Starfish made me cry in public.
This is a touching middle-grade novel-in-verse about a tween girl who is
bullied for her weight.
Ellie lives by what she calls Fat Girl Rules — mantras
like, “avoid eating in public” and “no making waves.” Her safe space is the
swimming pool, where she feels weightless and free. In the pool, Ellie can
“starfish,” taking up as much space as she wants.
Over the course of the story,
with help from her supportive dad, her therapist, and a new friend, Ellie
learns to “starfish” for real.
I’ve written about body image in my own books
(and I once was a tween girl). In Starfish, Lisa Fipps depicts a journey
that’s painful, poignant, and ultimately triumphant. By the end, my tears were
tears of joy.
Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules - like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space - her swimming pool - where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy…
Corey
Ann Haydu has a talent for using magic to get at truths that are all too real.
In One Jar of Magic, Rose lives in a town that collects magic, and her
father is the best magic-collector of them all. On her twelfth birthday, she’s
supposed to join him, stepping into her birthright…but at the end of that
night, all Rose has collected is one tiny jar of magic.
Her father’s
disappointment is a crushing, bruising thing. As she faces the fact that she
might not be “meant for magic,” Rose begins to see her family — specifically, her
overbearing father — with clearer eyes.
This book is beautifully written, and it
tackles the difficult subject of abuse with compassion and care. I am such
a fan of Corey’s work.
From the critically acclaimed author of Eventown comes a hopeful and empowering tale set in an enchanting world of magic and mysterious family secrets-perfect for fans of Anne Ursu, Rebecca Stead, and Wendy Mass.
Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal.
Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town-her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year's Day and become…
Tae Keller turns the sci-fi conceit of the weird kid
who believes in aliens into a heartbreaking tale of friendship and bullying.
Mallory abides by the social rules of middle school, whereas her new neighbor,
Jennifer, disregards them completely. When Jennifer disappears, Mallory decides
to find her, using clues from the missing girl’s journals. Along the way, she
has to confront the part she and her friends played in Jennifer’s
disappearance.
Keller digs deep into the painful process of trying to fit
in. This is a tough, worthwhile read.
In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal for When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller offers a gripping and emotional story about a girl who is alienated by her friends . . . for believing in aliens.
Sometimes middle school can make you feel like you're totally alone in the universe...but what if we aren't alone at all?
Thanks to her best friend, Reagan, Mallory Moss knows the rules of middle school. The most important one? You have to fit in to survive. But then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street, and that rule doesn't seem to…
Madison Morris dreams of being a leader one day.
When her teacher asks the class to come up with ideas for a project they can do
to help their community, Madison knows it’s her time to shine. But right before
she stands to present her ideas, she begins to doubt herself.
What if her ideas
aren’t any good? Madison feels so small that she transforms into a mouse! How
can she turn back into herself—and rediscover her confidence and her
voice?
The
Class Critters series is set in a magical second-grade classroom in which every
child turns into an animal for a day to have an adventure and learn a lesson
that helps them through a sticky situation at school.
My child loves the Princess in Black,
and this book (the eighth in the popular series) might be her absolute
favorite. For one thing, it features a literal giant baby — and my kid adores
babies. For another, this book is the first to include all of the
princesses’ heroic disguises, and they are a delight.
Although these are
chapter books, we always end up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. And then picking up another immediately after!
In the eighth title in the New York Times bestselling series, the Princess in Black's snow day is interrupted by a giant who poses a big problem. Princess in Black and her hero friends are enjoying a lovely day in the fluffypuffy snow when BANG! a giant smashes his way through the kingdom. This is too big a job for Princess in Black, Princess in Blankets and Goat Avenger and soon dozens of heroes and pet friends show up to save the day!
We met
author Ryan T. Higgins at a book festival, and my daughter fell in love with
this picture book, in which grumpy bear Bruce gets roped into being part of an
interactive story.
The series’ three mice, Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs, guide
the reader through shaking, twisting, and turning the book — and each action
affects the events of the story. Poor Bruce gets knocked down, dressed up, and
washed away, without ever losing his signature scowl.
In Hey, Bruce!, Bruce the bear experiences . . . well, whatever readers want him to.
Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs, the fun-loving mice in Bruce's begrudgingly expansive family, guide readers on a quest for a fun reading experience, with Bruce the ever-reluctant star. As readers turn the page, flip the book, and follow the mice's increasingly silly instructions, Bruce is sent flying and tumbling―all as he looks right up the reader's nose! How will you interact with Bruce?
Bruce's life is what YOU, the reader, make it in this special interactive addition to the award-winning Mother Bruce series.
As
we tiptoe into independent reading, the Owl Diaries series has been a fun
bridge. My child loves these books about young owl Eva and her friends in Miss
Featherbottom’s class.
In Eva’s Treetop Festival, Eva decides to plan a
festival for the community and learns a valuable lesson about asking for help
when she needs it. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, the text is
simple and clear, and the story is sweet and offers a gentle lesson.
Two Books in one! Now a gorgeous series on Apple TV.
This full-colour, highly illustrated diary series is perfect for young readers who love friendship stories starring animal characters!
"a bright and fun introduction to chapter books." Good Book Mom
BOOK 1: EVA'S TREETOP FESTIVAL
Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled?!
