September 1, 2026 by Norton Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Things are tough in Iron Hill, and we meet three students who all have problems that many middle schoolers have. Manny doesn't see much of a point to school; he would rather spend his time writing rap lyrics and skateboarding, since he sees his grandparents, who immigrated from Mexico, working hard for little reward, and knows that his father struggled to put food on the table after Manny's mother left, and is now in prison for stealing. Calvin loves to draw, but has little time for this since he has to get his two younger brothers up, dressed, and delivered to school across town, since his single father has to work. He is constantly late, which gets him in trouble with principal Ms. Cho. Liam is a good student, but is bedeviled by Grady, who constantly threatens his with real, physical violence, to the extent that Liam takes refuge in Dana Funkhouser's library, and spends several entire days in a back storage room. All three eventually end up with a three week after school detention stint for truancy, which doesn't make them think school is any more appealing. They do talk to each other, eventually, and find ways to help them see a bit more value in school. Manny is glad to have a new language arts teacher, Ms. Patel, who tells him that he is talented and cares about him, even showing up at the skate park on the weekend to talk to him after he storms out of class when he doesn't want to read his poem out loud. He also fights with his grandparents when they opine that he is really very fortunate. Calvin has a fight with his father after he is forbidden to draw, since it takes attention away from his brothers, and Manny and Liam encourage him to keep up with his art. Liam tries to talk to his father and stepmother, but knows that his father's salary as the custodian at his school won't run to mental health therapy, even though the panic attacks he has are debilitating. Luckily, Ms. Funkhouser is supportive, and even saves him from Grady's abuse and makes sure that Grady is brought to justice. It's impossible for the boys to change their circumstances alone, but when they talk to each other and let other people help, some issues can be resolved.
Strengths: I very much appreciate that Ogle asked teachers what their number one problem at school is; I am not surprised that it is absenteeism. Can't say I have seen any books on the subject. The format is also clever, with Manny's chapters written in verse, Calvin's in a graphic novel format, and Liam's in prose on graph paper. The problems the boys face are realistic, and hard for middle school students to navigate. The fights with families are something that, again, I don't see portrayed as much in fiction. They are MUCH more interesting (and common) than children dealing with grief, although there is a little bit of that as well. While three weeks of after school detention doesn't seem like it would be an effective punishment, it does give the boys a chance to bond and to eventually improve their lots a bit.
Weaknesses: I know that Ogle speaks from his own experience, but this doesn't necessarily reflect modern practices. There are very strict protocols, for many reasons, and Ms. Funkhouser could have improved Liam's life a whole lot sooner if she had immediately informed a school counselor when she knew that Grady was bullying Liam. How can we expect students to "see something, say something" if TEACHERS aren't following the same rule? For a 27 year old, Ms. Funkhouser had some odd cultural references, and she was the modern stereotype of a librarian; tattooed and pierced with brightly colored hair. I can't imagine the trouble I would be in if I let a student play hooky in the library, so I questioned her training and professionalism. We need to know where students are at all times! It also was very risky for Ms. Patel to talk to Manny outside of school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like Ogle's work or books like Sonnenblick's The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade or Korman's The Fort. I will probably purchase a copy, although the last thing I intend to do is to hand it to students who are chronically truant. If they pick it up from a display, that's fine!
Weaknesses: I know that Ogle speaks from his own experience, but this doesn't necessarily reflect modern practices. There are very strict protocols, for many reasons, and Ms. Funkhouser could have improved Liam's life a whole lot sooner if she had immediately informed a school counselor when she knew that Grady was bullying Liam. How can we expect students to "see something, say something" if TEACHERS aren't following the same rule? For a 27 year old, Ms. Funkhouser had some odd cultural references, and she was the modern stereotype of a librarian; tattooed and pierced with brightly colored hair. I can't imagine the trouble I would be in if I let a student play hooky in the library, so I questioned her training and professionalism. We need to know where students are at all times! It also was very risky for Ms. Patel to talk to Manny outside of school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like Ogle's work or books like Sonnenblick's The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade or Korman's The Fort. I will probably purchase a copy, although the last thing I intend to do is to hand it to students who are chronically truant. If they pick it up from a display, that's fine!
Also, this is going to motivate me to start the year with some serious talks about attendance with my advisory group. My school has some good resources, so I want to make sure that if my students are having difficulties making it to school, these issues are addressed. Last year, I did make sure that each student had current contact information on file; this is essential in case a child takes ill or has an accident during the day!
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