Planet Earth is Blue

Panteleakos, Nicole. Planet Earth is Blue
May 14th 2019 by Wendy Lamb Books
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Nova is severely autistic and verbally unintelligible, although she can manage simple things like "yes", "no", and some names. She and her older sister Bridget have been in the foster care system for a number of years because their mother was mentally ill and could not care for them. Bridget understood Nova, and told everyone that her sister was "a thinker, not a talker". The two were very interested in the upcoming Challenger space launch in 1986, and although they are currently separated (Bridget is almost 18), Nova is sure that her sister will return. Nova's current foster family is very understanding and supportive, and Nova is starting to feel at home there. Her foster mother and father don't believe the former school records that indicate that Nova is severely retarded (the term used at the time) and basically unteachable, and are looking forward to her testing results in her new school. Nova does understand the world around her, and writes letters to her sister that tell the reader much about what she is thinking, even though another student looks at the letter and indicates that while some words are recognizable, it looks largely like  scribble. Nova does well in her new school and makes some friends, and her home life is definitely an improvement, since the family (including a college aged daughter) understand that her "odd noises" are sometimes laughter, that her favorite bear has a name, and that she can understand requests to modify her behavior and comply with them. When her class at school watches the Challenger lift off and are faced with the horrible disaster, Nova is understandably upset, and also comes to terms with the real reason that Bridget has not returned for the launch.
Strengths: While this is not a true #ownvoices book, the author experienced sensory processing disorders as a child, which added a layer of verisimilitude to the things like tags in clothing and noises that irritated Nova. It's written with a nice balance of Nova's own thoughts, and her experiences through the lenses of others. The historical setting of the Challenger disaster is something for which I have been looking for some time. While there are many sad things about this book, it is generally upbeat, and the portrayal of a successful foster care family is something that is more and more needed in middle grade literature.
Weaknesses: The extra level of sad at the end, concerning Bridget, was unnecessary and unexpected, but not in a good way.
What I really think: I will probably purchase this because it involves a character on the autism spectrum, foster care, and an interesting historical setting, but it strikes me as the sort of book that teachers recommend to students rather than the sort they request from me. This is an ongoing dichotomy that I just don't understand, but which probably exists because tweens are not the ones who purchase books, their parents, teachers, and librarians do. If we asked tweens what they wanted and published accordingly, all that would hit the market would be humorous sports-oriented graphic novel murder mysteries. Surely, there is a happier medium!

Aldrin, Buzz and Dyson, Marianne. Bruce Foster (Illustrations)
To the Moon and Back: My Apollo 11 Adventure 
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Astronaut and prolific author (Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet, 2015) Buzz Aldrin brings his experiences to a younger audience with the clever and fascinating pop up book. With the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 expedition, there have been lots of books available, and this is not only a complete explanation of the adventure, but a fun one as well!

Mr. Aldrin details his early career and selection for the mission and adds details about other astronauts, rocket details, and brief outlines of the events that occurred. While this book is fairly short, there is a lot of information of which I was unaware. The print is rather tiny, which is great for fitting everything in, but a bit difficult if this is to be used as a read aloud. I would love to have all of this information, plus some more details, in a more middle grade format, since it is absolutely fascinating. I loved knowing that the astronauts had freeze dried shrimp cocktail in space, and that the astronauts had such a good sense of humor!

The accompanying photographs add necessary visual explanation to the story, and Foster's paper engineering is brilliant. There are five very complete pop ups, as well as pull out information, lift-a-flaps and other incidentals. While these are difficult for libraries to have, given the wear and tear, they are brilliant for encouraging interest in topics at home. I have to admit that I opened the page with the rocket launch several times, and it was very effective.

Young scientists who are interested in space travel will find this a compelling look at a space mission that cemented the US position in history and captured the imagination of generations of people. As we get nearer and nearer to the July 2019 anniversary, I'll be on the lookout for more nonfiction books on the topic. This would be a great resource to have for readers who are enjoying I Love You, Michael Collins (2017) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

Magic on the Map

Sheinmel, Courtney and Turetsky, Bianca. Let's Mooove!
May 7th 2019 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

Finn and Molly Parker's father brings home a travel camper for which he has traded his car. Their mother is not happy, and requests that the camper be returned. While the twins are not really happy about the thought of traveling, they are curious about the camper, and sneak into it at night. They find that the camper talks to them, and befreo they know it, they are on a dude ranch in Colorado! The camper (aka PET- Planet Earth Transport) tells them that they can return once they are done with their mission. This turns out to be saving a cow, Snowflake, who has extra tasty milk, from the clutches of the EZ Cheez villains. Mission accomplished, the twins return home to get ready for further adventures in...

Sheinmel, Courtney and Turetsky, Bianca. The Show Must Go On!

May 7th 2019 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by the publisher

This time, When Finn and Molly get in the camper, they are whisked off to New York City and garbed in the finest local clothing. ( A baseball jersey and "I Love NY" shirt.)Hallie Hampton, star of the television program Awesome Sauce, stops in her limousine and asks the kids to jump in. She thinks they live in New York and can help her win a POP Magazine scavenger hunt, the prize to which is being photographed by famed portrait artist Billie Fischer. Hallie has to get to a rehearsal for a play, so she deputizes the Parkers to follow the clues, racing against her nemesis, Cleo. Cleo is dastardly and tries to win using mean ways, but the Parkers are good kids, so people want to help them out with helicopters! They lose the contest on a technicality, but their mission turns out to be supportive of Hallie during her play. 

