Illustrated by Alexis Vitrebert
This story of Versailles is told from the perspective of Henri de Nolhac, son of Pierre de Nolhac, who came to be a steward of the palace during the Third French Republic. This is not Versailles during the time of kings and queens. This is Versailles as it was just beginning to be appreciated as an historical masterpiece, and thanks in large part to the dedication of Pierre. But, the demands of restoring the palace took a toll on the family life of Pierre, which is also included in great detail. This story also includes how Versailles morphed during the Great War, changing from a monument to a refuge for wounded soldiers and a place of gathering for Christmas celebrations and the like. Extensive end-notes provide more historical context for the de Nolhac family and the source materials for the creative team.
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As with many series of my childhood, Rayearth has been republished in a hardback anniversary edition with enlarged pages and beautiful covers. In honor of the 25th Anniversary, I will be providing reviews of every volume. I have also reviewed this 6-volume series previously in one review.
Rayearth begins with a mysterious young girl praying for the Magic Knights to save her world. We then join several schools on a field trip to Tokyo Tower. Three girls - Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi - from separate schools are singled out and pulled into a magical realm known as Cefiro (previously published as Cephiro). These three ladies careen through the sky of a land that is very clearly not Japan. They are rescued by a sorcerer, Guru Clef, who explains to them that the Pillar of Cefiro, the kidnapped Princess Emeraude, has summoned them to the world to become the legendary Magic Knights and save them all. Clef bestows upon them magical armor and points them in the direction of a weapon-maker, just before he is overtaken by evil minions. The three find out from Presea, the weapon maker, that they will need to adventure to obtain materials for their individual weapons, and all of this will culminate in awakening the Rune Gods in order to save Emeraude and Cefiro. 
Illustrated by Jeff Stokely
This book is a reimagining is the story of the Pied Piper. In the village of Hameln, a young woman named Maggie lives and dreams of falling in love. She has gone deaf due to a tragedy of childhood cruelty, and she continues to live with judgment from the villagers. The village of Hameln is beset with rats, bringing fever and ruining crops and stores of food. In comes a mysterious stranger who claims he can rid the village of all the rats. He negotiates his fees, including all-expenses-paid while he stays in the village, and begins his recon. This includes getting to know the lovely Maggie, who cannot fall under his spell naturally. Nevertheless, the two begin to admire each other, but double-crossing and deep-seeded bitterness threaten everything Maggie knows about the man of her dreams. 
Seki is up to his antics again, hardly ever paying attention during class and having a bag packed full of games instead of schoolwork. He tries to impress Yokoi with a magic trick, Japanese chess with a seemingly tragic, heroic story, table top golf, zombie Othello, and so much more. The class also takes a trip to a camp, where Yokoi gets a rare glimpse at her neighbor’s childhood. Back in class, the two are noticed by Goto, who desperately wants to be Yokoi’s friend, but thinks all they’re up to is sneaking kisses and loving glances during class.
Vol 1: Family Business, created by Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene
The Sangeryes, as a family, have been fighting evil demon creatures from breaking into our realm for centuries. At present, their operations are set in 1920s Harlem, and slightly in Mississippi. These demons can creep into a man's soul when hatred or fear takes over, and it's The Sangeryes' job to administer a serum that cleanses the soul back to normal. But, there are even deeper forces of evil at work. There are gatekeepers - devils who take the form of humans and guard gateways for other demons to come to Earth. There are also monsters who take over a soul when despair and pain set in, and the regular measures don't seem to work on them. And there's a whole world of evil just waiting to break into Earth. How will this family overcome their difficult past and protect reality? 
After the Sports Festival, pro hero associations have set their sights on the students at U. A., and offered them internships based on their performances. That means, the students will have to come up with their hero aliases, and there are some great ones! Once the students have solidified their aliases and chosen where they want to apprentice, it's off for several days of instruction from the Pros. Ida has chosen an association in Hosu City, where a major villain, Hero Killer, has attacked and killed many heroes, including maiming Ida's older brother! Deku is scouted by one of All Might's former teachers, Gran Torino, who is a rather strange, but effective, teacher. On the way to some practical training, Gran Torino and Deku get waylaid in Hosu, where Ida is in trouble!
The delinquents at Salt High want to get the Body Improvement Club, of which Mob is a member, to help them take down the delinquents of Black Vinegar High. But, the Body Improvement Club isn’t about fighting. The only way to get them there is to trick Mob into getting kidnapped. The Salt High delinquents then send the Body Improvement Club ransom letters letting them know where they can retrieve Mob. They make quick work of the delinquents from Black Vinegar, that is, until the leader shows up. The leader of Black Vinegar’s gang is another super human, and, when he sees Mob has powers, he’s obsessed with getting Mob to unleash, but there's more than one reason Mob holds back.
Vol 2: Beast Boy, illustrated by Gabriel Picolo
Gar is struggling during his senior year: he’s short, can’t seem to gain any muscle no matter how much iron he pumps or protein shakes he drinks, and he hasn’t finished any of the things on his bucket list. So on a whim he accepts a dare to eat a Carolina reaper, and the stunt gains him some notoriety and good grace from some of the popular kids. He accepts more ill-conceived dares to ride the wave as long as possible, but some of them don’t turn out so well. Meanwhile, a stranger who knows his parents shows up and sows seeds of doubt in the supplements he's been taking his whole life, but not taking them means strange things start to happen to him. 
The Science Comics line has around 20 books, as of this writing, and they are all separate storylines delving into a concept in science.
In Rocks and Minerals, Wally is trying to prove he can be a worthy assistant to geologist Sedona. He brings her a rock sample, and this starts Sedona down the path of describing where rocks and minerals come from, starting with the Big Bang. Sedona then covers the different layers of the earth, plate tectonics, volcanos, caverns, minerals, and so much more. There is a lot of great information for the budding geologist or rock hound, and I really liked the inclusion of a glossary of terms that are highlighted in orange throughout the book. 
At the beginning of this novel, we get the resolution of the big reveal from the previous volume, where Ed, Alphonse, and Mustang all become privy to just how far the reach of the homunculi is within Amestris. The rest of the novel is a major flashback to the Ishvalan Civil War. We know from previous volumes how the war started, but until this point, we have only been privy to snippets as characters try not to remember the slaughter they took part of. Hawkeye, never one to shield Edward or treat him like a kid, is finally the one to educate him on the horror of what they were asked to do as part of the military. We also learn a vital piece of Colonel Mustang's past, and it further explains the dynamic between Hawkeye and Mustang.
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About MeI've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students. Search this site
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