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    Discover the power of perseverance in Bryan Beus’ ‘Westly’

    1
    By Jessica on October 7, 2015 ages 7 & up, Middle Grade

    Westly“WESTLY: A SPIDER’S TALE,” by Bryan Beus, Shadow Mountain Publishing, Sept. 29, 2015, Hardcover, $15.99 (ages 8-11)

    Westly is a prince. His father is Monarch, the king of the butterflies. When the day arrives for young caterpillars to form cocoons and take their place among the butterflies, Westly doesn’t have many concerns. But when he emerges from his cocoon, worries are all he has. Instead of emerging a beautiful monarch, he comes out a spider. Afraid of the butterflies’ reactions, Westly runs away. The young spider finds a new home with the “dirt eaters” (pretty much all other kinds of insects). Westly wants to make a difference, he wants to make his mark, and by doing so, he may just put those he loves the most in danger.

    “Westly: A Spider’s Tale” is a sweet little book. It’s short and fast-paced. Bryan Beus writes with a clear voice that is warm and inviting. His accompanying illustrations are a nice addition, fleshing out the scene a little bit more. Young readers will identify with Westly and his desire to make his mark while being a part of something.

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    Jessica
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    Jessica Harrison is the reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. She loves books and worked as the in-house book critic at a daily newspaper, writing reviews and interviewing authors for two years. When the company cut back, she lost her position covering books, but that doesn't mean she stopped reading. If anything, the whole experience made her more passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices. She has been featured on NetGalley's Blogger Spotlight and is on Kindleprenuer's Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs. Contact her at jessica(at)crackingthecover(dot)com and follow Cracking the Cover on Bluesky, Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter (X) @crackingthecovr. You can also read scaled down reviews on Jessica's Goodreads review page. Jessica is also a reviewer on Amazon.

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    1. Pingback: This week’s round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi from around the blogs (10/11/15) « Teens Update

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