The Magic Misfits – Neil Patrick Harris

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
First Published: November 21st, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Recommended Age: 8+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magicians, Friendship, Adventure

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When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.

After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded kids. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they’ll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso’s villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.

Cat vs Human: Another Dose of Catnip

Cat vs Human: Another Dose of Catnip by Yasmine Surovec

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: October 15th, 2013
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Graphic Novel, Humor, Cats, Modern Life

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In her second collection of Cat vs Human comics, Surovec dives further into the intricacies of cat ownership. Perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of awakening next to a lovely gift from your cat–such as a dead mouse or hairball–or maybe you understand the necessary pain tolerance that comes from being a scratching post for unclipped claws. Either way, this book is sure to leave you rolling with laughter . . . on your cat hair-infested floor. This collection includes 140 comics from the blog plus 21 new, never-before-seen comics created specifically for this book.

Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection

Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection by Nick Seluk

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: October 20th, 2015
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Graphic Novel, Humor, Modern Life, Life Lessons

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From paying taxes and getting up for work to dancing with kittens and starting a band, readers everywhere will relate to the ongoing struggle between Heart and Brain.

Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection illustrates the relationship between the sensible Brain and its emotionally driven counterpart, the Heart.

The Hazel Wood – Melissa Albert

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
First Published: January 30th, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dark, Mystery, Fairytales, Family

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Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.