Inkling

Oppel, Kenneth. Inkling
November 6th 2018 by Alfred A. Knopf BFYR
Copy provided by the publisher

Ethan's family is struggling after the death of his mother from cancer. Sarah, who has Down Syndrome, wants a puppy desperately, and has to rely on Ethan for much of her care. Their father, a comic books artist who killed off his most successful character, is stuck. He can't draw, he can barely get out of bed, and he finds it difficult to care for and interact with his children. When an ink blot comes out of his sketch books and is found by Ethan, Ethan thinks it might solve some of his problems. His classmates have assigned him to do the drawings for a school project, and he can't really draw well. Inkling, however, absorbs ink from the pages of books and uses that ink and the knowledge of design to create new artwork. After Ethan uses him, the father finds that Inkling can turn out new work for him, and this gives him hope even though it isn't a real solution. When someone tries to take Inkling and use him for evil, Ethan must get him back, but also find some more permanent solutions to his family's dysfunction.
Strengths: It's a fun concept-- an ink blot that learns and grows. The accompanying drawing add a bit to the story, but even more of them would have been great. Sarah's interactions with Ethan are realistic and nicely done.
Weaknesses: If families were portrayed as being unable to go on when they had a child with Down Syndrome or another condition, I don't think people would take kindly to that. It would be insulting to say that having a child with a difference is SO BAD that the family can't function. However, at least half the time a middle grade parent (or sibling or friend) dies in a story, parents becomes dysfunctional. I don't think this is realistic, and I do think it's insulting. It also occurred to me after reading this that I had about four friends who lost parents as children (in elementary school), and it was never a topic of conversation, and I never got the feeling that the family was sad and dysfunctional. I know, I know. I always complain about this, but there are SO MANY books where this occurs.
What I really think: Debating. This is rather slow and introspective, and there aren't as many pictures as there need to be for a true Notebook Novel. I'm not sure I have readers for it, but I'll show it to a few students and see what they think.

MMGM- Short and Skinny

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.

Tatulli, Mark. Short and Skinny
October 23rd 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Public library copy

Mark is 4'7" in middle school, and takes his share of abuse in the hallways, although he has some friends. As summer approaches, he is bound and determined to put on some weight and muscles, and sends off for many aides found in the back of a comic book. (But no sea monkeys. Drat!) He has a cool bike that takes him all over town, and when the original Star Wars movie premiers in May of 1977, he and his friends are there at the local theatre, waiting in line. His brother and sister aren't always terribly helpful, but are there for him when he needs them. Mark's biggest interest is drawing comic strips, but after seeing Star Wars, he is bound and determined to do make a MAD Magazine style movie parody of it. His parents are supportive of his attempts, even in the days when film meant actual, expensive film and processing, and he gets some small acclaim for his attempts, even if he doesn't get a whole lot bigger over the summer.
Strengths: There are a lot of middle school boys who are very small, but it doesn't show up in literature. My brother was 4'10" when he started high school in 1981, so I know it can be a very significant concern. This is a historical fiction graphic novel, much like Holm's Sunny Side Up, and there aren't a lot of those. The blending of historical details with concerns that students still has makes this very engaging, and the Star Wars tie in can never go wrong!
Weaknesses: I wish this had come out about ten years ago. The current batch of middle school parents were probably just being born in 1977, making this not as helpful as a generational bridge.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, but may wait to see if there is a Follett Bound available. Graphic novels have a shelf life of about two years in my library, and they are very expensive.

Bailey, Ellen, Beer, Sophies and Farnsworth, Lauren. I Am a Wonder Woman 
July 1st 2018 by Buster Books
Copy provided by the publisher

This book covers over fifty famous and impressive women from all walks of life, over a huge span of years. From the ancient Greek Hypatia to paralympian Ellie Simmons (born 1994), each woman is showcased with pertinent information about her life and impact on society On the opposite page, there is a suggested activity, writing exercise, or project that readers can do while thinking about their own possible impact. The entire book is illustrated in shades of orange, teal and beige, and is one of those books that begs to be taken apart, laminated, and made into bulletin boards! It would also be a perfect gift for the young feminist in your life!

