Bad Hair DayBy Sarah Mlynowski Imagine having a magical mirror that allows you to cross over to all of your favourite fairy tales. You can walk through the mirror at midnight and play around in the fairy tale, you even have the power to change the story. This is number 5 in the Whatever After […]
Stanley’s PartyBy Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin Have you ever wondered what dogs do when they’re left alone? Stanley gets bored when his people are out, so he decides to try something new. He’s not allowed on the couch, but what harm could it do, right? The couch is more comfortable than he […]
Stewart, the 13-year old narrator of this tale, is struggling with the death of his mother (and perhaps with his father’s complete acceptance and healing from it). He is socially inept but brilliant in academic ways. He has been in a special school for gifted children where he has excelled, and has a very […]
365 simple science experimentsBy E. Richard ChurchillHere is a book filled with some fun and educational activities for the whole family to enjoy. I thought these might be interesting to try out over Spring Break. E. Richard Churchill, Louis V. Loeschnig and Muriel Mandell have collected and created experiments that children of all ages can […]
As the jacket description reads, “it took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.”This book is about a school shooting, but it’s about much more than that, too. Each chapter of the book is told from […]
Sleepover SleuthsBy Carolyn KeeneHere is one from a classic series that many will remember from their youth; Nancy Drew is still at it after 85 years. She is still solving crimes and poking her nose in places that get her into trouble. The Nancy Drew writers continue to revamp and reinvent the classic stories about this […]
By Leslye WaltonIn this award winning novel, Ava Lavender’s family has a history of tragic love stories. Her great-grandmother, Maman; grandmother, Emilienne; and mother, Viviane’s stories are all told through this multi-generational saga of love and love lost. A bad track record of foolish love does not forecast a hopeful future for Ava, and is […]
The Boy Who Lost FairylandBy Catherynne M. ValenteThe Boy Who Lost Fairyland is an adaptation of the classic tale The Changeling. This is the fourth book in the Fairyland series but it does not follow the adventures of September like the first three books, this book can stand alone. Catherynne M. Valente has created a fantastical […]
Rain Reign By Ann M. Martin This is a heart wrenching story of love, friendship, family and courage. Rose Howard is a little different from the other grade 5 students at Hatford Elementary. For one thing, she loves homonyms. (Examples: isle and aisle, grown and groan.) She has a list that she uses to keep […]
#ScandalBy Sarah OcklerFrom the author who brought us Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet comes a story about what can happen when a picture goes viral, #Scandal. In this digital age a picture is worth more than a thousand words and many of those words will be negative ones. Author Sarah Ockler captures social media hazards […]