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 [...]
Jasmine Warga's A Rover's Story is a gorgeous combination of science and imagination that takes readers on a unique and engaging journey. Resilience is a Mars rover built to do a certain job a certain way, at least according to the other Mars rover, Journey. But Resilience, or Res, sees the world differently than Journey, [...]
Evan Griffith's Manatee Summer is sure to cement itself as a beloved childhood favorite in the hearts of young readers. It'll be a book they look back on fondly, the one that kindled their love of manatees, that captured the essence of the first taste of real responsibility while shining a light on that tender [...]
How do you put into words a book that touched your heart? I adored David Levithan's Answers in the Pages, but I knew this review would be incredibly difficult to write. Levithan captures the heart and humanity of an often-discussed issue in an accessible and easily digestible way. It put into words that feeling, deep [...]
Tae Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone is an engrossing and relatable novel for middle grade and adult readers alike. Insightful and incisive, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone tackles crucial topics with authenticity and vulnerability. Mallory has survived middle school--so far-- because her best friend Reagan has taught her how to fit in. Mallory's world [...]
Novels in verse are books with a full and complete plot told in poetic verse. These novels lend themselves to topics that have emotional depth and resonance. Novels in verse can also be laugh out loud funny, and have all the great qualities prose novels have as well, including well-developed characters and an interesting plot. [...]
The past few years have demonstrated our need for a better understanding and taking care of mental health. Thankfully, there are many children's books that focus on this topic in a compassionate and approachable way, making this big concept topic accessible for people of all ages. Here are some of my favorites! You can view [...]
John and Sarah Tidewell are more well-traveled than you. Before you pull out your passport to brag, my statement is true regardless of how many countries you've visited. Because John and Sarah Tidewell have visited not only other countries, but other time periods. Despite the fact that this pre-teen/teen sibling duo may seem like normal [...]
Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti is a masterpiece of magical realism, transporting the reader to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas and into a game of chance betwixt Life and Death. Life and Death meet each year to play the card game Lotería with the highest of stakes: a person's life. If Life wins the game, the person [...]
Paw Prints in the Sink 