Contaminated

Garner, Em. Contaminated
23 July 2013, Egmont USA

Velvet is struggling after the devastating catastrophe that killed her father and reduced her mother to a zombie. The animal proteins in ThinPro made the brains of those who ingested it look "like Swiss cheese" and turned them into violent monsters. At first, all affected were just killed, but when the government found they could lobotomize them or fit them with shock collars, some people survive. Velvet has been trying to go to school and support her sister by working part time in a nursing home while living in government subsidized housing. She's glad when she finally locates her mother at a kennel for "connies" run by Jean and her son Dillon, but when her landlord finds out that her mother has moved home, he kicks her out. With Dillon's help, Velvet moves back to her old house far from town, which leads to other problems, such as losing her job and having to take her sister out of school. Her mother seems to be improving, however, so she keeps on. When a secondary outbreak of the disease causes the government to round up any one wearing a collar, Velvet has to find a way to save her mother yet again.
Strengths: I really, really want to read the sequel RIGHT NOW. I think there will be one because of the ending, but can't find official confirmation. The dystopian setting was very realistic, Velvet tries so hard to keep things together, and I liked her romance with Dillon.
Weaknesses: While this is technically a zombie book, it isn't the sort of zombie book that my boys tend to like. There's some zombie violence, but most of the book deals with Velvet's problems caring for her mother-- feeding her, bathing her, getting her to the restroom.  This is more of a book for fans of Crossed and other dystopian novels.

MMGM--The Heartbreak Messenger

Vance, Alexander. The Heartbreak Messenger.
23 July 2013, Feiwel & Friends
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Quentin's pretty content to hang out with his best friends Rob and Abby, eat dinner with his mom at the repair shop where she works, and just get by, but when Rob's brother offers him $20 to tell his girlfriend they're through, Quentin thinks it's not a bad idea. It's an easy $20, and the girl gives him great advice (page 23): "Someday when you break up with a girl of your own, you're going to want to use flower and chocolates. Flowers at least say 'Thanks for the memories.' And chocolate, well, you don't want to leave a girl completely alone." This gives Quentin an idea for a deluxe break up package, and when he finds out that his single mother is having trouble paying the rent, he is glad that he has high school boys looking him up so that he can break the news to their girlfriends. Some of these breakups go better than other-- getting punched in the face by one soccer playing girl isn't fun, but at least he didn't have to give her the chocolates! It's good to have something to distract himself with since Abby is going out with an 8th grader, Justin, whom she has met through her interest in art. Quentin tells himself that he just misses her, but has a feeling that he might be a little jealous. He gets more breakups to deliver, including one boy who wants a package deal to break up with three, and one girl who wants him to deliver a dead rat to her ex-boyfriend. These give him pause, but when Justin hires him to break up with Abby for him, Quentin has to decide what the best thing is to do.
Strengths: Wow! Exactly the sort of book I am asking for all the time. It's funny, it includes romance, and it even includes dead rats, dog poop and a motorcycle/bicycle chase! Awesome! And I even cried a bit at the end. Excellent message about middle school romances which is not heavy handed. Fantastic cover, too. It's a bit early, but this may be my nomination for the Cybils Award in the fall.
Weaknesses: I usually don't like books where students set up improbable businesses, but this was so good that I didn't care. Oh, my daughter reminded me that there was an episode of The Middle where the one boy had a similar business. Again, don't care!

I love the trailer for this, too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1lHUabUF0

Warning: Violence to candy is involved!

Oh, and congratulations to Brenda over at Prose and Kahn for winning a copy of Shusterman's Ship Out of Luck! I'll be e mailing. 

Backlist Gems-- A Little Princess

While recent years have found me reading nothing but new books, if I had my druthers I would be basking in the wave of vintage books that are available for free. I would have been quite content with an e reader when I was in middle school if I could have loaded it with obscure titles by Alcott, Montgomery and other authors from the 1800s.

So when I had to pull a prebound copy of A Little Princess from my library shelves this spring (it smelled horrible and was crumbling into little pieces), I wasn't sure if I should purchase another copy. Taking the rare opportunity to reread the book, I thought it was worth a review.

