Here are some of the best books I managed to read in February:
Novels:
ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES, by Jennifer Niven, gives readers a compelling look at depression and bipolar disorder through the eyes of two extremely engaging characters. We first meet Violet, less than fully functional and considering all options after the death of her sister, and Finch, obsessed with death but talking Violet into living again. These two make a connection and we join them on an exploration of life (and their home state of Iowa). It's charming, funny, sad, and a terrific read. YA
RAIN REIGN, by Ann M. Martin, shares the journey of Rose Howard, a girl on the autism spectrum who is obsessed with homonyms. Life isn't easy with a dad who doesn't understand her and classmates who are less than kind, but luckily Rose gets strong support from her uncle and her beloved dog, Rain. When a storm hits and Rain goes missing, events spiral out of control. Through it all, though, Rose stays true to herself and to her principles. This is one of a number of middle grade books with autistic girls as protagonists, along with Counting by 7s and The Categorical Universe of Candace Phee. All three are strong choices. MG
THE WINNER'S CURSE, by Maria Rutkoski, is one of those books that feels overly familiar but is still a good read. Our main characters are strong, beautiful Kestral, the General's daughter, and her strong, secretive slave Arin. They become involved, but war is coming. What part will each of them play? The best part of this book, first in a trilogy, is the strong writing of Rutkowski, who also wrote the excellent mid-grade Kronos Chronicles trilogy. (YA)
Picture Books:
YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL, by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyent, won the 2015 Geisel Award recently. It demonstrates, in a clear, fun way, the relativity of size--that how big you are depends on who you are being compared to. The bold, cartoony art does a good job of supporting the text.
THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH, by Julia Sarcone-Roach, features the title bear addressing readers directly, by telling them exactly what has happened to said sandwich. But wait--there's a twist!! The illustrations are distinctive--painterly and fun, with lots going on. And it's not everyone who can pull off a second-person picture book with an unreliable narrator!
SUPERTRUCK, by Steven Savage, features bold graphic artwork telling a simple, effective, story. While the other trucks seem to have more glamorous jobs, the mild-mannered garbage truck goes about his business of collecting the trash. But when the other trucks are caught in a blizzard, here comes Supertruck to save the day!
What books would you recommend?
--Lynn
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