Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life

Long, Susan Hill. Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life
January 7th 2020 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC provided by Edleweiss Plus

Josie lives with her grandfather because her mother died suddenly of a heart issue and her father was never in the picture. She has a good friend in Winky, who has limited sight. But in the winter of 1977, things start to go wrong. Her grandfather has become unpredictable, leaving the house in the middle of the night, hiding wads of cash around the house, and not paying the bills. He also randomly shouts odd phrases and doesn't seem to interact well with her anymore. She is afraid that he wants to move back to the local rest home, and she worries about her fate. In the meantime, she helps Winky follow baseball, especially since his hero, Joe Viola, has been sent down to the farm team in their town in Maine. Wait... could Joe Viola be Josephine Violet's long lost father? As her money worries grow and the other adults in her life are not helpful (Winky's father is out of work, and his mother sews book cozies to earn money, and her teacher is more embarassing than helpful), Josie comes up with a plan to talk to Joe and find out the truth about her background. If he is not her father, how will she be able to keep her grandfather and herself out of care?
Strengths: Josie has a very positive attitude about her life, even though she knows there are some problems. She tries to provide herself with some support, and in turn is supportive of Winky. There should be more books about the decline of grandparents, or of grandparents raising children.
Weaknesses: I was about Josie's age in 1977, so I want really excellent historical details. There was no real reason to set the book during this time, and there were a few inaccuracies, like Josie carrying a backpack to school. (They were only used for hiking until the early 1980s. I have one of the very first school back packs from L.L. Bean that I took to college in 1983.)
What I really think: A very similar title, Just Like Jackie, does not circulate well in my library, so I think I will pass on purchase.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Awesome Dog 5000

Dean, Justin. Awesome Dog 5000
July 2nd 2019 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Marty Fontana and his mother move to a new town for her job, and have a house that belonged to a scientist, who left lots of dusty boxes in his wake. Marty is scared to start fifth grade, because he knows that the simplest missteps will ruin his entire year. Of course, he manages to do everything that was on his list of things NOT to do-- he introduces himself to the class as Farty Montana, and the day just gets worse from there. He ends up at lunch at the dreaded Zeroes Table, right under the watchful eye of the cafeteria monitor, with other "weird" kids Ralph and Skyler, All three like to play the video game Sheriff Turbo-Karate, so they bond over that. When Marty has the two to his house, they find a robotic dog, and manage to get themselves in big trouble with Dr. Crazypants, an inventor of evil formulas who has a mansion that Awesome Dog manages to trash. Even after Marty and his friends apologize, Dr. Crazypants tries to get his revenge in all sorts of wacky ways. The worst case scenario comes to be when the villain ingests both Cutie-Pie and Tons of Tush potions and turns into a rabbit with twenty-foot-tall butt cheeks. Will the friends, along with their robotic dog, be able to save the day?

Awesome Dog manages to follow the tried and true formula of Captain Underpants while bringing some fresh twists to it. There are the fearless heroes with powers (this time acquired through the robotic dog), a goofy villain bent on destruction, lots of chase scenes, and ultimately, a vanquishing of evil... for the time being. Readers will be glad to know that a sequel, Awesome Dog 5000 vs. Mayor Bossypants is due out in March 2020.

Fifth grade has a lot of friend drama that crops up at school, so Marty's fear of his new school is one that many young readers will share. I'm not a fan of calling characters "dorks", but the fear of being excluded is a real one, and the fact that Marty does find people with whom he has a lot in common will reassure readers who struggle with making friends.

I'm a big fan of robotic dogs like the Sony Aibo or the new Tombot, so Awesome Dog's antic were fun for me to read. Of course, such an awesome pet needs a super evil villain to challenge him, and Dr. Crazypants (while politically incorrect) is a lot of fun.

Adults will no doubt pick apart this notebook style novel, but readers who enjoyed Jay Cooper's Spy Next Door, Barnett's Mac B.: Spy Kid, or the goofy goodness of Falatko's Two Dogs in a Trench Coat will laugh themselves silly over Marty's antics in this new series.

Guy Friday- Accidental Trouble Magnet and Trigger Mechanism

Mian, Zanib and Mafaridik, Nasaya. Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet
February 4th 2020 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young
ARC provided by Follett First Look

Omar lives with his mother, a research scientist, his father, his baby brother Esa and teen sister Maryam in England. The family has just moved, and Omar is upset that he has to start a new school with children he doesn't know. He is afraid his teacher might be an alien, but Ms. Hutchinson ends up being nice, and he does meet Charlie, who welcomes him to the school. He also runs in to Daniel, who is mean to everyone but tells Omar that he should go back to his country because he is Muslim. There is also a problem with an elderly lady next door, who is overheard talking about "the Muslims" and their cooking smells, noise, etc. This makes Omar feel uncomfortable, but he also knows that it is wrong, and tries to get other students to understand that he is just like them. The neighbor comes around when she needs help from the family, and Omar eventually decides that his new home isn't so bad.
Strengths: This is a notebook novel with a great mix of pictures and text-- it's similar to another British series, Tom Gates by Liz Pichon, but involves younger characters. I love the details about Omar's family, and these details will be helpful to readers who are not familiar with Pakistani Muslim culture.
Weaknesses: The problematic dealings with the neighbor and bully at school are good for students to read about, but solved too easily for middle school readers, who know that there is a lot more going on with the issue of Muslim characters experiencing prejudice.
What I really think: This is a must have for elementary libraries, but is a bit too young for middle school, with Omar's imagining that his teacher might be an alien and the way he interacts with his family and fellow students. I'd love to see a similar story for slightly older readers!

