3 stars So excited to read a book in the I Survived series that follows a girl main character! In general, this one follows the same trajectory as the previous books. Most of the book sets the stage and information is given about the time period. Then the disaster hits and we see part of…
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4 stars That. Was. Adorable. Sometimes when a book gets a lot of attention, I go into it thinking it’ll be overhyped. Here, that was not the case. I loved watching Charlie and Nick’s friendship and romantic feelings develop. This book is so sweet and fun and adorable. Despite all the sweetness and romantic tension,…
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3 stars A good look at what life was like in America in the late 1800s. The story centers around people moving to settle in the Midwest, including run-ins with wildlife such as grasshopper plagues and rattlesnakes, daily chores, extreme weather, and general living conditions. The blizzard itself is a pretty small section of the…
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4 stars Fast-paced, action-packed historical fiction centering around the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The earthquake itself happens fairly quickly. There are some interesting facts surrounding earthquakes in the text, but much of the story deals with Leo’s life before the disaster and the resulting fires following the quake. It does contain some useful information…
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3 stars An interesting fictionalized story surrounding the shark attacks of 1916. I liked this original novel slightly more than the graphic novel adaptation (though I do like that there is more information in the backmatter of the graphic novel). This is the first book I’ve read in the series. They are very popular at…
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2 stars Okay read. I’ve since gone back and read the original novel and found the original to be a less sensationalized account. The artwork in this is too over-the-top. The incorporation of historical facts into a fictionalized story was interesting. Tarshis gives Chet a whole backstory and his own struggles outside the shark storyline,…
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4 stars Another winner from Brosgol! In this part-memoir graphic novel, Brosgol tackles her time at Russian summer camp, complete with mean tent-mates, horrific outhouses (aka the Hollywood), new friends, run-ins with wild animals, camp competitions, reluctantly getting caught up in drama, and the desire to belong. Brosgol doesn’t shy away from some of the…
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3 stars A heartwarming story of family, quality time, and always coming back. When Jyoti feels out of place visiting family in India, her grandmother is quick to step in to share with, teach, and comfort her. Jyoti mirrors this experience when her grandmother visits, finding the commonality within the unfamiliar. Despite language and cultural…
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5 stars A delightful read featuring a rambunctious family, a loving neighborhood, and a landlord with a mysterious past. This was such a fun book to listen to. As an only child who grew up in the middle of nowhere, I was instantly pulled in by this charming family of seven and their connections to…
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5 stars I wasn’t intending to spend all day reading this, but here we are. Once I started, I did not want to put this book down. I forced myself to take breaks so I wouldn’t speed through and miss out on the great storytelling and wonderful artwork. Still, I read the whole thing in…
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