Monday, March 18, 2024

Planting Hope by Philip Hoelzel and Renato Alcarao - ADVISABLE

Planting Hope: a portrait of photographer Sebastian Salgado by Philip Hoelzel, illustrated by Renato Alcarao
. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Atheneum (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781534477650 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Sebastiao Salgado grew up on a huge farm in Brazil, but left to be educated and then traveled the world with his wife to study. Once he discovered the camera, his life was taken with photography, and using photos to show the world the ills caused by war and by inequity. When returned to his family farm, he discovered a land ravaged by indiscriminate clear cutting. He and his wife had a new project to embrace - restoring the forest ecosystem and spreading that restoration as far as possible. 

Hoezel gives a good example of what a picture book biography can look like. For Middle schools and High schools I would recommend this if a teacher has a biography unit. The text is dense - not suitable for a read-aloud with younger students. While Salgado is from Brazil, he is portrayed as a white blond in the book - he probably comes from the white upper social class. 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Bird is Dead by Tiny Fisscher, illustrated by Herma Starreveld - HIGH

Bird is Dead
by Tiny Fisscher, illustrated by Herma Starreveld
. PICTURE BOOK Greystone Kids, 2024. $19. 9781778401176 

Content: PG (Did you read the title? Shows a dead bird and its burial) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

When the other birds find Bird, who is dead, they gather to grieve and to decide what they need to do. 

I personally LOVE what Fisher and Starreveld have done. From the gorgeous collage birds to the succinct, matter-of-fact text, the creators have composed a work that fascinates and helps turn death from a macabre mystery to a part of life that deserves time and care. Pair with The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown  and The Funeral by Matt James both also about birds dying. Elementary librarians - if you have either of the other books on your shelf, add this one - it is a delight (in a totally respectful way). Middle school and High schools - buy this either for the content or for the beautiful collages - some of my students saw me showing the book to their teacher and they want to read it immediately. 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Wren Martin Ruins it All by Amanda DeWitt - OPTIONAL

Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt,  400 pages. PeachTree Teen, 2023.  $19.


Language:   R  (100+ swears, 18 “f”); Mature Content: PG ; Violence: G


BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL


AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE


17 yo senior asexual Wren Martin wants to make his mark on his small, beachside town of Rapture, Florida. For his first act as the student council president, he wants to abolish the Valentine’s Day Dance, an expensive rite of passage that Wren would rather use that money elsewhere in the school. ​​His vice president, annoyingly perfect Leo Reyes, suggests partnering with a viral social media app to pay for the school dance and thus, pay for Wren’s fix-it list for the school. So now, Wren is juggling planning the year's biggest party, fixing the school, flirting with an anonymous match, and managing inconveniently changing feelings for one student council VP. Nothing will go wrong, right?


I thoroughly enjoyed this YA rom-com, appreciating its snarky narrator and a predictable, yet engaging anonymous flirtation, reminiscent of "You’ve Got Mail" for the TikTok generation. However, the unrealistic portrayal of the main character and the high school setting took me out of the story a little. Additionally, the book missed an opportunity to fully explore and explain the asexuality end of the LGBTQIA spectrum, despite the main character's identification with it. Regardless, these are things that an average high school reader isn't going to notice or care about. The biggest red flag is the amount of language in the book, making it optional for school libraries.


Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes


Friday, March 15, 2024

Animal Eyes by Francoise Vulpe - ADVISABLE

Animal Eyes: How Creatures See and How Their Eyes Have Adapted to Their World
by Francoise Vulpe.
PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Firefly Books, 2023. $15. 9780228104131 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Some animal eyes work like the human eye or camera eye, while other animals have interesting adaptations. Some creatures can see in ultraviolet wavelengths, or in near total darkness. Some creatures can rotate their eyes independently. Animal Eyes guides us through the wide range of eyes found in the animal kingdom and how their eyes help them survive in their habitats. 

Animal Eyes was full of intriguing photos of creatures, their eyes, and fun facts. It was very interesting to read. Younger children could enjoy the photos while older kids would like the extensive information. 

PGPowers

Thursday, March 14, 2024

In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher - OPTIONAL


In the Orbit of You
by Ashley Schumacher
, 313 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $21.

