Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Check into the Underlook! Spirit Week serves up a brilliant, middle-school-friendly tribute to The Shining. When aspiring filmmaker Elijah and young tutor Suzy visit a reclusive horror author in a deserted Colorado hotel, they stumble into a suspenseful mystery tied to family secrets and dementia.
Be careful what you wish for. Sky of Paper Stars introduces Yuna, a middle-schooler caught between her Korean heritage and her American life. After making a desperate wish upon 1,000 paper stars, a family tragedy strikes—and Yuna’s guilt begins to literally turn her body into paper.
Balancing Filipino customs, Egyptian traditions, and American high school is no easy feat. Follow a funny, endearing journey of self-discovery. Perfect for middle schoolers, this interactive book which is complete with zines and games and it is a brilliant tool for discussing identity, code-switching, and microaggressions.
Farm life meets family drama. As the family taps maple trees for syrup, Jen struggles to define her place among her step-siblings. With cozy, expressive art and a detailed look at the reality of farm work, and learning to navigate the messy, sweet dynamics of family.
A secret history is waiting in the wings. A modern-day search for a bone marrow donor unlocks a buried WWII past in Amsterdam. Through a haunting mix of historical photography and illustration, a blackbird narrates the tale of a resistance fighter whose bravery saved a family line. A unique, visually striking exploration of history that proves the past is never truly gone.