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MADreads Reviews

Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Shine on

Posted by Janelle C on Apr 1, 2025 - 4:36pm

An important book on colonization and stolen cultural artifacts, And Yet You Shine by Supriya Kelkar follows the story of India's Kohinoor diamond. Its journey from India to the United Kingdom is rife with horrors due to the many hands that want to grab ahold of it. But despite the bloodshed, deception, and even disfiguring that the diamond goes through, it continues to shine. The mixed media illustrations are vividly beautiful, but far more importantly, the message throughout the book is clear: the perpetual unfairness of colonization must be acted upon and reversed.

Is it me?

Posted by Jane J on Mar 31, 2025 - 7:16pm
Fran
Littlewood

I think most kids who have siblings wonder, "am I my parents' favorite?". If you could know, would you want to? And what happens when you discover you're not the favorite?

Jason Reynolds's first romance novel

Posted by Molly W on Mar 28, 2025 - 4:36pm

Jason Reynolds's take on a teen romance is unlike anything I was expecting and more than I ever imagined.  For starters, it's told from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy named Neon.  It tackles the difficult subject of intimacy as Neon freaks out in a bathroom, cycling through the timeline of his entire romantic relationship.  

Stacks of deliciousness

Posted by Abby R on Mar 25, 2025 - 4:36pm
A review of Noodles on a Bicycle by
Kyo
Maclear

Long before the days of cellphones and food delivery apps, demae (cycling deliverymen) used bicycles and amazing acrobatic balancing skills to deliver trays of steaming soba (buckwheat) noodles to hungry residents of Tokyo. The neighborhood kids all wonder, how do they manage those tottering towers of tasty food and stacks of breakable dishes while steering through the crowded streets with one hand on the handlebars? What would happen if the kids tried that too?

A match made at the inn

Posted by Jane J on Mar 24, 2025 - 9:40pm
Alice
Coldbreath
Mina's well-ordered life is thrown into disarray when her father drops a bombshell on his deathbed, she has a brother she never knew of. Not only that, he is on his way to rescue her from the collapse of their school under a mountain of debts. A wild journey across country later, Mina finds herself thrown at the feet of the brutish William Nye, prize-fighter and owner of a disreputable inn, The Merry Harlot. Respectable Mina is appalled to find herself obliged to wed this surly stranger! Forced to draw on reserves of inner strength she never knew she possessed, Mina uncovers perilous secrets and bravely carves herself a new life at the side of this man, as she proves herself a more than worthy partner for the prize-fighter.

He'll shake the universe

Posted by Jane J on Mar 19, 2025 - 7:51am
A review of Empire of Silence by
Christopher
Ruocchio

I knew nothing about Ruocchio's debut, first in the Sun Eater series, other than it's pretty long, it's going to take a long time to read. If I say I finished it in a couple days, you'll get an idea as to how exhilarating it was and how much I loved it.

Singing in celebration

Posted by Abby R on Mar 18, 2025 - 4:36pm
A review of Joyful Song by
Leslea
Newman
There's a new baby at Zachary's house and he is thrilled to be a big brother. Best of all, it's his sister's very first Shabbat, and today she will be welcomed into her Jewish faith community when her name is announced publicly for the first time. On the walk to the synagogue, Zachary, Mama and Mommy encounter many neighbors eager to meet the newest member of the family. "Want to come with us to her naming ceremony?" Zachary invites. Of course they all do, and of course we readers want to come, too!

Dreaming Big

Posted by Holly SP on Mar 14, 2025 - 2:40pm
A review of The Dream Catcher by
Marcelo
Verdad
Miguel Ángel lives with his Abuelo, and every day the two of them head off to work today. Abuelo sells coconuts, and Miguelito sells homemade dreamcatchers that his Mom taught him to make, saving coins to put in his airplane jar.

2025 Plutarch Award Longlist

Posted by Kathy K on Mar 11, 2025 - 2:05pm

Are biographies your cup of tea? Then check the annual longlist of best biographies.

When the crossbow comes out, dear reader, run for your life

Posted by Molly W on Mar 5, 2025 - 5:36pm
A review of Victorian Psycho by
Virginia
Feito

I predict this book will be the next sensation.  Everyone is going to be talking about it.  It's about a bloodthirsty governess named Winifred Notty and the havoc she wrecks upon her employers, the esteemed Pounds family of Ensor House in Grim Wolds, England.  I should clarify that the murderous mayhem is not limited to Ensor House.  Really, nothing within England is safe with Miss Notty around.  She is a character who will not be contained by man or beast or ghost or plague.

"Just us time" for the win

Posted by Holly SP on Mar 5, 2025 - 5:36pm
A review of My Daddy is a Cowboy by
Stephanie
Seales

This gorgeous books tells the story of a young girl who wakes up before the sun for a chance to ride with her Daddy, just the two of them. After collecting apple slices from Abuelita, they are out the door before the sun is up, feeding and grooming the horses under a starry sky. Our protagonist usually rides after school, but today is special because she gets to ride through the streets, like a cowboy, like her Daddy. As the sky starts to lighten, they ride past houses with darkened windows, past the panadería with layered cakes in the window, waving at the few cars that drive by. 

Those who are lost

Posted by Jane J on Mar 4, 2025 - 10:48am
Nick
Medina

In his debut novel Nick Medina blends mystery, suspense and a touch of supernatural horror in a story that focuses on the disappearance of indigenous women. At the heart of the story is Anna Horn who is finishing high school and trying to figure out her place on the rez and in her tribe. While grappling with her own struggles, and feeling haunted by a entity of ancient myth, Anna is forced to reckon with a larger battle. Women on the reservation are going missing and no one seems to care. It becomes personal, and more immediate, when two women in Anna's life are lost.