The Inside Job: And Other Skills I Learned as a Superspy (Superspy #2)

Pearce, Jackson. The Inside Job: And Other Skills I Learned as a Superspy (Superspy #2)
July 12th 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
ARC from Baker and Taylor

After Hale realizes in Doublecross that Sub Rosa Society is evil and the League is good, he and his friend Walter are joining forces with the League members to try to get money for the financially strapped organization by going to Switzerland and getting the money out of a bank there. They are stymied, however, because the teller is being blackmailed by SRS. They work out a deal with Hastings-- if they get forged papers for his Tibetan Mastiff Annabelle and get back jeweled books that were stolen for him, he will give them access to the money. Hale and his companions frolic around Europe, stealing golf carts, locating the clown Twinkle Meatloaf and generally getting into trouble, even running into Walter's mom. They eventually fulfill Hastings' wishes and get enough money for the League to do some renovations.

Strengths: This was a lot of fun, and a good choice for readers who like comic crime novels like Horowitz's Diamond Brother Mysteries, Salane's Lawless, and other books where things blow up and children are on the run. While Hale is still portrayed as unathletic, there are not as many comments about his avoirdupois. 
Weaknesses: The first one hasn't been a hit in my library. The cover is cartoony in an elementary way that a middle school way. I'm not sure what all that entails, but it is a problem. 
What I really think: I got a copy of the first book at a book look. Will see if it circulates better in the coming year before I buy this second book. 

#WNDB Wednesday- Outrun the Moon

Lee, Stacey. Outrun the Moon
May 24th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Mercy Wong has graduated from the local grammar school in 1906 San Francisco and would like to attend the exclusive St. Clare's School for Girls. However, she knows that it is unlikely that the daughter of the owner of a Chinese laundry will be accepted into such a place, so she uses subterfuge, a little bribery, and some business leverage to secure her position there.  She is introduced as a wealthy, aristocratic Chinese girl to the other students, but the daughter of the man whom she offers to help, Elodie, knows the truth. In fact, in her father's absence, Elodie has to speak before the family association in order for her father's chocolate business to be allowed to open a branch in Chinatown. Mercy wants to learn more about commerce and business in order to escape the crushing poverty that makes her asthmatic brother Jack's life seem so treacherous, and she is surprised to find that the girls at St. Clare's have classes in embroidery and tea pouring so that they can find good husbands. Some of the students are nice, but Mercy's path is not an easy one. When the Great San Francisco Earthquake occurs, no one's life is easy, and the girls from St. Clare's, along with the headmistress, try their best to survive and locate their families. Many, including Mercy, lose those dear to them, but they all try to make the best of the situation and help other survivors by setting up a kitchen and providing food.
Strengths: In some ways, it is mind boggling that this book is set only 110 years ago. The depictions of life in Chinatown and the treatment of the Chinese was very interesting, and Mercy's determination to better her life was fascinating. There was a nice romance, mean girls, AND a boarding school. I enjoyed this tremendously. 
Weaknesses: In fact, I was having so much fun reading about Mercy's efforts to break free of her life of poverty that I was a bit surprised when the earthquake happened! I almost wished that the book was set well before or after that event, because I while I've read book about the earthquake, I'd never read one about a young Chinese girl at this time trying to become educated. Once the earthquake hit, her plans had to be put on hold. 
What I really think: I'll probably buy a copy, but it will be tough to get students to read it. It's long (400 pages), historical fiction, and doesn't have a whole lot of romance. Still, it's really good, and I wish more of my students read historical fiction.

WHAT I MEAN BY THIS is that I have all sorts of displays with historical fiction, especially when teachers are doing a unit on a particular era in class. I book talk it. I recommend it. I put it in children's hands, only to have them wrinkle their noses and put the books down. I love historical fiction, having consumed a steady diet of Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, The Childhood of Famous Americans, Children of the Covered Wagon, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. There is only so much I can do to encourage their love of it before they start getting annoyed with me that I am not honoring their requests but rather giving them what I would like to read. 

Maybe next school year, when we don't let them have their cell phones during Sustained Silent Reading. Well, I hope that we don't. I'm becoming very concerned about their reliance on the devices! Lunch is too, too sad with all of the children glued to a screen instead of interacting with others. 

The Lost Compass

Ross, Joel. The Lost Compass
May 24th 2016 by HarperCollins

After narrowly escaping Kodoc in The Fog Diver, Chess is once again injured, and he and his friends are trying to get Mrs. E. to safety at Port Oro. There, he meets two leaders who also have fog in their eyes, but theirs is a result of an experiment that failed, and their eyes are now glass. They want Chess to travel to the bottom floor of the Station to locate a map that will tell them more about the Compass, which is supposed to somehow clean the nanites out of the air when the time is right. Chess does find the map, but Kodoc is hot on his tail, attacking his friends whenever possible. Chess eventually realizes what the Compass is, and how the air will be cleaned, but also thinks he has lead Kodoc to it and is responsible for it being bombed. Luckily, this is not the case, and by the end of the book, it looks good for Port Oro that the fog will be cleared up. 
Strengths: Good world building, fun characters who have convincing interactions, and lots of action and adventure.
Weaknesses: The history in the father's scrapbook leads to any number of misremembered things- parking greeters instead of meters, e eaters instead of e readers, etc. I always find this sort of thing overly precious and annoying. Kodoc is exceptionally mean, which seemed odd for this book somehow. 
What I really think: I'm not the audience for this one. I'll buy it, although the first book has not done as well as I'd hoped with my students, since it won the Cybils Middle Grade Speculative Fiction award. 

Towers Falling

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.





Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Towers Falling.
July 12th 2016 by Little, Brown BFYR  
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Déja is living with her family in a homeless shelter in Brooklyn. Her mother is working, but her father is ill and unable to hold a job or even get out of bed some days. Déja needs to take care ofsiblings Raymond and Leda as well as go to a new school and understand her new classmates. The school is better than her previous one, but Déja doesn't care too much for the writing assignments-- she didn't have a summer vacation, and "home" is a difficult concept. She does make friends with Ben, who has moved to NYC from Arizona with his mother after his parents' divorce, and Sabeen, who tries very hard to befriend her. Sabeen's family is from Turkey, and she wears a head scarf, so when the class starts to study the events of 9/11, there's a lot of discussion about what it has meant for Sabeen's family to be Muslim. Déja's father gets very upset when he finds out that the school is teaching about 9/11. He feels Déja is too young to know about it, but his real reason is that he was at work at one of the towers, and has post traumatic stress disorder as the result of his experience. After she and Ben visit the 9/11 Memorial by themselves, her father finally talks to her about his experiences, and she is able to understand his experience, as well as her family's situation, a bit better. 

There are many books about Hurricane Katrina, but surprisingly few about 9/11. This is a topic that has been covered every year in my school, and Towers Falling is a great introduction to the event for middle grade readers who were not alive in 2001. It covers the basics with a delicate touch, balancing the horrors against the sensibilities of younger readers. The multicultural students are realistic and much appreciated, and the economic diversity shown in Déja's family is also one that needs more coverage in middle grade literature. 

This is a good book to include in any elementary or middle school collection, along with Cerra's excellent Just a Drop of Water, Tarshis' I Survived the Terrorist Attacks of 9/11, Mills All We Have Left, Baskin's Nine, Ten, and Brown's nonfiction America is Under Attack.

Rookie of The Year

Bildner, Phil. Rookie of the Year
July 12th 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Rip and Red are back after A Whole New Ballgame. They are still with Mr. Acevedo, who still has them doing a lot of reading and discussing of topics. When new student Takara (Tiki) Eid shows up, the class is thrown into turmoil. Tiki is very loud and outspoken, makes up lots of words, and has trouble taking her turn when speaking in class. She decides that the Lunch Bunch, the cafeteria ladies who used to work at the school but were replaced when a new food service took over, should be brought back, and that the sub par food must be fixed. She gets Avery really interested in the project, and installs a video camera on Avery's wheelchair. Rip knows that they are flaunting the school rules, but he has a lot going on. Tiki also shows up on his basketball team and is really good... and Rip gets put on the bench and used on the second team. Red is slowly improving his interactions with others, but he, too, has problems dealing with Tiki. When the group gets in trouble for the cafeteria incident, there are consequences that include Mr. Acevedo as well. 
Strengths: Lots of basketball in this one, which I need desperately. I liked how the team was coed. Tiki was an interesting character, and the type of student I see from time to time, and seeing her backstory and how the other students interact with her is fun. This book managed to have a fresh take on school problems in a humorous and fast paced way. Very much appreciated. 
Weaknessess: If anything, this is overly multicultural and almost felt forced. It probably just felt that way because my school is in a rather homogeneous community.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and this will see a lot of use. 

