A completely accessible historical non-fiction book. Ashley's bag draws in the reader, but goes far beyond the history of the bag. A great read for history buffs!

Following two generations of immigrants using a broken timeline and not much dialogue, it would seem I would be completely lost in this novel, but it complete sucked me in. It moves quickly. Some years are covered in a few pages. It's an interesting story that feels true.

A beautiful reflection of her grief, Adichie shares memories of her 88-yr-old father. It's a story of her going through the early stages of grief during the COVID pandemic. Honest and beautiful.

Certainly a page turner and fun read. I found the end too obvious and hated how everything was wrapped up at the end. I didn't want all the couples to work everything out. I would have liked more surprising twists; however, I couldn't put it down, so I obviously enjoyed it.

An excellent coming-of-age story about 3 generations of women. The youngest is the narrator. At times, she doesn't think like a 9-yr-old, but a funny novel with some great action.

The title story was my favorite of this short story collection. This is an author to watch.

Ghost stories? Not usually for me. Bookstore setting? usually too bland. THE SENTENCE - has both of these things, but I loved it. Louise Erdrich has a way of finding a unique take on telling a story and writes her characters with undeniable personality. Although set at the onset of the pandemic and covers the time period with the George Floyd murder, these huge events do not take over the storyline. The audiobook narrator was amazing!

An amazing novel set in verse. Jason Reynolds is a master at crafting the perfect story that readers all readers, not just the YA crowd, will love. It's fast paced and thought provoking. I kept thinking, while the elevator stops at each floor, how I'd love to read this with high school students.

Charming story that was inspired by true events. Although this was about animals going to the San Diego Zoo, it made think how lucky we are to have the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and what it must have been like when the animals arrived when it opened in 1894.

A unique telling of the story of a black man in America. I enjoyed the scattered humor and distinctive, overlapping voices of Soot and the main character. The perspective allows the reader to jump into the characters' shoes and take a walk in them. Creative and engaging novel.

A quick, thought provoking novel. The language was beautiful and the central character was interesting. The ending is phenomenal.

A beautiful intimate story about a father and son and the state of the world in the not-so-distant future. Powers words connect the reader to the characters and to the world. I'm blown away with how much I grew to care about Robin and his father, and naturally, our planet. It's a beautiful story.

I should have looked at reviews before reading as I didn't realize it was mostly a contemporary romance novel and not much else. The timeline jumps around, the characters are not developed well, and the plot just isn't enough. I listened to the audio for some of the book, but the daughter's voice was horrible. She sounded like a whiny 5 year old. By chapter 16, I should have known it wasn't for me and by chapter 20, I just wanted it to end. I did finish it, and the ending was fine. If you're looking for a light, easy read where you don't really need to pay attention, this is for you!

Many different stories weaved together to create a masterful novel. I admit, I was lost at first until the characters were developed. I found myself bored by one character at the beginning, but I was entranced by her storyline by the end. I loved the survival of an ancient text and how librarians were ultimately the heroes of the novel.

I had to force myself to get to the end. Loved the idea, but found the writing dull. "like a" appears 140x. I love a good simile, but this was ridiculous.

I love a good coming-of-age story and small adventures that add up to a complete novel. I found each character well developed and naturally loved Billy, the precocious 8-yr-old. Two other things that made this novel special: it's set in Nebraska (my home) and lots of references to The Odyssey (which I teach to 9th graders). Oddly, it reminded me of Breathing Lessons with the references to small town American and a road trip.

I loved the protagonist's story. Ailey has ups and downs and makes good and choices. Even though this epic is 800 pages, it's excellent. The novel spans generations and dives into the plantation owner, Samuel, and his tragic abuse of girls; However, most of the novel is set in the last couple of decades with Ailey and her family. An epic tale stretching back 300 years.

Probably more of a 3.5 star rating. My expectations were quite high since I loved The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. I truly thought the character development at the beginning was good. It reminded me of Deacon King Kong by the great James McBride. But the crime story was weak and I kept thinking more would happen. By the end, I figured nothing more would happen and I just wanted to finish it. I'll still read everything by Colson Whitehead. This just wasn't for me.

Review The characters in are descendants of adults involved with the attacks on 9/11. It's set in the present day and how people are still dealing with the fallout from the attacks. As someone that remembers the day well, this perspective is great for middle schoolers wanting to learn a bit about the historical event. It's not scary or full of awful statistics, so the average middle schooler can handle the content.

Enjoyable, fun, adventure for a unique kid and her father. Lots of laughs and some pain. The ending was phenomenal. Perfect middle school students. Golden Sower nominee 2021-22.

I don't read many books set in the 12th century in England, but I'm so glad I found this gem. Matrix is about women and religion in a male dominated society. Smart women figuring out how to advance and find happiness. Plus, it has a bit of supernatural, magic realism. It's incredibly creative and told with luscious prose. I loved Groff's Fates and Furies more, but Matrix is quite good.

An imaginative way to write a memoir full of poetry, stories, and photos from an amazing poet. Great for readers that enjoy innovative story telling.

If you enjoy Greek myths, you'll love this one. Loosely based on the epic of war, the The Illiad, this is a completely different take following Achilles rather than Odysseus. Some favorite scenes from the original are left out, but I truly loved the creativity put into this storyline.

Wink is based on the author's experience with cancer although it is fictional. The novel reminded me a lot of Wonder. It was good for middle grades (5-9th). There is some humor to off set the cancer storyline. Quick read. Fast paced. Golden Sower nominee 2021-22.

Very good historical fiction, but better for middle schoolers than high schoolers. The Chinese immigrant story will appeal to readers. Park's book A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story is a much better book for high school. YA Golden Sower nominee 2021-22.

After Ghost Boys, I expected this to be superb, and it was good. It was captivating. I just liked Ghost Boys more. Golden Sower nominee 2021-22.

The story of two abused girls in India who find strength in each other's talents and figuring out ways to survive. The entire book takes place in a short amount of time (maybe 4 months). Excellent development of characters in such a short novel. Although not as face-paced as other YA novels, this one will pull at students' hearts as they grow to care about the young girls. Golden Sower nominee 2021-22.

A YA novel about a small high school boy and his love of rock climbing. Great friendships that help him figure out how to be himself and how to be a good friend. Younger teens will enjoy this book and will definitely see themselves in one of the characters. The students in the book are reading Of Mice and Men and it's a spoiler for those that haven't read the book. A Golden Sower Nominee 2021-22.

A post-apocalyptic western about a group of lesbian librarians traveling while encountering obstacles while spying as part of the resistance. A quick, enjoyable read!

Very good historical fiction literature set mostly during the gold rush in California. The coming-of-age story about a young Chilean girl that travels to San Francisco. It was interesting to read about the different cultures in San Fran in the mid-1800s.