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. 

Election Day- The Day Madear Voted and Vigdis

Hudson, Wade and Tate, Don (illus.). The Day Madear Voted

9 July 2024 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

It's 1969, and Charlie and Ralph's mother is very excited that she will get to vote for the first time since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. Before, Black people were made to provide documentation they didn't have in order to be abel to vote, or to pay a toll tax or even guess the number of jellybeans in a jar! Now, all that is ended. Madear gets dressed up in her best dress and takes the boys to City Hall to vote. It's a bit of a tense time; it wasn't always easy for Black people to vote in some places in the US, but Madear is able to vote without incident. After that, she voted every year, and in 2008 was able to vote for Barack Obama, the first Black president of the US.

Good Points Wade Hudson's fantastic memoir, Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South (2021) as well as his contemporary middl grade fiction book The Reckoning (2024), both explore Civil Rights, so it is great that he is bringing this topic to younger readers, especially since the illustrator, Don Tate, has done several books on the topic as well, like Pigskins and Paintbrushes.

The illustrations get the details of the 1960s correct, and Madear's outfit somehow made me think of the rebooted Wonder Years television show that portrays the experiences of a Black family in Montgomery, Alabama during this time period. There's something about the clothing and the house that particularly ring true. Don't forget the plaid pants on some of the voters!

An end note says that this is loosely based on one family's experience, and gives more information about the historical period.

As we approach another presidential election cycle, it's important to teach young future voters the importance of making their voice heard. Keep The Day Madear Voted in heavy rotation for nightly read alouds along with Todd's Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote, Winter and Evan's Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to make sure that children grow up and fulfill their civic duty. Add Rockcliff's Around America to Win the Right to Vote, if you want to also include Women's Suffrage before 1920; my grandmother was 27 before she could vote for the first time, so it is not a right that I ever take lightly! 

Flygenring, Rán. Vigdis: A Book About the World's First Female President
May 07, 2024 by Helvetiq
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Born in 1930, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was raised in Reykjavík, Iceland. She loved nature, and had many varied interests. After World War II, when she was 19, she went to study in France, and loved the French culture. Upon her return home to Iceland, she held a variety of jobs, including teaching French both in the classroom and on television, working as a tourist guide, and running a theater. She was also the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child alone. She was well known in the country, and after a women's strike in 1975, was asked to run for president. She had little interest in this, and was not planning on running until she got a letter from a group of fisherman who urged her to run. Even in 1980, the thinking of most people was that a woman couldn't be president, but Vigdís won the election and became the first woman to hold an elected position as a head of state. She served for 16 years, and always tried to do the best for her country. She lived in the official presidential residence, Bessastaðir, and was fond of visiting school groups. She would even take three birch tree saplings with her to present to them; one each in honor of the girls, the boys, and the children yet to be born!

Good Points Vigdís is still alive in 2024, and I don't feel too bad using her first name, since even the phone books in Iceland were arranged by first name rather than last because of the practice of giving children a last name comprised of their father or mother's first name combined with "son" or "dottir", so that each member of a family could have a different last name! The other item that caught my interest more than it should have was her Bessastaðir cookies even though women politicians often have a difficult relationship with baking; if I could find a recipe for them that wasn't in grams, I would try to make them!

This book is set up as though a young child were interviewing Vigdís at her house, and is illustrated in a colorful chalk pastel style. The hand lettered text is woven between the pictures, and there is a lot of information presented. The pictures also have lots of detail, and do a good job of capturing the clothing of the various points of time.

Even though I was reading the news in 1980, I was unaware of Vigdís' groundbreaking career, so I'm glad to add this to my library of picture books about women politicians, which includes Aronson's Abzuglutely!, Bryant's Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Patsy Takemoto Mink and the Fight for Title IX, Charles' Katanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All, and Warren's Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice.

MMGM- The Mystery of Mystic Mountain

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Fox, Janet. The Mystery of Mystic Mountain
October 22, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus  

Becca Solway has her summer all planned; she's going to hang out with Kasie and the popular crowd at the beach, date Tommy, and not think about her parents fighting all the time. Instead, her mother whisks her away from Connecticut to Montana for a month at a spa resort. However, when they arrive, they realize that the booking was not made for the posh Get Away Ranch, with its masseurs and hot tubs, but rather the Far Away Ranch run by Terry, with iffy WiFi and even iffier food. Since it's already been paid for, the two must make do. Becca starts to go into the woods, but is stopped by Jon, whose father works at the ranch, and told she needs boots and Bear spray if she wishes to venture further. Back at the lodge, they see Tad Lochster, the YouTube star who is always posting about extreme adventures, and Becca is concerned that her mother looks at him with some interest. Jon, whose mother has passed away, has encouraged his father to come to the ranch based on the stories his Gram, who has also passed away, told him about Pearhandle Pete back in the last century. Jon thinks if he can find Pete's treasure, it would help his father, who is "buried in sadness". Becca is interested in the story even though she is still embroiled in friend drama between Kasie and her former best friend Ameerah back home, whenever there is WiFi. She also has odd run ins with the unhappy looking but cute Liam, as well as his sister, Finn. Jon and Becca have one clue to work with, and follow it into the mountains, where they narrowly escape a rattlesnake but find a clue in a metal canister with a picture and the word "mica" wedged on a rock ledge. When Becca is talking to Terry about the history of the ranch, she sees a display case with a slab of mica in it, and when she and Jon sneak down and get into the case, they find an envelope under the mineral. Tad knows what they are up to, and is also determined to find the treasure, and since Becca's mother seems to be off on her own without telling Becca what she is doing, Becca suspects her mother might be hanging out with him! When there's a trip to the ghost town of Piney Ridge, the kids are able to follow the clue for a "locked box", but almost get locked into a bank vault. They get a safety deposit box, and are rescued by Tad, but he later tries to steal it from them. There's a bear attack, more ghost sightings by Liam, who has ESP, and a lot of the story that Gram told Jon. When a clue is found in the grandfather clock at the ranch, Jon and Becca manage to arrange a five day family pack trip to find a cave. When Tad follows them, they learn that he might be buying the entire ranch from Terry, who is in financial difficulties, and that the sale might contain the treasure! Will the kids be able to find out secrets about the past and thwart the YouTube star?

Strengths: Who doesn't want to be able to spend a month at a dude ranch in Montana? Sign me up! Becca makes the most of her visit, and is glad to help out Jon with her knowledge of geology. A treasure hunt would also be a lot of fun, and there was something about Jon and Becca joining forces with Liam and Finn that felt very much like a Donna Parker mystery. There's some old timey history, a sad family story, and various kinds of treasure-- I don't want to spoil too much here! The inclusion of Tad makes this a little more modern, and I rather enjoyed Becca's mom's new diversion and her new lease on life. 
Weaknesses: There's a LOT going on here. As popular as friend drama is in middle grade literature, I would have removed that from the book, since the friends are back in Connecticut. Also, ghost towns featured largely in kids fiction from the 1950s-1970s (think about the Brady Bunch's adventure to one), but that was fifty or more years ago. Would there still be a safety deposit box intact? The clues would have had to hang around for well over a hundred years, if not 140. Nobody ever dusted the mica?

What I really think: Despite the Scooby-Doo like villain (Tad actually stomps, and I could imagine him muttering "meddling kids" to himself!), and the suspension of disbelief about the canisters wedged in rock ledges, I really enjoyed this book. Young readers who enjoy clue oriented mysteries and outdoor adventures will pick this one up, especially with this great cover. 

Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet Kids Mysterious World 

October 8, 2024 by Lonely Planet

Copy provided by the publisher

Am I the only one who remembers the late 1980s Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown books? Or even earlier incarnations? My parents were big fans of taking advantage of the offer to look at the first book in this mail order series and then cancel if they didn't want to continue, which meant I spent a lot of my childhood reading the first volumes of a lot of different series. The books were packed with information, and very interesting. This new Lonely Planet title reminded me of those fun, nonfiction titles. 

Mysterious World is definitely updated for the new millennium, however, and like Lonely Planet's Your Ultimate Travel Adventure List, makes sure to include locations from around the world. Entries include some well known mysteries, like Bigfoot and the Wendigo in North America, but also includes some that I hadn't heard, like the Ogopogo. I liked that each geographic section started with a map showing where the various mysteries could be found. 

The pages are formatted rather like a scrapbook, with pictures in the background, photographs "paperclipped" to pages, and lots of snippets of information shown in boxes. There are vintage illustrations, some more maps, and discussion boxes about "Hoax or Reality".  My favorite bits were when there was a box stamped "Solved" and light was shed on why a supposedly supernatural occurrence really happened. This has a glossary and an index, making it easier to find information hidden in the crammed pages, and even has a page about what do you really believe. 

I always tell my students that if something has never shown up in my backyard, I don't believe in it, but this doesn't stop them from wearing out my "nonfiction" books on the topics. Readers who enjoyed Fleming's Crash From Outer Space , Williams' Deadly Hauntings, or Hollihan's Ghosts Unveiled will find this a fascinating tome, and probably need a copy to carry around and read at night under the blankets with a flashlight. 

Like a Boss

Khan, Hena. Like a Boss (Best Wishes #4)
November 12, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maya Amir lives in Washington, D.C. with her parents, older siblings, and Dadi, her grandmother who used to be the head of an environmental protection agency in Pakistan before she came to live with them. When her mom's cousin and daughter come to visit, Maya has to double up with Dadi, and also gets an intriguing package in the mail. It's a sparkly bracelet, and it has a note with it. Soon, she's video chatting with Becca (from Best Wishes), Addie (The Sister Switch), and Lucy (Time After Time), who has sent the bracelet to Maya after getting caught in a time loop! They all warn Maya about the importance of making a good wish, and also tell her to watch out for Eloise, who is trying to steal the bracelet. Maya is excited about the opportunity, but finds it very hard to make decisions, so doesn't make the decision right away. When she has an environmental club meeting, Maya wavers long enough that her best friend Hazel volunteers to be the president. Maya doesn't mind so much, but when Hazel doesn't jump right in to actual environmental issues, she's concerned. Putting glitter on posters and buying promotional sunglasses is BAD for the environment, and when talking to another club member, Maya wishes that she were in charge. The bracelet gets warm, and the faculty advisor puts Maya in charge! Not only that, but when she gets home, Dadi asks what she wants for dinner. Basically, everything that needs to be decided gets turned over to Maya, who is in charge of EVERYTHING. After a disastrous couple of days at school, where she is put in charge of a classroom and then the entire school, Maya begins to realize that she should have made a more careful wish. After having to consult with her parents on their IRAs and her siblings on what colleges they should attend, the secret service come to whisk Maya away to meet the president. Dadi insists on going with her. The president says that he's going away and wants Maya to be in charge. The White House staff supply her with suits, and she's off making policy. When the vice president tries to sabotage the climate meeting that Maya is in charge of, Dadi suggest that she make a committee of people she trusts. Maya calls her family to the White House, and they help her make a lot of policies. Eloise tries to get in to the secured area with a blow torch to take off the bracelet, and is summarily arrested! Once the environmental issues are resolved, the family bowls and has a celebratory dinner, but then Maya gets to go home. She meets up with the other girls, and sends the bracelet on to someone named Emma, who will no doubt have as exciting a time as Maya did! 

Strengths: As adults, we forget how little control kids have over their days. Just this past year, I asked a student what he was doing for the weekend, and he replied "Whatever my parents tell me I'm doing, I guess!" Being IN CHARGE would be very appealing to a ten year old, even one who might struggle with making decisions. I love Maya's interest in the environment, and Dadi is a great character; I was glad that she went to the White House with Maya. Of course, a lot of the things Maya is put in charge of get out of hand in goofy ways, and the vice president is over-the-top evil, but that just makes the situation all the funnier. I love how each of these books grants wishes in a unique way. 
Weaknesses: For some reason, I would rather that the girl receiving the bracelet didn't get anything but a brief note from the previous recipient. No matter what they say, things are going to go wrong somehow, and it would be more mysterious if there were limited direction on how to use the bracelet. 
What I really think: This series is a quick, fun read, and the illustrations add to the appeal. I enjoy the fact that the wishes don't turn out too horribly, and the girls always learn something. There are a lot of middle school students who can use some help with making decisions, so this is a great topic to focus on. When I was Maya's age, I thought I wanted to be president of the United States, so I would have loved this one. 
 

The Wrath of the Paperclip (The First Cat in Space #3)

Barnett, Mac and Harris, Shawn. The Wrath of the Paperclip

November 5, 2024 by HarperAlley
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this third book in the pell mell, absurd-fest that started in The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza and The Soup of Doom, we catch up with the Queen of the Moon and her minions, who are happy to be out and about solving minor problems and don't want to be saving the world. Of course, they are immediately met with a problem: an ancient evil has arisen and only the first cat can stop it! CheckMate, a grammar and spelling assistant, has attained sentience and is determined to save society from itself by killing all carbon based life forms so they can no longer sign their holiday cards "The Smith's". This sends are characters all over, including digging a pit on the moon and reconnecting with Loz. The ship's computer has used his isolation to write a graphic novel series called Pool Sharks, some of which is presented. Eventually, they decide that in order to take down CheckMate, they need to get a virus into his system, although there is also a reset button. Since First Cat has been reduced to a mewling kitten when CheckMate steals his suit, how on Earth will CheckMate be stopped? A teaser for a fourth book is at the end. 

Strengths: It's much easier to review this series when I have a physical book, since navigating pages on an E Reader takes so long, but this book must be celebrated, if only for this assessment of Tolkien's The Silmarillion by Loz, who says "Even though I've read more than 35 million stories I was not able to get through [The Silmarillion]!" It is indeed like an encyclopedia written by elves! I'm not sure that young readers will understand the whole backstory to Microsoft Office's Clippy, and the thought that artificial intelligence would take over the world... wait, maybe they will! There are plenty of jokes for older readers, (as well as a brief foray in to 8 Bit style animation) and even a nice message in the Pool Sharks comics, aimed at adults who are described as liking books more when they have those messages. Droll, Barnett and Harris. Droll. Of course, more readers pick up these books because they are beyond goofy, and chock full of weirdness and action. 
Weaknesses: Since the series is about a cat, wouldn't it have made more sense to have an evil villain based off the dog Office Assistant Rocky rather than Clippy? I love Rocky. I miss him. 
What I really think: I'll be ordering this one, even though the earlier versions were teetering right on the Pilkey Line and almost fell onto the elementary side. Clippy, the Tolkien reference and other in jokes just begged to be explained to interested middle school readers. 

Saving Kenny

Gaile, Corinne. Saving Kenny
October 29, 2024 by Charlesbridge Moves

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Kenny Reed lives with his mother, older sister Gwen, and older brother Vaughn in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston in 1968. His brother works at a Black owned bookstore and is very invested in the Black Panthers movement, and has just graduated from high school. His sister is enrolled at a private school, and is taking singing lessons in the hope that she can get into a performing arts program for college and become an opera star. She has helped Kenny get a scholarship to a private middle school, so she and Kenny take a daily one hour bus ride to attend their schools. Kenny has a best friend, Ted, who is wealthy, and invites him to spend time with his at his parents' summer house, but this falls through after Kenny draws a picture that Ted thinks is making fun of his father. The mother has fits of rage over small things, and is abusive; at one point, the milk for her coffee has gone bad, so she slams Kenny's head into the sink to make him smell it, and orders him to go to the store in his pajamas to get more. Vaughn and Gwen often serve as buffers, and he is afraid of what will happen when they both move out of the house. Gwen has taken Kenny to the opera, and he is fascinated by the costumes in Aida. He goes to a summer camp, and wants to take costume design. There's even another boy in the class, Walter, but Vaugn says that sewing is for "sissies" and forces Kenny to take drumming, which many of his friends are taking. After talking to the owners of the bookstore where Vaughn works they help Vaughn see that Black men have always been involved in texiles and sewing, so Vaughn relents. Kenny makes a tie dyed dashiki for his mother, and wins the class prize (a sewing kit!), but his mother shows no interest in it at all, but continues her abusive ways. When Vaughn gets his draft notice, he decides to go to Toronto with his girlfriend instead. This leaves Gwen and Kenny alone with their mother. When she becomes ill with pneumonia, they reach out to their mother's cousin Betty, a nurse, in Philadelphia, and she comes to help the family out. Their neighbor, Miss Temple, helps out as well. Recovery takes a while, but the minute Betty is gone, the mother is having Kenny buy her cigarettes and returns to her horrible ways. When Gwen and Kenny decide that Kenny should try to get a scholarship to the boarding school his friend Ted is attending, the mother beats Gwen and tells her to leave, and beats Kenny as well. He ends up in the hospital, and Miss Temple decides that the children will stay with her. Betty arrives and makes sure that the mother gets psychiatric help. An epilogue gives a brighter view of the world after Reed children are all in better circumstances. 

Strengths: An author's note says that this is based, sadly, on some of the author's own experiences, and this first hand knowledge is evident in the attention to the details of daily life in 1968. I was thrilled to see information not only about the Black Panther movement, but about draft dodging, which is a topic about there could be a LOT more books. The mother's troubled past contrasted nicely with the drive her children had to not only go to college, but to pursue things that excited them. Kenny's interest in sewing would have made him a bit of a target, and this topic is treated realistically as well. This is a good length, moves quickly, and is an excellent historical fiction choice. 
Weaknesses: There could have been better pacing to the arc of the mother's abuse; I would have liked to see more tension built in between the positive experiences that Gwen and Kenny have pursuing their activities. 
What I really think: This is an excellent book along the lines of Stealing Mt. Rushmore, where problems that still exist in the present day are showcased against a historic background. Have this on hand for readers who want historical fiction like Magoons' The Rock and the River or William's One Crazy Summer, and definitely pair it with Magoon's excellent Revolution in Our Time, the most definitive coverage of the Black Panther Movement I've seen. 

Every Story Ever Told

Polonsky, Ami. Every Story Ever Told
October 29, 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this generational sequel to World Made of Glass, we meet Iris' daughter, Stevie. Stevie is very interested in the 1980s, wearing Doc Marten's even though they give her a blister, and listening to 80s music. Iris is in charge of their small New Jersey community's Kickoff to Summer celebration, and she and Stevie's dad only give Stevie a little bit of a hard time when they all head off to the festivities and Stevie is wearing a crop top and eyeliner. They are just getting ready for the festival in town when there are gunshots. Stevie and her dad hide under a taco truck, having just said good bye to the mother. They are safe, but the mother has been shot and is unconscious. A friend takes Stevie home, and her elderly neighbor, Evelyn, stays with her until her grandmother, Sarah, and her husband, Bob, can take Stevie to New York. Stevie's friend Avi gives her an emotional support puppy, Raisin, even though Stevie's dad doesn't like dogs and the grandparents' apartment doesn't allow them. Iris will be okay, but Stevie's dad won't leave her side. Stevie feels faint, and has horrible flashbacks to the shooting. Her grandmother sends her on a mission to pick up Evelyn's Star of David necklace from the museum where it has been on display; Evelyn was a child during the Holocaust and was in Auschwitz. Since she feels better going out, her grandparents let her and Avi explore New York, including her mother's old school, and The Center, which helped Iris and her father Steven when he was I'll with AIDS. Stevie learns a lot of history about both the LGBTQIA+ movement as well as the Holocaust, as Evelyn shares her story about going into the camps with a twin who was experimented on and died. Stevie decides to go by her full name, Stevie Jane, in honor of her grandfather and his boyfriend, J.R., and gets therapy for the trauma she experienced. 

