Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... SCHOOLED by Jamie Sumner!

Time to blow up the balloons, hang the streamers, and pull out the party hats! We've got a BOOK BIRTHDAY on our hands, and it's time to scream and shout all about it! Coming in hot via Atheneum Books for Young Readers (part of the Simon and Schuster family), and penned by author Jamie Sumner, here's a story that's sure to tug at your heartstrings, while bringing a brighter shine to the glimmer of hope that life finds a way to go on. Even in our darkest moments, the promise of tomorrow is there, and the support we need is ours for the asking because everyone needs a little help sometimes.

Ladies and gents, Middle-grade fans of all ages, take a closer look at the next title that needs a home on your TBR...

Schooled

by

Jamie Sumner

9781534486058

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ABOUT THE BOOK

Eleven-year-old Lenny Syms is about to start college—sort of. As part of a brand-new experimental school, Lenny and four other students are starting sixth grade on a university campus, where they’ll be taught by the most brilliant professors and given every resource imaginable. This new school is pretty weird, though. Instead of hunkering down behind a desk to study math, science, and history, Lenny finds himself meditating, participating in discussions where you don’t even have to raise your hand, and spying on the campus population in the name of anthropology.

But Lenny just lost his mom, and his Latin professor dad is better with dead languages than actual human beings. Lenny doesn’t want to be part of some learning experiment. He just wants to be left alone. Yet if Lenny is going to make it as a middle schooler on a college campus, he’s going to need help. Is a group of misfit sixth graders and one particularly quirky professor enough to pull him out of his sadness and back into the world?

🖤 🤍 💜 ❤️ 💚 🧡 🤎 💛 💙

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photograph by Bethany Rogers

Jamie Sumner is the author of Roll with It, Time to Roll, Rolling On, Tune It Out, One Kid’s Trash, The Summer of June, Maid for It, Deep Water, Please Pay Attention, and Schooled. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at Jamie-Sumner.com.

🖤 🤍 💜 ❤️ 💚 🧡 🤎 💛 💙

Special thanks to Lindsey at Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the early access and the chance to bring this title to you! (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available TODAY wherever books are sold!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Walden Pond Press presents... DIVE by John David Anderson - REVIEW!

Hello there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 

Today's featured title comes to us via Walden Pond Press and just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY this past week 🥳, so you know it's out there in the great big blue...um, bookstore... just waiting to be discovered. By whom? Well, a reader like you. 

Someone who enjoys a good story, who doesn't shy away from heavy ideas, who revels in all the feels a tale can present, and walks away changed in some fashion by the impact of what they've read. Or maybe even someone going through just what these characters are in some way, and that sounding board, that visual reference can help them see the light through the intensity. Whatever your reason may be, I've read this author's works in the past, and haven't been led astray yet, so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to find out more. Ladies and gents, readers of Middle-grade fiction and perhaps beyond, let's take a closer look at what I've found between the pages of today's book of choice...

Dive

by

John David Anderson 

9780063279360

Walden Pond Press 

About the book...

From John David Anderson, the beloved author of Posted comes a powerful, poignant, and unexpected upper middle grade novel about the rules in life that box us in and the determination to break out. From the moment Kassandra Connor leaps from the diving board to the moment she hits the water, everything feels in control.

The rest of her life does not. St. Lawrence Academy is supposed to have everything Kass’s old school didn’t: safe hallways, small classes, and most important, a chance to dive. But since transferring, all Kass can think about is what’s missing. Like her best friend, Aleah, who’s starting to pull away. Or the comfortable life so many of her classmates enjoy while Kass’s family’s restaurant struggles to stay afloat. Even the excitement she always felt in the pool, now that she’s on the same team as Amber Moore—the best diver in the state, who’s barely said two words to her all year.

Kass feels like she’s drowning, until she meets a boy named Miles. He’s a diver, too—someone who searches through dumpsters in the posh side of town for things he can salvage or sell. Miles knows what it’s like to be boxed in by things you can’t control, and as Kass spends more and more time with him, she starts to wonder what would happen if she tried to break out of her own box—and what she might lose by doing so.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's the thing about this author's books...there's always something you can connect with. They deal with human emotions, situations that can happen in real life, and have characters that every reader can find themselves in. Take this story...

