I have a confession to make: I really enjoy retellings. It’s fun to come back to a beloved tale and see it from a new perspective. Girls Made of Snow and Glass fit the bill for me as a retelling of the Snow White tale. Taking the demure and passive heroine formerly known as Snow White and reimagining her as a strong, independent young woman with ideas of her own, Melissa Bashardoust treats readers to a different view of one of those classic Disney princesses.  Not only that, readers are treated to both back story and dual perspectives of the stepmother and the daughter character, as they both wrestle with their place in the world and their ability to change it. If you’re looking for a more hopeful retelling of Snow White on behalf of both of the main female characters, a little bit a magic, and no mention of dwarves, this is the retelling for you.  Read more to see if this book is a good fit for you!

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a review copy of this book-all opinions are my own.
​
Ever wish you could just erase the worst parts of you life? That's exactly what nine-year-old Ellie has the chance to do in this middle grade fantasy, Erasable. Ellie soon finds out that erasing your troubles can cause even more problems-bigger than the ones she started with in the first place. Author Linda Yiannakis takes readers on a journey that will have middle grade students discovering that you never truly know what you have until it's gone. A great conversation starter for kiddos who think their lives are unfair, this novel will have them second guessing their complaints of pesky siblings and math tests. I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 stars in non-erasable, permanent ink

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
​
Stewart Hoffman’s first novel is filled with humor, adventure, and a unique story about two boys who become heroes overnight. Blending the best parts of middle school humor, aliens, superheroes, and bugs, The Bug Boys is a delightful story. Two boys have their dreams come true after swallowing alien nanobots that allow them to temporarily adapt the abilities of any bugs they consume. As Alex and Ian figure out how to use their newfound powers, they learn that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the bullies they’ve sworn to fight. There was only one aspect of Hoffman’s writing that I did not enjoy, and that was the footnotes. They took me out of the story. In my opinion, if you need footnotes in a middle grade book, then you shouldn’t include that information in the first place. Regardless, this is a fun middle-grade read that I think many a reluctant reader will enjoy. Great for all kiddos that enjoy superheroes, robots, bugs, and aliens! I’m giving it a very fun 4 out of 5 stars!

(As an added bonus, the second book, The Bug Boys vs Professor Blake Blackhart, is coming out in October 2017!)

When I first finished The Glass Castle, I sat for a full afternoon staring at my computer hoping to find the right words to explain what it was like to read it.  It’s been almost a month since I finished it, and I still am having a hard time expressing my feelings about it.  Jeanette Walls writes in a way that makes you feel like you are reading your favorite fairy tale, except that her story doesn’t exactly have a fairy tale ending.  It’s a story of resilience and redemption, all through the eyes of woman who decided to take off the rose-colored glasses of her childhood. If you’re looking for a raw and unapologetic memoir, this is the one for you.