The Beatryce Prophecy

This AMAZING new book by Kate DiCamillo features Beatryce, a girl who does not remember who she is and who arrives sick and lost on the steps of a monastery.  The monks soon realize she can read and write, which is illegal for a girl.  They know she must be special and there is a prophecy which speaks of a girl who will unseat the King.  So they hide her, shave her head and pass her off as a boy as long as they can.  As the King's men search for this girl, she must remember who she is, find her courage and challenge the king.  (FIC DIC)

Pony

R.J. Palacio is the author of the brilliant book, Wonder, so I was very eager to read this.  It is a heartwarming and exciting story set in the 18oo's centered around a young boy named Silas.  Silas' dad, a pioneer in photography, was taken away by some bad men one night in the hopes that he will help them make conterfeit money.  When a black pony of theirs returns to Silas' home the next night, he thinks it is a sign to follow them.  The pony takes Silas on his journey with his constant companion, Mittenwool, a ghost.  Silas has always had to gift of seeing spirits and this gift will help him find his dad.  (FIC PAL)

The Lonely Heart of MayBelle Lane

 

This realistic fiction book by Kate O'Shaughnessy was a heartwarming story of courage.  MayBelle is a lonely girl.  She believes if she meets her Dad, who she has never known, her anxiety and loneliness will disappear.  So she convinces her neighbor, who is taking care of her for a few weeks, to take a road trip to Nashville so MayBelle can enter a singing contest that her Dad is judging.  Along the way, she finds a few friends who help her realize she is not really alone.  (FIC OSH)

Bea is for Blended

 I was dying to read this one by Lindsey Stoddard.  I loved her Just Like Jackie, Right as Rain and especially her Brave Like That.  She writes beautifully moving realistic fiction for middle grade students.  This one did not disappoint.  Bea is moving in with her mom's new husband and they are having a baby.  But the dad has three sons, one of which is in Bea's class and is a bully-follower.  Her challenges in getting used to a new life will resonate with so many students.  The other problem in her life is her principal (and soccer coach) who is sexist and believes girls are not worthy of the same things boys are.  When Bea and some friends decide to create a girls' soccer team, they run into a lot of problems as they demand equal treatment.  I loved the #girlpower message.  (FIC STO)

Rescue

World World II historical fiction stories are always sought out in my libraries.  Jennifer Nielsen is one of my favorite authors, so this is sure to be a hit.  Meg's family lives in France during WWII.  Her father who worked for the Bristish resistance has been hidden from the Nazis and apart from the family for over a year.  Her mother is also working for the Resistance.  Meg's father smuggles her a letter by way of another secret agent, that is really a code to find him.  But in order for the people who are holding him to free him, she must lead some people to safety.  Can she trust them, break the code, stay safe from the Nazis hunting them, and rescue him?  This was a page-turning, thrilling story, full of secret codes, betrayal and courage.  (FIC NIE)

Don't Hug Doug

This picture book written by Carrie Finison and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman is not only a reminder to adults to respect boundaries but a lesson to children that some students just don't like a lot of physical contact.  It's always right to ASK if someone wants a hug.  This book teaches children that they are the masters of their own body.  (PIC FIN)

The Truth According to Blue

I enjoyed this realistic fiction story on the Great Stone Face 21-22 list.  The main character Blue is looking forward to a summer hunting for the lost treasure her Pop Pop has told her belongs to the family from hundreds of years ago.  But when she gets paired with a new girl in town she fears those plans will be jeopardized.  It had just enough adventure and mystery in there to keep the readers engaged.  Blue also has diabetes and that added an interesting component to the story.   (FIC YOH)

Raising Lumie

I can think of several students who will love this sweet and touching story about raising a guide dog.  Olive is adjusting to  life with her half sister after her dad passed away.  When she is asked to raise a guide dog puppy, she jumps at the chance, even knowing that the dog will have to leave her and go to its person in need.  Her love for the pup and her willingness to sacrafice her feelings of loss for others was inspiring.  (FIC BAU) 

The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell

Another Great Stone Face nominee for 21-22, this one wasn't my favorite.  I found it lacking in a real story-line.  The main character had attention issues, so I wonder if the author tried to make the novel read that way.  He is a fourth grader, stuck with a horrible teacher who belittles him constantly.  She ultimately smacks him and he leaves that school and ends up, happily, in a great school with a wonderful teacher.   He plays the drums and has pet snakes, but I found neither detail integral to the story.  It was funny at times.   (FIC SON) 

Pine Island Home

This sweet realistic fiction story by Polly Horvath is on the Great Stone  Face list for 21-22.  Fiona and her sisters are taken in by their aunt in the woods of Canada after the death of their parents.  However, the aunt passes away before they arrive.  They settle in to her house, and try to survive on their own.  They have to keep their situation a secret or they will be split up.  So Fiona concocts a plan to enlist their new neighbor, a grumpy man who was in love with their aunt. In exchange for meals, he will pretend to be their guardian when needed.  You root for these sweet girls through the whole book.  The ending was unexpected and satisfying.  (FIC HOR)

Watercress

 

What a GORGEOUS picture book this is!  While driving along some fields, a Chinese-American couple stop and tell their kids to get out and help them harvest some watercress by the side of the road.  The daughter is mortified.  What if someone sees?  They get home and the parents cook it for dinner.  She won't eat it.  Her pouting encourages the mother to get up and show her a photo of her family, back in China, during a difficult time.  The frail boy, obviously starving in the photo, died.  It puts into perspective the parents' histories and struggles with poverty.  The girl realizes they may struggle, too, but she has all she needs.  The illustrations were breathtaking.  I would love to see this win the Caldecott.   (PIC WAN)

The Silver Arrow

This 20-21 Great Stone face nominee was a bit of a disappointment.  I kept waiting for the story to reveal itself and it never really did.  A girl named Kate, longing for adventure,  asks her rich uncle for a birthday gift.  He delivers a magical train.  She and her brother Tom act as the conductors and pick up animals who need to migrate.  The message is that man is hurting the planet, species are becoming extinct, and we all need to act.  But it just missed for me.  I did appreciate another theme of sticking with something.  Her uncle compliments her on never giving up and because of that, she is a success.  But I was not a fan.  Maybe my students will appreciate it more than I did.  (FIC GRO)

Stepping Stones

This graphic novel by Lucy Knisley was about a blended family.  Its main character was Jen who has moved to the country with her mom and new boyfriend.  She has to adjust to a new life full of working on the farm, as well as weekends with his two girls.  There really wasn't a plot line there to get caught up in.  The mom's boyfriend was a total jerk who taunted her, and the mom did nothing about it, and there was no real resolution there.   It bothered me immensely.  (GN KNI)

The One Thing You'd Save

A prompt from a teacher asking: In case of a fire, what ONE thing would you save?  (People and pets are all safe.)  What follows is a short collection of responses written in a Korean poetry from called sijos.  It will surely spark a wonderful conversation among students about what is really important in life.  (FIC PAR)

