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The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington , 264 pages.  Candlewick, 2018.  $18.  Language: PG (7 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (mentions of deaths and cruelty, nothing graphic) BUYING ADVISORY:  HS - OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE One moment Ella was walking home from school, the next she has been rounded up by the Nazis because of her yellow star and transported to the concentration camp  Birkenau, or Birchwood, as the author calls it. Luckily she is a superb seamstress and is able to get a job in the Upper Tailoring Studio where they makes clothing for the female officers and the wives of the camp overseers.  But life under Nazi rule is cheap – one little slip and anyone can be out on their ear in a heartbeat.  The girls of the Studio try to form a family, but the only person Ella really trusts is Rose – a former member of an upper class, who is now also only trying to survive.   I rated this optional only because the audience for it will be small.  Excellent writing, an

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan , 472 pages. Little Brown and Company, 2018. $19  Language: PG-13 (6 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G. BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL  AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH Leigh is a sophomore in high school when her mother commits suicide on an afternoon she is away with her best friend Axel. Leigh soon starts seeing a large red bird and is convinced it is her mom trying to get a message to her. The bird leads her to make a trip to Taiwan to visit her estranged grandparents. There, through mystical experiences, she learns about her mother’s past and her experiences with depression. Leigh emerges from these experiences with a better handle on her grief, her sense of guilt, and her relationship with her dad and her friends.  This is a brilliantly crafted book. Leigh describes the world around her and inside of her through colors; this adds a beautiful layer to the text. While the nature of suicide makes the content of this book mature, the

How We Got To Now: Six Innovations That Made The Modern World by Steven Johnson , 152 pages. NON-FICTION. Viking (Penguin), 2018. $20 Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G. BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL  AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE This book is a young reader adaptation from a New York Times bestseller and covers the discoveries and innovations surrounding glass, cold, sound, cleanliness, time, and light. Each chapter covers one of these topics and includes a comprehensive history with the logistical details embedded in the timeline. The chapters also contain a number of photographs and illustrations. There are a lot of attention grabbing anecdotes in each section.   My entire family loved this book. We jumped around the book, each taking a turn picking a topic, and learned a lot in the process. One of the anecdotes that we have retold to other people we read in the chapter on light and it tell the story of how whale oil was used to make cheaper candles. To ge

Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper by Manuela Santoni , 95 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Graphic Universe (Lerner), 2016.  Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G. BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE  AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE This is the story of Jane Austen’s family dynamics, the discovery of her writing talents, and her romantic experiences. This graphic novel hinges on the axis of her relationship with Mr. Lefroy, who enters Jane’s life as an arrogant character. Jane falls in love with him, and he her. When he leaves town, they continue corresponding and get engaged, but when Jane visits him after their time apart she realizes she does not love him anymore. This relationship is suggested to inform much of her writing.  I want to love anything that even mentions Jane Austen, but this was only okay for me. I thought the lack of color, all the illustrations are black and white, was a little monotonous and boring given the high emotions of the story. It is interesting to learn

Coco Chanel : Pearls, Perfume and the Little Black Dress by Susan Goldman Rubin , 133 pages. NON FICTION Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2018 $18.99.  Content: G. BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL, HS - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH  Susan Goldman Rubin gives us a well researched biography of the famous designer. Beginning with her childhood, mostly spent in poverty, living with relatives or in an orphanage, through her schooling and eventual rise to fame as the designer for the rich and famous in Paris.   Rubin does a great job of separating fact from fiction; telling both Chanel's story and the researched history. Well illustrated with captioned historical photographs, includes a list of museums with artifacts, fashion firsts introduced by Chanel and an extensive bibliography.   Lisa Librarian 

The Story of My Face by Leanne Baugh , 228 pages. Second Story Press, 2018. $13.95 Language: R (115 swears, 17 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13 BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Abby had an accident last year that has left her scarred—inside and out. As she tries to go back to school for her senior year and figure out how to put back the pieces of her life, insurmountable obstacles seem to come around every corner. How can Abby move forward when she doesn’t even know which path is safe to walk? Aside from the crudeness that came up frequently through this book, I enjoyed reading the journey Abby takes and helps readers to take with her. Her story is about the struggle of knowing who you are amid the pressures of who you should be and who you want to be. Abby shows those readers who may also struggle with self-esteem and self-confidence—which is most of us—that there is help and support from different avenues waiting to cheer you on if you will look for the

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton , 368 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House Children’s Books), 2018. $18.99 Language: R (42 swears, 9 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13 BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Dayton put together a book made up of six stories of our possible future. With scientific advances and discoveries, some of Dayton’s ideas seem not to be very far off. However, extremist behavior may become our downfall. Some of the stories have a lot of sexual content, and some of the stories are really creepy, but all of them are intriguing. While most of these sci-fi stories are outlandish, I like the questions that Dayton poses through them—how far will we go to improve the human race? And what defines “human”? We get to choose what we do with our bodies and our lives. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen LGBTQ+

