Elvin Link, Please Report to the Principal's Office

Dernavich, Drew. Elvin Link, Please Report to the Principal's Office
July 21st 2020 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Elvin is frequently in trouble in school, since he lacks impulse control and is apt to do things like draw all over his desk in order to turn it into a space ship during a science discussion. When his teacher, Mrs. English, is knocked over on the playground and drops her ice cream cone, Elvin's sketching skills are put to use identifying the culprit, which turns out to be his best friend Carlos. Since Carlos is a fairly understanding guy, he doesn't hold it against his friend, and the two are soon investigating another mystery. Field day is coming up, and all of the students at the school will get either a gold or blue Field Day t shirt, but they have gone missing. This is further complicated by the fact that the shirts are donating by the family of the school bully, Peter Zorber, who is wont to give other students wedgies. So far, Elvin has escaped, but he doesn't want to anger the other student. While the investigation continues, Elvin and Carlos volunteer their skills at drawing to customize white t shirts that are being donated as a replacement. Elvin is also very concerned that he not embarrass himself during the Field Day the way he did the previous year, since his classmates didn't let him forget that he fell into Gatorade powder. Will Elvin be able to solve the mystery, make it through Field Day, and behave himself enough that he isn't required to attend summer school?
Strengths: This was a lightly humorous book that covered the end of the school year in an amusing way. Flipdisc sounds like a fascinating game, and I can see it catching on with young readers! Elvin, his older twin sisters, Carlos, the teacher and principal are all amusing characters. This was a good length and was fast paced, so should appeal to reluctant readers.
Weaknesses: I couldn't get a good feel for the accompanying illustrations, since the E ARC did  not include any of them. The inclusion of illustrations always makes books more popular for reluctant readers, and I wish I had been able to see just a couple of examples. Also, the solution to the mystery seemed a bit odd to me.
What I really think: This is a bit too young for my students, but might be a goo fit for an elementary collection where books like Harley's Charlie Bumpers or English's Carver Chronicles are popular.

City of Gold

Hobbs, Will. City of Gold
July 21st 2020 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Owen, Till and their mother have moved to Colorado for a fresh start after the death of the father in the early 1900s. They have the land for a farm near Durango and even have a pair of mules, Hercules and Peaches. When Owen hears something in the middle of the night, he goes to investigate and finds that the animals have been taken by a rustler. Since the family will not be able to go forward with their plans without the mules, he takes off after them. He manages to locate them, but is unwilling and unable to force the thief, Harry Logan (aka Kid Curry) to give them back. The sheriff thinks that the man will alter the brand on the animals and try to sell them to the mine in Telluride, so Owen takes off in pursuit. He is well prepared with food and equipment, but fails to bring the papers for the animals with him. Undaunted, he managed to make it to the mine and even finds Hercules and helps him move a piece of mining equipment, but is unable to retrieve him. He continues on his search, coming across friends of his uncle Frank, the man who gave the family the farm. Along the way, he comes across Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, crooked Marshall Jim Clark, and travels around a lot of interesting locations in Colorado. Will he be able to finally locate the mules and get them back home so that the family farm can prosper?
Strengths: This is an interesting time period little covered in middle grade literature. The historical figures and details were well researched, and the notes at the end were fascinating. It's tough to remember that the west was still not densely settled in the early 1900s, but Larson's Hattie Big Sky (set in 1917) is about the only other book I've read on this topic. Owen's assiduousness in hunting down the thieves is admirable, if dangerous, and the cast of characters he encounters are interesting. There's even an epilogue about what become of him and his brother Till.
Weaknesses: For all the historical detail and adventure, this didn't have the visceral pull of something like this author's Leaving Protection( 2004) or Never Say Die (2013).
What I really think: This author's modern adventures circulate very well in my library, but his historical books like Jason's Gold (2000)  and Ghost Canoe (1997) don't. Will purchase if funds allow.

The Mysterious Messenger

Ford, Gilbert. The Mysterious Messenger
July 21st 2020 by Macmillan Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maria is being raised by her mother, sketchy psychic Madame Destine, who does phony seances and readings and then fleeces her customers with the help of Mr. Fox, the apartment superintendent in their city apartment building. Neither adult cares very much for Maria, and she has inadequate food support. She spends most of her days at the public library, where her job is to check the obituaries every day and report back to her mother with elderly widows without families. The librarian, Ms. Madigan, is very concerned about her, especially when Maria needs a permission slip signed to display some of Maria's work, and she (and Officer O'Malley) are unable to reach her mother. When her mother tries to get a ring from Mrs. Fisher, Maria is supposed to intervene and convince the woman to donate it to a phony charity, but Maria gets messages from a ghost names Eddy, and he tells her to help Mrs. Fisher find a treasure in her apartment. With the help of Sebastian, a boy she has met at the library who lives in an apartment in the same building, Maria tries to figure out what this might be. While visiting both Sebastian's family and the very nice Mrs. Fisher, Maria realizes that her life is not very nice, and that she is longing for a supportive family of her own. As she closes in on Mrs. Fisher's treasure, her mother threatens to move away from the city after absconding with the treasure. It's clear that while her mother doesn't care about her, the other people in her life do, including the ghost who has been guiding her.
Strengths: The information about Mrs. Fisher's late husband running an independent publishing house that produced work from Beat poets and other mid-century figures was fascinating, and the treasure connected with that was very interesting. The support that Maria gets from the library staff, as well as Sebastian's family and eventually Mrs. Fisher, is heart warming. The way that the ghost communicates with Maria, especially given her mother's occupation, is well done and ties in with the mystery of the treasure. This moved quickly and was easy to read and remember.
Weaknesses: Maria's mother was so evil that it was hard to believe. Also, I usually like Ford's illustrations, but perhaps the resolution in the E ARC did not showcase the spot illustrations in a flattering manner.
What I really think: I am not a fan of this author's Pseudonymous Bosch's The Name of this Book is Secret (2007), but it still circulates in my library, which is impressive. This is very similar (with the addition of a ghost) to Fitzgerald's Under the Egg (2014), and has shades of Schlitz's A Drowned Maiden's Hair (2010) and The Harlem Charade (2017), as well as Young's A Girl, A Raccoon, and a Midnight Moon (2020).

