Book review - Lies We Tell About the Stars

 

Title: Lies We Tell About the Stars

Author: Susie Nadler

Genre: realistic fiction

age range: teen

Similar books: Looking For Alaska by John Green

                    Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Summary (provided by publisher): Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?

As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.

But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.

When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.

What I liked: This is more than just a book about the hunt for a missing person. In many ways, looking for Nicky is secondary to the plot of Celeste's avoidance of pretty much everything in her life. So this isn't a quest novel in the traditional sense. It is very much a tale of internal growth. As such, Celeste is a strong, dynamic character. She's quite often not likeable but she's relatable.

What I didn't like: The plot takes some slightly fantastic turns, points that stretch the bounds of believability a bit. It never goes too far though. And there is an element of privilege that the book briefly recognizes but never fully comes to terms with.

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Book review - The Magic of Someday Soon

 

Title: The Magic of Someday Soon

Author: Michelle Lee

Genre: realistic fiction/magical realism

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Stars of Whistling Ridge by Cindy Baldwin

Summary (provided by publisher): Zoe longs to one day put down roots. Since her dad’s death, twelve-year-old Zoe September has drifted from place to place with her artist mother, the Up-cycle Magician. Then a new art project for her mom brings them to Maravel, Florida—her dad’s hometown. In Maravel, she discovers a delicious, enchanting secret among the sweet brews of her grandmother’s tea shop. But how will Zoe ever leave when her mom wants to get back on the road?

Teddy dreams of the day she can save her past. Twelve-year-old Teddy Martin has a mission: restore her great-grandparents’ legacy, Fossil Gardens, a theme park of artistic recreations of prehistoric animals. Desperate to rescue the last remaining sculptures, Teddy enlists the Up-cycle Magician’s help before they disappear forever. But with sinkholes threatening to swallow the decaying fossils, is Teddy in over her head?

Never underestimate the magic of someday soon. Things bubble and steam between Zoe and Teddy when they team up. But in working together to save Fossil Gardens, the girls discover something even more special—the possibility of your deepest wishes coming true in unexpected ways and a friendship that feels like home.

What I liked: Both Zoe and Teddy are strong characters, outside of the typical depiction of young girls. There's no boy-crazy or image obsessed characters here. These are girls struggling with their place in the world, with figuring out who they are. And their emotions are strong enough to make for quite compelling reading

What I didn't like: There's not much I don't like about this book. There are perhaps uncomfortable moments in the plot but they are never without purpose. Each moment is chosen to further the plot and it's emotional impact.

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Book review - When Tomorrow Burns

 

Title: When Tomorrow Burns

Author: Tae Keller

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd

Summary (provided by publisher): Once there was a tree. For two hundred years, there was a tree. There was a tree. There was a tree. Until the tree fell in a forest--and then there was a book.

When best friends Nomi, Vi, and Arthur were younger, they discovered a book of prophecies. It was so very comforting to know what was coming. But as the kids grew older, they forgot about the book.

Until the final prophecy started coming true.

Now, as seventh grade tests their friendship and wildfires threaten Seattle, the final prophecy promises fire and destruction. Nomi tries everything to prevent calamity. The only problem? She needs help...but Vi's acting strange and Arthur stopped talking to her.

Vi can't tell Nomi, but she's been texting the coolest boy in school, and it's going well--until that boy makes an unexpected request, and she must decide who she wants to be.

Meanwhile, Arthur joined the cross-country team, but he can't outrun the real reason he ended his friendship with Nomi. The best he can do is try to hide it.

As the prophecy escalates, past and present intersect, fate and friendship collide, and secrets spread like wildfire. Together, Nomi, Vi, and Arthur must face the future...even, and especially when it's so uncertain.

What I liked: We're dealing with an excellent cast of characters here. The primary characters, of course, but secondary characters as well. Each one has a distinct, often complex, motivation and approach. While not always likeable, they are realistic. And while this isn't always a comfortable read, the messaging is important without being heavy-handed.