McEwen, Scott and Williams, Hof. The Trigger Mechanism (Camp Valor #2)
February 11th 2020 by St. Martin's Griffin
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Wyatt survived Camp Valor, although he lost his friend Dolly to the evil Hallsie. He's determined to take him down, but other missions get in the way. A young gamer, Jalen, gets drawn into a shoot-em-up game that ends up actually killing people, since hackers got into both his virtual reality system and the system of a self driving car. Jalen has to go into hiding, and feels horrible about what happened, so is glad to go to Camp Valor. The hacking threat seems to be an entity called Encyte, and there are several different theories about who this might be, including a gamer who goes by the name Hi Kyto. To make matters even more complicated, a former Valor alum, Darsie, who knew Wyatt's father Eldon wants Wyatt to drop out of Valor and work for him to find Hallsie. He also is interested in the Encyte threat, and has resources that might help with that. In the meantime, the secretary of defense, Elain Becker, finds out about Camp Valor and is determined to shut it down. Interestingly, Hi Kyto is his protege. Eventually, the people at the camp have a woman come to them and say she has been approached to shoot a private school where the children of a gun rights advocate attend, and all of the threads in the Encyte mystery get tangled up in the attempt to stage this convincingly and finally put this threat out of commission.
Strengths: There are relatively few books that involve video gaming, and this uses it to wickedly good effect. Camp Valor, where juvenile delinquents gets a second chance by working for the government, is such an appealing idea to the middle grade mind. This has lots of technology details, travel, things blowing up-- it's not slow at all. Look at that cover-- it sells itself to Klavan's The Last Thing I Remember, Gilman's The Devil's Breath and Kincaid's Insignia.
Weaknesses: This is rather technical, has some fairly gruesome violence, and was a bit difficult to follow because there were so many intriguing things going on.
What I really think: I wish there weren't the f-bomb near the end of the book, and this is still a bit more violent than I like, but it's a really good spy mystery, especially with the connection to gaming and the Internet of Things. Reminded me a bit of Falkner's Brain Jack. The first book has been really popular with my 8th graders, who will be waiting breathlessly for this volume to arrive. This would be a fantastic series for high school readers who loved Stormbreaker.

A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon

Young, Karen Romano. A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon
January 7th 2020 by Chronicle Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Pearl was practically born at the branch library where her mother works, and considers it home. When the head of the Edna St. Vincent Millay statue is stolen from the scruffy garden, Pearl is devastated and determined to find the culprit. Her mother alerts the local newspaper, and the attention the branch receives  brings to light the fact that it isn't as busy as the other branches and because the building is in poor condition, it might be sold. Evil contractors even come to take measurements for making it into apartments. Pearl and her friends try to rally support and plan a big Halloween party to encourage local people to sign their children up for cards. At the same time, there is a mystery about Mrs. Mallomar and her children who are raccoons who can read and live in the library at times. Sidebars from the raccoons give interesting information about everything from library staffing to raccoon habits.
Strengths: I love Millay's work, and am a sucker for a good library book, and Pearl's branch is certainly a very appealing place. The mystery about the statue, combined with the New York City setting, gave it a From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler feel. The characters are delightful, and I love the rallying of community support, especially since it involves getting more people to use the library. The building was also very appealing.
Weaknesses: The raccoons communicate with humans. This is definitely speculative fiction.
What I really think: A book almost 400 pages long with a cover like this would never circulate in my library. Had it been 200 pages long (maybe dropping the raccoon story line), I would have bought it for fans of Tan's A Kind of Paradise. This had a definite 1970s vibe to it, especially with the talk of newspaper articles.

Pippa Park Raises Her Game

Yun, Erin. Pippa Park Raises Her Game
February 4th 2020 by Fabled Films Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Pippa loves to play basketball and struggles a tiny bit in school. She lives with her much older sister, Mina, and Mina's husband, and works in her sister's laundry to help out. Her mother's visa has expired, and she has returned to Korea. Mina pressures Pippa to do well in school, and when Pippa gets a letter that she is invited to attend Lakeview, a local private school on scholarship for her basketball skills, she is very pleased. Even though it means leaving her best friend, Buddy, and embracing a new way of life, Pippa does her best to fit in. She still struggles with math, but gets tutoring help from the very cute Eliot Haverford, who has his own troubled family life, including a father who is headmaster of Lakeview. She does get in with the popular Bianca and "the Royals"- the popular girls at school, but she has trouble getting along with Olive, and is dismayed to find out that Bianca also has a crush on Eliot. Pippa continues to struggle with math,has to deal with the fact that her mother has been in a car accident and Mina must go to Korea to be with her, and gets mean anonymous notes, but when she helps out Eliot's brother, she manages to get herself in line to be suspended. Will Pippa be able to hold onto her place at Lakeview and not alienate her friends and family?
Strengths: This was very reminiscent of The Dork Diaries, with the private school setting, mean girls, and jockeying for popularity. It also had a feel of Elena Delle Donne's Elle of the Ball series, where Elle has to balance school, sports, and her family life. It was nice to see a student having to work in a family business and dealing with a bit of monetary insecurity. The Korean culture was very welcome, as I have had several students with Korean backgrounds who ask to have more books about students like them. I loved the brother-in-law and how well he took care of Pippa.
Weaknesses: I'm not a fan of the meanness in The Dork Diaries, and I doubt that anyone in the target demographic will understand that this is a "reimagining of Great Expectations". If it weren't for Aunt Haverford, I wouldn't have seen it at all. Eliot's family backstory was convoluted and seemed out of place.
What I really think: I'll purchase this to fill a need for books with girls who play basketball and characters who are Korean, but the reimagining aspect seemed forced to me.

