Shred Girls

Lindsay’s Joyride

by Molly Hurford

illustrations by Violet Lemay

 

I simply loved Shred Girls Lindsay’s Joyride. It is a girl power book that is sure to capture the reader young and old. We follow Lindsay’s journey from being a shy girl that would love to be a superhero that defeats the super villain’s of the world. Her summer plans are turned upside down when her parents leave her with her older cousin for the whole summer. Phoebe has always fit what Lindsay pictured as a villain all mean and stuff. However Phoebe is not only cool but she is going to give Lindsay and all a summer to remember. Lindsay learns to “fly” in a way. She grows into a confident girl. She learns all there is to know about the world of BMX and becomes not only confident in her riding but learns with a lot of work and getting up every time you fall you just might learn to fly and follow your dreams. This book is great for upper elementary and even middle school. I’d say 4th and up would really love this book with strong girl characters , fun graphic novel like illustrations and a heartwarming coming of age story about family, friendship and working hard for what you want. I know the kids at my school will enjoy this one in the upcoming school year.

About the book: It’s time to ride and save the day!

Lindsay can’t wait to spend her summer break reading comics and watching superhero movies–until she finds out she’ll be moving in with her weird older cousin Phoebe instead. And Phoebe has big plans for Lindsay: a BMX class at her bike park with cool-girl Jen and perfectionist Ali.

Lindsay’s summer of learning awesome BMX tricks with new friends and a new bike turns out to be more epic than any comic book–and it’s all leading up to a jumping competition.

But some of the biker boys don’t think girls should be allowed to compete in BMX. Now it’s up to Lindsay, Jen, and Ali to win the competition and prove that anyone can be great at BMX

Thank you Random House Children’s  for sending me the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book.

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I Wanna Be Where You Are

by Kristina Forest

publication day: June 4 2019

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I loved this book so much. I started and finished it in 1 day, didn’t get any house work done but I’m not sad about that. This was just what I needed  after reading a very heavy topic book. I loved all the characters and could totally see and understand the teens point of view and while I could see the parents I’m also glad the parents came around and supported their kids in the end. I will be suggesting this to anyone who ask me what to read this summer! This book is perfect for fun, sweet summer reading! There is a few scenes where there is a kiss or 2 and they have to share a room with a double bed, however nothing happens so I would give this to my middle grade reader if she liked sweet romance books. This would be a great one for middle grade readers who are looking for sweet innocent first love.

 

About the book: When Chloe Pierce’s mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast―two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat.

Thank you Netgalley and Roaring Book Press for allowing me to read I Wanna Be Where You Are. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book.

The Things She’s Seen

by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Winner of Australia’s prestigious Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults

Shortlisted for Australia’s Indie Book Awards

 

This book looks slim and comes in at just 208 pages but it a packed through story that grabs the reader instantly. The story is told is written and in verse formats. When you are in the main part of the book you get regular written format. When you are listening to Catching’s story you get it in verse format. The story is told by many view points Catching and Beth Teller are the main characters but really the whole cast of characters are equally important. This story unfolds immediately.  The reader follows Beth, Beth’s dad, Catching and Allie through the small Australian town trying to solve the reason behind the fire, the murder of key figures and maybe the disappearance that happened 20 years ago. Could they all be connected? This ARC copy is full of wonderful quotes that I highlighted and hope they stay in the final copy.  The story highlights magical realism, true crime, the treatment of the Aboriginal people and heartbreaking pain a parent goes through after losing a child. A heavy hard hitting YA book that is perfect for readers from middle grade through adult.

About the book: This brilliantly written thriller explores the lives–and deaths–of two girls, and what they will do to win justice. Sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year!

Nothing’s been the same for Beth Teller since the day she died.

Her dad is drowning in grief. He’s also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she’s got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he needs to reconnect with the living.

The case takes them to a remote Australian town, where there’s been a suspicious fire. All that remains are an unidentifiable body and an unreliable witness found wandering nearby. This witness speaks in riddles. Isobel Catching has a story to tell, and it’s a tale to haunt your dreams–but does it even connect to the case at hand?

As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town.

Thank you Alfred A Knopf for sending me a copy of The Thing’s She’s Seen. All thoughts and opinions are mine and not influenced by the free book.

Theodore Boone: The Accomplice

by John Grisham

 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Theodore Boone book and I think I’ve read them all but there might be a few I haven’t. Theodore Boone is a kid lawyer not a real lawyer but one in training and one that is learning the ropes in the trenches.  and a really great series for middle school. Some of the topics are a bit more heavy so use your best judgement if your kid is upper elementary. My girls read the series while they were 5th grade and up I believe but it might have been 4th grade. What I love about this series is that the books can be read in order but also you can just grab a book and be fine. The reader doesn’t have to read them in order if their library doesn’t have all the books or if some are checked out. In all this is book 7 so this would be a great series to tackle this summer. I love the fact that the character’s are all written like the age they are. The writing is one that catches the reader right away. Theodore Boone might just strike an interest in the judicial system and becoming a lawyer. I know my now 7th grader really thought long and hard about being a lawyer and I’m sure these books help strike that interest (in the end forensics won).  The Accomplice  was good maybe not my favorite. I didn’t really like the holding up a convenience store with a fake gun after drinking. I know I know that can and does really happen but just so many kids and guns in the news. Would I recommend this to my nephews? Absolutely to two of them and Possibly to the other one ( he is more into graphic novels). I know I have and will always recommend this series whether or not I love each one in the series.

About the book: Theodore Boone is back on the case in an all-new adventure! Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a page-turning legal thriller for a new generation of readers.

Theo has been worried about his good friend Woody Lambert. Woody is struggling at school and making bad choices. But when Woody is arrested—an unwitting accomplice to armed robbery—Theo knows he is innocent. Racing the clock while Woody sits in jail, Theo will do everything in his power to help his friend and save Woody from an unforgiving system where justice is not equal for all.

Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and undisputed master of the modern legal thriller, Theodore Boone’s trials and triumphs will keep readers hooked until the very last page.

My middle school age kid and I love watching this good legal drama. Have you heard of it Proven Innocent? I does have some very tough subjects and some adult scenes but overall it a great show and I love that it sheds light on the wrongfully convicted and the background of being a lawyer isn’t all dressing nice and going into court to argue your case. There is a lot of gathering the information, facts and digging through law books to find cases that match yours for the ruling you want.

Proven Innocent is on Hulu as well as Fox. If you are looking for a great show that will open up some conversations check out Proven Innocent.  It is rated TV14 so use your best judgement on if you feel it is appropriate  for your family.

A legal drama that follows an underdog criminal defense firm led by a fierce and uncompromising lawyer who was wrongfully convicted in a sensational murder case that made her an infamous media obsession.

I tried to find a few other lawyer based shows but couldn’t find any I felt comfortable having my middle school kid watch.

 

Thank you Dutton Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read Theodore Boone The Accomplice. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book.

 

Rumple Buttercup

A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself

written and illustrated by Matthew Gray Guber

 

I loved this picture book! It is all about how we are all weird and we all need to embrace our weird and not judge other’s. This book is a sparse is written text and simple drawings and it makes it all work! You can read it aloud or to yourself in under 15 minutes no more than 30. It is 136 pages but it is a fast read and would be good for a classroom read aloud. It has a very important message that we should all embrace. Deep down we all want to belong and be accepted for who we are not what someone wants us to be. It is a picture book but really I feel it is for all ages from children to tweens/teens and adults.

Rumple Buttercup is a monster ( or so he thinks) it lives in the sewer but loves to see what all is going on around him, and loves to observe people. He hides for the most part and takes peeks with a disguise of a banana peel on top of his head. He’s lonely and wants to talk to someone so he uses trash to create Candy Corn Carl.  As the story progresses you really feel for Rumple and hope he gets to see the parade he has been looking forward to all year. However when he goes to get his banana peel from the trash it’s not there. He is sad he is going to miss it but then a boy ask through the storm drain if he is going to watch the parade. He finds out while he thought he was being sneaky he really wasn’t and everyone saw him. They all accept him and talk about their own weird (or as I like to call it quirks.) . We all have a quirk or two and it’s what makes us – US and unique. If we didn’t then we’d all be cookie cutter’s of each other and that would not be a fun place to be.

A fun fact you might recognize the name Matthew Gray Guber is on the very popular and very good show Criminal Minds. I LOVE that show so I was happy to see his creative side since I’ve been a fan of his acting/directing side for many years.

About the book: A charming and inspiring story about embracing your weird, written and illustrated by Criminal Minds actor/director, Matthew Gray Gubler.

Rumple Buttercup has five crooked teeth, three strands of hair, green skin, and his left foot is slightly bigger than his right.

He is weird.

Join him as he and Candy Corn Carl, his imaginary friend made of trash, learn the joy of individuality as well as the magic of belonging.

Thank you so very much Random House for Young Readers for sending me a copy of Rumple Buttercup. It has a spotlight spot on my bookshelf! All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book.

In The Neighborhood of True

by Susan Kaplan Carlton

 

This book was a real surprise. I thought it sounded really good and I knew I’d like it but man I really loved this book! It handles some tough subjects and captivates the reader.  It is about family, grief, racism, fitting in or speaking out (why can’t those 2 things co-exist!) and being true to yourself and knowing that your true friends will always stick with you!

The main character Ruth is struggling, her father passed away, her mom uprooted the family from NYC back to her childhood home in Atlanta, she wants to fit in but not sure where she really fits in. She wants to hang with all the girls her ages that are Debs – aka: Debutante girls. I really don’t get that society but it is a big thing, just not my thing. So in order to fit in to that society she keeps her Jewish faith a secret. Ruth herself didn’t really impress me she seemed a bit shallow and to into looks and getting accepted with the fancy girls. I personally liked her tomboy sister who was just always herself and if you didn’t like it to bad for you. The book is split into different time frames the trial of the explosion at the Jewish temple – Ruth is a witness and key to the trial. Then it jumps to just before the debutante ball and back again. The jumps could have been a little more smooth but it’s okay. The instant love usually seems weird but given that it was the late 50’s my mom said instant love was more likely. While I wish Ruth didn’t want to hide her Jewish faith and I wish she was like her sister everyone is different and it was a different time back then. Course thinking back to then and now I’m not sure it was that different. Many people still to this day hide what faith they are for fear of threats of violence to them if crazy fanatics found out. Would I recommend In the Neighborhood of True? YES! I have already told my soon to be 8th grader she has to read it. I know my senior would like it as well.

About the book: After her father’s death, Ruth Robb and her family transplant themselves in the summer of 1958 from New York City to Atlanta—the land of debutantes, sweet tea, and the Ku Klux Klan. In her new hometown, Ruth quickly figures out she can be Jewish or she can be popular, but she can’t be both. Eager to fit in with the blond girls in the “pastel posse,” Ruth decides to hide her religion. Before she knows it, she is falling for the handsome and charming Davis and sipping Cokes with him and his friends at the all-white, all-Christian Club.

Does it matter that Ruth’s mother makes her attend services at the local synagogue every week? Not as long as nobody outside her family knows the truth. At temple Ruth meets Max, who is serious and intense about the fight for social justice, and now she is caught between two worlds, two religions, and two boys. But when a violent hate crime brings the different parts of Ruth’s life into sharp conflict, she will have to choose between all she’s come to love about her new life and standing up for what she believes.

Thank you Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for allowing me to read the book. All thoughts and opinions are mine and not influenced by the free book.

Yes She Can

Complied by Molly Dillon

Featuring Many Authors

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Buy it now: Amazon – Barnes and Noble

 

Yes She Can 10 Stories of Hope and Change from Young Female Staffers during the Obama White House – that is a long title. I think most will just call it Yes She Can or as my girls called it Yes She Can 10 Stories of Hope and Change. This book is told by young female staffers while they worked within the white house. Each story is that staffer’s take on their job, the White House and what it was like to work with Obama and Biden.  This non fiction book is fun to read and I learned a lot about jobs with in the government. The Obama era had so many diverse workers from all ethnic backgrounds, he employed many women and gave lots of young people a job. Like any job it all depends on who your boss is. That makes or breaks the job and for these girls it sounds like they had a great boss. They were given big jobs and trusted with policy portfolio’s. They proved they were up for the job and share their experiences with us the readers. There is a section in the back of the book that gives young women information on getting in to the government field of work. This book is perfect for readers middle grade through YA and adult.  The stories were all interesting and I gained knowledge with each,  but my favorite was the first story because it talked about foster care system bill and how they were trying to change the policies that just abandon these kids when they age out. I think that is so horrible and can’t even imagine! All the stories were great and even if you reader is not into non fiction they are short stories that can be read all a once or over time a story or two each setting. The reader’s will learn a lot and maybe even be inspired to look into working for the government on policy changes. Personally I have never been a big Poli-Sci person but I did take a few classes, but this book might have inspired me a little more.

About the book: An intimate look at Obama’s presidency through the eyes of some of the most successful and diverse young women who were there.

Told in humorous and relatable first-person accounts by a stellar cast of accomplished women, YES SHE CAN pulls back the curtain to present an honest, yet refreshing, take on the hard work and courage necessary to build a career in public service and step up to the challenge. From the prologue to the back matter—dedicated to “A Girl’s Guide to Getting into Government”—this book is meant to inspire our future generation of female leaders.

Thank you Schwartz & Wade for sending me a copy of Yes She Can for review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and not influenced by the free book.

All buy it now links are not connected to me in any way and I will not receive any money if you click and buy from the links provided.