The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

Read: March 2025
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format: Audio

Gloria Steinem. Betty Friedan. Shirley Chisholm. All women who plowed through the politics of the 1960s in order to help women find their voice, their passion, their power... their place in society, beyond the home. Add to that list Margaret Ryan. You don't know her yet, but once you read The Book Club for Troublesome Women, you won't be able to forget her.

Four upper-middle class suburban housewives in 1960s Virginia live perfectly mundane, 1960s lives. They cook for their husbands, take care of the house, take care of the kids, and outwardly, are perfectly poised women of the decade. Until they aren't. The newest member of the suburban community, Charlotte, brings a new layer of life to the women's group, drawing the reader into the group to the point where a fifth chair is needed for the book club meetings.

Dealing with the masculine mindset of the decade, each woman faces her own personal challenges as they grow beyond the everyday housewife and into incredible women you won't forget. A solid 4.5 stars!

The Lemonade War: Graphic Novel Version

Read: May 2025
Rating: 4 stars
Format: ebook

With graphic novels reaching new heights in classrooms, it's no surprise that Jacqueline Davis' Lemonade War is now a graphic novel. This story is a fantastic one, with so many connections to content areas for teachers. I used to read it aloud during an economics unit with third graders. Now, as a graphic novel, it will reach even more readers, hooking them into the series. I do hope that this is just the first graphic novel of the series!

The illustrations do a fantastic job conveying both Jessie and Evan's emotions as they navigate the last days of summer vacation. Evan's summer is ruined (his words) by the news that his little sister is skipping a grade, and due to class sizes, she'll be in his class come fall. This sets off a storm of frustration, leading to the actions in which the story is titled. Both Evan and Jessie learn some hard lessons along the way, and ultimately find themselves more ready for a new school year than they could have imagined!

The AI Incident by J.E. Thomas

Read: July 2025

Rating: 4.25 stars

Format: Audiobook

Picture it. Everything is going as smooth as possible as you transition into 7th grade. You know you have the state assessment coming up, but your teachers are pretty great about preparing you (except for that one language arts teacher who drones on and on.) Yeah, there are situations outside of school that you have to deal with, like being in foster care as you approach your 13th birthday, but that, at the moment, is manageable.

Then your school district signs a contract with a new AI in education company that is supposed to majorly boost test scores in your building on the state assessment. (Note, the contract being signed is a BIG deal.) Next thing you know, Francis, an AI powered robot-thingy joins your school. You volunteer, along with a new friend, to be the robot's handler. As the days pass, the robot, er, Francis, becomes more and more aware of things going on everywhere, not just at school, but in your life, too. But, it's a robot, how can it become more aware of things?!

That's where things go off the rail. Francis declares that it's better than a teacher, and its goal is to take over as superintendent of the district. And the hopeful adoption deadline of 13? Francis decides to take care of that, too.

What ensues in the AI Incident by J.E. Thomas may seem really far out there, but in today's reality, with AI encroaching on all areas of life, a robot like Francis isn't as out there as it may seem. I love how this story appeals to students who are at that age where they may be diving into AI, and excited about all it can do. The early adolescent brain (As Malcom often refers to his pre-frontal cortex) isn't yet able to discern reality from fiction, and doesn't quite yet have the questioning capability needed to utilize AI in a safe, and educational way. The audiobook narrator does a lovely job telling the story, though personally, I'm a fan of narrators who use different voices for different characters (hence four stars instead of five.)

Thomas does a masterful job of teaching a critical lesson - you can't believe everything you read online, including what AI provides - in a way that will reach kids and teachers alike. He also explores the dangers of schools and districts letting AI take over tasks that don't seem that big of a deal. Opening the door a little to this amazing technology, without fully understanding all aspects of how it works, can lead to quite the messy adventure!

I really enjoyed this read, and am eager to bring it to my students and colleagues this fall!

Westfallen by Ann Brashers and Ben Brashers

Read: July 2024

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Imagine a world that is unimaginable... or is it? Westfallen, by Ann and Ben Brashares delivers a world that, despite being completely fiction, bears a bit of resemblance to certain current circumstances.

