I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Lucy, Elena, and Michael are best friends who will be starting high school in the fall. They lost their 8th grade English teacher, Fat Bob, to a sudden heart attack earlier in the school year and to commemorate his memory and celebrate Lucy’s favorite book (which is also on their summer reading list) the three become literary terrorists and begin … Read more
Reached Matched #3 by Ally Condie Dystopian Romance Science Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) The revolution is finally taking place. The Rising has released a water-borne plague which has brought the Society to its knees. The Rising has the only cure, and is distributing it as quickly and as widely as possible. Its leaders plan to take over where the Society has left off once the populace is cured. But their plans … Read more
Pen Pal by Francesca Forrest Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Emlee (Em) lives in a tiny community known as “Mermaid’s Hands” in a sort of houseboat in the mudflats just outside of Sandy Neck. One day she decides to write a letter – a message in a bottle – which she gives over to the Seafather (the ocean) and which eventually finds its way into the hands of one Kayamanira Matarayi who … Read more
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick Fantasy Interwoven stories Printz award winner * * * Stars (Pretty good) This collection of interwoven stories spans years and multiple lifetimes of two inseparable souls – Eric and Merle (spellings differ). When they are first parted Eirikr vows to return, “‘You cannot kill me. Do you not know my name? I am Eirikr. The One King! Forever Strong, and though you kill my body today, I will live again! I … Read more
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige Fantasy Dark * * * * Stars (Great!) Amy has been poor and picked on for most of her life and she’d like nothing better than to get out of her small town, but she really didn’t expect her trailer park home to get swept up by a tornado and to be carried off to the Land of Oz. And she certainly didn’t anticipate that her arrival would cause … Read more
Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards Mystery Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Chloe’s future was uncertain when she fell asleep in study hall one fateful afternoon in May. Her GPA wasn’t the best, and she hadn’t made any efforts to apply to college. She knew there were uncomfortable conversations with her parents in her future. But, when she wakes up – 6 months later – her life is completely different. She’s … Read more
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The Storyteller gives us a look at WWII and how it affects us today. Sage, the main character, meets an elderly man while in her “grief group,” named Josef Weber. The two become friends, but it doesn’t last. Josef asks her to kill him. This book is suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down. Review #2 * * … Read more
The Falconer by Elizabeth May Fantasy Supernatural * * * * Stars (Great!) Lady Aileana Kameron witnessed first-hand the murder of her mother by the Baobhan Sith (a powerful fae). It transformed her from a respectable young lady who cared only for the finer things in life, to a vengeful fae-hunter. Taken under the wing of another faery, Kiaran Mackay – also keen on killing his own kind – Aileana learns about her prey, hones … Read more
Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Jason Blake is twelve years old and autistic. He is smart and perceptive and has a very rich inner life, but it’s hard for him to verbally express himself and his feelings. He communicates best through his writing and has been sharing it on a website/online community called Storyboard for the past 3 years. Recently, he’s been exchanging emails with … Read more
Tweens made a variety of gifts in this fun workshop (bath salts, cookies, and more!).