1/10/2016 ** Beautifully poignant tale of love, loss, and appreciation for the person in our life every single day. Caldecott contender?

10/18/15 ** Thank you to Scholastic for sending FREE copies of the finished book (not an ARC) to everyone who attended NErD Camp-Michigan.

Sunny is unexpectedly sent to spend a month of her summer vacation with her grandfather in Florida. At first she's bored - no other kids in the retirement community her grandfather lives in. Then she finds a friend and they embark on adventures involving an alligator, comic books, and cat location. However, Sunny is keeping a secret. 

Through flashbacks, the reader begins to see the events that led to the cancellation of the family vacation and Sunny's relocation to Florida.

Students unaccustomed to graphic novels may need support to attend to the changing dates/locations. I found myself flipping back to previous chapters several times to orient myself in the timeline.

Likewise, reading mentors (teachers/parents) should be aware that the big secret is that Sunny's teen-aged brother is struggling with substance abuse. This book is semi-autobiographical and the Holms want young readers to be aware that there are many places they can reach out for help if a loved one is struggling with abuse; they don't need to keep secrets. 

A valuable addition to any classroom or library collection.

10/9/15 ** Kristin has a full scholarship for college, she's elected Homecoming Queen, has two best friends and a boyfriend she adores. It looks like her senior year should be fantastic. Then she gets a medical diagnosis that she's intersex, not male or female. The rest of the book explores the difficult start of a long journey to acceptance of herself and by her peers. When her secret leaks to the rest of the school, her life becomes hell as she and the reader wonder who told.

This book is a valuable addition to the pantheon of YA novels. I deals with one particular aspect of identity and acceptance, but it shouldn't be viewed as simply and "issues" novel. The realities of high school life: loyalty, peer pressure, cyber interactions, sexual activity, are relevant for all teens. 

10/5/2015 ** An absolutely beautiful middle grade story about a girl who wants to play Charlotte in the class play - but isn't allowed to audition for the part. This is a book in which we can all find ourselves. There is a best friend who accepts George for who she is; there's a class bully who taunts and fights George for acting differently than he believes she should; there's the class queen who attempts to sway others' opinions.

Oh, and the reason George isn't allowed to audition - she's in a boy's body. This is story about a fourth grader who happens to be transgender. It's lovingly told and highly empathetic. While this is a book about an important issue, it is also a beautiful middle grade novel for all children.

10/2/15 ** An absolutely fascinating book, with so many important ideas. The book is a series of journal entries written in verse during Gabi's senior year. She explores her father's meth addiction, the coming out of a good friend, another friend's pregnancy, and her wishes about her boyfriend. Throughout the book she also strives to reconcile her notions of being a young American woman with her mother's ideas of how young Latina women should behave.

Gabi's snark and humor made me laugh and cry; her use of Spanish pushed my own ability to "read between the lines," and I felt as if I had made a new friend.