Review: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When...

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Review: The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn't been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac. When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent...

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2018 Discussion Challenge- Reading Slump

The 2018 Blog Discussion Challenge is run by Nicole at Feed You Fiction Addiction and Shannon at It's Starts at Midnight. I have been in one of the worst reading slumps on and off for the last six months or so. I have no idea why, and I honestly hate it. I just started a new job as the Head of a Youth Services department at the end of January, but before that, I worked an hour...

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Review: The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Boy meets girl. Girl changes everything.Michael likes to hang out with his friends and play with the latest graphic design software. His parents drag him to rallies held by their anti-immigrant group, which rails against the tide of refugees flooding the country. And it all makes sense to Michael.Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school,...

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