All the Pieces Fit (HILO #6) and True to Your Selfie

Winick, Judd. All the Pieces Fit (HILO #6)
February 4th 2020 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

We find our heroes engaged in an epic battle with Razorwark, who has been joined by Hilo's sister Izzy. Secret agents have converged on the Lim house, and things are happening fast. Ms. Lim finds out that her son D.J. is on another planet with Hilo, who is a robot, and she's not happy, but is willing to help take on the forces of evil. Talking to Dr. Bloodmoon, Hilo is assured that Izzy is doing what she thinks is right, but still knows he needs to help her. Back on Earth, the kids foil the agents by creating, among other things, a hurricane of hamsters, and manage to rout them, only to be besieged by robots that Razorwark wants to send through a portal to his planet to kill all the people, feeling this is appropriate revenge for their actions of deactivating all the robots. There's lots of fighting, and lots of philosophical soul searching about what it means to be friends, to feel emotions, and to do the right thing even if some of the results are bad. We are told repeatedly that despite her actions, Izzy is making "all the pieces fit", and even though she does and it seems like Hilo's tale is told, there is a book seven on the horizon! (Gina- The Girl Who Broke the World, 2021)
Strengths: Hurricanes of hamsters, magic wands, isolation bubbles over cities-- all great speculative fiction. The illustrations are bright and bold, the text-to-picture ratio perfect for the target demographic, and the story fast-paced and exciting. This is a series that straddles the Pilkey Line nicely; even my 8th graders pick it up sometimes.
Weaknesses: Pretty sure all of the philosophy about Hilo's empatis goes right over my students' heads, but it is a brilliant addition in that adults will groove on it.
What I really think: Six books is more than enough; these are great, but the paper-over-board format leads the first one to disintegrate by the time book 6 is published. Probably should have gotten these in a prebind. I have a student who wanted the copy immediately after I got it, and the wait list at the library was 10 people long!

McCafferty, Megan. True to Your Selfie
February 4th 2020 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Morgan and Ella are seventh graders you have a Photobomb account that has 10,000 followers. Ella is well-to-do (her father is a congressman and they live in a large house), but Morgan's family struggles. Her father was never really part of the picture, and her mother is going back to school. Her older sister is off at college, although very supportive of Morgan. Along with another classmate, Maddy, the girls make video covers of popular songs, with Morgan playing ukelele, and spend a lot of time documenting everything they do, from getting coffee to hanging out at the pool. Ella is VERY concerned about their "brand", and gives Morgan a lot of clothes so that she is always picture perfect for "the socials". The girls also have elementary school students who are their "fans". School is not all that important to Ella, since she is sure she will realize her dream of "global platform domination" and pursue a career as a media influencer. Morgan isn't as on board. She doesn't want to worry about manicures that will just get messed up playing the ukelele. She is a C student, but doesn't have a lot of time to study since she has to spend time with Morgan staging their life. When Morgan does fencing in gym, she has a real talent for it and enjoys it, but Ella gives it a thumbs down as not an appropriate activity. Ella is also very nasty to Morgan's former best friend, and Morgan misses her. Eventually, Morgan must go against Ella's wishes after a new girl moves to school and Ella ramps up her plans, knowingly sabotaging Morgan's. Will Morgan be able to find life after social media?
Strengths: This is perfect, if only as a historic artifact! There are a lot of students who follow internet "celebrities" or who make attempts at posting their own content. The wish fulfillment of this is spot on, and readers will love imagining that they, too, can have this many followers, even as they understand that Ella's single minded pursuit of fame isn't healthy. I love the inclusion of fencing, and how hard Morgan's mother works.
Weaknesses: This actually covers a lot of very serious issues students today face, but the cover makes it look like just a silly book. Also, I have 356 blog followers after almost 14 years. Clearly, I need to learn ukelele!
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, although the cover makes me cringe.

MMGM- Chirp

February marks the 10th anniversary of Boys Read Pink and my 14th Blogiversary (on 2/16).

I've always tried to do two things; diversify my collection (my first posts cover finding new books to fill in gaps in my array of African American books in the library I inherited in 2002) and to find books that boys would enjoy reading. (Before you get angry about "all books are for all children, please read this SLJ article.)

The world has changed in fourteen years. It has become very mean. Twitter has allowed people to say hateful things without thinking, and to slam people without examining their motives.

As an old, middle class white woman in a world where "well-meaning" is used perjoratively, I am hesitant to say anything about anything these days. I try my best. I read as many books as I can, try to engage and enlighten my students, and hope that my efforts at both can help fellow teachers and librarians. 

It would be nice to celebrate. I would like to feel that my efforts over the last fourteen years have been positive. Instead, I'm typing this at 6 a.m. in tears, worrying that if I post about Boys Read Pink, which is very dear to my heart for a number of reasons, people will attack me. Also, this fear pretty much sums up my feelings about the majority of my interactions in the Kidlitosphere lately. 

Celebrate with me if you want. If you can't say anything nice, please don't say anything at all.

