The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake LGBTQ+ Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Sunny St. James is ready to start her life as the New Sunny after receiving a heart transplant and meeting her estranged birth mother after 8 years of separation. She’s also on a mission to find a new best friend and a boy (definitely a boy) to kiss. It’s a lot for one girl over … Read more
Fallen Empires Cleopatra in Space, book #5 by Mike Maihack Action Adventure Comedy/Funny Graphic Novel Science Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Cleo (Cleopatra) goes hiding after a mysterious death at Yasiro Academy, and she and her friends set out to uncover the spy who must be working within the school ranks. I liked this book because it is mysterious and interesting for me.
Smaller Sister by Maggie Edkins Willis Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Tween * * * * Stars (Great!) Lucy and Olivia are sisters and best friends – they even have their own secret code. Once Olivia becomes a teenager, though, things start to change. She becomes anxious and depressed and obsesses over her body/how she looks. Worst of all, she no longer has time or energy or patience for younger Lucy. When Olivia is officially diagnosed … Read more
Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff LGBTQ+ Realistic Fiction Tween * * * * Stars (Great!) When Annabelle returns for her final year at school (6th grade) there are two surprises waiting for her. The first is a new teacher who is interested in students’ input to create their social studies curriculum for the year. The second is a new student – Bailey – who uses they/them pronouns and helps Annabelle learn more about … Read more
Soar by Joan Bauer Realistic Fiction Sports Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Jeremiah is the world’s biggest baseball fan, but he cannot play the sport due to his heart condition. However, this doesn’t stop Jeremiah’s love for baseball. He decides to become a coach for the new town he just moved to. As scandals of his town’s team arise, Jeremiah is determined to bring his team back. I really liked Jeremiah’s determination … Read more
Wish by Barbara O’Connor Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * Stars (Pretty good) Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese hase been making a secret wish every day since she was in fourth grade. She gets sent to live with a family she barely knows and her hopes of her wish becoming true are now very unlikely. That is, until she meets a stray dog and a neighbor, Howard, who proves her wrong. I thought this was a … Read more
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor Graphic Novel Historical Fiction Tween Grades 6+ * * * * Stars (Great!) It’s 1885, and Mei lives in a logging camp with her father who runs the kitchen, while she makes the most delicious pies. She sees all of the inequalities between the white workers and the Chinese ones (and other people of color), though – in pay, room and board. She also sees it … Read more
Miss Quinces By Kat Fajardo Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Tween (grades 6+) * * * * Stars (Great!) Suyapa loves manga and drawing comics and wishes she could go to summer camp with her friends (who are into the same things), but her mami is very strict (she says NO, absolutely not), and the family is going to Honduras to visit family. While they are there, Suyapa learns that her mami has planned a surprise … Read more
Dear Student by Elly Swartz Realistic Fiction Tween (grades 4-8) * * * Stars (Pretty good) Autumn is starting 6th grade with a lot of life changes. Her dad recently joined the Peace Corps to make a difference in the world, and as a result, the rest of their family has had to move out of their big house and into a small apartment. Her best friend also just moved across the country, and Autumn … Read more
The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw Adventure Historical Fiction Mystery Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) What would it be like to live in the time of Queen Tiy, mother to Amenhotep IV? Ranofer does just that. He is a young Egyptian boy, who longs to be a goldsmith like his father. Unfortunately, his father dies and leaves Ranofer in the grips of his half-brother, Gebu. Ranofer’s life becomes miserable until … Read more