Ryka Aoki's Light from Uncommon Stars is full of many of my favorite things from both life and literature.There's music and an exploration of genius. There are alien refugees. (Actual aliens, not "illegal aliens.") There are demon contracts.And did I mention the donuts?Or the dozens of fabulous Asian dishes I…
The Last Cuentista, by Donna Barba Higuera, is such a good book. Strong characters, fascinating family dynamics, storytelling... And a run for the stars as the world crumbles around the characters. And that's just the beginning. Seriously, this is a fabulous story that makes me think about the importance of…
Lilith's Brood is a collection of the three books in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy. Amazing books, all of them--well written and thought provoking. In this story, humans have nearly wiped themselves out with nuclear winter, only to be "saved" by an alien species. These three stories follow one woman, Lilith,…
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron reminds me (in all the best ways) of the Ramona books I loved as a kid.
TJ Young & The Orishas is an exciting new fantasy series by Antoine Bendele. If you like coming-of-age magic stories, read this for sure. I have actually only read the first one--The Gatekeeper's Staff. (Oh--and also a little short story that you can get when you sign up for Antoine…
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! surprised me. First of all, it's not fiction--at least, not exactly. It's a series of brilliant, connected, historical, one-person monologues. Apparently, it came out of a research seminar that a library was doing for young people on middle age life. The final project was meant to be…
This Versatile Layer collection by Thomas K Davis includes a fun set of science fiction novels. Not young adult, exactly, it still contains great coming-of-age stories. It's reasonably clean, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for teens. This sweeping space opera follows stories of people stuck in a conflict…
Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn is an amazing book full of many of my favorite things. There's magic (cool, unique magic, unlike magic systems I've seen before.) There's political intrigue. There's a young woman trying to make it in a man's world. There's a focus on an artist who is…
I wouldn't have guessed that Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book was my kind of book. I'm not usually into the macabre or horror. But it is. It really is.I like the strongly developed characters in here. They're quirky, but not so quirky that they seem flat or impossible.I also like…
Marie Lu's Skyhunter isn't quite as good as her The Kingdom of Back. But it's still an incredible book, and I'll be looking for the sequels. The book stars a talented young woman from the wrong side of town. Her superpower seems to be her inability to speak--a relic left…
Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me is a beautifully written book that walks a tightrope strung between reality and fantasy--or maybe sci-fi.Miranda is a latchkey kid, and the neighbor boy she's been friends with forever seems to suddenly want nothing to do with her. An exploration of friendship follows. Miranda…
Clare Vanderpool's Moon over Manifest immerses readers in a small town where a new girl is discovering herself and her roots all at once. Abilene Tucker wants to ride the rails with her father. Unfortunately, he has sent her to Manifest for the summer (or maybe longer). He seems to…
Jack Gantos's Dead End in Norvelt is a funny middle-grade book about a young man growing up in a town founded by Eleanor Roosevelt. Jack gets in trouble with his parents and spends the rest of the book grounded. His only amusement is helping the eccentric neighbor woman, Miss Volker.…
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a sweet, well-written book. It features a gorilla who makes art (and throws his own scat) in a small cage in a run-down mall circus. The story is told from Ivan's point of view (Ivan is the gorilla). Instead of being…
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is such a good book. Really. Go out and get it if you haven't read it yet. (From the library works--that's what I did.) The book is about Tarisai, who is beautiful, intelligent, talented, strong, and immune to fire. She can also read (or steal) memories…
JL Kaiser's Aeon The Sands of Undal has a great main character, wonderful world-building, and lots of food for thought. Caiia Shadi is smart, resourceful, a bit unconventional, and exceptionally loyal to her family--and to friends. I love how she makes her own path in a world that leaves no…
I’ve been meaning to read Jade City for a while, and I don’t know what took me so long.Once I finally got into it, I found this book totally lived up to its hype. It’s a brilliant story, with intricate plotting and rich world-buildingThe real stars, though, are the characters.…
In A Voice that Thunders, Cully Mack plays around with that weird bit from Genesis 6. You know the bit--where Nephilim are on Earth, and sons of God are having children with daughters of men.That bit is a mysterious and intriguing glimpse of something odd going on in ancient times.…
