The word "parent" is not just a noun. It's also a verb.
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It’s easy to read Paola Santiago and the River of Tears as the spellbinding story of the supernatural that it is, but just as Pao learns that there’s more going on beneath the surface of the Gila River, the reader discovers there’s more depth in the book too. Themes of place and belonging are brought into sharp relief as Pao chafes at what she sees as her mother’s backwards beliefs.
In a story about women using their voices, not only is the protagonist a male, but the reader is left wondering how exactly Henry’s mother persuaded him to change his mind. The Voice that Won the Vote is Harry’s, not Febb’s. Harry’s mother’s voice is silent. Febb’s voice is drowned out.
Claire is in seventh grade. She’s smart, funny, and is intrigued by science. Probably because, unlike her life, it can be measured and verified and it makes sense. On the other hand there’s her paranormal activity chasing father, her best friend who seems to have ditched her for someone new, her brother with whom she is perpetually feuding, and a dreamy boy she has a crush on.
Billy and his Nana share a special connection. They bake together, and put on shows together. Billy’s Nana directs, and Billy and his siblings perform. But Billy’s Nana is starting to have a hard time remembering things, and Billy is worried about the performance.
Enter Marva Sheridan, the young Black heroine of The Voting Booth, who will tell you that some people don’t have the luxury of not being involved. The novel is set on Election Day, in an unnamed year, although the issues discussed throughout might give you a clue as to where Colbert’s mind is. Marva is so excited to be voting in her first election. For the past two years, she has been canvassing, registering voters, and even getting her beloved cat to encourage civic participation on Instagram. Her parents, while proud, wonder if Marva is a little too intense.
You see, Marva has been interested in politics since she was 7, when she summarily informed her teacher that she wanted to become either Secretary of State, an environmental attorney, or a Supreme Court Justice.
Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can’t whirl or twirl at all, and when he flies, he gets very hot.
He doesn’t know why he’s a quilt. His parents are both sheets, and so are all of his friends. (His great-grandmother was a lace curtain, but that doesn’t really help cheer him up.) He feels sad and left out when his friends are zooming around and he can’t keep up.
A hilarious political satire by the creator of the bestselling Narwhal and Jelly series. Hey, you! Yes, you with the dazzling smile! The donkey wants your vote. So does the elephant. And each will do just about anything to win your support. Brag?
Isa is a dancer, but her mother doesn’t approve of ballet as a career. Alex is a pitching prospect who wants to be a poet.
At the center of the novel is the relationship between Beetle and Kat, caught in a will-they or won’t-they scenario. These are funny, assertive, girls who, like most kids their age, engage their feelings before their minds–resulting in avoidable, but true-to-life situations.