MMGM- The Playmakers and Lady of the Lines

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Unleashing Readers

Morris, Chad and Brown, Shelly. The Playmakers 

Publication April 1, 2025 by Shadow Mountain

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Extracurriculars are booming at Hopson Middle School! Jax and Nic, longtime friends, hope to make the basketball team, even though Jax is the second shortest kid in their grade. Once the make the middle school team, they plan to be at the odds and go on to college and professional careers. Meanwhile, Luke hopes to get cast in the play along with his friends. Miley is having trouble making friends at school, so needs to find a group to join before her parents have her homeschooled along with her annoying cousin. Sadly, Luke is the only one of his friends who doesn't get cast, and Jax and Nic don't make the team. Jax even approaches the coach and makes his case; both boys need a break, since their single moms can't afford the fancy camps the other kids attend, and since Nic's father is prison, it would be a welcome bit of luck for him. The coach says that the boys just aren't good enough for the team, but agrees that if Jax can set up his own team and beat the Hawks in a scrimmage, both boys will be put on the varsity team next year. Luke is shown an opportunity for a theatrical competition by Mr. Juma, but needs a couple of others to work with him. Luke is tall, and when Jax is putting together a team, the two reluctantly join forces. Jax also recruits the other boys who almost made the team, along with Martina and Charlotte. Miley becomes their statistician and helps them identify ways to win. Mr. Juma even gets involved, serving as their "coach" while he grades papers in the bleachers when the group practices at 6 a.m. It's not easy to put together a team and figure out strategies on their own, and Jax even doubts his own abilities at some point. Aside from just keeping the kids busy, will these forays into independent projects in their chosen fields allow them to actually make progress towards their goals of turning their interests into careers? 
Strengths: A large number of middle school boys really believe that they can grow up to play professional basketball, so this will have an immediate draw! There aren't quite as many who want to pursue theater, but the two activities got tied together in a very clever way. I enjoyed the fact that the boys didn't just give up when they didn't get to work on their skills in a school setting. This is a great message, since there are plenty of kids who don't make sports teams or get cast in school productions. This was from multiple points of view, and Miley's chapters included some illustrations and had lettered text that discussed her challenges in making friends and her discussions with her therapist. I also really liked how both Martina and Charlotte were welcomed onto the team without comment, and how they were able to stand up to the Hawks when they trash talked them. As I tell the boys' cross country team just about every year: if you want to win the district championship, you need to run like girls! This moved quickly, and the cover will appeal to basketball fans. 
Weaknesses: The story would have progressed more smoothly with a third person omniscient narrator; I know authors love to write from different perspectives, but it does make the story jump around. Also, 6th graders in Ohio can't be on sports teams with older students, and I doubt that the coach would be able to put Jax and Nic on the varsity team because they won a bet with him. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like to combine sports topics with the performing arts and enjoyed Friday Nigth Stage Lights or  Mided's Club Kick Out. Brown and Morris are also the authors of Squint.

MacColl, Michaela and Chavarri, Elisa (illustrator)
Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert
April 8, 2025 by Astra Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

I love reading books that introduce me to things I've never heard of, and Maria Reiche's involvement with saving the Nazca Lines artwork in the Peruvian desert was completely new to me. German born Reiche took a job as a nanny in Peru, and became so invested in this ancient artwork that she spent the rest of her life working on saving it. These massive drawings, Etched into the desert floor, where preserved because of the dry climate and lack of traffic in the area, but centuries of dirt and dust had dimmed their beauty. Reiche set out with actual brooms to sweep away the dirt and reveal the drawings. Working in the 1940s meant that she labored until harsh conditions, living in tents with few amenities and subsisting on a meager diet. While she was successful in uncovering the art, the work took a toll on her health. In addition to preserving the art, she worked hard to have the work protected by the government, so that it would be safe from development as well as uncaring tourists. She wrote books about the art, and managed to call attention to it so that the area was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994. The book includes notes on Reiche's life and work, a timeline, and a bibliography.

The illustrations for a good job of capturing a sense of place and time; one especially appealing spread shows Reiche, in a dress and kerchief, loading brooms onto the top of a Volkswagen Beatle, opposite a picture of her alone in the middle of the vast desert, sweeping the dirt away from the lines while wearing padded flip flops. There is a lot of yellow and bright blue, giving a sense of heat and brightness that brings the desert environment alive.

While this isn't too long for a read aloud, there is plenty of information to get young readers started on a research project into this interesting champion of a archaeological and artistic phenomenon that will be new to many readers in the US.

Reiche's story combines art, archaeology, and activism, and is right at home with books like Rogers and Innerst's Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, Novesky and Lee's Mary Blair's Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends, Whitehead and Evans' Art From Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter, Brown and Sicuro's Dancing Through Fields of Color (Helen Frankenthaler), and also Skeers and Miguens' Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist.

Noura's Crescent Moon

Khan, Zainab and Adani, Nabila (Illustrator). Noura's Crescent Moon
April 16, 2024 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Noura has just spent her first Ramadan fasting, and is very exciting to celebrate Eid. Will she be able to see the moon? Her parents are making preparations in case the celebrations can begin; frying pakoras for the evening's iftar, and preparing noodles in milk for the Eid breakfast. Noura's mother has even made her a special dress for the celebration. They set out with a basket to a hill to see if they can see the moon. Noura's mother brings her henna cones, and a present for Noura for completing her first fast. Both parents reassure her that not everyone sees the moon, but Noura thinks it would be a perfect way to remember her first time fasting for the holiday. Luckily, a slice of moon peeks through, and the family starts celebrating.

While I have talked to many of my students about their family celebrations for Ramadan and Eid, I did not know that the date of celebration depends on seeing the moon! It makes sense, since the days change from year to year depending on the lunar cycle. This would be a difficult concept for young children to grasp, especially since so many Western holidays fall on very specific dates, like Christmas, or the same days within a reliable time frame, like Easter or Memorial Day. This is a great explanation for children celebrating, and also for those unfamiliar with the holiday.

Noura's excitement comes through the pages in the exuberant illustrations. She helps out with the preparations, making a special milky drink, and greets family and friends. The back of the book has very helpful explanations about various terms that are used throughout the book. This would be a great read aloud to an early elementary class where some of the students are celebrating.

Whether you are looking for a book to explain the holiday, or a present for someone celebrating it, Noura's Crescent Moon is a good choice, along with other celebratory titles like The Best Eid Ever by Mobin-Uddin, Looking for the Eid Moon by Abaza, The Most Exciting Eid by Talkhani, Our Favorite Day of the Year by Ali, and The Night Before Eid: A Muslim Family Story Khalil.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Ghost Town

Colossal, Eric. Ghost Town: A Graphic Novel
March 25, 2025 by Abrams Fanfare

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lily's parents both work for the electrical company in the slowly decaying town of Crater, New York. They are tired of working long hours trying to keep the power going despite ongoing "phantom drains" that they have decided to move away in order to find better jobs so they can spend more time with their daughter. Lily had a scholarship to Brightwick Academy, but this is in jeopardy after she gets a D in science. Instead of being able to spend her last summer in her beloved hometown hanging out with her friends Alex, Troy, Enid, Lyle, Kyle, and her crush, Jon, Lily has to spend her mornings at the public library, volunteering, in order to keep her place. She is so angry with her parents about the move that she even sneaks out so she can bike around town with her friends at night. After one of their balls goes into the derelict Blackwood Manor, the kids have to go in to retrieve it and find strange things. The group figures out that the odd apparatus is a ghost catcher, powered by phantasmanite, and proceed to try to catch ghosts, which may be causing the power problems. The kids can "swallow" the ghosts, and see their former lives; one of the ghosts, Mrs. Cutler, was the owner of the mean dog they pass on the way to school. Lily and her friends know that ghosts often linger when they have unfinished business, and the biggest clue to the matter they have are the Blackwoods themselves. They rely on the library for finding out information about the family.  The parents, Hemlock and Belladonna, and their two children, Oleander and his brother (whose name I forget; my e reader has been dying regularly, so I can't look it up right now) were instrumental in building the town, including a lighthouse, aquarium, greenhouse, and impressive clock tower. As Lily and the others make inroads in capturing the ghosts in glass bottles with the phantasmanite, the power seems to come back online. The lighthouse hasn't worked for years, but when they remove the phantasmanite, it once again shines brightly. It takes a while to figure out what has kept the town so immune to change for so many years, but once Lily and her friends figure this out, they are able to improve matters for both Crater and the ghosts, although Lily's family still moves away. 

Strengths: Middle school students don't like change any more than most people, so Lily's reaction to having to Crater and go to a fancy new school is completely realistic. There's enough town history to keep things interesting, and I loved that the group went to the library and got help with the microfiche to read old newspaper articles. Even though swallowing the ghosts was a bit odd, it was helpful that the kids could see a glimpse into the ghosts' lives on earth. Parents are kept out of the way, so that the kids can bike all over town and get into the abandoned buildings in order to deal with the ghosts. There are some good group dynamics, and some expected drama. There aren't as many mystery or action graphic novels as there are introspective memoirs, so this was a nice change. 
Weaknesses: The children's reactions are all a bit overwrought, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I wish there had been just Alex, Jon, and Lily; this would have allowed there to be more exploration of Lily's crush on Jon, and perhaps a little friend drama with Alex over the move.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Sedita, Seraydarian, and Hamaker's The Pathfinder's Society or TenNapel's Ghostopolis. 
 

Serge and Roscoe

Vlahos, Len. Serge and Roscoe. 

March 11, 2025 by HarperCollins

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Roscoe, a border collie, is in training to be a search and rescue dog, and while he is talented in both air scent and tracking, he only follows the rules when it suits him. For example, during a testing situation where he has to locate a baby in a burning house, he breaks several rules, like not going into bushes. He excuses these behaviors by quoting his idol, search and rescue dog Big Wayne. When there is a big forest fire in Colorado, Roscoe finds himself on the way to the scene with Serge, who along with his trainer Andi, is due to retire in three days. Right after the group gets to their base camp, Roscoe once again breaks the rules, "talking" to a bear, who finds him some funny that he rolls on the ground laughing, giving the others in the group time to escape. Serge doesn't appreciate Roscoe's disregard of the rules, which , as he repeatedly says, are there to keep everyone safe. Roscoe wanders off and talks to a mountain lion cub, trying to help him, but this causes Serge to yell at him, and the two bicker. When another family is missing, Roscoe's smelling expertise locates them, but getting Courtney and her baby Jeannie to safety isn't an easy task, especially since Courtney's husband, Roger, also needs to be located. There is a leap off a cliff into a raging river, a close call with a waterfall, and even some help from the same mountain lion that Roscoe befriended. When Andi is missing, and the dogs find her badly injured, they must finally work together to get her to safety. Will Serge be able to show Roscoe that being impetuuous doesn't always end well? 
Strengths: What Roscoe lacks in adhering to rules, he makes up for in skill, which seems to take him pretty far. Serge, who is a bit weary and has spent a lot of time in search and rescue, is a good foil for this sort of daredevil young newcomer. The Colorado wild fire setting is all too realistic, and it's well portrayed, although things end perhaps a bit more happily than they do in real life. The illustrations are a good touch; I wish we would see far more occasional illustrations in middle grade literature. 
Weaknesses: I had a little trouble believing that Serge had to attend dog sensitivity training; Roscoe accuses him of being sizist, and this is brought up. Roscoe talking to the bear and mountain lion also gave me pause, but younger readers will just take for granted that this happens. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want an action packed outdoor adventure from the dog's point of view, like Cameron's Ripley: Fire Station Five, or Mason and Stephens' Rescue Dogs. 

Stier's A Dog's Day series.

Opening Day!

Barnes, Derrick and Tuya, Jez (illus.) 

Who Got Game?: Baseball: Amazing But True Stories

March 17, 2020 by Workman Publishing Company

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Sure, most young readers know about Babe Ruth, Ted Willams (who time travels in an inordinate amount of middle grade books), and Jackie Robinson. But did you know about Mordecai Brown, the who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 1900s even though he had severe mobility issues with his hand. I loved that the first chapter on "Pivotal Players" had several stories I didn't know, including stories like Steve Bartman's unfortunate 2003 incident with the Chicago Cubs or Japanese hitter Sadaharu Oh. 

The next chapter covers information about the spitball and Jackie Robinson, which have seen coverage in a number of books, as well as Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, but also a discussion of why Honus Wagner's baseball card is so expensive. For those who like statistics, there a chapter that includes information about records, high scoring games, and even salaries. While I don't understand baseball stats, I know this is something that big fans like to memorize. Ending with iconic comebacks is a great way to end the book, and there are some additional resources, a glossary, and a nice wrap up. 

While this is a lengthy book, coming in at 172 slightly larger pages, this will not deter readers who are interested in baseball. Instead, it gives plenty of room for the text to be spread out, and for the colorful illustrations. 

Readers who like sports often like to read about them, but they would much rather be warming up to pitch than struggling through any books that are dull and printed in tiny font. The Who Got Game series steps up to the plate and hits it out of the park with exciting descriptions, colorful pages, and a comfortable 18 point font. Put this in your line up for fans of David A. Kelly's Ballpark Mysteries, Tavares' Becoming Babe Ruth and Growing Up Pedro, or Sports Illustrated fantastic Baseball: Then to Wow. 
 

Connolly, Sean and Thomas, Chad (illus.)
The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science
November 29, 2016 by Workman Publishing Company
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ready to do some experiments? This sports science manual not only has lots of ideas, but starts with a great explanation of how to set up and do the experiments in the book, including great advice about equipment and safety warnings. Some of these are trials that can be done at the kitchen table (observing the path of a marble dropped into a bottle of water), but many require attaching cinder blocks to swings with wire! Depending on your comfort level, there are lots of things to try. 

The chapters are divided into different types of sports; ball and bat, goals and field goals, indoor, winter sports, outside, rackets and clubs, and aquatic sports, providing opportunities for all active readers to start with the sport dearest to their heart before branching out. I really did like how each experiment was set up in the same sort of way; this repetition makes it much easier to understand and follow the instructions. There is a fair amount of humor to the writing, which I enjoyed. 

The green and gray blue two color illustrations aren't as vibrant as some books, but also don't require the heavy paper and smelly ink that the more saturated hues take. Since this book will get carried around a lot, that seems like a good editorial choice. There are plenty of illustrations to show how to conduct investigations, and some historical photographs as well. 

Combining STEM topics with sports is a great way to get young readers to delve into math and science topics, but I haven't seen a lot of books that include this, other than  Ventura's Learning STEM from Baseball How Does a Curveball Curve? And Other Amazing Answers for Kids! or Adamson's Baseball: The Math of the Game, and those seem somehow more academic. This would make a great gift for a sports obsessed tween, but be prepared for all of the requests for string, balloons, wire cutters and "brave adults" that the supply line ups call for. 

The Girl and the Robot and Ellis Island

Rodriguez, Oz, and Ortega, Claribel A. The Girl and the Robot
March 25, 2025 by Disney Hyperion
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mimi Perez' Papi runs the E-Perez Repair shop, where he fixes small electronics for people in their Brooklyn Neighborhood. Mimi loves helping him, so when he is deported back to the Dominican Republic. She and her mother are forced to take a single room in Paco and Julia's apartment, and are still behind on their rent. In order to raise money for her father's legal fees, Mimi does repairs of her own, but she has distanced herself from her cousin and friends who form the Get Money Marketing Crew. After all, why have friends if they could suddenly be taken away? When Jada and friends Benny and Los realize that there is a robotics contest at school with a prize of $50,000, they approach Mimi to help them enter, and she is intrigued by the idea of that much money. However, strange things happen in their neighborhood. There's a huge flash of light at night, and something crashes through the roof of the E-Perez shop. After investigating, Mimi finds a robot, which she hides in her room, since federal agents, including the evil Agent Gallo, are looking for it. She manages to communicate with Dot-E, as she names the alien creature, and realizes that Dot-E's mother and father have also crashed somewhere in New York City after fleeing war on their planet. Mimi has to balance planning for the robotics competition with helping Dot-E find her parents. She finally has to loop in her friends as she ditches school to travel around to find Aa-Mee and Ee-Pa, all while trying to raise money for parts for the B-Kay Bot that the group is building. This robot will use laser technology and artificial intelligence to help people figure out what is wrong with equipment in order to repair it in a more cost efficient way than big businesses. Agent Gallo gets involved, and threatens to deport Mimi's mother unless she turns over Dot-E. Will Mimi be able to help both her own family and Dot-E's? 
Strengths: It's always good to see kids involved in robotics and STEM type projects. Having a vibrant neighborhood, and promoting this area with their B-Kay Robot, was interesting. I liked that they even though about the impact that the robot might have on a business like Mimi's father. The treatment of the Perez's situation is well done; the father doesn't want the mother to pursue his deportation case because she is lacking documents as well. At the end of the book, it is mentioned that she is working on her status, and will then work on the father's. Dot-E's situation mirrors Mimi's in easy to understand allergory.
Weaknesses: Mimi and her friends engage in some risky behaviors that I didn't like; they skip school without notifying the adults who care about them, and set off a smoke bomb in the school so they can get out unnoticed. This sets off the sprinklers, and one of them laughs. Since the sprinklers would probably have gone off in my library and ruined a lot of books, I didn't find this funny.
What I really think: This read a bit like Cartaya's Each Tiny Spark, but with alien robots, and is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Lerner's Enginerds, Slangerup's Molly and the Machine, or Winnick's HiLo series.

Feggo, Felipe Galindo and Howard, Tait (illustrator).
History Comics: Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream 

January 21, 2025 by First Second
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Like the other volumes in this series, Ellis Island incorporates a story to use as a framework for all of the history explanations; a boy and his mother, who works at the Ellis Island Museum, take refuge with upstairs neighbors during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The mother's family had immigrated from Ireland in the 1800s, and the neighbors both have ties to Mexico, so have a more modern view of immigration. There is tons of information about Ellis Island, including a complete history of ownership after the land was taken from the indigenous people, and also has a lot of details about what it was like for many immigrants who arrived by boat, mainly from Europe, from the late 1800s until 1954. At that point, more people were arriving by plane, so the island center wasn't needed, and was turned into a museum. There is a bit of information about the damage that Superstorm Sandy inflicted on the historical site as well. 

This is all engagingly done, and very interesting. I even looked up the passenger lists and found what is very likely my great grandfather, Jacob Yingling, who came to the US from Germany when he was a young man. There were lots of things I didn't know, like the existence of other ports (including Angel Island on the West Coast) all around the US, and details about why some people were sent back. This is a great series, and every book I've read (including The Prohibition Era, World War II, and  Hip-Hop: The Beat of America) has had so much information; the only problem is that my students don't pick these up quite as easily as fiction graphic novels. 

Extra Large

Page, Tyler. Extra Large

March 11, 2025 by First Second

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Copy also provided by the publisher

Returning to middle school is tough for Tyler, especially since his father is on a health kick where he doesn't want the family to eat as much sugar so that HE can lose 20-30 pounds. The father hints that the mother could also stand to lose weight, and Tyler and his brother aren't thrilled with the idea that there will be less ice cream and fewer treats. At school, however, Tyler starts to worry about his weight, especially since the boys have to change for gym, and his classmates all seem to be thinner and to know intuitively that tighty whities are out and boxerr shorts are in. Tyler sees a lot of the toxic masculinity bubbling over in every class; there's an unkempt boy who is constantly attacking others who eventually disappears, pranks at a sleepover that make a boy cry, and constant belittling of others because of their weight or appearances. He also notices that the other boys seem to be in better physical condition (he has trouble keeping up with all of the running on Halloween), and seems to think that this helps them be popular with girls. When his bus route is changed, he makes friends with two other students who don't seem to be as mean as his old friends. He even partners on the project with a girl, and finds that she is fun and easy to talk to. As his father loses weight, Tyler does start getting more exercise, but never tries to implement a program to change his body, even though it makes him uncomfortable. 

Strengths: I'm glad that Mr. Page has been able to take his very uncomforatble middle school experiences (see also Button Pusher, about his struggles with ADHD and some behavioral issues) and turn them into lightly philosophical graphic novels that encourage readers to examine their own relationships with their bodies. The father's behavior seems very typical at the time; I can still list all of the fad diets that my own father went on in the 1970s; the ketogenic diet, the thousand calorie diet, the cabbage soup diet, etc. I wish I could say that people were nicer to each other during this time period, but the depiction of students making fun of each other rings unfortunately true. My favorite part of this is the picture of Mr. Page's favorite shirt, which became too small, but then too large, as well as very worn out, but still hangs in his closet. I see that shirt and raise him a pair of denim overalls from 1981 that are still in MY closet! 
Weaknesses: By today's standards, Tyler would be quite normal, if not on the thin side. It's worth pointing out to students that this takes place in the early 1990s, because the behavior of most of Tyler's friends would absolutely not be acceptable today. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to see how people treated others in the twentieth century, as evidenced in books like Ogle's Pizza Face and Four Eyes, or Mercado's Chunky. 

Girl Who Couldn't Lie

Sanghani, Radhika. The Girl Who Couldn't Lie
4 February 2025 by Carolrhoda Books
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Priya Shah has a lot going on in her life, but she has to make sure that she doesn't let anyone know that there are a lot of things that are unpleasant, because her parents think that "not airing one's dirty laundry in public" is very important. Her parents fight so much that Priya doesn't get much sleep at night, so is often tired for gymnastic practice in the morning, and has even fallen asleep in Mrs. Lufthausen's math class! Her best friends Mei and Sami help her out when they can. When things get bad, Priya thinks about the one person who helped her, her recently deceased grandmother, Ba. Ba had given Priya a gold bracelet just before she died, but Priya has never worn it because it was broken. Her grandmother had told her that it was lovely when you can't tell people the truth. Upset and clutching the bracelet one night, Priya hears it click open and puts it on. The next morning, she tells her father that she doesn't much care for the eggs he cooks, and finds as the morning progresses that she tells the truth every time someone asks her a direct question! This becomes a big problem. She takes her lunch to eat in the bathroom because she's afraid of offending Mei and Sami, and is approached by the mean and popular Angela and Katie. WHen Katie, who has been shaking down Priya to do her homework for half the year, asks about the assignment, Priya tells her she doesn't want to do it, but will. At gymnastics, she tells Coach Olaf that she doesn't want to work with Dan Zhang because she has a crush on him. Coach Olaf makes her work with him anyway, and Dan is a little put off when Priya won't tell him why she doesn't want to work with him. She finally has to tell her best friends about her parents fighting, and they come clean with truths of their own, including Mei's news that she is a lesbian. It's hard to spend the entire day telling the truth, and Priya eventually comes clean to Dan about her feelings for him, and he reciprocates. It's a little more difficult for her friends to believe that her bracelet is magic, and this leads to some troubles. She also runs afoul of Mrs. Lufthausen, and ends up spending a week in detention... with Katie. The two bond over a number of things, and become friends. When Priya tells her coach that she's not that interested in gymnastics, he kicks her off the team ahead of a big competition. This will enable her to go to Sami's Bat Mitvah, which is a big deal, but when the team needs one more person, Priya finds herself drawn back in. Being honest with her parents leads to some interesting conversations, but she finds her little sister Pinkie to be a big help in navigating the difficult juggling of the competition and celebration. Will Priya be able to figure out how to get the bracelet off, or will she spend the rest of her life being bluntly honest?
Strengths: Middle school can be hard, but imagine how hard it would be if you had to tell the truth all of the time! Priya never really lies; she just does what most people do, and puts a good face on things. She doesn't tell Dan how she feels because it's scary, and she does homework for Katie because it's easier than fighting about it. I particularly liked her somewhat conflicted feelings about gymnastics, especially in light of her perception that her parents were having financial difficulties and needed prize money that she could win. This is on trend with the current philosophy that you should tell your friends the truth or they will feel disconnected from you, but also throws in that even if you have problems, you still need to check in on your friends, because they have problems, too. The way the magic unfolds makes sense, and it's nice to think of Priya's grandmother caring for her from beyond the grave. My favorite part was probably Pinkie stepping up to save the day, when Priya has previously dismissed her as unhelpful. When Priya's parents finally announce their divorce, she is fairly happy, and this will resonate with readers who have been in a similar situation. 
Weaknesses: It's not only an Indian desire to keep family issues under wraps, so I had a lot of sympathy for the elder Shahs, even though their fighting was bothering Priya so much! This was a bit on the long side; it was interesting to see all of the ways that telling the truth got Priya in trouble, but at a certain point, I wanted the story to move on. 
What I really think: This is an interesting magical realism title that will be popular with fans of Mlynowski's Best Wishes series or Kelkar's equally magical and somewhat goofy That Thing About Bollywood. 

MMGM- Isle of Ever and The Spider Lady

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Unleashing Readers

Calonita, Jen. The Isle of Ever (#1)

March 25, 2025 by Sourcebooks Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1825, we meet twelve year old Evelyn Terry (aka Sparrow), who lives in Greenport, Long Island. She and her friend find a mysterious island off the coast, and meet Captain Jonas Trimble, a pirate with a secret. In the present day, we meet Everly "Benny" Benedict, who has moved around with her mother quite a bit after the death of her grandmother. They're currently living in Boston, where her mother is working as a waitress, but their lives are upended when a lawyer appears and tells Benny that she has inherited the vast Evelyn Terry estate. There are stipulations that were set out in a letter that Terry wrote later in the 1800s, mentioning Benny by name, something which has fascinated the lawyer firm for a long time. Benny has just over two weeks to solve a mystery with clues and a journal provided by her foremother, and is whisked off to Long Island to stay at the estate. There, she meets the helpful caretaker and cookie baker Wally, and well as local historian Thea and her granddaughter Zara. There's also Ryan, the son of one of the business partners of the Terry hotel. The first clue has kept Benny in the house library, but she and her new friends are soon looking in other places around town. They uncover some of the secrets; the June 12th date coincides with another Blook Orange Moon, just like the one in 1825, and they find family connections that link Evelyn Terry's friends to Benny's new ones. They learn more about a pertussis epidemic that killed many people in 1825, as well as information about the elusive Captain Kimble. We also see events unfolding in Evelyn Terry's timeline that shed some light on the modern issues as well. As time runs out and allegiances change, will Benny be able to locate the island and secure her position as the owner of Terry's estate? Warning: This ends on an enormous cliffhanger, and there is definitely another book forthcoming.
Strengths: I don't want to spoil too much by giving away too many details. Books where there are stipulations or games involved in order to win an inheritance have been around for a while (think the Raskin's 1978 The Westing Game, Barnes' The Inheritance Games, the multi author series The 39 Clues, Chalfoun's The Treasure of Maria Mamoun), But The Isle of Ever adds a bit of a fantasy element and a lot more history. Benny is an engaging character for whom we want a better life, and the clues and journal entries move this book along at a good clip. Her local friends have their own agendas, and the incidental characters like Wally all add a bit of extra fun. The clues aren't too hard to find, and are usually located in intriguing places. The time crunch adds a bit more excitement, as does the increasingly pronounced magical connection.
Weaknesses: Is it even legal to make one's heirs play a game in order to get an inheritance? Also, while I liked this book, the abrupt ending made me a bit... angry. I really, really wanted Benny to inherit the property and settle into life in Greenport with her new friends!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like historical treasure hunts with plenty of clues, like Durst's Spy Ring or Landis' Capitol Chase. I hope the cover of the next book has the same style, just in a different color! 

Klosterman, Penny Parker and Lambelet, Anne. 

The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid Army
May 6, 2025 by Calkins Creek
Copy provided by the Publisher

Nan Songer was fascinated with nature as a child, and was luck enough to be friends with the scientist Marie M. Meislahn, who introduced her to the wealth of plants and bugs that inhabited nearby fields and woods. Nan was especially intrigued by spiders, and when she had her own home, collected a variety of specimens. Discovering that a friend used spider silk to repair the site on his surveying scope, she realized that she could turn her hobby into a career. She experimented with various ways to extract silk from spiders without hurting them, and when World War II started, found that spider silk was in demand for military equipment. With no formal training or education, she found ways to produce different strengths and diameters of silk, and different ways of capturing and transporting it. Since not many others were working on similar projects, her silk was very much in demand. This was a work intensive process, and she also had to collect, feed and house the spiders in addition to “silking” them. When the war ended, she continued her research, but changed her focus away from production.

There were so many fun facts in this book, from Songer’s handling of black widow spiders to the fact that she got a special permit so that people could MAIL spiders to her! The author’s note at the end of the book adds some additional information, and there is a helpful bibliography as well.

Lambelet’s illustrations are in a gorgeous brown based color palette that gives a woodsy feel to the book, and there’s a great feel of the 1930s and 40s thanks to details such as clothing, decor, and even kitchen equipment. I also enjoyed Songer’s dog, who appears in the edges of many of the pictures.

It’s always fun to read about people who have turned their passions into careers, especially when they are able to use their findings to help the world. Women have made great contributions to the field of biology, and Songer’s story is right at home with Keating’s The Shark Lady, Robbins and Aly’s You are a Star, Jane Goodall, Valdez and Sala’s Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor, Sidman’s The Girl Who Drew Butterflies; How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science, Evans and Imamura’s Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter, and Gray and Varma’s Anne and Her Tower of Giraffes: The Adventurous Life of the First Giraffologist.

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker

Heiling, Heidi. Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker
March 25, 2025 by Greenwillow Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Natalie Lee (aka Nat or Cincinnati) lives with her mother, who does fundraising for an art museum, and attends the Manhattan Academy of Arts and Sciences, a private school. She is trying to break the family curse, and thinks if she can steal the Chachapoyas Idol, a Peruvian artifact that her grandfather, Pops, removed from the country, from the museum and give it to the Belaundes, the curse might be lifted. Even though she is successful in removing the idol, someone steals it from her! Pops had been a victim of the curse when he had a public freak out at a museum gala. He's now living ina nursing facility Cincinnati, and since his great great granddaughter wants to follow in the family footsteps and be an archaeologist as well, she's interested in all of his work. At school, she has to deal with Sebastian Thomas, who is also descended from archaeologists, but isn't very nice. After finding out he stole the idol, and scuffling about it at school, she is suspended for a week. Her friend Felix, who works in the art department at the museum, picks her up from school, and is working on another replacement forgery for the idol. Armed with her new friend Parsley's invitation to the auction where Sebastian's family is trying to sell the idol, Cincinnati manages to switch out the idol again, so that she can get the original to the Balaundes, but when she goes to give it to them, it has cracked. This disappointment leads her to get roped into finding a Spear that has Biblical ties, that Craft Raft founder's daughter Taylor Calloway is trying to locate. She and Parsely join forces again. There's kidnapping, ancient maps, gun shots, a trip to Europe, and a lot of adventure as Cincinnati 

Strengths: This is on trend with current thoughts about antiquities trafficking and colonization, and Cincinnati is very concerned about getting relics returned to their countries of origin. Young readers will enjoy the fact that Cincinnati pushes the envelope and doesn't always listen to her mother or think about her own safety; the dedication mentions favoring justice over self-preservation. Cincinnati has some help from the quirky Parsely (whose father manufactures komboucha and whose mother is a famous singer), and seems to have plenty of resources to help her deal with artifacts. Her Pops has drunk from the fountain of youth, and is in a nursing facility under sedation, so I'm curious to see if this becomes a series so that we can get more information about him. 

Weaknesses: There are a lot of art and pop cultural mentions that I don't think my students will understand. Also, it would have been good to know more about the curse that Cincinnati was working so hard to break. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Blue Balliet's art mysteries, LaFevers' Theodosia Throckmorton series or who want a fictional take on something like Albee's Accidental Archaeologists. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Speechless

Steinke, Aron Nels. Speechless
March 4, 2025 by Graphix

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mia has problems with social anxiety that have led to years of increasing selective mutism, but she makes a goal for herself to talk in class as she enters middle school. Her first day is a bust, but other students, including former best friend and current nemesis, Chloe, tell the teachers that Mia just doesn't talk. This isn't evident at home, where Mia talks to her mother and father, as well as her younger sister Madeleine, who occasionally helps her with her computer animation projects. Under the name Danger Cat Studios, Mia uploads videos like Tommy Tomato and Bobby Banana. When she puts up posters at school advertising these, she gets a lot of views, and finds it amusing that no one knows she is responsible. She creates puppets to use in the videos, and makes one of Alex, a cool nonbinary kid on whom she has a bit of a crush. They stick up for Mia when classmates make fun of her, and even partners with her on a school project. Alex is surprised that Mia speaks at home, and the two have more fun with the animation projects than the school one. It doesn't go well, since Mia is dealing with the fact that Chloe is living with her family while her parents are taking care of her grandmother. Mia remembers that Chloe, in second grade, told her to quit pestering her, and has trouble when Chloe invites friends to the house. At one point, she suspects that Chloe has poisoned her spaghetti, and spirals to the point where her parents call the paramedics. Mia's grades aren't good, and when Mia's teacher finally calls her mother, the parents find out that Mia hasn't been talking at school. They get her in to therapy, and she slowly progresses from whispering to Alex, which isn't so hard, to speaking in front of groups. 

Strengths: One of my second grade classmates was selectively mute, and this was very hard to understand as a child, so it's interesting to see this representation, especially since the author had a lesser degree of this condition when he was young. Mia and Chloe's friend drama makes sense (I personally still have grudges from elementary school!), but I was glad to see that Chloe wasn't really still mean to Mia, and her feelings were a little bit hurt as well. Alex sticking up for Mia and befriending her was also good to see. Mia's animation hobby was intriguing, and it wasn't unusual that her grades slipped in middle school. Steinke's illustrations (Mr. Wolf's Class) will appeal to middle school readers. 
Weaknesses: I found it hard to believe that the parents didn't know that Mia wasn't speaking in class. When Mia didn't speak in middle school, the first thing that a teacher would do would be to check her file for diagnosis and accomodations, and when nothing was there, a phone call home would have been made! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like all of the graphic novels that deal with challenging middle school experiences. Raina Telgemeier set the bar with Smile, and these have continued with Hale's Real Friends, Durfy-Lavoie's Just Roll With It, Libenson's Invisible Emmy, Page's Button Pusher, Palmer's Campy Prodigy, Scrivan's Nat Enough, and many other titles. 
 

Wolf Girl #1: Into the Wild

Do, Ahn and Ley, Jeremy (illus.)Wolf Girl #1: Into the Wild
March 18, 2025 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Gwen and her family are evacuating their home, quickly gathering supplies and piling in the car to join others who are fleeing an unspecified threat. They are in a line of vehicles on the highway when explosions occur and their vehicle is rear ended. The parents tell the girls to run into the woods, and Gwen sees airplanes strafing the area. She falls and is unconscious for a while, and when she comes to, can't find her family. Once she regains consciousness, she licks water off of leaves and is befriended by a small canine she calls Puppy. When Gwen falls into a rushing river, she is rescued by a group of Puppy's friends (pictured on the cover). The pack heads back to the highway and subsists for a very long time on the food left in the cars. THey find another dog, Brutus, who seems dangerous until they feed him. Gwen also rescues an eaglet, that helps the group with food. Puppy is a big help when Gwen is occasionally injured, and after he fends off a wild boar, she renames Puppy "Sunrise". Eventually, the group happens upon other people, but the men take Gwen and put her in a van. The story ends abruptly and is "to be continued". 
Strengths: This is a short, fast-paced book with delightful illustrations, which will remind older readers of George's My Side of the Mountain. Surviving in the wilderness would  be much easier with a pack of loyal dogs and an eagle! I appreciated that the requisite wild animal attack was a boar instead of a bear; I suspect that this is set in Australia, which would explain this choice. Gwen doesn't have any special survival skills, and she was smart to go back and get supplies from cars, and live in one as well. 
Weaknesses: I find books that seem realistic but don't specify a setting to be discombobulating. There is a note that the author left Vietnam when he was three under very difficult circumstances, so I'm sure this is meant to address that in a fictional way, but not having a place and time set was a bit confusing. There's also a chapter on Gwen's dog, Molly, dying long before the evacuation that seemed unnecessary.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Pennypacker's Pax or Freeman's Alone. 

Many Hauntings of the Manning Family

Lawrence, Lorien. Many Hauntings of the Manning Family
March 18, 2025 by Amulet Books

E ARC provided by Edelweis

Gabby and Trent Manning have inherited the family ability to see ghosts and release them that their grandparents had. While things didn't end well for the grandparents, the twins' mother is devoted to the idea that they will continue the family legacy, and is obsessed with posting videos of them dispatching ghosts on YouTube, worrying about the number of views they get. Gabby is sick of it; the black clothing, the dramatic flair, and the fact that everyone at school knows that she is involved in something rather odd. She'd rather devote herself to soccer, which is hard, since dealing with ghosts is very physically draining. Trent doesn't care as much, and seems to want to make his mother happy. When the anniversary of an ill-fated seance at the local Majestic theater approaches, the mother makes a deal with the owner, Dale Prescott, that the twins' will figure out a decades old mystery and send the ghosts on their way if she can film in the theater. The Majestic has been abandoned since 1965, when there was an unsolved triple murder. In 1995, the grandparents visited it, but were unable to send the spirits on their way. Upon entering the building, Gabby and Trent can tell that there is real evil afoot, but they hope that by dealing with it, their mother will put less pressure on them to ghost hunt. This is especially important to Gabby, since she is missing a crucial soccer game to humor her mother. There are rats, spiders, creepy marionettes, and a demon who possesses Gabby in the same way that her grandfather was possessed back in 1995. Her grandmother managed to save him, but wasn't able to do anything else. Will the twins' finally be able to solve the mystery and find a way to release the ghosts and return the demon?
Strengths: Middle grade readers are often obsesses with being YouTube or TikTok stars, but don't know how much work it is to create content. Gabby's weariness at having to constantly perform for her mother is a very realistic look at how a young person might feel if they had powers that a parent wanted to exploit. The family connection was interesting, and I could just about believe that a building had been abandoned since 1965. Both Gabby and Trent were well versed in the essentials of dealing with ghosts and demons, thanks to a book written by their grandparents, and were fairly cautious and more prepared than their mother. There were plenty of creepy things that will keep horror readers turning the pages.
Weaknesses: There is just a passing reference to the twins' father, and I was a bit curious as to what happened to him. Since the mother really annoyed me, maybe the answer's obvious. There was also some mention of friends at school, and it wouldn't be a surprise if this became a series. The cover is okay, but might age badly.
What I really think: Theaters seem to be especially haunted places! Add this to a playbill that includes Freeman's Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost, Gonzalez's Fearless, Key's Twelfth, Parris' Stage Fright, Shepherd's The Twilight Curse, and Schusterman's Olive and the Backstage Ghost.

Almost Sunset

Algarmi, Wahab. Almost Sunset
February 18, 2025 by HarperAlley
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hassan falls asleep in math class, drooling on his arm and dreaming of food. He's fasting for Ramadan, but doesn't want any of his friends to know why he is struggling. Not only is school a struggle, but his soccer team is approaching the playoffs, and he has to leave early to be with his family, and doesn't have a lot of energy on the field. Another teammate, Rosie, is often called in to replace him, and when Hassan doesn't have time to keep up with the video game his friends play, he finds out that Rosie is subbing for him there as well. He hangs out with his cousins, who go to a convenience store to get snacks, ostensibly for after their fast ends, and he's shocked to find out that they eat them before sundown! They tell him that if he closes his eyes, god won't see him, and he is tempted by a churro. He finally tells his coach why his performance isn't as good as it could be, and is surprised to find out that his coach is also Muslim and fasting. This helps only temporarily; he gets mad and shoves Rosie on the soccer field, and this, combined with his failing grade in math, gets him removed from the team. His parents ground him from video games until his grades improve, further distancing him from his friends. He laments that Ramadan is much harder than it was when he celebrated it in Yemen, but once he realizes that he needs to focus on school and his grades, things slowly improve. He feels bad that he won't be able to join his teammates for pizza after their playoff game, but they surprise him and come to his house with pizza. Hassan admits to his father that he broke his fast, and his father says that he can be forgiven, and can even make it up by fasting for a day after Ramadan if he would like.
Strengths: Since Ramadan doesn't fall on the same dates every year, many young athletes will have seasons where fasting impacts their sports performance. I can't imagine having a cross country runner in early September running a race without hydrating! Hassan has to balance schoolwork, soccer, and hanging out with his friends with the time his family spends in the evenings, and struggles with getting everything done. I'd love to see more middle grade books showing this balance, and the fact part of Hassan's time commitment involves video games will definitely speak to today's young reader. The Muslim representation seems like it will appeal to those who practice the religion as well as those who don't. The only other middle grade graphic novels I can recall with Muslim main characters are Galligan's Freestyle, Jamieson's When Stars Are Scattered, Fahmy's Huda F series, Huq's Piece by Piece.
Weaknesses: While many negative aspects of fasting are shown, albeit along with positive portrayals of family time and religious practices, I wish this had given some of Hassan's reasons for wanting to fast and for keeping it from his friends. Motivation is somewhat more difficult to portray in a graphic novel, but would be a useful explanation for readers who aren't Muslim or who don't have any spiritual beliefs.
What I really think: Since this involves soccer and is a graphic novel, this has immediate appeal to middle grade readers, and provides a good window or mirror for students wanting a little more information about practices during Ramadan.

13 Ways to Say Goodbye

Fussner, Kate. 13 Ways to Say Goodbye
March 18, 2025 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, Nina decides to attend an art camp in Paris ostensibly so that she can visit her Aunt Renee, but really because it is intolerable to stay at home with her parents after the death of her sister Lily. Her aunt is glad to see her, since the family usually visited every year, and makes arrangements for the daughter of a friend who is also attending the camp, Sylvie, to travel with Nina to class. Nina is struggling with several things, not the least of which is missing her sister and having regrets about things that she did and didn't do with her. Every year, Lily would make a list of "12 things to do before she turned 12", but she never even got to complete the 13th thing on her list. Even though Lily always gave Nina a hard time about copying her, Nina is determined to do all of the things on the last list. She and Sylvie get off to a rocky start, but Nina slowly picks up more French, takes her art  more seriously, and convinces Sylvie to do some stereotypically touristy things with her. She develops a crush on Sylvie and isn't quite sure what to do about it, especially since the only person she's ever discussed the fact that she likes girls with is Lily. Eventually, she and Sylvie hold hands and kiss hello and goodbye, even though their time together is limited. After a falling out with Sylvie, and a lack of e mails from her parents when she asks them questions about Lily, Nina wanders off in Paris on her own. She comes across her sister's favorite place, and starts to heal a little bit. When she returns to her aunt's, her parents are there. Since everyone is upset because Nina was unaccounted for, when everyone simmers down, they are able to have some important conversations. Nina also talks to Sylvie, and is able to get some closure in that relationship as well. 

I am classifying this as a fantasy, because Nina has very vivid, realistic dreams about the past, and at one point has a conversation with the spirit of her sister. 

Strengths: This was a nice, light romance set against the very picturesque background of Paris. It was especially intriguing to see that Nina had a pretty good grasp of French, and was familiar with a lot of the city. There are lots of landmarks that are described, which will delight young readers who might one day like to go there. Like Schroeder's My Secret Guide to Paris, there is the undercurrent of dealing with death in the family, for readers who enjoy that. It was nice that Aunt Renee gave Nina a lot of freedom, and taking an art class in Paris would be quite the experience. 
Weaknesses: While it creates more dramatic tension for parents to throw themselves into their work and ignore their remaining children after the death of an offspring, I think it's more common to get the child into therapy and spend a lot of time with them trying to help them cope. Why middle grade fiction so often draws grieving parents in this negative light, I will never understand. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough of stories about the death of siblings like Condie's Summerlost, Dooley's Free Verse, Gale's The Other Side of Summer, Guterson's The Einsteins of Vista Point, Holt's From Me to You, O'Connor's Halfway to Harmony, Warga's The Shape of Thunder, Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Redmon's The Miraculous, Stoddard's Right as Rain, or Saunders' The Land of Neverendings. 

MMGM- How To Stop Freaking Out and Related Titles

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Naumburg, Carla and Rizzo, Letizia (illustrator)
How to Stop Freaking Out: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Cool When Life Feels Chaotic
September 10, 2024 by Workman Publishing Company

E ARC Provided by Netgalley

This short, highly illustrated book helps kids and tweens understand more about why everyone occasionally "freaks out" and what can be done to manage these episodes and to hopefully freak out less. There's a lot of good explanations about things like the various response to challenging situations, where kids might find themselves being Freezers, Fighters, Flee-ers, Flipper-Outers or Fixers. Teen magazine-style quizzers help to determine this, and there are a number of these quizzes throughout the book to bring home lots of different points. There are some acronyms, like FART (Feelings, Automatic, Reactive, Too Far) and BuRPs (Button [pushing] Reduction Practices that will help kids remember what they are facing in times of emotional crisis. There's a great list of reasons why people freak out (no one ever taught you not to, you've had practice, it feels good in the moment, others in your life freak out), as well as solid scientific explanations of brain science. The most useful part of the book is probably the 26 Button Reduction Practices, which range from "breath" to "Yoga". There's even a discussion about mental health days, and I definitely appreciated the admonition that you should only take these if you actually need them. The book is rounded out with a good resource list of other books to consult. 

I'll probably buy this for my library for one of the reasons mentioned for freak outs; many of my students appear not to have been taught how to avoid these. My mother's BuRPs pretty much started and ended with "ACT like we did not raise you in a barn"; growing up, I was unaware that freaking out was an option. And no, my mother NEVER lost her temper or had meltdowns. You... just didn't. However, this is much more common today, and I have on many occasions had to sit with kids in the library and remind them how to do box breathing or to tell me five things they can see, hear, etc. Since I am not licensed to deal with emotional crises, having a book like this gives me something to hand students that might be more useful to them than anything I can offer! 

