From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks 2020

January 26, 2021

I had to read this all in one gulp. At first the plot seemed implausible, but once I was further into the story, I set that judgment aside and really enjoyed getting to know Zoe . . . read more »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Juvenile Books

When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Keller 2020

January 10, 2021

 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 »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Juvenile Books

A Place to Belong, by Cynthia Kadohata, 2020

January 10, 2021

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 »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Juvenile Books

What to read next? NEW BOOKS!

November 19, 2020

Homeland Elegies – by Ayad Akhtar Fiction A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of . . . read more »

Category: Book Reviews

50 States 50 Scares

October 22, 2020

  50 States, 50 Scares       Before you pick up one of these hair-raising, shiver-inducing novels, you’re going to want to close the curtains and check the locks (twice). By Tina Jordan Oct. 21, . . . read more »

Category: Book Lists, Book Reviews

The 2020 Booker Prize Shortlist

September 16, 2020

The 2020 Booker Prize Shortlist   The 2020 shortlist is: The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (Oneworld Publications) This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Faber & Faber) Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin . . . read more »

Category: Book Reviews

Aquicorn Cove, by Katie O’Neil, 2018

August 29, 2020

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 »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Graphic Novels, Reviews Juvenile Books

New Kid, by Jerry Craft, 2010

August 29, 2020

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 »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Graphic Novels, Reviews Juvenile Books

A Home For Goddesses and Dogs, by Leslie Connor, 2020

August 29, 2020

A down to earth story with lots of sweetness, depth and heart. I wanted to stay in it; and live there for awhile with the women who are all about healing stray creatures. At 13, . . . read more »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Juvenile Books

Symphony for the City of the Dead Dimitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

August 29, 2020

by M. T. Anderson 2015 This biography is stunning; it is so compellingly told that I couldn’t put it down.The story will stay with me for a long time. I’m finding it hard to start . . . read more »

Category: Book Reviews - Kids, Reviews Young Adult Books