Normally I'm not a fan of Alice-in-Wonderland-type stories, but I really enjoyed this one. Alice Alexis Queensmeadow is almost completely pale in a world where color is prized. She doesn't feel like her family really notices her, except for her father. Unfortunately, her father has been missing for the past three years. He left their country of Ferenwood under mysterious circumstances. Oliver, another boy Alice's age, is willing to help her find him. Soon, they go off on an adventure that will change them forever.

When it comes to Wonderland-type novels, I normally find them too weird for me. This one, despite the weird rules of Furthermore, worked for me. I found Alice to be very relatable, and I liked the way her relationship with Oliver progressed.

Oh, my heart. Molly is a poet whose mother moved away for a job. Compulsive behaviors that she used to have under control now threaten to take over her life. Can she keep them hidden from friends and family while she figures it all out?

I thought this was an excellent book, with a strong voice for the main character. I would like to do some more of my own research before signing off that it is an accurate representation of OCD, but I am comfortable enough to booktalk it as is.

Beautiful poetry about the seasons, focusing mostly on ordinary days.

Predictable but a decent way to spend an afternoon.

I liked Beans a lot as a character. He felt very real. I could see how a lot of us might react, if someone came in and said "Hey, your town could be a tourist attraction!" I also really enjoy stories that seem to be little vignettes of life. I would have liked characters to fess up to their mistakes a bit more often, but I think the reality of situations often are the way this book depicted them.

Note: I have not read "Turtle in Paradise" and I had no problem reading and understanding this one. No prior knowledge necessary.

Thank you Paris Public Library for letting me borrow this book!

I liked this one. It is a quick read, as it has little dialogue, unless you want to spend a lot of time pouring over the illustrations (which I recommend.) What stood out to me with this adaptation was how annoyed I am by the character of the evil stepmother. I'm not sure if it's Phelan's take on this tale, or if it's a combination of the age I am at with the way the world is, but I wanted to know why the stepmother was the way she was. Not much is given in the way of an explanation, other than that she rose from something to nothing and she really wants money. I wish there had been a bit more backstory there.

I did really enjoy the interpretation of the seven dwarves, and I liked that the prince was a detective and it was a kiss on the cheek.

So good. I loved this story about Castle 'Ghost' Crenshaw, who has a lot of inner anger. He lives in, well, not the nicest part of town with his mother, who does her best by him but works a lot of hours at the local hospital. His father is in jail. He happens upon a track practice for an elite team called "The Defenders" and decides to run a race with the team. He does well and gets to join the team on one condition: that he behave while on the team: homework done, no altercations at school. Can Ghost live by these rules even when others make fun of him?

Reynolds creates a wonderful character that will tug at your heart. I'm hoping that the rest of the series will focus on the other new runners and their stories.

I quite liked this one, although I think the flap is misleading. I expected the search for a tusker to happen much earlier in the story than it did. What this is instead, to me, is a beautiful coming-of-age story about a young boy on the Borderlands of Nepal, who learns the value of education both in school and nature.

Pretty good. I liked the action parts of it. I'm not sure I entirely understand the spear, but I think kids will really enjoy it.

Creative pranking over a small incident quickly gets out of hand. It feels very middle school to me, which I liked.