There are people that live like Miles, whether by choice or by necessity. They are no different than you or I, and to think otherwise does everyone a disservice. One isn't smarter, richer, or more benevolent, because they have everything they want, and never want for anything. One isn't uneducated, poor, or unkind, because they struggle daily or live a different lifestyle. Taking the time to get to know one another allows us the means to find the common ground on which to build. Understanding where the other is coming from, and what their needs might be, helps in making sure they can be met. Not everyone wants someone to fix their situation... sometimes just being acknowledged, being seen is enough. I'm afraid I got off on a tangent here... let me zone back in a little. 

Kass and Miles may seemingly live different lives, but that doesn't mean they're that far apart. He shows her how to notice things, and opens her eyes to the world around her that she didn't know she was missing. She shows him that anyone can feel boxed in within their own lives, and the ability to break out is entirely within ourselves. I loved seeing this friendship blossom, the usually unseen or ignored made known, and each of them reach for a better tomorrow, one moment at a time. There's not a quick fix that sticks for anything, but those goals and dreams worth the effort are something to put the work in for. 

A great read for Middle-grade Fiction fans of all ages, a great addition to the author's body of works, and a perfectly timed release for the kiddos heading back to school. We need more times when the line between classes is blurred, where the facade is seen through and the truth is left to shine. Maybe one day, we can all be our true authentic selves without shame or repercussions... but the only way to get there is one person at a time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author...

John David Anderson is the author of some of the most beloved and highly acclaimed books for kids in recent memory, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, Granted, Sidekicked, and The Dungeoneers. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his family in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org

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Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to snag your copy today, and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

August 19	Nerdy Book Club	@nerdybookclub
August 20	Teachers Who Read	@teachers_read
August 21	Maria's Melange	@mariaselke
August 22	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	@grgenius
August 23	Lit Coach Lou	@litcoachlou

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Time to get your SUMMERWEEN READ on!

Carve the watermelons, and slip some sunshades on your ghostly decor.

Whether you're a pro at it and plan the yearly celebration in your neighborhood, or you're one of the newly initiated, SUMMERWEEN is a thing!  That's right.  Just when you thought you couldn't take another holiday, one comes along to let you celebrate the SPOOKY side of things with a little summer flair before the autumnal weather changes and the shorter daylight hours kick in.  So, with that SPIRIT in mind, I'm bringing you QUITE THE LIST of titles to check out now, then, and a little later on because when it comes to our TBRs, there truly is no limit!  😉

Ladies and gents, the incoming flood of bookish goodness contains both SPOTLIGHTS and REVIEWS, featuring spooky tales, witchy ways, autumnal celebrations, and even back to school traditions, so take in what you see, add to your reading lists, and let me know what struck your SUMMERWEEN fancy!

Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein

by Pádraig Kenny

Candlewick Press

On Sale: 07/15/2025

About the book...

An atmospheric retelling of Frankenstein, full of adventure and as thrilling as a lightning strike.

Stitch and his friend Henry Oaf were brought to life by the genius Professor Hardacre. But when his wicked nephew takes over the laboratory, they soon discover that the new professor's sights are set on Henry as his next experiment. Can Stitch and Henry escape his clutches and make their way in a world they were never built for—and that may only ever see them as monsters? Literary yet accessible, warmhearted yet chillingly gothic, this beautiful novel, described by the London Times as “exceptional,” explores themes of life and death, friendship and acceptance, all through a page-turning adventure about what it means to be human.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom

by Jessixa Bagley

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

On Sale: 07/15/2025

About the book...

In her town full of witches, Jazzy’s always been a little bit different. She’s not excited about magic. She forgets the steps to spells. And even though her parents run the town’s broom shop, she doesn’t want to fly.

Then, one day, she discovers what she was born to do: cycling! Now she just has to find a way to get a bicycle…and learn how to ride it. But will her new passion come between her and her best friend—and possibly get her in big trouble?