While there are a large number of women who are well-covered (Helen Kellar, Harriet Tubman, Marie Curie) there are also some of whom I have never heard, and some from different parts of the world, making this a great starting point for further reading about women such as Brita Tott, the Mirabal sisters, and Xian Zhang. My one quibble is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the order of the entries-- my own preference would have been chronological, but geographical would have worked as well. My daughters would have loved this when they were young!

It's the End When I Say It's the End: Timmy Failure #7

Pastis, Stephan. It's the End When I Say It's the End: Timmy Failure #7
September 25th 2018 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

As Christmas approaches, Timmy is ready to give up his detective business, but he has one last mission: to help Total find his brother. He's also not entirely happy to be living with Doorman Dave, since his mother married him. When he is assigned a film project for class, Timmy goes into full egotistical mode and writes a script all about himself. He is challenged by Molly, who thinks the script is not happy enough, and Tom John, who is made director by the teacher and who disagrees with Timmy's artistic vision. While searching for a bar where he can stage a scene from the book, Timmy encounters his birth father, with whom he last had a less than successful encounter in Florida. The movie is one train wreck after another, and working on it puts Timmy at odds even with his best friend Rollo. After much faxing and investigation, Timmy does manage to locate Total's brother, and soon the bear is leaving. Can Timmy survive the combined stress of keeping his father's location a secret, dealing with the school play, and losing his trusted (if potentially imaginary) companion?

Filled with jokes, odd names, and improbably situations, the Timmy Failure books are fun romps into the world of the unpredictable. Even after reading all seven, I'm still not entirely sure if Total is a real polar bear, or just something Timmy has made up! Readers who enjoy the vaguely film noir style of Rylander's The Fourth Stall, Hale's Chet Gecko mysteries and Ferraiolo's The Big Splash will revel in Timmy's attempts at running a detective agency, and his egomaniacal style complements this nicely.

The real draw for many readers will be Pastis' illustrations, which are similar in style to his Pearls Before Swine comic strips. This is one series that my students who won't read anything but Wimpy Kid books have been eagerly checking out.

While not a personal favorite of mine (IS the polar bear real? Seriously, this is a big problem for me! Plus, the weird names always bug me.), this series is a great addition to the list of middle grade Notebook Novels that includes Berger's Lyttle Lies, Tashjian's Einstein the Hamster books, and Ignatow's Popularity Papers.

Crush (Akward #3)

Chmakova, Svetlana. Crush (Akward #3)
October 30th 2018 by JY/ Yen Press
E ARC from Netgalley

Jorge struggles with his role in the school. He is an athlete, but doesn't much care for the way the other members of his team act. He has a huge crush on Jazmine, and asks her to the big athletic ball, but struggles with how to talk to her on a daily basis. There's lots of boy/girl drama at school, with people breaking up and getting back together, and Jorge doesn't want to be part of that. He enjoys working with the newspaper on the sports beat, and has a good friend in Liv, who helps him understand a bit about Jazmine. There are lots of current social topics discussed in this book. Coach Rashad delivers perhaps the first "body autonomy" speech in middle grade literature-- students are warned that no one is allowed to touch them without their permission, and that a teacher should be contacted if someone does. Of course, some of the boys think this is funny, but they are swiftly put in their place. There is also some cyber bullying, when Garrett doesn't log out of Jorge's account before getting involved in group chat and says mean things about Jazmine. The dance goes well, and Jorge and Jazmine continue their tenuous romance.
Strengths: This is definitely a much higher quality graphic novel series than many. The stories are substantial, the characters well developed, and the drawing very pleasant. The understanding of middle school social interactions and volatile romance is good. Jorge is a quiet, athletic character who struggles socially, and we don't have too many characters like that in middle grade literature.
Weaknesses: This is a bit on the preachy side on several topics, but students won't care.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and with any luck someone will lose the copy when it gets too worn out. Hope that a replacement will be available. Graphic novels frequently fall apart or are lost by students, and often can't be replaced!

