Review: I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Connor

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

I Shall Never Fall in Love
Hari Conner
HarperAlley
Published November 19, 2024

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About I Shall Never Fall in Love

George has major problems: They’ve just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men’s clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name.

Eleanor has always wanted to do everything “right,” including falling in love—but she’s never met a boy she was interested in. She’d much … Continue reading

Review: Nothing But the Truth by Avi

Nothing But the Truth by Avi

Nothing But the Truth
Avi
Scholastic
Published January 1, 2010 (Orig. 1991)

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About Nothing But the Truth

When Philip Malloy starts humming along to his school’s daily playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, his insistence on continuing to do so even after his teacher, Miss Margaret Narwin, asks him to stop sets in motion a chain of events that will soon ripple out beyond anything Phil or Miss Narwin could have imagined. Phil’s friends, his teachers, and the school administration are soon swept up in the controversy…and that’s just the beginning!

Distinctions and Praise For Nothing But the Truth: … Continue reading

Review: Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon

Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon

Linus and Etta Could Use a Win
Caroline Huntoon
Feiwel & Friends
Published

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About Linus and Etta Could Use a Win

Linus is the new boy at school, and he’s trying to keep it quiet. After coming out as trans last year and managing the attention that came with it, he’s more than happy to fade into the background of his new middle school.

Etta isn’t like other kids at school, and she’s proud of it. The class misanthrope and the owner of the greenest hair at Doolittle Middle School, she’s still reeling … Continue reading

Review: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster
Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins
Published May 1, 2001 (Orig. 1999)

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About Monster

This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve’s own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.

Fade In: Interior: Early Morning In Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can … Continue reading

Review: The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O’Neill

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

The Tea Dragon Festival (The Tea Dragon Society #2)
K. O’Neill
Oni Press
Published September 17, 2019

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About The Tea Dragon Festival

Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago.

With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan … Continue reading

Review: When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

When Stars Are Scattered
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Dial Books
Published April 14, 2020

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About When Stars Are Scattered

A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. … Continue reading