Book Review: Stella: Ranch Patrol

Stella: Ranch Patrol

by W. Bruce Cameron

Pub Date: Aug 26 2025   | 

Read through the courtesy of netgalley.com.

My students eat this series up (4th-8th grade intermediate school); but, this was my first time reading one of the Dogs with a Purpose series by W. Bruce Cameron. I enjoyed the range of emotions through the book - joy through fear - being accessible through Stella (a dog's) perspective. I thought it allowed the reader to think on many levels - a human perspective, an animal's perspective, a *talking* and *thinking* animal's perspective.  I did wonder why Stella was the only 'sentient' beast who could talk (or did talk) for the other animals, so to speak. There was a lot of humor, sometimes subtle, which also provide opportunities for readers of many levels to take what they could from the story. Cameron created plot tension, anticipation, and suspense while cleanly and not artificially coming to satisfying conclusions. Lessons and morals were hinted at in realistic ways without being preachy. Now I know why my students adore these books. :o)

Book Review: The Ink Witch

The Ink Witch
by Steph Cherrywell
Pub Date: Sep 16 2025

Read courtesy of netgalley.com

The transgender aspect of the main character was used to move the plot ahead without being preachy. For this reason, I enjoyed the rest of the book much more than I thought I would since at first I thought that the topic of gender was subterfuge a preachy story rather than ending up as a plot method. That being said, I also enjoyed that the book didn't start out as a witchy fantasy and allowed the reader to take the main character's journey with her. The storytelling was smooth and interesting, and I liked that I wasn't inundated with too many characters (i.e., names) to remember. The storytelling descriptions were enough to keep the twisting characters from getting muddy. Unique method of witchcraft (ink spells) was also a good way to keep the story interesting. Probably will get this for my middle school library collection. 

Yes, It's been a while... Book Review: The Unraveling

The Unraveling

by Keith Ward; Karl Buechner; Jeremy Mueller

Pub Date: 20 May 2025

read courtesy of http://www.netgalley.com

     Full disclosure: fantasy stories aren't my favorite, and it took me a while to get into this one. But once I did, I enjoyed the story. - at least until it ended abruptly. I understood the anthropomorphizing of the characters, but not the likening it to 'Watership Down' and a slightly derivative feel at times to 'Star Wars.' 

     I also understand the series appeal for this age of reader, but to not end the story as even a possible stand-alone is torturous and manipulative. I'd be really curious what the reading level (A./R. or Lexile) is because the vocabulary was really elevated: melee, attrition, accelerants, haughty, beleaguered, dirge, petulant, hubris, usurp, abattoir, etc. 

     I did enjoy the bit of humor that was peppered into the story: a crow-coo clock, cricket poppers, a stuffed parrot named Admiral Feathers, and some others. However, I did feel a little like I was being indoctrinated into a "humans bad/animals good" ideology, and it wasn't until at least 2/3 into the book that any concessions were made that an individual doesn't define a species.

I rated it a 2-⭐⭐