e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

This is another YA novel I received free from audibooksync.com. It takes a fairly realistic dive into many of the most difficult issues a teenager could face--parent's divorcing, favorite sister joining the war effort-going missing and presumed dead, picked on for being overweight, parental disapproval, no self-esteem, and nearly friendless. So in her shoes, who wouldn't latch onto the first lifeboat that comes along--a pretty, unique, new girl from California who isn't just kind, but seems genuinely interested in being friends--but the new girl has her own baggage, and represents even more life altering decisions.… (more)

Imagination, ingenuity, and innovation come together in this ode to the building power of girls.

A sextet of girls dream, design, tinker, and fix as their skills expand. With the help of female-presenting grown-ups, the girls take up drills and drivers, paintbrushes, and glue to find ways to help their community, such as fixing up a derelict playground. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. That’s when the girls collectively take a breath and come up with new ideas to solve their design challenges. As the girls grow into women, they take on bigger projects, culminating in a multistory building. Staccato phrases accumulate, building to the repeated refrain, “A girl can build many things. / A girl can build anything.” The text maintains a determinedly motivational tone that leads to an unsurprisingly empowering ending. The brightly colored illustrations provide a bit of a throughline to tie this poem together as the girls grow from childhood to adulthood. Collage elements, including graph paper, measuring tape, and textured papers, draw the eye. The girls are diverse in skin color and hair color and texture. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A pleasant, confidence-building poem. (Picture book. 3-7)

-Kirkus Review… (more)

Reaching for the Stars!

Lupe starts first grade wanting to be on The Reading Wall of Fame. That is where the names of the kids who are great readers, the reading rock stars, are featured. Their name, picture, and a big star are posted for each student. But reading is harder than she thought. Plus, another student, Victor, taunts her about her lack of reading skills.

She is so discouraged she gives up reading, and no longer cares about being with her friends from their band. But one day, she discovers reading and music have a lot in common—they both have rhythm.

Learning to read can be a daunting task. This picture book urges young ones not to give up, even when it is hard. Lupe though upset and ready to stop trying, gives things another chance. This three-star story is a bit disconnected, making the point of the tale somewhat difficult. But encouraging children not to give up, especially when reading, is a noble cause. Preschoolers through second grade will enjoy this book.

Thank you, Candlewick Press, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.… (more)

FROM AMAZON: Angie is the only one in her family - maybe the only one in the world - who believes her captured war-hero sister is still alive. Angie needs to believe it. It’s better than thinking about last year, when she tried to kill herself in front of a packed gym. Better than trying to steer clear of Stacy Ann Sloan and her posse of ultra-mean girls. Better than dealing with her corporate-lawyer mother, who wants to know only one thing: When is Angie going to lose exactly 29 pounds?

Then a new girl, KC, arrives in Dryfalls, Ohio. She’s beautiful, hip, and smart, and everyone wants to know her. From the minute they meet, KC sees the real Angie, not the fat girl hiding from her pain under a mountain of junk food. She sees Angie for who she really is: someone who just might shake things up - on the basketball court and in KC’s life. Outrageous and touching, this darkly comic, anti-romantic romance brings us unforgettable characters on the edge.… (more)