I really liked this quiet story of a girl getting to know her grandmother. I especially enjoyed the racial aspects of the story. Perhaps a little too pat in tying things up, but will warm the heart.

Oh, I need to re-read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's adventures now. This was a rollicking good story of Becky Thatcher, yes the same Thatcher in Twain's books. However, she's a little feistier in this one. I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in sixth grade, and I think it would have been a lot of fun to read this one at the same time and compare the two.

This beautiful memoir covers Marilyn Nelson's life (or an approximation of it) from the time she was four until she was 16. You can see "the Speaker" age on the page. I also appreciated having locations and dates at the beginning of each poem. As this book is also about the military experience, it helps the reader keep track of places. It would be fun to read alongside "Brown Girl Dreaming."

Oh, my heart. Treasure's father has left their family again, this time for the longest period yet. Mom decides to search for him and leaves Treasure and her sister Tiffany with her Great Aunt Grace (GAG). Treasure and GAG don't get along well at first, with lots of sassing. Great-Aunt Grace also isn't particularly well-liked in this town. Believable characters make this one a great read.

h my heart again. Jaden's fear and anger come rippling off the page. I found him a believable and intriguing protagonist, with equally believable adoptive parents. I appreciated his growth throughout the story. Another winner from Kadohata.

Entirely plausible? No. But an enjoyable tale about down-on-their-luck kids taking on the heist of a lifetime.

I thought Zane was a very believable character. I still was annoyed that he went after the dog, but not as annoyed when the girl went after the gorilla in... I forget the title now. I'll have to look it up. Anyway, he's caught in Katrina after flying solo to meet a great-grandmother he didn't know he had. I appreciated the grittier look at New Orleans during that time than in "Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere."

I thought this book was hilarious. Ferrell's family is vegetarian, but he's not sure why. One of his best friends is a girl and she's a know-it-all but he likes it? When his feats overshadow the winner of the local sledding race, events start to spiral out of control as he tries to protect a family secret.

I very much enjoyed this one. Jack thinks the grass will be greener if he follows Lorcan, but he is whisked into an alternative London called Londonium. Steampunk and fantastical.

I knew O'Connor was a master of the Southern Gothic tale, but I wasn't really sure what that meant until I finished these. Some of them were amazing, some I just liked, but all were memorable.