Eva, in the midst of family turmoil, is being enrolled at Blythe Academy, the boarding school her father attended and loved. The hundredth anniversaryEva, in the midst of family turmoil, is being enrolled at Blythe Academy, the boarding school her father attended and loved. The hundredth anniversary of the school is fast approaching, and all should be celebratory, but Eva knows there is something off. In fact, she begins to see and experience ghosts. Equally disconcerting, is her burgeoning friendships with a core group of girls. Eva has difficulty making friends because not everyone understands, or tolerates, her needs as an autistic person. When ghosts and friendships collide, Eva must take a stand to uncover the truth about the founding of the school and the fate of the cemetery that rested on the grounds before the ghosts destroy the people and the place. I found the descriptions of events wonderfully engaging, enough to continue reading even though the creep factor made me want to put the book down. However, although individual events were well described, I found the flow of the story somewhat disjointed, which made for some confusion on my part as I was trying to follow the story line....more
Rachel and her best friend Joon are ready to spend the summer honing their spy craft skills. The only hitch is, Joon might have to move far away due tRachel and her best friend Joon are ready to spend the summer honing their spy craft skills. The only hitch is, Joon might have to move far away due to a lack of affordable housing locally. When they spy on Rachel's mom and soon-to-be step-father, they learn that Rachel is to be gifted a ring that most likely belonged to Anna Smith Strong, a member of George Washington's Culper Spy Ring, headquartered right in their own town of Setauket, New York. They decide to use the ring to try to locate Strong's legendary treasure so that Joon's family can have money to stay local. While on their quest to solve Strong's riddles, they learn a great deal more about their local history as well as the work of historians and perseverance. This book was hard to put down. It has a perfect mix of action and puzzle solving....more
Onyx lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his mother and Gran until his Gran is Gone. Besides figuring out why someone killed Martin Luther King, Jr. anOnyx lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his mother and Gran until his Gran is Gone. Besides figuring out why someone killed Martin Luther King, Jr. and why the United States does not have equality, Onyx needs to figure out why his wings disappeared when his Gran died and how to get them back so he can save his mother from her early-onset dementia. This novel in verse is an ode to the ways a child may shoulder more of a burden than can be carried alone, and the ways in which family and community can come around to help. With the help of his family and community, Onyx is once more able to dream in ways that his mother was afraid to and his grandparents were not able to. I loved the book from start to finish, and wonder when, as McBride wondered in her verse, we adults will do our job and stop expecting children to fix the world's problems....more
Corry focuses on one day in the life of Emily Dickinson, showing through illustrations and Dickinson's own poetry and letters, possible encounters witCorry focuses on one day in the life of Emily Dickinson, showing through illustrations and Dickinson's own poetry and letters, possible encounters with nature Dickinson experienced. This gorgeously illustrated book also contains information about Dickinson's life, family and friendships, in a very accessible way for young readers. Although Corry changed the timeline, making Emily younger during her day, the information is faithfully presented for the time and place....more
There is a lot happening in this book--Murray's family has to leave home due to the devastation of a hurricane. They live with Murray's aunt, uncle anThere is a lot happening in this book--Murray's family has to leave home due to the devastation of a hurricane. They live with Murray's aunt, uncle and cousin in upstate New York, and Murray loses her ocean magic, but finds friendship with Dylan, who has music magic. Murray begins to do well in school and reads more than before, but not books her mother approves. The family reconnects with Murray's older brother Patrick, who left for college two years before and dropped off the face of the Earth, but stayed connected with Murray's Uncle Jack and Aunt Maureen. Murray gets her magic back and supports her friend Dylan in a roller skating drag show. Her mother and she enter a period of detente when they are back at their newly rebuilt home at the ocean....more
This soccer history starts with Mia Hamm's childhood, but focuses mostly on the development of women's soccer in the United States. The game that put This soccer history starts with Mia Hamm's childhood, but focuses mostly on the development of women's soccer in the United States. The game that put the US Women's team in the forefront of the United States is the high point of the book, but after that, there is a section about the fight for equal pay in sports, which is also interesting. The story moves quickly and has some of the future players hidden in the panels as spectators, which was fun to go back and look for....more
Ruth is just beginning what might have been 8th grade when she and her parents move from Toronto to Hong Kong, her mother's home. They leave behind heRuth is just beginning what might have been 8th grade when she and her parents move from Toronto to Hong Kong, her mother's home. They leave behind her older brother who is finishing his final year of high school, so Ruth has to start a new school on her own. All of the classes are different from home, Ruth's Cantonese is not the best, and everything, including family, is new and different. Her mother is reconnecting with her childhood and her father is away for weeks at a time for work. The true story of how Ruth adapted to her new life is woven in with her father's story of his family's new beginning. Anyone who has ever feared the newness of something will appreciate this thoughtful and funny memoir....more
