Alan Gratz is becoming "the guy" for middle grade historical fiction on tough topics. Refugee has received many accolades--all of which it deserves. It is a raw, unfiltered look at the immigrant exp…
Initially published in 1937 and awarded with a Newbery Honor in 1938, Bright Island is a classic coming-of-age story that holds up wonderfully to this day. The plot is simple enough, with no major sur…
I sought out When Stars Are Scattered when I heard great things about the audiobook version. It wasn't until the end of the book that it clicked that this was originally a graphic nove…
Tae Keller brings us a multigenerational, cultural gem in her middle grade novel: When You Trap a Tiger. It is the 2021 Newberry Award winner. This novel illustrates the beauty of storytelling as…
Keeper of the Lost Cities was published back in 2012, was a New York Times Bestseller, and spawned a nine-book series. How is it that it never hit my radar? It is easy to see why this…
I'll admit, there are quite a few books that I am drawn to because of their cover, and sometimes I don't even read the synopsis before beginning the book. Other times I do a little more research into …
The Civil War is notorious for the sheer number of Americans killed in the conflict. Many stories have been told of the men killed in battle, but it is less common to read about the other side of the …
The Overstory by Richard Powers is a Pulitzer Prize Winner. It is literature with a capital "L": lengthy, at times opaque, layered, thematic, uniquely structured, nuanced. The first …
Another classic book for your collection, Number the Stars follows a young Danish girl in Copenhagen during WWII. This historical fiction tells the story of how the Danish people helped 7,00…
Not a disappointment in the bunch! Overall, a big thumbs up for the 2020 Newbery Books. In some ways, it seems like the #weneeddiversebooks call from a few years ago is finally coming of age and bei…
Winner of the Newbery Award, as well as six other awards, this book is a classic children's novel that should be in everyone's repertoire. Set in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, this book follow…
Genesis Begins Again is contemporary middle grade fiction following a 13-year-old girl, Genesis, who not only doesn't like herself, but who has internalized racism. In addition to this narr…
