What roadkill can teach us

Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill 
by Heather L. Montgomery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Disgustingly fascinating.



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Monster Creator

Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein 
by Lita Judge

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are a couple of picturebook biographies of Mary Shelley, each describing the night she conceived her monster.* But those stories are too simplistic. Judge's book dives more thoroughly into Shelley's life and in doing so, reveals how the accumulation of loves and tragedies helped in the shaping of her influential novel. The story is made even more powerful by the use of free verse and darkly emotive drawings.


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*The picturebooks mentioned are She Made a Monster, by Lynn Fulton, which uses fiction to further dramatize events, and Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein, by Linda Bailey. Bailey uses her author's note to include more details about Shelley's life and the night in question. The illustrations are scarier too, making this the better book.

Goalie superstar

Carey Price: How a First Nations Kid Became a Superstar Goaltender 
by Catherine Rondina

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A brief, yet thorough biography that emphasizes not only Price's success as a goaltender, but his success off the ice as well. The book's clarity and length are ideal for young readers, as is its trim size - it actually feels good to hold. With just the right amount of interesting facts and stats, this book is appealing for all sports fans.

Words of wisdom

One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance 
by Nikki Grimes

My rating : 5 of 5 stars

Nikki Grimes is simply a wonderful poet. Highly highly recommended. Here's why:

From the first line of Calling Dreams by Georgia Douglas Johnson, Grimes has crafted the following gem:

The Sculptor

No accident of birth or race or place determines the

scope of hope or dreams I have a right

to. I inventory my head and heart to

weigh and measure what talents I might use to make

my own tomorrow. It all depends on the grit at my

disposal. My father says hard work is the clay dreams

are molded from. Yes. Molded. Dreams do not come.

They are carved, muscled into something solid, something true.

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The 57 Bus

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives 
by Dashka Slater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an important book. A true story, it will leave you questioning the youth criminal justice system, children's rights, gender identity, racism, and inequality. A journalist, Slater writes clearly and distinctly, with empathy and compassion towards both sides. 

Highly recommended.



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