What are you currently reading?
Lies We Tell About the Stars by Susie Nadler - A teen searches for her missing best friend who disappeared during an earthquake.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Magic of Someday Soon by Michelle Lee - A girl always on the move with her artist mother and one desperate to hold onto the world as she knows it work together to save a pair of crumbling statues.
What do you think you'll read next?
Here for a Good Time by Kim Spencer
I spotted this image while scrolling one day and was immediately inspired. I really wanted to make a plush Godzilla of my own. As luck would have it, I also had some fleece pajama pants that were wearing out that begged to be turned into something fun. I love the combination of the monstrous Godzilla with the playfulness of the reindeer fleece. And I was able to make the arms and legs jointed.
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.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What are you currently reading?
When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller - Three kids hunt for a book of prophecy in hopes of stopping what could be the end of the world.
What did you recently finish reading?
Paradise Coast by Suzanne Young - In the wake of a storm and increasing unrest, a deeply stratified resort town must confront the secrets of it's past.
What do you think you'll read next?
The Magic of Someday Soon by Michelle Lee
I set out to make a companion for my last puppet. I'm not sure that this one fits the bill but I do love it. I was going for a goblin sort of creature. The ears have a wire that feeds inside of the head so they can move around independently. Since the arms are tiny and purely decorative, the ears can wave and even "grip" things instead.
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 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.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