Strengths: The author was motivated to write this after the Highland Park Fourth of July shootings in 2022. This weaves together several different topics that are currently much discussed; stopping gun violence, LGBTQIA+ history, and the continuing struggles of the Jewish community. It's interesting to catch up with a character from another book, even if she's in a coma for most of it. Avi is a good friend, and I enjoyed the fact that Stevie was able to travel around New York City and learn some history. There is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book, and the description of the shooting at the community celebration is very circumspect. 
Weaknesses: I could have used more of an introduction to Stevie and her world before the shooting happened, but I didn't realize this was a sequel until the end. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who found the history in Weissman's A Length of String or Gino's Alice Austen Lived Here interesting. 

Slouch

Wyman, Christina. Slouch. 

October 22, 2024 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The first thing that people notice about seventh grader Stevie Crumb is that she is 5'10", and they always feel a need to comment on it. Her older brother, Ryan, is slightly taller than she is, but he's a high school basketball player. Her parents, who weren't able to go to college because they had Ryan right after high school, go to all of his games, and don't seem to care much about what Stevie does as long as she supports Ryan, too. Money is tight in the household, and they eat a lot of pasta. There seems to be money for new shoes and clothes for Ryan, but not always for Stevie, who has grown enough that herr new pants are short and tight, so she often steals Ryan's sweats to wear to school. She gets along fairly well with Ryan, although he'll do annoying things like asking her to do extra credit homework for him for $5. Stevie's best friend, Arianna, is fashion obsessed, and lives in a bigger, fancier apartment on one of the upper floors in the New York City apartment building. When Arianna goes home sick, Stevie has to take the train home alone, and notices that men, some older than her father, are starting to violate her personal space and make inappropriate comments. The first time it happens, she asks her father to meet her at her stop, but doesn't tell him about the occurrence because she's afraid that he won't let her take the train alone. Stevie's parents have mentioned that she needs an activity, and when she hears Mrs. Crenshaw and the school Opinionators discussing debate topics, she ends up joining their debate team. This means less time with Arianna, who is starting a business selling bracelets on Instagram without telling her parents. It also means that she has to take the train alone more and more. Fiona is the student who wanted to start the debate team, and she is quite mean, telling Stevie that she doesn't want anyone else on "her" team, calling her Crumb-Dumb, and making fun of her height and clothing behind her back. On the bright side, Cedric is welcoming and friendly, and Stevie rather likes him. When she tells Arianna, her friend says that she can't like Cedric because he's shorter than she is. Arianna runs into problems with her business, taking pictures in a forbidden ally and even meeting strangers who say they want to buy her bracelets. This concerns Stevie so much that she tells her parents, and Arianna is angry with Stevie for a while. She eventually understands, and offers to go to the first debate with Stevie because she is bored with being grounded. Stevie has prepared well for the debate, but is so uncomfortable with her I'll fitting outfit and so intimidated by the fancy private school that she completely blows her debate and forfeits for the team without asking them. Her parents weren't at the debate, choosing instead to go to a scrimmage of Ryan's. Stevie finally has a talk with her parents, and tries to get them to understand that it's not okay for family friends to make comments about her body, even if they seem complimentary, that she needs their emotional support, and that she has to have a bare minimum of clothing that fits and makes her feel comfortable in order to be able to go to school and get things done. 

Strengths: Like this author's Jawbreaker, Stevie's family is struggling to pay bills, which is a situation not often depicted in middle grade novels. While Max Plink had one parent who had problems and a very bad relationship with her sister, Stevie's parents are doing a good job at trying to support their children; they just don't fully understand Stevie's needs, and do change when she talks to them. I also liked that she and Ryan generally get along, even though she resents him. There are some very interesting scenes where Stevie grapples with her height; she lets Arianna cut her hair (with disastrous results) because it will "make her look shorter" and she practices different postures. I loved that Mrs. Crenshaw was also tall, and wish that the two of them would have talked more. The balancing act that the parents have with money will be familiar to many children; Stevie and her brother have most of what they need, but there's always the chance that they might lose the apartment, that they won't be able to pay to have the car fixed, or that things like new clothes and shoes will have to wait until the next pay day. This also realistically addresses the sexual harassment that many young girls face, and has an informative author's note about her own experiences. There's also a lot of good information about the effects of social media and safety concerning it, and Arianna's story is a realistic, cautionary tale. 
Weaknesses: I almost wish Stevie hadn't completely crumbled (sorry!) at the debate at the fancy school, because I think completely disastrous performances are rare in reality, but the scene does have the appeal of the old Seventeen Magazine "Was My Face Red" column. I also wish that we had seen Stevie stand up for herself at least once; if doing so on the train is too dangerous, perhaps she could have called out a "complement" or two, giving readers an example of tactics they might employ. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who found Bradley's Fighting Words, Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You or Carter's How to Be a Girl in the World informative, and is the only other book I can think of the addresses the challenges of being particularly tall, other than Bauer's 2002 Stand Tall. 

Perhaps we need a middle grade book that shows girls how to stand up to people who say inappropriate things to them. This issue is no doubt tied to many factors, like family socioeconomic status, educational level, race, and culture, but I hope that women are doing a better job of teaching girls how to (when safe) talk back to people who give them a hard time. This was also a good title to point out that it's bad practice to comment on someone's physical appearance, even if it is supposedly complimentary. I try to tell students nice things to hopefully brighten their days, but try to limit myself to the colors they are wearing or something specific about  garments (I love the cable pattern on your sweater!), because those things are choices that students have made. 

