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
Stevens writes in an accessible way about four different animals that contribute to carbon sequestration, along with the associated creatures that makStevens writes in an accessible way about four different animals that contribute to carbon sequestration, along with the associated creatures that make up their food webs. The author explains how each animal interacts with land or sea and sky, helping reduce greenhouse gasses, and provides concrete steps young people can take to help them....more
Melanie has wanted for a long time to be part of the group at school known as The Shimmers. They are the group everyone wants to be with. Her best friMelanie has wanted for a long time to be part of the group at school known as The Shimmers. They are the group everyone wants to be with. Her best friend Vicky has been drawn into their orbit and has drifted away from their friendship. Fortunately, Melanie makes a new friend, Dorit, who moves to the area. Dorit seems to understand about Mel's family troubles which surround her mom's PTSD from a bad car accident years before. However, Dorit doesn't care about The Shimmers. In the end, Melanie has to choose which path to take, but will it be too late or will she learn her own mind in time? Will she choose shimmer or substance? This story is very low key for a good chunk of the book. ...more
This novel in verse follows Isabel on her journey from her home in the Philippines to her new home in San Francisco. Isabel doesn't know her mother veThis novel in verse follows Isabel on her journey from her home in the Philippines to her new home in San Francisco. Isabel doesn't know her mother very well because her mother left the Philippines five years before to become a nanny to a different family in the United States. This way, Isabel's mother could make enough money to send home for Isabel's Lolo and Lola and for Isabel herself to have a better life. But Isabel wonders: will her mother love her new family more than she loves Isabel? Isabel struggles to find the familiar in her new home, but with her love of plants nurtured in her grandparents' garden business and new friends she makes along the way, Isabel discovers a way to bloom in her new home....more
Gracie loves to plan; she also loves snorkeling, but has only been three times in her life. She is determined to go again, so researches the best placGracie loves to plan; she also loves snorkeling, but has only been three times in her life. She is determined to go again, so researches the best places in the world to snorkel. It turns out the Maldives are one of those places, so she creates a plan that will get her family there eventually. First, though, she has to make sure her little brother, who through his quirks and impulsivity ruins almost everything, falls in love with snorkeling, too, even though he doesn't like to put his head under water. With that in mind, Gracie chooses a closer destination that her family can visit during spring break. When her family visits Honduras for a snorkeling vacation, Gracie's plan starts to unravel when several unexpected events take place. As Gracie learns to adapt to circumstances, she makes a new friend and learns how people can help endangered coral reefs adapt to circumstances that threaten them....more
Helen and Gracie are the middle school's best-known pranksters and best friends and both sets of parents as well as the school principal are at their Helen and Gracie are the middle school's best-known pranksters and best friends and both sets of parents as well as the school principal are at their wits' end, to the point that they seriously consider how to separate them. At first, the principal decides they need to learn to care about something, but she soon decides that was a mistake as Helen and Gracie DO learn to care, about access to free period products in all school bathrooms. The trouble is, Helen and Gracie, instead of following the lead of Madison, head of the school's Community Action Club, take matters into their own hands. Their zany and subversive actions will keep readers on the edge, waiting to find out what outrageous idea will top the last. Along the way, Helen will discover how to use her super math skills for the good and Gracie will discover that she can use her baking and emotive skills as well. Despite their best efforts, Helen and Gracie figure out how to work with the mainstream and still be themselves....more
Author Dana Church takes the reader through the history, migration, and science of the monarch butterfly, as well as raising questions that have not yAuthor Dana Church takes the reader through the history, migration, and science of the monarch butterfly, as well as raising questions that have not yet been answered. She examines the knowledge gathered through science as well as the human connection world wide to the monarch butterfly. She examines the triumphs and failures of monarch conservation as well as providing the hope of concrete steps each person can take to balance the protection of the monarch with the protection of the lives of people who live along the butterfly's migratory paths. The author avoids playing the blame game for the plight of the monarch, encouraging each person to examine personal lifestyle as well as government agencies to examine both indigenous knowledge integrated with scientifically gathered information....more
Leandro is a Cuban-American whose childhood experience has given him a debilitating fear of water. His therapy dog, Cielo, helps him remember to breatLeandro is a Cuban-American whose childhood experience has given him a debilitating fear of water. His therapy dog, Cielo, helps him remember to breathe when his anxiety becomes overwhelming. Ana is a Cuban-American who strives to navigate the world while she and her mother are on the run from her extremist father. They meet in California and bond over their mutual love of wild places. Only Cielo is aware that her role is more than calming anxiety--her role is really to help love overcome. Together, the teens fall in love and work together to create ways for pumas to overcome their isolation, so that the rewilding of their location can help sustain diversity of life....more
Temple's life, along with her family's, is upended when a severe storm causes flooding in their home. Others are affected, too. Temple and her family Temple's life, along with her family's, is upended when a severe storm causes flooding in their home. Others are affected, too. Temple and her family lost all of their furniture and appliances, their home needs to be gutted the the flood line and rebuilt, but their neighbors, whose house is two stories, offer to let them live there while they make repairs. Without flood insurance, Temple's parents can no longer afford private school tuition, so Temple changes to the local middle school. When Temple sees the impact of the flooding on local families, she wants to help. She plans a fundraiser, but it quickly becomes apparent that she can't do it all alone, so she enlists the help of two of her new friends. Temple learns about friendship and what truly matters.
For a book about flood survivors learning to deal with change and finding new connections as well as planning a huge fundraising event for flood survivors, I found the book strangely lacking in connections and strong emotions. I kept expecting details when none were given and a lot of the important decisions and emotion seemed to have happened 'off stage,' so to speak.