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor

This story has a Miss Peregrine/Mysterious Benedict Society vibe.  Five children are invited to move into an orphanage, owned by an incredibly wealthy family who suffered a huge tragedy and who is hiding secrets.  As author Stuart Gibbs says, "It's Batman meets Annie."  April is one of those children.  She was left by her mom with a key around her neck that just so happens to have the crest of the wealthy family.  What follows is a thrilling mystery of a key, a long lost billionaire and a hidden treasure.  Throw in a scary bad guy, spunky kids, and great cliffhanger and you have got yourself a great read!  (FIC CAR)

No Place For Monsters

Kids will fight over this heavily illustrated, spooky story on the 21-22 Great Stone Face List.  Levi and Kat discover that there is a sinister presence in their town, stealing kids and wiping any trace or memory of them.  Somehow, they are immune to the brainswipe and remember them.  With some help from an odd old couple in town, as well as a sweet creature named Willow, they bravely go to get Levi's sister back from the creature. (FIC MER)

Flight of the Puffin

This AMAZING book wove four stories together:  Libby's story - a creative, caring girl who makes inspirational index card notes; Jack's, a boy who is trying to save his school but is struggling with the loss of his younger sibling; T's, a nonbinary kid who has run away from home and is living on the street; and Vincent, a boy who loves triangles and puffins and is bullied mercilessly.  

When one of Libby's notes reaches Vincent across the country, it has a profound impact on him, but that impact has ripples that affects others.  

This had ALL THE FEELS.  I got chills at times, and I had tears in my eyes at others.  Its messages were profound:  that one small act of kindness can have a huge impact, that all you need to be is YOU - whoever that may be, bravery can come in many forms.  And yes, the story explains at a basic level what being nonbinary means, bit it is SO much more than that.  It is a brilliant, beautiful, and important work of fiction.

The List of Things That Will Not Change

This was a sweet, realistic fiction story written by Rebecca Stead, award-winning author of When You Reach Me.  The main character is Bea, who is struggling with some anger and guilt issues from a previous incident with her cousin.  She is also living between her parents houses, as they recently divorced.  Even though she knows there are things that will not change, like the fact that they will always love her, she still worries.  She is excited about her Dad's upcoming wedding to Jesse, who has a daughter, and so she will finally have a sister.  But the wedding is clouded by the fact that Jesse's brother will not accept the fact that he is gay and marrying a man.  I enjoyed the normalization in this story of gay marriage, blended families, and mental health therapy.  (FIC STE)

The Barren Grounds

This book is on the 21-22 Great Stone Face list.  It is a fantasy story set in a parallel universe named Misewa.  Two First Nation native children, being raised by white foster parents in Canada, discover a portal in the attic.  Through it they saw a frozen landscape and a creature - a walking fisher cat who looked menacing.  When Eli goes through the portal, Morgan has to go help him.  They are saved by the creature and told of the history of that world.  A human man also used the portal years ago to travel to that world and took all he could from the land.  He stole the Green Time and left them to deal with the White Time without food.  The children, longing to connect with their Native identities, decide to help Ochek find the man and restore the Green Time and save his world.  This is the first in the series - a great adventure story which highlights Native American culture and struggles. A moral about white man's raping of the Earth and native culture are obvious, as is the message to Natives to remember who they are. (FIC ROB)

Spy School

 My 5th graders are going to LOVE this series.  Ben Ripley is middle-schooler, a bit of a nerd, and one who loves playing spy.  When a man in a tuxedo surprises him at his house to tell him he is being recruited for the Junior CIA academy for Spies, he is shocked and thrilled.  He can tell no one.  His parents think he is going to a prestigious Science Academy.  As soon as he arrives on campus, the action starts and does not let up.  According to the file they have on him, Ben is a genius with codes.  He didn't think so!  Someone wants what he knows about a plan called Pinwheel that they say he invented!  How can he have invented something and not know? With the help of a friend in the school, he finds himself at the middle of a plot.  This book was full of action and humor.  It is geared for middle school readers, but I didn't find anything other than a mild cuss word that might have made it inappropriate for K-5.  Buckle up! (FIC GIB)

Allergic

This graphic novel opens on Maggie's 12th birthday, the day she was to go to the shelter and get her first dog. But she soon discovers she is allergic.  Heartbroken, she tries to find the perfect pet while navigating a new friend, and an imminent new sibling.  (GN LLY)

One Jar of Magic

This book was absolutely gorgeous.  I did not want it to end.  Rose is a 12-year-old girl whose father is the most magical man in their town.  He has built her up her entire life telling her she is like him and she will be something special too, once she turns 12 and can capture her first magic.  But when that day comes, and Rose only gets one jar, everything changes....her relationship with her father, a volatile man and her relationship with her friends.  It makes you asks deeper questions.  What is a "perfect" life?  Who do you want to be?  Are you enough?  It is for fifth graders and up, given some mature domestic abuse references.  (FIC HAY)

Once Upon Another TIme

WHAT A GORGEOUS BOOK!  Co-written by Charles Ghinga and Matt Esenwine, this is a beautifully written and illustrated ode to the natural world.  Flipping between the past and the present, it highlights the magic of our world, and reminds us to look past all we have done to it and rediscover its beauty.  Andres Landazabal's paintings are captivating and sweet.  (PIC GHI)

Six Kids and a Stuffed Cat

 

I am a huge fan of Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet, Gone to the Woods, and many other amazing books.  This very short, realistic fiction story was unique and charming.  Six middle school boys end up locked down in the boys' bathroom during a weather emergency.  All six have very different personalities.  (Think Breakfast Club.)  Our main character, Jordan, who tells the story, has some social anxiety but covers it up with the class clown routine.  There is one boy who has just started school - he is a quite anxious and has a stuffed cat peeking out of his bag.  The class overacheiver Reagan is there, as is the misunderstood underacheivingTaylor, and Mason, the smart kid who ruins every grading curve with his high scores. And add to that mix my favorite - Devon - who never engages the group and just jams on his air guitar in the corner the entire time. It was funny and sweet as they learn more about each other, bond, and become friends.  (FIC PAUL)

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

 

This was a beautiful and touching story written by Newbery Award winning author, Meg Medina.  The illustrations by Sonia Sanchez are gorgeous in their color and texture and relate the story of two best friends on moving day.  They play among the moving boxes, enjoying every last minute together before Evelyn leaves in the moving truck.  But a friendship that strong can not dissolve, and the book ends with an older Daniela rifling through the years of accumulated letters from her best friend.  (PIC MED)

All of Me

I recently read Starfish by Lisa Fipps and was blown away with the heartwrenching story of a young girl whose body shape was different from others and therefore the root of much bullying.  All of Me is a similar ode to positive body image.  Written by Chris Baron, who was admittedly a fat kid, it tells the story of Ari.  He is big.  After being beaten up for his weight, he harms himself, causing his mother to seek help and put him on a diet.  And although the diet is "successful" and Ari loses weight and gains some confidence, he constantly questions how this could be a long term solution.  And why does it need to be?  He doesn't necessarily want to lose weight.  He just wants "to find the real me."  Guided by his rabbi and a few very good friends, he learns that "you don't have to be the way others want you to be."  In a few spots this was a bit mature for a K-5 audience.  It is perfect for middle school.  (FIC BAR)

The Nest

Oooohhhh... this one was spooky.  Kenneth Oppel's books tend to be.  I thought his Bloom was freaky, too.  After he is stung by a weird wasp, Steve is visited in his dreams by a presence who tells him she can fix his baby brother who has multiple health issues.  If it's just a dream, it doesn't matter what he answers, right?  His yes answer makes him feel incredibly guilty.  Aren't we all a little broken?  When he realizes that he is connected to the queen bee and she and her team are building a replacement for his baby brother, he has to stop it.  But it may be too late.  (FIC OPP)

The Serpent's Secret

 

Fans of Percy Jackson, here's one for you.  A young girl from New Jersey finds out she is the daughter of a moon goddess and a snake god when her adoptive parents are stolen and taken to another realm.  She needs to battle demons and solve riddles to save them.  This is an exciting first novel in the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series.  (FIC DAS)

24 Hours In Nowhere

This book was on the NH Great Stone Face list last year, but it evaded me somehow.  Dusti Bowling is the author, and I enjoyed her Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus very much.  Like that one, this is a realistic fiction story set in Arizona.  Gus is a small 13 year old who often gets picked on by the town bully, Bo.  When a girl named Rossi sacrifices her beloved dirtbike to save him from Bo's torments, Gus feels horribly and vows to make amends.  Bo demands he go into the local abandoned mine and retrieve a piece of gold to get the bike back.  What follows is an exciting, funny and heartwarming story of discovering yourself and others you thought you knew.  (FIC BOW)

Blue Floats Away

 

This beautiful book is about a little iceberg that breaks away from his parents and goes on a journey.  He sees new and exciting things.  He also undergoes a transformation as he goes through the water cycle.  It is a very relatable book for kids about both the stages of the water sycle but also a great launching pad for a lesson on global warming as well.  (PIC JON)

Stargazing

 

This graphic novel was a wonderful story about two very different girls who find each other.  Christine is from a very traditional Chinese-American family.  She is expected to do well in school, take Chinese lessons and play the violin.  Caring about clothes and nail polish and hanging out with friends are not encouraged.  Then Moon moves in to their garage apratment.  She gets in trouble for fighting, paints her nails, goes to concerts and lives a very different life with more freedoms.  Christine is confused that they can have the same cultural background yet live so differently.  When Moon has a health crisis, Christine feels guilt about her behavior towards Moon.  Moon ultimately encourages her to be herself.  (GN WAN)

History Smashers Pearl Harbor

My older students will DEVOUR this nonfiction series, whose goal is to smash the long-held myths about historical events.  Think Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise?  Think again.  Paul Revere rode through Massachusetts warning everyone, "The British are coming!"  Wrong.   Written at an upper-level elementary or middle school level, the book is full of graphic art, images, and primary sources that will sure to engage, excite, and educate students about the real facts surrounding the tragedy at Pearl Harbor.  (940.542 MES)

And Tango Makes Three

 

Based on the real story of two male penguins raising a baby penguin at the Central Park zoo, this was a sweet and beautiful book that kids will love.  Families come in all sizes and shapes.  Love is love - even with penguins!  (PIC RIC)

Prince and Knight

When a prince needs to find a life partner, he scours the kingdom for the right person.  All of the princesses do not seem the right fit.  Until the day, while fighting a battle with a dragon, he meets a knight in shining armor who wins his heart.  ❤🏳‍🌈  (PIC HAA)

Halfway to Harmony

Barbara O'Connor has written some wonderful and sweet realistic fiction stories, like Wish and How To Steal a Dog.  This was another lovely story about a boy named Walter.  His older brother has died and he is grappling with not only that huge loss but the change in his family, especially his mother, since Tank's death.  But a new, feisty girl named Pasey moves in next door.  And a hot air balloon crashed in the woods and its pilot, Banjo, vows to give them a bodacious adventure.  Walter wants to embrace life again like Tank would, but wonders if he can with the weight of his brother's death always on him.  Wonderfully memorable characters abound in this story of loss, friendship and hope. (FIC OCO)

On the Horizon

Lois Lowry is an acclaimed author of such books as The Giver and Number the Stars.  This collection of poems is a biographical memoir of sorts - her reflections of her time in the 1940s during WWII.  It was poignant and haunting at times, as she jumped between short biographical descriptions of some of the soldiers lost on the Arizona, and her happy times on the beach in Hawaii with her grandma.  Alternately, her chapters detailing her experience in Japan after the war chillingly describe life there after the war and the atomic bombs.   But there is hope, and beauty and connections bridging divides there as well.  (BIO LOW)

Red, White, and Whole

This gorgeous novel in verse written by Rajani LaRocca was heavy but beautiful.  Reha's parents are from India, but she was born in America.  She loves her Indian culture and extended family and enjoys her trips to India to see them.  However, she also is American and wants to wear jeans and do what her friends are doing.  That all seems so important to her until her mother gets sick.  Her friends stand by her, even when she isolates herself and tries to prove herself worthy.  It was so authentic and deeply moving.  I also loved the Indian folktale woven through the story.  (FIC LAR)

The Ickabog

This is a beautifully woven tale crafted by genius storyteller, J.K. Rowling.  In the kingdom of Cornucopia, there is legend of a horrific beast.  When an unfortunate event occurs in the fabled marshlands where this Ickabog is said to live, devious and conniving aides to a vain and foolish king lie and twist the event to their benefit.  The lies and crimes snowball, one after the other, until the kingdom is crumbling while the kings' aides' purses get fat.  Two children of the kingdom, Daisy and Bert, suffer greatly from the lies and deception.  But when they travel to the marsh to find answers, the children nearly die of frostbite.  Their savior is a most unlikely hero, and he may be able to save the kingdom.  

There was much debate about whether this is a appropriate for children.  Like Harry Potter, it was written for older children.  It is dark and sometimes has violence (murder, for example) but the murders are not graphic; they are mentioned as part of the plot to cover up the accident.  It is a solid middle-grade novel.  5th grade and up will devour this.  (FIC ROW)

With the Might of Angels

This was a wonderful historical fiction story written by Andrea Davis Pinkney.  Dawnie Rae tells her story in the form of diary entries.  She is a smart, black girl who has earned a spot at a newly integrated school after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education law suit which made school segregation illegal.  She is thrilled to have the opportunity...new books, a beautiful building, a science lab.  This is the only way she will have the opportunity to be a doctor.  But she is not welcome there.  The white students and teachers mock her.  Some of her previous black classmates believe she is causing trouble and being uppity.  It is the story of her struggle, and all of those who broke barriers to gain equality for Black people.  The epilogue provided historical facts to support the story. (FIC PIN)

Show Me A Sign

This historical fiction story written by Ann Clare Lezotte, was very unique.  Its main character is Mary, a deaf girl, living on Martha's Vineyard shortly after the American Revolution.  The community has always had a high deaf population, who have mingled with the society and got aong very well.  Almost everyone signs, even the hearing population. However, when a scientist arrives and wants to study the area to determine what causes the "affliction", the sheltered people of the island see that their world may not be that of other deaf people.  His ignorance, fear and disgust with their "disability" and his relentless passion to find the cure threaten their town but also Mary's safety.  Based on a real town on Martha's Vineyard, the author wove the town's true story into this tale, along with historical information about the struggles of the local Native Americans, displaced by English settlers. (FIC LEZ)

Alone

 

This novel in verse was a survival story, so those of you who like I Survived, or Hatchet, will love this.  I found it engrossing and beautifully written.  However, the reason Maddie was left alone was unclear and really vague.  It bothered me that it didn't make sense.  I wish it had been a tighter part of the storyline...explained more deeply how and why the evacuation could have left her alone like that.  I was not satisfied.  Even at the conclusion.  (FIC FRE)

The ABCs of Black History

I love alphabet books.  This rhyming one is beautiful, written by Rio Cortez and illustrated by Lauren Semmer.  Each page spread highlights a letter of the alphabet and all of the words that link to black history.  B is for bold, brave and brotherhood.  D is for diaspora.  P is for power.  R is for relentless.  S is for scientists.  Touching on all apsects of black history, including very current happenings, it is a wonderful homage to black heritage.  Several pages in the back offer deeper explanation of some people and terms mentioned in book.  (PIC COR)

Because of the Rabbit

This sweet, realistic fiction story centered around Emma.  She is attending school for the first time at the beginning of fifth grade.  She loved home schooling but is looking forward to public school - mostly because she knows she can make friends.  When that doesn't happen right away, she takes comfort in the new rescue animal at her house - a sweet bunny she has named Lapin.  The bunny ultimately becomes something she can have in common with her classmate - a sweet boy named Jack.  Soon, she realizes that when she stops trying so hard, and just presents her true self to her classmates, she has everything she needs.  (FIC LOR)

Wink

This middle-grade realistic fiction story was deep.  Ross is a 7th grader diganosed with eye cancer.  As he navigates the horror of the treatments and the potential side effects, his best friend Abby is by his side.  Unfortunately, middle school kids can be hurtful and mean... especially when you are different.  His radiologist and another cancer patient add some joy to this story. I loved both Frank and Jerry's roles in helping Ross navigate the process and find some joy.  A bit of the language was mature as well as the content, obviously.  I may leave this one for a MS collection.  (FIC HAR)  

The Lion of Mars

I thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Holm's (Fourteenth Goldfish, Full of Beans) latest novel set on Mars in the future.  Bell has grown up in the American settlement on Mars.  They have no contact with the other national settlements.  The children are told of an accident that triggered the isolation.  But when all the adults in his settlement get sick, Bell and his "brother" Trey have to go for help.  Bell finds his courage for his "family". This was a wonderful testament to society's need for one another.  It takes a village. (GN HOL)

Consent (For Kids!) Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You

This is an important book teaching children what consent is and how to get and give it.  Delivered in a graphic novel format, it is very accessible and not scary or explicit at all.  It is perfect for an elementary-aged child.  I shared it with my guidance counselors and will have it my collection.

Nat Enough

Can you still call someone a friend when they treat you badly?  Even if they were once what you thought was your best friend?  Nat is desperate to regain her best friend even though she is cruel and petty.  "Focus on who are are instead of who you are not," a classmate told her.  Once Nat did that, she found the confidence to make real friends.  I enjoyed the theme of this graphic novel.  Students can never hear enough of it.  I wish there was no boy-girl crush stuff in it, but it was minor and benign in this first of the series.  It is not the case in its sequels. though.  (GN SCR)

CatWad

This laugh-out-loud graphic novel for the younger set is sure to be a hit.  Catwad is a grumpy, pessimistic cat.  His friend, Blurmp, although a bit dim-witted, is the exact opposite - always positive, smiling and looking on the bright side.  Readers will love them both and giggle through the whole thing.  I hope Jim Benton writes many more of these.

The Girl Who Speaks Bear

Yanka stands out in her village.  She is head and shoulders bigger than the other kids her age.  Sometimes she likes the attention.  People seem to be marveled at her strength.  But she has a feeling in her heart she doesn't belong here.  A part of her is pulled to the moutain where her mom found her.  Her friend Anatoly tells her stories of his travels around the forest, as well as magical tales.  One morning, Yanka wakes up and discovers her legs and feet have been tranformed into those of a bear.  She starts to think Anatoly's stories may be true.  She leaves her beloved mother and friend Sasha and follows her heart to gain answers.  This is a story of adventure, love, courage, friendship, and finding out who you were meant to be.  (FIC AND)

Bloom

Kenneth Oppel, author of Inkling, wrote this spooky, thrilling story about an agressive, invasive, carnivorous, alien plant species that colonized Earth.  It threatened life itself. Three kids: Anaya, the allergic-to-everything kid, Seth, the misfit foster kid and Petra, the pretty, shallow girl - are immune to its poisons.  When they are studied to potentially find a vaccine for the poisons, they learn more about their special traits, and why they have them.  Maybe they are the only ones who can save the planet.  This was the first in a thrilling series, made for middle school readers and older. (FIC OPP)

Starfish

 

Holy cow.  Just wow.  This book was utterly amazing.  I needed both a box of tissues and a punching bag to deal with my emotions while reading it.  Ellie is larger than most twelve year olds and she is mercilessly bullied for it, mostly by her mother.  Luckily she has her dad and two dear, true friends to remind her that her value and beauty are not defined by her weight.  This is a truly important book, highlighting a horrible fat-phobic society in which we live.  Told in verse, it is gorgeous in its language and insights.  (FIC FIP)

Liar, Liar

I love the level of kids I teach.  K-5 is a great group.  But this book made me wish I taught older kids - just so I could read this out loud to them!  The main character, Kevin, is a 14-yr-old 8th grader.  A book with a protagonist that old MAY be o.k. but it usually means that content is probably too mature for my libraries.  And that proved correct with this one, unfortunately. Some vocabulary that was advanced, boy-girl drama, along with puberty all combined to put it out of reach for MY collection.  Insert sad face here.  I will suggest it strongly for any MS collection, though!  Kevin is a great liar and in his attempt to get the love of his life to notice him, he embarks on a string of lies that get out of hand and teaches him about honesty.  Hilarious, inventive and beautifully written, I loved it.  (FIC PAU)

Donut Feed the Squirrels

This is a sweet, lower level graphic novel.  It is the first in a series featuring Norma and Belly.  Is has a few chapters, but one storyline, rather than separate stories.  In this one, the two main characters try to get into a food truck to get some donuts.  Perfect for first or second grade readers, students will love these sweet and funny characters and want to read the series.  (GN SON)

