When Loose Ends Meet

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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Emperor of the Universe (Book One) by David Lubar

24 Jun 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

SHOUT OUT! Emperor of the Universe. (Book One of a Trilogy) David Lubar, Author. July 2, 2019 Macmillan Starscape Tor/Forge. 368 pages. $13.99 hardcover; also available in digital format. Grades 4-7. A boy, his gerbil, and two pounds of ground beef find themselves at the center of David Lubar’s loopy and witty intergalactic funfest! Seventh grader Nicholas V. Landrew of Yelm, Washington, is no ordinary kid, but it’s not his fault (if it were, he’d take responsibility – he’s that […]

Categories: Book Reviews, Brief Book Shout-Out, Middle Grade Readers • Tags: intergalactic, sci-fi

The Library of Ever (Book One) by Zeno Alexander

17 Jun 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Shout Out! The Library of Ever. Zeno Alexander, Author. April 30, 2019. Macmillan. 208 pages. $16.99 hardcover; also available in digital format. Grades 3-6. A library, a focused and strong female protagonist, and a series of unusual events … what’s not to love? We’ve all been there: bored out of our minds as a kid. However, how many of us has had the good fortune to have that ennui turn into a life-changing experience? Despite being eleven years old and […]

Categories: Book Reviews, Brief Book Shout-Out, Young Readers • Tags: adventure, library

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Teeny Weenies 2 - Freestyle Frenzy and Other Stories by David Lubar

Teeny Weenies #1 and #2 by David Lubar

16 Jun 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Shout Out! Teeny Weenies #1: The Intergalactic Petting Zoo and Other Stories (126 pages) Teeny Weenies #2: Freestyle Frenzy and Other Stories (122 pages) David Lubar, Author. Illustrated by Bill Mayer. April 16, 2019. Macmillan Tor/Forge. $12.99 each hardcover; also available in digital format. Grades 2-5. Warning: These stories made me laugh out loud over my morning coffee, and spit takes were never so much fun! David Lubar is the master of […]

Categories: Book Reviews, Brief Book Shout-Out, Reluctant Readers, Young Readers • Tags: short story collection, Weenies

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The Undoing of Thistle Tate by Katelyn Detweiler

13 Jun 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Gr. 9-12 Thistle Tate is seventeen and a big-name YA author with the final installment of her Lemonade Skies trilogy due very soon. Only Thistle, her dad, and her best and only friend, Liam, know her secret: Thistle’s dad wrote the books based on her ideas. She can’t wait until the final book publishes so she can bury the lie and get on with her life. [Read More]

Categories: Appeared in Booklist/ALA, Book Reviews, Young Adult Readers • Tags: friendships, secrets, writing

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