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A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Perry

8/28/2020

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A beautiful story about home and family as told by a young wolf who loses everything, but never gives up hope. 

Swift is a wolf who yearns to be a leader, a hunter, but he is not the largest or strongest of his pack. He is, however, the fastest. When he joins his first hunt, he is tasked by his father, the Alpha male, to run ahead of the elk and turn them towards the waiting wolves. What he really wants is to help take down the elk. When his pack is later attacked by another larger pack, Swift is quickly separated from them and left to wander on his own. His journey takes him to many new places, before finding his new home. 

A beautifully wrought book with lots of inner dialogue. The pacing moves quickly,  and has you wondering what new challenge will be around the bend for the young wolf. Parry was inspired by the true story of a wolf named OR-7 in Oregon who traveled hundreds of miles from its original territory. Recommended for grades 4 and up. 

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Dread Nation by Justine Ireland

5/15/2018

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What if all of the dead rose before the Union's decisive victory at Gettysburg? What if instead of fighting each other, now people were fighting the dead? Dread Nation reimagines history in this action packed historical novel. Jane is the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, but she is colored and can't rightly be claimed. Due to the Native and Negro Reeducation Act she is forced to leave her Kentucky home to go to a finishing school for Attendants in Baltimore. Attendants are meant to protect the wealthy white families from the dead and are trained in the art of combat. But when families around Baltimore start going missing, Jane gets caught investigating and sent to a frontier town surrounded by the dead. She will need her wits and her strength to survive. Recommended for grades 7 and up. 
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

4/30/2018

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Grace Lin has created something magical with this book. Minli lives near Fruitless Mountain and watches her parents working day after day from sunup to sundown with little to show for it. When she frees a goldfish it tells her how to find the Old Man of the Moon who can change her fortune. Her travels are peppered with stories inspired by Chinese Mythology. She meets some interesting characters along the way, and learns something important about herself. Beautifully written with great characters this is a must read. Perfect for students in Grades 4 and up. 
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Warcross by Marie Lu

1/11/2018

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Emika Chen is running out of options. Orphaned, poor and out of work, she is about to be evicted from her apartment when she accidentally hacks into the opening ceremonies of Warcross. Warcross is a multi-million dollar business and millions are watching when she glitches into the game. Instead of getting in trouble she embarks on a journey she could not have ever dreamed of. It isn't long before her heart and her life are on the line. 

I loved this. Nonstop action, a fantastic hacker female protagonist with a conscience, loved the Warcross game concept, and life or death decisions. Twists and turns keep the plot interesting and great visual details make it easy to envision this world. Recommended for ages 11 and up. 

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The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

6/14/2017

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This story centers around Nix, the daughter of a time-traveling ship captain. Nix and her father have a very complicated relationship. He is in search of a map that will get them back to Hawaii and her mother, while she is worried that if they get there she will disappear. On top of that he has an opium addiction that she despises. However, her desire to learn to navigate keeps her on the ship and with her father. 

Using maps to time travel to anywhere real or mythical is an interesting premise. Add in the motley crew, a bit of magic and lots of adventure and you have a mashup that is worth reading. There is a little romance along with the adventure as well. The story moves pretty well, although there are a few parts that seem to drag a bit. Well-written, interesting characters and descriptive settings will immerse you in the story. This is the first book in a planned duology. Ages 12-up 

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