Jane B. Mason

This is the fourth book in the series. It can be tricky to tell with this series, but it does have a little 4 on the spine. It does not have an interior page where it lists all the previous books in order. (Though this is an ILL library book, so it's _possible_ that page fell out. It doesn't seem like it.)This one is all about Sleeping Beauty, lest you think it's actually about Beauty and the Beast. Definitely playing with the idea, and trying to confuse. Both stories even involve show more roses.Anyhow, Briar Rose is all like 'I have all these fairy gifts, and it sucks.' 'Everyone thinks I'm beautiful and perfect, and it sucks.' 'They don't like me for me, they like me because of my fairy gifts.' So she attempts to be less than perfect. She messes up her hair. She eats messily. She snorts when she laughs. But everyone just starts copying her, because she's a trendsetter.Meanwhile there's exams to be studying for. And a masquerade to go to. So she gets to dress up like a beast.She doesn't do well on her exams, because all this time she was trying not to be perfect, she wasn't studying for them. And that part I found a little unrealistic. Because when you're smart, when you've been doing your homework all the time up to that point, then studying for exams is redundant. She should've done just fine on them. Maybe not A , but certainly an A. But all she manages to do is pass. I think her fairy gift of intelligence is crap!But at least this book didn't suck so badly as the last one. There's a new prince who isn't bad, but his clumsiness is annoying. Only a few more books to go! show less

Very enjoyable reading, in fact, I was hooked at the first page and read it in one sitting. I admit that I'll read just about anything about dogs but I don't recommend all of them. I'm always happy to find a well-written children's book involving a dog: this one has a good story, realistic emotions, realistic danger, and nothing too unbelievable (the main canine character's initiative is a bit far-fetched but at that point in the book I really wanted to believe).

There are the obligatory show more positive teachings but they're not too heavy-handed: no one is completely good or bad, first impressions aren't always accurate, packs/families help each other, how one's talents can be really helpful to others, how dishonesty--even for a good reason--can be perceived by others, and how unpleasant people can sometimes become less unpleasant when we show them kindness.

What I thought most instructive for the juvenile reader--besides being well-written and not insulting to them--were different examples of how people deal with stress with believable scenes of tension in a family and between friends. Also helpful were realistic examples of dogs expressing emotions (shock, tension, defensiveness). show less

Josie Little brings best friend/girlfriend/partner Annette to an exclusive boarding school, Brookwood Academy in New Hampshire, miles away from their tiny Minnesota town and Annette's abusive mother. Josie hopes it will be a place where they can both grow and be freer, and especially wishes this for Annette. Things go awry as soon as they arrive - they're not roommates and Annette begins spending most of her time with the social elites of this prestigious and wealthy school, leaving Josie on show more the outside. Regular classes begin, and Josie struggles with the much higher academic expectations. She befriends Penn and a group of boys, who spend their nights playing poker and exploring the steam tunnels in the underbelly of the school. Josie watches her best friend fall into the same alcohol trap that controls Annette's mother, and has to deal with Penn's growing feelings for her.

Author Jane B. Mason does a great job describing the reality of boarding schools (actually, almost any school) and the emotional experience of being someone who really never quite fits in. This is a nice addition to the genre of LGBTQ books that does justice to showing that a lesbian relationship is basically the same as any close romantic relationship. I did find the whole steam tunnel exploration a bit far-fetched, but suppose the author did need a plot line that helped move the story along, and paralleled Josie's own personal exploration and dramatic realization. There is some sexuality in this book that puts it at the high school level - nothing too explicit, but definitely there. This would appeal mostly to girls, and I'd put it in the hands of any student who likes love stories or coming of age themed books. show less

The Maiden Games are fast approaching and Snow White is frozen with fear. It's bad enough that Princess School will be facing off against the nasty witches who attend the nearby Grimm School. But Snow's awful stepmother, Malodora, is one of the Grimm School's judges, and her icy stare alone is enough to make Snow quake. She's sure something terrible will happen. But if she doesn't participate, Snow will be letting down her whole school, including her best friends. Snow needs Rapunzel, Ella, show more and Rose more than ever. But what match are the princesses for a powerful witch like Malodora? show less