Alex Flinn, . . HarperTempest, $7.99 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-06-447257-9
In what PW
called "a gripping tale," a 16-year-old, who is considered perfect by his classmates, suffers a turbulent home life with an abusive father, and he himself follows the pattern of violence. Ages 13-up. (Oct.)
Note:
Additional reviews of children's books can be found in the Children's Religion section (p. 69).
"Ever feel like you're breathing underwater, and you have to stop because you're gulping in too much fluid?" For 16-year-old Nick Andreas, these words from his violence counselor Continue reading »
Heavy-handed writing undermines Flinn's (Breathing Underwater) stated goal for her second novel, namely, to "stimulate discussion" among teens about Continue reading »
Michael Daye has been living under an assumed name and traveling with a carnival for the past year, but he returns with the carnival to Miami just as his mother is about to stand trial for Continue reading »
Flinn (Diva
) delivers a lighthearted and contemporary twist on Beauty and the Beast, and while there is nothing shocking nor any striking departure from the Continue reading »
In the same vein as Flinn's Beastly, this clever and humorous retelling of ""Sleeping Beauty"" follows an aimless American boy who awakens a princess who has been slumbering for 300 years. Jack Continue reading »
As she did in Beastly and A Kiss in Time, Flinn mixes traditional fairy tales with a modern setting in a romance that is clever but not always compelling. When the beautiful princess of Aloria visits Continue reading »
Flinn (Beastly, Cloaked) again puts a modern spin on a classic fairy tale. In this Rapunzel retelling, Wyatt, a teen mourning the devastating loss of his best friend and his best friend's sister, Continue reading »
They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park
Tonya Duncan Ellis
“They built me to remember.// June 19, 1865./ The day enslaved people found out the truth” writes Duncan Ellis in this moving tribute to Houston’s Emancipation Park, narrated in Continue reading »
Rhyming questions are answered with the triumphant titular cry in a work that displays the pelican’s power and balletic grace. “Who can see it’s time to eat?” Yuly begins, as Continue reading »
Almost-15-year-old Almudena meets her father for the first time in this affecting 1995-set graphic novel exploration of identity and family. When Almudena’s white mother accepts Continue reading »
City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions
Amy Hevron
Via vivid prose, Hevron (The Longest Journey) introduces the leafcutter ants of Central America’s tropical forests, beings whose highly organized social structure supports Continue reading »