I know I’d listed three books for this month, but life and a last minute vacation got in the way! I’ve moved one book to March and hope to get more reading done this month!

The Someday Suitcase– Corey Ann Haydu

Middle Grade Realistic Fiction

Clover and Danny are the kind of best friends who make each other better: Clover makes lists, and Danny makes fun. Clover is thoughtful and quiet and loves science, Danny is chatty and funny and loves art. They’re so important to each other that Clover believes they’re symbiotic: her favorite science word, which describes two beings who can’t function without the other.

I loved this book for so many reasons! Corey Ann Haydu tackles a very tough issue: How do deal with the loss of a friend when you’re in fifth grade? Haydu does it by creating two lovable characters who’s friendship is the focus of the book. It is Clover’s love for Danny that sets her on a quest to discover a cure for Danny’s fatal illness as only a scientist could. She gathers evidence, comes up with a hypotheses and tests her hypotheses in an attempt to cure her friend. I won’t tell you if she’s successful or not, but the story is a heartwarming look at friendship, family and acceptance.

A great novel for young readers!

Quiet Lessons for the Introvert Soul– Gabriela Casineau

Gabriela is a Canadian author that I met (virtually) when I published my first book. She’s made it her mission to help introverts realize that their challenges can also be their strengths. This is her second book about introverts, her first was Introverts Job Search, and in it she interviews introverts and identifies how they have overcome what they perceive as challenges, to be successful. Each chapter contains an interview followed by her analysis of the skills used by the interviewee. The books offers a number of strategies for introverts, but would be a good read for any extroverts seeking to understand the introverts in their lives.