Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Graphic Novel Maya loves cooking. Her dad just told her that his girlfriend is about to move in with them, but as a treat, they are sending her to summer culinary camp! She is thrilled! They bring her to the spot where … More Summer Vamp
The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Book in verse I know by now that these books are always going to be emotional. This book starts with her grandparents showing up at her house with police to help them escape their home. Lacey, her little sister, and her … More The Road to After
Ghost Book by Remy Lai Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Fun graphic novel. This is also a Caudill nominee. Caudill is an Illinois book award that is voted on by kids and only kids. I like to read these each year to be ready to book talk to my students at the start … More Ghost Book
Stay Dead by April Henry Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Action from the start! Milan is getting kicked out of her third boarding school. She is waiting to be picked up by her mother in their private plane. Milan’s mother is a senator. She became a senator after her husband, Milan’s father, was … More Stay Dead
A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups A novel in verse. Will was called fat in 4th grade. That moment has stayed with him for years. He is now in middle school (I think 7th grade), and he is still dealing with that one moment. He spends most … More A Work in Progress
Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups This one had me at the dedication “To all the weird kids. Stay weird.” I was a weird kid, I feel like I am still weird. Jake is ‘fell to Earth in a flaming blob of space goo, sprouting feathers in class … More Weird Kid
The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown Three out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Celeste is spending two weeks at her grandparents lake house. This should be a fun trip but Celeste knows this is a way to get her into the lake to swim. Celeste has also recently failed her swim test. … More The Girl in the Lake
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu Five out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Oh man, I am back to the books in verse. Jake is an eighth grader who has an eating disorder. I am already interested in this one because I like seeing boys as the main characters in books like this. There are … More Louder Than Hunger
Field of Screams by Wendy Parris Three out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Back to my spooky books! Rebecca loves ghosts and all things paranormal. She spends the summer with her aunt and uncle in a 100-year-old farmhouse. There must be ghosts in a 100-year-old house in the middle of nowhere, right? On the front … More Field of Screams
Ruptured by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups Another book written in verse. Again, as I said in the last post, these books have fewer words on a page but a lot more emotion. Claire is on vacation with her parents. All she wants to do is sit outside and read. … More Ruptured
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