Children's Book Reviews

Bear loves to read like his friend Ellen, but he wants to find a book of his own. The problem is he’s a bear and bears aren’t allowed at school or the library or in bookstores. Ellen is determined to help Bear and won’t give up until they find a solution.

It’s a RHAP, Cat, the second book in the Ellie & Co Series, combines art and Renaissance history in this exciting middle grade mystery adventure.

Wei to Go is a unique mystery filled with adventure, humor, and Asian culture. Ellie will capture the attention of middle-graders as she finds clues and travels around Hong Kong.

Wow! This memorable novel deserves every award it received. Jason Reynolds tells this dramatic story involving teenage gun violence in short powerful poems. Reynolds has explained, setting the entire book in an elevator, he wanted to mimic the feelings of anger, pain, and helplessness.

I knew I would like Ruby Moon from the first page. The poetic prose and introduction to Jenay’s vulnerable side hooked my attention. Author Jenny Knipfer begins her novel in the present, revealing Jenay’s guilt for some horrific accident she caused. I was intrigued, wanting to know more, and not disappointed as the story slowly unfurled.

From the first page, I knew this was going to be something special. And it was even better than I expected. I’m not one to usually read fantasy novels, but the poetic descriptions of this magical world author Jennifer Kropf created sparkled.

When I started reading this retelling of the original fairytale, I couldn’t help focusing on the similarities and differences to the original story and Disney version, the main difference being the beast is female. But author, E.J. Hill’s beautiful writing soon carried me into her unique version of the story. Her intricate plot details wove together with vivid descriptions to create something new and unexpected and drew me into her mysterious world.

Abby Lunde appears to be an average teen at her new school since moving to Minnesota with her family, but she has secrets. Since her mother’s scandal, they lost everything—jobs, friends, and even their home. Aside from handling the typical teenage mood swings and fears, Abby must deal with living in her family’s van in a Walmart parking lot. She is humiliated, having to sponge bathe in public restrooms and depend on soup kitchens for meals. Abby is angry and blames her mother for ruining their lives...

Fade to White is an exceptional young adult novel. Author, Tara K. Ross has a beautiful writing style that drew me in from the first page. I love her character’s humor and honesty in relating the difficult topic of living with a mental illness. Aside from the typical teenage insecurities, Thea has severe anxiety issues, panic attacks, and pulls her hair out to release stress. Her anxious thoughts multiply after reading about the death and suicide of a classmate.

Every page of Let’s Dance is delightful and invites participation. Clap, tap and twirl through the pages! Valerie Bolling captures the essence of each dance from many different cultures in fun, musical words that flow in perfect rhythm. The illustrations are gorgeous and fit each style of dance perfectly.

Wink is a book that touched my heart. I enjoyed the humor and blinked back a few tears from tender scenes created by the author, Rob Harrell. As a seventh grader, Ross has enough teenage angst to deal with before finding out he has eye cancer. He wants to fit in with his peers, blend in with everyone normal, but the eye treatments force him to stand out. Just when he thinks he couldn’t be more embarrassed, another side effect pops up to draw more attention his way.

Taste Your Words is a delightful story with hilarious illustrations. After Amera and her friend argue and share some mean words, Amera’s mom suggests she tastes her words before letting them out of her mouth. From that moment, Amera tastes everything she says. Her mean words fill her mouth with yucky flavors like pickle juice and rotten eggs. But when she realizes nice words taste yummy like chocolate or sweet oranges, she is encouraged to be kinder and think before she speaks.