The Many Hats of a School Librarian

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter My rating: 5 of 5 for #1  3 of 5 stars  for #2 4th Graders! This is for you - Mystery, intrigue, murder, orphans, swords… a shipwreck and a city legend.  If you start the first, be prepared to have the 2nd one ready when you finish.  I liked the first one better because of the way that the characters were described and the story unfolding. The second one took me a little more focus to follow the fast moving story. Enjoy! View all my reviews

The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner My rating: 5 of 5 stars The ending: chefs kiss. A book to humanize kids and families in a homeless shelter with a story that keeps you reading all the way through. Should appeal to both boys and girls as the main character is a boy who loves gadgets and science- but there's also so much heart. It's set in Middle School, but the story and reading level feels nice for many levels of readers 5-8th grade. 4th graders and mature voratious 3rd graders could be ok, IMO can read it too- but they might not really connect with the story or characters just yet. Adults, parents, and teachers- definitely! This is a good one! View all my reviews

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well this was just fun. So fun. I laughed. I cried. I wanted everything to work out. Having grown up in a town that straddled not the city, but not far from the city. And having been guests in similar resort MN towns all my life, I can see this. All of this. And it was just a delightful escape from own life. And I LOVE the tie in fun the former series!! Whoo! View all my reviews

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is meant for adults, It could definitely be in a high school. I don’t think middle schoolers will be interested. I was captivated about this house and the story the entire time, the writing was exquisite and I could follow the complex story the entire time seamlessly. I was invested in the characters and wanted to solve the mystery right along with them. I loved the complexity of the family dynamics of the brother and sister relationship.  However, at our neighborhood book club, the ending left us all wanting more. Almost like the book needed to wrap up before the author had completed her thoughts? Maybe there should have been a more abrupt ending and a sequel? We couldn’t put our finger on it.  It’s worth a cozy afternoon with coffee and a fire, but isn’t on the top of the pile of recommendations. View all my reviews

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros My rating: 5 of 5 stars Not for kids ya’ll!  This book reminds me why I teach kids to love reading and try genres they may not love. Fantasy is not my favorite. Usually I step away from it, however - this dragon filled story leans toward sci-fi & dystopian with serious Hunger Games vibes. My friends also compare it to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. The adult scenes in here are steamy and I (mostly) race through them to see if our lead dragon heroine team is going to make it in this twisted world of power, violence, and secrets. View all my reviews

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu My rating: 5 of 5 stars Exceptional Book in Verse to describe the feelings of a teen battling anorexia nervosa in the 90s. I especially connected with the musical theater references which lightened up the heavy subject matter quite a bit. This is a book for a kid who wants to FEEL. Or an older teen adult who wants to know what a friend or child might be thinking. As a Librarian, I would want a student who I suspect might be suffering from this to self select it. Or it might show up in a carefully selected book talk where they are present. The end notes by John to remind readers that in patient treatment in 2024 looks different than 30 years ago, but ya’ll those recurring thoughts and effects from this crippling condition are exactly the same.  Having never experienced anything like this, it was a beautifully written window into a beautiful mind. I listened to this audio, but seeing the text laid in artful patterns on the ...

Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Beautifully written to describe a grief journey in the voice of an 11 year old.   Great to recommend for students who are in a place to explore these feelings because they haven't felt them yet or because they have.  Know your reader before recommending.  Has a lot of reaction in language with simple text so possibly  good for a lower level reader in a higher grade. However, must have deeper or developing comprehension and inference skills.  View all my reviews

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo My rating: 5 of 5 stars Just beautiful. As usual with Kate’s books. A great entrance to fantasy for 3rd & 4th grade students! A perfect read aloud as a class, too! View all my reviews