Language: R (54 swears, 10 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When they were young, Sam had to move away from Nova, but he promise, promised to find her again when they were older. Years later, it’s Nova (17yo) who finds Sam when her mom’s job temporarily moves them to town. Neither of them are the kids they used to be, but neither knows who they are now either—or who they might be together.

Schumacher’s characters struggle with identity, belonging, and feeling like someone gets them, on both ends of the spectrum making them relatable to a wide range of readers. Sometimes it feels like the happily ever after choices are not always the best choices—a hard lesson for parties both on and off page. And still Schumacher brings everything together in a satisfying conclusion.

Nova and Sam are depicted as White on the cover. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and alcohol, kissing, innuendo, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for mentions of child abuse.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler - HIGH

What We Saw
by Aaron Hartzler
, 336 pages. HarperTeen, 2015. $11 

Language: R (79 swears 5 'f'); Mature Content: R (sexual assault) Violence: R (rape) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

17yo Kate and Ben have been friends since elementary school and now she wants more than that. They began dating and everything was going well until accusations of assault started happening to Ben’s teammates. Many people want to hide the evidence and pretend nothing happened but Kate can’t get the wrongdoing out of her head. Secrets come out after a video was shared. The aftermath will drastically change lives and the community of Coral Sands, Iowa.

I’m frustrated with the situation the community is dealing with. I’m also frustrated with some of the main character’s actions. The author represents entitlement and community politics well. The ethnicity is predominantly white, with an African American deputy mentioned. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz - HIGH

Immortality: A Love Story (The Anatomy Duology #2) 
by Dana Schwartz
. 400 pages Wednesday Books, 2023. $10. 

Language: PG (6 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing);  Violence: PG-13 (bloody death) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

18yo Hazel lives in her family’s manor and continues to help those in need of medical care until she’s arrested for murder. She’s released and brought to the ailing princess to heal her. Hazel still has to fight the societal standards that believe a woman isn’t capable of intelligent work, let alone being a doctor. While at the palace treating the Princess, Hazel receives an invitation to a Companions to the Death meeting. She’s astonished at what she discovers! 

The romance is sweet. Intense parts kept me glued to the pages. I wish there was a third book in this series. The ethnicity is predominantly white with mention of a Black man. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Monday, March 11, 2024

SoulMatch by Declan Ryder - OPTIONAL


SoulMatch
by Declan Ryder
, 225 pages. Declan Ryder, 2024. $5.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Sara (32yo) is missing something in her life, and her friend recommends a matchmaking app. She starts talking with Alex, and Sara falls fast and hard. Everything is perfect—until Sara wants to meet and Alex’s excuses start to sound suspicious.

The premise is farfetched but still could have been intriguing, if not for the poor execution. Besides the odd word choices and the repetitive sections of the story, the book was riddled with inconsistencies. It felt like Ryder forgot details from previous chapters when he wrote the next one and didn’t bother to double check.

The characters are implied White. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, kissing, and implied sex.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera - OPTIONAL


Listen for the Lie
by Amy Tintera
, 352 pages. Celadon Books (Macmillan), 2024. $27.

Language: R (243 swears, 94 “f”) ; Mature Content: R; Violence R

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Lucy (29yo) left her hometown five years ago after being accused of killing her best friend, Savvy. Her anonymity in California is shattered when Ben Owens (28yo) starts season two of his true crime podcast, trying to solve the cold case of Savvy’s murder. With her identity exposed, Lucy doesn’t have a reason to say no when her grandma asks Lucy to come back home for her birthday—with the murder fresh on everyone’s minds.

Tintera’s writing is compelling. I was invested from the first sentence—I couldn’t wait to figure out what was true and what wasn’t. With the subject matter at hand, Tintera did a fabulous job of balancing the thriller suspense with dark humor that provided comic relief—I laughed out loud so many times that I lost count. This is the first non-YA book that I’ve read by Tintera, and the only negative thing I have to say is that I’m disappointed that she put so much sexual content in the book. Everything else was great.

Paige is Black, Nina is Latina, and everyone else is implied White. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use; innuendo; illegal activity; groping; nudity; mentions of condoms, genitalia, rape, and oral sex; and sex. The violence is for blood and gore, assault, mentions of domestic violence, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen


Saturday, March 9, 2024

Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire - ESSENTIAL

Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire, 190 pages. Blink, 2023. $18

Language: G (no swears); Mature Content: PG (marijuana mentioned); Violence: PG (manhandling by the police, yelling)


BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL                     

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH


14yo African American Eddie is on his way with his 12yo sister in the NYC subway when he is confronted by a police officer about jumping the turnstile and smoking pot. Being an Honors student and as polite as you can be, he doesn’t understand why he is the target. As much as he tries to remember his father’s advice about confrontations with the police, the situation swings out of control and Eddie is hurt and manhandled before his is finally released - not because of the great kid he is, but because the real perpetrators were caught. Olive wants Eddie and her father to fight back and sue the police. But when she becomes victim of a white “Karen” who insists that Olive stole her phone, Olive begins to realize some of what Eddie has been through and dangerous life can be when living Black.


I was thoroughly engaged by Eddie and Olive , especially the stream-of-consciousness narrative as Eddie tries to remember and apply what his Dad taught him. Buckmire did an excellent job of weaving Eddie’s thoughts into the narrative. I first listened to this as a free download from libro.fm, but went back and reread the print copy too. I would love to see this discussed in classrooms - a brilliant way to talk to students about life as Black or biracial.


Cindy, Library Teacher

Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo - OPTIONAL


Small Gods of Calamity
by Sam Kyung Yoo
, 144 pages. Interstellar Flight Press, 2024. $15.

Language: R (8 swears, 6 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

On the surface of everyday life, Han-gil is investing suicides, but his assigned partners keep abandoning him because of his odd behavior—the things Han-gil does to investigate the paranormal murders that appear to be suicides. With his newest partner starting to ask questions and his sister out of town, Han-gil is stuck working with Yoonhae (27yo), an acquaintance from his past.

An outcast of both the normal and paranormal communities, Han-gil is just trying to do the best he can, which is relatable and pulls at the reader’s heartstrings from the very beginning. The magic was interesting, though the final battle felt anticlimactic. Despite that and the questions left unanswered, I still liked the conclusion that ended on a hopeful note.

Han-gil is Korean and bisexual, Azuna is Japanese, and the majority of other characters are Korean. The mature content rating is for transphobia content. The violence rating is for blood and gore, description of corpses, mentions of murder, suicide, and fantasy violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Friday, March 8, 2024

My Father the Panda Killer by Jamie Jo Hoang - OPTIONAL

My Father the Panda Killer
by Jamie Jo Hoang,
361 pages. Crown Books, 2023. $19. 

Language: R (81 swears 38 'f'); Mature Content: PG (The whole book is about generational trauma so it's a heavy topic) Violence: R (Graphic descriptions of war-time violence, rape, suicide, and deaths from starvation and violence; repeated child beatings) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

It’s 17yo Jane’s last summer at home and she can’t wait to escape her Vietnamese father’s oppression when she goes to UCLA in the fall. Now she just has to figure out how to tell him, and her little brother Paul, who she worries will never forgive her for leaving like their mother did. But she has to get out. Her dad’s unpredictability and physical abuse have made Jane’s life unbearable, but so far she’s been able to shield Paul from the worst of it. Jane knows her dad must have suffered horrors during the war and during his escape to the United States, but Vietnamese people don’t talk of such things. As Jane learns more about his story, she starts to understand some of why he is the way he is, even as she understands that it doesn’t justify his behavior. 

This was a hard read, but an important one, and I openly wept a couple of times at the brutal reality of Jane’s life. Several of the beatings were pretty severe and my heart broke for Jane and Paul. Told in alternating chapters, the story bounces between Jane’s present day and the story of her dad’s life in and escape from Vietnam. We often only learn about the Vietnam War through the American lens and I appreciated the authentic telling of this part of history. It was also a window into the experience of children of refugees and their struggle to live in both worlds. I struggled, though, with a lack of condemnation of the abuse Jane suffered. She sort of just reconciles herself to it as the consequence of her dad’s horrific experiences rather than understanding that she’s being abused and getting help. I can’t say I liked this book, but I’m still glad I read it. Jane is Vietnamese-American. 

