Unleashing Readers

Student Voices: Negative Effects from Oscarie C. and Rutva P.

August 7, 2026 by Kellee

Negative Effects

“Romance Has Been Destroyed by Society (and how books should be taken as an example for healthy relationships)” by Oscarie C., 7th grade

Romance is often seen as “cringe,” unrealistic, or just physical attraction, but romance in reality is gentle, sweet, and it’s supposed to make you happy. Social media and society have messed up the way people see love, most of the time romanticizing toxic traits in relationships and promoting unrealistic expectations. Now, many adults and teens struggle to understand what a healthy and sweet relationship looks like.

Society has made toxic behavior in relationships look normal. Instead of showing healthy things like communication, trust, and respect, social media makes jealousy, obsession, and controlling the other person’s life look healthy. It’s also seen as normal to be overly obsessed with your crush or partner, even when it looks uncomfortable.

People on the internet and in real life are always saying things like “if he wanted to, he would” or “never settle,” and just talking about the infinite red, beige, and green flags. Because of this people focus more on social media standards than actually focusing on who the person really is. Letting people on the internet decide if your relationship is healthy or not has messed up with what people can think what a healthy relationship looks like.

It’s not new that society has made people think that beauty matters in relationships more than personality. In fact for many many years, people (mostly women), have put so much time and dedication to try and look perfect, often as desirable objects for men to prove that they are unique or when they’re beautiful enough they are shown as dumb or naive. Social media and the fashion and beauty industry make this worse by showing unrealistic images of what people should look like. People have taught us how to judge people on how they look and dress to determine if they are worthy of people dating them or not.

Some people also see their partners as property or something that they need to control, they often control who their partner talks to, where they go, and what they do. This usually comes from insecurity and control.

This is why books should be taken as a better example of healthy relationships. In many books, relationships are shown as something sweet and healthy. They show that romance is not corny or weird as people make it seem. Books often focus more on how to actually take care of a relationship and what to look for in one rather than just appearance or unrealistic expectations shown by social media and the beauty industry. Because of books like this, people can actually see how a relationship should actually be like, and not how social media and people think a relationship should be like.

Books like Honey So Sweet show how a healthy and non forceful relationship looks like. Taiga Onise was seen as a delinquent and a bad person, and when he first confessed his love to Nao she was driven by how Onise looks like and what other people say about him instead of focusing on how he is as a person. This book series also shows how you can’t force someone to like you, because in the first volume because after Onise had asked Nao to be his girlfriend she was afraid that she had to be his girlfriend or else, but Onise understood that she was afraid so he told her that it was fine if she didnt wanna date him,and they stayed as friends. But when they actually dated him they showed how much they trust each other and that they feel comfortable to be with each other.

In contrast, Nana is the perfect example to show you how toxic relationships actively damage your life and how a man can change you. At the start of the manga/series, Hachi is cheerful, caring and friendly, and by the end of the series, she’s more dry and less friendly, showing how Hachi is actively being manipulated and treated like property by Takumi, and he repeatedly harms her personal and social life, she even lost her bond with Nana because of him.

Sources: our conception of love is messed up. is it an outfit or is he just a man?

“The Damages of AI” by Rutva P., 7th grade

In this day and age, most people have heard of artificial intelligence or AI for short. Many people consider AI to be the thing of the future, but have you ever considered how AI has downsides?

AI harms creativity

AI copies and steals all its information from real life works whether it’s an author’s writing format or a painter’s art style.

Below is an example of an AI copying an artist’s work from Megapencil.co.

There is also a class action lawsuit against OpenAI from a number of authors. They claim the AI has violated copyright laws and stolen their work and writing. And that isn’t the only lawsuit against AI, according to theguardian.com, “Penguin Random House has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging its chatbot ChatGPT violated copyright by mimicking and reproducing the content of a popular series of German children’s books.”

With the rise of AI, many people are becoming too reliant on it. This kills people’s ability to think critically and be creative. Students are using AI to write their essays and do their school work already. Imagine the future where AI is developed enough to write full books from stealing authors’ work.

AI damages the environment

Generative AI, the artificial intelligence most commonly used among the masses, requires massive amounts of energy to function. According to Climateimpact.com, a large model like GPT-3 can use enough energy to power about 120 U.S homes for a year. This amount of energy releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

AI also requires lots of water to cool down their systems. This enormous portion of water being used harms ecosystems and lessens the water supply.

