Author: Shannon Messenger Keeper of the Lost Cities is about a 12-year-old girl, Sophie Foster, who is a high school senior and child prodigy and who has never felt like she’s belonged anywhere (most especially since she can hear other peoples’ thoughts).  When a boy named Fitz meets Sophie and reveals to her that she is an elf and a telepath, Sophie is stunned.  But, even after Fitz takes Sophie to the Lost Cities (where elves and other fantasy creatures live), Sophie still feels like an outcast.  When Sophie learns of a threat that threatens both the human and the elf worlds, she needs to find some way to save…

Authors: Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott Can You See Me? is about a 12-year-old autistic girl, Tally, who like many girls has only just recently been diagnosed with autism.  Tally is also getting ready to start middle school which she’s quite nervous about, as people in middle school are not as accepting of Tally’s traits as they were in elementary school.  The only person who knows about Tally being autistic is her “best friend” Layla but, when Layla starts acting in ways that she’s never acted before, Tally starts to wonder if her “friends” are worth being friends with and if she should start being more open about her experiences…

The Beatryce Prophecy is about a young girl, Beatryce, who is mysteriously found one day by a monk named Brother Edik who lives in the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing with a mischievous goat named Answelica.  Beatryce can’t remember anything except her own name; and with the help of Brother Edik, Answelica and a lighthearted boy named Jack Dory, Beatryce goes on a quest to find out who she really and truly is.  Kate Dicamillo is one of my favorite authors!  I’ve read most of her books (The Tale of Despereaux, Flora and Ulysses and and the Raymie Nightingale series are some of my favorites!) and have really enjoyed…

The Lightning Thief (the first book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) is about a 12-year-old boy, Percy Jackson, who’s been in and out of multiple schools due to people not understanding his neurodivergence and who struggles with problems at home with his abusive step-dad.  Percy starts noticing weird things happening (like vanishing math teachers and people with hooves around his school), and wonders what’s going on.  Percy soon learns that he’s actually the son of a Greek god (which would make him a demi-god) and is being chased by monsters out to get him.  So, Percy is taken to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp designed especially for…

Author: J.K Rowling So, for the first time ever, I read a Harry Potter book.  I’d never expressed any interest in reading the series but decided to give it a shot and ended up really enjoying it.  I have several thoughts, most of which have to do with neurodiversity/autism, that have come to me after reading my first Harry Potter.  I hope that you will enjoy hearing my thoughts! Disclaimer: I do not support any of J.K Rowling’s discriminatory views.  I’m very passionate about social justice and do not stand for discrimination of any sort.  Her views have hit me hard as well since some of her discriminatory comments were…

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson Today I’m going to be reviewing a book I really enjoyed, a book that was actually a banned book.  When Speak was published back in 1999, it received positive reviews from critics and was a bestseller; and the book was made into a movie in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart, but it seems like the movie went unnoticed when it came out.  I hadn’t heard of it at all before I read the book.  However, despite the book’s positive reception, it was banned by many schools/libraries across the U.S.  The reason behind the ban was because of the novel’s inclusion of rape, language, and a supposed bias…