Lowe, Nathasha. Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle
February 20th 2018 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Lucy hates change, so when she meets up with her best friend Ella after a summer away at her grandmother's, she is chagrined to find that Ella is wearing clean, fashionable clothes, is doing hip hop dance, has new friends, and doesn't believe in magic. Not only that, but Lucy's world is rocked when her parents not only announce that they are having another baby, but her mother's illness due to pregnancy makes her unable to provide Lucy with spaghetti on Monday nights and chocolate cake on demand. Fourth grade gets off to a rocky start, since Lucy doesn't know with whom to hang out, although she does eventually befriend the quiet, accordion playing Rachel who is also interested in reading The Lord of the Rings books. Since her mother is so ill, rather quirky neighbor Chloe, who has graduated from high school but is just starting to interview for colleges, is pressed into helping. As the year progresses, Lucy's mother remains ill enough that Chloe stays around and Lucy starts to work out some strategies to deal with the changes in her life. Strengths: Friend drama, especially in middle school and in fourth grade, is a very real occurrence in the lives of many children, and the changes in friendship can be sudden and brutal. This is a well written book, and it definitely kept me reading. Lucy's family is very well drawn, from her high school history teacher father to her free lance writer mother, and Lucy's existence is very cozy. The fear of a new sibling is also very real. Weaknesses: Lucy seems much younger than fourth grade, so I don't know that this book would be successful in middle school. Wanting to cuddle on the couch between her parents, believing in magic, and actually thinking that her parents are going to give HER away when she overhears a conversation about a baby buggy all make Lucy seem more like she is in second grade. What I really think: I am very interested to see if Ms. Lowe writes some books for slightly older readers, and I think that many elementary school teachers will love this one, since it champions the idea that children should be true to themselves.
I don't believe that any of us can really be true to ourselves, unless we want to live with constant censure and rejection. Even as an adult, I carefully gauge what I reveal to the world, but I still have way too much personality leakage.
Whitesides, Tyler. The Wishmakers
February 27th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Ace opens up a peanut butter jar without reading the warning label on the top... and unleashes a genie! Ridge is more than happy to grant wishes, but warns Ace that every wish requires some sort of sacrifice. The year's supply of peanut butter sandwiches comes at the cost of Ace wearing a smudge of peanut butter on his cheek for a year... and he gets all of the sandwiches at once! Even though they are individually bagged and will magically stay fresha a bit longer, this is not exactly what Ace meant. Ridge tells Ace that he must accept a quest or all of the cats and dogs in the world will turn into zombies. His quest is to find Thackary Anderthon and stop him from finding the Undiscovered Genie, who grants wishes that have no consequences. He can make wishes related to this quest to help him, but the price is usually high. (He does say no to replacing his legs with Pogo sticks-- permanently!) His quest becomes even more complicated when he meets fellow Wishmaker Tina and her genie Vale, and Tina's quest is to save a former Wishmaker... who happens to be Thackary Anderthone. When the quartet meet Thackery's son, Jathon, whose quest is also at cross purposes to the others, the trio start to wonder exactly how they can save the universe. They must travel all over on bizarre quests in order to stave off either the zombie pets, the constant raining of pianos, or the other terrible fates that could befall the world if they are not successful in figuring out what the universe requires of them. Strengths: This was very fast paced and just goofy enough to be a solid hit with middle grade readers. As an adult, I appreciated that our Wishmakers had to confront a lot of difficult choices about what they were willing to pay in order to get their wishes. The characters were all sympathetic and likable, the world building very solid, and the goofiness just right. Lots of funny details, like Ace having to eat cotton candy that would leave his tongue permanently green, sneezing large grapes, and Thackery talking like a pirate (which must be a consequence of a wish) come to a brilliant culmination where Ace recounts the effects that all of his consequence have on him (page 167 of E ARC) in a tour de force combination of tween grossness and humor. In fact, I am nominating that paragraph for the single best piece of writing since Jon Scieszka's Stuckey Pecan Log incident in Knucklehead. Weaknesses: Ace's background was touching, and I wanted to know more about what happened to him. What I really think: A little on the goofy side for my own personal tastes, but perfect for my readers! Definitely purchasing.
Cooper, Susan. The Boggart Fights Back (The Boggart #3)
February 27th 2018 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Allie and Jay visit their grandfather, who runs a small store on the Scottish coast, and find that a real estate developer, Trout, is trying to buy area properties so he can build a massive luxury resort, and one of the endangered properties is Castle Keep! The children have always loved it, but their father and grandfather know that it is even more important-- the Boggart, as well as the Loch Ness monster in boggart form, have made it their home for years. Allie and Jay are the last of the McDevon clan, and the two magical creatures appear to them and agree to work against Trout and his plans. Trout is not scared off by Nessie appearing in the Loch (it would be a tourist attraction!) or building materials damaged by seals, but eventually enough mischief is performed by the old magic that he gives the idea a second thought. The connection to the first two books in the series (The Boggart, 1993 and The Boggart and the Monster (1997) is that Allie and Jay's father, Tom, knew the boggart when he was a child. Strengths: This was a well constructed fantasy book that showcased a magical place in the world and made the children heroes in a pleasing way. The Boggart and Nessie are fun creatures, with their predelecitions for napping in the library and eating chocolate chip cookies. Trout is an evil developer who is easy to hate, and bears a passing resemblance to another resort developer with a similar, monosyllabic name. This could be read independently of the other two books. Great fun, and two of my friends were very excited to hear about this new title. Weaknesses: A bit more recapping of the previous stories or an explanation of the magic or the Castle Keep and its environs would have been helpful for those who haven't read the first two books. What I really think: I recently deaccessioned the first two books in the series. I would have been tempted to buy this (Cooper is 82 years old-- good for her for still writing!) if the cover hadn't been so cartoonish. My British fantasy fans will NOT pick this up. Alas.
I feel bludgeoned. There has been entirely too much bad in the world lately, and it's getting to me. To add to this, social media has focused not only on the violence in the world, but on weirdness in the children's literature world. As important as this is, it is wearing.
It doesn't help that I had a friend who had a heart attack last week, and over the weekend FIVE of the books I read had parents who died and families where the survivors couldn't get out of bed.
My mother always made it VERY clear that being sad in public IS NOT AN OPTION. The only option that exists is to get up, get dressed, put on a happy face, and go out in the world and be helpful and kind.
In order for me to do that, I need to ignore all the bad stuff going on in the world. I will try to make a positive difference by being upbeat and supportive to the children with whom I come in contact. I just can't go on any other way.
Hitchcock, Shannon. One True Way
February 27th 2018 by Scholastic
ARC provided by publisher upon request
In 1977, Allie and her mother move from New Jersey to the South. Grieving over the death of her brother in a car accident and the separation and pending divorce of her parents, Allie is relieved when a popular girl, Sam, talks to her on her first day at Daniel Boone Middle School. Allie has a great interest in journalism, and through Sam's connections is given a chance to write for the school newspaper by Webb, the editor. She starts by writing an article about Sam, interviewing her basketball coach and going to her house to meet her family. Settling into their new community, Allie's librarian mother makes the acquaintance of a local female minister as well as Sam's coach... and her roommate. Allie feels that something is different about this relationship, but Sam won't tell her anything when she asks. As Allie continues to write articles, she spends more time with Webb, who has a crush on her. Oddly, Allie feels much happier when she is around Sam, and starts to realize that she has a crush on her friend. Knowing the problems that the coach is starting to face when her sexuality is under scrutiny, Allie is uncomfortable with this, but confides in the minister and her mother about her concerns. Sam is even more concerned, because her parents are very religious, and when she talked to her pastor, she was told that how she felt was a sin. While both girls struggle with their relationships and families, they are helped by concerned adults in their lives so that they can navigate through the social mores prevalent during this time period.