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Leila and the Voice

by Shahrzad Maydani

Kokila

On Sale: 07/22/2025

Now this isn't a monster story in the traditional sense of the word, but rather a tale that reminds us that we all have "monsters" to face, and it is in the facing of them that we grow stronger, more free, and more ourselves.  The little girl in the story is cultivating her inner voice so that one day she too can be strong enough to stand tall against the angry clouds of doubt and despair that can surround, and I think the visual aspect given to the journey will really help younger readers understand their own emotions that much more.  A unique story that truly has a place in any reading circle, aimed at not only sharing a story, but helping others to grow.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Fall is for Beginnings 

by Rajani LaRocca

Illustrated by Abhi Alwar

Abrams Books for Young Readers

On Sale: 08/05/2025

About the book...

Ravi can’t wait for the start of the new school year! Fall is for cool weather, new school supplies, and spending time with his best friend, Joe. But when a new girl named Ellie joins their class, Ravi and Joe’s duo suddenly becomes a trio.

Ravi’s not so sure about Ellie—she plays her horn too loud in music lessons and gets them lost on the way to class. Worst of all, she keeps saying she’s Joe and Ravi’s best friend.

All these big changes are challenging for Ravi, but with time (and a little help from his wise older sister) he realizes that fall is the perfect time to begin a new friendship.

From the award-winning team behind Summer Is for Cousins, this heartwarming picture book all about back-to-school fun celebrates the (sometimes complicated) joy of making new friends.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

The Wishing Leaf

by Kallie George

Illustrated by Paola Zakimi

Abrams Book for Young Readers

On Sale: 08/12/2025

About the book...

Bear knows that when the last leaf falls in the forest, whatever wish you make is sure to come true! Although it’s almost time to sleep, Mama allows Bear to watch and wait with his friends.

But it seems like the leaf is never going to fall, so one by one, the other animals grow impatient and start to head home. Bear, however, finds active ways to wait, all the while wondering what to wish for—until finally, he’s the only one left, and he’s growing tired. Will Bear see the last leaf fall? And if so, what wish will he make?

A story of patience, friendship, and awe, The Wishing Leaf is a picture book full of wonder for the changing seasons, with a perfectly cozy ending.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Bob the Vampire Snail

by Andrea Zuill

Random House Studio

On Sale: 08/05/2025

Okay, I gotta tell you, this one was FUNNY!  Seriously, a vampire snail?  Who'd have thought!  The how, the why, and the living (unliving?) with it part are all laid out so readers have no question as to his new found features, powers, and dietary needs (which are not exactly what you might be thinking!).  In the end, as SPOOKY-tacular as this one is, at it's heart it reminds us that friendship is a beautiful thing, and accepting others for who they are in spite of newly developed fangs or wings is important...although I don't exactly blame the other "Bobs" for holding a grudge about the whole "trying to eat them" thing.  Special note for readers!  Watch for the little bug narrator imparting pearls of wisdom, fun facts, and a few jokes from time to time!

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Pumpkin & Squash: #Squashgoals

by G.G. McQueen

Illustrated by Michael Slack

Doubleday Books for Young Readers

On Sale: 08/26/2025

You know the moment that FALL has hit, or even hinted at it, because suddenly it's PUMPKIN EVERYTHING.  Seriously, if you're a fan, you're in heaven; if not, it's a bit of a spicy HELLo until December when peppermint takes over, but I digress.  In this charming autumn tale, Pumpkin is the popular one, but longs for the days of the other three seasons when she's not bombarded with requests on her time, flavor, and scent.  On the other side of the gourd, Squash has been having trouble playing second (or lower) flavor to the season, and is going all out this year to become the GOURD KING they know they can be!  Only, it doesn't go exactly as planned for either of them, and yet in the end, they still get what they were BOTH looking for thanks to good friends, consideration for others...and a well timed distraction so they can enjoy each others company and all the fun Fall can bring.  A great reminder that having #Squashgoals is important, but it's the friends/company we keep that make them worth having in the first place.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Lost on Doll Island 

by Cassandra Ramos-Gomez

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

On Sale: 08/26/2025

About the book...

Rick Riordan meets R. L. Stine in this fast-paced debut middle grade horror packed with adventure about a Mexican American boy who starts hearing the voice of a haunted doll while visiting family in Mexico City.

Diego feels trapped. He’s confined in an arm cast, stuck with his tía and tío for a week in Mexico City, and smothered with the sickening fear that he’s the one who really caused his parents’ divorce. But most of all, he’s trapped in his own secret. Because ever since he got to Mexico City, he’s started having strange dreams of a doll calling his name.

Then Diego learns of La Isla de Muñecas, an island full of legendary magic that can make children’s wishes come true. If Diego can harness the power there, maybe he could fix everything that has gone wrong in his life.

So, with the help of two new friends, Diego takes a boat to the legendary island. From the moment the kids step ashore, nothing is as it seems—with dolls disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Diego is more trapped than ever before, and as the night goes on, he’s not sure he can escape.

👻  💀  🧛  👾  🧛  💀  👻

Special thanks to the authors, publishers, and publicists who made this post possible.  (THANKS!)  For more information on any of the titles listed above, please feel free to click through the links provided.  Titles available now are listed, while others are waiting for your pre-order or wish list addition, so you know what to do!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

What's on your TBR?: JULY RELEASES

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a few titles that have made their way (or are JUST about to) to a bookstore or virtual shelf near you. That's right. It's time to set our sights on JULY RELEASES and we've got a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. So, have your TBR at the ready, here come the books!

The first two titles are ones that caught my attention, for one reason or another, but I've not indulged in the story between the pages.  Will I?  Perhaps, but at the very least, I wanted to draw your eye to them as well and see what YOU think!  I love how the first one draws a connection between two people at two very different times, while the second one feels like an edge of your seat mystery that will keep you turning pages!

This Book Might Be About Zinnia

by Brittney Morris

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

About the book...

Two moments in time. Two very different girls. And one story that connects them both.

It’s the year 2024, and Zinnia Davis is on a mission to ace her personal essay. But when an admissions rep hints that her adoption story is “lacking heart,” she has to figure out a new spin. Frankly, Zinnia doesn’t know much about her birth parents; that is, until her favorite author releases a new novel—Little Heart—about a princess with a heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead and separated from her mother at birth…just like Zinnia. Could this be her birth mother?

Flashback to 2006, and teenager Tuesday Walker is barely making it through high school after experiencing a loss that had her on leave for months. To cope, Tuesday writes a series of entries in a journal, but when the journal is lost, it feels like reliving the trauma all over again. Tuesday’s search for the journal uncovers dangerous secrets about her past, her crush, and her own mother’s story.

If Tuesday isn’t careful in her search, Zinnia will have to reap the consequences in the present.

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Blood in the Water

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Scholastic Press

About the book...

Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She's spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha's Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus a few kids her age who seem friendly.

Until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable--murder?

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change her own life as she knows it... if she survives.

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Now for our next set of titles, I have delved between their pages, paper or electronic, and they've BOTH got stories to tell.

Millie Fleur Saves the Night

by Christy Mandin

Orchard Books

This is a story about embracing the darkness and allowing it as much space as the light.  There are things that can only be done in the dark, places that can only be visited, thoughts only thought, dreams only dreamed, life that can only grow AND glow when the lights go out.  Millie reminds us that while many shy away from darkness, it's generally out of misunderstanding versus actual desire.  I mean, who doesn't fear the unknown in some fashion?  But if we give it time, get to know it little by little, and it never hurts to have a friend at hand, we can be as much friends with the darkness as we are with the light, and celebrate the unique things that only it can bring.  Filled with wondrous illustrations and so many delightful ideas to create your own twilight garden, I can see readers of all ages taking this one to heart and making the dark their new friend.

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I Got You

by Derrick Barnes

Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

Nancy Paulsen Books

On Sale: 07/15/2025

This is a story of family, of the bonds forged between siblings, and the boundless love that carries on from generation to generation.  When Anthony becomes a big brother, he showers this new addition to the family with love, pearls of wisdom, and that precious commodity of TIME.  As they grow, so does their relationship, but they always come back to one another because through thick and thin, they've got each other.  When one day the family dynamics change once again, Rasheed gets the chance to be the big brother Anthony was to him, but to the new little addition, continuing the circle of love, growth, and understanding that cements a family at heart.  It was a touching story that I think really gets to the heart of what having a brother or sister (or multiples of each!) really means. It's not just someone to place the blame on.  It's not just someone to ignore when it's convenient.  It's not just someone there to take up the space you were already occupying.  It's someone to share the good times and bad, someone to create memories with and share traditions learned, someone that will always be there through life's ups and downs, and that's truly something worth cultivating.

