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Review: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier
The pitch: Peter Nimble, blind Dickensian orphan, is forced into thieving, eventually learning to be the best thief there is. One day he steals a mysterious box from a very odd stranger, catapulting...
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Review: My Mother the Cheerleader, by Robert Sharenow (2007)
The pitch: No, not that kind of cheerleader. Louise’s mother Pauline is one of the women who stands outside William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans and throws tomatoes and insults at Ruby...
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Review: The Roar, by Emma Clayton (2009)
The pitch: Mika has never gotten over the disappearance of his twin sister Ellie; everyone says she’s dead, but he can’t believe it. When the Northern Government introduces a contest — fly simulated...
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Review: The Whisper, by Emma Clayton (2012)
The pitch: This sequel to The Roar picks up right where the first book leaves off. The “chosen” children have discovered the Secret and know they need to take over the Northern Government before their...
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Review: The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess, by Alice Randall and...
The pitch: Girl-power middle grade fantasy about a black girl! That was enough to get me to read it, honestly; it’s so rare. BeeBee is the orphaned daughter of the king and queen of Raven World. To...
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Review: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger (2010)
This book is a step on the road to understanding some important middle school truths: The guy who’s a weirdo but having a good time is way more fun to hang out with than the guy who’s too cool for...
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Review: Doll Bones, by Holly Black
The pitch: In a last-ditch attempt to save their friendship, Zach, Poppy, and Alice go on a road trip led by a ghost. A relatable friendship story with a lot of adventure and just a little bit of...
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Review: The Center of Everything, by Linda Urban
The pitch: Ever since her grandma died, Ruby has felt like everything’s wrong. She’s hoping her birthday wish will set things right at her town’s founding day parade. The review: Let me say up front...
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Review: The Glass Sentence, by S. E. Grove (2014)
Wow, what a gorgeously creative book. It also managed to hit such an unlikely array of my book kinks it’s like S. E. Grove pulled them out of a hat and made a book just for me. Let’s see, we have here...
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Review: Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff (1993)
I still have a handful of books that are on my recommended summer reading list due to general acclaim even though I haven’t read them yet. Sometimes I read one and am embarrassed about putting my stamp...
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Review: My Life in Dioramas, by Tara Altebrando (May 2015)
The pitch: Kate has lived her entire life in the rambling, quirky old house everyone calls Big Red. When her parents tell her they have to move, she decides to fight back. The review: Time to ‘fess up:...
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Review: Listen, Slowly, by Thanhha Lai (2015)
The pitch: Mai, or Mia as she’s known at school, is the thoroughly SoCal daughter of Vietnamese refugees. Her big beach plans for the summer are cut short when her dad announces a family trip to...
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