Maple Grove Fall Book Reviews

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald

Recommended by librarian Rose Ryan for kids

Charlie Joe Jackson is not only well-liked in middle school, he’s also well known as the kid who hates to read. He’s managed to get this far without reading books by having an arrangement with his friend – one ice cream sandwich in exchange for information about the book. When the friend’s price starts to rise, Charlie Joe is forced into all kinds of antics in order keep his reputation.

 

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Recommended by senior librarian Kathryn Zimmerman for teens

Brooklyn Pierce makes bad decisions. At age 2, she fell down a mine shaft and became a national news story. At 15, she hosts a party and accidentally burns down a house. Afterwards, Brooklyn loses her best friend, is sentenced to community service, and grounded by her angry parents. Desperate, she starts a blog asking readers to make decisions for her. Soon, she’s doing things she’d never chose for herself, like trying out for rugby and joining the debate team. But can her readers be trusted to make the right choices about the cute new boy at school? And will Brooklyn ever learn to make good decisions for herself?

 

The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane

Recommended by librarian Ann Pieri for adults

As a young girl, Hope Willis woke to a shadowy figure kidnapping her identical twin, Felicity, from her bed. Now, 32 years later, Hope’s daughter, Krissy, is abducted from kindergarten. How can the same nightmare happen twice? Are the two crimes connected? Hope immediately hires Forensic Instincts, a cutting-edge criminal profiling team, to find Krissy. Packed with suspicious characters and clues, Kane’s psychological thriller takes you on a wild race to save a missing child.  –Courtesy of Maple Grove Library