Alice's dad has moved out, her brothers have been sent to live with her aunt and only Alice is left to deal with her mom who is still recovering emotionally from a devastating accident. But Alice is not happy and decides to live in a tent in the yard as a protest. For awhile she is able to get away with it - her mom mostly ignores her and she meets a new friend, keeps swimming, and starts helping out with a girl next store who won't speak. She even helps her friend experiment with fireflies. But eventually her parents force her to move in with her aunt - especially after some questionable decisions. What is the line where love turns to hate? Can Alice ever truly know or just accept that at some point things changed and she has to learn to live with it.
This ended up being a pretty good book - one of those that ends more realistically than most. It did take a long time to get there though and I am not sure it will hold reader's interest.
This was an odd book. Rupert lives in a very poor family and because of his brother's odd quirk of stealing cats the family is not liked at all and is getting no assistance. The descriptions of the family brought to mind Charlie Bucket's family. On Christmas Day Rupert was passing by the home of the Rivers, the richest family in town, on his way to school (because he didn't realize it was Christmas) and got himself snagged and zapped by the security gate. The family, feeling remorseful, invited Rupert in. There he spent the day eating and partaking in a variety of games. He was accumulating all sorts of prizes and then in a bizarre last minute winner take all question he lost everything and went back to his pitiful life. Except that members of the family felt sorry for him and started taking him on weird excursions - midnight run to a restaurant where the mom was working, time traveling in a cardboard box to the past and the future, and looking at jewels and ending up being robbed and kidnapped. In the end though the fortune of Rupert's family turned and he learned that the life of the very rich wasn't that great.
So - yeah - the time travel, etc was a bit weird. I think students who have enjoyed Horvath's other books or like really quirky may enjoy this. It didn't really work for me.
This is one of those events that I kind of knew about vaguely but didn't really know about. It was good to read about it and have a better understanding of the event. Honestly, a military book is not really my thing but for the right audience it will be good.
Kobi and his dad have been surviving on their own for a long time. Kobi is immune to the Waste but his dad is not, although he is working on a cure. When his dad is gone longer than he should be Kobi sets out to find him and discovers there are more people around than he knew, there are also kids like him, and his dad has been lying to him his whole life. But who can Kobi really trust and what is really going on?
This was a fun action, dystopian book with a lot of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it.
This is a great book for kiddos who like magic and some middle school drama.
Leonora is tired of being the youngest and not being able to help in the bakery - especially around Dia de los Muertos. But when she goes snooping around she discovers there is more to her family's bakery than just skill - there is also magic. Unfortunately Leonore is not content with waiting until she is 15 so she starts experimenting with a few spells of her own - which of course go horribly wrong. Can Leonore fix the mess she's made and find a way to become part of the family magic sooner rather than later?
Alice and her dad are going to take the new ship Titanic to America to start a new life. But they can't take their dog Mutt. But Mutt makes his way on board anyway. There he meets the Captain's cat Clara, 3 small kittens, and one of the rats, Leon. Can they survive?
For students who like the I Survived series and Kate Messner's Ranger in Tome series will like this.
I truly wanted to like this... It started off well. Kasey hurt herself in the leg and then it wasn't healing properly so she had to go to the hospital. Turns out she had a disease and had to stay in the hospital for a month getting treated via IV (Ivy). The hospital where she stayed had no other kids - just a bunch of older people. While she was in the hospital she wrote letters (format of the book) to her friend Nina (who we never meet). And that's it. No real conflict, no tension really...
This was a really well done look at the Great Depression. It looked at the problem itself and how Hoover and then FDR dealt with it. I really appreciated the sections on Eleanor Roosevelt and then the impact on women, African Americans, and immigrants. This was thorough but well paced with many photographs. Well done.
Flint's eyes are terrible - he has a disease that affects his cornea. As a result he has blurry vision, can't participate in sports, and even worse he looks weird. Everyone class him squint. But, he loves to draw and he's hoping to win a comic book contest with his newest story.
McKell is a new girl. She hangs out with some of the popular kids but then, for some strange reason she starts sitting with him. Although Flint later finds out it is part of a challenge there is something to their friendship.
There is also more to the challenges. They have been set by McKell's brother who also suffers from a rare disease. But, on his YouTube channel he encourages people to be kind, try new things, and do the things that he can't.
Can Squint and McKell follow through on some of the challenges facing them?
I liked this - good friendship, good growth even with the "bully" in a realistic way, and a feel good story about challenging yourself.
Stuey has few friends and is struggling with the death of his grandfather. When he and Elly strike up a friendship it is almost magical - as she says, they are "soul mates". They share a birthday and the same special place. But something strange happens - one day while talking at their place Elly disappears. Or is it Stuey who disappears? Both exist in different realities where the other one has disappeared and different things are happening around them. As time passes they see each other for a few moments here and there. Of course, everyone else thinks they are crazy. Can an uncovering of an old rivalry and disappearances bring their realities back together?
