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FISH IN A TREE by Lynda Mulally Hunt
Linda Mulally Hunt’s touching new novel is based on the words of one of her characters: “…if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.”...
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A HANDFUL OF STARS by Cynthia Lord
Lily lives with her grandparents in a small town, her mother having died in a car accident when she was very young. At the opening of the book Lily’s dog, Lucky, who is old and blind has taken off...
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DOLL BONES by Holly Black….2016-17 LOVELACE nominee Division II
Doll Bones was not the story I expected it to be, based on my impressions of the cover art, the author’s reputation, the title and the book description blurb. Unfortunately, once I started reading, it...
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NIGHT ANIMALS by Gianna Marino…2016-17 Star of the North nominee
Night Animals is the perfect marriage of text and illustration in a picture book. Possum is hiding. Skunk, alarmed, joins him. Together they hide from “night animals.” To their surprise, Wolf,...
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AVA AND PIP by Carol Weston…2016-17 LOVELACE nominee Division I
Ava is 10 years old and in the 5th Grade; her older sister, Pip, is in the 7th Grade. Ava and Pip is really Ava’s story. At one point Ava hypothesizes: The key might be to know, in your heart and...
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SIDEWALK FLOWERS by JonArno Lawson & Sydney Smith…2016-17 Star of the North...
I discovered JonArno Lawson’s work a couple years ago and was thrilled to see Sidewalk Flowers show up on the Star of the North nominee list this year! I expected a collection of his poetry; what I...
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WOLFIE THE BUNNY by Ame Dyckman…2016-17 Star of the North nominee
Wolfie the Bunny is a delightful tale about the power of love. When a bunny family finds a wolf cub left in a basket on their doorstep the bunny parents immediately adopt him and treat him as their...
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RED: A CRAYON’S STORY by Michael Hall…2016-17 Star of the North nominee
Red: A Crayon’s Story is a story about how we often judge and label others based on what we see on the ‘outside.’ Red is a crayon. He is wrapped in red paper with the word “RED” clearly printed on...
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IN A VILLAGE BY THE SEA by Muon Van…2016-17 Star of the North nominee
In a Village By the Sea was an unexpected treasure for me! Both the text and the illustrations are built around the basic “house that Jack built…” story structure: In a fishing village by the sea...
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GHETTO COWBOY by G. Neri…2016-17 LOVELACE nominee Division II
Ghetto Cowboy is one of the Lovelace nominees this year that has surprised me–in a great way! As Ghetto Cowboy opens 12-year-old Cole is being driven by his mother from their home in Detroit to...
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THE FIVE LIVES OF OUR CAT ZOOK by Joanne Rocklin…2016-17 LOVELACE nominee...
I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook. When we meet the main character, Oona, her father has died and she, her mother and her brother Freddy have brought their cat,...
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OLLIE’S ODYSSEY by William Joyce
Ollie’s Odyssey is a beautiful story in the tradition of The Velveteen Rabbit, told in William Joyce’s typical sweet, inspiring style. When Billy is born, the doctors are worried about his heart. As...
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THE SECRET LIFE OF LINCOLN JONES by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is the newest addition from one of my favorite authors: Wendelin Van Draanen. Lincoln is 11 years old. He and his mother have fled their home and his mother’s...
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UNDER THE EGG by Laura Mars Fitzgerald…2017-18 LOVELACE nominee
Theodora Tenpenny is the 13-year-old protagonist of Under the Egg. When we first meet Theo she is trying to keep her household together after the unexpected death of her grandfather, Jack. Her mother...
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THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON by Kelly Barnhill…2017 Newbery Medal
The Girl Who Drank the Moon had been on my To-Read List for almost a year when I heard early this spring that it had won the 2017 Newbery Medal. I was thrilled to see a local (MN) author again take...
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YOURS SINCERELY, GIRAFFE by Megumi Iwasa Illustrated by Jun Takabatake
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a brilliantly crafted short chapter book for young readers by Japanese author Megumi Iwasa. Her clear text combined with Jun Takabatake’s line drawings are reminiscent of...
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HIPPOS ARE HUGE by Jonathan London Illustrated by Matthew Trueman…MN Star of...
Hippos Are Huge is a fantastic nonfiction picture book about hippos. Matthew Trueman’s illustration are large and captivating on each page. They have the effect of making the hippos seem adorable in...
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CILLA LEE-JENKINS: Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan
Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is a lovely new addition to characters like Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby. Given Cilla’s Chinese-American heritage...
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THE NIGHT GARDENER by Terry Fan & Eric Fan
Each night a new masterpiece is created on Grimloch Lane. The Night Gardener transforms a tree each night into a fantastically sculpted creature–a topiary–and a true work of art. The story reveals...
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FALLOUT (LOIS LANE #1) by Gwenda Bond…a 2017-18 LOVELACE nominee
Fallout is a smart, sassy modern-day adaptation of DC Comics’ iconic character Lois Lane. In Fallout Lois is a teenager whose family has just moved to Metropolis. Her father is a decorated army...
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