SIXTEEN middle-grade books stood out to me last year! When I looked at my list, I did a quick count of how many books I read in all. I lost count at sixty! Of course, that includes picture books and chapter books that make for quicker reads. Here's my list, beginning with the books I gave five stars and then moving to those with 4.5. Willodeen What can one say about Katherine Applegate's writing that hasn't been said before? Willodeen is a stunning book, richly textured and beautifully detailed. It's a work of fantasy that brilliantly touches upon ideas and themes that are relevant to our very real world. Through hummingbears and screechers, she shows us what havoc we're wreaking on the world around us. Book review Gossamer Gossamer by Lois Lowry is another gorgeous book. I often find myself thinking that I … [Read more...]
The Space We’re In
Have you ever read a review that describes a book as being “full of heart”? Katya Balen’s The Space We’re In is exactly that–a book full of heart. It bursts with love and emotion, raw and authentic. And the voice? Perfect.Ten-year-old Frank sometimes resents his brother Max. Max has changed everything with his humming and hand flapping and his meltdowns. (Frank has no idea why they’re called meltdowns, though, because there’s no melting in that rigid, furious body.) His mother has no time to paint, and she looks tired all the time.And yet, when Frank hates Max, he feels a surge of guilt, of shame. Because there’s so much to love about his little brother, about the way he shines with happiness and the way you never need to wonder what he’s feeling or thinking because he has no artifice.The Space We’re In navigates Frank’s feelings, and right through the book, I love that the … [Read more...]