Graphic Novel / Middle Grade + / Supernatural / Coming of Age / Grief
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Page Count: 292 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Be careful what you wish for! This graphic novel about a lonely Filipino American teen and her ghoulish companion puts a spooky twist on the imaginary friend.
When they were little, Lyn and Meg promised to be friends forever…but now Meg is dead, and Lyn is 15 and miserable. Moving into a new condo with her family doesn’t help, especially given the gossipy neighbors. But just when Lyn needs a friend the most, a monstrous cartoon ghoul climbs out of the pages of a comic book and into her life! The bizarre duo will soon discover just how many secrets lie within the walls of Forest Court Apartments.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: It had been a while since I read a graphic novel, and I must say that jumping back in with Kasey Iris’s Ghoul was a delight. Iris is both author and illustrator and excels on both fronts.
The color scheme in GHOUL (mauve/rose) was a great choice for conveying the often-melancholy storyline of a teenager Lyn’s grief in losing her best friend to suicide. Her parents recognize a change is needed and move the family overseas, to the US, in hopes that Lyn can get a fresh start.
In their new apartment building, Lyn not only finds a new friend (Imaginary? Real?) and a bit of intrigue in the rumors surrounding a neighbor who may—or may not—have killed his wife and son. (Interesting side note from this reader who’s considerably older than the target audience: apparently, we don’t say “killed” or “dead;” we say “unalived” or “unalive.”)
Being out of practice with graphic novels, I had a little difficulty following the flow of the text bubbles, especially with the Tagalog translations sprinkled throughout. But kudos to the author for corralling all those terms in a glossary of terms at the end. Fortunately, the expressive and evocative illustrations assure that readers are never lost or confused. And the spooky, spiritual, mysterious plot is sure to keep them fully engaged and turning pages.
There are surprises and plot twists that both charm and satisfy, and the bonus materials at the end are a real plus. Included at the end are a fab playlist, a mini-graphic novel that the author created nearly ten years ago, and some character sketches the artist created for GHOUL.
GHOUL is a truly entertaining and thoughtful book that belongs in school libraries and counselors’ offices. It leaves readers hopeful and happy. I look forward to what’s next from this talented author/illustrator.
Thank you to the publisher, Top Shelf Productions, for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review--the only kind I give.
Interactive Story / Middle Grade Fantasy / Adaption / Horror
Publisher: CHOOSECO
Publication Date: September 16, 2025
Pages: 208 pages
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Something sinister is unfolding at the bottom of the world in this interactive book where YOU decide what happens next! Packed with twenty possible endings!
Choose Your Own Adventure books–the 4th bestselling children’s series of all time–are back and as much fun as you remember. Kids and adults agree, these are the books that get nine to twelve-year-olds reading.
YOU are the child of two brilliant scientists and you've just spent your summer as a counselor at Camp Starkweather in Antarctica. Your time at the bottom of the world is coming to an end when you receive an emergency distress call from another camp nearby, where your parents have spent the summer doing top-secret research. Will you answer the call and go out into the frozen wasteland to face unknown dangers? Or will you stay at Camp Starkweather and hope that the ancient unknowable horrors won't come and find you next?
Kids who love monsters and mystery will devour this thrilling adventure story of survival on the ice. With every choice, you’ll take charge of your fellow campers and bring everyone home safe and sound … or else doom them all to a terrible fate!
I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the synopsis above.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: In AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS (Choose Your Own Adventure New Classics), author Jacopo della Quercia provides a terrific diversion from the regular reading rotation! This adaptation of one of my favorite H.P. Lovecraft stories kept me turning pages, making bad choices that abruptly ended the story, and then trying again. I wanted more!
"Something sinister is unfolding at the bottom of the world. Will you heed the call?"
I am not sure I ever was a reader of the choose-your-own-adventure books, so I went into AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESSwith no expectations of how it would work. The first path I took cut the story dramatically and tragically short. As did the second. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I ended up reading every page to to find the most satisfying and complete conclusion (or did I? *flip, flip, flip*).
"From this moment on, you'll know the world is little more than a tiny island in an infinitely expanding sea of cosmic horror."
The map at the beginning and the accompanying comic-style illustrations are engaging and enhance the story, but della Quercia's well-written and imaginative descriptions stand alone, and readers will feel the coldness of not only Antarctica but the secrets it holds. And the Further Adventures section at the end of the book invites readers to expand their vocabulary and even try fan fiction.
