Published by Candlewick Summary: Victoria (Tory) lives with her parents and younger brother, Jacob, in Providence, RI, where she chafes under the expectations of her parents and strict Aunt Lavinia. When her father loses his job and proposes going west with Jacob to seek gold, Tory sneaks on board their boat, revealing herself only when […]
Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
Published by Candlewick Summary: Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a tiny tide pool, but today they’re off to visit the ocean. It’s a long journey, and when they get there, Little Crab is scared. As one big wave after another washes over them, Little Crab is ready to turn around and go […]
Review: The Places We Sleep by Caroline Brooks Dubois
THE PLACES WE SLEEP by Caroline Brooks Dubois Holiday House Middle Grade Historical 272 pages ages 8 to 12 A stunning debut novel in verse about a family divided, a country going to war, and a girl desperate to feel at home. It’s early September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid […]
Review: Encyclopedia of Insects
The Encyclopedia of Insects contains the ugly and the beautiful of the insect world. Over three hundred of them from all over the globe appear in this book, each with a role to play. Insect bodies are divided into three parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. Explored are their fascinating lifestyles, personal details, habits, habitats […]
Review: Nit Boy
Lewis Snow has nits. Lots and lots of nits. But unlike most kids that endure the itchy, scratchy bugs sucking up the blood from their scalps, Lewis actually likes his nits. He considers them his friends. And it’s a good thing, too, because the colony of nits that live on his head have big plans. […]
What Are You Doing, Benny? by Cary Fagan and Kady Macdonald Denton
Review Copy provided by Tundra Books/ Penguin Random House Canada Where to Find What Are You Doing, Benny? [Affiliate Link] Amazon [Local Bookstore] Indiebound [Library] Worldcat In What Are You Doing, Benny? author Cary Fagan and artist Kady MacDonald Denton join together to tell the story of two brothers, their power dynamics, why NO is a limiting word, […]
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books (Released September 1) Summary: ZJ can remember “before the ever after” when his NFL star dad was a football star, and he and his parents lived a happy life in suburban Maplewood. But his father has started having severe headaches, memory lapses, and irrational behavior that have put an end […]
The Itsy Bitsy Spyder by Apeksha Rao
Itsy Bitsy Spyder The Spyders #0.5 by Apeksha Rao Young Adult / Espionage 15th to 17th August What do you do when your mother feels that you don’t trust her? If you’re Samira Joshi, and your mother is an elite spy who works for RAW, the first thing you do is … hide the knives. […]
Dan Unmasked by Chris Negron
Dan Sumner, 13, and Nate Templeton, 12, have been best friends since elementary school and their two favorite things in the world are playing baseball for the Mira Giants and comic books, but not just any comic books. They are devoted readers of Captain Nexus. In fact, each month, on the day the newest issue […]
The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by David Roberts
Review Copy Courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers [Affiliate Link] Amazon [Local Bookstore] Indiebound [Library] Worldcat I love The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts so much. It is the most pure and unadulterated fun I have personally had while reading a picture book aloud to my kids in ages. When we finished […]
The Fabled Life of Aesop by Ian Lendler, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers Summary: Aesop was born a slave in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. He learned that speaking out could be dangerous in his position, so he learned to talk in code, telling stories about the powerless and the powerful through his fables. Following an introduction to Aesop’s life, […]
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
Published by Dutton Books Summary: Ellie’s family has moved to a farm on a mountain in Maine after losing almost all their money in the Great Depression. Ellie and her father love the self-sufficiency of the farm, while her mother and older sister Esther hate it. When their father is hit by a falling tree […]
Review: There’s a Zoo in my Poo
There’s a Zoo in my Poo takes an educational and amusing look at gut health and how an array of bugs work together to process food through our bodies. Broken into nine sections such as You are a Bug, All about the Poo Train, Bugs in our Guts, Your Poo and You, Feed your Zoo […]
Review: Shadow
Mum and daughter have suffered some severe trauma. It’s the two of them now and they have moved to another home. The child is afraid. Mum assures her there is nothing to be afraid of here; that there are no dark places at all in the new house. But under her new bed, hiding amongst […]
Review: The Lost Soul Atlas
Twig sneaks out one night to follow his father to the Black Market despite being forbidden to ever do so. There Twig is attacked and the two are separated. Unable to locate his Da, Twig finds himself alone on the streets, fighting to stay alive. He meets the homeless Flea with whom a friendship is […]