May/June 2013
— A young musician struggling with parental expectations discovers she can play beautifully when alone under the moonlight, free from pressure and performance anxiety.
— Temple Grandin, by Sy Montgomery; Houghton Mifflin Books for Children: New York, 2012; $17.99 The world is not always a friendly place for people who think different. Temple Grandin thinks...
— A girl recounts the night her beloved family country home burned down, leaving her with physical and emotional scars that teach her about loss and memory.
— A child lies awake in a too-big bed at grandma's house, noticing the dripping faucet and crack of light until sleep finally comes.
— A tomboy navigates her first softball practice, struggling between her natural hitting ability and a coach's instructions that don't feel right to her.
— A girl secretly cares for a wolf in the woods, sneaking out at night to bring him food, until a forest fire takes his life and she discovers he left...
— Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai; HarperCollins Children’s Books: New York, 2011; $16.99 Last year, my family and I moved from Florida to West Virginia and it was...
— A girl obsessed with reading 200 books to become a novelist discovers through her younger cousin that living life provides better inspiration than hiding in stories.
— During wartime, a boy trains doves to carry messages and inadvertently saves his occupied city when the birds reach the wrong army unit, though his father never returns.
— A girl befriends a mysterious beach companion with shimmering hair and strange abilities, discovering her true nature when caught in a dangerous current.