My So-Called Family

My So-Called Family
by Gia Gordon (Author)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: It’s the first week of middle school, and Ash (don’t call her “Ashley”) already has a class assignment: Make a family tree. But how can Ash make a family tree if she doesn’t have a family? Ever since she was four years old, Ash has been in foster care, living with one so-called family after another. Now she’s stuck with Gladys. And the only place Ash feels safe is in the branches of her favorite tree, drawing in her sketchbook, hidden from the view of Gladys’ son Jordan.

As Jordan becomes harder to hide from, and more dangerous to be around, Ash isn’t sure who she can trust. A new friend, an old friend, some teachers at school? Sometimes the hardest part of asking for help is knowing who to ask.

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Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World
by Dylan Thuras (Author), Jennifer Swanson (Author), and Ruby Fresson (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: This illustrated middle grade book explores the planet’s 50 most interesting inventions and scientific discoveries around the planet and across time. Each spread focuses on a world-changing technology and how it led to or influenced the tech or discovery on the next page. The book begins with the very first invention–fire.

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Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)