Once upon a time in Cornucopia, a country rich with gold and fine, delicate foods, lived two friends, Bert and Daisy, who, along with their families and neighbors, loved the favorable Fearless King Fred. Their lives in Cornucopia, however, were peppered with the legend of a horrid beast living amidst the marsh. Some say myth. Some say truth. Either way, the Ickabog casted a shadow over the kingdom. The joys of Cornucopia were not shaken after a shepherd reports his dog being devoured by the Ickabog. But when King Fred and his army vow to hunt the Ickabog and bring vengeance, a horrible accident turns the myth of the Ickabog into a shocking reality.  Secrets, lies, and deception are mixed together and become a new recipe for the characters to create a delicious plot twist, revealing the true antagonist. Is King Fred truly fearless? How will two friends Daisy and Bert, once separated, find each other and help solve the mystery of the Ickabog? With each chapter leading to a new cliff hanger, J.K. Rowling has written a page turner so that you may find yourself reading the entire book in one sitting! I enjoyed reading about the unbreakable spirits and friendships of the people of Cornucopia. Rowling brings the flare of "Redwall" into "The Ickabog" making this a book that stands apart from "Harry Potter" all on its own.

Even with its typical beginning of once upon a time,"The Ickabog" is a telling with more twists and turns than J.K. Rowling's other stories.  Cornucopia, a country rich with gold and fine, delicate foods, lived two friends, Bert and Daisy, who, along with their families and neighbors, loved the favorable Fearless King Fred. Their lives in Cornucopia, however, were peppered with the legend of a horrid beast living amidst the marsh. Some say myth. Some say truth. Either way, the Ickabog casted a shadow over the kingdom. The joys of Cornucopia were not shaken after a shepherd reports his dog being devoured by the Ickabog. But when King Fred and his army vow to hunt the Ickabog and bring vengeance, a horrible accident turns the myth of the Ickabog into a shocking reality.  Secrets, lies, and deception are mixed together and become a new recipe for the characters to create a delicious plot twist, revealing the true antagonist. Is King Fred truly fearless? How will two friends Daisy and Bert, once separated, find each other and help solve the mystery of the Ickabog? With each chapter leading to a new cliff hanger, J.K. Rowling has written a page turner so that you may find yourself reading the entire book in one sitting! I enjoyed reading about the unbreakable spirits and friendships of the people of Cornucopia. Rowling brings the flare of "Redwall" into "The Ickabog" making this a book that stands apart from "Harry Potter" all on its own.

Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass tells the story of 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien. She was once the most famous assassin in all of Adarlan. She was also a slave in the salt mines of Endovier. Now, dragged from the mines after a year of suffering by Dorian Havilliard- the crown prince of Adarlan himself, she must fight her way past some of the top thieves, warriors, murderers, and assassins, in a perilous competition to become the king's champion- and after three years of service comes the real prize- the promise of her freedom. When contestants start turning up dead, Celaena decides to hunt down the mysterious and ruthless killer, and ensure she won't be their next victim... but unbeknownst to Celana, sinister forces are at play deep within the castle- more horrifying than imaginable- and they're after her. To gain a fighting chance, she must unearth the warrior Endovier buried deep inside. Personally, I'd recommend it to middle schoolers and older. I would also recommend having the next book in the series (Crown of Midnight) on hand- you won't be able to wait to see what happens next! The plot was engaging and complex- the book was very well written! Fans of Veronica Roth's Red Queen and Keira Kass' The Selection will delight in this book! Enjoy!

The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is about a young boy named Charlie Fisher. While casually sitting on a public bench, he experiences an elaborate pick pocketing routine in action right before his eyes. A young pick pocket named Amir soon joins him on the bench and Charlie experiences his fancy fountain pen being stolen from him without him even noticing. Amir catches the attention of some police officers and instead of turning him in, Charlie defends him. In return of him saving Amir from the police, an intrigued Charlie asks Amir to teach him the ways of pick pocketing. Somewhat reluctant at first, Amir agrees. When learning the tricks of pick pocketing, Charlie meets and joins a group of pick pockets named the Whiz Mob. All of the members of the Whiz Mob were trained at the ominous and mysterious School of the Seven Bells. What seemed to be learning a few tricks at first, Charlie now finds himself tangled in the web of the network of pick pocketing. The dangerous consequences of the reality of pick pocketing seeps into Charlie’s once peaceful life. Will Charlie be able to come out of this perilous adventure? I really loved this book. I loved the sense of adventure! I also immensely enjoyed the cool facts and things about pick pocketing that the author incorporated into the story. Definitely recommend!

The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is about a young boy named Charlie Fisher. While casually sitting on a public bench, he experiences an elaborate pick pocketing routine in action right before his eyes. A young pick pocket named Amir soon joins him on the bench and Charlie experiences his fancy fountain pen being stolen from him without him even noticing. Amir catches the attention of some police officers and instead of turning him in, Charlie defends him. In return of him saving Amir from the police, an intrigued Charlie asks Amir to teach him the ways of pick pocketing. Somewhat reluctant at first, Amir agrees. When learning the tricks of pick pocketing, Charlie meets and joins a group of pick pockets named the Whiz Mob. All of the members of the Whiz Mob were trained at the ominous and mysterious School of the Seven Bells. What seemed to be learning a few tricks at first, Charlie now finds himself tangled in the web of the network of pick pocketing. The dangerous consequences of the reality of pick pocketing seeps into Charlie’s once peaceful life. Will Charlie be able to come out of this perilous adventure? I really loved this book. I loved the sense of adventure! I also immensely enjoyed the cool facts and things about pick pocketing that the author incorporated into the story. Definitely recommend!

The Apothecary IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK. It follows the story of a girl named Janie who has just moved to London and an apothecary’s son, Benjamin. After the two meet they become close friends. When the apothecary, Benjamin’s father, goes missing, Janie and Benjamin take it upon themselves to rescue him. Left with the apothecary’s mysterious book, they find that there are recipes for magical spells that they never have even dreamed of on its worn pages. Now armed with the confidence of the book and the secrets of magic, they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey. But will even magic be enough? And will they be able to rescue Benjamin’s dad before it’s too late? I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Please, please, please read it! :)

The Apothecary IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK. It follows the story of a girl named Janie who has just moved to London and an apothecary’s son, Benjamin. After the two meet they become close friends. When the apothecary, Benjamin’s father, goes missing, Janie and Benjamin take it upon themselves to rescue him. Left with the apothecary’s mysterious book, they find that there are recipes for magical spells that they never have even dreamed of on its worn pages. Now armed with the confidence of the book and the secrets of magic, they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey. But will even magic be enough? And will they be able to rescue Benjamin’s dad before it’s too late? I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Please, please, please read it! :)

Hungry Hearts is a tale of food and love. The story follows 13 different stories that all take place in Hungry Hearts Row and intertwine together. From a boy named Leo who is seeking the perfect recipe to win a cooking competition that has the power to change his life, to a shy girl named Lila who tries to express her feelings through her baking, the book Hungry Hearts has heartfelt and magical moments, and above all emphasizes the power that food can hold. I read this book for school and I loved it! I definitely recommend it! However - WARNING!! - the description of some of the food is so good you might find yourself getting hungry...