Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
School is a blast literally. Math whiz Ben Ripley is recruited for a top-secret CIA academy. The catch? He’s actually bait for a double agent. Packed with gadgets, “misadventures,” and plenty of humor, this series opener proves that being a hero takes more than muscle it takes a mind for math and the courage to survive your own awkwardness.
Silence isn’t empty; it’s full of words. Melody, a girl with a brilliant photographic memory trapped inside a body affected by cerebral palsy. This emotional journey from being dismissed to finding a voice is a powerful lesson in empathy and resilience.
Step back into a time before iPhones, where the woods were a kingdom and siblings were your best (and worst) friends. The oldest of nine children shares hilarious and heartfelt stories of growing up in the 1950s. With quick chapters and real family photos, it’s the perfect “mentor text” for young writers looking to turn their own memories into stories.
Sometimes, saving something small is the only way to stay whole. Louie takes in a sickly newborn mini donkey against all odds. As Louie nurses Winslow to health, he finds a way to cope with the “Gus-sized” hole in his heart.
True courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. Jessie navigates her mother’s overseas deployment by rescuing a dog from a local puppy mill. Set against the backdrop of a stormy Minnesota summer, this moving story explores how friendship, family, and a four-legged companion can help us find the strength to be “fearless” in the face of our greatest anxieties.