mglit | Page 10 of 12

The Kingdom Over the Sea, mglit that’s not as bad as it could’ve been

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A young girl’s parents have mysteriously disappeared and are presumed deceased. This youth mourns their absence and is trying to figure out the meaning behind the object or writings that she’s worshipped since they’ve been gone. Suddenly a porthole, new person in town, or traumatic event happens that leads our protagonist to a far-flung world where she discovers new things, realizes that she has powers beyond her imagination and just might be able to see her family again. This is a trope that’s running rampant through children’s literature now. Actually, one could say that it’s been a common theme for a long time. However, what was a theme, is now a de facto, almost mandatory synopsis in books that are in my review queue. So, how does The Kingdom Over the Sea fit in relative to this landscape?

The Kingdom Over the Sea is mglit that hits upon many current popular tropes, and manages not to be as disinterring as others who took the same path.

Kids 8-12 will dig it

Princess of the Wild Sea, a pleasant teen coming of age, that’s come before

I wanted to really enjoy Princess of the Wild Sea. It’s from Megan Frazer Blakemore and I was a big fan of her previous release, The Story Web. That book had its hooks firmly in the realm of fiction, with just enough power behind the character’s relationships that you wanted it to be real, or at least possible. Princess of the Wild Sea has planted its seeds firmly in the garden of fantasy, with a side dose of magic, heroes, and expectations. It’s mglit that will speak to those who want a patient, lyrical story of a once-magical place that’s now populated by hope.

Princess of the Wild Sea is a pleasant, coming-of-age story that you’ll enjoy if this is your first book of that sort, if not, it’ll feel slow and obvious.

You mglit princess readers will like it, but it’s a bit predictable

The Beast and the Bethany, book 3, keeps the monster mglit fun chomping on

Somehow or another, we didn’t read The Beast and the Bethany book 2. We did read The Beast and the Bethany and absolutely loved it. That book has an appeal that’s a blend of Wednesday, the more malevolent parts of Despicable Me, and just a touch of gross characteristics you want from a beast that’s capable of vomiting anything it thinks of. It’s a book’s testament if it’s able to allow readers to skip a book in the series or to jump into it cold, and still be able to follow along, enjoying the story. The Beast and the Bethany: Battle of the Beast does that in a way that drags along reluctant middle school readers with monstrous ease.

The Beast and the Bethany: Battle of the Beast is fabulous mglit with the dark humor and charm of Wednesday, with the monster shenanigans of Minions.

As much monster charm as the first, an effortless MGLit read

Hardy Boys Adventures: The Smuggler’s Legacy, trust the process

Let’s party like it’s 1977. The Hardy Boys are on television, it’s Sunday night and I’m about to relax and get my mystery on. I had read a couple of the books, but for me, it was the television version that I enjoyed. Your version of The Hardy Boys might be different. There was a series that ran from 2020-2023 on Hulu, the classic books, and now, their literary sibling has been modernized. Change is not a bad thing and when it comes to The Hardy Boys, their adventures and lifestyle are modern-day, but they still have the same hallmarks of the elements that brought them here.

Hardy Boys Adventures: The Smuggler’s Legacy is a fast-paced, mystery that has the hallmarks of its namesake, but is updated for today’s readers.

Just don’t tell the kids it’s a reboot and they’ll dig it

Once There Was is mglit as good as it gets

World building is a concept that too many books start out in mind without fully looking down the path to see where the story is going. They create a half-baked world and then ask readers to remain hooked on a story that seems to exist only for a literary series or movie franchise. Once There Was builds a world. It’s a complete and detailed world that’s adorned with creatures who are capable of incredible beauty and violence. In my mind’s eye, I see Once There Was innocently taunting other books, in its best Crocodile Dundee attire, in bookstores or libraries across the land saying, “That’s not a book, that’s a book.”

Once There Was is perfect mglit, it builds worlds for those younger ages, is smart enough for any age north of that and creates something new.

Please tell me that the Dundee alliteration was understood….

Children of the Black Glass is starting point mglit with a fantasy twist

Don’t call it fantasy, because those books have never resonated with me. Children of the Black Glass is probably classed as fantasy, due to its sorcery, castles, dark alleys, and musty-smelling environment. Yeah, it’s fantasy, but it’s a dingy one that’s laden with black dust. It’s not dark, dank fantasy, rather it’s a world that you’d envision is moist, cloudy, and mysterious. If you were to meet a character from Children of the Black Glass in real life they’d most likely be quiet, untrustworthy, wearing an animal pelt, could live for decades in the country without any assistance and probably smell like a billy goat.

Children of the Black Glass is blessed with a great title, but also has the mglit smarts to craft a great story with details galore for ages 10 and up.

Mission Multiverse: Doppelganger Danger meets the sophomore slump

“Why would I want to see something that doesn’t move the story forward and only sets up a sequel”, my oldest son pondered. That specific takeaway was in relation to a conversation about cinematic entertainment, but our conversation then pivoted to the medium of books. From the perspective of any creator, that is indeed a challenging assignment. You want to add to the overall story, yet produce an entry that stands on its own, all the while getting fans to care more about the characters so that they’re willing to see them again. When phrased like that it’s no wonder why so many middle school students struggle in finding a book series that they can engage in. Mission Multiverse Doppelganger Danger is the second book in this series. We quite enjoyed the first one, but Doppelganger Danger doesn’t connect in the same fun, carefree and adventuresome way as its predecessor.

Know when to say when

Outside Chance stands a high probability of enjoyment for ages 11 and up

Outside Chance, as in, there’s an outside chance that it’ll rain on Saturday. Don’t Doubt The Rainbow, as in the book that’s written by Anthony Kessel. It only sounds like the taunting catchphrase for a cereal company that’s helmed by a magically delicious leprechaun. Don’t Doubt The Rainbow, Outside Chance is the second book in this series that’s very smart. The pacing, levels of description, and plot elements that go into Outside Chance seem to make it more on par with YA, than mglit, but does it really and why does it matter?

Outside Chance, the second book in the Don’t Doubt The Rainbow series is smart YA that also satisfies mglit fans with action, mystery and realistic fiction.

Smart ya does not mean that it’s not highly enjoyable