The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki

Dicicco, Sue Mantle and  Sasaki, Masahiro
The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki 
September 21st 2018 by Armed with the Arts Inc
(Or maybe April?)

Sadako was born in 1943 and was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Amazingly, her family (with the exception of her grandmother) survived, and her older brother contributed to this book. Their house was destroyed, so the mother and two children traveled across the countryside to stay with relatives. The father eventually rejoined them. When Hiroshima started to be rebuilt, the family moved back and tried to put their lives back together. The father had had a successful business, but that ran into trouble, and when he cosigned a loan for a neighboring business that then decamped, the family struggled even more. Sadako became ill, and even though the family knew that many people in Hiroshima had been sickened by the bomb, they hoped that Sadako would be okay. Unfortunately, the leukemia was very aggressive, and Sadako was given a year to live. She spent much of her time folding paper cranes, even though paper was scarce, as a way to help her wish of getting better, and when she finished her first thousand, she starting folding them as a way to wish that her parents would do better economically. After she died, her friends and family raised money for a memorial in honor of all the hibakusha who died.
Strengths: This is an excellent overview of what happened in Hiroshima, from the viewpoint of the bombings effects on one family. While I was familiar with Sadako's story, I appreciated that this really was a more complete version, encompassing the family's life before, during, and just after the bombing, as well as a depiction of Sadako's life before she became ill. This made the story even more effective and poignant. The aftermath of her death, especially with the input of her brother, was very moving as well. Combined with this fresh, updated cover, I can see this being very popular in elementary or middle schools, where it is never to early to gently inform students about the grim effects of war.
Weaknesses: I could have done without the illustrations (similar to the cover); they were lovely, but there were enough pictures of Sadako, her family, and her environment that they weren't really necessary. I can see younger readers enjoying them, however.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase as a companion to the great novel by Burkinshaw, The Last Cherry Blossom, Yep's Hiroshima, and Stelson's Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story.

Also a great choice to have is Coerr's Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, an oldie but a goodie from my own middle school years, 1977, which I thought my library had. Might need to replace.

Paris on Repeat and The Mulberry Tree

Bearce, Amy. Paris on Repeat
July 14th 2020 by Jolly Fish Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Eve lives in Germany with her military family, and her 8th grade trip includes Paris. She's excited to go, and hang out with her best friend Reggie. She also has a plan to give a note to her crush, Jace, telling him how she feels. When the group goes up in the Eiffel Tower, Eve sees Jace and Reggie kissing in a secluded corner, and later that day the two put a lock on the Ponts de Art to cement their romance. Eve has been given the key to the lock by the somewhat creepy palm reader/shop owner, and takes the lock off the bridge. The next morning when Eve wakes up, it's the same day all over again! She doesn't know why or how, but she gets the same text from her mother, spills water on herself, etc. She decides to try to fix some of the things that went wrong in her day, but that doesn't go well. As she continues to repeat the day, she does manage to fix a few things, like not having her backpack stolen, and continues to hear from the palm reader that she needs to make changes to her life. Unfortunately, one of her changes makes Reggie really angry, and Reggie remembers the previous day when they wake up. Eve is dealing with a situation at home that she hasn't told anyone about, and she hasn't even kept Reggie in the loop about her feelings about Jace. As she repeats the day over and over, will she be able to figure out what she needs to fix in her life?
Strengths: If #MGLit authors gave up writing about class elections and school dances and wrote about class trips instead, I would support that 100%.  Even if readers don't get to go on a class trip, they are more fun to read about. And Paris! Eve's day was filled with just the right amount of sight seeing, drama, hanging out with friends, and angst, so repeating it again and working out the "bugs" never got dull. Having an unrequited crush in middle school is such a common experience, and I loved when Eve listed some of the other girls that Jace had gone out with; she was definitely keeping tabs. This was so painfully realistic. It was also helpful that this dealt with dealing with divorce rather than the death of a parent. (See statistics below.)
Weaknesses: I could have used a little more information about Eve's school in Germany, since it seems so exotic. A chapter where the kids are planning the trip and we learn about Eve's crush on Jace would have been great.
What I really think: Definitely buying a copy, and this will be hugely popular with my fans of Casey West and Jennifer E. Smith. It's definitely got that more YA kind of vibe, but absolutely gets the weird little space where 8th grade romances bloom. Perfect. I would have saved up my babysitting money to buy a copy of this one.

I would just like to point out these statistics so I have them in future, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/single-parent-census-data-2997668. Certainly in middle grade literature, the statistics with widowed single parents are MUCH higher. We do need more books with single mothers who have never been married.

"The assumption that "most" single mothers are single from the outset is false. Of the mothers who are custodial parents:

• 40.6 percent are currently divorced or separated
• 42.6 percent have never been married
• 15.7 percent are married; in most cases, these numbers represent women who have remarried
• 1.2 percent were widowed."

Rushby, Allison. The Mulberry Tree
July 14th 2020 by Candlewick Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Immy and her mother and father are moving from Australia to Cambridge, England, where the mother has a position in a hospital. The father is not working, having had a problem with a patient back home that has spiraled him into depression. After looking at several rental properties in a nearby village that don't suit, Immy spies a quaint cottage that is just what they are looking for. The realtor doesn't want to show the family the place, because on two occasions, girls on the eve of their 11th birthday have disappeared from the home, supposedly taken by the mulberry tree in the back yard, and Immy is a month away from turning 11. Still, Immy is drawn to the place, and the family rents it, deciding to take a trip to Paris for Immy's birthday in order to be away from the house. The family settles in to their new routine, although Immy struggles to get along with the other girls in her grade, including the daughter of the owners of the home, who are renting it out precisely because they ARE afraid of the tree. Immy befriends Jean, an older neighbor whose friend Elizabeth went missing on VE Day in 1945. The two care for a family of hedgehogs that were found in the yard, and Immy connects with a gardening group at school, including an American boy who doesn't care about the legend of the tree. As Immy's birthday approaches, her mother further angers the community by planning a birthday party in the garden, and Immy struggles to understand not only what the tree has to say to her, but also how her father is dealing with his depression. Will Immy be able to figure out what the tree wants in time to prevent her own disappearance?
Strengths: This had a bit of a Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden (1958) feel to it, and I personally am ALWAYS glad to read a book set in a small English Village. The tree is gently spooky, and I can see a bookish nine year old really enjoying this tale. There's a good balance between family and school drama, history, gardening, and hoglets that I would have adored in third grade. The ending is quite a twist-- a bit hard to believe, but a very interesting use of Immy's power.
Weaknesses: Including more about Jean and Elizabeth's life in 1945 instead of the subplot with the father's depression would have made this more interesting to me.
What I really think: I may pass on purchase. My students seem to prefer violently murderous ghosts, and this author's The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery, which I enjoyed, does not circulate well.