In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natahsa Deen , 304 pages.  Running Press Teens, April 2019.  $18. Language: PG-13 (22 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G BUYING ADVISORY:  MS, HS - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Nira is barely making it through high school, with only Emily as her friend and Georgia, her pocket trumpet, as solace.  But things are changing – Noah, the local BMOC, and McKenzie, Nira’s chief tormentor, are horning in on the duo for some reason.  Even Farrah, her rich, stuck-up cousin, seems to be hanging around more. Between rocky friendships and the weight of her family’s expectations, Nira turns more to her music, but there is a chance for disaster. I like Nira quite a lot. Nira’s story is similar to many other previous stories about kids whose parents don’t want to leave any room for them to grow up and away and friendships that can – sometimes in good ways and sometimes away from each other. Who I don’t like is the jazz band teacher at her school – he is cal

Ship of Smoke and Steel by Djano Wexler , 368 pages.  Tor Teen, January 2019.  $18. Language: PG-13 (43 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (implied sex); Violence: R (much blood and fighting) BUYING ADVISORY:  HS - OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH Isoka only exists to protect her younger sister Tori – even if it means using her magic to beat and kill. Then she is captured by the Empire’s Immortals and thrown onto the Soliton – a ghost ship that requires magic wielders as tribute.  She has a year to take control of the ship of the Empire , then her sister will be ruined. But life on the ship is a dog eat dog existence – death is common, life is cheap.  Isoka’s clade is at the bottom of the pile and the Captain is unavailable. Isoka will do whatever it takes to claw her way to the top and save Tori. If your students love Lex Thomas’s Quarantine series, they will also love this.  The plot is a frame for bloody battles as Isoka claws her way to her answers.  Its billed as a YA fantasy no

People Like Us by Dana Mele, 375 pages. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018.  $18.   Content: Language: R (101 swears; 12 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.   BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL   AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW    One night Kay and her friends go to the pond by their school to skinny dip, but when they get to the pond, they see a dead schoolmate floating in the water.  As the investigation starts to unfold, Kay feels like she is a suspect for the murder.  And life gets even more complicated for Kay when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl.  The e-mail forces Kay to play a cruel game in which Kay has to reveal the secrets of all of her friends, otherwise Kay’s biggest secret will be reveled, a secret that would make her look guilty in the murder of the classmate.   This book sounds so good, but it is poorly executed.  Kay and her friends are bullies, making it impossible to like any of them or care what happens to them.  There are parts of the book that are bogged down with too

Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage by Amy Klobuchar , 275 pages. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House Children’s Books), 2018. $18.99 Language: R (12 swears, 4 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13 BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH The 48 contributors who have shared their stories have done so to help readers know that they are not alone, that they can overcome the obstacles in their paths, and that they can accomplish anything they want. These men and women have faced biases and bigotry, war and injury, divorce and disability, discouragement and more—and they have chosen to come out of all those hardships on top. They rally around their readers to help each of us know of our worth and fight to become the best we can be, in whatever form that looks like. In reading all the hardships that others have fought through and how a lot of these persisters have only arrived at where they are because of the hardships they faced, I feel like

The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel , 368 pages. NON-FICTION. Scholastic Focus, January 2019.  $19. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some deaths, not descriptive) BUYING ADVISORY:  HS – OPTIONAL, ADULTS - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: HS – LOW; ADULTS – HIGH Near the end of World War II a special, though very small group of people worked frantically to find and save priceless art throughout Europe.  They not only needed to try to save it from damage, but also find the secret stashes that Nazi looters left all over. As an adult, I found this fascinating reading – I wish I had read it before my first trip to Europe so that I could even more appreciate the works of art I saw.  The writing is not great; Edsel tries so hard to keep things chronological that he jumps from person to person all over Europe – making things a bit confusing.  Only die hard WWII junkies will want to read this, though it has plenty of information to ac

Hull Metal Girls by Emily Skrutskie , 311 pages.  Delacorte (Random), 2018.  $18. 9781524770198 Language: R (44 swears, 24 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (implied sex); Violence: PG (some fighting) BUYING ADVISORY:  MS, HS - OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH Aisha is desperate to help her little brother – so desperate that she allows the government to transform her into a Scela – a humanoid mechanical charged with upholding order with the vast space-faring fleet that is all that’s left of the human race. Key on the other hand doesn’t remember her life before being transformed, which can be a huge problem when forming a bonding with a group.  Each group member, but especially Key and Aisha have secrets they are eager to keep from the others.  Then they stumble on a secret that the highest level of the Fleet will do anything to stop from being revealed. If you have a science fiction reading clientele, then you definitely need this.  I’d give this to anyone who has finished Ender’s Game or milita

Neverworld Wake by Marissa Pessl , 336 pages. Delacorte Press, 2018.  $14. Language: PG (2 swears); Mature Content: PG-13;  Violence: PG-13 BUYING ADVISORY: HS – ADVISABLE.  AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH A year after her boyfriend's untimely death, in an attempt to understand what happened, Beatrice reconnects with her former best friends. After a raucous night out, and a harrowing car crash they are trapped in a never-ending loop of the same 24 hours. The only way out is for the five of them to agree on one person who will live to see the next day. Magical realism at its finest. This book is trippy in the truest sense of the word. I really enjoyed the pacing as well as the way the characters developed, it had all the existential crises of a New Adult book without the superfluous cursing or sex. Really interesting ideas about existence and growth as well as the secrets we keep from those we are closest to. Catherine, Library Teacher

Rebel With a Cupcake by Anna Mainwaring , 208 pages. KCP Loft (Kids Can Press), 2018. $11. 9781525300332. Language: PG-13(24 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Jesobel Jones loves food--cooking it and eating it and how it makes people happy. Her love of food aligns with her chubby body shape and she's never before had a problem with it--until a cute boy at school seems to notice her, and a perfect girl bully gets in her face, and she actually considers what it might be like to look more like her "perfect" sister, Cat. Thus begins a 3-week journey of dieting, exercise, crazy drama, and an end result she doesn't expect. Teenage novels focused on romance, friendship, and self-worth are fairly cliche and predictable. Mainwaring's book adds some fresh air to the genre while still not branching too far out. I enjoyed the author's voice through Jesobel Jones, and appreciated the stro

Extreme Longevity: Discovering Earth’s Oldest Organisms by Karen Latchana Kenney , 91 pages. Twenty-First Century Books (Lerner Publishing Group), 2019. $30 Content: G  BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Kenney introduces readers to several species of animals and plants according to how long their lives are. Some of these species live as long as humans, and some will live 5 or 100 times longer than humans do. These amazing organisms open a whole new world, and we have a lot that we can learn. I really enjoyed reading this book because it made learning fun through story telling. Kenney mixes facts with stories in such a way as to keep the interest of her readers, and she also defines words that younger readers might not be as familiar with. The best part is that Kenney uses the researchers and explorers in the book to inspire readers to look at the world with new eyes, to discover and be curious. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 400 pages.  Freeform Books (Disney), 2018.  $18.   Content: Language: PG-13 (28 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG.   BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL   AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE    Sawyer Taft is used to taking care of herself because her mother has always been a bit distracted and Sawyer thought she had no other family who was interested in her life.  But at eighteen, Sawyer’s grandmother, Lillian, shows up in Sawyer’s life and offers her half a million dollars to come live at Lillian’s and participate in the debutante season.  Sawyer quickly gets thrust into a lifestyle that she had never dreamed existed with family, new friends and confusing enemies that have secrets Sawyer couldn’t even imagine.   This is one of those books that the story and the setting were intriguing, but the characters weren’t deep or endearing.  I liked trying to figure out the mystery and the twists and turns were entertaining.  My issue with the book wa

Lincoln in His Own Words by Milton Meltzer, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn, 221 pages.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1993 (reprint 2018).  $13.  Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.   BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE   AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW   This is a biography of Abraham Lincoln told with a mixture of the author’s explanations and Lincoln’s own words.  From the time Lincoln was little, he was interested in understanding the world around him.  He was a humanitarian and lawyer and he loved his country.  During his presidency, Lincoln tried to keep the country together during the Civil War and fought for slaves’ freedom.  In these moving speeches Lincoln’s goodness and passion for what is right becomes evident.   This is a slow read with lots of interesting facts and great quotes.  I think this book would work well in a classroom where the teacher can concentrate on specific quotes (not necessarily the whole book at one time) and have the students study history from Lin

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All by Various Authors , 386 pages.  Schwartz and Wade (Random House), 2018.   Content: Language: PG (5 swears); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG-13.   BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL   AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH    The six wives of Henry VIII are all given a voice in this fantastic historical fiction.  Katharine of Aragon was from Spain and out of seven childbirths, had only one living heir-Princess Mary.  Henry, in his desperation for a male heir and his lust for women other than his wife, moved onto Anne Boleyn whom he tired of quickly, but she did give him Princess Elizabeth.  After Anne Boleyn was beheaded, Henry fell in love with his proclaimed one true love, Jane Seymour.  After giving Henry a son, Jane died of a blood disease.  In an act to make alliances with Germany, Henry married Anne of Cleves, but was repulsed by her, so he divorced her.  His lecherous heart lead him to the young Catherine Howard, but she had her own lustful ways and wa

Most Wanted (Star Wars) by Rae Carson , 348 pages.  Disney, 2018. $18.  Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (scifi fighting) BUYING ADVISORY:  MS, HS - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Han ekes out a living in the sewers of Corellia, under the fist of Lady Proxima, a petty criminal overlord of the White Worm gang.  Qi’ra is also human and a part of the gang.  Both are in competition for a prized promotion – a little more freedom, better food, and power.  When the two are sent on separate errands for the Lady, they both end up running for their lives – carrying with them an important piece of tech that is worth dying for – and if Han and Qi’ra die, so much the better for everyone. I’m not sure how old Han is supposed to be int his title.  And I haven’t see the movie, so I don’t know if this is a novelization.  But I do know that I enjoyed seeing Han’s intuition in action and I need to find out what happened to Qi’ra! Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS