Sunday Salon- Summer Blather

Whew. School has been out for three weeks, and I have been BUSY. Last year, I read 150+ books in June because I couldn't walk very much, and read even more in August and September after my foot surgery. Now that I am about 90% healed, not much reading is getting done. One of my students challenged me to read 200 books, and I might have to disappoint her! 

What have I been doing? Twice a week, I go to Cincinnati to "tutor" my three month old grandson while my daughter works. Very little gets done when one is dealing with a baby! He's a delightful guy, but other than reading ten picture books a day, working on word sounds and letters, reciting math facts into the top of his fuzzy head, singing Schoolhouse Rock, going on lots of walks, and feeding him bottles, I'm lucky if I read one book! 

Leo is not fond of the reduction in staff when I travel. He tends to bedevil my daughter's cat, so must stay behind to guard the house. He gets lots of walks when I return. 

I also took a trip to West Virginia with a friend for a few days, and will be going to Michigan to visit my brother in July. Have vague thoughts about going to New York to see the Corning Museum of Glass and Rochester, where I had some family, but that may have to wait. 

The rest of my time has been spent quilting; if you want to see my work, I've actually had a quilting blog since about 2011! I've been quilting for almost 50 years, and it is something I enjoy very much. It's a nice change of pace. 

Because there are only so many full size quilts one can keep, I've given away almost everything I've made in the last fifteen years. Anybody in my vicinity who has a baby gets a quilt! I even sent one to Tanita Davis because it matched the cover of her new book so well. Trust me, you'll be hearing a LOT about this title, so you should go and preorder Berry Parker Doesn't Catch Crushes right now! 

Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet

Murphy, Julie. Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet

March 25, 2025 by Union Square Kids

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Catty is part human, part cat, just like her mother Tabby and her grandmother, and has been homeschooled her whole life, rarely seeing other children. When her mother gets a job in a fish cannery, her mother and father decide to send her to third grade in the public school. There are rules about no hissing and scratching, but Catty is ill prepared for navigating the all-human world. Her teachers are fairly understanding, but when Catty shreds a classroom map when one teacher uses a laser pointer to highlight places on it, it tests their patience. While Catty tries to hide her true self at first by wearing a hat and tucking her tail into her pants, she is soon showing her classmates her real nature, to mixed results. Most of the children are supportive, and she wins over others by doing things like saving a class goldfish from being knocked off a desk. She even has two best friends, Jo and Bebe. This is the first book in a purported series, the next being Catty Corner Pounces into Action, out March 25, 2025 as well. (Synopsis from the publisher: "Holy macaroni! Someone is stealing tasty snacks and crafty food art at Friendswood elementary school. Luckily Catty Corner and her best friends, Jo and Bebe, are on the case. Soon they’re following clues and tracking down leads. But the three friends can’t agree on much—is it a ghost, some very hungry mice, or a sneaky thief with a big appetite known as the Gobbler Bandit? Can they catch the culprit before their school’s big Meatball Mania fundraiser, or will it be a foodie fiasco?" 

Strengths: The introductory note where Ms. Murphy talks about how this would have been a book she would have loved as a child was helpful. I can't say that I ever wanted to be a dog, even in third grade, but I'm sure that there are many elementary students to whom this thought will appeal. The idea is fleshed out well, and Catty's reactions to ordinary school things like bells, riding the bus, and being easily distracted all seem like a realistic portrayal of a half cat, half human girl. The illustrations inside are quite charming, and give a good feel for how Catty must seem to her classmates. 
Weaknesses: While it's touching that Catty's mother lets her read the journal that she kept when she entered public school and encourages her to keep track of her feelings as well, it seems odd that the parents wouldn't have made more of an effort to socialize Catty with other children before suddenly dropping her in to public school. 
What I really think: This author's Dear Sweet Pea hasn't circulated well (might just be that peach cover!), and since Catty is in third grade, I will pass on purchase for my middle school collection. This is a good choice for readers who liked Weiner's The Littlest Bigfoot or the Hales' The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Dan in Green Gables

Terciero, Rey and Aguirre, Claudia (illustrator)

Dan in Green Gables: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Reimagining of Anne of Green Gables
June 3, 2025 by Penguin Workshop
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In about 1993 (based on a movie being shown in theaters), Dan and his mother drive into Tennessee, but sadly not to visit Dollywood. Dan is a big fan of Dolly Parton. Instead, his mother comes to the home of Dan's father's parents, Randy and Peg. His grandmother is thrilled to see him, but his grandfather seems angry about everything, especially Dan's cross earring and colorful silk shirts. Dan's mother, who seems to have a problem with alcohol, leaves him and disappears in the night. This means that Dan has to start a new school. He manages to befriend several girls who also have strong fashion expressions, and draws the ire of a bully. Having been the new kid many times before, Dan knows he needs to stand up to the bully or he will have a permanent target painted on himself, so he knees the bully in the groin and makes a public statement that he won't be picked on. This does not endear him to his grandfather, but his grandmother understands. Dan also questions things at church, where the message is strongly homophobic. He works very hard around the house, hoping to earn the respect of his grandfather, but instead, his grandfather complains that things like canning peaches are "women's work". Dan manages to find his place in the community, and even helps the church plan a fund raiser with a local Black church his friend Rudy attends. Kids at school tend to leave him alone, and he even makes a friend in Birdie, who originally calls him "carrot top" and gets a book thrown at him for his trouble. There is a lot of history for his grandparents to work through, since they were estranged from Dan's father, who died young, but they make progress, and Peg even manages to stand up to Randy on occasion. When Dan's mother comes back for him, will this upset his newfound, comfortable life?

Strengths: The theme of found families tends to be a frequent component of LGBTQIA+ titles, for good reason, and Anne of Green Gables is a great example of that theme. The atmosphere surrounding race and sexual identity in the South in the 1990s was even more fraught than it is today, but readers will be glad that the grandmother is supportive, and there are people in Dan's life who care for him. Rey Terciero is a pen name for Rex Ogle, who also wrote Free Lunch and Four Eyes. 
Weaknesses: Teen readers will not care about the original Anne of Green Gables, although these is a nice author's note about the importance of this book in his life. Jarrett Krosoczka also has fond memories of this title. This would have been just as good as a completely new tale, and doesn't really have as many parallels with the original as it should have to be a "reimagining". 

What I really think: This young adult title (there is more mature language and a trigger warning for homophobia and abuse at the beginning of the book) is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Weir and Hayne's Anne of West Philly (2022) or Curato's Flamer (2020). 

Kraatz, Jeremy and Jayme, Crystal (illustrator). 

I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

March 18, 2025 by HarperAlley

This graphic novel follows the Lizzie Borden murders from the point of view of Charles Churchill, a young neighbor who starts to converse with Lizzie about the pigeons that she keeps. After these are killed by her father, Charles sees Lizzie trying to buy Prussian acid in the pharmacy, claiming she needs it to clean a cloak. The family mysteriously falls ill, and not long after, Charles sees (Rear Window style) activity in the Borden house. The parents are killed, local interested is ignited, and there is a sensational trial. Borden is, of course, acquitted. 

