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 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
The Silversix by AJ Lieberman Artwork by Darren Rawlings Graphic Novel Science FictionTween Graphic Novel/Science Fiction/Dystopia Phoebe is able to avoid detection for a year after her parents die in a shuttle explosion orchestrated by the evil Mr. Craven of the Craven Mining Corporation (which has a monopoly on the world’s fuel source – Hydro-2), but then someone manages to track a file transfer from her parents’ ship to her apartment, and she’s taken into … Read more
Allegiant Divergent #3 by Veronica Roth Dystopian Science Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) After revealing Edith Prior’s message to the Divergent – to find out what lies beyond the city’s borders – Tris and some others who are unhappy with Evelyn Eaton’s tyranny (she and the Factionless have disbanded the faction system and forbidden anyone to leave) make their escape. They expect to find people who need their help, but instead, they find … Read more
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King LGBT Realistic Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Astrid is struggling to figure out who she is in a small town that’s full of small-minded people and she’s keeping her innermost thoughts a secret from everyone she knows except the passengers in the airplanes that pass over her. She spends hours lying on her back on the picnic table she and her father built, watching the planes … Read more
The Lemonade War By Jacqueline Davies Juvenile Fiction Realistic Fiction When we first meet Evan, he is not in a good mood. Then we are introduced to his younger sister, Jessie and we learn his bad mood has to do with her. Anyone who has a younger sibling can relate. These two have a lot of fun together, but when they learn that things are going to change in the upcoming school year, that’s when … Read more