An entertaining and deeply creepy novel starring the infamous Lizzie Borden as its heroine. In this story, she did, in fact, kill her father and stepmother with an ax – but only because they were turning into Lovecraftian monsters. Now, she lives with her sister and studies in her secret lab, trying to find the cause and cure for the horror overtaking her town, and she keeps that ax close at hand…
Archives: Book Reviews
Monstress by Marjorie Liu
This is a beautiful graphic novel that will appeal to adults just as much as teens. Visually, it’s like returning to those lush fairy tale picture books of my youth, but in the second half of the story when the princess is held captive and all the colors are muted. In truth, the story isn’t that different either. We meet the heroine, Maika, tortured, brutalized, missing one hand at the elbow, getting sold at auction. A two tailed cat and a tiny little girl with fox ears and tail (who looks like Sanrio creation) follow Maika on her journey to find out who she is and what monster lurks beneath her skin. Humans, non-humans, and creatures inhabit this world that I really got into. I just wish it wasn’t a serial graphic novel because I want the whole story now!
The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford
Elizabeth Zunon’s evocative oil paintings and cut paper collages add power to Carole Boston Weatherford’s compelling picture book biography (for grades 2 and up) about the brilliant actress, singer, and civil rights activist Lena Horne. The book whisks the reader along as it shows how Horne, as a child, lived out of a suitcase as she toured with her entertainer mother. Zunon’s illustrations do a great job capturing time and place as Lena auditions for the Cotton Club during the Great Depression, and rises to prominence soon after, but all along encountering bigotry and racism on the road and in Hollywood. We see moments of triumph followed by moments of loneliness. Every double page spread captures the multifaceted nature of Horne’s career, activism, and personality. Young readers will be happy to make the acquaintance of this extraordinary talent.
American Street by Ibi Aanu Zoboi
Fabiola “Fabulous” Toussaint and her mother were on a plane to America from Haiti with the hopes of a better life; however, those plans were derailed when Fabiola who is a US citizen gets through customs and her mother does not. Fabiola has arrived alone in Detroit, a new world, with new slang, ruthless vagabonds, three cousins who have changed both physically and mentally since they last talked plus an aunt who resembles her mother who demands that she speaks only English in her house.
As Fabiola begins to adjust to her new surroundings, a wave of guilt comes over her because while she enjoys life in the “land of the free” her mother is still in a holding cell waiting to be sent back to Haiti. In her attempts to rescue her mother, Fabiola becomes involved in some very precarious activities with some very treacherous people, including the local drug “king pin.” American Street is a beautifully written novel detailing the lengths a family is willing to go to stay together and the struggles of an immigrant trying to find her place in a foreign world.
The End of the Wild by Nicole Helget
Many realistic middle grade novels try to tackle complex issues and do it quite well. Add to the list of successful titles The End of the Wild, a heartfelt look (for grades 4 and up) at an 11-year-old girl named Fern who lives near a forest and loves the animals, plants, and natural foods she finds there. Fern is a lively and sensitive central character, very compelling and relatable. And what makes this story especially strong is the supporting cast, all well-developed in novelist Nicole Helget’s capable hands, especially Fern’s beloved yet very troubled stepfather. There’s a potent sense of place; the story feels lived-in and real. In a sensitive manner, the book looks at poverty with Fern foraging for food to feed her family. When she hears that a fracking company wants to build on a nearby land, Fern feels extreme concern because it will affect the nature so close to her heart. Helget deepens the conflict when Fern’s stepfather, in desperate need for work, considers a job with the company. The End of the Wild moves surprisingly fast, and although there are some very sad moments, the novel has a warm heart without being maudlin.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Castle Crenshaw, a middle schooler who calls himself Ghost, knows how to run. But after an Olympic medal-winning track coach recognizes his talent and recruits him, Ghost finds himself facing completely new challenges: a schedule, teammates, and the demands of being on a team. Despite some heavier themes, Ghost is funny, charming, and perfectly captures how huge and overwhelming your emotions feel at age twelve. Good for ages 10 and up, especially any fans of sports stories ready to move beyond Tim Green and Mike Lupica.
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloane
There’s one word Julia, never says out loud anymore. In fact she tries not to even think it. Short. Julia is tired of being short, called short and excluded because she’s short. While summer has just kicked off for Julia, she’s not really excited for it. She’s still mourning the loss of her beloved dog, Ramone and her best friends are both gone for the summer.
The outlook for the summer completely changes, when Julia’s mom takes her and her younger brother to try out for a production of The Wizard of Oz. Julia’s never thought of herself as an actress, singer or dancer, but all that is about to change. Even though she’s cast as a munchkin, Julia begins to see things in a new light. Julia’s new friend and munchkin co-star Olive, shows her how being an adult with dwarfism doesn’t stop her from going after her dreams. Plus the director, Shawn Barr, really sees something in Julia and assigns her a second role. Julia starts to look at herself and her abilities in a whole new way. Short is a lovely summer and realistic read with characters that can inspire anyone.
Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson
Wow, what a wildly exciting sci fi action novel (for adrenaline fans starting in Grade 5 and up) this is! This promising, action-packed start to the Chronicle of the Dark Star series takes us to the year 2213 and introduces us to Liam who lives with his scientist parents on Mars (Earth is no more). Well, until the day every single Mars resident needs to escape cosmic doom by riding on a giant spaceship to a distant star. Things go very very wrong for Liam and his pal Phoebe who discover some incredible time-bending surprises while trying to board the soon-to-be-departing starliner. Great characters, breathtaking (and sometimes scary and claustrophobic) adventure, and refreshing moments of humor help propel this middle grade novel to exciting heights. A must for fans of dystopia novels, this will have readers turning the pages to see what happens next. I cannot wait for the next volume!
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
In Elana K. Arnold’s poignant and fast-paced chapter book (great for 3rd to 5th graders), a 10-year-old autistic boy with the nickname of Bat befriends a baby skunk. His veterinarian mother brings home the orphaned kit and Bat’s world changes. He wants to spend every moment caring for the little critter, and discovers that he too would love to take care of animals when he grows up. What’s great about this skillfully written piece of realistic fiction is it avoids saccharine sentiment even though, as depicted in Charles Santoso’s illustrations, that skunk is indeed adorable. Bat’s frustrations and fears about being separated from his furry friend engage the reader, and the book remains thoughtful throughout about the realities of wildlife rehabilitation. Compelling and quietly suspenseful, A Boy Called Bat will entertain those who like animal stories. Arnold also does a convincing job showing life from Bat’s perspective and point-of-view.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
A world where there is no disease, no hunger and jumping off buildings and being sent to revival centers are some people’s only source of fun sounds perfect, right? Wrong! There is nothing perfect about Scythes who are commanded to control population growth by murdering random people. Citra and Rowan find themselves in the middle of this imperfection as they are chosen to apprentice for scythes but as they master the talent that is known as gleaning they learn far more than how to sling a blade; they learn compassion.
However, when their master scythe becomes unreachable they are separated and pitted against one another. After spending so much time working together, can Citra and Rowan really compete against each other? “Scythe” is a wickedly disturbing utopian novel that will leave your stomach turning and your heart wrenching.