Animals like the polar bears have to pay the price for the deterioration of the planet due to AI. The global warming that AI uses plays a part in melting the ice caps polar bears call home. Polar bears are currently listed as a vulnerable species while people generate AI images and tell themselves that there is nothing they can do to help. The polar bears are just one example.

How can you help?

One simple way to help, is to try your best to avoid generative AI. Unfortunately, in this day and age, AI is used everywhere and is hard to avoid. If you want to use AI and also help the environment, ecosia.org is a good substitute for other sites where generative artificial intelligence is used. Ecosia’s AI models use less energy and all their profits go towards tree planting projects.

Another way to help is to support human creativity. You are human and you can be creative. Instead of using AI for an image, draw it yourself. Instead of using AI to write an essay, put in the work yourself to become a better writer.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at negative effects caused by society and how to fight them!

Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

August 5, 2026 by Ricki

Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role! She talks about it below, but you can find her on Instagram here!

Hi readers! Before you read this review, I just wanted to let you all know about my new Instagram account, @sofias_ya_book_nook! On this account, I will be posting each time a new review comes out, along with some other types of fun book posts. I would really appreciate it if you checked out my page and followed so you can stay up to date! Thank you, and without further ado, onto the review!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, a fast-paced thriller that kept me HOOKED!! The plot twists were genuinely insane and never failed to surprise me! This book feels like the perfect rainy day read, just make sure you have plenty of time since you won’t want to get up until you’re finished! It feels like there is non-stop tension between all the characters, making each new page a surprise. Millie is a housemaid with a criminal record at the house of the affluent Winchesters. She was hired by Nina, a seemingly crazy woman with extreme and strict demands for Millie. Then, there is Andrew and Cecelia, an exemplary father-daughter duo. This perfect family is unraveling at the seams and Millie just happens to be along for the ride.

Goodreads Summary

Don’t miss the New York Times and USA Today bestseller and addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that’s burning up Instagram and TikTok-Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Verity. Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband. I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late. But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of…

My Thoughts

At some points, this book truly felt like I was watching a movie! I read this novel in a book club, which I highly recommend as it was super fun to discuss all of our predictions. Unfortunately, that meant that I was only ever able to read about 100 pages, which is the only thing that prevented me from finishing this book in one sitting! During the course of the story, I was constantly changing how I thought the end was going to play out. This story seemed well balanced in terms of pace and development, as some characters seem purposefully left in the shadows at the beginning as more is revealed toward the end. The entire book has a very unsettling and ominous mood which keeps you on your toes. The ending was fantastic and tied up any loose threads expertly. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!

The Housemaid is an adult novel characterized by the prevalence of violence, infertility, domestic abuse, profanity and death.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/3/26

August 3, 2026August 3, 2026 by Ricki

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Wednesday: Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero and Let’s Play a Game by Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer

Friday: Student Voices: The Power of Books from Mina Y. and Mily R.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Magical Science of Graphic Novels” by Matthew Manning, Author of The Spark Experiment

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I am unable to post this week but hope you have a great reading week!

Exciting news!: Our teen blogger, Sofia, has a new Instagram page! You can follow her here!

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Friday: Student Voices: Negative Effects from Oscarie C. and Rutva P.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Activities with Adventures in the City of Stories” by Emma Otheguy, Author of Adventure in the City of Stories

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

and

Author Guest Post: “The Magical Science of Graphic Novels” by Matthew Manning, Author of The Spark Experiment

August 2, 2026 by Kellee

“The Magical Science of Graphic Novels”

Somewhere in the haze of the 1980s, two first grade boys carefully placed a plastic bowl in the neatly trimmed grass outside an old Ohio farmhouse. They filled that bowl with Rice Krispies, milk dangerously close to its expiration date, and dish soap. Then one poured in a half bottle of Windex before darting to a nearby bush for cover. The boys were convinced that their concoction would erupt in – if not a full-blown explosion – at the very least a deadly cloud of poison gas.

Instead, the bowl snapped, crackled, and popped, and not much else.

That was my first attempt at a “science” experiment, and aside from a small spot of brown grass in my parents’ lawn, there wasn’t much else to show for it. My short attention span soon drifted to the next big thing, and life as a scientist was put on an indefinite hold.

I should’ve known better. I was the creative type, not quite equipped with an analytical mind. As a kid, I was more concerned about which imaginary supervillain I was going to battle at recess than with any math test that crossed my desk. Although I wasn’t exactly against learning, I had quickly discovered how to stay on the honor roll by doing the bare minimum. When every rock on the playground could become a stepping stone bobbing in hot lava, when the margins of every notebook were a blank canvas for werewolves to dwell, how could the cold hard facts of a text books hope to compete?

All that said, I can still vividly remember the first time I fell in love with something science related. I had just sold a bunch of action figures at my grandmother’s garage sale, and had a handful of fresh bills burning a hole in my pocket. At the local comic shop, I decided to buy a few issues of a series well before my time: 1965’s Metamorpho: The Element Man. Thanks to exposure to a strange meteorite, adventurer Rex Mason was transformed into a living chemistry set, a being who could change into any element – or combination of elements – found in the human body. This “Fab Freak” was teaching me chemical formulas while battling diminutive aliens and ancient Egyptian queens. While flipping through the slightly browned comic pages, I had no time to daydream, I was too busy worrying over what chemical concoction Metamorpho would use to defeat a jealous reanimated caveman. As outlandish as those comics were, I devoured every single one I could find, learning far more than what was presented to me in the form of monotone classroom lectures. I still have those same issues today, filed meticulously in one of way too many comic book boxes.

Those boxes now sit in my home in Asheville, North Carolina, which is also the home turf of High Touch High Tech, a company that delivers hands-on science experiments to kids in the classrooms of a variety of states, countries, and even on Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Not long ago, I met with the founder of HTHT, Daniel Shaw, and we began collaborating on a single comic book issue that would incorporate three of his company’s experiments into a fantasy adventure. That comic became the first of six chapters of our graphic novel, The Spark Experiment, a book lovingly drawn by cartoonist Matthew Loux.

When Dan had mentioned wanting to wade into the world of comics, waters I’ve been splashing in for the last twenty-five years, I immediately thought back to that Metamorpho-obsessed kid from Ohio. If I was going to write a science-based story, I was going to make it fun. If kids know they’re learning, half the magic has already spilled out of the cauldron, and the potion isn’t near as potent. The trick is maintaining the illusion, keeping the audience focused on the showmanship so they miss the sleight of hand. For me, that meant delivering an adventure that I myself would enjoy, and luckily, I had picked the perfect artist for the job. Matt Loux and I are old friends from our college days at the School of Visual Arts. We share the same sense of humor, and both focus on story over style. All I had to do was write a story that Matt would be excited to draw. That energy could then spill out onto the page, and abracadabra, the result would be magic.

Together, Matt and I invented David Patel, a 5^th grader who loves science more than can possibly be good for him, and his sidekick 2^nd grader Marta Martinez, who somehow loves science even more. These two little weirdos were the perfect protagonists to be accidentally teleported to a Micro Universe, a strange fantasy realm where only their natural knack for science experiments can get them safely back to our world. Well, science and a little creature with inspiration powers that goes by the name of Spark.

Each chapter of The Spark Experiment has three do-it-yourself experiments for kids that utilize common items found around the house (not much harder to find than a box of stale cereal or a bottle of Windex). There are eighteen experiments in all, each one serving the story by helping David and Marta not only navigate the Micro Universe, but also battle lethargic little Negatrons that follow them back home. It’s a story about the inspirational power of science, about how fun is contagious, and about how all of us – even the bored daydreamers – can embrace the sciences when their creativity is given just the slightest little Spark.

The Spark Experiment by Matthew K. Manning
Illustrated by Matthew Loux
Published April 28th, 2026 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

About the Book: When a science experiment goes wrong, kid neighbors David Patel and Marta Martinez find themselves in the Micro Universe—a whole new world where the laws of physics don’t apply! This full-color graphic novel is perfect for fans of science fiction and adventure.

When fifth grader David Patel and his second-grade sidekick Marta Martinez uncover a science experiment gone wrong, they find themselves transported to the Micro Universe, a weird world inside our own that doesn’t obey the laws of conventional physics. While they’re able to return home thanks to the help of a strange little creature named Spark, the pair doesn’t realize that they’ve led a group of nefarious beings called Negatrons back to our world in the process.