MMGM- Danny Constantino's First Date

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at 

Teach Mentor Texts 

and 

Unleashing Readers.

Acampora, Paul. Danny Constantino's First Date
July 14th 2020 by Dial Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Danny lives in a small Cuper Cove, a town that LOVES Halloween, so he and his friend Ajay are planning epic costumes, with the help of Ajay's older sister, Asha. When Danny mentions that he would love to see his friend Natalie, who moved away several years before, Asha takes Danny's phone and texts her an invitation to the dance. The big deal? Natalie is now the very famous movie star Natalie Flores Griffin. She not only texts back that she would love to go to the dance, but posts on social media as well, bringing Danny into the realm of (in his Gram's words) ChatFace Snapcracker viruses. Kids at school want to know if their idol will be there, and even his real estate agent/ mayoral candidate mother wants to use Natalie's presence to her own benefit. Danny is a bit overwhelmed-- he doesn't even know how to dance, and now he has to be in the spotlight with a famous star? It is a little help when Natalie and her mother show up to stay with her aunt in Cuper Cove. Natalie is the same friend that he remembers from third grade, but she also has a very pretty smile, and Danny is glad to see her. He and his friends try to think of ways that Natalie can attend the festivities without being seen or starting a riot, including making a cardboard costume version of their school mascot, Cooper the Unicorn. Thanks to Zoey, whose father owns the local appliance store, they have an endless supply of cardboard, and Asha, Zoey, and Natalie all turn out to have fantastic cardboard construction engineering skills. There are a number of other things going on with Danny-- his father died in the Marines when he was very young, but his mother still seems to think that the service is a good career path for him. He misses his dog. He is starting to think that his bus driver, Mr. Beamon, might be interested in dating his mother. Gram is the secretary at Danny's school, drives an awesome green vintage Camaro (which I imagine looks like the one below. My cousin had a red one; so cool.), and is an excellent, funny, caring foil to Danny's over scheduled mother. As the activities surrounding the Halloween celebration start to ramp up and Natalie gets dragged more and more into those and away from just hanging out with Danny tensions rise, especially since Danny didn't actually ask Natalie to the dance at all. Will Danny's first date be his last, or will he and Natalie be able to deal with all of the other demands on their time?
Strengths: First of all, Acampora should ALWAYS include grandparents in his books. Gram is absolutely fantastic, and having her serve as the school secretary in a small town is inspired. She is acerbic but loving, and reminded me a bit of my mother. Having had a friend (who was a boy and on whom I might have had a crush) move away in the 6th grade and come back to town in 9th, I can say that the relationship between Natalie and Danny is spot on, and the fact that Danny helped Natalie through her parents' divorce just by being nice and encouraging her to be a nicer person was very touching. The Rom-Com parallels, pointed out by one of his friends, are all nicely observed. The supporting characters, from Mr. Beamon the bus driver to Ajay and Asha to the obsessed fan Mira are all nicely drawn and add to the plot rather than distract from it. The writing is approaching Sonnenblickian, evidenced by this clip, taken from the uncorrected E ARC "In the last few hours, I've pretended to be a Greek warrior, witnessed the death of a cardboard unicorn, insulted a  Hollywood movie starlet, run over Dorothy and her friends from Oz, and watched my grandmother get cut out of a shark. And it's not even lunchtime yet." Great, great stuff.
Weaknesses: I never really quite understood the mother's motivations; I loved how Danny and Gram dealt with her, and it was nice to see her change, but why was she spending so much time away from Danny? Students won't care about this, but I was intrigued.
What I Really Think: I loved this author's Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face (2011),How to Avoid Extinction (2016) and Confusion is Nothing New (2018), and this new title is the best yet. I will order two copies if the budget can stand it, because I need lots of copies to hand to fans of Dan Richard's Stu Truly, Greenwald's Charlie Joe Jackson (of which I've had six copies- one perished) and Vance's The Heartbreak Messenger (2013). 



Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. World of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly.
May 12th 2020 by Abrams Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

If you've never seen any of Chihuly's art installations, it's hard to describe how amazing they are. The blown glass pieces themselves are amazing, but the way that Chihuly sets these pieces into parks and plant exhibits is truly extraordinary. I was lucky enough to see the exhibits in Kew Gardens in 2005, and my daughter's elementary school actually hosted this artist while he was working on an installation at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

This book is a great overview for fans and newcomers alike. The first three chapters cover Chihuly's childhood, college, and young adult experiences, which included traveling around Europe in the early 1960s. He became interestedin art in college, and after finishing and getting two masters degrees, he returned to the west coast and set up the Pilchuck Glass School with other artists in the 1970s. The book then describes the course of his art career, which is doubly remarkable because he lost sight in one eye in the mid 1970s, and has had to rely on others to actually make a good deal of the sculptures that he envisions. His various installations and series are described and well illustrated.

This was written in a particularly interesting way, going back and forth between what was going on in Chihuly's life with how his art was developing. There's a great mixof pictures and text, and the notes and bibliography, as well as a partial listing of exhibits, at the end of the book are helpful. This is a great resource for young readers who might have to do a research project on an artist, or who want a good overview of Chihuly's work. It would also make a great coffee table book for a fan of this artist.

Holm, Jennifer L. and Holm, Matthew.
Curtain Call (Babymouse: Tales from the Locker #4)
July 14th 2020 by Random House Books for Young Readers


We all know a Babymouse; a tween who craves constant attention and adoration and needs to be at the center of everything. Babymouse, however, isn't having any luck with her efforts to be seen, and the only time she is seen, it's for unfortunate occurrences like being unprepared in class or tripping with her cafeteria tray. When it is announced that the school will be putting on a play, Babymouse is sure this is her ticket to fame, but in typical Babymouse fashion, she prepares poorly and ends up being cast as Clown #2. She doesn't even get the good clown costume; Locker, who is cast as Clown #1 does! When Babymouse is also assigned to set construction, she hopes to get her assignment changed to something more glamorous like makeup.Of course, she is not successful at that, but eventually finds that set construction has its merits. The star of the play is, of course, her nemesis Felicia, whose evil deeds against Babymouse include using makeup on her face that cause an allergic reaction. When Felicia isn't able to make it on stage for the final scene, will Babymouse be able to save the day?
Strengths: Tales from the Locker is an excellent beginning Notebook Novel for readers who have torn through the first Babymouse series. Her middle school struggles are so real, and the mix of pictures and text can be helpful to readers who are struggling but still want books that reflect their current experiences. I enjoyed the fact that this talked about the experience of being on the stage crew more than it addressed the performers; there are a lot of books where plays are put on, but few highlight this portion of the production. The real draw of these books is the crazy and misguided things that Babymouse does because they seem like a good idea but which end up being humorous.
Weaknesses: I don't remember Babymouse having Amelia Bedelia-like problems with language (she struggles with the term "crew" and several others) in previous books, and I think tweens are better at using context clues than she is. Also, she seems oddly bereft of friends. Most books depict main characters as having at least one main friend, but Babymouse seemed very alone, and I worried about her!
What I really think: My epiphany after reading this: I read too much Alcott as a tween, and made me a Goody Two Shoes mop wringer who always wants to do what is "right" and help people out. That's why I have never been a big fan of Junie B. Jones and other realistically flawed characters. I'm glad that Babymouse makes my students happy, but I just worry about her!

Something to Say

Ramée, Lisa Moore. Something to Say
July 14th 2020 by Balzer + Bray
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Janae feels that she has a lot of power over the universe, but she has uysed it incorrectly; she wanted her brother Marcus to stay at home rather than going to college, so she feels that his knee injury is her fault. He stays at home, and his college scholarship to play basketball is in jeopardy. This causes tension at home, especially with their mother. Their grandfather, Gee, also lives with them, since neither father is in the picture. Janae loves the online show Astrid Dane, which her mother thinks is frivolous, but which is a good escape for the anxious girl. At school, she doesn't have any friends and tries to fly beneath everyone's radar. This works fairly well until Aubrey, a new boy with dyed red hair, shows up at school and shared her love of Astrid Dane. He is very exuberant and determined to befriend Janae, who grudgingly starts to have lunch with him. Janae is very concerned about her language arts class, which has a lot of speeches that will be assigned. She is so anxious that she feels she can't possibly do them. A lot of her anxiety is due to her fear that she causes bad things to happen to those she loves. When her school's name might change from honoring the problematic John Wayne to honoring Sylvia Mendez, Janae wants to get involved in championing the young civil rights pioneer, but she is afraid to say something. When Gee has a stroke and is incapacitated, her anxiety increases. Will she be able to be a good friend to Aubrey, overcome her fear of speaking in public, and use her energy to make a change in the world?
Strengths: The biggest concern of middle school students is fitting in versus standing out. The second biggest concern is having friends. This addresses both of those concerns with a helping of social activism. I liked the inclusion of Sylvia Mendez; this would b e a good time to pitch Conkling's Sylvia and Aki (2011) to students! The multigenerational family is always interesting, and Aubrey's back story makes him an intriguing character.
Weaknesses: The mother is very mean to Janae and is not supportive of her love of Astrid Dane, and doesn't get her help for her almost crippling anxiety. The school is also not very supportive, although the language arts teacher is portrayed as being the best in the school. Also, there could have been a tiny bit more explanation on why the school would have been named after John Wayne; today's students will have no idea who he was.
What I really think: This is a great addition to recent books about social activism, such as this author's A Good Kind of Trouble, Schroeder's Wish on all the Stars, Maldonado's What Lane?, and Budhos' The Long Ride.

Love, Jacaranda

Flinn, Alex. Love, Jacaranda
July 7th 2020 by HarperTeen
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jacaranda is working at a Publix grocery store in Miami. She has been in foster care for a while because her mother is in prison, but is doing fairly well in her current home, and taking control of her own life. When she sings her own version of the store's ditty for one of her elderly, regular customers and another customer posts it on the internet, her performance goes viral. She is contacted by a woman named Vanessa, who says that a rich benefactor has seen her performance and offered to pay for her to go to the exclusive performing arts school in Michigan, Midwestern Arts Academy. Once she is there, she starts emailing the "John Smith" who has paid her expenses. Vanessa also helps Jacaranda buy clothes and fittings for her dorm room. She's self conscious about her background, especially when she meets people like Phoebe, who is very wealthy and entitled. Going by "Jackie" to avoid being recognized from the video, she settles in to life in the exclusive school, reveling in the food and the experiences in the arts, which she had not been able to have in Miami. She eventually meets Phoebe's cousin, John Jarvis Pendelton, III, an "eligible bachelor" over whom the other students fawn. Jacaranda also finds him attractive and nice, and soon the two are spending as much time together as distance allows. In between trips and shows, Jacaranda deals with the competition in her school, performing, and learning about singing and musical theater. She is falling in love with Jarvis, but when she finds out some secrets about him, will the two be able to remain together?
Strengths: Like Jerusha Abbot in Daddy Long-Legs, Jacaranda is able to appreciate many things about her school that the wealthy students are not able to. She embraces her education and tries to fill in the gaps that her life in Miami has created, but also realizes that doing things like working in Publix has given her skills that her well-to-do friends don't have. The romance is gentle and realistic, except for the extreme wealth allowing them to travel all over bit, which is fun for ordinary students to read. The drama surrounding the performances, roommates, etc. is appealing as well. I was impressed with the way that Flinn used names, circumstances and plot from the original and freshened the original with some good twists
Weaknesses: I am always looking for YA romances that are a bit more manageable for middle grade readers; this has one mention of a party where vodka is being drunk and where one girl needs to be removed from a situation where she is too drunk to make good decisions, but otherwise, this is similar to the works of Jennifer E. Smith or Kasey West.
What I really think: My students won't have any idea at all about Daddy Long-Legs, which I reread after reading this so I could compare the two. This was a very nice update, taking into consideration things that were good and bad about the original and spinning this into a fun romance for modern readers. Will purchase for my romance readers.

