Hold Fast

Title: Hold Fast

 

Author: Blue Balliett

 

Summary: Early and her family (Sum & Dash her parents, and her little brother Jubie) live in a small apartment, and while they are not rich in money, they are all very rich in love. The whole family enjoys quotes and words and reading, especially her father who even works at a library.
Then one day, Dash goes missing and is suspected of committing a crime.
With a link of their family missing, Early, Sum, and Jubie fall into even harder times. Overnight they lose their home and are thrust into the shelter system. Each of them struggles to survive, each wondering whether Dash will ever be found.

Comments: I enjoyed this book. I must admit that the cover and title did not quite appeal to me, but that does not matter - it is the content beneath that cover and title, and this content was quality for sure. The book did not peak my interest in the first few chapters, but at least 5 or 6 chapters in, I began to really enjoy the reading. I find some of the best books can end up like that.
Early was likeable, as was her little brother, and Early was truly remarkable in the way that she wanted to solve the mystery - to find Dash. The way she took matters into her own hands.
The mystery aspect of the story was great too - it was not so predictable. There were some scary parts, so I would recommend this for children 10+.

Rating: 5 stars  

Sure Signs of Crazy

Title: Sure Sings of Crazy

 

Author: Karen Harrington

 

Summary: 12-year-old Sarah Nelson is a one-of-a-kind girl living with her father who struggles with alcohol related problems. As her summer project, she writes letters to her hero and ideal father, Atticus Finch, writes the definitions to unfamiliar words in her diary, and her closest friend is a plant.

But Sarah and her father are two people with a secret; Sarah's mother, is in a mental asylum/prison and has been since Sarah was only about 2. The case with Sarah's mother is so famous, that they are continuously moving once people find out who they are.

But this summer is different for Sarah. As she is growing up more and more, and beginning to get her first crush and maybe even friend-who-is-a-boy, Sarah longs for her mother more and more, and is saddened that she has no relationship with her. Sarah decides she wants to meet her. Sarah navigates towards her goal and tries to find answers, but with so much working against her, Sarah wonders if things will ever be the way she wishes they were.

 

Comments: This was a pretty good book. Sarah is likeable, though I feel she was in a hurry to grow up when in reality, she is only 12 - not even a teen yet.

Other than that, Sarah's story is heartfelt and is very realistic. From Sarah having to navigate the challenges of growing up, to having to wonder and wonder about her mother, who drowned her brother and attempted to drown her when Sarah was only years old.

I found it a little strange that Sarah was trying to pursue a relationship with a boy who was already much older than her.

But, I did like that her role model and her fictional hero is Atticus Finch. I am such a big fan of To Kill a Mockingbird and I am currently reading Go Set a Watchman, so I know how she feels about being close to a character from those wonderful classics. I enjoyed reading her letters and what she chose to write, and I feel like Sarah could've really been a real girl.

I would recommend this book to 11 or 12+, just because of the mental health themes, and some "girl" themes too.

 

Rating: 4 stars

The Thing About Luck

Title: The Thing About Luck

 

Author: Cynthia Kadohata

 

Summary: 12 year old Summer and her younger brother are staying with their grandparents during the harvesting season. As Summer travels the road with them harvesting crops, she learns a lot about herself and who she is and she may just find better luck too.

 

Comments: There really isn't much of a summary for this book, because there really isn't too much to the story. Summer is a likeable character, though besides the backstory about her having had malaria and her now being fascinated with mosquitoes, there really isn't too much character development.

Her brother seems a little stereotyped as the "different sibling" and her grandparents seem a little stereotyped too as the "foreign, strict grandparents".

The book has A LOT of information on combines and harvesting, which could appeal to many girls who read this book, but some younger readers or uninterested readers may find all the harvest talk to be a bit of a slow-down or bore. I personally found it interesting, but I could see myself getting easily frustrated with all of the details of driving a combine, if I wasn't interested in learning about it.

I like how Summer makes an effort to dare to be different; I find that a redeeming quality in her character.

However, I think that the part where Summer falls in love with a boy (the child of the woman who runs the harvest team) was just too much. It just seemed like too much detail of kissing and all that in the book.) I think that the whole scene was just a little ridiculous and I wonder why I lot of books nowadays seem to always have a love story woven in - it just didn't feel quite necessary.

This didn't take up the whole book though; so I'm still going to rate it okay for 10+, but it may not be.

The characters in the book; besides Summer, didn't really seem to develop throughout the story.

Overall, I think that the book was okay. It was a little slow, but if the reader is "into" the book enough to read into everything, it can really be a deep book that makes an impact on the reader.

