There are some things you just can’t tell anyone, not even your best friends. When Zinnia Manning’s older brother, Gabriel, gets into an “accident” while he is away at college, he is diagnosed with a mental illness and sent to a hospital. No one knows when he can come home or if he will be okay. Zinnia’s life seems to be collateral damage.
Ned Who Am I Really? takes readers on a soul-searching journey to discover what makes a person truly them. Little Ned hears whispers from illustrated thoughts about his identity. Ned begins to ponder the thought’s questions, and he lists his basic likes and dislikes about the world. However, when Ned visits his Nanny, she enlightens Ned to think beyond the artificial and temporary things of the world and dive down into the invisible parts of his soul. As Ned follows Nanny’s prompts, he soon discovers what makes him Ned and his purpose in this world.
The Adventures of Luis, the Two-tailed Lizard begins with a little girl and her sister and their relationship with a black lizard who lives in their grandmother’s garden in Miami, Florida. Throughout the story, the sisters notice Luis, his family of lizards, and his friends. They eventually get to talk to Luis and learn about all of the exciting adventures of his life. Luis takes readers on a journey to sail across oceans to new countries and make new friends from different cultures. Get ready to jump into a fascinating tale about a lizard with two tails!
Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn, is a fantastic novel about a young woman named Bree Mathews. Bree is currently attending an early acceptance program for high school students at a college in Carolina. Although an exciting privilege and one she was proud to be a part of, she, too, was having to cope with the recent loss of her mother, a heart wrenching event that made happiness seem nearly impossible.
Mommy, Daddy Please Teach Me! begins with the birth of a new baby girl. Throughout this picture book, the little girl grows, but she wants to learn things that she can use in the future when she is older. The new things she learns are written in rhyme, and the story builds by showing how she can use these resources in her life.
Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School is the second book in the Middle Grade Time Travel series by I.M. Maynard. It’s a great mystery and adventure with all of the same funny middle school antics that appear in the first book. Many of the kids and staff are honest and friendly but a few still gang up on each other. When Roger is assigned to read Robin Hood for class, he decides he could be “Roger Hood” by using his magic time travel calendar to help others any way he can.
Sam, the main character in I Am Sam, written and illustrated by Rodney James, has always known he was different from the rest of his family. He couldn’t fly as early as his siblings and was much larger than them. Even though Sam knew his family loved him despite his differences, he felt that he needed to find out who he really was and embarked on a journey of self- discovery. Along the way Sam met many animals - owls, lizards, dogs, turtles, elephants, and pelicans - who all tried to help him figure out who he was.
What is your favorite way to spend time with your grandma? Would you rather snuggle up with her and read a great book together or go on a big exciting adventure? Would you rather visit a museum or the beach with your grandma? What if you couldn’t spend time with her at all? If Grandma Were Here, written by Amber L. Bradbury and illustrated by Jessica Corbett, explores all the fun things kids can do with their grandmothers but also teaches young children that even if they can’t physically be with their grandma, she will always be with them in their hearts.
Roger Tarkington isn't your ordinary 12 year old boy. He spends his days traveling, time traveling that is. In school this year, Roger is faced with the problem of cheaters. After being wrongfully accused, he takes it upon himself to use his magic calendar to find out who the real culprits are. It isn't easy, however, to keep track of the current time, go back in time, and still be a regular kid! Join Roger to see if he can keep it all straight, solve the mystery, and still make it to class on time!
What would you do if death followed you everywhere you went? Katie - The Daughter Of tells the story of a girl who literally lives that very scenario, but not in the way one would think. Seventeen-year-old Katie Death is the daughter of one of the world’s many Grim Reapers, James Death. Grim Reapers are Immortals who serve to help separate souls from their dead hosts. As her dad is Immortal, Katie has heard stories about the Immortals her whole life. These stories include things like the battle between Upstairs and Downstairs and between Angels and Demons.