Webster, Jean. Daddy-Long-Legs
Published 1912 by Hodder & Stoughton

From 6 November, 2008
An orphan girl is sent to college by a college trustee and is instructed to write to him, although he doesn't write back. She joins the social whirl of college, makes friends, and becomes an accomplished writer. She also becomes acquainted with a wealthy young man, whom I suspected early on was in fact the trustee. The movie with Fred Astaire (age 56) and Leslie Caron(age 21) is creepy, but in the book the age difference seems to be less than ten years, and is just a good story about college 100 years ago.  I can see why this remains a favorite among some readers.

Warrior Dog

Chesney, Will and Layden, Joe. Warrior Dog (Young Readers Edition): The True Story of a Navy Seal and His Fearless Canine Partner 
June 30th 2020 by Feiwel & Friends
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Will Chesney entered the Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) program not long after his high school graduation in 2002, and eventually was involved in the operation that took down Osama Bin Laden in May of 2011. This book details the path that his own training took, and also outlines his involvement with the canine unit, especially with Cairo, the Belgian Malinois for whom he was the handler. He was very attached to the dog, as were many other soldiers, who count on the dogs to save them in critical moments. Cairo was injured in a shooting in Afghanistan, but survived, healed, and was sent back as a reserve dog. The two were involved with Operation Trident that located and killed Bin Laden Chesney was himself injured and eventually received a medical retirement, and when Cairo retired, he was sent to live with Chesney.
Strengths: Most of the military books in my library collection are about WWII, with a smattering of Vietnam and WWI books, so readers who are heavily interested in all thing military will find this to be a refreshing, newer historical book. The inclusion of dogs in the military is a fascinating topic, and their training is quite intense. This is certainly a type of book that I currently lack in my collection.
Weaknesses: This had just enough information for younger readers, but I'm kind of curious what was left out of the adult version.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this, but more current military missions are something in which I myself have zero interest.

Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse

Acevedo, Chantal. Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse
July 7th 2020 by Balzer + Bray
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Callie Martinez-Silva lives in Miami, Florida with her mother and older twin brothers; her father left the family and now lives in New York with his new wife, whom Callie finds out is expecting. Callie's best friend, Raquel, wants to try out for the school play but is very nervous, especially since she is up against Violet, who is very mean. Callie has a weird experience and seems to somehow empower her friend to do an awesome audition, although a broken light puts Callie in the hospital. There, she is visited by a cryptic doctor, who tells her things about herself. Back home, Racquel's video goes viral, and she gets approached to do a television talent show. Her fame grows and grows, and the girls fall out. Callie is very busy-- she is transported to London's Victoria and Albert museum, and thinks that she is hallucinating due to pain medication. She's not; the cryptic doctor turns out to be Clio, a muse who helps Callie and other young muses inspire people. That's right. Just like her dear, departed aunt, Callie is the muse of epic poetry, and will use her powers to inspire people to be heroes. Along with fellow muses Thalis, Mela and Nia, who are from different parts of the world and all her age, she undertakes her first mission. Maya Rivero is a super smart classmate whose science projects will eventually help the global climate change problem. The three girls enroll in Callie's school as exchange students and live in her house, and try to help Maya. They are up against the Sirens, who show up at odd places in various evil guises and work against them. Will the Muses be strong enough to make Maya's science dreams come true despite the Sirens' interference? And will she manage to make things right with Raquel?
Strengths: Well, of COURSE the home base for the Muses is the V&A. Love that place! It was great that Callie was just an average kid with an average life, with some common problems, like divorced parents and a friend who was pursuing things she wasn't herself. The fact that she also had powers and got to travel to London magically... hurrah! Having read too many quest style novels lately, it was refreshing that the mission was to inspire someone who would help humanity. There was just enough mythology in this one to make it interesting but not confusing. The action and adventure were also nicely balanced with the standard middle school culture. The addition of a variety of cultural backgrounds was nice to see as well.
Weaknesses: I never got a good feel for Thalia, Mela and Nia, but there was a lot going on to set up the story. Perhaps they will develop more in the next book.
What I really think: I will purchase this, and know the first student to whom I will hand this. (She's a big fan of Rick Riordan, Shanon Messenger, and Kate O'Hearn, and this book is a great twist on mythology for readers who love their work.)

Not Your All-American Girl

Rosenberg, Madelyn and Shang, Wendy Wan-Long. Not Your All-American Girl
July 7th 2020 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by EdelweissPlus

N.B. This is a sequel to This is Just a Test, but can be read as a stand-alone.

In the 1980s Lauren, whose brother David just had his bar mitzvah, loves to sing, and is super excited to try out for her school's production of Shake It Up, a musical written by their driector, Mrs. Tyndall, set in the 1950s and sounding similar to Bye Bye Birdie. Lauren hopes to get the lead role of Brenda Sue, and thinks her audition goes much better than her best friend Tara's. Because Tara looks like the typical "all-American girl", however, she gets the part, and Mrs. Tyndall explains that it is because as actors, they don't want to take the audience out of the play but want the characters to be easy to believe. Lauren is not happy with Tara anyway-- everything seems easier for her, right down to her all important designer jeans that her parents provide for her but which Lauren has to fund by herself. Lauren doesn't tell her mother (who is thinking about going to law school), father, or grandmothers about this, but does take solace in the music of Patsy Klein. After hearing a song on the radio, Lauren calls in to ask about the singer and figures that she has found a Jewish country singer! Both of her grandmothers are supportive of her endeavors, and even David starts to spend time hanging around rehearsals, eventually becoming the hula hoop wrangler when Mrs. Tyndall doesn't want the actors to fool around with them. Lauren starts to realize that there are a lot of prejudices that she has to deal with every day, and it's important to speak up, even when it is uncomfortable for her. Will she and Tara be able to come to an understanding, and will Lauren be able to speak up when she experiences microaggressions?
Strengths: While I know that most tween readers won't pick up on this, my absolute favorite part of this book is the grandmothers! I love how they are friends who hang out and watch Star Search together despite the differences in their cultural backgrounds. They also have a bit of a rivalry when it comes to cooking and doing nice things for Lauren. Also, teaching the cat to use the commode? Brilliant! The play is nicely handled, and I enjoyed that David had a small part. Details of daily life in the 1980s, as well as some important history, is delivered well against this background.
Weaknesses: While I knew that this was set in the 1980s (loved the description of how to put in a banana clip!), it would have helped my students if this were specifically mentioned very early on. There are lots of excellent clues, but many readers don't pick up on them.
What I really think: This is a great story that is a lot of fun to read but also includes some very serious discussion about race relations, pointing out that these have been going on for a very long time. Definitely purchasing, since This is Just a Test has done very well in my library, and the cover on this is very appealing!

