Completely Full Bookshelf

For MMGM, I am recommending The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea  by Eileen Beha. The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea  is told from the point of view of a sock monkey named Throckmorton. Ten years earlier, a wealthy woman named Ethel Constance Easterling sewed Throckmorton, her 49th sock money, and gave him to her new great-granddaughter, Annaliese, continuing a long-held tradition. Annaliese loved Throckmorton as a young child, but, all of a sudden, she stopped paying attention to him. But when Throckmorton's original maker sends out invitations to her 90th birthday celebration, which require that attendees bring their sock monkeys, Annaliese and Throckmorton happily reunite. Problems at Annaliese's home, Eastcliff-by-the-Sea, remain, however: she is still a lonely girl with a sad/angry father, a mother who left for reasons unknown to Annaliese, a nanny who doesn't fit in well at the home, and two siblings who are soon to be sent to boarding school, leaving Annaliese...

Sorry about my erratic posting schedule lately—life has become nothing short of insane! I have another graphic novel this week to recommend (they are helpful when I have almost no time to read): Invisible Emmie  by Terri Libenson. I hope to get back to posting more often—that may or may not be this month, but I'll try! A few months ago, I read Greg Pattridge's review  of Libenson's newer book, Positively Izzy , but I decided to read her debut graphic novel first. Invisible Emmie  switches viewpoints between Emmie, an extremely quiet girl who loves to draw but hates to be around others, and Katie, an extremely popular girl who seems just about perfect. Emmie's part of the story looks like a book filled to the brim with illustrations (usually one or two per page), while Katie's storyline is drawn in traditional comic panels. The novel chronicles one day of school in which Emmie loses a silly but mortifying love note that she wrote with her friend, Brianna, and ...

I'm back! For MMGM, I am recommending Be Prepared  by Vera Brosgol. I absolutely loved Brosgol's previous graphic novel, Anya's Ghost  (see my review here ), so I was extremely excited to see that she had a new one out! Be Prepared  is a semi-memoir that chronicles 10-year-old Vera's experience at a Russian summer camp called ORRA. Initially, Vera is excited to find a place where she will not be the odd one because of her race and traditions, but the camp is not what she expected. Vera struggles with problems from being resented by fellow campers (whether by losing competitions or accidentally getting them in trouble) to being in a place without running water but with plenty of bitter, wild animals. However, Vera's determination (and some positives of camp, such as a friendly counselor named Natasha) help her make the best of her weeks at camp and maybe even have a little fun. I adored everything about this book, but one of my favorite parts about it was how ...

For MMGM, I am recommending The Family Under the Bridge  by Natalie Savage Carlson. This extremely short (about 130 pages) Newbery Honor book, which was first published all the way back in 1958, tells the story of a homeless man named Armand who is perfectly content with his life, in which he has given up responsibility and is free to do what he wants. However, Armand then finds a homeless single mother and her three children living under the bridge in Paris that he also lives under. He initially dislikes this family but later begins to bond with the children and take care of them while their mother works. Armand ends up trying to help the children and their mother find a home after realizing that having some responsibility in life can be worth it. This novel is fun to read, with Armand and the children's adventures helping to maintain an upbeat tone. The book's short length also works to make the book a breeze to move through! However, The Family Under the Bridge  also...

Since school's started back up, I have very little time to write this post, so I'll keep it short! For MMGM, I am recommending The Wednesday Wars  by Gary D. Schmidt. Here's the publisher's description: Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero in  The Wednesday Wars  — a wonderfully witty and compelling novel about a teenage boy's mishaps and adventures over the course of the 1967-68 school year. Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Holling — he's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to ...

For MMGM, I am recommending Out of My Mind  by Sharon M. Draper. I haven't read a book as touching and perspective-altering yet not relentlessly upsetting as Out of My Mind  in a long time! The novel revolves around fifth-grader Melody Brooks, who is a genius with a photographic memory. There's just one problem: she has cerebral palsy, which makes it impossible for her to speak (she can just barely even move her hands) and traps all of her racing thoughts inside of her. Melody is particularly observant (as anyone would be if they couldn't talk) and appreciates the good parts of her life, such as her loving parents who help her with tasks as simple for others as eating and using the bathroom, her young and physically able sister Penny, and her neighbor Violet Valencia, or Mrs. V, who often takes care of her during the day, teaches her information in addition to that which she learns at school, and pushes her to succeed and not dwell in unhappiness. When Melody's s...

