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raethereviewer's reviews
828 reviews

A Song For You And I by K. O'Neill

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I’ve been a fan of K. O’Neill since The Tea Dragon Society and they continue to build such beautiful, whimsical worlds. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. The world that’s been created here is intricate and well designed. 

My only qualm is that this book is a lot more illustration heavy. There are quite a few times where it’s multiple pages of illustrations without dialogue or written descriptions and I prefer more dialogue heavy graphic novels. There is a lot of nonverbal communication shown in the illustrations but there are also some that are just pages of landscapes.
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

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5.0

I had so much fun reading this one! It was whimsical and sweet. It’s very low stakes. I really liked Penny and getting to see the customers through her eyes was honestly calming.
Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was an excellent fantasy! I love the way it explored Kwame's journey through grief while incorporating traditional Ghanian beliefs around life and death. The gods were such interesting characters. The underworld was vivid and very well constructed. This is an excellent book for fantasy lovers across the board. 
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Kingdom of Dust by Lisa Stringfellow

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adventurous hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed the way this story drew from West African culture, particularly the Igbo, to create such a full world. The author’s note about fairy tales tied things together well and gave me a new perspective on an element of the story that I originally thought happened a little too quickly. This would be great for reluctant readers, especially since it’s right at the 200-page mark and the chapters are fairly short. It’s also great for kids transitioning from early chapter books to longer ones. I’d recommend this for 4th - 6th grade.
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The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall

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adventurous mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a super action-packed adventure steeped in magic. I love the way this novel worked as an allegory for saving enslaved people. The characters felt like pirates on a race against the evil Chainmakers. The magic system was fun and used quite frequently.

My only qualms were that there were, at times, a lot of characters to follow. I also think the world of different Heavens was really cool and I wish that was explored more. I hope this ends up being a series so it can be expanded. 

I'd recommend this one for upper elementary (mainly 5th grade) and lower middle school.

(I was between a 4 and 5 so I rounded up
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Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen

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challenging emotional sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This was such an incredibly emotionally riveting and evocative novel. There were several points where I had to take a break because of how much it made me cry. It’s such a well told story and one I’ll be recommending often. I’d recommend this for middle school classrooms.
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The Cookie Crumbles by Alechia Dow, Tracy Badua

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was such a fun mystery. The Knives Out comp is spot on. This would be perfect for upper elementary and lower middle school.
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Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

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challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was amazing! Sherri Winston does an excellent job of portraying parentification and the emotional turmoil of a child who’s being neglected. Sharkita’s struggles were ones that many kids are going through quietly and having this story reach those who need it will most certainly make an huge impact. 
Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel by Caron Butler, Justin A. Reynolds

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challenging hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I haven’t read the first book in the series but this works great as a stand-alone. It’s perfect for helping fill that much needed space of Black boy protagonists in middle grade. I’d definitely add this to a middle school classroom library.
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The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This was such a great, gothic horror. I think the characterization was really strong in this one and the atmospheric writing was done very well. The house truly felt like its own character within the novel. Definitely a good one for 4th - 6th graders.P