Just have to say that I was bothered by the movie Sixteen Candles even in 1984, when it came out. It's hard even for me to believe how racist and sexually inappropriate things were then, and I lived through them! I am so sorry that the authors had to experience prejudice, especially when they were teens.

I also watched a movie with Jane Curtin in it recently, Maybe Baby (1988) and was appalled that even though Curtin's character was a hugely successful business woman, she felt she needed to have a baby to be "fulfilled". Loved the movie for the fashions, hated the effect that these sorts of gender expectations had on my life!

Scare Me

Alexander, K.R. Scare Me
July 7th 2019 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Kevin loves scary things, and his very favorite time of the year is October, when local Corvidon Mansion allows four groups of students to set up rooms in the history museum, which serves as a haunted house during this spooky time of year. Last year, Kevin's group, the Banshees, lost to a group with more financial resources, and he's determined to win and rub it in their faces. Along with friends Tanesha and Julie, and with the help of his dads, Kevin sets out to make the basement of Corvidon a scary cemetery. The caretaker apologizes that there are museum pieces left in the basement, but Kevin is okay with that, since one of them is a skeleton in a wedding dress that was worn by the daughter of the owners back in the 1940s. Legend has it that after her fiance passed away, Anna drowned herself in a nearby pond, and now haunts the area. Her family, unable to move past her loss, kept her dress in the house after the mother retrieved it from her grave! Even though it's against the rules, Kevin intends to use the skeleton in his competition piece, but the skeleton is not having it. Kevin starts to hear Anna's voice while he is awake  but also in his dreams. The house comes alive, and all manner of creepy, horrible things happen to the competitors. There are zombies that attack the house, the mannequins come to life and attack, and even creepy clowns. Will the groups all be able to band together, defeat the evil forces, and put Anna to rest?
Strengths: I like that this starts with something that is scary, but not really scary. Haunted Houses are by their nature make believe, even if they do induce real adrenaline rushes. The drama with Patricia and the rival group is a nice way to take a break from the zombies and focus on a very real tween fear. I'm not a fan of spooky books or movies, but this has all the elements that my students who do like these books request. I may actually prefer the style in which these are written to R.L. Stine; they are more literary and have less of the cliffhanger-at-every-chapter effect. That said, R.L. Stine writes crackerjack historical scenes, and his books are still very popular in my library, if falling apart.
Weaknesses: Only in paperback, Scholastic. Shame, shame, shame. These need to be in hardcover, or in thirty years, my students will still want to read them, but they will be rapidly disintegrating prebinds. Oh, well. In thirty years, I will have disintegrated entirely!
What I really think: Like this author's The Collector and The Fear Zone, this is a great, creepy, fast read that my students adore. It strikes just the right note for middle grade scary books, and would also be perfect for elementary students in 3rd-5th who like to read about older characters in stories a bit more realistic that Stine's Goosebumps. Let's hope for a LOT more stories from Happy Hills. (What a great name for a setting for scary stories!) Buy a couple in case someone loses one!

MMGM- GHOSTS!!!

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at 

Teach Mentor Texts 

and 

Unleashing Readers.

Poblocki, Dan. Ghost Hunter's Daughter
July 7th 2020 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Claire's father is the host of a very popular ghost hunting show, which gives her a bit of popularity around school, but she's not a fan herself. Her mother has recently passed away, and when her father is traveling, an aunt watches out for her. When he is on location in Hush Falls, Claire is approached by a boy at school, Lucas, whose grandmother is known locally to be a bit of a witch. Lucas tells Claire that he also can talk to ghosts, and that Claire's mother has been speaking to him, telling him that Claire's father is in danger. Lucas' assertions are backed up after a phone call to the father's manager; he went out to scout a location and has not returned. The two are soon taking a bus ride to find out what's going on. When they get to Hush Falls (or rather, Hush Hollow), they find his motel room being investigated, and run into Dolly, the motel owner's daughter who is their age. The three manage to retrieve her father's videocamera, and the last footage helps them find a location. Hush Falls was actually a town that was flooded; Hush Holler is where the town was relocated. Lemuel Hush was the founder of the town and the last person buried in the now underwater cemetery, and legend has it that he lures people to their death in the area over the former town. Dolly's mother was one of these victims. When they locate Claire's father, they work with him to solve the mystery of how these drownings are really occurring, and end up with more information than they bargain for.
Strengths: Creepy, spooky books and books with murder are always in demand by my students, who don't understand that there aren't a lot of of these written for 12 year olds. Poblocki does a fantastic job of making his books just scary enough, but without too much blood and gore. Claire is a great character who doubts her father but is willing to believe Lucas if her father is in danger. Murderous ghosts are a great way to make murder a bit easier to deliver to middle grade audiences, and I appreciated how the ghost had some help. Nice, creepy wooded setting, with great descriptions of Hush Hollow-- man, I could smell that hotel room with its orange shag carpet! Perfect for fans of Schwab's fantastic City of Ghosts, Alender's The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, or the new works of K.R. Alexander.
Weaknesses: The end was a little more somber than MG usually is, so I was just a bit surprised and a little sadder than I normally am. It's nice how Poblocki comes right up to the edge of Young Adult, though, so I can deal with that.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing two copies, because they will both become very worn out. This author is hugely popular in my library. I love that his books are stand alones, with the exception of Shadow House series.

Williams, Dinah. True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters
July 7th 2020 by Scholastic Nonfiction
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This short paperback book is a great way to sell history in the disguise of spooky ghosts! There are a variety of historical events covered, with the most recent being the 2011 Japanese tsunami and most being at least a hundred years old. While Williams is very good about pointing out the ghosts attached to these events, the concentration is really on the horrible historic events themselves. I very much appreciated the inclusion of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which is my favorite horrible historic event!

