M.C. Ryder has written the all things to know about standing up for yourself when it comes to bullying. It is a heartfelt book that teaches why people become a bully and what you can really do to stand up to a bully. Ryder has a way of genuinely talking about a tough subject from a compassionate but firm viewpoint. Stand up to Bullying covers everything from standing up to your bully by saying, "no," to ignoring the bully, to finding kindness as a way to throw off your bully.
In MoneyWise Mabel's Bursting Bank, we meet Mabel who collects her money earned from her chores in her piggy bank and hides it from everyone in her favorite hideout, which is under her bed. But on payday when Mabel tries to squeeze the coins earned from her no-fun chores, her piggy could eat no more. Mabel begins to bounce with joy from the excitement of all the candy she could buy with her money and went down stairs to share the excitement with her mother.
The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Aviation Girls by Tom Durwood features eight girls and a starling bird, who show us grit and determination in doing what needs to be done. Nine stories fused in one book tell us the journey of different girls and their contribution to the history of flight.
Olivia’s First Christmas is a personalized story about a family eager to celebrate their baby’s first Christmas season. The proud mom and dad share Olivia’s first experiences, including photos with Santa, Christmas caroling, and decorating the tree.
Shiloh, a thirteen year old girl, embarks on a mission to rid her world of aliens who devastated her life and took her family two years prior. After a failed attack on an alien named Dracula, she reluctantly partners with a peculiar, hairless cat alien who claims to know where the enemy spaceship is. With the chance to obliterate these creatures once and for all, Shiloh struggles with her desire to kill her irritating companion. When she befriends another unexpected ally named Rita, they stick together for a journey of a lifetime.
Karen Miller hasn’t had the easiest time of things lately. After a relationship didn’t work out as she had planned, nothing was holding her in her current life in Poughkeepsie. Since her eighty-year-old grandfather just recently lost his wife of fifty years, maybe a relocation to live closer to him in Manhattan would be the perfect thing for the both of them. Quitting her job, she moves to Manhattan for a fresh start.
Snitchland is the second novel in Tim Mulligan’s Richland trilogy, meaning that this review contains spoilers for Witchland: The Graphic Novel. If you have yet to read Witchland, you may consult my previous LitPick review (and the other lovely ones.)
Girl At Sea is a coming-of-age novel with a twist. Beth is also on a path for revenge. A happy 14-year-old until tragedy strikes her life, Beth is forced to grow up fast. Thankfully her family friend Silas, a 45-year-old former Navy SEAL who lives on his boat, steps in and saves her from a life in foster care. But before they can sail away, Beth is forced to learn some harsh lessons about the darker side of human nature. As they sail around the world, death and danger seem to follow them, along with a black albatross that mostly flies above their boat unseen.
Light Locked by A.K. Chandler tells the adventures of a Veilin princess as she tries to destroy a cursed Medallion which could end the whole of humanity. Clea, who is a Veilin and the last princess of Loda, was escaping Shambelin with the Deadlock Medallion, which she had stolen, hanging on her neck. She wandered in the forest seeking directions back to her city. Her mission was to get the Medallion destroyed, since it posed a great threat to the existence of humanity.
Two years ago, Jessica's mom passed away from cancer. Now, Jessie and her father are going on a vacation from their home in Florida to Bermuda before her dad starts chemo for his thyroid cancer. Jessie is excited about their vacation but ignores her worries about her dad's cancer. On the way to Bermuda, Jessica and her father's plane hits a rough patch of weather, and Jessica's father hits his head, making him unable to see. Jessie has to take over flying the plane so they don't crash.
