Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner Juvenile Fiction Realistic Fiction Tween * * * * Stars (Great!) 12-year-old Louise Montgomery can sing like the angels, but she has a sensory processing disorder that makes her extremely sensitive to noises and crowds, so performing is a real problem. Her single mother keeps scheduling gigs, though, because they need the money. One night, Louise crashes their truck on her way to pick her mom up from work … Read more
Write to Me by Cynthia Grady Illustrations by Amiko Hirao Juvenile Nonfiction Picture book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Clara Breed was a librarian in San Diego during WWII. When her young Japanese patrons were relocated to internment camps, she gave them postcards and encouraged them to write to her. Their letters helped her learn about their situation/conditions in the camps, and she was able to send them books and other items (soap, … Read more
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) Princess Pinecone is a warrior princess, but her folks keep giving her cozy sweaters instead of Useful Warrior Equipment (like armor and weapons and such). Prior to her birthday, she makes it abundantly clear that what she REALLY wants is a BIG, STRONG horse. They sort of get the message. Instead of another sweater, Princess Pinecone receives a small, … Read more
Slay by Brittney Morris Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Teenager Kiera Johnson is the developer of the online RPG SLAY, which she created initially to showcase her character, Emerald, but which has become a phenomenon in its own right. It celebrates Blackness and Black culture and Black history and provides a safe place for Black gamers to come together and slay without having to deal with all the racist crap that’s thrown … Read more
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater Supernatural * * * * Stars (Great!) The Soria family of Bicho Raro, Colorado, is known for its ability to perform miracles on the pilgrims (lost souls) who seek them out. Members of the family are able to release the darkness inside of those who request their help, but the pilgrims are responsible for achieving the second miracle themselves. If a Soria attempts to interfere in any way, … Read more
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis is a classic book people should read. Though geared towards an adult level, teens will enjoy this book also. This story is written as a series of letters from a “seasoned” tempter to a young tempter. Screwtape guides Wormwood, his nephew through the tricks a tempter should use on humans. The story is … Read more
Legends of Morana by Ella Selvaggio Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Legends of Morana is a book about a realm of dragons. This book is by a local author, and the suspense is woven throughout the story is written extremely well. Appollo and his friends live peacefully in a cave. Then Appollo finds a dragon egg, which then hatches into a dragonet named Blaze. Strange events start happening after … Read more
Here’s what folks are drawing for Inktober 2020! Want to get involved? Learn more here.
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee & Susan McClelland Biography Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Sungju Lee was just shy of 10 years old in 1997 when his family was forced to leave Pyongyang, North Korea. His parents said they were going on “vacation,” but they were really leaving their home for good. Sungju didn’t discover the truth until much later. Even though Sungju’s parents were supposed to receive rations for their work, … Read more
Who Was Bruce Lee? by Geoff Edgers Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) It is a great book for middle school kids.