Those are the books I'll be rapid-fire reviewing today! Let's begin.
This is a 291-page historical fiction book set in the late 1950s, when segregation between whites and African Americans is tearing apart communities. Marlee, the main character, is so shy that she almost never speaks except to her family, but she's practically a genius at math. When she makes a new friend at school, Liz, she thinks her friendless life could finally be turning over a new leaf. Little does she know that Liz is a light-skinned African American passing for a white so she can get a good education. Both of the girls are order to stay away from each other-but friendship doesn't work that way. I recommend this book because it's interesting to learn about the time period, well written, and you come to love the characters.
Counting By 7s is a great 378-page realistic fiction book about a girl named Willow Chance. She's had more tragedy in her life than I'm sure most adults have. She was adopted as a baby, which meant her birth parents either died or couldn't take care of her. Then her adoptive parents are in a car crash and both die. Willow doesn't want to be sent anywhere, and soon she and her new friend Mai (as well as Mai's brother and mother) are caught up in a whirlwind of lies. Desperate to help, Mai's mom Pattie pretends that Willow is related to their family and can live with them. Everything is turning upside down- but can they pull through?
This 182-page book is the sequel to The Year of the Dog and comes before Dumpling Days. In this trio of amazing books, the author Grace Lin uses her stories and experience as a Chinese-American (or Taiwanese-American) girl growing up in New York. It goes through all of Grace's (and Pacy's, which is her Chinese name) experiences with school, friends, and in Dumpling Days, her trip to Taiwan with her family. I recommend this book because it's relatable, realistic, filled with culture, and you never want it to end!
My Last Best Friend, a 152-page books that is also a part of a series along with 4 other books, is also amazing realistic fiction. The series paints the life of Ida May, a fourth grader whose best friend has moved away. She meets a new friend, but is scared to get close in case something happens again. Throughout the rest of the books, Ida makes unexpected new friends-and frenemies-and has fun along the way. This is a refreshing read!
This series has been a friend of mine for a long time. There's a lot of books in it and they all tell of the story of Allie Finkle, who keeps a journal full of rules she's written about life. In the first book, she finds out she's moving- to a creepy, big, haunted-looking house that her parents are going to fix up! At first the move seems terrible, but then Allie meets new friends and things look up. The rest of the books tell about all her dramatic, cat-filled, and funny adventures. I recommend this whole series because it's hilarious, sweet, and altogether awesome!
This is and always will be one of the series I cherish most! I make an attempt to reread it whenever possible, because it's just so great. It's about two sisters, Flora and Ruby, whose parents have died in a car accident. They go to live with their grandmother, Min, in a tiny little town far from their old house, friends, and life. But with all the friends and fun they make and have throughout the series, soon Camden Falls begins to feel like home. I recommend this because it's such a heartwarming and satisfying series!
This is the story of Cecelia, known as Celie, a princess who lives in the magical Castle Glower. The Castle changes and moves rooms magically- on Tuesdays. There are three other books in the series, all of which are equally amazing! In each of them Celie and her siblings (Bran, Rolf, and Lilah) as well as their friends (Pogue and Lulath) face a different obstacle that threatens either their lives or the Castle's. These books are gripping and all over fabulous.
Once again, this book is part of series, but here I'm just going to focus on the first one. Meet Lucy, who loves makeup and beauty products and is always helping out with her family's pharmacy. But the pharmacy is struggling- business isn't like it was when it first opened and her family is behind on the payments. On the side, Lucy does makeup for girls going to parties or dances to try to make money. One day Lucy's best friend, Sunny, drags her to a meeting of Earth Club and Lucy realizes what she can do. She starts planning out a green spa by the pharmacy- an income and a business-bringer. But will anyone listen to her?
-Olivia