Love – Page 9 – Unleashing Readers

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

January 16, 2014 by Ricki

Heartbeat
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Published: January 28th, 2013 by Harlequin Teen

GoodReads Summary: Life. Death. And…Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can’t tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn’t have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

My Review: I should start by mentioning that I will read anything by Elizabeth Scott. She does a great job developing characters in unique situations, and I always get lost in the plots of her stories. This book was different from the other titles I have read by Scott because it is quite a sad story. Emma’s situation is heart-wrenching, and I felt the pain of her grief. What I liked most about this story was Emma’s growth as an individual. She shows an incredible amount of strength and isn’t afraid to examine her beliefs as she tries to determine what is right and true.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Teachers might use this book to help readers learn about the stages of grief. It would be interesting to hold a debate about who is more justified in his or her position: Emma or her stepfather. Students might research the laws and practices of life support to help them think more deeply about the novel.

Discussion Questions: Is Emma’s position justified? Do you think she is being fair?; How does Emma’s relationship with Caleb help her grow as an individual?; Where is the turning point of the story? Why?; Do you think Emma’s mother should be kept on life support?

We Flagged: “When someone you love…when they die, you want it undone. You’d do anything to have them back, and it’s easy to believe that if only this had happened or that had happened, everything would be fine. And that’s what makes you angry. What makes you hate. You don’t want to believe that sometimes bad things happen just because they do.”

Read This If You Loved: If I Stay by Gayle Forman, The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen, The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork, Boy21 by Matthew Quick, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Recommended For:

**Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing the Advanced Reader Copy for review!**

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

December 27, 2013 by Kellee

Let it Snow
Authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
Published October 2nd, 2008 by Speak

Goodreads Summary: Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

My Review: You cannot go wrong with those authors! What I found was not only a romantic, funny book, but a perfect holiday read! Let it Snow is like those movies where you follow three very different stories and then eventually they intertwine and everything seems to follow into place. I loved reading each story, wanting to learn more about a certain character and then realizing the next story was about them! The authors also did a fantastic job throwing in aspects of Christmas and pushing the holiday cheer without shoving it down your throat. Let is Snow is one of those books that I want to curl up and read by the fire while it snows outside.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I would love to read this book in its entirety with students and then try to make a timeline of the three stories and how they overlap. It would be a great discussion of connections and sequence. Also, you could look at the voice of characters and how each author made theirs distinct (and how the others authors kept them distinct in their sections). This could also lead to a great discussion about style.

This book is also loved by students and should definitely be in teen libraries.

Discussion Questions: Think of a time when you were stuck somewhere that you didn’t want to be and couldn’t really do anything about it, how did you feel? What did you do to keep yourself busy? Did something happen that you would not have expected or that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t stuck or stranded?

We Flagged:
From “The Jubilee Express” by Maureen Johnson

“‘Oh my god!’ said one of the Ambers. ‘Is this not the worst trip ever? Did you see the snow?’
She was a sharp one, this Amber. What would she notice next? The train? The moon? The hilarious vagaries of human existence? Her own head?
I didn’t say any of that, because death by cheerleader is not really the way I want to go.” p. 22

From “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle” by John Green

“I dashed upstairs, my socks sliding on the hardwood floor in the kitchen, and stumbled into my bedroom. I tore open the closet door and began feverishly sorting through the shirts piled on the floor in the vain hope that inside that pile there might be some wondrously perfect shirt down there, a nice striped button-down with no wrinkles that said, ‘I’m strong and tough but I’m also a surprisingly good listener with a true and abiding passion for cheers and those who lead them.’ Unfortunately, there was no such shirt to be found. I quickly settled on a dirty but cool yellow Threadless T-shirt under a black v-neck sweater. I kicked off my watching-James-Bond-movies-with-the-Duke-and-JP jeans and hurriedly wiggled into my pair of nice, dark jeans.” p. 131-132