Thea and the Mischief Makers

Badua, Tracy. Thea and the Mischief Makers

October 15, 2024 by Clarion 

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Thea has transferred from her public middle school to the private Pacific Academy. She has enjoyed her new surroundings, and is known as a cool, fearless athlete for her success in Brazilian jiu jitzu. She misses her grandfather, who passed away two years ago, and who was a staunch supporter of her athletic endeavors. She's starting the summer taking a two week Stunt Warrior Camp, but is somewhat dismayed that her old best friend, Evan is there. Evan is geeky, outspoken, and has witnessed her fear of heights, that led to an embarrassing incident at her old school. Rex and Brooklyn from Pacific are at the summer camp as well, and she doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of them and ruin her reputation at school. When she finds out that her mother has planned to have Evan at camp AND to hang out at their house afterwards, she's not happy. She and Evan plan on building a mini obstacle course in the back yard. Her father earns her to be careful, especially of the calamansi trees in the backyard, because her grandfather always claimed there were duwendes, Filipino folklore goblins, that lived there. Thea pauses, but then decides it's ridiculous, and lops a branch off one of the trees. That night, she sees two duwendes in her room, and they crash her bookcase, saying that she has one week to make up for her disrespect of they will destroy her entire town. Thea apologizes, but duwendes Dante says an apology consists of authentic words, offering, and heart, and both he and his sister Dora agree that Thea is not sincere enough. Since the neighbors were also affected, Thea knows she needs to do something, but isn't quite sure what. When Evan sees the duwendes, he is excited, because there are similar beings in one of his video games, and he offers to help. The two give Dora some microwaveable Mac and cheese, and she softens up and forgives Thea. Dante still needs to, and Dora warns that he is a vengeful trickster who caused the destruction of an entire island, and that's why the two came to California. Dora is less thrilled by the gold earrings that Thea offers her, saying that Thea is stereotyping magical beings. At the camp, Thea is still figuring out how to deal with her fear of heights in some of the stunts that they try, and worrying that REx and Brooklyn think Evan is uncool. She starts to realize that maybe she isn't as nice to others at school as she should be. When Dora tells Thea that what Dante would really like is his solokot (hat) that was stolen from him at the port when they arrived, she and Evan discuss how to find it, and Evan brings Rex and Brooklyn into the discussion! Thea is mortified, but the four manage to find the hat being used at a candy dish in an office in Long Beach by looking at video camera pictures, and plan a way to take rental scooters to the dock. When they get there, however, they find that the office is in a secured area, and they have to use their stunt skills to break in. They get the hat, and narrowly escape when Evan distracts the guard with a pop-and-Mentos bomb! When Dante says that the hat is not enough, Dora steps in and tells him he needs to stop. They have a heart to heart about the purpose of duwendes and consequences of past actions, and Dante says he wants to go back to the Philippines and apologize, while Dora wants to stay and learn about humans... and eat their mac and cheese! Thea finally stands up to Rex and Brooklyn about how they treat Evan, and the two cool kids admit that they, too, have weaknesses. Thea tells them that it's "okay if you're not who everyone expects you to be", and the four are able to go forward as better friends and human beings. 

Strengths: This was a particularly well paced tale, alternating between the stress of the duwendes and the problems at stunt camp, so that the more emotional philosophy is broken up by the comic relief provided by Dora. The friend drama is spot on, but I loved that Thea feels she IS cool at her new school. Nearly every middle grade fiction book is from the perspective of the downtrodden, geeky character, which gets old after a while. There's just enough about Thea's grandfather and her Filippino heritage to add another layer of interest. The other intriguing thing about this was that Evan didn't really care about what anyone else thought. That kind of character could be added to a lot more books. The rescue of the hat is a little improbable, but gives a nice heist feel to the book, and well as the very funny mental image of the four escaping on rental scooters! Teachers and librarians who are big on Social Emotional Learning will appreciate the unpacking at the end. 
Weaknesses: Breaking into the office isn't a great idea, and seemed a little unlikely, but it is a really good scene. While the emotional issues are solidly middle school ones, I can see this being even more popular with fourth graders who want to read about older characters and are still a little more open to magical creatures. Eighth graders, who would enjoy the discussions of popularity, might not pick this up because of the duwendes. (Althought they should!)
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Ahn's A Spoonful of Time, Cuevas' The Ghosts of Ranch Espanto, Hackney's The Sisters of Luna Island, or Meriano's Love. Sugar. Magic. series. It's a nice mix of fantasy, adventure, and soul searching. 

MMGM- Swing and Your Ultimate Adventure Travel Guide

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Meeker, Audrey and Davidson, Sarah. Swing
October 22, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends
E ARC provided by Netgalley

School projects can make for strange companions, and in this graphic novel Marcus, a reluctant soccer player, and Izzy, an aspiring fashion designer, are thrown together in a dance project for physical education class. Starting 8th grade is hard for Marcus, who is not as interested in soccer as his older brother is, especially since his former best friend and teammate, Ted, is a jerk. Ted, who also has an older brother, demands that Marcus show up for soccer practice so that the two can beat their brothers' team record, but Marcus wants to distance himself both from the sport and from Ted. Izzy, who often rocks a quirky quasi-Goth style, is on the recieving end of lots of negative comments from classmates, and is also under a lot of pressure from her mother to get good grades. Marcus and Izzy have to do a swing dance for class, which leads Ted to make fun of them, especially when they also end up sitting together in advanced language arts class... for the whole year! Marcus does go to team tryouts but is increasingly bothered by Ted's actions, even though he isn't brave enough to stand up to him. Izzy, meanwhile, finds a welcoming place in the theater group, where Ramona is excited to have her on board for talent show planning and costumes. Marcus and Izzy practice, and do a decent job, although Marcus has trouble leading. When the two do their dance for a grade, Marcus is distracted by Ted's comments, and it ends in disaster. Mr. Walsh, their gym teacher (and retired dancer!) says that their poor grade is enough that they might have to retake the class... unless they do a swing dance for the talent show. Izzy is NOT going to have her grades affected so that her mother has an excuse to pull her out of theater, so the two work on their dance. They actually enjoy being together, and may even have a little crush on each other, if we believe the many flushed cheeks in the pictures. They even hang out, eating popsicles on the driveway, and talk about the pressures they face at school. Of course, Ted isn't happy with Marcus' relationship, especially when he gets put on the silver team instead of the gold one, ruining their chances of beating their brothers. He even spies on the two and posts negative pictures of them on social media. Marcus finds out, and tells Ted that it's not like he's REALLY friends with Izzy--imagine the sorts of things tweens would say to try to save face. Of course, Izzy overhears and asks Mr. Walsh if she can dance solo in the show. Since Izzy's mother had to get the principal involved when Ted bullied Izzy in 7th grade, this is allowed, and Marcus ends up cleaning gym equipment. When Ted is mean about how Marcus plays during a big game, Marcus has had enough, and goes to Izzy's house with a box of soccer treat popsicles to apologize and ask to be able to dance with her. Izzy agrees, as long as Marcus will wear whatever costume she suggests. Marcus ends up in a silly shirt and pants, which rip as they are getting on the stage. Throwing caution to the wind, he dons a skirt, and the two do a great dance. They win second place, Izzy's mom apologizes for trying to deny Izzy the opportunity to do theater, and both Marcus and Ted have heart-to-hearts with their brothers. 