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess (1905)

Sara is the much beloved, motherless daughter of Captain Crewe, who is stationed in India. Since it is well established that the Indian climate is bad for children, Sara is brought back to England at the tender age of seven to attend Miss Minchin's Select Seminary School. Her father lavishes her with anything she could want before he goes back to India, and while Miss Minchin thinks it is rather ridiculous, she makes a pet of Sara to secure his favor. All goes along swimmingly-- far from being spoiled, Sara is a delightful child who is attuned to the needs of others and makes friends among the other students, as well as the staff at the school. Then tragedy strikes: not only does Sara's father die, but he leaves her penniless. Miss Minchin can't throw her out into the streets, so begrudgingly lets her stay, living in the attic with the rats and Becky, the household girl, and teaching the younger students French. She is also sent on countless errands and feels Miss Minchin's rather should she do anything wrong. But even thin, shabby clothing and near starvation don't get Sara down. She still remembers those in more dire need than she is, and remains kind and polite. Her attic room is within view of the attic of the house next door, and when "an Indian gentleman" who is very ill moves in, his manservant gets a glimpse of her impoverished life. Since the Indian gentleman is trying to locate  the daughter of a friend who died after investing money with him, he feels he should help Sara, and soon the manservant is taking over food, furnishing, and all sorts of delightful trifles to make Becky and Sara's lives easier. Eventually, the truth is told-- Sara is in fact the little girl he is looking for, and she is able to leave the evil Miss Minchin and take her rightful place in society.
Strengths: This is a good book for girls who like to read problem novels. Poor Sara is endlessly abused, and there's something comforting about her high spirits in the face of her problems, as well as her eventual rescue.
Weaknesses: Modern children may want to smack Sara for her relentless perkiness, not being used to the sorts of moral tales told in days of yore. This is not for every reader, but it is for a select few, and since my own personal daughter refused to relinquish her own hard cover copy (she was rightly suspicious when I asked to borrow it!), I will indeed be buying a new copy for my library.

Fifteenth Summer

Dalton, Michelle. Fifteenth Summer
7 May 2013, Simon Pulse

Chelsea doesn't really want to leave California and spend the summer in Michigan at her grandmother's cabin by the lake, because her grandmother has passed away. Her older sisters are crazy about boys, and Chelsea is too sad to do much but read. This changes when she goes in to the new book store in town, Dog Ear, and meets Josh. He seems shy, and gives her confusing signals when he talks to her. Eventually, the two break through their awkwardness and begin to date. Chelsea loves that Josh is responsible and helps out at the book store, and Josh loves Chelsea's red hair. He suggests that she get a job at the diner next to the bookstore, and they spend many breaks together before going on a date. They know that they only have the summer, but when Josh makes a big error at the book store, he decides that he needs to end the relationship in order to concentrate on his work. Chelsea has to go back to silently mourning her grandmother and dealing with her sisters' romances and her mother's grief. But it's summer! Josh figures out his own life in time to spend the very end of it with Chelsea, smooching and looking at sunsets over the beach.
Strengths: Pitch perfect romance for middle schoolers. Nothing racy, just a lot of kissing and feeling "melty". There are relatively few good romances out there that aren't paranormal, so definitely buying this. Looking into a copy of Sixteenth Summer, as well. Sadly, is was never published in hardback.
Weaknesses: Why was MY fifteenth summer not like this? And why must Elizabeth Lenhard use a pseudonym? I loved Chicks with Sticks!

Caveat: There can be no Seventeenth Summer, because that title is taken by the grandmother of all teen romance books, written by Maureen Daly and published in 1942 by Dodd, Mead and Company. Read the fun review and see other covers of this title over at Lost Classics of Teen Lit.

Soldier Dog

Angus, Sam. Soldier Dog.
16 April 2013 by Feiwel &Friends

Stanley's life in rural Lancashire in 1917 is troubled. His mother has died, his brother Tom is off fighting in France, and the only bright spot is his dog Rocket. Unfortunately, Stanley let Rocket (a champion racer) out of the house when she was in heat, and by the time he retrieves her, she is pregnant. The father is very displeased; not only will the puppies be "tinker's dogs", but Rocket will not be as fast. When he chooses to drown the runt of the litter, Soldier,this is the final straw. Stanely runs away from home and joins the army at the age of 14. He claims to know something about horses, and eventually winds up in a unit training messenger dogs. He and his dog, Bones are sent to France, where they see the gruesome aspects of war as well as the difficult living conditions. After Bones is killed in the line of duty, Stanley just wants to go home, but gets another dog who has been horribly abused. The dog takes to him, for surprising reasons we find out later, and Stanley is back in the war. Tom is determined to make sure Stanley gets home safely, and Stanley's father is so remorseful over his treatment of Stanley that he joins up and is fighting in France as well.
Strengths: World War I was a devastating war, and not as much is known about the atrocities. There are a handful of books involving service dogs now available (Shadow, by Morpurgo; London's excellent Dog Tags books, Kadohata's Cracker), but none set during World War I. Well researched, this had a lot of information about the conditions during WWI.
Weaknesses: This style of this was a bit odd; it reminded me of Lassie a bit. Perhaps the rural English setting? The letters to various characters were rendered in handwriting, which was harder to read, and Stanley's father was a hard character to figure out. Because of the popularity of any and all war books, however, I think I will go ahead and purchase this one.

It's All Downhill From Here

Night, P.J. Creepover #10: It's All Downhill From Here

16 October 2012, Simon Spotlight

Maggie's parents are dragging her, her friend Sophie, and her brother Simon hours from their home in Denver to look at the old Wharton mansion, which they would like to buy so that they could run a ski resort. The house is old and creepy, but Maggie seems to be the only one who can see the ghost of Old Man Wharton. Her parents think she is being bratty just because she doesn't move, but things quickly become more dangerous than that. When the parents go in to town to take care of paperwork, Simon disobeys, goes skiing, and is nearly killed. Maggie manages to uncover the mystery of why Old Man Wharton has stipulated in his will that the property is never to be used for skiing, but not before the ghost tries to kill Simon yet again!

Strengths: If your R.L. Stine books are falling to pieces, this is a great series to recommend. Pleasantly creepy, totally unrealistic, but just the thing for girls who like ghosts and being scared... just a little!

Weaknesses: The ending was a bit rushed, but I was impressed by the fluidity of the dialogue and the prose. 

World Wednesday-- Ship Out of Luck

I had planned to post on Guy Friday. However, this is a perfect book for World Wednesday because of this quote from page 10:

Hamid is Muslim-- half Palestinian, in fact. His parents and Ira's are part of an ethnic dinner group.
"No offense taken," said Hamid. "As long as you promise to give the finger to some random soldiers in Gaza, right?"
"Good as done," said Ira [who is Jewish]. They tapped fists and all was well. This is why I love America. No matter what our cultural upbringing, we can all be equally idiotic in peace and harmony." (Italics mine.)

Shusterman, Neal. Ship Out of Luck (Antsy Bonano #3)
13 June 2013, Dutton Juvenile

To celebrate his 80th birthday, Crawley invites the Bonanos to go on a cruise on the Plethora of the Deep, an enormous, luxurious cruise ship. His granddaughter, Lexie, is also going, and they will meet up with her parents. The Bonanos don't want to go at first, but then decide that the relaxation will be good for Antsy's father, who is still recovering from his heart attack. Antsy decides to bring Howie, since his brother Frankie can't go, and forges his birth certificate. Once on the ship, Lexie is upset that her parents aren't going to make it, and starts hanging out with a German boy. Antsy meets Tilde, a poor but exotic girl who is attempting to smuggle people illegally out of Cozumel. Antsy helps, because he is smitten by the girl, and also intrigued. Tilde thinks, because he has intimated it, that Antsy is gay, and is relieved that,  unlike her other helpers, he doesn't put the moves on her. Things become more and more complicated as the week wears on. Crawley seems unhappy, and Antsy can't do much to help. Lexie is also unhappy. Tilde isn't who she appears to be. In the end, it is Antsy who is blamed for trying to smuggle illegal aliens into the country, but, since things tend to work out for Antsy in strange ways, this situation does as well.
Strengths: Wow. Shusterman has been my go to author for creepy stories like Red Rider's Hood, but this was wonderfully funny. Lots of Sonnenblick-worthy lines that made me laugh out loud, and the plot, while ridiculous, seems totally plausible when Antsy explained things! The characters all had very real and wrenching emotions, and the level of tolerance for differences in people was... amazing. If the entire world were as understanding as Antsy, there would be fewer problems. I don't remember being as struck by the first two books, but I enjoyed this one tremendously!
Weaknesses: The ending was a little too neat. Clever and surprising, but slightly too neat!


And we have a give away! Media Masters Publicity has offered a copy to one lucky person-- leave a comment about your favorite Shusterman book to enter to win!


And on a  World Wednesday note, I had problems with Gregory Hughes' Unhooking the Moon. (1 October 2013, Quercus) Why? The repeated use of the term "white trash".

Now, aside from the fact that my grandparents lived in a trailer park and many of my relatives are in the demographic that might fit this epithet, this is a term that is offensive for multiple reasons. By assigning the qualifier "white" to "trash", the unsaid meaning is that all people who are not white are automatically trash, and that's all kinds of offensive. A good article on this appears on Popsugar.

This book is by a British author, so I was even more confused. Combine the use of this term with a weird insistence that every creepy adult is a "goddamn pedophile", and I just can't see having this book in my library. Any thoughts?

Guest Post by Bruce Hale

I've decided that summers are a great time to host giveways and have author interviews and such. Today, I'm pleased to have some especially interesting comments by Bruce Hale, who recently came out with Playing With Fire. I thought his thoughts on the multiculturalism of the book were helpful to know!

 

It’s a spy world after all

By Bruce Hale

 

It all started with the fiercest yoga teacher I ever met. When I lived in Hawaii, I took yoga classes from a Korean woman who was veritable drill sergeant. She’d constantly be yelling at us — “Flex you feet!”  “Straight you legs, you lazy Americans!” — in her broken English, trying to help us perfect our poses.

Some of the students felt intimidated by this or found it un-yogalike, but for some reason I really “got” her. She was an excellent teacher, and I could see the huge heart beneath her gruff exterior. After she discovered that I had lived in Tokyo, she used to pepper her instructions to me with Japanese, which she spoke much better than I did.