Strengths: The Parkers are from Ohio! Since this series will most likely have the children traveling all over the US, this made me happy. Ohio is rather centrally located when it comes to highways, even if they are traveling magically. There are fun facts about the states at the end of the book, and enough about the local residents to make this interesting.
Weaknesses: There will be a review somewhere that mentions that this book has a "white default". It does. But it would be a little odd if ALL of the books published were #WNDB. I would argue that these are so short that there isn't really time to work a particular ethnicity into the book. I was more bothered by the noses in the (otherwise fantastic!) illustrations. (They are much darker than the characters' faces, making them look like Pinocchio somehow. I am very picky about noses, apparently.)
What I really think: I won't be purchasing for my library, but these reminded me a lot of Osborne's Magic Treehouse books, but without a central quest. I would have been scouring the thrift stores for this series twenty years ago! (My budget, sadly, did not extend to new books, which is why my girls have fond memories of books that people ten years older than they are read!) A definite purchase for elementary schools or parents of voracious first to third grade readers.

Guy Friday- Pie in the Sky

Lai, Remy. Pie in the Sky
May 14th 2019 by Henry Holt and Co.
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Jingwen, his annoying little brother Yanghao, and his mother all leave their home and grandparents to move to Australia. This had been the plan for a while, but it changed a bit after the father died in a car accident right before Jingwen's birthday. Now, the mother is working in a bakery (since the grandparents run a no-nonsense, serviceable bakery back home) and is very busy. There is no chance that the family will be able to open the bakery the father envisioned and called Pie in the Sky. He wanted to make beautiful, expensive cakes, and he and Jingwen would practice baking them. With his mother gone all the time and pressure at school building up, Jingwen starts to bake cakes at home even though his mother has forbidden it. He takes his savings to buy the ingredients, and he and Yanghao have to eat all of the cake, or give some to their neighbor, pretending it's from the bakery where their mother works. At school, Jingwen struggles with English, and therefore can't do much of the work. He also finds it hard to make friends, especially when he hears Ben, a boy whom he thinks is nice and who might be his friend, laughing with another boy that Jingwen is "slow". Ben also seems to like to bake, and brings Jingwen cake, but Jingwen suspects it is a joke, and throws the cake away. The mother almost catches on several times that cakes are being made, and takes the cookbooks to work, but the boys go to the library to get recipe books and continue on their quest. When Yanghao finally makes Jingwen really mad and then runs away, the boys' secrets come to light. The mother steps in to help more, and Jingwen finally talks to Ben to set things right, and the boys bond over their cake baking, since Ben's mother owns the bakery where Jingwen's works.
Strengths: This is an illustrated novel, and those always do well. The pictures are a great way for Jingwen to show how out of place he feels; when he doesn't understand the language around him, he portrays others as space aliens with incomprehensible symbols coming from their mouths. There are not a lot of books that talk about the process of assimilating into a new school culture, with Weeks and Varadarajan 's Save Me a Seat and Freeman's One Good Thing About America being notable exceptions, and this is an excellent portrayal of the feelings of trying to fit in while missing home. It's fairly upbeat and funny, but with the underlying grief about the father and missing the grandparents. 
Weaknesses: The brother was beyond annoying, so I didn't find him as funny as some readers did. Also, this comes very close to be sodden with grief about the father. Not quite, but the father could just have easily had to stay with the grandparents instead of being killed. I also was surprised that the Australian school system seemed to lack support for English Language Learners. I hope that our recent immigrant children are not just thrown into the deep end like Jingwen was!
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and I can see this being a good mirror and window book for my younger readers. While 8th graders should read this, the cartoon cover might turn them away.

Fangs for Everything (Crimebiters #4)

Greenwald, Tommy. Fangs for Everything (Crimebiters #4)
January 29th 2019 by Scholastic Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Jimmy and his friends are back for this fourth and final installment, which starts with a bit of a shocker... Daisy has become a cheerleader! Jimmy is surprised, but Daisy maintains that it's a difficult sport, and wants Jimmy to be supportive of her. Jimmy has other things on his mind-- he's starting to wonder if Abby perhaps isn't really a vampire, not matter what her super powers seem to be. To start his investigation, he writes to the author of the the Jonah Forrester vampire novels he loves, Elroy Evans. To his surprise, Mr. Evans not only writes back, but invites Jimmy to a COM-MIX convention as his guest! Jimmy, along with Irwin and Baxter, have trouble believing that Daisy is a cheerleader, and their antics regarding this lead to a very nice cafeteria lady, Clarice, having lasagna dumped on her head. This gets Jimmy in trouble, but he has a lot of difficulty trying to explain himself to the nice assistant principal. Jimmy is having a lot of trouble dealing with people, it seems, and when he and his friends finally get to COM-MIX, they are turned away by guards who claim that only Jimmy can get in, and certainly not his dog. Mr. Evans makes sure that the entire group gets in, and takes a lot of time to talk to them. However, Mr. Evans son is less than happy with the way his father is treating Jimmy, and there is some hectic misunderstanding. In the end, Jimmy realizes that Abby can be a fabulous dog even if she really isn't a vampire.

While most readers will know that Abby isn't really a vampire, they will still enjoy this playful romp with the Crimebiters. The best part of the book is the way that the friends work together. Daisy may be popular, Irwin may be a bit of a nerd, and Baxter's checkered past as a bully still crops up from time to time, but the children all genuinely like each other and work well together. There are some very realistic dynamics portrayed-- the boys are surprised when Daisy becomes a cheerleader, and neither Irwin nor Jimmy are happy when she seems interested in a boy who is not either of them. Daisy takes over the presidency of the Crimebiters, and wants to move the meetings to a better location, which Jimmy doesn't like until he realizes it involves homemade ice cream sandwiches. My favorite part was when Irwin decided to be a cheerleader, and when he gets flak about him, he gets support not only from his friends but from an unlikely source as well.

Working a comics convention into a book is always fun, and the author is especially nice to Jimmy. Evans' sons actions are a bit over the top, but ultimately understandable, and the resolution is satisfactory. As always, Jimmy's parents are supportive of his actions and accompany him on this trip, even though they are a bit disappointed about the incident with the cafeteria lady.

Stower's illustrations are a nice touch, and their inclusion makes it easy to hand this book to readers who have read all of the notebook novels available and are able to move onto books with slightly more text. Hand this series to fans of clue oriented mysteries like the Hardy Boys or Ron Roy's various beginning chapter books, and make sure they've read the first three books in this series.

My Dog is Better Than Your Dog
It's a Doggy Dog World
Dog Day Afterschool

The Village by the Sea

Desai, Anita. The Village by the Sea
April 16th 2019 by NYRB Kids (first published 1982)
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Lila and Hari live in a small village in India. Their mother is very ill and never gets out of bed, and their father has had to sell his boat. He now uses the little money they bring in to get drunk on toddy every night. Lila takes care of the house, and Hari tries to earn a little money doing odd jobs. They do manage to send their two younger sisters to school. When a factory is set to be built in their area, Hari at first thinks that it will be a good thing, and provide him with a job, but then starts to wonder. Rich people from Bombat, the deSilvas, often come to stay at their house near the beach and hire Lila and Hari to do small jobs; Mr. deSilva tells Hari that if he is ever in Bombay, he will hire him to be a caretaker. When a group protesting the factory decides to go to Bombay, Hari goes as well. At about this time, the mother has a very high fever, and Lila asks the deSilvas to take her to the hospital. They do, and even kindly offer to pay for the medicine. The mother is severely anemic and generally run down, so an extended stay in the hospital is indicated. The father stays as well, and stops drinking. Hari finds the deSilvas aren't in Bombay, and decides to go home after working in very bad conditions at a restaurant, although he does meet very nice people. Although it looks like the factory will destroy the environment around the town, Hari and Lila try to appreciate their somewhat improved lives and hope for the best for the future.
Strengths: The details of daily life in rural India, and some of the problems faced by people in small villages, are all very well described. The writing is very rich with details, and shows a clear love of the environment, despite its sadness. I love books set in other countries, especially India, and wish there were more to share with my students.
Weaknesses: This was crushingly sad, and when something happened to the children's dog, I just about stopped reading! Because this was first published 37 years ago, I felt there needed to be a note of explanation with it. Is life still like this in India? Have things changed? In towns where factories were built, is life better or worse? Since I don't know the answers to these questions, I can't tell my students whether this should be considered historical fiction, or whether it is still an accurate depiction of life in rural India.
What I really think: This is available only in a paperback version, so I think I'll pass and recommend Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home or Saeed's Amal Unbound instead.

Destination Moon

Mauerer, Richard. Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11
June 11th 2019 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Don't be fooled by the title; this is a great book to hand to your World War II fans. Why? It traces the science and politics that went into the development of the US space program from their roots during WWII to the Apollo program. Since I just had a student do a National History Day project on the technology developed during this military conflict that later had widespread civilian use, I was captivated.

While there are some tantalizing snippets of information about what people thought space exploration would look like, this mainly details the nitty gritty of the many people involved with developing rockets, starting with men who were pilots and engineers during WWII. This is interspersed with what was going on politically in the world, from Stalin in the U.S.S.R. to China and North Korea. There is a lot of information packed into the pages, but I found it oddly riveting.

Werner von Braun's career is given a lot of attention; he was certainly a rock star of his day, and I rather want to read a biography of him now! I loved the connection to Walt Disney and the children's programming of the time. It is hard to remember how homogeneous American culture was in the 1950s and 60s-- there were limited television channels, and everyone received the same limited amount of news from that and newspapers. It lead to much more of a single society mind set, but that also meant that excitement for the newly emerging space program was all focused on similar issues.

From there, the detailed developments and plans for the Apollo mission are outlined, and the mission followed. I especially liked the information about the aftermath of the mission, and the facts that there were 400,000 people involved in the project at that it cost 25 billion dollars, and that was on budget! Main players in the book are followed for a few years as well.

There are great photographs through, as well as source notes and timeline at the end, and my e ARC indicated but did not show an index. This is a great book for research for middle school students. It is a bit on the long side for most students (400 pages) unless they are really interested in the topic, and it's a bit dense, but I did find it to be extremely engaging and not dry, probably because of the emphasis on the individuals involved.

MMGM- Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship; Build Your Own Theme Park

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.

Platt, Cynthia. Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship
May 21st 2019 by Clarion Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Parker always hangs out with her friend Cassie, and the two have a lot in common, including a love of science. When their class has a science triathlon, Parker is really excited about the Science Bee, Egg Drop, and Animal Adaptation Presentation... until Cassie invites Theo to join them. Parker thinks he's a good student, but he seems to have a lot of trouble talking to her, although he seems perfectly comfortable with others. The three do well with the trivia questions, but struggle a bit with the egg drop competition. Parker really wants to do well with the final presentation, especially since triplets in the class, who normally are just goofy and disruptive, are doing really well in class for a change. Theo raises chickens, and thinks there could be a project there, but the group decides to build a fleet of robotic guinea pigs. They approach their work very productively, and come up with a good project, but things don't go smoothly during the presentation. Parker and her friends realize that scientists aren't always successful at specific projects, but the process of discovering information is always instructive, and they must learn from their mistakes.
Strengths: Parker is a fun character who has her own science workshop, posters of Jane Goodall and Mae Jemison, and supportive parents who help her, even if they have their own interests (mom is a gym teacher and dad runs a bakery). Her long time friendship with Cassie is great, and it's very realistic that she would be upset about adding a new friend into the mix. The science competition sounds much more enticing than the standard science fair or invention convention, and it's good to see the students excited about science.
Weaknesses: Theo's awkwardness around Parker seemed a bit forced, stemming from a long ago incident, but since I held a grudge against someone for stealing my purple crayon in third grade until well into high school, I should accept this as completely realistic!
What I really think: I enjoyed this, especially with the science component, but both the interest in academic matters and the nature of the friend problems put this more into the elementary realm for me. It's a tough line; sometimes my students skew very young in their interests, and sometimes they don't. I will think about purchasing this next year, depending on my new batch of sixth graders!

Lunney, Lizz. Build Your Own Theme Park: A Paper Cut-Out Book
June 11th 2019 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Copy provided by the publisher

Quick! Where are my sharp scissors that can be used on paper? This activity book begs to be immediately cut up, glued and taped together into the brilliantly pastel theme park showed on the cover. Two cats help guide us through the directions. Each element of the theme park is set aside, with complete instructions, photographs of the finished product (very helpful!), and tips on how to work the tabs, set up characters, and arrange the buildings. One of my favorite parts of the theme park was the BACK of the sheets-- they are printed with an element that coordinates with the building, like cats, unicorns, or suns! Since I've been doing a lot of quilting lately, I sort of want some of these pages reproduced in fabric!

Summer is the perfect time for activity books like this-- clear off a table or floor somewhere, and watch as the village  unfolds on rainy or cold days. While middle school students could easily put these items together on their own, younger children would need some help with construction, as well as with cutting out the pieces neatly. With the ubiquity of cell phones, I wonder have the scissor skills of the average six year old are developing? This is a great way to unplug children, reinforce their manual dexterity, and fire their imaginations.

I do like the end of the book, where our friends the cats talk about ways to add to the theme park using original drawings and ideas. When I was a child, I spent endless hours with shoeboxes and wallpaper sample books, creating all sorts of things, and my own girls were into cardboard construction as well. Build Your Own Theme Park could easily occupy many happy hours and be a springboard for a lot of creative and imaginative play.

Stone River Crossing

Tingle, Tim. Stone River Crossing
May 30th 2019 by Tu Books
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Martha Tom lives in a town in the Choctaw Nation in 1804, right across the Bok Chitto River from a plantation. She ventures across the river one day and meets Lil Mo, whose family is enslaved by the owner, Mr. Kendall. The two become friends, and when Lil Mo's mother is to be sold away from the family, the residents of Martha's town help the family escape. Because the family now falls under the laws of the Choctaw Nation, they are safe... as long as slave catchers don't cross the river and take them. As much as Mr. Bledsoe would like to do this, he knows that this would cause a war, so he takes his anger out on Mr. Porter, one of the plantation managers, instead. Mr. Porter's son, Joseph, is good friends with Lil Mo, and Mr. Porter thinks the enslaved people should be treated much better than they are. Lil Mo's family settles in to life in the town, and are even given a house in which to live by Funi Man, who also teaches Lil Mo the Choctaw language and tells him stories in order to help him understand the culture. While Bledsoe is still determined to get the family back, they are safe for a while, but soon Lil Mo is approached by a witch owl. The witch gives him an owl feather fan that burns his skin, and tells him that he is not safe. Lil Mo is torn between believing the voice and trusting his new friends. Funi Man, and well as Shonti, who has powers over snakes, are able to help him break the spell. Bledsoe eventually gets his comeuppance, and the Choctaw very graciously offer Mr. Kendall land in exchange for the family, so that they can live unperturbed.

It is difficult to find books on Native American topics that are sufficiently sensitive and historically accurate. I am not well versed enough in the intricacies of Native culture to offer an opinion on all of the various aspects of this book. Mr. Tingle is a member of the Choctaw Nation and has based the picture book on which this novel is based, Crossing Bok Chitto, on the stories handed down through his family. Debbie Reese, of Native American in Children's Literature, says about his books in general that "Tim knows what he is doing". I have not seen her review of Stone River Crossing, but hope that this book is as accurate as Mr. Tingle's other works.

