Who still has vivid memories of friend drama from elementary school? Me! And I know I’m not alone, because Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale, well known for the Princess in Black series as well as the Princess Academy series, has taken a page from her own life with her newest book for kids. Following in […]
Enter the world of Bronze and Sunflower: a small village in Mainland China during the Cultural Revolution. The villagers of Damaidi live close to the land as subsistence farmers. Bronze is mute after an early trauma; Sunflower is the daughter of one of the artists sent to a nearby work camp who died suddenly, leaving […]
Feeling wanderlust heading into the summer? Join humble pumpkin farmer and reluctant hero, Bera, the one-headed troll, and her owl pal, Winslowe. The day a human baby mysteriously washes up near Bera’s tiny island, they embark on a quest to return the strange creature to her kind before former Head Witch of the Troll King, Cloote, […]
Hop aboard Hope Larson’s new and exciting high seas adventure series with illustrator Rebecca Mock, titled Compass South (Four Points). Right from the start this author and illustrator pair are in sync, Larson’s way with dialogue and story blending deftly with Mock’s emotional and expressive rendition of the setting and characters. Set in 1860, New […]
This heartfelt and quixotic road trip novel finds Fella and Zany on their way to Asheville NC in Mama Shannon’s car to release their beloved Mama Lacey’s ashes. They are grieving more than their mother: since each girl was born to a different mom in the couple, the (pre-June 2015) law separates them at Lacey’s […]
Margarita Engle’s insightful poems and Rafael López’s vibrant, soulful illustrations work together to create a memorable poetry collection that celebrates the contributions of a wide variety of Hispanics. What makes this book special is readers learn about people rarely covered in collective biographies for kids. Each biographical sketch consists of a double page spread with a […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
