If you’ve been following me on Goodreads, you know I have a tradition of reading a classic novel at the beginning of every new year. I 3 stars
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If you’ve been following me on Goodreads, you know I have a tradition of reading a classic novel at the beginning of every new year. I always want to read more classics, and never do, so this is one of the few ways I can read more. I adore the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, and have owned the book for years, but never read it.
Well… this book really was like reading a fever dream. Not much of it really made sense to me and everything changed so fluidly, as if you were in a dream. It’s easy to get sucked into the story and Carroll does have a very inventive mind. But I think this is one of those books where the legacy it created is better than the original (please don’t shoot me anyone). I love the pictures included and will always be a fan of Alice in Wonderland, but not sure I will read anything else by Lewis Caroll....more
When Hector moves from his school in San Francisco to Orangevale, nothing really seems to come together. Most days Hector wants to disappe 4 stars!
When Hector moves from his school in San Francisco to Orangevale, nothing really seems to come together. Most days Hector wants to disappear and hide from the school bullies, and then a magical room appears. Everything Hector needs appears in that room, including two new friends from other schools in other parts of the country. Three outsiders at their own school, they easily understand and try to help one another.
I thought this was such a wonderful queer middle grade novel. I think many kids will relate to the story of not fitting in at their own school and needing a safe place to hide from it all. I think the author tackled some tough subjects in a very respective and empathetic way. I really loved all three main characters and their chemistry with one another. I loved the touch of magic that created a safe space for the kids and wish that it existed everywhere. ...more
This is the kind of middle grade novel I absolutely adore.
Rigel lives with her parents and two sisters in the middle of nowhere Alaska, wh 4.5 stars!
This is the kind of middle grade novel I absolutely adore.
Rigel lives with her parents and two sisters in the middle of nowhere Alaska, where they hunt for their food and don’t have running water or electricity. When her parents divorce, Rigel along with her mom and sisters go to live with their grandmother in Connecticut. Rigel hates it there but has a secret keeping her going: her dad promised her that after one year she could return to Alaska.
This was the perfect book about not fitting in in school. Rigel goes from a very rural life to one in the suburbs. She deals with the struggles of making friends and adjusting to school when she’s never been to one before. I was sucked into the story very quickly and it held my attention the whole time. My favorite parts of the book was Rigel’s relationship with Blueberry. I can see myself recommending this book to many middle grade readers....more
A historical novel set in Martha’s Vineyard in the early 19th century, Show Me a Sign is about Mary Lambert, a young deaf girl in a deaf c 3.75 stars
A historical novel set in Martha’s Vineyard in the early 19th century, Show Me a Sign is about Mary Lambert, a young deaf girl in a deaf community on an island. On this island there are a mix of hearing and deaf people who live together and who all sign, unusual for its time. A strange scientist comes to the town to research Mary and her people, and he drags Mary into a cruel experiment.
I’ve mentioned this before, but my grandmother and great grandparents were deaf and I love seeing deaf representation in literature. I had never heard of this community on Martha’s Vineyard and I absolutely loved learning about it in this book and will probably read more about it outside of this book. I think this was a fantastic middle grade book, written very well and I’ll be recommending it a lot to families who visit my library....more
Janae Marks is quickly becoming one of my favorite middle grade authors. She knows how to handle tough subjects for tweens without making things too hJanae Marks is quickly becoming one of my favorite middle grade authors. She knows how to handle tough subjects for tweens without making things too heavy. I can't wait for more from her!...more
This was such a wonderful and special book, I want every middle grader (and adult) I know to read it immediately. We hear a lot about this subject onlThis was such a wonderful and special book, I want every middle grader (and adult) I know to read it immediately. We hear a lot about this subject online and in the news, but rarely from the point of view of someone who is living it. I am so glad I read this book and will be recommending it frequently....more
I read this book after it was recommended to me by a colleague and I enjoyed it very much. It’s about a young girl who is gifted a magic train by her I read this book after it was recommended to me by a colleague and I enjoyed it very much. It’s about a young girl who is gifted a magic train by her uncle on her birthday, and the journey she goes on with her brother.
If I had had time, I would have read this book in a single sitting (I finished it in two sittings). I was sucked into the story and genuinely sad when I had to put the book down. I also love that even as an adult, this book taught me things that I never knew before and found myself googling to check.
A great middle grade novel, I see myself recommending this book a lot in the future....more
Absolutely adored this middle grade novel. Read it on the recommendation from a colleague and I wasn't going to because I didn't like the cover, but yAbsolutely adored this middle grade novel. Read it on the recommendation from a colleague and I wasn't going to because I didn't like the cover, but you know what they say. This was a fantastic book about 12 year old Alba who is dealing with an abusive home life, until her mother sends her to live with her grandmother in Barcelona, Spain. There she discovers a newfound love of baking bread, and hopefully a better life. I will be recommending this book often, it was everything I love in a middle grade novel....more
I recommend this series all the time to middle grade horror lovers. As much as I love this series for kids, I think if there are any more I might not I recommend this series all the time to middle grade horror lovers. As much as I love this series for kids, I think if there are any more I might not continue reading. They're good, but I'm not the target demographic. ...more
I think this book is such a fantastic middle grade novel! I loved the character of Zoe and her dreams of being a baking star, but also a y 4.5 stars!
I think this book is such a fantastic middle grade novel! I loved the character of Zoe and her dreams of being a baking star, but also a young girl who wants to connect with her absent father. I thought this book was written really well and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I would definitely read more by Janae Marks in the future. ...more
The story of a young Native American girl going through a rough time in her life, I thought this was such a beautiful and poignant story. Af 4 stars!
The story of a young Native American girl going through a rough time in her life, I thought this was such a beautiful and poignant story. After injuring her leg, Maisie can no longer practice ballet and has a hard time focusing in class. Her parents decide to take her and her younger brother on a trip where she discovers more about her heritage.
This book was beautifully written and my heart went out to Maisie and her struggles. There was a lot to unpack and I think the author did a great job with this story and I think many children will read this book and relate to what Maisie is going through....more
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