Reviews Juvenile Books

Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick 2019

Whew! This compelling survival story about a wildfire in Maine reads like wildfire too! How these kids survived and if they would, pulls the reader forward at breakneck speed. Evacuated from summer camp when the fire . . . read more »

When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Keller 2020

 by Tae Keller 2020 A quick enchanting read that manages to tackle the pain of growing up in a another culture and the loss of the family matriarch. The Korean grandmother has told her granddaughters . . . read more »

A Place to Belong, by Cynthia Kadohata, 2020

This is historical fiction done so beautifully, that we are changed by the observations and realizations of a young girl. She manages to find strength and hope in incredibly difficult circumstances. It’s a tough story to . . . read more »

Aquicorn Cove, by Katie O’Neil, 2018

A sweet fantasy about a young girl and her aunt who are shown how fishing with plastic nets is damaging the coral reef in Aquacorn Cove and how the reef has protected their small village . . . read more »

New Kid, by Jerry Craft, 2010

This book was so much fun! I hope it’s ok to say that. Much of it is told through a sketch book journal. Main character and budding cartoonist, Jordan faces the usual challenges of being . . . read more »

Praire Lotus by Linda Sue Parks 2020

I feel lucky to have been guided to these books about the Asian American experience. Downstairs Girl, A Place to Belong, When you Trap A Tiger, and Prairie Lotus, all chronicle the abuse, prejudice, virtual . . . read more »

When You Trap a Tiger

by Tae Keller 2020 A quick enchanting read that manages to tackle the pain of growing up in a another culture and the loss of the family matriarch. The Korean grandmother has told her granddaughters . . . read more »

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu 2020

The book goes back and forth between reality and fantasy. The telling is inspired with crystalline images from the fantasy world and interesting historical details of Mozart’s time.  I was fascinated by the main characters, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . . . read more »