Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is … Continue reading THE NICKEL BOYS, by Colson Whitehead, Bond Street Books, Doubleday Canada, Penguin Random House Canada
family dynamics
THE HEARTS WE SOLD, by Emily Lloyd Jones, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Book Group
Dee Moreno is out of options. Her home life sucks (to put it mildly), and she's about to get booted from her boarding school--the only place she's ever felt free--for lack of funds. But this is a world where demons exist, and the demons are there to make deals: one human body part in … Continue reading THE HEARTS WE SOLD, by Emily Lloyd Jones, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Book Group
Share this:
CRUSHED, by Kate Hamer, Faber & Faber
'Mesmerising, compulsive, deliciously dark - and so good on the complex and thorny bond between friends. Kate Hamer's writing is incandescent.' Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party Phoebe stands on Pulteney Bridge, tights gashed from toe to thigh. The shock of mangled metal and blood-stained walls flashes through her mind as she tries to … Continue reading CRUSHED, by Kate Hamer, Faber & Faber
Share this:
GOOD DOG, MCTAVISH, by Meg Rosoff, Illustrated by Grace Easton, Candlewick Press
The Peachey family is in crisis. No one cooks dinner, no one picks up the dirty washing and the kids are always late for school. All because Mum has resigned from being Mum and taken up yoga instead. She's in the tree pose; everyone else is in the doghouse. Except for McTavish, a rescue dog … Continue reading GOOD DOG, MCTAVISH, by Meg Rosoff, Illustrated by Grace Easton, Candlewick Press
Share this:
THE BRIDE OF IVY GREEN, by Julie Klassen, Bethany House, Graf-Martin
Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled. Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn … Continue reading THE BRIDE OF IVY GREEN, by Julie Klassen, Bethany House, Graf-Martin
Share this:
NEVER TO BE TOLD, by Becky Citra, Orca Book Publishers
"A faint sound brushed her ear, and she heard a voice whisper death. She glanced around, astonished. A gentle breeze had picked up, rippling the long grass in the meadows. She frowned. There was no one else there except Ira and Maddy, and the only sound was the rustling of the aspen leaves by the … Continue reading NEVER TO BE TOLD, by Becky Citra, Orca Book Publishers
Share this:
HOW HIGH THE MOON, by Karyn Parsons, Little, Brown Young Readers , Hachette Book Group Canada
To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South. "Timely, captivating, and lovely. So glad this book is in the world." --Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown … Continue reading HOW HIGH THE MOON, by Karyn Parsons, Little, Brown Young Readers , Hachette Book Group Canada
Share this:
COOP THE GREAT, by Larry Verstraete, Great Plains/Yellow Dog
Coop is an aging, cynical, down-and-out dachshund who faces the ultimate test when his new owner, Mike, and Mike’s grandchildren, Zach and Emma, run into trouble. Mike rescued him, but does Coop have what it takes to do the same? Drawing strength from the stories about great dogs that Mike shares with him, Coop charts … Continue reading COOP THE GREAT, by Larry Verstraete, Great Plains/Yellow Dog
Share this:
GRACE LIKE SCARLETT, by Adriel Booker, Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group
Though one in four pregnancies ends in loss, miscarriage is shrouded in such secrecy and stigma that the woman who experiences it often feels deeply isolated, unsure how to process her grief. Her body seems to have betrayed her. Her confidence in the goodness of God is rattled. Her loved ones don't know what to … Continue reading GRACE LIKE SCARLETT, by Adriel Booker, Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group
Share this:
EVERY SHINY THING, by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison, Amulet Books/Abrams RE-READ
In this beautifully constructed middle-grade novel, told half in prose and half in verse, Lauren prides herself on being a good sister, and Sierra is used to taking care of her mom. When Lauren’s parents send her brother to a therapeutic boarding school for teens on the autism spectrum and Sierra moves to a foster … Continue reading EVERY SHINY THING, by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison, Amulet Books/Abrams RE-READ
MY BOOK ABYSS 