Reading Roundup: March 2013

By the Numbers
Teen: 13
Tween: 15
Children: 12

Sources
Review Copies: 11
Library: 23

Standouts
Teen: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
When I picked this up, I thought it would be just another cookie-cutter dystopia with a tired romance. That couldn't be farther from the truth. With a unique setting and premise, this was easily my favorite book all month.
Tween: Under Shifting Glass by Nicky Singer
Another book that wasn't quite what I expected. Touching on the big mysteries of life, death, and faith without being too glib or pat-answery about any of it, this is a book to start kids thinking.
Children: Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming
A fascinating book about a fascinating woman. I only ever knew the legend and Fleming's biography brought her to life, warts and all.

Because I Want To Awards
Good for a Laugh: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
Rennison's follow-up series to the Georgia Nicolson books is as goofy and entertaining as the former, even if I wasn't terribly clear on what was going on half the time.
Gothic-o-Rama!: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
I predicted a couple of months ago that Gothic themes were going to be A Thing. This retelling of the Bluebeard story in antebellum Mississippi is as Gothic as they come. Unfortunately, that includes a protagonist too stupid to get out while the gettin' is good.
You Want to Do What Now?: Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi
I don't think I've ever seen a character who wants to be a mortician when they grow up. Have you? Violi gets points for making this a non-morbid and carefully-thought-out choice on the part of her heroine.
And Again with the Kiddie Noir: The Trouble With Chickens by Doreen Cronin
While this was a fun book for this adult, do kids get this style? I've always been curious.