Clutch Time (Shot Clock #2)

Butler, Caron and Reynolds, Justin A. Clutch Time (Shot Clock #2)

September 10, 2024 by Katherine Tegen Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this return to Oasis Springs, we meet new characters. Kofi Douglass is the number one ranked basketball player in the state, playing on the Scorpions team under Coach James. His nemesis is Ripp Ransom, whose father is a professional player, which allows Ransom to travel widely and have a large Instagram following for his travels. Kofi's father has been in jail for half his life. He used to visit with his mother, but when his father was moved from a nearby Wisconsin prison to one in Ohio, it because impossible to continue. When he was seven, he was out with his father with the Ransoms, playing basketball, but his father was arrested and sent to jail, and the situation was never fully explained. Kofi wants to play in a local tournament honoring Dante Jones, who was killed at 17 in the neighborhood, but his mother doesn't really want him to. Kofi's best friend is Mecca, who is interested in filmmaking, but their relationship is somewhat one sided, with Mecca supporting Kofi, but Kofi failing to show up for important moments in her life. When Kofi's father, Gem, is let out of prison several years early, and it is a difficult adjustment to have his father around again. He eventually hears the story of what happened to his father, and the Scorpions do well in the tournament. 

Strengths: Any book with a basketball player on the cover is going to do well, and Butler is still working as a basketball coach, so students might still know who he is. The inner city setting is well described, and I was glad to see Coach James back. There are not a lot of books where children have parents in prison, and I can only imagine how difficult it is to have a parent return after having been gone for seven years. This is a nice length, and since Shot Clock has been very popular in my library, I am sure there will be a demand for the sequel.  
Weaknesses: While this is a sequel, I feel like I missed something with Kofi and Ripp's story. The style also seemed different; there was more texting on the page, and more slang. Maybe it has yet to have a final round of edits. 

What I really think: Buy this one for fans of Shot Clock, or Maldonado's Secret Saturdays. 

The Lonely Below

davis, g. heron. The Lonely Below
August 6, 2024 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Eva Mauberry live in Tennessee, but her parents have to go to Mississippi to deal with her grandmother's estate. Her older sister Egypt is in college, but her parents want her to spend a semester in Blythe Academy, a private school that her father attended, so that they can focus on wrapping up the grandmother's concerns. Eva's Aunt Nooncie has just taken a job teaching at the school, so will be there to help as well. Eva does make friends quickly, including her roommate Vee, who is Dominican, and Ami, who is Black and Thai as well as nonbinary. She also talks to a girl named Mac, who seems to disappear quickly on some occasions. The school has a long history of being haunted, mainly because it was built on land that was taken from a Black community by the Friends of Lafayette Falls Lake group, who then built the school. Eva has a meltdown in the office after a ghostly woman grabs her wrist; her father has to be called to calm her down. He believes her a bit about the ghost, but not that it hurt her. Eva is autistic, but was hoping to keep this a secret longer, although her new friends are understanding. As Eva tries to figure out why the school is haunted, she finds other information about a classroom that collapsed fifty years ago, killing a teacher. Vee and Ami believe her, and try to help her with her research. There is one student, Theo, who is occasionally mean to Eva, but also gives her ear buds that her autistic brother finds useful. There is a Centennial Celebration being planned for the school, and since the previous catastrophe happened during the last big celebration, the students want to figure things out quickly. Mac seems helpful, but when a group of girls try a Bloody Mary type chant in the bathroom, things get strange. What part did Mac have in the history of the school, and can Eva and her friends figure out why the school is haunted? 

Strengths: This would have been referred to as a book written by an #OwnVoices author; davis is autistic. It's good to see this represenation. The history of the school is filled with lots of problems, and these are described well but don't slow the ghost portion of the stort down. It's good to see that Eva has people who support her. The teachers are a little suspicious, which is always fun, but are of course working for the good of the school. There is a seance with a ouija board, which young readers always enjoy. 

Weaknesses: Eva finds a lot of comfort in the Karen Cooper musical group; this seems to be an actual musical group. Not really a weakness; I just wasn't sure. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like their scary ghost stories set in placed that were sites of historic cultural oppression, like the Colored Orphangage Asylum in Cummings' Trace or the lake in India Hill Brown's The Girl in the Lake. 

MMGM- Lonely Planet Kids: The Rocks Book and Deadly Animal Atlas

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Lonely Planet Kids The Rocks Book
November 5, 2024 by Lonely Planet
Copy provided by the Publisher

Are you always taking small stones out of your dryer's lint trap because you have a rock obsessed kid? This is the book you need! In Lonely Planet's typical beautiful style, THE ROCKS BOOK provides all of the information your budding geologist might need to start on a fascinating hobby that might even turn into a career.

This starts with basic information about what exactly rocks are. Going all the way back to the formation of planets, there's also a good explanation about the Earth's layers, shifting plates, and different kinds of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic). The all important rock cycle is explained with fantastic diagrams. The most interesting thing to me (with my liberal arts mind) was the inclusion of thumbnail biographies about people through history who have studied geology, going all the way back to Theophrastus in 372 BCE!

Crystals, gemstones, and rock formation also get entries, as do minerals and fossils. I enjoyed the chapter on how we use rocks; building and jewelry were readily apparent, but many young readers might not know that rocks liked talc, gypsum, and salt are used as ingredients.

It wouldn't be a Lonely Planet book without a little trip around the world, discussing the rocks of different countries. The part that may appeal most to children, once they are armed with all of the previous information, is the chapter "How to be a Rock Hound". Collecting is always a fascinating pastime, and rocks seem like something that would be inexpensive to amass, and easy enough to disperse when the collection no longer holds appeal. This chapter starts with responsible collecting, which I appreciated, but also has some good tips on washing, sorting, and storing ones "quarry".

The best part of the book, however, is the "Directory of Rocks and Minerals". This is an extensive catalog, complete with pictures, of examples of different kinds of rocks, broken down into categories. While it might be hard to find snowflake obsidian in one's backyard (depending on location), the pictures are fun to look at. Since the book also has a good glossary as well as a robust index, young readers will be able to find the information they need to identify their finds.

While I have some nonfiction books in my school library on rocks, they are usually from publishers who sell mainly to the academic market. National Geographic has a serviceable identification guide and an Ultimate Rock-opedia, and Dorling Kindersley has an Illustrated Guide to Rocks and Minerals, but the combination of history, global coverage, and identification guide makes The Rocks Book a great one stop source of information. Combine this with a small box for keeping specimens, and you'll be able to keep your rock hound digging for hours!

My only concern about this is that the binding might not hold up terribly well to library use; the corners of the new copy I have are already showing wear from traveling in the mail and to school in my back pack. I don't have a full report yet. This is just a suspicion.

Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet Kids Deadly Animal Atlas
November 19, 2024 by Lonely Planet
Copy provided by the Publisher

Lonely Planet takes us around the world again... but this time, we might not come back! Starting with a map of the world showing the location of all manner of deadly animals, reptiles, and insects, this shows all of the possible ways we can perish in our travels, from vampire bats in South America to the Sydney Funnel-Web Spider in Australia. Since this deadly animals are hugely interesting to young readers, this book will be a hit, even though I personally am identifying with the cute little penguins that are an arm's length away from being gobbled down by a leopard seal!

In a unique landscape format that employs fold out pages, young readers will find out about different sorts of deadly weapons employed by animals, and there are even lift a flap sections (that I highly recommend opening BEFORE giving to anyone under the age of 16!). Starting in North America, we get a description of habitats, and then some of the animals in those areas described in the pages underneath. This repeats through all of the continents, giving animal and after animals. I liked the inset maps showing exactly where the creatures are supposed to be found, just in case I ever find myself in the Carpathian Mountains, trying to avoid a Fire Salamander.

Because of the nature of the sturdy, fold out pages, some with double layered flaps, there is no table of contents, index, or supplementary material at the end of the book. While this makes it somewhat less useful for research, this is more of a coffee table or back seat of the car book, perfectly for dipping through on rainy days or on long trips. This is also has a mixture of illustrations and photographs, which might make it more appealing to slightly younger readers.

Lonely Planet has really been stepping up their game, making them a great addition to similar titles about nature and the world like Dorling Kindersley's Nature's Deadliest Creatures Visual Encyclopedia or National Geographic Kids Deadly Animals Collection. For younger readers, combining this book with a collection of small plastic animals will make a great gift, but be prepared for the sounds of roaring and screaming as the Australian Silent Snapper or the Green Jararaca viper has a Fisher-Price farm cow for dinner. Also, this book has reaffirmed by belief that were I to travel to Australia, I would die a horrible death!

MMGM- On Track and All Shook Up

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Adams, Tom and Jay, Tom. On Track:On Track: The remarkable story of how trains have changed our world
October 1, 2024 by Wide Eyed Editions
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

I'm endlessly fascinated by innovations that have changed the way that people go about their daily lives, and yet there are fewer books about these sorts of innovations than about, say, World War II. Even though trains aren't the first form of transportation that comes to mind right now, there's no denying that their introduction changed the way that people got from one place to another.

This is a fascinating book that covers just about every facet of trains that one could imagine. The origins of trains are well laid out, there are several mini biographies of people involved in train innovations, and there's exquisite detail about things like running a railroad, and how the various types of trains (steam, diesel, electric) run. Famous trains and train lines are discussed, and there are fun facts like the introduction of time zones... I had no idea Eastern Standard Time came into existence because of train schedules. The chapters about Train at War will be very helpful for students researching different conflicts for National History Day, and I was captivated (and somewhat horrified) by the British use of railroads to control the native population of India. There are fun sections on some railway oddities, and a brief look at the future of trains. A timeline, index, and glossary complete this helpful and fascinating look at trains. 

I especially appreciated that an effort was made to be inclusion of innovators from marginalized backgrounds, including the Black mechanical and electrical engineer Granville T. Woods, woman inventor Mary Elizabeth Walton, and Hideo Shima, who designed the Japan's bullet trains. 

The one down side of this book is that there is so much information crammed onto the pages that the print was rather small. The trim size on the book is only 10"x 12". Also, the price of this is about $30, which shouldn't be surprising, but is a little alarming. 

Do you remember The Way Things Work (1988), by David McCauley? This book is rather like that; a really good overview of everything you would ever need to know about trains, extremely well illustrated, but, sadly, without wool mammoths. There aren't a lot of students who are interested in trains at my middle school, but the ones who are tend to be obsessive. This is the one book about  trains that will answer all of their questions. I've been looking for something like this for twenty years!

Langbert, Enid. All Shook Up

September 10, 2024 by SparkPress

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Paula Levy is being raised in 1956 in a middle class family in Queens. Her mother was fourteen during the Great Depression, and her father had to flee Nazi Germany, so they are not very sympathetic to what utter DRAGS they are. They made her wear pleated skirts and sweater sets, and care about her academic work. They even make comments about the rock music that has recently enthralled her like "Music she calls it. I thought the furnace had exploded!" This is why it is so important that she has made a "cool" friend at school, Barbara. Barbara has blonde streaks in her hair, wears makeup, and wears tight skirts and sweaters. While the two bond over a love of rock music and Catcher in the Rye, Barnara can't possibly been seen in public with such a drip. Paula is a little concerned; her neighbor Margaret, whose parents knew her father in Germany, is a goodie two shoes who never hesitates to tattle on her. When rumors swirl that Elvis will be on the Milton Berle show, Barbara makes plans to go to the studio and meet him, but Paula learns when she watches the show that it was filmed in California. She eventually visits Barbara's apartment, which is disheveled, and learns that Barbara's mother is remarried. After Margaret shows Paula a picture of her father with another woman and baby girl, she has Barbara help her look through family pictures to find out more information, after a perusal of the phone book in the local drugstore doesn't turn up any information. Mrs. Levy is appalled to find Barbara in the home, and the parents sit down and tell her that yes, the father had another family, but they were swept up in the Holocaust, and no, she can never see that tramp again! After Barbara is caught kissing 19-year-old Billy in her living room, she is hauled to the doctor to make sure she is not pregnant, and threatened with an all girls' Catholic school. Since the girls are so fed up with their lives, they decide to run away. At first, Memphis sounds like a good idea, but Paula has questions. She suggests going to Cleveland to live with her Aunt, but Barbara thinks that sounds like Nowheresville. Instead, they settle on going to Hoboken and staying with Barbara's estranged father. After withdrawing $285 from Paula's savings, the two take off, and find the father's run down aparment easily enough. It turns out he is a jaxzz musician, but Barbara doesn't really want to stay with him. The girls return to the city but make the mistake of talking to some sailors on leave. The sailors make advances, and the police accuse the girls of "playing their trade" and get set to arrest them. Luckily, Barbara's father has alerted her mother, who shows up at the bus station. There's quite an altercation, and even the parents start to throw insults at each other. In the end, things are worked out, and because Paula has stood up to her parents, they start to get along a little better. 

I have read many, many teen novels that were written at this time period, and Langbert manages to capture the essence of those books while adding a modern twist. Books of that era were all from the point of view of the "good" girls. That was the aspiration. Girls like Paula with tight sweaters? No nice girl would have anything to do with them. To see Paula portrayed as a girl of similar breeding who was intrigued rather than repelled by Barbara's interests and background was quite fun. Young readers won't understand quite how revolutionary this is, but it gave quite a twist to the overarching feelings of the era. 

Paula's not a bad kid. She does well in school. She wears the dweeby clothes her mother buys for her, even though she has (shocked gasp!) quit buttoning the top button of her blouses and has been turning the collar up! She' understandably miffed with Margaret, who is rather self righteous, especially when her mother makes her stay with Margaret's family for ten days while the mother is in Cleveland helping the aunt with a new baby. Paula's father couldn't possibly take care of her. The running away plans are fascinating, and I imagine that there were a lot of kids during the 1950s who did run away. Remember, Paula's mother grew up at a time where, if families couldn't take care of their children, children were often left to fend for themselves. Paula did have a bit of understanding that the plan wasn't the best one, which was good to see. 

There are plenty of cultural touchpoints; there would have been many parents who survived the Holocaust, and they wouldn't necessarily have talked about what they lost. I could have used a few more tiny historical details, but there were enough, and Mrs. Levy's solid middle class presence and values were perfect. 

I'd love to see more books about teens and tweens in the 1950s; I would have expected a lot in the 1970s or 80s as nostalgic pieces, but there never were very many. For more glimpses at this era of bobby socks and Poodle skirts, pick up Frazier's Mighty Inside, Walsh's Red Scare: A Graphic Novel, Crowder's Mazie, or Elliott's Suspect Red. 

If We Were Having Coffee

Saw this at The Story Sanctuary; If We Were Having Coffee was started by The Perpetual Page Turner, and looked like something I would rather be doing than what I should be doing. I would, of course, be drinking tea, but I'd have some apple pie to share. 

If We Were Having Coffee, I would tell you that I've read 1,004 books for the year, and finding it really hard to be motivated to read anything else until January. This week, my goal is just a book a day. I'm currently reading Robert Lipsyte's Rhino's Run, and it's really good. Mr. Lipsyte is 86 years old. He and Avi are still on top of things!

If We Were Having Coffee, I might complain about the six new carts of Chromebooks that were dropped off at my school when I was out for a doctor's appointment, but I would spin it to sound funny rather than super annoying. We're glad to have new devices, but we were e mailed one plan, and another one happened. That involved having students return Chromebooks in the middle of the day. You can just imagine the chaos. 

If We Were Having Coffee, I would show you the 1979 Sunset Designs Jiffy Needlepoint Christmas tree ornament kit that my daughter picked up for me at the thrift store. It was already started, but the stitches were going backwards. Had to continue it that way. We made up a whole sad backstory about Janet, the original crafter, and why she had to abandon the project in 1981 after a bitter divorce from Gary. I have done any wool needlepoint since about the time this vaguely creepy Santa was produced!

If We Were Having Coffee, my dog Leo would probably jump up on my lap and sniff my tea to see if it was something he wanted. He's been with me since June but has recently become all too comfortable. He is not allowed at the kitchen table, and was promptly removed. He has taken to settling himself on pillows on the sofa and barging in to any room I am in even if the door is ajar. I guess he has finally decided that I am his forever human. 

If We Were Having Coffee, I wouldn't talk about my recuperation from my tendon replacement because it's just boring and annoying. The doctor is happy with my progress, and I'm back to walking to work, but it still doesn't feel great. 

The weather is cool but sunny, and Leo and I have been getting in our steps after doing chores, some of which involved a little bit of sewing, so now that's all I want to do! Have a great week!

All My Bests

Meister, Britnee. All My Bests
November 12, 2024 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Immie and Jack have been friends and neighbors for years, and have a great time hanging out, watching movies the other person hates, and supporting each other at school. As they start high school, however, things start to change. For one thing, Immie finally is insistent that her mother tell her about her father. Immie's always known that she was conceived through IVF, and has never been shy about telling others this. She also hasn't wanted to know about her father, and now she does. Her mother is reluctant to say much, but gives Immie a collection of CDs from 2006 that her father put together. Utilizing technology to try to find her father, Immie puts together a fake social media account to try to figure out who her father was. Jack, who has parents who support his siblings but seem too busy to watch his soccer games, is struggling with several different issues. He isn't the soccer star his brother is, and has been prone to injuries lately. Not only that, but his feelings for Immie have changed. Every time he thinks he can make a move, Immie seems to be interested in someone else. She is; Elijah is very cute, but she also is starting to think about Jack in a new way. As high school begins, the two engage in an intricate dance of emotions where they are constantly treading on each other's toes. Set against the background of Immie's father's songs, and from Immie's viewpoint, then Jack's, and then from them both together, we see how their relationship evolves. 

Strengths: Immie and Jack are starting their freshman year in high school, which is the perfect age to appeal to both middle school and younger high school readers. While there is a high school party, there's not a lot of drinking shown, and no hanky panky, which is increasingly rare in Young Adult books. It's good to see that Immie and Jack are firm friends, and have many shared interests. I also found it interesting that Jack really tried to tell himself that Elijah was a better choice for Immie because she deserved someone better than himself. This is such a great encapsulation of the early teen psyche, and was quite touching. This was a quicker read than I thought it would be, and kept me interested the whole time, even though I am old and roll my eyes at some of the teen thinking. The cover will age very well. 
Weaknesses: There are a lot of details about the songs that may not resonate with middle school readers, but high school students might find looking into the music of the era when they were born interesting. It might have been helpful to have included a playlist of all the songs if readers wanted to listen to them without having to page back through the story. 
What I really think: At 384 pages, this is a little on the long side, but the inclusion of the male perspective in a romance, as well as Jack's anxiety, make this a compelling story. This is perfect for fans of dual point romances like Blecher's Listen to This and Heldring's The Football Girl. 

I would have loved this in high school, but was just sort of annoyed with the characters as an adult. I also found it difficult to believe that in 2006, the mother would have cared at all about telling the daughter who her father was. I think more of my students don't have fathers in the home than do. 

 

Uprooted

Chan, Ruth. Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back

September 10, 2024 by Roaring Brook Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1993, Ruth's father gets a better job in Hong Kong, where her mother lived before moving to Toronto. Her older brother, a junior in high school, stays at a boarding school, but the rest of the family, including a dog and a cat, relocate. Ruth is devastated, because she loves her friends and her life in Toronto. She doesn't speak Cantonese very well, isn't familiar with her many relatives in Hong Kong, and finds it hard to make friends at her new German school. She eventually makes friends with Bonnie, as well as a boy in her huge apartment complex, but her father often travels to China for work, and she misses their bedtime chats. Her mother is often not home, and Ruth spends a lot of time by herself. Little by little, she travels around the city more and starts to feel at home, but a bad report from her teachers angers her mother, who wants her to buckle down. Around this time, Bonnie stops talking to her, and when Ruth comes home to find no one there and no note, she gets very angry at her parents when they return. Her father has been telling her the story of what he went through as a child, since he was born in 1944 after his family had to flee their home and lived for quite some time in a barn. She also learns that her mother was sad to leave Hong Kong and move to Toronto, so does really understand what Ruth is going through. By the time her brother comes to visit at Christmas time, Ruth has a better grasp on her new life. 

Strengths: This was a well done look at having to move from a familiar environment to somewhere completely new. Ruth's struggles with language, custom, and getting to know family were poignant. Today's children will be amazed at how often she was left alone in a new, large city. There is a little friends drama, and I loved the fact that while fitting in and having friends was (of course) important for Ruth, her mother was more concerned with the quality of her school work. The artwork is engaging, and the realistic pastel color scheme gave a slightly retro feel to this, although all Millenials know that the 1990s was just ten years ago. 
Weaknesses: The author has a note that she started writing a graphic novel about her father's childhood experience but then realized she really wanted to pivot more towards her own story; I want a novel about the father's experiences! I can't say I've read much about the second Sino-Japanese War, and I'd love to know more. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Brown's While I Was Away or  Matula's The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly Mei, or want more graphic novel memoirs set during this era, like Ogle's Four Eyes,  Doodles From the Boogie Down, Big Apple Diaries, or Santat's A First Time for Everything. 

Guy Friday- Everything We Never Had

Ribay, Randy. Everything We Never Had
August 27, 2024 by Kokila
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

When Francisco Maghabol's father leaves his mother and sisters in early 1900s Manila, his mother is barely able to make ends meet. Francisco is sent to the US to work and send money back to the family. While missionaries and others have said that there were lots of jobs and good money, this is not the case. He ends up working long hours in the field, and having to use his scant pay to reimburse farmers for clothing, shelter, and basic tools of the trade. He does have the community of other immigrants from the Philippines, and socialized at a dance hall. When local white citizens got angry with their daughters talking to immigrants, Francisco gets caught in the middle of the Watsonville Riots. A good friend is killed, and Francisco embarks on a life of social activism, trying to get justice and fair treatment for farmworkers. In 1965, we meet his son, Emil, who is angry that he has to work long hours at his aunt's restaurant when he should be spending time studying for school. He's bright, and would like to go to college, but his father is rarely home, and too invested in the community to pay attention to his family. As the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott heats up, Francisco wants Emil to join him. When Emil does, he learns alarming things about his father, and returns home to his grandmother, Beatriz, determined to distance himself from his family as well as the Filipino American community. He gets a degree in engineering, marries a white woman, and raises his son Chris without any cultural knowledge or background. In 1983, Chris' grades are slipping, and his father forces him to quit the football team. Chris has failed to turn in a history project, and ends up spending a lot of time at the library, delving into books and microfiche to learn more about the history of the Philippines. He is surprised, and also horrified at the murder of Beningo Aquino. When he tries to talk to his father about this, his father tells him there is nothing to be gained from delving into the past. The two have a huge falling out. Chris becomes a science teacher, and lives with his Latine wife Julia and son Enzo in Philadelphia in 2020. He has a better relationship with Enzo, and celebrates his culture with community, culture, and cooking. Enzo is an anxious teen, and as the COVID-19 pandemic descends, he is not happy that Emil moves out of his assisted living facility and takes over Enzo's room. Enzo has a tendency to spiral, and refers to his disturbing thoughts as "murder hornets". His parents are both supportive and have him in therapy, but having Emil around is stressful. Chris and Emil cannot managed to get along, and Chris has taken up smoking again. Enzo does go for walks with his grandfather and his dog, Thor, and the two end up talking a good deal. When Enzo suggests that Chris join them, it ends in a fight. Will the generations be able to overcome their differences and come to some mutual understanding that will allow them to be a connected family?

This young adult is told in alternating perspectives, which are clearly listed by character, time, and place at the beginning of the chapters, so the book is not as linear as this synopsis. This allows the past, and the ramifications of the occurrences, to be revealed slowly. We start to understand why Francisco went off on his own, why Emil thinks that providing materially for his children is enough, and why Chris is angry. There is a thread of toxic masculinity that ties the stories together, and at the end, Enzo helps his father and grandfather mend their relationship a little bit, but it's hard to reprogram generations' worth of behavior. At least Enzo and Chris have a better relationship. 

The pandemic is worked into this book in a very effective way, and I loved how so much Filipino history was showcased. There is even some mention of World War II in the Philippines, and the promises to immigrants who came to the US that were broken. 

Mental health treatments and perception varies over time, and Enzo's anxiety, as well as how he is taught to handle it, are all on trend. While Emil thinks that Enzo's sensitivity is a weakness, Chris thinks it is beautiful. This will resonate with many young people today who can only feel that their parents love them if they have deep, philosophical conversations with their parents, and if generations try to know and understand each other. 

There are a  growing number of books by Filipino American writers, so Ribay's latest title is a good one to add to a collection that includes de la Cruz's Something in Between, Salaysay's Private Lessons, and Apostol's La Tercera, as well as Ribay's The Patron Saint of Nothing. 

While there are not a lot of f-words, there are a handful, and the flashback style and introspective quality of this story might make it more suited to high school readers. 

Hungry Bones

Hung, Louise. Hungry Bones

October 1, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Molly Teng is not happy to be moving from Bell Harbor, Maine to Buckeye Creek, Texas with her mother Dot. Her mother moves them frequently, and this latest move was even worse because Bell Harbor was the only place that Molly didn't constantly have ghosts apprearing to her. Her mother downplays this strange ability, and even moves the two into a very old house, which has a lot more objects from which Molly gets disturbing vibes. Even worse, Molly feels the presence of a ghost. We also see the events of the book through the ghost's eyes; Jade has been trapped in the house for about 120 years, but doesn't know much about who she was or why she is trapped. Molly is also uncomfortable in Texas because there are not many people who look like her. She does meet a neighbor girl, Eleanor, who is part Black and part Latine, and does feel very comforted when she visits a Chinese restaurant that her mother has as a publicity client. She eventually makes contact with Jade, and learns a bit about her existence. Jade is always hungry, and feels that this is somehow punishment for something she had done in her life. It's a little better when Mollly leaves food for her, since Jade can only eat food that is left behind or offered to her. Molly witnesses a disturbing moment when Jade's monstrous side comes out, and learns from the women at the restaurant that Jade must be a hungry ghost, one whom no one remembers or honor. Molly tries to help Jade find out more about her history, and even is shown Jade's bones that are in a box in the attic. When Dot's sister Bobbie finally comes to visit (Dot has moved to Texas to reconnect with her sister), Molly realizes that Bobbie can also see Jade, and her aunt helps her to figure out how Jade's spirit can be put to rest. Will Molly and her aunt be able to figure out the past, and will their future be one they can share?

Strengths: This was a well constructed mystery that wove systemic racism, cultural identity, and family dynamics into a complex story with a rich historical background AND some creepy ghosts. Also, the food descriptions in this were so vivid that I really wanted to get some dim sum! Dot and her mother have a difficult relationship, in part because her mother knows that Molly can see ghosts but doesn't want to address this fact; this will resonate with so many tween readers who don't feel seen and understood by their parents! This would be great for strong upper elementary readers who can't really hand super scary ghost stories. 
Weaknesses: This is rather long, and would probably be more successful with readers who like historical fiction rather than horror fans. It's not really scary at all, and was more interesting once I stopped waiting for scary things to happen and started to enjoy the historical aspects. The cover reminds me of 1980s covers, so this will be hard to place with readers in my library. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Urban's Almost There And Almost Not, Royce's The Creepening of Dogwood House, or Oh's Spirit Hunters. 
 

Are You Nobody, Too?

Chance, Tina. Are You Nobody, Too?

August 27, 2024 by Make Me a World
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Emily was adopted from China by a white couple who live in New York City, and has spent all of her school years in a small Montessory school, Meadowlake. During the pandemic, her father lost his job, and her mother's salary as a teacher at a community college is not enough to pay for the tuition. In ninth grade, she transfers to IS 23, which has a large Asian population and Chinese language classes. Since Emily always felt out of place at Meadowlake, sicne there were few students of Asian descent, it feels comforting at first to be with others who look like her and who don't bully herr because of her ethnicity. Emily struggled with feelings of isolation during the pandemic, and is no longer in contact with her two best friend. She has also cut her hair very short, wears white combat boots, and feels anxious all the time. She feels out of place in the new school as well, since her classmates assume that because she looks Chinese she should know the language. There are some girls who try to be nice to her, but she keeps them at arm's length. She does get to know Grace a bit, and slowly broadens he horizons. Her father, who has been depressed, has some of his photographs exhibited and seems to be on an upwards path, engaging in the community more. This is helpful to Emily as well. Having discovered the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and feeling like it is speaking to her own mental state, Emily does some research into the author and her work, and is able to make more connections to people in her school during this process. 

Strengths: Coming out of the pandemic was a strange feeling, and it's hard to remember how things gradually changed. Students have to change schools because of family problems all the time, and having to leave a familiar environment, especially when stressed, can't be easy. Teens are definitely searching for personal identity, and try on lots of different personalities, so Emily's obsession with Dickinson's work make sense. Since this is a novel in verse, it tries to mimic Dickinson's choppy style. There is a lot of discussion about Asian identity, and the term "banana" is discusssed. I was glad to see that by the end of the book, Emily is feeling better about herself. Also, the elderly dog, Keeper, did not die. I was certainly expecting that to happen, so it was a relief when it did not. 
Weaknesses: I was surprised that a public school library in New York City would still have books that were "not systemized by computer". This allows Emily to see her teacher's name on a check out card and ask him about the book, but I think that unless a school is SUPER small, the catalog would be online. Reading an entire novel written in Dickinson's breathless style was a challenge.

What I really think: This is more of a Young Adult book because of the pacing and introspective nature, but might be something that fans of Green's The Fault in Our Stars or Chobosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower might like.

Westfallen

Brasheres, Ann and Brasheres, Ben. Westfallen
September 17, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Henry, Frances, and Lukas used to be good friends, but when the children developed different interest in middle school, they saw less and less of each other. When their gerbil dies, Henry contacts the other two for a funeral. While digging, they unearth an old radio, and manage to get it to work. They talk to three children their age, Alice, Lawrence, and Artie, who are also from their New Jersey town. They arrange to meet, and both groups are disappointed. When they talk again, landmarks come up. Alice is confused about a war memorial being at the specified location, and Henry is confused about Snyder's Sweet Shop. Why? Henry is in 2023, and Alice and her friends are in 1944. The groups try several experiments to connect across time, and are both clearly tied to the same house address and a shed on the property. When Henry finds out that Snyder's burned down because of a faulty hot plate, Alice and her friends make sure to get the owner to unplug it. The next day at school, one of Henry's classmates, Ada, is not there, and her father's magic shop isn't either, although the Snyder's building is. Upon researching, they realize that Snyder's became a convenience store, and Ada's father was killed working there in 1987. Alice and her friends manage to get the store to burn down a few days later, but things go badly, badly wrong. Unfortunately, both sets of kids destroy the radio, so that they can't contact each other and start other "butterfly effects". It's too late, however. Instead of being in the USA, the children in 2023 are now in Westfallen, which is run by German Nazis. While Frances is Aryan and therefore doing well, Henry is part Black, so assigned to work details in a hospital instead of going to school. Lukas, who is Jewish, is assigned to hard field labor. Realizing that they have to find a way to return the world to a course where the US is victorious, the children discover that a telegram was sent from their town that caused D Day to be a German victory. They manage to communicate across time, and the shed helps Henry and Frances remember the ways things were before. Lukas, however, has his actions circumscribed by his discriminated against status. Will Henry be able to find the woman who sent the telegram and stop it from alerting the Nazis?

Strengths: Almost as good as time travel? Communicating across time. Who wouldn't want to stop a soda fountain store from burning down? Some nice wordplay on Westphalia in the title, and the story has just enough detail without getting bogged down in politics. Henry's desire to get his friends back together for some interesting adventures gives us a good excuse to get the radio up and running, and I appreciated that both groups were perfectly willing to accept this odd occurrence. There are enough period details about the 1940s to differentiate the two groups. The alternate US is horrible enough to motivate both groups to try to keep in contact and save the world. Very intriguing story. 
Weaknesses: We don't get too many details about what happened to Alice's mom, and I could have used a little more explanation of how Henry and Alice are related. Also, there is a short scene in 1944 with folding a fitted sheet. Fitted sheets would not have been widely adopted until the 1950s. I'm a stickler for details like that, and there was no good reason to have specifically fitted sheets. 
What I really think: This has some similarities to Scarrow's Time Riders (2011), with the Germans winning World War II, but that is as old as my students by this point! Also, this gets a lot of bonus points for the radio that connects the two time periods. I can't think I've ever seen anything like that! The Voyagers! feel to this definitely appealed to me! The ending of this had Ada pulling up in a van and telling the kids to get in, so I wonder if there will be a sequel. 

MMGM- Off the Map and Kid Musicians

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Hashimoto, Meika. Off the Map

November 12, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Marlo is excited to go on a backwoods adventure in the Yukon with her mom to start off her summer vacation. The end of the school year has been rough, after her father left to go "find himself" and her best friend, Amos, stopped talking to her for reasons she doesn't understand. When Marlo and her mom get packed up to go on their advenutre, along with her dog, Cheerio, Marlo is not happy to find that Amos and his father have been invited along. At first, she's in the canoe with Amos' dad, Terry, who is a novice at paddling, but eventually ends up with Amos. When the two get separated from the parents, they run into trouble. Taking a wrong turn, they get swept over some falls, and have to try to dry out their equipment and set up for the night. Amos suffers from hypothermia, and Marlo has to build a fire to get him warm, but leaves the axe by the river and it gets swept away. They trek off away from the canoe, and find it crushed by a tree when they get back. Cheerio comes face to face with a porcupine but escapes unscathed, and Marlo slices open her foot on rocks in the river. There's a storm, as well as the requisite bear attack. Food runs low, and the two dispair of being found after a helicopter flies over and doesn't spot them. On top of all of this, there is some friend drama. Marlo feels that Amos' treatment of her is similar to her dad abandoning her, so is freezing him out. At the same time, Amos feels that Marlo is the one who stepped away from their friendship. Amos' tells her that he has a crush on her, and the two are able to discuss their feelings, unpack them, and remain friends. Eventually, they make their way back to the main river, and are rescued. 

Strengths: Survival tales all tend to be somewhat similar (there's almost ALWAYS a bear attack!), but there are never enough of these books for my readers. Off the Map does have some facets that set it apart. The bear attack, for instance, is the best one I've read. There's a bear horn and pepper spray involved, and Cheerio gets mixed up in it. Everyone survives unscathed, however. Whew. This interweaves the emotional drama with the survival quite nicely, and is well paced and a good length. Marlo and Amos' falling out has some surprising but realistic elements, and it's on trend with current thinking that they were able to discuss what happened and still remain friends. Marlo's feeling that what happened with Amos parallels what happened with her father is well explained, and shows how parental problems can affect middle grade children on many different levels. The cover has lots of good elements in it that will appeal to middle grade readers; make sure that there are plenty of copies of this in your Scholastic book fair. 
Weaknesses: Marlo's mom is a professional river guide who's spent years in the Yukon wilderness, and yet she lets her daughter go off without her own satnav phone? And they bring their dog? Of course, there wouldn't be a story is Amos and Marlo stayed with the parents, but they seemed a bit I'll prepared for the emergencies that might come up in such a journey. Did love that Marlo and Amos had to pay for the damaged canoe by earning money, but was it really their fault? Young readers will not have these reactions. 
What I really think: There are just never enough survival stories for my students, so I will definitely purchase this, and it will make a nice display with Bledsoe's Running Wild, and Behren's Alone in the Woods, Downings' Just Keep Walking, Greci's The Wild Lands, Goebel's Backcountry, and Philbrick's Wild River. Very new titles also include Smith's Stranded, Russell's It Came from the Trees, and what I still think is essentially a survival tale, Neri's Safe Passage. 

Stevens, Robin and Steinfeld, Allison (illustrations)

Kid Musicians: True Tales of Childhood from Entertainer, Songwriters, and Stars

November 12, 2024 by Quirk Books

Copy provided by the Publisher

Think of the Quirk Kid books as a sort of Readers Digest condensed book collection of biographies. In just ten to twelve pages, which includes bright and colorful illustrations, we get a great overview of a variety of musical celebrities. There are four general categories with four people each, and while most are from the last forty years or so, there are some outliers. 

The "Pop Superstars" include Cher, Beyonce, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift, so this will draw in a lot of young readers who are Swifties! It was interesting to read about Styles, since I found out he is the age of my children, but the book didn't give me much information about his interesting style. 

"Jazz Clubs and Concert Halls" gives us older musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Yo-Yo Ma, and Glenn Gould, of who I had never heard. Born in 1932, Gould was considered one the most famous classical pianists. 

The musicians of my era get a shout out with "Songwriting and Music Making" with such Boomer favorites as Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, and Dolly Parton. I was glad to see Mitchell included, since she is such a brilliant writer, and is still singing despite health challenges, but I would have chosen John Lennon or George Harrison to represent the Beatles; after all, they are unfortunately dead, and Sir Paul is still going strong. 

Finally, "Rhythm and Blues and the Motown Sound" is represented by Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Mariah Carey. Wonder's story is especially suited to this series, since his career started when he was quite young. 

This series of collective biographies reminds me of the Childhood of Famous Americans series, with which I was obsessed in the fourth grade. It's helpful to young readers to see the childhood daily life and challenges of people who became big stars.  I really appreciate that this has a bibliography as well as a good index; I'm seeing more and more nonfiction books that lack these crucial elements. 

It's tough to balance the mix of different types of music and different eras of performers, but Kid Musicians delivers a well orchestrated interlude of stories about performers that will be music to young readers' ears. 

Happy & Sad & Everything True

Thayer, Alex. Happy & Sad & Everything True
November 12, 2024 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dee is having a difficult year in sixth grade. Her best friend, Juniper, is in another class, and they don't have their Snack and Stretch Break together. Dee hasn't made any other friends, so she tries to spend the break in the bathroom, listening to the drip of the water and counting the tiles. After a while, she realizes that she can hear people talking through the grates in the bathroom, and has a pleasant interchange with Harry, who is in her class. Gym is after the snack break, and she is very embarassed when there is a Parent PE day and her mother shows up in a very short skirt and tall boots. Not only is she not really able to participate in a two legged race, but when she does, she is tied to the gym teacher and falls over, showing everyone her underwear! Dee is mortified, and knows that everyone is talking not only about her mother, but is also making unkind comments about Dee herself. Luckily, she is able to work on some group projects with Harry, and the two get along. Through the bathroom grates, she also helps several younger students with spelling, factual information, and some life advice. Her reputation at giving good advice spreads, and she helps out a 7th grader as well. Of course, spending this much time in the bathroom makes her teacher suspicious, and Dee is sent to the guidance counselor for a brief talk. At home, her mother, who gives spiritual readings as a way to earn money and who has been divorced from Dee's father for a long time, has Mr. Fender, Dee's gym teacher, over for dinner. When Juniper finds out about this from her mother (who is a friend of Dee's mother), she thinks it is weird and inappropriate. Harry's father, a well-to-do, motivated business man, has problems with the 6th grade curriculum, and meets with the teacher and principle to discuss his unhappiness. Dee overhears them talking, and worries that Harry will leave the school. Eventually, Dee is called to the office when Juniper complains about her conversations. Instead of punishing her for what Juniper thinks are inappropriate interactions, the principle offers Dee an advice column in the school newspaper. Dee realizes that while Juniper no longer wants to be her friend, Harry is a good person to have on her side, and some people do like her. 

Strengths: This is on trend with books addressing social emotional learning topics and with the idea that it is good to share one's problems with others. There are always students who, like Dee, find it hard to make friends, so it was good to see Dee have some successes, like getting to know Harry and being offered the advice column. I was glad to see that Dee was not able to spend a huge amount of time in the bathroom and have it go unnoticed. School security is usually better than that! Teachers and  librarians will enjoy this lyrical "heart print" book. 
Weaknesses: There is not a lot that happens in this book, so tweens might find it a little slow. Also, Juniper's concerns about having Dee as a friend are something that she should be allowed to have, although she should not have been allowed to try to get Dee into trouble. It's also not terribly surprising that Juniper's family wanted the girls separated, but Dee's mother should not have told her about that. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like contemplative books about relationships like DiCamillo's Ferris, Swartz's Hidden Truths, or Conklin's Crushed. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- The Squad

Soontornvat, Christina and Cacao, Joanna (illus.)
The Squad (The Tryout #2)
November 12, 2024 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Even though she didn't make the 8th grade cheerleading squad, Christina is having a good year. She still practices the cheer routines with her good friends Megan and Leanne, has a crush on the very cute Andy, is taking home ec, and is very excited about her new art project, which she is working on with a group. It's sculptures of toes, which seems perfectly reasonable for a middle school art project! She still hangs out with Greg (whom she "loves but doesn't 'like'"), and avoids the racist Tobin, who isn't quite as bad as he's been in the past, although his friends still call Christina "rice girl" and other horrible names. While Christina is the only Asian in her small Texas town, when she goes to church and hangs out with other Thai students, she still doesn't feel like she fits in, since she is half Thai and doesn't speak the language. While her life is going pretty well, there is some tension, since her parents' restaurant isn't doing as well as they would like, and her parents are arguing a lot. When it turns out that there will be THREE spots on the high school cheer squad, the friends are sure that they can try out and get them, and that this would be the thing that would make life absolutely perfect. Of course, life changes quickly, and when her father moves out, Christina tries to tell herself that her parents are just separating. Since one of her favorite movies is the Hayley Mills' version of The Parent Trap, she's determined to get her parents back together, and doesn't really listen to what they have to say. Eventually, her parents tell her that it's a done deal; they are divorcing, and the mom sells her half of the house and the restaurant business to the dad. She gets a job, but it's in the nearest large town, and rents an apartment. This is a lot to deal with while tryouts are going on, and it's a big relief when Christina and Megan make the high school squad. Sadly, Leanne doesn't, and this causes a temporary rift. Christina is angry about her parents, and also bears some resentment towards the people who want to be her friend now that she's a cheerleader. Why didn't they want to be her friend before? This causes her to be a bit snotty to others. She's excited about cheerleading camp, but it's a lot of work, and eventually her feelings bubble to the surface and she shares them with her new squad. This helps a little, and while life isn't perfect, it's still pretty good. 

Strengths: I was glad that we had a firm date when this took place: 1994. The historical details are quite good; there's even a stress ball that Megan has that reminded me of one that my students gave me in 1993! The relationships are more strongly portrayed than in other graphic novels I have read, and I especially liked the fact that Christina and Andy go out to the mall on a date... and she finds out that they really don't have much in common! The arc of the divorce seems very realistic, and I imagine that there are a lot of students who delude themselves that their parents will get back together when this won't ever happen. I liked that she was able to discuss this with other classmates, like Andy, whose parents were also divorced. Since I am also a huge Gene Kelly fan, I was greatly amused by her love of this fantastic movie star; maybe tweens will investigate some of his work. There is an undercurrent of racial identity that is worked in nicely as well. There are not as many middle grade novels about cheerleading as you would imagine, and the first book has circulated well in my library. 
Weaknesses: Sure, I know in my heart of hearts that the cheerleaders who were mean to me when I was in middle and high school probably were mean because they were deeply wounded individuals and I should feel sorry for them, but since several of them were still nasty to me at our 40th class reunion, this is hard to believe. We can only hope that cheerleaders today are not as elitist. And snotty. 
What I really think: I love the variety of Soontornvat's writing; she's done nonfiction (All Thirteen, Made in Asian America), fantasy (Legends of Lotus Island and Time After Time), alternative history (The Last Mapmaker), and even a picture book biography (A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth)! I'd love to see her do more funny, realistic fiction, but it will just be fun to see what she turns her hand to next! 

Guy Friday- Shadowed

Deuker, Carl. Shadowed. 

November 5, 2024 by Clarion Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nate's family is heavily invested in soccer, and his older sister, Amelia, is working hard to get the attention of college scouts so that she can get a scholarship. This is important, since the family's subway shop business in Salmon Bay, Washington is continually struggling. Both parents are frequently at work, and they get little support from their own parents, one set of which lives in Portugal, and the other set in Missoula. When Nate suffers a bad concussion when he is hit with an errant ball at his sister's soccer game, he struggles for weeks to stand up straight without being nauseated. He tells his parents that he is no longer going to play the sport, but wants to try out instead for the basketball team. They don't take him seriously, because he's never been involved in the sport, but he starts to play pick up games with his neighbor, Lucas Cawley. Lucas' family is troubled; the father does woodworking at home, the mother works in a hospital but is a functioning alcoholic, and Lucas' sister is developmentally delayed. His oldest brother, Richard, is considered "wild", and Amelia is told to stay away from him. Lucas is devoted to his sister, and always makes sure she is safe on the bus. He even goes to her unit during the day and will play with her, giving way to the derisive nickname "Creepy Crawley" that popular basketball players Bo and Colin bestow upon him. Nate doesn't stand up for Lucas, and the two stop playing basketball together. As high school starts, Nate struggles. Amelia is off at college, and his parents are still more invested in her sporting career than his. When he wants to join an expensive travel team, they say that they don't have the money. Feeling that he needs some kind of preparation and coaching, Nate plays rec ball, and eventually gets good enough to try out for the team. He barely makes it, and reconnects with Lucas. The two compete with each other, and always have a slightly wary relationship. When there is a big tournament during their junior year, a tragedy occurs when the team is goofing off. Having to come back for his senior year, Nate tries to make peace with what has happened, and to make plans for how he can go forward with the rest of his life. 

Strengths: I loved the family dynamics with the parents' restaurant and Amelia's soccer playing. I think there are a lot of high school students who are often left to their own devices because parents are busy, or concentrating more on another child. Nate's a good kid; he even gets decent grades when recovering from the concussion. The fact that Lucas has more urgent struggles is also realistic, and Nate doesn't really have a solid enough situation to really be able to understand and support Lucas. (If this were a Mike Lupica book, there would be an awesome mother who took care not only  of Nate, but of Lucas AND Megan, but this is more realistic.) It's interesting to watch Nate change over the four years of high school, and watch him meet the different challenges that come his way. He is a resilient character, and we certainly need a lot more of those! 
Weaknesses: The contemplative tone, as well as the long time period, makes this more of a young adult book. I definitely appreciate that Deuker is always circumspect in his use of language and situations, making his books suitable for younger readers as well as older ones. The story moves more slowly because so many emotions are being processed. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want an upper middle grade/lower young adult book that covers a long range of time, like Volponi't Top Prospect , and reminded me a little of Whitaker's Snap Decision. The way the death is treated is somewhat reminiscent of Stokes' Fadeaway, and definitely reminded me of Bunting's hard-hitting 1999 Blackwater. This is not quite as sad as Deuker's Swagger (2013), but lacks the intrigue of High Heat or, my favorite, Runner. 