The Stinky Truth (Lyttle Lies #2)

Berger, Joe. The Stinky Truth (Lyttle Lies #2)
November 6th 2018 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

After his escapades in The Pudding Problem, you would have thought that Sam would have learned his lesson. No such luck. This time, he volunteers his mother to run a Zumba-thon at the town festival, and she's less than pleased to find out where his lies have taken him. She tells him that if he wants to see the much anticipated Cry Wolfe, the first Wolfe Stone movie, he will have to go six weeks without telling any lies. He tries very hard to do this, and gets in various scrapes during the process, but it is looking like he might be able to make it, even though he's had to practice telling his grandfather that his home pickling projects are horrible... but in a polite way. As the festival approaches, Sam gets himself into a pickle of his own with a tray of pastries for the event. Can he manage to extricate himself but still tell the truth so that he can see the movie?
Strengths: Like Big Nate, Same means well but frequently gets carried away by his own misguided enthusiasm. This is the definition of middle school behavior! I really like the illustrations, and the fact that there are some comic strips inserted into the story, along with page illustrations. Students enjoy stories about summer vacation, and the UK setting is a bit exotic. The family is supportive (mom throws herself into her Zumba assignment and dad plays guitar for the festival) and present, and Sam has good friends as well. This would be a great choice for first grade on up.
Weaknesses: A bit on the preachy side, but it doesn't get too overwhelming.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. Sam is a much more sympathetic character than Greg Heffley, the drawings and page design are much nicer than many notebook novels, and there is the adorable Pudding the cat.

Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor #1)

Anderson, M.T. Apex Predator (Horizon #4)
August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Inc.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Both the members of the robotics team whose plane went down and the members of the Cub-Tones from the 1950s are still surviving in the scary land of the blue broccoli forests, dealing with exploding fruit and scissor birds. They do find a statue and a tree village, but still do not find any inhabitants. They do come across a journal from a whaling ship in 1855. This shows them that the world they are in has existed for a number of years, but is also an ominous warning that people have been trapped within it for lengthy periods of time. The children discover that music tends to calm one type of giant cyborg, but they also suffer a tragic loss. With Molly and Cal slowly mutating into green skinned creatures, an ever dwindling supply of food, and a plethora of monsters trying to kill them, what will the future hold for these castaways?

Filled with exotic, volatile flora and menacing fauna, surviving the land of Horizon is a non-stop, pulse-pounding adventure. There are plenty of characters, and they all deal with their situation differently. Kira and Akiko can only speak Japanese, so can only communicate with Yoshi, who is bilingual. Molly is determined to be an effective leader, but is concerned about her deterioration and also the threat Hank poses to her power. Other characters like Javi, Crash and Kimberly don't have as much input into this installment, but quietly keep things moving.

The real draw to this series is the video-game type adventure. Doing the simplest task involves a variety of steps, challenges, and attacks. Descriptions of plants and animals almost shimmer with the same intensity of a television screen in a darkened room. Characters make constant decisions, knowing that the wrong one might send boats flying through the air instead of sailing smoothly across the water. Death and destruction wait at every turn.

Readers who enjoy the multi-author 39 Clues or Project Alpha books and want a multi-platform experience will definitely be interested in this series, which is also good for fans of series fiction like Northrup's Tomb Quest, Spradlin's Killer Species or Korman's Titanic.



