Ness, Patrick. RELEASE

Ness, Patrick.
RELEASE
New York : HarperTeen, 2017
IL YA
ISBN 0062403192


A day in the life of Adam, a rising senior who is having a very full day. It may just be the worst day of his life. His ex-boyfriend is leaving.  His best friend has been murdered by her meth-addicted boyfriend. He is being harassed by his boss. And he is going to come out to his homophobic evangelical pastor father.  Oh, did I mention that his brother who is a seminary student has gotten his girlfriend pregnant?  What a day. Come along with Adam as he tries to get through it all.

Zoboi, Ibi. AMERICAN STREET

Zoboi, Ibi.
AMERICAN STREET
New York : Balzer + Bray, 2017
IL YA
ISBN 0062473042

Fabiola Toussaint and her mother are on their way to America. Life in Haiti is hard and they are looking forward moving to Detroit with her aunt and cousins. But at the airport, the unthinkable happens. Fabiola's mother is detained by ICE and taken away. She tells Fabiola to keep going and get to Detroit. This is not how it is supposed to be. But Fabiola has no other option. She arrives in Detroit and is taken in by her family. But this is not the way she pictured life. The life in Detroit is not easy. There is abuse and drugs everywhere. Fabiola must survive in this and she must find a way to get her mother here. This is a stark look at what many immigrants find on their search for the American dream.

Pearson, P. O'Connell. FLY GIRLS

Pearson, P. O'Connell.
FLY GIRLS : THE DARING AMERICAN WOMEN PILOTS WHO HELPED WIN WWII
New York : Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018
IL 5-8, RL 7.7
ISBN 1534404104

It is not unusual to see women pilots today. We see them on commercial flights and we see them in the military. But back in World War II, it was unheard of. The military thought that women were incapable of controlling the big military aircraft. But a few determined women persisted and did what they could to show the military that they could fly any plane and were as brave as any of the men.  As thae war raged on, more and more men were sent to the war which meant that there were fewer pilots at the home front. Pilots were needed to transport planes and to test them. This is where the women found their niche.  They filled that void but as civilians. It was not an easy life but women proved themselves to be expert pilots. This is a fascinating account of the brave women who served during the war and how they changed minds.

Lettice, Jenna. THE 12 DAYS OF VALENTINE'S

Lettice, Jenna. 
THE 12 DAYS OF VALENTINE'S
New York : Random House, 2017
IL K-3, RL 3.3
ISBN 0399557350

Do you like Valentine's Day? What do you like the most? The cards? The candy? The decorations? Well, in this book, they like them all.  And they start their celebration early so they have 12 days of Valentine's!

Lehrhaupt, Adam. IDEA JAR

Lehrhaupt, Adam.
IDEA JAR
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018
IL K-3, RL 1.7
ISBN 1481451669

Do you like to write? Maybe your teacher asks you to write in class.  If you are like me, sometimes you just can't think of what to write about. You need an idea before you can think of a story. The class in this book keeps an Idea Jar. Students put ideas on slips of paper and put them in the jar. Now when they need an idea, they can just pick one out of the jar. But what happens when the ideas begin to take over?

Bates, Amy June. THE BIG UMBRELLA

Bates, Amy June. 

THE BIG UMBRELLA
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN  1534406581

"By the front door/there is an umbrella/It is big/It is a big, friendly umbrella." So begins the young child's journey through the town. It is raining and the umbrella invites people to come in out of the rain. The umbrella doesn't care who you are, you are welcome. And there is always room for one more.

Bardugo, Leigh. WONDER WOMAN : WARBRINGER

Bardugo, Leigh.
WONDER WOMAN : WARBRINGER
New York : Random House, 2017
IL YA
ISBN 0399549730

I know, I know. You have heard the backstory of Wonder Woman many times. But I think this one is new and enjoyable. Yes all the things you love about Wonder Woman are here but it is a new story. We meet Diana on the island and she is trying to prove herself to the others.  But she can't leave a teenage girl out in the ocean to die. So she rescues Alia from a shipwreck and brings her back to the island. This is not just any girl. The oracle tells Diana that Alia is the warbringer and unless the two can reach Themyscira, global war will be inevitable. Alia doesn't make it easy though.  

Abdo, Kenny. CAMP TERROR

Abdo, Kenny. 
CAMP TERROR
New York : EPIC, 2018
IL YA
ISBN 1680767291

Summer camp! Who doesn't look forward to a summer in the woods with lots of activities? Well, Maddy for one. But everyone agrees that this will do her a world of good so she is packed up and off she goes to Camp Dream Haven. The camp has been closed for years but has been spruced up and is now open for business again. Now Maddy is stuck at camp and is the target of the camp bully. How fun. When a rafting trip goes terribly wrong, Maddy and TJ are lost in the woods. And they may find out why the camp closed in the first place. 

Giovanni, Nikki. I AM LOVED

Giovanni, Nikki.
I AM LOVED
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018
IL K-3, RL 3.6
ISBN 1534404929

Poet Nikki Giovanni has written these beautiful poems about love and friendship, family and even loss. She tells of love of family and even pets. And in the end, the love of the most important person.

A beautiful collection of poetry made even better by Ashley Bryan's illustrations.

Casey, Susan. DOLPHINS : VOICES IN THE OCEAN

Casey, Susan.
DOLPHINS : VOICES IN THE OCEAN
New York : Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2018
IL 5-8
ISBN 1524700851

When her father died, Susan Casey sunk into a depression. She decided she needed to get away alone and get her head in a better place. She ended up in Hawaii. She spent her days swimming in the beautiful waters off Maui. And it was here that her life changed. While swimming, she had a close encounter with a pod of spinner dolphins. They swam with her for a bit and then went on their way. She became fascinated with the dolphins and went on to study dolphins around the world. She spent time in Ireland where she met Fungie who lived along in Dingle Bay. In Japan she joined a group working to protect dolphins. This memoir offers a look at different dolphins around the world and the people who love them.

Aguirre, Ann. VANGUARD

Aguirre, Ann.
VANGUARD
New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2017
IL YA
ISBN 1250089824

The war is over and now we find our heroes settling into ordinary life. But not Tegan. She still longs for adventure and is not content just living this new life. So she takes her medical skills and signs on as a ship's doctor. Accompanying  her is Millie and Morrow. And the Uroch Vanguard, Szorak.  He is on a mission to find a new homeland for his people. Tegan decides to help him and the two will find adventure enough to last a lifetime. And maybe more than they could have hoped for.