The Book Search

One of the things I've been thinking about a lot lately is the characters in the books I'm choosing for my school library.  I'm still surprised by how few books there are where the main character is a person of color.  This is certainly changing, but one place it seems like it's going slower than in other characters is in the fantasy realm.  There still are very few options for multicultural heroes in fantasy books, so I was really happy to read these two books, which both have non-white main characters. The first one is called "Jinxed" by Amy McCullough.  It's about Lacey Chu, who lives in a time where everyone has a baku instead of a phone.  A baku is a companion robot that looks and behaves like an animal but it also has communication and computer capabilities.  So instead of making a call or a text or an internet search, you ask your baku.  The baku have different levels, the entry level ones are inexpensive and has fewer features.  The high...

I got to venture down the non-fiction path this week!  Here are two great new titles. The first one is a biography.  It's called "The Escape of Robert Smalls" by Jehan Jones Radgowski.  It's about Robert Smalls, a slave in South Carolina during Civil War times.  He is a good worker and at 12, he's sent by his owner to find work in Charleston.  He finds work as crew member on a ship and learns all the skills he needs to be an excellent seaman, including navigation.  When the Civil War starts, he continues to work on the ship and then comes up with a daring plan to run to freedom.  His plan is to try to pass as the captain of the ship, and basically sail the Confederate ship into Union waters.  This is a really exciting book to read, with the tension building as the story moves on.  The art work is modern enough to look appealing to students and the color palette adds to the suspense and drama.  It's also a really compelling story about ...

I've been home sick this week. It feels like forever, but it turns out, it's been a week.  The good news is, I have had some excellent books to keep me company.  This new one, The Story Web, is my new favorite book.  It is a completely amazing combination of realistic and fantasy fiction.  It's by Megan Frazer Blakemore.  I thought I recognized her name when I requested her brand new book, but as I read over the list of titles, I realized I'd never read one of her works before.  I'm so happy I fixed that today (yeah, I read the whole book TODAY because I totally couldn't put it down) and now I have an opportunity to read the rest of them. (Except it turns out, I have read one of her books before.  Not only read it, but blogged about it here .  I blame the cold I've been working on for a WEEK now).   But wait till you hear about this one.  "The Story Web" is set in a small town in Maine.  Alice and Lewis have been friends since they ...

I've been plowing through some of these books I've had stacked up from Netgalley.  I love looking at the list and seeing all that potential!  Although, I admit to being wracked with guilt for not getting to some of them before they are archived.  Part of the process apparently!  Anyway, I DID make it in time for two of my new favorite books. The first one is called "Solving for M" by Jennifer Swender.  This is her first middle grade book and I was so happy to see on her website, that she's working on a second one, because this was the best one I'd read in quite awhile!  It's about Mika (pronounced Mee-ka).  She is about to embark on a new adventure - middle school!  In her district, middle school starts at 5th grade and to make things seem less gigantic, they split the fifth graders into 4 pods and the kids in each pod have most of their classes together.  Unfortunately, Mika's best friend, Ella, is in a different pod, so Mika is left adrif...

I just finished two more Sunshine State Young Reader award nominees and they were terrific!  I can't wait to get them into my library! The first one is called "Wedgie and Gizmo" by Suzanne Selfors.  Selfors is no stranger to the SSYRA list-her book "The Sasquatch Escape" and "Fortune's Magic Farm" made the lists in years past.  I know why this one made the list too!  This book is told from two perspectives - Wedgie, an exuberant corgi who believes he is a super hero (with a cape!) and Gizmo, a grumpy guinea pig who believes he is an evil genius and is looking for a plausible plot to take over the world.  They are living together in a newly blended family-Gizmo's owner/servant, Elliot, has moved with his dad in with Jasmine, Jackson, their mom, and her mom (Abuela).  Elliot is the least happy about the move and in the move, Gizmo's cage was damaged so for the moment, he's living in Jasmine's Barbie dream house, which he doesn't...