Little Ghost's Summerween by Mattie Edkins Willis

A few days ago, I reviewed a book which would fit nicely to Halloween. Today, I'm stepping up the game and have a book, which celebrates Halloween during the summer! This is the second book in a series about these characters, and I reviewed the first one on here around two years ago (HERE) 

Since I found that one cute and fun, I was excited to get my hands on this second adventure.

So, off we go!

LITTLE GHOST'S SUMMERWEEN

by Maggie Edkins Willis

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Little Ghost tries to pick the perfect party theme for his summer birthday in this charming picture book companion to Little Ghost Makes a Friend by bestselling author-illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis.

Little Ghost loves parties, but he’s only ever had the Halloween kind! After attending his first ever birthday party, Little Ghost decides to throw one of his own. His good friend Anya says his party should celebrate Little Ghost and what he likes most. That’s easy—Little Ghost loves Halloween with all its bats, black cats, candy corn, and pumpkins. There’s just one it’s summertime. And Halloween and summer just don’t mix…or do they?

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

The thrill of birthday parties meets sunshine, friendship, and spooky nods in a read perfect for Summer.

Little Ghost just received his very first invitation to a birthday party ever! He's always enjoyed Halloween parties, but now, that he has human friends, things are changing. And he's nervous. Luckily, his friend Anya has been invited, too, and can help him with the adventure. Highs and lows hit, but his first birthday party leads to something more. He wants to throw his own birthday party, and he's not sure how to pull it off, especially since it's still summer time.

This is the second book in the Little Ghost series, and now, we meet the Little Ghost as he already has a best friend in Anya and has made several other friends. While he is a ghost...and cute, his situation is also one readers will be able to identify with. He's excited to go to a birthday party but, at the same time, is very nervous and unsure. This desire to want to do everything right makes him relatable and easy to cheer for, especially with Anya's golden friendship at his side. And the end slides in a lovely message about also staying true to yourself to wrap things up nicely.

The illustrations bring across the scenes with details and life, making each one enjoyable to revisit and discover something new each time. Even when Little Ghost is down, the atmosphere remains positive the entire way through. The text fits nicely to the age group and creates a good read-aloud. The plot moves along quickly, making it interesting for even more impatient listeners. 

It's a lovely tale, and it will be fun to see what Little Ghost and Anya experience next.

And here she is...

Maggie Edkins Willis grew up in Missouri and Maine. She now writes and illustrates books for children from her home studio in the Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her debut picture book, Little Ghost Makes a Friend, is a bestseller. She is also the creator of the picture books Little Ghost’s Summerween, Dinky the Tinysaur, and Thunderland, and the middle grade graphic novel Smaller Sister. You can visit her online at MaggieMadeThis.com.

Happy Book Birthday, Deepa M.D. by Priya Swaminathan

Ready to scream and cheer? Why? Because it's time to celebrate another book birthday! If I could, I'd blow up balloons and offer cake to everyone every time we get to celebrate a book birthday...but I guess we're left with virtual everything.

Today's read hits the shelves tomorrow and caught my interest due to the M.D. aspect. Doctor tales are very popular among adults, and I'm betting that younger audiences would enjoy some of that, too. Obviously, there's a little bit of a problem to slide it over, though. I'm especially curious about this tale, since my eldest daughter is currently halfway through med-school and stressing over her first round of tests this month. (I'm cheering her on, too.) So, I'm curious to see how this book works with this M.D. side, and that in a way middle graders can connect with.

Let's take a look and find out!

DEEPA, M.D.

by Priya Swaminathan

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Contemporary

256 pages

ages 8 to 12

A precocious seventh grader whose cancer has recently gone into remission assists her “medical detective” uncle while readjusting to life in middle school in this heartwarming and funny middle grade debut novel that’s Front Desk meets Roll with It.

Twelve-year-old Deepa is ready to un-pause her life. After spending a year in the hospital, she’s itching for things to go back to the way they were before she got sick.

Only everything’s changed. Her parents treat her like she’s made of glass, there’s a mean girl out to get her, and her best friend Renée forgot to mention she has a whole new life now.

But when her Uncle Jai, a genius doctor that patients love to hate and the “Sherlock Holmes” of medical mysteries, needs her help with a tricky case involving a teenage patient, Deepa steps up to the plate—because she knows better than anyone what it’s like to be sick.

But why, oh why, did her first patient have to be her bully’s older brother?

As the case spirals and her illness flares up, Deepa quickly learns that if she wants to save her patient, she’ll have to diagnose what’s going on inside herself first.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Helping others with a sense of mystery mixes with the struggles of dealing with cancer and friendship drama to form a rich read.

Deepa has been battling leukemia and is, finally, at a stage where she's slowly working her way back into a somewhat normal life and heading back to school. This is proving to be difficult since there are things she still needs to watch compared to other kids her age and the friendship dynamics have changed drastically during the year she was at the hospital. So, there's a tumult of social drama she needs to deal with. But she's found a new aspect of life, too. Her uncle is a doctor, who only does house calls for those who don't want to go to a doctor's office for various reasons. Unfortunately, his bedside manner is awful. When Deepa gets the rare chance to accompany him on a trip and ends up meeting one of her idols, things change. Deepa can do what her uncle can't...relate to the people. Thanks to her own sickness, she has insights he doesn't. But when a trip with her uncle results in a very tough case to diagnose and it connects to bullying at school, too, life gets really sticky.

There are more than a couple things to enjoy in this read. First, Deepa's struggles with cancer are brought across with care, heart, and give awareness to the difficulties individuals like Deepa might face. Deepa isn't completely in the clear of her cancer battle, although she's getting close. She not only has to watch how she goes about her day and life...which makes her stick out at school...but she still carries the weight and also deals with the self-imaging issues that come with it. While this is brought across clearly, Deepa also tackles everything in a wholesome way, which makes her easy to cheer for. Her desire to help others, who are dealing with their own issues, is inspiring. Secondly, the doctor aspect is well done. Of course, Deepa isn't medically knowledgeable, and she doesn't even try to go there. By letting her uncle take over that aspect, the author has found a clever way to work in medical mysteries and challenges in a believable way while keeping Deepa tightly involved. The author's own medical knowledge offers a wonderful basis for this side, and the information is brought across clearly and understandably, while giving the needed sense of medical facts. And it fits the age group well while adding an interesting, mystery aspect. Thirdly, we have the family dynamics. Deepa garners a lot of support and care, which allow her to shine. Yet, the parents' concerns are also clear and clash with her own hopes realistically. Lastly, we have the friend drama. This aspect also adds a realistic touch on what individuals like Deepa face when they need to leave school life for awhile and come back, not only with their own health changes, but face the change that others went through during this time. Unfortunately, it's this friend drama, which also took up too much space, in my opinion, compared to the other aspects. There is so much back and forth on this end that it makes the story slightly confusing, at times, and pulls away from the more interesting aspects surrounding Deepa and the medical mysteries. Sometimes, less is more, and the friendship drama hits that here for me.

All in all, this is well done and keeps the pacing high throughout. Deepa is a character to root for, and I hope we get to see more of her in the future as she accompanies her uncle on visits, since this is such a clever way to open the theme door to middle graders and a fun read.

And here she is...

Priya Swaminathan lived the dream of making movies and TV shows for twenty years before deciding to become a children’s author. In addition to writing, she is embarking on a new journey into medicine by studying nursing at UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and hopes that someday she’ll convince her husband to get a dog. 

The Clock Spa by Jung-min Kwon

 We're heading around the world in today's read, all the way to South Korea. Jung-min Kwon has received more than a few awards for her children's books...and now, this one is being released in English. The cover looks so calming and relaxing, while the clock hints at fantasy. I'm suspecting that there will be deeper meaning in these pages to add to this playfulness. 

So, let's dive in and see what this one is about. Oh, and it isn't coming out until October, so you have plenty of time to get this one on your reading lists if it sparks your interest. 

THE CLOCK SPA

by Jung-min Kwon

Translated by Jamie Chang

Yonder Press

Picture Book

60 pages

ages 5 to 8

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

A whimsical story about time, love, and self-care; when a busy mom turns into a clock, her daughter discovers that even grown-ups need rest.

A young girl is used to reminders about minutes, schedules, and being on time—especially from her mom. One night, she wishes to stop hearing about time forever, and the next day, her wish has come true. . . almost. Her mother turned into a big blue clock!

With her clock-mother ticking beside her, the girl sets off on her scooter to find help. The clock hospital is closed for vacation, but the clock sauna is open—a magical place where worn-out clocks can rest, relax, and be repaired. Thanks to a wise old woman and a little time to unwind, everything begins to make sense again.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Light, playful fantasy dances across the worry surrounding a mother's well-being to create a heartwarming and imaginative read.

A young girl is sick of hearing her mother constantly telling her to stay on time and sticking life into minutes and schedules. When she wakes up one morning to find her mother turned into a clock, she's not sure what to think but happily takes the sudden freedom to do things when she's ready and not according to a punctual schedule. At the end of the day, the girl comes home to find that her mother, the clock, as stopped and stands quietly on a chair. Worry hits immediately, and the girl tries to figure out who can help her, but the only helps she gets is from an old woman, who tells her to take her mother to the clock spa...whatever and wherever that might be. But that is something the girl needs to figure out on her own.

