This month’s Reading Report is going to be a little bit different! Summer is a great time for reading, but it is also a lot more spontaneous and lacking in routine for our family. (Traveling to visit family, camping, rearranging furniture, and sorting books are just a few of the things we been doing!) This means my reading life is honestly all over the place right now. So instead of the typical what I’ve been reading sort of post this month, I thought I would do something new. I recently signed up to be a reviewer for NetGalley, and the first two books I received advanced reader copies of were books my kids were interested in. So let’s find out what they thought about these new books!
Beyond the Far Horizon by Carolyn Leiloglou
The first book we received for review is the third book in “The Restorationists” series by Carolyn Leiloglou, with illustrations by Vivienne To. My 14 year old son finished the first two books, Beneath the Swirling Sky and Between Flowers and Bones, earlier in the spring, and he was looking forward to seeing how the series progressed in this third book. When I asked him for a book review, he was a bit hesitant about how to write that, and in the end he came up with the following teaser (without spoilers) that sounds like it could be the blurb on the back of the book!
When Ravi joins the team, he is faced with many questions. Can he trust the Restorationists? Why did the Lady care about him? Does he belong on this team? What does it mean to be forgiving? How can he help the team stop Dorian? And when things are desperate, is he willing to use his most valuable resource to help the Restorationists? Even if it means losing their trust? All these questions will be answered in the long-awaited book, Beyond the Far Horizon.
He also told me that any kids who enjoy mysteries or spy stories would like this book (and the series), since it involves stopping an art heist. Kids don’t have to be interested in art history to enjoy these books, and I actually think it might help reluctant students become more intrigued by the world of art by reading these exciting stories. When I asked what ages he thought would enjoy these books, he said anyone old enough to read and understand them! He didn’t find any objectionable content or have any warnings, which makes sense because the author is a homeschool mom who understands the importance of good stories without damaging messages. (In fact, Carolyn has her own children’s book review website where she recommends new kids’ fiction books besides her own!)
In sum, we give Beyond the Far Horizon two thumbs up, or a solid 4.5 star rating, and highly recommend this middle grade novel! In fact, my son said this was his favorite series this year, by far! You can pre-order this book now and get it on release day, which is September 9, 2025. In fact, I would order the full series and make them a fun free reading gift for the beginning of the new school year!
Insect Anatomy by Julia Rothman and Michael Hearst
The second book I received to review was also part of a larger series of “Anatomy” books put together by Julia Rothman along with other contributors. In the past we have enjoyed Farm Anatomy and Nature Anatomy. I didn’t even know about Food Anatomy or Wildlife Anatomy, but I will probably check those out soon!
My daughter (age 10) and I sat down and flipped through Insect Anatomy together, and as with all the books in the series, we found the illustrations highly engaging. She said that the pictures were beautiful and that the whole book made bugs seem less “intimidating” (her word choice) and more interesting! I must say, I agree. Like other books in the series, Insect Anatomy is not necessarily a title to be read cover to cover in sequence, but can be equally enjoyed as a reference or simply paged through at random. Along with chapters highlighting different types of insects and how insects grow and develop, there is also a section with suggested hands-on activities. This book is full in interesting tidbits of information, pleasingly presented in hand drawn and painted info-graphics. There is a small portion mentioning “millions of years” and evolutionary history, as well as a couple pages on insects and climate change, but that is to be expected in this sort of book and are both so small as to be negligible in a book with so much other great content to enjoy.
Overall, Insect Anatomy would make a great addition to anyone’s nature study library or science shelf, and I don’t think there is any age limit for enjoying this book! I believe it would be a fun read for the bug enthusiast and the bug “skeptic” alike. This book also releases in early September, so it is another great one to preorder just in time for the new school year!
And that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed “hearing” from my kids about the books they have been enjoying. Maybe we will do some more junior book reviews in the future! And I will certainly update you all with what I have been reading next month. Until then, I would love to hear what you have been up to so far this summer!
Kiel