Hike

This is a gorgeous wordless picture book, illustrated by Pete Oswald.  A dad and his son wake up early and head out for a day in the mountains where they plant a tree, investigate wildlife and just enjoy each other's company in the great outdoors.  (PIC OSW)

Going Down Home With Daddy

I heard about this book after it received a Caldecott Honor at the ALA Awards this January.  A family heads out for the yearly trek to their Dad's childhood home for a reunion.  Lil Alan can not think of any way to pay tribute to their family at the celebration until he looks into his heart and speaks of the gifts the land has given them.  There is also a deep knowledge of the past, the history of cotton and slavery, and its impact on their ancestors. The techniques and colors by Daniel Minter were glorious.  Among other various techniques, background heart shapes on every page, I learned, harkened to a West African symbol of love and a reminder to learn from the past.   It was a beautiful, moving read celebrating African American history and culture.  (PIC LYO)

Unplugged

 

In this latest from Gordon Korman, author of Unteachables and Restart among many others, we meet Jett.  He is the son of a tech billionaire and is spoiled rotten.  He has gotten into some troubles with his entitlement and lack of control, so his dad enrolls him in a summer camp in Arkansas.  There he has to forfeit all electronics, go to yoga class, and eat vegetarian foods.  People are nuts about this place.  He can't figure out why.  Needless to say, he is not happy.  However, in true Jett fashion, he rebels and hijacks a boat to head downstream to the nearest town to buy candy and burgers.  However, on his way there, he spies a mansion and starts to wonder who lives there.  In his investigation, he stumbles on a secret that threatens not only the camp and its members, but the town as well.  I enjoyed his growth as a character.  It is a perfect mystery for upper elementary school.  (FIC KOR)

Eyes That Kiss In The Corners

 

When you look different from others, you may wish you didn't.  But the moral of this story is that you should be proud of your glorious differences, as is the little girl in this book.  Her eyes "kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea", just like the amazing other people in her family.  And she wouldn't want it any other way.  Every collection needs this book, which celebrates diversity and confidence.  (PIC HO)

Hair Love

 

This GORGEOUS picture book is based on the short film Hair Love, by Matthew Cherry.  In it, a girl whose hair has a mind of its own needs her dad to make it special.  I loved the beautiful relationship between her and her dad and his patience and love in working hard to get it just right.  Vashti Harrison is the illustrator and her characters are sweet and real and full of emotion.  (PIC CHE)

Science Comics

 

What a find these were!  Thanks to a colleague in a workshop on graphic novels, I discovered these beauties.  Most graphic novels are fiction.  Kids gravitate toward them.  Thank you to the authors and publishers who decided to bring nonfiction into this format.  This series has books about sharks, the solar system, coral reefs, volcanoes, dinosaurs, flying machines, dogs, plagues, robots, rockets, trees and the brain.  These will fly off the shelves.

Amari and the Night Brothers

What a magical (pun intended) book B.B. Alston has written!!!!  I loved Amari and the begininning of this series!  Amari's brother has disappeared.  She receives a briefcase with an invitation to attend a summer camp - at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs!  She never knew magic existed.  And now she finds out that her brother was a superstar agent who imprisoned the worst magician of all time.  In order to get her brother back, she needs to become an agent herself and investigate his disappearance. But much like her fancy prep school where she attended on a scholarship, this school has bigoted people who don't want her there.  But she is used to that and she can handle herself.  The book gave me vibes from other fantasy stories I have read - Divergent, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, but it was unique enough that I enjoyed it and could not predict what would happen.  I will defintely get this for my collections!  And I can't wait for the sequel!  The kids will love it!  (FIC ALS)

Breakout (Messner)

This one surprised me.  The format was unlike anthing I had read beefore.  Written in notes, transcripts, cartoons, and letters, three girls create submissions for a time-capsule for their town, to be opened in 50 years.  I found myself wishing it was a normal narrative, maybe written from each of their perspectives, rather than the different formats.  Lizzie, Nora and Elidee start to create the submissions as extra credit, but grow to like writing about what is going on in their lives and their town.  The normally quiet town is shaken up when two inmates from the local prison escape.  The tension it causes highlights a undercurrent of racism in the town, expressed mostly by Elidee, a new black girl in town. (FIC MES)

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky (Mbalia)

In this latest publication from Rick Riordan's publishing house, readers are reacquainted with African folk heroes and legends, rather than Greek, Roman, or Egyptian, as in his other series.  At its core, it is a fantasy-adventure story.  A creature steals Tristan's prize possession - his deceased best friend's journal of stories. Tristan chases the creature but unwittingly releases an evil spirit from his gradparents' woods in Alabama and they all fall down a hole into another realm.  This realm is ruled by African and Black American legends and gods, like John Henry and Anansi the story weaver.  By bringing the spirit into the realm, he unleashes an evil horde who would destroy their worlds.  Tristan must figure out a way to seal the hole in the sky he created before it's too late. Tristan battles demons but he also tackles his own feelings of loss and guilt over his friend's death, as well as the disappointment he believes he is to everyone in his life.  I loved the message of storytelling and its power.  I loved the theme of owning painful memories.  I also loved seeing powerful and strong black characters in a book, telling of black history.  However,  I found it quite confusing.  A lot of the characters' stories were not explained fully enough.  I also found it too long.  The climax was satisfying though.  It will speak to many kids who have knowledge of both the old folktales and of America's shameful and dark history of slavery.  It could be confusing without that schema.  (FIC MBA)

I am Every Good Thing (Barnes)

This beautiful and inspiring picture book was written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James.  It celebrates all the wonderful things a child is.  It is a gorgeous and joyful book encouraging children to look deep and see what defines them and what makes them special, beautiful, and unique.  (PIC BAR)   

All Because You Matter (Charles)

This affirming story written by Tami Charles was absolutely beautiful.  Written to all children, but targeted specifically to those of color who see in society that they do not, it boldly tells them theat they are beautiful, strong and that they matter.  I adored the gorgeous illustrations - sometimes joyous, sometimes troubling and thought-provoking.  We can not have enough books broadcasting this message.  (PIC CHA)

Gone To The Woods

Gary Paulsen has written his memoirs at the age of eighty, and this is it.  The heart-wrenching story of his childhood, written as a novel.  He refers to himself as "the boy" throughout, choosing to tell it in third person.  If you have read Hatchet, or any of his other works, you understand that he has a love of the natural world.  In this, he explains what triggered that.  I wanted him to stay forever with his aunt and uncle, who were a refuge for him in his tumultuous early years.  He was taken from his neglectful mother and sent to a farm, where he was cared for and loved and safe.  However he did not stay there.  He traveled to the Philipines to find his soldier father and lived in Manila for some time, seeing things a young boy should never see.  His alcoholic parents brought him back to the US where they continued to neglect him and he lived on his own for the most part.  I love the role that the librarian played in his life, and I hope his aunt and uncle lived a long a beautiful life! I found several things in this story a bit too mature for a K-5 library, but this is a PERFECT fit for middle school.  (BIO PAU) 

