Children's Book Review: It's Spring by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko

Title: It's Spring!
Authors:  Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko
Illustrator:  Melissa Sweet
Board Book: 30 pages
Publisher:  Cartwheel (Scholastic)
ISBN:  0439442389
Description:  The robin told the rabbit...The rabbit told the deer...The deer told the duck...Then all the birds began to singTo tell the bears, "Wake up, it's spring!"Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko's breezy rhyming text and Melissa Sweet's charming watercolor illustrations spread the news that spring is here! This is a board book edition of a book originally published in the Hello Reader line.  [Cover & description from Goodreads.com]

Overall rating: 10/10

One of our favorite board books, It's Spring! is filled with beautiful illustrations and sweet rhyming text.  The story follows several friendly animals as they spread the news of the season across the sunny countryside.  Melissa Sweet's watercolor illustrations are truly lovely and bring this simple poetic story to life.

This book is perfect for very young readers!  The illustrations suit the story perfectly, allowing non-readers to follow along & helping emergent readers decipher the text.  The characters are gleeful & sweet as they cheerfully spread the news of spring, and the board book format makes it durable enough for babies and toddlers to read again and again.  

To buy this book:  The Book Depository | Powell's | Amazon 

Illustrator Link:  Melissa Sweet
Author Links:  Samantha Berger | Pamela Chanko

Happy Reading!  :-)

It's Spring! fan art by 5 year old

Book Review: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Title:  Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia
Author: Cindy Pon
Genre: Young Adult
Hardcover: 338 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN-10: 0061730211
Summary:  No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.  But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.  Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.  It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.  [Cover photo & description provided by Goodreads.com]

• Overall rating: 8/10
• To buy this book:  Powell's | Amazon | The Book Depository | IndieBound
• Add this book to your:  Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing
• 
  

Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia is an adventure-filled YA fantasy novel of the refreshingly non-Western variety.  Fans of epic adventure stories, independent heroines, and Chinese culture will definitely enjoy this book.

What I Liked:

• The Asian-inspired setting and mythology
• Ai Ling's healthy appetite!  This book had me craving delicious Chinese food every few pages.  I absolutely loved Ai Ling's passion for tasty meals!
• The courageous heroine who is capable of rescuing herself. 
• Ai Ling was not a cookie-cutter, generic heroine but a well-developed individual with her own desires, strengths, fears, and flaws.
• Chen Yong as Ai Ling's steadfast and intelligent companion.  His history is intriguing and the roll he plays in her journey is not what I initially expected it would be, but it was still pleasantly complex.
• The ending, which surprised me and is not generally the type of conclusion I enjoy.  But in this case, it feels true to the characters and makes me eager to read the second book.

What I Wished:

• There were not quite so many 'epic quest' moments and objects (glowing pendant, enchanted dagger, vial of magical tears, etc.).  At times, it seemed that every single person or creature they met along the way either brutally attacked them or conveniently had some significant item to bestow upon them.
•  The tension didn't lag a bit in the middle.  Most of the time, the encounters with new characters and locations helped to propel the plot forward rather than distracting from the primary focus of their journey, but around the middle of the book the forward momentum seemed to falter a bit.  Thankfully, the main characters are consistently compelling and the story's pace & tension both pick up again in the last few chapters.

Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix will appeal to fans of adventure stories and to readers with an interest in Eastern culture and courageous heroines.  Reading this book made me want to look for more Asian-inspired fantasy novels, and I look forward to reading the second half of Ai Ling's story in Cindy Pon's next novel.

Silver Phoenix does have a significant amount of violence & contains several sexual references (including a scene of attempted rape), so I would consider this book YA and not middle-grade.  Readers who enjoyed Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days and anyone who enjoys reading about strong female characters embarking on fantastical quests, will thoroughly enjoy Silver Phoenix.  But I do recommend having an ample supply of noodles and pot stickers on hand before starting to read this book because Ai Ling's passion for delicious Chinese food is highly contagious!  :-)  To read more about Cindy Pon and her upcoming projects, you can visit her website, blog, & twitter.

Happy Reading!  :-)

Book Review Policy

If you would like us to review your book, please email us at TheEagerReaders[at]gmail[dot]com.  We are currently accepting review requests for YA novels, with a particular preference for paranormal, fantasy, and urban fantasy YA novels.  We are also happy to consider review requests for children's books and middle grade fiction.  At this time, we are not accepting requests to review self-published books or pdf manuscripts, and we are only accepting e-book requests through NetGalley.

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Index of Children's & MG Book Reviews

Index of Children's Book Reviews
-A-
-B-
-C-
-D-
-E-
-F-
-G-
-H-
-I-
It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder
It's Spring! by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko
-J-
-K-
Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
-L-
-M-
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
-N-
-O-
-P-
-Q-
-R-
-S-
Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
-T-
-U-
-V-
-W-
-X-
-Y-
-Z-

Index of Young Adult (YA) Book Reviews

Index of Book Reviews - YA


By Title:

-A-
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
-B-
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Blood Promise (VA #4) by Richelle Mead
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
-C-
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder 
City of Fallen Angels (MI #4) by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
-D- 
Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
-E-
Explorer X-Alpha by L.M. Preston
Eyes Like Stars, Theatre Illuminata, Act 1 by Lisa Mantchev
-F-
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
Frostbite (VA#2) by Richelle Mead
-G-
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Girl, Stolen by April Henry
-H-
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Hourglass by Claudia Gray
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
-I-
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
-J- 
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
-K-
-L-
-M-

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
-N-
The Naughty List by Suzanne Young 
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
-O-
-P-
The Pace by Shelena Shorts
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Perchance to Dream, Theatre Illuminata, Act II by Lisa Mantchev
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
-Q-
-R-
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
-S-
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Shadow Kiss (VA #3) by Richelle Mead
Spirit Bound (VA #5) by Richelle Mead
StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
-T-
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
-U-
-V-
Vampire Academy (VA #1) by Richelle Mead
Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani
-W-
Willow by Julia Hoban
Wildwing by Emily Whitman
White Cat by Holly Black
-X-
-Y-
-Z-
Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier


By Author:

-B-
Black, Holly - White Cat 
Black, Holly - Zombies vs. Unicorns
Bracken, Alexandra - Brightly Woven 
Bray, Libba - Zombies vs. Unicorns 
Bunce, Elizabeth C. - StarCrossed
-C-
Carter, Ally - Heist Society 
Clare, Cassandra - City of Fallen Angels (MI #4)
Clare, Cassandra - Clockwork Angel 
Clare, Cassandra - Zombies vs. Unicorns 
Creagh, Kelly - Nevermore
Cypess, Lea - Mistwood
-D-
Derting, Kimberly - The Body Finder 
Despain, Bree - The Dark Divine

Dolamore, Jaclyn - Magic Under Glass 
Dowell, Frances O'Roark - Ten Miles Past Normal 
Duey, Kathleen - Zombies vs. Unicorns
-E-
Echols, Jennifer - Going Too Far
Elkeles, Simone - Perfect Chemistry
-F-
Fisher, Catherine - Incarceron
Fitzpatrick, Becca - Hush, Hush 
-G-
Gray, Claudia - Hourglass

-H-
Henry, April - Girl, Stolen 
Hawkins, Rachel - Demonglass (Hex Hall #2)

Hawkins, Rachel - Hex Hall
Hoban, Julia - Willow
Hopcus, Anastasia - Shadow Hills 
-J- 
Johnson, Alaya Dawn - Zombies vs. Unicorns 
Johnson, Maureen - Zombies vs. Unicorns

-K-

Kagawa, Julie - The Iron King
Kate, Lauren - Fallen

Kate, Lauren - The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove
-L- 
Lanagan, Margo - Zombies vs. Unicons
Larbalestier, Justine - Zombies vs. Unicorns
Lee, Y.S. - The Agency: A Spy in the House
Lee, Y.S. - The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower

-M-
Marchetta, Melina - Jellicoe Road
Mantchev, Lisa - Eyes Like Stars, Theatre Illuminata, Act I
Mantchev, Lisa - Perchance to Dream, Theatre Illuminata, Act II

Mahy, Margaret - The Changeover
Mead, Richelle - Blood Promise (VA #4)
Mead, Richelle - Frostbite (VA #2)
Mead, Richelle - Shadow Kiss (VA #3)
Mead, Richelle - Spirit Bound (VA #5)
Mead, Richelle - Vampire Academy (VA #1) 
-N- 
Nix, Garth - Zombies vs. Unicorns 
Novik, Naomi - Zombies vs. Unicorns

-O-

Oliver, Lauren - Before I Fall

-P-
Pearce, Jackson - Sisters Red 
Perkins, Stephanie - Anna and the French Kiss

Peterfreund, Diana - Rampant 
Peterfreund, Diana - Zombies vs. Unicorns
Pike, Aprilynne - Spells
Pon, Cindy - Silver Phoenix

Preston, L.M. - Explorer X-Alpha
-R-
Rayburn, Tricia - Siren 
Revis, Beth - Across the Universe 
Ryan, Carrie - Zombies vs. Unicorns

-S-
Schroeder, Lisa - Chasing Brooklyn
Schroeder, Lisa - I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Shorts, Shelena - The Pace 
-T-
Trigiani, Adriana - Viola in Reel Life

-W- 
Westerfeld, Scott - Zombies vs. Unicorns

White, Amy Brecount - Forget-Her-Nots
White, Kiersten - Paranormalcy 
Whitman, Emily - Wildwing
-Y-
Young, Suzanne - The Naughty List

Book Review: Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

• Title: Magic Under Glass
• Author:  Jaclyn Dolamore
• Genre: Young Adult (YA)
• Hardcover (US): 225 pages
• Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Children's Books 
• ISBN-10: 1599904306

Summary:  Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.  [Cover photo & book description provided by Goodreads.]

