Monday, February 10, 2025

MMGM- It's Watching and I Want Freedom Now

It's
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 
and #IMWAYR day 
at

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

Josie and her best friends Jackson and Allison plan to spend their Halloween night in the very haunted Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, Illinois, but not for the reasons you might think. They don't plan on desecrating tombstones while drinking beer; they want to try to see if they can photograph the fabled Lady in White and use their experience to write a news article for the Summit Hill Junior High newspaper. The three have secured coveted spots on the newspaper and have their own column, "The Magnifying Glass". They are very resourceful, planning their trip for a weekend when Josie's parents are out of town helping her grandmother move into assisted living. They think that she is with Allison, who uses her parents' Uber account to get them out to the cemetery. While there, creepy things happen, and on their way out, they are chased by a police patrolman. That's not the only thing that has found them; they each get a text saying "I'm watching" that is accompanied by a picture of the fabled Phantom Farmhouse as well as an eventual countdown. They have three days to figure out whatever this spirit wants. When they get back to Josie's house, things get creepy. The house alarm goes off for no reason, there's dirt on the floor where there shouldn't be, and the furnace goes off. The next morning, the computer is typing out "19191919" for 100 pages even though the electricity is out, and the Halloween decorations are changing in a sinister way. Ever resourceful, the kids take the clues they have gathered and spend their hard earned money to visit a reputable ghost hunter, Janessa. Janessa thinks that spirits have chosen the three friends to help them, and that she wouldn't be much use, but does give them her emergency contact information and drives them home. All three kids are also in contact with their parents, although they are not telling them the truth! Taking the information Janessa has given them, the three visit the local historical society and talk to Susan, who enlightens them on some of the people who lived near the cemetery. They also discuss where the phantom farmhouse might have been, while all the time the dolls in the museum are menacing them from their showcases! They think that a woman named Hulda Fulton wants her headstone back, so they create one and Uber back to the cemetery. They think for a while this might work, but more frightening things happen and they regroup at Josie's. Jackson has heard a creepy song, and they've seen "help her" scratched on the ground. They try researching various people in the cemetery, but can't quite figure out what's going on until Janessa returns with more information. By this time, they've been cold and wet, the house is growing algae on the ceiling, and they've been brewing coffee that they have to chew. With the hours passing quickly, they figure out another connection and return to the cemetery with yet another tombstone. Will it be enough to put the spirits to rest? 
Strengths: This is Currie's seventh book since 2017's The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, and each book has gotten progressively eerier! I loved that the three chose the Hallowwen weekend to do their homework, and weren't really interested in the ghosts so much as the story! Their advanced subterfuge in getting three days alone without killing any parents at all was admirable.  As always, Currie weaves a lot of history into her story, and makes the past seem both alive and sympathetic. There are funny moments (Tweens trying to brew coffee. Yep.), great helpful adults, and some fantastic interludes where the kids (and the readers!) get to decompress, regroup, and hang out at a coffee shop... before the ghosts set fire to it. There are plenty of scary things, great twists, and a REALLY great ending that I don't want to ruin. Let's get say that I have visited enough old cemeteries that I might just have to pop a $10 bill in the mail to Bachelor's Grove. 
Weaknesses: There was a lot of running back and forth to the cemetery by Uber, which was clever but got a bit tiring. Since this is based on a real place, it couldn't be a creepy cemetery just down the street! Also, as a certified adult, I need to issue this disclaimer: Kids, don't lie to your parents and sneak out on your own! 
What I really think: This is perhaps Currie's best mystery, followed closely by The Girl in White and Scritch Scratch! This had a bit of a Mary Downing Hahn vibe to it that I haven't picked up in her earlier work. Currie, Poblocki, and K.R. Alexander are cementing themselves as the middle grade horror writers for the 2020s! For some reason, Arthur's 1964 Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigator's Series: The Secret of Terror Castle popped into my mind as I was looking for books with a similar vibe. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, February 09, 2025

A World Worth Saving

Lukoff, Kyle. A World Worth Saving 
February 4, 2025 by Dial Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

A is a trans boy whose parents not only constantly deadname him, but also make him attend meetings of Saving Our Sons and Daunghters (SOSAD), a group where the leader, Joanna, is encouraging parents to not believe their children's gender identities and actively campaigning for parental rights legislation that is against gender affirming treatments. The only thing that makes these meeting bearable is that it is the only time A gets to talk to other kids like himself, especially since there are still COVID restrictions in place. Sal, a trans girl, and Yarrow, who just wants to be known as Yarrow, are especial friends, so when Yarrow is removed from the meet and sent off to get further "treatment", the remaining two feel they might be next, since another member, Lily, disappeared some time ago. A is also dealing with something very odd... a golem has started following him around, talking to him, and telling him not to be afraid. This combination of events compels Sal and A to run away, and they end up dumpster diving for food. There, they meet Razor, who gives them tips and also invites them to stay the night in a basement that several queer teens have used to create the "Transshack". There, they meet Dante, J, Scout, and Ethelle, who share information about the resources available for LGBTQIA+ youth in the Seattle area, many of which are in danger of cuts because of local politician Barrow. The Transshack is crowded, so Sal and A decide to seek shelter at A's synagogue, where they can also ask Rabbi Singer about the Golem. Rabbi Singer has worked with A's family before and understands the challenges he is facing, so is very welcoming, feeding the two and allowing them to spend the night, and also offering to hide A from his parents when they show up. A gets a bit of information about the Golem, and is soon dropped into quite a battle against both a host of demons and sheydim but also parents and local politician who all mean queer kids harm. Will A and Sal be able to work together to save Yarrow, themselves, and their growing support network from these threats? 
Strengths: It's interesting to see the progression of LGBTQIA+ literature for tweens and teens, especially since I can't remember any books with trans characters before Polonsky's 2014 Gracefully Grayson and Gino's 2015 Melissa. At first, books were about coming out, and then about LGBTQIA+ kids going about their regular days, and we are now starting to see more politically aware books that, like one of the characters in A World Worth Saving, are interested in "smashing the cisheteropatriarchy". Not only that, but these these are being worked into fantasies with an allegorical spin. A's fight against his parents, as well as the forces of evil, is imbued with lots of Jewish cultural touchpoints as well, which was interesting to see. As in Lukoff's Different Kinds of Fruit, there is a varied and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community represented. Setting this during limited COVID restrictions gives this a particular time frame, which worked well, especially given all of the political activism that had a renewed emphasis during these years. 
Weaknesses: I'm not sure what the laws are like in Washington state, but it seemed odd that Rabbi Singer was willing to hide A and Sal from their parents. In Ohio, clergy members are mandated reporters and would be required to notify social services. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for fans of Lukoff's work or readers who want their current political issues presented with elements of fantasy, like Lucas' The Vanished Ones, Bowman's Where the Lost Ones Go, or Capps' Indigo and Ida. 

Ms. Yingling

Saturday, February 08, 2025

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Very Bad at Math

Larson, Hope. Very Bad at Math
January 21, 2025 by HarperAlley
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Very is not only good at clarinet and most of her school classes, but she is popular, kind, and wins her third term as student body president with a platform of fund raising for a class trip to the Danger Hollow Fun Park. After a mishap at the candidates' debate that ended with her almost covered in pizza sauce, she picks Bree, who saved her from catastrophe, as her running mate. This means, however, that Bree no longer has time to work with her friend Lucille on their mobile pizza oven enterprise. Very's math grade is very low, and the principal tells her that unless she brings up her grade, she will have to resign from student government. She is also sent to work with a student teacher in a supplemental class to help with math. Lucille is also in the class, and after being very standoffish, finally admits to Very that she's mad about Bree, and the two bond over their trouble with math. Nate, who runs a gossipy school broadcast, isn't sure what is going on with Very, but wants to uncover it. Very is intrigued by local politician Hazel Shaw, and frequently calls her line to chat with volunteer Ali and get life advice. The fund raising is going fairly well, and a school dance brings in a lot of money, especially when Very talks Bree and Lucille into selling pizza. The final amount of money for the trip is going to be raised by selling t shirts, but when the order comes in, they are in sizes for dogs. Very has transposed numbers on the order forms because she has been trying to do everything by herself. 
Strengths: Very has lots of interests, and is a friendly and upbeat person whose troubles come when she is trying too hard to make people like her. Her struggles in class are realistic, and I've definitely seen students who have trouble coping when they start to spiral. I was glad that she and Lucille were able to bond, and she is even able to make things up to Bree. Fund raising for the class trip was more or less realistic, although I was surprised that there was not a PTA mentioned. The inclusion of political activism was interesting. And as for the dog shirts... my school still has a few cross country jerseys in toddler sizes that were the company's fault, so there are sometimes mistakes made! 
Weaknesses: My school hasn't had a student council for over twenty years, so the students at my school tend not to pick up books about class elections. We also don't give middle school students such big responsibilities because there's a lot of legal liability. Maybe other schools do.
What I really think: I can't think of any other middle grade books about dyscalculia, and considering the number of students I see on 504s and IEPs, there should probably be many more books about children in supplemental classes. This would be a good graphic novel for readers who enjoyed Garcia and William's Wires Crossed or Gerber's Focused. 
 

Ms. Yingling

Friday, February 07, 2025

Windy Hill Stables and Fighter in the Woods

Patterson, Kaitlyn Sage. Presley and the Impossible Dream (Windy Hill Stables #1)
February 4, 2025 by Feiwel & Friends
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Presley Elder has always wanted to ride horses, and has read every nonfiction horse book she can get her hands on. Her mother has acquiesced to having many other animals since Presley's stepdad, Dr. Sharaf is a vet, but is too terrified of horses to let Presley ride them. When Presley gets the opportunity to go to the Windy Hill Stables in Virginia to help her stepdad and Dr. Peters evaluate a horse that one of the riders wants to buy, she's thrilled. She's also surprised to find that it is Harper and her sister Marnie whose family is looking to buy an Andalusian named Isolde. She always thought that Harper was a snooty, rich girl like her best friend Amy, but Harper is very involved in all pursuits equine and has read all the fictional horse titles. The two are both surprised, but quickly bond over their shared love. The owner of the stables, Traci, has recently had a very bad accident, and has her broken arm in a sling, which has lead to the stables being a bit unkempt. Presley sees this as an opportunity, and after getting permission from her mother as well as Harper's two mothers, arranges to go to the stables to watch Harper's lessons. She proposes to Traci that she help clean up as a way to help pay for lessons. Traci calls Presley's mom, who relents, but also lets Presley know why she is so afraid; her best friend broke her neck falling from a horse when she was seventeen, but wouldn't have wanted a girl who was so passionate about horses to be denied a chance to ride. Presley learns a lot about taking care of horses; it's one thing to read about it, and quite another to clean up horse manure. When she finally gets a chance to have a lesson, she does all the necessary work to get to know the horse, Rigo. When she takes her lesson, however, someone claps, which freaks Rigo, and Presley is thrown. She's okay, but she and her mother are both shaken. It turns out that Amy was the one who clapped, and she is dealt with severely. Presley knows she needs to get back on the horse, even though she is nervous, and that she always needs to be aware of her situation because accidents can always happen. Even her mother is okay, and Presley is excited about her new friendship with Harper as well as her ability to actually ride a horse. 
Strengths: Presley's experience with horses is probably very much like my students; they read about horses and fall in love with them before they even see many in person! It was so interesting to see Presley put together her book knowledge with want she sees in person. There are plenty of details that my readers will love; the real challenges of cleaning equipment and mucking out stalls, but also the thrill of sitting on a horse. There's a little bit of requisite drama with Amy, but it was good to see that Harper and Presley got along without fighting. There are some details that would not have made it into horse books "from the last century" (like Bryant's 1988 Saddle Club series or Betancourt's 1994 Pony Pals); Presley has box braids, and Traci lets her know that she might need different helmets to safely accommodate her different hairstyles. I try to buy a new horse book or two every year to keep up with the steady but not overwhelming number of readers I have, and this will be one that will go nicely with Hicks' Ride On, Farley's Phantom Stallion, and Burkhardt's Saddle Hill Academy
Weaknesses: This focuses on English style riding, and the one super avid reader I have right now is desperate for more Western style riding books! 
What I really think: I'm curious to see the next book in the series. Will it, like Hapka's Ponies of Chincoteague, focus on a different character for each book? No information is available at this time, but this is available in hardcover from Follett's Titlewave. 


Greene, Joshua M. Fighter in the Woods: The True Story of a Jewish Girl who Joined the Partisans in World War II
February 4, 2025 by Scholastic Focus
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1943, Celia Cimmer is working with the Resistance to the Nazis in Poland, blowing up a munitions depot. What brought her to this desperate position? In this fictionalized account based on a video interview recorded by Celia Kossow in 1980, we see how Celia's school in Druya was bombed by the Nazis in 1941, and the teenager had to flee in her nightgown. Hoping for help, she went to a friend's house, but the friend told her to go away because she was Jewish. Her home town of Szarkowszcyzna was forty miles away, and she was fortunate the a truck driver picked her up and helped her get back. There, she found that Nazis had turned her town into a ghetto, and her entire family was living in a storage shed. The Nazis had taken everything, and forced the citizens to work for them. The whole family had to get jobs, and Celia applied to be a waitress in the Nazi headquarters. Unfortunately, the commandant had a grievance against her family, and informed her that she would be his "girlfriend" and live with him or be killed. When she replied that she would not, she was tortured and eventually shot at. The bullet missed her, but caused lifelong hearing damage. She managed to get home, where her mother, Liba, cared for her. She eventually had to go back to work, but when she heard that the ghetto was to be liquidated, she and her family ran. Their town was destroyed, and the group that they were with was caught and walked to another town Glubok. Her father was killed, so her mother tells her to run away. Luckily, a Christian boy, Piotr, helps her to escape and hides her at his family's farm. Sometimes, she would have to stay in a dark hole in the cellar for days. Liba and Celia's sister, Slava, also escape, but are caught. Liba dies, and Salva is injured and thrown into a pit for the dead. She escapes, and manages to crawl to Piotr's house. The sisters are taken to the Resistance, for which their brothers Herske and Zahman are working, and are eventually trained with weapons and horses. Unlike many Holocaust tales, there is a satisfying conclusion, as we see how Celia's life unfolds after she marries and emigrates to the US. There is also an excellent note about how the experiences of Jewish people during the Holocaust should be remembered but not glamorized. 
Strengths: The author's notes about how he adapted Celia's interview into a book were very interesting, and I especially appreciated that he talked about how he tried to verify information so that Holocaust deniers wouldn't have any ammunition for saying this was fake. In today's world, that attention to detail is refreshing. The inclusion of pictures of Celia and of groups of Resistance members and other period photographs will help make this seem more real to young readers, for whom World War II is becoming very far removed. While there are atrocities portrayed, they are all done with a good balance of truth and delicacy; 6th graders might not understand fully what being a commandant's "girlfriend" would entail, but older readers will. It was good to see that at least four of the siblings survived, and their post war experience was very similar to that of friends of mine who emigrated from Silesia. 
Weaknesses: I was hoping for more involvement with horses, based on the cover, since Hopkinson's World War II Close Up: They Saved the Stallions was fresh in my mind. 
What I really think: This author's My Survival: A Girl on Schindler's List (with Rena Finder), Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust (with Renee Hartman), and The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising are all riveting, fast paced accounts that don't cover up the atrocities of war, but give a first hand perspective on what it was like to survive such trauma. They are a greater choice for refreshing Holocaust titles, which can become very worn through years of use. 

Thursday, February 06, 2025

18th Blogiversary

I started a blog for a graduate class on February 6th, 2006. I've blogged longer than I've done other important things in my life.

The blog is my auxiliary memory. It gives me purpose and keeps me up on new books. It's allowed me to write for School Library Journal, to review books for Young Adult Books Central, and to work with the Cybils Awards.

It doesn't reach as many people as I would like. Reading and reviewing consumes almost as many hours as my full time job.  I have good content. There are people on Instagram (@msyinglingreads), Twitter (@msyingling), and Bluesky (http://msyingling.bsky.social) who read far less but reach far more people. 

Blogging is just what I do now. I'd love to lose my filter and tell everyone what I really think, but I'm not a fan of people hating me, which would certainly happen. But, you never know. I'm ten years from retirement. When will I get fed up? When will I no longer care what people think? Loyal readers, that's what will keep you on the edge of your seats.

To investigate my Place in History, I looked at the great Betsy Bird's blog, and researched bloggers from the cover of the November 2009 School Library Journal. They included Betsy Bird, (Fuse 8), Monica Edinger (Educating Alice, last post 2021), Cheryl Klein (Brooklyn Arden , last post 2016), Jennifer Hubert-Swan (Reading Rants, ceased most posts in 2023), and Liz Burns (A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy, by invitation only on this date). So, Betsy is indeed the Last Blogger Standing.

I also looked at her post about the state of blogging in 2014. Six of sixteen remain.

