From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler By E.L. Konigsburg Adventure Juvenile Fiction Mystery Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Feeling unappreciated and taken advantage of, Claudia decides to teach her parents a lesson by running away. Because she’s a planner, and accustomed to a certain standard of living (and comfort) she decides to invite her younger brother Jamie (who saves ALL of his money) on…
Almost Home by Joan Bauer Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Sugar Mae Cole and her mother Reba are evicted from their home when they fail to make payments on their mortgage. Sugar’s father, Mr. Leeland, convinced Reba to loan him money, and has yet to pay it back. Sugar is a smart girl – much wiser than her twelve years – and she makes preliminary arrangements for…
I’m From Nowhere by Suzanne Myers Mystery Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Wren’s journalist mother gets a once in a life opportunity to report on a story in Greenland for 6 months, but as a result, Wren has to go to Hardwick Hall – a boarding school on the east coast (very far away from her home in Ventura, CA) where her mom was once a…
Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Michael’s family has had to move 4 times so far to accommodate his father’s job, and they’re all pretty sick of the upheavals. Michael’s now attending a fancy private Catholic school called St. Clare’s (although, he’s an atheist), and looking for at least one other fellow outcast to befriend. He finds several and ends up joining…
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) I’ve read this book several times and love it! I recommend “The Seventh Most Important Thing” to anyone looking for an exciting book. I love it and hope it you read it you will love it, too!
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Steve York is in danger of failing life, but he doesn’t care. He’s worked hard to escape his past – to forget and distance himself from what happened in Texas. His high school guidance counselor, DeMouy, however, reminds him that he once was a good student, and that there’s still time to turn things around. In…
Ghost Track #1 by Jason Reynolds Realistic Fiction Sports * * * * Stars (Great!) Castle Cranshaw (aka Ghost) ends up on the Defenders track team after schooling one of its sprinters – even in rolled up jeans and old high tops, Ghost is faster. Although Ghost isn’t really interested in running, Coach convinces him that it’ll help his basketball game. While that isn’t necessarily true, Ghost discovers that he…
The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Bun O’Keefe’s mother (a hoarder) tells her to “Get out!” Bun does. Homeless and not sure what to do or where to go, Bun approaches a busker/musician who, charmed by Bun’s quirky character, takes her under his wing and back to his temporary lodgings. Bun goes on to charm his housemates with her…
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Kiko Himura (half-Japanese) is hoping to get into the art school of her dreams – Prism – in New York. She can’t wait to leave home, where her self-obsessed mother makes her and her siblings miserable. But she doesn’t get in. And her uncle, who sexually abused her, is moving in with them. As she grasps at…
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Historical Fiction Juvenile Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Ada and her brother Jaimie are now permanent wards of their guardian, Susan, who took them in when they were evacuated from London. The first thing Susan does is arrange for Ada to have surgery to correct her clubfoot, which has long been a source of pain and shame for her. …