Book Review: The Little Bee by Nicola Killen

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The Little Bee  by Nicola Killen  is a children's picture book about a girl name Ollie who follows a bee to a magical, secret garden. But, the next day, the beautiful garden was gone, and the little girl misses her new friends. What will she do? This beautiful book has an expected publication date of May 5, 2026. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Beach Lane Books for approving my request for a digital Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Little Bee . I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Nicola Killen wrote such a beautifully worded story that I found myself immersed in the story, and I'm not even the target audience. It's a charming tale that should encourage children to explore nature and make them want to plant their own secret garden.  Equally beautiful were the illustrations. I found myself taking the time to actually look a the pictures as I read. It's a great story to read   at bedtime  with ch...
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Book Review: The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine

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YA Horror Book Review of The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine
The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine.  After Evan died in the Fear Street woods, everyone changed, and Ellen moved away. When Meg Dalton heard Ellen was coming for a visit, she thought it would be a great idea to throw Ellen a surprise party. With party plans under way, Meg begins receiving threats to cancel the party. Who would go to such drastic extremes?

As a part of rereading my way through my childhood, the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine were a must read for me, and The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) brought back some great memories for me. Mentions of trapper keepers, Molly Ringwald, Daryl Hannah, and Esprit clothing gave me all the feels. I wonder if kids today even know what a trapper keeper is and have ever heard of the Esprit clothing line?

I only vaguely remembered the storyline of The Surprise Party and thought I had the "bad guy" figured out from the get go only to find out I was wrong. How can I be so wrong about the whodunnit even as an adult? 

What I loved about this book, other than the nostalgia, were all of the twists and turns that R.L Stine provided and the red herrings. For a YA Novel in the horror genre, I thought it was exceptionally well written and was enjoyable even as an adult. I loved that several of the characters from The New Girl (Fear Street, #1) made cameos in this edition of Fear Street.

I gave The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) five out five stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to tweens and teens. I'd even recommend it to adults for nostalgia. 

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