Best Reads T3 2020-2021

As the year wound down, here's what I read and recommend. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads. 

Picture Book

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my god. The tears snuck up on me. Not sure what the kids will think, but I'm adding it to my Caldecott list. I want them to hear the message and see the illustrations.

Middle Grade Fiction

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good stuff. Harry Potter fans will gobble it up. The world-building is pretty even, and there are some SHOCKING twists. Will order for next year.

 

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur T. Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent introduction to the genre for middle grades. I saw some things coming, but there were a few twists that surprised me. Hoping that kids will ask for more books like this.




The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O'Shaughnessy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness I ended up loving this one. The initial premise was a bit off-putting to me, but I kept going because I try to read all the RICBA books every year. And I'm so glad I kept with it. Loved the Three Musketeers learning to love and respect each other. Loved the sharing of secrets. Loved the character development.

 

Alone by Megan E. Freeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this in one sitting, which is rare for me. Super fast-paced, and Freeman actually used poetic language v. just sticking returns in the middle of sentences. The barrels ringing was a gut punch. Loved that the library helped her so much. Became truly anxious over the lack of running water. And sad over the lack of produce. I don't think I would have survived. Docked one star for the unsatisfactory explanation of what really happened.

p. 82 - "Even if I liked it / my parents would murder me / if I started drinking alcohol / the minute I was left alone."

p. 107 - "Paradox. maybe God / sends us nightmares / so our living reality / doesn't seem so bad / when we wake up. // until we wake up / and remember / we are living in a nightmare / we can't escape / except by going / to sleep."

p. 206 - "Stick figures brandishing / totems of ecstatic idiocy ... Where is the sticker stepkid / with her sticker suitcase?"

p. 286 - "Can one lone girl be a civilization / all by herself?"

p. 319 - "I am the most ancient teenager / on the planet."


My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So refreshing to read a book where the most stressful central problem is having to hide your short stint as a mascot in the weeks leading up to a school dance. Nobody was dead or dying, there were no horrible family secrets coming to light. Extra star for being something my kids would actually read.

 

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting, pretty fast-paced, and most of the questions I had were answered as the book went on. I would like to smack Sai, though. Moral of the story: Don't jump to conclusions.

p. 28 - "Just because everyone says something doesn't mean it's true."

 

On These Magic Shores by Yamile Saied Méndez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some flaws - I question the fairies and the hospital's lack of ID-ing the mom and contacting the kids - but another title I didn't think I would like and then finished in two sittings, interrupted only by sleep.




Anti/Hero by Kate Karyus Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little confusing sometimes to tell who was who, but overall interesting and a solid foundation for a new series. Looking forward to hearing the backstory of The Bear and his daughter.

Nonfiction  

Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon by Simrat Jeet Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well written, interesting, and inspiring text with a repeating motif: "But Fauja did not listen and Fauja did not stop." I love that when I had the kids write down the main idea as an assignment, half of them talked about the more philosophical aspects of the story. I hope he is still alive when I read it to the third grades his fall.

For Grownups

Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ridiculous fun. Highly recommended as a beach read, although it worked for bedtime during April vacation too.

 

 

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love when stories intertwine. The different narrators had distinguished enough voices. And the ending made me cry.