I got these interesting books before last week but as things were super hectic at the end of March with my kids getting sick and my workshops winding down, here they are now. This meme is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. You should check out her blog and see what others have received and to play along.


How to Make a Bird by Martine Murray

Amazon synopsis:
It's dawn, on an empty road in the countryside. Empty, except for the girl in the long, red evening gown, standing next to a bicycle, and looking back at the home she's about to leave. Mannie wants to forget the terrible things that have happened here, but there are questions that need to ba answered before she can let go. Queations about her elegant but unstable mother, her brother Eddie who's always overshadowed her, and his friend Harry Jacob, who might or might not be Mannie's boyfriend. Mannie needs to find out what really happened, and her only clue is an unfamiliar address in the city, written on a scrap of paper found in Eddie's room. As Mannie makes her way into town, the mystery of this vulnerable, quirky girl is revealed piece by piece in a story about growing up and listening to your heart.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Amazon synopsis:
It's 1962 and it seems that everyone is living in fear. Eleven-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, and can feel the fear of the nation in the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amid the pervading threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits into her family, and learn to look beyond outward appearance. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a life-changing week. From award-winning author Deborah Wiles, this first entry in a new Sixties Trilogy tells the story of one girl with insight, warmth, and hope, set against the backdrop of one of the most politically and culturally defining periods in history.


Trackers by Patrick Carman

Amazon synopsis:
In the 21st century landscape of bits and bytes, everyone leaves a digital footprint--even the most advanced cyber criminals. And that's where the Trackers come in. Four tech-savvy kids armed with high-tech video cameras and esoteric coding skills, the trackers can find almost anyone, anywhere. Through a collage of videos, text, and websites, Trackers #1 follows Adam, Finn, Lewis and Emily as they become entangled in a high-tech, high-stakes game of cat and mouse with Shantorian, the world's most dangerous hacker. At least, that's who they think they're tracking... As the four dig deeper into the shadowy world of online crime, they soon learn that things aren't always as they seem.

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis

Amazon synopsis:
Much to his father’s disappointment, Neftalí is not like other children. Frail and painfully shy, he spends most of his time alone: collecting treasures, reading, writing, and daydreaming. While his father plans to build him into a robust doctor, Neftalí has other longings stirring inside him. The natural world in his native Chile and the painful injustices he witnesses there move him equally. How Neftalí reconciles his own dreams with his father’s is at the heart of this inspiring, radiant, and profoundly moving story of self-discovery. Pam Muñoz Ryan weaves sound poems and thoughtprovoking questions into her exquisitely crafted prose to create a narrative tapestry of color, rhythm, and emotion, while Peter Sís’s delicate, mesmerizing drawings transport readers to the lushness of the rainforest, the vastness of the sea, and the whimsy of Neftalí’s imagination.

So what did you get in your mailbox last week?