Don’t Read the Comments is an astute commentary on the joys and veryThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Don’t Read the Comments is an astute commentary on the joys and very real dangers that come with being a major online presence. It also tackles topics like sexism and racism (in the online gaming world, but also in the “real world”) in a very realistic way. I think that teenagers today will easily be able to see their favorite You-Tube stars in Divya. She is charismatic in her gaming videos, but she also has to deal with the insecurities that come from putting your name and face out into the world on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the reality is that many people who have an online presence face harassment on a regular basis, and often the typical response is that they somehow “deserve it” because they’ve chosen to put themselves out there. This book shows just how far these trolls will sometimes go and how insecurities can turn into actual fear (and rightfully so). This is especially true for women and girls, and the book shows how Divya and her friend Rebekah have to be so much more vigilant about keeping themselves safe than their male counterparts (and also highlights violence against women in a past tragic attack against Rebekah).
But the story isn’t all doom and gloom. It also features a sweet online romance between Divya and Aaron, who is dealing with parental issues and career issues of his own. And the ultimate message is one of triumph and hope and of finding where your dreams truly lie. This book will be incredibly appealing to teens today, and their parents just might learn a thing or two by reading it as well! ...more
This sweet book would be wonderful for kids who are going through the scary experience of having a parent going through cancer treatment (or who areThis sweet book would be wonderful for kids who are going through the scary experience of having a parent going through cancer treatment (or who are going through treatment themselves). The idea of a magical friend who is there for you through everything could be very comforting for many children. The cast of characters depicted is wonderfully diverse, with characters who appear to be Asian, Hispanic, black, white and multiracial. The book is told from the perspective of a mother telling her daughter a story (a fact that I missed at first, and it caused me a bit of confusion). And I could see a mother with cancer reading it to her child.
I would definitely check out the back of the book, which features cancer vocabulary, a feelings chart, and activities. The activity of having the child create their own version of a Little Green Monster that they can imagine seems especially helpful for kids who might want to know what this magical creature has to do with them. And you also get an introduction to the inspiration behind The Little Green Monster—the author’s senegal parrot!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author via Multicultural Children’s Book Day in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This little collection of comics is utterly sweet and adorable. It's filled with the everyday moments of a relationship---the little things that makeThis little collection of comics is utterly sweet and adorable. It's filled with the everyday moments of a relationship---the little things that make you smile. The comics feature the myriad of simple ways the author and her boyfriend are similar and different and the ways that they encourage and complement each other. They highlight the author's quirks in amusing ways and just remind us how the mundane moments in life can be made better with someone by your side. I found myself smiling a whole lot while reading this collection, so it did its job!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
I’m guessing this graphic novel will be a big hit with middle graders!This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I’m guessing this graphic novel will be a big hit with middle graders! It’s perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s books because it’s very similar to her books in style (and some of the themes). I especially loved that Copeland included empowering messages about young girls without hitting us over the head with them. She shows the ways that she was treated unequally without having a graphic novel that constantly decries those injustices. For instance, there was the fact that her father had high expectations of her brothers but not really of her—but then he was very supportive when she took initiative and started accomplishing things on her own. The reporter that Cindy worked with was very blatantly the only woman in the news office and she wasn’t getting great assignments (at least at first)—but the book showed her taking action about that (and getting what she wanted). Cindy has a boyfriend who’s sort of insensitive to her, but we see that in the subtle way he cuts her off when she talks or how he complains when she takes time for things that are important to her—we didn’t need for her to give big speeches about how wrong he was. The situation was all given to the reader in a very subtle way, but in a way where I think kids will still come away with all the right messages (and won’t feel like they’re being preached to).
This is a very honest story, where we see some of Cindy’s failures too—many kids will be able to relate to the way Cindy caves to pressure to say something she doesn’t mean about the boy she likes or the way she fails to befriend the slightly strange girl in class until someone else does. Fractured friendships (and changing ones) are also featured—I loved seeing Cindy find her friend group in the midst of loneliness.
The graphic novel format is perfect for this story because it gives us such a fun sense of the time period (70s clothes and hair are featured prominently in fun ways) and makes the autobiographical nature of the story more accessible to middle schoolers. I also love that the author sneaks some writing lessons in (showing us examples of early articles marked up by her mentor). Some kids will skim right past those, but I suspect others will be curious as to what makes a good lede and how you shouldn’t include inconsequential details in an article.
Cub is an incredibly inspiring autobiography masquerading as a simple story of surviving middle school. Middle graders will enjoy its themes without feeling like they’re being hit over the head with moral lessons. I HIGHLY recommend this book to middle grade readers, teachers and librarians.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
A twisty time travel tale! This is one of those books that keeps you onThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
A twisty time travel tale! This is one of those books that keeps you on your toes---Alice's future self has contacted her because she needs current-Alice to stop a classmate from creating a virus that will decimate the population. You're left not only wondering who will be a future evil genius, but also trying to piece together how future-Alice's instructions will possibly stop the upcoming apocalypse. I love stories like this because it's so fun to try and figure out exactly what's going on. I actually had the villain pinned right from the start, but the book definitely threw me for more than a few loops by the end as the time travel aspect of the book got twistier and twistier. Alice is never sure who to trust---in the current world or from the future. I especially loved seeing her live out aspects of her future life and finally experiencing the whole timeline so she can make sense of it all (and, of course, that's when we understand the full story as well). It's interesting because some of the conflict in the book is between Alice and her own future self, which presents her with some intriguing philosophical questions---should she trust her older (and therefore, assumedly wiser) self implicitly or should she follow her own current-Alice path? And then there are the moral questions of what she's willing to do in the present to stop a future atrocity. The book ended in a way I definitely wasn't expecting, which was a fantastic added bonus for a story like this. Sure there were moments when the story swooped into unbelievable places, but I still basically loved every minute of the roller coaster ride!!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
I had no idea this was going to be such an emotional read!I'll confessThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I had no idea this was going to be such an emotional read! I'll confess that at first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like these characters: Jolene is rebellious(ish) purely for the sake of aggravating her stepmom (who I really sort of felt sorry for) and Adam comes off as a bit holier than thou and is horrible to his dad. If you've been around the blog for long, you know that I sometimes have trouble with "unlikeable" (to me) protagonists. There's even a hint of almost-cheating involved in the story. So, it's a testament to Abigail Johnson's writing ability that she soon had me wrapped up in these characters' lives and wrapped around their little fingers. Sure, Adam is a jerk to his dad, but it's only because of his deep love for his mom and his inability to see past her pain. Jolene is mean to just about everybody, but her life is a mess, and the more you learn about her, the more you see how she pushes people away as a defense mechanism. I so wanted happiness for these two and I was holding on by my fingernails whole they made poor choices that ripped them further from the elusive goal.
This is a story of both family fragility and family bonds that just won't break, even in the most difficult of circumstances. In the end, tears were shed (by me and the characters), and I was left with that feeling of satisfaction that you get when everything is wrapped up perfectly but not too tidily.
I highly recommend this book!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book once again took me back to my days of true Buffy fandom andThis review and a giveaway can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book once again took me back to my days of true Buffy fandom and reminded me why these stories resonate so well with people—sure, there’s supernatural adventure and a big bad, but it always comes back to heart. It always comes back to relationships. Buffy wasn’t just Buffy; she was the whole Scooby gang, and then that expanded even more. Well, the same goes for these books. Sure, the series centers on Nina and Artemis, but there’s a whole group of friends (and frenemies) backing them up who add so much to the story. For instance, Doug, the demon who feeds off of emotion (and can give you a high from it), plays a prominent role in this book, and I loved every minute of his presence. There are tensions between the friends—who’ve gone through a whole lot together but don’t always agree on the direction the future should take—and huge tensions between the sisters now that Artemis has left. Then there’s also Nina’s complicated feelings about Leo’s death (and his lies while he was still alive). Basically, all those complicated relationships are what kept me reading long into the night.
Don’t get me wrong, this book wasn’t light on plot—Nina’s bound and determined to protect her friends, including the demons, and there’s a dangerous new player in the game who threatens all of them. They have to figure out who that is (first of all) and then how best to fight him. There are some glorious twists and turns along the way!!
As with the first book, Kiersten White captures the snarky tone of the Buffyverse wonderfully. And, in this book, we get cameos by several familiar characters from the original series—those were a true treat (I loved one in particular, but I don’t want to spoil who it was).
I hadn’t realized this was a duology, but by the end of the book everything felt wrapped up pretty perfectly, so I wasn’t surprised when a little research revealed that fact. (Who knows, though—it’s always possible White could revisit these new friends. I certainly wouldn’t complain if that was the case.)
Basically, if you’re a fan of the Buffyverse, Kiersten White or paranormal books in general, you should definitely pick this series up. You will not be disappointed!!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book will delight kids who are interested in space exploration. ItThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book will delight kids who are interested in space exploration. It goes into detail about many Mars missions—both successful and unsuccessful. I actually learned a lot about what it takes to get a rover up to Mars and what scientists have learned from the successful voyages (and the unsuccessful ones, I suppose—every mission is a learning experience). The book uses relatively simple vocabulary, but the book doesn’t seem overly simplistic—it doesn’t talk down to kids. This would be perfect for a classroom or a school library!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
To sum this book up, it’s Mean Girls for middle graders with theThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
To sum this book up, it’s Mean Girls for middle graders with the addition of basketball and a big lie that threatens to blow up everything!
