River Readers

Charlie has a pretty idyllic life even if she doesn't always get the attention she craves. She has an older sister she adores who is away at college.  Her parents are attentive and interested. She has friends and a hobby she loves, Irish dancing. Even though she is afraid of the ice, Charlie goes ice fishing with her friend Drew and his grandma one day. Her world changes when she catches a fish that talks to her and grants a wish for its freedom. When her wish to not be afraid of the ice comes true, Charlie seeks out the fish and more wishes.

Frederick Frederickson is tired of being bullied by his friends and enemies at school. When a hurricane cancels his family's annual Christmas cruise, Frederick is fed up. He ends up in a boat on the river without a motor or a paddle. He comes ashore at a boys' camp for troublesome boys although he doesn't know that is what kind of camp it is at first. They assume he is Dash, a troublesome and infamous delinquent. He is assigned to cabin 13 with Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and Ant Bite. Frederick likes camp and the fact that he is not the flea in the food chain of life at there.

Eric Bittle is a freshman on the hockey team at Samwell University. As a former figure skater, Eric loves the ice, but isn't a big fan of checking. Enter Jack, the captain of the team who coaches Bitty in checking and not being afraid on the ice. Jack, Bitty and the other players live in the hockey house together where Bitty feeds them all and shows off his culinary skills, especially his baking of pies. The guys are an awesome group and accept Bitty as his gay self. They become a family as they move through the years of college. 

Ebo has lost his entire family. All he has left is his brother Kwame. So when Kwame leaves Ebo decides to follow. They are finally reunited and work to get enough money for passage to the coast. They have to make their way across the desert to the port city. This is a dangerous journey and very few make it. In the port they have to work for passage on a boat to Europe. Their boat ends up being a dangerous rubber dingy. They quickly run out of food and water and the boat springs a leak. They are lucky enough to be spotted by an overloaded ship heading to Europe as well.

Lana and her father return a village to help her aunt clean up after a storm. Lana discovers a sea horse like creature injured in the storm and takes care of it. From her aunt she learns of a fantastical underwater world where aquicorns and merpeople live. Her aunt used to be friendly with them until Lana's mother was killed in a storm. Lana learns that the people of the underwater world are suffering because the oceans are being polluted and the coral is dying. She has to convince her aunt and the people of the village to change their ways and protect the ocean before it is too late.

The Lumberjanes are out to get their orienteering badge in this forest adventure. Of course things go off course when they discover a mysterious compass that makes them disappear one by one. And of course there are robot butlers. 

Set in the post-Great War Long Island/New York world of the rich. The narrator, Nick Carraway, sympathetically records the pathos of Gatsby's romantic dream which founders on the reality of corruption, the insulated selfishness of Tom and Daisy, and the cutting edge of violence. -Fantastic Fiction

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family's dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.

Unicorn Crossing is the fifth volume of Phoebe and Her Unicorn. It is full of imaginative adventures and a wonderful vocabulary. It includes a glossary and advises the readers at the beginning to use the glossary when they come across words they don't know. It also references the page number it begins on. I highly recommend this series of graphic novels!

This sequel to The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag picks up with Aster finally getting to follow his dream of going to school for witches. He encounters difficulty, however, when he faces some discrimination from the teachers there. Charlie, his best friend who is not a witch, is back in school and befriends a strange new girl who keeps to herself and has many secrets.

I didn't like this one as much as I liked The Witch Boy but I did enjoy it and I think it is worth the time to read, especially if you enjoyed The Witch Boy.

Lily left a red journal at The Strand Bookstore with a list of challenges for the right boy to come along. The right boy was Dash. He accepted Lily's challenge and they established a relationship based on the writings and tasks they assigned each other, each wanting to meet and then again liking the anonymity the notebook offers them.

Multi-award-winning cartoonist Carolyn Nowak (Lumberjanes) finds powerful truths in fantasy worlds. Her stunning solo debut collection celebrates the ascent of a rising star in comics.

Diana got hurt—a lot—and she's decided to deal with this fact by purchasing a life-sized robot boyfriend. Mary and La-La host a podcast about a movie no one's ever seen. Kelly has dragged her friend Beth out of her comfort zone—and into a day at the fantasy market that neither of them will forget.

Thirteen-year-old twins Felix and Lee live in the same house, but they are kept separate by the Agreement between the shades Death and Memory. In the west side of Poplar House, where Lee lives with his mother and Memory, there is laughter and fresh baked pie. In the east side, where Felix lives with his father and Death, there is nothing but sadness and cold. Lee is tasked with storing memories in jars tied with colored ribbons. Felix must brew tonics for the sick and dying and collect the life candles that have been snuffed out by Death.

This final book in the trilogy may have been my favorite. Petunia is no shrinking violet and I liked the added Red Riding Hood twist. It would be nice to know a little more about the other 9 sisters, but at least we get a glimpse in this one.

This second book was a fun continuation of life after dancing. It had a prince, a princess and a fairy godmother - only she wasn't so nice. Love wins in the end, but the journey was fun to follow.