Spooky Books

Ghislain, Gary. A Bad Night for Bullies (The Goolz Next Door #2)
March 13th 2018 by Boyds Mills Press
Copy provided by the publisher

Harold and his mother live a quiet life in a seaside town. Even though Harold has been in a wheelchair since an accident when he was young, he manages quite well, and the fact that bully Alex treats him badly is the only problem he seems to have. When horror writer Frank Goolz and his daughters Ilona and Suzie move in next door, life starts to get more exciting. Harold thinks he sees a monster in their house, but the Goolz deny it, until Ilona seeks out Harold to tell him the truth-- they possess a magical stone with very strong powers, and their father and Suzie have been trying to use it to bring back the girls' mother, It is having bad effects on Mr. Goolz health, so Ilona wants Harold to hide the stone from Suzie. He finds that he can use the stone to enable himself to walk, but the side effects are terrible. As Harold and the girls try to investigate the monsterous woman who was in their house and is now terrorizing the town, they uncover old secrets that involve many residents, including bully Alex's father. Harold's mother is worried and wants him to disassociate himself with the Goolz, but life is so much more exciting now, especially since he and Ilona like each other, that he doesn't want to listen to her. Will Harold and his new neighbors be able to put a long perplexing mystery to rest, and will there be others that they need to tackle?
Strengths: This was a fairly good paranormal mystery for middle grade readers. It's a good length, and the formatting is solid. The plot moves along quickly. I particularly liked Ilona and Harold's relationship, which was very sweet and typical of middle school romances. The plots involving the stone and the  old mystery wove together nicely, and there were lots of creepy, scary moments.
Weaknesses: Perhaps it is because the author wasn't raised in the US, but there were a lot of moments that didn't seem quite right. The school scenes are a bit odd, and Harold's wheelchair use didn't feel as accurate as Vaught's portray of Super Max did. (Pushing the wheelchair down the steps and then getting in the lift? Don't most wheelchair lifts take the wheelchair? The initial accident also didn't convince me.) I would almost guarantee that Harold's mother would not have let him sleep over at the Goolz on a school night, or any other night. Not as a seventh grade boy. I'm not sure if middle grade readers will pick up on these things, but they bothered me.
What I really think: I can see readers of Mary Downing Hahn's work being intrigued by the plot, but this may be a bit of a hard sell, since the cover and title leave a bit to be desired.

Ventrella, Kim. Skeleton Tree.
September 26th 2017 by Scholastic Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

 Stanly's life is difficult-- his father has moved out, and his mother is trying hard to make ends meet as a clerk at Walgreen's. Stanly and his sister Miren  are fortunate to have Ms. Francine, who is from Kyrgyzstan, babysit for them. Miren has been very ill with some sort of respiratory problem. One day, Stanly finds a bone growing in the yard. It looks suspiciously like a skeleton, and as the days pass, the bone does grow into a full skeleton that Miren names "Princey". Only the children can see the skeleton, but Ms. Francine takes the children's concern about him seriously. Stanly and his friend Jaxon hope that they can submit a picture to the Young Discoverers competition and win the prize money, but strange things happen when they try to photograph the skeleton. As Miren's illness worsens, Stanly comes to the conclusion that while the skeleton seems to make Miren feel better, this might not be the best thing. With the help of Ms. Francine, he tries to come to terms with what is happening with his sister.

For a book dealing with the impending death of a child, this was surprisingly readable. I wish that Miren's ailment had been given a name; throughout most of the book, I assumed she was suffering the effects of cystic fibrosis, but toward the end of the book it is hinted that she actually has some sort of cancer.

Jaxon and Stanly's attempts at photographing the skeleton, and their insistence on entering the competition so that Stanly's family can have some more money are admirable and realistic. It is very easy to suspend disbelief and accept that there is, in fact, a skeleton growing in Stanly's yard. Ventrella gives enough details about trying to hide the skeleton from neighbors and delivery boys, and tells us more about Miren's interactions with it once we start to understand the true nature of its being.

Ms. Francine is an interesting character; since the mother is so frantic and harried, Francine is a great, philosophic counterpart who has time to explain things to the children and take them on fun outings for which their mother does not have time. She gets the quotable lines like "The ones you hold dear never leave you", which is a lovely, if basically untrue, thought.

For a book that is so philosophical, it moved quickly and kept my interest. While this is not as spooky a story as the cover might indicate, I can see it being popular with readers who enjoy books like Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish and Goebel's Grave Images.

Like Vanessa

Charles, Tami. Like Vanessa.
March 13th 2018 by Charlesbridge
Copy provided by the publisher

Vanessa Martin's life is very different from that of Vanessa Williams. After seeing Williams crowned as the first black Miss America in 1984, Vanessa sees this as a source of hope in her own life. She lives in a struggling neighborhood with her uncommunicative father and her sometimes inebriated  grandfather, since her mother is not in the picture. Vanessa tries to make sense of her world by writing in a diary she has named Darlene, and tries to imagine a better life for herself, but isn't quite sure where to start. When a teacher at school, Mrs. Walton, approaches Vanessa to enter a beauty pageant, she is very surprised. She is heavy, doesn't dress well, and is very dark skinned, and none of those things say "beauty queen" in Vanessa's world. Even her friend Tanisha, who is more interested in basketball lately, is a bit surprised. Vanessa is an excellent singer and a good student, and Mrs. Walton assures her that those are the two most crucial aspects of the pageant; the rest can be worked on. With the help of her cousin TJ, she learns to walk in heels, takes better care of her skin and hair, and starts to dress a bit more fashionably. She has a rocky relationship with Beatriz, another pageant contestant, and finds out more information about the elusive mother whom she misses. The pageant itself is not easy, but with some surprising reveals from Mrs. Walton, Vanessa learns to trust that her own abilities and motivation are enough to make a better life for herself.
Strengths: This book works for middle school or high school, which I really appreciate. Students today don't realize how very different things were in the 1980s, and there really isn't a whole lot of historical fiction covering this period. Although there are plenty of books written during that time, few cover the black experience. The inclusion and treatment of topics such as TJ's sexuality, perception of appearance, importance of church, and child abuse make this book a layered tour de force of Important Topics delivered with a sparkly layer of lip gloss! That's a good combination, especially for middle school students who may not be as accustomed to reading about social issues.
Weaknesses: The font on the cover could have so easily been a cool 1980s one. There are SO many. There could have been a few more 1980s details. I was personally uncomfortable with how much Vanessa's success was tied to her appearance, but that is absolutely true of the time period. It may take some explaining to today's students, who regularly come to school in the same athletic gear they wore to bed!
What I really think: This is a must purchase for middle schools and high schools, and will find a wide variety of readers. As for the importance of appearances-- perhaps we need a little more of that in the world today, if only so students would wear jeans instead of leggings or track pants to school! I was always able to go right from school, in my skirts or dresses, to work in the So-Fro Fabrics in the mall! (Below: I actually made the ensemble on the left in a turquoise cotton with a cream eyelet pinafore. And I wore it to school. And no one laughed. Different times. Image from Etsy. Probably a Simplicity pattern.)

