I really enjoyed this adventure story as well. It reminded me of National Treasure, in a good way. I enjoyed learning more about a national park, and look forward to learning about more national parks and history along the way.

I loved Zomorod's (Cindy's) story about growing up in California in the late 1970s. (Hard to believe that it's historical fiction though!) It combines the best of stories about kids that move around a lot with humor, historical fiction, and a look at another culture. I especially love that it shines light on a land that is often vilified in America. Zomorod and her friends will stay with me for a while.

Yasmin borrows a book from a local cart every day. One day, she finds out that the vendor has been shut down because he doesn't have a "commercial permit", even though he gives away his books for free. She learns about the political process of her small town in India, and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

I really liked this story about Yasmin and her life in India.

Raffa wants to be an apothecary and get out from under the watchful eye of his overprotective father. After all, he fixed Echo the bat all by himself, didn't he? But when a red vine doesn't work the way he expects, he travels to the Commons to warn his cousin and uncle. There, he starts to learn about exactly how powerful plants can be, and whether he wants to use that power for good or abuse it.

I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I hadn't listened to it on audio. I have such a short commute most of the time that it was hard to get into the story.

I have to admit, I saw this one and thought, "will I really like it?' But honestly, it is better than I expected. I learned a lot about beetles, and they seemed really interesting. Darkus's father has disappeared, and no one knows why. It does seem to be connected to the beetles. With the help of his uncle and two new friends, can he figure out what happened?

There's definitely a lot of danger in this story, which I enjoyed. There are some British terms in here which I think might need translation for younger readers, but overall, it's a fun book.

I enjoyed this one, which was on the NCTE list. For me, the story of Rocco and his experiences in New York seemed true. He was muddled, and he made some bad choices along the way, but ended up doing well in the end. Padrones didn't seem that different than indentured servants from a few years earlier, with the horror of being shoved in a tenement room and barely kept alive. I enjoyed it.

So good. All the Rhys please.

I have loved his blog for a while, so I finally made time to read the book. It's so good! You'll learn little bits about so many different awesome women.

Slow to start, but picks up at the end.