Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs - ADVISABLE

 

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #3) by Ransom Riggs, 463 pages.  Quirks Books, 2015.  $19.  

Content: Language: PG-13 (37 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Jacob and his friends are searching for other Peculiar Children that they have been separated from.  Heading to London and through a scary loop filled with Whites and Hollows, sixteen-year old Jacob and his girlfriend Emma encounter many creepy beings and they don’t know who they can trust.  Determined to free their Peculiar friends and the Ymbryne, Miss Peregrine, Jacob has to learn to hone his peculiar talent of controlling the Whites.  

I enjoyed this book as much as the first book.  I like Jacob and the creepy, dark world he encounters.  There are fun, quirky photographs throughout the book that add to the story.  This story had a satisfying end to their adventure but introduced a new problem/idea at the end that I’m looking forward to reading in the next book in the series.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson    

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs - ADVISABLE

 

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #2) by Ransom Riggs, 428 pages. Quirk Books, 2014.  $11.  

Content: Language: PG-13 (24 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Jacob and his new found friends from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children are on a mission to recapture Miss Peregrine.  Peregrine is in the form of a bird and has been taken by the Whites, and even if Jacob and his friends can find Miss Peregrine, they would still have to figure out how to transform her back into her human form.  The odd group starts a quest to look for their beloved headmistress and hopefully preserve their anonymity from the normal world and the evil White monsters.  

I loved the first book in the series because it is creative and unlike anything I’ve ever read, and this book has a similar feel.  Jacob is a great protagonist and I enjoyed all the peculiar children and their stories.  It would be super complicated to try and read these out of order, so realize it’s a bit of an investment and you would need to have the whole series.  The content includes violent threats of torture and dead horses.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson  

1919: The Year that Changed America by Martin W. Sandler - ADVISABLE

 

1919: The Year that Changed America by Martin W. Sandler, 190 pages. NON-FICTION  $25.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Six major events happened in the year 1919 including the Molasses flood, women’s right to vote, race riots, communism raids, labor strikes and prohibition.  Each event is covered in its own chapter with photographs and a detailed explanation of the historical event.  At the end of the chapter, the author relates how the event from 1919 still influences us today. 

This is a content heavy history book about a shocking time in American history.  I totally enjoyed all the information and think history teachers will benefit from the content.  There are not many students who will read this book from cover to cover, but the information is helpful and can be used as a great resource. 

Reviewer, C. Peterson      

Forget Me Not by Sarah M. Eden - ADVISABLE

Forget Me Not by Sarah M. Eden, 256 pages. Covenant Communications, 2020. $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Lucas is inspired to live after the deaths of siblings and friends throughout his growing up years, which, for him, means seeing the world and experiencing life. All these deaths had the opposite effect on Julia, Lucas’s neighbor, as she becomes withdrawn, especially when Lucas chooses to leave her behind. When these two are thrown together again after years apart, the reunion is not as joyous as everyone had hoped.

Eden skillfully uses words on the page to reach out to the hearts of readers. As I read from Julia’s point of view, my eyes filled with tears because I felt her pain of rejection, abandonment, and betrayal. I love this book for how it engaged me and drew me in so completely, though I am not as impressed with the lack of change in Lucas through the book; there is hope that he becomes a better fit for Julia, but I’m not a big fan of him.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden - OPTIONAL

The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden, 368 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2020. $16.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Hollis keeps up high-class appearances for the sake of his family’s reputation, but his passions lie in pursuits unaccepted by those of his social standing. Ana has fallen from high society due to the loss of her family’s fortune, and she strives to bring restitution to her family, even if society won’t easily overlook their tarnished reputation. Despite all their trials and secrets, Hollis and Ana are determined to right some of the ignored wrongs around them, but can they continue to do so without being caught?

Something about the beginning was slow to get rolling and didn’t capture me as much as I wanted it to, resulting in a loss of motivation to continue reading the rest of the story. Hollis’s and Ana’s stories are well-written -- as well as the interspersed chapters of short stories mentioned in the book -- I just didn’t love reading it. The mature content rating is for illegal activity and mentions of prostitution.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka - OPTIONAL

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, 384 pages. Viking Books for Young Readers(Penguin), 2020. $19

Language: PG-13 (2 swears, 7“f”); Mature Content: PG (Sex off the page); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Fitz Holton vows to stay close to home for college while Juniper Ramirez can't wait to get as far away as possible.  Fitz will not leave his single mother who is battling early onset Alzheimer's.  Juniper is practically running away from her crowded family of five younger siblings. They both set off on their own week long adventure touring colleges, when their paths unexpectedly cross. Each will learn many lessons and make decisions they least expected.  

The struggles these two characters are faced with will help readers connect to this book immediately.  Decisions are hard to make when you are 18 years old which makes this book even more essential.  The love story that slowly develops between Fitz and Juniper is very endearing and the connection they both share with their family is very sincere and familiar to most.  I loved the lessons taught and learned throughout this novel.  Students will really enjoy it.        

Jessica Nelson Librarian                                                                  

Jed and the Junkyard Rebellion by Steven Bohls - ADVISABLE

Jed and the Junkyard Rebellion by Steven Bohls, 282 pages. Disney-Hyperion, 2019. $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (fantasy war violence).

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL; HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

In his debut novel, Jed and the Junkyard War, Steven Bohls created a unique steampunk world of junkyards, battling barges, and memorable half human-half gear characters. This follow-up is even better than the original with Jed coming to realize his true potential after only just learning of his true half-gear self in the first book. The young protagonist battles the evil Lyle while also coming to understand how to control his own power, and eventually save the world where he now truly belongs.

 I enjoyed this sequel even more than I did the original book. I think Bohls had to spend too much time in the first novel building up this crazy world, but the sequel gave him a full book to explore an interesting story of a young man coming into his own power and standing up for himself and those he loves. Once I started it, I did not want to put it down! The book is 100% clean and is really suitable for readers of all ages--I think this could even be a fun read aloud for younger elementary audiences. 

 T.C.
 

Ever After by Olivia Vieweg - OPTIONAL

Ever After by Olivia Vieweg, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Graphic Universe, 2020. $17.

Language: PG (11 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After surviving the zombie apocalypse, Vivi and Eva should be able to survive anything, including crossing the distance to the next town. While fighting zombies, each other, and their own guilt, will the girls make it to safety again?

While choppy and sometimes confusing, the story of these girls is compelling because readers get to see their different moral ethics in dealing with the zombies they find themselves surrounded with. The tenuous friendship between Vivi and Eva is tested along the journey, and readers wonder which is more important: their physical survival or the survival of the girls’ friendship. A zombie apocalypse really puts everything in perspective. The mature content rating is for nudity and illegal activity. The violence rating is for attempted suicide, gore, guns, and killing.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Taylor Before and After by Jennie Englund - ESSENTIAL

Taylor Before and After by Jennie Englund, 311 pages. Macmillan, 2020. $17             

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (Drug and alcohol use and bad car accident where kids are killed); Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

8^th grader Taylor and her family re-located from Oregon to Oahu. Two years ago. Taylor loves her school, and is always trying to get into the "cool" girls and does not really appreciate her good friends as much as she maybe should. At New Year’s there is always a big party and Taylor has never been invited. She wants to be invited so bad this year. Taylor loves to go with her brother Eli and his friends and watch them surf at Sunset Beach. They want to surf the infamous and dangerous "Pipeline". When tragedy strikes, it hits them all hard. Her mother is debilitated by her depression after the accident and has to be admitted for treatment. Her dad is angry and spends his time working and working and yelling when he is home. Is Taylor strong enough to work through all the hardships and her own depression? She will find out who her real friends are in all of this.

Taylor is a deep thinking, deep feeling girl. As the year goes on, I could see how she was changing and maturing through her writing. I highly recommend this book.

Ellen-Anita, LMS                                                                   

The Monster Hypothesis by Romily Bernard - ADVISABLE

The Monster Hypothesis by Romily Bernard, 300 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2019. $17.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  AVERAGE

6th grader Kick Winter is staying with her grandmother in Bohring, Georgia - home to 453 people, 2053 alligators, and one monster curse - while Kick’s parents are away with their jobs.  Kick just wants to fit in at school, but it’s hard to blend in when your grandmother is the town psychic and your cousin is dressed in weirdly frilly dresses for school.  In order to survive the school year, Kick announces she is psychic, and soon has to start using her science obsession/psychic abilities, to figure out why students are disappearing as the curse seems to be coming true. 

Kick is a charming character and her struggles to fit in while also discovering truths about others is relatable.  Each chapter title is an applicable if appropriately vague, prediction from Grandma Missouri.  The Swamp, the Hollows, and Bohring make for a great setting, and there are even science experiments to try in the back of the book.  With this fun read, may the curse be with you.  

Michelle in the Middle

The Racers by Neal Bascomb - HIGH

The Racers: How an Outcast Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Challenged Hitler’s Best by Neal Bascomb, 323 pages, 2020, $19.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  HIGH

In the years leading up to World War II, Hitler wanted to prove the Third Reich’s greatness in all aspects of life , including motor sports.  Rene Dreyfus, a top racecar driver finds himself barred from driving on any German or Italian race teams because he is a Frenchman of Jewish heritage.  So when Lucy Schell, an American heiress, forms her own racing team and hires Dreyfus, it becomes a showdown between France and Germany and two legendary drivers.

If you love cars and history, this book is for you.  This is an informative window into the dangers and glamor of early European racing.  Well written and researched, with plenty of photos, it will make you wish you could journey back in time to the exotic locales and witness these races firsthand.  Bascomb provides that time machine for you.  Start your engines, the race is on!

Michelle in the Middle

Three Keys by Kelly Yang - OPTIONAL

Three Keys (Front Desk #2) by Kelly Yang, 288 pages. Scholastic Press, 2020. $17.    

Content: G     

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL   

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE       

Mia Tang and her parents have worked really hard since arriving in the U. S. from China. They are now proud owners of the Calivista Hotel together with other immigrants. Mia, 11yo, is in charge of the front desk. She works hard at the hotel and at school, even working separately with her teacher to get better at writing. Mia want to be an author. At the Calivista they welcome all kinds of immigrants that need a place to stay. Room cleaning, laundry and repairs are never-ending. They endure bullying and racial injustice. Mia is perpetual optimist and sees the good in people. She thinks she can fix anything and everything.           

Mia is very mature for just being 11yo. I loved the story of Mia, but realistically, having worked with 11-year old children for years and years, I have never met a child at that age with Mia's very mature thinking processes and actions. The book is fast moving, and a page turner. I wanted to see how Mia reacted to all the problems that came way. Mia, her parents and their fellow hotel owners do a lot of good and they are all like one big, happy family that stick together and help each other out.          

Ellen-Anita, LMS                                                                   

Not Your All-American Girl by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang - ADVISABLE

Not Your All-American Girl by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Scholastic Press, 2020. $18                       

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS  - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Lauren and Tara are best friends and they do everything together. Tara has it all; she has designer jeans (Lauren wants some), she even has blue eyes and freckles! Lauren is Chinese American and Jewish. When they both try out for the school musical, even though Lauren has the best voice, Tara is picked for the lead because she looks like the All-American girl - blond and blue-eyed. The teacher even tells Lauren to her face that that was the reason she did not get the part. Lauren finds comfort and support in an unlikely place -- the radio show hosted by Nash. She calls him and talks about music and songs. Lauren loves the sound of Patsy Cline songs. Can Lauren and Tara manage to remain best friends through the upcoming trials they are facing? Will the strain on their relationships have an effect on the school musical?        

Lauren is a great protagonist. She is strong and hard working. Even with a blow like the one delivered by her teacher, she works through the challenges both with Tara, her other friends and the kids in the play, and with her teacher. I just hope that some teachers do not say those kinds of things to students. Lauren has a button machine and she makes buttons to show her moods and her goals. She even starts a little button business to save up for designer jeans. I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written with a sense of humor. Lauren realizes what it really means to be All-American. I loved it!        

Ellen-Anita, LMS                                                                   

Love, Love by Victoria Chang - ADVISABLE

Love, Love by Victoria Chang, 224 pages. Sterling Children's Books, 2020. $17           

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS  - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

11yo Francis lives with her older sister, Clara, and their parents. They are Chinese-American. Francis deals with bullying and watches her sister get bullied because they look different. She feels pressure from her parents to always get A's in school and be more like Clara, who is in the gifted program. Francis feels that everything revolves around Clara. Clara is losing her hair and has a big bald spot on her head. Doctors do not seem to be able to help. Mom buys a lot of Chinese herbal medicines, but nothing helps. Francis is lonely both at school and at home. She has a friend, Annie, and they like to go to the library and they like to play tennis together. Francis finally feels like she fits in when she is invited to join the school tennis team. She is a great tennis player. Francis loves to read, and the Nancy Drew books are her favorite.

I loved how strong and resourceful Francis is, and how she goes from not fitting in, to having friends and feeling a sense of belonging. I also loved how Francis went about solving the mystery of her sister's illness. The book is written in verse and is a fast read. I could not put it down. I even brought it in the car just to finish the last few pages! This is definitely a "feel good" story and I highly recommend reading it.           

Ellen-Anita, LMS                                                                   

Blood Mountain by James Preller - OPTIONAL

Blood Mountain by James Preller, 230 pages. Fiewel and Friends (Macmillan), 2019. $17.

Language: PG (4 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  AVERAGE

Grace, 13yo, and her little brother Carter, 11yo, are hiking up Blood Mountain with their father and dog.  As they race ahead of their father, the unthinkable happens and they become lost.  To make matters worse, Grace falls, leaving Carter to go for help alone, though alone may be safer than what else is out there.  The mountain holds many dangers including an erratic loner living in the wilderness as well as an escaped mountain lion. 

The premise, while not new, has been well researched.  The story was engaging, but the use of present tense was a little off-putting for me.  There’s no violence, but the section on gutting a squirrel was fairly graphic, so hold on to your lunch. 

Michelle in the Middle

Absolutely Everything by Christopher Lloyd - ADVISABLE

Absolutely Everything by Christopher Lloyd, 352 pages. NON-FICTION. What On Earth Publishing, 2018. $22.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

What happened to the dinosaurs? Why is rice more common in Asia than in America? Who invented paper? How was the earth formed? All these answers and more are contained in this book as Lloyd takes readers through history -- from before the earth began until today when you are reading this summary.

Reading this book feels more like a conversation with someone who rambles about a bunch of interesting things rather than a textbook trying to teach you facts. Lloyd goes on relevant tangents as he tells the history of the world as we know it and answers more “why” questions than I would have thought possible in one book, though, unfortunately, he really can’t get to absolutely everything. I am disappointed that Lloyd focuses on the Western world, leaving out the answers for all my questions about the Eastern world, but I enjoyed what he was able to include. Note: I listened to the audiobook, and Lloyd’s British accent definitely makes the book more fun, though it means I missed out on looking at all the illustrations that add more context for readers.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia - ADVISABLE

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia, 208 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. DC Comics, 2020. $17.

Language: PG (18 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Gar Logan is a senior in high school, still picked last in gym class and known for throwing out jokes, but no closer to the popular crowd than he was last year. When Gar makes some risky choices for his fifteen minutes of popularity, he knows it won’t last -- but he didn’t know the consequences.

Beast Boy has always been my favorite Teen Titan, and this modern version of his origin story was fun to read. Garcia keeps the ideas the same but puts Gar in a world with modern technology, giving it a twist for old fans and making him more relatable for new readers. One of my favorite parts is the side message Garcia tells about how to be a good friend -- Stella and Tank watch out for Gar, and he does his best to support them, too.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust - HIGH

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, 336 pages. Flatiron Books, 2020. $16.

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Locked away as the shame of the royal family, Soraya longs to be around people. But she’s poisonous to the touch, constantly endangering anyone who gets close. When an opportunity arises to remove the poison, Soraya will do whatever it takes, whatever the cost.

Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I was proved wrong. Soraya is a heroine like I have never read before, and I think the difference is that she makes more mistakes, things that I would never do but were real struggles for her character. Reading about someone so different from me was compelling, and I enjoyed the messages woven through about consequences, learning from your mistakes, and self-acceptance. The violence rating is for gore. Note: I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Nikki Massoud, does a phenomenal job, changing her voice for different characters and using her voice to surround listeners in the story.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud - OPTIONAL

 

Truly, Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud, 304 pages.  Point Paperpacks (Scholastic), 2019. $10.  

Content: Language: PG (11 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Zora is a driven, service-oriented girl, who during the summer before her senior year, is in a summer program at a prestigious college. While Zora is trying to learn how to raise money for her charity through her classes, she catches the eyes of Owen Whittelsey.  Zora and Owen mistakenly exchange phones, and their relationship is off to a rocky start because Owen is a prince of a small country and attracts a lot of attention wherever he goes. Owen and Zora’s relationship starts to affect both of their lives in different ways, but they still want to see where it will go.  

This is a cute romance with a strong main character, but the side stories about Zora’s family and charity make this book more than just a romance.  This is a clean read, except for the swears (ten of the swears are “God”).  Zora’s character is fully developed, but the romance felt unfinished and less fleshed out. 

Reviewer, C. Peterson

Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission by Ridley Pearson - OPTIONAL

 

Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission (Super Sons, #2) by Ridley Pearson, illustrated by Ile Gonzalez, 160 pages.  GRAPHIC NOVEL DC Comics, 2019.  $10.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Jon and Ian are the sons of the famous Batman and Superman, but their fathers are busy saving the world elsewhere.  Wyndemere, their city, and Jon’s mom, Lois Lane, are in danger from a virus that is spreading without a known cause.  Jon and Ian join with Tilly and Candace, two girls with their own strengths, to try and find the enemy and be the heroes.  

This is the second book in the series, and much like the first there is a lot of jumbled action.  The book jumps around a lot and there are a lot of story lines going on at the same time, which makes it hard to remember the main story conflict.  The illustrations are appealing and the idea of Batman and Superman’s sons taking on their own challenge is appealing, but I don’t think there is enough to keep readers invested in the series.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson