A hopeful book about climate change: Bren Smith is a former fisherman and a failed (because of Hurricane Sandy) oysterman who invented a new kind of living from the sea, restorative ocean farmer. His crop of kelp and bivalves growing on ropes suspended in the water requires no inputs; it simultaneously draws down carbon, filters […]
Introducing Emily Dickinson to middle grade readers using Emily’s own words from letters and poems, this book focuses on her early years and friendships, but also includes the rest of her life. Ms. Goddu shares the cultural context of Emily’s time, but, as a reader, you also feel you know Ms. Dickinson well by the […]
A heartfelt new memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka, of Lunch Lady fame, this book is about growing up without parents because of their drug abuse and being raised instead by grandparents. Jarrett Krosoczka traces his life from his birth to his high school graduation, not sparing the reader the hard realities of living first with a […]
This book is a Rebecca Caudill nominee for 2018. The two teens in this true story make really compelling reading. Caitlin in Hatfield and Martin in Mutare begin a pen pal correspondence in 1997. The two of them connect in fits and starts but grow slowly into best friends and finally into brother & sister. Liz […]
After seeing it on the shelf in the Loft and on display at nearly every bookstore I went into, I finally broke down and read this book. Boy, I’m glad I did! Breakthrough is really two stories. One is the story of how Jack, a science whiz and probable genius, develops a cheap and effective […]
