I enjoy stories with alternating perspectives, so this one from the view of Charlie Dean and John Thomas-Smith worked for me in that regard. This is a book about teens trying to escape to a better high school, one that focuses on the arts but is uber-expensive. Charlie Dean is obsessed with fashion and determined to get in, with a Pollyanna-ish attitude about life. John would rather work with metal, but he's determined to get into this school, so how hard could fashion be? Both learn about themselves in the process, and do some growing up. The ending is slightly hopeful, but realistic.

I love the blue-toned world, but overall, this wasn't a story that really spoke to me. Felt a little slim.

I really liked Gertie, and her belief that if she is the best 5th grader, her mother will come back to her. I think that any child who has believed that their parents love is dependent on something (grades, behavior, etc.) could relate. There were also realistic friend issues. I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book.

I had a hard time getting into this historical fiction book for some reason. I don't know if the constantly switching perspectives made it difficult for me, or what. It was coming due at the library, so I read the first half and the ending. Made enough sense for me to recommend it to future patrons.

My favorite book about Kelly so far. I thought all four characters were fleshed out and the plotline seemed clear. I liked that it showed how the bully got the way he is. A good read.

Not a fan of the text, did like the illustrations. This should make reading "The Circle" fun.

LOVE the illustrations.

I liked this more than "Her Right Foot" which I read before and despaired of making it through this. It's better written than that. I could suspend disbelief enough to see that this world would happen, but I had a hard time believing that the main character would just fall for everything hook line and sinker. I'd be interested to see what the movie kept and what it changed.

Loved this one. I'm definitely ordering it for the library. It's about a boy and his father fishing, but also their experience immigrating to the United States. I feel like a lot of families could relate to the story.