Because of Mr. Terupt – Rob Buyea

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: October 12th, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Fiction, School Life, Friendship

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BLURB:

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.

Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.  

El Deafo – Cece Bell

El Deafo by Cece Bell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
First Published: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Recommended Age: 8+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Friendship, School, Deafness

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BLURB:

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

We Are Family – Patricia Hegarty

We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
Publication Date: March 1st, 2017
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Recommended Age: 3+
Genres & Themes: Picture Books, Family, LGBT, Love, Diversity

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BLURB:

Through illness and health, in celebration and disappointment, families stick together. Some families are made up of many people, and some are much smaller. Sometimes family members look like each other, and sometimes they don’t! But even though every family is different, the love is all the same.

Bertolt – Jacques Goldstyn

Bertolt by Jacques Goldstyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
First Published: March 14th, 2017
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Recommended Age: 6+
Genres & Themes: Picture Books, Children’s, Environment, Love, Death

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BLURB:

This book is about the imagination and the wonderful ways in which we nurture ourselves in the process of becoming who we are, and because Bertolt dies in a winter’s storm, it is also a book about finitude and loss, sorrow and acceptance.