British Imports- Princess DisGrace and Dara Palmer

Kuenzler, Lou. Princess DisGrace
21 June 2016, Random House
Copy provided by the publisher

When Grace and her father realize that her cousin, Precious, is off to boarding school at Tall Towers Princess Academy, Grace decides to tag along even though her cousin doesn't want her there and Grace has not applied or made any of the preparations the other princesses have. There's not even any room on the boat that takes everyone to the island! Luckily, even though Precious is rather rude, Grace makes friends with Scarlett and Izumi. Awkward and clumsy, Grace manages to make a mess of just about every princess lesson, from riding a unicorn to learning how to walk and sit properly. The other girls are mean to her, and when Precious steps over the line, her job as Golden Princess at a celebration is given to Grace. In typical fashion, Grace manages to destroy her dress and wreak havoc, although in the end, she does find that she has some skills. 
Strengths: This is a British import with large print and a decent amount of illustrations. I can see beginning readers who haven't overcome their princess obsessions finding this to be the perfect book. 
Weaknesses: I was very uncomfortable with the way Grace was treated by the other girls and also the staff. Her background was a caricature, and her clumsiness made fun of but never helped. Something about this is not in tune with modern US mores.
What I really think: Perhaps this is just too young for my students, and I don't fully understand it. 

Shevah, Emma. Dara Palmer's Major Drama
July 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Dara and her friend Lacey-Lou are bound and determined to get into the school play, The Sound of Music. When they get put in the chorus, they believe that it's because Dara is Cambodian and doesn't look like an Austrian nun. When Dara's adoptive mother goes to school to complain to the teacher, she finds out that Dara didn't get the part because she THINKS she can already act and refuses to take part in workshops. Can Dara overcome her innate brattiness and learn enough to actually be in plays, rather than just daydreaming about being a star?
Strengths: It is an interesting to have a child adopted from another country, and there's lots of details about being in plays. This had some clever lines. 
Weaknesses: Dara was SO whiny that I wanted to slap her, and the book had that breathless, whirlwind British style that US readers tend not to like. I was also slightly alarmed that Dara's own vision of herself included vanilla skin and golden hair. Something just struck me as off about the whole book. 
What I really think: My readers who like British books are fewer, and I've got a ton of Renninson, Whytock, and Wilson to keep them happy. Will pass. 

YA Guy Friday- The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love

Not only are video games making their way into middle grade literature, geek pursuits are making their way into YA lit, too. I won't be buying either of these, but they would be great for a high school or public library. Fun Fact: Older Daughter just decided to make Tolkien her fandom of choice. I have more literary geek interests!



Tash, Sarvenaz.The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love
June 14th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Graham and his best friend and neighbor Roxana are very interested in the sci fi graphic novels of reclusive author Robert Zinc, especially the ones involving a character named Althea. When Zinc agrees to speak at the New York City Comic Con, the two decide they have to go. Along with die hard geek friend Casey and newbie Felicia, the group heads out and works their way through the schedule at the Javits Center. Graham desperately wants to get wristbands for the Zinc panel so that he can bring Roxana and confess his love for her, but he doesn't manage to get them. To further complicate his plan, they meet hot British guy Devin, and Roxana seems attracted to him. Graham meets Amelia, who shares a lot of his interests. He manages, over the course on the Con, to both embarrass and partially redeem himself with Roxana. 
Strengths: This showed a very intimate understanding of the Geek American community, and was a nice trip to Comic Con, complete with costumes and craziness. Very well done. It was nice that Roxana's background was Iranian-American, but that it was incidental to most other things about her. 
Weaknesses: The main thought that I was left with from this book was this: If an Iranian-American woman can write a book from the perspective of a Caucasian male geek, is it less authentic than if a Caucasian male geek wrote it? I don't think so; I think Tash has her fingers on the pulse of this population. She's a good storyteller. But if a red headed Caucasian male wrote about an Iranian-American female, there might be back lash. Food for thought. 
What I really think: Would definitely buy this for high school, but will pass for middle school, both because of a couple of f-bombs and because it just makes me sad looking at the red headed geek boy on the cover. Just...can't. 


Heidicker, Christian McKay. Cure for the Common Universe
14 June 2016 by Simon and Schuster
EARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Jaxon plays too many video games (his parents track his use, which adds up to more than a full time job over the summer), and is finally sent to a video rehab hospital. The other patients are quirky and addicted to a variety of video games. Jaxon doesn't think he needs to be there, but he's determined to get out as quickly as he can-- he has just met a girl and made her laugh. He has a date in a week, but can he get out in time? He goes along with the program as much as possible, eating decent food, getting exercise, and talking to the other quirky participants. 
Strengths: I liked the idea of this book-- both that Jaxon managed to ask a girl out, and that there is such a thing as video game rehab. 
Weaknesses: This was much too young adult in that it was slow paced and introspective. Pages and pages of people talking in group therapy. There were also multiple uses of the f-word. 
What I really think: Too slow moving for middle school, but the language tipped me off to that early on. I just kept reading, since it was an interesting premise. Again, I would buy this for a high school or public library. 

Poison is Not Polite

Stevens, Robin. Poison is Not Polite
April 26th 2016 by Simon and Schuster 
(first published January 29th 2015 with the title Arsenic for Tea!)
Copy checked out from the Ohio E Book Project

After their exploits in Murder is Bad Manners, Hazel and Daisy are on  an extended Easter holiday. They have gone to Fallingford, Daisy's wonderful, Downton Abbey type English manor house. In addition to Daisy's absent minded, jovial father and her high strung mother, there's an elderly butler, helpful cooks, an enigmatic governess (Miss Alston), Daisy's bother, his friend, and school mates Kitty and Beanie. There is also Daisy's Uncle Felix, and an interloper... Mr. Cushman. He seems to have designs not only on Daisy's mother, but on the art and jewelry around the house. He's been told to leave, but at Daisy's birthday tea he has a cup of tea that tastes foul... and then sickens and dies! The Wells and Wong detective agency is on the case, even though the biggest suspect seems to be Daisy's father. In very Agatha Christie fashion, the girls go through all of the suspects and finally uncover the real murderer. 
Strengths: I'm a big fan of British mysteries from the 1920s and 30s, and this is set in the 1930s. Uncle Felix's description reminded me very much of Lord Peter Wimsey! There are lots of descriptions of the house, all the wonderful food that is served, and has a drawing room mystery to boot. Young readers who enjoy this might be interested in picking up some classic British mysteries. 
Weaknesses: Hazel occasionally runs into problems with her ethnicity, which is exotic in this time and place. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to come in to play at many other times. I'm not sure how it would, but I wish we heard more about her back story. Will Daisy get to go to Hong Kong?
What I really think: A bit of a hard sell, even with the great cover. One of those books I buy because they amuse me, and can entice a small handful of readers every year. 

#WNDB- The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island

Levy, Dana Alison. The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island
May 10th 2016 by Delacorte BFYR (first published January 1st 2016)

Papa, Dad and the boys are back after the school year they had in The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. They have been coming for a few weeks every summer, and the best thing about Rock Island is that it never changes. That is, until it does. The lighthouse next to the family cabin has always been open to the public, and the Fletchers use it as a place to escape when the cabin gets too crowded. This year, not only is the lighthouse closed, but it is probably being sold to an artist. Eli misses his friends and is a bit tired of so much family time, Jax and Sam make friends with Alex, who lives nearby, only to be startled by Alex later, and Frog tries unsuccessfully to teach an older cat to swim before turning his attention to the family kitten. Aunt Lucy plans to come to visit and bring cupcakes from her shop, and her significant other Elon has a heart-to-heart with the boys about how Rock Island is not used to seeing people of color. The boys also learn that the artist might not have good designs on the lighthouse property, and expose him before Rock Island changes drastically.
Strengths: This had a few good teen angst moments with Eli and was strongly reminiscent of other "summers at the shore" books like Greenwald's Welcome to Dog Beach, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, Howland's The Forget-Me-Not Summer and Hapka's Heart of a Dolphin. Had a retro vibe to it, despite the family's diversity. 
Weaknesses: This series is a hard sell in middle school. I did buy it, but Frog gets equal treatment with Eli's teen angst, and my students all seem to be trying to get away from their families and have adventures on their own. 
What I really think: Does anyone summer at the beach anymore? I have the entire summer "off" and have never summered at the beach. Of course, I am not a fan of beaches!

