Lucy loves math. She loves precise definitions and phenomena that can be explained. She loves solutions.

There is one aspect that does not fit into her world view of calculations and exact answers. Her younger brother Theo was born with a heart defect. His short life was filled with doctors and hospitals and treatments. Now he is gone, leaving behind grieving parents and his sister Lucy.

Mom and dad decide that the best way to cope with their loss is to move to a new town. They select a city that has suffered a profound loss. Four years ago, a deranged shooter entered the elementary school, killing and injuring many inside the building. 

Lucy’s anguish as she witnessed her brother's painfilled demise stretch over five years is both similar and very different from the public tragedy that instantly affected the entire community.

It begins with dragonflies. Dragonflies flitting everywhere in a sultry Louisiana town.
Kingston James, known as King, has become fixated with dragonflies. There’s a reason for his obsession. After his older brother Khalid suddenly and tragically dies, King is convinced that his brother has morphed into a dragonfly. Whenever he sees one of these large-eyed iridescent insects he feels that Khalid is nearby.

Callender tells a compelling story of grief and the oppressive burden that death places on a family. The loss of his brother has cast a pall over King’s home. Familiar family routines have been set aside. There is now an empty place at the table. The family dynamic is fractured.

One of the few constants for King is Sandy Sanders. Sandy is the friend he can confide in, can talk with about things that really matter. The two friends share a love for anime and manga, spending spend hours sketching characters and discussing their favorite stories.
To please his brother, King has severed this treasured friendship because Sandy is gay. Khalid convinced King that he should not associate with gays.

Born in the Philippines but raised in the United States, seventeen-year-old Jay learns that his Filipino cousin is dead. Stunned by the tragedy and his family’s reluctance to divulge any of the details, Jay returns to the land of his birth to ascertain what happened to his gentle, thoughtful relative.
​Tracing the life of Jun is challenging. The family is unwilling to discuss anything about him or his life. Jay suspects a cover-up and wants to learn the truth.
He is startled by what he eventually finds and realizes that surviving can be dangerous for a young man trying to make his way through a drug-infested sub-culture.
Ultimately Jay develops an appreciation for his Filipino heritage and decides to make a major life change.
​Hopeful, heart-wrenching, unforgettable storytelling.

Devastated by the disappearance of her friend, investigative reporter Sara Zapata discovers the astonishing number of young girls who have gone missing. Her published news articles begin to draw attention. As she searches for answers, things take a frightening turn when she discovers that key pieces of information are missing. Her family is threatened and her home is no longer a safe place. Sara learns that her brother may have jeopardized the family's future by a decision which will brings him into the influence of the drug cartel. Will she find her friend? Can she protect her family? Sara will risk all to discover the truth and remain true to herself.

Seeking asylum and crossing the border from Mexico into the United States make this book particularly relevant.

​Pub date: April 26, 2016  Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 978-1338032352

Best friends Libby and May invented Princess X, a comic featuring a sword-wielding warrior princess wearing a gold crown and red sneakers. One fateful night Libby's mother fell asleep while driving across a bridge. The car tumbled into the icy water with Libby and her mother trapped inside. Libby is dead. Princess X is no more.
Three years later May discovers Princess X stickers directing her to a website. She wonders: Why this sudden reappearance of Princess X? May sets off on a dangerous mission to uncover what happened that fateful night. Her quest pits her wits and her nerve against a cunning man with a deranged plan. A can't-put-it-down combination comic and prose thriller. ​​

Wunder Ellis is a miracologist, a person who collects evidence of miracles. From the time he was six years old, he became aware of phenomena that could not be explained with traditional logic. He records and numbers these entries in a journal titled The Miraculous. 

Wunder's faith in miracles is destroyed when his infant sister dies. He no longer believes. He removes all evidence of miracles from his room: a Calendar of the Saints, statues of angels, books and scriptures from many different faiths, and his framed baby photo inscribed with the Willa Cather quote Where there is great love there are always miracles.

The Miraculous is a story of grief, viewed from the perspective of faith. Faith that is lost and faith that is eventually regained. Wunder and his father worship at St. Gerard's, a traditional Christian church. However, the narrative includes references to numerous faith traditions including Jesa, the Korean ceremony to honor the dead, the Hand of Fatima, and the Twin Miracle of the Buddha. His newly found friend Faye wears a black cloak and is a student of the paranormal, specializing in the study of witches and ghosts.

Sometimes it’s not simply that a picture that is worth a thousand words. Blue conveys a wealth of emotion with hues of a single color. Laura Vaccaro Seeger's signature painting style captures the essence of the relationship between a boy and his dog primarily with a variety of blues.
Ingenious cut-outs lead the reader to explore vignettes of the twosome’s shared experiences: exploring outdoors, frolicking at the beach, playing tug-of-war. From infancy, the bond between these companions remains constant through the seasons of their lives: midnight blue, silly blue, stormy blue, chilly blue. Rhymes are subtle and flow naturally, never feeling forced or contrived.

I absolutely did not want to read another book about death. Just like Wallace Wallace in Gordon Korman's Classic No More Dead Dogs, I was finished with books where an important character dies. As a result, little Matylda sat and sat and sat on my shelf. No more dead or dying characters. No more stories about death.
But then... there was that bright orange cover with the striking gecko image. Hard to ignore. Eventually I succumbed and read Matylda, Bright and Tender and I'm thankful that I did.
​Sussy and her best friend Guy are on their way to the local pet shop when a tragic accident takes Guy's life. She is left with excruciatingly painful flashbacks, an emptiness inside that can never be filled and their shared pet gecko. What makes this story of hurt and healing distinctive is the voice of young Sussy. Holly H. McGhee captures the essence of a grieving soul. Narrative carefully straddles but never crosses the line between poignant and maudlin.
This slim middle grade book lives up to its name, a tale that is both bright and tender.

​Prior to reading McGhee's book, I was vaguely aware of leopard geckos, but had little specific knowledge about these fascinating little reptiles and their capability to be excellent pets. Need further convincing? Check out this video.
Just look at that face. Peer into those expressive eyes. Who can resist such little charmers? Not Guy. Not Sussy. Not me.