There are great pictures of key events, a brief and interesting overview, and a short description of the ghosts that arose because of them. The cover is nicely creepy, and will be very appealing to tween readers. Once they get started, they won't realize that they are getting  a lot more history that hauntings! I am looking forward to seeing how this series unfolds. Follett Library is offering these in a prebind, since paperbacks would not hold up to the heavy use these are sure to see!

From Goodreads.com:
In True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters, veteran ghost writer Dinah Williams explores the stories and alleged hauntings of some of the deadliest catastrophes in history, from lost souls left behind in the 2011 Japanese tsunami to a headless ghost frightening miners deep underground.

With historical photos and sidebars that are equal parts educational and terrifying, readers will find that sometimes fact is even scarier than fiction."

In the Role of Brie Hutchens

Melleby, Nicole. In the Role of Brie Hutchens
April 21st 2020 by Algonquin Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Brie attends a Catholic school. Her father, who has recently lost his job, is working there as a custodian to help with her tuition, and her mother is picking up extra shifts so the family can stay afloat financially. It's the end of 8th grade, and Brie is struggling. She doesn't do well academically, but is very interested in attending a local arts school for high school instead of the public school her family can afford. Since her mother is frequently home in the afternoons, between shifts, it is their bonding time to watch soap operas, and Brie really enjoys them, as well as feeling close to her mother. When she is looking up one of the soap actresses on line and finds unclothed pictures, her mother comes into the room. In a panic (because she is enjoying the pictures more than she feels she should), she tells her mother that she earned the role of crowing Mary at the May festival. Since her mother is very religious, this distracts her, but also gets Brie caught in a lie she must perpetuate. In order to crown Mary, students must win an essay contest, and Brie knows that the somewhat annoyingly perfect Kennedy will get the part. But Kennedy is... cute. And nice. Brie finds her feelings are very confused, and she starts to realize that she doesn't really like boys, but Kennedy makes her feel pleasantly flustered. Brie makes an effort to improve her school work, especially her writing, but also plans to get in to the school play in order to convince her parents that she should go to the performing arts school. This isn't completely successful-- she gets the role of Dopey. Brie's best friend, Parker, is supportive of Brie's crush on Kennedy, but when she tries to tell her mother, she pretends not to recognize the reality. Brie's father is uncomfortable, but tries to be supportive. Things with Kennedy are equally complicated. Will Brie be able to win the essay contest, solidify things with Kennedy, and make her parents understand and love the person she wants to be?
Strengths: There aren't many books set in Catholic schools, so it was interesting to see descriptions of religion classes and weekly chapel, as well as uniforms. The family's financial insecurity was handled in a no-nonsense fashion. Brie's desire to act contrasts nicely with the role she gets, and her struggle with the concept of "there are no so small parts, only small actors" was realistic. Not everyone in school plays is the star. While it would be nice to see more LGBTQIA+ stories that are not centered on coming out, middle grade stories do by necessity often show a dawning realization of sexuality. It was pleasantly surprising that Brie found a teacher and friend who was supportive of her coming out at a Catholic school. The Catholic church is an uncomfortable place for many people. The parents' reaction is also nuanced and believable.
Weaknesses: I doubt my students are at all familiar with soap operas, so this made the book seem dated. Are there any still on? Also, Brie is a very selfish character who was hard to like. She knows that her parents are struggling and working hard, but ignores this in pursuit of her own agenda and then wants her parents to be supportive of her.
What I really think: I will purchase this because my students are interested in LGBTQIA+ stories, but this was not a personal favorite because of the soap opera descriptions and acting dreams. I still wish more middle grade characters wanted to be mechanical engineers or computer programmers instead of actors, writers, singers, and sports stars.

The Girl and the Witch's Garden

Bowman, Erin. The Girl and the Witch's Garden
May 26th 2020 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Piper's parents divorced when she was very young, and she hasn't seen her mother since, since her mother's research was more pressing than her daughter. Now that Piper's father has lung cancer and the aunt who has been living with the two has to travel for work, Piper is being sent to spend the summer at her grandmother's estate, where her mother has been living and working. Piper's grandmother, Mrs. Mallory, has always been kind and supportive, visiting frequently, but Piper hasn't been to the Mallory Estate, which is rumored to be a place where children enter and then go missing, for years. When her aunt drops her off, Piper is met by her mother's foster children, Kenji and Julius, and her grandmother has been away for a week. Her mother only joins the children for dinner which Camilla, another foster child, cooks. When they finally meet, her mother doesn't mention anything about not seeing Piper for years, and is oddly distanced. She  makes no apologies and Piper know that she is a burden before going back to her research. Slowly, the children let Piper know what is going on in the house. Each of the children has magic power, an affinity, which is why they have been brought to the Mallory Estate. The grandmother and mother have been trying to find a way in to a burned out garden, a garden that appears fine and flourishing through a magic telescope that the children have. Once in the garden, they hope to find an elixir of immortality that the High Order of Magi have hidden. There aren't a lot of other details, but Piper is fairly well spooked, especially since one of the children, Teddy, has been missing along with her grandmother. At first, Piper doesn't think she has an affinity, but jaunts around the house trying to elude a white Persian cat that seems to tattle to her mother prove that she does. She is also able to get into the garden. What will she find there, and will it help the children deliver the elixir to Piper's mother so that they can finally be adopted? And can the elixir help her father? (I don't want to reveal key plot elements and ruin the suspense!)
Strengths: Country estates with elaborate magic have been a favorite of mine since The Children of Green Knowe, so I enjoyed this one. I especially liked that Piper was realistically upset about her mother taking in foster children, and that she found her own affinity as well as her magical object. The underlying problem of her father, as well as her missing grandmother, had me on the edge of my seat. Children in charge of a house and a magical problem? It's been done, but this is a fresh, new approach within the standard formula.
Weaknesses: The mother was so detached and mean that it was rather upsetting, especially since Piper was also losing her father. This made me a bit anxious while reading, and I could have used some small assurances earlier on that things weren't completely dire.
What I really think: Having just read the somewhat similar Time of Green Magic by McKay, I was a little leery of this one, but it had a better balance of powers, magical houses, and family drama. I think I will purchase this one for fans of Funaros' Watch Hollow and other creepy books where children save the day with their powers.