There's a good dose of humor and sarcasm to counter the darkness of the story -- and that helps since there are logically some sad, grim, and gory endings. I'd expect nothing differently! The intended audience is ages nine to twelve; however, with the main character being in the midst of his gap year, and the horrors within the pages of AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, I'd recommend the book for mature middle grade readers and older.
Lovecraft's original story has inspired and fascinated many to reimagine that world, and two of my favorites have been the movie THE THING and Texas author Joe Lansdale's short story collection, IN THE MAD MOUNTAINS. I'm adding Jacopo della Quercia's version to my list.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacopa della Quercio is an award-winning educator, essayist, and novelist. His work has been featured on BBC America,Business Insider, CNN Money, Folger Magazine, The Huffington Post, Reader's Digest, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Slate, and Princeton University's Electronic Bulletin of the Dante Society of America, among others. As a writer, Jacopo strives to present otherwise obscure scholarly subjects in a manner more easily accessible and enjoyable for all audiences: a practice he honed in the classroom. His novels are The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy and its sequel, License to Quill, with many more to follow!
Wings of Fire meets Pax in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship. When monsters emerge to attack the empire, it's up to shy Kiesandra and her beloved winged horse N'Rah to prove to the imperial army that she has what it takes to lead them to victory . . . and to ensure the survival of their world.
Buzzing with action, heart, and friendship, this first book in the Skyriders series shows that kids can achieve the impossible--especially with flying horses on their side.
PRAISE FOR SKYRIDERS:
"Skyriders soars off the page and takes you along for an epic adventure that will leave you breathless and asking for more.”
—James Ponti,New York Times bestselling author of the City Spies series
"A breathtaking, mythical adventure. This is the kind of book I would have devoured and read over and over again as a kid."
—Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump and the Time Castaways trilogy
"Kiesandra Torsun is an unforgettable heroine who never gives up, even when facing staggering odds against vicious three-headed monsters attacking her homeland. Her loyalty, courage, and kindness won me over and her bond with her winged horse left me dazzled."
—Mary E. Pearson,New York Times bestselling author of The Remnant Chronicles
I’m excited
to have this opportunity to chat with N’Rah, one of the heroes of Polly
Holyoke’s new fantasy novel Skyriders. I should mention in passing that
N’Rah happens to be a flying horse, or skysteed, as his breed is known in the
Empire of Prekalt. I also happened to know that this particular skysteed has a
real fondness for honey and apples.
So,
N’Rah, can you tell us a little bit about you and your human’s exciting work as
sky couriers?
My human and
I are very proud of the work we do flying the mail across the vast lands of
Prekalt. Because I am mountain born and bred, I am happy to fly courier routes
through the high peaks. I grew up dealing with the kind of strong winds and
thunderstorms that can frighten other couriers, but not my skyrider. Kie trusts
my judgement and my flying abilities when it comes to extreme weather.
Please
tell us about the human you are bound to, Kiesandra Torsun.
My human is
very brave, kind, and stubborn. I think she spends too much time by herself,
caring for her family’s apple orchard. Her father died a year ago, and her
mother left her when Kie was only six. Her Uncle Dugs lives with us, but he is
so frail now, she looks after him more than he looks after her. The other
students were awful to her at school because she was so shy and had problems
learning to read. It is hard for her to trust others, but I am proud that she
is gradually gaining good friends and a herd of her own.
I hear
her Uncle Dugs was always pestering you two to practice skyfighting.
That is
true, and now it appears to be a very good thing that he did! We would spend
hours learning how to shoot targets that represented the three hearts of the
chimerae, a terrible three-headed monster that once almost destroyed all of
Prekalt. We also learned how to use triwires, a weapon made up of three razor-sharp
wires that are four feet long, weighted with metal balls at the ends and joined
at the center with a small wooden handle. Skyriders throw triwires at a chimerae hoping
to damage its wings or bind its wings to its legs.
How do
you feel about the chimerae?
At first, I
hated them, and I was shocked when they reappeared. Now I understand they were
created from a terrible, dark binding magic that forced three separate creatures--
sand dragons, blood goats and lions-- into the same body. Mostly I feel sorry
for the Foul Ones, but I will not let them harm my skyrider, or our world.
How did
you come to have such an important role in saving Pedarth, the capital city of
Prekalt?
Kie’s uncle
and his skysteed were terribly hurt fighting chimerae after the monsters
returned. He made Kie promise that we would take his great grandfather’s manual
on ancient skyfighting tactics to the capital and persuade people in power there
to read it. That was such a difficult mission for a shy thirteen-year-old
girl from the fringes of the Empire. But with my help and the help of new
friends she made in Pedarth, I am proud to say my human was successful.
