Monday, October 16, 2017

BLACK MOON RISING (The Library Series: #2) By D.J. MacHale / Blog Tour: Book Review #BlackMoonRising


By: D.J. MacHale
Published by: Random House
Released on: October 3, 2017
Series: The Library Series #2
Ages: 8 & up
Purchase from: The PublisherAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Owlets
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

The next fast-paced, thrilling adventure from bestselling author D. J. MacHale! Check out a book and fall under its spell . . . literally.
 
Marcus is an agent of the Library—a place filled with tales that don’t have an ending. Mysteries that won’t be solved until Marcus and his friends Theo and Lu step in to finish them. Before it’s too late.
 
Because mysterious accidents are disturbing a middle school in Massachusetts. Windows shatter for no reason. Bleachers collapse at a pep rally. Most of the students think they’re just having a string of bad luck, but Marcus suspects something a lot more dangerous. Something like witchcraft. When the black moon rises, this story must come to an end . . . one way or another.
A fun, thrilling, action packed adventure. Marcus, Theo and Lu are back! This time there's another story that needs to be finished, or else something worse than what happened in book 1, will be unleashed. 

Black Moon Rising thrusts middle grader readers right back into the heart of a thrilling, awesome storyline. Told from multiple points of views, including that of the story itself (my favorite), this book is full of humor, wit, charm, magic, danger, and of course friendship. Wait, did I mention there are witches, wolves and ravens too? This book was such a great read, we couldn't put it down! 

Marcus, Theo and Lu are what friendship in middle grade books is all about. Just like the first book, this fabulous trio of friends makes you wish you had your own group of awesome, diverse friends, who make fighting frightening things seem fun. These three have a solid friendship, and I absolutely love watching them work together to solve the mystery, and foil the evil plan. Being an agent of the Library is no easy thing for Marcus. It's a complicated job to give a book an ending that needs it, in order to stop horrible things from happening. His friends play a huge role in helping him out. 

MacHale knows how to engage his readers. His writing is fun, engaging, and down right entertaining.  Though it's part of The Library series, this book can definitely be read on it's own. I recommend picking up the first book so that some things mentioned that previously happened, make a little bit more sense.

Perfect to read around Halloween (and off course through out the entire year), this story has a wicked twist, and plenty of fun that will keep readers hooked till the very end! D.J. MacHale's The Library series makes reading fun! I only wish I had, had this book when I was younger. 

ABOUT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES



By: D.J. MacHale
Published by: Random House
Released on: September 6, 2016
SeriesThe Library Series #1
Ages: 8 & up
Purchase fromThe Publisher
Add it to Goodreads

Enter the Library, where no one knows how the stories end . . . and finding out will be terrifying.

There’s a place beyond this world, beyond the land of the living, where ghosts go to write their unfinished stories—stories that ended too soon. It’s a place for unexplained phenomena: mysteries that have never been solved, spirits that have never been laid to rest. And there’s only one way in or out.


It’s called the Library, and you can get there with a special key. But beware! Don’t start a story you can’t finish. Because in thislibrary, the stories you can’t finish just might finish you.

Marcus O’Mara is a 13 year old guy at a crossroads. He constantly finds himself in trouble at school, with his friends, and with his adoptive parents. Marcus doesn’t believe things can get any worse for him…until they get worse.

Much worse.

He begins seeing strange and impossible visions; gets thrown into paranormal danger and is haunted by a mysterious ghost with a singular goal: to give him a key.

It’s a key that opens the door to a mysterious library. When that door opens, the incredible adventure for Marcus and his friends begins as they learn the truth about Marcus’ past and uncover the strange world of unfinished stories that are found on the shelves of the Library.


NIGHT SHIFT by Debi Gliori / Book Review #NightShift



Written & Illustrated by: Debi Gliori
Published by: Razorbill
To Be Released on: September 5th, 2017
Ages: 6 & up
Purchase from: PenguinAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Source: e-arc from publisher in exchange for my honest review 

From beloved author and illustrator Debi Gliori (No Matter What) comes Night Shift, a groundbreaking lushly illustrated picture book based on Gliori's own personal history with depression.

Fighting dragons is one way of fighting depression. This book is another. 


Through stunning black and white illustration and deceptively simple text, author and illustrator Debi Gliori provides a fascinating and absorbing portrait of depression and hope in Night Shift, a moving picture book about a young girl haunted by dragons. The young girl battles the dragons using 'night skills': skills that give her both the ability to survive inside her own darkness and the knowledge that nothing--not even long, dark nights filled with monsters--will last forever. 


Drawn from Gliori's own experiences and struggles with depression, the book concludes with a moving author's note explaining how depression has affected her and how she continues to cope. Gliori hopes that by sharing her own experience she can help others who suffer from depression, and to find that subtle shift that will show the way out. 


A brave and powerful book, give Night Shift to dragon fighters young and old, and any reader who needs to know they're not alone.


A powerful picture book that not only gives a face to a silent killer that far too many of us deal with, both young and old, this book is also one of hope. Debi Gliori gives a face to something that sometimes kids and even adults, don't understand they're battling, and why they're feeling a certain way. This book is a brave reminder that they're not alone, and that they can conquer their 'dragon', depression and anxiety.  

With striking illustrations, and few words, Gliori's book is a powerful in it's message. She boldly illustrates the nameless feelings that plague so many kids and adults. I for one, absolutely loved the way this book was written and illustrated. I hope that this book will aid readers in helping them understand what depression and anxiety is, and that they aren't alone in their battles. My hope is that in picking this book up, it will help someone voice the unspoken feelings they have had kept locked up, feeling alone in their own battles, not able to voice what they've been feeling inside. 


I highly recommend this book for anyone who may be struggling to put a face and name to what they're feeling, but don't know how to. 


PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“It is healing to know the words—or have images—to describe hazy but crushing feelings. The words and images can also help others empathize. Whether we need understanding, or to understand, Debi Gliori has given us all a powerful, and beautiful, gift with Night Shift.”
—Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why and Piper, his first graphic novel, which he coauthored
"With exquisite brevity, Debi Gliori articulates the struggle of living with depression, in stunning black and white illustrations, punctuated by a single burst of the dragon of depression's fire. The spread where 'something shifted' and the depression lifts, is moving beyond words."  
—Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon series

ABOUT THE AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR

Debi Gliori lives in Scotland. Debi is well known for both her picture books and her novels for children and has been shortlisted for all the major prizes, including the Kate Greenaway Award (twice) and the Scottish Arts Council Award. Debi was the Shetland Islands' first Children's Writer-in-Residence. She has written and illustrated No Matter What, The Trouble With Dragons, Stormy Weather, The Scariest Thing of All, What's the Time, Mr Wolf?, Dragon Loves Penguin and, most recently, Alfie in the Bath and Alfie in the Garden as well as the popular Pure Dead fiction series for older readers.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~