Barone, Rebecca E. F. Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazi’s Secret Code. Non-fiction. H. Holt, 10/2022. 272pp. $19.99. 978-1-250- 81420-3. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES 6-12. Spies, codebreakers, and the heroic struggle to defeat the Nazis, [continue reading]
Melissa McAvoy
Children of the Quicksands Review
Traoré, Efua. Children of the Quicksands. Fiction. Chicken House, 07/2022. 286 [+14]pp. $18.99. 978-1-338-78192-2. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES 5-7. Thirteen-year-old Simi’s mom must travel to London from Lagos, Nigeria, for her new job, so Simi gets [continue reading]
Sharks Review
Forster, Miriam. Sharks: A Mighty Bite-y History. Gordy Wright, Illus. Non-fiction. Abrams, 05/2022. [84]pp. $24.99. 978-1-4197-4773-1. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 2-6. Sharks are some of the oldest animals on Earth and have survived extinction, predators, and changing [continue reading]
Little Monarchs Review
Case, Jonathan. Little Monarchs. Jonathan Case, Illus. Graphic Novel. Holiday House/ Ferguson, 04/2022. 256pp. $22.99. 978-0-8234-4260-7. PB $14.99. 978-0-8234-5139-5. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 4-7. It’s Summer 2110, and ten-year-old Evie, who is biracial, is keeping an illustrated naturalist’s [continue reading]
Shot Clock Review
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]
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]