This is a book

that makes me want to jump and shout!  Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World was just awesome.  Just awesome.
Ivy is a fantastic character, and so is June.  Although I did keep thinking of Faith, Hope and Ivy June every time I heard their names! 
Just so good.  So good.  I loved Ivy's best friend, too.  This book is one of the best books I have ever read about LBGTQ issues, but it is WAY more than that because it is just one of the best books I have ever read for middle grades on any topic, with any kind of characters.  Ashley Herring Blake has that way of just getting into the young mind/character, etc. like Andrew Clements, she just puts you THERE.  So good highly recommended and so NOT predictable and more of the same old same old. 

Who am I?

Louisiana's Way Home is about self-discovery and finding home.  And man, Kate DiCamillo can write from and for the heart, can't she?  The character of Louisiana Elephante was introduced in Raymie Nightingale which was just another incredible book.  A sweet and powerful story. 

How Long, O Lord, How Long?

until all are liberated?

It used to be that I would read historical or period fiction or history and think, "We have made improvements, we still have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.  We must keep going."  But these days...sadly, sadly...we are not just pulling over to the side, we are regressing.  And it is frightening.  And while I always have been a Heaven person, not so much a Kingdom on earth person, though I try to be, now it is much harder.  I don't know...will liberation come on earth as it is in Heaven?  Will equality come on earth as it is in Heaven.  Yes, I must, we all must, keep trying.  But things do not look good at all.

The Liberation of Gabriel King takes place in the summer of 1976.  I was four years old that summer and didn't know much, of course and this is the first period or historical fiction I have read that focuses on racial inequality and prejudice.  It is very, very well done.

Before and After

The Ethan I was Before has a great cover and a great title and it really is a great book.  I just thought that the end dragged just a wee-wee bit with the fox cubs.  The fox cubs were the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star for me, but I get why they were important.  This was an incredibly powerful book.  If there could have been some other way to work in heroism/sacrifice by Coralee, for me, this would have been one of the best books I read all year.  Highly recommended, but the foxes just took a lot a way for me. 

Loved

If I Was Your Girl,  I REALLY liked so much about this book.  No, I will just say it, I really liked this book!
I thought the way that faith was handled was really well done.   And I liked that it was just a love story, too.  And I loved Meredith Russo's note at the end.
Here is something to think about if you google Meredith Russo.  There are some hater sites out there.  And if you look at the sites that make mention of Russo, you will see that these sites have a distinct flavor to them.  Just please remember that in legal/divorce cases there are often stipulations that parties do not disclose information.  Also cases that just "die" and charges and followed up, often do so because they were false!  Just please look at the sources.
Many, many thanks to Russo for this work and blessings to her for future books as well.