Black River Falls

Hirsch, Jeff. Black River Falls
July 5th 2016 by Clarion Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Black River Falls, New York has been beset by Lassiter's Viral Retrograde Amnesia and is quarantined. The National Guard is keeping the infected citizens inside a boundary, but sending help in the form of food and clothing. When the virus first hit, there was a lot of violence and confusion, but things have settled down. Sadly, anyone who caught Lassiter's has no memory of their previous life, although skills and general knowledge seem to be little affected by the virus. Cardinal Cassidy is an exception-- he hasn't caught the virus yet, but continues to stay in the area to help take care of a small group of children, helped by Greer. Since Cardinal can remember what life was like before, he tries to help identify anyone who comes into the community, so when he saves a girl with green hair from being attacked by the town's ruffians, he tries to help her find her identity. When he can't, the children give her the name of Hannah, and she helps out as well. Soon, the government will pull out, and a company called Martison Vine will take over. The only problem is that they want to be able to reopen Black River Falls, so intend to send all of the residents to a secure camp in a location like Arizona. Cardinal has many reasons to stay in the area. The book is in the form of a note to his brother Tennant, and as things unfold in the present, we also learn about Cardinal's past. His father was a noted comic book artist whose main character, Cardinal, meets an end similar to the reality that has befallen Cardinal. When these past events become too much for Cardinal to bear, he tries to get infected with the virus, only to find that he is immune. 

There's a lot going on in this dystopian adventure: survival with limited resources, family problems, mysterious characters with unexplained backgrounds. Like Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague and The Darkest Path, Black Rivers Falls gives us a character who is fighting not only against the horrors that have befallen his community, but against his own personal demons. His relationship with Greer, who was completely different before he lost his memory, is interesting, and the town librarian is a fascinating character as well as the key to many of Cardinal's problems. 

Readers who like The Maze Runner, Garcia's Contaminated or Haddix's The Always War will find Black River Falls to be a compelling read that makes them question whether it is better to remember the past, even when it is fraught with problems, or to remember it and remain true to themselves.

This is a little slow paced for many middle school readers, but I think I will buy a copy. There's nothing inappropriate for middle school, just a lot of philosophical meandering. My more mature 8th graders will like this one. 

MMGM- Soar

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.




Wymer, Tracy Edward. Soar
July 5th 2016 by S&S/Aladdin
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Eddie's father was an avid bird watcher who swore he saw a golden eagle, but other local enthusiasts doubted him. Since his father is gone now, Eddie is bound and determined to catch sight of the eagle and use it as his topic for the science symposium, which his father won when HE was in the 7th grade. Unfortunately, Eddie is partnered with Mouton, who doesn't like Eddie and seems to have Tourette's syndrome. With the help of new Brazilian neighbor Gabrielle, Eddie puts together a project, tries to get along with Mouton, and works through his feelings about his father. 
Strengths: I'm tired of two things in middle grade fiction: parents who die, and bullies. While this has both, it addresses the issues in a much more realistic manner than just about any other middle grade book out there. Big points for that. The book moved quickly, had anxious tension that seemed very middle grade; liked this more than I thought I would. 
Weaknesses: Mouton means sheep. Who would DO that to a kid? I also wanted to know a lot more about Gabrielle's experience in a new country, and really wanted to know more about her father's therapy group that involved adults with language and speech difficulties working with birds. Gabrielle introduces her father as "deaf and mute"-- not sure that's the latest terminology.
What I really think: Middle grade kids who DO things-- that's what I really need in a book. This was sort of like Bart King's The Drake Equation, but more realistic and less humorous. Think I will buy this one and include it in the Problem Novels unit. Won't be hugely popular, but will see steady use.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, I left on Friday. Picky Reader (who is no longer 9, but just graduated from high school and will be studying business at the University of Cincinnati, my alma mater, this fall.) has long been a fan of all thing British-- Harry Potter, Jacqueline Wilson, the Beatles, the Oxford Comma. 

It took me until I was 40 to get to England. That was far too long. We agreed that a trip to London would be a good graduation present. That said, I still owe Older Daughter a trip to somewhere, since she just graduated from college! (And more coverage on the blog-- she was well out of middle school by the time it became all-consuming!)

We'll be staying at one of the London School of Economics dormitories, a practice which I highly recommend. Clean, good location, and this one even promises breakfast! 

Computing devices are far too heavy to carry, so we'll be relying mainly on my daughter's phone and the wi fi at the dorm. I've negotiated for Instagram access, so I'll try to publish some pictures there under my Msyinglingreads account, if anyone is interested. We have a packed itinerary, and my new "bionic foot" will be put to the test!

The blog will continue, but I may not be able to approve comments or check e mail. I'll be back in the country July 16th, and will be back online after I sleep for a couple of days!

Hope everyone is having a great summer! Be back soon. 

The Curse of the Were-Hyena

Hale, Bruce. The Curse of the Were-Hyena (Monstertown Mystery #1)
July 5th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion 
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Carlos and Benny are alarmed when their teacher, Mr. Chu (who is usually enthusiastic and a lot of fun) starts exhibiting weird and disturbing behavior. They start their research into what might be wrong with him at the local comic book store, which is run by a former woman wrestler from Samoa, Ms. Tamasese. She has some knowledge of the supernatural, and lets them know that they might be dealing with a were-hyena! Also helping is a man from the local museum and his secretary-- but they are more trouble than they are worth! Luckily, the boys also have help from Tina, who studies karate. The group finds out that they need to find the alpha were-hyena and neutralize it in order to set all of its victims free. If they can manage, will they make the town of Monterrosa safe, or will there be more problems in the next book in the series. 
Strengths: Have to say that this was not exactly what I wanted to read on a summer afternoon, but Hale's writing has such fantastic turns of phrase, excellent multicultural characters (I mean, the Samoan Slammer was AWESOME!), and such a good use of reluctant middle grade heroes that I am now so taken with it that I may have to buy a copy. Here's the description of the principal's office: "As usual, the office smelled of home-baked brownies, Magic Markers, and fear." Snorted several times!
Weaknesses: This is very much like the David Lubar Monsterific Tales series, as well as the Coville Magic Shop series. Occasionally, I get students who ask for books about monsters, but not as often as you would think. 
What I really think: Yeah. Going to have to buy this one and hand sell it because it was REALLY fun. 

Manatee Rescue

Davies, Nicola. Manatee Rescue.
January 5th 2016 by Candlewick Press 

Manuela lives with her father in a small village along the Amazon river. Her father fishes in the traditional way, with a spear, and he is anxious to kill a manatee, even though it is illegal, because it would give the family a lot of money. When her father finally kills a manatee, however, it is gruesome and bloody, and the manatee's calf survives but is injured. The calf is sold to wealthy merchant Mr. Gomez, but Manuela is worried that it will die. She and her friend Libia take the calf to Manuela's Granny Raffy's, hoping that her grandmother can heal the calf and help the girls eventually return it to the river. Granny Raffy does help, but points out that even if the calf survives, it will need special food, and will likely be killed if returned to the wild. She encourages the girls to make a plan to educate the village about how important manatees are to the environment. The girls name the manatee Airuwe and have a "meet the manatee" event for their village. When Mr. Gomez causes Airuwe harm, the villagers report him to the police, and Manuela feels that she must do more work to ensure that the manatees survive.
Strengths: This is a short (104 pages) book that moves quickly, and has the added bonus of having both environmental and culturally diverse content. It can sometimes be hard to get students to investigate books like this, so the short length helps. Once I get students to read this author's The Lion Who Stole My Arm, they frequently want to know more information about Africa. Davies is a zoologist who includes lots of good information about manatees. Can't think of another fiction book that includes this!
Weaknesses: This would be great for elementary libraries, but is rather short and simple. I'd like to see middle school students read something longer and more in depth on such an important topic; not the fault of the book. 
What I really think: Will purchase and recommend, and hope that my readers will move on to longer books with more information. 

Guy Friday- Firestormers

Bowen, Carl. Firestormers: Elite Firefighting Crew
1 July 2016, Capstone Young Readers
E ARC from Netgalley.com

When the Kalmath National Forest has 11,000 acres on fire, the National Elite Interagency Wildfire Rapid Response Strike Force is brought in. This is led by Capt. McElreath, but there are other agencies involved in the response. One of the leaders is Lt. Garrett, who was a great structural firefighter but whose father urged him to move to a firestorming unit to help with his political ambitions. There's also Pete Kinsey, who heads the local concern, and Rodgers, whose brother is fighting the fire with another unit that has gotten caught by the flames. Add to this mix Rendon, who would prefer to use her chainsaw than be a spokesperson, and there's plenty of interpersonal drama while fighting a raging forest fire. It doesn't help when a group of survivalists, headed by Pete Stoyko, won't leave, or when environmentalist Topher Smith demands that an endangered marten be saved even though the fire is not endangering the animals' habitat as much as it is endangering other areas. There are plenty of details about how forest fires are fought, and the description of how technology is used is especially interesting. 
Strengths: This author has some paramilitary books that are hugely popular among my reluctant readers, and I think that extreme firefighting is also a topic that will appeal to this group. There are very few books about wildfires, other than Cooney's FlashFire (1994) and Garretson's Wildfire Run (2010).
Weaknesses: This seemed a bit on the long side for reluctant readers, but perhaps this is something they can work toward.
What I really think: I could have done without so much of the personal drama, but this is definitely a book I will purchase.