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Special thanks to the publishers, publicists, and authors listed above for the chance to bring these titles to you!  For more information, feel free to click through the links provided above.  The first three are currently available now, and the last follows suit in a few days time (as of this post).  

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

SPRING(ish) CLEANING... Bookish Style!

The weather has been RIDICULOUSLY HOT. 😓

Work has been uber busy, and not so much fun...same old, same old. 😕

Home life has been what it is...making the best of things; some highs, some lows. 😟

Reading has been...STILL a bit of a challenge and honestly, I'm not certain when, or even if, my focus will come back to me there. It all started with the losses last year, and I've not been the same since. 😞

HOWEVER, I've seen plenty of memes recently that remind us that reading is for the JOY of it, not the numbers, so I'm taking it a page at a time. 😌

📕 📖 📗 📖 📘 📖 📙

Despite the lack of focus, I do have a few titles that have unintentionally piled up, so it's time to do a little SPRING(ish) CLEANING of my HAVE READ and HAVE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION pile. What's that mean for you? A nice size helping of shorter reviews to tantalize, tease, and tempt these titles onto your MUST READ list, or if you happen to have read some of them already, invite you to share your thoughts. You're welcome. 😁

Ready or not, here they come!

Bored Panda

by Mike Bender

Illustrated by Chuck Dillon

Random House Books for Young Readers

All day, every day, big ones, little ones, and all those in-between are attached to one thing...their phones or other digital and electronic devices.  Whether playing games, reading books, doom scrolling, watching videos, completing homework or work work, there's almost no time where our eyes aren't glued to a screen...at least, until they need a charge.  But wait, what's this?  The power is out?  This simply won't do!  What's a girl, boy, or PANDA to do?  What indeed!  This is where our little bored panda learns about all the things that can be enjoyed once you unplug.  A little digital detox never hurt anyone, especially in today's go go GO world, and this story is a charming reminder to slow down and smell the roses, or draw them, or spruce up their beds!  With full color, full page illustrations throughout, even the youngest readers can catch the lesson being thrown, and it's never too early to develop a GOOD habit.  😉

📕 📖 📗 📖 📘 📖 📙

I Am Rebel

by Ross Montgomery

Candlewick Press

Okay, I'm going to spoil this one from the start...the dog does not die, although the brushes with his expiration date are many!  Sorry, not sorry for the spoil.  It's one of those things I feel is important to know, especially considering it's aimed at a Middle Grade audience first and foremost, but I digress.

This story is told through the eyes/voice/mind of Rebel, a proud young pup that loves his boy very much, and would go to the ends of the earth for him, even when all seems lost.  Times are more than trying as they teeter on the brink of an uprising against the king, and it is in these trials that Tom finds himself caught up in growing up way too fast, and forgetting the simpler things...like the love of a dog.  That's okay because Rebel hasn't forgotten, and he knows that by his boy's side is where he belongs.  Come heck or high water, and despite the boy's command to stay behind, he knows that this is one in order to be the "good boy" he is, he must follow his heart.  It's moving and sad, but also uplifting and heartwarming all at the same time.  I loved seeing how he stayed true to himself and Tom throughout his journey, and how he allowed his heart strengthened by love to reach out to others, even when they weren't reaching back in return.  It's a story for animal lovers, and historical fiction lovers in equal measure, with an ending you won't soon forget.

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Now this is one that simply caught my attention when it made the rounds because, first of all, that cover is beyond curious, and then when you work in the talking plants, grumpy goldfish, and a curious spider...I'm not even sure my imagination knows where to start!

Growing Home

by Beth Ferry

Illustrated by Terry and Eric Fan

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

About the book...

Ivy is the beloved houseplant of young Jillian Tupper of Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, much to the constant dismay of Toasty the goldfish, who is technically the family pet—swimming in his special place of honor, the antique octagonal fish tank—and should be the most loved. It seems that’s how the cookie (or cheese puffs, in Toasty’s case) crumbles in the curious Tupper household, but soon a sequence of thrilling and magical events challenges that way of life forever.

First, there’s the arrival of Arthur, a knowledgeable spider with a broken leg and a curious mind, hidden in an old typewriter. Then Jillian throws everyone for a loop when she brings home dear, sweet Ollie, a school houseplant who just wants to be friends and sing. When Toasty splashes the plants with his tank water out of frustration, the friends learn that they can do magical things—like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible!

It turns out Toasty’s fishtank isn’t just for fish; it was made by a curious inventor who gave it special powers that, in the wrong hands, could disrupt everything forever. And a curious man with purple shoes just so happens to want that tank at any cost. Can Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie grow to be friends in time to work together to save their beloved Tupper family from utter ruin?

📕 📖 📗 📖 📘 📖 📙

Special thanks to the authors, publicists, and publishers listed for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on any title listed, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: Loon Cove Summer by Donna Galanti - REVIEW!

Today's WHAT'S THE BUZZ title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY this TUESDAY via Wild Trail Press and stars a Contemporary Middle Grade novel that will have you all tied up at the heart.  What's that mean?  Great question!  I'll be happy to explain, but first...the introductions!  Ladies and gents, get ready for a summer trip you won't soon forget as we set out for adventure with...

Loon Cove Summer

by

Donna Galanti

Hardcover: 9781736316276

Paperback: 9781736316269

eBook: 9781736316283

Wild Trail Press

RELEASE DATE:  May 6, 2025

About the book...

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson is determined that her life will finally get unstuck this summer. She just knows it. Her to-do list? Brave the lake again. Save the loons. Stop missing Mom. Her one bright spot: volunteering at the local wild bird rehabilitation center. The summer looks even brighter when Sarah meets Theo, the boy staying at her family’s Maine lakeside campground who cares about protecting the loons just like she does. But when Sarah’s family may have to move, she adds a new to-do item: save their home. And when she suspects Dad is dating Theo’s aunt, the naturalist helping research environmental dangers to the loons, Sarah is caught in a new world of grief. With the looming reality of losing her dad, her home, and the loons, Sarah must make a big statement to take control of her life. Capturing inspiration from her late mother’s Appalachian Trail hiking journal, she boldly plans a solo wild adventure. But as her challenges mount, she wonders if her courage will earn her the voice she seeks—or if she’s made a reckless choice that just might claim her life.

Amazon |  B&N  |  Bookshop

Goodreads

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This book.  This book.  This beautiful, heartbreaking book.  When I say that I almost had to stop about 1/3 of the way through, I'm not stating that lightly.  

It's not just a story about summertime...although it is that as well.  Sarah and her bestie are a part this summer, but they are trying to share their experiences through "to-do" lists of epic proportions.  Will they achieve their goals?  Somewhat...but again, that's not the whole story.  It's not just a story about conservation, and saving the beloved loons...although a big part of it is.  We learn about their habits, what dangers exist for them, and how we can help.  We see how one voice CAN make a difference, and inaction is the only true enemy of positive change....but again, not the whole story. It's not just a story about growing up, experiencing all the firsts, and changes that life can bring...although it is this as well.  Spending the summer apart from her best friend, helping to save not one but two loons, a first crush, and maybe even a first kiss...and yet, this still isn't the whole story.  

It's about a little girl and her father and her granddad...learning to live again.  It's about going about your day and carrying on, even when you have a broken heart.  It's about finding your rhythm again, and moving forward, while carrying the heaviest of hearts within you.  It's about a subject that hits WAY too close to home, even though it's been 14 months for me, and only 6 months for our leading lady.  When I say that I felt for Sarah, I mean I really FELT for Sarah.  I understood her grief, her actions, her lack of actions, and the struggles she tried to valiantly battle through on her own in the hopes of not upsetting the family unit and further than it had already been.  For Sarah, circumstances were different, and the struggles that already existed kept growing until it started to reach a breaking point...but lucky for her, that breaking point is what starts their healing process all over again.  She learns that as time marches forward, we still carry the memory of those that are gone with us.  The lessons shared help guide us.  The love and the laughter, the smiles and the tears, they all build us up as much as they can make us fall...but feeling those emotions, and remembering those times are precious just the same.

A great read for Middle Grade fans of all ages with many a life lesson to share.  The author does a wonderful job of getting the emotions into the story, while taking us on a summer trip we won't soon forget.

