The 2026 Newbery Medal Winner, All the Blues in the Sky, is bittersweet. It takes the reader on the journey through grief with thirteen-year-old Sage, whose best friend was killed by a drunk driver. …
Even After This is the first book in Deborah Clack’s Shelter and Sky series. Oh wow, what a surprise. Clack’s style of writing feels as though you are right there with the characters. Their dialogue i…
Set in 1985 at Christmas, Small Things Like These clocks in at a little over 100 pages and thus is a small, but weighty read that punches above its page count. Ms. Keegan carefully details the small,…
Lord of the Flies is a book that is beloved by some English teachers, alternately loved and hated by their students, and occasionally found on the banned books list for libraries and school. The books…
The Invincible List of Lani Li is a captivating story rich in adventure and challenges.
There are so many things to love about this book. The main character, Lani Li, is preparing for a trip to Lon…
How to Save an Otter is the first book in a new chapter book series by Kate Messner. The main protagonist is Ivy, who with her mother and brother are volunteers for Critter Couriers for the local wild…
Before anything is said about the writing, let's pause to appreciate this book's cover. Vivid with saturated colors, it is gorgeous and will be sure to grab the attention of many young readers. Reg…
The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold is a tangled story that jumps between a mother and her two daughters. All three are dysfunctional in some way or another and the story just keeps bringing…
In The Light on Horn Island, Valerie Fraser Luesse has penned another introspective story. It is full of heartache, love, laughter and romance. The love of the bayou and its beauties shines through. …
Told in verse, The Burning Season is a quick read. Descriptions are sparse and the writing focuses mostly on what Opal is thinking and feeling; oftentimes it is more a stream of consciousness from the…
Author Kate Messner digs deep into heavy themes: death of a parent, substance abuse, conflicted feelings about the character's relationship to his father, and the burden of being a hero and the after…
This middle grade novel set on a small Maine island has a bit of a throwback vibe with its timeless setting and particularly non-modern activities by the young protagonists. In other words, not every…