Strengths: This is middle school bullying. It's calling people "clown show" when they're at their locker and teachers can't hear. It's Ted giving Marcus a hard time about not playing soccer and hanging out with Izzy. It's a thousand tiny paper cuts of social pressure and judgement. The sibling rivalry is also very true; I have to admit to motivating cross country runners to best their older sibling's time by reminding them that they would have bragging rights at Thanksgiving forever! Marcus' desire to drop out of soccer but he inability to do so is quite common, and it was good to see that Izzy did find a place where she was happy. The constant embarassment and discomfort pretty much defines middle school for many people. It's good to see a happy ending and emotional growth, because that gives readers struggling with their own issues hope that there may be a happy ending for them as well. 
Weaknesses: This is not how grades work. Had Mr. Walsh failed the two, Izzy's mom would have thrown a fit with the principal and gotten Mr. Walsh in trouble. It's much more likely that Mr. Walsh would have taken pity on them and let them redo the dance at lunch, and one project is rarely enough to torpedo grades in any classes in today's academic climate. Pretty sure that if Marcus and Izzy showed up for class every day and tried, they would have gotten at least a B. The skirt seemed over the top to me, but since I have a lot of boys who wear eyeliner and nail polish, I don't think today's tweens will think it's as scandalous as Ted seems to. 
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and this will be a popular title with fans of books with plenty of friend drama. Looking forward to seeing more titles from this author. 

Thank you, Lenny D. , for being so nice during 6th grade square dancing. Not sure how well we did, since you were a full foot taller than I was, but I got a B in gym class, and there was never any drama. Dancing of any kind in gym class is a deep, deep trauma for many of us, isn't it? 

Lonely Planet Kids. Your Ultimate Travel Adventure Guide

October 22, 2024 by Lonely Planet 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

"If you could jump on a plane tomorrow and go anywhere in the world, where would you choose?" What a great way to get kids engaged in learning more about the world and planning future adventures. When I was twelve, I swore that by the time I turned 40, I would get to England, and that's where I spent my 40th birthday, even with the subway bombing happening days before I was set to leave. This book describes the best adventures and most intriguing places on different continents, and gives kids good tips on how to find their idea of a perfect trip. 

There are a wide range of experiences for all tastes; outdoor scenery, theme parks, notable cities, science related sites, and cultural touchstones and celebrations. This does focus largely on natural wonders of the world, which makes sense; not everyone gets as excited about book related venues like Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House as I do. 

Each brightly colored spread gives a short description of the location and its significance, some statistics when applicable, different things to do and see, and additional information. The pictures are fantastic, and give great glimpses of landscapes, animals, and events to look forward to. This starts with a helpful table of contents and does have a good index at the end. 

This is a perfect book to have in the car as you make an interminable fifteen hour drive to visit grandparents in Iowa. You can have the kids describe the different places you are not going (the underwater scultpure park in Grenada, the Grand Canyon, the Kangaroo Islands ), and then tell them that if they want to go to these really cool places, they need to start building their travel skills and stamina by visiting the World's Largest Truck Stop on I-80 and the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend. And if they're really good, you'll take them to the capitol building in Des Moines and sing the Schoolhouse Rock song about the preamble to the Constitution with them very, very quietly. It you're a better parent than I am, you can actually TAKE your children to some of the cool places in this book. For even more outdoor sites to see, I highly recommend Lonely Planet Kids' America's National Parks books as well. 

Assorted Reading

Sumner, Jamie. Rolling On (#3)

Atheneum Books for Young Readers (October 22, 2024)

E ARC provided by Netgalley

 **Spoilers** 

It's now January of Ellie's 8th grade year, and things are changing as she and her classmates prepare for high school in their small town of Eufala, Oklahoma. Her best friend, Bert, has just returned from a Kentucky Young Environmentalists camp at Brighton Academy, and Ellie is surprised that she is starting to think that he is... cute. Bert, whose family runs the local Food and Co. grocery and has thirteen children, is very engaged with environmental issues, especially those concerning vegan diets and organic crops and excited to tell others about it. Coralee is still in the picture, and enjoying Ellie's baked goods, since Susie is always on a diet. Ellie still gets to visit her grandmother and grandfather at the Autumn Leaves senior living facility, although they have had to move up several levels of care as her grandfather's dementia has worsened. Hutch is still a supportive stepdad, and Ellie has made peace with her father, stepmother, and their new family. When she finds out that Bert is applying to go to high school at Brighton Academy, she is angry, and wishes that life would just stay as it always has been. After her grandfather has an incident in the kitchen where he threw things out of cabinets and injured himself slightly, the facility meets with the grandmother, mother, and Ellie to explain that it would be better for him to go into the secure health unit where he can have constant care. Ellie is very upset, and the grandmother demands that he be kept with her, since they haven't spent a night apart in 60 years. When Ellie's grandfather runs away and calls her from the lake, demanding to know who has stolen his boat, he has to be retrieved, and ends up in the hospital with slight hyperthermia. When he dies, Ellie is devastated. Her grandmother faces her new situation with stoicism, and Hutch offers to build a mother-in-law suite onto the trailer. Ellie has to come to terms with the fact that many things in her life will change, and there is nothing that she can do about it but to keep going. 

Strengths: This wraps up Ellie's story (Roll With It and Time to Roll) nicely, and I appreciated that the covers were all similar in style, with different colors to differentiate them. Ellie continues writing letters to famous cooks and food companies (her letter to the Campbell company about green bean casserole is especially nice), and faces a lot of challenges that will resonate with middle school readers. I also liked the fact that while she had different feelings for Bert, she also realized that he was very passionate about his new interests, and that going to Brighton Academy would be the best thing for him. 

