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Book Reviews

Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

6/2/2020

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Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the free advanced digital copy.  All thoughts are my own.
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One the Pocket Change Collective Series, Imaginary Borders examines how climate change impacts us all, regardless of city limits and borders.  The author uses his art and music to express his distress about our current climate crisis.  One of the aspects that I enjoyed about this book is that while it is short, it provides big ideas from which to build a movement.  "We all have a responsibility to be a part o this redefinition of movement culture," Martinez writes.  Martinez uses anecdotes to show how climate change has impacted his own life, constantly reminding readers that "if we wait for the floodwater to  reach our doorstep, it will be too late."  

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Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas

5/24/2020

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Mary Oliver once asked, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"  After reading Your Perfect Year, I found myself asking the same question.  While I originally thought this was going to be a lighter contemporary fiction read, there were several moments that left me thinking about what I'm doing to hold myself back from my "perfect" life.  Am I spending my time doing what I enjoy?  If I could create my perfect calendar, what would I put in it?  Your Perfect Year explores just that with a hint of romance and a roller coaster of emotions.   

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

6/20/2018

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Thanks to @kidlitexchange for providing me with a free copy of The Beauty That Remains in exchange for an honest review.  
​All opinions are my own.
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A book that explores the many forms of grief that comes with unexpected loss, The Beauty That Remains follows three teens at they learn that life can still be beautiful in the midst of the hard.  The book flips between the three narrators, and a little over half-way through you see the threads that connects their stories. This book examines more than just grief, though. Targeting the YA audience, it tackles coming-of-age, LGBTQ themes, love, guilt, anger, and passion.  This would be a great story to pass along to a young person that may be struggling with a major loss, just so they can see their thoughts reflected on the page. I know I would have loved to read this one after I lost several loved ones in high school. This one does have trigger warnings for suicide, biphobia, drug use, grief, death, car accidents, leukaemia, and physical and mental abuse, which made the book seem pretty heavy at times.  Overall, a solid three star read to pass along.
TL/DR: The Beauty That Remains is as beautiful on the inside as its cover.  Young readers would benefit from a book club discussion on the themes and topics discussed.
​

Rating: 3 / 5 stars
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The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente

5/10/2018

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Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing @bookedupblog with a free copy of The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente  in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. ​
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For all of you who just love a good fantasy about your favorite classic authors, look no further than The Glass Town Game!  Young Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell Brontë find themselves in the middle of their make-believe games after a train-ride whisks them away to a life-size version!  The fictional Glass Town comes to life complete with the Bronte’s favorite toy soldiers! The siblings soon realize their delightful childhood games are much more serious than they initially imagined, and one wrong step could mean life or death.  
A tome of a middle-grade novel, I gave this fantasy three stars. While it’s marketed to grades 4-7 due to the attitudes, adventures, ages of the main characters, I think the language and the length are a bit too daunting for that age range.  This book seems to appeal more to adults who have enjoyed the works and history of the Bronte’s, yet would also like some fantastical fiction based on their lives. While Valente is a beautiful writer, I think this one is better left for a more mature middle-grade reader.  It’s a great challenge for your more bookwormy middle-grade kiddos or for a read-along! 

TL/DR: At 500+ pages, you may need to convince your younger readers to give this historical fantasy a try.  If anything, you’ll enjoy reading it as an adult!

Rating: 3/5 stars
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Colorblind by Leah Harper Bowron

3/9/2018

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Thank you to Spark Press for a free copy of Colorblind in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.
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Colorblind by Leah Harper Bowron transports readers back to Montgomery, Alabama, 1968, where a small all-white elementary school becomes one of the first to integrate its halls with their first African-American teacher.  Told from the point of view of one of her students, Miss Loomis experiences prejudice and racism like she’s never seen before.  But her student, Lisa, is determined to make her feel comfortable and wanted despite the opinions and actions of the other teachers, students, and even Lisa’s mother.  Lisa knows what it’s like to be outcast and bullied for the way she looks, but she’s never seen the people she knows and loves be so mean before.  Filled with multiple opportunities to talk about prejudice of all shapes and sizes, Colorblind is a middle grade book that takes a look at what one young person can do in the face of adversity.

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Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas

3/2/2018

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Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a free copy of Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas in exchange for an honest review.
​ All opinions are my own.
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Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life is a perfect read if you grew up reading or watching Little House on the Prairie.  It brought a flood of nostalgic feelings back to my reading life, leaving me wanting to go back and reread (and rewatch) the original.  Tougas highlights all the ways in which Laura Ingalls Wilder portrays life on the prairie, including many ways in which she misrepresents the people and the experience.  

​The main character, Charlotte, moves to Walnut Grove with her twin brother, little sister, and their dog’s ashes after their mother has a dream about Laura Ingalls Wilder.  As a writer, Charlotte’s mom needs the inspiration only Laura’s childhood can provide, causing upheaval in everyone’s lives, especially Charlotte’s.
When they finally arrive, however, Charlotte’s mom begins to spiral into a depression, struggles to write about the prairie, and breaks her promises to her children.  Blaming Laura for all her family problems, Charlotte expresses her disdain for Walnut Grove in an essay assignment, explaining in detail all the ways Laura has ruined her life.  

Perfect for adults needing a tug on their nostalgic heartstrings and middle-grade readers that want to see how life on the prairie compares to the past, check out why you should read Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life​.

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Pigeon-Blood Red by Ed Duncan

2/15/2018

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Thank you to Book Publicity Services for providing me with a free copy of Pigeon-Blood Red in exchange for an an honest review.  
​All opinions are my own.
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Pigeon-Blood Red takes readers into the world of heists, adultery, and double-crossers.  Written as a high-intensity crime thriller, this was totally unfamiliar territory for my reading tastes.  I was excited to see where hitman “Rico” Sanders would take me-and what he would do to whoever got in his way.  Filled with quick-tempers, each character finds themselves in the middle of a con gone wrong.  Ed Duncan writes a story that could easily be set in the early 1900’s rather than the early 2000’s, showing that some stories can stand the test of time.  This would be a good read for anyone who is a fan of the Bourne trilogy. There's action, adventure, shootouts, and crime-everything a thriller could ask for! You can see what I thought of the characters and the plot with the full review!

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Jorie and the Magic Stones by A. H. Richardson

11/16/2017

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Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing the free copy of Jorie and the Magic Stones by A. H. Richardson in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.
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Nine-year-old Jorie is your typical girl with a typical childhood who has gone to live with her Great Aunt Letty at Mortimer Manor.  She likes to explore and play, especially with her new friend, Rufus.  Rufus and Jorie travel to an magical land called Cabrynthius, a location that is not in their imaginations.  Guided by a talking cat through the local lake (yes, through), Jorie and Rufus discover that Jorie isn’t so “typical” at all.  She is the Child with Hair of Fire foretold by legends as the savior of Cabrynthius.  Jorie must find the missing Stones of Maalog before an evil sorcerer so that he cannot gain their power and wreak havoc in Cabrynthius.  Along Jorie’s dangerous journey she and Rufus encounter dragons, a greedy tutor, caves of fire, and shape-shifting creatures.  It’s an adventure straight out of a storybook that you have to read to believe.  

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Tiger Kingdom and the Book of Destiny by Stacie Eirich

10/10/2017

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Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for providing me with a free advanced copy of Tiger Kingdom and the Book of Destiny by Stacie Eirich in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.
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Reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia, Tiger Kingdom and The Book of Destiny is a middle grade read for kiddos who want to be transported into another land. Twins Suzie and Jack find themselves in Tiger Kingdom’s enchanted forest filled with talking animals and creatures. As they continue exploring they learn that they aren’t the only humans in the land and that they have been called to help find Queen Mohini and her cubs. The Tiger King, Sampson, sends them on a quest to find the Book of Destiny to help restore the Queen to her home. 
This was a short read, but it was engaging. I found myself wanting to know more and more as each chapter progressed. I was disappointed to find that the story ends right as the plot begins to thicken! However, I did find that the short poems included at the beginning of each chapter was a great way to introduce free-verse poetry to younger readers. I could see many teachers using this in their classrooms as an example of poetry used to tell a story and as a “finish the story” writing prompt. 

Stacie Eirich has a great start to the story-and I’m anxious to know if there will be more! 

Rating: 3 out of 5  (mostly because of the abrupt ending)
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The Metropolitans by Carol Goodman

10/9/2017

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Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for providing me with a free advanced copy of The Metropolitans in exchange for an honest review.
​All opinions are my own.
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The Metropolitans
is a fast-paced adventure that would make any history-buff kiddo fall in love with the story. Join the four thirteen-year-old heroes (or villains) as they attempt to save the world following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Taking place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (hence the title), history jumps off the page in the strangest ways! This fantasy allows the characters, and readers alike, to experience Arthurian tales that come to life as the teens attempt to stop more attacks on the US by the Nazis. It's a healthy mix of Arthurian tales, spies, and World War II, with diverse characters that will appeal to many middle-grade readers. It was reminiscent of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson adventures and some fun timey-wimey Doctor Who fun. My only qualm is that there is so much history packed into this novel, that it felt a bit overwhelming. However, if you can't get enough historical fiction with a fantastical twist, you'll think this book is the bee's knees.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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