From “The Patron Saint of Pigs” by Lauren Myracle

“Being me sucked. Being me on this supposedly gorgeous night, with the supposedly gorgeous snow looming in five-foot drifts outside my bedroom window, double-sucked. Add the fact that today was Christmas, and my score was up to triple-suck. And add in the sad, aching, devastating lack of Jeb, and ding-ding-ding! The bell at the top of the Suckage Meter couldn’t ring any louder. Instead of jingle bells, I had suckage bells. Lovely.” p. 215

Read This If You Loved:

Recommended For:

Christmas Classics: Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and The Shoemaker and the Elves by The Brothers Grimm

December 25, 2013 by Kellee

The Gift of the Magi
Author: O. Henry
Published 1906

Goodreads Summary: In a shabby New York flat, Della sobs as she counts the few coins she has saved to buy a Christmas present for her husband, Jim. A gift worthy of her devotion will require a great sacrifice: selling her long, beautiful hair. Jim, meanwhile, has made a sacrifice for Della that is no less difficult. As they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, the discovery of what each has done fills them with despair, until they realize that the true gifts of Christmas can be found more readily in their humble apartment than in any fine store. O. Henry paints a masterly portrait of unfaltering love, a haven from the harsh world outside.

My Review: O. Henry has put so much emotion in a bit over 2,000 words. It is a beautiful story that left me tearing up and truly embodies the meaning of Christmas: the holiday spirit and true love. You, too, can read this great story thanks to Project Gutenberg- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7256/7256-h/7256-h.htm

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This story would be a great one to discuss theme and morals as well as a fabulous introduction to O. Henry and classic short stories.
(Also, The Gift of the Magi is the story alluded to in the 2nd Salem Hyde book by Frank Cammuso.)

We Flagged: “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”

Discussion Questions: Della wants to get her husband the best gift possible for him, so she was willing to sacrifice her most precious belonging- have you ever sacrificed a precious item to help you get something for someone else? If not, would you? For whom? What is your most precious belonging?

The Shoemaker and the Elves
Authors: The Brothers Grimm
Published 1806

Goodreads Summary: The beloved story of a poor shoemaker, kindhearted elves, and the giving spirit of Christmas.

My Review: This classic is one that is worth revisiting if you haven’t read it recently. There are many different versions, but The Brothers Grimm’s version has an ending that will just warm your heart. Once again available thanks to Project Gutenberg)- http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/grimm10a.txt

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This story also would be a great discussion starter for morals and theme (like most Grimm tales). Another great way to use this story in the classroom is to look at all of the different versions and discuss how the original story has been changed.

We Flagged: “In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.”

Discussion Questions: Think about a time when someone has helped you even when there was nothing in it for them and share.

Both Recommended For:

I hope you all have a fabulous holiday!

In This Moment by Wendy Glenn

November 7, 2013November 7, 2013 by Ricki

In This Moment
Author: Wendy Glenn
Manuscript Available at Macmillan’s Swoon Reads (www.swoonreads.com)

SwoonReads Summary: Sometimes, going through the motions feels like all we can manage, but it takes love to truly live.

Sixteen-year-old Laney Pritzkau lives with her hippie father in Connecticut. The unexpected death of her mother two years prior maintains a hold on her. She keeps her relationship circle small, lessening the likelihood of any future loss. It’s summer, and Laney babysits the energetic twin boys across the street, hangs out at the mall and beach with her two best girlfriends, and volunteers at Harmony House, the foster care home where her father works as a counselor. She wills the days to go by so she can flip her calendar to the next week, the next month, the next year, to keep moving forward and avoid the residual sadness and anger that bubble up when she pauses to consider life without a mother. Then she meets Evan–and leans that what’s most important is what’s in this moment.

Review: This is a beautifully written novel that allows readers to grapple with complex issues. My heart ached for Laney as she longed for her mother in difficult situations, and as a future parent, I couldn’t help but appreciate the connection she had with her father. Too often, parents are put in stereotypical, negative roles in books that feature young adult characters, and I appreciated the warmth and love Laney’s father emanated. Their relationship is comparable with that of Atticus and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, and teachers might find it valuable to pair passages between both texts.

The language of this novel was very poetic. Often, one or two passages impact me strongly within a novel. But with this text, I was continually scribbling down lines that forced me to stop and consider aspects of friendship, love, loss, and life.

Consider the beautiful language here:

“‘When I was growing up, I lived next door to the oldest, wisest woman on earth. Her name was Sadie, and she had all the answers I could ever hope to discover. Why is the sky blue? Because God likes to paint in pastels. Why does Jason keep teasing me in front of his friends? Because Jason thinks you’re something special. Why do Mom and Dad fight? Because real love is worth the battle’” (p. 54).

Holy cow. Did that hit you straight in the heart? And on the flip side, sections of the novel made me laugh out loud, like this one:

“’Edgar Allan Poe. My ferret. He’s a tormented soul, obsessed with me, really. Won’t stay home alone. I’m his Annabel Lee’” (p. 112).

This is a book with strong literary merit that will greatly appeal to readers. I hope Macmillan considers publishing it because I’d love to have a hard copy in my hands. As a teacher, there would be many passages that I could draw upon, and more importantly, it would be well-loved by students. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the ending is stunning.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Laney has great difficulty processing her grief over the loss of her mother. Loss is an incredibly difficult, intangible reality of life. Laney’s coping mechanism is that she doesn’t allow people to get close to her. She believes this will prevent her from having to experiencing these feelings again in her lifetime. It would be valuable for teachers to help students understand and learn about different coping mechanisms that humans use when they are grieving. Alternatively, teachers might have students consider where Laney is in the steps of the grieving process. I also imagine that many students would be interested in exploring and understanding Laney’s friendships. What do each of her friends offer her? Students always find their own meaning with texts, and this is certainly one that offers many ideas for students to explore.

Discussion Questions: How do Laney’s friendships differ from her relationship with Evan? Is the love that exists in a friendship different from the love that exists in an intimate relationship with a significant other?; By the end of the novel, do you feel a sense of hope for Laney? Has she completely overcome her inability to form close relationships, or do you think she still has work to do?; How does Laney’s father provide support for her? Do they cope with her mother’s death in the same way?

We Flagged:

“Why is it that people get so excited by an opportunity to escape from reality, to cross that line from reality to fantasy? Why do they crave a temporary fix? They can hop on a cruise ship, pitch a tent, take that flight to somewhere, anywhere, in the quest to abandon reality for a short time, but to what end? Eventually, they all have to come home to their mundane existence and, in the return, find themselves feeling as though they’re missing more than before they left in the first place. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the lasting scars brought on by lost luggage, sunburn, and having to navigate airport security” (p. 10).

“‘Prove to me that your mom was right about love, that it’s possible, that it has the potential to make us better, stronger. When you find the right guy, make him believe, too'” (p. 43).

Please note: The above quotes are from the manuscript posted on www.swoonreads.com. The quotes and page numbers may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen,The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Recommended For:

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill [Ricki’s Review]

May 18, 2014September 26, 2013 by Ricki

All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Published: September 3rd, 2013 by Disney Hyperion

GoodReads Summary: “You have to kill him.” Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Review: This is a great science fiction text that will please readers who enjoy reading about time travel and/or dystopian settings. I was immediately pulled into the prison cell with Marina. Terrill does an excellent job with imagery, and I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. As with most books that discuss time travel, I found a few paradoxes that felt like plot holes, but most books with a time-traveling plot seem to raise this concern for me, as time traveling is sort of a paradox in itself. Overall, I think Terrill did an excellent job trying to alleviate any possible plot issues, and I was impressed with her ability to build such an, intricate, complex plot. While there was a love story, it doesn’t take front and center of this novel, which I appreciated. Often, love stories forced in science fiction books, and Terrill seems to achieve the perfect balance between plot, theme, and romance. The book contains wonderfully richly realized themes that I will discuss in the next section, and I think teachers would be wise to add this book to their classroom libraries. Teens will absolutely love this one.

You can also see Kellee’s point of view by viewing her review here.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: The themes of this novel truly make it shine. This book would provide for some fantastic classroom discussions. Teachers could have students examine power and how it influences people, or they could look at loyalty and whether there is a limit to our loyalty to our loved ones. Students would have a lot of fun imagining one thing they would change if they could use a time travel machine (either changing a worldly event or a personal life event). The journal opportunities are endless.

Discussion Questions: How does power influence an individual? Given extreme power, will all people be driven to selfishness?; Who are we most loyal to? Is there a limit to our loyalty?; What events would we change if we could travel back in time? How would our changes impact the world or our lives in a positive way? What are the negative outcomes?; What paradoxes come with time travel? Is there any way to alleviate these?; If we had the power to travel in time, should we? How might time travel be harmful?

We Flagged: “‘Was [the world] always this beautiful and we just never noticed?'” (Chapter 5).

“…But progress is always dangerous, isn’t it? Most of the time, walls don’t get dismantled brick by brick. Someone has to crash through them” (Chapter 19).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. The e-book (a galley) did not provide page numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Legend by Marie Lu, Divergent by Veronica Roth

Recommended For:

**Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing the Advanced Reader Copy for review!**

Walden Award Winner!: A Review

August 10, 2013 by Kellee

Today we are happy to share our review of the winner of the

2013 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award!

The Fault in our Stars
Author: John Green
Published January 10th, 2012 by Dutton Books

Summary: Hazel has been preparing to die since she was thirteen and was diagnosed with Stage IV Thyroid Cancer. Now, she is sixteen, a modern medical miracle and living with the side effects of the medication and of the cancer. Hazel finds herself between the levels of normalcy and dying. When she meets Augustus Waters, she begins to feel normal for the first time in a long time. Through this amazing friendship, both Hazel and Augustus learn how to truly live.

Ricki’s Review: Every once in a while, a book comes around that changes you. Admittedly, I am a huge fan of John Green and am always biased toward his books. While others may not agree with me, I would argue that this is definitely his best work. I have twenty books on my “favorite books” shelf, and this addition was a no-brainer. (I won’t tell you which one I removed to put this one on the shelf.) The characters are intelligent and witty, and I was continually laughing out loud. This book sends readers on a roller-coaster of emotions. It is the first book in a long time that made me truly feel a sense of catharsis. And Augustus recognizes my emotions as both worthy and real: “‘That’s the thing about pain,’ Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. ‘It demands to be felt'” (p. 63). The language and word choice make dozens of pages flag-worthy, and teachers will love doing close readings with this text. It is liquid gold for classroom teachers.

This is not a predictable cancer story because it is incredibly honest. Hazel recognizes the “perks” she gets as a cancer patient, and she has no trouble admitting that she doesn’t really have friends. When she goes shopping with her one female friend, she secretly wants to be anti-social and pull out a book to read. But when she meets Augustus, everything changes. If you haven’t read this book yet, be grateful–I am envious of you because I want to read this book again for the first time

Kellee’s Review: I’ll be honest—I had a really hard time writing a review of this book. I just don’t know if I am going to be able to do it justice. It is one of those books that as you read, there are so many good things and so much you love, and you know that it is something so special. Even now, as I sit here, I don’t know what to say. I know that I wish that it was more appropriate for middle schoolers so I could share it with more students, I know that it is a book that everyone should read, and I know that it is a book that I am glad to be sharing.

The Fault in our Stars is not only an emotional and funny book, it is beautifully written. As I read, I knew I wanted to mark quotes for a review, but it was hard to find a page to not mark.

John Green has a way with words. If you have read anything by him, you know what I am talking about. I think what makes this book even more powerful is that it is a combination of John Green’s voice and a deep, amazing story. Put the two together, and you get a masterpiece.

Discussion Questions: Hazel has a book that is her favorite and means so much to her; what book do you love that you could not live without? Choose your favorite line or quote from the book and discuss why you connected with it so much.; Who is someone who made an impression on you but who you have lost touch with?

We Flagged: “Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read that book” (p. 33).

“It wasn’t even that the book was so good or anything; it was just that the author, Peter Van Houten, seemed to understand me in weird and impossible ways. An Imperial Affliction was my book, in the way my body was my body and my thoughts were my thoughts” (p. 36).

“My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations” (p. 311).

Read This If You Loved: Looking for Alaska by John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Recommended For:

Have you read The Fault in our Stars? Did it affect you the way that it did us?

and

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

August 1, 2013August 1, 2013 by Ricki

The Infinite Moment of Us
Author: Lauren Myracle
Expected Publication: August 20th, 2013 by Amulet Books (an imprint of ABRAMS books)

Summary: Wren Gray has always been perfect. As high school graduation approaches, she realizes that she doesn’t want to go to Emory, the college she was accepted into (early decision, of course), and she wants to do charity work in Guatemala through a program called Project Unity. Wren hasn’t told her parents this plan, and she knows they will be heart-broken. She has never dated a boy, but when Wren meets Charlie Parker, she wants to know more about him. Charlie is a hard-working student who spends most of his time helping his foster father in their family-owned cabinet shop. With a troubled past, Charlie is battling demons that constantly tell him he isn’t good enough. It isn’t until Wren waves back to him in the parking lot that he has the guts to pursue the girl of his dreams. This is a beautiful story of what happens when two souls collide—it explores love, a powerful force that is much deeper than just two physical bodies interacting with one another.

Review: Told from alternating perspectives, this novel seamlessly transitions between Wren’s and Charlie’s thoughts. As always, Myracle’s work embodies the culture of the environment she writes about. The language and details of the setting took me straight to Atlanta. As I am a Northerner and have never lived outside of Connecticut, I always love getting lost in Myracle’s settings. The characters are wonderfully complex. They have quirks and elements of their personalities that make them feel quite real. As an aside, I also found the names to be interesting. I don’t suspect it is intentional, but Wren Gray is best friends with Tessa. Tessa Gray is the main character in the Clockwork Angel Series. It made me think of many other characters in literature with the last name Gray. Overall, I loved this book. I am still madly in love with Myracle’s Shine, but I like how she can step inside the perceived boxes of many genres, as her focus here was a more romantic novel. The philosophical conversations between Wren and Charlie were my favorite part of The Infinite Moment of Us.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: A warning of sorts—Lauren Myracle begins the novel with a note to readers. She says, “This book has sex in it. It’s not about sex, not exclusively, and I’m more interested in the mingling of Charlie’s and Wren’s souls than in the ways their bodies come together.” The sexual detail is certainly graphic, so I recommend this for mature readers. I have a special signature form for certain books in my classroom, and I find that this often inspires more kids to sign them out. I completely agree with Lauren Myracle after reading this book. It is about the way these two souls come together, and the sex is not a focal point.

Teachers could have students closely analyze the passages of dialogue between Wren and Charlie, where they philosophically debate life (see the sections I flagged below for a start). Additionally, the setting adds richness to this novel, and it would be great for students to analyze how these details add to the story. Many of the characters in this book act and respond in different ways (Wren, Charlie, Starrla, Tessa), and I think students would enjoy investigating the ways Myracle develops each of her characters.

Discussion Questions: What happens when two souls collide?; Is there a such thing as true love?; How does family influence a person’s actions?; Should our significant other be placed in a higher position than our friends and family?; What is home to us? Is it just a place?

We Flagged: “Sometimes the things we hide—aren’t they the parts of us that matter most?” (Chapter 1).

“‘I guess I think the world is more connected than people realize,” […] ‘I think…sometimes…that scientists…some scientists…want to package things up into neat little boxes. Explain, explain, explain, until there aren’t any mysteries left'” (Chapter 7).

“‘I’m just not sure a person’s home is determined by where he or she lives. I think home is more than that'” (Chapter 10).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. Chapter numbers are included instead of page numbers because the e-reader did not provide page numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, Sarah Dessen’s books, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Recommended For:

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I would use a parent signature form for this one due to strong sexual content, but this is a definite must-have in the classroom library.

How much do we love Lauren Myracle? Have you read this one or pre-ordered it?

**Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS books for sending me the Advanced Reader Copy for review!**