I know this is a Great Expectations retelling, but honestly, as I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think of Mean Girls often—it just has that vibe (I guess I’d forgotten most of GA, which I read in my high school days, but that didn’t cut down on my enjoyment of the book). Pippa has just transferred to a private school from the local public school, and she feels like a fish out of water. She wants so much to fit in, but she isn’t really sure how. All of the kids in her class come from money, and they seem to have a bunch of expectations that she has no idea how to live up to. So, she lies. Or, at least, leaves out a whole bunch of details. She doesn’t want them to know that she’s poor or that she came from the public school they seem to despise, so she just leaves those little facts out. Problem is, it gets harder and harder to hide. Plus, she has a crush on the boy that the leader of the Royals also has her eye on—not good—and her relationship with her best friend from her old school ends up becoming very strained.
But I have to say that this story ended up veering from the Mean Girls formula in the end, and I was quite pleased with how everything turned out. Pippa not only learned to be proud of who she is, but she also realized that everyone else may not have been judging her nearly as much as she thought (which is probably true 99% of the time in real life). Pippa messes up in this book—she makes some big mistakes, but she also learns from them. And I fell in love with her and found myself rooting for her the whole time!
Having basketball as a backdrop will appeal to quite a few kids, but they definitely don’t have to be sports fans to enjoy it—the basketball team is really just used to show the dynamics of Pippa’s new friends. But kids who do like sports will be drawn to that—there are a couple of scenes that highlight basketball, and I felt like they were very well written and I could easily imagine what was happening in the games and practices without having to know a whole lot about the sport. The book also features aspects of Korean-American culture, especially the food, which is described wonderfully!
Overall, I think this is a wholly appealing story that will keep kids reading!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
Okay, confession: I probably would have never read aregularbiography ofThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Okay, confession: I probably would have never read a regular biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not because I doubt that she's a fascinating person, but just because biographies don't really interest me. And, with so many great fiction books on my TBR, I just don't get around to reading much non-fiction. But put a biography of an interesting person in graphic novel form, and I'm suddenly all excited! And I am so glad that this showed up in my mailbox because it was a fascinating read!
I knew a little bit about RBG (in the current political climate, I've paid a bit more attention to the supreme court than I had in the past), but I didn't realize just how involved she was in key cases that brought more gender equality to our country. The book also gives us insight into RBG's early life and her mother's battle with cancer. I found RBG's life truly inspiring, and it gives me hope for the future of our world---it's good to see how far we've come and to focus on someone who is fighting for justice and equality in our world. I also thought it was wonderful that the book highlights a friendship with a judge whose views do not match RBG's---in today's political climate, it's become harder and harder to show respect and empathy toward people with opposing views. I loved just about everything about this book!
I should also mention that the artwork is wonderful, with a clean style that works especially well for middle grade.
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
I absolutely adored Bring Me Their Hearts, so I was excited to read thisThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I absolutely adored Bring Me Their Hearts, so I was excited to read this sequel, especially after everything ended with more than a little craziness in the first book. We pick up right where we left off, with Zera facing the consequences of revealing to everyone that she’s Heartless (and that she’d been on a mission to take Lucien’s heart). Of course, because of that little revelation, all of the people she’d come to consider friends are more than a little wary of her. She’s lost not only Lucien, who she’d come to care about enough to sacrifice her own goals and wishes for, but also her only real friendships. So, this book is much more focused on Zera’s internal journey and acceptance of herself than on the romance (which was featured more prominently in the first book). Zera is constantly conflicted because she wants to hold onto the bonds she’s forged with these people, but she also believes that she can’t get them back and that she probably doesn’t deserve them. So, she spends a lot of time both pulling them back into relationship and pushing them away. Plus, she once again has to decide what lengths she’ll go to in order to get her heart back. It’s always a little hard to tell who’s actually on Zera’s side, which I love, and Varia’s characters is a distinctly gray villain, another plus in my book. While I mostly hated her, Zera herself can often see where Varia is coming from, and she also thinks about how Lucien will be affected by everything his sister is doing—both of those things make Varia’s character seem a lot more complicated. While this did feel a bit like a middle book at times, it definitely kept me interested and made me want to pick up the final book in the trilogy!
