Refugee : A Librarian’s Perpsective Review

How much did I love Refugee? The 2018 Newbery Medal will be awarded in about two weeks. I’d be shocked if Refugee by Alan Gratz isn’t at least a contender.

The Ruins of Gorlan : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Reading The Ruins of Gorlan has become a bit of a family affair for me this week. It started with our 10-year old son, who brought it home from the

Saving Red : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I’m once again on the prowl for holiday books for teens! Saving Red came out last year, but I’ve only just gotten around to reading it. What I loved most

Flawed : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I loved Flawed! I read it in one day, could not put it down for anything. Engaging right from the start, this dystopia about criminalizing unsavory morals and ethics was

Mr. 60% : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

What teens can learn from reading Mr. 60%: Cancer is horrible, messy, and painful. If you are poor and get sick, no one in the medical community wants to help

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Young Readers Edition : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Okay, so this is a book review of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Young Reader’s Edition, but there’s a lot of story behind why I read this book, and I very much

Genuine Fraud : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Genuine Fraud reminds me of a famous Seinfeld episode. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore watching Seinfeld reruns. If you are also a Seinfeld fan, you may remember

The Border : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Steve Schafer’s The Border made me thirsty; I had to keep an icy glass of water next to me while reading. The Border chronicles four teens ages 15-17 running for

Towers Falling : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Towers Falling has been on my TBR for quite awhile now, and my OverDrive hold came in right before Sept. 11. Perfect timing! I didn’t love or hate this one;

Ghost : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Holy-freakin-fantastic! Ghost is easily among 2016’s best, and I can’t think of a more perfect book for seventh graders who “can’t find any books they want to read.” I’m ordering

Windfall : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I didn’t love Windfall or hate it. The plot will be easy to booktalk, and I’m betting this will be a hit in my library. Though the characters are 18-year

The Cellar : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

A huge thank you to my niece for recommending The Cellar to me! After nearly abandoning it at about 20%, I stuck with it and am glad I did. The

Daughter of the Pirate King : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I have had my eye on Daughter of the Pirate King for months, and I was super-excited that my hold came in just before our cruise to Mexico. Yay! It

After the Game : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Okay, it’s going to sound like I didn’t like After the Game at all. I have a LOT of complaints, most of which are my usual complaints about Abbi Glines

Piecing Me Together : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Considering the tremendous success of The Hate U Give earlier this year (and still going strong), I think Piecing Me Together got a bit…overlooked. Released in February, just two weeks

Every Falling Star : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If you are in charge of purchasing for your school or library, Every Falling Star is a must. The vast majority of today’s students know little to nothing about North

Wesley James Ruined My Life : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Wesley James Ruined My Life is a cute, fun romance with a slightly annoying protagonist. Quinn is flawed and can be mean, but I rooted for her anyway. I’ve not

Never Never : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Peter Pan has been everywhere for me lately. I’ve read Tiger Lily. I’ve seen the play. I’ve watched the first three seasons of Once Upon a Time. My son was

Now I Rise : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I decided a couple of years ago that I can no longer claim to dislike historical fiction novels. Pretty much every historical fiction novel I’ve read in the past few

Coming Up for Air : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Well, I am tired once again. I stayed up way too late reading Coming Up for Air, and I’m suffering the consequences today. More coffee, please! If you’ve followed my

The One Hundred Nights of Hero : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

The One Hundred Nights of Hero is a beautiful, unique, oversized graphic novel for mature readers. It’s a must for high school and public libraries! AUTHOR: Isabel Greenberg SERIES: none

If I Were You : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If I Were You is such cute “Friday the 13th”-esque for tweens! I just bought the book from our school book fair, and I know it will be easy to

When Dimple Met Rishi : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

When Dimple Met Rishi is a must in every high school library! I love the characters and the portrayal of the ups and downs of first love. AUTHOR: Sandhya Menon

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

How Dare the Sun Rise is the story is the story of ten-year old Sandra. Sandra had a great start to life in a beautiful country and born to a

Will & Whit : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I am kind of surprised at the relatively low (3.71) Goodreads rating on this title. Many reviewers said that not enough happens in the book, and I will agree that

Red Butterfly : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Are you looking to add more multicultural books to your elementary or middle school library? Red Butterfly by AL Sonnichsen has it all! It’s set in both China and the

