Kindle Deals for January 1, 2020
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
Amazon is starting the new year off with another great selection of books!
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, by Kate Racculia, $2.99. Racculia’s previous book, Bellwether Rhapsody, won the ALEX award for adult fiction that appeals to YA readers. This book is pitched to a similar audience, and is described as a spookier, more grown-up take on The Westing Game.
Grim Lovelies, by Megan Shepherd, $2.99. Do you like your YA novels on the dark side, blending realism and fantasy, and taking place in an epic European location? If so, this is the book for you! Anouk dreams of a fully fledged life, but she is a “Beastie” — an animal enchanted into the form of a human form to serve as servants to the wealthy of Paris. When her mistress is murdered, Anouk and her fellow Beasties must find the culprit or risk losing their humanity.
Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell, $1.99. We like this book so much we planned an entire family vacation around it in the spring 2018 issue of HSL! It’s a classic for a reason: Teenage Karana survives alone on an island off the California coast in a tale that manages to be part survival story, part meditation on what it means to be human.
Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel, by George Orwell and Odyr, $2.99. Orwell’s classic allegory about the rise of Communism has been adapted into a graphic novel form! If you’ve seen the cartoon adaptation, this is a major departure. Artist Odyr illustrates with detailed and realistic paintings. The effect is unsettling and really adds to the experience.
A Crack in Creation, by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H Sternberg, $2.99. Start the year off with some science! Doudna and Sternberg are both researchers of the CRISPR gene-editing tool, which allows scientists to relatively easily manipulate heritable genes in living subjects. This is the story of CRISPR’s development, the tremendous power it offers for medical science, and the dangers of irresponsible usage.
Emmy in the Key of Code, by Aimee Lucido, $2.99. This middle-grade novel about a new girl finding her place in a new school has a unique twist. The story revolves around a coding class and Emmy’s interest in music.
STILL ON SALE
Greystone Secrets: The Strangers, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, $1.99. I haven’t read this middle-grade novel yet, but it seems perfect for the long, dark evenings of winter. The publisher’s description is thrilling and chilling: “The Greystone kids thought they knew. Chess has always been the protector over his younger siblings, Emma loves math, and Finn does what Finn does best—acting silly and being adored. They’ve been a happy family, just the three of them and their mom. But everything changes when reports of three kidnapped children reach the Greystone kids, and they’re shocked by the startling similarities between themselves and these complete strangers. The other kids share their same first and middle names. They’re the same ages. They even have identical birthdays. Who, exactly, are these strangers? Before Chess, Emma, and Finn can question their mom about it, she takes off on a sudden work trip and leaves them in the care of Ms. Morales and her daughter, Natalie. But puzzling clues left behind lead to complex codes, hidden rooms, and a dangerous secret that will turn their world upside down.
A Good Kind of Trouble, by Lisa Moore Ramee, $1.99. This middle-grade novel has been compared to The Hate U Give. Shay is a 12-year-old girl who hates trouble and doesn’t want to stand out. When a tragedy moves her to stand up for what she believes in, she finds out that some things are worth a bit of trouble.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, $2.99. If you or your teen hasn’t read this fast-paced dystopian series yet, what are you waiting for? Join Katniss on her fight for survival in the epic, televised fight to the death. There’s lots to discuss here about politics, media, morality, and more.
Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy, by Noelle Stevenson, $3.99. My tween absolutely loves this comic series about a group of unusual girls at a summer camp. In addition to having a great time doing your typical camp activities, this gang face off with some supernatural creatures and go on a classic fantasy quest. This is girl power all the way! If you like this one, most of the other books in the series are also on sale right now.