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THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5247-3811-2 Source: Purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade Realistic/Contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Life is tough on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, as runaway sisters Viji and Rukku quickly discover. For cautious-minded Viji, this is not a surprise - but she hadn't realized just how vulnerable she and her sister would actually feel in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter - and friendship - on an abandoned bridge that's also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys. The four of them soon form a family of sorts, sharing food and supplies and laughing together about the absurdities of life. And while making their living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves - and are truly hoping to keep it that

AWESOME ACHIEVERS IN TECHNOLOGY Super and Strange Facts about 12 Almost Famous History Makers by Alan Katz, illustrated by Chris Judge Running Press Kids, 2019 ISBN: 978-0-7624-6336-7 Source: Media Masters Publicity Ages 9-12 Middle grade nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Everyone has heard the name Steve Jobs, but what about Nolan Bushnell--Jobs's boss before the invention of Apple, and the founder of the first major video game, Pong ? Many of the most relevant figures in tech history have remained in the shadows, but not any longer! From Alan Katz's new Awesome Achievers series, Awesome Achievers in Technology gives kids a look behind the scenes at 12 lesser-known inventors whose contributions to tech are personally relevant to their lives today. Each figure is given a traditional biography but is also subject to Katz's unique brand of silliness, with humorous elements such as imagined poems, song lyrics, an

THE DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS: Forensics, Survivors, and a Painful Past by Elizabeth A. Murray, PhD Twenty-First Century Books, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5415-1978-7 Source: eBook through public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Some true crimes reveal themselves in bits and pieces over time. One such case is the Florida School for Boys, a.k.a. the Dozier School, a place where--rather than reforming the children in their care--school officials tortured, raped, and killed them. Opened in 1900, the school closed in 2011 after a Department of Justice investigation substantiated allegations of routine beatings and killings made by about 100 survivors. Thus far, forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle and her team from the University of South Florida have uncovered fifty-five sets of human remains. Follow this story of institutional abuse, the brave survivors who spoke their truth, and the scientists and others who brought i

SULWE by Lupita Nyong' O, illustrated by Vashti Harrison Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 9781534425361 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From Academy Award–winning actress Lupita Nyong’o comes a powerful, moving picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within. Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty differently. REVIEW This stunningly beautiful book packs a punch.  I found myself both near tears and smiling hugely while reading this book. Sulwe,

SPENCER'S NEW PET by Jessie Sima Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5344-1877-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes a classic tale of a boy and his dog—except in this unique story, one of them is a balloon! When Spencer gets a new pet, he’s excited to do all the things that pets do—taking walks in the park, going to the vet, and attending parties together. There’s just one hitch: Spencer’s new pet is a balloon. And that means No. Sharp. Objects. No drooling dogs at the park. No prickly porcupines at the vet. And absolutely no pinning tails on any donkeys! Spencer’s New Pet is a story of pure fun about a boy, his dog, and a friendship that endures life’s sharpest...and most unexpected twists. REVIEW This primarily wordless picture book follows a young boy named Spencer and his dog.  That seems simple enough until the author/i

THE GRIFFINS OF CASTLE CARY by Heather Shumaker Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5344-3088-4 Middle grade speculative/fantasy/scary Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Siblings Meg, Will, and Ariel Griffin are off on an adventure! They can’t wait to spend a week vising their eccentric aunt and her giant, tongue-drooling Newfoundland dog in England. But when they finally arrive, they’re faced with a few local secrets that stir up more than a little trouble. Add in some very peculiar lights, strange new friends, a police chase and some stampeding sheep, and the Griffin kids are in over their heads—literally. Apparently this town has a ghost problem and the three children must race to solve the mystery before the ghosts take something that doesn’t belong to them. REVIEW When Meg and her siblings, Will and Ariel, visit their Aunt Effie in England, they are hoping for an enjoy

CHAPTER TWO IS MISSING! by Josh Lieb, drawn by Kevin Cornell Razorbill, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-9848-3548-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-10 Picture book humor All opinions expressed are solely my own. BOOK DESCRIPTION Chapter Two is Missing is a hilarious picture book mystery starring a hopelessly lost narrator, an unqualified detective, and a very sneaky janitor, who are all surprised to discover that second chapter of the very book of which they are a part is--gasp--missing! Do not be alarmed, but the second chapter of this book appears to be missing! It was here a minute ago, but now it seems to have simply walked off. Not only that, but some of the punctuation has gone topsy-turvy, a bunch of letter Ms are hiding in Chapter 5, and Chapter 45 appears to be from another book entirely! The narrator is going to need some assistance getting things in order, especially with the unhelpful detective who keeps butting in and that shifty janitor lurking about. Luckily h