Book Reviews
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Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares
Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she’d expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what’s worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can’t escape the feeling that she’s all alone in the world.
Pao has no one to tell that she’s having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante’s abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.
Pao’s search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?
From author Tehlor Mejia for Readers 8-12.
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Tiberius, Arapaima, and the Monster Eel
All seems idyllic in the small village of Winiperu, nestled in the Amazon rainforest among glittering lakes and waterfalls. But one day the fishermen come back empty-handed and afraid. A gigantic eel has swallowed up all the fish!
Adventurous 10-year-old Tiberius, and his best friend Sun-Raya, volunteer to set out on a quest to find the prehistoric Arapaima. This fish, that is “bigger than a chicken, bigger than a rabbit, bigger than a sheep, bigger than a cow, bigger than an elephant, and bigger than the Monster Eel” is the only thing that can save the village.
On their quest Tiberius, Sun-Raya, and the rest of the volunteers encounter wild animals and other dangers. Will they succeed in bringing the Arapaima safely back home? Can they learn from their experiences? And will Tiberius truly become, as the fortune-teller foretold, the youngest Grand Chief ever?
From author Patrick V. London for Readers 8-12.
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The Code Book: 140 Cryptograms
Welcome to Snoopers (formerly SpyCo)! Home of the world’s best spies.
As a good spy you need to encode and decode lots of messages. Your first assignment is to decode a spy book left behind by one of our former agents.
- 12 humorous short stories comprised of multiple cryptograms
- Suitable for kids or adults
- Hints are provided in the back of the book in case you get stuck
From author Andrew de Jong for Readers 8-12.
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President of the Whole Fifth Grade
Start counting your votes . . . and your friends.
When Brianna Justice’s hero, the famous celebrity chef Miss Delicious, speaks at her school and traces her own success back to being president of her fifth-grade class, Brianna determines she must do the same. She just knows that becoming president of her class is the first step toward her own cupcake-baking empire!
But when new student Jasmine Moon announces she is also running for president, Brianna learns that she may have more competition than she expected. Will Brianna be able to stick to her plan of working with her friends to win the election fairly? Or will she jump at the opportunity to steal votes from Jasmine by revealing an embarrassing secret?
This hilarious, heartfelt novel will appeal to any reader with big dreams, and the determination to achieve them.
From author Sherri Winston for Readers 8-12.
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Hannah Saves the World: Book 1
Hannah’s got a funny feeling that it’s up to her to save the entire world, but before she can do so, she and her skeptical best friend Mia have to figure out what they’re saving the world from!
As the girls’ detective work proceeds, they uncover a chain of clues that might unravel the children’s mystery of the vandalized town playground, but what about the massive space cruiser parked high in the stratosphere, and the aliens inside who are laying plans to invade Earth?
Can a pair of middle-school detectives really save the world?
From author A.M. Luzzader for Readers 8-12.
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Wish
Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true.
That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.
From award-winning author Barbara O’Connor comes a middle-grade novel about a girl who, with the help of a true-blue friend, a big-hearted aunt and uncle, and the dog of her dreams, unexpectedly learns the true meaning of family in the least likely of places.
For Readers 9-12.
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Jackie Wins Them All
This is an unforgettable picture book for Readers 8-12 by author Fabian E. Ferguson. It tells the story of a gifted sixth-grader, Jackie J. Spade, who has a knack for winning everything she’s tried her hand at. Science fairs, spelling bees, swimming, and skating, and just about anything you can imagine!
But Jackie’s about to take on her biggest challenge, the big city track race! Will she win the trophy or will she win something even better?
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Do Pebbles Eat Chili?
Mr. Jay, bestselling author of Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll, brings back the ‘You Rock’ group for Readers 8-11.
Join Ricky, Marvin, Tess and all of their rock friends, as they meet up with a strange purple cow and some tux-wearing ducks; go to a birthday party for a 14-million-year-old boulder; discover the unhappiest place on Earth; form a very unique kind of rock band; engage in a high-speed chase in outer space; and of course, learn the truth about whether or not pebbles actually eat chili.
If you love Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll, or just enjoy fun-to-read, lyrically written stories, Do Pebbles Eat Chili? is the perfect book for you.
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Crenshaw
In her first novel since The One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
For Readers 8-12.
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Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes an illustrated nonfiction collection celebrating dancers of color who have influenced her on and off the stage.
As a young girl living in a motel with her mother and her five siblings, Misty Copeland didn’t have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent dancers. She was sixteen when she saw a black ballerina on a magazine cover for the first time. The experience emboldened Misty and told her that she wasn’t alone—and her dream wasn’t impossible.
In the years since, Misty has only learned more about the trailblazing women who made her own success possible by pushing back against repression and racism with their talent and tenacity. Misty brings these women’s stories to a new generation of readers and gives them the recognition they deserve.
With an introduction from Misty about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her career itself, this book delves into the lives and careers of women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.
For Readers 8+.
