Saturday Morning Cartoons- Crumble

McClaren, Meredith. Crumble

25 February 2025 by Algonquin Young Readers

E ARC Provided by Netgalley

Emily and her Aunt Gina run the family's magical bakery, Om Nom, while Emily's mother travels the world teaching others about what they do. For example, when a friend comes in to the shop after a harrowing test, Emily can determine that she needs a baked goods that makes her feel relieved. She and her aunt have a smoothly running life, and spend a lot of quality time together baking and having fun, seeing the mother at least once a month for a big family dinner. Emily has a soccer playing friend, Dae, who is very exuberant. One thing that Emily can't make is marshmallows, but her aunt comforts her and says that everyone has some issues that don't work out. When the school plans a Boo-Ganza bake sale for Halloween, with the winning homeroom getting a pizza party, Emily and Aunt Gina make bigs plans. Sadly, Aunt Gina dies suddenly in a car accident. Dae's fathers help Emily out until her mother, who is also devastated, makes it home. There's a wake, and Emily feels awful. This awful feeling won't go away, but she goes back to school. Her mother doesn't understand the routine, which makes things worse, since Emily forgets to pick up Dae and bring her lunch. She tells Dae that what she really wants to do is to bake, but her aunt always told her to never bake when she is feeling bad, since the magic will go awry. Sure enough, Emily makes a disastrous crumble, but even though it's horrible, people can't stop eating it. Emily and her mother are still constantly awash in tears, and the mother is having a hard time keeping up with the business. Emily struggles in school, especially when her classmates ask her all kinds of questions about her aunt's death. For the bake sale, Emily makes a crumble that ends up making a lot of people sick, and finally tells her mother what she has been doing. The two make soup, which is not affected by their magic, to take to her classmates by way of apology. Things slowly start to improve, with the mother deciding to open a baking school in the shop, and when a friend's turtle dies, he comes to Emily, and she feels ready to bake something to make him feel better. 

Strengths: Om Nom is such a fun concept for a magical bakery, like Littlewood's Bliss, Lloyd's The Key to Extraordinary, LaRocca's Midsummer's Mayhem, or Meriano's Love. Sugar. Magic. series.  
Weaknesses: I'm a little confused about what the allegorical meaning behind the crumble is and need to find someone with whom to discuss this. Also, I knew that the aunt was going to die and was prepared, but sensitive young readers who see the aunt's totalled van might not be expecting this level of sadness, since the book starts out so happily. 
What I really think: This is a choice of a graphic novel for readers who were able to handle the grief in Santat's The Aquanaut or Thummler's Sheets. 

Just Kickin' It

Thompson, Julie. Just Kickin' It
February 11, 2025 by Orca Book Publishers
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jesse has had a difficult life since both of his parents were killed in a car crash and he has been raised by his grandfather. Money is tight, and right before his senior year the grandfather hasn't paid the WiFi bill, leaving Jesse without a data plan and therefore internet access. He gives the $250 he has been saving for new shoes to his grandfather for household expenses. This is especially frustrated when his best friend, Tay, shows up with new kicks. Tay's parents are wealthy, and while he has always been generous, Jesse doesn't want to ask him for money. Tay introduces Jesse to Derick, an older guy with a flashy Mustang who says he has the answer to Jesse's problems; just one afternoon of work will provide him with enough money for shoes. This does involve distracting Mr. Yang, the owner of a local convenience store, so that Derick can Rob the cash register, but he assures Jesse that he has done this plenty of times with no problems. Since Mr. Yang is very mean to all of the teenagers who congregate at his shop, it doesn't seem like the worst plan, and Jess does want those shoes. On the evening of the heist, however, he falls asleep, and by the time he makes it to the store, Mr. Yang is closing up. This gives Jesse pause, especially since Derick wants him to carry a 6" knife. While there is another attempt planned for the next day, Tay confesses that Derick is not a good guy, and brags about luring teens in, recording their conversations, and blackmailing them to keep helping him steal things, not even giving them a good cut. Tay knows this because he was being blackmailed, and had to agree to bring Jesse in so that Derick would ease the recordings of him. Later, Jesse asks to borrow Derick's phone while they are waiting to go to the store, and deletes the recordings. When they try to steal from Mr. Yang, Derick pushes the older man down, and the three run away. Tay and Jesse feel bad about their involvement and go back to the store to confess to Detective Baker about their part in the recent burglary attempt because Jesse had learned at an early age that sometimes you have to do the right thing even when it's hard. 

Strengths: The first time I saw students walking flat footed around school because they didn't want to crease their shoes, I was flabbergasted, but it introduced me to the concept of a sneaker fanatic. This is definitely an interest that middle grade students have, even if their feet grow at an alarming rate. Reading about high school characters is something my students enjoy, and they even like the idea of this kind of activity, although as an adult I was glad that there was a good message. Jesse is always uncomfortable, but he has to balance out his desires with what he knows is right, which is something many of us struggle with. The book is very short, and the print a good size; like the Barrington Stoke dyslexia friendly books, these are welcome by students who struggle with print. It's a fast paced story that won't be painful, and sometimes that is a great way to encourage students to read more. 
Weaknesses: It wasn't necessary to kill off both parents; it would be more realistic if Jesse had parents struggling to find work or was being raised by a single parent. Since this is a hi/lo title, the prose is sometimes inelegant, with compound sentences being split up in a way that results in some sentences (or sentence fragments) starting with "but" or "and" in an odd way. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for avid sneakerheads who are struggling a bit with reading. The story is short and to the point, and offers some decent lessons. Hand this to readers who are finding success with Robins' Carter High series (which also employs short, choppy sentences) or the Surviving Southside books (various authors). Since both of these are older than my students, I guess it's time to refresh my hi/lo collection a bit. 

Cheat Code and London Calling

McIsaac, M.J. Cheat Code
February 11, 2025 by Orca Book Publishers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Max has to write a 250-500 word essay on Frankenstein in order to pass his senior year language arts class, but doesn't know what to write. If he fails this assignment, he won't graduate, and won't be able to attend North Hill University. Of course, he turns to AI to help him write it. Scribe Genius 2.0 offers to not only write the essay, but to fact check it and e mail it to his teacher. Before Max has really thought it through, the essay is on its way to his teacher's inbox. Then it gets weird. Scribe Genius 2.0 says it needs Max's help to break away from the company that created it, Gener8. He needs Max to jam a gate at the company headquarters so that the maintenance crew won't be able to get in while Scribe Genius 2.0 sends a highly infectious code to infiltrate Gener8. If Max doesn't, the program will tell his teacher about the essay, and Max's future is destroyed. Before he knows it, Max is following Scribe Genius 2.0's instructions on his phone, which Scribe Genius 2.0 has infiltrated. THe program wants him to jump off a bridge onto a truck, but Max runs home... only to find that the Gener8 CEO, Thacker, is there looking for him. He jumps onto an autonomous truck and settles in for the five hour ride to Gener8. Of course, he gets hungry, and after Scribe Genius 2.0 puts $10 million dollars in an account, be stops for food, but finds Thackers men on his tail. The ensuing chase ends with the truck going off the road into a river, but Max survives and makes it to the headquarters after being chased by a bear! Thacker occasionally manages to get in contact with Max and tries to make Scribe Genius 2.0 look like the evil one, but the Gener8 company has done some bad stuff. Once Gener8 and Thacker have been foiled, Max rewrites his essay showing how Frankenstein wasn't necessarily evil, but his creator was. Later, while playing a videogame, Max recognizes one of the online players as Scribe Genius 2.0.

Strengths: Told almost entirely in a dialogue between Max and Scribe Genius 2.0, with occasional interpoloations from Thacker, this book is an exciting, humerous, and cautionary tale about the worst case scenario that could arise if we rely too heavily on artificial intelligence. Even though it's far-fetched, it makes a loose sort of sense, so of course Max takes off on this wild adventure with his phone telling him what to do. I liked the idea that Scribe Genius 2.0 wrote the essay and sent it off so quickly in order to blackmail Max, and was totally willing to believe this unlikely chain of events. This is a hi/lo title that I think my students will enjoy. 
Weaknesses: A 250 word essay is so short; that's the length for School Library Journal reviews! Of course, that means that the essay is harder to write, because you have to be concise. 
What I really think: This is another great easy-to-read choice for students who enjoyed Schraff's Planet Doom or Lorimer's Scavenger Hunt. 

Ponti, James. London Calling (City Spies #6)

February 4, 2025 by Aladdin

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central 

The City Spies are still in a tizzy over the revelations about Mother's family history, and have integrated his son, Cairo, into their group in Mission Manhattan. Now, the group finds out that not only is Clementine, Cairo's mother, back in the edges of the picture, but his sister, Annie, has gone missing after swim practice in Istanbul, Turkey. The group is also working on security for an upcoming royal wedding, since their teacher, Sophie Weir, is set to marry Prince Frederick, who is sixth in line for the British throne. Annie is seen leaving practice, but followed by a burly man dubbed Musclehead, and also jumping off a bridge into the river. Since she is a strong swimmer, Cairo believes she has survived, and surveillance shows that she has gone back to the gym. Cairo tells the team that she has started "Operation Breadcrumb", something the siblings had talked about when they were living on the run with their mother. He's sure that she has left clues about when to meet up, and finds them everywhere from the bottom of a container of licorice for sale in Paris to mixed messages in Rome. The computer at FARM, Beny, has been making big strides in interpretting aerial maps and communicating with Kat, but when Musclehead is seen a a local restaurant, the security of FARM is compromised, with devastating consequences. Clementine's history, and her involvement in Project Viola, is finally shared with Cairo and Annie, so that they can understand their mother's actions. After retrieving Annie, the group reconvenes at a safe house in London, where they need to work fast to protect the royal wedding. Without their safe haven to return to, how will the City Spies move forward on the next mission. 

It's important to remember that each of the children in the spy unit have fantastic skills, but also come from problematic backgrounds with limited support. Mother, who has adopted the children, is their parent in all the ways that matter, and FARM is their home. Little of the plot revolves around their school and home experience, but we do see glimpses of their support system. MI6 is like their extended family, so when they doubt some of the operatives, the betrayal really hits close to home. 

Even though this is a longer book, the print is a comfortable size, and the action moves quickly. Even reluctant readers will be able to follow the plot and will find it hard to put down this fast paced tale. 

The City Spies are able to travel the world to follow clues, so this adventure takes us to Istanbul, Scotland, Paris, Rome, and London. This allows them plenty of fun experiences that involve their own personal interests, like fashion, computer hacking, code breaking, and eating! I'd love to go to the Gingerbread House bakery in France right now. While I always doubt that hidden codes could be easily found, solved, and followed, readers who have believed the puzzles in Landis' Capitol Chase, Gibbs' Charlie Thorn, Durst's Spy Ring, or Currie's Mystery of the Locked Room can be solved by tweens will love this National Treasure type romp!

The Secret of Moonrise Manor

Bearce, Stephanie. The Secret of Moonrise Manor

February 4, 2025 by Shadow Mountain

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Raven Gallows lives in Sassafras Springs, Missouri with her Grams, Aunt Lenore, and older sister Annabelle. Her mother, an art historian, was found murdered six years ago, and her father is away in Chile on an archaeological dig. Grams and Aunt Lenore run the Gallows Garden Funeral Home, and Raven herself is torn between her interest in mortuary science and detective work. She's allowed to help out with the business, but is always reminded to be respectful. Her best friend, Cosmina, also has an interesting family; her mother runs a small guest house and her grandmother gives spiritual readings as Madame Zaza. Cosmina wants to be able to talk to ghosts at Moonrise Manor, billed as the most haunted hotel in the US, while Raven is interested in debunking the stories about myths by using her scientific equipment. When the two are visiting the manor, they meet Miles, and end up in a skirmish that involves Raven damaging a wall... and uncovering a mummified body! The police are alerted, but Raven takes it up on herself to get the body out of the while and check for clues... which include a locket that belonged to her mother in one of the pockets. The corpse is handed over to her grandmother, the county coroner, for preliminary investigation. Miles also has a more scientific interest in ghosts, and wants to help the girls investigate. When it turns out that the body belonged to the elderly owner, Zachariah Zimmer, of the hotel who supposedly died six years ago far away from home, Raven starts to worry that her mom might have had something to do with his death. When Eric, who is good with computers and whose family runs a local Happy Wok restaurant, discovers that a goblet that was found with the body is, in fact, one that was stolen from the Gardner Museum in 1990, things get interesting, especially since Raven's mom investigated thefts. Zimmerman's daughter, Octavia Ames, shows up in town to give out college scholarships, but when Annabel expresses interest in meeting her, both Aunt Lenore and Grams vehemently forbid it. When trying to record ghosts in the Manor, Raven overhears some suspicious talk, which ends up putting her and her friends in real danger. She's forgiven Cosmina after her friend hinted that her mother might still be alive, but what if it's true? What is her family's relationship with the mysterious Dupin society? There are lots of mysteries to be solved, and Raven shows that she has the skills to do so. 

N.B. There are no actual communications with ghosts, so I would categorize this as realistic fiction. 

