Great book, love this author and how they can keep my attention to the end! The plot is well developed, characters are believable and they obviously paid attention to detail to make the story worth your time to read.

Well, it's been a while since I last reviewed a book for younger ages. And this one didn't disappoint, either.

Twin sisters Natasha and Teagan, are in a pinch. Their parents plan on moving to a new house, and the girls are devastated. They don't want to leave their friends and their home behind, no matter how much better the other place sounds. One day, before school, their favorite tree is hit by lightning - what they find inside its burnt trunk will be the reason for many adventures to come, and for the sisters to realize that it's not just their home that is in danger if they can't convince their parents to cancel their plans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The twins were a delight to read and see through their mishaps and shenanigans. While they communicated and understood each other in a level deeper than most siblings, they were two different personalities, and that added to the fun of the book, as I didn't have to read about two main characters being copies of each other.

What's more, the pace was fine for a story that is meant for kids and pre-teens, which I suspect is its target audience. It wasn't too slow or full of long explanations, so that it wouldn't bore the younger readers, and the characters understood what the deal with their new responsibilities as "Guardians" was pretty quick - in any other case, it would have sounded unrealistic, but the writer wisely chose to ignore realism here so as to let it work for his storytelling. It wasn't too fast, either, though, giving the reader time to adjust properly to changes in the dynamics and the situations surrounding the girls.

Last but not least, I liked how Mr. Stewart used his book in an effective way to teach youngsters about caring for nature, be it animals or plants, and respecting people's freedom and individuality. It was done in a hilarious yet cute way through Natasha's activism, as only a child can act and think like this, and it was beautiful. And while there were some gaps near the end - like, what happened with them moving, or if they would ever include others in their little missions and stuff - I feel like it didn't need to be further explained or described. A young reader wouldn't care for the bigger picture, at least not yet. The important thing is that they won their first little battle, and for someone of that age, that's what counts and gets the main focus.

I really wish we'll get to see more of the twins, their little sister, and their friends. I hope we get to see them in more adventures, possibly meeting others like them, even if not from the same species. All in all, I recommend this book for any kid - even those who may have grown up in physical terms - for a fun and heartfelt read.

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

I read the first 5 chapters of this book but I couldn't get into the world. I didn't really understand the whole tree thing and it got confusing at times to focus on who was doing what. I'm sorry I'm not the best reader for this book.

Review: The River Keepers, by Michael F Stewart
A very sweet children’s book that combines magic with an exciting, engaging storyline.
At eleven, twins Natasha and Tegan see the oak tree in their garden blow down. Inside it? A dead gnome, whom they fail to save- but then they realise that they’ve taken the gnome’s place as guardians of the area in which they live, looking after the natural world, whether that’s a skunk or a frog.
Natasha and Tegan are the main characters here, and their lives are well fleshed out, with a nasty football coach, parents who want them to move house, and an annoying little sister, Penny. Their sibling rivalry is explored as well, which adds excitement to their adventures, and makes them feel believable. And as they explore the world beyond their doorstep, they grow as characters, take on new responsibilities and learn how important it is to look after nature- something I always have time to read about!
The magic is a nice touch, too: the joy the sisters take in it, and the touches of humour that are sprinkled throughout the book in between the more serious lessons about ecology, make for a touching read- but the magic is mainly used as a plot device to explain the importance of the environment, which does at times make it feel clunky and heavy-handed.
Altogether, though, this is a book written with an enchanting lightness of touch. There’s magic, there’s science, there’s ecology… there’s something for everybody, and for children it’s a great way to introduce them to the larger world and how large it is beyond your doorstep.

While I was reading this book I kept trying to think of ways to talk about it without including spoilers but I can’t think of any way of saying what I want to without them, so ⚠️ Beware! Spoilers ahead! Read on at your own risk! ⚠️

I’m not sure who writes blurbs for kid’s books these days but The River Keepers was not the book I was expecting it to be when I first read the blurb. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing as I was entertained by this book and expect it to be well received by its target audience, but I found I spent time trying to reconcile my expectations with reality. I thought there’d be more focus on sci fi, fantasy and magic and I definitely didn’t expect the environmentalism message.

In The River Keepers we meet 11 year old twins Natasha and Reagan, their younger sister Penny and their parents. Their father is a writer and their mother is a nutritionist. The family home is for sale and neither twin want to move house or school, and don’t understand why they’re moving in the first place. The twins plan to sabotage the sale of the property.

After lightning destroys the iconic oak tree in their farmhouse’s yard, the twins discover that the oak is hollow inside and has been the home of a gnome. They find a scroll on the table in the home and gold globs (“gnome guts”) that feel like putty inside the gnome when they accidentally fling him across the yard and break him. I’m not quite sure why one of them has no problem pocketing the gnome’s guts yet they have a problem with their father fixing and painting the dead gnome.

