Thank you, DOGOBooks! I won a copy of Zeus the Mighty: Book 3, The Trails of the Hairy-Clees and wanted to share how this is a great third installment of the series. From the first two books in the series you meet an overly obnoxious and confident hamster name Zeus. Along with his friends, book 3 takes you on another hilarious adventure all the while providing some great Greek myths in a light read. In book 3, the animal Olympians are listening to a podcast about Heracles and how he had to perform different labors. This leads to a new addition to the storyline, Hermes, a rescued hen, wanting to be a member of the Olympians. Zeus, Athena, Ares, Poseidon, and Demeter all agreeing the best way to have Hermes join is by performing “Hairy-Clees’ labors”. I enjoyed the comical dialogue and it is an easy to read book for older lower school to middle school kids who like animals and enjoy mythology.

One baffling boating accident, three self-serving stories. With the help of Lark Heron-Finch, will the truth behind the horrific boat accident that killed Albert Pritchard rise to the surface? Michael D. Beil’s “The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef” is written from a blunt, problem-solving, and scientific twelve-year-old girl’s sharp minded point of view. While on a somber summer vacation to her late mother’s childhood home on the island of Swallowtail, Lark is urged to assist Nadine, a native novelist and old friend of Lark’s mother, in uncovering the truth about the wreak at Ada’s Reef. At her stepfather’s – Thomas – proposal, she excitedly agrees to be Nadine’s assistant. Little did Lark know that she would be unraveling a “ghost net” that many locals wanted to remain at the bottom of the sea. Lark’s job reviewing inquest reports exposes a mystery around the death of Pritchard and connects it to the death of his friend, Captain Edward Cheever. Captain Cheever’s final words: “Will. Safe. Two bells. Ada holds the key,” spear-heads Lark and Nadine into questioning the most prominent family on the island. Will Lark’s tenacity help Nadine unearth the truth about two deaths, or two murders? Beil’s “Swallowtail Island: Wreck at Ada’s Reef” was a straight-forward, yet enjoyable book. I found the characters relatable and the intriguing plotline kept me engaged. Juggling soccer camp, caring for her little sister, Pip, and her English Settler, Pogo, Lark seems to enjoy the distraction her new job as a mystery-solving assistant provides. I would recommend this book for children ages 13+, since the book touches on sensitive topics.

One baffling boating accident, three self-serving stories. With the help of Lark Heron-Finch, will the truth behind the horrific boat accident that killed Albert Pritchard rise to the surface? Michael D. Beil’s “The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef” is written from a blunt, problem-solving, and scientific twelve-year-old girl’s sharp minded point of view. While on a somber summer vacation to her late mother’s childhood home on the island of Swallowtail, Lark is urged to assist Nadine, a native novelist and old friend of Lark’s mother, in uncovering the truth about the wreak at Ada’s Reef. At her stepfather’s – Thomas – proposal, she excitedly agrees to be Nadine’s assistant. Little did Lark know that she would be unraveling a “ghost net” that many locals wanted to remain at the bottom of the sea. Lark’s job reviewing inquest reports exposes a mystery around the death of Pritchard and connects it to the death of his friend, Captain Edward Cheever. Captain Cheever’s final words: “Will. Safe. Two bells. Ada holds the key,” spear-heads Lark and Nadine into questioning the most prominent family on the island. Will Lark’s tenacity help Nadine unearth the truth about two deaths, or two murders? Beil’s “Swallowtail Island: Wreck at Ada’s Reef” was a straight-forward, yet enjoyable book. I found the characters relatable and the intriguing plotline kept me engaged. Juggling soccer camp, caring for her little sister, Pip, and her English Settler, Pogo, Lark seems to enjoy the distraction her new job as a mystery-solving assistant provides. I would recommend this book for children ages 13+, since the book touches on sensitive topics.

“Goal!” Heart pounding so loud, hard and fast drowning out all other sounds that Albert can still hear it over the cheers from the fan filled crowd of unfamiliar faces- not family and friends. He turns to the cheering crowd and sees Zeenods, Jhaateez, Fetr, Manam, Liöt, Z-Tevs, and Tevs and reminds himself that he is playing soccer on another planet, an alien planet! Abducted on his way home from soccer tryouts, Albert comes face to face with members of the Zeenod Johka team. Learning that these aliens want him to be their star striker after being cut from his school’s team, Albert is elated to be able to play soccer, or something like soccer after all. But wait! He can not tell anyone, not even his family. An amazing opportunity to travel, to learn about new worlds and a solar system beyond what even his teachers have taught him AND to be able to play a star position even when his own school soccer team cuts him puts Albert’s world into a dilemma that only his neighbor’s dog, Tackle can help him maneuver. Albert Kinney is a 13-year-old who loves soccer and has spent his earlier years playing on the same soccer team with his friend and next-door neighbor Trey. At the end of the summer his only goal is to get a spot on the 7th grade soccer team along with Trey. But the two of them had differences, which made them friends and not best friends, and by tryouts those differences had multiplied. Albert wants nothing more than to play soccer and knew the importance of making it onto the 7th grade soccer team. When he does not make the team after the last day of tryouts, he does not tell his family. Instead he tells his mother, paternal grandmother and 3 gold medalist gymnast younger sister, he quit and wanted to try something new, the clarinet. Shocked and surprised, his mother and grandmother are supportive, but his relationship with his younger and more successful athletic sister becomes a thorn in his side. What Albert does not share with his family or classmates or Trey is that he has been chosen to play for an intergalactic soccer team. The Zeenods abduct Albert the same day he does not make the school’s soccer team. The Zeenods tell Albert that he will be their star striker in a johka tournament which is much like the soccer he plays on Earth. Confused and excited to be able to play soccer on a team, Albert accepts the opportunity. Little does he know that by accepting the johka star striker position he has created battlegrounds at home, at school, and in the Füigor Solar System. With danger lurking around every corner, Albert does not know who or what to trust. Help from his new teammates, the Zeenods, the neighbor’s dog, Tackle and a robot, Albert maneuvers his way traveling through space, learning about high tech soccer and ominous messages! This series is off to a great start with some questions answered and new developed cliff hangers. Star Striker: Game On! by Mary Amato is filled with advanced technology and cunning humor. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

“Goal!” Heart pounding so loud, hard and fast drowning out all other sounds that Albert can still hear it over the cheers from the fan filled crowd of unfamiliar faces- not family and friends. He turns to the cheering crowd and sees Zeenods, Jhaateez, Fetr, Manam, Liöt, Z-Tevs, and Tevs and reminds himself that he is playing soccer on another planet, an alien planet! Abducted on his way home from soccer tryouts, Albert comes face to face with members of the Zeenod Johka team. Learning that these aliens want him to be their star striker after being cut from his school’s team, Albert is elated to be able to play soccer, or something like soccer after all. But wait! He can not tell anyone, not even his family. An amazing opportunity to travel, to learn about new worlds and a solar system beyond what even his teachers have taught him AND to be able to play a star position even when his own school soccer team cuts him puts Albert’s world into a dilemma that only his neighbor’s dog, Tackle can help him maneuver. Albert Kinney is a 13-year-old who loves soccer and has spent his earlier years playing on the same soccer team with his friend and next-door neighbor Trey. At the end of the summer his only goal is to get a spot on the 7th grade soccer team along with Trey. But the two of them had differences, which made them friends and not best friends, and by tryouts those differences had multiplied. Albert wants nothing more than to play soccer and knew the importance of making it onto the 7th grade soccer team. When he does not make the team after the last day of tryouts, he does not tell his family. Instead he tells his mother, paternal grandmother and 3 gold medalist gymnast younger sister, he quit and wanted to try something new, the clarinet. Shocked and surprised, his mother and grandmother are supportive, but his relationship with his younger and more successful athletic sister becomes a thorn in his side. What Albert does not share with his family or classmates or Trey is that he has been chosen to play for an intergalactic soccer team. The Zeenods abduct Albert the same day he does not make the school’s soccer team. The Zeenods tell Albert that he will be their star striker in a johka tournament which is much like the soccer he plays on Earth. Confused and excited to be able to play soccer on a team, Albert accepts the opportunity. Little does he know that by accepting the johka star striker position he has created battlegrounds at home, at school, and in the Füigor Solar System. With danger lurking around every corner, Albert does not know who or what to trust. Help from his new teammates, the Zeenods, the neighbor’s dog, Tackle and a robot, Albert maneuvers his way traveling through space, learning about high tech soccer and ominous messages! This series is off to a great start with some questions answered and new developed cliff hangers. Star Striker: Game On! by Mary Amato is filled with advanced technology and cunning humor. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

What do the World Cup Trophy and the Winchester U-14 Championship Soccer League Trophy have in common? These trophies are both replicas! The original trophies were stolen and later replaced. Whatever happened to the original World Cup Trophy? What happened to the Winchester’s Soccer Trophy? Well with a little bit of history and some good sleuth work, three thirteen-year-old awesome soccer players use their wit and connections to the community librarians, former police chief, and former soccer coaches to unravel the mystery. Twins, Ava and Aiden, along with their friend Daniel all play on the U-14 girls or boys soccer team. They have to balance their desire to solve the mystery surrounding the 40 year old missing trophy, their practices and games during the championship along with their schoolwork. With each game win, the trio is fueled even more to figure out if the trophy thief was a friend or foe or a face in the cheering crowd or even a family member? Will the roadblocks of uncooperating coaches and wavering memories fold the three? Well, you will need to read Fred Bowen’s newest book Soccer Trophy Mystery to find out. Filled with tons of soccer jargon and exciting game moments, I recommend this book if you enjoy soccer and mystery. The book is for 7 and up, but will be a quick read for 10-year-old and up. I enjoyed how the book introduces one piece of information at a time so that the reader can formulate her or his opinion.