Geo Librarian

  WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara Charlesbridge, 2021 ISBN: 9781623541453 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade realistic fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Ever since his mother's death, Collin manages his anxiety by keeping a notebook full of emergency preparedness advice. In tender free verse, Caprara allows Collin to tell of his heartache and frustration.  While he has two fabulous friends in prankster Liam, and outspoken Georgia, he doesn't dare tell them how life is deteriorating at home.  Collin's mother kept his father's hoarding tendencies under control before her death, but now that she's gone, the hoarding's taking over the house. On top of all that, a kid named Tyson continues to torment Collin, even after his companion in bullying moves. My heart broke for Collin as he struggles to keep his head above water, so to speak, being on the swim team help...

GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN by Alicia D. Williams S&S/Atheneum, 2019 ISBN: 978-1481465809 Middle grade contemporary/issue Source: publisher for review Ages 9-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own.  ABOUT THE BOOK This deeply sensitive and powerful debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who is filled with self-loathing and must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself. There are ninety-six things Genesis hates about herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is so dark, people call her charcoal and eggplant—even her own family. And #61: Because her family is always being put out of their house, belongings laid out on the sidewalk for the world to see. When your dad is a gambling addict and loses the rent money every month, eviction is a regular occurrence. What’s not so regular is that this time they all don’t have a place to crash, so Genesi...

THREATENED Ape Quartet #2 by Eliot Schrefer Scholastic Press, 2014 ISBN:  978-0-545-55143-4 MG/YA Contemporary/Diverse Ages 12 and up Source: public library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK When he was a boy, Luc's mother would warn him about the "mock men" living in the trees by their home -- chimpanzees whose cries would fill the night. Luc is older now, his mother gone. He lives in a house of mistreated orphans, barely getting by. Then a man calling himself Prof comes to town with a mysterious mission. When Luc tries to rob him, the man isn't mad. Instead, he offers Luc a job. Together, Luc and Prof head into the rough, dangerous jungle in order to study the elusive chimpanzees. There, Luc finally finds a new family -- and must act when that family comes under attack. As he did in his acclaimed novel ENDANGERED, a finalist for the National Book Award, Eliot Schrefer takes us somewhere fiction rarely goes, intr...

LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS by Ginny Rorby Carolrhoda LAB, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-7613-8498-4 Grades 7 and up Copy received from author during giveaway. Opinions expressed are solely my own. A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive. Lost in the River of Grass takes on the classic survival genre using one of the country's most unique wild places as a backdrop. In this tense, character-driven thriller, Sarah must overcome prejudice and the unforgiving wilderness in a struggle to...

MY EXTRA BEST FRIEND (Friends for Keeps, #5) by Julie Bowe Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3692-4 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from purchased copy. Summer camp is more fun when you have Friends for Keeps! It's Ida May's first time at sleepaway camp, and her two BFFs, popular Stacey and highly organized Jenna, are also coming along. But when they arrive at camp, their bunkmate is the last person Ida expected to ever see again: Elizabeth Evans, her last best friend who moved away before the start of this series. Ida was heartbroken when Liz didn't answer her letters, and now Liz won't even apologize. All the other girls are ready to welcome Liz back, but Ida just can't be the peacemaker this time. Not until she and Liz talk.   Chockablock with fourth-grade wisdom, laughter, jealousies--and apologies--this conclusion to the series is a must read for all Ida May fans. While I love most kinds of middle grade literature, I have a sp...

I am super excited to be a part of the Tracing Stars Blog Tour.  Today, I'll share my review and the author bio.  Tomorrow, be sure to check back for an interview with the author and a giveaway. TRACING STARS by Erin E. Moulton Philomel Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-399-25696-7 Grades 3-6 Reviewed from copy provided by author. Opinions expressed about book are my own. A charming novel about sisterhood, self-identity, and friendship from the author of Flutter Indie Lee Chickory knows she's not as cool as her older sister Bebe. Bebe has more friends, for one. And no one tells Bebe she's a fish freak, for two. So when Indie accidentally brings her pet lobster to school, makes a scene, loses him in the ocean and embarrasses Bebe worse than usual, she makes a wish on a star to become a better Chickory. She tries to do this by joining the stage crew of the community's theater production, The Sound of Music . (Bebe has a starring role.) But Bebe is worried that Ind...

CHARLIE'S GIRL by Mary-Helen and Daniel Foxx Cedar Fort, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-59955-968-1 LDS Fiction Grades 7 and up Reviewed from personal copy. This is my first blog tour and I'm excited that I get to talk about such a great book! First, the synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Rosalind has always been a foster girl without a past, until she’s sent to live with a long-lost grandmother in a house full of memories—and secrets. Soon Rosalind discovers that there’s more to her family history than she ever dreamed. Set in 1960s South Carolina, this unforgettable story of family, friendship, and faith is perfect for readers of all ages. I really enjoyed reading this book.  I particularly enjoy reading books about small towns and family and friends and that is what this book is all about.  The two main characters are Rosalind, who for most of her first 14 years of life has been shuffled from foster home to foster home, and Grace, Rosalind's grandmother.  I found it in...

THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES: Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth, & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam by William J. Bennett & Seth Leibsohn Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2011 ISBN: 9781595550293 Reviewed from copy provided by BookSneeze . As Bennett and Leibsohn show, America is on the verge of declaring preemptive cultural surrender in the war on terror. "The Fight of Our Lives" will reinvigorate the discussion, reframe the debate, challenge the quitters, and embolden those who wish to win the war on terror. The authors begin with the terror attacks committed by Dr. Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009.  Using this event and the actions of President's Bush and Obama as background, Bennett & Leibsohn set out to prove that we, as Americans, have lost the will to fight terrorism. They state: "If September 11 were not a strong enough wake-up call to the terrorist threat against us, if all the other attacks and attempted attacks f...