Howl’s Moving Castle: Picture Book

adapted by Naoko Amemiya 3 stars A lengthy picture book that covers the entirety of the film, Howl’s Moving Castle. I don’t normally like picture books that use screengrabs of movies, but the artwork from this movie is so well done, I really didn’t mind. I think you could take any Miyazaki film and easily…

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Alone by Megan E. Freeman

2.5 stars I am usually a huge fan of novels-in-verse so I was really excited to read this one. Maddie lives a relatively normal life. But when a state-wide evacuation takes place during a secret sleepover, Maddie finds herself alone. Can she figure out how to survive? Is anyone coming back for her? The premise…

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I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (I Survived #5) by Lauren Tarshis

4 stars Fast-paced, action-packed historical fiction centering around the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The earthquake itself happens fairly quickly. There are some interesting facts surrounding earthquakes in the text, but much of the story deals with Leo’s life before the disaster and the resulting fires following the quake. It does contain some useful information…

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