Wolf by Wolf

Wolf by Wolf
by Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf was hard to put down!
Set in an alternative historical time--Hitler has won World War II and is in power--a girl named Yael has survived brutal treatment and escaped from a Nazi death camp.
Now a teenager, Yael is part of the underground Resistance force, and she has a top secret, very dangerous mission: impersonate a famous German teenager (who happens to be the winner of a prestigious annual motorcycle race) so that she can win the next race, meet Hitler in person, and kill him.
Luckily Yael has some special powers that allow her to "skinshift", the result of horrible human experimentation she underwent as a little girl in the concentration camp.
She can make herself look like anyone.
But that is the easy part...winning the fiercely competitive motorcycle race across the continents, and then figuring out a plan to assassinate Hitler--and escape alive--are two unfathomable challenges she faces.
The sequel to Wolf by Wolf is Blood for Blood...you won't want to miss it!

Lily and Dunkin

Lily and Dunkin
By Donna Gephart

Told through alternating characters/voices, Lily and Dunkin relates the story of two eighth graders dealing with some difficult stuff:
Lily Jo, known to most of her family and school as Timothy, is transgender and weighing her desire to come out as a girl with the consequences of serious bullying at school. And her Dad is having difficulty in coming to terms with his child's true identity.
Dunkin, known to his family and school as Norbert (a name he hates) has just moved to town after a family tragedy. He's struggling with bipolar disorder, and experimenting with being on and off of his prescription medication.
Each of the characters longs to connect with the other but circumstances dictate otherwise, for a while...Ultimately, Lily and Dunkin find the strength each needs to be brave enough to be friends, and to be who they really are.
Make sure you have some tissues handy as you near the end of this heartbreaking and heartwarming book!

The D.B. Cooper Hijacking

The D.B. Cooper Hijacking: Vanishing Act
by Kay Melchisedech Olson

This is an incredible true crime story that has never been solved!
In 1971 a man (maybe a woman?!), known to the media as D.B. Cooper, hijacked a Boeing 727 airplane and then escaped by jumping out with a parachute--and over a million dollars.
There was a major search for this hijacker involving hundreds of troops, spy planes, and a submarine...but no trace of the criminal was ever found.
D.B. Cooper would have been 90 years old last year, and the FBI finally just ended the hunt!
Read this book to learn all of the details of the crime, the investigation, and why the story continues to intrigue people to this day.

Other books in the True Crime series:
The Black Dahlia: Shattered Dreams
The Great Train Robbery: History-making Heist
The Zodiac killer: Terror and Mystery

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon
by Kelly Barnhill

This fantasy novel received the 2017 Newbery Medal.
It's about a sweet, kind witch--Xan--and the baby girl she adopts and raises, Luna.
It's also about a dysfunctional/dystopian town (reminded me of Jonas's town in The Giver) where every year a baby is sacrificed by the people in charge "for the good of everyone"...but really, it's just to keep the townsfolk scared and powerless.
As Luna approaches her 13th birthday and learns more about her past and her own magical powers, she embarks upon a great and dangerous adventure with her dear friends, a Swamp Monster and a Tiny Dragon....what unfolds is both creepy and beautiful.