Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Tween * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Maggie is super excited that she’s going to be allowed to pick out a puppy for her birthday. But instead of a dog, she comes home congested and covered in hives. It turns out she’s allergic to dogs (and cats and probably other furry creatures, too), and this breaks her heart – she loves … Read more
My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson Historical Fiction Juvenile Fiction (grades 5-8) * * * * Stars (Great!) It’s 1961 and Lora, who has grown up in Havana, Cuba, wants to become a brigadista, and teach people in faraway rural communities how to read and write. Her parents want to refuse (she’s too young, it’s too dangerous), but her grandmother persuades them to let her go, even though Lora is only thirteen. Lora receives training … Read more
The Book Jumper by Mecthilde Glaser Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) This book is about a teenage girl who has the power to jump into books and basically live them out. In this book, important book ideas are going missing, and it is up to her to unravel the mystery and save the book world.
The Return of Zita the Spacegirl Zita the Spacegirl #3 by Ben Hatke Adventure Graphic Novel Science Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Zita’s exploits seemed heroic, but now she’s being imprisoned for her crimes. Thrown into a dungeon and forced to work in the mines, she’s desperate to escape, but only if she can take her friends with her. A mysterious benefactor helps her break out and they have to work together to … Read more
Legends of Zita the Spacegirl Zita the Spacegirl #2 by Ben Hatke Adventure Graphic Novel Science Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Zita’s pretty much famous now that she’s saved a world from complete annihilation. But she’s not so comfortable being a superstar, so when a weird little look-alike robot shows up and starts impersonating her, Zita is glad for the break. But when the REAL Zita is ready to return, her doppelganger won’t … Read more
The Big Break by Mark Tatulli Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Best friends and middle schoolers, Andrew and Russ are in the process of filming a documentary about a local cryptid – the Jersey Devil – which they plan on entering in a contest. They’re trying to figure out how it should end and add some special effects when Russ gets distracted by a new friendship. With a girl – … Read more
Far from Home Zita the Spacegirl #1 by Ben Hatke Adventure Graphic Novel Science Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Zita and her friend Joseph find a meteor crash site and within the meteor is a device with a big red button that Zita can’t resist pressing. It opens up a gate to another world and Joseph promptly gets sucked in. Zita follows him shortly thereafter, but discovers that Joseph has already been … Read more
A Deadly Education Scholomance #1 by Naomi Novik Fantasy * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Galadriel, “El” is a year from graduation at a magical boarding school (Scholomance). She’s got her work cut out for her just trying to stay alive in its cutthroat environment where it’s every student for themselves, unless they belong to an Enclave. El doesn’t have any close friends or ties and if she wants to survive graduation, she’ll need … Read more
A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Prequel to the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Dystopian * * * Stars (Pretty good) This prequel to the Hunger Games series introduces young Coriolanus Snow (who later becomes the President of Panem), struggling to maintain his family’s standing in the Capital while contending with hunger and poverty and the political machinations of his rivals. As part of his education, Snow and his classmates are given an assignment to … Read more
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Phillip Hoose Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “The Boys Who Challenged Hitler” is a nonfiction book about a group of teenagers who secretly fought against the Nazi’s known as the Churchill Club. The group lived in Denmark during World War Two/ The Holocaust. Even though the book is nonfiction, its written in a format that is interesting and story-formish. 🙂 The book itself is … Read more