For MMGM, I am recommending  The Magic Cake Shop  by Meika Hashimoto, with illustrations by Josée Masse. Not every book is a life-changing epitome of writing, with perfect characters and a perfect plot.  The Magic Cake Shop  is a bit silly, a bit ridiculous, and a bit immature (it might be best for older elementary schoolers or younger MG readers). However, if you take The Magic Cake Shop  for what it is, which is a fun, extravagant ride of a novel that will appeal to your inner kid, it ends up being a delightful read that is worth the time! The Magic Cake Shop  revolves around a girl named Emma who lives with two wealthy parents. Her parents are certainly not characters readers are supposed to sympathize with, being constantly obsessed with their appearances and Emma's (wanting her to get plastic surgery, for instance, or eat barely anything in order to stay thin). They send Emma to live with her exaggeratedly filthy, mean, and selfish uncle, S...

Update (4/2/2022): I typically participate in blogging groups that review kids’ books, but sometimes, I do end up reading adult books like this one. In the past, I have typically labeled those books as MG or YA when I review them, primarily because I still want my typically blogging audiences to see them! However, this has become confusing, so I have decided to re-label these books as adult books, while leaving the reviews in their original format. Thank you for your consideration! I'm back from my vacation, and this week, I have a Classic Critique for MMGM of Watership Down  by Richard Adams. This famous novel tells the story of a group of rabbits that are forced to evacuate their warren and find a new home in a human-dominated world. Pros: The plot is exciting.  If you've already read Watership Down , you know that the rabbits' search for a new warren to live in is a long one. After learning that a potential disaster will likely befall his existing warren, the le...

I don't think I've ever reviewed the sequel to a book the week after I reviewed the first book, but I enjoyed Awkward  by Svetlana Chmakova so much (see my review here ) that I had to recommend its sequel, Brave , this very week! The main character of Brave  (a graphic novel, like Awkward ) is Jensen Graham, who was a minor character (mainly serving comic relief) in Awkward . Jensen sees each school day as a series of obstacles that he has to overcome before getting to attend art club (the same art club that played a major role in the previous book). These obstacles include math class, taught by a teacher who is mostly unsympathetic to Jensen's struggles in the subject, and constant bullying, usually due to Jensen's weight or obsession with preparing for the apocalypse (be it due to zombies or, as he was worried about in Awkward , sunspots). Art club starts to become unpleasant as well, as some of his fellow club members start to exclude and make fun of him at ev...

For MMGM, I am recommending Awkward  by Svetlana Chmakova. The protagonist of Awkward  (a graphic novel) is Penelope Torres (also known as Peppi). Her life at middle school is okay, with her having friends and being part of her school's art club (which constantly fights with the science club). However, on her first day at school, when she dropped all of her things and a shy kid from the science club named Jaime tried to help her, kids in the hall made fun of her, prompting her to shove Jaime away and run off. Her constant guilt at doing so makes her feel miserable and try to avoid Jaime at all costs, but when he becomes her science tutor, Penelope and Jaime start to become friends. As the art club and science club are pitted against each other in a competition, Penelope has to balance working with fellow club member Maribella to print the club's comics in the school newspaper, keeping her still-amiable friendship with Jaime hidden from the other club members, and worryi...

For MMGM, I am recommending Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth  by E. L. Konigsburg. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth  is, as described in the title, narrated by a girl named Elizabeth. Her family has just moved to a new town, which she does not particularly like, and she is further irked by a mean yet popular girl named Cynthia. However, Elizabeth ends up befriending a girl named Jennifer. Jennifer tells Elizabeth that she is a witch, and she appoints Elizabeth as her "apprentice witch." At first, both girls have fun together, with Elizabeth following Jennifer as she chants, performs rituals, and talks about the books she has read on witchcraft (quite many, as she is an extremely prolific reader). However, Jennifer's controlling behavior and somewhat rude demeanor ends up leading to conflict between the two girls. The novel's author, E. L. Konigsburg, won the Newbery Honor for this book the same year ...

