Reviews written by Megan Kelly, Editor
| Overall rating | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 | |
| Illustrations/Photos (if applicable) | N/A |
Another Novel in Verse From the Master
We meet Ruby at the airport, where she is flying across the country to meet and live with her father after her mother's death. Oh yeah, her father is a Hollywood star (think Tom Cruise) and Ruby is furious with him for never contacting her before her mother's death. ...
| Overall rating | 5.0 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 |
Touching, Informative, and Memorable
I've read many novels about WWII, but never anything about Lithuania. Sadly, until now, the only thing I knew about Lithuania was that the Grateful Dead sponsored their Olympic basketball team (ignorance isn't pretty). BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY taught me a lot. Author Ruta Sepetys details the experiences...
| Overall rating | 3.3 | |
| Plot | 3.0 | |
| Characters | 3.0 | |
| Writing Style | 4.0 |
Sestinas and Sonnets, Set in an Urban High School
In my search for lists of novels in verse, the name Helen Frost continued to pop up as an author to watch. My library had a copy of KEESHA'S HOUSE, a Printz Honor book. Through poetry, it tells the stories of seven high school students who end up with no...
| Overall rating | 5.0 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 |
Lena, Warrior Princess
PANDEMONIUM is the perfect name for Lauren Oliver's second entry into the Delirium series. While the first book had protagonist Lena slowly awakening to the fact that love should not be illegal, this novel has her paying dearly for having loved. Lena spends PANDEMONIUM in a constant state of flight,...
| Overall rating | 3.3 | |
| Plot | 3.0 | |
| Characters | 4.0 | |
| Writing Style | 3.0 |
A Sweet Zombie Love Story
The new graphic novel series, My Boyfriend Is A Monster, explores teen relationships under the most trying circumstances: zombie invasions and monster attacks. I LOVE HIM TO PIECES pairs up athletic Dicey Bell and budding scientist Jack Chen to co-parent an egg for health class. Their paths would...
| Overall rating | 2.0 | |
| Plot | 2.0 | |
| Characters | 2.0 | |
| Writing Style | 2.0 |
An Uneven Graphic Novel
Paul D. Storrie's entry to the "My Boyfriend Is A Monster" series is confusing and not nearly as charming as the first book. Centered around Maria McBride, a shy orphan violinist, and the burly new student Tom B. Stone (yep), this strange take on Frankenstein lacks the...
| Overall rating | 4.0 | |
| Writing Style | 4.0 | |
| Illustrations/Photos (if applicable) | N/A |
A Fan's Dream Come True
Smart Pop Books is celebration the release of the first The Hunger Games film with a movie edition of their book, THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE. Edited by Leah Wilson, this collection of sixteen essays examines Suzanne Collins’ series from a variety of angles. Written by young adult authors,...
| Overall rating | 4.7 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 4.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 |
Me Encanta Este Libro!
As the oldest of eight children, sixteen-year-old Lupita has a lot of responsibilities, but never resents it because her loving family takes care of each other, especially after moving to the United States from Mexico. Lupita excels in drama class, but suddenly her tears become easier to fake. Her mother...
| Overall rating | 5.0 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 |
My New Favorite Book
You guys. This book. I have to share the original moment I lived while reading this book. I was on the bus, riding home from our field trip to a science museum, sharing a seat with a 6th grade girl who used JUSTIN BIEBER twice as her word...
| Overall rating | 4.0 | |
| Plot/Characters/Writing Style | 4.0 | |
| Illustrations/Photos (if applicable) | N/A |
Getting Past Dyslexia, One Poem At A Time
Margarita Engle continues her streak of novels in verse about life in Cuba after the wars for independence from Spain. THE WILD BOOK is a charming story that will appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy poetry and anyone who has struggled to read. Fefa has word blindness...
| Overall rating | 3.3 | |
| Plot | 4.0 | |
| Characters | 3.0 | |
| Writing Style | 3.0 |
Lisa Schroeder's Fans Will Love This
Amber has planned a day to herself, full of things she loves, because tomorrow her entire world will change. Early into her adventure, she meets Cade, who is also on a mission to live this day to the fullest. Both hide secrets about what they're running away from, but it...
| Overall rating | 4.0 | |
| Plot/Characters/Writing Style | 4.0 | |
| Illustrations/Photos (if applicable) | N/A |
A Sweet Friendship
For all ten years of his life, all Hal has wanted is a dog. He has begged his wealthy, neglectful parents, but they will buy him anything except the gift of his dreams. When they finally let him get Fleck, they don't mention that he will have to be returned...
| Overall rating | 4.7 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 4.0 |
A Fantastic Novel In Verse
Last year, Brooklyn's boyfriend Lucca died in a car accident. His best friend (and the driver) Gabe has just passed away of a drug overdose. Unlike Lisa Schroeder's other novel in verse, I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Brooklyn isn't being visited by the ghost of her boyfriend...instead it's a...
| Overall rating | 3.3 | |
| Plot | 3.0 | |
| Characters | 4.0 | |
| Writing Style | 3.0 |
Wolves, Not Vampires
I knew I wanted to read Shiver the minute I saw its gorgeous cover. It includes everything that I am interested in in a cover. Happy me, the story inside was really satisfying as well. Probably inspired by the success of Twilight, this novel tells the story of...
| Overall rating | 5.0 | |
| Plot | 5.0 | |
| Characters | 5.0 | |
| Writing Style | 5.0 |
Wanderlove Incites Wanderlust
Author Kirsten Hubbard and I could have some conversations. From reading Wanderlove, I can tell that she has traveled widely and on a budget. In my eight years of living abroad, I did my share of backpacking and also led semester-long experiential education trips abroad. We may have even crossed...