I won’t give away any of the adventures but as you would already know from the blurb, the sisters transform into various animals throughout the book. There’s information about ecosystems and a great message that anyone, including kids, can take action to make positive changes in their local environment.

The twins walk to school with friends Maya and Oscar (and I had the Oscar Mayer jingle in my head each time this pair were mentioned) and the twins end up roping them into their plan to steal and free all of the neighbourhood’s zombie gnome slaves. I wasn’t sure why Natasha wrote in her letter that there was a fee of $9.99. If she was all about freeing the gnomes, why add a charge? The gnome activism reminded me so much of Hermione’s Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (SPEW).

I enjoyed the adventures when any of the sisters transformed into animals and experienced the world as each animal did. This is what I thought I’d signed up for and I would’ve loved for these scenes to be longer and for more animals to have needed their help. I wondered what happened to their clothes when they transformed into animals as they are naked when they transform back into humans. I expected for the 11 year old to be embarrassed to be found naked in the kitchen in the middle of the night by her parents, especially her father, but I didn’t detect that she felt uncomfortable about this at all.

I wasn’t a fan of the book’s use of the word ‘nutso’. I understand that it’s slang but I personally don’t like the word, especially when it’s used to describe people. I also wasn’t a fan of the mouse death scene or the battle to the death between one of the sisters and a centipede.

I liked the writing style and found the book easy to read. I’m unsure if this book has a planned sequel or not but the ending felt abrupt. So, here’s the section of the review where you tell me I read too much into a book that’s aimed for a middle school audience (if you haven’t already), but I’ve always been a prolific question asker so I most likely would’ve had similar questions had I read this book as a child.

While it’s implied that the end of the story is only the beginning of the twin’s adventures, I never found out if the family did end up moving house and if so, where they went. If they moved, did the girls pass on their gnomishness to their friends? As the twins had realised that their younger sister was indeed trustworthy with important secrets, why was she not included in the decision the twins made near the end?

Did the friends continue to steal the gnomes in their neigbourhood and if so did they get caught, as Natasha clearly broadcasted her intent with the letters she wrote to gnome enslavers and the police have already asked about the missing gnomes. Did they ever get in touch with the Gnome Freedom Fighters (GFF) who made the gnome slavery video on the internet and has a hashtag something like #freethegnome gone viral? Were all of the stolen gnomes zombies or were some just statues?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and The Publishing House for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

This is an adorable and fun little story that will appeal to a vast majority of people. I love that the author made a fairy-tale that speaks about what humans are doing to our planet without it being the main theme. Too many kids stories can be very in-your-face with the morals they portray but this one balances it nicely. I'll be looking fir more in the series!

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an Advanced Reading Copy of this book and I was pleasantly surprised. I love young adult books and as a middle school teacher many of them may not be the right age for all my students. I am an agriscience teacher and this book will be a great addition to my seventh grade curriculum when we talk about ecosystems and saving the environment. The story even says don’t make an excuse and do what you can. Quick, easy read and I can’t wait to see the reaction my students will have from this book!

I have to say – this was something of a disappointment. The story is well-written, the characters are convincing, the sibling rivalry between the twins and the dynamic between them and their annoying little sister is realistic and believable. But. I was expecting a story infused with magic and anticipating the ordinary throughout would be backlit with a glow of otherness, thanks to that wonderful cover. While Stewart provides all sorts of solidly good things in this book, that magical dimension is limited to being used as a device to explain to children the importance of our environment.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with that approach – indeed, it could be argued it is far more vital to give children a sense of urgency about their immediate natural surroundings and how fragile they are, than some fey tale about gnomes. My grizzle is that I picked this book up expecting said fey tale and instead got something a lot more sensible and worthy, due to the blurb and the cover.

Onto the positives. I found the children pleasingly realistic and when they did encounter the magical element, it worked very well. The touches of humour were welcome and will be appreciated by the target age-group and in amongst this story is a wealth of information about the environment that is delivered with a nicely light touch. Overall, the story progression works well – until the ending which seemed very abrupt and consequently rather unsatisfying, especially as this doesn’t appear to be the first in a series.

However, if you are looking for an enjoyable tale for your eight to ten-year-old girls, who are interested in stories with a twist of magic, then this one would be a good stocking-filler.
7/10

I have read 3 books now by this author and am quickly becoming a fan. The River Keepers will be a hit with the middle grade students from my school. Full of action, this will keep student's attention. I appreciate that the book is not long. And who wouldn't want to be able to transform into an animal?