Eleven-year-old Bug, the protagonist, has a lot going on: the recent death of her beloved uncle, economic stress for the family, a new ghost in the house, middle school starting in the fall, and figu…
A Snake Falls to Earth is a mix--on so many levels. First it is a blend of contemporary fiction and a parallel world of animal people that isn't a fantasy so much as a folktale/legend/story inspired …
This award-winning book is a sci-fi adventure that clips along while still managing to hit a wide-range of themes: the love and value of family, the worth of stories and storytellers, assimilation an…
This lovely, award-winning book is written in verse, but don't let that deter you. The words flow and the format allows for an intimate view of Reha's mind and heart. Although this book started out …
Humbling. Poignant. These are words that comes to mind for Watercress, a picture book that has received accolades. This autobiographical book with its soft colors and gentle illustrations of common t…
Yes, we know it is 2022 and we are quite behind. However, in spite of our tardiness, we remain committed to having the book reviews of all the most recent Newbery books on our website so here they ar…
A visual and well-written depiction of a Henry Brown's life as an enslaved person, his escape to freedom by sending himself through the mail in a box, as well as his life afterwards. This Newbery Hono…
In spite of the fact that Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is the author of a couple of titles that Compass Book Ratings' reviewers have loved (The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won), when the…
Frankly, this is a wonderful book with a redemptive message, spot-on pacing, and compelling characters with believable motivations, actions, and transformations. The concern the reader feels for Pong…
Author Erin Entrada Kelly is a darling of the literary critics. A former winner of the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, We Dream of Space is a Newbery honor book. There is no argument that her wri…
What begins as a story about a freshman girl looking for validation through a boyfriend, ends up being a multi-layered coming-of-age story looking at what it means to be your authentic self, figuring …
For a book whose major plot catalyst is suicide, this was a remarkably and expectedly positive reading experience. This book orbits around the question of what would one's life look like if they made…
