Category Archives: Blogger’s Favorites

Review: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

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Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo cover shows a girl on the left with darker skin and a winding fire escape staircase behind her and a girl on the right with lighter skin and palm leaves behind her separated by the silhouettes of airplanes in the center, nose to nose.

Clap When You Land
Elizabeth Acevedo
Quill Tree Books
Published May 5, 2020

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About Clap When You Land

In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our … Continue reading →

Review: With or Without You by Eric Smith

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With or Without You by Eric Smith cover shows a boy and girl facing each other, lying on top of food trucks parked next to one another. He's on the left, she's on the right.

With or Without You
Eric Smith
Inkyard Press
Published November 7, 2023

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About With or Without You

New from Eric Smith comes a delightful YA rom-com about two teens caught in the middle of their families’ orchestrated rivalry between their Philly cheesesteak food trucks.

All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and … Continue reading →

Review: Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause

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Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause

Before the Devil Knows You’re Here
Autumn Krause
Peachtree Teen
Published October 3, 2023

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About Before the Devil Knows You’re Here

A deliciously dark folk horror for fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Erin Craig, blending the tall tales of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan with Faustian elements, and centering a fierce Mexican-American poet on a quest to rescue her brother.

1836. Wisconsin Territory. All Catalina has left is her little brother—Mama died years ago, and Papa was buried just yesterday. She and Jose Luis are alone now, in their ramshackle cabin on the edge of the Wisconsin wilderness, with the cold … Continue reading →

Review: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

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The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich cover shows a young girl in the foreground with a crow sitting on her shoulder and her house made of birchbark in the background.

The Birchbark House (The Birchbark House #1)
Louise Erdrich
Hyperion Books for Children
Published June 3, 2002 (orig. 1999)

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About The Birchbark House

Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books. With THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE, award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s first novel for young readers, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because … Continue reading →

Review: Best Friends by Shannon Hale

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Best Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham cover shows a group of kids at the top of a roller coaster ride.

Best Friends (Friends #2)
Shannon Hale
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
MacMillan Audio
Published August 8, 2023

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About Best Friends

The creators of Real Friends Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with a true story about popularity, first crushes, and finding your own path in the graphic novel, Best Friends.

Follow your heart. Find your people.

Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl … Continue reading →

Review: The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer

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The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer

The Search for Us
Susan Azim Boyer
Wednesday Books
Published October 24, 2023

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About The Search for Us

“A sharp-witted and illuminating, impressive sophomore novel.” – Isaac Blum, author of the award-nominated The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

Two half-siblings who have never met embark on a search together for the Iranian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran father they never knew.

Samira Murphy will do anything to keep her fractured family from falling apart, including caring for her widowed grandmother and getting her older brother into recovery for alcohol addiction. With attendance at her dream college on the line, she takes … Continue reading →