2014 Great Children’s Literary Blogs : A New Sampler Set

32 Pages (ended 2021) 

The Book Smugglers (ended 2021)

Bookie Woogie – (ended 2015)

Books Around the Table (2012-present)

Disability in Kidlit -(Ended 2018)

The History Girls (2011-present) 

How To, How Hard, and How Much (ended 2014)

Latin@s in Kid Lit (ended 2023)

Lolly’s Classroom (ended 2014)

Nerdy Book Club (2012?-present. Group effort.)

Nine Kinds of Pie (??- present)

Pop Goes the Page (?2014-present. Craft blog.)

The Show Me Librarian (ended 2019)

The Uncommon Core (Several blogs have this name, so wasn't sure.)

Views from the Tesseract (ended 2016)

Watch. Connect. Read. – (?2010?- present)


I was going to update the list below, but I couldn't bear the thought of seeing another passel of blogs go under, so take this for what it's worth. 

For now, I will have a quiet, sad celebration for five minutes, then go back to reading and reviewing all the middle grade literature, and in the words of my first blog tagline, "shooting my mouth off about it." 

Please let me know years of floruit of your blog, if I have missed it. 


Current (mainly #MGLit) Blogs (As of 2022)

Individual Bloggers (In alphabetical order!)

https://beaglesandbooks.com/ @lauramossa

http://bluestockingthinking.blogspot.com/ 

https://thebookwyrmsden.com/ 

http://buxtolicious.blogspot.com/

https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/

https://childrensbooksheal.wordpress.com/

https://thechildrenswar.blogspot.com/

https://thechroniclesofachildrensbookwriter.wordpress.com/
https://cjmilbrandt.com/blog/ 

https://cocoawithbooks.com/ @BooksCocoa

https://www.crackingthecover.com

http://writingya.com

https://elymnifoquent.com/ (Middle Grade Carousel)
https://elzakinde.com/

https://gatheringbooks.org/ @GatheringBooks

https://gpattridge.com/

http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com/ 

https://jkrbooks.typepad.com/

https://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/

https://jkrbooks.typepad.com/

http://www.kidlit411.com/

https://kidsbookaday.com/

https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

https://alibrarymama.com/ 

https://www.literacious.com/

http://logcabinlibrary.blogspot.com/

http://www.mariaselke.com/ 

http://www.maryrlanni.com 

https://mgbookvillage.org/ 

https://morebookspleaseblog.wordpress.com/

https://www.mrsbookdragon.com/ 

https://ofmariaantonia.wordpress.com/
https://popgoesthereader.com/ 

https://rapunzelreads.weebly.com/

https://www.readerpants.net/ 

https://readingmiddlegrade.com/

https://rosihollinbeck.com/

http://www.semicolonblog.com

http://storymamas.com/ 

https://thecontentedreader.ca 

https://thestorysanctuary.com/

https://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/ 

https://www.teacherswhoread.com/

http://www.teachmentortexts.com/ 

http://www.unleashingreaders.com

https://valinoratroy.com/ @valinoraw 

http://wendimlee.blogspot.com 

https://writersrumpus.com/ 

https://yabooknerd.blogspot.com/ 


Groups of Authors

https://bitaboutbooks.wordpress.com/

https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/

https://smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com/

http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.com/ 

https://www.anovelmind.com/ 


Libraries

https://pclkidsbooks.blogspot.com/

https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/


Organizations

https://www.cybils.com/

http://richincolor.com/

https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/

https://thebrownbookshelf.com/ @brownbookshelf

Identikill

Alexander, K.R. Identikill
February 4, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Chelsea has struggled to make friends ever since her twin sister Angelica died five years ago. Now, starting middle school, she is apprehensive, even though she's not going alone. Angelica still appears to her, a fact which turned their mutual friend Riley against Chelsea. Sure enough, on the way into school on the very first day, Riley pushes Chelsea and puts gum in her hair. Angelica is angry, but can't do anything. Crying in the restroom, Chelsea is befriended by new student Janette, who helps her and is really understanding. Seeing her sister with someone new angers Angelica, who tries to dismiss the new girl and get her sister to walk away. In alternating chapters, in excellent creepy font, we get to see Angelica's increasingly unhinged thoughts. Chelsea learns that, as much as she likes Janette and enjoys hanging out with her, she can't talk to her sister about it. When Angelica accuses her of forgetting her, Chelsea replies that she's not forgetting, she's just trying to live her life... which is exactly what Angelica can't do. Instead, the dead twin is trapped in a creepy version of the world replete with insects, and can't even venture very far from her sister without screaming in pain, collapsing, and finding herself back at her side. As tensions between the two increase and Angelica increasingly stretches their bonds, Angelica finds herself becoming more corporeal. She intensifies the rift between Chelsea and Riley, and tries to get her twin blamed for a variety of things, from nasty notes to stalking people. When Janette and Chelsea plan a sleepover when Chelsea's parents go out, they are surprised to see a very frightened Riley show up at the door. There had been a frightening episode at school, and Riley finally believes her old friend. Of course, that's when Angelica chooses to show up and tell the girls that they are all going to die. An epic battle ensues, with girls being pulled into Underside as Angelica unleashes her wrath. Eventually, Angelica is trapped there permanently, but as with so many Alexander novels, the question remains... is she?
Strengths: The creepy font will be a BIG hit, and it's not cursive, so my students will be able to read it. I think the difference between adult horror and middle grade horror is that adult horror is more unhinged... and that's what draws kids to Alexander. Oh, your grandmother collects clown dolls? WHAT IF THEY COME TO LIFE? That video game that is rumored to suck kids into it? COME PLAY IT. Sometimes the flavor of unhinged is better than others (Escape, Darkroom), and this is certainly one of those times. Bonus points for the super creepy cover! Really, I think R.L. Stine should watch his back, because Alexander's work is the closet thing I have seen to Fear Street
Weaknesses: The ending was a little abrupt, but in an eerie, twisty way that probably would have given me nightmares when I was twelve. As an adult, I wanted some kind of closure, and the release of Angelica's spirit, but then that's not really very scary, is it. 
What I really think: Just purchase three prebinds copies of this and be done with it. In the summer, the Alexander titles don't fit on the shelves because they are always checked out during the school year. This will be a big hit with fans of Dawson's Mine, Ford's The Lonely Ghost, and Preston's Twin. 

Ms. Yingling

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Dating and Dragons

Boyce, Kristy. Dating and Dragons
February 4, 2025 by Delacorte Press
E ARC Provided by the Publisher

**Spoilers**

Quinn's family relocates two hours away to a small Ohio town to be near her grandmother, Barbara, who has been having some issues at 75. When Barbara insists on driving Quinn and her brother Andrew to their first day at their new high school in February, she's a little embarrassing, asking a group of teens to take their picture. It's not all bad; Quinn meets Kashvi, who is wearing earrings made out of gaming dice, and the very cute Logan. After talking to Kashvi, she's invited to join her Dungeons & Dragon group, an invitation that is somewhat of a relief, but also a little stressful, since the group to which Quinn belonged to at her old school imploded in a particularly dramatic way that caused her to lose both her boyfriend and best friend. Kashvi's group involves her twin, Sangiv, Logan, Mark, and the dungeon master, Sloane, who is nonbinary. The group live streams its campaigns, like Critical Role, and have strict rules about no phones and not dating group members. While Quinn feels okay about her D & D performance, she's a bit confused about why Logan is now very negative and seems to want to fight with her. When her grandmother picks her up after school and notices her bad mood, the two go to get ice cream, and Logan is working at the shop. Soon, Barbara is asking Logan for help cleaning out her attic so that Quinn's parents don't force her to move to a retirement community. Quinn and Logan enjoy hanging out, and decide to stay friends. There is a D & D event in Zanesville, and Quinn runs into her old group there, which doesn't end well, but her new group is supportive. Barbara also challenges Quinn and Logan to a pickleball game, along with her new friend, Jim. Quinn and Logan really want to date each other, and the tension is intense, but they decide to talk to the group first. Before they can do that, Quinn's former friends troll her in the comments on the livestream. To complicate matters, Quinn's grandmother falls a third time, and is set to move out of her house. Upset, Barbara and Quinn take a car ride out into the countryside to get away, but end up having a car accident. Logan picks Quinn up so that she doesn't have to wait with her grandmother and father, and the two have a heart to heart. They finally tells the group, but no one is terribly surprised, so everything ends happily.
Strengths: The big difference between young adult and middle grade romances is the level of angst. If this were a middle grade novel, Quinn and Logan would have just yelled at each other and worked their problems out, but young adult audiences seem to prefer the slow burn of avoiding issues and putting off romance in favor of fighting and trying to deny attraction. Logan and Quinn try to balance all of this; hanging out, playing pickleball, and deciding to "just be friends" when in fact they are falling in love with each other. There's also plenty of friend drama, with Kashvi secretly dating Quinn's brother Andrew, and Quinn's old life seeping into her new one. The real draw here is the level of Dungeons and Dragons details about the characters, campaign, and general gaming atmosphere. The live streaming bumps this up a notch, as done some jewelry making with gaming dice that Kashvi and Quinn start working on. The family drama centered on the grandmother is realistic; high school is often a time when grandparents start to decline. This is a nice blend of lots of elements, and the cover is great.
Weaknesses: Barbara is only 75, which seems a little young to be forced to move, although her car keys should probably be taken away! I didn't quite buy that Quinn's former friends still followed her activities, but with social media, I guess that could happen more than it would have back in my day. While I enjoyed all of the details about fashion (Quinn favors crop tops and long, flowy skirts), this might date the book more quickly.
What I really think: This had a lot more D & D details than Dungeons and Drama, so might not appeal to readers who aren't familiar with the game, but will be hugely popular with readers who are. Boyce is becoming my go-to author for high school romances that I can hand to my middle school students. With the fiftieth anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons occurring this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more gaming themed novels! If this book sounds appealing to you, you should also hunt down a copy of Sattin and Steenz' Side Quest.

Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Snow

Trehan, Meera. Snow
January 14, 2025 by Walker Books US
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ela is on vacation with her parents, who are "quirky scientists"; hydrologists who don't want to go to the beach but would rather rent a cabin in a snowy woods so they can study mist and snow. Since Ela occasional gets "vertigsnow" and feels dizzy and nauseated when out in the snow, she's not keen on cross country skiing like her parents are. She's also irritated because her mother has locked up her favorite book, a story about a snow princess, as well as a toy butterfly that went along with it. Ela has had a difficult time recently with her best friend, Kavi, so she decides to go on a walk to get away and clear her head. Meanwhile, we have met Princess Karina, who is dealing with her own problems. Her kingdom has filled up with neverending snow because of something she did, and her father, the King, expects her to dig for hours to try to solve the problem. She has just found a "Flutterbye" is the snow, and thinks this is a good sign, but it was apparently brought that by Ela, who has past through a mist barrier and ended up in Karina's alternate universe kingdom. The Princess responds in the regal manner she has been taught, but is irrritated to lose the Flutterbye. She tries to get Ela to stop by her cottage, have tea, and go back to the palace, thinking that this will make her father happier. Ela is uncomfortable when the girls take refuge in the Yurts of Plenty from the Hounds that are chasing them, and wants to go back home. Because of the Hounds, mechanical dogs who belong to the king, the girls try to find a quicker way to get to the palace and find a sled... that they BOTH remember as belonging to their fathers! The Princess knows more than Ela does, but it is soon revealed that Ela's mother is the Princess' aunt, and the sister of the king, who fell in love with a scientist who made it through the Mists into the kingdom. The aunt would return every year and give Karina Flutterbyes for her birthday, but on her 13th birthday, she was irritated by something Lord Hesketh's obnoxious sons said, and said she wanted a different gift. This leads to the problem of neverending snow with the kingdom, and the fact that the King made time stand still until Karina solved it. Now that both girls know the secret, will they be able to return the kingdom to its former glory and be able to be friends? 
Strengths: Portal fantasies are always interesting, and the idea of an eternal winter is fun to revisit from time to time. The thing I liked best about this was Karina's "princess training", and how she was always supposed to be smiling, gracious, and somewhat aloof... sort of the same way teachers should behave! The mystery of the girls' connection, as well as the problems with the kingdom, are slowly rolled out, and intricately woven. The fantasy elements and world building are strong, and the Yurts of Plenty are particularly intriguing. Adding friend drama in Ela's world as a reason why she is sort of running away is always a good addition to a middle grade story. This author also wrote The View from the Very Best House in Town
Weaknesses: This seemed a bit on the young side, especially when the girls named their magical sled Cuddle-Lump. Yet, the book is rather long. I had hoped for a more complete resolution at the end. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like winter related fantasies like Constable's Wolf Princess, Rudnick's A Frozen Heart, Hasting's The Frost Fair, Houts' Winterfrost, Prineas' Winterling, or Wilson's The Lost Frost Girl. 
Ms. Yingling