West, Carly Anne. Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor #1)
August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Inc.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Nicky's family moves around a lot, and he gets tired of having to adjudt to new towns, new schools, and new friends. This time, his mother has a good job at the university in Raven Brooks, so he's hoping they can stay. He meets Aaron Peterson, who lives across the street, and the two boys have lots of adventures, breaking into the old Golden Apple candy factory and appropriating electronics for their inventions. There's something a bit strange about the town, and about Aaron's father, and after some research, Nicky finds out some of the back story. The Golden Apple company created an apple themed amusement park, and Mr. Peterson was the engineer who designed the rides. Unfortunately, a seven year old girl was killed after being thrown from a ride that didn't have appropriate safety equipment installed on it, and even though there was no law suit against Mr. Peterson, it ruined his career and made him slightly disturbed. After a tragedy affects the Petersons, Nicky starts to think that maybe there is an even bigger secret hiding in the house, and he attempts to find out what it is before even more bad things happen.

There is apparently a horror video game called Hello, Neighbor, the object of which is to sneak into the basement of neighbors' houses to find hidden secrets. This book would probably make a lot more sense if I were familiar with the game, but it could stand on its own merits as well.

The fact that Nicky's own house was not haunted makes this refreshing, and I really enjoyed the idea of the Golden Apple theme park, since I have a weakness for anything of the sort (especially if it involves Storybook Forest kinds of parks, like Hahn's Closed for the Season! There's also the Wild West theme park in Bowling's Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. Maybe this will be a new trend!). Nothing is creepier than something that is supposed to be happy and filled with joy that has become derelict and depressing!

Nicky's parents are present and supportive, but they give him a lot of room to roam in his new town, which is good to see. Raven Brooks is a small, quirky town, and Nicky's delving into its history was more interesting to me than the creepy aspect that will appeal to payers of the game.

Scholastic has a wide range of books with popular culture tie-ins, and readers who have to be pulled away from electronics will find some comfort reading in series like Hello Neighbors, Cube Kid's Minecraft, and Baptiste's official Minecraft novels.

Anyone want to guess what now-defunct Ohio theme park is represented by this picture? I only went there once, for a friend's birthday party in the 6th grade, and I rode this roller coaster with a broken arm! (My parents never believed that we were ill or injured, although when soaking my arm in Epsom salts proved ineffective, they did take me to the doctor, who discovered the fall from my bike did, indeed, break my arm in three places!)

You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P.

Gino, Alex. You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P. 
September 25th 2018 by Scholastic Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Jilly's is very excited when her mother finally has her baby sister, Emma, who is adorable, even if she cries a lot. When it turns out that Emma may have some issues with her hearing, it's good that Jilly has a close knit extended family that includes her Aunt Joanne, Joanne's African American wife, Aunt Alicia, and her children Justin and Jamila. She also has a support network in a chat community for the Magically Mysterious Vidalia trilogy, a fantasy series she really likes. One of the other members of the group, Profound, is deaf. He is very politically aware of issues facing the Deaf community as well as the African American community, and often brings Jilly to task when she makes comments that are offensive, even if she doesn't mean them to be. Jilly's parents are not entirely sure how they should proceed with Emma, because they are getting conflicting opinions from the medical professionals they consult. One says they shouldn't even encourage Emma to wave, although some think starting sign language is a good thing. They do have her fitted with hearing aids, and attend an event with families with deaf members in order to learn more. Profound, whose real name is Derek, has invited Jilly to come to the event, and she's glad to meet him in person. It's helpful to her family to learn more, and Derek and Jilly continue to chat online. Thanksgiving and Christmas are difficult for Jilly, because the rest of her extended family are not as welcoming of Joanne and Alicia's family. It doesn't help that there are many incidents in the news about racism, including some that hit very close to home. Jilly must confront her own privilege and speak out when she hears unjust comments, knowing that Emma may face some issues of her own.
Strengths: Gino's notes in the back of the book are very helpful, and indicate that while she is not herself deaf, she was raised by deaf parents and has learned sign language. My students are invariably fascinated by sign language but don't really know anything about the Deaf community, so this is a good way to raise their sensitivity. Cochlear implants are discussed at length; I had a student a few years ago who had those as well as an interpreter in class, and this would have been a helpful book to have had.There are other timely social issues as well, and Jilly's warm and supportive immediate family are lovingly portrayed. The online romance is conducted within the bounds of safety, and it's interesting to see how the connection changes when the children meet in person. The cover is very bright and attractive, and does show Derek's hearing aid. How much they have changed since the days of Cece Bell's El Deafo!
Weaknesses: It didn't seem quite realistic to me that there was so much tension at the holiday meals, but every family is different. Even my own Uncle Mike is able to reign himself in during brief dinners with my family, which has a variety of different groups represented. Also, the mother baked pies on the day of the holiday to take traveling. I can't say I've even had time to do that!
What I really think: Gino states (and this is from the E ARC)  that "books and stories are tools for talking about contemporary issues", and this would certainly be helpful in addressing several different ones.

