Napoli, Donna Jo. HUNGER

Napoli, Donna Jo. 
HUNGER
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2018
IL YA
ISBN 978-1-48147-749-9



The autumn of 1846 in the West of Ireland, locals were dying from hunger. The potato crop had failed and that was the main staple of the Irish diet. The British land owners took the rest of the crops for payment on the land rental. Lorraine's family is doing OK but they worry when the latest crop fails.  Lorraine is befriended by the landowner's daughter who tries to find a way to help. Miss Susannah can't be seen being friends with an Irish girl so she can't help as much as she might want.  But will her good intentions be enough to save the tenants as they face starvation and disease? 

Mantchev, Lisa. JINX AND THE DOOM FIGHT CRIME!

Mantchev, Lisa.  
JINX AND THE DOOM FIGHT CRIME!
New York : Simon and Schuster, 2018
IL K-3, RL 1.2
ISBN 978-1-48146-701-8

Meet Jinx. And her little brother Doom. They used to fight each other. But then they realized that they should use their talents for something better. They now fight crime! But first they need to eat breakfast. Then brush their teeth. Then they fight crime and protect the innocent. Join them as they FIGHT CRIME.  

Hahn, Mary Downing. ONE FOR SORROW : A GHOST STORY

Hahn, Mary Downing.
ONE FOR SORROW : A GHOST STORY
New York : Clarion Books, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 5.8
ISBN 978-0-544-81809-5


Annie is starting a new school and she wonders if she will make any friends. Be careful what you wish for. The first girl who befriends Annie is Elsie Schneider, the most unpopular girl in school.  When the other girls see Annie with Elsie, they make fun of her for hanging around with the "dirty Hun". The year is 1918 and the world is at war with Germany and people around the country are angry at people of German descent.  So poor Elsie gets picked on all the time. What Annie soon finds out is that there is something very strange about Elsie. When she destroys Annie's toys and keeps just hanging around, Annie wants out of the friendship. Her opportunity comes when Elsie gets sick and stays home. Annie has a chance to talk to the other girls and now she is hanging out with them and making fun of Elsie.  Will Annie realize that she is treating Elsie badly before it is too late?

Haddix, Margaret Peterson SUMMER OF BROKEN THINGS

Haddix, Margaret Peterson
SUMMER OF BROKEN THINGS
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2018
IL YA
ISBN 978-1-48141-764-8


Told in two voices -- Avery, a rich, spoiled 14-year-old who is used to getting her way and Kayla, a 16 year old who is known as "butt-girl" in school. These two have very little in common and are now thrown together for the summer.  Avery wants to go to soccer camp with her friends but her father has business in Spain and has decided she will go with him for the summer. He asks Kayla to come along to be a companion to Avery. Neither girl can fathom why. They hardly know each other. And they have very different backgrounds. Kayla is excited as she has never traveled but she is worried that Avery won't accept her.  Avery can't believe she is stuck with this girl for the summer.  What they don't know is that there is a secret that binds their families together. When it comes out, will it tear everything apart?

DePaola, Tomie. STREGA NONA'S MAGIC RING

DePaola, Tomie.
STREGA NONA'S MAGIC RING
New York : Simon and Schuster, 2018
IL K-3, RL 2.4
ISBN  978-1-48147-761-1

Spring has sprung and Strega Nona suggests that Big Anthony go into town and have some fun. A little night life is what he needs. He doesn't believe anyone would dance with him.  Strega Nona decides she too needs a little night life and finds her magic ring that turns her into a beautiful woman. Big Anthony has secretly seen her do this and wants to try it himself. When Strega Nona is away, Big Anthony finds the ring and indeed turns into a very handsome man. At the dance, all the women want to dance with him and won't leave him alone. He decides to take the ring off and go home.  Uh-oh. The ring is stuck! What will he do?

DePaola, Tomie IN A SMALL KINGDOM

DePaola, Tomie
IN A SMALL KINGDOM
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2018
IL K-3, RL 1.7
ISBN 978-1-48149-800-5

In a small kingdom far away, a beloved king has died. Before he died, he named his youngest son as the next king. The older son was angry and jealous of his brother. He knew that the king could not rule without the magic robe that his father wore.  So, the older son secretly stole the robe, ripped it up into pieces and threw it away. Now the young king had no power. Or was there a way to change that?

Campbell, Sarah C. WOLFSNAIL : A BACKYARD PREDATOR

Campbell, Sarah C.
WOLFSNAIL : A BACKYARD PREDATOR
New York : Boyds Mills Press, 2008
IL K-3, RL 4.4
ISBN 978-1-59078-554-6

Have you ever heard of a wolfsnail?  Sounds scary, doesn't it? Well, they are actually tiny snails that eat slugs. There are some great closeup photos of this little creature in this book. There is a lot of information about the wolfsnail packed into this book.

Buckley, James. BONNIE AND CLYDE

Buckley, James.
BONNIE AND CLYDE
New York : Aladdin, 2018
IL 5-8, RL 6.4
ISBN 978-1-48149-549-3

Have you ever heard of Bonnie and Clyde? If you lived in the 1930s, you probably would have known everything about them. They were notorious criminals who captured the public's attention and made front page news wherever they went. They were young, good looking and bold. The country was in a deep economic depression and people were looking for something to distract them from their day to day lives. Romanticizing the lives of these two outlaws filled that need. As their crimes grew more violent, the country turned against them and when they were finally caught, the story did not end. Read about another of History's Worst.

Barnes, Derrick D. CROWN : AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT

Barnes, Derrick D.
CROWN : AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT
New York : Bolden, 2017
IL K-3, RL 3.3
ISBN 978-1-57284-224-3

How do you feel when you get a great haircut? Do you feel on top of the world? Invisible? Well, this book is a celebration of that great haircut. Go to the barber shop and sit in that chair. Let him work his magic on you. And strut your stuff in your fresh cut crown.

An, Na. THE PLACE BETWEEN BREATHS

An, Na.
THE PLACE BETWEEN BREATHS
New York : Atheneum, 2018
IL YA
ISBN 9781481422253

Grace King is smart and very mature for her 16 years. Having grown up with a father who was studying schizophrenia and trying to find a cure, Grace has had the opportunity to work in a lab that was doing genetic research. She is a quiet young lady and takes her internship seriously. Her mother left the family many years ago suffering with schizophrenia and Grace is determined to help her father find a cure.  Her attention to detail uncovers a coding mistake in some of the testing. Could this lead to the breakthrough the lab needs to find the cure?  And will Grace be able to find her mother to offer the cure? Full of twists and turns, and told in first, second and third person, this is a story that will keep you wondering what is really going on.