Rose leads a fairly uneventful life that revolves around her friend Charlotte and Girl Scouts. She volunteers to walk dogs at the rescue twice a week.Rose leads a fairly uneventful life that revolves around her friend Charlotte and Girl Scouts. She volunteers to walk dogs at the rescue twice a week. She keeps her head down and stays out of trouble, like her father asks her to do. Then, Talia moves to town with her parents from New York City. She has blue streaks in her hair and her crop tops barely skim what is acceptable to the school dress code. She has opinions, lots of them, and doesn't trouble to keep quiet about what she sees as injustices. Rose and Talia really meet not at school, but at Temple, because there are not a lot of Jewish kids in Cove Lake. Talia introduces Rose to her new favorite book, assuming Rose knows it is on the list of banned books at the school library. Rose doesn't see the reason for the ban and neither does Talia. All of this leads to a banned book brigade, a new dress style, and some teenaged rebellion for Rose, and maybe a little better understanding of her parents. If you are looking for action in a book, this is not the book for you--it is very cerebral. Still, the themes of change and friendship make it worth reading....more
Linus isn't happy about moving from New York to Ohio because of his grandmother, whose health is failing. He especially isn't happy because she just sLinus isn't happy about moving from New York to Ohio because of his grandmother, whose health is failing. He especially isn't happy because she just seems to not care about his transition or remember about using correct pronouns around him. The only good thing about the move is that he doesn't have to explain any of this to anyone at his new school because it has been exhausting to explain and reexplain. So, why, then, does Linus tell Etta, his first real friend at his new school? Etta has a hard summer--her best friend Marigold stopped being her friend in the space of a day without any explanation. Etta has spent the summer wondering what went wrong. Now, she just wants to be left alone. Except, the new boy, Linus, is pretty funny. And then, there is the stupid bet she made with Marigold, that Etta could get Linus voted in as student government president. Add to the mix that Marigold likes Linus and Linus likes Marigold, and there is a disaster waiting to happen. Personally, I would have loved to know what was going on in Marigold's mind since the reader was granted extraordinary views into the minds of both Linus and Etta....more
Milo doesn't know how to tell his mother that he no longer enjoys playing chess, that he has lost the "zone," so he deliberately loses a match, hopingMilo doesn't know how to tell his mother that he no longer enjoys playing chess, that he has lost the "zone," so he deliberately loses a match, hoping that will end everything and that he can go to summer camp with his best friend Henry. That one lost match, however, leads to a chain of events that couldn't have been remotely foreseen. He and his mom end up in New Jersey for the summer instead, staying with a vegetarian, cat-loving mother and daughter, Nava and Roxie. Milo's mom met Nava online and they became "talk-walk" friends, and now Milo is doomed. Even worse, he and Roxie are signed up for Little Explorers camp for the summer. Milo, at 12, and Roxie, at 10 are miles older and taller than the preschool-through 7-year-old campers, and worse, they are recruited as CIT's, i.e., unpaid help. Milo misses his grandmother, away in Florida, and can't figure out how to tell his mom to stop pushing about chess. How can he tell her that all of her money and time have been wasted? However, at lunchtime, Milo and Roxie meet grad students Dell and Athena, who are playing a game Milo has never seen. This chance encounter will change everything about Milo's summer. This book was hard to put down. The characters and situations are very relatable and engaging....more
Roddie has waited two months since his mom died in a car accident for his Aunt Angie to come get him from wherever she has been. Angie and her new husRoddie has waited two months since his mom died in a car accident for his Aunt Angie to come get him from wherever she has been. Angie and her new husband Erik both welcome Roddie to his new family and bring him to the family ancestral home, Dogwood House. Angie and Erik have begun to renovate the house, to bring it back to its former glory after years of being rented to strangers who did not care for the house. Soon, though, Roddie discovers that the foul odors in the house hide a danger, one his mother left home as a teenager to try to stem. Now it is Roddie's turn to save his family and the house, too, as his mother did before him, with hints from one ancestral spirit in particular. The creepening in the title of this story catches up with readers gradually and is truly creepy. I couldn't put it down! ...more
Zeke is a monitor lizard, and he wonders if that is what made Principal Wombat hand him a hall monitor sash along with his friends Alicia and Daniel. Zeke is a monitor lizard, and he wonders if that is what made Principal Wombat hand him a hall monitor sash along with his friends Alicia and Daniel. He wonders if his entire life will be a stereotype. This is not the oddest part of the offbeat story. Zeke is haunted by the black dog that dogs his mother and by the school bully, pelican Pelicanassus. As the story moves along, the country of France, which inhabits Zeke's knee comes in to play, as well as a new pupil, Miel, the blind hawk. Zeke learns to stand up for himself against Mrs. Pfister, the mean stockroom pony and to deal with Pelicanassus. The question Zeke must answer for himself is, will he use his power to become a hero or a tyrant?...more