Pyron, Bobbie. Octopus Moon

March 25, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse we meet Pearl, who lives near the Gulf of Mexico, wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, loves to run, and hangs out with her best friends Rosie and Mia, who has a collection of headbands with ears that she wears to school. As fifth grade begins, however, she finds it harder and harder to find joy in any of these activities. Like her Granddaddy, who frequently takes to bed with "headaches", she oftens finds getting up and getting to school difficult. Her parents, and her 9th grade sister Laurel, can see this, but while her mother is worried, her father thinks she is just going through a phase. After she doesn't make the track team, cuts off her hair (which she has struggled to maintain), and has teachers raise the alarm at conferences, her parents do set her up for therapy with Dr. Jill. She is reluctant to attend at first, and doesn't tell her friends what is going on. They have their own problems, after all; Rosie is being raised by her grandmother, since her mother is unreliable, and has financial difficulties, while Mia's parents are fighting and her mother sometimes doesn't get out of bed. Dr. Jill does help, and tells her that depression is an illness, and gives her tools to help her cope. She wants Pearl to do one impossible thing a day, and to put beads on a string when she does. When she finally tells Rosie, Rosie can't understand what Pearl would be depressed about, because her life is perfect in comparision. She quickly understands that it doesn't matter; depression is an illness, and is a good support to Pearl. Mia realizes that her own mother's problems might be similar. After Granddaddy has a stroke and struggles with physical therapy, he also admits that his lifelong struggles are related to depression. Pearl's mother is the head of public relations for the Gulfarium, which is Pearl's happy place, and when the organization needs to raise money, Pearl manages to step up to help. Thanks to Dr. Jill's help, she is able to help organize a 5k, get back to running, and even speak at the events. Dealing with her mental state is still an ongoing struggle, but with the help and support of friends, family, and a trusted professional, she is able to keep her head above water.
Strengths: Since COVID, there has been a big push for social emotional learning in schools, and lots of attempts to raise awareness about mental health issues. My school now has a Hope Squad, and an advisory where students are supposed to identify feelings, learn breathing techniques, etc., so Octopus Moon is definitely right on trend with the cultural zeitgeist. While Pearl does meet a little resistance (her father thinks that depression is an emotion rather than a disease, and her mother's parents have no use for the diagnosis at all), she does get the help she needs and is able to make some progress and feel better. Most of the book is about her navigating the depression, but it's nice to see her get involved with planning the fundraiser for the Gulfarium, both to see her progress and to give a little more motion to the through-the-school-year plot. The author's note about her own experiences with depression contribute additional depth.
Weaknesses: Pyron's other works are more dog and adventure related (A Dog's Way Home (2011), Dogs of Winter (2012), A Pup Called Trouble (2018), Stay (2019)), so fans of her earlier work might be surprised by both the format and the subject matter of this newest title. Also, I wish that Pearl had been in 7th or 8th grade; it can be a challenge to get readers in these grades to pick up books about younger students.
What I really think: This is a lyrical, "heart print" book that teachers and librarians will love and cry over. Interestingly, the connection between water, marine creatures, and sad topics happens frequently, in such books as Allen's The Line Tender, Braden's The Benefits of Being an Octopus, Dee's My Life in the Fish Tank, Kelly's Song for a Whale, Messner's The Seventh Wish, the Morris' Willa and the Whale, Santat's The Aquanaut, and Wilson's The Longest Whale Song.

Gurevich, Margaret. Ain't It Funny
October 15, 2024 by Penguin Workshop

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maya Greenspan lives close to New York City, in New Jersey, where her mother Sarah and Babushka Clara run the Russian Gourmet Deli. She helps out a lot, as did her father. However, her father is moving into his own apartment, and her parents have told her they are separating, but she can't tell anyone. Maya does confide in her best friend, Val, who is also the only one who knows about Maya's "hot hot feeling" of anxiety. Maya's dad, who decided that being a lawyer didn't work for him, has been trying to gets enough stand up comic gigs to find an agent, and hopes to hit the big time. Maya also tries her hand at telling jokes, because humor helps her deal with her anxiety a bit. When her favorite teacher, Ms. Banta, tells the class that there will be a talent show, Maya doesn't want to get up in front of others, but when she finds out that her father has been approached by the PTA to emcee the show, she feels that this would be an opportunity to get him to come around more. She really wants to get her parents back together, despite Babushka's dislike of her father, and is encouraged that her mother is quite nice when they are all together. When Maya spends weekends with her dad, he sometimes takes her to his shows even though he's not supposed to, and she is a little surprised that he sometimes has jokes about the food in the deli. He's excited that Maya is trying stand up, and gives her a book about comedy and helps her workshop ideas, including her catchphrase "ain't it funny". Maya notices that Ms. Banta seems to exhibit some of the behavior that Maya does; she's always dressed in a precise way, does things in multiples of three, and dislikes germs as much as Maya does. After Ms. Banta has a panic attack in the deli, Maya is very worried about her. She researched OCD and anxiety on the internet, and even tries to talk to her mother and grandmother about the evidence of these that she sees in herself, but they make light of her concerns and say that she comes from a long line of worriers, but that if she is strong, she'll be fine. Maya doesn't feel fine. She has to deal with Barry, who purposefully messes with things on her desk and makes fun of her, Mrs. Nelson, a classmate's mother who is demanding at the store, her father's growing amount of gigs, and preparing for the talent show. She's also worried about Ms. Banta, and even visits with her mother. Mrs. Nelson is trying to get Ms. Banta fired. When her father has to go to Canada for gigs the week before the talent show, and Maya finds out that he has never intended to move back home, it's too much for Maya. She has a panic attacks in class, and is sent to Ms. Graham, the school nurse. Ms. Graham takes her seriously, and talks to her mother. Her mother and father both explain that the father has had problems with anxiety as well, but they've always tried to hide it from her. Ms. Banta isn't well enough to come back this school year, but is looking for a therapist. Maya begins therapy for generalized anxiety disorder and OCD, and has exercises to try to help her manage her conditions, and she and her family begin to find a way forward. There are some recipes at the end of the book. 

Strengths: There are a lot of students in middle school who are dealing with parents who are separated or divorced, and there are relatively few books on this topic. I enjoyed the Russian deli setting, and found it interesting that Maya was able to speak a bit of Russian. Babushka's stoic demeanor is something that is very true to people in a certain generation; I have many of the same beliefs that she does! The talent show is a good framework to support the many things that are going on. Ms. Banta's condition is helpful to see, and I was glad that it was explicitly stated that the school couldn't fire her for mental health issues. Val is a good friend, and Maya does eventually get help with her problems. The stand up comedy was woven in to the story effectively as well. There was a lot going on, but it was all deftly presented. 
Weaknesses: I'm conflicted about the language that Maya uses to describe how she feels. "Hot hot" feeling is descriptive, and middle school children don't necessarily have any better way to describe their feelings, but it was sometimes confusing. I'm not sure how it could have been done differently.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Mackler's Not If I Can Help It, Piontek's Better with Butter, Baron's The Gray, or Sumner's The Summer of June.  I'll probably purchase this, because there are a growing number of students with anxiety, so it's important that they see themselves in books and that others meet in print situations that may occur in real life. The fact that this wasn't JUST about Maya's anxiety really helped.