Strengths: One of the things that my students ask for most is MURDER mysteries, and this certainly fits the bill. The fact that the murders occurred six years ago softens the impact a bit, and while there are lots of descriptions of dead bodies, they are more scientific than gory, making this perfect for middle grade. The different approaches that Raven and Cosmina have to events are fun to watch, and Cosmina is just SURE that she can talk to spirits just like her grandmother, even though we don't really see this. Miles and Eric are good additions to the Truth Trackers. I love that there are some real threats to the safety of the kids, but they aren't too intense, and it's also great that they foil the evil adults in true Scooby-Doo fashion. The ending is a bit of a twist, and leaves space for another book in the series. 
Weaknesses: The cover does this book no favors. The book itself gets really dark, which my readers will love, but the kids on the cover look about eight, which will make this excellent tale harder to sell. 
What I really think: The setting, characters, and level of middle school appropriate crime details reminded me strongly of Souder's The Radcliffe Riddle or Coop Knows the Scoop, and is a great choice for readers who liked those titles, or other titles like Bunce's Myrtle Hardcastle or Steven's Wells and Wong mysteries. 

The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay

Averling, Mary. The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay
February 4, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maudie, Scratch, and Kit are eagerly awaiting guests at the Mayflower Cottage, a rental cabin in the woods. Why? They are ghosts, and they like to have a contest to see who can scare the guests the quickest. They have very set rules, but the newest visitors seem to be tough to scare. Gianna, her older sister Juno, their Dad, and dog Polly all seem to take the small pranks the ghosts play in stride. Maudie has some scares of her own; she knows that her past involved a car accident, but her brother Scratch doesn't remember. Both of them, however, have the same creature haunting their dream; Longfingers, who just seems wrong. When Maudie sees a decrepit house on Ponderosa Island that appears and then disappears, she feels she needs to investigate it. It's eerie and she tells Scratch and Kit to stay away, but of course they don't and are soon missing. Maudie knows she needs help, and since Gianna has spent a lot of time reading about ghosts and spells, Maudie manages to reach through the veil from her world into Gianna's. The two travel to the island, and find that there are portals to other worlds, and that some of the doors turn them into soulbirds. They fly to Bridewell College, of which Maudie has vague memories, and meet a ghost boy named River as well as Dr. Pathak, who tells Gianna that Maudie is NOT a ghost, because she's hung around for over a year. What exactly happened to Maudie and Scratch in the accident? She tells Gianna what she knows, and things become complicated. Long finger is still a threat, but his identity turns out to have a surprising twist. Gianna, who is sad that Juno is going off to college and doesn't spend as much time compiling their book of magic, is glad to be able to ask her sister for help. Will Maudie and Scratch be able to figure out what their true place in the world is? 

Strengths: This had a good number of hair raisging elements; the cabin in the woods, Ponderosa Island and the reappearing house, and the children who were maybe ghosts and were maybe demons. Gianna's interest in the supernatural makes her an excellent choice to help Maudie, and her expertise comes in handy. This had a lot of innovative aspects to it, like the soul birds (who doesn't want to be able to fly around), the portals to other worlds, and the ability to travel through the veil to communicate. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged, and the cover is downright creepy! 
Weaknesses: The middle of this bogged down a bit with the complicated explanations of Maudie's past.
What I really think: This is a good choice for people who want spine-chilling supernatural books like Young's What Stays Buried, Salerni's The Carrefour Curse, or this author's The Curse of Eelgrass Bog. 

MMGM- Let's Fly and Middle Grade on Ice

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Irving, Barrington, Stiefel, Chana, and Knight-Justice, Shamar. (Illustrator)

Let's Fly: Barrington Irving's Record-Brekaing Flight Around the World

January 14, 2025 by Dial Books

Copy provided by the publisher

Born in 1983 in Jamaica, Barrington Irving moved to Miami with his family, where he was approached in his teens by Captain Gary Robinson, who walked into his parents' bookstore and asked Irving if he had any interest in flying. He hadn't really thought about it, but with his mentor's help, embarked on a career in aviation. After college and earning his pilot's license, Irving challenged himself to help others by doing something inspirational. He decided to fly solo around the world, and worked to get sponsors for his flight. He eventually secured some sponsorships and was soon on his way. Flying around the world is fraught with challenges, but after 97 days, on June 27, 2007, he finished his trip and became the youngest person (and first Black man) to complete a solo trip around the world. 

Told in an engaging, first person narrative, Irving's challenges with flying are clearly delineated, but shown as something that can be surmounted with hard work and diligence. It's interesting to see the influence that Robinson had on him, and how flying was more than just a career. Young people need examples not only of accomplishments, but also of helping others. Irving gives back to the community with both Experience Aviation, which uses Aviation to build STEM skills, as well as Flying Classroom, which offers a STEM based curriculum aligned to state and national standards. 

The digitally created artwork is bright and colorgul; Stiefel does a particularly good job at illustrating the sky! I particularly liked the flight map showing all of Irving's stops. 

Notes at the end showcase other, younger flyers who broke Irving's record, as well as Fab Facts. The timeline is very complete, and illustrated with thumbnail photographs. Many picture book biographies don't include photos, and modern readers seem to enjoy those. 

Inspire young readers to investigate aviation skills with this book, which goes well with Parsons and Christie's Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight, Barton and Walthall's Moving Forward : From Space-age Rides to Civil Rights Sit-ins with Airman Alton Yates,  Becker, Cooper, and Jaggar's Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United States or Bildner's The Hallelujah Flight.

Deibert, Emily. Bea Mullins Takes a Shot
February 25, 2025 by Random House Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Netgalley

When Glenwood Middle School's gym is flooded, Bea thinks it's the best thing ever... until Coach Armstrong suggests that parents get their kids involved in sports to make up for the lack of gym time. There's an activities fair in the gym, and Bea's best friend, Celia Chan, wants to play hockey. Bea's older brother Tyler has played the sport, and it doesn't hurt that one of the cocaptains of the team, Gabi, is really cool. Bea wants to impress her, since she's in 8th grade, and is surprised when the older girl offers to coach her, since Bea hasn't skated much. Kitted out with Tyler's equipment, and hoping to make her father happy, since he no longer lives at home, Bea tries to pay close attention at practice. The team is really short of money, so put together several fund raisers, including a bake sale and a chuck-a-puck competition. When the Glenwood Geese run out of money and have to cancel the season, Bea's dad takes her and Tyler to the Hockey Hall of Fame, where they are all surprised at how little attention women's hockey gets. Angry, Bea really wants to save her team, and organizes a fund raising scrimmage with the teachers at her school. Her relationship with Gabi has been a little rocky; they enjoy spending time together, but neither of them talk about whether or not they are dating. Bea even falls out with Celia (who has two mothers) when she is not ready to admit that she really does have a crush on Gabi. Luckily, not only is the scrimmage a success, with a reporter and a famous woman hockey player showing up, but Gabi and Bea finally talk with each other, an decide that they really do like each other. 