There have been several explorations of the 1892 case, including Miller's 2016 The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century and Wallach's fictional 2023 Hatchet Girls, as well as other nonfiction titles. My students are interested in true crime information, but I'm not sure how much interest there is in a crime that happened before my grandmother was born. This was well done, and I normally love Kraatz's work, but I'm debating whether or not to purchase this. 

The Unforgettable Leta "Lightning" Laurel

Toalsen, R.L.The Unforgettable Leta "Lightning" Laurel

May 27, 2025 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Leta lives with her mother and younger sister Amelia, and the family is struggling since the father has moved out. The mother works two jobs, and still struggles to put food on the table. Pops, the mother's father, helps out, but he is still running a heating and cooling business. He's also a manic runner at 65, sometimes going 18 miles a day, and lives in a retirement facility. Leta has picked up his passion for running, and is determined to be the best at the 400 yard race. It's tough, though, when she has to glue the sole of her running shoes back together, and doesn't have enough fuel for her body. Coach Mac is fairly understanding, and provides her runners with sports bras, food, and information about their periods and health. Even Coach Mac, though, can't provide new shoes. Leta is too ashamed to get free lunch, even though her friends Chrissy, Raina, and Sabrina also have backgrounds where there is some struggle. Leta wants to do really well in the upcoming state meets, hoping that her father will read the write up in the newspaper and come back to visit, especially since Amelia is looking forward to a daddy-daughter dance. When there's no food in the house, Pops often takes the girls out for fast food, and Leta starts to pick at this, even though Coach Mac talks to the runners frequently about eating disorders and how detrimental poor diet can be to runners' health. Since Leta often sees her mother eat less than she needs, this example sometimes speaks more loudly. On top of these serious challanges, there are standard middle school issues like whether to shave her legs, problems with Amelia, new girl Natalie, mean girls Briana and Brooke, and the crush that Leta has on Benny. When over training leads to a possible stress fracture, Leta decides to run through the pain to hopefully still win her race. Pops helps by showing her how to train in a pool, but stress fractures don't get better on their own. Will Leta and her mother finally be able to ask for help and find a better way forward?

Strengths: I'm always a fan of books about running, and Leta's challenges with training will speak to a lot of readers. Pops is a fantastic character, and I love that he is still running in his short shorts! His difficult relationship with Leta's mother is echoed in Leta's relationship with her own father. Leta often has to take care of Amelia, and we don't see this portrayed enough in middle grade literature; I loved that Amelia chafed under Leta's supervision and had her own after school agenda. Coach Mac tries to be aware of all of the challenges facing her athletes, but can't see every need. There is excellent information about periods, and even a scene where Leta's friends instruct her on how to use a tampon through the bathroom door. While Leta deals with a lot of difficult situations, there is an air of hope about her story, and a satisfying ending. 
Weaknesses: Free and reduced lunch programs, like other details about schools, vary from place to place. In my district, students have an account number that they give to the cafeteria, and no one knows if they have free lunch, or if their parents put money in the account. We also have a "share box", and Leta could pick up as many carrots and apples as she could eat, and other schools in my district even have food pantries. Other areas might be more like Leta's school. I would have liked to see a little more of the mother, but her absence drives much of the plot. Seeing more of Leta's relationship with Benny would also have lightened the mood. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who liked Gerber's Taking Up Space, Dunlap's Racing the Clouds, or Morrison's Keeping Pace. If Barbara Dee wrote a novel with sports, it would read a bit like this title. 

The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick

Wolff, Christina  and Kemp, Ruth Ahmedzai (Translator)
The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick 

March 4, 2025 by Arctis

Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mia is excited to be spending her school holiday with her Aunt Harriet in London while her father and mother travel to the US to promote their shoelace business. The aunt runs the family's Pandora's Antiques store that was run by her deceased grandmother, Pandora. There are some odd things that occur that make Mia think that her aunt is keeping a secret, and some tension between them when Harriet doesn't really acknowledge that Mia is adopted and has questions about her parents. When Mia goes in search of the source of noises in the middle of the night, she meets some ghosts, and Harriet finally admits that the antique shop is really a front for the ghost placement agency that she runs. Since many castles and grand estates in England change hands and are sold to wealthy celebrities who don't want ghosts, she find other homes for them. Some ghosts, like Jim, who is an ancestor, and Alistair, a young boy who prefers to live in the shop, stay around for a while, but others, like Olivia who shape shifted and scared Mia, are sent to other locations. Alistair starts to teach Mia to see ghosts at other times than just the witching hour (midnight), even though he tells her not to let Jim know, since he wouldn't approve. Mia hears whispers that she must be protected, and feels that there are still secrets that she doesn't know. When an invitation arrives to a ghost birthday at the house where Alistair was raised and died, Mia decides to slip into the ghost realm and attend. While there, family secrets are revealed, and Mia has to decide whether or not to use the powers that she has. 
Strengths: This had some British charm to it (although it was originally written in German), and some mainly friendly ghosts, so I would have loved this when I was in fourth grade or so. The shop is interesting, and there are some mysterious elements involved. Mia has plenty of opportunities to be on her own, since her parents are away and Harriet doesn't ask too many questions. 
Weaknesses: My students are only interested in ghosts who murder people in rather gory ways, but I would consider this for an elementary library where gentler ghost stories are popular. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the magical shop aspect of James' The Bookwanderers or the London paranormal aspects of Shearer's The Ministry of Ghosts. 
 

Rainbow Fair

Ma, Diana. Rainbow Fair
April 8, 2025 by Clarion Books

E  ARC provided by Netgalley

Sophie is looking foward to the Rainbow Fair at Monroe Middle School in Seattle. It's a yearly event, meant to showcase the school's diversity. Last year, in sixth grade, Sophie worked at the Chinese booth with her longtime best friend Katie, which made her parents very happy. This year, Katie (who has recently come out as bisexual and has very supportive parents) has gotten permission for the very first LGBTQIA+ booth. Because the school rules dictate that students can only work at one booth, Sophie is disappointed that she won't be with her friend. Sophie's long held secret is that she and her family are Muslim, although the only way they preserve this identity is by not eating pork and by the parents occasionally telling her "remember, you're Muslim". After a rare sleepover for Katie's birthday (Sophie's parents think it would put Katie's parents out, but are convinced when Sophie suggests the perfect hostess gift), Katie accidentally "outs" Sophie as Muslim. A teacher who was wishing there would be a Muslim booth finds out and puts Sophie in charge, since there are others to fun the Chinese booth, even though they are more interested in robotics and other topics. Sophie does a lot of research, but doesn't have any first hand experience with the religion or culture, and even her attempts at making some traditional food fall flat. Luckily, a new student, Anna, starts at the school. Since she is Muslim, the two work together. All of the students are a bit upset that people can only work at one booth, and come up with innovative ways to promote intersectionality. Sophie's biggest concern is that her parents will be disappointed that she is not at the Chinese booth, even though she has learned a lot about the family's Hui identity.

Strengths: Sophie's community seems very supportive, and her parents are very mindful of how to address her friends, who also include the nonbinary Shane who uses they/them pronouns. The family's decision to stay quiet about their Muslim identity isn't really explored until the end of the book, but that seems realistic; even though society is more open today, I still agree with my grandmother's assertion that it's not necessary to tell everyone everything. When I was in middle school, my church confirmation classes took us to a wide variety of religious institutions, and that was fascinating. Middle school is an age where many kids are exploring issues of identity, so Sophie's questions, as well as her desire to learn more about Islam from Anna, will resonate with many young readers.

Weaknesses: I don't think today's tweens care what other people eat. Tell them you're allergic to pork. You don't like pork. Your mother won't let you eat it because of hepatitis E concerns. This figures largely in the plot, but seemed like a non-issue. I also would have liked more information about Muslim cultures and identities, as well as the display at the booth. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed this author's The Unbeatable Lily Hong or Ali and Saeed's Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices. 

The Letter for the King

Dragt, Tonke and Watkinson, Laura (translator)The Letter For the King
First published January 1, 1962
May 13, 2025 by Pushkin Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

I'm always intrigued by the titles that are republished years after they originally come out. Who is the audience for these? Adults who have lost their well worn copies? Grandparents who want to share a childhood favorite with the next generation? There are a few older fantasy titles that have held up amazingly well; students still check out Alexander's The Book of Three, and Tolkien's The Hobbit comes and goes in popularity. Since The Letter For the King appears on lists of books one shouldn't miss, I took a chance on it.

It's fairly standard medieval adventure fantasy, and reminded me a bit of Howard Pyle's work, or Goudge's Little White Horse (although it has no aspect of "gargling with honey"). Most like Beckman's Crusade in Jeans (1973), which I kept around school for a number of years. I found it a little hard to believe that Tiuri would just go on this massive mission right before he is to become a night just because a random stranger asks him; wouldn't even a novice knight check out the person's motivations?

Might a really die hard fan, who has worked through a translation of Dumas' The Three Musketeers (Which took me about two weeks to read!), find this interesting? Perhaps. The style is very formal, and not as exciting as I had hoped. The translation is decent, but still feels like a translation. The illustrations are perhaps the best part of this. This wouldn't be the best use of my limited library money to purchase for my middle school; I'll recommend Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice instead. If Pushkin Press wants to publish international books, I'd love to see translations of more modern titles that haven't made their way to the US. At 512 pages, very few of my readers will pick this up. Perhaps 25 years ago, during the height of the Harry Potter trend, but not now. 

MMGM- Dad Rock Dragon Quest

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Reardon, Joan. Dad Rock Dragon Quest

June 3, 2025 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Zadie Drake, 12, is not pleased that her cool mother, Freyja, is dating the geeky Lloyd Clutterbuck, but it's even worse now that he's moved into the house. He's a risk analyst, so always harshing Zadie's mellow, prohibiting her from playing her guitar loudly in the garage in their Wilbury, Michigan home. Her father, Damian, is a park ranger in the George Washington Forest in Virginia, and isn't in contact very often because the forest is a dead zone for cell service. Zadie's sister Persephone, 15, doesn't mind Lloyd as much, and is busy with her environmental podcast, HabiChat, that she runs with online friend Ezra. When the girls get the opportunity to spend a week with their father, Zadie is thrilled, but Freyja and Persephone are not. They know that Damian is not responsible, so it's decided that Lloyd will take the girls and stay for the visit. Zadie isn't happy with Lloyd's music choices (Billy Joel is not head banging enough for her), or his extreme preparedness, but glad to be staying at her father's very cool house. There are some rules for staying in the park that seem excessive, but when there are unusual creatures flying around outside, the rule about not going out at night makes sense. Shortly after, the group is plunged into a crisis; Tex Venom and his poachers attack the cabin and try to take the girls hostages because... surprise... Damian is really a Gamewarden, has magical powers, and takes care of magical creatures like his dragon, Maverick. He's run across Tex before, and knows that he sells creatures to the evil Chadwick Berkshire, who gets big bucks for creatures that the buyers kill or enslave. While the family escapes, Maverick is taken hostage, so the group must work to get him back. This involves traveling to Berkshire's house, which they are able to find because Ezra is Berkshire's son! Damian makes poor choices in trying to save a Death Worm and gets bitten, necessitating a trip to a sanctuary near Cleveland for healing. After this, the group manages to find out where Berkshire is auctioning off animals, and Zadie and Lloyd come up with a plan to disrupt it and save the animals. Freyja isn't happy to find out that her daughters know about the family's magical secrets, but the true hero of the day is Lloyd, whose circumspect actions and handy fire extinguisher save the day. Will Zadie have further adventures into magical creatures?

Strengths: It's so much more interesting when all of the parents are alive, but hard to get along with! It was fascinating that Zadie idolized her father despite his faults, but Persephone was not a fan! Having the mother out of the picture for most of the book, and seeing Lloyd step up to watch out for the girls was wonderful. He really had Zadie's best interests at heart, and the two do have a discussion about how they treat each other. The role of the step parent in middle grade literature is ripe for exploration, and Lloyd gets my vote for best step dad figure, despite of (or perhaps because of) his New Balance shoes and polo shirts. Sibling relationships are also interesting, and since Zadie and Persephone have very different views on issues, it creates some fun tensions. Of course, any book with a dragon preserve is going to appeal to a good segment of the middle grade population, especially when there is also a road trip! I needed this fun, upbeat book after so many lyrical, heartprint titles! 
Weaknesses: I had trouble connecting to Zadie. It was great that she had interests, but since her opinions were so strong, it was hard to connect with her. I was hoping that she would slowly come to understand that Lloyd really was a good guy, even before the two talked. Will middle school readers be looking for that nuance? Not anymore than they get invested in exploring grief. 

What I really think: Comparison's to Mull's Fablehaven series are apt, and this is rather like Burke's An Occasionally Happy Family, with the addition of dragons. This will also appeal to readers who want to play guitar, travel to national parks, or want to own their own dragon. I can see this being even more popular in elementary schools. Definitely looking forward to handing this to my students, and can't wait to see what fellow Youngstown native Reardon writes next. The author's note at the end mentions St. Charles school, which was about two miles from my house growing up! 

Friedrich, Paul Zebra and Yak: The Backwards Alphabet Book

June 3, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by the publisher

Zebra is lounging in a beach chair with a glass of lemonade when this book starts with "Z is for Zebra". Of course, he is surprised, because that is NOT the way Alphabet books are supposed to work. Where is the xylophone? How can zebra be expected to be ready if there's no xylophone? Yak is up next, and he's also very confused. Apple was apparently not around, so the book started backwards. All of the characters are confused, and no longer suprised by anything. There's a joyous romp through pumpkins and oranges and boogers as Zebra, Yak, and the other letters try to figure out what was up with the arrogant apple. Spoiler: the alphabet book is now going to start with alligator.