Overall rating: 8/10 

To buy this book:  Powell's | Amazon | IndieBound | The Book Depository

(The Book Depository has both the US & UK editions available)

In her charming debut novel Jaclyn Dolamore has created an engaging story, a likable heroine, and an intriguing magic-filled world.  Magic Under Glass is a pleasure to read.  Anyone who adored Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series, and Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer's Kate & Cecelia books, or readers with an interest in fairy tale romances (with a steampunk twist) should definitely check out Magic Under Glass.


I Liked:

• Nimira, who is brave, determined, and compassionate.  
• Hollin, who is not consistently brave or compassionate, but may have potential to be.  
• the concept of a clockwork man, which in this case renders Erris essentially an invalid.  He cannot wind himself, cannot physically seek the answers he desperately needs, and is wholly dependent upon the attendance of his patient & determined friend.
• how easy it was to fall immediately into Nimira's world of corsets, carriages, and sorcery.  The narrative is first person, straightforward, and believable.  
• that despite the fantastical story elements & the historically-inspired setting, the story isn't bogged down with endless descriptive passages or stuffy formal dialogue.  That relative simplicity helps maintain the novel's pace & will have you rooting for the heroine from the very first page.

I Wished: 

• the book was twice as long!  
• the characters' actions always reflected the tension that I felt their circumstances deserved, particularly in the final third of the story.
• Erris & Nimira's budding romance didn't depend quite so much upon her sense of compassionate obligation.  At times, their relationship felt too much like a nurse/patient love story for my taste.

This book is classified as YA, but I think it will appeal to readers of all ages.  There isn't anything particularly racy in Magic Under Glass, and although there is a bit of violence & small amount of spooky magic, it is not any scarier than J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books or the eerie "friends on the other side" in Disney's recent Princess and the Frog movie. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a middle grade reader.


I enjoyed Magic Under Glass, and I hope to read more from Jaclyn Dolamore.  I believe she is beginning to work on the second book about Nimira and Erris, tentatively entitled Magic Under Stone.  She is also working on a totally new book (series?) featuring a romance between a mermaid & a winged boy.  Don't you love the star-crossed sound of that premise?  I can't wait to read it!  You can learn more about Magic Under Glass and author Jaclyn Dolamore's upcoming projects on her website, blog, and twitter.

Side note:  There has been a bit of public outcry regarding the US cover of this novel & whether it represents another unfortunate example of "white-washing" in the publishing industry.  Personally, although I like some aspects of the US cover (particularly the model's lovely dress), I do believe this cover image falls under the "white-washing" category.  In Magic Under Glass, Nimira is explicitly described as dark-skinned and has often been judged based upon her ethnicity.  Her race, while not the primary focus of the novel, is still a vital element of the plot & her character.  Yet the US cover model is clearly light-skinned.  That being said, I would definitely not advise people to boycott this book based upon the publisher's cover image because I believe that the person who would suffer most from such a boycott would be the author, Jaclyn Dolamore, who wrote a lovely novel featuring a charming, dark-skinned heroine.  She is not responsible for her publisher's cover design choice.  What I would urge you to do, if you share my opinion about the damaging effects of "white-washing," is to drop a brief note directly to the publisher responsible, Bloomsbury.  Interestingly, this is the same publisher that recently received a lot of negative press for another "white-washed" cover (Justine Larbalestier's Liar).  It is important to note that after receiving public feedback regarding that cover, Bloomsbury completely changed the original cover image to better reflect the protagonist's ethnicity prior to final publication.  To learn more about the Liar cover debacle, please read this Publishers Weekly article or visit Justine's website.


COVER UPDATE (1/21) - Bloomsbury has just apologized for the offense caused by the original US cover image.  They will no longer be distributing copies with that cover & announced that copies with a new jacket design will be available soon.  Read the official announcement here.

Happy reading!  :-)

Book Giveaways & Contests

Quick update about a few wonderful new book giveaways to be found around the blogosphere this week:

A signed ARC of Everlasting by Angie Frazier.  You can find more details here.  (ends 1/8)

An ARC of My Soul to Save and My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent.  For more details visit the delightful Myra McEntire's blog.  (ends 1/11)

An ARC of Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken!  For more details visit the lovely Anastasia Hopcus on her blog [Keep Up With Me]. (ends 1/12)

An ARC of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa!  For more details visit Sharon Loves Books and Cats. (ends 1/15)

Awesome contest featuring three Lisa Schroeder books - Chasing Brooklyn, Far From You, and I Heart You, You Haunt Me.  Visit Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe for more details. (ends 1/17)

A copy of Firespell by Chloe Neill!  For more details visit The Book Butterfly. (ends 1/25)

Great contest featuring three books + assorted bookmarks!  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, and All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab.  Enter to win at The Undercover Book Lover. (ends 1/30)

An ARC of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain!  For more details visit The Hiding Spot. (ends 1/30)

A copy of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg!  To enter visit Read This Book. (ends 1/31)