This was kind of odd and I slogged my way through most of it. I ended up liking the last 100 pages or so. Not sure if my readers will stick with it.
Ever since the accident that left his father dead and him in a wheelchair, Noah has not really tried to do much of anything. What's the point? His old friends are awkward around him and he really doesn't think things will ever get better. But when Double Wide moves to town and they become friends - because they don't know each other's past - things start to look up. That is if they can keep Noah's mom from dating a neighbor, expose that same neighbor as a liar, and take down a bully.
This story had a lot of heart and had some nice touches. I was a bit confused by the name of the "operation" - it almost seemed like the ARC I read messed it up a bit - guessing I was either confused or it will be fixed. Otherwise a solid read.
Dany is struggling with fitting in and making friends in middle school. When she inherits a sketchbook she soon finds out it is magical. Her first drawing, of a bad (but cute) guy from a show she watches comes to life. Unfortunately she just drew the head. That gives her the idea of drawing a new best friend. But when Madison finds out who she really is Dany is left alone again trying to figure out how to make real friends.
Pretty quirky but I imagine kids will like it.
I loved this so much!!! I have really enjoyed all of Gail Jarrow's work and this is no different. This was a great explanation of the broadcast itself, events leading up to it, and the aftermath. Of special interest was the debunking of how widespread the "panic" was. Very well done and with good ties to current events.
This is another one of those topics that I know about but I didn't really know about. Familiar with some of the names, dates, and events but not the strategies and lengths that women went and the different groups involved. This is a good read to have in the library for those interested in the ongoing struggle for equality.
Ellie and her dad have just moved back to the States from France. But everything is different now, everything is wrong. Her mother has died and they are lost without her. It is Ellie's that she can somehow get her mother's much rejected manuscripts published but when she tries to open her mother's laptop to get them she finds out the password is changed. Her mother's laptop is a special computer and will only accept 3 wrong password attempts before it starts deleting files. Can Ellie figure out the password and move on with her life?
The first half of the book actually goes back to her mom's diagnosis and the events leading up to her death. As I read it I knew there had to be a hint there as to the password. Then the book started following Ellie's new life and friends as she continued to try the password. I won't give spoilers but it was a nice ending.
My one complaint was that I wish there was more development of Ellie and her new friends. They seemed to click very quickly and time passed rapidly in that part of the book. But I liked it overall.
After the death of his mother, Langston and his father moved to Chicago to make a better life for themselves. But Langston doesn't like Chicago - he misses his home, his grandmother and he hasn't made any friends and is bullied. Soon Langston finds a library nearby that is welcoming to African Americans and features famous authors and poets who share his experiences - especially one name Langston Hughes. Is that how Langston got his name?
This is a really short book but it has a quiet, sweet tone as Langston learns to appreciate poetry and makes peace with the changes in his life. Could be a soft triumph.
Esmae has been living far away from her family - she was cast off from her mother when she was just a baby and rescued by a goddess. Since then her uncle took the throne away from her mother and two brothers and exiled them. She will do anything to help them regain the throne even if it means beating her brother in a contest to win the ship Titania from him. But things don't turn out the way she expected - her uncle and nephew are not the evil people she thought they were and her actions have led to what the gods say it a fixed point in the future - she will be killed by her brother in a duel. Can Esmae prevent this prophecy from taking place and restore the kingdom?
I really enjoyed this sci fi adventure. There were good characters and intrigue with a dash of romance and humor. Looking forward to the sequel but ending wasn't too much of a cliffhanger.
This was a really interesting account of a ship that sunk in the 1600s and was recently raised. While plugged as a "shipwreck of Titanic proportions" I feel that was really more of a hook than an actuality. There was little about the actual ship, survivors, number who died, etc. So while interesting it wasn't compelling.
This book is really weird. The elves and the goblins have been at war. Brangwain Spurge, an elf, has been sent to the goblin kingdom to deliver an ancient goblin artifact that has been found as a gesture of peace. Unbeknownst to him though it has been turned into a bomb. As Spurge and his goblin host compare notes they discover that each side blames the other for everything. Can these factions ever learn to get along.
Part of the book is "transmissions" from Spurge to the elven kingdom and are illustrations so that helps move the book along. The book is quirky, a bit funny, and asatire about war.
This was an eye-opening account of Melba's life up to the Little Rock Nine's integration of Central High. I appreciated the context and how she felt about what was going on around her - her fears, her comfort, the challenges. I do wish there had been more about the actual integration and her life afterward - only one chapter and the epilogue for that. As far as my library - I will put it in the library but would have a bit of trouble overly promoting because of what almost happened to her at the hands of the KKK and how her appearance caused unwanted attention. I am glad it is mentioned but with the ages I work with it can be a sensitive subject and not all at that age are ready to read about it.
This is the first book in a new series. Lottie promised her mother that she would do everything she could to get into Rosewood. Years later and with her mother gone Lottie has made it. With a tiara in hand that has been in her family for generations Lottie moves in to the exclusive boarding school. There she meets her wild roommate Ellie and at first the two girls don't get along.
Soon Lottie discovers that there is a princess at the school who is wanting to stay secret - and everyone thinks it's her. Turns out - it's actually her roommate. Then Ellie's bodyguard shows up at school too and they all decide to pretend that Lottie is the princess.
But there are those who want to harm the princess...
This wasn't bad - I felt it got better as it went but there were a lot of holes and unanswered questions.
This is the first book in a cute new series about 5 kids training to be on the Junior Ninja Champion TV show. This book covers the forming of a team, tryouts, and the semifinals. It focuses on the individual kids and learning to work as a team.
The book is ok - fans of American Ninja Warriors will like it. Not fabulous writing but kids won't mind.
This is an autobiography of Sylvia Acevedo who is a Latina engineer and CEO of the Girl Scouts of America. Her story is pretty interesting in that she grew up in the 60s during a time when girls were certainly not encouraged to pursue math and science - especially given her cultural background. It was very cool how she tied in much of her success to things she learned as a Girl Scout. This had a great message.
Ashley and her twin Ryan are skiing when an avalanche hits. Ashley remembers her training and is able to get out rather quickly but then has to try and find her brother. Once she gets him out they face the harder task of surviving. Both are injured - Ashley has hurt her knee and Ryan has a head injury that has made him temporarily lose his memory. In addition their skis are gone and no one knows where they are.
This new series will appeal to I Survived Fans - short and a good adventure.
Darak can't wait until he is old enough to hunt dragons like his father and older brother. Dragons are dangerous - everyone knows that. But when Darak discovers a baby dragon by the body of its mother everything changes. Maybe they aren't as dangerous as everyone thinks. Can Darak get the baby dragon back to its own kind and change everyone's opinions?
Cute story for the 2nd and 3rd grade crowd.
Harold and his mom are really excited when a famous author moves in next door. Then he is even more excited when he finds out that Mr. Goolz has 2 daughters around his age. But, when things start getting weird - strange lights, a ghostly looking lady, and more Harold starts getting a bit nervous. It turns out that Mr. Goolz has used the Stone of the Dead to try and get his wife back but instead it has summoned someone else . Can Harold and the girls figure out what she wants before more people die or go missing?
This wasn't bad. There was some good action and creep factor although I felt it got a bit violent and gory for some of the ages I work with. I also wish there had been more back story about the ghost and about the stone. Kids who like books by Mary Downing Hahn, etc will enjoy this and it looks to be the first in a series.
Sarah just witnessed the death of mother. That sight is just another is long list of things she has seen that she suppresses into an internal box. She is now on the run but before she can escape the country she decides to help a man who is about to be caught by the Nazis. This leads to an uneasy relationship between the two. He is an Englishman trying to prevent the Nazis from building a nuclear weapon and he thinks he can use Sarah to infiltrate a professors house. How? Because she is blond she can pass as Aryan, go to a private school with the professor's daughter, and get invited to the house. Easy right? But the school is full of violence, her "uncle" gets shot, and when she finally gets to the house it is really a trap to satisfy the professor's sick fantasies.
I personally liked the book although the last 100 pages or so were quite disturbing. Up until then I might have considered the book for my library (6 - 8) but after that it is solidly YA.
Glorieta loves her heritage and especially looks forward to the Days of the Dead every year. But unfortunately her Tia refuses to let Glorieta's mom be buried in the nearby cemetery or honored because she committed suicide. Glorieta would like to convince her Tia to change her mind. But she has other things to deal with as well - a new stepmom who has children of her own. Her new stepsister Lilith in particular seems to hate her. And then there is the constant stress of refugees or "illegal aliens" crossing the nearby border with Mexico.
There is a lot going on with this book and ultimately I think that is where it falls apart. The conflict of getting her Tia to change her mind about honoring her mother is foremost but when it is finally resolved it almost seems too easy. I think, in a way, the same goes for the issue with Lilith. Glorieta starts to understand what drives Lilith's hatred but it seems a bit unresolved. Then there is the immigration side story and Glorieta's experience with immigration officials. It is added into the book but not fully explored - I feel like that could have been a book in itself.
This book highlights several animals that have been on the brink of extinction and have been brought back. The author talks about what led to their near extinction and the efforts that have been made and/or continue to be made to save the animals. While I appreciated the fact that the author was able to visit places where the animals were being rescued at times the conversation 1st person aspect seemed a bit out of place.
