Review: Nothing Else But Miracles

By Kate Albus

New York: Margaret Ferguson Books, Holiday House, 2023. 278 pages.

Dory Byrne lives in the Lower East Side in New York City during WWII. Her mom previously passed away and her pop is off fighting in the war. Older brother Fish (17) is watching Dory and younger brother Pike while all three of them go to school. Pop always says that the “neighborhood will give you what you need.” So, when a new landlord threatens the home they live in, Dory looks to the neighborhood to see how it can keep them safe.

This is a great historical fiction story with loads of details about New York City, the Lower East Side, the Statue of Liberty, and even Coney Island. Dory is a character with a lot of spunk and readers will learn with her as she works through growing up and dealing with all the feelings that come with various stressful situations. Fans of middle grade historical fiction will love Dory’s story.

Comments

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: The Teacher of Nomad Land

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story By Daniel Nayeri Montclair, NJ: Levine Querido, 2025. Historical fiction. 181 pgs. In 1941 Iran, 13-year-old Babak will do anything to stay with his younger sister Sana, who is 8. After their father is killed during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, the siblings are left orphaned and Babak takes over guardianship to prevent the two from being separated. Carrying his father's blackboard on his back, Babak and Sana set off from Isfahan to find the nomadic tribes as they make their yearly trek across the mountains. Along the way, they encounter a suspicious man named Vulf, a friendly Englishman with a name that means cabbage, and a Jewish boy named Ben who has Vulf hot on his heels. As he is known for doing, Daniel Nayeri weaves a highly readable adventure with threads of philosophy about God, the ties of family, and musings about how cultures can reconcile across differences. The setting of this novel is ingeniously unique, and a lengt...

Dog Man Read Alikes

Dog Man is a popular graphic novel for middle graders all about the adventures of a half-man, half-dog police officer. With 14 books in the series, many readers can't get enough of these hilarious stories! If your child is looking for more books like Dog Man, here are some great options to try out. Dex Dingo: World's Best Greatest Ever... Inventor By Greg Foley Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Comic. 157 pages. Dex Dingo doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. His classmates all seem to know, but he just doesn't feel like he is the BEST at anything. When a class assignment challenges him to figure out what he wants to be, he decides he wants to become the world's best ever inventor! Filled with beautifully drawn spreads and kid-approved humor, this book is sure to please any Dog Man fan. Troubling Tonsils Written by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 71 pages. ...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog