Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars by Jessica Abel Graphic Novel Science Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Trish lives on Mars with her aunt and uncle, and although she’s only 7 (in Mars years – 15 in Earth ears), she sneaks into the tryouts for the Hoverderby. She’s actually doing great until prima donna “Hanna Barbarian” claims she fouled her. Then the truth comes out. But Trish is able to sign on as skategirl, … Read more
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story by Debbie Tung Biography Graphic Novel Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Debbie Tung is an introvert who likes to spend time alone with books and tea and other comforting rituals. She gets run down quickly when she has to spend time with other people – social interactions and casual gatherings can be hard for her. Before she learned that there was an introverted personality … Read more
Surfside Girls: The Secret of Danger Point Surfside Girls #1 by Kim Dwinell Graphic Novel Mystery Supernatural * * * * Stars (Great!) Samantha and Jade (both 12) discover an underwater cave at Danger Point, which has just been bought by a developer that wants to put up a big hotel. When Sam explores further, she meets a whole host of ghosts who want her help to protect the land. Jade can’t see the ghosts, … Read more
I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton Jackson Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) This book was about a young Jewish girl trying to survive the Holocaust. It tells of the horrors that went on and gives a first-person, inside view of everything that went on while she was there with her mother. This book reminds us of how horrible man can be.
Warcross Warcross #1 by Marie Lu Mystery Science Fiction Suspense Thriller * * * * Stars (Great!) Emika Chen is a teenage hacker who has been trying to survive as a bounty hunter since her father died and she was kicked out of school for illegally retrieving and releasing sensitive data about other students and their parents. Facing crushing debt and eviction, she uses one of her hacks to steal a valuable power-up during the … Read more
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Dimple is a career-focused girl who is thrilled when her parents agree to send her to Insomnia Con – a 6-week web-app development program/competition where she’ll have the chance to compete for the chance to pitch her ideas to her inspiration, Jenny Lindt. Unbeknownst to Dimple, her parents are using this opportunity to introduce their daughter to a potential … Read more
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda (w/Liz Welch) Autobiography Biography Memoir Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Caitlin was 12, she was given the opportunity to choose a pen pal from another country. She picked Zimbabwe because it sounded “like the beginning of an adventure.” She and her pen pal, Martin Ganda, began exchanging letters, and over the years became best friends despite the many miles between them … Read more
The Girl with the Wrong Name by Barnabas Miller Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Theodore (Theo) Lane has a new obsession – Andy Reese. She’s been watching him (and filming him for her documentary) for several days now at an NYC café, and when she finally gets up the courage to talk to him and hears his sad story, she can’t resist helping him. Andy has been waiting for a … Read more
The Dire King Jackaby #4 by William Ritter Mystery Supernatural Suspense Thriller * * * * Stars (Great!) Jackaby and his assistant Abigail Rook are facing the greatest challenge of their professional lives. The Dire King now has almost everything he needs to rip away the barrier between the Anwynn (Faerie) and the human world. In fact, looking back, now they can see his hand behind the troubles that have been brewing between their world … Read more
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill Fantasy Graphic Novel * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Greta is training to become a blacksmith and isn’t really seeing the value in producing something like swords, which no one really uses anymore. Then she finds a tiny green dragon – one of the tea dragons – whose caretaker introduces her to the care and keeping of these special creatures and it opens her mind to the … Read more