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Athena Protocol

Description: Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world. Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can’t stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade.   Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she’s to complete her mission—and survive. Review: I have always been frustrated with the James Bond and Mission Impossible movie franchises especially with their reductive treatment of women who are either the femme fatale caricuture or an "agent" who is suppose to be capable an...

The Secret

The Storm Runner (The Storm Runner #1)


Description: Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He'd much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno — for his one good leg. What Zane doesn't know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy.

A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he's destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in — unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries, dangerous secrets, and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can't even walk well without a cane?


Review: The Storm Runner is a page turning, wild ride adventure in Mayan mythology. Though it is part of the Rick Riordan imprint, the book stands on its own and avoids the cookie-cutter format. Unknowingly Zane Obispo and unleashed the lord of death, darkness, and despair from imprisonment and he now has three days to correct his mistake in order to save the world.
  I adored Zane who is instantly relatable, funny and sweet. He is content exploring the volcano in his backyard with his dog, Rosie, and doing what he can to please his mother, who works hard for little. He is insecure of his disability, where one of his foot smaller than the other, and one leg shorter than the other, which subjects him to bullying. Like Percy's dyslexia was a signal of his demigod status, Zane's limp does the same for him. When he meets Brooks, a girl who appears after a mysterious plane crash, and she warns him, first, that he's in danger, and, second, that he's destined to set off the apocalypse his whole world goes topsy-turvy. Cervantes wastes no time getting right into the action. We follow Zane as he tries to make sense of the prophecy, his own supernatural origins, and fights demons and tries to outsmart gods who mean to harm him. It is absolutely refreshing to learn about non-European centric mythology. The conversational tone of the book which includes plenty of humor and Spanish words sprinkled in make the characters sound authentic and easy to read. There are plenty of action sequences and suspenseful moments that will keep the pages turning as the tension escalates and the characters face deepening stakes. While this is a no-brainer recommendation for the millions of Percy Jackson fans, this would also be a great book to highlight Mayan mythology and Mexican culture. While the book does not end in a cliffhanger, there are plenty of questions left to answer in the following books of the Storm Runner series.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There are disturbing images and injuries to a pet. Recommended for Grades

If you like this book try: Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo, The Fire Keeper (Stormrunner #2) will able available September 2019

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Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Description: Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinkmanship--and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer's coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice. Review: After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, Stevenson traveled to Alabama and an internship that involved assisting inmates on Alabama...

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Description: This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy— Talking about boogers. Stealing pocket change. Skateboarding. Wiping out. Braving up. Executing complicated handshakes. Planning an escape. Making jokes. Lotioning up. Finding comfort. But mostly, too busy walking home. Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life. Review:   Writing short stories is hard, but writing ten different stories that feature ten blocks in one neighborhood that takes place all at the same time is unimaginable yet Jason Reynolds make it very easy. On these ten blocks, Jasmine and TJ wonder what they are made of-dust and water. Four friends hustle for change all day and maneuver their capital into buying an ur...

Pet

Description: Pet is here to hunt a monster. Are you brave enough to look? There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question --How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? Review: Pet is a slim novel that does not have much of a plot but it is packed with representation and big questions regarding justice, truth, and remembering. Jam is our protagonist, a transgender hearing person who communicates selectively, using both sign ...

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