Hannah Lamb

Debut author Kate Beasley crafts a story packed with wit and down-home charm, led by a heroine with enough spirit and spunk to rival the likes of Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby, and complemented by illustrations from Caldecott Honor artist Jillian Tamaki.

Gertie Reece Foy is a force to be reckoned with. She always has at least one mission in the works, and she never fails to complete them. Described by her father as “a bulldog with its jaws locked on a car tire,” Gertie’s greatest strength is that she never gives up on anything. So when she finds out that her estranged mother plans to leave their coastal Alabama town, Gertie immediately concocts a plan to convince her to stay: She will become the greatest fifth grader in the whole universe. All she has to do is write the best summer speech, become the smartest student in her class and win the lead part in the play. There’s only one problem: It turns out that Gertie has some competition for the title of best fifth grader, one Mary Sue Spivey, and she won’t be an easy rival to defeat.

This is a classic coming-of-age tale filled with hope and heart. Gertie will burrow her way into your heart right from the very first page, and stay there long after the book is closed. Beasley’s writing sparkles with just the right balance of humor and emotion, and readers are sure to find parts of themselves in Gertie’s quest of self-discovery. 

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall comes a new gem about a wise poet, two resilient children and the dog they all love. 

Teddy is an Irish wolfhound with a love for words, instilled in him by his owner, Sylvan. Rescued from a shelter and taken home to Sylvan’s secluded cabin in the woods, Teddy grows up with words and soon learns to use them himself. Although Teddy can understand words, Sylvan teaches him that there are only two kinds of people who can understand him: poets and children. 

When wandering around the woods in a snowstorm one day, Teddy finds two stranded children, Nickel and Flora, and tells them that he will rescue them, just as Sylvan once did for him. They follow him back to the cabin, where they begin to realize that the healing they seek can be found in each other. 

The Poet’s Dog is sweet and heartwarming, while the simplicity of Patricia MacLachlan’s prose allows for the poignancy of the story to shine through. This is an unassuming masterpiece, the kind that endures and will be cherished by generations of children, becoming dog-eared with age and love.

This article was originally published in the September 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In her debut novel, Claire Fayers creates a swashbuckling voyage in a vividly imagined fantasy realm where the sum of the world’s knowledge is kept on an island and protected by a sisterhood of librarians.

As a child, Brine Seaborne was found in an abandoned rowboat with no memory of where she came from. Now 12 years old, Brine is fed up with being the housekeeper for a grumpy magician, with only his insufferable apprentice, Peter, for company. So when she and Peter are forced to flee the magician’s house due to a ploy gone horribly wrong, Brine sees it as a chance to finally discover where she came from. Before long, Brine and Peter find themselves aboard the legendary pirate ship known as the Onion, sailing to find Magical North, a place shrouded in myth and legend. 

This rollicking, high-seas adventure is a celebration of girl power and a testament to the magic of storytelling.

This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal-winning author of A Single Shard, brings us the first book in an enchanting new fantasy trilogy, filled with apothecaries, a menagerie of animals and a grand journey into places unknown.

Raffa Santana has always had a natural instinct for the family apothecary business. So when a badly injured bat crash-lands in his yard, Raffa jumps at the chance to prove his abilities by treating the bat himself. His task leads him all across the land of Obsidia, first into the mysterious Forest of Wonders, then to the towering city of Gilden, collecting a ragtag band of friends, both human and animal, along the way. But when he and his friends begin to uncover threads of an unsettling plot in the kingdom, Raffa is forced to confront questions of loyalty and duty, and decide just where the moral limits of his craft lie.

In this novel, Park crafts a world rich in detail. The art of apothecary takes center stage and is sure to engross and captivate the imaginations of young readers. Those with a soft spot for furry friends will also be charmed by the key role they play in this story and the clever ways in which Park explores humans’ connection with the animal kingdom. Young readers—and the young at heart—will connect with Raffa’s struggle to gain confidence and find his way. The story is fast-paced and full of adventure, and builds toward a conclusion that will leave readers eager for the next installment.