Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

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Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Karen Foxlee
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published January 28, 2014

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About Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Eleven-year-old Ophelia’s father brings her and her older sister Alice to a magical museum in a city in which it always snows. When science-loving Ophelia wanders off to explore the museum in search of dinosaurs and fossils, she finds a boy locked in a small room. He tells an impossible story and asks for her help. Ophelia, who only believes things that can be scientifically proven, is torn about helping the boy, who says he must … Continue reading →

Review: Paper Hearts by S. R. Savell

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Paper Hearts by S. R. SavellPaper Hearts
S. R. Savell
Medallion Press
Published April 15, 2014

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Seventeen year-old Michelle Pearce is barely scraping by. Her grades plummet. The bullying she endures at school only escalates. Even the perky high school counselor seems a bit over her head with Michelle and the fury penned inside her.

Enter Nate. He’s just about the last thing Michelle wants hanging around the gas station she works. Impossibly tall and somber, Nate is just too nice to dislike. She tries. Fails.

They begin working together and at first out of boredom, Michelle pries into Nate’s life. She finds more sadness and more compassion than she could have … Continue reading →

Five Small Press/Indie Titles You Won’t Want To Miss

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The Girl Who Played Chess with an AngelThe Girl Who Played Chess With an Angel by Tessa Apa

From my review: “As she wrestles with her father’s sudden death and her mother’s bitterness, Florence begins to see life beyond her own needs. In her tenuous friendship with Max, she finds the courage to ask an even bigger question: is God real? Both Max and her mother are quick to provide their own answers to this deep question, but that’s not enough… Filled with yearning and honesty, Florence’s journey is as captivating as she is. Apa dares to dive deep, to genuinely question, and to allow her characters that which makes them so human: permission to doubt. She brings an authenticity to her debut novel that few authors are … Continue reading →

Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Published May 7, 2013

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Most of the human population has been decimated by the first four waves of a highly intelligent alien attack. Though no one has learned to identify the enemy, the ominous shape of the mother ship hovering in the sky above the earth strikes fear in the hearts of the few who survive.

Sixteen year-old Cassie trusts no one. She survives by moving from place to place, reliving the past, when the most terrible conflict she faced was her unrequieted affection for Ben, fellow student and popular athlete. Now Cassie simply bides her time until she can no longer run from … Continue reading →

Review: Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole Quigley

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Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole QuigleyLike Moonlight at Low Tide
Nicole Quigley
Zondervan
Published September 3, 2013

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The last place sixteen year-old Melissa Keiser wants to return to is Anna Maria Island. The echo of laughter and cruel taunts still haunt Missy, even after four years. Her best friend Julie insists that things will be different now, but Missy is afraid to believe her. Until popular Sam King begins to act as though Missy is completely irresistible. She struggles to understand Sam’s desire for her and his friend’s weird overprotective behavior toward her. Josh, it seems, won’t leave Missy alone to make her own mistakes. But when Missy pursues him, … Continue reading →

Favorite Reads from 2013

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Out of just over 100 books I had the pleasure of reading last year, here are my top ten favorites:

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson KurkGlass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurk

From my review: “Glass Girl is a beautiful story of a girl who has lost not only her brother but faces the terrible toll grief has taken on her family. Meg’s emotions are vivid and gripping, as are the relationships she has with each of her parents and friends. The rugged Wyoming countryside provides the perfect backdrop for both the tumultuous feel of the emotional story and the golden-hearted cowboy who teaches Meg about courage, compassion and mercy. This is a novel that demands to be finished once it is begun. Tissues … Continue reading →