The Small and the Mighty

I heard about The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon after friends in my book club were going to her book signing a few months ago. I hadn't heard of her or the book but looked into it and started following her on Instagram and then finally got the book from hold on the library. The book description says, "In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. You’ll meet a woman astride a white horse riding down Pennsylvania Ave, a young boy detained at a Japanese incarceration camp, a formerly enslaved woman on a mission to reunite with her daughter, a poet on a train, and a teacher who learns to work with her enemies. More than one thing is bombed, and multiple people surprisingly become rich. Some rich with money, and some wealthy with things that matter more. This is a book about what really made America – and Americans – great. McMahon’s cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free."

This was a great read. I really loved learning about the inspiring people she introduced. Most were pretty new to me, while some (Claudette Colvin) I had already read about before and knew a lot about. The stories were engaging, though sometimes I had trouble following how she connected separate people's stories. I thought the book had a valuable message about how the strength of America is in individual people who make a difference in the ways they can.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

I got Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller after seeing it won a Newbery Honor this year. The book description says, "Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents’ laundromat. She has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all. What she doesn’t know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable. With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you’re bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place."

This was a great read. It made me laugh (lots of funny little parts throughout), and I thought it had some good lessons layered into the book (friendship, racism, kindness). It's kind of a unique Newbery because it's a little bit of a younger middle grade book (shorter book and has pictures), which I loved. I thought it was an entertaining book with likable characters and an engaging plot (a little bit of mystery). The author definitely has a strong voice, and I think this will end up being an enjoyable series if the author writes more. I'll recommend this read to my kids.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Johnny, the Sea, and Me

I saw Johnny, the Sea, and Me by Melba Escobar on the ALA youth media awards this year as a Batchelder Honor book (an outstanding children's book that originated in a country outside of the US and a language other than English), so I got it from the library. The book description says, "Pedro is dealing with a lot for a ten-year-old kid, both at school and at home. So he's overjoyed when his mom surprises him with a trip to see the ocean—an experience he's been dreaming about for a long time! Maybe this trip will make everything better. Maybe it will make his dad come back to him and his mom. Maybe he will stop being bullied at school, once he's seen the ocean! But things go wrong right from the start between Pedro and his mom, and all seems lost, until Pedro is found and taken in by a gruff old sea dog who has something magical about him."

This was a fun read. It made me smile and chuckle and had great illustrations. It was a pretty short chapter book (I read it in under an hour), and I think it'd be a fun read aloud with my kids. I particularly enjoyed the long story told by the parrot, Victoria. The book was originally written in Spanish, but I feel like the translator did a great job because the book seemed to have a great voice.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Safe Harbor

I saw Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman on a new book list and got it from the library since I really liked the author's book The Bridge Home. This book description says, "When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too."

This was a great read. It was super short (and written in verse), and I pretty much finished it in one sitting. I loved the characters of Geetha and Miguel and just felt like the book had just lots of little plot things that progressed nicely alongside the story of the seal. I think this would be a relatable book for kids in lots of ways (bullying, moving, caring about the environment, etc.). Good book.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Enchanted Hacienda

I read The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes for my newer book club with younger friends at church.  The book description says, "When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada. The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined."

This was an ok read for me. I don't read a lot of romance type books and felt like a lot of it was kinda cheesy, and there was also quite a bit of language and some sketchier content I had to skip over. I liked the magical realism genre, and the premise was kinda fun (except for the fact that it almost seemed like an Encanto copycat at the beginning in some ways). I did like the message of the book in that our difficulties in life lead us to where we need to be and give us experiences we need to grow. 

* (1/3 = It was okay)

It's All or Nothing, Vale

I saw It's All of Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango on a list of new books and so got it from the library. I've read two other books by the author (Iveliz Explains It All and Something Like Home) and loved them both so thought this would be a good read as well. The book description says, "No one knows hard work and dedication like Valentina Camacho. And Vale’s thing is fencing. She’s the top athlete at her fencing gym. Or she was . . . until the accident. After months away, Vale is finally cleared to fence again, but it’s much harder than before. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and worst of all is the new number one: Myrka. When she sweeps Vale aside with her perfect form and easy smile, Vale just can’t accept that. But the harder Vale fights to catch up, the more she realizes her injury isn’t the only thing holding her back. If she can’t leave her accident in the past, then what does she have to look forward to?"

