Book Nook: Swirl Series

I recently had a chance to read two books in the Swirl series. Swirl is a new line of collectible, tween-girl-centered stand-alone novels. These are just-right aspirational books for younger readers (not-quite-tweens) who like to read up. Each of these fun, light, and realistic contemporary stories has totally different characters and plot, and they can be read in any order.

Each book is written by a different author. The series includes: Pumpkin Spice Secrets by Hillary Homzie, Peppermint Cocoa Crushes by Laney Nielson, Cinnamon Bun Besties by Stacia Deutsch, and Salted Caramel Dreams by Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper.

Overall, I like these books. They get a little bit more into crushes than I would ideally like my not-yet-tween to read about, but there's nothing really inappropriate about it, and some kids that age are starting to hear and talk more about crushes, so it all depends on the reader. The reading level is suitable for later elementary strong readers on up, and for stronger readers (like young teens) they would be a very quick read. The plot moves along well, the characters are believable and relatable, and while the stories don't have a great deal of depth, they do allow for positive literary entertainment.