Austin, Susan J. Drawing Outside the Lines: A Julia Morgan Novel. Spark, 10/2022. 204 [+14]pp. Fiction. GRADES 4-10. $12.95. 978-1-68463-159-9. OUTSTANDING. Imagining the life of ground-breaking architect Julia Morgan from her childhood in Oakland through [continue reading]
Jenny Andrus
Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality Review
Chokshi, Roshani. Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality. A Pandava Series Novel; bk. 5. Disney/Hyperion, 04/2022. 373pp. Fiction. Grades 6-8. $16.99. 978-1-368-05544-4. Additional. Aru Shah and her Pandava friends embark on a final quest to save the [continue reading]
Farmhouse Review
Blackall, Sophie. Farmhouse. Sophie Blackall, Illus. Little, Brown, 09/2022. 48pp. Picture Book. Grades Preschool-3. $18.99. 978-0-316-52894-8. OUTSTANDING. A farmhouse in New York, home to a lively family with twelve children, falls into disrepair after the youngest child grows old [continue reading]
Inheritance: A Visual Poem Review
Acevedo, Elizabeth. Inheritance: A Visual Poem. Andrea Pippins, Illus. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 05/2022. 48pp. Poetry. Grades 5-Adult. $16.99. 978-0-06-293194-8. OUTSTANDING.. Acevedo’s word magic and rhythm combined with Pippins’ saturated and dynamic artwork explore the complex theme [continue reading]
Black Bird, Blue Road Review
Pasternack, Sofiya. Black Bird, Blue Road. Harper Collins/Versify, 09/2022. 320pp. Fiction. GRADES 5 – 8. $16.99. 978-0-358-57203-9. OUTSTANDING. In the ancient kingdom of Khazaria, twelve-year-old Ziva cares for her beloved twin brother Pesah, who is [continue reading]
Rover’s Story Review
Warga, Jasmine. Rover’s Story, A. Harper Collins, 10/2022. 320pp. Fiction. GRADES 4 – 7. $17.99. 978-0-06-311392-3. OUTSTANDING. Born for observation, and programmed to learn to solve simple problems, a Mars rover named Resilience moves beyond its expected limits: forging friendships with [continue reading]
To Make Review
Davis, Danielle. To Make. Mags DeRoma, Illus. Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen, 05/2022. [48]pp. Picture Book. Grades Pre-3. $18.99. 978-0-06-308406-3. High Additional. A sweet, simplistic picture book about the creative process and the importance of patience. “Gather, make, wait” is [continue reading]
Woman Who Split the Atom Review
Moss, Marissa. Woman Who Split the Atom, The: The Life of Lise Meitner. Harry N. Abrams, 04/2022. 264pp. Biography. Grades 6-10. $19.99. 978-1-4197-5853-9. Outstanding. Moss crafts an engrossing biography of Lise Meitner, a Jewish Austrian nuclear physicist, exploring the [continue reading]