The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer deals with some pretty heavy topics. The turbulence and discrimination dealt to the main character throughout his 14 years is disturbing, yet, he has a…
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the best book series of all time. This is why it received a five-star overall rating. And it is also why you should, if you have not …
With vibrant lyric prose, Carrie Ann Noble weaves a sweet story of love, family, and acceptance. Her characters are honorable, true, and good. They also struggle with real problems, and they do all th…
When the 2015 Newbery books were announced, Compass Book Ratings did not have a single one in our database. We have them now, but in January 2015 we were caught a little flat-footed. However, when …
Yes, we know that they were announced last January, but we finally have reviews in our database for all the 2015 Newbery books. (Hey, it was a busy year here at Compass Book Ratings!) The selections…
So what is the Cybils award? It is an award for children and young adult literature. Books are nominated by category by book reviewers and bloggers. Judges narrow the nominees down in the first rou…
Author Richard Peck has an amazing talent for writing historical fiction novels that really take the reader back to mid-century small-town America. His characters, descriptions, and dialogue are alway…
Even though both of Anne Ursu's books would probably be considered grade-school books, I have been captivated by both. At first I was a little skeptical of The Real Boy because it sounded a …
Uprooted is a wonderful fantasy set in a medieval world rife with politics and shadowed by an ancient evil that lives deep in the Woods. Agnieska, the protagonist, determinedly--and miracul…
The Jericho River: A Novel About The History of Western Civilization has something for everyone. Author David W. Tollen uses his creative prowess to teach history to young adult readers in a most clev…
Are you craving more Gillian Flynn, but have already seen the movies and read all of her books? Me too. So when I saw she had a new book out, I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, this book is only 60 …
Kwame Alexander’s book The Crossover is a totally engaging experience in poetry for young adults. It is a story about family, basketball, brothers, growing up, heartache, and forg…