I enjoyed this read. The author did a great job creating characters you really get to know and understand, and she really described well the journey Vale was facing. I did feel like the book was kind of heavy -- like lots Vale was dealing with internally and not talking to her parents and sorting through things like she needed to. I don't know if the author could have written it differently to give it more of a positive vibe, but I just felt like that made it hard for me to read for most of the book. I was almost going to rate it "it was okay," but things came together really nicely in the end and gave me a happier feel. This one is for ages 10-14, so it's one of those upper middle grade books--I tagged it as both children and young adult for that reason.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Reasons to Look at the Night Sky

I saw Reasons to Look at the Night Sky by Danielle Daniel on a list of new books and so got it from the library. The book description says, "Luna has always loved the night sky. She's an eleven-year-old who knows everything there is to know about space, and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. The first step in her plan to get there is to ace the space unit in her science class and secure a spot in NASA's summer space camp. But when Luna's teacher is unexpectedly replaced with a substitute, Ms. Manitowabi, who is looking to shake up science class by bringing in art, Luna's carefully laid plans are crushed. And that's not all that's shifting in Luna's life — changes at home and in her friendships have her feeling topsy-turvy. What on Planet Earth is happening?"

I thought this was a sweet read. It didn't particularly engage me, but I thought Luna would be a relatable character for kids as she encountered friendship issues, unexpected twists to things she was looking forward to, navigating school, etc. There was just a lot for middle grade kids to relate to. I also liked the tie-in to the Native American star stories and found that interesting. And the book cover is really beautiful! I feel like this book was kinda in between liked and it was okay, but it didn't quite make the cut to 2 stars.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

North Woods

I read North Woods by Daniel Mason for book club. The book description says, "When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave—only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive."

This was a unique read. I listened to a lot of it on audiobook and then switched over to the paper book for the last quarter or so when I finally had time to sit down and read. I thought it was a creative premise -- following one house and all the different people who live there over the years. There were a few disturbing stories/characters (especially Mary), and there was a kind of an interesting ending to the book. I found the book hard to follow at times since sometimes there were connections between residents and sometimes not, and I felt like I was losing track of things sometimes. I think this will be an interesting book to discuss at book club (especially the stories with Alice/Mary and Robert), though it wasn't really one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

All the Blues in the Sky

I saw that Renée Watson had written a new book, so I got All the Blues in the Sky from the library. The book description says, "Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all."

I LOVED this book. It was beautifully written (not surprising since I love most anything Renée Watson writes). I loved Sage as a character and watching her work through her grief. The plot and side characters were just flawless in how everything came together. The book had me tearing up, and I feel like it was just an important, relatable book for young people who are dealing with the loss of someone they love. Great read.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Radiant

I don't even remember how I came across Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, but I put it on hold at the library. The book description says, "As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to 'shine' for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world. Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else."

I loved this book! It was a quick and engaging read, and I loved Cooper as a character. I loved that there was nothing overwhelmingly heavy in her life and instead she had deep empathy for someone else dealing with something heavy. (Just different than the plot of many books.) I thought the book had great messages and was just an uplifting read. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Daughter of Auschwitz

I got The Daughter of Auschwitz by Tova Friedman on audiobook after hearing it recommended somewhere. The book description reads, "Tova Friedman was one of the youngest people to emerge from Auschwitz. After surviving the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Central Poland where she lived as a toddler, Tova was four when she and her parents were sent to a Nazi labour camp, and almost six when she and her mother were forced into a packed cattle truck and sent to Auschwitz II, also known as the Birkenau extermination camp, while her father was transported to Dachau. During six months of incarceration in Birkenau, Tova witnessed atrocities that she could never forget, and experienced numerous escapes from death. She is one of a handful of Jews to have entered a gas chamber and lived to tell the tale. As Nazi killing squads roamed Birkenau before abandoning the camp in January 1945, Tova and her mother hid among corpses. After being liberated by the Russians they made their way back to their hometown in Poland. Eventually Tova's father tracked them down and the family was reunited. In The Daughter of Auschwitz, Tova immortalizes what she saw, to keep the story of the Holocaust alive, at a time when it's in danger of fading from memory."

I'm super glad I read this book. I think Holocaust stories--especially memoirs--are so important to read to just help us never forget all that happened. The phrase that kept coming to mind as I read this book was impossible choices. Honestly, Tova's parents were put in situations where they had to make choices that were so difficult. Who knows what you're supposed to do at times like that? It's unbelievable all Tova went through as a young child (facing horrific death in front of her eyes starting at age 4) and so inspiring that she was able to survive and raise a family and have grandchildren and continue to tell her story. Tova really went through the unthinkable as a young child, and I'm glad she was able to tell her story so it is available to future generations. It's a heavy story but a meaningful message.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

One Big Open Sky

I got One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome from the library after seeing it won both the Newbery honor and Coretta Scott King honor. The book description says, "1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger."