We bonded over yoga and became friends. And all the time I was thinking, this woman is such a character — she deserves to be in a book.

At the time I was writing the Chet Gecko Mysteries, which, being animal-centric tales, offered no room for yogic drill sergeants. But a few years later, I hatched an idea for a spy story — one where a pack of orphans is being trained to become junior James Bonds and Mata Haris.

This was my chance. My friend and teacher would make a perfect spymaster. At first, the book’s working title was Shanghai Annie’s School for Spies (and Merry Sunshine Orphanage). Over many drafts, the book evolved. Thanks to feedback from Asian friends, Shanghai Annie became Hantai Annie (less stereotypical a name), and my yoga teacher became a fictional character.

 

Broken English

I knew it was a risky move to preserve her broken English — some readers would object to this portrayal of an Asian woman — but I had known plenty of people in Tokyo and Honolulu who spoke that way. I balanced it by making her multilingual, well-educated, and the smartest spy in the room. But most of all, I wanted to stay true to this strong character who had demanded to be put into a story. 

With Hantai Annie as a starting place, it felt like the most natural thing to draw the rest of the cast from a variety of ethnicities and cultures. It reflects our world, after all. Hawaii, where I’d lived for so long, is a true melting pot, and so is London, the unstated setting of the book. It would have felt odd not to be inclusive.

In Hawaii, many of my friends were multiethnic, so I wanted the story to reflect some of that reality as well. I hadn’t seen any spy/thriller books (aside from Barry Eisler’s John Rain adult thrillers) that starred an Asian or part-Asian hero, so I determined to make my hero Max Segredo part-Thai. (Plus, I’d spent some time in Thailand and really enjoyed the Thai people.)

From there, I spread out to the other characters.

Britain has a large population of people from the Indian subcontinent, so I made Miss Moorthy, the martial arts teacher, of Indian descent. Similarly, the island nation boasts plenty of black residents from Africa and the Caribbean, so I added a Jamaican student (Tremaine), and a black lock-picking teacher, Mr. Stones. Also, Max’s quasi-romantic interest, Cinnabar Jones (as well as her sister Jazz) is a mixed-race black character. (I say quasi-romantic because Max is only thirteen, and not entirely sure what to do with girls.)

 

Cultural sensitivities

To be honest, I did have some doubts about my ability to pull off this multicultural cast. After all, I’m a white guy from L.A. What do I know about the problems, attitudes, and manner of speaking for all these characters of other ethnicities? In that area, I relied heavily on my friends and fellow writers from those cultures. 

Plus, I took the advice of author-illustrator Ashley Bryan. Once, when I’d asked him whether writers could or should write about characters outside their own ethnic group and culture, he said, “If you feel it in your heart, write it.”

School for S.P.I.E.S.: Playing With Fire has been a story from my heart. And I hope readers will connect with its multicultural cast, realizing that anyone can be a spy, and anyone can be a hero.

***

Assets

Website: http://school4spies.com

Cover/About Playing with Fire: http://school4spies.com/books/book-1-playing-with-fire/

Author Bio/Photo: http://school4spies.com/author/

Videos: http://school4spies.com/video/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/storyguy1

The Garfield Show: Unfair Weather

Davis, Jim. The Garfield Show: Unfair Weather
16 July 2013, Papercutz
E ARC from publisher

Garfield has his own graphic novel series detailing his continued adventures! In this first volume (and the book listed eight so far), Garfield is up to many of his old tricks. When Drusilla and Minerva, Jon's nieces, want to go camping, the group runs into very strange, wintery weather in the midst of a heat wave. It turns out to be the work of Hiram Pressure, working on behalf of an evil businessman. Garfield rights the situation, but also arranges for it to rain lasagna. A trip to Doc Boy's farm involves the animals getting hooked on television and delivery pizza. A room and pet cleaning robot is foiled.
Strengths: Garfield is funny stuff, and these comic books will be a big hit with students who follow the comic strip or, apparently, the television show. That explains a lot!
Weaknesses: I was confused by the change in style, both artistically and thematically, but now that I know about the television show, it makes more sense. These books (which, given their episodic nature, are really more comic books than graphic novels) are done in the style of the television show rather than the comic strip, and Garfield has adventures that take him a little further from home.

I used to think that Garfield was hysterical. When I was in high school, I had a couple of posters, even bought a book or two of the collected comics. Then, at one point, I no longer found Garfield funny! Wonder what happened. No matter, my students still like him!

MMGM-- Girl Power!

 It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts. Both sites have lots of links to reviews about books that are great for the 4th through 8th grader. It's also Nonfiction Monday at Biblio Links.
 

Congratulations to Julee at Book Egg for winning the copy of Sidekicked, and thanks to Walden Pond Press for offering to send a copy to the winner!

