Actual Young Readers Book Reviews for People who Actually Want to Read the Books

We’ve discussed the fact that I’ve been reading a lot of young readers novels recently, so I thought I would sit down and give you my actual feedback on what I actually thought about them, instead of just providing a bunch of nonsense about dragons and cats. These are some of the books that I’ve enjoyed the most so far.

I've provided links to thriftbooks.com because that's my favorite place to buy books. 

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex
Adam Rex is the same author who brought us The True Meaning of Smekday, which is definitely on the list of my top 5 favorite books of all time, so I pretty much knew I would love it going into it. Cold Cereal is the story of a young boy named Scott and his genius friends Erno and Emily who must work together to save the world from the Goodco Cereal Company and their attempts at world domination. 

Cold Cereal provides a nonsensical situation, filled with adventure and mystery and, of course, giants and leprechauns and rabbit men. One of my favorite things about Adam Rex's books is that he tends to tell the story not only through the actual text of the story, but also through "bonus features" like, in this case, the history of the Goodco Cereal Company, or official company documents. These extra touches enhance the story beyond the expectations of the reader. 

This book is weird, and it's silly, and is perfect for anyone looking for a weird and silly book about corrupt cereal companies.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

This book also had me hooked from the beginning. It's a lot like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory except a library instead of a chocolate factory and a slightly different take on the competition aspect of the story. For anyone who loves books and loves libraries, Mr. Lemoncello has created the library of your dreams. 

The library definitely takes a more modern approach to things. The kids in the library seemed more interested in video games than in books and there was a lot of "new library technology" instead of just a library that comes to life on its own. The technology aspect did take away a bit of the magic for me, but I also understand how this way it is probably more relatable for its actual target audience. 

I definitely appreciated Chris Grabenstein making an effort to put some magic back into books and reading for kids of today, even if it took the temptation of fancy technology to get their attention. And I will say that by the end of the book, many of the characters were definitely more excited about reading instead of just all about video games. 

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier

Think Diary of a Wimpy Kid but in a zombie/monster apocalypse. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, because to be honest I was never that into Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but The Last Kids on Earth got to me for a couple of reasons. 

First of all, bonus points for creative monsters instead of just zombies all the time. It helped distract a bit from the general cliché of the situation. Plus it made the illustrations a lot more fun. Second of all, those kids have a super cool tree house and I want. Third of all, bonus points for a reformed bully and a girl who can stand on her own two feet and needs no rescuing. 

I mean it's definitely not the greatest book I've ever read, but I also definitely enjoyed it. The sequel, The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade, got even weirder and definitely had more of a plot, and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more than the first one. It's a fun little adventure series if you like monsters and gross things and also you're 10, or me.

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

Mostly I picked up this book because it said Neil Patrick Harris on it and I was curious. I mean his autobiography was fun and kinda like a game and it was a book for adults, so I assumed his book for kids would be even more fun. I was right.

I will say that I'm probably a bit biased on this one because magicians and circuses are two of my favorite topics for a book, and The Magic Misfits has both. It's a pretty creative concept though. Books about very impressive magic tricks instead of real for real magic is a refreshing change of pace. It also has its fair share of impressive and appealing settings, like a circus, a magic shop, and a fancy hotel. It made me care about the characters and their stories, bonus points for a character with two dads, as this is something I feel is lacking in most children's literature and it upsets me.

The Magic Misfits also includes instructions for how to do a few magic tricks, as well as a few secret messages for the reader to decode, which is always an added bonus. 

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

The whimsy and imagination of Nevermoor is impressive. The world of Morrigan Crow on its own is mysterious and fascinating to compare and contrast with our own, and that's before she's whisked away through a clock tower by a mysterious man in a giant mechanical spider vehicle to the secret world of Nevermoor to live in his magical hotel and avoid death while competing for a place in a prestigious organization called the Wundrous Society. 

I don't really know what else there is to say about. It was the kind of book that made me stop every chapter or so and comment out loud to myself about how much I loved it. Nevermoor is the kind of world that terrifies me but also that I very much would like to visit. I think I gasped out loud at every new piece of information about it. Jessica Townsend created an original story within an original world and I enjoyed every word of it.

These are just a few of the books I've read most recently. Mostly I just like books, and stories, and stories that are really pretty weird. I would also like to mention that all of the books listed above are the first books in a series, which I think is pretty much just the standard these days, especially for young readers.