Tournament Trouble

Chang, Slyv. Tournament Trouble
March 13th 2018 by Annick Press
ARC provided by the publisher

Jaden is really good at playing the video game Change Up. He and older brother Josh own a copy, but they have to hide it from their over protective mother, who fortunately works fairly long hours at a diner. When Jaden has another high score as his JStar identity and beats Kn1ght_Rage, he gets an invitation to enter the Top Tiers Tournament. Unfortunately, participants need a parent to sign for them if they are under 13, and Jaden knows that neither of his parents will agree. He tries to sneak in with his brother's i.d., which doesn't work, but his friend 's parents are more understanding, so he manages to get signed up with his friend's father's signature. Other things are going on his his life-- his good friend and next door neighbor Cali, who also plays video games, is having a hard time taking care of her mother, whose MS is worsening, and may have to go live with her father. To complicate matters, Jaden and his friends Dev and Hugh are being bullied at school by boys who cheat off their papers-- and their teacher, Mr. Efram, tries to help the situation by having Jaden and his friends tutor the other boys. This is somewhat convenient, since Jaden can use the tutoring to cover for sneaking away to the tournament, but doesn't work in the end. When the tournament ends up coinciding with Cali's father coming to town to retrieve her, help arrives from an unlikely source for Jaden to be able to play in it.
Strengths: This was fast-paced, engaging, and a lot of fun to read! The inclusion of a well-developed video game, as well as the tournament, will appeal to many tween readers who are fond of gaming. The fact that Cali also likes to play is a welcome addition, since (from what I understand) girls are often not treated well in gaming circles. There is a backstory about Jaden's uncle growing up in China that adds credence to the fact that his mother doesn't like violence, and I thought that the fact that she never talked about this uncle was very realistic. Cali's predicament is handled well, and Jaden and his family (and ultimately, her father and his girlfriend) are supportive of her. There is a great twist at the end of the book concerning the identity of Kn1ght_Rage that I especially appreciated. Great length, fun illustrations-- good stuff!
Weaknesses: I was afraid that this would be hard to find in the US, but there is a hardcover edition available through Follett! Thanks for sharing, Canada! (And yes, Scholastic Canada, I'm still bitter about you bogarting Carroll's Ultra.)
What I really think: Definitely looking forward to sharing this with my reluctant readers who love video games. Schrieber's Game Over, Pete Watson and Anderson's Insert Coin to Continue did not have enough companions to continue the trend I thought I saw two years ago.

Delaney, Joseph. The Dark Assassin (Starblade Chronicles #3)
Published September 26th 2017 by Greenwillow Books
Purchased copy

After A New Darkness and The Dark Army, we meet up again we Tom and Jenny, but also Grimalkin, who has been killed but is inhabiting a weird in between plain, and hoping to help fight against the Kobalos. Bill Arkwright makes a brief appearance, but when his remaining dog turns against him, but Jenny and Tom know that something is wrong, and it turns out that this is indeed the case. Could the Kobalos mages really be that powerful, and do they really want the Starblade that badly? Of course they do, and Lukastra and his thralls fight horribly against Tom and the forces of good he is able to muster. As the battle comes to its inevitable conclusion, who will be able to save the day? Who will belong to the light, and who to the dark? And most of all, will Alice and Tom be able to reconcile their prospective sides and be together?
Strengths: Delaney's writing is brilliantly engaging, even when it is rather gross. This is no doubt why I have so may students who love this series. It's my first choice when a reader is done with The Ranger's Apprentice or Stroud's Lockwood and Co. This is a worthy ending, and the very end is fairly happy.
Weaknesses: This was very grim. I'm not a big fan of Grimalkin (she gets alternating chapters) and the ookiness of the monsters and the blood, but a lot of my readers love that about these books. Just not my thing.
What I really think: I'm very curious to see what Delaney will write next. I really, really thought that The Last Apprentice would be the new Hunger Games, so have about four of the first book in the series. The movie and books never caught on like I hoped, but it was still money well spent to have the extra copies, since they have all been glued back together at least once!

MMGM- Hero: Rescue Mission and Frenemies

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Always in the Middle and #IMWAYR day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.


Shotz, Jennifer. Hero: Rescue Mission (Hero #3)
October 31st 2017 by HarperCollins
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ben is very concerned about his latest baseball game, but when his father has to leave suddenly, he's even more worried. It turns out that there are two dangerous escaped criminals on the loose, and his father, who is a policeman for the Gulfport, Louisiana force, goes to look for them. He leaves Ben in charge of his mother and both Hero and Scout, the new rescue dog. However, Ben is not able to just sit and wait when his father goes missing, so he deputizes his best friend, Noah, whose arm has been injured, to keep an eye on them while he takes off with Hero to help. During the search with the police, Ben is bitten by a snake and ends up in the hospital. He's in pain and woozy from the venom and the drugs, but he still manages to escape. He runs into another boy, Tucker, who loans him a bike and goes with him into the woods. Using Hero's skills, they locate his father in an abandoned cabin. Will two boys, a dog, and a wounded police officer be able to fight off two dangerous criminals?

As much as I personally shook my head at Ben running off from the hospital, Hero: Rescue Mission has all of the hallmarks of a top notch middle grade novel. It starts with a ball game and segues immediately into the search. Ben won't let anything stand in his way of helping, even when he is hurt. Hero is an awesome dog. The criminals are dangerous but just inept enough to be easily defeated. The pacing of the story is very quick, and there are just enough details to add an urgent verisimilitude to Ben's plight.

Reader's who enjoyed Wallace's The Wilder Boys, Hobbs Never Say Die, Gemeinhart's The Honest Truth, Klimo's Barry, or Messner's Ranger in Time series will be delighted with this harrowing tale of survival and adventure that showcases exactly why dogs are a child's best friend.



Krull, Kathleen and Lam, Maple. Frenemies in the Family: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other's Backs March 13th 2018 by Crown Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

In this corporate biography, we are treated to an overview of 16 different sets of siblings who all reached some manner of fame. While the basic biographical details are covered, the fun comes with the detailed stories of the hijinks and intrigue that the siblings in which the siblings were involved. Some are on the sadder side (Queen Elizabeth I and Bloody Mary), some involved lots of competition (the Williams Sisters, the Kennedys), but all showed the difficulties of being in the spotlight of history are how brothers and sisters can either help or hinder you. I liked that most of the time, the siblings were helpful.

The illustrations by Lam are fun, and the comic strip style inserts may encourage children who aren't as crazy about biographies to pick this up. This would be a fun read aloud for a class room and a great way to introduce young readers to historical figures whom they might want to investigate more fully.

The tone is breezy and humorous, and the interactions of the characters the sorts of things that brothers and sisters do all the time. I absolutely adored biographies as a child (in 3rd and 4th grade, I managed to work my way through all of the Childhood of Famous Americans books in my school library), and if I had been given this in second grade, it would have been worn to tatters by the time I was in middle school.               

A Possibility of Whales

Rivers, Karen. A Possibility of Whales
March 13th 2018 by Algonquin Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Natalia lives with her movie star father, XAN GALLAGHER, a larger than life force even though he hasn't had a hit movie since she was a baby. Her mother left when she was very young. Tired of the paparazzi following the two of them around, her father moves them frequently, and the latest stop is a trailer over looking the coast in Canada. Nat misses her friends from her old school, even if there were some problems with them, but she does make a friend, Harry, at her new school. The two get along famously, and Nat doesn't care at all that Harry started out life as a girl, which is good, since Harry's family isn't as supportive as he would like. Harry is a bit reluctant to hang out with Nat, because he feels that if he could hang out with some of the cool boys, life would be easier. Nat is enthralled with the whales that she can see from her home from time to time, and shares this excitement with Bird, a woman she occasionally talks to on a burner phone that she found at her previous house. Bird seems a bit lonely, and is glad to talk to Nat, who sort of pretends that Bird is a mother figure to her. When the paparazzi find Nat and her father, she knows that her time in Canada is limited, and tried to make the most of it.
Strengths: This is a steady depiction of a transgender boy, and I appreciated that while Harry's father was not thrilled, the family was as accepting as they could be, and Harry's identity wasn't the whole point of the story. It's a tough balance, but Rivers has a nice touch with it. The issues of parental involvement and of a celebrity parent are also deftly handled. Rivers excels in hallucinatory scenes, but there is just a brief one in this book.
Weakneses: The story line with Bird was a bit odd, and didn't add a lot to the story. I also wondered how long Nat could continue to use the burner phone, so it was also a bit hard to believe.
What I really think: This put me in mind of Wilson's The Longest Whale Song. What is it about the lack of a mother and the connection to whales? Or Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish. Perhaps we need a more upbeat book involving the ocean!

Belle of the Ball (Hoops #1)

Delle Donne, Elena. Belle of the Ball (Hoops #1)
March 13th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Elle DeLuca is lucky that she enjoys playing basketball-- she's 6' tall in the 7th grade, so everyone always asks. When a new coach changes her position, she is concerned that she isn't as good a player as she could be. Add to her worries the fact that her private school has a mandatory cotillion that involves her dancing with boys much shorter than herself. She also has to wear a dress, which seems like a horrible idea. Her friend Avery tries to be supportive, and her mother, while very busy with her sports loving siblings and special needs sister, also tries to help when she can. Elle eventually finds a dress that works, and realizes that dancing can be fun under certain circumstances, and she also learns to hold her own on the basketball court in hew new position.
Strengths: There are not as many books about girls' basketball as I need, and it's great to see a basketball star writing a book based loosely on her own life.  There were many good details about basketball. I especially liked the part where Elle's mother talks to the principal about changing expectations for the dance so that students may dance with a friend of the same gender (since Elle was okay with dancing with her friend Amanda) or wear appropriately dressy slacks instead of a skirt. Much more in line with today's students.
Weaknesses: A mandatory cotillion? These things still exist, but the whole idea seemed so strange to me that the school might well have required a mandatory interview with a space alien.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and looking forward to the next book, expected 12 June 2018.

But seriously, if girls have to wear skirts, they need to learn to sit in them properly! The cover hurts my feelings. When I was in Bluebirds, we spent one whole meeting learning how to sit in chairs and on the floor in a skirt! Also, I wear skirts almost every day because they are way more comfortable than pants, even with tights. Tights are no more uncomfortable than leggings, and plenty of people like to pretend that those are clothing!


Delle Donne, Elena. My Shot: Balancing it All and Standing TallMarch 13th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

For a woman a bit older than my own daughter, Delle Donne has had enough interesting things happen in her life to write a suitable memoir. She talks about her high school career, family struggles, her challenges in deciding what to do in college, problems with recurring Lyme disease, coming to terms with coming out, and her career in the WNBA and involvement with the Special Olympics. The book is fairly well written and moves along at a good pace, but is still fairly long. I will probably purchase this, since it is an inspiring story, but I'm not entirely sure any of my students have ever heard of Delle Donne.

Stanley Will Probably Be Fine/ Stuff Unicorns Love

Pla, Sally J. Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
February 6th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Stanley lives with his obnxious older brother, harried real estate/account mother, and elderly grandfather who suffers from Parkinson's in California. He attends middle school, but it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to get through the day. His father is doing humanitarian work in Africa, and the boys miss him and his influence terribly. His best friend, Joon, keeps telling him to "be normal", and is hanging around with Dylan more than Stanley would like him to. The principal has frequent disaster assemblies to acquaint students with emergency procedures, but due to Stanley's sensory processing disorder, he finds the commotion and stress overwhelming. After one melt down, he finds himself in the nurse's office, and his mother finally tells the school about his condition. He is shown a room where he can go to decompress if necessary, which is very helpful. In the meantime, he and Joon are making plans to do a puzzle quest in order to earn VIP tickets to the local Comic Con. When Joon decides he would rather do this with Dylan, Stanley gets roped into participating with mysterious new neighbor, Liberty. Liberty is homeschooled, lives with her uncle, and has secrets in her past. The two do a very good job with the puzzles, and come very close to getting all of them when Liberty's worried mother descends to take her home. Dylan, despite his anxiety, struggles to finish, and is helped at the very last by an unlikely source. With Liberty gone, will he manage to patch things up with Joon in order to go to Comic Con together?
Strengths: Stanley is a very intriguing character, and his friendships with Joon and Liberty, his ways of dealing with stress in his life, and his knowledge of classic comic books are all interesting. The plot moves along at a good clip even with all of the events occurring, and while puzzles are not my favorite thing, the comic book quest works nicely.
Weaknesses: I could have done without the evil brother and his obsession with coyotes, and without the grandfather. There were enough other sad things going on, and I would have liked to have known more about Stanley's sensory processing disorder and ways he copes with it. I found it nearly impossible to believe that his mother had never told the school!
What I really think: I will probably buy this one, since it was funny and fast paced, but the cover isn't great. While this style works for Kloepfer's zombie books, I'm not sure about it here.

Moore, Jessie Oleson. Stuff Unicorns Love
12 December 2017, Adams Media
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

This comprehensive look at a wide range of things that interest unicorns is filled with everything tweens love-- cartoon illustrations, bright colors, and lots of rainbows. Cupcakes, ice cream, unicorn puns and sparkly stars make this a great handbook for friends to pore over on a rainy day and use to inform their own illustrations.

Ever since the 1977 debut of Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet's Gnomes, there have been a variety of guides to characters that some unenlightened souls might consider mythical or fictional. While not an #ownvoices narrative, Moore has consulted closely with a unicorn friend, Sprinkle, to get all of the inside information on unicorn behavior. We find that while unicorns do favor cupcakes, they don't like chocolate sprinkles (ugly), they love donuts not only to eat but for  use in recreational games. However, we find out that they are not fans of soccer, earth tones, and things that are dull, not sparkly, and interfere with their horn!

Readers who enjoy novelty books like Ohlin's Peeps or the Zombies vs. Unicorns collection, unicorn novels like Bruce Coville's or Jane Yolen's, or popular culture guides to items like Hello, Kitty or YouTube stars will enjoy this light hearted and entertaining romp through all the sugary sweet sparkly goodness that makes unicorns "tick".

Of course, as a Level Two Certified Magical Unicorn, I found the portrayal a bit one sided and simplistic. Older unicorns sometimes do tend toward navy and black, since keeping up a rainbow glamour can become wearing. We also tend to incorporate more fruits and vegetables as we age, since a constant diet of donuts and candy can wreak havoc even on unicorn health!

Unicorn hoodie optional while reading this, but highly encouraged!

Midnight in the Piazza

Parks, Tiffany. Midnight in the Piazza
March 6th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

When Beatrice's father gets a job as the head of the history department at the American Academy in Rome, she is angry that they have to leave their home in Boston. She's not given a choice (her father is very fortunate to have a job!), and the two are soon ensconced in the Jewish Ghetto. Beatrice wants to explore, and her father reluctantly agrees. She meets a few other children who speak English, uncluding Marco, and starts to establish some routines. When she is awakend one night by a clanging from the fountain in the square, she looks out and see a man stealing the sculptured turtles from it. The next morning, however, the turtles are still there, although their position seems slightly off. Even though she is busy with exploring and taken Italian lessons from, Beatrice is enthralled with the story of the Palazzo Mattei and the fountain that was built overnight. The more she investigates the palazzo and the turtles, the deeper Beatrice gets into a complicated mystery in which her own tutor might be involved! Will she be able to use her skills of deduction to figure it out before an important piece of history is lost for good?
Strengths: The details about living in Rome were just exquisite, and I loved the fact that the mystery was happening actually in her front yard. This is great for students who  like Blue Balliet's art mysteries or Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms but also for anyone who wants to live in a new and exciting foreign city. I want to go get some gelato and eat it by a fountain right now!
Weaknesses: I never understand why tweens don't want to move to foreign countries-- how fantastic that would be! Also, I couldn't believe that her father didn't use a computer. In academia these days? Pfft. The history professors at the University of Cincinnati were all about computers when I was there in 1987, so that stretched my credulity.
What I really think: This reminded me a bit of Runholdt's Kari and Lucas mysteries or Gonzalez's Moving Target books, which see a steady circulation in my library. Also a bit like the very new Asselin and Malone Art of the Swap book. It's not the gory type of murder mystery that my students want, but it involves traveling to Italy, so I'm sold!

