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Schroeder, Lisa
16 Reviews
(3)
4-6
After her parents' divorce, Juliet is anxious about her new life in a California beach town. But soon she meets a kind and charismatic friend, sends a message in a bottle and gets a mysterious response, and becomes part of her new community. Juliet is a sympathetic narrator, and her quiet story of healing and adjustment should offer comfort to readers experiencing change.
Reviewer: Mariko Turk
(3)
4-6
To complete a middle-school project, dog-loving, journal-keeping Lindy must discover where her talents lie. She tries a variety of activities, including cooking, painting, and gardening, before eventually recognizing her true passion. It won't surprise readers that the answer combines dogs and creative writing. An engaging story about identity, with realistic family issues and first romance folded in.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Nicoletta Ceccoli.
Ten-year-old Violet--imprisoned from infancy in a tower with her mother--and an elusive hummingbird feather are the keys to a magic spell spun by an evil, beauty-obsessed witch-turned-queen. A good amount of rising tension and soft black-and-white drawings that add to the story's quaint feel help to make up for flat characters and a cliché-filled text.
Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan
(4)
4-6
When twelve-year-old Brit Phoebe finds a WWII-era letter with a "spell" to bring two people closer, she hopes it'll fix her relationship with older sister Alice. The letter leads Phoebe to London's iconic locations, giving readers a breezy intro to British history. Though this companion to My Secret Guide to Paris is predictable, Schroeder deftly describes the growing pains siblings can experience.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(4)
YA
With just over twenty-four hours until an asteroid hits, homeless teens Emerson and Vince seize the moment by wandering Portland, Oregon, looking for people with regrets to solve and dreams to fulfill. In a narrative alternating poetry with prose, the "pay it forward" message is oversimplified and strained but certainly uplifting, and Emerson's attempt to repair her family relationships resonates.
Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum
(4)
4-6
Before twelve-year-old Nora's grandmother passed away, she created a Paris treasure hunt--with a very special surprise at the end--for Nora and her mom to complete together. Nora comes across as a little bratty at times and the writing is overladen with metaphors, but vivid descriptions of Paris (and its many culinary delights) make this a worthwhile read.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
Lauren is the new girl in school hiding a painful past; Colby is a (humble) star football player. In alternating chapters (Lauren's written in free verse), they describe their mutual attraction and the tough situations--such as a friend's near-fatal accident--that they overcome. This is an earnest, uplifting novel with bighearted protagonists who learn that "believing is more important than anything."
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(4)
YA
Seventeen-year-old Rae tries to steer clear of her abusive stepfather, and she's generally hesitant to get close to anyone--until Nathan, who exhibits textbook red flags that suggest his potential for danger, the extent of which is soon revealed. Told in both prose and (somewhat cheesy) poems, this is a suspenseful yet sensitive exploration of dangerous relationships--family included.
Reviewer: Allison Cole
(3)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Lily's plate is full with songwriting and band practice, so when her book club decides to double as a baking club, Lily panics--she (secretly) can't bake. Juggling commitments, Lily loses focus on her band's upcoming big audition. The conflict resolves sweetly, and readers will cheer Lily on as she learns the importance of honesty between friends and with oneself.
Reviewer: Sophie Williamson
(3)
YA
Amber loves her mom, dad, and little sister; this doesn't change after finding out she was accidentally switched at birth. Before spending time with her biological parents she desires just one day alone--but her plans change when she meets a boy named Cade. Told in first-person verse, the novel's lyrical passages and general wistfulness will appeal to romantic types.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(3)
4-6
Budding actress Sophie gets her first part in a TV commercial for Beatrice's Brownies. Knowing that this popular brand is taking business away from her best friend's family-run cupcake shop, Sophie struggles with accepting the role. Secrets and assumptions do the girls' friendship more harm than good in this story that demonstrates the importance of both honesty and pursuing one's dreams.
Reviewer: Sophie Williamson
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Lisa McCue.
On the lookout for his mother, Little Chimp tumbles from a tree. At first worried, he soon makes a day of playing, eating, and swinging in the jungle. All the while, watercolor and acrylic paintings show his cleverly concealed chimp mama looking out for him. The rhymes are a little trite, but the text effectively conveys the theme of growing up.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(4)
YA
A year after Lucca’s death, his girlfriend, Brooklyn, and his older brother, Nico, struggle with loss and grief. The death of another friend first haunts them then propels the two into an unexpected relationship. The free-verse poems alternating between the two protagonists are not well distinguished by either voice or style, but the tentative love story element will appeal to romantic-minded readers.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(3)
4-6
Precocious and likable Isabel dreams of traveling the world, but for now she's stuck in Oregon, where her motivation-challenged mother is opening a bakery. Isabel's summer quickly fills up as she baby-sits, gets to know her new neighbors, and works on an entry for a kids' baking contest. The hopeful ending is as sweet as the descriptions of baked goods.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
YA
After her mother's death, Alice clings to heartache and bitterness. While snowbound in a car with her stepmother and baby sister, she begins to unravel years' worth of grief as she comes to appreciate the people who love her. Though eventually Alice starts sounding like a broken record, her pain leaps off the pages of this verse novel.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
4-6
Exploring History Through Simple Recipes series.
Combining appropriate recipes and a focus on cooking and eating with facts about life in a logging camp, gold rush town, whaling ship, or Native American village, these volumes offer readers a chance to taste history. Although the recipes aren't designed to be used by young cooks, the books are well laid out and illustrated with historical drawings or black-and-white photos. Bib., glos., ind.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
16 reviews
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