The story of enslaved people being aided by the people of the Choctaw Nation is one that I have not heard, and is an important one to tell. The friendships between Joseph, Martha, and Lil Mo underscore the point that children must learn prejudices, and are willing to make friends with anyone to whom they can connect, regardless of ethnicity, before they learn this. The Choctaw are exceedingly helpful to Lil Mo's family, who are grateful and relieved to be in a safe environment. While the times in which these characters live are difficult, they show their best selves. While Bledsoe and Harold are unrepentantly evil, even Mr. Kendall and Mr. Porter are shown to have more sympathy for enslaved people than most others at this point in history.

There is a huge need for more middle grade novels about Native Americans, both historical and modern day, and I hope that this book will be added to the AICI list of "best books" along with Gansworth's Give Me Some Truth,  Dupuis' I Am Not A Number, Erdrich's Makoons, and Marshall's In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse.

Beach Battle Blowout (Welcome to Wonderland #4)

Grabenstein, Chris. Beach Battle Blowout (Welcome to Wonderland #4)
April 16th 2019 by Random House
Copy provided by the publisher

P.T. and his grandfather are still trying to save the Wonderland motel, having solved the problems that threatened their success in The Sandapalooza Shake-up. There is even good news-- there is a magazine competition for family friendly activities in Florida, and Disney World is not in the running, giving Walt Wilkie a chance to finally prove his superiority to another famous Walt! There is a new arcade in town, and it is a threat, but P.T. and Gloria just take this as a chance to up their game at the Wonderland. Walt decides to do themed rooms, like a coconut cream pie suite, and this takes money, so Gloria puts her fantasy stock investment skills to life with the grubstake of Walt's years' worth of pocket change. The competition includes "secret shoppers", so the staff at the Wonderland pays special attention to several patrons who seem most likely to have that role. Another motel resident, Dill, often hangs out with P.T. and Gloria because his parents are always working, and the three check out all of the local competitions in order to hone their improvements. Of course, humorous complications ensue at all of these. In true Wonderland fashion, there are some nefarious characters who are trying to win unfairly, but there are also good folks who help the kids out. In the end, the motel doesn't win, but is a finalist, which is enough for Walt and for increased business.
Strengths: This series is quite a fun one-- P.T. has a lot of energy and love for his family, and the characters are goofy without being overly quirky. I love the idea of a small motel in Florida, and Walt's special brand of family fun is charming.
Weaknesses: This was more realistic than some of the other titles, so didn't have as much mystery, but this makes it somehow more believable. 
What I really think: This series does even better than this author's Mr. Lemoncello's Library with my students, so I'm glad to see another title.

Stanton, Matt. Prank Wars (Funny Kid #3)
Published January 8th 2019 by HarperCollins
Library copy

Tired of replacing Wimpy Kid books because you know darn well the 8th graders checking them out have already read them? Want to make your life easier on the first day of school? Invest in this series by Matt Stanton. The pictures are better, there's more of a plot, and they are just as funny.

Are they a little annoying to adults, who doubt Max is really famous for his stand up comedy and know that Gunker dragons aren't real? Yes, but that makes them even more appealing to an 11 year old, doesn't it? Not as brilliant as Big Nate but better than Patterson's I, Funny.

All the Ways Home

Chapman, Elise. All the Ways Home
May 28th 2019 by Feiwel & Friends
E ARC from Netgalley

Kaede Hirano had a fairly comfortable life in Canada with his mother, but when she dies in a car accident which he thinks is his fault, he must live with his cold and distant grandfather. Luckily, he gets a message from his estranged father, who lives in Japan, that Kaede can visit him for several weeks. This works out well, since Kaede has created a lot of trouble for himself since his mother's death, and his school will only allow him to go on to the next grade if his summer project on the concept of "home" goes well. When Kaede arrives in Japan, he is met by his half brother, Shoma, who is much older and writes articles on the music scene for a magazine. Their father, a famous photographer, is off in a far flung region of Japan inaccessible to cell phones most of the time, so Kaede crashes with Shoma at his tiny apartment and does some sight seeing. He enjoys being with his brother, but longs for his father, as well as for his mother. In working on his school project, he has to reexamine his life, including an incident where he hurt his best friend, Jory. Eventually, wanting to see his father very badly, he sells Kaede guitar, buys a ticket, and heads out, only to find that both his father and Shoma are more complicated than he realized, and that family relationships aren't easy under the best of circumstances.
Strengths: Summer in another country, especially one to which the main character has cultural ties, always makes for a good story. The sights, food, and living conditions in Japan are all very different from Canada or the US, and were great fun to read about. Shoma is caring but somewhat detached, and has his own complicated personal history. Kaede is a very angry middle grade character who makes some progress toward a healthier outlook on life.
Weaknesses: This is on-trend with the death of the mother; regular readers know how very tired of this trope I am. While I know that real life lacks answers, it's nice if we get a few in fiction. The way that the father treats Kaede and Shoma is almost unbelievably bad, and it would have been nice to have more insight into this treatment. Also, I would have liked to see more exploration of Kaede's relationship with his grandfather. We have inklings that there is more to the man, but it's not explored.
What I really think: I loved the details of daily life in Japan, but this was soggily sad and rather message heavy. Will debate over the summer before my fall order goes in.

#ThrowbackThursday- John Verney

I have long collected teen literature from the 1950s and 60s-- it's one type of book with which I cannot bear to part! Of course, when I was approached to review these two books, I had to say yes! I asked Mara, the publicist at Paul Dry, why the company decided to reprint these. Here is her response:

"A Paul Dry Books customer actually suggested that we look into John Verney’s out-of-print books. Paul Dry (our publisher) hadn’t heard of him before so he tracked down what he could and really enjoyed them. He decided to re-issue Verney’s two war memoirs, Going to the Wars and A Dinner of Herbs, first in January 2019 followed by Verney’s first two children’s books in April 2019.

The New Criterion recently wrote a nice review of Verney’s war memoirs, with a lot of information about him. 

This was a really helpful obituary in the Independent.

As far as we can tell, John Verney wasn’t widely read in the US, but he seems to have been a favorite author in the UK a few decades ago. Julia Eccleshare (former Children's Books editor for The Guardian) includedFriday’s Tunnel in her 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. The author Jojo Moyes (who is English) said Friday’s Tunnel was her favorite out-of-print book. I’ve also come across a handful of British and Australian book blogs that discuss Verney."


Verney, John. Friday's Tunnel
April 30th 2019 by Paul Dry Books (first published 1959)
Copy provided by the publisher

February Callendar's large family lives on a small holding in the English countryside. Her father is a renowned journalist who used to cover international incidents and has written several books, but to keep up with the demands of his family, has taken to writing local news. When political unrest bubbles to the surface in Capria, due to the discovery of an important metal, caprium, he is sent by the newspaper to investigate. From the beginning, things are suspicious-- the newspaper prints articles from him before he is even there, a comic strip seems to mimic what is going on, and a local businessman could be involved in some thefts. While their father is away, February and her brother Friday are home from boarding school and responsible for many tasks; milking the cow, watching their three younger siblings, and helping out their pregnant mother. Luckily, their father has sent the son of a friend, Robin, to be a tutor for Friday and general help. Friday is heavily involved in digging a tunnel on the extensive family property, and runs into a lot of bricks. The fact that these might be part of a well or edifice doesn't deter him. When their father's plane is shot down and the news explains that there are no survivors, Robin's father comes to tell the family, but everyone is oddly unconcerned. They all believe that he has survived, and given the amount of odd goings on, this seems reasonable. The children get more and more involved in the mystery, which ends with a surprising twist I don't want to ruin!

Strengths: I love vintage literature, and this was so different from everything I have read! For one thing, it is British, and was sort of like the Melendy family but with international intrigue! (I can just see Rush Melendy and Friday working on the tunnel together, and heavens know that Ms. Callender could have used someone like Cuffy to help her out!) February's voice seems very modern, even if her language and references are not (silver gobstopper, anyone?). The fictional backstory of Capria seems very relevant today. This was an interesting read. (Original cover at left.)
Weaknesses: This does have a different style to it that modern readers might not appreciate. Also, February does NOT break her pelvis and sustain the injuries she mentions in the beginning while involved with the mystery! That was oddly disappointing!
What I really think: The other reviews on Goodreads mention that the plot is a bit convoluted, and this is quite true. I think that is seems more complicated than it really is due to all of the political topics; I glossed over some because I wasn't that interested, but what I glossed over ended up being really important. This is similar to Stuart Gibbs modern work, and I can see how it would have been very popular back in the 1960s, since I've not read many mysteries or adventure books from that era and don't know what other titles similar to this were published.

Verney, John. February's Road (Callendars #2)

April 30th 2019 by Paul Dry Books (first published 1959)

Copy provided by the publisher

I found this one interesting because of the effect of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on my family's farm in the early 1950s. Sadly, I don't think the Clarks were involved in the kind of interesting mystery that February uncovers.

From Goodreads, because I am THAT behind. 

"Augustus Callendar, newspaper columnist and father of the zany Callendar family, has campaigned for years for the construction of modern roads in Britain, and he is delighted when the Ministry of Highways finally takes up the suggestion--until he learns that the first new highway will run right through the Callendar farm! February, the oldest daughter and chronicler of family events, is most unhappy at the prospect of losing the fields where she rides her horse, Gorse; and besides, she suspects that shady dealings have taken place. She snoops around and naturally lands all the Callendars in a mess."

