Impossible Crime, written by Mac Barnett, reviewed by Katy Golden

Summary: Mac B., Kid Spy is back for a second adventure when one of the Queen of England's eleven corgis meets him at a mini-golf course and guides him back to England to solve another mystery. This time, he is solving a locked-room "howdunit" - The queen is certain the descendant of a foiled jewel thief is returning to steal the crown jewels. After falling asleep on the job, Mac travels with the queen's guardsman to Ireland to track down the culprit. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Mac's silly, conversational first-person narration is engaging and fun, and the quirky characters and side comments, filled with a surprising amount of facts about England, will keep anyone entertained. Short chapters (often less than three pages) and bold green and orange illustrations on every page make the length of this book less intimidating. A zany, high-paced adventure that even the most reluctant reader will love

Swashby and the Sea, written by Beth Ferry, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: A cantankerous sea captain, Swashby, retires in his seaside home and just wants to be left alone. But, alas, a young girl and her granny move in to the house next door and plant beach chairs and umbrellas in the sand. The new neighbors try very hard to befriend the salty Swashby to no avail. He even writes messages in the sand to thwart their friendliness. But his messages are, mysteriously, changed by the sea. His message of "No Trespassing" gets partially washed away and becomes "sing." The young girl obliges to Swashby's dismay. The sea keeps fiddling with his sand messages making them fun and friendly. Finally, the young girl is swept away by the sea and Swashby rescues her and realizes that the sea helped bring them together. This is an excellent book that targets friendship between different generations and nature and the impact it has on our lives. The sea is a main character in the story. The illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal are beautiful and fun. Highly recommended. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This great book features age and gender differences, personality differences and, specifically, how the two main characters view their surroundings. Nature is also huge in the book because the sea is another character. The ending

Who Let the God's Out?, written by Maz Evans, reviewed by Todd Erickson

Summary: 12 year-old Elliot's mom is a wreck and he's failing out of school, but it's up to him to save the family farm with the help of a new girl at school. His partner in crime, is Virgo, the almost 2,000 year-old immortal celestial zodiac deity assigned to assist mortal Elliot in his pursuit. In the meantime, he's caught up in the pursuit of an escaped prisoner from the underworld.

Straight Talk for Librarians: A humorous take on the the gods and the zodiac and tween adventures. The greek gods and celestial zodiac signs are all a bit dysfunctional, and hijinks ensue with hilarity in a high stakes convoluted adventure. Although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one immortal from another, or decipher what exactly is happening, Elliot is a sympathetic, likable human students will root for as he conquers his fears and masters his out of control universe with the help and hindrance of immortal gods and goddesses.

5 Times Revenge, written by Lindsay Eland, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: 5 Times Revenge is a sweet and funny story of the most epic prank ever. Perk and Adam have been best friends and pranksters forever. School would be perfect except for the presence of Hill Parmar, the school’s resident bully and principal Parmar’s son. Hill brutalizes his fellow students with impunity. His father never punishes Hill for his misdeeds. One day, Hill crosses a line he should not have crossed. He tricks Perk's special needs brother, Tommy into playing hide-and-seek. He locks Tommy in a closet and leaves him there. Perk and Adam vow to avenge Tommy and end Hill and principal Parmar’s reign of terror. A prank of this magnitude is too much for two boys to pull off alone. They need a crew. Perk and Adam tap into the school's records to find the best people for the job. Pearl, Ray and Dutch are more than willing to accept the risks. On the surface, none of them look like a threat to the status quo. Pearl is a straight A student and violinist with the school orchestra. She once dated Hill but saw her grades mysteriously drop after she broke up with him. Ray is a big kid who excels at sports that everyone perceives as not very bright. Ray is recruited when the boys realize he has brains as well as brawn. Dutch is one of Hill’s favorite targets. He has a weird facial tic, wears old clothes and is being raised by his grandfather. Once the crew is established, they plan and execute their epic prank. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: 5 Times Revenge is a classic story of a group coming together to face a mutual enemy. The characters are well-rounded and deal with real issues. Dutch’s grandfather is starting to show signs of dementia. Pearl is biracial and her parents are getting divorced. Pearl is accepted as a full member of the group even though she is the only girl. She does develop feelings for Dutch, but their romance is age appropriate. Perk’s parents are practically invisible due to their demanding careers. Adam has the most stable family life. His family runs a successful restaurant. 5 Times Revenge is perfect for fans of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Fourth Stall series.

