Parenthetical.net

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Parenthetical.net bookshelf

Becoming Naomi Leon, by Pam Munoz Ryan

May 13th, 2010 · 2 Comments

Naomi and her little brother Owen are content living with their great-grandmother in a trailer park — Naomi carves soap into animal shapes, hangs out with the (clearly flaming, even though the text doesn’t say so explicitly) librarian at school, and watches Wheel of Fortune every night with Gram and her best friend Fabiola. But [...]

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Cybils: The Plain Janes & Janes in Love, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

December 1st, 2008 · 3 Comments

(Janes in Love is the nominated book, but I went back and read The Plain Janes first, so I’ll review them together. It’s not necessary background, but it certainly helped.)
PJ opens with a terrorist bomb going off in Metro City, killing a number of people, and injuring more — including Jane. She’s fine, [...]

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Cybils: Emiko Superstar, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston

November 30th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Emi was always kind of a geek by default, but this summer her geeky friends have headed off to a “young executives retreat.” Emi decides that’s not her scene, so she’s stuck at home in the Toronto ‘burbs, baby-sitting for her American neighbors, the Cutheberts. (The dad is big and blond; his grin [...]

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