This was delightful. I audibly snorted several times, especially when N for Nose leads to Zebra having his hoof up Yak's nose. Does he want his booger back? They save it, in case B is for Booger. As one does. 

The simple illustrations have just the right level of goofiness, and the characters seem to romp across existing book pages that are just slightly altered. The other entry I love was S is for Snake, followed shortly thereafter by R is for Running! 

As someone who has spent her entire life at the end of the alphabet (I graduated 503rd in my class, followed only by someone whose last name started with Z!), I had to appreciated this. It had the meta feel of Townley's The Great Good Thing, with the characters coming to life and acting out the story when the book was opened, and I'm always a sucker for that. 

The only bad thing about this book is that I am now faced with a philosophical conundrum; I come from a family where we do not buy books because they cost a lot of money, and I've not been able to get over that, even though I have bought thousands of dollars with school board money for my school. It's hard to argue with the voice of your mother in your head. Do I buy this one for my grandson (whose last name begins with S, so he'll understand!) when I have two bookcases full of books that I've gotten in exchange for reviewing them? I might just have to, because I imagine it would become a fast favorite. "Do you want your booger back" sounds like a family catch phrase in the making. 

Never Thought I'd End Up Here and Candle Island

Liang, Ann. Never Thought I'd End Up Here
June 3, 2025 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Leah, who is in high school, has been modeling, but after her recent disenchantment with the profession, has given it up. After a disastrous remark at her cousin's wedding, where her translation of well wishes was inaccurate, her mother decides to send her on a Journey to the East program organized by her aunt. Leah has never really embraced the language of her family, and her parents hope that three weeks in Shanghai, with other teens with Chinese family backgrounds, will help her improve, as well as give her something to do now that she's not modeling. Unfortunately, her arch nemesis Cyrus is on the trip, hoping to get the attention of Leah's aunt and get a recommendation to study in the Chinese literature program at Stanford. The two had been friends for a long time, but after the two were involved in a misunderstanding that got Leah kicked out of her school, they have avoided each other. Leah's roommate is Daisy, who is quiet and doesn't care as much about her appearance as Leah, who has brought a lot of clothes and spends much time on her makeup. Another program attendee is Oliver, who is rather attractive, and ends up rooming with Cyrus. The tip has a lot of fun activities, from an escape room and bargaining for groceries in the local market to mountain climbing in the rain. There's a photo contest, and when Leah and Cyrus are trying to decide which pictures to enter, Leah falls asleep in his hotel room. Nothing happens, but if younger readers pick this up, there is a mention of a condom lying about. Oliver is disappointed, since he was interested in Leah, and this makes Leah reexamine her relationship with her long time friend. After a photographer takes pictures of Leah for promotional materials for Journey to the East, the other attendees find out she was a model, a fact she was trying to hide. She blames Cyrus for telling everyone, and the two have a bit of a tiff. Three weeks isn't a very long time, but will it be enough for Leah to learn more Chinese, decide what to do with her life, and make some kind of peace with Cyrus?
Strengths: I'm a huge fan of young adult travel novels like Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and the Journey to the East program had a lot of interesting facets, and we get a fun vicarious trip to Shanghai. Fans of the enemies to lovers trope will root for Leah and Cyrus to overcome their past problems. Oliver is an interesting character, and gives Cyrus some competition. I'm sure there are many high school students whose parents speak other languages who don't speak anything but English themselves, and this is an interesting dynamic. My favorite part of this was when Leah started to realize that she was speaking and understanding without really thinking about it. 

Weaknesses: I was secretly hoping that Leah would come to the understanding that Daisy, with her low key skin care routine, was embracing a better path than Leah's, which included spending an HOUR on hair and makeup and wearing high heels to sight see even though they hurt her feet. Instead, Leah gives Daisy a makeover. Young people might enjoy Leah's "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" attitude more than I did.
What I really think: While I am not the demographic for this, I do enjoy a good young adult romance. This author seems to have an avid following, but I would have appreciated a little more character development. I might buy this for a high school library, but will pass for middle school because of the length.

Wolk, Lauren. Candle Island
April 22, 2025 by Dutton Books for Young Readers English
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

Lucretia Sanderson and her mother Eliza move from their home in Vermont to the remote Candle Island in Maine to escape media attention from the mother's artwork, which has recently become very popular. They also are reeling from the car accident death of their father and husband, and need a location without as many memories. They have bought a large, old house that still has many of the previous owners' possessions in it, as well as a barn for Lucretia's horse and a skiff. Lucretia, who is sometimes called Lucy, finds that the local kids consider her a summer person, and the rich, entitled summer kids think she is a local. It doesn't help that Murdock, whose grandfather Big Seb Lucretia meets upon landing on the island, used to live in the house, and had to move because both of her parents died. Lucretia does befriend Bastian, Murdock's cousin, and the two sail and have some adventures with the baby osprey that Lucretia has rescued. Everyone on the island seems to have secrets, and some of these cause big problems. Lucretia would like to befriend Murdock, but when she shares one of her family's secrets, Murdock alerts a reporter visiting the island. The Sandersons have their reasons for keeping these secrets, but maybe it's time to shed some light on them. 

Chris Baron described novels in verse as "lyrical explorations of the internal landscape", and that description fits this heart print, prose book very well. Lucretia seems much older than most middle grade characters, and is certain precocious in many ways. Will has written several middle grade novels, but this could easily be an adult novel with a younger character. Candle Island reminded me of the work of Nancy Thayer, and will be a big hit with fans of Mary Oliver's work. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Besties

Miller, Kayla. Besties Find Their Groove (Besties #2)
September 27, 2022 by Clarion Books
Library copy

Chanda and Beth are back, and this time they are obsessed with the upcoming school dance. The most important part of this, of course, is having awesome dresses to wear, and the two use their skills to try to come up with the perfect outfit. They also decide that they should probably have dates, for the optimal dance experience, and Chanda is especially interested in this, coming up with a plan and even asking a number of boys out, to no avail. Beth, however, has befriended Sam, who has injured his leg in gym class and it on crutches, and he asks her to the dance. Both girls are dealing with older sisters with whom they don’t get along. Chanda’s sister is “perfect” and getting married, so is spending more time at home. She’s really nice to Chanda, but Chanda seems to hold a deep grudge against her. Beth’s sister is very stressed with college applications, and doesn’t have time to help Beth out as she has in the past. The girls are not able to find anything suitable to wear, but after Chanda’s mother brings out clothes from her past, Beth investigates her own mother’s past wardrobe and finds the perfect thing. The girls have a good time at the dance, and Chanda even talks to a boy she had asked, but who had turned her down, and finds that the two really do have a lot in common.
Strengths: It’s fun that these have the same characters as the CLICK series; Olive and many of the other characters show up. I also appreciated that Chanda and Beth get along most of the time. While my students love friend drama, I think that there are a lot of friends that manage to get along all through middle school, and it's reassuring to see these relationships predicted as well. There is a lot of good body positivity, and discussion about how it is difficult for Beth to find attractive clothing in her size, and how shopping can make her feel bad about herself. Sibling problems are a huge thing in the lives of tweens, and seeing much older siblings was a bit different. This style of artwork is popular with my students.
Weaknesses: The students at my school don’t wear dresses to school dances, so I had trouble believing that this was such an important thing, but it might be part of other tweens’ experiences. There also isn’t as much emphasis on having a date; this seems more suited to high school, but again, it may be different elsewhere. Personally, I am not a fan of the heightened emotions and “star eyes”, but my students seem to like it.
What I really think: There are a lot of graphic novel series that aren’t my favorite, but which I know my students will read again and again. If books like Miller’s Click series, Libenson’s Emmie and Friends, Scrivan’s Nat Enough books, or Raina Telgemeier’s works are popular in your library, you’ll want to purchase this entire series. 