Weaknesses: I wish that Ellie and the grandmother had not been so dead set against the grandfather going into nursing care, even if he couldn't take his favorite chair and have instant coffee whenever he wanted. The fact that he wandered off did, in fact, kill him, which is a good lesson that sometimes being in a nursing home insures a person's safety. 

What I really think: This is a good conclusion for fans of the series, or for readers who enjoyed other books about a variety of middle school issues like Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. 

Oh, Ellen (editor). On the Block 

October 22, 2024 by Crown Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

There have been a number of short story collections lately that highlight a particular cultural background, like Ali's Once Upon an Eid (Muslim), Khan's The Door is Open (Desi), Baron's On All Other Nights (Jewish), Rosen's Coming of Age (Jewish), Mbalia's Black Boy Joy, Smith's Ancestor Approved (Native America), and even Oh's You Are Here (Asian). These are especially nice to have on hand when students from those background want a "mirror" book, but the good thing about On the Block is the wide variety of cultures and ethnic backgrounds that are represented. Like Oh's Flying Lessons (also prepared in conjunction with We Need Diverse Books), this has a nice selection of backgrounds, and I loved the idea of setting the book up like an apartment building. I will definitely purchase this one, since language arts teachers have been using more short stories in the classroom. I do wish that the name of the authors had appeared at the beginning of the chapter so that I hadn't had to go back to the publication data page to see which author was writing. It was a nice touch to name the apartment building the Entrada; I'm assuming this was in support of Erin Entrada Kelly, who has been fighting cancer, but also means "entry" in Spanish.

Daniel, Danielle. Reasons to Look at the Night Sky

October 29, 2024 by Tundra Books 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, Luna McKenna is struggling with issues many eleven years old face. Her best friend Maggie isn't able to spend as much time with her because her parents are divorcing. While father who works in a science museum and her mother who is a florist are supportive and have fun things like Taco Tuesday nights, her older brother Leo is in high school and often doesn't spend time at home. Luna would like to be an astronaut and is applying to a space camp, and hopes that her project for Mr. Griffin will help with that, but when he has to be out and there is a substitute, Ms. Manitowabi, she worries that it will affect her application. She wants her science class to be about science, not art, but when Ms. Manitowabi, who is Ojibwe, tells the class about Indigenous Sky Stories, Luna is enthralled. She asks her father why she never knew about these. She ends up enjoying her time in class, and things work out, although there are many changes in Luna's life. 

This is one of the few novels in verse I've seen that employed concrete poetry. It's a quiet story that might interest readers who enjoyed books with characters who are very interested in space. 

History Comics: Prohibition

Viola, Jason and Langridge, Roger.
The Prohibition Era: America's War on Alcohol
October 22, 2024 by First Second
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Even though I live in the former "Dry Capital of the World", Westerville, Ohio, I would disagree only with the author's assertion that everybody thinks they know about Prohibition. Fifty years ago, certainly. There were people around with active memories of the time, and there was more representation in books and films. We also need to remember that today's tweens and teens seem to have only the vaguest sense of the past. Westerville sadly started to allow alcohol to be sold again in 2004, and I would imagine that most of my students don't know that it was ever banned. 

That being said, this is a fantastic book. It is absolutely packed with a myriad of details, so much so that I'm not even sure where to start. The book itself starts with what alcohol actually does in the body, which I can't say I knew in so much detail. It talks about the history of alcohol in the world and the US, touching on topics like the amount of beer consumed by the average person in Colonial times, and even a bit about Johnny Appleseed and fermented cider. The fact that alcohol was often problematic in families is definitely addressed, as is the political reasons behind Prohibition. We do see famous players during this time, like Carry A. Nation and Al Capone on the cover, and Speakeasies definitely get a thorough exploration. This even manages to tie in the women's movement, which is really a crucial element. 

These History Comics are all extremely well done and informative. I, for example, learned that saloons were sort of like settlement houses for men, who could come to get loans, jobs, food, and various kinds of help, but that they were funded by breweries that had political interests, so in exchange for help, the men would vote however they were told to vote. I knew about the political corruption in cities in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but I didn't know about it on this grassroots level. 

This is told from the perspective of "John Barleycorn", a concept that is well explained at the beginning of the book, and it's a fun way to personalize and approach the topic for young readers, but I would have been fine with a more straightforward approach. I wasn't all that happy with the way that Carrie Nation was illustrated, but she was portrayed in a fairly sympathetic fashion, when she so easily could have just been the punch line to a joke. My grandmother was in the Women's Christian Temperance Union because she was a very religious Presbyterian, and I've always found it odd that some people don't know that Prohibition was in large part a feminist and family safety issue, since men would often drink up the family's earnings and then become abusive. This issue is addressed and treated fairly. 

Prohibition has also become associated with racism, and this book even unpacks that information in a fair way, which I appreciated. There is a helpful timeline at the end of the book,  but no index. It's understandable-- the index would probably add another 15 pages to the book-- but regrettable, because an index would make this much easier to use for research. 

The Prohibition Era: America's War on Alcohol had even more information than the traditional nonfiction book Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition (2011) by the fantastic and sadly missed nonfiction author Karen Blumnenthal. I'm not entirely sure how many of my students will actually make it all the way through the book, but I buy these comics because they are so informative. 

Ormsbee, Kathryn. Turning Twelve
October 29, 2024 by Random House Graphic
E ARC provided by Netgalley

In this sequel to Growing Pangs, Katie is dealing with the fact that her two best friends have to go visit a sick relative for a long time, and she has to go to her church group by herself, where she doesn't feel very comfortable. She does have a job babysitting, which is a challenge she enjoys. She also likes going to the local theater group, where she tries out for the lead role in ANNIE. She doesn't get it, but makes friends with Grace. Katie is not a fan of all of the trappings of puberty, especially when talk at church turns rather sexist and judgemental about girls and women, and especially about the "evils" of same sex relationships. Since she starts to recognize that her feelings for Grace are more of a crush, what does this mean?

This is a good choice for readers who like the tween angst in graphic novels like Miller's Curlfriends, Hale's Best Friends, Johnson's Twins, Gros' Jo, or Knisley's Stepping Stones. It's similar to Dee's Star Crossed, but set in the 1990s.

