Scan barcode
xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
985 reviews
The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Lovely illustrations and prose invite us to imagine a better ending for the Little Match Girl. I thought that the message about activism and protesting was a little on the nose, but this is a book geared for middle school readers. The history that this story is based on is absolutely tragic, and consistently reminded me of The Radium Girls by Kate Moore.
Plotting the Stars 1: Moongarden by Michelle Barry
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Unique concept. Annoying main character until she finds her garden. Cantor is pretty cool. I liked his growth a lot. Cantor's dad can go suck rocks. We hate him. I like how real plants tie in with chemical compounds, nutrition, and DNA. That was fun and this futuristic world makes a lot of sense.
Nightmare Island by Shakirah Bourne
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Perfect. 🤌
We Still Belong by Christine Day
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This. Book. Has so many fire quotes. I do feel like Wesley, Hannan, and the other tweens all talk and feel more like older teens than 12 year olds (they sound quite mature and wise for their young ages!), I don't actually mind it! The author clearly has a message to tell, and Wesley excels at showing that lesson. I think Grandpa Wilder is my favorite character. So much sass and rizz in one old man haha
So! Two quotes to leave you with:
1. "But lone wolves are usually the hungriest, Wesley. There is strength and safety in packs. In family and community." -Grandpa to Wesley
2. "It's impossible to know what other people are going through. You never really know who might be hurting. What pain and stories they might be carrying in their hearts. But it is always possible to be kind. To be the one who might lift someone up and out of their darkest moments. To be a helper."
🔥🔥🔥💯
So! Two quotes to leave you with:
1. "But lone wolves are usually the hungriest, Wesley. There is strength and safety in packs. In family and community." -Grandpa to Wesley
2. "It's impossible to know what other people are going through. You never really know who might be hurting. What pain and stories they might be carrying in their hearts. But it is always possible to be kind. To be the one who might lift someone up and out of their darkest moments. To be a helper."
🔥🔥🔥💯
Wild Bird by Diane Zahler
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Holy macaroni and cheese this book is DARK. The description of the plague and the bodies and the other horrible things that were considered every day life in medieval Europe makes me so glad to be living in the present. You couldn't pay me to time travel. Absolutely not.
Outside of that, this book is good. Rype and Owen are characters to root for. And the ending is SO wholesome. I leave with a quote I saved from this story:
"He was a person who brought brightness into the lives of everyone he met. Why were some people like that, I wondered, and others gloomy, or harsh, or even cruel? Surely it wasn’t just how they were made. Some part of it must have to do with how they lived."
How are you living? Are you a person who brings light and joy into others' lives or are you cruel?
Outside of that, this book is good. Rype and Owen are characters to root for. And the ending is SO wholesome. I leave with a quote I saved from this story:
"He was a person who brought brightness into the lives of everyone he met. Why were some people like that, I wondered, and others gloomy, or harsh, or even cruel? Surely it wasn’t just how they were made. Some part of it must have to do with how they lived."
How are you living? Are you a person who brings light and joy into others' lives or are you cruel?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Misogyny and Antisemitism
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and War
The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book literally packs a punch carrying the force of a tsunami. Navigating abuse as a child is already hard, even more so when you are a neurodivergent child. Honestly a surprisingly dark and intensely challenging book for middle graders with a hopeful ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Child abuse
A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I did enjoy this story. I love the idea of the past and present being connected through cooking. It's a real idea with a twist of magic. Speaking of twists, THE PLOT TWIST.
The Demon Sword Asperides by Sarah Jean Horwitz
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
#justiceforasperides ðŸ˜
Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I don't really have much to say about this one except I didn't like it much at all.
The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was fine. It was interesting, and great care is taken towards making it feel like a diverse cast, but two things:
1. Because the cast was so refreshingly diverse, I couldn't help but notice no people of color happened to draw others to them in an alpha way like Luke, Riley, and the other girl with an L name and pasty white skin did. Mama N was Mama C's wife, but she wasn't an alpha. Mama C was, also pasty white.
2. This honest to god feels like a middle grade gateway drug into werewolf omegaverse fiction. It's literally just missing the fates mates, and even then it had a little bit of that with the "prime pack inside the larger pack" dynamics.
1. Because the cast was so refreshingly diverse, I couldn't help but notice no people of color happened to draw others to them in an alpha way like Luke, Riley, and the other girl with an L name and pasty white skin did. Mama N was Mama C's wife, but she wasn't an alpha. Mama C was, also pasty white.
2. This honest to god feels like a middle grade gateway drug into werewolf omegaverse fiction. It's literally just missing the fates mates, and even then it had a little bit of that with the "prime pack inside the larger pack" dynamics.