The Tomb

Bodeen, S.A. The Tomb
September 25th 2018 by Feiwel & Friends
Public library copy

Kiva is being raised in ancient Egypt, and one of her best friends is the prince, Seth. However, since his mother's passing, he has not come to school and has distanced himself. Kiva is training to be a healer, so when an earthquake causes some damage and injury to her community, she tries to help. However, Seth passes away, and she is not able to do anything. She realizes that her mother is going to allow her to be sacrificed and put into Seth's tomb in order to accompany him to the afterlife. She thinks she has two months to plan her escape, but she wakes up on what seems like the next day only to find that it is the day of the funeral. Things get weirder after that, and Kiva finds that her whole life has been a lie. She and Seth are really in stasis on a space ship, her mother is a hologram, and she's really from the US of the future and not from Egypt at all. Not only that, but the ship the two are on is in trouble, and when they go to find a part for the ship on one of the other units sent forth to evacuate the Earth, they find nothing but trouble. Will they be able to save their ship, or even themselves?
Strengths: This is a great length, has a nice light romance, and definitely is a good example of kids saving the world. I'd like to see more science fiction/space adventure, and Bodeen always does such a good job at putting scientific details into her work.
Weaknesses: I kept thinking of Haddix's Running out of Time, which starts with a similar premise. The Egyptian details are not quite right, which is addressed by Seth later in the book, but which made me uneasy and made it hard to get invested in the story, somehow.
What I really think: This cover would not be appealing to my readers (I have several similar ones that just don't circulate), and it's hard to get into the book at the beginning, so I think I will pass, even though Bodeen's other works do very well in my library.

MMGM- Blended

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.

Draper, Sharon. Blended
November 6th 2018 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Isabella's parents are divorced, and she lived with her mother in Cincinnati while her father worked in California. Now he is back, and they switch off weeks, meeting at a local mall for the trade off. With her mother, who works as a waitress, she lives in an apartment and has to worry about vehicles working, but with her father, she lives in a posh house in Indian Hill. Her mother's boyfriend, who is white like her mother, confesses that his family was very racist and abusive when he was growing up, and he feels bad that he was too scared to oppose them. Her father's girlfriend is an interior decorator who has a son, Darren, who is older than Isabella. As her parents' relationships become more serious, Isabella gives more thought to her identity, as well as to her blended family. At school, she has some good friends, and doesn't think much about her racial identity until one of her friends is threatened and everyone at school is thinking about race. Isabella's big concern is playing piano, but when she and Darren stop for ice cream at the Hyde Park Graeters before her big recital, they run into problems that end tragically.
Strengths: This was a good attempt to bring current social concerns to a middle grade level. Draper has done a lot of more Young Adult books with these themes, but her younger books haven't addressed them as much. I have a lot of students who are biracial, and there are not many books (Frazier's Brendan Buckley and The Other Half of My Heart being notable exceptions) directly addressing the difficulties that sometimes arise. It was especially interesting that Isabella herself identifies more as black.
Weaknesses: This is almost two books; one about the blended families, and one about the racial issues. I liked that they were presented together, but at almost 300 pages, it was a lot of information, and the two topics didn't always flow smoothly.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, if only for the descriptions of Cincinnati (they HAD to be meeting at the Kenwood Towne Centre!) and the cover!