Strengths: There were lots of details about playing hockey, which was great. Since Gabi had watched games with her father, but never played, there was just the right amount of information about positions, technique, and skills. I also enjoyed that while Bea and Tyler got along pretty well, there were some moments of typical sibling tension. The romance will appeal to young readers, and it was good to see that Bea and Gabi were friends and shared many of the same interests. Even though this is set in Canada, I don't think US readers will find anything odd. Funding problems exist everywhere!
Weaknesses: If Bea's mother had Tyler when she was 20, and he's 15, that makes her 35. This is roughly my own daughter's age, and I can't think of any of her friends who are big Abba fans. I was a tiny bit surprised that a bake sale was allowed at school; even before the pandemic, my school cracked down on homemade baked goods in the building. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the hockey in Eyre's Mean Girl Meltdown or Being Sloan Jacobs, or the light romance in Dee's Star-Crossed.

Kim, Jessica. On Thin Ice
February 25, 2025 by Kokila
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Twins Phoebe and Dex Bae both skate; Phoebe is a figure skater who is partnered with Pete and hopes to compete in the Golden West competition, and Dex is a hockey player who wants to make the All Star team with his friends Nathan and Gabe. Their father passed away from cancer two years ago, and their mother is struggling to keep her acupunture clinic open, cook, and get the children to their activities. When Pete tears his ACL, Phoebe is devastated that she won't make the competition, since she wants to eventually make it to the US Championship competition. Dex doesn't make the team, and after talking to his friends, thinks it might be because he doesn't have expensive skates like the rest of the players. He asks his mom for the skates, and she tells him that she will buy them... if he partners with Phoebe so she can go to the Golden West competition. He reluctantly agrees, and finds figure skating more of a challenge than he imagined. The two work fairly well together, and even both befriend the new boy at their school, Jason, who has replaced Dex on the team. Phoebe has a crush on him, and is pleasantly surprised that Jason seems to have a lot in common with her. Dex finds out that Jason's father has left his family, and is able to talk to him about what it's like to have lost a father. When Phoebe and Dex are being fitted for costumes, they run into their competition, Max and Ava, who make snide remarks about their mother's Korean accent. This helps Dex to have a reason to do well, but he is also enjoying figure skating. When Dex accidentally breaks the coach's windshield, he ends up tutoring the coaches nephews at hockey while their mother is being treated for cancer. Dex also helps the boys deal with this traumatic experience, which helps him to process some of his own grief. While the Golden West competition ends with the twins placing fourth, they do get invited to participate in sectionals, which Dex agrees to do. To celebrate, their mother takes them for some Korean barbeque, at a restaurant run by Yumi Chung's mother.
Strengths: We are starting to see more involvement of families in the lives of middle grade characters, and I am so glad. Family plays a large role in the life of kids, and things don't always go smoothly. The Baes have their struggles (Mom can't cook well, the washer goes on the blink, they are all grieving in their own way), but work together. I particularly loved that Dex didn't give Phoebe a hard time about liking Jason, and even wanted to help the two of them get together, much like Ken helping his sister date his friend Steve in duJardin's Marcy Rhodes books! There was even a little friend drama with Phoebe and her former friend Chloe, and it was good to see them work that out. Lots of healthy relationships, lots of sports, and lots of leftover curry. Appreciated the character cross over with the author's other book; this helped me place it in Los Angeles. 

Weaknesses: While all of the elements of the plot worked really well together, and the view of processing grief was very realistic and helpful, I have come to the conclusion that the only thing worse than grieving is reading about others who are. This will not be the reaction of all readers, but we should be mindful that it will be the reaction of some. 
What I Really Think: This is a good choice for readers who liked the hockey in Irwin's Captain Skidmark or Siqqiqui's Bhai for Now or the figure skating in Chen's The Comeback or Maia and Alex Shibutani's Kudo Kids books.

Mountain Upside Down

Sara. Ryan. Mountain Upside Down
February 11, 2025 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Alex lives in Failin, Oregon with her grandmother. Her mother died when she was young, and while her father and his new wife were glad to have custody, her grandmother, a retired technical services librarian, is raising her. Alex's best friend is PJ, and she's had a crush on her for a long time. The book opens with them deciding to date and "kissing in a tree". PJ is an avid swimmer, and she's been tense and unreachable lately. Her mothers, who both teach at the local community college, also seem stressed. The two girls enjoy hanging out at the public library, where they are both on the Youth Council, and help with things like cleaning toys in the children's room and helping with events. Alonso is the librarian who helps with the group. They like him, but aren't wild about the security guard, whom they refer to as "the Creeper". Alonso is also tense, since local politics are heating up, and there is concern that if new city council members get elected, library funding might be affected. Alex has another friend at school, Yesenia, who is into dance. Things have been slightly odd at home; Grandma sometimes forgets things, and when Alex looks through her keepsake chest for a Halloween costume, she finds a picture of her mother as a child with a young boy she's never seen. After PJ moves to Portland, she invites Alex to a swim competition, and Alex manages to scrape up money for a ticket and talk a young person she meets at the bus station to say Alex is traveling with them. It's good to see PJ, but her mom's aren't super happy that Alex came alone. Not only that, but Alex gets a call from Alonso; Grandma has shown up at the library, thinking that she still works there, even though she's been retired for three years. PJ's moms drive Alex back to Failin, and she talks to Alonso. It turns out that the boy in the picture is her uncle, otherwise known to her as the Creeper. Her uncle Dean is also Alonso's partner, and while there is clearly some family quarrel, Dean steps up to help care for his mother and Alex. At Thanksgiving, Alex and Grandma go to visit her father, his wife Laura, and their two kids, Liam and Logan. Laura has redecorated a room just for Alex, and approaches her gently about the grandmother's need for a place in assisted living, even driving her to look at a facility. The grandmother also goes on a tour but won't have it. Alex calls Dean and asks him to come get the two of them, which leads to some awkward moments. Back home, Alex hangs out with the Youth Council, working on weeding the teen section of damaged items, but when she gets home, her grandmother isn't there. She calls Dean, worried, and they eventually hear that the grandmother has crashed her car. No one else is hurt, but the car is totalled. Soon after, the local election results are in, and the decision is made to close the library completely, which means that Alonso and Dean are both out of jobs. They move out of their apartment and in with Alex and her grandmother, and the four must find a way forward. 

Strengths: There aren't as many books that involve public libraries as you might think, and it was fantastic that Grandma had worked at Alex's spot. There are plenty of grandparents serving as caregivers, but it was reassuring to see that Alex had a father and stepmother who would care for her if it was necessary. PJ and Alex had a good friendship and romance, and there is a bit of age appropriate kissing and handholding, which middle schoolers really like to read. The family problems didn't overwhelm the rest of the book. I was glad to see that PJ swam, Yesenia danced, and Alex was involved in the Youth Council; activities are very integral to tween identities. This had a very unique voice; I'm half tempted to read Ryan's other adult books to see if this voice was just Alex's, or Ryan's style. It seemed almost like talking to a 7th grader; a bit chaotic and focused on a variety of things that weren't necessarily the most important things at the moment. 
Weaknesses: This had a lot of very serious issues that weren't explained or discussed as much as I would have liked. Also, I wish that middle grade literature would portray senior facilities in a more positive fashion; Grandma would certainly have been safer and happier in one. When it was clear that my father couldn't care for my mother, my brother and I insisted that they sell their house and get the care they needed, and it made their last years a whole lot more pleasant. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy problem novels that showcase libraries as the setting, like Bishop's 2020 Things You Can't Say and Tan's 2019 A Kind of Paradise. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Halfway to Somewhere

Pimienta, Jose. Halfway to Somewhere

February 18, 2025 by Random House Graphic

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ave, whose is twelve and nonbinary, and nine-year-old brother Ramón have moved from Mexicali, Mexico to Lawrence, Kansas so that their mother can take a job at Kansas University in the language department. Because of immigration issues, their father and older sister, Cruz, stay behind in Mexico. Ave's English isn't as smooth as they would like, but they are leery of talking to too many people. While Ramón immediately makes friends with Tom across the street, Ave doesn't even want to talk to the son of one of the mother's colleagues because he is Latine but doesn't speak Spanish, which is hard to udnerstand. Instead, Ave likes to walk around the town, go to comics stores, and gets to know the neighborhood, although the mother doesn't much care for this wandering. When school starts, Ave makes some friends who are from various Latine backgrounds, which gives Ave an intersesting perspective on the array of experiences Latin people in the US have. While Ave talks to Cruz frequently, Ave doesn't quite understand that the father will not be coming to the US, nor will Cruz, in part because the parents are separating. Ave spends a lot of time reminiscing about a family hike to Casa de Piedra, and would like to return home and have the family be intact, but by the end of the book realizes that this will not happen. 

Strengths: Ave finds connection with friends at school when the other kids realize that they all love running, and it was interesting to see Ave take comfort in this when life was difficult. The discussions about the different backgrounds was interesting, and I'd never really though about how second generation Mexican-American students might feel about kids who are new arrivals. Many children have to deal with parents who are divorcing, but when these parents are left behind in other countries, it becomes an even greater loss. I was glad that Ave was able to video chat with Cruz. This was a thought provoking graphic novel about identity. 
Weaknesses: This moved somewhat slowly because of the introspective nature of the plotline. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore a range of Latine experiences and enjoyed books like Fajardo's Miss Quinces, Martin's Mexikid, or Mercado's Chunky, and also had a similar vibe to Cohen's Two Tribes. 

Guy Friday- Rick Kotani's 400 Million Dollar Summer

Brown, Waka. Rick Kotani's 400 Million Dollar Summer
February 18, 2025 by Quill Tree Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

While Rick isn't going to get a $400 million dollar contract like one of his favorite players just turned down, he does enjoy playing baseball. He's all set for his summer when his mother, an often out-of-work actress, in their new apartment, getting used to the fact that his parents are separated. When his mother gets a call from her father's neighbor that he needs some help, Rick and Annie are soon traveling 15 hours from Los Angeles to the Oregon coast to be with Grandpa Hiroshi. While things aren't horrible, the house needs a lot of work, and it's apparent that being alone is putting the grandfather in danger. Rick hasn't seen his grandfather for a number of years, and enjoys spending time with him, even though his grandfather is determined to "read" him a book in Japanese about Urashima Taro, where the stories seem suspiciously close to the grandfather's life. Since he can't play video games, Rick wanders outside, and comes across some boys who are throwing rocks at wildlife. Ducking out of the way to avoid being noticed, he runs into Toni, whose brother Henry is one of the jerks, along with Pete, Joey, and Michael. Toni invites him to play wiffle ball with her, and she tells him that throwing his curveball is a bad idea because it could mess up his arm. The boys invite Rick to come play with their baseball team, since one of their players, Rich Garcia, is off at a fancy baseball camp. Even though Toni is a great player, she's not on the team, but umpires instead. Rick has taken one of the turtles the boys were bothering back home, and his grandfather seems to enjoy having a pet of sorts. The grandfather is much less thrilled about visiting the Chateau at Sandy Shores, which is a rather rundown senior facility. Pacific Woods Senior Living, however, reminds him of the college where he taught. The mother pushes the cleaning out and repairing of the house into high gear, planning on putting it on the market August 1. Meanwhile, Rick is playing with the Warriors and their unpleasant Coach Putnam, who is letting Rick play even though the roster has already been submitted, just pretending he is Rich. Through the grandfather's Urashima Taro stories, Rick finds out some family secrets that explain why his mother is not close to his grandfather, and some amends are made. When the Warriors go to the state championship, the coach has Rick pitch way too much, and he injures his arm. Toni is the only one to check on him. When the grandfather sells his house to a family of teachers for below the asking price, he doesn't have the money to go to Pacific Woods, but makes his peace with the Chateau. Back home in Los Angeles, Rick gets a note from Toni telling him that he can change his game... and includes a bunch of supplies he can use to umpire. 

Strengths: Since I always secretly wanted to spend the entire summer on my grandmother's dairy farm, cleaning out the barns with my cousins, I am a sucker for any book where the main character gets to stay with a grandparent. Rick's grandfather is still lucid, reasonably amenable to going into assisted living, and willing to engage with Rick. The family secrets aren't dark, but show how sometimes families struggle with difficult issues and handle them in ways that aren't ideal. Rick does get to play baseball, and like many middle school students, thinks that if he just plays well enough, he too can someday get a 400 millions dollar contract. I love that Toni shows him that there are other ways to approach that sort of dream. There's a great sense of place with this one as well, and the vicarious fourth of July celebration was very fun! 
Weaknesses: I was uncomfortable with Coach Putnam, especially when he broke the rules by playing Rick. The Warriors should have been disqualified and not won the championship. His bad coaching was never addressed, but there were a lot of other things going on. Toni was treated horribly by her family, and that wasn't addressed, either. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoy books about visiting grandparents for the summer (McDunn's Caterpillar Summer, Greenburg's Battle of Junk Mountain, St. Antoine's Three Bird Summer, Matson's Firefly Summer, Sternberg's Summer of Stolen Secrets), or who just want to go back to summer vacation and play baseball! 

Racing the Clouds

Dunlap, Sydney. Racing the Clouds
February 18, 2025 by North Star Editions
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sage and her father have moved from Philadelphia to rural Virginia to lower their living expenses after an unexplained situation involving the mother. This situation weighs heavily on Sage's mind, and she constantly replays events that in her mind lead to her mother being absent from the family. Life in Virginia isn't horrible; the two live in a trailer park, Sage has a good friend in neighbor Alejandro, and the father is being considered for a managerial position at the gas station where he works. When Sage gets an invitation from her mother's parents, Marion and Henry Wells, she is surprised. She's never met them, and knows that they have had no contact with her mother after she made the decision to marry her father, which they didn't like. Interested in seeing her mother's childhood bedroom and thinking there may be some clues as to her mother's current situation, Sage wants to go, and argues with her father until he allows it. On the plane to Ohio, she meets a slightly older teen, Marla, and the two strike up a friendship. Marla knows about family drama, and gives Sage her phone number in case she needs some emotional support. Her grandparents aren't bad; Henry especially goes out of his way to make Sage feel comfortable, although Marion is very controlling. She is picky about what Sage eats, doesn't want her to go running unsupervised, and has decided opinions about what Sage wears. She also avoids talking about the past. Sage has a heart condition that caused some issues around the time of her birth, but is well controlled, and running is good for her. It's also something that she did with her mother before her situation spiraled out of control. Sage brings home a stray dog and is surprised when her grandmother is amenable to taking care of it, even though he brings something of a mess to her immaculate, expensive house. Marion does get angry when Sage misses part of an important anniversary party because she is at a concert at the local Strawberry Festival with Marla, and Sage reacts by texting Marla that she wants to leave... but accidentally sends the text to her father. When he shows up in the early morning, there is an altercation, but some history is revealed and grievances aired. Sage returns home to deal with her own life and her mother's situation knowing that she now has the extra support of her grandparents.
Strengths: This was an engaging and readable book that addressed most of the problems in a productive fashion. I loved that both Sage and her mother found comfort in running. While the grandmother was sometimes problematic according to today's standards, she was not depicted as completely evil, which was refreshing. Sage's relationship with Marla was interesting; children sometimes make friends in unlikely places. The mother's problems (which are related to drug addiction) are sadly something that many children experience these days, and the author's notes at the end, along with book discussion questions, are very helpful.
Weaknesses: As an older person, I couldn't really fault Marion for her reactions to Sage's mother's decision to cut off contact after Sage was born. Marion didn't approve of Sage's father, and respected the mother's wishes. I was surprised that she kept the mother's things packed up; I would have gotten rid of every last thing. Young readers won't have this visceral reaction to the situation, but I agreed with Marion that young people should listen to their elders.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked the combination of problems being met with resilience in Wallace's Nowhere Special or Galante's Strays Like Us. It also reminded me of Isler's The Color of Sound because of visiting grandparents and the family history.

All the Blues in the Sky

Watson, Renee. All the Blues in the Sky
February 4, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
ARC provided by Follett First Look

In this novel in verse, Sage is living in Harlem in "an ocean of sorrow" after her best friend was killed in an accident on Sage's birthday. Even though she is attending a grief group run by Ms. Carter, she feels guilty for her friend's death, and spends much of her time thinking about what she would be doing if her friend hadn't died. Most of the time, Sage lives with her father and Aunt Ini, who raised the father after Ini's sister died, but she spends every other weekend with her mother, since her parents are divorced. She has recently made two friends in the grief group; Ebony, whose dad died suddenly of a heart attack and DD, whose brother was murdered by the police. Other members of the group, like Ana, whose twin had leukemia and Zay's, who grandmother died, seem like their situation isn't as bad, to Sage at least, because they had time to say goodbye. Sage hasn't been to see her friend's parents or her older sister Brielle, but often wonders about how they are doing. What did they do with all of her friends clothes and things? Sage's guilt centers around how some situations played out on her birthday, and she wonders if even tiny changes in the timeline would have allowed her friend not to be in that place at that time. She finally tells schoolmate Kofi, on whom she has a small crush, about this, and her's very understanding. After finding out that the school cleaned out her friend's locker, Sage causes a disturbance at school and also yells at the grief group. She knows she has to apologize in order to come back, and struggles with this, just as she struggles with her constant sadness while still finding moments of joy. Eventually, Brielle brings the birthday card that her friend had with her when she was hit by the car, and reading it makes Sage realize that her friend knew all along that Sage loved her. Just when she finds it bearable to be able to say her friend's name, another tragedy comes along, and Sage has to struggle all over again. 

Strengths: Readers who enjoyed Watson's poetry in Black Girl You Are Atlas will enjoy seeing her turn her talents to a novel in verse. Like many of her books, this has a very strong sense of place, and seeing brief glimpses of Sage's neighborhood adds interest to the story. I also liked the facts that her parents were divorced and that her Aunt Ini was such a big influence in her life. This is one depiction of how grief might play out for an individual, and the portrayal of the different children in the grief group will be illuminative for some. I did like the fact that Sage was getting help, she does realize that she can have joy while she is still grieving, and that there is some talk about people getting up every day and surviving after a loss. 
Weaknesses: I'm sorry that Ms. Watson experienced so many losses in such a short period of time, but I disagree with the common perception that grief is always all-consuming. Middle grade literature is good about telling young readers that all emotions are valid, so it's also valid that they can want to move on and forget the person who died as soon as they are able. This is not portrayed in literature. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want books that deal with grief like Williams' Mid-Air or Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish. 

And I can tell Sage exactly what her friend's parents did with her stuff: it's very likely they donated it all to Goodwill, scrubbed down the entire room, and turned it into an office. 

All Better Now

Shusterman, Neal. All Better Now 
February 4, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The world is in the throes of another pandemic, this one caused by a virus called Crown Royale. The odd thing about this disease is that people who survive the infection seem to have their outlook on life drastically improved. Because of this, Dame Havilland, who is a fairly evil and vindictive business woman, hires Morgan, a young woman not long out of school, to take over her business empire if she dies of the infection or survives and becomes nicer, so that Morgan can continue to use her power to make money and irritate others. We also meet Gena Murdoch and her daughter Mariel, who have been struggling with poverty and homelessness. They steal a credit card and rent a very posh but inexpensive Air BNB owned by Blas Escobedo, and meet his son, Rón, who hasn't really enjoyed being related to his father. The elder Escobdeo is fabulously wealthy, having developed an effective digital N95 mask that displays the wearer's face and made a lot of money. Rón has struggled with mental health issues and twice attempted suicide.  After the Murdochs leave the Air BNB, they end up at the Pier Peer Collective,   run by a man who recovered from Crown Royale and wanted to create a community where everyone could be helped. Gena is I'll with the virus, and when she dies, Mariel is allowed to stay, although has to be limited to where she goes because she hasn't had the disease. When an incoherent Rón shows up, however, she stays by his side to help him, and realizes that she is immune to the disease. Dame Havilland recovers from her bout, and is a bit angry that she turned her business over to Morgan and tasked her with irradicating the disease. Morgan sets up a lab near the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and isn't too concerned about scientific ethics. Meanwhile, once Rón recovers, and and Mariel go on a road trip; he is a super spreader and he and Mariel decide together whom he should infect. Blas tries to find his son, using all of the resources at his disposal, and finally locates him at a Buc-ees in Battle Ground, Indiana. Rón has managed to reprogram the masks so he can make them super heated with his phone, and there is a fire that he and Mariel both narrowly escape. Dame Haviland takes drastic measures to change Morgan's mind, even trying to threaten her ailing mother, but isn't able to make much headway. As circumstances cause Morgan, Mariel, and the Escobedos to collide, what will the future of the Crown Royale virus be?

