Reviews written by Angela Blount, Staff Reviewer

“Once upon a time, there were four friends, two couples, who stopped being friends before they stopped being couples.” The story takes place in contemporary Florida, nearly a year after five close friends are both the witnesses and unwitting participants to a catastrophic car...

Playful, vibrant, and enchanting—a light fantasy suitable for nearly all ages. Sophie the hatter settles into the curse placed on her by The Witch of the Wastes with little complaint, and an almost a tragic acceptance that artificial old age changes little in her uneventful life. But...

A timely, relevant, and thought-provoking debut. What We Saw is a well-constructed cautionary tale—littered with all too realistic considerations and consequences to issues American culture tends to downplay, glamorize, and otherwise distort for a variety of reasons. At its heart, this is a story about doing the...

Never will you come across a tree more deserving of a hug. As a child, this book stuck in my memory like few others. The tree represented, at least to my young mind, a sort of ideal nurturing parental figure--ever giving, never asking anything in return. I...

In reading this book, I tried to set aside the author’s well-documented disdain for C.S. Lewis and did my level best to consider this bit of middle-grade-ish fantasy in as objective of terms as possible. For the most part, I think I succeeded. Lyra is a wild,...

Good to finally grasp the full weight of the references our culture still makes to this classic. It’s one thing to understand the concept: “Kids left to their own devices on an uninhabited island experience rapid societal and moral degradation.” It’s quite another to put yourself...

Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex join forces for the third installment in this series about Chu the panda. Big things happen when little Chu sneezes. When his family visits the beach, the peculiar force of his sneeze causes all sorts of problems for beachgoers. Can Chu...

Yet another classroom-friendly ASL teaching tool from a company that offers consistent literary quality. This 28 page original American Sign Language tale is all about… well… tails! All Annie wants for her 5th birthday is a different animal tail she can wear for each day of the...

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” –Malala Yousafzai A momentously important true story—rife with culture, faith, familial bonds, and astounding bravery. Although this book is touted as a memoir, I feel it would be more accurate...

"Any anger I feel vanishes. What is left cannot be described. It is guilt piled onto emptiness and set afire." An impactful, relevant book told from a rarely considered angle. Part mystery, part “issues” book, part paternal introspection. Finding Jake is a story that delves...

“Nixy Bauer, Home in an Hour.” One needn’t be a gamer to appreciate the fast-paced, adventurous romp presented in this near-future light sci-fi story. However, those who are familiar with concepts like virtual sandbox worlds and light role play are likely to take particular enjoyment...

I’d have to call this one the best in the series thus far. Meyer adds yet another cast member to the save-the-world team in this, the third installment of the Lunar Chronicles. Cress is easily the most naïve of the female leads we’ve seen so far, though...

Despite the size of the book, the free verse telling makes it a surprisingly quick read. (I’m certain it’s the first time this reader has finished a 400 page book in under 3 hours!) And let me just say, I’ve rarely seen a more perfect cover for a book. ...

"Don't base reality on what you have seen when you have seen very little." If you’re a fan of the recent trend in Lord Of The Flies inspired survivalist-themed YA, this book may be right up your alley. As the...

Memorable, endearing, and classroom friendly. This 29 page American Sign Language telling of the classic fable maintains the integrity and moral lesson of the original, while offering its own special touches. The font choices are clear and consistent, interspersed with variable text length and emphasized words that should effectively hold...