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It’s time to go wild! In Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, author and illustrator Peter Brown tackles the tough topic of being unique. It’s the story of Mr. Tiger, who is bored with his life and looking for a change. Slowly but surely, Mr. Tiger begins to break away from the mold and become himself. Despite feeling alone, he continues to be his own person. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is a story that teaches children to be confident in who they are, no matter what. See what happens as Mr. Tiger continues to change and takes a walk on the wild side!  Posted by Dani R.Read More →

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Sarah Nelson is not your typical twelve year old. While most kids her age enjoy watching action movies and playing sports, Sarah prefers to read books and write letters to Atticus Finch, a fictional character from her favorite novel. Her best friend happens to be a plant and she has never known her mother. While Sarah wants to know her mom and see her, she is unable to because Sarah’s mom is living in a mental institution. Sarah and her father have moved around Texas so many times, Sarah has never felt as if she has had a home. Once a neighbor, classmate, or co-workerRead More →

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Almost thirteen year old Will Scarlet is the sheltered, spoiled son of Lord Shackley.  He chaffs against the rules of his father’s house, the impending threat of responsibility, and would rather run reckless through the castle playing with his childhood friends.  But his father’s been gone to war with King Richard for too long now, and trouble is brewing in England: the King’s brother, John, who’s been minding the throne while the King has been on crusade, is making his move to consolidate his power and the Shackley House and Will’s honorable uncle Geoff stand in John’s way. When the Shackley House falls, Will fleesRead More →

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In a word, “delightful!” I actually can’t stop raving to whomever will listen to me about Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt‘s Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things.  The first book in a new trilogy for middle readers, this book enchanted me from page one – its captivating story, chock full of mysteries large and small; smart, likeable characters; detailed and delicate pencil drawings from Iacopo Bruno; and beautifully rendered historical details – it’s everything I love in a book and more. 12 year old Max Starling’s parents are famous actors and they’ve been invited to India by the Maharajah of Kashmir himself, with two firstRead More →

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Ok, I am so glad to be a vegetarian.  All those terrible things that I could imagine happening at massive feedlots, huge industrial slaughterhouses, and behind the guise of corporate “farming”, happen in Paolo Bacigalupi’s nightmarish comedy Zombie Baseball Beatdown.  Milrow Meat Solutions processes enough beef to feed people in seven states, which means acres and acres of cows packed into feedlots in filth and excrement up to their bellies, a plant the size of a small city that employs vast quantities of undocumented workers who, for 24 hours a day, race to process thousands upon thousands of cuts of beef, and a research andRead More →

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9 year old twins Bick and Beck have lived almost their whole lives at sea.  Along with their older sister Storm and big brother Tailspin Tommy, Bick & Beck and their parents sail around the world hunting for lost treasure, digging up archaeological curiosities, and living a life of adventure.  Homeschooled on the boat to “survive in the real world – without iPods, iPhones, iPads or Papa John’s Pizza” (23) the Kidd kids can cook, man a sixty three foot sailing ship on their own, navigate by the stars and survive marauding pirates, shark attacks, and unscrupulous adults chasing them from one treasure trove toRead More →

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“A long time ago in  galaxy far, far away… there was a boy named Roman Novachez … who was destined to attend Pilot Academy Middle School and become the GREATEST Star pilot in the GALAXY. Until everything went TOTALLY and COMPLETELY WRONG…” (1)  And so begins a funny trip across the galaxy from Tatooine to Corsucant with a kid who feels  unprepared for the adventure that is middle school. Roman has been looking forward to following in his big brother’s footsteps and attending the galaxy’s renowned Pilot Academy Middle School where he can train to be a star fighter pilot.  But instead of being acceptedRead More →

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Suzanne Lafleur, author of Listening for Lucca, brings readers into a magical world where there is more to life than teenage drama. Siena isn’t sure what she calls her “special intuition”. She is able to feel, hear, and see things that other people cannot. At first, she assumes her imagination is taking her for an adventure when she catches herself remembering vivid dreams. In her most recent dream, she sees this beautiful house, right off the lake in Maine. There is a calm breeze, a relaxing atmosphere, and a family who occupies the house. This family seems strangely similar to Siena’s, but she cannot figureRead More →

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A book written about WWII from a perspective rarely seen, that of a little boy who loaned his dog to the army because he wanted to make his daddy proud. That is exactly what Hobart “Hobie” Hanson did in Duke by Kirby Larson. Hobie’s dad is in Europe flying fighter jets for the American army in WWII. Hobie and his family, his mother and little sister June, have been doing everything they can from home to be good home front soldiers. They have planted a victory garden, Hobie makes model airplanes that are used to train soldiers, and each member of the family is workingRead More →