Using 18 real do-it-yourself science experiments that readers can try at home, David, Marta, and Spark must save their small town from an invasion of these energy-leeching Negatrons, all the while learning how to “spark” their own imaginations. This is a new graphic novel is perfect for kids interested in hands-on activities and science fiction adventures!

About the Author: Matthew K. Manning is a comic book writer, historian, and fan. Over the course of his career, he’s written comics or books starring Batman, Superman, the Justice League, and even Bugs Bunny. Some of his more recent works include AMP’s The Superman Files. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife, Dorothy, and his daughters, Lillian and Gwendolyn.

About the Illustrator: Matthew Loux is the author and artist of the graphic novels Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring, The Time Museum Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (published by First Second Books), Sidescrollers, and the five-volume series Salt Water Taffy (originally published by Oni Press). The Time Museum Vol. 1 received a starred Kirkus review, was listed on the 2018 Texas Library Association’s prestigious Maverick list, was a Panda Book Award winner of 2018, and was nominated for the RI Children’s Book Award. Sidescrollers was placed on the American Library Association’s YALSA, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, list of 2008, and in 2009, Salt Water Taffy was placed on the Texas Library Association’s Maverick list, as was Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring in 2023. Matthew also illustrated the graphic novel F-Stop and the board comic Good Night Gabbaland, based on the Nick Jr. television show Yo Gabba Gabba, and has contributed comics and cover art for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Thank you, Matthew, for this focus on the magic of graphic novels and highlight of The Spark Experiment, a science-infused graphic novel!

Student Voices: The Power of Books from Mina Y. and Mily R.

July 31, 2026 by Kellee

The Power of Books

“Books vs. Movies” by Mina Y., 7th grade

The long-time debate is movies vs. books: which one is better? Many people say books are better because they include more details, while others say movies are better because you can actually see what is happening. Both books and movies have good and bad sides, but books usually have more advantages. Books can show characters thoughts, emotions, and backstories, while movies sometimes skip those things to save time. Here are some examples of books that are better than the movies.

1: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief book is better than the movie because it shows Percy’s personality and humor through his thoughts and narration. Like when Percy demonstrates his intense loyalty and protective nature by choosing to send Medusa’s head to Olympus rather than keeping it, specifically to ensure his mother is freed from Gabe, a plot point that is completely absent from the movie. The story also includes more details about Greek mythology and the adventures Percy and his friends go through. The movie removes many jokes and important parts of the story. Because of that, the book feels more complete and exciting.

2: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters book is better than the movie because it explains the adventure in much more detail and stays closer to the original story. In the book, it demonstrates his intense loyalty and protective nature by secretly taking Tyson on the quest, even defying Chiron’s orders, a deeper emotional connection not fully portrayed in the movie. Readers learn more about the characters and the Greek myths connected to the plot. The movie changes several parts of the story and leaves out important scenes, which makes it feel less exciting and funny than the book. When you read the book, you can imagine the world the way the author described it, but the movie feels more rushed and different.

3: Holes by Louis Sachar
The Holes book is better than the movie because it explains the characters’ thoughts and backstories more clearly. This helps readers understand the story’s mystery and connections. The book also gives more details about the setting and the events that happen at Camp Green Lake. While the movie shows the main parts of the story, it misses some of the deeper emotions and clever storytelling in the book. Stanley’s deep insecurity and struggle with his weight are prominently shown through his initial inability to defend himself against bullying by a much smaller kid, Derrick Dunne, that makes the book so interesting.

4: Wonder by R. J. Palacio
The Wonder Book is better than the movie because it tells the story from different characters’ points of view. In the book, Auggie jokes that if he were born in medieval times, he would have been roasted on a spit, showcasing his sharp, defensive humor that isn’t in the movie. This helps readers understand how each character feels and what they are going through. The book also shares Auggie’s thoughts and challenges in a deeper way, which helps readers connect with him. The movie shows the main events, but it leaves out some details and emotions that make the book so meaningful and inspiring.

