Review: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino cover shows a girl on the left in a tank top and shorts with her hands one on top of the other with her index finger and thumb extended. Sitting next to her is a boy in a hoodie and shorts with his hands in front of his body, his index finger and pinky extended. Tall grass and flowers in the background behind them.

Give Me a Sign
Anna Sortino
G. P. Putnam & Sons
Published July 11, 2023

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About Give Me a Sign

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

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Review: A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

A Song of Salvation
Alechia Dow
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 11, 2023

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About A Song of Salvation

From the author of THE SOUND OF STARS and THE KINDRED comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.
 
Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she’s the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo’s powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios’s honor. Unless she … Continue reading

Review: How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

How We Ricochet
Faith Gardner
HarperTeen
Published May 24, 2022

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About How We Ricochet

Intimate, impactful, and incisive, this newest novel from Faith Gardner, critically acclaimed author of GIRL ON THE LINE, is an unflinching look into the devastating consequences of a mass shooting for one girl and her close-knit family, for readers of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS and ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES.

It seems sometimes a charade that we continue celebrating in the face of relentless tragedy.

How dare we? But then . . . what else is there to do?

Betty’s mom needed new pants for her job.

That was why Betty was at the … Continue reading

Review: Limitless Roads Café by Samantha Picaro

Limitless Roads Cafe by Samantha Picaro cover shows a girl in glasses, a white top and jeans holding a clipboard in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Behind her is a line drawing of the outside of a cafe with a potted plant, an awning, and a small table with chairs.

Limitless Roads Café
Samantha Picaro
Published May 15, 2023

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About Limitless Roads Café

Kinsey Fontana relies on lists to navigate the world as an autistic teen. #Goals list: win her dream event planning internship (she knows it’s an ironic dream); master the art of masking; and gain Mom’s approval. Instead, she works at a café hiring teens with disabilities. Although she loves the … Continue reading

Author Q&A with Samantha Picaro

Author Q&A with Samantha Picaro

Author Q&A with Limitless Roads Café Author Samantha Picaro

I’m excited to host a Q&A with contemporary YA author Samantha Picaro here today. She’s the author of one of the contemporary YA books I really wanted to read. I will be reviewing LIMITLESS ROADS CAFE later this week. For now, check out the inspiration and some behind-the-scenes thoughts from the author about writing the book.

I find that a story is often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write this story?

The question that inspired me: “Why do most books only have one or two characters with disabilities?” Then I asked myself, “Why don’t I write a book with a cast diverse in ability?”

Which … Continue reading

Review: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

The Stonekeeper - Amulet 1 - Kazu Kibuishi

The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1)
Kazu Kibuishi
Graphix
Published September 29, 2015

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About The Stonekeeper

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot—and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an … Continue reading