Fun middle grade read. Love the mystery -- with humor, quirky characters, a crazy dog, and Prohibition Era history woven in.
Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the United States and Canada. He is living with his Dad while recovering from TB. His new friend ZeeBee is fanatical about the island's history and her beloved dog Barney whom she is sure was murdered. Keenan begins to undercover what really happened to Barney and come to appreciate his life on the island.
Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the United States and Canada. He is living with his Dad while recovering from TB. His new friend ZeeBee is fanatical about the island's history and her beloved dog Barney whom she is sure was murdered. Keenan begins to undercover what really happened to Barney and come to appreciate his life on the island.
Read this to remember the author. Writing is wonderful but stark. Although not graphic, there is serious content -- neglect, alcoholism, war, violence, and racism. Seems to be YA, rather than middle school.
Fast paced graphic novel. Good choice for a reluctant reader. Funny play on words and humor that will appeal to young readers.
Mango and Brash on are a great spy team who have unconventional sleuthing techniques and toilet/sewer based travel. Their adventures will keep middle grade readers laughing.
Mango and Brash on are a great spy team who have unconventional sleuthing techniques and toilet/sewer based travel. Their adventures will keep middle grade readers laughing.
ZJ’s dad is a football hero to the fans, but to ZJ – he is “my every single thing”. Father and son share a deep bond and the reader glimpses wonderful memories of father and son sharing music, food, and fun. But, there are changes happening with ZJ’s father. His headaches, emotional outbursts, and confusion initially cause embarrassment, but later are frightening. ZJ and his mother find that he is slowly slipping away from them. His mother explains that it is from all of the hits his father received playing ball. While not named in the novel, CTE is slowly stealing ZJ’s father from him. As ZJ tries to understand what is happening to his beloved father, he turns to a tight group of friends. Adult readers will know what future awaits the family, Woodson does offer hope for ZJ with the support of those closest to him.
Once again, Woodson delivers. Reading her verse is a wonderful way to peel back the layers of this story, learning a little bit more page by page. This story is set when the impact of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on NFL players and other athletes is only beginning to be studied. We learn that other football families are also experiencing similar situations.
Once again, Woodson delivers. Reading her verse is a wonderful way to peel back the layers of this story, learning a little bit more page by page. This story is set when the impact of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on NFL players and other athletes is only beginning to be studied. We learn that other football families are also experiencing similar situations.
Loved this positive book! Vibrant illustrations are a good match for the text and its rhythm. This picture book celebrates being an African American boy by letting him be just the awesome unique kid he is.
Fred and Helen Martini longed for a baby, and they ended up with dozens of lion and tiger cubs! Helen begins her Bronx Zoo career by raising a single lion cub whose mothers is unable to care for it. After raising others in her home, she insists that she accompany them to the zoo. She soon develops nursery, and the zoo hires her to care for baby animals.
The text and illustrations carry the reader away into a fantasy world and suspenseful story that celebrates uniqueness and freedom. Barnabus lives in a bell jar deep in a lab with other “failed” perfect pet projects. Barnabus wonders about the world outside his jar and once he realizes he may be “recycled” into a perfect pet, he worries about losing his uniqueness and just wants to be himself. So, he decides it's time for an escape. With his little trunk and help from others, Barnabus and the “failed” pets set out to find freedom where they are accepted for who they are.
While some reviews suggested this book was too dark, I found the illustrations to compliment the surreal/fantasy feel of the setting. Give children some credit, not all readers may understand the message with one read, but this is a book is to be read again and again.
While some reviews suggested this book was too dark, I found the illustrations to compliment the surreal/fantasy feel of the setting. Give children some credit, not all readers may understand the message with one read, but this is a book is to be read again and again.
I enjoyed this retelling of the Secret Garden -- however, I hope that readers today will still read Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic.
Once again Jerry Craft does a wonderful job portraying questions about identuty, race, class, parent expectations, and school pressures for middle school readers. In this sequel to New Kid, we get to know more about Drew -- Jordan's friend from Riverdale Academy. Drew is feeling the pressure to fit in and to figure out where he fits. Can he be friends with classmates who just don't understand or can't seem to understand what it means to be Black? Classmates who come from more privledge and wealth?
Jerry Craft gets the voice of his characters spot on -kids, parents and teachers. The adults mean well and some help Drew, Jordan, and friends find naviagte the school year. Other adults miss the boat entirely. Love how Craft nods his head to other popular graphic novels and authors.
Jerry Craft gets the voice of his characters spot on -kids, parents and teachers. The adults mean well and some help Drew, Jordan, and friends find naviagte the school year. Other adults miss the boat entirely. Love how Craft nods his head to other popular graphic novels and authors.
