Posted on by Maureen

Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love school stories, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read Lucy and Linh. This is a YA novel written by Alice Pung. It was originally published in Australia as Laurinda in 2014.

Lucy Lam is a teenage girl who wins an academic scholarship to attend Laurinda, a prestigious private school. This is a very big opportunity for her, and it is a testament to how much she has achieved since arriving in Australia as an immigrant when she was seven years old.

The story unfolds in an almost epistolary format, as Lucy recounts her experiences at Laurinda to Linh, who used to go to school with her. The girls are very different than what Lucy is used to, and this is not simply because they come from more affluent backgrounds than her old schoolmates. Lucy quickly realizes that a trio of girls called The Cabinet are the ones really running the show, and she is even more surprised when they take an interest in her. Read more

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Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

51hzm0gexylI have been reading the Ramona series with my seven year old twins. We are also listening to the Henry Huggins series in the car, so 2016 is officially our Beverly Cleary summer.

Ramona the Brave takes place almost a year after the events in Ramona the Pest. Ramona is now a first grader. She is proud that she is no longer a “kindergarten baby”, but she must get used to a new classroom and a new routine. The book begins with Ramona standing up to boys on the playground who are teasing her big sister about her nickname (Beezus). Towards the end of the book, Ramona has an encounter with a big dog- can she still be brave? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty

51mm8vlj1dlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled beyond belief when I found out that there was going to be a sequel to Robert Beatty’s middle grade novel Serafina and the Black Cloak. I had been impressed with Beatty’s debut last year, and I wanted to find out what was going to happen to our plucky protagonist next.

It should be noted that Serafina and the Twisted Staff reveals information about the first Serafina book and its infamous black cloak, including the identity of the person wearing the black cloak. This review will skirt around such spoilers.

Serafina and the Twisted Staff begins relatively soon after the events of the first book. Young Serafina struggles to find her place in the world; she is not wild enough to survive in the forest, but she feels too wild to live amongst the civilized folk at the grand Biltmore estate. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

51af1qhsmflThe Classy Crooks Club had not been on my radar, but as soon as I saw one of the authors I follow on Twitter talking about it. My interest was immediately piqued based on the title alone, and within a week, a copy of the book had arrived via the library network.   The Classy Crooks Club is a middle grade novel written by Alison Cherry.

It is hard not to like narrator A.J. In one of the first scenes of the book, she describes how to emerge the victor if one were to encounter an anaconda in the jungle. It’s rather gruesome, but it gives great insight into A.J.’s personality. She is not the sort of girl to be afraid of danger or conflict.

A.J.’s parents need to travel to the Amazon for a month during summer vacation, so A.J. is sent to her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother is very strict, and does not approve of A.J.’s unladylike hobbies. Case in point: she refers to A.J.’s skateboard as “that infernal plank”. A.J. just wants to spend time with her best friends, but she only sees them at soccer practice. Read more

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Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

51zrwbgzfdlMy twins are going to be seven years old in a couple of weeks, and it’s hard to believe. They are growing up so quickly- what happened to my babies? They have always loved reading and listening to stories, but up until recently, we have always chosen picture books. I thought they were ready for chapter books, so we started reading Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary.

Ramona the Pest was first written almost fifty years ago, but it has not lost its charm. I remember loving the Ramona books when I was a child, and I was so excited to share them with my girls. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

You Look Yummy by Tatsuya Miyanishi

61letqdqwjlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of picture books. I still have favorites from my own childhood, and I have added some new favorites that I have discovered through my reading adventures with my daughters. I was very excited about the opportunity to read You Look Yummy with my daughters, especially after I found out that this is the first entry in an extremely popular series in Japan, China, Korea, and France. Read more