Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs

This is the third in the series that started with Moon Base Alpha. In this one Dash has now been on the moon for 8 months and it isn't getting any funner.  Quarters are cramped, the food is lousy, and there isn't much for the kids in the space station to do. Dash enjoys his occasional visits from the alien, Zan, but otherwise he is pretty bummed that he still has 28 months left on the moon. Things get a little more exciting when someone tries to kill the most unpopular resident of the station, and the Nina, the base commander, asks Dash to help her find out who did it.

I enjoyed the first two books in the series, and looked forward to reading this one.  It did not disappoint.  It has so much going for it; strong characters, an interesting setting, a well crafted plot and a generous helping of humor. This is a great choice for kids who love mysteries or who are interested in science fiction.  (2018, 321 p.)

Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

Willa is a night spirit, a kind of humanoid nature creature that lives with her clan in late 1800's in the U.S.   Her clan used to live in harmony with nature, but since humans have arrived the leader of the clan has trained the young ones to steal from them to support the hive.  On one of these forays into human territory, Willa is shot by a human, Nathaniel.  When he sees Willa, instead of killing her as she expects, he takes care of her until she is well enough to return to the hive.  When he does return, the kindness she received from the human contrasts with the cruel punishment she receives from the clan chief.  She begins to question all that she has been taught about humans, and to see her clan with new eyes.

This new fantasy based on Native American folklore is getting starred reviews everywhere.  It is a well crafted and very emotionally impactful story. By the end of the story I decided that I liked it, but I felt emotionally drained.  Beatty makes Willa a very sympathetic character, but her situation at some times so dire, and at other times so sad, that it is a little bit exhausting.  I know some of my avid fantasy readers at the library will love it, though, and I imagine it is on a lot of potential Newbery lists. (276 p. 2018)

The Beloved Life of Sonia Sotomayor (autobiography)

This is a children's version of an autobiography published by Sotomayor in 2013. It chronicles Sotomayor's early childhood as a type 1 diabetic in the projects in Brooklyn, her upbringing by a single mother, her acceptance at Yale and then at Harvard, her career as a DA and corporate lawyer, and her final confirmation as a district judge.  It is a very inspiring story told with engaging prose and endearing candor.  Sotomayor is modest in her account, expressing surprise at each honor she received.  She talks about turning points and how she learned from mistakes.  She is an amazing example of someone who took on each challenge with unflagging effort and enthusiasm.  I think this book would be a great choice to give to girls who have that extra spark of ambition and ability.  (2018, 343 p.)

Lions and Liars by Kate Beasley

Frederick is one of the "losers" in his grade, but he dreams of being one of the "cool" group.  The one "cool" thing he does is go on a cruise with his family each year. When he long anticipated cruise is canceled Frederick runs (or rather floats) away from home and finds himself at a camp for at risk boys. Assuming someone else's identity Frederick sees his chance to be the kind of kid he has always wanted to be. 

I have mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand there are some funny moments, and Frederick does seem to come to terms with his nerdy identity by the end of the book.  On the other hand, I always struggle with books with kids that make stupid decisions.  Frederick makes one misstep after another and it made me cringe a little to watch him in action.  I guess because I was, myself, so socially awkward as a kid, I have a hard time reading about someone else who is. It is amazing how embarrassment we feel as an adolescent sticks with us, seemingly forever. (288 p. 2018)

Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America

This month is the 80th anniversary of the War of the World's broadcast by Orson Wells.  This interesting nonfiction book discusses how the broadcast came about and its short term and long term consequences.  Jarrow's writing is interesting and the text is illustrated with both artwork and archival photographs.  Jarrow includes extensive end material including sources, a time line, and further reading.  This book has gotten a lot of starred reviews and has made it onto the library's mock Newbery list for this year.  I enjoyed reading it, but it is not, in my opinion, Newbery, or even Sibert material. I think the main reason it is getting a lot of attention is that Jarrow compares what happened in 1938 to the "fake" news of today. She urges young readers to be careful about what they read or watch online.  Her warning is timely, but I don't see it as award worthy. (2018, 129 p.)

Daisy's Decorating Dilema by Brandi Dougherty

Daisy is a flower fairy in charge of the decorations for an upcoming party, the Blossom Bash.  Each of her flower fairy friends wants the decorations to look like their favorite flower.  Daisy doesn't want to offend any of them, but they can't all have their way, can they?

This is the first in the new chapter book "Wild Fairies" series.  The story is not that special, but the color illustrations are darling.  At the end of the book, Dougherty includes information about  each of the fairies, a recipe, a "spot the differences" game, and a game to find your "fairy name". I think I would have loved that kind of thing when I was seven. The text density is pretty low, so I think I will be recommending this book for kids who like Princess in Black, but are looking for the next step up in reading level.  (2018, 97 p.)