Finding Mr. Trunks

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written by Annemarie Riley Guertin and illustrated by Andrea Alemanno

Mr. Trunks is at the airport with his person, Libby, and her family when disaster strikes. Libby drops him! She doesn’t realize it and rushes off with her family, leaving Mr. Trunks behind. Luckily, a baby picks him up and he boards a plane to Italy with the baby’s family, who realizes that Mr. Trunks has tagged along with their family by mistake. With the help of social media and the kind family he is traveling with, Mr. Trunks finds his way back to Libby. He had a lovely trip along the way, which was followed by many interested folks. #FindingMrTrunks

This lovely picture book shows that social media has a positive side where people connect to bring Mr. Trunks and Libby back together again. And, Baby’s Mom does a great job of chronicling his adventures along the way. Characters are mix of human and anthropomorphic animals. engaged in typical travel fun. Recommended.

Deep Water by Jamie Sumner

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This verse novel is perfect for anyone who finds solace in swimming, or knows a loved one dealing with mental health challenges. Tully Birch feels responsible for her mom leaving without explanation. The novel subtly explores her complicated feelings around her mom’s battle with clinical depression, including Tully’s hope that if she becomes the youngest person at twelve to complete the 12.1 mile “Godfather” swim across Lake Tahoe, her mom will see the news and come home. The chapters are organized around her hours in the water (hour 1 – hour 6)  and though most poems are free verse,  I was delighted to see that some are concrete poems. As readers, we simultaneously grieve her mom’s absence with her, while also cheering for Tully, hoping she doesn’t give up on her goal, despite the storm that moves in. The metaphor of the storm will resonate with readers, both “the one out here/ and the one inside me./” (203). Tully’s positive self talk of “…I am a winner/ and I can do HARD THINGS./”(127) and “…I am HERE and I am ALIVE/ and I’m worth/ showing up for./” (108) is juxtaposed with her complex feelings like “If you are dead/ I can miss you more/ and hate you less./” (169) and “‘You… did not cause your mother’s depression,/ and you are not responsible for fixing it.’” (164).  Tully is a character to grieve with and cheer for with both compassion and empathy. For fans of Dusti Bowling’s novels. 

The Ballerina of Auschwitz

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Review by student: Akela B.

Edie is a gymnast and dancer who lives in a house with her family. Because they are Jewish, during WWII they are sent to the camps; she is separated from her first love, her boyfriend. While in Auschwitz, Edie dreams of seeing her boyfriend again. In the camp dormitory, the camp director is a creepy lurch who has Edie dance for him in exchange for a whole loaf of bread. When they are liberated, Edie and her sister, Magda, find out who made it out of the camps and who didn’t. They have to create a new life after the war. 

I like the book because it goes into detail about life after the war and their recovery. I like this book because I knew it was the author’s life.

With Love, Echo Park

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Review by student: Jolleen M.

Los Angeles Cuban Community: Clary, 17, takes great pride in her family florist. Her childhood nemesis, Emilio, would rather run away from his family bike repair business. Opposites attract, and they’re stronger together.This was a fun read about strengthening the Cuban community in Los Angeles, especially in light of the recent, devastating fires in Los Angeles and because I lived in Los Angeles. I could totally picture Echo Park and the sultry summer days.

The book was well paced and characters were easy to relate to. I like the switching narratives between Clary and Emilio. I think the author nailed the meddling Cuban family. I loved all the references to flowers and food and Cuban culture.

I feel like the romance between Clary and Emilio could have been a little more mysterious. It was an obvious romance. There seemed to be a competing storyline for Clary and her family drama, but Emilio does help her through it. They are a good couple.

If You Can’t Take the Heat

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Review by student: Jolleen M.

Theo is a sweet, sometimes naive, 16 year old boy who is mourning the loss of the life he loved and adjusting to his new life. He broke his leg and is adjusting his plans for the summer. He works as a prep chef under a high-end french restaurant and meets a girl named Julia who he falls in love with.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend who is into drama and romance. At least for me, it was quick and easy to read because I do enjoy a good romance book. It’s nothing too complicated to understand. I feel like it’s a good book to read if you’re into romance and drama or even maybe a little bit of culinary.

I really liked Theo’s character development throughout the story and that it takes place in the 80’s. I don’t have any suggestions. I quite enjoyed this book.

The Last Dragon on Mars

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By Scott Reintgen

A little bit How to Train Your Dragon and a little bit Ender’s Game, this compelling story of Lunar Jones, orphan living on Mars, and his newly developed connection with a hidden dragon, Dread, throws him and all who have been keeping Dread a secret into a series of complications. Because Dread is being hunted by other powerful celestial dragons, he has been kept a secret and trained with many humans hoping to bond with him. When Lunar is the one Dread chooses, even though they’ve just met, the secret gets out and they must flee to find protection from an all-powerful dragon of Jupiter. The rag-tag collection of crew that accompany Lunar and Dread learn even more secrets of the past. This is the first of a new series, and I, for one, am anxious for the next book in the series to be completed! I think this will be a big hit with fans of Ender’s Game. I also love the paper edges of the hardback copy I have because it is covered with dragon scales. The idea that dragons are the magical spaceships to travel the universe as well as the guardians of planets and moons is a unique and intriguing concept. I don’t see a book 2 out yet, but I hope we don’t have to wait too long.

The Breakup Lists

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In the novel The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram, the narrative mixes with humor to make a beautiful and funny read to pick up in your free time. Jackson Ghasnavi is a deaf theater tech for his high school and when not working on plays he is creating breakup lists for his sister and himself- lists that contain terrible things about their exes. But then Jackson and his sister share feelings for the same guy, and worse –his lists are released to the school as an act of revenge that makes Jackson once secret judgements public. The writing of the story was simple and beautiful, bringing together a novel that could encourage readers to follow the lives and drama of the characters. The personality of Jackson can be seen in the writing through the scratched out words- a trait that makes the characters more accessible to the reader. The inclusion of discriminated groups doesn’t do much to maintain interest in what can be seen as a predictable romcom. By the middle of the novel, it felt like one could stop reading since the outcome would be foreseen. Even though these parts exist, the less predictable moments in the story make the novel more surprising and enjoyable. Intermediate readers will love this fast read with authentic characters making this novel recommended for anyone.

Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples

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Written like lyrics with rhythm and rhythm, Bridges Instead of Walls is Mavis Staples memoir of growing up in a musical family and going on to successful performance career. Each part of Mavis’s life is treated as almost its own song, reinforcing the musical theme in her life. The Staple Singers, Mavis’s family’s performing group started as gospel group and eventually expanded to add message music that supported the Civil Rights Movement.

Mavis sees her life as a series of bridges, many of which were built from the music in her life. Born in Chicago to a poor black family that moved north during the Great Migration, Mavis met Elvis, Dr King, and Prince; she sang for presidents and princes; and earned accolades and awards for her music. Recommended for collections looking for books on music in the Civil Rights Movement.

The book includes a recommended listening list, recommended viewing list, and a timeline.

The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World

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In the Terezin ghetto where Jewish people were confined during World War II, survival was not guaranteed. A teacher named Irma Lauscher asked a fellow prisoner to risk his life to smuggle in a sapling to help the children celebrate Tu BiShavat, the New Year of the Trees. This sapling planted in a pot then later in the ground. Water was scarce, so the children shared a few drops of their water every day. It became known as Etz Chaim, The Tree of Life. The tree survived, but many of the residents of Terezin did not. Many died in the ghetto and many others were shipped off to concentration camps. The horrors of the Holocaust is summed up in the books words, “The children were the future of the Jewish people. And the Nazis wanted a future without Jewish people.” The tree survived and after the war, Irma saw that seeds from the tree were planted all over the world in memory of the children in the ghetto. In 2007, the tree died after taking flood damage, but it’s 600 descendants around the world thrive.

The Tree of Life focuses the story on life, hope, and strength in unity during a truly horrific time in history. Pair with This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin.