MISS PICKEL'S PICKS

   These are such great books! I read the first book in James Ponti's City Spies series, about a group of teens   who work for MI6 and travel the world on secret missions, and I thought it was great! I'm excited to continue that series, but in the meantime I decided to start on the Sherlock Society series and after the first two books I think I like this series even more! Ms Fair and I heard Ponti speak at a library conference while he was writing the first book; he lives in Florida and he was excited to write a series based in his home state.  This series is set in and around Miami and by the end of the first book I totally wanted to move there! The series follows Alex Sherlock, who starts the Sherlock Society with his sister Zoe and his friends Lina and Yadi. Because the four of them are only in middle school they need someone to drive them around, so Alex and Zoe enlist their grandfather to be part of the team. He is a retired reporter and he has a whole storage u...

  I could not wait to read this book because I loved the last book I read by Jodi Meadows, Bye Forever, I Guess . This book was even better! This was the perfect cozy read for November - I curled up with a cup of hot chocolate and flew right through it! First of all, this has to be one of my favorite covers of all time. I need to look the illustrator up to see if she’s worked on any graphic novels! I also loved the storyline and seeing how Virginia, the main character, grows throughout the novel. At the beginning of the book Virginia is part of the popular clique even though she feels like she has to hide parts of herself to stay in it, like the fact that she adores volunteering at the library and has a crush on Grayson Jennings, who is deemed uncool by Mary Heather, the Queen Bee of the group. When the other girls start teasing Virginia about Grayson in their group chat she says some mean things about him to deflect from the fact that she actually likes him. Then she has a falling...

  This book was so good! It's told from the perspective of four teens: twins Addison and Mason, their cousin Natalia, and their soon to be stepbrother Theo. They are all gathered in a luxury resort in Cancun to celebrate the engagement of Addison and Mason's mom to Theo's dad. Addison, Mason, and Natalia used to be really close until The Incident three years ago. Since then they have barely talked and they all arrive in Cancun harboring their own secrets. Theo feels like the ultimate outsider, trying to navigate this new family as the relatives are avoiding each other. The book is told in alternating chapters from the four main characters' points of view and as the reader you slowly learn about their family dynamics and the secrets everyone is keeping. I loved the multiple viewpoints and the way the story unfolded; I felt like the pacing was perfect! I also enjoyed the supporting characters, especially Natalia's little sister Mia. The beach setting was also great an...

Ingrid is quiet, cautious, and not always sure where she fits in. But when life pushes her to re-examine her friendships and lean into new opportunities, she discovers that true connection comes from surrounding yourself with people who genuinely care about you. With heart, humor, and even a dash of social media fun (from Ingrid  and  her grandmother!), this story celebrates the courage it takes to find your voice. I was so excited to read this one because Jodi Meadows is one of the three authors behind the  Lady Janies  series, which are super fun retellings of famous historical figures. I really connected with Ingrid - she reminds of myself in middle school. I liked watching her slowly overcome her shyness and appreciate her true friends. My favorite part of the book is that Ingrid’s grandmother has a knitting channel on YouTube. It kind of inspired me to maybe start a vlog this winter!