Three "old" friends, who used to spend time together, reconnect over a deceased hamster, and in the process, discover a relic from the 1940s. Yes, there's a bit of time-travel, but it's not the typical recipe. Instead, when the kids wakeup, once again in the present time, their world has been flipped upside down. Because while it is present day, it's a world where the Axis powers won World War II, and the ramifications of that are terrifying.

I couldn't put this book down, and have recommended it to my colleagues as well as dozens of students. Westfallen gives readers a peak into a world that could have been, if history had been different. It's a perspective shift like no other, and one that is unforgettable. 

The second book is currently on my ARC shelf, and it's up next on my TBR list. I'm super excited to read it!

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate

Read: June 2025
Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

In reading Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate, my heart warmed in a way a that no book done in ages. Though this book was written for a younger audience and middle grade readers, the story is one that will touch all ages. From the charming illustrations to the cozy title, I was drawn into Pocket Bear, and once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.When the story begins, we meet Z-cat, a not-so-thieving Robin Hood of cats. Z is also the narrator of this incredible story. She takes us on her adventures as she finds toys for Second Chances, the project created by Elizaveta and her daughter, Dasha, two transplants from the Ukrainian war with their own sad history. The fact that these two take in lost and battered toys with the sole goal of giving them a second chance being loved and at life is a heartwarming story that will appeal to all ages.

Running the show, at least from behind the scenes is Pocket Bear who was found in the house that now rented by Elizaveta and Dasha. Learning about Pocket Bear sent me down a delightful rabbit hole on the whole history of these bears that were often handcrafted by loved ones before sending their soldier off to war. Pocket bears were designed with their eyes a little higher on their head so when a soldier looked down into their pocket, they’d see this sweet little bear gazing up at them.

As the story unfold, we learn about the whole routine- from the moment Z brings a toy into the house to the Deep Freeze, Spa Day, and Probationary period - as Dasha and her mom work to find each lost item a new home. There is so much to say about this incredibly sweet and engaging story, another winner by Katherine Applegate, that you are going to want to add this book to every bookshelf you meet!

June 2025

June was a fantastic month of reads, it’s been a while since I’ve had multiple five star reads in one month! There were some really good ones in June! 

Here's the list:

5 stars:
Pocket Bear (arc), Notorious, Atmosphere

4.5 stars:
Out of Hiding, The Story She Left Behind, The Fort, Big Tree

4.25 stars:
The Nine Moons of Han You and Luli (arc)

4 stars:
The Journey that Saved Curious George, Prisoner B-3087, Ungifted (arc), The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez, Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel (arc)

3.75 stars:
Count Your Lucky Stars, Threat of the Spider (arc)

3.25 stars:
Rise of the Spider

3 stars:
Ban This Book

Unrated:
This Book is About Nothing (arc), A Million Yes’s (arc), Make it All Go Away (arc)

May 2025

Wrapping up May with a bunch of great reads! A surprising amount of non-fiction this month, and a bunch of ARCs as well! The only 5 star read was Echo, which was a re-read (it's that good!) I also read Confessions of an Imaginary Friend with my 10 year old niece, as it was her book club book for school. Four Gordon Korman's in one month has to be a new record! And I've got one more of his in my ARC library I can't wait to tackle!

5 stars:

Echo

4.5 stars:

The Daughter of Auschwitz (young readers adaptation)

4 stars: 

Our Differences Make us Stronger (picture book), Fairy Tale Fixers: Cinderella, Run Like a Girl, Confessions of a Junior Spy, Schooled

3.75 stars: 

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, Ungifted, A Woman's Guide to Power Unbound, Super Gifted

3.5 stars:

Slacker, Snoop, Confessions of an Imaginary Friend

3.25 stars:

Secrets of a Charmed Life

3 stars:

The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories that Carried them through a War, The In-Between Bookstore, Sticky Notes

Unrated:

Golda & Ezra and the Dinner Dilemma, Small Saul