Category Archives: By Genre

Review: Monster Locker by Jorge Aguirre and Andrés Vera Martínez

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Monster Locker by Jorge Aguirre and Andrés Vera Martínez

Monster Locker (Monster Locker #1)
Jorge Aguirre
Illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez
First Second
Published October 1, 2024

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About Monster Locker

In this first volume of a thrilling middle grade graphic novel series, a sixth-grader named Pablo discovers his locker is a portal to the realm of monsters!

For hundreds of years, something in the basement of Glenfield Middle School has waited for its chance to open a portal into the realm of monsters. Now its time has come, and the school is going to need a hero. Pablo Ortiz . . . isn’t that guy. … Continue reading →

Review: Desert Queen by Jyoti R. Gopal

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Desert Queen by Jyoti R. Gopal

Desert Queen
Jyoti R. Gopal
Illustrated by Svabhu Kohli
Levine Querido
Published January 1, 2024

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About Desert Queen

In a kaleidoscope of desert sands and swirling skirts, Queen Harish takes flight. This picture book biography, spun in vibrant verse by Jyoti Gopal, traces the journey of a beloved Rajasthani drag performer who defied tradition and dazzled the world.

Fueled by an inner fire, young Harish yearns to join the captivating desert dancers, their music pulsing through his veins. But societal constraints paint a narrow path, one that clashes with his vibrant spirit. Through lyrical stanzas and Svabhu Kohli’s evocative art, … Continue reading →

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jesse Andrews
Amulet Books
Published March 1, 2012

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About Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the hit film!

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at … Continue reading →

Review: Gita Desai is Not Here to Shut Up by Sonia Patel

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Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up by Sonia Patel

Gita Desai is Not Here to Shut Up
Sonia Patel
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published September 10, 2024

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About Gita Desai is Not Here to Shut Up

It’s eighteen-year-old Gita Desai’s first year at Stanford University, and it’s a miracle she’s here and not already married off by her traditional Gujarati parents. She’s determined to death-grip her good-girl, model-student rep all the way to medical school, which means no social life or standing out in any way. Should be easy: If there’s one thing she’s learned from her family it’s how to chup-re—to “shut up,” fade … Continue reading →

Review: When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman

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When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary
Alice Hoffman
Scholastic Press
Published September 17, 2024

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About When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history’s most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank’s life before she went into hiding.

Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne’s journal, written while she and her … Continue reading →

Review: Rise of the Spider by Michael P. Spradlin

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The Rise of the Spider by Michael P. Spradlin

Rise of the Spider (Web of the Spider #1)
Michael P. Spradlin
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 24, 2024

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About Rise of the Spider

Witness the chilling rise of the Nazi Party through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy in this first book in the action-packed middle grade series Web of the Spider for fans of I Survived and A Night Divided.

1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he’s old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half … Continue reading →