This is the expanded version of a short story called “Iphigenia in Aulis” that Mike Carey wrote for a collection of horror stories set in schools (An Apple For The Creature). To describe the premise beyond that would spoil the story for you, so I will just say that it is beautifully written and has […]
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 […]
Drama, romance, back stabbing and ballet fill the intriguing pages of Tiny Pretty Things. Told from three points of view, you see the rise of Gigi, the fall of Bette, the insight of June and all of their dirty secrets. Everyone’s hiding something. Gigi is sweet and authentic, scoring the lead role in the Nutcracker […]
There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets. Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to […]
In this fast-paced and entertaining middle grade coming of age novel, funny but with touches of bittersweet sadness, author Celia C. Pérez introduces readers to Malú, a punk rock loving girl who has just moved to Chicago where she starts at a brand new school. She also makes zines, and in a cool touch, we see her artistic […]
If you are a fan of Arya Stark, this is the book for you! Set about 10 years after the events in Kushner’s first “Riverside” novel (Swordspoint), but you don’t need to have read the first one to enjoy this swashbuckling coming-of-age story (although you should, because it’s terrific!). The central issues of whether women […]
This hilarious nearly wordless picture book import from Italy has a twist ending so surprising I could not stop laughing. I will not spoil this surprise, but will attempt to describe what makes this delightful creation work. Presented in a graphic novel format and possessing longish dimensions perfect for a book about crocodiles, this title […]
Terrific book about a girl caught up with a violent militia that is mining coltan in gorilla territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a boy whose father was a ranger. Respectful, empowering, with no stock characters, not only is Gorilla Dawn the best book I have read for young people about the DRC […]
School is about to get even better for spunky, fourth grade Texan, Mya Tibbs. Along with being in the same class as her new best friend, popular, beauty pageant-winning, Naomi Jackson, the school is about to have its annual Spirit Week! And the prize is a pair of VIP tickets to the town’s Fall Festival, […]
Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over […]