Bank

Quigley, Emma. Bank
March 8, 2018 by Little Island Books
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Luke, who lives in a town in Ireland, is dealing with the disintegrating finances of his family, which leads to problems for him, like having no internet for schoolwork, forcing him to hunker down in the family bathroom and use his neighbor's connection. When his friend Finn shows up at school with a wad of cash, all of the boys in their group are a bit confused, until Finn tells them about his epiphany in the dentist's chair. All of their classmates desperatelyf want to get tickets to the upcoming Boy Wonder contest, but they don't have the ready cash necessary, and their parents are not about to bankroll this particularl endeavor. Finn proposes that he loan money to a select group, and plans to charge a pound in interest every week, with a steeper penalty if the loan isn't paid on time. He needs his friends to help with various aspects of the "business", including recruiting people. The group's first customer is Speedy O'Neill, who owes sixty pounds to the cafeteria, and doesn't want his parents to find out. Since Finn's mother is an estate agent who is lazy with her keys to properties, Finn finds an old butcher shop on the books for a business front. He recruits Emily, on whom Luke has a bit of a crush, to help with the math. They also give a loan to Jo and Lucy, who have developed a software app called "Tagged" that is a matchmaking program, and the group arranges for a cut of the profit. Also on their books is Paddy, who has trained piglets to dance and march, and posts videos about them. He wants liquid assets to pay for a pet hotel to keep them safe! Wanting to expand their business further, and realizing that the football (soccer, in the US) team has a source of income from a stipend for getting uniforms washed, Finn also takes deposits and promises interest. When schoolmate Mucker wants a larger than usual interest loan to buy sample sports equipment from his uncle, he gets his loan when he offers to pay a larger rate of interest. Aside from Emily's bookkeeping, the records are not great, and Luke finds himself storing a lot of the money under his bed. Some of the other funds are stashed in the butcher's shop. For a while, things are going well, but eventually there are problems. Paddy's father hasn't paid off the pigs. The Tagged app is banned at school. Bets for a soccer shoot out might have to be returned when one of the participants is injured. Luke finds himself syphoning off more and more of the money, and when the group needs to have cash at had, they find that some of it has been stolen by Brazilians tourists, and that they can't get into the butcher shop because it's been sold and turned into a nail salon. Will Finn and his associates be able to locate enough of the funds to take care of their debts before closing the business down?

I loved that this was told from the point of Finn, who is really secondary to most of the business dealings. We get to experience all of the loans and schemes through his eyes, and see that Finn really has not thought through any of this! Luke, despite his troubles at home, is a pretty good kid, who wants to do the right thing, but also isn't about to go making trouble and questioning the other teens who are involved. His crush on Emily is sweet, and he's a nice, calm foil for the mayhem that is swirling around him.

The language of the book is very colloquial, so some US readers might take a moment to adjust to the Irish vernacular, which includes laundrettes, pounds, Mams, and feckin'. Since there is a lot of action at the beginning as well as a lot of characters that are introduced, going into this story knowing that there might be some unfamiliar vocabulary might be helpful to tween and teens readers.

The draw here is the constant, swirling absurdity that Luke witnesses. There are a group of boys called the "Teletubbies" because of an incident with paint, a boy named Specks who lives out of a farm and rents out both recording studio time and campsites, and a scene where the boys plan on having manicures so that they can distract the new nail salon owners and retrive their savings. While it's all a bit far fetched, none of it seems impossible.

There are a number of books where students have impossible schemes, and it's always fun to read about. Teens trying to behave like adults is always fun to read, and I can see this book being a hit with readers who enjoyed Mitchell's How to Rob a Bank, Johnson's The Great Greene Heist, Schreiber's Con Academy, and Carter's Heist Society. 

Unsinkable Cayenne

Vitalis, Jessica. Unsinkable Cayenne
October 29, 2024 by Greenwillow Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

It's 1985, and Cayenne's family has been living in a 1969 camper van, traveling the US. Her father is a Vietnam vet who is on disability, and her mother is a free spirit who doesn't want to be tied down to a conventional lifestyle. However, since the birth of Cayenne's twin siblings, Bear and Sossity, it's been more difficult to maintain this nomadic way of life, and Cayenne's father has gotten a job in a sawmill in Montana. The family is renting a house, and Cayenne is very excited to be able to stay in one place and go to school. The house is rather run down, and she's a little concerned about fitting in to her new school, but there are some hopeful signs. The family finds a dog, George, and Cayenne sees a cute boy in the neighborhood. He turns out to be new to the school as well. Cayenne starts to play the flute, and would like desperately to be as popular and untroubled as the other flute players, who look down their noses at her worn and unstylish clothing. She does befriend the bookish Dawn, whose father is a doctor and whose mother is a nurse. This secure family situation allows her to match her outfits to the books she is reading. She's nice, but Cayenne can tell that Dawn is a bit of an outcast, and worries about aligning herself with her. She's happy to befriend Tiff, one of the flute players, even when Tiff criticizes her shoes. Beau is rumored to be interested in her, but Cayenne finds herself tongue tied in his presence, and thinks that she is being taunted when his friends give her Beau's phone number and tell her to call. Her teacher is very excited about the fact that the wreckage of the Titanic has been found, and many of their school projects revolve around this historic event. Cayenne is still concerned that her mother is going to alienate her new friends; she's raising chickens in the yard, and was very cold to Tiff's mother when the woman brought over cookies, since she is not about to embrace something as conventional as the PTA. Even though things are financially difficult, especially after her father is laid off from the sawmill, Cayenne is hopeful that things will work out and her family will be able to stay put. The class projects on the Titanic show the socioeconomic disparity in the number of deaths, and Cayenne sees the parallels in her own life, and wonders why having more money should translate into a person being more valued. While there is some kindness from her friends' families when Cayenne's parents are really strapped, it's not enough to keep them in their home. Luckily, when they hit the road again, they run into another family with a similar outlook, and Cayenne is able to understand that while their lifestyle might not be the most "normal" one, it still has some positive aspects to it. 

Strengths: There are LOTS of good historical details about fashions, news, and prevailing thoughts in 1985; from Swatches and Benetton to the ubiquity of perms, this hits all of the highlights. I also appreciated that the dates worked for the parents being hippies, especially since there have been relatively few middle grade books with fathers who fought in Vietnam. Cayenne has a good idea of what it takes to fit in during middle school, and she makes realistic attempts to be cool by piercing her own ears and using a cash windfall to buy new sneakers. Dawn was a great character, as was Tiff, and I was glad that Cayenne did have a few good friends and wasn't completely alone. The crush on Beau was very sweet, and I loved that he invited her on an outing with his parents! The information about the Titanic, and the different death rates for different social classes, was quite interesting, and this gets bonus points for mentioning the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown. (If you're even in Denver, you can still visit her house!) Comparisons with Fipps' And Then... Boom are apt, due to the verse format as well as the questionable parenting, and this is a great addition to other books about families who are struggling to make ends meet, including Supplee's The Sweetness All Around, Walker's Why Can't I Be You, and Ogle's Free Lunch. 
Weaknesses: A parent smoking marijuana openly in 1985 would have been VERY concerning. Modern readers will have a vague idea that marijuana is now legal under certain circumstances, but I was a little surprised that the father's (then) illegal use wasn't explained more. 
What I really think: This is set a few years earlier than Toalsen's The First Magnificent Summer but definitely has some similarities. The comparison that popped into my mind (maybe because of the similarities in the names) was this: if Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise ended and sequed into Eulberg's The Best Worst Summer (because of the 1980s cultural details) but was written in verse, you'd have Unsinkable Cayenne! This also made me think of all of the parents in Jacqueline Wilson's novels.