The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (400 Pages)

Summary: Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge--with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth’s surface. And the woman with the Tiger’s heart is on the prowl . . .

Opinion: This is the 2017 Newbery Medal Winner. I loved this book! This is now my new favorite juvenile fantasy novel that I have ever read. I'm a big fan of third person and switching characters' point of views. Barnhill executed both in this story perfectly. I loved all of the main characters and I couldn't wait to see how their lives eventually intersected. The chapter titles were also often funny and cute. I'd definitely recommend this one. 

The Crimson Skew by S.E. Grove

The Crimson Skew by S.E. Grove - 432 pages

"At the end of The Golden Specific, Sophia was on her way home to Boston, anticipating her reunion with Theo. But he has been conscripted to fight in the Western War—Prime Minister Broadgirdle’s twisted vision of Manifest Destiny. Shadrack is in his thrall as War Cartologer and cannot help his niece.

Sophia leaves right away to track down her best friend and solve the mystery of her parents once and for all. Then Shadrack hears of a horrifying weapon. It is a red fog called the Crimson Skew, and if you inhale it, you become a murderer. Sophia and her companions—and Theo’s army company—are directly in its path. There is a fate worse than death, and it is about to ruin their lives… "

Series was wrapped up nicely, though there were a few miscellaneous questions that I found annoying that weren't answered. There also seems to be an opening for another book in this series, though it's branded as a trilogy. All in all, a great series that I was thoroughly engrossed in and consumed in a matter of days. 

The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove

The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove - 505 pages

"It is the summer of 1892, one year since Sophia Tims and her friend Theo embarked upon the dangerous adventure that rewrote the map of the world. Since their return home to Boston, she has continued searching for clues to her parents’ disappearance, combing archives and libraries, grasping at even the most slender leads. Theo has apprenticed himself to an explorer in order to follow those leads across the country—but one after another proves to be a dead end.

Then Sophia discovers that a crucial piece of the puzzle exists in a foreign Age. At the same time, Theo discovers that his old life outside the law threatens to destroy the new one he has built with Sophia and her uncle Shadrack. What he and Sophia do not know is that their separate discoveries are intertwined, and that one remarkable person is part of both.There is a city that holds all of the answers—but it cannot be found on any map. Surrounded by plague, it can only be reached by a journey through darkness and chaos, which is at the same time the plague’s cure: The Golden Specific."

A stellar second book in this trio. New characters, plus more about established characters, and continued fantastic world building. 

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove - 493 pages

"Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods.  Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission, but have never returned.

Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own."

This was a wholly original story line the the world-building was very unique. Kept me incredibly intrigued and wanting more. Great story for all ages. 

The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt

The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, 48 pages

If you have ever played this childhood game of rock, paper, scissors, this is a magical book about how it all began.  The legend was that each of these items beat everything in their realms but each were looking for more challenging battles.  So, when they went out looking they found their matches just as we know them today.  This is written by the same author of The Day the Crayons Quit.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson -- 304 pages

Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby live with their loving mother, their lovable pirate grandfather, and their loyal dog Nugget in a land ruled by no other than Gnag the Nameless. Under his rule, the Fangs of Dang are the guards of the land, and no one is truly safe.
When things go wrong at the Dragon day festival, life can't just go back to normal. Their lives are in danger as long as Gnag is looking for the Jewels of Anneria, and as long as the Igibys are in his way.

Andrew Peterson is a gifted storyteller. My siblings all enjoyed listening to tales of Nugget, Peet the Sockman, and the fearsome Toothy Cows.