I agree with the reviews that say it owes a lot to Atwood. I found it to be a fast read. I would like to think it wouldn't happen, but I see too many times where people try to put religion back in the public sphere and I think the right Congress would let it go in. As I read this, our Second Lady has gone to teach at a private school that believes LGBT people shouldn't be allowed to marry, and another Christian school let teens be offensive to Native elders. Sure, those are private schools but it feels so close to being included in our public schools too. Some parts were definitely implausible, and I felt like there were some holes for me where I flipped the page back and didn't get what had happened. A good reminder that we need to keep speaking up.

I have a feeling this one will be very relevant to many of the kids in my area, as I live near the coast of Maine, where lighthouses are often seen. Blackall does beautiful work here. The ocean does seem to be swirling all around. I love the picture of the wife coming up on the winch. I also really appreciated the back matter.

Beautiful illustrations and a story that will make you cry.

Definitely eye-opening. Made me more sympathetic to people who don't know obvious things now, although it makes me sad for what people believe in the face of rationality.

I love this book and its illustrations. Julian is a wonderful mermaid, and I love the way his grandmother just rolls with it.

I stayed up late last night to finish this one. I loved Mia's tenacity and desire to make situations work, to turn negatives in positives. I thought her struggles and the way she and her family reacted made a lot of sense. When you learn it is based on Yang's own life, you feel that lived experience. An excellent title.

I have not read the "All-of-a-Kind Family" original story but I think I will have to! This one was very good, and I look forward to learning more.

A fun storytime read that doesn't end with marriage being the happily ever after. Yay!

This was a book for incoming first years at Smith to read, and I read it for the Smith Book Club.

I enjoyed this book about Rosemary, a girl who is floundering in college, distant from her parents and both of her siblings after an unnamed incident. The writing is beautiful and uses a lot of words that one probably will need a dictionary to know the meaning. There are lots of twists and turns, and the ending is somewhat happy. It really makes you think about how humans treat those who they think are lesser than themselves.

This is an enjoyable look at human anatomy. It covers each system. It was a little confusing at times for me, but I was also speeding through it. The illustrations are really cute.