Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Banned Books Review: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

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Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Tricks
Ellen Hopkins
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published August 25, 2009

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About Tricks

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching … for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don’t expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words “I love you” are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell … Continue reading →

Review: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

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The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin
Puffin
Published June 1, 1997 (Orig. 1978)

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About The Westing Game

A Newbery Medal Winner

“A supersharp mystery…confoundingly clever, and very funny.” —Booklist, starred review

A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one thing’s for sure: Sam Westing may be dead…but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!

Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn … Continue reading →

Review: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

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The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot #1)
Peter Brown
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 5, 2016

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About The Wild Robot

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is—but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly … Continue reading →

Review: Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

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Show Me a Sign by Ann-Clare LeZotte

Show Me a Sign
Ann Clare LeZotte
Scholastic Press
Published March 3, 2020

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About Show Me a Sign

Deaf author and librarian Ann Clare LeZotte weaves an Own Voices story inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard in the early 19th century.
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha’s Vineyard. Her great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there – including Mary – are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary … Continue reading →

Review: Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

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Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

Coyote Queen
Jessica Vitalis
GreenWillow Books
Published October 10, 2023

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About Coyote Queen

When a twelve-year-old decides that she must get herself and her mother out of a bad situation, an eerie connection to a coyote pack helps her see who she’s meant to be—and who she can truly save. The Benefits of Being an Octopus meets The Nest in this contemporary middle grade novel about family class, and resilience, with a magical twist.

Twelve-year-old Fud feels trapped. She lives a precarious life in a cramped trailer with her mom and her mom’s alcoholic ex-boxer boyfriend, Larry. Fud can … Continue reading →

Review: A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

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A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

A Place to Hang the Moon
Kate Albus
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published February 2, 2021

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About A Place to Hang the Moon

Set against the backdrop of World War II, Anna, Edmund, and William are evacuated from London to live in the countryside, bouncing from home to home in search of a permanent family.

It is 1940 and Anna, 9, Edmund, 11, and William, 12, have just lost their grandmother. Unfortunately, she left no provision for their guardianship in her will. Her solicitor comes up with a preposterous plan: he will arrange for the children to join … Continue reading →