Review: The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story

The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting twist on a ghost story.

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Review: The Spirit of Cattail County

The Spirit of Cattail County by Victoria Piontek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely beautiful writing! Magical realism for middle school at it's finest. Ghosts, family, friends.... this book has a little bit of everything.

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Review: Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin

Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin by James L. Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I learned a lot that I didn't know while reading this book. All of the information about Hoover, about Ray's multiple escapes, etc... were surprises to me. I like that like "Chasing Lincoln's Killer," this book was fairly faced paced and straight-forward. I'm not a big history buff by any means, but this book did pull me in. The pages where King was actually shot and dying were difficult to read; I had to pause there because it was a bit intense. I'd recommend this for any middle or high school library's collection.

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Review: Lucky Broken Girl

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A quiet and slow story- not for every reader, but I feel like it will find a home and resonate with some.

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Review: The Perfect Percival Priggs

The Perfect Percival Priggs by Julie-Anne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this book, Percival Priggs learns that he doesn't really have to be perfect all the time. I really enjoyed the quirky illustrations - there is a lot to be appreciated in the art in this book. I also enjoyed the use of alliteration - this would be a great book to use to teach that concept.

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Review: Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild

Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild by Shannon Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great book to share with the perfectionists in your life. I liked the rhyme and that the illustrations include a diverse cast of characters. Penelope (the main character) is biracial and adorably drawn. In the back of the book, there is an activity guide with discussion questions and scenarios to help kids think through situations that might disturb a perfectionist. Overall, this is book I could see being useful in every elementary school library.

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Review: Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands

Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands by Tamara Levitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A quick little book about focusing on the things you can do rather than being consumed by what you can't.

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