The sixty pages had me wondering if this might be a little long for the usual picture book audience, but it works wonderfully. The illustrations take the lead in these pages with the text making sure everything is understood and the tale runs smoothly. The scenes are interesting as they go from familiar life and slowly ease into fantasy. There are plenty of details to grab in and have listeners returning just to gaze and flip through them. These are accompanied with a short text...and sometimes, just the pictures hold the tale on their own. It's very appropriate for a read-aloud for the age group. And for those who enjoy cultural goodness, this one, obviously, carries that magic wonderfully.

There is a bit of sadness and worry as the tale progresses, since the girl is doing her best to help her mother. There are darker forests and moments to give a sense of tension and urgency, but this is kept gentle. The main message hits with potency depending on the listener and age group. The youngest will see that times and schedules may not be fun but carry their own place in life. There's also a message surrounding the need for mothers to, sometimes, take a break from life to reboot before diving right back in. There's also a sense of parent-child love and concern, which warms from beginning to end. Lastly and for older readers, there's a deeper glimpse at how scheduling and times steers life and its meaning, but this is a philosophical exploration on its own.

And here they are...

Jung-min Kwon is the author and illustrator of seven picture books to date. Her works have received numerous honors, including the 2021 62nd Korea Publishing Culture Award (Children & Youth) and the Grand Prize at the 2023 1st Korea Picture Book Award, and were also selected as one of the Most Delightful Books of 2025 in Korea. She also frequently contributes to educational content produced by Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).

Jamie Chang is a literary translator. Her translation of Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature. She is the recipient of the Daesan Foundation Translation Grant and a three-time recipient of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea Grant.

The Gloom Dragon by Soren Jonsson

Today's I'm taking a look at a 'Smart Book'. This is one of two reads, which mix fantasy, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure formatting, and video games all into one tale. I have no idea how this will play out, but I'm excited to try something new.

So, let's open this one up and see what it holds.

THE GLOOM DRAGON

by Soren Jonsson

Illustrated by Brian Bak Jensen

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy   /  Game

160 pages

ages 9 to 12

COMING MAY 19th!!!

Can you beat the Gloom Dragon? Become the hero and choose your own path in this innovative story experience. The Gloom Dragon is a Read & Play Interactive Gamebook, a new reading experience with an immersive game built in. Get reading—and playing—this thrilling adventure!

Explore deep caves, fight a Squiddo, hopscotch across a River of Lava, and sneak into the Gloom Dragon's treasure room in this turbocharged Augmented Reality game book.

You are a Swordfighter. Outfitted with the magic sword Rilgist and a shield, you begin your adventure. Solve each mini-game, puzzle, and task to beat the gold-hoarding Gloom Dragon threatening the small village of Randomia. You choose from multiple paths, all leading to different endings. Play and read, again and again.

The reading experience is made interactive with the free downloadable app. Scan the pictures to unlock new tasks, battles, and puzzles!

GOODREADS   /   PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Dragon adventure meets 'Choose-Your-Own Adventure' style with a video game to fight battles and more along the way—three thrilling worlds in one.

This is an interactive tale, which embraces the reader and brings them into the story actively. This is written in second person where the reader is a beginning sword hero, who needs to defeat the Gloom Dragon. The Gloom Dragon attacks villagers and takes their gold as well as their lives, and the reader...the swordfighter...has the self-imposed task to stop this dragon's rampage. This isn't a simple, laid out story, but rather lets the reader often decide between two choices as to what they will do next. This guides the reader to various, numbered sections, where they discover the next step of their journey, battle a monster, collect gold, or something else. Quite often, the reader is asked to pick up their tablet, phone, or whatever device they have, and using an app, actively do the activity video game style. In other words, there's a lot going on, and it's not a quiet read.

The adventure is smooth and easy to follow as it goes from one situation to the next. The text level isn't overly difficult making it appropriate even for the younger end of the middle grade audience. It's all action without much character depth, but that works very well for this tale. The scenes unfold quickly and bring each moment across clearly and with excitement. There are usually only a few short paragraphs or less for each scene, keeping the reader on their toes. It does make for quite a bit of page flipping, but everything is well laid out, so each section is no problem to find. The story holds many surprises and keeps tension rolling along.

The video game aspect adds an interesting layer. It's no problem to download the app, and the steering of each activity is pretty self-explanatory, especially for those readers who already play games. There are directions at the beginning of the read, however, for those who might needs some help. The app is simple and works smoothly. There's a magnifying glass in the middle of the screen, and the camera on the device recognizes the illustration which fits the page the reader has turned to. This unlocks various battles or other activities. Some are more difficult than others, but all are doable and fitting for the age group. 

As a pure read, it's a decent adventure for choose-your-adventure fans. The sections are short, though, which creates a lot of page turning. But it also keeps things from ever growing boring. The game aspect is a nice touch and enjoyable. Of course, this also means that the reader needs to have their device the entire time, too. I read a digital version on the laptop and used my phone for the app, which worked well enough. Also, the app downloaded quickly and was ready to use right away.

