Sunny Makes a Splash Sunny #4 by Jennifer and Matthew Holm Graphic Novel Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Tween (grades 4+) * * * * Stars (Great!) Summer is here! And most of Sunny’s friends are off doing other things while Sunny is home babysitting her little brother. Until she lucks into a job at the pool working at the concession stand. She makes lots of new friends there among the life guards and gets to … Read more
Horse Trouble by Kristin Varner Juvenile Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Tween * * * Stars (Pretty good) Kate is a middle schooler who loves horses and has been obsessed with them since she was 7 (she’s now 12). Although she can’t afford to have her own horse, she has been taking riding lessons over the past 4 years and is becoming an accomplished rider, though she does seem to fall off a lot. She pays … Read more
Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall Biography Nonfiction Adults/teens * * * * Stars (Great!) Christopher McDougall and his family rescue a donkey (Sherman) from a hoarding situation and work hard to bring him back to health. Sherman surprises them all with his determination to survive and overcome his previous circumstances and McDougall comes up with the wild idea of training and entering him in a team long-distance donkey race. Recruiting family, friends, and neighbors, … Read more
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach Nonfiction Adults/older teens * * * * Stars (Great!) What happens as human and animal habitats overlap more and more? What do we do about bears that break into dumpsters and houses and vehicles? Birds that swarm farms, crops, and airfields? And other creatures that make pests of themselves? Communities have tried all kinds of solutions ranging from extermination to relocation and all kinds of interesting options … Read more
A Witch Alone Apprentice Witch #2 by James Nicol Fantasy Juvenile Fiction Mystery Tween Young Adult Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Arianwyn’s experience with the forgotten glyphs brings her to the attention of the High Elder, who wants her to go on a quest to retrieve a special book that is supposed to contain more of them. Although Arianwyn will have companions, they aren’t allowed to reveal the true purpose of their mission. … Read more
Space Boy (series) by Stephen McCranie Graphic Novel Mystery Realistic Fiction Science Fiction Teen Tween * * * * * Stars (Amazing) When Amy’s father loses his job at the mine, the family is forced to leave the mining colony and return to Earth – a journey that will require them to be cryogenically frozen (so they will not age) and will take 30 years. By the time they arrive, Amy’s best friend Jemma will … Read more
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin Realistic Fiction Adult/older teen * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Alice Holtzman, now in her forties, always wanted to do something special with her life, but after losing her much beloved husband and facing up to the facts that her job is a placeholder for the things she really wants, she’s starting to question her choices. Now she’s planning to expand her beekeeping hobby into a business, … Read more
The Companion by Katie Alender Mystery Suspense Thriller Teen * * * Stars (Pretty good) After a terrible car accident leaves Margot an orphan, she is taken in by a wealthy family who knew her father. Thinking she has found a new home, Margot discovers that her role is different than she expected. The Suttons’ hospitality is conditional. They expect Margot to be a companion to their teenage daughter, Agatha, who has a mysterious illness … Read more
How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World’s First Talking Dog by Christina Hunger Autobiography Biography Nonfiction Adult (but teens may enjoy!) * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) When Christina and her boyfriend decided to adopt a puppy, they started to notice the many ways that Stella (the dog) tried to communicate with them. Christina, a recently qualified speech pathologist, had received all kinds of specialized training in helping nonverbal children … Read more
Better Together by Christine Riccio Funny LGBTQ+ Realistic Fiction Romance YA (older teen) * * * Stars (Pretty good) Two sisters, separated in early childhood, are reunited in their young adulthood at a retreat where they form a plan to get revenge on their parents, whose poor decisions have torn their family apart. Jamie, the older sister, is an aspiring stand-up comedian, who was just evicted from her apartment after bombing her first long set. … Read more