Picture Book Review: What to Do with a Box

What can you do with a box? Whatever your imagination allows!

A really great book - perfect for this year's summer reading theme.

I loved the spark of imagination and playing wherever it takes you.

Great illustrations. 

Inspiring! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Contemporary Romance

This week, we're talking about books added to our TBR pile. I'm on a contemporary romance reading kick. I love small town romances and I've read a couple lately, but I always want more. Here are some I'm waiting to read. 

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish 

And I'm always looking for more, so let me know if you have a great author recommendation!

Graphic Novel Review: Brave

Jensen looks at middle school like a video game - one he's losing. Jensen has big dreams, but his reality isn't great. He's failing math, he doesn't have any real friends, and he's the target of major bullying.  He just wants things to get better and for maybe someone to save him a seat at lunch or someone to need his help with something.

My Thoughts: I just want to give Jensen a hug. I hate that he has no real friends and the people who he hangs out with him pick on him too. I love how he became brave and how people helped him understand the difference between friendship. I like the cast of characters and how passionate they are about their art, the newspaper, reading, or science. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: BEA book (signed)

* I really hope there are more books coming in this series because I love them both. And I want to know more about the characters. 

Library Recommendation: Get both of them for your public and school libraries! Your middle graders will gobble these up!

Fall Program Ideas for Teens

I know that Summer Reading hasn't started yet in my library, but I'm already starting to think about Fall planning. I don't have too many ideas, but I thought I'd share some in case any one else was planning Fall too.

September 12: Chocolate Milk Shake Day 
Easy program, lots of love for milk shakes

October: Friday the 13th
Our Friends' of the Library have a booksale that weekend, but we might do something fun in the teen room or maybe a Murder Mystery after hours program.

Perfume Making:
My sister has gotten into this and it sounds like a great idea for fall - either back to school or create your signature scent for homecoming dance

Apple Treats: 
I always like to try some sort of food program with apples or even pumpkin.

Boston Teen Book Festival:
Last year we tried to get a group of teens together and go - it was my first year on the job, so I'm hoping that the connections I've made this year will have teens wanting to go this year, because there are some great authors.

Near more ideas? Here's what I thought about in the past.

Review: Letters to the Lost

Juliet and her mother exchanged letters while her mother was away photographing the news. Now, even though she died months ago, Juliet can't break the habit. She leaves the letters on her mother's grave. She's angry and curious when someone writes back to her.

Before long, she's started a correspondence with this person. She learns quickly that he lost someone too - and the guilt he feels weighs on him. Another connection, as Juliet feels guilty about her mother's death.

Juliet and Declan share their inner most feelings with each other, realizing that they are the same age. They don't share identities, but unbeknownst to them they do interact in real life. Their interactions with each other couldn't be more opposite than their conversations through letters. When the truth comes out, will their relationship fizzle?

My Thoughts: I couldn't stop reading this book! I loved the duel perspectives, the letters back and forth, and their interactions at school. I love how they both death with death and how they both felt guilty about their roles, but also how they helped each other overcome their grief. I felt terrible for both of them as their stories unfolded. I enjoyed Juliet's father. I loved Rev and his family. And Declan's boss at the graveyard -  I love how their relationship unfolded. I enjoyed Declan giving his classmates something different to see in him when they had already made up their minds about him because of his criminal record. I loved the photography aspect of it. And of course the hopeful ending and that slow burn.

Cover Thoughts: Adorable. I love it - understanding it better after reading the book.
Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Perfect for school and public libraries!

Children's Picture Book Review: Be A Star, Wonder Woman

Keep Your Eye out for this gem coming in August.

Similar to Bedtime for Batman and Good Morning Superman, this book takes a little girl and Wonder Woman through the school day filled with heroic moments: breaking up a fight, conquering your fears, and teamwork. I love the Girl Power moment. I love how she works with others but also works alone. A fantastic read.

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

I'm just coming back from BEA, but I hope to see the movie with my BFF soon.

* book sent for review

Blog Tour: What to Say Next

About the Book:
When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David's blunt honesty--in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing at a time when everyone else is tiptoeing around her. David welcomes Kit's attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad's tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they'll find. Will it be a welcome relief for Kit? Or a devastating shock? And can their friendship survive the truth?

Release Date: July 11, 2017

About the Author: 
JULIE BUXBAUM (@JulieBux) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Tell Me Three Things, her debut young adult novel, as well as the critically acclaimed The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two young children. Visit Julie online at juliebuxbaum.com.

My Thoughts:
I loved this book. I added it to my list of On Your Radar Books. I Loved Tell Me Three Things, so I'm happy to be part of this tour. I loved the unlikely friendship. I felt terrible for David - he had such a hard time understanding people and what they meant. I love how Kit seeks him out because she knows he doesn't have to fill up a silence with meaningless words. I enjoyed how they became friends and then something more. I like how Kit could hang out with David while dealing with her grief. I didn't see that twist coming and I love how it changed things. I liked how Kit is biracial, David is autistic, and grief brings them together. An excellent sophomore book; I can't wait to see what Julie Buxbaum writes next!

Library Recommendation: Purchase this one for your library - school and public!