By SK

When eleven-year-old Viji runs away from home with her twelve-year-old sister, Rukku, she hopes to find a better life in the city, and maybe even the chance to someday fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. But the city is nothing like she expected, filled with a flood of noise and trash and movement--and very few opportunities for two inexperienced girls who are suddenly on their own. And she has to be careful to keep Rukku away from anyone who might try to put her in a "mental institution," a possibility which she has always feared. The reality of surviving on the streets seems grim, to say the least.

But then the sisters meet Arul and Muthi, two boys who are also homeless, and are introduced to a new world--one of struggling to find food, and gathering trash to sell from Himalayas of garbage, yes, but also of sleeping on an old bridge above a glittering river at night, not being ordered around by anyone, and forming a bond which quickly becomes unbreakable. With every day she lives on the streets, Viji feels her dreams of being a teacher, and of ever finding a better life, drifting farther and farther from reach. But with Rukku, Arul, and Muthi by her side, life's obstacles seem more like adventures than problems, and she and Rukku are the happiest they've ever been--until everything they've worked so hard to build begins to come apart. 

The Bridge Home is rich with compassion, hope, and humanity. The irresistible characters aren't deeply complex, yet are filled with life and energy and motion; Viji is strong, determined, and fiercely loyal, and Rukku is incredibly lovable, kind, and far more talented than most people bother to find out. I was struck by how despite frequently facing dire circumstances, the protagonists still manage to have fun and be silly, ordinary kids. Their moments of triumph and true happiness make their heartbreaking ones even more wrenching (I cried quite a bit!), and the story gives a glimpse into the lives of millions of children whose stories aren't often told. In the author's note, Venkatraman notes that The Bridge Home is based on real stories she gathered from a variety of interviews and conversations, which I wasn't surprised to learn, given how deftly she brings the story to life. A piercing, beautiful story of survival, loss, friendship and sisterhood, I would highly recommend The Bridge Home to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.
 
The Florida town of Sabal Palms is known for few things. Mostly, it’s famous for being home to the rich DiSanti family, who made their fortune from oranges, and the Floras, an uptight club dedicated to helping the community.

Lane DiSanti isn’t interested in the Floras or her family, after being sent to her Florida grandmother while her parents file for a divorce. But she doesn’t want to spend the summer with only the peacocks near her house for company, either.

Ofelia Castillo’s school friends are all gone on vacations, and so she’s left with the prospect of going with her mom to work at the opulent DiSanti mansion. Only one thing keeps her going: a journalism contest which she’s determined to win—if she can just get her overprotective parents to sign the permission form.

Aster Douglas has always been homeschooled by her grandfather; she enjoys baking and frequent trips to the library. But this coming fall, she’ll go to public school for the first time, and she’s certain that she’ll be the only kid in the seventh grade who doesn’t have any friends.

Cat Garcia might belong to the Floras, but she wants no part in the organization; she’d much rather birdwatch and research the Migratory Bird Treaty Act than sell cookies to her neighbors. After she unofficially ditches the Floras, she has to find a way to keep her parents from knowing—and to get rid of the Floras hat, a symbol of the club which is adorned with feathers of endangered species.

When these four outsiders are brought together in an unused treehouse, they form a fast friendship over apricot ladyfingers, the correct terms for peafowl, and superstitions about minerals. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat may not appear to have much in common, but when they begin a shared mission which they’re determined to complete, these four strange birds might just have found a place where they belong.

​Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers was well-written, engaging, and hilarious. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat, all of whom narrated chapters, were all excellent and distinct. At first, it was a little hard to keep track of them, but it became clear before long. This book felt very authentic, even surrounding the harder parts of each character’s life, which I appreciated. I especially loved the themes of bird protection and civil disobedience; although you can read this seeing those deeper meanings, it’s also good for those who just want a lighthearted, fast-paced novel about summer and friendship. I highly recommend Strange Birds to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

The Artifact Hunters is a companion book/sequel to The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox.

When twelve-year-old Isaac Wolf flees Prague in the midst of World War II, he thinks he’s only running from the Nazis. He’s wrong: the creatures which are following him are much more magical and just as malicious.

But Isaac doesn’t know about these mysterious pursuers when his parents give him a closed box and tell him to leave. It’s only when he arrives at Rookskill Castle, a place laced with magic and strangeness with an unknown power pressing in on all sides, and he learns the box is a time travel machine, that he begins to uncover answers: about the creatures following him, about the clues his parents left for him throughout the past, and about himself. But will Isaac learn everything in time? Or will his pursuers catch up to him first?

The Artifact Hunters continues the mysterious atmosphere and vivid historical setting of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. The magic in it is strong and interesting, from the time travel device to other powerful artifacts found along the way. I think I loved this book even more than the first one! I highly recommend The Artifact Hunters to readers ages ten and up.

Note: Although mostly unrelated, there is overlap (mainly characters) with The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, so I think The Artifact Hunters will be most enjoyed by those also familiar with the first book.

By Super Kitty

Charlie Thorne knows over a dozen languages. She's an extraordinary coder and inventor. Her IQ is quite simply off the charts, and she might be the only person alive capable of uncovering an equation discovered and hidden by Einstein himself--one which has eluded every intelligence agency in the world for decades. But after a not-100%-legal use of her talents which left her a multi-millionaire, she has been using them only to stay undercover.

And oh, yeah--she's twelve years old.

Under normal circumstances, the CIA wouldn't so much as consider sending a headstrong twelve-year-old into the field (especially one with such a...questionable history). But Einstein's last equation--better known as Pandora's Box--is said to have improved upon E = MC^2 so ingeniously that anyone who had access to it could easily create nuclear power, and the CIA's leaders have reason to believe that a small terrorist organization called the Furies has figured out its location. And, well, desperate times call for (very) desperate measures.

Charlie has absolutely no intention of working with the CIA--in fact, she's put a great deal of energy into avoiding them for the last few years. Yet she can't resist her curiosity, and as she begins to unravel clues left by Einstein himself, she's pulled into a mission that will cross the globe, race the Furies, and shape the fate of the world as she knows it. (No pressure or anything....) But the equation means something different for everyone--from sustainable energy to nuclear bombs--and the closer she gets to finding Pandora's Box, the more Charlie realizes that trusting humanity with the box could be its undoing. 

Clever, funny, and engaging, Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation is a fun, fast read. Charlie is stubborn, witty, and highly amusing, and I like how she uses her abilities and knowledge creatively to succeed in seemingly impossible situations--her ability to "see the numbers" is useful not just for unraveling equations, but also for outwitting her enemies and carefully calculated skateboard getaways. While most of the characters are likable but fairly straightforward, I really liked how each one has a logical goal and perspective which, instead of leading to a "good guys vs. bad guys" climax, results in a web of conflicting motivations, strategies, and factions that make the story highly entertaining, particularly the ending. I also liked the villains--most authors would have made the Furies into a brilliant underground network of evil which spanned the globe, but Gibbs instead made them simply a handful of average people, yet ones brimming with racism and blinding hatred. They aren't geniuses, but they don't need to be to be seriously dangerous and concern the CIA, which made them much more believable and interesting--I enjoyed seeing Charlie face off with them! I would recommend Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation to readers ages ten and up who enjoy complex clues, historical and scientific tidbits, and action-filled adventures. 

Note: Check out our interview with Stuart Gibbs, author of Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation! 

By Piranha T.

The raggedy witches have never been part of Mup Taylor’s peaceful life. She’s grown up in the mundane world, where magic isn’t common, surrounded by her perfectly normal mam and dad, her younger brother Tipper, and her beloved Aunty. Aunty has always warned Mup against the witches, and told her that if she sees them, she must tell Aunty and no one else. But the night Mup sees them out her car window, Aunty has died—and her family has no protection left against the raggedy witches.

Mup is quickly torn from familiarity into a world of strange and powerful magic where people can become animals, and an unjust queen forces rebels to speak in rhyme. But she’s a part of this world, too, because it’s where her mam was born. And the queen—who restricts all magic, and commands the powerful raggedy witches—wants her, because Mup’s mam is her daughter.

In an unfamiliar world where Mup doesn’t know who or what to trust, and raggedy witches seem to lurk in every shadow, Mup has a single goal: to keep her family together. But that might just be the hardest quest of all.

​Begone the Raggedy Witches is a modern novel and a fairytale at the same time. Celine Kiernan skillfully manages to create a very real world which feels very deep and multilayered, yet is simple enough to easily grasp, and adds to the story instead of complicating it. The cast, including Mup, is interesting and realistic. Those elements of realism are part of what makes Begone the Raggedy Witches stand out, because they integrate seamlessly into the fairytale-like story invoked by the plot and writing; the feel of this book often reminded me of A Path Begins. I highly recommend Begone the Raggedy Witches to lovers of fairytales and whimsical stories ages ten and up. 

Note: If you enjoy Begone the Raggedy Witches, check out our interview with the author, Celine Kiernan! 

 By Piranha T.

There are plenty of ways that Zenobia July is different from her fellow students when she starts Monarch Middle School. Her skills at tech, for example, developed over long days sitting at home when her father wouldn’t let her leave the house. The fact that she’s not living with her parents but with her two eccentric aunts. Or that although Zen was born a boy, in her new home in Maine, she’s been able to transition publicly to the girl she’s always been inside. Despite all the hardships she’s faced, though, Zen finds new challenges in middle school—girls who make fun of her, a boy who despises her for her skill at technology, and the constant fear that someone will learn she’s transgender. The only comforts lie in Arli, a self-proclaimed word geek, and the familiar riddles of Cyberlandium.

Then the school website is hacked, and it changes everything. Because although Zen knows she can find who did it, she’s also aware that success may not make her popular with her classmates. And as she delves deeper into the mystery, it makes her question the place she’s started to find for herself at Monarch Middle School.

It’s a multilayered puzzle which requires both cyber skills and determination. And Zenobia July may be the only one who can stop it before the hacker strikes again.

Zenobia July is an amazing book, one I’m so glad I’ve read. It’s the tale of a transgender girl figuring out who she is and navigating an unfamiliar world, but it’s also a cyber mystery with a strong friendship storyline. Lisa Bunker creates a many-layered, real story with an interesting, engaging plot. Her characters were well-drawn and unique, and every part of the story felt natural and smooth. To readers ages ten and up who like mysteries or books with diverse protagonists, I highly recommend Zenobia July.

By Piranha T.

On the outskirts of the Thickety—a sprawling forest full of strange, dangerous creatures—lies Kara Westfall’s village, which lives in fear of the evil witches who some say were all killed hundreds of years ago. But when Kara was five years old, her mother was murdered after she was reported to be a witch. And although Kara never displayed the same skills, people whisper that she’s a witch, too.

It’s been seven years, but those rumors have never faded. Kara and her younger brother, Taff, have been ostracized ever since the fateful night when their mother died, even though they know as well as anyone else that magic is evil. But that doesn’t matter to the villagers, and least of all Grace Stone, the village leader’s snooty daughter, who is determined to make Kara’s life a misery.

But then Kara is lured into the Thickety by a one-eyed bird who leads her to a grimoire—a volume of spells which she believed was once possessed by her mother—and with it, she discovers that she too can cast spells. She knows she must destroy it, but it pulls at her, not allowing her to let it rest. And she begins doing things with it she never would have done before.

There are secrets in the village: about the Thickety, the grimoire, even Kara’s mother. But will she be able to uncover them before it is too late? Or will she become the witch the villagers have always believed she had the potential to become?
​
A Path Begins is an engaging, brilliant fantasy novel, the first in a quartet full of twisting plotlines. Kara is a strong main character struggling to understand her magical powers and the essence of who she is, one of the best heroines I’ve recently read. She reminds me of strong characters like Mara in City of Islands, Makenna in The Goblin Wood, and Luna in The Girl Who Drank the Moon. I also liked the unique feeling of the world J. A. White evokes in both the Thickety and Kara’s village, full of danger and strangeness with creepy undertones. Altogether, I highly recommend The Thickety: A Path Begins to fantasy lovers ages ten and up. 

Note: A Path Begins was selected as one of our favorite books of 2020! 

By Super Kitty

Seventh grader Castle Crenshaw, aka Ghost, can run. For him, sprinting isn't something he's trained for, it's just something he can do--something he's had to do. Because he's not one of those rich kids he sees practicing on the local track after school. And his earliest memory of sprinting as a gun went off isn't from a race. 

Ever since his dad chased Ghost and his mom from their apartment years ago, pointing a gun straight at them, something in Ghost changed. Not something obvious. More like a scream that's caught inside him, anger and fire that can spring to the surface at a moment's notice.

When he gets recruited for the Defenders, one of the best track teams in the city, the whole thing feels like some scene from a sports movie. Ghost can run, yeah, but that doesn't mean he wants to spend hours training with a bunch of kids he's never met--kids whose clothes and shoes and just about everything make it clear that they'll never be friends. But (somehow) his mom agrees to let him join, and before Ghost knows what's happened, Coach has promised he won't get into any trouble at school if he wants to stay on the team. 

Here's the thing: Ghost tries. He really does. But when kids like Brandon Simmons, the biggest bully in his class, start mouthing off at him, sometimes he just loses it. How's he supposed to be the bigger person--stay calm--and still stand up for himself, anyway? 

As Ghost attempts to stay cool at school and figure out the new track team, he starts to get to know the other newbies, who have more in common with him than he thinks.   

But as pressure rises from all sides, each mistake has bigger consequences, and he wonders how far he'll go to fit in. 

Maybe he needs to come to peace with his past before he can tackle his dreams for the future. 

I've heard a lot about the Track series, but I only read Ghost recently--I've never done track, and I thought it would be one of those books which is centered purely on a sport, which I don't usually enjoy. After reading several of Jason Reynolds' other books and loving them, though, I decided to give them a try, and (of course) I was completely blown away. Reynolds has that rare ability to truly capture the voice of a middle schooler, and reading each book in the Track series is like having a conversation with a friend--or seeing yourself. Track plays an important role in each book, but that's certainly not all they're about; school, friendships, and finding yourself are all major components as well, just to name a few. There's a perfect balance between depth and humor, and I love the way that the "newbies"--Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu--connect over the course of the series. An outstanding series, which I would highly recommend to readers ages ten and up--each book is about a different newbie, and they're each distinct and different, yet all are amazing.

By Piranha T.

I can’t remember a time before music.
I can’t remember the first time I heard
                “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
                “Clair de Lune”
                “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Before this year
All my friends were like songs that I knew by heart.
                               -Excerpt from Emmy in the Key of Code

Twelve-year-old Emmy loves music. She’s heard songs for so long she can’t remember life without them; music is a tangible part of her life. With a pianist father and an opera-singing mother, she’s never wanted anything more than to be a musician, too. But no matter how hard she tries, she’s never been able to carry a note or play a tune. After years of musical disappointments, she knows she can’t pretend to be what she isn’t. Still, she’s disheartened when, in her new school in San Francisco, she’s placed not in a music class, but in Computer Science.

But from the first time Emmy enters the computer lab—and meets the teacher, Ms. Delaney—she discovers a new type of music: the music of a keyboard and lines of code. Coding helps Emmy find a place in her new school, a teacher who she cares about, and even a best friend.

One day we will learn what [the code] does.
Every word. Every line.
Every note played on the keyboard.
But right now…it’s just music
Written in the language called Java.
                                                                                      -Excerpt from Emmy in the Key of Code

Just as Emmy begins to find a place in her new school—one made from lines of code, not notes of music—the last thing she expects happens, and she’s left struggling to come to terms with an event which changes everything.

When I started reading Emmy in the Key of Code, it wasn’t by any recommendation; it was just because it had an interesting title and a cool cover. But this is a book I’ve been telling everyone I know to read. I love the way Emmy developed and learned her true talents as a coder, made friends, and overcame her struggles with self-confidence. She’s a character I fell in love with both for her courage and talents but also her realism; I found myself instantly connecting with her because she feels so true. All the situations she fell into, and the other characters she encountered, were so realistic that it felt like I was moving through the story right next to Emmy. This book is written in rhythmic free verse interspersed with lines of code, with musical terms used throughout, which added to the story and the feel of this book as a whole. Aimee Lucido effortlessly combines elements of coding, music, women in science, bullying, moving, friendship, and self-discovery in a truly outstanding way. I highly recommend Emmy in the Key of Code to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who love science, math, or music. 

Notes: We interviewed author Aimee Lucido, which you can read here. And we selected Emmy in the Key of Code as one of our favorites from 2020! 

By Piranha T.

Kek is a refugee from Sudan, fleeing his home after the deaths of much of his family. He is sent to his family in the United States, where he struggles to learn the language and understand the culture. His new school seems like a paradise of freedom to Kek, but he feels isolated until he meets Hannah, a girl who befriends him and helps him navigate the complexities of his new life. But even with Hannah’s friendship, he won’t forget the mystery of what happened to his mother—and the question of whether she’s alive at all.

Home of the Brave is the story of Kek’s struggle in a foreign new home, told in free verse. It is deeply relatable, sometimes funny, a book about change, prejudice, coming of age, and so much more. This is a book to be discussed in book groups, a simple story with a deepness which will remain in reader’s minds. I think Home of the Brave would appeal to fans of books like The Year of the Dog and Other Words for Home, centering around people from other cultures finding a way in a world which sees their identity as their home country, and not who they ​are. I would recommend Home of the Brave to readers ages ten and up. 

By Super Kitty

Living in London with her father and aunts, Tally is perfectly content. But there is the war, of course, getting ever closer, and news of the Nazis every day in newspapers and on the wireless. Children are getting sent to the countryside to protect them from the coming air raids. Tally has no intention of leaving, but when her father gets the opportunity to send her to a boarding school in the country, he accepts, determined to keep her safe from the anticipated air raids on the city.

Tally does not want to go to boarding school--uniforms and field hockey and endless rules are the last things she wants to worry about, and she longs to stay with her family and friends. But when she arrives at Delderton, it turns out to be nothing like the schools she's read about in books. Students only go to classes if they want to, and the classes themselves are entirely different than she was expecting--drama and handicrafts and biology lessons in the woods are taught along with English and math. She meets children who dream of movie stars and revolutions and one with a pet axolotl. Instead of scolding and nagging, her housemother is writing a book about a German philosopher. And Tally begins to think that maybe, just maybe, Delderton is a place where she can be happy. 

Karil, crown prince of Bergania, has spent his whole life surrounded by royals and officials and ceremonies, and has never had friends or felt really free. He is destined to be king someday, but he's never found a place where he feels he truly belongs. And now, with the war close at hand and his father refusing to obey Hitler's orders, tensions at the royal court make things lonelier than ever. 

When Tally learns about the king of Bergania's daring stand against the Nazis, she moved by his courage and longs to visit his beautiful country. The opportunity arises when she learns of a youth folk dance festival that the country is hosting, and she gathers a group of students to choreograph a dance so that they can attend. There, she and the other students meet children from all over Europe, but for Tally, the closest friendship she forms is with someone who's not even supposed to speak to her--Karil, prince of Bergania.

Their friendship might be forbidden, but there are far more dangerous things occupying the minds of the country's leaders. And when Nazi forces infiltrate Bergania's government, it is up to Tally and her friends to help Karil escape to safety. 

Eva Ibbotson is one of my favorite writers, and this book completely lived up to my high expectations. Ibbotson grew up in Vienna, Austria, but fled during World War II as a child, and it's clear that she experienced many of the things described in The Dragonfly Pool--the descriptions and details she writes with have the feel not of careful research, but of personal experience. Her writing is beautiful, and the story is poignant and moving, but still has the characteristic humor and quirkiness which I've enjoyed in many of her other books. And Tally is a wonderful main character, caring and brave but still believable, and I loved the way her friendship with Karil develops. (I also appreciated the lack of romance--so many middle grade books with girls and boys who are friends focus on it, but in The Dragonfly Pool it's all but nonexistent.) I would highly recommend it to readers ages ten and up. 

By Super Kitty

On her twelfth birthday, Nisha receives her first diary--a beautiful book where she feels she can record all of her thoughts and wonderings. She struggles to speak in front of anyone other than her family, especially her twin brother Amil, or Kazi, her family's beloved cook, who gave her the notebook. But when she writes, words flow onto the page, telling the story of the sudden changes which have begun in the world around her. 

India has been freed from British rule, but in the summer of 1947, things only seem to be getting more complicated. Before, it didn't seem to matter what religion people were, but suddenly there is talk of India becoming two countries--one for Muslims and one for Sikhs, Hindus, and all other Indians. Everyone is taking sides, from the country's leaders to the students at Nisha and Amil's schools. But the only side Nisha wants to be on is her family's--Amil, Kazi, Papa, and Dadi, her grandmother. 

Dadi and Papa are Hindu. Kazi is Muslim, and so was Nisha's mother, who died when she and Amil were born. So where in this new world does Nisha belong?

As tensions escalate and violence begins to break out in their neighborhood, Dadi, Papa, Nisha and Amil escape and begin the long journey away from what is now Pakistan, away from their Kazi and their bungalow and everything Nisha and Amil have ever known. They cross the desert to what is now the new India on foot, desperate for water and facing the growing tensions between refugees of all religions, escaping their old homes to places they have never seen. They find hardship and danger on their road, people filled with cruelty and some who have lost everything. But there is also unexpected kindness in those they encounter, and the hope for a better future.

Written in a series of letters to her mother, Nisha's journey is sometimes heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, and although it's historical, it explores many issues which are still relevant today. I don't always prefer reading books written in a diary format--it can be difficult to immerse oneself in the story--but I loved the way that Veera Hiranandani weaves the story through Nisha's letters to a mother she never really met. The relationships within her family are believably imperfect, yet the relatively small cast of characters clearly truly care about one another, and the harsh journey they make together helps to bring them closer together. The story also explores a piece of history that I can't believe I didn't know more about--according to the Author's Note, the journey in The Night Diary "is the largest mass migration in history." Although the story itself is fictional, it is inspired by the journey made by the author's father when he was young, and her vivid details and descriptions bring Nisha's world to life. The Night Diary is written for a middle-grade audience, but older readers will enjoy it as well (though they may find the ending slightly too happy to be completely realistic), and they may be inspired to learn more about the historical events it describes. Overall, I would recommend The Night Diary to readers ages ten and up.  

By Super Kitty
​
"This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. No one heard anything."
                                ​- Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

You see, everyone who would have noticed was busy--they were walking home from school. They were arguing, skateboarding, telling stories, and making plans. They were cracking jokes and asking hard questions, exchanging secret handshakes and hanging out with friends. They were far too busy to notice something like a school bus falling from the sky. 

I don't always enjoy short stories (it can be so hard to lose yourself in them when they're only the length of a chapter!), but I loved Look Both Ways. Each of the ten stories are distinct and unique (in characters, plot, and writing style), but they overlap just the right amount, with each character firmly absorbed in their own story, yet touched or affected by those of others. The characters might be vastly different from each other in experience and situation, but they're all unforgettably relatable and real--I felt like I was reading about kids I could have classes with, or was reminded of my own experiences. The stories, one for each block that a character lives on, unfold with twists and realizations while maintaining a believable open-endedness which makes them even more powerful. I've had several of Jason Reynolds' books on my reading list for a while, and now I can't wait to read more of his books! I would highly recommend Look Both Ways to readers ages ten and up looking for a book with skillful writing, humor, loss, and hope, and a believable, diverse cast of middle schoolers searching for their place in the world.

By Piranha T.

As World War II progresses and bombs are dropped on London every night, thirteen-year-old Kenneth Sparks’ home become a war zone. Before long, he’s glad to leave on the SS City of Benares, a luxury ship chartered to bring ninety English children to Canada to escape the war. To Ken, the ship is like paradise. He has plenty to eat, a comfy bed to sleep in, and a room of toys to play with.

But when the City of Benares is torpedoed by German U-Boats, Ken and forty-five other children, passengers and sailors escape on Lifeboat 12. They have limited rations and even less water. As the days drag by and no land or rescue boat appears, Ken begins to wonder if they will simply die at sea.

Lifeboat 12 was historical fiction, but it was about real people and real events (and don’t worry—it does have a happy ending!). All the characters actually lived, and narrator Ken Sparks really was on Lifeboat 12. Parliament’s decision to send children to the British colonies is a little-known piece of history which I found quite interesting. Of course, Lifeboat 12 is fictionalized, but was firmly based in the accounts of survivors and newspapers.

When I first picked up Lifeboat 12, I didn’t know if I’d like it. I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction. However, this book pulled me in, and I think it would be a great book for fans of little-known history, like World War II’s Fly Girls. In the back of the book, Susan Hood also provides historical context which was quite interesting. At the same time, the book was written as fiction—in free verse poetry—so unlike many similar books, it was quite engaging. I recommend Lifeboat 12 to lovers of historical fiction ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

Many years ago, Mayka was carved by a great stonemason out of mountain granite, and brought to life by the marks etched into her body. Now, many years after the stonemason’s death, she and the other creatures he carved live on the slopes of a remote mountain. Mayka is the only stone girl, forever twelve years old, her age carved into her as part of her story which brings all stone beings to life. Her life there seems permanent, as none of the stone creatures can die of age.

But one day, one of her friends stops moving. The years have eroded his stone, and the marks that brought him to life are worn away. Mayka knows that if no one recarves their marks, one by one, each of them will meet the same fate.

So Mayka sets off to Skye, a city in the center of the valley where there are said to be many stonemasons. She expects her mission to be simple, but instead, she discovers a place of complicated history and dangerous secrets. Not only that, but those secrets could put not just Mayka, but all her friends, in peril.

The Stone Girl’s Story is a fantasy book which reads almost like a fairytale. Sarah Beth Durst crafts a complex world with unusual magic, and Mayka’s narrative feels completely authentic for someone made of stone! The complexity of the world and magic reminds me of Spark and City of Islands, both of which I’d recommend if you enjoy this book. Mayka is an interesting and unique main character, and she also tells stories, something I love, being a reader and writer myself. I would highly recommend The Stone Girl’s Story to readers ages ten and up. 

Note: Check out our interview with Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Stone Girl's Story!