Lost in the Empire City

Avi. Lost in the Empire City 

October 29, 2024 by Quill Tree Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Santo Alfonsi, born in 1896 or 1897, lives in extreme poverty in Baracca, Campania, Italy with his mother, siblings, and grandfather. His father travels to the US because there are so few resources for the family, as many men in that time and place did. Things are dire, and Santo occasionally resorts to stealing apples from the padrone's orchard because the family is so hungry. He has no opportunity for education, but does at least  have sympathy from the local Catholic church. When the his grandfather died of cholera, and his older sister succumbs to malaria soon after, things look bleak. When the father sends four tickets to the US in 1911, the family walks a good distance from their home to Naples to board the Fulda. It's a perilous and unpleasant journey, and Santo goes to work in the kitchens, earning a little food in exchange for washing dishes and peeling vegetables. When they arrive at Ellis Island, the family is on high alert; they have been told time and again that if their health isn't good, they may be sent back to Italy. Santo manages to hide the limp he has from a badly healed leg wound, and makes it through. He waits, and his mother, sister Francesca, and brother Tullio never get off. He ends up in New York City hungry and despondent. Willie, a slightly older boy, finds him and offers to get him food. He also offers to make him part of his gang, known as the Downtown Dukes, along with Toby, Anton, and Louie. The boys steal food, small items from street vendors, and occasionally larger items like watches, and Willie gives them a cut. It's a hard life, but Santo sees no other way forward, as he despairs of ever finding any of his family again. When a heist goes awry, Willie turns Santo over to the police, who in turn turn him over to Mr. Ashbury. Mr. Ashbury takes him home, feeds him, has the maid, Nora, clean him up, and offers him a deal. Santo can live in the attic and steal for Mr. Ashbury, or he can be turned over to the police. Mrs. Ashbury knows what her husband is up to and doesn't like it, and Nora warns Santo that Mr. Ashbury is involved with Sargeant Becker, a corrupt cop for whom Willie has worked. Santo is to get into houses through the coal chute and open the door for Mr. Ashbury, who then steals paintings and other valuables when families are away from their homes for extended periods. There are some close calls with domestic staff being unexpectedly at home, and one day Santo runs into none of their than his sister Francesca. They arrange to talk, and she tells the tale of how the mother had an eye condition that delayed her entry until after treatment, and that she was sent to be trained as a domestic so that she could earn her living. She doesn't know where Tullio is. Mrs. Ashbury has taken a liking to Santo, and when she finds that he has snuck out, tells him that she will help both him and his sister. When Santo is caught in a house and recognized, he goes back to his gang to try to warn them, but Willie sees him and gives chase. Santo gets away when Willie falls and crushes both of his legs. Before he can get to the person whom Mrs. Ashbury has contacted, he sees his brother Tullio shining shoes on the street, and finds out that his mother is also living in the city. He goes to live with them, and gets a job making wheels for automobiles. He even managed to send Tullio to public school. Things turn out fairly happily, but the family never again see the father. 

Strengths: Whew. I started this book a little apprehensively, because it had 123 chapters. Never fear: some of these chapters are just one paragraph, and Avi employs the James Patterson cliffhanger style of narration by ending many of these short chapters with teasers. This is a perfect format for reluctant readers, and really sped the book along. The bare and dire details about how hard life was for Santo are ones that I would like all of my students to read. Yes, things can be hard today, but it is rare that teenagers go days without eating and have to resort to petty thievery for mere survival in my community. Avi has been writing for over fifty years, but has managed to tell this newest story in a way that modern readers will still find engaging. There is a nice historical note at the back about Sgt. Becker, the only actual person described in this fictional tale. 
Weaknesses: Santo finding his brother and his sister by happenstance is rather coincidental, but at least he never did find his father. The ending is perhaps happier than reality, but satisfying nonetheless. 
What I really think: One of my favorite historical immigration tales is Napoli's 2005 The King of Mulberry Street, and this is an even more exciting tale. Santo would have been about the age of my grandmother, and it's hard enough for me to imagine the trauma that so many in her generation had to endure. Young readers should know about this period of history, and Lost in the Empire City is a great choice for making this an engaging topic. 

The Shape of Lost Things

Everett, Sarah. The Shape of Lost Things
October 22, 2024 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Skye dreads her brother Finn's birthday, because ever since he was kidnapped by their father four years ago, her mother throws a party on the day. It's difficult, because Finn was Skye's favorite person. She's tried to move on; her mother has a boyfriend, Roger, the family has a cat, and Skye has an interest in taken photographs with a Polaroid camera. She has two friends, Jax and Reece, at Rowland Waters Middle School and also hangs out with classmates and neighbor Nico as they walk dogs. Reece is starting to change, and frequently bothers Skye about whether or not she has a crush on Nico. Roger, whom Skye really likes, asks her if he can propose to her mother, and she says yes. When Finn is found walking alone on a highway in Arizona, her mother is overjoyed that he is coming home. The Finn who returns, however, doesn't seem like her brother. He's 14, very quiet, and doesn't even skateboard anymore. He's become secretive, and when Skye overhears him talking on the phone to their father, she knows he is lying as well. She is so sure that this new brother isn't her real one that she even e mails the police, sketching out her reasons. There are some glimmers of the old Finn, but he doesn't use her old nickname, doesn't remember their old games, and generally seems too distanced to be the real Finn. As the wedding planning ramps up, Skye's doubts grow. When Finn doesn't come home one night, the mother panics. The police won't do anything,    but Skye finds Finn's phone and calls their Dad. He picks up, but says Finn isn't with him, and doesn't sound right at all. Skye thinks about everything she remembers about her brother, and manages to find him. He eventually returns home, and the family has to work hard, get help from a family therapist, and relearn what family looks like after a very traumatic experience. 

Strengths: Back in the 80s and 90s, there were a fair number of books about parental abduction (Cooney's The Face on the Milk Carton and Mazer's Taking Terri Mueller), but these have all fallen apart in my library. It's still a topic that resonates with young readers. Skye has very realistic reactions to her brother's return, and the family handles it as well as can be expected, with Finn in therapy and everyone trying to be attuned to his needs. Skye's apprehension is also well portrayed. I liked that the storyline of Roger's proposal occurs at the same time, especially since Skye is glad that her mother is remarrying. This is a well constructed tale of family trauma and resilience that will circulate well, especially given the intriguing cover. 
Weaknesses: It would have been interesting to know more of Finn's story when he was with his father, but since he is not in a position to tell it, that would have been hard. I also was very curious about the fate of his father, especially since he was clearly in need of help. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked this author's The Probability of Everything, or stories like Henry's The Girl I Used to Be or or Rellihan's Not The Worst Friend in the World.