McLean, Hope. Catch Us if You Can (Jewel Society#1)
1 June 2013, Scholastic Paperbacks
E ARC from Netgalley. com

Jasmine, Lili, Erin and Willow are on the Washington Jewels quiz bowl team, and bound and determined to win the championship even though they are new to the game and the best team, the Atkinson Rivals, are as good as they are evil. With the help of their advisor, Ms. Keatley, they work hard to improve their knowledge base, but when a valuable necklace that belonged to Martha Washington is stolen from their school library, they turn their attention to detecting. They find proof that the Rivals didn't have sound alibis for when the necklace disappeared, but when they tell their principal, all that happens is that the Atkinson principal slams them in the local news. Redoubling their efforts, they find more clues about where the Rivals may have hidden the necklace, as well as information that Martha Washington had three other jewels that would be a danger when stored together. Can the Jewels beat the Rivals, both at the quiz bowl tournament, but also at thievery?
Strengths: I liked that the girls were very interested in academics, and that they all had different strengths. Willow, who is African American, is good at soccer and math; Lili is Asian and likes fashion design and art; Erin covers history, and Jasmine is good at science. The writing goes down smoothly, and I can see this series being a best seller at school book fairs with my girls who love clue oriented mysteries featuring girls. The D.C. setting adds a lot to the educational value! I will definitely buy this series in prebind when available.
Weaknesses: I know that four seems to be the standard number of characters to have in a middle grade ensemble cast (Kimmel's Forever Four, Simon's The Cupcake Diaries), but it's a lot to keep straight. The multicultural aspect seems a bit contrived, but this is set near D.C., so it's always possible. The most evil girl from Atkinson is French-- is that politically correct?


McLean, Hope. Diamonds are a Thief's Best Friend
30 July 2013, Scholastic Paperbacks
E ARC from Netgalley.com

The Martha Washington Jewels travel to NYC to compete in the quiz bowl there...and so, of course, so the Rivals. They have to worry about preparing their knowledge skills and also worry that the Rivals are going to steal diamonds. They use their research skills to narrow it down to two possible places, and fight back and forth to try to outsmart the other students, Isabel especially. Of course, being in NYC is fun, and they get to watch the Atkinson prep advisor try to flirt with their own, but at the end of the book, the Jewels are concerned about the remaining sapphire and emerald and how to keep those out of the hands of the Rivals.
Strengths: I still liked that the girls were knowledgeable and strong, the strong sense of place, and the characters in general. Erin especially has the middle school "lack of filter" that gets so many of them in trouble.
Weaknesses: There was even more in this that I couldn't quite believe (they get past so much museum security, and things fall into place so easily), and the appearance of the notes with clues just confused me. Was it the Rivals trying to set them up? I want to see how this mystery shakes out, but I wish the circumstances were a little more believable.

Please note that there seems to be some confusion over the series title. I have seen both "Jewel Thieves" and "Jewel Society", although "Society" seems to dominate. Book three,  Keep Friends Close, Emeralds Closer is due out 24 September 2013,  and The Battle of the Brightest is due 26 November 2013!

Harness, Cheryl. Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero.
1 March 2013, Albert Whitman and Company

I'm becoming more and more convinced that picture book biographies might be the way to go to incorporate more nonfiction into the curriculum. For example, this excellent biography would go along with fiction books about women's rights, the civil war, and anything with medicine. I also think it's important for young people (girls especially) to be reminded that society was not always as it is today, and that women have not been allowed to wear pants on a regular basis for that long. (Forty years ago, teachers on many districts could only wear pants if they had a coordinating jacket that completely covered their derriere!) This was a fascinating look at the life of one very outspoken woman who did not let the mores of the times limit was she was able to do.

45 Pounds (More or Less)

Barson, K.A. 45 Pounds (More or Less)
11 July 2013, Viking Juvenile
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Ann struggles with her weight, but also with her family situation. Her parents are long divorced, and her brother lives with her father and his "perfect" new family. She lives with her busy mother, stepfather, and preschool aged twin half siblings. Her grandmother is a great comfort, but when her aunt Jackie announces that she and her girlfriend, Chris, are getting married, Ann goes in to complete panic mode. She decides she HAS to lose 45 pounds before she must be a bridesmaid, and signs up for delivery of expensive, preplanned meals, thinking this is the magic bullet. In order to fund this, she needs to get a job. Snapz, a trendy clothing store in the mall, doesn't hire her, but the Twisty Pretzel does. A couple of the popular girls at Ann's school work there; the "knees". RayNEE is nice, but Courtney is awful. Courtney's cousin, however, is really cute, and Ann is glad to be included in their plans so she can get to know him. The diet goes more slowly than Ann would hope, but she does try, even if her supercritical mother doesn't think so. Ann has an "ah ha!" moment when she sees her sister Libby telling her teddy bears that if they don't eat very much, they won't get fat, and decides she is setting a poor example with her prepackaged meals. She tries to focus on just being healthier, especially after she learns more about the reasons for her mother's behavior.
Strengths: This was an excellent book about a teen's struggle with her weight. Very realistic, balanced, and thought out. I could relate to the mother's obsessiveness (I was put on a diet at the age of 8 and told to lose ten pounds; my mother rewarded me with Avon perfume pins), and I liked that Ann eventually came upon a well reasoned approach that included running. The family dynamics were realistic, as were the actions of her new friends. Enjoyed reading this, and weight loss is one of those problems that 7th grade students like to read about in the dark of winter.
Weaknesses:  The grandmothers were both over-the-top kind of characters, which seemed out of place in such a realistic book.

Saturday Morning Cartoons-- The Smurfs

Peyo. The Smurfs Anthology #1
25 June 2013, Papercutz
Copy provided by publisher

This larger format book is a great overview of the creation of the Smurfs (which started as just a part of this author's Johan and Peewit comic) along with some of the earlier comics. There's even some World War II history involved-- I had no idea! My favorite story line was probably the Smurfs getting bitten by a bug and turning into vampire-type creatures; it was really funny, especially with the proliferation of vampire books today! This would be an excellent addition to any public library collection, as it would have appeal to various age groups, especially children of the 1980s!

As for middle school, I'm going to test drive it with my students. When the Smurfs television cartoon was on, I was in high school, and high school students saw the program as a vast source of amusement, for many of the wrong reasons. I shared this with the Papercutz publicist, Jesse Post, who was very understanding! I do love this publisher's Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys graphic novels, and was also really excited to see their Garfield graphic novel series, but my past memories of Smurfette and the idiomatic language of the Smurfs ("We're smurfing to smurf to the smurf now") makes me want to try this with my students before putting it in the collection!

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Zigzag Zoom (Zigzag Kids #8)
9 April 2013, Wendy Lamb Books

Gina has brand new white tennis shoes, and when she sees a sign that says "Help!" at school, she takes off running very quickly, so everyone thinks she is a great runner. She only ran so fast because she thought someone was in danger, but it was only Ramon inviting the children to practice. The Zigzag Zebras are going to race against the Timpanzi Tigers, so Ramon has them running around the school and the neighborhood. Gina and Clifton don't like to run-- they would rather sing or make music. The group runs into trouble, as well. They don't have enough money to get a bus to the Tigers' school, and will have to walk unless they can raise the money with a bake sale, they can't, so Gina has to walk and then run, which isn't so bad when she gets the group to sing on the way over, and keeps a song in her heart as she runs. 
Strengths: Emergent readers love series, and this one has a lot of characters to whom it is easy to relate. Gina doesn't want to get her new tennis shoes dirty, but does, and the chapter heading pictures show their evolution! I was glad to see that Gina eventually didn't mind running. There were a lot of supportive adults, as well as good sportsmanship.
Weaknesses: This was written on a very elementary level, so I have trouble judging it, but there were some things that didn't make much sense. Why would Gina get so upset about a sign saying "Help!", and then there was no explanation, really, as to why the sign had been put up. There is no way the group could make money for a bus by selling pretzels for 5 cents each, and would the cafeteria ladies just donate the materials? I'm never convinced that Gina is a great singer, and it was a little disturbing that a more positive spin on running wasn't employed. I usually like this author, so I was surprised at this book.
Weaknesses:

Guy Friday-- Niche Writing

I get an amazing number of requests to review books, and I turn most of them down.Two authors recently caught my attention, though, because of the fact that they very clearly saw a void in books for middle grade boys, and wrote books to fill those voids. While I don't normally review books that are hard to get for school libraries, I thought that both of these deserved a mention.

You can still get Love Thug for free at http://amzn.to/16pzSoh!

Berenson, Daniel. Love Thug: AKA Can't I Do Anything Wrong?
26 April 2013,  Freaky Dude Books
Copy provided by author

Billy is completely enamored of the lovely Veronica, who is permanently glued to the side of Lester, a ne'er to well middle schooler who smokes and is constantly in trouble, so when his friend Kevin makes a chance remark that Veronica must like the fact that Lester is a jerk, Billy has an epiphany. HE will be a jerk, thus winning Veronica's affection. He tries it all-- stealing library books, cutting class, smoking in the hallway, and even pulling the fire alarm right in front of a school administrator, but everything he does backfires, and he cannot overcome his reputation as a good kid. In the end, Veronica still likes Lester best just because he's Lester, but Billy decides that perhaps if he tries to be a perfect gentleman, his plans may back fire and then he can embrace his true calling as a "love thug".
Strengths: Original and fast-paced, this story captures the mind-set of a middle school student well, and the ways in which Billy tries to get in trouble are realistic. I can't think of another middle grade book that describes trying to smoke a cigarette in a way that is both funny and off-putting. Berenson avoids the cliche of having Billy's friend Laurie suddenly seem like a good romantic interest, and he gets bonus points for Billy's somewhat geeky friend Kevin being African American without belaboring the fact.
Weaknesses: A little too heavy on the description, and sometimes half a bubble off. I haven't seen a middle school student in a blue skirt and white blouse (as Veronica is wearing) for a long time, and I don't know that middle school students have heart-to-heart talks about relationships.





Schatt, Stan and Demian. Journey to a Different Dimension
17 May 2013, CreateSpace

Paul and Ryan are all set to play Minecraft when they have to visit with Tiffany, whose mother is visiting with Paul's stepmother. She isn't interested in their game, but when the game starts, all three teens are sucked into the world of Minecraft. They are unsure how they will get out, but know that they have to keep themselves safe, and go about their days as if they were playing the game. They are robbed, find and blow up the robbers, and go into the jungle. There, they see a village and protect it from zombies, but learn that a nearby village has been attacked. They blow up the zombies there and end up going through many different scenarios and fighting the dangers there-- a mushroom biome, a swamp, and a desert. Tiffany reads a book to learn about the game and draws on her skills obtained during Girl Scouts to help out. Ryan turns out to be a graceful swordsman, and Paul uses his intelligence to lead the group. Eventually, they reach the portal at the end of the game and are able to return home.
Strengths: Many students profess an interest in computer games. Judging by how much of the action I didn't understand, readers who enjoy Minecraft will find this to be a faithful recounting of Minecraft type activities. It is a short book, and easy to understand. Tiffany, though unwilling at first, is a strong female character, and the three face all of their obstacles bravely and with intelligence. This would be a good choice for hard core computer gamers who can't be convinced to step away from their gaming to read anything else.
Weaknesses: This will make very little sense to people unfamiliar with Minecraft. There is little character development, and the action is described in a basic, almost dispassionate way. It would have helped if the teens knew what they needed to do to get out of the game and had a goal to work for, or investigated how to get out. This would have given them more purpose. Still, children who love the game will care more about the world building than character building, and will probably enjoy this.

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking

If you haven't signed up for the Summer Throw Down, hurry over to The Brain Lair and do so immediately!

I admit that I took an evil sort of glee in battling the teachers last year, although really, I don't normally feel that the teachers and I are competing AGAINST each other! This year, the goal is to read more than one did last summer-- I managed to get through 54 books last year, and am barely logging a book a day this summer, so I don't think that will happen.

Follow the tweets at #summerthrowdown-- this is the entire reason why I signed up for a Twitter account!





Dionne, Erin. Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking 

11 July 2013, Dial

E ARC from Netgalley.com

Moxie lives in Jamaica Plain near Boston with her mother and grandmother. Her grandfather, Grumps, is in a rest home because he has Alzheimers. When Moxie is approached by a red haired woman who gives her a message for her grandfather that  Sully Cupcakes wants his stuff back. Grumps doesn’t have enough lucid days to give Moxie any clues; he just tells her that Sully is dangerous. Moxie and her friend Ollie have a great summer after 8^th grade planned- they have been given train passes and permission to travel into Boston as long as they are together, and plan to go on lots of sightseeing trips. Moxie continues to be harassed by the red haired woman, however, so tries to figure out what “stuff” she is talking about. She eventually realizes that it is artwork that was stolen in March of 1990o from the Isabell Stewart Gardner museum, and finds out that her grandfather, a carpenter, did work for organized crime bosses and may have hidden the paintings in buildings that he helped to renovate. When Moxie and Ollie uncover some of the paintings in the state house attic, they know they are on to something. It’s dangerous, though, and when Ollie’s phone is answered by the red headed woman, Moxie fears he’s been kidnapped. This doesn’t stop her from uncovering other treasures, even when she has to call 911 to come and get some of them so that she can escape from the Old North Church with being attacked! Their quest takes them into the Green Monster and Fenway Stadium, as well as all over the city.

Strengths: This is a book where the setting becomes a character in the book. I’ve only been to Boston once recently, but the details of the city are excellent and add a lot to the story. The theft is based on one that really occurred, but as it has not yet been solved, this story is all conjecture about what might have happened. Moxie is fun, and her need to explore on her own is tempered nicely by the concern shown by her mother and grandmother when she does. I do like this author’s other books and would be very happy if Moxie were to show up in another mystery book. Fans of Beil’s Red Blazer Girls will be glad to take their sleuthing skills to Boston.

Weaknesses: Moxie behaves in ways that would be very dangerous in real life, and this gave me a little pause. The red headed woman was super creepy and dangerous. 

I picked up a copy of Karen Karbo's Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs and was sad to see the first book in the series was out of print. While this looks like something my girls who like mystery series would like, I’m trying to break myself of buying out of print books!Good to dust off for girls who like this book and are waiting for the sequel, if you have copies.

Roecker, Lisa and Laura. This is W.A.R.
2 July 2013, SoHo Teen, ARC from Baker and Taylor

For a more YA mystery, ones that fans of Pretty Little Liars would like, take a look at this one. I may pass for middle school because the sexual innuendo.

From Goodreads.com
"This is W.A.R. begins with a victim who can no longer speak for herself, and whose murder blossoms into a call-to-arms. Enter four very different girls, four very different motives to avenge Willa Ames-Rowan, and only one rule to start: Destroy James Gregory and his family at any cost. Willa's initials spell the secret rallying cry that spurs the foursome to pool their considerable resources and deliver their particular brand of vigilante justice. Innocence is lost, battles are won—and the pursuit of the truth ultimately threatens to destroy them all."

Why World Wednesday?

Check out this great graphic from Firstbook.org.  Those of us on the middle grade, realistic fiction Cybils committee definitely noticed this.

I wonder if this is improving at all?

World Wednesday-- Smokescreen

Hartry, Nancy. Smokescreen.
9 July 2013, Tundra Books
E ARC from Netgalley.com

When Kerry's shin splints keep her from participating in Irish dancing competitions, her mother pulls strings to get her a job in Northwestern Ontario with the forestry department, scouting locations for cabins. She works with Yvette, who speaks French and has worked in the past. The two are the only girls among a lot of rough men, and when forest fires break out, they have to spend a lot of time working in remote locations. This is dangerous enough, but the girls also uncover a mystery that puts them in danger.
Strengths: With all of the forest fires in the west, this was very interesting. I liked Kerry and Yvette, and found out a lot about northwest Ontario, including a little bit about the Metis people. 
Weaknesses: More of a YA book. There's a lot of cigarette smoking and drinking, as well as some romantic entanglements with older men. This would be interesting for a high school library.


MacHale, D.J. Sylo
2 July 2013, Razorbill
Copy from YABC and reviewed there.

Tucker is shocked when an older football player on his team dies on the field, and his small island community takes it hard. When Tucker and his friend Quinn are out biking at night because they can't sleep in the wake of this event, they see a weird explosion right off the coast. They report it right away-- is it aliens? What is it? Tucker is approached by a man he has seen hanging about town, Mr. Feit, who offers him a new "nutritional supplement", Ruby, which he assures Tucker is just "salts and sugars". Tucker takes some because he is having trouble on the football team, but he realizes that something that makes him feel that strong probably is really, really bad for him. When another islander dies, the island is occupied by SYLO forces after the U.S. president claims that the island is the site of a virus he doesn't want to spread. Tucker, Quinn, and their new friend Tori (who also saw the explosion) think that the deaths are tied to Ruby, not to a virus. They also suspect that SYLO is not telling them the complete truth, so they make a plan to escape. They are caught, and become even more concerned when they are kept in a SYLO compound.
Strengths: Love that this involved football AND an invasion. The boys wear helmets when they are biking, and they are good kids (if somewhat misguided). There is some nice, light romance, and Tori is an excellent female character! At one point, the coach uses the fantastic phrase "fiddle farting around". (Or fart-fiddling. Either way, it's a gret phrase!) There's nothing inappropriate, but it would be a great read for high school or middle school. In fact, there was a whole lot that I loved about this one, which surprised me. MacHale's work usually just confuses me, even though it's really popular with my readers. (Could not tell you what the Pendragon series is about to save my soul, even though I read it and have every student who finishes it try to explain it to me. Complete fantasy amnesia about it.) The best part is that I really don't know where this is going, and how everything will be explained, so I really want to read the next book!
Weaknesses: There were some deaths of key characters which surprised me a bit. Of course, since this is a trilogy and one of the people was vaporized rather than killed outright, maybe he will return.


Yancey, Rick. The 5th Wave
7 May 2013, Putnam Juvenile
For more post-apocalyptic thrills, there is a new title by the author of the fabulous Monstrumologist. Unfortunately, most of the reviews I've read indicated that it was more Young Adult, and I have to concur-- not because of any violence, but because it started out in a rather slow fashion and had a bit too much philosophy and description interspersed with the action. I really, REALLY wanted to like this one, but when a book is around 500 pages long, it's got to pop right from the beginning or it will be returned right away. Reading Rants disagrees, but unless I have some money to spare, I'm going to direct readers to check this one out of the public library. Sigh.

From Goodreads.com:
"After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

Tinerra, Amy. Reboot
7 May 2013, HarperTeen

This started off violently, and then just got kind of confusing. I'm impressed with the writing, though; it had an Alexander Gordon Smith Lockdown quality to it-- I really assumed the author was British! Sadly, I'll have to file it under Young Adult and send my Baker and Taylor ARC on to the high school instead of using it as a prize at my school.  Again, from Goodreads.com

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders