Based on a story idea of Siobhan Dowd that she was not able to complete before she died of cancer, A Monster Calls uses stories within stories to expose our fears of about dying - and living. Powerful, heartbreaking and healing, for ages 12 & up.

A thought provoking collection of portraits of individual citizens who make a difference by focusing on the common ground rather than the aspects of issues that divide us. Agreeing to disagree on on part of a problem, accomplished much social good. Powerful concept in this age of polarization.

A quirky novel whose narrator is a large animal vet in Vermont. He journals his professional calls and his day-to-day activities to portray his life: his wife and three children, his community and the landscape around his farm in short vignettes that ring so true.

An intense portrait of Stalin's prison camps in Siberia told from the perspective of a fifteen-year old girl, Lena. Their family was yanked from a comfortable life in Lithuania in 1941 and loaded into boxcars. Her father was separated sent in a different direction, and her younger brother and mother and she needed to stick together to try to survive the harsh conditions of their travel and the camps they lived in. What struck me most was the exploration of hate and connection, both for the "other" and with the self.

Multilayered characters and an intriguing whodunit involving a valuable missing rookie card are the foil for a graceful middle grade novel about making your own luck. The boy/girl balance, the sibling issue, the obsessive behavior, the friends fighting... all sound real to me as the parent of a teen who loves soccer.