For MMGM, I am recommending Summerlost  by Ally Condie. (Note: The cover above is the original cover used on the hardcover edition, not the new cover used on the paperback edition.) Summerlost  revolves around Cedar, a 12-year-old girl whose life changed dramatically when her father and brother, Ben (who suffered from autism or a similar disorder), died in a car crash. Cedar, her other younger brother, Miles, and their mother move to a small town called Iron Creek for the summer, where Cedar meets a boy her age named Leo, who enjoys theater and works at the town's Summerlost festival, which puts on performances of Shakespeare's plays. As Cedar befriends Leo, she takes a job at the festival as well, where she sells programs to playgoers, learns about the actors and actresses who have participated in the festival (most notably the formerly-famous, now-deceased Lisette Chamberlain), and volunteers at the festival's costume department. One of Summerlost 's best qua...

For MMGM, I am recommending Save Me a Seat  by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan. Here's the publisher's description: Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: school. Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common, but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week. I really enjoyed this book! One of the best parts about it was getting to see unique ways in which people struggle in life . Ravi deals with having to learn new behaviors (such as not standing up when called on), having his name mispronounced, and being judged for his accent, cloth...

For MMGM, I am recommending Snow White: A Graphic Novel  by Matt Phelan. Here's the publisher's description: Award-winning graphic novelist Matt Phelan delivers a darkly stylized noir Snow White set against the backdrop of Depression-era Manhattan. The scene: New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Twenties screeches to a halt. Enter a cast of familiar characters: a young girl, Samantha White, returning after being sent away by her cruel stepmother, the Queen of the Follies, years earlier; her father, the King of Wall Street, who survives the stock market crash only to suffer a strange and sudden death; seven street urchins, brave protectors for a girl as pure as snow; and a mysterious stock ticker that holds the stepmother in its thrall, churning out ticker tape imprinted with the wicked words  “Another . . . More Beautiful . . . KILL.”  In a moody, cinematic new telling of a beloved fairy tal...

For MMGM, I am recommending Bob  by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead, with illustrations by Nicholas Gannon. Here's the publisher's description: It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house. It turns out she’s right. Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who—or what—he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise. Clue by clue, Livy and Bob will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from, and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever. Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead, two masterminds of classic, middle-grade fiction come togeth...

After surviving a hectic few weeks, I'm back with a blog post! This week, I am recommending Lucky Broken Girl  by Ruth Behar. Here's the publisher's description: Winner of the 2018 Pura Belpre Award! “A book for anyone mending from childhood wounds.”—Sandra Cisneros, author of  The House on Mango Street   In this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative—based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s—a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.    Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English—and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident le...

Due to several time-consuming events that are all happening this and next month, I won't have a blog post for the next several weeks. I should have an MMGM post for Memorial Day (Monday, May 28), and I will also be holding a summer signed book giveaway, so be sure to check back soon!

For MMGM, I am recommending Snow Lane  by Josie Angelini. Here's the publisher's description: By turns harrowing and heartbreaking, this middle-grade novel tells a story of a family of nine kids and one very dark secret. Fifth grader Annie is just like every other girl in her small suburban town. Except she’s starting to realize that she isn’t. Annie is the youngest of nine children. Instead of being condemned to the bottom of the pecking order, she wants to carve out place for herself in the world. But it’s hard to find your destiny when the only thing you’re good at is being cheerful. Annie is learning that it’s difficult to be Annie, period, and not just because her clothes are worn-out hand-me-downs, and she suffers from a crippling case of dyslexia, but also because there are secrets in her life no one in her family is willing to face. In Snow Lane , Josie Angelini presents a story about a resilient girl who, in spite of many hardships, can still find light ...

For MMGM, I am reviewing Nightfall  (the sixth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series) by Shannon Messenger. Here's the publisher's description: Sophie and her friends face battles unlike anything they’ve seen before in this thrilling sixth book of the  New York Times   and  USA TODAY   bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Sophie Foster is struggling. Grieving. Scrambling. But she knows one thing: she will not be defeated. The Neverseen have had their victories—but the battle is far from over. It’s time to change tactics. Make sacrifices. Reexamine everything. Maybe even time for Sophie to trust her enemies. All paths lead to Nightfall—an ominous door to an even more ominous place—and Sophie and her friends strike a dangerous bargain to get there. But nothing can prepare them for what they discover. The problems they’re facing stretch deep into their history. And with time running out, and mistakes catching up with them, Sophie and her al...

After being sick one week and having a crazy Easter the next, I finally have a review! This week, I am reviewing The Magic Mirror  by Susan Hill Long. Here's the publisher's description: The twisty-turny journey of a girl searching for her heart’s desire—glimpsed in a magic mirror. Perfect for fans of Rump or Catherine, Called Birdy A foundling girl with a crooked leg and a crutch doesn’t expect life to be easy. Indeed, Maggie’s dearest wish is to simply not feel so alone. So when she spies a man behind bars in a magic mirror said to show one’s truest desire, she feels sure he is the father she’s always longed for—and she sets off on a quest to find him. Along the way, Maggie meets both kindly pilgrims and dastardly highwaymen. She discovers she bears a striking resemblance to the princess Petronilla. Their connection is so remarkable that Petra believes Maggie must be her lost sister who fell from the castle wall and was swept downriver as a baby. What a turn o...

I'm sick for the third time this year! :( Therefore, I don't have any posts for this week. I hope to be back with a post the Monday after Easter, so be sure to check back!

Just after its new movie adaptation has been released, I am recommending A Wrinkle in Time  by Madeleine L'Engle for MMGM (and including a bonus movie review below!). A Wrinkle in Time  revolves around a young girl named Meg Murry, whose father, a scientist, vanished several years before the book's events. When her younger brother, Charles Wallace, befriends three strange women (who turn out to be magic), both of the kids, along with a kind classmate from Meg's school named Calvin, end up going on a quest across the universe to find their father. I loved this book when I read it as a young kid (I was only about 5 or 6), and I still love it now! One of the best parts of the novel is how it is not like other fantasy or sci-fi books. Instead of filling the book with tons of background information about the universe and its workings, L'Engle instead gives just enough information to understand how the characters are traveling across the universe (or "tesseri...

For MMGM, I am recommending The Boy on the Porch  by Sharon Creech. Here's the publisher's description: Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's Ruby Holler will love her latest tween novel about finding family when you least expect it. When a young couple finds a boy asleep on their porch, their lives take a surprising turn. Unable to speak, the boy Jacob can't explain his history. All John and Marta know is that they have been chosen to care for him. And, as their connection and friendship with Jacob grow, they embrace his exuberant spirit and talents. The three of them blossom into an unlikely family and begin to see the world in brand-new ways. The Boy on the Porch is a singular story about opening your heart and discovering home in unexpected places. I am a fan of several other books by Sharon Creech, and this novel did not disappoint! The "parents" in the story, John and Marta, do not have kids, so they are caught completely off gu...

For MMGM, I am recommending Tell Me  by Joan Bauer. Here's the publisher's description: Award-winning author Joan Bauer's latest novel is full of warmth, humor, hope, and a healthy dose of suspense The unofficial town motto is “Nothing bad ever happens in Rosemont” where twelve-year-old Anna has come to stay with her grandmother, Mim, hoping to forget her worries about her parents’ troubled marriage.  She’ll be busy with the town’s annual Flower Festival, a celebration with floats and bands that requires weeks of preparations. But before long, Anna finds herself involved in a very big problem. When she observes a girl her own age who seems to be being held against her will, Anna can’t forget the girl’s frightened eyes and she is determined to investigate. “When you see something, say something” she’s been told—but what good does it do to speak if no one will listen? Luckily, a take-charge girl like Anna is not going to give up. Told with Joan Bauer’s trademar...

For MMGM, I am recommending Rain Reign  by Ann M. Martin. Here's the publisher's description: From Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin, who wrote the Baby-sitters Club series, comes a New York Times -bestselling middle grade novel about a girl, her dog, and the trials of growing up in a complicated and often scary world. Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different—not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father. When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose's father shouldn't have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. L...

I have had to read yet another classic novel for school, so I've decided to review it this week. For MMGM, I am reviewing The House on Mango Street  by Sandra Cisneros. Here's the publisher's description: The best-selling coming-of-age classic, acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world. The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Told in a series of vignettes—sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous—Sandra Cisneros’ masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers. Pros: The characters.  One of the best parts of The House on Mango Street  is the characters. The main character and narrator, Esperanza, is a true-to-life combination of a girl who tries to have fun...

For MMGM, I am recommending Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow  by Jessica Townsend. Here's the publisher's description: An instant New York Times bestseller! “A Harry Potter-esque adventure.” — Time Magazine A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world–but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chose...