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THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE by Dan Gemeinhart Henry Holt, 2019 Middle grade contemporary Source: eARC from Netgalley Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished―the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box―she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys... Over the

BONNIE AND CLYDE The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal Viking Children's Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-451-47122-2 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious--and celebrated--outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way. Bonnie and Clyde: we've been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why? REVIEW I found this book to be a compelling tale of two people who made some really bad decisions that lead eventually to their deaths.  I'd heard of Bonnie and Clyde before, who hasn't? But I kn

PIP AND POSY: THE CHRISTMAS TREE by Axel Scheffler Nosy Crow, 2018 978-1-5362-0276-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 3-5 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's Christmastime, and Pip and Posy are busy decorating the tree with gingerbread and a beautiful sugar star. But the decorations keep mysteriously disappearing from the tree until there are none left at all. . . . Oh, dear! What will happen when Posy finds Pip lying on the sofa, feeling sick? Is it possible Pip might know what's happened to all of the ornaments? A charming and funny new Pip and Posy story about honesty, with gentle lessons about friendship. REVIEW Pip and Posy decorate their Christmas Tree with yummy-looking sweets.  When Posy leaves the room to run various errands, the edible decorations start to disappear.  The illustrations make it clear where the ornaments have gone, and young listeners will be delighted to point it out .  Eventually the tree is bare

THE BIG BOLD ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF LAVINIA WARREN by Elizabeth Raum Chicago Review Press, 2018 ISBN: 9780912777504 Source: eARC from publisher for Cybils Ages 10 and up Middle grade biography All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Lavinia Warren never let her height—or the lack of it—prevent her from leading a full and adventurous life. Although she never grew more than three feet tall, she became a beloved teacher, a world traveler, an entertainer and the friend of many powerful figures. Lavinia was teaching at a local school when she heard about an opportunity to travel doing shows as a “human curiosity” on a Mississippi River boat. Eventually she met P. T. Barnum and worked at his American Museum. It was there that she met Charles Stratton, a little person known to the world as “Tom Thumb.” Their wedding, which took place on February 10, 1863, brought joy to a nation at war. President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln held a reception for th

NEVERTHELESS WE PERSISTED 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage compiled and edited by In This Together Media Alfred A. Knopf, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-5247-7196-6 Source: public library YA inspirational/short story collection Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many more, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity--but persisted. "Aren't you a terrorist?" "There are no roles for people who look like you." "That's a sin." "No girls allowed." They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too "ethnic"

CHAMPION The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree by Sally M. Walker Henry Holt & Company, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-250-12523-1 Ages 12 and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK American chestnut trees were once found far and wide in North America's eastern forests. They towered up to one hundred feet tall, providing food and shelter for people and animals alike. For many, life without the chestnut seemed unimaginable—until disaster struck in the early 1900s. What began as a wound in the bark of a few trees soon turned to an unstoppable killing force. An unknown blight was wiping out the American chestnut, and scientists felt powerless to prevent it. But the story doesn't end there. Today, the American chestnut is making a comeback. Narrative nonfiction master Sally M. Walker tells a tale of loss, restoration, and the triumph of human ingenuity in this beautifully photographed middle-grade book. REVIEW

TOUGH COOKIE A Christmas Story by Edward Hemingway Henry Holt and Company, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-62779-441-1 Ages 4-8 Source: Blue Slip Media All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   When a cookie discovers he does NOT taste delicious, he has to find a new identity in this clever picture book twist on a holiday classic. Once upon a time, while Fox was visiting the land of Holiday Treats, a little cookie—still warm from the bakery oven—burst out the front door looking sweet and ready to be devoured. But, as it turns out, Cookie is not as fast as he thinks and when Fox finally catches him, they’re both in for a big surprise: Sugar Cookie does not taste delicious—and he’s certainly not fit to be eaten. What’s an unsavory cookie to do? Is there another option for this not-so-sweet treat? This inventive story celebrates the joy of being accepted for who we are. ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR   Edward Hemingway is the creator of  Field Guide to th

FAILING UP How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning by Leslie Odom, Jr. Feiwel and Friends, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-250-13996-2 Source: public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Leslie Odom. Jr, burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton . Since then, he has performed for sold-out audiences, sung for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before he landed the role of a lifetime in one of the biggest musicals of all time, Odom put in years of hard work as a singer and an actor. With personal stories from his life, Odom asks the questions that will help you unlock your true potential and achieve your goals even when they seem impossible. What work did you put in today that will help you improve tomorrow? How do you surround yourself with people who will care about your dreams as much as you d