Review: Still Life

Still Life by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Believe the hype. This was excellent.

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Review: The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one. It's a lot like Jumanji in a chapter book, with some cool twists. Farah loves to play games, despite the fact that she always has to include her younger brother, Ahmed. It's her 12th birthday party, and friends and family are gathering in her new apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City. Things with her friends are a little strained, but she's hoping they get better. Her aunt gives her a gift of a mysterious game. When Ahmed impulsively goes into the game, Farah and her friends Alex and Essie must go in after him and beat the game in order to make it back out...alive.

I am a big fan of diversity in books, and so I was excited to read this offering from Salaam Reads. I think Riazi does an excellent job of setting the groundwork for a game in a world different from others. I had to do a little research to picture everything, but it was fun to do. I do think the actual world of the Gauntlet was hard to picture, I was imagining clockwork and minarets together but trying to get all the different levels was a little hard. I did find the games intriguing. Overall, I liked it a lot.

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Review: Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song

Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I didn't like this as much as his previous book about Jimi Hendrix, this book is an excellent introduction to Billie Holiday and the song. I think it treats the subject of lynching with the respect it deserves, while also not being too much for the age group it is aimed at to handle.

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Review: A Letter to My Teacher

A Letter to My Teacher by Deborah Hopkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved it! It's definitely a great gift for the teachers that have been special in your child's life.

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Review: Ms. Bixby's Last Day

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't have a chance to read this during MSBA pre-season, so I read it now. It's funny, because I wasn't a huge fan of Anderson's Sidekicked, but I really enjoyed his two more recent stories. This one is about three boys who want to give their teacher her ideal last day, after she leaves school due to cancer treatments. It's funny and sad all at once, and if you are an educator, it reminds you of the impact you can have on student lives. An excellent choice for the list.

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Review: My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits

My book club picks a lot of different books. We've read middle grade poetic biographies, YA fantasy, adult literary fiction, and non-fiction. One time we picked a book called People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann. I laughed so hard at her book, and immediately went and asked her to be my friend on Facebook, which she graciously allowed me to do. Ever since, I have been enjoying her thoughts there and on her blog, and hope to read her other books soon.

My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits is Mann's first foray into the field of young adult literature. Plum Parrish, our narrator, is about to move from New Jersey to Kansas because of her father's job transfer. She is not excited about the move, but it is a chance for her to start over. In New Jersey, she has two friends, and one of them is her French teacher. Can Plum find her tribe in a new state?

I laughed just as hard at this book as I did at People. Mann has realistically captured the teen experience, from the self-centered way they view the world, to the horrors of gym class and having a "cooler" sibling. I loved the journal format, and the way Plum had a list of people or things that she wanted to punch after each entry. The way that Plum's friendships and relationships with her family change over the course of the novel felt natural too. Additionally, I have a fear of bats, and the scene with Plum, the bat, and her family had me laughing and cringing. If I had a daughter with a bat in her hair, I'm not sure I would immediately jump to help either.

I immediately added to the YA collection at the library I work at. I did receive a free copy of the book from the author in return in for my honest review.

Review: Saving the Whole Wide World

Saving the Whole Wide World by Judd Winick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this one because it was the only nominee for the Children's Book Award in the middle-grade category that I hadn't read yet. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book in the series. Hilo is pretty cool, and the ending is quite a cliffhanger.

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