Annabel Monaghan has officially added her name to the beach read queens list. (I don't know where this list is, but there's got to be one somewhere, right?!) Last summer, Nora Goes Off Script was one of my favorite reads. That same charm and wit has returned in Monaghan's latest release, Same Time Next Summer. [...]
Michael Leali's Matteo is a contemporary spin on Pinocchio and The Giving Tree, but in a less-problematic, overall better way. Eleven year old Matteo just wants to grow a little so he can be a better baseball player. But the leaves, twigs, and bark growing out of his body is not what he had in [...]
Christina Li's Ruby Lost and Found is a thought-provoking middle grade novel that focuses on family, friends, and healing. Ruby has felt lost since her Ye-Ye passed away. She and her grandfather were incredibly close, and she doesn't understand how everyone else has moved on so quickly. With one of her best friends moving away [...]
Good Vibes Only is more than just a patch on Natty's backpack. It's her view on life, and she won't let anyone get her down. Even if Natty's mom left their family and keeps flaking on visiting. And she and her dad moved in with her grandparents. And she's having a hard time connecting with [...]
Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons is a love letter to books and the power of connection they hold. This novel is unlike any other I've ever read. Each chapter features a new character, with select crossovers. It almost feels more like a short story collection, yet they are clearly all connected. When we put our [...]
Angie Thomas's middle grade debut is just as stunning as her bestselling YA novels. Nic Blake knows that being a Remarkable in an Unremarkable world isn't always easy. Every time an Unremarkable sees her dad use the Gift, they have to move. She's never been to a Remarkable city, and her dad won't even teach [...]
Auriane Desombre's middle grade debut is a reverse parent trap: what if two potential step-sisters worked together to break their parents up? Autumn has lived with her mom and brother in New York City her whole life. She and her BFF Saskia finally get to explore the city just the two of them-- well, a [...]
*There will be spoilers for Healer of the Water Monster in this review, as Heroes continues the story from Healer* Heroes of the Water Monster is just as breathtakingly beautiful as Healer of the Water Monster. There's a lot of change in the air for Nathan. His mom is moving, and not just moving-- moving [...]
Gillian McDunn's newest release When Sea Becomes Sky is a masterpiece. If I may be so bold, it feels like her soulmate book. That might sound like a weird thing to say. It probably is-- I don't know this author! How can I make such a claim? And...What's a soul mate book, anyway? Let's say [...]
Would middle school you be happy or disappointed in how your life turned out? This is the truth Georgie must confront: she has not lived up to the goals and expectations of her middle school hopes and dreams. She didn't even do the things in her hometown that she always planned on. Now that she's [...]
Paw Prints in the Sink 