Extraordinary Birds

Stark-McGinnis, Sandy. Extraordinary Birds
April 30th 2019 by Bloomsbury
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

December is removed from yet another foster home because of her insistence of climbing trees, jumping from them, and getting injured. She does this because she thinks she is really a bird, and she needs to practice flying. This delusion has its roots in the fact that her mother left her a bird identification book when she walked out, and December thinks the scars on her back are where her wings will develop. Adrian, her social worker, decides to place December with Eleanor, an older woman who works at an animal sanctuary where birds are often rehabilitated. Eleanor is different from other foster parents and doesn't give December a hard time about only wanting to eat seeds, and tells her she must let her know if she goes outside to be in trees, although it's okay if she needs to. December settles in to her new school fairly well, making friends with Cheryllyn, who has recently transitioned from being Charlie, earning the wrath of mean girl Jenny. When Jenny takes December's "autobiography", a notebook in which she has detailed her history as a bird and her journey towards the full realization of that, Cheryllyn tries to get the book back, cementing the girls' relationship. December finds out that Eleanor does taxidermy, and for a while fears that she will be killed and stuffed herself, but drops this after Eleanor introduces her to a bird being rehabbed. Settling in is rocky, but eventually December decides she would like to stay with Eleanor, only to find that Eleanor has to move out of the house she rents, and December fears she will not be part of the move. She is, and Eleanor is able to help December understand her beginnings and move past them.
Strengths: Eleanor was a very understanding foster parent, and the depiction of the system is positive. The theme of birds is worked convincingly throughout the book. It's very well written and engaging.
Weaknesses: December a danger to herself and others, and her state of mind does not receive adequate concern. Not only does she injure herself on several occasions, she injures Eleanor. She truly believes she is a bird, and her delusions are not really dealt with. I would be afraid that children who don't know much about foster care would think children who are in the system are like December, which isn't helpful.
What I really think: Debating. Foster care is the hot new topic, and while it can be helpful to see this in fiction, I want to be careful about the depiction of the children. I prefer Lewis' Scarlet Ibis (also bird themed), Winget's A Million Ways Home, Booth's Kinda Like Brothers,  Jensen and Morrison's Every Shiny Thing, Davis' Peas and Carrots, Galante's Strays like Us, or Carter's Forever, Or a Long, Long Time.

Midsummer's Mayhem

LaRocca, Rajani. Midsummer's Mayhem
June 4th 2019  June 11th 2019! by Yellow Jacket
ARC provided by the publisher

Mimi loves to bake; it's no surprise, since her father is a food writer and travels all over to describe unusual tastes. When a new bakery, While Away opens in town, she visits them for cupcakes, only to be very disappointed. The treats aren't very good, and the owner, Mrs. T., is a bit odd, as is the waitress, Peaseblossom. There is a competition for young chefs, however, and Mimi starts to think about what to create. In the meantime, she gives her father a chocolate that Mrs. T. has sent home with her, and he starts to act a bit odd, eating everything in sight, running all the time, and losing his ability to describe food as anything but "scrumptious". Mimi has several siblings, who are all have their own interests and activities, so she takes refuge in the woods near her house when she wants a bit of quiet. While there, she meets a boy, Vik, who shares the Indian part of her cultural heritage and also enjoys baking. The two bond over different spices, consult a cookbook that Mimi's finds, and even make honeysuckle cookies. These cookies seem to have an odd effect on her sibling's friends, but Mimi doesn't think too much about it. She is busy with the While Away challenge, working on recipes around the themes of leaves, roots, and flowers. She has a rival in Kiera, who produces very professional looking concoctions, but when the final competition occurs, Kiera's baking isn't all it appears to be. There is a third final entrant, and Mimi tries her best in response to this surprise. I don't want to give away the fantastic ending with the Shakespearean connections, but it is certainly a delicious one!
Strengths: Mimi is a great character, and her obsession with cooking (and attendant near oblivion to its magical affects on others) is spot on. Her friendship with Vik is a nice touch, and again, I can see the average middle school student not questioning found cookbooks, banyan trees in Massachusetts, and children who come out of nowhere. Her Indian cultural background adds an interesting layer to the story (the cupcake based on her mother's favorite pudding was a nice touch), but it's also nice not to have the story be ABOUT her cultural background. The Shakespearean theme runs strongly through the storyline, but it's not necessary to know anything about A Midsummer's Night's Dream or any other Shakespeare. The cooking competition and celebrity chef set this apart from other magical baking titles.
Weaknesses: While the Shakespeare portions of this are well done, I don't ever have students interested in anything to do with that author! Well, I used to have students check out the 20 pound Complete Works so they could look smart carrying it around, but that's about the extent of it. I know some schools are interested in promoting this classic literature, but it hasn't caught on here. Also, I've read a lot of magical baking books, but the target demographic won't have.
What I really think: Will definitely purchase, and am looking forward to whatever else Ms. LaRocca might be writing.

Oddly, I don't think that Ruth Chew had a book about magical baking. A shame! Here are the most memorable:

Dunbar, Fiona. The Truth Cookie (2005!)
Littlewood, Kathryn. Bliss.
Lloyd, Natalie. The Key to Extraordinary.
Meriano, Anna. A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic #1)
Saunders, Kate. The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop (This takes a nicely dark turn!)
Zahler, Diane. Baker's Magic

2012 List of Baking Books
2015 Podcast on Cooking Stories
Goodreads Middle Grade Baking Books List

MMGM-Honeybees and Frenemies

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

Kristi, Wientge. Honeybees and Frenemies
June 4th 2019 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus


Flor is looking forward to summer with her friend Brooke, since they are finally old enough to go around town by themselves AND they have season's passes to King's Island. When Brooke gets accepted to a music camp, Flor tries to be happy for her, but it does ruin her plans. Instead, she will be helping out at her family's struggling mattress store and dealing with her irritable high school age sister, Fran. Flor's grandfather died a few years ago, but had been a town leader. When the 50th anniversary of the town's Honeydale honey festival leads to an organizer who is corralling winners from previous years to compete in a new pageant, Flor is horrified that her past as a third grade winner has come back to haunt her. She's given the opportunity to back out, but when she realizes that would mean her former best friend, Candice, would be the representative, she decides to stay in. Candice had been very mean about Flor's win, claiming that the town needed to choose a person of color to win, and since Flor is keenly aware that her half Indian heritage makes her unusual in her small town, this creates a rift between them two. The girls end up working together for the contest, including a public service stint with Mr. Henry, a grumpy recluse who keeps bees and was a major force in the town. Candice is very knowledgeable about bees, and worries about the effects that bee problems will have on her father's fruit tree farm. The girls have to do a talent for the competition, and when they realize that their recorder and piano duet is a bit lame, they have Mr. Henry teach them how to "bee beard"-- have bees swarm and land on Flor's face. They don't let anyone know they have changed their talent, lest they be told they can't do it! When Flor's mother gets an offer to teach back in New Jersey, Flor realizes that the mattress business might not be able to be saved, and as much as she loves Honeydale, she might have to move. The festival is eventful, but Flor is able to finally make her peace with Candice and their past, and she is also able to work through issues with Brooke before moving on to her new life in New Jersey.
Strengths: There are some facets of small town, Ohio life that this gets absolutely perfect-- struggling downtown business area, local farming festivals, and close knit community. Flor's family works together well, but is struggling with a number of very common issues, such as economic instability. The glimpses we get of her supportive grandparents on both sides add some depth to the family dynamics. The discussion of issues with bee colonies is timely and a welcome addition to the book. Young readers will enjoy Candice and Flor's relationship the most, and it's well done that while they do make peace with their past, it's not an easy or quick process. The fact that everything does NOT turn out the way Flor would prefer it to makes this true to life, but I also appreciated that she took the changes with some good humor. I'm assuming that Honeydale is supposed to be a depiction of south western Ohio:the book mentions the Golden Lamb, which is a real restaurant in Lebanon, a tourist train, and King's Island, which is near Cincinnati.
Weaknesses: It did seem a bit odd that there would have been prejudice against an Indian family; 40 years ago there were Indian students in my small Ohio town, and it never seemed at all unusual to me. However, Ms. Wientge has more experience of this than I do, so I will assume she based this on her own experiences with her family.
What I really think: This was very enjoyable, and a great slice of small town life. There should be a lot more books involving fairs and festivals; they are such a big event in the life of a tween! It just made me sad that the problems with Candice were racially based. Definitely purchasing.

The Line Tender

Allen, Kate. The Line Tender
April 16th 2019 by Dutton
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Lucy lives in Rockport, and her father is a police officer there. They are still grieving the loss of her mother, a  marine biologist with a passion for sharks, five years ago. Their close knit community has helped, but when a tragedy occurs, this foundation is shaken. Lucy tries to deal with this new wave of grief by trying to solve a problem with the sharks that her mother was working on at the time of her death. This leads her to consult people who knew her mother and spend lots of time with her mother's notes and in watching and observing sharks. She does learn some more about her mother, helps her father a bit, and establishes more connections with people who can help her deal with life.
Strengths: There are very nice illustrations of sharks throughout the book, and a lot of information about types, habits, etc. It's good to see a mother portrayed as a top person in her field. The quest portion of this is well constructed, with Lucy trying to follow different leads about her mother's life.
Weaknesses: This is very long (384 pages), and has a lot of unneeded details, as well as odd turns of phrase. This read like a first middle grade novel of someone who writes for adults. The overwhelming sadness and grief in the story slowed down the plot. This would have been a little happier and more interesting if the tragedy hadn't occurred and Lucy just suddenly got interested in reconnecting with her mother.
What I really think: Will pass on purchase because I just can't think of any students to whom I would hand this if I had a copy in the library.

All the Greys on Greene Street

Tucker, Laura. All the Greys on Greene Street
June 4th 2019 by Viking Books for Young Readers
ARC provided by the publisher

Olympia lives in New York City, in an artist's loft with her mother, in 1981. Her father has just left to live in France with another woman, and her mother is now refusing to get out of bed to do any work at all. Ollie goes to the convenience store for food, and hangs out with her friends Alex and Richard. She is an artist herself, preferring pencil drawings. When she is approached by a man who has one of her drawings, which he says depicts a statue stolen from a French church, she starts to understand that perhaps her father is in bigger trouble than just leaving his family for another woman. She tries to unravel the mystery with the help of her father's business partner, Apollo, but her mother's decline continues, and she eventually must get help. She spends time with family friends, and eventually ends up in foster care while her mother gets help.
Strengths: The art scene in New York during this time period is well covered, and the idea of art forgery and theft investigated on a appropriate level. Ollie's family situation is handled delicately, and it's good that she has a support network and good friends. Her own interest in art is explored, and the inclusion of "her" drawings is interesting.
Weaknesses: Personally, I am never a fan of stories that involve parents who give up, but at least the author includes a helpful note at the back about depression and where children who have adults affected by this can get help. From a young readers perspective, this is a slow moving book where not a lot happens, and the bleak cover does reflect the story line.
What I really think: This was rather long, and art related mysteries circulate very poorly in my library.