Hit a bit of a reading rut recently, but what a way to get back into reading. I LOVED Yang's Front Desk and the sequel Three Keys did not disappoint. Mia, Lupe, Hank, Jason, and the weeklies are all back in this fabulous sequel. The governor's race is on and part of this race is the Prop 187, a bill to limit the rights of illegal immigrants. Mia and her friends are at it again to help those impacted by this bill and to fight for what is right.

Oh my heart! What a beautiful story! The accolades this book has received are so deserved and this is one of my best reads of the year, for sure.
It’s January, 1986 and the world is waiting for the upcoming Challenger voyage. Centering about siblings, Bird, Fitch and Cash, we discover each of their stories intertwined, both metaphorically and literally, with what they are learning at school about the Challenger Voyage and space. Topics of forgiveness, family turmoil, dreaming big and sibling love are all explored in this magnificent story. A must read and must have for all libraries.

If you enjoyed Wonder, check this out. The story of Julien's grandmother in France during WWII falls into my favourite genre, historical fiction, and is a wonderful graphic novel to dig into.

Oh how I love this book! I have read this with multiple groups of kids and they have all loved it too. This is the story of Marin, a 11yr old girl who has lived in foster care since she was 4, who finally has someone who wants to adopt her. She is resistant to this because she wants to find her birth mother because she is certain her mom would want her back. This beautiful story is told through the different lenses of each character and we learn their stories and how they are intertwined. As these characters collide in their stories, so too do the tectonic plates beneath this San Francisco story setting, until they all erupt.

Author of Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson, does it again with her newest release, When Stars are Scattered. This captivating graphic novel tells the story of Somalian refugee Omar and his brother, who live in a Kenyan refugee camp. Beautifully told and illustrated.

I read this book about a year ago and it still sticks with me. The gripping story of Annabelle and a new girl in town who proves to be a cruel bully to Annabelle. This is a great book for grade 5 and up. I did it as a book club with grade 5/6s and it proved rich in discussion points. As one student said "this book has a lot of OMG moments".

Nielsen's other book No Fixed Address is one of the best books I have ever read, so I thought I would check one of her earlier books. Such a fantastic story about family, taking risks, standing up for yourself, and doing what's right.

This short novel-in-verse tackles the topic of sexual abuse genuinely and with compassion. On page one we learn that Tori has been molested by her uncle, and is telling her mom about what happened. Sadly, as sometimes happens, her mom doesn’t believe her and thinks that maybe Tori misunderstood. This sets Tori in a tailspin of self doubt and depression. Her mom does realise that she is being truthful but the pain of not being believed stays with Tori for a long time. As she tries to understand and heal, she sees the ripple effect this has on her extended family and her divorced parents. Honestly told, this novel-in-verse reinforces what many kids who have been abused need to hear- that what happened is not their fault.