Budhos, Marina. Watched.
September 13th 2016 by Wendy Lamb Books
Digital copy from the Ohio E Book Project

Naeem's father and stepmother moved from Bangladesh hoping for a better life. A senior in high school, Naeem has found school frustrating, and has falled so far behind that he's not even sure how to catch up. When it turns out he can't, his parents are very disappointed in his. They work very hard running a convenience store in their Queens neighborhood, and had high hopes for Naeem and his younger brother. Naeem has a friend, Ibrahim, who is trouble, and one of their adventures ends with Naeem getting arrested for shoplifting. In exchange for not having the event on his record (thus perhaps impacting his father's green card), the police offer him a chance to work as a mole for them in the Muslim community. He is to infiltrate mosques, student groups, and Muslim online chat rooms and look for "suspicious" behavior and report to them. For a while, Naeem enjoys being more involved in his community and going back for GED classes. When his friend Ibrahim starts to act suspiciously, however, Naeem needs to decide whether he wants to continue working with the police on their profiling activities.
Strengths: Naeem's struggles with wanting to do well and failing to do so will resonate with many of my students. The joy he takes in being a "good citizen" is great to see, and the police are painted as fairly as possible in the matter of profiling. It definitely is portrayed as "seemed like a good idea at the time" choice for all parties, instead of an essentially evil one. I enjoyed this a lot, and Naeem's parents and younger brother were realistically heart breaking.
Weaknesses: Sometimes, college aged characters are a hard sell, but I think my more mature readers will enjoy the mystery and intrigue. I appreciate that there isn't anything that makes this inappropriate for middle school.
What I really think: This brings up some interesting questions and is very interesting. I think that some of my 8th grade readers will enjoy seeing characters with immigrant background and rocky high school experiences, combined with the timeliness of the political background. Don't know how I missed this, but will definitely purchase.

Dogs!

Howard, J.J. Pugs and Kisses
January 2nd 2018 by Scholastic Paperbacks
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ana is glad to help out her neighbor, Mrs. Ramirez, by walking her pug, Osito. Ana's parents won't let her have a dog, and Mrs. Ramirez's health won't let her take the dog out as much as he needs. When Ana is out one day, she runs into a cute boy, Calvin, who is walking his own pug, Pancake. He's just moved to New York from Florida, and is getting used to his new environs. When he shows up at Ana's school, she is really glad, and the two continue to meet to walk their dogs. The big problem? Ana has let Calvin believe that Osito is her dog, and the longer she continues to tell the lie, the more complicated it gets. There are other things going on as well-- her sister Tali's Quinceañera is very soon, and there are lots of preparations to be made, including getting a dress and an escort for Ana. There's also an important web site design project that Ana is working on for school, and since she is very interested in coding, she wants to do a good job with that. When Mrs. Ramirez falls and has to go to the hospital, Ana is forced to ask Calvin to watch Osito, since her mother won't let her keep him in the apartment. Eventually, Calvin finds out about her lies. Will their friendship be able to survive?

What I likes  best about this book was the fact that Ana's cultural heritage is an integral part of the book, and yet not the focus of the story. We find out interesting facts about a Quinceañera and about Ana's family and neighborhood in a very natural way. To me, this is the whole point of #WeNeedDiverseBooks: characters no longer have a "default" of white, even when the stories are more about the dogs, romance, and academic competition.

Ana and Calvin's relationship is also charming. They bond over the dogs and are good friends; they hang out together AND are academically competitive. Ana is intrigued by how smart Calvin is, but also fears that he will give her a run for her money when it comes to being tops in the class and winning the Crown Point Prize. Ana likes Calvin, but she REALLY wants to win the prize and go to computer camp. I'm old enough to remember when girls were told that they couldn't be smarter or better athletes than boys, and it's a relief that none of that attitude is in evidence here! Calvin is very sweet, even after he finds out about Ana's lies, and both children approach the relationship with respect and mutual understanding.

The dog story will appeal to many readers who like this author's Sit, Stay, Love as well as Margolis' Boys Are Dogs, Greenwald's Welcome to Dog Beach, Stewart's Fetching, and Krulik's Puppy Love. As society moves away from agrarian roots, I think that dog books are becoming the new horse books for tween girls, since more of them have access to dogs.


Butler, Dori Hillestad. King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse (King & Kayla #3)
September 1st 2017 by Peachtree Publishers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Kayla and King are having a good time playing with Thor and Jillian, throwing King's blue ball back and forth. When it goes into a neighbor's yard, the girls go over to retrieve a ball, but the one they bring back is NOT King's. He can't make them understand, so he goes looking for the ball himself, only to be told by a cat under the porch that a mouse took it. This seems very strange to King, but he continues to look around. Mouse turns out to be someone very different that the creature King is expecting, but leads to King and Thor making a new friend.

King and Kayla is a great beginning reader series. King tries very hard to make Kayla understand what he is thinking, but she never does. Each story (Case of the Missing Dog Treats and Case of the Secret Code, Case of the Lost Tooth expected March 1, 2018.) involves a small mystery that King has to work through. Each mystery is simple enough that readers can figure it out with a little help. I have fond memories of reading the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries with my mother and working with her to figure out how to solve each one before checking the answer at the back of the book. These books would be good for that activity.

The artwork is simple and clean, and the dog's faces are particularly expressive. This helps a lot when Kayla isn't sure what King is thinking-- we know, because we can see the answer right in the dog's eyes! It's good to see Kayla on the front cover; there's no particular reason for her to be African-American, but there's no reason for her NOT to be, either. There aren't a huge number of early chapter books with children from a variety of cultural backgrounds, but there are a few.

Readers who enjoyed Warner's Absolutely Alfie, Draper's Sassy, English's Nikki and Deja and Mills' Izzy Barr will be delighted with the antics of Kayla and her adorable pet.

A World Below

King, Wesley. A World Below
March 6th 2018 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Eric finds school tiring and a bit dull, and he tries to be as undetectable as possible. When Mr. Baker, his Able and Talented teacher, tells his class that they are going on a graduation field trip to Carlsbad Caverns, he's okay with it, although he wishes his mother weren't chaperoning. Silvia is also lukewarm about the trip, since previous eighth graders had stayed in hotels and eaten in fancy restaurants. Still, Mr. Baker's goofy enthusiasm makes the trip okay, and the group arrives for their short sty in the caves armed with flashlights and snacks. When an earthquake swallows Mr. Baker and washes the students further into the cave, things become dire. Eric's mother had just headed out of the cave to set up snacks, so she is very panicked. Eric is separated from the group, but Silvia, despite her history of anxiety, manages to rally the group, provide help, and lead them on a path hopefully out of the cave. Unbeknownst to the students, there is a civilization living deeper in the caves, called Medianoche. There are two warring factions, one headed by Carlos, a young king, and the other by Jana, who leads a group of people who have been ostracized by the main community. Carlos worries that the earth quake is punishment for his failure to condemn two of Jana's people to death. When Carlos finds Eric, he wants to help him leave the cave (which is rife with killer spiders, beetles, and experiencing aftershocks of the earthquake!), but also find his friends before Jana does. Supplies run short, flashlight batteries run out, and there is danger at every turn. Will the students ever get to the surface, and what will happen to the civilization below ground once they do?
Strengths: This started off with a brief note saying that all of the students on the field trip should be considered deceased! That got my attention. The introduction of Carlos' world almost lost me, but was brief enough, and I was intrigued by Eric's attitude towards school and his isolation. The story about his father's departure added a nice bit of character development, as did Silvia's problems with anxiety, and it was great to see how well she coped. The details of all of the dangers underground were what will make this an easy sell to students, and the twist at the end involving the reasons that Carlos' people were underground was clever. I loved Mr. Baker!
Weaknesses: I wasn't thrilled about the somewhat fantastical element of Carlos and his people living underground, but it is a testament to the quality of King's writing that he makes it work. Also, I still think there would have been another bus driver, even if Mr. Baker had his bus driving license! (But again, King thought this through!)
What I really think: Definitely purchasing! We are going to say this is fantasy because of the underground civilization and the giant killer bugs.

Sayantani DasGupta. The Serpent's Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1)
February 27th 2018 by Scholastic
Public library copy

Kiranmala has always been irritated by her parents' insistance that she be an "Indian princess" for Halloween, since her life is anything but princess-like: her parents run a convenience store, and their house is the only run down one in the neighborhood. She enjoys hanging out with her friend Zuzu, but runs into some problems with a mean girl in her class, but that is of little consquence when she returns home to find her parents gone and a cryptic note left on Halloween night, which is also her 12th birthday.Things move quickly from there, with two boys, dressed as Indian princes, show up at her door. Neel and Lal are cute but annoying, but when a rakkhosh attacking her house! Luckily, the princes have swords as well as flying horses, and tell Kiran that her parents have been sucked into another dimension, and in order to rescue them, she needs to travel with them. They manage to get through the portal in the Kingdom Beyond, and go to the princes' palace. Unfortunately, Neel is the son of a demon, so even though he is older, Lal is the heir to throne. Due to Kiran's inexperience with their world, Lal and a friend of his are turned into gold and silver spheres by a demon, so Neel must rescue them while helping Kiran with her parents. There are lots of adventures, creatures to be fought, and secrets to discover along the way. There is a sample of the first chapter of the next book at the end of this one, but I can't find a title or date of publication.
Strengths: Lots of action as well as demon snot. How can you go wrong with that? Kiran is a great character who doesn't want to be saved by the princes, and her acceptance of the fantasy world crashing down around her is realistic and humorous. I love that we are seeing more #ownvoices books with different mythologies. The notes about the traditional stories at the back of this book were helpful.
Weaknesses: I could have used a little more set up at the beginning, but middle grade readers will not mind the lack of build up as much as I did. I really wanted to know more about Zuzu and hope that she is able to join Kiran on an adventure!
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. In fact, I will be loaning the public library copy to a student I trust for the weekend. He's given up reading fantasy books for lent, and only allows himself to read them on Saturdays. He's been reading narrative nonfiction during the week, so he deserves a treat!
 Gray, Claudia. Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
September 1st 2017 by Disney Lucasfilm Press
Public Library Copy

Here's the thing: even though my family is all about Star Wars, I have never even been able to watch the 1979 film past the cantina scene. Just...ugh. Boring! Now, Little House on the Prairie. That's some drama and adventure! Even if I'm not allowed to like that any more, it is my essential fandom. So I've plowed through any number of Star Wars novelizations-- the Davids' 1990s books, Jude Watson, the Journey to Star Wars: the Force Awakens books by Castelucci, Fry and Rucka  that are not formatted in the same manner as this one. I loved Gray's Evernight series (even though it was vampires, which also don't do much for me), and this book seems like it captures all the Leia qualities that fans really like. But please don't ask me to explain it. If you don't know the movies, this one is a little harder to follow. Sort of like Bardugo's Wonder Woman. Yes, it hangs together well without the background, but I spent the entire time thinking that I was missing something, which, of course, I was!

Fans must have. I will probably buy this, since it showcases Leia for a change.

MMGM- Lucky Enough

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Always in the Middle and #IMWAYR day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.



Bowen, Fred. Lucky Enough
March 1st 2018 by Peachtree Publishers
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Trey is very reliant on his good luck charm; a piece of deep blue sea glass that his grandmother game him before she passed away. He is sure it's what helps him to make the tryouts for the Ravens, a travel baseball team. Things are a little rough in Trey's world, since his parents divorced when he was five, and he and his mother sometimes struggle to make ends meet. He does have an Uncle Dave who occasionally visits, and he often hangs out with his friend Cole's family, so he has lots of support. When he loses his lucky charm, he starts to worry. He and Cole search everywhere, and even ask the groundskeeper, Mr. Kiley, if he has seen it. Mr. Kiley opines that it is possible to make one's own luck through hard work and practice, so Trey throws himself into a regimen to help improve his game.

It's touching that Trey has fond memories of his grandmother, and interesting that more light is shed on her interactions with him by his mother. There is a sign from the grandmother's beach house hanging in Trey's kitchen that says "If you're lucky enough to live near the sea, you're lucky enough", but Trey didn't remember how hard his grandmother had to work in order to end up in that beach house. He is given a new appreciation for both her and his philosophy after losing his lucky charm.

Many students are  not living with their fathers, for a variety of reasons, and it's good to see that reflected in literature. While it's difficult at times, Trey does have other supportive adults in his life and manages to enjoy time with his mother.

As always, Bowen's sports details are exquisite and even include rosters, score sheets, and other facets that I don't even begin to understand. The brief chapter at the end about famous ball players and their superstitions was very interesting and might lead readers to research some of these players.

Readers who aren't quite ready for Mike Lupica and Tim Green but need a bit more meat to their stories that those by David A. Kelly or Claudia Mills will enjoy Bowen's books, which are definitely a new millennium replacement for the much beloved but increasingly dated Matt Christopher titles.

How to Coach Girls

Wenjen, Mia and Foley, Alison. How to Coach Girls
March 1st 2018 by Audrey Press
ARC provided by the publisher

This short but very complete volume addresses a wide variety of issues of coaching but emphasizes the need for coaches to recognize the special concerns of girls in sports. Since middle school girls are particularly vulnerable to quitting sports they love because of social pressures, this is a much needed book! The section on "The Big Picture" covers topics such as developing team chemistry, making sure that players are good teammates, and developing the whole athlete so that children are not just good at their game, but good people as well. These are all very important aspects of the cross country program with which I help, so it was good to reinforce that material, but the information about "keeping it fun" which includes CAKE was good to read as well. With 75 runners, the "fun" aspects has proven to be harder and harder to maintain, but it's such a crucial element.

The section on solutions to specific issues is something that would have been useful to me when I was coaching my own daughter! Many coaches do this, and it's hard to understand why methods that work with other athletes might not work with one's own child! Cliques, confidence, captains, losing streaks, and the all important topic of body image are covered in just enough detail to inform beginning coaches of these pitfalls while offering helpful advice for seasoned coaches who might not have been able to come up with a good approach to some of them. (You have to break large teams into smaller groups, and we always agonize about it!)

After working with a seasoned coach for ten years, we have a good pre-season plan (it often feels like it's a year round plan!), but new coaches will definitely want to make sure that they pay special attention to the codes of contact and especially the medical emergency plans. (I've never thought about back up contact lenses, but then it's pretty easy to run without corrective lenses, judging from my own experiences of running without them and the number of glasses I hold onto every season!)

The book itself is a great small size to through in a coach's backpack, although since I am used to reading middle grade literature, the print seemed awfully tiny. This is a great resource for anyone coaching girls, and Girls of the Run should definitely buy these in bulk and hand them out with their resource boxes for this program! It also makes a great gift for the coaches in your daughters' lives-- combined with some chocolate, just for the "fun" factor!

Other Stops on the HTCG Blog Tour:

 Shelly Bean the Sports Queen-February 22
  Wise Owl Factory-March 1
  The Conscious Kid- March 2
  Jump Into a Book-March 3
  Books My Kids Read-March 4
  Ms Yingling Reads-March 5
  Youth Lit Reviews-March 6
  All Done Monkey-March 7
  Miss Panda Chinese-March 8
  Biracial Bookworms-March 9
  Mom of all Capes-March 10
  Franticmommy-March 11
  Randomly Reading-March 12
  Here Wee Read-March 13
  DawnDavis.com-March 14
  The Pragmatic Parent-March 15

From the Publisher:
How to Coach Girls provides the most comprehensive guide available to the many issues associated with coaching girls teams across the spectrum of sports, from soccer to lacrosse, field hockey to softball. Volunteer parents and experienced coaches alike will find invaluable advice on the process of making a successful team, encouraging girls to stay in sports beyond the middle school years. Twenty-two chapters cover all the major issues, including how to pick captains, the importance of growth mindset, issues around body image and puberty, as well as the intricacies of coaching your own daughter.This invaluable guide is the brainchild of Alison Foley, Head Coach of Women's Soccer at Boston College and Mia Wenjen, a parenting and education blogger at PragmaticMom and mother of two daughters, who provide personal accounts to illustrate issues discussed throughout the book. The combination of Mia's voice of parental experience coupled with Alison's professional expertise provides an innovative and highly accessible approach to considering potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.In the final section, a broad range of experienced college coaches, including former Olympians, give crucial guidance on what it is that girls need from a coach to allow them to flourish in sports, and most importantly, have fun.

Order HOW TO COACH GIRLS

To learn more, please check out How To Coach Girls website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. So what can be done to retain girls in sports? The answers and so much more can be found in HOW TO COACH GIRLS. I am so proud to be able to support my friend Mia while also offering such a well-written guide that help parents and coaches understand the needs and tactics to make sports fun while cultivating WINNERS.

Afremow, Jim. The Young Champion's Mind: How to think, train, and thrive like an elite athlete
March 13th 2018 by Rodale Kids
ARC from the publisher at ALA

This is a great resource for high school athletes or middle school ones who are super focused and invested in doing well. Again, the print is a bit on the small side, and the topics covered are a little more in depth. If you've ever tried to run a positive visualization exercise with middle schoolers, you'll understand! The information on nutrition is solid, but most of this book really is about mind set and thinking about sports.

From Goodreads.com:
Award-winning coach and sports psychologist Jim Afremow has helped everyone from Olympians to professional athletes train their mind, body, and spirit. Now, in this new young adult edition of his highly praised The Champion’s Mind, Dr. Afremow is helping student athletes do—and feel—their best. Whether you are striving to balance your school and sports accomplishments, or just get that extra edge in your sport, his sage advice will be a much-needed guide in helping you navigate the field—or rink or court.

P.S. I Miss You

Petro-Roy, Jen, P.S. I Miss You
March 6th 2018 by Feiwel and Friends
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Evie is angry with her strict Catholic parents when they send her older sister Cilla to live with their aunt on her farm. Cilla has gotten pregnant, is going to give away the baby, and will go away to boarding school afterwards. Her aunt has no internet, so Evie decides to write her letters, even when Cilla doesn't respond. At eleven, Evie is going through changes with friends and attitudes, and seeks her sister's advice and support. Evie's old friends are becoming more distant, her home atmosphere is sad and angry, and she is glad to meet June, a new girl in town. June is a lot of fun to hang around, and soon both girls realize that they like each other as more than friends. Since June is an atheist and a "bad influence", Evie is very afraid that her parents will choose to deal with her in the same way that dealt with Cilla is they find out she is gay. When a family secret emerges, Evie is even more angry with her parents, but that emotion helps her to be true to her own feelings despite what her parents might think.
Strengths: I am always looking for middle grade appropriate LGBTQ+ titles like Dee's Star-Crossed and Barakiva's One Man Guy. By "age appropriate", I mean that the gay characters have a romantic arc in the story similar to what we see with heterosexual characters. They might kiss, hold hands, worry that the other person doesn't like them, etc. YA romance often involves a lot of drinking and graphic or instructional descriptions of sex. That's not the sort of story most middle grade students find appealing. Evie and Jen's budding romance was very well done and realistic as were Evie's worries about her parents. I especially liked how she shared the information with her friends, and their reactions. There were several same sex couples in my younger daughters' grade eight years ago, so I think that the vast majority of middle grade readers almost expect to see those relationships in real life. They ought to see them in literature as well.
Weaknesses: Readers who are not familiar with the Catholic religion and its tenets might be baffled by the extreme actions of Evie's parents. I grew up in a Catholic community, so knew of the various values, but more explanation of them in the book would have helped. Also, while the epistolographic style of then novel is well explained, it still felt outdated.
What I really think: I am torn about this one. On the one hand, I really liked Evie and June's romance. On the other, I have many students who don't have fathers, and I worry that they might feel bad about themselves after reading about how judgmental Evie's parents are. I had trouble believing that anyone in today's society would assign stigma to an unmarried mother. This might be a book that does better in some communities than in others.

Cestari, Crystal. The Best Kind of Magic
May 16th 2017 by Disney-Hyperion
Public Library Copy

Amber's mother runs a magic shop off the Navy Pier in Chicago, and is also in charge of a local coven. Unfortunately, the magic has skipped Amber, and she is "only" a matchmaker-- she can look into someone's eyes and see who their true love will be. When the mayor, who is a good friend of her mother's, is searching for his fiance, Amber gets involved when his son, Charlie, approaches her to help. Charlie is quite popular at their private school, and Amber has only her friend Amani, since people are often displeased with the futures she tells them. Searching for Cassandra leads the two into some of the seedier dives in Chicago and puts them at risk from vampires and trolls. Amber knows that she isn't Charlie's "the one", but she does like them, and as they spend more and more time together, she starts to doubt her abilities as a matchmaker, especially when she locates Amani's match... and Amani hates him. Charlie and Amber manage to solve the mystery and make a connection. What will the next book, The Sweetest Kind of Fate, bring?
Strengths: This was a super fun, high school romance book that was also middle grade appropriate. The magic elements are just an accepted part of the world, and no one blinks at them. The private school settings and brush with celebrity (football playing mayor) are always great elements to add. Amber is a typical teen, who has dreams of being a pastry chef, fights with her mother occasionally, and makes a few bad choices. Enjoyed this one a lot.
Weaknesses: I didn't think it was necessary for the girls at school to be quite so mean to her!
What I really think: I don't really have the readers for this now-- they've all gone the way of Judy Moody and super short, easy books. My 7th and 8th graders used to love this sort of title. I will buy this and the sequel and hope that my readers pick up the pace a little!

Cartoon Saturday- Baby Monkey, Private Eye

Selznick, Brian and Serlin, David. Baby Monkey, Private Eye
February 27th 2018 by Scholastic Press
Copy  provided by Young Adult Books Central

In this very early chapter book, Selznick fuses his trademark cross hatched pencil sketches with addictively repetitive picture book text in a middle grade novel trim size. Still with me? We learn who Baby Monkey is (a baby monkey) and that he has crimes to solve in a particular way, mainly, by looking for clues, writing notes, struggling mightily to put on his pants, and then immediately capturing the culprit. The pictures are adorable, the text (which is in about a 50 point font)is simple, and the final case endearing to the very young who still want to snuggle with their mamas.
Strengths: Very cute, well done, and introduces the film noir detective style to toddlers. The notes at the back of the book about the details in the pictures for each case were incredibly detailed and pertinent to the content. This is a must purchased for public and elementary libraries.Readers who like Quackenbush's Henry's Awful Mistake and the other books in that series, or that author's Sherlock Chick books are sure to find Baby Monkey uproariously delightful. Be warned-- I can see this book being a huge favorite that has to be read every night at bedtime until it falls apart!
Weaknesses: Falls firmly on the elementary side of the Pilkey Line, so middle school libraries will want to consider whether or not this new effort of Selnick's fits into their collection.
What I really think: I don't feel justified in buying this, although I'm sure it would check out all the time. 