American Dog

Shotz, Jennifer Li. Poppy
April 7th 2020 by HMH Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hannah moves from Michigan to Northern California, and struggles with the transition. Her parents are very busy, and her younger sister and twin brothers take a lot of time. When a neighbor who has a dog needs help walking her because of recent surgery, Hannah is glad to step in. Poppy is a pit bull, so people shy away from her, and Hannah, with a port wine birthmark on her face, knows what it is like to have people react to one's physical appearance. Poppy has the exuberance of a puppy, but is very sweet natured. When neighbor Sophia is training her new poodle, Hannah decides that she can take the time to train Poppy. It's hard going, and Sophia doesn't make it any easier. There are lots of bumps in the road, and it gets a little easier when Poppy's owner's granddaughter is in town. Poppy runs away frequently, destroys two different dog cakes at two events, and Hannah fears that the dog will never be trained enough for her owner to keep her. Will she be able to get Poppy to behave well enough to stay?
Strengths: This was a fantastic middle grade novel. It was just the right length, had great characters, lots of action and adventure, and a compelling dog! I can't think of any other books with a character with a noticeable birthmark, and Hannah's self consciousness was treated just right. I loved that her family was intact but very busy. Poppy's exploits are the real draw here, and Shotz's work is very popular in my library. There look to be four of these books so far, all stand alones! So excited for these!
Weaknesses: I felt like Poppy ran away a few too many times, but then I am dealing with my tiny, elderly Sylvie, so I might just have had a hard time imagining a dog getting away!
What I really think: Purchasing all of these, and SO glad they are stand alones! They will get so much more use when students don't have to read a series.

Shotz, Jennifer Li. Brave
April 7th 2020 by HMH Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dylan is looking forward to a boring time of it in San Antonio, Texas, since he really doesn't want to hang out with his best friend, Jaxon, anymore. Even though they've been friends forever, Jaxon has started to do risky things like throw water balloons at cars, and Dylan doesn't want to get involved. His dad is deployed, and he doesn't want to add to his mother's stress. When he finds a stray dog in need of help, however, he brings the dog home. The first thing Brave does is to chew up his mother's new couch, but when they take the dog to a shelter, they find that it is at capacity due to a recent hurricane. Dylan fosters the dog, but has to try to train him. Luckily, he comes across a classmate who lives on a nearby farm (whose name I can't remember, and my e reader isn't working again), and she offers to help train him if Dylan helps her clean up the hurricane debris. Dylan enjoys both working and training the dog, and has to find the courage to sit with his new friend and stay away from Jaxon. He also has to convince his mother that Brave is a dog that they should keep, despite his energy.
Strengths: This was just about perfect for a middle grade novel. Kids doing things, realistic problems, lots of action. I also enjoyed the friend drama, which we don't see nearly often enough with boys. The covers alone will sell these books, but the stories are brilliantly constructed and a joy to read. The information about particular breeds of dogs is fascinating as well.
Weaknesses: I feel like the adventure in the rain with the flash flooding has been done in another one of Shotz's books, but my students won't care.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and can't wait for the next two, which come out October 6th 2020.
          

The Time of Green Magic

McKay, Hilary. The Time of Green Magic
July 7th 2020 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Abi and her father have gotten along fine with just the two of them, but when Molly and her sons Max and Louis join the family, there are changes. The biggest is that they all move out to a large, ramshackle house away from London, and have to adjust to a new life. There are a lot of repairs necessary to the house, and a babysitting for Louis, Esme, joins the group. Abi starts to notice that the books she is reading seem to come to life in a more concrete way than usual, and a character from a book joins Louis as his friend. At first, Iffen is a snuggly cat, but as he grows, he becomes more and more sinister. Max has a crush on Esme, a French girl who is studying art at the local college, the family settles into their new routine, and Abi has to deal with the magic of books that isn't as benign as one would hope.
Strengths: Like Anna James' Pages and Co., this has a strong and supportive family with some magic thrown in. The house is fantastic; if you have to move to a new house, it might as well be somewhere big enough for a vintage rocking horse and magic enough to bring the voyage of Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki (1948)to life.
Weaknesses: This didn't deal with the magic as much as it did with daily life in Abi's family. While I enjoyed it, the story moved very slowly, and I don't think my students would stick with it.
What I really think: I think I will stick with Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters for a similar tale of moving and younger brothers getting into trouble with magic. Fans of this author's works will definitely want to look at this title, though!

The Prettiest

Young, Brigit. The Prettiest
April 14th 2020 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

When a list of the 50 "prettiest" girls in the middle school makes the rounds, no one is happy. Not Eve, who is shocked to find herself on the top, not Sophie, who despite her efforts to be prettiest is number two, and not Nessa, Eve's friend, who doesn't make the list but is more concerned about how it affects Eve. The administration makes counseling available, informs parents, and makes every effort to put a stop to the situation, but it's not enough. Eve, who feels uncomfortable about her new body, is suddenly faced with the attention of Brody, whom the girls suspect made the list, and is also the object of Sophie's wrath. Sophie, who has a difficult and economically disadvantaged home life, suspects Brody because she did not return his affections. Nessa, who is very talented and is involved in the school play, wants to help both girls, and they try to find the culprit and plan the revenge, calling their group the Shieldmaidens. The adults in the book represent a wide variety of opinions-- Eve's father thinks she should be pleased, even as her brother Abe understands that objectification is wrong; other parents at the school meeting think their sons should be made aware of the situation so it can be fixed; the school principal has followed protocol but realizes more should be done, even if she doesn't know what that is. In the end, the girls find the creator of the list after almost punishing the wrong person, and the school has a new awareness of how people should treat each other.
Strengths: This is absolutely on trend with its themes of treatment of people, body positivity, and the ideal of feminine beauty and worth. I liked that Eve's Jewish culture was brought into the story, but that the story was not all about that. It was also good to see Sophie and Eve work together instead of just fighting with each other, and Sophie's back story was interesting. There was just enough of the school play (The Music Man, which my school just did!), and the reactions of a wide variety of students were brought in as well.
Weaknesses: I was glad when the girls did not go through with their revenge. Answering mistreatment with mistreatment is not the answer. Also, even though Brody didn't make the list, I would have liked to see him get some needed time with a school counselor on how to treat people kindly.
What I really think: I preferred Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You because there was more of an effort to educate the boys in the school about how people should be treated. Middle school students act in the ways they are taught to act, and they often don't quite understand why what they are doing is wrong and need to learn what they should be doing instead, but I will probably buy this.