Grades 3 – 5
Grades 3 – 5
This book takes place in the 1960s, when Black Americans faced segregation and civil injustice. Nine-year-old Melody is excited to sing her first solo at her church’s Youth Day, and has to choose the songs she sings wisely. She elicits advice from her older brother and sister, and is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. Then, when tragedy strikes, Melody is stunned into silence. Can she find her voice again and speak out for civil rights?
Thanks to SLJ for a review copy of this book.
Grades 4 – 6
This novel in verse follows twelve-year-old Natsu and her family who live in Manchuria, near the Soviet Union during World War II. Then Natsu’s father joins the Japanese Army, and she and her younger sister Asa are left to fend for themselves. Desperate to save Asa’s life, Natsu sells Asa to a Russian family after the Soviet occupation, with the ultimate goal of getting her back and making her family whole again.
Thanks to SLJ for a review copy of this book.
Ages 18+
The back and forth of the two authors’ analysis of the assortment of games discussed in this book was delightful to read. Each had insight to offer – a lot with a bit of humor – as he or she explained how each game is played and what we as a society can learn from it. What a great book!
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Ages 18+
When Vivian Forest’s daughter Maddie invites her on her business trip to England as a stylist for a royal family member, she’s hesitant but reluctantly agrees. There, Vivian meets Malcom Hudson, a charming man who has been working for the Queen for years. They are taken with each other, and flirtation turns into a holiday fling. This charming British-American romance won’t disappoint Guillory fans!
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Grades 9- 12
This is a fabulous coming of age story and very relevant to today’s society. A 16-year-old girl named Allie’s father is Arabic and Muslim by culture but doesn’t practice Islam. Her mother was Catholic but converted to Islam upon marrying her father. Allie wasn’t raised with religion, but when she meets some other Muslim girls at school, she becomes curious about her culture and Islam, and takes it upon herself to buy a Q’ran and see what it’s all about. A boy she’s been seeing, Wells, has a father who is famous for being bigoted against lots of people, including Muslims. Can Allie stand up for what she believes in or have to suffer in silence?
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Grades 2 – 5
This adorable graphic novel about two alligator friends who are detectives features Mango and Brash and not one but two cases to solve. Mango and Brash are going undercover, and won’t stop until they’ve cracked the case of the Chef Gustavo of bakery Batter Down, who has gone missing. They must also protect his secret recipes. Meanwhile, there was an explosion at the Science Factory that the InvestiGators have to figure out as well. Kids will love this team of alligator detectives and eat this book up!
Thanks to SLJ for a review copy of this book.
Grades 9 – 12
Aidan spends the night in a New York City hotel room, and then wakes up next to his dead date the next morning. He keeps getting messages on his phone from someone who calls him Mr. Preston, and he soon realizes that whoever is behind those messages believes he really is Mr. Preston and he’s gotten caught up in a case of mistaken identity mixed with being at the wrong place at the wrong time. If Aidan wants to make it out alive, he is told he must return an object everyone wants. Can he do it before it’s too late?
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Ages 18+
The Book Charmer is the first in a new series by Karen Hawkins about a girl named Sarah Dove who has special powers to hear the books that speak to her. She grows up to be the librarian in her small town of Dove Pond, where she meets a city transplant named Grace Wheeler, who wants nothing to do with the small town she’s found herself in. However, Grace could be just what Dove Pond needs to save the town. This book has beauty and magic that bibliophiles are sure to love!
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Ages 18+
Libby Jones became an orphan at 6 months old. Now, at 25, she learns she has just inherited a house through a trust. She is now on a mission to uncover the story of her birth parents. In London, childhood friends Lucy and Clemency are headed to the very same house to discover secrets of their own. Jewell’s latest novel will keep readers on their toes until the very end!
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Michelle’s Bookish Life 