Completely Full Bookshelf

Update (July 31, 2021): I have since posted a re-re-review of Goodbye Stranger  that is my preferred review of this book. Today, I'm doing something odd: instead of looking forward toward the new year (happy new year, by the way!), I am looking backward, to April, specifically. In April, I reviewed what I consider to be my favorite book of all time, Goodbye Stranger  by Rebecca Stead. However, as I even recognized in the review itself (click here ), my comments do not do the book justice, which has nagged at me for eight months. Therefore, in order to enter the year with a clean conscience, I am re-reviewing Goodbye Stranger . (My old review will remain up for anyone who is curious.) Here's the publisher's description: This brilliant, New York Times bestselling novel from the author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me explores multiple perspectives on the bonds and limits of friendship. Long ago, best friends Bridge, Emily, and Tab made a pac...

For MMGM, I am recommending Sunny Side Up  by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. Here’s the publisher’s description: Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer.  At first she thought Florida might be fun — it is the home of Disney World, after all.  But the place where Gramps lives is no amusement park.  It’s full of . . . old people.   Really old people. Luckily, Sunny isn’t the only kid around.  She meets Buzz, a boy who is completely obsessed with comic books, and soon they’re having adventures of their own: facing off against golfball-eating alligators, runaway cats, and mysteriously disappearing neighbors.  But the question remains —  why is Sunny down in Florida in the first place?  The answer lies in a family secret that won’t be secret to Sunny much longer. . . I enjoyed this graphic novel, which combines humor and some sadness in an easy-to-read package! Sunny’s stay with her ...

I have chosen the winners of the Holiday Signed Book Extravaganza from a group of 7 entrants! Here they are: The winner of Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6)  by Shannon Messenger is: Macey_M16! The winner of Turtles All the Way Down  by John Green is: June! The winner of Kids of Appetite  by David Arnold is: Rosi! The winner of Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir  by Maggie Thrash is: carloshmarlo! Finally, the winner of Tales of the Peculiar  by Ransom Riggs is also: carloshmarlo! If you are a winner listed above, I have sent you an email informing you that you have won (be sure to check your spam or junk inboxes!). Please respond to this email within 48 hours with a mailing address that I can ship your book(s) to (even if you have already won one of my giveaways before); if you fail to respond, I will unfortunately have to choose another winner for your books. Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and congrat...

First, the Holiday Signed Book Extravaganza doesn't end until Tuesday, so click here to enter! Next, for today's MMGM, I have posted a list of new books to from authors of books I have previously recommended! Some of these are sequels, while some are not; most have come out, but some won't until after the holidays. Note that I have read none of these books (although I do own some of them), and this post is not a recommendation, but rather just a list of things to look forward to. The first book I want people to know about is The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. The book, which is available now, is the sequel to The War that Saved My Life , a Newbery Honor book that I reviewed here . The publisher's description is as follows: Like the classic heroines of Sarah, Plain and Tall ,  Little Women , and Anne of Green Gables , Ada is a fighter for the ages. Her triumphant World War II journey continues in this sequel to the Newbery Honor–winning The War t...

With all of the illness I have mentioned in previous posts, I have gotten behind on school projects which are due Friday (!). Therefore, instead of posting a review today, I am starting the Holiday Signed Book Extravaganza! What does that mean? It means that you can enter to win 5 different signed MG and YA books! Here's how it works: First, read through the below list of signed books that I am offering and their publishers' descriptions, and choose the books you would like to win. Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger Sophie and her friends face battles unlike anything they’ve seen before in this thrilling sixth book of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Sophie Foster is struggling. Grieving. Scrambling. But she knows one thing: she will not be defeated. The Neverseen have had their victories—but the battle is far from over. It’s time to change tactics. Make sacrifices. Reexamine everything. May...

Sorry about not posting last week—I had an unusually bad headache. Luckily, this week, I have a recommendation for The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Here's the publisher's description: For a full hour, he poured lemonade. The world is a thirsty place, he thought as he nearly emptied his fourth pitcher of the day. And I am the Lemonade King. Fourth-grader Evan Treski is people-smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings’ lemonade stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win—or even if their fight will ever end. Brimming with savvy marketing tips for making money at any business, definitions of business terms, charts, diagrams, and even math problems, this fresh, funny, emotionally charged novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone’s intent. Despite what the publisher's description...

For MMGM, I am recommending Echo  by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Here's the publisher's description: Lost and alone in the forbidden Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives, binding them by an invisible thread of destiny. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. How their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck. Richly imagined and structurally innovative, Echo pushes the boundaries of form and shows us what is possible in how we tell stories. This Newbery Honor Book is incredible! One of the best things about it is the vivid portrait of the time and i...

I've finally gotten around to choosing the two winners of my giveaway of The Castle in the Mist  by Amy Ephron, and here they are! The winners are . . . Danielle H. and Greg! Congratulations! If you are one of the above winners, check your email (including spam or junk folders) and reply to my email with a mailing address within 48 hours. Thanks to all who have entered in my giveaway (I noticed some new entrants as well as some familiar ones), and be on the lookout for my upcoming holiday giveaway, which will feature several signed MG and YA books!

As you may have noticed, I have taken an unusual amount of breaks from blogging recently. I decided that, this week, I needed to post a review. However, this week, I (of course) got sick, so I apologize in advance if this review is a mess! Before my recommendation (which is for Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan, author of the famous novel Sarah, Plain and Tall ), however, I would like to remind my readers that my giveaway of two signed copies of The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron closes this Tuesday, so be sure to enter here if you haven't already. Here's the publisher's description: From the Newbery Award–winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall comes a story about one brave girl who saves her family from losing everything. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly calls this lyrical tale “melodic, poetic, and enchanting.” Everyone in Lucy’s family sings. Opera. Rap. Lullabies. Everyone, except Lucy. Lucy can’t sing; her voice won’t come out. Just like singin...

I have no review for MMGM today, but to make up for it, I am giving away not one, but two signed copies of The Castle in the Mist  by Amy Ephron! Here's the publisher's description: In the tradition of Edward Eager and E.L. Konigsburg, a novel about the excitement—and the dangers—of wishing. Tess and her brother, Max, are sent for the summer to their aunt’s sleepy village in the English countryside, where excitement is as rare as a good wifi signal. So when Tess stumbles upon an old brass key that unlocks an ornately carved gate, attached to a strangely invisible wall, she jumps at the chance for adventure. And the world beyond the gate doesn’t disappoint. She finds rose gardens, a maze made of hedges, and a boy named William who is just as lonely as she is. But at William’s castle, strange things begin to happen. Carnival games are paid for in wishes, dreams seem to come alive, and then there’s William’s eerie warning: Beware of the hawthorn trees. A warning that...