Tag Archives: volunteer

Review: Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

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Not Nothing by Gayle Foreman

Not Nothing
Gayle Forman
Aladdin
Published August 27, 2024

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About Not Nothing

“The book we all need at the time we all need it.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award–winning author of The One and Only Ivan In this middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman, a boy who has been assigned to spend his summer volunteering at a senior living facility learns unexpected lessons that change the trajectory of his life.

To say Alex has had it rough is an understatement. His father’s gone, his mother is struggling with mental health issues, and he’s now living … Continue reading →

All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs

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All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs

All Alone with You
Amelia Diane Coombs
Simon & Schuster
Published July 25, 2023

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About All Alone with You

HBO Max’s Hacks gets a romantic twist in the vein of Jenn Bennett in this swoon-worthy novel about a standoffish teen girl whose loner status gets challenged by a dynamic elderly woman and a perpetually cheerful boy.

Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn’t care who knows it. She’s grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she’ll … Continue reading →

Review: Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

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Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Yes No Maybe So
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Balzer + Bray
Published February 4, 2020

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About Yes No Maybe So

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is … Continue reading →

Review: Betrayal by the Book by Michael D. Beil

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The Swallowtail Legacy 2: Betrayal by the Book by Michael D. Beil

Betrayal by the Book (The Swallowtail Legacy #2)
Michael D. Beil
Pixel+Ink
Published April 18, 2023

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About Betrayal by the Book

A writer’s conference brings twelve-year-old Lark’s favorite writer–and a suspicious death–to Swallowtail Island, in the second book in this middle grade mystery series by an Edgar Award-nominated author.

Swallowtail Island is hosting the Swallowtales Writer’s Conference. Lark’s ecstatic to be chosen as a “page” for her favorite author, Ann E. Keyhart.

But they say you should never meet your idols. When Keyhart arrives with her personal assistant in tow, she is nothing but a terror. And within a few hours, … Continue reading →

Review: Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community by Lois Peterson

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Shelter by Lois Peterson

Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community
Lois Peterson
Illustrated by Taryn Gee
Orca Book Publishers
Published October 12, 2021

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About Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community

There are 150 million people experiencing homelessness worldwide, and that number is increasing every year. Homelessness is not a choice, yet it exists in almost every community. But why are people homeless? Who are they? What can you do? In SHELTER: HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, readers will get answers to these complex questions. They’ll learn about the root causes of homelessness and its effects, and what people and organizations around the world are doing to address the problem.

It shares the personal stories of people who live … Continue reading →

Review: Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

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Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

Six Feet Below Zero
Ena Jones
Holiday House
Published April 20, 2021

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About Six Feet Below Zero

A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she’s the dead body.

Caught in a one-of-a-kind predicament, 12-year-old Rosie and her younger brother, Baker, must honor their great-grandmother’s final wishes by pretending she’s still alive until they can find her will and locate their dear Aunt Tilly. Rosie and Baker do their best to follow Great-Grammy’s plan and act as if everything is completely normal, but as their … Continue reading →