Appeared in Booklist/ALA | When Loose Ends Meet

My Best Books for Youth in 2019

25 Dec 2019 by Jeanne E. Fredriksen

I am a Books for Youth reviewer for Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association, and I have the privilege of reading a wide variety of early, middle grade, young adult books each year. I enjoy reading debut novels, works from authors just a few books old, and books from established authors. I take joy in the fact that there’s such excitement in this world of books, and I love its changes, particularly in terms of diversity. My 2019 […]

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

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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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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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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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When Loose Ends Meet

Connecting the frayed ends of reading, writing, and living

Category Archives: Appeared in Booklist/ALA

My Best Books for Youth in 2019

Beginners Welcome by Cindy Baldwin

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

The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand

Cold as Marble by Zoe Aarsen

The Class by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Furious Thing by Jenny Downham

The Undoing of Thistle Tate by Katelyn Detweiler