Baseball Books

Green, Tim and Jeter, Derek. Double Play: Baseball Genius #2
March 6th 2018 by Aladdin
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Jalen DeLuca has been helping professional baseball player James Yager by telling him which pitches are coming. In return, JY tweets about how the "luck calamari" at Jalen's father's restaurant is what has restored his luck. The general manager thinks that what JY is doing is cheating, and once the player gets back to a comfortable position, he tells Jalen he doesn't need his help, especially since Cat, Jalen's friend and "agent", wants $10,000 per game for the help. JY offered $500. Jalen is also struggling on his traveling baseball team, where the coach's sons are horrible to him, and he doesn't get much play time. After one game where he does get put in, he gets scouted by another team, but he turns the offer down because there is not room on the team for his best friend. The restaurant continues to do well, but Jalen must work through issues with his "job" as well as his own baseball career, all while wanting desperately to find the mother who abandoned him.
Strengths: Jalen and Cat are a fun pair, and Jalen and his father's struggles with poverty and then a way out of poverty are realistic and gripping. There is plenty of baseball for fans of the game as well. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so book three must be in the works.
Weaknesses: The whole "baseball genius" thing seems forced to me, and I wish this were a stand alone.
What I really think: Definitely will purchase, although football and basketball books are still in higher demand.

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray and Legends of the Lost Causes

Latimer, E. The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray
February 13th 2018 by Tundra Books (NY)
Copy provided by the publisher

Bryony Gray's mother is dead, and her father is probably as well, so she has been kept in the attic by her aunt and uncle, and forced to use her considerable artistic talent to paint portraits of the well-to-do to earn money. When the last three people who sit for her go missing, a huge scandal surrounds her work, but it also makes her more desirable as an artist. When other creepy things start happening with her paintings, Bryony is bound and determined to investigate information she has about her father. This takes her in search of a book binder, and puts her in contact with a brother and sister, Thompson and Mira, who want to help her. There is a connection to Oscar Wilde's new book, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, and the children must investigate this, as well as a grimoire, before even more terrible things happen.
Strengths: This definitely had a very creepy Victorian London air to it, reminiscent of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, A Drowned Maiden's Hair, or Lemony Snicket. I can also see fans of V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic buying into the aunt and uncle's treatment of Bryony. The art angle will also attract some readers who like mysteries like those of Blue Balliet's.
Weaknesses: The time period is not explicitly stated, but the historical details were wanting. Some didn't seem quite right, and the dialogue, characters and settings seemed more modern to me.
What I really think: Middle grade readers will enjoy the creepy portions of this without thinking about the historical information too much, but I would have enjoyed it more if the deliciously creepy details of Victorian London were captured more accurately.
 
McLelland, Brad and Sylvester, Louis. Legends of the Lost Causes
February 20th 2018 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Keech and Sam live in an orphanage in the Old West (1850s), tended by Pa Abner and Granny Nell. When they meet a man named Whiskey on the trail who is looking for some men, including Pa, the boys try to throw him off. They hurry home and warn Pa, and he sends them to town to send a cryptic telegram that seems to reference Biblical passages. The telegraph office is attacked, so the boys eventually go home. Sadly, Whiskey soon shows up and has some men with him, and they destroy Keech's house and family. Sheriff Turner isn't far behind, and does offer to help, but his idea of help is not Keech's. Eventually, Keech runs into a group of children whose parents have also been killed by Whiskey (or El Ojo). There is serious magic involved, and Keech learns that Pa Abner was really an Enforcer, and Keech and his new friends must keep Whiskey and his zombie-like thralls from finding the Char Stone. Their adventure takes them through a haunted woods, labyrinthine cave, and into a mass graveyard for people who died of the Withers, for their final showdown with the evil Whiskey. Even if they are able to defend themselves in this show down, will the Lost Causes be able to defeat the forces of evil?

For some reason, my Nook wouldn't allow me to go back to my bookmarks, so I apologize for being vague about names and details.

Strengths: The world building is quite good, and the action starts immediately, which is essential in a middle grade book. We see enough of Keech and the Lost Causes orphanage to be sad when Whiskey destroys them, and to understand Keech's wish for revenege. The zombie-like thralls add an extra layer of adventure to a book already packed with horse ridin', fightin', and general derrin' do. The Old West setting is perfect; well described, but not overshadowing the adventure. Somewhat reminiscent of Gemeinhart's Some Kind of Courage. It is a bit surprising that there aren't more middle grade novels set in the Old West featuring children whose entire families were killed and who are seeking revenge. This will be an easy sell!
Weaknesses: This is a strong start of a series, but I rather wish it were a stand alone title. While there aren't many details, the Osage tribe is mentioned in conjunction with some of the magic, and Keech's father is described as part Osage. I can't opine on how accurate these details might be.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, if only so I can pitch it to my students with the description "It's like Little House on the Prairie meets The Walking Dead!"

Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle

Lowe, Nathasha. Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle
February 20th 2018 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Lucy hates change, so when she meets up with her best friend Ella after a summer away at her grandmother's, she is chagrined to find that Ella is wearing clean, fashionable clothes, is doing hip hop dance, has new friends, and doesn't believe in magic. Not only that, but Lucy's world is rocked when her parents not only announce that they are having another baby, but her mother's illness due to pregnancy makes her unable to provide Lucy with spaghetti on Monday nights and chocolate cake on demand. Fourth grade gets off to a rocky start, since Lucy doesn't know with whom to hang out, although she does eventually befriend the quiet, accordion playing Rachel who is also interested in reading The Lord of the Rings books. Since her mother is so ill, rather quirky neighbor Chloe, who has graduated from high school but is just starting to interview for colleges, is pressed into helping. As the year progresses, Lucy's mother remains ill enough that Chloe stays around and Lucy starts to work out some strategies to deal with the changes in her life.
Strengths: Friend drama, especially in middle school and in fourth grade, is a very real occurrence in the lives of many children, and the changes in friendship can be sudden and brutal. This is a well written book, and it definitely kept me reading. Lucy's family is very well drawn, from her high school history teacher father to her free lance writer mother, and Lucy's existence is very cozy. The fear of a new sibling is also very real.
Weaknesses: Lucy seems much younger than fourth grade, so I don't know that this book would be successful in middle school. Wanting to cuddle on the couch between her parents, believing in magic, and actually thinking that her parents are going to give HER away when she overhears a conversation about a baby buggy all make Lucy seem more like she is in second grade.
What I really think: I am very interested to see if Ms. Lowe writes some books for slightly older readers, and I think that many elementary school teachers will love this one, since it champions the idea that children should be true to themselves.

I don't believe that any of us can really be true to ourselves, unless we want to live with constant censure and rejection. Even as an adult, I carefully gauge what I reveal to the world, but I still have way too much personality leakage.

The Wishmakers/ The Boggart Fights Back (The Boggart #3)

Whitesides, Tyler. The Wishmakers
February 27th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Ace opens up a peanut butter jar without reading the warning label on the top... and unleashes a genie! Ridge is more than happy to grant wishes, but warns Ace that every wish requires some sort of sacrifice. The year's supply of peanut butter sandwiches comes at the cost of Ace wearing a smudge of peanut butter on his cheek for a year... and he gets all of the sandwiches at once! Even though they are individually bagged and will magically stay fresha a bit longer, this is not exactly what Ace meant. Ridge tells Ace that he must accept a quest or all of the cats and dogs in the world will turn into zombies. His quest is to find Thackary Anderthon and stop him from finding the Undiscovered Genie, who grants wishes that have no consequences. He can make wishes related to this quest to help him, but the price is usually high. (He does say no to replacing his legs with Pogo sticks-- permanently!) His quest becomes even more complicated when he meets fellow Wishmaker Tina and her genie Vale, and Tina's quest is to save a former Wishmaker... who happens to be Thackary Anderthone. When the quartet meet Thackery's son, Jathon, whose quest is also at cross purposes to the others, the trio start to wonder exactly how they can save the universe. They must travel all over on bizarre quests in order to stave off either the zombie pets, the constant raining of pianos, or the other terrible fates that could befall the world if they are not successful in figuring out what the universe requires of them.
Strengths: This was very fast paced and just goofy enough to be a solid hit with middle grade readers. As an adult, I appreciated that our Wishmakers had to confront a lot of difficult choices about what they were willing to pay in order to get their wishes. The characters were all sympathetic and likable, the world building very solid, and the goofiness just right. Lots of funny details, like Ace having to eat cotton candy that would leave his tongue permanently green, sneezing large grapes, and Thackery talking like a pirate (which must be a consequence of a wish) come to a brilliant culmination where Ace recounts the effects that all of his consequence have on him (page 167 of E ARC) in a tour de force combination of tween grossness and humor. In fact, I am nominating that paragraph for the single best piece of writing since Jon Scieszka's Stuckey Pecan Log incident in Knucklehead.
Weaknesses: Ace's background was touching, and I wanted to know more about what happened to him.
What I really think: A little on the goofy side for my own personal tastes, but perfect for my readers! Definitely purchasing.


Cooper, Susan. The Boggart Fights Back (The Boggart #3)
February 27th 2018 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Allie and Jay visit their grandfather, who runs a small store on the Scottish coast, and find that a real estate developer, Trout, is trying to buy area properties so he can build a massive luxury resort, and one of the endangered properties is Castle Keep! The children have always loved it, but their father and grandfather know that it is even more important-- the Boggart, as well as the Loch Ness monster in boggart form, have made it their home for years. Allie and Jay are the last of the McDevon clan, and the two magical creatures appear to them and agree to work against Trout and his plans. Trout is not scared off by Nessie appearing in the Loch (it would be a tourist attraction!) or building materials damaged by seals, but eventually enough mischief is performed by the old magic that he gives the idea a second thought. The connection to the first two books in the series (The Boggart, 1993 and The Boggart and the Monster (1997) is that Allie and Jay's father, Tom, knew the boggart when he was a child.
Strengths: This was a well constructed fantasy book that showcased a magical place in the world and made the children heroes in a pleasing way. The Boggart and Nessie are fun creatures, with their predelecitions for napping in the library and eating chocolate chip cookies. Trout is an evil developer who is easy to hate, and bears a passing resemblance to another resort developer with a similar, monosyllabic name. This could be read independently of the other two books. Great fun, and two of my friends were very excited to hear about this new title.
Weaknesses: A bit more recapping of the previous stories or an explanation of the magic or the Castle Keep and its environs would have been helpful for those who haven't read the first two books.
What I really think: I recently deaccessioned the first two books in the series. I would have been tempted to buy this (Cooper is 82 years old-- good for her for still writing!) if the cover hadn't been so cartoonish. My British fantasy fans will NOT pick this up. Alas.

MMGM- One True Way and Votes for Women

I feel bludgeoned. There has been entirely too much bad in the world lately, and it's getting to me.  To add to this, social media has focused not only on the violence in the world, but on weirdness in the children's literature world. As important as this is, it is wearing.

It doesn't help that I had a friend who had a heart attack last week, and over the weekend FIVE of the books I read had parents who died and families where the survivors couldn't get out of bed.

My mother always made it VERY clear that being sad in public IS NOT AN OPTION. The only option that exists is to get up, get dressed, put on a happy face, and go out in the world and be helpful and kind.

In order for me to do that, I need to ignore all the bad stuff going on in the world. I will try to make a positive difference by being upbeat and supportive to the children with whom I come in contact. I just can't go on any other way.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Always in the Middle and #IMWAYR day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.

Hitchcock, Shannon. One True Way
February 27th 2018 by Scholastic
ARC provided by publisher upon request

In 1977, Allie and her mother move from New Jersey to the South. Grieving over the death of her brother in a car accident and the separation and pending divorce of her parents, Allie is relieved when a popular girl, Sam, talks to her on her first day at Daniel Boone Middle School. Allie has a great interest in journalism, and through Sam's connections is given a chance to write for the school newspaper by Webb, the editor. She starts by writing an article about Sam, interviewing her basketball coach and going to her house to meet her family. Settling into their new community, Allie's librarian mother makes the acquaintance of a local female minister as well as Sam's coach... and her roommate. Allie feels that something is different about this relationship, but Sam won't tell her anything when she asks. As Allie continues to write articles, she spends more time with Webb, who has a crush on her. Oddly, Allie feels much happier when she is around Sam, and starts to realize that she has a crush on her friend. Knowing the problems that the coach is starting to face when her sexuality is under scrutiny, Allie is uncomfortable with this, but confides in the minister and her mother about her concerns. Sam is even more concerned, because her parents are very religious, and when she talked to her pastor, she was told that how she felt was a sin. While both girls struggle with their relationships and families, they are helped by concerned adults in their lives so that they can navigate through the social mores prevalent during this time period.

While more recent books are mainly concerned with incorporating LGTBQ+ characters in stories that are not necessarily focused on coming out, I realized that even though I've tried very hard to build a diverse collection, my library actually didn't have any coming out titles about lesbians other than Dee's Star-Crossed, although I may purchase Jan Petro-Roy's P.S. I Miss You (3/6/18). Nancy Garden's excellent Annie on My Mind (1982), is dated now, and Young Adult novels don't speak to the middle school experience. While this is not an #ownvoices book, Hitchcock had several sensitivity readers, and the variety of responses to the topics in the book from various characters seem realistic.

The thing that I liked best about the book was that it introduced sensitive issues without putting too many value judgements on them. The was especially evident with Sam's parents involvement in the church. While this attitude is shown as being hard on Sam, there is no outright condemnation of the church, and there is another minister who is portrayed sympathetically. The parents are amicable in their divorce, keeping Allie's well being first in their thoughts. The best bit of information Sam is given is that she needs to stay safe, which was critically important in 1977 when teachers could lose their jobs if the slightest inkling of homosexuality was revealed, but is still good advice to students today. Sam has an ally in her sister, but clearly would not be safe if she continued to bring the topic of her sexuality up with her parents.

The late 1970s were very different from the earlier part of the decade, and Hitchcock manages to accurately portray the social Zeitgeist while throwing in details like a boy wearing a silky shirt with sleeves rolled up and a comb in his back pocket with the handle sticking out. Yes! And I know, because, like Allie and Sam, I was a seventh grader in 1977!

One True Way is a great addition to diverse middle school collections. Add it to Barakiva's One Many Guy, Federle's Better Nate Than Ever, Sayre's Husky, Wittlinger's Saturdays with Hitchock, Gino's George, Hennessey's The Other Boy, Polonsky's Gracefully Grayson, and other books that show different experiences with sexual orientation and gender identity in a way that will make middle school readers more understanding of the challenges faced by the people in the world around them.

My only criticism-- the characters should have been named Lisa and Jenny. Or Pat. Or even Terry, if we wanted a more gender neutral name. I did know a few Allisons, but never knew any Samanthas. My own name was #5 in popularity for my age cohort!



Conkling, Winifred. Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot
February 13th 2018 by Algonquin Young Readers


This extremely informative book on the history of women's suffrage starts with Elizabeth Cady Stanton's life, and her father's disappointment that she is not a boy. It continues through the Seneca Falls Convention, covers Susan B. Anthony, and gives really interesting information about Victoria Woodhull. Lucy Stone and other luminaries in the Suffrage movement are amply covered, and the stories are told in an intriguing way. For example, we are given just enough information about Stanton's difficulties in raising 6 children, and anecdotes like these are balanced out with more global history. There is a fantastic bibliography, ample footnotes, some primary source documents or links to them online, and a helpful timeline.
Strengths: Conkling writes exceedingly well-researched, all-encompassing history books like Radioactive: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World, and does a great job at making them a suitable length and depth of information for high school students to read for pleasure and middle school students to use for research. The information is presented in an easy to understand way, and there are enough pictures and accompanying sidebars to help this book move along at a good pace.
Weaknesses: This went into exquisite detail, but even I had to take some breaks reading this. A lot of information to process, even for one really interested in the information.
What I Really think: Definitely purchasing this for research, and there will be one or two readers a year who are able to make it through the whole book. This is more accessible to middle grade readers (most of whom peter out after 200 pages) than Colman's  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World (2011) but not quite as enthralling as Deborah Kops Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights. (2017).