5: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is better than the movie because it shows Greg’s funny thoughts in his diary entries. In the book, Greg often treats Rowley more like a project to be managed for his own personal gain, including having Rowley carry his backpack, which contrasts with the movie,ff where they often appear as more equal friends. The drawings and writing style make the story feel more personal and entertaining. Readers get to see Greg’s awkward and hilarious moments exactly how the author wrote them. The movie is still funny, but it leaves out some jokes and small details that make the book more fun to read.

6: The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver book is better than the movie because it shows Jonas’s thoughts and emotions more clearly. In the book, readers learn more about the rules of the society and how everything works in that world. It also explains the themes of freedom and choice in a deeper way. The movie shows the main events, but it misses some of the ideas and emotions that make the book so powerful. When Jonas accidentally hoards an apple, he immediately feels deep remorse and apologizes to his community, rather than challenging the rules as he does in the film.

7: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games book is better than the movie because it shows Katniss’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story. Readers get to understand her fears, choices, and struggles more clearly. The book also gives more background about the world and the other characters in the book. When Peeta admits his crush during the first interview, book-Katniss is furious and pushes him into a vase in the heat of the moment, whereas the movie plays this moment much more calmly, making her seem colder and more manipulative in the text. The movie has exciting action scenes, but it cannot show all the emotions and themes that the book explores.

8: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
The Harry Potter books are better than the movies because they include much more detail about the magical world and the characters. Readers get to learn more about the friendships, challenges, and mysteries in the story.in The books In Order of the Phoenix, while being interviewed by Rita Skeeter, book Harry shows his rebellious side by quibbling with her and displaying a fiery temperament that contrasts with the often quiet, also explores deeper themes about bravery and growing up. The movies show many important moments, but they cannot include all the details and emotions that make the books so memorable.

In conclusion, while movies can be exciting and entertaining, books usually tell the story in a deeper and more detailed way. Books allow readers to understand the characters, thoughts, emotions, and backgrounds better than movies can. Many movies also remove or change important parts of the story because of time limits. Because of this, books often give readers a richer and more complete experience than movies.

“Hyperactivity, Reading, and Literacy” by Mily R., 7th grade

Hyperactivity can make everything harder, even reading. Although people may like books, hyperactivity can really put a strain on their reading. Sometimes not being able to sit still, or not being able to focus on the words can really make that difference. With this, it makes people with hyper activity prefer to read shorter chapters or quicker paced stories.

Some things that can happen are that they lose focus or they might have to re-read parts that they missed the first time, and it can bring frustration and anger which does not let the reader enjoy the book. Although other times they can hyperfocus that means that they can get really intrigued into a book and read big chunks at a time without losing focus because the book has captured their attention.

Over time reading is good with making good concentration and keeping their attention centered on the book. Having good concentration also helps with school work and a lot of other things. So some books that help grab attention are usually graphic novels and mangas because the type of story telling and illustrations help keep the readers attention on the book instead of having it jump the focus on something else. Next, audio books also help because the reader does not have to stress about the struggle of skipping a word or missing a line because it is simply being played in the reader’s ear. Also they can listen to the book while they do something else like cleaning or cooking because it helps boost their concentration by giving them something else to focus on so their attention spam lasts longer

Last off is most people find ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and hyperactivity as the same thing when it’s not. The biggest difference is hyper activity is just hyper activity and adhd attention deficit hyper activity which focuses more on the lost atention. Although they can have a lot of the same skills they are not exactly the same. But if you need to, most of the time you can use helping tips from adhd on hyper activity.

So after all of this, just because you have hyper activity doesn’t mean you can’t read. And I know that it’s gonna be hard, but hopefully you can take some tips and be able to better understand this condition. Now let’s take this as a sign to continue reading.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at books and reading in their life and the world!

Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero & Fatal Glitch: Let’s Play a Game by Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer

July 29, 2026 by Kellee

Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero
Authors: Erin Entrada Kelly & Eliot Schrefer
Illustrator: Jeannette Arroyo
Published July 21st, 2026 by Sourcebooks Stonefruit Studio

Summary: Black Mirror meets Goosebumps in the first installment of this fast-paced middle-grade horror series by New York Times-bestselling authors Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer featuring tales of technology gone wrong.

Eleven-year-old Sofia Mendoza is a gamer, not a camper. She should be at home building landscapes and fighting monsters in Sandbox, not deep in the forest with five other kids, who might as well be playing her favorite game in tutorial mode.

