Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, #1 by Louise Rennison Funny Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This book is a journal written by a fourteen year old British girl. She basically talks about all of these crazy things that are going on in her life. Her family is really funny. She has a cat who is half wild and is always eating odd things and … Read more
Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars Rosemary Goode has a love-hate relationship with food – she loves to eat it, but she hates what it’s doing to her. Her weight has been steadily climbing and she recently hit her all time high – 203lbs. Her mom and aunt are always on her case about taking the pounds off, and the Bluebirds (the popular girl clique in school) constantly make … Read more
Adored It Girl series #8 by Cecily Von Ziegesar Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Adored is the 8th novel in the It Girl series. Set around Christmas time, this book has many surprising gifts. The Secret Santa Gift Swap is turned into Secret Satan, causing many laughs and also anger. Jenny is being adored by a group of freshmen, giving the book its title, which eventually backfires. Brett is falling … Read more
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Scarlett’s on her last, last chance after she gets thrown out of Greenhall Academy (she starts what amounts to a riot in the cafeteria when she shares her radical vegetarian agenda with her fellow students). Her mom sends her to live with her father, whom Scarlett hasn’t seen or spoken to in several years (Scarlett has already been sent to live with her … Read more
Charmed and Dangerous Clique series by Lisi Harrison Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * Stars (Pretty good) Lisi Harrison goes back in time in Charmed and Dangerous to explain how the Pretty Committee was formed. Massie was in a different clique first called the Ahnnabees. She was fed up with them so she told them and her new charmes ended up scattered about Merri Lee’s New Year’s Eve Party. Kristn, Dylan, and Alicia each … Read more
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban Realistic Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Zoe Elias is ten, going on eleven, and she’s planning to be the next child prodigy playing piano at Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately, her father sidetracks her big plans by getting her an organ (the Perfectone D60) instead of the baby grand piano she’s got her heart set on. No matter. Zoe decides to become proficient at the Perfectone … Read more
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) I love how this book is sprinkled with Japanese words. And not just ones that you would hear anyway, but things like “kira-kira” – glittering – or “katsu” – triumph. This is the story of Katie’s family, how they move from a small Japanese community in Iowa to an even smaller Japanese community in Georgia. Katie, from the time she is born, is … Read more
Alphas Alphas series #1 by Lisi Harrison Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * Stars (Pretty Good) Alphas is about an island where 100 talented girls go to learn and compete for the Alpha title. Shira Brazille, the most respected woman in the world, created this island and she has 5 sons. The most important rule is that the girls stay away from Shira’s sons, but this rule tends to be broken. The book focuses … Read more
At First Sight by Catherine Hapka Realistic Fiction Romance Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Lauren has always been the quiet shadow of her flirty best friend Britt. She has never even been on a date. All of this changes, though, when she sets eyes on an amazingly hot guy on a school field trip. He encountered her too, but at the brief moment the sparks flew between them, it was dark. When … Read more
Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan Realistic Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This would make a delightful read-aloud for grades 1-4. Author/illustrator, Hannigan, embraces word play and fun in this charming story of a young girl’s quest to be true to herself and be lonely no more. The book’s short chapters and big illustrations make it a good transition to longer juvenile fiction. Reviewed by Debbie Luetscher, Youth Services Staff