Fun fact: I'm pretty sure that when I did a student teaching experience at Walnut Hills High School in 1989, Draper was teaching there! We never met, and all I really remember is the cigarette haze in the faculty room and my cooperating teacher telling me that if I ever saw a fight starting, I was to run and find "a man with a tie".

O'Brien, Ann Sibley and O'Brien, Perry Edmond.
After Ghandi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance
November 6th 2018 by Charlesbridge Publishing

Starting with a complete but brief description of Ghandi's works and continuing with additional, updated information about current social movements, this book covers a variety of people and protests from around the world. Each chapter starts with an illustration that highlights the year of the protest, a description of a particular occurrence, a description of the problem and the method of resistance, and then a brief biography of a key figure, illustrated with that person's portrait. This is a nice way to reinforce the information, and made the book move very quickly. There were some events with which I was familiar, but a lot with which I was not. I can see this being a very useful book for research, pleasure reading, or for inspiring students to participate themselves. One notable omission, no doubt due to timing, is the student protests following the Stoneman Douglas shootings.
Strengths: This author also did the fabulous novel In the Shadow of the Sun-- it took me a bit to make the connection! I really liked the way that the various movements were discussed, and the chapters were just the right length. This would also be very helpful in a high school history class to balance out the textbooks, which always concentrate on WAR instead of social history!
Weaknesses: While I can understand the financial reasons for having drawings instead of photographs for each event, it was really not the same. Photographs would have added a LOT to this book. Perhaps in another ten years, for a new edition!
What I really think: This new edition is in paperback. I will try to find a hardcover, but I don't know that it would get used enough to worry about it wearing out.

Island War

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Island War
October 23rd 2018 by Holiday House
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Izzy and Matt both end up on a small Alaska island in 1941. Izzy's father wrote travel logs until his death in a car accident, and her mother is a bird watcher, so the two decide to continue with plans he made to live on the island. Matt's gruff father rips him from a pleasant life on the East Coast with his mother and gives him a kayak, as if that would take the place of his own beloved boat. The two don't get along at first due to some misunderstanding, and both find it difficult to settle in to such a different life. It doesn't help when Pearl Harbor is bombed and the US enters into war. Rumors are that their island could be attacked, but when Japanese soldiers show up at their door, steal their food, and make life difficult, it is still a shock. The occupation goes on for several years, until the Japanese decide to take the residents back to Japan. Both Matt and Izzy are away from their homes when this happens, and don't get on the boat. Izzy goes to Matt's house looking for food, and plans to stay there for a while, so is surprised when he shows up. The two form an uneasy alliance and survive, along with a dog who was left behind. When the island becomes a battle ground, they must rely on their survival skills even more to remain safe until they can be rescued.
Strengths: This covers an unusual aspect of WWII, and is a good length. The story is intriguing and moves at a good pace, and readers who enjoy problem novels or survival tales will find this one amusing. This is very similar in tone to this author's Genevieve's War.
Weaknesses: Having read Seiple's Ghosts in the Fog a while back at Gratz's Grenade more recently, I wanted a much more action packed story. I also didn't like either Matt or Izzy.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, since I always need more books on WWII for an 8th grade unit, but am personally a little disappointed.