This was a great read. It was written in verse but was a slower read than the usual books I read in verse. I really loved Lettie as a character and especially loved when Philomena joined the story--really loved her. I also liked a character named Mr. Cole. I liked that this book covered a historical time period/situation I didn't really know much about--black pioneers moving west during the Reconstruction time period. The book had some heavy stuff without being too sad to enjoy/keep reading, and it included some good messages. I think it's a well-deserved Newbery honor.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

The First State of Being

I got The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly from the library on Monday right after I heard it got announced as the new Newbery Medal winner. The book description says, "It's August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby. It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?"

This was a fun read. I don't read lots of science fiction, so it's one of those books I maybe wouldn't have read if it didn't read the Newbery. I really liked the characters and felt like everyone was just really deep and well developed. I liked Michael as the worrier but also how he knew how to gently help Ridge during some tricky times. I thought the plot of the book was super fun, and I liked how it gave us perspectives from both time periods throughout. I also enjoyed the messages the book taught between the lines. (Some memorable ones are the Conklin Principle: "For every bad outcome you can anticipate, you should consider at least one positive outcome." And how you have to live in the first state of being, the now. You can't do what-if thinking because that's third-state thinking, and you'll never get anywhere with that.) Erin Entrada Kelly is a really talented author, and this is a well-deserved Newbery. I think my husband and daughter would enjoy this book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

2025 Picture Books

Back in 2023, I made a post about picture books, highlighting two really good picture books I had read and noting that I'd add more throughout the year. Well, I didn't end up adding any more, but I figured I'd try that again this year. I have 2 to start, and maybe I'll actually add more this round. :)

[Adding later: I am adding more! Basically I'm adding any picture book that I read and think, Wow, I loved that!]

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long. I saw this on a possible Caldecott short-list, and it didn't end up winning anything, but I thought the story was clever and beautifully written, and the pictures were beautiful.

Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic. I also saw this on a possible Caldecott short-list, but it also didn't win. I thought the illustrations were beautiful, and I really loved the message of the book (trying something hard, not giving up, helping others). The book also had some really good humor in there (Gretchen and the things her mom says to her).

This won the Caldecott Honor this year. The illustrations are beautiful, and I just love how they tell the story even on pages with very few words. The book got me a little choked up and was really sweet.

This won a Sydney Taylor Honor (for outstanding books for kids that authentically portray the Jewish experience), and I just loved the story! Just a super cool guy that really made an impact.

This won the Caldecott this year, and I think it was well deserved. Really nice pictures and just a sweet, relatable story.

This is an older book (2010), but I'm not limiting this list to books that are brand new but rather brand new to me in 2025. :) I read this for a preK storytime, and the kids enjoyed it. It's just a fun book to read aloud with hilarious pictures and just a funny/silly vibe the whole way through. And bonus, it practices counting!

Kareem Between

I saw Kareem Between by Shifa Salvage Safadi on a list of possible Newbery contenders, so I got it from the library. The book description reads, "Seventh grade begins, and Kareem’s already fumbled it. His best friend moved away, he messed up his tryout for the football team, and because of his heritage, he was voluntold to show the new kid—a Syrian refugee with a thick and embarrassing accent—around school. Just when Kareem thinks his middle school life has imploded, the hotshot QB promises to get Kareem another tryout for the squad. There’s a catch: to secure that chance, Kareem must do something he knows is wrong. Then, like a surprise blitz, Kareem’s mom returns to Syria to help her family but can’t make it back home. If Kareem could throw a penalty flag on the fouls of his school and home life, it would be for unnecessary roughness. Kareem is stuck between. Between countries. Between friends, between football, between parents—and between right and wrong. It’s up to him to step up, find his confidence, and navigate the beauty and hope found somewhere in the middle."

This was a great read. I liked that it addressed recent current events and helped readers understand what it would feel like to be affected by things like the 2017 travel ban from Muslim countries. I thought Kareem was a relatable character as he tried to figure out how to balance things in his life, and I thought the regular football tie-ins would be fun for kids who are football fans. The book was written in verse, and I thought it was clever how the author moved the verse to the right side of the page (right aligned) when the speaking was taking place in Arabic.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Starfish

I got Starfish by Lisa Fipps from the library after reading and enjoying another book by the author. The book description says, "Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like 'no making waves,' 'avoid eating in public,' and 'don't move so fast that your body jiggles.' And she's found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self."