Messner, Kate. Chirp
February 4th 2020 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mia's family moves from Boston back to Vermont, and she's happy to be back near her grandmother, who has a business raising crickets to sell for food. Her parents are both busy, so they make Mia go to two summer camps-- one is Launch camp, which she hopes will help with her grandmother's business, and the other is Warrior Camp, which Mia is glad is NOT gymnastics, since she had a troubling experience in Boston and is also recovering from a badly broken arm. Things are not going well with the crickets, and she and her new friend Clover investigate why sea gulls are getting in, beetles show up in the feed, fruit flies infest the area, and the temperature controls are sabotaged. Through the Launch camp, Mia gets a lot of good ideas, and goes to businesses in the small town to try to get them interested in crickets as food, to some success-- even the mayor posts pictures of herself eating the crickets! Behind all of this activity, however, Mia is harboring a secret about uncomfortable experiences she had at gymnastics back in Boston; she manages to talk to a visiting women entrepreneur about them, and tells her parents when her young cousin is considering going to the same gym. The mystery of the sabotage is also uncovered, and her grandmother's business manages not only to survive but to thrive with the help of interested investors.
Strengths: Messner does two things very well-- strong, supportive and engaged families, and small town settings. Add to that interesting characters who are involved in doing things, and her books are the gold standard for middle grade fiction. This is an interesting mystery that has elements of friend drama, and will go over well with students. The inclusion of #metoo topics will be well received by adults in the book community.
Weaknesses: It was a bit hard to believe that an adult would go to such lengths to sabotage someone's business, but it makes for a compelling story.
What I really think: Will definitely purchase, as this author is popular in my library.

MMGM- Breaking Through and Boys Read Pink

Macy, Sue. Breaking Through: How Female Athletes Shattered Stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties
February 4th 2020 by National Geographic Society
Copy provided by the publisher

One hundred years ago. When I was growing up, this seemed like an impossibly long time in the past. The Civil War had just ended! Everything about daily life was drastically different. And now... one hundred years ago, there were cars, refrigerators, knee length dresses, and women playing sports.

As in her Wheels of Change and Motor Girls, Macy presents an astonishing array of information about women in all manner of sports, as well as extremely helpful timelines about other history going on at the time. History textbooks often fail in showing cultural background for events, so I was glad to see two page spreads about events as varied as Prohibition, Lindbergh's Flight and the discovery of penicillin in between chapters, as well as an epilogue detailing important events up to the present time. For young people who struggle to place World War II in history, timelines are an important inclusion.

The array of photographs accompanying all of this information is amazing, and really helps with understanding items like the long skirts on the Vassar Resolutes' 1876 baseball uniforms or the swim suits on the 1924 women's Olympic swim team. I was especially drawn to the running shoes, which looked like they offered no support whatsoever. It must have been difficult to locate all of these, but they add tremendously to the text.

The sheer amount of information about women's sports in the 1920s (and a bit before) is impressive. Swimming, baseball, basketball, ice skating, golf, track and field, rowing, aviation, tennis, hockey and even football (soccer) are covered, showcasing outstanding individuals but also giving background about the state of the endeavor for women in general. Of especial interest is the inclusion of the contributions of women of color, as well as the note that some ethnic populations were not found in news articles. Not only are events and individuals covered, but there is discussion on how the public saw women's sports. Young readers born after half court basketball was ended will be shocked to find that it was considered a given that women were "too delicate" for sports, and that female athletes would feel compelled to show they could dress and make themselves up according to feminine ideals at the time also excel at housewifery! My favorite line has got to be Paul Gallico's "If there is anything more dreadful aesthetically or more depressing than the fatigue-distorted face of a girl runner at the finish line, I have never seen it." Don't think Paul did much running!

The epilogue, with a timeline about highlights in the evolution of women's sports, shows the advances and challenges in the last 100 years. Certainly, there is still progress to be made, and it is helpful to be inspired by women who fought against much greater odds to insure that women and girls would have an equal playing field and as much opportunity as possible. If you have readers who are very interested in this topic, hand them this book along with Jessie Graham Flower's 1911 Grace Harlowe's sophomore year at high school, or, The record of the girl chums in work and athletics. Grace's basketball team's experiences will seem all the more important after reading about the challenges girls faced a decade later!

Breaking Through is a must purchase for all school libraries, and will get equal use for research and for pleasure reading. In fact, since the National History Day theme this year is "Breaking Barriers", it is essential to obtain this title immediately. I'm going to make sure I have two copies, since Macy's works (including the 1996 Winning Ways) are always in demand, and I'm tempted to get a third to deconstruct and make into a bulletin board, which I often consider but never do!

Soccer Dreams

Pryor, Shawn. Soccer Dreams
February 1st 2020 by Picture Window Books
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Keisha attends an activities fair and isn't quite sure what she wants to do until she sees a boy with a soccer ball. Her grandfather was a striker, so she joins the team hoping that she can get this position. Keisha doesn't have any trouble with running, but she keeps grabbing the ball, which is not allowed. Eventually, her coach (who wears an athletic hijab) asks her to try out as a goalie, and this is where Keisha finds her true talent.
Strengths: The reading level of this falls between I Can Read Books and the Jake Maddox sports titles, so would be good for first through third grade. The illustrations are colorful and appealing. Keisha has a supportive family, and she gets along well on her team. I'm glad to see more sports books being written for younger children, and soccer is definitely a good choice for many elementary school students.
Weaknesses: Too young for my students.
What I Really Think: I would definitely look into this Kids' Sports Stories series for an elementary library.

Brina the Cat #1: The Gang of the Feline Sun

Salati,Giorgio and Cornia, Christian. Brina the Cat #1: The Gang of the Feline Sun January 14th 2020 by Papercutz
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Brina and her owners are on vacation in an amazing home in the mountains. Brina wants to get outside, but when she is allowed out once, she gets distracted and runs away, finally being found in a pipe near the yard. Once this city cat has a taste of freedom and fresh air, she wants more. Egged on by Vespucci, a feral cat with a troubled past and a missing eye, Brina leaves her loving owners to run with the pack. Vespucci and the other cats are welcoming, but also get Brina into some trouble. Her owners are desperately worried, and she misses them as well, but is that enough for her to leave her life of freedom and return to them?
Strengths: This is worth purchasing for the setting alone-- those mountains! I'd be glad to go even if I had to be in a cage. This is a sweet story, and mirrors how I think my dog would feel if taken to the mountains. (There's no sleeping on memory foam with fuzzy blankets in the wild!)The pictures are utterly adorable, and the picture-to-text ratio is perfect.
Weaknesses: This is a translation, and there were a few moments where it felt like I was missing something.
What I really think: The premise is very similar to Hunter's Into the Wild, where the "kittypet" runs off and enjoys the life of freedom. This is sort of an alternate ending to that book; in The Warriors, the cats all decide to be feral and fight with each other and eat voles, but Brina is willing to give up her freedom in order to have a safer life with her humans. This will be wildly popular in middle schools where graphic novels circulate well.