Miller, Kayla. Besties Prank War (Besties #3)
March 4, 2025 by Clarion Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This book set in Olive's school from CLICK focuses on Sawyer and Trent, as well as their friend Tyler. Tyler is very excited about being the Dungeon Master for an upcoming role playing game, but is also a little anxious about this new role. Sawyer, on the other hand, is more interested in the prank challenge issued by his favorite social media star, Trixie. He brings Trent in, which would help his chances of winning the contest if he listened to Trent's thoughts that they need to plan out their pranks. Swayer instead goes ahead with a number of petty, mean tricks, some focused on Natasha. Natasha is also aware of Trixie's challenge and plans better than the boys, so manages to "get" them on several occasions. This makes them want to retaliate. They get so invested in the prank war that they ignore Tyler's requests for help. The teachers at school are not happy, and tell them to stop, but this doesn't dissuade them, even when Trent's younger sister learns from their antics and has to learn why it was inappropriate to dump lemonade on Olive. Things eventually escalate, and someone gets hurt. Is anyone really the winner in a prank war?

I personally disliked this one A LOT, because antics in school can lead to injuries. I recently took a hard tumble because a student pushed another student so violently into me that my feet went out from under me, five Chromebooks I was carrying flew out of my arms, and I came within inches of smacking my head on a cement block wall. The student said he was "just fooling around". School is work, and there is no room for this kind of horseplay in an academic setting. The fact that Natasha got third in Trixie's contest makes pranks look like a good idea.

Will students adore this? Absolutely. I did like the subplot about Tyler being ignored, which made the story even sadder when he was the one to get hurt in the prank. The CLICK books are popular, and it's interesting to see other students in the school, but I wish that this book didn't glorify bad behavior. We see enough of that with TikTok videos that lead to destruction of school property.

The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez

Paulino, Jasminne. The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez

June 3, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Alex has been in a self contained classroom for many years for a variety of unspecified issues that result in a lack on control, but now that he is in 7th grade, he is very interested in Ms. Rosef's science class and the space related projects that they are doing. Tired of Ms. Sharon and Ms. Lori, he asks about being mainstreamed, since he has an interest in NASA and space. He had a violent incident in third grade that resulted in another student, Leonard, having his arm broken, but he has help from Dr. Cuevas and has been on medication. When the self contained unit has a service learning project and run a coffee cart in the school, Alex is upset when this makes the news. His parents also would like to see him spend his time in more academic endeavors, so approach the school about making the change. His friend, Chase, is angry that Alex is leaving the unit, but his Papi encourages him to try this new class. Ms. Lori goes with him to class for support, and things are a bit rocky, especially with Leonard, who picks on Alex for being in a special unit. Alex wants Chase to be involved in the space studies as well, so starts a science club his friend can join. The class is more challenging than Alex suspected, which results in some meltdowns. Eventually, Alex learns how to navigate the students and academic content in his new class. 
Strengths: There are not too many books about students in self contained classroom, but certainly many students in these classes who need to see themselves in books. Alex's challenges are addressed in a productive fashion, and he's given supported opportunities to try new things. The interpersonal challenges that go along with this are realistically portrayed. The novel in verse format seems suitable for Alex's sometimes fragmented thoughts.

Weaknesses: I was a little surprised that we didn't have a stated diagnosis for Alex, since students today are not shy about telling me this right up front, and mentioning their IEPs or accomodations. Not every student likes to be labeled, but readers might have more insight into the way Alex navigates the world if there were a few more details about when he took medication, what his support therapy looks like, and the activities of the self contained classroom.
What I really think: Readers who enjoyed the combination of challenges and space in Lackey's Farther Than the Moon and Panteleakos' Planet Earth is Blue will enjoy this novel in verse.

Gus and Glory

Guillory, Sarah. Gus and Glory
May 20, 2025 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Glory St. Germaine is spending the summer in Sweet Olive, Louisiana with her Nana Pat, a nurse, and Papaw Jack, who is retired and struggling to recuperate from a stroke. Her father is a long distance trucker, so can't always care for her in their home in Baton Rouge, especially since her mother has gone "on vacation". The parents are divorced, and Glory lived with her mother, who had trouble paying the rent and taking care of Glory. Still, Glory is hurt that her mother hasn't been in contact with her at all, and resents having to go to her grandparents's house, since they didn't communicate much with her mother. It looks like it might be a boring summer, watching Papaw nap, but when Glory goes to the park, she runs into Gus, a blood hound who seems to be in distress. When she follows him, she finds a neighbor, Homer Babin, lying in his yard. She calls 911, and paramedics come to take him to the hospital, but someone needs to take care of Gus. Since Mr. Babin knows her grandparents, he asks Glory to take his dog. Papaw doesn't mind, because it's the right thing to do, and Glory tries to give Cus a bath to help Nana accept him. She, too, grudgingly agrees. Since Gus is a bloodhound, Glory wants to learn how to train him, since she's very interested in Agatha Christie's mysteries. With the help of Rosemary, who is stuck babysitting younger siblings, she visits the local library and starts investigating small cases, like a librarian's missing sweater. She misses her mother and father, and wants to know where her mother is, but she is enjoying a stable life with her grandparents. When Mr. Babin is released from the hospital, Glory is worried that she will lose her new friend, who has recently endeared himself to everyone after finding Rosemary's missing brother. What will Glory's life be like after a summer in Sweet Olive?
Strengths: There are a lot of middle grade students who are being raised, at least temporarily, but grandparents, so it is always interesting to see this represented in literature. I loved that Nan was still working as a nurse, even though Papaw was dealing with a lot of health issues. Having Rosemary (and her young charges) befriend her was perfect, and the light mysteries that Gus helps solve are realistic. The real draw here is seeing a child who had a difficult life find some stability and grapple with her parenting situation.
Weaknesses: Glory is old enough to wander around town with Rosemary, so it seemed a little odd that she would believe her mother was "on vacation" and wouldn't have more of an inkling that her mother had just left, especially since things had not been going well. This is probably just her way of dealing with the situation, but did make her seem younger than she was.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Butler's Kayla and King or Brockenbrough's To Catch a Thief.

Singing Yellow Sail

Huang, Yinfan. Singing Yellow Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China
June 3, 2025 by Kids Can Press
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel memoir, we see Yinfan, who is being raised by her Mama and Baba, as well as nearby family members. After an idyllic childhood, she heads to school, where her mother has let her skip preschool. This doesn’t work as well as expected, since Yinyin doesn’t know Pinyin as well as she would like, and struggles with this aspect of learning, although work at home and a tutor help. When her father gets a job in Guangzhou, she is left with her grandparents, Waigong and Waipo, for a while. They live with family for a bit, but eventually get their own small apartment. Yinyin struggles with language again, since her family speaks a slightly different dialect. Her new school has very precise rules, and she sometimes has trouble following them. Being an only child, she is lonely without her extended family, even though they weren’t always perfect. She briefly makes a new friend, Hong, but after a childhood mishap, is told to stay away from her. When her grandparents retire and move closer, there is a brief reprieve from her loneliness. After a robbery, the family moves to a better neighborhood, and Yinfan enters middle school and starts her military training. After some rocky times trying to be a “cool kid”, Yinfan makes peace with herself and her family life. 

Strengths: This is an interesting slice of life of China in the early 2000s, and I was particularly mesmerized by all of the rules in the schools, and the idea of military training in middle school. I can’t imagine US students being okay with not only uniforms, but also very prescribed ideas about haircuts and colors. Children were not even allowed to be left handed! The two color illustrations (orange and vibrant green) set this apart from other graphic novels. 

Weaknesses: I’m not sure my students will like the art style. It’s really hard for me to understand why they like some titles and not others. The closer the style is to Raina Telgemeier or manga, the more they seem to like it. One graphic novel that I really enjoyed, Doodles from the Boogie Down, often sits on the shelf until I personally hand it to students. It’s sad that my students aren’t more adventurous with their reading! 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed graphic novels describing life in other countries, like McLeod’s Continental Drifter , Chan’s Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back or even Khor's The Legend of Auntie Po, which has a somewhat similar art style.

Keepers of the Marsh and Geo's Fortune

Jortner, Maura. Keepers of the Marsh

May 20, 2025 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

Lana's family is struggling after the death of her father two years ago. While she and her twin sister Gracie, younger sister Duck, and parents used to go out and do a lot of activities, her mother, an English teacher, is struggling with being a single parents and never wants to go out. Her grandmother, who owns a lot of land in Galveston, Texas, including the marsh near Lana's house, has had a stroke. She used to be right next door, but now is in an assisted living facility. When Lana is bored, she goes to Nana's house to play board games, and finds a note with her father's name on it, a key, and the cryptic message "Do your duty. The alligator witch is always there." Lana has grown up hearing about the alligator witch, but never took it seriously. She asks her neighbor, Mrs. LaSalle, about it, and talks to Mrs. LaSalle's mother about it. Lana decides to go into the marsh, which is never allowed because of the prevalence of alligators, and meets the witch. Of course, asking a witch questions is always a delicate matter, and Lana ends up making a deal with the witch thta freezes her mother, younger sister, and cat, Tofu! This plunges her, as well as her sister, into an old legend involving a medium named Zofia, the wealthy Getty family, and the Galveston hurrican of 1900. Nana also has a lot of information, but can't speak due to her stroke, and has trouble getting around. This doesn't stop the group from breaking Nana out of the home and riding on scooters around town! Lana learns a lot of family history, and feels closer to her father as she and her twin work to solve the mystery of the alligator witch and unfreeze her family. Afterwards, she has a heart to heart with her mother about not forgetting the father, and talking about him openly. 

Strengths: I'm all for freezing relatives in order to give kids a chance to break their grandmothers out of care facilities and solve mysteries! It was also interesting to see a twin dynamic where the twins weren't exactly the best of friends, and had very different interests and friends. The legend of the alligator witch is well developed, and we get some flashbacks to Zofia's experience in 1900 with the hurricane. The setting is well described, and I felt damp and icky just reading about the marsh. The real star here is Nana, though, vaulting over a low balcony to escape, even though she needs a walker to get around, and using a note pad to communicate. Wow. Including history about the Galvestone hurricane gives this added appeal. 
Weaknesses: Perhaps if Lana had been in therapy for her grief, she would have been able to let her mother grieve in her own way. It would be nice to see more constructive portrayals of parents handling grief in middle grade. There's really no point in talking about people who have died, but the mother does need to be aware of her daughter's needs. 
What I really think: This was a bit difference from Jortner's 102 Days of Lying About Lauren, which I adored because of its theme park setting, but will be a huge hit with readers who like creepy, atmospheric Southern mysteries like Fournet's Brick Dust and Bones, Beasley's Tumble & Blue or Young's What Stays Buried. A good nonfiction companion would be Anderson's 2013 City of the Dead: Galveston Hurricane, 1900. 

Mucha, Amy B. Geo's Fortune

May 27, 2025 by Peachtree

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Geo Leoni's father has died, and her mother has been struggling with the tech gig job market. She's thinking of finding a full time job with benefits, but this means that the family might need to relocate. Since Geo doesn't want that, she works with her best friend Lana on ways to make money. Lana's rock collection is an inspiration, and the two decide to set up shop in a local park and charge $10 each for fortunes. As "Rock Readers", they do a pretty good  business, but when Geo's fortunes start coming true, she starts to bill herself as a "manifestor". The business grows, but it's still not enough. Geo tries to manifest her father, so she can get advice, as well as trying to engineer things so that she can win the lottery. This doesn't work quite as planned, and almost leads to tragedy. How will Geo, with help from her new friends Feather and Liv, find a way to help her mother and stay put?

It's always fun to think about having magical powers, and Geo's manifesting skills will be interesting to readers who enjoyed magical books like Mlynowski's Best Wishes series, Collier's The Best Friend Bracelet, Voigt's When Wishes Were Horses, or Baptiste's Carnival Chaos (Moko Magic #1).

MMGM- The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Shang, Wendy Wan-Long. The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun 

June 3, 2025 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Esme is glad that the school year is over, even though she has to suffer through an awards assembly at the end of the year. Her older sisters Bea, Claire, and Delaney all excel in various fields, but Esme is not particularly great at any one thing, so never brings home any awards to make her mother happy. Her father left the family three years ago, and now lives in Shanghai, so her mother struggles a bit to take the girls to all of their activities and pay the bills. Esme loves spending her summer at the Deep Woods pool, and starts the season off by visiting with Tegen. The pool tradition has all of the kids lining up and jumping in at the same time, and the legend is that whoever hits the water first will get a wish. Esme is trying to think of the best wording, but a new girl, Kaya, gets in her way and hits the water first after being pushed. Esme notices her struggling, and alerts the life guard, which is a little embarassing, especially since Esme's friends from the swim team, Cat and Marissa, comment that maybe Kaya can't swim. Esme has grown a lot over the year, and has gotten much faster. She does well in the time trials, and even excels at the difficult butterfly stroke. She hopes to do well and make her mother proud, but struggles with her friend Tegen's approach to the swim season. Tegen doesn't want to be intense or goofy about anything, and prefers to talk about boys and clothes. Esme even goes to the mall with her to try on bikinis, and doesn't understand why Tegen and Marissa are so hard on themselves about their bodies. Esme enjoys hanging out at the pool all morning long and competing at meets. Her friends' mothers all come and help out with snacks and timing events, but her own mother is always too busy working or driving her sisters to events. When Esme wins an event, her sisters tell her not to let her mother know, because she will ruin swimming for Esme. After Tegen's moms tell Ms. Sun how well Esme did, she shows up at a meet, and Esme finds out how much pressure her sisters must be under. Not only does her mother insist that Esme do well, she also thinks she should consider all of her teammates her adversaries. Esme would rather have fun, and struggles to figure out how she can be true to herself but also make her mother happy. She helps Kaya practice flip turns, even though this means that Kaya comes close to beating her, and is appalled when her mother refers to Kaya as "that Black girl". Her mother also isn't happy that Esme is getting tan because it makes her look like she "works in a field", and Esme has to process the fact that her mother has racist tendencies. When Tegen quits the team because she no longer finds swimming fun, Esme realizes that she has to decide for herself how she will live her life, even if it is in a way that doesn't mesh with her mother's. 

This really is the perfect summer read. Most of the book is fun and upbeat, with snacks and games at the pool, and an overwhelming feeling of belonging to a place that just feels right. I loved the inclusion of Joe, the "world's oldest life guard" who has been coming to Deep Woods since he was Esme's age in the 1960s. He offers Esme a perfect description of what the pool means to him, and I'm not at all surprised that Ms. Shang spent time on the swim team during her teen years. My house backs up to the local community pool, so my children spent a LOT of time there. It's definitely a cool experience to have, and I love that there is a book to share that experience with others. 

For swimmers, there are plenty of details about practice, meets, and techniques, as well as some excellent discussion of how to mentally prepare for races and how to deal with competition with your friends. When I coached cross country, this was a frequent conversation, and I loved seeing how Esme learned to balance having fun with wanting to be competitive. The fact that she is also dealing with Tegen's more mature ways and deciding that they aren't for her quite yet perfectly encapsulated the middle grade experience. 

While many middle grade books deal with grieving parents who have passed away, it is so much more realistic and productive to portray difficult parents whose values are problematic. Esme's mom isn't mean or abusive, but she isn't supportive, either. Esme loves her, but wants her approval, even though her mother has an outlook on life that Esme doesn't wish to embrace. I always wondered about my runners whose parents never came to meets, and worried when I couldn't be at my older daughter's races because I was coaching her younger sister. Esme's older sisters are supportive, and help her work through some of her issues with her mother in productive ways. Seeing different family dynamics is fascinating, and so much more interesting than yet another book about grief. 

I'm always glad to see more books about sports, and swimming is certainly something that will interest a lot of young readers. Add this to Ahn's 2024 Swimming Into Trouble (Julia on the Go #1), Agarwal and Durfey-Lavoie's  Sink or Swim, Sumner's Deep Water, Morrison's Up for Air, Fipps' Starfish, and the book that made me the most jealous about how someone else spent their summer, Holm's Sunny Makes a Splash, for a perfect tsunami of swimtastic titles. 

Life isn't easy

Knowles, Jo and Fawkes, Glynnis (illus.). Someone's Gonna End Up Crying
May 27, 2025 by Candlewick
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maple is in fifth grade, and has a very close family relationship with her older sister, Rory, older brother, Gabe, and her parents. There are family movie nights, meals together, and outings. Lately, though, her parents have been bickering a lot, and her father often leaves to go out, claiming he needs "space". This starts to happen so often that Maple, who loves to draw, envisions her father going through "portal potties" into "Dadlandia", where he can be alone and do activities that he enjoys. We see her cartoon style panels depicting his adventures. Maple's father has promised to help her built a tree fort, but once school is out, he never seems to have time. Her friends Katy and Astrid are supportive, and she has other friends at school, like budding Entrepreneur Oliver. After a family dinner of chili that involves a hot sauce challenge, the father says he is going out to get ice cream, but doesn't come back for hours. Maple hears her parents arguing, and overhears her father saying that he's not cut out for holding a job and being a parent. He goes to live in a cabin owned by a family friend for a while. Maple's mom, who is very busy working, steps up to help build the tree fort, and tries to maintain the close family ties and activities. When Maple has a birthday, her father does show up, but there still aren't a lot of answers about how he is dealing with life, and when he will return.
Strengths: Young readers will love Maple's renderings of her dad's supposed wanderings in the comic strip style panels scattered throughout this story. It seems like a lot of marriages hit a rocky spot when children enter late elementary school, and Maple's parents struggles are explained just enough that we can see their effect on Maple and her siblings. Growing up in the 1970s, I was always afraid that my parents would get divorced, even though they never fought; I can't imagine the tension that Maple and others like her feel when parents are actually fighting, and a parent is moving out. There isn't as much of this family tension depicted in middle grade novels, and it's always valuable to see different variations of this experience. There's an inkling that the father might also be having some mental health struggles. I loved the depiction of every day family life, with special meals, local trips, and traditions. Best of all was the family catch phrase, "someone's gonna end up crying", an admonition that is closely related to my own mother's "don't expect me to pay your doctor's bills"!
Weaknesses: This is an excellent choice for elementary age readers, but my students might find Maple to be a bit young. I would almost like to see this same story told from Rory's point of view. The difference between fifth grade and seventh grade is huge. The book is great, but I'm not sure it is the best fit for my collection.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who find difficult family dynamics interesting to read about and found Knisley's Stepping Stones, Vitalis' Unsinkable Cayenne, or Toalsen's The First Magnificent Summer intriguing.

Ellis, Ann Dee. This Cookie Will Change Your Life

May 13, 2025 by Peachtree

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Odd chains of events bring together four deeply unhappy children in a study room in the public library. Tilly is determined to run away from her home, since her father and older brother are always angry and abusive. Mateo's grandmother has dementia and has moved in with the family. Jada's father is gone, and her mother has moved them from California so that she can work at the public library; Jada is angry and dresses in a lot of black. Eloise's father died, and her mother has remarried Barry. Eloise has decided that she wants to go to California, and plans on earning the money to do this by selling her gourmet cookies that she thinks are better than Crumbl's. She floats this business idea to the three others, and since they all would like to escape their lives and go to California, they all agree. In order to set up at the local farmers' market in three days, they need to develop and taste test cookies, bake them, and pay $575 to the market for stall space. Luckily, Tilly has a food handler's permit. Eloise's former friend Herschel is the only one whom seems to actually know how to bake, but Eloise is fighting with him and doesn't want his cookies. All of the kids make unsuccessful attempts at baking; in Tilly's case, her father and brother eat the cookies, and an argument ensues.  When a tragedy occurs in Eloise's family, the group still thinks they can run a stall. While they manage to set up, but no one brings any cookies. Jada's mother often makes gourmet popcorn, so the group sells some of that. While their trip to California is unlikely, the serendipitous friendship helps all of the kids out. 

