When you're Louisa, a theater geek living in the middle of nowhere, what could be better than a new neighbor who used to be a Broadway star? And when you're Jack, done with acting for good, what could be worse than getting dragged into the world of small-town theater?
Sarah
We don't always think of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood as a politically driven show, but Fred Rogers used his voice in both the Land of Make Believe and in the real world to promote a progressive approach to race, gender, inequality, and, above all else, peace.
Sarah
Ashe has plans for 1968--in particular, going to college so he doesn't get drafted and sent to Vietnam. I'm not a fan of novels-in-verse, but this time it works: the book is written in a series of haikus, and the number of syllables in each chapter represents the number of casualties each month.
Sarah
Twins Nikki and Maya are looking forward to their senior year, but between gentrification, new neighbors, and heading for different colleges, life turns out to be more complicated than they expect.
Sarah
Lee Lien -- newly minted PhD, absolutely no job prospects -- sets out to solve a mystery that includes Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Lien family's history in Vietnam and the U.S.
Sarah
When Ellie's grandfather develops an anti-aging potion that turns him into a 13-year-old boy, she acquires a new housemate, plots the rescue of a prized jellyfish, and learns what it means to be a scientist.
Sarah
Even if you've never touched a sewing machine, you'll be planning a trip to the fabric store by the time you finish this history of American clothing. Dress isn't just a matter of fashion here: it's politics, domestic science, economics, and a barometer of women's roles in an evolving world.
Sarah
The story of the last Russian tsar and his family, with their palaces, intrigues, and pastimes, is woven through with first-person accounts of ordinary Russian children from the same time period, for a well-rounded and compelling portrait of the Russian Revolution that adults will enjoy as much as younger readers.
Sarah
It's a feel-good story- inner-city high school students learn to build robots and in a national competition on a shoestring budget, defeating teams from Caltech and MIT -- with a twist: most of the students are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, living in a time of increasing deportations, and their undocumented status means that college, jobs, and the other elements of a happy ending are just out of each.
Sarah
It can't be a coincidence that Great-Aunt Grace's initials spell GAG. Treasure knows it's the beginning of a disaster when her mother leaves her in Black Lake, Virginia for the summer. She'll be happy to move on as soon as her parents find a new place to live. But somehow, despite everything from Vacation Bible School catastrophes to cleaning every inch of GAG's candy store, Black Lake turns out to be hard to hate -- and it just might be the perfect place for Treasure's family after all.
Sarah