NARRATION: I ended up switching back and forth between the audiobook and the physical book for this one, and I thought that Em Eldridge did an excellent job with the narration!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book shines a (glaring) spotlight on ableism. The main characters,This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book shines a (glaring) spotlight on ableism. The main characters, Isabel and Sasha both have chronic illnesses that aren’t life-threatening (at least not directly) but are serious. Isabel has rheumatoid arthritis and lives in near-constant pain. She decided long ago that she didn’t want to be in a relationship—her life is just too complicated, and she knows darn well that she’s not always the most cheerful companion. But when she meets Sasha, her feelings start to change. Sasha has Gaucher Disease, an illness that puts him in the hospital often. Isabel relates to Sasha in a way she hasn’t with anyone else—he understands her, and he understands the challenges of living with a chronic illness. One aspect of the book that I love is how it explores the ways that different illnesses can be seen (and felt) differently—Sasha has always known he was sick. No one expects him to just “get over it” and move on. But Isabel’s illness is invisible. She sometimes even wonders herself if she’s making symptoms up in her head or turning them into something more than they actually are. She’s left constantly feeling like she’s letting people down or like she should be trying harder to ignore her symptoms. Moskowitz just delves into so many nuances of chronic illness—it’s obvious this is an #ownvoices book when it comes to chronic illness—including exploring the more philosophical side of the issue, bringing up a lot of topics I had never given much thought to.
This story captured my heart. I was wrapped up in the romance between Isabel and Sasha, and I was completely engaged in their friendships and family relationships as well. I definitely recommend this book!!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
Check out this review on Feed Your Fiction Addiction to see my poetic take on the book (I wrote a sestina!) and to enter the GIVEAWAY!
In this funCheck out this review on Feed Your Fiction Addiction to see my poetic take on the book (I wrote a sestina!) and to enter the GIVEAWAY!
In this fun follow-up to The Storm Runner, Zane finds himself in a whole new predicament---not only does he have to save his father, he's also got to save a whole host of godborns who he endangered in the first place! When Zane wrote the original book, he sent it out into the world as a call to the other godborns (only a godborn should have been able to read it---which I thought was a clever way to get the reader engaged with the story---as if they must, in fact, be godborn too if they were reading the book). Only it turns out that his battle cry backfired and revealed all the godborns to the gods, thus putting them in danger. Oops!
This book explores shifting relationships: from friends who might be more, to absentee parents who have the chance to become involved in their kids' lives, to new friendships, to enemies who could possibly become allies (or, you know, not). There's plenty of adventure as Zane's quest keeps morphing into something more and more complicated. And Zane experiences some forced personal growth as he deals with the guilt of putting a whole lot of people in danger (and has to decide who to focus on saving: the godborns or his dad). Shaky alliances are formed, and Zane's never quite sure who to trust, which keeps the reader flipping the pages to discover who's really on Zane's side. And, of course, there's the focus on Maya (and now Aztec) gods---I love the idea that kids will find themselves immersed in a mythology they might not have otherwise heard of.
The book sets us up beautifully for book three, which will set Zane against a new enemy. Now the wait begins......more
Parker Looks Up is a sweet story about the little girl whose pictureThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Parker Looks Up is a sweet story about the little girl whose picture went viral after she was so entranced by Michelle Obama’s portrait at the National Portrait Gallery. If you’re like me, you probably remember the moment and were delighted by the awe you could see in Parker’s face as she stared up at the portrait.
This story is simple, but that makes sense since it’s told from the perspective of a three-year-old. Parker’s love for dance is tied into her love of Obama, who she sees as a queen. The story highlights how a little girl can see a world of possibilities for the future in one simple portrait. The artwork is beautiful, and it truly brings the museum to life! Oh, and the back of the book features a picture of real-life Parker in her Michelle Obama dress (which she wore for Halloween)—so adorable!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
First off, I need to point out that this is a collection of shortThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
First off, I need to point out that this is a collection of short stories about a group of middle schoolers, not really a novel. While the stories are loosely tied together because the kids are all on their walk home from school (one story per block), there is no central story, and you only get a snippet of each group of kids’ lives. If you go into this expecting to read a book with an overarching plot, you’ll be disappointed.
But each of the kids in the book discovers something about themselves on their walk home, and themes of love and loss and personal bravery are all explored. Like most short story collections, some stories excited me more than others. I especially enjoyed “The Low Cuts Strike Again” which turned expectation on its ear—the whole story builds on the kids coming up with a way to turn ninety cents into a whole lot more, but you don’t find out why until the end. Another favorite was “Call of Duty” in which a kid sticks his neck out for a friend who’s accused of being gay. Some of the stories are told in interesting formats—such as lists or verse. I think that this is the type of book teachers will love to read in a classroom setting, but it will be interesting to see if middle schoolers get excited about the concept as well—I suppose time will tell.
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book isstunning in just about every way imaginable. The storyThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is stunning in just about every way imaginable. The story follows little Sulwe, who struggles to see her own beauty because of the darkness of her skin. Sulwe wishes she could look more like her parents, more like her sister, more like the other boys and girls at her school. Like most children, she doesn't want to feel different---and her dark skin doesn't make her feel special or unique, no matter what her mother might tell her. It takes a beautiful fable about day and night to make her see how she brings beauty to the world. As a reader, your heart goes out to Sulwe, and it soars with hers as she discovers her true worth.
The depth and detail of every illustration in this book is incredible. I'm amazed at how well Vashti Harrison was able to use such a lush and extensive palette when many of the images are (necessarily) dark; in fact, the darker images were my favorites---I so appreciated the subtlety of the details. The illustrations of Sulwe's trip into the stars and the fable of day and night truly took my breath away.
This story is both important and utterly beautiful; what a wonderful combination!!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book is so engrossing and emotionallyThis review (along with a GIVEAWAY) and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is so engrossing and emotionally compelling that I read it in one evening! I was immediately drawn in by the concept: Ava is the sole survivor of a house fire that claimed the lives of her parents and her cousin—she’s now recovering from burns that covered over 60% of her body and living with her aunt and uncle, who are also trying to hold it together after the loss of their daughter in the very fire that almost claimed Ava’s life. Right there, you can see why the emotional stakes of the story are so incredibly high. Not only is Ava struggling to adapt to her “new normal” after being disfigured in the fire, but she’s dealing with the loss of her parents and the guilt of surviving when her cousin didn’t.
The cast of characters is wonderful. Asad is a hilariously geeky guy (in a theater-geek sort of way), and you can understand how Ava starts to fall for him, especially when he doesn’t seem to see her for only her scars. And, though at first it seems that Piper might be the stereotypical peppy best friend—she sees to handle her own scars and injuries due to a car accident with cheery optimism and a get-yourself-out-there attitude—as the book progresses you start to suspect there might be more to her story than she’s letting on. Throughout the book, the stories of the accidents that caused Piper’s and Ava’s injuries unspool, and you don’t find out all the details until almost the end—a touch of mystery that keeps you turning the pages. The friendships in the story are realistic and complex and not without their difficult moments, which makes them feel that much more “earned” in the end.
Basically, I loved this book. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me want to keep reading until the very last page!
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book totally lives up to the adorable title; it’s the sort of sweetThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book totally lives up to the adorable title; it’s the sort of sweet romance that leaves you with the hum of a sugar high in your veins!
What Fed My Addiction
Cute banter and a swoonworthy romance. Pepper and Jack actually communicate in multiple ways without realizing it: First there’s school, where Jack tends to tease Pepper for her over-achieving and Pepper just sees Jack as a class clown. Then there’s an app called Weazel that Jack has created where the two have been bonding for months without realizing it. And then there’s the Twitter war. It starts out badly, but it actually morphs into something surprising—a fact that I loved. But however Pepper and Jack talk to each other, there’s always witty banter involved. Basically, right from the start, it’s hard not to ship them together (right along with everyone on the internet).
Family tensions. Beyond the romance, the book also features complex family relationships. Pepper’s parents are divorced and her mom and sister aren’t on speaking terms, so she always ends up feeling stuck in the middle. Jack is constantly comparing himself to his twin brother—and he’s sure he doesn’t measure up. I loved how the book put these relationships in the spotlight without turning overly dramatic or angsty—the tensions all feel real, and none of the family circumstances seem hopeless.
Rivalries that turn into friendships. It’s not just the romance that blossoms from hate to love. I loved that this book explored the idea that we can base our opinions of someone on false impressions and misunderstandings and how sometimes we can be so rigid in our beliefs about a person that we fail to see that we may have misjudged them.
So much delicious food! Expect your mouth to water while reading this book. Food is heavily featured, and Pepper’s baked goods sound absolutely scrumptious!! I so wish that I actually taste some of her heavenly creations.
What Left Me Hungry for More
Star swimmer? I got the feeling Emma Lord doesn’t actually know anything about high school swimming. Pepper is apparently the fastest swimmer and captain of the swim team at an exclusive private school, but she only swims competitively during the swim season? (She makes mention of occasionally practicing in the off-season and says her biggest rival swam during the summer, like this was a huge advantage.) She talks about adding twenty minutes of dryland practice to their schedule (in place of swimming) like it’s a brand new idea she just came up with. Also, the boys and girls teams apparently swim together? My daughter is on the team at her school, and she is one of the only varsity girls who doesn’t swim competitively all year long (she switched to only summers last year). The varsity swimmers practice at least three hours a day (often including a practice early in the morning) and they do dryland for an hour and a half multiple times a week. The star swimmers eat, breathe, and sleep swimming. It was just a thing that Pepper seemed to do after school for a couple of hours a day, along with a million other activities and achievements. Oh, and the girls’ high school season and the boys’ season aren’t at the same time—they don’t practice together (they do for club swimming, but not for high school seasons). Since swimming was a key element of the book (it’s how Pepper and Jack connect most in the book since he’s a diver taking over captain responsibilities for his twin brother), it was hard for me to overlook all the glaringly obvious issues with the way their swim team worked!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This tongue-in-cheek bedtime story will have parents trying not to bustThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This tongue-in-cheek bedtime story will have parents trying not to bust out laughing as they describe to their kids all the surefire ways to avoid monsters. Here’s a short list of examples: All the dangerous monsters hang out under Mom & Dad’s bed, so you’ll want to stay in your own. Messy kids (and rooms) are monster attractors. Kids who brush their teeth usually survive to be teenagers (it was the “usually” that really got me on this one—I just had to laugh at that confident reassurance). Basically, Mull gives kids a whole bunch of hilarious advice that will make us parents chuckle while reinforcing some good habits in our kiddos.
Okay, so there’s a teensy part of me that thinks this book could be used nefariously in the wrong hands—I mean, if your little one is truly afraid of monsters, I suppose this could backfire and instead of instilling good habits, you could just end up with a kid who’s terrified every time they get a little dirty. But it’s no different than something like an Elf on a Shelf that’s supposed to be watching to make sure little Johnny’s being good, right? It’s all in lighthearted fun.
The whimsical illustrations reinforce that tone of lighthearted fun—after all, the monsters in the book all look more cute and cuddly than terrifying. With bright colors and a comical style, the illustrations bring Mull’s hilarity to life!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
A uniquely interactive middle grade fantasy adventureFor a giveaway of this book, head to this review on Feed Your Fiction Addiction. (Ends 11/12/19)
A uniquely interactive middle grade fantasy adventure that puts the reader right into the story! I’ve never read a book quite like this before, and I doubt you have either. First off, the book is told in second person POV—“you” are the star of the show. The book starts out with you waking up in a strange world. You (conveniently) have no memory of who you are and your goal is to regain your memories and return home—wherever that may be. Except this place you’ve ended up in is … strange. And thus begins your fantasy adventure!
The book incorporates lots of interactive elements. You discover that you are an actual human in a world of stories, and you therefore have the ability to write or draw things into existence. Because of this, you often get to create your own aspects of the world via a Mad Libs type fill-in. The reader then imagines their own creation in the story, which is great fun! In addition, there are places that you can draw things, puzzles you need to solve, and even a Choose Your Own Adventure element at one point. It all leads to a unique reading experience that truly makes you feel part of the adventure!
The story itself is engaging and humorous (it does sometimes veer toward middle-grade-level gross-out humor, which isn’t my favorite, but I concede that lots of kids love it). And the book has a madcap cast of supporting characters you’re sure to love, from a crazy French stoat who hypnotizes his enemies with an insane dance to a ninja girl, to a group of wacky outlaws. Basically, this book is great fun—I read it almost straight through and never had the urge to set it down. The book deserves accolades for its creativity alone, but the story will also draw kids in and get them excited to read about their own crazy adventure into a world of imagination!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
For a giveaway of this book and to see a fun list of the authors' Top Ten Addictions, check out this review on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
IFor a giveaway of this book and to see a fun list of the authors' Top Ten Addictions, check out this review on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
I dare say that this second book in the series is even more interactive than the first! The book puts you right in the action, since you’re the main character (much like a Choose Your Own Adventure book) as you go on a quest to save Astorya by hiding the Original original in a place no one will ever look for it—on the Other Side (basically the underneath side of the world). This book includes even more fun Mad Libs style fill-in-the blanks and gives you more chances to actually draw your creations (for instance, you design a monster disguise that you wear in order to fool the monsters on the Other Side). And it also includes puzzles that you have to solve in order to complete your quest.
This book is full of surprises (especially since you get to make up some of it yourself), and the quest ends in an unexpected way (something I always appreciate as a reader). Kids will love the battles with Other Side monsters and the goofy humor. These books are incredibly fun, and I highly recommend the series!!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This adorable graphic novel features a spirited, excitable narwhal andThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This adorable graphic novel features a spirited, excitable narwhal and his much more down-to-earth friend Jellyfish. The book is geared toward younger readers, so both the text and the artwork are relatively simplistic, but that doesn’t diminish its charm. The graphic novel is actually made up of three short comics. In the first, Narwhal and Jellyfish meet, and we immediately see their divergent and yet complementary personalities—Narwhal’s bright-eyed optimism is balanced by Jellyfish’s serious demeanor. Next, Narwhal recruits even more sea creatures to be a part of his pod, leaving Jellyfish feeling left out at first. In the third story, Narwhal and Jellyfish use their imaginations to create the Best Book Ever! (Hint: it involves waffles.) There are also some facts about narwhals and jellyfish sprinkled into the stories, an added bonus.