Story Thieves

When Owen sees Bethany climb out of a book, he is at first afraid and bewildered.  But her power intrigues him and he is thrilled that the boring world they live in isn't all there is.  He wants to go in and meet his favorite characters, maybe change the endings of books and become famous!  Bethany has a different reason for going into the books that is less selfish than his.  She is half-fiction.  Her dad is from a story.  She wants to find him.  However, Owen's ego and ignorance cause a catastrophe when they release a wizard into the real world.  The wizard is furious that he is fictitious and wants Bethany to use her power to release ALL the fictional characters so they can truly live.  It is a story within a story... the two become intertwined.   I loved all the works of literature metioned throughout!  If you liked Sisters Grimm, Inkheart, or Land Of Stories, you will like this.  (FIC RIL)

Ground Zero

This latest of Alan Gratz's historical fiction was chilling.  The novel switches back and forth between the two main characters:  Brandon, a 9-yr-old in NYC on 9/11/01 and Rashmina, a young girl in Afghanistan 20 years later.  Brandon and his father are in the World Trade Center North Tower on the fateful morning. Brandon goes to a lower floor to buy something at the mall and so is not with his dad when the first plane hits the tower.  His struggle to survive and get to his dad is frighteningly real and quite graphic.  He witnesses the horror of it all.  Rashmina has lived with war her whole life - the Taliban killing its own people and America killing Afghanis while trying to kill the Taliban.  When she brings a wounded American soldier into her home, her twin brother vows to tell the Taliban and risks the lives of her whole family.  Both stories were gripping.  The lessons about wars you can't get out of, revenge, and collateral damage are important ones.  However, it may be a bit much for an elementary school audience.  It needs to be read.  The graphic imagery, however, would be more safely handled with a middle-school audience.  (FIC GRA)

Becoming Muhammad Ali

This was a lovely novel based on the early life on Cassius Clay, who would later take the name Muhammad Ali.  The story was told from two perspectives - Cassius himself - written in verse - and his best friend, Lucky - written in prose.  All of the famous boxer's bragadocia was there in verse, yet Lucky's story really showed a softer, humbler side to the fighter.  It was a beautiful window into the early life of the famous boxer and also into the difficult times in which he grew up. (FIC PAT)

Julian at The Wedding

This follow up to Julian is A Mermaid was a gorgeous celebration of love, friendship and acceptance.  Julian and his friend Marisol are in a wedding.  But when Marisol gets a bit dirty, Julian saves the day by sharing a shirt with her.  These characters are beautiful - inside and out.  Marisol's grandmother, like Julian's, is patient and loving, even though she was nervous she "ruined" her dress.  The illustrations are breathtaking.  It is important for readers to see all types of love, all colors of people, and all manners of identity. (PIC LOV)

See The Cat

 

This early reader won the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award this year.  I LOVED it.  It was so witty and funny.  The dog interacts with the author who is saying something the dog thinks is wrong.  Emerging readers will be successful with the simple text and will giggle with its witty dialogue.  (E LAR)

This Is Your Time

 

This is Ruby Bridges' autobiographical love letter to the children of today.  Published just recently, it compares the struggles she faced during desegregation in the 1960's to those still present today and calls on the children to lead the way out.  Each page has her letter on one side and photos on the other, documenting her words.  I actually got goosebumps reading her words and seeing the images of the world she lived in, and the images from the world still unchanged in many ways.  (BIO BRI)

Some Kind of Courage

I love Dan Gemeinhart.  Ever since his Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, I have been gobbling up his other works:  The Honest Truth and Scar Island.  This realistic-fiction/adventure story is set in the late 1800's out west.  The main character tells his heartwrenching story of the loss of his family, and his need to get back the one part of his heart he has left - his horse Sarah, who has been sold without his permission.  I loved the language - the accent, the voice - that the author used to tell the tale from Joseph's perspeective.  It felt authentic and true.  Full of adventure and action, as well and heart, students will devour it.  (FIC GEM)

We Are Water Protectors

 

This gorgeous picture book won the Caldecott Medal this year.  Inspired by the Indigenous movements to halt oil pipelines on their lands, it is a story of a girl who stands up to the "Snake" who threatens their water and all of the creatures who depend on it.  (PIC LIN)

My Very Favorite Book In The Whole Wide World

Malcolm Mitchell is a professional football player.  He has recently become a crusader for literacy, writing children's books including The Magician's Hat.  This book highlights his struggles reading as a young child.  I loved the vibrant and happy illustrations.  Its message will resonate with many students.  (PIC MIT)

Let The Children March

This gorgeous and powerful picture book was written by Monica Clark-Robinson highlighting the Children's March in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.  When a thousand children marched peacefully for a week to highlight racial injustice, inspired by Dr. King's words, many were jailed.  But the world saw it and change soon followed.  (PIC CLA)

Cat Kid Comic Club

Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man, has launched this new series with Cat Kid, a character introduced in the Dog Man series.  Cat Kid (Li'l Petey) and his little worm friend, Molly, run a comic-writing class for all of Flippy's kid frogs.  The book contains wonderful messages of failure being o.k., persistence, and creativity.  The books that the kids produce become part of the story, in all of their various styles.  My students will devour these.  And hopefully, start writing some comics of their own!  (GN PIL)

Real Friends

Shannon Hale wrote the graphic novel as a memoir of her elementary years.  (I adored her Books of Bayern series, beginning with The Goose Girl.)  As a middle-school read, I think it would be perfect... reflecting on the sometimes tortuous world of friendships and fitting in.  But as an elementary student, I think it would be scary.  She portrays such meanness in both the group she calls friends but mostly her sister, who not only verbally abuses her, but physically as well.  I almost didn't finish the book, but I was curious to discover its message.  I was relieved to discover that Shannon stood up for herself and left the group, and in doing so, became confident, a better friend and subsequently more attractive to be around.  I did appreciate the page in which she kicked the boys' butts who forced themselves on her and her friend.  She shared a very important message about you being in charge of your body.  But again - I will hold off buying this for my elementary libraries.  (GN HAL)

The Kicks - Saving the Team

Alex Morgan, the famous soccer player, wrote this wonderful series of books.  The main character is Devon who has just moved from CT to CA.  She missed her best friend, but hopes she can find friends and settle into her new life.  A place on the soccer team allows her to do that.  But it is so different from her last team.  This team's coach doesn't seem to care about winning, and there is a mean girl who captains the team who is not a good leader.  Devon needs to stand up and be brave and do what is right.  I was nervous about this book, thinking it may be too mature for my K-5 audience.  I generally stay away from purchasing books that are set in middle school, because they tend to have a lot of boy-girl drama, and this had a bit of it.  However, that was outweighed by the overwhelming number of positive messages this books sends:  keeping a school-recreation balance, what true leadership is, what good coaching is, the importance of having fun in a sport, sportmanship, and teambuilding.  I also LOVED the spotlight on the inequity in boys' vs. girls' sports!  Alex Morgan has scored with this one. 😉