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About the author...

Donna Galanti is the author of two middle-grade series of books, Unicorn Island and Joshua and the Lightning Road. She has lived in fun locations including England, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna is an avid outdoor adventurer and nature lover. She volunteers for the Old-Growth Forest Network and the National Audubon Society. When Donna’s not wandering the woods seeking magic and wonder, you can usually find her biking or kayaking. For more information on her books, school visits, and events, visit her at: www.donnagalanti.com.

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🗓  *** MARK YOUR CALENDAR ***  🗓

$50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway

ENTER 5/6/25 – 5/13/25

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Special thanks to author Donna Galenti for the eARC access for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to release May 6, 2025, so mark your calendar or preorder your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Calling all the hip cats and cool chicks!: NORTH BEAT CHRISTMAS by Jenna Zark - REVIEW!

Groovy to you!

We're gonna take a second to relax, unwind, and inhale the moment as we take a gander between the epages of a title that came my way recently.  It's the third release in The Beat Street series from author Jenna Zark, a collection of Middle Grade Historical Fiction tales that brings us to the streets during a time of change, and style.  So if you can DIG IT, let's get between the epages of today's featured title...

  

North Beat Christmas

The Beat Street Series, Book 3

by

Jenna Zark

About the book...

When Christmas is weird instead of wonderful—you can’t just give up.

Twelve-year-old Ruby Tabeata and her older brother Ray are visiting their father in the artists’ neighborhood of North Beach, San Francisco as Christmas approaches in 1958. What should be a glorious holiday turns sour as Ruby and Ray discover their father’s growing addiction to alcohol.

When Ruby finds work at a popular bookstore near her dad’s home, new friends and adventures distract her from worrying.Ruby’s experiences lead her to a daring decision to help her father—and a surprise that brings new meaning to her life. Read more about Ruby’s Beat Generation family in The Beat on Ruby’s Street and Fool’s Errand.

AMAZON

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This is a story for all the cool cats and hip chicks out there.  Whether you're an old soul, or someone that still revels in the culture, it opens the window on the beatnik lifestyle while tying in the everyday challenges that plague any/every generation.  The desire to live our own way on our own terms.  The ill taste that asking others for help can leave in our mouths.  The want to love what we have while still looking to rise to the next level as we see it to be.  I really felt for Ruby and her brother Ray.  I mean, I didn't grow up in their lifestyle, nor do I know anyone that had first hand experience, but through reading these stories (as well as others), you gain some experience in their world.  I wanted to reach in and help them so badly.  All Ruby wanted was to be with her dad.  All Ray wanted was to help his sister out while trying to take care of them both.  All they both got were obstacles bigger than them both, a father that was lost in his own addictions, and more trouble than either deserved from SO many sides.  What they also got, or rather saw more clearly, was who their true friends really were, and that hard choices have to be made sometimes for the greater good of both themselves and others.

This is not a light and airy tale, but it does give readers a glimpse into a time and place in history that was very real for many, for better or worse.  It shows that strength can sometimes be hard to find on our own, but getting help from others is not a weakness. It also reminds us that prejudice and close-mindedness is not a symptom of yesterday, but rather an ongoing issue that is worth fighting against, one voice at a time.

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About the author...

Jenna Zark is a columnist, lyricist, playwright, and novelist. Her most recent book, Crooked Lines, was published under a traditional contract with Koehler Books and received 6 honors in 2023, including the first prize in the Overcoming Adversity Memoir category from Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the silver award in the Religious/Spiritual category from Nautilus Book Awards. Zark's first novel The Beat on Ruby's Street won the Gold Award in 2016 from the Wishing Shelf Awards. It is now joined by Fool's Errand, part two in what has become the Beat Street Series for middle-graders. Zark's play A Body of Water was published by Dramatists Play Service and produced at Circle Repertory Company in New York. Other plays were produced in the Twin Cities, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and elsewhere. Zark is also a member of a lyricist’s collective in the Twin Cities. She’s still trying to figure out if it’s harder to write a play, a novel, or a song. To share your thoughts on that or learn more, please visit jennazark.com .

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Special thanks to Pam (author assistant extraordinaire) for eCopy for review as well as the chance to bring this title to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the series, or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!