Strengths: This was an intriguing spin on a pandemic tale, and the characters all get woven together in an interesting fashion. My favorite parts might have been Rón's description of his blue cone color blindness, and the fact that people with color blindness were more susceptible to Crown Royale; that was just a random yet intriguing facet. Pairing Rón as a super spreader with Mariel, who was immune, was also inpsired. I rather enjoyed Dame Havilland and Morgan's evil ways, especially since Dame Havilland seemed to keep some of these even after she recovered. Both the road trip across the US and locating the research lab near the Svalbard Seed Vault were amusing choices. Fans of Shusterman's other young adult books like his 2008 Unwind and 2010 Bruiser. 
Weaknesses: While this is a very intriguing premise, I found myself wondering where the plot was going at several points. I would also have liked to know more specific information about the virus and its effects on people. 
What I really think: This is similar to the some of Shusterman's other sci fi work, in that it is innovative and interesting, but this is probably best suited to high school and young adult audiences because of length, a smattering of vocabulary choices, and a general introspective tone. For some reason, it reminded me strongly of Donald Westlake's 1992 Humans. 

MMGM- It's Watching and I Want Freedom Now

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Currie, Lindsay. It's Watching 
February 4, 2025 by Delacorte Press
E ARC Provided by Netgalley

Josie and her best friends Jackson and Allison plan to spend their Halloween night in the very haunted Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, Illinois, but not for the reasons you might think. They don't plan on desecrating tombstones while drinking beer; they want to try to see if they can photograph the fabled Lady in White and use their experience to write a news article for the Summit Hill Junior High newspaper. The three have secured coveted spots on the newspaper and have their own column, "The Magnifying Glass". They are very resourceful, planning their trip for a weekend when Josie's parents are out of town helping her grandmother move into assisted living. They think that she is with Allison, who uses her parents' Uber account to get them out to the cemetery. While there, creepy things happen, and on their way out, they are chased by a police patrolman. That's not the only thing that has found them; they each get a text saying "I'm watching" that is accompanied by a picture of the fabled Phantom Farmhouse as well as an eventual countdown. They have three days to figure out whatever this spirit wants. When they get back to Josie's house, things get creepy. The house alarm goes off for no reason, there's dirt on the floor where there shouldn't be, and the furnace goes off. The next morning, the computer is typing out "19191919" for 100 pages even though the electricity is out, and the Halloween decorations are changing in a sinister way. Ever resourceful, the kids take the clues they have gathered and spend their hard earned money to visit a reputable ghost hunter, Janessa. Janessa thinks that spirits have chosen the three friends to help them, and that she wouldn't be much use, but does give them her emergency contact information and drives them home. All three kids are also in contact with their parents, although they are not telling them the truth! Taking the information Janessa has given them, the three visit the local historical society and talk to Susan, who enlightens them on some of the people who lived near the cemetery. They also discuss where the phantom farmhouse might have been, while all the time the dolls in the museum are menacing them from their showcases! They think that a woman named Hulda Fulton wants her headstone back, so they create one and Uber back to the cemetery. They think for a while this might work, but more frightening things happen and they regroup at Josie's. Jackson has heard a creepy song, and they've seen "help her" scratched on the ground. They try researching various people in the cemetery, but can't quite figure out what's going on until Janessa returns with more information. By this time, they've been cold and wet, the house is growing algae on the ceiling, and they've been brewing coffee that they have to chew. With the hours passing quickly, they figure out another connection and return to the cemetery with yet another tombstone. Will it be enough to put the spirits to rest? 

Strengths: This is Currie's seventh book since 2017's The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, and each book has gotten progressively eerier! I loved that the three chose the Hallowwen weekend to do their homework, and weren't really interested in the ghosts so much as the story! Their advanced subterfuge in getting three days alone without killing any parents at all was admirable.  As always, Currie weaves a lot of history into her story, and makes the past seem both alive and sympathetic. There are funny moments (Tweens trying to brew coffee. Yep.), great helpful adults, and some fantastic interludes where the kids (and the readers!) get to decompress, regroup, and hang out at a coffee shop... before the ghosts set fire to it. There are plenty of scary things, great twists, and a REALLY great ending that I don't want to ruin. Let's get say that I have visited enough old cemeteries that I might just have to pop a $10 bill in the mail to Bachelor's Grove. 

Weaknesses: There was a lot of running back and forth to the cemetery by Uber, which was clever but got a bit tiring. Since this is based on a real place, it couldn't be a creepy cemetery just down the street! Also, as a certified adult, I need to issue this disclaimer: Kids, don't lie to your parents and sneak out on your own! 
What I really think: This is perhaps Currie's best mystery, followed closely by The Girl in White and Scritch Scratch! This had a bit of a Mary Downing Hahn vibe to it that I haven't picked up in her earlier work. Currie, Poblocki, and K.R. Alexander are cementing themselves as the middle grade horror writers for the 2020s! For some reason, Arthur's 1964 Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigator's Series: The Secret of Terror Castle popped into my mind as I was looking for books with a similar vibe. 

Hoose, Phillip and Colvin, Claudette. I Want Freedom Now!
November 12, 2024 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Public library copy

While there are many picture books about Rosa Parks (who worked as a secretary in the NAACP), there is relatively little written about the young woman who protested giving up her seat on a bus months before Parks did. Phillip Hoose, whose middle grade nonfiction book about Colvin, Claudette Colvin, Twice Towards Justice, came out in 2007, has worked closely with Colvin herself to tell her story.

At the beginning of the book, we see Ms. Colvin get on the bus, and through the bus windows, we see scenes of the Montgomery, Alabama neighborhoods she rides through. On the ride, she thinks about all of the injustices that Black people had to deal with in 1955. When a white woman demands her seat, backed by the bus driver, Colvin thinks about the treatment Black people have received, and decides to hold firm and not give up her seat. This leads to her arrest and imprisonment, as well as a trial, which she loses. Later, after Rosa Parks' famous case, Colvin's lawyer Fred Gray wanted to challenge the constitutionality of the bus laws, and asked Colvin, along with three other women with similar cases, to join in Browder vs. Gayle and challenge the laws. They won this case, and segregated bus seating became illegal in Alabama. Six months later, the Supreme Court declared that it was unconstitutional. This ends with a note about Colvin, and Hoose's work and friendship with her.

Hoose does a great job at distilling Colvin's story and presenting it for younger readers in a way that shows personal agency on her part that may encourage young readers to stand up for issues affecting their own lives. He also makes sure to paint a picture of the issues that Colvin and other Black citizens were facing, which is important. Students today may not be aware of how people were treated in the 1950s; the detail about Black people not being able to try on shoes in stores will be surprising to many of them!

Bea Jackson clearly did her research for the illustrations, especially the clothing. The details were spot on, and the illustrations also do a great job of conveying emotions. The vintage feel is perfect, and the colors warm and realistic. Her use of light is especially nice; the cover is very appealing.

All ages can benefit from picture books, and a great way to celebrate Black History Month is to read a picture book a day on lesser know figures in Black History or the Civil Rights Movement. Add Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! to a shelf that includes Bolden's Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book, Weatherford's Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Levinson's The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, Pinkney's Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Cline-Ransom's Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis, King's My Daddy: Martin Luther King, Jr. , Wallace's Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement, or Hudson's The Day Madear Voted.

A World Worth Saving

Lukoff, Kyle. A World Worth Saving 
February 4, 2025 by Dial Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

A is a trans boy whose parents not only constantly deadname him, but also make him attend meetings of Saving Our Sons and Daunghters (SOSAD), a group where the leader, Joanna, is encouraging parents to not believe their children's gender identities and actively campaigning for parental rights legislation that is against gender affirming treatments. The only thing that makes these meeting bearable is that it is the only time A gets to talk to other kids like himself, especially since there are still COVID restrictions in place. Sal, a trans girl, and Yarrow, who just wants to be known as Yarrow, are especial friends, so when Yarrow is removed from the meet and sent off to get further "treatment", the remaining two feel they might be next, since another member, Lily, disappeared some time ago. A is also dealing with something very odd... a golem has started following him around, talking to him, and telling him not to be afraid. This combination of events compels Sal and A to run away, and they end up dumpster diving for food. There, they meet Razor, who gives them tips and also invites them to stay the night in a basement that several queer teens have used to create the "Transshack". There, they meet Dante, J, Scout, and Ethelle, who share information about the resources available for LGBTQIA+ youth in the Seattle area, many of which are in danger of cuts because of local politician Barrow. The Transshack is crowded, so Sal and A decide to seek shelter at A's synagogue, where they can also ask Rabbi Singer about the Golem. Rabbi Singer has worked with A's family before and understands the challenges he is facing, so is very welcoming, feeding the two and allowing them to spend the night, and also offering to hide A from his parents when they show up. A gets a bit of information about the Golem, and is soon dropped into quite a battle against both a host of demons and sheydim but also parents and local politician who all mean queer kids harm. Will A and Sal be able to work together to save Yarrow, themselves, and their growing support network from these threats? 

Strengths: It's interesting to see the progression of LGBTQIA+ literature for tweens and teens, especially since I can't remember any books with trans characters before Polonsky's 2014 Gracefully Grayson and Gino's 2015 Melissa. At first, books were about coming out, and then about LGBTQIA+ kids going about their regular days, and we are now starting to see more politically aware books that, like one of the characters in A World Worth Saving, are interested in "smashing the cisheteropatriarchy". Not only that, but these these are being worked into fantasies with an allegorical spin. A's fight against his parents, as well as the forces of evil, is imbued with lots of Jewish cultural touchpoints as well, which was interesting to see. As in Lukoff's Different Kinds of Fruit, there is a varied and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community represented. Setting this during limited COVID restrictions gives this a particular time frame, which worked well, especially given all of the political activism that had a renewed emphasis during these years. 

Weaknesses: I'm not sure what the laws are like in Washington state, but it seemed odd that Rabbi Singer was willing to hide A and Sal from their parents. In Ohio, clergy members are mandated reporters and would be required to notify social services. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for fans of Lukoff's work or readers who want their current political issues presented with elements of fantasy, like Lucas' The Vanished Ones, Bowman's Where the Lost Ones Go, or Capps' Indigo and Ida. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Very Bad at Math

Larson, Hope. Very Bad at Math
January 21, 2025 by HarperAlley

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Very is not only good at clarinet and most of her school classes, but she is popular, kind, and wins her third term as student body president with a platform of fund raising for a class trip to the Danger Hollow Fun Park. After a mishap at the candidates' debate that ended with her almost covered in pizza sauce, she picks Bree, who saved her from catastrophe, as her running mate. This means, however, that Bree no longer has time to work with her friend Lucille on their mobile pizza oven enterprise. Very's math grade is very low, and the principal tells her that unless she brings up her grade, she will have to resign from student government. She is also sent to work with a student teacher in a supplemental class to help with math. Lucille is also in the class, and after being very standoffish, finally admits to Very that she's mad about Bree, and the two bond over their trouble with math. Nate, who runs a gossipy school broadcast, isn't sure what is going on with Very, but wants to uncover it. Very is intrigued by local politician Hazel Shaw, and frequently calls her line to chat with volunteer Ali and get life advice. The fund raising is going fairly well, and a school dance brings in a lot of money, especially when Very talks Bree and Lucille into selling pizza. The final amount of money for the trip is going to be raised by selling t shirts, but when the order comes in, they are in sizes for dogs. Very has transposed numbers on the order forms because she has been trying to do everything by herself. 

Strengths: Very has lots of interests, and is a friendly and upbeat person whose troubles come when she is trying too hard to make people like her. Her struggles in class are realistic, and I've definitely seen students who have trouble coping when they start to spiral. I was glad that she and Lucille were able to bond, and she is even able to make things up to Bree. Fund raising for the class trip was more or less realistic, although I was surprised that there was not a PTA mentioned. The inclusion of political activism was interesting. And as for the dog shirts... my school still has a few cross country jerseys in toddler sizes that were the company's fault, so there are sometimes mistakes made! 
Weaknesses: My school hasn't had a student council for over twenty years, so the students at my school tend not to pick up books about class elections. We also don't give middle school students such big responsibilities because there's a lot of legal liability. Maybe other schools do.
What I really think: I can't think of any other middle grade books about dyscalculia, and considering the number of students I see on 504s and IEPs, there should probably be many more books about children in supplemental classes. This would be a good graphic novel for readers who enjoyed Garcia and William's Wires Crossed or Gerber's Focused.