What I didn't like: There are brief scenes from the past that introduce the perspective of trees. While these moments add to the whole narrative, they break up the pacing in a way that can become tiresome.

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Book review - Hail Mariam

 

Title: Hail Mariam

Author: Huda Al-Marashi

Genre: realistic fiction

age range: middle grade

Similar book: Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte

Summary (provided by publisher): Sixth grade wasn’t supposed to be this complicated.

Iraqi American Mariam Hassan transfers to a local Catholic school and before her first day her parents remind her that she might be the first Muslim her classmates have ever met. No big deal, right? Just represent an entire religion while making new friends, keeping up with schoolwork, and figuring out who she is.

When Mariam’s younger sister, Salma, is diagnosed with a serious lung condition, her family faces endless doctor visits and sleepless nights. Mariam tries to lighten their burden and keep her own problems to herself—including the fact that she’s just been cast as Mary in the school’s Christmas nativity play.

Mariam wants to honor her faith and her new community, but she’s terrified of crossing a religious line. Can a Muslim girl be the lead in a Christian story? What will her family think? And why does she feel like every decision she makes represents all Muslims?

Mariam discovers that faith, much like friendships, isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection. As she leans on her family, friends, and school community, she begins to see the power of interfaith cooperation and learns she doesn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

What I liked: Mariam is a strong character. She's responsible and does a lot to take care of herself and her sister, but she's also still a child and her characterization reflects that. Her understanding of the world is very one note and it takes the bulk of the novel for her to gain a more nuanced understanding and start seeing the world as more complex.

What I didn't like: Salma is a more one-note character. She falls victim to the role of a lot of younger siblings in books - she's cute and innocent and has no complexity of her own. She is only there to create conflict and complication for Mariam. While I like the conversation this book introduces about religion and culture, the depth is lacking.

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Book reveiew - Choir Grrrl

 

Title: Choir Grrrl

Author: Ashley Granillo

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy

Summary (provided by publisher): Thirteen-year-old Alondra was born into a musical family.

Her dad, the former frontman of a famous alt-rock band, expects her and her sisters to follow in his footsteps. The girls have formed their own band, which will open for their dad during his comeback tour.

Despite secretly liking quieter music, Alondra is committed to preparing for the tour. She’ll do whatever it takes: Change the sound of her voice. Suppress her discomfort with some fans’ behavior. Act the part of a hardcore riot grrrl.

But when a classmate invites her to join a choir club, Alondra discovers a new way of making music. Choir lets her express herself in ways that the band doesn’t.

Afraid to upset the delicate balance in her family, Alondra secretly practices with the choir between shows with her sisters’ band―until her secrets are exposed. Will she be forced to choose between her two voices, or can she bring the different parts of her life into harmony?

What I liked: Typically when we have a book about a character with secret interests it's a sharp dichotomy. The parents want one thing for their kid who wants something completely different. I like that this book isn't so sharply defined. It's not that Alondra hates the music she performs with her sisters and only wants to do choir. This is a book that wants to reject rigidity and expectations and give kids space to explore themselves and their identity.

What I didn't like: This was an uncomfortable read for me since I struggle with characters lying and keeping secrets, knowing it's going to blow up in some dramatic way. Still, Granillo allows the mess to build in a natural way and similarly allows plenty of space for reconciliation. This can mean pacing is a bit slow but ultimately the strong characters make up for it. 

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Non-fiction book review - Why Space Will Freak You Out

 

Why Space Will Freak You Out by Kimberly K. Arcand and Megan Watzke

Is the title of this book a bit extreme? Sure. It's certainly designed to play on a kid's fondness for the macabre. But the information it contains is solid. The actual text is informative without hyperbole. With photos and charts throughout there's plenty on each page to engage a reluctant reader.

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Book review - Space for Saffron

 

Title: Space for Saffron

Author: Rie Neal

Age range: middle grade

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar book: Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

Summary (provided by publisher): Curious ten-year-old Saffron Speiser-Green loves science—unfortunately, her “experiments” tend to end in more messes than actual answers. (Just ask the broken alarm clock that’s still at the bottom of her backpack.) Saffron has a plan, though—a blue ribbon in her school’s Project Showcase will show the world she means business.

But when Saffron’s beloved volcano project ruins the walls at Mama’s job and gets her fired, Saffron will do anything to make things right—including helping Mama convince her other mom, Mimi, that they should move to the Silicon Valley to run Gran’s coffee shop. Mama’s dream job is worth giving up the blue ribbon. Right?

Luckily for Saffron, her new friends in the Silicon Valley are busy preparing for a STEM Expo, and Saffron is determined to find a project “smart” enough to show everyone she belongs there. But the coffee shop? No customers, no vision, and…tons of debt. And if it closes, Saffron’s family will have to move again. After a class trip to the STEAMology Museum in San Francisco, though, Saffron knows how to save the café—and what to do for her STEM Expo project. But she’s going to need a lot of help.

What I liked: Saffron is sort of the modern Ramona or Clementine. She's clever and creative but also impulsive to a degree that often gets her into trouble. She is, in short, realistic. And while Saffron is disabled, her hearing issues are not central to the plot. They inform some of her behavior but that's all. It's inclusive without being a capital I issue. It's a relatively quick and engaging read.

What I didn't like: The focus of the plot can be a bit scattered. And it lacks the humor that we often see in impulsive characters. There's not a lot of depth to the plot but it's accessible.

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Book review - A Scar Like a River

 Title: A Scar Like a River

Author: Lisa Graff

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

Summary (provided by publisher): Fallon Little has a secret—and it’s not how she got the enormous scar that divides her face in two.

Thirteen-year-old Fallon has only ever told one person what really happened on the day she got her scar. Why would she? The truth is dark, and Fallon has much brighter things to focus on, like being cast as the lead in the school play, and hanging out with her two best friends, Trent and Kaia. But when Fallon's uncle Geebie dies, his funeral ignites a wildfire of events that Fallon can't manage to tamp down. The school play is spiraling out of control, Fallon's impossible Aunt Lune comes to live with them, and Trent and Kaia might just be so into each other that there isn't room for Fallon in their friend group any more. And when secrets even worse than the one about Fallon's scar threaten to come to light, Fallon might not have the strength to keep them buried for much longer.

What I liked: This could easily have been a book just about dealing with trauma. Certainly what happened to Fallon informs every decision she makes. But it's not the entirety of the plot. The focus of the book is as much on standing up for yourself, making your voice heard, as it is about trauma. It's also about discovering the consequences of protest. It handles each reveal sensitively and realistically.

What I didn't like: This isn't so much a thing that I didn't like as something to bear in mind when recommending this book. It talks frankly and plainly about abuse. While this is never graphic and doesn't dwell on details, it also doesn't hide what happened to a character behind metaphor or leave us to fill in blanks. It depicts the abuse and the emotional fallout plainly. So be prepared to discuss and help young readers process the events of this novel.

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Book review - Winter White

 

Title: Winter White

Author: Annie Cardi

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: teen

Similar book: Dust by Alison Stine

Summary (provided by publisher): Pia and her brother, Max, live on an isolated farm in rural Maine, and it’s the only life they remember. Their father says the only way for them to stay protected is to stay on the farm. Pia doesn’t question it. Pia’s entire world turns upside down when her father breaks his leg, and she must be the one to venture into town to make farm deliveries. And then she sees him. Felix, a boy who is both a stranger and somehow familiar, makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and her family. But no matter how she feels about Felix, she must always obey her father, above all else.

But Pia's feelings are too big to ignore, and the more she engages with Felix, the more she begins to see that there’s promise for her beyond the isolated world to which she’s grown accustomed. And the more she dreams about a better life, the more she wonders if her father is telling the truth about their family’s past. Pia knows her father and his friend Anthony are hiding something, and soon Pia must reckon with the damage her father is doing to their community and the damage he has done to their own lives.

What I liked:  By basing this book on a lesser-known Shakespeare play (I don't know anyone who would mention The Winter's Tale) Cardi has a plot framework with plenty of room for interpretation. No one is going to be offended by the way this plot is modernized. And it leans heavily into modern issues - specifically the opioid crisis. Pia is a strong relatable character in a fairly believable setting

What I didn't like: While the plot is mostly strong, there are a few points that suffer from having to fit into the framework of the original play. If you don't have the familiarity with the original plot these plot points feel strange and unnecessary. Additionally, the climax of the book is somewhat over the top in it's theatrics. So while it's an interesting exercise and a fun read, I don't know that this book would top my list of recommendations.

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Book review - Mercy

 

Title: Mercy

Author: Patricia Ward

Genre: mystery

Age range: teen

Similar book: Starlings by Amanda Linsmeyer

Summary (provided by publisher): Mercy was named for her mother’s hopes.

Mercy, in the hope that the Sorrowing—the curse that Mercy and her family had lived with for generations—might take pity on them.

But Mercy’s name never did her any good, and it certainly didn’t save her mother.

The Sorrowing ensures that Mercy, her family, and the core families in Arbor Falls aren’t able to grow, dream, or prosper. It makes sure they stay exactly as they are—mired in the mud. Mercy has learned to live with the truth: the only way to escape the Sorrowing is to accept it.

Until the Bowens move back to town.

The Bowens are a cursed family, too, and they should know better than to test the Sorrowing. Instead, their ignorance sets off a wave of fury that promises to destroy everything.

Now, Mercy will have to unearth the horrors that unfolded that terrible night the Sorrowing was born—to face the despicable secrets of her town and break the curse before it breaks everything she has left.

What I liked: Mercy is a strong character. Her history explains her approach to her reality, creating a believable world. The realities of the curse are carefully balanced with the mystery elements, creating a rich atmosphere and enough questions to make for compelling reading and a spooky air. The truth behind the curse leaves some elements that are applicable and worth discussing for a modern reader.

What I didn't like: The pacing is a bit unbalanced, with some points dragging. Secondary characters are okay, thin at first but largely gaining a little depth as the book reaches it's climax.

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Non-fiction book review - The Big Book of Pi

 

The Big Book of Pi by Anita Lehmann, Jean-Baptiste Aubin, and Joonas Sildre

You might think that a book about Pi would be a math text. And certainly math plays a mjor role in in this text but it is also much more than that. We learn a fair amount of history in learning about pi. This is a very readable book, easy to consume both in small bites and in large chunks. It's a book one might return to many times with lots of illustrations supporting the text.

The Big Book of Pi releases February 3.

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Book review - Down a Dark Path

 

Title: Down a Dark Path

Author: Daniel Mayeri

Genre: mystery/graphic novel

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: the Bad Machinery series by John Allison

Summary (provided by publisher): Lucy and Frida Buford have never stepped foot outside their family farm in the Carolina Inner Banks. It’s the dead of July, and in the midst of yet another boring summer making jam for the family business, the girls are clamoring to be taken to the elusive town they’ve never been allowed to visit. Their father has always said that the outside world is a dangerous place, but danger is closer to home than they even know.

 There’s something in the nearby woods uprooting trees, scaring fish from the water, and scratching at Lucy’s window in the middle of the night. Lucy can’t shake the feeling that there’s a monster out and about—one with two pointy fangs who only comes out at night.

 It's up to these two sisters to discover what this monster wants. But the further they stray from home, the weirder things become. What’s really going on beyond the Buford family farm?

What I liked: This book finds a careful balance between the mysterious and the humorous. We have the central plot of Lucy and Frida which is largely atmospheric and spooky. But we also have the narration of the proprietors of the Bazaar and short bits of their narrative. This combination keeps the more serious central story from becoming too much for young readers. That central story is carefully paced and seeds small bits of the final reveal throughout.

What I didn't like: While the Bazaar story was interesting, the placement of those sections was at times disruptive. Because some of these sections are long it broke the flow of the farm story and I occasionally found it difficult to get back into the main story. 

More Information: Down a Dark Path is the second book in the Bizarre Bazaar series.

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Book review - Bittersweet in the Hollow

 

Title: Bittersweet in the Hollow

Author: Kate Pearsall

Genre: mystery

Age range: teen

Similar book: Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Summary (provided by publisher): In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets.

Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions—and a haze of nightmares that suggest there’s more to her story than simply getting lost.

Now, during the hottest summer on record, another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year’s events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn’t make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder.

As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what’s hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth—about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family—she must question if some secrets are best left buried.

What I liked: When characters have magical or psychic abilities, I always prefer that to come with clear limits and rules. And that is certainly the case here. Each member of the James family has amazing abilities but there are limits to their powers. They don't suddenly find loophole that help them. And their abilities also have clear consequences. With distinct, flawed characters and a setting that almost becomes a character itself, there's a lot to this book to appreciate.

What I didn't like: The mythology and setting become overly complex at times. While the origins of their abilities are an important aspect of the plot, the exploration of that history can bog down the reading at times. It's a book that takes a little persistence to get through, though it is largely worth the effort.

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Book review - The Secret Astronomers

 

Title: The Secret Astronomers

Author: Jessica Walker

Genre: realistic ficition

Age range: teen

Similar book: Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Summary (provided by publisher): When a recent transfer student starts keeping her diary in the oldest textbook at the Green Bank High School library, the last thing she expects is to receive a response. Thus begins a sweeping tale of unlikely friendship and long-buried secrets between two secret pen pals at a rural West Virginia high school.

Copernicus is adrift and searching for answers after the sudden death of her mother, and leaving her cosmopolitan life in San Francisco behind. Kepler is a small-town girl with straight A's and big plans to be the first person in her family to go to college, despite her family's modest means. The two girls are so different from one another but united in their goal to solve a mystery that has riddled Green Bank for decades.

What I liked: At face value, this is a book about two very different teens trying to find out the secret in their town's past, but ultimately that mystery plays only a small role. Mostly this is a book about teens who are able to be truly honest with each other and be their genuine selves. Their interactions reveal their prejudices and blind spots and their anonymity allows them to be bluntly honest. The junk journal style allows for new discoveries on every page.

What I didn't like: While the format is novel and the pacing is quick, the back and forth can be a little tiresome and the moralizing a bit heavy handed. The final section, where the mystery finally takes the forefront, is a bit of an abrupt tonal shift and relies a bit too much on coincidence.

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Non-fiction book review - Why is Ramyeon Soup So Delicious?

 

Why is Ramyeon Soup So Delicious? by Lee Duckhwan and Seok Wonkyung

Like most people I took a chemistry class. But it never meant much to me. While I could understand in broad strokes that chemistry helps us understand the world, it didn't seem particularly applicable. Maybe I'd have felt differently if I'd had books like this one. Duckhwan and Wonkyung break down the science behind everyday things. We learn the chemistry of receptors and hormones, of how different chemicals interact with our bodies. The text is easily understood and can be read in big chunks or in small doses.

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Non-fiction book review - Science Comics

 

Computers: How Digital Hardware Works by Perry E. Metzger, Penelope Spector, and Jerel Dye

When it comes to understanding the science behind basically everything, it's hard to go wrong with the Science Comics series. While each volume takes a different approach information is always central. I'm especially fond of this one. For one thing, it doesn't try too hard to create a narrative. The science of computers is intimidating and trying to force it into a story would be too much. Instead we have a dynamic narrator who is simply focused on teaching us the science. Each concept is carefully relayed with plenty of real life examples to reinforce concepts. While the information remains dense it's more digestible in this format.

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Non-fiction book review - Defeated

 

Defeated by Martin Gitlin

Let's be real - politics aren't a huge selling point for young readers. Most of us don't have a great deal of interest in modern politics, much less historical. And candidates who lost aren't especially compelling reading. For the average person this is going to be a brief curiosity. While the text is quite readable the interest level is low so it's best absorbed in short bursts - read a single profile and put it down for a while. If you have a particular interest in the political system and how it has changed this makes for a solid resource as we explore shifts in political parties and the particulars of how our voting system has shifted.

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Book review - Scarlet Morning

 

Title: Scarlet Morning

Author: ND Stevenson

Genre: adventure

Age range: middle grade

Summary (provided by publisher): Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the captain: Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.

Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.

What I liked: Stevenson's signature wry humor comes across nicely in this all text novel. We have a complex world with rules that we don't always understand but the intricacies are slowly laid out in a way that feels natural to the plot. The emotions are understated but realistic and the humor never gets in the way of the heart of the story.

What I didn't like: It's a bit slow to start. While the characters become more complex and complete as the book progresses, they are fairly basic in the early chapters. It feels like it takes a bit too long for the novel to find it's footing, like it doesn't initially take itself seriously enough.

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Book review - We're Not Safe Here

 

Title: We're Not Safe Here

Author: Rin Chupeco

Genre: horror

Age Range: teen

Similar book: What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

Summary (provided by publisher): Wispy Falls is safe. The town motto is even "You'll be safe here!" But you aren't safe in the woods that surround the town. In the woods there are monsters. People go missing in the woods. And sometimes the monsters don't stay in the woods…maybe you aren't that safe in Wispy Falls.
A seventeen-year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what's wrong in his town. A few years ago, his little brother went missing in the woods and no one, not even his parents, seemed to care enough to try and find him.
But for the first time, an actual body has been found in the woods, and Storymancer is using the opportunity to uncover the rotten core at the heart of Wispy Falls. To investigate the monsters that lurk in the shadows, and the people in town who might just want the monsters there after all.

What I liked: Chupeco has found a careful balance between horror and humor, leaning into the absurdity of a horror scenario but allowing the creepy atmosphere to keep the reader on edge. The novel masters jump scares in a way reminiscent of a horror movie. The air of the book is akin to a Jordan Peele movie.

What I didn't like: While the mixed format approach allows this book to stand out from the crowd it doesn't allow for a deep connection with the characters. They never feel like real people so we care less about what happens to them. While the concept held a lot of promise it feels like it is never truly realized.
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Book review - The Witching Wind

 

Title: The Witching Wind

Author: Natalie Lloyd

Genre: magical realism

Age Range: middle grade

Similar book: Savvy by Ingrid Law

Summary (provided by publisher):Eleven-year-old Roxie was excited to start sixth grade... until a mortifying incident at a pool party turns her into a middle school laughingstock. Roxie can't imagine enduring a full year of bullying and body shaming, so when her country music star Granny invites Roxie to join her on tour, she jumps at the chance to leave her troubles behind. But then Granny--who's been struggling with memory loss--goes missing, leaving Roxie without an escape plan... and without her best friend.

Grayson doesn't mind being sent to yet another foster home. Her older sister, Beanie, is about to turn eighteen, which means she'll be able to become Grayson's guardian. It won't be long until they live in the same house again. It won't be long until they get to be a real family. But when Beanie's birthday finally arrives, she doesn't show up to collect Grayson. She doesn't respond to calls or texts. It's almost like she's just... vanished.

Roxie knows Granny would never leave without saying goodbye. And Grayson is certain Beanie would never abandon her. So when the new friends learn about the Witching Wind that "steals" what people love most, Roxie and Grayson are certain they've discovered the truth. Granny and Beanie didn't just disappear--they were taken. And it's up to Roxie and Grayson to outwit the Witching Wind before it's too late.

What I liked: The characters here are strong. Roxie is a fairly standard middle grade girl: once cheerful and believing in possibilities but now hurt and bewildered by the changes in her peers. Grayson is delightfully aggressive and grumpy. She's no Pollyanna, not a disabled kid who is simply too good. These are kids full of flaws and struggles that they are trying to muddle through on their own. 

What I didn't like: At first I wasn't fond of the magical elements in the book. The titular wind felt a step too far. If it had been the sole focus of the book it may not have held much appeal. Since Lloyd instead makes the characters and their relationships the center and the wind only a tool for exploring larger themes I became more comfortable with those elements. It may still be a stretch for some but it's worth the effort.

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