Still a Gorilla, written by Kim Norman, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Willy the Gorilla lives in the City Zoo. With all of the other exciting animals around him, Willy decides that he might like to be something different. Willy considers some of the other animals that he could be and wonders if acting like another animal would make him turn into that animal. But each time he tries, he discovers that he is not meant to roar like a lion or hop like a kangaroo, and that he is, in fact, “Still a gorilla.” After Willy tries out the actions of a lion, a walrus, a billy goat, an alligator, and a kangaroo, he puts them all together into one big wacky action parade that makes Willy see that he can be silly, but no matter what, he will always be, “Still a gorilla.” 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This seemingly-simple animal book comes with a big message about being true to yourself. Each four page sequence follows a delightfully repetitive pattern that will engage and entertain preschoolers. The use of rhetorical questions will allow even small children to engage with the story as they ponder whether a gorilla can turn himself into a walrus or alligator. One question in each spread is offered with a catchy rhyme, always popular with the preschool set, and important for vocabulary development as well. The illustrations are bright, color and often humorous. After each question is asked, the following two-page spread shows Willy trying to dress or act like the animal he is emulating, which is sure to elicit giggles from kids (especially the page on which Willy uses two bananas to look like walrus tusks.) The repetition of the title/tagline (“Still a Gorilla!”) throughout the story will encourage children to anticipate it and say it along with the reader. This picture book is a winner! It is engaging, interactive, and focuses on favorite zoo animals which will always delight young readers.

Bad Decisions Playlist, written by Michael Rubens, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: Austin simply cannot get it together no matter how hard he tries. His judgment is as hazy as the smoke from the weed he regularly inhales. He literally will do anything if a girl is watching. This includes serenading a bunch of cheerleaders on an antique mandolin while standing in a canoe. It ends with the mandolin smashed over his head by the angry hockey player boyfriend of one of the cheerleaders. Austin dreams of being a musician but his stage fright sabotages every single one of his live performances. His dad died when he was little. This left his eighteen-year-old mom to raise him on her own. One day, Austin opens the front door to find famous rock musician Shane Tyler standing on his porch. The lies Austin's mom told about his dad's death unravel when Shane reveals he is Austin's dad. Austin soon learns he may have inherited more than his dad's musical talent. Unfortunately, Shane's judgment skills aren't any better than Austin's are. Shane takes Austin on a series of increasingly amped up adventures that frequently end in disaster. Shane forgot to mention he is a raging alcoholic who is also addicted to heroin. Austin is caught in the middle of Shane’s antics and his mom’s rising anger. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Austin is a loveable goofball whose poor choices make for a fun read. Despite the lighthearted subject matter, there are deeper life lessons embedded within this novel. Austin ultimately learns to accept himself for who he is, flaws and all. The novel is publisher recommended for middle school and high school students. Honestly, because of the frank references to underage drinking, drug use and sex the novel is better suited for high school aged https://libresbooksmi.blogspot.com readers. Austin behaves badly. He screws up, a lot. He is also a survivor and a kind-hearted guy. Readers will laugh at Austin’s antics and maybe get some reassurance that their life isn’t so screwed up after all. This book deserves shelf space in a high school or public library’s young adult collection.

Dog Man: Grime and Punishment, written by Dav Pilkey, reviewed by Katy Golden

Summary: When Dog Man is fired from the police force and Grampa Pete transforms into the giant, incorrigible Crud, things are not looking good! Fortunately for Dog Man's legions of fans, Li'l Petey and 80-HD - as well as Petey - are ready to help with new inventions and a new cast of friends. Pilkey's signature combination of laugh-out-loud gimmicks and heartwarming messages of friendship, forgiveness, and the triumph of love over hate shine through in these full-color illustrations. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This ninth installment in the Dog Man graphic novel series delivers the same fast-paced hilarious hijinks as its predecessors. Fans of Captain Underpants' George and Harold, as well as Dog Man himself, will not be disappointed in the latest addition. Deeper themes, such as parental abandonment and forgiveness, are also explored. Budding graphic novelists will appreciate the step-by-step character illustration guides, and the author's note connects aspects of the text to literary quotes and poems. Hand this series to any reluctant reader for a guaranteed good read!

Mad About Plaid, written by Jill McElmurry, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This fun and silly book will be popular with children. A girl finds a plaid purse in the park and once she touches the purse everything on her and around her starts turning plaid. It is a cute, funny premise. The girl goes home and her mom, a nurse, tries to fix the problem but nothing helps. She turns the plaid purse inside out and touches the blue lining which then turns everything on her and around her blue. The illustrations are great (the author also illustrated the Little Blue Truck series). The humorous story and illustrations will bring joy to children. The ending of the story is a good one and will assure children that all is well! 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is a fun, silly book. I like that the mom is a nurse and tries to fix the plaid problem. She cannot fix it. The illustrations are great because of so much plaid and then so much blue. Children will enjoy the antics and action in the story and, of course, the humor.

Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator Mary Shelley, written by Catherine Reef, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: When the name Mary Shelley is mentioned, inevitably what comes next is the name of her most famous creation, Frankenstein. Reef rescues Mary Shelley's life from a simple recitation of the facts: wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, creator of Frankenstein. She has created a nuanced portrait of a complicated woman with a complicated life. Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous early feminist died days after Mary was born. She was raised by her father and step-mother and with several half-siblings. Her life would be marred by scandal and loss. Shelley began her relationship with the very much married Percy Shelley when she was just a teen. Society never approved of Shelley, her unconventional ideas or her relationship with Percy. She suffered the loss of all but one of her five children. It was not uncommon for children die in early childhood in the nineteenth century. Shelley also had to endure the suicides of her half-sister Franny and Percy’s wife Harriet. Suicides were viewed with scorn by society and considered ruinous for a family’s fortunes. As a result, neither Franny’s nor Harriet’s bodies were claimed by the family. The women were buried in common graves and not publicly mourned. Percy Shelley’s tragic death followed close on the heels of the miscarriage of her fifth child. The totality of her losses nearly killed her. Only her fourth child, a son named Percy Florence lived to adulthood. He devoted his life to saving his father’s writings and hers from obscurity. In recent years, Shelley’s lesser known books have experienced a resurgence in interest due to the publication of new editions. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Mary Shelley’s life was fodder for the gossips during her lifetime but her modern ideas have aged well. She believed in the education of women. Even though she had to initially publish Frankenstein anonymously, she believed women had valuable stories to tell. She disagreed with the common sentiment of her era that writing was an unseemly vocation for a woman. Reef’s portrait of Shelley is as interesting as it is educational. The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley can be used to supplement in class readings of Frankenstein. Fans of Frankenstein will enjoy learning more about the author and her unconventional life. The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley will make a welcome addition to high school and public libraries

Auto Focus, written by Lauren Gibaldi, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: Maude’s photography teacher assigns a photo shoot centered on the theme of family. Maude struggles with how to approach the project. She’s adopted, and her birth mother died in childbirth. She could take the predictable path and do a shoot based on her adopted parents. Maude decides to focus her project on her birth mother instead. Maude’s birth mother was a freshman at Florida State University when she learned she was pregnant. She hatches a plan to take a road trip to Florida State University in Tallahassee to visit her friend Treena. Maude’s adoptive parents and Treena worry about Maude’s choice. She’s tried to uncover information about her birth mother before and it ended in heartbreak. Maude heads to Tallahassee and soon learns that Treena is too preoccupied with her college life to be much help. The Treena Maude knew in high school was quiet, shy and focused on her studies. Now Treena has a boyfriend and her priorities are completely different. Treena just wants to have a good time and party. She drags Maude along for the ride even though neither girl is old enough to drink legally. Maude finds herself spending more time with Bennett, a boy who lives on Treena's floor than with Treena. Bennett offers to help Maude chase down clues about her birth mother. Maude is torn between wanting to be with Treena and continuing her quest to answer her questions about her mom. Bennett helps Maude sort out her conflicted feelings about her birth mother and her changing relationship with Treena. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Auto Focus is a sweet coming of age story that deals with the issues of adoption and being adopted. Maude is typical teen on the cusp of adulthood struggling to find her place in the world. The characters are somewhat diverse: Maude is white, Treena is Indian-American and Bennett is half Columbian. The issues the characters wrestle with are common to young adulthood. The novel is best suited for older middle school students and high school students. There are several instances of underage drinking, making out and one instance of sexual harassment. Unfortunately, there are times when the novel makes dated references. Maude’s mom watches The Real World, a reality show that was waning in popularity when the novel was published and has subsequently been cancelled. There are also multiple references to a character potentially wanting to get into another character’s pants which is a slang reference for having sex. This phrase is no longer in common usage among young adults.

All Because You Matter, written by Tami Charles, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: A beautiful book by Tami Charles and beautiful illustrations by Bryan Collier. The text is wonderful advice and stories for children of color. They are reminded that "matter is all things that make up the universe: energy, stars, space... If that's the case, then you dear child matter." Your ancestors were queens, chiefs and legends. You were always thought of as part of all that matters on this earth. The author also reflects on current social issues as a child hears his Pop Pop pray for Trayvon, Tamir and Philando and as a girl hears her name mispronounced in her classroom. This is a beautiful book for all children. The last page reminds children that "You mattered. They mattered. We matter... and always will." 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is an excellent book to talk about social issues with children.

Eric, written by Shaun Tan, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This is a beautiful book that children and adults will enjoy. Originally published in 2009 this story is important now more than ever. A leaf, who is identified as a foreign exchange student, stays with a family and soon decides to sleep in the pantry. As the family tries to share their lives, including places of interest Eric is pretty much unresponsive. The now grown child narrating the story explains that he didn't really have answers when Eric asked questions. And, by the way, the name Eric was suggested by the visiting student as the family could not pronounce his real name. The illustrations are perfect. They show Eric picking up odds and ends on his journeys with the family and how he reacts with the family. The story says so much about different people, cultures (even though we do not know much about Eric or the host family), what we know about ourselves and what we do not know about others. The ending is a very nice surprise. The book should elicit some interesting discussions with children. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: A great book for discussion on what we know about our culture, other cultures and social issues.

I Love Engineering, written by Allison Wortche and Steve Mack, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: The authors of this fun book aim to educate the very young on engineering. The book has colorful illustrations on sturdy, thick-board pages and a lot of inserts that lift and pages that extend out or up. Those features will be a hit with children and they will learn something about engineering along the way. They will learn that engineers design things that we use every day. That entails designs, plans and, sometimes, realizing you have to start over if a plan does not work. It is a cute, colorful book and children will enjoy the fun of the physical book and learn something about the world too. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book will be popular as it is fun-filled with flaps and pull-ups. Children will learn a bit about engineering - that things we see and use were planned and designed by someone. They should find the book fun and interesting.

When My Brother Gets Home, written by Tom Lichtenheld, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This is a sweet story about a little sister waiting for her brother to come home from school so that they can have adventures. The little girl joyfully spends her waiting time with her dog and cat and her great imagination. The illustrations, by the author, are not only fun but cleverly represent the girl's thoughts. Together they will climb Mount Kilimanjaro (climbing up a slide), practice their Olympic dives (into a lake) and build a castle (with cardboard boxes). The sibling relationship, children will see, obviously represents one that is caring, kind, loving and collaborative. This is a fun, feel-good book on family, love, imagination, adventure and siblings. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book will be great for discussion on family, siblings, imagination and adventure. The illustrations are perfect in demonstrating all of the great topics represented in the story.

High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction, written by David Sheff & Nic Sheff, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff teamed up to write High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction. The book is part informational text, part memoir and self-help book. It works brilliantly. It's tough to find books about addiction aimed at young adults that reflect honest real-life experiences. High also gives readers the tools they need to get help if they need it. The Sheffs don't set themselves up as experts. Repeatedly, they say that no one treatment plan or style works for everyone. Their real-life experience coupled with factual information presents a realistic portrait of what addiction is like and why life is better sober. The book is broken into four parts: One Hit, One Drink, Just Say Know, Addiction and Afterward. The parts are further broken down into short chapters with a short quote at the beginning. The first and second parts rely heavily on the personal experience of the authors particularly Nic. He goes into intimate detail about how far he had to fall before he realized he needed help. Nic like many people struggling with addiction has a concurrent diagnosis of mental illness. Nic’s father and co-author also battles mental illness. It is extremely common for people with mental illness to self- medicate with drugs and alcohol. The drugs and alcohol give them temporary relief from the anxiety and dark thoughts in their head. Part of the struggle to get and remain sober is having to deal with the very issues the addict was trying to escape. My only complaint is about the design elements of the book. The cover is colorful and eye-catching in shades of yellow, blue and red. Unfortunately, the publishers chose to print the text in blue ink instead of the customary black ink. Blue text is much harder to read especially for readers that wear glasses. Also, the red and blue inner panels with the dot design are groovy but  very distracting. If the point of the design were to simulate the confusion of being high, it worked.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I highly recommend this book for teens, parents of teenagers, teachers and counselors. The authors have shared their story not to “scare teens straight” but rather to give them the information they need to make intelligent choices. The facts are current, accurate and presented with bright, colorful graphs, drawings and diagrams. Addiction can be very subtle and easy to miss especially in high achieving kids. This book could be used as part of a health class or psychology class. Well-written and high interest books about addiction for teens are hard to find. This book would be a fantastic addition to any public library, middle school library or high school.

Women's History In The U.S. - Women In The Old West, written by Marti Dumas, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: The story of women in the old West is fascinating yet can be sad and, sometimes, happy depending on the story. Dumas has written an excellent overview of women in the old West focusing on certain landmark events such as the migration west, the railroad, the gold rush, the forced migration of indigenous people and women's rights in a "new" world. In writing about these events the author features women and how they were impacted or how they made an impact. Real women like Mary Fields, Evelyn Cameron and Lyda Conley, made impacts and are featured among several others. The photos of women from the old West are interesting, helpful and complement the text so well. The author has offered concise, meaningful, easy-to-understand factual information for children on women's issues in the 1800s which could bring conversation to the present and what happened, or did not happen, between then and now. Some of the facts may be tough for children to understand but they are important and they are presented in an understanding way that should provoke some interesting discussions. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: A great book for bringing up discussions for young children on women's issues, the old West, women who made history and the good and bad events in history.

Fox tails - The Great Bunk Bed Battle, written by Tina Kugler, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: Fritz and Franny are young fox siblings. Like some siblings they do not want to go to bed or clean their room. Fritz and Franny are also competitive with one another. With Franny on the top bunk and Fritz on the bottom bunk they each try to persuade Fred, the dog, to join in. In order to persuade Fred each sibling uses their imagination to make each bunk sound like the best choice. One bunk becomes a tree house and the other a cave. One a castle and the other a boat passing under a bridge. Fritz and Franny cannot convince the other that their bunk is the best. They decide to switch bunks to see the other point of view. It is a fun story with a lot of imagination and some common sibling issues. The ending with Fritz, Franny and Fred in Fred's dog bed is very cute and a good way to demonstrate compromise and working together. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: A good book to discuss siblings, working together, imagination.

Lost Cities, written by Giles Laroche, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This interesting, fact-filled and beautifully illustrated book tells the stories of lost civilizations around the world. The author takes us through these lost cities starting with the Karnak Temple and moving through various sites such as Babylon, Great Zimbabwe, Mesa Verde, Easter Island, Machu Picchu and others. Each lost city is colorfully illustrated and includes information on the location who lived there, why it was lost, how it was found and what makes it mysterious. This book is very interesting and offers just enough information to make interested readers (and future archaeologists) want more. It will pique many an interest! 

Straight Talk for Librarians: The historical facts on each lost city will be great for discussions on other cultures, archaeology, anthropology and geography.

Curious Story of Edward Gorey, written by Lori Mortensen, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This story of Edward Gorey is a very interesting look at a very interesting and unique author. Gorey lived a childhood that did not portend his often odd and scary book themes. He was a talented sketch artist and aspiring writer even as a child. As an adult he was drafted in World War II and served stateside, attended Harvard where he was deemed to be a strange person (but he found his niche with other like-minded student) and worked as an illustrator for a publisher in New York City. It was his work illustrating books that inspired him to work more on his own sketches and writing. Young children will find the life of an author and, in particular, this author interesting. They may not be familiar with Gorey's works but they will want to find out more if they like the macabre and to be scared. The illustrations by Chloe Bristol are full of earth-tone goodness and keep true to the subject of the book. This is a great introduction to a famous author whose book themes were strange and macabre. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: The book is probably not for the preschool-K students. I don't think they would understand or care about Gorey. Older students will probably find it interesting even if they are unfamiliar with Gorey. It may pique their interest to learn more and to read some of his works.

Quarantine: a Love Story, written by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: Flora is heading home from a disastrous spring break with her dad and his much younger new wife. Oliver desperately wants to go home and attend the party thrown by his classmate and crush, Kelsey. Fate puts Flora and Oliver on the same flight home to Brooklyn. When they land, they are met by the CDC who screens every passenger for tropical mono. A passenger from their flight was exhibiting all the classic symptoms. The entire flight is put into a temporary overnight quarantine. The next morning all of the passengers need to pass a final screening before boarding the flight for home. While in line, Flora realizes she isn't ready to go home yet. She intentionally messes with the thermometer and gets a reading indicating that she has a fever. Before she is hauled off to quarantine, she impulsively kisses Oliver, the boy she met on the flight. Oliver is shocked that no one realizes that Flora is faking her illness. He wants to say something but he never gets a chance. Both teens are put in a 30-day quarantine in a shared room at the hospital. Flora feels badly for wrecking Oliver’s chances with Kelsey. She decides to help Oliver win Kelsey’s heart by creating a social media movement #quaranteen that quickly goes viral. Quarantine is a lot more crowded than Flora ever imagined. The hospital staff rotate in and out every few hours for vitals checks. Hilarity ensues when both sets of parents arrive and Kelsey shows up to “take care of Oliver.” 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Quarantine: a Love Story is witty, clever, honest and heartfelt. Readers will root for Oliver and Flora to the end. Cicatelli-Kuc took a serious topic and made it absolutely hilarious. The main characters are well developed and nuanced. The other characters including Kelsey are much more thinly drawn. The story is told in very short chapters in the alternating voices of Flora and Oliver. This convention keeps the plot moving at a quick pace. The novel works best as pleasure reading. The writing is free of profanity and the romance is pretty tame. I highly recommend Quarantine: a Love Story for younger young adult readers and fans of rom coms.

The Stars We Steal, written by Alexa Donne, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Princess Leonie, “Leo” to her friends, comes from a royal family with a secret. The family fortune is running out and the only way to save her family’s dilapidated spaceship and royal status is to enter the Valg, a matchmaking season that will mark her as eligible for marriage, hopefully to the son of a wealthy family. As the oldest daughter, Leo bears the brunt of the Valg, but she has no interest in marriage. She was in love once, to Elliott, an employee of her father’s, but he was deemed an inappropriate match considering her family’s financial ruin. But Elliott’s lot in life has changed. He is now the owner and proprietor of a whisky ship, and has returned to enter the Valg as a wealthy bachelor, much to the delight of many of the Valg participants, including Leo’s sister. Elliott entering the Valg takes Leo by surprise, but she has no time for jealousy or her quickly resurging feelings. She must find herself a match to save her family before it is too late. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: The Stars We Steal is The Bachelor meets debutante season mixed with intergalactic politics. There are plenty of slow-burning feelings to hook romance readers quickly, but the politics interwoven in the story keep things exciting and mysterious. The feelings and the history between Leo and Elliott are serious, but the Valg activities and the amusements available on a world-class spaceship continue to provide unique settings that ease the tension and keep the reader engaged. I would have liked to see even more of Leo’s scientific side. Her failed, pre-Valg plan to save the family was to sell a water filtration system that she invented, which takes significant exploration and tinkering that we only glimpse in her character. The book does a nice job with the upstairs/downstairs power dynamics of the world, not only evidenced in Elliott, but also with some of his travel companions and one of the ship’s servants. Readers will be sucked in by the premise and stay for the interesting plot and for Leo, a classic underdog to champion.

I Never, written by Laura Hopper, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Janey’s parents take her on vacation to announce that they are getting divorced and in her disheveled, disappointed stupor, she almost doesn’t notice that handsome, popular senior Luke Hallstrom is on the same flight home. But when she returns to school, it becomes obvious that Luke definitely noticed Janey. Janey assumes that the much-more-experienced Luke will move on from what could only be a passing interest in soft-spoken, unglamorous Janey, but she soon realizes that his pursuit of her seems lasting and genuine. Short exchanges at track practice quickly progress into texting, dates and kisses. More easily than Janey would have ever believed possible, she has a boyfriend and their newfound couplehood is becoming serious, both emotionally and physically. But since Luke is headed for out-of-state college in the fall, how far could this relationship possibly go? 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is a book about teen relationships, first time love, and first sexual relationships. It is probably better suited for a high school library because of the descriptions of the sexual relationship, which are detailed and steamy, but not explicit. The tone of the story is very sex-positive and includes messages about the importance of communication and trust in a relationship, explicit consent, prophylactic protection and power dynamics between partners. Janey also experiences tremendous individual growth during the story, shifting from someone with weak self-confidence to someone who feels secure, important and desirable independent of her relationship. This book is sure to bother some parents because of the sexual content, but it is guaranteed to be a hit with teens who are moving through moments of self-understanding and early relationships like Janey and Luke. It’s an almost-too-perfect story of a loving high school relationship that is likely to delight readers of romance and realistic fiction.

Come November, written by Katrin van Dam, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: Rooney's mom is completely checked out. She has lost her job, again and has no motivation to secure another one. Her mom fervently believes she will be transported to another planet on Departure Day. She hopes Rooney and her younger brother Daniel will join her. She does everything in her power to convince them that life will be better after Departure Day. Rooney has zero desire to join the Next World Society or participate in Departure Day. Rooney unlike Daniel remembers what life was like before her mom joined the Next World Society. Her parents were still together and life was more normal. Those memories sustain her even when her mom’s poor choices jeopardize their meager lifestyle. Rooney sacrifices her position as editor on the school newspaper for her job. She needs to work more hours to pay the bills. Rooney is overwhelmed with being Daniel’s parental figure, balancing school and work. She decides their only hope lies in contacting her father to ask him for help. Rooney has had little contact with her dad since the divorce. He has moved on and rebuilt his life with a new wife and busy life in New York. She dreams of escaping to New York and attending Columbia University after graduation. Rooney’s desperation is buoyed by the hope she has that her mom will snap out of it before it’s too late. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Come November will resonate with readers who like Rooney are juggling complicated home lives along with the normal teenage stressors of dating relationships and school. Rooney is likeable but not perfect. Her brother Daniel has his own challenges which Rooney often glosses over or completely misses in her attempts to shelter him. He understands more than she realizes. The novel could be used in a psychology class or as a small group read in an English class. The intense subject matter is best suited for eighth grade and above. There is an episode of underage drinking and some romantic elements but nothing too salacious. Come November is an entertaining book that covers the heavier issues of mental illness, parental neglect and cults without preaching at the reader. I recommend this book for fans of the Vivian Apple series by Katie Coyle. It's a similar theme but not as dark.

Outside In, written by Deborah Underwood, reviewed by Judy Hauser

Summary: This is a very deep subject for a very young age group and it is beautiful. A young girl encounters the world inside and the nature and reality of outside. It is a serious look at how we exist in our world be that our personal world or the real, outside world. Somehow this seems extremely timely since we are all living in a time of pandemic. The girl in the story explores and examines the outside and notices how nature and reality make their marks on our lives. When she is inside she observes rays of light through the windows, shadows, the chirps and taps from birds, the cotton in her clothes, the tree wood that made her chair and so much more that the outside has contributed to her life. It is an interesting and poignant book for young children. The illustrations by Cindy Derby are beautiful and elegant and perfectly match the wonderful text. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: A deep, thoughtful book for children about nature and how it impacts our lives even in small ways.