Looking forward to the sequel, City Cat, due out June 2, 2020!

Winter in Wartime

Terlouw, Jan. Winter in Wartime
February 4th 2020 by NYRB Kids (first published 1972)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

 Michiel is the son of the mayor in a town in Holland during World War II which the Nazis have occupied. Food is scarce, and everyone is on edge. When Michiel's friend Dirk tries to steal identity cards from a distribution center in order to help the Resistance, he is caught. Michiel is supposed to deliver a letter from Dirk, but is leery of letting anyone else know what his friend's plans were, so opens the letter himself. Dirk has been taking care of a downed British pilot, Jack, and Michiel takes over, even though the extra food is difficult to obtain. Since the pilot is injured, he tells his sister Erica, who helps care for the man. Things become even more difficult when a German is found dead in the woods. The Gestapo round up ten men from the village, including Michiel's father, and when no one comes forth, his father is shot to death. This steels Michiel's determination to work with the Resistance, even though this work is very dangerous. Some missions go better than others, but the general feeling is that the Germans must be thwarted at every opportunity, no matter how great the cost.
Strengths: Like many older books about the Holocaust, this is a first hand account of  the deprivations of war. Like Shirley Hughes' Whistling in the Dark, there are details that one would know only from living through this time period. Wooden wheels on a bicycle! Wow.
Weaknesses: This does have a bit of an older feel to it, but it still moves quickly.
What I really think: There is a Follett Bound copy of this available, and I think I will purchase it. About half way through, I remembered that I had read this before, but I no longer have the 1976 copy (pictured at left) in my library; it was very worn out and started to smell. The new cover and fresh pages will help boost circulation!

96 Miles

Esplin, J.L. 96 Miles
February 11th 2020 by Starscape
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus'

John and Stew Lockwood are trying to get from their home in Nevada to the along state route 318 after the power has gone out. Their father, a survival prepper, had food and water saved up, but that was stolen, and their father is out on the road and can't get back home. They have friends at Brighton Rnach (a tortoise ranch!) 96 miles away, and the boys are determined to walk there. While they are getting water out of a toilet in a house, they run into Cleverly and Will, who are also on their own, having left their grandparents' house because their grandfather was giving the children all of their food. It's not easy to walk across the desert with few supplies, and the children also come across the men who stole the Lockwood's supplies. When Stew's health becomes imperiled, John and Cleverly take off in the night to get water from a reservoir, steal a truck, and are able to get a little farther. When they finally arrive at the ranch where Stew's friend Jess lives, her brother tries to chase the children off so they don't cut into their stores of food and medicine. Luckily, the power comes back on and more crises are averted, but the children are well aware that they need to be prepared in the future!
Strengths: This was a quick and compelling read for children who want adventure, survival, or light dystopian tales. It was scary but not overly so, and the evil people got their due. The relationships between the children were realistic, and the survival tips were top notch. There were even moments of humor that were appreciated.
Weaknesses: The end was a little abrupt, but I was oddly okay with that. It made the whole book a bit less terrifying.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing! I love the cover, and this is a great survival tale along the lines of Philbrick's The Big Dark or Walter's The Rule of Three.

Nothing Ever Happens Here

Hagger-Holt, Sarah. Nothing Ever Happens Here
January 9th 2020 by Usborne Publishing
Copy provided by @davidowenauthor through Twitter

Izzy lives in a small town in Eastern England with her mother, father, older sister and much younger brother. She has a great friend in Grace, and the two are determined have a great year and try out for the school production of Guys and Dolls run by Izzy's favorite teacher, Mr. Thomas. They get good roles, but Izzy's life takes a strange turn when her father tells the family that he is transgender and will be transitioning so that his appearance matches how he feels. Older sister Megan is devastated, but Izzy just doesn't know quite what to think. Her parents are staying together, but her dad (now called Dee) will be changing. She tells Grace, who reacts badly, having picked up some unfortunate opinions at church. Izzy loves Dee and wants to be supportive, but also doesn't care for kids in her class making fun of her for something she cannot control. The family has some support, but when her father makes the news, Izzy realizes that trying to keep her situation a secret isn't helping. Grace's mother turns out to be more understanding that she had suspected, and she gets support from a boy at school, Sam, as well, and even Mr. Thomas is able to share something with her that makes her feel better about her situation. Dee goes on a local talk show to discuss his experiences, and even though he must confront Grace's minister, the program goes well. Even Megan comes around, and Izzy's life continues, her family situation just a small part of who she is and how she lives her life.
Strengths: Representation matters. There are children dealing with all sorts of family dynamics, and if we don't have books that show those experiences, some children will feel left out. Izzy's father's experience is not new or that unusual-- when my mother was teaching in a small town in North Eastern Ohio in the 1970s, she had a boy whose father transitioned. It seemed odd at the time, since no one I knew even used the term transgender, but the focus was still on helping the student adjust to change and continue on. Hagger-Holt does a good job at showing the challenges as well as the positives of the family dynamics, and paints a sympathetic portrait of a family going through changes. The fact that Izzy is also involved in a time consuming school activity like a play and is also having some friend drama makes this perfect.
Weaknesses: It would have been good to see Izzy involved in therapy of some sort. This book is not available through Follett in a hard cover, but is available in the US through Book Depository.
What I really think: For a British family, Izzy's is actually quite functional! Think of all of the Jacqueline Wilson books where the mothers are ineffectual and the fathers or boyfriends abusive, and Izzy's parents look fantastic. We need to see more books like this in the US. There are a few Britishisms that take some figuring out.