School of the Dead

Avi. School of the Dead
June 21st 2016 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Tony Gilbert's odd Uncle Charlie ends up living with his family, and the two become close when Tony's parents work long hours. The two bond over any number of things, but Charlie is old and dies, leaving money for Tony to attend the Penda School in San Francisco. Tony's parents, wanting a change, find jobs in the city and relocate there. Tony gets accepted into the school after another student, Austin, mysteriously drops out. The principal, Mrs. Foxton, doesn't approve of Jessica, who invites Tony to be part of the Weird History club. She also claims that Tony smells of death, and drags him in to a scheme to get rid of the Penda Boy, the ghost of the founder's son who perished under mysterious circumstances. Tony thinks he sees not only the Penda Boy, but also Uncle Charlie's ghost, and he is soon embroiled in a dastardly plot that puts the very souls of the students in peril. Can he save the day, or will evil triumph?
Strengths: Teachers sucking out the souls of students so they can stay young-- that should be fun. I liked the relationship with Uncle Charlie, and the relocation to San Francisco. Even the creepy school was great. Good villains. 
Weaknesses: This just wasn't written in a creepy way. It should have been creepy and... it just wasn't. Had Mary Downing Hahn written it, it would have scared the bejeebers out of me. 
What I really think: Will have to think about purchasing it.  Depends on how much money I have left in January. The cover isn't very creepy, and Avi is no longer a popular writer with my students. 

#WNDB Wednesday- Nine, ten: A September 11 Story

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story
June 28th 2016 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Starting on September 9th, 2001, we follow the life of several young teens. Sergio has traveled from New York to the University of Chicago to be honored for a high score on a math test. He misses his grandmother, who is raising him, and is trying to distance himself from his father. Nadira is from Columbus, Ohio, but her parents are Muslims from Iran. She wears a hijab, and gets some grief for it at school. Aimee's mother is a high powered business woman who travels to New York City for a big meeting, and Aimee is starting a new school because of her mother's new job. Will and his family have traveled to Disney World, a trip paid for by people in his hometown after his father's death in a car accident. We get a good glimpse of what life is like for the children, and then see what happens to them on 9/11 and after. None are directly impacted, but the event nonetheless changes all of their lives. 
Strengths: Baskin tells a bit about how and why she wrote this book in an epilogue, and I can see why she chose to tell about life right before the World Trade Center disaster. It is interesting that we meet all of the characters in an airport on the Sunday before-- I was actually in the Columbus airport that day, picking up a friend. I can remember very clearly that the security guard waved me around the gates with a stroller. That would never happen now. Most readers will be more interested in the events of 9/11 itself. 
Weaknesses: Four stories was a lot to keep straight, especially since they were not simple ones. I would have preferred two characters, perhaps Aimee and Nadira. Having more doesn't ruin the book, but it does  make it harder to follow. 
What I really think: I will probably buy this, since our teachers assign a project on this event every year. Since middle school students were now all born after 2001, they often lack the most basic knowledge of the event. Since the book covers mostly events before the attacks (as mentioned above), this will not be as helpful for the students' projects as other novels about 9/11, but they will still gain some insight on what life was like before they were born. 

Mayhem (Lawless #3)

Salane, Jeffrey. Mayhem (Lawless #3)
 April 26th 2016 by Scholastic Press
ARC from Young Adult Books Central

M is settling into her new school well, and has several good friends. Her parents make her flaxseed waffles and papaya facial masks. It all seems perfect-- until new kid Evel arrives at school and the art teacher is replaced by Dartsey, who proceeds to attack M. With the help of Evel, she escapes and goes home, only to remember her past as a Lawless student. Evel is Ronin (neither Lawless nor Fulbright), and drags M into a whirlwind of travel and explosions, complete with trips through abandoned mines, and a maelstrom of scattered allegiances as she tries to find her mother and figure out what side is right... and what side she's on. 

This final book in the series is a nice departure from Lawless and Justice, taking M away from the school setting (since the school came to grief in the previous book) and opening the door to all manner of frenetic activity. Any book that includes the characters traveling to the British Museum in London is always a good bet, especially when it becomes the site of a scavenger hunt. I loved that even in the midst of a frantic search for clues to save the day, Jules says "If we live through this, remind me to come back and take my time touring this place." (page 217) 

The characters are fun as well. M struggles with her memory loss, which makes her trust Evel long enough to discover that he's not all bad, even though he's a Ronin. Her friends Chloe, Emma and Jenny are a fun mix of typical tween girls and spies with ninja-like abilities. Villains Cal and his mother Mrs. Watts show up... but are they really villains?

The difficulty in determining which side is good and which side is evil gave me some pause, but readers of Artemis Fowl will enjoy the ambiguity, and the excitement of not really knowing what the next move should be, and whether or not M is one of the good guys or one of the bad guys. 

This is the final book in the series, but readers who want more will be well served by picking up Walden's H.I.V.E. series, Jinks' Evil Genius or Gibbs Spy School series. You never know when your middle school art teacher might crack, and there are lots of good spy tips to learn from these books, just in case you need them!

I'm not normally a fan of cover changes, but I like the embroidered look of the updated covers. Unfortunately, I won't be updating my copy of Lawless just so the series matches!

MMGM- The Distance to Home

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.

Bishop. Jenn. The Distance to Home

June 28th 2016 by Random House/Knopf Children’s

E ARC provided by Netgalley.com

Quinnen's sister Haley has been gone for about nine months, and the family has managed to move forward, with realistic lapses where everyone tears up and can't speak. Quinnen has decided she can't go back to playing baseball, and is irritated that her mother, in an attempt to spend more time with her, keeps suggesting activities that Haley would have liked. When the family decides to take a local baseball player in for a homestay, Quinnen is pleased, even though the Bandit's player they get is kind of jerky. Quinnen hangs out with her friend Casey, although baseball games are hard because Zach, Haley's boyfriend and the person Quinnen holds responsible for her death, is working at a food vendor at the park. Told alternately in flashbacks and in the present time, we see Quinnen and her parents coming to terms with their loss and figuring out how they can continue to incorporate baseball into their lives. 

Strengths: Quinnen plays baseball, which is a nice touch. There is ONLY the death of the sister, not piles and piles of sadness heaped upon the family's shoulders. There's some nice touches about the difficulties the sisters had because of the 6 year age difference, as well as some tween angst. 

Weaknesses: Why not an upbeat baseball book with the drama coming from the homestay players or perhaps Casey and Quinnen falling out because one makes the team and the other doesn't? 

What I really think: Will probably buy, but this is very similar to Shang's The Way Home Looks Now. The cover saves this one, actually-- it looks the same as the new Nancy Drew and Phoebe Rivers books.

The World From Up Here

Galante, Cecilia. The World From Up Here
June 28th 2016 by Scholastic Press
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Wren Baker has a difficult family life-- her brother Russell is on the Autism spectrum, and her mother is down so often that she can't even make dinner. Her cousin and aunt have recently moved to town, but Silver is a popular cheerleader and won't give Wren the time of day at school. When Wren's mother must be hospitalized for her depression in Ohio, her father goes there as well, and Russell and Wren must stay at Silver's house. Russell settles in surprisingly well, and Wren learns that Silver is very different at home than she is at school. The two develop an interest in Witch Weatherly, who reportedly lives far up the mountain near their Pennsylvania town. The two manage to work around the objections of Silver's mother and make it up the mountain to interview her. Of course, Silver is injured on the way up, but the two learn secrets that tie into Wren's mother's anxieties, and come to appreciate Bedelia Weatherly in a new way.
Strengths: There were parts of this that I really enjoyed, primarily Wren and her cousin Silver having to learn to get along. I have 38 cousins, most of whom I wouldn't know on sight, and I don't think that I would have gotten along with my closest in age cousin when we were in middle school. It's an intriguing relationship, and their interest in Witch Weatherly had its moments, too. But...
Weaknesses: At 320 pages, this is too long. There's a lot of information that could have been removed that would have perked the story up considerably. While the mystery of Witch Weatherly intertwining with Wren's mother is kind of interesting, the flashbacks to the slow mental decline is depressing and dull. 
What I really think: The cover is so nondescript that it won't circulate well, especially given the length. If I had endless money to buy everything, I might get a copy, but will have to pass.