Geo Librarian

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...

CHASING THE MILKY WAY by Erin E. Moulton Philomel, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-399-16449-1 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 4-8 Source: Publisher for review ABOUT THE BOOK In a book that pairs science with mental illness, and heart with adventure, Erin E. Moulton delivers a moving story about family, friendship and the lengths we go for the people we love. Lucy Peevy has a dream--to get out of the trailer park she lives in and become a famous scientist. And she's already figured out how to do that: Build a robot that will win a cash prize at the BotBlock competition and save it for college. But when you've got a mama who doesn't always take her meds, it's not easy to achieve those goals. Especially when Lucy's mama takes her, her baby sister Izzy, and their neighbor Cam away in her convertible, bound for parts unknown. But Lucy, Izzy and Cam are good at sticking together, and even better at solving problems. But not all problems have the best solutions, and ...