Series Books- A Rant

It's a big question for school librarians. How invested do I want to get in a series? If Sands' The Blackthorn Key runs to nine books that are all four inches wide, do I want to persist past book three? How bad a librarian am I if I don't? Then again, The Nancy Drew Diaries are really popular, so I have 16. But what happens when they are no longer popular? That's a lot of shelf space. Coco Simon's The Cupcake Diaries at thirty books? Nope. Got to 20 and called it a day. Even the public library only has e books for the others. Don't get me started on Somper's Vampirates. Seven books, and the first is completely in tatters. Only two people have ever read the last two. Argh!

I keep reminding myself that publishing is, in fact, all about making money, and NOT about making school librarians happy. If this is the case, do series that go on interminably really make money? I'm not seeing it. If an author does well, I would (were I a publisher) have them write different series of maybe five books each. Like Rick Riordan. The first book in a series HAS to sell better, since I will frequently purchase two of a popular series, to insure that I have a copy when one falls apart.

Any thoughts on this?


Keene, Carolyn. The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane
January 2nd 2018 by Aladdin (Nancy Drew Diaries #16)
School library copy

Might have had to arm wrestle a sixth grade girl for this one. Well, actually, there was a Scholastic WISH book that she wanted that I also needed to read, so we each took one and plan to trade!

Nancy and her friends have heard rumors that the house on Heliotrope Lane is haunted by the ghost of Mrs. Furstenberg, who died of a heart attack... but was it caused by her son, with whom she had a contentious relationship and who is now missing? Local children have been breaking into the house and trashing it, and a girl named Willa and her brother Owen approach Nancy about a friend who visited the house and is now volatile and odd. Nancy and her friends visit the house even though it is wrong to do so, and end up getting taken to the police station, although their parents are even tempered about it. There's something going on, but it takes Nancy a while to track down the forces behind the "haunting" and make things right.
Strengths: Like the Phoebe Rivers' SaraNormal series, there is something wickedly addictive about these, more so than any other Drew series I have! I keep saying I won't buy anymore, but then a reader comes and asks for the next one because the public library doesn't have them in anything but e book form, and I break down and buy it! On the up side, these don't need to be read in order, and they are a great length for a mystery. This volume was one of the best-- nicely creepy!
Weaknesses: Mrs. Furstenberg's house is very clearly described as a "small ranch-style home" with light blue shingles that "had probably been a cute little house". What is this on the cover?
What I really think: Love. Slow but steady circulator. Money well spent. Students read. That's what we want in middle grade books, isn't it?

Simon, Coco. Cracks in the Cone (Sprinkle Sundays #2)
May 1st 2018 by Simon Spotlight
Library copy

Tamiko enjoys going to her friend Allie's mother's ice cream shop to work every Sunday. It's the only chance she gets to hang out with Allie and with their friend Sierra. It's fun to work in the shop, too, making ice cream sundaes and dealing with customers. However, soon things are not always fantastic on Sunday. Tamiko has great ideas for things like unicorn sundaes, but Allie gets in a snit about spills, wasted ice cream, and being nice to customers. Tamiko isn't worried about these things until she starts to understand the realities of owning a business with a very small profit margin. She tries to keep waste to a minimum, but she also doesn't care to be talked to by Allie's mom when she is late or has a problem with customers. She is busy with other things, so she considers stopping her work at the shop. Hint: There are at least four more books planned for this series, so I don't think that will happen!
Strengths: I love these because they are just well done and easy to read. Tamiko's concerns are realistic, as are her reactions. (What tween really understand sprinkle wastage?) Books where Children Do Things are always fun and empowering, and if they involve unicorn ice cream sundaes, all the better. The parts about dealing with difficult customers would have been useful to me when I worked in two stores in the mall in high school!
Weaknesses: I really hope this stops at ten books or less.
What I really think: Had a 6th grader waiting for this while I had it home to read! The covers are bright and happy and help a lot!

Hurrican Katrina Rescue- Ranger in Time #8

Messner, Kate. Hurricane Katrina Rescue (Ranger in Time #8)
Published June 26th 2018 by Scholastic Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ranger, a failed rescue dog (squirrels are so distracting!), has a first aid kit that sends him through time to help children who need him. In this latest installment, he is sent to the Ninth Ward to help out Clare Porter. Clare is home alone with her grandmother after her father has gone to get gas for the car so they can evacuate. Her mother and brother are already visiting relatives away from the city. Clare starts to panic when her father doesn't come back, because her grandmother struggles with dementia and Clare remembers the stories her father had told about other storms that required the family to hack through the attic roof with an ax and wait there for rescue! As the waters begin to rise in the house and her father has still not returned, Clare puts together some provisions and takes her grandmother into the attic. It's hot and stuffy, and the smell of the sewage water rising is overwhelming. At one point, her grandmother is able to be taken by helicopter, but there isn't enough room for Clare. At least she has Ranger with her to wait. It seems like a good idea to make it to her father's row boat that is tied to a nearby shed and therefore bobbing in the dirty waters, and Clare is able to help several people get to the Superdome area before the boat is damaged. Because of Ranger's rescue dog abilities, she is soon reunited with both her grandmother and her father, so Ranger's work is done.

This series does a nice job at covering a variety of historical events through the eyes of Ranger and a middle grade protagonist. While the difficulties are not downplayed, Katrina is not portrayed as too scary, and some of the survival tips Clare uses are good ones to know. Really, take bottled water with you even in the car on the way to the grocery, just in case!

 The author's notes at the end, complete with some black and white pictures of places mentioned, are very helpful in bringing this event, which occurred before most middle schoolers today were born, to life. Clare and her family are representative of the population of this area, and the notes also indicate that the Ninth Ward has not really made as much progress in bouncing back from the event as one would hope.

There have been a good number of history books written about this time period, but not many for readers in elementary school. There is Brown's nonfiction graphic work Drowned City : Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, as well as many short nonfiction books about the event, as well as lots of fiction:  Tarshis I Survived Hurricane Katrina, Herlong's  Buddy,  Wood's Saint Louis Armstrong Beach, Smith's Another Kind of Hurricane, , Volponi's Hurricane Song: A Novel of New Orleans, Philbrick's Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina, Paley's Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog's Survival Tale, Rhodes' The Ninth Ward, and Lamana's Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere. Interestingly enough, a disproportionate amount of these books involve dogs, so Ranger is in good company!

Waiver Day

Waiver Day Presentation

For Election Day, our school district releases students from coming to school, and the staff has professional development. I usually deliver a "100 Great Books" presentation.

The August presentation can be found here. Slideshare.org is closing, so I'm trying to find a good way to share these.

Max Tilt: 80 Days or Die (Max Tilt #2)

Lerangis, Peter. Max Tilt: 80 Days or Die (Max Tilt #2) 
July 24th 2018 by HarperCollins
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

After finding an enormous treasure with his cousin Alex, Max's family has built a big new house and is enjoying their good fortune, especially since his mother's cancer is in remission. However, Max's friend Evelyn's scleroderma worsens, and he and Alex travel to London for the funeral of Basile. While there, they meet Basile's niece, Bitsy, and find that there may be a secret cure, the clues to which are in the London Reform Society archives in a paper left by Verne himself. With the help of their uncle Nigel, Max, Alex and Bitsy set off on an 80 Days Around the World style adventure to find the ingredients for a cure they hope will help their friend. Unfortunately, Nigel leaves them to go out on his own and collect the ingredients before they do, but this does not stop the friends from a whirlwind adventure through Greece, Siberia, Nepal, South America and Antarctica. Their quest takes on even more urgency when Max's mother's cancer returns, and eventually, his father calls him back. Luckily, they have found all of the ingredients, but after using them successfully on Max's mother and Evelyn, some go missing, insuring that more adventures will occur.

Readers who enjoy puzzles, clues, and cross continent travel reminiscent of the Cahill's and Vesper's adventures in The Thirty-Nine Clues series will enjoy riding along with Alex, Max and Bitsy as they try to beat the clock and gather exotic ingredients from even more exotic locations. The fact that they have unlimited funds due to their previous adventures makes the travel portion of this seem more possible!

Max is on the autism spectrum, which leads to occasional odd behavior that surprises new people they meet. His emotions have smells, he interprets things literally, and he sometimes asks awkward questions. This is not a huge part of the plot, just an added richness in Max's character, which is a nice way to add diversity to an adventure series.

I often recommend that readers alternate series while waiting for the next book in a new series to come out, and Max Tilt is a fun addition to an action/adventure line up that includes Stokes' Addison Cooke Vegas' Pyramid Hunters and Nix's Time Twisters.

MMGM- On Blood Road

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.

Watkins, Steve. On Blood Road
October 30th 2018 by Scholastic Press
Copy provided by the publisher

Taylor Sorenson is a typical rebellious teen of 1968, sneaking out of his posh apartment to hang out with friends in the Village and generally irritating his mother. When she decides to go visit his father, who works with the government and is stationed in South Vietnam where he has a major but undisclosed role in the war operations, he isn't pleased that he has to be away from his friends, but decides to make the most of his travels by sneaking away from the embassy to go to a Tet (New Year's) celebration at Bunny Bunny Go Go. Unfortunately, he is intercepted by military police, who tell him the party goers would just rob him blind, so he's better off at home. Even more unfortunately, gunfire erupts, the MPs are killed, and Taylor is held hostage by the North Vietnamese Army. He makes friends with an older man named TJ, who helps him survive initially, but who doesn't last long. Taylor eventually ends up in the care of Phuong, Trang, and Vu, who brutally march him across the countryside. Luckily, both Phuong and Taylor speak French (not unlikely in the 1960s) and are able to communicate. Phuong is fairly nice, although Trang and Vu are not, and after Taylor saves Phuong from drowning, Phuong treats him a bit better, although she is very dedicated to the reunification of Vietnam. Even though it may have cost her her entire family, Phuong believes in this mission and wants to get Taylor to the Hanoi Hilton so his presence can be used as leverage against his father. Crossing a war-torn, defoliated country side is dangerous, and Taylor and Phuong barely survive by eating snakes and other creatures they can find, often becoming violently ill. As they approach their destination, will Taylor's father's connections be able to rescue Taylor before it's too late?
Strengths: Like this author's Sink or Swim, this has a lot of good details about the gruesome fighting, devastation caused by bombing and chemical weapons, and techniques for torturing prisoners. Not details I want to read, but my readers who like books about war definitely do. I appreciate it when these details are offset by discussion of deeper philosophical ones about how to treat others (Taylor saves Phuong because, in part, it's the right thing to do. Plus, his other captors are meaner!) and the cruelty of war in general. This had a nice balance, and the structure of it will make it appeal to readers of outdoor survival adventures as well.
Weaknesses: This is petty, but a boy named Taylor is 1968 just about made me put the book down. No! He would have likely been Jim, Mike, Bob or Bill. The rest of the historical details seemed fine, but that tiny bit made me want to doubt them! More seriously, it was hard to get a good handle on Phuong's and Taylor's views of the war and how they changed, because so much was going on. That's okay-- the target demographic doesn't care so much about Taylor's relationship with his father and their differing views of the war, but I would have been interested.
What I really think: We have enough books about World War II. Really. Vietnam and Korea, and especially Desert Storm and Afghanistan need more books. The cover of this is fantastic, and I'm super glad to have a copy, since the best thing I have other than Chris Lynch's Vietnam series is Gail Graham's 1972 Cross-Fire: A Vietnam Novel (Pantheon Books).

The Prophet Calls

Sumrow, Melanie. The Prophet Calls
November 6th 2018 by Yellow Jacket
ARC provided by publisher

Gentry lives with her very extended family in a small community in New Mexico. They are led by the Prophet, and her father is one of the elders in the community. He has three wives, and many children who attend school in the Prophets house, since he has been in prison for a few years. The boys learn survival skills, and the girls learn homemaking and other skills that will make them good wives and mothers. Gentry isn't happy that she has to stop playing games when she turns 13, but she's even more upset when a new pronouncement from the Prophet (who calls the community weekly with his revelations) forbids women from leaving the community at all. It's too dangerous, but Gentry and her brother Tanner are set to compete in a musical competition, since they both play violin very well. Gentry's father even gives her a new violin, so she is okay with Tanner's plans to sneak out. The outside world is a little scary, but there are some nice people, and the bluegrass song the siblings play is well received. However, there father shows up at the competition to take them home, and things do not go well when they get there. Tanner is sent away from the community as an apostate, and Gentry is punished. She is very angry, especially when her older sister Meryl is pressed into a hasty marriage with one of the older men, and her sister Amy's record player is taken away as being a tool of the devil. When the Prophet decides that Gentry's father can no longer control his wives and children, he is sent away, and his wives are reassigned to other men. Gentry and her family end up being sent far away from their community to another one, and when Gentry finds that she is going to be forced to marry a boy she dislikes, she finally decides to strike out on her own, with the help of some relatives.
Strengths: This is a timely novel about religious oppression of young women, and about one young woman who is brave enough to confront her oppressors. It was well written and descriptive, and Gentry's relationship with her young relatives is warm and supportive, especially since the adults are all too wrapped up in their religion to do the right thing. The lengths to which Gentry and her siblings and cousins go to escape are intriguing and exciting, and readers who like books where children are abused will find this to be a new topic that is not much discussed.
Weaknesses: Is this offensive to religious people? I am not in a position to judge. To me, ALL religions are the dictates of men thinly disguised as "the will of God". While this is a fictitious religion, will people in religions that severely limit the rights and experiences of women feel that this is a strike against them as well? Or would they stay far enough from this sort of book that they would never know about it? While most people would agree that marrying off girls at the age of 13 is a bad, bad idea, I just had a weird feeling that religious people might feel this book is also denigrating their own beliefs.
What I really think: This was very much like The Child Bride of Short Creek, a 1981 movie with Diane Lane and Christopher Atkins. It was certainly a page turner, but I'm not sure how big a demand there is among my students for books about polygamist sects.

The Callback (Maddie Ziegler Triology #2)

Ziegler, Maddie. The Callback (Maddie Ziegler Triology #2)
October 30th 2018 by Aladdin
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Harper is settling into her new life in Florida after The Audition and is finding a way to work with a new group at dance. She has made a good friend in Lily, but Riley continues to be pointlessly mean. Each girl in the group is being considered for a solo and has to do one-on-one lessons to prepare, and of course, Riley thinks she should get it. At the same time, Harper gets involved with a school production of The Little Mermaid, and has a dance there. She works with some of her classmates on their routines, and enjoys that, but is struggling with her solo. She is also trying to spend more time with her younger sister Hailey, and keep up with her school work. This is not an easy task when you're at the dance studio every night! In the end, Harper realizes that she is not putting as much emotion into her dancing because she is trying to be technically perfect.
Strengths: Julia Devillers' writing is strong, and "drama" is certainly something I get asked for a lot. Students don't necessarily want death and destruction, they want the mean girls, the friend drama, the light romance. This fits the bill, all while wearing sparkly leotards and tulle.
Weaknesses: Ziegler appeared on a show, Dance Moms, until 2016, so I don't know how long she will remain a popular figure. Even without her celebrity, however, there is a decided lack of middle grade fiction dealing with dance, so this will be useful.
What I really think: Even though I did tap, ballet and jazz in my misspent youth (the last class I took was in sixth grade, when I was traumatized by the one shouldered leotard with glitter fringe!), I just don't get intensive dance. I know so many girls who spend their middle and high school years doing practically nothing else, then never danced again once they got to college. This made it hard for me to get invested in the book.

Attucks and Out of Bounds

Hoose, Phillip. Attucks!: Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team That Awakened a City
October 23rd 2018 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

In the 1940s and 50s, while baseball was slowly integrating, basketball was still definitely segregated, especially in the hoops-crazy state of Indiana. Even small town schools built enormous gymnasiums for basketball, and Indianapolis had Butler University's huge facility, Hinkle Fieldhouse. In one neighborhood of the city, however, there was not a huge gym. The area surrounding Attucks High School was almost solely African Americans, many of whom were economically disadvantaged. The community took great pride in its school, however, and had excellent faculty and good students. They worked on putting together a good basketball team as well, even though it was hard to get other schools to play, and then it was hard to get referees who would make fair calls. Even once they got through a season, they were not allowed to play in tournaments. Once Coach Ray Crowe took over the team, he encouraged his players to be their best, and started to recruit players who were not necessarily the most well-to-do students. The team started doing better and better, and the success of the Attucks team fed the passion for basketball already well-developed in the state. Once Oscar Robertson was on the team, it did better and better, and soon so much attention was being paid to the team that some of the discrimination eased up.

This was an interesting mix of basketball and Civil Rights history, and Hoose (whose research for this started in 1986, with tape recorded interviews!) does a great job of balancing basketball descriptions with Civil Rights issues. When I got tired of reading about basketball, there would be historical information to keep me interested; when students are reading this, they will get bored with THAT, and be glad of the basketball, so it's perfect! I learned a lot of things, like why basketball season runs when it does (after the harvest to before spring planting!) and why the Harlem Globetrotters exist (black basketball players were not common  in the NBA until well after 1950).

Hoose also does a great job of trying to explain the cultural zeitgeist of Indianapolis, and adds a lot of good details about the daily life of the players he discusses. This is an excellent book for middle grade readers who love basketball and a sneaky way to get them to learn about the history of Civil Rights, much in the same way as Maraniss' Strong Inside teaches them about a slightly later period.

Delle Donne, Elena. Out of Bounds (Hoops #3)
October 16th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Elle is finally becoming organized, partly because of the scheduling phone app her friend installed, and is learning to balance basketball, volunteering, walking her new dog, and socializing. However, she's still struggling with basketball. She doesn't think she's doing a great job, and her coach is on her case. Not only that, but another girl on the team, Bianca, is outwardly hostile and aggressive about Elle being the forward while she is not. It doesn't help that Elle's friend and neighbor, Blake, is "going out" with Bianca. Her other teammates are supportive, and her coach explains that she thinks Elle can be really good, which is why she is hard on her. Still, it's not fun anymore. Around Thanksgiving time, Elle's family has a great weekend, and soon after Elle decides that basketball just isn't her thing right now. How will her friends and family take it when she breaks the news?
Strengths: There are so many middle grade books with Serious Problems that I'm thrilled when I see one with smaller problems that loom large in the middle school mind. Mean girls, balancing one's time, dealing with family and homework and friends... all concerns that we forget can be devastating. Sure, it's not death or dismemberment or destruction, but middle school readers will definitely identify with Elle's struggles, and it's good to see her work through most things successfully, if not quickly or easily. There are so few books about basketball with female protagonists, so it is great to see this series!
Weaknesses: This comes fairly close to some hand-wringing angst, but at least that's usually when Elle is able to step back and have some fun. I hope she has more success in the next book, though!
What I really think: I enjoy this series, and would love to see Delle Donne do a book or two for slightly older readers addressing slightly more mature problems.

Air Raid Search and Rescue

Sutter, Marcus. Soldier Dogs #1: Air Raid Search and Rescue
June 5th 2018 by HarperFestival
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Marcus and his family have moved to the United Kingdom for his father's job, and are unfortunately caught their during World War II. His older brother Matt has joined the army, and left his dog, Chief, with Marcus. The family has taken in a German girl, Rachel, as part of the attempts to provide homes for Jewish refugee children via the Kindertransport. When the city where they reside, Canterbury, is targeted by the Baedeker Blitz movement the Germans instituted to knock out British landmarks, the children are afraid. They are prepared, and know what they need to do in case of an attack, but it is still not a comfortable thought. When their mother has to tend to a neighbor lady who has gone into labor, Marcus and Rachel are on their own. Luckily, they have Chief by their side, so are able to not only follow their family evacuation plan, but to help find people caught in the rubble. When both children are in a precarious situation, can they count on Chief's skills to be saved?

Despite the cast number of fictionalized stories about World War II, there have not been a lot of stories about children in towns being bombed since the 1970s. (There were also a lot of stories about evacuating children to the country at that time as well-- think even as far back as the Chronicles of Narnia books!) I had never heard of the Baedeker Blitz, and I love a book that teaches me something. Being in a town that is being bombed was certainly a reality that many children faced, and is as harrowing and exciting to read about as descriptions of fighting battles.

There are a growing number of books highlighting the service of our canine friends, including C. Alexander London's Dog Tags series, Shotz's Scout: National Hero, and Alison Hart's Dog Chronicles, but there is certainly room for more, right along with stand alone titles like Kadohata's Cracker and nonfiction like Weintraub' s No Better Friend . Dog stories, as well as war stories, are of great interest to middle grade readers, and a dog on the cover always makes a book appealing!

I especially liked the relationship between Marcus and Rachel, and Rachel's growing realization that she would likely never see her family in Germany again. Children who were displaced away from their families for their own good often struggled to feel a sense of belonging afterwards, and it's reassuring to think that there were a few children, like Rachel, who were able to find a new family.

At some point, all of the different stories about World War II will have been told, but the last time I checked, this coverage of the Baedeker Blitz is unique, and a thrilling story of a difficult time in British history.

Spirit Hunters: The Island of Monsters

Oh, Ellen. Spirit Hunters: The Island of Monsters
July 31st 2018 by HarperCollins
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Harper moved to Washington, D.C. with her family and found out about her paranormal abilities in Spirit Hunters. She has made friends with some of the ghosts in a nearby cemetery, and her best friend (also a ghost!) Rose has been freed from being tied to a mirror and can go with her. When the two visit the cemetary, they find that the spirits are missing, and the one remaining boy, Roderick, thinks that something bad has happened to them. Harper doesn't have a lot of time to investigate, since her parents are dragging her and her siblings, Michael and Kelly, to Razu Island, where her aunt runs a resort. At least her new friend Dayo is invited as well. She calls her grandmother and finds out it is likely spirit eaters, but her grandmother can't help because Harper's aunt is expecting a baby any day. On the island, Harper visits her evil cousin Leo, who is looking rough. He claims that a ghost girl is trying to talk to him every night and is disturbing his sleep. Harper meets Holly, a girl who was vacationing with her parents at the resort when they were all killed by the monsters, and learns more and more about how the monsters came to be and whom they are targeting. There is a lot of history on the island, and Harper sometimes has visions through the eyes of the original founder of the resort, Monty. Monty's granddaughter, Olivia, befriends the group, and provides some helpful information. As Halloween approaches and the monsters gain energy, Harper realizes that there is no one to help her, and she must defeat the monsters on her own or watch 13 young people become sacrifices!

Harper's grandmother is a Korean shaman, so the rituals and bells she uses to deal with the spirit eaters are a fresh addition to a traditional story of monsters and demons. It is particularly interesting how the Razu are traced across several different cultures and name changes before they arrive on the creepy, haunted island! This is a much scarier book than the cover would indicate, and I found myself checking behind my ears for mysterious bruises and wishing I could cover my shoulders with a blanket to keep me safe!

There are a lot of characters involved in this story, and I was able to keep them all straight, which means that Oh did a great job at constructing individual personalities for each one, including the spirits. I love Harper's irritated sister and parents, her adoring brother, her supportive friend Dayo, and even her "imaginary" friend Rose, whom she loses. Even Olivia and her troubled family are described just enough that their story made sense and added a lot to the sage of the demons. This sort of reliable character building across the entire population of the book is no easy task!

The draw of this book is, of course, the monsters. They are suitably evil. They glow from the ingested spirits that Harper must release, and are relentless in their pursuit of energy. Harper's growing skills at dealing with them will be interesting to follow in subsequent books, and I love the fact that not all of the spirits she meets are evil-- she runs across a whole range, some of whom are lovely.

Spirit Hunters has all of the best qualities of traditional ghost stories but has a fresh, updated quality with the details of Harper's Korean background and her supportive if somewhat clueless family network.

 Hale, Bruce. Fuzzy Freaks Out (Class Pets #3)
August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Paperbacks
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/23087-fuzzy-freaks-out-class-pets-3
Fuzzy and the other pets in Miss Wills' class 5-B are getting ready for Halloween. Fuzzy in particular is trying to come up with a plan so he can see all of the costumes this year, and Cinnabun is trying to have the pets have their own contest! She, of course, gets to be a princess. When strange things start to happen in the classroom, Fuzzy suspects that there might be a ghost who is messing up classrooms and making weird noises, but his investigation is thwarted by weekend trips to students' homes and general school activity. Even Fuzzy and Mistletoe have seen weird happenings, with lights going off and shadowy figures lurking. The pets try everything they can find (with some help from the internet) to persuade the ghost to leave, but eventually find who the real culprit is. The custodian, Mr. Darius, doesn't want to set traps or poison to deal with the unwelcome addition to the pets, but his assistant Rhonda has less patience and is ready to declare full scale war. Can Fuzzy make sure that the "ghost" doesn't come to harm?

Books like Birney's Humphrey and Barkley's Critter Club series, and The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson and Ferocious Fluffity by Erica S. Perl, are always popular with young readers. The pets get to see the secret life inside the school or house, and react to it in a way that young readers are not able to. There is a lot of humor to sentient pets, and the personalities (like the oddly Southern Cinnabun and not-so-bright Mistletoe) of the pets make it even more fun to see the human world through their eyes.

Fuzzy is a good manager, and he sets out with a  lot of deliberation to assess the mystery. He corrals his allies, does his research, and is able to deal fairly with the "ghost" when it is located. He also has pretty strong opinions as to what makes an appropriately suitable guinea pig costume-- and it does NOT involve a pink tutu!

The page decorations are fun, and done by Hale himself, which is a nice addition to the book. This series is bound to be a popular choice in classroom libraries and at book fairs. My own daughter still has her elementary copy of The World According to Humphrey (2004), and it was always the book she took to school as a tension reliever during state testing!

Fantasy series, book two

Burgis, Stephanie. The Girl with the Dragon Heart.(Tales from the Chocolate Heart #2)
November 6th 2018 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

The chocolate shop in The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart is still struggling a bit, since the owner, Marina, cares more about her chocolate creations than pandering to customers, but Silke is handling the publicity and trying to help. Of course, she tells a lot of stories, and is claiming that the Chocolate Heart products are so good that they helped deal with the dragons! The crown princess Katrin hears about this, and has Silke brought to her. She offers her a position in the castle as a sort of spy, which angers the other princess, Sophie. When royal elf visitors come to the palace, Silke finds it hard to control herself, since both of her parents were lost in a trek across Elfenwald when she was very young, which is how she and her brother came to have a used clothing store on the banks. Fearing that no one is being considerate of the dragons, her friend Aventurine's people, Silke tries to help but makes some bad choices.
Strengths: This is a solid continuation of my favorite fantasy novel from last year, and the story continues in a good fashion. Getting a view of the palace workings is different and interesting, and the secrets of Silke's past in connection with the elves is well developed. Katrin has a complicated personality, and Sophie's plight is a bit of a surprise.
Weaknesses: Not as much chocolate, and Silke is probably my least favorite character from the first book. She just doesn't think things through. True to life, perhaps, but somehow it irritated me.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this, but was just not as wild about it.

Nix, Garth and Williams, Sean.
Let Sleeping Dragons Lie (Have Sword, Will Travel #2)
30 October 2018
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Sir Eleanor and Sir Odo are back with their respective talking swords. After the death of Sir Halfdan and the appearance of the former king Egda, the kingdom of Tofte is in turmoil. Egda's sister Odelyn is acting as regent for Prince Kendryk, but is going to have her crowned king because he is acting soft in the head, spending his time finger painting. The Regent has sent out unpopular Instruments to announce that the rules are changing, more money must be collected, and their way it the only way, so the knights know they must travel to help Kendryk out. Along with Egda's guard, Hundred, they set off on a perilous journey to Tofte, meeting a variety of threatening and helpful characters along the way. At one point, Biter needs to be repaired, and in the process remembers his former knight, who could be a powerful adversary. When the group finally arrives in Tofte, secrets about the lineage of the kings comes out, unsuspected allies emerge, and a new and surprisingly king is crowned.

Readers who like classic, medieval fantasy books like Alexander's The Book of Three, Rodda's Deltora Quest, Pierce's Alanna, and Wrede's Dealing with Dragons will adore the formulaic medieval adventure quest and its comfortable familiarity. Forests are always dangerous places, having allies in the Urthkins (who control the underground realm) allows them to bypass some of the more dangerous elements, and dragons can be helpful if you approach them the right way... and your objectives serve their purpose.

For all of its traditional elements, there are some fun twists concerning gender roles. Their are no female equivalents of ruling positions-- everyone, male or female, are kings or Sirs. There is a brief mention that Eleanor and Odo might be romantically linkws, but they are far too busy to think about this too much. Everyone on the quest is brave and powerful, and the only one who really needs to be saved is Kendryk... who has some tricks up his own sleeves.

This has many similarities to Flanagan's The Ranger's Apprentice books, but is slightly younger. The talking swords (whose voice is portrayed in an old Germanic style text) and the bats (whose utterances are punctuated thus: "L!o!o!k! l!e!f!t!") add an element of whimsy that will amuse a younger audience.

While I have been enjoying the fantasy adventure books set in other cultures and dealing with other mythology, there will always be a core group of fantasy aficionados who crave more British style Camelot inspired fantasy where there are swords to be wielded against dragons.

MMGM- In Your Shoes

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.

Gephart, Donna. In Your Shoes
October 30th 2018 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley

Amy has just moved to town to live with an uncle after her mother's death. Her father will come eventually, but he is getting training to work in     her uncle's funeral parlor and only visits on some weekends. She is leery of starting school, especially since she thinks people notice that one of her legs is longer than the other. When she is head in the head with a rogue bowling shoe on her way into the building on the first day, she takes this as a bad omen and starts writing a fairy tale involving the incident. The wearer of the shoe, Miles, is mortified, even though it's his friend Randall's fault. Miles is an anxious young man who feels most at home at the family bowling alley, although even there is a sadder place since the death of his grandmother. He's trying to bowl a perfect game, would sort of like to ask a girl to the school dance, and is saving up for a special present for his grandfather's 75th birthday. Amy doesn't have that hard a time at school, and even meets a like-minded friend, Tate, who is into weight lifting and knitting. The girls are library helpers during their lunch for librarian John Schu. Randall has a crush on Tate and is trying to figure out a fun way to ask her to the dance, and Amy often wanders off to the bowling alley to have a hot chocolate and escape the funeral home. She enjoys bowling with Miles, although the regular shoes make her hip hurt. As the grandfather's birthday party and the school dance approach, the four children learn more about each other and develop even closer relationships, which help them cope when things don't always go well.
Strengths: I liked seeing the development of the relationships between the children, and the light romance is always welcome. Amy is generally upbeat, and even though she doesn't really want to move, she does a good job at settling in and making friends. Miles' relationship with his grandfather is sweet, and the bowling alley setting is fabulous (Anyone remember Ed?).
Weaknesses: There was a LOT going on in this book, and I think it would have been stronger if it had concentrated on just a couple of difficulties instead of introducing so many. For example, Amy should have been in grief counseling, and I would have been interested to see her practice some coping strategies. I also would have found more in-depth information about leg length discrepancy, anxiety, or severe asthma (which were all just touched on) helpful and informative.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and the cover will make sure this never gets back to the shelves. Our high school has a really good bowling team, and I was in a league in middle school, so I am glad to see another book with bowling beside Crystal Allen's 2011 How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy.

Soof and Attack of the Grizzlies

Weeks, Sarah. Soof.
October 9th 2018 by Scholastic Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Aurora's parents had fostered a girl named Heidi before she was born, and she has heard lots of stories about her, because her parents attribute their luck in finally having Aurora to Heidi. (This is the main character from 2005's So B. It, which I didn't realize until halfway through the book!) Aurora is a quirky kid who is NOT on the Autism spectrum-- she's been tested. She does have some trouble fitting in at school, but she's a happy kid content to hang out and talk to her parents. When Heidi is going to come to visit because she is pregnant and wants to connect to her past, Aurora is not overly pleased. She thinks her own luck is getting bad, and when the house catches on fire and her beloved dog, Duck, goes missing, she thinks things are only going to get worse. Her parents and Heidi work with her to get her to udnerstand that family's all have issues to work through, but can persevere by loving each other. ("Soof" was  Heidi's mother's word for "love".)
Strengths: Interesting and innovative to revisit a character after so much time, and the cover of this is fantastic. Middle grade readers will pick up anything with food on the cover. I enjoyed Aurora's supportive family, and the details about having a home damaged by fire are interesting and something I don't know if I've seen in middle grade literature. Weeks' writing is always right on target for appealing to middle grade readers.
Weaknesses: I know the trend is to allow kids to be as quirky as they like and tell them that other people don't matter, but as a formerly quirky and obnoxious child, I can only say this was not a good approach in my world. Because of this, I had trouble liking Aurora's character. I was also worried that Duck would die. (Spoiler: He doesn't.)
What I really think: I'll purchase, because So B. It still circulates well.

Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 (I Survived #17)
September 25th 2018 by Scholastic Paperbacks
Copy provided by the publisher

Melody and her young brother usually spend some time at their grandfather's cabin in Glacier National Park, but this summer is different. Mel's mother died in a car accident for which she feels responsible, so every scenic view in the park leads to painful memories. When a grizzly bear almost attacks Mel and then actually does attack the cabin, there are bigger things to worry about. Mel and her Aunt Cassie (a friend of her mother's who is a reporter) tell a ranger about the bear, he says there is nothing to worry about, but Steve, a scientist who is studying the bears, thinks otherwise. The three visit the Granite Park Chalet and find some disturbing events that are contributing to the bear attacks. When two women are killed by two separate bears while they are sleeping, there is enough outcry to change the way that food and trash are handled in the park, and new rules to keep visitors are bears safe are implemented across the country.
Strengths: The details of every day life at the time are good-- Bugles, Grape KoolAid, typewriters. Even a funny bit "Mel wished she could press a button & instantly send this story to people all over the world. But this was real life in 1967, not some science fiction story set a thousand years from now." As always, there are good notes at the end of the book about the real historical events and tips on how to survive. Appreciate the the clothes on the cover are historically accurate, although would have liked to see the tie-dyed t shirt!
Weaknesses: Having Mel's mother be dead was not at all necessary, and slowed the story down. Also, one stylistic device bothered me. Many sentences start with "because" or
but", even though it would be just as easy to continue with the compound sentence. Perhaps this is thought to be easier for younger readers, but it was jarring when I read it. (E.G. "Mel's temper flared up again. Because she was pretty sure she should be worried." Page 50.)
What I really think: My students love these, and they make for a great, short read full of information.

Louie (The Puppy Place #51)

Miles, Ellen. Louie (The Puppy Place #51)
October 30th 2018 by Scholastic Paperbacks
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

The Petersons are working together to clean up a camp ground near Loon Lake, where they will be spending time this summer. Charles and his neighbor Sammy are working hard but also having fun, but the day takes an exciting event when their mother calls from home to say that a dog has been abandoned... at Loon Lake. Sure enough, in a carrier in a parking lot there is a puppy. When the group approaches the dog, they find that it is a very large Newfoundland who is skittish around so many people. They manage to calm it, and Charles and his sister Lizzie figure that they will foster it, but large puppies have special needs, especially as they grow into even larger dogs! Because the dog is so large, the boys, including Liam and twins Hunter and Tyler, decide that training Louie should be a Cub Scout project. They work very hard to train Louie so that he will be easier to adopt. Eventually, the people who abandoned Louie come forward, saying that they regretted leaving him the way they did and returned very soon to the parking lot, but the dog was already gone. In the end, Louie's training goes well, and his new home is easier to find than the boys could have expected.

Dogs end up at organizations like Caring Paws for various reasons, and Miles gives a sympathetic portrait of harried dog owners who make a poor decision but immediately try to rectify it. The difficulties with having a large dog are not made light of, either, and it's good to see the Cub Scouts working together to insure that Louie has a bright future. Children need to know that there are sometimes unfortunate situations, but it is empowering for them to read about other children who are able to make a difference.

I enjoy getting to know the family's of the friends of the Peterson children, and it's also fun to meet local veterinarians whom they consult for different aspects of animal care, or in this case, to try to find Louie's owners. This imbues the books with a nice sense of community-- even the cookout and clean up at the lake is a great, fun way to start off a story.

Liek the other books in this series, there are Puppy Tips at the end, these centering around why puppies might need to be surrendered to shelters, and the best way to do it. There's also a recipe for cinnamon toast.

Readers who enjoyed the short stories in Lucky Dog : Twelve Tales of Rescued Dogs or the sad plight of Lee's Dog Lost will especially love this story of Louie. Be warned that once your readers start with The Puppy Place books, it will be necessary to obtain as many as possible, and at a good clip! Luckily, they don't need to be read in order!

Simpson, Dana. Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater (Heavenly Nostrils #8)
October 23rd 2018 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Copy provided by the publisher

Phoebe is getting ready to go to summer camp, but instead of going to music camp, she is heading off to a drama camp. Marigold is going with her, but so is Marigold's sister, Florence. The sisters have been long estranged after a childhood incident, but are starting to reconnect, leaving Phoebe feeling lonely. She has her friend Sue and her sea serpent Ringo, but as Marigold and her sister spend more and more time together, Phoebe feels angrier and angrier. Even when Florence attributes her renewed relationship with Marigold to Phoebe's influence, things are not the way they should be. Can Phoebe and Sue's play save the day?
Strengths: Marigold is always funny, and the drawings are delightful. I had my reservations about any series that involved the phrase "heavenly nostrils", but it's worth a try if you have a large audience of graphic novel/comics loving middle grade readers. This is not a collection of strips, but rather a graphic novel in the manner of The Magic Storm (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #6) .
Weaknesses: The friend drama was a bit overdone, and this was probably the least humorous of the series.
What I really think: Students love these. Thinking about getting the volumes I like best in a Follett bound.

The Grand Escape

Bascomb, Neal. The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century
September 25th 2018 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

World War I was a harrowing war, but is not covered as frequently as World War II. This is a shame, since there are so many facets of the war that have not been covered. For instance, I had forgotten that the Hague Conventions laid out very clear and extensive rules about how prisoners of war should be treated. During WWI, the Germans violated these on multiple occasions. The Grand Escape tells how prisoners at Holzminden were so mistreated that the planned an almost impossible escape.

In prose that has all of the compelling interest of a fictionalized tale but with plentiful period photographs to reinforce the reality of the horror, Bascomb follows soldiers as they are fighting and then captured, eventually ending up in the notorious prison camp. Following the individual's backstories, as well as their experiences in the camp, brings a very personal immediacy to the escape. Of course, any true follower of war tales will appreciate the maps and copies of notes as the prisoners plan and eventually execute their plans.

Bascomb (who also wrote The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi and other adult titles) knows how to tell a tale that keeps the reaer on the edge of the seat. I got so caught up in the details of the story that I frequently forgot this was nonfiction, and then stopped to check the chapter notes to reassure myself that I was not reading a novel!

While there are shelves and shelves of riveting historical nonfiction about WWII, such as McCormick's McCormick, Patricia. The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero, Freedman's We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler, Hoose's The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club and O'Reilly' s Hitler's Last Days: The Death of the Nazi Regime and the World's Most Notorious Dictator, there is relatively little about WWI. Freedman's  The War to End All Wars: World War I is excellent, but more of an overview than an in-depth dissection of a particular facet. I would love to see more on this military conflict and encourage my readers who like this sort of literature to broaden their scope a tiny bit!

Conferences-- Blather

I haven't done a book fair for about five years, because with a Scholastic fair I never made enough for cash profit, and there were only so many books I wanted to have to process. I am having a Follett fair this year, and so far it has gone very well as far as selection, set up and ease of use. If I have $300 in profit, I will be very surprised, but it was worth a try. The super nice thing is that I order all of my library books from Follett Titlewave, and I can apply any profit there.

We also had the cross country banquet on Tuesday, so three nights in a row of not getting home until 9:00 p.m. gets a bit wearing. What thoughts get me through?

I'm glad I'm old. Younger teachers were complaining that we had a fire drill while they were wearing skirts and real shoes. Young whippersnappers, I could run a marathon in my pleated skirts, turtlenecks, Sag Harbor blazers and Clarks loafers. This is my outfit from now until the middle of April, so it's not surprising that one of the 8th grade boys (when another student was being reminded not to sag because "if you don't want to see an outfit on Ms. Yingling, you shouldn't wear it yourself"!) described it as his favorite outfit that I wear. Kids pay attention.

Pale cornflower blue. Okay, so it's very 1980s, but it's also the color of my living room. My library is an orangey-brown yellow that looks like baby poop. I haven't seen the sky since Monday. I think about this color, and Pfalzgraf Tea Rose and Yorktowne dishes.

The Brothers Gibb. Yes, Andy, I will be more than happy to lay my troubles on your shoulder. Also, if you and Barry would like to help clean up book fair, I'm totally fine with that.

Here's to whatever it takes to get your to Friday!

Dragons in a Bag

Elliot, Zetta. Dragons in a Bag (#1)
October 23rd 2018 by Random House
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

When Jaxon's mother must go to court to appeal an eviction notice, she takes Jaxon to stay with the grandmother he has never met for the afternoon. "Ma" is not thrilled to see either Alicia or Jaxon, but agrees to take care of him. She has an odd, musty apartment, and it's not long before Jaxon finds a bag of dragons under her care! It quickly becomes apparent that Ma is a witch, and one of the problems she has with Jaxon's mother is that she didn't want to be a part of the magic. One thing leads to another, and the two travel back in time, run into Jaxon's friend, whose sister feeds and bonds with one of the dragons, therefore imprinting one of them on her. Jaxon also meets his grandfather when Ma is temporarily missing, and finds out more about the role that magic has in Jaxon's own background. The judge grants an appeal, but Ma invites Jaxon and his mother to live with her until things are more settled, leaving plenty of opportunity for Jaxon to accompany  Ma on more magical adventures.
Strengths: The Brooklyn setting is well described, and I loved the note that Elliot was a big fan of Ruth Chew! The illustrations are very attractive, and will help readers pick this one up. The inclusion of the eviction troubles adds some depth to the story and will be a mirror for some readers. Elliot usually writes Young Adult fantasy but has transitioned nicely to writing for the elementary crowd.
Weaknesses: The note on Ruth Chew also pointed out to me why this was more on the elementary side-- in Ruth Chew books, the children invariably have adventures without a parent or adult in sight. Jaxon's supportive adults are great characters, but middle grade would prefer to save the world without adult supervision!
What I really think: This is along the same lines as Yep's A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans which does not check out at all in my library, so I think I'll pass. Would definitely purchase for an elementary library, since I know that fantasy books have overwhelmingly white protagonists.

Counting to Perfect

LaFleur, Suzanne. Counting to Perfect
October 23rd 2018 by Wendy Lamb Books
E ARC from Netgalley

Cassie wishes that life were the way it used to be, before her older sister Julia had a baby her senior year in high school. Now, instead of going away to college, she will be living at home with Addie. Cassie's friends aren't allowed to visit her home now, and her parents don't come to her swim meets as much. When Julia mentions that she and Addie are going on a vacation, she asks Cassie to come along. Since she has swim team, Cassie doesn't want to go, but ends up tagging along. Julia doesn't have a plan-- she just wants to get away. The two girls have some savings, and spend time staying in hotels and eating lumberjack breakfasts, having great days hanging out together. They let their parents know they are okay, and while the parents aren't happy, they instruct the girls to check in and let them have their trip without freaking out. Eventually, Cassie wants to get back to her friends and swim team, so her parents fly her home. She is able to work things out with her parents, and when Julia returns, she is, too.
Strengths: This was an interesting and fun road trip book, and I liked that the girls followed safety protocol with their parents. Julia is a good mother for the most part, and takes care of both Addie and Cassie. The parents are portrayed as very understanding and see how the family dynamic could be slightly different. The sisterly bond is sweet.
Weaknesses: The trip seemed like an extreme reaction to a fairly good, if unfortunate, situation. Not many young single mothers would have the financial assets to take such a break.
What I really think: I was confused by the reactions to Addie. It's 2018. I marched for abortion rights, so was sad to see that Julia did not avail herself of them. That said, having chosen to have the baby, her embarrassment seemed odd, if somewhat understandable. What was not understandable was the portrayal of the action of the friends' parents not allowing them to come to Cassie's house. That sounds like a 1960s reaction, and I worry that my students, many of whom have been raised by young, single mothers, might be confused and feel bad about their own situations after reading this.

Forgotten City and Wrath of the Dragon King

Ford, Michael. Forgotten City
October 9th 2018 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Kobi and his father, Jonathan Hales, have lived in an abandoned school in Seattle since the Waste devastated the world around the time Kobi was born. There are no other survivors, unless you count bears, wolves, giant rats, and the horrible, predatory Chokerplant. There are also flying Snatchers, machines that pick infected animals up from the ground and might take humans if they are not careful. When his father gets very ill because of the Waste seeping into their compound, he returns to his lab to get more medicine, telling Kobi he will be back in two weeks. When he doesn't return, Kobi sets out to find him, braving the dangers to get to the local hospital. He doesn't find his father, but he does find some children who claim that the organization behind the Snatchers are actually the good guys who have helped to take care of them. Kobi doesn't believe this, and when he is captured, he starts to understand why. Melanie is the Guardian that the kids like most, but she tells him horrible things about his father, which he tends to believe-- his father worked with the scientist who caused the Waste in his attempts to solve the world hunger problem. Not only that, but they have his ailing father, who may not survive because of all the years he was exposed to toxins. Not only THAT, but they give Kobi more information about his special skills and resistance to the Waste. It's still hard to tell who are the good guys and the bad guys, but Kobi's struggle isn't over. I strongly suspect a sequel will answer many questions.
Strengths: Great world building, with abandoned buildings, vicious creatures, and a scientific scheme gone wrong (even if Kirkus has problems with the science). This has lots of harrowing chase scenes, children saving the world from evil, and edge-of-your seat, nonstop action.
Weaknesses: While I love books that shade the characters so they aren't so black and white (think Delaney's The Last Apprentice which is brilliant in showing the evil in the good characters and the good in the evil ones), I still like to know who is supposed to be the good side and who the bad. This is why I never cared for Artemis Fowl. Students won't care.
What I really think: While I am tired of Dystopian novels (why imagine a future when so many bad things happen?), I still get a lot of students who like Jeff Hirsch's titles (The Eleventh Plague, The Darkest Path, Dark River Falls), Haddix's The Always War, Dan Smith's Boy X, and of course, The Hunger Games and the Maze Runner series. This will be perfect for them.

Mull, Brandon. Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch #2)
October 23rd 2018 by Shadow Mountain
EARC from Edelweiss Plus

It's hard to believe that Fablehaven came out in 2006-- I still want Shadow Mountain to reissue hardcovers of the first series so I can replace my well-worn ones! (Wait: Follett now offers it!) While I like this series, it's not quite intense enough for some of my hard-core fantasy fans when they get into 8th grade, but Dragonwatch definitely steps things up a bit.

Seth and Kendra, newly minted caretakers of the Dragon Sanctuary, are in an impossible position with Celebrant, and when he invites them to his castle, they know things won't end well. Celebrant breaks the pact and all of the characters are sent on different journeys home or to find out information, ending at Stormguard Castle, where Seth and Kendra are pitted against the dragons in an almost impossible game put on by Humbuggle. Can they use their smarts (as well as their fairy powers) to figure out how to win, freeing the inhabitants of the castle as well as defeating the dragons?

I read this during the first week of school, so don't feel like I can write a complete review, but I did really enjoy it. It did have a decided Dungeons and Dragons feel to it, with the journey and the contest at Stormguard, and that might appeal to many readers today. A bit darker, and definitely NOT the last book in the series. Can't wait to hand this to my students!

MMGM- The Season of Styx Malone

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.

Magoon, Kekla. The Season of Styx Malone
October 16th 2018 by Wendy Lamb Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

There's not a lot to do in small town Sutton, Indiana, and as much as Caleb and his brother Bobby Gene try to amuse themselves, they are a little bored, especially since their parents are very strict. There is a reason for this-- their father maintains that everyone in town knows them, but if they went somewhere bigger, like Chicago, it might be dangerous for two young black men. When slightly older Styx Malone shows up in their neighborhood, they soon find out that this young man, who is in foster care, doesn't care all that much about being safe. He wants to have adventures. Not only that, but he really wants a moped he has seen in a store in town, and tries to inveigle the brothers into helping him with an "escalator trade" so that they can work their way up to getting the moped. Since Caleb and Bobby Gene have just gotten into a lot of trouble for trading their baby sister to Cory in exchange for a bag of fireworks, they have something to start the trading. This is a little shady, and the trades get shadier. At one point, the boys hop a freight train and steal an engine from a junk yard. When their parents find out, they aren't allowed to hang out with Styx anymore. When the boys still manage to complete their trades, they are looking forward to the freedom the moped will provide, but things don't go well. Once they learn some secrets about Styx, they are finally able to understand him a little better and find a way to help him.
Strengths: This was an interesting novel, because it showed the dichotomy between street smart, city kids and small town kids with really involved parents. For some reason, many of my suburban African-American students are fascinated by the portrayal of inner city children. Seeing Caleb mouth off to his mother in a way that Styx would is perfect! Their punishment with Cory is interesting as well, since they previously hadn't gotten along with him but find they have a lot in common when they are forced to work together. The escalator trade concept is nicely done as well.
Weaknesses: Unlike Torrey Maldonado's Tight, this really doesn't get all that dangerous, and there's a moment that's a little too Leader of the Pack for my taste, not that students would have any idea of that reference!
What I really think: Something a little different from Ms. Magoon, whose work I really like. Definitely purchasing, but I REALLY want her to finish her nonfiction work on the Black Panthers!

Collard, Sneed B. III. Warblers and Woodpeckers: A Father-Son Big Year of Birding.
October 1st 2018 by Mountaineers Books
Copy provided by the publisher

Sneed Collard has writing chops, and Warblers and Woodpeckers brings together many of his skills beautifully.. He is the author of many nature nonfiction books, several middle grade novels, and a memoir of his childhood, Snakes, Alligators, and Broken Hearts: Journeys of a Biologist's Son.  He and his teenage son had a vague interest in birding, but then decided to ramp it up and devote a year to extensive travel in order to see as many birds as they could. Their travels took them all over the US as well as to the Galapagos islands. Such traveling always involves adventure, mishaps, and moments well worth remembering, on top of the enormous list of birds sighted that the two compiled.

I have zero interest in birding. I like a good walk in the woods more than the average bear, but perhaps my eyesight isn't good enough to stare into the leaves and try to tell the difference between an Ivory-billed or Red-cockaded woodpecker. That said, this book was still an interesting window into what it would be like to go on birding adventures, without the discomfort of being attacked by bees while doing so.

This is more of a book for young adults or adults, given the size and density of the text. It also has a fantastic level of detail concerning different facets of locating, identifying, and enjoying the avian world. There's also a wistfulness concerning connection with family, and especially the difficult process of remaining close to teenage children.

Reminiscent of Bill Byson's travel books with their sometimes slapstick anecdotes, vivid descriptions of places and humorously introspective take on life, Warblers and Woodpeckers will introduce the pastime of birding to the uninitiated and delight birding aficionados with delicious details of an epic year of birdwatching.