While more recent books are mainly concerned with incorporating LGTBQ+ characters in stories that are not necessarily focused on coming out, I realized that even though I've tried very hard to build a diverse collection, my library actually didn't have any coming out titles about lesbians other than Dee's Star-Crossed, although I may purchase Jan Petro-Roy's P.S. I Miss You (3/6/18). Nancy Garden's excellent Annie on My Mind (1982), is dated now, and Young Adult novels don't speak to the middle school experience. While this is not an #ownvoices book, Hitchcock had several sensitivity readers, and the variety of responses to the topics in the book from various characters seem realistic.
The thing that I liked best about the book was that it introduced sensitive issues without putting too many value judgements on them. The was especially evident with Sam's parents involvement in the church. While this attitude is shown as being hard on Sam, there is no outright condemnation of the church, and there is another minister who is portrayed sympathetically. The parents are amicable in their divorce, keeping Allie's well being first in their thoughts. The best bit of information Sam is given is that she needs to stay safe, which was critically important in 1977 when teachers could lose their jobs if the slightest inkling of homosexuality was revealed, but is still good advice to students today. Sam has an ally in her sister, but clearly would not be safe if she continued to bring the topic of her sexuality up with her parents.
The late 1970s were very different from the earlier part of the decade, and Hitchcock manages to accurately portray the social Zeitgeist while throwing in details like a boy wearing a silky shirt with sleeves rolled up and a comb in his back pocket with the handle sticking out. Yes! And I know, because, like Allie and Sam, I was a seventh grader in 1977!
One True Way is a great addition to diverse middle school collections. Add it to Barakiva's One Many Guy, Federle's Better Nate Than Ever, Sayre's Husky, Wittlinger's Saturdays with Hitchock, Gino's George, Hennessey's The Other Boy, Polonsky's Gracefully Grayson, and other books that show different experiences with sexual orientation and gender identity in a way that will make middle school readers more understanding of the challenges faced by the people in the world around them.
My only criticism-- the characters should have been named Lisa and Jenny. Or Pat. Or even Terry, if we wanted a more gender neutral name. I did know a few Allisons, but never knew any Samanthas. My own name was #5 in popularity for my age cohort!
Conkling, Winifred. Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot
February 13th 2018 by Algonquin Young Readers
This extremely informative book on the history of women's suffrage starts with Elizabeth Cady Stanton's life, and her father's disappointment that she is not a boy. It continues through the Seneca Falls Convention, covers Susan B. Anthony, and gives really interesting information about Victoria Woodhull. Lucy Stone and other luminaries in the Suffrage movement are amply covered, and the stories are told in an intriguing way. For example, we are given just enough information about Stanton's difficulties in raising 6 children, and anecdotes like these are balanced out with more global history. There is a fantastic bibliography, ample footnotes, some primary source documents or links to them online, and a helpful timeline. Strengths: Conkling writes exceedingly well-researched, all-encompassing history books like Radioactive: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World, and does a great job at making them a suitable length and depth of information for high school students to read for pleasure and middle school students to use for research. The information is presented in an easy to understand way, and there are enough pictures and accompanying sidebars to help this book move along at a good pace. Weaknesses: This went into exquisite detail, but even I had to take some breaks reading this. A lot of information to process, even for one really interested in the information. What I Really think: Definitely purchasing this for research, and there will be one or two readers a year who are able to make it through the whole book. This is more accessible to middle grade readers (most of whom peter out after 200 pages) than Colman's Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World (2011) but not quite as enthralling as Deborah Kops Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights. (2017).
Hiranandani, Veera. The Night Diary
March 6th 2018 by Dial Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
On the eve of the Partitioning of India in 1947, Nisha is struggling to understand the implications of the end of British rule on her half-Hindu, half-Muslim family, and writes diary entries to the mother who passed away when she and her twin brother Amil were born in order to process events. Her father, a Hindu doctor, feels that the family must leave their town, which has ended up as an area designated to be Muslim. Long time family cook Kazi is Muslim (as was Nisha's mother), so he will remain behind. Accompanied by their grandmother, the group sets out on foot to walk about 100 miles to the house of the mother's brother. Conditions are horrible, with fighting and violence all around, as well as very little food and water. Amil falls ill, the group is attacked by a man who has lost his family, but they eventually arrive. Nisha is glad to meet her uncle, who looks a bit like pictures of her mother, although he has a cleft palate and does not speak. Once the family is able to settle in Hindu territory, they have a small apartment but are glad to have made it to safety. Strengths: This is loosely based on some of the author's family's experiences, which makes it more interesting to me. I find the Partition to be my second favorite horrible historical event (the first being the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire), and this gave a good overview of the politics, but concentrated on Nisha's experience. There are good descriptions of what it is like to have to walk long distances and survive under horrible circumstances, and the connection with Kazi is sweet. Weaknesses: I can understand why the diary form was employed, but Nisha's longing for her mother slowed the story down. When losing a mother in child birth was fairly common, I don't know that children really dwelt on their loss this much. What I really think: There are a few other middle grade novels that touch on the Partition: Kelkar's Ahimsa, Bradbury's A Moment Comes and Outside In, Senzai's Ticket to India
and Venkatraman's Climbing the Stairs. While these don't circulate terribly well, I'm always glad when I can get children to read them, so I will probably buy this one.
Stamper, Vesper. What the Night Sings
February 20th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher
Gerta lives with her father, a viola player, and her step mother, who is a famous singer. For reasons she doesn't fully understand, she no longer goes to school, but is tutored at home. Eventually, her father stops going to work, and he and Gerta are sent to a concentration camp. The father manages to keep his viola, but it ends up in Gerta's care, which helps her to survive, since she plays in various prison orchestras. Her real love is singing, but the horrors of life in the camps makes it difficult for her to sing. Once the camps are liberated, she meets Lev, a young man who wants to get back to newspaper work, and Micah, who wants to go to Israel to start over. As Gerta starts the slow process of recovering physically and mentally from her travails, she must decide the direction her life will take. While she has a crush on Micah, she eventually realizes that he is not good for her, and marries Lev. The two head to Israel and build a life for themselves. Strengths: There have been many books written about the concentration camps during the Holocaust, but I can't seem to have enough for my library. I especially appreciated that this dealt with what happened after liberation; few books do. Weaknesses: I wish this hadn't employed flashbacks quite as much. The history of the Holocaust is difficult enough for students to grasp, and going back and forth in time might confuse them unnecessarily. I also wish the trim size had been more standard; the use of quality paper for the illustrations also makes this very heavy, and gives the book that odd, graphic novel smell that gives me a headache. Students won't notice the smell, but don't like to carry around large books. Therein lies the weirdness that is middle school-- we want quality books for readers, but sometimes it's hard to get children to pick them up for reasons that have nothing to do with the content! What I really think: The illustrations are very lovely, the writing poetic, and the horrors of the Holocaust fully explained without being too much for a middle school reader to process. A good addition to middle and high school collections.
