I can see why everyone loved this book. yoon knocks it out of the park. the whole time reading i couldn't help but feel it was like a companion book to rainbow rowell's "eleanor and park." also, good pairing with stephanie perkins's companion series, too.

definitely a contender for 2017 Morris Award.

"It's my party, and I'll be overly sarcastic if I want to."

"poetry is words you need" -raczka

"What must be sacrificed to secure a future where no one can touch you?"

Lottie Paris lives with her Papa Pete in a house that is across the street from a park. Readers follow Lottie as as she goes through her day at the park, playing in her room, getting into trouble, twice, and, finally, sitting on the porch at sunset.
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Your hair may be different from others but that doesn't mean bad. Penny learns there is magic in wearing her hair in puffballs.
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Lovely story about Ella Fitzgerald and how she became the First Lady of Song.
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Story about blues singer Billie Holiday and her relationships with her dogs especially the boxer called "Mister." Back matter includes bio of Holiday's life and early death.
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Grace has visitors at Christmas. She is reluctant to giving strangers at her house but warms to them when she puts herself in their shoes.

Grace's parents split when she was young. Her father sends two tickets for Grace and Nana to vibist him and his family in Gambia. Grace learns family is what you make and to look for books with wider representations of families.

The community fest has local schools floats & the girls are princesses. Grace, a long time fan of fairy tale princesses, wants to a princess. Grace learns that real life princesses were/are more interesting than the fairy tale ones. Included is info on the real princesses.

Shy talented Amandina overcomes her stage fright by producing her own show. When no one comes she performs anyway and draws a crowd. Sweet book about facing one's fears, stage fright, and the work it takes to put on a show.

Prep work for the season finale of CYA Podcast: book reviews of children and young adult books. we break for summer and return this fall. I'm very excited to talk about books either directly related, influenced, or referred to by the Hamilton Musical. #myshot

All the players are here: Mulligan, Laurens, Lafayette, Burr, Lee, Rochambeau and many more. A delight to see characters from the musical mentioned as part of Hamilton's life. Pair this with Duel by Judith George.

Clearly written history of England's King George III & Parliament events leading to the Revolutionary War and US independence. A good read for Hamilton Musical fans wanting a wider scope on how the war started.

Interesting idea having Harriet Tubman and Susan B Anthony reminisce about their lives. Transitions from one's story to the other is awkward and sometimes jarring. A reader will learn more about each woman but it's the context of the premise that's odd.

I'm not a fan of this book. Told in a poem & pictures Riggold highlights the diversity of the US of all the people who either called this land home or came from abroad. With the exception of Native Americans & enslaved Africans no group is identified which is confusing at best & insulting at worst

Decent overview of the relationship between Burr and Hamilton. I'm not a fan of the artwork as faces are undefined making them too similar. Otherwise, a starting place for younger fans of Hamilton Musical who are listening/learning through their parent's obsession.

The founding fathers were not a homogenous like-minded group of people. They came from different socioeconomic backgrounds and education, and had varying views on religion. Each father's story is given a brief history, a few quotes, and stats. Good starting point for young historians.

A must for fans of the musical Hamilton. Told in the alternating viewpoints of Hamilton and Burr there is a lot of history packed into 89 pages. I did get a little bored with the battles and political fights scenes but they're not my jam. Definitely a good read.

when surrounded by the extraordinary ordinary can seem so....plain. Jane tries to be something she's not but discovers and likes who she is. OK Center for the Book Illus Award Winner 2015

lay-zeee Chukfi would rather eat than help others. story about friendship and greed. fun fact: the names of the animals are both Choctaw and English making learning the language enjoyable. OK Center for the Book Children's Award Winner 2015.

story of celebrating Juneteenth, when the abolition of slavery was announced in Galveston, TX. story moves through history to Pres Obama. decent book to include on the enslavement of a people but its light touch just barely cracks the surface.

inspiring story of 100yo Lillian going to vote. as she walks she remembers family & activists that came before her enabling & ensuring her right. sobering author's note on the loss of federal oversight of states' election processes & rise of voter id laws hindering poor & elderly.

