Tag Archives: friendship

MMGM Review: Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner

By | | , , , , ,
14 Comments

Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner

Free Piano (Not Haunted)
Whitney Gardner
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published July 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Free Piano (Not Haunted)

From beloved graphic novelist Whitney Gardner comes a big-hearted, touching, and spooky coming-of-age story about a young aspiring songwriter who forms a ghostly partnership with the pop star who haunts her secondhand piano.

The piano is free, but fame has a price.

On the sleepy streets of Cascade Cove, lonely Margot knows that when she stumbles across a discarded synthesizer with a “not haunted” sign, she’s discovered the key to realizing her dreams. … Continue reading →

Review: Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

Soulmatch
Rebecca Danzenbaker
Publisher
Published July 29, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Soulmatch

Two-hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every 18-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, … Continue reading →

Review: Knocking on Windows: A Memoir by Jeannine Atkins

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Knocking on Windows by Jeannine Atkins

Knocking on Windows: A Memoir
Jeannine Atkins
Atheneum
Published August 5, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Knocking on Windows: A Memoir

Acclaimed author Jeannine Atkins revisits her past in this brave and powerful memoir-in-verse about memory, healing, and finding her voice as a writer, perfect for fans of Amber Smith and Speak.

Night darkens the window to mirror.
I’m back in my old bedroom.

Six weeks after the start of her freshman year of college, Jeannine Atkins finds herself back in her childhood bedroom after an unimaginable trauma. Now home in Massachusetts, she’s struggling to reclaim her life and her voice. … Continue reading →

Review: Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jairgirdar

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Four Eids and a Funeral Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jairgirdar

Four Eids and a Funeral
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jairgirdar
Feiwel & Friends
Published June 4, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Four Eids and a Funeral

Ex-best friends, Tiwa and Said, must work together to save their Islamic Center from demolition, in this romantic story of rekindling and rebuilding by award-winning authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé & Adiba Jaigirdar!

Let’s get one thing straight: this is a love story.

These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favorite hometown librarian Ms. Barnes dies, he must return home to New Crosshaven for her funeral … Continue reading →

Review: An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic by Sarah J. Mendonca

By | | , , ,
Leave a comment

An Encantadora's Guide to Monstros and Magic by Sarah J. Mendonca

An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic
Sarah J. Mendonca
Quill Tree Books
Published July 8, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic

Encanto meets Oceans 8 in this middle-grade fantasy-adventure, set in a Portuguese-inspired world, following a tween girl who joins a notorious band of thieves to steal a priceless jewel and discovers corruption that must be stopped.

Rosa Coelho has spent her whole life hunting monstros, wandering the city streets with her best friend Tiago, and dreaming of a better life for herself and her grandmother. And in a society that … Continue reading →

Review: If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

By | | , , ,
Leave a comment

If I Have to be Haunted

If I Have to Be Haunted
Miranda Sun
HarperCollins
Published September 26, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About If I Have to Be Haunted

Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead.

Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted.

Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy … Continue reading →