Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls Adventure Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This book was amazing! The main character is Jay Berry. He has a little sister named Daisy who is his twin. Jay was born healthy, but Daisy was born with a crippled leg. Jay thinks his summer is boring until he sees monkeys by the bottoms. Seekin gthe advice of his grandfather, Jay sets out to … Read more
Items we found during our Winter Scavenger Hunt of 2021 This activity was part of our Button Up and Read Winter Reading Challenge (January 1 – February 28, 2021).
The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The humans see him as a trouble maker. Aggie, his sister, sees him as the most wonderful brother. Meet Alastair, the African Grey parrot. He has a tendency to bite. He enjoys eating words. As soon as he rips a page out, the words spring into his mouth. Some taste as dry as sawdust. Some taste … Read more
The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning Ranger’s Apprentice #12 by John Flanagan Adventure Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This book is amazing! It is my introduction to Ranger’s Apprentice series, and I have loved every single page. Princess Madelyn of Araluen is headstrong, willful, and stubborn. And she exasperates her mother and father to the utmost. Meanwhile, a ranger named Will Treaty is struggling with a difficult loss. His … Read more
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore Adventure Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This book is absolutely amazing! Hazel Kaplansky loves detective work. But in a small town in Vermont, there isn’t usually a lot. Until Mr. Jones moves in. Set in the 1950s, this book revolves around the Cold War. When there is an investigation being conducted at a nearby factory, Hazel’s mind … Read more
These YA fiction books are selected each year by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA, the American Library Association) from nominations received and reviewed by their committees. Starting in 2010 these nominations became known as the “Best Fiction for Young Adults.” Prior to that (1996-2010) the books selected included nonfiction as well as fiction titles and the compilation was called “The Best Books for Young Adults.” Best Fiction for Young Adults … Read more
Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh Science Fiction Suspense Thriller Young Adult * * * Stars (Pretty good) Spheres, marble-like objects, suddenly appeared all over the planet one day and people discovered that different colored spheres gave them different abilities, gained by “burning” two spheres of the same color. 17-year-old David Sullivan’s (Sully) claim to fame is being swindled by a billionaire who bought an ultra-rare sphere off him, only to cancel payment when it didn’t … Read more
The Archer’s Cup Green Ember Archer #3 by S.D. Smith Adventure Fantasy Short Stories Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) S.D Smith brings back the fictional world of Natalia with a bang! This adventurous book fills in more of the blanks between the overall story. If you were wondering what Emma, Heyna, Cole, and Jo were doing before Book 4 of the Green Ember series, this is the book to read. The … Read more
Unlocked Keeper of the Lost Cities #8.5 by Shannon Messenger Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “Unlocked” by Shannon Messenger contains files on the characters in KOTLC, along with exclusive illustrations, records, and much more. There is a short, 400- page novel at the end of the book. As some of the last books in the series have had a sort of downward trend, I wasn’t sure what to think … Read more
The Vanderbeekers: Lost and Found Vanderbeekers #4 by Karina Yan Glaser Adventure Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Why wouldn’t you love this book? The Vanderbeekers crash through the pages of this book, pulling their readers in with them as they have yet another adventure. The book starts off with the Vanderbeekers getting ready for a marathon that Mr. Beiderman is going to run in. One of the reasons why … Read more