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid
April 9th 2019 by Harry N. Abrams
Public library copy

Rowley has been so intrigued by Greg's journals that he decides to write one of his own, illustrated in a similar (but not quiet as well done) way. At first, he claims that he is going to write about himself, but then decides he will make it a biography about Greg so he doesn't get angry. He then recounts his interactions with Greg, every single one of which makes me hate Greg even more. He's mean to Rowley, lies to him, gets him in trouble with his parents, and is generally a complete and utter jerk. At one point, Greg creates a "special award" for Rowley to manipulate him into doing things he doesn't want to do! At the end, after the two get in a lot of trouble and Rowley's parents even stage an intervention and tell him it's time to find some new friends, Rowley states "me and Greg get on each other's nerves a LOT so I guess that just proves that we're BEST FRIENDS."

Um, no.

I've never been a huge fan of the Wimpy Kid books, mainly because they lack plot and character development. But students love them, and there's something to be said for a book that adults don't like but kids do. But this... goes over a line a bit. It makes me really worry that Rowley has some kind of learning challenge that is unidentified, and that Greg is purposefully using Rowley'd good nature to abuse him.

Anyone else worried? Am I just over thinking this? I don't usually complain about books-- good for Jeff Kinney for creating such an empire-- but this came off as very mean spirited.

My students haven't asked for this one, although they are avidly awaiting Wrecking Ball (which sounds like it might have an interesting plot), so I might not purchase this one.

Midnight on Strange Street

Ormsbee, K.E. Midnight on Strange Street
21 January 2020 by Disney-Hyperion
ARC provided by Young Adult books Central

The town of Callaway, Texas, is a refuge from the global war that is going on and affecting Los Angeles. Avery has moved there because it was where her mother grew up, and when her parents divorced, her father was too busy with everything to spend any time with her. She is enjoying her new home, which is on Cedar Street, with other kids. She, along with twins Bastian and Lola and Dani Hirsch, have formed a Glowboard team called the Sardines. Glow is something that was found in Callaway, and is a much sought after commodity with a variety of powers, including the power to make hoverboards. All four children have some sort of powers that seem tied to the Glow. Another former friend, Zander, used to Glowboard with them, but is now riding with the Grackles and the evil Mitchell Jensen, whose father has a Glowboard factory. When the children start getting messages from alien beings, telling them to meet at a particular time, they are worried, especially since the twins' brother, Nando, is working for the government and won't tell them many details. With the big Glow in the Park race coming up, the Sardines are concentrating on winning. This is especially important to Dani, whose high powered parents don't consider it a sport and would rather she swim instead. They make her a deal that she can continue to Glowboard if the Sardines win. The Sardines continue to practice, and also hone their abilities to read each other's minds and "tether" to each other while racing. They are warned to stay away from the race, and are being followed by shady operatives. Will they be able to win the race and keep things in Callaway on an even keel?

This is an action-packed speculative fiction book with a very realistic setting. The Global War is always on the horizon, especially since Avery's father and Nando are more involved in it, but it hasn't quite reached Callaway yet. The Glow, and its effects on the area and the children, is an interesting topic, and I would like to know more about how it is involved in the war. Certainly the best way to use it is to create hoverboards with the ability to race at lightning speeds.

There is a subplot with the evil Jensens that adds a frisson of danger, and we, as readers, can see the actions of the people stalking the teens, even though they are unaware. Readers who enjoyed Savage's The Truth About Martians, Winick's Hilo series, Haddix's Children of Exile or O'Donnell's Space Rocks will find this futuristic adventure to be a winner.

I really wanted to know more about the Global War and how the Glow was discovered. For something so powerful, it seemed vastly underutilized. There was a fair amount of backstory that felt like it was missing.

MMGM- A Galaxy of Sea Stars and To Fly Among the Stars

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.

Ferruolo, Jeanne Zulick. A Galaxy of Sea Stars
February 4th 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Izzy loves livign in Seaside, Rhode Island, but there are challenges. Her father has returned from military duty in Afghanistan with some injuries as well as PTSD, and the family has had to leave their home and are now trying to run the local marina. Her mother is living on a nearby island, helping her family run a diner. Izzy is angry that her mother is not at home, and it doesn't help that her two best friends, Zelda and Piper, are acting strangely. They've all managed to get into the same homeroom, since they are all doing the school video announcements, but something is off. Izzy starts to spend more time with Sitara, whose father was a doctor and an interpreter in Afghanistan and had to leave because of threats to the family. Sitara wears a hijab to school and is forthright about it, even mentioning on the school announcements that if anyone has questions, she would rather be asked them to her face. This doesn't stop some of the jerky students from giving her a hard time about it. When this includes Zelda, Izzy is distraught that her best friend is so mean. Combined with her father's difficulties and the absence of her mother, she becomes overwrought, but eventually learns to take to heart the idea that her courage should be bigger than her fear.
Strengths: Friend drama is one of the most requested type of books in my library, and I love that while this is central to Izzy's story, there are a lot of other things as well. Sitara is a great character who has a realistic reaction to the ill treatment she receives (she asks to study at home for a while), but eventually goes back to stand up to the bullies. Izzy's interactions with her parents are realistic and handled well. The small, seaside town is a great setting.
Weaknesses: This was hard to get into; I felt like I had missed something and wondered if it were the second book in a series. Once I got a couple of chapters in, it moved right along.
What I really think: I'll purchase this, since Warga's Other Words For Home, Yang's Front Desk, and other titles with immigrant children are circulating very well in my library.

