Little Peach By: Peggy Kern

Synopsis:

What do you do if you're in trouble?

When Michelle runs away from her drug-addicted mother, she has just enough money to make it to New York City, where she hopes to move in with a friend. But once she arrives at the bustling Port Authority, she is confronted with the terrifying truth: she is alone and out of options. 

Then she meets Devon, a good-looking, well-dressed guy who emerges from the crowd armed with a kind smile, a place for her to stay, and eyes that seem to understand exactly how she feels. 

But Devon is not what he seems to be, and soon Michelle finds herself engulfed in the world of child prostitution where he becomes her “Daddy” and she his “Little Peach.” It is a world of impossible choices, where the line between love and abuse, captor and savior, is blurred beyond recognition. 

This hauntingly vivid story illustrates the human spirit’s indomitable search for home, and one girl’s struggle to survive.

Rating:★★★ 😏

Review:

     I enjoyed reading this and I enjoyed finally reading a book from the perspective of prostitutes. Because a lot of books mention them but you rarely ever hear it from their point of view. We get to see exactly how easy it is to trap young girls into that life style and sell them dreams you know will never come true. I have never read a book like this before and I'm glad I finally did. The only issue I had with this book was how it ended. Even though I know from a real life perspective you don't truly ever get know what happens with some of the girls from that life but I wish for the book's sake I could have known what happened to Michelle and Baby. I recommend this for a very,very quick and interesting read. 

Where the Sidewalk Ends By: Shel Silverstein

Synopsis:

Where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. There you'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is one of Parent & Child magazine's 100 Greatest Books for Kids. School Library Journal said, "Silverstein has an excellent sense of rhythm and rhyme and a good ear for alliteration and assonance that make these poems a pleasure to read aloud."

Rating:★★★★ 😄

Review:

     I want to buy this so I can add it to my daughter's book collection. I had so much fun and so many laughs reading this! I just think this would be a great way to introduce her to poetry and it's something she can truly grow up with. My favorite poems were Smart, which made me laugh so hard, and Peanut-Butter Sandwich, which made me shake my head. These were really cute poems and they were also poems, in my opinion, that would make children think about the consequences of their actions, which is ultimately awesome! I definitely would recommend this as a great read to have story time with as well as a fun read for older audiences, such as myself. Happy readings guys!

Crank By: Ellen Hopkins

Synopsis:

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank.

Rating:★★★★★ 😍

Review:

     I absolutely, positively, no freaking doubt about it, LOVED this!!!!! This was just an amazing piece and I can't wait to get Glass the next time I go to the library. I felt so emotionally invested in these poem and that's the best thing that could ever happen while reading any kind of poetry. I would definitely recommend this as a must read for poetry. This is a must read for all poetry lovers as well as for any newbies. Just be warned there are tough topics being discussed in this, such as drug abuse and rape, for anyone who may have triggers.

Lumberjanes By: Noelle Stevenson

Synopsis:

Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things.

Rating:★★★

Review:

     I liked this but I didn't love it. I felt like something was missing for me, maybe a little more humor, but I did enjoy the laughs that I did have, especially the bathroom dilemma. I wish I would have gotten to know more about the characters in this book but sadly they're still strangers. I probably will pick up the second installment out of curiosity to understand what is really going on with the plot, for hope of getting to know the characters, and to try to make this somewhat memorable.

Nimona By: Noelle Stevenson

Synopsis:

The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Rating:★★★★★

Review:

     I loved this so much! I had so much fun reading this, the graphics were really cute, the dialogues were funny, and I loved the sarcasm and just the realness of the conversations. I found myself becoming emotionally invested in the characters and in the plot itself. This made me want to love super villains more than what I currently do. The end shocked me but it also very satisfied me. I thought the extra comics at the end were really cute and a very nice touch. I just loved everything about this and I definitely recommend this to everyone, unless you're just not into super villains!

Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers from the Past By: Vanita Oelschlager

Synopsis:

Ivy in Bloom captures the weariness of a young girl tired of a long winter. "I stare out the window," she says on the first spread of brown and gray, "looking for birds or flowers / or even warm showers / but I don't see any such thing." But then Spring comes when "March is out of breath snow melting to flowery waters and watery flowers spring rose from its wintry rest." And Ivy's "heart dances with daffodils." As these words also dance across each spread, Ivy's world erupts into a riot of color. 

Ivy in Bloom introduces the poetry of Dickinson, Longfellow, Browning, Wordsworth, Frost and others. Excerpts from their writings, as seen through Ivy's eyes, will open up poetry as a way for children to express their own feelings about the changing of seasons. This book includes longer excerpts and brief bios of each author.

Publishing Co.: Vanita Books

Release Date: April 1, 2009

Rating: ★★★★★

Review:

     Okay, so this is going to be a fairly short review but I received this from Netgalley and Vanita Books Publishing in exchange for my honest review. I did not realize when I requested this that it was a children poetry book so you can imagine my surprise when I opened it up and saw the cutest artwork ever. This was such beautiful, yet simple writing, it made you feel so innocent while reading this. I really enjoyed this and I will definitely be adding this to my daughter's book collection.

The New Jim Crow By: Michelle Alexander

Synopsis:

The New Jim Crow was initially published with a modest first printing and reasonable expectations for a hard-hitting book on a tough topic. Now, ten-plus printings later, the long-awaited paperback version of the book Lani Guinier calls “brave and bold, and Pulitzer Prize-winner David Levering Lewis calls “stunning, will at last be available.

In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. Yet, as legal star Michelle Alexander reveals, today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once you're labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service are suddenly legal.

Featured on The Tavis Smiley Show, Bill Moyers Journal, Democracy Now, and C-Span Washington Journal, The New Jim Crow has become an overnight phenomenon, sparking a much-needed conversation including a recent mention by Cornel West on Real Time with Bill Maher&mdas;about ways in which our system of mass incarceration has come to resemble systems of racial control from a different era.

Start Date: February 21, 2017

Finish Date: April 3, 2017

Rating:★★★★★

Review:

     This was truly amazing and downright informative! I learned things I didn't know, things were bought to my attention that I did know, and this just made me want to inform others of what I now know. It's upsetting to me that a book this good and honest does not have as big a media following as other books. This is not a book that is police bashing or bias it simply states the facts of what is going on in American society thoroughly. I believe this should be considered required reading for high school students. I absolutely recommend this book to literally EVERYONE, any age and any race, this is a read I feel that people need to digest and understand.