children’s fiction – Heart Full of Books

The Mystery of the Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodbine
Genre: Mystery, Middle Grade
Publisher: Egmont Books
Pages: 352
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This summer, I read the first book in the Sinclair Mystery series. It was my first new Middle Grade book in a decade, and I was really excited to find something that was a genre I love, in a historical setting (also LOVE), just with younger protagonists. The third book in the series, The Mystery of the Painted Dragon is no different from the first in the lovely vibes it gave me, and the pure rush of enjoyment I get from reading a mystery, and solving it along with the protagonists.

Katherine Woodfine knows how to put together a great mystery, one with interesting characters, a devious hidden plot and historical markers that always put a smile on my face. Continue reading “Mini Review: The Mystery of the Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine” →

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Genre: Fairytale Retelling
Published by: Collins
Pages: 230
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Cinderella is my favourite fairy tale. Ella Enchanted is one of my favourite movies. Fairytale Retellings is my favourite genre of book. Therefore, the only conclusion I could come to was: I must read Ella Enchanted, the novel and It. Was. Beautiful.

Published in 1997 (the year of my birth!!) Ella Enchanted was difficult to track down. Unlike GCL’s other books, there wasn’t a Kindle edition. Any new version of the book was kind of expensive. So, I did the next best thing: used and new, and let me tell you, that is a hidden source of excellence.

Continue reading “Review: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine” →