Friday, April 26, 2024
Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie - ESSENTIAL
Only If You Dare by Josh Allen, illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman - ADVISABLE
Maid For It by Jamie Sumner - ESSENTIAL
Jerry Changed the Game! by Don Tate and Cherise Harris - ADVISABLE
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Drawing Deena by Hena Khan - ADVISABLE
Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill - OPTIONAL
Ready, Set, Dough by Kelly J. Baptist - ADVISABLE
Ready, Set, Dough by Kelly J. Baptist 165 pages. Crown, 2023. $17.
Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G;
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO SOME
When her teacher announces a cookie dough sale, 6th grader Zoe is desperate to win, because first prize is a brand-new laptop. Zoe desperately needs one, but her parents can’t afford it. She’s even willing to neglect her friends to achieve her goal.
I liked this book. Zoe is spunky and not afraid to go after what she wants. She is positive and happy, but she really wants to win. She has to win. It was good to read about a child who knew what they wanted and set out to get it. It does not specify
Ellen-Anita Librarian
What is the Story of Jurassic World by Jim Gigliotti and Dede Putra - OPTIONAL
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley - OPTIONAL
The Darkness Rises by Stacy Stokes - OPTIONAL
Unbreakable, the Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code by Rebecca E. F. Barone - ADVISABLE
There Was a Hole by Adam Lehraupt illustrated by Carrie O'Neill - ADVISABLE
Includes tips at the end on "how to make a patch." This would make a great addition to an SEL collection. I liked that it showed big feelings of sadness and loss in a realistic, tangible way for kids. Lily does not have a mom in this story which could allude to divorce, the death of a parent, or a non-traditional family. Lily and her dad have dark hair. The other characters are ethnically diverse.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer - OPTIONAL
Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage by Lisa Rogers and Il Sung Na - ADVISABLE
Running Past Dark by Han Nolan - ADVISABLE
Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly - ESSENTIAL
Monday, April 22, 2024
Something Kindred by Ciera Burch - OPTIONAL
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Alterations by Ray Xu - ADVISABLE
The Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis - ESSENTIAL
The Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis, 364 pages. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. $20
Language: PG-13 (29 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (underage drinking, mentions of sexual topics, and drugging of a character); Violence: PG-13 (characters getting beaten up and shot; some mentions of blood)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO MANY
17yo Rosalyn Quest has been trained since childhood to be an expert thief by her family of thieves, who dominate the North American crime world. In a heist gone wrong, her mother gets kidnapped just as Rosalyn planned to leave the family business. To save her mom, Rosalyn enters the Thieves Gambit, an exclusive competition for thieves she was invited to compete in. If she wins, her prize is the fulfillment of any wish. With her desire to rescue her mom in mind, she is desperate to win and faces challenges not only to her abilities as she faces off with the best teen thieves in the world but also to the beliefs that her mother has instilled in her about herself and the world.
The Thieves Gambit was gripping from the beginning and had great action, twists, and excitement throughout. I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down. The characterization and emotional journey of Rosalyn was realistic as she deals with real-life struggles—not just ones connected to her thieving lifestyle—and these elements were integrated well into the fast pace of the book. Sometimes Rosalyn gets in her own way, which is annoying, but also felt true to her age. The side characters come from around the world and were delightful, and I only wished that we had been able to have more from them. My only slight negative was that some of the physical descriptions of the action were confusing to me, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The book resolved, but it was left open for the next in the series, which I'm looking forward to reading! Rosalyn is black and from the Caribbean. Devroe is black and from England. Noelia is from France.
Marinda, librarian