When Loose Ends Meet

Beginners Welcome by Cindy Baldwin

1 Dec 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 3-6 On the heels of her father’s sudden death, Annie Lee is struck both by his absence and the loss of his infectious love of music. Her situation is further complicated by having to move and start sixth grade at a new school, away from her two best friends. She finds respite at Brightleaf Mall, where she secretly begins taking piano lessons from an older gentleman named Ray. To Annie Lee, Ray’s music is magical, and she believes the […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Readers • Tags: Durham NC, music, parental loss, piano lessons

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The End of the World as I Know It by Matthew Landis

27 Oct 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 5-8 It’s been nearly a year since Derrick “Dee” Waters lost his mom, a Major in the Air Force deployed in Iraq. Since then, he’s been convinced that the apocalypse is scheduled to happen this September 21, which is 19 days away. He’s consumed by a doomsday blog and outfitting a shed to keep him safe when the fated day rolls around. Dee’s family and friends have learned to deal with his fixation, but when his next-door neighbor, Misty, […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Middle Grade Readers • Tags: middle grade, military parent, parental loss

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I Never Told You by Bernie Brown

27 Oct 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

SHOUT OUT! Bernie Brown’s debut novel, I Never Told You, is an emotional mother-daughter story that moves geographically from a small town in Iowa to a competitive art school in Chicago to the glitz and glam of Hollywood in 1965. Anna and her daughter Katya love each other, but there are important parts of their lives they can’t share with each other, moving them apart emotionally as well. The chasm between them deepens, and only tragedy can bring them together. […]

Categories: Adult Readers, Book Reviews, Brief Book Shout-Out • Tags: 1965, coming of age, mother-daughter

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The Poison Garden by A. J. Banner

26 Oct 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

SHOUT OUT! Damn! I couldn’t put this book down, and it’s A. J. Banner’s fault! Like her previous three domestic psychological thrillers, this newly-published novel is tight and compact. Set on one of the islands of the Pacific Northwest, it has more twists and turns than a mountain road. In under 200 pages, she manages to draw in the reader with a grip that never releases until the last page. If you’re looking for a read that has creepy and […]

Categories: Adult Readers, ARC provided via NetGalley.com, Book Reviews, Brief Book Shout-Out • Tags: domestic thriller, Pacific Northwest, psychological thriller

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The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand

28 Sep 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 8-12 Being adopted as a baby has given Cass a good life with loving parents and the best friend ever. But now that she’s 18, she feels the urge to search for the woman who gave her life. Little by little—while still mindful of her parents’ feelings—Cass chips away at the blank wall dividing her from information she desperately needs in order to complete her sense of self. The narrative is told via two alternating voices that are rich […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Adult Readers • Tags: adoption, teen pregnancy

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Cold as Marble by Zoe Aarsen

23 Sep 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 9-12 Shivers and tingles continue in frozen Wisconsin as McKenna Brady races to save the life of her friend Mischa, whose death should be next according to the lore of the game Light as a Feather (Book One). It’s Christmas break, and McKenna and Trey are released for the week from their respective reform schools, following the harrowing, supernatural events and subsequent court trials from autumn. Violet is living carefree at home in Willow and upping the ante, apparently, by […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Adult Readers • Tags: Hulu series, paranormal

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The Class by Frances O’Roark Dowell

19 Sep 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 4-8 ***Starred Review*** Beloved Mrs. Herrera’s sixth-grade class at Milton Falls Middle School is a lively one of 20 students, but since sixth grade is when strange things happen with friendships and other relationships, everyone seems a little bit dazed and confused. Adding to the weirdness is new girl Ellie, who keeps to herself and constantly writes in a notebook as if she’s psychoanalyzing everyone. And then there’s Sam, who supposedly moved away but keeps showing up at odd […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Middle Grade Readers

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Furious Thing by Jenny Downham

18 Sep 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 8-12 Before John, her step-father-to-be, came into her life, 15-year-old Lexi felt loved and in control. Now she has trouble managing her anger, referred to as her “furious thing,” which manifests as screaming and throwing things, usually as a means to stop John’s belittling of her mother. John is a master bully and manipulator who smiles when he calls Lexi an idiot, often tells her she’s an inconvenience, and threatens to take Lexi to a psychiatrist because of her […]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Adult Readers

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Better than the Best Plan by Lauren Morrill

12 Jul 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 9-12 Ritzy’s life drastically changes when her impulsive mother leaves to take a self-discovery journey alone, and social services shows up in her stead. Ritzy is shocked to discover that she’s going into foster care with the same woman who cared for her as an infant. The woman lives in an exclusive island town, which, on top of living under someone else’s roof and rules, is another adjustment for Ritzy. [Read More]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Adult Readers • Tags: foster care, social services

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