Bull : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Bull is not your typical mythology novel for teens. It’s nothing like the Percy Jackson series, and I don’t recommend it for most middle school readers. Some readers will find

The Boy on the Wooden Box : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

The Boy on the Wooden Box is, to my knowledge, one of only two memoirs written by a Schindler’s List survivor. The other is I Will Plant You a Lilac

The Hate U Give : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

How important is The Hate U Give right now? When a substantial portion of our population repeatedly and emphatically says there is something broken within our system, I think our

The Pants Project : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I didn’t love The Pants Project, nor did I hate it. Liv was born a girl but is a boy inside. Unfortunately, Liv’s new school requires girls to wear a

Outcasts United : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Whoa, I didn’t really expect to like Outcasts United as much as I did! This is a great and TRUE story of refugees from all over the world who find

Wait for Me : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If you are looking for a sweet historical romance set in Scotland during World War II, look no farther than Wait for Me by Caroline Leech. I loved this book for

Caraval : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Caraval is a weird, twisty, wicked-fun must-read. Watch for Caraval by Stephanie Garber on award lists–it’s a page-turning, action-packed adventure for upper middle school and high school readers! AUTHOR: Stephanie

Tell Me Three Things : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Do you have a student who has recently lost a parent? Tell Me Three Things is a must-read for any student struggling with grief. The writing is authentic, and students

Poison’s Kiss : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

How gorgeous is the front cover of Poison’s Kiss? It’s so pretty that it’s the reason I chose this book over others on NetGalley. Then, I saw that this is

We Are Still Tornadoes : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

We Are Still Tornadoes is well-written and about as true-to-life as any YA book I’ve read. It will work best for readers who love realistic, relationship-driven stories. Readers who love

A Long Walk to Water : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Though I know A Long Walk to Water is a popular novel among middle school teachers, it was a student’s recommendation that got me to read it. I loved the

One : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Though I found One by Sarah Crossan a tad predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this unique story of 16-year old conjoined twin sisters. When I booktalked this with my students, they

Blood for Blood : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I have been anxiously anticipating Blood for Blood. Its predecessor, Wolf By Wolf was one of my favorite books last year! This one did not disappoint, but it did lose

Salt to the Sea : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Oh, beautiful, heartbreaking book! Salt to the Sea is a must-read. Easily one of my 2016 favorites. The chapters alternate among four characters and are short – I think this

Crow Mountain : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If you put Louis Sachar’s Holes, the movie Far and Away, and the movie Dances With Wolves into a blender and poured it into a YA novel, you would get

Genesis Girl : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If Genesis Girl were a movie, it would be Armageddon, that Bruce Willis action movie from the late-1990s. Armageddon is one of those “summer blockbusters” that are high on intensity

Lily and Dunkin : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I LOVED Lily and Dunkin! I always say that the world would be a better place if everyone read Palacio’s Wonder. Now, I can say that about a second book:

Under the Lights : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I really do love author Abbi Glines, but Under the Lights, book two of The Field Party series, just wasn’t as good as the first one. Pacing is slow. One

The Caged Graves : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

The Caged Graves has been on my TBR for awhile now. I absolutely LOVED the premise! Author Dianne Salerni wrote this book when she saw the real Caged Graves in

Enter Title Here : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Enter Title Here is one odd book. Well-written with interesting characters, Enter Title Here was interesting enough that I read it in one sitting. A couple of parts made me

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Pitched as The Devil Wears Prada for teens, Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies is just that. You have a smart-but-homely girl who travels from her small California town to

Review: Zac & Mia (Betts)

I’ve wanted to read Zac & Mia for quite awhile now! The author, A.J. Betts, came to our school last March and went down like a storm. She was interesting,

The Bridge : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I’m sad to say that The Bridge by Rachel Lou was just okay for me. I liked that it’s about a gay male witch, something you just don’t see too

Defending Taylor : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Having read all the previous six books in Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks series, I was excited to be able to read an advance copy of Defending Taylor. I’m feeling a

And I Darken : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

It’s official. I can no longer claim I don’t like historical fiction. I don’t read it very often, but it seems whenever I do, I absolutely love it. I have

An Ember in the Ashes : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I am one of like 5 people in the world that did NOT like An Ember in the Ashes. Underdeveloped characters, poor world-building, and extreme violence turned me off so

