CONSENT by Nancy Ohlin.  New York: Simon Pulse, 2015.  269p. ISBN: 978-1442464902 hc. $17.99       Gr. 9-12      YA FIC

This challenging tale scores points for exposure, diversity, and open-mindedness.  Bea struggles with family and friend relationships, and has fallen in love with her teacher, who reciprocates her feelings.  As an added complication to their relationship, Bea is not yet an adult.  Under-aged consent becomes the major theme and struggle in Bea's tale.  Ohlin introduces these layering struggles with relationships from the voice of an unreliable narrator: an authentic teenager.  Throughout, Bea's artistic connection to her music brings light amid the struggle.  In the end, some aspects are smoothed over, and the story prefers romance over preaching a lesson, which leaves it to readers to decide for themselves about the conflicts and ultimate resolution.  This is a good option if you are looking for a safe experience to expose youth to the ideas and conflicts surrounding consent, relationships, and how to turn experiences, even negative ones, into stepping stones as they move into the adult world.
Chelsea Paige, Young Adult Specialist, Dickinson County Library, Iron Mountain, MI

FARAWAY FOX by Jolene Thompson.  Illus. by Justin Thompson. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. 32p. ISBN: 978-0544707115 hc. $17.99   Gr. K-3   E PIC

A young fox tells his story of confusion and separation from his family in a landscape that has changed greatly from his days as a kit.  He speaks of happy memories when the land was wild, playing with his sister, swimming with his brother, and learning to hunt with his mother.  The images on the page depict a very different environment in comparison to his memories.  We see the human encroachment,and the loneliness of the fox is palpable as he wonders where his family members are.  He finally stumbles upon human beings constructing a highway wildlife underpass, which allows him to find his way to the woods and reunites with his family.  This is an important message that shows how intrusive human beings can be for wildlife, yet offers the  positive picture that there are people working to improve conditions and safety for these animals.  The illustrations are beautiful and heartbreaking as the reader roots for the little fox to find his way home.
Emily Cummings, Children's Specialist, Dickinson County Library, Iron Mountain, MI

ENORMOUS SMALLNESS: A Story of E.E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess. Illus. by Kris Di Giacomo, Enchanted Lion Books, 2015. 32p. ISBN 978-1592701711 hc, $17.95   Gr. 2-5   JUV NF

Feast your eyes on this picture book biography of a most unusual poet who wrote his thoughts on paper without the constraints of capital letters or punctuation.  He used his words sparingly, but formatted the poems with artistic whimsy, which makes them so much fun to read.  Burgess and the illustrator, Kris Di Giacomo, use textured layers and muted tones of color, along with strategic placement of words in the illustrations, to present the childhood, education, and early adulthood of Edward Estlin Cummings.  His love of nature and playfulness with language are evident in the five original poems imbedded into the text.  This, along with the large illustrations, make it all the better to read aloud to an audience of young poets.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN ROBOTS by Louise Simonson & Jimena Sanchez. Minnesota: Stone Arch Books, 2015 40p. ISBN 978-1434296528 pbk. $5.95  Gr. 3-6   JUV Graphic

This amazing update on Snow White is part of the “Far Out Fairy Tales” series of graphic novels based on traditional fairy tales which have, over time, been adapted into movies and retold through various authors and illustrators.  However, making “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” into a graphic novel and replacing the dwarves with robots who mine jewels on a distant planet is a first!  The alliance between Snow White and her protectors is similar to the original story, as is the rivalry between Snow White and the queen, who wants to eliminate anyone who is qualified to take over her powerful position.  The most significant difference between the old and new fairy tale, besides taking place in outer space, is that Snow White’s primary asset of beauty has been replaced by her intelligence and bravery.  She knows electronics and how to navigate a spaceship through the galaxy.   Modern readers (especially girls) will identify with a strong character who relies on brain power in this futuristic adventure!
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

LOVE & GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch. New York: Simon Pulse, 2016. 389p.  ISBN978-14814-35=2542 hc. $17.99      Gr. 7-10    YA FIC

Lina's still in shock from her mother's death by way of incurable, inoperable cancer,  Her mom's dying wish is that Lina travel to Italy to live with her father for the summer.  A father she never knew existed.  Her mother also sends a journal containing information about the year she spent in Italy sixteen years ago.  Besides reading the journal and trying to unravel the mysteries found on its pages, Lina is being introduced to the many flavors of gelato and meeting new friends from the she'll attend in the fall (if she stays).  Two of those new friends are very handsome and both interested in her.  Will she repeat the mistakes of her mother's past - or learn to make better choices as she finds out more about herself too?
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

MY NEAR-DEATH ADVENTURES: I Almost Died, Again by Alison DeCamp.  New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2016. 279p. ISBN 978-038539048-4 hc. $16.99    Gr. 3-6   JUV

The adventures continue as Stanley moves back to St. Ignace after living in a logging camp near Manistique on the north shore of Lake Michigan.  He's still trying to get rich quick to save his hardworking mother from having to marry the horrible, but wealthy, Mr. Crutchley.  He's still afraid of his very mean grandmother and his cousin Geri.  However, Geri has pleurisy and is the inspiration for various "cure-all" concoctions that Stanley hopes will bring Geri back to health and make him rich in the process.  Meanwhile, Stanley is earning money by taking care of seven year-old Cuddy who's a straight man next to Stanley's outrageous ideas and habit of saying what's on his mind without realizing he's talking out loud.  On top of his usual troubles, Stanley meets his father face to face and is drawn to him like a moth to the flame, even though he's a notorious character with a mean streak. This story is fast paced and entertaining.  DeCamp has made it visually interesting by adding vintage postcards, photographs, and ads from newspapers and catalogs, all from the 1890's.  This Michigan author has found a treasure in Stanley, who made his debut in MY NEAR-DEATH ADVENTURES: 99% True (2015).
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

BOO! HAIKU by Deanna Caswell. Illus. by Bob Shea.  New York: Abrams Appleseed, 2016. 32p.  ISBN 978-141972118-2 hc.$12.95    PreS - Gr. 2      E PIC

Readers will recognize the familiar pattern of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?" as the Halloween related object introduces the next object with "a spooky haiku just for you."   A skeleton, spider, jack-o-lantern, and seven more items appear as you turn the page from each descriptive haiku in extra large lettering.  This book is interactive, making it perfect for reading aloud to one child or a group of children.  Bob Shea's illustrations provide stark contrast between the object and its background, making it easy to recognize each Halloween item at a range of reading distances.  If you like this book, try using poetry to learn about animals with GUESS WHO HAIKU, created by the same writing team.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI