River Readers

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.

I wanted to love this book. It isn't often an indigenious woman gets a voice and there was so much buzz about it that I couldn't wait to read it. Then as I read it, I couldn't wait to finish it. There were incredible moments, glimpses of brilliance but the lack of cohesion throughout the book just ruined it for me. I often felt like I didn't know what was going on with all the jumping between past and present. I read in another review that Mailhot shifted five times in one page between past and present.

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.

In his literary debut, Tommy Orange intertwines the stories of 12 Native people in modern day making their roads converge at a huge powwow in Oakland. The book depicts the plight of Native Americans through the years and their continued struggles today.

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.

Artemisia Gentileschi was a famous painter in Rome in the 1600's. Motherless, at age 12, she had to chose a life in the convent or to labor for her father grinding pigment for his paints. She also painted in her father's studio and by the time she was seventeen her talent was obvious. A woman in a world where men viewed women as commodities, Artemisia soon realized nothing was her own not her art, her virtue, or her life. She was at the mercy of the cruel men around her.

This imaginative tale is about Castle Glower and the royal family that lives there. The castle is alive, changing rooms, hallways and entrances and exits as it deems necessary for the needs to the royal family. When the King, Queen and eldest son are ambushed and come up missing, it is up to the castle and its favorite family member, Princess Celie to save the kingdom from being overtaken.

This book is delightful. It is fun and adventurous and keeps you guessing as to what will come next.

When your parent is an alcoholic, what is normal? That is what Kira is trying to find out after her dad has to go to rehab. Kira's mother is out of the picture so while her dad is getting help, Kira has to leave her home in Texas and live for nine months with her aunt. The upheaval of Kira's life was sudden and tramatic. She had to leave behind her friends and boyfriend. When her dad gets out of rehab, Kira goes home to find he has opened their house to some friends he made at the facility to try to help them get on their feet. Kira is resentful and angry at her new living arrangement.

Harzfeld's was a department store that we shopped at when I was growing up. It was a higher end store and saved for special events so trips there were always a treat. I was thrilled to find this brief history of the founding of the store. I loved the pictures and the artwork and especially the memories of various employees and often their children that was at the end. It was a delightful trip down memory lane.

This graphic novel that is an adaption of the podcast of the same name is delightful. I am not a listener of the podcast but the creativity and humor of this novel may convert me. It is filled with beautiful artwork and plenty of snark as well as a inventive story line that is sure to delight.

Xiomara is conflicted. She wants to hide and avoid the attention she draws by men and boys yet she seeks to find a voice. She wants to matter. Her over zealous religious mother has her pegged as a "bad" girl and strives to keep her chaste and protected but she comes off as angry with Xiomara for who she is and things she has no control over. She begins to pour her feelings out in poetry. When her Language Arts teacher asks her to join the poetry club, Xio yearns to but can't without skipping confirmation classes which is something her mother would never agree to.

Immediately after World War II, many Jewish refugees fled to British Palestine. Often they were held in interment camps as they were considered "illegal" immigrants. Day After Night is based on the true story of the liberation of one of these camps known as Atlit. It follows four women who found themselves at Atlit. All had survived the Holocaust and each had their own story of survival.

Trent thought the whole town hated him. He thought that because of a horrific accident that led to the death of a classmate that he felt responsible for. He was angry, lonely and anxious. Until he met Fallon Little. Fallon had her own secrets but also had a devil-may-care attitude and became Trent's only friend. When Trent's anger threatens their friendship, he must learn to deal with the underlying issues that are causing his anger.
This is a great coming of age book for middle grade readers. I hadn't read anything by Lisa Graff but will readily pick up another of her books.

Josephine was a house slave to an abusive master and an ailing mistress. She had tried to run once before but was turned away because she was heavy with child.