Roller Girl : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Roller Girl is a cute graphic novel that is a must for any library serving tweens. It’s beautiful, clean, and has many positive messages. Images are colorful, and faces are

Sun and Moon and Ice and Snow : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I liked Sun and Moon and Ice and Snow okay, but I’m not jumping out of my chair over it. Middle school students who like fairytale retellings will appreciate that

Awkward : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

How cute is Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova? It encompasses realistic worries for a middle school girl such as being the new kid, fitting in, finding your social group, making friends,

Cherry Crush : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I don’t think I would have picked up Cherry Crush on my own, so I am very happy that one of my students recommended it to me! It’s a cute,

Finding Audrey : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read Finding Audrey because it was nominated for the Panda Booklist (it didn’t make it, sadly) and because it was written by Sophie Kinsella. I have read several Sophie

The Magic Finger, The BFG, and 5 reasons you should read Roald Dahl

How is it that I am 41, and I have NEVER read a Roald Dahl book? That is a real shame. I have my nine-year old son to thank for

How to Fake a Moon Landing : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

How to Fake a Moon Landing is an engaging nonfiction graphic novel, but unfortunately, I didn’t love it. The graphic novel format is always a hit, and there is lots

A Stolen Kiss : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

A Stolen Kiss has everything you would expect from a Disney princess adventure. There’s romance, darkness, secrets, fantasy creatures, castles, evil, princesses, and lots of magic. It’s not the greatest

Finding Hope : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Finding Hope by Colleen Nelson will be popular with mature readers who loved Beatrice Sparks’s Go Ask Alice and Ellen Hopkins’s Crank series. Hope and Eric’s alternating chapters are believable

Fear My Mortality : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Fear My Mortality has so many problems that I feel I cannot possibly list them all in a short review. To keep things fair, I will start with some positives…

The Crossover : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read The Crossover in preparation for our recent Battle of the Books competition, where author Kwame Alexander was to be our special guest. I checked out this book from

Page By Paige : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Page By Paige is an adorable realistic fiction graphic novel. The artwork is beautiful, and there is a light romance. AUTHOR: Laura Lee Gulledge SERIES: none PUBLISHER: Amulet PUBLICATION DATE:

The Metamorphosis Graphic Novel : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

There’s an episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza decides that he will always “go out on a high note.” That is, whenever he does or says something completely brilliant or

Bad Island : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Oh, the talent! Bad Island is 2016 Graphic Novel Challenge, book #9. A student recommended this book to me, and I was very happy to read another book by the

The Great Hunt : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins was a bit of a roller coaster, and I say that in a good way. After an unforgettable opening scene, the action slows considerably

Pokemon Adventures : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read Pokemon Adventures, book 1 at my 11-year old son’s urging. He loves Pokemon and like many his age, is pretty obsessed with it. I’m just happy he’s reading

Did I Mention I Need You? : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Thankfully, Did I Mention I Need You wasn’t a total wash like the first book in the DIMILY series. I’ve been trying very hard to figure out what it is

Beyond the Red : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Beyond the Red begins with so much potential. I loved the otherworldly setting, and half-blood Eros reminded me a little of Nathan in Half Bad. The action began quickly with

The Stonekeeper : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

When I told my students I was reading The Stonekeeper, which is the first book in the Amulet series, they were so excited. In each class, I asked which students

Cardboard : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I’ve only read six books in my 2016 Graphic Novel Challenge, but I think Cardboard by Doug TenNapel is my favorite so far. So creative! AUTHOR: Doug TenNapel SERIES: none

Squish Super Amoeba : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

The illustrator of Squish Super Amoeba, Matthew Holm, recently came to visit our school in Suzhou, China. He did eight sessions over two days for Grades PreS-12. I’m the secondary

Starflight : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Starflight is Overboard meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Guardians of the Galaxy. This action-packed space opera seriously has everything! AUTHOR: Melissa Landers SERIES: Starflight, book 1 PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion PUBLICATION

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children : The Graphic Novel : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children as part of my 2016 graphic novel challenge. This is the graphic novel version of a YA novel of the same name.