 

Complaints: I think some of the scenes were a little too mature for the book's target audience. There was also too much information on the harvest process; at times it felt more like an informational pamphlet on harvesting than it did a fiction book. Some of the characters fell short of my expectations and were a little flat.

 

Rating: 3 stars

Words with Wings

Title: Words with Wings

 

Author: Nikki Grimes

 

Summary: Gabby's life has been hard lately; her parents have divorced and now she is living with her mother. She has never been as close to her mother as her father; who understands her. Gabby's life, though, now seems taken over by daydreams; lots of daydreams. Now, they are starting to affect her schoolwork and life. However, Gabby's special teacher may just find a way to help her turn those daydreams into writing.

 

Comments: I really liked this book. It won an award, and I can certainly see why. The book is very short and told through verses/poems. The story is laid out clearly and the reader will receive all the information he needs to know to follow the book; however, the reader won't find much more than the necessary information. It isn't a very detailed book; it is very to-the-point and short, which makes it a refreshing read that isn't complicated and requires a little less thinking and brain-power to understand. The main character, Gabby can probably speak to anyone who has been through or is going through a hard time; whatever it  may be.
Nikki Grimes is an amazing author; her work on the book The Road to Paris, well, it was just amazing. I really enjoyed that book (the review for that book is on here too - to access it quickly, just click on the tag Author:Nikki Grimes tag at the bottom of this post!) In fact, I think that The Road to Paris is even better than this book! I just love that book! (Okay, I know, this is supposed to be a review for Words with Wings)
Read anything written by her - there is a reason her books have been awarded.

This book is a nice quick read that is suitable for all ages.

 

Complaints: None. I would complain about it being too short, but I thought that it was tastefully done.

 

Rating: 5 stars

White Fur Flying

Title: White Fur Flying

 

Author: Patricia MacLachlan

 

Summary: Zoey and her family (sister, mom, & dad) are a foster family for Great Pyrenees dogs. They take in any Great Pyrenees in need and they train them and give them love until they are adopted by their forever family.

One day, new people move into the house across from Zoey. The boy, Phillip, is strange - he has just stopped talking. Everyone is worried. He doesn't talk anymore - he doesn't even make an effort.

Maybe, the Great Pyrenees and Zoey's family will be the key to Phillip talking again.  

 

Comments: This book was a book that I could really relate to, because my family, like Zoey's family, also fosters dogs. It is rare for me to read a book that mentions fostering dogs. Usually, adoption of dogs is the only topic covered in most books. I think that this book will raise awareness for the importance of fostering dogs. Adoption isn't the only option!

The book is suitable for all ages and I like that because books that can be enjoyed by all readers are becoming few and far between it seems. Phillip does go missing for a time (only a few hours) and there is just enough drama to not make it overly dramatic and just enough suspense to not make younger readers overly worried about Phillip. This book is exciting and fun to read and can be enjoyed by all!

The book was a little quick for my taste, but it is definitely a good choice for a read-aloud book or sibling story time or something. I know that I enjoyed reading this book with my sisters!

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: 5 stars!

 

 

This Journal Belongs to Ratchet

Title: This Journal Belongs to Ratchet

 

Author: Nancy J. Cavanaugh

 

Summary: 11 year old Rachel "Ratchet" (a nickname earned from fixing cars with her father) is a homeschooled girl who moves from town to town fixing up homes with her father in exchange for free rent. Her father is a bit eccentric and unusual, and because she is homeschooled and is often helping her father fix cars, she does not get out enough to make friends - not that anyone seems interested in being friends with her anyway.

As Ratchet spends time alone in the house after working on school and cars with her father, she always can't help but notice a special box that moves with them wherever they go yet it is never opened. Ratchet suspects that the box contains information about her mother - her mother that died when she was too young to remember her well.

The book details Ratchet's life as she learns to work with others to save an important park and as she navigates through finding true friends, being different, and discovering secrets about her past.

 

Comments: I enjoyed this book. It is written through Ratchet's school work in English/Language Arts class. She is homeschooled so she just writes whatever the lesson guide says to write (essay, poem, etc.), and she always makes her life and what is going on as the subject. I think that this was a very creative way to write the book.

Ratchet was not stereotyped like some homeschooled characters in books. She had a great personality, she wanted friends, and when she did talk to people, she obviously had good social skills. However, she did seem a little secluded from the world for my taste, but it wasn't too bad.

