Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff -- LaVaughn has high aspirations: she wants to go to college, something that people in her neighborhood rarely do. To make money for college, she takes a job babysitting Jeremy and Jilly, the two children of a girl only a few years older than LaVaughn herself. Can LaVaughn work and keep up with her studies, or will she get pulled into the drama of the struggling family she's working for?

This verse novel is a quick, thought-provoking read as LaVaughn searches for balance. I enjoyed it, but probably will not bother with the sequels.

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh -- Jonathan's mother sends him over the mountain to borrow a stew pot from his aunt . . . but what if there are bears? This very short story has a similar feel to the Little House books. I think beginning readers just making the jump to chapter books would still enjoy it. Older readers will find it too simplistic.

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith -- I've loved the Disney movie based on this book for a long time (even as a small child, anything featuring dogs was a sure winner with me). But somehow I missed out on reading the book until now. I'm sorry not to have read it as a child, because I would have loved it, too. Disney didn't stray too far from the main story in this case, though a few details were altered and a couple of characters were conflated -- for example, in the book Pongo's wife and Perdita are two different dogs! A few bits of the story feel rather dated, particularly the parts featuring Pongo's wife, who's very much the 1950's ideal little woman in canine form, but it's not enough to put me off of the book. If you're a fan of the movie, or of dog stories with happy endings (I think is not too much of a spoiler to say, 101+ dogs and none of them die!), this is a pleasant little read.

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry -- Paul and Maureen Beebe live with their grandparents, who gentle wild Chincoteague ponies for a living, but training up ponies for sale is not the same as having one of your very own. The brother and sister have their hearts set on buying a pony on the next pony-penning day -- and not just any pony, but the Phantom, who has resisted capture for two years running. This year, the Phantom is captured for a surprising reason: she has a foal. Will Paul and Maureen have enough money to buy both?

Confession: I never read this book as a child, though I was recommended it more than once. I had a childish aversion to it, and I was not pony crazy. So now, as an adult, I decided to read it and see what I missed. It's a nice enough story, with some action and suspense. The characters are fairly static, and the dialogue comes across as a bit old-fashioned, but I can see how the book would appeal to its target demographic. I'll definitely recommend it to horse lovers, but it's not going to become a favorite of mine.

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas -- It's the summer before sixth grade, and Zomorod Yousefzadeh's family is moving to Newport Beach, California. Zomorod decides that this is the perfect time to adopt a more American-sounding name, so she selects Cindy and sets off to brave the wilds of middle school. Little does she know that one of the defining events of her middle school years will be the revolution and hostage crisis in her family's home country, Iran.

I never would have guessed that I'd write the phrase, "a heartwarming middle-grade novel about the Iranian Hostage Crisis," but there you have it! This book is sweet and funny, and the characters are well-developed and true to life. The story is semi-autobiographical, and the author has clearly not forgotten how it feels to be a middle-schooler. Portions of the book did feel a bit didactic, but I feel that the author did a good job of incorporating a large amount of historical context, and it was necessary to the story, especially since these events are not likely to be familiar to much of the target audience. I know I learned a lot! Here's hoping this book finds the wide audience it so richly deserves.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman

Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman -- Grayling is the daughter of a hedge witch, but she has no magic of her own, or at least, only a few little things she has learned from helping her mother. But Grayling's life is about to change: she comes home one day to find the cottage burned down, her mother's grimoire stolen, and her mother half turned into a tree. Grayling must go on a quest to find the missing grimoire and any magical folk who have not succumbed to the same leafy fate as her mother. Along the way, Grayling gathers together a motley group of traveling companions, faces many dangers, and learns that she is capable of more than she could ever have imagined.

All of Karen Cushman's books are marked by careful research, keen insight, and gentle humor, and this book is no exception. All in all, I found it charming but not compelling: I sat it down for several days, read other things, and came back to it -- but I did come back. In fact, I'd like to hear more about Grayling, though I've never known Cushman to write a sequel. The ending is open enough to let readers gaze wistfully into Grayling's future, though all of the major plot threads are tied off. I'd recommend this book to fans of the author, as well as those who enjoy fantasy stories about common people in a medieval setting.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Revenge of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

Revenge of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen -- I know, it's really not nice to torment you all with a review of a book that isn't out until 2017, but I got an early e-galley from the publisher, and I just couldn't resist. In this sequel to Evil Librarian, Cyn and Ryan are at theatre camp, looking forward to a summer of acting and set design and a complete absence of demonic activity. Well, as you might expect, they get two out of three of those things. I'm not going to summarize more than that, for fear of spoilers -- but I will say that this book was just as much fun as its predecessor. Plenty of humor, plenty of action, plenty of drama, plus some great character development. Fans of the series, feel free to hate me for reading this one so early, but take comfort in knowing that my wait for the third book will be that much longer! Fortunately for all of us, the author has left an opening for a third book -- but not by means of a cliffhanger; this book's conclusion is satisfying.

(Reviewed from an e-galley, courtesy of the publisher.)

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knusen

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen -- The hot new school librarian is not as human as he appears to be, and he's chosen Cynthia's best friend Annie to be his bride when he rules the underworld. Which he plans to do, but not until after the school's production of Sweeney Todd opens, because as everyone knows, demons love Sweeney Todd. Between her duties as technical director for the show and her desperate attempts to save Annie, Cyn has her hands full. Oh, and she also has a crush on a hot guy -- who ends up helping her with the whole demon problem.

I devoured this fantastically fun read in one evening. Librarianship and theatre: what else could I ask for? I love that Cyn is the tech director (and a talented one at that). Definitely recommended!

(Reviewed from an ebook borrowed through my library system.)

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero -- Gabi has a lot on her plate for a high-school senior: one of her best friends is pregnant, the other just get kicked out of the house when he came out to his parents, Gabi's dad is on meth, her brother is getting into trouble, and her mom keeps reminding her that she could stand to lose a few pounds. Plus, she's got a crush on a guy, and she needs to find a way to pass Algebra II or she won't be able to get into Berkeley. Despite all this drama, Gabi retains her sense of humor and her zest for life as she navigates her senior year. This may sound like just another YA problem novel, but Gabi's distinctive and humorous voice keeps it from going too far over the edge. Readers will find themselves rooting for Gabi all the way -- I know I did!

(Reviewed from a finished copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb -- A cross-country trip to see a boy turns into a voyage of self-discovery. I expected a typical YA romance, but this book ended up subverting my expectations with its surprising depths. It's less about the romance, more about friendship and grief and travel and loyalty and the complexities of the relationships between teenage daughters and their mothers. I listened to the audiobook, and this is a solid, though not outstanding, production. Recommended.
(Reviewed from an e-audiobook, borrowed through my library system.)