Geo Librarian

  THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES written by Kate Messner Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-5476-1639-8 Source: ARC from author/publisher Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK One summer. 46 mountain peaks. A second chance to make things right. Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn's about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now. Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he's in big trouble for kicking down some dead old lady's headstone. But it turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer...climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks with her dead mother's dog, and they can call it even. In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn b...

  HUMMINGBIRD SEASON by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic Bloomsbury Children's Book, 2024 ISBN: 9781547612741 Source: eARC from Netgalley Ages 8-10 Genre: Middle grade realistic fiction (recent history--Covid) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A poignant and necessary story about finding hope during difficult times, set in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Archie's life--and the whole world--is turned upside down by Covid-19. Suddenly there are no more Friday night dinners out, no more going to school, no more hanging out with friends . . . no leaving the house at all. Even though he's inside with his family all day every day, Archie can't help but feel more alone than ever before. While everyone else seems to be adapting to their new normal just fine, it's like Archie is permanently on mute, unable to find the words to describe how he feels--and sometimes, unable to fin...

  SOMETHING LIKE HOME by Andrea Beatriz Arango Random House Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 9780593566190  Source: eBook purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A moving novel in verse in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. Titi Silvia leaves me by myself to unpack, but it’s not like I brought a bunch of stuff. How do you prepare for the unpreparable? How do you fit your whole life in one bag? And how am I supposed to trust social services when they won’t trust me back? Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: no matter what the grown-ups say, she will live with her parents again. Can you blame her? It’s tough to make friends as the new kid at school. And while staying at her aunt’s house is okay, it just isn’t the same as being in her own space. So when Laura finds a puppy, it seems like fate....

LAND OF BROKEN PROMISES by Jane Kuo Quill Tree Books, 2023 ISBN:   9780063119048 Ages 9-12 Source: eARC from Netgalley Middle grade historical fiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In this follow-up to In the Beautiful Country , Anna's family continues to adjust to their new home. Anna's found a friend and she enjoys school.  Her classmates all seem to have fun summer plans while she's expected to spend her summer working at her family's restaurant/store, which she is not looking forward to, although the money she will earn will be welcome. But the discovery that the visa allowing them to stay in the country has expired and they are now in the country illegally throws the whole family into upheaval. Her mother takes a job in another city hoping to earn money to hire a lawyer to help and Anna is left to wonder if dreaming about the future is even worth the effort. The free verse beautifully convey...

A WORK IN PROGRESS by Jarrett Lerner Aladdin, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-0515-2 Source: ARC from publisher/purchased copy 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 The unkind words of another kid during elementary school sends Will into a tailspin when he begins to believe them.  Being called 'fat' leads Will down a road of self-reproach bordering on self-hatred that culminates in the loss of friends, confidence, and into disordered eating. The heart-breaking book focuses on Will as he struggles with not only his weight but even more with the way he sees himself.  The free-verse conveys Will's thoughts so clearly and emotionally that I found myself in tears more than once. I wanted to leap into the book and give Will a hug while reassuring him that his weight has nothing to do with his value. Thankfully, Will meets someone who nudges him toward healthier thinkin...

IN THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY by Jane Kuo Quill Tree Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-06-311898-0 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade historical history/novel-in-verse All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Anna looks forward to moving to 'the beautiful country', the Chinese name for America. After getting haircuts, she and her ma pack everything they can into six suitcases, leaving behind her pile of books, she can get new ones in 'the beautiful country'. But the happily ever after she's expecting turns into a rather miserable reality very quickly. She faces bullying at her new school, the new apartment is tiny and uncomfortable, and her parents' struggle to get their new business, a restaurant, off the ground. A foam mat for a bed, a black-and-white TV, and racist vandalism add to her families challenges.  This novel-in-verse tells Anna's story as she struggles to adapt to a place and circumstanc...

  GOLDEN GIRL by Reem Faruqi Harper, 2022 ISBN: 9780063044753 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary/realistic (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW 7th grader Aafiyah Qamar loves to hang out with her best friend Zaina, play tennis, and read Weird but True facts. She struggles to rein in her desire to 'borrow' things with her 'itchy' fingers, even though most of the time she eventually returns what she borrowed.  She knows it isn't right but it's so hard to resist the temptation. Life seems great otherwise.  While returning from a visit with family in Pakistan, Aaliyah's father is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, leading to the family splitting.  Aaliyah, her mother, younger brother, and grandfather return to the states so her grandfather can receive treatment for cancer, while her grandmother remains in Dubai with her father to prove his innocence. A...

