Review: What Fell From the Sky

By Adrianna Cuevas

New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2025. Fiction. 291 pages.

Pineda is used to feeling different from everyone around him as the only Cuban-American in his small Texas town in the 1950s. So when he encounters a blue-skinned humanoid alien girl that he names Louisa, he knows that he has to help her find her parents and get back home. The big problem? His town has been overrun by soldiers simulating a Communist take over. The soldiers are pretending to be enemy soldiers who overthrow the city government to test how citizens would respond to a hostile takeover.

This book has something for everyone, an interesting blend of science fiction with historical fiction. So whether your child would like to hear about Cold War-era tensions or just wants to know how to hide an alien from everyone around them, this book will be loved by all. If you were a fan of last year's Newbery winner The First State of Being, this book is a natural read-alike.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

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Review: Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...

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