Lark's summer trip to Swallowtail Island is nothing like how she envisioned it to be after she returns to her mother's childhood home after her passing, a place of memories and mystery. Lark is immediately drawn to the story of a boating accident that had occurred about 70 years prior and joins forces with Nadine, her mother's hometown friend, to try to solve the case that had stumped the island for decades. It just didn't make sense that Nadine's grandfather, Albert Pritchard, would have crashed into the rocky expanse of Ada's Reef, marked by a flashing buoy, considering he knew the waters like the back of his hand. Nadine is convinced that his death could be related to the death of Captain Cheever, who was a powerful man on the island who could have had sinister motives dealing with the land and wealth left behind. Lark's fresh perspective on the case might be just what Nadine needs to finally solve the mystery-- although people in the town may feel otherwise as the investigation pulls other lost truths of the island to the surface. Will Lark and Nadine uncover the solution to this Swallowtail Island mystery? And what is the significance of the small blue swallow figurine that Lark finds that she soon realizes may have been intentionally hidden? Readers will be drawn into the pages of this book by the captivating characters and story that author Michael D. Beil creates. I really enjoyed this book and loved Lark's honest opinions and GHT's (God's Honest Truths) that made this book an engaging read and left me wanting more of Swallowtail Island! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an enthralling read, and especially to lovers of birds and age-old mysteries, and for ages 12+!

Talented soccer player and 7th grader Albert Kinney just dropped his travel team so he could focus all his time on making the school team. Things aren't going great with him and his friend Trey on the travel team, so he's hoping things will be better if they play together for the school team. Albert thinks his life is over when he doesn't make the team... but later that night he gets transported to another alien planet named Zeenod, who tells Albert they want HIM to be the Star Striker for their soccer team! Albert is in disbelief over the whole series of events, because how do you even react when you get teleported to an alien planet and asked to play soccer with them?! Albert agrees but is told he must keep the whole thing a secret, or he could get his memory wiped permanently. Adapting to the new planet and robots like his advisor Unit B is difficult, but it's a challenge Albert is excited to take on. But something sinister is happening in the galaxy, someone trying to stop Albert from being part of the Zeenod's team, and possibly eliminate him. But why? Will Albert persevere through the different conflicts in his life on the alien soccer team and on earth? And can he keep it a secret from the rest of the world? I thought this book was super interesting with the whole new galaxy introduced and the different types of aliens Albert encounters throughout the story. This humorous and thrilling book kept me on the edge of my seat! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves soccer and adventure!