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." at first the format scared me - a lot of text, small illustrations, told using the alphabet as guide. a rhythm happens as you read linking the definitions and quotes together to make the story of this president inviting.

loved that ASL signs are included in the story!

"Their band marched behind playing a battle tune called 'The World Turned Upside Down.'"

definitely recommended reading for young Hamilton Musical fans.

backstage look of NY's Yiddish theatre through the eyes of a young girl and her actor parents. includes an authors note on Yiddish theatre and the author herself.

first person account witnessing the very early days of hip hop and rap music by watching the kids in Bronx, NY. includes bibliography, author's note and timeline from 1973-1986. glaring oversight that no women of rap or hip hop are mentioned either in the story or timeline.

this story is to encourage children to overcome obstacles others put in their way. grace is female & black but wants to be Peter Pan in the school play. w/the help of her family she sets out to do just that. I found this story to be very true & now I need to read the series & poss get the doll.

Hamilton fans: Kalman's pic book bio about Jefferson enumerates his success & his faults. accomplishments, passion for reading and learning, & that he owned people in slavery are mentioned. it can make for disjointed story but in the end a fuller picture is best letting the reader to decide.

Hamilton fans: informative picture book on the friendship between Jefferson and Adams and their falling out. this story helps fill in the history of what others were doing at that time.

wordless picture panels story about a boy who time travels to Elizabethan London and has Shakespeare chasing him throughout the city. for me the story didn't make a lot of sense but the fun is in the illustrations and talking about what you see.

two friends, Penelope & Tiny, have different ideas about what to do in the school talent show. Penelope is outgoing while Tiny is reserved. did not like the humor at the expense of Penelope's size or that the friends didn't listen to each other. I did like the talent ideas Penelope had.

for Hamilton Musical fans: you can practically sing along with this book. story includes a few nuggets of facts not illuminated in the musical. includes bibliography and further reading lists.

story is packed with interesting information about the first Ferris wheel, World Fairs and man-made structures. all told with illustrations drawn in the style of cartoons from sixties/seventies. think "Sword and Stone" or "100 Dalmatians." Excellent for all ages.

the song "come sail away" by Styx popped in my head when I saw this page.

Informative. I now know more about octopuses than I ever wanted.

Glad I watched the TV show before reading. I would not have been prepared *at all*. The show left out a lot which makes this still a good read. If you quit after the first book b/c Quentin is an idiot read this one anyway. It gets so much better character & story-wise. Promise

I want to like this book but I don't. I just didn't like how the characters were self-centered and almost nihilistic. Sigh. I applaud Reid for writing a consistently strong story no matter how it made me feel. Kudos to this first time author & I'm await his next book.

I like Bardugo's story premise but I'm having trouble with the execution. This is the second title of hers that I've bailed out of reading. I'm sure I'll find one that will compel me to finish but this wasn't the one.

"Did war make us evil or just activate an evil already lurking within us?" Sepetys knocks it out of the park again. A must read.

EW: "it's basically Lois Lane in a Veronica Mars-eque plot" & it is. Kudos to Bond for a story that is interesting throughout. I have minor issues w/Lane's sudden ability w/journalism, & her mom is either in the kitchen or dining room, but they don't wreck the enjoying the story. Cool cover.

Sweet simple story about a budding friendship between a house-bound dog and flaneuring cat set in Paris. Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrated artwork is phenomenal. Willems adds a few uncommon French words into the mix which expand the reader's vocabulary and enrich the story.

Throughly readable historical account of the Stonewall Inn riot and emerging gay right activism. I loved the one-liner bombshells that compelled me to keep reading. I would have liked a street map or grid of Greenwich Village to be included.

Standard fair story about loss and high school. The writing or characters did not make an impression on me. This was the first book that I've read by this author.

Picture book biography of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, Cuba's first female drummer.

"Don't you guys watch television?" "Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans"

"I have lived long enough to know that no race has a corner on decency." Fannie Lou Hamer