February 2025 Book Reviews
Discover which books I recommend for
kids, teens, and adults, based on my reading this month.
My reading this month was focused on books for kids and teens. I didn’t read any adult books to include in my reviews, though “Ruthless Vows” was a YA book that I had on my own personal list.
Many books I read each month are necessary for teaching my online book clubs, so you will find some great suggestions for kids, tweens, and teens!
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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Graphic Novels for February 2025
It was a fun month of graphic novel reading in my weekly Outschool graphic novel book clubs. We hit a variety of books!
Warriors Graphic Novel:
The Prophecies Begin #1
by Erin Hunter; Illustrated by Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This graphic adaptation of “The Prophecy Begins” introduces readers to the four Clans of wild cats who have shared the forest for decades. Now, there is turmoil among the clans, and the cats must figure out who is trustworthy and who isn’t.
While this isn’t my typical type of book, I enjoyed this graphic adaptation to introduce me to a series I have never read. The graphics are well done, and the book effectively covers the longer story’s general plot.
The chapter book series fans will notice how much more the novel covers, while new readers might be intrigued enough to dive into the chapter books.
Witches of Brooklyn
Sophie Escabasse
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Effie’s parents have died, and she shows up on her aunts’ doorstep in the middle of the night. As she gets to know her aunts, Effie realizes they are REALLY strange. In fact, they are secretly magic and are often called upon by community members to heal various ailments. When Effie’s favorite pop-star shows up at their door for help with her problems, Effie’s life gets quite interesting.
I thought this was a fun graphic novel with interesting characters. Effie’s aunts have personalities that are as different as night and day. It was fun to see their reactions and comments throughout the book. I enjoyed both of them.
The story includes some great lessons about friendship and the importance of not focusing solely on your outside appearance. It’s easy to see why this series is popular with tween readers.
Children’s Books for February 2025
It was a great month of reading and discussing children’s books!
The War That Saved My Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Ada is ten years old but has never left her tiny apartment because her mother is ashamed of her twisted foot. She spends her life indoors while her little brother roams the town freely. When the opportunity comes for Ada and her brother to sneak away and escape the bombing with the other children, they take it.
Now Ada and her brother are placed with a single woman, Susan, who didn’t want to take in any evacuees but was forced to take them. Susan opens her home, and slowly opens her heart, to Ada and her brother. Under Susan’s care, Ada learns to read, ride a pony, and write. Their new life begins to develop but Ada lives under the fear of being taken back to her mother. Will the new trio last or will Ada’s mom return for them?
This book has been on my list for a long time so it was nice to accomplish that goal! And I wasn’t disappointed. My two sons assured me that this was a great story and they were correct. I was hooked as soon as we met Ada in the first few chapters. Right away, I was rooting for such a mistreated character.
The character development in this book was well done. Not only did the kids change, but the adult taking care of them had her own journey of discovery. I appreciated how they were all helping each other grow and open up to something new.
This is a unique WW2 historical fiction book. I loved it and highly recommend it. I loved the ending – a nice surprise and I love a happy twist. I won’t say much more about it.
WARNING: This book includes a very abusive mother. She is physically and emotionally abusive to her children, especially Ada. This is an important part of the story but might be difficult for sensitive readers. If your child is sensitive but wants to read this book, give them a heads up and assure them it turns out with for Ada and her brother in the end.
The Sherlock Society
James Ponti
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Destiny might have been the driver when Alex and Zoe Sherlock began a detective agency as their summer job, but they didn’t do it alone. They recruited their two close friends, Lina and Yadi, and their grandfather to crack cases with them. It doesn’t hurt that their grandfather is a retired reporter with a box of cold cases they can sift through, including one about Al Capone’s buried million dollars. It’s a no-brainer that they’ll start searching for the money, but the clues lead them down paths they never expected.
I loved the twists and turns we enjoy with The Sherlock Society in this book. When everything is heading in one direction, things take off in another, and I love it. The author did a great job weaving in facts about Miami, the Everglades, Al Capone, various animals, and more. Any of those topics would make for an excellent rabbit trail for a homeschooling family using this to build a unit study.
The characters were enjoyable, though my favorite was the onery grandfather. He is the adult who isn’t adulting quite so responsibly in the book, so he is the reason the kids have this adventure.
I suspect The Sherlock Society isn’t done solving crimes, so I hope to see a sequel or two for this fun group of friends and Grandad!
Al Capone Does my Shirts
Gennifer Choldenko
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
In this middle-grade historical fiction novel, Twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan moves with his family to Alcatraz Island in 1935 because his father accepts a prison guard and electrician job. Moose has to adjust to life on the famous Island where notorious gangsters like Al Capone are imprisoned. He is also given a lot of responsibility to care for his sister Natalie, who has what we would now recognize as autism. Between the schemes of the prison warden’s daughter and his struggle to understand his sister, Moose is having a hard time but he meets real friends on the Island and begins to understand himself and his family’s situation better.
I really enjoyed this book, though it was hard to read some of the outdated treatment of Moose’s autistic sister. That is part of reading a historical fiction book, though. We begin to see ways society has changed over time. I thought this was a creative setting (Alcatraz Island) for a coming-of-age story, and I can see how this book could easily be used for a unit study that includes the history of Alcatraz, the 1930’s, and medical information about autism.
I loved the ending. I thought it was a simple way to include Al Capone without focusing on the criminals on the island. A lot of people in the reviews are disappointed that there isn’t a lot about Al Capone in the story (as the title seems to indicate), but I thought he was included in a fun and creative way.
I am hesitant to read this in my online book clubs because parents would potentially have to explain the word “r@pist” to their child. In addition, the book implies that one of the convicts may have m0lested Moose’s sister or at least had the opportunity. (without using direct language about it) There is also talk about how girls have to cover up so the convicts don’t look at them and “think things.” I thought the general content was age-appropriate, but it was better for parents to make their own decisions rather than me to include in a book club list.
Much Ado About Baseball
Rajani LaRocca
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Twelve-year-old Trish just moved to town and is nervous about fitting in. Having a girl who is a star on both the baseball and math teams isn’t common, so Trish worries about making friends. Ben, the other math champ on her baseball team, isn’t thrilled about having Trish show him up in yet another activity, adding to Trish’s concern. To make matters worse, the team is losing every game! Until Trish and Ben meet a mysterious older boy, Rob, who tells them about an unusual diner that seems to bring all sorts of luck to the team.
This was a solid middle school read for me. The chapters alternate between Trish’s and Ben’s points of view, which seems pretty popular in middle school literature. It works well to reveal misunderstandings between them.
There are hints of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” throughout the story and possibly a bit of “Much Ado About Nothing,” though I thought the references to AMSND were more noticeable. This would be a fun book to include in a Shakespeare study.
Math puzzles are included throughout the book, so your math/riddle/puzzling-solving kids will enjoy the chance to try to solve them first.
Overall it was a solid 3.5 star read. The “working mom who has no time for her child” is a bit overdone for me in kid’s literature. Some of the magical realism in the book felt out of place and a bit forced, but overall it was fun to read. I am sure the intended audience would find various ways to connect to the main characters.
The Last Mapmaker
Christina Soontornvat
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Twelve-year-old Sai is an assistant to Mangkon’s most famous mapmaker, Master Paiyoon. Of course, to retain this job, Sai had to play the part of a high-class young lady and hide her upbringing in the poor section of town known as the Fens. In order to make a better life for herself in a society focused on upbringing and ancestry, Sai has played the part well and now Master Paiyoon has invited her on a journey to chart the Southern Seas. This is her chance to escape the life she is trapped in, but it turns out that she isn’t the only one with secrets and nothing goes quite as she planned.
This is a character-driven fantasy adventure story with a bit of a slow build for some readers. The author spends a lot of time introducing her characters and describing life in their society before the action really begins to pick up. I enjoyed the world and character building, but it might feel slow if readers prefer a plot-driven, action fantasy.
Sai is a complicated character who makes both good and poor choices in the book. Of course, she isn’t the only one hiding things or making surprising choices. The various characters provided interesting discussion topics for kids in my online book clubs.
The book includes some fun humor through the character, Bo, and everyone enjoyed his antics and funny insults throughout the book.
One of the main themes is not allowing your past to dictate your future, so that was another great point of discussion. Many of the characters act in a way that, at the end, shows their resistance to society’s set of rules regarding ancestry.
YA Books I Read in February 2025
The YA books I choose this month were more for me than any teen. I was interested in the stories!
Adult Books I Read in February 2025
NONE! I didn’t make time for my own books though Ruthless Vows was on my personal list (YA).
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She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
- March 2025 Book Reviews - April 4, 2025
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