Wonderful memoir by Robin Ha and her experience in being uprooted to America as a teen. Her honest portrayal of the racism she encounters is poignant. She does not fit in at her new American middle school and her new Korean-American step-family in Alabama. She is also isolated from the one person who has always been in her corner -- her single Mom. Robin is lost in much of the novel. Being a teenager is hard enough, but to be a teen who straddles two very different cultures and languages takes its toll on her and her relationship with her mother. But through her own grit and support of her mother, Robin finds hope in experiences such as a piano recital and comic book club and she begins to makes connections with others and carve out a place for herself.
As a parent, I can't imagine the struggle her mother goes through in Korea as a single parent and the drive to uproot herself and her daughter to escape the sexism and traditional expectations of Korean culture in the 1980s and early 1990s.
As a parent, I can't imagine the struggle her mother goes through in Korea as a single parent and the drive to uproot herself and her daughter to escape the sexism and traditional expectations of Korean culture in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Middle grade book about sisters and fencing. Thought this would be about sibling rivalry, but the sisters are cruel to each other in this story. Sisters and mother have recently lost their father/husband. Mother is clearly depressed and not coping well. Wish the family were showed seeing a counselor or see more help offered from girls school. Grandmother tries to help.
Girls communicate better at the end, but not sure how realistic the character arcs are in this story -- huge change in attitude toward each other.
Another fencing book: Rhodes' Black Brother, Black Brother
Girls communicate better at the end, but not sure how realistic the character arcs are in this story -- huge change in attitude toward each other.
Another fencing book: Rhodes' Black Brother, Black Brother
As someone who has spent a lot of time hiking and camping with my kids, I wish I had the picture book when they were younger. A story interwoven with facts about the natural world -- my young children would have loved this! Perfect to share with a young naturalist.
Loved this! Great homage to farmers and farm workers -- love that it addresses all levels of food production. Text and illustrations are wonderful.
Loved this J nonfiction book. Great tour of the country - illustrations pop!
Good recommendation for reader interested in historical fiction. Historical facts and storytelling interwoven. Liked the introduction to Shakespeare and structure of plays. Fast paced story.
So glad my library system is adding this J bio to its shelves. Timely and relevant topic and a wonderful story about perseverance and tenaciousness. Inspiration for budding young scientists. (A positive story about the pandemic and a celebration of the SCIENCE -- not myth/superstition -- that saved lives.)
Great pic for animal (cat) lovers or a family considering a new pet. Like that it is written from the mother's point of view. ;)
More than a fractured fairytale - was expecting a retelling from the perspective of one of the mice. Not so, this Cinderella is gay. This isn't developed throughout the story, but thrown in at the end.
Cute nonfiction picture book about baby/parent animals for very young readers. This is book can grow with the reader with an adult sharing more detailed text and after matter as the reader gets older.
Really liked this! Will be recommending it.
Beautiful way the explore self love and body image with a child. Simple text and beautiful illustrations hit the mark. One of my favorite picture books this year!
This books tries to pack in too much. I am not sure a child is going to make all the connections the author expects.
Lovely retelling of the classic fable. Gentle illustrations.
Amazing! Once again Sepetys does not disappoint. I would highly recommend her books to teens and adults looking for historical fiction.
This novel is set in the months leading up to the violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989. The Romanian revolution started in the city of Timisoara and soon spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena.
We are introduced to Cristian Florescu, and his family and friends and get a horrifying glimpse of life in Communist Romania. The population is subjected to constant surveillance, cruelty, punishment, and starvation to prop up the personality cult and power of Ceausescu. Told from Cristian’s point of view, the novel has energy and suspense.
This novel is set in the months leading up to the violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989. The Romanian revolution started in the city of Timisoara and soon spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena.
We are introduced to Cristian Florescu, and his family and friends and get a horrifying glimpse of life in Communist Romania. The population is subjected to constant surveillance, cruelty, punishment, and starvation to prop up the personality cult and power of Ceausescu. Told from Cristian’s point of view, the novel has energy and suspense.
Great introduction to Bollywood! Loved the illustrations. Would recommend this to family looking to explore cultures or a family who would like to revisit their Indian roots.
Cute story for middle grade readers. I liked the character development. I would recommend this!
Thought the illustration and cover art are great, (have seen her work in other book covers) however, they did not quite match the sinister tone of the book. There are some heavy elements to this story - a child's death, demons - pretty scary stuff. Scary read for middle schoolers.