What do
you think is next for you and your brave skyrider?
We
desperately need more help in fighting the chimerae, so I think someday we may
have to ask the wild skysteeds to join us in this struggle. Someday, too,
someone will have to discover who is creating chimerae in this time and causing
so much pain and suffering. That human needs to be stopped!
Thank you
for taking the time to talk with me today.
My pleasure.
Now, about those apples and honey cookies you mentioned?
Polly Holyoke is the award-winning author of the middle grade sci-fi Neptune Trilogy (Disney/Hyperion) and the new children’s fantasy series, Skyriders (Viking Children’s Books). A former classroom teacher, Polly loves doing school visits and getting students excited about writing.
Polly grew up in Colorado, where she spent her childhood skiing, camping, reading, and dreaming up fantastical stories. Polly went on to graduate from Middlebury College and become a middle school social studies teacher. She lives with her husband and their two daughters, as well as two cats, two Chihuahuas, and a beagle.
Children's Historical Fiction / Family / Mystery / Humor / Sci-Fi Inspired / 8-12 years
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication: April 18, 2023
Number of Pages: 224 pages
Scroll down for Giveaway!
From the author of Blue Skies comes a lively middle grade novel set in 1960s Texas about a young, alien-loving girl trying to clear her grandmother’s good name in this mystery that has humor, hijinks, and heart in equal measure.
It’s 1964, the Space Race is well underway, and eleven-year-old Magnolia Jean Crook and the other residents of Totter, Texas, are over the moon about UFOs.
The whole town is gearing up for the First Annual Come on Down Day—in just one week, they are hoping to host any and all space aliens who would like to visit Earth. But right before the kick-off party, a meteorite goes missing—and MJ’s beloved grandmother Mimi, who is the vice president of the Totter Unidentified Flying Object Organization, is the prime suspect.
MJ is desperate to show the town that this Crook is not a thief. The only problem is that there is a lot of evidence against her, and Mimi herself isn’t helping things. She’s acting suspiciously, pulling disappearing acts, and worst of all, can’t seem to answer any questions about where she was or what she was doing.
But much like UFOs, extraterrestrial visitations, and sending people to space, the impossible has been known to happen.
Anne Bustard is the former co-owner of Toad Hall Children’s Bookstore in Austin, Texas, and an MFA graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
She is the author of the middle-grade novels, Blue Skies and Anywhere But Paradise, as well as two picture books, RAD! and Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly, which was an Ira Children’s Book award Notable and a Bank Street Book of the Year.
Hawaii-born, she divided her time between Texas and Canada.
“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”
Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.
Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.
Listen to author Kellye Abernathy read from her book, The Aquamarine Surfboard!
Kellye Abernathy's passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!
Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell.
She’s won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans
to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and
outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion.
But those stories
were from before. Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas. But
she’s not alone. Two tiny kestrel chicks are nestled in the fluff of fur
between her ears—kee-killy-keeing for their missing parents—and a dust storm
the size of a mountain is taking Zada on one more grand adventure. And it could
lead to this achy old camel’s most brilliant story yet.
What a fabulous escape it is to spend time lost in these pages with Zada and her stories. Appelt weaves a wonderful set of tales within tales that will not only educate but will also captivate readers. She voices Zada as a contemporary-sounding character, which will appeal to the intended audience and elicit chuckles from readers of all ages. Lyrical, magical, and whimsical, ONCE UPON A CAMEL is not to be missed.
Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National
Book Award finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National
Book Award Finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Maybe a Fox (with
Alison McGhee), Keeper, and many picture books including Counting
Crows and Mogie, the Heart of the House. She lives in College Station, Texas,
with her husband and five gifted and talented cats.
Content Rating:PG:
The language is G. There is one scene with the main character punches a
bully resulting in a bloody nose. The emotional treatment of grief and
the death of a loved one can be somewhat intense.
Book Description:
This novella was written by USA Today bestselling author Jeff Gunhus after he received a devastating diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. The story is a message to his five children on how to deal with grief and a plea for them to grasp onto joy and love even in the darkest of times.
Caroline loses her spark. It takes a great adventure for her to find it again.
Caroline loses her father in a car accident for which she feels responsible. Consumed by grief, she has a difficult time readjusting to a world that has changed so dramatically for her. On the anniversary of her father’s death, a strange window opens in the middle of the small lake behind her house. She climbs up an old oak to peer inside but falls out of the tree and discovers that the window also serves as a door into a different world.
Enter Mordecai the Gand, a mysterious traveler who befriends Caroline and promises to help her find a way back home since the window she fell through has disappeared. The two set out on a series of adventures that include visiting a tree village populated by a tribe known for eating travelers, running into a witch under a spell of her own making, hiding in a cave with a dragon encased in a wall of ice (prone to melting by campfire), all the while being pursued by a mysterious entity called the Creach, which promises to devour Caroline and trap her in an eternity of despair.
As they navigate these adventures and this new world, Caroline slowly discovers that she is meant to help each of the characters she meets. As she battles internally whether to stay or return home to the sadness and grief waiting for her there, she must regain perspective and open her heart to the act of caring and to the joy of love itself. In the end, she must demonstrate great courage, loyalty, and caring as the plot unfolds, and become the active hero of her own story.
"Readers
of all ages who look for ethereal, haunting stories of recovery and
courage will find Caroline & Mordecai the Gand may hold the
trappings of a fantasy adventure; but inside there is so much more. Make
the right decision, to read this!" - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
"Caroline’s
story is profoundly sad, and yet hopeful, magical, and yet rooted in
reality. There is magic, mystery, and daring adventure."- BooksCoffee
HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book
Review. I was intrigued by the cover and premise of Caroline and
Mordecai the Gand, and I was drawn to the book because of the author’s
motivation to write it. I expected I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to be
absolutely delighted by it. This fully engaging story is entertaining, yes, but
it’s thought provoking at a deep level, and by story’s end, I sat with tears that
threatened, then spilled, from my eyes. Wow.
To begin the delights, readers
are treated to audio book narrator Sarah L. Colton’s delightful accent. She is
cast perfectly for such an otherworldly adventure, voicing the characters so
that each is unique. She reflects the mood of the scenes and emotions of the
characters to seamlessly complement the text so that narration and story go
hand-in-hand. Her pacing is exactly right for listening at regular speed. Top
notch performance and quality.
“If we remain open to life,
hold it dear, and celebrate it, then it will forever be an adventure without
limit in a new land.”
No narrator can nail a story
like Colton if the story is lacking. Caroline and Mordecai the Gand isn’t
lacking in any way. It’s amazing that an audio book that comes in at less than
four and a half hours in length can pack such a punch, but this one does. The
author bookends the story with opening and ending notes to explain the heartbreaking
reason for writing the book. Don’t we all want our children (and everyone else)
to remember us at our best when we are gone? What a blessing that author Jeff
Gunhus decided to share his message of hope and coping to the world
instead of just his kids.
“Oh, that was long ago. They
rarely eat travelers now.”
The framework of Caroline
and Mordecai the Gand is very interesting as it’s a story within a story
within a story (within the story). Complex? Yes, but it’s delivered in bite-sized
chunks so that readers can easily consume what’s happening. And oh! What’s
happening! From the realities of bullying, guilt, and grief to the fantastical
elements of magic, witches, and dragons (and cannibals, who can be reality or
fantasy, right?), this book has something for everyone to enjoy. A suspenseful,
tension-filled adventure on the surface, the allegorical side, coursing beneath, will have readers finding ah-ha moments as they see the parallels between all
the seemingly different characters dealing with grief and how destructive and
consuming it can be.
A quick mention about the
characters – Gunhus’s descriptions are wonderfully evocative so that readers
have clear snapshots of each person or creature (or CREACHure), even as they go through changes. This is a real nod to Gunhus's writing skills given
the short length of the book. (Side note: as a LOTR fan, I couldn’t separate
Mordecai the Gand from Gandolf the Grey. Not sure I am supposed to.)
With its captivating stories
and subplots and painfully beautiful ending (here come the tears again), I highly
recommend Caroline and Mordecai the Gand to readers of all ages. I think
it would be an excellent story as a read-aloud or read-along because it will
foster important conversations. Well done, Jeff Gunhus.
Thank you to iRead Book
Tours and the author for the audio download in exchange for my honest opinion –
the only kind I give.
==*==*==*==*==
Meet the Author:
Jeff Gunhus is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade fantasy series, The Jack Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year-old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 30 on Amazon, have been recognized as Foreword Reviews
Book of the Year Finalists, and reached the USA TODAY bestseller list.
Jeff wrote Caroline & Mordecai the Gand after receiving a devastating diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. The novella was meant as a private story for his five children on how to face grief by holding onto joy and love. He leads an active life in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of Old Fox Books in Annapolis working on his next novel or on JeffGunhus.com.
From the author of Blue Skies comes a lively middle grade novel set in 1960s Texas about a young, alien-loving girl trying to clear her grandmother’s good name in this mystery that has humor, hijinks, and heart in equal measure.