Hautala, Beth. The Ostrich and Other Lost Things
February 20th 2018 by Philomel Books
Copy provided by the publisher
Oliva's "super power" is finding lost items, from her neighbor's frequently misplaced glasses to her father's keys. When her brother's plastic toy ostrich goes missing, she tries to find it, to no avail. It's important to her, because the ostrich seems to calm Jacob down, but ever since it has been gone, he has been prone to melt downs, and the outward manifestations of his autism spectrum disorder seem to have increased. It is summer vacation, which throws Jacob for a loop, but Olivia is looking forward to being in a theater production as well as visiting the small zoo that has been set up in her neighborhood with animals that need a home while the Tulsa zoo is being renovated. Because there is an ostrich in the exhibits, and she tried to sneak in to visit it, Olivia has to do community service there for six weeks. Jacob is also in the play, and Olivia worries that he will ruin things. She steps up her investigation, keeps up with her lines as well as her work at the zoo, and deals with the almost nightly escape of the ostrich, who ends up in her backyard. Strengths: This was a realistic portrayal of a family struggling to maintain a routine and sense of normality despite the challenges that autism can present. Jacob is certainly typical of the students I have seen in my school, and Olivia's attitude is normal as well. I liked that the parents were supportive of both children and tried very hard to allow Olivia to live her own life while acknowledging that she sometimes made sacrifices because of her brother. The zoo component was interesting as well. Weaknesses: The zoo being renovated and sending animals out to various communities was hard for me to believe. The Columbus Zoo has added or renovated lots of exhibits without rehoming animals. It certainly COULD happen, but it just seemed sort of odd to me. What I really think: It's a good story, and I'm glad to have it, especially since we have an autism unit in our building. The title and the cover aren't fantastic, though.
Herbach, Geoff. Hooper.
February 20th 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Adam Reed (born Sobieski) is fairly happy with his adoptive mom Renata, living in Minnesota. He hangs out with his quirky friend Barry, who has a hard life of his own, living with his mom Tiffany in a local trailer park. Adam has some anger management issues, and does not talk a lot, because he didn't get adopted until he was 11, and he doesn't feel that his English is that good. He frequently runs afoul of Kase Kinshaw, a jerk who calls him "Duh" and gives him a hard time at school. When his basketball skills bring him to the attention of fellow player Carli Anderson and her father, he gets an opportunity to try out for the Fury travel team. Carli helps him not only with improving his basketball skills, but is nice about driving him places when Barry's car falls apart. She also encourages him to talk more, and to interact with his new teammates so they don't think he is stuck up, and the two eventually start dating. When Renata starts dating a neighbor with two young daughters, Adam is concerned that it will end with her being unhappy, although he rather likes Michael and enjoys playing with his daughters. Throughout the course of the book, we learn more about Adam's neglected childhood in Poland, and watch as he improves his basketball skills and tries to get a handle on his internal rage so that he has a chance to attend college. Strengths: Herbach is a brilliant, brilliant writer. He understands what his audience wants, and he delivers: sports, romance, interpersonal problems, humor. He has the best ability to write a slightly off-kilter voice of any author I can think of! Adam's English isn't broken exactly, but his voice is so distinctive that I could HEAR it. The basketball details are interesting, and Carli is fantastic. She is a better player than Adam (although recovering from injuries), and she has a fantastically equal relationship with him. Adam's anger and his problem interacting with others is realistically protrayed, as is Renata and her difficulties. Adam makes a few comments about his black teammates that are insensitive, and I appreciated that these were fully discussed. Teens do sometimes make comments that show a lack of understanding, and the other players don't just react to Adam, they show him the error of his ways (in a slightly angry fashion, which is also realistic) and he is able to understand what he did wrong and change his views. We need more of this in teen literature. Enjoyed this tremendously. Herbach's Stupid Fast, Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders, and Anything You Want (which is definitely YA) are all fantastic. Weaknesses: While I understood the genesis of Adam's social difficulties, it might have helped to have a tiny bit of explanation about how childhood trauma can lead to issues of anger and failure to connect with others. Not sure how you would work them in. What I really think: While Adam is an older high school student, Herbach is circumspect in language and situations enough that this is perfect for middle school students who want more of a challenging read.
Ecton, Emily. The Ambrose Deception
February 13th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Melissa, Wilf, and Bondi are all informed that they have been invited to compete for a scholarship, and find themselves lured into a hunt for clues across the city of Chicago. They each have a driver at their disposal, as well as a charge card, and each of them set out to figure out a series of clues. There are bumps along the way, but just as they all get close to the end, they are challenged by the children of the man who put together the hunt and must work together to prove that they really did solve all of the clues and should be awarded the money over the other heirs. Strengths: Chicago certainly is a great city for this sort of tale-- Blue Balliet's art mysteries as well as Malone's Sixty-Eight RoomsAdventures and Fantaskey's Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter all incorporate city landmarks into the mysteries of the stories. This had some similarities to Chambliss' Book Scavenger series and a feel like Grabenstein's Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Weaknesses: I wanted a lot more information much earlier in the book as to why the children were involved in solving these puzzles. When it didn't come, I lost interest because I didn't believe that they would fool their parents into thinking they were really working on a scholarship activity. What I really think: All of the titles mentioned as similar to this story do not do well in my library, with the exception of The Book Scavenger. I will pass on purchasing.
Touchell, Dianne. Sticky Notes
February 20th 2018 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher
Ten-year-old Foster has a great relationship with his parents, and loves to hang out with his father and listen to his stories. His father even comes to school and tells them to his classmates, when most of the people who come are mothers. His father has a high powered job that involves lots of work and nice suits, but once his father starts forgetting things, everything in Foster's life starts to crumble. His mother works at a meat packing plant, and Foster's father's decline is rapid enough that a babysitter has to be hired when she goes to work, more for Foster's dad than for him. Once the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease is made, the family tries to put plans in place for when the father is even more of a threat to himself. This comes very quickly, and Foster has to deal with the loss of his father Strengths: This is a brutally honest account of what can happen to someone who falls prey to Alzheimer's. Many details about the sorts of actions and reactions that Foster's father has explains how difficult it is for a family to deal with this, especially when it is early onset. Weaknesses: Foster seems much younger than ten, and the ending was a bit abrupt and unresolved. What I really think: There's a bit of a disconnect between the writing style and intended audience. While the details of the father's disintegration are almost too vivid for elementary school readers, a story aimed at middle school readers needs to address the main characters feelings a little more. I wish that there had been more information about how Foster was dealing with this, more like Sonnenblick's Falling Over Sideways.
McLean, Dirk. Team Fugee
January 1st 2018 by Lorimer
E ARC from Netgalley.com
Ozzie and his sister Rebecca managed to escape the fate that their parents met in Nigeria and have made it to Canada after a long time spent in an orphanage. They have been adopted by a Trinidadian couple, and are settling into their new environment. Ozzie loves to play soccer at school, but when his group is forced off the field by a group of mainly Syrian soccer players, tempers flare, and the school coach arranges for the two teams to play an exhibition game to work out their differences. Ozzie is in charge of the team, and must get the players to work together. He worries, however, because his mother is offered a position at a hospital several hours away, and he and Rebecca don't want to be uprooted again. If the soccer tournament is a success, there is a chance that the school will support soccer teams. Can Ozzie overcome his problems with Victor, the leader of the Syrian team, so that the exhibition match will impress the powers that be? Strengths: Lorimer does a very nice job at bringing in characters from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and incorporating them into high interest, low level books that involve sports. They definitely fill a much needed niche, and included just enough details about other cultures to intrigue readers while using a lot of sports descriptions so that readers who pick up the books for that reason are satisfied. Weaknesses: The author is from Trinidad, but I think the research into the background of Ozzie and his sister is very well done. There are a lot of references to Canadian life that may confuse some of my readers; I would love to see Scholastic turn its hand to a similar line of titles set in the US! What I really think: This will be a popular series with my struggling readers who enjoy sports stories.
McLean, Dirk. Tournament Fugee
January 1st 2018 by Lorimer
E ARC from Netgalley.com
Victor, who leads the Syrian team in Team Fugee, has an opportunity to play on a Syrian refugee team in a "Thank you, Canada" tournament. This team is much more challenging than his school one, and he has to learn to work together with other refugees who might not share his exact background. Victor is also struggling with his guilt over losing his grandfather when the family escaped Syria, and worries about his younger brother, who is battling pneumonia. Both concerns effect his ability to concentrate on the field. Will Victor be able to overcome his past and bring his team to victory? Strengths: Victor's experience in leaving Syria will be interesting to students who have read Gratz' Refugee or Senzai's Escape from Aleppo, and are written about in a way that can be understood by students whose reading skills might not be strong enough for either of those titles. Weaknesses: Again, there are a lot of details particular to Canada in this title. While I find that interesting, some of my students are new to the US and struggle enough with details about life here. They might be a little confused. What I really think: I wish I had know that this came after Golden Goal and Golden Game. I was hoping, while reading both of these books, that there would have been more information about how Ozzie and Victor ended up in Canada, and I'll have to hunt down these titles to see if they answer the questions I have!
Tomsic, Kim. 11:11 Wish
February 13th 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Megan and her family have moved to a new town in Arizona after the death of her mother, and Megan is desperate to fit in to life at Saguaro Prep. Unfortunately, she gets caught between the two girls who are running for Spirit Week captain, Rhena and Ally. Oddly, there is a cat clock very much like one her grandmother had in her kitchen, and when 11:11 hits, Megan makes a wish on it the way she once heard her grandmother do. It works, and while this is exciting, Megan is also worried and attempts to contact her grandmother, who is on a low-tech senior biking tour in France. She cautions Megan to be careful, but Megan is so desperate to be liked that she uses the magic more than she should, and suffers various consequences. Despite these, she makes several friends at the pet shelter where she volunteers, and starts to hang out with a cute boy who likes her. She also manages to talk to her father about the way he is handling her mother's death with her and her sister. Strengths: This is a different twist on the age-old "moving and fitting in" story, and instead of a haunted house we have some magic. That was fun. A lot of the story was set at school, and althought the mean girls were over the top, I rather enjoyed the teachers. The clock is fun, and the grandmother was fantastic. Weaknesses: If the mother had to be killed off (which was totally unnecessary. If the father was handling things so poorly, why weren't the girls in grief therapy?), the grandmother totally should have moved in with the family and been there to help Megan, because she was the most intriguing character. What I really think: This was a solid book with magical realism, which is fairly popular, and the cover is very appealing. I just wish that more of the magic had gone RIGHT for Megan before it started to go wrong.
McNeill, Malcolm. The Beginning Woods
January 9th 2018 by Sky Pony Press
Copy provided by the publisher at ALA
Max is in an orphanage, where he is hard to place because he is a Kobold-- sort of a devilish imp with sharp teeth. Despite that, Alice and Forbes Mulgan adopt him and take him home. With their loving care, he becomes more and more human, but the Vanishings that are being investigated by scientists are somehow attributed to Max's appearance. There is a pandemic of adults just disappearing, but no one knows why. Max is very interested in finding his birth parents, and gets drawn into a very complicated search for them that takes him to other, even less pleasant worlds and puts him in contact with witches and dragons in the titular beginning woods. Will he be able to find out about his true parentage and his ties to the Vanishings? Strengths: If your readers like Grimm's Fairy Tales, especially the Gidwitz version, this is a great book to hand them. It's dark, and involves all manner of very unpleasant fantasy characters. Very dark, but the world building is exquisitely detailed, and the characters have all manner of quirks. Weaknesses: This is on the long side, and a bit hard to follow, since there are multiple worlds and all sorts of characters. What I really think: This is just not the flavor of fantasy that my readers request. I can see it being popular, but I just don't have the readers for it.
Hruza, Rachel. Dear Isaac Newton, You're Ruining My Life
February 20th 2018 by Sky Pony Press
E ARC provided by the publisher upon request
Truth Trendon knows she has scoliosis, and her parents are good about monitoring its progression, but it's still a bit of a shock when she finds out right before starting 7th grade that she has to wear a back brace. She has to wear it all the time unless she is playing sports, and it's hard to fit clothes over. It's also hot and uncomfortable, and makes her feel different and weird, so she decides to hide it from everyone but her best friend, Megan. She doesn't want her crush, Brendan, to know, but she does tell him when the two start to spend more time together. The other person who knows is her friend Oliver, who is in a wheelchair because of his muscular dystrophy. Of course, it's hard to hide something as obvious as a back brace, but Truth manages to make it through the beginning of the year, hanging out with her siblings Charity and Harold, and coming to a grudging understanding with mean girl Jenny. When Megan gets angry at her and then steals Brendan, Truth has to reassess how she is participating in her own life, and manages to be true to herself while putting things to rights with her friends. Strengths: There were some very good descriptions of what it is like to wear a back brace, and lots of realistic drama surrounding not only the brace but friends and crushes. Oliver's presence was interesting, and made Truth put her own circumstances into perspective in a way that can be very difficult for middle school girls to do. The best part of this might have been the romantic arc with Brendan-- very typical of middle school romances! I am very glad to see more than one contemporary book about scoliosis-- Gerber's Braced came out about a year ago. Hruza has a nice note at the back about how not everyone's experience with scoliosis is the same. This is very much the truth, so having more than one book to hand to students is fantastic! Weaknesses: There is a scene early on where Truth describes seeing her back's deformities while showering. I can only imagine that this is based off of her own life, but it seemed odd to me, especially since her back looked so bad that the character then throws up. I had a fairly pronounced curvature to my spine, but could only tell because my one shoulder was lower than the other. Most of the book is fairly positive, and Truth deals with her scoliosis in a fairly understandable way, but to start the book off with such an extreme scene reminded me of Blume's Deenie going nuts and cutting off her hair. Not the message girls who have just been diagnosed with scoliosis need. What I really think: Most of my objections are personal! I wore a back brace from 8th to 10th grade, and it wasn't a huge deal to me, but like Hruza says, everyone has a different experience. With fashions the way they are today, and with all of the talk about body positivity and accepting people's differences, I could see my students wearing hoodies and track pants every day and no one ever even suspecting they were rocking a brace underneath. In 1978, pants and shirts were really tight, and I ended up wearing my mother's clothes. Even so, no one really noticed my brace. In middle school, people are too busy worrying about how they look!
Mattern, Joanne. The Cat Encyclopedia for Kids
March 1st 2018 by Capstone
E ARC from Netgalley
Who knew there were so many kinds of cats, many of them bred in the last century? Who knew so many of them were so completely creepy looking? I'm not a cat person at all (I really do believe most of them want to kill us in our sleep!), but this is a great overview of the major breeds popular in the US. There are a number of breeds mentioned, including American Shorthair, Persian, Ragdoll, Exotic and Sphinx cats. There is a brief overview of each breeds' history and development, a bit about their distinctive personalities, and a few things about caring for the cats.
I strongly suspect that this is a compilation of books on the individual breeds that Mattern has written, but I don't know for sure. This would explain why the care sections, in particular, all sound pretty much the same.
