Middle Grade Review: Dear Jackie

Jackie likes wearing comfortable clothes. She doesn't like pink clothes. She doesn't like frilly clothes. She's not interested in makeup. She isn't crushing over any boys - including her best friend who happens to be a guy. But all the other girls in middle school seem interested.

Everyone keeps bugging her to change. Jackie likes herself just the way she is. Why does no one else seem to?

Then she comes up with a brilliant idea. She'll write a secret admire letter that will let everyone know. And for a while it works - until it doesn't. 

My Thoughts: I loved this graphic novel. I felt so bad for Jackie and how everyone kept asking her to change. I wanted to give her a giant hug. I thought her solution was clever. There were some bad friendship moments in this book that were forgiven. Just like in middle school there are mean girls and jerky boys. I'm just now realizing there wasn't any technology in this book: phones or social media. I love how the book went through the calendar year. And the back matter about how to fold a note made me feel super old. A fantastic book about middle school and relationships. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school or public library 

Review: Might Macy

 

Macy got a book for her birthday and can't wait to read the next book. But when she arrives at school, she's stunned to learn that the library is closed. The library will only be open two days a week to save money. Macy knows that she needs to spread the word. She doesn't love speaking in public, but there is a school board hearing coming up. Macy doesn't know what she's going to say. She wishes her writer father could help, but he's away at the moment. Can she help save the library?

My Thoughts: This was such a fantastic book about real issues facing libraries today. Might Macy is a novel in verse making this a fast read, but there's a lot packed into the novel. I love how she came up with the speech for the school board and how everything turned out. Macy's working towards a violin recital. She's having trouble with it but keeps practicing. Macy has a lot on she shoulders, but she does find a way to make it all work. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have books for public and school libraries

Review: The Bodyguard Affair

 

In her spare time, Andi writes romance novels. Three years ago, she and her boyfriend broke up. Her best friend starts dating him. Andi meets a guy at a bar and they have the best night together. He encourages her with her writing.

Now she's working as an assistant to the wife of the Prime Minister of Canada. She barely has time to write anymore. The Prime Minister and his wife Gretchen are having a rocky time. After a dinner that doesn't happen, pictures come out of Andi and her boss's husband. Rumors swirl that they're having an affair. Even though she writes under a pen name, it isn't long before people connect Andi to her pen name. She insists she didn't write the books.

The only person who knows the truth about Andi and the books just happens to be the Prime Minster's new bodyguard. Andi makes him swear up and down that he won't tell anyone. She's worried that Gretchen will fire her. But after Gretchen catches her talking to Nolan, Gretchen gets the wrong idea. An idea that Andi runs with leading her to fake date Nolan for the summer.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this romance. I enjoy the fake dating trope. I love how Andi started the novel not wanting anyone to know she wrote romance novels because everyone around her thought they were trashy. I love how she became proud of her writing and the romance genre. I felt terrible for Nolan and his family life, but I love how he struck around during the summer to help, to learn, and to grow. I loved his moments with Cody. This is my first Amy Lea book, but it won't be my last. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A fun romance for your public library collection

Booklists: Horse Books

 

I've always been a suck for a good horse book.

Here are a few YA and Middle Grade horse books:

YA Books:

Racing Savannah

Even If It Breaks Your Heart

Love Canter Action

Trail Rides and Starry Eyes

Middle Grade:

Canterwood Crest: Take the Reins

The Trouble with Sunshine

Horse Girl

Rose Legacy

Not pictured but I loved these graphic novels:

Review: Love & Saffron

When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter--as well as a gift of saffron--to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic--exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives. - Summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: This book is a couple years old, and I hadn't heard of it. It took me a beat to get into this book, but pretty quickly I was hooked. I love how the two ladies talked about food, recipes, and gardening. I loved the looks into their lives and how they shared so much about themselves in their letters. I love epistolary novels. I didn't want to put this one down.

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My Library

Why I read this book: After reading The Correspondent, I wanted more epistolary novels. I found this one from a list and tried it. And almost immediately, I was hooked.

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your fiction section. 

 

Picture Books: Women's History Month

Some picture books perfect for Women's History Month and also the rest of the year

Someone else tried to take credit for her work, but Eunice Foot's curious nature led her to the discovery years prior.

Woman scientist getting her flowers. I love how the author asks questions of the reader. There's a timeline in the back of the book for readers.

A young girl is on her way to a march for Women's Rights with her mother, but after what happened at school, she's not feeling very hopeful.

I love how she learns to use her voice and makes a plan to stand up for herself. The signs are all fantastic in this book. I love how everyone comes together. 

Women's history through the alphabet. 

I particularly love K is for knowledge and for teachers and librarians. I love how this book is so inclusive and offers so much information - including the back matter of the people mentioned. This is a great book to share. 

Rose loved art; she worked at an art museum in France. But when the Nazis invaded, they stole art. Rose stayed, never letting them know that she spoke the language. She listened. She plotted. She wrote extensive notes about all the art she saw come through the museum. She did what she could to save the art and thanks to her notes, she knew where it belonged.

This is a fascinating story about WWII spies, art, and flying under the radar. It's a fantastic biography for older elementary school readers.

Paintings are still missing today.

* Book sent for review

Lilly found a job at Disney studios as an inker. She liked being behind the scenes and she liked being part of the team. She helped out wherever she could. She liked spending time with Walt too. After they were married, they worked together projects. But the studio was still in danger. No one liked the first Mickey Mouse movie. 

I really enjoyed this book about Lilly, although I'm sad there's not more knowledge about her. She really did keep to the background. I bet there are many more stories we don't know about her influences, ideas, and creations.

* Book sent for review

Mary Oliver loved nature; it spoke to her.

I didn't know anything about Mary Oliver, but this book inspired me to look up her poems. I wish there had been some poetry in this one. The story is sweet and illustrations are lovely.  I hope this book inspires readers to create their own poetry after being outdoors.

* book sent for review

Top Ten Tuesday: Royal Reads

 This week's topic is a genre freebie. I love books about royals, so I'm sharing some royal reads

Adult:

YA:

Want to read:

Are you fan of royal reads? Is there any you'd like to recommend?