Starred Reviews
Beetle Boy
“The strata of Charlie’s trauma peel back gradually through dreams and flashbacks to reveal a highly sensitive boy who was badly used and then abandoned by his opportunistic father; readers will feel the ache screaming from his dreams into his waking responses, which would… View →
My Heart is Laughing
“Keep this volume in mind as an accessible chapter book for younger children and a riveting readaloud choice for the classroom.” —starred, Booklist View →
Traumatic Brain Injury: From Concussion to Coma
“Students will benefit from this vital, timely insight. This is an excellent choice for science and current issues Common Core reading selection, research, and personal interest.” —starred, Library Media Connection View →
Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone
“The appropriate background and clear, easy-to-understand explanations make this one-of-a-kind title both accessible and interesting. An important story clearly and engagingly told by an experienced science writer.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
BirdCatDog
“This innovative charmer can be read four different ways….Stylish and inventive and an excellent examination of point of view.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole
“The poems capture the sounds and sights of the season, indoors and out, while conveying the personality of the gentle, perceptive poet and his loving bond with Mrs. Claus….This is Christmas from the heart—with scarcely a toy in sight.” —starred, Publishers Weekly View →
Seder in the Desert
“The large, full-color photographs beautifully depict the exquisite desert scenery as well as the warmth and spirit of this unique community and are a perfect complement to the descriptive, yet concise, text.” — starred review, Jewish Book Council View →
Fat & Bones: And Other Stories
“Moments of selfishness, sacrifice, bravery, and revenge jumble together in haunting and unexpected ways, and Doyle’s lush b&w illustrations help establish an unsettling atmosphere that feels like Charlotte’s Web by way of Neil Gaiman.” —starred,… View →
Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis
“[A] captivating account, and readers will quickly become absorbed in the suspense surrounding Freda’s murder.”—starred, School Library Journal View →
Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole
“An oversize format gives plenty of room for intriguing illustrations with a muted palette and an Old World flavor…. Anyone interested in haiku or poetry for children will find this collection a rare treat.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
“[An] exceptional debut novel for middle graders…. Both cinematic and pleasingly literary, this will keep readers entranced.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Perfectly Good White Boy
“Mesrobian… excels at conveying the awkwardness and wonder of sex…. [She] deftly conveys just how much drama there is in the everyday, especially for a 17-year-old trying to figure out not just what’s next, but what’s happening right now.” —starred,… View →
Bubbe's Belated Bat Mitzvah
“Pinson makes an assured authorial debut with a much-needed story about an increasingly common Jewish life cycle ritual.” —starred, Publishers Weekly View →
White Space
“This is a fascinating, intricate story with multiple threads running through it. It is a combination of mystery, science fiction, and horror—an exciting page-turner.” —starred, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
BZRK Apocalypse
“[A] great choice for readers with a strong stomach, an interest in the future of biomedical technology and the essential ethical debate, or anyone willing to embark on an unnerving, frighteningly plausible thrill ride all around the globe.” —starred, View →
My Heart is Laughing
“Eriksson’s plentiful black-and-white line drawings expressively show joy and distress and perfectly complement the story…. Genuine feelings such as humor, honesty, and heartbreak will leave readers yearning for Dani to return once again.” —starred, School… View →
Perfectly Good White Boy
“Engaging, perceptive, witty and at times gut-wrenchingly sad—this is an extraordinary addition to fiction for teens and adults alike.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Beetle Boy
“Willey (Four Secrets) returns with a riveting story about being robbed of one’s childhood…. A potent story about the power that the past exerts on the present.” —starred, Publishers Weekly View →
“Spectacular; a book to make anyone think seriously about society’s preordained gender roles.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole
“Latham’s finely crafted verse, at once humorous and serious, dazzlingly opens the imagination to the wilds of the world. Enlightening and engaging, a thrilling panorama of the diversity to be found throughout the animal kingdom.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Beetle Boy
“Willey takes readers along on Charlie’s painful journey back to physical and emotional health via a meandering timeline of flashbacks, dreams and wrenching conversations, skillfully weaving together the bits and pieces of his life…. Demanding—and riveting.”… View →
Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole
“This will be a much-sought-after book for teaching reading and inquiry skills…. A strong choice.” —starred, School Library Journal View →
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery
“The text is written in a clear tone, providing information on the plight of the bats in an accessible style…. An excellent work that will enlighten readers about a growing problem in the natural world.” —starred, School Library Journal View →