Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Louis Sachar’s Holes is a funny, heartfelt mystery about fate, friendship, and second chances. Stanley Yelnats’s journey from unlucky teen to unexpected hero is filled with clever twists and meaningful lessons about perseverance and justice. With humor and depth, Sachar creates a story that appeals to both kids and adults, making this a must-read classic for middle-grade classrooms.
Featuring a poverty-stricken boy who bravely rides out all the storms life keeps throwing at him. 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.
Cecil Hall and his family have just moved from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston. Cecil is anxious about making friends because he doesn’t know where he’ll fit in. His older sister, Leah, thinks he should befriend the other black kids at his new school, but Cecil isn’t sure how he’d go about doing that.
Mission Defrostable is a delightfully rhyming picture book adventure perfect for PreK-3rd grade. Join Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast as they race to save the fridge from a mysterious frost! Kids will love the awesome characters and mystery, while adults will appreciate the humor and clever wordsmithing. A top-notch, highly recommended read for any classroom library!
One girl. Thirteen lives hidden above her ceiling. In Nazi-occupied Poland, Stefania’s courage turns an ordinary attic into a sanctuary. The Light in Hidden Places is a powerful true story of resistance, sacrifice, and quiet heroism.