Where do I start with this book? It is beautifully written. I loved the poetic language. Anna is orphaned in Krakow during WWII. Her father leaves her with a local pharmacist, who chooses not to take care of her. Instead, she follows a thin, mysterious figure who she calls "the Swallow Man." He has the ability to talk to birds, and while friendly enough to Anna, also has an aura of danger around him. They do make a friend, Reb Hirschel, but mostly they spend their time wandering around Poland, avoiding the war as best they can. But they can't avoid it forever...

I would hesitate to call this a middle-grade novel. At times Anna is wise beyond her years, and situations at the end make me hesitate to recommend it to many younger than 8th grade or so.

The publisher generously sent me a copy for review.

Caldecott Winner 1970

The pictures are adorable and the story is cute too.

I did enjoy this book about accepting your kids the way they are, but when the flap said struggle, I thought there might be a bit about the parents' or brother's struggle to accept their kid. Instead, it's more about their reactions to society. In a way, I liked the faceless art because it made it feel more universal.

I liked this one. It took me a little while to figure out what the Warcross world was actually like. Emika's perspective is fun to read from, even if there are moments when you want to shake her. I did like seeing a lady hacker, as well as Hammie, the female strategist. I can see it being popular with teens.

Also I want her hair.

I wish I had read these all at once so I could better remember all the characters. I could remember enough to make this work and enjoy it, but it would have been so much richer with the previous events fresh in my mind. Still a very very good series.

I liked it, but I didn't love it. I think it works better in a school setting, where you can really dive into each vignette and talk about it with historical context and such.

I liked this one. Twins Carolina and Johnny are sent to live with relatives in Mexico for a summer after their father realizes he isn't dealing well with the loss of their mother. The twins have started to notice something funny happening to them at night. It turns out they are naguales, shapeshifters that can turn into a wolf and a leopard, respectively. It is a generational thing, and twin naguales are special and unique. They discover their mother is actually trapped underground, and they are going to have to travel the Aztec underworld to find her.

If you have a kid who is a mythology nut, this is a great addition to that genre. I enjoyed learning a lot about Aztec mythology. I was also grateful for the glossary and definition guide in the back, because I didn't know a lot of the words, having never taken Spanish and not being familiar with Aztec culture. I'll be interested in checking out the second one.

It's so nice to see an out bisexual character in a book. I just love it.

In this story, Jessica Tran is the middle child of two superheroes. Her older sister Claudia has powers and her younger brother Brian is super smart. Jessica is just...average. She has two best friends and is having a mostly normal life in Nevada after an incident created the powered people. To beef up her resume, she applies for an internship at a local tech company. Turns out? The internship is for her parents' arch-rivals. An added bonus(?) is that her crush, Abby, also works there. Can Jess keep the secret of her parents separate from her job? And who is the mysterious M that is her boss?

I also love that this story complicates the hero/villain narrative. In it, there is a society that determines whether or not you are a villain. Basically, if you argue with those in power, you become a villain. Those in power start capturing all the villains and holding them without trial. This is the first in a trilogy, so expect more of this plotline to follow. Another great thing about this book is the diversity. Identities are casually brought up and thought of as normal. It even briefly addresses the way LGBTQ support groups can lean too heavily on the L and G, and be cliquey themselves. A really interesting take on the superhero genre.

This book is by the same author as "How They Croaked", a former MSBA choice. Rather than look at deaths, this one looks at failures of the famous. From Amelia Earhardt to Marco Polo, find out how these people failed in different ways. It's not all doom and gloom: some of these failures ended up working later, and some came true after death, making them successful then. Read it for the laughs, and the reminder that failure is not the end for you.

No one can beat Sunny Lancaster at the mile. The thing is, Sunny doesn't enjoy running that race. What he really loves is dancing. You can tell by the way this book is written that Sunny is a man of rhythm (and I love the way Reynolds gives each character a distinct feel in this series.) Can Sunny convince his coach, his father, and his team to let him try something new? And what if it means he won't be the winner all the time any more?