River Readers

"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan.

The hideous looking loaner glasses that Callie gets until her frames come in, lets her read people's minds. She is surprised to learn how other people perceive her.

Henry "Monty" Montague was the very definition of a rogue. Born into privilege, he continuously was bringing shame down onto his family name. When it came time for his Tour, his father laid down an ultimatum, shape up or lose everything. This tour was his chance to prove himself. Traveling with his life long friend, Percy (with whom he was in love) his sister and a chaperone, Monty seemed unable to curtail his bad behavior. In a moment of bad judgment, Monty steals a box belonging to the Duke of Bourbon and serious trouble ensues.

When Chris joins the staff at her local record store, she’s surprised to find out that her co-workers share a secret: they’re all members of a secret fight club that take on the patriarchy and fight crime!

Lily is biologically a boy but has always felt like she was a girl in a boy's body. She was born Tim McGrother but dreams of the day when she can be Lily. Her mom and sister are very supportive as is her friend Dare but her dad is not.

Norbert has recently moved into the area with his mom to live with his grandmother. Nicknamed Dunkin for his love of Dunkin Donuts, he longs to fit in. His first friend is Lily but when school starts, he becomes friends with the jocks who bully Lily terribly, straining his friendship with Lily and Dare.

The last thing Carol wanted to do was spend the summer at her Grandpa's ranch in the desert. However, her grandpa was in failing health and she and her family needed to go get the ranch ready to sell. When they arrive, they find Grandpa Serge in worse shape than they thought. He was rambling about bees, a magic tree and a green glass lake. Carol learned to listen to Grandpa Serge and form a bond with him she did not think possible.

This is a novel that shifts between the time period of 1938 and 1989, two momentous years. 1938 was the year of Kristallnacht in Germany, the year before the start of World War II. 1989 was the year the wall came down between a divided Germany that had been separated since the end the war in 1945. Kristoff, a young apprentice to master stamp engraver, Frederick Faber, is suddenly forced to engrave stamps for the Nazi government.

What happens when you put six special kids in a room, once a week, without a teacher to monitor their conversation? That is the premise of this beautiful book, Harbor Me by Jaqueline Woodson. The six students call the room the ARTT (A Room to Talk) and it becomes their safe space to talk about all that is going on in their lives. This book covers alcoholic parents, incarceration, immigration, racism and many other important topics, as they affect the lives of these twelve year olds.

This graphic novel is a love story of two women who meet in their younger years while playing bingo with their grandmothers at their church. It is story of the resilience of love and family and the plight of same gender relationships in the earlier years in our country. It is well-written and beautifully drawn. I highly recommend it.

Zelie Adebola's mother was brutally murdered. Her father was savagely beaten, all by the reigning monarchy in an attempt to squelch the magic running through the land. Hundreds were executed in the kings attempt to kill the magic. Then, one day at the market, trying to sell a fish so they could pay the taxes, a girl approached Zelie and begged for her help. Little did Zelie know at the time that it was the princess and she had, in her possession, one of the three magic artifacts that could restore the magic in the land.

Celebrated novelist David Treuer has gained a reputation for writing fiction that expands the horizons of Native American literature. In Rez Life, his first full-length work of nonfiction, Treuer brings a novelist’s storytelling skill and an eye for detail to a complex and subtle examination of Native American reservation life, past and present.

Katie Daniels is a perfection-seeking 28-year-old lawyer living the New York dream. She’s engaged to charming art curator Paul Michael, has successfully made her way up the ladder at a multinational law firm and has a hold on apartments in Soho and the West Village. Suffice it to say, she has come a long way from her Kentucky upbringing.

A year has passed, and the crew has separated. Catrin follows a signal that will lead her to a reunion and a chance to take the battle to Earth.

A fitting end to the story arc, but wrapped up oh so quickly. It still packs plenty of emotional punch, though, and the art is wonderful.

It's time for Uma and crew to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans. The characters and plot grow in this second volume, slamming through odd alien encounters and personal revelations, ending on a great cliffhanger.

This is a very emotional book. Neither Lily or Dunkin have had an easy life, nor is it getting any better. Life as a transgender is tough especially for a middle-schooler. Nor is dealing with a bipolar disorder at that age. These two come together when they need it other most.

Author Donna Gephart crafts a dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder.