The Cup and the Crown

I was so lucky to find The Cup and the Crown! I had read the first book, The Silver Bowl, last year as an ARC and loved it. This book was just as amazing. I wouldn’t read it if I hadn’t read the first one, though. The book continues the story of Molly, a young girl with mysterious powers, as she and her friends try to find a Loving Cup made by her grandfather. There’s a lot of magic and mystery in this book, so it’s great for it you like fantasy. I would totally recommend it!

Allison, 13

Splendors and Glooms

Splendors and Glooms is one of my absolute favorite books! I happen to love the author, and she definitely lived up to her name.  

Splendors and Glooms is about two orphans, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, their evil master Grisini the magician and puppeteer, and their rich friend Clara Wintermute. When Clara goes missing, Grisini is blamed and then vanishes, leaving Parsefall and Lizzie Rose to blame. Then, Lizzie Rose, and Parsefall receive a letter from an old women and travel north, hoping to receive her fortune, but instead, find Clara and almost steal a cursed stone!

Allison, 12

The Rock of Ivanore

The Rock of Ivanore is a thrilling story about fourteen-year-old Marcus, a magician’s apprentice. When Marcus receives his quest along with the other fourteen-year-olds, he learns that her will have to find the Rock of Ivanore. What starts out as a seemingly normal quest, turns out to be a quest that reveals many secrets about Marcus, his master, and his friends. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like mysteries wrapped up in fantasy/magical stories. Overall, I liked this book, although younger kids could read this as well because it didn’t have much gore.

Allison, 11

The Secret Tree

The Secret Tree has an amazing cover that drew me in. The plot was so original and so complex. In this book, a girl named Minty and her friend Raymond collect secrets that are hidden in a tree and try to help solve them and identify who the secret belongs to. 

Soon enough, it looks like everyone in town has a secret, from everything about curses to lost cats. Even Minty and Raymond get caught up in secrets that are not necessarily their own. With so many characters and legends of “monsters,” I loved The Secret Tree!

Allison, 11

The Cabinet of Earths

The Cabinet of Earths was such a good book that I used it for my English project. I’ve never seen a book like it before. The Cabinet of Earths was about thirteen-year-old Maya Davidson, who just moved from California to Paris, France. In France, Maia meets some of her crazy relatives and makes a few new friends. She even solves a mystery about her family that goes back almost one hundred years! Maya also goes through a lot in the book with her mother being sick and her brother being kidnapped! I’m glad I pick this book!

Allison, 12

Otherworld Chronicles: The Invisible Tower

The Invisible Tower was a very good book, besides the fact that it was a bit confusing. The other downside was that the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so readers have to wait for the next book in the Otherworld Chronicles series to find out what happens. In this book, Artie Kingfisher finds out that he is somewhat a reincarnation of the great King Arthur. Artie and his sister Kay also battle monsters and meet many mythical creatures form the Otherworld, such as Tom Thumb and Merlin, who is trapped in an invisible tower.

Allison, 12 

The Apothercary

The Apothecary is about a girl named Janie who moves to London from Los Angeles in 1952 because of her parents’ beliefs. There she meets Benjamin Burrows, an apothecary’s son. Later, Benjamin and Janie witness Benjamin’s dad get kidnapped. They then try to track him down using a special apothecary book and the help of friends. The book allows them to become invisible and turn into birds. When Benjamin and Janie do find the apothecary, they get involved in a plot that the apothecary is trying to stop. I would recommend this book to all my friends.

Allison, 11