Rise and Fall

Rise and Fall: Great Empires that Shaped the World
by Peter Allen (Author / Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: You may know of the Vikings, the Aztecs and the Mongols – perhaps even Minoa, Mali and Benin. But what about Kamakura, Achaemenid and Ayutthaya? This illustrated collection of histories for middle grade readers uncovers the secrets behind nine of the world’s greatest empires. Discover how each empire rose to power, what life was like, and what led to its eventual downfall.

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Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)

Meet Me at Wonderland

Meet Me at Wonderland
by Julia DeVillers (Author)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Fourteen-year-old Coco is Morty the Moose for the summer—the official mascot for her family’s business, Wonderland Adventure Park. Her first shift in the claustrophobic and stinky moose costume comes in the middle of a heatwave, and of course it’s when she emerges a sweaty mess that her manager introduces her to the new hire, Henry…the cutest boy Coco has ever seen.

Henry can’t believe his parents are forcing him to work at this dorky theme park. He’d much rather be hanging with his friends and working on his soccer game, but recovery from a bad injury would have kept him sidelined anyway. Being deathly afraid of heights, Henry hopes he can at least do his job without going on any of the rides.

After their first awkward meeting, Coco and Henry start to warm up to each other, and Coco confides in him about the park’s financial struggles. Soon, she thinks she like likes Henry…a lot. As the weeks go on, Henry’s dad starts asking oddly specific questions about his job, and Henry starts to suspect there’s more to his parents insisting on him working at the park than he thought. When a malfunctioning new ride leaves Henry and Coco stranded at the top, Henry’s worst nightmare comes true and secrets get revealed.

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Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)