Tag Archives: Children’s Literature

Review: One for All by Lillie Lainoff

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One for All by Lillie Lainoff

One for All
Lillie Lainoff
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux
Published March 8, 2022

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About One for All

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is … Continue reading →

Review: When the World Runs Dry by Nancy F. Castaldo

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When the World Runs Dry by Nancy F. Castaldo

When the World Runs Dry
Nancy F. Castaldo
Algonquin Young Readers
Published January 18, 2022

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About When the World Runs Dry

What would you do if you turned on the faucet one day and nothing happened? What if you learned the water in your home was harmful to drink? Water is essential for life on this planet, but not every community has the safe, clean water it needs. In WHEN THE WORLD RUNS DRY, award-winning science writer Nancy Castaldo takes readers from Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, to Iran and Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the various ways in which water around … Continue reading →

Review: The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

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The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

The Insiders
Mark Oshiro
HarperCollins
Published September 21, 2021

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About The Insiders

San Francisco and Orangevale may be in the same state, but for Héctor Muñoz, they might as well be a million miles apart. Back home, being gay didn’t mean feeling different. At Héctor’s new school, he couldn’t feel more alone.

Most days, Héctor just wishes he could disappear. And he does. Right into the janitor’s closet. (Yes, he sees the irony.) But one day, when the door closes behind him, Héctor discovers he’s stumbled into a room that shouldn’t be possible. A room that connects him with two new friends … Continue reading →

Review: The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt

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The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt

The Sea Is Salt and So Am I
Cassandra Hartt
Roaring Brook Press
Published June 8, 2021

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About The Sea Is Salt and So Am I

West Finch is one hurricane away from falling into the sea.

Yet sixteen-year-old Harlow Prout is determined to save her small Maine hometown. If only she could stop getting in her own way and find someone, anyone, willing to help. But her best friend Ellis MacQueen “fixes” problems by running away from them―including his broken relationship with his twin brother, Tommy. And Tommy’s depression has hit a new low, so … Continue reading →

Review: The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Appelhans

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The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Appelhans

The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
Lenore Appelhans
Carolrhoda Lab Books
Published March 5, 2019

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About The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project

Riley lives in TropeTown, where everyone plays stock roles in novels. Riley, a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, is sent to group therapy after going off-script. He knows that breaking the rules again could get him terminated, yet he feels there must be more to … Continue reading →

Review: Beyond Clueless by Linas Alsenas

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Beyond Clueless by Linas AlsenasBeyond Clueless
Linas Alsenas
Harry N. Abrams
Published August 18, 2015

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When Marty learns she’ll be at a different high school than her best friend Jimmy, at first she’s devastated. She fears she and Jimmy will drift apart, and his new distraction with his first boyfriend only seems to prove her right. But Marty finds the perfect solution in a school production of Into the Woods. She finds ways for Jimmy and his new friends to be involved, and even involves her new friend Xiang. But even with the play, Marty feels like everyone has a special someone except her. Then a hunky actor takes an interest in … Continue reading →