Review: This One Summer (Tamaki, Tamaki)

This One Summer is one of those books that I recommend and checkout freely without any qualms at all…until I read it. After reading it, I think I am going

Sunny Side Up : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Sunny Side Up has caused a minor stir among the Shanghai Librarians lately. It’s an adorably gorgeous book, but some of the elementary librarians are saying it’s too mature for

American Born Chinese : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read American Born Chinese while living in Suzhou, China. I love Chinese culture and mythology, so this one was a fun read for me. My son read it in

Zero Day : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I read Zero Day in one sitting–so amazing! I requested this book for review when I read the blurb on NetGalley, but I was absolutely hooked from the very first

The Impostor Queen : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

No, you may not understand the summary of The Impostor Queen. That’s okay; I didn’t either. I did not read this book because of the summary; I read it because

This Raging Light : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

This Raging Light needs a little more raging and a lot more memorable characters. It’s a fun distraction from real life, but I won’t remember This Raging Light by the

Easy-Peasy Chinese: A Librarian’s Perspective Review

If you are new to my blog, then you may not know that I currently live and work in Suzhou, China. China is a big, bustling place, and I have

The Golden Braid : A Librarian’s Perspective Reviews

Melanie Dickerson’s The Golden Braid is a retelling of “Rapunzel.” I have always loved Rapunzel stories, and this one had me asking myself a serious question: Is “Rapunzel” my favorite

Hotel Ruby : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

My students have been anxiously awaiting Hotel Ruby‘s arrival in my library since I read and told them about it six months ago. Think Stephen King’s The Shining meets The

These Shallow Graves : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Since I finished These Shallow Graves, I can help but think that somewhere in the world, pigs must be flying. Maybe there’s a snowball fight happening right now in hell.

Illuminae : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

“So attractive one day, not attractive the next. Yes, I am familiar with this syndrome. She’s a Two-Face.” –George Costanza, Seinfeld Illuminae is the second book I’ve compared to this

Wolf By Wolf : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin answers the what-ifs of a post-WWII world. What if the Nazis won WWII? What if in 1956, Hitler were still fuhrer and now in

Sing Down the Stars : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I’m starting my review of Sing Down the Stars with the disclaimer that steampunk isn’t really my cup of tea. It is a unique genre that has its following, but

Everything Everything : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Remember that old John Travolta movie about the boy who lived in the bubble? Or maybe the Seinfeld episode where George plays Trivial Pursuit with the Bubble Boy, and the

Did I Mention I Love You? : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

It appears that I am about 25 years too old for Did I Mention I Love You. I can see why teen girls would enjoy swooning over it, but I

Walk On Earth A Stranger : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Walk on Earth a Stranger is a refreshingly unique new title from the author of Girl of Fire and Thorns, and it’s a Western! This book is one of my

Ash & Bramble : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Here’s my issue with Ash & Bramble: Don’t you hate it when you are sure a book is just about to get good–it just has to!–if only you read a

Dumplin : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Julie Murphy’s Dumplin is a cute contemporary romance set in my home state of Texas, so right away, I identify with the setting. I love me some Texas, and I’ve

Until Friday Night : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Until Friday Night is the first in Abbi Glines’ new contemporary romance series for young adults! I am a huge fan of Abbi Glines’ New Adult books. I’ve read and

Vengeance Road : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Tired of YA dystopia and bad boy romances? Give Vengeance Road a try! I’ve never thought of myself as a fan of Westerns, either in TV, books, or movies, but

Reawakened : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

High expectations, how I loathe thee. After loving Houck’s Tiger’s Curse (Book 1 in the Tiger’s Curse Series) series and hooking scores of middle school girls on the Ren-Kelsey-Kishan love

The Burning : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I think reluctant high school readers may enjoy The Burning. It’s short, and the vocabulary – aside from profuse and unnecessary profanity – is mostly pretty simple. The Burning was

Half Bad : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

We have five copies of Half Bad in our library due to the book being on the Panda Booklist in 2014. But that’s not why I read it. Y’all, Half

The Prisoners of Breendonk : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

I had to read The Prisoners of Breendonk in small chunks because it is so sad and horrible what happened to the prisoners at Breendonk. I toggled my reading with

Chasing McCree : A Librarian’s Perspective Review

Chasing McCree is a sweet romance that would be a great alternative to Colleen Hoover in high school libraries. Aside from some profanity, it’s relatively clean, and that Montana setting