IVELIZ EXPLAINS IT ALL by Andrea Beatriz Arango , Alyssa Bermudez Random House, 2022 ISBN: 9780593563977 Source: purchased Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. Iveliz wants more than anything to put the past behind her. In power free verse, the author tells Iveliz's story in her own words.  Despite the tragedy that has defined her life for the last two years, Iveliz believes that things are looking up. The arrival of her Puerto Rican grandmother whose Alzheimer's requires she leave her home, complicates things more than Iveliz could have ever expected.  The reader quickly realizes that Iveliz's claims about everything being okay aren't really accurate. Her explosions of anger at school lead to multiple suspensions.  Her belief that nobody listens to her and her refusal to even consider confiding in either her mother or her therapist make it clear that Iveliz's struggles with her mental health. E...

I've had the privilege of reading a bunch of books in verse for an article I've been writing. As a result I'll be sharing a number of them over the next few weeks.  The two books I highlight here I absolutely loved.  Not only did I enjoy the beautiful verse and language, but the stories are touching and I fell in love with the characters. One story revolves around a young boy struggling with selective mutism and the other with a girl and her family who are looking for healing after fleeing years of abuse.  Both books deal with sensitive issues very well. THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT by Chris Baron Feiwel & Friends, 2021 ISBN:   9781250767820 Source: eBook purchased  Ages 8-12 Middle grade Historical fiction (with a touch of magical realism) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In 1989, in a small town just outside San Francisco, Etan struggles to find his voice.  After his mother leaves to rec...

UNSETTLED by Reem Faruqi, narrated by Ariana Delawari HarperCollins, 2021 ISBN:  9781665077606 (AUDIOBOOK) Source: school library -- Sora Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK For fans of Other Words for Home and Front Desk, this powerful, charming own voices immigration story follows a girl who moves from Karachi, Pakistan to Peachtree City, Georgia, and must find her footing in a new world. Reem Faruqi is the ALA Notable author of award-winning Lailah's Lunchbox. A lyrical coming of age story exploring family, immigration, and most of all belonging. Nurah is a compelling main character who I was rooting for all the way through. --Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah...

THE DOOR OF NO RETURN by Kwame Alexander Little, Brown and Company, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-316-44186-5 Source: purchased Ages 12 and up Historical fiction/novel in verse All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. Young Kofi lives and dreams on the banks of the river Offin. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. It is in the river that he feels invincible and where he thinks he can finally prove himself in a race against his schoolyard rival. But the river also holds dark secrets that Kofi will soon discover. Told never to venture there after nightfall but never told why, Kofi seeks his own answer...

ODDER by Katherine Applegate Fewer and Friends, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-250-14742-4 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Now a #1 New York Times bestseller! A touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, from Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of Wishtree. Meet Odder, the Queen of Play: Nobody has her moves. She doesn’t just swim to the bottom, she dive-bombs. She doesn’t just somersault, she triple-doughnuts. She doesn’t just ride the waves, she makes them. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and about the humans who hope to save her. In...

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE by Rajani LaRocca Quill Tree Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-304742-6 Source: my school library Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia. Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted—they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—but they are a universe apart. Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick. Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. S...

  THE ONE THING YOU'D SAVE by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng Clarion Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-328-51513-1 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class. Illustrated with black-and-white art. When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates’ responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another—and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialog and knowledge of tweens’ priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life thro...

MOO by Sharon Creech HarperCollins, 2016 ISBN: 9780062415271 Source: Overdrive ebook library Middle grade contemporary Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog and Hate That Cat will love her newest tween novel, Moo . This uplifting tale reminds us that if we’re open to new experiences, life is full of surprises. Following one family’s momentous move from the city to rural Maine, an unexpected bond develops between twelve-year-old Reena and one very ornery cow. When Reena, her little brother, Luke, and their parents first move to Maine, Reena doesn’t know what to expect. She’s ready for beaches, blueberries, and all the lobster she can eat. Instead, her parents “volunteer” Reena and Luke to work for an eccentric neighbor named Mrs. Falala, who has a pig named Paulie, a cat named China, a snake named Edna—and that stubborn cow, Zora. This heartwarming story, told in a blend...