If your library can only afford one cat book, definitely take a look at this. I know my students enjoy the books on individual breeds, so I try to buy one or two a year. I'll pass, because I probably already have this information in individual books.
Tyre, Lisa Lewis. Hope in the Holler
January 9th 2018 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
When Wavie's mother dies of cancer, her life gets complicated very quickly. Since her father has never been in the picture, children's services looks for a relative, and unearths a sister, Samantha Rose, whom her mother has never mentioned. Soon, Wavie is taken away from her supportive trailer park community and is living in squalor in the hills of Kentucky. Her aunt, uncle and cousin Hoyt never clean their run down house, but expect Wavie to. Things are brightened a little by the children Wavie meets in the neighborhood and school. Most of the children are on free and reduced lunch, and almost everyone gets their backpacks filled up with food for the weekend. Wavie knows enough that if a grandparent is raising children, nothing has gone right with the parents. Her friends Camille and Gilbert are especially supportive of her new situation, and Camille's family is fairly well-to-do for the area. When Wavie finds out that she was almost adopted by a couple but was returned to her mother, she writes to the Bowmans, posing as her mother, and tries to find out what happened. She is helped a little by a former lawyer, Angel Davis, who has fallen on hard times. When the final hearing to turn her over to the custody of her aunt approaches, Wavie and her friends try to put together evidence in order to find somewhere else for Wavie to live. Strengths: Tyre is a very strong writer. Her Last in a Long Line of Rebels was compelling and highly readable, even though there were elements of it that normally would not have appealed to me. She constructs a very vivid world of hardship, but gives Wavie the strength she needs to survive it. The aunt and uncle are bad without being horrible, and the children and teachers at the school are realistic about the living conditions but hopeful that they will approve. At first, I thought the adoptive family story was a bit far fetched, but I wanted to believe that the Bowmans would step in and make Wavie's life better, just the way that Wavie did. Weaknesses: The subplot about Angel Davis's life falling apart because he was grieving the death of his wayward son was really unacceptable. Parents don't literally lose their minds and throw their entire lives away when a child dies. This is a horribly recurrent trope in middle grade literature that needs to stop. It's untrue and insulting. What I really think: I really didn't think, because of a whole slew of elements, that I would like this one. But I did. I think that speaks highly of Tyre's strengths as a story teller.
Emerson, Kevin. The Oceans Between Stars
February 13th 2018 by Walden Pond Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
After Last Day on Mars, Liam and Phoebe managed to escape the destruction of their adopted planet when the sun went supernova, and they are on a space ship in stasis waiting to get to another destination. When they wake up, their parents are still asleep, and have been injured. Liam fears that his sister didn't make the shuttle in time, and fears that she is dead. With the help of JEFF, a droid in the shape of a panda, they manage to figure out what is going on. Liam still has the watch that he found on Mars, and takes comfort in being able to go back and watch scenes from his life before things all went wrong. Eventually, he meets the original owner of the "watch", a chronologist from the future who warns him that the watch is not meant to be used by him, and may be causing space/time anomalies. When the two come across the wreckage of the Scorpius, which is supposed to be intact. Phoebe has many secrets that she is hiding, but decides to tell Liam about them, since the two have become close. These secrets change many things about what Liam needs to do, and he resorts to using the watch to explore different realities in the multiverse in hopes of putting everything to right. Strengths: There are a lot of VERY interesting twists in this that I didn't see coming even though I should have! There are several asides that all come together, so I don't want to give anything away. The terraforming of Mars, the plans for sending out colonies on ships when the sun is in danger of exploding, and the machinations of the scientists are all well depicted and fascinating. This is different from the first book (Which was a 2017 Cybils finalist) but still really intriguing. Even with all of the action, the relationship between Liam and Phoebe is multilayered and very interesting. This employs the idea of multiple realities that Bishara's Relativity, Edge's The Many Worlds of Albie Bright and Lawrence's A Crack in the Line explored. Interesting to read about, but hard to really believe! Emerson has written so many different things, but science fiction may be what he does best. Weaknesses: Lots of characters, and lots of brain melting multiple realities. Made my brain hurt a bit, but in a good way. The cover is a bit murky and should show way more action! What I really think: Definitely must purchase this one as soon as possible as well!
Kraatz, Jeramey. Dark Side of the Moon (Space Runners #2)
February 6th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Benny and his friends managed to save the Earth in Space Runners, But now that Elijah is gone, he and his group of friends are stuck on Taj and are not entirely sure what to do, even with the help of Pinky, the Taj AI. Enter Dr. Austin Bale, who has "appropriated" a lot of equipment from various sources and has been hiding out, but now that the Alpha Maraudi have shown up, he reappears and wants to kill them all. Benny doesn't think this is a good idea, since he hopes that the aliens might be able to help fix the situation on Earth. Ricardo, the leader of another group, tends to want to side with Bale, and when Drue's father contacts Bale, he also seems to be on the side of the somewhat mad scientist rather than a rag tag group of children, even if it includes his son. When the Maraudi attack again, Bale goes on the offensive, shutting down Pinky, although Benny is able to access a back up version of her. Benny and his friends have to decide what their course of action will be. Strengths: There are lots of twists and turns in this one, so I don't want to give anything away. Benny seems to have a much better plan than Dr. Bale, but I appreciated that this was treated in a way that just showed the superiority of Benny's ideas, which are based up more up-to-date information and a much kinder world view, rather than having Bale be a cartoonish character. Taj is a well developed world, the technology is fun, and there is lots of action and adventure. Weaknesses: I could have done with fewer characters to keep track of, but then science fiction and I are often a difficult mix. Also, the title brings up a completely different image in my old head! What I really think: Kraatz is a popular author in my library with his Cloak Society series, so fans of Space Runners will insist that I purchase this immediately!
So, here's the thing. My baby is in college, and dating young gentlemen whom I have never met. In order to ascertain whether or not they are worthy of her, I ask what their reading preferences are. I was greatly relieved to find that the most recent ardent gentleman was a big John Flanagan fan in middle school, but intrigued by his interest in this ridiculously long adult science fiction book in high school. Since I generally walk for an hour on a circuitous route to work in order to start my day with some exercise, I decided to LISTEN to this.
It's 29 hours long, people. I love my daughter.
Keep in mind that the only other audio book I have ever listened to is Duncan's Hotel for Dogs. It takes too long to listen to things, and I don't process the information as well. It didn't help that the names were half a bubble off-- pretty sure there was a character named something that sounded like Zazper Zompzon, but I didn't have a print copy to check. Remember that I haven't seen spellings of the names, I've only heard them and am doing my best to guess.
Weber, David. Off Armageddon Reef (Safehold, #1)
January 9th 2007 by Tor Books (first published January 1st 2007)
Library Audio Book (MP3)
Nimue Alban is one of a team of scientists who watch as their highly advanced technological civilization is completely destroyed by aliens called the Gbaba. Thousands of years later, she wakes up in a cave fortress on another planet, Safehold. She is a PICA, a highly evolved android with superhuman everything. She was sent by her society to check up on their backup plan to save civilization. The new planet severely limits technology, since the thought was that the Gbaba were able to track down tech emissions and Safehold is supposed to be safe. There's a super weird religion that has been started by the scientist Langhorn, and some of Nimue's compatriots appeared to the locals for a long time. Now, the kingdom of Caris, which is one of the less whackadoo kingdoms, is running afoul of the church. Nimue changes herself to a man, since women have no power in Safehold, and is now Merlin Athrowes. Merlin has the ultimate spy capabilities, stealth skimmers, and all sorts of high tech toys disguised as their medieval counterparts, and arrives just in time to save Cayleb from assassins. Cayled and his father, Kind Haarald, are leery of Merlin at first, but come to trust him after someone very near and dear to the king plots his assassination. Things escalate quickly, but Merlin introduces a lot of new technology to the kingdom in order to thwart the threat from Mother Church. Strengths: This is sort of like Brotherband Chronicles meets Ender's Game, and I have about six boys who want to read it right now. There were a couple of slightly embarrassing things (Merlin swimming naked with fellow soldiers and realizing that she still had the sexual interests of Nimue, and one church official visiting a prostitute, but circumspect description of details.), but I think it is okay for these particular readers. No one is going to slog through 600+ pages for those tiny details! Weaknesses: Wordy, and lots of bizarre info dumps. Okay, I can understand decribing some of the cool technology in great detail, but at one point there was a baseball game described. That was strange (church officials were talking conferring during it.) The book could have been a lot more exciting without that sort of thing.There were also a TON of characters, many of whom would appear just once. Also, there was one scene with Narman, one of the evil guys, that made him almost sympthetic, but then he went right back to being evil. Despite all of that, the political intrigue and Merlin's super powers were a lot of fun. What I really think: This would have been a better book if it had been edited a lot more, AND if Nimue had stayed Nimue and kicked Safeholdian butt as a woman! That also would have given us an opportunity for an very interesting romance between Nimue and Cayleb. Alas.
Just checked out the audio book for By Schism Rent Assunder!
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners
February 13th 2018 by Greenwillow Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
This new collection of poems from the wonderful Nye is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, when she is good, she makes me cry. Her Honeybee and A Maze Me are always the first books to check out when the seventh grade does their poetry unit. She excels at taking every day experiences and imbuing them with the universal truths that make poetry so touching. Even though she writes in free verse (of which I am not a huge fan), her language is still poetic, and her poems do not sound like prose chopped up into random lines. Trust me, that's huge praise from me. I'm hypercritical of poetry.
On the other hand, a lot of the poems tend toward the political, and even more of them mention other poets. On a personal level, I loved this, especially since there is a description of the people mentioned at the back. For students, however, this will make the poetry harder to understand. I will probably buy a copy of the book, but only one, and it will not be the hit that her books of poetry for younger readers are.
In addition to the poem below, A Lonely Cup of Coffee is fantastic. It deserves to be printed on mugs.
Unsung- On Finding (From the uncorrected ARC)
From where this box of pink & purple yarns?
Skeins not even tangled
Recipes for baby jackets booties
Saluting your good intentions oh someone
honoring your high hopes neatly packed in a box
future promise on a shelf in our shed
(How did this get into our shed?)
But give it away because we know we will never
on any day of any future year
do this
Grimes, Nikki. Between the Lines
February 13th 2018 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Darrian really wants to be a news reporter, and a teacher suggests that if he really wants to learn to write, he should investigate poetry. He signs up for a poetry class in high school where all of the students are working toward doing a poetry slam. They all have different issues (negligent parents, parents out of work, foster care, etc.) but use poetry to help understand their world and the other students. The chapters alternate between characters, and the poems written by the students for assignments are included. Strengths: I liked that this is set in a high school, but there isn't any inappropriate language or situations. There is some tentative romance, lots of problems with home life, and a lot of interest in writing. The cover is really nice. Weaknesses: I wish the poems had all been in different, distinctive voices the way that Frost did in Keesha's House. All the poems sounded the same to me. What I really think: This just didn't do much for me. This is most likely because I tried to write poetry in high school and college, and while I had some success, writing poetry or going in to journalism is a cruel thing to encourage a student to do for a career.
"Refugee by Alan Gratz is an important story for our times. The writing is tension-filled and although the young characters are fictional, the facts surrounding their terror are real. Set in different decades, each of the three stories detail the harrowing journey of a family as they attempt to escape an otherwise dangerous situation. Author Alan Gratz is artful in the way the separate plots interconnect and overlap. Circumstances are not glossed over or made any easier in fiction than they are for actual refugees of the past and present.
The story pointedly shows that the refugee crisis has been with us longer than most kids realize. It’s also a challenging book, but with short chapters and cliffhanger endings it’s one they will really want to read. This Cybils Middle-Grade Fiction winner is a moving experience. It won’t be a book you’ll soon forget."
For those of you out there who feel powerless today, you shouldn't. I firmly believe that if every single person made it a priority just to be kind and helpful to everyone else, without fail, the world would be a better place.
Start small. Be kind to others in your corner of the world. It makes a difference.
Asselin, Kristine and Malone, Jen. The Art of the Swap
February 13th 2018 by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Hannah lives in Newport, Rhode Island in The Elms, a fabulous mansion from the Gilded Age. Of course, her father is the caretaker of the 1905 edifice, so she lives in a small apartment, but she does have the opportunity to roam around, and she loves learning about the history of the time, a fact which sometimes gets her into trouble with the docents! She is intrigued by the portrait of Margaret Dunlap-- the original painting by Mary Cassat was stolen the night of the unveiling party and never recovered, although there is a copy hanging in its place. When Hannah is investigating the fram while dusting, she finds the outline of a key on the back... and somehow, she is able to talk to Maggie. Even more thrilling is the fact that the girls swap places! Hannah is sure that this swap must be about the theft of the painting and sets out to investigate, with the help of the main suspect, a kitchen boy named Jonah. Maggie finds it harder to insert herself into Hannah's life, since she doesn't have the background knowledge that Hannah has about the people, and there are so many new technologies and clothes to deal with! The two girls communicate frequently and manage to find out the fate of the original painting, and try to find a way to unveil it in the present day. They try to swap back, but are stopped, and continue to work in the time they inhabit to make things right. Strengths: This put me in mind of both Tom's Midnight Garden, as well as Konigsberg's The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler AND made me really want to take a tour of the historic houses of Newport! The time travel method was highly acceptable, the mystery solid, and the relationahip between the girls very charming. Hannah's realization that the history she knows so well really did happen, and had some ramifications she hadn't fully understood, is well done and tempers her somewhat bratty personality at the beginning of the book. Maggie's awe at the freedom of modern girls and her embracing that freedom when she returns to her own time were both heartfelt and touching. There are a lot of art mysteries, but this wasn't as much about the art. Modern girls would do well to understand that the freedoms they enjoy have not been around forever, and this book is an excellent way for them to gain more details about women's rights and how they affected every day life. Weaknesses: This was on the long side. Since Maggie's exploits in the modern day are not as crucial to the plot, I think I would have gone a bit lighter on them. What I really think: Will definitely purchase, since Malone has a huge fan base in my library. I am impressed with the seamless work of these two authors-- definitely a success story for Google docs!
Fleming, Candace. Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen
February 6th 2018 by Schwartz & Wade Books
Copy graciously provided by the publisher
When film director Larry Trimble decides that the next big thing for Hollywood movies should be a dog, he and his assistant Jane find a German Shepherd puppy who proves to be just right. The German born Etzel is rechristened Strongheart and after some training, begins his career in films with The Silent Call. Strongheart is an uncanny actor, and Trimble feels that he can actually communicate with the dog. The films are a success, and Strongheart endorses dog food, visits orphanages, "marries" his costar, Lady Jule, and signs lots of pictures with his "pawtograph". Fame has its price, of course, and he is embroiled in a case where parents of a young girl who is lost in an underground tunnel after trying to retrieve Strongheart's ball accuse the dog of savaging her daughter. Luckily, the boys in the orphanage do detective work in the tradition of the best "dime novels" and prove that Strongheart is not responsible. The noble German Shepherd is able to resume his career and enjoy life with his growing family. Strengths: This is a delightful, fictionalized account of a real dog movie star. It is interesting that after 90 years, there is not enough information about Strongheart's origins to know exactly whence he came; we are so used to everything being documented electronically that this gave even me some pause! This is probably why this took the form of a novel rather than one of Fleming's excellent nonfiction book. The illustrations by Eric Rohmann are charming and will appeal to readers who love dogs as well as... who doesn't like cute dog pictures? The notes at the back about the "real story" are helpful, and it's nice to have some links and a bibliography to investigates. Dog books are always in demand, and this is a particularly engaging one. Weaknesses: It's a shame that a bit more coverage wasn't given to the concept of silent films. While this can certainly be enjoyed without it, modern 12 year olds don't understand life without computers, much less life without films that have sound. There are clips of Strongheart available online, and interested readers who look these up will likely be very confused by the concept of a silent film! Considering that I recently had to explain the concept of a "Sunday Drive" to a 25 year old, and there are teachers at my school that didn't know there was ever a nongraphic internet, some more explanations wouldn't have gone amiss. Technology moves quickly! What I really think: Can't wait to hand this one to students!
Pyron, Bobbie. A Pup Called Trouble
February 13th 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Trouble is a coyote born into a loving and supportive family out in the country. He is more mischievous than his brothers and sisters, but loves tussling with them and investigating the world around him. When he sneaks into a produce truck from a nearby farm that is heading into the city, he soon finds himself in a different sort of wild-- New York City! Coyotes are rare in the city, so he alarms a variety of people who see him, especially after he manages to get into an office building. Trouble manages to make a home for himself and makes friends, including Mischief, a crow, and Rosebud, an oppossum. He even makes friends with a little girl, Amelia, who comes to the park. Even though he has managed to carve out a comfortable existence in the city, Trouble misses his family, and with the help of his friends, manages to get back to them. Strengths: Like Hill's Lucky, Lorentz' Dogs of the Drowned City, and Hunter's Warriors books, this is a fast-paced story of an animal out of its element. Trouble is an engaging character, the inclusion of Amelia will make this easy for tweens to relate to, and the cover is adorable and will make sure that this book is never on the shelf! Also, put me in mind a little of Selden's A Cricket in Times Square. Weaknesses: Coyotes. A bit evil. They will carry off small dogs, so Sylvie does not approve. What I really think: Pyron's work (The Dogs of Winter and A Dog's Way Home), is very popular in my library, so I will have to purchase!
Higgins, Carter and Cummins, Lucy Ruth. This is NOT a Valentine
December 26th 2017 by Chronicle Books
E ARC provided by the publisher
Two elementary school students clearly enjoy spending time together, and the boy is especially fond of the girl. Throughout the day, he gives her little gifts that he clearly states are NOT Valentines, since they are not the stereotypical pink, glittery, lacey, sugary sorts of gifts that most people give. Instead, he gives her gifts that he know she will like such as a red superhero cape, a ring that matches her shoelaces, and a rock. At the end of the book, the boy tells the girl that he likes her "all the days the school bell rings" and not just on Valentine's Day.
This is a good message of friendship, and listening to the preferences of one's friends. The artwork imitates a child's drawing, and is bright and dynamic. This is a seemingly simple title, but delivers a timely and important message that realationships, even among the young, need to be mutually respectful and caring.
I wish that we had heard more from the little girl; while the boy's actions are all kind and adoring, it would have been interesting to see how the girl responded.
Anderson, John David. Granted.
February 13th 2018 by Walden Pond Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a young fairy in a very well-developed and complex fairy world. She is supposed to work as a Granter, but for a variety of reasons, not as many wishes are being granted lately. There are lots of protocols and procedures involving the assigning and granting of wishes, combined with a decrease in the general level of magic, attributing to this. When Ophelia finally gets an assignment, to provide a girl named Kasarah in Kettering, Ohio with a purple bike because hers was stolen. After careful preparations, Ophelia sets out, but runs into all manner of problems on her trip. To complicate matters, the coin on which Kasarah wished is very difficult to obtain, because a variety of people keep picking it up, and the rules clearly state that a wish cannot be granted without it. After running into even more problems, Ophelia meets a dog. She doesn't want to be licked or befriended, but the dog she names Sam thinks otherwise and ends up being very useful. After tracking the coin down to the home of Gabe and Anna, whose father is gone, Ophelia manages to get the coin, but not before the boy makes yet another wish on it. With the help of her friend Charlie, who leaves the fairy realm of Haven to look for her, Ophelia must decide what course of action is best... with or without the approval of her fairy supervisors! Strengths: Sam makes this book for me. Anderson writes a dog voice that sounds almost exactly like Sylvie. (Yes, she "talks" to my daughters. In fact, she texts them frequently.) Like almost all Anderson titles, there is always one moment where I burst into tears; in this case it was this interchange between Ophelia and Sam: "Why are you following me?" "Because you are broken and lost and I licked you, so now we are friends." The detailed information about Haven, the wish granting process, fairy names, and other specifics (from uniforms to housing to procedures) are so complete that Ophelia and her world come to life brilliantly. The details about Sam and Gabe and Anna are very sweet, but I don't want to give too many of those away. Weaknesses: Until we meet Sam, this is a bit slow. The world building of Haven and Ophelia's role within it is exquisitely done, but starting the book with Ophelia in the midst of her troubles in Kettering would have interested reluctant readers more quickly. Also, I wasn't fond of Kasarah, because the way she words her wish isn't sympathetic. I wish it had been, so I could have been more behind Ophelia's hard work to grant it. What I really think: The fact that fairy books are really hit or miss in my library leaves me a bit conflicted about this title. I adore Anderson's work, but am not entirely sure to what students I can hand this. Will consider; I have time, since I've spent my entire budget for this year!
This series looks like it is actually comprised of four books, Homestead, Raiders, Tharsis City, and Legacy. I was suspicious of this when I was reading the book and there was a recap of events or who people were at the beginnings of what seemed to be chapters. This makes the books a much more manageable length, but confuses matters when reviewing the book, since I read it as one book.
Collins, A.L. Redworld: Year One
February 1st 2018 by Capstone Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Belle, her robot Melody, and her family move to Mars so that her parents can work for BAMcorp in the big, fancy city, but right after arrival, they are "made redundant". Not wanting to flee back to earth (although Belle is okay with that), the family buys a farm and heads out into the "wild west". They have a hover wagon pulled by horsel (a camel horse hybrid), which is big enough to sleep in. This is a good thing, since their house is a shack on the windswept Martian prairie. Luckily, neighbors Lucas (who is half Sulux) and Myra happen by and show them the the shack is really just the "front porch" for a much nicer, more modern living space below. There are still a lot of similarities to US pioneering life, and Belle soon finds herself at a small school. She takes a liking to classmate Ta'al, who is Nabian, and doesn't understand why the other children ignore her. She gets assigned to work on a science fair project with Lucas, and has to work on an agriculture project involving turken chicks instead of improving her previous science fair winner, Petripuffs. (Small balls that, when thrown, release a toxin that paralyzes the victim for 30 seconds. They are mentioned a LOT.) When Raiders appear to steal Belle's family's water, Belle gains a wolf dog and manages to disprove the widespread notion that Nabian's are Raiders. When her mother realizes she is pregnant, the family needs to travel to Tharsis City for a doctor's appointment. Lucas and Ta'al's families decide to come along, and the groups run into problems when both Raider, the wolf dog, and Melody are kidnapped and must be rescued. In the final book, Belle finds an archaeological site that proves that at one point, the Sulux and Nabian people were friends, which helps the two groups make peace and finally get along. Strengths: This had some interesting world building (sort of like Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky), and the mix of Little House on the Martian Prairie and science fiction elements was interesting. Belle is constantly getting herself into trouble, which will appeal to tween readers. They will also wish that they had a robot like Melody who could tell them bad jokes but but also save them from wolves. There is a good message about prejudice and understanding people who might be different from you. The families are all supportive, and positive. There is a little about terraforming and agriculture on Mars, which was interesting as well. Weaknesses: I'm not the target demographic, and expect my science fiction to be more sophisticated. More details about terraforming, new technologies, and innovations would have improved this for me personally, even though younger readers will just like the adventure and the old school tech. I had trouble believing that Belle's family would sell vegetables and skeins of wool they spun at the market, the message about prejudice was really heavy handed, and at one point I thought I was reading a plot synopsis of Land of the Lost. I also firmly believed that after her first ill-advised adventure, Belle would have probably perished and not been able to go on other ill-advised adventures. What I really think: Probably shouldn't have read this while I was listening to Weber's Off Armageddon Reef. The exciting intrigue and unique technologies in that adult book made Redworld seem a bit lacking. (The whole idea of a PICA...wow.) I can see my students really enjoying this, and I can appreciate all the work that was done to make this appealing to middle grade readers and am interested to see if this series will be longer than four books.
This comment appeared on Goodreads under Angie's review, and helps a bit: Thanks for your honest review. I urge you to give the book another chance once the final version is released on 2/1/18. The ARC that was released was a simple compilation of four individual school library titles. The final version will have much of the repetitive information removed to make a smoother story. Also, the action picks up more in later parts of the book. Belle explores more parts of her new home world and becomes entangled in several adventures.
I hope that you'll like the final version better.
Regards,
Aaron J. Sautter Senior Editor Capstone Publishing
You know, the world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same books. There are lots of blogs out there, and it's easy to get lots of different opinions. I often don't like the books others do, and I don't often get really excited about a book. When I do, however, I get REALLY excited. (The Football Girl, anyone?)
The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody made me ridiculously happy for a lot of reasons. When I taught Latin, I used the phrase "somewhat benevolent dictatorship" ALL the time, just like Mr. Carrow. I work with students just like Oliver every single day. And finally, there are just never enough books from a boy's perspective that include romance, and the boys really do want to read about this, even if they might not admit it.
GO OUT RIGHT NOW AND READ THIS BOOK. Just do it. Have I steered you wrong yet?
Landis, Matthew. The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody.
February 13th 2018 by Dial Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
Oliver is very interested in all of the details of the Civil War, so he's thrilled when his 7th grade social studies class is ready to study it. He's less thrilled when Mr. Carrow tells him that he will be working with Ella, and that their topic is a local man, Private Raymond Stone, who died of dysentery without even fighting. It doesn't help that Ella, who hides behind messy hair and disheveled clothes, is in danger of flunking 7th grade unless she does well on the project. Uncomfortable with talking to others, Oliver asks Mr. Carrow if he can work alone on a different topic, and is told no. Ella turns out to be surprisingly smart, and her failing schoolwork and lackadaisical appearance are her way of rebelling against her work obsessed parents who idolize her older sister. After she asks if another classmate, Kevin, is his friend, Oliver realizes that Kevin is one of the few people he would consider a friend, even though Kevin is more interested in his WattPad following than in the Civil War, which is the only topic of conversation Oliver usually has.
After making his peace with Kevin and Ella, the social studies project gets off to a bit of a rocky start. Ella invites herself to his house to work on it, which makes his mother ridiculously happy. Ella is happy, too, eating goldfish crackers and tacos and "forgetting" to text her parents her whereabouts. After visiting a local history center, Oliver and Ella get interesting information about their subject, and do some great research in order to flesh out their documentary. Kevin is enlisted to help with the writing, and Oliver's parents even take the group to Gettysburg to investigate further. The project starts to come together nicely, and Oliver starts to realize that he might "like like" Ella, which adds an interesting wrinkle to the proceedings.
The beginning of this was so hysterically funny that I was immediately sucked in, and the details of life in middle school are so brilliantly accurate that I was not surprised to find that Mr. Landis teaches middle school history! Every interaction is pitch perfect and full of humor.
The characters are all a little quirky, but I have definitely seen children exactly like this. There are no dead parents, but the children all struggle a bit with their upbringing. Oliver feels that his parents watch him a bit too closely, and he's really annoyed with his sister's piano playing. Ella's parents are constantly on the phone with work when she is with them, and failing in school is the only way she feels she can get their attention. While we don't see as much of Kevin's parents, he does comment that his Asian parents are not thrilled with his creative writing, and would much prefer him to excel in math, science, or music. These are just the types of struggles that middle grade students face much more than death, depression or other super serious issues, but they are struggles that do impact students' daily lives. It's great to see them addressed.
The budding romance between Ella and Oliver made me so happy. It was painfully awkward but realistically portrayed. First romances are full of a lot of angst that adults don't take seriously enough. How close can I sit to the girl? Will she hold my hand? Can I call? Text? What do I say? These are very real problems, and seeing them in a book help readers understand that they are not alone. There's an inevitable misunderstanding, but an epic apology that makes the entire book worth reading, just for that scene.
How much did I love this book? I've spent the last of the the school board money for the year, but unearthed some Barnes and Noble gift cards when I was cleaning. I am going to order three copies so I don't have to wait until next year to give this book to my students.
Patricelli, Leslie. Best Buds Under Frogs
February 13th 2018 by Candlewick Press
E ARC from Netgalley
Lily and her sister both get sick their very first day in their new school, and Lily throws up at Darby's feet. Undaunted, Darby still talks to her, although Darby is as brash as Lily is shy, and Lily can't quite tell if Darby is making fun of her or not. Other girls in the class have formed a club, named after Darby's best friend Jill, who moved to England. When Jill moves back, Lily is afraid that she will lose her new friend, especially since Jill is really quite mean. The two friends get involved in lots of scrapes, including shaving off Lily's eyebrows and believing in the ghost of Captain Rizzlerunk (after whom they name their club), and navigate their way through the minefield of elementary friendships. Strengths: This had a lot of pleasant illustrations, and reminded me of younger elementary school novels like Haywood's Betsy and Calhoun's Katie John. (Okay, okay: I'm old!) Lily is anxious about fitting in but is not beset with anxiety. Her parents are supportive, and I love how they are portrayed as eating healthfully, so that the Pop Tarts at Darby's house are a big treat! Weaknesses: Too young for even my struggling readers. Middle school friendship problems and elementary friendship problems are very different. Then there were all the details about studying frogs that just wouldn't fly at my level. What I really think: I would definitely purchase this for elementary school, but will pass for middle. If Patricelli ever does a notebook novel for slightly older kids, I would definitely investigate it!
Because this blog is aimed at librarians and patrons of school libraries all books reviewed should be available in hard cover from vendors like Follett. I rarely review books that are only available in paperback and never review books that are born digital or published through subsidy publishers. I use E ARCs provided by Netgalley and Edelweiss, and physical ARCs if provided by major publishers, as well as finished books. I do not earn any money from this blog, and any books I receive are donated to my school library or other libraries in my district. All opinions are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.
Lowe, Nathasha. Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle
