Margaret and the Moth Tree by Brit Trogen and Kari Trogen

Once upon a time, Margaret had two parents. They were wonderful parents who loved her and took great care of her. Then they died, and Margaret lived with different relatives until they all died, too, and there was no one else to look after her. Margaret was sent to the Hopeton Orphanage by the women of the Concerned Ladies Club, but what seemed like a cheerful place upon arrival was, as Margaret quickly found out, a terrible place ruled by a terrible woman named Miss Switch. Miss Switch kept all the money and the good things for herself and divided the children into two groups: the Pets and the dregs. The Pets are her favourites while the dregs...well, it's not good to be a dreg. Margaret spends her days being quiet, so quiet that she's able to hear things that other people can't. That's how she discovers the moths and the moth tree, a discovery that will change her life (and the lives of the other children at the orphanage).

I almost feel like I should put up some sort of disclaimer; the authors are friends of a friend of mine, although we've never met (though that is how I first discovered the book). While the moths are included in the title (and on the cover) my favourite parts of the book focused on Margaret in the orphanage; they read like a cross between Annie and Matilda (with, although probably from only my perspective, a touch of The Cider House Rules). Margaret is a great character. She's a smart girl who has had an extraordinarily difficult life. My heart broke for her and all of the children who are treated so poorly.  This is a fantasy book but a mild one; rather than turning to the common supernatural characters it looks toward nature and connecting with the living creatures around you.  Margaret and the Moth Tree could easily do for moths what Charlotte's Web did for spiders - take some ordinary insect commonly thought to be a bit icky and fill it with the possibility of magic and wonder.

Visit Kari Trogen's website for more info about her and Brit Trogen's website for more info about her.

Margaret and the Moth Tree is published by Kids Can Press.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

One Moment by Kristina McBride

Maggie has been looking forward to the summer for a long time. She's sure that it's going to be full of great days hanging out with her friends and her boyfriend, Joey. But Memorial Day weekend changes everything. Joey dies in a horrible accident, and Maggie is the only one who knows what happens in his last moments. But her memory has blocked out those events, and she has no answers for her friends, Joey's parents, or herself. As she tries to discover what went on in those final moments, she uncovers a number of secrets being kept by people she thought were her closest friends. One moment can change everything...and Maggie isn't sure what to do next.

(Mild spoilers below)

Kristina McBride is very skilled at writing about the death of a teen who was so full of life. His closest friends experience the horror of watching him die, his family searches for answers, and there's a rush to remember him as a perfect person (followed by a tentative emergence of their less-than-ideal qualities). This comes out so well in Maggie's descriptions of Joey and how, when you think about them, you can see some jerkish qualities (or, to put it less harshly, some human qualities) in her glowing description of him. At times it felt like the book was framed as a mystery (with 'what happened?' being the unanswered question), but that approach didn't quite work for me because I felt like if it was going for mystery the first part of the book gave too much away. I had a pretty good idea of what happened between Maggie and Joey, and so rather than information being revealed I felt the story unfolded. I found it more useful to keep coming back to the the idea of "one moment." One moment Joey was alive... and then he wasn't. One moment Maggie had everything she wanted...and then she didn't. One moment really can change things, even when it's not strictly a matter of life and death.


Check out Kristina McBride's website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Egmont USA.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
Freefall by Ariela Anhalt
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

A Passion for Victory by Benson Bobrick

Every Olympic cycle, there's a new crop of hungry athletes looking to make their golden dreams come true; there's also a new crop of books about the International sporting event. Schools and libraries in particular need to make sure their collections are current and relevant and cover not only today's athletes but also athletes from games past. What sets A Passion for Victory apart from other books is that it explores the area that other books often skip over: the origins of the Ancient Olympics and the first Modern Olympic Games. Sure, many books talk about the ancient traditions or talk about Pierre de Coubertin, but it's often just a cursory look on the way to focusing on today's sports stars. This book looks closely at the Greek traditions and the people who shaped the development of the Olympics. It also stops around mid-20th century in terms of the Modern Olympics. Because of this focus, it wouldn't make sense for this to be the only book on the Olympics that you have (particularly if you're looking for something that will discuss the games to the present day), but it would make an excellent addition to any sports collection.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Battle of Nashville by Benson Bobrick
Rush For Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein
The 2012 London Olympics by Nick Hunter

