden, and solve the riddle his dead father left behind in the form of several drawings. Because he’s already been blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Action-packed! And then Firelight continues the Amulet series of graphic novels.

Are you following me on GoodReads? >>

Eagle is the fifth book in the Five Ancestors series, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Escape from Lucien is another continuation, since it’s the sixth book in the Amulet series of graphic novels. But The Secret Key is a series starter, so I can talk about that one! Agatha is smart, observant, and steeped in the fiction of her namesake, Agatha Christie. In fact, Hercule Poirot is her imaginary friend. But few people appreciate her little investigations. But when a new case presents itself, Agatha knows it’s her big chance to prove herself.

Are you following me on GoodReads? >>

Crane is the fourth book in the Five Ancestors series and a direct continuation of the books before it. (I hate giving summaries for individual books in a series since they’ll inevitably contain spoilers for previous volumes.) Suffice to say, I like the kung fu adventure! In Finding Orion, when Grandpa Qwirk dies, he does it like he lived: in his own way. Rion and his family go back to his dad’s home town for a funeral, but find themselves on the strangest scavenger hunt that ever was. The Witch Boy is a graphic novel. Aster is at the age when he should be learning to shift into an animal form so he can join the other men as a warrior/protector. But he’s much more interested in the lessons that are only handed down from mother to daughter. Aster wants to be a witch.

Are you following me on GoodReads? >>

In Charlie & Frog, Charlie goes to live with his television-obsessed grandparents in a small town that’s home to a school for the deaf. His first friend, a girl called Frog, rallies him to her side in order to solve a mystery, just like the deaf heroine in her favorite mystery series. A lower middle grade series starter. Lots of lessons in sign language for readers. And the recurring motto, “Deaf Can!” Snake is the third book in the Five Ancestors series. Since it’s a direct continuation, there’s not much I can say. Except that I really liked these books. Ivy & Bean is about two very different girls become the best of friends. A lower middle grade series. Not my favorite dynamic, but I’ll give a few more books in the series a chance. I’m the type of reader who gets attached to characters.

Are you following me on GoodReads? >>