For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds… Continue reading Book Club Review: Sweep: The story of a girl and her monster by Jonathan Auxier
We Bought a Zoo meets Jurassic Park in a gripping story set in an elephant sanctuary, featuring the perennial appeal of human-animal friendships.Samantha (Sam) lives at the elephant sanctuary her dad runs and views the elephants there as much a part of her family as her single dad is. When a beloved elephant dies in childbirth, Sam develops… Continue reading Book Review: Elephant Secret by Eric Walters
Love, Stargirl picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes… Continue reading Book Review: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
One summer, after a long plane ride and a rotten bad year I went to Grandma Jo's. It was my mother's idea. Jett, what you need is a change of scenery. I think she needed a change of scenery, too. One without me. Because that rotten bad year? That was my fault. Thus begins the… Continue reading Book Club Review: Ebb & Flow by Heather Smith
Back cover copy from Strangers: When Cole Harper is compelled to return to Wounded Sky First Nation, he finds his community in chaos: a series of shocking murders, a mysterious illness ravaging the residents, and reemerging questions about Cole’s role in the tragedy that drove him away 10 years ago. With the aid of an… Continue reading Book Review: The Reckoner Trilogy by David A. Robertson
When Gran and his family move to Carousel, he has no idea that the town is built atop a secret. Little does he suspect, as he walks his sister to school or casually eats a banana, that mysterious forces lurk mere inches beneath his feet, tearing up the earth like mini-hurricanes and causing the town… Continue reading Book Club Review: The Lifters by Dave Eggers
Mischievous woodland fairy Nix is up to no good. His beloved fairy queen has gone away, leaving him with a very important job. He must protect the forest from a most dangerous enemy: humans. When a determined invader trespasses on Nix’s territory, putting his skills to the test, the prideful fairy boasts of all the… Continue reading Book Review: Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley
