Book Reviews

  • Anastasia Absolutely

    Anastasia, Absolutely

    What could possibly go wrong when Anastasia Krupnik walks to a mailbox early one morning with two packages and a dog? A mail mix-up of a most embarrassing kind. Instead of mailing the letter, she deposits her dog’s morning business! As her school “Values” class debates moral issues and the local police confiscate the corner mailbox, Anastasia faces a dilemma of her own. Should she confess? What is the right thing to do? With her characteristic integrity and humor, Anastasia weighs her options.

    It was an honest mistake. But what happens when a small, embarrassing accident turns into a federal investigation?

    For readers 10-12 from beloved author Lois Lowry.

  • Would You Rather...

    Kid Youtuber Presents: Would You Rather Book for Kids Volume 2

    From the author of Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja!

    Once again, straight from Davy Spencer’s brain to your eyeballs comes ANOTHER ridiculous Would You Rather book for kids!

    Davy Spencer here, and I’m back with a whole new batch of impossible, hilarious, and totally wacky questions. Play with your friends, your family, your class, your pet goldfish, or go solo and try to survive the chaos in your own brain.

    And just like last time, don’t be boring about it! Don’t just answer the questions – level them up! Add rules. Make weird exceptions. Twist the choices until everyone is laughing so hard they can’t even finish their sentence.

    Stuffed with all-new hilarious, gross, and seriously strange Would You Rather questions, this sequel is exactly what you need if you’re:

    – Stuck inside
    – Stuck in line
    – Stuck on a long drive
    – Basically just stuck anywhere

    Inside you’ll find brain-breaking choices, sneaky curveballs, bonus follow-up questions, and random thoughts that turn simple questions into full-on debates. PLUS I drop in my own commentary again, because obviously I have opinions and they are all extremely important.

    So… round two of the epic debates starts now.

    For kids 8-12, from author Marcus Emerson is the author of Kid YouTuber, Hall Monitors, Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja, and The Super Life of Ben Braver.

  • My Alien Parents

    My Alien Parents

    Ten-year-old Rob thought he knew all there was to know about his parents, but suddenly things have changed. Why do Mom and Dad keep warning him not to ask too many questions? Could aliens from another world really have replaced his parents? And what’s happened to Snappy, the family dog? Soon, Rob’s writing down all the latest weird developments in a notebook entitled REASONS WHY MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE. Can he figure it out before it’s too late? It’s another eerily fun thriller from the inventive mind of R.L. Stine.

    For readers 8-11.

  • Keeper of the Lost Cities

    Keeper of the Lost Cities – The Graphic Novel

    The epic first book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series is being reimagined into stunning graphic novels, and the story continues now with Part Two!

    After learning she’s actually an elf, twelve-year-old Sophie Foster made the impossible decision to leave her human life—and family—behind and start over in the Lost Cities. And life with the elves has been unlike anything Sophie has ever known, filled with new friends, amazing creatures, and incredible powers. But it’s also had its share of challenges. Sophie had been an advanced student in the human world—but thanks to her struggles with alchemy, she’s not even sure if she will pass her Foxfire Academy midterms!

    And then there are the bigger worries. Guardians who may or may not adopt her. Whispers of conspiracies. Mysterious fires. Memories in her brain that don’t feel like hers.

    Could someone have hidden those secrets in Sophie’s head? Why would they do that? Is Sophie part of something much bigger than she imagined?

    Something… deadly?

    For readers 8-12, adapted by author Celina Freen.

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  • A Wrinkle In Time

    A Wrinkle in Time

    This is a classic story that you are going to love!

    Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murray, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract–a wrinkle that transports one across space and time–to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murray is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murray but the safety of the whole universe.

    For readers 9+ by award-winning author Madeleine L’Engle.

  • Sidekicks: Thick As Thieves

    Sidekicks: Thick as Thieves – A Graphic Novel

    Caldecott Medalist, National Book Award winner, and New York Times bestselling creator Dan Santat returns to Sidekicks with a brand-new adventure in this second series’ installment! Suit up for high-octane action and laughs!

    There’s trouble at the Society of Superheroes!

    Captain Amazing, the longtime hero of Metro City, has retired, and he’s enjoying a much-needed vacation at the World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn. But while he’s away, there’s trouble at home! A massive data breach disrupts the Society of Superheroes, and a flash drive containing sensitive information about Captain Amazing and other heroes winds up in reckless hands. Meanwhile, an unannounced visitor named Whipley arrives at the captain’s house, and his pet sidekicks — Manny, Roscoe, and Fluffy — are skeptical of the stranger’s intentions. The only sidekick excited by the visit is Shifty.

    Could Whipley be Shifty’s long-lost, loving brother, as he claims? Or is he framing the sidekicks for his own personal gain and vengeance?

    For readers, 7-12.

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  • There's A Boy In The Girls Bathroom

    There’s A Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom

    “Give me a dollar, or I’ll spit on you.”

    That’s Bradley Chalkers for you. He’s the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls, and the teachers say he has serious behavior problems. No one likes him—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and she even enjoys his far-fetched stories. Carla knows Bradley could change if only he weren’t afraid to try.

    But when you feel like the most hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can be the hardest thing in the world to do.

    For readers 9-11, from the ever-popular, award-winning author Louis Sachar.

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  • Jennifer Murdley's Toad

    Jennifer Murdley’s Toad

    In this magical fantasy adventure by the award-winning author of Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Bruce Coville, a talking toad takes a girl on a wild ride.

    Jennifer Murdley has always wanted to be pretty.

    That’s why she’s so surprised to leave Mr. Elives’s magic shop with a particularly ugly toad. As her worst enemy says, “A toad for a toad.”

    But this toad can talk. And what it has to say sets Jennifer off on a journey that leads her into the company of the Immortal Vermin and straight to the Beauty Parlor of Doom . . . where she comes face-to-face with her deepest fears and dreams.

    Jennifer Murdley would give anything to be beautiful. But sometimes anything is too high a price to pay.

    For readers 8-11, from Bruce Coville.

  • Believe

    Believe

    Melanie knows she’s special. She understands the secret language of old houses and can make jewels out of broken glass. Her imagination can do anything – except make friends. But then, she meets Sabrina, who looks like a TV star and acts like a spy, and who doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She teaches Melanie how to believe in herself, and soon Melanie starts living her dreams. She even lands the lead in Peter Pan!

    If only she could share it all with Mom. Sabrina thinks they can track her down, and Melanie wants to believe, but sometimes it’s easier to pretend. Her new life feels like a house of cards, until one day it all comes crashing down and she finds herself with no choice but to face the truth… and let go.

    For readers 8-12 from award-winning author Julie Mathison.

  • Dogs Don't Tell Jokes

    Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes

    Gary W. Boone knows he was born to be a stand-up comedian. It’s the rest of the kids in his class who think he’s just a goon. Then the Floyd Hicks Junior High School Talent Show is announced, and he starts practicing his routine nonstop to get it just right. Gary’s sure this will be his big break—he’ll make everyone laugh and win the $100 prize. But when an outrageous surprise threatens to turn his debut into a disaster, it looks as if the biggest joke of all may be on Gary himself.

    For kids 8-12 by award-winning author Louis Sachar.

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