Category Archives: Poetry

Review: Evamar by Margarita Engle

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Evamar by Margarita Engle

Evamar
Margarita Engle
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published September 8, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Evamar

From award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a “spellbinding”(Publishers Weekly, starred review) novel in verse about first love, hidden cultures, and ancestral connections that follows a teen’s journey to uncover her late grandmother’s roots in Cuba.

Just before she was transformed
into an invisible spirit
my grandmother whispered her last wishes
into my ear:

Sprinkle my ashes in a patch of girasoles,
wait patiently, harvest the seeds,
fly to la isla, find el jardín,
plant las semillas.
Then and only then—
read my … Continue reading →

Review: Under a Carnivore Sky by Brianna Jett

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Under a Carnivore Sky by Brianna Jett

Under a Carnivore Sky
Brianna Jett
Page Street YA
Published August 18, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Under a Carnivore Sky

I’m the only one left hunting the monster, the only one left with a chance of saving us all.

Raised in a town surrounded by a labyrinthine, man-eating swamp, Lili craves nothing more than to track down the monster lurking in its depths and kill it. 

The monster’s curse claims the flesh and bone of every adult in town, stealing them away, piece by piece. For generations, people have tried to kill it or escape the town altogether, but every path out of town leads them … Continue reading →

Review: The Pools by E. Lockhart

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

The Pools by E. Lockhart

The Pools
E. Lockhart
Delacorte Press
Published October 6, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Pools

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the We Were Liars series comes a love story full of simmering darkness and astonishing twists, following two teenagers whose lives are shattered by a shocking transformation.

Once, in a small New England town known for its hot springs, something terrible happened. Something that should have been a warning to stay away from the pools, if the stories were to be believed.

But no one is afraid of the water anymore, even if … Continue reading →

Review: Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey

By | | , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer
Paige Classey
Random House Books for Young Readers
Published April 28, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer

Anna-Jane couldn’t wait for camp. But when the outside world goes dark, she and her friends soon realize they’re in for the adventure of their lives this summer—and maybe even beyond.

Anna-Jane is thrilled to be back at Camp Chester—the one place she feels like she belongs. She’s excited to swim in the lake, read in her favorite chair, and swap secrets with her best friend … Continue reading →

MMGM Review: Eureka by Victoria Chang

By | | , , , ,
16 Comments

Eureka by Victoria Chang

Eureka
Victoria Chang
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published January 27, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Eureka

A novel-in-verse by poet Victoria Chang that relates the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California.

Love illuminates the dark.

The year is 1885. San Francisco is dangerous for Chinese immigrants like twelve-year-old Mei Mei. She must venture on her own, without her family or friends, to Eureka, California, where it is supposedly safe.

But 300 miles from home, Mei Mei misses her Ma Ma’s kindness, helping out in her Ba Ba’s store, and playing hide-and-seek with … Continue reading →

MMGM Review: A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

By | | , , , ,
13 Comments

A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

A Year Without Home
V. T. Bidania
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published January 13, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Year Without Home

A poignant middle grade novel in verse about a Hmong girl losing and finding home in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. For fans of Jasmine Warga and Veera Hiranandani.

For eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, home is the lush, humid jungles and highlands of Laos. Home is where she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick ripe peaches from her family’s trees.

But … Continue reading →