Fallout is a smart, sassy modern-day adaptation of DC Comics’ iconic character Lois Lane. In Fallout Lois is a teenager whose family has just moved to Metropolis. Her father is a decorated army general and we learn very quickly that: (1) due to her father’s military career they have moved A LOT; (2) consequently Lois … Continue reading
Each night a new masterpiece is created on Grimloch Lane. The Night Gardener transforms a tree each night into a fantastically sculpted creature–a topiary–and a true work of art. The story reveals how this small act of art creation has the power to transform a community in addition to the actual trees. The brilliance of … Continue reading
Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is a lovely new addition to characters like Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby. Given Cilla’s Chinese-American heritage she also provides a nice counterpart to books like Carolyn Marsden’s The Gold-Threaded Dress and The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin for slightly older readers. Cilla is 8-1/2 … Continue reading
Hippos Are Huge is a fantastic nonfiction picture book about hippos. Matthew Trueman’s illustration are large and captivating on each page. They have the effect of making the hippos seem adorable in a way similar to illustrator Charles Fuge’s work and yet they never lose the realism that keeps the book squarely in the nonfiction … Continue reading
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a brilliantly crafted short chapter book for young readers by Japanese author Megumi Iwasa. Her clear text combined with Jun Takabatake’s line drawings are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein’s work in books like Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back and A Giraffe and a Half. Giraffe lives on the African savanna. He is … Continue reading
Bear begins the story with a scarf. He loses it. Beaver finds it, wraps it into a turban. It snags on a tree branch and is lost. Again. Only to be found by many different animals including raccoons, mice, squirrels and a fox. Each animal finds a new use for the scarf and the story comes … Continue reading
The Girl Who Drank the Moon had been on my To-Read List for almost a year when I heard early this spring that it had won the 2017 Newbery Medal. I was thrilled to see a local (MN) author again take the prize and I nudged it farther up my list. It took me longer … Continue reading
I originally read The War That Saved My Life two years ago when it was first published in 2015 and so I am excited to see it show up on the Lovelace nominee list for 2017-18! The War That Saved My Life is Ava’s story. When we meet Ava she is nine years old, living … Continue reading
I just finished Forget Me Not, read it in one sitting and couldn’t wait to share it! Forget Me Not is a brilliant debut from new author Ellie Terry. The story is written from the perspectives of Calliope (Calli), a young girl who loves astronomy, has moved to new towns (and schools)many more times than … Continue reading
Theodora Tenpenny is the 13-year-old protagonist of Under the Egg. When we first meet Theo she is trying to keep her household together after the unexpected death of her grandfather, Jack. Her mother is in her own world, rarely leaves the house, working continuously on algebraic equations in her room and has no realistic abilities … Continue reading
