Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Recovery isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being enough. Twelve-year-old Riley fights to reclaim her identity from anorexia while in an inpatient treatment center. This raw, compassionate story avoids glamorization, focusing instead on the messy reality of healing and the courage it takes to silence the voices of self-doubt.
High-flying tiger spirits meet the cold void of space. Cadet Sebin must choose between family honor and military duty when their uncle is branded a traitor. It’s an accessible pick for fans of the Dragon Pearl series who want a quick adventure.
Sometimes the loudest voices aren’t yours. Isaac navigates the intrusive “bees” of his OCD through the magic of tabletop gaming. This story explores how community and “Swamps & Sorcerers” can provide the sanctuary a neurodivergent mind needs. A must-read for the “weird kids,” their allies, and anyone looking to understand the beauty of a different brain.
Can a 9-year-old and Google Earth change history? In The Skull in the Rock, a 4-star nonfiction read, Lee Berger and his son discover Australopithecus sediba, a two-million-year-old human ancestor in South Africa.
Something is biting in Deepwater Creek, and it’s not a fish. This graphic novel follows two brothers whose final summer fishing trip turns into a supernatural nightmare. When the adults won’t listen, it’s up to the kids to face the monsters lurking in the depths and in their own minds.