Everybody loves Mother Paula’s pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls’ fate cemented in pancake batter? My thoughts: People say… Continue reading Book Review: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as… Continue reading Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Where I Belong by Tara White This moving novel of self-discovery and redemption takes place during the Oka Crisis of the summer of 1990. Having been adopted as an infant, Carrie has always felt out of place—and recurring dreams keep warning that someone close to her will be badly hurt. When she finds out that… Continue reading Book Review: Where I Belong by Tara White
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller, this stirring and unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the… Continue reading Book Review: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser searches for her mother, who has gone missing shortly after the two moved to London, England, to escape Edie’s abusive father. Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five… Continue reading Book Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne
Blood Brothers by Colleen Nelson Fifteen-year-old Jakub Kaminsky is the son of Polish immigrants, a good Catholic boy, and a graffiti artist. While his father sleeps, Jakub and his best friend, Lincoln, sneak out with spray paint to make their mark as Morf and Skar. When Jakub gets a scholarship to an elite private school,… Continue reading Book Review: Blood Brothers by Colleen Nelson
Black Chuck by Regan McDonell Psycho. Sick. Dangerous. Réal Dufresne's reputation precedes him. When the mangled body of his best friend, Shaun, turns up in a field just east of town, tough-as-hell Réal blames himself. But except for the nightmares, all Ré remembers is beating the living crap out of Shaun the night of his… Continue reading Book Review: Black Chuck by Regan McDonell
