simon kids – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Britnee Meiser
Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Reality and fiction collide when a shy aspiring writer uses her larger-than-life anonymous blog to sabotage a budding relationship between the new girl in school and her childhood friend in this irresistible rom-com that takes notes from Jane Austen’s Emma for the social media age.

Shy, introverted Jane lives out a fantasy life in her online blog, where she writes elaborate posts about a teen girl with a glamorous life and a gorgeous boyfriend—two things Jane definitely doesn’t have. She only has her writing and her BFFs Camila and Leo, who she shares everything with—except the fact that she’s leading a double life online. Jane’s real life and her online life do not mix.

Then a new girl named Brynn, who Jane has had a rough start with, begins cozying up to Leo. Jane knows Brynn’s totally wrong for him, so when she finds out Brynn follows her blog, Jane does something She starts using her blog to get her way in real life. But when the lines between fact and fiction start to blur, what does that mean for Jane’s anonymity, and the real-life relationships at stake?

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy.

A GOOD TEEN READ.

This wasn’t on my radar until it came in a book box and I read it to see if it was okay for my kids to read [eventually]. And I did really appreciate the genuine young adult vibes of this one. While young YA isn’t generally my jam anymore I can acknowledge that this is a book I could hand to that age group and not worry about language or spice in places it doesn’t belong.

There’s a soft friends to lovers romance intermixed with Jane’s character arc. I didn’t love that she had a hidden online life but I liked how thematically that worked out in the end for her. Where realizations and boundaries came into play in regards to online lifestyles. I also liked the parental conflict with Jane and her brother. It’s relatable and I thought well placed for the story too.

The kids in this book are around 15, and like I mentioned, the content is good for that age group too.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary + Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: MG Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Author: Tiffany McDaniel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Spella the young witch must save her friends from a dangerous mummy snatcher in this second book in the whimsical Wand Keepers middle grade fantasy series perfect for younger fans of Witchlings and Eva Evergreen.

After Spella and her friends successfully rescued her magical hat-making aunt from the dangerous Dragon King, Spella is back! This time, she is off to relax and have some fun with her aunt and best friend, Tolden, in the vibrant and colorful Mummy City. But all is not as calm and weirdly wonderful as it seems in this magical place. After the defeat of Dragon King, another dangerous threat has appeared—the terrorizing mummy snatcher!

It’s up to Spella to stop this monster from kidnapping any more mummies—including Spella’s mummified, talking cat, Egypt—before the worst happens. If the mummy snatcher succeeds, it will awaken the slumbering giants beneath Mummy City, throwing the entire city into chaos! To save the city and her friends, Spella must out-magic her bullies and call upon her skills to defeat the mummy snatcher and get Mummy City back to its unique and whimsical self. But doing so means confronting a hard truth—the terrifying Dragon King may not be gone for good.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

A GEM.

I love finding good middle grade books that I can’t wait to hand off to my littles. This is the kind of fun adventure with low intensity that makes it a delight to read.

I really like this cast and the fun that they have. It’s imaginative and clever and unique. I love the whimsical vibes and the fast pace that keeps things moving. The interesting creatures throughout are cool to see and the pictures, footnotes and other bonus content really sets this up for a great younger audience read.

Overall audience notes: