Reviews written by Megan Kelly

There's never been a better time to be a nerd. Computer geeks run the world, math rock is a thing, and even thick black glasses are cool. So a novel that celebrates all things nerdy is welcome, even better when it is genuinely funny. Our hero...

Critics who say that graphic novels are not worthwhile reading material should check out Americus, MK Reed's graphic novel that may convince them that young readers should not be prevented from reading what they love. Neil is a nerdy freshman who loves the fantasy series The Chronicles...

When you're six years old and your father is headed off to war, a year can seem like Almost Forever. Maria Testa's book of free verse gives us the perspective of an unnamed child, experiencing life without her father, who is serving as a doctor in the Vietnam War. ...

THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES is a perfect example of why novels in verse belong in our classroom libraries. At a slim 52 pages, it manages to meet many of my students' needs. Its length is not intimidating to developing readers; if it weren't for the cover illustration of adolescent...

This is a seriously sad children’s book. It’s beautiful, thought-provoking, and heartfelt, but melancholy is the prevailing mood for BREADCRUMBS. Hazel and Jack are fifth graders who have been best friends forever, throughout their difficult young lives. One day, Jack changes and stops speaking with Hazel....

I think I’m similar to my students in that if I’m going to learn about something new, I enjoy doing it via graphic novel. I was really excited to receive SITA: DAUGHTER OF THE EARTH, which tells about characters from Hindu mythology. This graphic novel is Saraswati Nagpal’s retelling of...

I was desperate to read DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK after finishing THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA, but their was a major waiting list at my school's library. After hearing my complain about it, one of my sixth graders lent me his personal copy. I loved it just as much...

Put down whatever you're reading and pick up THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA, the most delightful middle grade novel I've read in ages. This case study, written from the perspective of a class of sixth graders, attempts to discover if Origami Yoda is real. The...

Is it grand theft auto if it’s your daddy’s truck? Is it kidnapping if she’s your sister? Is it even wrong if you’re chasing your runaway mother? In THE MAP OF ME, Margie never even pauses to ask these questions. As soon as she sees her mother’s note that says,...

After finishing "Imaginary Girls", I wasn't sure if I was ready for another "young girl admires wild girl" novel, which was what LIKE MANDARIN promised to be. I'm very happy I decided that I didn't care, because Kirsten Hubbard's novel was completely different and, in my opinion, far more enjoyable....

Gordon Korman’s SWINDLE team is back and they’ve gone to the dogs. When Luthor, the massive Doberman, destroys a dog show and injures a champion dog, Savannah’s family faces a massive lawsuit and are forced to take him to the pound. Griffin Bing, also known as The Man With The...

THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS is the kind of novel that you pick up to read the first few pages, and then it’s suddenly 2:00 a.m. and you missed dinner. Proof: I received this in the mail yesterday afternoon and am already dying to share it with you. ...

The 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti has trapped fifteen-year-old gangster Shorty under the rubble in the hospital where he has been recovering from a gunshot. As his hope for survival slowly fades, he maintains his sanity by telling his life story to the darkness that surrounds him. ...

For the past twenty years, Weetzie Bat has been an icon for outcasts who choose to see the world through rose-colored glasses (preferably cat-eyed and pink). Francesca Lia Block has returned with PINK SMOG: BECOMING WEETZIE, an origin story that takes us back to 1970s Los Angeles, before Weetzie was...

"What would you do if you only had one day left to live?" This is the question that haunts Delaney Maxwell after she spends eleven minutes under a winter lake. Her heart and brain stopped working; FRACTURE's protagonist dies in the first seven pages of the novel, but somehow she...