When you Trap a Tiger

I have not been a fan of recent years' winners  of the Newbery medal.  This year was the exception.  This was a beautiful, magical story about a Korean-American girl named Lily and her family, struggling with their grandmother's illness.  Lily loves listening to her Halmoni's Korean stories, especially the one about the tiger.  But when she sees a tiger that no one else sees, her halmoni tells her it has come back for something she stole.  Lily believes she can make a deal with the tiger - Lily will return what her grandmother stole and the tiger will heal her.  I loved so many things about this book particularly the power of stories, and the characters of the grandmother and her new friend Ricky - both unique characters who own their oddness.  (FIC KEL)

Baby-Sitters Little Sister - Karen's Roller Skates

This is the second in the graphic novel series based on Ann Martin's books.  I prefer this series over the original graphic novel series, as I believe these are a bit more geared toward a K-5 audience.  Karen loves roller skating.  But she falls and breaks her wrist.  Her story gets more amazing every time she tells it.  Her competitive streak also comes out when she finds that her classmate also has a cast.  She needs to get more autographs than him... and find someone famous.   I will happily put these on my shelves.  (GN MAR)

The Fabled Stables - Willa The Wisp

Jonathan Auxier is one of those authors who has my full attention.  Whatever he writes, I will read.   Sweep and Night Gardener got me hooked.  This series is for a younger set of readers, which makes me love him even more.  Auggie is a boy who lives on a tiny island.  He is in charge of a stable of magical creatures.  One night, a new stall in his stables magically appears and lures him into a place where a Wisp is being hunter.  He needs to save the Wisp and get her to her new home.  My students will eat these up.  (E AUX)

The Undefeated

 "A love letter... To black America" is how the author Kwame Alexander describes this moving and important book about the African-American experience.  Its illustrator, Kadir Nelson, won the Caldecott Medal for 2019.  It is a powerful, in-your-face book highlighting the struggles and perseverence of individual African-Americans and the race as a whole.  The verse is splashed with quotes from famous leaders, artists, authors and sports legends.  The images are absolutely beautiful and sometimes quite haunting.   (811 ALE)  

Outside In

 

Just what the world needs right now - a book to remind us to get outside and see the world that is waiting for us.  The watercolors were glorious in this picture book, and the words wrapped me up spoke to me, especially the Covid-house-bound me.  But even not under these extreme circumstances, it is a reminder to enjoy and celebrate the natural world around us.  (PIC UND)

The Magician's Hat

 

What a beautiful and inspiring book about the power of books!  When a magician performs at a local library family-fun day, his finale takes their breath away.  Each child pulls JUST the right book out of his hat - the book that speaks to their heart about their dreams!  (PIC MIT)

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde - Spelling Trouble

 

This was a sweet and funny graphic novel about a little witch named Salem.  In this first in the series, we meet her and her new animal companion, Whammy, who has been sent by her witch aunt to help her control her powers.  She is struggling with the spelling Bee at school, which she thinks could be better if it were a SPELLing (casting spells) bee.  The misspelled words cause some trouble, as you can imagine.  I loved all the homonyms that went awry.  It reminded me a bit of Ewe loves You.  These will be a hit with my students, starting in grade 2.  (GN CAM)

Swing It, Sunny

 

Jennifer and Matthew Holm, bestselling authors of Babymouse and Squish series of graphic novels have launched this series with Sunny.  She is a middle school girl who in this installment is struggling with the absence of her older brother.  He has been sent away to a boarding school.  His parents hope it will turn his behavior around.  (There is mention of drugs and other bad choices.) It is set in the 1970's which I adored because all of the references were from  my childhood!  However I am not sure that my students will relate to or understand them.  I will let a middle-school library shelve these.  I will be holding off on this series.  (GN HOL)

If You Love Dolphins, You Could Be...

 

I am always on the lookout for good nonfiction for young readers.  This series will be a huge hit with my students in grades 1-3 .  It starts with the title statement and then highlights a career in each chapter that would result from it.   (591.77 NAK)

Penny and Her Sled

 

Kevin Henkes does it again - this time in early reader format for emerging readers.  Penny is a mouse who is looking forward to snow and playing with her sled.  But is never snows.  So she used her imagination and comes up with different ways of playing with the sled.  When spring comes, her mom has planted some snowdrops that Penny now can look forward to.  These are perfect for students in grades 1 and 2 who love Henry and Mudge.  (E HEN)

The Adventures of Johnny Boo

Johnny Boo is a little ghost.  He and his friend Squiggle have a run in with an ice-cream monster, but realize monsters don't always have to be mean.  This story was told in a graphic novel format for early readers.  Students will love these fun stories.  (GN KOC)
 

The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap

 This was a one in a very-beginning-reader series featuring Otto the robot.  There are only two or three words on a page for young readers to sound out.  This story was about a little mouse who wanted to fly and his robot friend Otto who helps him.  I will add all of these to my collections.  The illustrations are terrific, fun and engaging.  (E MIL)

What About Worms!?

I am a fan of Ryan Higgins, an author an illustrator of picture books, including my favorite, Don't Eat our Classmates, and its sequel, We Will Rock Our Classmates.  He has now begun to venture into the world of early readers, and this one won the Theodore Geisel Award for young readers.  It is published in connection with the Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books, which are a HUGE hit with early readers.  It was so cute and funny.  A tiger turns away from several things because they may contain worms.  Then the worms turn away from several things because they are afraid of tigers.  I can't wait to get my hands on  more of these. My beginning readers students will LOVE them! (E HIG)

I Survived: The Nazi Invasion, 1944

These fiction novels fly off the shelves.  Students love the historical fiction, told in a first-person format from a fictional character who survives the real-life tragedy.  Lauren Tarshis has now started producing them with graphic illustrators in a graphic novel format.  Siblings Max and Zena have escaped from a ghetto and are hiding from the Nazis.  In their struggle, they will encounter kindness, horror and hope.  Warning - this one was a little more graphic in its violence than the others, given the content.  There was some blood and some gun violence.  (GN TAR)

The Chicken Squad

 

This beginning chapter book mystery series written by Doreen Cronin is sure to be a hit!  Set in a back yard and guarded by J.J. the dog, these silly little chickens solve mysteries.  You are sure to fall in love with them, their unique personalities, and often far-fetched ideas.  In this first installment, Tail the squirrel has reported that something HUGE AND SCARY has landed in the yard.  The chicks investigate and save the day.  For now.  (dum dum dum.....)  (BC CRO)

Bird And Squirrel: On Ice

 

This is a sweet and funny graphic novel series geared for 2nd and 3rd grade readers.  In this installment, Bird and Squirrel have landed in the Arctic and a village of penguins is burdened with feeding a killer whale. They can not go into the water for fear of him.  So they icefish, and offer their bounty to him to stay alive.  They believe that Bird is the Chosen One from a prophesy who will save them.  Bird loves the attention but Squirrel understands the danger and ultimately saves the day along with a brave little penguin.  (GN BUR)

I Talk Like A River (Scott)

 

What a beautiful picture book this is!  It is the story of a boy who stutters.  Because of it, he is teased and fearful of speaking up in class.  The imagery is beautiful, but perhaps most endearing is the character of the father, through whose patience and understanding, the child soon learns that it may be scary, but like a river, it ebbs and flows.  It is based on the author's experince as a child and his father's wisdom.  (PIC SCO) 

I Promise

 

I loved this beautiful picture book written by basketball superstar, LeBron James.   He opened a school in Akron Ohio.  The students there pledge a code of honor every morning.  This book is based on that pledge, encouraging students to word hard, be respectful and be true to themselves and all they can be. (PIC JAM)

When Stars Are Scattered

 

In this graphic novel, we meet Omar.  Omar is a refugee, a person forced to flee his home.  He was from Somalia but now lives in a camp in Kenya with thousands of others in tents.  He has taken care of his younger brother, Hassan, since they fled.  It is based on a true story - Omar is the co-author of this book. We learn of the struggles of refugees as well as the community that is built there to support one another.  It is tragic and sad that people live like this indefinitely.  But is also a story of hope and family.  (GN JAM)

InvestiGators: Take The Plunge

Fans of Dog Man should like this new, graphic novel series.  Take The Plunge is the second in the series about two alligator detectives.  In this one, they have accidentally transmitted a code which altered a robot nearby.  The robot now has the power to combine things - a snake becomes a man's arm, a salad becomes a woman's head.  Meanwhile, as they try to find the robot, their nemesis Daryl, a.k.a. Crackerdile, is trying to take revenge out on the detectives. (GN GRE)

A Slip Of A Girl

This novel in verse, a Great Stone Face nominee, was written by Patricia Reilly Giff in homage to her Irish ancestors.  It is a historical fiction story of a young girl and her family who live a hard life in Ireland in the late 1800's.  Their life becomes more difficult when the English lords start raising rents and forcing them out of their homes.  She may be just a slip of a girl, but her strength and love for her remaining family and her desire that they retain their home enable her to stand up with the other Irish to start a land war against the English.  Strewn with primary source images, it was a difficult and heart-breaking story of struggle but also one of hope and love.  (FIC GIF)

A Talent For Trouble

This one is on the Great Stoneface List for this year.  Written by Natasha Farrant, it is a realistic fiction, adventure story set at a boarding school in Scotland.  The three main characters, all somewhat outcasts, become friends and accompany Alice when she abandons the school's field trip and goes to find her father, who has sent her a mysterious package.  Unbeknownst to her, though, her father is in trouble and being chased by a lethal theif called the Leopard.  The three friends find adventure and danger on their trip, as well as clarity about who they are.  (FIC FAR) 

The Honest Truth

Dan Gemeinhart is a favorite of mine, ever since I read The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.  I went back and found his others - Scar Island (his latest) was also excellent.  So I went and read this, his first.  This is a heart-wrenching story about a very sick boy who decides to run away from home and climb Mount Rainier where he plans on dying on his own terms.  Aided by his dog, his journey is met with obstacles, as you would imagine.  The story shifts from his perspective to those he loves at home, particularly his best friend who knows where he is going but has promised him she would not tell.  It was heartwrenching and real, and a beautiful story with memorable characters. It reminded me a bit of The Trail, a recent Great Stoneface winner. (FIC GEM)  

Sisters

Raina Telgemeier has added a companion story to her incredibly popular, Smile.  I found Smile to bit a bit too mature for a K-5 library, but this one is fine.  This graphic novel describes the sometimes difficult relationship between siblings Raina and Amara.  A road trip to a family reunion tests it even further.  Funny and very relatable, if you have a sister!  (GN TEL)

Bud, Not Buddy

In this classic, award-winning historical-fiction novel, we meet Bud, a ten-year-old.  It is the Great Depression and times are hard.  Especially when your only parent has died when you were six.  But Bud has saved a few of his mom's special things, including flyers for a band featuring this one man.   Maybe that's his dad!  He decided to go and find him.  I have read a lot of stories told from a child's perspective.  None were as convincing as this.  The language, the imagination, and the humor were so authentic, I fell in love with this polite young man and rooted for him the entire book.  (FIC CUR)

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

This book was entertaining, unique, and laugh-out-loud funny.  Sal is the new kid at his new school - a school for performers.  He is a magician.  When he makes a chicken appear (and disappear) in a bully's locker, his new classmates are impressed (and maybe a bit scared).  Little do they know, it wasn't necessarily magic, but a power Sal has to pull things through tears he makes in the multiverse - including his dead mother.  With the help of his scientist dad and Gabi, his new firend who shares his power, will they be able to mend the rips in the universe?  (FIC HER)

Chirp

Kate Messner's latest realistic fiction book centers around Mia, a former gymnast who is afraid of picking up the sport again after an injury.  She is helping her Grandma built her cricket business.  However, someone is sabotaging the business and Mia and her friends need to find out who it is.  Her new friends and other stories of girls being harrassed gives her the courage to face the REAL reason Mia left gymnastics.  This story is a bit mature in content, as it tackles the disturbing subject of inappropriate touching and harrassment.  It was not graphic but disturbing.  However, it may be the book that makes a child know they are not alone and any touching that makes them feel "icky" is not ok and they need to speak up, as Mia did.   (FIC MES)

The Unteachables

This was a refreshing and wonderful story written by Gordon Korman.  Mr. Kermit, a once much-loved educator,  is done with teaching.  He is one year away from an early retirement and can't wait.  When his principal tells him he is being placed with the toughest class in the building, he is unphased.  He sits and does crossword puzzles.  Each student in the class has their own story of why they are there.  No one has any expectations of success from any of them.  But when an old adversary of Mr. Kermit's resurfaces, old wounds start to heal.  A class of unteachables rally and learn and a teacher gets a new lease on life.  (FIC KOR)

Brave Like That

Lindsey Stoddard (author of Just Like Jackie and Right as Rain) has done it again with this heartwarming realistic-fiction story about being comfortable in your own skin.  For Cyrus it isn't easy.  Everyone expects him to be a star football player like his dad.  But he hates playing.  He also hides the fact he can't understand what he reads.  He's a great faker. He needs to redefine his labels, like a crayon in a story his teacher read.  And he needs to find HIS bave.  His brave doesn't have to be fighting fires like his dad - it can be standing-up-and owning-who-you-are brave.  (FIC STO)

Class Act

In this companion story to The New Kid, the author highlights Drew's story, rather than Jordan's.  Drew is struggling with stereotypes about kids of color in his school, as Jordan was.  However, Drew pulls away from his white friend because of his wealth and privilege.  The graphic novel brings to light some horrible stereotypes and some serious issues that face people of color even today.  Like New Kid, it is an important book for students of all color to read.