The Best Kind of People

Posted on: January 18, 2019 at 3:04 pm, in

TheBest Kind of People by Zoe Whittall Avalon Hills, a privileged town in Connecticut, is the picture of respectability. Their renowned prep school is a place where young people go to learn, grow, and get accepted into Ivy League colleges. George Woodbury is a highly respected teacher at this school, winning teacher of the year every […]

The One and Only Ivan

Posted on: January 18, 2019 at 1:47 pm, in

The One and Only IvanBy Katherine Applegate Ivan is not your typical gorilla.  Although he is massive and strong like other silverbacks, he doesn’t have the opportunity to use his power to protect his family.  Ivan doesn’t live in the lush forests with other gorillas.  He lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall – […]

The Glass Sentence

Posted on: January 17, 2019 at 8:49 pm, in

The Glass SentenceBy S.E. Grove Sophia lives with her Uncle Shadrack, a famous cartologer, in the era after the Great Disruption.  Now, different time periods, from both past and future, have emerged in the present.  Now, different regions of the world belong to different Ages. Sophia’s parents have long ago gone missing and Shadrack is […]

Moon of the Crusted Snow

Posted on: December 20, 2018 at 2:59 pm, in

Moon of the Crusted Snow By Waubgeshig Rice Waubgeshig Rice’s novel Moon of the Crusted Snowopens in the crisp autumn chill of a northern Ontario reserve.  Evan Whitesky, a young husband and father, prepares his home for impending winter.  Even in these times of modern conveniences, Evan uses his knowledge of hunting to feed his […]

Paperboy

Posted on: December 14, 2018 at 4:23 pm, in

PaperboyBy Vince Vawter Victor is an 11-year-old boy with two traits that make him stand out: He’s got a fantastic pitching arm. He stutters. It’s 1959 in Memphis.  Kids and adults alike admire Victor’s ability on the baseball field.  But Victor keeps most people at arm’s length because of his disability.  It’s just so hard […]

The Best We Could Do

Posted on: December 12, 2018 at 11:46 am, in

The Best We Could Do Thi Bui Upon becoming a first time mother, Thi Bui reflects on the lives of her Vietnamese parents.  In an effort to understand her tense relationship with her parents, the author explores her family’s story and recreates it in this beautiful graphic memoire.  During the fall of South Vietnam in […]

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden

Posted on: November 22, 2018 at 7:11 pm, in

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden GardenBy Karina Yan Glaser Another run-of-the-mill summer has just started for Josie, Oliver, Hyacinth and Laney (a.k.a. the Vanderbeekers).  Their sister Isa is away at music camp, but otherwise things are pretty standard at their Harlem brownstone. But when their beloved upstairs neighbour, Mr. Jeet, has a stroke, and his […]

The Last

Posted on: November 22, 2018 at 1:34 pm, in

The Last  by Katherine ApplegateThe Last is book #1 in the Endling Series by Katherine Applegate.  It is the story of Byx, the baby of her pack, and a member of the nearly extinct dairne species. Dairnes are dog-like creatures that have magical abilities and are able to glide when they spread their arms and expand […]

Illegal

Posted on: November 19, 2018 at 7:12 pm, in

IllegalBy Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano Ebo and his siblings know they must leave their home in Ghana to make a better life in Europe.  Sisi, his sister, has already gone.  When Kwame, his brother, disappears, Ebo follows.  He is determined not to be left behind. When he meets up with […]

The Thirteenth Tale

Posted on: November 16, 2018 at 1:55 pm, in

The Thirteenth Tale By Diane Setterfield “There is something about words.  In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner.  Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts.  Inside you they work their magic.” (p. 8) […]