Ratchet was likeable and any reader will find themselves cheering for her. I would recommend this book to children 10+. There really isn't much iffy content, except some boy-girl stuff, details on her mother's death and what happened before it, and just some other minor things.

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: 5 stars!

 

 

Counting by 7s

Title: Counting by 7s

 

Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan

 

Summary: 12-year-old Willow is a child genius who loves diagnosing medical conditions and planting/nature. As she starts middle school, she is sent to see a child counselor (by the school's recommendation) and during her meets with him, she meets two other children that are older than her; a brother and sister. She slowly forms a small friendship with them.

One day, she arrives at her house to find that her parents died earlier in the day in a car accident. Willow's friends, Mai and Quang-ha's mother offers to take her in while she waits for foster care, adoption, etc.

As Willow slowly recreates her life, she shows that one who goes through tragedy can come out being better than before.

 

Comments: I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad that I decided to read it!

All the characters in the story were pretty well-developed for the most part, though I might have wanted to see a little more detail on Dell, the counselor.

Willow was such a likeable character and it was heartbreaking to see her going through such a tragedy; because her parents just seemed like such kind people who really understood her and I didn't know whether anyone else in the book could have that same connection with her. (Yes, I get pretty involved and intense in my reading - don't worry, I do know that she is just a fictional character!)

While I loved the book, I thought that the way Mai and Quang-ha lived with their mother just seemed somewhat unrealistic, even though they were poor. However, that can be overlooked and may have just been a little exaggerated to add some more intensity and drama to the book.

While this book is great and such a fine piece of writing, I must say that it is probably suitable for ages 10-12+ just because it is fairly long and some younger readers may be upset by all the tragedies and unfairness in this book.

This is probably going to go on my Top 10 list!

 

Complaints: I feel like the book might've wrapped up just a little too nicely; however it was good that the reader was able to find closure to the story by the end of the book.

 

Rating: 5 stars!

 

Lara's Gift

Title: Lara's Gift

 

Author: Annemarie O'Brien

 

Summary: Lara is growing up in 1914 Russia where she works for the Tsar with her father, breeding borzoi dogs in the hunting kennels. Lara wants to be the best borzoi breeder for the Tsar, however, when her mother has a baby boy, it is determined that the boy will take her place and inherit the job of breeding the borzoi dogs. Lara is upset, and soon finds herself spending her days cleaning and helping her mother. Lara knows that she belongs as the breeder for the next generation, because she has visions that can save the lives of the people and dogs.

 

Commnts: I really enjoyed this book. I love borzois, so I knew that I had to read it. Lara was likeable and while the story is apropriate, there is some pretty graphic content, so I'd say maybe a mature 10 to a 12+ for the age rating. Lara was likeable and I thought the ending was well done.

Complaints: None.
Rating: 5 stars! 

 

 

The Center of Everything

Title: The Center of Everything

 

Author: Linda Urban

 

Summary: Ruby Pepperdine has just recently gone through the loss of her grandmother, Gigi. However, she has some regrets about her last day with Gigi, and she continues to wish in hopes of setting things right again.

On the day of her town's festival, she believes she is going to get her wish due to a town legend involving donuts, which the town is also famous for. At first, she doesn't think she got anything, but then she realizes that maybe her wish really was answered.

 

Comments: I really liked this book. It was short and powerful. Some of the flashbacks to Gigi may be scary or sad for younger children, so I'm going to suggest this as a 10+ book. It is short, and is mainly a book that covers one day and fills in the rest of the book with flashbacks, which I thought was interesting approach. I also liked the perspective it was written in, with the author narrating the whole time, instead of Ruby.

Listening for Lucca

Title: Listening for Lucca

Author: Suzanne LaFleur 

Summary: Siena and her family (Mom, Dad, & 3 yr. old brother Lucca) move from their NYC apartment to an old Victorian house on the ocean in Maine. She is finally making friends and shedding her "weird girl" image because of her obsession with collecting old things and her strange ability to see into the past. 

She finds a special pen and begins to write with it in a journal; but finds that when she puts pen to paper, she cannot control what she is writing and from the mysterious pen, a story of a girl from the 40s' and her brother who previously lived in the house. However, she finds out something troubling about how the girl and her brother end up and she knows she has to go back into history to change things. 

Meanwhile, her brother, Lucca, hasn't talked in about a year, and she realizes that the story that unfolds is the key to Lucca's voice. 

Comments: I really liked this book! It really made you think and the story was just so interesting. The idea was good, however, it reminded me a bit of Harry Potter or The Magic Half (2 separate books). 

It gave me the chills, the way she was able to go back and try and change things, and the story of Sarah and Joshua. I loved this book!

However, it is a bit deep, so I'd suggest this book to 10-11+ just because of some more dramatic themes. 

Complaints: The ending was nice, but it was, i thought, a bit of a weak end with Lucca just suddenly talking. However, I did enjoy seeing the problem resolved, so this isn't a big complaint. 

Rating: 5 stars!!!

Every Day After

Title: Every Day After

Author: Laura Golden

Summary; Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hawkins is living with her mother in the Depression. Her father left home a few months ago and Lizzie is trying to fend for herself while taking care of her mother who has gone into such a depressed state upon the leaving of Lizzie's father, that she no longer speaks and can barely take care of herself without the help of her daughter.

On top of all of this, Lizzie is dealing with constant bullying from the new school bully, Erin Sawyer who also seems to be "stealing" here friend Ben who is nice to everybody.

Lizzie is determined to win and make Erin lose and to keep the fact that her mother is nearly non-functional a secret.

However, when the secret about her mother gets out, Lizzie knows it is up to her to figure out a plan to keep them together and to keep Erin from getting what she wants.

Comments: On the first few pages of the book, I wasn't completely sold, but when I really read further, I couldn't believe that it took me this long to find the book! It was amazing. Lizzie was so real and so was Ben and Erin was a little over-the-top, but then we all find out, in the end, why she is like that. Everything is so real, from the people to the struggles and challenges they go through. Lizzie is so likeable and it is so easy to hate Erin that you can really find yourself cheering on Lizzie and hoping and turning the next page to see if Erin gets taken down. It was such a fun read and I'm glad that I found it. This book has no inappropriate content and can be enjoyed by many ages of readers*!

Complaints: None! The way everything shaped together at the end was beautiful.

Rating: 5 stars!

*While I have rated this suitable for all readers of all ages, I believe that due to some more "mature" themes, it would probably be best enjoyed by those around 10.
 

The Year of the Baby

Title: The Year of the Baby (the Anna Wang Series)

Author: Andrea Chang

Summary: This book features all of the characters from The Year of the Book (I reviewed that one too!) - it's a sequel. Anna's family has adopted a baby girl from China (by the time the book starts, the baby is already home - they do not go to China in this book). However, Baby Kaylee won't eat and the doctors are starting to worry about her health. For their school science project, Anna and her friends see if she will eat when different songs are sung to her or when no songs at all our sung to her. Their science experiment is smart, and their results are quite interesting.

 

Comments: The whole book is a great, wholesome read that any child read about. Anna's love for her sister is so sweet, and Kaylee is just sweet in general. Anna is a great character that most people can relate to in many different ways. Anna is also a great role model for kids of today, and it's fun to watch her do such interesting and smart things with her friends in this uniquely written book!

 

Complaints: None! I feel like this book was a bit longer than Year of the Book, and my complaint for that book was it being too short, so this book is perfect!

Rating: 5 stars

Family Tree: Book #2 The Long Way Home

Series: Family Tree

Title: Book #2: The Long Way Home

Author: Ann M. Martin

Summary: Dana is an aspiring artist living a rich life in New York City. True to  the series name, "Family Tree", Abby, from Book #1 is her mother, and Zander is her father. Abby is very close to her Aunt Adele (Abby's sister). She also has two siblings, a twin sister and a younger brother who has Down Syndrome. Dana ends up publishing a book with Zander (she illustrated it), who is a famous author. One night, on a ferry while coming home, her father, who drinks too much quite often, had too much to drink while at a special event, and when his hat flies off of his head and into the water, he without thinking, jumps off the boat to grab it, and dies. Abby's family suddenly becomes poor and her mother works several jobs in order to keep the family in their house. Eventually, they lose their wonderful house, and they are forced to move from place to place just to survive.

Around the end of middle school for Dana, she realizes that she wants to go to an arts school in New York, so she is shipped off to live with her Aunt Adele who still resides in the city. Dana becomes distanced from her siblings and mother, and loses her relationship with them. Later, when she tries to go back to them, things do not go so well.

 

Comments: I really liked this book, but I think it was even sadder than Book #1. This series is really turning out to be deep, and I would definitely not recommend this for anyone under 10 years. The ending, for me, was really, sad (not the epilogue at the end - the end of the actual book). In fact, I was almost teary eyed (I am 12). There is so much faced in this book; death, relationships, standing out, and so much more. What the book deals with is much more low key than Book #1, but the way it is presented can make everything a bit sad or scary for some readers.

 

Complaints: I just didn't like the end of the book. It was sad, and I felt like it could've ended a bit better, but I do have to hand it to the author for creating such a shocking, dramatic ending (I am not talking about the epilogue or whatever, remember, I am talking about the ending of the actual book).

Rating: 5 star (I still liked it a lot!) 

                                                   

 

Family Tree Book #1: Better to Wish

Series: Family Tree

Title: Better to Wish Book #1

Author: Ann M. Martin

Summary: In the 1930s/1940s, Abby is growing up in Barnegat Point, a small town on the coast. She has a younger sister (and soon another younger sister and a brother). Her mother is very soft spoken and her father, her Pops, runs the show. The book is done in diary entries on a particular date (down to the day of the week and everything). There are about 2 diary entries per year of Abby's childhood starting from 7 years old and going up to her graduation day in high school.

Her Pops behavior is very rough. He doesn't like certain races or religions and even forbids Abby from seeing one of her friends (a boy he doesn't approve of). Her Pop is into his public image and is cruel at times. He even sends his five year old son (who has a few developmental disabilities) away to a "special school" without telling anyone - not even Abby's mother.

Her mother is very depressed because of the loss of her two children (they died before the book started) and she keeps rose bushes in memory of them. Eventually, her mother does end up dying and her father remarries to Abby's school nurse. The step-mother turns out to be terrible, and the book sort of wraps itself up from there.

 

Comments: Overall, the book was really good. Abby has seen it all at such a young age - siblings, moving, cruelty and abuse, prejudice, and even death (of her mother and friend and the two siblings that died before the book started). Abby and even her sister are so unique that I connected with them and they really did come alive for me, I felt like I knew them. This book is great, however, it is pretty deep and covers harsh topics throughout the book, so I wouldn't recommend it for children under 10. The death of her friend, for me, was very tragic. It's still a great book though, it can just be a bit scary or harsh for younger children at times.

Complaints: While the book may have been harsh at times, I wouldn't have had it any other way. The harshness wasn't too much for a child to handle, and it was just kind of eye opening. I loved it, so therefore, I have no complaints.

Rating: 5 stars

Katie's New Recipe

                        

Title: Katie's New Recipe

Author: Coco Simon

Summary: Katie's life seems to be turned upside down when her mom gets a boyfriend, but then, things get even stranger when her dad emails her saying that he'd like to meet her. Katie isn't sure if she wants to meet him and most of the book is spent about her deciding on whether to go or not. The Cupcake Club helps her out with this tough decision, and Katie sees something that finally forces her to make a decision.

Rating: 5 stars

Complaints: None!

Comments: I think this was a great book. All the Cupcake Diaries books have been very interesting, but this one really opened up a whole new chapter of events. It was also interesting to learn Katie's thoughts on her father, and to learn about her father's background since he is mentioned so rarely in the other books.

Mia a Matter of Taste

Title: Mia a Matter of Taste

Author: Coco Simon

Summary: Mia thinks things are bad when she finds out she has to get braces, but when she finds out that she has to get glasses too, Mia feels as though she is falling apart. Thankfully, she persuades her parents to get her clear braces, which makes her feel better, but Mia is still worried about what people will think of her glasses. During her first days at school sporting her new look, Mia acts very self conscious, despite her Cupcake Club friends reassuring her that she looks great. Finally, by the end of the book, Mia realizes that she has a new look that she can  be proud of.

Rating: 5 stars.

Complaints: None.

Comments: I think this would make a great book for anyone who is about to get braces or glasses, and also anyone who has recently gotten them and has started having lower self confidents. This is a great edition to the Cupcake series (possibly my favorite series).

Confectionately Yours Book #3: Sugar and Spice!

Title: Confectionately Yours Book #3: Sugar and Spice

Author: Lisa Papademetriou

Summary: Haley has finally gotten all the way used to living above Gran's tea shop and she now is happy to call it home. Haley has now found a new friend Meghan, and they are both becoming great friends. Things are going good with them, until Artie steps in and starts interfering with their friendship. Meghan and Artie just don't fit together, and Haley has to learn how to keep her frenenemy happy, but still manage to keep herself happy as well.
 

Comments: Haley is a likeable character in this small series, however, like all other trending books about middle school, this book is plagued with talk about "crushes" and "enemies" and the like. However, Haley is a sweet girl and the book is not over-the-top. I read this series first when I was 10, however, anyone above 8 could probably find something in it to relate to.

 

Complaints: This wasn't my favorite book, that is for sure, however, the series is pretty good considering what it is marketed as (trendy, tweeny, etc.).

 

Rating: 5 stars