Category: Reviews
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The Last Aloha
The Last Aloha, by Gaellen Quinn, is the story of Hawaii’s last queen, Queen Liliuokalani, and the power brokers that brought her kingdom to its knees so it could become part of the United States. This is a story most people don’t know. King Kalakaua, the last king and Liliuokalanai’s brother, could read and write,…
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American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt, by Stephanie Marie Thornton, is the story of President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter. I admit that I really didn’t know he had a daughter prior to finding this book. The novel does exactly what historical fiction should do. It takes the public record of a rebellious girl…
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Neverwhere Book Review
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, is a young adult magical realism novel. The main character, Richard Mayhew, struggles with his job and overbearing fiancee–who symbolizes parents/authority. He stops to help an injured girl, Door, and is plunged into a fantasy world underneath London. He follows Door on a quest to discover who killed her family. He…
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The Paper Magician
The Paper Magician, by Charlie N. Holmberg is a delightful historical fantasy set in England. Ceony is an apprentice to a magician that uses folded paper to cast spells. For all my students who love origami, this will delight them! Ceony, of course, didn’t want to have anything to do with paper. Her preference was…