Butler, Caron and Justin A. Reynolds. Shot Clock. Fiction. HarperCollins/K. Tegen, 09/2022. 304pp. $16.99. 978-0-06-306959-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-9. Tone is a thirteen-year-old African American growing up in the Milwaukee projects, where family, friends, and basketball are [continue reading]
Melissa McAvoy
The Curse on Spectacle Key Review
Acevedo, Chantal. Curse on Spectacle Key, The. Fiction. Balzer & Bray, 09/2022. 256pp. $16.99. 978-0-06-313481-2. ADDITIONAL. GRADES 4-6. Fifth grader Frank Fernandez longs to stay in one place and find a best friend. When his [continue reading]
Frances and the Monster Review
Tuma, Refe. Frances and the Monster Fiction. HarperCollins, 08/2022. 352pp. $17.99. 978-0-06-308576-3. ADDITIONAL. GRADES 5-7. It’s 1939 Switzerland and eleven-year-old Frances never gets to go anywhere and rarely sees anyone. Since the car accident that [continue reading]
Good Eating Review
Lilley, Matt. Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill. Dan Tavis, Illus. Non-fiction. Tilbury, 01/2022. [36]pp. $18.95. 978-0-8844-8867-5. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 1-3. The opening line: “Hey egg. What are you doing?” grabs readers and takes them on [continue reading]
Being Clem Review
Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Being Clem. Fiction. Finding Langston Series; bk. 3. Holiday, 08/2021. 256pp. $17.99. 978-0-8234-4604-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-7. African American Clem used to be the boy who made his family laugh. But after his father’s death [continue reading]
Day for Sandcastles, A Review
Lawson, JonArno. Day for Sandcastles. A. Qin Leng, Illus. Picture Book. Candlewick, 05/2022. [44]pp. $17.99. 978-1-5362-0842-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-3. On a summer day, a white family takes the bus to the sea where the three [continue reading]
Out of Range Review
Lang, Heidi. Out of Range. Fiction. McElderry, 06/2022. 320pp. $17.99. 978-1-6659-0334-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-8. Nothing has been the same among three sisters Ollie, Emma, and Abbey, since the move from Northern California to Salt Lake City, [continue reading]
Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone Review
Keller, Tae. Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone. Fiction. Random, 04/2022. 288pp. $17.99. 978-0-593-31052-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-7. Jennifer Chan is new to the town Mallory calls Nowhereville, and rumors are already flying. Mal is the first to [continue reading]