Ms. Brown Recommends

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia lives in the world of Orleans, and she is a Belle, one of the favored who control Beauty. Beauty is the most important thing in the court of Orleans, where the average person is born gray and despised until they can become Beautiful with the help of a Belle. Camellia also want's to be the favorite of the Queen, but being the favorite has a bad side and soon Camellia finds out that being a Belle is not all that it is cracked up to be.

I loved this book from the main character, to the lovely writing, to the pretty cover. Clayton has a beautiful way with words, and she made me care about the characters so I kept turning those pages. In our own world, girls are often made to believe they must be pretty in order to be worthy, so the topic was near and dear to my heart.

The Belles is a fantasy that will keep you up late into the evening wanting to know what happens next.

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

This really short book starts violently. Cole Mathews, a kid from Alaska, comes from an abusive family and one day he takes his anger out on a guy named Peter and beats him up BAD in a parking lot. It's so bloody that Peter will be damaged for the rest of his life.

Cole wants to avoid prison, so he chooses a restorative justice program and is sent to a deserted Alaskan island to live alone for a while and think about what he has done. He is attacked and mauled by a great white bear, and must survive his own injuries while trying to stay alive.

I enjoyed this quick read and how Cole changes his heart to confront his own actions, and leave his hurt in the past.

Want more recommendations? Send me your own, or come see me in the world famous Maxcine Haymon Lowe library!

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