Written chronologically, this book moves the reader through King's early life and his writing career in an interesting way. The book has numerous photWritten chronologically, this book moves the reader through King's early life and his writing career in an interesting way. The book has numerous photos as well, and presents a comprehensive picture of his life and works as well as his thinking as a writer across several genres....more
Twelve-year-old Miri hasn't been very brave up to this point; she feels that she let Monsieur Rosenbaum down when she allowed him to be taken by NazisTwelve-year-old Miri hasn't been very brave up to this point; she feels that she let Monsieur Rosenbaum down when she allowed him to be taken by Nazis without a word. When the school principal quietly told her to inform all of her apartment building in the Pletzel that there would be a round-up of Jews, she did, but when the round-up happened, she didn't search out her mother, whom she is convinced was shot. Nevertheless, when a family friend, also caught up in the muster of Jews in Paris, asks Miri to take her two-year-old daughter Nora and escape to Zurich, Miri agrees. Smuggled out of Paris and placed in a convent school near the Chateau de Chenonceau, Miri is separated from Nora, but vows to find and save Nora. The story of how Miri tries to achieve her goal and accidentally becomes a passeur is a gripping tale that will engage readers. The history of Chenonceau and Catherine de Medici is also interesting, although I found the inclusion of a ghost to detract somewhat from the story. ...more
Truly Bateman finally has a stable life with Andy El and Raymond, but just as she is beginning to feel comfortable at school and feel settled, her motTruly Bateman finally has a stable life with Andy El and Raymond, but just as she is beginning to feel comfortable at school and feel settled, her mother Clarice comes back into her life, wanting to try again to be a good mother. Truly continues her letter correspondence with Elvis Kingsley, and Elvis impersonator (or perhaps Elvis himself!) and learns to play the guitar he sends her. Truly wonders if Clarice can ever really grow up and act like an adult, and Truly must make some difficult choices....more
Lily feels left out with her best friends Maddie and Sasha playing with the elite soccer team; it seems that they rarely have time to spend with her aLily feels left out with her best friends Maddie and Sasha playing with the elite soccer team; it seems that they rarely have time to spend with her anymore. Plus, Maddie confides a secret to Lily and Lily is in the uncomfortable position of knowing something that Sasha doesn't. Will is just trying to get through seventh grade without being completely embarrassed by his dad's podcast, where his dad way overshares about Will's life. Will doesn't really have friends, and the one person he hangs out with, Gavin, takes some of his dad's podcasts and mashes them together with random videos; Gavin thinks it is hilarious, but Will doesn't. Lily and Will both wonder--will seventh grade be a frienship wasteland forever? Then there is the drama that is Sienna, overtaking both Lily and Will. It feels as though how they handle all of these situations can make or break them for life. Even though nothing terribly unexpected happened, I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of the remembered drama, fear, frustration, and emotional rush of seventh grade play out without having to be a part of it....more
Sweet Pea the dog knows her town and its inhabitants well. That and her superior nose makes her the perfect choice to find the thief or thieves of ParSweet Pea the dog knows her town and its inhabitants well. That and her superior nose makes her the perfect choice to find the thief or thieves of Parkville museum's newly restored golden bone. Sweet Pea makes new friends and not only solves the mystery, thereby helping Parkville's dogs have healthier teeth, but she also helps the town's squirrels and track team solve a thorny problem. For anyone who enjoys mysteries and nature and appreciates the quirks of dogs, this is a fun read....more
Malcolm McKenzie has to act urgently. His master, clock repairer and inventor, Jack Alexander, has left him a riddle to solve, a riddle that may heal Malcolm McKenzie has to act urgently. His master, clock repairer and inventor, Jack Alexander, has left him a riddle to solve, a riddle that may heal Jack's son Peter, who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Now Jack is dead, killed under mysterious circumstances, and Doctor MacIsaac, one of Edinburgh's first female physicians, needs Malcolm's help to find a legendary serum that will, hopefully, cure Peter. The search for the legendary serum is bound to four of Edinburgh's famous landmarks as well as the timepiece the doctor's father had made to help him hide the recipe for the serum. Along the way, Malcolm and the doctor race time, outdated opinions within the Church of Scotland, and prejudice against female doctors, as well as a sinister plot to harm Peter to solve the mystery....more
Sarah's home life is difficult; she worries about her parents' money troubles and is happy to help with chores while her father is sick and her motherSarah's home life is difficult; she worries about her parents' money troubles and is happy to help with chores while her father is sick and her mother works two jobs. Her only escape is just that--working with her two friends West and Hannah to beat others' best times in figuring out escape rooms at a local business. When a foreclosure notice arrives, Sarah shares with her friends that she might have to move with her family to Michigan. Hannah, however, mentions a treasure rumored to be hidden nearby in a funhouse. The treasure, hidden in the funhouse created by triplets who died before it could open, has never been found. Could this be the answer to Sarah's money problems. The Deltas, as they call themselves, decide to tackle the funhouse and find the treasure. This engaging mystery teaches readers a lot about codes and clues and is a fun read....more