Title: “Beautiful Little Fools” 
Author: Jillian Cantor 
Reading Level: Adult

A sequel to “The Great Gatsby,” “Beautiful Little Fools” dives deeper into the lives of Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Catherine McCoy. Each lady has a history with Mr. Jay Gatsby.  

Gatsby’s and George Wilson’s deaths have been deemed murder–suicide. When a diamond hairpin is found at the crime scene, Detective Frank Charles is determined to prove there’s more to what really happened. He is convinced these ladies hold the answers to his questions – as well as ours.  

Three very different ladies are trying to capture their own version of “The American Dream.” You will be kept on your toes throughout this whole book, learning about what their lives were like in the years leading up to that fateful summer day in 1922.  

These three women show great strength and courage, for it was not easy being a woman in the early 1900s, when their rights were limited and men were dictating what they could do and how they could do it.  

Cantor does a great job taking us back to the Jazz Age. This book makes you feel like you’re back in Fitzgerald’s world. If you want to take a trip back in time and figure out who did it, stop by the library to check it out. 

Title: “Refugee” 
Author: Alan Gratz 
Reading Level: Juvenile

This book is about three different children who are fleeing oppressive countries.  

In 1938, Josef is a German Jew fighting to escape the expanding control of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. In 1994, Isabel is trying to use a makeshift raft to escape the dictatorship of Fidel Castro in Cuba. In 2015, Mahmoud and his family are making their way to Germany from Syria because of the Syrian Civil War.  

The journeys these children take make them see the world as it truly is. They no longer see the world from the eyes of children. 

Alan Gratz’s newest book is one of the best historical fiction novels published for children. This book has been praised for its accurate portrayal of the hardships these refugees endured. It has won three awards: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers and YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults.  

This book is available in the library and on the apps, Libby and Hoopla.