An excellent overview of Norse stories, which will pair well with the recent interest due to Thor movies and Riordan's series.

This book had a very slow start, and then picks up about halfway through and is fast-paced until the end. If you have an advanced reader who likes mysteries, there isn't much in this YA title to scare them off (unless they aren't into slow starters.) I kept waiting for the mystery to happen! Zan is a character to root for. She's very human, has made mistakes, but grows from them and figures stuff out.

An interesting new start to a series that focuses on an orphan, Jack, who is trying to stay alive and slay monsters in post-apocalyptic Wakefield. There are zombies and monsters but surprisingly few adults in this town but don't worry--these kids have no problems creating ingenious ways of protecting themselves.

If you love the Nutcracker, you will love this retelling of the classic story. I believe most of us are familiar with the ballet. It has been a while since I have read the original story. In this one, Godpapa Drosselmeyer is the royal clockmaker to the imaginary kingdom of Bolvaria, and his pride leads to an imbalance between the mouse world and the human one. He enlists his cousin Stefan to help him. Stefan is the narrator for much of the story. Excellent.

I want to Julia Child all the things now. I find her very inspirational, and this book did not disappoint me. I really liked the way they had sections of illustrations followed by chapters. The nitpicky part of me wishes the quotes had specific attributions in the back, rather than just a list of sources, but that's a minor caveat.

I liked this biography, which consists of little vignettes from Manzano's life. I'm not 100% sure it will appeal to young kids, but I could see older tweens and teens getting into this book. As an adult, I enjoyed it. Manzano's writing is clear, and her stories transport you into her life in the South Bronx, and beyond.

I didn't know anything about Seneca Village until reading this book, which is shameful. Who hasn't heard of Central Park? It also reminded me of Malaga Island here in Maine, where a community of free black people were relocated to improve the view.

Anyway, Nelson's poetry, each prefaced by a statement setting the scene, shows you the bustling life of Seneca Village between the 1820s and late 1850s. People dream, die, fall in love and explore. The Fugitive Slave Act and violence hovers around the edges, but life seems pretty normal.

I would personally shelve this in a YA collection, as I think that base knowledge of the slave trade and the upcoming Civil War would enhance the reading.

This is an amazing book. It reminded me of "Far, Far, Away" by Tom McNeal, which is high praise for me, as that was one of my favorite books I read that year.

Triss wakes up after an accident, but nothing feels right. She doesn't really seem to remember who she is, her sister is afraid of her, and she's ravenously hungry. Also, nothing about her accident is clear. Can she figure out what happened to her, before everything in her life starts to unravel?

To tell you more about this story would be a mistake, as it is beautiful and comes together in such a magical way. Hardinge's writing is something to be savored, as she describes Triss's world. If you read Deva Fagan's review, that's a good summary of how I feel about this book.

An excellent science fiction offering for next year's MSBA list.

Jasper has been bred from birth to be a bounder which he thinks will be great once he gets to school. When he meets his group, however, things are different. Can he find a place in his new school and figure out the mysteries that surround him?

Beautiful, strong and moving story.