Theresa Kay’s Broken Skies is a young adult science fiction novel about Jax, a traumatized young woman, living in a post-apocalyptic world. Disease has decimated the human population, and aliens are colonizing Earth.Then some of those aliens kidnap Jax’s brother, leaving one of their own behind, wounded. Jax makes a…
Mazie, the newest book by Melanie Crowder, is a great story about one young woman’s journey toward Broadway.As a small town girl from Nebraska, Mazie doesn’t know any professional performers (unless you count her dance teacher). In many ways, she’s aiming for something that seems utterly unreachable. It’s a powerful…
If you need a fun, quick read that’s delightfully magical and laugh-out-loud funny, Flora & Ulysses is a great pick.Flora is a wonderful character. Smart and cynical, she nonetheless manages to be be sweet. Also, her ability to accept the incredible (but true) is refreshing.I wonder, in fact, if that…
Marie Lu’s The Kingdom of Back surprises with its mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I expected a fantasy, but at first, got nothing but a tale of Mozart’s forgotten sister.As a historical tale, this story immerses me in a world of rich detail, patriarchy, ambition, and music. Then, just…
The Priestess Trials by A. A. Lee places me in a rich, unique world that feels vaguely familiar.It’s like something I saw or heard during my time in China–but in the countryside, not the city. However that doesn’t quite fit either because this world has very little modern technology. (They…
I picked up The Raven and The Dove from a sales promotion that Songs of Healing was also in, and I was glad I did. This story by Kaitlyn Davis has great world building, interesting magic, good pacing, fascinating political intrigue, and romance. Plus, people can fly!Seriously, I love the…
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander, is a gorgeous novel in verse. In lyrical language it sings…and seduces…and transports. In fact, The Crossover is a bit magical. I know that, because partway through reading it, I imagined I actually wanted to get out and play basketball.Anyone who knows me will understand the…
Invisible–another great book by Cecily Anne Paterson.The book stars Jazmine Crawford–a young lady who actively avoids attracting attention. Since her father’s death, she has perfected the art of becoming invisible.But then, Jazmine gets in trouble. To stay in school, she agrees to help with the school play. Soon, everybody sees…
I have loved The Girl Who Drank the Moon since I first read it when my daughter picked it up for a contest back when she was in fifth grade. So, several years, now.Like all the best fantasies, this one immerses me in a world that feels both familiar and…
Midnight Sun, as you probably already know, is the latest book in the Twilight series. It covers much of the same ground as the original books–but from Edward’s point of view.I admit I liked it, but that might be at least partly nostalgia. Still, some of Edward’s behavior feels a…
In Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Merci lives in las casitas–three pink houses in a row in Florida that she shares with not just her immediate family, but also her extended family.Lolo and Abuela live in the middle house, and much of this book is about Merci’s relationship with Lolo. Just…
Beyond by M. C. Winkkle is a young adult science fiction book. It stars Stella, a young woman who is being held captive as an alien spy. However, Stella’s no spy. She’s just an ordinary girl who has had trouble fitting in with the other kids. She has a close…
The Captain’s Boy is the newest release from one of my critique group members–Don Callaway.This story follows a Pennsylvania farm boy from the period of the American Revolution. When Isaiah and his father return from a supply-gathering trip, they find that Hessians have looted and burned their farm.With the rest…
New Kid, by Jerry Craft was 2020’s Newbery award winner. Like other Newberys, it is incredibly well-written, and rich in detail. It has well-rounded characters and a tale that tugs on my heartstrings. Unlike any other Newbery I’ve read, it is also a graphic novel. The artwork is gorgeous, and…
I’ve read A Christmas Carol before, of course. When exactly, I can’t remember–perhaps it was for school.Reading it again, I’m impressed by the wealth of detail. The world comes alive with the meager coal in Bob Cratchit’s fireplace, the door knocker that morphs into Marley’s face, and the pictures of…
I’ve often heard that Sarah, Plain and Tall is a very good book, but somehow I hadn’t read it before.It’s a deceptively simple story, short, with easy-to-read language. Despite its simplicity, the story packs a big emotional punch.Sarah, who is in fact plain and tall, comes from her home near…
Marissa Meyer has written another fabulous book with Cress. Book Three of The Lunar Chronicles lives up to the high standard set by Cinder and Scarlet. (My daughter would say it surpasses it. Cress is her favorite.)Like the two previous books, this one is a fairy-tale retelling–in this case of…
I read Bridge to Terabithia once long ago, and my memory of it was fuzzy–only that it was a very good book, and that it made me sad.When a student needed to read it for a class, I was glad to pick up a copy and read along. And, having…