And here they are...

Peasoup Books has a mission to create a completely new reading experience for children by combining gaming elements with a printed book. These smart books use augmented reality to enhance the reading experience.

Søren Jønsson is a writer with a background in the gaming universe. He is behind more than 100 children's game titles.

A Lost Revenge by Kalynn Bayron

Today's read shoots off from an already well-known series and changes it into graphic novel form. I haven't read anything surrounding these characters, setting, or...well, anything before, but my youngest enjoyed the earlier books. So, I'll be hitting this one without knowing much about it outside of the fact that it is enjoyed...or has been enjoyed by readers in the original, text form.

So, let's see what these pages hold, shall we?

A LOST REVENGE

Disney Descendants 

by Kalynn Bayron

Illustrated by Asiah Fulmore

Abrams Fanfare

Middle Grade Fantasy /  Graphic Novel

176 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING MAY 19th!!!

New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron makes her graphic novel debut in this original graphic novel set in the massive Descendants universe, starring fan-favorite character Uma, showing how she became the headmaster of Auradon Prep!

Uma, daughter of the infamous villain Ursula, is at a crossroads. After helping King Ben and Queen Mal bring down the barrier between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon, Uma no longer knows where she fits in. Unmoored, Uma readies herself and the Lost Revenge crew to leave Auradon’s shores and take to the seas once again. But with a newly open barrier comes new a group of Auradon Prep students have vanished at sea without a trace. Worried for the students’ safety, the King and Queen ask Uma and her crew to embark on a search-and-rescue mission.
 
Despite her fears of becoming too much of a do-gooder, Uma accepts. It’s time to drop the Jolly Roger and set sail!  As the Lost Revenge weathers dangerous storms—and even stormier emotions—the pirates quickly find that the missing students are a small part of a much larger conflict. Putting her seafaring knowledge, magic, and VK wits to the test, Uma must battle sea witches, her own first mate, and a vengeance-hungry rival ship. Will Uma be able to rescue the students and put a stop a looming threat before it descends upon Auradon? Or is it all already too late?
 
New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron makes her graphic novel debut with this exciting adventure brought to life beautifully by illustrator Asiah Fulmore. Filling in events between Descendants 3 and The Rise of Red, this Descendants original graphic novel shows how Uma became the headmaster of Auradon Prep.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

High seas adventure mixes with the desire to be true to yourself in a colorful tale.

Ever since Uma tore down the barrier between the villain and hero worlds, she's been a little unsure of her own place in everything. As the daughter of the feared sea witch, Ursula, her path of evil had been clear before, but now, she's marked as a hero by many and has friends in this new world, where villains and heroes are no longer always distinct. She wants nothing more than to figure out her own place in all of it but before she can contemplate too long, she's requested to save some lost students from Auradon Prep. That would be another job for a goodie-two-shoes, but she can't let innocent kids suffer. Add that her mother isn't on board with Uma's new reputation, and things are anything but easy.

This is a quick-paced, graphic novel based on Disney's popular 'The Descendants' series, and it does a lovely job at bring the world to new life. The illustrations are very well done and carry the atmosphere with ease as the color scheme and emotions shift right along with the tale to produce a rounded adventure. Even visually, Uma walks right on the border between good and evil with darker hues and a fitting outfit, but her golden personality shines through making her easy to follow and root for. Her crew offers a bit of humor, while giving a capable impression. But then, the style for each characters fits well to give the tale new life.

The text flows seamlessly as well and works with the illustrations to make each moment clear without growing too wordy. There are moments of action, which grew a little bit hazier in their presentation, but keep the tension high. Uma's contemplation slows everything down but just enough to allow for character depth without pulling the reader out of the story. It makes her relatable and promises much more to come thanks to her tenacious personality. There are hints of romance but only slight whispers, and the message of 'following ones own path' rings loud and clear to add that last Disney touch.

Is a grabbing story, whose pacing makes it hard to put this one down, and it's an easy read, which even more reluctant readers are sure to enjoy.

And here they are...

Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the YA fantasy novels Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart. Her latest works include the YA horror novel You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and the middle-grade paranormal adventure The Vanquishers. She is a CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominee, a Bram Stoker Award nominee, a LOCUS Award finalist, and the recipient of the 2022 Randall Kenan Award for Black LGBTQ fiction. She is a classically trained vocalist and musical-theater enthusiast. When she’s not writing, you can find her watching scary movies and spending time with her family. 

Asiah Fulmore is a freelance illustrator currently living back and forth between Columbia, SC and Bangkok, Thailand. She loves eating, traveling and comics. She is known for her work on DC Comics Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld and the Windom’s Family Time.