This was such a good book, one I'll definitely recommend to my 14-year-old. It was an engaging read, and Ellie was a lovable character who carried a heavy load due to bullying from peers at school but also her siblings and mom. But I loved her dad, her two best friends, and her therapist--so much! I also loved the author's note at the end where the author explained that while some people may think this book wasn't realistic since people would never be that cruel, "a variation of every single mean thing people said or did to Ellie happened to [her] when [she] was a child." I also loved how the author explained that she wrote the book as a middle grade book so it could reach kids who are struggling and being bullied and help them realize their worth. This one is going down as a "liked it," but I really liked it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Fahrenheit 451

I read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury for book club. I think I read this back in high school, but it's been awhile. The book description says, "Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known."

This is not the type of book I really enjoy reading, even though I know it's a classic and an important read. I pushed myself through it but usually wasn't super engaged. Some parts I liked (since most of it wasn't really my thing): I did like Clarisse, but she had a very short part in the book. I also liked the group Montag ended up with in the end, and I liked the message about the power of books. I liked a quote toward the end where Granger talked about his grandfather who died. He said, "When he died, I suddenly realized I wasn't crying for him at all, but for all the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again, he would never carve another piece of wood or help us raise doves and pigeons in the back yard or play the violin the way he did, or tell us jokes the way he did. He was part of us and when he died, all the actions stopped dead and there was no one to do them just the way he did. He was individual. He was an important man. I've never gotten over his death. Often I think, what wonderful carvings never came to birth because he died. How many jokes are missing from the world, and how many homing pigeons untouched by his hands. He shaped the world. He did things to the world. The world was bankrupted of ten million fine actions the night he passed on." That quote really spoke to me because I reacted to it with the loss of my mother-in-law a few years ago. So overall, not my kind of book, but good for my brain to read it and some parts I liked that I can discuss at book club.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

The Women

I read The Women by Kristin Hannah for my newest book club with the young friends at church. The book description says, "Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam."

Wow! What a book! This book was so engaging, and by the end, I was exclaiming so many things (No! Oh my gosh! Oh no!) that Connor basically needed a play-by-play of the last third of the book haha. The book was so well written with well developed characters (those I loved and hated and some that were flawed and yet came around) and a solid story. I don't read enough historical fiction, and I don't think I've ever read anything from the Vietnam period so this was super eye-opening and enlightening. I learned a lot and would definitely be interested in reading more on the time period, especially about women during the Vietnam War. There were times toward the end chunk of this book that I couldn't see how the story could end well, but I was so satisfied with the ending and just found this a really great read. I was so inspired by Frankie and her journey. There is some bad language and some other adult stuff, so I'd definitely classify this as an adult book. I have heard of this author before but haven't read any of her other books but definitely will now. I think the one I've heard about the most is The Nightingale. 

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

And Then, Boom!

I'm putting off reading several book club books and found And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps at a library book testing event. The book description says, "Joe Oak is used to living on unsteady ground. His mom can’t be depended on as she never stays around long once she gets “the itch,” and now he and his beloved grandmother find themselves without a home. Fortunately, Joe has an outlet in his journals and drawings and takes comfort from the lessons of comic books—superheroes have a lot of “and then, boom” moments, where everything threatens to go bust but somehow they land on their feet. And that seems to happen a lot to Joe too, as in this crisis his friend Nick helps them find a home in his trailer park. But things fall apart again when Joe is suddenly left to fend for himself. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s on his own, as he fears foster care and has hope his mom will come back. But time is running out—bills are piling up, the electricity’s been shut off, and the school year’s about to end, meaning no more free meals. The struggle to feed himself gets intense, and Joe finds himself dumpster diving for meals. He’s never felt so alone—until an emaciated little dog and her two tiny pups cross his path. And fate has even more in store for Joe, because an actual tornado is about to hit home—and just when it seems all is lost, his life turns in a direction that he never could have predicted."

I LOVED this book. I finished it in one morning because it was written in verse and was a quick, engaging read. I loved Joe as a character and his relationship with his grandma. I liked how the book opened my eyes to kids who are living in poverty and hunger, and I liked how the book had such solid, helpful adults in Joe's life (besides his mom)--teacher, therapist, landlord, foster parents, case worker, etc. I feel like in lots of these types of books, the kid has a deadbeat caseworker or a bad foster home or something like that, so I was glad Joe just got a break in the end. This was a great read and one I'd recommend. I noticed that the age range online says 10-13, so it's kinda an upper middle grade or younger YA book. I also now want to read the author's book Starfish, a book I've seen for years but never got around to reading.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)