Middle Grade Review: Three Sisters

 

Harper and her two sisters are stuck going on a hiking trip with their father to bury their mom's ashes. Harper doesn't want to climb the mountain, but nothing will stop her father. The mountain is where their father proposed. 

The Three Sisters are part of a mountain range that is a volcano. Activity has been recorded in the area, but the park rangers are furloughed. Harper thinks she feels some rumblings, but their father presses on. When they are finally at the top, there's a rockslide. 

Things get dicey. The volcano erupts. ash is everywhere. No one is making good choices. Injuries start piling up. Is it possible to get down from the mountain?

Why I picked this up: I love survival stories

My Thoughts: I loved this book. Yes, it's a book about grief but also about survival. The sisters bickered the entire book. The father was the worst. Ryker is a genius who shares information, even if it's better to keep it to yourself. Jentry wants to be a doctor and has a lot of medical knowledge that comes in handy. This one is a real page turner because you want to find out if/how they get off the mountain. I liked how the story was "interrupted" by reports about the volcano and more. 

Cover Thoughts: Great

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library

Review: Drop Dead Famous

 

Stevie's sister Blair is coming home. She's a super famous pop star. But on the evening of the concert, she's found dead - murdered. Stevie knows she should let the police handle it, but they never found her cousin who went missing and they never found the person who killed a local teen. She doesn't have a lot of faith in the police, even though her father used to be one.

Instead, she and her new friend Colby start investigating. Stevie and Blair used to be really close, but the fame changed Blair. Stevie doesn't know her sister anymore. The more she looks into her sister's death - the more she realizes there are a lot of secrets. Secrets that maybe should stay buried...

My Thoughts: I really loved this book - I loved all the secrets, the twists and turns, and the danger. I loved the new friendship between Stevie and Colby. Yes, this book is long, but it didn't feel long. I loved Stevie's determination to uncover the truth - especially after everything that's happened in the past. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source: ARC sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your teen's school and public library collection. 

Picture Book Review: I've Got You

Anthony is always there for his little brother. They play together, Anthony teaches him, and Anthony comfort him. As time goes on, Rasheed becomes a big brother. And he does exactly what Anthony did for him.

This is a very sweet story about siblings and family. It made me tear up. 

Review: Mindy Kim and the Fun Family Vacation

 

* Book 12 in the Mindy Kim series *

Mindy and her family are going on vacation! She's so excited about. She hopes that vacation time with help relax her Dad and Julie; they've been fighting a lot lately. Jeju Island has so many cool spots; she can't wait to see them all. But traveling with a baby is hard. Mindy gets irritated when Charlie causes the plans to change. Will they have any fun?

My Thoughts: I really love this series - Mindy is so much fun. I love that she's so excited about vacation and all the research she did about the island prior to arrival. I love the relationship between her and Charlie - even though she gets angry and frustrated with him. I hope there are many more books in the Mindy series to come. I want to see their relationship grow as they do. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: A must have series for your school and public library collection

Picture Book Review: Just One Wave

 

Liam's happy his family is headed to the beach - but he wants there to be waves. But the waves are calm and quiet today. Liam and his sister play and have a great time. Liam comes up with a solution before they leave.

This is a cute book about two siblings playing at the beach. It's cute and fun and the perfect summer read. 

Picture Book Review: Albert's ABCs

 

This is a very cute story with simple text. There's a lot in this book, it's perfect for reading aloud. 

Graphic Novel Review: Chickenpox

 

Abby's friends decide they want to hang at her house - for once. They think that being surrounded by her four siblings will be fun. Abby's always looking for ways to escape the chaos of her family. The day turns out as Abby expects - her siblings ruin the fun and drive her nuts. The next day her friends are talking negatively about her - saying she acted immaturely. Abby's not sure what to do, but the next day one of her friends is home sick with the chicken pox. 

Two weeks later, Abby and all her siblings also come down with the chicken pox. They are forced to quarantine together for up to ten days. Abby can't imagine anything worse. The house is noisy and everyone is fighting. Her dad has to leave for a business trip, making her the only one that can help their mom. Abby doesn't want to be responsible for her siblings. 

My Thoughts: This was a really fun read. I felt terrible for everyone in the house. Being sick is the worst, especially afterwards when you're feeling better but you're stuck in quarantine. I only have one sister and I can't imagine have three more. Even though most of the book took place during the sickness period - there's still lots of friendship drama and family drama. This is a quick read; I read it in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened. I did like how everything turned out.

Cover Thoughts: Captures the mood of the book

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your graphic novel school or public library collection

Review: Love, Penelope

Penelope is about to become a big sister. She's super excited. She can't wait to share the world with her new sibling. Her moms give her a journal so she can start writing to the baby. Penelope writes about her secret crush, things she loves (Warriors basketball), lying to her teacher, friendship drama, and so much more.

My Thoughts: At first, I didn't understand why this book was set in 2014-2015 but then the narrative took a turn. And it was amazing. I got it. And I loved it. I loved how Penelope loved basketball (even if it was the Warriors). I loved the friendship moments - both the good and the bad, but more importantly how they worked things out. I loved Penelope's two moms and the family dynamic. Obviously I didn't like Rick, but he was an important part of the story. I loved the letters to You (the not yet born sibling). I really enjoyed this read. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation:  A great read for your library and perfect for a Pride display!

Picture Book Review: Stardust

One little girl wants to be a star, but her older sister always outshines her. How can she compete?

I thought this was a sweet message and loved the ending. I enjoyed the moment between the young girl and her grandfather. It's a great picture book for summer reading and for younger siblings. 

Review: Dear Sister

An older boy becomes a big brother - much to his dismay. His parents force him to draw pictures and write letters for her baby book. He's less than thrilled and his letters/pictures usually get him grounded.

As time goes on, he grows to care for. But maybe not every choice of reading material. The letters continue until he leaves for college.

My Thoughts: I loved this epistolary novel. I loved the letters and the pictures and the illustrations. It was a perfect combination. I loved how the brother was annoyed at the request to read the same book and over again. It was a quick but emotional read. I loved how the relationship between the siblings evolved from annoyance to acceptance to love. The end made me tear up.

Cover Thoughts: Funny

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great one for your school or public library collection.