Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

In Look Both Ways we get another fantastic story from Jason Reynolds.  As you would expect from Reynolds, he gives us a story that is both entertaining and thought provoking.  Look Both Ways is told in a unique way, which is not surprising from a risk-taker like Reynolds.  This one is told in a series of different stories, one block at a time.  Told as school is let out for the day, we meet all kinds of different characters and get a peek in to each of their lives.  We see the distractions they each face in their lives as they navigate their way home.  And through the difficulties they each face, the reader is also able to revel in their triumphs.  We get to see the good they are each putting in to a world that often seems against them.  As a reader, we get to see each one of them answer the question, "How you gon' change the world?"

From Amazon:

A National Book Award Finalist!

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019!

From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions a walk home can take.

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.
Stealing pocket change.
Skateboarding.
Wiping out.
Braving up.
Executing complicated handshakes.
Planning an escape.
Making jokes.
Lotioning up.
Finding comfort.
But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

The Year We Fell From Space by Amy Sarig King

If you have read any of my posts before, I'm sure you are well aware of my deep admiration for Amy Sarig King (A.S. King).  She is an incredible author and even better person.  She writes the stories that people, especially young people, really need.  She isn't afraid to hit on the hard topics and finds a place where readers can really connect.  Her newest middle grade novel, The Year We Fell From Space, is no exception.

King has given us a beautiful story about loss and grief, mental health, hope, and self discovery.  She has shown us that we don't always have to look at things the way we are told.  We can discover new pictures in the map of our lives.  We can create our own stories and don't always have to follow what others expect of us.  Liberty Johansen shows us that we all have the ability to own our lives and create of them beautiful pictures.  

From Amazon:

Liberty Johansen is going to change the way we look at the night sky. Most people see the old constellations, the things they've been told to see. But Liberty sees new patterns, pictures, and possibilities. She's an exception.

Some other exceptions:

Her dad, who gave her the stars. Who moved out months ago and hasn't talked to her since.

Her mom, who's happier since he left, even though everyone thinks she should be sad and lonely.

And her sister, who won't go outside their house.

Liberty feels like her whole world is falling from space. Can she map a new life for herself and her family before they spin too far out of reach?

The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow

The Devil and Winnie Flynn written by Micol Ostow and illustrated by David Ostow, was such a fun read.  If you are looking for an engaging and entertaining horror story, you can't go wrong with this one.  This story hits on so many of the classic horror tropes, while being self-aware that it is doing just that.  This one was lots of fun.

The Devil and Winnie Flynn tells the story of a young girl who has recently lost her mother to suicide.  Her estranged Aunt Maggie swoops in soon after the death and takes Winnie away to New Jersey so that she can assist in Maggie's horror reality TV show, Fantastic, Fearsome.  Winnie doesn't believe in ghost or the supernatural, but the people involved in the show are determined to change her mind, especially Maggie.

As the show focuses on the history of the Jersey Devil, Winnie's family history starts to reveal itself to her.  And what she discovers is that her family is more closely entwined with the lore of the Jersey Devil than she ever could have imagined.  As she learns more about her secret history, she starts to realize her mother's death may not have been what everyone thought it was.  Accepting her place in the legends may be the only thing that helps her escape New Jersey alive.  

From Amazon:

"A love letter to all your favorite horror movie classics . . . Micol Ostow's razor sharp writing and David Ostow's wonderful illustrations combine for an unforgettable reading experience."
—Courtney Summers, author of This Is Not a Test and All the Rage

Winnie Flynn doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Though she wouldn’t mind a visit from her mom, explaining why she took her own life.) When her mysterious aunt Maggie, a high-profile TV producer, recruits Winnie to spend a summer working as a production assistant on her current reality hit, Fantastic, Fearsome, she suddenly finds herself in the one place her mother would never go: New Jersey.

New Jersey’s famous Devil makes perfect fodder for Maggie’s show. But as the filming progresses, Winnie sees and hears things that make her think that the Devil might not be totally fake after all. Things that involve her and her family. Things about her mother’s death that might explain why she’s never met Aunt Maggie until now.

Winnie soon discovers her family’s history is deeply entwined with the Devil’s. If she’s going to make it out of the Pine Barrens alive, she might have to start believing in what her aunt is telling her—and find out what she isn’t.