Summer Constellations – Alisha Sevigny

Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: May 1st, 2018
Publisher: KCP Loft
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Summer, Contemporary Romance, Family

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Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more. But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known. Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.

The Way Home in the Night

The Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: 2017
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Recommended Age: 5+
Genres & Themes: Picture Books, Animals, Bedtime

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This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi’s softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.

Baby-Sitters Club #2: The Truth About Stacey

Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #2: The Truth About Stacey by Raina Telgemeier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
Published: 2015
Publisher: Graphix
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Friendship, Family, Diabetes, Competition, Forgiveness

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Poor Stacey. She just moved to a new town, is still coming to terms with her diabetes, and is facing baby-sitting problems left and right. Fortunately, Stacey has three new friends — Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne. Together they’re the BSC — and they will deal with whatever’s thrown their way… even if it’s a rival baby-sitting club!

The Tea Party in the Woods

The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: 2015
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Recommended Age: 5+
Genres & Themes: Picture Books, Animals, Kindness

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Kikko sets out after her father with a forgotten pie for Grandma. When she arrives at a strange house in the wintry woods, a peek in the window reveals that the footprints Kikko had been following did not belong to her father at all, but to a bear in a long coat and hat! Alice in Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood in this charmed tale.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
Published: 2016
Publisher: Marvel
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Action, Superheroes, Coming of Age, Romance

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She’s your new favorite. She’s everyone’s new favorite. And now she’s joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is officially an Avenger! But will being one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes be everything she imagined? Or is life as a celebrity harder than she thought? But while saving the world is important, Jersey City still needs its protector too. A development company that co-opted Ms. Marvel’s face for its project might well have more in mind for gentrification than just real estate. Can Kamala take down the evil suits destroying her home without ruining her personal life? Speaking of which, who exactly is that with Bruno? Get back on board and cling on, Kamala Korps, the ride is about to get wilder than ever!

Someday, Somewhere – Lindsay Champion

Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: April 3rd, 2018
Publisher: KCP Loft
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Music, Professional Career, Mental Health

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When Dom’s class is taken to hear a concert at Carnegie Hall, she expects to be bored out of her mind. But then she sees the boy in the front row playing violin like his life depends on it — and she is transfixed. Posing as an NYU student, Dom sneaks back to New York City to track down Ben Tristan, a magnetic genius who whisks her into a fantasy world of jazz clubs and opera, infatuation and possibility. Each sees something in the other that promises to complete them. As Dom’s web of lies grows, though, so does Ben’s obsessive need to conquer Beethoven’s famous Kreutzer Sonata. But Ben’s genius, which captivates Dominique, conceals a secret, and the challenges of her life may make it difficult to help him.