Even worse, there’s something off about this summer camp. There are creepy, mechanical vultures, cloaked NPC figures, and the only adult is Monarch, a grim woman in combat boots.

And then the game of elimination begins.

Sofia may be caught in the clutches of Camp Forestjaw, but she’ll do anything to survive. Anything. The problem is, in Forestjaw, everything you’ve ever done—no matter how long ago—comes back to you . . .

Fatal Glitch: Let’s Play a Game
Authors: Erin Entrada Kelly & Eliot Schrefer
Illustrator: Jeannette Arroyo
Publishes September 29th, 2026 by Sourcebooks Stonefruit Studio

Summary: The fast-paced middle-grade horror series by New York Times bestselling authors Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer featuring tales of technology gone wrong continues with this standalone installment, AI has infiltrated the newest toy craze—a stuffed animal with spooky capabilities and more sinister intentions.

Lewis’s big hope for his first day at a new school is to make a friend. He never expected that friend to wind up being a hyper-intelligent cuddly panda bear. A gift from his dad, his Panda Mo Nium is an exclusive kids-only AI toy and communication device with big ideas of his own. After other students at his school get their own robot pandas, Lewis suddenly has a friend group. When Mo begins asking Lewis to perform risky and bloody tasks, Lewis goes along despite his nerves…until the line between cute and creepy blurs and he senses evil intentions behind his AI friend’s glowing eyes. What does this robot panda really want from him and the other kids? The truth might be more frightening than Lewis ever imagined.

About the Authors:

Erin Entrada Kelly is a New York Times-bestselling author, two-time Newbery Medalist, National Book Award Finalist, and Newbery Honoree. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She has an MFA from Rosemont College and is on the faculty of the Hamline University MFA program in writing for children and young adults. She lives in Delaware.

Eliot Schrefer is a New York Times-bestselling author, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, received the Stonewall Honor for best LGBTQIA+ teen book, and received the Printz Honor for best young adult book from the ALA. In naming him an Editor’s Choice, the New York Times has called his work “dazzling and big-hearted.” His science writing has appeared in Discover, Sierra, USAToday, Nautilus, and The Washington Post Magazine. He has an M.A. in Animal Studies from NYU, is on the faculty of the Hamline MFA for writing for young people, and lives with his husband in New York City.

Review: Do you have readers looking for horror and are too quickly jumping to young adult or adult horror? Yes? Me too. Do you have readers that are looking for horror but aren’t ready to jump to YA or adult because of the topics or even the length? Yes? Me too. Well, this is the series you are looking for!

The comparison to Goosebumps is perfect because this feels like a reincarnation of the same idea of horror books where the authors don’t talk down to the reader, yet keep the horror developmentally appropriate, and Kelly & Schrefer do that very well in both of these books. I also like how modern the books felt which will help readers want to pick them up and keep reading. The series is also a great length at 144 pages which is something that so many of us middle school educators have been asking for.

And the cherry on top of these books? They can lead to social commentary around technology in ways that may not have happened without them.

Discussion Questions:

How does technology play a part in both stories?
How can technology be dangerous?
What do you think the theme of each book is?
What about the structure of the books make them so fast paced and page turners?
What do you think is going on at the beginning and end of the book with the narrator?

Flagged Spreads:

Camp Zero

Let’s Play a Game

Read This If You Love: Middle grade horror, Goosebumps

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of both books for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/27/26

July 27, 2026 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

Happy reading!

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: We’re a Bad Idea, Right? by K. L. Walther

Friday: Student Voices: Beauty in Life Op Eds from Maya D. and Samanta F.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Ancient Setting, Modern Issues (Carefully Concealed)” by Anthony Peckham, Author of Children of the Black Glass Series

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

Picture Books

Beatrice and the Nightingale by Patricia Newman, Illustrated by Isabelle Follath: I don’t know how I missed this release from Patricia Newman, but I am so glad that she shared it with me at ALA. It is a nonfiction picture book about a cellist who duets with a nightingale. I loved learning about Beatrice Harrison as a cellist and her time exploring music with nature. I am a fan of all of Newman’s books and this one didn’t disappoint!
Christian’s Soccer Superpowers by Christian Pulisic, Illustrated by Marta Kissi: A perfect book to read aloud with the World Cup just wrapping up because it combines soccer and a great lesson about confidence. And it is written by a player many kids may know!
Monsters are the Worst! by Alex Willan: Another great addition to this series! As always, Willan’s artwork is so colorful, expressive, and fun and his story is silly yet because, as always, what seems like the worst are actually pretty awesome! Anyone a fan of the series will love this one!
Landing in a New Pond by Marisa Ramel, Illustrated by Jennifer Doehring: A great book for libraries and classrooms for three purposes: 1) for a child who has moved recently; 2) for lessons about ducks and migration; 3) someone struggling with connecting with their sibling. And with realistic yet colorful and fun illustrations, readers will connect with the characters and the story.

Middle Grade

Einstein the Penguin by Iona Rangeley: The cover and title of this book sucked me in right away and then finding out that it also has mystery and a great side cast of characters made it even better! I do agree with some reviews that say that the book does try to include a lot of plot into its 200 pages, but I think the author does it well to give readers an introduction to our main characters in a way that is more multi-dimensional. The book reminds me a bit of Paddington, and I think that kids who like that kind of humor and pacing will love this book.
Follow the Water: The Unbelievable True Story of a Teenager’s Survival in the Amazon by Ellen Cochrane: I did not know this story before reading this book and it IS truly unbelievable. In 1971, Juliane is in a plane crash in the middle of the Amazon and survives and is able to, after almost 2 weeks, survive! The story as a survival story which makes it very engaging and the author also obviously did a lot of research because the book is filled with information as well. I was enthralled by this book!
The Endless Game by J.D. Amato, Illustrated by Sophie Morse: When Fred moves to a new town, he worries it will be just the same as all of the other towns he’s lived in, but he learns quickly that Lakeside, IL is different because the entire town is taking part in a giant game of capture the flag that has been going on for generations! Through this game, Fred finds a place in town like he never has before and his summer becomes more epic than he could have ever imagined. This graphic novel was so much fun and unique–well worth the read and kids will enjoy it.
The Amazing Generation: How to Choose Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price: I was fascinated by the idea of The Anxious Generation so when I heard there was a middle grade version, I knew I wanted to read it, and I am glad I did (and I listened to it with Trent!). We are still talking about this book. It was written in a way that leads to respect, not obedience, and explains why setting boundaries around screens is something that is worth talking about and exploring. So well done; I hope kids will pick it up!

At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly: This is more than just a biography of Joey Guerrero–it is also about the history of Hansen’s disease and Philippines’ part in World War II. I am so, so, so glad I read it. Joey is a force that all people should know about and the history in the book is unfortunately not taught in our eurocentric history curriculum. And since it is Erin Entrada Kelly, you know it is written beautifully, including how she included informational sidebar/inserts throughout the fill in knowledge gaps. A truly exceptional book.
Greta Ever After by Melissa Dassori: I am always happy to come across a new fairy tale, and Greta Ever After is just that! Greta has ambition and goals, but she feels like she is struggling to move towards them, so when an opportunity to manipulate the situation in her favor occurs, she guiltily takes part whcih starts a tumbling of bad choices. Then add in a magical clock and companion who gives Greta a choice she may not be able to turn down, and now we have ourself a modern-day fairy tale. I usually struggle with magical realism, but I think the author did a good job intertwining it. I also thought it was clever how the authro incorporated Greta’s love of journalism into the structure of the book.
Scat: The Incredible Science of Wildlife Poop by Anita Sanchez: Trent and I listened to this audiobook and it was much more scientific and informative than I could have imagined. Scat is a HUGE part of the environment and because of the taboo over it, it isn’t talked about, so it was interesting to learn about its part in nature.
The Sixth Extinction (Young Readers Adaptation): Which Species will go the Way of the Dinosaurs and Which will Survive? by Elizabeth Kolbert: This is a heavy book. A scary book. A too-real book. I learned so much while reading it; it is a book that will stick with me for a long time. I think that everyone should read it, or its full length version. It truly teaches us about our planet’s history and the danger of its present and possibilities of the future. Brilliant.

A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day, Illustrated by Yas Imamura: Day’s Mona Lisa book is one of my favorite nonfiction books, so when I found out that his next book is about a volcano, I was sold right away. Then it won all sorts of ALA awards, so I knew that it was going to be as well done, and I was not disappointed. Like Mona Lisa, Day does a fantastic job of telling a story about something (a volcanic eruption) and sharing how it was part of a much bigger picture than it seems at first. In this case, the volcanic eruption leads to Frankenstein–want to know how? Read this fascinating book!
The Six (Young Readers Edition): The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush with Rebecca Stefoff: I did not know this history as much as I thought. I knew about Sally Ride and the shuttle program, but I did not know about the six first women astronauts, the sexist barriers they fought through, and how much the six led to huge changes at NASA. The book was very detailed and interesting and actually quite suspenseful. An intriguing read.
Building 903 by Lois Lowry: I need to talk to someone about this book. I don’t really want to review it too much because I think it is a book that everyone who reads it will experience differently. If you are a Lois Lowry fan, dystopian reader, or anti-book banning, you should give it a try.

Sole Survivor by Norman Ollestad and Brendan Kiely: This is a true story that doesn’t seem true. Like Follow the Water, it is a story about a young person that survives a plane crash and is the sole survivor–this time the crash was at the top of a snow covered mountain. Because Norman Ollestad is one of the co-writers of the book (and the main character), the book is in first person which really sucks the reader in. It is another unbelievable story that is so hard to put down until you know how he makes it!
Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare by Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy, Illustrated by Tim Foley: I think the Cold War and the Red Scare are things that happened and unless you lived it, you don’t really understand fully what happened. This book takes you back and helps you experience it. The authors did a fantastic job having different primary sources while also including their explanations and thoughts. And the structure was so smart! It was chunked with quotes and information shared and then their explanations–it made it very easy to follow. It was such a fantastic job that this book gave me quite a bit of anxiety because there are terrifying similarities to modern-era.
Earthrise: The Story of a Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet by Leonard S. Marcus: It is fascinating that a photograph truly did change the way humans saw Earth, and this book takes the reader through the history of the photograph and what it came to mean. Through the story, the history of Apollo was also shared. Combined with The Six, I received a great space education.

Living Light: Conserving Bioluminescent Plants and Animals by Stephen Aiken: Bioluminescence is so interesting! This is a traditionally structured nonfiction book filled with so much information that kids will really gravitate to because, well, glowing things are cool! I loved learning about how bioluminescence is helping with cancer research!
Diamond Fever!: A True Crime Story in the Wild West by Steve Sheiken, Illustrated by Jon Chad: I am loving these nonfiction books that are so interesting and suspenseful that you can’t put them down! This one tells the story of a supposed diamond mine found in the west during the height of the gold rush. The story includes trickery and adventures and is told in a snarky way, all that keeps the reader wanting to figure out how it all went down. Just a wild story!
Cracking the Code: The Human Quest to Uncover Secrets by Rachel Kehoe, Illustrated by Meegan Lim: This was a very cool book that shared so many different tales of codes being cracked–from coded letters to ciphers to the enigma machine to even looking at our DNA as a code. With each “case” covering a couple of spreads, the book keeps you reading and engaged.

Young Adult

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: I can definitely see why this book is loved. I mean, it is Holly Black’s brilliant writing combined with her well-established faerie world with a new story following a mortal in the magical world. Jude is easy to love and despise, which makes it more fun to keep reading about her, and her journey in the book truly went in ways I didn’t see coming. I am interested in hearing who everyone things the cruel prince is though–I don’t think the answer is as easy as it seems. I will definitely have to read more of this series.

Adult

I finished my Freida McFadden/thriller journey in early July. I finished 23 McFadden books and the Alibis Collection, which includes 6 short stories including 1 by McFadden. It was a fun side quest, and it really got me back in the reading habit!

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It is my week off; I’ll share what I read next week.

Kellee

I actually don’t know what I am going to read now! My audiobook expired on Hoopla, so I am waiting until August to start reading it again, and I am not sure what physical book I’ll pick up as I just finished The Cruel Prince–we’ll see!

Wednesday: Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero and Let’s Play a Game by Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer

Friday: Student Voices: The Power of Books from Mina Y. and Mily R.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Magical Science of Graphic Novels” by Matthew Manning, Author of The Spark Experiment

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