Andrea R

King Cheer by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm,and Jamie Green - OPTIONAL

King Cheer (Arden High) 
by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm and Jamie Green
, 158 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Hyperion, 2024. $25 

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 "F") Mature Content: PG (relationship themes/LGBTQ issues) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

It's cheer captain Leah's senior year and she has a lot on her plate, like getting into her dream college and questioning her identity. Leah has decided to step down and focus on her future, which means appointing a new captain. It isn't as easy as it seems when power hungry twins want to take over the cheer team and the basketball team wants to take over the gym. 

There were so many relationships in this book that it got hard for me to remember who was going out with who, or who wanted to go out with who. The art is colorful, bright, and well drawn, but some of the characters are androgynous, adding to my confusion. There are some good themes of finding oneself, inclusion, and what it means to be a leader. No race is specified, but there is a variety of skin color and identities. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli - OPTIONAL

Heartless Hunter
by Kristen Ciccarelli,
416 pages. St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books, 2024. $15 

Language: R (25 swears  8 'f'); Mature Content: R (on-page sex); Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

18yo Rune lost her only family to witch hunters two years earlier when Nan told Rune to betray her. Nan was a witch who knew her time was up and she wanted to save Rune. Nan made Rune promise to turn her into the witch hunters and denounce everything she grew up knowing and loving. After Nan’s capture and death, Rune became the Crimson Moth; a vigilante who rescues witches and helps get them to freedom. Rune attends social events to discover the witches who are next in line to be captured, so she can swoop in and save them. Her disguise seems to be working but one guard suspects her and will do everything he can to catch her.

I enjoyed the mystery and the reveals. The world building was done well. The danger makes the story even more interesting. The ethnicity consists of mostly white, with ocher and golden skin tones mentioned. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

The Lucky Poor by Mazie Lovie - OPTIONAL


The Lucky Poor
by Mazie Lovie
, 134 pages.  GRAPHIC NOVEL Iron Circus Comics, 2024. $12 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Mazie starts out at age five, describing her journey to her first home at age 13, thanks to a gift from Habitat for Humanity. Based on the author's true story, the home becomes transformative for Mazie. Even though a new home can't fix every problem, it offers a second chance for Mazie, her mom, and her autistic younger brother. 

An honest slice of life memoir that helps build empathy for the struggles of others. Nice themes of family, hope, hard work, and charity. The art is bright and colorful, if a little simplistic. May be a good guide for those considering memoir writing. Race is never specified, but there is a variety of skin tones. 

Michelle in the Middle

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and Carlyn Greenwald - OPTIONAL

Time Out
by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and Carlyn Greenwald
. 261 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2023. $19 

Language: R (217 swears 44 'f's); Mature Content: PG-13 (Passionate kissing. Mentions of sex, masturbation, and pornography. Sexually graphic homophobic slurs. Inappropriate images are drawn on a boy's locker.) Violence: PG-13 (Verbal and physical bullying, fist fights. A boy is intentionally hit by a car while riding his bike. A man aims a shot gun at two teenagers.) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Barclay is a high school basketball star and the high school and the town love him. But on his 16th birthday, he decides a pep rally is the best place to announce that he is gay. All of the people he thought loved him have now turned on him. With his team against him, he turns to his best friend Amy. She gets him involved in her voting rights group. Barclay starts to find purpose and new friends off the court. Through the group, he meets the talented and handsome Christopher. It is a slow process but with time Barclay learns that some of his actions have been selfish and how to combat that. He learns to show up for his family who are all still grieving the recent death of their grandfather. He learns how to show up for his friends. And he learns how to be his complete self. 

At its heart, this is a good coming out story. I appreciate that Barclay does not have it all figured out at the beginning but he speaks his truth anyway. Over the course of the book he learns and grows and it is enjoyable to watch. He also learns that he is not the only one struggling with things and figures out that he can help others as well as himself. The book has excessive swear words that distract from the message and the homophobic slurs are sexually graphic in nature. Barclay his family and Christopher are white. No other ethnicity is specifically mentioned. 

A. Snow 

Hopeless in Hope by Wanda John-Kehewin - OPTIONAL

Hopeless in Hope by Wanda John-Kehewin,
216 pages. Highwater Press. 2023. $17 

Language: R (22 swears 5 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Mention of sex sounds coming from mother's room); Violence: PG Bullying, mostly mean girls. 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

14yo Eva (Neveah) lives with her Cree grandmother (Nohkum) and her 4yo brother, and occasionally her alcoholic mother (Shirley) in the small town of Hope near Vancouver. They are barely getting by, but Nohkum keeps them fed - soup and bannock for most meals. But when Nohkum falls on the porch and breaks her hip, mom is left in charge of the children. She promises not to drink until Nohkum is out of the hospital, but while Eva is at school, the police find Marcus miles away from home and discover mom passed out on the couch. Social Services swoops in, and the children are removed to foster care. This is the 2nd time for Eva who is placed in a group home. 

I cried several times reading Hopeless in Hope. It's a poignant, heartbreaking story about generational disfunction mostly arising from the generation of indigenous children who were taken from their parents and put in residential schools. Eva and her family are trying to break the cycle of parents who have no parenting skills. I like that there are several groups who would see themselves in this title - Native Americans (although Eva is Canadian); kids in foster care and group homes, as well as kids dealing with alcoholic or abusive parents. Eva has a roommate at the group home who is non-binary. 

Lisa Librarian

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer - HIGH

With a Little Luck
by Marissa Meyer,
368 pages. Feiwel & Friends, 2024. $19. 

Language: R (40 swears 0 'f');  Mature Content: G (kissing); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

16yo Jude is shy and doesn’t have much self confidence. He’s had a crush on Maya since middle school but is afraid to ask her out. He’s afraid until he finds a lucky charm that gives him successes and confidence. When he finally gets to take Maya on a date everything seems fine until he loses the lucky charm. The luck changes not just for him but for his family too.

I enjoyed the humor. The story is sweet. It’s a fun read that inspires the reader to work towards their dreams. The ethnicity includes white, Asian, Mexican American, and Korean American. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Duel Across Time (The History Club #1) by Bret Baier - ADVISABLE

Duel Across Time (
The History Club #1) by Bret Baier, 130 pages GRAPHIC NOVEL Aladdin Paperbacks (Simon and Schuster), 2023. $20 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The History Twister has traveled through time to alter the outcome of America's most famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Enter the History Club: four wildly different middle school students who together have the power to restore history and save the world from the ensuing chaos. 

Interesting premise, and Hamilton comes off as super wise. One does wonder why middle schoolers are chosen to travel through time to save the space/time continuum, but save it they do. They will obviously be off for another adventure. The art is well done and there are some nice nuggets of actual history. Background knowledge of Hamilton would be helpful to the reader, but could be a great jumping off place for learning more. Members of the History Club come from different races and backgrounds. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Monday, March 4, 2024

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu - OPTIONAL

I Will Find You Again
by Sarah Lyu
, 298 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2023. $20 

Language: R (36 swears 80 'f'); Mature Content: R (Suicide by drowning, suicidal thoughts, cheating ring, kissing, underage prescription drug addiction (amphetamine)); Violence: PG (death by suicide) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Chase is a high-achieving, successful 17yo high school senior. She is the student body president and track team captain and is applying to Stanford. She is also involved with a cheating ring at school and is addicted to prescription amphetamines. She misses her ex-best friend and ex-girlfriend Lia who goes missing and later turns up dead from suicide. Even though she is no longer with Lia, she is determined to find out what happened to her. Through it all she is dealing with her own depression, suicidal thoughts, and high expectations placed on her by her father. 

The story of Lia and Chase's relationship is told through flashbacks and it comes across as being very toxic. I did like the process of unraveling the mystery. It was especially interesting once she realized she was suppressing memories due to her trauma. I liked that by the end Chase realized that she needed help and was finally willing to ask for and receive the help she needed. There is a resource list at the back of the book for help with depression, suicide, and addiction. Chase, Lia and Chases family are Asian. Lia's adoptive family is Italian American. 

A. Snow