Read Your Way Homewood

Spelling Trouble (The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, #1) by  Frank Cammuso Calvin & Hobbes + magic with a girl lead = this adorable book. So Cute! Would be perfect for my own 8 year old reluctant reader if I could get her to TRY it. (Sigh) - Miss Kelly #GraphicNovels #Fantasy #Elementary #Humor #MiddleGrade

Mini Myths: Don't Get Lost, Odysseus! (Mini Myths)  by Joan Holub , Leslie Patricelli (Illustrations)   Accurate re-tellings of Mythology these stories are NOT. Super-cute and wonderful Board Books anyway? Why, yes! Yes they are!  Using the names and the core element of a classic Greco-Roman mythological tale, these Mini Myths talk to pre-schoolers. Odysseus gets lost, Pandora touches something she shouldn't, Icarus isn't careful. These tales are couched in terms the little ones understand. Then, at the back, a more accurate summary of the actual tale is given, again at kid level. HIGHLY recommend this super stinking cute series.  ALSO: diverse cast and characters through the series  #BoardBooks #FamilyTies #StoriesReimagined #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly Apple doesn't like herself much. The way she looks, the way her mom talks and cooks, her name... all of it is a reminder that she is *different* and she hates it. Until a list and a series of events bring her to some new people who help her see the great things about standing out in a crowd instead of fading into it. This is a really nice middle grade book for self esteem, issues of ethnic minorities feeling bullied, and kids who are searching for their way. Favorite line was towards the end, and was about a former friend who was obsessed with being popular and cool: "I realized that's how she would always be: going where the crowd goes and then getting lost." - Miss Kelly #ComingOfAge #FamilyTies #FriendshipBonds #MiddleGrade #Realism #SchoolStories #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Little Bo Peep and Her Bad, Bad Sheep: A Mother Goose Hullabaloo by A L Wegwerth, Luke Flowers (Illustrations) This picture book is decidedly NOT for the very young, unless they are one on one with an adult that has at LEAST a half hour of uninterrupted time time pore over the pages AND they are already familiar with a large selection of Mother Goose rhymes. Rather, this picture book is perfect for the older reader (3rd - 6th grades and over) who enjoys a fracturing of the familiar, and Where's Waldo style chaos. The art is beautifully bright and sharp, and the style reminds me of Rocky & Bullwinkle in some ways. I could also see this book being adapted for a Reader's Theater presentation. It would accommodate QUITE the cast of characters with minimal lines (for those still struggling with their reading) and would also accommodate more than one narrator with heavier vocabulary building. Four stars for the older readers / readers theater. If I were reviewing for t...

Endangered by Lamar Giles Fast paced, thrilling, diverse cast, well utilized (and not dead) parental units, not too easy to figure out, satisfyingly UNsatisfying ending. No sunshine and roses in this one, but it all WORKS. I really enjoyed this and will be looking for more from this author. Side note, at the beginning, I really liked and identified with Panda (as the reader is supposed to do) Then, in the middle, I started having second thoughts about her and her motivations and methods, right when she started having second thoughts about herself. And THAT is a great thing. To be able to make us like someone and then STILL question whether they are a good person doing good things, is very nice to read. Review by Kelly

The Boy at the End of the World by   Greg Van Eekhout " Fisher is the last boy on earth-and things are not looking good for the human race. Only Fisher made it out alive after the carefully crafted survival bunker where Fisher and dozens of other humans had been sleeping was destroyed.  Luckily, Fisher is not totally alone. He meets a broken robot he names Click, whose programmed purpose-to help Fisher "continue existing"-makes it act an awful lot like an overprotective parent. Together, Fisher and Click uncover evidence that there may be a second survival bunker far to the west. In prose that skips from hilarious to touching and back in a heartbeat, Greg van Eekhout brings us a thrilling story of survival that becomes a journey to a new hope-if Fisher can continue existing long enough to get there." Some scary situations, and tense moments heighten the drama in this  great middle grade dystopian adventure sci-fi post-apocalyptic novel!  (Are there enou...

The Departed: Book 1 of The Departed Series by   Kristy Cooper " What if someone tried to fake the rapture? When hundreds of thousands of people disappear in the middle of the night, including sixteen-year-old Gwen's best friend Lana, no one knows why. Some believe they were taken in the rapture, while others are convinced that it can't be true. " - From publisher I read this fairly quickly because I couldn't put it down! It was a fast paced read, and good thing I didn't work the next morning! Although there are certain small plot holes, and bits that feel a bit contrived, overall this YA novel was a winner. The fake rapture and all the following controversy was landed some credibility by the instability in the U.S. Political climate right now (2016 Election Season, anyone?) and it just made it all the more immediate - even though this is not at all a political book. It is also not a blast for or against religion. The author takes a really ba...

This book is amazing!! It's another fun take on the story of Aladdin and his jinni.  There is love, adventure, and of course three wishes but all of the familiar characters are further developed and each one's backstory enriches the text. The best one is of the jinni as well as the history of jinni's. In my opinion, this is a must read for everyone.  The twists and turns keep the reader engaged and nothing is predictable.  Perfect for readers who love fantasy, the tale of Aladdin, and just a great read. Title: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury Pages: 352

I grabbed this book based on the title. I had to know what it meant and how relevant to the story it was. Ally Hughes, when the novel begins, is working as college professor at Brown and is a single mother who is having the worst time of her life.  She has so much on her plate and doesn't see it getting better or going away.  She has a meeting with a student that not only changes a weekend in her life but the next 10 years.  The story changes from that time to ten years later after Ally is re-introduced to the student who changed her life and is now a major celebrity.  There are secondary characters that really aren't great and kinda feel like an afterthought but reading about the weekend Ally spends with her student makes up for it.  The end is a little too far fetched in terms of the secondary characters but it is a nice ending for Ally.  I liked the book and would recommend it as a fun, beach read. Title: Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes: A Nove...

Title: The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki Pages: 496 Summary: this is the story of Benedict Arnold and his wife, Peggy Shippen told from the viewpoint of Shippen's maid.  The tale covers Peggy's relationship with John Andre, British solider, and her courtship and marriage to Benedict Arnold.  It shares with the reader the reasoning behind the treasonous behavior as well as the love story of the maid and the former stable boy. This was a great read. There was a lot of depth provided with all the characters as well as a deeper historical understanding of the Revolutionary War. It also inspired me to watch the AMC television show TURN: Washington Spies.

The Color of Earth (Color Trilogy, #1)   by   Kim Dong Hwa ,  Lauren Na Artwork - beautiful. Writing - soft, gentle, cautious, beautiful. Characters - full, varied, nuanced Story - historical snapshot of life, engaging, interesting, addictive Coming of Age - for girls, but also for boys, is handled with humor and realism. The way the main young lady learns about her body in a piecemeal way, is so indicative of the way some girls learn, and really funny, too. Love - believable love triangle for the youth. So slow and sweet. Love - EXTRA slow and just as sweet - the mom and the traveling salesman. The shoes at the door? Leaving a brush behind? I loved it. Review by Kelly

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude. But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm. But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known? The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History by   Joel Christian Gill I was flipping through this book at work one day, rather flippantly, (Hee Hee) when I stumbled on that story, and I started reading it. I immediately passed it to my coworker. She read it and immediately passed it to another coworker, who read it, and passed it to a library patron. A group of restless teens passed by, and I gave it to them. They turned into focused teens. THAT my friends is the power of this book and the stories it tells. Insanely amazing. The "Two Letters" tale is achingly, heartwrenchingly beautiful. In a "you mess with my child I will kill you" sort of beauty. Review by Kelly 

PAWN...CAPTIVE...QUEEN? Kitty Doe is a Blackcoat rebel and a former captive with a deadly connection to the most powerful and dangerous man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. Forced to masquerade as Daxton's niece, Lila Hart, Kitty has helped the Blackcoats take back the prison known as Elsewhere. But Daxton has no intention of ceding his position of privilege—or letting Kitty expose his own masquerade. Not in these United States, where each person's rank means the difference between luxury and poverty, freedom and fear...and ultimately, between life and death. To defeat the corrupt government, Kitty must expose Daxton's secret. Securing evidence will put others in jeopardy, including the boy she's loved forever and an ally she barely trusts. For months, Kitty's survival has hinged on playing a part. Now she must discover who she truly wants to be, and whether the new world she and the rebels are striving to create has a place in it for her after a...

The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman Oh. My. Goodness. On someone else's recommendation, I have wasted HOURS of my life listening to some rich privileged kid whine and wallow in ennui... Ugh... Don't waste your time... It is talked about as if it is "Harry Potter for grown ups" but it isn't. At least, not any group of grown ups I want any part of. There is now a show based on these books on SyFy channel. If you see those previews, where there are a bunch of late teens doing magic to get high and throw people across a room and graffiti a wall... yeah. I prefer not to. I did read the whole thing. And I wish I hadn't. Gouging my eyes out with a meat cleaver would be less painful. -Miss Kelly

Weetzie Bat (Weetzie Bat, #1)   by   Francesca Lia Block I was quite confused by this little book. I downloaded it on my iPad via Overdrive. It came out in the 90's and has an intro on Goodreads that reads (in part) : Fifteen years ago Francesca Lia Block made a dazzling entrance into the literary scene with what would become one of the most talked-about books of the decade; Weetzie Bat. ... Rediscover the magic of Weetzie Bat, Ms. Block's sophisticated, slinkster-cool love song to L.A., the book that shattered the standard, captivated readers of all generations, and made Francesca Lia Block one of the most heralded authors of the last decade. Umm.... I didn't get it. The language was simple and poetic, but it was also just weird and thin. No real depth. The storyline was odd. I wanted to like it, it was short, but when I finished, I was staring at the screen - ambivalent. Review by Kelly

Title: The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer Pages: 416 Summary: What would life be like if the Patriots did not win the Revolutionary War? This is the premise of this book, after France and Spain did not come to aid after being given a better offer not to by the British, America is ruled by Britannia and Boston is where the worst prison system can be found.  Charlotte and her brother live in the Catacombs were they do what they can to aid the Revolution until they can join the fight above ground. Of course the best laid plans and all happen and now Charlotte, her brother Ash, Jack, Meg, and Grave are forced topside to uncover the mystery that is Grave.  Friendships change, relationships are developed, and loss occurs. This is a great story that is very believable, has something for everyone, and has the reader dying to read the next one.