This book is pure adorableness, and it would brighten up any kid’s day! (Not to mention those of us who are still kids at heart.)...more
The wonderful thing about this book is that it’s told from the POV of aThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The wonderful thing about this book is that it’s told from the POV of a boy on the autism spectrum, but that’s not at all what the story’s about. Bat’s voice feels authentic—his black and white thinking, his sensory sensitivities, his inability to make steady eye contact—and because we’re seeing the world through his eyes, we can understand the way his mind works. His mom’s obvious love and concern for him are evident, and the sibling rivalry with his older sister seems realistic. In the end, it’s hard not to fall in love with this little boy who wants nothing more than to keep a baby skunk as a pet. The book is simple—probably ideal for younger MG readers—but enjoyable. We get a little bit of animal science since Bat learns about skunks and his mom is a vet. Basically, this book will make you feel all marshmallowy inside and give you the urge to give little kids lots of hugs. I definitely plan to read the rest of these.
I listened to the audiobook, and thought that Patrick Lawlor did a wonderful job with the narration. He captured Bat’s innocent spirit perfectly....more
This book is about an unlikely trio of friends who face down bullies andThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is about an unlikely trio of friends who face down bullies and their own fears. It’s told from the perspective of Paul, a freshman in high school who’s so short he’s often mistaken for a 10-year-old. When he’s put in a group project with Lily Small (the tallest girl in his class) and Big (a kid who’s as cheerful as he is large), Paul just knows it’s going to be a social disaster. He doesn’t want to do anything that’s going to draw attention. Paul isn’t always the most likable character, to be honest (though that’s juxtaposed with Big, who is just about the nicest guy in the entire universe!). Paul’s used to getting pushed around, so he tends to hide at the least chance of trouble. Of course, you can sort of understand his knee-jerk reaction—staying under the radar has saved him on many occasions. He also makes a lot of snap judgments and assumptions about other people (especially Lily). It was encouraging to see Paul grow in this throughout the book and finally start to make some changes in his thinking (and his actions). Since Paul is a rock climber, climbing is a big focus of the plot and it acts as a metaphor for his growth as well. It’s obvious that the author is a climber himself since there are lots of details about climbing included. This book tackles some difficult topics like bullying, and mental health, but it doesn’t feel like a book that’s overwhelmed by its issues. In the end, it puts the spotlight on kindness and taking the time to see the world from someone else’s perspective—both worthy themes.
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
First off, I didn't realize when I started reading this that the seriesThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
First off, I didn't realize when I started reading this that the series is a duology. So I was expecting perhaps a bit of middle-book syndrome and was surprised when the book didn't feel sluggish in the least. In fact, I found myself eager to read this book every chance I got. The book starts out with Kazi very hurt and in captivity and then moves back a couple of weeks to show us how she got there. So, of course, I was eagerly reading to find out what happened and how she was separated from Jase. Surprisingly, it wasn't one of those cases where it took us half the book to get back to where we'd started, though. No, the pacing in this book moved along swiftly and we were back to that beginning moment relatively quickly. And then we got to see how Kazi was going to get herself out of a horrible situation. The stakes were sky-high throughout the story, which also kept me invested. There were some major revelations when it came to the villains, and I was never quite sure who would make it out of the situation alive. I also appreciated that Jase and Kazi never lost faith in each other; their trust, devotion, and dedication was unfaltering. While certain others might have doubted Kazi's motives, Jase never did, and I appreciated that.
And then, I started getting toward the end of the book and realizing that this was an actual wrap-up---I wasn't going to be left with a million loose ends or a cliffhanger ending---wait, was this ... a duology? That made the ending both glorious and painful; glorious because I loved every minute of what was happening and painful because I was incredibly sad to let Kazi and Jase go. This is the sign of a fantastic series, in my opinion.
Oh, and I did think that Pearson left us with just a tiny hint of possible future books at the end. We can only hope!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This wonderful graphic novel was a lot more than just okay. The storyThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This wonderful graphic novel was a lot more than just okay. The story follows Moth, who discovers at age thirteen that she is actually a witch and that her mother has been hiding a multi-century history from her. To make things even more complicated, she learns all of this while her school is celebrating its witch-hunting heritage. (This aspect of the book felt a little backward in today’s world, but I realize there are places where a small town’s “history” might still be seen in a positive light, even if it was backward and xenophobic.) Moth’s mother has witnessed some of the negative effects of magic and has lived without it for years—she’d hoped that her daughter wouldn’t inherit magic at all. I loved how the author wove xenophobia, racial tensions, and the fear of witches together, creating a perfect parallel to the ways in which our society often still spurns people we consider “other.” But the book gives us a sense of hope and of change as well, showing that we have made some forward progress and we can continue in that direction. Hope and unity are the ultimate messages. Lots of kids will also be able to relate to the fact that Moth already felt like an outsider before she ever discovered she was a witch—for her, discovering her magic is empowering and satisfying (knowing there might be a reason she’s always felt different), even if it is a little scary at first.
The illustrations are wonderfully done as well. I loved that we see not just ethnic diversity but different body types portrayed as well (Moth’s mother isn’t tiny—and she wasn’t even in her younger years—and it’s never once mentioned in the story, which I appreciated). If you’re a fan of witchy stories, I definitely recommend this graphic novel!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
This book is such a fun mixture of genres and formats: a historicalThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is such a fun mixture of genres and formats: a historical fiction superhero novel with graphic novel elements! Right there, I was sold. This book will appeal to such a wide variety of kids, and I think it will get many of them reading about an era that they wouldn’t otherwise have thought they’d be interested in.
The book is set in the US during WWII, and it highlights the real-life women (and a few men) who contributed to the war effort in truly unique ways! I actually felt like I learned a lot from the book (and the author’s note at the end), but it definitely doesn’t feel like learning while you’re reading. The superhero elements are incredibly fun, and many of the most active superhero sections of the book are told via graphic novel format (via the amazing illustrations from Patrick Spaziante). The book also features a diverse trio of girls (one black, one Irish and one Japanese) who are trying to make the world a better place and touches on issues of racism and the Japanese internment. All three girls have family members fighting in the war, and the fear and tension that goes with that is not overlooked (though the book never gets too heavy-handed). There are a few things that aren’t exactly believable (no one knows that the girls are the superheroes? Those must be some fantastic masks), but you’re not reading this sort of story for believability. Also, a sad event is revealed at the end of the book, but it’s glossed over just a little bit and didn’t feel realistic to me—but this is a middle grade book, and I think Hannigan wanted to include that element without making the book overly depressing. All in all, I would highly recommend this fabulous read!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
I went in completely blind, and I was shocked to find that this wasn’tThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I went in completely blind, and I was shocked to find that this wasn’t exactly the STEM contemporary I was expecting, but something along the lines of science fiction (or contemporary sci-fi? Is that a thing? It should be a thing).
Ellie’s grandfather has discovered the key to immortality, utilizing the famed immortal jellyfish (a real thing, in case you haven’t heard of it—it’s a type of jellyfish that can basically revert back to its infant state and start life over again)—and he’s turned himself into a jellyfish. That’s really the extent of the “science fiction” to the book, though—the rest of it is just a contemporary about a girl trying to figure out how to navigate middle school and failing friendships (and a brilliant, opinionated grandpa who now attends her school). To me, the absolute best parts of this book were the ways the grandpa was a sort-of teenager/sort-of old man. This dichotomy was highly entertaining.
I did think the way the family responded to good old grandpa was a little weird—like, the mom basically actually treated him like a teenager instead of her dad a lot of the time, and I wasn’t sure why. And there were some definite lapses in logic. (How would she have signed him up for school with NO paperwork or parental permission? Why couldn’t they have just said he was being homeschooled?—but that would have ruined the premise of the book.) And a few other similar issues that bugged me. But I tried hard just to suspend disbelief and go with it. Once I did that, I found the book to be quirky and heartwarming and filled with fun science facts. Overall a fun and unique story!...more
You know how sometimes you start reading a book, and within just a fewThis review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
You know how sometimes you start reading a book, and within just a few pages, you’re already saying, “I LOVE this!”? That was Before I Disappear for me. Right away, I could tell there was going to be something special in these pages—I was immediately wrapped up in the intrigue: What’s so odd about Charlie? What’s this music he’s hearing? Why have they had to move so much? What are they running from? What dangers are lurking in Fort Glory?
Well, I’m happy to say that the book never let me down. I was riveted throughout. I don’t want to say too much about what happens because I think it will be more fun to discover on your own, but I will say that a whole lot of craziness ensues when Fort Glory disappears. But I also loved these characters. Both Ian and Rose are obviously broken in many ways, but you can tell that both of them want something more out of life. I was definitely hoping these two would end up together in the end. Then there’s sweet Becca, nerdy Blaine and Jeremy, who has his own role to play, but I don’t want to say much about it. And Charlie. Ah, Charlie: full of mystery and wonder. And poetry! His short sections are written in verse (and I couldn’t have loved them more!!). I will say, I had pretty much figured out Rose’s secret long before the big reveal at the end, but that didn’t ruin the emotional impact of it. Honestly, I can’t think of much to say as far as negatives go. This book was pure perfection!
Perfect for fans of Stranger Things or A Wrinkle in Time (the book distinctly reminded me of both of those at some points—even while it stood very much on its own), this mind-bending sci-fi is sure to set your imagination racing!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and FFBC blog tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***...more
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