• Reviews

    Wonder

    Wonder written by R. J. Palacio is a beautifully written novel for middle school readers about being different – something almost everyone can relate to on some level.  The main character is a 5th grade boy named August Pullman who was born with severe facial deformities that prevented him from going to school…

  • Reviews

    Half Brother

    Ben Tomlin was an only child for thirteen years, until the day his mother brought home Zan – an eight-day old chimpanzee.  Ben’s parents plan on raising Zan as a human and to teach him American Sign Language (ASL) in order to see if Zan can acquire advanced language skills.…

  • Reviews

    Eight Keys

    Eight Keys written by Suzanne LaFleur is the coming-of-age story of a sixth grade girl named Elise whose entire world is changing and she can’t manage to keep up.  She starts her 6th grade year at a new middle school where her locker partner bullies her, her best friend Franklin seems to…

  • Reviews

    Love, Inc.

    Zahra, Kali, and Syd met at group therapy for teens whose parents have divorced.  These three teens are complete opposites with one thing in common – the same boyfriend!  The girls combine forces to take revenge of the cheating scumbag and in doing so create their own consulting  business for teens…

  • Reviews

    Sparrow Road

    Sparrow Road is a story of mystery, of intrigue, of interesting characters, and of connecting to a world that is not your own, or better yet can become a part of your own.  Sheila O’Connor’s characters in Sparrow Road are the type of people I would love to spend time…

  • Reviews

    Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time

    Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time written by Lisa Yee is an in-depth look at what it is to be a teenage boy in today’s society with the pressures of family, friends, teachers, and girlfriends.  All Stanford wants to do is play basketball, but when he fails 6th grade English and…