Hot Books for Summer

Hi there, Bookworms! Dragon here, back again to give you some book suggestions. I recently read Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. 

Let me tell you, you are going to love this book! The main character, Aven Green, has such a great personality. In the beginning, Aven and her family move to Stagecoach Pass in Arizona because her parents get a job there. Aven struggles with the move, missing her friends, and feeling apprehensive about making new friends. You see, Aven was born without arms. When people ask her about it (which they constantly do) she usually concocts a crazy story to explain why she doesn't have arms. 

Through the course of the book, readers get to know Aven's personality. She lives her life in just a slightly different way and does almost anything a person with arms can do. Aven's upbeat, can-do attitude, and fun personality shine through, which she attributes to how her parents raised her. As Aven adjusts to living in Stagecoach Pass, at a theme park nonetheless, she starts to make connections with a couple of kids in her middle school. She connects with one of her classmates, Connor,  who also has some anxieties about making friends. Aven is a true friend to him, and Connor, in return, challenges Aven to keep chasing her dreams when she is uncertain if she can fit in. 

Along the way, there is even a mystery to solve as Aven notices odd things about the owner of the theme park. Why are the pictures of the owner all taken down? Why are Aven's initials all over boxes in the storage shed? What is up with the quirky old man at the ice cream shop who keeps calling her Aven, although he's never met her? As Aven begins to investigate, she starts to become more comfortable with the people of Stagecoach Pass, and even suggests a festival to boost the park's economy. It may just save her parent's job. I really liked the main character in this book. Aven is amazing - talented, funny, and great at making friends. This book will leave you with warmth in your heart, and wanting to read Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus (book #2 where Aven enters high school. Eeep!). I hope you pick up a copy from our library, or get on Sora and read the eBook like I did. You won't be sorry! The humor in this book and the message it gives to readers is worth the journey to hot, dusty Stagecoach Pass.

The second book that I recommend to absolutely every middle grade reader fan is The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart. Coyote and her dad live in an old bus traveling across

the country to wherever their hearts take them. They seem carefree, but there's a sadness there, too, as you learn early on that the five years Coyote and her dad have been traveling stems from the death of Coyote's mom and sisters. Coyote feels the need to go "home" to retrieve a precious memento before it is lost to construction in her neighborhood. She makes a plan to get her dad to drive them home to Washington without him knowing what's up. Along the way, Coyote and her dad pick up some travelers, and chaos ensues. By the end of this book, I was loving Coyote and also crying about the loss of her family. This book does have a happy ending, but Coyote and her dad have to face their loss and lean on each other so they can heal. My favorite thing about this book besides the adventure is what I learned from Coyote Sunrise - even though a heart breaks, that is an opportunity for it to grow fuller and mend. This book was recommended to me by my favorite librarian, and I pay it forward by recommending it to you! 😊

Love to you all, 

Dragon