The Steeplechase Secret (Free Rein)

Lane, Jeanette. The Steeplechase Secret (Free Rein)
August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Inc.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Zoe and her family have moved to Bright Field Stables from California. Her mother is from the small island in England, and is glad to return home, but Zoe has some trouble with settling in. She is thrilled to be able to have access to horses, and has made some good friends (Jade and Becky), but also has to deal with Mia, a wealthy girl who is rather mean. When a developer starts to resurrect a steeplechase race course on the island, the girls are all intrigued, especially since there are some cute boys whose parents work there. Mia's father is influential, so she is asked to participate in some of the first races, leaving the other girls to spy on her since they aren't included. They also feel that something isn't quite right about the way the renovation and planning are going, and get themselves in a fair amount of trouble while investigating.

This is apparently based off of a British television series that is being shown in 2018 on Netflix. While I haven't seen the show, and wish I had read more information about Zoe's move to the island, the novelization stands up well on its own. Scholastic has a good eye for shows and movies that young readers are watching, and as much as I enjoyed Partridge Family mystery series when I was young, I really can't fault them!

Zoe's close relationship with her mother and her sister, Rosie, is especially nice to see, and she does still talk to her father via Skype, which is a reality with which many children have to deal. Jade and Becky are fairly stock characters, but Mia is quite sympathetic even though she isn't always nice. It's a pleasant change to see a rich, mean girl portrayed as a human being rather than just a literary device, and it speaks well that Zoe tries to understand the other girl's perspective.

Horse stories have a small but steady fan base, and it's always good to see a new one. Jessie Haas' Rescue is one of my recent favorites, and I love Hapka's Ponies of Chincoteague series. Free Rein, with it's wonderful Raven, will be a big hit with readers who either ride horses or would like to, and who also can get their teeth into a good mystery.

No Slam Dunk

Lupica, Mike. No Slam Dunk
November 6th 2018 by Philomel Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Wes loves basketball-- practicing to be the best takes his mind off that fact that while his father did come back from fighting in Afghanistan as promised, he came back wounded, uncommunicative, and increasing involved in drink. Wes' mother, a high school librarian, is very supportive of Wes in every aspect of his complicated life, which is good to see. He also has a counselor, Mr. Correa, who checks in with him and occasionally plays some hoops. When one of the really good players on his team, "Dinero", starts to focus on his own game at the expense of his teammates, Wes tries to work with him. Dinero's father thinks his son can make it to the NBA, so is angry at the coach when his son is benched for grandstanding or not giving his teammates enough opportunity to play. Since Wes is struggling with his father's erratic behavior, it's hard for him to also deal with trouble on his team. Luckily, other teammates, the coach, and his mother help him work through his various problems. After his father has a crisis and deeply embarrasses Wes during a game, things start to change for the better.
Strengths: Lupica has an excellent formula for alternating sad stuff about Wes' father with descriptions of basketball games, practice, or playground scrimmages. This makes the book a lot easier to get through. I really liked how Wes had a good support network, and it made him be able to miss his father but also be somewhat sympathetic. As a coach, I see dysfunctional parents and how they affect students all the time. I had a father come to a meet, realize his runner wouldn't be doing anything for an hour, and then leave, loudly proclaiming "I don't have time for this sh**." It happens, and this is the constructive sort of sad that can be helpful for students to read.
Weaknesses: Not really a huge weakness, but Lupica usually has some really great female friends or teammates of the main characters, but I missed that in No Slam Dunk.
What I really think: I know there are people who are not fans of Lupica or of promoting white male writers, but if we are supporting young readers, we have to think about what they like to read. Interestingly, the kidlit community is all about giving children as many graphic novels as they would like to read, to the exclusion of all else if necessary. I find that far more readers only want sports books, but many teachers and librarians claim quite proudly that they "don't read sports books". I have some problems with this. When I started this blog in 2006, I had a focus on "books for boys", but had to drop that focus because people (mainly authors, interestingly), were very rude about it.

Yes, I have Hena Khan's basketball series, as well as Amar'e Stoudemire's and the Barber brothers'. When there are sports books written by culturally diverse authors, I will buy those as well. But if we are trying to get books to ALL readers, we can't ignore those who prefer sports books just because a disproportionate number of the books are written by white males.

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.