This is a character driven novel that explores the back stories of a varied group of children who are all dealing with different kinds of personal drama. There are a lot of details about random things, like In a Garten, Crumbl and other gourmet cookies, and the interchanges that the characters have had with each other before the story starts, which gives this a contemplative, slow moving quality. This is a good choice for readers who are interested in back stories of the characters navigating trauma in books like Anderson's Ms. Bixby's Last Day or Korman's The Fort. 

Return to Sender

Brosgol, Vera. Return to Sender
May 6, 2025 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Oliver Bakh and his mother Annie have struggled to find housing after the death of his father, a chef who moved to the US from the country of Georgia to open a restaurant. They have inherited an apartment from Great Aunt Barb, and the mother has taken a job as a custodian as a posh private school so that Oliver can attend. The apartment is a bit quirky, and they have to clean out Barb’s collection of insects and newspaper, and deal with Eliza, an older neighbor who is a social worker and claims to have been good friends with Barb. Whittle Academy is filled with rich kids like Lucas, who looks down on Oliver’s off brand shoes and cobbled together uniform, and even posts unflattering pictures on the Darkwhittle web that go viral. The school is fairly high tech and impressive, and Annie works another job at the school after hours to make ends meet, which means that Oliver often goes home alone (he is ten) and cooks dinner. He does make one friend, Collette, whose wealthy parents are never home, leaving her in the care of her nannyguard, Jimmy. Collette is not allowed to have sugar, and in an effort to get access to homemade goodies, sets up a “playdate” for Oliver to teach her to cook. Oliver has uncovered an odd statue of a cat, and a mail slot, in the apartment, which seem to be magical. Pushing a note into the slot out of frustration, he finds that he gets back typed, mint scented replies that tell him to do things like buy a pack of gum, chew it all, and plug up all of the water fountains but one. This assures that Lucas, the bully, puts his mouth directly on the fountain where a child has recently thrown up, which makes him vomit when he is punched in an arranged fight with Oliver. This elevates Oliver’s social standing, but doesn’t lessen his general frustration with life. He shares the secret with Collette, and the wishes escalate from simple things like new shoes to a katana for Collette, and eventually an invisible airplane. At the same time, neighbor Eliza threatens him with a Child Protective Service visit unless he and his mother give the apartment to her. What Oliver really wants is his father and the way life used to be. Can the magical cat deliver and save the day?
Strengths: I’d love to see more illustrated middle grade novels, and Brosgol’s artistic talents are well used here. The apartment is certainly eclectic, and seeing the cat in its home helps the reader to believe that it could be magical. Eliza’s portrait is also very telling; it’s easy to believe that she’s capable of threatening Oliver. Oliver and his mother are doing the best they can to survive after life changing events, and Oliver’s attempts to do everything by himself and not bother his mother are realistic. Collette is an amusing sidekick, along with Jimmy. This starts out as a slightly magical book but quickly elevates the fantasy elements while also showing some satisfying character development for Oliver.
Weaknesses: This had a bit of a 1960s, over-the-top Roald Dahl-esque fantasy feel to it that surprised me a little. I think it is very hard to write a villain in 2025; Eliza blackmailing Oliver by using her position as a social worker was troubling.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Thayer’s The Talent Thief, Snyder’s Bigger than a Breadbox or Whitesides’ Magic Most Wanted, or are fans of Brosgol’s graphic novels.   

So Over Sharing

Weissman, Elissa Brent. So Over Sharing
May 20, 2025 by Dial Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hadley's mother has been a mommy blogger for ten years, and went viral after a potty training video of Hadley crying about her poop sliding. Clearly, this is embarrassing now, but her mother still embraces her frenzied, disorganized, "parenting is so hard" brand, and has turned this into a lucrative career. The family, which includes older brother Colton and younger siblings Nash and Quinn, has recently moved from Brooklyn to a big McMansion on Long Island, where her mother continues to post embarrassing content to her PhoebeAndJay channels. Willow, on the other hand, has a lifestyle blogger mom who romanticizes motherhood on her Moonbeams and Marigolds blog. Willow has to wear clothing to match her family's and be perfect all the time. When the two girls meet up at a Women in Content conference, they both share how frustrated they are that their mothers don't respect their privacy. Willow is hopeful that now that her younger brother is getting older, her mother will stop, but finds out at the conference that her mother is expecting, and hopes to monetize the new baby. On a school supply run, Hadley is filling her basket with binders, and runs into Ava, whose mother doesn't want to spend the money. Hadley's mom comes up and tells Hadley to put some items back, because they've just gotten a whole box for free. When Hadley meets Ava at her new school, she doesn't want her new friends to know about her mother, since it's embarrassing. She and Willow have their own private channel called "We are not content", where they show the truth behind some of the posts their mothers make. It is hard to hide her family from her new friends, but Hadley tells them that her mother is a different influencer. Of course, this only lasts so long, but Hadley digs up dirt on the others because their parents post embarrassing things on Facebook. Eventually, both girls want to find a way for their mothers to stop posting about them, and make comments that cause a lot of problems. Both influencers lose followers, but gain national attention for the role of parents and kids on social media. Will Hadley and Willow's mothers find a way to still earn a living while not involving the girls?
Strengths: There are a lot of parents who have their children as their profile picture, and this has always worried me. Children should not be discussed in such a public and lasting forum, and this book points out a lot of the reasons why in a spectacular fashion. Willow and Hadley have very different experiences with their mother's content, but it all comes down to the same issue: not every aspect of life needs to be shared. It's easy to understand the allure for the mothers, especially Hadley's. Her father has even been able to leave his job and start a bookstore because of the social media success. I liked that the two of them were able to have each other to bounce ideas off of. They make fairly desperate attempts to get their mother's attention, but this book makes a great point. Young readers will be enthralled with the details of being in the social media spotlight, but also sympathize with Hadley and Willow's desire for privacy.
Weaknesses: Clearly, I have failed at monetizing my blog. After 19 years, all I have to show for my social media is a lot of copies of books that I donated to my school library. I would have liked some statistics on how many people actually can make a living being a social media influencer, since my students think this is a realistic career goal. Even a failed attempt like my blog takes a LOT more time than I think they envision.
What I really think: This is another intriguing choice for readers who like to explore different facets of social media in books like Parks's Averil Offline, Parra's The Quince Project, Wilson's Sparkle, or Yang's Finally Heard. Tanya Lloyd Kyi's Better Connected: How Girls Are Using Social Media for Good is a good nonfiction title to read along with this story.