Purity by Jackson Pearce

Before Shelby's mother passed away, she gave her daughter three rules to live by: listen to your father, love as much as possible, and live a life without restraint. Shelby has always kept her word to her mother, but this time she's up against something different. Her father is organizing the annual Princess Ball, which means that Shelby is going to be one of the princesses on display...and she will have to make a vow (to her father) to live a pure life. Shelby doesn't want to remain a virgin until she's married, and so she finds a loophole in her mom's rules - if she's already had sex before the vow, she can't promise her purity to her father. Time is running out for her to find someone to sleep with...but is this going to be more difficult than she anticipated?

I love the questions that Jackson Pearce raises and addresses in her writing. The idea of purity (and purity balls and rings and promises) is a very interesting one: Is purity something that you can promise to someone else? Why would you? What does purity mean? Is it only about being a virgin? It's strange to say that the honesty is something that I love about this book, because the characters spend so much time keeping things to themselves. But there's an honesty in the writing that comes through in the characters. The characters lives are messy; the characters make good decisions and bad decisions but it was always clear to me why they were making the decisions. I did struggle with the initial premise a little bit - not the Princess Ball aspect but Shelby's interpretation of her mother's rule. I didn't think that "listen to your father" necessarily meant "obey your father, no matter what he says," which is how Shelby lives it. But after awhile I could see that part of the promise was contextual. Agreeing to the promises was one of the last things that Shelby ever said to her mother; they were some of the only guidance that Shelby's mom ever gave her about her teen years. Being in that situation meant that Shelby had a different perspective on it than I would, and I didn't have the emotional connection to the situation to influence my interpretation. (And, of course, there is a little bit of the 'well, if she didn't do it that way, there wouldn't be much of a story.) This is a great book for teen readers - particularly for teen girls and young women as it provides a bit of a framework for thinking about your life, your sexuality, and the relationships that you have with people in your life.

Check out Jackson Pearce's website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti
Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

There Are Cats In This Book by Viviane Schwarz

There are cats in this book. Three cats, to be exact. They love to play and sleep and have adventures, and they're happy that you're here now, too, because you can help them to turn pages and do other stuff. Join them as they go on an adventure, but be careful - they might need your help to get them out of a jam!

There's something I love about understated book titles. There are cats in this book: fact.  But that tells you nothing about how fun these cats are. The cats are frequently on little flaps that can move from side to side. This is how they jump from page to page across the book's gutter and ask you to help them out with things like blankets and changing the page. This is a book that will be magical for a child at just the right age: old enough not to rip the pages (and there are many little flaps), but young enough to find delight in the way the cats speak directly to the reader (and how the reader can follow the cats' directions). And, if you like this book, make sure to check out There Are No Cats in This Book.

Check out Viviane Schwarz's website to see more of her art and her work.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
There Are No Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz
Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker
Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj

Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland

There is a bear who lives in the forest. He loves to give hugs to the other animals. He specializes in bear hugs, because, well, he's a bear. But his favourite things to hug are trees. One day he sees a man staring at a tree. He thinks that this must mean that the man loves trees as much as he does! But if that's true, then why does the man have a chainsaw...?

I've only recently found Nicholas Oldland's picture books, and I'm having my usual reaction when I come across something that's so awesome: where have I been all this time? I love the dry writing style and the solid art style; I love the expressions on the animals faces and the small touches on every page.  This book has a lovely pro-nature, pro-hugs agenda, and it should be read by a lot of people who need to hear this message. It's a great book to use with kids as a springboard for discussion questions: why would someone want to cut down trees? is it okay to hug people who might not want to be hugged? how can you help someone who is hurt to feel better? Don't make the same mistake that I did; don't wait to read this book.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Making the Moose Out of Life by Nicholas Oldland
The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland
You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Emerson sees things that no one else can see. They're not ghosts, exactly, but more like representations of people from the past - southern belles, soldiers, musicians. When you touch them they pop and disappear, which is an unsettling experience. Emerson has been seeing them for years - since around the time that her parents died in a terrible accident. Now she lives with her brother and sister-in-law and is trying to keep everything under control. That's when Michael Weaver enters her life. He says he can help her, but what does that mean? How does he understand her so well? And what is Emerson supposed to do about the deep attraction that she feels toward him?

Once I got into this book, I had a very hard time putting it down. Luckily, I read it during the 48 Hour Reading Challenge, so I was able to read it all in one sitting. It had come highly recommended by a librarian colleague of mine, and I can see why. It's a great mix of the supernatural and science fiction, romance and adventure. I have no idea if the science put forward in this book is even possible, but that's so besides the point (at least for me, and probably for most readers who pick it up). The southern setting, the characters, and the storyline make it a natural for a screen adaptation of some kind. I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel, Timepiece, particularly because I want to know more about Kaleb, one of the minor (but important) characters from Hourglass.

Check out Myra McEntire's website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Timepiece by Myra McEntire
The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The Best Mistake Ever! and Other Stories by Richard Scarry

New readers have three stories by Richard Scarry to explore on their own in The Best Mistake Ever! And Other Stories. In one, Huckle and Lowly mix up a grocery list but end up getting exactly what they need. In another, a bicycle bell and a cuckoo clock have a terrible accident that leads to a very surprising present. And in the third story, Huckle is sad when Lowly stops spending time with him at school...until he finds out what's really going on. Don't miss these familiar characters as they learn that sometimes mistakes have happy endings!

I grew up with Richard Scarry books, and I'm glad that they are still around and in print in different formats (like this Step Into Reading book that I read as an e-title). One of my favourite things about oversized books like What Do People Do All Day? was scouring the pages and picking out all of the details. That's not something you'll really find here, but what you will find is a book that's perfectly structured for kids to read on their own. The pages have classic Scarry illustrations but also large print, lots of white space, and visual cues to help with harder vocabulary words. The book has a copyright date of 1984, but instead of reading as dated, it appears as timeless (at least to me - I'd love to know what kids think of this or if they even notice). This is a great choice for young readers and a solid choice for schools and libraries to have in their collections.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry
Little Witch Goes to School by Deborah Hautzig
The Worst Helper Ever by Richard Scarry

The Glimpse by Claire Merle

In 2018, the world as it was known collapsed. Society was thrown into chaos. In order to rise from the ashes and rebuild, London instituted a new policy: every person would have to undergo a DNA test, and anyone who had the gene for one of the Big3 (Depression, Schizophrenia, Anxiety) was immediately dealt with. The "Pures" were given a much different life from the "Crazies," and much emphasis was placed on binding and joining two Pures together so that they could have Pure children. Just before she's ready for her own joining, Ana discovers that she isn't who she thinks she is. Her mother wasn't Pure, and neither is she. How could the test make such an error? Or did it? It casts suspicion on her father, the creator of the test. As Ana tries to figure out who she is and what she wants, she gets drawn into a deadly game of power, truth, and politics.

The strongest futuristic books are the ones that seem outlandish at first but also completely believable. Medicating children, scapegoating, and the focus on an ideal purity all seem like things that could happen in this way. Ana is a smart, resourceful girl whose world is crashing around her. Her father isn't who she thought he was; her fiance is a mystery to her, too. She makes dangerous moves because she's desperate. There's a lot of action and a few twists about what is really going on, both in the city and in the Pures' own walled community. And, rounding out the action, is a romance that emphasizes questions of attraction, fate, and doing the right thing. The Glimpse is book one in a two book series, so look for the story to continue sometime in the near future.

See more at Claire Merle's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Faber and Faber.

Read it with:
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Matched by Ally Condie

Hamsters Holding Hands by Kass Reich

Hamsters can do many different things. They can play together and they can eat together. They can enjoy the sun and jump in the air.  Count from one to ten with these friendly hamsters and they will show you all the things that they love to do. Hamsters can do a lot of different things, but they have the most fun when they're together.

There's a lovely quiet charm about this board book. It outwardly looks very simple: a counting book from 1-10, featuring hamsters doing different activities. And yet, there's something in its design that transcends this description. The look of the book uses lots of oranges, yellows, and greens; it doesn't feel like your traditional picture book palatte. The back cover of the book promises hamsters that are cute and loveable, and I totally agree.  They're just so happy about everything that they're doing. The text rhymes between the numbers (the line for 1 rhymes with the line for 2), and it's set up so that the numbers themselves aren't rhyming with words (which is good because seven is always very tricky to rhyme). Definitely check this book out for young readers or kids practicing their numbers (and libraries should add it to their board book collections).

See more of Kass Reich's work at her website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
One Grey Mouse by Katherine Burton
Ones and Twos by Marthe Jocelyn
Canada 1-2-3 by Per-Henrik Gurth

Animals should definitely not wear clothing by Judi Barrett and drawn by Ron Barrett

There are many reasons why animals should not wear clothing. A kangaroo, for example, already has pockets. Neckties would look silly on giraffes. A walrus would get his clothes wet.  But what's the biggest reason why animals should definitely not wear clothing? You'll have to read this book and see.

Where has this book been all my life? I have no idea why I only read it for the first time recently. I love its dry, straightforward style. It's just so logical. Of COURSE a snake couldn't wear pants. Of COURSE a hat is too big for a mouse. The words and the pictures are given equal weight; this book is a perfect balance of both and just wouldn't be the same if either was changed. There's something wonderful about the way this book works the page flip; it gently builds the suspense as you wonder what animal and what reason will be on the next page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it, and if you already have, give it another look.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendelbach

Big Brave Daddy by Smiljana Coh

 Charlie is a little boy. He loves his Dad, and his Dad can do some amazing things. Charlie only swims in the bathtub, but his Dad can go deep sea diving. Charlie can sled down the hill, but his Dad can go skiing down mountains. There are so many things that Charlie's big brave Daddy can do - and one day they are going to do those things together.

 This is a lovely, funny book about how children often look up to their parents through adoring eyes. I love how the book doesn't just catalog all of the things that Daddy can do; it also looks forward to the day when Charlie and his Daddy can do them together. Being a father isn't just about being able to do amazing things - it also involves teaching and nurturing your children. This is a great addition to any collection of books that look at positive relationships between parents and children. 

See more of Smiljana Coh's illustrations at her website. 

I received a review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Blue Apple Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg
Mitchell's License by Hallie Durand

All Alone with Daddy by Joan Fassler illustrated by Dorothy Lake Gregory

Ellen's mom is going out of town. That means that Ellen is going to be all alone with her father. She's looking forward to taking care of him. She tries to be like her mother. She has a lot of fun and loves getting all of his attention. When her mom comes home, though, she's not sure how she feels about sharing Daddy again.

I came across this book in a thrift store, and I knew I wouldn't be leaving without it. It's apparently part of a series that looks at psychological issues through picture books ("Children's Series on Psychologically Relevant Themes"). It was originally published in 1969, which means that even aside from the subject matter I like looking at the illustrations of the fashions of the day. I've had it for a few years now, and I still don't even know what really to say about it. Ellen's feelings are presented as normal and no one tries to make her feel bad for having them. In fact, no one tries to do anything about them at all; she deals with them all on her own. It's hard to say whether or not her parents know anything about her feelings (although dressing herself up in her mom's clothes might have given her dad a clue, neither of them now about her dream where daughters marry their fathers and have children with them). The ending of the book is a bit too retro for me (Ellen deciding to grow up to be just like her mom and marry someone just like her Dad, complete with the image of her running towards a boy) but I do find this book to be a fascinating glimpse into so many things including child psychology, gender norms, and 1969.

 

Read it with: 

Billy and Our New Baby by Helen S. Arnstein

I Have Feelings by Terry Berger

Things I Hate by Harriet Wittels and Joan Griesman

The Man of the House by Joan Fassler 

Star Trek FAQ by Mark Clark

Much has been written about Star Trek in the more than forty years since the Starship Enterprise first appeared on television. People have looked at its science and its ethics; the stars have written about their behind the scene experiences. Novels expand on what was shown on screen and reviews place it in the context of popular culture. Star Trek FAQ bills itself as "Everything left to know about the first voyages of the Starship Enterprise," and that's what it puts forward. It has chapters dedicated to the creators, writers, actors, directors, guest stars, and anyone else who came in contact with the show. It discusses the sources that came before the show and the revivals that came afterward. If you have a question about Star Trek, this book probably has the answer.

There is a part of me that wonders if there's still a market for books like this. Couldn't you just look at a wikipedia page? Wouldn't you get the same information? And while I think you can, there is something so satisfyingly authoritative about a thick book that brings together so many different sources and topics. There was probably more that I needed about the actors previous roles, but it was helpful for filling in information about their lives before Star Trek. I don't know if the book is designed to be read straight through, like I did; some of the sections are repetitive, even down to the same phrasing. But if you're just starting where you're curious, this probably is less noticeable. What this book did quite well was get me excited about Star Trek. Talking about the episodes and the storylines made me curious to see more. I know a bit about the show, but only culturally; I know I've seen some episodes but I've never really sat down and watched one (although I was quite into Star Trek: The Next Generation) and I've only seen a few of the movies. Now, though, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the series and want to actually experience it. Super fans (Trekkies, if you will), won't likely find too much new in here, but fans of television and pop culture (as well as library non-fiction collections) should definitely give it a look.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Hal Leonard Books.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
To The Stars by George Takei
Beyond Uhura by Nichelle Nichols
Beam Me Up, Scotty by James Doohan
Inside Star Trek by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman
Star Trek Memories by William Shatner

Keep Holding On by Susanne Colasanti

For Noelle, high school is hell. She's had to put up with bullying from her classmates for years. Her teachers can't - or won't - do anything to help her. Her home life isn't any better. Her mom never buys groceries, takes the money that Noelle is saving for college, and has shut herself off from Noelle emotionally...unless the emotion is anger. Noelle has heard the message that she's worthless so many times that she fully believes it. When Julian seems interested in her, she can't believe it. Why would a great guy like him be interested in her? It will take a lot for Noelle to convince herself that she's worthy of attention, respect...and happiness.

(Spoilers below)

There were times in this book that Noelle just broke my heart. She way that she sabotages her own chances at happiness are so hard to see. Her sense of self worth is so warped because of the information she's been taking in about herself: her mother doesn't take care of her, her classmates think she's garbage, her 'boyfriend' doesn't want anyone to know that they hook up. The book struck a great note in terms of being realistic while still providing (spoiler alert) a story that ends on a positive note. I didn't think that it necessarily was going to end so positively; the countdown that runs throughout the book made me nervous that perhaps it was more than just a countdown to the end of school. But the end does take the idea of "it gets better" and reshapes it a bit into "it can start getting better now." I'm glad that the ending looks at more than just good friendships and a possible romance; it also focuses on Noelle starting to think about herself differently and going to therapy. The idea that going to college (or leaving high school) will make everything better doesn't always come true if you bring along your issues with you, so it made me very happy to see Noelle work on the damage that the bullying and neglect has caused. This book is topical but not sensationalized and fans of Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen should definitely check it out.

See more information at Susane Colasanti's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Penguin Young Readers/Viking.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Taming by Eric Walters and Teresa Toten
Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti