Wings to Soar and A Two-Placed Heart

Athaide, Tina. Wings to Soar
July 23, 2024 by Charlesbridge
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, Viva, her mother, and her sister Anna have left Uganda in October of 1972 when Idi Amin expelled Ugandans of Indian descent from the country. Her father is stuck in Kampala, and they don't have much news of him while they are waiting at the RAF base in Greenham, England. The plan is to move to Canada, but this can't happen until the family is reunited. Viva misses her father, and is angry that she has had to leave home, especially since the plans for the future have been put on hold. She dislikes the word "refugee" that she hears frequently, and is trying to learn more English by hunting down a mini Oxford English Dictionary. Her favorite singer is Diana Ross, and she tries to use music to keep her spirits up. She is befriended by Mark and Maggie McKay, as well as some young serviceman. When it becomes clear that the father won't be joining the family, the are moved off the base to live with Varun Uncle and Meena Auntie (no relation), and Viva has to go to school. Tensions are high in the UK about the influx of Asian immigrants, and there are protests by the National Front, as well as constant acts of aggression. After Viva's family moves into their own small apartment, a brick is thrown through a window. When a telegram arrives saying that the father is on his way, there is a brief moment of hope until the family realizes that the father should have arrived already. Viva decides to take off to London to find her father, but is unable to locate him, and gets into a lot of trouble. It turns out that her father's travel coucher had expired, and he ends up flying to the US. Viva's mother is working in a photo developing lab, so money is very tight, and tickets are expensive. Eventually, Viva's family moves back nearer to the base, and she is glad to be closer to Mark and Maggie. When the father is injured in a car accident, it becomes necessary to travel to him, but there's only enough resources for two tickets. Anna and the mother go, and Viva stays behind with Mrs. Robinson, who had volunteered at the base and is kinder than Viva had realized. They make a life together while Viva's family settles in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where they are the only brown people. In mid 1973, Viva is able to travel to the US thanks to the kindness of one of the serviceman.
Strengths: The parallels between Idi Amin's "Uganda for Ugandans", the National Front's "Britain for the British", and similar attempts around the world to limit refugees make this an important book for young readers to meet. I loved that the beginnings of the chapters had pictures of various places in the story from the time it was set. Viva's family has a plan, but like so many plans, not everything conspires to work for them. The problems that the father faces are heart breaking as he tries to reunite with his family. They are fortunate to have a support base, and while they experience a lot of racial discrimination, they also do encounter some kindnesses. There are some nice touches of ordinary social history, like Viva's love of Diana Ross. It is good that we are seeing a wider variety of immigrant experiences in middle grade literature.
Weaknesses: Since I have poor recollection of names in books, I thought this was a sequel to ORANGE FOR THE SUNSETS (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2019/04/mmgm-orange-for-sunsets.html), but it involves a different family. I know that both books borrow a bit from the author's own experiences, but I would have like to follow Asha's family from Uganda. The in verse format limits the amount of details, but does showcase Viva's emotions nicely.
What I really think: This is a great story for readers who were enthralled by books like Yang's Finally Seen, Dobbs' The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, and Dassu's Boy, Everywhere.

Nguyen, Doan Phuong and Lee, Olga(illustrator). A Two-Placed Heart
September 24, 2024 by Tu Books
ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Phuong was born in Vietnam in 1984, and came to the US with her parents and younger sister Bo in the early 1990s. Her father was a spy for the Republic of Vietnam, and was sent to a reeducation camp for seven years. Things were very bad for his entire family, with several of his siblings being killed. A great Aunt in Texas told him about the Orderly Departure Program, and he applies for it, but by the time he is accepted, he has a wife, Phuong, and another child on the way. At some point, the Aunt is no longer their sponsor, but a woman named Martha Bess in Tennessee is. Eventually, the family ends up there. The mother gets a job sewing uniforms in a factory, and the father works as a valet. Even though Phuong misses her family in Vietnam, she has a found family in Tennessee, with Pat and Miss Helen acting like a supportive uncle and Aunt. The language is somewhat difficult, but eventually Phuong is irritated that her father makes her and Bo speak Vietnamese at home. She's also angry with her sister, who doesn't feel at all Vietnamese, while Phuong is struggling with her personal identity. The father eventually goes to college, and the family learns to adjust to their life in the US.

 
This is a fictionalized memoir in verse, based on the author's own experiences. It goes back and forth in time, with the chapters often labels with when the action is occurring. This is a good read like for Kuo's In a Beautiful Country, Faruqi's Unsettled, or Lai's Inside Out and Back Again.

Paige Not Found

Wilde, Jen. Paige Not Found
April 16, 2024 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Paige loves to play Realm of Wonders with her best friend Mara, but when her mother catches her playing late at night after her mother gets home from a shift at the hospital, she takes away all of Paige's technology. This is a problem, because Paige has seen a worrisome e mail on her father's computer. Her father is getting reports on her brain activity as well as everything else she is doing, and with Mara's help, she finds out that instead of having her tonsils removed when she was young, her parents had a Dot from Nucleus Nanotech installed in her brain! The tech company is run by Elliot Preston, a tech innovator who also dabbles in space flight. Just when she's starting to wrap her mind around what her parents have done to her, and what they think of her autism, she finds that the company has merged with a social media platform, Homepage, that has a history of selling user data. Will her brain be for sale? The Dot is suppose to her with her autism, delivering serotonin if she is stressed, and monitoring her condition, supposedly helping prevent meltdowns as well. Paige thought her parents understood her, but do they really think she is "broken"? Paige and Mara manage to find other children who have the device, including Kelsey, whose mother is a popular "autism mom" social media presence, Marcus, who is very young and nonverbal but has an older sister, Gabby who is worried about the technology, and Maxwell, an older teen who agreed to the technology and doesn't want to try to attack the company. There are other things going on in Paige's life as well; she comes out to her parents as gay, and is upset when Mara and Kelsey start to be friends. Paige is determined to get to Nucleus' headquarters, however, and manages to get there with Gabby's help when she runs away from a class trip to a museum. The children manage to sneak into the lab undetected and make it to Preston's office to snoop around, when they are caught by Dr. Lisa. Dr. Lisa is upset over the merger of companys, and what that might mean for individual data, and also over the treatment of lab animals and of the children who have the Dot. She agrees to help erase data from Preston's computer. Will Paige and the others who have this intrusive technology be able to go back to their lives unmonitored?

Strengths: This had strong messages about autism acceptance and LGBTQIA+ acceptance; Paige doesn't really want her brain to be changed, and her parents are very supportive when she tells them that she might be like her favorite teacher, Ms. Penny, and her wife, Amy. 
Weaknesses: It seemed unlikely that a group of children would be able to sneak into Preston's office without detection. I can suspend disbelief about technology in the brain, but not about that, so maybe younger readers won't have the same problem. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Kuyatt's autism positive Good Different, Lucas' Let the Monster Out, or Lerangis' Max Tilt series and uses teachnology in the same way that Park's Averill Offline does. (See review 26 Feburary 2024). 

MMGM- Fowl Play and Beginning of the Year Blather

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Tubb, Kristin O'Donnell. Fowl Play
July 30, 2024 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Chloe Alvarez is struggling in Charleston, South Carolina after the death of her favorite, uncle, Will. She feels especially bad about turning down his last request to go get ice cream; the death was sudden, although he had been having health issues, and the whole family is struggling. It's even harder for Chloe; her mother has her own mother, Grammy, and her brother Jacob has uncle Frank, a wealthy app inventor and occasional musician. Chloe's parents are separated, so she doesn't see her father as much as she would like. At a dramatic reading of Will's last bequests (staged because the lawyer owed him a poker debt), Chloe is left Charlie, an African Grey Parrot that Will had won in a poker game. Her mother is NOT happy, especially since Charlie isn't circumspect about bodily evacuations, but Chloe finds Charlie oddly comforting. When Charlie starts saying things like "cyanide", "Homicide", and "detective", however, Chloe gets it in her head that her uncle's rapid decline was caused by willful poison rather than a genetic disease. She starts to investigate, and quickly rules out Uncle Frank, although he wasn't amused by the Robin Hood memorabilia that Will left him. Grammy and Jacob go along with stalking Kiley, Will's ex-girlfriend, at a local coffee shop, talk to his landlord and neighbor, who hated Charlie, and even hunt down "Jaws", a local restauranteur to whom Will owed money. During the investigation, they are stalked by a yellow Prius with Virginia plates. Even after Chloe finds Will's laptop charger, she can't figure out his password, so continues to try to interview "suspects" even though she is busy with soccer practice and a huge art project for school. Despite Charlie's repeated accusations of murder (as well as a highly developed talent to ask Alexa to play music), Chloe starts to realize what her whole family knows; Will's death wasn't murder, and sooner or later she will have to deal with her grief. 

Strengths: This was a well-paced mystery that made sense. All of the "suspects" that Chloe identified gave her some insights into Will's life, and all had their quirky, amusing personalities to add to the mix. Charlie is dealt with in a realistic way; good to know that wet wipes help clean up bird poop, although I think I will pass on having a bird. While Grammy, Frank, and Jacob help Chloe with her quest, they clearly don't really believe that there is a murder, and it was realistic that the mother was kept in the dark. "Jaws" was rather amusing, and I don't want to ruin the details of that identity. The little bits of Chloe's life with soccer, school, and her best friend Audrey help point out how Will's death reverberates in her life on a daily basis. There's a satisfying conclusion, which makes this a book that will appeal to mystery readers and lovers of humorous book alike. 
Weaknesses: I wish that middle grade books would not start with funerals or readings of wills. It's harder to connect to the deceased. There would be more emotional impact if we met the person when alive. Also, it struck me as odd that Grammy and Uncle Frank didn't immediately go to clean out Uncle Will's apartment. Surely the lawyer would have know to do this, if nothing else. I also would have liked to know more about the genetic disorder. 
What I really think: There are not too many books about parrots, and I appreciated Tubb's note that Charlie's vocabulary is a little more advanced that more birds'. Fans of Tubb's Luna Howls at the Moon will appreciate this animal oriented mystery, which is a great addition to elementary and middle school libraries. 

Beginning of the Year Blather:

I love the beginning of the school year. It's the BEST time of the year. Seeing students, checking out books, getting dressed in real clothes, even getting to work early. Love it all. 

But I will miss the first five weeks of school. There will be THE most fantastic sub, and I'm sure few people will even notice I am gone. We are all replaceable. 

Long story short: I've had Achilles tendon issues for ten years, and all the doctors said "The bone spurs are not that bad. Just don't run." In April, a new doctor put me through physical therapy before deciding that there was enough damage for a tendon revision on August 2nd. Sounds almost literary, doesn't it? 

I will have to raise my foot above my heart for two weeks, have four weeks of no weight bearing, and spend another four weeks in a boot. Without, I may add, riding my bike to work in the boot. The doctor also said that I couldn't work in a wheelchair. I am down and out until September 16th. 

Modern medicine in awesome and I'm relieved to be believed! Staff is in place, and since I am rarely absent have MORE than enough sick days. Will have LOTS of time to read. But... I will be grumpy. 

Grumpy people shouldn't be on social media, but I do have a book review scheduled every day until November 15th! I'll do my professional development session on August 9th (and will post here) albeit while sitting down. Maybe even on pain meds, which would be a TREAT for those attending. 

After the first few days, I'm sure there will be work I can do, because there's always work to do. Any words of encouragment or joy will be appreciated as I try to enjoy my enforced time off. 

Stefi and the Spanish Prince

Freitas, Donna. Stefi and the Spanish Prince
July 23, 2024 by HarperTeen

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Stefi is spending the summer with her abuela in Barcelona, recuperating from a bitter break up with her boyfriend Jason, who cheated on her with her best friend, Amber. Her parents are also in the country, and the family is debating whether or not they will move to Spain permanently. Stefi has plans to study pastry making, and is enjoying being out and about. She has lunch one day at La Buena cafe, and returns the following week because the food was so good... and because one of the workers was super cute. Xavier's mother Marta runs the restaurant, and he works there, and is interested in Stefi as well. Xavi, however, has a secret; he is the King Alphonso of Spain's son, and at the end of the summer will be going to Madrid to assume his royal duties. There is a long and involved story as to why his mother and father couldn't be together, and Xavi is very bitter about the way his mother was treated. He has a bodyguard, Santiago, who is masquerading as his "cousin" and working at the cafe. Santiago has a huge crush on Diego, Xavi's best friend, but feels it would be a conflict of interest to date the best friend of his assignment. Xavi had previously dated Isabel, whose family is titled, and she still has designs on him, although he is completely over her after her scheming actions. Stefi and Xavi are soon dating, but of course news gets out. Once this happens, Xavi is whisked away to the palace so that an announcement can be made to quell rumors about an heir. Once secrets from the past are revealed, the king and Xavi's mother decide that they can be together after all of these years, since neither one ever dated anyone else, but Marta tries to dissuade Xavi from trying to have a relationship with Stefi. Santiago manages to keep his job in the guard, which is important to him because his father was also in the guard and died saving Alphonso's life, but is going to be posted to Seville to get him away from Diego. How will these romances work out as Xavi takes on his new royal tole?
Strengths: This had a lot of details about what it is like to live in Barcelona, and had LOTS of delicious sounding food! Stefi and Xavi are both appealing characters, and the idea of being a secret heir to the throne is always an engaging one. There's even some discussion that royalty has moved beyond the idea that spouses have to come from a certain titled class. The subplot with Santiago and Diego was interesting as well, and there was just enough social media (much of it involving Isabel) to make this seem very current, but won't date too badly. This is a fun beach read for fans of Chao's When You Wish Upon a Lantern or Welch's Love and Gelato. 
Weaknesses: There are several f-words and some more mature (although discreet) sexual content, as well as some drinking, although that is definitely done in a very European way, with Stefi having an apertif with her grandmother. 
What I really think: I enjoyed Freitas' Gold Medal Winter and Gold Medal Summer, but will pass on this title, although I would buy it for a high school library. 
 

The Super Sports Society

Chick, Bryan and Radlicki, Brett (illus.)The Super Sports Society Vol. 1
May 7, 2024 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Tommy Thompson loves playing baseball in Turdle Town, and has long dreamed of being a Bulldog. The transition from rec league to travel team is a difficult one, however, and he asks his best friend Pel, to join him for tryouts. Pel is much more interested in playing video games, but his mother wants him to try a sport and set a good example for younger siblings. Part of Tommy's desire to play on a travel team is due to the fact that the Bulldogs are consider the "super sports society" and are the cool clique that "rules the school". Tommy and Pel prepare for the tryouts by buying a lot of sunflower seeds on credit to practice spitting, buying athletic cups, and occasionally throwing the ball around. Tommy tries to get himself a nickname by having Pel call him "Tommy Twice". Tommy, whose previous reknown at school was due to his ability to make fart sounds, struggles with fitting in with the team because he is constantly fooling around. Pel, who has decent skills even though he has not played much ball, is able to read people better, and is even invited to the coach's son's house to watch a game. Tommy crashes the party, and does not endear himself to the group. Pel and Tommy eventually fall out, and when only one of them can make the team, Tommy sees how badly he has treated his friend, and gives up his spot. Is there a way that the two can repair their friendship and play ball together? 
Strengths: Complete with maps, Geronimo Stilton style variable type faces, and plentiful illustrations, Tommy's adventure in trying out for an elite sports team will resonate with young readers who are tired of their hum drum rec league. The fact that Pel and Tommy are able to travel around Turdle Town, buying sunflower seeds at the convenience mart and biking to friends' homes adds a delightful sense of adventure. There are plenty of sports details; if there are some things that I don't understand (tryouts continue over multiple days?), I know that sports fanatics will love the books. This does seem like it will be a series, and I would love to see more sports series published. 
Weaknesses: This falls just slightly on the elementary side of the Pilkey Line; the fart and porta-potty ("turd tank") jokes are not nuanced; the first paragraph involves descriptions of the fart sounds for which Tommy is famous. The scene with buying an athletic cup, and the fooling around involved with this seems more like something elementary students would enjoy; middle school students would probably be mortified. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library, but am considering for middle school. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for younger readers who enjoy the baseball in Moore's King of the Bench, the anecdotal highjinks of Wimpy Kid, and the bathroom humor of Captain Underpants. 

Capps, Heather Murphy. The Rule of Three

August 6, 2024 by Carolrhoda Books

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Wyatt is a dedicated baseball player who feels that his whole future hinges on making the local Tornadoes team. Trying out along with his are Dallas, who is a spirited girl and his best friend, and Cabot, who is usually his friend. During some of the practices, Wyatt gets upset, and Coach B tells him that he has a reputation as a "hothead" and might not be a good fit for the team. Fellow classmate Asher, however, exhibits some of the same behavior, but the coach looks the other way. Wyatt thinks this is because Asher is white and Wyatt is biracial. Wyatt's parents are both lawyers, and very understanding of both him and his sister Ruby, but Wyatt doesn't want to bother them, especially since he has recently been exhibiting an odd symptom with his anger. It's something he's seen with his father; if his father gets angry, smoke emanates from his body! There are other microaggressions eating at Wyatt; the coach suggests that his braids won't fit well under a batting helmet, and Asher makes fun of Wyatt's blue eyes. When Cabot defends Asher's actions, this drives a wedge between the two, and even Dallas says Wyatt should ignore the behavior. This intensifies the smoke, and Wyatt soon learns the reason for it. When his father was his age, in 1985, he lived with his family in Philadelphia in the MOVE community. The events of the father's life are told in flashback. This event, which really happened, involved the police descending on the community because neighbors didn't like the group's lifestyle, and eventually lead to the house being bombed. When Wyatt finally tells his parents about how he is being treated, they take him to a therapist who says that the smoke reaction might be caused by epigenetics. This phenomenon causes trauma to be passed down in the way that genes work in the body, and is responsible to generational trauma. Working with Ms. Beauclair, and talking to his friends, also helps Wyatt to get a little relief. 

Strengths: This is an interesting blend of history and fantasy. I don't remember the MOVE bombing (I was in college, and it wasn't as easy to get news as it is now), so information about that event was fascinating. There is enough baseball to draw in fans of the sport, and plenty of middle school friction with friends. Dallas is an intriguing character, and Cabot's dealings with Asher are unfortunately realistic. 
Weaknesses: Because I had not heard of epigenetics, and had to do some research into what they entail, I am concerned that the fantasy element of Wyatt and his father emitting smoke might make my readers think that epigenetics isn't real. Young readers might need a little support in clarifying this. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like sports books that also address racial discrimination, like Lynch's Gold Dust or Wes Tooke's King of the Mound : My Summer with Satchel Paige. Stroman's The Grip series involves baseball and addresses some psychological issues as well. 

Guy Friday- Felix Powell Boy Dog

Kelly, Erin Entrada. Felix Powell, Dog Boy
July 16, 2024 by Greenwillow Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this beginning chapter book, we meet 8-year-old Felix, who is very excited to have $5 from his Nana to spend at the thrift store. He finds a well worn blanket about which he has a good feeling. His Nana questions him, but he is insistent. Since the blanket is only $1, he is also able to get a few other things. At home, with his dog Mary Puppins, Felix experiments with the blanket while awaiting the monthly "bean feast" (AKA- dessert for dinner) with his Nana. Everything is normal until he covers himself with the blanket... and turns into a dog! He is very impressed at how many different things he can smell, and glad to talk to Mary Puppins. The two have some adventures, and talk to Gumbo the Cat, but eventually Felix wants to return to being a boy. With Gumbo's help, Felix realizes that in order for the transformation to occur, an adult needs to say his name three times. Will Nan be able to save him?
Strengths: Illustrated in a style similar to this author's Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, this is a fun and silly story that will encourage the imaginative use of old blankets! Felix's gentle adventure is a good chance for him to talk to his dog and understand the different skills our canine friends have, and has some gentle tension when he wants to return to being human, especially since having cake for dinner hangs in the balance. I'm all for any book that encourages thift store purchases, especially when the haul includes Amelia Bedelia books.
Weaknesses: While this is delightful, it is a bit young for middle school, so I will pass on purchase.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who are looking for more easy to read books like McDonald's Stink Moody, Brown's Flat Stanley, or Kirby's Captain Awesome.

It Came From the Trees

Russell, Ally. It Came from the Trees
July 30, 2024 by Delacorte
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jenna, who loves the outdoors, joins a new group, the Cottontail Scouts, with her friend Reese. Jenna's grandfather was a park ranger for a number of years, and was the first Black ranger in the Sturbridge area. The Cottontail Scouts are expensive, and require an uncomfortable uniform, but have more exciting opportunities than the free Owlet Scouts. On their first camping trip, Jenna and Reese, whose parents have recently divorced, don't feel particularly comfortable. Heather Winslow, their blonde scout leader, is dismissive of them, and also has them gather firewood more frequently than the other scouts. Everyone else seems to know each other, and are not welcoming to the newcomers. When Reese is forcibly grabbed out of the tent in the middle of the night and stolen away, no one believes that Jenna saw a bearlike creature with a distinctive, unpleasant odor take her friend. Her mother and grandfather know she is traumatized and try to support her, but since Reese has run away in the past, Jenna's mother thinks this is the likely explanation this time. Her grandfather, however, shares the story of a fellow ranger who disappeared in 1992 with her, and takes her more seriously. There have been pets in the neighborhood who have gone missing, and there is an online forum about the Beast of Backcountry that reinforces Jenna's experience. Jenna doesn't really want to go back out into the woods, but she does want to put survival bags around the forest for Reese, whom she feels is out in the wilderness trying to survive. When her mother lets her join the Owlet Scouts, she's a little leery, but determined to help out her friend. Stacy Scott, the leader, and Mel Torres, the high school assistant, are much more welcoming, as are the girls, who include Puerto Rican Norrie, who favors purple hiking boots, sisters Ana and Rosie, and als Ashley and Kate. When the leaders are entering the camping area, they meet a creepy man, but tell him that they are not staying the night in the woods, even though they have a three day trip planned. They tell the girls that it is good to keep all sources of danger in mind and act accordingly. Jenna buries a bag, but is reprimanded for going out alone; the leaders don't want anyone venturing out solo. Jenna sees a similar creature, who seems to be saying "Ena", and starts to panic; this is worse when the group sees a dead coyote far up in a tree. They plan on evacuating after Stacy's bear spray doesn't work against a creature, but when Stacy breaks her leg badly, they decide to hunker down in the woods and wait to be rescued by rangers, who are expecting them at a checkpoint. Will Jenna be able to get help to her friend Reese, or will creatures that mean the scouts harm derail these plans?
Strengths: An outdoor adventure? With cryptids? And girls who love nature? Yes, please! I especially appreciated the author's note that she's not the biggest fan of the outdoors, but thinks it is important for Black children to be shown outside. The grandfather's career as a park ranger, and his influence over Jenna, was good to see, and I wouldn't have minded more of him in the story. While the "beast" was scary, the scariest part of this story was the disappearance of Reese. The fact that her parents had just divorced, and that she had run away in the past, made it seem plausible that Jenna's mother, and the police, didn't believe Jenna's story. It also made sense that Jenna wanted to leave survival bags for Reese, and that in order to do so she needed to confront her fears and get back out into the woods. While the Cottontail Scouts weren't very nice, the Owlet Scouts were a good group, and I was glad that Jenna could be a part of them. Her reluctance to trust or befriend the others, even Norrie, made sense given her recent trauma. There's lots of trekking through the woods, a bit of action, and even a quantity of gore for readers who want a scary outdoor adventure.
Weaknesses: The pacing of this could have been improved a bit; some parts were action packed and exciting, but other parts were rather slow, and the way these scenes were arranged could have been improved to heighten the tension throughout. Since this is a first novel, I'll be interested in seeing what else Ms. Russell writes.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a scary, outdoor adventure like Lang, and Bartkowski's Whispering Pines books, Currie's What Lives in the Woods or Reynolds' Izzy at the End of the World.

Gamerville

Christmas, Johnnie. Gamerville
July 16, 2024 by HarperAlley
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, we meet Max, whose loves video games. His favorite is Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay, and he's dedicated himself to the game, playing through the night, and has made the semifinals of the Gamerville Tournament. His parents are concerned, and his mother, who is overprotective after homeschooling him for years, thinks he needs to be outside more. Max doesn't have many friends at school, but when fellow gaming club members Rosa and Armand find out that he's made the semifinals, they offer to coach him. Another student at the school, Wilder, is the reigning champ of the game, and constantly gives Max a hard time for being geeky. Once he makes the finals, Max rebrands his look at "Max Lightning" and makes plans to attend the tournament. Sadly, his parents put an end to his aspirations by making him attend Camp Reset to get him away from the adverse effects of screens. They don't care in the least that he's made the tournament. At the camp, he meets Dylan, who has a past and few friends, and Zanzi, whose great-great-grandfather started the camp. There are lots of old traditions, like uniforms, a Toy Tower, and a talent show, which Zanzi wants to uphold. There's even a tortoise, Major, who has been at the camp for 100 years! When Zanzi's friends want to embrace some new ideas, like doing a Tip Top dance at the talent show instead of reenacting Peter Pan, she's upset, and this is exacerbated when her older brother Byron tells her about plans he has to update the facilities. Meanwhile, Max has figured out that the Gamerville tournament is being help on the other side of the lake, and he has a week to figure out how to make his escape. When Dylan introduces him to RPGs that aren't online, Max makes a campaign strategy to get across the lake, and starts to secretly gain skills and enlist help. When Dylan's nemesis, Ari, is appointed keeper of the Toy Tower, Dylan is upset, and convinces Max to help him get into the Tower, since Max needs to confirm his entry in the Gamerville Tournament, something he can only do if he retrieves his Game Guy device that is locked in the Tower. Zanzi's friends have abandoned her, and when Major dies, she is distraught. Dylan and Max find a way into the tower through long abandoned mines, which they discovered when Max passed out from dehydration (which is an ongoing problem for him) and fell into a cave, surviving because he landed on an old mattress. Having made contact with Rosa, Max is able to get to Gamerville when Rosa and Armand come to get him in a boat. Zanzi is angry that Max is leaving, but agrees to go with the group to watch Max compete. The camp, alarmed that Max has run away, alerts Max's parents, who go to Gamerville, knowing that's where their son has gone. They allow Max to compete. In the game, Max realizes for the first time that the NPCs in Calamity Bay need to be rescued more than he needs to get the various treasures, because of something Rosa has said. Wilder thinks he has won the game, but will the judge of the game weigh Max's accomplishment of saving citizens against Wilder's larger amount of treasure? 

Strengths: Any book that involves children obsessed with video games has a built in audience of the millions of children obsessed with video games. Often, these children are also big graphic novel fans, so this is perfect. The fact that Max gets into a gaming tournament is pure wish fulfillment, even though he is thwarted by his evil parents who want him to do a screen detox. There are good messages in this about controlling anger, making friends, and even exploring the outdoors, so a lot of thought went into this story. The drawings have lots of details, and do a great job of depicting both the camp and the Calamity Bay settings. Bonus points for the history of the camp and a long lived tortoise, although Major's death was sad. 
Weaknesses: The timeline of Max getting in to the camp was forced, even though the mother claims she had to call in a lot of favors to get him in, and the fact that it was located so close to the Gamerville location was overly coincindental. Will young readers who like video games care? No. They will just vibrate to Max's early assertion that "When I grow up, I'll play video games whenever I want." Also, I needed to know more about why Max was prone to dehydration dizziness.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Hansen's My Video Game Ate My Homework or Ali-A's Adventures: Game On graphic novels. I much preferred this author's Swim Team, but but reading about video games is at least better than having children PLAY video games. I'll never be a fan and think that the American Academy of Pediatrics limits of no more than 60 minutes on school days and 2 hours on non-school days are excessive. Children only have about five hours a day of time after school. Half and hour a day seems like more than enough time to spend on screens. (Remember, I was raised in that tiny generational bubble when screen time was seen to be evil for children, as depicted in Brown's excellent The He-Man Effect. 

Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate

Zargarpur, Deeba. Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate
July 2, 2024 by Labyrinth Road

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Because her parents weren't married when they had her, and this is considered less than optimal in Muslim culture, Farrah only sees her father once a year. He's a judge in the UAE, and her mother lives with her parents in Philadelphia. Farrah usually is fine with this, but when her father is visiting on her birthday, they have some squabbles when they are rock climbing at Wissahickon Valley Park. Farrah impulsively wishes that her fate would be rewritten and she would be a part of her father's world. A ring he has given her glows oddly, and before she knows it, her father is changing into a jinn with blue skin and disappears. Of course, no one believes her, and her mother and grandparents don't want to talk about it. There is some mention of leaving Philadelphia and living with an aunt in New York so that Farrah's father can't find her. Since some odd things have been happening to her, Farrah decides to run away to try to find her father. Instead, she is chased by creepy shadow jinn and helped by the mysterious Idris. He lets her know that she is part jinn, and offers to take her to the Qaf mountains to talk to the jinn kings who  might be able to help get her father back, since he is one of them. The two magically fly there, but their meeting with the kings doesn't go smoothly. One hundred years ago, there was a rule made that any part human jinn would be banished, and since Farrah's father is the judge, the kings don't want to accept Farrah at all. She eventually meets with Yaseen, whose father is another of the kinds, and he tells them that in order to revoke her wish, she'll need to travel to the Realm Beneath the Unseen and meet with Azar, an ancient jinn who made the ring. It's not as easy place to get to, but Yaseen is willing to help... because he's Farrah's half brother. He attends a school of magic for royal children, and uses his knowledge to try to make an amulet of protection so that they can travel to the realm beneath. Nothing goes right, and the trio ends up traveling back to Philadelphia to try to get help from Farrah's mother. Instead, they run into Farrah's best friend Arzu, who joins their quest. This takes them into the countryside near Lancaster, has them travel on a train, and sends them back into the magical world. There are secrets from Idris' past that come to light, and Farrah and Yaseen both struggle with their identities as well. Will they be able to free Farrah's father from the ring before figuring out how to deal with their jinn identities? 

Strengths: There are very few books that have characters that are Afghan American, and this is the first fantasy I have read that seems to involve Persian jinn. Farrah's parentage is interesting, and her desire to be closer to her father will resonate with many readers. Idris and Yaseen are interesting characters who bring an extra element of tension to the travels, and all of the complicated relationships and secrets will keep readers turning the pages. There's plenty of fun magical traveling, and an evil nemesis in Azar. This is the first book in a series. 
Weaknesses: Having the trio travel back to Philadelphia didn't seem to have much purpose other than to add Arzu to the group, and just made the quest more complicated. Perhaps Arzu could have run away with Farrah from the beginning. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough magical adventures, like Steadman's Skandar and the Unicorn, or culturally connected fantasy quests like Brown's Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting or Villanueva Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors. 

MMGM- Grow Up, Luchy Zapata

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Unleashing Readers

Alessandri, Alexa. Grow Up, Luchy Zapata.

July 23, 2024 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luchy is very excited for the first day of sixth grade. She hasn't seen her best friend, Cami, all summer, because Cami has been visiting family in Colombia. The two not only share Colombian, heritage, but their families both come from the same area. Luchy's father came to the country when he was very small, however, and her mother was born in the US, so Luchy's Spanish is not very good. When she catches up with Cami before school, she's a little worried; Cami is suddenly concerned about what is "cool" to wear, and interested in boys. Luchy would rather wear her leggings and unicorn t shirt, and is NOT happy with the make up kit that Cami gives her for a birthday present. Cami has also taken to hanging out with another girl who is often mean to Luchy. The three try out for the school soccer team, and when Luchy can't find her cleats, she's afraid she won't get a spot. When she overheads Cami and Melissa talking about hiding her cleats, the war is on. Soon, Luchy is taking Cami's homework, and Cami takes her art portfolio with her entire biography project in it. Mateo, who is friends with both of them, doesn't want to take sides, but is more in Luchy's corner; the two play soccer, and Luchy is discomforted to feel that maybe Mateo is cute. Creating a scrapbook of happy memories for Cami doesn't help win her friend back, and Luchy isn't sure what to do, so she escalates the pranks that she plays on her former best friend. This doesn't work well for anyone. Will Luchy be able to come to some understanding of what Cami is going through so that the two can work together to save their friendship instead of tearing each other apart. 

Strengths: This had a good mix of family events and school activities, and it made the stakes a little higher that Luchy and Cami's families knew each other. Cami's parents are in the middle of divorcing, which certainly gives some insight into why she isn't willing to put up with Luchy's refusal to change a little. Mateo is a steadfast friend who also manages to keep Cami fairly happy. There are plenty of good details about Colombian culture (this is set in Miami), and some Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed that Luchy was involved in both soccer and in art. 
Weaknesses: Why is it always the tween who doesn't want to grow up that is the "good guy"? Until the sabotage started, Cami wasn't all that mean. Luchy was just so absolute in her feeling that Cami was in the wrong. Cami was just observing people around her and trying to keep up, and trying to help Luchy as well. This is a much better plan in order to be successful around other people.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Walker's Let's Pretend We Never Met, Rellihan's Not the Worst Friend in the World, or Lowe's The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman. 

Blather:

Note to parents of 6th grade girls: You are not doing them any favors letting them wear cat ears and pink leggings to 6th grade. My daughters and I researched what the most nondescript clothes were to wear to middle school. Jeans and t shirts with minimal messages are always a good bet, but each school is different. No reason to paint a target on oneself. Fitting in is a skill that EVERYONE needs to learn.  I don't necessarily like wearing jeans to school, but it's what other teachers do. I wear mine with my jackets as a compromise, but if I always wear dresses or pleated skirts, they might think I'm stuck up or strange. Nothing wrong with some camoflage, Luchy! 

The Misunderstandings of Charity Brown

Laird, Elizabeth. The Misunderstandings of Charity Brown

July 7, 2022 by Macmillan Children's Books 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1955, Charity Brown has a difficult life. While she has a supportive mother and father, who are both heavily invested in the Lucasite religious movement and work as missionaries who rely on donations to fund their work and family, she has recently had a bout with polio that has kept her out of school for months and left her with lingering weaknesses in an arm and leg. Her two sisters, Hope and Faith, and brother, Ted, are much older, and busy with their own lives. When the family has a windfall, they are shocked to find that a church member has left his house and furnishings to them. Such a large house is hard to fund, but the parents also have some money from Mr. Brown's family that he hasn't touched because it was acquired through a distillery business, something upon which their strict religion frowns. The family moves, hoping to use the extra space for people in need. Charity, who has struggled in school with other students making fun of her "holy" ways, is hoping to make friends with a new neighbor girl, Rachel. Rachel's parents lived through the Holocaust, and don't trust many people, so are leery of the Browns. Charity, who very much wants to be devout, decides to be baptized, and struggles with her faith journey, since the way her parents live is not in sync with the families around them. She is tutored in French by Rachel's mother, and eventually makes peace with a girl at school who bullies her. And afterword explains that this is very much based on Ms. Laird's childhood, although the Lucasites are fictional. 

Strengths: How gorgeous is that cover? Like Kessler's Code Name Kingfisher, it's done in the style seen on the introductions to BBC shows like The Durrels in Corfu or All Creatures Great and Small. Charity's dress, socks and shoes, and braids are perfect! This reminded me so strongly of books like Sharp's Cluny Brown or Enright's The Saturdays, so Laird's grasp of Mid Century literature is very strong. This is a quiet but interesting story of one girl's difficulties growing up under somewhat unusual circumstances. Sadly, none of Laird's many novels seem to have made their way to the US. I'd love to take a look at Song of the Dolphin Boy. 
Weaknesses: This might be a hard sell for my students, given the particularly English setting (which I adored). I'd love to see something set in the US in 1955, with a young girl moving to a new suburb. I will keep this in mind if I have an increased number of readers wanting historical fiction or books set in England. 
What I really think: I enjoyed this tremendously, and it covers a period of time that has not gotten much attention. The aftermath of polio is also somewhat unusual; my mother had polio as a child, but thankfully only had a heart murmur because of it. This is a good choice for readers who need more post WWII books like Van Draanen's The Peach Rebellion or Frazier's Mighty Inside (also set in 1955), or Lasky's 2010 Chasing Orion (which also deals with polio). 

Cartoon Saturday-- Wagnificent

Murguia, Bethanie. Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage

July 23, 2024 by Roaring Brook Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Thunder, an exuberant young dog, knows that Sage is her pack. There's plenty of food, "treasures" (toys), and love in their household, and Thunder is usually obedient, since she loves to hang out with Sage. When Sage puts her in a wizard's robe and then gets distracted by making a phone call to get another "magical" robe which will be useful in hunting magical creatures like unicorns, Thunder is uncomfortable. Her inner wolf, in the guise of a gray wolf who talks to her, convinces her that she should embrace her innate wildness and rip the robe up. Sage is heartbroken, and Thunder feels bad. This "inner wolf" shows Thunder how to do any number of things that humans tend not to like; barking, chasing squirrels, and digging past a fence to run in the wild. While Sage is irritated by Thunder's behavior, when the dog is missing, Sage takes off into a nearby woods to look for her. Real wolves corner Sage, and of course Thunder comes to the rescue. Thunder learns that it's important to quiet her inner wolf to exist with her pack, and Sage realizes "you're my magical creature". 

Strengths: There are not that many realistic graphic novels that cover dogs, and Thunder was a great character. I enjoyed the information at the end about how dogs coevolved with humans, and the fact that the work of the great canine scientist Alexandra Horowitz is cited. Young dogs need a lot of training, and this could help children understand why they need to connect with their dogs, take them on walks, and introduce them to the rules of the pack. The use of Thunder's "inner wolf" is clever, and seeing the wolf talking to Thunder is amusing, but also makes the reasons for Thunder's behavior very clear. 
Weaknesses: This will be most successful for elementary school readers; Sage's interest in the magical robe and finding magical creatures will not resonate with 6th graders, who no longer believe as much in that sort of magic. This would be great in second or third grade, and for older elementary students who still like to role play Hunter's Warriors storylines. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for younger readers who enjoyed Lai's Pawcasso or 

Fairbairn and Assarasakorn's Paws books, or Ball's Clifford the Big Red Dog: The Movie (Graphic Novel)

Once Upon a Fever

Walker, Angharad. Once Upon a Fever
June 4, 2024 by Chicken House
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Payton, who is 13, and her younger sister, Ani, 11, live with their father in King Jude's Hospital near Lundain. Their mother is ill with water fever, caused by her grief over the death of an infant son. She is in a sort of coma, and Payton desperately wants to cure her, since she feels her father's research isn't effective. The hospital is filled with methics, who are devoted to curing disease. Ever since The Turn, disease is thought to be caused by emotion and feelings. Payton is trying to get into a closed lab to get a medicine she thinks will cure her mother. Ani also explores the hospital, and runs into Kitt, who is suffering from "Midas fingers"; gold fingers caused by greed. She burns her hand on the door, and refuses to take her medicine, which is meant to keep her anger in check. She develops "spark breath" which makes her a danger, since she can set things on fire. When her blood is analyzed by visiting Methic Jenipher Blake from Queen Cleo's Hospital, the anger levels are dangerously high, and her father says he will send her to Queen Cleo's to be cured. Ani doesn't like this, and is determined to run away. Payton tries to stop her, but the two end up in an ambulans (sic) on their way into Lundain. The girls are separated. Ani runs into children who live in an office of a financier and tend the plants, as well as Estin, a "wilder" who introduces her to Heinrich and Tally. They live in Hyde Garden amongst the plants, and tell Ani it is okay to feel, she just needs to learn how to manage her feelings. Payton ends up with Methic Blake, and turns out to be a human gwaidmesur, who can read other's blood without machines. This could make her the most powerful Methic of her time, but she soon realizes that Blake is running evil experiments on people in the Observatory. Ani enjoys being with the Wilders, and her emotions are kept in check by exposure to nature. When Payton has the realization that her mother's disease could be cured by Ani's blood, the two return to confront their father but learn that the cure might not be as easy as it seems.
Strengths: This had a very strong dystopian feel to it, even though it also felt like a medical drama. Ani and Payton are interesting characters, and I love that they don't mind living in the hospital, even though it has narrowed their view of their world. When they get to Lundain, they are able to survive, and solve a mystery that the adults in their world didn't even know existed. Methic Blake is rather evil, and it's somewhat surprising that everyone goes along with her. The range of diseases that are portrayed are rather fascinating, but I suspect that some young readers might WANT to have an incendiary disease so they could breath fire and set things aflame! Definitely an unusual and innovative book.
Weaknesses: I felt like I needed some more back story. What is The Turn? When and how did diseases start being caused by feelings? This is set in an alternate London, and I felt like I was missing a lot of references. (Although I got "Prydein", thanks to Lloyd Alexander!)
What I really think: This has the same odd, quirky feel of this author's The Ash House  and would be a good choice for readers who want a book that leaves them guessing, like Ocker's The Black Slide, or allegorical tales like Malinenko's This Appearing House.

The Creepening of Dogwood House

Royce, Eden. The Creepening of Dogwood House
July 30, 2024 by Walden Pond Press

E ARC provided by Netgalley

 Roderick and his mother, Layla, a bank accoutns manager, had a comfortable life and were very close until her untimely death in a car accident. Unable to locate any relatives, the authorities put him in an orphanage, where he is at least taken good care of by Ms. Penny, who understands the depths of his grief and lets him help her in the kitchen. When his Aunt Angela is finally found, she rushes home from her extended honeymoon with her new husband, Erik. Both are involved with refurbishing old properties, so it's not a big surprise when they tell Roddie that they will be moving into Layla and Angela's childhood home in South Carolina, not far from where Roddie had been living. The house has been rented since the death of the grandparents, and is in rough condition. It's liveable, but there's a lot of work to be done. Roddie is clearly struggling, but his aunt and new uncle strike a good balance with being glad to be with him, and being sad about the reasons for this. Dogwood House, so called because of the dogwood trees that used to be growing nearby, was built by Roddie's great-great-great grandfather, and there are some surprises that show up in the renovation, like the grandmother's porcelain jewelry box. There's a persistent, fetid smell, but this is dismissed as part and parcel of the damp climate and the poor condition of the house. Roddie throws himself in to renovating, even stripping the wallpaper from his room. There are creepy things in the house which are not made less creepy by Angela's attempts to embrace the family's hoodoo past. She gives Roddie a bowl to use to burn any hair that comes out in his comb, saying that there was a belief that spirits could control you if they have some of your hair. Roddie's hair has been neglected since his mother's death, since she would braid it for him. Layla always had a very short hair cut, and Angela has locs, so Roddie tries to condition and style his hair by himself, although Angela does offer to help. When Roddie starts getting headaches, he starts to worry that the family lore about the Bridgeweaver, an evil spirit who is taking people's hair and using it for malevolent purposes, might be real. Will he be able to harness his mother's spirit of "keep pushing through the darkness" to save his new home and family from destruction?

Strengths: If I were a tween who had read a lot of books, I would be utterly terrified of moving. New homes are ALWAYS haunted, from Wright's 1984 Ghosts Beneath Our Feet to Sutherland's The Nightmare Night Door and several K.R. Alexander titles. This had a bit of a spin to it, with the hoodoo surrounding the hair, and the family backstory about previous hauntings that caused the house to be abandoned to renters. Angela and Erik are fantastic relatives who step up to take care of Roddie and are so sensitive to his needs. The build up to the Bridgeweaver is well done; it took me a while to figure out why there were so many details about hair, but it all paid off. Roddie's grief is realistically portrayed, and I did appreciate that he had been in counseling. This is on trend with the idea that you can't get rid of bad memories without getting rid of good ones as well. 
Weaknesses: I wish that the mother hadn't been killed, but it does at least forward the plot. It seems more likely that Roddie would have gone into foster care, but maybe there are still orphanages in the South. The hair in the wallpaper grossed me out, but that's more of a more of a "me" thing that should play well with students. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Royce's Conjure Island or Root Magic, or other books involving Southern US creepy folklore like Smith's Hoodoo or Bourne's Nightmare Island. This was creepy enough that I will buy a copy. 

I read this in March; I've read 43 books so far and am only buying two of them. Don't know what's going on in middle grade right now, but hoping for more appealing titles soon!

Crushed

Conklin, Melanie. Crushed
July 16, 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sophie Valentine lives in New York City, where her father and grandmother run a book store and her mother is a doctor. She and her best friend, Eve, attend MS477, a magnet school, but Eve has been absent since Thanksgiving without much of an explanation, only that she may have tried to hurt herself. Coming back after winter break is difficult, especially when Eve doesn't meet her at their usual spot. Eve has spent a lot of time with the "Crash Crew", a group of students who do ill advised YouTube challenges, and Sophie suspects that this, along with her crush on the obnoxious Chaz, had something to do with her absence. When Sophie has a panic attack in the hallway, one of the Crew posts it to social media, and she is mortified. She's had panic attacks before, but doesn't want to tell anyone. Away from school, there is some stress as the bookstore needs some renovations that are hard to afford on the heels of the pandemic. One of the fire code violations that needs to be addressed is changing the "wall of love" where people can leave notes; it's because of this wall that Sophie's grandparents met, so her grandmother is very protective of it. When Sophie sees Eve participating in other challenges, like climbing milk cartons behind a store, she alerts the school when Eve gets hurt, and Eve is furious. This further strains their relationship, although Sophie does find an ally in Stewart, a girl in her gym class who used to be part of the Crew but now thinks they are jerks. She is very helpful to Sophie when she has a panic attack. Sophie's class is doing a mock murder investigation, and Sophie starts using the techniques from class to try to figure out what is going on with Eve. There turns out to be a lot, and when a lot of harassment is uncovered, Eve finally has to go to her mother and grandmother for advice. Will she and some of the other girls who are tired of the boorish behavior of Chaz and the Crew be able to change the school culture?

Strengths: Conklin has a trigger warning for harassment and self harm at the beginning, which is helpful. Like Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You, this is an interesting look at how middle school students try to deal with their own problems, and are often unable to do so without some help. Sophie's panic attacks, which started during the pandemic, are realistically portrayed, and are something that we see more and more in schools. The fact that Eve and Sophie's individual problems are causing rifts in their friendship is true to life, but it was good to see Sophie make a new friend in Stewart. The bookstore was delightful, and Gram was a well developed character. She was a good mix of not wanting to change (she takes years to clean out the closet of her deceased husband) and being able to help Sophie navigate current issues. The mother is also a good character, and I love the matter of fact way she deals with Sophie's problems. Young readers will relate to the Crash Crew, and hopefully be appalled at the amount of damages caused by YouTube stunts in the school. Only time will tell whether or not these stunts will ever seem dated. 
Weaknesses: I'm surprised that the girls didn't call out the harassment right away. My mother, born in 1934, taught me to never put up with anything from anyone. There was a lot of casual, daily sexual harassment, complete with inappropriate jokes in the 1970s: just watch the television show from 1978, On Our Own, to see this is action. I passed this on to my own daughters. Since today's mothers were raised when there was less of this, do today's girls not get this lesson delivered as often as it once was? Or is it the effects of social media that are making this (and everything) worse?

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed New York City based problem novels like Mackler's Not If I Can Help It  or Stead's Goodbye, Stranger. 

Fantasy Round Up

Back in 2016, a Very Famous Author took exception to my comment that my students weren't reading a lot of historical fiction and reached out to the board of the Cybils Awards to try to have me removed as the organizer of the realistic fiction division. Of course, at the time, I apologized profusely, amended my post, and made nice with this author so I could keep my position and not get scorched on social media. 

Today, I think I would say, very nicely, "Bite me".

I'm usually VERY polite with my reviews. I could be snarky... oh, boy, could I be snarky. But that's not nice. I blog so that other librarians and teachers know a little bit about the books. Books that aren't right for my students might be perfect for their students. If you read the blog frequently, you know the tells when I'm not buying a book, but they aren't anything an author could quote on social media as something mean I have said. 

Since 2016, I have not reviewed or bought any of this author's books, although I've read a few. They were never all that popular with my students, so I feel good about this choice. But... the nerve. Does it help anyone if I don't report what actual middle grade readers are reading? I didn't say "This book sucks. Nobody reads historical fiction. Why is it even published?" No. I said that MY students weren't reading a lot of it, so if I purchased it, it wouldn't be a good use of my limited budget. 

So, when I say that my students are  not reading a lot of the fabulous culturally connected books that are being published, this doesn't mean that NO ONE should buy them. It just means that I may not. I do buy SOME fantasy ever year, and to make sure that I get the books that will appeal most to my students who do read fantasy, I try to at least look at most of the books. That's my job.

There will probably be more fantasy round ups in the future, and I hope they help people who do need to buy more fantasy books than I need to. 

Khan, M. T. Amir and the Jinn Princess
July 23, 2024 by Little Brown Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Amir Rafiq is a possible heir to his Baba's (father) brick making fortune in Lahore, Pakistan... if his father doesn't favor his older brother Ashar or sister Alishba. It's possible he might, because Amir is rather entitled and spoiled, and has been getting in trouble in school and not doing well in classes ever since the disappearance of his mother nearly a year ago. He takes some comfort in his father's mother, Dadi (who never liked his mother), although he is rarely allowed to spend time with his mother's mother, Nani. When Dadi arranges a marriage for Baba, Amir is understandably upset. He also isn't thrilled with the fact that he has to spend the summer out at the family farm. When local residents protest the expansion of the brick factory, which is going to demolish a lot of a forest, Amir is interest but appalled to find out that factory workers have been going missing in a fashion very similar to his mother. He's brought home a cat that followed him on his way from school, and is very surprised to find that it isn't, in fact, a cat. It's Shamsa, a jinn who is glad that Amir gave her sweets, and wants to help him prove that his destiny isn't set in stone. Before he knows it, the two are sneaking past the family guards, getting on the jinn train, and traveling to the Kagra Kingdom. Once there, Shamsa has another surprise; she is actually the 14th jinn princess, and is entering a competition to hopefully become heir to the throne. This will involve contests in physicality, artistry, and diplomacy, but if Amir helps her with the contest, she will help him find his mother. Since she's not in the human world, it seems likely that she has slipped through a portal and is stuck in the jinn world. Amir is a big help in the competitions, but when he is looking for his mother, he finds out some alarming truths about the Rafiq brick company. Not only are workers treated horribly, but the role that the company (as well as Shamsa's main competitor, her sister Golnaz) is not something that Amir can support. Can the two work together to insure a better future for both worlds? And will Amir be able to find out what has become of his mother?
Strengths: Khan constructs excellent fantasies that are easy to remember and involve some novel elements, which is very rare in middle grade fantasy. Instead of a quest, we have a competition to be a jinn heir, with different competitions that aren't related to a magical school. Amir and Shamsa's relationship is interesting, and while they do help each other out, there's also some obfuscation that causes tension. The tie between the human business of Rafiq's bricks and the jinn world is very interesting, and the inclusion of the treatment of workers was fascinating. Amir, who is not the most pleasant character at the beginning of the book, does have his eyes opened to the way other people have to live, and the challenges that they face, and this makes him a better person.
Weaknesses: It was not necessary to kill off Amir's mother to involve him in the jinn world. I'm may buy this book, since I enjoyed it, but I'm just not sure I have the readers for it. There are so many fantasy books, and I have hundreds and hundreds gathering dust on my shelves. Khan at least writes stand alones instead of series, which does make this one a good one to purchase.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed this author's Nura and the Immortal Palace, or other fantasy adventures that address environmental and social issues, like Smith's Where the Black Flowers Bloom, Ryan's Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs, or Young's The Healer of the Water Monster.

Elle, J. A Whisper of Curses (Park Row Magic Academy #2)
July 9, 2024 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This is a worthy sequel to the first book, A Taste of Magic, which has circulated well in my  library with students who like to read about magical schools. The Park Row Magick Academy is deep in renovations that were funded by Kyana's winning baking competition, but things go wrong with the Availables, and Kyana manifests some odd symptoms. Will Dr. Minzy, of Minzy Industrial have the answer to the odd occurrneces? I can see one more book in the series to address how everyone settles back into the school when renovations are completed. 

Okogwu,Tọlá. Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn (Onyeka  #3)

May 14, 2024 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Onyeka and four other students from the Academy of the Sun are on their way to London in the supersonic jet Gyrfalcon to retrieve a boy who is a Solari. Tobi's parents are dead, and he's with foster parents in Bristol, but when Onyeka, Adanna, Hassan, Zahrah, and Niyi arrive, they have to hunt him down, since people have broken into the house and attacked the adults. They get him back to Nigeria, where he enjoys being with Onyeka and her family. Onyeka's father is a bit demanding, and when he wants her to take more responsibility, she fights back, but eventually takes the test to become an Olori. When Nigeria's solar technology is failing, she is called in to help, but wants to quit after she messes up. It also upsets her that Tobi will be leaving her family to go into foster care elsewhere. When she finds out that Laamu-Ezeoba has evil plans for Tobi, she has to look within herself to harness her powers rather than giving in to her self-doubt. 

This could be the end to the series, but there also could be another book. Trilogies are perfect, so I'm okay if Okogwu moves on to writing different series. My students don't usually want to commit to more than three books; it takes an entire quarter for them to read a trilogy, and if readers start a series in 6th grade as it's being published, they may age out of a longer series before it is completed. 

MMGM- Mind Over Monsters

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Uhrig, Betsy. Mind Over Monsters

July 16, 2024 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lena is anxious enough that the school decides to let her get out of homeroom to participate in a pilot meditation program, since the school has paid for an app (called De-Stress-O-Rama) invented by a former student. Lena sort of hopes her parents will say no, but when her older brother Spike chimes in that it would be a good idea to help her manage stress, Lena finds herself hanging out with counselour "Call Me Barb" and six other students who all have their own quirks. Since Lena is having a hard time with her best friend, Gina (who now wants to go by "Regina" and has "turned pretty"), getting out of homeroom doesn't seem like the worst idea. Lena starts noticing that after the meditations, sometime there are residual objects left on the yoga mats; bits of glass, feathers, etc. These all seem odd and cold, and Lena keeps a small collection of them. The app seems to be helping her anxiety, and providing her with some coping mechanisms. When the group encounters a "blob" in the gym that seems to grow on the ceiling then flings itself to the floor before fleeing when one of the younger members chases it, they think they are having a group hallucination, but are pleased at how they all handled it. The app is rolled out to the whole school, and even Regina and her crush Jared talk about it. It's too expensive for the school to pay for the third step, but the kids in Lena's group like it so much they think about asking for it as a gift, even though they've identified subliminal messages in the sounds that tell people that the app is helping and that they need to continue. There are some good moments in Lena's life, like getting to know Kenni, who understands her anxiety, and finding out that her mother's own history with anxiety is why she is so hard on Lena. Will Lena and the "Worriers" be able to overcome their fears and the interdimensional blobs threatening Cranberry Bog Middle School? Who knew lacrosse sticks could be so helpful?

Strengths: This is on trend with the current ideas about anxiety among tweens, and the whole idea of a mediation app is not at all far fetched; my school had "advisory" last year, and there have been a lot of lessons on breathing and managing stress. I liked that even though she was anxious, Lena was involved in Climate Change Club and ceramic lessons at the art museum, and had a very supportive family, although she doesn't appreciate her mother's "crackpot" solutions to her worries. The group of diverse students come together to work against obstacles, and have some real affection for each other. The problems that Lena has with Regina as she grows further from her friend will resonate with many young readers. The monsters being associated with an app about controlling one's fears is definitely fresh and innovative! Uhrig writes with a lot of humor, which will keep readers turning the pages. 
Weaknesses: Even though the students are in middle school, this might appeal more to elementary students. Monsters are tricky in middle school, and this cover is on the young side, with the Margaret Keane style eyes.  My middle school students who want monster fighting books prefer them to be grosser and more violent, like Killick's sick and squelchy Dread Detention. 
What I really think: The  monsters will draw in readers who enjoyed Wishingrad's Between Monsters and Marvels, Sparrow's Little Apocalypse,  or Ballarini's A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, but this is essentially a book about anxiety along the lines of Machias' Flight + Fight, Khan's Drawing Deena, and Dilloway's Five Thing About Ava Andrews.