Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

'See Fred Run' by Kevin Bolger, and illustrated by Ben Hodson, is a story about main character Fred and his desire to do anything but what the book's pages are telling him to do. There is another character in the book named Ed, but his purpose is not overly clear,...

'11 Before 12' by Lisa Greenwald will put you right back in that time of your life when everything mattered too much and nothing at all mattered more than your best friend. Kaylan and Arianna find this to be true as they gear up for sixth grade. They are chock...

'It's Your World' by Chelsea Clinton does a nice job of anticipating questions teens (or adults) may have about a wide variety of topics, including, but certainly not limited to, poverty, inequality, illnesses, hunger, and many, many more. It also focuses on routes that will hopefully lead to solutions for...

'Flicker' by Melanie Hooyenga is a very gripping novel. The concept behind it - that the main character, Biz, has the ability to go back in time eighteen hours if she so chooses - is quite intriguing. Biz's ability, which she refers to as "flickering," has never really been used...

'Dill & Bizzy Opposite Day' by Nora Ericson, illustrated by Lisa Ericson, is an adorable story about two best friends who can't seem to come to an understanding. This is mainly caused by Bizzy's insistence that Dill take part in opposite day, a day in which they do everything opposite...

'Deacon Locke Went to Prom' by Brian Katcher was different in many ways from many young adult novels. Even though there are YA novels that have a male protagonist, many of the ones I read and review on a regular basis have a female main character. It was also interesting...

'Changes in Latitudes' by Jen Malone is a great summertime read. Taking place the summer before Cassie's senior year, life begins serving up a ton of surprises. First and foremost is that Cassie, along with her mother, Elise, and brother, Drew, are going to be taking off for several months...

'Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd)' by Julie Bowe follows nine-year-old Wren as she navigates life after her parents' divorce. Having gone away for the summer without telling any of her friends why, she is hesitant to share that her parents have decided to get a divorce....

'Kiss Me in New York' by Catherine Rider (a pseudonym based on the dual effort of authors James Noble and Stephanie Elliott) is a story that will capture the magic of the holidays in but a few short hours of plot. In some ways, the thought of two strangers meeting...

'Blues Harp Green' by Nicole Schubert has an interesting premise. The main character, Francie, meets Chet, a cute and friendly musician, early on in the novel. They hit it off right away and Francie begins crushing on Chet. Even though it could seem one-sided, Chet seems more than happy to...

'The Unforgettables' by G.L. Tomas follows new next-door neighbors, and seeming soulmates, Paul and Felicia. Their instant connection at a tag sale (garage sale, if not familiar with this term) is believable, unlike some of the insta-relationships that occur in other books. They both go for the same comic, showing...

'Crushed' by Elisa Dane is a story about owning up to one's past and struggling to find the courage to move on in life. Main character Nev is having a hard time living her life after she moves in with her aunt and cousin. Even though she loves her cousin...

'Accidentally Me' by Kim Karras finds main character Sabrina desperate to find a way to leave home and go to college out west. The problem is that she feels there is no way her parents are going to let her go all the way to California. She considers herself an...

'City of Grit and Gold' by Maud Macrory Powell offers a glimpse into the lives of those who came from the old country, through the lens of historical fiction. Even though the main characters are Jewish, the story could easily have been about anyone coming from a faraway place and...

'The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors,' written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Adam Rex, is an enjoyable play on the game of rock, paper, scissors. The rock, the paper, and the scissors, all coming from different parts of the house, both inside and outside, all feel that nothing is...