Sepetys, Ruta. I Must Betray You. Fiction. Philomel, 02/2022. 319pp. $18.99. 978-1-9848-3603-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-12. Things are beyond hard in Romania in 1989. Stuck behind the Iron Curtain, 17-year-old Cristian Florescu and his family must [continue reading]
Review
Picturing a Nation Review
Sandler, Martin W. Picturing a Nation: The Great Depression’s Finest Photographers Introduce America to Itself. Non-fiction. Candlewick, 10/2021. 165pp. $24.99. 978-1-5362-1525-0. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-12. The Farm Security Administration started a project in 1935 where noted [continue reading]
Born on the Water Review
Hannah-Jones, Nikole and Renée Watson. Born on the Water. Nikkolas Smith, Illus. Picture Book. The 1619 Project Series. Kokila, 11/2021. [48]pp. $18.99. 978-0-593-30735-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES K-4. A young Black girl is assigned to create a [continue reading]
Squad Review
Tokuda-Hall, Maggie. Squad. Lisa Sterle, Illus. Graphic. Greenwillow/ Harper Collins, 10/2021. [213]pp. PLB $21.99. 978-0-06-294315-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 10-ADULT. Becca is the new girl at Piedmont High School and bonds instantly with popular Marley, who introduces [continue reading]
Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess Review
Gauld, Tom. Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess, The. Tom Gauld, Illus. Picture Book. N. Porter, 08/2021. [40]pp. $18.99. 978-0-8234-4698-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-3. In this beguiling fairy tale, a childless king with white skin [continue reading]
Genius Under the Table Review
Yelchin, Eugene. Genius Under the Table, The: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. Eugene Yelchin, Illus. Biography. Candlewick, 10/2021. 201pp. $16.99. 978-1-5362-1552-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-9. Yelchin’s memoir of growing up Jewish in 1960s Communist Leningrad, [continue reading]
Wishes Review
Van, Muon Thi. Wishes. Victo Ngai, Illus. Picture Book. Scholastic /Orchard, 05/2021. 40pp. $18.99. 978-1-338-30589-0. OUTSTANDING GRADES. PRE-3. With sparse text and haunting illustrations, the author and illustrator tell the story of a family secretly [continue reading]
A Snake Falls to Earth Review
Little Badger, Darcie. Snake Falls to Earth, A. Fiction. Levine Querido, 01/2021. 372pp. $18.99. 978-1-64614-092-3. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 6-12. In a story filled with distinct voices and well-delineated characters, Little Badger uses two main narrators to [continue reading]