Siegal, Rebecca. To Fly Among the Stars
March 3rd 2020 by Scholastic Focus
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mauerer's Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11 or Sheinkin's Born to Fly, this is a fantastic, well researched overview of the various people involved in the early space program. It is perfect for students who want to do a National History Day project on a slightly different aspect of the space program, since there are so many people mentioned. While it was a fascinating read, it is also somewhat difficult to synopsize, since there is so much information. I'm definitely purchasing this one, but we'll let the publisher describe this for you. (And Scholastic Focus has been coming out with a lot of interesting nonfiction lately. Definitely keeping my eye on this imprint.)
"In the 1960s, locked in a heated race to launch the first human into space, the United States selected seven superstar test pilots and former military air fighters to NASA's astronaut class--the Mercury 7. The men endured grueling training and constant media attention for the honor of becoming America's first space heroes. But a group of 13 women--accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors--were enduring those same astronaut tests in secret, hoping to defy social norms and earn a spot among the stars.

With thrilling stories of aviation feats, frustrating tales of the fight against sexism, and historical photos, To Fly Among the Stars recounts an incredible era of US innovation, and the audacious hope of the women who took their fight for spaceflight all the way to Washington, DC. "

Beginners Welcome

Baldwin, Cindy. Beginners Welcome
February 11th 2020 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Annie Lee was very close to her father, so she is still reeling from his recent death. It doesn't help that odd things are happening, like whiskers left in the sink or radios that suddenly play his music, that make Annie and her mother feel like his ghost is still with them. It also doesn't help that his life insurance hasn't come through, and the two are struggling to get by on the mother's salary cleaning houses. Annie must stay by herself in the afternoons, and she is supposed to stay in the apartment, but she scooters around the town, eventually running into Ray, who plays piano. He offers to give her lessons, and the local beauty salon owner, Queenie, whose presence seems to give Annie a lot of solace. There is a piano competition offering cash prizes, and since it states "beginners welcome", Annie thinks it might be a way to help her and her mother. She makes some progress, but when Ray doesn't show up for a few days, she becomes concerned. It's a good thing she does, even though she gets in trouble when her mother finds out what she has been up to, but being part of a larger community helps both her and her mother navigate their new reality.
Strengths: This reminded me a little of Constance Greene's A Girl Called Al, in that it is sad but sweet. Annie and her mother struggle with putting food on the table and clothes on their backs, and there are not a whole lot of books (although there are a growing number) of books that show this reality. While both are grieving, the mother is doing her best to keep going, and Annie's forays into town also show a good way of coping.
Weaknesses: I never got a good feel for what was going on with the ghost of the father-- were both Annie and her mother imagining it?
What I really think: This is a slow paced book, and the cover is not very appealing, so I am debating purchase. There are a lot of books being published about people dealing with grief, and I only need so many in my library collection.

I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: A Graphix Book

I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: A Graphix Book 
Georgia Ball (Adaptor), Lauren Tarshis, Scott Dawson (Illustrations)
February 4th 2020 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

George Calder is traveling on the Titanic with his widowed aunt and his younger sister. There are a lot of opportunities for adventure on board, when he can manage to sneak away from his cabin. When he hears that there is a mummy in the luggage area, he sneaks down in the dead of night, only to meet a creepy man with a scar who threatens him. When they are about to open the mummy case, the ship lurches and George manages to escape. Ship personnel tell his aunt to get everyone dressed and ready to go to the deck of the ship; she doesn't want to, but reluctantly agrees. George's sister is not in her bed, and George feels she must have heard him slip out and followed him. He and his aunt finally locate her, but she has gotten down into steerage to see Enzo, an Italian boy with whom she has made friends. George manages to make it to the deck with Enzo, his father, and his aunt and sister, but there is no room on the life boat for George. He and the father try to stick together, jumping off the ship before it capsizes and hanging onto doors to float in the cold sea before being rescued by the Carpathia.
Strengths: This has an excellent text to picture ratio for elementary students, and is sort of like gummy vitamins; it gets history into students who might not normally pick up historical fiction. Tarshis can tell a fast-paced, We Were There type story very effectively, and this is a good adaptation.
Weaknesses: The I Survived books are short enough as they are, so this seems sort of unnecessary.
What I really think: I guess the graphic novel is helpful in that it shows what the historical era looks like. I'll have to buy these, and they will be wildly popular, since both the I Survived books and graphic novels are constantly checked out.

Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook #3- Sidelined

Palmer, Iva-Marie. Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook #3- Sidelined
August 6th 2019 by Katherine Tegen Books
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Gabby travels from Peach Tree to Seattle with her family for a vacation, but it ends disastrously. Not only is it gray and rainy the whole time, but she trips over a hot dog at a Mariners' game and breaks her arm! Back at school, she's upset she can't play baseball, but she distracts herself by running for class president, even if she has to possible run against her sort-of boyfriend, Johnny. Just when she's made peace with her bright orange cast, her father announces that he is in the running for a job writing for a newspaper... in Seattle! This is the worst possible news, and Gabby and her brother Peter stop their normal sibling quibbling to band together to convince their father and Louie, their stepmother, that this is not a good plan. They try to enlist their grandmother, who is only proud that her son has the opportunity. They take their father to his favorite restaurant, which is run by a family that relocated happily. They even nominate him for the Peach Tree citizen of the year award, and more misguidedly, send a letter of interest to an Atlanta newspaper in their father's name. This gets back to the Seattle paper and imperils his prospects. In the meantime, Gabby has had to figure out several things at school, and decide what she will do if her family does indeed move.

Gabby is a headstrong but well-meaning character who acts with typical middle school impetuosity. She and Peter are both convinced that leaving their hometown would be horrendous, and don't really think through what their father's job prospects are. They eventually realize that it is a rare opportunity, and regret their efforts at stopping the move. It's nice to see the two working together, and Gabby even opines that she had not really thought of her younger brother as an ally before.

There aren't as many details about sports in this volume, since Gabby has a broken arm, but that is a pity. I enjoyed details of her baseball and field hockey careers. I do enjoy her light romance; it's just the right touch for middle school.

Gabby's friends are a good supportive cast and try to help her with her plans, even if they think they are a little misguided. They also try to be positive when it looks like the move will happen. They are also supportive of her student body president run, and flesh out the story with realistic middle school activities and emotions.

Fans of the Dork Diaries will enjoy the plentiful illustrations, even if this story is much longer than those books. This is also perfect for readers who enjoy sports stories like Alex Morgan's The Kicks series and Aladdin's M!X books.

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue (The Vanderbeekers #3)

Glaser, Karina Yan. The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue 
September 17th 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Public library copy

The Vanderbeekers are excited because their mother is going to be interviewed by Perch magazine about her cookie business, which could lead to a lot more sales. When she is at another appointment when the health inspector visits, however, the kitchen fails the test due to all of the pets. Not wanting to dash their mother's dreams, the children keep up with preparing the house for the interview, getting free fuchsia paint for the living room and rescheduling another inspection without telling their parents. Meanwhile, more and more animals are showing up at their door, from dogs to kittens to chickens! There's not much time to get everything situated, especially since the parents seem oddly uninvolved in the whole process and an uncle takes the time away from preparations to build a tree house in the back yard. When the kitchen fails another inspection and the mother realizes she's been operating illegally for years, she wisely decides to brush up on her accounting skills. This isn't good enough for the children, who look into inexpensive places to rent. They actually find one, and their extended circle of family and friends help the mother put together a cat and cookie cafe.
Strengths: This is a great series for fans of The Penderwicks or of older titles like Enright's The Melendy Family. The children are given a lot of freedom to do whatever they want, there are animals and activities, and interesting and supportive neighbors. There is even a bit of mystery with the animals that are showing up on their doorstep.
Weaknesses: There is a lot of suspension of disbelief that is needed for these. The children do a lot of misguided things without their parents' consent, none of which end particularly well. You'd think by this time, the parents would have learned.
What I really think: I finally deaccessioned The Penderwicks because no one ever could be persuaded to check the first two books out, so I don't think I will purchase these. I do keep reading them because I enjoy them a bit, and in case this sort of family centered fiction is ever in demand in my library.

That said, the first book was chosen for our 6th grade Battle of the Books, so I now have six paperbacks that were purchased with grant  money. We'll see how the students like them.

Catherine's War

Billet, Julia and Fauvel, Claire. Catherine's War
January 21st 2020 by HarperAlley
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Catherine is living at the Sèvres Children's Home since both of her parents were taken. It has a progessive school, and children are given some freedom in what the want to study. Catherine loves photography, and thanks to an instructor, Penguin, has a good camera and knows how to develop pictures in the darkroom. The staff is vigilant about protecting the Jewish students from the Nazis even having them change their names to be on the safe side, but eventually it is necessary for them to leave. Catherine has another student, Alice, under her care, and the two go to a covent school, where Catherine takes first communion. She also meets a young photographer, Étienne, in the village, and is quite fond of him. Soon, though she and Alice end up in the country at a modest farm. Their teacher is rather snotty about the lack of education in the family, but the girls thrive, enjoying the security, good food, and gentle care they get. Since Catherine is older than many of the students, she starts to teach some of them. This is helpful when she and Alice must move again, this time to an orphanage. Catherine continues to take photographs of the people she encounters. When the orphanage is evacuated, Alice chooses to stay with a younger boy to help him out, and Catherine ends up with a young wife of a soldier. Eventually, the war ends and Catherine returns to Paris, only to find out that her parents have not returned and their apartment has been trashed. She find the photographer, Étienne, and is about to contact Alice as well.

While there are lots of books about people in concentration camps, there are fewer about people hiding from the Nazis and even fewer about children hiding in plain sight, under assumed identities. This graphic novel is based on the experiences of the author's mother, and seeing the number of people who were willing to help children is a testament to the good of humanity!

Catherine's interest in photography helps to give more dimension to her character; it's hard for my students to grasp that the vast majority of the people displaced by the Holocaust came from comfortable, middle class backgrounds similar to their own. The drawings depict many of the photographs taken, some replicas of actual photographs taken by the author's mother.

The drawings are very lovely, and the brown and gray color palette, with touches of green and pink, seem very appropriate to the time period. Historical graphic novels are helpful because they show so many details about life at the time-- clothing, buildings, cars, etc.

I would have liked to have seen Catherine's life before the Sèvres Children's Home, but this is a nice overview of what happened to the character during the majority of the war, as well as what happened afterwards.

This is a somewhat longer graphic novel than books like Holm's Sunny Side Up, and the print is somewhat smaller, but this makes it a great selection for readers who want more details about this historical period and who have enjoyed Jablonski's Resistance or Robbins' Lily Renée, Escape Artist.