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Book Reviews for October 2024

ByMary Wilson
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Discover which books I recommend for
kids, teens, and adults, based on my reading this month.

Life and our crazy homeschool routine caught up with me this month so I didn’t have much time for my own reading.

Most of my books this month were required for teaching my online book clubs so you will find some great suggestions for kids, tweens, and teens!

And, the few personal books I read included some FIVE STAR READS! It was about time!

I’ve included all of my reviews below, so keep scrolling and share what you read this month in the comments!

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October 2024 Book Reviews list with kids, teens, and adult books

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Children’s Books for October 2024

I teach online book clubs for kids, so I always have a list of children’s books that I read for either a current book club or to preview for a future book club.

You’ll find plenty of a graphic novels and chapter books.

Cold War Correspondent by Nathan Hale

Cold War Correspondent
by Nathan Hale
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I am always a fan of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, and this one did not disappoint. The story of the Korean War is told through the female war correspondent, Marguerite Higgins, who was there when the North Korean army crossed the border. Not only do you learn about the start of the war, but you also learn what it was like to be a female war correspondent during this period.

Of course, your favorite narrators from Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales return to this series to help guide us through the story. The hangman seemed slightly more subdued in this story, but he still had a few funny lines. This was another outstanding nonfiction graphic novel from Nathan Hale.

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Secrets of Camp Whatever graphic novel

Secrets of Camp Whatever, Vol 1
by Chris Grine
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Willow’s family just moved, and before she could settle into her new house, her parents decided to send her to summer camp at Camp Whatever. The camp is on an island with plenty of dark woods and fog so the campers are told not to stray too far. It doesn’t take long for Willow to hear strange tales about the camp, and then she begins to see strange things, including how the camp director acts. Now she wants to get to the bottom of these mysterious events.

This is a fun middle-grade novel. Willow is deaf and wears hearing aids, so there is representation of a disability. There is even some sign language included. I appreciated that aspect of the book.

Things aren’t always what they seem at camp, so some nice character twists exist. Of course, there are monsters and creepy adventures – just the right amount for the middle-grade crowd. Parents might be careful with younger or more sensitive readers. In the end, the monsters aren’t the real problem, so they aren’t “scary, horrible monsters” but more “misunderstood.”

This one is a fun read for middle-grade readers looking for suspense, mystery, and maybe a few monsters in their book.

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duel graphic novel

Duel
by Jessixa and Aaron Bagley
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Lucy and her older sister Gigi have always struggled to get along, but it has gotten a lot harder since their father died. The only thing they have in common is fencing; now, they will face each other in a duel in front of the entire middle school. One sister will triumph, and the other will have to leave the winner alone…for good—unless there is a way that both girls can come out winners!

While the fighting between the sisters was a bit over the top, I still enjoyed this story. The ending reveals that much more is at the root of the fighting. I was also glad that there was a happy ending for the girls and their mom.

Fencing isn’t a sport I have seen included in many children’s books, so that was also a unique novelty I enjoyed. The readers learn about different fencing moves at the start of each chapter.

Overall, I think this is a good read for tween readers. I selected this title for my middle school graphic novel book club and many of the students enjoyed it.

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Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Bob
by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Lily hasn’t been to her Grandmother’s in Australia for five years so she is nervous about this visit. She doesn’t remember much about her childhood visits, but she feels like there is something important she is supposed to remember.

It turns out that she is right.

She left Bob, a short creature dressed in a chicken suit, waiting for her in her closet, and he was excited that she had finally returned. He reminds Livy that five years ago, she promised Bob that she would help him find his way home, and now it is time for her to fulfill that promise.

I thought this magical story about friendship and family was delightful to read. It is told in alternating perspectives, with Bob and Livy taking turns telling the story. Each character has a strong voice because each author writes a different character’s perspective. Both add details to the story that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Bob is such a great character. He embodies the magic, curiosity, and silliness of childhood. Livy is a great character who has grown up quite a bit since her last visit to her Grandma’s. We join her as she revisits moments and memories from her younger years. I loved everything about this storytelling.

The clues throughout the story lead to a conclusion that is a little sad but also very satisfying if you pay attention to the pictures! (My students had to highlight the chess piece in the final picture for me).

I think this is a fun story despite its somewhat sad ending. It’s a great read for elementary school students and the majority of my 8-10 year old students enjoyed it.

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Sparks! graphic novel

Sparks!
by Ian Boothby
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

August and Charlie are two cats who have decided to join forces and become man’s best friend—Sparks, the superhero dog. No one suspects their favorite local superhero is two cats controlling a dog costume until Princess, an evil alien, realizes there is more than meets the eye with Sparks! Now, August and Charlie have to use their cunning ideas to outwit the determined alien who is trying to enslave mankind.

Honestly, the kids in my book club loved this book. It’s silly and lots of fun. The cats and the alien villain have a history that is revealed in the plot. The illustrations are colorful and full of action.

Overall, it is a great book for elementary school readers, but not my favorite graphic novel type (hence the 3 stars from me).

Her family was full of complex characters, each with quirks and personalities. I enjoyed them and their interactions with Merci.

I loved the bike connection in the title, the ending lines, and her mode of transportation in the book. That was fun and will lead to a good online book club discussion with my students.

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Things in the Basement graphic novel

Things in the Basement
by Ben Hatke
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

When Milo is sent to fetch a sock from the basement of their new home, he discovers a portal to a secret world full of surprises.

While this book isn’t completely wordless, there is very little dialogue. The plot relies mainly on the graphics, which are absolutely immersive and well done. The book looks scary on the cover, but it isn’t too scary. Some “scary” creatures turn out to be very friendly, and there is only one “villain.”

The book is appropriate for elementary school, though my middle school readers also enjoyed it. If you have a child who is particularly sensitive to some of the visual images, you might take a peek through the book before handing it over.

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The Ghost Rules

The Ghost Rules
by Adam Rosenbaum
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Elwood McGee has just moved to town and is trying to adjust to his family’s “new normal,” which means adapting to life without his older brother, who died recently. Elwood’s mom doesn’t want him to leave her sight, and his dad avoids the topic of his brother, leaving Elwood trying to navigate grief and loneliness on his own. Fortunately, he won’t be lonely for long because he is about to meet two friends on his street and many ghosts, including his grumpy grandfather.

This was a fun, creative story about one family’s journey to heal their grief.

The story begins with simple rules Elwood has learned about ghosts now that he can see them. I’ll be honest, while funny, the start of the story wasn’t an immediate hook for me. I needed a little time to adjust to the casual flow of the narration. Once I found my rhythm, I was excited to keep reading. Elwood is a likable narrator who is humorous and honest in his storytelling.

When Elwood learns he can communicate with ghosts, he becomes determined to visit his brother’s ghost. However, it’s not as simple as it seems to Elwood. His parents don’t plan to visit their old house or neighborhood, so he will have to find his own way.

But that isn’t Elwood’s only adventure in the story. His newly acquired ghost sight enables him to help a friend on her journey to save a historic theater in the town so investors don’t buy it. After all, Elwood enlists the help of the ghosts who haunt the theater!

Ultimately, this is a story of healing. It isn’t scary even though there are ghosts, but parents should know it is sad. Elwood’s older brother died before the book begins, but eventually, Elwood talks about that day. In the end, Elwood will face the guilt and grief he feels. There are plenty of lighthearted moments and adventures along the way, but the overall story might be challenging for sensitive readers. (details below)

SPOILERS*****HEADS UP FOR SENSITIVE READERS
At some point in the story, the way Elwood’s brother died is explained. He fell off a ledge at a waterfall while trying to pull his girlfriend back up after she slipped. Elwood was present at the picnic and hike. It might be hard for sensitive readers to read about this.

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The Continental Drifter graphic novel

Continental Drifter
by Kathy MacLeod
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Kathy’s father is American, and her mother is Thai. That means she spends her time in two very different worlds—the school year in Bangkok and the summer in Maine. It’s hard on Kathy because she doesn’t feel like she fits in in either place, no matter how much she wants to. It makes her wonder if she will ever find a place where she belongs.

I really enjoyed this story. While Kathy’s struggles are unique to her situation (she is caught between two cultures), they are also very relatable to middle schoolers. In addition to problems fitting in with her peers, Kathy has a lot of complications when it comes to connecting to her parents and sister. She is part of a very disconnected family.

The interesting thing about this book is that it doesn’t tie everything up with a nice, neat bow at the end. Kathy learns some things about herself and she has some good moments at summer camp in Maine, but in the end, she still isn’t sure where she fits in. She and the rest of her family still don’t communicate well with one another.

I appreciated a book that didn’t wrap everything up neatly because that isn’t always how life is and it is good for kids to see that sometimes too.

The illustrations are lovely in watercolor. I liked the design and the color palette.

This is a great graphic novel choice for middle-grade readers.

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Middle School Misadventures graphic novel

Middle School Misadventures
by Jason Platt
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Newell often gets into trouble at school, especially with Mr. Todd. Now Mr. Todd has threatened him with summer school unless he performs at the school talent show. The only problem is…he doesn’t have a talent. Or does he?

This was a fun story with creative graphics telling the story of Newell’s adventures at school as he hunts for a talent to perform at the talent show. There is plenty of humor and funny middle-school antics among Newell and his friends.

The story takes place over three days (Wednesday – Friday) so the plot feels like it drags a little bit at times.

It was hit or miss with my online book club students—some loved it, while others were less excited by this one. It’s a good option to try with your own tween to see how they feel about continuing the adventures with Newell in future books.

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YA Books for October 2024

These books are typically for ages 14 and up. Websites such as Common Sense Media can help you make the best decision about the content for your children. I also include a few warnings when needed.

Scythe

Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


Mankind has conquered hunger, disease, war, and even death. Now the only people who can end a life are the scythes — the ones tasked with the horrible job of population control. Unfortunately, not every scythe dreads their job. Some have started to enjoy it and things are beginning to shift in the Scythedom. It is at this point that Citra and Rowan are chosen to become scythe apprentices and master the art of taking life. Neither wants the job but they slowly begin to realize just how much they are needed.

I love this book. It is my kind of book — dystopic. This one is pretty violent but it works for the story. You have to accept it as part of the plot, but it can be pretty violent. It could be disturbing for sensitive or younger readers. There is plenty to talk about with your teen though!

I enjoyed the characters and the different ways they looked at the problems in the Scythedom and came up with solutions. The alternating POV from Citra to Rowan gave much deeper insight into the plot of the story, though we were kept in the dark about many events. Citra and Rowan each brought their unique view of the world to the storytelling as well. Rowan makes allowances for more morally “gray” situations while Citra seems to think things are more clearly defined. Of course, this is one of the challenges to consider in this book.

This is an engaging, award-winning dystopic story and an excellent start to the trilogy. (Yes, I did decide to continue reading so stay tuned for more reviews!)

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Adult Books I Read in October 2024

I finally read some five star adult books this month.

The Midnight Feast book

The Midnight Feast
by Lucy Foley
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


A beautiful new getaway, “The Manor,” has spared no expense to create the perfect luxury retreat amid a small local town. Now it is opening night, and the rooms are packed with guests, but secrets are bubbling beneath the surface of the opening events for the owners and several guests. On a final, magical evening at a midnight feast, a fire breaks out, secrets are spilled, and not everyone makes it out alive.

I loved the “everyone is trapped together” murder mystery vibe of this author’s books, but this title was a miss for me. Overall, I was engaged in the story, and it was a fun read. The POV rotates among a few primary characters, and the timeline alternates from the night of the disaster to earlier that week to MUCH earlier through journal entries.

My first real issue with the story was believing some of the connections revealed between the characters in the end. I don’t want to say much, but some of the stories and explanations weren’t believable. I also didn’t buy how they all ended up at this event. It seemed very loosey-goosey and lucky.

There is a somewhat supernatural part of this mystery about “birds” in the forest at night. They are not typical birds, and something odd is going on. This part of the story was very strange and didn’t fit the rest of the context (IMO). The ending seemed utterly unreal, and at that point, I was just done with this storyline. I thought it was odd.

Finally, I didn’t like most of the characters. One local man (Eddie) who works at the manor is likable. Everyone else makes horrible choices, isn’t who they say they are and acts erratically.

The story held my interest despite the things I didn’t believe, so it was still a 3-star. There were just a lot of pieces with the story that didn’t work.

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Look Closer book

Look Closer
by David Ellis
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Go into this one without knowing a lot. I didn’t even read the summary ahead of time. I found it on a list of thrillers to check out, and I am so glad I did. It’s the kind of thriller I love, full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming.

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The Frozen River

The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I listened to the audio version of this one, and I loved it! Historical fiction is not typically my favorite genre, but this one is so well done and also includes a bit of mystery as well.

I loved Martha Ballard, the main character and midwife. She was smart, quick-witted, thoughtful, and strong. She was also very human and relatable—not always making the right choice or saying the right thing. I was drawn to her intentionality in everything she did.

Excellent read. I loved the historical setting. Highly recommend.

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